I’m pretty much roped in at this point within their ecosystem, it all just talks together and works most of the time. Possibly I’ll regret it at some point in time when my secret history of browsing Margaret Thatcher furry porn is exposed to the world as punishment for criticizing the newest Apple Butt Plug attachment, but for now it just works better than the alternatives that I’ve seen.
Crypto-whatsit? Is that something from one of Bobby’s vid’ya games?
It’s a new form of money, Hank. VIRTUAL MONEY.
Well, excuse me, Dale, but here where I live, in the REAL WORLD, we already have a perfectly fine money. It’s called AMERICAN DOLLARS and it works just fine, I tell ya h’wat.
You say that now, Hank, but wait until the cyber-swarm-uprising of 2034 comes and replaces your precious “real world” with a virtualsphere so indiscernible from what you think you know as real! Wake up and see what’s coming on the horizon!
I don’t know about you, but when I hear “oligarchs”, I always get a nebulous image of faceless, rich and powerful crowd who are into sex cults like Eyes Wide Shut. I kid about the last bit but I am serious about the other descriptors
I think the reason we don’t immediately think of oligarch when we see Zuckerberg, Gates or Musk is because we see them on individual basis. Whereas “oligarch” usually refers to a faceless collective of politically influential, rich folks.
I think of two things. The goofy ass oligarch commercial from a few years ago and Jeremy Irons when he is monologuing about how the %1 always hides. And it’s true. The ones that really pull the strings are behind the curtain.
It’s more than that, it’s that we have a very sophisticated media machine that manufactures consent for these ghouls every single day, and it never takes a break.
You think of them as just a bunch of guys, just silly beans who happened to get rich because they and their friends own the media corporations that build the narrative that we believe. We’ve got these very respectable newsreaders who give them nothing but softballs, and frame every story as favourably as possible for them.
Also I lost count of how many times some piece that was critical of US oligarchs and corporations was deleted from the reddit front page. I’m fairly certain they were either taking money for this service or just looking after their friends. Maybe a PR manager working for whoever was being criticised contacted the reddit office and asked politely and that’s all it took.
Because none of those pictured here are oligarchs, just the only billionaires your average teenager knows.
If you made the meme with the Koch brother(s), Paul Novelly, Harlan Crow or Michael Bloomberg it would be much closer to the truth, but not something that would get upvotes because they aren’t constantly on TV (by design).
It sounds like we’re dealing with super similar things, except sometimes I can manage to eat some solid foods, and sometimes I can even keep it down! I survive on Ensure and electrolyte drinks like Gatorade/Liquid IV/Pedialyte, too. I’ve got a low weight but kinda bloated or distended (for lack of a better word - I’ve got intense brain fog, I’m sorry) gut area, too. I’ve got some theories* but I don’t have the money or resources or energy to try the chaos of doctors throwing things at me to see what sticks, or suggesting stupid shit I already tried a million times, or blaming it on me somehow, lol. So I’m just kind of dealing with it because of a mix of lack of money/resources and being burned out by the experiences of being ‘mysteriously’ chronically i’ll and trying to seek medical care. I hope and pray you figure it out soon and don’t get burned out!
*I’d like to suggest looking further into one of my theories/something someone else mentioned in that thread, because I’ve found that the way it affects a lot of people isn’t super well reflected by the stuff you usually find when reading about it, but I don’t want to disrespect your wishes! If you’re interested, let me know, and if not, I’d totally understand. I know how people can get with their unsolicited advice and how annoying and exhausting it can be, even if they’re just trying to help lol.
I wish you all the best and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I hope the Mayo Clinic can help figure something out. I totally suck at replying and stuff because of my health issues, but you’re welcome to message me (or I can give you my email or number to text or discord or something, if you’d like) whenever you want to vent or anything to someone who has some understanding and overlapping experiences. Also I hope this all makes sense and isn’t too much of a mess to read - burn out and brain fog and stuff makes it tough to gather and convey my thoughts. But I wanted to at least try to say something because our experiences our so damn similar!! I really feel for you.
What’s your favorite flavor of ensure? I usually go for the Milk Chocolate (of the Plus variety since it has more calories and protein and all that.) Also I don’t know if you can stomach Pedialyte, but there’s a variety that has prevital prebiotics (or something like that - brain fog again, I apologize) and I don’t know if they make any difference, but I figure it’s probably good for my stomach issues. I dunno, just throwing that out there.
