Felt like this needed to be a thing, so I just made it real quick.
Muslim: I respect people from all walks of life and I abhor hatred/violence
Islamophobe: Don't you know that real Muslims hate and kill people?
Muslim: No, that's not how this works, that's not how any of this works
Islamophobe: Trust me, I know your faith better than you do
Muslim: ......
World: Did you just try to convince someone to become a terrorist???
Islamophobe: ......
Islamophobe: *sees other Muslim* Let’s talk about your lord al-Baghdadi!
Muslim: ......
World: ......
Terrorist: *breaks out non-alcoholic champagne* Free recruitment FTW!
For International Tabletop Day 2016 we had a special event at Gamers of the West, our local game store. For this event, I took some old trophies and turned them into Trophies Of Awesome, as you can see.
We played some Fluxx, Love Letter, Munchkin and Ultimate Werewolves. I also bought some random geeky/nerdy little prizes (see second picture.) both for the winners and also for the ‘goodie bag’ that each attending lady received. In the goodie bag was a gift voucher for either 2 small or 1 medium prize, plus a purple die (since that’s in our logo). The store also bought some yummy red velvet cake, which we very much enjoyed. All in all, it was an awesome day with lots of gaming and laughter!
On Saturday the 30th of April, in honour of International Tabletop Day, D.R.A.G.O.N. Club is having an awesome board & card game event for ladies. These are the ‘promo’ items and trophies that we’ve made for this day and below that, a little ‘sneak preview’ of the prizes that are available to win.
The exact prizes will remain a secret until the event itself, but keywords are: Avengers, Star Wars, Shrek, My Little Pony, Mario Kart, Minions, Lego, tabletop games, colouring, dinosaurs, cats, and pandas. If you want a chance to win some of these prizes + a Trophy Of Awesome, feel free to stop by. All (people who identify as) ladies are welcome, no matter their age, level of experience or whether you can stay for the entire event or just part of it.
The event will take place from 12h until 17h at Rotterdam based game store Gamers Of The West. The event page is: https://www.facebook.com/events/1682652132007118/
PATRONUS ANALYSIS: 010. THE PENGUIN
Those with this patronus are kind and shy souls, not ones to immediately jump into something. They used to be this type of person, but the process of diving in has left them cold and numb to the idea of it, and they are therefore hesitant. They have to get close to you, warm up to you as much as they can, and then they will start to show their true selves. Truthfully, they are beautifully affectionate, and ready to stop whatever they are doing to be there for you if you need it. They are quiet in nature, but they are pure at heart. The most comon house for a penguin patronus is Hufflepuff. The most comon signs are Pisces and Virgo.
A coat of arms for Sherlock, made by me. I used several antique (and thus copyright free) images from which I picked little details and edited them into this. It’s available on Redbubble if you follow the link; you can get for instance a mug, pillow, sticker and things like that.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or if you're just happy to have a couple of days off and have some time to spend with family/friends, I wish you very happy holidays and a joyous 2016!
(This picture was taken in early 2015 and shows Syrian refugee children in Ankara. Despite their dismal situation, they’ve found some brightness and happiness in the fallen snow and are playing in it, forgetting their current situation for a moment.)
In light of recent events both in Paris and in the Middle East, this (partial) poem by Sanasiino seems once again appropriate.
Picture taken by myself at Orientalis, a Dutch museum about the three Abrahamic religions.
Couldn’t help but notice the awesome Vincent van Gogh buttons Betty White was sporting during her role as Dr. Beth Mayer in TV series Bones!
Do You Love Someone With Depression?
If you have a partner or are close to someone who struggles with depression, you may not always know how to show them you love them. One day they may seem fine, and the next they are sad, distant and may push you away. It is important that you know that as a person who is close to them and trusted by them, you can help your friend or partner have shorter, less severe bouts of depression. Mental illness is as real as physical illness (it is physical actually, read more about that here) and your partner needs you as much as they would need to be cared for if they had the flu.
