For those that don’t know, a TV licence is a fee of £147 every household is required to pay if we want to view or listen to the public broadcasters (BBC) content, as they don’t display ads. You also require it to watch any live broadcast in the UK.
Though it is a little ridiculous to some, and as much as they try and ram it down your throat that you have to pay, it’s not enforcable.
All you have to do is not watch or listen to any live content (or to the BBCs iPlayer) and you’re not required to pay, just fill out a declaration. You might get a knock on the door from a “TV detector van”, but they have ZERO powers of entry without a warrant, and as long as you don’t grant them entry and say that you don’t watch live content, then you’re golden.
I know I was taking a little break to avoid all the stress of the Charlottesville rally being talked about on tumblr, but I also wanted to make sure all of my Jewish mutuals know how loved they are. I know this is scary and sometimes it feels like the only people looking out for us is ourselves, but know that you are not alone and have never been alone. We are one mishpacha, one family, and we will look after each other and keep each other safe like we always have. I love each and every one of you. Remember, the whole world is a very narrow bridge and the main thing is to have no fear at all.
Goyim, please reblog this instead of all the performative “punch a nazi” nonsense. Make your Jewish followers feel safe.
Santa is on strike due to global warming. All presents this year will be delivered by Sasha the Christmas Tiger. Milk and cookies may not be sufficient.
“Mimi Pond became part of American pop culture history when she wrote “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” — the first aired “Simpsons” episode — in December 1989. However, the cartoonist was never offered a position as part of the writing staff because she claims Sam Simon, the show runner, wanted an all-male writers’ room following his divorce.
When Groening decided to take on “The Simpsons” as a project, he asked Pond to take on the role of writer. “He was asking his cartoonist friends if they wanted to write episodes, and apparently I was the only one who said yes,” Pond told Jezebel. “When I wrote an episode, I wrote it and it just happened to air as the first one because they were behind schedule.”
I was never invited to be on staff, and I never knew why for the longest time. No one ever called me or explained to me or apologized or anything. And it wasn’t until years later that I found out that Sam Simon, who was the showrunner, didn’t want any women around because he was going through a divorce. It had remained a boys’ club for a good long time. I feel like I was just as qualified as anyone else who came along and got hired on the show, and it was just because I was a woman that I was, you know, not allowed entry into that club. I always wind up being the turd in the punchbowl because the show is so beloved and everything, and I’m sorry to burst bubbles but [laughs]. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for me.”
tumblr in general – outside of the other addicts i know – has kind of a bizarre perception of substance abuse in general
everyone needs to realize that YOU KNOW ADDICTS. there’s a 99.99% chance that everyone on this website knows an addict. and i’m not talking about abusers. not every addict is an abusive parent. that is a myth. i’m talking about your nicest friend, your cousin, your friend’s mom who is always so friendly, i’m talking about your younger siblings and your friend’s friends, your teachers and coworkers. good decent people who are addicts behind closed doors
there needs to be a lot more discussion about addiction on this website in general. the way it disproportionately affects mentally ppl, abuse victims, LGBT people, homeless people… addiction is common. addiction isn’t just the meth addict you saw on television last week
and u know what? the meth addict you saw on television last week isn’t some circus freak for tlc to profit off of. they are a real, living human being and still deserve love & respect
at the end of the day outside of “abusive parents who are addicts” there’s little to no discussion about addiction on this website and it’s frustrating and tiring for me bc there’s so much mischaracterization of the experiences of addicts
addicts can be shy, we can be soft and sweet, we can be anxious, we can be friendly, we can be responsible and hard working
we all need to work harder to dismantle the myths of addiction & build up addicts and create a world where addicts are given respect & patience instead of disdain and outright mockery when we choose to be open & honest about our addiction
bc the way things are? a lot of the addicts i know – myself included (all of whom are marginalized ppl, btw) – still have trouble opening up and talking honestly about our struggles because it can be so incredibly alienating and scary. even in the supportive & understanding environment that tumblr has created most addicts i know are still largely silent about issues that literally affect us day to day
we as a community have to do better
I used to work at a museum.
When I was there, someone told me about something that had happened in our little town. There had been a historic building that used to be a lifesaving station preceding the Coast Guard, that the town was considering turning into a drug rehabilitation center. At town hall, people argued that it would turn this little town into a druggie-overrun slum. People in this town didn’t have drug problems, you see. It was too nice for that.
