#special risks insurance

[chhesss]

Benefits of Special Risks Insurance for Niche Businesses

Special risks insurance is essential for niche businesses facing unique industry challenges. Here are the benefits of choosing specialized coverage:

Introduction

Niche businesses operate in specialized markets with distinct risks that standard insurance may not adequately cover. Special risks insurance offers tailored solutions to protect against industry-specific challenges.

Coverage Advantages

Special risks insurance provides coverage for risks such as regulatory compliance, supply chain disruptions, and technological failures. Policies can be customized to address specific operational vulnerabilities and ensure comprehensive protection.

Case Studies

Businesses in sectors like technology, healthcare, and energy have benefited from specialized coverage. Case studies highlight how specialized insurance mitigates risks, supports growth, and enhances resilience in competitive markets.

Choosing a Provider

Selecting an insurer experienced in niche industries is crucial. Providers should offer expertise in assessing unique risks, developing customized policies, and providing responsive claims management.

Conclusion

Special risks insurance is a strategic investment for niche businesses seeking comprehensive protection. By addressing specific industry challenges with tailored coverage solutions, businesses can mitigate risks effectively and foster sustainable growth.

[businessinsurancecanada]

Special Event Liability Insurance: Protecting Your Event from All Risks

Planning a special event can be a lot of work. From selecting the perfect venue to coordinating vendors and guests, there are many details to consider. But one detail that should not be overlooked is event liability insurance. Special event insurance provides protection against unexpected risks that could potentially ruin your event or cause financial losses.

What is Special Event Insurance?

Special event insurance, also known as event liability insurance, is a type of insurance that provides protection against unexpected risks that could occur during a special event. These risks can include property damage, bodily injury, and other unexpected incidents that could result in financial losses for the event organizer.

Special event insurance policies can be customized to meet the unique needs of your event, and can include coverage for things like cancellations, weather-related losses, and more.

Why Choose CHES Special Risk Insurance for Your Special Event Insurance Needs?

As one of the top insurance companies in Canada, CHES Special Risk Insurance has the experience and expertise to develop customized special event insurance solutions that meet the unique needs of your event. We work with some of the largest insurance carriers in Canada to provide comprehensive insurance coverage that protects you from all risks.

In addition to our customized insurance solutions, we also offer exceptional customer service. We believe that building strong relationships with our clients is essential to providing the best possible insurance experience. That’s why we take the time to get to know our clients and their events, so we can provide tailored insurance solutions that meet their specific needs.

Partner with CHES Special Risk Insurance

If you’re planning a special event and need event liability insurance, look no further than CHES Special Risks Insurance. Our team of experts will work with you to develop a customized insurance solution that meets the unique needs of your event, and our exceptional customer service ensures that you’ll have a positive insurance experience.

Contact us today to learn more about our special event insurance products and how we can help you protect your event from all risks.

[chucklechampion]

evening dedicated to The Horrors

[damnyousubdermalirritants]

UPDATE: NOVAVAX NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Hi everyone, it's been about a year since I posted about updated COVID vaccines and it's time for another update if you are in the US:

THE BRIDGE ACCESS PROGRAM IS ENDING!!!!

If you are uninsured or your insurance does not cover covid boosters, please schedule a new booster appointment before the end of August because the Bridge Access Program (the way the government will still pay for your booster) ends in September. The updated mRNA boosters from Moderna and Pfizer are available now. Go Go GO!!!

Shitty, I know! If you can call your congressional reps, the FDA, the CDC, whomever to tell them you want this program to continue/be reinstated, that would be great. Also, while you're at it, call the FDA to tell them to expedite the approval for the updated Novavax booster (3017962640).

The new Novavax vaccine is designed for the JN.1 strain which is one of the most recent mutations of the virus going around. If you have insurance and can afford to wait, I highly recommend getting the Novavax booster when it becomes available.

We are currently in the largest Covid summer surge since 2021

If you haven't had a booster in the past six months you are essentially unvaccinated. New strains with different spike proteins keep evolving faster than vaccine development and distribution can keep up. All that said, getting Covid is not a moral failing. If you do feel sick, take a rapid test! If it's negative, test again a day or two later. It is better to know than not to know. Here's a refresh on how to take a rapid test correctly:

If you do get Covid, it is worth getting on antiretrovirals within the first week of symptoms to reduce the overall viral load your body has to fight. If your insurance doesn't cover Paxlovid or Remdesivir, here are other low/no-cost ways to access it:

If you get sick, rest radically even after you stop testing positive on rapid tests. Avoid exercising for at least eight weeks after the fact to reduce the risk of developing long covid.

Regardless of your vaccination status, masking with a KN95 or N95 respirator (or equivalent standards in your country i.e. FFP2/3 in the EU) is the most reliable way to protect yourself and others. If Covid protections are a financial burden, there is likely an active Mask Bloc near you doing free distribution of respirators and tests that would be happy to help you. Here's a global map of them from covidactionmap.org

Some quick tips: if you're wearing a bi-fold mask, flatten the nose-bridge wire completely, then mold it to your nose on your face for a better fit. The best mask is the one that you will actually wear regularly to protect yourself. I really like the selection of styles, sizes and colors from WellBefore:

As school is starting, getting you and your family boosted is one of the best things you can do to protect yourselves. Masking is perhaps even more important. If you can advocate for updating and regularly changing the HVAC filters at your local schools to MERV-13 or higher to keep the indoor air cleaner, that can also make a big difference. Better indoor air quality in schools helps protect kids from illness, allergies, wildfire smoke, and more per the EPA's website.

