iloveasunflower

[iloveasunflower]

It looks like the people behind Tumblr & Wordpress will allow OpenAI and Midjourney to use the things posted by users on this site for dataset training. I will be manually turning on the options to opt-out of this, but, I also know that staff tends to be sneaky little liars.

That said, the stuff on here is copyrighted material. I do not own any of the photographs, audio, or videos posted here. I will never claim to. iloveasunflower is purely for archival and news purposes. If they want to steal from Universial Music Group and the various photographers that have captured Tears for Fears over the years... then I hope they have fun with that. :)

In the meantime, you can let staff know how you feel about this by contacting support.

#mod post #openai #midjourney #ai

[iloveasunflower]

Happy 2nd birthday to The Tipping Point! It was released on February 25th, 1985 and shares a birthday with Songs From The Big Chair. This album was the first in 17 years to be made by the duo. The album cover was created by painter Cinta Vidal.

The Tipping Point album reached #8 US Billboard 200, #2 in the UK, and #1 in Scotland. Their single, which shares the same name as the album, was a commercial success in the UK.

Part 1 of The Tipping Point tour began in May of 2022 and lasted until July, where it abruptly ended due to Curt Smith's rib injury. Part 2 began in July of 2023 and concluded without interruption in August of the same year.

What are your favourite tracks off the album? Have you seen them live? Happy listening!!

#tears for fears #curt smith #roland orzabal #2020s #2022 #the tipping point

[iloveasunflower]

Happy 39th birthday to Songs From The Big Chair! It was released on February 25th, 1985. It was Tears for Fears' second album with most of their hit tracks coming from this LP.

It includes "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" / "Shout" / "Head over Heels" and the original versions of "Mothers Talk" and "I Believe"

Feel free to leave your personal experiences with this album in the replies/tags/reblogs below! Happy listening!

#tears for fears #curt smith #roland orzabal #sftbc #songs from the big chair #1985 #1980s

[iloveasunflower]

The thing with news sources and deciding what's trustworthy and what's not is that when you see criticism of Aljazeera (which to be clear is not a great news source about anything other than Palestine) is that they completely neglect to mention that each regional section of Al-Jazeera has different people in charge of it, different contributors, different sources.

By all means, analyze your sources and understand what information you're getting but to say outright that ALL of what AlJazeera reports EVER is wrong is inherently meant to discredit Palestinian journalists in a way that no other journalist who is not Palestinian and NOT directly experiencing the war in Gaza has been discredited. Surprisingly (not really but), a lot of Palestinians in Gaza are employed by AlJazeera because it's difficult for them to find employment elsewhere.

And again, I do not love AlJazeera. I think they do plenty of faulty journalism and reporting and I actively avoid them for most news sources. But RIGHT NOW with everything going on in Gaza, they're probably one of the most trustworthy ones because of their first hand accounts and willingness to publish Palestinian voices, which many, MANY news stations refuse to do. I especially encourage the Arabic version of AlJazeera!

Like Haartz has like... 4 Palestinians on their editorial team max, and they have EVEN LESS people on the ground in Gaza whereas we have dozens of reporters from Gaza on Al-Jazeera, many of which have died. The way to fact check your news is you find how many times they link factual evidence (like videos of experiences, primary accounts, primary quotes) and compare it with circumstance of publishing.

Here are some ways to fact check and questions to ask, even when looking at Al Jazeera:

Is this a first hand account? If not, does it name a person who experienced this first hand?

If they cite/name a person who experienced it first hand, are they a trustworthy person? What are their ties to the situation? Why would they report this, have they reported situations like this in the past?

What would the person reporting gain from reporting this? A Palestinian with an Instagram post about their life in Gaza has much less to gain than an Israeli soldier publishing their experience in Gaza, for example.

In the first hand account, are there actions or evidence that is corroborated? IE: There was a video of an Israeli soldier abducting a blonde Palestinian, and there was a Human Rights Org that reported child abductions from evidence gather by an on the ground reporter. There is less of a chance that this is false, therefore.

