#Affordable Programming Assignment Help

[intrusivethoughtsblog]

How to be a Solar Punk (And a Leftist) ☀️🌱:

1) Stop buying fast fashion and boycott.

I use Depop, Etsy to support small businesses, and you can purchase from small businesses or organizations via other channels. You can also transform your clothing. If a t-shirt is too small, make it a crop top or wear a long shirt underneath! Also look up boycott lists (e.g. BDS movement list) so you know which companies you can or cannot support.

2) Censor and Spread.

Carry around a sharpie or a tube of paint to cover ignorant (e.g. racist) graffiti and scribbles. (I’m not going to refer to it as art). You can also spread information via graffiti.

3) Reuse and Recycle.

I use grocery bags as garbage bags, tin cans to hold things, boxes from online orders, you can even get more creative and make pins out of bottle tops!

4) Get involved physically (if possible).

Volunteer to help people who are lower income, get involved in “beautifying” the community (e.g. displaying the cultural backgrounds of the community, gardening, and protesting).

5) Get involved online.

I sign and repost GoFundMe campaigns, donate what I can, and post information regarding current events. Don’t be apolitical. This is a leftist ideology.

6) Educate yourself.

Go to trusted sources to educate yourself on facts regarding certain matters so you can dispute false claims. There are many PDFs online, podcasts, and overall resources you should take advantage of to increase your awareness and to also help develop a better understanding of those who need your help. Education is what will set us free.

7) Support your local library.

There are so many resources and programs they offer that people are not aware of. And because people are not aware of them they are shut down and underfunded. People who can’t afford computers need to have them available free at cost. Not only to enjoy them leisurely but to do things like job search. Children also have reading assignments which brings them to the library, seeing activities and programs they offer children will help to cultivate a love for learning. The next generations are our future.

8) Learn languages and about cultures.

Certain issues are not limited to certain communities or areas. We need to unite in order to make an impact that will enact change. You will also understand how to positively influence certain people that would otherwise not be receptive due to a different communication style.

9) Take care of your mental health.

“A sick person cannot help a sick person.” -AA saying

You also need to take care of yourself because, simply, you are valuable. Being healthily selfish exists.

10) Be confident.

We unfortunately have to enter spaces that will make us uncomfortable and it will be difficult to be vocal, but it is necessary. In this area, focus on practicing efficient communication methods and building your self-confidence.

11) Confront your own bias.

Everyone is biased in some way shape or form. It is our job to rid ourselves of these biases. Take moral inventory (as they say in 12-step programs) and analyze areas you need to work on.

12) Credit artists and writers.

Being an artist and/or writer should not be a struggling profession. They are an integral part of our society. It’s easy to forget, especially when we take so many screenshots a day, so keep this in mind! I sometimes forget so I can attest it’s not the end of the world but it is a good habit to form.

13) Be anti-A.I.

It is not possible to incorporate A.I. into a leftist environment. It inherently promotes late-stage capitalism.

13) Be a good human. :)

Please comment what I missed! Thank you for reading.

Flag credit: @Starwall@radical.town

[evenwhenihadnothingihad-stucky]

Imagine trans Steve Rogers

(Saw someone talking about how they headcanon him as trans on TikTok and honestly I fw it)

He grew up knowing something was different about him but he never could put a finger on it. He’d wear boys clothes and cut his hair short, but he had a thing with that Barnes boy so no one was really all that “worried” about him being “one of those queers.”

World War II roles around and he’s binding his chest, trying to make himself appear as a man so he could serve, but he kept getting rejected time after time after he was forced to take his shirt off. Bucky’s pissed obviously because why would you try to fight? You could just be a nurse. There are rules in place for a reason. Then he’s spotted by Erkinsine, and obviously he loves to see the determination Steve has, so he recruits him for his program. The original plan was for him to present as a woman to be a big fuck you to Hitler, but of course Erkinsine died and Sentator Brant took over and we can’t have a female Captain America, so Steve was forced to present as male.

But he secretly loved it. He loves being seen as a man and actually being respected as one too. He can finally look in the mirror and be proud of what he sees. Bucky obviously is ticked off. He has no idea about Steve’s secret feelings about it. He’s mad Steve has to pretend that he’s someone he’s not, but Bucky just doesn’t get it at this point. Of course they argue about it; Steve tells him it’s for the greater good, but Bucky just won’t hear it. He thinks it’s bullshit. Of course he keeps Steve’s secret but he’s secretly seething.

Eventually Steve crashes the plane and wakes up in the modern era and continues to live his life as a man. Of course he doesn’t have to anymore. No one’s forcing him. But he wants to. And then one day he stumbles across something about the lgbt community and he’s a curious guy so he looks into it. And holy shit. This “transgender” thing describes exactly how he feels. Not only is it more acceptable, but there’s also medical treatments he can go through to help alleviate his dysphoria. Plus he can actually afford them too?

He starts HRT as soon as he can and he actually cries. His doctor knew his assigned gender at birth, yet still respected him and gendered him correctly. He’d never experienced something like that before and it felt so good.

Eventually Bucky comes back and is face to face with the same Steve but he’s… different. He’s now sporting a five o’clock shadow, a deeper voice, and no longer binds his chest because there’s nothing to bind anymore. It’s weird at first but Bucky learns to accept it, and he checks out a lot of books at his local library. He’d never thought of himself as queer but he found himself still madly in love with Steve. If Steve was happy, he was happy.

After all he’d still love Steve even if he was a worm 😌

[sunpoffin]

Yandere Kamukura AU where instead of Hajime waking up from the Neo World Program, Izuru's personality sticks around. He's now working under Makoto at the Future Foundation with Makoto under the belief that Izuru has been completely rehabilitated. He's wrong ❤

Deft fingers move to fasten the buttons of Izuru’s shirt, bottom to top, his tie undone and laid across one shoulder. Though the elevator ride to the offices of the Future Foundation’s fourteenth division will afford him plenty of time, Izuru acts quickly, methodically, no movement wasted. When the last button of his shirt is done, he loops his tie around his neck, folds the knot and slips it into place neatly. As he brings up one hand to do the buttons over the cuff of his sleeve, he stops short, his gaze lingering on the smear of blood under his nails.

Izuru considers it for a moment, then wipes it clean with the pad of his thumb.

Two days ago, Makoto as the head (in all but official name) of the Fourteenth Division, went to speak with leadership from a well-established local gang. Through the gang’s ability to move freely about the city, they’d been able to gain a foothold of control there. This, despite the way that old collapsed rubble made travel between sub-settlements within the city difficult. Using this mobility, they would offer protection… and a domineering presence over the locals. Which was a problem when the Future Foundation arrived to provide aid, as any civilians were afraid to ask for help from outsiders due to the risk of the gang seeing it as an insult to their authority.

During their short meeting, Makoto was warm towards them. He offered cooperation, recognized the good that the gang has done for their community, protecting them from lingering members of despair. He proposed a way they could work together. …And in return, they gave Makoto complete disrespect. Throwing his words in his face, talking down to him for his age, questioning him at every turn… Refusing to work with him. As Izuru stood at Makoto’s side, silent through it all, the only thing that kept him from striking each one down until they had no choice but to kneel, was that Makoto would be upset to witness violence.

And so, to protect Makoto, Izuru must be thorough. Careful to leave no trace when he broke into the administrative system for the Future Foundation and gave himself a job for the day in that town. Careful when he baits the gang to the very edges of their territory with false indications of a roving group of despairs planning an attack. And careful when he finishes his assignment with just enough time to not raise any eyebrows about his brief absence from either the Future Foundation headquarters or his work site.

Perfection, Izuru knows, while envied and strived over by many, is often not truly necessary. It was one of the reasons Izuru was so reluctant to put his hands to tasks that any ordinary person could accomplish. Tasks that were inherently beneath him. This however, serving Makoto… Izuru could not imagine anything less than perfection would be acceptable.

In this way, by giving him a purpose, Makoto has transfigured Izuru utterly.

From his worksite to the outskirts of the city where he would meet the gang in full force, Izuru moves through shadows and in and out of blind spots. There would be not a single person who could say they saw Izuru there. He arrives ten minutes and thirty-six seconds after completing his assignment. And as appealing as the prospect of dragging this out for hours might be, Izuru has conservatively, five minutes to get this done. He descends into the tunnels under the city, which are the real reason this gang has any power in the first place.

As with many things, Izuru is normally indifferent towards violence. He is familiar with human pain, human anatomy, the psychological processes of fear and bargaining. But this will not be an empty act of violence. Instead, it is an extension of Makoto’s will. Not a direct order or even the implication of one, but the very essence of Makoto’s desires. There is a barrier between Makoto and success and Izuru will strike it down, unrestrained by the title of Ultimate Hope.

