#and the treatment I need is probably going to cost basically all the money I have

[thethingything]

our brain's decided to freak out over shit that definitely feels ridiculous and like we're freaking out over something tiny and I can't even pinpoint why the thing is an issue but our brain clearly does not fucking like it.

but I just realised we missed some doses of one of our usual medications and from past experience that gives us wild mood swings and makes us get upset about tiny things and just have an overall shit time so I guess that explains at least some of what our brain's been doing today.

there's also just the fact that we're so overwhelmed with stress and pain and medication side effects and struggling to keep up with anything that even tiny things that wouldn't normally be an issue end up giving us panic attacks and being absolute hell to deal with.

but unfortunately I still have to deal with feeling like I'm being overly-dramatic and like people are judging me for it and it doesn't fucking help that we've already had so many instances over the last month where we've been told our triggers don't make sense and that we're too sensitive and need to just shut up and deal with things and should bottle up our emotions so other people don't have to deal with us being stressed and upset

[atmilliways]

Wrong On The Money (1-3)

parts 1, 2, & 3 of ?? | 888 words | Teen+

Blackmail fic on Ao3 | on tumblr

Summary:

Wayne is sick and they don't have the money for the treatment he needs. Eddie, desperate and spread thin between school, a part time job, and dealing, spots Steve outside of a gay club and opts for blackmail. Steve, who has heard about Wayne through Dustin... just sort of lets him.

I started writing this while Ao3 is down. Haven't quite finished it yet, but I've got 6.7k written so far, so I should be able to do daily posts for at least a while!

Now also posted on Ao3.

Quick note, if it helps anyone who might be hit too close to home by Wayne's serious but relatively brief health scare. First, he's going to be fine. I love Wayne, I wouldn't do that to him. Second, Dustin's mind goes straight to cancer when he hears that it's serious serious, but Wayne's illness is never specified. The only symptoms described are basically a cough and general weakness/fatigue.

1.

Dustin is really upset one day after school, the day he tells Steve about his dad. 

Steve had never asked, alright? It was family shit, and that kind of thing was. . . . Well, not sacred, he can’t even think that and keep a straight face, but definitely private. There could’ve been any number of reasons why Mr. Henderson wasn’t around. 

Turns out it was cancer.

And . . . it’s not insensitive to wonder, right? Steve doesn't know if it’s an anniversary or if someone’s been giving him shit at school about not having a dad or something. So, after a few bumbling questions about why this is upsetting him now, an explanation comes tumbling out.

The leader or president or whatever of the nerd club Dustin joined at the start of the year had to cancel their game this week. “Eddie never cancels, Steve,” Dustin insists, eyes red from crying and voice gone all squeaky. “And we were giving him shit about it, we all were, even the upperclassmen guys, and he. . . he j-just broke, Steve. Said his uncle is r-really sick, bad sick, and I know what that means. They don’t have the money for treatment. He’s Eddie’s only family, and he’s probably going t-to. . . .”

Steve regrets dropping Robin off at her house first today. She might not know what to say either, but at least they’d be in this together. “Dust, that’s. . . . That’s awful.”

Turns out he doesn’t have to say anything else, because Dustin thumps against him and bawls his eyes out. 

2.

“It was awful, Robs,” Steve says, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he talks into the phone. “I haven’t seen him like that since after Starcourt, when we had to tell him about Hop.”

Robin’s wince is audible in her reply. “Yeah, that's. . . . That’s pretty bad.”

“Yeah.” He heaves a sigh, hoping it’ll get some of the constricted feeling out of his chest. It doesn’t.

“Steve? Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” It’s just, he hates it. Hated it then and hates it now, because both times there’s no way for him to jump between Dustin and this thing. “Everything was starting to sort of feel okay again, and then suddenly there's Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson and his uncle, who I’ve never even seen in my life—”

“It’s not about the Munsons, Steve,” Robin says gently. “You and Dustin have that ‘you die I die’ thing. He’s like your kid brother who annoys the shit out of you, but you love him to death anyway. And right now he’s sad but you can’t do anything to help.”

Lifting his face from his hand, Steve looks around the room. He’s on the big comfortable couch in his big fucking house with too many rooms, all empty except for this one. His parents are never home, always away on business trips that got way more frequent after Barbara Holland disappeared from a party he’d hosted. They send money—not an allowance, not since he didn’t get into any of the colleges he’d applied to. But the utility bills are always paid up, and a gardener still comes around to do lawn maintenance every other week.

He wonders how the cost of maintaining a house they don’t live in compares to the cost of whatever kind of treatment Munson’s uncle needs.

Doesn’t let himself wonder if it would make a difference, but he knows that treatments don’t always work. It hadn’t, apparently, for Dustin’s dad.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees heavily. “I know.”

3.

The nice thing about being done with high school and working weekends at a shitty retail job is, Steve can do whatever he wants on some weekdays. As long as he doesn’t have a shift that starts before noon the next day, anyway. Which he doesn’t.

So, a few days after Dustin’s revelations, Steve drives up to the nearest outskirts of Indy. Eventually he ends up in one of those clubs that he and Robin have been researching how to find.

He tells himself that he’s scoping it out before he brings her, but he wants to get lost for a while. Empty his head out of things he can’t do a damn thing about—the Upside Down, the monsters, the Russians, the Munsons, the memories of Dustin crying and, just for funsies, of Nancy calling him bullshit. Because that’s always somewhere in the mix, these days.

Fill it back up with music and movement. Not with drinks, because he still has to get himself back to Hawkins in one piece.

He goes and he dances and he sweats. Sometimes guys dance with him, and Steve goes with it. Who cares? No one knows him here, it doesn’t mean anything.

Turns out, it does mean something after all. 

When Steve finally stumbles his way out of the club, he finds none other than Eddie Munson sitting on the hood of the Beemer he’s been buying off of his parents in installments. (Their idea. It’s a ‘pay for it or lose it’ kind of deal.) 

The buzzing under his sweat-tacky skin—satisfaction at successfully getting out of his head—fizzles out. He keeps walking and stops when he draws even with the car. 

Eddie Munson, looking tired and prickling with restless energy, and exhales a cloud of smoke and vapor into the chilly air. “Hey, man. What’s a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?”

[stonerskinny]

everything is going to work out.

i am going to ask my cousin to co-sign on a personal loan with me. i think that she will say yes if only because i think she feels bad for me because, yknow. dead mom (my mom was her aunt, so). i am going to assume she will because if she does not then im fucked because i don’t have a backup plan. but assuming she says yes, i can probably use that money to get a plumber in to fix my water heater (or get a new one if i have to) and i’d coordinate with my cousin so she could be at my house for that, or ill talk to my neighbor and see if he can do that instead. i can also use it to pay off my lawyers, and cover the costs of treatment up until my deductible is met. and when i don’t have all that looming over me i think ill be able to get myself back to work and start repaying it pretty quickly.

everything is going to work out.

you see, the thing about a cardiologist is that you cannot fight them. i mean, you can, but it would be stupid. because cardiologists always win. they take that shit seriously. and they will do whatever they need to. so i can hope all i want that the one i see on monday is going to clear me but i don’t know what’s wrong with my EKG, and even if i did i can’t know what risks she will perceive that i don’t. i am far out of my wheelhouse here. my fate is basically in her hands now and there is nothing i can do about it. i will get an answer eventually. i just might not like it.

everything is going to work out.

it has to.

[wrestlingisfake]

For the Sickos

I shouldn't let this bug me, but it's sticking in my craw. Kevin Kelly did an interview with Eric Bischoff this week, and had this to say:

"His vision of what wrestling is, for me, works best on a small scale. People always wonder why did PWG stay small? Well they knew, I think, they knew that if they went big that it would go stale fast, and they had to stay small to keep it special, to keep it niche. He wants to appeal to a niche audience with his vision of wrestling. He thinks he can convince the people to watch on a grand scale."

