Latest Posts by badlymadedndsideblog - Page 2
I heard there's a TB outbreak in Kansas right now?? Do you know if there's anything we can do to help?
There is ongoing spread of TB in Kansas--so far, 67 cases of active disease.
I want to be clear this is a tiny, tiny fraction of the overall global burden of tuberculosis: 10,000,000 people get sick with TB every year, and 1,250,000 die (almost all of whom die unnecessarily--TB is curable).
It's also a small fraction of the U.S. burden of TB--we have about 10,000 cases of TB annually in the U.S. It's an airborne disease, so we shouldn't be surprised that people are getting sick. We should be horrified that we're allowing so many people to get sick even though TB is both curable and preventable. (We can stop chains of infection by offering preventative antibiotics to close contacts of the sick.)
We should absolutely be worried about TB in the United States. An airborne disease that's allowed to infect and sicken ten million people each year is an ongoing threat to all humans. But we should also remember that while we worry about a hypothetical TB pandemic, much of the world has never emerged from the TB pandemic that has lasted for thousands of years and killed many billions of people.
Should you be worried about contracting TB? Yes. But you should mostly be worried that the U.S. government has paused all TB funding, which will increase antibiotic resistance, needless death, and the risk that untreatable versions of the disease will emerge and spread.
None of this is normal or natural. We'd do well to remember that.
From the people who brought you Squid Facts, Horseshoe Crab is Calling
I don't know about you, but I need a little joy right now. Earlier this month, I was walking down the street in my neighborhood and I came upon this:
I was like "Wow. Ok. Yes I AM picking that up." I couldn't resist! What an enticing strategy!
I had to try it myself.
After kicking the idea around with a few friends, I landed on "Horseshoe Crab is calling", and we updated to the modern iOS. Maybe i should have kept the green and red, I'm not sure.
Who the hell wouldn't be intrigued by this?!
(P.S. shout out to Basic Barbie, another street artist in the city who is unapologetically femme in a predominantly male scene. We love Basic Barbie.)
The link on the bottom goes to a list of actionable things people can do to slow climate change. Very curious to see how many people visit the page.
If you would like the print file so you can get business cards printed yourself to pepper around your natural habitat, DM me. Happy to share.
when you are a pink pony girl but you dance at the club
fun fact, world hippopotamus day is February 15th and it’s the best holiday
Kid Pix just became pubic domain, so the remade (but pretty much exactly the same) version is now available here. It's uh, wild, highly recommend checking it out not only for the wonderful nostalgia but you can legit make some incredible looking stuff!
FIND IT HERE
I really liked this design, and also I didn’t own any plates (bc bowls are awesome), so I made this! It was a lot of fun lol!
Turtle Moon and Back
I’ve been listing to “Turtles all the Way Down” on audio book from the library, and as someone with OCD who has avoiding reading the book for a long time, I have found it absolutely wonderful, hilarious, relatable, and just deeply enjoyable. The title reminded me of the space turtle episode of dear Hank and John, which I always see in my head as a turtle hugging the moon.
A caveat to this study: the researchers were primarily looking at insect pollinator biodiversity. Planting a few native wildflowers in your garden will not suddenly cause unusual megafauna from the surrounding hinterlands to crowd onto your porch.
That being said, this study backs up Douglas Tallamy's optimistic vision of Homegrown National Park, which calls for people in communities of all sizes to dedicate some of their yard (or porch or balcony) to native plants. This creates a patchwork of microhabitats that can support more mobile insect life and other small beings, which is particularly crucial in areas where habitat fragmentation is severe. This patchwork can create migration corridors, at least for smaller, very mobile species, between larger areas of habitat that were previously cut off from each other.
It may not seem like much to have a few pots of native flowers on your tiny little balcony compared to someone who can rewild acres of land, but it makes more of a difference than you may realize. You may just be creating a place where a pollinating insect flying by can get some nectar, or lay her eggs. Moreover, by planting native species you're showing your neighbors these plants can be just as beautiful as non-native ornamentals, and they may follow suit.