Izuru’s hand curls into the makeshift wiring zip tied to the pipes running along the walls of the tunnels. A sharp yank, and the lights go out all at once. The sudden darkness doesn’t slow Izuru at all. He pulls a length of pipe from the wall, testing the new weight in his hand. Below him, he can hear shouts of confusion from the men gathered, and unhesitating, he jumps over the railing of the spiral staircase leading downwards.

Cutting through the noise of the gang members comes a thin, toneless whistling in the darkness. The men go silent. Izuru descends on them.

If he wanted to, Izuru could easily justify his devotion to Makoto. The luck that Makoto carries is endlessly fascinating- erratic in a way that Komaeda’s isn’t, seemingly following no cycles at all. Or he could frame it as carrying out the results of the experiment he ran with the Neo World Program. Izuru intended to see which was stronger- Hajime’s hope and will to live, or Enoshima’s despair and desire to use Izuru as a weapon. In the end it was neither and Makoto was the one who freed him. So then it should logically follow that Makoto was the winner of this gamble. Or if not that, Izuru could simply tell himself that Makoto is true Ultimate Hope, that Izuru as a tool for hope, has no better master than him.

However, Izuru knows the truth of the matter. It is nothing as clean as simple logic that has him here, in the sewers below a nameless city.

Driving forwards, Izuru’s pipe crunches into the ribs of the man in front of him. There is no way for him to scream with collapsed lungs. He chokes and folds in on himself, sputtering blood weakly. Izuru steps over the body and moves onto the next, soundless, save for the whistling of his pipe through the air.

No, not logic at all. Hope defies it. Stands boldly in the face of it. Everything Izuru believed was impossible because of the immovable facts of the very universe- it’s all been shattered completely. Because of who Makoto is, he would not let Izuru be a tool for him. Instead… Makoto has transformed him. Pygmalion was a selfish and shallow man. The myths should be rewritten for Makoto, who took Izuru with his heart made of stone, formless in his own limitless potential, and sculpted him into a person. Makoto, whose love overflows so much that it seeped into Izuru until he could also love.

Panicked shots ricochet off the walls of the tunnel in answer to the whistling, a flash of gunpowder igniting, fully pointless. Izuru snaps the neck of the gang member closest to him and moves onto the next.

Whistling, then silence. Over and over again.

And at last, Izuru is standing in still darkness, breathing air thick with blood. As Izuru catches his breath, he finds that the emptiness that sometimes accompanies performing his talents does not come. There is no room for it. Izuru has someone he must return to.

In the end, though Izuru got a negligible amount of blood on his person while out- a smattering over his shoes, a bit on the cuff of his blazer, the extra change of clothes he prepared still feels necessary. He draws his coat over his shoulders and bundles up the old clothes in the plastic bag that just housed the fresh ones, reaches up to open a panel in the elevator ceiling, and then promptly tosses the bag through.

When Izuru first woke from the Neo World Program, it was to Makoto’s smiling face. And later, when it came out that Izuru was still himself and not Hajime, he was the only one who didn’t look disappointed. Even in the face of Izuru’s betrayal, Makoto has never once tensed in fear around Izuru. He does not think of Izuru’s continued existence as a failure of the program. He doesn’t hesitate to touch Izuru. He treats Izuru not as a god or a monster or an object, but as a person…

Makoto is kindness incarnate. He is not Ultimate Hope because of a talent embedded into him, but because of who he is fundamentally. And Izuru cannot help but be consumed with him.

Izuru is out the doors as soon as the elevator opens, and then he is down the hall, around the corner, and opening Makoto’s office. (He leaves it unlocked and Izuru has done this enough to know that he is welcomed here.) It’s only then, when he sees him, that Izuru pauses at all.

Makoto is seated behind his desk, working. Pale light from the laptop in front of him washes over his face, draining it of color, highlighting the bags under his eyes which would not have been visible otherwise. He’s hunched slightly, a little furrow between his brows that is so utterly mundane and yet not boring at all. Izuru walks towards him, drawn those last few feet until they are together again. Soundless, Izuru sweeps in behind Makoto before he settles his arms around him, resting his cheek against his hair.

“I’ve returned.”

[plaidos]

hi, same anon as before here, friend is currently "boymoding" and has mentioned to me when we were alone "oh i got recommend a video on how to change your speaking voice, haha so random" and mentioned wanting programming socks for christmas but then said it was just a joke

thank you for your advice!!

no problem! first of all, if you’re a girl/you were assigned female at birth you might have some clothes you don’t want/don’t wear that might suit them, and if you do, you could offer to give them to them because it’s hard even just to afford to crossdress/transition/whatever etc. depending on who you are to this person, you could even offer to go clothes shopping. this friend might be joking but obviously “hinting” in some ways, whether they consciously want you to pick up on it or not it’s a deserve to be seen in my experience.

if they seem as eggy as you’re suggesting them, genuinely, if i were you, next time they joke about something like this i would be like, as sincerely as possible, “i think you’d really suit that. you’d look really cute in programmer socks.” hell, if i were you, i’d literally just buy them a cute pair and (discreetly) give them to them with a note that was like “you mentioned you wanted some programmer socks & even though you said you were joking, i really thought you’d look seriously cute with them”

like i think a lot of trans girls stay in the closet but dip their toe out under the veneer of a joke, and the way to encourage them to feel safe enough to come out is to let them know you think it would actually sincerely suit them & might make them happier, and that you would help them, encourage them etc every step of the way

[matiasman1]

The situation in Argentina is awful

I live with my dad, he's got a good salary, we live sorta comfortably. Taxes and inflation don't allow us to save ANY money. I need a pc for college, in a year we might be able to buy something usable, which won't be necessary since I'll have finished my career.

I'll soon have to open pixel art commissions just to get some dollars (VERY valuable in Argentina) and save for my pc. The job market is saturated and currently there's a programming void from the 2019 programming and tech bubble. And I'm not even bad financially, it's just that bad here. There's people way more deserving of the money and help escaping the country.

The president, Javier Milei, is a complete and absolute malicious idiot, a fake libertarian (libertarians are bad, but hes not even libertarian he's just far right) who assigned his sister as chancellor (nepotism), is defunding ALL public spending (I know we had deficit but you don't cut PENSIONS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION) and who recently scammed his own people with a cryptocurrency scam. He's a Trump and Musk fanboy who never knows anything about what he's talking about, lies, cheats the system and fucks over the Argentinian people (like I said earlier, he's fucked over students and pensioners, evil shit)

The minister of Defense is a pro military pro police pro violence megalomaniac bitch, her police shattered a photographer reporter's skull yesterday in the pensioners' protest, he's lost brain matter and will most likely die, and she's calling him an "incitor" and "Kirchnerist Agent" (Kirchnerism is the previous political left wing power in Argentina, an extension of Peronism). Her police FIRED AT THE PENSIONERS, LAUNCHED PEPPER GAS CANISTERS AND PUSHED THEM TILL THEY FELL OVER.

Kirchnerism wasn't perfect, inflation and corruption was through the roof and Cristina Kirchner (current main face of Kirchnerism) is facing political criminal charges, but this man has only worsened the situation, he's a petty imbecile who doesn't know what he's doing, wants to wage war against the national bank, has claimed to be Jewish even though he's not undergone bris or a Bar Mitzvah, is pro Israel just to get the Jewish Porteños (huge part of buenos aires' population) on his side (also why he claims he's Jewish), let's himself be advised by known crooks and scammers and plays victim when it backfires

I know people who voted for him, were warned, and half of them regret it. The other half try to justify their vote with "it's a change of status quo, an escape from the failures of Kirchnerism" and "yeah but economically he's doing good things"

ECONOMICALLY HE'S DOING GOOD THINGS? HE PROMOTED A ZERO SUM CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAM ON HIS PERSONAL TWITTER THINKING IT WAS AN INVESTMENT OPTION. HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ECONOMY.

Córdoba and Bahía Blanca are flodding cause there's no money for infrastructure. People have died, dozens of people are missing, and his only response is "What a terrible accident, natural phenomena, not lack of infrastructure".

Fuck Javier Milei, I dont even wish him death since that'll only martyrize him, I just wish all the Argentinian people, his Libertarios, realize what a dog shit president he really is

Fuck Javier Milei, Fuck Javier Milei, FUCK JAVIER MILEI

Spread the word, lookup Argentinian donation Ko-Fis, lookup Argentinian e-beggars, and lookup Milei's policies for yourself, you'll see how bad he really is. Donate anything you can comfortably afford, support Argentinian artists and users, and I repeat, SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MILEI, ARGENTINA'S DONALD TRUMP

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for deleting my classmate's online output in retaliation for previous grievances, & WIBTA if I kept this up?

