Rags 'n' Bones

nezua:

thecurvature:

abellandapomegranate:

iinventedeverything:

jhameia:

freshmouthgoddess:

nezua:

deafmuslimpunx:

mademoisellealiyah:

thinksquad:

Government Makes Rainwater Illegal

Yep, RAIN WATER IS ILLEGAL.
As bizarre as it sounds, I guess it really shouldn’t be a surprise. We have covered numerous stories of how the government has been chipping away at the rights of land. From survival gardens being seized to the land owners in California who are being forced back on to the grid, people’s rights as land owners are being shredded by local, state and federal governments.
In the latest abuse of power, a man in Oregon has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine for collecting rainwater on his own land. Gary Harrington was convicted of nine misdemeanor crimes for filling his three man-made reservoirs with rainwater and snow runoff. The state of Oregon claims the water that fell from the sky, is owned by them and the Medford Water Commission.
As unreal as it may sound, at least 9 states have made it illegal to collect rainwater on your own land. Utah, Oregon, Colorado and a number of other states have passed rainwater laws that either limit or all out ban the collection of rainwater.

http://offgridsurvival.com/rainwaterillegal/

Fuck what the government says.now it owns rainwater ? Wow looking forward to the day of Reckoning for this one .

This reminds me of a similar situation back in Bolivia in 2000, and resulted in major riots and a mass movement to protest against the corporate ownership of water. When a private foreign company came to Bolivia, they seized control of local water sources and increased taxes that most Bolivians could not afford to pay, so then Bolivians built their own water wells to collect RAINWATER, which were then seized by the foreign corporation!

Read: the 2000 Cochabamba Protests / Water Wars of 2000

Nobody should stand by and allow this to happen… but the U.S media doesn’t care, they won’t talk about it, and people will remain clueless.

and right now we have a bit of a water shortage in oregon.

i will say this: the fire to react to each and every little thing cools as i age, but nothing has begun to inflame me like the way corporations and judges are snakily inserting themselves into a paradise convened by humans with mother earth; rights which can NEVER truly be superseded by another human, no matter how many paid guns they have, no matter how many corrupt pens in motion. nobody has the rights to tell you that you can not grow food on the soil that supports you. no corporation owns the seeds of this planet. nobody has the right to command you not drink water from the heavens. these are men with puny hearts and dull minds to even dream so far beyond their own power and position.

this would be devastating for Haitians…..but then i know this could happen… some renewable technology would not be allowed here because the US gov said so… and powerful interest said so. the world upside down..

Why on earth is it illegal? Do y’all have a problem with dengue or malaria or something? (That is the case in Malaysia anyway; that’s why ppl who collect rainwater are also responsible for making sure mosquitoes don’t breed in it, otherwise you get a fine.)

bcuz esp in cali, there are massive water shortages. and there’s all sorts of politics with water sources being redirected and cut off and damned etc—this is why the Great Lakes (which surround Michigan) are under such fucking pressure right now—cuz fresh water that is not polluted to the point of undrinkability is THE resource—it’s been called the modern gold rush. all those places out west in the US where you see major cities and green grass and even farms? a huge population of them were built/grown on *desert* using water that was damned or redirected or whatever. 

so lots of these cities/farms/etc rely on keeping their streams/rivers/damns/etc plentiful from rainwater—either the rainwater that goes into the river directly or that gets directed into the water through groundwater. if *every*body starts collecting their own rainwater? then guess who can’t keep their lawns green in a desert? or water their industrial farm’s monocrop? 

Okay, but actually, this guy in Oregon:  he built enormous reservoirs to hoard millions of gallons of water that needed to go into the watershed—a really contentious watershed where there are huge and longstanding (bitter!) disputes over water rights between farmers, fishermen, and Native communities.  Even in southern Oregon there are water shortages.  This wasn’t just an issue of The Man coming down on some guy with some rain barrels, this was a white dude in an area full of white-supremacist survivalist compounds, up- and downriver from Native people with disputed water rights, building himself a private lake and hoarding ridiculously enormous quantities of water while salmon runs and farms are going dry.

