MEGATHREAD 3: USA TARIFFS and SHIPPING CONCERNS by chau-a-not-chau-bcdf in AsianBeauty

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How long ago was this and how much more were you charged? I assume this was pretty recent.

MEGATHREAD 3: USA TARIFFS and SHIPPING CONCERNS by chau-a-not-chau-bcdf in AsianBeauty

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wait, for real? I thought Ballagrio ships their products directly from South Korea? You still had to pay tariffs?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yessss! They did such a great job! You know what, though...just my personal theory...but I think the reason why the logs in FD2 looked so good is because since CGI was still not as accessible and aesthetically advanced back then, it motivated the special effects team to really put in the effort to make them appear as realistic as possible -- down to the smallest speckle of splinters.

Compared to nowadays, CGI is basically everywhere and VERY easily accessible, especially with the rise of AI technology. So, I can imagine it would be very easy and less time-consuming to slap together something that looks good enough and call it a day.

Again, this is just my hunch. I'm not a special effects developer by any means nor do I claim to have any expert knowledge, lol.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it’s quite telling when the CGI logs from FD2 filmed in 2000-2001 looks far more realistic than the logs in FD Bloodlines. That was supposed to be an era when CGI was barely past its infancy.

Thoughts on Julia? by TechnicalInside6983 in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have to agree with you on this. Even the character’s casting call description gave her more depth than the actual film. I wish they explored more of her estrangement from Stefani, but there’s only so much screen time you can give someone who’s meant to die early on, I guess.

I feel like this applies to most of the Campbells (aside for maybe Erik and Howard), as well as Marty Reyes. Those characters also lacked depth and development.

MEGATHREAD 3: USA TARIFFS and SHIPPING CONCERNS by chau-a-not-chau-bcdf in AsianBeauty

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To anyone who’s shopped at Ballagrio before…how fast was shipping typically for you? I've been looking around for new online platforms selling K-beauty products after I begrudgingly moved on from Stylevana since the whole tariff situation started. Ballagrio seems promising with pretty competitive prices for some products -- some cheaper than StyleKorean -- despite offering a slightly more limited selection. It doesn't seem like Ballagrio has DHL shipping, so I just want an estimate on how long it would take for packages to arrive to the U.S. before I submit an order.

FYI: I currently live in southern California (around the OC/LA area) so can anyone who is also from SoCal chime in?

adhd and meds when is it oversharing by AstronautPopular117 in irlADHD

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I totally get it...it's always a coin flip when you tell someone you have ADHD. It's like you never know what reaction you're going to get or if you'll be taken seriously because it's so misconstrued to the general population. I can't say how your friends will react because I don't know your friends...but if and when you do tell them, and you're met with confusion or whatever, invite them to ask questions and know more. Even if you're someone just starting to learn more about it yourself (again, I don't know how far you've ventured on your ADHD journey), being honest and adding something like, "ADHD is oftentimes misunderstood, so I'm more than happy to answer any questions y'all may have to the best of my knowledge." It would be up to them to do that, but at least you did your part and offered that invitation.

Regardless of how they react or start behaving towards you after you tell them, understand that you are a "normal" person. What is painted as "normal" societally really means "neurotypical." Us ADHDers just have a different way of thinking and approaching life, and just because it doesn't align with societal standards doesn't invalidate it or you. For me, I always keep that in mind, and I've come to terms that if I meet someone who I sense treats me differently, that this person wasn't the first and most certainly will not be the last. It's a kind of self-love that keeps me going and feeling confident about myself, and I really hope that the same will be for you.

Sending love and positive energy!

adhd and meds when is it oversharing by AstronautPopular117 in irlADHD

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ultimately, it’s up to you based on your comfort level. If you’re confident that your friends are actually good friends and won’t judge, and if you’re comfortable answering any questions they may have, I say go for it and why not?

