*Jen/ 20/ Chicago
*they traded Bollig and I cried
*raging liberal
*feminist
*Blackhawks and I reblog almost every team
*Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs
*Sherlock, Parks and Rec,and AHS
*really any music at this point (Mostly Hozier and country)
it's just a clusterfuck at this point
the shaggy meme is hilarious but y'all are missing out on the wild shit mathew lillard would actually say during his Scooby doo press junkets. Like one time he said that he didn’t know how to get the specific shaggy squeak to his voice so before shooting he would sit in his car and scream until he was hoarse
For the 3rd year in a row I’m seeing people give Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events a try and then get disapointed/angry that nothing good ever comes out of it that everything always seem to go wrong for the Baudelaire and I’m just… if only someone, anyone…. had warned them
me: *is repeatidly told by the story itself that it doesnt end well, has a title sequence song that is just about how one should stop watching immediately because it’s sad, the narrator, each episode, tells me that i have an option of not watching it and proceeds to wait a few seconds for me to leave*
A Series Of Unfortunate Events: *isn’t a happy story*
me:
A Series of Unfornate Events: *is a A Series of Unfornate Events*
school schedules are designed in such a way that kids are deprived of adequate food and sleep. the sleep piece has been written on extensively, but it’s quite plain that requiring young people to wake up at 6am during the developmental phase when they need the most sleep and tend to stay up later is a terrible public health move.
from an eating perspective, it’s just as bad. say a middle or high schooler eats breakfast (if they even eat breakfast) at 7am, then doesn’t eat lunch until 11-12 (and lunch is often inadequate), then has after-school activities, etc. and may not get home until late afternoon, or eat dinner until evening. and kids in school are not generally allowed to snack in class or given time to snack between classes. these gaps between eating times are way too big for adolescents! they need a lot of food–more than adults–to support the growth process, just as they need more sleep.
it’s no wonder many kids start eating reactively in their teens, especially after school or at night–they’re not being adequately fed during the day. even if kids aren’t restricted from eating freely/fully at home, their daily lives regularly involve periods of energy deficiency. add to that the social pressures around body size, and it’s a recipe for disorder at an epidemic level
And it’s not an accident or a simple public health mistake that schools are designed this way—they are the training ground for laborers who’ll spend a lifetime on the bosses’ schedule, stripped (to varying degrees depending on social location) of their bodily autonomy and health
I don’t know what generic ass white man they had on but she was too good for him anyway
no but you don’t get it, the reason for the sloth costume is that the bachelors big thing about him is he’s a virgin (i know it’s ridiculous). so she comes out of this god damn limo slowly flailing about and goes, “heeeeeellllooooooo. i heeeeeaaaaard yoooooou liiiiiiiike tooooo taaaaaake iiiiit slooooooooooooooooow” and it was the best thing i’ve ever seen on the bachelor and he definitely didnt deserve her
In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago sought to find out whether a rat would release a fellow rat from an unpleasantly restrictive cage if it could. The answer was yes.
The free rat, occasionally hearing distress calls from its compatriot, learned to open the cage and did so with greater efficiency over time. It would release the other animal even if there wasn’t the payoff of a reunion with it. Astonishingly, if given access to a small hoard of chocolate chips, the free rat would usually save at least one treat for the captive — which is a lot to expect of a rat.
The researchers came to the unavoidable conclusion that what they were seeing was empathy — and apparently selfless behavior driven by that mental state.
I feel like the reason certain dog-lovers insist cats are evil is because they read their body language as if they were dogs. So here’s a very basic guide to common “mean” things cats do that actually aren’t mean at all if you know what they’re thinking.
Rolling and exposing belly- attacks you when touched Does not mean: Give belly rubs! - haha I tricked you! Actually means: I’m playful! If you reach for my belly I’ll grab your arm and bite it because I think we’re playfighting!
Lazily exposing belly - still attacks when touched Does not mean: tricked you again! Actually means: I’m showing you my belly because I trust you. Please don’t break that trust by invading my personal space. I might accept a belly rub if I’m not ticklish and I know you well.
