NON ASIANS PLEASE REBLOG

Barbara Stanwyck showing how to deal with creeps who invade your personal space

I’m here for photography, beach days, and my favorite flower. Yes. 

Sunflowers are the perfect flowers

Small Steps #3: Tea Edition

Here’s a few extra tips for your morning routine, if you’re a tea-drinking environmentalist like me:

Use a ceramic mug rather than a paper or styrofoam cup.

Rinse and reuse mugs, rather than sending them right to the dishwasher

Try to use tea bags that aren’t attached to string and paper. A little less material going into the trash.

Compost tea bags after use (not the string and paper - cut those off). Ripping the bag helps the decomposition process.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the smallest habits build a greater impact than we think. If we keep at them day after day, it adds up, the same way a short drive to the supermarket contributes to the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

Some people look down on the environmentally friendly actions we can take, especially when they appear too small to matter. “You just want to feel like you’re doing something” - but I am. We tend to discredit small acts of conservation, because they don’t seem to make a dent. But such an assumption is dangerously arrogant. Each of us can do something, and we must.

lgbt terms listed by date of first use in writing

according to merriam-webster:

-lesbian - 1732

-bisexual - 1793

-nonbinary - 1863

-homosexual - 1891

-intersex - 1908

-hypersexual - 1915 (not inherently lgbt ofc)

-pansexual - 1926

-hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - 1945

-gay - 1953

-transsexual - 1957

-omnisexual - 1960

-gender dysphoria - 1973

-transgender - 1974

-asexual - 1975

-gender identity disorder - 1978

-queer theory - 1988

-top surgery - 1992

-polyamory - 1992

-gender confirmation surgery - 1993

-trans man - 1996

-trans woman - 1996

-aromantic - 2004

-agender - 2006

there are probably more, but i couldn’t find them!

I can officially say that my history class is everything I’ve ever wanted in life. For homework last night, we read an article about how hand-written notes enhance learning and help students analyze and remember content, verses the less helpful effects of note taking with a laptop. We split into groups of four and discussed things we noticed, disliked, and were intrigued over from the article, later writing observations on the board. Though I wasn’t able to talk, the whole time I was thinking about my own theories and observations about what technology has done to our generation. 

With the Internet, wifi, and the world of updates, social media, and handy gadgets upon us, today’s citizens are more connected, involved, and consumed with information than ever before. It definitely has it’s benefits - efficiency, safety, and knowledge among them. We can call, text, learn something new with the click of a button, have the world only a few types away. But today, studies are constantly popping up about how what you do on a screen effect you in negative ways. I often think about times before typing and Google existed: a time of writing, book research, correspondence and script, because the only options were pen and paper. And no distractions! How many more blog posts could I have finished during the hours I spent watching YouTube? Were the eras before the present day tech boom smarter and less cluttered? Obviously the world today has it’s beauty and benefits verses time of the past, but sometimes I still wonder.   

My history teacher was going through what we’d written on the board, briefly discussing each before she moved on to ask us: “In three words, tell me how you think our world is going right now?” I straight-up gave a thumbs down sign. Other classmates provided adjectives - “divided, angry, messy”. “Okay, why do you think so?” She called on me, and I said, “I think a big issue today is climate change and global warming in general. It is a very global issue that people aren’t doing enough about, when it comes to who gets what and who does what, and I think our generation is very much at the cusp of this issue. Because, going back to the technology topic, our generation has the most opportunities, but we also have the most responsibility, and that’s a very real thing in regard to this problem.” My teacher responded with a take-apart of what I’d said about “who gets what and who does what” adding on with “and who doesn’t get what.” She agreed with me, concluding with a statement about how humanity has been through rough patches and didn’t think they’d get through it, but they did. Sometimes I just need to hear something that hopeful.   