📚🧪🗑️

(↑ so I know Tumblr didn't toss it into the void)

Take your time reading this before the poll. Trust me, everything matters.

I (16NB) am a student that migrated from the regular 10th grade sections into the top section of my school's STEM program via passing the admission test. I'm part of the very few that made it from the regular sections into such a prestigious senior high strand (which had only 3 sections and ±30 students per section), and the rest of my classmates and batchmates come from specialized programs that they were in since 7th grade. Naturally, they don't know me, and wouldn't think much of me due to my previously "mediocre" background. But really, I was only able to join the STEM strand this year because of financial difficulties during the lockdowns, so my parents could only afford to put me through the regular sections from grades 8 to 10.

Amongst my specialized program classmates was this girl, who I will call V for anonymity. V (16F) struck me as aloof and reserved at first. Our class seating arrangement dictated that I sit near the window farthest from the door, and V near the room exit, so we were 3 columns and one aisle apart, and had no one-on-one interactions so far due to this.

The entire school year in my school is split into two semesters, two quarters each semester, so four quarters. In Q1, I tried signing up for the strand-exclusive club that was practically a boost for report card grades, the STEM club, and we used printed forms. I filled in my form, and V collected the forms from everyone who signed up to give to the STEM club leader. We waited a week for confirmation of our acceptance (which was our forms being given back with a red stamp and the leader's signature) and everyone except me got them back. I asked V if she received my form. "No, you didn't give me any," she had said. I was denied another form by the leader, who accused me of lying about me having already given the form.

I didn't ask for a rivalry, but I had no choice but to be wary.

In Q2, our Earth Science professor gave us a lab activity and grouped us by random. I ended up in a group with V in it. I actively participated in the activity by helping prepare the materials and answering the guide questions on the activity sheet given by our professor, but I was stumped when it came to a question that required some research. Our professor allowed us to assign someone by group to take the activity sheet home and submit a picture instead when we ran out of time, so I went to my group's chat and asked them to wait for me as I finished the answer for that particular question. It took me an hour or so before I finally got the answer. I gave the answer to my groupmates, but V said that they had already turned it in, confirmed by my other groupmates. I asked them "Why did you hurry the submission? We had plenty of time left to refine and finalize the answers." They didn't reply, and they didn't answer me when I brought it up the next day in person. I went to my professor and explained the situation, even providing screenshots of my group messages as proof, but he didn't believe me. However, he did let me write down my answer to the question I was doing research for.

By then, I suspected V had convinced them to submit the activity sheet without me, and going back to Q1, also got rid of my membership form when she had the opportunity. I think she also might have lied to the professor that I wasn't even participating in the lab activity, and damn if he was gullible enough to fall for it.

Come Q3, this current quarter. Our professor in Literature gave us homework to be submitted in Google Drive. I did mine, converted it into the required file format, and had uploaded it to the Drive folder when I came across V's output. I figured it was time she got what was coming when she ruined my reputation to the teaching staff, so I deleted it. I secured my own folder so nobody but I can edit/delete it, just in case. The next day after that, V had nothing for submission and let's just say took some hits when the professor scolded her, and I have plans to get rid of more of her future outputs since we're relying on online tools for turning in homework.

On one hand, I feel a bit bad for doing that, and in addition I'm also scared I may be caught/traced. But on the other, I felt that it was only fair that she experienced even a fraction of humiliation that I faced during Q1 and Q2.

I dunno, Tumblr, AITA for that, and WIBTA for continuing with my plans?

What are these acronyms?

[glitter-stained]

Some advice to protect and support your brain

1. Wear a helmet. Please.

2. I know this must feel exhausting to see repeated if it's something you struggle with, but exercise really does help, in any capacity you can do it. Go for a walk, do a light routine, anything you can. Ask your doctor, look on the internet, if you can figure out a way to do something that works for you and doesn't feel like the nastiest chore in the world I encourage you to try it, at any frequency you can afford.

3. If you get a concussion, even a light one, go to the hospital. If the hospital doesn't orient you towards a neuropsychologist for an evaluation, insist on seeing one, and if they still fail at their job, go see a neuropsychologist in private. (Again, I know this sucks because it's expensive and not affordable for everyone depending on where you live and I'm sorry, this is the best I can give.) Same thing if you got hit in the head, didn't feel like it had consequences at the time, but have since been experiencing struggles with remembering stuff, impulsivity, etc. In general if you've experienced cognitive changes I encourage you to see a neuropsychologist but if you remember getting hit in the head, do mention it to them. Also, do monitor yourself for potential epilepsy, check what the signs are (they can be much less visible than you think), if you think there's a risk make a card to let people know what to do. If you think there's a risk you might have developed epilepsy after the hit, go back to the hospital, and while explaining your concerns mention that you got hit in the head.

4. Do stuff. Look, there are so many experiments and studies about how juggling helps the brain, or music, or knitting, or writing, or learning a language, or gardening, or. So of course I could just tell you to do all of that with a list of studies and be done with it, but it would be pointless. A lot of cognitive remediation programs based on these studies fail because what happened is a therapist who liked piano saw a study on the benefits of playing the piano and shoved all their patients into a piano therapy group. People, whether they're patients with brain damage or you, random tumblr user, have tastes and you do not have to force yourself to learn a new language or whatever pop psych instagram account tells you is the newest brain-hack. It's much more simple than that: your brain grows when you use it, and that creates extra padding that protects you in the case of trauma, injury, but also the effects of aging and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. (Well, it's not literal padding, the term is "cognitive reserve", but I think the metaphor is pretty accurate.) So try out shit: board games, reading (audiobooks are also a really cool and undervalued invention like this shit is wonderful), learning a new language (comics or watching stuff in the language helps make that fun), juggling, memorising the dsm-5 criteria for every type of disorder, get into comics, learn an instrument, get into baking, explode your microwave in the process of making raw cookie dough, try being around animals (horseback ballad at a ranch go to a cat cafe etc), learn how to dance from YouTube tutorials... Do whatever you want, figure out what's fun, try to avoid ideas of shame at not being immediately good or the idea that it's childish (it's not immature to have fun, i promise.) And give yourself permission to give up. This isn't an assignment, you don't have to push yourself, explore yourself with the energy of a fourteen years old figuring out how they want to dress: what matters is you find a bunch of stuff you find fun.

5. Socialization is really good for you, both for your cognitive functions but also in general for your mood, resources etc (and also all of those are linked). Whether it's a rpg group, an association you're at, even like people on a discord server, meeting friends on zoom, being a regular at quiz night at the club, trying to connect to people in any way you can really helps. I know it's hard, especially for people who struggle with stuff like autism, anxiety, etc. but building connection with other people, in whatever way works for you, really helps improve your quality of life.

6. Again, I may sound a bit like the doctor you want to punch in the face, but a diet full of all the vitamins and protein and general nutrients you need really helps. And honestly whatever way works for you getting these nutrients helps. I often get b-12 deficient because I struggle with the texture of most meats, so I try to eat eggs and sometimes as a kid my mom would put my steak in a blender and my doctor sometimes prescribes me b-12 supplements so I don't faint: that's what a healthy diet looks like for me. And I know exactly what b-12 deficiency does to the brain, so I use those strategies to incorporate it in my diet because I like the memory issues about as much as I like light-headedness and fatigue. (This also works for diets like veganism or gluten free or literally anything. A healthy diet isn't one where you have to eat every food, it's one where you get the nutrients you and your brain needs, and if that involves taking supplements then that's what's healthy for you.) Eating carrots in carrot cake or zucchini in brownie (getting creative with it) or eating premade soup because you want to eat vegetables but don't have the time or struggle with the texture or really hate vegetables and need them to be in a cake where you don't really taste them- that's what a healthy diet looks like. There's a lot of strategies about eating around sensory issues or restrictions and I'm not an expert but like, the ressources are out there. Keeping hydrated is also really important! Similarly, for people who struggle with water, flavouring packets and teas really help!

7. Sleep is so important. Like, to the point it makes diagnosis harder because lack of sleep fucks up everything from mood to cognitive functions to development so if your patient isn't sleeping, good luck figuring out what they have. So talking to your doctor if you have trouble sleeping, working on designing a bedtime routine that helps you, working to reduce nightmares with your therapist, all of that is super important... And don't underestimate the usefulness of napping! Napping rules.

