Three Square Meals Ch. 180 (Placeholder)
Added 2024-10-01 02:54:11 +0000 UTCHey everyone,
As you all predicted, I will need to post a placeholder for this month to keep the lights on.
I had been scheduled for surgery on the 25th, so I've been in and out of hospital having tests done for the pre-op assessment. Then I was bumped from the list as they are prioritising cancer patients who need emergency surgery (which is fair enough, but this is the third month in a row).
I know you're all beyond weary of the placeholders, so I'll try to get as many chapters as possible completed in October. I'd love to completely catch up again by the end of the year, but that seems wildly optimistic. I'll do my best to get as much written as possible.
Best wishes,
Tefler
Comments
To limit the number of times you can be charged per month before the end of the year to take care of that pesky second placeholder. Go to Membership -> Edit -> Payment Amount -> Set Monthly Limit and enter "1".
Tom Ray
2024-12-22 11:05:02 +0000 UTCI know it is a month late, but I agree. If you really cared about your lights, you would be catching up to what you owe us and people would return to the higher cost of membership instead of choosing the lowest which is all due to your own inabiity to meet your obligations. Big difference in 1 dollar a month and 5 dollars per person. I mean we never get ANY of the benefits from any of the higher tiers that are offered so why would any one go there any more?
Grandizer
2024-11-30 11:51:07 +0000 UTCYeah Michael, I have gotten his books 4 E-books in total, and that includes the first 2 soft-back books, .... And while I too have been told they hold changes and additions, ... I hadn't noted any, .... I must have missed them, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-10-30 02:24:00 +0000 UTCAre you mental just look how long it took starmer and his whore to get free stuff hundreds of thousands of free stuff never did you hear of sunak or boris doing that shit labour will never win another election after their start this year it’s absolutely disgusting that they will murder hundreds of old age pensioners whilst putting up immigrants in hotels it’s a joke he needs a small bit of lead to the head.
Jim lynch
2024-10-29 15:29:58 +0000 UTCNot a reply but a question to someone who is a die hard fan. Have you bought his books. If so, how do they differ from the original? Tefler did say they were probably going to have extra scenes and maybe some re-editing to help the flow.
Michael carney
2024-10-28 11:55:40 +0000 UTCThe national health system in the UK has been systematically and deliberately sabotaged by the Conservative Party every time they have been in power. The reason: they want to erode faith in the system and then push through privatization. If it were properly funded so that it could be fully staffed in accordance with need, it would work quite wonderfully. And honestly, I would prefer a relatively slow system to one that regularly bankrupts people and causes people to hesitate to get needed treatment because they can't afford it, leading to greater problems with communicable diseases in particular, as well as higher death rates from preventable causes.
Woodrobin
2024-10-26 10:32:17 +0000 UTC-- yeah, and it is disheartening to realize that one of this country's major political parties desperately wants the US to adopt a Healthcare System like the one in Great Britain, .... but not to take care of people's health, but to control the voters, .... it's sad, but we really do not need that ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-10-21 17:41:51 +0000 UTCWhat is really sad is I had the same surgery 10 years ago. It took about 12 hours for the doctors to diagnose my condition and remove my gallbladder. It cost me $1000 US for the surgery and it didn’t break me. As the law in the US states, the hospitals have to admit and treat anyone regardless of economic condition or legal status.
Rocketman
2024-10-21 03:21:08 +0000 UTC--- Gky is Angry and he/she is a potty-mouth, ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-10-20 16:06:11 +0000 UTCFuck your lights.
Gky
2024-10-17 23:10:47 +0000 UTCHey @Tefler ! Just put out shorter chapters until you’re caught up. Call these 1/2 Chapters full chapters and put out some commissioned artwork and side-story updates (Tamolith & the Kintark, Ass’Gillboy & the Brimorians, Tom Walker, Edraelle & Genthalas) That’ll eat up 5 placeholders, then focus on getting the main story back on track. By adding a ‘side’ story “Chapter” or commissioned artwork in each month along with what’s been released as 1/2 chapters, we’ll all be happy and TSM will be caught up in months rather than years. This will also avoid the need for placeholders as we can will all receive multiple products each month we’re all eager to purchase. On another note… ASK FOR HELP!!! Send out surveys, ask for submissions, take polls. . . Do some contests. TSM has some pretty die-hard fans, and we’re all willing to do our part to see the story continue. We all want to see TSM succeed and Tefler in good health , but I’d be willing to bet money that the tons of talent in the fanbase would be willing to pitch in or just participate to keep this account alive and active.