Your relationship may seem one-sided during these times, but by helping your partner through a very difficult and painful affliction, you are strengthening your relationship and their mental health in the long term.
1. Help them keep clutter at bay.
When a person begins spiraling into depression, they may feel like they are slowing down while the world around them speeds up. The mail may end up in stacks, dishes can pile up in the sink, laundry may go undone as the depressed person begins to feel more and more overwhelmed by their daily routine and unable to keep up. By giving your partner some extra help sorting mail, washing dishes or using paper plates and keeping chaos in check in general, you’ll be giving them (and yourself) the gift of a calm environment. (I’m a fan of the minimalist movement because of this, you can read more about that here.)
2. Fix them a healthy meal.
Your partner may do one of two things when they are in a depressed state. They may eat very little, or they may overeat. In either case, they may find that driving through a fast food restaurant or ordering a pizza online is just easier than fixing a meal. Eating like this, or neglecting to eat will only degrade your partner’s health, causing them to go deeper into their depression. Help your loved one keep their body healthy, and their mind will follow. This is a great article that talks about the “Brain Diet” which can help the symptoms of depression, and this article talks about how our modern diet could contribute to the recent rise in depression. Here is a recipe for a trail mix that is quick to make and has mood-boosting properties.
3.Get them outside.
The benefits of getting outside for a depressed person are huge. And it is possibly the last thing on earth your partner will want to do. Take them to be somewhere in nature. Pack a picnic and lie in the sun, take a leisurely hike or plant a garden. Being barefoot in the dirt, or “earthing” helps ground the body and reverse the effects of living in a world of emf’s, and digging in soil can actually act as an antidepressant, as a strain of bacterium in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of seratonin, which in turn elevates mood and decreases anxiety. Sunshine increases Vitamin D production which can help alleviate depression. My friend Elizabeth wrote an excellent post about Vitamin D and its link to depression here. For more information about other sources of Vitamin D, this is a great post as well as this.
4. Ask them to help you understand what they’re feeling.
If your partner is able to articulate what they are going through, it will help them and you better understand what you are dealing with, and may give insight into a plan of action for helping your partner. Also, feeling alone is common for a depressed person and anything that combats that feeling will help alleviate the severity and length of the depression.
5. Encourage them to focus on self-care.
Depressed people often stop taking care of themselves. Showering, getting haircuts, going to the doctor or dentist, it’s all just too hard, and they don’t deserve to be well taken care of anyway in their minds. This can snowball quickly into greater feelings of worthlessness since “Now I’m such a mess, no one could ever love me”. Help your loved one by being proactive. Tell them “I’m going to do the dishes, why don’t you go enjoy a bubble bath?” can give them the permission they won’t give themselves to do something normal, healthy and self-loving.
6. Hug them.
Studies show that a sincere hug that lasts longer than 20 seconds can release feel-good chemicals in the brain and elevate the mood of the giver and receiver. Depressed people often don’t want to be touched, but a sincere hug with no expectation of anything further can give your partner a lift.
7. Laugh with them.
Telling a silly joke, watching a comedy or seeing a stand up comedian will encourage your partner to laugh in spite of themselves. Laughing releases endorphins and studies show can actually counteract symptoms of depression and anxiety.
8. Reassure them that you can handle their feelings.
Your partner may be feeling worthless, angry and even guilty while they are depressed. They may be afraid that they will end up alone because no one will put up with their episodes forever. Reassure them that you are in the relationship for the long haul and they won’t scare you away because they have an illness.
9. Challenge their destructive thoughts.
A depressed person’s mind can be a never-ending loop of painful, destructive thoughts. “I’m unlovable, I’m a failure, I’m ugly, I’m stupid”. Challenge these untruths with the truth. “You’re not unlovable, I love you. You aren’t a failure, here are all the things you’ve accomplished.”