These are steps you can take to improve air quality at home as well. Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are low-cost and highly effective for cleaning the air indoors.

Here's a map of clean air lending libraries for getting access to air purifiers for events from cleanairclub.org

[kawaiijohn]

Help a queer family of disabled nerds

Hey my name is Dante, I live in the Midwest with three of my best friends. We have four cats, one of which is my babyman whom I love very dearly.

His name is Latke Library Card Mango (LLCM). He's very orange and he's the light of my boyfriend, Kris, and I's life.

Cat pics are great right? Have a few.

A few months ago, latkes chronic bladder stones condition acted up which resulted in two emergency vet visits and a week long stay with his actual vet to get the stone removed.

It was the size of a chickpea.

Here's a photo of his post surgery when he had a nakie tummy. He was very very happy to see us.

He's since recovered, but the cost of this put us back around 1300 dollars in total. He's now on a special diet with rather pricey food to prevent this from happening but it might still act up eventually.

We've paid down some of his debt, but the interest is making it become more and more as we try to pay it down.

On top of this, our pipes backed up into our basement and refused to work suddenly a few weeks ago. We live in a house that is over a century old, and the clay pipes keep getting roots growing into them that causes them to not drain.

The roto had to come out and high pressure the roots out to clear them (which required expensive equipment), This put us back another grand.

To add to everything, our 700+ auto insurance bill is due in November, which is the worst time for this bill to need due, but both myself and Kris drive over ten miles to work during different shifts on opposite ends of town- neither of our jobs have public transit anywhere near them.

We are currently barely making ends meet-

I am a lunch lady at a public high school. I love my job. I feed kids who possibly don't even eat at home some days. I do work I am proud of.

However, I can only work around 25 hours a week without risking losing my insurance as a disabled person. My job does not have longer hour positions available, and I am too disabled to work more than this without ruining my body like I have done in the past.

I have been going without buying groceries out of fear that what little money I have in my account will be needed in an emergency. I will be out of work for a week this month, around Thanksgiving, and during Xmas break- unpaid due to me working in a school. Me being out also means no guaranteed meal every day.

Kris works in a factory. He is currently working 55+ hours a week to make what we can to pay off the bills and keep our house. He only has one and a half knees that hurt all the damn time and is barely eating either just to afford everything. His factory keeps calling for sudden shutdown weeks with little notice at the worst times, and he's the main breadwinner in the house for us.

The other two in our household, one is severely disabled and can barely work 10 hr/week (he is waiting on hearing back to receive SSI) on top of having multiple medical appointments a week to figure out what is wrong with his body and why it keeps failing. The other is a freelance artist who is working her butt off to make money while carting the previous to appointments nearly every day. She is full up on commissions at the moment, but when she opens them I'll reblog her posts.

I really didn't want to make this post. I hate asking for help. But we are drowning and there's no sign of land. None of us can afford to live on our own, nor can we move back in with our parents for various reasons.

All I'm asking for is some help. I don't care how much. Five dollars is five dollars. Five dollars is half an hour less we have to kill ourselves to make ends meet.

Even if we don't make the full amount, every dollar will help us get a bit closer to paying this stuff down so we can afford gas and regular grocery trips again instead of having to save up to go once a month like we are currently doing.

Our goal is 2000 dollars.

Yes, this is the high amount. I do not believe we will ever reach it. I can hope we can raise this much at some point.

But for now that's the dream number.

It's the number that is looming over our heads, telling us to pay up or lose our home.

It's not something we need this very moment, but just what we need in the next few months to be able to afford living without destroying our body or working three jobs/ridiculous hours.

We thank anyone who can spare a few bucks to help us, and if you can't afford it just pass this post along to someone who might be able to.

Please send as friend/family if you can, PayPal is threatening to withhold money sent as transactions now if you receive over a certain amount.

This includes sending things through my ko-fi account- so here's the preferred methods:

Progress:

388.74/2,000

Thank you for reading. I love you.

[theambitiouswoman]

Wealth Building: Money Topics You Should Learn About If You Want To Make More Money

Budgeting: This means keeping track of how much money you have and how you spend it. It helps you save money and plan for your needs.

Investing: This is like putting your money to work so it can grow over time. It's like planting seeds to grow a money tree.

Saving: Saving is when you put some money aside for later. It's like keeping some of your treats for another day.

Debt Management: This is about handling money you owe to others, like loans or credit cards. You want to pay it back without owing too much.

Credit Scores: Think of this like a report card for your money habits. It helps others decide if they can trust you with money.

Taxation: Taxes are like a fee you pay to the government. You need to understand how they work and how to pay them correctly.

Retirement Planning: This is making sure you have enough money to live comfortably when you're older and no longer working.

Estate Planning: This is like making a plan for your stuff and money after you're no longer here.

Insurance: It's like paying for protection. You give some money to an insurance company, and they help you if something bad happens.

Investment Options: These are different ways to make your money grow, like buying parts of companies or putting money in a savings account.

Financial Markets: These are places where people buy and sell things like stocks and bonds. It can affect your investments.

Risk Management: This is about being careful with your money and making smart choices to avoid losing it.

Passive Income: This is money you get without having to work for it, like rent from a property you own.

Entrepreneurship: It's like starting your own business. You create something and try to make money from it.

Behavioral Finance: This is about understanding how your feelings and thoughts can affect how you use money. You want to make good choices even when you feel worried or excited.

Financial Goals: These are like wishes for your money. You need a plan to make them come true.

Financial Tools and Apps: These are like helpers on your phone or computer that can make it easier to manage your money.

