Make Your Damn Bed

RULES FOR RADICALS: "Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have." "Never go outside the experience of your people." "Whenever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy." "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition,...

In today’s world, we're sold far more than just products. We're sold lifestyles/belief systems that tell us who we should be, how we should act, and what will make us 'successful.' Brands like Apple, Nike, Lululemon, etc. have moved beyond selling shoes or tech gadgets—they sell you the idea that buying their product makes you part of something bigger. It makes you 'better.' But here’s the catch:...

How much exercise do we need to impact our mental health? 15 minutes. That's it. Just 15 minutes (of any type of movement) can improve your well-being. Maybe it's time we start focusing on quality over quantity. RESOURCES: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-your-brain-needs-exercise/ AND: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/11/just-do-something-you-enjoy-have-official-tar...

What if I told you that aerobic exercise was as valuable for our cognitive health as our physical health? What if there was a way to exercise that multiplied it's positive effects without any additional physical effort? Would you change anything about the way you show up? RESOURCES: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-your-brain-needs-exercise/ AND: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...

When was the last time you dressed for joy? What we wear has a greater impact on us than we think. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and wear the thing that makes you feel good, even if it's "loud" or "bright" or "showy". If it makes you happy??? Put that shit on !!! RESOURCE: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824#:~:text=Color%20is%20a%20powerful%20communication,%2C...

How do we make ethical decisions? Are there "universal moral truths"? What can we do if a situation is not morally "black and white"? There are countless factors that apply to every ethical question. Context is crucial. I think, in general, we're all bound to be a little wrong and a little right - and understanding all of the factors that go into that is the clearest way to ensure we're not overwh...

At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles that affect how we make decisions and lead our lives. Ethics (or moral philosophy) is about with what is good for individuals and society. Ethics 101: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml Another Intro to Ethics: https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Historical_Introduction_to_Philosophy/Ethics And another: https://en.wikipedia.o...

This is a re-release of an episode I got great feedback from: "Hopelessness is often most pervasive among the privileged who are more insulated from from overt violence." - Ayesha Khan SOURCE: https://wokescientist.substack.com/p/how-do-we-keep-hope-alive-in-our DONATE: www.pcrf.net Get Involved: Operation Olive Branch: Spreadsheets + Links GET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdam...

Sponge cities use nature and science to work with the environment and improve the ecosystem. Sustainable infrastructure is not only good for the people in the city, but the environment as a whole. The definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_city The main source article: https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/02/08/urbanism-101-what-is-a-sponge-city/#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9CSponge%20City%E...

"your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins" "The Paradox of Tolerance disappears if you look at tolerance, not as a moral standard, but as a social contract. If someone does not abide by the terms of the contract, then they are not covered by it. In other words: The intolerant are not following the rules of the social contract of mutual tolerance. Since they have broken the terms of...

"The  paradox of tolerance  is a  philosophical concept  suggesting that if a  society  extends  tolerance  to those who are intolerant, it risks enabling the eventual dominance of  intolerance , thereby undermining the very principle of tolerance." - Wikipedia "The Paradox of Tolerance disappears if you look at tolerance, not as a moral standard, but a...

Here are some things that helped me survive lately: Thinking of rest and joy as resistance.   Intentional rest and joy are essential to the whole thing . When I start to have a little shame spiral about feeling a little bit of joy or hope or when I start to feel guilty about needing a break or rest — I remind myself that some weirdo want’s me to feel that way so that I get tired and give up —...

If we look at our coping mechanisms at face value, it can add to the stress that we’re attempting to take away. It can feel like a bandaid for a symptom rather than a direct address to the roots of the problem.  But not everything can be a full uprooting of systemic damages. Sometimes, effective coping is about surviving the moment.  So let’s lump all of the coping strategies I listed (a...

