#but hey! at least it saves the government money

[pilgrimposting]

wow i love having my future career possibly hang in the balance

[iknowicanbutwhy]

12 hour shifts should be illegal. Holy hell.

[gffa]

I just need a hug. A YouTuber I respected, Jessie Gender, tweeted that the Jedi deserved to end (though at least she had the decency to say it shouldn't have been in genocide). Ugh, it's hard to exist in fandom when everyone seems ready to judge the Jedi as cops and not a culture that palpatine eradicated.

Virtual hugs, anon. It's really hard to lose respect for a creator you once admired--and going to check out their tweet, oh, I see we're calling the Buddhist Christians again--and I try to be understanding, not a lot of people really know enough about non-Western dominant religions to realize the often xenophobic/imperialistic undertones to describing Buddhism as such (or my other favorite, calling the Buddhist-inspired religion a "cult"), as if Christianity is the default. At least they acknowledged that what happened was a genocide and didn't say it was their own fault/something they did. But here's my real advice, the only way I've found to make myself feel better after something like this: Go on a Jedi-positive spree. Don't vagueblog, that won't make you feel better in the long run, but address some of the things that frustrate you. Like, I would tweet out a, "Hey, you wanna see a list of all the times the Jedi said really nice things about Anakin?" or "Hey you wanna see a list of all the times the Jedi died to protect someone?" or "Hey you wanna see all the times the Jedi express emotion and said feelings were normal?" or "Hey you remember that time TCW explicitly showed us how the Jedi actually had no real power within the framework of the government? And we can see that they were were only there to better facilitate saving lives, because that's how you effect change on a galactic level, instead of idk charging people money to fly around the galaxy in ships and eat food?" Tweet out a series of George Lucas quotes about how the Jedi were right about stuff or how they were limited in Shitty Choice A or Shitty Choice B. This builds something positive, it makes it more fun to be around you and draw more people to you, and you will feel better. It sucks to lose respect for someone you liked, but just remember. No amount of fan opinions can touch what the movies and TCW and George Lucas' interviews, and ultimately it's still just Star Wars. We cannot live and die by a made up fictional story, I've tried and it sucks so much more than just shrugging my shoulders, saying to myself that someone has Bad Star Wars Takes, and sailing on off. Lots of hugs, anon, and I hope you can find comfort that there are still lots of us having fun over here in our Actually The Jedi Were Pretty Right About Everything corner. ^_~

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Found you again.

Leon S Kennedy x GN!Reader

Summary: After being saved by Leon in Spain, you find him again eight months later at a coffee shop.

Warnings: RE4R content, mentions impalement, mentions a therapist, and having a spotty memory, mentions government officials.

D/O = Drink Order.

~☆~

It was insane. After being trapped in Valdelobos for days and fighting to the brink of death, you were just told to go back home and live life like you did before the incident.

You were guided away from Leon and Ashley to fill in a report about what had happened, and the truth is, you didn't even know. You had no memory of how you got there or what you were doing there, something your therapist says is a trauma response.

All you know is that Leon had saved you from almost getting impaled by a pitchfork that a villager was holding. Then you joined him on a hunt to retrieve the presidents daughter, Ashley.

You remember the way that Leon reassuringly held you to his side by settling an arm around your waist. And how you begged him not to let you go when authorities wanted to take you in for questioning. He ended up having to hesitantly let you go anyway, promising that he would see you again.

Eight months later and you still haven't seen him. That is until you walked into your local coffee shop and noticed a familiar head of blonde hair attached to a familiar looking person. You couldn't deny that the feeling of hope that it could be him was the best thing you have felt in months. Slowly, you walked over to the booth he was in.

"Leon?" You spoke, still unsure if it could be him.

The man turned to look at you, shock evident on his face. "Y/N." He whispered.

"Hey, it's so nice to see you." You smiled down at him. He looks much better than he did in Valdelobos. He was clean and not sporting his usual furrowed eyebrow look.

He stared at you for a few seconds before speaking. "Yeah, it's nice to see you too. Uh, would you like to sit?"

You let out a small giggle before sitting down across from him. "Thank you."

"No problem."

You looked down at the table, there were papers with his writing all over them, and a closed laptop discarded to the side. "You workin'?"

Leon quickly looked back down at his papers and started putting them all in a pile. "Trying to get a vacation."

"Lord knows you need one." You mumbled.

"Uh, let me buy you a coffee." Leon offered.

"No, it's okay, you don't have to." You tried not to get him to spend his money on you.

"I want to." He smiled at you, a genuine smile that made you freeze and slowly nod your head. He had offered you tiny little ghosts of a smile back in Spain, not once has he smiled at you like that. If he continued to do it, you would probably do anything he asked.

Leon stood up from the booth, looking down at you. "What would you like?"

"Oh, um, D/O."

He smiled down at you one more time. "Alright, one coffee coming right up."

You watched as he walked over to the counter, stopping once he was finally talking to the barista. As he stood there waiting for your order, you decided to look out of the window next to you, not wanting him to catch you staring.

Subconsciously, you let a smile spread on your face. It was nice to finally see him again. You had been worried about him ever since you were put onto a plane back to your home without any word from or about him.

"What are you smiling about?" Leon asked as he set your drink on the table, sitting down immediately afterward.

"It's just nice to see you again, Leon." You admitted. "At least this time, we aren't getting axes thrown in our face by mind controlled freaks."

Leon stared at you for a few seconds before letting a small chuckle fall from his lips. "That was the worst part for you?"

You laughed at his words.

"How have you been?" You asked him, genuinely curious.

Leon watched as you took a sip from your drink before finding something to say. "I've been....well, I've been."

"Don't I know it." You sighed before chuckling.

"Sorry for not finding you before they brought you home." His eyes looked at anything but you.

You moved a hand to rest on his own, snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's okay, I was worried about you, but I was also in a happy to finally get back."

Leon turned his hand over, now holding your hand in his own. "I was worried too."

"You were worried? Leon Kennedy was worried about me?" You smiled at him, an act that he bashfully returned.

"Of course." He whispered, staring into your eyes.

A ringing erupted from Leon's phone, alerting both of you and forcing him to pull his hand away.

"Thank you for the coffee. It would be wonderful to see you again." You rushed out, reaching over to his side of the table to grab the pen he was writing with earlier and putting your phone number on a napkin. "Goodbye, Leon."

You got up from your seat and pressed a kiss to his cheek, quickly running out of the coffee shop afterward. Causing a wide-eyed Leon to turn and watch you run away, leaving his grasp once again. His phone was long forgotten because his mind was stuck on you... At least this time, he had a way to find you.

~☆~

Google says that the "Rural Village" Re4 took place in was called Valdelobos... I know a lot of people call it Las Plagas, and if it's that big of a deal, I can change it..

