#linda x susan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

meruz · 6 months

Text

Lightbox Expo 2023 is over!! Thank you to everyone who stopped by the table. I can't believe I sold out of both my sketchbooks AND my digimon fanbook... (multiple prints too?!)! I'm incredibly grateful... I will have a 2nd print run of both sketchbooks and online orders for the digimon book up in the next couple weeks so please keep an eye out for that!

More gushing abt the weekend under the cut

I sell at an average of idk... 3-4 events a year? So I would consider myself a frequent congoer though not necessarily full time lol. I'm a little jaded like it's not that I don't enjoy going to cons but theres definitely a bunch that feel like just-another-con-weekend to me lol, sometimes it's more work than play I guess. But this con felt really different! For the first time in a while I left a convention feeling really thrilled and giddy that I had been there. The kind of feeling I used to get when I would table at anime cons in highschool! And I think a lot of that is the people I met and talked to and the overall vibes at the event. Oh also I literally just had surgery and going to this con is like the only thing ive done this week besides lay in bed and play Story of Seasons on the nintendo switch and I thought I would be in pain and miserable but actually I HAD SO MUCH FUN...!!!! even when i skipped after-hours socializing every night to go home early and sleep 12 hours lol. SO ANYWAYS. YEAH. IT'S CORNY. BUT I wanna say thank you again to everyone who stopped by the table. Especially all the coworkers and long time mutuals who I met in person for the first time this weekend!! And the long time followers who told me they have been following me since homestuck or naruto or whenever. And college classmates who I haven't seen since graduation, crazy talented underclassmen who I'd never met but stopped by to say hi... So many people who absolutely made my day. SPECIAL thank you to my table partner Emi who is the best and such a good sport and accommodating to the point that I feel ridiculous when she thanks me for anything. And um also thank you to the artists who were cool and nice when I went up to their tables and blurted out 24917596 compliments in rapid succession. or only got one really awkward compliment out to LMAO... I felt so inspired and awe struck by everyone's work! God it was just so cool to be there. I LOVE ART....

Ok yeah thats it. its been a while since ive written a post-con blog post so earnestly lol.. here's my obscene haul photo I was buying stuff at this con like I was dying and couldn't take it with me LMAO.

I'm not gonna go tag everyone because I don't think everyones on tumblr but if you dont mind doing a little google search legwork: big x-men prints from chase conley, prints from jacki li/bguavas, azusa tojo, xanthe bouma, nicodaboy, susan yung, hormstuck, nessa tweneboah, linda liu, ash tahilan, zines also from jason dwyer, ash tahilan, aprilyn cunanan, veggiecakeface, deb lee, dune5and, uhh yoichi nishikawa art book and parakid calendar, stickers again from ash, marie lum, hormstuck, chiou, and emi hartana/crowlets OKAY I THINK I COVERED EVERYTHING THANKS FOR READING

#lifeblogging

125 notes · View notes

dndadscharacterpolls · 8 months

Text

#dndads #dndaddies #dungeons and daddies #dndads best ship poll #best ship round 1

61 notes · View notes

magewolf-the-artist · 1 month

Text

Note: I’m not trying to say either ship is bad, I love both ships! I’m just wanting to see results

#the walten files #walten files #susan woodings #linda thompson #sophie walten #jenny letterson #twf susan #twf sophie #twf jenny

19 notes · View notes

cendrillonmedousa · 2 years

Text

Notable, Present-day, Radical Feminists

As a second wave feminism, we assume that radical feminists are hard, if not impossible, to find in today's world. Here is a list of notable women you can still interact with today.