Snapping at you while being pet Does not mean: I suddenly decided I dislike you! Actually means: You’re petting me in a way that gives me too much restless energy. Please focus on petting my head and shoulders instead of stroking the full length of my back next time.
Is in the same room but makes no attempt to interact Does not mean: I’m ignoring you Actually means: We’re hanging out! I’m being respectful by giving you space while still enjoying your company.
Slapping/scratching your hand when you try to pet them Does not mean: I hate you! Actually means: You’ve failed to establish that we’re not playing, or the way you’re approaching me scares me. Be calmer, speak more gently, make eye-contact and blink slowly at me before you try again.
I love this post omg, thank you so much. As a lifelong cat person, dogs perplex me because they’re so completely different behaviourally.
I love dogs too but, I’ve been trying to tell people, you canNOT treat cats like you treat dogs. They arent the same animals and have very different personalities
P.s.: people often pet cats way too hard. Dogs like a firm pet or a pat on the belly, cats dont have the same bone structure and are more flexible than dogs so what you’re doing probably hurts them
Sitting and staring Does not mean: I am challenging you/plotting your demise/just generally evil and creepy. Actually means: I am a desert-adapted species, so my natural tears are very thick and keep my eyes moist for a nice long time. I do find people interesting and enjoy watching them. I just don’t need to blink very often!
Staring and blinking slowly Does not mean: I’m smug and think I am smarter than you. Actually means: I like you! But I don’t need to get up in your face to show it. I can just sit over here and blow kisses at you to show you I am glad you are around!
It’s very frustrating for me when people expect cats to act like dogs, or act like they’re deceitful. They aren’t! They just AREN’T DOGS.
Pour les chats 🐈💞
Get ready for “more reasons why I fucking love cats”
Yes, the legends are true. Cats headbutt you to show their trust and affection. They also do it to show “hey look I see you as family.” Lions do it with members of their pride to say the same. It’s not just because they want food.
Cats nibbling is indeed literally cats grooming you. It’s what mom cats do to their kittens. If a cat is gently biting and/or licking you, they’re now your mom.
Meowing can simply be for the mere fact they want to say hello, want to play or be pet. Again, not just for food.
They barely meow at other cats (except for kittens, they meow at mom cat), mostly just humans. There are exceptions but overall, meowing is almost always for us.
Cats squinting/slow blinking is indeed basically the equivalent of us smiling and/or kissing.
Cats, like humans, prefer to get things without having to work for it- which isn’t very common within other animals.
Cat massages or making biscuits is because they happy! Kneading is another way of saying “hey I like this moment here I enjoy you and my life.”
Cats recognize us by smell, sound, taste, and touch. They recognize us after years as their long term memory is extremely good. This is why abused or neglected cats are so easily scared or hard to connect with. If your scent changes over the years or just in the day, your voice will them it’s really you. Also, they will only remember you if you had impact on their life. If you just existed in the same house, they obviously won’t care.
And yes, they know our patterns in the day. You notice it when it’s beneficial to them (feeding time!). They will often wait for you to come home as well.
To remember: cats think we are interesting as hell. They watch us do everything because we’re fascinating!!!
They also want you to be around when eating because they feel vulnerable. They focus on eating so they hope you protect them. They do the same for you, all the time.
CATS 😍😍😍😍
when a cat turns their back on you, they’re not snubbing you. they’re trusting you to watch their back.
notice how when you’re unfamiliar but nonthreatening, they might loaf facing you and sorta halfway watch you. you’re not fully trusted, but you’re ok by them.
when you’re familiar and liked, they’ll often sit near you facing the same way. imitation of poses is a weird little way cats show solidarity. they do it to each other too. check out these bff’s:
they are doing this on purpose. it’s a buddy thing. so if you’re watching tv and a cat sits next to you and pretends to watch tv too, they are basically calling you bro and declaring friendship.
and if they really love and trust you, they’ll turn their back on you and go to sleep. they’ll sleep facing a wall in your presence, or lounge where they can’t see the room. this isn’t a snub, folks, this is true kitty love. they’re saying, “i feel safe when you’re around. i know nothing’s going to sneak up on me, because you’re here. i feel so safe i can stick my head under a pillow and snore with my butt pointed at you.”
farts aren’t an expression of love, though, as far as i know. they’re just farts.
