There is a new special tint for people with migraines and light sensitivity and/or photophobia- instead of the yellow night driving tint, it’s actually shown to be more effective as a pinkish tone (they call it “rose” but it’s very pink).
This is an ad for this specific company- but the research regarding FL-41 (the pink/rose tint) is real. It was suggested to me by my doctor after I talked about how painful and frequent my migraines are and how light often feels like someone’s stabbing me in the brain and makes me want to claw my eye out with my fingers (or at least wear an eye patch), but I just ordered my first pair so I don’t know yet if it’ll be effective for me.
My migraines and photophobia are caused by a car accident injury back in 2018, which left me with a tbi and damaged ligaments around one of my eyes among other injuries.
I’ve had my migraine glasses for about two weeks and so far:
Had one instance where I was aware I had a headache and already had my glasses on when the feeling started. Did not progress past maybe a 1 or 2 on the pain scale my entire day at work, until I took my glasses off at home and had the worst killer migraine.
Woke up with a migraine and put my glasses on since I had to drive. Within a 30 minute span, migraine reduced to barely noticable pressure with no pain.
A couple things:
I’m not using the advertised brand above, I got my glasses from Zenni which were about 55 bucks for my rx level + tint, but the FL-41 tint is the most important. Don’t buy “red” or “rose” or “pink” glasses, make sure they’re FL-41 tinted.
I do use my glasses at night. I have only about 10% tint so they aren’t very dark. It does really help with bright headlights- I’m in a really rural area with a lot of wildlife crossing the road so most people don’t bother to turn off their brights when passing and that means my photosensitive ass is often IN HELL driving at night. But with these glasses it no longer feels like someone is carving my eye out with a spoon so I feel like that’s doing *something* to protect me?
It does seem to both stop migraines in their tracks and also prevent new migraines from getting out of control. This is really great because usually my migraines aren’t touched by the OTC pain meds I can take with my other issues, and I’m in the “too few migraines and also too many migraines for meds” zone where doctors won’t give me rx meds at all to control them so I guess I get to just suffer.
The glasses at 10% tint look super pink from the outside but aren’t noticably pink when I look through them while they’re on my face. There’s a brief moment of “oh that’s very pink” and then I blink a couple times and it stops. My color vision isn’t quiiiiiiite correct- very light blues and greens on reflective or backlit surfaces look much more grey. I can see that my blue water bottle is blue, but my coworker’s light powder blue car looks like a blue-ish silver to me. We color-code appointments at work and the greyish light green color on the screen also looks fairly grey to me. It also means when I take the glasses off, everything looks fairly green.
This makes sense to me because it’s blocking specific blue light that are known to be migraine and photosensitivity triggers, so of course bright lights that are blues or greens are going to have less light/color to them. Interestingly, purple is unaffected by this, which proves to me that purple is the superior color. I can also play videogames with my glasses on with no big problem with color, but then I’m not playing very *blue* games, and it seems the eye strain is fairly reduced as well because I don’t tear up as much while playing.
Lastly I get tons of compliments on them! A lot of people have responded really positively to my glasses, and nothing’s changed about them except the tint because I ordered the same frames.
Tags:
#the more you know #migraines #transhumanism #this probably deserves some warning tag but I am not sure what #this post was queued because my to-reblog list is too long and I didn’t want to dump it on you all at once
Turns out they sell special reusable earplugs for musicians that decrease volume without muffling sound as much as regular earplugs. They’re real handy to have as a purse item. Mine saved me from having a meltdown at a restaurant composed of 0% sound-absorbing materials like a month ago.
the off-the-shelf etymotic earplugs are good at evenly reducing sound, but in my experience & in some friend’s experience kinda uncomfortable for sustained use; i used to try to wear them for loud music events but would always take them out after a while.