Real Estate: This is about buying and owning property, like a house or land, to make money.

Asset Protection: It's about keeping your money safe from problems or people who want to take it.

Philanthropy: This means giving money to help others, like donating to charities or causes you care about.

Compounding Interest: This is like a money snowball. When you save or invest your money, it can grow over time. As it grows, you earn even more money on the money you already earned.

Credit Cards: When you borrow money or use a credit card to buy things, you need to show you can pay it back on time. This helps you build a good reputation with money. The better your reputation, the easier it is to borrow more money when you need it.

Alternate Currencies: These are like different kinds of money that aren't like the coins and bills you're used to like Crypto. It's digital money that's not controlled by a government. Some people use it for online shopping, and others think of it as a way to invest, like buying special tokens for a game.

[sickwhispers]

hii could I request some rodger x reader..

QUITE THE CHARMER

Pairing: Rodger x reader

Relationship: romantic

Warning: none

Type: headcanons + drabble

"Y/n?" Toodles stands behind you, a curious look on her face as you turn around to face her. It wasn't unusual for her to ask you questions out of the blue, especially when the team was able to relax for a bit after another run, considering she was always such a curious little thing. And, you never minded answering. "Why does Rodger call you his sweetheart?

To say you were shocked was an understatement

Sweetheart?

Sure, you've heard him throw the word around before

But, usually he kept that sort of nickname saved for when you two were alone

And, most of the time, you had always assumed it was just something having to do with his overall persona

Referring to you as sweetheart in front of others, though?

That was new

He was always the type to be gentle with you, and maybe even a little protective

He cared for the others, there was no doubt about that, but he seemed to be more cautious when you or toodles were teamed with him

An airhorn hidden in his pocket, purposely messing up during an extraction, keeping extra tapes in case dandy were to sale aid

All things he did in case you two were in trouble

In full honesty, he knew he wouldn't forgive himself if you were to get hurt during a run

Along with him putting himself at risk for your safety, he usually preferred you to hide during rounds

Even if you weren't always so fond of it

He knew you wanted to help at times, but he'd sleep better at night knowing that you were safe and sound

"Alright... you two stay here. I'd rather you hide them lose another one of those hearts." He whispered, his voice barely audible to anyone besides you and toodles as he gently takes her out of his arms and into yours. And, the second she's handed over, her arms quickly wrap around your neck, holding onto tighter then you've ever felt before.

You open your mouth to speak, attempting to protest against what felt like another one of his commands. But, you didn't get far before he had already begun shushing you. "Don't start with me now."

"Toodles?" He starts once more, turning his gaze from you and onto the little girl clinging to you. It almost amazes you. The way his tone went from something akin to disapproval and worry, to something much more softer. "I need you to be brave, alright? Be a big girl and keep them safe for me."

"Got it, rodger!" She says, a little two loudly then what you and rodger were comfortable with. Quickly, rodger turned around, using his one eye to scan around the area. And, once taking notice of the lack of footsteps coming their way, shifted his gaze back over to the both of you.

"Thank you, toodles. Remember, shh..." her head nods in reply to what rodger had said, holding up a finger to her mouth as she copies the same shushing sound he had made.

He wasn't made to distract, and the heavy breathing that seemed to attract every twisted in the area was proof of that, yet..

At the same time

He couldn't help but jump into action

He knew how risky it was, and at most times he'd prefer to think of it logically

He was the logical person of the group, he was a detective

But, he felt almost embarrassed at how many times situations he's out himself in just to insure your safety

Now, if you weren't in danger, and he was able to think straight before reacting, he usually went with the more refined ways to insure your safety

Most of the time

If a twisted was headed your way, and hadn't noticed you yet, then he'd prefer to throw something in the opposite direction and away from you

But on those special occasions where he felt there was little to no time, he wouldn't hesitate before throwing himself in front of you

If he was able to reach you, that is

[lazyscience]

So for my followers who come with a factory-installed uterus I know you're concerned about your health and autonomy. And you well should be

But here's something all of you should be thinking about and planning for no matter what your plumbing - if Trump goes through with putting RFK Jr. in a position of power as far as the Department of Health and Human Services, he could do a LOT of damage as far as vaccines. Vaccines are not super profitable for pharma companies, despite what cranks think; they take a LOT of development for only a few uses. Vaccines are driven by public health requirements and a lot of places would shrug and say "ok, bet" if there isn't a guaranteed market for them.

The professional medical community will still have recommendations about when and how to vaccinate, but they won't have the force of law, and insurance will probably smell blood in the water and start kicking up a fuss about covering vaccines when they're not required. So then when doctors recommend them there'll be suspicion and pushback that they're just doing it for "kickbacks" even though the only doctor who would have gotten paid for vaccine is ironically Andrew Wakefield, the lying fuckshit, because his whole "vaccines cause autism" lie was to push his OWN, SPECIAL proprietary vaccines that wouldn't cause his made-up syndrome, because NO vaccines were causing it. May he roast somewhere warm when the devil comes for him.

This will not happen immediately, but. Because there will no doubt be anticipatory compliance on the part of drug companies and healthcare systems. I HIGHLY advise you get the fuck out there and get your Tdap updated (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis). Whooping cough is out there, and it is horrible for babies. If you are eligible for shingles vaccine and haven't done it, get that. Get your COVID vax if you haven't, there might not BE another one, at least not that's available in the US.

