I read that Masahiko Kimura used to practice his O soto gari against a tree for hours on end. His O soto was known for concussing people and he was asked by a number of training partners not to use it in randoori so I'm interested in trying it. I realize this is probably a bit of a gimmick and not that useful, but still I want to try it. I'm planning to use some inner bike tubings (because a tree would probably shred my resistance bands).
I don't find many resources online talking about O soto gari training against a tree, probably because it's not that beneficial. The only video I found was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1a9knDBt54
Does anyone here have any experience/tips with this practice?

Hey guys, Marian from GitGud Racing here.
I know this post may come as self promotional, but I've invested thousands of hours so that I can make Sim Racing better place - in a way. So I couldn't figure a better place to showcase my work rather than here… where it feels at home. Thought it will be the easiest way to put my work onto your radar.
For around 5 years I've done hundreds of YouTube videos, as I was learning my ways, trying to put some good information out there. Last year I started working on a sim racing course with the goal to make it accessible, in-depth and providing practical drills and exercises that can make anyone improve. I've been coaching hundreds of drivers and that process made me discover effective ways to improve that I believe will work for anyone, regardless of skill level.
There are a lot of good alternatives out there: books, other courses, I'm mainly encouraging on picking up any resource that will speed up your learning process. It's going to be worth it most of the time.
I had a great time working on the course and I still plan to improve it more and more. Really trying to make it a good alternative to other well known courses out there which are a lot more expensive.. trying to provide great value and different angles for a fraction of the price for those that might not have deep pockets.
I'll leave here the link to my work for anyone interested.
Accelerate The Progress - GitGud Racing Course

Hello! I am planning a trip to Korea in October and want to get lip fillers there as well. I am very scared of the pain, I have heard that the fillers hurt no matter how long you leave the numbing cream on. I know here in the states, some doctors use dental blocks. Basically, inject lidocaine to make it pain-free. Is there any place anyone knows of in Seoul that does this? Or any place anyone recommends where they know have minimal pain practices?