If you don't see other news sources reporting this (ie, you don't see CNN/NYT/BBC/Fox/any other western-led media outlet) then ask: Why would they not report it? Does that mean it's false? Maybe not. Many Euro-american sources spend MONTHS before they talk about an issue (think: Washington post article "questioning" the evidence of Hamas in Al-Shifaa hospital more than a month after the raid happened)

Defining "Trustworthy":

What is their history on reporting events? Are they someone who is well known in whatever community they represent?

Think: Ghassan Abu-Sitta, a world renowned doctor. When he reports something with his name attached, he is putting his entire reputation on the line. Therefore, it is more likely he is telling the truth.

Are they someone who has any real, structural power over the situation? Maha Hussaini, for example, cannot change her circumstances because a ceasefire relies on other people separate from her, a journalist. Therefore, she has less of a reason to lie about things happening to her.

For the news source: what are their ties to the situation? CNN, for example, has stated they have their content reviewed by the IDF. Wael Al-Dahdouh, before he was evacuated, was providing first hand accounts of situation, meaning its difficult for him to fake anything or misrepresent.

What else has this person/news source reported? What are their political leanings — not just left/right, but what are their general stances on a variety of issues?

How many people who are part of the community impacted are part of reporting on this (IE: How many Palestinian POVs are shared, how many Israeli POVs are shared, what are the POVs of the people shared in general?).

Can someone I personally trust vouch for this person? If not, can I ask someone I trust to look over this person/agency and tell me their opinion?

There's for sure more I'm forgetting but these are some ways I personally check my facts and information as a quick rundown. And I see this issue of not knowing how to fact check happen ALL OVER the place, on both sides. So I really, highly encourage everyone to engage with sources more honestly!

You'll make mistakes, everyone does! I do as well! But try to be vigilant about these things so we can ensure that we're spreading accurate information and try to correct information when possible! There's no 100% unbiased source so I encourage you to compare/contrast information and your understandings of the world to fully comprehend the situation!

Please use these questions when checking ANY news source, even Al-Jazeera!

[iloveasunflower]

My father was martyred by Israel on 10 October 2023 after sacrificing his care in hospital so the injured children could take priority. Today would have been his 60th birthday. He was always selfless, kind, and giving for others. My father gave up everything for me to be able to have a better life, because that is what he always dreamed for me and my sister. The world suffered a great loss when he died, and my heart is always with him and every Palestinian who has lost someone.

In his honour and memory, I would love for anyone who is able to do so to consider donating to The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

The PCRF is an amazing organisation that does so much for those in Gaza right now, including helping provide food, water and medicine. You can donate any amount you are able to- there is no minimum! My father would have given his very last cent if he saw the way Palestine was continuing to suffer after over 100 days with this limited aid, so I know celebrating him by helping others is the least he would have wanted.

I saw @parrot-parent do a very successful donation match and I thought it was such a good idea so I will also match all donations up to $500! If you feel comfortable sending me proof of the amount of your donation, I will match it as a donation at the end of February. (My messages are set to mutuals only, but if you donate and we aren’t mutuals if you send an ask with the proof I will make sure to answer it privately.)

