thequizzicaldreamer

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Quiet corners 🐈‍⬛

#wonderful art #queue

[thequizzicaldreamer]

look, guys, this may seem ironic coming from a person with Verbose Disease, but I'm about to tell you the secret to winning social media: shutting the fuck up. you have a controversial discourse opinion? shut the fuck up and no one will know. can't participate in a boycott for various reasons? shut the fuck up and no one will know. you think or do something Problematic that has no bearing on anyone but yourself? shut the fuck up and no one will know. you haven't been keeping up on a pressing social issue? shut the fuck up and no one will know. your mind is a wonderful place where you can have all the bad takes in the world and they're all perfectly insulated from everyone and everything unless you try to excise them on a grand scale. you can take the mental L all by yourself without using a public platform as a confession booth and face zero repercussions and it'll be just fine. open up a damn diary and explain yourself there.

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Here's a website where Palestine GoFundMes are vetted and shared that you can send out to people. The url is gazafunds.com

Easy to use and simple. Just share the site whenever someone asks for GFMs for Palestine.

#free palestine #gaza #palestine

[thequizzicaldreamer]

i genuinely never heard a seal until now

#video #laugh track

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Midnight walk 🌙 ✨🦋

#wonderful art #so charming!

[thequizzicaldreamer]

TPoH: Update!

The Property of Hate is a web comic which updates on Sundays (health allowing)

Update here on the TPoH website!

Read TPoH from the start here.

Got hooked? BUY THE BOOK(s)!

and if you really like TPoH and my other work, please consider supporting me on Patreon, even just one or two dollars a month helps!

#tpoh update #HEY WAIT NO DON'T DO THAT

[thequizzicaldreamer]

#video #insects #laugh track

[thequizzicaldreamer]

TPoH: Update!

The Property of Hate is a web comic which updates on Sundays (health allowing)

Update here on the TPoH website!

Read TPoH from the start here.

Got hooked? BUY THE BOOK(s)!

and if you really like TPoH and my other work, please consider supporting me on Patreon, even just one or two dollars a month helps!

#tpoh update

[thequizzicaldreamer]

TPoH: Update!

The Property of Hate is a web comic which updates on Sundays (health allowing)

Read TPoH from the start here.

Update here on the TPoH website!

Got hooked? BUY THE BOOK(s)!

and if you really like TPoH and my other work, please consider supporting me on Patreon, even just one or two dollars a month helps!

#TPoH update #HUH #interesting...

[thequizzicaldreamer]

E.R. Comics, Ryan Pequin

#laugh track

[thequizzicaldreamer]

lead balloon (the tumblr post that saved me)

if this comic resonated with you, it would mean the world to me if you donated to this palestinian family's escape fund.

--

no creative notes because this isn't that kind of comic.

I know I don’t owe any of you anything but I still felt compelled to write about my long term absence. And I feel far enough away from the dangerous spot I was in to be able to make this comic. I have a therapist now, and she agreed that making this could be a very cathartic gesture, and the start of properly leaving these thoughts behind me. I am still, at seemingly random times, blindsided by fleeting desires to kill myself. They’re always passing urges, but it’s disarming, and uncomfortable. I worry sometimes that my brain’s spent so long thinking only about suicide that it’s forgotten how to think about anything else. Like, now that I've opened that door for myself, I'll never be able to fully shut it again. But I’m trying my best to encourage my mind in other directions. We'll see how that goes.

I am still donating all proceeds from my store to Palestinian causes. So far, I've donated over $15K, not including donations coming from my own pocket or the fundraising streams which jointly raised around $10K. In the time since I made my initial post about where this money would be going, the focus has shifted from aid organisations to directly donating to escape funds.

If you'd like to do the same, you can look at Operation Olive Branch, which hosts hundreds of Palestinian escape funds or donate to Safebow, which has helped facilitate the safe crossing and securing of important medical procedures for over 150 at-risk palestinians since the beginning of the genocide.

#suicidal ideation #art

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), Marshall Gulch, Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona.

#*UPROARIOUS APPLAUSE* #photography #nature #bird

[thequizzicaldreamer]

hey I really hate doing self publicity bUT. FOLKS WE NEED TO MOVE THESE BOOKS or there won't be room in the Topatoco warehouse for TPoH volume 4, which we plan to kickstart later this year- so yeah!

