I smoked cigarettes in my 20s and loved it, but quit because I knew it was bad for me. It was no problem for me to quit. Now I’m in my 40s (F) and would love to smoke once in a while. I don’t have any other vices: don’t drink alcohol, don’t eat junk food, no drugs, etc. Is there any way to smoke occasionally without putting my health at risk? i.e., are some cigarettes less dangerous than others; can I do it once a week; etc? Any thoughts?

Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.

DAY: MAY 17, 2024

• 5-17-2024NEW DATA OUTLINE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF ENDURANCE EXERCISE TRAINING Treadmill training, a form of endurance exercise, was found to be highly effective “with robust improvements in skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity in as little as [one to two] weeks, and improvements in maximum run speed and maximal uptake by [four to eight] weeks.” The full effect of endurance exercise training was previously unexplained until this study. Researchers sought to develop and implement a standardized endurance exercise protocol in more than 340 rats participating in progressive treadmill training five days a week for one, two,
• 5-17-2024CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT FROM SPOUSE MAY DECREASE WELL-BEING FOR SOME PEOPLE As people age, they often need assistance from their spouse or partner to manage their health problems. Though research has examined the emotional and psychological effects that this support has on the caregiver, less research has been conducted on how it affects care recipients
• 5-17-2024WHEN DEPRESSION MEDS DON’T WORK, THIS MAY HELP YOU TURN THE CORNER Some 30 to 40% of patients do not respond to medications for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but half of them could be helped by a noninvasive in-office procedure. To mark National Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we talk to psychiatrist Katherine Scangos, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Neuromodulation Program at UC San Francisco. TMS is a logical next step for many patients with an inadequate response to standard
• 5-17-2024CAN OXYTOCIN HELP AGAINST LONELINESS? FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL Loneliness is not a disease. And yet it is a significant health problem. Depression, heart disease or dementia—people who are permanently lonely have a higher risk of becoming ill. The team led by Dr. Jana Lieberz have investigated how loneliness can be specifically combated.
• 5-17-2024STUDY FINDS ANTIOXIDANT DIETARY SUPPLEMENT MAY HELP COUNTER SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS Oxidative stress is known to exacerbate fibrosis and autoimmunity. In a new study, researchers from Japan have investigated the effects of a dietary antioxidant supplement—Twendee X—on oxidative stress and fibrosis in a mouse model of SSc, an intractable autoimmune disease. Given its effectiveness in other oxidative stress-related diseases including dementia, Twendee X holds the promise of being an effective antioxidant therapeutic against SSc.
• 5-17-2024AUTISTIC PEOPLE’S FEELINGS MOSTLY MISREAD—EMPATHY WORKS BOTH WAYS, RESEARCH REVEALS The idea that autistic people lack empathy is simply short-sighted and non-autistic people may find it just as hard to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, a study suggests. A paper in the journal Autism flips the script on the often-said stereotype that autistic people have difficulty imagining how others feel. Participants shown video clips featuring autistic and non-autistic people retelling emotional events revealed people without autism find it significantly harder to track autistic people’s emotions. It also revealed people felt emotions more intensely in the body
• 5-17-2024STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AIR POLLUTION PROMOTES INFLAMMATION IN THE BRAIN, ACCELERATING CONSEQUENCES FOR DEMENTIA Results from a new study suggest that long-term exposure to air pollution leads to increased risk in dementia in Denmark. “We also find association with noise, but this seems to be explained by air pollution primarily.
• 5-17-2024STUDY SHOWS AEROBIC EXERCISE PERFORMED IN THE EVENING BENEFITS ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVES MORE THAN MORNING EXERCISE Aerobic training is known to regulate blood pressure more effectively when practiced in the evening than in the morning. Researchers who conducted a study of elderly patients at the University of São Paulo’s School of Physical Education and Sports (EEFE-USP) in Brazil concluded that evening exercise is better for blood pressure regulation thanks to improved cardiovascular control by the autonomic nervous system via a mechanism known as baroreflex sensitivity.
• 5-17-2024A LONG-TERM KETOGENIC DIET ACCUMULATES AGED CELLS IN NORMAL TISSUES, NEW STUDY SHOWS A strict “keto-friendly” diet popular for weight loss and diabetes, depending on both the diet and individual, might not be all that friendly. A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) found that a continuous long-term ketogenic diet may induce senescence, or aged, cells in normal tissues, with effects on heart and kidney function in particular.
• 5-17-2024US TEEN DIED AFTER DOING SPICY CHIP CHALLENGE: AUTOPSY A US teenager died of cardiac arrest after taking part in a social media challenge daring people to eat a single extremely hot tortilla chip, an autopsy revealed Thursday. Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old from Massachusetts, died in September after taking part in the so-called “One Chip Challenge”—which involved a single chip produced by Paqui, dusted with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers. The dare has manifested in several iterations over the years, with the peppers changing each time. The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest
• 5-17-2024IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR SUMMER SLEEPAWAY CAMP? Sleepaway camp can be a lot of fun for kids, but only if they’re ready for the experience. And that’s the tough part—figuring out as a parent when a child is ready to stay away from home, and what they’ll need while they’re at camp, said Dr. Laurel Williams, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. A child who can stay one night away from their family might be ready for camp
• 5-17-2024FDA APPROVES NEW DRUG FOR DEADLY LUNG CANCER
• 5-17-2024ANTI-DIABETIC TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED RISK OF DEVELOPING BLOOD CANCER
• 5-17-2024HOW THE DANGEROUS LIVER DISEASE SPREADS AND HOW IT CAN BE TREATED Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It is the way the liver responds to various injuries or harmful agents.
• 5-17-2024CLINICIANS REPORT SUCCESS WITH FIRST TEST OF DRUG IN A PATIENT WITH LIFE-THREATENING BLOOD CLOTTING DISORDER
• 5-17-2024RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPS NEW AI TOOL TO HELP CLASSIFY BRAIN TUMORS
• 5-17-2024ENGLISH FISHING VILLAGE TOLD TO BOIL WATER AFTER A PARASITE OUTBREAK SICKENS OVER 45 PEOPLE
• 5-17-2024TICK SEASON HAS ARRIVED. PROTECT YOURSELF WITH THESE TIPS
• 5-17-2024ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE FUTURE OF SURGERY
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHER DISCOVERS DRUG THAT MAY DELAY ONSET OF ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND TREAT HYDROCEPHALUS
• 5-17-2024KEY PROTEIN BEHIND BRAIN ASYMMETRY UNCOVERED BY SCIENTISTS
• 5-17-2024CELL TYPES AND MOLECULES USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES FOUND TO BE NORMAL COMPONENTS OF GUT IMMUNITY
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS REVEAL MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENT DONOR ARTERIES FOR CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING
• 5-17-2024LIMITING CERTAIN LIGHT EXPOSURE HAS POTENTIAL TO PREVENT INHERITED RETINAL DYSTROPHY
• 5-17-2024STUDY REVEALS THAT THE BRAIN MODULATES VISUAL SIGNALS ACCORDING TO INTERNAL STATES
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS MAKE STRIDES IN MICROBIOME-BASED CANCER THERAPIES VIA IRON DEPRIVATION IN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT
• 5-17-2024STUDY OPENS THE DOOR TO DESIGNING THERAPIES TO IMPROVE LUNG DEVELOPMENT IN GROWTH-RESTRICTED FETUSES
• 5-17-2024WASTEWATER REVEALS SOCIOECONOMIC LINK TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
• 5-17-2024A MULTIFACED BRAIN MAP OF RHESUS MONKEY
• 5-17-2024MORE LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES OCCUR AFTER FLOODS, STUDY SHOWS
• 5-17-2024RESEARCH FINDS THE PROTEIN VISTA DIRECTLY BLOCKS T CELLS FROM FUNCTIONING IN IMMUNOTHERAPY
• 5-17-2024GUT BACTERIA ENHANCE CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY IN MOUSE STUDY
• 5-17-2024NEW IMAGING SOFTWARE IMPROVES LUNG DIAGNOSIS FOR 30% OF PATIENTS WHO CAN’T TOLERATE CONTRAST DYE
• 5-17-2024BLACK ADULTS AT RISK FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE LIVE IN MORE POLLUTED AREAS, STUDY FINDS
• 5-17-2024STUDY SUGGESTS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE UNLIKELY TO MOVE FROM ANIMALS TO PEOPLE
• 5-17-2024BARRETT’S ESOPHAGUS PRECEDES ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, BUT NOT ALL PATIENTS NEED ABNORMAL CELL REMOVAL
• 5-17-2024THE NEURAL SIGNATURE OF SUBJECTIVE DISGUST COULD APPLY TO BOTH SENSORY AND SOCIO-MORAL EXPERIENCES
• 5-17-2024NEW BLOOD TEST FOR STROKE DETECTION COMBINES BLOOD-BASED BIOMARKERS WITH A CLINICAL SCORE
• 5-17-2024WEB-BASED SELF-HELP INTERVENTION FOUND TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR BINGE EATING DISORDER
• 5-17-2024MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE SIGNS BILL REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE COACHES
• 5-17-2024NEW TECHNIQUE TO FREEZE BRAIN TISSUE WITHOUT HARM
• 5-17-2024STUDY UNCOVERS KEY FACTORS FOR RESILIENCE AFTER TRAUMA
• 5-17-2024SCAFFOLDING SENSORS DETECT EARLY EVIDENCE OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT REJECTIONS IN MICE
• 5-17-2024NOVEL GENETIC MECHANISMS MAY SERVE AS THERAPEUTIC TARGET AGAINST GLIOMA
• 5-17-2024LINK BETWEEN E-CIGARETTE USE AND EARLY AGE OF ASTHMA ONSET IN US ADULTS DISCOVERED
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY IMPACTS OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ON HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS IMPACTED BY COMBAT
• 5-17-2024TRIAL HIV VACCINE TRIGGERS ELUSIVE AND ESSENTIAL ANTIBODIES, POINTING THE WAY TOWARD A SUCCESSFUL VACCINE