Now, you may have notice that everything in this list (except maybe the helmet one, though these things do cost money) is easier if you have money. I manage some of the items on that list, but don't assume that I am preaching: more often than not, my diet is the cheapest ramen noodles I can find, and I sleep 4 to 5 hours a night.

That's because neuropsychology, like any form of psychology, is inherently political. It's better wages and union rights to have the time and money to afford eating the diet you need and spending time and money on activities and group outings etc. It's equality in the household so you don't have to spend all the time you do have on taking care of all the chores and kids and never getting to enjoy anything or rest. It's, of course, universal healthcare so you can go to the hospital after you get hit in the head and get those scans and EEG go see that neuropsychologist and meet that therapist and get your doctor to prescribe you medicine that works rather than the medicine your dumbfuck insurance company thinks you should fail. It's good food regulations so that you designing a healthy diet can be about getting the nutrients you need and not avoiding getting poisoned by the food you spent your damn money on. It's all of that and more; it's defending your rights, and fighting for those you don't have. So this is all the advice I have, do your best to be kind to yourself, and I hope you have a wonderful year.

[shingekinohyrulewrites]

& They Were Roommates

Armin Arlert is in need of a roommate, and you just so happen to need a place to live. For some reason you cannot figure out, his best friend, Eren Jaeger, has a problem with you.

Read on AO3 here

SMUT AHEAD, MDNI, 18+ ONLY, CONTENT WARNINGS FOR :

Couch Sex, Unprotected Sex, Spitting, Creampie

Armin Arlert is an accomplished man.

After graduating as valedictorian in both high school and college, he decided to continue on with his higher education by going on to graduate school. With his Molecular Biology Bachelors Degree under his belt, he was moving on to get his Masters and, sometime in the future, his PhD. His alma mater, Eldia University, offered a great graduate program, and he decided to continue his education there.

He had been living in the same off-campus apartment since his freshman year. Since he excelled in high school, his tuition and living expenses were paid for, which meant he had his pick for where he wanted to live. Wanting to have the “real” college experience, he opted to choose a two bedroom apartment two miles from campus, and he took the bus to commute to class.

Annie Leonhart stumbled into his life during his second semester. They were both taking Chemistry, and they had been assigned as lab partners. Despite her stern demeanor, Armin managed to break through, and the two began dating halfway through the semester. Sophomore year she moved into his apartment, the extra bedroom being converted into a guest room. They graduated together, and she also decided to pursue a graduate degree like her boyfriend. Their first year was stressful, navigating much more difficult, specialized classes while balancing a job at the local pharmaceutical company.

Over the summer, Annie was presented with the opportunity to study in her family’s native country, Russia. Despite safety concerns, the top pharmaceutical company there had offered a chance for her to work there, gain experience, and attend classes at the local prestigious university.

It was a chance she couldn’t refuse.

However, this left Armin with a conundrum. Now that he was in graduate school, only his tuition was covered. Given that he was expected to have a job, his living expenses were now up to him. Since he had chosen a rather swanky apartment, he knew he would need some help with paying for the rent. He put out an ad in the university’s newspaper, hoping that a fellow student would be willing to reside with him.

The week before Annie was set to leave, Armin’s best friend, Eren Jaeger, heard about his situation and stopped by. The two had been best friends since they were kids, and he wanted to see if he could help out somehow.

“Hey, why don’t you let me move in?”

Armin’s nose had scrunched up, which immediately annoyed Eren.

“What’s wrong with me?” he asked, frowning deeply.

“No offense, Eren, but I need someone who is just as studious as me. I can’t afford any distractions right now.”

Eren opened his mouth to argue, but Armin held up a hand to silence him.

“Look, you’ve been done with school. You work as a personal trainer. You don’t have a set schedule, so you would be coming and going at unpredictable times. I need consistency.”

For some reason, Eren decided to take this personally.

He currently lived at home with his parents and half-brother, Zeke. Although he made good money as a personal trainer, it was hard to find an affordable place that he could afford by himself. He had been hoping that this would be a chance to finally move out, and the thought of living with his best friend made him excited.

“Why don’t you help me vet roommate options? I know it’s not moving in, but at least you have an idea of who you would see when you come hang out.”

For the next week, Armin arranged “interviews” when the both of them were free. They interviewed both undergraduate and graduate students, with Armin asking the questions while Eren studied them quietly. Unbeknownst to the blond, Eren was fuming. He hated every single option, finding stupid reasons for Armin to reject them. He had decided that, regardless of who Armin decided to go with, he would hate whoever his roommate ended up being.

Two days before Annie’s flight, Armin was freaking out. He still hadn’t found a suitable roommate, and Eren had been no help. The responses to the ad were basically zero now, and Armin hadn’t heard from friends about anyone who may need a room.

Then you showed up.

A mutual friend of yours who had a few classes with Armin had casually mentioned he needed a roommate, and you had immediately jumped them for details. You were finishing up your Masters Thesis, jumping between meetings with your advisor and your job. However, your roommate had dropped out, the stress of graduate school causing a nervous breakdown, leaving you essentially homeless.

Your friend gave you his contact information, and the two of you arranged to meet the day before Annie’s flight. You were greeted by him, relieved that he seemed kind. He introduced his best friend, Eren, who regarded you sternly. The both of you toured the apartment, with Armin explaining the amenities and breaking down the bills. He asked about your schedule, and was pleased to see that it essentially aligned with his. You both conversed about your respective Masters programs, and he had a feeling the two of you would get along great.

“How soon can you move in?”

“I can move in tomorrow!” you excitedly said.

“Sold!”

Eren watched the exchange with a scowl, rolling his eyes as Armin went over the lease paperwork and how to get a copy of the keys. The next morning, you moved in, settling into the second bedroom before leaving for work. The two of you had decided to go out for dinner to better get to know each other. Armin had dropped off Annie that morning, which meant he had time for you that night.

You immediately admired Armin. It was evident he was a hard worker, and you listened intently as he talked about the difficulties of his program and his job. You asked about his study habits, and were pleased to hear they were similar to yours. The two of you had similar personalities and senses of humor, and a part of you predicted that you would be getting along very well.

It took one week to fall into a routine. Since your schedules were almost the same, you were up at the same time, sharing a quick dinner before running out the door. Twice a week, your lunch time aligned, so you met for lunch. You would usually get home before him, which allowed you time to relax a bit before you started dinner just as he was getting home. He would ask about your day as you ate before watching a bit of TV and retiring to bed.

Eren came over the week after. It was Friday, and Armin had suggested a movie night. You had happily agreed, hoping to get to know Eren better. Armin talked about him often, letting you know that they had been friends since they were kids and that he had always been super protective of the blond.

“I was usually a target for the neighborhood kids,” he had admitted sheepishly.

You had offered to pay for the pizza that evening, and you asked Eren what he wanted on his. He shrugged, saying pepperoni was fine. His aloof personality put you off a bit, but you figured you were still a stranger to him, so he was weary.

While you waited for the food, Armin and Eren caught up. You sat to the side, scrolling through your phone silently while you quietly observed Eren. It was hard not to notice how attractive he was - he looked like he could be a model. His long, brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, just like the first time you had met him. A few pieces had slipped out, framing his face. Thick, dark eyebrows sloped over a pair of expressive turquoise eyes, who often eyed you with suspicion. His nose was slender but rounded at the tip, above a pair of full lips. Your eyes traced the sharp line of his jaw, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

The sound of someone knocking at the door pulled you from your thoughts.

Armin sat in between you two, eyes fixed on the TV screen. Eren hadn’t said a single word to you beyond thanks for paying for the pizza. For some reason, it really bothered you.

Meanwhile, Eren was absolutely annoyed with you. Armin had been gushing about you over text, going on and on about how you were essentially a perfect roommate. The two of you got along great, and his studies weren’t interrupted. When he had invited him over, Eren was intent on saying “thanks, but no thanks.” But Armin had mentioned how it was so important for them to get along, and Eren couldn’t say no to that.

His eyes watched you from the side. Your eyes kept flicking between the plate on your lap and the screen. You were wearing a thin tee shirt and sweats, your hair messily braided. Armin had mentioned you had been busier than usual with work that week, which explained your tired appearance. You weren’t cute or whatever.

That movie night opened a door. Eren came and went as he pleased, stopping by to hang out with Armin. Sometimes you cooked an extra plate for him. Other times, him and Armin went out for dinner, leaving you alone. He still kept you at arm’s length, never greeting you past a nod. Armin tried to push him to open up, but you saw how hard Eren resisted.

“It really wouldn’t kill you to get to know her.”

