I am still trying to find a job and have very limited self employment in the meantime. I do have barely enough interest income to squeak me by though IF it counts toward getting MaineCare. Can anyone help me to understand this please?

I've read recently on here that it's a FEDERAL law, based on MAGI rather than hours worked, but I've gotten some info to the contrary from MaineCare and DHS recently. I would be very appreciative of any help. I volunteer working for a small startup who is not eligible for non-profit.

I got a reply from DHS in Maine a few months ago saying this:

"Name, bank interest is not earned income. Only earned income counts towards work requirements. Self employment income hours are based on amount of money earned."

Today I got a scary letter from MaineCare today that only mentioned work. Not income.

"MaineCare Expansion Adult members are 19 to 64 years old who get MaineCare based on their income. They do not meet the Social Security disability guidelines or do not have Medicare.

Why is MaineCare eligibility changing?

Congress passed a federal law that changes who can get Medicaid in every state. In Maine, Medicaid is called MaineCare. These changes will start in January 2027 for new MaineCare applicants. Current members are not impacted until they are due for their renewal in 2027.

What are the new MaineCare Work Requirements?

The MaineCare Work Requirements will be for MaineCare Expansion Adults to complete work activities like:

· Working

· Volunteering

· Going to school or an apprenticeship

Taking part in a job training or work program

To meet the Work Requirements, you must spend 80 hours in at least one month doing one of these activities or attending school or an apprenticeship at least half time. You can also combine hours in more than one of the activities to reach a total of 80 hours in at least one month.

If you are working or plan to work, you can meet the Work Requirements if you earn at least $580 in one month, or if you have seasonal work, you earned an average of $580 over the last six months.

IMPORTANT: OFI will use information already in your case and information we can check through electronic data sources whenever possible to determine if you are meeting the Work Requirements.

Who must meet the Work Requirements?

You need to meet the Work Requirements if you:

· Are age 19 to 64; and

· Qualify for MaineCare based only on income; and

· Do not fall into one of the groups below that do not have to meet the Work Requirements (see next section)."

I am still trying to find a job and have very limited self employment in the meantime. I do have barely enough interest income to squeak me by though IF it counts toward getting MaineCare. Can anyone help me to understand this please?

I've read recently on here that it's based on MAGI rather than hours worked, but I've gotten some info to the contrary from MaineCare and DHS recently. I would be very appreciative of any help. I volunteer working for a small startup who is not eligible for non-profit.

I got a reply from DHS in Maine a few months ago saying this:

"Name, bank interest is not earned income. Only earned income counts towards work requirements. Self employment income hours are based on amount of money earned."

Today I got a scary letter from MaineCare today that only mentioned work. Not income.

"MaineCare Expansion Adult members are 19 to 64 years old who get MaineCare based on their income. They do not meet the Social Security disability guidelines or do not have Medicare.

Why is MaineCare eligibility changing?

Congress passed a federal law that changes who can get Medicaid in every state. In Maine, Medicaid is called MaineCare. These changes will start in January 2027 for new MaineCare applicants. Current members are not impacted until they are due for their renewal in 2027.

What are the new MaineCare Work Requirements?

The MaineCare Work Requirements will be for MaineCare Expansion Adults to complete work activities like:

· Working

· Volunteering

· Going to school or an apprenticeship

Taking part in a job training or work program

To meet the Work Requirements, you must spend 80 hours in at least one month doing one of these activities or attending school or an apprenticeship at least half time. You can also combine hours in more than one of the activities to reach a total of 80 hours in at least one month.

If you are working or plan to work, you can meet the Work Requirements if you earn at least $580 in one month, or if you have seasonal work, you earned an average of $580 over the last six months.

IMPORTANT: OFI will use information already in your case and information we can check through electronic data sources whenever possible to determine if you are meeting the Work Requirements.

Who must meet the Work Requirements?

You need to meet the Work Requirements if you:

· Are age 19 to 64; and

· Qualify for MaineCare based only on income; and

· Do not fall into one of the groups below that do not have to meet the Work Requirements (see next section)."

Thanks for any help! Links are greatly appreciated!!

Hi! I have not shared a ride with anyone other than my partner since March of 2020.

That said, my car is broken down and I need to travel 1.5 hrs each way for the day on Saturday for a civic engagement.

1)I can borrow my partner’s truck (he will be annoyed and I’m sort of scared to drive it and it takes a lot of gas)

2)A new acquaintance offered to car pool with me. She is disabled and definitely understands the masking stuff but the one time I saw her she did not wear her mask. She and her partner will be in the van.

I told her I don’t usually share rides but I appreciate the offer and will let her know if I think if any ideas.

I doubt they will offer to mask in the van and her partner has a beard I think. But they might.

I guess we could test but 3 metric tests are $75 which is more than gas.

I could wear my fit tested 6100 elastomeric in the van the whole way?? Zimi might work but since my household rule is generally not to share rides (closeup, high c02 etc) I’d not even broach anything but a p100 elastomeric.

Thanks for listening !! Ideas or pep talks or sense talked into me is welcome!

We need your help to try to follow the movement that Graham started - Here is the signature sheet for Troy Jackson, whose policies are very similar to Graham’s, please print it out and get as many signatures as you can!

Remember to show people where to sign their name, print it, put in the address that they are registered to vote at, town, and Zip Code. The grid lines print out very faint, which is an oversight by the MDP. Have a different form for each county. And they must be registered Democrats as of the primary day, which is says on the bottom of the form. You must also print these out double sided so the signatures on the reverse are not separated from the text on the front page.

