#insurance companies are straight up evil

[lasersheith]

So 7 full months after my surgery, my insurance sent me a letter that says they covered my surgery but not the 1 (one) night stay in the neuro ICU I needed right after because they deemed it "not medically necessary."

I started bleeding from the access site in my femoral artery at 3am and only survived because I was in the neuro ICU and had nurses checking on me every hour for exactly that reason. I fucking hate what we've done to healthcare in the US.

Also please don't give me advice about how to handle this, I know what I need to do, I'm just venting.

[incorrectdccomicquotes]

Scarecrow: *evil laughter*

Robin: Congratulations on taking over the US healthcare system, doctor.

Scarecrow: All it took was a little elbow grease, and a comically large space laser.

Robin: So what’s your plan now?

Scarecrow: I’ll do what I do best: I’m going to make it evil! I’ll start by squeezing cash out of the chronically sick by charging exorbitant prices for their medicine. Diabetics will have to pay me a hundred - no - two hundred dollars for their insulin! *more evil laughter*

Robin: They… already do that.

Scarecrow: What?

Robin: Insulin already costs at least that much.

Scarecrow: Really? Two hundred dollars?

Batman: It’s closer to three hundred.

Scarecrow: Wow, okay. Diabolical. Guess the US beat me to the punch there.

Robin: They certainly beat you to punching diabetics.

Scarecrow: It’s fine. I have plenty of other great, evil ideas. Next, I’ll make treatment impossible to access by ensuring the hospitals are understaffed. And I’ll do this by limiting the number of people who are even allowed to become doctors! *even more evil laughter*

Robin: They do that, too.

Scarecrow: What? There’s no way.

Robin: Do you remember having to do a residency to become a doctor?

Scarecrow: Well, I’m not a medical doctor, exactly. I have a PhD in women’s studies…

Robin: Women’s studies?

Scarecrow: Being an evil dictator doesn’t exclude me from being a feminist, Boy Wonder.

Robin: Right… Well, you have to complete a residency at a hospital to become a physician. But the funds for hiring residents are provided by the US government. So the number of available resident programs (thus doctors) is decided by the Congress’ budget.

Scarecrow: So not only did they only do my evil thing, they did it in a more sinister and more subtle way.

Robin: Basically.

Scarecrow: I’m not sure if I should be proud of my country or disgusted by it.

Robin: Maybe both.

Scarecrow: Seems as though I’ll have to do something truly despicable to defeat the US government. In that case, I’ll make sure that the only people who can even afford healthcare are the ones who work for companies that benefit my economic interests!

Batman: That’s called insurance.

Scarecrow: Uhh, and I’ll let the hospitals deny treatment entirely to those who don’t have the correct insurance!

Robin: …

Scarecrow: No!

Robin: Yep.

Scarecrow: Oh my god.

Batman: You have some tough competition.

Scarecrow: They’ve already done every evil thing. Next, you’re going to tell me the hospitals are straight up racist.

Robin: Funny you should say that. According to recent research -

Scarecrow: Stop! I don’t wanna know! Ugh, all this information is making me feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack!

Robin: Should I call an ambulance?

Scarecrow: No, it’ll cost too much! Screw this, I can’t be more cartoonishly evil than the United States healthcare system. And I am literally a villain!

Robin: So what will you do?

Scarecrow: I’m just gonna take over something pure and free of corruption. Like uh, the US educational system!

Batman: Oh, boy.

[jsluvtzu]

housewife

minatozaki sana x fem!reader

summary: she shows her appreciation in better ways

cw: SMUT! evil, vile, degrading smut, sana treats you like a 1950s husband would, cursing, slapping, just filthy, men dni

wc: 2.1k

a/n: sana in a suit sana in a suit sana in a suit

the aroma of the food you had been slaving on for hours dispersed through the whole house, filling the empty rooms and seeping into the thin walls.

since 7 am, you’ve been cleaning, tidying, mopping, wiping, and cleaning some more around every single corner of your shared home with sana.

you were what they called a “housewife”, but in sana’s eyes you were nothing more than a disappointment. a nuisance. a body that just does whatever is asked of her.

wiping your hands clean of any leftover sauce on your apron, you grabbed your phone from the counter to check the time.

- “5:48”

she should be home by now. sana worked a 9-5 at a corporate insurance company and usually came home around 5:30. you started preparing the dishes nonetheless and set the table with the proper silverware, one set of knives and a fork for her and one for you.

just when you finished plating the meal for her, you heard sana’s car pull into the driveway and her keys jingle against the lock of the door.

sana opened the door hastily and slammed it behind her, throwing her suitcase down and kicking her shoes off on the floor without a care where it landed.

you knew what this attitude meant. it happened at least once a week when her boss would overwhelm her with something and she would come home with a storm going on inside her head.

you hesitated to greet your wife and ultimately decided against it when she didn’t even look your way and just went straight to the living room, plopping down on the couch with a loud thud and letting out a heavy sigh.

sana took her suit jacket off and loosened her tie, turning on the tv and flipping through random channels to try and distract herself from whatever she had to deal with at work.

you brought over her plate to the couch, handing it to her. “hey honey, long day at work?”, your voice was gentle, but laced with a hint of worry.

sana paid you no mind, grabbing the plate from your hands and gluing her eyes back to the tv screen.

“get me something to drink.”, was the first thing sana said to you since she walked through the door.

you just smiled and went back to the kitchen to grab her a soda.

sana never ate dinner without taking a big sip of something first, so you knew better than to keep her waiting.

opening the can and handing it to her, you slightly blocked sana’s view of the tv and heard her tsks of annoyance. you quickly moved out of her way and went to go sit at the dinner table, the both of you eating alone, together.

that’s when you jumped at the sound of a plate slamming onto the hardwood floor. your eyes drawn to the scene of the crime, finding pasta and sauce splattered everywhere with pieces of ceramic mixed in.

“i’m not eating this shit. it’s disgusting.” sana said it in a monotone voice with no regards to how you might feel about it.

you slowly got up and walked over to sana, scanning the mess you had to clean up and avoiding stepping in shards of the now broken plate.

your face was contorted with both shock and anger, but you held in the last part with a clenched fist.

breathing out shakily, you mustered up enough strength to question sana’s childish behavior.

“why did you do that..” your eyes avoided hers and the grip on your apron grew tighter. sana was glaring at you through your peripheral.

“i come home from a long day at work and you expect me to eat that? i work hard just to be fed dog food?”, sana scoffed and leaned back into the couch, stretching her arms over the top of the couch and manspreading, shaking her head in disbelief.

“i spent at least three hours on that ‘dog food’, sana. it wouldn’t hurt to show a little respect.” your eyes had tears welling up at the edges, just restless to come out.

hearing that, sana’s eyes turned dark and her gaze was narrow. you fucked up. she tapped her finger rhythmically on the soft surface and nodded to herself, planning.