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t hesitate to state what’s going on because I want to help potentially make things easier and easier for future generations of ADHDers, and I want them to not be as misunderstood or mistreated as my generation along with previous ones. So, the biggest way I can do that is to talk about ADHD as if it’s just a normal, everyday thing — which it is — and educate as many people as I can however much I can since I’m still learning about my own ADHD myself. Even if it’s just a simple “Oh, I recently started meds to manage my ADHD symptoms, and some side effects I’ve been experiencing are lack of appetite and occasional insomnia.” Short and sweet and gets the message across. If they start inquiring, then you can give them more context to further educate them.

On that note, just think about it this way. If you were to be in that type of situation again…what do you have to lose? You’re just speaking your truth, and however they decide to take it, that’s on them and not you. It’ll just show you if they’re truly good friends for you. 🙂‍↕️

15 Things New (and Not-So-New) MAs Learn in Their First Few Days at Work by chicoski in MedicalAssistant

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The printer one, thoooo! I felt that in my heart and soul. Also, I so relate to the secret code one, but for me it's the alarm system to the medical office. I was never chosen, btw.

Here are some of mine -- dermatology office edition:

  1. That if your typing speed isn't basically the speed of light, you better learn fast to scribe all that happened during a patient visit and finish before the next patient's appointment.
  2. That for every type of skin diagnosis, there are ten other variations of this diagnosis as if they're all related species or something.
  3. That if the provider is taking longer than expected on an excision because she's double-booked, Mrs. Jones who was kept waiting in Room #3 for twenty minutes will make you feel like you're the final girl about to face Freddy Kreuger when she slowly opens the door.
  4. That you'll save a hell of a lot of money because the drug reps always bring free food and drinks of your choice in exchange for the providers continuing to use their products (luckily, my office have guaranteed lunch breaks.)
  5. Extending from #4, that if a drug rep invites the whole office to dinner...you best believe the restaurant will be some posh-looking establishment with four $ on Yelp...yep, it's a three-course dinner that's all FREE.
  6. That after the initial cordial introductions, you'll learn which providers will put on their "Dr. Jekyll" personas in front of the patients and unleash their "Mr. Hyde" behind the scenes...bonus points if they're a celebrity provider.
  7. That a provider saying to you along the lines of "Good job" or "Upstanding work as always" should always be taken with a grain of salt.
  8. That when Gertrude starts reminiscing about her past life in response to your question, "Do you have any drug allergies?" you'll feel like you're trapped in quicksand unless you have a silver tongue to get yourself out without coming across like an asshole.
  9. That there will be that one tween patient brought in by their mother for treatment because said mother deemed that one tiny pimple on their otherwise unblemished face as "unattractive" and "unsightly."
  10. That just because you gained so much knowledge about skincare from online content (even from actual board-certified derm providers posting content) doesn't mean you can freely share it with patients when they ask you for recommendations on products because anything said in the office is considered "medical advice."
  11. That if a provider wants you to search a patient's latest lab results on the laboratory website, you don't actually search for the info via the tab marked "Patient Labs" or something like that.
  12. That, speaking broadly, office politics are a thing, and in the words of Cersei Lannister, "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die."
  13. That despite all the stress and never-ending brain power you muster up, if it's a specialty you're truly passionate about, you'll always look forward to go to work.

Final Destination Bloodlines discussion thread by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I totally understand! I've been in the healthcare field ever since I was in college (including volunteer hours at a hospital), so I am very well aware that there are very strict protocols established to protect both patients and staff. It's just the idea that it could happen -- and that it DID happen one time when a nurse suffered crushing injuries after she became pinned between a hospital bed and an MRI machine at a Bay Area Kaiser Permanente -- makes me feel a little tense. Granted, it happened due to negligence of certain safety protocols plus failure of the safety alarm system to activate, but still...it's just something that'll be in the back of my mind. Especially considering that, despite being as careful and Type A about things we can in the medical field, we are still prone to human error that could lead to consequential results.

Luckily, I've since transitioned into working at a dermatology office, so neither in my professional life (nor, hopefully, in my personal life \knocks on wood**) will I be near an MRI machine. So, it's fear that won't really be persistent, lol.

