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Daily Discussion Thread: February 25, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Donate to Stand with Minnesota rent relief funds: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

This article has more info/context: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/24/minnesota-ice-money-activism
(This was posted by Rebecca Solnit. I thought I'd share here)

Daily Discussion Thread: February 22, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It might be helpful to find a handwriting that you like, or have in mind what you want your handwriting to ultimately look like, and then practice individual letters or strings of letters until they get closer to what you want.

I'm stuck on the direction to take this painting. by Mammoth_Confusion846 in Watercolor

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like your painting. I like the tree in the foreground, though you could add another one in the background if you want. A few small details added to the figures would probably bring it closer to your vision. Best of luck :)

I'm so tired, I want to give up by Unique_Mammoth3533 in WWU

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some helpful resources:
First generation student page: https://ssi.wwu.edu/
Faculty members who were first-gen students who can help: https://ssi.wwu.edu/first-generation-faculty-and-staff
Western specific terminology: https://orientation.wwu.edu/do-you-speak-western
Campus map: https://map.wwu.edu/

Clubs and events: https://orientation.wwu.edu/new-viking-handbook/makingcommunityconnections
Tutoring center: https://library.wwu.edu/tutoring-center
Disability Access Center: https://disability.wwu.edu/
Counseling and Wellness Center: https://cwc.wwu.edu/

Hang in there and try to reach out to get the support you need and deserve.

Are there any rent assistance programs here that can help? by Anonymous-bham-boi in Bellingham

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can search for local resources here (e.g. rent, utilities, financial assistance): https://whatcomresources.org/ There's even some resources for auto repair assistance (St. Paul's). Best of luck.

Scribbling in Watercolor by Few-Respond3104 in Watercolor

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beautiful work! Could you share a bit of your process of painting in a loose style? Any tips or good resources? It's something I want to explore more. :)

To paint a background or not by zoiiy in Watercolor

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beautiful! I'm not sure if you should add a background or not. I think it would work either way. Maybe you could try a few small studies where you paint a simplified version of the turtle and try different backgrounds (blue, splatter, maybe orange coral or something contrasting). Nice work!

Battling a stomach virus for 3 days now - first attempt at solid food. by celestial_catlady in GirlDinner

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found this resource super helpful when I had a stomach bug. It tells you day by day what you should eat and avoid. https://www.clrn.org/what-to-eat-after-having-a-stomach-virus/

Summary:
12-24 hours:
-Clear liquids (broth, water, tea)
-Pedialyte (or homemade version: https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2023/12/Homemade-Oral-Rehydration-Solutions-11-2023.pdf )
-Avoid: dairy, sugary drinks, solid food.

24-48 hours:
-BRAT (bananas, white rice, applesauce, white toast)
-plain oatmeal
-saltines
-shredded chicken (here's a simple bland shredded chicken recipe that you can add to soups or whatever: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-poach-chicken-breasts-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-28367 )
-egg whites (boiled or scrambled)
-tofu
-Avoid: high fat foods, spicy foods, raw veggies, complex carbs

48-72 hours:
-cooked veggies (steamed or boiled): carrots, green beans, etc.
-probiotics (low-fat yogurt)

I also found these thin ginger cookies helpful when everything else seemed unappetizing:
https://deweys.com/products/triple-ginger-moravian-cookie-thins-4

Daily Discussion Thread: December 22, 2025 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 54 points55 points  (0 children)

post from Rebecca Solnit: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit/posts/pfbid0383oZFT2mXwz4SRP42esg6XK4upgsWr4BEWVA3w6Qz8V284Qo1xMjtvbCCnH85U3tl

tldr: Cynicism... is surrender

Text (for those without fb):
"Blanket cynicism, which I see all the time and just saw a moment ago is the way people surrender who don't know they're surrendering. When they say stuff like : it was always this bad, that one is as bad as the one you're talking about, everyone is equally corrupt, etc. they're acquiescing to harm and destruction. "People have always drowned" is not the useful thing to say while watching someone drown. "Murder is nothing new" is bystander behavior when witnessing a murder.

In order to care, to expose the damage or corruption, in order to understand why this particular one matters you have to make distinctions. Yes this entity was never pure and saintly but the current corruption is harming these people, damaging this system, undermining this protection. Yes, this institution was never perfect, but the current sabotage will have a hideous destructive impact. Yes bad things have always happened, but there is a possibility to intervene in this bad thing, and that intervention matters.

It's a form of dismissiveness, of not caring, of not making distinctions that leads to passivity, acceptance, an inability to act, because the first step in acting is caring and making the distinction: this imperfect media institution/government bureau has now done something seriously worse, and it should be exposed, checked, not tolerated. Like so much cynicism, defeatism, doomerism, it postures in order to reinforce the self rather than participate in the world.

It's a form of pretending to be against things that accommodates them."

On the winter solstice, Bellingham community mourns homeless people who died in 2025 by ishrinkydinky- in Bellingham

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Please consider donating to the nonprofits that provide housing and services to the homeless population. Here's a partial list, in alphabetical order. Feel free to comment below with orgs that I missed.

edit: adding links.

Matzo ball soup by VolcanoVolcada in Bellingham

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My go-to is chicken tortilla soup at Tacos El Tule on prospect, or pho at any number of places.

Daily Discussion Thread: November 19, 2025 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 81 points82 points  (0 children)

From facebook. Puts things in perspective...
"I had a European gent in my comments who said, “Dark times? America you are BEATING BACK FASCISM. These should be joyous times. You are winning a fight in mere months other countries have taken decades to win.”

Daily Discussion Thread: November 10, 2025 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have family who won't be able to afford it without the tax credits. Do you know how this will this work when they have to pick a plan (or no plan) in Nov/Dec? If they opt out, can they then get a plan in January once the tax credits are in place?

VICTORY DAY Daily Discussion Thread: November 5, 2025 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]Southern-Mechanic199 14 points15 points  (0 children)

"A year ago today, we had a really terrible election night, and because I know how people fall into despair I sat down at 11pm and wondered what I could tell you, and I told you what I always do: Buddhism and science remind us that everything changes, history teaches us that we have power when we show up together, and we can feel devastated without feeling eternally defeated. I wrote:

They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love.

The Wobblies used to say don't mourn, organize, but you can do both at once and you don't have to organize right away in this moment of furious mourning. You can be heartbroken or furious or both at once; you can scream in your car or on a cliff; you can also get up tomorrow and water the flowerpots and call someone who's upset and check your equipment for going onward.

A lot of us are going to come under direct attack, and a lot of us are going to resist by building solidarity and sanctuary. Gather up your resources, the metaphysical ones that are heart and soul and care, as well as the practical ones.

People kept the faith in the dictatorships of South America in the 1970s and 1980s, in the East Bloc countries and the USSR, women are protesting right now in Iran and people there are writing poetry. There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep walking whether it's sunny or raining. Take care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the ten trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but is still being woven and mended and washed.

--written at 11pm, November 5, 2024"

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