I wish you all the best and I’m sorry this comment is such a mess!! Please don’t feel any obligation to reply 💕
Thanks so much, I’m sorry you’re dealing with something similar. The only Ensure I drink is vanilla because you only have two options when you buy in bulk at Sam’s club is vanilla and chocolate and I don’t consume chocolate. There’s a John Oliver episode about the reason why on YouTube you can watch if you also never want to have chocolate again. I’ve told my chocolate-loving wife that she probably should remain ignorant of why herself. (It’s nothing that would make the chocolate itself physically disgusting, it’s an ethical issue.)
I’d like to suggest looking further into one of my theories/something someone else mentioned in that thread, because I’ve found that the way it affects a lot of people isn’t super well reflected by the stuff you usually find when reading about it, but I don’t want to disrespect your wishes! If you’re interested, let me know
I would like to know. I’ve experienced a similar thing.
I forgot to mention in my other mess of a comment, but just in case you don’t know: a lot of times you can get Ensure prescribed and covered by insurance. IIRC there’s Gatorade-like electrolyte drink options you may be able to get covered, too. It might help free up some money for other things
As someone with chronic idiopathic hyperemesis, this is a mood.
I vomit too often and for too long to find anything zen about it. I spend the entire time heaving anxiously worrying over the state of my tooth enamel and trying to remember if I ate beets or chocolate last night to explain that colour or if I need to call an ambulance.
I vomit while using my phone. I’ll play a podcast, video, music, etc
If I’m going to be heaving for 20 minutes 2-4 times a day every day for a few months, I’m not doing it in silence with my own thoughts.
I’ve been dealing with this on and off for about 7 years now, twice a year I’ll just have a 1-2 months straight where I can’t keep anything down, not even water unless I’m vigilant about stretching out my water intake over a whole day one tiny sip at a time. Then just as suddenly as it starts, one day I’ll wake up and I just magically won’t feel nauseous, and it’s like I was never even sick!
Because it goes away on its own I’ve never been able to get to the bottom of it. When it starts happening, I book in with a doctor, by the time I finally see the doctor, the “flare up” has passed and any tests the doctor runs when I’m not sick are always normal. So doctors will just blame my migraine disorder for it, and move on. I recently learned about Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome so that’s something I’m going to be talking to my doctor about when I see him next.
That really sucks and I’m sorry to hear it. If you can call it lucky, I never actually vomit in that nothing ever comes out. It’s always been dry heaving. I couldn’t even imagine how hard it must be to not even be able to easily drink water. I really hope you find a solution soon and I highly recommend sending all of your medical records to the Mayo Clinic like I did (you can start by filling out a form on their website) if you think your insurance will cover it. The worst they can do is turn you down.
I find your situation just as sucky, sometimes I find dry heaving is worth because there is no end, at least if I’m bringing something up there is an end in sight.
Unfortunately and fortunately I’m not American, we don’t really have anything like the Mayo clinic, but at least my doctors and specialist appointments have all been less than $500 out of pocket every time.
Then just as suddenly as it starts, one day I’ll wake up and I just won’t feel nauseous, and it’s like I was never even sick!
Because it goes away on its own I’ve never been able to get to the bottom of it. When it starts happening, I book in with a doctor, by the time I finally see the doctor, the “flare up” has passed and any tests the doctor runs when I’m not sick are always normal.
Yeah, this part hits with me. Every single time I go to the doctor, the symptoms disappear, and I question whether I really need a doctor. Then they reappear again :-/
It’s like the sickness is avoiding being detected or sth… Like honestly, it stops the exact day of the appointment. And it’s worst on friday evening and saturday, where there’s definitely no impulse doctor visit. I’m being played.
Phones have definitely not gotten rid of mind shattering, other-worldly dumps that take all your concentration and make you take your shirt off after eating a big, greasy and/or spicy meal.
Can confirm. I’ve been stopped up the last couple days and gave birth to a football this morning. No time for phones, just visceral panic and pleading to the almighty
I don’t enjoy it, but unfortunately I’m on a medication that makes it necessary sometimes, and I do the olive oil trick too. Sometimes you just have to get it out from below.
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