Chude Pam Allen, co-founder of New York Radical Women

Ti-Grace Atkinson, author of Amazon Odyssey

Kathleen Barry, co-founder of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women

Linda Bellos, first Black lesbian member of Spare Rib feminist collective

Julie Bindel, co-founder of Justice for Women

Jenny Brown, author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women's Work

Professor Judith C. Brown, pioneer in the study of lesbian history

Susan Brownmiller, author of Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape

Professor Phyllis Chesler, co-founder of Association for Women in Psychology

D.A. Clarke, known for her development of feminist theory

Nikki Craft, creator of the Andrea Dworkin Online Library, Hustling the Left website, and No Status Quo website

Christine Delphy, co-founder of the French Women's Liberation Movement

Professor Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality

Melissa Farley, founder and director of Prostitution Research and Education

Marilyn Fyre, author of The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory

Carol Hanisch, best known for "the personal is political"

Merle Hoffman, co-founder of the National Abortion Federation

Professor Shelia Jeffreys, author of The Spinster and Her Enemies

Lierre Keith, founder of Women's Liberation Front

Anne Koedt, author of The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm

Marjorie Kramer, editor of Woman and Art Quarterly

Professor Holly Lawford-Smith, author of Gender-Critical Feminism

Dr. Catharine Alice MacKinnon, author of Sexual Harassment of Working Women: A Case for Sex Discrimination

Robin Morgan, creator of Sisterhood Is anthologies

Dr. Janice G. Raymond, author of The Transsexual Empire

Kathie Sarachild, coiner of term "Sisterhood is Powerful"

Alix Kates Shulman, author of Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen

Gloria Steinman

Michele Faith Wallace, author of Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman

Dr. Marilyn Salzman Webb, co-founder of the first feminist consciousness-raising groups in Chicago and Washington D.C.

Harriet Wistrich, founding director of Centre for Women's Justice

Laura X, led the campaign behind making marital and date rape a crime in over twenty countries

#radical feminists #feminist history #herstory #radical feminists do interact #radical feminist theory #radical feminist safe #radical feminist community #radical feminism #radical feminists do touch #radblr #radical feminists please interact #radical feminists please touch #radical feminst #original

800 notes · View notes

lizbethborden · 4 months

Note

Hi again! Yeah, from your bookshelf! You seem well informed and I wanna know the type of stuff you read and might recommend. I don't even know what to tell you for my interests because I feel like I'm just begining. Sorry I'm young and dumb still haha.

#1 you're not dumb and #2 nothing to apologize for :)

Here's some books I've got on my shelves or that I've read:

Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists, Laura Bates

Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights, Katha Pollitt

Women, Race, & Class, Angela Davis

American Girls, Nancy Jo Sales

Lesbian Culture: An Anthology, eds. Julia Penelope and Susan J Wolf

Lesbian Studies, Margaret Cavendish

Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall

Against White Feminism, Rafia Zakaria

Sister and Brother: Lesbians and Gay Men Write About Their Lives Together, eds Joan Nestle and John Preston

Another Mother Tongue, Judy Grahn

Aimee & Jaguar, Erica Fischer

Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought, ed. Briona Simone Jones

Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell

The Mary Daly Reader, eds. Jennifer Rycenga and Linda Barufaldi

Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past, eds. Martin Duberman, Martha Vicinus, George Chauncey Jr.

Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society, Cordelia Fine

Speaking Freely: Unlearning the Lies of the Father's Tongue, Julia Penelope

The Resisting Reader, Judith Fetterley

The Double X Economy, Linda Scott

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, ed. Roxane Gay

Home Grown: How Domestic Violence Turns Men Into Terrorists, Joan Smith

Intercourse, Andrea Dworkin

The Trials of Nina McCall: Sex, Surveillance, and the Decades-Long Government Plan to Imprison "Promiscuous" Women, Scott Stern

The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory, Marilyn Frye

Only Words, Catharine A. Mackinnon

Everything Below the Waist: Why Health Care Needs a Feminist Revolution, Jennifer Block

Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts, Anne Llwellyn Barstow

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, Peggy Orenstein

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Caroline Criado-Perez

Lesbian Ethics: Toward New Values, Sarah Lucia Hoagland

We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement, Andi Zeisler

Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution, Adrienne Rich

On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose, Adrienne Rich

Feminism, Animals, and Science: The Naming of the Shrew, Lynda Birke

The Female Body in Western Culture: Contemporary Perspectives, ed. Susan Rubin Suleiman

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Gloria Anzaldua

Flesh Wounds: The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery, Virginia L Blum

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, Patricia Hill Collins

Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality, Gail Dines

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, Susan Faludi

From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World, Marilyn French

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, eds. Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua