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So, if you’re just joining us, I work at a haunted zoo now. Since I’ve gotten some rest, it feels like I’ve got my head on straight, at least, so I’d like to continue where I left off.
I sat on the floor in the office after meeting the ghost until I’d settled my rattled mind (and realized I’d forgotten to ask her name, how rude is that?). I took a deep breath and got up off the floor. Walking over and falling into the rolling chair in front of the large screen of camera views, when I brought up the camera that covered the area in which I’d spotted her, she was still there, and it seemed she hadn’t moved an inch.
Sitting there, at a loss, I continued to watch her. The ghost hung around for another five minutes or so, appearing to look at a few things off-screen, though I’m not sure what. Then she walked off into the forest and left the view of the cameras. I wasn’t sure if she vanished into the ether or if she’d gone looking into the trees to look for something.
But that wasn’t the end of the job interview, so let me jump back there. It continued into what kind of animals the zoo had, with Andrew asking me how much experience I had with dangerous animals.
I took a moment to consider the question. “So, ah…I’ve been going hunting and fishing with a neighbor since I was sixteen,” I told him. “We always have to keep an eye out for gators, bears, and hogs. Then there’s snakes, of course…snapping turtles… Since I’ve lived here my whole life and been aiming for a job with wildlife for a long time, I know a lot about the animals in Arkansas in general. But good advice for all of the above is avoid them, so I’ve had encounters, but I don’t know if you’d say I have experience with them.”
“That’s fine,” Andrew said, nodding. “That’s an answer I’m satisfied with. Now, the ghost was the appetizer, Ripley; here’s the main course. To start with, the pay isn’t twenty-five an hour. It’s fifty.”
Staring in shock for a moment, I asked, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. But that’d be weird to post online considering what applicants think we need, so I halved it.”
“That’s… Okay, why?”
“The animals are already here. You just can’t see them.”
I stared at him for a long moment, some disbelief worming its way into my expression, before saying, “Sorry, what?”
“There’s a chance you’d naturally never see them, or at least some of them,” he continued casually. “It depends on both your genetics and how long you stay on the job. I can naturally see six of them, but that’s it. Suzanne can see all of them, and more. Some are what people would label demons or ghosts. Or magic. Mostly you’d call them cryptids. The ghost was just a warm-up; I mentioned her first because it never takes more than a week to see her if you work the night shift. If you manage to handle her okay, soon you’ll be able to see the animals too. The more time you spend on the grounds, for weird reasons,” he said, wiggling his fingers in the direction of the back door, “the more you’ll be able to see.”
“So, this…this is a zoo for cryptids,” I echoed slowly. He nodded once, waiting to find out what kind of reaction I would have. I gestured vaguely around the room. “If this is a hidden camera show, will you cut me a check for showing up and participating?”
Andrew coughed out a chuckle and shook his head. “No joke. There are a ton of stories out there that have been written to death, pulverized until they’re not the Grimm stories of old and instead they’re Disney films. A lot of those stories come from what some humans have seen. There are dozens of other worlds pressed up against ours, and occasionally things come through by accident. If they’re smart, they’ll lay low and then make their way back when they can. If not, they become local folklore until someone helps them back. I’m just from London, but Suzanne is from somewhere else. She hires people like us for this zoo. Humans.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “That makes no sense. Why would she hire a muggle for a magic zoo?”
Andrew burst out laughing at that, and then waited to gather himself before he continued. “Fair point, but this is less about magic and more about animals, and you’re missing some information that will explain it. First of all, if I misjudge an employee, and they think they can make bank by outing the endangered and valuable animals we have, it’s easy to relocate the zoo.”
“Because magic?” I asked.
“Exactly,” he replied, ignoring the thread of skepticism in my tone. “That means it isn’t the end of the world if that happened, though it is a pain in the arse. But second…let me ask you a question. Speaking of reality shows, say the Discovery Channel put out a call to replace Steve Irwin when he passed. Imagine they had a line out the door,” he said with a gesture, “of people who thought they had the skill and natural talent to replace him, to take on everything he’d been doing his whole life. How many do you reckon would lose an arm, a leg, or their life, by the end of the day?”
My lips parted in surprise and I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re saying people from…wherever…they’re just as dumb as humans, but they’re worse, because they actually think they can handle these things.”
Andrew pointed the pen at me. “Things. Exactly. You called them things. Suzanne and her friends grew up with them and would call them animals. These animals have dispositions and temperaments that we’ve studied for as long as there have been scientists. Where Suzanne’s from, they know the weaknesses of these animals, and also they’re in enclosures here, even if you and I can’t see the walls because they’re invisible things called ‘wards’. If I hire someone who’s got magic on top of all that, they’ll have almost no instinctive fear.
“Everything here is nocturnal, and every one of them is a hunter. Some of these things? Humans see them and they pass out. Not that I want you passing out, but I need someone who is scared of these things, who knows to stay out of the enclosures no matter what. Not someone who thinks they can train them to do tricks, who gets close enough for them to grab a mouthful of hair and drown them. Once, we had a night shift manager injured, and once killed, because they didn’t take these animals seriously enough.”
Thinking back to the Sea World orca incident I knew he’d been referencing, I remembered wondering how someone at that level of her profession could be so careless as I watched the video on YouTube. It made sense when he explained it like that. I hesitated before mentally throwing my hands up and going all in. “So, why put this place here, then? If they’re endangered and also dangerous, why have a zoo at all instead of just a small reserve?”
He pursed his lips, looking disappointed in me. “Ripley. You know that already. You already said as much.”
Thinking back through our conversation, I said, “The rich humans who pay top dollar to see supernatural animals.”
“Not humans,” he told me. “But people, yes, and they are rich, and they’re making donations and spending their money on a ticket here because everything we have is endangered.”
“So…”
I just let my voice trail off and my mind started to drift. Andrew remained silent, letting me do so. There’s that thing people say, ‘I believe that you believe it,’ which is just a kinder way of saying, ‘Bullshit.’ Parents say it about closet monsters. Psychologists say it to people who say they’ve been abducted and probed by aliens. I wanted to say it to Andrew.
But I also wanted a job. If it meant working overnight at an empty zoo, that was fine. When it came down to it, especially when I took the tone of our conversation into account, this was a zoo specifically focused on preserving endangered ‘animals’, and it was allegedly doing important work. Also, if this turned out to be the real deal and I started seeing the animals, I would deal with it, just like I would deal with an enclosure that had a lion or tiger or gorilla. If it came with a ghost and invisible creatures, I really didn’t see what the difference was, if I couldn’t go in the enclosures either way.
On that note, I’d like you to imagine a kid who looks at a roller coaster, watching everyone screaming and grinning as they go up and down and all around and they’re like, ‘Heck, I could do that! That looks like a blast!’
Then they get on, the first drop hits, and they realize they’ve made a terrible mistake.
“All right,” I sighed. “I can’t say I’m going to turn down a job just because it’s going to be scary. Especially not one with this paycheck.”
Andrew smiled. “Awesome. There’s an adjustment process for anyone working here, similar to a dog that gets adopted, actually. I know the general guidelines of, ‘three days, three weeks, three months’ in terms of milestones, until they finally feel they’re where they’re supposed to be,” he told me, “and you can think of your time here along those lines. I really think you’re a great fit, and once you reach the milestone of working here for three months, I’ll officially consider you our new night shift guard. And I hope you’ll stay with us for many years.”
I nodded and smiled at the flattery of an employer wanting me to work a great job for them for a long time. I’d never had a dog, but those milestones were well-known among anyone who knew animals, especially dogs. The first three days, the dog is getting to know its new digs, exploring, and decompressing. At three weeks, they’ve gotten used to their environment and are starting to get comfortable with their surroundings and the routines of the humans they live with. By three months, they know the rules and follow them, they trust you, and they feel they are where they’re meant to be. I could only hope to be so lucky.
I saw the ghost two days ago and she has yet to make another appearance (for those who are curious, I asked, and her name is Leila), and I still hadn’t seen any animals. I did hear one, though, I feel compelled to note. A growling roar sounded from the lake on occasion, echoing across the vast zoo, sending a shiver down my spine. Whatever that animal was, it sounded gigantic.
Andrew said there was apparently a group that wanted to visit for a birthday and they were offering a huge donation, so he let me know they were making an exception and that this group would be walking through the park that night. That meant I’d be watching people watching animals that, as far as I could tell, weren’t there.
It was anticlimactic. Even the three people who came for the tour just looked like people, not like aliens or something eldritch from another dimension, and I stayed in the security office the whole time. Andrew was the one giving the tour. I watched them spend about five minutes at each enclosure, the hour or so that they were there passing without incident. It was clear that they were able to see all the animals, though, since they motioned excitedly at each enclosure and spoke to Andrew, who presumably answered any questions they had.
If they could see the animals, that was that. There was still that niggle in the back of my head, from my twenty-three years of life never encountering anything like ghosts or cryptids, telling me that this was ridiculous. Waiting for someone to knock on the door, a camera mounted on their shoulder, to tell me that it was a big joke and they wanted to see how long I’d play along. But from all I saw, this was a real place with real, invisible animals.
I do carry a taser and pepper spray in my capacity as a security guard. Though it isn’t for the animals, since they’re in the enclosures; they’re actually for the rare instance of a break-in. Andrew mentioned that it had happened several times it the past, someone trying to steal an animal in the hopes of selling it on the black market. They’d been successful before, but apparently my predecessor Roger was good at his job, and mostly they left in handcuffs.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of confrontation, but my job was to call Andrew and then confront the person, not kick their ass. That’s what the police were for, or rather, the people Andrew would call in lieu of police in certain situations.
Fifty bucks an hour. That’s the key here.
Andrew hadn’t set up direct deposit, since he was sticking with a strategy of waiting to see if I’d continue to work there once I found out myself dealing with the animals (I’ve decided I am going to just call them animals). Instead, I got an old-fashioned check after my shift every Friday. The number on the first check was delightful. I went out that evening and had a big dinner at the local diner, order my most expensive favorites on the menu and a big slice of pie for dessert.
When it came to the paychecks in general, though, I had this weird feeling of not wanting to tell my dad and brother about the fact that it was actually $50/hr. I previously mentioned that my dad, his name’s Nathan if you’re curious, works at a local grocery store. Our town has a couple food franchises, but I think its size is just short of whatever threshold Walmart uses to decide where to open. He earns $14/hr. and that’s after the tiny raises he’s gotten over the past thirteen years.
That’s not to say he’d feel bad about not making as much as me. On the contrary, he would be ecstatic for me and really proud. But, like me, he’d be suspicious. That hourly rate was the biggest hint that this was more than just a private zoo for cryptids. And as soon as that fat check cleared without problems, my dad wouldn’t be satisfied with reassurances; he’d want to come visit the zoo and look around.
I’d told him it’s a private preservation with scheduled (expensive) visits only and that it had only eleven animals, so he’d been appeased by me brushing off the idea of a visit. Also, I took a few photos of my workplace; one of the security room, one of me sitting in my chair, one photo of the many screens I watched, and a selfie where I was feigning sleep out of boredom, slouched in my chair with my mouth open in a faux snore. That let him feel like he knew where I was and what I was doing, and that I was safe.