I'm no insider, but it seems to me that Pro Wrestling Guerilla stays small because it costs a lot of money to go big. They had a formula that was sustainable at a small level, and they didn't mind staying at that small level, so it wasn't worth taking a huge financial risk to try to expand.

Here's another way to look at it: PWG has been on hiatus since August 2023, because Super Dragon is focusing on his girlfriend's cancer treatment. Again, I'm no insider, but I suspect that if he wanted to, he could get some people to run shows while he's busy. But that would cost money, which would increase the promotion's budget, and it would alter the promotion's style, which would increase the financial risk. So instead PWG went on hiatus--not to avoid going stale, or to "keep it niche," but because Super Dragon is unwilling to incur the added costs/risks that would come with a different solution.

Super Dragon makes the right choices for himself and his promotion. But the fact he won't gamble big money on upscaling PWG doesn't mean the gamble could never pay off. The fact nobody will take that bet except Tony Khan doesn't prove it can't work. All we've established here is that a billionaire's son can afford to take chances that an indy wrestling promoter wouldn't, which is self-evident.

But here's what really bugs me about the PWG comparison: Tony Khan doesn't need to "convince the people to watch on a grand scale" because they've been watching for 246 weeks and counting. Granted, TV viewers and ticket sales are down from their peak. But ten years ago there were plenty of naysayers who would insist that a PWG clone would be "too niche" to draw 2,500 butts in seats and over 500k watching at home on a weekly basis. Even if AEW shuts down tomorrow, it's proven there's a much higher ceiling for that kind of wrestling than Reseda.

The only open question, then, is whether Tony Khan is leaving money on the table by booking "for the sickos," instead of doing whatever Kevin Kelly or Eric Bischoff or Jim Cornette or CM Punk would have him do. But this is basically the same question of expansion that we examined with PWG. Changing AEW's style to draw more "casual fans" would only introduce new risk. And it'd be a fairly big risk, since "casual fans" already have plenty of WWE to watch. As long as AEW is financially stable (and we probably won't know that until the new TV deal comes through), then TK doesn't really need to take that risk unless he wants to. Judging by AEW's new "FOR THE SICKOS" shirt, I'd say he's comfortable standing pat.

[navvyu]

An: Thanks for requesting! This request is so cute (*＾წ＾*) also i'd like to note i used wikihow as a reference point for this writing (。_。) i hope it's to your liking (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ (PS this is pretty unorganized... oops?)

(reader is referred to as girlfriend!)

Trans fem! Reader coming out to them

*not beta read

Includes: Azul, Jamil, Jade (established relationship w/ all) +Bonus Floyd and Najima (platonic)

Azul

Azul maybe confused at first and may need you to explain a little bit but he's very supportive!

He compares it to some sea animals that have hermaphroditic features

Azul is willing to try and find some temporary fixes to dysphoria like potions or something

He comes up with the most cheesy pet names for you, stuff like "My wonderful, gorgeous, darling, girlfriend" and "My beautiful girlfriend" etc.

Will PERSONALLY beat up transphobes. It doesn't matter if he's horrible at physical activity, HE WANTS TO THROW HANDS.

Will cover expenses for HRT along with estrogen and anti-androgens

Azul will stop working just to comfort you if your feeling dysphoric at any point

He'll accompany you to pride parades, protests, and any LGBT+ events you wish to go to

During pride month he puts out a limited time menu that has 'lgbt+ themed' drinks and dishes (maybe some merch if he has a little extra money)

Azul helps make your social transition as easy as he can make it, for example: He has changed your school id to have your chosen name, he kinda eases his employes and other people into using your chosen name and pronouns, along with other small but meaningful changes

He paints your nails 'feminine' colors every few weeks just as a hobby because he thinks it's fun

"My darling, your so gorgeous... I'm so lucky to have you."

Jamil

Jamil is fully supportive, and he's very proud that you came out to him

Jamil if he knows that your comfortable with sharing your transition, may mention it to Kalim.

Kalim being Kalim will cover all expenses related to your transition simply for the reason he wants to help you out and he genuinely thinks you deserve a stress-free transition

Jamil is willing to basically do anything to help your dysphoria, no but literally he will do like ANYTHING

He usually walks with you to go get your estrogen or anything you need to pick up relating to your transition (he just wants to make sure nobody is bothering you for needing your stuff)

Has a burning hatred for transphobes but he can't really do anything physically because as his status as a servant but he won't shy away from being extremely passive aggressive

If you decide to grow your hair out, he likes brushing through it and styling it

If you want to go to any LGBT+ events he'll go with you, if your lucky he might buy you some stuff

Jamil is excellent on helping you with your social transition, though he may slip up like twice

Jamil is excellent at doing makeup, if you ask him to do your makeup he'll gratefully comply

"There... now your dazzling as ever."

Jade

Jade, like Azul needs a bit of explaining what it means but he has a better understanding of what being trans fem is

Very supportive, he actually asks Azul for a little extra on that weeks pay check so he can take you on a shopping spree

Jade definitely helps with the costs and Azul and Floyd Probably Pitch in so you barely have to pay for any treatments regarding your transition

If you feel dysphoric Jade will do one of three things: 1) Wrap you in a fluffy blanket, 2) He rants to you about his mushrooms to get your mind off your dysphoria, 3) Verbal praise about how absolutely beautiful you are

Jade is usually the one going out to get supplies for you ("just because" is his reason)

If Jade encounters a transphobe that has the gull to bother you he will but his classic customer service smile on then he'll give them a 'modest' beating

has you try on jewelry, or go out to pick flowers with him every other week

If you want to go to a pride parade Jade buys a shirt that just says in comic sans "I love my girlfriend" and he wears it to EVERY parade

any other LGBT+ events he is willing to go with you

he's great at aiding your social transition, He's surprisingly good at making people slip up less on your name and pronouns

if your into fashion, he'll buy you women's fashion magazine's and then he'll just leave them on your bedside table

"Is it just me or are you more beautiful today?"

Bonus! :

Floyd

Floyd is fully supportive of your transition!

Floyd tastes you about dating Jade saying stuff like; "Why would you date Jade? All he talks about are his nasty mushrooms."

He will beat someone up in your honor, no questions asked

Floyd paints your nails every other week IT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE (if you don't want to he won't force you but he really enjoys it)

If he finds out somebody was being transphobic to you he will squeeze them like literally the second after he learns who

Overall nothing really changes from his normal behavior

"Heyyy shimpy! Tell Jade it's unfair HE gets such a cool girlfriend."

Najima

Najima (platonically) LOVES you

She quite literally just drags you away from Jamil so you two can hang out

Every time you visit her, she insists that you two have a girl night: face masks, painting nails, gossip, eating snacks, karaoke, the whole package

She's loves teasing Jamil about how he "Finally got somebody to deal with [his] horrible attitude"

Najima will bitch slap somebody if they are transphobic towards you

If your visiting her and you need your estrogen, she'll go with you to get it

if you want any advice, she your girl!

"Finally another girl! Hope Jamil doesn't mind if I steal you for a while!"

hermaphroditic - a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes(- ability to have both female and male reproductive systems)

Extra note: I added Floyd and Najima in the POV that your dating their sibling thats why they are not written as romantic :DD

[inkfire-scribe]

*kicks down the door* I have thoughts about anti-capitalism

To be clear, I'm not talking about anti-materialism. That is, I am not talking about not buying stuff. I like stuff. I love buying stuff.