[aikeaguineamp3]

hey besties, if you’re reading this i hope you’re having a wonderful day. i am a gay non-binary disabled and mentally ill poor person, trying to survive off a very limited amount of government funds - this has been my situation for a while, and while it’s difficult to navigate, i just want to say i really appreciate all of you who have donated to me or shared posts like this of mine in the past, you have helped me more than words can describe.

recently my situation has changed in that i would really like to go back to school, and have been planning and preparing to do that. i am not legally able to work due to my disability, but am still legally able to attend college, and i believe that doing so would help me a lot with various problems that i’ve been dealing with.

there are however at least a few obstacles that stand in my way of this, but i think they can all be solved. one such obstacle is that i would need to buy a laptop - something i haven’t had in years, and something very costly. after researching i found out that the laptop that would best meet my needs is almost $800.

i have no clue how i would be able to afford this on my own - that amount is almost what i am paid in a month, and it is very hard to save money when most of your monthly income goes towards rent and utilities. i have been trying to save money despite this, but it has proved extremely difficult.

i’m asking for help with this, if anyone can donate anything it will help. the goal i’m trying to reach is 800, which i realize is a lot to ask for, but furthering my education would improve my life in multiple ways and i don’t want this to get in the way of that.

please donate or reblog if you can. and thank you so much for taking the time to read 💖 have a beautiful day

C A: $zmorris3752

V M: @charlieavery428

P P: ithinktheyrehavingfun@gmail.com

[yallemagne]

Season 4!!! Of X-Men: TAS!! This season was FUN. I've been taking notes while watching, that's probably apparent, it leads to more bullet points.

Episode 1: The Juggernaut Returns

SCOTT AND LOGAN WERE VISITING MORPH!!!!! <3333

“We’re saving Juggernaut’s sorry life. And don’t bother telling me you don’t like it.” “I don’t like it >:((.”

Charles trying to dig through Cain’s trauma, getting his own trauma instead and wondering “dog, why do I let this mf live, he sucks”

Chuck: “Don’t tell me to forgive my brother.” Storm: “I was literally just telling you to let him die, man.”

Cain literally knows why his father neglected him, he knows his father was a piece of shit after nothing but money… but he still scapegoats his brother. Dog. At least he doesn't beat Chuck's ass after the man saves his life. I guess.

Episode 2: A Deal With The Devil

Me: “Who’s the Devil in this scenario? Omega Red or whoever’s thawing him?” The people thawing him: *have American accents* Me: “Ah. Them.”

Dog… how you gonna be this stupid. FIRST OFF the Russian government just THREW HIM IN THE SNOW??? WhAT?? You had him in a locked up facility before!! And then the dumbass American government is like “not even the Soviet Union could handle Omega Red… get me my ice pick we’re diggin him up”. 

Omega Red: *makes fun of Wolverine’s PTSD* Me: “oh no a new problematic fav”

“I’ve been promised my humanity, Wolverine, something you above all others should be able to appreciate.” This hoe is so petty, I.. uhhhh...

Wolverine: *starting shit* Storm: “You dumbass, I’m about to have a panic attack.”

“Well, whattaya know, they oughta use this tub in one of those battery ads with the rabbit.”

The Way Omega Red Pronounces Colonel.

“What was I saying about not needing these lungs?”

Wolverine’s lines in this episode are only matched by Omega’s. Speaking of—

“My country created many great weapons but never had the will to use them! Is it not a great sadness, Storm? To be created, never to be used?” “Weapons do not have feelings.” “Oh, if only that were true.” WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME FEEL THINGS ABOUT OMEGA RED. 

And now he’s just. Down there. He’ll come back. Some other idiot country will fish him up and say “you gotta do this for us, but don’t you betray us, okay?”

Episode 3 & 4: Sanctuary

The US delegate blaming the Russians for the disappearances of engineers in space and the Russian delegate asking “DID WE STEAL OUR ENGINEERS TOO?? DICKHEAD??”

“The mutant race will no longer be managed, Mr. Delegate.” YASS QUEEEN tell him Magnus, tell him. 

Magneto HAS RECEIPTS. Uh wait… girl where did you get all this footage. Hahah using video of the X-Men like “LOOK AT ALL THEY HAVE DONE! MY STEP-CHILDREN!”

Apocalypse watching the broadcast on television. SINISTER WATCHING THE BROADCAST ON TELEVISION. Oh hey Mjnari, nice to see you.

Like okay dog, we can say Magneto is right about a lot of things, but KIDNAPPING MUTANT WORKERS and taking them to a centralized location where they will obviously be targeted even more harshly because there are no non mutants present? That’s bad. Like yeah a good lot of mutants went willingly but before that, many… didn’t… and were kept there. 

The haters protesting Asteroid M: “go home, muties, get out of here” …uh yeah dipshit. That’s literally what they’re doing. 

“You coming back, Cajun?” “Promise, chere.”

Cortez is sus. 

Amelia: “How dare you not want to live your entire life closeted? How dare you fight for the rights of the oppressed? You’re making good, unobtrusive mutants look bad!!” 

“So then Gambit become the first X-Man in orbit.”

ROGUE TEARING APART THE SHIP TO FIND GAMBIT!!!

I wanna put a bullet in Cortez’s head, he’s annoying… nah fr, he’s a fucking op. He’s a plant, there is no explanation for his stupidity other than that he wants to ensure the genocide of mutantkind himself.

“He wouldn’t have wanted a memorial, so I will keep this brief.” That explains why he didn’t have a funeral in ’97.

“The Earth’s magnetic field has healed me as a mother nourishes her son.” Dog that line is wiiiiild y'all driving me mad.

“Gambit!? COME IN YOU LOWLIFE SWAMP RAT!!” “Chére, it almost sound like you miss me.” “Remy! When I get my hands on you…” Romy fans are EATING with this one. 

Off topic... but we literally have an acknowledgment that Magneto wouldn't want a funeral but we're shown them having one. WHY WERE WE NEVER SHOWN MORpH'S FUNERAL??

Episode 5: Xavier Remembers

I love when I call shit. The attack at the start of the episode seemed suspicious and I was like “hmm, maybe this isn’t real. Maybe this is trauma.” And then the Sentinel head blew off and showed Evil Xavier’s face and I was like I KNEW IT. 

Chuck: “Mother! I never thought I’d ever see you again! Though, I don’t recall you being in bluescale...”

Is the void a harsh punishment for stealing? Sure. But that’s what the Shadow King gets for messing around with children.

Love that Jean and Xavier beat his ass with the power of teamwork. Xavier literally saves Jean from being trapped in the Astral Plane with a hug. 

Jean’s consciousness returns to her body and Scott is holding her bridal style, lol babygirl how long were you standing with her in your arms? Cute. 

Episode 6: Courage

“Eight hundred million on robots and the phones don’t work.” I hear ya.

A factory gets robbed by Sentinels and the report is that they think mutants did it. THEY’RE FUCKING COVERING IT UP. THAT’S THE ONLY EXPLANATION I WILL TOLERATE. Like, you’re telling me none of the witnesses mentioned the giant purple and red robots? Well, I say they did and their testimonies never got to news outlets because the government killed them to cover it up. And they aren’t even in charge of the Sentinels at this point! They’ve gone rogue! “We’re investigating, we think a mutant did it” with the fucking SENTINeL TRACKS??? It’s obviously like… they want to cover up how badly the government failed for even considering the Sentinel project by blaming the mutants who inevitably gotta clean up this whole mess. 

MORPH!!!! :DDD ALWAYS WITH THE JOKES!!! They soothe me, their presence heals me, I love them, I wanna kiss their forehead.

So Morph and Wolverine go to investigate and on the way they’re just glancing at each other like “would it be bad to make out on Morph's first mission back”

Logan wanting to evacuate as soon as possible because of sentinels :,0

“I-I froze, Logan.” “Oh, Morph.” OOOOH MORPH

GyrICK and TRASH are gay married (derogatory). This episode… this just reaffirms me asking what the FUCK about Trask and Gyrich reviving their Sentinels. What were they fucking thinking?

OMEGA RED, SASQUATCH, MIMIC, LONGSHOT, Morph really likes turning into Omega Red, huh? Morph is the MVP here, I love them.

