FoxyFerengi

Americans for spending so much on wars and veteran benefits that are abused at historic levels as social media taught people how to get to or near 100% disability ratings and lawyers specialized in getting high disability ratings for their clients

This is the first I'm hearing of that. Though I admit I don't use sm. I was given 100% for PTSD after going through an extremely stressful evaluation where the examiner deliberately triggered me several times. I say deliberate, but it was very subtle, if someone was faking it they wouldn't have noticed or even reacted.

On the flip side, I have a friend who is missing 10% of his brain to an IED, can't hear for shit, and can't walk very far because the part of his brain that is missing controls autonomous breathing - he has to think about it or he doesn't breathe. He was only given 30% and he honestly doesn't have the resources or mental fortitude to keep trying to get the VA to take care of him.

When I was going through the diagnostic process, my therapist kept telling me "we don't want to change people's way of thinking for being autistic, that's no-win scenario". You could force yourself to eat everything someone throws at you, but what's the cost? You'll remember and feel that forever, and they'll expect you to be cured.

Be kind to yourself, the way you eat doesn't need to change if you aren't experiencing health problems. You are already eating normally even if that normal isn't part of your families normal

I changed my name a few years ago and totally missed out on meme potential 😭

I think you have different needs than your family does, and it's most apparent to them when it comes to food. Some people show their love by sharing food, and this is also very common in a lot of cultures. If I turn down food at one friend's house they get extremely hurt, like it's personal, when it's nothing to do with them. With these people I give a specific list, with brands, and tell them that more than anything I'll be happy with water and a fresh orange to squeeze into it. (partly because oranges are easy to have on hand, and partly because people get so excited when they find me an amazing bunch of oranges xD)

My brother and I were born with different genetic mutations, but his affected his eating and that's what my parents noticed first. He would be diagnosed with ARFID now, but at the time they just thought he was picky. Turns out he physically couldn't eat the same way. But once my family thought they had it figured out, they berated him for never putting weight on (like my fat ass did). The reason I'm sharing the story is that he never developed that food-is-comfort thing that other people do. He needs food that is safe to eat, that he can actually chew and swallow, and sate hishunger with.

I don't know if you like chicken strips, but that's usually considered a bland, ergo "safe" to the NT mind, type of food. There is little risk in that food to them. I have friends who can't handle any pepper, and straight up refuse to eat certain brands of chicken strips. I can't stand the texture or the risk of that rare bit of gristle. People who don't understand it and don't try, won't. And I think that might be where a lot of your frustration is coming from. They aren't really trying to understand your needs

So besides a very specific list of foods to help your family support your needs, I would ask if there's anything that isn't food related that your family likes to do? Board games? Planning trips? Most people connect over food and it helps to have an alternative connection activity when eating the way you and your family want is stressful and frustrating for everyone

Heck, that is the cutest way to think of it

My best friend and I live on opposite sides of the US. We've been sending the same bubble wrap pieces back and forth to protect birthday and Xmas gifts for like a decade now lol

Edit I genuinely do not understand why floo called me a Nazi. Or why they told me to kill myself.

Clues by Sam - Sep 15th 2025
02:18
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Clues by Sam - Sep 13th 2025
05:48
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Today's puzzle was hard. I kept feeling like I missed a hint somewhere

Dirt is really expensive if you're unemployed. Some herbs and veg are quite happily grown kratky style, but that also comes with its own challenges

My conspiracy theory is that they've fired all the people who monitored and screened communication/social media and replaced them with AI. The problem is violent threats and comments are so common in what it was trained on that the AI doesn't know when there's a problem