I'm talking about anti-capitalism, or specifically the dislike, disapproval of, and desire to dismantle the economic system that currently rules the world. Capitalism values money above all else, to the detriment of basically everyone.

Who does shoplifting hurt? Not big chain stores like Apple and Home Depot. Who does debt hurt? Not the rich or the lenders. Who's hurt by high medical costs? Not the doctors and pharmacists - it's the people who need the treatments they offer get hurt.

My whole life, I've been told that being in debt is either an inescapable reality or a moral failing, and I don't think either one of those things is true. If we as a species were to value health, safety, and the pursuit of happiness more than we value money then many of the world's problems would already be solved.

So I reject capitalist values. Going into debt is a thing that will happen (to me) because the assholes that control the money are reducing how much they give and increasing how much they demand. If I have a way to get around them or game the system, I'm doing it, because my current happiness is worth that effort. The present is important, and I want to invest in it. Anyone who promotes being miserable in the present in order to secure future happiness is either a fool or a con-man. The difference is probably in whether or not you paid to hear them say that.

The future is something you plan for, not something you live for.

[takkarulz]

Beraking Bungee Gum

Chapter 2

(Prev chapter here)

The Mexican chicken restaurant Machi had picked resulted an excellent option, given out their affordable prices and the delicious and spicy food they were offering, as well as the fact that it had a small area for children to play, so Machi´s toddler girl could play a bit while both ate. Hisoka was pleased to see Machi again even if it also mean to babysit Sarasa too and discuss that “business” that Machi was suggested him. Honestly, Hisoka didn´t think that Machi could be the kind of person who is down to any illegal activity, however he also never thought that Machi would have ended marring off some dude from humanities and staying most of her marriage as either as housewife or as an underpaid high school teacher instead of teaching in some prestigious university or becoming a well-paid engineer or CEO of some important chemical company. She had been one of the top students of her generation after all and as far as he knew, she had participated in an award-winning project during her last semester at university. It was a shame that now she was working in some run of the mill high school, instead of teaching at a prestigious university or getting insane amounts of money in some chemical related business.

“Well, do you got what I told you?” Said Machi to Hisoka as she chewed a chicken wing.

“Yeah, I got that caravan and everything. I knew some dude from our college theatre club who gave me a special price on his old camping caravan, so I only spend 985000 jenny on that. Supposing that we are sharing in an egalitarian way you should return me at least 492500.” Said Hisoka with a grin.

Machi swallowed her own saliva as she heard the number. Even if the cost of that caravan was cheaper that she had imagined it was still a lot of money. Even her account and the account of Chrollo combined didn’t have that much money to spend. However, Machi knew that she could not falter in that moment. Besides, she was 100% sure that she was going to get back the money in a matter of days.

“Do still have the chemical supplies?”  Asked Machi.

“Yes, but is not much. I just managed to get some of the backup shit that I made just in case. But I’m sure we can make some batches if we are careful.”

Machi sighed and proceed to give another bite of that spicy and greasy chicken to then fill her mouth with French fries and swallow an overly sweet coconut agua fresca. She knew that probably she would not be able to eat so much junk food once her treatment started, chemo would likely fuck her stomach and probably Chrollo would likely try to coax her into try those alternative diets as he tried to do with Shizuku when she was first diagnosed with ADHD and autism. Machi felt like crying when she started to think in how she still had not told him anything about her illness yet. She still did not have the courage to tell her family about it, despite her pain and tiredness becoming every day more evident. She had even ghosted her own doctor on her phone due all her feeling of denial and inability of coping with her imminent illness and possible death.

“Poop! Poop!” Screamed Sasara running towards Machi pulling her from her mind. Hisoka just giggled at the spontaneous way in which Sarasa announced her basic necessities.

“Do you need to go to the potty, Sarasa?” Asked Machi to her child, who only proceed to hug her with a worried expression.

“Dang! She soiled herself again!” Growled Machi, recognizing the smell and the way in which her girl acted when she did not arrive to the toilet on time. She and Chrollo had been trying to train her to not soil herself but she still have lots of "accidents", specially when she was not at home.

“Isn’t she a bit too big to shit herself?” Asked Hisoka.

“Hisoka, Sarasa is only two years old! She still has to learn! And stop saying vulgar things in front of her!” Screamed Machi angry.

“What vulgar thing did I said Machi?” Asked Hisoka playfully.

“Shit!” Screamed with anger Machi realizing way too late that she had been pranked by that stupid clown. The rest of the persons of the restaurant looked at the her with a disgusted expression, making Machi feel way too embarrassed to say a word. And to add insult to the injury Machi could saw that both Chrollo and Shizuku entered to the restaurant in the exact moment when she said “shit” almost like if they were the intended audience of that vulgar show.

“What are you doing here?” asked Chrollo very worried as he saw Machi and Sarasa accompanied by that extravagant man.

“Hi! You must be Machi’s husband! Is a pleasure to meet you again Chrollo, it has been a while since college!” Said Hisoka.

“Hisoka? From the drama club?” asked Chrollo disconcerted. He vaguely remembered that Hisoka had joined to the drama club with him just to be expelled from college a few weeks after joining them and helping them with the Midsummer Night's Dream play they were preparing.

“Yes, that’s me. I just saw Machi and your baby girl Sarasa eating here so I joined them to talk a bit about the old times and shake the stress away!” Said Hisoka.

“Well, what a coincidence… I just passed by here with Shizuku after her therapy appointment because we both wanted to try that horchata drink they were serving or maybe give a try to that new strawberry agua fresca.” Answered Chrollo.

“Both are really good, but if you want to get the best stuff here, I’ll recommend to give try to the coconut agua fresca.” Recommended Hisoka.

“That coconut drink sounds good papa.” Said Shizuku, agreeing with Hisoka recommendation.

“Well, maybe we should give it a try. Do you want to stay with us for a bit more Hisoka? It has been a while and I would love to know what have you been doing all these years!” Said Chrollo relaxing a bit despite the weirdness of their encounter.

“I would love to do that too, but I have to go my dear friend. Also, I think you should help Machi a bit with Sarasa, she just pooped her pants and your wife seems way too tired to deal with a diaper emergency.” Said Hisoka bluntly.

Chrollo didn’t hesitated in taking the baby bag from Machi’s table and carrying Sarasa to the bathroom. Machi smiled relieved as she saw how Shizuku just sat on a nearby table and started to play Yoshi's Island in her Nintendo DS ignoring everybody around her.

“So, tomorrow we start our operation?” Said Hisoka in an almost inaudible voice.

“Yes.” Said Machi, determined to get that money by any mean possible.

Hisoka just smiled as he got out the restaurant.

[donnerpartyofone]

I know this isn't a new idea and I do not have a specific and detailed solution to offer, but I really, strongly feel like you shouldn't have to pay to go anywhere. Like not only should there be widely available mass transit, but it should really be free. Setting luxury options aside, travel feels like a fake product. The idea that you have to pay to access geographic locations on a planet we can't help sharing, and where there are sometimes far-apart things you MUST do like go to work or to the doctor or to a funeral, feels the same to me as the idea of Nestlé privatizing water. There's this episode of [sitcom of canceled comedian] where somebody says of NYC something like "It costs $50 an hour just to be outside here," and he's totally right. (And incidentally the episode ends with his suicide) You always have to budget for even minor travel and emergencies/incidentals (ie buying something in order to use a restroom), and it winds up feeling like you have to pay just to leave your apartment. I think it's in Philip K Dick's Ubik where everything is basically coin operated and you have to pay to like open and close your refrigerator, let alone to get in and out of your apartment. The increasing push to transform ownership into subscription services feels like that. But anyway I have to go to part 2 of a TMJ evaluation that's supposed to help with my tinnitus and neck pain, that is probably just going to tell me that I need an $8,000 treatment that insurance doesn't cover; I'll have spent $12 just traveling to do this, and that seems stupid to me. Sure, I COULD have built a couple hours into my day to walk there, or you can ride a bike if you are willing and able, but that's beside the point. It even bothers me, for extra reasons, that getting a passport is so expensive. Even if the state could somehow prove that they absolutely cannot reallocate, like, whatever they're paying the gangs of cops who stand together on subway platforms playing Candy Crush on their phones all over the city, to actually make the subways functional and free...I still think everybody should get a free passport. Making a certain amount of money shouldn't be a requirement for crossing artificial boundaries to do stuff that might actually be important, or non-negotiable. Or that you shouldn't need an excuse for, you should just be able to go places.