Seeing Like a Feminist, Nivedita Menon

With Her Machete In Her Hand: Reading Chicana Lesbians, Catriona Reuda Esquibel

The Disappearing L: Erasure of Lesbian Spaces and Culture, Bonnie J. Morris

Foundlings: Lesbian and Gay Historical Emotion before Stonewall, Christopher Nealon

The Persistent Desire: A Butch/Femme Reader, ed. Joan Nestle

The Straight Mind and Other Essays, Monique Wittig

The Trouble Between us: An Uneasy History of White and Black Women in the Feminist Movement, Winifred Breines

Right-Wing Women, Andrea Dworkin

Woman Hating, Andrea Dworkin

Why I Am Not A Feminist, Jessica Crispin

Sapphistries: A Global History of Love Between Women, Leila J Rupp

I tried to avoid too many left turns into my specific interests although if you passionately want to know any of those, I can make you some more lists LOL

I would suggest picking a book that sounds interesting and using the footnotes and bibliography to find more to read. I've done that a lot :) a lot of my books have more sticky tabs or w/e in the bibliography than in the text so I don't lose stuff I'm interested in.

Hope this helps!

27 notes · View notes

apparitional-lesbian · 18 days

Text

you are like an angel: a fanmix for scott and rogue from x-men: evolution [listen: spotify]

(scogue is taking over my mind, so here's a fanmix... happy easter!)

tracklist below cut

"Blinded By The Light" - Bruce Springsteen

"She's So Tough" - Walter Egan

"Angel" - Monica

"Cynical Girl" - Marshall Crenshaw

"Turn Me Around" - Chi Coltrane

"Fear of Flying" - Charlie Dore

"To Know Him Is To Love Him" - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, & Emmylou Harris

"Bitter With The Sweet" - Carole King

"Someday, Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw

"You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" by Bruce Springsteen

"Anna Marie" - Susan Jacks

"The Moth" by Aimee Mann

"Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen

"All Of Us" - Big Country

"I Keep It To Myself" - Monica

"Hurt So Bad" - Linda Ronstadt

"Don't Touch Me" - Jeannie Seely

"If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" - Olivia Newton-John

"So Tough" - Karen Lawrence & The Pinz

"Mary Anne" - Marshall Crenshaw

"Sweet South Breeze" - Walter Egan

"Lay All Your Love On Me" - ABBA

#scogue #cyclops x rogue #rogue x cyclops #scott summers #cyclops #rogue #anna marie darkholme #x men evolution #not me making a fanmix and posting it on tumblr likes it's 2012 #maybe i'll add a youtube link in a bit

9 notes · View notes

inuhalfdemon · 2 months

Text

Dirty Dealings (3/21)

Summary: A crossover fan fiction of Hazbin Hotel (Alastor) x "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab

Word Count: 1,962

Chapter 3: The Gossip

Years passed and Addie LaRue continued to navigate her new-found life and its many challenges. Every year - to the day – on each and every June 25th, Alastor would visit her; wishing her yet another happy anniversary. He would offer her to close their deal; to give her rest from her miserable loneliness and collect her soul for his own. When she refused, he departed but not before offering her a gift; sometimes it was as simple as a new book to read or as meaningful as a pair of new shoes or clothes to wear. Addie hadn’t decided if this was something she came to appreciate from him or despise. Regardless, she persevered, determined to find her way in a world that dismissed her completely.

______________________________________________________________

Despite having been busy with reaping souls on earth, Alastor still found time to enjoy a leisurely moment in Hell every now and then. He had grown rather fond of lunching or having tea with Rosie in Cannibal Town. He made it a point to stop in and share in a bit of gossip amongst her and some of the ladies there whenever he could.

It was a typical, hot and humid day there within the Pride Ring; no promise of acid rain or anything of the like. Alastor sipped happily at a cup of tea whilst Rosie and two of her cannibal-lady friends discussed the goings-on of the current reaping.

“…it’s put on by all of the Seven Deadly Sins, you know.” Rosie was explaining to the two women. “Every 10 years, eligible demons, sinners and Overlords are drawn and allowed to go to earth and reap as many souls as they can claim until the start of the next reaping. Of course, time works differently on earth. 10 years here, means 100 years there. Plenty of time to settle and collect from deals made.” Rosie paused to reach for one of the pinky fingers that was piled neatly on a small tray at the table they were all sitting. “Alastor here, is one of the Overlord demons participating in the current reaping!” She exclaimed excitedly. “And I’d say he’s already making a splash of things, what with having already passed the required quota by a landslide. He’s at the top of the collectors list, in fact!” She beamed back at him.