loop earplugs look nice (!?) and also are comfortable! you have to rotate them until they’re comfortable, and then they’re pretty much unnoticeable. i wore them for 8 hours at a loud music event two weeks ago. my voice sounded a little weird in my head at normal volume, but i got used to it after a bit. i’ve also worn them while exercising, which wasn’t amazing but sucked less than disposable earplugs.
my partner has custom-molded earplugs, which they say are 1) very comfortable and 2) don’t make your voice sound as weird in your head as shittier earplugs. they also have replaceable filters, so you can swap them from “just a little quieter” to “someone is shouting directly in my ear from 3 inches away and I can’t hear it” (which are the filters they accidentally had in at the same loud music event… they had to use their backup earplugs, also loops).
for home use (blender, vacuum, fire alarm, etc), i have a couple of sets of children’s earmuffs
Tags:
#holy shit #portable? sound blocking?? that isn’t *itself* sensory hell??? #I need to look into this #(I wonder if I’d be able to sleep in them without having nightmares‚ or if that’s just inherent to the concept) #((they were false-awakening nightmares in which I took out the earplugs and found that my ears were still clogged)) #((I was prone to ear clogs as a child‚ and they *were* often triggered by sticking something else in my ear‚ and)) #((I was always worried that one day they would happen to occur in both ears at the same time and I’d end up nearly deaf for ~3 weeks)) #((this did not ever actually happen‚ but it very plausibly could have)) #((and my subconscious is–as of 2015‚ anyway–not over this)) #(((which is honestly valid of it))) #the more you know #recs #transhumanism #this post was queued because my to-reblog list is too long and I didn’t want to dump it on you all at once
The first victim could not have been recorded, for there was no written language to record it. They were someone’s daughter, or son, and someone’s friend, and they were loved by those around them. And they were in pain, covered in rashes, confused, scared, not knowing why this was happening to them or what they could do about it – victim of a mad, inhuman god. There was nothing to be done – humanity was not strong enough, not aware enough, not knowledgeable enough, to fight back against a monster that could not be seen.
It was in Ancient Egypt, where it attacked slave and pharaoh alike. In Rome, it effortlessly decimated armies. It killed in Syria. It killed in Moscow. In India, five million dead. It killed a thousand Europeans every day in the 18th century. It killed more than fifty million Native Americans. From the Peloponnesian War to the Civil War, it slew more soldiers and civilians than any weapon, any soldier, any army (Not that this stopped the most foolish and empty souls from attempting to harness the demon as a weapon against their enemies).
Cultures grew and faltered, and it remained. Empires rose and fell, and it thrived. Ideologies waxed and waned, but it did not care. Kill. Maim. Spread. An ancient, mad god, hidden from view, that could not be fought, could not be confronted, could not even be comprehended. Not the only one of its kind, but the most devastating.
For a long time, there was no hope – only the bitter, hollow endurance of survivors.
In China, in the 10th century, humanity began to fight back.
It was observed that survivors of the mad god’s curse would never be touched again: they had taken a portion of that power into themselves, and were so protected from it. Not only that, but this power could be shared by consuming a remnant of the wounds. There was a price, for you could not take the god’s power without first defeating it – but a smaller battle, on humanity’s terms. By the 16th century, the technique spread, to India, across Asia, the Ottoman Empire and, in the 18th century, Europe. In 1796, a more powerful technique was discovered by Edward Jenner.
An idea began to take hold: Perhaps the ancient god could be killed.
A whisper became a voice; a voice became a call; a call became a battle cry, sweeping across villages, cities, nations. Humanity began to cooperate, spreading the protective power across the globe, dispatching masters of the craft to protect whole populations. People who had once been sworn enemies joined in common cause for this one battle. Governments mandated that all citizens protect themselves, for giving the ancient enemy a single life would put millions in danger.
And, inch by inch, humanity drove its enemy back. Fewer friends wept; Fewer neighbors were crippled; Fewer parents had to bury their children.