If you have kids, especially make sure THEY'RE up to date because their classmates might very well not be mandated to get them any more - state regulations will undoubtedly vary, but with the current composition of the Court, it will rule in favor of every possible exemption for antivaxxers as possible because the conservatives are all "fuck the weakest of us, I got mine fuck you." And expect idiocy like "pox parties" to spread (not like the average suburban parent can tell measles from rubella from chicken pox from hand foot and mouth by fuckin' looking at it, who knows what the christ they're going to be passing around). Measles is NOT just a "bit of a rash." Rubella is the world's leading preventable cause of birth defects. Chickenpox can result in scarring, encephalitis causing blindness or even death, and the risk of shingles later in life. I have a cousin who would be 57 this year who died as a toddler from hemophilus influenzae strain B meningitis, one of those "too many" childhood vaccines that were invented in the 1990s. Tell my aunt that's too many vaccines -oh, wait, you can't, she fucking killed herself out of grief her baby died.

tweens? get them the HPV vaccine if they haven't gotten it (given its associations with sex it'll probably be one of the first to go, but it prevents CANCER. who wants their child to get cervical cancer, or penile cancer, or throat cancer, or rectal cancer? IT PREVENTS CANCER. JUST DO IT.)

Similarly, if you have a child with any kind of immune issue that precludes vaccination, I would very much look into homeschooling, because bye-bye herd immunity.

If you have teenage kids, encourage them to update their Tdap and get the meningiococcal meningitis vaccine if they haven't been mandated to already by campus policy. Tetanus and meningitis aren't common, but they are frequently permanently life-altering when they're not fatal. We're talking months in the hospital. I'm old enough that I remember people fucking dying in college, and the panic that went around campus every time one of those breakouts happened in the state wondering if it would make its way to our campus.

Stay safe out there. I have no idea what this will do to our already teetering healthcare system but I don't think it'll be pretty. Everybody pray Trump pulls his usual scam and hangs RFK Jr. out to dry, because while the plutocrats consider regulations an unnecessary burden, they don't have a stake in creating a public health state of emergency when we already have a workforce not keeping up with demand, unlike Captain Convenient Brain Worm.

[eahtheramblings]

Something I really want to explore more in my rewrite is Ashlynn and Apple’s relationship, or more so why Apple doesn’t understand why she’s rebelling.

While the canon version of eah uses the perrault version of the story, i like the idea of using the versions where the mother of cinderella dies and becomes the tree instead for two reasons. Firstly because it can be twisted to fit the whole happily ever after narrative. If a story ends with someone getting a happily ever after but then the person dies when the next generation plays out the story, it becomes hard in universe to view that as an actual happy ending. But if every Cinderella becomes a tree? Then that can be twisted into seeming like one.

Picture this, Cinderella’s kingdom is a heavily forested, nature invested one, who’s main exports are agriculture/lumber and whose art often revolves around natural subjects like plants and the seasons. Nature is practically worshiped here. And in this kingdom you have your queen who just had a child, and you all know that in 15-20 years she’s going to die. But it’s ok, because her soul will go on to nurture and inhabit a tree! A plant that can live for literal centuries. And it’s not like she’ll be truly isolated, her daughter and her will be able to interact on some level, and since the cinderella story has been told so many times she’ll be buried in a specially guarded graveyard near the castle, that looks like a lush enchanted forest with all the tree’s of the past Cinderella’s to keep her company. Most royal celebrations like weddings take place here, so neither mother or daughter will have to think about how she’s missing her daughter's big life events. And truly, isn’t it an honor? To become a tree in a kingdom where they are the main progenitors of its way of life, to deliberately sign your death warrant to insure that the kingdom will always have a fair and healthy queen, saving them from the risk of having a ruler who can die at any time? For CInderella to join the nature that she so loved in life? A truly happy end, yes?

And secondly, when you take into account Apple's fear of the unknown/death, this becomes all the more extreme. In Apple's eyes, Ashlynn lucked out when it comes to having a destiny with no loose ends. Sure, Apples going to live happily ever after, but she doesn’t know when she’s going to die or how, as some Snow whites in the past have lived long lives and died of old age whereas others have died early into their reign, happy, but early. Ashlynn on the other hand has her entire life mapped out for her. She knows exactly how long she’s going to live, and when she ‘dies’ she gets to inhabit a tree for what could be thousands of years. There is no uncertainty with Ashlynn’s life, she will be a servant, she will go to the ball, she will live happily ever after and she will die in a known time span of 15-20 years and become a tree who then helps her daughter achieve happily ever after. For someone with control issues like Apple, this is an ideal scenario.

Heck,, I could also see this playing into Duchess’s hatred of Ashlynn, because they're like 2 sides of the same coin. Sure, they both become something non-human because of their destinies but Ashlynn gets time before that. Ashlynn gets a prince and the ability to raise her daughter to adulthood if she holds on long enough. Duchess ends her story as the swan, and will have to leave her daughter to be raised by the grandparents of her dead prince. She is lucky in Duchess’s eyes, because she gets the family and future that Duchess is doomed to never truly have.

[mayfly-stampede]

why is Vash distant with Meryl and Roberto?

(warnings: long post ahead, ep 5-8 spoilers, Trigun maximum manga spoilers)

after saying they were friends

after he insisted in looking them inside the worm and risked his life to save them

After all that…

“They’re not my friends”

(Yes, that broke my heart too T_T)

what happened?

Well, we have to accept Vash has met and helped and saved A LOT of people in his life cause (SPOILER) he has lived many, MANY years.

In the manga, he meets a lot of people in his adventures and we don’t know if he sees them again (even though we know they’re worry about him and are waiting news from him). Rosa in TS is a reference to this. She met Vash time ago and talks with him like a good friend.