EroticPoetic
2024-10-17 18:31:13 +0000 UTCAnother way to put it: The NHS is a Healthcare Service, the American system is a Healthcare Industry! Because it was on my mind, I've just been on a bit of a Youtube deep dive of American's views on the NHS. I'm sure that to no surprise to any Brits, Youtube has tonnes of videos of American's who have actually used the NHS and without exception, in every video I could find, they all praise the NHS and in virtually every case, say that it is far superior to the US system. But don't just take my word for it, go to Youtube search for NHS American, click on a few of the results and see for yourself. If you are open minded and have not already come to a conclusion, then this might just change your views.
Unresolved Plots
2024-10-15 00:12:44 +0000 UTCRus, the kindest thing I can say about this is that it comes across as being written by someone who is a completely ignorant of the NHS and thinks they know about it by listening to Fox Propoganda (not news) talking points. I have to agree with Thunderbird on his point, to describe everyone in the UK having free health care as a human right from birth to death as unethical, I'm afraid could only be thought of this way by someone brainwashed into that view, because I don't believe you are morally corrupt and/or stupid! You are quite wrong about our NHS being 'basic' too, but don't take my word for it, watch this Letterman interview with Pre-President Trump in 2015 and pay special attention from the 6.18 to 7.08 mark were they both discuss medical treatment abroad and Trump praises verbatim "the great Dr's and great care" given to his friend for free while they were in...Scotland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXOBFoJridk&ab_channel=DavidLetterman
Unresolved Plots
2024-10-14 22:34:42 +0000 UTCComparing the UK healthcare with the American one is like comparing apples and Oranges.. Uk is non-profit. USA is for profit. I know where I want to get treatment.. The place where the surgeon is not competing with other surgeons, but trying to maintain a standard.
Myrnalin
2024-10-14 19:39:24 +0000 UTCNot prepared to put too much effort into undoing your anti socialist brainwashing. According to the "American journal of Medicine" health care expenses were the most common cause of bankruptcy in the United States in 2007, accounting for 62% of US bankruptcies The Suicides were anecdotal. However, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published an article linking debt to increased rates of suicide and poor health. As 19.8% of the population had medical debt ............................ Ask yourself why out of all the "developed" countries, only the US doesn't have some sort of guaranteed health care for all. NO! legally not being able to let people die in A and E doesn't count.
ThunderBird Two
2024-10-13 06:52:20 +0000 UTCOkay, there is only a 2 year difference in life expectancy, which can be attributed to climate, genetics, food choices, smoking habits... basically a plethora of things besides the health care system. Bottom line is Rationed Care is Unethical. And that system comes from the same Governmental officials who said you cannot go get food during covid and if you die, we will eventually find you. Standard of Living is 6.2% higher in the UK: BUT: that difference is more than offset by the fact we have to have a huge military to protect the rest of the world from aggressive nation/states. I don't see the UK gearing up for war with China, for example. As for going bankrupt over medical bills, the medical profession in the states will allow you to pay as little as $25 a month towards your bills. And if you are at the poverty line you don't have to pay at all. Commits suicide to not have their family burdened with medical bills? Ok, I call BS on that one. You got a CREDIBLE source for that? Really: All your arguments for justifying the unethical rationing of medical care are just not accurate nor do they justify it. The reason there are waiting lines of YEARS for serious medical conditions in the UK is because of a lack of medical professionals. The reason for a lack of medical professionals is because they cannot make a decent living practicing medicine because the government doesn't want to pay them what they are worth... they can do something else and make more money. Bottom line: If you want the most basic type of medical care, the UK system works for you. But, if you need a gall bladder removed or a stint in an artery, you can wait for a few years until they have time for you. Standard of living counts.
PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.
2024-10-12 17:13:10 +0000 UTCMy biggest problem with the place holders is the lack of flow with the story. The enjoyment is lost if you are continually waiting for the next instalment. Before these placeholders was bad enough, but you were still invested in the story. I would try and ignore the scroll bar getting closer to the end of the chapter. This last instalment I decided I couldn't be bothered trying to reconnect for a snippet. So I stupidly started from word one. Got as far as a little stowaways second feed and came to my senses realising I was about to disappear down the rabbit hole for two million plus words and neglect everything in my life for weeks. Money for placeholders, care factor of zero. As other people have said, you can always opt out, maybe return later. Picked up a book years ago, Amtrak Wars by Patrick Tilley, spent whole weekend barely leaving the couch. Year or so later, book two appears so read book one. When finally book six, the final one, was published read the complete set again. Meaning I read book one six times and so on. Good stories keep the readers, regardless of the time to reach completion. So endeth my book.