NOOO MORPH!!! NOOOOOOOOO DON’T GOOOO

Episode 7: Secrets, Not Long Buried

I love it when Scott gets to be a cunt to people. He’s really super fun when he gets snippy. 

My biggest frustration here was really just that the villains were soooo childish. They behaved like playground bullies. But I guess that could be a parallel to the bullies at the start of the episode. Scott is just infinitely bulliable.

I appreciate that the town didn’t actually fall for Solarr’s nonsense, they were just waiting for the right moment to strike. It would have felt so stupid if they actually believed the guy and would have been too reminiscent of the bullshit with Cortez. 

Episode 8: Nightcrawler

“Man doesn’t break a sweat against Apocalypse or Magneto. So- so what nails him? A pine tree.”

I really love how Nightcrawler is written. It would be so easy to depict him just as blindly faithful, but he has layers. He has flaws he acknowledges that make him more sympathetic to those who wrong him, but his sympathy does not prevent him from feeling anger or bitterness, it just makes it easier for him to overcome those negative emotions.

Logan taking Kurt's words to heart :,0

I like that like Kurt's faith is treated with respect and so is Logan and Remy's lack of faith. It's totally understandable why they don't believe in God. Logan can't believe that there's a God that loves unconditionally with all the terrible shit he's witnessed and been put through. And Remy believes in chance, not some divine plan... but moreso Remy struggles with the idea of redemption.

Do we really never get an explanation for why that one monk tried to murder Gambit? Like roll back roll back WHY.

Episode 9 & 10: One Man’s Worth

Seeing the Age of Apocalypse crew was real fun. Also MORPH MORPH MORPH ONSCREEN CAMEO.

LOGAN AND ORORO ARE MARRIED <3333 I hate that the show tries to enforce the idea that they can only be together in the AoA timeline. Bullshit. They’re literally on a date in present day, don’t TEASE ME. 

I really like that they acknowledge that Logan doesn’t want to carry through with it for fear he and Storm will never be together, but it doesn’t make him betray the team, he continues on for the good of the future :,0. 

Does anyone else notice that they blatantly whitewashed Shard in the reboot?? Like they didn’t just lighten her already fairly light skin, they made her look like a white woman in '97, it’s so fucking weird. I wish I could say it was just weird lighting, but they whitewash so many other characters in the new series, it honestly puts me off. 

Episode 11 & 12: Proteus

Kevin’s innocence :,0 this, folks, is why you don’t hide from your kids that their father isn’t worth shit. Explain as early as you can in terms they can understand that their father is a no-good, deadbeat son of a bitch. 

Rogue feels for Kevin because her father was an ass too. 

Logan freezing up!!! AHHHHH. Rip that he was able to accept and account for Morph having trauma that caused them to freeze, but he won’t give himself that same grace.

The ending, for Proteus, doesn't really feel satisfactory bc you know Joe is just gonna go right back to being a shitty deadbeat after this. I would have liked it better if the lesson Kevin learned was that blood ties aren't guaranteed, that sometimes you choose your family.

Episode 13: Family Ties

Xavier not reacting when finding out that Magneto harmed Wolverine to get past security. And then sending Wolverine to play bodyguard for Magneto.

Magneto: "I gotta go do this thing. Do NOT interfere." Xavier: "Why did you break into my house if you didn't want me to interfere??? You inconsistent hoe."

The reference to Dr. Moreau was stellar. 

The conflict in this episode really pales in comparison to just the reveal of Pietro and Wanda’s parentage. Like I don’t care about this Moreau guy at all and I was paying so little attention I didn’t even catch how they defeated him.

Episode 14: Bloodlines

YOOOOO You got me acting crazy here. World’s most awkward family reunion.

Kurt is just. So good. I like that they don’t have him say a line like “I’ve already forgiven you” nah, he’ll pray for the strength to forgive. 

Mystique laments how being a shapeshifter means she is an outcast even among mutants because no one can trust who she is, which is a potent moment but… well telepaths are a thing… and you’ve literally hooked up with Sabretooth, who can sniff you out. I think people mostly distrust you because you are a liar and backstabber. 

I appreciate that the FoH won’t take Graydon back, he’s a little shit, and I think they should isolate him so hard that he give in to accepting his roots.

THEY DROP HIM OFF AT SABRETOOTH’S HOUSE. Look, I do not condone corporal punishment… but in this case, I am soooo for Sabretooth beating up his son.

Episode 15: Lotus and the Steel

Awww Jubilee going after Logan <333 I’m happy that she wasn’t like taken hostage or anything, wasn’t forced to be a burden on the plot

I’m pissed that Logan had to kiss that woman. Let this man meet a woman without having a romantic entanglement with her for fucks sake.

Episode 16: Weapon X, Lies, and Video Tape

THEY MANUFACTURED THEIR TRAUMA??? DOG. That’s motherfucking wild, but I suppose you could say it was foreshadowed. They switch between showing Sabretooth in and out of costume attacking Silver Fox and Wolverine. I thought it was just the first was a dreams reinterpretation and the second was the real deal, but then they played the memory again and Sabretooth was costumed again.

Also it’s wild that the majority of the memories that the team were given were to create distrust in Sabretooth, they fuckin used him as a scapegoat. AND THEY GAVE HIM DADDY ISSUES. Some absolutely wild shit, this was a ride. 

I thought at first that Silverfox and Maverick wanted revenge on these two for leaving them behind and I was groaning a bit at that, but then it wasn’t that, it went five layers deeper, and it was revealed that that didn’t even happen. 

THEIR NAMES CARVED INTO THE TREE.

Episode 17: Have Yourself A Morlock Little Christmas

Everyone’s giving Storm shit for not prioritizing the Morlocks when they could literally just call. They’ve established that there’s an emergency line they could call.

Making a big deal of Storm relinquishing responsibility to Callisto… you already did that in the episode you became the Morlocks’ leader, you declared her the de facto leader. Also it’s not much of an honour to be told “these people are your responsibility” when you were already taking care of them. 

Jubilee shows amazing older sister potential giving attention to Mariana when all this is going down.

Jean and Gambit fighting over cooking was wiiiild. Jean was gonna kill him for wanting to season the meat.

Episode 18, 19, 20, 21: Beyond Good and Evil

“I’m not malevolent. I simply am.” I mean… nah you’re pretty evil, Apocalypse. It’s honestly really petty. 

I love that all it takes is Cable telling him that they’ll keep fighting to throw Apocalypse into a midlife crisis. 

I finally figured out why Sinister kidnaps only Jean anymore, Scott’s beams fucking fry him. 

I suspected that this would probably be the weakest part of the season since it’s a 4-parter… the Shi’ar showed up and I was like “there goes my enjoyment”… and then they had no bearing on the plot and all was well!

Mystique, as Shard: "LOOK OUT PSYLOCKE THAT'S MYSTIQUE! a SHAPESHIFTER!!!" Logan, who smells her, Psylocke, a telepath, and Shard, herself: "Do I look stupid to you?"

“How nice to see you, Logan, all tied up and nowhere to go.” Homosexual? Gay? Gambit, that's queer?

“Too bad we lost Sabretooth” I was like “y’all don’t care about him” but then I remembered he is Mystique’s baby daddy. I need the backstory on that big time. 

Poor Bishop, forced to be useless until the very end of the episode.

ALL THE TELEPATHS WRECKING APOCALYPSE'S SHIT!!

I love every time Scott and Jean reunite they share a kiss <333

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

[hxneyfarm]

Steve buys a Winnebago.

In the aftermath of everything, Eddie had been the one to finally confront Owens from his hospital bed, half stoned on world class painkillers, to demand some kind of government compensation for what they'd all gone through. And they'd gotten it. All of them.

