One of the additional things that sucks is here in Australia if you're unemployed and/or disabled you can sign up for Centrelink and do Job searching there. But it is just terrible, because not only do you have to look for a certain number of jobs (I think abled-bodied people can do 20 jobs per month, whereas I got to apply for 12 due to disability), but every 2 weeks you have to go in and spend maybe 10minutes or more traveling to the jobseeker place and tell them "no I haven't heard back from anyone, yes I've applied for jobs, etc".

On top of that, if you're disabled you'll get fucked over because you can't work, you know you can't work, but Centrelink refuses to put you on the National Disability Scheme because you're not disabled enough (people who have missing limbs have been told that their missing limb will grow back, or you'll grow out of it. Some disabilities aren't even on it, like ADHD isn't considered a disability and only "high functioning autism" is allowed). But you can be a part of the Disability Employment Scheme (DES) where you still have to apply for jobs, but not as much, but you get some benefits over being a regular Jobseeker.

Generally, the whole thing fucking stinks and I'm so thankful that I'm finally out of it. That and the fact that those receiving Jobseeker payments are being paid below the poverty line because the government refuses to put it up.

I just, ugh. Job seeking sucks, especially when businesses ask for 50million years of experience but it's entry level. Or the fact to get experience you need to work in this field but to get in this field you need experience. Ugh.

She's gone.

Never gets easy.

Edit: Just want to say I love you folks a lot. Sorry for making things a bit of a downer! But I appreciate everyone of you, thank you for all the love.

The driving lesson went great, I even drove on one of the main roads. The instructor is very nice and really calm and understanding. Will definitely do another lesson with her.

There's the obvious "if you're a homophobe, transphobe, racist, abelist" etc etc etc. Like obviously that makes me lose respect for people.

But I think if you judge someone for doing something that you deem "weird". I used to so that until I learned that like, hey we're all fucking weird. Who cares.

Love recommending podcasts!

• Like others have said, Behind the Bastards is great to find out about some of the worst people in history.
• In relation to that Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff is the opposite of Behind the Bastards. It's about people who did cool stuff who became cool.
• Also in lieu of that, Bad Gays, it's about bad gays in history. I think they've covered similar folks on BtB, but this is obviously from a queer perspective.
• Fad Camp and Maintenance Phase are great podcasts about dieting and wellness. Fad Camp is more about how damaging some of these diets can be, whereas Maintenance Phase is similar to You're Wrong About (which I also recommend)
• The Weekly Planet are these two Australian guys who talk about movies, tv, comics and video games. They also have a YouTube channel called Me Sunday Movies where they'll upload some of their podcasts. Like they have a running segment called "Caravan of Garbage" which is just sort of talking about a movie, tv show or game. Currently they've started going through the RoboCop movies.
• Also shameless plug, but Checkpoint is on the radio but they take their radio show and put it on a podcast. It's a podcast about giving a 1up to diversity in video games. Most of us are from the LGBTQIA+ community and that's where most of our perspectives come from, but it's also just folks from any marginalised group. Lovely bunch of folks (if I do say so myself).

Uh yeah, I have some more, but like that's politics or it's writing related or spicyness in or out of the bedroom. But these are the ones I always recc.

So I've been seeing counsellors/psychs/etc on and off since I was 13. I'd get really bad, and then we'd talk and then i'd get better and then I leave and the cycle renews itself. So about 2021 I had a really shitty counsellor. All he wanted to talk about was me getting a job, when I said to him in my final session that I want to get tested for ADHD and could he do a mini test so I'm not wasting over a grand to get told no. Anyways, he asks me like more hyperactive stuff and typical of boys, and then he goes "I don't think you have ADHD because I could tell". Negating the fact that the 5 sessions I had with him I've mentioned how I forget things, I procrastinate, I would rather play video games than do anything else. Like... he sucked, I hated him.

So, I do some Googling and find one who is close enough, schedule appointments and I've been with her ever since. She's not the type to try and "fix me", she's there for me to talk about things, she's super understanding and caring. And she also went through a diagnostic tool with me and confirmed that it is likely I have ADHD (this was before I was tested). Also diagnosed me with C-PTSD. So anyways, cut to May or so of this year, and I'm getting my appointment ready and the MHCP is wrong. Ugh, okay reschedule. Next appointment, my MHCP is not a MHCP it's actually those 5 free appointment things that I'm using for my physio so I can't use them for my psych. Next doc appointment the doc tells me that I don't have any Medicare appointments (which is wrong) but he'll get it figured out.

I never got a call or anything. So finally today going to the doc to get some scripts (and also got my doc cert to take tomorrow off, I don't care if it's unpaid I need it), and I think telling my doc that I have some not happy thoughts, I was able to get the correct MHCP.

Sorry for this long message, I'm just very happy I can see my psych again. I don't gatekeep here, if anyone needs a psych that's all telehealth, go see Roslyn Delrayne, she is just the bees knees!

This shit just pissed me off.

It's really hard for me to go to the pharmacy due to chronic pain and just getting there in general. So being able to dispense two at a time would be helpful as.

Liberals are absolute scum.

Yeah it's a hotdog and ice cream chain. I wonder if they'll have to change the name similar to Hungry Jacks because Burger King was already a restaurant when they came over here.

And the chucklefucks on local Facebook groups are gonna eat this shit up.

CW: Diet culture + medication

One of the things I hate about diet culture (amongst everything) is how there's medication and people go "oh you can also lose weight!". Like... it feels so gross. I was listening to my news thing with Google and I was listening to CNN and they were talking about Ozempic, and how America advertises medication on TV they played one of their ads and it's like "this is for people with diabetes, but it can also help you lose weight!" and it's like so gross. I feel like people with diabetes is trying to just survive the day and not worry about losing weight.

Similar to when I had my psychiatrist appointment to start taking Ritalin, and my psych is like "it's great for adults because you can lose weight, usually for kids we have to watch them just in case, but for adults it's great." And I'm like sitting there, a fat person, just like... ugh. Felt so gross. Like, I just want to be able to make it through the day and get my tasks done, and not procrastinate, I don't care if it makes me lose weight.

I wrote a huge thing about period pain and PCOS but having second thoughts because I'm not too sure if it's appropriate? I did spoiler it and warn for those who don't want to see it. But yeah. I've got no where else to talk about it and it's just like a lot of ??? and ughhhh pain.

If it's cool then I'll reply to this, if not well, I won't... I guess?

I know game journalists are memed on, but this is really disappointing. AI will eventually unravel and crap out because it's regurgitating AI content.