#Society Insurance Phone Number

[chiefguideandcentre]

Crazy to me how humans have literally made life so difficult for ourselves for no reason at all. Like why do we have to pay for water monthly when it literally falls from the sky? Why is a super simple one bed, one bath “house” (cheaply made of course) easily between $250k-$400k and someone would have to pay a high monthly payment with a 20% interest rate to have it? Why did we choose these numbers? When did we make prices for food so high, create mortgages, student loans, and car payments? Who created interest rates? Why does my entire future depend on a credit score? A number we ourselves made up. Why did we go the extra mile and decide to tax ourselves? For what purpose? When did we decide that we need to have a certain level of education to succeed and if you don’t have it you are obviously a failure at life. When did we say “yes, this seems good, I want to pay astronomical amounts of money for literally everything and make everything as stressful as possible for no reason at all?” Why do I owe money for having money (taxes)? Why can’t I pay for stuff with rocks? That cat I see sleeping in a warm beam of sunlight (and living a happier life than I) doesn’t have a credit score, it doesn’t have to pay extreme amounts of money for a home, it doesn’t have to pay for water that falls from the sky, it doesn’t have to worry about interest rates, it doesn’t know what the Pythagorean theorem is, it doesn’t have a car payment, a set of tires doesn’t cost it easily $1,000 in one go, it didn’t make applying for a home or a car an exhausting endeavor, it doesn’t have to work 40+ hours a week working on stuff that we made up all for a check that doesn’t even reasonably cover any expenses (that once again we forced on ourselves). So why are we?? Why can’t we help ourselves out and make rent $10 a month? Why can’t a good credit score be a 10 instead of 700-800? Why can’t a mansion be $10,000 instead of a million? Let’s make grocery shopping easier by trading cool rocks and pieces of clay pottery and buttons and other neat things for food. What’s stopping us from doing that? Why did we create the most complicated system? “The entire system would collapse, there would be anarchy, everything would shut down, society would explode!!!” Why?? Over numbers and problems we made up ourselves? It’s all made up!! Why did we make it so hard? We could have made things so easy and have a perfectly workable society. We could have the most bonkers system and could all be schooling life right now if we paid for stuff with pretty things we find in abundance and made houses cost like one pretty vase and a loaf of bread you bought with your cool acorn stash and made cars only cost a packet of tomato seeds with no interest rates in sight, didn’t make the production of goods and supplies so expensive, and if we simply didn’t tax ourselves, and if education/the school system was literally just learning all sorts of things that could help you live a happy, self sufficent, simple, productive life the way you want to live it (if you want to learn about history, languages, how to work on cars, or build robots, or cooking, or music, making pottery, or conducting science experiments, learning about medicine, or playing sports or whatever you could do so) and it wouldn’t cost you your first born child, and if we didn’t have mind numbing jobs trapped in windowless buildings doing things that shouldn’t actually matter or exist but we made them so. Why did we make it so hard??

[johnbrand]

The Stages of Arabization

With @next-pharaoh

“Jeez, it’s so bright here,” Henry oriented his phone up in front of the sun, hoping to block out a few of the direct rays.

“Well, you are closer to the equator,” his boyfriend, Alex, joked. “Dubai is a bit farther south than Boston.”

Henry rolled his eyes, “What would I do without that intelligence of yours?” 

“Too bad you don’t have your own.” They both laughed at that remark. The pair had started dating in graduate school, with Alex venturing down the path of mathematics and Henry following the racial trends of Sub-Saharan Africa. Everyone joked it should have been the other way around, given Henry’s geeky, pale exterior fit the math nerd stereotype better than Alex’s lanky, darker frame. But Henry loved his studies, so much so that he had been invited to a conference in the United Arab Emirates to talk on them.

Suddenly, Henry received an email notification from one of his sponsors. “Dang, looks like I have to get back to work. Just received an essay to review before the next presentation.”

“How long do you have?”

“Barely 30 minutes.”

“Well forward it to me,” Alex replied. “We can tag team it. I know this isn’t my strong suit but at least I can help cover more ground.”

Henry thought that was a great idea. Without a second thought, he redirected the email and wished his boyfriend goodbye. Alex would send his thoughts over text when he had finished.

“‘The Stages of Arabization’,” Henry recited aloud. He was planning to head inside to read–gingers burnt way too easily in the direct sunlight–but he noticed the writing was pretty short. Barely even a page. Henry was surprised to realize the essay was in Arabic, but he quickly utilized a translator app to resolve the issue.

Stage 1: Islamization  Islam becomes the majority religion or state religion.

Strange formatting, but Henry understood the statement as rather truthful. The historically successful Arabizations of Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt had followed a similar suit. Even some of the countries he had studied had shown signs of this progression.

Stage 2: Linguistic Arabization Islam brings fixation on Arabic language, thus the Arabic language becomes central to the society's identity. Arabic becomes the state language.

Henry found this statement agreeable as well. There was something so methodical about the Arabic language, how it melodically ebbed and flowed in such a way that it twirled through the hearing canals directly into the brain. Anyone who listened to it almost became entranced, as if captured by its beauty and awakened by its fluidity. Henry closed the translator app before continuing on. 

Stage 3: Cultural Arabization Arab cultural practices become common due to Islamization. Own cultural heritage is deemed closer to ages of ignorance and thus gradually forgotten and replaced with Islam.

Henry had followed this trend through his research. Many of the countries he had analyzed over the years had demonized their traditional practices once introduced to Islamic culture. It was like watching a child being given a new toy; the original quickly discarded for one deemed far more superior. These assimilations had even started to appear in Henry’s life. Thobes were the new fashion craze among his fellow researchers, midday prayer rooms had taken over labs, and even the cafeteria had become completely halal.

Stage 4: Ethnic Arabization Planned migration of many Arab tribes and deliberate suppression of the numbers of natives, consequently major demographic shift. Media encourages Arabs to multiply and mix.

This too had arrived in the workplace. Rapidly, it had become obvious that the university was prioritizing hiring Arab and Arab-American employees. Political discourse on abortion had suddenly disappeared, instead dropping birth control from medical insurances and advertising “Reversion Through Fertilization”. Luckily, Hussein had not been influenced much by this change. In fact, he almost felt as if he was somehow a part of it.

Stage 5: Fully Arab State Arabs and the Arabized become elite and majority. Non-Arabized are shunned and pressured to revert until no opposition remains.

Hussein smiled with pride, closing the essay he was sure to give high remarks to. His best friend Ali had a similar response, a text from him glowing with praise about the truth in the writer’s words. The essay was eloquent, thought-provoking, and would become mandatory literature at his lab, and soon throughout the reverting world. It reflected the future, similarly to his own phone screen: masculine, virile Arab men. Hussein felt a divine sense of conformity with Islam, one all were soon destined to see.

