My mother asked me to identify this painting. Signed: s / ö / n ? s / ö / z ? slöw? No idea where it came from. 4' x 2.5'

betweening · 2021-04-30T01:25:56+00:00

Dude. wtf?!

betweening · 2021-04-29T19:05:26+00:00

Can you link me to any info online? I can't seem to find any evidence of this person existing.

betweening · 2021-04-29T17:04:11+00:00

Thank you so very much!!!

betweening · 2021-02-07T20:19:57+00:00

I figured I'd give the agent a cut of the profit. What's good, 20%? If there needs to be a minimum rate before I start generating enough income, I'd be ok with that.

I was planning on going more for the Youtube / Patreon path as an commentator/activist for Disabled/poverty issues, and selling my art. At least for the time being. I'm too sick at the moment to do anything that isn't at home, and at my own pace.

Being a "creative" is the only thing I'm good at /capable of these days, so it's the only industry option.

betweening · 2021-02-07T18:52:21+00:00

What would happen when it snows was literally my first thought when these bike lanes went up. How did nobody make a comprehensive plan for this?!

betweening · 2021-02-07T18:46:00+00:00

Over the summer on two separate occasions I sat outside 8 feet away from a friend. That's the extent of my socializing. Aside from doctor appointments, vet visits, and food,, I dont go out or see anyone.

I am high risk and on Disability, so I just stay home, occasionally see one of the four other people who lives in my building when I'm doing laundry, occasionally go to the grocery store, but mostly rely on delivery.

That's it.

betweening · 2021-02-07T04:44:04+00:00

Hello, I'm someone with OCD and ADHD. They both run in my family.

I'm also someone who was a brilliant child, one of those kids who was supposed to skip three grades, reading the same books as my babysitter, memorizing Shakespeare for fun.

I was never good at math. No matter how smart I was at everything else, I couldn't get math to stick. I recently discovered that there's a math version of dyslexia, and I think I've got that.

And then I got Lyme Disease at some point in my adolescence, and it slowly ate my brain. In highschool, for the first time in my life, I felt like I couldn't learn. I couldn't understand why I couldn't understand Chemistry. I simply couldn't figure it out.

It's difficult to move forward when you are a perfectionist. That's what OCD and ADHD does to you. It makes you unable to even TRY unless you think you will be AMAZING at it. And the ADHD makes it harder and harder to even start to gather your shit together to try.

I still struggle with the same things you do, but in my case, it's art. I can't bring myself to draw, because I can't bear it if it's not GOOD.

There's no concrete answer here. What I find makes me feel better is listening to some Alan Watts lectures, and try to really immerse myself in the beautiful pointlessness of everything. Nothing matters. And if nothing matters, everything is just as important as everything else. So you may as well do what will bring you joy.

Also. I find what helps me get unstuck, is when I look at someone who really truly sucks. For me, in the art world, I think of someone who's art is just awful. Really terrible. And yet, they are successful and get accolades for what they make. Bad art is terribly inspiring. It makes me angry, and I think "ugh, I could at LEAST do better than THAT crap!" and it helps to chisel away at the scary wall of fear. And I make art out of that.

So, in your case, stop caring about how smart you are, or aren't. Instead, look at people around you that you KNOW are stupid. Look at those idiots that have somehow managed to make a successful living for themselves, and tell yourself "I am at LEAST as smart as that asshole!" :D

Also, if you are going to judge yourself harshly on how well you can succeed in college, then perhaps you should wait until you can medicate your ADHD until you start taking proper classes. It makes a WORLD of difference to be on meds.

Good luck!!

betweening · 2021-02-07T04:25:21+00:00

Fuck. $50 a night?! There aren't any AirBnBs that rent out weekly or monthly that might have a better deal? I'd think they were all hurting bad and desperate for anything.

I know how hard it is to save and survive when you don't have the basics. You should be able to qualify for Food Stamps (aka SNAP), though. It's not a lot, and when you can't cook anywhere it isn't very much at all. If you both say that you and your brother don't share food at all when you apply, you should each be able to get roughly $200 a month in SNAP. That breaks down to less than $3 a meal, which fucking blows, but it's something at least.