But if I told him I was making double what he thought, my father would practically order me to quit. No job was worth my safety, he’d tell me. I was quite of the opposite opinion, however, considering how crucial any and all conservation efforts were these days. Especially with the steep extinction levels due to humans competing with other animals for space, not to mention climate change. Working in any job that helped preserve species and keep ecosystems in balance, or put them back in balance, was so important.
Then again, my father would also point out something I had realized right away: the fact was that I was working with endangered species that were not from Earth. I wasn’t helping my planet. To be honest, though…that didn’t matter to me. Especially after that talk with Andrew about why he hired a human for this job, I figured whichever dimension these animals came from had the equivalent of us, razing forests to the ground, clouding the planet with pollution, and leaving the animals with no avenue of recourse when yet more land was taken from them.
I really do hope to keep working here for a long time, though, and not just because of the money. I can’t help it; I want to know what these things were, and I want to work with them, to do the job of a zookeeper. The same way you go up to the chain-link fence to get close to a carnivore on the other side who thinks you’d make a nice afternoon snack. You just want to be closer to them, to experience that incredible, daunting feeling of being in their presence.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t long before I got what I wanted.
The day after we had the tour go through, I was doing my sweep when I saw the ghost again. She was sitting on a small boulder in the same area I’d seen her the first time, looking identical, blood covering the front of her slashed shirt, the wounds visible underneath. I stopped and stood there for a moment before I decided to raise my hand in a small wave.
The young woman cocked her head at me and raised a hand in the air in an imitation of my gesture, her expression showing a bit of curiosity.
She was low-key, seemingly not concerned with my presence, looking at me as a novel phenomenon in her world. I wondered what that world consisted of. Was she always here, sometimes visible and sometimes not? Or did she have another world next to ours, in the ether, where she left everything in this world behind and floated in her disembodied form? Did she still feel emotions? Was that really curiosity on her face, or was I projecting? Did she feel happiness? Fear? Did she have the option of moving on, or was she stuck here?
Many questions that I might never get the answers to. And that was assuming Andrew knew the answers, since I’d never met Suzanne Cooper and he hadn’t even mentioned that possibility. This place was clearly her baby, but I’m sure running it was a lot of work. Plus, if she was rich enough to own it, she was rich enough to have other businesses and charities to run.
When it comes to the enclosures, they’re all wrapped by a barrier of some kind, though never one that seems adequate. There was not a single place with the ugly metal weavings of a chain-link fence, and no stretches of circular razor wire. Instead, there are nice fences. Black iron, or wrought steel fencing in a similar style to the one circling the perimeter of the zoo, just shorter and with different patterns. Or a spaced picket fence, the wood stained in some tone of brown, or a split two-rail fence. As if to say, ‘This is the border of your enclosure, but we’re just letting you know out of courtesy.’
When I started to pass enclosure number seven last night, a young woman’s voice spoke, “Hello.”
I startled, unaware that I hadn’t been alone. “Oh. Hi,” I said, staring at her standing a few yards in.
She had been next to a large tree and I hadn’t seen her. This enclosure was behind a picket fence, and she walked through the large area of wild grasses and flowers that stretched across the other side of the fence. There were fewer tall grasses closer to the fence, which I guessed was because it had been tromped down by her regular pacing along it when there were visitors, or if she wanted to see the various enclosures of the zoo. Her sudden appearance was a bit weird, considering I had been expecting to see a cryptid and instead I was looking at, it seemed, an attractive Asian woman.
She wore a black kimono, the soft silk robe draped gently over her body, with beautiful patterns of cherry blossoms, more so over her left side, and red and blue birds with their wings spread. A sash wrapped around her abdomen, she wore socks and sandals on her feet, and her hair was up in those rolls that gave volume to the style.
I was no expert on any fashion, much less that of another country, so I just assumed it was all traditional Japanese clothing. Most likely, the visitors who came liked to see a certain time-honored style and that’s what she stuck with. Or maybe she played on stereotypes. That would be amusing.
“I’m Yui. It’s nice to meet you,” she spoke, arriving at the border of the fence and holding out a hand for me to shake.
I’d been standing about three yards away from her, and I’ll be honest, muscle memory tried to kick in. But I only made it two steps, my hand starting to rise, before I froze, the hand falling limply at my side. “Nice to meet you, too,” I answered, my voice quiet.
Damn. I wonder how many times that honey trap works back where she comes from.
The pleasant look on her face faded, and she lowered her hand. “You won’t shake hands with me? Isn’t that rude?”
“I mean, I kind of like my hand where it is. You know, attached to me.”
Her demure smile widened into something more amused. “I would never do something so revolting.”
Looking her up and down, as if more visual information would give me more knowledge of what she was, I asked her, “What would you do?”
“I would be less wasteful,” she said softly.
A finger of ice trailed down my spine, and I had the sudden image in my head of her grabbing my outstretched hand in an iron grip and yanking me over the fence, leaving me to sprawl on the ground. Then killing and consuming me efficiently, without a single careless step, the same way humans slaughtered pigs, using everything from the hog but the squeal. I was struck with a shiver at the idea of her consuming everything from me but my screams.
Slowly, I took one step further down the path, then another. Just as I got to a walking pace, though, I realized the woman had started walking too, in the same direction. I’d have eventually gotten to the end of her enclosure and keep going, leaving her behind, but she spoke up. “Are you leaving?”
I came to a stop, meeting her gaze again. “My job is to walk the zoo every hour. Then I’ll get back to the security room and stay there until my next walk.”
“Have you met the others yet?”
I hesitated before saying, “Just Leila.”
She blinked languidly. “That means nobody welcomed you here.”
“Andrew did.”
She didn’t reply to that. Instead, she slowly started to lean forward, and I flinched backward a few steps further as I saw insect legs start curling out from her back.
No. Not insect. Arachnid.
The eight legs ended in small ‘paws’ with tiny claws, a layer of hairs covering the leg from top to bottom, like any typical tarantula. I took two more slow steps back and my mouth went dry as the jointed legs just kept lengthening, until they were large enough to lever her off the ground.
My gaze had been on the spider legs, but my heart skipped a beat as I realized her human legs had melded together and turned into a bulging abdomen. Her skin was shifting to a carapace, eventually all the way up to her shoulders and down her arms, her fingers elongating and her nails stretching to claws. From there down, her body was that of a pale tarantula with pedipalps the size of my arms and piercing fangs in her jaws that looked like they could take my head off.
There was a moment, my vision blurring, where I was worried that I might piss myself. The part of my brain that still had its humor intact in that moment told me that I should keep an emergency set of clothes in my car, or at the very least, start wearing Depends to work.
“I show you my true form,” she said softly, her voice now raspy like an eighty-year-old after a lifelong smoking habit. “Welcome to Suzanne Cooper’s zoo. The night shift guard for many years was Roger, before he retired and the zoo moved, and I miss him dearly. What should I call you?”
I choked on my words. There was no way my throat was going to cooperate enough for me to clearly get a sentence out. Instead, I realized my legs had taken control of the situation themselves, unsatisfied with my conscious brain’s decision to stand and stare, taking steps backward. I backed up a yard, then five yards, then ten.
My mind focused on the fact that spiders don’t waste anything, and pictured my demise. I’d be wrapped in a cocoon, killed, and made nice and mushy before she had me for dinner.
The whole time, my brain was a frenzied mess, my pupils were probably the size of dimes, and I was staring at that tiny, pathetic fence between her and me. There was so much adrenaline pumping through my body that I felt like my bones were vibrating. The fence was, to my eyes, the only thing between us. The only thing keeping her from tackling and killing me. My only hope was that she’d do it quickly.
But she didn’t move. As I absorbed her innocent, polite words, the look on her face was calm, and I wondered if this was typically the way a conversation went before she devoured her prey. I wondered how many people she’d eaten. Not humans, not people from Earth, but the ones from where she came from. The fact that she doesn’t scare the shit out of those people means they’re staggeringly dumber than humans.
Finally, I rounded a corner, both relieved at having her out of my sight and worried that she would take that moment to come find me. When she’d been within eyeshot, I had at least known where she was and could run in the other direction. But I didn’t hear the sound of faint footsteps moving rapidly toward me. All was quiet, in that deep, smothering way that only an empty business in the middle of the night in small town America could be.
My hands trembling, I barely paid attention to anything but the confirmation that my surroundings were free of the colossal spider as I finally got back to the door. Grabbing the handle and letting my eyes dart around for about ten seconds and my ears prick for the slightest sound, I finally swiped my key card across the pad and went inside, shutting the door behind me and engaging the backup deadbolt.
Maybe that was why they had decided on keycards. If I was running from something and panicking, using an actual key or inserting the card like at a hotel would keep me from getting to safety considering my hands were shaking enough to mix a margarita.
Walking over to my chair, I fell into it, letting my body flush itself of terror as I looked up at the cameras. There she was, still in arachnid form, exactly where I’d left her behind that rinky-dink fence, casually looking around and slowly pacing back and forth. I stared at her as my racing heart gradually slowed, and a minute or so later she turned on her eight legs and walked back into the trees.
Whatever invisible fences the enclosures have apparently work, which is nice, because I wasn’t keen on getting killed by one of the creatures here. And that’s what brings me here, spilling out everything that’s happened so far. Because nearly passing out from terror isn’t something I wanted to deal with at work, obviously, but I keep going over what she did in my head again and again, and I feel like I reacted like a child who spotted a wolf spider on their bed. I started to worry for my overactive sense of self-preservation, at least in my capacity as an employee here.
The spider didn’t even try to hurt me, and so I was feeling a bit foolish. Even annoyed, actually, at the fact that I’d freaked out so hard and took off instead of trying to engage in at least basic conversation. I got the sense that she wasn’t at human-level intelligence, but I was never going to be able to hold any level of conversation with an alligator.
Sure, she did mention that she wouldn’t be so crass as to yank off my hand because she’d rather just have my entire corpse, but wouldn’t a wolf do the same if it was hungry? Wouldn’t any carnivore? Actually, they probably would’ve been satisfied with one of my hands. The fear here was from the fact that she turned into a giant spider. If she’d turned into Clifford, I would’ve reacted the same way, if not better than, meeting Leila.
With that, I decided I’m staying on the job. Considering how frustrated I can get with foolish people, it’s a bit hypocritical, and I’m being a bit of an idiot. But…there are definitely wards keeping them in their enclosures. Also, I signed up for creatures for another dimension, whether or not I believed in them at the time, and I will not let encountering my first one in an objectively boring way be the reason I quit.
The money is a factor, I’ll grant you. Of course it is. And I can’t spend it if I’m dead, but all signs point to surviving as long as I don’t do anything dumb. Also, yes, I’ll admit there’s a not-so-little voice in the back of my head that’s desperate to know what else is here. I never thought I’d do something like this, but finding out these things are real, I honestly do want to learn more about them.
Still, though, I decided to call Andrew at the end of my shift to ask if the pepper spray and taser I carried worked on a certain spider, as well as the other animals I’d yet to meet.
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/storiesbykaren