Also under “Cats aren’t Dogs”, when dogs establish territory it’s generally respected for a length of time. So when you tell them, “No” or an area is off limits they’ll obey if they’re well trained- or if you’re not looking. As soon as you’re watching again they’ll generally go back to respecting your territory.
With cats… as soon as you stop protecting it, it’s not yours any more and it’s up for grabs. So there’s no real permanent way to get a cat to stop going where they will or doing what they want. Cats gonna cat and you might as well just accept it.
Their brains work a lot more like humans than dogs.
After working as an adoption counselor at a shelter for several years, I really noticed that one of the reasons cats are so hard for people to wrap their heads around is that they have both predator and prey instincts that are really hardwired. So you see your cat pounce with reckless, vicious glee on a toy mouse and think “yup, that’s a predator” and then you think they’re just being an asshole when they squirm if you pick them up, when they’re likely just genuinely scared that they can’t see their surroundings and get to safety quickly if need be.
Cats absolutely can be trained, but they don’t tend to learn well from negative reinforcement like yelling or swatting or even spray bottles, although those may give brief, deceptively positive results—it’s like how dogs will imitate guilty postures without ever understanding what they did wrong, which means they’ll continue the behavior even after it seems like they “regretted” it. Really food-motivated cats will do all sorts of tricks for a particularly Good Good Treat. Redirection works as well: if a cat consistently scratches one side of your couch, stick a scratching post nearby that has a really cool dangly toy on it or something that’ll make it a higher-value spot for skritches than your expensive furniture. Redirecting unwanted behavior is always easier than trying to cut it out entirely (especially since scratching is an essential behavior for cats, not just to maintain their claws but also to work certain muscle groups in their backs and shoulders that could otherwise atrophy).
If there’s a place you really, really don’t want your cats to go (like making a dash for the front door if they’re indoor cats), you can do negative reinforcement that isn’t targeted at the cat specifically. If an indoor cat always tries to run for the door when somebody comes in, keep a jar of spare change or loose rocks near the door and rattle it loudly. The cat may eventually learn that the door is just a loud place and start avoiding it. That’s not an attack on the cat that could cause it to get freaked out by humans. That’s just Weird Loud Portal I Don’t Want To Go Near.
But, yeah. Cats gonna cat. They’re always going to try to get in your bedroom if you lock them out (it smells the most like you and they want to be social!), they’re probably always going to try to jump up on the counter (great vantage point for prey and potential dangers!), and they’re probably always going to slip up at some point and scratch furniture or people (even if it’s just because a loud noise startled them). That is part of what you sign on for when you adopt. Major negative behaviors can be shifted with time and training (and, in extreme cases like feline pica, help from a vet), but some just have to be chalked up to understanding that you’ve got a weird little fuzzy roommate who’s not always gonna do exactly what you want it to.
The whole Pepsi commercial thing reminded me that people always mis-remember the famous flower in the gun barrel photo as being a young woman. It wasn’t. The photo, taken by Bernie Boston, is of George Edgerly Harris III better known by his stage name Hibiscus. He was a member of the San Francisco based radical gay liberation theater troupe the Cockettes. He died of AIDS in 1982 at the time AIDS was still referred to by the name GRID which stood for Gay Related Immuno-Deficiency. The photo was taken at a protest at the Pentagon.
I had no idea who he was, thank you.
This is one example of the Mandela Effect phenomena, where an iconic moment is reenacted with a hippy woman so many times that people think that’s the story and thus another gay man is written out of history. Thanks for the photo.
I had no idea. Wow.
This photo was taken by Bernie Boston, a black/native man who willingly stood up to a chapter of the KKK and earned their respect among other things
I get the subject is important, but please dont erase Bernie. I knew him personally and he deserves to be remembered and by only remembering the subject, a white man, you erase a black man.
@vaspider could you reblog this version too, please? I am deeply upset by Bernie’s erasure from his own work.
Reblogging for credit to the photographer, and so I can look up his work on desktop later.