“you think i give a fuck? seriously, do you? i don’t owe you a single ounce of respect, whore. if i don’t like something, i’m not fucking eating it. now clean up your mess.” sana was fuming at this point. not only did she have a ruined dinner, she also had to deal with you talking back to her.

you grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet and swept up what was left of her tantrum. you were so exhausted from cleaning all day, your body was spent. so tired to the point where you didn’t even notice you were wiping your own tears along with the sauce off the floor.

sana heard your sniffles and whimpers, peering over the arm of the couch and seeing your drained figure. she practically jumped off the couch with aggression and stopped in front of you, grabbing your face violently between her fingers and forcing you to look up at her.

your cries were cut short and you gasped at the sudden action.

“the fuck you crying for? can’t even do the one thing you’re made to do huh? all i ask is that you keep my house clean and have something fucking edible for me to eat when i get home. can’t even fucking do that?” at the end of her question, you felt the cold absence of her touch from your skin, only to feel a stinging heat when her hand lands on your face again, slapping you. the wedding ring she had on was sure to leave a bump. your eyes widened and the hand that you once had at your side went to caress your burning cheek.

“you’re so fucking pathetic.” another slap. this time you unknowingly let out a small moan at her strike, catching yourself and keeping your head down.

sana paused in shock, processing your response to her abuse.

“did you just fucking moan?” sana grabbed your chin between her pointer finger and thumb, lifting your face up to hers again.

“i slapped you.. and you fucking moaned? sana was genuinely curious, never hearing you react like that. her eyebrow was quirked with her lips slightly parted.

your eyes were glassy and bloodshot, your left cheek was marked red with her handprint and stained with your salty tears. to sana, you’d never looked better.

the darkness in sana’s eyes turned into lust in less than a millisecond. seeing you at her mercy and so helpless turned her thoughts into unspeakable ones.

sana looked you up and down once more before she grabbed your throat and lifted you off the ground, dragging you towards the counter by the stove with your back turned.

she stopped at the edge of the marble countertop and you winced at the bruising pain on your lower back.

sana trapped you between her arms at both sides, her hands flat against the cold marble surface. she shifted her leg between yours, pressing up against your core.

you were still recovering from the slaps you just received, mind blurry between wanting to be fucked and wanting to be comforted. but of course sana wouldn’t comfort you, the only way she expressed her “love” was by absolutely breaking you.

sana’s white undershirt was slightly unbuttoned and her collarbone was visible. her loose black tie and messy hair on top of that made every rational thought you had disappear. you didn’t even care about the disrespect she showed you earlier. if anything, you liked it.

“maybe i just needa fuck you until you learn how to cook properly hm?” sana snaked her hands around your back to untie your apron, sliding it over your head and onto the floor. her leg was still slotted between yours and you grinded on her ever so slightly, searching for relief.

“fuckin’ whore can’t think right unless she cums.” you whimpered at her words as sana crashed her lips onto yours, sucking and biting at them. the sounds that filled the room were sloppy and unsynchronized.

sana untied her tie completely with one hand and slid it off her neck without breaking the kiss. she wrapped it around the front of your throat and overlapped both ends at the back, tightening it and bringing it back towards her to hold you there. you moaned at the loss of circulation to your brain, the pressure in your head building up just enough to make your vision fuzzy.

you were wearing nothing except one of sana’s white oversized t-shirts and black lace panties underneath that apron. sana’s free hand slid under your shirt and up to grope your bare breast. the sensation of her cold touch against your warm body made you whine.

“mm- fuck, sana.” she rolled your erect nipple between her fingers and pinched it hard, eliciting pained moans from you.

sana observed you and saw your face losing color, immediately letting her grip on her tie go and pulling it off your throat with one smooth motion.

her hand trailed down to your hip, expecting to pull off a pair of shorts, but feeling the intricate pattern on your lace panties instead.

she ran her fingers over the material, humming in satisfaction. “you wearing these just for me?”

you nodded and pouted at her, whining. “all for you, sana, please..”

“please what? use your words, slut.”

“ ‘need you to fuck me so bad, please.” sana smirked at your desperation, hooking her finger onto your side and pulling your panties down, letting them slide down your legs.

your pussy was sticky from your arousal and throbbing from her teasing finger running through your slit.

sana teased your hole and went back up to your swollen clit, rubbing lazy circles around it and spreading your slick all over. you grinded yourself on her hand, silently urging her to give you more.

you glanced up at sana and saw her eyes fixated on your exposed core, watching the way her hand slid between your folds with ease and how the dim overhead light reflected perfectly off of your pussy, making you shine and glisten.

sana furrowed her eyebrows and held her bottom lip between her teeth, slowly sinking two fingers into you. she bottomed out at your cervix, pulling back out only to pick up her pace and slide inside you again. the erotic squelching sound from just how wet you were was disgustingly hot.

her groans were right in your ear, hearing her curse to herself about how tight you were. your eyes were stuck on sana’s flushed chest, her tendons popping out everytime she breathed. her breathing was heavy and uneven, and you could tell sana was losing herself in the trance that you put her in.

suddenly, sana stopped her movements and grabbed the back of your thighs, lifting you up and onto the counter. you hissed at the cold feeling against your bare skin.

sana pulled your shirt up, revealing your whole upper body to her.

she grabbed the front end of your shirt and held it up to your mouth, motioning for you to open and bite down on the cloth.

“keep it there, you understand?” you nodded, holding the shirt between your teeth and arching your back for sana to see exactly just how much you understood. she responded by tapping your thigh for you to open your legs wider, scooping her arms under your legs and sliding you forward to give her easier access.

sana’s eyes didn’t peel away from your chest for one second when she started fucking you again. her pace was inhumanly fast and yet she still managed to hit your sweet spot every time.

“oh my god, sana- fuck, don’t stop please, fuck” your moans were sporadic and words were mumbled, completely rid of any thought other than cumming right then and there.

“yeah? i’m fucking you so good right baby? don’t i deserve a good meal when i’m fucking you like this?” sana grabbed your face and squeezed your cheeks together, slapping you lightly a couple times.

you agreed with squeaked moans and squeezed your eyes shut, drawing out long yeses in between.

“yes, fuck- oh my god yes,” at that point you weren’t sure if you were answering her question or just begging for her to keep fucking you like that.

“ ‘fuck kinda whore doesn’t know how to cook for her wife? dumb fucking bitch. so useless.”

sana pushed her thumb against your clit and you felt the tightness in your core building up. moaning her name repeatedly, you threw your arms over her shoulders and pressed her face down against your bare chest, holding her there and cumming on her fingers with a loud groan.

you attempted to calm down your breathing and stabled yourself with your hands grabbing sana’s arms. she pulled her fingers out and shoved them between your lips, gagging you and swirling her fingers around your tongue.

“that’s what a good meal should taste like.”