MAY 17, 2024

• 5-17-2024HOW THE DANGEROUS LIVER DISEASE SPREADS AND HOW IT CAN BE TREATED
• 5-17-2024NEW DATA OUTLINE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF ENDURANCE EXERCISE TRAINING
• 5-17-2024CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT FROM SPOUSE MAY DECREASE WELL-BEING FOR SOME PEOPLE
• 5-17-2024WHEN DEPRESSION MEDS DON’T WORK, THIS MAY HELP YOU TURN THE CORNER
• 5-17-2024CAN OXYTOCIN HELP AGAINST LONELINESS? FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
• 5-17-2024STUDY FINDS ANTIOXIDANT DIETARY SUPPLEMENT MAY HELP COUNTER SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
• 5-17-2024AUTISTIC PEOPLE’S FEELINGS MOSTLY MISREAD—EMPATHY WORKS BOTH WAYS, RESEARCH REVEALS
• 5-17-2024STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AIR POLLUTION PROMOTES INFLAMMATION IN THE BRAIN, ACCELERATING CONSEQUENCES FOR DEMENTIA
• 5-17-2024STUDY SHOWS AEROBIC EXERCISE PERFORMED IN THE EVENING BENEFITS ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVES MORE THAN MORNING EXERCISE
• 5-17-2024A LONG-TERM KETOGENIC DIET ACCUMULATES AGED CELLS IN NORMAL TISSUES, NEW STUDY SHOWS
• 5-17-2024US TEEN DIED AFTER DOING SPICY CHIP CHALLENGE: AUTOPSY
• 5-17-2024IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR SUMMER SLEEPAWAY CAMP?
• 5-17-2024FDA APPROVES NEW DRUG FOR DEADLY LUNG CANCER
• 5-17-2024ANTI-DIABETIC TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED RISK OF DEVELOPING BLOOD CANCER
• 5-17-2024CLINICIANS REPORT SUCCESS WITH FIRST TEST OF DRUG IN A PATIENT WITH LIFE-THREATENING BLOOD CLOTTING DISORDER
• 5-17-2024RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPS NEW AI TOOL TO HELP CLASSIFY BRAIN TUMORS
• 5-17-2024ENGLISH FISHING VILLAGE TOLD TO BOIL WATER AFTER A PARASITE OUTBREAK SICKENS OVER 45 PEOPLE
• 5-17-2024TICK SEASON HAS ARRIVED. PROTECT YOURSELF WITH THESE TIPS
• 5-17-2024ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE FUTURE OF SURGERY
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHER DISCOVERS DRUG THAT MAY DELAY ONSET OF ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND TREAT HYDROCEPHALUS
• 5-17-2024KEY PROTEIN BEHIND BRAIN ASYMMETRY UNCOVERED BY SCIENTISTS
• 5-17-2024CELL TYPES AND MOLECULES USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES FOUND TO BE NORMAL COMPONENTS OF GUT IMMUNITY
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS REVEAL MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF DIFFERENT DONOR ARTERIES FOR CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING
• 5-17-2024LIMITING CERTAIN LIGHT EXPOSURE HAS POTENTIAL TO PREVENT INHERITED RETINAL DYSTROPHY
• 5-17-2024STUDY REVEALS THAT THE BRAIN MODULATES VISUAL SIGNALS ACCORDING TO INTERNAL STATES
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS MAKE STRIDES IN MICROBIOME-BASED CANCER THERAPIES VIA IRON DEPRIVATION IN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT
• 5-17-2024STUDY OPENS THE DOOR TO DESIGNING THERAPIES TO IMPROVE LUNG DEVELOPMENT IN GROWTH-RESTRICTED FETUSES
• 5-17-2024WASTEWATER REVEALS SOCIOECONOMIC LINK TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
• 5-17-2024A MULTIFACED BRAIN MAP OF RHESUS MONKEY
• 5-17-2024MORE LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES OCCUR AFTER FLOODS, STUDY SHOWS
• 5-17-2024RESEARCH FINDS THE PROTEIN VISTA DIRECTLY BLOCKS T CELLS FROM FUNCTIONING IN IMMUNOTHERAPY
• 5-17-2024GUT BACTERIA ENHANCE CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY IN MOUSE STUDY
• 5-17-2024NEW IMAGING SOFTWARE IMPROVES LUNG DIAGNOSIS FOR 30% OF PATIENTS WHO CAN’T TOLERATE CONTRAST DYE
• 5-17-2024BLACK ADULTS AT RISK FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE LIVE IN MORE POLLUTED AREAS, STUDY FINDS
• 5-17-2024STUDY SUGGESTS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE UNLIKELY TO MOVE FROM ANIMALS TO PEOPLE
• 5-17-2024BARRETT’S ESOPHAGUS PRECEDES ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, BUT NOT ALL PATIENTS NEED ABNORMAL CELL REMOVAL
• 5-17-2024THE NEURAL SIGNATURE OF SUBJECTIVE DISGUST COULD APPLY TO BOTH SENSORY AND SOCIO-MORAL EXPERIENCES
• 5-17-2024NEW BLOOD TEST FOR STROKE DETECTION COMBINES BLOOD-BASED BIOMARKERS WITH A CLINICAL SCORE
• 5-17-2024WEB-BASED SELF-HELP INTERVENTION FOUND TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR BINGE EATING DISORDER
• 5-17-2024MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE SIGNS BILL REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE COACHES
• 5-17-2024NEW TECHNIQUE TO FREEZE BRAIN TISSUE WITHOUT HARM
• 5-17-2024STUDY UNCOVERS KEY FACTORS FOR RESILIENCE AFTER TRAUMA
• 5-17-2024SCAFFOLDING SENSORS DETECT EARLY EVIDENCE OF ORGAN TRANSPLANT REJECTIONS IN MICE
• 5-17-2024NOVEL GENETIC MECHANISMS MAY SERVE AS THERAPEUTIC TARGET AGAINST GLIOMA
• 5-17-2024LINK BETWEEN E-CIGARETTE USE AND EARLY AGE OF ASTHMA ONSET IN US ADULTS DISCOVERED
• 5-17-2024RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY IMPACTS OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ON HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS IMPACTED BY COMBAT
• 5-17-2024TRIAL HIV VACCINE TRIGGERS ELUSIVE AND ESSENTIAL ANTIBODIES, POINTING THE WAY TOWARD A SUCCESSFUL VACCINE