But Meryl and Roberto are just another two more he just met like many others before them. Have they done something important for Vash that makes them more special to him? …Not really.

Maybe in the car when Meryl is worried about Vash not eating in three days…and we know him, he could pretend to be asleep but actually is aware of everything. He could heard her…

nevertheless he says goodbye to them really easily. Specially cause he is going to confront his older brother and doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, just like the friend he lost the day before.

And now he is distant with Nicholas too (SPOILER) cause after he defended him, he killed Rollo.

Clean, one shot…Impressive.

Who is Nicholas really? Why is he following Vash?

What if getting Nicholas away from the reporters and letting him believe Meryl and Roberto are not special to him is the best chance to keep them safe?

And when he reunites with them again, he is genuinely surprised and maybe worried like “I just got you out of my typhoon life and now you are here again??”

That reminds me all the moments in the manga when Vash recognizes he just can’t get rid of the insurance girls following him everywhere.

He is under their supervision to avoid disaster…but that gives them more like a passive role where they are just there keeping an eye over Vash.

at the beginning, the girls just follow him like Meryl stampede and Roberto are doing right now, and like Vash ‘23, Vash in the manga doesn’t interact too much with Meryl and Milly when they just met (he hides from them actually).

In 98’ anime, he asks them to stop following him when his situation was too dangerous for them.

And even though they’re good fight partners, Wolfwood is the only one who can fight side to side with him, so they have more adventures together most of the time without the girls.

Maybe that’s why we feel a cold relationship with Meryl and Roberto, cause Vash is always fighting and running…

And when Vash ‘23 sees them again he doesn’t have time to talk. He has to protect them and the other people in the sand-steamer, defeat the Bad Lads and then go back to help Nicholas, who actually does have a heart and has someone to protect, so he can’t be that bad…

And now that he knows they helped him in the sand-steamer all we can do is wait and see if their relationship evolves…

[businessinsurancecanada]

What Does Product Liability Insurance Cover?

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- CHES Special Risk is one of the top insurance companies in Canada that offers product liability insurance. With their team of experienced insurance professionals and their commitment to providing their clients with the best possible coverage and customer service, CHES Insurance is the right choice for businesses that need product liability insurance.

- In addition to product liability insurance, CHES Special Risk also offers a range of other insurance products and services, including all risks insurance and special risks insurance. These types of insurance can provide additional coverage for your business, helping to protect against unexpected losses and other potential threats. Whether you need coverage for your physical property, your employees, or your business operations, CHES Special Risk can provide you with the insurance solutions you need.

In conclusion, product liability insurance is a must-have for businesses that manufacture, distribute, or sell products. With this type of insurance, you can protect your business against the costs of legal defence and settlements or judgments that may result from product-related claims. If you are looking for the best product liability insurance coverage in Canada, CHES insurance is the right choice. With their commitment to providing their clients with the best possible coverage and customer service, CHES Special Risk is one of the top insuratop insurance companies in canadance companies in Canada.

[badaziraphaletakes]

So I’ve seen autistics saying they want to k*ll themselves because the show is cut short 💔 and alltistics responding that they need to go to therapy, they’re immature, etc.

To those autistic people, I’ll be talking about this in another post.

To the alltistic people responding that way - please fuck all the way off. If you’re not one of us, you’re not invited to the discussion about how Autistic people should behave.

However, that's moot anyway, because when Autistic people are being shitty, it is NOT because of their autism (we talked about this in the aforementioned previous post). Autism does not make people bigoted. (Neither does any other disability, for the record.)

Second of all, NEVER just tell a stranger “you need to go to therapy” like that. Especially an Autistic person. Here’s why.

First of all, many autistic people can’t access therapy.

In the UK there’s a massive waiting list for therapy because the NHS is underfunded. The situation is similar in Canada and I would imagine in many other countries as well.

In the U.S., many, probably most, Autistic people don’t have health insurance, because 86% of Autistic COLLEGE GRADUATES are unemployed (I can only assume the numbers are similar in other countries) and famously, in America no job 🟰 no health insurance, because, idk, ✨ Freedom ✨ or some bullshit like that.

And even if we do get to therapy, most therapists are not autism-informed and may easily end up traumatizing us further. (This has happened to me.)

We are vulnerable. Many of us are stuck living at home with family forever for the reasons listed above. Which SUCKS, because our families are much more likely to ab*se us than their alltistic kids.

Many of us never find a romantic partner. And even if we do, again, we are much more likely to be ab*sed by our partners than alltistic people are.

It’s also exhausting for us to go out because of sensory overwhelm and the fear that people will take advantage of our diminished ability to judge people’s intentions, and when we do go out, it’s hard for us to make friends because people are so prejudiced against us. We sweat blood trying to exert ourselves to make friends with alltistics, and 99% of the time they refuse to meet us halfway.

In short, the situation ain’t pretty. (And if we’re multiply marginalized, as many of us are, it gets so, so much worse.) For every N*il G*iman, there are thousands of us who are told we should feel lucky to get a job being paid 50c an hour (oh, yeah, that’s right - I forgot to mention, in the U.S. it’s legal to pay us below minimum wage).

***Not to mention the fact that literally every single Autistic person has experienced trauma means that it’s virtually impossible to separate out what’s actually autism and what’s just a trauma response. Look how similarly autism, as defined by the DSM-V, and C-PTSD present. Difficulty regulating emotions. Avoidance of certain situations. Difficulties in sustaining relationships. Stomach issues. Sleep problems. Heightened risk of su*cide.***

That’s a HUGE part of the reason we get so "overly" invested in our special interests. For many of us, they're literally all we have.