It’s complicated.

re-reblogging for this addition

yeah, that’s a very important distinction. i can see limits being set to protect the greater amount of people and ecosystem. but a law barring it outright? that’s not needed. nor legit. 

i read nothing about this guy being on a white supremacist compound down the river from indigenous communities! if i did, my comment would have been very different! wow. 

but in the context i was coming from re Monsanto and these situations here, protecting people is never brought up, only that the water is OWNED by what? the medford water commission? hunh. rainwater. that originated where—in the ocean? in california? in washington? in oregon? it depends on the weather. 

legal limits on how much water one person collects in a time of drought can be argued. absolutely, (even tho every other person on the street is pouring tons of water into their gardens and/or grass and that’s legal.) but not that a water commission owns the rainfall. 

aside from salmon and dam trouble, as well as NDN communities constantly trying to fight for what is theirs, what oregon also has is a tight relationship with the FBI and DHS with a very suspicious eye toward any peoples who demonstrate any tendency to engage in “eco terrorism” which can mean a lot of things when you care about the environment. most of it is about protecting business, but they are very severe about it. there’s a lot of story here on that, and it’s too much for this thread, but my point is to agree. it is complicated. 

and yet, in all the complication, one thing remains simple for me. i don’t believe in anyone interfering with certain rights they never granted me. i am not talking libertarian jingoism here; as a man of color, the political doctrine is offensive to me and the things i feel strongly about in terms of community. i am talking about the dirt under my feet, and the air in my lungs, and water that falls on my skin. i will fight for these things as if claiming my own hand or body.

shortformblog:

nbcnews:

Trenton hostage situation passes 24 hours

(Photo: Eduardo Munoz / Reuters)

A hostage situation in the New Jersey capital of Trenton passed its 24th hour on Saturday as police worked to coax out an unidentified armed man who has taken “multiple” hostages amid reports of fatalities.

Read the complete story.

The Trenton police have confirmed that at least one person inside the house is dead, amid unconfirmed reports of another fatality. They declined to disclose any names or ages of the people still inside.

no first period, so at 9 I will get my first class of middle schoolers. wish me luck! (at Portola Middle School)

altogetherundone:

mspixieriot:

I spent my weekend as a vendor at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. This is a picture they posted to FB a few hours ago.

Is this real life or fanfiction?  I can’t tell the difference anymore.

depends what happens next with that snake

(Source: dashboardpolaroid)

postapocalypticfashion:

When Aisha Tyler was selected to be the presenter for the 2012 Ubisoft E3 press conference, she received an unprecedented flood of hate from trolls who complained about the fact that she knew nothing about gaming. Too bad haters didn’t do their homework first, because as it turns out Aisha Tyler knows more about gaming that all of us put together. Her Facebook response was awesome and predictably went viral. In case you missed it, here’s her masterpiece. Haters, take note.

Dear Gamers

I play.

I’ve played since I was a little kid. 

Since I begged my dad to buy me a Nintendo LCD Donkey Kong, Jr.

Since I blew through three weeks’ allowance playing Defender at the laundromat.

Since you were a twinge in the left side of your daddy’s underoos.

I’ve been a gamer since I made friends with a girl in the 5th grade just to get at her Atari.

Since I missed the bus playing Galaga after school.

Since I missed the start of Return of the Jedi playing Tempest in the theater lobby.

You think you know. You don’t know.

I’ve been a gamer since before you could read.

Since I aced midterms after staying up all night playing Evil Tetris.

Since I became dorm champ at Leisure Suit Larry.

Since I double-wielded on Time Crisis 3 at Fuddrucker’s.

I was a voice in not one, but two major video game titles.

I hosted the Reach Beta tutorial.

I was a Gears of War superfan panelist at ComicCon.

I hosted the Ubisoft presser at E3 2012.

I didn’t do any of it for the money. 

For most I got paid next to nothing, and for some, less than that.

I did it because I love video games.

Because I’ve dreamt since I was a kid of being in one of the games I love.

How many games have you done voices for?

How many cons have you repped at?

Your buddy’s Unreal Tournament garage deathmatch doesn’t count.

I go to E3 each year because I love video games.

Because new titles still get me high.

Because I still love getting swag.

Love wearing my gamer pride on my sleeve.

People ask me what console I play.

Motherfucker, ALL of them.

I get invited to E3 because real gamers know I’m a gamer.

I don’t do it for the money.

I have plenty of money.

I don’t do it for the fame.

Fuck fame.

I do it because I love video games.

I don’t give out my gamertag because I don’t want a mess of noob jackholes lining up

to assassinate me on XBL. 

I don’t give a shit what you think about my gamerscore.

I don’t play to prove a point. 

I don’t play to be the best.

I play because I love it.

I play.

I’ve been playing my whole life. 

I’m not ashamed of it.

I don’t apologize for it.

It’s who I am.

To the core.

I’m a gamer.

So to all the haters out there who claim I don’t play;

To the GAF dicks, 

Gamespot trolls, 

To every illiterate racist douchebag on Youtube:

Flame away. Go nuts.

Post every jackass comment your heart desires.