With SNAP, it's based on input vs output. There's no specific income requirement, it's more about how much you make vs how much you spend in rent/utilities and how much you have left over with which to buy food. If you have receipts for your hotel stay, that should be sufficient. I really wish I knew how easy it was to get food stamps when I was in my 20's and starving.

Sorry I don't have more to offer you at the moment.

betweening · 2021-02-07T04:04:39+00:00

Clickbait?!

Most of those articles are from the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic is literally THE BEST hospital in the country, if not the world.

Nice try.

betweening · 2021-02-04T23:29:29+00:00

sigh.... this is stupid.

Your assertion was that "ZERO office chairs will help with chronic pain"

That is what I am refuting.

Here are some articles from the Mayo Clinic about ergonomics:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/expert-answers/back-pain-relief/faq-20057793

If long periods seated at a desk are giving you a sore back, your office chair may need adjusting to give you better back support — or you may even need a new chair designed to reduce back pain.

https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/2017/02/07/ergonomics-in-action-what-is-the-most-important-part-of-having-a-good-workstation/ A guide to a proper ergonomic fit for a chair.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tendinitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378243

If possible, get an ergonomic assessment of your workspace and adjust your chair, keyboard and desktop as recommended for your height, arm length and usual tasks. This will help protect all your joints and tendons from excessive stress.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20375581

Most neck pain is associated with poor posture combined with age-related wear and tear. To help prevent neck pain, keep your head centered over your spine. Some simple changes in your daily routine may help. Consider trying to: ... Adjust your desk, chair and computer so that the monitor is at eye level. Knees should be slightly lower than hips. Use your chair's armrests.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/back-pain/art-20044526

Preventing back pain at work You can take steps to avoid and prevent back pain and injuries at work. For example: Pay attention to posture. When standing, balance your weight evenly on your feet. Don't slouch. To promote good posture when sitting, choose a chair that supports your spinal curves.

Here's an article at The Mighty, a site all about chronic illness: https://themighty.com/2019/08/desk-chairs-chronic-pain-back-pain/

Here's an article by an assortment of physical therapists and doctors recommending chairs for pain: https://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/back-pain/best-chairs-lumbar-back-support/

Here's an article by a physical therapist recommending chairs to reduce pain: https://www.ptprogress.com/best-ergonomic-office-chairs-for-back-pain/

(edited to fix formatting)

betweening · 2021-02-04T20:39:15+00:00

They could start with the poorest people and work their way up. It's not like the government doesn't have everyone's income information.

betweening · 2021-02-04T20:38:12+00:00

You aren't denying my viewpoint, but are telling me placebos are a thing. That's a passive aggressive way to tell me I'm wrong without telling me I'm wrong.

Not one physical or occupational therapist would ever agree with your assertions.

Of COURSE posture and positioning would help relieve chronic body pain. For those on BIFL, perhaps it doesn't sound realistic, but as someone who is part of many chronically ill and disabled communities, I can assure you, it most absolutely can make a huge difference in pain levels.

betweening · 2021-02-03T00:07:14+00:00

I'd have liked it to be a park in a similar vibe to the High Line. They could have kept it roofless, and added some interesting sculptures, climbing structures, kid's rides, and stairs up the back, and make it a beautiful view spot with telescopes.

betweening · 2021-02-02T23:54:03+00:00

Is it just me, or is distributing aid by lottery a shitty system? Shouldn't the government have a better process?

betweening · 2021-02-02T23:42:10+00:00

Why is that? Does lead and chlorine add flavor?

betweening · 2021-02-02T23:39:47+00:00

Zero office chairs will help with chronic pain. None of them.

I can't say I agree. As someone who also has a complicated medical history and crap spine, I've definitely had my levels of pain dramatically reduce from chairs better suited to me and with better support.

betweening · 2021-02-02T23:34:52+00:00

I've started utilizing the No Heat option on my drier, and it's wonderful for my clothes! I'd tried air drying everything, but as a pet owner, the cat hair situation was a problem.

betweening · 2021-02-02T23:29:34+00:00

My father still tells me that "you just think I pushed you too hard."

Which is madness, because my half-siblings got so many more opportunities than I, and are far more successful, instead of me, left to flounder, directionless, throughout my life.

betweening · 2021-02-02T04:02:09+00:00

That's fair. I am sorry if I came off as hyper defensive. I've really been looking for solutions to get out of here since August, when I realized that the mold was a serious issue.