The joy that comes through special interests - that's unique to us. It's an autism perk. Idk why. I guess God or somebody thought it was time someone did something nice for us for a change.

But the despair that comes through losing them - that's not the fault of autism, it's the fault of society.

If you were, through no fault at your own, stuck at home with no job, no healthcare, no prospects, few friends, and nothing to look forward to, then you, my alltistic friend, would melt down just as hard as we do if your favorite show got cancelled. It would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Those Autistic people freaking out over the Great Good Omens Mutilation of 2024 aren’t really "suicidal over a tv show".

The reason we carry around so much despair is because we are slowly being crushed to death by systemic ableism, not because our brains are "too obsessive" or some ableist bullshit like that.

So, alltistics, please stop psychoanalyzing us - your latest autism hot take is dead wrong, like they always are. And above all, for the love of God, PLEASE stop demanding that we do the emotional labor to fix a societal problem that you fuckers created.

[shih-coulda-had-it]

totally reasonable development to the American Dream plan, don't even sweat it

(and the 24+ sentences i owe to the pollers)

Toshinori bounces on his heels, feeling lighter than air with the anticipation of tonight’s activities buzzing along his nerves. He’s dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt, denim jeans, and the sneakers Gran Torino had bought specifically for their high-quality rubber soles.

And speaking of, Gran Torino should be up on the roofs somewhere…

The front door to the Midoriya apartment opens, and Izuku slips out after a hasty farewell to his mother, which is paired with a lackluster promise to stay safe. Toshinori manages a single jaunty wave before Izuku shuts it, and then his attention is turned to give Izuku’s outfit a critical once-over.

“You don’t have any other shoes?” Toshinori asks, contemplating the red hue of his successor’s sneakers. The rest of the clothes are appropriately sturdy and dark in palette.

“No? Sorry…”

“Eh, it should be fine. There shouldn’t be a lot of traffic up top anyway. Come on, let’s move!”

They make their way to the stairs, but to Izuku’s obvious confusion, Toshinori leads them further up.

“Yagi-san, you said that this was going to be a special Basic Physical Fitness Training session,” the kid says. “Can I ask… who thought of it? You, or Gran Torino?”

“Oh, this is totally my idea,” says Toshinori breezily. “I know the beach clean-up is the ultimate goal, and it’ll stay as your focus before high school, but I realized today that there are some experiences that you just can’t replicate as a holder of One for All! Experiences that even our Quirkless bodies can manage!”

They head higher. Izuku gets more nervous, but gamely follows Toshinori up the fire safety ladder.

On the roof, Gran Torino greets them with a curt, “Boys. This is the stupidest thing I can imagine for you two to do, in the stupidest place possible.” He’s sitting on the ledge, and as Toshinori requested, two lengths of steel pipes are leaned up next to him.

“Musutafu’s perfectly safe,” Toshinori counters. “And with you here, Gran Torino, there’s minimal risk of, well...”

“Falling to your deaths?”

Izuku squeaks. He quivers beside Toshinori, and when Toshinori glances down, Izuku is staring at the pipes, aghast. “What are we doing, Yagi-san?”

“We,” Toshinori says with great dignity, “are training in the great art of parkour. The pipes are insurance for safety, supposing we see real trouble that a pro-hero won’t get to in time.”

“Legally speaking, vigilantism,” Gran Torino interrupts.

“But we’re not going to get caught.”

“Which makes you juvenile delinquents.”

“Gran Torino,” Toshinori complains, feeling delightfully young and unburdened now that he’s gotten accustomed to Torino’s incredible, mellowed-out approach to training Izuku. What trauma? What spars? Toshinori at fifteen didn’t know anything about that, and Gran Torino at his current age looked nothing like the pro-hero who haunted the end of his high school career!

“I’m enabling you, aren’t I?” the old man shoots back. “Don’t I get to express my own opinions?”

“Is it really safe, though?” Izuku asks.

“Of course!” Toshinori picks up a pipe, hefts it, and tosses it over to Izuku, who catches it while wearing a thoroughly beleaguered expression. Then he grabs the other. “Listen, Midoriya-kun. If it’s really going to be a year until you get One for All, then the American Dream plan can afford to be a little flexible! You want to be a U.A. student, right?!”

“R-right!”

“Then we can’t just train your body!” he cries, lifting the pipe like a torch. “We’ve gotta train your willingness to get into a scrap!”

A little more wobbly, Izuku repeats, “R-right!” And because his successor is more polite, Izuku turns to Gran Torino and executes a little bow, adding, “Thank you for letting us do this, Gran Torino! And for keeping an eye on us!”

Torino sighs.

[wishcamper]

On Nesta and Alcoholism

I’ve seen a couple takes recently saying essentially “Nesta is not an alcoholic bc xyz”. The spirit it’s said in is usually supportive of her and based in countering the way the IC dehumanizes and stigmatizes her, which is great AND there are some common stereotypes about alcoholism that can deter people from seeking treatment or realizing their alcohol use is hurting them. Alcohol is the 4th leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and ~11% of people over 18 qualify for an alcohol use disorder every year.

Creds: am a currently practicing counselor with specialization in addiction treatment

So a few basic points on problematic alcohol use:

Risk exists on a spectrum from no risk to imminent fatality. Most users fall in the middle. We have a very narrow portrait of what alcoholism looks like in popular media, especially in women, and it’s almost always the most severe end of the spectrum.

Use does not have to be 24/7 to be risky. Binge drinking, as defined by 4+ drinks for afab people and 5+ drinks for amab people in one drinking episode, has just as much potential for chemical dependency and damage.