[saltygilmores]

THOUGHTS WHILE WATCHING GILMORE GIRLS: S3/EP5/8 O Clock At The Oasis (Part 2)

Lorelai is going to learn a valuable lesson in this episode. Which is to never, ever let your guard down around Emily Gilmore. Here is a list of the following fatal errors that have occurred to lead up to Lorelai’s upcoming three ring shit-circus.

1. Lorelai accepted Emily’s invitation to the DAR furniture auction with only mild resistance

2.Lorelai confesses her crush on Paddle #17, Peyton Sanders (as played by Jon Hamm) to Emily, aware that he is a member of the Upper Crust and this, without a shadow of a doubt, is going to come back to bite her in the ass

3.Lorelai allows Emily to facilitate a date with Hamm by retrieving his phone number for her.

4.Lorelai appears to have silenced the little voice in her head that reminds her that Emily never does a favor like this without strings attached.

5.Lorelai turns down David Bowie tickets unaware he will cease touring in less than 2 years.

Let’s get on with it.

Hamm unexpectedly phones Lorelai to ask her out on not one, but two dates at once. First to dinner, then to a David Bowie concert. Hamm is loaded and owns a jet and has a pilot's license and enjoys trips to Hawaii and has access to premium concert tickets. What he was doing at some lame furniture auction in Connecticut in the first place is anyone's guess. In a whirlwind 3 minutes, Hamm asks Lorelai on two dates, she gets ready for one of the said dates, leaves on said date, comes home and declares it's over because he was boring. Why couldn't Crusty have made such a quick exit in the series? I swear.

Here is what Rory is reading (thank you @frazzledsoul):

Hamm is never seen again. But hey, we're just paving the way for Alex, the only non-Luke boyfriend of Lorelai's that I ever thought was Good. (he's still so far away though).

Totally read "He was horny" at first.

...Says the woman who had long term relationships with Crusty, Max Medina and JasonDiggerStiles. Lorelai is a magnet for dullards. Could hearing Hamm talk about wine and tires really be any worse than listening to JasonDiggerStiles discuss insurance? Lorelai goes onto complain that she nearly fell asleep listening to Hamm dominate the conversation with his varied interests in things like cars and wine and aviation. Hey, at least he has interests. You've certainly done a lot worse. LORELAI GILMORE complains that HE TALKED TOO MUCH. Caps Lock and Italics added for extra emphasis. Lorelai GIlmore, in turn could think of nothing to discuss but a story about getting drunk on cheap booze in the back of some guy's car when she was 14. Really Lorelai, you can't just grit your teeth for one more week and take his David Bowie tickets?

Rory has the best pajamas again.

Okay then, enjoy your dirty dreams about teenage boys I guess (she then expands on it so it becomes a threesome with said teenage boy and David Bowie). Rory might be the only teenage girl on Earth who gets woken up by her mother to hear her sex fantasies.

You sure you want to let this opportunity pass you by, Lorelai? "A heart attack in late June 2004 forced the cancellation of some dates near the end of Bowie's tour. Bowie retired from performing live in 2006, making the 2004 tour his last." You’ve got less than 2 years to see DB. Suck it up sister and take those damn tickets. JasonDiggerStiles is certainly not going to take you in '04. The next day, Lorelai stops by Emily's house and gets the third degree about the date. Hamm is a major mama's boy. Mama Hamm is a fellow Society biddy and spilled the details of their date to Emily. Quite predictably, as Lorelai tries to impart on Emily that there is not going to be a second date, Emily ramps up the guilt and manipulation and calls Lorelai selfish. I can see why Lorelai would sacrifice Hamm and his plane and Bowie tickets just to avoid this. And in about a minute, it will get worse.

Run, Lorelai. Run

I suddenly had this crushing sense of DeJaVu while watching this scene. and then I remembered this season 1 episode:

Season 1, Episode 16, Star Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers. Emily Shanghais Lorelai into FND with a different society dullard (named Chase) who is so boring she attempts to escape out a window (Richard catches her mid-escape, takes pity on her and covers for her). So with some minor details tweaked, history is repeating itself. Emily gives Lorelai her blessing to date some Society Dullard that Lorelai has no interest in, Emily resents Lorelai for not liking the guy and tries to forcibly couple them anyway, Lorelai resists the urge to murder her mother with a rusty chainsaw, Lorelai continues to date different dullards and Crusties anyway (not you Alex, you’re cool).

Lorelai thought she was home free after leaving Emily’s, but no. Enter Richard. He's a real wildcard. Sometime he’s the only voice of sensibility and sometimes he’s just another clown in the three ring shit-circus.

After sending Rory to Dwight's house to water his lawn so she won't be late for work, her phone rings a second time, and this time it’s Dad. If this was taking place a few years later and cellphones had caller ID, imagine how much different things could be! *dreamy fantasy music*

Salty Gilmores is proud to present: Stick Figures Gilmore Girls 2024.

Not only is Hamm’s Mommy Emily’s DAR friend, his father is also Richard’s golf buddy (funny, when Lorelai was asking them for his number earlier they didn’t act like they were that close to his family) and both Senior Hamms took great offense to Lorelai’s first degree murder of Peyton’s fragile male ego, so now the shit is trickling downstream to the elder Gilmores before landing on Lorelai.

Holy cow. What a drama queen. Look at him sitting there all smug twirling his random magnifying glass. All because Lorelai won't agree to a second date with some random Society Shmo that nobody has spoken of before and never will again. Richard tells Lorelai she "just doesn't understand her mother's world". I think it's safe to say she does. What is this strange feeling I'm experiencing? Is it sympathy for Lorelai? Ah, it feels weird, but it'll pass.

[politicallyestranged]

I know the hot button items are hard to ignore because they will impact either your own lives or those you know but I promise if we take care of 5 things you will see an impact.

1. Food - we need good food for our entire country. I dont care if they are jobless they need the same quality food.

2. Water - our drinking water needs to be filtered a different way and our country needs to invest in that for every single citizen. You will die without drinking water. If you do not have a populace then you do not have a country. You have no one to work for you.

3. Health insurance - theres many things we can do. A lot say we don't want to give it to the government because they will mess it up. Giving it back to the doctors wouldn't save the people from price gouging either. So we could make it a subscription thing. Different tiers covers different things and emergencies are covered by the taxes you pay to the government. If you don't have your health what life do you really have?