Owens didn't even need to pull any strings to do it, either. No sooner had Eddie asked, and Owens cut each and every one of them a hefty check.

Steve knows he should save the money; his parents aren't going to let him live in their house forever, and Robin's going to college in Indy in the fall, so the smart thing would be to put the money away until later in the summer, and then find a house or apartment near campus for them to rent.

But he can't stop thinking about a camper van. He can't stop thinking about driving across the country, seeing the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and everything in between. He can't stop thinking about his conversation with Nance, that day; it's not her in that fantasy, not anymore. Maybe it never had been in the first place. Maybe he needs to go it alone. Maybe after Robin leaves for college, he should just... go. At least for a little while.

He spends the whole summer thinking about it. The money from Owens is burning a hole in his pocket, just sitting in an envelope in his bedroom, as he tries to go through the motions of normalcy. He helps Wayne nurse Eddie back to health, helps Max's mom through her daughter's bad days, carts the kids around town, puts in his shifts at the video store with Robin, and he thinks about a Winnebago.

Steve doesn't tell anyone about it, but a week before Robin's set to leave, after she's already put her notice in at the video store, he goes to a dealership and looks at campers. He doesn't buy one that first day he goes. He's got enough cash to buy a decent one outright, but the more he thinks about it, the more Steve realizes he wants someone else's input.

Someone specific.

It's been months, and Steve has spent more time at Wayne and Eddie's new double wide than he has at home. He crashes there most nights, sometimes on the pullout in the living room, and sometimes beside Eddie in bed. There's something there, something neither of them has had the courage to act on yet, and Eddie mumbles excuses about nightmares each time he asks Steve to stay, but when they wake tangled up in one another in the morning, there is something.

Maybe...

So Steve takes Eddie with him to the dealership. He doesn't tell him where they're going, he just gets Eddie in the passenger seat and makes the twenty minute drive. In the parking lot of the Winnebago dealership, Eddie's expression drifts from blank confusion to realization to clear, perfect understanding.

"Hey," Steve says, taking Eddie's hand in his, "do you wanna see the west with me?"

Steve buys the Winnebago.

[cognitiveleague]

PSA for fellow USAmericans who might be considering their health insurance options (since it’s the time of year for it at time of writing):

If you have ANY other option, I recommend staying as far as possible from any private (non-government administered) plan talking about “reference-based pricing” or “disrupting the health insurance establishment to save you money”.

I hadn’t heard of this type of plan until a couple of months ago, and neither had my colleagues who’ve worked in my field (billing for a private healthcare specialist’s office) much longer than I have, when we all of a sudden had several clients switch to similar plans within a few weeks of each other, so I suspect it’s likely that they’ve been making a push to get a foot in the door this year. I’m sure it’s legally inadvisable to outright call them “scams”, but IMO they are at the VERY least operating on a business model that’s extraordinarily ill-thought out, and at worst (likeliest) it seems to me that they’re misleading and predatory in a way that’s somehow still shocking and infuriating to me after years of working in healthcare billing in the US.

More detailed explanation / further Advice from your Friendly Neighborhood Angry Socialist Healthcare Billing Administrator below the cut, for those who want more information.

So the issue here essentially is that these companies are trying to sell clients (looks like particularly small business owners and HR people looking for plans to offer their employees) on the idea that they’re ~shaking up the corrupt industry~ to improve transparency and costs, and like, if that’s what they were actually doing? I’d be so incredibly for it, you don’t even know. Fuck everything about the established health insurance industry, I want to see them burn as much as the next person.

But what they’re actually doing is deciding it would save THEM a lot of money to just pay doctors / other healthcare providers as little as they want to, and that the problem getting in the way of that is that there are usually contracts establishing how much they’re supposed to pay, and it would be cool to just… not have those! From there, the plan is:

1) telling bosses “hey, we’ll cut your costs by offering you a plan that’s cheaper than conventional ones!”

2) telling workers / clients “hey, you know how your health insurance plan determines what doctors you can see and have insurance pay for it? Fuck that, see whoever you want!”

3) conveniently neglecting to mention that if your brilliant plan to lower costs is “just don’t have contracts with providers, so there’s no agreed-on cost and we can pay them whatever we unilaterally decide is fair!”, that also means there’s no contract obligating the healthcare providers to accept your insurance at all (which is extra bullshit when you consider that they can’t tell you which providers have agreed to take their insurance, on account of how they don’t actually have a list of providers who have agreed to take their insurance, since they decided agreements were unnecessary)

Basically, it ends up saving the bosses and the insurance company a shitload of yachts-and-blackjack money, but then puts You The Patient in a situation where you’ve been told “yeah, see whoever you want, we don’t give a fuck”

So you go to the local clinic or your usual therapist or whatever and say “oh, here’s my new health insurance card, they said I could be seen here,” and hand them a card for a company that

A) they’ve never heard of

B) they have NO contractual obligation to work with, and

C) a brief google search can easily tell them openly intends to pay them significantly less than any of the insurance plans they do work with (besides the few that are allowed to get away with setting their own prices because they’re literally run by federal government-affiliated agencies and using that considerable leverage for the benefit of senior citizens, people on disability benefits, veterans, etc — they essentially plan to use the base pricing THOSE plans use, except… as a private, for-profit company, and without discussing it with the other parties involved.)

All of which is likely to just put the staff at your local clinic or whatever in the awkward position of having to tell you “I’m so sorry, it doesn’t look like that’s actually a plan we work with, we’re going to have to do self-pay for the recent visits / if you’d like to continue,” and put YOU in the awkward situation of having to pay for that shit out of your own pocket.

What do I do if my employer is offering a reference-based pricing plan?

So glad you asked, me.

My recommendation would be to look at what other options they have available if you work for a company that offers multiple options, or to opt out of their plan and look into the options available to you via your state’s health insurance marketplace — open enrollment for most states is November 1 - January 15th, so at the time of this post (November 23rd) it’s ongoing and now’s the time to do something about it!

But that means my work won’t help with payment of my insurance premiums?

Yeah, but in the context of this discussion, we’re weighing the cost of paying your own premium in full against the potential cost of being told you can see whatever providers you want, doing so, and then ending up having to pay them out of pocket at the uninsured rate because your insurance actually does jack shit and fuckall, which can EASILY get a lot worse.

Also, some employers will reimburse a portion of the premium cost if you have outside health insurance, so check with your HR department or your boss (and maybe let them know why you decided not to go with the insurance they’re offering).

Also-also, if you’re in a lower income bracket, the ACA / healthcare marketplace options on your state’s healthcare marketplace website will include Medicaid plans, which are subsidized by the government to help low-income folks afford them.

Ok, I’m looking, but how do I pick the plan that’s right for me?

Oh god I have a whole other post about this but it’s from ages ago and I don’t have the spoons to look for it right now, but the basics boil down to:

A) Look if possible for plans where, if there is a deductible, either it’s as low as possible or it doesn’t apply to services you anticipate needing at least semi-regularly

B) If the difference in monthly premiums for two plans is MORE than the difference in what you can reasonably expect to pay out of pocket in copays during a month, the “cheaper” plan isn’t saving you money.

So like for example, if I’m choosing between two plans and the up-front cost between them is like, $250 / month or $400 / month, and the $250 plan has specialist services I need 4 times a month covered under a deductible while the $400 plan has a flat copay of $20 for those same services, then my numbers will end up looking like “$250 + (4 x $125) = $750, vs “$400 + (4 x $20) = $480), which would make the $400 plan cheaper for me overall, even though the premium is more expensive.