A person does not have to be chemically dependent (“addicted”) or have cravings to have an alcohol use disorder, nor does everyone with an AUD go through withdrawal.

Using alcohol as a tool for emotional regulation, sleep, social anxiety, etc outside of rare occasions qualifies as problematic use. This kind of drinking is, unfortunately, very socially acceptable.

Problem drinking is progressive, and tends to get worse without conscious choice or effort to change

You can have a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol without having an AUD. You can have an AUD while still being a fully functioning person on the outside.

Risky or problematic use is often a symptom of a deeper emotional wound, which should be treated with care and seriousness even if someone doesn’t meet the criteria for an AUD.

They don’t have the DSM in Prythian obviously, but for us mere mortals here are the criteria. A person only needs TWO to qualify for a diagnosis:

As a clinician, I usually look for a few hallmarks.

Alcohol is one of or is the primary strategy a person uses to regulate emotion and stress, or is a common way someone rewards or incentivizes themselves

Alcohol is an important “character” in at least one sphere of someone’s life and they feel the absence when it’s not there, eg. social activities all center around drinking, essential part of dinner/sleep routine etc

The client has feelings of shame or guilt around drinking, choices they make while drinking, or the consequences it’s had in their life. oR they feel a defensiveness about their drinking and distress at the idea of stopping.

Anyway, that’s my PSA. I would diagnose Nesta with an AUD, but I would also diagnose her with PTSD, and also diagnosis is a horribly flawed system that allows people to access their insurance benefits. I guess I just want to say that you don’t have to look like the media version of alcoholism to be concerned about your drinking or to deserve quality treatment. If you’re concerned, help is available.

[sysmedsaresexist]

So have you talked about Colin Ross abusing and traumatizing his patients, or him believing he can shoot beams of energy out of his eyeballs, or any of that stuff or did i miss those posts or what

I did :) keep looking, I'm sure you're almost there

In all seriousness, no one is saying he's a saint or unproblematic, but him believing he can shoot lasers doesn't exactly affect the results of fmris or the readings of other clinicians in the studies compiling results

I mean, unless he shot the lasers right into the machine

That might skew the results a bit

But if you're going to dismiss Ross, you also have to dismiss van der Hart, Braun (RIP???), Poznanski, and all of the other psychotherapy clinicians involved in 15-20% of yearly medical malpractice lawsuits (statistics in these areas are horrible to wade through).

Malpractice lawsuits are a fact of life in the medical field and that's why every doctor is legally required to have insurance. It's estimated that by the age of 65 years, 75% of physicians in low-risk specialties had faced a malpractice claim (this includes psychiatry), as compared with 99% of physicians in high-risk specialties (surgeons and the like). At least 10% of an average 40 year career is spent with an open lawsuit on file. 96% of medical malpractice cases are settled out of court, without you ever knowing they happened. Your family/general doctor has more than likely been sued before, and you have zero idea. Of the cases that go to court, over 55% are dismissed. Of the remainder, over 70% are awarded to the physician. These numbers are terrifying. Not only are the number of frivolous lawsuits incredibly high, the fact that so few cases are won by the patient is just depressing.

Based on the above, like 1 case out of roughly 3,500 yearly malpractice suits against therapists will succeed in court.

(The above numbers are US based)

To reiterate, over half of those cases never go to court and you don't know they happened, because at that point, insurance companies prefer to just make things go away with money, whether it's valid or not.

How many can't afford to sue?

These cases range from therapists oversharing, bad note taking, confidentiality concerns, sexual relationships, business relationships, misdiagnosis, prescription management, lack of training in techniques, disagreements, and any number of other things. More often than not, malpractice suits aren't for emotional damage, but procedural and ethical issues.

The more well-known you are, the harder the cases you take, the more likely you are to be sued. I don't actually know of a case where Ross was the sole named physician, usually there's 3 or 4 named and Ross has only made it to the settlement stage once, though we can't see what part he played or if he was held responsible over the other physicians. I don't think he was ever named as the primary physician, meaning he came into these cases after another doctor had made the diagnosis.

How would you feel if every doctor decided to reassess you themselves rather than trust another diagnosing physician? This is a real question that matters. It's not rhetorical. I'm not defending Ross, either, but I'd be pretty frustrated by the third round of testing. Multiple diagnosing clinicians just isn't always feasible, and yes, it leads to errors. But that's not just psychiatry.

I don't really know what to say to this ask. No one is denying he's got problems, but can those problems be directly tied to the research and did they skew results? Where do we draw the line to decide who's officially useless as a clinician (people like Hart) and who's just getting sued in a normal daily event?

Can we talk about the laser beam thing for a second, though?

Colin Ross has an eyebeam of energy he'd like you to hear

Ross applied to the James Randi Educational Foundation’s One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

Ross's basic claim is that with the aid of special goggles he’s assembled using a blue Aqua Sphere swim mask, electrical wiring and, naturally, scraps of tin foil, he can harness the energy from his eyes and use the energy to play a tone on a computer. He describes it like an on-off switch. And he plans to use the technology he’ll develop to add receptors to such devices as iPods and light switches, allowing folks to turn them on or off using our eyebeams.

He won an award. A Pigasus. I think this is hilarious.

The Pigasus Award is given each year, “To the scientist or academic who said or did the silliest thing related to the supernatural, paranormal or occult.” Dr. Ross’ 2009 Pigasus Award stems from his ability to focus his own electromagnetic field to send a beam of energy from his eyes and make a tone sound out of a speaker. He has applied to the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge administered by the JREF.

