#stolen credit card chronicals

[katydoodles]

Just the girlies and their haul

Took me 4 months to finish this 🤪

#Stolen Credit Card Chronicals #Stolen Credit Card AU #chloe and zoe #Zoe Lee #chloe bourgeois #fanart #ml fanart #miraculous ladybug #digital art #doodle #bee miraculous #sketches

[heirloomcolour]

Term

Finality is a strange beast. Perhaps one best left to make its mark. The weight of finality can be crushing. The anticipation of finality can be utterly debilitating. How do we fill the space between that anticipation and its ultimate outcome?

In its wake, I have lived what feels like an entire life. In the pure mellow dramatic delusion I have cocooned myself in, I assume it is more life than most people have lived at this age. Whether or not it actually is, I assume my therapist would kindly nod in agreement. But what has this monumental weight of anticipation impacted in this lifetime?

Over this 10 year period I have lost many unrequited lovers. I have held no fewer than 10 different jobs strung along with lengthy disruptions of unemployment periods. I have claimed healthy Covid-era unemployment benefits. I have been fired from multiple jobs and simply walked out or walked away from multiple others. I have endured the emotional taxation of working in a family business. I have lost the custody of the same cat twice. I have lost my very first cat to a preventable and treatable issue. I have lost both of my childhood, family dogs within 2 years of one another. I have lost a parent before I had time to correct our estrangement. I have lost a great many internal battles and drifted apart from most of my friends. I have smoked no less than 800 packs of Camel Turkish Royals. I have run dry no fewer than 100 disposable vapes. I have tried countless drugs, and repeated use with many. I have tried 5 anti-depressants and 2 anti-anxiety medications. I have gone through 4 therapists. I have gained 120 pounds and developed arthritis in my knee. I have acquired numerous health issues that lead to chronic pain. I have stolen money from family members and I have asked them all for large sums of money- as well as some remaining friends. I have picked up and dropped multiple hobbies and interests. I have killed hundreds of dollars of houseplants. I have never paid a security deposit for any pets at any rental. I have maxed out and charged off multiple credit cards. I have taken on over $50,000 of student loan debt. I have refused to seek the awful but necessary care of a gynecologist due to irrational fear. I have skipped countless dinner parties, birthday parties, outings, girls trips, job interviews, class meetings, and work shifts. I have avoided opportunities in the stifling fear of rejection, failure, and heartbreak. I have burned bridges with the frequency and intensity to light up the entire metropolitan area.

But do you know what else this anticipatory weight has led me to? An intensely deep and committed partner that meets me exactly where I am every day. An opportunity to adopt 6 cats in total. An opportunity to foster 2 dogs. A massive trip to Las Vegas to see Adele live in concert. A trip to the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. An opportunity to continue family traditions in taking trips to Disney World. A first plane ride and so many thereafter. A great many couples trips to cities all over the East Coast and Midwest. A variety of concerts and farmers markets. An abundance of circumstances and happenstance to meet a great many individuals that impacted my life in big and small ways. An unwavering support and acceptance from my family to live as my authentic, lesbian self. A space to explore my gender identity with myself and friends and family. A thousand glass bottled Mexican cokes. An extensive educational training on wine, spirits, and beer. A relationship with my sibling that so many would be envious of. An ending of a 12 year friendship that became overburdened with toxicity. A space to heal from that relationship. A space to write my sappy feelings on Tumblr about my life happenings. An abundant garden to provide fresh produce to my family and sweet strawberry snacks to my childhood family dog. A simply infinite collection of cherished memories with my pets, passed on and living. An Associate's Degree. A great deal of movies at the Indie theatre. An in-numerable amount of delicious meals in a variety of cities, genres, and price ranges. A few tattoos and a nose hoop. A brand new car. An abundance of new interests and hobbies that persisted. An abundance of opportunities to make priceless memories with my family and lover. An abundance of life lessons. So was the weight of finality so crippling?

So what if it was crippling? I was not silenced, I was not defeated, and I certainly will never be damned. I have rejected "no" as "final answers" long enough to know there is so often very little permanence in finality. I have beat on with such intensity for so much of the decade that I know there is very little weight I cannot manage. And I know, in this moment, one very certain finality.

This decade has offered nothing short of any of its promises. So many countless hours toiling and yearning for some finality. Some peace of mind in that I was not spinning my wheels. That I was not walking in circles. That I was not paddling upstream for proverbial "nothing". Maybe it is still too early to accept the prize, to count my chickens before they hatch. But, I think, I am nearing the corner to finality and I could not be prouder or any more exhausted.

May 19 is the final point in this particular saga. I am ready, I am done, I am, at long last, the victor.

[nathank77]

4/12/24

4:29 a.m

Speaking of all of this my hallucination surprised me today. It's really become an autobot. Saying happy birthday and a few other annoying phrases but today- when I was trying to loosen the Craig glasses I was looking up how to loosen glasses arms and I mean maybe it was one of my thoughts but like something I didn't fully think but I don't think it was. It could have been.

Back in the day early psychosis half or more of my thoughts were being suppressed. At one point I could barely think. Thats when I was talking about my inner voice being stolen like October and November.

You know how you could be thinking like, "I want a sandwich, chicken and cheese sounds good, oh yea I need to call the pharmacy, oh and my dad and oh wait i forgot eggs at the grocery store," you can have a rush of thoughts all at the same time. Back in the early days, it was like, "I want a sandwich, chicken and cheese sounds good" and all the rest of those thoughts didn't really exist. The voice would come up ideas like once it was like, "you forgot to change your name on that credit card." And I was like holy fuck it's right.

But anyways idk if it was one of those things bc now my brain operates with several different thoughts all at the same time like it did before. Infact everything is basically the way it was before minus the voice and psychosis trying to make me see the creature with long hair but it's essentially a piece of hair or a nose at this point my brain won't see it thankfully. Sometimes it tries to show me genital and it's animated or a patch of skin in a tiny square with hair. That's about it everything else is the way it was before.

But anyways- it said, "you could use a needle." In relation to loosen the screw on my glasses. It very well could have been one of my thoughts suppressed but it blew me away cause all it really says is my dead name and happy birthday and I've got a birthday present and successful right now. That about sums it up.

I haven't been smoking weed at all. I've been using the white mulberries and sure there is a difference between March and February bc it always gets a little bit better every month.

I started White Mulberry 1000MG everyday since March 20th.... and as of April 10th I graduated from acute to chronic in terms of auditory hallucinations/Psychosis..

That does not mean it won't stop. It's not a predictor. However I truly wish it was acute cause now I'm chronic. However I'm omitting it from all my records at this point in time.

I have still noticed it's less intrusive during the day I get more silence and at night, it worsen until I take my xanax. I think the Xanax helps sedate me longer than I was sedated before bc it was always better during the day. But it's gotten better throughout more of the day and I know Xanaxs half life is at 11 hours.

[creepygoth666]

I rarely do this but I need help.

I had to take a loan out just to pay off another loan that I took out to pay off credit card (all my bills come out on it, as well as I use it to pay medical and vet bills, since I've had my debit card # stolen one too many times), my huge medical deductible, as well as a financing for a new fridge since my fridge was unfixable. I was doing okay u til my dog, who has chronic pancreatitis, decided to eat something in the yard (which, who knows what it was cause I didn't find anything at all) and I had to rush her in for emergency treatment. She may also have bladder or kidney issues which will need future monitoring and I can't afford that, either.. but she's my fur baby. I put her first above all else.

I also have medical issues, and have been putting off chiropractic visits for my klippel-feil deformity related back and body pain because of the rest of my debt, and it's gotten to the point now that I can't put it off any longer. I've got hyper-joint mobility syndrome on top of klippel-feil, so I'm currently trying to manage both shoulders being dislocated and refusing to stay in place, the muscle pain that that causes, two popped ribs on my right side, and something pinched between my shoulder blades in my upper back making my right arm very tingly and unable to lift it very much. Ibuprofen and tramadol is no longer working to manage the pain, and I can't take acetaminophen or naproxen, they don't do anything at all. I technically shouldn't be taking the ibuprofen either with my blood pressure meds, but it's the only thing that (now barely) works.

Needless to say, I'm in dire need of money. My credit card right now is at $1000 needing to be paid, my loan is $200 a month right now ($5900 total), and my mortgage is due in a week ($661/mo). Any help at all would be really appreciated. I am working full time, but my PTO is completely used up and I can't afford to take time off, and every paycheck goes directly into the credit card and right back out because of emergencies. I hate this. I'm so sorry for having to ask for help. If I could just get the cc paid off, I could go to the chiropractor to get my back readjusted.

Please.. I don't know what else to do. I don't know where else to go for help. I really appreciate any help I can get... Even if it's just to spread this around.