The house stood by itself, certainly holding darkness within. I had no doubt that inside, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone, just like any other house.
I knew it was not like any other house. My dead parents would be proud.
Actually, I had no idea whether they’d be proud. Dead things take on a life of their own in our imaginations, and become far more than they ever could have been under different circumstances.
I pulled the jacket tighter. There was no point in trying to be discreet, but I’d rather be the weirdo in an unnecessary trench coat than the weirdo who was trying to hide a weapon.
I made my way around the structure and to the back door without anyone noticing. That wasn’t a good thing. We have a way of paying attention to everything except what’s important.
Grabbing the knob with a gloved hand, I found it to be locked. This was hardly my first time breaking into a house that didn’t want me, though, so I was inside a few seconds later.
I didn’t like how quiet the kitchen was. It felt like a presence, as though it was listening. A stifling flutter of vertigo and nausea tickled me as I waded through it. Turning into the hallway, it got worse, like I was diving underwater too quickly. My head spun.
The sensation emanated from the last room on the left; even without light, sound, or smell, it was overwhelming in the absence of what I should have felt. A sudden hitch pulled in my chest: I really didn’t want to go into the final room of this suffocating house in the middle of the night. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark.
I wished I had someone in my life to disappoint. Maybe if I did, I wouldn’t have gone forward.
And so I found myself slowly stepping around the bedroom door, telling myself that I was ready to face whatever lay on the other side.
I wasn’t ready.
I didn’t learn about demons until I was grown up. While some people can see the demons inside of us, they like to stay hidden.
Not this one. It stood at the far end of the shadowy room, nine feet tall, curly goat’s horns atop the humanoid feline face of a man. Pugilist arms drooped at both sides, hanging to knees supported by cloven feet. Its tail twitched in time to the flicker of its forked tongue.
A little girl, maybe ten years old, trembled beneath her blanket, her skin alabaster white as her large eyes stared at the nightmare incarnate.
Fear chilled my blood. No matter how many times I saw the manifestation of everything vile in my mind, the terror never went away. Fear of death only stops when we’re dead.
The demon dropped its jaw – five inches, eight inches, a foot, even more – to reveal canines that dripped from infected gums to far below its jaw. It lowered its face to the terrified girl. She had nowhere to go: her bed was in the corner, and the bedroom had no windows.
“Stop.”
They both turned to me. I could smell the thing’s breath from across the room; it reeked like rotting fish had been washed using other rotten fish.
I reached into my jacket and grabbed the handle.
Our demon huffed, sending swirlies of exhaled air that threatened to melt the wallpaper. I held my breath and pointed the weapon. The thing saw how much the tip trembled, no matter how I tried to steady my hand. It smiled.
I blinked rapidly.
When it saw that I wasn’t going to move, the goat demon lurched toward me.
It had expected me to step back. When I didn’t do what it wanted, the thing got angrier. It lumbered forward, rising to its full height.
It’s impossible to appreciate just how tall nine feet is until a monster is standing right in front of you with its tongue writhing like a tortured snake. But still, I didn’t move.
Yet it knew I was afraid. The thing could smell it on me, wafting like a freshly opened Octomore whisky that had all the subtlety of a wrecking ball on fire.
I raised the handle higher. The shaky tip of my sword was now just below its chin.
This thing had the power to crush me.
“Run away.”
I peeked around the demon’s hyper-muscular frame to see the girl staring at me, the blanket pulled up to her eyes.
“You’re telling me that I should run away because it knows I’m afraid?”
She nodded, her black hair bobbing furiously.
The demon dropped its impossibly wide jaw and lowered it toward me. I could see straight past its uvula into a pulsing esophagus.
The exit was right behind me.
“I am afraid. Which is precisely why I can’t run.” I dropped the sword to the ground with a clang. Staring up at the monster, I spoke louder. “This demon’s name is Doubt. It lives among us because it will never go hungry in the presence of people.”
Its teeth stopped half an inch from my cheek. I tried not to cry. “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.”
It didn’t move. The putrid mouth still was sitting, still was sitting just beside the bedroom door.
And yet I stayed.
It held for a few seconds longer. And then it screamed.
The thing punched a hole in the wall with a single blow that sent shock waves through the air and jolted the girl into a standing position. I wanted to run away, to cry, to do anything but stay in place, but I learned long ago that we’re often strongest in our moments of weakness.
So I waited for Doubt to tire of us, since I knew it couldn’t hurt me as I was.
Finally it subsided, heaving as it stared, content for the moment to lurk in the background so that I would always know of its presence.
The girl, still trapped in the corner of the room, glared back and forth between us. “Who are you?” she asked in a voice just above a whisper.
I had to swallow three times before I was sure I could speak without crying. “My name is Peter,” I responded, “and I’m a demon hunter like my parents before me.”
“How – how do you kill this one?” she asked, teetering on the edge of complete panic.
I raised an eyebrow. “You want to be rid of it entirely?”
She wrapped her arms around a white sleeping gown, looking ghostly, and nodded.
“The only certain cure is dying,” I answered. “Otherwise, he’ll always know how to find you.” I plucked my parents’ sword from the ground. “In the meantime, try letting go of a weapon. Most people don’t know how not to use violence.” I held out my hand, inviting her to escape.
“Is it safe?” she whispered.
“No.”
She glanced at the demon once more.
“Stop staring. It only makes the thing stronger.”
She continued to stare before leaping from the bed and trotting over toward me and slipping on a pair of shoes by the door. “We’re going away, aren’t we?”
I looked down at her. “You know why it’s hunting you?”
She looked back up with big, brown eyes that only seemed innocent on the surface. “They’ve come for the most dangerous weapon in the world.”
The words sent chills down my back. I didn’t need to affirm what we both knew.
“It’s time to leave.”
She turned at my words, and we walked side-by-side down the hallway, putting the room behind us.
We couldn’t put it behind us. I felt the demon’s first step, and I heard the second. Each footfall of ours was met by two more, just behind us.
“Is it following us?” she whispered.
I clenched my fist. “Don’t look back. Whatever you do, don’t look back.”
Hot, wet breath caressed my neck as the hair on the back of my head was graced lightly by what felt like a forked tongue.
“How can we live like this?” she asked. Her cheeks were shiny.