I have the file but can't figure out how to attach it here so I put in this link, DM me if you have a better idea thanks!

https://mainedems.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/MDP-Candidate-Qualification-Rules-2026-2.pdf

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17ODrt8R3iQfXNDSomO17MNK_vXjM-GhjOoYHz_DTL8s/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.kwidhyz78psb

hi! We are in a heatwave (95F / 35C) and I do not have air conditioning. I have been doing all the tricks to keep him cool (frozen bottles wrapped in cloth on top of the cage and peepshed, refrigerated tile and terracotta hide in enclosure, fabric-wrapped ice pack against the tank, ceiling fan going, fan in front of a frozen water bottle aimed at the tank, all windows closed and shades pulled, rotating frozen stuff every couple of hours).

I have a question. Our basement is much cooler (65-73F / 18-22C) but it is dusty and musty. I have a dehumidifier and air filter but am not sure they would be enough to cancel out the bad air and stress of moving him down there for a few days. He's a sensitive flower and I try to keep him feeling emotionally secure but it's a trade off if it would be significantly safer. I am worried that the air down there is just not good and the stress of moving to a dank basement with mice and weird smells and noises would not be kind to him either.

Right now the room his cage is in is 80F/26C but his bed is 73F/22C with all of the mitigations I am performing. It might creep up a bit more but I'm not sure. 2 more days of this heat this week. I'm available to watch him and do the bottle switching all week if necessary but I'm nervous!

Any thoughts are welcome! Thank you. (Syrian male 11 months old)

It's come to my attention that I might be a highly masking autistic. I guess I used to mask and cope better before perimenopause hit so I was never diagnosed.

Does anyone have any recommendations for providers who can diagnose me as an adult and any tips?

I'm on Mainecare so I think I'll need a PCP referral.

I'm not even sure it's worth getting diagnosed but I figure it might be a good idea. Thanks.

It's come to my attention that I might be a highly functioning autistic. I guess I used to mask and cope better before perimenopause hit so I was never diagnosed.

Does anyone have any recommendations for providers who can diagnose me as an adult and any tips?

I'm on Mainecare so I think I'll need a PCP referral.

I'm not even sure it's worth getting diagnosed but I figure it might be a good idea. Thanks.

I just watched Victoria’s video on hamster demodex mites. Her vet told her that the mites can’t survive longer than 7-15 days without a host.

If one goes to a vet and gets ivermectin treatment for their hamster and puts them in a temporary hospital cage:

If Demodex mites can’t survive longer than a week without a host, couldn’t you in theory just leave the bedding in the old cage with no hamster for a couple of weeks while the hamster is in their quarantine cage and any that were in the old cage would die off? So you wouldn’t need to throw out all of the bedding? Thank you

I just watched Victoria’s video on mites.

If one goes to a vet and gets ivermectin treatment for their hamster and puts them in a temporary hospital cage:

If Demodex mites can’t survive longer than a week without a host, couldn’t you in theory just leave the bedding in the old cage with no hamster for a couple of weeks while the hamster is in their quarantine cage and any that were in the old cage would die off? So you wouldn’t need to throw out all of the bedding? Thank you

Hello, my name is Andréane Williams. I am a reporter at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Montréal. I am looking to speak, today, to people who had to return their certificates pending a review of their files.

The federal government has suddenly suspended a number of Canadian citizenship certificates issued to people around the world who became eligible for citizenship late last year.

In a notice emailed Saturday to an unknown number of people who successfully applied for and obtained citizenship certificates based on having a Canadian ancestor, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ordered them to return their certificates.

You can contact me by phone: +1 263 384 8606 or by email: andreane.williams@radio-canada.ca

Thank you!

My uncles and aunt and tons of cousins and cousin’s babies etc that I have not seen in over a decade are going to be vacationing nearby next month. I’d like to stop by and say hello but I want to give my uncle a heads up about our outdoor visit and N95s first to mitigate potential bullshit that might ensue.

Some of the uncles and cousins are apparently Trumpers. (Trump wasn’t a politician the last time I saw these people). I just want to say hello and have a nice visit but I’m sort of kicking myself that I told them I probably would. They’ve been trying to get me to visit for ages.

My own parents, who are liberal democrats give me crap for masking so it’s hard to imagine what I might run into with these folks.

I’m considering a brief email telling them I’m currently being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and my doctor is having us be really careful. It’s kind of hard to be an asshole around that right? Who knows.

I think this is especially weird for me because my uncle is the only family member who has actually wanted to see me in ages. He’s interested in talking shop with my metalworking partner. He’s a nice man who became very religious (Catholic) during a medical thing many years ago.

Any ideas? I don‘t mind lying to anyone about my reasons for masking (real reason, I actually do likely have an autoimmune disorder but I’m undiagnosed but mostly I just want to avoid bodily neurological and immune damage) and I doubt we’ll see any of them again but it’d be nice to have a pleasant experience. I’m not interested in educating anyone there about COVID or about authoritarianism. Just trying to exchange a brief outdoor visit without nastiness from either end.

Thank you very much

I know orange terracotta is safe but this stuff says it’s frost resistant and fired to higher temperatures. Not sure what oxides were used to get the color. (the granite one is probably titanium dioxide but who knows).

I‘m looking for something that will keep him cool and not condense water if I refrigerate it before putting it in his cage in hot days. I’m wondering if the high firing would make it more apt to condense.

thanks for any help!!