4. Taxes - refinanced all the way through. Stop with foreign aid. Thin the IRS by like 75% because its a set amount already calculated by what your job pays you. If you make 75,000 -125,000 then it is x% of that is already taken out and there is no other paperwork needed. Simple. You dont need to know every dollar in and out. You need to know what I made on the wages I exchange for social security. Anything else shouldn't matter. Vehicle taxes are a joke I shouldnt have to "register" my car every year you need to know how many vehicles I have that touch the road to know my contribution for upkeep you can mail me that. You can email me that. I can scan a QR code with my phone for direct payment. Quit playing. And for stolen purposes keep your paperwork on that vehicle until you sell it. The title would still work it just wouldnt go through the state it could be returned to the car makers. Who would probably turn it into a photo and a number identification for car and owner/owners that the police could scan from the owners device. Like its 2024 people! Or something else could be arranged to.

5. Economy - work = reward. We need a complete restructuring on currency. If you are working you should NOT have to ask the government for food. If you are raising your family there is no reason why it should take 2 people working all day everyday to pay for that household.

All of this is just thoughts on what I would do if I had the power to change things here in the US. These are the real core issues. Most of our other problems are rooted back to this. We should want all of our citizens to thrive and not just survive.

Once we took care of these things we could start to work on all the problems that resulted because of them. We aren't broken we have just grown. Our government isn't keeping up and I mean how could they when most of them should be enjoying time with their grandchildren at the lake. Our world has changed so much and they still want us to do things like its 1995.

Then everyone wonders why we feel so lost. We have outgrown our society construction. Its time to make major renevations but to better our country. Why would we not want better for ourselves, the people who live here with us, as well as whoever wants to peacefully visit our country?

[x-heesy]

Phuck You very very much 🖕🏽

Your cellphone, your wallet, your time, your ideas

No bar-code, no party, no ID, no beers

Your bankcard, your license, your thoughts, your fears

No SIM card, no disco, no photo, not here

Your blood, your sweat, your passions, your regrets

Your profits, your time off, your fashions, your sex

Your pills, your grass, your tits, your ass

Your laughs, your balls, we want it all (we want your soul)

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul)

Tell us your habits, your fads, your fears

Give us your address, your shoe size, your years

Your digits, your plans, your number, your eyes

Your schedule, your desktop, your details, your life

Show us your children, your photos, your home

Here, take credit, take insurance, take a loan

Get a job, get a pension, get a haircut, get a suit

Play the lottery, play football, play the field, snort some toot

We'll show you shrinks, we'll show you spooks, we'll buy you drinks, throw away your books

We'll sell you crap, we'll charge you tax, we're out buying big guns and you'll front the cash (we want your soul)

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul)

Your thoughts, your emotions, your love, your dreams

Your checkbook, your essence, your sweat, your screams

Your security, your sobriety, your innocence, your society

Your self, your place, your distance, your space

Spoken:

Go back to bed America, your government is in control again.

Here. Watch this. Shut up.

You are free to do as we tell you.

You are free to do as we tell you.

(We want your soul)

Here's boy bands, here's Mackers, here's Britney, here's cola

Here's pizza, here's TV, here's some rock and some roller

Watch commercials, more commercials, watch Jerry, not Oprah

Buy a better life from the comfort of your sofa

Here's popcorn, here's magazines, here's milkshakes, here's blue jeans

Here's padded bras, here's armpit wax, here's football shirts, here's baseball caps

Here's live talk-shows, here's video games, here's cola-lite, here's ten more lanes

Here's filter-tips, here's collagen lips, here's all-night malls, here's plastic hips (we want your soul)

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul)

Spoken:

Go back to bed America, your government is in control again.

Here. Here's American Gladiators. Watch this. Shut up.

Go back to bed America, here's American Gladiators.

Here's 56 channels of it.

Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together,

And congratulate you on living in the land of freedom.

Here you go America.

You are free to do as we tell you.

You are free to do as we tell you.

(We want your soul)

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul)

No hippies, no strays, no drop-outs, no gays

No lefties, no loonies, no opinions, no way

No thinkers, no teachers, no facts, no freaks

No skaters, no tweekers, no truth, no sleep

Here's popcorn, here's magazines, here's milkshakes, here's blue jeans

Here's padded bras, here's armpit wax, here's football shirts, here's baseball caps

Here's very very very very very very very very very very very very long infomercials

@frenchpsychiatrymuderedmycnut #vetomfz 👉🏾🖕🏽👈🏽

We Want Your Soul by Adam Freeland ☠️

[moki-dokie]

I was obsessed with this song when it came out - in 2003. little did i realize how much worse it would get. i don't think i even had the ability as a freshly minted teenager to fathom a future worse than all of this. i don't think most of us did tbh. after all, we were promised the best and brightest and most fulfilling future of any generation. we lucky millennials. and yet 20 years later, here we are. living every dystopian nightmare we never thought possible as kids. in 20 years a song depicting what seemed like the worst outcome i could think of is now normal. idk maybe we should have seen all the blaring warning signs but for fucks sake most of them were buried in comedy, irony, sarcasm, fiction, or music that was mostly underground. no wonder we didn't think to take it seriously. anyway. have a listen. (and do keep in mind the language of the time) lyrics under the cut

Lyrics:

Your cellphone, your wallet, your time, your ideas. No bar-code, no party, no ID, no beers. Your bankcard, your license, your thoughts, your fears. No SIM card, no disco, no photo, not here. Your blood, your sweat, your passions, your regrets. Your profits, your time off, your fashions, your sex. Your pills, your grass, your tits, your ass. Your laughs, your balls, we want it all (we want your soul).

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul).

Tell us your habits, your fads, your fears. Give us your address, your shoe size, your years. Your digits, your plans, your number, your eyes. Your schedule, your desktop, your details, your life. Show us your children, your photos, your home. Here, take credit, take insurance, take a loan. Get a job, get a pension, get a haircut, get a suit. Play the lottery, play football, play the field, snort some toot.

We'll show you shrinks, we'll show you spooks, we'll buy you drinks, throw away your books. We'll sell you crap, we'll charge you tax, we're out buying big guns and you'll front the cash (we want your soul).

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul).

Your thoughts, your emotions, your love, your dreams. Your checkbook, your essence, your sweat, your screams. Your security, your sobriety, your innocence, your society. Your self, your place, your distance, your space.

[Bill Hicks] Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here. Watch this. Shut up. You are free to do as we tell you. You are free to do as we tell you.

Here's boy bands, here's Mackers, here's Britney, here's cola. Here's pizza, here's TV, here's some rock and some roller. Watch commercials, more commercials, watch Jerry, not Oprah. Buy a better life from the comfort of your sofa. Here's popcorn, here's magazines, here's milkshakes, here's blue jeans. Here's padded bras, here's armpit wax, here's football shirts, here's baseball caps. Here's live talk-shows, here's video games, here's cola-lite, here's ten more lanes. Here's filter-tips, here's collagen lips, here's all-night malls, here's plastic hips (we want your soul).

