Hello there

Hey! Add me on telegram? @umarr26

Fucking hell, that's America for you, basically killing Medicaid for the absolute poor in society and reserving it for just those marked in mental trouble and physically disabled. I'm trying to sign up for it too in Maine and I'm pretty worried they may not even cover me due to the same laws, especially when it seems like no one will hire me anyways. Trying to sign up for disability, but I'm scared it'll be impossible to sign up for.

Why is your Medicaid being taken away?

'Sup fellow Canadian lemmy user! Good to see someone else saw this community and had a similarish idea, hoping to see it used like this more!

Oh man, rabbit holes...the history, people, and internet age drama around Rochdale College in Toronto has always been fascinating to me. A good signpost to the drama is a web search for 'Wolf Sullivan Rochdale College' - deeply miserable guy and I think a lot of his blogs are deleted, but a heck of a character if you like early internet feeling drama with a very unique Canadian flavour.

Also noticed you're looking for more stuff to do locally recently to get yourself out and about a bit. Good on you! Have slowed down/started limiting myself to the same old haunts, but need to start doing a bit of that myself. So far, what looks like the coolest thing in your neck of the country you want to check out, but haven't yet?

And welcome to Lemmy, btw! A little late now I suppose, but always good to welcome new users.

So I found this post of yours rather indirectly. I love how forthright you are in looking for friends. There's a gentle and good quality to that which I like. I have mixed feelings about doing that myself.

[distracted by chores]

... so I got busy and stepped away from my phone. Now that I'm back, i was curious about what community this was before I said anything more. Ha! You were being forthright because that's the whole point of this community! 🤦🏽 Interesting that such a thing exists and I hope it works well (and safely) for people.

I wasn't really going to respond at all because, I don't know, things and such. but then I clicked that link of yours and fell in love with the verdant colors and your excellent tastes in books!

Your area is gorgeous. The tortoises are delightful. Do they live with you? Here's a tortoise I met on a hike when I lived in desert once upon a time. It took a good half hour for my friend's tortoise to let me get this close.

I'm really curious what you thought of Children of Time and if you read the following books.

What about A Psalm for the Wild Built? I absolutely loved it. There's another book after it as well. Both relatively short. Did you get to them? What did you think?

Anyway, I've said entirely more than I intended. I don't think our demographics match what your looking for. I'm older with kids--different phase of life and such. But, like you, I enjoy watching things. Slowing down and paying attention is when I feel at my best. Sometimes I even try to capture the moments, like these autumnal trees by a lake and this butterfly.

Btw, there is another federated platform like this one for photos which you might consider sharing on. It's called PixelFed. I think you might like sharing some of your photos and your art. Could be a nice way to interact with folks.

Time to end what may be my lengthiest post here ever.

I wish you the best in your quest to meet people and in your goals for this year!

Oh, I really like that sketch. You captured his smile so well. My eyes were also drawn to the beard detail and overall excellent shading. You have a gift. Don't stop.

Stay warm this weekend!

I haven't - ran across this one by chance and picked it up as an audiobook for an eight hour drive. I didn't stop it to listen to anything else the whole way!

Just going to throw out a random book recommendation because I've enjoyed it so far: Katabasis, by RF Kuang. A graduate student in analytic magic and her rival descend into Hell to try to find their horrible thesis advisor to see about bringing him back from the dead.

I have two opposing goals for 2026: Figure out something called Intune Autopilot, which is a horribly complicated Microsoft product that is replacing a system that worked just fine, thank you very much. Also, get my tech off of the big tech companies. De-Google, De-Windows, De-Amazon.

I love sharing pics if you’d like some!

Dunno your circumstances, but gloves with capacitive fingertips are a game changer. Pretty decent stocking stuffer too if you do the whole christmas thing. Just sayin'.

I think due to climate change it will get not too cold in the winter. I hate that my fingers start to freeze lol, otherwise I could use a smartphone outdoors during the winter months.

That's ok, I won't hold that against you ;)

Not incredibly cold quite yet, but definitely getting chilly. Have had a little bit of snow fall, still a long way from skating on the canal though (fun fact: when it actually freezes we have the world's longest outdoor skating rink. I mean, for now, given climate change and all).

What about your part of the world? Does it get cold/snow/stuff freezing in the winter?

Is it cold in Ottowa right now? The only thing I know it is in Canada and sadly a long distance from me lol. No bonus points for me, I am not a sh.it.head

Unless it’s served by in a roadside chip stand with a dirty fryer by a surly Quebequois, it’s just sparkling gravy curd fries.

I can smell the authenticity coming right off this post!

don’t ask me why, but stuff like Cadillac Ranch and other roadside oddities has a strong pull for me. Hopefully I’ll feel ok about visiting again.

