Here’s a horrible comment from Reddit’s always horrible White Rights subreddit that reveals some of the ways that the central ideas and obsessions of the manosphere are oozing their way into the thinking, such as it is, of the racist right. Birds of a feather flock together, and I guess the same is true of hateful shitheads.
What’s interesting to me is how easily Mr. Saturnine83 here is able to take the traditional racist paranoia about white women not popping out enough white babies to keep the white race going and make the whole “problem” about stuck-up ladies who won’t date him decent white men. For those filling out bingo cards, note the references to”disposible” men and “involuntary celibacy.”
Oh, we have no doubt you could go on and on endlessly. Guys like you always can.
If you’re interested in exploring further connections between “Men’s Rights” and “White Rights,” check out the MRMorWhiteRights subreddit, which tracks this stuff in an entertaining way, and which is where I found the link to Saturnine83’s little screed.
@Mare – Thanks!
My family don’t tease me in any way that hurts my feelings. We tease each other a lot, actually, but have a long-standing rule. We know each other’s hot buttons, and avoid them.
Thanks so much for the resource about the Romani. Yeah, I’m definitely going to change the name of the group.
Yeah, unicorns are matriarchal, and she lives in a patriarchal society, and really shakes things up.
60 minor characters? Way to populate your world!
Writers are writers if they write, at all. And you don’t have to be published, either.
I love the jpg about writer’s block. Soooo true!
I do NaNoWriMo each year, and this is fairly common.
@fade – that makes sense. If you need it a lot, a manual wheelchair (assuming you’re up for it, they are hard work!) would be seen differently.
I only need the scooters on bad days, when I’m out shopping. Fortunately, I don’t need to live with wheels.
I’m getting better! Yaaay!
Actually, today’s pain pill made me loopy while my nephews were here, but I’m feeling pretty lucid now, so it’s a good day.
@michelle
heh. I tried nanowrimo in 2012, not writing the whole whatever # the goal is, just trying to get back in the hang of it. Seeing if I could do it with my current level of depression.
Suffice to say I could not.
congrats to you on doing it, though! 😀
@katz – Really? You’re offering to edit it? THANKS!
I want to do another once-over before I hand my baby over, but I’ll definitely make a note to keep you in mind for that.
What do you charge for editing?
The “write every day” is horseshit. I wrote forty-two stories last year, and I even made a long post on why writing every day is actually BAD for me.
Fade, I use wooden crutches sometimes when my body collapses. Haven’t been able to use them the last couple, on account of living on a third floor walk-up, but I hate using them because while people get more helpful, I also constantly get people asking whether I’ve accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
@Marie – one year, I swapped stories three times, including taking dictation from my mother telling some family stories, just to get my word count.
Since my accident, and quitting my job, I can devote hours each day to writing. That does make it easier.
Trying to get it all in, while working and having a social life, and dealing with home/family/personal issues? WOW. Too much for me. I’m in awe of people who can do that.
But congrats to you for putting your hand back in. That’s more than a lot of people do, and who knows? Maybe in a few years, you’ll be able to come back to those pieces you did write, and mine them for gold.
One novel draft was written when I was quite high for a good portion of it. I haven’t dared look at it for a second draft. I’m anticipating headaches, trying to sort it out.
@LBT
I saw your post on tumblr, and loved it so much 😀
@michelle
Eh. I haven’t had much work, but still can’t manage to do it 🙁 Glad you are, though.
@LBT – “I also constantly get people asking whether I’ve accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”
Whaaaat?
Oh, wait. I know what you mean. The “If you believed enough, you’d be healed” people. Been there, dealt with them.
I am a Christian, and have lots of faith. Here’s what I believe: God gave me my trials for a reason. Perhaps I’m supposed to learn from them. Perhaps someone else is supposed to learn from them. Perhaps I’m supposed to give someone else the opportunity to be charitable in my direction. At any rate, if God wanted me healed, he would have done it already.
As a wise woman once said, “I am not a child, and God is not a vending machine.”
Having witnessed my share of miracles, I do believe in them. But, it’s up to God to choose when/where/how, and whether, he’ll perform a miracle. We can’t command Him. Even Jesus said, “THY will be done.”
And when people tell me that I’d be healed if I only had the proper faith, well, it irks me.