[spitblaze]

now that im actually a taxpaying adult its so funny to me how often people talk about the IRS like they're an evil mastermind organization sucking money straight out of the pockets of the american public. like they're just professional sticklers. they're nerds with accounting degrees and an attention to detail. they arent even scary unless you're deliberately committing tax fraud. "oh fuck its tax season the irs is gonna fucking get you if you do your taxes even slightly wrong" you mean they'll send me a polite letter saying that I owe them more than calculated and I can call them to set up a repayment plan??? genuinely im more intimidated by hospital billing departments than the IRS, at least the amount I pay in taxes isn't at the mercy of my insurance company.

[cartoonicle]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Plankton: That was almost too easy!

Nega Timmy: Congratulations on taking over the U.S. healthcare system, you four.

Calamitous: All it took was a little elbow grease

…and a comically large Doomsday device

Nega Timmy: So what’s your plan now?

Vlad: We’ll do what we do best! We are going to make it evil!

Plankton: We’ll start by squeezing the cash out of the chronically sick by charging exorbitant prices for their medicine.

Crocker: Diabetics will have to pay us 100-

Vlad: No, 200 dollars for their insulin.

Ah HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Nega Timmy: They already do that.

All of the Syndicate: What?

Nega Timmy: Insulin already cost at least that much.

Calamitous: Really? 200 dollars?

Nega Timmy: It’s closer to 300.

Plankton: Wow. Okay. Diabolical. Guess the U.S. beat us to the punch there.

Nega Timmy: They certainly beat you to punching Diabetics.

Crocker: It’s fine. We have plenty of other great, evil ideas.

Vlad: Next, we’ll make treatment impossible to access, by ensuring the hospitals are understaffed. And we’ll do this by limiting the number of people who are even allowed to become doctors.

Mwa HA HA HA HA HA!

Nega Timmy: They do that too.

Calamitous: What? There’s no way.

Nega Timmy: Do you remember having to do a residency to become a doctor?

Calamitous: Well, I’m not really a doctor exactly a science professor more like it. I have a Ph.D. in women’s studies.

Nega Timmy: Women’s Studies?

Plankton: Being an evil dictator doesn’t exclude any of us from being a feminist, Timothy!

Nega Timmy: Right, Well… You have to complete a residency at a hospital to become a physician. But the funds for hiring residents are provided by the U.S. government. So the number of available residency programs (thus doctors)… is decided by congress’ budget.

Plankton: So not only did they already do our evil thing… they did it in a more sinister and subtle way.

Nega Timmy: Basically.

Vlad: I’m not sure if we should be proud of our country or disgusted by it.

Nega Timmy: Maybe Both?

Calamitous: Seems as though We’ll have to do some truly despicable to defeat the U.S. government. In that case, we’ll make sure that the only people who can even afford healthcare are the ones who work for companies that benefit our economic interests!

Nega Timmy: That’s called Insurance.

Plankton: …Uh, and… We’ll let the hospitals deny treatment entirely to those who don’t have the correct insurance.

Nega Timmy: *Stares at them Silently*

Crocker: No!

Nega Timmy: Yep.

Crocker: Oh my God.

Nega Timmy: You have some tough competition.

Vlad: They’ve already done every evil thing. Next you’re going to tell us the hospitals are straight-up racist.

Nega Timmy: Funny you should say that. According to recent research-

Calamitous: Stop! I don’t wanna know! Ugh, all this information makes me feel like I’m gonna have to a heart attack.

Nega Timmy: Should I call an ambulance?

Vlad: No! it’ll cost too much.

Plankton: Screw this! We can’t be more cartoonishly evil than the United States’ healthcare system. And all of us are literally cartoon villains!

Nega Timmy: So what will you do?

Vlad: We’re just going to have to take over something pure and free of corruption. Like uh… The U.S. educational system!

Nega Timmy and Crocker: Ooof.

[total-drama-takes-takes-2]

tti episode 3

“Last time on Total! Takes! Island! An Awake-a-Thon tested the patience of every camper, and left a few with some pretty wicked injuries. Caesar won the victory for the Flying Fujoshis, and Joner hit the hay and left his buddies Michael and McLovin behind. Will any alliances stay intact for more than just one episode? Will Frollo recover from his blunt force trauma? Find out today on Total! Takes! Island!”

---

The mess hall feels more crowded than usual today as every camper huddles around their table. Most are still sleepy from the past challenge, but some are in full gear. 

“We need to get our act together,” Max insists, drawing out a little game plan on his plate of mysterious brown slop, only pausing to glare at Frollo as he speaks. “We can’t afford to lose over petty personal differences.”

Frollo glares back, his eyes cold and gaze icy. Julia responds with a sigh, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “So what’s your plan, then, Mr. Man?”

“I don’t appreciate your tone,”

“I don’t appreciate your face!”

“Woah, let’s cool down, alright?” Austin says, holding out his arms between them as if they were to pounce on each other at any moment. “Take a chill pill, baby!”

Max pushes his arm down. “I’d ask you to kindly keep your peace and love away from me, thank you,” 

Austin sighs and sits back. “Only trying to keep us together, mate. We’re on a team, aren’t we?”

Only Kelly seems to agree as everyone glares daggers at each other. Max sighs. “As much as I hate to admit it, the hippie is right. As I said, we need to put our personal differences aside if we want to keep winning,”

“He’s right,” Scruffy chimes in, swallowing a spoonful of slop without a second thought. Everyone winces. “Speaking from the lens of a TDI historian, the most successful teams, alliances, and friendships are built off of practical cooperation.”

“Thank you,”

Julia rolls her eyes. 

Things are looking much more peaceful over at the Fujoshis table as they chat merrily. Courtney is wedged at the very end of the table, using McLovin as a shield to keep them away from Mal, who’s surrounded by Ass and Patrick. 

“And I’m covered by the company health insurance, so if I sustain any lasting injuries, it comes straight out of McLean’s pocket,” Caesar chuckles, using his spoon to form the breakfast gruel into pancake-shaped patties, somewhat fit for consumption. 

Bonnie shakes their head in bewilderment. “And you got all this stuff, how, exactly? Threatened to sue?”

“Not exactly,” he smiles. “Back home, I run a very popular Total Drama-themed Hunger Games simulation show on local cable and online. It got so big, the execs here threatened to sue. I sent my fans after them and they issued a formal apology, which included an invitation to their newest season.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that!” Peter says, nodding enthusiastically. “It’s so awesome, my friends and I take bets on who wins!”

Bonnie scoffs, shaking their head with a smile. “Lucky,” 

“I threatened to sue, but the court dismissed my case,” Patrick chimes in. “On the grounds of not actually having been on the island.”

“If only the courts were evil,” Bonnie jokes. 

“If only the courts were evil in my favor,”

Bonnie chuckles. Kitty reaches into their apron pocket and pulls out a handful of candy and hands it to Patrick. “For your troubles,” they whisper. 

Patrick blinks. “Thank you,”

“Alright, campers!” Chris shouts. “Your next challenge starts in ten minutes- be prepared to bring it!”

“Corny. Same line he used in the original,” Scruffy mutters. 

---

The dodgeball emporium is already set up, a shiny glass athletic center that puts the rest of the island’s amenities to shame. That can only mean one thing- Chris is very enthusiastic about going all out for today's torture.