10.Remind them why you love them.
Look at pictures of happy times you’ve had together. Tell them your favorite things about them. Reminisce about your relationship and all the positive things that have happened, and remind your partner that you love them and they will get through this.
Along with these great tips, here few extra things NOT to do:
- Don’t tell them to just try to think positively. This is NOT helpful because depression is a mental illness, not just a negative outlook or a choice.
- Don’t wait for them to reach out to you. Reaching out can feel impossibly daunting for someone with depression, even if they want company badly, so try to initiate time together as much as possible.
- Don’t diminish their experiences or feelings with stuff like “Everyone has bad days” or “I used to feel like you but I got through it”. These might be intended to help but they don’t.
- Don’t make jokes about suicide or self harm around your friend, as they may be struggling with those things and feel unsupported by those around them.
- Don’t go too long without checking in. Expressing feelings can be hard when depressed, so initiate conversations by asking them how they’re doing and making yourself available as a listening ear. Don’t assume that they are okay just because they haven’t told you that they’re struggling.
i love this
There’s more to do than you know, when you’re organising a new and fairly unknown card & board game group! At the moment, I’m doing my best to get word out that we excist and that ladies are welcome to join us. I’ve joined some local board/card/rpg game websites and introduced myself and our group. I’ve also made a flyer that is currently hanging in front of the window at Gamers of the West, the game store where we play.
As you can see, I also made some cute little club trinkets, which I hope to sell at the next events. It might be fun for people to have and it helps me pay for travel costs (I’m at all events and have to travel 2 hours with public transport in total each time!) and also buy some new awesome games for the club, hopefully! T-shirts/hoodies etc. are also in the works, but no finished products to show yet on that front.
Another little update from the board & card game that I started!
Kasumu Goto from Mass Effect's outfit could be altered? She wears a skin-tight outfit, so maybe a dress with the pattern of her suit? Just a suggestion! 💖
Hi there sweet anon, thank you very mucht for your message and suggestion! I’m not sure about that one, though. It seems like you would have to change a little too much for it to be able to work for hijabis. It needs to be less skin-tight and also be changed into a dress/skirt as well. I mean, I’m all for creativity and I love it when people wear normal dresses with patterns like a Dalek, TARDIS or perhaps Boba Fett or something like that! So you could definitely also have a dress with her suit patterns if you want to.
But with my hijabi photosets I aim to mostly have cosplays that are either already 100% hijabi proof, or else require very little changes to make it so, to preserve as much authenticity as possible. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I also love funky and not 100% authentic cosplays as well (whether it’s because people don’t have the budget, are just starting out or just have an awesome idea for a crossover like a Snow White/Mandalorian crossover I saw for instance). I guess it’s just my personality as a perfectionist that wants to do things like that as accurate as possible? But by all means, if you don’t mind changing a lot in a cosplay, just go for it! That’s the fun of cosplay; everybody has their own interpretation and gets to do what they really like!
So again, thank you very much for taking the time to suggest this character and please don’t hesitate to suggest another if you think it might fit the category! I hope you have an awesome day, btw!
We’ve had two more board & card game events this past week; one on Wednesday night and one this Saturday afternoon. Since they were so close together, I waited with this post until both were concluded and have put pictures from both events into this set.
Both events were lots of fun and we got to play a range of games. We played Ticket To Ride on both days and on Wednesday we also played Coup and Fluxx, (I forgot to take pictures of those!), while on Saturday we played Love Letter, Munchkin and some Magic as well. Since it was so busy, on Saturday we moved to the basement of the game store, which we had all to ourselves!
Over the next week we’ll vote for the next two events (one on a Wednesday and one on a Saturday) for the month of October, in our Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/522270321256871/
tips n tricks for living with depression
* ok look you’re not doing great right now, and that’s ok! we’re gonna get you through it
* if you don’t have em already, invest in paper dishes and plastic forks. plastic forks are reusable but can generally just be rinsed off and are good as new again. paper plates are disposable. this is gonna stop those nasty dishes from building up in your sink and give you one less thing to worry about.