[iloveasunflower]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: 'How to avoid centering yourself in strikes for Palestine (& beyond)' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: '01. Announcing your actions isn't necessary We are here to support Palestinians and boost their voices. Do that. Remove yourself as much as possible from the things you are doing to support the strike. This includes things like only showing art / signs you've made without your presence in the photos, sharing posts without commenting on them yourself, etc.' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: '02. Focus on what you CAN do. Nobody needs to hear the reasons why you can't do a specific thing. There are many ways to support the strike beyond not working / spending money. Just do ANYTHING. Do what you can and be silent about the rest.' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: '03. Ask yourself 'Who is this for?' before speaking, especially to another person. Oftentimes, bringing up disabilities and other struggles is a way to alleviate guilt at 'not doing enough' and is seeking comfort and reassurance from the other person. Ask yourself if you've considered who the other person is and what they might be struggling with as well before assuming you're the only person with these problems. Strikes always require a sacrifice and the cause is greater than you. Don't burden others with coddling your guilt, especially anyone of BIPOC identities if you’re white.' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: '04. Ask yourself 'What am I inspiring?' before speaking. When people comment with excuses for why they can't do something, it not only inspires others to use that same excuse, it distracts from the focus of the action. Suddenly we're not remembering Palestinians anymore, we're focused on 'this is too hard for me to do, actually, I'm just gonna sit this out.' Would you want someone to say that about helping you? Is that what you’d want people to be talking about instead of helping in any way they could realistically offer?' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: '05. Don't double down. If someone, especially anyone of BIPOC identities & especially anyone Palestinian, tells you to stop talking & stop centering yourself - do that. Do not get louder about the reasons you are suffering for XYZ thing. This is about Palestine. They are suffering. We are here to support them. This is about them. Those without food, medical care, homes, families, friends, etc. You could be speaking to someone who has direct connections to this in some way. Respect that and learn to be quiet.' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

[Photo ID: A color image of an adult with a keffiyeh wrapped around their face, standing in front of a gray sky holding two large Palestinian flags on a pole. Text in a dark gray box over the image reads: 'We should all be outraged and uncomfortable while witnessing genocide. It is not 'life as usual' right now.' and 'transfloridaresources.' /End ID]

If you learned something from this post, please consider a donation to Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Care for Gaza, and/or Muslim Aid USA.

[iloveasunflower]

GLOBAL STRIKE FOR GAZA BEGINS TODAY!!!

To participate:

During the 21st - 28th of January...

Do not shop/online shop

Skip school/work if you are able to

Be present & active on social media and uplift Palestinian voices

Draw, write, sing, create art for Palestine

Repost & boost Palestine related content on social media

Educate yourself about the issue

We have been asked to strike during these days by the lovely & hardworking journalist Bisan from Gaza. Let's all try our best for a people being tested with the harshest conditions imaginable. The occupation must be held accountable.

We're in this together!!

[iloveasunflower]

a plea from eman basher in gaza to anyone who can provide any assistance or information as one of her children is extremely ill.

[iloveasunflower]

I've seen a lot of people with tags like this, and that is wonderful! Please do what you can. If you cannot do everything, that is completely fine! Some people are not able to call off of work or get out of school. Some people can't stop buying things, and that's all ok.

Here's what you can do, if you're able:

Don't make unnecessary purchases (only buy necessities like groceries, medicine, and sanitary needs)

Buy with cash where you can

Avoid these companies

[iloveasunflower]

Acknowledgement of Bisan's Call for a General Strike

Hello all! Today is the first day of the strike for Gaza (Jan. 21st - 28th). This blog will cease normal operations for the next 7 days in order to spread resources for what you can do during this time. If you're looking for reading about Palestine + Gaza, check out this link below.

Thank you and happy striking!

[iloveasunflower]

I know you have all probably seen the esims for gaza posts circulating. Some of you have probably looked at them and thought maybe you should help out, but have weighed up the daunting process of signing up for something you're unfamiliar with vs. the gut-wrenching scale of the things people are going through on the ground right now, and you've put it off or questioned whether it will make enough of a difference vs. some other future kind of activism you could put that $6+ towards. I'm not calling you out or scolding you, it is natural to feel conflicted and ambivalent about the multiple calls for aid that you are seeing on social media.

but consider this: what would you do if you suddenly had to leave your home? how would you cope? how would you begin to plan where to go next, or figure out what to do to take care of yourself? most likely you would reach reflexively for your phone.

telecoms access is not a petty luxury in 2024. a loaded esim means the ability to call family members and find out where they are and whether they're safe, and whether they need anything you can provide for them. it means access to maps and regular updates on the situation unfolding around you. it means you can look up whether it's safe to drink rain water, or how to tie a type of knot you've never had to think about before, or how to treat an injury without medical supplies. it means the ability to tell people outside the situation what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking. it is an absolutely crucial resource. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

many many people have observed that internet access is changing the way the world understands genocide. internet access is life or death, and it is shaping modern history in front of you. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

please, please visit gazaesims.com and spend 5 minutes and $6 to change the way this plays out for everyone.