V**mo: creepygoth666

P*ayp*l: creepygoth666 or [email protected]

#help #debt #medical debt #veterinary debt help

[hobohumanitarian6]

This is a long post so please be warned!!! I need to get some things off my chest....

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING POSSIBLE⚠️

Feedback to this post is open-ended. You cannot offend me and will not be blocked.

⭐ So here's the thing: one of my late grandmother's friends just posted that her 29 year old son died in his sleep with seemingly no explanation. This really shook me I guess. For one, I used to hang out with this kid during the summers a lot. My specific memories are very vague, but deep in my consciousness I know that I have called him friend in the past. For another, many things lately have been prompting me to ask the difficult questions ie

Why in the fuck am I here?

What's the meaning of it all?

When is my life going to get better?

How do I prepare myself for better things?

Am I blocking me or is something else blocking me?

What am I doing wrong that the universe doesn't think I'm ready for a new chapter?

Am I really with the right person?

What about the afterlife?

Am I going to be silenced or speak out?

What if I can't do some of things I want/dreamed of?

What is going to satisfy me if my future doesn't go as planned?

⭐ I've been doing quite a bit of soul searching through all of this, established the framework of the person I want to be and

BAM! 🧱 💥 🏃🏻‍♀️

Straight into a fucking. Brick. Wall.

⭐ I am in one of the worst continental states in the US (by even statistic) and before all of the shutdown and pandemic began, I had plans to be relocated with my new job, a place to call home & reunited with family by June 1st. Clearly that didn't happen....

⭐ I am spending $900 a month for a 250 ft² motel room just so I am not out on the streets.

Homelessness. Can we talk about that for a second? People getting arrested for being out past curfew because they don't have a place to go, put in jail because they're in the way, not tested or treated for the virus because they generally have no insurance, giving people loads of food stamps so the emergency assistance funding is broke-

600 dollars of groceries is a lot if you have a fridge, freezer, microwave, oven, toaster, etc not if you have to buy your food from overpriced convenience stores and gas stations and fresh food from grocery stores that 70% of the price is for the packaging it comes with!!

Soup kitchens closing because they don't want to risk contamination. Who's feeding those without a hot meal? Do they realize malnourishment is the quickest way to get sick with any pathogen!?

Shelters closed because of overpopulation. Domestic violence homes turning battered women and children away because there's too scarce of resources and funding. Yet people care about big corporations going bankrupt? Please tell me what the difference is between a goddamn human fucking life and a couple lawsuits because you didn't know how to prepare for an ever-changing economy.

Thank the universe i am sheltered with minimal resources to take care of myself and I have a steady job due to an enormous company's "chance on a down-in-the-dumps contractor." This job I have held steadily for a year despite chronic health issues has been the best thing to happen to me by far in a long time. I am definitely not by any means complaining about my job or that I even have life necessities right now. Several million don't have that.

⭐ The problem with this state is there are no resources for a person who's struggling to make an honest living. I lost my apartment two years ago because I had to take a medical leave of absence at my job then, got behind on rent and was evicted without a chance to catch up. The power was cut three nights before I had to leave, and I owe a deposit on the electric company to get any type of service back in my name. The realty company who owns the apartment complex will not allow a payment plan without a fraction of the principle paid down, so therefore I cannot apply for private or realty housing and I have been on the waiting list for federal housing assistance for 3 years without a single word. I also had my bank card stolen with my ID when I was trying to catch a bus to work a few weeks after that so whoever it was made small purchases that my bank applied interest and late charges to so that is also standing in debt. Thank universe my current employer allows direct deposit to a savings account at a bad credit institution or I'd be royally fucked.

⭐ Before I made the hard decision to doll out almost a G a month just for a room, I tried sleeping in my pickup. I even took the effort to pallet it for a platform bed & make benches to live in free campgrounds, cemeteries, truck stops, boonie dead ends, and behind abandoned buildings. I had a 12V converter that I connected to a rice cooker and made a tin can stove to grill small portions of meat on a single-egg mini skillet. I kept getting chased off by rangers, cops, annoying people trying to do crack and not get their lives better, and eventually violently detained for "suspicious activity" - I was thrown on the ground, put in handcuffs, patted down by a male officer with no female present, searched my vehicle without consent & written a citation: this was 2 am, I had a campsite reservation, I was clearly sleeping & my vehicle was current. The officers did not give me their name or numbers so I could not make a report.

⭐ I have chronic health issues - hip dysplasia & hyper mobility (not severe enough to be EDS), anemia, rexhia (NOT PRO ANYTHING), pre diabetes, H.S, BPD, PTSD, endometriosis & chronic migraines. I have filed time and time and time again for medical assistance but have always been denied. Every time I try to see a doctor, they claim I have this-or-that infection caused by this-or-that disorder, sent to an overpriced pharmacy with illness-irritating antibiotics that just keep me in an unending cycle of flares and barely-managable pain. Do not let anyone privileged or wealthy confuse you - you are not treated the same if you don't have coverage. Sorry to say but it is indeed a fact.

⭐ With this job I work 40-50 hours a week, eat as healthy as I can on a dime sized budget, and cover all my expenses. Yet I cannot move forward in this state on to better things. I want so badly to have a family, to go to college, etc but I cannot do this with living month to month someplace that isn't even my own.

⭐ The emotional affect this has had on me is tremendous. I am embarrassed of my situation, and never allow any guests in fear they'd judge me. I never take any photographs, which is heartbreaking because it has been one of my long-time hobbies. I am extremely guarded and I lie about small details to protect myself. I have severe trust issues and I always hold a dagger at my waist because I have to assume any minute you'll pull out a Glock.

⭐ Naturally I am an empath and this has brought me more compassion and understanding than I ever thought possible. The police brutality against people of color and racism in socio-economic programs truly breaks my heart because as a white female and all the struggles and discrimination I've endured, I can only begin to understand it's 1000x harder for people of color especially. I stand behind your protests 100%. I beseech you, go fight for what you deserve! I will be begging higher powers for your protection indefinitely!

⭐ I have gained a new perspective on non-profit organizations and volunteer work. Some are truly amazing and their stories move people to tears; others are truly wicked stealing from the poor, embezzling cash flow for their own vanities. Please please please research the charity you are interested in thoroughly before getting involved. Volunteer work will always be appreciated- and will teach you many invaluable lessons. If you help these organizations and need help yourself: respect yourself, hold yourself high, and ask for the assistance. They will generally be more inclined to help. If you are turned away, try not to be bitter. Administrators only do as they see fit.

⭐ That's another thing - bitterness. This has been the most vile and roughest character default I've ever had to battle with myself. When you've been through the shit and you can't see the sewer (sts) it's so easy to stay in the dumps. It's so easy to feel entitled because you've clawed your way to the top. It's easy to feel angry with everyone because it's you vs the system. It's so fucking easy to give up completely and stop trying and just lay down and die. It's easy to step in front of a two ton bus, oncoming freight train, taking the entire package of extra strength Excedrin not because you have a migraine, but just not to feel a thing, go completely numb for one single second. It's easy to go down to the head shop and get a nickel bag of weed to chill and get a 5$ pizza and forget you have responsibilities.

IT'S SO FUCKING TOUGH MAN

⭐ Growing up strictly religious, I tend to shy away from Christianity or other "preachy religion" now. I hate having Jesus shoved down my throat at a service before a hot meal on a Tuesday night and the "speaker" automatically assuming I need to stop smoking crack and going to jail and get my life back on track and God will bless me when I'm in the 46% who has never been to county and hold a job while trying to get back on my feet.

ADDICTION IS NOT POVERTY GUYS

I still support people who go to church and speak in tongues if that satisfies them. I still support people who are strictly vegetarian and make a pilgrimage to the mecca if that satisfies them. I still support people who have 7 two week long feasts a year for something that happened 4000 years ago if that satisfies them. I still support people who believe in baptisms for the dead and not drinking coffee if that satisfies them. I still support people who call Jesus the Nazarene and believe that Lucifer the Dark Lord will prevail if that satisfies them. I still support people who call down the power of the moon into their plant babies and give thanks to the triple goddess if that satisfies them. I support religion or practices of all kinds.

I believe I was meant to be tolerant and be good to others. That this life will give back what you put in. That there is a higher power that governs all and it is up to you to determine just what that is to you. Not to tell people what is wrong with their lives just based on your personal story.

⭐ During this pandemic, I have done a lot of soul searching. Journaling, listening to podcasts, listening to seminars on values I'd never know existed, trying to discover who I am. This journey has included empathy training, reiki, yoga, somatic movement, feldenkrais methods, and astral meditation. I just have a list of these questions I'd like answered or given suggestions to:

What do you believe is the meaning of life? Is there any philosophers, speakers, teachers, theologians, writers, musicians etc that can help answer this?

What is your definition of religion in it's rawest form?

Do you know of any resources I may not have thought of?

Is there any criticism you can give good or bad?

Am I focused on one thing and neglecting another?

