Tag: good things

Beautiful things grow out of shit. Nobody ever believes that. Everyone thinks that Beethoven had his string quartets completely in his head—they somehow appeared there and formed in his head—and all he had to do was write them down and they would be manifest to the world. But what I think is so interesting, and would really be a lesson that everybody should learn, is that things come out of nothing. Things evolve out of nothing. You know, the tiniest seed in the right situation turns into the most beautiful forest. And then the most promising seed in the wrong situation turns into nothing. I think this would be important for people to understand, because it gives people confidence in their own lives to know that’s how things work.

If you walk around with the idea that there are some people who are so gifted—they have these wonderful things in their head but and you’re not one of them, you’re just sort of a normal person, you could never do anything like that—then you live a different kind of life. You could have another kind of life where you could say, well, I know that things come from nothing very much, start from unpromising beginnings, and I’m an unpromising beginning, and I could start something.

Brian Eno, Here Is What Is (cf. David Rakoff: “Writing starts off as shit.”)

reelbrains:

northstarfan:

dr-archeville:

ayellowbirds:

amroyounes:

African HeroRats detect landmines.

Using positive reinforcement behavior that is respectful of the animals, African pouched rats are taught to identify the explosives, receiving treats for their efforts. After months of training, the rats are set a test and accredited as HeroRats if they pass.

The pouched rats are perfect for the job; intelligent with a keen sense of smell, they are small enough not to trigger mines and large enough to be easily identifiable in the field. No rat has been killed in a minefield.
Banana for scale

The rats can clear two hundred square meters in just 20 minutes. It would take humans with metal detectors five days to cover the same area.

The rats live for up to eight years, but retire after six and live out their twilight years eating avocados, apples and bananas, and being regularly patted by their handlers.

look at these wonderful rats saving lives and enjoying nanners.

Thank you, not-so-tiny rat friends!

…ratties that live longer than 2 – 3 years? Can I have one?

HeroRats are great and they even use them to test for TB!

You can support them either from buying them treats, to nests, or even paying for their handlers’ salaries and training.

inkskinned:

the thing is, somebody cares. i know your best friend seems really busy all the time and is shit at texting but she still loves you and she talks to you more than she talks to anyone else and you’re the only breath of calm she has on this planet. the boy in your science class loves seeing what music you’re listening to on your headphones – he has the same taste and wishes he had the nerve to ask you about it. your english teacher loves the insight you have on your papers. somebody cares. the person who lives down the street from you notices when you are sick because they don’t see you stomping your way to the schoolbus – it’s how they know it’s time to get their breakfast ready. somebody is looking for you at the party, even if they don’t know they’re really looking for you – but when you don’t show up, some part of them is disappointed. somebody is looking for you in the library, in the spot where you eat lunch, in front of that one step you always seem to trip on. i know your parents are a complicated mess and there’s drama between your friends and your love life is sort of shaped like a constant question and everybody seems all caught up in their own lives and their own happiness and nobody really notices: but somebody always does. every face in your dreams is someone you have met, and that means that you are in a million’s stranger’s heads. they see you when they go to bed. and somebody cares. somebody still thinks about you even though you were just a person with a nice outfit or good eyeliner or a great smile or because you were having one of those moments that are so charmingly human in nature or because they regret not asking if you needed help when you fell or because they wonder what you were thinking about or drawing or writing or just because you’re alive, and that makes you fascinating. somebody cares. when you were on break from work and saw a dog hanging his head out of the car and suddenly broke into a smile: there was a girl in the back of that car, and I was her, and I still think about you, and i hope you get more chances to smile like that. and there is you, sitting here reading this, and by some small extension, meeting me, and i am telling you, I care. somebody always does. i promise. i promise. you are loved.

Here’s to the people who…

quidditchconsent:

… Ask “can I kiss you?” or lean in halfway and then wait for you to close the gap.

… Tap the item of clothing and check to see if you’re okay removing it.

… Respect your boundaries *without* pointing out how “nice” and “patient” they’re being and how very hard they’re struggling to be okay with it.

… Surprise you with kisses *only after* you’ve told them how much you enjoy getting surprise kisses from them.

… Remember where you don’t like to be touched.

… Appreciate your body as it is and when it changes.

… Communicate before, during, and after intimacy.

Here’s to the people who make consent a natural part of relationships, as it should be.

The way I try to approach being an ally as a white cis person, what I find is helpful, is to just pretend you’re an intern. Like what would you do if you were an intern? You would hang out, take notes, listen, speak up when somebody asks you to, and get coffee.

Citizen Radio with perhaps one of the best analogies I’ve ever heard for how (cis) white people can be truly good allies (via odinsblog)

Hoe Tips: Depression Edition

secretstonergirl91:

helenhoneybee:

districtsugar:

muscovado-sugar:

imsryimlate:

So you wanna up your hoe game, but also everything is impossible and you want to die? This is the post for you!

1. Embrace the shittiness. Don’t accept it, strive for recovery, but embrace your limitations because self-love is a core value of successful hoeing. 

2. You want to look hot as fuck but also you can’t wash yourself because basic hygiene is TOO HARD RIGHT NOW. Invest in mamma’s little helpers: dry shampoo and face wipes (broke ho version: baking soda and baby-wipes). You can do your hair and wash your face in like .2 seconds. You can even do it in bed. Amazing.

If doing your hair is NOT going to happen today: just throw that shit in a. a bun b. a side braid. There ya go. Rotate as needed and throw in a bandanna or headband every now and then. Nobody knows you are dying inside.

3. Your look needs to be on point but you are currently a gutter trash animal inside. Don’t even worry! Get yourself some trusty black leggings, comfy sweaters, and large boots. Sleep in these leggings and sweaters. Wake up. Put feet in large boots. Outfit sorted. The large boots are key, because a. they hide your mismatched/dirty/missing socks, b. they pull the outfit together. This can actually look super on-purpose with pretty much any style. In the summer time, sleep in your undies and then pull of a comfy dress and boots. You can do this pretty much every single day by spicing things up with a scarf or cardigan or what have you and no one really notices.

4. You need to be on that eating shit, because an unhealthy ho is an unhappy ho. When I’m doing well, I cook all sorts of yummy healthy stuff. But when I get depressed my brain is like, “Um, no.” I’ve learned the safest bet for me is to buy food that I will actually eat and ignore what your grocery bag is “supposed” to look like. There have been month long periods where all I buy is cereal and popcorn. I supplement with fruit and salads when I can. That’s okay, just feed yourself. My best ho tip is to stock up on granola bars that you like. I got through three months of this semester by eating a Clif or Laura bar for every meal during my classes/bus/in bed. Its cheap and its easy and it means you aren’t skipping meals.

Also, buy a water bottle and drink out of it as much as humanly possible.

5. Take your birth control, anti-depressants, vitamins, and whatever else at the same time every night. Put then on your nightstand next to a large jar of m&m’s. Take the pills, eat some m&m’s, have an easier time sleeping knowing that your basic health needs are taken care of.

This is perf!

You’re an angel.

This is really sweet and considerate. A lot of people have no idea how hard it is for people with mental health issues. You are truly a Goddess!

This truly makes me feel like shit isn’t impossible and clearly the person who made tjis has been there done that no judgment so blunt you could smoke it but at the same time it sounds like someone actually cares for once