[doilyboily]

God knew if he made me not have treatment resistant depression, that I would become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Or, a rant.

I'm going through Venlafaxine/Effexor withdrawals and HOLY FUCK this is terrible, I spent months tapering down to 75mg but I couldn't wait any longer to get off this capsule of hell. But now I'm going to try Bupropion AKA Zyban which isn't covered by the PBS for depression, it's only covered for smoking cessation, which makes no fucking sense bc its apparently quite an effective antidepressant, which means that it costs ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT SIX DOLLARS (186 AUD or 125USD) which means that I'll probably only try this one only until the box runs out bc I do NOT have the money to spend on a medication that, with my luck, wont even fucking work and I'll feel waaay too guilty if my dad pays for it, even though he can afford it and it is his legal obligation... so my options for treating my depression, not including therapy bc that is also too expensive and I'm too self aware for it to work, are:

spend over 1,200 dollars per year and take the Bupropion/Zyban, if it does work.

try MAOIs, which means I'll have to go through MORE withdrawals and most likely have to stop taking my ADHD meds.

try and see if Ketamine therapy is legal where I live for minors and just in general, then try and get a job to pay for it bc holy shit it is expensive.

try even MORE SSRI's even though I've already tried six different ones since I was eight years old and I'm almost seventeen.

try electroconvulsive therapy, which will most likely not be covered by either my insurance OR Medicare and will one hundred percent cost a LOT of money to have done regularly.

and my final option, which is to follow in the footsteps of my paternal half siblings and all my paternal first cousins, which would be succumbing to drug addiction as a way to numb myself and pretend that everything is fine.

Basically, I'll either spend a ton of money which I do not have, and also need to save for top surgery, which may or may not end up actually treating me, or I follow in the footsteps of pretty much everyone on my dads side of the family and repeat the cycle of generational trauma.

So, either way, I am absolutely fucked.

[lavenrain]

Chapter 1 - Down For the Inglorious Count!

I'm mainly using this translation here as it's the one I've used to read it in English. Hopefully soon I can read the Japanese version once my studies align properly! Anyhow, let's begin? Most of this a rundown since I've already skim through it but I needed to reread for full comprehension and wanted to look more into the character progression now that I'm familiar with everything that's happened.

There are 191 chapters, but each review update will be a case-by-case thing to avoid spam. xD I welcome any and all feedback/asks/comments.

Fuck yeah, I haven't seen or read Cat's Eye but based on one of the characters in the series I'm sure it's a treat!

Long sigh. My introduction to Ryo is him betting on boxing and I wasn't too pleased given that I don't understand betting or gambling your money away like that in general. Although that quickly got swept away when him and Makimura started talking about the case; in short, this woman's lover is killed while they're out helping him train for the next match (the guy Ryo's complaining about). It probably stings a lot more for her considering she's a doctor.

Yeah, his usual clients are beautiful women. I would've noped out here but it's the 80's and it's shounen so I knew what I was getting myself into. Also nod to Makimura's sister.

Longer sigh. Anyway, the reasons he goes to a guy like Ryo is because he's a sweeper (hitman basically) and she wants him to kill the guy that killed her guy. I know it's supposed to be dramatic but the way she came to that conclusion startled me a bit; it would be a lot of productive if you... say... let it go and focused on doing your job, but then,

I guess I can understand now.

Great Caesar's Batman. I tried to look up what the conversation rate would've been in the 80's but it's about 1/3 more than 190k which is still a lot of dough. Also. Lady... I have to question whether or not there's other malpractice afoot.

I like a little light heartedness in my crime drama; I'd've given up at the first wind because fuck northern nightly temps (I'm Floridian). But we got our man! Gotta say, I'm a little surprised the next champ didn't just start doing workouts during the day or was advised against doing it alone all things considered. But the guy apparently never suspects his competitors doing such a thing which... hm. This is the 80's and that's probably going to be my catchphrase during the whole review.

The guy eventually threatens his daughter, tells him to drop the competition, he agrees, and his life is spared. Hurray! Wonder why the other guy didn't get the same treatment, unlucky fella. Ryo... doesn't do anything here, which is beyond weird since it would be very easy to simply finish the job and drag the other guy's body far away enough to not be prime suspect (even though the blunt force trauma to the head would probably clear him).

Okay, so he makes her go the boxing match. A little dramatic, and dangerous, and you run the risk of getting caught tenfold, but he makes her go to the boxing match.

I appreciate how most of the methodologies are explained. It's not simply: guy shoots another guy with gun. I had no fuckin' clue bullets like this existed, and he's wielding a shotgun(?) too!

I'm too pissed at the boxer guy to accept the fact that he shot a gun in the middle of a crowd stadium, and no one saw because it was covered with a fucking newspaper. Too pissed.

Don't rip up the fraudulent insurance claim Ryo! How will you get paid now? I mean seriously. You did all that, I'm sure Makimura, the bullet and time stalking cost money so how is a dying doctor as a lover supposed to fund your basic needs?

Overall review

For a first chapter, it's an okay introduction of the character. I know info dumping wouldn't have been helpful so I'm not complaining about that so much that the love declaration at the end is very strange and a bit cheap. However, it's firmly established that Ryo's a... crouching moron hidden badass, so I'll take it.

The art is very good! It's more... paint-y, (please don't crucify me) and makes the theme a lot of intense in parts I wouldn't think twice about!

Next

[amitthareja]

THE RIGHT “BRACES” FOR YOUR CHILD

First, I’m going to tell you WHY children want braces. Then you might think: “Braces aren’t cool! They look unpleasant and weird, Why should my Kid wear them? ”Don’t worry, We at Thareja’s Dental Care have been given your solutions to this concern! Finally, we’ll talk about ways wherein your child can benefit from wearing braces or aligners.

Braces aren’t only for straightening teeth — they are able to help kids in a variety of ways, which include improving their oral health, smile, look, and confidence! To discover how braces benefit children, read this blog.

Braces are a bit high-priced stuff, we agree but they may be essential too. They cost loads of money and a basic amount of time for taking effect, sometimes even greater than their seen value. But In our opinion, it’s all really well worth the price you paid for. Though sometimes braces and aligners can be time consumptive and braces cleaning may be annoying, braces can simply change your kid’s life.

It became a little bittersweet to undergo the treatment process, however, a lot of years later I can say with experience that kids’ braces are 100 percent really well worth it.

Braces are not a signal of childhood that most kids grow up with. But in fact, orthodontic care can help kids grow better in terms of future dental health or even their self-esteem. Here are common misconceptions about the want for braces and why kids should be sporting them.

1) Braces and aligners are an awesome way to help your children’s teeth “straighten up” and assist them to attain their full “smile potential.”

2)Your kid’s teeth are crooked, and you want to do something about it. Before you run out and make an appointment for your infant to get braces, let’s check a number of the reasons children want orthodontic treatment which include the inability to chew or talk properly.