You want the plan where the monthly costs for your premium PLUS expected average monthly out of pocket costs for services you’re likely to need routinely is as low as possible, is what I’m getting at here. No real way around doing the math, unfortunately, though if you DM me during open enrollment I’ll probably be willing to do the math for you out of sheer spite toward our country’s bullshit insurance “system”.

C) If you can’t afford a plan with a higher premium, it’s still worth getting something, but be aware that low-premium plans are typically going to be “catastrophic” health insurance plans, designed primarily to put a (high) cap on how much medical cost you can incur at once if you like, survive a freak accident or something — as a rule, they’re not going to do much to help you with much besides either the super basic preventive care they’re required by law to cover or keeping your total annual costs from an accident or major illness from getting too wildly astronomical. If you need non-emergency specialist care even semi-routinely, I’d encourage trying to avoid this type of plan if possible, and ALWAYS checking in with your plan and your providers’ billing department to figure out how much you need to budget for out of pocket costs when you do need to see a specialist or something, because you do NOT want to be caught off guard by that shit.

What else can I do?

Uhhhhh, advocate for socialized healthcare like every other fucking rich country in the world has had for decades, I guess? We’re not some special case where it would never work, we’ve just got a bunch of craven politicians invested in telling us that because of that sweet sweet insurance company lobbyist money they get in exchange for keeping things the way they are. Fuck ‘em, if that wasn’t clear.

Also, be gay / do crimes / look out for each other on this bitch of an earth / seriously DM me if you want me to help you figure out your options, ok I love you bye ✌️

[itmightbemikey]

hey gang

the first half of this year has been financial rough for me. back in January most of my state benefits got axed for having "too much money in a savings account" (it was the remainder of my SSDI disability backpay which was supposed to be exempt for several more months but lol government). I was able to make it a few months off of the remainder of that backpay, but it's now all gone and I'm in a bind

my monthly disability payment isn't enough to cover my rent, utilities, food, and other expenses. I've reopened my case with the IDHS and reapplied for benefits, but per the phone interview I had with them a couple days ago those will take at least 30 days to start, IF they are approved in the first place. part time work is impossible because right now I'm barely able to get myself to leave my apartment to go to walgreens, let alone anything where expectations of preformance are laid onto me. In the meantime I have rent and a hefty power bill looming that aren't so generous as to cut me any slack

p@yp@l: itmightbemikey c@sh@pp: mightbemikey vənmo: itmightbemikey

any help or signal boosting is appreciated, I know we are all in slim times thanks to late-stage capitalism hell world

Mercury thanks you too

[emotionaldisaster909]

It’s New Year.

Just a few hours left for me.

And my country is bombing another country.

And yesterday one of our cities was bombed in response.

Our propaganda never shows any images of Ukrainian streets on fire.

Because they call them all “fakes”.

And people are regularly arrested for spreading “fakes”.

For saying anything against the war.

For even calling it “war”.

For going out on the streets with an empty sheet of paper.

A girl was sentenced to 7 years in prison for putting anti-war stickers on price tags in a store.

While murderers and rapists are being freed from prisons, sent to war and given amnesty when they come back.

Along with a status of “Heroes” for doing what they do best in another country.

An orthodox priest who raped children was given a suspended sentence and is still free.

While government preaches for “christian values” and calls LGBT movement an extremist organisation.

And this attack on one of our cities.

It won’t be delivered by our propaganda as a call to stop the war.

No, just the opposite, to intensify the attack on Ukraine in return.

Our government doesn’t care about children who died in this city.

Just as it doesn’t care about the ukranian children.

Because it NEVER cared for common people.

They say that the main reason for war is the oppression of russian-speaking citizens in Eastern Ukraine.

And while I met and talked to many of the refugees from there

You don’t fucking save people by killing and putting at a huge risk MUCH MORE PEOPLE.

Ironically enough, our government supports Palestine.

Which is good, but also what a fucking hypocrisy.

It’s mainly because America supports Israel, while also supporting Ukraine.

And what a fucking joke this whole geopolitical situation is.

Two of the hugest forces play chess with each other using other countries and their citizens as figures on the board.

And make money on people’s deaths.

Hey, America, why don’t you, fucking, I don’t know, assassinate our politicians, starting with the main psychopath??? If you want the war to stop so much?????

Why don’t politicans just go one on one UFC style and we all will watch and see who wins, like Remark suggested in his book about WW1???

Why start fucking WW3?

It feels so incredibly weird, watching and reading scenes about wars in TGCF.

They are perfectly depicted, you know.

It felt so striking, to watch Yong An and Xian Le people live happily together in the 9th Episode.

I hope one day we’ll be able to end up like this again as well.

But I have no hopes for tomorrow.

It’s gonna be centuries untill Russia might be able to live in peace with the world.

Just because one psychopath decided to go in history forever.

And if other psychopaths will ever let us live in peace.

Because every single participant of this war does not give a fuck about people.

I don’t believe they do.

Because they have power.

They could’ve stopped it.

They could’ve never let it happen.

And we?

We can’t. We can’t decide anything in this totalitarian fucking country.

Tell me, what can I do? What can I do to make this next year better?

I used to be a journalist.

I hoped my words could reach people.

They never did.

But I hope this little post just might reach… i don’t know, at least someone.

Will it make a difference?

Can anything make a difference?

Tell me, people of the free world.

Please.

[jedifarmerr]

Javi's Having a Baby

Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader/OFC (no y/n or physical description)

Rating: E (18+)

Word Count: 2kish

Warnings: pregnancy!, mentions of sex, some language.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the wait on this, but here it is and I promise the next part will be coming very soon!

Series Masterlist

Chapter 5

“Large fry and a large Hi-C. $2.17 at the next window.” 

She danced in the passenger seat, rubbing her belly. “Our hero,” she sang at him. All he’d done was stop at McDonald's to get her a snack before the appointment, but hey - he would take the praise. 

When that outstretched hand passed him the glorious paper bag, he seriously could’ve sworn it was God’s gift from above by how she gazed upon it. Tearing it wide open, digging out a handful of fries, she popped them in her mouth and gave a drunken, “So gooood.” 

Sure as hell smelled like it. Cooking oil and salt. The crunch. Each tiny little moan leaving him salivating for a bite of his own. Man, he’d really fucked up by not getting anything for himself. 

Luckily, he could just wiggle his finger at the bag and she was willing to share. 

She fed him while he drove. It was about as coordinated as catching shrimp at a Hibachi restaurant. Each time it would miss his mouth and bump into his nose she would give the cutest giggle, but the fun had to stop when one actually went straight up his nostril. He was sneezing out salt for a whole block. 

“So,” she said, taking a small sip of her drink. “I was just thinking, since we have about 15 minutes to kill, why don’t we do a little drive by? Just for fun.” 

Javier treated her with a knowing glance. No way she didn’t plan on this. It was all falling a little too perfectly to be just chance. But she could flutter her eyes with feign innocence and give him that please-please-please smile that she knew he couldn’t resist. She was too well-versed with his weak spots. Probably because she was all of them. 

Fuck, he really hoped the kids didn’t inherit that as he was taking a wrong turn at the next light.

Some would say he’s whipped, and while he would never deny that, she was carrying his children, and honestly, driving a few blocks out of the way seemed like the least he could do. 

When he turned onto the street, slowing the car so it was a creeping roll. 

She tapped on the glass and squealed, “Look! Baby! It finally has the sold sign!” 