“Well, you never know when life is gonna twist the story like an eager titty.”
We froze. Standing before us in the kitchen was a gray-haired woman in her sixties taking a long drag on a cigarette. The skin around her eyes wrinkled in a way that made me think she’d spent a lifetime laughing at people facing the consequences of what seemed like a good idea at the time.
“Sorry, Sugar. I sometimes forget to watch my fucking mouth when kids are around.”
A million questions raced through my head at the stranger’s presence, but only one reached my lips. “Can you see what’s behind me?”
She looked between the two of us, one eyebrow raised like a skeptical proctologist hearing the same lie a hundredth time.
“So it’s visible to you,” I pressed, my pulse quickening. “Do you know what it is?”
She took another extensive drag on the cigarette, clearly more interested in nicotine than self-preservation. “No, but if I could scrub my clothes on its stomach, I’d never use a washing machine again.”
For the first time since leaving the room, I looked over my shoulder.
It was an inch away. The disgusting pubic stubble on its chin raked my neck.
“Someone is after her,” I explained to the stranger.
“Someone is after you, Peter.”
A shudder went through my bones upon hearing my name. “Why – who the hell are you?”
She took the deepest pull yet on a cigarette that was almost out, closing her eyes before answering. “My name is Patricia Barnes. I like to think of myself as the reciprocation of every testicular-based mistake.”
I shook my head. There was no way I could even attempt to understand what the hell she was saying. “We need to leave. Now.”
The little girl looked up at me. “What’s going to happen?”
The first thing that parents learn is how to lie to their children, and the last thing that children do is learn just how much their parents were lying. That’s the boundary of adulthood, and our only unifying feature is that we’re not ready for it.
“Kid, this is going to suck,” I promised. The demon wormed his tongue into my ear. I ignored it. “What’s your name?”
“Gwen,” she answered. I thought she was going to hold my hand. She didn’t.
“The sun’s about to rise,” I went on. “We need to be gone by then.” I opened the back door once again, and the two of them followed me out. I didn’t check for the demon, because I was looking forward.
“You found me,” I said to Patricia once we were standing in the still night air. “They’ll find us soon.”
She snorted. “You were only looking at what I wanted you to see.”
I turned to her and folded my arms as she lit another cigarette.
“What happened to the last one I was smoking?” she asked through clenched teeth.
I shook my head, ready to turn away from her.
She yanked it from her mouth and blew a long stream into the night air. “I set it down just before crossing the room to turn on the pilot light.”
I opened my mouth to respond.
Then I froze, staring.
“I left it on high, Sugar. You’d better run.”
I grabbed Gwen’s hand and sprinted into the trees behind her house. Patricia was surprisingly fast in her high-heeled boots and long skirt; it was clear that she’d been mentally preparing for this.
We were hiding behind the trees when the explosion sent shock waves through us. I turned back to stare at the wreckage. “Can anyone else see it?” I breathed. “I’ve watched far worse things that no one noticed.”
Before I received an answer, silhouettes moved against the flames. Two men stared up at the crimson night. One paced back and forth, clearly pissed, while the other stood placidly with his arms on his hips.
“God,” I whispered, “they were outside this whole time, waiting for us.” I turned to stare at Patricia, who was recovering from her sprint with closed eyes and another inhalation of cigarette smoke, before looking at Gwen. She seemed so vulnerable, pale almost to the point of glowing in the first gray rays of a dawning sun.
Patricia sighed. “Do you know how many cigarettes I’ve gone through explaining things to men who should have figured out my motivations the 1,913th time I made it obvious?”
I folded my arms. “That’s a random number.”
She coughed. “Not if you put together all the clues. Look, sometimes memories stick better when I slap the listener around a little. Do you need a good smacking?”
“No.”
“Offer’s on the table.” She dropped her cigarette onto the dirt, crushing it beneath her boot as she lit another. Patricia closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. “Are you ready for the truth?”
“No one is.”
She opened her eyes and cackled. “Good boy.” Looking up toward the two shadows, one still pacing, the other statue-still, she pursed her lips. “They’re not going to give up the most dangerous weapon in the world that easily,” she pressed, eyebrows raised.
I looked at her, she looked at me, and I think that we finally understood one another.
“There’s no going back,” she continued, her voice eerily calm. “Peter, this is just the beginning.”
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Hi, I'm 40 years old, I've been masturbating since I was a child, when I discovered it unconsciously, from what I remember... I certainly didn't have any semen yet, so it could have been around the age of 11... It's a pity that it was then and a few years ago later I was not aware of the harmfulness of this practice... Once, when I was young, I did it several times a day for porn and did not feel any drastic effects. I remember that at the age of 26 or 27, after masturbating, the next day was weak, now it lasts at least 4 days and sometimes even for about a week, which is probably not normal either. I am depressed, irritable, frustrated, have trouble concentrating, etc. I have tried nofap many times. Once or two years ago +- I managed to reach almost 90 days, and then after a one-time action, the symptoms were actually not that severe, just a little brain fog and that's it, then, of course, I returned to the addiction. Generally speaking, I haven't had any strings for many years, a day or two in a row is still too much because it doesn't work. Then take a break as long as you can, 2 weeks, a month, two months, it varies... Generally, it blocks me completely when it comes to relationships, because I'm afraid of intercourse, that later I will be a vegetable, and in addition I have a weak erection due to stress or premature ejaculation. , all this from that earlier masturbation. So I definitely need hard mode, that seems certain to me. minimum 3 months. Recently I had a long break - about 10 weeks, I already felt great, and unfortunately. After intense sports, when the adventure ended and I returned to the apartment alone, I think my brain demanded dopamine and it happened. I did it 3 times and it was a headache for 6 days later. I thought that after such a break, even in the event of a fall, these bad symptoms would not be so severe, but unfortunately. Maybe also large amounts of alcohol and smoking an e-cigarette slows down the regeneration of receptors, that's what I read. From the beginning of May everything was fine again, until yesterday morning, when I had involuntary nocturnal ejaculation... And it started again, I'm irritable, distracted again, I wonder what to do three times, my mood is low and I don't know how long it will last. As luck would have it, I'm going on holiday tomorrow and I'm devastated by this fact, any advice? Regards.

