Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
Wisdom of the Ancestors like: if you have a rival, have you considered kissing them?
There is considerable evidence that the neanderthals went extinct not necessarily because of violence with humans but because we fucked em so much they got assimilated into our gene pool
hate posts that are like ‘did you get vaccinated against chickenpox as a child or were your parents weirdos’. ?? some of us belong to the tiny niche category of people over the age of 30.
So my coworker (lab mate?) is partially deaf and was given a sign language interpreter by the university (so he doesn’t pay for anything) and also got one at his new job, which is really cool.
I didn’t realize just how hard sign language interpreters work until I started interacting with his interpreter.
Any time I need a Zoom call from my coworker to get him to explain some machine learning stuff to me, his interpreter joins the Zoom call.
During 2 hour lab meetings, he has 2 interpreters that constantly switch so they don’t get tired, and when there’s only one, we have to take a break in the middle so she can rest.
Both his interpreters spent a lot of time reading complex scientific journal articles in machine learning in order to agree on what language to use during the lab meetings.
We went out for a lab lunch and everyone ordered all this delicious food…and the interpreter couldn’t eat anything, because she had to work (my coworker said it’s part of their job but still!).
She would constantly ask me what the group on the other side of the table was talking about so she could keep my coworker “in the loop” of the “office chatter” instead of only interpreting when someone spoke directly to him.
Having to struggle with words from other languages (I’m bilingual and when I mixed in some Urdu words, the interpreter asked me to translate so she could sign them). Also having to interpret conversations where everyone is interrupting each other.
Just…it’s such an important job and I didn’t realize how much work goes into it. Sign language interpreters are amazing and really do their part to not only “translate” for deaf people, but to make them feel included in all of the conversation.
If you’re interacting with someone and their interpreter, there are things you can do to make that communication easier!
1) If either of the people don’t know you well, or if it’s a busy video or phone call, say your name before you speak! This makes it easier to track who’s saying what and helps the deaf person and the interpreter get to know you better.
2) Try your best to not speak over/interrupt others or make side comments while someone else is speaking. It’s really hard! If you manage to do it, though, everyone will follow the conversation better, not just the deaf person and their interpreter.
3) If you’re using an acronym, a non-English word, a slang term, or a technical term that the interpreter might not know, define and/or spell it politely and as briefly as possible. Use the full term, then say the acronym. Take a second to clarify words that might sound a lot like other words. If you can fingerspell, that can be helpful, too! You, the deaf person, and the interpreter will eventually build a rhythm that makes this easier to do and get a sense of what does or doesn’t need to be defined
4) Don’t engage the interpreter in conversation. It can feel weird, but the interpreter is working and needs to pay attention to things that are not you. If they’re on a break and want to chat, they’ll approach you.
5) Most importantly, remember to look at the deaf person, NOT the interpreter, while speaking with the deaf person! Unless you’re making one of those brief explanations to help the interpreter out, you should look at the person you’re speaking to. You should also look at the deaf person while the interpreter speaks, because the deaf person is who you’re actually listening to. It can feel really weird to basically ignore a person, especially someone whose hands are moving and catching your attention, but that’s what’s polite.
5.1) If you, like me, need to be looking at a person to understand what they’re saying, tell the deaf person that so they know you’re doing what you need to to communicate with them, not ignoring them in favor of the interpreter, which is rude. This is also helpful information for the interpreter, who will then know to keep eye contact with you while interpreting whenever possible. Make sure to give this info to the deaf person first and foremost, though.
(These tips can also be helpful for talking with folks who are hard of hearing but not using an interpreter, especially on video or phone calls. Don’t interrupt, don’t start side conversations, and turn your face toward the hard of hearing person while speaking as much as possible!)
Hello everyone and welcome back to Fun Facts™ and since it is pecan season in the south and I am in full squirrel mode I will subject you all to learning things about the pecan tree and its most delectable nuts.
The pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis), of the walnut family, is a large species of hickory tree native to parts of the southern United States. Naturally it prefers to grow in riparian areas, and is prone to breakage and uprooting in high wind conditions when not sheltered.
Interestingly, it is one of the most recently domesticated major food crops, but “wild” populations have long been appreciated by Native American populations as well as later settlers.
The reason it is so appreciated is, of course, these.
(picked by me)
The pecan is similar in many ways to its close relative the walnut, but is less bitter, more oily, and with a far thinner shell. This lends it to many preparations and simply eating them roasted or fresh, but they shine most in sweet deserts.
(like this one^. Baked yogurt with homegrown oranges in rum syrup, topped with toasted pecans)
Unfortunately, this past year in Alabama has been extremely dry, which has led many of the pecans from our orchard to look like this.
But with effort and the channeling of my inner squirrel we have arrived at a reasonable bounty of deliciousness
Growing up, I picked many hundreds of pounds of pecans and at the time didn’t really appreciate them. As I have grown though I have come to enjoy the blessing that they are, and for all that the trees drop branches at the slightest breeze, they are great to smoke and grill things over.
Hope you all enjoyed the tree facts and this trip down memory lane. Until next time.
I Love the birds GIFS on the internet sooo much that I wanted to illustrate them with little funny GIFS as well =D
We always need birds !!!
So, which one represents you :D ?
The american woodcock’s name in french is “La bécasse américaine” ^^
Flamingo - Flamant rose
Perroquet - Parrot
Robin - Rouge-gorge (red throat !
Hilarity!
Incidentally the top one, a European Robin, is making a display that if verbal would be R-rated. They are territorial, pugnacious, possessive and prone to violence.
But they are also friendly to gardeners (if “Dig Faster, Human! Make More Bugs!” is friendly) charming and popular on Christmas cards.
hey. to the fat person reading this who wants to transition or is transitioning. make your transition goals fat like you. please. the things you aim to gain from transition can be gained while fat. you can be/express your gender and be fat. there is nothing wrong with that, no matter what anyone says. i promise.
let yourself exist. let yourself be happy. you have just as much of a right as every other person in this world to do that, especially as you transition. it’s okay. you’re going to be alright, and you’re also going to look fucking awesome. you already look fucking awesome. it’s your body. own it.