Your cash, your house, your phone, your life (we want your soul). [Bill Hicks] Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here. Here's American Gladiators. Watch this. Shut up. Go back to bed America, here's American Gladiators. Here's 56 channels of it. Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together, and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go America. You are free to do as we tell you. You are free to do as we tell you.

No hippies, no strays, no drop-outs, no gays. No lefties, no loonies, no opinions, no way. No thinkers, no teachers, no facts, no freaks. No skaters, no tweakers, no truth, no sleep.

Here's popcorn, here's magazines, here's milkshakes, here's blue jeans. Here's padded bras, here's armpit wax, here's football shirts, here's baseball caps. Here's very very very very very very very very very very very very long infomercials.

[lesbianslovebts]

The amount of work that I have to do to get help with my mental health is ridiculous. The system is designed to deter as many people as possible from getting help and being "unproductive" in a capitalistic society. So, despite struggling with autistic burnout, meltdowns, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, this is what I've had to do so far:

File a short-term disability claim through a third party company

Speak on the phone with a social worker employed by aforementioned company

Inform my boss of the process and report absences

Print and bring paperwork to my therapist to fill out and fax to the company

Contact my insurance company to find an in-network adult partial hospitalization program

Call the number provided and find out that they do not, in fact, have such a program

Go back to the insurance company and find a different provider

Call the next provider, which is 2-3 weeks out unless I have my therapist send a referral

Contact my therapist and ask her to send the referral (with very specific instructions)

Call the provider and find out the referral was insufficient

Set up a diagnostic assessment and intake appointment, which is over a week out

Fill out paperwork for the appointment

And now I wait. Who knows if they'll even admit me into the program. 🙃 Not to mention I will have to fill out more paperwork to continue being absent even though I was already "approved."

[reasonsilovemywife]

Hey y’all...

The easiest thing for me to do would be to get on here and say that the bigots and racists are banning books and trying to systematically eliminate transgender folks to protect children when we just witnessed another school shooting where children were actually fucking killed and ... crickets. I can say that gun violence is the number one cause of death among children or that this problem doesn’t exist outside the united states.  But I’d just be wasting my breath. These people, these politicians, don’t give a fuck.  They don’t give a single fuck.  That feeling of empathy you have where you can visualize the murdered children and the abject horror of the parents when they got that phone call or knock on the door ... yeah, they don’t have that.  They really don’t care.  They are seeing this shooting as another way to win.  As another way to prove people wrong and to make sure they always come out on top.  Another way to twist their vile rhetoric to target the LGBTQIA+ community.   Just look at social media.  These people are frothing at the mouth to say the shooter was transgender and that’s why he killed those people.  That this person intentionally attacked Christians and we cannot co-exist together.  And again, we can point out exactly why that is a completely debased and asinine and disgusting thing to say and all they’ll do is laugh.  As long as we continue to tolerate intolerance these people will thrive.  They will weaponize your empathy against you.  They cannot function as a society because all they have is ego and selfishness and narcissism.  You ever notice these folks never have any ideas on how to actually run a society? It’s always just a septic tank of hatred whenever they open their fowl fucking mouths.  Ban this, ban that, but no actual policies other than upholding an elite class of wealthy white oligarchs.  They thrive on anti-intellectualism that’s why they are trying to gut public education and privatize everything.  Private education only for the rich and only for the exact message that they want to convey.  A curated pipeline of hatred to insure their dogma is enshrined.  The people they THINK are intellectuals are just grifters and con-artists that learn how to use rhetorical jargon and lies to overwhelm anyone who actually tries to argue with them.  They pretend that everything is simple common sense and that only a moron would argue against them.  They then put on a façade of disbelief when called out. The core of their argument is to uphold a ruling class of predominantly white hegemony and they bury that idea under a mountain of lies and bullshit to hide that goal.  There is no amount of diplomacy that will solve this.  There is no great conversation to be had.  There are no words that will suddenly inspire these politicians to craft progressive legislation. They have shown us without a doubt who they are and we should believe them.  They will continue to be bigoted piles of piss filled hatred that will destroy everything they touch.  They have already started a war against the most disenfranchised group among us, and the longer we pretend they haven’t, the worse it is going to get for those folks.   So maybe it’s time to face reality.  

[adarede]

average day for average member of society: 

 wake up at 6am, eat liver and onions for breakfast. read a national daily newspaper and a provincial daily newspaper. 

 7am: go for a run, wearing a replica football team shirt, a man's base layer top, and tracksuit bottoms. 

 7.20am: have a shower. shave. die hair using permanent hair colourant. apply body moisturising lotion, deodorant, self-tanning product, face cream, perfume, mascara, liquid foundation, lip gloss, and nail varnish. 

 8am: take the car in for an MOT. have a new exhaust fitted in a fast-fit auto centre. 

 8.30: purchase a caravan 

9am: go ten-pin bowling

10.10am: visit a DIY shop and purchase some butane gas, a sheet of MDF, a patio set, and some luxury vinyl tile flooring. 

10.30am: go home and get started on a light spot of DIY, while enjoying a canned stout and an electronic cigarette. 

11:45am: suddenly remember that today is your day with the kids, and call Geraldine the nanny in a panic. She reassures you that she collected Annie and Jasper at the normal time, and took them to the soft play centre. tell Geraldine to invoice you for the soft play centre fee, and let her know you'll meet her there at 12:15. 

11:55: rush to the shops on your bicycle. purchase a selection of soft toys, a child's sit and ride toy, some disposable nappies, and a high chair (you can't remember if you already have one). 

12:25pm: meet Geraldine and the kids at the soft play centre. apologise profusely for your tardiness and propose a hot pub lunch to make up for it. 

12:30pm: call directory inquiries, asking for the number of the nearest pub, then call that pub to ask if they serve hot lunches. they do, so you make a reservation. 

12:50pm: arrive at the red lion in Geraldine's car, with your bike balanced on the roof. bemuse the staff when you present your own high chair for Annie to sit in. Annie reminds you she is 4 now so can use a big girl chair.

enjoy a lovely hot pub lunch, with a draft bitter for yourself, a spirit-based drink for Geraldine, and both fizzy drinks and fruit juice for the kids. 