The JREF has ridiculed Dr. Ross since he filed his challenge application. James Randi wrote on his web page: “You think you’ve seen every sort of claim that could be thrown at the JREF…. Most have been preposterous, silly, irrational, and/or astonishing. Now we have one that is all of those…Dr. Colin A. Ross.”

“I am not the first unconventional thinker who has had to endure the snickering of cynics and skeptics, so I happily accept this recognition,” said Dr. Ross. “Every significant scientific advance faces resistance, but it is time that the JREF stop ridiculing me and tests the protocol.”

I don't know where I'm going with all this, it's just food for thought, context. Nothing is ever quite so black and white, even eye lasers, and sometimes you keep the bathwater and toss the evil baby.

It's hard, it's a balance. Do we say you can't trust the ToSD because of Hart? Can bad people still make reliable resources? As much as it sucks, I think some research is still valuable, and we need to teach people how to critically examine methods and conclusions to decide if the research has merit, not just decide based on whose name is first in the authors list.

[scientia-rex]

Hello, I appreciate your medical posts very much and having seen a post the other day where you said migraine was in your areas of special interest, I'd love to ask a related question. You talk about bodies and medicine and patient experience etc in a way that makes a lot of sense to me and I'd trust your take.

I have chronic migraine. I'm currently at 100% pain days, with varying severity. Very hard to pin down what is prodrome, the main event, and postdrome as it's all blurred into one. My migraine team want me to reduce painkiller usage (currently dihydrocodeine and paracetamol daily, and ibuprofen maybe every other day on top) due to rebound headache. I want to cut down because they're fucking expensive and I'm scared for my liver and kidneys. But I literally can't cope with life without them. I went off them for four months a few years ago and the pain was so severe and so debilitating I was the most suicidal I've been in my life. Without painkillers I can't get to the toilet unaided, rarely leave bed, even more rare to leave the house. It's hell. And that's not even considering the effects on everyone around me who has to pick up to care for me.

So what do I do? The way I see things, I need something to help the pain improve before I can use less painkillers, but the longer I go on trying to find something that works and not getting there, the more I think maybe I'm wrong in that. I know a bit about how codeine based painkillers can reduce your pain tolerance / pain baseline. I don't think it's an addiction issue because I've been at the same (over the counter) dosages for 4 years now. I just want to do all that I can to be better, but I also need to be alive to be better. I am stuck.

TL;DR - If you have any thoughts on the relationship between chronic migraine, painkiller use, preserving quality of life while finding a treatment, and increasing the chances of a treatment working, and where on earth the balance between all that lies, I'd really like to hear them.

Again, I absolutely appreciate if you can't answer this, don't want to etc. Giving advice online is notoriously tricky and all that. But a big thank you for your time in reading, and all your weight and exercise posts especially which make me feel so much better about my body. Wishing you all good things! 💖

I won't speak to your case directly, since I'm not your doctor, but here is my personal algorithm for escalating treatments for migraine (note that "abortives" in this case means something you take after a migraine starts to try to end it, while "prophylactic" means a daily treatment you take to reduce likelihood of developing a migraine):

-OTC combination of magnesium, feverfew, and butterbur, taken daily

-Triptans (insurance will usually demand patients fail at least 3 to cover a more expensive treatment)

-High-dose NSAIDs (as abortive treatment given risk of rebound headaches if used daily)

-Daily topiramate (insurance will always demand this is either failed or there's a clear contraindication)

-Daily calcium channel blockers

-Daily beta blockers (higher dose than used for anxiety or low-grade arrhythmias)

-Daily anti-epileptic medications (such as Lamictal)

-Monthly anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody injections (Aimovig or Ajovy; expensive so insurance will demand you've failed some or all of the previous meds)

-Abortive anti-CGRP orals (Nurtec or Ubrelvy)

-Abortive ergotamine, usually Migranal, a nasal spray (very expensive and must be repeated 15 minutes after initial dose regardless of whether symptoms are improving or not)

-Prophylactic Botox (I believe this is every 3 months, must be done in the office of a trained and licensed professional, usually but not always a Neurology provider)

-Sphenopalatine ganglion blocks (done by dripping lidocaine far back into the sinuses to reach the sphenopalatine ganglion, again in the office of a trained and licensed professional)

-Cephaly (transcranial magnetic stimulation at-home device), expensive so insurance hates covering it

Now, one of my newer tools, and my current personal favorite, is a greater occipital nerve block--easy and fast, low risk, and I've had about 90% success with my patients in aborting current headaches. Effects seem to last 3-4 weeks in most cases and since it's straight lidocaine (you don't have to include steroids, though you can) you can do it as often as needed. I generally do this in my office, but I did train one patient's spouse to do it at home given how frequent their headaches. The pharmacy lost their fucking mind about letting an outpatient have lidocaine. I don't know why.

I currently manage my pretty awful chronic migraines with a combination of monthly Aimovig, as-needed Excedrin (the combination of caffeine, Tylenol aka paracetamol, and aspirin is effective for many people but is a real risk for causing medication overuse headaches, the more official term for bounce-back), as-needed Ubrelvy (I can sleep after taking Ubrelvy but not Excedrin so it's a good option), and roughly monthly greater occipital nerve blocks (I teach my trainees to do it using myself as a subject). I wouldn't mind trying the Botox but it's a PITA to get in to see our only local Neurology provider and since my migraines are relatively well-controlled (probably 1-2 headache days a week right now) I don't think it's worth the effort.

I also really got a lot out of this lecture, so give it a try.