It had been a month since you moved in. The two were currently sitting in a booth at the local diner, waiting for their burgers. Eren rolled his eyes, taking a long sip of his drink.

“She’s really nice. I mean, she goes out of her way to include you at dinner and stuff.”

“Have you considered that she might be trying to break you and Annie up?”

Armin, bewildered, stared at Eren.

“What?”

“I mean, she’s pretty cozy with you.”

“You’re joking, right?”

The waitress brought their food then. Eren immediately began eating, keeping his eyes low as Armin continued to stare at him.

“She’s met Annie. I introduced her the first time I Facetimed her.”

Eren ignored him, keeping on with his meal.

“She’s given me advice on how to deal with a long-distance relationship. I don’t think anyone who wants to break up a relationship would do that.”

When he saw that Eren wasn’t going to respond, he sighed and picked up his burger. The rest of their meal was silent, with Armin dropping Eren off before returning home. Eren lay in bed, arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. What was it about you that bothered him so much?

You’re obviously trying to take Armin away from me.

He scowled, turning on his side. That had to be the reason. You knew how close the two of them were, and you wanted to pull Armin away. That had to be it. He saw how chummy the two of you were, and he figured you were just nice to him out of sympathy.

Whatever.

He rolled over to his other side, letting out a long sigh.

It had nothing to do with how hot he thought you were.

***

It was the first week of June, which meant the heat was starting to kick in.

The last week of classes was fast approaching, and you and Armin were thankful to have some reprieve before the Fall. Annie was set to return in mid-July, and you were excited to meet her. The couple had agreed to let you stay for the next school year, with all three of you set to graduate next June.

Armin’s week was chaotic, with back to back exams, as well as meetings with his thesis mentor. You, on the other hand, had it slightly easier, as you were taking one elective. Your final paper had been finished last week, as you had wanted to get an extra week to relax. Your boss had also been kind enough to give you Finals week off, which meant you had a week to do nothing.

Eren had been told about the end of the semester, and he realized he would have more time to spend with Armin. Normally, he would text him to give him a heads up, but he figured Armin would be home, so he stopped by. He whistled a tune as he walked up to your building, letting himself in with the gate code and climbing the stairs to your unit. Armin had given him a spare key for emergencies, so Eren let himself in.

The apartment was silent, sunlight streaming through the open windows. Normally, Armin would do his work at the dining room table, since it gave him the space he needed. Instead, it sat empty. Eren listened for any sounds coming from his room, but the entire place was silent.

“Armin?” he called, but no one responded.

He waited a minute, but figured that neither of you were home. Shrugging, he kicked off his shoes and left them by the door before laying down on the couch. He figured he could hang out while he waited for Armin to come home. The two of them could probably grab some dinner then.

Unbeknownst to him, you were home. You had slept in, going for a run before coming back and taking a shower. The heat, plus the exhaustion from working out, made you sleepy, and you decided to take a nap. It was still hot in your apartment, so you climbed into bed naked and fell asleep. When you woke up, you were feeling better but still feeling warm. You used the towel beside you to wipe some sweat before standing up and stretching.

Armin had texted you that he was working overtime, so not to worry about dinner for him. You had texted back you would order something for him, and he had sent you his order along with a smiling emoji. The apartment was yours, and you figured it wouldn’t hurt to walk around naked and pour yourself a cold glass of iced tea.

The apartment was filled with sun, and you made a mental note to shut the blinds to try and cool the place down. You yawned, pausing to stretch again in the living room. Your joints popped, satisfaction flooding you at the sound.

“Holy shit.”

You jumped, head whipping around towards the voice. Eren was sitting on your couch, eyes wide as he took in your very naked figure. You could feel your cheeks burning, and looked around desperately to cover yourself.

“What are you doing here?” you squeaked.

He didn’t reply, still staring at you.

“EREN!”

He jumped, shaking his head before hesitantly turning his head away.

“I, uh, thought Armin would be home. He told me you’re almost done with school.”

“Why didn’t you text him?!”

He shrugged.

“Oh my god, I am going to kill you.”

“Look, you’re really distracting. Can you put some clothes on?”

“This is my home! I have the right to be naked if I want to!”

He didn’t respond, his eyes continuing to take in every single curve. 

“Get out!”

Instead of listening to you, Eren stood up. He slowly strode over to you, and you backed up until you were pressed against the wall. The cool sensation had you relaxing slightly, the heat flaring through your body going down. One of Eren’s hands came to rest beside your head while the other came to rest gently on your waist.

“You have been such a fucking pain in my ass.”

You narrowed your eyes at his words and opened your mouth to argue with him but he shook his head, the hand on your waist coming up to cover your lips.

“Now, here you are, walking around naked as if to punish me.”

A dark chuckle escaped him as he shook his head.

“Were you just waiting for your chance to tease me like this?”

You shook your head as you narrowed your eyes further.

“Tell me you don’t want this. Tell me and I’ll stop.”

You hesitated, and he immediately took note of this.

“Oh, look at you, naughty girl.”

A quiet whine was muffled against his hand. He chuckled again, removing his hand and placing it carefully back on your waist.

“Tell me to stop and I will.”

You looked up at him, all the times he had been dismissive of you the past few months playing in your head. He cocked his head to the side, waiting for your response.

Fuck it.

You stood on your toes, gripping the back of his neck to pull him towards you. His lips met yours messily, your lips pressing against his as he sighed, allowing your tongue to slip in. The hand beside your head slid down to your hips, squeezing the flesh there before he bent down and picked you up.

“I’m going to fuck you on this couch, and you’re going to think of it everytime you sit here.”

He laid you down on the couch before hastily removing his clothes. You admired the muscles on his body, eyes trailing down his abs and following his happy trail down to his erect cock. He stroked himself, smirking as he watched you study him.

“Like what you see?”

“Shut up.”

He paused for a second before realization crossed his face.

“Shit, I don’t have a condom. Um, do you think Armin has any?”

“Eren,” you laughed. “It’s fine. I’m on birth control. Are you clean?”

He nodded, relief crossing his face. You opened your legs as he kneeled at the end of the couch, eyes half-lidded as he took in your naked body splayed out beneath him. He leaned down towards your core, close enough that you could feel his breath. You sucked in a breath as you waited to feel his mouth on you, but instead he spit on your core.

“Eren,” you gasped.

He shrugged.

“Gotta make sure my girl is ready.”

He slapped his cock against you before sliding it slowly along your slit. You moaned, wiggling your hips to try and get him to slip in. A low chuckle rumbled in his throat, and he finally obliged you, pushing in at an agonizing pace. He was very well endowed, and you winced slightly at how thick he was. The stretch took some getting used to, but he went slow, murmuring praise until his hips were pressed against yours.

Your left leg came to wrap around his hip while the other hung off the couch. He pulled his head back to kiss you for a moment while you adjusted to him. After a moment, you lifted your hips, your silent signal that you were ready to take him.

His head came to settle in the crook of your neck, groaning as he pulled out. You felt how heavy he was as he dragged himself out until just the tip was in before pushing back in. One hand came to grab the back of his head, pulling at his hair while the other began to claw at his back. His pace started slow, repeating the slow drag and harsh push before he started to pick up the pace. The couch creaked noisily underneath you as he fucked you faster, your moans getting louder and filling the living room. He turned his head to kiss and lick your neck, biting down lightly in an effort to mark you.

“Mine,” he slurred out. “You’re mine now.”

You lifted the leg on his hip higher, allowing him to hit a different angle. Stars began to dance in your vision, and you tried to warn him through moans.

“You want to cum, yeah? You think you deserve to? Walking around naked to fucking rile me up?”

“I’m s-sorry,” you stammered out. “I-I didn’t mean t-to, Eren.”

He grabbed your cheeks harshly, turning your face so you could look at him. His face was flushed, pleasure evident on his features as he kept on fucking you.

“Look me in the eyes while you cum. I want to remember what it looks like.”

His words were the nail in the coffin, and you moaned out his name loudly as you came around him. He groaned with you, relishing the feeling of you tightening around him as he kept on until he came too. You could feel him twitching inside of you, his cum flooding you and leaving you warm.

The both of you were quietly panting, trying to recover from the intense sex you had just had. After a moment Eren pulled away, one hand pushing your hair out of your face. He studied you, a trace of intimacy in his eyes, before he leaned in and kissed you. The kiss was so different from before, tender and full of affection. You didn’t want him to pull away, but he did so to pull out and sit back on the other side of the couch.

“Are you alright? Let me go get you some water.”

Your heart swelled as you watched him pad into the kitchen and return with a cold water bottle. He handed it to you, kissing you before he sat down again and took a long swig of his own bottle.