2pm: ask Geraldine to drop you off home, since your car is still being serviced. Geraldine's car breaks down, so you call the AA (calling directory enquiries first, because you can never remember phone numbers. Geraldine looks disapproving, and you make a mental note not to mention you've called directory enquiries to get her number before too). give the kids the soft toys you brought earlier, and attempt to entertain Geraldine by doing tricks on your bicycle. "well, at least you brought your helmet, I suppose," is all Geraldine says, and plays games on her phone without looking at you. you pretend you didn't want her to in the first place, to maintain your dignity in front of your children. 

3pm: take the opportunity to call your solicitor to make an appointment to update your will. 

3:20pm: purchase dental insurance over the phone. this reminds you of your poor elderly mother in her nursing home, so you call the florist to arrange a delivery of flowers there. 

4pm: the AA arrive, and luckily the car can be fixed on the spot. you make it home at 20 past 4. 

4:30: the kids complain of being bored, so you take them to the pet shop down the road. they manage to convince you to purchase a hamster and a bag of dog treats; the latter is for feeding dogs in the park, they tell you. this inspires you to buy some wild bird seed as well, to feed the birds in your back garden. you make a mental note to buy the necessary materials to construct a bird table tomorrow morning. 

5:15pm: you get home and start cooking dinner. the kids lose the hamster immediately upon getting it home, but they find it soon enough in the corner of your sleeping bag - you have it set up in the living room in order to be better prepared if burglars break in, since you anticipate them entering through your french window. 

5.45pm: dinner is quiche, veggie sausages, a pre-packaged salad, and some instant mashed potato. Jasper informs you he is on an all-meat diet at the moment. you worry that he has been watching too much alpha male youtube; you thought youtube kids blocked that kind of thing. he is only 6, after all. you tell him that quiche is a kind of animal, and salad is meat too, since it's the flesh of a plant. Jasper starts crying, and you discover that he didn't know meat came from animals. None of this makes sense to you. You hear a scraping sound coming from the kitchen, and see that the hamster has been eating your newly laid vinyl flooring. You put the hamster, with a handful of muesli, in the cardboard box your latest wine delivery came in. 

6:05pm: the kids have located the fromage frais in your fridge and have eaten 6 by the time you get back to the dining room

6:10pm: you corral the kids into the living room and put on a blu-ray to watch. the hamster slowly chews through the box in which it had been placed. you leave the kids to it while you go up to the attic to dig out an animal cage. in the attic, you see your action camera, interchangeable lens camera, and digital compact camera, and get lost in a reverie, imagining all the wonderful photographs you could take with them. 

6:30pm: come downstairs again armed with the cage, an acoustic guitar, and a fishing rod, and retrieve the hamster from its latest location (dangerously close to chewing through an unused inkjet printer cartridge).

6:45pm: suddenly remember you still don't have a car, so purchase the necessary train tickets to take the kids back to their mum's house. 

6:55pm: change into a formal jacket and trousers, a tie, and a hat; the dating agency called yesterday and you have a date tonight in london. 

7:05pm: get the kids and the hamster out the door and take the bus to the station. give the kids a craft set each; you keep them by the door just in case of surprise journeys.

7:13pm: run to catch the train. due to skill and practice, you do not fall over as you sprint in your high heeled shoes. 

7:47pm: get off the train, and take a taxi to drop the children off at their mother's house. leave the kids to give their mother the gift you purchased yesterday for her of a shower head and some knitting wool. ring the doorbell and get back in the taxi before anyone answers the door. you see the door open just as your taxi turns the corner at the end of the road. 

8:03: catch the next train to london. arrive at 8.30 at king's cross, and take a taxi to the bar at which you are meeting your mystery date. touch up your make-up using your phone screen as a mirror. 

8:40: stop at a tesco express to buy a cooked pastry based savoury snack, some hand-rolling tobacco, and a lamb shoulder. buy some condoms, and then, hedging your bets, buy some tampons too. 

8:50pm: arrive at the bar, and weave your way through the crowd towards a woman standing alone with her back to you, wearing a cocktail dress. she turns, and you recognise Yorickina from the picture given to you by the agency. She smiles, evidently recognising you too. 

"what are your hobbies," she immediately asks.

"i do enjoy package holidays covering a range of foreign destinations," you say, put on the spot. what is a hobby, anyway? "oh, and slimming." 

Yorickina looks sceptically at your noticeable belly. you slightly lift your shirt, showing that beneath there is concealed your emergency supplies kit, which contains hair gel, gin, a greetings card, and a canned lager. in fact, despite appearances, you have a very trim figure. 

"What's your favourite mode of transport," you ask Yorickina. "Oh, ferry, for sure," she replies. "Although I do enjoy travelling by coach". 

You feel your heart speed up: could Yorickina be your perfect counterpart? 

"May I buy you a drink," you ask. She accepts a double vodka, and you get yourself a draught cider. "i mostly spend time tending my horse," Yorickina continues, "but I also enjoy purchasing computer peripherals." 

"Oh, but that's fascinating!" you exclaim. "I tend to spend most of my money on watersports equipment e.g. windsurfing equipment, but I also enjoy a spot of golf on the weekends." 

You spend a very enjoyable couple of hours getting to know Yorickina, but before you know it, she says she has to go home. You convince her to stop by a kebab shop with you on your way back to the station. It has started to rain outside, but luckily Yorickina was carrying two umbrellas.

on the train ride home, you check your schedule for tomorrow. You have to pick up your car in the morning, and the surveyor is coming over to value your house in the afternoon. And once you have your car back, you will be able to collect your caravan and start planning your next holiday. You look up the cost of a marriage licence. 

You get home at around 11.30pm, and settle into your armchair with a whisky, various selected popular brands of sweets, and a cigar. You read a couple of chapters of your e-book. 

at around 12:15, you get up, brush your teeth and have another shower, and set up a duvet and pillow on your sofa (the sleeping bag on the floor is but a decoy). you send a flattering message to Yorickina, before turning off your phone and tucking yourself into bed. you blissfully drift off to sleep, dreaming of ultra low sulphur diesel and wide, empty toll roads.

[eyes-of-mischief]

weekly fic recs | 33

prompt: bureaucracy/office au

fandoms: bnha, dc, hq, mdzs

bnha

Heroics: Not Just Punching People Into Buildings, Apparently by stifledlaughter

"In today's practical test, you all will grapple with one of the worst aspects of being a hero," announced Present Mic to class 1-A. "Paperwork!"  

---

Sometimes, hero work isn't about capturing villains. It's about trying not to cry on the phone to the insurance agent after being on hold for an hour when they tell you that their company only accepts faxed forms.

He's Our Most Important Member by autumnconcept

As a member of the quirkless side of society, Izuku has long given up his dream of being a hero.

Remind him how he ended up in charge of an entire agency?

dc

Executive Assistant to the Batman by heartslogos

“So what’s someone like you doing working for someone like Wayne?”