“I still feel exhausted,” Kelly sighs, stretching. “I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, either.”

“Bad dreams, baby?” Austin asks. 

“One of the girls was snoring,” 

All of the girls and such on the Inane Anons turn to Michael, who looks back, confused. “Wasn’t me. I was up all night, too,”

Kelly shrugs. “It’s no problem. Just a bit tired,”

“Today’s challenge is everyone’s favorite: dodgeball! The first rule is don’t get hit. Second is that if you catch the ball, the thrower is out and the catcher gets to bring another team member out onto the court! And some other stuff,”

“Great. Okay, we only need five players,” Max says. “Who’s gonna sit this out with Kelly?”

“No, no- I’ll play!” Kelly insists. Max raises an eyebrow, but shrugs. "I guess it makes sense to save the best for last. Get in under the radar and then surprise them last minute. Frollo, Staci, you're on. I'll go too, and-"

“If Kelly’s going, I am too, baby!” 

"Whatever. Just don't try to "make love not war" them to death,"

Courtney, Mal, Patrick, McLovin, and Peter stand opposite to them, not looking very happy. Courtney turns to the rest of their team. “Just focus on dodging for now. If you see an opportunity, take it, but no one get themselves hurt,”

“But if you do-” Mal interjects, much to Courtney’s annoyance. “There’s no shame in losing!”

“Yes there is,” Patrick says. 

“Alright, ready? Set? Play ball!” Chris blows into his whistle. 

Courtney sighs. “Just focus on keeping in the game!”

A ball immediately flies from the opposite side and tags Peter directly in the neck. Staci and Austin high-five. He wheezes on the ground for a few minutes as his teammates stare in shock, and then Chef drags him off the court. 

“What did I just ask?!”

Another ball flies by and Patrick barely dodges, though it bounces off the glass wall and smacks McLovin in the back of the head, flattening him on the ground. 

Courtney sighs as Chef scrapes McLovin off the floor with a shovel. “Alright, it’s on!”

They aim for Frollo- the easiest target, since he’s still all bruised from his earlier divine encounter- and toss the first ball from their side. 

Frollo holds out his Bible like a shield. “The Power of Christ compels y-” 

The ball hits him in the gut and he wheezes, drops to his knees, and then curls up on the floor. Max groans and puts his head in his hands. 

Kelly yawns and weakly tosses a ball, which simply bounces across the floor and lands at Patrick’s feet with a weak squeak. Patrick picks it up and in one throw, takes out Kelly and a poor, derelict Austin trying to help them stay awake. 

Mal swerves across the court, dribbling her ball and dodging throws from the remaining Inane Anons before throwing it, hitting Max with such a force he’s thrown into the glass behind them. She turns to smirk at Courtney, and is promptly hit in the head with a throw from Staci. 

Patrick aims straight for Staci’s face, but they catch the ball and use it to take both Patrick and Courtney out. The Inane Anons win the round with a cheer. 

“We need to get in gear,” Courtney says, rubbing their sore side. “Not to live up to my namesake, but I’m gonna go all Type A on this team if we don’t start working together!”

“I agree completely,” Mal smirks. Courtney glares at her. 

Kelly falls asleep on the bleachers, and Michael takes their place. Julia, O, and Scruffy also step in, and the Fujoshis come up with Courtney, Ass, Caesar, Bonnie, and McLovin. 

"You sure you can handle this?" Ass asks Caesar. "Getting hit in the hair will still count you out."

He chuckles. "If I can swerve paparazzi and desperate fans on an average trip to the grocery store, I can handle this, easy. Bonnie? Care to join?"

Bonnie jogs over and the two stand back to back.

---

BONNIE: "I mostly do online gaming now, but back before I had access to my computer setup and my tablets, I used to go to the Chuck-e-Cheese's," they smirk. "Not to brag, but you're looking at the regional skee ball and Pop-a-Shot champion."

---

Bonnie and Caesar give each other a smile before team up sweeping the game in the blink of an eye, taking out three Anons and leaving the rest to Courtney and Ass. Only McLovin gets tagged out by a seemingly very-determined Michael, to which he glares.

Courtney grins, some hint of assurance on their face. “I’m gonna step out to save energy. Ass and Bonnie, stay in,”

“I’ll Sha-Go too!” Sha-Mod bounds forward. 

“Erm, no offense, but…” Caesar gestures to the picture taped over their face. “Aren’t you a little visually impaired?”

“My other senses are heightened,”

Caesar shrugs. “Our funeral,”

"If I may?" Mal asks, smiling sweetly. "Peter hasn't gotten a chance to play again."

Peter looks up from where he'd been watching a bug crawl around on the floor with big eyes.

"No offense, but this isn't exactly taking turns on your brother's tricycle," Caesar says.

Courtney nods, glaring at Mal with a suspicious stare. "Yeah... I don't know if he's really up to the task,"

"I have faith in him," Mal smiles confidently. "Go take a breather, Caesar."

Caesar rolls his eyes and walks off as the game begins, much to Bonnie's and Courtney's dismay.

Julia takes out Sha-Mod almost instantly, and barely misses Peter. “Ow!” 

A flash of anger crosses Mal’s face. “Come ON! AIM!” Everyone raises an eyebrow at her, and she catches herself, changing to a smile and a nervous laugh as she pretends to help Sha-Mod up. 

Peter is taken out seconds later, and as Mal stifles a grin a stray ball catches her in the stomach and she collapses. Peter groans and is dragged off court. Sha-Mod follows. They leave Mal on the floor. 

Ass and Bonnie aim for Michael, but Julia tags out Bonnie just in time, distracting Ass long enough for Kelly to swoop in and steal the lead. 

“One more game, one more chance!” Courtney insists. “Patrick, you’re in. Anyone else who thinks they can-”

“I- I wanna try,” Peter wheezes. 

Ass and Courtney raise an eyebrow in sync. 

“I don't think that’s such a good idea, little buddy,” Patrick says, smirking slightly. 

“I have… to prove my worth,”

"I say we give him one last chance, huh?" Mal smiles.

Courtney starts to say something, but the rest of the team cuts in. Ass shrugs. “Whatever, just don't get hit!”

Patrick, Peter, McLovin, Caesar, and Sha-Mod stand against Kelly, Austin, Max, Scary, and Scruffy. 

“Piece of cake!” Sha-Mod grins directly before Kelly aims straight for the jugular. 

Patrick dodges a ball from Scary, watching it bounce against the glass wall and fall to his feet with a chuckle. He picks it up and looks forward just in time to see a coordinated attack from Scruffy and Max coming straight towards him. 

“Not that face,” he whimpers before both balls hit him square between the eyes.

Caesar dodges a throw from Austin, catching another from Scruffy as he stands at the line between the two sides of the court. He tosses a ball, missing Kelly, before hearing a faint giggle and looking up towards the ceiling where Scary is hanging from on all fours with a ball in their teeth. They drop it- it hits Caesar, bouncing off his hair, and then ricochets on McLovin, leaving Peter alone on the court.