“Do you hate me?”

He sputtered on his water.

“No!” he exclaimed, eyes wide.

“Then why have you been so cold to me since I moved in with Armin?”

He looked away, cheeks flushing.

“I was, er . . . jealous of you. Armin and I have been best friends since we were kids, and I just didn’t want someone to take him away from me.”

A deep frown touched his brows as he stared at the coffee table.

“He’s my closest friend, and I care about him so much. I just . . . I didn’t want him taken away from me.”

You let out a quiet giggle as you scooted closer to him.

“You were just being protective of your friend. You’re like a golden retriever.”

“Hey! I am not!”

You laughed, ruffling his hair before snuggling into his side.

“Well, I guess we better come up with a story for Armin. But I think we should leave the couch out of it.”

It was Eren’s turn to laugh and he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Great idea.”

[mariacallous]

Almost one in five Americans over age 65 are unable to manage basic activities of daily life—bathing, dressing, eating, toileting—without assistance. Among those over age 85, the proportion is closer to half. Friends and family members can and do help out, but even so, about half of people reaching the age of 65-years of age will use paid long-term services and supports (LTSS) at some point. Most Americans do not have enough income or savings to cover these costs. The private long-term care insurance industry has never worked well despite many creative efforts to fix it and to encourage enrollment. The Federal Medicare program covers only short spells of home care after a hospitalization and does not provide coverage for long-term support. That leaves Medicaid. Medicaid offers a critical long-term care safety net for people who get their healthcare primarily through Medicaid—but it isn’t a good solution for most Medicare beneficiaries as it doesn’t align with the system that manages their care and pays their providers. Moreover, eligibility for Medicaid is restricted to those with very low incomes and few assets, so few older adults qualify. It is well past time to add a universal home care program to Medicare itself.

Prior efforts to move in this direction have been stymied. Some proponents have called for a universal, open-ended benefit. Critics have argued that any universal home care benefit would be a budget buster. These tensions are ubiquitous in social program design. An additional tension in designing a program that serves people towards the end of their lives is that public funds should be focused on expanding access to necessary care rather than protecting the ability of people to leave large bequests to their children. Designing a fiscally responsible, universal benefit that does all that is a challenging task—but we believe it is not an impossible one. In this post, we describe some design options for a Medicare home care benefit that could be dialed up or down depending on the priority assigned to program generosity or fiscal feasibility. 

Several features make designing a universal home care benefit challenging.

The need for home care is based on measures of functioning, not lab tests. A program must have simple and reliable ways to measure who needs care and how much care they need.

Most people report a preference for care in their own homes over that in nursing homes or other institutional settings. This is because, unlike medical care, which is often unpleasant and painful, home care typically provides support, comfort, and a degree of safety for beneficiaries. One consequence of these preferences is that a home care benefit would be susceptible to overspending. The program will need to have measures in place to avoid overuse.

Income alone is a poor indicator of how much Medicare beneficiaries can afford to pay for home care. For example, beneficiaries who are renters may depend on their incomes to afford housing; other beneficiaries may have very large, non-liquid assets but limited incomes, leaving them ineligible for Medicaid programs while unable to pay for care. Program design will have to address the importance of assets in this population.

Much LTSS is provided through informal care. Beneficiaries often prefer care provided by family members, but paying for informal care raises the potential for overspending, fraud, and exploitation of older adults.

State Medicaid programs currently cover the cost of home care for 4.2 million people, according to KFF, though eligibility and costs vary considerably across the country. Medicaid would continue to provide home and community-based services for people who are not Medicare beneficiaries. Some of this spending could be redeployed by states to improve the quality of nursing home care and for home and community-based services for people who are not eligible for Medicaid. The federal share of Medicaid savings could be used to defray the costs of a new Medicare home care program.

None of these challenges can be ignored—but none of them are damning either. As with any program, policymakers will need to make tradeoffs across these challenges to design a program that provides the maximum benefits consistent with their budget appetite. The good news is that the current landscape of home care financial protections is so limited that even a modest program that made conservative choices across these parameters, with costs we estimate at around $40 billion annually, would make many people who currently lack services much better off. Turning the dials more generously would, of course, cost more—and it would extend more benefits to more frail and vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries. 

What might such a very-conservatively designed universal program look like? Eligibility for the program would be restricted to people who independent clinical reviewers determined were unable to perform two activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, toileting, or eating). That’s the standard that many State Medicaid programs already use, and it could be assessed annually during the initial implementation period to further develop and monitor the uniformity of functional assessments over time. Second, the program would include cost-sharing that varied according to people’s means. Medicare beneficiaries with high income and assets would receive modest assistance from the program to defray a portion of the costs of home care; those with fewer assets and less income would pay much less. Third, beneficiary contributions to the costs of their care would depend on both their current income and their accumulated assets, but through cost-sharing rather than a strict cutoff. For example, at the cost listed above, we could allow all qualifying Medicare beneficiaries to fully retain income up to 150% of the poverty line ($22,600 in 2024) and assets up to $30,000; beyond that limit, individuals would still qualify but would pay cost-sharing out of their resources to defray taxpayer costs. Fourth, only care provided by formal caregivers associated with home care agencies would be covered. Hours of support would be based on need, but provider agencies would be subject to a population-based hours of service budget. The combination of resource-based copayments with population-level budgeting will ensure that the costs of this program will not explode. Finally, Federal Medicaid savings from shifting home care benefits from Medicaid to Medicare would be used to defray the costs of the program.

The program we’ve outlined tightly focuses benefits on the most vulnerable people who currently have little eligibility for care, and few means to pay for services. But many others could also benefit from a new home care program. People who have impaired functioning that does not meet the two activities of daily living standard may also need assistance. Lower cost-sharing for middle-class people would leave them more resources to make the most of their lives. The tradeoff is simple: at a higher cost to the federal budget, more people would get more protection. We can’t define where the lines should be drawn—that’s Congress’s job—but our analysis suggests that there are programmatically tractable, fiscally feasible ways to add a home care benefit to the Medicare program.

[theworldoffostering]

The director of special education did not show up to our IEP this week. It made the meeting a whole lot less contentious. It didn’t hurt that they assigned a much more experienced teacher to DS and our advocate showed up and kept everyone in line. Should it take that much work/effort/stress? Absolutely not! I will never understand how anyone is getting services if we cannot with all of the privileges we have personally been afforded.

DH and I talked to Ms. 6 this week. It could be worse, but it’s not great. She bought herself a car or someone else did, but it seems no one cares if she has insurance (legally required). I told her to call and get some quotes. She has not.

She has a boyfriend she met online that no one has vetted. He’s older (no idea how much older) as he has his own place. He lives three hours away in a neighboring state, but Ms. 6 couldn’t remember which city he lives in. She goes to see him on the weekends despite the fact that no one has met him or vetted him. It’s killing me! She was very vague on the details regarding what he does for a living.

Her car seems some basic repairs. Her grandpa has been a semi truck driver for decades. Hasn’t helped her with the repairs. Boyfriend is maybe some kind of mechanic but is unable to help with repairs. Mom is driving Ms. 6’s uninsured car and teaching Ms. 6 how to do donuts in it.

Ms. 6 said she applied to a PA program. When I pointed out that the PA program she applied for is a masters program (aren’t they all?) that cost $109k for the 28 month program, she seemed shocked and unimpressed. I did do a conference call with her and the high school this week to try to sort out her graduation.

Ms. 6 had knee surgery last week. I offered to be available and make the three hour drive to take her. She said her mom was taking her. The night before surgery her mom said she had to work and couldn’t take her. Grandma said she couldn’t take her because she had already take a sick day that week. Mom’s BF drove her, but apparently doesn’t like hospitals so he didn’t sit in the room and wait for Ms. 6 to be taken back to surgery. Surgery was pushed back several hours. Now mom doesn’t want to take her to the post-op appointment because the dogs have a vet appointment.

Post surgery, Ms. 6 was prescribed narcotics. Mom is an addict. Is she currently using? I have no idea but she used for at least a decade and has a conviction for cooking meth with the intent to sell. Kids were removed for many reasons including heroin use. Ms. 6 said the “oxy” isn’t managing her pain so she asked the nurse for something else AND an oxy refill. The pharmacist wouldn’t give both to mom. Mom told Ms. 6 it’s because they don’t have the same last name. I pointed out that I also don’t share the same last name as anyone in our family, and we were also recently denied a narcotic at the pharmacy. It is clear that no one that she has contact with lives in their thinking brains—they are all convinced that they are victims of one system or another.

Ms. 6 also quit her job. She said it was because they were making her do too much work.