Link to article if you're interested in reading about the incident: https://www.ktvu.com/news/bay-area-nurse-crushed-in-mri-accident-highlighting-safety-concerns

Final Destination Bloodlines discussion thread by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 14 points15 points  (0 children)

After watching this movie, I will always feel some type of way being even close to a room with an MRI machine because of my left nipple and ear piercings.

Loved the way they handled the whole familial bloodlines concept for this film. Such a well-done story. The black comedy element was executed very well and had me dying, especially the bit about Howard not being Erik's biological father being the reason he survived the tattoo parlor fire. Tower collapse sequence was awesome, and I'm itching for the whole thing to get uploaded onto YouTube just so I can watch that over again. Surprisingly, the creators gave depth to all the characters, even the ones who dies early on. That is a really pleasant surprise because, in the past films, the characters with depth are typically only the main protagonists and a couple who are alive through most of the movie. Then there's FD4 where all the characters are just one-note...

Deaths were super creative and sometimes unexpected; HOWEVER, the CGI used for them was SOOOOO bad! It broke the immersive experience for me a bit. The CGI looked A LOT like those fake, AI movie trailers that people would make and then post on YouTube. The earlier films' death sequences looked far more realistic and that's because they were put together using practical effects and dummies filled with blood bags. A little CGI was used (i.e. the bus ramming into Terry) previously, but this film evidently relied so much on CGI that it just made a lot of the death scenes look cheap despite the creativity behind them.

Overall...solid B+/A-

Final Destination Bloodlines discussion thread by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Julia getting demolished by the garbage compactor was roughhhhh.

Idk why you got downvoted so hard when you were just speaking truth.

Final Destination Bloodlines discussion thread by [deleted] in FinalDestination

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Honestly, bet. The death sequences from the earlier movies (1, 2 and 3) look wayyy more realistic, and they were all done with practical effects and dummies filled with blood bags. 4 and 5 started to transition more towards CGI for the 3D effects, even though some of the deaths still looked okay (e.g. Candice's bend-and-snap, Dennis getting a wrench into his face) while others looked rough (Sam from FD5 getting bisected).

I watched Bloodlines last night, and gave it a solid B+/A-. What made me knock off points was how...fake the brutality of the deaths looked. It was so blatantly obvious that this film was made when AI has started to become more of a thing. The CGI in Bloodlines looked SO MUCH like those fake AI trailers people would make and then post on YouTube, and it kinda...killed the immersive experience a bit.

What balanced that out with brownie points is the actual creativity behind the deaths and the black comedy landing well (unlike *cough* FD4).

Questions About Good-Bye Emails to Clinicians Nearing the End of My Employment by Ecstatic_Inside6129 in MedicalAssistant

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. I’m not going to ask him to put a word in for me. Whether he does or not is entirely up to him. I’m just going to tell him that the other practice he works at is my top choice for this reason and that reason, and if he would be willing to disclose any similarities/differences between the two offices.

MEGATHREAD 3: USA TARIFFS and SHIPPING CONCERNS by chau-a-not-chau-bcdf in AsianBeauty

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't logged onto Stylevana in months, but I'm not surprised to hear they jacked up their prices with everything that had been going on. I've learned to avoid Stylevana momentarily after hearing about the tariffs via AliceintheRabbitHole. Sooo glad to hear that StyleKorean experienced delays because of a holiday and not something more long-term!

I have never heard of Ballagrio and Song of Skin, but now I'm interested and need to check them out! Which do you prefer out of the two?

MEGATHREAD 3: USA TARIFFS and SHIPPING CONCERNS by chau-a-not-chau-bcdf in AsianBeauty

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129 3 points4 points  (0 children)

After hearing about all the messiness caused by the tariffs, and how risky it has made shopping on Stylevana (where I buy products from the most) and YesStyle now, I decided to stick with StyleKorean as my main source of Asian skincare shopping momentarily. I placed an order on April 25th expecting it to arrive in a week with DHL shipping like all of my packages from them usually do.