3)While the thought of someone putting brackets in your tooth and fiddling with wires running in and out of your mouth is probably going to be less than inspiring, braces are actually a great thing for kids. In fact, research has shown that they will be capable of helping massively by leading to several positive physical and mental improvements.

4) Braces aren’t only for adults anymore—kids need orthodontic treatment too! Did you understand that according to a 2019 survey by The Indian Association of Orthodontists, 47% of children have been treated with some form of orthodontic treatment? That’s roughly 1 in every 2! There are numerous reasons why your child might want the help of braces or any other orthodontic appliance, such as crowding, misalignment, teeth gaps or spacing, oversized teeth, and chewing issues. Braces are not only good for adults. Kids advantage greatly from orthodontic braces and aligners! Braces aren’t a sign of bad hygiene, they’re a sign you care!

[cazort]

This is such an important thing and I'm finally glad to see it put into words.

I also am extremely frustrated with the insurance industry for what they don't do.

My entire life, I've fought an uphill battle against doctors who are taking an intervention-heavy approach to medicine, often prescribing meds to me that I don't want, don't need, and don't fill or don't take if I do fill them. They also prescribe tests, similarly, that I don't want or need, and sometimes other costly treatments.

For example, I was once prescribed a CT-scan, which at the time would have cost around $1,000 and exposed me to around 50x the radiation of an x-ray. I asked if it was necessary, and the doctor said "Well, maybe. If you want to know, I could prescribe an X-ray and then that will show whether or not the CT-scan is necessary." I requested the X-ray, which cost $37, which I paid out of pocket. It came back showing the CT-scan was not necessary.

Now here's the thing. If I had just gotten the CT scan I might have paid $500 out of pocket (I forget what my deductible was but it was a long time ago and was probably around that back then) and then insurance would have covered the other $500, perhaps a bit less if they negotiated down the payment. But they would have paid a lot.

It would have been much cheaper for the insurance to actually pay for my $37 X-ray. But no, I had to pay for that.

And here's the thing. I KNOW lots of other patients would have just done the CT scan, without asking.

And this is hardly the only example of this sort of thing. It's come up again and again. I once had a type of ankle injury that orthopedic surgeons will all say "requires surgery in 95% of cases". Well, I was in that 5% and instead of going for surgery, I insisted on trying PT alone, first. And PT alone fixed it. And it cost me hundreds of dollars, instead of tens of thousands of dollars (plus the same amount of PT required during surgery recovery.) Again, I paid out of pocket because the total cost of PT came in under my deductible. But I easily saved the insurance company tens of thousands of dollars.

Did the insurance company help me out in either of these scenarios? No. Not at all.

They made it more difficult for me. In both cases, they paid out NOTHING to me, whereas if I had taken the more expensive treatment, they would have paid out heavily.

I desperately want to keep healthcare costs down. I try, every time I go to the doctor. And I feel like I'm fighting both the doctors and the insurance companies. And sometimes, I'm even fighting employers.

For example, employers often cover a fixed percentage of health care plans. Sometimes it is quite generous. So for example if they cover 90% of the cost of a plan, then if the monthly premium for a cheap plan is $500, and for a more expensive plan is $1000, the cost to me would be $50 a month or $100 a month. But the difference in value of the plan is not $50 a month, it's $500 a month. So basically what is happening is that if I pick the cheap plan, my employer is paying $450 a month on my behalf, but if I pick the expensive plan my employer is paying $900 a month. So I'm getting an extra $450 a month paid on my behalf. So this strongly incentivizes me to pick the more expensive plan. There is no way I can access that money otherwise.

And the better plan is likely to save me a lot more, each year, than the $50/month I save. However, it is much more costly to the employer, and much less efficient for society as a whole.

And then, having a better plan disincentivizes me to keep my costs limited.

Tax policy compounds this problem. The value of the insurance plan is not included in my income for tax purposes, but if a company pays me a salary, that is included. So this further incentivizes me picking the expensive plan because it minimizes my tax liability whereas if I took a different job with better pay but crappier health insurance benefits, I would pay more tax. So it reinforces the incentive to pick the most expensive plans, magnifying the problem.

I hate it. It is an entirely broken system of incentives.

These problems are all fixable.

Some are fixable on the insurance company's ends, like they could just choose to authorize certain payments independent of the deductible if they saw those payments as having a high likelihood of preventing unnecessary expenditures. Such coverage could be inexpensive preliminary tests, attempts to treat things pre-surgery with PT to see if the surgery was necessary, talk therapy before trying expensive medications, all sorts of things. It could be offered as a free option, not even made mandatory, and the company would save a ton of money because it would address the issue in some rather large percentage of cases. In the case of something exorbitant like surgery, it would only need to fix a few cases to pay off, like if it saves a $100,000 surgery, paying $1,000 for many sessions of PT would make the company big profits if it even only worked in 2% of cases. And it's likely it would work in a much larger percentage of cases like that.

Tax reform could fix the tax incentives.

You could also pass reforms at the state level that would force employees to compensate employees equally regardless of the cost of their healthcare plans, so like, if you got a cheaper plan, they would have to pay you more.

You can also fight this as an individual, the way I do, by always asking up-front what any procedure costs, and always asking if there is a cheaper alternative or cheaper test that determines if the expensive test and/or treatment is really necessary. Much of the time there is a cheaper preliminary option and it can save you a ton of money and in some cases save you unnecessary treatments.

You can fight some things at the time of billing by asking for itemized charges. Often a lot of costs mysteriously disappear.

We could also push for state laws that protect patients by requiring providers quote prices and get consent for treatment at those prices, up-front. That would reduce a lot of unnecessary costs.

I'm so frustrated at insurance companies because many of these legal reforms would be in their interest (excepting the tax and compensation reforms which would hurt them), but I almost never see them lobbying for this stuff.

Please don't fall for the line, "But health insurers only take this tiny % of US healthcare expenses!!! They're such maligned innocents uwu."

I have news for you:

THE MONEY THAT INSURERS COME AWAY WITH ≠ THE POVERTY THEY LEAVE IN THEIR WAKE

Insurers create poverty when I can't contact my doctor for a vital prescription because his secretary spent all day submitting and revising prior auth forms instead of answering the phone. The money for her labor gets flushed down a burocratic drain, and the insurer doesn't get a cent of it. Money goes to the time my doctor spends begging his employers to hire more secretaries, and the time his employers spend coming up with reasons to say no.

Money goes into the time pharmacy workers go back and forth with patients about why we can't have the medication we need to walk, or live, or think. It goes into the time they play phone tag with the doctor, then the insurer, trying to figure out where the care got blocked, so they can give us a clue how to unblock it.

Money goes into the time professionals spend convincing me not to self-harm when I can't get the meds my doctor prescribed, psychiatric or otherwise.

Often I'm denied a medication that only costs a few dollars out of pocket with the right coupon. Medicine I could afford, if buying medicine out of pocket when you have insurance didn't create more red tape than it cuts through. If I spend hours in therapy because an insurer cheated me out of $8 of medicine, even the insurer loses money. But they net more gain than loss, because most patients don't have time to fight them like I do.

If my body weren't worn out from years fighting this battle, my thyroid would probably be dying more slowly. Society would have to pay for fewer blood tests and doctor's visits, for lower dosages of levothyroxine.

If my insurance covered more frequent thyroid tests, I'd spend less time symptomatic. My kidneys would be safer, and so would every system in my body that works better when it's easier to move. In a million little ways, the restrictions insurers place on our care will land society with heftier medical bills down the line. Bills for treatment that many of us won't want if we get sick properly at 80 after long life.