I finally have the budget for my very first MacBook, and I am choosing between a brand new MacBook Air M3 (16gb) and a used (around 150-300 cycle count) and I am so torn (virtually no price difference).
I don't want any regrets so hoping for some input on my specific concerns. Main considerations are:

• I'm a software developer, fairly new to the field and do mostly web and app development but hoping to get into mobile development and eventually some indie game development with Godot. I also dabble in video and photo editing.
  • I'm leaning towards the Pro in this aspect from multiple feedback I've read, BUT I've also seen and watched some people say the Air should mostly be enough.
• I'll be traveling with this (freelancing) + another laptop (for work) so I know my bag can get pretty heavy and travel might be 1-3x a week.
  • My work laptops have so far been at the 1.2-1.4kg range — I just found this out tonight, so color me surprised because I definitely thought they felt heavier in my bag (I'm a tiny girl, so that might be it), so I guess the MBP will feel much heavier to me. This makes me lean towards the Air.
• I have a PC at home, so the MacBook won't be my go-to for media consumption, but it's nice to have in case I'm away from home for weeks or so.
  • This makes me feel 50/50 since I know the Pro has better display and speakers, but it's not my primary device so I'm not sure it would be such a big deal.
• Bonus for me - like I said above, they're practically the same price now where I am, but:
  • M3 Air - getting this from the store will allow me to get it with a plan, and I could even wait out a few more months for the next price drop when they announce the M4 chips
  • M2 Pro - one big payout with a slight urgency since my country's Apple stores no longer sell them nor do they sell refurbs, and so I'm not sure how much longer the seller I know will be selling these nice units