In a time when habitat loss is the single biggest cause of species endangerment and extinction, every bit of native habitat restored makes a difference.
New Year’s Resolutions and Girl Scout Cookies
Now, you may be thinking, hmmm, those things don’t go together. Unless your resolution was support female entrepreneurs, in which case carry on. No, what I’m talking about is the big New Year’s Resolution I’ve heard about since I was little - weight loss. Whether it’s losing the few pounds you put on with holiday food or a grander goal, many people look to the new year to lose weight.
I’m here to tell you not to tell impressionable young girls who are selling Girl Scout cookies about your weight loss or dieting. In fact, don’t talk to any kids or teens about weight loss.
I don’t care how good your intentions are, how much you think you need it, whatever generation you were raised in, etc. This is not the time for weight loss talk. Did you know that 46% of 9-11 year olds are “sometimes or often” on diets? (x) What about that 50% of teenage girls (and 30% of teenage boys) restrict calories to lose weight? At critical developmental stages, these kiddos are losing vital nutrients and calories that help them grow, their brains develop, and help them develop eating habits for life. From the Mayo Clinic: “In fact, weight talk — both the teasing and the well-intentioned comment — is associated with continued weight problems, increased weight, unhealthy dieting habits and a risk of eating disorders.”
The Girl Scout cookie program is designed to teach valuable skills like business ethics, communication, and confidence. Don’t corrupt something that we all love by talking about your weight.
[spelunking] sniff sniff... ACHOO! something in this Cave is triggering my Allegories...
The ultimate mix and match qucik bread recipe:
if something is beautiful it should be shared and cherished, and this banana bread recipe is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It’s a formula for making quick breads/muffins from a Food Network Magazine from like 2012 and it works miracles. It’s so flexible and delicious. Also ignore the part where it says to only use 1 fruit or vegetable type, I’ve mixed and matched to get to 1 cup. My all time favorite is banana zucchini bread. And it’s scalable!! I love using it to use up produce thats about to go bad. Its a very flexible and adaptible recipe/ recipe framework. Recipe in text form:
Choose a Flavor: Prepare one cup of fruit or vegetable (1 kind) such as pear(shredded and squezzed dry), apple(shredded and squezzed dry), banana(mashed), carrot(shredded), or zucchini(shredded and squezzed dry) *Note from me: I have used mixtures of multiple of these fruits/veggies adding up to one cup like a mix of zucchini and banana with great results. I have also had sucess using 1/4 cup cut up dried fruit (such as raisins) mixed with 3/4 cup warmed up applesauce*
Pick Your Mix-Ins: Choose up to 1 3/4 cups total of the following ingredients (use no more than 3/4 cup nuts). Toast and chop any nuts; chop any large dried fruit: walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried currants, raisins, dried figs, dried apricots, pitted dried dates, rolled oats, chocolate chips, shredded coconut. *Note from me: I never add oats, but if you do add a lot of them you may have to decrease the amount of flour you use slightly*
Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter one 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or three 6-by-3-inch mini pans. *Note from me: you can also use muffin or mini muffin tins*
Make the Batter: Mix 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon each baking powder and salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl; add your dry mix-ins (from step 2). In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter or vegetable oil, 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional). Stir your fruit or vegetables (from step 1) into the egg mixture, then fold into the dry mixture until just combined. *Note from me: you can use any mix of white & brown sugar, and you can use AP flour or a mix of AP and whole wheat flour, also playing around with differnt seasonings and flavorings is fun*
Bake the Loaf: Spread the batter in the prepared pan/pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes for a standard loaf, 35 to 40 minutes for mini loaves. Cool 30 minutes in the pan(s) on a rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. *Note from me: check at like 15-20 minutes for muffins*
Make a Glaze: Prepare a glaze, pour on the cooled bread and let set, 15 to 20 minutes. Chocolate: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Vanilla Bean: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and the seeds from 1 vanilla bean. Brown Butter: Brown 3 tablespoons butter over low heat; cool slightly. Whisk with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Use immediately. Citrus: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon each milk and citrus juice, and 1 teaspoon citrus zest. Cream Cheese: Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Happy baking and enjoy!!!