I’ll still be playing when your mom’s kicked you out of her basement

and you have to sell your old-ass console

and get a real job.

For now, I say to you respectfully,

and I mean this from the bottom of my heart,

GFYS.

thegoddamazon:

thelittlekneesofbees:

toopunktofuck:

RAPIST/SEXUAL ABUSER ALERT FOR ORLANDO, FL, LAKE MARY, FL AND SEATTLE, WA

JORDAN WERTHMAN FROM LAKE MARY, FLORIDA

21 YEARS OLD

ATTENDS SCHOOL AT UCF @ ORLANDO

WILL BE A JUNIOR DURING THE 2013-14 TERM

MAJORING IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING

WILL BE ATTENDING A GOOGLE INTERNSHIP IN SEATTLE, WA THIS SUMMER (HE IS IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW)

Jordan Werthman sexually assaulted/attempted to rape a friend of mine in April, another student at UCF. He waited until she was intoxicated and attempted to penetrate her, despite him saying himself that she was “not interested at all” and “kept asking to leave”

After the assault, Werthman proceeded to text her repeatedly, even after she told him to leave her alone, asking “what he did,” despite clearly knowing exactly what he did.
He has also said that “all men think about rape.”

He proceeded to stalk her, and went into her dorm building (which he does not live in) to slip a letter underneath her door, asking how he can “make it up” to her.

Afterward, my friend filed a police report and a police officer called Werthman to tell him that he is a rapist while he was celebrating his birthday with his family. However, my friend went out with some of her friends later that night and suddenly, Jordan was on the way ‘just to say hi,’ even though he was alerted he could be arrested if he came near her.

He has also allegedly attempted to assault or rape at least one other person. He has previously been reported to police at UCF for stalking a freshman.

PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND, THIS IS A DANGEROUS BOY WITH NO REGARD FOR THE PERSONAL BOUNDARIES OF WOMEN

JORDAN WERTHMAN FROM LAKE MARY, FLORIDA everybody!

He even looks like he does shit like that too.

And fuck it’s near Orlando so be careful, guys.

genderbitch:

cynicaldouche:

elainemorisi:

aiffe:

chainofaffection:

“Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help?

Here is a simple idea - blessing bags.

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few “Blessing Bags” in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.

If you’d like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags

items to go in the bags, such as:

chap stick

packages of tissues

toothbrush and toothpaste

comb

soap

trail mix

granola bars

crackers

pack of gum

band aids

mouthwash

coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)

hand wipes

you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.”

http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html

Hey, words from an actual former homeless person here.

Those people you see who make you uncomfortable? Those aren’t homeless people, they’re beggars. Well, some of them are also homeless. Some of them are not. NOT ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE BEGGARS. (Also, they’re not all addicts, though some are. You literally know nothing about a beggar’s life except that they are beggars.)

Beggars have a uniform like any other kind of worker. They have to look as bedraggled and dirty and pathetic as possible. If you gave a beggar a chance to shower and wash their clothes, you would be damaging their earning potential. They make their money by manipulating the feelings of people who don’t know much about poverty. That means they have to play to stereotypes, some of which are like a hundred years out of date.

When I was homeless, I did not beg. (I stole, dealt with charities, sometimes even worked. Yes, you can be homeless with a full-time job. I’ve worked 60 hours a week and been homeless. And I mean sleeping in a car or a tent homeless, not on somebody’s couch homeless, though that’s an under-counted form of homelessness. I asked for food once or twice, but I didn’t look like a beggar.) I kept myself clean. I looked like anyone else. That person you pass in the store, on the bus, someone who looks just like anyone else, they could be homeless. The sales clerk who helps you for minimum wage. They could have lost their apartment because you can’t pay rent on that salary.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with begging. And it’s true that some people do actually just look like that because due to mental illness or addiction they sincerely can’t take care of themselves. Some of them are honestly nothing more than scam artists who have no real need, though, playing off people’s sympathy for those who genuinely do need help. But let’s assume that you were giving these to an actual homeless person.

- soap is not that difficult to come by if you are so inclined to have/use it. Many public bathrooms have it. Homeless shelters will give you a bar of it. If you have $10 or so for a truck stop shower, soap is provided. Running water is a lot more difficult.

- believe it or not, they may already have a toothbrush and toothpaste, and if they don’t, it’s unlikely they have any interest in using them. Homeless people commonly cache useful items wrapped in plastic in a bunch of hidden places. If you want to help the homeless, next time you find one of those caches, don’t throw them away. I mean, think about it. If you had to start living on the street, would you stop brushing your teeth? I didn’t either. Plus, if everyone gave homeless people one of these packs, they’d have more toothbrushes than they did teeth. Same with the deodorant—one stick lasts a long time, and they give them to you in shelters. This kind of mismanagement and waste is incredibly frustrating. People are willing to flush money down the toilet to avoid helping you TOO much.

