20170226

i almost cried when i saw this for the first time

Tears fill my eyes as I read the words on my screen. The world seems to stop spinning for the slightest second as I re-read the anonymous message over and over again, gripping on to the hope that the words will magically disappear. But they didn’t. Anon had done it; they’d figured out that the only way to make me take off my hijab was to call my hair ugly. My one weakness.

A tear streams down my left cheek.

Eight years of academy hijab training…wasted. I had to prove this extremely relevant and good-looking anonymous person wrong, I cared too much about what they thought. How could I live my life knowing that there is one person out there who thinks probably my hair is ugly maybe? How could I look myself in the mirror? How could I face my family? My shoulders shook as I cried silently, and my chair squeaked ever so slightly at the vibrations; as if it, too, was crying in sorrow.

It wasn’t until that moment that the second part of the message dawned on me… how would I prove them wrong without breaking the rules? Was it really against the rules? I reach into my hijab and pull out a scroll. At the very top, in cursive jet-black inked letters, the word ‘Rules’ stares back at me. My heart is racing as my eyes frantically read the scroll.

‘Rule #1: no killing people,’ it reads. I let out a whimper. There go my evening plans. 

Suddenly, my eye catches the next words. The scroll is rustling in my trembling hands as I turn my face away, tears spraying out of my eyes like the spit of a white person as they try to justify racism. The cursive words felt more like a curse of words, vivid and refusing to disappear as if I were still staring at them even through my closed eyes.

Rule #2: don’t show ur hair girl it’s ugly lmaooooo

every day i am percieved™️

I firmly believe that not only should we raise the minimum wage, but we should also create a maximum wage. There is no reason in which an orthopedic surgeon, which is the highest paying doctor will make an average of $464,500 a year, while the top 10 CEOs earn well over $33 BILLION a year. If we even so much as cap their earning potential at $1 billion, which is more money than anyone should really need to live a happy fulfilling lifestyle, then it would force them to put that money toward the company or be punished. This means giving their employees better health insurance, giving them more vacations, better wages, paying for their college or their children’s education, creating more jobs, and improving the functionality of their companies. Perhaps even force them to invest in the communities they are serving. 

For those of you who are still skeptical… let me put it this way… the highest earning CEO “earned” $156,077,912 in 2014. Let’s boil this down. There’s about 52 weeks in a year. Let’s say that he works 40 hours a week. So a total of 2,080 hours a year. That’s $75,037 an hour. The median HOUSEHOLD income in the US is $50,502 per year. He’s earning 1.5 times the amount per hour than the average household makes in a year. That disparity is absurd. To put that even further into perspective, the average NEUROLOGIST earns $219,000 a year according to a 2014 statistic. Every single one of the CEOs on the 100 highest paid CEOs earn at least 93 TIMES the amount that a NEUROLOGIST makes. 

Something needs to change. People shouldn’t be starving for the sake of someone else’s greed.

Words cannot express how ready I am for ragweed season to be over.

Also, reminder, if you have allergies and or asthma, we are entering into Peak Weak when ragweed, plant from hell that it is, will be going into peak pollen season, and also viruses are on the rise as flu and the common cold viruses start to emerge.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannecroteau/2019/09/16/its-asthma-peak-week–heres-how-to-get-ready/#41484caf7d0f

Some helpful advice from the above article if you are prone to allergies, have asthma, are immunocompromised or know someone who is:

Take off your shoes and change into indoor clothing when you enter your home

Keep doors and windows closed during peak allergen season

Use an air filter that is certified asthma and allergy-friendly (HEPA works best)

Shower before going to bed

Seriously, that last one? You don’t realize how much pollen you carry with you into your home, and if you don’t shower it goes into your bedsheets, a place that should be a haven for you. (And then you have to wash your bedding more than you really want to and it’s just a whole ordeal.)

I know not all of us have the energy or capability to shower every day, but if you are the spouse, friend or loved one of someone who is immunocompromised in any way, please be aware of what you are bringing into the home during this season. Vulnerable people can die during Peak Weak, it’s like the perfect storm of illness and allergic reaction bullshit. We’re also starting to see early cases of flu, so if you are able to do so, please get vaccinated before the flu season fully hits. You’ll be doing yourself a favor and those around you who rely on herd immunity to not get sick.

Also a reminder to fellow vogmask users! If you’ve had your vogmask in use for over 6 months, now is the time to replace it! Vogmasks are also not ideal for protecting you against cold and flu season, they can help, but given the unwashable nature of the vogmask (due to the filter) they can actually begin to harbor bacteria, so while they are great for pollution and pollen, not so great for flu! If you do need to wear a face mask during winter, swap for something that can be washed/sterilized at high temperatures, or switch to throw-away paper masks which can be worn once and then discarded. Never re-use a paper mask, and always be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after swapping them out.

You can read more about different types of masks and their effectiveness against cold and flu here:

https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/mask#2

Stay safe out there!

I’m going back to bed and hopefully, when I wake up tomorrow I won’t still be one giant hive.

AS A PILOT SEES THE WORLD......

A Lake in Pomerania, Poland

Amsterdam

Athens

Bac Son Valley, Vietnam

Barcelona

Bern

Cape Town

Central Park, New York City

Chicago

Dubai

Dubrovnik

Giza Pyramids, Egypt

Mali, Maldives

Mangroves in New Caledonia

Marina Bay, Dubai

Maze at Longleat, England

Meskendir Valley, Turkey

Mexico City

Moscow

Namib Desert, Namibia

Niagara Falls, U.S.A.

Paris

Rio de Janeiro

Seattle

Shanghai

Terraced Rice Fields, China

Tulip Fields, The Netherlands

Vancouver

Vatican City

Venice

Robots are funnier than us

if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in the midwest, this is it. 

imagine thinking nail polish is a gendered thing. unnecessary shiny adornment has no gender, if anything it’s more crow than human

I found a company called “Frantic Meerkat” who makes journals whose sole purpose is to call me out