“Rosie,” Alastor smiled back at her, setting his tea cup down. “You flatter me. Why, from what I hear, I could learn a thing or two from you in the collecting of souls.”

Rosie blushed. “Yes, well….it’s been ages since I’ve participated. I’m much too busy keeping up with the souls I already have in contract.”

“WHERE’S ROSIE!?” A loud, grating voice cawed from nearby.

Alastor and the ladies all looked to see an ancient, cannibalistic woman shuffling right for them.

“Oh, dear…” Rosie sighed quietly before standing to meet the woman.

“Susan, dear. It’s good to see you.” Rosie greeted her warmly. “I hope you are having a lovely afternoon. Would you like to join us?”

“A lovely afternoon, my foot.” Susan said sharply. “Do you know that slut Linda went and got herself eviscerated by the hell hound that guards the butcher shop on 17th? What a dumb cunt.”

Alastor and the two ladies still seated at the table starred at the elderly woman, not saying anything.

Rosie touched Susan’s shoulder. “Now, Susan. I’m sure Linda did nothing to warrant the attack. Hell hounds are unpredictable at the best of times and that particular one is…well…I don’t think that necessarily makes Linda a…um…slut?”

“No.” Susan took a deep drag from the cigarette she was holding. “She was definitely a skank.” She finished, puffing out a large cloud of smoke.

Rosie blinked at her, unsure of what to say next when she remembered her friends.

“Susan, I would very much like to introduce you to a good friend of mine!” She changed the subject and brought the old lady toward the table with her.

Alastor quickly got up from his chair to greet the woman with his best smile. Any friend of Rosie’s deserved his utmost manners.

“Susan, you know all about the radio demon…” Rosie started.

“Ugh!” Susan groaned disgustedly. “Don’t get me started with that load of hog-wash….what a sorry excuse for a radio station, am I right? Maybe if it were just the screams but then we’ve got to listen to a wannabe Overlord and his fake, noisy, crackling static-filled voice. And, how unoriginal!? Is that mediocre broadcast actually supposed to be scary!? I tell you, Rosie, Hell was better in the old days. I’d eat my own ears off if it meant not having to listen to that racket ever again.”

Everyone was deadly quiet.

Um…”Rosie began, rather awkwardly. “This is him, Susan.” She gestured weakly to Alastor.

“Alastor…meet Susan.” Rosie finished.

His smile stayed in place, but his body was straight as a rod as he assessed the infuriating old broad before him.

“….charmed.” His normally filtered voice had dropped it’s static; whether or not that was something intentional on his part, Rosie couldn’t guess.”

There was an awkward pause, in where nobody moved for several seconds.

Then, Susan took another long drag from her cigarette, slowly blowing the smoke out to the side of her mouth.

“Your broadcast sucks.” She told him sharply.

“OK!” Rosie said, quickly leading Susan away from the table. “Trudy? Jane? Would you both be dears and treat Susan to a lively round of Pinochle!? I’m sure you both could give her a real run for her money! What do you say!?”

The two ladies slid from their seats, and circumventing Alastor safely while remaining close enough not to appear rude, they took Susan with them as they departed.

Rosie sighed heavily as the women gathered up Susan and hurriedly left with her.

“I apologize,” Rosie started to say to Alastor. “Susan, can be-“

“BRING CECIL PALMER BACK!!!” Susan’s voice could be heard yelling away from them.

Rosie stood with Alastor, not saying anything anymore. He was perfectly, frighteningly still, a smile still plastered across his face.

One of his ears twitched slightly, then he asked her, “Is that one contracted?”

“I’m afraid so.” She told him.

“Well, that’s…disappointing.” He commented cooly, going back to take his seat.

Rosie breathed a small sigh of relief, before returning to her chair as well.