Sounds like you need a long road trip down historic Route 66 in an oversized convertible!

Any place in Canada you particularly like, or really want to check out but haven’t yet?

Visited Quebec (for the fourth time) and Alberta (for the first time!) and drove down the whole length of Ice Field Parkway this year along with several regular trips to southern Ontario for long weekend vacations and work. I'd love to visit the Maritimes. I've been as far northwest as Maine within spitting distance of New Brunswick, but that's as close as we've gotten to the Maritimes.

Aaannd the Atomic Testing Museum is added to my Vegas list. The pop culture exhibit seems especially cool, I love the atomic age aesthetic.

The Family Guy table looks really cool! Lol, yep, pinball within pinball can be a bit tricky. Will have to keep an eye out if it pops up when folks swap out machines. Come to think of it, your post reminded me that there's a pinball museum not too far from Ottawa I've been meaning to check out.

the poutine down here in the States sucks.

Unless it's served by in a roadside chip stand with a dirty fryer by a surly Quebequois, it's just sparkling gravy curd fries. Or worse ... disco fries shudder. You have my deepest condolences, and I hope you are reunited with poutine soon.

I've gotta admit, I miss visiting the United States - I used to go to Palm Desert/Palm Springs every few years and actually really like it (have a thing for mid-century modern architecture etc., so lots of cool stuff to see wandering about ... you know, until the heat stroke hits). That and I had a short list of things I wanted to visit - don't ask me why, but stuff like Cadillac Ranch and other roadside oddities has a strong pull for me. Hopefully I'll feel ok about visiting again.

Any place in Canada you particularly like, or really want to check out but haven't yet?

They had the Ghostbusters machine there at the Pinball hall of fame, but I didn't end up playing it. Now I wish I had. I did play the Sterns Family Guy machine, which had a cool, but difficult to play mini pinball game inside the pinball game as seen in this picture in the upper right. There was a glare on the glass so I had to lean in to see clearly, and getting that bonus game to active was difficult, but I did it.

Not high on my list given the … well, everything going on right now on that side of the border, but that does look right up my alley.

I hear ya. We're semi regular visitors to Canada during the year, and the border checks going both ways are quite a bit more stressful. I miss visiting my wonderful brothers and sisters from the Great White North. You can't find All Dressed chips and the poutine down here in the States sucks.

Did you check out anything else cool in Vegas? Omega Mart’s also high on my ‘check this out if sanity is restored’ list.

I didn't know about Omega Mart! Thats now on my list for a future visit (whenever that happens). I was able to go to the Formula 1 race and really enjoyed watching it. We also hit the Smithsonian Atomic Testing Museum as well as Red Rocks Canyon for a hike.

That's awesome! Yes, some of those older machines are amazing time capsules for their eras. Not the biggest fan of more old school games (though I do find myself playing Bobby Orr's Power Play when I'm running low on tokens at my haunt), but I can see the appeal.

My two top games right now are Stern's Godzilla (I don't know what it is, but I keep coming back to it. Has to be the Blue Oyster Cult song for Godzilla multiball), and a Ghostbuster's machine at one of the more well known pinball spots in town. What can I say, I have a soft spot for gimmicks (like the piercing scream out of the Ghostbuster machine, it always draws a couple startled glances). Like other Stern machines too, but I find myself gravitating to my old standards. Also dig games with a 'sub-basement' table mechanic (Haunted House is one), just seems neat.

Will keep this in mind if I find myself in Vegas! Not high on my list given the ... well, everything going on right now on that side of the border, but that does look right up my alley.

Did you check out anything else cool in Vegas? Omega Mart's also high on my 'check this out if sanity is restored' list.

I'm not in Ottawa (but have visited!). Until someone in Ottawa IRL shows up we can chat here if you like

I like ... pinball even though I suck at it,

I just got back from the Pinball Hall of Fame the day before yesterday. I'm just a casual fan of pinball, but I had a ton of fun! They have modern ones and an extensive collection of vintage ones.

I actually found myself enjoying the ones from the 50s and 60s more than the modern ones. Each one was a time capsule of modern events of those days including the space race, casual racism, and misogyny.

I like to see how far we've come that those are generally vintage ideas and would have no place in modern society. The simple controls (and 5 balls for 25 cents!) also made them more compelling to play than the modern ones which took 2, 3 or 4 quarters to play 3 balls.

If you're ever in Vegas and you like pinball, I recommend it. There's no entry fee to get in, just spend your quarters to play (and they have plenty of bill changers so bring cash).

Are there any particular pinball machines you like?

Also 'cause it's funny in this context too, my dating profile (irl I have a distinct lack of dreads and my glasses are far less bitchin'):