THE PRINCESS AND THE JESTER BOOKS ON SALE NOW!

don't miss the opportunity, there's only a limited number left and they're really gorgeous guys seriously ya gotta get in on this

Want to try before you buy? You can read the Princess and the Jester FOR FREE right here! Go enjoy a free fairy tale! You earned it.

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[thequizzicaldreamer]

TPoH: Update!

The Property of Hate is a web comic which updates on Sundays (health allowing)

Read TPoH from the start here.

Update here on the TPoH website!

Got hooked? BUY THE BOOK(s)!

and if you really like TPoH and my other work, please consider supporting me on Patreon, even just one or two dollars a month helps!

#TPoH update

[thequizzicaldreamer]

anyone else seeing weird mysterious failures on Tumblr

#asdfghjkgfds #laugh track

[thequizzicaldreamer]

Moon 1 -

Events of the moon -

Sheriff Dune looked down from atop the stack of crates he was standing on, watching the cats of his clan gather for a clan meeting. CactusKit shuffled in excitement as she waited for him to call her name. She had tuned out everything he was saying until she finally heard him call out “CactusKit! Please approach the Tall Boxes! “

She perks up and eagerly runs up to the crates, the other cats of the clan watching in amusement at the kitten's excitement. The Sheriff smiles down at her, his hat covering his eyes with shadow.

“CactusKit, you've reached six moons, and it's time for you to be apprenticed. From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as CactusPaw. Your mentor-”

“Wait!”

Dune paused and looked at her in surprise, the cats in the crowd murmuring in shock at the sudden interruption. CactusKit only got more determined as the Sheriff looked at her.

“I want my mentor to be RueHeart!” She mewed up at him. There were even more whispers from the crowd as Dune blinked a couple times.

“Well, I reckon there's nothing wrong with that,” He says slowly, as if still thinking about it. He looks over to RueHeart “Do you agree to this?”

RueHeart looked surprised to be called out, but soon calmed down and smiled as she answered the Sheriff with a firm nod.

“Alrighty then! As I was saying,” He cleared his throat to get back into the proper mood. “Your mentor will be RueHeart! I hope RueHeart will pass down all she knows to you.”

CactusKit beamed in anticipation as the Sheriff continued the ceremony. “RueHeart, please step forward.”

Once the she-cat sat next to CactusKit the speech continued. “RueHeart, you are ready to take an apprentice. You have shown yourself to be responsible and honorable. You will be the mentor of CactusPaw, and I expect you to pass on everything you know to her.”

CactusPaw was bouncing in excitement as she touched noses with her mentor. She was unbelievably happy to have gotten the mentor she wanted. She purred as she heard the clan call her new name. “CactusPaw! CactusPaw! CactusPaw!”

She eagerly turns to RueHeart. “When can we go training? Now? Please?” She only gets a light laugh in response from her new mentor.

—-------------------

Sheriff Dune looked over the camp with pride. He'd been able to help make this. He'd been able to help these cats start to thrive. He was lost in his thoughts when he noticed PrickleKit playing nearby while all the other kittens were eating prey brought to them by RueHeart, ever the responsible cat. He got up and padded over to the noisy she-kit.

“I reckon you should grab something to eat if ya haven't already, don't want to go hungry all day!” He suggested. PrickleKit seemed surprised he approached her, letting the pebble at her paws fall still.

“Oh! You're right! Thanks Sheriff!” The she-kit gasped as she realized what he was telling her, looking over to see the other kits eating already. She scampered off towards the other kits, calling out for them to wait for her. Dune purred lightly as he watched, happy that he'd helped another cat of his clan yet again.

—-----------------

Sheriff Dune, WindDrift, and SandRustle were hunting together across the desert filled territory of the Clan. WindDrift chases after a rabbit, leaving SandRustle and the Sheriff alone together. Dune was about to go after WindDrift when SandRustle spoke up.

“Hey, Sheriff, I've got something I could use your advice about.” The tom spoke up carefully. Dune paused and looked to him in silent curiosity. “I think I got a vision from StarClan last night. It was a weird dream, but a serious weird, not a random dream weird.”

“Oh! Of course I can help ya!” Dune straightens up and comes to sit next to SandRustle, motioning the other cat to sit down as well. He felt determined to help his clanmate figure out what the stars had shown him. “Tell me about it.” He urged.