“There we go.” He gazed at her, then at the house. 

Their house. 

An older Georgian colonial that was basically the embodiment of an American wet dream. Just an iron-rod fence instead of a classic white picket. He preferred it like that – she would say it gave the place some charm, which the interior had loads of. 

While there were a number of modern touches, the house maintained a certain level of character with its various built-ins, wooden archways, and despite two of the fireplaces being non-working, the one in the living room still ran perfectly. 

Upstairs were three bedrooms. An office downstairs. At the back of the lot was a garage that the previous owners had converted into a studio space, and with a few tweaks would be perfect for his dad. 

Sure, it was slightly over the set-budget. Nothing crazy.  A couple bucks extra a month – one less coffee a week. Besides, he had the money. He’d saved up his paychecks while in Colombia. After all, he’d only bought himself whiskey and bread during that time – the rest was usually comped by the government. 

Then, there were those two years he’d lived with Chucho, and despite his protests, his dad insisted on paying him for all the work he’d done. 

So, they bought it and the way she lit up made it all so worth it. 

She sighed, watching the home disappear behind her. He reached over, giving her thigh a reassuring squeeze. 

“Think - in less than three weeks, it’ll be ours.” 

She smiled at that, leaning over the console and giving the quirk corner of his lips a tiny peck, then one to his cheek, and another on his jaw

A happy sound rumbled from his chest, and the smirk she flashed at him drove him absolutely insane. He wanted to steal it from her lips – pull this car over and kiss her salt-stained lips and taste the Hi-C on her tongue. 

She could basically sit there and do nothing, and he would still be raring to go. God – he wanted her. Constantly.

Not once did he expect to be the kind of guy who lost his mind seeing his wife pregnant, but fuck - did he crave her. He would eat her pussy in the parking lot if she let him. Or if time allowed. 

Her confidence had grown along with her bump. She’d become equally as insatiable. All those hormones were making her unforgivingly horny. Some days she would get home from work, strip bare at the door and take him right there on the couch.

She was so sensitive now, and he was utterly addicted. Delirium. A small tweak to her nipple - a perfectly placed kiss to her neck - brushing his thumb across her clit. Any and all of it would have her crying out and squeezing him –

Javier felt his pants begin to stir, and his grip instinctively tightened on the wheel. Holy shit. He needed to calm down.

This was really not the time. 

He focused all his attention on the road, working math problems in his head. He’d learned that trick in high school, and it worked like a charm every time. His boner was gone by the time he trailed behind her into the doctor’s office, but he did have to avoid looking at her ass. 

After flipping through magazines, Adam propped open the door, signaling them back. 

It went on in the usual routine. A weigh-in. Vitals. A few questions before leaving her to change. Once in her gown, she laid back onto the bed, and Javier dragged a chair over. 

“Okay. Before the moment of truth, best and final. Go.” 

Javier hummed, tapping on the table paper. Of course, he’d wondered about it, mostly when someone else brought it up. It was a typical curiosity. He wasn’t really hung up on what they were. Girl or boy or whatever, it didn’t matter to him; so long as they were healthy, he was good. 

And no – he didn’t care how cliche or corny that sounded. 

As expected, Joe and Steve had taken their bets, and even Ruby had joined in on the fun, but her old wives tale tricks had come up inconclusive. Big ole shocker there. 

Javier went with a good shot, “Boy and girl.” 

Her head thumped against the pillow with a big pucker pout. “That was my guess.” 

“It can still be your guess,” he chuckled, making her eyes roll as if she was actually annoyed. 

In a swift knock, Dr. Kelly walked in with Adam on her coattails. It was straight to business. How’re you feeling? Any pain? Any cramping? Any spotting? 

She was officially at the half-way point. 20 weeks. In just five short months, they would be here. Like physically - out in the world. The thought made his stomach do a little roller coaster swoop. 

The gel hit her belly and even though she was mentally prepared, she still gasped. 

Dr. Kelly moved the wand around, until there was a flash of something, and with a few clicks - they were on the screen. It was incredible, and also so strange to think they were inside her belly. Just chilling. Growing. Weird. 

They were real wiggly today. Probably a sugar rush from the Hi-C. They currently weighed around the size of two oranges. Baby A was just a little bigger, by a single ounce, but they were right on track with all their fingers and toes accounted for. 

Then, came the question: “Are you wanting to learn the sex?” 

Javier gave her the lead, and within seconds she was eagerly bobbing her head. She clutched tightly to his hand. 

Girls. 

Two girls. 

Her jaw dropped, and she gazed up at him with sparkly eyes brimming with so much love. Javier almost lost it, right then and there. 

He placed a long kiss on her forehead, squeezing his eyes shut, and for a split-second, he didn’t know where it came from, but he thought about his mom. How happy she would’ve been with two granddaughters to spoil. Even after all the years, it still stung, especially in moments such as these. 

He pulled back, just enough to look into her eyes, and she cradled his cheek. God. What did he do to deserve her? 

“Looks like Joe’s gonna have to pay up,” he teased, making her giggle. Steve had been right.

“Congrats, man,” Adam said, “must have some pretty slow swimmers there, huh?” Dr. Kelly promptly swatted him. 

As compensation for Adam’s lack of filter, Dr. Kelly printed them an extra set of photos. Worth it. Those were going in his office. After a few more minutes of drawing lines on the screen, she was able to wipe the gunk off her belly. Adam flicked on the lights. 

Dr. Kelly snapped off her gloves. 

“Well, I think it’s time we start talking about your birth plan. So far, everything looks good and if that continues to be the case, I think we can definitely plan on a vaginal delivery. I’ll always suggest it, when possible, simply due to the recovery time. However, especially with twins, I highly - highly suggest an epidural, just in case any complications do arise.” 

“Complications?” Javier gripped her hand a little tighter. The smile wiped from his face. 

Dr. Kelly hummed, “Yes, this is considered a high-risk pregnancy, however that doesn’t mean her or the fetuses will experience any problems. I’ve had many high-risk patients who have zero complications, but I like to prepare if the need does arise.” 

Yes - he was well aware there would be risks involved. He wasn’t stupid. But the possibility of anything happening to her was just too much. 

He’d experienced fear and terror. He’d lived in a place of it for years. But this was different. Maybe because he knew grief and loss so intimately. Nothing could compare to the fear of living without her. It was all-encompassing. Overwhelming. It robbed him of air. Choked him. Strangled him. 

It could send him to his knees. God. Please anyone, but her. 

Dr. Kelly must’ve noticed his state as she spoke directly to him. “Mr. Peña, let me just assure you that when the time does come, I will do whatever I can to try and ensure both her safety, as well as the babies.” 

Javier looked at his wife for reassurance, which he found in her soft smile, and equally tender gaze. It’ll all be okay. He swallowed down the foreboding lump because if she could believe that everything would be fine, then he could too. 

He had too. 

[sloshed-cinema]

Ghostbusters (1984)

All hail corporate profits! At its core, Ghostbusters is a Reaganite wet dream, lauding the entrepreneur over the limp-dick government regulator. So what if Janine Melnitz hasn’t had a break in two weeks? Think of the commissions to be earned! After kicking off their startup using dangerous, unproven, and destructive technology, a trio (soon to be quartet) of radical fringe scientists sweep the popular focus. It’s a glamorous if somewhat slimy gig, full of magazine profiles and television interviews and recognition, all in a New York where everyone is completely chill with the concept of supernatural entities. Except the EPA, that is. Though Stantz has no business or money sense, Spengler is a bit of an oddball, and Venkman a complete and utter boor, they have no trouble getting ahead with their monopoly on busting ghosts. The franchise potential can come later, after all. And despite minor setbacks like arrest, this is an entrepreneur’s wet dream: nobody but them can save the day, and the mayor is forever in their debt for pulling off the trick. The film is cheeky and sardonic enough in its execution, and Ramis and Akyroyd particularly committed in their roles, but I simply can never connect with Murray. The sleazy nature of his characters always hews a bit too close to the “getting away with misbehavior” vibe of actors who go Method the second they get to play an asshole. At least Rick Moranis more than makes up for it with his neurotic, figures-obsessed, perpetually locked out Louis, and Sigourney Weaver is certified bonkers. In a hot 80s chick stereotype kind of way.