I've been torn about this and debating and researching for months but I am still yo-yoing back and forth between the two; one day I'm set on the MBP, the next the Air feels enough for me (especially after I found out that the M3 Air now supports an additional external monitor, which would be useful while docked at home).
Was anyone in the same boat as me and ended up with a purchase they're happy with or are regretting? TIA

She said she had her entire life planned, since she was a little kid it was meant to go this specific way. She would go to middle school here and then hugh school there and then get this job and life in New York and be a lawyer. She said that's how it was meant to be. She didn't, it never happened. Somewhere or othe the plan fell from its silver tipped glory into the waxy murky depths of "whatevers next." That's where I've lived for a very long time, not quite drowning because I was built for the sea, not quite living because no one should ever be alone. The last time I truly expected life to go as I thought it would was when I was a little boy, me and him were meant to go to Mars where we would be brothers and kings in a land where there was no school and infinite ice cream. I didn't, it never happened. So I've been slowly drowning in whatevers next for a very long time. And then she came and pulled me out of my ocean and told me just how it was meant to go as she pulls her fingers through my hair and looks me straight into my brightening eyes, then she glances to the side almost as if she were guilty that her origional plan didn't include me. Her origional plan didn't include drowning. Maybe if she had wished a little harder for what she wanted and I had wished a little less hard not to be lonely then it could've worked out. Maybe in a few years she would have been walking down the street in Manhattan and she would have been exactly what she wanted to be and I would have been drowning around in circles and she would see me and think "that boy has very sad eyes" and then later when she tries to remember the color of those eyes she realizes she can't. And I wouldnt miss her because I would be missing everyone. It is so lovely that the world ruins plans.