Do you have any further opinions on the topics listed above?

Do you have a suggestion of the next right step?

Do you have ideas on how I can help with the aforementioned problems?

How do I stop feeling like I'm wasting my time?

How do I find contentment in everything should I die tomorrow?

What is your opinion of the afterlife?

How do you find happiness in the midst of bullshit?

What did a friend/relative/mentor tell you when you were going through an existential crisis?

Have you felt trapped too? Due to the covid or otherwise?

Any curse words, songs, books, movies, etc of use?

🌸🌸I sincerely appreciate any feedback 🌸🌸

#quote #long post #personality #asking the important questions #asking for myself #asking the real questions #asking for advice #homelessness #homestuck #restless #depression #high anxiety #ptsd #chronic migraine #endometriosis #bpd #bpd blog #bpd thoughts #bpd things #anemia #rexhia #rexie #not pro anything #poverty #venting #socio economic #spirituality #soul searching #soul deep #existential anxiety

[recalibr8]

The mEtOHd in my madness

I’d been out with my teen lads on a Friday. We got off the train and there was a young, crumpled woman sat on the platform, fat tears splashing into a puddle of sick on her trench coated lap. I offered her some tissues; I’m a mum, it come with the membership card. After a few sorries she asked “where did you stop?”. It took us a while to realise she meant, ‘where are we?’ She was out by 2 stations which on the face of it wasn’t bad. We pointed her onto the next train, gave her a mint (gold membership benefits) and my youngest shouted “take care of yourself” as we trudged up the platform. We agreed it was probably work drinks getting out of bounds and she’d be ok now she had tissues. But I kept thinking, “where did you stop?”. Where did I stop? Because I’m now AF af.

AF af. That’s alcohol free and doing pretty darn ruddy brilliant. Three months ago I upgraded my BrewDog to NannyState, went Becks Blue and am thinking in an offhand way about brewing Kombucha. I’ve teamed this up with going plasticlite, veganish and kimchi curious. So far, so middle class virtual signalling. But where did I stop?

I’ve been drinking since I was 5. I’d adorably finish up the beer in my parents’ guests glasses and well, kept going. Not in a Drew, Carrie or Liza rehab by 13 sense but I think I’ve probably had my fair share. I’m well aware that I knew, know and don’t know but suspect people who I love who have significant alcohol use problems and this is blog is in no way trying to say my needs are greater than theirs. I know a lot of highly creative endeavours and friendships were found in a gin bottle but also unforgivable abuses. And I know friends whose acts are based around the camaraderie of drinking. And I’d never tell anyone what they *should* do. But like all ex anybodies, I’m annoying about my sobriety journey right now. Bear with me.

But it’s not just me though. I see booze everywhere. For a dose related lethal toxin that’s very effective marketing. There’s a giant ad on Toots Broadway station entreating me to Go Bottomless and every other Facebook ad is for a spirit that promises to make evenings round the back of Catford Lidl magical. And many of these are aimed at women. A recent industry survey found ‘only’ 17% of women drank beer and this needed sorting out. Look out for more lady drinking adverts, they’re coming.

But I wasn’t alcoholic. Was I? Are you? You’re only an alcoholic if you have one more drink than you doctor. I’m

a doctor ... so let’s take a look.

*I’m really low on the alcoholic check list*

I’ve never drank alcohol in the morning, blacked out, been told by others I have a problem, had to apologise...

Ah, I have had to apologise once or twice. Nothing major, just ‘sorry, I was a bit wobbly/silly/rude/loud/insulting/gave you my shoes as a gift’. I once lost my credit and oyster card at the bar of a immersive theatre event though. I don’t know how I got home. I had to find the site manager the next day and he definitely had other things to do. Not long after my bag was stolen in SoHo because I was distracted. Not sure how I got home then either. Friends put me in an Uber after my MA showcase because I wasn’t walking very straight. Or being very nice. So I definitely remember getting home then.

These were all Thursdays or weekends. I’ve always been careful not to have any chance of affecting my work. But yeah, how clear headed was I for my family, myself? And much of this was stress drinking after a week of being a clever doctor. Just loosened up the joints a bit. Particularly if your slightly socially awkward. But I wasn’t a drunk, no. Maybe just a binge drinker. And that’s ok, isn’t it?

*Hangovers are just a thing*.

With only drinking at the end of the week, I was careful not to be hungover at work. But I had a Friday at home hangover where I didn’t get out of bed for the day. I claimed I’d been poisoned. I’d just had one too many Jaegerbombs. I vomited in the taxi. I’ve vomited in several taxis. That’s not a good look at any age. Hangovers are a funny meme, a cartoon of a dog in sunglasses, office banter. It’s your liver crying and your brain folding it’s arms in judgment. It’s not bad wine, it’s bad choices.

*Get kids used to drinking. Like the French. Then they won’t binge*.

My 13 year old buys old vodka bottles from charity shops. Wearing a furry hat, his comedy drunk Russian is not bad I used to have the deepest voice of my friends at 14 so it was my job to buy the booze for house parties. My mother always told me drink a pint of milk before you go out to soak up the booze. At 14. I had a few sexual assaults along the way but if I blame myself that’s victim blaming and I don’t want to be a bad feminist on top of everything. Med school in the 80’s/90’s was all over the drink. Freshers’ week was a booze insurance test. The circle line pub crawl, the Clint Eastwood Appreciation Society, the Med School pub crawl...end at Barts because Smithfield’s liscence meant you’d keep going all night.

*Booze always cheers you up*.

I’ve got to confess, my life has got a lot quieter. I’m going out much less, I leave early, I’m not champagne Charlie any more. I’m always, well, me. My dad was a depressed alcoholic, so was his dad (he ran a tobacconist and offie so that didn’t help) and his dad before him. And I have depression and PTSD. My moods are now not so high, but they are also not so low. This is very strange. I’m hoping this is a good thing. I’ve heard it is. This, this is the mEtOHd in my madness. The mood stabilisation. That’s the plan.

*Being a doctor is just one of those boozey jobs*

Fun quiz! Who do you think drinks the most? Enough to have a problem. Oooh, were good at guessing this in ED. Writers must be bad, farmers, journalists! yes, they’re always drunk, private invsestigators (?), airline pilots (like my dad, I saw what those guys put away). Ok...it’s.

Lawyers - reporting 33% with problematic drinking

Construction workers- 16.5%

Miners -17.5%

Then it’s Healthcare workers, especially doctors (oh no). A. 2012 study of American surgeons published in JAMA Surgery found 15.4 percent had an alcohol use disorder. Female surgeons (25.6 percent) were more likely than male surgeons (13.9 percent) to exhibit symptoms of alcohol addiction. Healthcare professionals in general it’s 10%

https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/common-professions/

Performing artists and writers - 11.5%

Catering/hospitality -11%

So no pilots then? I think there’s something they’re not telling us or things are much better since the 80’s. 


 A 1998 study of junior doctors in Newcastle-upon-Tyne reported that:

* 60% exceeded the recommended safe limits for alcohol consumption

* 36% of males and 20% of females used cannabis 

The Sick Doctors Trust says “Since our working lives are spent helping others, it is easy to push aside our own problems, in addition to which, denial is quite common in medical staff. This is not deliberate, but a part of the whole illness of addiction. That addiction is a chronic illness which therefore requires treatment as for any other condition, is now well-established but there is still a tendency to feel that it is a sign of weakness, and that maybe things aren't 'that bad'.’

That some individuals are more prone to developing addiction is generally agreed. There is no single determining factor, but usually a combination of biological, psychosocial and environmental factors - a mixture of nature and nurture. There is now much evidence implicating dysfunction in the Dopamine transmitter system & it’s involvement in craving. There is also evidence to suggest that the effect alcohol has on an individual’s brain is genetically determined. A family history is present in many alcoholics- those having direct family affected being more at risk...

*Its a family affair*

I went to Adult Children of Alcoholics once. It wasn’t for me but what they said made total sense. I take responsibility for everyone, I’m primed for betrayal and disaster and I totally thrive in emotional drama. My dad wasn’t a nice drunk. He made my mum drink when pregnant ‘to keep him company’. She in turn gave babies a tot of brandy to keep them quiet as a stewardess and I can’t imagine my permanently shouting parents wouldn’t have liked us to be quiet babies too. So I’ve got pre and postnatal form. But I don’t have to fix them now. Particularly dad. It’s quite hard to fix dead people.

https://adultchildren.org/

*Booze: the solution AND cause of all of life’s difficulties*

Sick Doctors again “ Alcohol is the commonest substance of abuse in all doctors. Drinking will surprisingly continue despite negative consequences such as job difficulties, relationship breakdowns, financial problems, loss of driving licence; the alcoholic is driven by an irrational compulsion to continue, and frequently results in despair to the point of suicide. Fortunately, the depression associated with active alcoholism often abates when sober.”

http://sick-doctors-trust.co.uk/page/addiction

*I’m not an alcoholic*

and you probably aren’t either. But you might have problematic drinking. I did a survey as part of an UCLH research project. You can too. I lied a bit on it and still came out drinking more than 97% of women my age. Now an icon opens up on my phone every day to that says ‘DRINK LESS’. I stopped leaving my phone on meetings tables.

