april 2021 donation

this month I donated to a "friend's" medical bill gofundme. friend is in quotation marks because I've only met him a couple times when he went in to shop at BYO @ Algalita. we struck up a conversation and I started following him on Instagram. I have not done this with any other customer, so I guess that says something? 

anyway, apparently he was in some sort of accident. I dunno what because there are very few details on his instagram but that's cool. basically tho, he needs $22k to help with medical bills (much of it dental), and he's about half way there.

again, I don't really know him so I can't say much about him, but one of the reasons I found him interesting enough to follow was that a few years ago he went on a dating show thing where he met, dated, "married," someone within a few hours. it was on youtube I think. anyway, it shows how adventurous, positive, and open he is, which is super cool. he has since deleted the post on his instagram so you'll just have to believe me when I tell you that he's very charming, hahah, even tho the relationship ultimately did not work out. 

if you are a creeper, you can go thru his instagrams and get a feel for what a good, kind, gentle person he is, and hopefully you'll donate too. 

ewg

I recently had a couple friends ask me about laundry detergent. I didn't have a recommendation but I did refer them to the Environmental Working Group's laundry detergent rating page. the EWG is a great resource that I've used more and more often to see what products are actually environmentally friendly. they mostly look at how dangerous the chemicals are but also rate other things too, depending on what type of things you're looking at. they rate a lot of things, from cleaning products to cosmetics to food (I looked up sunscreen a couple months ago), and rate conventional brand names to smaller purported eco brands as well. 

apparently they have an app too, which I haven't used, since I really don't shop very much at all. but I'll definitely be consulting the EWG on future purchases, especially since greenwashing is getting crazy out of hand these days!

suicide services

if I were in charge of things, there would be a service to help you plan your suicide. you would make at least two appointments with two different therapists who wouldn't try to talk you into or out of anything, but they would listen to you explain why you felt strongly you wanted to die. if they both agree that you appear of sound mind, that this isn't a rash decision, and that this isn't because of a temporary situation that can otherwise be solved, they would individually approve of your case.

after that the service would help you plan stuff out: what to do with your stuff, who to notify, funeral arrangements, and how, when, and where you want to do it. this creates less burden on others, gives you some control over what happens, and also draws out the process a little to make sure you're serious. I would hope that beginning to almost end (from your reaching out to the service, to be given the means of suicide), would take at least three months.

after everything is planned, the service would give you the drugs or whatever it is you decided on as your method of suicide. you would have someone with you, or at least nearby, to make sure things don't go wrong. BUT they aren't to pressure you in any way. should you change your mind, great! if you don't, you'll know that your plans will be carried out after your death. 

I don't think this is morbid at all. if anything, I think it's immensely practical and respectful. I think it's rather rude of people to tell you that you don't actually want to kill yourself, things will get better! well, maybe they won't, or maybe they will but I don't want to be around for it. maybe I just want to die but am scared of screwing up. maybe I don't want to traumatize whoever finds my body.  maybe everything anything, I don't care. I respect your decision. I think as long as it doesn't hurt others, you should have a certain amount of autonomy over your own body and life. hurting others emotionally because they don't respect your decision to do with your life what you will, doesn't count. keeping yourself alive just to appease others is no way to live, I think, unless that's what you want to do. in which case, you're allowed to do that freely as well.