“We’re star-crossed,” Tim answers, because clearly this job has only improved his ability to mouth off with a complete and total lack of self-regard.

(Rewrite of my old Assistant!verse)

on my desk by monday by calamityjade

(explicit)

Dick Grayson was tired of living hidden in his father's shadow. He desperately needs to find a space where he can thrive as just himself, and figures seeking out a simple job might be a good start; but being Jason Todd's assistant gives him so much more than he expected to gain. (No capes AU. Jason Todd is a lawyer and Dick is hired as his assistant)

haikyuu

hyogo melon code of conduct by goldplate

(mature)

“You misunderstand me, Miya-san. We’re not here to discuss the legality of your… melons."

-

Osamu's home garden gets the attention of the municipality's building and lot code compliance office.

the right path by norio

"What do you expect from our company?" the interviewer asked.

A job. A straightforward path, the only concerns about the budget for printer toners. A solitary lifestyle in a cubicle. But Akaashi curled his fingers around his resume and thought wryly that if he truly wanted all that, he wouldn't be applying to an anime company.

mdzs

Best man for the job; a detailed treatise on Chief Cultivation by Aerlalaith

“Just these?” He had thought, perhaps, given Jin Guangyao’s notorious organizational skills, there might be a few more, but it does not overly trouble him.

“Oh no, Chief Cultivator,” Jin Guangtian says. “This is just the index.”

(The peerless Hanguang-Jun faces his greatest challenge yet: bureaucracy).

The Roots Grow Riotous by hansbekhart

(explicit)

Sometimes Lan Zhan doesn’t work through lunch. Sometimes he makes conversation with coworkers in the halls. Sometimes he goes home instead of spending the last hour trawling through Grindr. But mostly, that’s exactly what he does. The sameness is comforting. His life spools out in easily measured increments: capsule collections, yards of hand dyed textiles, ninety day lead times, sell through figures, cost of goods sold. 

Every date in manufacturing can be calculated backwards and forward from a single horizon point: the date that the goods must arrive into the country where they'll be sold. Other than that, nothing else really matters.

Always Be Closing by betts

(explicit)

Wei Ying’s thumb hovered over Lan Zhan’s number. It would be a brief phone conversation. Not even a minute. He would tell Lan Zhan what needed to be done, and Lan Zhan would say “mn” a bunch of times, and Wei Ying would spiral all day about how much Mr. Hot and Perfect All the Time probably hated his guts, and it would be fine. Emotionally, no different than any other Tuesday.

Fine, sue him, he was a coward. He pulled up a new text and typed, My son is sick today. Going to doctor. Can you do smoothie hut call? 500m CRE + 250m LOC

He sent the text. The ellipses rose. He waited.

Or: During a long overdue divorce and messy custody battle, Wei Ying gets demoted to small business finance. There, he's partnered with a new closer who clearly hates him, until he finds out Lan Zhan is far more verbose—and dare he say flirtatious?—in writing than in speaking

But to be loved like a song you remember Even when you've changed by enbysaurus_rex

The manual was long, but it all boiled down to the same thing-- assess, capture, banish, assess, repeat. Keep the affected area to a minimum. Be proactive in protecting any device that can access the internet. Physical storage areas with names had to be up to standard (file boxes were allowed, so long as the lid was reinforced and could stand up to the particular talisman used), but anything else usually required paperwork and approval, even if it was retroactive. Wangji hoped everything was in file boxes this time, even though he knew it was in vain. None of his storage solutions had ever been declined, but it was a tremendous amount of paperwork, picture taking, and documentation for what was usually a relatively small collection. In this case, it was less likely to be true, and the documentation was likely to be equal to the names warded and sealed. He appreciated that.

[thisismenow3]

It’s actually more frustrating than nobody caring/ignoring the plight of others like most people do with the homeless. The most pressing problems in our society are still there because our culture has been “all ya gotta do is vote… or don’t if you don’t identify fully with either side, or throw away your vote with a candidate not from the two main parties.” So we have let corporations and their fellow travelers destroy and remold so much of our laws and society. Cause we don’t organize anymore, at least until recently. And we’ve not organized around making changes to how our democracy functions in almost double my life time. The reason police reform, healthcare and insurance reform, ACTUAL tax reform to stocks, businesses and the wealthy being taxed at the rate they used to be, gun reform, etc is that to do that in any meaningful way we would need to get enough people elected to state and federal positions to do away with the senate, do away with the electoral college, return us to a pre citizens united money in politics era or better, place some actual penalties on hack judges who are obviously bought by companies or else just ultra conservative idiots who know they can say the least says whatever it needs to say if their bench is high up enough and their decisions right wing enough for the supreme court’s right wing majority. And no one is fired up for that. And even if they were, no one wants to constantly protest, to provide shelter, food, money, all the things you’d need to give to people risking their jobs and lives to push against the corporate police state, no one wants to knock on doors and make weekly if not daily phone calls to local, state and federal office holders, as well as finding or being the progressive outside candidates to flip the non Conservative party into an actual progressive party rather than a coalition still led by the corporate centrism is life believing old guard. And I know virtually no one wants to do that cause very few are doing that while campaigning just on the issues.

our healthcare is as messed up as it is because the right wing playbook of infiltrating and taking over the Republican Party succeeded rather than the Democratic Party being filled with and changed by left wing movements. And now that the republicans have been what they’ve been for the last 30-40 years they’ve begun to accelerate implementing what they actually want, which is worse healthcare for fewer. My state switched our Medicaid to being “administered” by private companies during the pandemic, so even less is covered and denials are more random. My state also has a conservative legislative majority. Overcoming that is impossible because of another thing our democracy needs updating on; amount of people should matter more than amount of land in representation. But districts in every state don’t have to be the same number of people. Even before you get into gerrymandering reform the fact that the urban district I live in is thousands (and tens of thousands depending on which you compare it to) more than rural and suburban ones is ridiculous if we actually want the will of the people. So all these big issues maintain because republicans don’t care about fixing them or actively want them to be bad for ideological reasons and the Democratic Party has not been overtaken in leadership or majority of its members by actual forward thinkers.

tl;dr is that if we want things like universal healthcare we need organizing and campaigning equivalent to the civil rights movement, and even then it’d just be a toss up because of institutional issues. But we don’t have the time to become the party members of the one not totally lost political party and push it where we want it to be, so we are left with the Hail Mary of hoping there’s enough good press coverage of a still theoretical future massive campaigning effort.

Our system is broken.  It is cruel.  It is dehumanizing, degrading, and it’s vile nature is so, so unnecessary.