“Come on, Peter, you got this!” Ass shouts. 

Peter swallows a nervous lump in his throat and looks back at the Anons.

“Do you really think he can make it?” McLovin asks, holding an ice pack to his jaw. 

“No, but it’s a nice thought, isn’t it?”

Peter trembles, the ball in his hands shaking violently as he stares down the opposing team, who aren’t looking too concerned at all. Max gives a slight I told you so look to the rest of his team, then a smile Kelly and Austin, and then all three of them part, allowing Scary to walk through. Peter quivers and weakly throws the ball. It bounces a few paces forward and stops at Scary’s feet. 

He picks it up, grins wickedly, and then tosses it directly upwards. 

Max cups his face to shout. “Seriously?! He's right-”

As it falls, Scary does a tight, neatly performed spin-kick and launches the ball with her heel, sending it out with such a force that when it hits Peter, it sends him directly through the glass and onto the beach below. 

Max's jaw drops. Everyone falls silent. Even Chris looks mildly concerned. The Flying Fujoshis stare in shock, all looking at each other as if to say, “So, who’s gonna get the body?”

Then, the silence lifts. 

“And with a sweeping victory, the Inane Anons have won the game!” Chris shouts against the cheers of the winning team. “Chef, bring Peter to the medical tent and call in a chopper, he’s outta here! No elimination ceremony tonight!”

The Fujoshis stare in complete dead silence before a few interns force them out of their seats.

“That was rough,” Sha-Mod says, shaking his head as they walk back to the cabin. The picture of Lightning quivers in the wind, but stays put. 

Patrick shrugs. “Eh, he had it coming. It’s the law of the wild on this island- natural selection. The weakest go first,”

Sha-Mod frowns, but doesn’t respond further. 

The Anons, on the other hand, seem to be doing just fine as they gather for lunch in the mess hall. “How’s this, baby: you, me, the Christian square, and the history square?” Austin asks, walking alongside Kelly. 

“Are you sure? I mean, Frollo is kind of…” they gesture to Frollo, who’s standing over Peter’s cast-covered body and sprinkling holy water on him while he tries to weakly protest. 

“That’s why he can’t say no, baby!”

“Ok, I guess that makes sense. What about… Staci? Staci is nice,” Kelly smiles, gesturing to Staci as they growl at Michael for staring. 

“Sure, baby, whatever you say. Yeah!”

Staci sits back down on the bench and huffs. Scary emerges from under the table as if she were rising from underwater and sits next to them. “I liked your technique today. Brutal!”

“Thank you,” Staci grins. “My great-great-great cousin twice-removed Bertram actually invented the earliest version of dodgeball, so I’m pretty good at it.”

Max rolls his eyes. “Oh, brother,”

“I heard that!” they snap, brandishing their grimy spoon like a weapon. Scary giggles with delight. 

“Good job out there today, campers! And good work Scary- only three episodes in and we’ve already had to lift someone off the island in a full-body cast!” Chris chuckles, entering the mess hall. Scary smiles wickedly. “Really makes you wonder who’s gonna sustain a life-threatening injury next time- and there’s only one way to find out- here, on Total! Takes! Island!”

[howlingday]

Watts: Well now, that was almost too easy.

Tyrian: Congratulations on taking over the Remnant healthcare system, good doctor.

Watts: It's easy when you're a genius with an inexhaustable access to Grimm, weapons, and a cartoonishly absurd amount of off-screen time.

Tyrian: What will you do now?

Watts: Why do what I do best; take control of something and make it evil and selfish. And I'll start by squeezing lien out of the terminally ill and chronically sick by charging exorbitant prices for their medications. Diabetics will have to pay 100- No. 200 lien to get their insulin! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

Tyrian: They already do that.

Watts: Wait, really? 200 lien?

Tyrian: It's closer to 300 lien.

Watts: I see. (Nods) Diabolical. Perhaps I haven't been giving the Kingdoms enough credit.

Tyrian: They're certainly not giving diabetics their insulin.

Watts: Oh, it's perfectly fine for me. I still have plenty more ideas to make it more evil. For example, I'll make treatment impossible to access by limiting the number of people who can even become doctors, making the hospitals under staffed! MWAHAHAHAHA-

Tyrian: They do that, too.

Watts: What?! There's no way!

Tyrian: Do you remember doing your residency to become a doctor?

Watts: Er, well, no, but I'm not a medical docter. I have a master's degree in Atlesian bioengineering and a PhD in women's studies.

Tyrian: Women's studies?

Watts: Just because I'm an evil genius does not mean I can't also be a feminist, Tyrian.

Tyrian: Right... Well, you have to complete a residency at a hospital to become a physician and the funds for hiring residents are given by the Kingdoms. So the number of available residency programs, thus doctors, is decided by the Kingdom's budget.

Watts: Not only did they already use my idea, but they made it more sinister and subtle as well! I'm not sure if I should be proud of the Kingdoms or disgusted by them.

Tyrian: Perhaps both?

Watts: Then it seems I will have to do something truly despicable to defeat the Kingdoms!

Watts: I'll make sure that the only people who can afford healthcare are the ones who work for companies that benefit my economic int-

Tyrian: That's called insurance.

Watts: B-BUT, I'll let the hospitals deny treatment to anyone who doesn't have the right-

Tyrian: (Shakes his head)

Watts: No... NO!

Tyrian: Yup. It looks like you're going to have some stiff competition.

Watts: This... This is insane... Next you're going to tell me that the hospitals are just straight up racist!

Tyrian: Funny you should mention that...

Watts: STOP, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW! (Panting) I... I'm feeling faint...

Tyrian: Shall I call an ambulance?

Watts: NO, IT'LL COST TOO MUCH! Forget this! I can't be more cartoonishly evil than the Remnant healthcare system, and I'M ALREADY A CARTOON VILLAIN! I'll just have to corrupt something else. Something more pure and free of corruption, like the Remnant Huntsman Academies.

Tyrian: Ooh boy...