Ms. 6 really wants contact with the other kids, particularly NB at this point. We have withheld that so far but can’t really articulate why. I think because it doesn’t feel healthy or good, and things don’t necessarily feel stable with her between DH and myself and her. I’ve talked to her a handful of times in the past month which are the first times I’ve spoken to her since she left in August. Anyone have experience in this area? Is it wrong for us to feel it out as parents before we open that relationship back up to siblings? It’s not my intention to use them as pawns, but it probably feels that way to Ms. 6. The kids here have not asked to see her, and DS and DD are actively continuing to say that they don’t want to have contact.

I’m trying to be something for her but that all feels very temporary and complicated right now. I sent her a small care package today via mail and am going to offer up some services for her like connecting her with colleges, but am trying to hold tight to a lot of boundaries at this point.

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #400

Brain Curds are barely-edited fiction, poetry, or just about anything else - drafted in a day or less. Somehow, four-hundred doesn’t sound that much more impressive than three-hundred.

Thanks for letting us be frank with you. Read the rest of The Frank Program here on Tumblr!

“Welcome back, one and all, to The Frank Program on VidBo! Pleasure havin’ ya!” Frank looked at the camera, then looked at the other camera, then the other other camera, then -

“Frank.” Chuck’s voice piped into the studio. “You can just… look at one camera.”

“Y’sure? I reckon the folks who get assigned the ones I’m not lookin’ at will be disappointed.”

“No, no, we cut to the B and C cameras when we need to edit down for time. They’re not that important.”

“Uhuh…” Frank rubbed his chin. “I see… alrighty. Today’s guest is one o’my idols, folks, I’ll be honest with ya. She’s been a real inspiration for my health…” Frank squinted at the teleprompter. “Chuck, what in God’s name does it mean to be an inspiration to my health? You got any idea, Andy?”

Andy, sitting in the egg chair, shook his head.

“Frank,” Chuck rubbed his forehead. “Just read what it says, okay? Andy, take note to cut this part out.”

Andy gave a thumbs-up.

“Right. Got it, Chuck. Will do. I’ll stick t’ the cue cards. No more venturin’ off the beaten path. No more delays. Not gonna waste any more a’yer valuable time…” Frank adjusted his chair. “She’s been a real inspiration for my health ever since her show started airin’ in 2004, please welcome to the Program, Dr. Mimi!”

“Thank you so much for having me here, Frank.” Dr. Mimi wore a smile as wide as her face. “And may I say, what a gorgeous studio! It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“Indeedy, ma’am.”

“So gorgeous.���

“Yes’m. Now, what all the viewers and listeners are prob’ly wonderin’ is this: where do you get all that medical wisdom?”

“Despite what you may think, much of my most publicized medical advice is not from my medical degree.”

“Fascinatin’.”

“In fact, it doesn’t come from medical studies either. Frank, what I do is not that hard. It’s not - you could even do it yourself. It doesn’t require a fancy medical degree. It doesn’t require hours of stuffy reading, or… or a license to practice medicine. What I do - what I teach - it’s based on common sense. And it’s a shame, a real shame, how little of it we have left nowadays.”

“But… you do have a medical license, right, Doc?”

Chuck rolled his eyes. “Stick to the script, Frank.”

Frank pulled on his collar. “Oops.”

Dr. Mimi leaned on the table. “Let me give you an example. Say you’ve got a cold. What do you do?”

“I nuke some chicken soup, I reckon.”

“Well… I wouldn’t microwave it, necessarily, but you’re on the right track. Now, what do you think your doctor would tell you to do?”

“Heh. Haven’t got a clue. Y’think I can afford to have a doctor? Only reason I got my last physical was ‘cuz it was part of a cavity search. And ‘fore ya ask… yes, they did find my cocaine.”

“Okay then… say you do have a doctor.”

“In that case? I ‘spect he’d tell me to, uh, get vaccinated?”

“That’s right, Frank, but how does that help you now?”

“It don’t.”

“That’s right. ‘It don’t’. The medical industrial complex is completely uninterested in making you feel better now, because they know they can’t do it. They can only make promises like, ‘99% of people who take this vaccine don’t die from COVID’ or ‘measles is mostly eradicated.’ These are fundamentally non-falsifiable statements. That’s not science. Not my science, anyway. But chicken soup? That’s what heals us. That’s what makes us well.”

“But Doc, if all I have’ta do is follow my common sense, what do I need yer show for?”

“Ah ah ah…” Dr. Mimi wiggled her finger. “Not your common sense. My common sense. Because I’m a doctor.”

“Right. How could I forget?”

“So I want all your viewers to hear me when I say this: my show is on in the afternoons. A live broadcast at three followed by a repeat broadcast at five. No excuse not to tune in! It’s for your health! This week, we’re talking about nifty new products that can save you time and money after a stage one cancer diagnosis, so don’t miss it!”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Also, I’d like to make an announcement. I am officially running for United States Congress! If you live in this great state of Texas, I could be your next senator. I really hope I can earn your vote.”

Frank pointed at himself. “My vote?”

“Well, yes, but I was speaking to the audience.”

“Hey, Chuck?” Frank looked up at the booth. “Can I still vote after rehab or is it like prison rules where ya can’t?”

Chuck shrugged. “As long as you vote Republican, there’s no harm in trying.”

“Gotcha. Well’n, Dr. Mimi, I assume you got a lot of campaignin’ to do, so I’ll let you get a run on.”

“Actually, I was booked for an hour…”

“Well too bad, my eyes are gettin’ tired. This has been The Frank Program, y’all - thanks for lettin’ me be Frank with ya.”

Penned 2025.05.01

Please reblog, like, and follow if you enjoyed, and leave a reply even if you didn’t! See you again soon!

[shinyhappysims]

My first set of twins are 18! They are honestly my biggest testament on how far I’ve come in my faith. When they were born, I was panicking because Chukwuma and I agreed to have 3 children, but on my third pregnancy, I ended up with twins! When they were born, I was terrified we wouldn’t manage having them and there wasn’t enough room in our house for them. Now that God has blessed me with 10 children, I have no clue why I was stressed over 4! They both were consistently the top students in Onyeka Academy, so I think our other kids will miss having them at the school of our dining room table to help them out with difficult assignments. Chidi’s enrolled in an online university studying political science and will move out upon the completion of his program, and Adaeze will stay here with us until God brings her husband. God willing it’s soon!

Adaeze: Mom, Dad, I’m going to college.

Breyonnah: WHAT?!

Chukwuma: Absolutely not! Have you lost your mind?

Adaeze: Not at all. I applied to Foxbury. I got in. I’m going. You can’t stop me.

Chukwuma: I’m in charge here and I say no!

Adaeze: I’m 18. An adult. You aren’t in charge of me anymore at all. I’m packing my bags and taking the bus to Britechester in the morning.

Chukwuma: You can’t even afford this!

Adaeze: Oh but I can. I got a scholarship to cover housing and another one to cover tuition for two years. I can take a loan for the rest. Foxbury is the best school for STEM in Simerica. 95% of students are employed a month after graduation, 100% within the year, so I’ll easily be able to afford to pay them off. I’m going. It’s final.

[beardedmrbean]

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao issued an executive order on Monday aimed at clearing the city's homeless encampments more thoroughly and with more alacrity.

In a news release and video statement, Thao said that in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision granting cities more power to dismantle homeless camps, she is ordering all city departments "to fully execute the Encampment Management Policy" that the city council approved in 2020. 

While citing some recent examples of the city's effort to clear camps and connect inhabitants with homes and services, she said her order directs the city to focus on camps that encroach on safe routes to schools, tot lots, and playgrounds or impede access to small businesses. 

Also, prioritized will be camps that block traffic lanes, bike lanes, or sidewalks, impede first responders, create fire hazards by blocking hydrants, burning fires within 30 feet of structures or illegally tapping into electrical wires, pose risks to things like freeway overpasses or BART tracks, contain combustible materials like gasoline and propane or if biological waste from a camp poses an environmental risk to drains and waterways, Thao said. 

"Being unhoused is not a crime in Oakland, but it does not give anyone the right to break other laws," she said. "We must return public spaces to the public -- and do so with compassion." 

Thao also mentioned that she was homeless and living out of her car with her young son for a time but said she never sought to "pitch a tent" but "sought affordable housing and services, for which I was deeply grateful."  

Ant Moreno lives under the overpass near the Oakland Police Department headquarters.

When asked what he would do if workers swept his encampment - "Wouldn't be the first time," he said. 

He added that he doesn't have a place to go. 