We need universal healthcare today in America.  We needed it 40 years ago.  It’s cheaper, it’s simpler, it’s more efficient, it’s more effective and it is so, so, so much less cruel than what we have.

Additional sources/references:

Universal Healthcare Cost in America would be cheaper by trillions of dollars

The US has worse life expectancies than socialized healthcare countries

We have worse generalized healthcare results

We have the most expensive care

Our system is so cruel and unique that doctors from other countries literally can’t believe what happens here

I can’t tell you where or how to activate to help solve this.  There are politicians, groups, and activists pushing for this in so many ways.  I can tell you when, though.

Now.

[derrick-cagayan]

Digging my own grave

I'm not perfect, I'm not smart. I am too lazy and too shy to deal with the world. These past few years I have seen the way we interact as a society and how much more autonomous it has become. The investment into AI has helped. Sadly there are few aspects of our lives that are not.

So I hit a snag in my plan to get my car back. First of all, I got my loan approved. Yeah, I should be able to pay off the $750 reinstatement. Second, I got lucky and got an appointment for the DMV. Here in Nevada you need one, no walk-ins.

Well my lovely insurance provider, which is also my bank, was kind enough to send documents via fax. Like there is no way my plans are dependent on relic technology.

Btw fax is a document sent by a machine. It's like a copier/printer but instead of printing out at the machine in front of you it sends the copy to anywhere in the world. There is a phone number attached to a machine.

Here's the thing, we invented scanners. Like we can scan a piece of paper and it will make a copy or send it to your computer. Like why do we need a fax. Especially if the machine can break or not set up properly.

Yesterday I filed for my SR-22. I got the notification that they filed it properly. USAA should clarify more, I thought we're good. Or at least I hope it was gonna be good.

Anyway as the title states, I could've avoided this if my registration tag was up to date. Then they wouldn't know if my registration was suspended. I could have called to confirm they sent the SR-22. I need to call the tow company to not sell my car.

Derrick please do better. What is there to lose? You already look stupid, embrace it.

[flexible-student-accommodation]

The Ultimate Student Accommodation Checklist: Everything You Need to Know Before Moving In

Moving to a student dormitory is an interesting life phase for a person but sometimes, it can be confusing. When comments such as these are made by a lifetime academic who has more than ten years of education and lifestyle experience, I can say there are several students who, due to your questions and problems, attracted me to education. So, let's break down everything you need to know before you make that big move.

Essential Items to Pack

First things first, let's talk about what to bring. You'll want to pack:

1. Bedding: Sheets, pillows, and a comfy duvet or blanket

2. Towels and toiletries

3. Clothing for all seasons (don't forget those cozy pajamas!)

4. Kitchen basics: A few plates, cups, and utensils

5. Laptop and chargers

6. School supplies

7. Medicines and first aid kit

8. Some decorative items to make your space feel like home

Remember, less is often more. You can always buy things once you're there if you find you need them.

Paperwork and Documentation

Before you leave, make sure you have:

1. Your student ID

2. Accommodation contract and move-in instructions

3. Proof of address (for setting up bank accounts, etc.)

4. Health insurance information

5. Any visa documents (for international students)

Getting to Know Your New Home

Once you arrive, take some time to:

1. Familiarize yourself with the layout of your accommodation

2. Learn the rules and regulations (quiet hours, guest policies, etc.)

3. Find out where important facilities are located (laundry room, study areas, etc.)

4. Locate emergency exits and procedures

Safety First

Your well-being is paramount. Make sure to:

1. Save important phone numbers (campus security, local emergency services)

2. Check that all locks and safety features in your room are working

3. Be aware of fire safety procedures

4. Get to know your neighbors – they could be your first line of help if needed

Setting Up Your Space

Now for the fun part – making your room feel like home:

1. Clean thoroughly before unpacking

2. Organize your belongings in a way that makes sense for you

3. Add personal touches like photos or posters

4. Consider space-saving storage solutions

Budgeting and Finance

Living on your means managing your money. Here are some tips:

1. Set up a student bank account if you haven't already

2. Create a budget for essentials like food, toiletries, and school supplies

3. Look into student discounts for local shops and services

4. Consider a part-time job if your schedule allows

Getting Connected

In today's digital world, staying connected is crucial:

1. Set up your internet connection as soon as possible

2. Find out about on-campus Wi-Fi access

3. Check your phone plan and adjust if necessary

Settling In Socially

Meeting new people can be daunting, but it's also one of the best parts of student life:

1. Attend orientation events and welcome activities

2. Join clubs or societies that interest you

3. Be open to chatting with your neighbors and classmates

4. Remember, everyone's in the same boat – most people are eager to make friends!

Academics and Study Spaces

Don't forget why you're here:

1. Locate the library and other study areas on campus

2. Set up a comfortable study space in your room

3. Familiarize yourself with online learning platforms if applicable

Health and Wellbeing

Taking care of yourself is crucial:

1. Find out about on-campus health services

2. Locate the nearest grocery stores and plan for healthy meals

3. Establish a good sleep routine

4. Look into fitness facilities or sports clubs

Transportation

Getting around your new city or town is important:

1. Learn about public transportation options

2. Consider bringing a bike if it's practical

3. Familiarize yourself with campus shuttle services if available

Remember, it's okay to feel a bit overwhelmed at first. Everyone does. But before you know it, you'll be settled in and loving your new independence. And if you ever feel lost or unsure, don't hesitate to reach out to your accommodation staff or student services. They're there to help you navigate this exciting time.

If you're still in the process of finding the right student accommodation, consider checking out services like Uninist. As a student accommodation provider, they offer a range of options to suit different needs and budgets. I've seen many students find their perfect home-away-from-home through such services. They can often simplify the search process and help you find a place that ticks all your boxes.

Good luck, and enjoy this amazing experience! Whether you're moving into university halls, a private student house, or accommodation through a provider like Uninist, this checklist should help you feel prepared and excited for the journey ahead.