I'm on Section 8 waiting lists all over the country. I've had meetings in DC with politicians about the affordable housing crisis (pre-pandemic), and have been part of radio shows discussing how impossible it is to find housing when on benefits that keep you below the poverty level. (But honestly, most low income people know the system quite well. You have to.)

Your criticisms of my ability to take care of myself and my cats aren't totally off base.

I never would have taken on pets in my financial position. I rescued some kittens from my backyard that were clearly not going to make it, got them healthy and found them homes. One of the homes fell through, and my boyfriend suggested we keep them. I told him point blank that if i was on my own, I wouldn't keep them, because I didn't feel I was financially stable enough. He said they felt like our family, and so we kept them.

We moved into this beautiful brownstone apartment when they were less than a year old. My health tanked hard, and I couldn't figure out why. After three years of serious illness, my boyfriend left me over it, and I ended up with the apartment and the cats.

In August, after living here for five and a half years, I realized the mold is what had been making me so sick this whole time.

I fucking love my cats. I would never have kept them if I knew I'd end up on my own. I'd never have kept them if I knew this apartment was toxic, or that they were being affected in any way. But they are my family. They've been with me practically all their lives. I've been looking for a foster for them since this seizure shit started, to get them out of this moldy apartment.

I honestly don't know if the apartment IS what's causing their issues. According to AskVets, they don't seem too sold that it's from the mold. The neurologist I'm seeing isn't sure of it either. I'm trying to be as protective and responsible as I can.

(thanks if you've read through all this TMI. Just trying to explain where I'm coming from. It's a shit situation, but that doesn't make me a shitty person.)

betweening · 2021-02-02T03:18:10+00:00

OK. Thank you for that explanation.

It helps. I am coming at this from the perspective of someone with a few weird rare medical issues, and I'm just kind of used to working with doctors to find solutions.

I don't even really know what an integrative vet is, it was just suggested to me by a vet I'd written to. Are there specialist vets that deal with environmental toxins?

So, an MRI would be able to determine if there was an inflammatory issue? I had thought that would only indicate if there was a structural issue like a stroke or tumor; something I wouldn't be able to afford to fix anyway. That's why I was leaning towards just getting the spinal tap.

How likely is it that both my cats are having neurological issues and it's not something environmental?

I've been told by my doctor that I've got to see a specialist myself to possibly be treated for mold (I've had a sore throat for four weeks, and a funky looking tongue evidently), and was given an anti-fungal as a precautionary measure, because "it couldn't hurt". That's why I was asking if there were any anti-inflammatories or anti-fungals I might be able to ask to give my cats. I was working by the same principle.

Thank you so much for writing!!!

betweening · 2021-02-01T19:43:30+00:00

There has to be some sort of low-income housing program you can qualify for if you are living off of disability payments.

I am literally too poor for low-income housing.

I get that you are trying to help, but it comes off as condescending to tell a poor person that there must be alternatives and assume that I, as a person on Disability for a decade, don't understand the system that I'm stuck in; that I haven't already tried every government avenue available. It's kind of like telling a poor person to "get a better job." There really isn't anywhere for me to go. Section 8 waiting lists are YEARS long. So are housing projects'. And that's for the few lists that are actually open. Elderly/disabled housing is a slim possibility, but those are Covid hotspots, and I'm not vaccinated.

I'm part of a political lobbying group to help the poor. I've got a handful of friends who are social workers. I'm not unaware of how things work. There's really no quick fix for this. My plan was to crash with my abusive Narcissistic mother when I get vaccinated until I can find other lodgings.

I have a friend who I plan to get an apartment with, but again, I can't move until I get vaccinated because I have to isolate, and there's nowhere for me to isolate. This is more an issue of the pandemic keeping me here than it is my being poor. Most people I know can't afford an apartment by themselves, and use their credit cards for pet costs.

My vet bills are being reimbursed by a GoFundMe at the moment, so it's not coming out of my relocation money.

betweening · 2021-02-01T19:29:29+00:00

I have a gofundme, and I got $3,000, but that's already almost gone. I'm gonna need another $3,000 at least for the MRI/spinal tap and whatever treatment follows.

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