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[Max White]

$100,000? Are medical bills really that much? I think medicare has spoilt me a little, I never realized it was actually that much.

Anyway, yea, when somebody needs medical attention that sort of behavior is unacceptable. First priority is always for health and well being. Always.

[penguinofhonor]

Ticks. Sunburn. Sand. Mosquitoes. Salt. Stupid orange flies that bite me and are too fast to swat.

I'm done with camping. I'm done with the beach. I do not want to spend my night rolling around on a sleeping bag, alternating between being woken up by my sunburn rubbing against something, my face laying on a pointy rock, and my foot touching something damp and cold from the storm last night.

But I have to go through that because apparently I had no say in whether we leave today. I knew the idea was doomed the moment I brought it up. Hooray.

[Frumple]

$100,000? Are medical bills really that much? I think medicare has spoilt me a little, I never realized it was actually that much.

I'd say 100k is probably a bit excessive of an estimate for a single trip. It's not entirely uncommon, though, (from what I recall) for a single hospital trip of the right (wrong?) sort to wrack up over 10k in one go. With some cursory searching, I'd probably give Euld a rough estimate of somewhere between 2 and 5 thousand for what he mentioned, assuming the hospital in question isn't particularly fucking people with one of the things 'e had done. Looking like the MRI and CT scan both run about a thousand, but who knows how much they're screwing people with the other tests, or how much they're screwing people on those two. It should be noted that hospitals in the states have somewhat of a tradition of padding bills like goddamn, as well as charging as much as they think they can get away with. Market forces don't work too well for stuff like emergency health care, ha. Among other issues.

Just... just be glad there wasn't an ambulance ride involved, and remember if you're in the states to reserve those for a serious, serious damn emergency. Y'looking at something like 500-1000 bucks for a trip in one of those things.

[Max White]

I'm pretty sure telling people that their expenses come to some amount orders of magnitude greater than it actually is would be emotional abuse. I mean on top of the attempt to deny medical access, but that is a lot closer to physical abuse.

[Frumple]

Ignorance is probably pretty likely, in this case. Due in large part (s'far as I'm aware, anyway) to how insurance has played out in this place, most folks (this is definitely including me) don't really seem to have any goddamn idea how much anything medical is supposed to cost (well, beyond "a lot" for anything beyond, like, a check up for a cold or whatever). Most people don't actually pay the fees, they pay a co-pay and whatever the insurance costs, and sometimes never even see the direct medical bill.

It can also vary seriously between places of operation. Like, the same procedure can cost 1k in one place and 3k in another and be literally the exact bloody thing. Sometimes even using the exact same facilities, exact same personnel to do the tests, etc. Situation's a little fucked up, honestly.

E: Which isn't to say there wasn't emotional abuse involved, anyway, just that the dollar amount might have been ignorance rather than targeted malice.

[Euld]

I've tried opening up to my mother many times, she either closes up or uses it as a chance to throw more emotional abuse my way.  I even tried talking to her while I was in the hospital, the closest she got was mentioning that her father had real bad migraines, but then she went back to complaining and poking fun at me.  I honestly believe her parents were both emotionally abusive, but either she decided to pass on the abuse or she didn't have a good role model to compare the abuse to (my dad is an amazing person, so I've had another perspective, I just hope I don't end up like my mother).  I'm definitely looking for work now, my boyfriend is helping a lot with building my resume and making a good impression.  No wonder it's been so hard for me to find work, I had no idea how to do any of that right.

I'm actually not graduating, I'm dropping out a year short of finishing the three year program.  This may be difficult for me to relate, since I tend to be bad at relating things.  I'm going to the Art Institute of Seattle, and it's not a good school and a very frustrating place.  Best way to describe it, it costs a LOT in loans, doesn't teach nearly enough, and is often out of date or outright wrong.  Their standards are sky high, but the teaching rarely if ever supports that.  I've sat in on the portfolio reviews of almost every graduation class since I started (people graduate every quarter) and I've rarely seen more than one person graduate (per quarter) who seemed ready to find a job.  The only people who do well are either very talented or have a bachelors in fine arts before they came here.  I'm also starting to think I don't even like the subject.  I've been sneaking off to take better classes at another college, and... no interest.  I want to learn the subject, yet I can't summon up the motivation to do the work.

I need a break, if anything.  I want to spend six months working and out of school.  I need to get out of school.  I don't need credits, or another degree, I need to GET OUT.  My motivation for school is long gone.  I also want to get away from my mother at last.

[nenjin]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2013/08/02/dnt-fawn-killed-by-dnr-agents.wisn

There's just so many things wrong with this. Sure, a job is a job. But why does the DNR roll like they're the military for a freaking baby deer? Does every freaking cilivian and government department need to act like they're Seal Team 6? Where does all the goddamn money for this shit come from, when states are wailing about budgets? I love the DNR rep's justification too. "If the sheriff's department were going to do a drug bust, would they call up before hand and ask them to turn over their marijuana?"

Yes, those two "crimes" are completely equal, and you guys obviously need powers equal to actual Law Enforcement. Sounds like someone just got access to a whole bunch of toys and decided to blow taxpayer money deploying them against fucking Bambi.

[10ebbor10]

DNR?

[Loud Whispers]

There's just so many things wrong with this. Sure, a job is a job. But why does the DNR roll like they're the military for a freaking baby deer?

Practice

Does every freaking cilivian and government department need to act like they're Seal Team 6? Where does all the goddamn money for this shit come from, when states are wailing about budgets?

Police state

I love the DNR rep's justification too. "If the sheriff's department were going to do a drug bust, would they call up before hand and ask them to turn over their marijuana?"

fuk da deers

Yes, those two "crimes" are completely equal, and you guys obviously need powers equal to actual Law Enforcement. Sounds like someone just got access to a whole bunch of toys and decided to blow taxpayer money deploying them against fucking Bambi.

In all seriousness, it's just this.

DNR?

Dep. of natural resources

[nenjin]

It's like we've completely bred Threat Appropriate Response out of U.S. law enforcement thinking over the last 12 years.

[scrdest]

It's like we've completely bred Threat Appropriate Response out of U.S. law enforcement thinking over the last 12 years.

Well, fawns are, at least generally, brown-ish and they cannot communicate with the representatives of U.S. government. Therefore, all fawns are terrorists.

[Loud Whispers]

It's like we've completely bred Threat Appropriate Response out of U.S. law enforcement thinking over the last 12 years.

There was a recent leaked footage of police shooting a man who was brushing around his front door. Apparently brooms are weapons of destruction when used in a sweeping motion.

[Solifuge]

I do not know how to respond to this.

It's too absurd and wrong to process.

[Flying Dice]

Didn't you know, LW? Simply by being alive we pose a threat to the fine men and women of law enforcement, and consequently the only way for them to assure their safety during criminal investigations is to kill every civilian they encounter.

[Frumple]

There was a recent leaked footage of police shooting a man who was brushing around his front door. Apparently brooms are weapons of destruction when used in a sweeping motion.

Coulda' been a grenade propelling underhand lacrosse shot. No way to be sure from a distance, might as well put 'em down, just in case.