Drink Less. by Robert West

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/drink-less/id1020579244

If you are thinking about getting help for problematic drinking or any other addictions including workaholism or have any burnout symptoms for more than 3 weeks, you can of course get staff support and occupational health. But/And there is the amazing NHS Practitioner Health Programme where doctors with any addictions are supported https://php.nhs.uk/ DocHealth is another equally good programme https://www.dochealth.org.uk/. I used the latter when it was MedNet.

So, do I feel amazing? Had I got amazing skin, lost weight, feel energised and hopeful. Urg, not really. I feel a bit scared actually. I’ve lost my social crutch and I’ve stopped going out. I’m worried I’m boring and people will think I’m weird. But....I can get up earlier to walk the dog, I’m moderately less tired and although I’m not skipping down the road happy, the depressive moment I had in spring could have been a lot worse. I think that’s actually amazing. And that’s why I’m doing this. I want to face the world honestly and openly. I want to enjoy my kids before they leave home which is frighteningly soon and weirdly, I want to know my liver replaced itself in a year so I’m literally a new person (don’t google Theseus’ Boat Paradox, life is complicated enough). Oddly compelling, that. So where did I stop? I stopped here. In a weird waiting room in my head. But with the promise of a new adventure through the next door.

But don’t stop doing you, babes. Keep telling me your booze bantz. They are hilarious. Any story that starts or ends with Baileys is only going one way. This clearly isn’t a lecture. Most people can do moderation. And do could I, mostly. And it’s the mostly that’s not good enough. Not for me. Not any more.

Online support - https://www.facebook.com/groups/joinclubsoda/?ref=share

Samaritans- https://www.samaritans.org/

BMA wellbeing including 24 hour support - https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-wellbeing

Tea and Empathy for doctors’ online support - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1215686978446877/?ref=share

Al Anon for children of alcoholics https://adultchildren.org/

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

Dedicated to my husband who gave up the wine w*nker 6 years ago without any of this mid life crisis fuss. But I gave up meat and caffeine first so I still win.

[burtfacmecon1986-blog]

The copper IUD would cause problems for me too, mainly acne again due to the lack of estrogen. I'd rather not have a copper IUD and then have to go on anxiety meds and acne meds. I'd rather just take the pill as it controls all of those issues. Gradually, CVS added services like blood draws or monitoring of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. CVS Health Corp. A clinic visit also can be cheaper than a $100 doctor visit for someone who doesn't have insurance, but they have drawbacks. Training with these fighters can improve him massively instead of training with cans at TAM. ATT would be the best team for Cody. ATT has some of the best strikers and loads of champs and contenders.. I just found out one of my oldest friends had her identity stolen. By her husband. He took out $30k of loans on credit cards. JOHN DICKERSON: We turn now to what's going on here at home, and Republican Senator Tim Scott he joins us from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Welcome, Senator. Senator, a number of your republican colleagues, Mike Lee, Steve Daines, Senators from Utah and Montana, have said these allegations about Roy Moore, require him that they have unendorsed him. Waited a bit, coudlnt respawn on my pirate raft bed so I guessing that got chomped. Spawned a bit further out, missioned over to the scene and saw this guy hell demon chewing on the raft, to teach me a lesson I guess. I have a few more stash 충청북도��장샵 spots but really the raft was the main base, it had it all particuraly my recently acquired good loot. We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, 충청북도출장샵 artificial hearts, word processors, or young men wearing earrings. For us "time sharing" meant togetherness, a "chip" was a piece of wood or fried potato, "hardware" meant nuts and bolts, and "software" wasn't a word.. I love your post! I I writing everything down that you suggested because they are all great ideas. I don consider myself a guru, but I do have a channel and what you mentioned gave me a lot of inspiration, so thank you! I tried to film a Nicki minaj Makeup, hair and outfit tutorial 3 times last week because that who I was for Halloween (I fair with blonde hair) but my camera was acting up. I glad to know that I wasn crazy for recreating a celebrity look of someone with a completely different skin tone and hair color lol. Late last year in December, I taken my regular small dose, and I sat down to watch the Rupaul Drag Christmas Special. I hadn exercised that day, was just sitting in a comfy chair when out of the blue, my heart just started RACING. Like, dead sprint in the final lap of a marathon kind of racing.. Course, the older we get, the busier we become with jobs, families, etc. But I do think a large part of friendships dying when we get older is just a lack of communication. If these relationships are important to you, I think it would help if you reach out to these friends when you feel like it.. I bought a pair of those from Onitsuka Tiger because I love that design. Some of the coolest sneakers ever are expensive and highly exclusive, but I don love them because they exclusive, I love them because they have great designs. Every single person on the street could be wearing Yeezy 350s and I wouldn care, it a great design and I appreciate that other people are wearing well designed shoes too.

[meandmyselfish-heart-blog]

Employee Benefits: 5/1/08

Do you know of any that can be used as rat deterrent that are safe for felines? 15 Things to know before a steroid cycle! Or you can make it fun by checking out what activities are going on in your community. No can do. After a month, I'm allowed to ask them to cancel the order which will take an additional 28 days. Colorado companies like Leever’s Supermarkets, New Belgium Brewery, and Namaste Solar are great examples of how companies of all sizes can adopt this practice. Victims of online scams are often too embarrassed to come forward. Aside from sending money, victims may be handing over their debit card or credit card details to thieves. Water would stop flowing out of your faucets and sanitary sewer systems would cease to function. Anticipation ran high as the clock ticked closer to midnight on Water Street in St. John’s. The contamination of the water has made those who live on rural areas to drink more soda pop which contribute to increase diabetes and obesity rates. You’ll be prompted to download an app with the promise of being able to see who has viewed your profile. On the off chance that any of the symptoms quits fooling around, or in the event that you see any reactions not recorded in this flyer, if it’s not too much trouble tell your specialist or drug specialist. The idea is that many drug databases contain too many false positive interaction rules, so adoption is slowed by alert fatigue. Prescription drug addiction is becoming a major problem in America. Problem was it wasn’t his place, and the other people living there were very unsanitary. The Republicans appointed people to the FDA who had contempt for science and used ideology to approve or disapprove drugs. But if the redirecting ads are eliminated, canadian online pharmacies then such lesser known brands would have no way of attracting people who are looking for treatments. They are at Albuoy's Point, Par-la-Ville Park, the cruise ship passenger terminals and on Victoria Street behind City Hall. Increasingly, carve-outs are being used to better manage a wide variety of medical conditions such as pregnancy, asthma, and diabetes. Networks must be well-dispersed geographically and include the necessary medical disciplines to be able to deliver services at all levels of care. Other critics say that simply cutting services isn’t enough, and that the real solution is figuring out a way to reinvent the postal service to meet the needs of our wired world. Bermuda's main ferry service centre for all public transportation information. As I point out to them, it's their health, not mine. Thanks to diabetes for giving us the reason to do all these exercises to be physically fit. Attempts to rein in the cost of medical care in the 1970s seemed to have little effect. Too often, politicians talk about health care as if it begins and ends when you get sick or need to visit a doctor. We’ve all of us seen the doctor and have even had a few procedures done. Of the remaining employees, few were in traditional plans. Expand coverage for gym and health-club memberships in insurance plans. In most cases, the coverage purchased under the carve-out plan is some form of permanent life insurance protection that provides paid-up coverage at retirement. The employer then gives any premium savings to each "carved-out" employee in the form of a bonus, which is fully deductible to the employer as long as the employee's overall compensation is reasonable. Paragraph 1904.7(b)(2) requires the employer to record an injury or illness that results in death by entering a check mark on the OSHA 300 Log in the space for fatal cases. I wouldn’t particularly recommend ordering from Organabus, as I didn’t feel anything from their vape product and didn’t have any results with anything else on their site. I have lived here 7 years, and this is the first. First and last month’s rent are typically required to secure the rental property. Policy provisions are helpful in such situations. This article is provided for information, entertainment and convenience only - it does not constitute endorsements of any situations or medical tactics or advice. Other sites do 'sell' supplier lists, but they are rarely updated, and often full of scammers because there was no background check done on the supplier. Two daily flights from Miami to Port of Spain are available on American Airlines. The current products are marketed through multiple-employer trusts, with the trust being the policyholder. They are not afraid of anything! In 2015 and 2016 alone, smash-and-grab gun store robberies resulted in nearly 400 guns being stolen in Colorado. Corporations filing their taxes in Colorado shouldn’t be able to hold their earnings in off-shore tax havens. The employee is required to pay a specified initial premium, from which a charge is subtracted for one month's mortality. I haven'KENALOG had a consult with a full glass of KENALOG than ever now. Now I’m thinking of adding cotton balls laced with peppermint oil or citronella all around the fountain. 5. The only way to benefit from exercise is to do it every day. Disease management holds considerable potential in addressing the high costs associated with chronic healthcare conditions, however the evolution of these programs require national standards for measuring clinical performance as well as the willing participation of both patient and provider. According to the United States Environmental Protection agency, 2.5 gallons is pumped through the average shower head every minute it is used.

