soft

Knitting, 2021 - by Joseph Ford, English

this is one of a [series] and they're all fantastic

joseph ford is the photographer and the knitter who made the pieces is nina dodd (ninadoddknits.com)

elijah wood as bacchus at 2004 mardi gras. if you care

that's the context???

One quiet day on the farm, the Little Red Hen found some wheat seeds and decided to make bread.

"Who will help me plant these seeds?" the Little Red Hen asked.

"I would." said the Horse "But I'm a workhorse, and I'm too busy moving carts around."

And so the Little Red Hen planted the seeds by herself. And they grew into bountiful golden crops.

"Who will help me harvest the wheat?" the Little Red Hen asked.

"I would." said the Dog "But I'm a guarddog, and I'm too busy keeping away burglars and predators."

And so the Little Red Hen harvested the wheat herself and made it into flour.

"Who will help me bake the flour?" the Little Red Hen asked.

"I would." said the Pig "But I'm a mother of 5 newborn piglets, and I'm too busy taking care of my young."

And so the Little Red Hen baked the bread herself into twenty beautiful loaves.

"Who will help me eat the bread?" the Little Red Hen asked.

"We would." said the Farm Animals. "But we're ashamed, for we didn't do anything to make the bread."

"Nonsense!" said the Little Red Hen. "You, Horse, helped move around the stones that built my oven. You, Dog, kept me safe while I worked. And you, Pig, are raising a new generation of Farm Animals, who will too contribute to our Farm one day. You've all helped me so much by simply being you."

"Besides," the Little Red Hen added. "I couldn't possibly eat all the loaves on my own, most of them would go to waste. Come, eat with me."

And so the Little Red Hen and the Farm Animals ate the bread together. And all saw their own, and each other's, worth.

better

This healed a very old wound

Today at work we were unpacking a big box, and I looked at the box and thought, huh. That box looks much smaller than me sitting on the ground, but I bet if I really scrunched down I could fit most of my body inside the box. And I had one leg fully in the box before I realized:

Socialists, get into fat liberation theory right the fuck now. I am speaking as a fellow dirty commie, DO IT.

You all like to lump fatness into either the category of "product of bourgeoisie decadence" or "side effect of capitalism forcing us to eat bad food" when neither is the actual case.

Fat people exist in all social classes and all walks of life, often regardless of individual choices.

Fat people are victims of capitalist exploitation at the hands of the multi billion dollar diet and weight loss industry that pushes eating disorder behavior and unnecessary surgeries on to us all in the name of profits.

Fatphobia ties into beauty standards that capitalists use to manipulate people into hating their bodies so they can be sold beauty. Think about how many of the ads you get every day are for weight loss.

I’m gonna be honest, I saw this coming, I’ve been warning about global fascism for many years, but honestly living in Portland the scapegoat city while fascists have been emboldened to fly Nazi flags across the country, the January 6 goons are going to be pardoned, and liberals are increasingly scapegoating the marginalized has made me terrified of a new federal occupation of Portland.

2020 felt like our city was on the verge of martial law. I felt trapped, you couldn’t even get a passport if you wanted one. The police abused the public with full impunity. Unmarked federal agents terrorized young protesters. The president was considering labeling Black Lives Matter and antifascist protesters as terrorist organizations.

This last election wasn’t the choice between fascism or non-fascism but slow creep or fast attack. The energy dissipated after Biden was elected and we did not have the organizational capacity or collective leadership to build up a resistance to the open war on the public our government has been waging for centuries while we have no army. I’m scared of how intense the escalation from here on out will manifest and how unprepared we are to meet the moment.

I saw this coming too given that America's a settler colony founded white supremacist genocidal slave owners on top of stolen land that tries to pretend it's a democracy and fails miserably at it.

i used to have a running gag on twitter where i would tweet "i'm going to draw a horse" and then proceeded to draw a horse. here is a compilation

context for boghorse:

i would never lie to you

There was a poor soaking wet crow sitting in the rain, I had to draw him. Looked like the world's most dejected rectangle 😅💚

Watching Przewalski's horses run free on the Kazakhstan steppe for the first time in 200 years

It's my time to shine as a horse girl!!