At the dawn of the 20th century, for the first time, humanity banished the enemy from entire regions of the world. Humanity faltered many times in its efforts, but there individuals who never gave up, who fought for the dream of a world where no child or loved one would ever fear the demon ever again. Viktor Zhdanov, who called for humanity to unite in a final push against the demon; The great tactician Karel Raška, who conceived of a strategy to annihilate the enemy; Donald Henderson, who led the efforts of those final days.
The enemy grew weaker. Millions became thousands, thousands became dozens. And then, when the enemy did strike, scores of humans came forth to defy it, protecting all those whom it might endanger.
The enemy’s last attack in the wild was on Ali Maow Maalin, in 1977. For months afterwards, dedicated humans swept the surrounding area, seeking out any last, desperate hiding place where the enemy might yet remain.
They found none.
35 years ago, on December 9th, 1979, humanity declared victory.
This one evil, the horror from beyond memory, the monster that took 500 million people from this world – was destroyed.
You are a member of the species that did that. Never forget what we are capable of, when we band together and declare battle on what is broken in the world.
Happy Smallpox Eradication Day.
Tags:
#an increasingly bitter holiday as we head further into the 2020s #(also I dislike being called human) #but thank you‚ civilisation‚ for the knowledge and the tools that I needed to throw this starfish into the ocean #I still want that new orthopox vaccine though #Tumblr traditions #anniversaries #history #proud citizen of The Future #disappointed permanent resident of The Future #illness tw #transhumanism
the time of the year we are able to buy fangs in retail. and i’ve tried literally every brand of fnaga that spirit halloween carries (and more), so this is my review and recommendations.
Scarecrow Fangs
unpopular opinion, but i did not like these. They’re way too expensive, imo and the molding solution sucks and is a nightmare to work with. the fangs themselves are alright.
price: 19.99 us
rating: 5/10
Spirit Halloween
It’s surprisingly good! i used these until i broke them – they use thermoplastic for molding, which i think should be the standard for fangs. It’s far easier to work with. the plastic is cheaper than Scarecrow, but they feel solid and are a more realistic color (at least for me)
price: 4.99 us
rating: 8/10
Monster High
Oh my ghoul, i love these. These fangs are a bit on the smaller size, which is useful if you’re going for subtle. and of course, being monster high, i’m all for them. i mean, that case is adorable
again, these use thermoplastic. Though its imortant to note not to put the fangs themselves in hot water while you’re molding them- i warped one by accident. regardless, they are so comfortable and resilient. my second favorites.
price: 9.99 us
rating 9/10
Special FX
we’ve all seen that video of that girl using these in like 2008 and wanted to be her. at least i did… but im sad to report that these fangs dont work on my anatomy. they mold to your back molars with thermoplastic, and when you press on the bar, the fangs come down. these fit simular to a retainer as they just sit above your teeth.
i, however, am missing one of those molars and cannot line it up right to use them. (never beating the kentuckian stereotype)
price: 9.99
rating: 3/10
Now for the ones not sold at Spirit Halloween
Amazon cosplay fangs
You’ve most likely seen these before. they’re nothing special, but they get the job done. i do like the case they come in! very convenient. But the color is far too unrealistic for me. still, they do use thermoplastic! which is always a win. and theres four sizes, again convenient.
price: 7.99 us (give or take)
rating: 4/10
Dracula Fangs
I had never heard of this brand before someone posted about these on tiktok. i bought them immediately (i am not immune to propaganda, and neither are you), and i gotta say… They’re my favorite I’ve tried.