* if you’ve got leftover chopsticks from ordering takeout, use the shit out of those. not only are they disposable, but they’re literally simpler than forks. can’t remember how to twirl spaghetti around your fork? no problem buddy, chopstick that pasta and you will be fine
* try and eat 3 meals a day. if you can’t make yourself eat a full meal, have a handful of walnuts. if you can’t afford straight up nuts, buy yourself a jar of peanut butter and dip some bread in it. you’ll be getting protein and carbs so your body can keep running
* baby wipes are your friend. can’t get yourself to shower? hit your face and your pits with some baby wipes. you’re good to go.
* drinking will not make you feel better.
* go and sit outside for a little while when you’ve got the energy. if you live in the country, go sit in your yard. if you’re in a city, find a park or just walk around for a while. sunlight will replenish you a little bit
* it’s ok to enjoy yourself some delicious ramen noodles (in your plastic bowl with your chopsticks, of course!) every so often, but you and your body are going to get sick of them. if you feel up to cooking, make a whole lot of stuff that can be put in tupperware and heat it up later. hoarding tupperwares full of fried chicken looks a little strange when your landlord comes to visit, don’t sweat it, that’s your fried chicken (or vegetarian alternative). you enjoy that shit.
* if you are a religious person who’s lost interest in or ability to pray, try to pray at least once a week. not only does this help you keep faith and might bring some comfort to you, it helps you develop a schedule.
* if you’re not religious, don’t sweat it. pick a thing that doesn’t stress you out and do that thing at the same time weekly. for me it was playing colossal cave adventure. seriously, just doing one thing for 20 minutes at the same time every week is going to add an element of structure to your life
* crying in a bathroom? don’t worry about it. get one of those weird brown paper towels wet and hold it on your eyes until the swelling goes down. splash some water on your face, take some deep breaths. nobody will know
* if you’re depressed and still have to work a job or go to school, there’s some decent tricks for clothing. at school: pick one or two pairs of jeans and two or three shirts. mix n match. i promise you nobody will notice. if you can’t make yourself do laundry and your clothes are starting to smell bad, grab some dryer sheets and put em on the parts of your clothes you get sweaty. leave them there overnight. at work: same thing, just with slacks and a button down shirt. nobody will notice, i promise.
* if you have pets, feed your pets at the same time every day. add that little element of structure to your life and you’ve got one less thing to worry about.
* keep your meds next to some candy. reward yourself with candy every time you take those meds
* if you have friends, see if you can get them to come over and just chill with you. suggest a netflix marathon. if you don’t have friends, don’t worry about it. pop into my askbox here at malfoygold and i’ll internet-hang with you.
* stickers are your friends. seriously. pick up a huge pack of star or heart or good job! stickers from the dollar store. reward yourself with stickers every time you do something that required effort. you got out of bed and brushed your teeth? you get a sticker. you didn’t get out of bed or brush your teeth, but you thought really hard about it? give yourself a sticker anyway. you deserve stickers. reward yourself for the little things/
* you’re gonna be ok. it gets tough sometimes and taking care of yourself is hard. i’m proud of you.
Growing up as a Muslim I noticed a lack of practical books for young muslims. Ones that address topics other than what has been repeated hundreds of times in every book (You know the ones: how to pray, how to wear hijab, how to make wudhu and how to fast).
I am going to be writing a book for Muslim youth which will speak about being a member of the lgbt+ community while being Muslim, racism within the islamic community, and other topics that are relevant in a Muslim teen’s life.
But for this to happen, I desperately need input. If you are 10-29 years old and are Muslim, I would greatly appreciate it if you could fill out this survey to help me out! Even if you arent Muslim, you can help out greatly by reblogging this post to get my survey to a larger audience.