[themomsandthecity]

The Postpartum Phase No One Talks About

The day after arriving home from the hospital with her newborn, Lauren Cooper woke up with a massive headache. "It hurt to open my eyes," she says, recalling that she had to wear sunglasses to her son's first pediatrician appointment in order to manage the pain. Google told her it was likely just hormones. But by that night, her sister, who'd gone to nursing school, convinced her to phone the on-call doctor. That obstetrician recommended Cooper take a blood pressure reading. "I told her what it was, and she said, 'Lauren, you have to go to the ER right now. You have preeclampsia and you are at risk of having a seizure or a stroke,'" she says. Cooper was admitted to the hospital, put on a magnesium drip, and told she was one of the lucky ones: If patients ignore the symptoms and stay home, postpartum preeclampsia can potentially be fatal. It happens more often than you might think. Despite how much medical attention parents-to-be get while pregnant, once they're discharged after delivering their baby, there's a major drop-off in healthcare - even though nearly two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths in the US happen after giving birth, according to a study by The Commonwealth Fund. Researchers call this the "postpartum cliff." --- Experts Featured in This Article Stephanie White is a certified doula and nurse care manager at the family-building support company WIN. Nicole Sparks, MD, is a board-certified ob-gyn and children's book author based in Atlanta. --- Bridging the Postpartum Cliff "Society expects new mothers to 'bounce back to normal,' with the idea that it's natural for women to have babies," says doula Stephanie White. "Mothers ignore when something could be wrong physically and mentally to care for their baby and family, and may not even recognize that she doesn't feel well or is bleeding too much." The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that patients have initial contact with their obstetrician within three weeks postpartum, and a more comprehensive visit 12 weeks after birth. However, "a surprising amount of people do not follow up to their postpartum appointments," says ob-gyn Nicole Sparks, MD. Others might see their OB, but never make it to their primary care provider for things like long-term chronic conditions. "And so after they're done with their OB, they're just done. And they may be sitting there with high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health conditions, postpartum depression, all of those things with no one to lay eyes on them," Dr. Sparks says. There are a number of reasons why postpartum patients skip their appointments. Sometimes it's because insurance doesn't cover enough of the costs. Sometimes there are transportation or childcare issues. "Or they literally just forget because they're tired and sleep-deprived and overwhelmed," Dr. Sparks says. Dr. Sparks admits that after having each of her three kids, she developed postpartum depression and barely followed up with her own medical team. "I just didn't want to leave my house. It was too overwhelming to get in the car and go somewhere," she adds. Yet not getting the necessary care can be dangerous. Just after giving birth, the most common serious health problems are excessive bleeding, infection, and preeclampsia and high blood pressure (which might seem to be under control prior to discharge only to skyrocket after going home, according to White). Even up to a year later, cardiomyopathy, or a weakened heart muscle, can be fatal, the March of Dimes reports. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health estimates that postpartum depression affects about 15 percent of those who give birth while reported rates of postpartum anxiety range from 13 to 40 percent, according to a study in "Infant Behavior and Development." Experts suggest patients contact a provider if anything seems wrong after leaving the hospital. In particular, Dr. Sparks says that a headache that won't go away or vision… https://www.popsugar.com/family/postpartum-cliff-49393676?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[parttimereporter]

Mark Lukach from the Washington POST switched to a flip phone--and he liked it..

The money quote for us:

As it turns out, our addiction to smartphones is not just on an individual level. Intentionally or not, we have built structures that depend upon smartphone access, making it an essential feature of modern life. While most of the flip phone inconveniences are charming, some of them are so frustrating that they make you want to pull your hair out. We have app-ified society so thoroughly that we often end up in a cul-de-sac of logistics, and the only path forward is on a smartphone app For example: At my nearby grocery store, there are sales you can get with your frequent-buyer card, and then there are even better sales, mind-blowingly good sales, but to get those, you need to scan the product’s bar code into the store’s app. No smartphone = no app = no big savings. Annoying. I don’t want to bring a smartphone to the grocery store, or my kids’ soccer practice, or anywhere for that matter. But it feels like I can’t leave it behind, because apps make the world go round. The most extreme example of this came from a minor car collision. A car bumped into me in a parking lot, leaving a dent and a scratch. I swapped contact information with the other driver (my flip phone number, of course), and the next day, their insurance agent texted me a link to download their company app so I could post pictures of the damage. No such option with my flip phone.

[grandmatapati]

Coming back to life

It's been nearly a year and a half since my daughter suddenly died from clots in her lungs. Her death certificate indicates that they originated in her legs, a common sequence of events medically. Research also indicates that there is a 33 per cent chance that such clots will occur even several months following a mild case of Covid. So I implore you all, young and old (she was 43) to learn the symptoms of clotting anywhere in the body, pay attention, and get prompt medical care regardless of your status as insured/not insured. Please guard your lives!

I have lost a number of people over the years, being in my mid-sixties. Grandparents, parents (at 21 and 31), half sister, aunts, and many friends. I've even outlived an abusive ex-husband. (Yes that was deeply satisfying, given that he tried to kill me.)

No death so far has equaled the sheer impact of losing my daughter. Society often imagines the death of a child and its impact as occurring when that child is young. Yes losing a young child is especially painful because they didn't get their chance to have an adult life. I can't say my daughter didn't get at least that much. She found love, had children and even, near the end, had a mortgaged property to work on her live off the land dream. She saw her first two children to adulthood.

News of her death still hit me like a literal body-blow. I felt the physical pain for weeks before it settled into my body and subsided. I felt the same exhaustion one would after a severe injury. I was inconsolable. Images of my daughter on her first day, first weeks, first few years haunted me. My body had worked to create the building blocks of her body, my breasts had nourished her following her birth, I saw her first steps and heard her first words, her first laughter, her delight in learning about this world. I saw her babies and heard about their firsts. I knew her dreams and supported her as best I could, having barely crawled out of poverty. All of that and now she was no more and her children were robbed of having her meet their future dates, potential children or other joys, her support in hard times, all of the things you turn to your mom for. All gone. All stolen suddenly and cruelly.

I got to talk to my granddaughter about that night her mom went to the ER. She thought it was a respiratory infection and she tried to treat it at home. But she was feeling so bad, having so much trouble breathing, that she worried about even getting TO the hospital from their rural property. She promised to text when she arrived at the hospital and she did so. My poor granddaughter, the next she knew police were knocking on the door to tell her that her mom had died in the early morning hours. She immediately had to pack her things, talk to her oldest brother by phone for advice, and meet up with social services. Her younger brother was 8; she was 13.

Fate snatched the middle generation out of our family, just like that. Suddenly we were fundraising for cremation. My husband Dave is the stepfather and step-grandfather and together we tried to support our grandchildren while grieving ourselves. I've had a number of difficult years but that was in the top two most brutal. (Vying with my son's traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him at 13 in 1991.)

I had grief books from other deaths, going back to my mom's. But they weren't enough for this shocking, sudden death. I found a great book, just for that:

I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One (A Compassionate Grief Recovery Book) by Brook Noel and Pamela Blair 

Now it's an election year and the consequences of losing this particular one is dire. I am trying to regain my stamina and gear up to help in whatever way a chronically ill grandmother can. My grandchildren are depending on me to guard our democracy. The Supreme Court picks next term alone are reason enough and climate change is also already serious and we can't afford to stop fighting it now.

Check your voting registration a few times as we draw close to November. The other side is trying to purge the voter rolls.