I got the large ones; and let me tell you, they’re massive. definitely not for subtle vamp vibes. They’re sharp, too! That’s a plus for me, not for everyone, i assume. and they mold with thermoplastic! they come with way more than you need (which you can use to make more fangs if you desire)
they do come in smaller sizes as far as I’ve seen, but i haven’t tried those yet.
price: 20.00 us (i know that’s rather pricey)
rating 10/10
honorable(ish) mentions
…
vampire condoms. only get them as a bit. a /j fang if you will.
price: 0.99 (i got mine at dave&busters for 25 tokens)
rating: i am wampire/10
Walmart Fangs
i swore there were some in different packaging, but i can’t find those now. these suck (not in the fun way). They’re made of rubber, and i dont remember them having any molding agents. just skip these, okay?
price: 2.89 us
rating: 0/10
Tags:
#transhumanism #recs #Halloween #vampires #this probably deserves some warning tag but I am not sure what #this post was queued because my to-reblog list is too long and I didn’t want to dump it on you all at once
it works excellently, i highly recommend it. buy a fresh pack of dessicant sachets from Amazon or somewhere and use double sided tape or blutack or whatever to stick them to the inside of the respirator in a place that’s out of the way of your mouth so they don’t bug you. carry extra packets if you go somewhere so you can swap them out if they get saturated. respiration volume and therefore mask wetness is usually roughly correlated to body size, small people usually will go through packets more slowly but that’s not a hard n fast rule. you can dry out wet packets in the oven and reuse them indefinitely if you want to.
Tags:
#oh huh #interesting ideas #(I *could* do with some of that lately) #(and I already own a bunch of desiccant packets for putting up dehydrated food) #transhumanism #illness tw?
I’d give my dearly departed vibrator of 10 years a viking funeral, but I don’t think the ducks at Piney Lakes Reserve will understand why an itty bitty boat with burning plastic is floating around. This will have to do.
Tags:
#honestly kind of related to…okay not my last two posts anymore #the first two posts of today #fucking AI horses and music streams instead of just having an object that is yours and you do what you want with it #there’s still loopholes‚ still alternatives‚ but it’s getting harder to jump through the hoops #to obtain something that truly belongs to *you* #also my respirator sprung a leak yesterday and I am very grateful to be able to just #go to an industrial-supply website and buy an identical model for three hours’ wages #Godspeed to you‚ first respirator‚ it’s been amazing #(admittedly I *would* like something with a speech diaphragm) #(but I gather those are expensive right now) #(and honestly I think it’s worth having one of these older models around regardless‚ to be able to make use of a wider variety of filters) #also also my glasses were discontinued in 2012 #the oblivious people *around* me can’t even fucking tell whether I’m wearing them or my backup pair #but *I* put the backup pair on and I’m like #”…is this what dysphoria feels like” #”I think this might be what dysphoria feels like” #”oh god” #anyway this has been your regular reminder to fuck cloud dependence‚ no not like that #tag rambles #comics #art #101 Uses for Infrastructureless Computers #disappointed permanent resident of The Future #transhumanism #nsfw text
in the glorious transhumanist cyborgian future one of the first things I want is a complete searchable AI-assisted index of everything I ever read and watched so I can effortlessly be like “hey what was that article I read where…” or “which video was it that made this point”
Tags:
#we can’t 100% do this yet but we’re closer than you might think #Whisper + Recoll is such a good combination #101 Uses for Infrastructureless Computers #transhumanism #proud citizen of The Future #amnesia cw?
My new favorite thing: People making their reusable elastomeric respirators beautiful! (Usually the Dentec P100 or the Dentec N95, which are NIOSH-certified and reusable.)
I’ve been collecting as many of these customizations as I can find, and I think they fall into a few categories:
The first is the colorful distraction, where it seems like the aim is to make the mask colorful and cheerful — less scary — which distracts from the apocalyptic / gas mask vibes, while still being simple enough for everyday wear.
2. The second is make it fashion, where the aim is to just make something that looks so incredibly cool that you feel beautiful wearing it, and it feels like a stylish accessory. These use lots of shiny elements and swirling patterns (all of the below by @nickelpin)
3. And the third is punk where the mask customization embraces and enhances its non-conforming / resistance undertones. My favorite in this category is by @andrewshumate, who installed a CO2 monitor and set it up so the filters change color based on the CO2 levels in the space.