I just finished my junior year undergrad at UNE's Biddeford campus, and plan on applying to their dental school this cycle. I am from Maine (in state applicant) these are some of my stats:

• GPA: 3.88
• DAT: taking DAT in July, projected to get a 21AA
• Shadowing: 100 hours (I have shadowed every specialty including GD)
• Volunteering: 100+ hours
• Dental assisting: 800+ hours of working as a dental assistant in Portland, ME
• EC: Founder and president UNE Oral Health Awareness Club, summer orientation leader, treasurer of Humanities club, animal behavior research experience. I also run a small engine repair business as well as a landscaping business.
• LOR: UNE pre-health committee letter, 2 science faculty, one from a dentist I worked with, and another from a hygienist I worked with.
  I really want to stay in Maine and practice here so I hope to go to UNE. What are my chances of getting in?
  

Hi all, I thought I should post an update to my PAO recovery since many of you were very helpful in the weeks leading up to surgery. I am 17 (female) and got a PAO on my right hip. I was admitted and operated on Friday and was discharged Monday evening. I was nervous leading up to it, but since it was an early morning surgery, I didn’t have much time to spiral. The best part is that the drugs knock you out so the worst is over quickly. So when I woke up I didn’t need to worry about the surgery, it just happened and now then I needed to deal with the recovery. I was surprisingly in good spirits, but I don’t remember much from the first night. I did throw up above five times and did not eat a thing until the next day. I wasn’t in too much pain thanks to the nurses who were really kind and caring. The night time nurses were a bit abrupt however. I needed to change positions every few hours and the night nurses did it rather violently and did not seem to care much when I specified what hurt.
That was the first night. They made me walk the next afternoon which was terrible. The drugs made me lightheaded and I only walked about ten steps and then fell asleep once I was back in bed. They made me get up a second time later in the day and it was much better. I didn’t go any further, but I didn’t feel dizzy and I was able to stay awake once I was back in bed.
On Sunday, so the second night, they took out my catheter, the drain leading from my hip, all the monitors and the IV. Some friends visited and I was a lot more comfortable with my pain levels.
On Monday, after the third night, they prepared to discharge me. I had to pass the stairs test and actually did more than the physio expected of me. I practiced going to the bathroom multiple times, got my X-rays, talked to a resident and went over my medication plan. A really kind nurse washed my hair and helped me take a sponge bath and change my clothes. Then I was cleared to leave.
Back at home I wished I was in the hospital just one more night. It was a little scary doing everything with just the help of my parents, but I survived and was much more comfortable in my own bed. I am taking less medication than what was prescribed and I think I am progressing a good amount each day. Even if the progress is that I can squeeze my abs for three seconds longer than the day before.
If you’re still reading here, thanks I know this is long, but if anyone has questions I’m happy to answer or post more updates as time goes on. Overall, I would say the hospital team really contributed to how I feel, I can’t stress how kind the nurses were. I would also say that a lot of my worries have been eased mostly just because the surgery has happened, which would be the best advice I would give someone who is stressed about their upcoming surgery.
Anywaysssssss that’s all!!!!

Company I work for often plans a factory shutdown for the last week in December. Thing is, they force us to use any PTO or sick time to cover it and place the responsibility on us to plan in advance during the year. Most other jobs I've had just work during the last week on a skeleton crew and give folks the option to work or take time off depending on their needs. Is this a common practice in manufacturing or they an outlier?

We provide online Ice Hockey links at https://en.xemthethao.live/nhl-home.html . Below are some of the main matches today, May 15, 2024
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NHL (USA)

Dallas Stars - Colorado Avalanche
01:00 - ( Europe/London/Lisbon/Dublin/Edinburgh ) Date : Thursday - May 16, 2024
02:00 - ( Europe/Madrid/Rome/Berlin/Paris/Vienna/Brussels/Amsterdam/Prague/Stockholm/Vienna/Zurich ) Date : Thursday - May 16, 2024
20:00 - Eastern Daylight Time ( America/New_York ) Date : Wednesday - May 15, 2024
19:00 - Central Daylight Time ( America/Chicago ) Date : Wednesday - May 15, 2024
18:00 - Mountain Daylight Time ( America/Denver ) Date : Wednesday - May 15, 2024
17:00 - Pacific Daylight Time ( America/Los_Angeles ) Date : Wednesday - May 15, 2024
https://en.xemthethao.live/hockey/usa/nhl/nhl-match/dallas-stars-vs-colorado-avalanche/363946/overview/List of live stream links for Ice Hockey National Hockey League (NHL) ...May 15, 2024
We provide online Ice Hockey links at https://en.xemthethao.live/nhl-home.html . Below are some of the main matches today, May 15, 2024
If you find it useful, please give me an upvote or downvote or share. Thank you.

How likely for her to succeed in her demands? Son's mother relocated >50 miles away. Wants to change school district and reduce my physical custody from 50% to something less, weekends holidays and summer for 6 year old son in kindergarten special ed. She also wants to force me to pay for 'best interest evaluation' by quack psychologist. I looked up this psychologist and he has had public reprimanded by his licensing board for past expert testimony for his biased testimony. Also has numerous reviews warning of his shady practice. Apparently a part of his evaluation is includes your sexual practices.
After years of fighting and $40K in legal fees on my side (in addition to her side), I was able to get her to agree to to equal shared custody. This was from her initial demands for sole custody. She demanded to remove conditions regarding geographic limitations but assured me that she wasn't planning on moving, but didn't know what the future holds. Immediately after she announced her plans to move in the future and advised me I couldn't stop her.
I talked to my lawyer but we didn't do anything at the time because she hadn't done anything yet. Fast forward a few years later and she moved in with her boyfriend. She is demanding to change his school district.
My school district is superior ratings. My 6 year old son is in kindergarten and is in special ed for disabled children and receives speech therapy. He has been in the school district since 2020 for pre school receiving free services for his delays. He also was simultaneously in goddard school daycare and private school full time until kindergarten since 2019.
She attempted to remove him from public school and special ed until court decision regarding move and put him into goddard private kindergarten. I refused because that made no sense.
She has a court motion making all kinds of accusations. One is my refusal to communicate, work with, and pay her expert witness and demanding to compel me to pay for a 'best interest' evaluation with a quack psychologist. As mentioned above he has been reprimanded for his biased expert testimony
Can she actually successfully have the court force me to pay for this 'best interest' evaluation from a quack after having half custody for my son for closing in on 4 years now?