Female, 36yo, 171cm, 57kg, Caucasian
Medications: propranolol since march 2022 for migraine prevention, Depo provera since September 2023
Location: Poland (I use private healthcare whenever possible, but for certain diagnostics or treatments using public healthcare is the only option)
Ten years ago my partner was treated for active TB, but I have never shown symptoms of TB disease.
Last summer I developed a small cough and occasional wheezing. It didn't go away by autumn so I did a chest X-ray and went to a pulmonologist. They said my symptoms sound like asthma (I did have an inhaler prescribed in childhood) but the X-ray showed changes in my upper lungs so they ordered a HRCT for a better view. The results (translated):
"CT chest without contrast. In the apical and posterior segments of the upper lobes, there are markedly fibrous-nodular calcified changes with minimal bronchiectasis. The largest of the tuberculomas is approximately 13 mm in segment 1/2L. Besides this, the lungs show no consolidations or interstitial changes. The trachea, main bronchi, lobar, and segmental bronchi show no focal narrowing. Mediastinal, hilar, and axillary lymph nodes are not enlarged. The thoracic aorta is of normal size. The pleural cavities show no effusion. The adrenal glands are not enlarged. In the thoracic spine, there are signs of a previous Scheuermann's disease."
The doctor said my lungs look like I did have TB infection in the past but that the calcifications and lack of symptoms indicate my body handled the infection quietly on its own. Nevertheless they wanted me to do sputum cultures for TB, just in case, to rule out active TB before doing a work up for asthma.
So I did the tests- sputum smear, general culture, and 3 TB cultures. Everything came back negative for TB.
Also during this time I quit smoking cigarettes (pack a day habit for 20 years) and the cough I previously had went away completely.
The pulmonologist said that my cultures are negative and I have no symptoms of TB, so the crappy image of my lungs must be the remnants of previous TB infection. They said I don't need treatment and we can move on to an asthma work up.
However, a couple months later, they called me and told me that they have been thinking about my case and are referring me to the local TB hospital for them to make the final decision of what to do with me, i.e. if I should have further testing.
The hospital wants to admit me for a week to do a bronchoscopy. They scheduled me to come in on Monday.
My problem with this is that they want to put me in a ward with suspected active TB patients where it is 8 people to a room!
So this brings me to my question: Am I justified in thinking that it's a terrible idea for me to spend a week in a cramped room with 7 likely active TB patients when I show no signs of active TB?
I'm afraid that I will get (re?)infected with fresh TB or some other mycobacterium! Or god knows what else... I am really stressing out about this, I am terrified for my safety. I don't know if I should fight the hospital about their plans for putting me in a room with active TB patients or not. What do I do? Am I overthinking this?