Then there's the cost incurred when medical workers are bone-weary and soul-weary from fighting for us, and they make expensive mistakes. There's the lapses in care because so many workers get worn away to nothing and leave the field understaffed, leading to preventable emergencies and hospitalizations.

Part of what makes the insurance industry so ghoulish is that they could still rake in millions in decent ways. Fewer millions, and more slowly. They could ensure that seniors can refuse unwanted care; it would cut costs massively while reducing cruelty. They could offer better preventive medicine. Ensure easier access to group counseling, so paid experts can stretch their time farther and more people can find a support network. There are ways to make medicine cheaper while also making it kinder. Execs have chosen an antagonistic stance toward patients and doctors because it pays off somewhat bigger and a lot faster. It looks better on a quarterly report. The fight that's resulted is wildly expensive for everyone.

THE MONEY THAT HEALTH INSURERS BRING IN DOES NOT REFLECT THE COST THEY INCUR ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

...let alone the cost they incur on the human beings trapped inside it

[nealcassatiel]

Why was the Prequel announced sooo early? Why is Jared being super dumb? Why might his tweets cause SERIOUS issues for the future of the prequel? Why should Jensen and Dannel be livid and actually quite worried as CEOs?

I see lots of people, Jared being the main one, super confused as to why the Prequel was announced in Deadline when apparently its still just an idea? Surely its further down the road, development-wise, than Deadline and Jensen and Daneel are saying? Surely Jared has been left out of months and months of development of this show??? Well, no. Not really. This is what i think, as someone who works in TV development...

A lot of questions have occurred as to why Jared may not have known about the Ackles’ prequel, and yes it might be because they haven’t talked, but let’s look at this from an industry perspective…

Of course the project may already have NDAs attached to it, and as it seems to be in the incredibly early stages, there may not even be anything to the project right now. Working in TV development, you can have big announcements in the Trade publications (such as Deadline) with just an idea for a project with maybe one high profile talent attached. When the company’s ive worked for announce a project in it’s really early stages, without even a script and just an idea but also with IMPORTANT TALENT ATTACHED, it is for one reason: finance. The prod company and the Trade magazine work together to announce the project and it’s all planed. 

So I would guess that maybe Jensen and Daneel’s prod company are looking for extra financing? That is always why the companies ive worked for have made super early announcements like this, without even a script or an entire treatment written. If you announce a project super early but there is big talent attached, then big industry financiers may read, see the project has legs and has buzz around it already, and plonk in their money early on. 

I know it seems like if Deadline announce a project then that infers that lots has been done to develop the show already, but especially with the pandemic and the industry not doing well from a dev and prod point of view, and especially because Jensen and Daneel’s prod company hasn’t made anything yet (even if it does have a co-production deal with Warner Bros television), they still might need to get financing during the early stages of the project. Anyway, it makes sense that very little has been done on the prequel show, and they just want early buzz for financiers. So they got their PR team to talk to Deadline and Deadline and Warner Bros TV and J&D’s prod company’s PR team set up a date for the article to go out to get optimal buzz in line with when financing needs to get off the ground. 

I don’t know, but I’m sure J&D’s prod company paid a lot for the spin-off rights / general supernatural IP. So that’s a lot of sunken costs already. Also, even with The CW on board, the industry is pretty shaky right now and they still might need early financing from international distributers. 

Anyway, all I’m saying is that lots of times, when a project so early in development gets a Trade publication announcement, it’s to secure financing for the project, or to raise the awareness of a new production company, like J&A’s company. Maybe they have a whole slate of projects and are looking for co-producers, and need some legit PR to play with the other big lads in the industry (however, Chaos Machine could do with like… i mean the bare minimum of a website,, unless anyone can see their website? i cant find one?) Maybe they just want to focus on the SPN prequel. But even so, why do they need money, you ask?

If the CW is involved, and if Warner Bros television is co-producing, then why do the Ackles’s prod company need money? Surely the CW can support them and make the show?! Well… i mean, yes they could. But the Ackles wouldn’t necessarily WANT that. You see, whichever company funds the show, gets most of the creative rights to the show. The big issue with SPN was always that the CW/Warner Bros TV probably had things like ‘the final cut privalege’, and could ALWAYS have the final say on scripts. Having been through that on SPN, Jensen needs his production company to retain creative control over the IP and the rights, and for that to happen is prod co NEEDS to fund a majority of the costs. So the Ackles’ need to secure a heck of a lot of financing as a separate entity to the CW. This will mean they might get financiers, other prod cos, distribution companies, and such on board, just by an early announcement of a big project that already has legs and a buzz around it and YOU CAN HELP GET IT MADE AND GET A SLICE OF THE PROFITS ONCE IT’S MADE. See how great this project is ALREADY? Give us some money to help us retain the creative rights and get it made, then you get whatever percentage of the show’s profits. A great investment right? Look at our willing and lovely fanbase! We’re like a big family! A big, happy, fa — *enter Jared with a bulldozer*

SO. With this PR disaster from Jared’s stupid rage tweets like he’s a child, what’s the situation now? I mean, all press is good press… kind of? 

I expect the announcement has something to do with money. Either the project needs money or J&D’s production company needs money. I expect the Ackles are looking for financing, but now is their lovely PR stunt to try to get the project financially off the ground, or at least the PR stunt to try to make sure THE ACKLES retain creative rights by majorly funding the project in jeopardy? 

It depends. Certainly Jared storming in and destroying the idea of a solid and family-like fanbase is going to hamper things. Jared destroying the brotherly vibe, a central theme of the IP, is going to be an issue, but the statements J&J put out to end the drama, and Deadline’s unbelievably obvious ‘solve the drama PR’ where they wrote about the drama ‘All’s well that ends well. After some Supernatural drama that mobilized the series’ legions of fans Thursday night and Friday morning, showcasing the series’ massive social media reach, the #spnfamily is happily back together after a heart-to-heart between Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.’ (https://deadline.com/2021/06/jared-padalecki-supernatural-prequel-reaction-bummed-gutted-the-winchesters-jensen-ackles-the-cw-1234781475/) will help. Side note, Deadline writing the announcement article with the Ackles to help them get good PR for a project, then having to write an article to solve the bad PR that was caused by their original ‘this’ll be great PR’ article is pretty hilarious. 

Basically, I don’t know if this’ll really affect the reason for the article: getting the Ackle’s money for the project. Whether it will affect the project or how much creative control the Ackles can keep if the CW does have to step in and fund it, I don’t know. But Jared obviously has no idea about how television development works, and certainly has no idea that shows so early in development have these trade publication announcements for financing (a pretty obvious and known-about thing to anyone who works at a film or tv company). Jared also seemed to think that BECAUSE it was announced in Deadline, THAT MUST MEAN that the project was more than an idea with some creatives attached, which again shows that he doesn’t understand how projects in development work and why they’re so often announced when there isn’t even a proper treatment let alone script. The dude is obviously clueless, and there is J&D trying to run a production company which pulls PR moves like this regularly, as an industry standard.

So, even if this doesn’t jeopardise the projects financing, and therefore the control the Ackle’s prod company has over the project, the personal effect this will have on Jensen could be huge. Jared, with his stupid uninformed idea that he’s been left out of loads of development of a project just because it was announced in a magazine, could be read by Jensen as really putting his baby of a project in danger. The article was about money, and what if Jared’s tweets mean that they won’t be able to fund it? What if the CW does have to majority fund it and therefore keep creative control like they did with SPN? Like, this is Jensen and his wife’s COMPANY. Which they’ve already sunken costs into? Like… this is their FINANCIAL FUTURE Jared has stuck his foot into? That article WAS ABOUT MONEY FOR THEIR COMPANY. OF COURSE IT WAS. And now Jared has put their company, and financial future into question potentially? DUMB IDIOT. 