[daz4i]

listen. sometimes idm ads. i do want sites i use or youtubers i watch frequently to earn money so i can keep using/watching them, and i won't spend money myself, so this is a good compromise.

the problem is!!!!! ads make these sites lag, sometimes cover pages and make them unusable, or they clog videos and pop up so often and are so long they're practically as long as the video itself, to the point i just stop watching youtubers who have too many ad breaks even if i do like their content

and i gotta say, i don't get it? like being annoyed with an ad won't make me want to get the product - and i know that's not the point, the point is to put it at the front of your mind for when you or someone you know need the product this company provides - and i do end up clicking ads for things i find interesting sometimes

and the thing is. with video ads especially. i think smaller is better for everyone. one 5 seconds ad is so much less annoying than a 20 seconds one or even just two 5 seconds ads, even if it appears multiple times per video, bc psychologically it feels more bearable, yknow? the product is still gonna be in my subconscious or w/e but now i won't associate it with being painfully annoyed, so this is better for the advertisers too. so why not go for that!

also, sometimes ads are taken straight from tv directly to youtube (probably why some are very long), and the problem with that is their volume. like. if i'm watching smth in the middle of the night and your car insurance ad is twice as loud as the video i'm watching, i'm gonna hate it even more (a friend who learned copywriting told me they make ads louder on tv bc if you lower your volume during an ad break and tune out or just change channels quickly, it's more likely to catch your attention this way. i get that but why not just do this very minor adjustment when you sell that ad to youtube. please)

as for websites, some of these ads are so fucking evil 😭 i ranted abt this before but oh my god weight loss and especially fasting apps ads should be illegal i am not even slightly exaggerating. ads literally being malware??? not even getting into how scary algorithms can get.

and as i mentioned about lags, so many ads running at the same time, or the same ad space changing rapidly make things so slow that i once again have to wonder who's benefitting from this. i can't even see what some of the ads are bro, and i don't want to, but like, you're just losing money here, and if i know a site doesn't work well with ads enabled i will either switch to a browser with adblock (tbc, talking abt mobile here. firefox's app is shitty but necessary) or, if i can't use adblock, won't use that site anymore. so again. who's benefitting from this.

idk what the point of this rant is. ads today literally exist for the sake of existing i swear. i don't think they help sell things more at this point, which is the whole point of ads in the first place. and for smaller or newer businesses, they sometimes have to raise prices to make up for paying for their advertising campaign (drew gooden's videos about buying random items he gets ads for showcase this phenomenon well i think) which makes people less likely to buy them, and i can't help but wonder if some products would be better if their companies spent less money on just advertising them and instead actually invest in quality (see also: any shady company that targets youtubers for sponsorships constantly while having an extremely bad product, or barely paying their employees a living wage, etc)

anyway yeah these are my probably not too uncommon thoughts on the matter. have a nice rest of the day

[lunarsilkscreen]

Multiple income streams

Why is it that the rich advocate for multiple revenue streams, instead of one big one?

Well, it's because when you have enough money, you start to look like a piñata. And anybody, and everybody will use the levers of the legal system to hit that piñata in hopes some money will fall out.

It's really the same reason we collectively hate what we deem "frivolous law suits". I'm not just talking about slappsuits (suits designed to waste your time and money in court) or the actual consumer health issues that really should be mandated.

I'm talking, everybody and anybody you've ever rubbed the wrong way, specifically targeting you, or your companies in order get what they think they're owed, or that they deserve.

I'd bring up the judge cavanaugh hearing case as an example of it wouldn't bring up old wounds.

So they talk about owning assets, multiple houses, multiple vehicles, multiple revenue streams, those bank bonds that caused the economic collapse, multiple bank accounts (some overseas)

Anything to make multiple targets so everything you own can't be taken away in one fell swoop.

Steve Jobs would only ever drive a company vehicle that itself was on lease. So that it could'nt be taken away from him except through layers and layers of legal protections.

Yes, I'm validating these things about being rich. While simultaneously knowing that they can be used maliciously against the little guy.

People do this for many reasons, one is because they have no other option to get the American Dream. Other reasons are just straight up v for vendetta. And further still is the big guys trying to take down their competition.

So when you get a certain amount of revenue, your friends, and your family might all start coming for your money, family you've never met. "Friends" that talked to you that one time but only to make fun of you in high school.

I had a bit of trouble with car insurance where they called me directly instead of the insurance they had on file, or even their own insurance company. Or even the police officers. They called me directly expecting me to be able to pay them out of pocket.

That's how people think. Even at a *just above poverty wage level* of 42k a year. Even at a just below poverty wage of 24k a year.

Some people don't know what it's like to have to rent and pay utilities, because they live with family, but they still need to pay for food. Or they're greedy and think "well they have money so they can afford it."

Some People don't understand money, they just understand that you have a source, and they don't.

I don't think that'll go away with *UBI* (universal basic income) there will still be those that are greedy, jealous, or envious. Or they'll be prideful, and think because you've slighted them once they owe you the world. (Even if they were the one who started it, or keep acting the way the accuse you of.)

However, I do think the it'll help people not have to fight for the right to live. To have food, and if the rent weren't to damn high, just enough to rent. (Or for those who live with family or friends, a bit more.)

And it'll lessen the incentive for lawsuits because you offended somebody you thought was friendly that one time.

We can't stop people from the evil in their own hearts, we can't. But we can help the people who suffer from that evil in other people's hearts. By ensuring that they have food and a roof and a clean set of clothes at the bare minimum, when things go wrong, or when they're taken for everything they have by an uncaring system.

[flatluigi]

leverage is a great show, and yeah it's maddening how many of the cartoonishly evil ways to make a profit that they come up with for the rich asshole of the episode are straight up unchanged from real life. will always remember watching with a non US friend who thought for-profit prisons was a step too far and I had to tell them that it was not just real but commonplace

fun fact: the reason why the main character quits his job and turns to a life of enacting revenge on rich people for the benefit of the average person through elaborate heists is that he used to be the guy investigating and denying insurance claims until the company *he worked for all his life* denied coverage for his son, who died in the hospital in front of him soon thereafter. y'all might be in the right mood for this show right now

Source

Update: Article

[uniqueoneinca]

Saturday

I had yesterday off and I am so glad that I did. I didn't want to work anymore last week. I really do not like the place I work and it affects me all of the time and not in a good way. It's very mentally challenging in dealing with my boss. She doesn't know how to deal with people correctly. She's the CEO and does exactly what she wants. She will eventually get in trouble for how she runs our part of the company. I write my notes down on what happens. Since she wrote me up a while ago, she hasn't been as bad, but she pokes at me and just tries to find something wrong with what I do as well as asks me tons of questions that she should know.

Went to the city to get a physical for the life insurance I am trying to get for myself. I have NY Life, but if I die, my husband gets a whopping $20,000. I pay $50 per month and have for like four years now. I have around $450 cash value. I will be learning all about insurance since I am going to get my license to sell it, but I don't know a lot about it right now.

I stopped and bought a big purse after I got food to take home following my physical I had done. I think I will like it. I have generally big purses, but the one I had at the time wasn't very big and I have to dig and find things in it. Hopefully I like this one better. I am a purse and shoe freak. I have tons of them and always want more. I haven't bought anything for a long time though because of this stupid inflation that is hurting the USA and has since Biden was put into office.

I was reading some posts off of Reddit on politics and that place is full of democrats, like bad! You cannot talk to a Democrat and give your opinion on how you feel to them. They can just be evil. They attack you if you do not share their opinion. It's amazing that people can be that way.

So, I am worried about the state of our country if Kamala Harris becomes president. Biden did an awful job and she is just like him. She flip-flops on what she says and people just buy into it. It will be worse than Biden actually. Trump can be blunt and has said some things that people don't like, but he did a great job as president while he was in office. We had a hell of a lot better economy, that is for sure. I personally like the guy. He is straight up blunt, just like I am. A lot of people can't handle that. People at times, look at me strange when I am talking, because I am blunt, but I also get a lot of respect for it as well. Everyone is just so offended now. It's like people are a bunch of pussies in life. Grow some balls and speak up. That is a major problem how no one wants to speak up on things. Anyway, I am looking at the policies that Kamala is saying and it's only going to hurt the country in the end. You have to look at the whole story, not just the so called "good things" that are in it. I'm definitely going to look into the long term capital gains taxes. That will affect everyone and people don't even think about that stuff.