By and large, the special effects of Ghostbusters are more charming than they are effective. While this well predates the era of fast computer effects and hordes of underpaid, overworked tech employees to make the vision happen, it pales in comparison to some of the technical VFX tours de force of the period. It works best when wholly in one world or the other: the vision of Gozer’s realm in Dana’s fridge or its later realization atop the tower has an otherworldly nature to it in its set design. But when the ghostly and earthly planes interact, it has a (super)unnatural bent to it. Ivo Shandor’s tower is introduced with a gargoyle atop it, but the gargoyle’s horn is somewhat translucent, the street below visible through it. And the terror dogs are integrated with their environment in clunky fashion, never quite fitting in. The transformation of Gatekeeper and Keymaster into dogs is more silly than shocking. But hey, at least we have some iconic lines that stand the test of time better! No way those get abused ever.

THE RULES

PICK ONE

Select either GATEKEEPER or KEYMASTER and sip when they are invoked.

SIP

Someone says 'Zuul' or 'Gozer'.

Science mumbo jumbo.

A new apparition appears.

Anti-institution sensibilities are espoused.

BIG DRINK

Ray Stantz is bad at business decisions.

Venkman is horny.

Ghostbusters theme song kicks in.

Louis gets locked out of his apartment.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I know Matthew plays hockey, but does he ever want to just give up whatever his government job is and take playing hockey to the olympics or at least pro level? I mean it's got to be more fun than whatever secretarial, front man type corporate job he normally has to deal with when working with the gov right? Or maybe getting into farming or something. I dont know, he just seems like someone who'd eventually just lose his shit if he had to be stuck in an office for too long.

I honestly think most of his time in any government post is like the twice-a-decade he gives enough fucks to be involved. Like, what is he going to do in an office? Stamp government documents? Approve things? He's fucken useless in that environment. I think a couple of times he's said fuck it, started over and played pro hockey or Olympic hockey. He's not the only one who has probably smashed some faces. Alfred or Arthur had to help wipe and reset his identity because inventing a whole new set of documents is much more complicated nowadays than 100 years ago, but he's played and then faded into the background. He probably gets away with that more than a lot of nations can. Nice combo privilege of big bro's military-industrial complex and his own insignificance.

I've had him in the parks service as a bootlegger, a sailor, a ships carpenter, a diplomat, a firefighter, a medic, a search and rescue medic, especially a hockey coach, and a hockey player. I'm not about to write shit about people working in an office if I'm candid. I also think he drew a veterans pension for 110 years before the government went "hey wait, the last Canadian World War One vet died 10 years ago."

And as far as money goes. I think he and Alfred got their savings wiped in the 1930s, and Matt kept himself afloat via good ol' imperial nepotism via the old fart while Alfred was on his own. Since WW2, Matt's financial well-being has been so tied to Alfred's. I had an economics prof who joked that when the US economy stumbles, Canada breaks its neck, so there's some fuckery there, but let's be honest; Matt just occasionally gives Alfred the 'you have hurt my feelings' eyes and gets what he wants and like 500 apologies.

When I look at Alfred, I see someone who likes to work when it's something he's interested in. But Matt... always struck me as a bit French. Not that we don't work hard, but Matt hit the "they pretend to pay me, so I pretend to work' attitude sometime in the '70s. And he's half insane? Like man's wandering around the woods half feral for months on end in at least one of my timelines. He comes back needing anti-parasite meds, three kinds of antibiotics and Alfred going over his checkbook like 'what the fuck did you do with your dividend this time?" Like Afred's his own kind of batshit, but he's got a good head for numbers on his shoulders.

But yeah, the best way to keep him human is to let him do shit that actually appeals and keeps the depresso level below catastrophic so hockey, forestry, etc. Working in an office in Ottawa happens but it's rare, and when it goes on too long in tandem with being as lonely as he can be with only one major border, he ends up missing half his humanity and eating raw raccoon liver in the woods. Letting him slapshot Ivan in the face at the Olympics every now and again is good for the budget lmao.

[tottwriter]

So I'm disabled, right? We all know this. Anyway, what THAT means is that I get welfare to help me, you know...live.

And, in its great wisdom, the UK in recent years decided that, instead of having heaps of different forms of government welfare which all need to be applied for and often overlap/interact in the function they serve, it would be much more sensible to have ONE welfare payment, and just give people different amounts depending on which components they qualify for. They called this "Universal Credit".

Now, I have to say. In principle? This is a good idea! But despite the similarity in name, you should 100% NOT confuse it with the concept of a Universal Basic Income (which is a Very Good Idea, fucking hell can we not just do that instead??), because let me tell you. Universal it fucking ain't.

I'm going through the process of "migrating" to the new system at the moment, and in reading up on the thing, man. It's so fucked up.

First of all, you cannot apply if you have more than £16,000 in savings. Which...okay. I could kinda see the logic in that. But that's a point against "Universal" already, right? And before you say "Oh but Tott, 'Universal' in this context obviously means that it's the one-and-only benefit, right?" - Well, no. There are actually other benefits which it doesn't replace, such as Child Benefit and PIP (A disability thing, if you don't know, don't ask. It's too fucking depressing).

Secondly. Savings in the bank are counted against you, right? And if you have any more than £6k in the bank, you have your monthly payments docked by a percentage of your savings until you fall below the threshold again. But if you own a house, equity held in property is not counted against you. You're potentially free to claim the full amount.

And this is just...it's so fucked up, right? If you own your house, that's fine! You won't be penalised for needing the UC payments to live - which is because half of the benefits being merged into it used to be paid out to working families, to cover how appallingly low our wages are. It would have been an economic apocalypse to count equity. Half the country would have been homeless overnight.

Meanwhile, those who are renting are just...fucked. You can't save up money for a mortgage deposit, even though you could claim UC to cover a mortgage, because you'd have to save more for the deposit than the threshold allows. Any time you save, you'll just have your income docked. So you're trapped in rental accommodation unless you get a windfall, or somehow start earning enough that you don't need the UC. And in the UK, most jobs don't pay a living wage, so most families do need UC. That's why they called it "Universal Credit" instead of "Universal Welfare", by the way. They had to make it sound good to all the Conservatives who are scared of "welfare" even though most of them rely on it too.

So just. Yeah. I'm really angry right now at how entirely fucked up this "benefit" is (In the UK, people use the word "benefits" synonymously with "welfare", which is ironic given they're among the least generous in the entire developed world), but obviously I can't do anything about it because hey. I should just be grateful, right? I live off benefits, woo, what a life! Clearly I have it easy!

Yeah. No home security, and if I balance the books and start to save money, despite the pittance which is my lot, my reward is that they fucking penalise me for it. And yes, this is an old Tory policy which has been carried over into the new Labour government, but I hardly think it's a top priority for anyone to change.

There's a saying among disability campaigners: The cruelty is the point. Shit like this just reminds me how true it really is.