Listen, we’ve gotten pretty political over the past month, and I wanted to defend my reasoning for the seasoning before I talk about why I wanna switch it up a bit. Unfortunately life is political. Not addressing the elephant in the room doesn't remove the elephant from the room.  And I wish more than anything we lived in a society where we didn’t have to talk about the ways the systems impac...

"My medium spicy take is that it takes a lot of pressure off of you. You can celebrate any holiday any way you want because taking the holiday and changing it to fit to your needs is truly traditional. The important thing is we take days off work, gather together, and spit in the face of a harsh earth." - Alex Falcone. "Amazon is everywhere but so are we." - Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla Alex Fal...

I tend to get a bit overwhelmed when thinking about Thanksgiving. When I feel overwhelmed by something, it's typically because I lack context. Here is some of the context I discovered on my journey to better understand Thanksgiving's true history, from the perspective of the Wampanoag people. THE MAIN RESOURCE: https://ictnews.org/archive/the-wampanoag-side-of-the-first-thanksgiving-story THE SUPR...

Often these methods are effective at preventing or reducing backre. However, sometimes the perpetrators’ tactics fail, and backfire occurs. When it does, it is often because people relied on ve principles (which can be remembered as the “5 Rs” below) to heighten outrage and increase mobilization against injustice. These principles are: 1. Reveal – Expose the injustice. 2. Redeem – Validate the tar...

Often these methods are effective at preventing or reducing backre. However, sometimes the perpetrators’ tactics fail, and backfire occurs. When it does, it is often because people relied on ve principles (which can be remembered as the “5 Rs” below) to heighten outrage and increase mobilization against injustice. These principles are: 1. Reveal – Expose the injustice. 2. Redeem – Validate the tar...

Often these methods are effective at preventing or reducing backre. However, sometimes the perpetrators’ tactics fail, and backfire occurs. When it does, it is often because people relied on ve principles (which can be remembered as the “5 Rs” below) to heighten outrage and increase mobilization against injustice. These principles are: 1. Reveal – Expose the injustice. 2. Redeem – Validate the tar...

Often these methods are effective at preventing or reducing backre. However, sometimes the perpetrators’ tactics fail, and backre occurs. When it does, it is often because people relied on ve principles (which can be remembered as the “5 Rs” below) to heighten outrage and increase mobilization against injustice. These principles are: 1. Reveal – Expose the injustice. 2. Redeem – Validate the targe...

"When threats achieve their intended results, they embolden those who use them. It’s clear that inciting PV has become politically or economically profitable for certain individuals and groups. Some perpetrators also find threat-making to be psychologically gratifying. For these reasons, the very small minority in the US who incite, threaten, and enact PV won’t stop on their own. We, the vast majo...

"We shouldn’t think of our struggle as a finite game, but an infinite game in which there will be many different opportunities to engage. We should be learning how to do better from our failures and our successes. Power may go back and forth over that period of time, over the years ahead of us, so don’t despair too much about whatever happens in the next couple months. Stay hopeful, stay engaged,...

"People also need to avoid conspiracy theories — and they need to avoid scaring people and doing the job of authoritarians for them. Political violence is a key strategy of authoritarians because it scares people, right? It scares people out of participating in the political system..." - Scot Nakagawa THE SOURCE: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/08/anti-authoritarian-organizer-scot-nakagawa-part...

Today I'm sharing some strategies on how to stay grounded during a trump presidency. THE SOURCE :https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/11/how-we-can-meet-challenges-of-authoritarianism/ THE OTHER SOURCE: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/11/10-things-to-do-if-trump-wins/ AND THIS ONE: https://www.endpoliticalviolence.org/ AUTOCRACY THREAT TRACKER: https://www.justsecurity.org/92714/american-autocrac...

This is a re-release of episode 745: "getting out of survival mode" because I had a microphone issue and didn't want to ghost you on the final episode of the "grounding yourself after a Trump win" series. But this one felt relevant to me - and hoping it can help someone if you're feeling the same. Escaping the cycles of chronic stress... well... sucks. I often want to reach for things that further...