[katydoodles]

Planning Session

Chloe and Zoe trying to figure out how to take the credit card again.

#Stolen Credit Card Chronicals #Stolen Credit Card AU #chloe bourgeois #Zoe Lee #fashion #miraculous ladybug #its been a while since ive drawn them #paint tool sai 2 #procreate #i used both programs while drawing this #ml fanart #digital art

[b1uehours]

I can’t follow through whenever I’ve tried to post something about what I’m struggling with and the possibility that I need help and can ask for it on a platform like this.

Here I go.

I am 26 [26F] and I live with my abusive father. I am ostracized from both his and my mother’s family where I have experienced abuse from both sides growing up. My father had primary custody and I had my life living with him (school, sports, friends, etc.), though I didn’t have a better option between the two, nor did I have a choice otherwise until I was 16. I made the choice to cut off visitation to my mother and her family under one roof entirely, I have had very few interactions with them since. I have no support system or relationship with any family (let alone friends, to be honest).

My mother is disabled due to a drug overdose when I was 9 months old and my dad swiftly divorced her and never looked back. She flatlined twice and suffered severe, life long consequences physically and emotionally. She was still very much capable of being abusive. My dad blamed his therapist for his decision to leave, claiming that is what ‘they told him to do.’ If it makes things easier to understand, I am sure he is a narcissist. He shows no resentment, and has always antagonized her since. He glorified himself as a single parent to everyone who will listen (especially women he was hitting on, while I, a child, was present). I can’t say that I’ve had a mother figure or really even a father figure, as my dad never did much more than pressure me to excel or punish me yet never wanted to take time or effort explain anything, so I’ve largely discovered whatever I can about myself and beyond, myself.

I have an ADHD, Severe Depression, Anxiety, C-PTSD, and Insomnia diagnoses. Unfortunately, I have been through misdiagnosis, neglect, and outright harmful behavior by therapists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals in the past (looking at you Kaiser Permanente) and continue to experience to this day. I have tried every medication under the sun, and I have yet to find any combination that has given me a chance at life and at the very least, functionality. I have tried TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) with brief spikes in minor results but stopped after doing it every weekday for 6-7 months after no real improvement and an exacerbation in my symptoms due to my experiences at home.

Based on the claim that my father is a narcissist, he abuses me in physically and emotionally debilitating ways. This pandemic has caused the abuse i experience by him to be exacerbated.

He does not social distance. He is bringing guests (most of the time 2 different women) into the home frequently and does not take repercussions in response, nor do I have a say.

He is extremely controlling and verbally abusive. He is quick to anger and constantly wants to make me dependent yet berates me for not being independent. He acknowledges my mental illness when it is convenient and refutes it just the same. He has kicked me out multiple times and stolen my car after I lived in it. He helps me with nothing financially. He is a well off landlord who lost no income during this pandemic, got a stimulus check and stole mine because he filed me under his taxes last year without telling me. He did not split any of the stimulus check with me, and he hid that he received it. He is financially abusive and has refused to buy groceries beyond for himself, despite knowing I was/am unemployed with no immediate options.

He opens my mail and violates my privacy, going into my room and looking into everything under the guise that he was helping me. He has no boundaries & has physically abused me in the past.

I do not feel safe.

I lost my only bit of work as a pet sitter/dog walker in March and have applied for cash assistance twice and unemployment twice. I was denied by cash assistance both times, I was denied by unemployment once and my second application was completely ignored, as if I never submitted it (I screenshotted the confirmation number just in case, emailed them twice and got 0 response both times). I filed for social security disability twice as well, and was denied twice. I have already had state disability from a few years ago and never bounced back entirely financially, especially as a self employer so that is not an option for me. I am planning on applying for unemployment a third time, yet it is daunting and discouraging after all attempts to email and call have come up with no help. I have exhausted every option I can think of and have been denied nearly all support.

As of August 15th, my insurance was halted because my father tried to keep me as a disabled dependent (funny how I’m disabled on paper yet have no access to financial resources in response) so his taxes would remain low since I would stay on his plan. I applied and qualified for MediCal and had to call HR at his job to nullify the paperwork he filled out to keep me as a disabled dependent on his plan without me knowing. I was waiting for the letter that included the insurance termination date and never received it. All of a sudden, I was unable to have access to therapy services and have been unable to resume ever since, even though I kept my plan through mediCal. It has caused great detriment to my health and stability.

I finally have food stamps so I can feed myself, though it does not last well through the entire month. I like to cook, yet I suffer from constant fatigue and do need convenient options.

I am unhealthy physically and mentally, and am only seeking to better my situation. I am pursuing work but I am also pursuing solutions to the chronic fatigue I experience daily which has had a major impact on my personal and professional life since childhood. I want to set myself up to succeed even after how hopeless this feels. I cannot continue to neglect myself and go through life this way, feeling like a prisoner holing up in my room, not eating until midnight because I need to avoid my father who is constantly near the kitchen, not sleeping because I have no control over my daytime hours. Sleeping too much and losing every day (especially each day I share with my lovely cat Blue, who deserves better).

I am asking for any help, whatever that might look like for you. I am in dire straights financially, and have credit card debt due to when I was homeless a few years back after my father had kicked me out. I have no income whatsoever and no access to basic necessities. The hopelessness in my situation is mounting, because there has been a wall in front of every effort I’ve made to help myself that I have no control over.

My goal is to be able to move out of my father’s home with my cat Blue so I can move past survival mode and begin to heal and get to know who I am and who I want to be. I feel that any means I can achieve that will help me create and live my own life, not as a punching bag for my father, or anybody else who has failed to truly be there for me in my life.

This is mostly to just vent. But if anyone were to actually see this, I’d love for it to be shared in some way. I greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and those who didn’t too! <3

Just in case, here’s my PayPal:

Thank you internet. Here is a photo of my munchkin



#TW #tw abuse #depression #i needed to get a portion of this out there #i know its a hot mess #thank you for your time

[itssoweirdyoureher]

About Me: A Ramble

@a-collection-of-nonsense tagged me in a post to talk about myself, which is difficult for me because my mind always goes blank when I’m asked about myself. It’s like all of a sudden I know absolutely nothing about the last 23 years of my life? IDK but I’m going to TRY for my new Anti-Adult Adult Club friend! (ALSO I’m confused if your name is Em, or if you were using em like ‘about ‘em’ and ‘em is referring to people in general.) So for clarification sake, my name is Rachel, and I get confused by the simplest of things sometimes.

Appearance:

My appearance is EVER CHANGING. The one standard is my curly hair, which has a mind of its own, but even that has been chilling out recently—oh the joys of age. I dye my hair regularly, so it’s usually red or auburn, but my natural color is brown. I haven’t been blonde since I was like 8?

My glasses have also been a staple of my appearance for about the last 3 years? I used to wear contacts 24/7 and would never let anyone see me in my glasses; however, I had eye surgery and now the idea of putting things in my eyes is a BIG thing, so glasses it is.

I’m 5’5 and a HALF, and am constantly torn between dressing like I’m a NYC socialite in gossip girl and Jessica Jones. I’m usually Jessica Jones.

Personality:

This is the hard part? I’m bad at describing myself. I’m sarcastic and brutally honest, but only if I think someone can handle it at the time. FOR EXAMPLE, my friend was going through a rough break up a few years back, and all he wanted was to be coddled, but I gave him advice that I knew he could use once he wasn’t an emotional mess---but only because I knew he had other people taking care of his emotions etc. at the time; it would have been a different story if I knew he only had me to rely on—then I’d be handing out the spoons and pints of ice cream like Oprah.

I’m pretty cynical (very much like my earlier Jessica Jones reference), but I’m super optimistic when it comes to other people because I care SO much about the people I love—and just helping people in general.

Ability:

I’m really good at mediating, if that’s considered a skill? It appeases my nosiness, but I also love helping people, so I enjoy putting myself in each person’s shoes and explaining their motives/emotions/etc. to the other person.

I also really enjoy editing (aka my life’s passion at this point, so writers hmu ;))

Hobbies:

HAH I have a lot of hobbies that I used to love, but no longer do? I used to play volleyball and ride horses, but chronic pain and a body trying to self-destruct really gets in the way of things like hobbies.