Anyway, that’s how announcements like this work, this is why they normally happen when a project is so early in its development it seems silly to even ‘announce’ anything. Someone forward this to Jared plz and thanks. xxx

[metanoiyed-archive]

Donation links & funds

“so everyone in this house is moving out come summer, and since i’ve got no choice and would rather not be homeless, i’ll probably have to start a paypal pool or something so i can compensate for moving to the states and living expenses. help out your fave mentally ill gay black dude.” As of 03/14/21 is $5,000.10 out of $15,000. Link here.

As of 04/19/21 the Sonoma County Black Coalition has $1,840 of the $5000 goal to acquire a 3D Printer and heat press machine. Link to donate here. Their other GFM, of which I’ve taken a snippet of the description, “We the Sonoma County Black Coalition (SCBC) are a collective of Black youth, students, adults, and elders in the Community of Sonoma County. We are a Black-led grassroots organization that provides a safe and supportive space.” This is at $5,114 of the $15,000 goal as of 04/19/21, link here.

Donate to this user and their family save their home from outstanding debt and creditors repossessing it. As of 3/12/21 it is $5,690 out of $10,000. Link to post here.

“Autumn is a social worker, future gender therapist, a tireless advocate for the trans community, and an all-around amazing person and friend. She’s been waiting on this surgery for years and because of insurance issues and a longer-than-expected quarantine period, she might not be able to receive the medical care she needs.” As of 04/19/21 she has $4,961 of her goal of $20,000. The link to post here.

User literaltortoise needs help securing funds, they have outstanding debt and other bills that they need help paying. Link here.

Top surgery fund for tumblr user wyomings. Link here. As of 04/19/21 $833 raised of $2,000 goal.

Help my friend Lilya pay for basic needs and necessities, twitter post here. They’re really struggling hard right now. Lilya is a disabled two-spirit/non-binary person who had money stolen out of their count by GoFundMe, and can’t get it back. It’s taken such a hit on their yearly budget and savings that every small thing is setting them back further, and Lilya’s health is suffering for it. As of 04/19/21 this is ongoing.

As of 04/19/21 Juliana’s jaw surgery is $6,599 out of $14,000. Link to donate.

Housing fund for a Black lesbian couple, $21,486 out of $35,000 goal as of 04/19/21. Link here.

Help a jailed trans woman activist, $4,000 of $10,000 goal reached as of 04/19/21. Link here.

This is a donation fund to help this user relocate to Vermont to get surgery. As of 04/19/21 this has $7,606 of $10,000. Link here.

Funeral expenses for the Espinoza family, as of 04/19/21 the GFM has raised $8,066 of $10,000. Link to donate here.

This fundraiser has $4,758 of the $10,000 goal as of 04/19/21 to help this individual get treatment for his constant, daily seizures. Share the post and donate if you’re able. Link here.

This fundraiser to help this family who’s home was destroyed in a flood has $1,605 out of the $2,000 goal as of 04/19/21. Share the post and donate if you’re able. Link here.

This gofundme has $325 out of the $6,500 goal to help them move into a safe apartment as of 03/12/21. Their landlord is pressuring them; please share and donate if you can. Link here.

Tumblr User remys helpfully put together a whole list of trans users who need help/donations! The amounts are there, I’m sure they’ll update them.

Some of kittcore’s gofundme’s we’re finished or out of date, so I tried to discern which were which:

Sol’s transition fund, $25,104 out of $50,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Help Yemenis Trans woman escape Yemen, goal is £8,247 out of £12,000 as of 04/19/21

Memorial fund for Bree Black, $3,789 out of $10,000 goal raised as of 03/09/21

Trans woman of color seeking housing, $8,286 out of $9,500 goal as of 03/09/21

Bee’s gender affirmation, $20,868 out of $65,000 goal raised as of 04/19/21

Kimberley's Transitioning Fund $2,390 out of $15,000 goal as of 03/09/21

Terra’s transition fund, $5,217 out of $35,000 goal as of 03/09/21

Robyn’s transitioning surgery, $7,420 out of $10,000 goal as of 03/09/21

Sanaia’s vital operation, $3,464 out of $35,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Phoenix Gayle needs donations to stay in her apartment! $13,267 out of $15,000 goal as of 03/09/21

Liana’s HRT fundraiser £490 out of £3,615 as of 03/09/21

Support Arya’s Re-Entry! $2,392 out of $4,000 goal as of 03/09/21

Wanbli’s facial feminization surgery, $1,480 out of $5,000 as of 03/09/21

Help two struggling trans women upright their life, $275 out of $5,000 raised as of 03/09/21

A trans woman needs help, $4,755 out of $10,000 raised as of 03/09/21

Help Shaun after her vicious attack (CW) $926 out of $2000 goal as of 03/09/21

Vaughn, Michelle’s family dog, needs emergency lung surgery, which is going to cost thousands of dollars. Their gofundme is at $3,534 out of $7,000 as of 04/19/21.

This gofundme to keep a Black Trans woman from homelessness has $2,023 out of a $15,000 goal as of 03/14/21, share and donate here

Help Sparrow obtain ocular implants! The link to donate to this gofundme is here. $1,130 out of $8,000 goal as of 04/19/21.

Donate to help pay for Sunday's life changing surgery, £4,875 out of £6,500 as of 04/19/21. Link here.

Donate to help Rosie, a a Trans Woman and Antifascist Activist Survive the Pandemic, $2,765 raised of $5,000 goal as of 04/19/21. Link here

Donate to Mary's life changing surgery. $420 out of $20,000 as of 04/19/21.

Save Muthamagick, $7,161 out of $50,000 as of 04/19/21.

Support Debbie's transition fund, $83,613 out of $375,000 as of 04/19/21

Help Ela with her transition, $70 AUD out of $20,000 AUD goal as of 04/19/21

SY's transition and survival fund, €2,717 out of €10,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Black trans woman medical transition fund, $1,699 out of $7,000 as of 04/19/21

Alyx's gender affirming surgery fund, $1,300 out of $15,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Help a Trans woman pay her bills, $1,800 out of $2,500 as of 04/19/21

Tiana's transition and move out fund, $7,891 out of $12,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Help Mia transition, £1,000 out of £4,500 goal as of 04/19/21

Help Black trans woman secure housing, €8,574 out of €10,000 goal as of 04/19/21

Kyo's transition fund, $15,749 out of $25,000 as of 04/19/21

Silver's transition fund, $39,833 out of $85,000 as of 04/19/21

Fund Jasmine's transition, $10,580 out of $25,000 as of 04/19/21

Lidia's safety fund, $21,402 raised of $45,000 as of 04/19/21

Clarabelle's living and bills fund, $9,093 out of $18,000 as of 04/19/21

Help Brooklyn Summers get housed, $5,514 out of $15,000 as of 04/19/21

Leah urgently needs to relocate, £120 raised of £1,200 goal as of 04/19/21

Justice's transition, survival and housing fund $4,295 out of $20,000 as of 04/19/21

Salem, Kye and their cats need help relocating, $220 out of $3,000 as of 04/19/21

Donate to Bay Davis' affirmation health and security fund, $20,895 out of $25,000 as of 04/19/21

Terria's transition and survival fund, $9,219 out of $30,000 as of 04/19/21

Mia is raising money for stem cell therapy to regain feeling in her legs, $8,647 out of $80,000 goal as of 04/19/21

[uboat53]

So here's a question, is it more important that an anti-poverty program only give people what we feel they deserve or is it more important that it work in terms of getting them out of poverty?