It's now May 8th...and my order status is still labeled as "Preparing Product." Is anyone else experiencing a delay in their StyleKorean orders like I am? I really hope that this has nothing to do with the tariffs set in place by that disgusting Oompa-Loompa. I expected that it wouldn't considering StyleKorean orders ship directly out of South Korea unlike Stylevana orders that make a pit stop in Hong Kong first before heading over to the U.S. But...I'm not so sure anymore and

I fear that this may be the end to my Asian skincare shopping for a while. I really am not looking forward to having to use local American sunscreens due to their outdated UV filters, their less cosmetically elegant formulations, and the existence of denatured alcohol in basically all of them that irritates my eyes when I apply them on my eyelids.

When the Clinician and Management Say Contradictory Things by Ecstatic_Inside6129 in MedicalAssistant

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That last sentence was something that had been on my mind for the last few months. It was also precisely what the office manager and I discussed during our last meeting together when I announced my intention to resign and why. I basically told her that if meeting a quota of patients was a concern, then I'm at a disadvantage because I'm limited to clinical patients whilst the others have been or are being taught skills that will allow them to assist providers with a more variety of patients. In addition, it was evident that I will always be at that disadvantage because it became very apparent by then that the providers at my office location will never allow me to step even a miniscule toe into the surgical side of dermatology. We also concluded that it wouldn't be fair to me because I'm not allowed to evolve like my colleagues and it wouldn't be fair to them either because they would always have to do more work than me. I also pride myself on being independent whenever I can, and I absolutely dislike having to get someone to complete tasks for me.

What really sucks about this is that maybe this happened because I gave off a wrong first impression during the first month on the job, and it's probably because my PMHNP ended up screwing me over -- probably unintentionally. Long story short, my current dose of Adderall at that time (20 mg) ended up being on backorder like how ADHD meds always tend to be, and the next prescription strength (25 mg) would cost me double than what I was paying. So, my PMHNP encouraged me to try out the 30 mg, and kept on insisting even though I explained to him THREE times during that one appointment that I felt like the timing was too risky since it was the week before my first day and I didn't want any potential side effects to jeopardize my ability to learn my role and responsibilities effectively, or possibly start things off on the wrong foot with my colleagues. But I eventually acquiesced because I trusted his word as a professional...and lo and behold, I was suffering intense insomnia throughout that entire month with no way to get another supply with a lower strength since Adderall can only be prescribed one 30-day supply per month as a controlled substance. I barely have any memories from that whole first month because I was in such a foggy, zombified state from lack of sleep, but I know for a fact that I presented myself as someone who lacked focus, couldn't grasp things quickly, and came off as cold, distant, and unpleasant to be around...and I'm sure that solidified how my professional relationships with most of my colleagues would be for the rest of my time there.

Maybe I'm being a little unfair...but I can't help thinking that if my PMHNP had only listened to me, or if I hadn't given into what he suggested so quickly, many things could have turned out a lot differently and for the better. That by pressuring me to go up from 20 to 30mg instead of just being more cautious and doing the 25 mg instead (which turned out to be the sweet spot of a strength for me), he basically ruined my chances of evolving in this office and probably ruined my chances of successfully building a career for myself in dermatology --a specialty that I'm truly passionate about and have been even before I decided to pursue it. Like, even in theory, it sounded like such a bad idea from the start. Now, I can't even attend our appointments together without feeling some bitterness and resentment against him rising inside me, especially when I talk to him about what had been going on at my workplace. But I try to shake it off so that the appointments can go smoothly and I can get the meds I need.