I mostly stick to reading, watching movies/tv shows (yes I consider that a hobby), and playing video games (lol I’m a nerd, but I’m playing the new Zelda game for the switch, and I’M IN HEAVEN).

OH I’m also constantly on the hunt for the best ramen. (I’m a foodie that can’t really cook—it’s a hard knock life).

Experiences:

1.     Graduated college last year after going to exactly 4 different schools, being enrolled at 5, and actually being a full time student at 3 at the same time once.

2.     Had surgery on both of my eyes at the UCLA medical center—which may seem like a weird thing to mention, but it was a defining moment in my life for many reasons.

3.     Tackled my fear and finally visited NYC last year, and even after having my credit card stolen, being followed to my hotel room by a creepy guy, and being there during the terrorist attack, I didn’t hate it.

4.     Made two super awesome friends from high school that I wasn’t actually friends with while I was in high school lol.

5.     Went snowboarding in Canada and parasailing in Hawaii (That’s the coolest I could make myself sound, guys, seriously I’m the most boring person).

6.     Quit my assistant teaching job and moved halfway across the country with my parents to help with my grandpa. 

My life: 

My life...is in limbo right now. I graduated college and am trying to get into the publishing industry, but it is muy difícil. I quit my teaching job and moved across the country over the holidays, so I’m feeling super lost and unsure about my lifeeee (I told you I was a horrible adult). Also, ya know, there’s the whole living with my parents thing going on, which is totally cramping my love life (which has also been non-existent. Thanks, self-destructing body). I’m a FAKE 23 year old, people. I have -100000 of the experiences you should have at my age, but THAT’S OKAY. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself—spread positivity and all that, right?

Random stuff:

·       I used to have 1 horse, 1 pony, 1 goat, 1 pig, 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 birds, and 2 guinea pigs all at the same time. I only have 1 dog, 1 cat, and 2 birds now. My zoo is no longer a zoo.

·       I used to help my sister babysit the ferrets of Sarah Gruen when I was like 4? It was weird, but awesome.

·       My pony, whose name was Mouse, bucked me into a wall once because a chicken spooked him.

·       I am currently deciding whether I want to go back for my masters in English. If anyone has advice and/or lives near a good school and wants a roommate (the economy sucks for real), let me know.

I tag literally anyone who follows me because I want to know more about you (tag me in your posts!).

#about me #tagged #personal #I actually went on my computer to do this which is dedication

[neuropathicgypsy]

The other day I was refused my Lyrica prescription for my chronic pain and also for seizures.

I threw a fit, used the survey on the bottom of the receipt and rated complete zero on everything. Then I got an email saying the manager would reply to me. He didn't after three days so I threw another fit, replied he hadn't responded and began to transfer my prescriptions to another pharmacy. I have over $1000 per month in prescriptions and my daughter over $200 and so fuck you I will cause a scene and don't think anyone is gonna take my power. I own my power. (Today he did respond)

So awhile back my driver's license got sucked into the tube or stolen at the pharmacy.

So I've had difficulty to get my two controlled substances each month and I usually ask _______ to pick it up and I drive him there. But I didn't have anyone & I needed it and had been out of it for days and didn't want to ask anyone cause I am an independent bitch (now it's been over a week) and I do have a copy of my license but it was refused without even being looked at and so I could not get my prescription.

And so now Jason, the pharmacy manager that refused to give me my prescription whom is also an FBI agent is getting arrested for attempted murder.

So yes. I'm pleased

I should say that he was set up in the position there so that he could be arrested because he has tried to kill me in the past, because he's been a double agent also being paid by Jesse James to spy and etc

And so they thought Jason would fuck up and just as predicted he did.

And so now it is back to jail for him

I think it's lovely. I also get $50 to get a new drivers license in cash as oppose to store credit

For the record, the control substances act says that as long as I am recognized as the person the prescription belongs to I do not need to show identification but each pharmacy makes their own rules.

Alas, it's not illegal to give a prescription, even a controlled substance without any identification at all.

And it's their fault I don't have a driver's license.

I have a copy. At least I have that.

I also have an alternative identification card but that has also been refused but I can get my cigars with it even at Wal-Mart so I haven't needed a driver's license except at the pharmacy which it disappeared from after I gave it to the pharmacy technician

#walgreens #jesse Gregory james west coast choppers #jjfu #pump jack #Jesse James

[feralafrica-blog]

Printable International Travel Checklist

I am a huge fan of lists.  Packing lists, grocery lists, to do lists and the list goes on.  It is only natural that I have travel list.  This is a list of things I need to tick off before I can even think about going to the airport.   If you are traveling internationally you’d want to make double sure that all your ducks are in a row.  You would not want to discover on the plane that you do not have a valid visa for travel.  You can download our Printable Checklist at the end of this article.

Passport

Ensure you passport is valid for travel.  Check your expiry dates and make sure your passport is valid for six months after your return flight.  Some countries require that you have at least six months left of your passport by the time you leave their country.

Travel Visa’s

Make sure you have the most updated information on Visa requirements for your destination.  Phone up travel agents and double check on this.  Make sure you have enough time to apply and get your visa before you leave.

Driver’s license

If you are planning on driving then get your International Drivers Permit.  Your local license will not work.

Medication

Research your destination.  Do you need a certain vaccine like yellow fever? Will you be traveling to a malaria area? Are you on chronic medication? Make sure you have all your medication and vaccines sorted out at least a week or two before you depart.  Pack a small first aid kit with all the essentials.  You don’t want to sort this out last minute.  

Travel Insurance

Ensure that you have bought medical and travel insurance for your trip.  Have important contact and policy numbers saved in an easy to find place.  Be familiar with the contents of your travel insurance policies like who to phone in an emergency and how to claim. If your everyday medical insurance covers, you for international travel make sure, you have contacted them and advised them of your trip.

Money Matters

Contact your bank and Credit Card Company and advise them of your travel plans.  You do not want them blocking a credit card for suspicious spending. If you have two credit card accounts split your travel money between the two cards just in case one of your cards get lost or is stolen.  Have your bank’s international contact number handy in case you need to report a theft of a card. Ensure there is enough money in your current account to cover all your debit orders while you are away.

Back Up Documents

Make copies of all your travel documents including your passport, travel itinerary, flights, hotel reservations, and International driver’s license and load it up to your google drive or email it to yourself.  This will save you a lot of trouble if you get robbed or lose your day pack.  It’s important that a friend knows where you will be traveling to and how to reach you in case you need to be reached for an emergency back home.

Music and Reading

Create playlists with all your favorite music for your trip.  Make sure you have all your travel guides and reading material downloaded onto your tablet at least a week before you go.  Do not do this the night before!  You will almost certainly have poor internet signal, power failure or device problems the day before.  

Travel Tech

Research which adapters you will need and buy one.  The ones at the international airport are generally three times the price.   Decide what you want to take with you and pack all the needed batteries, charges, cables and cords.  Nothing is as frustrating as finding out you forgot your camera charger.

Phone & Data

We always suggest not putting your phone on international roaming.  You might come home to a nasty bill especially if you have used data.  Rather, research your destination, opt for a local sim, and get prepaid data and airtime.  This way you can control your budget better.

Home

There might be things that need to be done at home while you are away.  Don’t forget to arrange for house or pet sitters early on. This completes our check list before you fly. What is included in your checklist? We’d love to hear from you. Download our International Checklist Here              Click to Post

#Printable International Travel Checklist #travel checklist

[coin-news-blog]

Mega Drug Pushers Johnson & Johnson Get Away While Peaceful Silk Road Is Destroyed

New Post has been published on https://coinmakers.tech/news/mega-drug-pushers-johnson-johnson-get-away-while-peaceful-silk-road-is-destroyed

Mega Drug Pushers Johnson & Johnson Get Away While Peaceful Silk Road Is Destroyed

Mega Drug Pushers Johnson & Johnson Get Away While Peaceful Silk Road Is Destroyed

It’s been said that those who protest the loudest are often the ones who are guilty, and when it comes to government and their pet corporations, things are no different. No surprise, then, that the blustery moralizing — and violent state force brought to bear against businesses — are most intense where the money and power stand to be lost, as in the case of the Silk Road, and most weak and permissive where embedded, state-friendly corporations like Johnson & Johnson can basically get away with murder.

Opioid Kingpins

The state of Oklahoma won $572 million in a lawsuit against American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson Monday, for their alleged reckless contribution to the state’s opioid crisis. Prosecutors labeled the company a “public nuisance,” and an opioid “kingpin.” The mega corporation’s aggressive marketing tactics downplayed the very real risks of extremely addictive opioid painkillers, according to the state of Oklahoma. This isn’t Johnson & Johnson’s first legal rodeo, either. From arsenic-poisoned Tylenol, to bribes and kickbacks for doctors worldwide, downplaying dangerous side effects, and peddling allegedly cancer-causing baby powder, the company is no stranger to legal attack.