[iloveasunflower]

how you can help palestine

*i regularly update this post with any new info i find so please always reblog the original post*

Donations

donations currently reaching gaza:

‼️ help buy e-sims for people in gaza

donate to get food packages to gaza - care for gaza

palestine children's relief fund

world food programme

donate to ahmed (@/90-ghost on tumblr)

he is born, raised and based in gaza. please help him reach his goal of $50K to get his family to safety across the rafah border into egypt. as of right now… it’s $7.5K per person to evacuate gaza.

help journalist yousef escape gaza to treat his cancer

support palestinians: buy a keffiyeh from the last and only factory in palestine - hirbawi

secondary donations:

emergency relief for gaza - pious projects

palestine red crescent society

save palestine - islamic relief canada

send medical supplies to gaza - palestinian american medical association

click to donate - arab.org

help bring down israel's weapon trade - palaction

donate for the recovery of hisham awartani - gofundme

one of the three palestinian students shot by a racist in vermont for wearing kufiyas and speaking arabic. hisham’s injuries have left him paralysed from below the chest.

Petitions

international cultural workers to strike from german cultural institutions for their complicity in oppressing palestinians and promoting genocide - strike germany

petition to investigate war crimes committed by israeli military

demand ceasefire - amnesty international

open call for immediate ceasefire

american government call for immediate ceasefire

american government to stop funding israeli military

ceasefire and increase humanitarian assistance - oxfam au

petition to get canva to address their pro-israel stance

invoke the genocide convention to call for ceasefire in gaza - world beyond war

suspend israel from international sports - diem25

UK to expel israeli ambassador - change.org

gaza healthcare workers for nobel peace prize - change.org

teachers around the world demand ceasefire - teachers for palestine

location specific petitions

gaza call for lasting ceasefire - oxfam (UK)

end israeli occupation - parliament uk (UK)

email your MP - medical aid for palestine (UK)

protect gaza civilians - islamic relief (UK)

stop fuelling genocide - action network (USA)

@ biden: call for ceasefire now - move on (USA)

ceasefirenow.com - jewishvoiceofpeace (USA)

call congress and demand a ceasefire - uscpr (USA - they provide a script of what you should say, so don't worry about it)

note: you can call everyday. they tally the number of calls per issue. so more calls = higher chance for them to take action. p.s. you mainly go to voicemail so don’t worry about phone call anxiety. fight through it just this once please.

australia call on israel to stop attacking palestinians - apan (AUS)

immediate ceasefire and increase in humanitarian aid in gaza - actionaid (AUS)

email your MPs - stand with palestine (AUS)

‼️ australian senate to investigate australian citizens in the IDF for war crimes allegations - fpm (AUS)

‼️ arms embargo on israel - cjpme (CANADA)

sign to send letter to MP for ceasefire - nccm (CANADA)

ceasefire now! - ijv (CANADA)

ceasefire and allow aid to enter gaza - oxfam (CANADA)

call on your local mayor and council to demand ceasefire - LeadNow (CANADA)

cessez-le-feu et un couloir humanitaire - le mouvement (FRANCE)

