savvywolf

Hey all, I'm British so I don't really know the ins and outs of the US healthcare system. Apologies for asking what is probably a rather simple question.

So like most of you, I see many posts and gofundmes about people having astronomically high medical bills. Most recently, someone having a $27k bill even after his death.

However, I have an American friend who is quick to point out that apparently nobody actually pays those bills. They're just some elaborate dance between insurance companies and hospitals. If you don't have insurance, the cost is lower or removed entirely. Supposedly.

So I'm just asking... How accurate is that? Consider someone without insurance, a minor physical ailment, a neurodivergent mind and no interest in fighting off harassing people for the rest of their life.

How much would such a person expect to pay, out of their own pocket, for things like check ups, x rays, meds, counselling and so on?

I recently played through a demo for a game called Pinball Spire on steam, and it put me in the mood for playing pinball games. Unfortunately, and I don't know if this is just due to me having bad google-foo, there don't seem to be that many on Steam that catch my interest.

So figured I may as well make a thread asking about what the "state of the art" of pinball video games is. Some of the ones I've played:

• Sonic Spinball: Very janky, but very unique and I don't think I've seen anyone try to do anything similar to it.
• Pokémon Pinball and Sonic Pinball Party: Fairly standard pinball games, tbh. They're both on handhelds so they can't do that much.
• Demon's Tilt and Xenotilt: Just really fun feeling arcade pinball games with a really fun tilt mechanic.

So yeah, know any good PC or console pinball games?

Oh, and can someone help me: I vaguely remember seeing a stream of a pinball game for the Mega Drive/SNES where the ball goes through multiple tables. Does anyone know what that game was called, if it even exists?

So https://meow.social/@TwilightSaint/112810490753805813 popped up in my feed and I had to find the full version. Sharing here because it's really nice.

Hydration is important.

So another thread ( https://lemmy.world/post/17746018 ) got me wondering... How many people would want to move to another country?

Just to provide a concrete scenario, let's assume that in your current country you (magically) have a decent-ish job. They open up offices in another country of your choosing, and you have the option of moving there and work for an equivalent living wage.

They're able to get visas set up (however improbable that may be) for you and any family, but you have to go through the process of finding housing, physically moving your belongings and anything else you need to set up.

What countries would you take the offer to move to, if any?

Not my photo or mastodon, but figured it would be worth sharing.

I love the cardboard visor.

So this is something I've been thinking about a bit recently, and I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts on the matter.

Lets suppose you meet someone, and chat socially with them. Maybe a work colleague, maybe a friend met through a friend. You aren't that close with them, but you get the vibe that they aren't a bigot or judgemental at the very least. If the conversation turned to furry stuff, would you tell them that you like furry art?

Do you keep a different set of non-furry socials for your irl friends and family? What about having a furry profile pic on your work slack? Or your Github? Do you try hard to make sure that nobody will be able to find your secret furry double life if they know you IRL?

I guess, in essence, I'm wondering if you draw a hard line between your "sfw furry life" and your "IRL life".

Stumbled upon this artist on bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/accelldraws.bsky.social ), and their art is adorable.

Not sure how well known they are, but look at how soft everything is!

Just a simple question to those of you suffering from depression, anxiety or are just going through a tough time. Now or sometime in the past.

Have you tried exercising, and did it help? What kind, and how did it make you feel?

Content Warning: This is a post detailing arguing with a friend about ND rights. It's probably going to cover topics of discrimination, eugenics, conversion therapy/ABA and other serious topics.

Hey. So I have this friend, let's call him Woof, who I'm close to. Like, close in an almost-dating-but-its-complicated way. I find it difficult to find new friends, so basically he was the only real person I could lean on and confide in as a friend.

Due to various things, I've kinda gotten emotionally invested in the whole neurodivergence movement thing recently. The idea that things like autism should be treated as diversity rather than disability.

Woof... Doesn't see the same way. He works as an ambulance driver and as such has seen a lot of people who have all sorts of difficulties... My understanding is that he thinks the whole ND movement thing is a bit naive and ignores some people who really need help and support.

It's something we've butted heads about before, but it's gotten really bad the past two weeks. I just... Think there's something we're miscommunicating and misunderstanding. What he's saying sounds logically sound, but feels uncomfortable to me...

I know I probably shouldn't rant about this stuff to the internet, but I could really use some comments by a neutral party. Especially since it feels like I'm strawmanning him super hard and projecting some of my own uncertainties onto him. Or maybe I'm avoiding uncomfortable truths? Or maybe I'm overlooking something and will make a fool of myself (which happens every time I talk about politics...). Again, just looking for extra views and thoughts.

The crux of his thoughts are that some people really suffer. There are autistic people that have severe problems, like intense hypersensitivity, weak cognitive ability, inability to communicate. Those kinds of things.

Outwardly at least, I personally don't have much issues. I have a job (for the time being - my quality of work has been slipping due to mental health), I can travel around unaided and I can communicate to people decently well. I have a lot of mental fuckery and problems, but that doesn't stop me getting the coveted title of "high functioning".

So I can't really say that I have experienced the hardships faced by everyone. There are a number of people that will never be able to adapt and fit into society. Or those that are constantly overwhelmed by the world and have severe trouble coping. They have my sympathies, but I'm not them.

Given that, am I forcing my views on people where I shouldn't? Am I assuming people are generally like me, and so I ignore the voices of those who have greater difficulties?

Are we all like that here? Most people here are adults who can articulate their thoughts and desires clearly enough and can function "okay" enough in society.

Can we truly advocate for people with more severe versions of the same symptoms? I think so; it's similar to how bi people can advocate for gay rights despite being able to have "normal" relationships. Woof doesn't think the same way for ND though. Different severities of conditions might require different allowances and support, which can get overlooked by people fighting just for themselves.

I was going to go into specific cases about specific events, but that's probably not going to be useful. We've argued about a lot of the main controversial autism things, so I'll try to give a summary.

My stance is usually on the "pro-ND" side. I think regardless of neurotype, everyone should get the support and not feel the need to change who they are. That even those with severe difficulties deserve to live their lives as best they can and be who they are.

Woof's stance seems to be usually on the "pro-change" side. That if there was a way to remove people's neurodivergence without causing harm, it should be offered to them. And that for those that are truly suffering, it should be the choice that is encouraged.

... I guess his stance also reacts with my anxiety beast in a bad way... I would consider myself as someone who has suffered my entire life. Would it be better if I were someone else? Would Woof prefer me if I were someone else? Do I have a moral obligation to prevent people like me from existing? Do I deserve to live? Blegh.

But yeah, sorry for rambling. It's all been stuck in my head and I'd appreciate some different viewpoints. Even if it's just to tell me that I'm wrong. If you've made it this far, I appreciate you reading it.