She went on to show us a slide show of covers from The Economist magazine. All the covers had pictures and titles about one of four countries: Russia, China, Great Britain, and the USA. Specifically, how Russia and China are becoming more powerful and economically prosperous, and how the contrasting Western countries are declining in strength. My history teacher said that everything with history has one bigger theme, a story, if you will. We told her that the story for these images was a rising East and falling West. She explained that for us, as Westerners, it comes as a moral crisis in our eyes, that these countries that don’t share all of our American values are becoming more powerful. How are these governments, without all our liberties of democracy, capitalism, free trade of goods and services, and freedom of speech, rising and supporting their people? Why are we, citizens of the greatest country on Earth, watching our government decline in contrast to more “corrupt” governments? What’s going wrong? 

I really love my history class. I know this didn’t tackle one set issue or topic, but I found these discussions to be very interesting. I hope something in this gives you a different outlook on the world today, sparks a discussion with you and another. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for 100 followers!!! I didn’t expect this much support within 6 months, thank you so so much! Sorry there’s been a lapse in posting lately - theres a lot going on in my life right now, but expect some good stuff soon. Have a lovely day everyone! :D

The 49th Earth Day is today! This year’s theme is Protect Our Species, so here’s an essay about 3 of the most endangered species in the world.

#1: Pangolins These little guys are the best. They eat insects with tongues longer than their bodies, and roll up into little scaly balls when afraid. In Malay, the word ‘penggulung’ fittingly means ‘one that rolls up’. There are 8 different species of pangolin; four are native to east Asia, and four to Africa. Every species is labeled either ‘vulnerable’ or ‘endangered’. In Africa, pangolin scales are used to attract potential lovers, and as medicine in China and other parts of Asia. The meat is considered a delicacy. These beliefs have created a vast illicit trade network of pangolin parts; the creatures themselves are being captured, killed, and cooked almost to extinction. Mother pangolins wrap themselves around their babies to protect them. But greater steps must be taken to save these mammals.

#2: Coral Reefs Not gonna lie: for the longest time, I thought coral reefs were big rocks at the bottom of the ocean, with maybe a few plants here and there. Turns out, corals, ancient organisms that are related to sea anemones, are a vital part of our oceans. An individual coral is called a pylop. A pylop will grow a calcium-based exoskeleton; when a colony of thousands of pylops do this together, it forms a coral reef. Coral reefs exist all over the world, and are home to thousands of underwater species. Fish, algae, plants and invertebrates all feed and shelter on reefs. They protect coastlines and contribute billions to ecotourism and fishing industries. But these homes are dying out. As the earth warms, so do the oceans. Changes in temperature and pH levels kill pylop by the thousands, leaving entire ecosystems bleached and dead. This leaves millions of other organisms homeless and with little food. Without coral reefs, the oceans would never be the same. And since 75% of the earth is covered in water, I think we should be worried about that.

#3: Bees Can’t really emphasize this enough guys: we need bees to live. These insects live all over the world in diverse climates, from African deserts to the Arctic Circle, but their hives and habitats are under attack. Bees pollinate plants, which helps them grow. Pollinated plants go on to produce food, medicine, and other natural wonders we use everyday. And we’re not the only ones; birds, bears, and dozens of other species rely on the bees’ work. Our use of pesticides make bees and other creatures sick. Invading bees’ habitats  leave less space for hives and less plants for them to pollinate. Climate change is, as always, a threat. Without bees, there would be no us. Let’s freaking save the bees y’all.

What you can do:

Reach out to organizations working to protect these species. Donate, volunteer, or simply read up!

Make sure to buy produce that wasn’t grown with pesticides.

Plant some flowers… Adopt a hive…

Reduce your carbon footprint: save the ozone and the reefs!

Always practice the rules of sustainably: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Thanks for reading, everybody. Happy Earth Day!

“Words have the power to change the world, and that realization inspires me everyday.” ~Amanda Gorman

Happy International Women’s Day! Every March 8, the world celebrates the social, economic, and political achievements of women everywhere. For centuries, women around the world have become heroines of all shapes and sizes, reshaping their communities and achieving their goals. For over a hundred years, international communities have recognized this day as a time to honor their accomplishments and fight for gender equality. Today is the day to fight for women’s rights, to global equity, education, and dignity. So what history will you make, on March 8, 2018?