hey honest question, did anybody have GOOD stuff happen to them in 2024? cause it was really bad for me and for most people i know, so it would be nice to hear about anything that's been going WELL for any of you. even if it's small stuff. just to know there's light out there.
please enjoy this "vintage movie poster" I saw in a dream which was so funny to my subconscious that I immediately woke myself up to write it down for later
the first three words you see will describe your 2024 🥰
my partner is only 40 but nestled within him is the soul of an elderly man
I am glad that this is how I am ending the year. I have tried fish (in non-fish-stick form) and a shrimp this year. What a wild adventure. Life’s crazy y’all! Happy 2025
just ate a shrimp for the first time, didn’t die, but also unsure of all the hype around them
just ate a shrimp for the first time, didn’t die, but also unsure of all the hype around them
Turtle Moon and Back
I’ve been listing to “Turtles all the Way Down” on audio book from the library, and as someone with OCD who has avoiding reading the book for a long time, I have found it absolutely wonderful, hilarious, relatable, and just deeply enjoyable. The title reminded me of the space turtle episode of dear Hank and John, which I always see in my head as a turtle hugging the moon.
Family Recipe
okay so i finished checking if we were friends in every universe and, uh, it turns out we're only friends in 6 of them. but look, i need you to understand these universes vary like crazy, okay? like 6 is actually insanely high, like way higher than most. and one of those is the universe where i accidentally killed the actor who played Dipsy from Teletubbies when i was 7 and my life went completely differently as a result. and we still ended up friends! also you were a girl in that universe for some reason. what? oh, uh, yeah, you were cute as hell. like really cute. did you just fucking giggle
[Seducing You] I made pasta.
mood
My mom yesterday: why do my kids refuse to try new things? You have to have the exact same bra and the same shoes and the same stuffed animal and the same breakfast every morning and the same brand always! Why does it matter?
And I’m sitting here like mom it’s the inherited mental illness. From father.
the world is incredible. there are girls in this world, and there are also dogs. you can put melted cheese on any type of potato. sometimes flowers grow even when nobody is there to water them. right now on this same planet where we live there are people who are in love with each other kissing each other on the nose. emotions and colours are both things that exist. everything is so great
There was a time when women did these jobs.
Some of them really liked the work and were keen to continue doing it. But society basically told them to collectively "get back in the kitchen" when the men returned home from war.
The tradition of conditioning women, from birth, to have a distaste for these jobs continued. Young girls are discouraged from even taking an interest in the toys representing these occupations. God forbid they put Barbie in the firetruck.
The truth is, most men do not want women doing these jobs. They complain about how dangerous this work is and use that as a metaphorical bludgeon in debates about equality. But when women actually try to be firefighters and combat infantry, they are told they *can't* do these jobs. They are inferior. Those who are hired have to work twice as hard to get half the respect. They are inundated with sexism and misogyny. And many end up quitting, not because they aren't qualified or they don't like the work, but because their male coworkers make the jobs intolerable.
And instead of fighting to make these occupations safer and valued properly, these men just complain that feminists don't know how hard it is and how they don't understand what it's like to risk their lives for no money or benefits. And then rich assholes like Elon stoke these flames because he doesn't want these men to realize this is a class struggle rather than a culture war. And that feminists and "woke activists" would actually be wonderful allies in helping them get better conditions.
Lastly, there are feminists talking about this. There are plenty of non-men interested in these jobs. But I doubt Elon keeps up with very much feminist discourse other than what he invents in his imagination.
Beyond that, feminists can't seem to prioritize stuff like this in the mainstream because they are too busy trying to regain control of their uteruses.
Did I miss anything?
Oh yeah, fuck Elon and fuck "End Wokeness".
wish we had more internal organ emojis
this will be the year I finally convince everyone to abandon New Year's resolutions in favour of Yule Boasting, the clearly superior tradition
Megalopolis (2024)