Can’t they just hold the door for you, and let you go on your way without bothering you?
@Marie – Depression is debilitating in an entirely different way from pain, so it’s not surprising. Writing takes a lot of mental energy, and can be physically exhausting, so it’s really hard to muster the strength to do it, if you’re fighting depression.
I don’t know how I’d deal with depression. I’m not sure I could. I think it takes a kind of strength I do not possess to keep going through a clinical depression, even with medication and therapy.
That’s me on the outside, looking in, of course.
We are talking clinical depression, and not just “the blues,” right? People who say, “Just cheer up!” or “Snap out of it!” think it’s “the blues,” but depression is waaaaayyyyy more than that.
I’m offering oodles of hugs, if you want them.
Nothing, it’s just something I do for fun. (I also ink for fun, so if anyone has pencil drawings lying around that they want to see digitally inked, shoot ’em to me.)
NaNo’s a steep goal. Yes, there are people who are machines who bang out double or quadruple NaNos (I am not one of them), but it’s an amount that you just can’t keep up with if you’re short on either time or motivation or energy or ideas, or if anything unexpected happens.
…Would not have expected that. Is it because they think you’re dying, or just that they know you can’t get away?
@michelle
*takes hugs*
I’m not in therapy (bad experiences make me reluctant to try again) but I have been playing musical chairs with perscriptions.
This one’s working…kinda. A lot more than the last ones XD
@katz
yeah, I know. I was just trying to type some each day in november, not the whole #. Still failed.
@LBT – Fantastic post! And so true!
I can’t write every day, either. Most days, I fit in some day-dreaming, which I may someday incorporate into my writing. Or not. But at least I spend a few minutes each day exercising my imagination.
Writing, however, is something I do when I can actually feel the words flowing. I can try to force it, but forcing it leaves me limp. Flowing words can leave me either energized or trembling, or just bouncing off the walls.
If I ever should post on here, “Boing! Boing! BOING!” that means I had a bouncy writing session, and probably hit about 10,000 words. It also means you’d better avoid me for the next several hours, or else I will word-vomit all over you, at high speed, on multiple unrelated topics, and annoy the heck out of you. This is why writers need plenty of alone time. So they don’t annoy other people. I especially annoy other writers, during November, because I only need 5 Boing-boing sessions to complete the goal for the month.
And then, when I finally come down – I am EXHAUSTED.
Writing has a mental and physical effect on the writer, and it’s not always positive.
I’ve come up with some pretty sad and upsetting stories, and I feel REALLY low afterwards. There are some stories in my head that I plan never to complete, because I’m afraid of how they will affect me.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other stories to write.
Some writers write every day. Some writers try to mold themselves into the “Writers write every day” ideal, and wind up writing lots of shopping list, because at least they are words written down.
It should be “Writers write whatever works for them.” We are not a monolith.
@katz – OK, when I have gotten it polished up a bit more, I will send it to you, for fun. And if you can’t think of anything nice to say… Go ahead and snark. I will then grumble about how you just don’t understand my vision, and ignore everything you said.
RE: NaNoWriMo – Yeah, it’s a steep goal, and if you should get the flu (like I did several years in a row), you’re pretty much sunk.
@Marie – I’m so glad your latest med is working fairly well for you. Good luck with that!
RE: Marie
I saw your post on tumblr, and loved it so much
Aw, yay! I’m glad.
RE: Michelle
Oh, wait. I know what you mean. The “If you believed enough, you’d be healed” people. Been there, dealt with them.
I need to start letting my husband handle them. He’s a Southern Baptist, and the best evangelist repellant ever; if anyone tries to convert him, he just cheerfully tries to convert them back! (Note that he doesn’t do this with anyone but other evangelists who start the fight. It seems to work; they recognize him as kindred and leave him alone.)
RE: katz
Is it because they think you’re dying, or just that they know you can’t get away?
I think it’s because they think faith would heal me, or make me happier about it, or something. It’s why I ended up writing on my crutches in Sharpie DO NOT CRY FOR ME and DO NOT PRAY FOR ME.
RE: writing
Yeah, I write pretty prolifically, but I also draw and make comics so often swap. Also, I kind of have the opposite problem most people have, which is if you don’t rein me in, I charge off like a runaway train and never stop. Hubby has to flat-out say, “Hon, I need your attention,” to me, I need to be reminded to eat and sleep… I have to be careful, or it becomes a horrorshow pretty quickly.