Alastor straightened the lapel of his suit jacket pointedly. “You know…it’s not like I can’t take criticism. I have bettered the quality of the screams I play a fair bit from my original broadcast, and the voice…is it still too static-y?”

“Oh, Alastor!” Rosie chided. “Don’t give it a thought. Susan’s a nightmare to everyone, even in Hell. Now, enough of that. I want to know more about your earthly exploits! Come on now, you must have some interesting prospects!”

“Rosie, you know I respect the privacy of my clients.” Alastor teased her.

“Oh, but I am terribly curious…”

“Well,” He sipped his tea. “I did manage to track down a handful of serial killers; you do know how I am partial to their ilk. I find their line of work quite rewarding…when done tastefully, of course.”

“Oh, how exciting.” Rosie giggled. “Anyone that may be of interest to me?”

Alastor sighed. “I’m afraid not. Cannibals are a lot less common these days, it would seem.” Flashing his ever-present smile at her, he added, “No reason I can’t do a little digging though, see if I can turn up any leads. Just for you, my dear.”

“Oh, you are too kind.” Rosie beamed.

“Oh, yes!” Alastor straightened, excitedly. “I almost forgot!”

With a sweep, he stood up from his seat and produced his microphone staff. Spinning it about with ease, he created a small portal. Reaching into it, he pulled out a clump of something. He stopped the cane and the portal disappeared. The something he had collected started to move and one, large bright eye opened up surrounded by a row of razor-sharp teeth.

“This little amusing treat is, Niffty!” He proudly exclaimed, sitting back down. “I collected her on my last outing!”

“Hi! Hi! Hey! Hello!” Niffty sputtered, jumping onto little legs to dart around the legs of the table and chairs.

“Why, hello, dear.” Rosie welcomed. “My, you are a quick thing.” She commented, watching as Niffty darted to and fro all about the town square.

“Is her name really ‘Niffty’?” Rosie asked, her large black eyes trying to keep up with the little creature’s movements.

“I have no idea.” Alastor admitted. “I call her ‘Niffty’ because I think she’s quite nifty!” He laughed.

“Alastor!” Rosie chastised him. “She’s not a pet!”

Rosie watched as Niffty picked at a line of ants going across the walk near the table. A raven flew down and hopped close, interested in what she was doing. Niffty arched her back and hissed at the raven like a cat, sending it quickly flying away.

“At least…I don’t think she is…”

Alastor chuckled. Clearly enjoying his new addition.

He and Rosie sipped at their tea some more, enjoying the afternoon quietly together. Not much longer, and he would be on his way. He played his fingers along the tables edge before saying, “There is one prospect I have that is rather interesting…”

“I knew it!” Rosie cried. “I knew you were holding out on me! What is it!? Something…political. Oh, I do love a good scandal!”

“Really, Rosie?” Alastor, smiling but still showing his disappointment. “Politics?”

“Hey, it’s a guilty pleasure…” She shrugged.

“No, nothing like that.” He told her. “But, I…” He swept a hand dramatically to rest on his chest.

“Got my very first ‘crossroads demon’ moment.” He chuckled wickedly.

“Uh…what?” Rosie asked, confused.

“A mundane human soul came to me to strike a deal. A young woman, in fact. Her aching heart yearned for freedom from the entrapment of the threat of impending death. She wanted more time to see and experience the world to its fullest, to have limitless possibility and cast aside her mortal coils.” He drawled, snickering. “Oh, I gave it to her too. With a cleverly placed clause of my own, of course.”

Rosie starred at him, unsmiling. He was still chuckling to himself over his own antics, he didn’t notice.

“You’re joking, right?” She asked him, serious.

His chuckling subsided, noticing her stark lack of humor.

“Tell me, you’re joking, Alastor.” Rosie said. “You did not make a deal with a human soul that involved the lengthening of their lifespan.”

Alastor straightened, defensive now.

“What’s the big deal?” He asked. “She’s…human. She’ll grow tired of it soon enough; if she doesn’t go mad and-“ He pointed a finger, stopping Rosie from interrupting. “I added quite a nasty catch to the deal that makes it so she can never be remembered. By anyone. She’s left to wander the rest of her days utterly and completely alone. She’ll fold.” He smirked.

“I don’t know…” Rosie began, “That might work…”

He was becoming agitated.