On another note, my husband is drinking tonight. He's been drinking about every other night. He bugs the fucking shit out of me when I have to deal with him while drinking. He is loud, can get verbally mean, interrupts, is forgetful and he does not shut his fucking mouth. He'll just talk and talk and talk. He has also been a dick while sober on how he responds to me when I talk to him for the past month or so. He doesn't like questions, he says I am too literal, he doesn't like that I don't want to try the food he makes and so on and so on. I've come to the point that I don't even want to talk at all. Thankfully he is outside on the phone. He's calling people he used to work with and is catching up. I tell him to call people and talk to him so I don't have to deal with him.

Well, will write later on. I'll see what happens tonight and how I deal with him. I shouldn't be this bugged by my husband, but I am.

[occupyhades]

God’s Whistleblower

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 (ESV)

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. 1 John 3:10 (NIV)

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Luke 16:11 (NIV)

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD." Jeremiah 17:5 (NIV)  

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. James 3:9 (NIV) 

"Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart." Malachi 2:2 (NLT)

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Apocalypse 3:2 (NIV)

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Apocalypse 3:3 (NIV)

[miniar]

The public reaction to the shooting is what's caused that other insurance provider to roll back the decision to only cover "some" anaesthesia for surgery based on their arbitrary timer.

It's not the bullets themselves that is causing the various companies to hide photos of their CEOs, it's all of you, looking at the shooting, and reacting with anything from "that tracks" to "AWESOME!".

The OVERWHELMING majority of Americans are reacting the same way, and for the very first time in a very long time, the various CEOs of predatory if not straight up Evil with a capital E companies are getting the slightest hint of just how much the general public Hates their companies, and by extension them, and just the barest idea of just how insanely outnumbered they are.

I'm sure they expected some of the plebs to cheer, sure, after all you can't become a billionaire without stepping on some toes... but the scale of it.

I'm sure they thought, like Ben "has never satisfied a woman's desires" Shapiro, that only some "lunatic lefties" would fail to condemn a murder in broad daylight, but lo and behold, the people that vote for their endorsed candidates are there, standing shoulder to shoulder to the people they're condition to see as their enemies in all things, pointing at the corpse of a man that represents tens of thousands of unnecessarily lost lives to fill their pockets and doing their best impression of Nelson from The Simpsons.

And they can't even rely on finding support outside their own shores as the overwhelming majority of the world looks at the reaction Americans are having and reacting with anything from "that tracks" to "good for them."

Because that's the country that they've created, and that's how we outside it are seeing it.

The overwhelming majority of us out here in the elsewheres are fucking proud of you all for seeing the reality of your situation and reacting appropriately, especially across the gaping political divide.

Seriously, you guys are doing Great!

And for this moment... the wealthy know where you stand.

And that's how you can change things.

Remind them that you are many and they are so very, very few. Remind them of your rage and their responsibility. Refuse to let them buy you or distract you. And you can reclaim your rights Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

HELL YES, look how scared they are at the public's reaction, this is amazing

[kyetalksshit]

I'm actually so weirded out but struggling to figure out if this is an opportunity for me??

I've been so tuned in with my spirit team lately and was trying to get my car situation settled without a gap in having a car. I need to renew my license but in nc because it's a California license, and then get a new car from a dealership across the street from my job. I was then gonna let my car loan company repo their car. It was supposed to be nice and smooth right?

Well on Tuesday night I went to go visit my friend Jen for the first time in months, at her new apartment in high point. We did some INTENSE spellwork and I called in some favors, including the car situation.

And then on Wednesday, we left the apartment at 330pm so I could take her to work and head home (and renew my license the NEXT DAY on Thursday), but my car was just Gone.

It was a mess - I was simultaneously having a panic attack and feeling a bubble of calm in my gut. I was flabbergasted at the timing - right after successful spellwork (we checked in on the energies and everything went great so???) and the ONE DAY I was almost 3 hours from home. 😭 I thought it was stolen at first, filed a report, etc but found out on Thursday it was repossessed. How they found me I'm not sure, the insurance lady said sometimes they'll contract out tow trucks to just drive around and pick up whatever cars they can find on their roster so it may have been that. But again such crazy timing.

My friend Remi came and picked me up which almost made me cry lol and we ate at Jen's bar before heading home.

Anyway, I wasn't able to get my license renewed on Thursday because I couldn't get there until like 130pm after all the phone calls and stuff, and the dmv had no availability. So I'm going to go on Monday morning before work and pray to my gods that it works out.

I also asked for money, for my taxes to come back early so I don't have to wait until next Friday (my next paycheck), and straight up 10 minutes later it showed up in my bank account. My friend sent me $100 completely unprompted????? I cashed out $25 from a site that usually takes the full 5 business days and it was in my account in 30 minutes????

So as long as I get my license on Monday (because it's illegal to drive on an expired license and also I assumed you needed a VALID license to buy a car), the plan is to drive straight to the car lot across from work and pick up a car. There are a few there for $500 down and they don't check credit and repos are ok so it will work out. I've also heard good things about that place from the people at my job who have gotten cars with them.

But now my roommate?? Who is a used car dealer (with admittedly mixed reviews on Facebook marketplace at least) is so?? Frantic to help me??? He wants to find a car at an auction for like 2K for me, take the 500 down, and charge me 100 a week until it's paid off. And he keeps saying "you live with me, I'm not gonna sell you a car that doesn't run".

And I'm just so confused and conflicted because like. My team WOULD do something like this lmao but at the same time I cannot stand him??? He's a terrible roommate and keeps the place so disgusting that I bought a mini fridge and microwave so my "kitchen" is entirely in my room. I only go downstairs (where he is 24/7) to take my dog outside or to leave the house. He's loud, he's messy, he complains about tufts of my dog's hair building up over the course of a week but leaves literal garbage all over the floor and has been sleeping in the living room even though he has a bedroom with a whole bed?? I've slung some evil eye his way (mostly not on purpose but he's pissed me off countless times in just the 2 months I've been here, and the only times I've slung any on purpose it was to get him to take his company outside or to be quiet) and want to move out as soon as my car situation is settled. But also he doesn't want to charge me interest because apparently it's against his religion?? So it would be paid off in like 3 months-ish and then I wouldn't have to worry about a repo again? And it IS weirdly serendipitous that he owns a car dealership.

The problem is that my personal issues with him and disdain for seeing him at all means that I'd rather not have any ties to him and I immediately was like fuck no. But on the other hand it WOULD be a good deal honestly as long as the car was actually decent. So idfk man.