@michelle
WEll, technically they’re just working better than 0%, but I have hope I can increase the dose soon! Just need to see my doctor.
either way, it’s way better than nothing 😀
Also, I did Nano once. I’ve also done 24-Hour Comic Book Day (though I rigged that one so I could sleep, because my sleep schedule is so not worth destroying for a comic). Both of them were fun at the time, but I have no intention of ever doing them again. Just not my preferred method of creation.
That’s a great line, Michelle! She was wise indeed.
Re: writing – Louis and I just got some writing done! Only about 800 words before my brain fuzzed out (channelling takes more energy than doing my own writing, I find) but it was so good to get some done at last. I’ve been too flat/busy/both for ages to manage it.
It’s on our blog if anyone wants a look. /shameless self promotion
@LBT – So, you have Boing-Boing writing sessions, too?
Yep, I’ve done the forget-to-eat thing, as well.
I’d love to see your husband handle them. That sounds fun.
@kittehserf – I like your latest post. Your website is quite enjoyable, and different from anything else I’ve read. Very warm, though. Warm and comfy and welcoming words that draw a reader right in.
Thanks, Michelle! That’s the general response to it, which suits me very well. It means we’re managing to get our happiness across, I think.
@lbt
i’m lucky enough i never got any weirdoes trying to pray me better.
also, you mentioned you do comics. do you mind telling me what you do? I’ve just been so hard up for good comics right now XD
@ michelle (be warned i can talk about wheelchairs forever :P)
some manual wheelchairs are a lot harder work than others. i have a relatively lightweight quickie gpv (lightweight as in under twenty five pounds) and before i got it i did a bunch of research to maximize easy of pushing. mostly b/c when outside in the mall wheelchairs, they were super hard to get over pavement.
so easy pushing is rigid frame, bycicle tires if you use it outside a lot, and spoke wheels. (bike tires and spoke wheels are allegedly higher maitenence but i’ve never had to do much yet).
anyyway that makes it a lot easier to push around than if it was a clunky hospital or mall wheelchair.
do you mind if i ask you a question about your scooter? how do you get it in/out of the car?
@fade – my experiences with wheelchairs and scooters are all the borrowed/rented at the entrance sort of thing. I’m fortunately not confined to a chair, but because of my pain, I can’t stand or walk for very long.
I have used store-scooters while shopping, and wheelchairs/scooters at Disney World.
Wheelchairs are, to me, hard to work because I don’t have a lot of upper body strength, and my shoulders are messed up, as well as my hips. So, unless someone else is pushing me, my only real option is to sort of walk it along with my feet. That’s OK, if it’s the hips that are the problem, but if it’s your feet, you are dependent on someone to push you.
Also, I’m fat, so if the wheelchair isn’t wide enough, then you get really painful, and HOT, friction at the side of the chair, even if the wheels are not visibly rubbing, and I don’t see how that actually works, but that was my experience. I was at Walt Disney World, and sick. I stayed in the hotel room for a day or two, but recovered and felt well enough to go out, although still tired. However, to conserve my strength, so I wouldn’t relapse, we got a wheelchair (this was a family trip, before my accident). At first, it was fine, because I got a larger chair that fit me. But then, someone took MY chair, and I was left with a smaller one, and it was really uncomfortable, because it burned my thighs. It was fine to push, and checking it out, the wheels did not rub against the side, but something or other caused some friction. It was really weird.
After the wheelchair incident, I learned my lesson, and on my next trip, I rented a scooter, from an outside company, and decorated it so no one would mistakenly take it. That was great! Although I did have to make sure to charge it whenever I stopped for lunch or dinner, or it would run out of batteries at the end of the day.
So, a tip to anyone who might need to rent a wheelchair at an amusement park – invest in some sort of highly-visible decorations. The rentals all look alike, and your name in a little thing on the back is not going to cut it. Especially if you have a larger one, because everyone wants the larger ones.