“I’m not trying to…undermine you.” Rosie carefully explained. “It’s just…for a human to live a life beyond what is allotted, that takes power to do, Alastor. Power that will be directly coming from you. And, a pure soul…that’s something very different from making deals with sinners or demons.”

He was smiling, but he wasn’t happy.

“Look,” Rosie said, backing off. “I’m sure you’ve got it all under control. You are a powerful Overlord, you’ve got plenty of power to work with that’s for sure. And, I’ll admit…it is a very tempting prospect, it could turn into being a very profitable investment to you.”

He started to relax, his smile coming back as more genuine now.

“Oh.” He said. “I think this deal will be very rewarding.”

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 4

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel fandom #fanfiction #alastor #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel fanfiction #hazbin hotel rosie #hazbin hotel niffty #the invisible life of addie larue #addie larue #my fanfic #dirty dealings #dirty dealings fanfiction

9 notes · View notes

peachfruitcake · 5 months

Text

Doodles from September - October

295 notes · View notes

lemontartmart · 27 days

Text

They are so coworkers ever 💖

#susan woodings #charles brook #linda thompson #slight linda x susan #twf #the walten files #my art #sketch #rip to everyone who followed me for my angsty sha art. there will be more eventually. for now. Susan.

88 notes · View notes

sapphyreopal5 · 5 months

Text

"Guy Talk 'Who you gonna call?'" section from Supernatural Magazine Issue 13 (Dec 2009/Jan 2010)- page 64

"Ghoul getting grouchy? Wendigo worrying you? Siren singing you a song? Whatever your unexplained phenomena, the Winchester brothers are on hand to help…"[x]

"Dear Sam and Dean,

Although my house is well heated and insulated, there's one place in the living room that is always cold, no matter how high I turn up the heat. If you stand in that one spot, you always feel a cold chill running down your spine like something walking over your grave. Reading up, I've seen that cold spots can be a sign of hauntings. Do I need to worry?" - Linda Beaman, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dean says: "You live in Minnesota? I’m surprised your whole house isn't like an icebox - It has to be one of the coldest states we've ever visited!"

Sam says: "In our experience, temperatures can drop in the presence of a spirit. If a particular part of your house is constantly cold with no variation, however, then I don't think that’s the problem in your case, especially as you don't report any other effects. The real reason is more likely to be something as simple as a draft, or bad positioning of heating ducts."

Dean says: "Even if there is a spirit there, if it hasn't done anything else to you, it doesn't mean any harm. We know vengeful spirits, and it doesn't sound loo vengeful. Just hanging around causing a cold spot. Seems more like it's a friendly ghost, like Casper".

Sapphyreopal5 says:

"Dear Sam and Dean,

As I write this, there's a Friday the 13th coming up. and it always scares me. If I can I avoid doing stuff like driving or flying as much as I can on those days because of their reputation. Sometimes I even call In sick or book a day off work just so I can stay home. Am I right to be scared of those days?" Susan Kennedy, Gary, Indiana

Sam says: "The fear of Friday the 13th is known as Paraskavedekatriaphobia, and you're not alone in it Susan. It's estimated up to 21 million people in the US alone share your fear to an extent. Theories about the unluckiness of the day comes from a combination of the number 13 being seen as an unlucky number and Friday being an unlucky day. It's seen as unlucky, for instance, to have 13 people seated at a table, like at The Last Supper- the betrayer Judas is generally seen as the unlucky 13th guest. Friday has often been seen as an unlucky day to start projects in many professions, and according to scripture was the day which Jesus was crucified, which accounts for some of its bad reputation."

Dean says: "There's no conclusive evidence that more accidents happen on Friday the 13th than any other day, so you probably don’t need to worry. In fact, since they say more accidents happen in the time, maybe calling in sick is a bad idea! All Friday the 13th really signifies is a movie about a psycho In a hockey mask."