The Emirates Standardized Test (EmSAT) is a vital assessment for students in the UAE, testing their proficiency in English, mathematics, and other core subjects. To excel in this important test, students often turn to specialized preparation resources like Amourion. In this article, we will delve into the world of EmSAT students in the UAE and how they can benefit from EmSAT Classes, Courses, and Exam Preparation services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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OTA capability enhances introduction of new assays from rapidly expanding menu
ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / May 15, 2024 / Zomedica Corp. (NYSE American:ZOM) ("Zomedica" or the "Company"), a veterinary health company offering point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic products for equine and companion animals, today announced the launch of Over-the-Air ("OTA") software and firmware update capabilities for its TRUFORMA point-of-care diagnostic platform.
"We recognized the need to deliver software and firmware updates remotely early in the TRUFORMA development," said Evan St. Peter, Vice President of Technology Innovation at Zomedica. "Following our 2023 acquisition of Qorvo Biotechnologies and the growth of the TRUFORMA product line with recent assay launches, the timing for adding this capability is ideal. We're excited to harness OTA updates to enable rapid deployment of new assays and deliver new features and customer experiences on the TRUFORMA platform."
OTA updates will be delivered via Zomedica's myZomedica^® cloud customer experience and Internet-of-Things (IoT) platform. OTA capabilities streamline the software update process for both Zomedica and its customers. When a new software update is available, customers will be notified on their device and can apply the update with the push of a button. The myZomedica global OTA service includes best practices capabilities for staged deployments to ensure software update resiliency.
"The release of TRUFORMA OTA software update capabilities demonstrates Zomedica's dedication to accelerating delivery of highly beneficial assays on the TRUFORMA diagnostic platform," said Larry Heaton, Chief Executive Officer of Zomedica. "These capabilities further reduce barriers for customer adoption of newly launched assays, provide an efficient means of delivering timely enhancements for existing assays, and free up our salespeople from performing manual upgrades."
About Zomedica
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zomedica (NYSE American: ZOM) is a veterinary health company creating products for horses, dogs, and cats by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. Zomedica's product portfolio includes innovative diagnostics and medical devices that emphasize patient health and practice health. Zomedica's mission is to provide veterinarians the opportunity to increase productivity and grow revenue while better serving the animals in their care. For more information, visit www.zomedica.com.
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include statements relating to our expectations regarding future results. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, including assumptions with respect to economic growth, demand for the Company's products, the Company's ability to produce and sell its products, sufficiency of our budgeted capital and operating expenditures, the satisfaction by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, our ability to realize upon our business plans and cost control efforts and the impact of COVID-19 on our business, results and financial condition.
Our forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the outcome of clinical studies, the application of generally accepted accounting principles, which are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments, uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; uncertainty as to the timing and results of development work and verification and validation studies; uncertainty as to the timing and results of commercialization efforts, as well as the cost of commercialization efforts, including the cost to develop an internal sales force and manage our growth; uncertainty as to our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; uncertainty as to our ability to supply products in response to customer demand; uncertainty as to the likelihood and timing of any required regulatory approvals, and the availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; veterinary acceptance of our products; competition from related products; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships; performance by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, including product manufacturing obligations; risks pertaining to permits and licensing, intellectual property infringement risks, risks relating to any required clinical trials and regulatory approvals, risks relating to the safety and efficacy of our products, the use of our products, intellectual property protection, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact upon our business operations generally, including our ability to develop and commercialize our products, and the other risk factors disclosed in our filings with the SEC and under our profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Investor Relations Contact:
Zomedica Investor Relations [investors@zomedica.com](mailto:investors@zomedica.com) 1-734-369-2555
SOURCE: Zomedica Corp.
View the original press release on accesswire.com

Quality Assurance (QA) plays a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability, functionality, and user satisfaction of products in the dynamic landscape of product development. A comprehensive QA strategy is essential to preemptively address potential issues and deliver products that meet or exceed customer expectations. Here’s a guide to developing a robust QA strategy to enhance product quality throughout the development lifecycle.

1. Understanding Product Requirements: Before initiating QA activities, it’s crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the product’s requirements, objectives, and the anticipated end-user experience. Collaborating closely with stakeholders and subject matter experts ensures that the QA strategy aligns with the product’s overarching goals and user expectations.
   
2. Test Planning and Documentation: Developing a structured test plan is essential for systematically identifying and addressing potential quality issues. Clear and detailed test cases, encompassing functional, performance, security, and usability aspects, serve as a roadmap for the QA team, ensuring thorough test coverage and adherence to product requirements.
   
3. Automation Integration: Incorporating automated testing into the QA strategy significantly enhances efficiency and test coverage. Identifying opportunities for test automation, such as regression testing, load testing, and UI testing, allows for swift identification of defects, accelerates the testing process, and facilitates continuous integration and deployment.
   
4. Performance Testing: Ensuring that the product performs optimally under various load conditions is integral to a comprehensive QA strategy. Performance testing, including load testing and stress testing, identifies potential bottlenecks and vulnerabilities, ultimately contributing to a seamless user experience and product stability.
   
