IMPORTANT REMINDER TO MY EUROPEAN FOLLOWERS AND OTHER TUMBLR DENIZENS FROM AN AMERICAN DESERT-DWELLER:
Climate change is a bitch and summer is coming. If you donât already have an air conditioner and/or fans, NOW is the time to get them.
THINGS YOU SHOULD BE SHOPPING FOR NOW:
âclothes made of cotton or linen
âair conditioner
âfans
âfrozen meals that can be cooked in the microwave
âpotable bottled water; you want five daysâ worth per person and pet in your household
âbottled fruit juices; it does not matter if these are sugar-added because youâll want the electrolytes
âelectrolyte drinks
âelectrolyte pills (you can get these online, I get mine from Amazon)
âpopsicle molds to use with fruit and juice
âice cube trays
ânonperishable salty snacks like peanuts
âone charger brick per adult in case of rolling blackouts or power outages; charge these at the beginning of May, and drain them via use once a month if theyâre not needed
YOUR TO-DO LIST:
âcheck your homeâs HVAC system if you didnât do it at the beginning of winter. Make sure all the filters are clean and replace them if needed
âcheck the seals on your sinks and bathtub in case you have to run water to handle shortages
âmake and freeze meals you can cook in the microwave or simply defrost. Remember to select light summer fare, not hearty winter soups and gravies
âpurchase and freeze lunch meats and cheeses you can defrost and use this summer for sandwiches when itâs hot
âassemble your check-in list: elderly, pregnant, disabled, and immunocompromised friends and relatives who may struggle to get things they need when the heat wave hits. Have this list posted and ready to go through daily once the heat gets high. DONâT JUST ASSUME YOU WILL REMEMBER. WRITE IT ALL DOWN.
âcreate a list of emergency contacts in case of fire, heat stroke, and other heat-related emergencies. This should include your local version of 911 (I think in most of Europe itâs 112, but donât rely on me as an American, LOOK IT UP NOW before you need it), your doctorâs phone number, and two emergency contacts. Keep it in a place where it can be easily found if someone needs to make these calls on your behalf.
âask your doctor for an additional prescription for any medications you take, and fill it now. Extreme heat can cause disruptions in the supply chain. Make sure you cycle these meds; thatâs to say, always use your oldest bottle first so you donât end up with expired meds in an emergency.
âstock your first-aid kit. If you donât have one, now is a good time to make one.
âif you own a car, get your yearly maintenance done now. You donât want to be dealing with an inoperable vehicle if you need to evacuate.
Staying safe this summer starts now. Get your prep done.
For every âFree Congoâ item purchased, we donate directly to a globalgiving.org project dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating these children, offering them a path towards a brighter, hope-filled future.
For those who don't know, Rafah Crossing is closed. Meaning Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are technically not allowed to go into Egypt through Rafah Crossing (with exceptions, like holding a foreign passport) so in order to evacuate, Palestinians need to bribe Egyptian border security officials. The standard price used to be about $5000 - 7000 per person but some Palestinians have been told to pay $10,000 per person just to cross the border, forget other expenses like food and boarding.
For a group of people who are enduring genocide and the complete destruction of their homes that money is impossible to raise without the help of fundraising. That and the collapse of the UNRWA is the reason you're seeing so many Gofundmes nowadays. The entire aid system is gone with the exception of local aid organisations that have limited reach.
So if you see a credible fundraiser, please at the very least share it so it can reach more people. This list by @el-shab-hussein is a good place to start.
đŽđˇ In less than 24 hours since the Iranian retaliation against Israel, Western leaders and much of mainstream media has already twisted the narrative to frame this as an unprecedented attack.
We now have two jobs:
âď¸ To push back and make sure people know this was a retaliation â otherwise Israel can portray itself as a victim to garner sympathy
âď¸ Not get distracted away from Gaza. Gaza is the priority
Maternity kits, medical threads and scissors, water testing kits, anesthetics, mobile desalination units, etc do you see the pattern? Israel is not only starving the people of Gaza but it also wants to ensure the spread of disease through contaminated water and surgical tools, as well as ensuring injured Palestinians suffer through horrendous pain.
Just hours before the start of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, while children anxiously awaited the morning festivities, the Israeli army massacred the Abu Yousef family in the Nuseirat central Gaza Strip , resulting in the killing of at least 13 civilians most of them children.
#EidMubarak to all the Muslims I know, to those who follow me, to those who stand alongside their oppressed brothers and above all to those in Gaza, Sudan, Congo and Yemen.
Eid Mubarak to all of you who are celebrating. I know it's hard to get in the spirit this year as so many Palestinians spend their Eid starving and in tents but I hope your Eid is full of peace and love. May we see a free Palestine by next Eid.
Itâs so sad that in order to get people to care about Palestine, we completely ignore the thousands of innocent men who have been killed in this genocide. We have to say âchildrenâ, or âwomen and childrenâ, with slightly lower numbers, because the full death count is somehow seen as less tragic when we include men.
My heart aches for the innocent men of Palestine who have been slaughtered. You mattered just as much as anyone else. And for the men who are doing everything in their power to help their fellow Palestinians, we love and respect you. Thank you for all that you do.
Every day, I see fewer posts about Cecilia Gentili. We cannot forget her. You can donate to her legacy fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/cecilias-legacy-fund
government is trying to ban tiktok meanwhile millions of poor and disabled americans are about to completely lose their internet access at the end of april because congress wont renew funding for the affordable connectivity program
I turn 30 next month so hereâs what I learned in my 20s:
âdonât work for startups, theyâre always one âinnovative ideaâ away adding âsell your kidneys on the black marketâ to your job description.
âkeeping a collection of basic OTC medicine on you will save your life one day. I recommend Advil, Imodium, and TUMS.
âthose little single-use glasses cleaning wipes are 1000% worth the money
âoverly self-depreciating jokes just make people uncomfortable, wean yourself off of them
âyou can buy dehydrated mini marshmallows in bulk online and theyâre a godsend for hot cocoa
âpeople donât care if you have fidget toys on your desk they just want to play with them
âtry to go to bed BEFORE the existential ennui kicks in