Then their adult children started standing up. They started talking about their struggles with addiction. The invisibility of it within the town. How, because they didn’t fit their image of what a drug user was (impoverished, nonwhite, violent, someone else’s family member, etc.), even those closest to them assumed there was no problem. That there was no struggle.
The drug center opened up for a while, though not long from what I can recall. Even after the reveal that their own citizens were struggling, the stigma was still too strong, and it was eventually shut down by the pressure.
That former rehabilitation center was the museum I worked at.
Trace your logic on why you’re giving a Black woman messy hair. There is an association to afro hair as being “unkempt”, messy, and unprofessional already and you’ll need to tread carefully implying messiness to a Black character’s hair. On that note, what does messy entail with afro hair if indeed she’s natural? Is the character actually neglecting her hair or just isn’t as elaborate with her hair routine as her sister?
In the first case, i’d like to know why she neglects her hair (depressed, overwhelmed with life?) and if being overwhelmed, why she wouldn’t choose a low-maintenance style like braids or extensions which can still look presentable with less time-consuming care.
In the latter case, associating the BW’s hair with messiness at all would be false. Low-maintenance still indeed requires maintenance and natural afro styles should not be associated with messy.
If the sister’s criticism of the other sister’s hair is a general dislike of natural hair, that is a touchy topic best saved for Black people to write, or someone really,really well-researched and who has had their works read over by Black people. Even still, it’ll always be best coming from the group as their commentary on the subject is the most welcome and relevant, not necessarily a topic for non-Black people to dissect.
Now, in the case you do still need a description:
Frizzy is specific, so ask yourself if it’s accurate. It’s not offensive to use in itself, though. Personally when I picture frizzy hair on Black people, it’s straightened hair that is reverting back to its curly texture.
Bedhead is another word that may work, if it applies.
Messy i’m on the fence with, especially not knowing what constitutes as messy in the case of Black hair in this story, so I don’t want to wrongfully condone the usage. Messy can be used in a neutral way, such as a “messy bun” style, but it doesn’t seem to be associated positively here as the character worries her hair won’t be accepted.
Perhaps you could choose words that don’t directly snub the character’s hair but instead compares it as less styled or as elaborately-styled than her sister is used too for whatever reason. This places less blame or negative association on the first sister’s hair.
Words likeunkempt andnappyshould be avoided completely, as they can be insulting and racially-charged.
SeeWords to Describe Hairfor more ideas. You can still describe her hair in positive terms while just noting the sister has a higher standard for styles.
In Summary:
Unless her hair is neglected and in need of major moisture and TLC, I can’t see messy applying for afro hair alone and i’d urge you to avoid drawing Black hair into the conversation in order to show messiness in a character. Unless it’s in a specific style that’s gone undone, afros themselves don’t lay in a specific way, they flow out and up how they want to and should not be associated as messy for being the way it grows.
Everything from a less-than-spotless apartment or bedroom to her manner of dress can show messiness and be a point of judgement for the sister to look down upon. Although in the case the sister is just kinda prissy, it may be her high standards seeing mess where most people would not. More areas of judgement towards the “messy” sister could be her wearing comfortable, casual clothes vs. being extremely stylish ones, or wearing little to no makeup.
These examples don’t lay blame on natural hair as being messy and may be more appropriate, unless you’ve got the experience with the topic as a Black person who has experienced such judgement.
I don’t think we talk enough about it being 100% ok to abandon your goals.
There is so much about keeping on trying and working hard and You Can Achieve Anything When You Put Your Mind To It which is a great sentiment. And for the large part its true and I don’t intend to contradict that when I say that look: sometimes you have to quit and that’s ok.
There is no virtue in pursuing a goal to the detriment of your health and happiness. Not every goal is attainable for you no matter how much you want it and it isn’t shameful to walk away from an aspiration that isnt working for you or is sapping your energy and it doesn’t feel worth it anymore.
You’re no less for changing your mind about something halfway through, or losing interest, or deciding other things are more of a priority than getting fit, running that marathon, getting into med school or whatever else you hoped to do. Forgive yourself, move on.
In a similar vein, and something I’ve been struggling with: You can come back.
Wrote a lot of poems and stories as a middle schooler? Lost that somewhere along the way? You can come back.
Made a lot of art as a kid? Gave up because it wasn’t “good enough” or “practical”? You can come back.
Life is hard, college is ridiculously difficult. It’s okay to give up and focus on trying to take care of yourself. You can go back.
You never have to pick dreams back up, and sometimes it’s ridiculously hard to do so, but you can if you want. It’s up to you.
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
You must be logged in to post a comment.