Anyway. This is incredible news and this species of animal is very special, very ancient, and very cool.

Truly generations of work went into accomplishing this--many of the people who started this work never got to see its success or know that what they did would eventually lead to a species returning to its homeland for the first time in centuries.

We all want something tangible we can do to protect each other. One option: if you live in a state that has shown support for trans rights, write to your governors to request that they hold a special session like Governor Newsom is holding in California to add legal protections for trans individuals. Here's a template with specific suggestions from the fantastic journalist Erin Reed.

Dear Governor [Last Name],

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my deep appreciation for the work you have already done to support the LGBTQ+ community in our state, especially trans individuals. Your leadership has been a beacon of hope for many, and I am grateful for the inclusive policies you have championed thus far.

However, as we witness growing threats to the rights and well-being of trans people across the country, I am reaching out with a request that I hope will continue to elevate our state's commitment to protecting and supporting trans individuals. I would be incredibly appreciative if you would consider calling a special legislative session to take further action in safeguarding the rights of trans people in our state, similar to the efforts recently championed by Governor Gavin Newsom in California.

There are several measures I believe could provide immediate and lasting protections for trans individuals and ensure their access to life-saving care. Some of these include:

• Providing state funding for gender-affirming healthcare, particularly in cases where federal funding (like Medicaid) may be threatened or withdrawn. This would help ensure that trans people have access to necessary medical care, regardless of federal policy changes.

• Stockpiling gender-affirming medications within the state, which could help alleviate any disruptions caused by potential interstate commerce issues, ensuring that trans people can access their medications without interruption.

• Shielding Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data to protect sensitive information about trans individuals' healthcare, preventing potential misuse of their personal data for discriminatory purposes.

• Defending inclusive schools by providing funding and legal support for schools that may face fines or legal challenges for supporting trans students and creating safe, affirming environments for them.

• Extending the validity of driver's licenses to eight years, which would help ease the process of name changes for trans individuals, reducing barriers to obtaining identification that reflects their true identity.

• Providing support for individuals who may need to move to our state in order to access gender-affirming care, including employment and housing assistance to ensure that they are welcomed and supported in their transition.

These actions would make a significant difference in the lives of trans people, both in our state and beyond, and would affirm our commitment to being a place of safety, support, and dignity for all individuals.

I know that the work you have already done has not been easy, but it has been incredibly impactful, and I sincerely thank you for your ongoing efforts to protect and uplift trans communities. Your leadership has been a lifeline, and I hope you will continue to be a champion for trans rights during these challenging times.

Thank you for considering this request. I look forward to seeing our state continue to be a place of inclusion and support for all people, no matter their gender identity.

Gratefully,

[Your Full Name]

[Your City, State]

I think shit is gonna get a lot worse out here.

What better way to get my mind off of the new job than to draw some gay shit.

An important read, I think, to start really thinking about aesthetics vs practicality in politics

Assorted excerpts, semi out of context

I finally made the meme I've had in my head for over a year

Do not fight with your fellow progressives over voting third party. The numbers show that if ALL third party votes were instead given to Harris, she still would have lost. We were given zero good options for voting and we all did what we believed the best option was.

Both the establishment dems who refused to run on an actually good platform + the fascist GOP want to let this divide the left. Don’t let it. Now is the most crucial time for building community and support networks.

Do not put the sole focus of your political activism on elections. The state will never save us. Show up for your communities.

They should invent a falling asleep that is easy

Girlboy with a he/him pin on one sleeve and a she/her pin on the other. Two people sitting on either side of her aggressively correcting each other on his pronouns

*her pronouns

*his pronouns