écrivez aux député-es et sénateurs-trices - association france palestine solidarité (FRANCE)

write to your député - assemblée nationale (FRANCE)

skydda civilbefolkningen i gaza! - mittskifte (SWEDEN)

singaporeans call for immediate ceasefire (SIN)

contact your elected reps and demand a ceasefire (GERMANY)

write to the EU demanding a ceasefire (EUROPE)

template of letters you can send (EU)

guide on how to contact your MPs in EU

p.s. if the template is outdated, just use it as a guide and add a few sentences here and there that reflect the current situation. i can’t find any recent templates so :/ at least this is something

multiple actions you can take to help palestine - plant een olifbloom (NETHERLANDS)

includes: links for donations, emails to MP, emails to media, links to petitions and demonstrations

den haag, maak nú werk van vrede in israël/Palestina - the right forum (NETHERLANDS)

māori call for palestine - ourActionStation (NZ)

special visa for palestinians in gaza with family in NZ - NZ parliament/pāremata aotearoa (NZ)

deem israeli actions as war crimes - NZ parliament/pāremata aotearoa (NZ)

basta ao genocídio em Gaza! - awaaz (BRAZIL)

globo e grande mídia, parem de desumanizar civis palestinos - the intercept (BRAZIL)

Campaigns

‼️ justice for palestine

reach out to countries to back up south africa’s invoke genocide convention at the ICJ

‼️ international criminal court

submit evidences of israeli war crimes

friends of al-aqsa

❥ UK-specific

urge your MP to speak up for palestine

hands off al-aqsa

stop administrative detention

petition for UK to stop arming israel

❥ International

boycott puma — email them to end their partnership with israel

boycott coca-cola

palestine action

join the resistance

islamic relief canada

urge your MP to rally for ceasefire

decolonise palestine

poster campaign to raise awareness on the war crimes being committed against palestinians

text/call campaign for people living in USA

text CEASEFIRE @ 51905 to call for a ceasefire

text RESIST @ 50409 to send a letter to your representatives to pass HR3103–a bill that prohibits tax dollars from going to israel

download 5Calls app to contact members of your congress | (more info)

fax campaign for people in the USA

go on this website to send 5 free faxes per day

here’s a link to a pre-written fax copy you can download to send (the first link on the linktree)

here’s a video that explains how to fax your senator (it’s very easy and all you need is a valid email address)

‼️ BDS movement

get involved in boycotting companies associated with israel

please let me know if you have any more links. i will add them in. and please reblog the original post!!

UPCOMING PROTESTS

PALESTINIAN LITERATURE READING LIST

[iloveasunflower]

✨hi all!✨ I hear there's a lot of energy for phone calls at the moment and I want to encourage you to keep that energy up and also call your reps to ask for a ceasefire in gaza! ❤️

Jewish Voice for Peace has a site which automatically connects you to the right people and provides a script you can use to call your members of congress if you're in the US.

Islamic Relief in the UK also has a page where you can write to your MPs to call for a ceasefire.

if anyone else has info about how to contact govt representatives in other countries please add it here as well!

[iloveasunflower]

Day 106. Don't look away.

[iloveasunflower]

#watch this during the strike!

[iloveasunflower]

BISAN HAS CALLED FOR A GLOBAL STRIKE

January 21-28th

[iloveasunflower]

award-winning palestinian children's illustrator baraa awoor writes:

"what use is it to be an illustrator of children's books when the world has sentenced the children of your country to the death penalty, to vanish, to genocide?"

some of baraa's illustrations:

this is an illustration for youssef, whose mother is remembered running desperately into the hospital asking if anyone had seen a "small white boy with beautiful curly hair, his name is youssef," a description which was remembered by millions when she finally identified his body:

this illustration is for young omar, who was hugging his little brother and teaching him how to repeat the shahada after him (a prayer spoken by muslims before their death) as he lay on his hospital bed:

"we want a new year that doesn't kill us or our children, we want it a year without blood, without screaming, without pain, we want a new attempt to get our lives back, or something that resembled our life, even if life is a lie we still cling to it, return life to us—a new year's card unlike any other year:"