Of course, their legal representation vehemently denied the charges, citing what they view as Johnson & Johnson’s negligible share of the U.S. painkiller market as a whole. The company aims to postpone payment during an appeal procedure, which some reports say could last until 2021. The lawsuit was seeking $17 billion in damages, with settlements reached with Purdue Pharma ($270 million) and Teva Pharmaceutical ($85 million), earlier this year. Though the awarded amount is nowhere near the prosecutor’s goal, it remains a landmark ruling nonetheless, being the first time a major pharmaceutical company has been found legally liable for America’s opioid problem.

This verdict comes at a timely juncture where the cryptospace is concerned. News.bitcoin.com reported just days ago on recently issued White House advisories, which attempt to pin blame for the very same crisis on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether, and monero.

Consensual vs. Non-Consensual Business

There are rigorous licensing requirements for selling drugs legally in the United States. These measures are taken to ensure safety and quality, ostensibly. Without approval from the state, nobody can sell anything. With legal approval from the state, anybody can sell anything — even dangerously addictive painkillers via aggressive marketing campaigns and bribes. Organizations that have the power to green light or reject new pharmaceuticals become very important, then, to companies wishing to make a killing in the industry.

In Johnson and Johnson’s case, around $6 million is spent on lobbying annually, influencing everything from legal policy to drug studies. 37 members of the U.S. Congress actually own shares in the pharmaceutical juggernaut. Some of the legislation Johnson & Johnson pays big bucks to back is aimed at making it harder to sue big corporations. For example, the company is a member of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), which championed the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, a bill that drew fire from critics for placing unfair restrictions on individuals seeking legal recourse against corporations via class action lawsuits.

With this iron-clad shield of legal protections in place, and deep pocketsful of politicians and alphabet agencies paid for in USD — a money that everyone is forced to use under threat of violence — the meaning of a non-consensual business becomes clear. Don’t reach for the cannabis for pain relief–that could land you in prison. Don’t sue the providers of the only legal options available, that’s been made near impossible. Instead, fall victim to purposefully relaxed drug laws, misleading advertising, and FDA/DEA propaganda. In Oklahoma’s case, the systematically eroded caution about opioids contributed to the 6,000 related deaths since 2000, according to attorney general Mike Hunter.

The Silk Road

If Johnson & Johnson’s preferred method of force-backed monopoly is non-consensual, then the model of the now defunct Silk Road would be the opposite. Using the same cryptocurrency the White House has now pinned as responsible for opioid trafficking and Fentanyl deaths, Ross Ulbricht’s darknet marketplace sold anything and everything, drug-wise, legal or not. This causes many to take worried pause, viewing the endeavor as an illicit or malevolent enterprise, but things are almost never what they seem on surface.

Unlike Johnson & Johnson, the community on Silk Road had ethical rules about its drug sales. As International Business Times reported back in 2011:

But even as an illegal drug store, Silk Road has its own ethical standards which is stated in terms of service: anything who’s purpose is to harm or defraud, such as stolen credit cards, assassinations, and weapons of mass destruction, will not be sold through the network.

There are still those who talk about Ulbricht’s supposed hand in the murder-for-hire plots, but these charges were never brought to bear, and later dropped, instead being mentioned in passing to prejudice the outcome of the trial. Nobody was ever killed because of the debacle, either. Many suspect foul play on the part of the state, and indeed this idea is bolstered by computer forensics testimony that doesn’t add up. All in all, there are 7 people who are reported to have died from Silk Road-related overdoses, who presumably ordered the products voluntarily, with full disclosure of the potential risks. This is a far cry from the big pharma racket on the legal side of the tracks, where disclosure is actively obfuscated, and safer, alternative options are punished by jail time.

Legal Immunity for Criminals, Life in Prison for Heroes

According to the judge, “Among other things, they [Johnson & Johnson] sent sales representatives into Oklahoma doctors’ offices to deliver misleading messages, they disseminated misleading pamphlets, coupons, and other printed materials for patients and doctors, and they misleadingly advertised their drugs over the internet.” It was further found by the ruling that the company had created a problem where there hadn’t been one, in encouraging the over-prescription of opioids for chronic pain.

Though Johnson & Johnson may have to pay $572 million if they lose their appeal, that’s really just a chink in the armor for a company that pulled in $81.6 billion in 2018, with a net worth at press time of $337.1 billion. Though their reckless practices have arguably contributed to the deaths of thousands in the United States, and they consistently seek to insulate themselves unfairly within the legal system, the company remains “legitimate” in the eyes of the government at large.

Ross Ulbricht, however, has had his life taken from him, simply for providing a voluntary marketplace and earnestly trying to not mislead or harm anyone. When it comes to real culpability here, people on the street seem to be getting wise to Johnson & Johnson’s racket. When it comes to the U.S. Federal Government taking issue with consensual exchange and a young kid making millions on the darknet from drug sales, many think the state doth protest too much.

Source: news.bitcoin

[kansascityhappenings]

Man called a ‘chronic liar’ scams over a dozen in Missouri, Kansas out of thousands

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Brian Spencer Pummell was featured on network news a few months ago as a flood victim from Northern Missouri.

A big-hearted storm chaser shared Pummell’s sad story of losing his belongings.

“Lost a ton of stuff, truck, tools, $30,000 worth of stuff,” Pummell tells him in the video.

The storm chaser paid for two nights in a hotel to help out Pummell and his family and asked viewers to “keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

But if you pray, pray for forgiveness because those who know Pummell said he’s a chronic liar. He didn’t lose his truck or his tools, and he should have had plenty of cash for a motel.

“In January alone he had taken $20,000 from the three of us,” said Bryan Irick of Springfield. “Where did that money go?”

Irick is one of at least 15 people who say they were scammed by Pummell.

Bryan Irick

According to a signed and dated contract, Irick paid Pummell a $6,000 deposit last January to build a garage at his home.

“He promised to start the following Monday, but he never showed up,” Irick said.

Pummell never had any intention of showing up because that very same day — more than 200 miles away in Topeka, Kansas — Mariah and David Kidwell were also waiting for Pummell to start building their barn.

“He didn’t show up that morning,” Mariah Kidwell said.

As the weeks passed, it became clear he would never show. Instead, he kept sending text messages with excuses. His car had broken down or his house had been broken into.

“He’d send a picture of the broken door knob on the door,” said David Kidwell, noting that it was an interior door.

The Kidwells had given Pummell a $9,800 deposit after thoroughly vetting him, they thought.

“He had a website. I called the Missouri Secretary of State to make sure he was a registered LLC before we even met him,” Mariah Kidwell recalled.

They made sure to have their contract signed and notarized and even made a copy of Pummell’s driver’s license.

David and Mariah Kidwell

All they got in return was a $300 pile of lumber and a lot of lies. Pummell, however, did finally return $3,000 of their deposit after they had an attorney write him a demand letter.

It was during that time that the Kidwells received a series of threatening text messages including: “I know where you live b***h. Bet I will burn your house with your kids in it.”

The FBI investigated, but Pummell denied sending the text, which came from a burner phone that couldn’t be tracked.

It wasn’t long afterward that Pummell popped up on TV as a flood victim with his “woe is me” speech.

His victims said he finds his prey via Facebook ads using the name Houston Construction. When they checked out the company, they typically found few if any complaints. (But now they are plenty.)

“What I should have done was actually look into his name,” Irick said.

FOX4 Problem Solvers did and found mug shot, after mug shot, after mug shot for everything from bad checks to evading arrest and receiving stolen property.

Now there are dozens of complaints against him on such sites as Ripoff Reports, the Better Business Bureau and Google. It appears as if nobody likes him, and he’s not even 30 years old yet.

Brian Spencer Pummell

But this time Pummell messed with the wrong people.

His victims (more than 15 with more than $60,000 in losses) are fighting back. They’ve shared their stories on public Facebook postings and have created a private group to update each other on Pummell’s whereabouts. They post his latest address and pictures of his home, which is useful if you need to serve him court papers, which Irick did.

On court day, Problem Solvers was there with Irick, hoping Pummell would have the guts to face his accuser, but he never showed. Irick was awarded a default judgment and so were the Kidwells.

But both realize they will have trouble collecting it.

Problem Solvers has repeatedly tried to reach Pummell. His phone is always busy. So we texted and still never heard back.

But we know Pummell is still out there — in fact, he’s believed to be living and working in Branson — and the list of victims keeps growing.

Among those Pummell owes money to is the storm chaser who helped him during the flood. He paid for two nights hotel for Pummell and his family, but later learned his credit card was charged for six.

So many complaints have come in about Pummell that the Missouri Attorney General’s Office is investigating, which could mean criminal charges.