[cjoatprehn]

Survival Financial Request!

My mom’s been filing for bankruptcy, has been extremely financially stressed lately, and trying to get me over to her has been really stressful. She’s a burn victim from a Yankee Candle catching on fire on Halloween, she received 3rd degree burns on most of her body for trying to save her support dog. Between support animal costs, food, rent, and hospital recovery, she’s in dire need of aid. If y’all could and are in a position to help, could you send some money over, please, to help ensure she will be able to at the very least have some pressure off her shoulders? And a sweet note, if you want to—? Thank you…

Adding to this post-

I want to make clear I’ve been struggling to keep us and others afloat, and now I’m at a point in my life and health where I am no longer able to do so. They’re cutting away more food stamp money from many households in the legislature not just ours, and I’m in the process of moving to my mom’s to help out. And also—

I’m kinda Flipping out right now. I don’t want to lie, with the US being a 3rd world country now. I’m flipping out because last month…was the last month they would be giving food money in the 100s. With food so high and Rent higher. SSI—I don’t even know. …I’m smiling but I don’t know what else to do. My moms still recovering from 3rd degree burns, surgery, and trying to get me there, and I’ve learned that the Aunt that had control of late great grandma’s reservoir for funds…Help won’t last long.

I’m scared, and I’m losing hope. I don’t want to go out as the person who Fucking struggled and suffered their entire life, never got to flourish. …I’ve never thought of making a gofundme again. Every time I’ve made one it never reached anything. And…I-can’t even maintain a savings for long. If we run out of money or assistance, then my mom stops getting treatment. Her dog doesn’t get food or treatment…and we’ll lose the little we have left.

She doesn’t have any friends or many connections outside of herself or her former government job. So—I’m just—like—trying to convince her to.. at least accept my help. I know everyone’s not in the best financial situation to help but—I can’t continue giving good energy to the universe from an empty cup…so I really appreciate the support..!

For record only, no longer helping someone who wants to gaslight and abuse me. I’ve been evicted as of May 9th, 2023. I found a place to stay for last night and possibly tonight. After that I’m on the streets. I’ve accepted I might not make it. I’m bedbound forced to rest by my body and disabilities. My phone has been deactivated by my mom only to discover she can’t reactivate it due to my phone being 6-7 years old. It’s too old to be reactivated with its old line.

But…hey…I’m no longer at my abusive home situation. I don’t wish to tell my dad’s side of the family. My mom prolly let them know anyway. I don’t know for sure though.

…I’m so flipping screwed. Had to deactivate my throne, due to no longer having that address. So…I’m just.. Here. Waiting. Watching my time come closer.

Thread of some of the abuse from my mom. I don’t feel like typing it all here..

https://cjoatbysamwise.com/donate-to-cjoat

…I’m scared. But I don’t know what else to do so I’m accepting my fate and situation for now at least. So.

Here’s to updates..

Late Update:

Got yelled at, insulted, and screamed at by my mom through text. She’s called AT&T to lock everything down; I asked her for my account information. When she didn’t answer for the next 5-6 hours. I had AT&T send an email and a text to her & asked her for what they sent her. I got accused of hacking. I’m Not getting my phone line back.

Oh and to top it off, she sent me a picture of Storme laying outside of where I used to sleep. With Storme saying hi. I relayed a message to Storme. It would be a goodbye unless we meet again.

…So I’m unable to exactly…Do anything so. Just…Trying to calm my heart rate down…It’s been elevated all damn day…and increasing..

Good News: The Situation has Partly Cleared!

I cued a erasure on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which my mom gave me and then took away from me after snooping through my iPhone 8+ and kicking me out, as soon as it connects to the internet; that way, my mom gets to return the phone, she gets her $1K+ back, problem solved. However, twice my mom sent 2 “Reset Apple ID Password” pop-ups on my devices, which…fuck off, mom, tf?

In response, after checking with the select few, I have changed my Apple ID email, because she doesn’t know my Apple ID password. I will be working with Apple Customer Servicee to ensure she can not steal my Apple account through Screen Time (which is possible). Conclusively:

I have a bed and address, temporarily but for awhile, unsure of how long, definitely more than a few days. Right now, until things stabilize with assistance, I don’t have to pay yet, despite being willing to. Currently slowly getting out of survival mode. Many of my stuff remain at my mom’s. I am able to get another physical SIM for my phone. Throne should be showing and working now, because I now have a new address, temporary while I figure what to do from here. I am no longer am able to draw due to my stylus breaking and my disc tips running out. Still got to get back. Laptop is out of commission until I get a new laptop charger, or until I get my old one back. That’s the update for now.

…I’m…finally going to heal, now that I’m safe and in a warm & accepting, and lax environment.

Still going to need assistance, thank y’all so much for supporting me so far.

[kookies2000]

Blue Sky's Studio's Themes

I'm surprised that people are surprised Blue Sky Studios made Nimona. Like if Blue Sky's films didn't always talk about political and deep topics. They just add a cartoon and wacky tone over it so it can appeal to children.

The Ice Age franchise was always about love and family. An odd family with quirks that faced whatever the world threw at them. This is what I mean when I say it makes sense that Blue Sky's would have an LGBT+ film for kids. That treats LGBT+ with respect. The studios very 1st film/franchise is about outsiders who are too different to be in a "normal" family. So those outsiders find their way to each other and form their own family and embrace their love for each other. Not caring what "normal" families think of them.

Robots is baiscally classism explained through robots. The lower class robots are struggling to survive because the upper class robots are making it hard on purpose. The upper class is making new robot parts (necessity in this world) expensive. And stopped making old/hand me down parts (which are cheaper and more affordable to the lower class.) Forcing everyone to spend more money if they want to survive in this society. And to those that don't get new parts and look too old and broken, are taken away to the "Chop Chop" where they'll burn and melt the robot into something else/new/useful.

Rio is pretty much about finding your roots and learning about the culture you come from. Falling in love with your culture and embracing it. Instead of just leaving it behind. Simple concept but something a lot of people today need to learn too. I can't tell you how surprised I was to learn a lot of Latinos can't speak Spanish or understand it.

Horton Hears a Who. Same as Robots. Classism. The higher ups don't believe that the ones below them matter. Hell, we have the government pressuring the mayor to keep the truth to himself. And I feel like this is one of the few films that treats Dr. Seuss books with respect. We all know his books can get political. And this film really shows that respect in the "We Are Here" scene. With music and acting.

Spies in Disguise. Self explanatory if you've seen the film. It's about peace vs violence. How we can find peaceful solutions and not rely on violence and war.

They have a few other films like Peanuts, Ferdinand, and Epic. Same thing. Either about justice, love, or peace. Were their films flawless? No! They had flaws and were sometimes average. Buy hey, try to make a film for kids that tackles political topics. It's not easy. Nimona 100% feels like the film where Blue Sky's finally found themselves. They found a way to deliver deep topics to children in a way they'll understand. Or at least start to understand as they get older. The topics of anarchy, classism, LGBT+, and being outcasted because of it. It was perfect, and it really felt like Blue Sky's finally found themselves. Breaks my heart that this is the last piece of them that survived. Would've loved to see what Blue Sky's could've become if they kept trying.

But hey, to end this on a happy note, I'll happily take Nimona as the grand finally of Blue Sky's. It's a bitter sweet and such a beautiful film. And I absolutely love how this is the film that got saved after Disney (higher up studio) destroyed Blue Sky Studios. (A lower studio) And is the only Blue Sky's film that isn't under Disney's control.