I have been daydreaming a lot about designs for a customized Dentec P100 or N95!
(my daily masks are either my Dentec P100 or the comfy 3M Aura N95, and I’d like to have a reusable respirator that looks less intimidating for everyday walks etc.)
First, some cheerful patterns. I actually like the cloud one a lot, I might do it. I think the high-contrast sunflower design is super effective at distracting the eye from the respirator shape.
I’m also really into this night sky version. Feels more beautiful / mysterious / subtle.
These are not my style, but I’m reeeeeally into the idea of bootleg Louis Vuitton designer masks. (This is like, the opposite of punk, lol)
Just thinking about how wearing a respirator (like KN95, N95, or the pictured elastomeric N95s and P100s) is very cool and my personal experience is that everyone thinks you’re cool and attractive when you do it.
Project N95 is a nonprofit that sells these and other respirators for relatively cheap, you can find them here: link .
I got a question about reusable masks that look less apocalyptic but still work.
I’m not a mask nerd (just a normie who wants to stay alive another week + live in solidarity with disabled people), so first I want to recommend The People’s CDC as a resource. Their latest info on masking is here, and they also have a weekly COVID weather report newsletter that I love here.
So: If that’s you, I’d recommend the Flo mask. It’s not NIOSH-certified yet, but it does seem to work like an N95 from what we can see (results here and here). It also has kids’ sizes!
And you can do cool mods like adding spikes or decals. (Artist and designer Nickelpin has an online shop where she sells Flo mask decal stickers like the sparkly star below — that’s here.)
Tags:
#I’m not much into decorating things in general #and to the extent that I have an aesthetic‚ ”post-apocalyptic chic” actually fits it very well #but I’m glad this exists #(also‚ while we here at Brinens and Things do *not* endorse passive-aggressively strapping a CO2 monitor to your face) #((except maybe at DefCon: seems like in that social context it actually might not backfire)) #(we have to admit that’s a hell of a thing) #clothing #illness tw #transhumanism #proud citizen of The Future #((getting an elastomeric is‚ in all sincerity‚ one of the best things that has ever happened to me)) #((warts and all)) #((I said back in the day that I might stop masking in summer‚ or with some vaccines in me)) #((but in the end‚ I thought: why go back? why settle for less?)) #((I’ve had a taste of a better world‚ and I’m not going to turn around and walk away)) #((The Future has open borders: to live there‚ one need only choose)) #tag rambles
You get to open a video-game style character creation screen and customise your body at will, to anything within range of human variation (no cat ears, sorry). This includes letting you set a new biological age, get rid of any physical health issues, and so on. Your new appearance seems unremarkable to anyone who knows you, all government databases with your picture are adjusted, etc.
You get 150 000 USD every year for the rest of your life without having to do anything for it. You don’t pay taxes on this money, it adjusts with inflation automatically, it appears entirely legitimate to any authorities, etc.
what do you choose, and also, are you trans or cis (if you’re tempted to answer ‘it’s complicated’, round off to trans)?