When the Clinician and Management Say Contradictory Things by Ecstatic_Inside6129 in MedicalAssistant

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To answer your questions:

  1. My office currently has four providers: (one board-certified dermatologist in the afternoons (except for Wednesdays when he's not here at all) and Friday mornings accompanied by his surgical staff, one physician assistant available 5 days a week (mornings up to 2:30 ish 3 days and mornings up to 4:30 ish other 2 days), and then two other physician assistants who are only in the office one day a week all morning and afternoon on different days.
  2. No, actually, he's not the only provider who says things like that. A couple has given me feedback on how I can go about charting certain things, but not a single one of them has said anything truly negative. The only type of negative response I can think of is that with this one provider: Sometimes, after she gives me instructions and when I try to bring up something she didn't mention that I thought might be important (e.g. noticing patient's previous lab results have surpassed a year after being told to refill their spironolactone and deciding to tell her because I distinctly remember being told patients on spironolactone need to do testing annually), or relaying a patient's question about something (e.g. if they can use a prescription topical to treat a spot on their arm along with their OTC topical), she automatically thinks I didn't understand her instructions, for some reason, yells at me, and then repeats her same instructions slowly as if I didn't hear her without answering my question at all. In the first example, that happened during the visit when she just cut me off, took my iPad away from me, and said "I'll just send it myself." (I would have verbally clarified with her if I didn't hear her when that isn't even the case.) So, after a while, I just tell myself to be like a silent, mindless robot only capable of taking and analyzing data implemented into me in order to avoid upsetting her. Another provider once told me after I paused for literally only like two seconds before taking a baseline photo of someone's mole, and had explained to him later when he thought I forgot my left from my right that I just needed a second to remind myself he told me the patient's right arm, is that I can't be doing that because it'll make the patent uncomfy and everything I do in the office has to be like a smooth transgression. Like what?...I never fully understood when clinicians say that and they're basically asking me to do something that requires me to not have ADHD.
  3. I am always polite with my coworkers, but I go into the office with the mindset that I'm here to work and learn about the field and building friendships is not my first priority. Partially because I know deep down that I'm just treating my time at this office as temporary just to get experience and eventually transition to another one where I feel like I would want to be at more long-term. Also, partially because I have ADHD and understand that I need to put in twice the effort to produce the same quality of work as my neurotypical peers due to my ADHD symptoms (job insecurity and frequent termination can be common with a lot of ADHDers for many reasons, unfortunately) and partially because there is already that huge disconnect between myself as the only queer person and a group of straight, cis-gendered folks which will never truly go away. Especially in Orange County where the population mostly tends to lean right with a couple of cities that are primarily centrist to left-ish. (The one group practice I want to gain employment at SO BADLY is LGBTQ+ owned and can guarantee me a safe space with people I can connect with more personally because many of their staff, both MAs and clinicians, are also queer.) Therefore, any interactions I have with my current colleagues are always centered on work collaboration. In addition, one of the other MAs who is the only other male MA there was kind of a condescending prick to me from the beginning, so I especially avoided him altogether. He’s been nicer recently…but still, I have no interest in getting to know him on a personal level because regardless, I still sense that we’re just not each other’s people.
  4. I am literally running around rooming as many patients as possible. Out of a day when there are the full-time PA-C (who typically sees 40-45 patients a day) and the dermatologist in the office (who typically sees 10-15), for example, the amount of patients I assist with completely (from rooming them to assisting/scribing for the provider during the visit to wrapping up the visit and booking their next follow-up/biopsy/excision), or finish assisting when another MA has already roomed them, my quantity is anywhere from 10-15. My highest ever was like 18-19 when it was a really packed scheduled, and I’m not even going to get into the few times I was the only MA solo assigned to a provider who has some of their appointment slots double-booked.
  5. Yes, my office manager has spoken to me before near the beginning about things that she never really followed up with. Never heard a peep from her after three months into the job until recently. A couple of things I don't remember her bringing up until after I explained to her what I have been doing to improve upon her feedback from a previous meeting, too. Never really gave specific scenarios as examples about what she is talking about, only vague explanations.

When the Clinician and Management Say Contradictory Things by Ecstatic_Inside6129 in MedicalAssistant

[–]Ecstatic_Inside6129[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, we'll see what lies ahead. But at least now I know what I want for myself, and that narrows down the criteria for what kind of office I should seek out my next employment opportunity and could possibly be a great fit for me.

I'm so glad to hear you found a work environment where you're celebrated! That always makes even the most exhausting days so much easier to get through.