I ask because this is becoming one of the key issues in debates about the social safety net here in the United States. Specifically, requirements that people be deserving of help is preventing us from implementing policies that we know help people out of poverty. I guess this is a bit of a LONG RANT (TM).

THE PROBLEM

You might be surprised to know this, but we actually know fairly well how to get people out of all kinds of poverty. With about 90% or more success, we actually have pretty good strategies to deal with all kinds of problems from homelessness to drug use to simply not having enough money to cover basic needs. All of that has well known solutions that are backed by really solid academic research.

The problem is that almost every solution involves giving somebody something at the start with no strings attached and conservatives especially have a problem with this because one of their core beliefs is that someone needs to earn assistance.

A DEEPER DIVE

I want to look closer at some of the methodology because it's important that you understand how this works. To start with, humans are not designed for sustained stress. We're designed for quick stresses, an animal chases you, you run or fight, you either live or you don't. Sustained stress causes huge physical damage to our bodies and, importantly, also affects our thought processes in really problematic ways.

Poverty is probably the most common sustained stress in the modern world. Not knowing if you're going to be able to pay bills tomorrow, having to choose between this necessity and that necessity, or just going further and further into debt that you'll never be able to repay is a massive stress for the people going through it.

What we've found is that the most effective way to get people out of that situation is to begin by alleviating the stress. In the case of homelessness you would give them a place, any place, to live, in the case of financial distress you would give them money, and in the case of drug use you'd give them a place to do drugs safely. By taking away at least some of the stress you allow this person to recover from stress induced patterns of behavior and, hopefully, begin making the kind of more considered choices that could eventually lead them out of poverty and sustain themselves.

This is why conditional assistance is less successful. It may be that it is in this person's best interest to do the thing you are requiring them to do and it may be that this would be the most effective way on paper to get them out of poverty, but a person in the midst of a sustained stress will likely be less capable of performing whatever task it is consistently and the more tasks are required in order to get assistance, the less likely it is that any person will be able to actually complete them all.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM

So if we know what works, then what's the problem? It turns out that some people don't have ending poverty as their primary goal. Some people think it's more important that assistance of any kind be earned than that it be successful, and a lot of them are now in positions of power.

Poverty is expensive, not just for the person in it, but also for society as a whole. People in poverty use services that they can't pay for which means that the costs are borne by society as a whole. Our prison systems are full of people who commit crimes of desperation and emergency rooms regularly treat people who cannot afford to pay for treatment among other things, all of which are about the most expensive ways to deal with the issues that they address.

In other words, not only are programs that give assistance without conditions much more effective at ending poverty, they're also orders of magnitude less expensive than our current conditional system.

MORALITY

Let's take a look at the root of the problem now, and I'm going to make an argument here so this isn't purely analytical. The root cause of the problem is that (mostly) conservatives argue that giving aid to people unconditionally is unfair to those who don't need the aid.

First of all, I'm going to put aside the fact that we have a genuinely unequal society in which people are unfairly born into economic conditions beyond their control. That's relevant, but the people who make these arguments have a hard time conceptualizing it so I'm going to put it aside for the moment because, even without it, I think I've got a solid case here.

You see, what's really unfair to the people who don't need the aid is not fixing the problem. You see, those who don't need the aid are the ones who pay the taxes and, by not fixing the problem, you're bilking them out of billions that are instead spent on all of these other, more expensive things we have to do instead.

Now, if you're both amoral and libertarian, you might say that the solution is just to stop doing anything at all, but almost all of us (I'm willing it bet it's 99%+) at least claim to subscribe to a belief system that prevents us from standing idle while another person dies. We CANNOT simply allow another people to die or suffer major harm just because they are poor and pretend to be moral individuals.

Since we cannot morally deny life-saving care and because such care is much more expensive than dealing with the root causes of the issue, I argue that a true analysis of the moral choices is the opposite of what those (mostly) conservatives say. The true moral choice on poverty, the one that's fairest to both those receiving the aid and those from whose taxes the aid is provided, is to use the most effective means to end that poverty.

CONCLUSION

We know what the most effective means of ending poverty are, but some people don't want to use them because they use flawed moral arguments. When understood correctly, using the most effective means of ending poverty is the correct moral decision both for those in poverty as well as for those who pay the taxes for those programs.

If you're interested in reading about one of those extremely effective programs, housing first, this article gives a very good overview of the evidence behind it, the implementation, and some of the opposition it has faced.

[abpoli]

Max Sych is just weeks shy of his second birthday, and the little boy has already been through a lot.

His mom Bryarly Parker gave birth at only 25 weeks. Max was born weighing one pound and 11 ounces. He underwent several blood transfusions and a bedside surgery. He also endured a brain bleed, required respiratory therapy and was discharged on oxygen.

Max finally went home in Fairview Alta., and started to develop at a normal rate in accordance with his adjusted age. He was hitting all the milestones. But when he turned one, there was a change.

“At about 10 months, he was standing and walking with assistance… a little bit,” Parker said. “He would push a little cart, and he was doing a great job.

“All of a sudden, probably a month and half later, he stopped putting any weight on his legs at all.

“When we would go to hold him and walk him a little bit, he would arch his back, and he didn’t want to do any of that.”

At first, Parker and her husband, Bowden Sych, thought he was regressing because Max is a premi (a baby born prematurely).

“The comments we had gotten was ‘Oh, he is a premi,’ or you know, ‘Kids don’t walk until they are two, so just don’t worry about it,'” she said.

After a little bit of time, Parker and Sych knew something wasn’t right, and took their son to a neurologist.

“She (told us), ‘I think he has spinal muscular atrophy,'” Parker said.

After a week, Max was diagnosed as having the disorder.

According to Cure SMA Canada, SMA is a rare disorder that affects about one in 6,000 babies and causes muscles to waste away.

Patients are generally grouped into one of four categories based on certain key motor function milestones: types 1, 2, 3 and 4. Type 1 is the most severe form of the disorder while Type 4 the least severe.

Most children with Type 1 SMA die of respiratory issues before their second birthday. Max has Type 2, and life expectancy for children in that category can be normal.

In Canada, Max has access to Spinraza for treatment. The prescription drug could be given to Max for his entire life, and it can increase survival and motor function.

It’s a good option, but his parents want Zolgensma, which offers the benefit of a one-time dose and would replace the faulty gene at the root of the disorder. Studies show 91 per cent of patients who received the one-time infusion were still alive at 14 and 18 months, with no need for permanent breathing support.

But it is not funded by Health Canada, and it costs $2.8 million.

Another barrier is that Zolgensma is only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for babies under age two because it is deemed too risky in older children.

That means even if Canadian families can be approved through Health Canada’s Special Access Program, the age limit would likely remain.

“The medication that is available is $120,000 a treatment, every four months. It slows the progression, but it’s not a cure or replacement therapy,” Sych said.

“A one-time payment of $2.8 million, seems a lot but in the long run is cheaper.”

The family is raising money to get Max the treatment. A GoFundMe page has been set up. Max’s second birthday is Jan. 11, but since he was born premature, he may have more time to still receive it.

“We basically had a great group of friends and family who said failure is not an option and they are going to get us to our goal,” Sych said.

“Everybody is saying they will do whatever it takes to get Max treatment. There should just not be a cure that we can’t access in a first-world country.”

This is the fourth case of SMA that Global News has reported on this year alone.

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This little boy deserves every chance at life. His dad is my pharmacist in my hometown and is a wonderfully caring person. If you can, please donate to his GoFundMe here to help Mighty Max get treatment. If you're in the peace region, a lot of Fairview businesses are doing fundraisers for Max. You can also join the Facebook group to follow his treatment and fundraising efforts, Moving Mountains for Mighty Max.