(no subject)

[vicarz]

My sympathyforme (lewiscypher) acct got russian spam, and made me realize as I signed into that free (and barely used) account how annoying eljay has become for free users. With that metric, facebook suckage is far less annoying with their side-ads compared to a forced video-watch in eljay. I'm going to be due for payment soon - it's cheap, but is it worth it? I think most writers on my list are not people I know in person anymore - though I'm very happy with the quality of writing I see generally. It seems the morons populated fb, though some others I miss seeing a great deal.

Had some good conversation last night. Time, distance, and not caring much are interesting salves but it's odd realizing that I have an entrenched reality I don't care to revisit even if it isn't true. It mattered too much, and now matters too little, to "fix." But who knows.

This economist hit on something I've been talking about for some time, well two points:
Disability is a scam.
Cutting budgets is a scam.
http://www.economist.com/node/18332928?story_id=18332928
Disability insurance, where you claim a disabling condition prevents you from working, have increased 28% since 2007, and now make up about 10 fucking percent of social security payments. I've been mocking this scam for ages, from fake parking tags to this flagrant suck-at-government's-teat when they opened the door to disability based on mental and "soft tissue damage" ("back pain, undiagnosed cause, fibromyalgia"). Sadly these conditions exist in small numbers and create sob stories that force lawmakers to adjust the system to accommodate - then when the door is open all the scammers flood though. I'm afraid I'm practically in favor of removing mental from the disability paradigm because it is so easily manipulated.

While we're cutting off the "riches" of teachers and cops, we're handing paychecks to fakers who go to the right doctors advised by the right lawyers and declare they need to exist off the dole, then sit at home surfing the internet all day...perhaps doing more work than if they were employed for money.

I could fake a disability and be a parasite easily. I don't do that, but I admit when I thought I might have had a serious medical condition my near-first thought was "fuck it, at least I get disability."

I AM FULL OF COFFEE
Janna was awesome and predicted I would want zeke's coffee beans in our smuggler's swap last night. At 5:30 this AM I tried out the conical bur grinder for the first time. Worked like a dream, though cleanup is a twat.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-CBM210-Stainless-Grinder/dp/B001306640/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1299933475&sr=8-10
I think I can taste the difference but am not sure. It was definitely different, and as my last ground mess was 4-6 weeks old I'm sure it was a lot...smoother. There was a bitter bite I was not missing.

I don't cook but my coffee is getting ever more complex. Just think of how I could roast my own beans if I had more time...if only I had a disability...

Comments

[eolh.livejournal.com]

I have never had a paid LJ account, and I don't see any of the ad/video crap. Use Firefox and AdBlock Plus, and you won't either.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

I'm afraid I'm practically in favor of removing mental from the disability paradigm because it is so easily manipulated.

Wow. I'm not even going to bother arguing with you because that is so beyond the pale.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Fair. I don't so much mean it (or you probably wouldn't speak to me) as it's sort of a hands-in-the-air gesture of frustration of how that avenue is so abused. Of course the solution would be to make it a higher or more scientific threshold, but I'm not sure what that kind of proposal looks like.

Understand in my line of work I see serial abusers of these systems. Padding your damages is almost a standard technique of the shirker.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

Perhaps you should take a look at your earlier post about only seeing the negative.

[desiringmachine.livejournal.com]

I don't have a paid LJ but I never see the ads - Firefox with Adblock recommendation seconded. Never understood what a paid account offered that was an improvement. LJs galleries/scrapbook thing is terrible and buggy, and I've never seen an offer for paid accounts being able to download and back up all their entries and info. Which is what I would want, if I was going to pay.

Also I'm sure any and all friends you may have with disabilities appreciate that you're blaming them for the actions of scammers, accusing them of being lazy, and enjoying their debilitating pain because it lets them sit at home all day. I understand frustration with scammers but that's a seriously ugly thing to say about people who really probably don't need another kick while their down.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I have some friends who genuinely have the most abused and easily faked disabilities, yup. I say what I do about those that are abusing the system - and I have no idea what the solution is in terms of fixing that system. It seems very biased towards granting benefits.

I note that all my friends with disabilities work, or have fought to work, while at work I see many fighting to not-work. I'm re-reading what I wrote and I don't see me saying what I do about the disabled as opposed to the disability fakers. I also criticized and mocked removing the system entirely. To my perspective, that appears different than saying something ugly about people with (real) disabilities. Sorry if my brutish blurts masked that (or if I'm just blind to it)

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

if you just hit "reload" the second the video starts, LJ forgets you didn't watch it.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Ugh! Sorry 'bout that.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Oof...when I first read your post I was annoyed too. I understand your frustration with the fakers but taking away those disability payments from people who genuinely need the help seems cold-hearted. M had filed for disability though he died before any of the payments started flowing. The payments wouldn't have been very much. If I look at that statement that Social Security sends out, my disability payments would be a little over half of what I made in my first job out of college. Not really enough to be sitting around gloating over my trickery if you ask me. I let my LJ expire and then renewed it because I like getting copies of my comments emailed to me. Makes it easier to search for things and find posts I saw somewhere but can't remember who was talking about it...that kind of thing.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Yeah I vent frustration - I think it's absolutely valid to consider those things, I've known people who had fibro so while I suspect most fibro people are faking - and some aren't but are batshit, I'm exposed to an unusually slanted population of fakers.

I'm aware that sort of mentality led to the Reagan years clearing out of institutions of veterans - leading to the homeless crisis that still continues today. I just wish someone would come up with a better solution to the abuse than what we have in place now. The fakers drag down a very important issue.