But no matter what happens, Brian Spencer Pummell can no longer hide. The world is on notice.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/05/13/man-called-a-chronic-liar-scams-over-a-dozen-in-missouri-kansas-out-of-thousands/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/05/14/man-called-a-chronic-liar-scams-over-a-dozen-in-missouri-kansas-out-of-thousands/

[nancygduarteus]

Can We Touch?

Tiffany Field has spent decades trying to get people to touch each other more.

It started with premature babies, when she found that basic human touch led them to quickly gain weight. An initial small study, published in the journal Pediatrics in 1986, showed that just 10 days of “body stroking and passive movements of the limbs” for less than an hour led babies to grow 47 percent faster. They average fewer days in the hospital and accrued $3,000 less in medical bills. The effect has been replicated multiple times.

Field, a developmental psychologist by training, went on to found the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She was a pioneer in highlighting the effects of “touch deprivation” among kids, famously those in orphanages. She explained to me that the effects are pervasive, influencing so many bodily systems that kids are diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” resulting in permanent physical and cognitive impairment, smaller stature, and social withdrawal later in life—which often includes aversion to physical contact.

Physical touch doesn’t make adults larger, but its pervasive effects are still coming to light. Field has published similar findings about the benefits of touch in full-term infants, and then children and pregnant women, adults with chronic pain, and people in retirement homes. Studies that involved as little as 15 daily minutes found that touch alone, even devoid of the other supportive qualities it usually signifies, seems to have myriad benefits.

The hug, specifically, has been repeatedly linked to good health. In a more recent study that made headlines about hugs helping the immune system, researchers led by the psychologist Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University isolated 400 people in a hotel and exposed them to a cold virus. People who supportive social interactions had fewer and less severe symptoms. Physical touch (specifically hugging) seemed to account for about a third of that effect. (The researchers conclude: “These data suggest that hugging may act as an effective means of conveying support.”) Cohen and his colleagues continued to show other health benefits of physical contact, like a 2018 reveal in the journal PLOS titled “Receiving a Hug Is Associated With the Attenuation of Negative Mood That Occurs on Days With Interpersonal Conflict.”

Part of the reason this research didn’t happen sooner is that it was seen as extremely obvious. Yet even as evidence of the importance of physical touch has piled up, the world has been moving in the opposite direction. “You don’t see people touching each other anymore, in large part because they’re all on their phones and iPads and computers,” says Field. “It’s very disturbing to see parents doing less touching of kids, if they’re just sitting there on screens.”

The dissonance of people benefiting from touch but doing less of it is only made more confusing by statements like Joe Biden’s. In a video posted to his Twitter account last week, a response to widespread concerns about excessive hugging and incidents of hair sniffing and the like during his time as vice president, the likely 2020 presidential candidate said he had no intention of making anyone uncomfortable. He then pivoted to claim that people are less open to being touched: “Social norms have begun to change. They’ve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it, I get it. I hear what they’re saying. I understand it.”

The explanation raises the question: Are boundaries changing? (And does Biden get it?)

The research is clear on that fact that people both need and react well to physical touch—in controlled environments. There is no evidence that people like to be touched any less than in previous generations, only that negatively received touch is more openly vocalized. What’s new is that people who didn’t appreciate being touched in previous decades, or who were always made uncomfortable by it—especially from people in positions of power—are empowered to process the fact that it’s not something they need to put up with. There are platforms to speak up, channels for recourse, and supportive listeners to cushion the blowback.

“There is a lot of research on how touch is hierarchical, and males can touch females but not vice versa,” Field says, noting that caretakers in nursing homes tend to touch female residents much more than males, and the latter are at higher risk of touch deprivation. “I think some of that is reflected in what’s going on, where people are seeing the hierarchical aspect of the touch and not the supportive aspect.”

Attributing situations like Biden’s to an overall change in people’s willingness to be touched is a sweeping claim that stands to make a physically isolated culture even more so. As we get more isolated, Field argues, we need platonic touch more than ever, even if we don’t realize it. There is a vicious cycle there, where the less people initiate, the more abnormal it seems when someone does, and the more likely it is to be upsetting. “I think Biden’s got it right that it’s generally good to show physical affection as a way of supporting people,” says Field—with the caveat that any touch is imbued with meaning, and every person brings different histories to their responses.

So how should a person go about touching?

It’s not that there are new, mysterious rules that are constantly changing, Field says. There have always been limits of acceptability. The key to practicing touch well is to appreciate the emotional power—which is the basis of all the positive effects and, so, the basis of much potential for negativity. If anything, knowing that people bring a history of emotional experiences to each new touch can inform better, healthier interactions.

The phenomenon of reacting to touch is often described as an autonomous pathway, which it technically is: Receptors in the skin detect pressure and temperature and movement, and these signals shoot up the spinal cord and into the brain, which adjusts its chemical output accordingly. That the emotional responses become physical in predictable patterns suggests that our bodies evolved to respond favorably to touch—or at least, to miss out on benefits when we are physically isolated. MRI scans show physical touch activating areas of the cerebral cortex, and other studies show decreased heart rate, blood pressure, and the stress-related hormone cortisol. Massage therapy has proven effective for depression, and neurotransmitters that modulate pain are stimulated by touch.

It’s like all the things we’re promised in bottles of dietary supplements and luxury serums is right there in one act which can be costless and readily available.

But even for all the benefits show in research, it’s not so simple as to say that hugs are good or hugging is healthy. If it were, we’d all have hug robots that we’d hug all the time. Some of us would get addicted. Some would die of dehydration in the arms of the machine. Even people who have no memory of being touched can be affected by it. A hand on the shoulder, one study found, made subject more likely to agree to a request. Though the firing of synapses in the skin that fly up to the brain is an automated process, it’s modulated by other inputs. The exact same touch would likely be received differently from a person who is smiling versus a person who is laughing maniacally.

The simplistic message that personal boundaries are being redrawn is a missed opportunity to think about how touch is supposed to work. This doesn’t need to draw on some idea of political correctness; it’s right there in the studies. None of the touch studies involved unwanted, unexpected, or unpredictable touch. For example, Field did a study  to see if the effects of massage therapy were different in people who had and had not experienced past sexual abuse, and there was no apparent difference—both groups saw similar benefits. But this should not be expected to apply to the way both groups would react if a man on the subway initiated a shoulder massage.

The unwanted hug is an act on a spectrum of submission that produces neurochemical responses similar to any other violation of autonomy, from having a credit card number stolen to feeling your car lose traction on a highway. A perceived absence of control becomes a spilling of neurotransmitters from the brain into the blood. If there’s a boundary being redrawn, it’s around people’s ability to continue to make others feel that. The benefits of a hug evaporate when a person perceives it as aggression. The trove of pro-touch research involves consenting volunteers and professional researchers in controlled scenarios where the interaction isn’t loaded with potential for escalation, or imbued with subtext or meaning based on prior interactions. In the real world, the exact same touch might cause blood pressure and heart rate to increase, and stress hormones to surge.

If it can be said that touch has medicinal properties, then, like any medicine, touch is not good for everyone in every situation. To play the metaphor out: appropriate dosages vary, and any particular responses are dependent on what’s already going on with that person. This is why many doctors start medications at low doses and monitor responses closely. If it’s well received, the doctor can titrate dosing up and, over time, be less vigilant about monitoring for adverse reactions.

The analogy of course isn’t perfect, but experts in platonic touch advise the same: Start with small gestures. Some people may recoil at a touch on the shoulder; others will reach back and touch yours. It is not some mysterious code that should scare people into simply never trying to touch anyone—but it is a code predicated entirely on power dynamics. Just because a person is not actively pushing someone else away does not mean that touch is well received. Active reciprocity may be the surest sign, though even that is imperfect.

If the current lexicon of physical touch feels too loaded with meaning, there is also room for innovation. Americans largely practice one of two types of hug: the full-body press that’s generally reserved for close relationships, or the “A frame” type bending at the back, partially twisting, and barely even touching. There are many ways to deviate from the hug canon in less awkward and potentially even fun ways, Field notes, citing a book of hugs numbering over 300 in type—written by someone named “Dr. Hug,” whose credentials I can’t verify. “We’re getting a lot of calls about cuddling groups,” Field says with some degree of marvel, “which I think is related to a decline in touch not just among strangers, but even among intimate couples.”

In his statement last week, Biden went on to say that he is always seeking out “human connection” because “life is about connecting to people.” This is difficult to disagree with, but it carries the implicit qualifier that life is about connecting with people in meaningful, mutually beneficial ways. People always have and always will find meaning in life via positive connection, and there is all the more reason to consider the role of physical touch in that.

Field is already hearing from men who have told her that after “this Biden episode” they believe they need to wait for women to initiate physical contact, if there is to be any. “I do think men need to be more careful. Which can be unfortunate for genuinely affectionate people,” Field says. “And if women want to be touched, then it may be that they’re going to have to initiate.”

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/04/on-touch/586588/?utm_source=feed