Time for divination I guess? I told him I need to talk to my parents about it but I've been soured against my parents for the moment tbh lol so what I really meant was "let me talk to my gods (two of who DO assume parental roles hahaha so ig it's not that far off) and my friends and my tarot cards" lol

[adamwatchesmovies]

Autómata (2014)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Writer/director Gabe Ibáñez has clearly seen Blade Runner. He’s obviously read Isaac Asimov’s works. What he didn't do is learn from them. Autómata aspires to be another cerebral sci-fi film. Instead, it's just a cheap clone. The slivers of good ideas peppered throughout are lost in boredom. If that wasn't bad enough, the film can’t even get its own rules straight.

In 2044, 99% of humanity has died. The survivors live in cities surrounded by deserts and rely on humanoid robots called Pilgrims for day-to-day labor. These robots have two unalterable protocol: they cannot harm any form of life and cannot alter themselves or other robots in any way. Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) is an insurance investigator working for ROC - the company that manufactures Pilgrims - who learns that a robot may have found a way to circumvent the second protocol.

Autómata begins with a proxy for Asimov’s three laws of robotics and is set in the world of Blade Runner, with towering sexy lady holograms in the distance and a crappy, overpopulated city below. An interesting, if familiar setup. What's next? Instead of a cop, our protagonist is an everyman. That’s an unexpected turn. And then? Bad decisions. The machine who turns Jacq’s world upside down is a sex robot working at a brothel. Not only has it been modified to do things beyond its basic programming (not illegal), it’s able to inflict pain on its clients if they request it. Big no-no. Now we're going somewhere. Or so you think. The movie isn’t really interested in exploring this idea. In fact, the sexbot is a massive misstep. The thing doesn’t wear any clothes so you see it parade around in the nude. Every time you see it from the back, you notice its individually modelled butt cheeks and can’t stop thinking about what those greasy robot fetish perverts have done in between them. Grosser is the fact the robot doesn’t look human at all. When some dude can build a gynoid who looks EXACTLY like Scarlett Johansson (also very gross) and the people of 2044 are having sex with a fancy store mannequin, your movie’s got problems! It may seem like a trivial detail but this thing’s a big part of the movie and there was no reason to make it a sex robot!

As the audience tries their hardest not to stare at Cleo’s crotch and plastic breasts, wondering how or why exactly someone would pay to do anything with those, the picture introduces a conflict. Following some outrageously stupid decisions by Jacq, the authorities believe he’s in cahoots with the altered machine and decide to give chase. Time to introduce the flattest, most uninteresting, most one-dimensional evil baddies you could… and again, for no reason.

It’s a badly written film. Whenever interesting thoughts are introduced, there’s no follow-through. Instead, the story goes for the generic path, the uninteresting path. Antonio Banderas doesn’t feel right for the part. I don’t want to pigeon-hole him in the role of a sexy action hero but he spends the entire film covered in dust or miserable. The charismatic actor couldn't be less appealing. The special effects to bring the robots to life are quite good, up until the very end of the picture when we're introduced to a new model. It sticks out like a sore thumb. The longer you watch, the less forgiving you become. Even before Autómata unintentionally has one of the robots break its own rules, you’ve given up on it.

Those who appreciate a good science-fiction story are the only ones who might find anything appealing within Autómata - a generic robot title if I’ve ever heard one. Unfortunately, those same people have seen the works this one is aping dozens of times. It’s forgettable. (On DVD, June 21, 2019)

[puttingherinhistory]

“Luka Kinard knew his vaping habit was out of control when it started costing him $150 a week.“I was selling my clothes,” Kinard, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, said. “I would get shoes, sell them, go out get cheap shoes, sell them. I was doing anything and everything to get money.”His parents noticed when his grades started plummeting.

“He went from being a straight-A student to an F student,” Luka’s mother, Kelly Kinard, said. “(It was) a very rapid decline in grades. His behavior became explosive. He was very angry and it just wasn’t him.” Luka stopped his boy scouting activities, stopped fishing and spent all his time locked away in his room. He was vaping. 

Luka is part of what the Food and Drug Administration and the Surgeon General call an epidemic of e-cigarette use. And, as with most teens who are taking up the habit, it was the slender, easy-to-conceal Juul device that really got him hooked. 

Luka was hooked in a way that doctors never noticed before with regular cigarettes. “The flavor was better than the taste of a cigarette. Also the buzz was a lot better,” he said. But it was a pricey habit. 

“When I started spending $17 every four days or every day it was getting to a problem,” he said. “I realized (I was spending) $150 on pods in a week, and I noticed like this was getting out of control.” 

What brought matters to a head was when he had a seizure. “He was at his girlfriend's house and an ambulance was called and he ended up in at the emergency room,” Kelly Kinard said. She knew it was the Juuling that had done it. 

“We followed up with the pediatrician, cardiologist and neurologist, and we couldn't get anyone to listen to us when we told them the seizure was preceded by Juuling,” she said. “I found on the internet that it should be treated like a substance abuse issue. That helped when I called the insurance company and told them we need a referral for a substance abuse treatment.” 

The High Point, N.C. teen ended up spending 40 days in an addiction rehabilitation program before he was able to kick his habit. 

This makes sense to Dr. Sharon Levy, director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Harvard Medical School. 

“We've seen a real influx in the number of phone calls that we're getting for kids who need substance use evaluations and, remarkably, we're seeing a big increase in the number of kids who are coming in specifically to be evaluated for nicotine and Juuling problems,” Levy told NBC News. 

“We're seeing kids that seem to be getting a much higher nicotine level in their blood and that’s causing a completely different picture when they come in.” 

Other teams have found this, also, and the FDA is trying to crack down on sales of e-cigarettes to teens and young adults because they do deliver a much higher dose of nicotine than traditional burned cigarettes, Juul products, in particular, don’t offer a way to dial down the dose of nicotine-bearing vape fluid n the same way that other devices do. 

The extra hit of nicotine can have especially strong effects on young bodies, Levy said. 

“Kids are coming in with problems like difficulty in focusing, common symptoms of withdrawal, things like headaches, sometimes fatigue, stomach aches — which might be a symptom of nicotine toxicity or poisoning in some of them,” she said. 

“We've had kids who come in and say that they can’t concentrate in school, that they need to leave the classroom, they need to sneak out to the bathroom so that they can hit their Juul, or that they need to go to the nurse's office because they just need to lie down,” Levy added. 

“That's something we didn't see in use of cigarettes. This is very concerning. This is really uncharted territory and we don't know what use of nicotine in this way is doing to the developing adolescent brain.””

Continued in Link

TL;DR, vaping and juul’s really aren’t as harmless as a lot of people seem to think they are, in a lot of ways they can be more dangerous than traditional cigarettes. This article doesn’t even go into the way a lot of e-cigarette companies have been preying on vulnerable minority groups  that face higher levels of stress like the LGBT+ community and Native American reservations in their marketing. Like, taking advantage of stressed out vulnerable minority groups to sell them a toxic and dangerous way to temporarily relieve stress, but will eventually cause serious health problems for them, is actually pretty evil.