- food is nice! But keep in mind that not everyone can eat stuff you give them. Dietary restrictions like diabetes and Crohn’s unfortunately don’t go away when you become homeless. Maybe this is why they were hoping for cash? Also, some (though not all) homeless people have access to food already through food stamps, soup kitchens, charities, etc. A granola bar is nice, but they likely have other problems. If they need food, they will usually have a sign asking for food, or ask for it verbally! Otherwise food might not be a problem for them.

- I’ve given medicine to beggars when it was asked for. Medicine can be super useful if you have a need of it. But when you don’t have a place to put your shit, you realize what a luxury it is to be able to store shit you don’t need at the moment. At best, it could go into one of those caches, if that individual uses caches, or into a shopping cart if they haul one of those around. Or in a car if they have one.

You know what’s useful, lightweight, and portable? MONEY.

You know what money can be used for?

- the nightly fee of some pay-shelters to keep you out of the elements.

- minutes for a pay-as-you-go phone, which can be used for emergencies, scheduling appointments with therapists, doctors, and addiction counselors, even searching for jobs or housing. There is a TON of bureaucracy involved in getting help when you have nothing, and that shit burns through your minutes. Payphones? What is this, 1980? I still have and use a phone I bought while living in my car. It was $10.

- gas for a car, if they have one. (Commoner in rural areas.)

- a hot shower at a truck stop.

- medicine, including prescription medication.

- items that protect against the elements, in their size!

- transportation. News flash, no bus will let you on for pocket change.

- items you might not even think of, like pet food (some homeless people have pets!) sanitary napkins (even if they don’t look female—remember how the homeless rates go up if you’re queer? Yeah.) condoms (possibly for sex work? Not something you want to assume though!) diapers (adult or otherwise! seriously! You don’t know their lives!) or pretty much anything else THAT IS BOUGHT AND SOLD WITH MONEY.

Does that include cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol? You bet it does. But you know what, if that’s what they need, you’re in no position to judge. I’ve never been through withdrawal, but I’ve seen people go through it, and it’s complete shit. If that were you, yeah, you wouldn’t want to get drug sick, are you fucking kidding me? Offset it with a contribution to a rehab center, whatever helps you sleep at night.

And all this is assuming the person giving you a case of the guilts is actually homeless. When they may not be. And other people you don’t notice around you almost surely are.

That uncomfortable feeling you get, though? That has a name. It’s called INEQUALITY. It means that you know you have shit other people don’t have access to. You probably have resources so that even if you were in trouble, there’d be safety nets. You have the kind of money that you can buy a bunch of care packages to assuage this horrible guilt you feel every time you’re in bed in the rain and you know someone else out there isn’t. Those feelings are right. The world shouldn’t be this unequal. We shouldn’t have houses standing empty while people live on the street. We shouldn’t have food sitting in warehouses till it spoils while people starve. We shouldn’t be punishing people for trying to medicate away the pain we gave them.

If you want to REALLY help the poor, go buy a pen and paper and write to your representatives. Stop blaming “generational welfare users” for being “leeches on the system.” Tell them you want to see real aid going to people in your community. Tell them to fund the mental health system, which is inadequate for the demand and constantly getting slashed. Tell them you don’t want to see food stamps cut for bad grades! Tell them a stitch in time saves nine, and if they helped people who were losing their homes, maybe there wouldn’t be so many homeless. Tell them to decriminalize drug use and prostitution. Tell them to support programs like Insite. Support universal healthcare, because you’d be surprised how many people end up homeless due to illness, either in themselves or a family member. If you’re ever in a position of power, such as a landlord or employer, don’t discriminate against people who don’t have a current address. Also don’t discriminate against marginalized groups by race, gender, orientation, ability, etc. These people are more likely to end up homeless because of this BS. Check out charities in your area doing actual outreach with the poor, many of whom are not beggars and not visible. And if you’re going to give a beggar something, either ask them what they need or just give them fucking money.

You can’t make that uncomfortable feeling go away with the wave of a magic wand. You can’t buy exemption from the fact that you HAVE and others DON’T with some soap and granola.

And if you’re going to give a beggar something, either ask them what they need or just give them fucking money.

All
Of
This

Finally someone tore that shit post apart.

I was too inarticulate with rage as a someone who’s been homeless to hit it.

(Source: yourpersonalcheerleader)