#Creepy chatter

[creepyscritches]

Being raised surrounded by people who will eat olives at any given opportunity made me internally prepare for having to share my olives with people as an adult (I do not like this). Imagine my delight when everyone in my adult life outside my family group hates olives. It's like the snack lottery. No one looking forlornly at my olive jubilee. Just looking forlornly at me while I eat my olive jubilee.

[creepyscritches]

So idk if it's bc everyone in my field inevitably goes through hell at the start of their careers and then a few times after, but this is actually a COMMON thing I hear from candidates that I interview AND there is a way to explain this professionally!

The reason interviewers don't like to hear about how toxic your last bosses were is bc the interviewers see themselves as your potential next boss and disparaging comments are more of an unprofessional conduct flag than an explanation.

"My last boss was incredibly toxic, so I left for my mental health" can be rephrased as something like "My previous position wasn't a good fit for my work-life balance and I am exploring opportunities that allow me to thrive."

You can also stay even vaguer if you'd like. "I decided to seek new opportunities for growth in my field" (very true!) "I'm looking to join a team that I can collaborate and share my knowledge with" (I'm in medical stuff, so this is usually a sexy way to flaunt you know complex specialties, but it could apply to MANY fields beyond)

I can say with confidence that the reason bad-mouthing previous employers is a red flag is bc we DO sometimes hire people who do that, but we tend to experience a lot of issues w that new employee when it comes to professional communications. Not every time, but it is a measurable trend. Being able to maintain professionality is KEY to interviews AAAAND the job if you get it. You WILL face conflict at some point and it is imperative that it is handled professionally for everyone involved (you get better outcomes on your end as well!).

Now, I feel like this goes without saying, not every employer is going to be a good opportunity either. Some interviews WILL just suck! But the employers who take their teams' wellbeing seriously are very protective of who they add to said team. Put yourself in their shoes when answering questions. "Does this signal I am reactionary to workplace friction or does this show I can maintain professionality even if that means I had to leave a previous position?"

Leaving a job bc of conflict is like THE final boss of workplace friction. If you leave that situation with grace (or at least tell us you did), that is a HUGE way to get major points in your favor. Last year I got in a huge dispute w my newly hired boss + colleague and it was escalated to our boss's boss's boss's boss, but since things were navigated professionally (I took my yelling offline lol...)it was something that really strengthened my position when I interviewed for my boss's job after she moved to another role (unrelated to conflict). Very Pretty Woman moment for me lmao, but idk if I'd have gotten my current position if I hadn't proved my ability to navigate even the most complex conduct disputes.

Handling buttheads with grace is a GIANT FLASHING SIGN that gives a first impression of "No matter what, I am here to participate w the team and I won't let conflict endanger myself or my colleagues."

As far as multi-year work gaps go, I've seen "covid-19 pandemic" listed as the only explanation several times and it's understood before the interview begins. We know it's been insane in the workforce and we don't need further explanation on the gap -- we are on the same page. If you had a gap bc it was hard to get hired, you can also say something simple like "I have been looking for an opportunity that fits my work style and needs -- I am excited to learn more about this role today :)"

Keep trying and remember YOU are the most valuable part of the interview!!!

Job interview tip I got from a tiktok but it's genius:

If you were unemployed for a while, they're going to ask if you can explain the gap in your resume. Unless you were actually doing something cool & relevant, this is hard to answer in a way that makes you sound like a good corporate cog. So here's the best and infallible answer -

No you cannot, because you signed an NDA.

You now sound mysterious, desirable, worldly, experienced. They can't even really ask you more about it! Perfect.

[creepyscritches]

Banging on the walls chanting "OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR ACA THRU JAN 15" like some deranged town crier. Election results aside, you have options to access healthcare as a RIGHT through the ACA. NO one can dismantle the Affordable Care Act in less than 4 years, so SIGN UP! GET YOUR CARE! USE THE SYSTEM!

You have options RIGHT NOW that will be stable thru the next year, the one after that, and I'd be shocked to see them shrink even the year after that. That means RIGHT NOW you can get signed up for next year to gain 100% covered preventative care (your annual check ups, pap smears, dental cleaning, vision check). You have the option to get checked and screened as you need, do NOT be dissuaded from exploring ACA choices. They are SOLID, LEGISLATED, and WORK BEST WHEN PEOPLE USE THEM.

I can't change most things around me, BUT I CAN tell everyone I know that THEY CAN GET LIFE SAVING CARE. THEY CAN GET PRESCRIPTIONS. THEY CAN GET PREGNANCY CARE. THEY CAN GET CANCER CARE. AND THEY WILL GET THAT CARE!!!!!!

SIGN UP BY DECEMBER 15, 2024 FOR COVERAGE TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 1, 2025. ENROLLMENT AFTER 12/15/24 WILL HAVE COVERAGE BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1, 2025.

[creepyscritches]

Making a weighted velvet baikal seal plushie :3

Head and tail end are stuffed w ultra plush fiber fill and the bulk of the body is packed full of weighted pellets that have a nice crunchy sound when you squeeze it. Not weighed yet, but it feels between 1.5 - 2lbs?

[creepyscritches]

I read your post about open enrollment for the ACA and was hoping you might expand on why you believe it would take years to dismantle. I've been terrified that with a Republican house/senate, Trump could just snap his fingers and make it go away within months of taking office. I'd love some reassurance that that's not possible.

Hiya, sure I can share some thoughts on the matter! First, it's very important to understand the ACA is a huuuuuuuuuuuuge system with subject matter experts in dozens of places throughout the process. I'm one of those SMEs, but I am at the end of the process where the revenue is generated, so my insight is limited on the public facing pieces.