Sam says: "Didn’t they remake that recently? I keep meaning to go see it…"

Sapphreopal5 says: "Talk about a bit of a nerdy way to say come see my movie Jared and you starting Jared off on that suggestion, Jensen 😂 also a fun fact, in numerology when it comes to breaking down numbers into single digits, 13 is 1 + 3 = 4. In a lot of East Asian countries, it turns out the number 4 is seen as an unlucky number and therefore is avoided in a lot of East Asian countries (ex. China, Japan, Vietnam, North and South Korea), known as tetraphobia. In Cantonese, it is pronounced very similarly to 'death'. In Korea and Japan the symbol for 4 is about identical to the symbol for death. It's why there will either be no 4th floor in buildings or it'll be renamed to 3A or F or something else. Funny enough, the number 13 is seen to be a lucky number in Italy and in China. OH, and in the Tarot the 13th card in the Major Arcana is Death, with the key words for it including endings, change (and resistance to), transformation, letting go, transition, and even inner purging.

Maybe subconsciously people fear both the numbers 4 and 13 because they fear death is the end and not a beginning and also many tend to fear change as it often means the death of something (beliefs, relationships, lifestyle, etc.). Perspective is everything... Also it's quite the irony this question about Friday the 13th is being brought up in issue numbered 13 of this magazine..."

"Dear Sam and Dean,

Is there such a thing as the Witching Hour? My mom always told me It was the time of night when witches and demons and ghosts ate at their most active and powerful. Ever since I was a kid I've always been scared of getting up in the night, even to go to the bathroom. Am I Just being stupid believing in it?"- Lee Dickinson, Norwich, England

Sam says: "That’s a pretty common belief, that there's a point in the night where ghosts and other supernatural beings are more powerful, and black magic at Its most effective. The thing is though, there's not much agreement about when that time is - some say it's midnight while others say it covers the period between midnight and 3AM. That’s a pretty long hour! It’s likely this belief just springs from the fact that what with the darkness, unexplained noises like your house shifting, and the quiet just makes it seem like there are supernatural forces at work. Some things are just scarier at night is all."

Dean says: "Tell me about it - I've seen what your hair looks like when you've slept on it! Truth is, in our experience, spirits, demons, and other monsters can be active at any time of the day. Most of the ones we go up against sure don't seem to need any sleep. I don't know if that makes you feel safer or not. Still, al least you won’t have to hold it in all night anymore!"

Sapphyreopal5: "Then how come so many episodes of Supernatural take place at night, huh?! But in all seriousness, when I've spoken with my guides about dream walking and such, there's many reasons why they call sleeping time/night time '"'Illusion time'..."

#jared padalecki #jensen ackles #Sam winchester #dean winchester #supernatural #spn family #magazine interview 2009 #j2 interview #supernatural magazine issue 13 #sapphyreopal5 #Who you gonna call

12 notes · View notes

mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years

Text

The eye-glazing scam of Medicare drug plans

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article erroneously claimed Simon Lovell had passed away; I misremembered my contribution to a 2015 medical fundraiser for Mr Lovell as a contribution to a funeral expenses fundraiser. My sincere apologies to Mr Lovell (and I’m delighted to learn I was wrong!).

Indie bookstores can change your life. In 2007, I wandered into NYC’s St Marks’ Bookstore (RIP) and picked up a book from the recommended table: “How to Cheat at Everything,” by Simon Lovell, and I learned how to spot a scam. It’s a skill I use every day, especially when analyzing how corporate America works the US government:

https://memex.craphound.com/2007/02/02/how-to-cheat-at-everything/

I grew up in countries — Canada, the UK — with universal health care and now I live in the US. The NHS and OHIP aren’t perfect, but neither set off my scam-meter the way that the American system does. The whole thing is a scam, top to bottom.

Here’s a key lesson from Lovell’s book: “complexity in a proposition bet is only there to make it harder for you to figure out the odds.” In other words, if a grifter at a bar tells you that they’ll pay you 3:1 if you can do X, and 5:1 if you can do Y, and 9:1 if you can do X and Y, all of those different payouts are solely there to confuse you.

If you want to see this in action, just visit any casino and ask a croupier to explain the craps payout lines to you, and try to do the odds in your head while you get that explanation. What’s the least-worst bet on the craps table? (There are no good bets on a craps table). Without a spreadsheet and several hours of analysis, you probably can’t know.