Michael carney
2024-10-11 17:12:12 +0000 UTCI doubt that it would cost a third less if it were funded adequately and private medical care is not an option if one does not have the money.
GreyManley
2024-10-09 17:47:35 +0000 UTCWhat I don't think people from countries that have a private healthcare system get is that if any UK government announced that they were going to scrap the NHS, there would be a revolution and they would be gone. That should tell you everything you need to know about it. Don't believe me, then ask any people you know from the UK. I'm confident that virtually all would give the same answer. The major problem that the NHS faces at the moment is that is has been deliberately massively underfunded and mismanaged for over 10 years by the last government, all with the aim of trying to destroy it by stealth, just so we can bring more private companies into it (which unfortunately this new government is planning to do anyway)!, because they can't dismantle it transparently, for the reason I gave in the first paragraph!
Unresolved Plots
2024-10-08 23:45:03 +0000 UTCYou are right it does (just like any system). But it costs a third less than the US system People on average live longer and are more healthy No one goes bankrupt from medical bills No one commits suicide to avoid their family going bankrupt from medical bills And you can always choose private medical care
ThunderBird Two
2024-10-08 05:50:48 +0000 UTC-- yeah, the UK's National Healthcare system has a number of shortcomings, .... progress in reverse, ... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-10-07 19:15:31 +0000 UTCI know how long it's been going on. And to compare someone with health problems with a scammer just show a the type of person you are. Why do you care so much about other people's $1. If you believe him to be scammer ... Stop. No one is forcing you to pay.
Arakasi
2024-10-03 05:58:01 +0000 UTCIt's not that it's a dollar. Telemarketer scammers do the same thing when they get your info. A dollar from a hundred people is $100. A dollar from 9,000 people is $9,000. It's not the fact that it's only a dollar from each individual person it's the fact that he still taking and continues to fail to deliver. Any other job would have fired him and taken him to jail at this point. Any publishing company would have dropped him more than a year ago when this crap started. You need to backtrack and see just how long this stuff has been going on before you try and call anybody but Tef a whiner.
Tyler Derkearmian
2024-10-03 05:34:11 +0000 UTCThe tragedy of the commons cannot be overcome by good intentions. In fact, they reveal humans generally do NOT have good intentions. Find a mirror and you won't like what you see. That goes double for me.
2ndAndrocentric
2024-10-02 19:59:10 +0000 UTCLove to laugh, no matter what side of this Tribe War, so thank you. That was creatively funny!
2ndAndrocentric
2024-10-02 19:57:33 +0000 UTCIf you could get a time machine and go to Cuba circa mid 1960's, my dad (RIP) would take out your gallbladder in our house while my mother assisted, my grandpa ran anesthesia and I watched. Modern medicine is being utterly drowned in bureaucratic crap...like most everything else. I semi retired a few years back. Now I'm just a paper pusher.
2ndAndrocentric
2024-10-02 19:55:52 +0000 UTCThere will be less grumbling if the placeholder backlog starts going down, not up. So far, the last several have been deliver 1 chapter and 2 placeholders. As long as he collects 2 charges for every 1 chapter delivered, grumbles will continue and amplify into complaints to Patreon in greater and greater numbers.
Woodrobin
2024-10-02 08:20:46 +0000 UTCNo, the NHS is supposed to be free for all, because that's the commonly decent thing to do, because it helps prevent the spread of contagious diseases, and because it lowers overall health costs if people get treated early rather than holding out until it's a life-threatening condition because they're afraid of going bankrupt. Under the Conservatives, efforts have consistently been made to undercut and underfund the NHS in order to build up support for privatized medicine (out of which the Tories can get huge kickbacks). This has resulted in the NHS not having the resources it needs to handle the amount of care it needs to provide. The idea is sound, but no idea is going to work perfectly when the people in charge spend years and years actively sabotaging it.
Woodrobin
2024-10-02 08:18:25 +0000 UTCTake care and hope you have a successfully surgery. And ignore all those whinging about the place holders. I don't like it either but life can't shut on you sometimes. That people can care about their $1 more than someone's health is....
