“My Body, My Choice” Only Makes Sense When Someone Else’s Life Isn’t At Stake.

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

Sunflowers are the perfect flowers

[240624] TODAY ATEEZ | Let's go, with a breeze of sand, to the place that marks the beginning of our journey🌟 In the future, towards ATINY and the wider world, together with the promise to move forward, Mawazine Festival ☺️🔥

Thank you!

Thank you so much for 200 followers! I’m so grateful for the support; it’s really encouraging to se that so many people are interested in my writing, in my thoughts and musings and ideas. This means so much - thank you.

Keep shining, beauties. Have a lovely day. :)

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.

Blessings and good wishes to all on this day, Veterans Day. May we forever honor those who served our country and fought for it’s ideals. Let us support their families and know that we are here today because of their time and service. God bless.

The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s saw a boom in manufacturing and technological achievement. Products as diverse as car parts to cleaning supplies were being assembled, built, woven, or otherwise created on a scale never before seen. But this renaissance required workers - lots of them. In capitalist countries in the West, business tycoons made profit off of the cheap labor of thousands of men, women and children. Most of them worked up to 16 hours a day, in insanely dangerous conditions. But where there is oppression there is resistance, and in the 1880s, worker’s unions across the United States began to fight for their rights.   

Many members of the movement at this time were communists and anarchists, who believed that the capitalist system exploited members of the working class. They demonstrated for an 8-hour day, as well as better wages and working conditions. 

In 1886, in the first days of May, thousands of Chicago’s working class went on strike.  In Haymarket Square, a meeting of up to 3,000 radicals gathered to protest the conditions they worked in. When the Chicago police came to disperse the demonstrators, someone threw a bomb. At least 8 people died, and more than a hundred were wounded. 

Three years later, in commemoration of what was called the Haymarket affair, the International Socialist Conference declared May first an international holiday for the world’s workers. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (now know as the American Federation of Labor) declared that “eight hours shall now constitute a legal day’s labor.” 

But the US no longer celebrates Labor Day on May first, or May Day. During the Cold War, May first became associated with the socialist and communist movements that it had been born from. President Eisenhower signed a resolution renaming May Day as ‘Loyalty Day’, a holiday dedicated to American patriotism. We now celebrate Labor Day on September second.   

But hey, in recognition of global celebrations and the industrious working class, here’s a shout out to May Day. Equality and vacation days for all! 

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!

October 11 is National Coming Out Day! Happy day to all those in or out of the closet - you are valid no matter what. I’m grateful we have a day to recognize these milestones, both in our lives and as members of the LGBT+ community.

 (P.S. I know I’ve posted like three times in less than a week, but allow me to lower your expectations to once a week updates. For my sanity, il mio amore)

I hope this makes you feel better.

It wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in the wrong place at the wrong time, wearing the wrong clothes in front of the wrong people, living the wrong person in the wrong life.

It wasn’t because you were born to suffer through that, or because something about you seems to say they have a right, because they don’t.

You have the right to your body, your mind, your lips, your breasts, the space between your hips. You have the right to the word no, to your defensive fists, to your shoving hands, to your screams and sobs for help. You have the right to let those tears fall, to let yourself mourn  for something that is not normal, nor justified, nor appropriate, nor kind, nor acceptable, nor right. You are your own person, and I wish you all the happiness, acceptance, and peace you are infinitely deserving of.

You are not wrong. They are wrong, as are those who taught them such behavior. They are wrong in their actions, and you have the right to call them out on it. You have the right to speak about it, to not feel ashamed or at fault. You have the right to find people who will listen to you, respect you for your pains, and love you in the way that makes you comfortable.

It is not normal. It is not okay. It is not because of you or your gender or the situation. It is them, and they are wrong, and always do what makes you comfortable and happy in the future.

Seek help. Seek support. Seek love. Seek confidence and comfort, in all aspects of yourself and your life. You deserve it, and you’ll find people who care. Someone loves you.

You will persevere. You will wake up one morning and realize that you can go on. You will count your blessings in the morning, list your aspirations at noon, and remember your virtues at night. You have something for all three. Read. Breathe. Sleep. Clear your mind of negativity. Smile. You have so much to live for, and we’ll be rooting for you.

Look at your reflection. Put your hands on your hips. Say to yourself, in whatever language or wording or way, “There is something glorious on the other side of the storm.”

Stay strong, my beautiful friend. You are deserving of so much more than they ever showed you. Don’t forget your strengths and talents in the time you’ll need them most.

Have a good day. I admire your ability to rise above the stormclouds.