5. Defect Management and Reporting: Establishing a robust defect management process, including efficient bug tracking, classification, and resolution, is fundamental in ensuring that identified issues are promptly addressed and documented. Clear and concise reporting mechanisms facilitate transparent communication and enable stakeholders to make informed decisions based on the QA team’s findings.
   
6. Continuous Improvement: Adopting a culture of continuous improvement within the QA strategy fosters innovation and adaptability. Regular retrospectives, feedback loops, and post-release analysis inform future iterations, enabling proactive identification and mitigation of recurring issues, thereby enhancing overall product quality.
   

Conclusion A comprehensive QA strategy is indispensable for maintaining high product quality and customer satisfaction. By integrating meticulous test planning, automation, performance testing, and continuous improvement practices, organizations can establish a solid foundation for the efficient identification, resolution, and prevention of quality issues, ultimately delivering exceptional products that meet and exceed user expectations.
Incorporating these fundamental aspects into the QA strategy not only fortifies the product development process but also enhances overall customer satisfaction, instilling confidence in the product’s reliability and functionality.
Elevate your career in quality assurance with Get Software Service’s comprehensive Online QA Training program. Our meticulously crafted curriculum encompasses the latest industry practices, hands-on experience, and real-world case studies, ensuring that you’re equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the dynamic field of QA. Led by seasoned professionals, our online training offers the flexibility to learn at your own pace while providing interactive sessions and mentorship to foster a deep understanding of QA methodologies, test automation, defect management, and more. Join us to gain a competitive edge and elevate your expertise in quality assurance.

Lesson Plan: Exploring Cultural Celebrations Across Holidays
Objective: Students will gain an understanding of various cultural celebrations, exploring the unique traditions, symbols, and practices associated with Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, Chinese New Year, Boxing Day, Ganna, Oshogatsu, and Global Celebrations. They will appreciate the cultural significance and diversity of these holidays while finding creative ways to express their own cultural heritage through writing and creative activities.
Day 1: Introduction and Research (1 hour)

1. Opening Activity: Holiday Icebreaker (15 minutes)
   
   • Start with a brief discussion about students' favorite holiday traditions.
   • Share a few diverse traditions from different cultures to pique interest.
2. Introduction to Holidays (15 minutes)
   
   • Provide an overview of the ten holidays, briefly explaining their cultural and religious significance.
   • Discuss the importance of cultural diversity and understanding in today's global society.
3. Research Activity (30 minutes)
   
   • Assign each student a holiday to research. Provide resources (books, articles, websites) for them to explore.
   • Instruct them to focus on key elements such as symbols, traditions, rituals, and historical background.
4. Group Discussion (15 minutes)
   
   • Students share their findings in small groups, discussing the uniqueness of each holiday and what aspects resonate with them.

Day 2: Creative Expression and Writing (1 hour)

1. Reflection and Discussion (15 minutes)
   
   • Begin with a brief reflection on the previous day's research.
   • Discuss what aspects of the holidays students found most intriguing or surprising.
2. Creative Writing Exercise (30 minutes)
   
   • Encourage students to choose one holiday and write a short story or poem inspired by its traditions.
   • Emphasize the use of descriptive language to capture the cultural richness and significance.
3. Sharing and Peer Review (15 minutes)
   
   • Students share their creative writing pieces with a partner or small group.
   • Encourage constructive feedback, focusing on how well the cultural aspects are conveyed.
4. Expressing Personal Culture (15 minutes)
   
   • Discuss the importance of expressing one's own cultural heritage.
   • Assign a short homework task: Write about a personal cultural tradition or celebration that is meaningful to them.

Day 3: Presentations and Reflection (1 hour)

1. Individual Presentations (30 minutes)
   
   • Students present their personal cultural writing assignments to the class.
   • Encourage the use of visuals, artifacts, or personal stories to enhance presentations.
2. Group Activity: Cultural Exchange (20 minutes)
   
   • Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a holiday different from the one they researched.
   • Instruct them to discuss similarities, differences, and potential cross-cultural influences.
3. Reflection and Closing (10 minutes)
   
   • Lead a class discussion on the broader themes of cultural appreciation and understanding.
   • Encourage students to reflect on what they've learned and how they can apply this understanding in their lives.

Assessment: - Research participation and group discussions (Day 1) - Creative writing piece (Day 2) - Presentation and cultural exchange activity (Day 3)
Homework: - Reflect on the cultural exchange activity and write a short paragraph about one interesting aspect learned from another group's holiday.
Additional Notes: - Encourage students to use a variety of resources for research, including books, articles, and interviews with individuals who celebrate these holidays. - Foster an open and respectful environment for discussing cultural differences and similarities. - Emphasize the importance of empathy and understanding when exploring diverse traditions.

We are getting to the end of a very exciting campaign, with a party of 6 level 10 adventurers entering the Spire of Iriolarthas coming up this Saturday. Avarice is currently holed up in the Skydock Spire with her gang of cultists, gargoyles and an ice devil. Dzaan is with the party under false pretenses and plans to snatch up Iriolarthas's spellbook and the Staff of Power once they reach the study. If he gets away with it, he plans on pocketing the spellbook and giving Avarice the staff. My guess is that her plan is to use the staff on the obelisk and turn back time to before Levistus became imprisoned by Asmodeus.
What do yall think that would look like, should it happen? I haven't been able to find when exactly Levistus ends up in his icy jail, but it looks like it was a looong time ago. If Avarice does go back in time, how would that affect the current situation with Auril? (Who is also in Ythryn with a pretty decent army of her own)...
I'm guessing the party will most likely either stop Dzaan or Avarice, but I'd just like to have something prepared in case they don't.
Thanks in advance! This community has been such a blessing throughout the campaign! Much love!!