What this means is that I am professionally embedded in the ACA in a position that exists purely to show what conditions people are treated for and then generate that data into what's called a "risk score". There's about 6 pages I could write on it, but the takeaway is that the ACA is

1) intricately interwoven with the federal government

2) increasingly profitable, sustainable, and growing (it is STILL a for-profit system if you can believe it)

3) wholeheartedly invested in by the largest insurance companies in the country LARGELY due to the fact that they finally learned the rules of how to make the ACA a thriving center of business

4) since the big issuers are arm+leg invested in the ACA, there is a lot of resistance politically and on an industry level to leave it behind (think of the lobbyists, politicians, corporations that will fight tooth and nail to protect their profit + investment)

The process to calculate a risk score takes roughly 2 years. There is an audit for the concurrent year and then a vigorous retro audit for the prev year - - this is a rolling cycle every year. Medicare has a similar process. These are RVP + RADV audits if you would like the jargon.

Eliminating the ACA abruptly is as internally laughable as us finishing the RADV audit ahead of schedule. If Trump were to blow the ACA into smithereens on day 1, he would be drowning in issuer complaints and an economic health sector that is essentially bleeding out. You cut off the RVP early? We have half of next RADV stuck in the gears now. You cut off the RADV early? No issuer will get their "risk adjusted" payments for services rendered in the prev benefit year (to an extent, again very complex multi-process system).

The ACA is GREAT for the public and should be defended on that basis alone. However, the inner capitalistic nature of the ACA is a powerful armor that has conservatives + liberals defending it on a basis of capital + market growth. It's not sexy, but it makes too much money consistently for the system to be easily dismantled.

Or at least that's what I can tell you from the money center of the ACA. they don't bring us up in political conversation because we are confusing to seasoned professionals, boring to industry outsiders, and consistently we are anathema to the anti-ACA talking points.

I am already preparing for next year's RVP for this window of open enrollment. That RVP process will feed into the RADV in 2026. In 2025, we begin the RADV for 2024. If nothing else, the slow fucking gears of CMS will keep the ACA alive until we finish our work at the end of the process. I highly doubt that will be the only reason the ACA is safeguarded, but it is a powerful type of support to pair with people protecting the ACA for other reasons.

I work every day to show, defend, and educate on how many diagnoses are managed thru my company's ACA plans. My specialty is cancer and I see a lot of it. The revenue drive comes from the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rule stating only 20% MAX of profit may go to the issuer + the 80% at a minimum must go back to the customer or be invested in expanding benefits. The more people on the plan using it, the higher that 20% becomes for the issuer and the more impactful that 80% becomes for the next year of benefit growth. It is remarkably profitable once issuers stop seeking out "healthy populations". The ACA is a functional method for issuers to tap into a stable customer base (sick/chronic ill customers) that turns a profit, grows, and builds strong consumer bases in each state.

The industry can never walk away from this overnight - - this is the preferred investment for many big players. Changing the direction of those businesses will be a monumental effort that takes years (at least 2 with the audits). In the meantime, you still have benefits, you still have care, and you still have reason to sign up. Let us deal with the bureaucracy bullshit, go get your care and know you have benefits thru 2025 and we will be working to keep it that way for 2026 and forward. This is a wing of the federal government, it is not a jenga tower like Trump wishes.

[creepyscritches]

Look at what I got for white elephant this year 😊😊😊

[creepyscritches]

Growing up pre-ACA radicalized me soooo much lol like I will not pander to arguments that deprioritize access to medical care at all as an adult

[creepyscritches]

My friends and I have a holiday on March 9th called Fuckandsuckintines Day and all of us trickle into the gc to celebrate. The calendar reminders in our phones you would not believe.

[creepyscritches]

Making a fuck-off huge cardigan with yarn definitely not intended for this lol

Waiting on some charcoal yarn to come in for the ribbed sleeves and collar but for now I'm spending this last taupe skein on the remaining length :V

[creepyscritches]

getting close to open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans! I know there is a lot going on that demands attention, but be sure to find some time to explore the ACA health plan options available to you once enrollment opens November 1!

If you do not have employer-based insurance, you very likely have an excellent and extremely affordable option through the ACA Marketplace :)

Just last week there was a push from the Biden admin to require all ACA plans to cover birth control to begin safeguarding access. HIV ART, asthma inhalers, diabetes supplies (insulin included), and many other systemic medications are covered under ACA plans. If you are struggling to cover you or your family's medical needs, please consider ACA options! Internally, ACA coverage is also frequently referred to as "Individual + Family Plans" if that gives a better idea of who the plans always aim to support.

You can find more information at the federal exchange's site below. There are also people there who can help you navigate your options and better inform your choices. Open enrollment runs through early January!

[creepyscritches]

I get told often at my job that I'm very calming and reassuring and I feel like a white collar therapy horse

[creepyscritches]

Dressing him like a little whore 💕

[creepyscritches]

Frodo loves sticking her head out from under the blanket and Observing. If Smeagol is also out, she'll sandwich right next to Frodo like a little furry hydra

[creepyscritches]

Almost done with a giant squishy queen blanket and I've been ogling an even squishier pattern already lmao....anyway think next one I make might be this crazy double layer weighted pattern 🤔 or maybe I'll save this for someone else???

[creepyscritches]

AUGH. All excited to do my neuroendocrine cancer education today so I took a "wake up" shower and got too hot and now I'm 🤢 30 min before I need to speak for an hour 🤡

[creepyscritches]

Born to draw cigarette elves, forced to use microsoft outlook