Feel like I’m actually going insane
I thought I was feeling stable after supposedly becoming hypomanic a week ago. The pattern so far is that i feel somewhat elevated then okay then down then elevated then okay and now I’m feeling super elevated again. I don’t want it to stop though. I feel amazing. I know it should stop because I might be feeling what may be losing control of myself. I haven’t drank in over 4 years because it was an issue for me but I’ve bought alcohol twice in the past 3 days (didn’t drink it so it’s pretty much just a waste of money with no benefit). I was searching around trying to find my SO’s car keys since we have to share a car currently but I think they hid them from me. I wanted to go buy a delta 8 vape even though it interacts negatively with my meds and makes me feel really weird mentally. While searching I found my sister in law’s pack of cigarettes and went outside and smoked one even though I don’t smoke. I used to vape (which is different) but haven’t in over a year. It’s 3:30am on a Saturday so it’s not like I can try to see my nurse practitioner today or tomorrow and we’re on a trip until next week.
My SO is the only one in my life that is actually concerned but they said it’s because they’re the one that has to deal with the consequences/aftermath. Everyone e,we just thinks I’m in a good mood and more talkative. I even told my friend how I have been feeling and that I left my house one day with a bag packed and she thinks what I’m feeling is “relief from realizing I actually want to leave my SO” which I’ve been debating ir trying to think if that’s true or not.
I’m not really sure what to do at the moment. I guess just wait and see if it levels itself out? Is this similar to anyone else’s hypomania or when you’re on your way to becoming fully manic??? This post is pretty late but I am really looking forward to any input people give.
I’m just really confused lately, it’s been a couple weeks of shifting moods but the overall reoccurring one is elevated and it’s been getting more intense each time.
Why do I want to get drunk or high or even smoke the cigarette like I did if I know they’re not good for me and that I shouldn’t? I haven’t actually drank but I definitely would have went and bought a thc vape if I had car keys… Also have had the recurring idea to download dating apps even though I’ve been in a stable monogamous relationship for over 8 years.
I just want to fucking party is the thing. Feels like I’m trapped and everyone just wants to keep me down.

I thought I was feeling stable after supposedly becoming hypomanic a week ago. The pattern so far is that i feel somewhat elevated then okay then down then elevated then okay and now I’m feeling super elevated again. I don’t want it to stop though. I feel amazing. I know it should stop because I might be feeling what may be losing control of myself. I haven’t drank in over 4 years because it was an issue for me but I’ve bought alcohol twice in the past 3 days (didn’t drink it so it’s pretty much just a waste of money with no benefit). I was searching around trying to find my SO’s car keys since we have to share a car currently but I think they hid them from me. I wanted to go buy a delta 8 vape even though it interacts negatively with my meds and makes me feel really weird mentally. While searching I found my sister in law’s pack of cigarettes and went outside and smoked one even though I don’t smoke. I used to vape (which is different) but haven’t in over a year. It’s 3:30am on a Saturday so it’s not like I can try to see my nurse practitioner today or tomorrow and we’re on a trip until next week.
My SO is the only one in my life that is actually concerned but they said it’s because they’re the one that has to deal with the consequences/aftermath. Everyone e,we just thinks I’m in a good mood and more talkative. I even told my friend how I have been feeling and that I left my house one day with a bag packed and she thinks what I’m feeling is “relief from realizing I actually want to leave my SO” which I’ve been debating ir trying to think if that’s true or not.
I’m not really sure what to do at the moment. I guess just wait and see if it levels itself out? Is this similar to anyone else’s hypomania or when you’re on your way to becoming fully manic??? This post is pretty late but I am really looking forward to any input people give.
I’m just really confused lately, it’s been a couple weeks of shifting moods but the overall reoccurring one is elevated and it’s been getting more intense each time.
Why do I want to get drunk or high or even smoke the cigarette like I did if I know they’re not good for me and that I shouldn’t? I haven’t actually drank but I definitely would have went and bought a thc vape if I had car keys… Also have had the recurring idea to download dating apps even though I’ve been in a stable monogamous relationship for over 8 years.
I just want to fucking party is the thing. Feels like I’m trapped and everyone just wants to keep me down.

NAME: Pink Cigarette BASED ON: Pink Cigarette by Mr. Bungle LOCALIZATION: Pink Smokes STAND USER: Mike Killo APPEARANCE: A gold cigarette case with two intertwined long stem roses engraved on it, the cigarettes inside are pale pink, embossed with a similar rose logo, and appear from the case inexhaustibly. ABILITY: The smoke created from the cigarettes is unnaturally pink and bilious, when Mike exhales the smoke, it stains whatever it touches pink. Mike can teleport to any pink area, using the plume of smoke from the cigarettes as an entrance portal, exiting through whichever stained area he wants. POWER: E SPEED: A RANGE: D DURABILITY: C PRECISION: A POTENTIAL: B

[True Story]
Currently, I'm looking out of my window from the 35th floor. Damn, the view up here is quite nice. Before my eyes lie the city lights. What a peaceful night it is.
Earlier tonight, I attended a party. This was never my scene. This was never what I'm used to. After all, I spent all my 31 years being the good girl. Don't get me wrong. Of course, I have my bad side, but not this kind. I never party, I never drink, I don't know the taste of a cigarette. I only kiss the person I am in a relationship with.
But for the last three weeks, something snapped. At the party tonight, I had a lot of shots of tequila. More than I can count. My vision's all blurry. I can't understand half of what the person I was talking to was saying. I feel so light-headed. At one point, I remember kissing someone I just met. Even huffing and puffing the e-cig from her hand. And when I can't take it anymore, I decided to book a grab and just go home.
Getting off the car, I passed by 7-11. A thought came to my mind, and I found myself at the counter buying an e-cig for myself. I went up to my place and huffed and puffed it all alone. Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was a text message from someone I met a week ago from work.
We spent a passionate weekend last week. Though we never really dated and have no plans of doing so. She asked me if she can come over again tomorrow for another hot sesh. I told her sure. And that I can't wait to taste her again. Now, my body's craving sex; I could just do any girl.
I'm staring out of my window, writing this. I don't know what to think. I don't know what to feel. I feel like these past few weeks, I've been living in a dream of someone else. Someone I can no longer recognize. I wanted to stop her from doing what she's doing with her life. Because I know that everything she does right now will bear a consequence and that this is not her! This is never her. Or is it?
I don't know. I can't think straight.
And oh, have I mentioned that I got my heart broken three weeks ago?