Choose:
My tag ramble was so long that Tumblr cut it off (apparently the current limit is 30 tags), so I’m dumping it into the main post body:
#I’ve been wavering on whether to reblog this for ages
#I felt kind of bad about piling on to Sofi’s notespam like that
#but it being context for the next post has pushed me over into “yes”
#I didn’t realise until after voting that the character creation is one-time-only rather than ongoing access
#which makes the correct answer less *obvious*
#but I stand by my vote of cis | character creation
#(as it happens I *am* considering doing a second puberty through this‚ but they’d both be estrogenic)
#(honestly I’d barely even need the magic ID updating)
#(29-year-old me in 12-year-old me’s body could pass for 29 about as well as I could in 29-year-old body)
#(the two mes look pretty much the same: it’s all a matter of how you act)
#((well‚ 12-year-old me was a little smaller‚ but within the adult range and her face was already more or less stable))
#(((ooh‚ I bet I could tweak it so that I *stay* five-foot-one this time around)))
#(((during my first puberty my body map never updated for my final growth spurt‚ and
#I’m not *dysphoric* about being two inches too tall‚ but it does get a bit disorienting sometimes)))
#anyway my point there is that…a lot of people in the notes are going “money can be exchanged for goods and services”
#but I think in this case that’s actually backwards
#while money and health do both feed into each other
#health can be exchanged for money to a much greater degree than money can be exchanged for health
#money can *maybe* buy you the *appearance* of 9 – 17
#–(depending on how much puberty I can get away with doing again without fucking up my brain)–
#more years of youth‚ but it won’t buy you the lifespan nor the functionality of it
#money can buy you the ability to *breathe* your homeworld’s atmosphere even during pollen season
#and enough of it can buy you the ability to *talk* while breathing it
#but it can’t really buy you the ability to eat and drink while breathing it‚ and that’s a significant handicap in itself
#(not to mention the street harassment you get wearing a prosthetic immune system (to keep your built-in immune system from freaking out))
#likewise‚ money can buy disease *prevention*‚ but not the ability to shrug it off once you’ve caught it
#the ability of money to buy more robust bones is extremely limited
#(have I ever broken a bone? no! but why settle for merely *adequate* bone strength when I can have *optimal* bone strength?)
#((…god‚ why is anyone who is not *actively dying* for want of resources taking the money over the health))
#((I was so very aware‚ that time last year that a ventilation floor grate broke beneath me‚ that if I’d been 80 I would have *died*))
#((but I was 28‚ and I got away without even a broken bone))
#((why would you give that up any more than you have to))
#the list goes on
#meanwhile‚ health can buy you a nice steady low-non-physical-barrier-to-entry job as a farmhand or dockworker
#(not *as* steady as magic income‚ yes‚ and I *do* care a great deal about that‚ but I care about health *more*)
#and I’m not altruistic enough to take more money than I need so that I can give the rest away‚ not given what else is on offer
Tags:
#reply via reblog #tag rambles #surveys #transhumanism #gender #is the blue I see the same as the blue you see #adventures in human capitalism #aging cw #death tw #poison cw? #injury cw #illness tw?
So, this week I ordered a new couch pillow because I had a husband pillow full of shredded memory foam, and the thing needs to be opened and shifted around about once a week with the way I use it so it doesn’t shape up weird and actually fuck up my back when I bought it to NOT fuck up my back.
I now have a wedge pillow, made of one piece of foam. And I ordered a book cushion from etsy, and I just wanna say to anyone who has thought “that adaptive thing seems like it would be useful, but I’m not disabled, so maybe it’s not for me?”
It’s for you. Trust me. My back hurt because I was slouching weird on the couch. I got a husband pillow. It helped a lot. But, it turns out, what I need is one giant piece of memory foam, not a bunch of tiny bits.
And the book cushion? Books are heavy sometimes. Being able to rest it higher in my lap so it’s easier to read and hold? Better for my body.
Also, do you wake up with pain in the mornings? Try a contour pillow and a knee pillow.
Get those extra-strong treaded soles to wear with your heels because you wobble otherwise.
Wear compression gloves when you type. Get those orthopedic shoes because you can walk longer distances in more comfort. Buy the bra that actually supports the weight of your boobs. Get a lapdesk for your computer. Use a neck pillow even at home to keep your neck straight. Wear socks to bed. Listen to audiobooks. Read large print books.
You see something that you think will work for you and improve how you feel? Use it! Let’s fucking normalize adaptative shit for everyone!
Tags:
#yes this #transhumanism #computer lapdesks are so good #I want a wedge pillow but they cost like 10 regular pillows :( #so I have been approximating one by piling multiple regular pillows on an angle #this post was queued because my to-reblog list is too long and I didn’t want to dump it on you all at once
Brinens and Things 