The flamboyant, mind-clouding complexity in US health care starts with health insurance. Insurance, after all, is just a proposition bet: “If you contract this illness, we pay this much; if you need this drug, we pay this much. Pay an extra $20/month, and we’ll reduce your co-pay by this much, but only once you’ve covered your deductible. Pay $3/month more and your deductible goes down by this much. Oh, and here’s your HSA, which will accrue tax-free savings you can use for some of this. What’s a before-tax dollar worth? Sorry, that’s another spreadsheet.”

You’d think that government health insurance — Medicare and Medicaid — would be immune to this kind of gamesmanship, but you’d be wrong. When you become Medicare-eligible, you still need to buy a drug plan. Those drug plans are provided via private-sector companies like Humana. They are a scam.

Twice a year, Medicare has an “open enrollment” period, just like other US insurers. During open enrollment, you are encouraged to use the Medicare Plan Finder to sort through all the different plans. You feed in your prescriptions, it pops out a recommendation. You can even talk it over with a trusted broker before you pick. It feels like a straightforward transaction, but it’s still a scam.

Here’s how the scam works. Remember that you can only change plans twice a year. Given that, you’ve likely assumed that once you choose a plan, its rates remain constant for that duration: if you agree to pay $X for your prescriptions from January to June, then the pharma plan operator is agreeing only to charge you $X over that period, right?

Wrong. As Susan Jaffe writes for Kaiser Health News, even though you guarantee that you will use your pharma plan provider for the next six months, your pharma plan provider makes no guarantees to you about how much that will cost you.

https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-drug-plan-prices-open-enrollment-rise/

Jaffe opens with the story of retired construction accountant Linda Griffith, who signed up for a Humana plan last December that promised her a $70.09 co-pay for her monthly prescription, but when the plan kicked in a month later, Humana cranked the price up to $275.90.

This isn’t an anomaly. As an AARP study found, the pharma plan providers routinely lower their payouts to something close to list-price just before open enrollment, so that the plan-shopping tools show that they’re a good deal, then, as soon as the open enrollment closes and patients are locked in, they crank the prices up.

https://blog.aarp.org/thinking-policy/prices-for-most-top-medicare-part-d-drugs-have-already-increased-in-2022

These companies will tell you that they’re bargaining hard with the pharma companies to get prices down, and they are, but only so that they can shift a larger proportion of the scam’s winnings from pharma, to pharma benefit managers, to insurers. You don’t share in the bounty. You are the bounty.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/11/number-eight/#erisa

For decades, Democrats have been campaigning to repeal the law that prohibits Medicare from directly negotiating with pharma companies, but they’ve failed — thanks to Republicans, and thanks to sellouts in the Democratic caucus, like Cory Booker, who says he’s not going to let his pharma industry donors dictate his votes anymore:

https://www.statnews.com/2019/02/12/cory-booker-presidential-run-pharmaceutical-industry-ties/

Meanwhile, the scammers continue to add complexity to the proposition bet and use the obscuring effect of all those bizarre odds to cloud our ability to calculate the odds. Some drug plans have six tiers of benefits, each with their own co-pay (a flat fee per prescription) and/or co-insurance (a percentage of the drug price). Sometimes it’s cheaper not to use your insurance to buy drugs at all, because the cash price is lower than the co-pay.

There is no amount of plan-tinkering that can substitute for allowing Medicare to directly negotiate with pharma companies and set a price, the way all the other national health-care plans do. There’s a reason Americans pay 200–400% more for their prescriptions than Canadians.

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-282

An insurance plan that you can’t change, but the insurer can? That is a scam that’s visible from orbit. Any insurer that does this is permanently disqualified from being trusted with anyone’s health. It doesn’t matter how many tiers are offered, or how many rebates, or what the co-pay is. It doesn’t matter how many price-comparison tools there are. If the insurer can change the payout at will and you can’t change insurers when they do, all of that stuff is just window-dressing, lines on the craps table, there to distract you while you’re ripped off.

Image: Chris Martin (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjmartin/11331819423

CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Christine Dela Cerna (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Various_pills.JPG

CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

[Image ID: A craps table surrounded by excited gamblers; amid the casino chips are various pharma tablets, some spilling out of a pill bottle.]

#pluralistic

132 notes · View notes