Bridget Stirling

Yes! I chalked it up to all of us being awkward after being at home for so long during the COVID shutdowns, but now it just seems like many have stopped caring about other people entirely.

How is it 2025 and Edmontonians still haven't learned to let people get off the train first?

Four species in 15 seconds! And two woodpeckers!!!
Kensington Metro Park, MI
Oct 14, 2020

This is not peace. It is the first stage in returning agreed rules to warfare and occupation

Without an end to occupation, the release of Palestinian leaders from captivity and return of justice through The Hague we are just seeing rich and powerful leaders toying with people’s devastated lives.

You could write a different version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for every week this year

I met my PhD supervisor on Twitter.

photo of a bee covered all-over with bright orange pollen.

this is the most pollen ive ever seen on a single bug, shes having the time of her life

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

Me: Another folder with nearly 3000 photos of pets.

…maybe they have a point.

I can't stop watching.

Me: Why is my Google Drive so full? These caps the university put on are ridiculous.

Also me: A folder with more than 3000 photos from France and Cyprus last summer.

I think what I mean to say is that we are distracted by their actions, but that doesn't mean their actions are just meant to distract.

Oh, they are definitely trying to exhaust people, and with the focus on education (which is reasonable right now!) they'll try to get away with things in other areas while we are busy fighting for our public schools.

I think it's a mistake to read these things as distractions rather than as part of their core mission. This stuff is entangled with the same reasons behind their healthcare corruption scandal — a belief that health services should benefit the profiteers.

Trump’s Tylenol misinformation revives history of ‘mom blaming’ in autism, docs say When U.S. President Donald Trump urged pregnant women to avoid Tylenol because of an unproven belief it can cause autism, Julie Green was brought back to the mom-blaming claims she heard more than a d...

Trump’s Tylenol misinformation revives history of ‘mom blaming’ in autism, docs say

“Instead of trying to find a cause, time and money would be better spent ensuring autistic people and their families get the evidence-based supports they need”

It's interesting how easy it is for people to look at someone *wildly* succeeding at a horrific goal, and continue acting as if they are failing at a very different goal which they have repeatedly and loudly declared they do not have.

The attack on Mark is another stunt by right-wing grifters to victimize a random person in an effort to use MAGA fear mongering to justify their existence. It should go without saying we should do anything possible to support his family.

Many flights to Europe from Western Canada fly over the Arctic (you often can get a nice view of Greenland from the air).

Thanks for engaging with this thoughtfully as well! Online autism discourse can get pretty adversarial, and I don't think it's serving any of us well.

Really, not that far off from Smith saying Eby was "unconstitutional" in expressing disagreement with her pipeline proposal. Last time I checked, the constitution didn't prohibit premiers from saying they don't like a project or criticizing another premier. If it did, Smith would have some problems.

Also, support needs can change over a person's lifetime and are contextual. Someone diagnosed as "level 1" (lower support needs) could need a lot more support if they experience an autistic burnout. They're not more autistic during a burnout than before; they're someone whose needs have changed.

I think the difference for me is whether you are locating a person along a perceived spectrum of how autistic they are. I am not less autistic than a person who may not speak or may have more daily living needs — I need less support in those areas. Autism is still inherent to both of us as people.

It depends on the intent. I think it's appropriate sometimes to talk about levels of support needs or to talk about specific areas in which someone might be affected more. I think it's also okay to talk about recognizing how people with more support needs might be affected by particular policies.

And again, I don't think you at all intend to cause harm or say that some of our lives have more values than others. It's just something my (admttedly sensitive) ear picked up, so I hope you hear this in the spirit with which it's intended from a longtime supporter of the pod.

In times like this, particularly, I think it is important to avoid language that might suggest a hierarchy. Autistic solidarity with other autistics is critical right now, and I hope our allies will hear this too. Thank you for your ongoing work to debunk the myths and fight eugenicist logics.

I say this not to scold, because I know you come at this from a good heart and are speaking up against the eugenicist view of autism RFK espouses. I'm mindful though of Hans Asperger determining which people like me had value based on his perception of their ability.

The spectrum is not really linear — it's more like a gradient colour wheel. Every one of us has different areas in which we may experience challenges or excel. That's not to deny that some people have more substantial needs for supports in some or many areas, but those are also not linear.

@derekberes.bsky.social Listening to the Sept. 29 episode (catching up) and love it but wanted to gently suggest you consider not using the concept of a "location on the spectrum." It's language many autistic people prefer not to use to talk about ourselves.

I quite like the building, but it isn't super eye-catching. It has a serious and sensible vibe that fits with the overall character of the SCC.

As a choir nerd, the band geeks are my kin.