Thao's order also states that a camp found to pose an imminent risk of serious injury or death, is damaging critical infrastructure, or obstructing traffic and bike lanes can be broken down with less than 12 hours' notice, according to the order.

Camps posing other problems, such as obstructing sidewalks or hosting disease or vermin infestations, can be cleared with a 24-to-72 hour notice.   

Camp residents will be offered temporary emergency shelter space but "in no case, will emergency or urgent closures be delayed for shelter unavailability," according to the order. 

Shasma Clarke lives in Section 8 housing thanks to help from a health center called Lifelong Medical Care.  "I was homeless for 12 years. I want to see some crew or a crew of 20 come out here or some outreach, psychologists, counselors, doctors," said Clarke. "It's sad to see [Thao] be so ignorant. She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand, people don't want to live outside, this is a mental health issue."

"The City of Oakland's encampment management team is already hard at work implementing the Encampment Management Policy adopted by our City Council, and this year alone has already accomplished numerous closures and guided scores of unhoused residents into programs and shelter," Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey said in a news release. "With Mayor Thao's executive order we have a clear mandate to step up these efforts." 

The Oakland Police Officers Association issued a news release in response. They called this effort on Thao's part a "last-minute political stunt before voters decide to recall her on Nov. 5."

They also claimed the Oakland Police Department has not been notified about these plans and that the police force are an instrumental component when it comes to clearing homeless encampments. 

It's statement to KTVU read in part: "The mayor and the city of Oakland has exactly two (2) officers assigned to the encampment unit. There will be many more of us required to fully carry out this "order" – where are they coming from? The already understaffed patrol beats?"

Tamie Canalan, who is formerly homeless, was visiting friends at an encampment near the Home Depot located on Alameda Avenue.  "You do have to clean the streets, because it's ugly," said Canalan. "This is the Bay Area, this is supposed to be where [visitors] come to vacation, but it's kind of hard to say, ‘look at the Bay Area’ and it's a mess." 

[mybrainismelted]

ok, so this is my first publish gallavich fic - please go easy on me! A.U.gust Day 9 - College @gallavichthings

Ian is pretty sure he's never been this nervous in his life. The first day of College shouldn't be THAT big of a deal, right? But he's got butterflies he can't shake, and he thinks he might sweat right through his shirt before his first class is done.

"Breathe" he reminds himself as he searches for just the right seat - not too close to the front, not in the middle, and not too far back so he can't hear. Choosing a seat is serious business to the redhead.

Finally finding his perfect spot, he gets settled in and pulls out a notebook and pen. Finally taking some time to look around he feels his heart sink at the realization that everyone else seems to have fancy new laptops out and open. Shit.

"Ok, if I can have everyone's attention please?" he hears from the front of the room. "My name is Professor Micheals, but you can call me Brian. This is Mickey, my assistant. He will be available to answer any questions you may have."

Looking at where Brian is pointing, Ian feels his heart stop and then start racing at the sight of one of the most gorgeous men he has ever seen. Inky black hair, one eyebrow arched perfectly, and just a hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth as he waves to the assembled class.

As the class moves on, Ian struggles to stay focused on scribbling notes as fast as he can, while his eyes keep wandering to see what Mickey is doing. Usually sitting and apparently paying attention to what Brian is saying, but occasionally Ian has to quickly avert his gaze when Mickey turns to scan over the students.

When the class finally ends, he scrambles to get out of the room, not wanting to risk giving himself away and causing problems for himself on the first day of class. This continues for the next few weeks, Ian unable to keep his eyes off Mickey in class, and spending his nights scolding himself for his ridiculous schoolboy crush. Unfortunately, there comes a day when Ian realizes he is going to have to talk to the man - they have a paper due, and he's pretty sure it has to be emailed. He's just not sure how to make that happen given his lack of access to any kind of computer.

After the next class he takes a deep breath, steels himself, and approaches the ever-so-delicious looking object of his nightly fantasies.

"Ummm, hi Mickey?" he mutters, not 100% sure he actually said it out loud. Mickey turns around and quirks that perfect eyebrow. "Yeah, hey Red, what can I do for you?"

Ian explains his dilemma, and that he needs some help figuring out how to get his assignment in on time. "Ok, yeah, I had that problem my first year too." Mickey explains "There's a laptop loan program through the library, but you have to sign up pretty early. Let's walk over there now and I'll show you how it all works, see if there is one available."

"Uh, yeah, ummm… sure" Is all Ian is able to stumble out as the shorter man packs up his stuff and turns to lead the way out of the room.

Mickey does his best to engage Ian in some small talk as they walk, obviously sensing that he is uncomfortable about something. As they talk, they are both surprised to realize that they are both from the South Side of Chicago - and probably knew a lot of the same people growing up. "Sure explains the no laptop thing" Mickey says as they approach the doors to the library "Not many from our neighbourhood can afford that kinda stuff when they first get here"

Unfortunately for Ian, as Mickey had suspected, there are no loaner laptops available for the next 2 weeks, which means Ian definitely can't get one in time to turn his paper in this Friday. "shit, shit, shit" he mutters, wracking his brain to see if there is a way he can scrape together the money to buy a used junker from someone and hope it works.

Mickey looks at him for a minute, scratching his eyebrow with his thumb, and finally blurts out "look, I don't normally do this, but if you wanna come by my place on Friday you can use my laptop to type it up and send it."

"Yeah?" Ian whispers, completely overwhelmed by the offer. "are you sure? I can bring beer and pizza, I'll find a way to pay you back for this, I promise!" At that, he thinks he sees a flicker of something in Mickey's eyes, right before he winks and replies "Oh I'm sure you'll think of something, man"

Ian feels himself flushing, and can't help but think as he takes down Mickey's address and phone number that maybe, just maybe, College isn't so scary after all.

[foolishfalls]

up too late and in a lot of pain because i overdid it today. i know i should be resting but i’m depressed and in that early PEM feeling wired mode.

i also keep thinking about how insulting it was to try to see a new therapist, to get assigned someone who doesn’t seem to meet my needs at all, who spent the whole first session talking over me to explain the stop skill and the stages of grief (all of which i am already tooo familiar with and like!! i am here again after 3 years of dbt and 8 years of therapy overall because those frameworks are not working well for me anymore!! i need to try different approaches and modalities)

like it just felt so insulting to be read basic day 1 therapy shit. it’s like she didn’t even look at my file which included all that info from my intake.

it doesn’t help that my old therapist was a perfect match for me on so many fronts (prioritized somatic modalities and met me where i was at, understood chronic illness/covid risk/masking, he knew how to approach and understand both my religious and sexual trauma, he was good w talking about my autism and was neurodivergent himself, was queer and could understand that end of things, etc) and he recommended somatic therapy and especially EMDR. i can’t find anyone who does EMDR who takes my insurance though.

i’m probably just going to call to cancel my next session with this current therapist. i MAY ask for a reassignment but i’ve never had to do that before so of course i’m nervous. and i have little faith in this place considering they snubbed my needs and the details of my intake so much already.

i also hate this silly gender essentialist approach they take when they ask you about your preferences. like, “would you prefer a male or female therapist” like i literally could not care less about that! i care more about their chosen modalities and values aligning well with mine! but a place like this doesn’t GAF about that they just want to be like :) hey we listened to you haha here’s a woman therapist don’t you feel seen :)

i think the thing that bothered me the most though was that after she responded to my story about my chronic illness and my recent experience of grief, she basically just dangled the possibility of recovery in my face. like okay cool. you didn’t even take a moment to consider that maybe i have a progressive illness and that recovery is not a possibility or narrative i can rely on. that really upset me.

i don’t know. i just feel helpless. being forced to move back home and leave my old life behind already set me back so much and took so much from me. but i really miss my old therapist even more than all the vapid friendships i lost to my chronic illness and to covid denialism. the kicker here is he was a peer support worker who wasn’t gonna be able to work w me long term anyway. but i felt like i just had access to better everything there. and ofc they only just recently opened an actual DECENT long covid clinic in my city RIGHT as i had no choice but to fucking move out!!

i just feel like i made the wrong choice sometimes but i was backed into a corner. i couldn’t work and couldn’t pay my rent anymore. i applied for tons of housing lotteries and got nothing. and was forced to move back home to an area where decent healthcare, welfare programs, etc are more limited and even harder to access. i had to run up my credit card almost 2k just to be able to afford the cost of moving back home.

i don’t know. i just feel devastated. i feel like this is somehow all my fault and i know thats ridiculous and just the CPTSD/BPD talking and shit. but nothing outside of me in the world works for me. it only works against me. even my body works against me. how can i not give into feeling/thinking that way, even if it only provides the illusion of comfort or control?