Arakasi
2024-10-01 23:01:29 +0000 UTCBe realistic. You’re not going to catch up 10 chapters to get up to date. You need to stop the monthly placeholders until you catch up. Might be uncomfortable but you need to face facts.
Matthew Marrinan
2024-10-01 21:42:45 +0000 UTCAbsolutely!
MVFast
2024-10-01 17:31:10 +0000 UTCYeah, and Tef himself said as much, that catching up by the end of the year is optimistic, .... but wouldn't you rather have him working towards such a goal than not? I personally feel that his placeholders for future writings are just the Authors way of saying that he'll be around for a while, .... with more good stories, .... so, Yay! And I agree with you that a couple of TSM chapters each month would be awesome, .... ;-) ttfn
Michael56Smith
2024-10-01 14:17:16 +0000 UTCHealth. It is what it is. Catch up in three months? That might be optimistic but I’d guess there’ll be a lot less grumbling if we get at least two full chapters a month.
MVFast
2024-10-01 13:15:13 +0000 UTC🎉 Announcing the September Psychic Kyth’faren Predictions Contest Winners! 🎉 Fellow seers and soothsayers, the results are in, and it’s time to crown not one, but two Psychic Kyth’farens this month! After careful deliberation (and a generous helping of placeholders), we have our winners: 🏆 Congratulations to Hendrix Morton and Perry Carruthers! 🏆 Both Hendrix and Perry nailed their predictions with 2 placeholders and a medical excuse. While Hendrix leaned toward a family vacation and Perry gave us a fascinating (if a bit exaggerated) medical diagnosis, both had the general theme correct—and for that, we declare it a tie! Hendrix, you were spot on with the placeholders, and though the excuse wasn’t a vacation, the timing was impeccable! Perry, your creativity with the detailed medical condition was a masterpiece in itself—while Tefler didn’t quite suffer from the gallstone-induced apocalypse you predicted, he did deliver the medical excuse! 🎖 Honorable Mention: Michael Pritchett And now, for a special runner-up mention… Michael Pritchett! Your prediction that Tefler was “doing everything he can to get the chapters to us” must be true—surely—because, after all, we did get placeholders, and those take time, effort, and a bit of planning! So, while no new chapters arrived, we must all remain patient and courteous, as you so wisely suggested. 😉 Thank you to all our participants, and remember, the placeholders may continue, but so too does our Psychic Kyth’faren contest! Stay tuned for next month’s predictions—may your foresight guide you to victory!
Evilebob
2024-10-01 13:02:20 +0000 UTCthe UK health system is overworked and under funded and serving a huge popualtion, if you want free health care move Downunda...
B S
2024-10-01 12:50:13 +0000 UTCVery much looking forward to November monthly payments!
glenn kellogg
2024-10-01 07:10:57 +0000 UTCThought that "socialized medicine" was free and easy......
Keepit simple
2024-10-01 07:07:17 +0000 UTCEvery damn month. Man, I have loved this story. But this is absolutely ridiculous. For months now we have heard how you are going to catch up and every damn month you get further behind. At $9k per chapter and 2 placeholders for every 3/4 of a chapter we get. My honest opinion is that come November when you can't do this crap anymore you are gonna disappear when you are $100 per person behind
Mike Remaly
2024-10-01 04:13:12 +0000 UTCI just upped my membership. Glad I did.
Gregory A. Georgiou
2024-10-01 03:50:42 +0000 UTCAt over $9k per creation and you hit up 2 placeholders in as many days, where do you live that the “lights” cost that much?
Tim
2024-10-01 03:25:56 +0000 UTCPatreon shifts 100% to monthly support versus by creation
SP Rupert
2024-10-01 03:13:33 +0000 UTCApple store is canceling the ability to charge per release. Charges are only able to be monthly
Zachariah Beasley
2024-10-01 03:12:53 +0000 UTCWhat happens in November?
Rayce Royal
2024-10-01 03:08:17 +0000 UTCThe lord giveth...
Seth
2024-10-01 03:00:21 +0000 UTCHope you get the care that you need soon.
Johnkr
2024-10-01 02:59:07 +0000 UTCWhat are you going to do when Nov comes around and there will be no ability to make Placeholders?
Hendrix Morton
2024-10-01 02:56:13 +0000 UTCAaaand there it is
Akshay Anand
2024-10-01 02:55:49 +0000 UTC