Also, at WDW, it’s first come, first served, from the rental station at the front of the park. If you are only getting it short term, that’s fine, but for multiple days, you’re better off renting one from a place that will deliver to your hotel room, and then you have it between the car and the gate, as well. Plus, you get the size you need, without hoping that there’s one in your size still available. And if you park hop during the day, you don’t have to give up your chair you had that morning, go to another park, and hope they still have some left at the second park.
As for getting it in and out of your vehicle, I can’t really speak to that. I stayed at a Disney resort, and use the buses, and they were all set up with the ramps and stuff to accommodate wheelchairs and scooters (NB: Walt Disney World is pretty friendly to both handicapped and fat, at least in my experience. Granted, I could always get out of my chair, so if you’re stuck in it, I can’t speak to that. However, there were ALWAYS ramps to any attraction, even if they were in the back, and the restrooms were quite wheelchair friendly, as well). If you were taking your own car, that would be different.
I suppose you could speak to the parking attendant as you drive in, and tell them you have a wheelchair/scooter in your vehicle, and ask them what to do. If you have a handicapped placard, you have close parking, but if not, you might need to get help dropping the person with the chair off at the gate, and then parking the car. That’s fine if you have a party, but if you’re alone, well… yeah, I’m kinda stumped on that one.
I guess, if you are traveling alone, and you are not qualified for a handicapped placard, but you know that you will need a chair or scooter during your trip, for whatever reason, my best advice would be to call ahead and discuss it with the people at the resort. It has probably come up before, and they should be able to help you make arrangements. They were very accommodating for me and my family, and we stayed at the cheapest hotel on the property. Staying on-property, and using the WDW transportation, they have it all set up so that anyone in a chair or scooter can go about alone and be just fine. If you’re staying off-property, then it could be challenging.
On a side note, at WDW, balloons turned out to be a surprisingly useful investment (although you can’t have them at Animal Kingdom, for the safety of the animals). My last trip was just my mother and me, and we both got a balloon. Hers was on the scooter, because she needed it the most, and I tied mine to my belt. It was the busiest season of all, so crowds were an issue, but we could spot each other quite easily, even at night, every time we split up. Having a scooter allowed us to split up, whereas a wheelchair would have forced us to stay together, because of that upper-body issue. Someone who is capable of moving their own chair, however, would be just fine, at the parks. It’s very accessible.
Whenever we went into a ride or show, where we couldn’t take our balloons, the attendants tied them to something outside, and they were waiting for us when we got back. The balloons kept their air for quite a while, and we passed them on to newcomers when we left. In fact, my first balloon was a gift from someone else who was going to leave soon.
Awww, I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy now.
My only experience with a hospital wheelchair was after my accident. I was dazed, in pain, and my Dad was pushing me, so I really don’t remember anything much about it. I’ve never used a mall wheelchair.
What is your opinion of the collapsible wheelchairs, for travel? I had considered getting one of those.
i’ve never heard of collapsible used before (as in the word) do you mean something like this where it doesn’t have big wheels on the side and you just get pushed?
i’ve never used one. it would make sense for a back up mobility device. the cheapest one i’ve seen is like 99 dollars (which is cheaper than lots of wheelchairs), but i don’t know if they are sold with many different size options. i’ve seen some in nineteen inches wide but nothing biggr so far.
the “standard” seat size for wheelchairs is eighteen inches wide and sixteen inches long. If most wheelchairs are too small you might need something wider than that.
aaaany way, my opinion is assuming you could find one that fits and is in your price range, it would be handy to have as a back up mobility device.
I *can* walk; it just hurts and i never like the feeling of people staring at me if i walk and then go back in my wheelchair. I can’t really walk long enough distances to go out w/o my wheelchair tho. I tried to be like “oh well just go from the car to mcdonalds and stand in line then sit down to eat” and i was in pain the whole time and should’ve just taken my chair. 😐
Makes sense not wanting to use a wheelchair when you’re shoulders messed up. 😛 i have general all around body pain, but my lower body is the worst b/c some injuries i got earlier so it helps a lot.
the store scooter was actually the first mobility device (besides knee braces) i tried. Me and my mom and sister were all going to target and i was kind of hanging on between the two of them and using them to help me walk and mom’s like “why don’t you just use a store scooter” It felt weird at first, but then i actually got to enjoy the shopping trip instead of counting down seconds until it was over.
blah at someone taking your chair. >:( it’s like, that’s someone’s mobility device how can you just take it?