“Well, in the dream I was walking through the territory when I saw a fox! A big ‘un! I don't know, it just made me worry when I woke up. Thought I oughta tell ya.” The orange tom admitted. Dune thought about it for a few moments after SandRustle finished.

“Sounds like a warnin’, I'll be sure everyone keeps an eye out from now on. Don't you worry, we'll handle this no problem!” He reassured the other cat with a confident smile. SandRustle visibly relaxed at his leader's words.

“Thanks, Sheriff. Knew I could count on you!” He laughs easily. Dune nods as WindDrift comes back with the rabbit caught between his jaws. They all quickly returned to their hunt, every cat at ease.

—-----------------

NightBright padded through the desert looking for lungwort. With newleaf here, it was a perfect time to go looking! It's the only reliable cure for yellowcough, making NightBright determined to find some to keep the stocks of it full. He's still unsure of his own abilities as a medicine cat, but that doesn't mean he's going to let it stop him from helping his clanmates. He searches long through the day until he feels like he'll fall over from soreness, but can't see any of that green and purple herb he's so desperate to find. He returns to camp disheartened. Of course this would happen, why did Dune chose a cat like him to be the medicine cat? He's about to give up when he sees his kits playing across the camp. No, he couldn't give up! He'd have to look more once he's rested. He has to be prepared so he can keep his clan, and his kits, safe and healthy.

—-----------------

As SageSpeckle, RueHeart, and her apprentice CactusPaw work on training the young she-cat, a slight argument breaks out.

“No, CactusPaw. You'll get thorns in your paws and I'm not gonna be the one taking responsibility for it when you go crying off to NightBright.” SageSpeckle huffed, annoyed at the apprentice's suggestion.

“But if I learn how to climb the big cactuses now I'll be able to help better in patrols! I could surprise prey, and- and I could use it to watch over the borders safely!” She complained. She had a brilliant idea that nobody else had, and she's getting shut down immediately! It's not fair! It'd be so helpful for the clan if they could use even the more dangerous part of their territory safely!

“RueHeart, tell her this is a horrible idea! I know you don't want to be scolded for her mistakes either!” SageSpeckle complained to the other adult with them. CactusPaw looked pleadingly to her mentor, surely she'd see how smart this is!

“How about this,” she started, looking at the other two cats calmly. “We'll stick to regular training for now-” CactusPaw looked devastated as SageSpeckle nodded happily. “-But!” She added, surprising them both “Why don't we bring your idea up to Sheriff Dune later, and if he agrees to it, we'll bring NightBright with us and let you try it.”

“YES!” CactusPaw cheered, looking full of energy as she did a little happy dance, tip-tapping on her front paws. SageSpeckle looked skeptical but didn't protest. If NightBright was with them, then there wouldn't be so much to worry about. RueHeart smiled as everyone got back to training, argument quickly smoothed over.

—-----------------

SageSpeckle(Grumpy, Good speaker) chats with NightBright(Insecure, Ghost Speaker) about his day. SageSpeckle and WindDrift(Loyal, Keen eye, Great hunter) realize they have a more in common than previously thought. WindDrift wonders who will give him nine lives.

SageSpeckle was sitting in the shade of one of the old rundown buildings the clan used as dens. NightBright and WindDrift were curled up next to him as they shared tongues. The grumpy warrior spoke about his day with the other cats.

“-and CactusPaw has the crazy idea to climb a cactus to hunt! I don't understand it, but RueHeart calmed her down.” He complained. NightBright sighed, obviously mentally preparing to deal with future cactus-thorn related injuries.

“That could be a good idea if it could be mastered, but I agree, it's far too reckless for a new apprentice to try it.” WindDrift meowed. SageSpeckle nodded respectfully. It seems the deputy shared similar values to SageSpeckle. Keeping younger cats from doing reckless things really can be tiring.

“At least you had a productive day. I couldn't find any herbs.” NightBright sighed, embarrassed by his own failures. SageSpeckle put a paw on the other tom's shoulder to reassure him.

“Don't be so hard on yourself, we live in a desert. Herbs will be tough to find any day. You're doing your best.” he said. NightBright purred quietly at his words, nodding. He appreciates the grey cat's care. Eventually the medicine cat bid the other two goodbye as he went to spend time with his kits.

#friend art #cowboy kitty cat adventures!