Hi, to preface this I am a bit worried about my sister and some of the stuff I am going to talk about may be triggering (on a throwaway).
My sister is 25 and has always been relatively thin/petite. She lives at home with my parents and younger brother while I’m finishing up college away from home. She’s also an avid e-cigarette user for the past 6 years. She also is extremely easy to upset and will often go on rampages yelling at people for any small thing. There are a lot of stress factors in her life such as unemployment and toxic family dynamics.
Lately she’s been saying stuff that has been fat phobic. Today, she ate a some of gummies and proceeded to workout after because she doesn’t want to get fat. She’s done similar stuff like this such as tell people that if they’re hungry at night they should just sleep it off because eating at night is bad for you. All she cares about is losing weight and looking thin when in the past year she’s just looked more and more unhealthy to me. Previously she always had chubby cheeks, but now they’re sunken in and I don’t think it’s from aging.
My dad is overweight and stress eats, his health is taking a toll from this as he also works 50+ hours a week from home. She tells him to exercise because he’s fat, but I mentioned that nothing will really change unless he changes his eating habits since he’s a stress eater and will most likely just eat whatever even if he works out. She constantly tells my parents (on the heavier end) to just work out and exercise.
Her attitude towards weight and exercise is scarring me and I was wondering if they are signs of an eating disorder? I know this is long but any advice would be greatly appreciated!

DAY: MAY 16, 2024

• 5-16-2024MEN AT GREATER RISK OF MAJOR HEALTH EFFECTS OF DIABETES THAN WOMEN, STUDY SUGGESTS Men are at greater risk than women of the major health effects of diabetes (types 1 and 2), proposes a long term study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Rates of cardiovascular disease, leg, foot, and kidney complications, and the sight-threatening eye disease diabetic retinopathy are all higher in men, regardless of whether they had diabetes for more or less than 10 years,
• 5-16-2024LIKELIHOOD OF KIDS AND YOUNG PEOPLE SMOKING AND VAPING LINKED TO SOCIAL MEDIA USE The more time spent on social media, the greater the likelihood that children and young people will both smoke and/or vape, suggests research published online in the respiratory journal Thorax. Clocking up a weekday tally of seven or more hours was associated with a more than a doubling in risk among 10 to 25-year-olds, the findings indicate, reinforcing concerns about the marketing clout of these platforms,
• 5-16-2024FIRST US TRIAL OF VARENICLINE FOR E-CIGARETTE CESSATION SHOWS POSITIVE RESULTS The first U.S. trial of varenicline for e-cigarette cessation shows promising results and warrants larger-scale trials, the researchers say. Researchers from Yale Cancer Center and MUSC Hollings Cancer Center published the results of their clinical trial of varenicline to help adults to stop using e-cigarettes
• 5-16-2024NEW FINDINGS ON THE EFFECTS OF GLUTEN Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune condition that occurs in around 1% of the world’s population. It is triggered by the consumption of gluten proteins from wheat, barley, rye and some oats. A gluten-free diet protects celiac patients from severe intestinal damage
• 5-16-2024MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE HEALTH RISKS Many people are concerned about residues of chemicals, contaminants or microplastics in their food. However, it is less well known that many foods also contain toxins of completely natural origin. These are often chemical compounds that plants use to ward off predators such as insects or microorganisms. These substances are found in beans and potatoes, for example, and can pose potential health risks.
• 5-16-2024EXERCISE SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S No pharmacological medication currently available can cure or slow down Parkinson’s disease. However, based on an extensive literature review researchers from Aarhus University conclude that physical exercise should be a significant factor in the treatment of Parkinson’s patients. “Based on current evidence, we propose a paradigm shift: Exercise should be prescribed as medicine for people with early-stage Parkinson’s alongside conventional medical treatment
• 5-16-2024LONGER SCREENING INTERVALS ARE SAFE WITH LOW BASELINE PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN
• 5-16-2024US PROPOSES RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA AS LOW-RISK DRUG US President Joe Biden’s administration formally proposed on Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in line with public opinion. “No one should be in jail merely for using or possessing marijuana. Period,” Biden said in a video statement. “Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana
• 5-16-2024WHO SHOULD BE SCREENED FOR SKIN CANCER? Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. Each year, more than 6 million adults are treated for skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Collin Costello, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, says anyone can get skin cancer, but some people are at higher risk. So how often should you be screened?
• 5-16-2024CONSISTENT EXERCISE CHANGES HOW SATURATED FAT IS USED BY THE BODY, STUDY FINDS An active lifestyle can change how the body burns saturated and unsaturated fat according to new research from the University of Aberdeen. In the study, published in Nature Communications, researchers investigated how different types of fat are used by the body, depending on the individual’s level of physical fitness.
• 5-16-2024SIMPLE LEARNING TEST MAY BE USED TO DIAGNOSE AUTISM AT JUST SIX MONTHS OF AGE Researchers has discovered what might be a marker for autism that could diagnose a child as young as 6 months. In their study, published in PLOS ONE, the group tested infants believed to be at risk of developing the disorder and compared their results with infants not at risk and then monitored them for two years
• 5-16-2024STUDY INDICATES THE RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF STROKE TYPE IS KEY TO IMPROVING OUTCOMES Early identification of stroke type could be key to harnessing the benefits of very early in-ambulance blood pressure lowering treatment in patients with suspected acute stroke
• 5-16-2024CREAM CHEESE FROM ALDI, HY-VEE STORES RECALLED DUE TO SALMONELLA RISK Two major supermarket chains, Aldi and Hy-Vee, are recalling brands of cream cheese because of a potential risk for salmonella. No actual illnesses linked to the products have yet been reported, but Hy-Vee said it’s announcing the recall of Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread “out of an abundance of caution due to the potential for contamination with salmonella.” Another Hy-Vee product, bulk-packaged Cookies & Cream Mix, is also being recalled for the same reason
• 5-16-2024STUDY INVESTIGATES CARDIAC CELL REGENERATION IN SEARCH OF NOVEL THERAPEUTICS
• 5-16-2024EXERCISE DOES NOT ACCELERATE ARTERY PLAQUE BUILDUP MORE OFTEN SEEN IN FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS Exercising, even at extreme levels, does not accelerate the calcium buildup in arteries more often seen in marathoners and fitness enthusiasts, according to new research published in JAMA Cardiology from UT Southwestern and the Cooper Institute. The study, which analyzed more than 8,700 participants from 1998–2019, provides important insight on whether people whose heart scans detect higher calcium should modify their exercise regimen to slow the plaque buildup in arteries. A person’s calcium level helps predict risk for heart attack and stroke from a cardiovascular condition called atherosclerosis
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• 5-16-2024RESEARCH REVEALS LIFESTYLE MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR INFERTILE INDIVIDUALS
• 5-16-2024STUDY UNCOVERS NEW TARGET FOR BREAST CANCER MEDICATIONS
• 5-16-2024UNIQUE BRAIN CIRCUIT IS LINKED TO BODY MASS INDEX
• 5-16-2024PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE SEX TOO—SO WHY DO SOME DOCTORS THINK OTHERWISE?
• 5-16-2024SUNSCREEN WON’T STOP YOU MAKING VITAMIN D—HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
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• 5-16-2024EXAMINING THE MECHANISMS AND CLINICAL POTENTIAL OF A PROMISING NON-OPIOID PAIN THERAPY CANDIDATE
• 5-16-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES ‘HOT-SPOTS’ OF HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION LINKED TO DEPRIVATION
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• 5-16-2024MACHINE LEARNING METHOD FOR PREDICTING GLIOMA MUTATIONS SHOWS PROMISE FOR PERSONALIZED TREATMENT
• 5-16-2024EXAMINING THE MECHANISMS AND CLINICAL POTENTIAL OF A PROMISING NON-OPIOID PAIN THERAPY CANDIDATE
• 5-16-2024STUDY IDENTIFIES ‘HOT-SPOTS’ OF HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION LINKED TO DEPRIVATION
• 5-16-2024MANY CARDIOVASCULAR DEATHS ARE DUE TO AN UNBALANCED DIET, STUDY FINDS
• 5-16-2024PROGRESS IN GENETIC TESTING IN CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
• 5-16-2024ADVERSE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH LINKED TO TREATMENT-RESISTANT HYPERTENSION IN BLACK AMERICANS
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• 5-16-2024GLOBAL STUDY REPORTS ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TREATMENTS ARE SAFE IN YOUNG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH HIGH-RISK GENES
• 5-16-2024OFFERING BOTH COLONOSCOPY AND AT-HOME TESTS TO STUDY PATIENTS DOUBLED COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING
• 5-16-2024RESEARCHER DISCUSSES CHANGING THE PREGNANCY CULTURE TO ‘EATING FOR YOU,’ NOT FOR TWO
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• 5-16-2024RESEARCH LOOKS AT HOW LONELINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED
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• 5-16-2024GLOBAL LIFE EXPECTANCY PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY NEARLY 5 YEARS BY 2050 DESPITE VARIOUS THREATS
• 5-16-2024PRIMARY HEALTH COVERAGE FOUND TO HAVE PREVENTED MORE THAN 300,000 CHILD DEATHS IN FOUR LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES
• 5-16-2024QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE BOOSTS EARLY HPV VACCINE RATES
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VAPE REGULATIONS 2024
Feeling uncertain about the 2024 vape laws and regulations? You’re not alone. We’re also navigating through some unclear aspects of the proposed regulations, but here’s what I know so far.
This post aims to provide you with the latest information on the 2024 vape regulations, along with articles for more details.We strive to keep you updated. If you’ve subscribed to my email list, I’ll notify you of any major changes to the store.
UNCHANGED REGULATIONS These regulations will remain the same: - You must be at least 18 to purchase any vape product. - A prescription is required to buy nicotine vaping products. - Selling pre-filled disposable vapes with nicotine is illegal in Australia except through pharmacies.
VAPE REGULATION CHANGES The proposed 2024 vaping regulations, introduced in late 2023, include the following changes (as I understand them).
FROM JANUARY 1: - Ban on importing disposable vapes (pre-filled and single-use). Individuals cannot import disposable vapes, but businesses can if they hold a license and permit from the Office of Drug Control (ODC). - We can continue selling nicotine-free disposable vapes we have in stock after January 1, but cannot import more. These vapes are always nicotine-free; safety reports are available upon request. - All doctors or nurse practitioners can now prescribe nicotine vaping products without needing approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). It's at their discretion to provide these prescriptions.
FROM MARCH 1:

• Ban on importing all vape products, including e-liquid (with or without nicotine) and hardware, by individuals, even with a prescription. Businesses will need a license and permit from ODC to import and must notify TGA of each product's compliance with their standards (see the current list of notified vapes).
  
• Vape stores can continue selling the nicotine-free vaping products they have in stock after March 1, but cannot import more without the necessary license/permit and TGA notification. It's uncertain how long this will be allowed.
  
• Imported vape products from March 1 must meet new device and e-liquid standards and only be sold in pharmacies with a prescription.
  
• All vape products will be classified as therapeutic products for smoking cessation or nicotine dependence management (formerly classified as smoke products under the same laws as cigarettes).
  
• The personal importation scheme will end, prohibiting individuals from ordering nicotine or nicotine vape products from overseas, even with a prescription.- New device and e-liquid standards set by TGA.
  
• Limits on flavours to mint, menthol, and tobacco for vape products imported after March 1.
  
• Existing vape businesses wishing to stay in the industry will need an import license and permit to supply pharmacies.
  

AFTER MARCH 1: The Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024, introduced to parliament on March 21 by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, needs to pass through Parliament to enforce the following:

• Retail vape sales ban starting July 1, prohibiting tobacconists, vape stores, and convenience stores from selling non-therapeutic vapes.
  
• Ban on importing, manufacturing, supplying, and commercially possessing disposable, single-use vapes and non-therapeutic vapes. If the bill passes, illegal vape manufacturers and suppliers could face fines up to $2.2 million and seven years of jail time.
  
• Additional penalties for importing, manufacturing, supplying, advertising, or possessing vaping products contrary to regulations/law, including fines and prison time.
  
• If this bill passes through Parliament, vape stores will have to close to the public from July 1.
  

BILL PROGRESS
The Vaping Reforms Bill was debated in Parliament on March 27, with many Ministers expressing support or opposition. The bill was referred to a Senate Committee of Inquiry to determine if Australia should proceed with the proposed bill and prescription-only model or move towards regulating vapes like cigarettes.
The committee received around 300 public submissions and held two public hearings, calling witnesses from those who submitted feedback.The Senate Inquiry Report was published on May 8:

• The majority recommended passing the bill.
  
• National Party Senators published a 'Dissenting Report,' opposing the bill and recommending regulation similar to tobacco products.
  
• The bill must now be voted on by Senators in the June parliamentary sessions.
  
• Dr. Colin Mendelsohn's recent blog post detailed each politcal party's positions on the bill and the next steps that will determine its future. The National party opposes it, the greens wish to amend it, some independents will vote against it and the labor party supports the bill. (Summarising his opinion: it's currently about 50/50 in support or opposition of the Reforms Bill. Also stating he is cautiously optimistic. This may be determined by political back door deals and then if not, the greens will likely decide the result).
  

I will update you with any further information as it presents.