Yesterday, I took my 2 y/o boy to be seen for an ear issue (he's been shaking his head a lot lately). The tech swabbed his ears and a ton of black wax came out, which was then checked under a microscope. The vet said it was a result of a double ear infection, with the right ear being worse.
He also dove between the bed and wall a few weeks ago when he was scared by the apartment landscapers' equipment. His right eye was red and a little puffy but went away after several days. We noticed he still squints that eye off and on, so asked about that too. They stained his eye to check. He has a white (kind of clear?) spot in the center of that eye, which they said was a corneal scratch.
They cleaned his ears, put medicine in them, gave him a steroid for inflammation in the ears, and sent me home with ointment to put in his eye. (I did hear him scream once across the hall, and started crying.) He was very sleepy when we got home, so I checked on him frequently but tried to let him sleep as much as possible. He is still eating and drinking as normal. Our other cats are being very sweet to him, trying to bathe his face & ears.
This morning I noticed what looks like a bruise on the tip of both ears, with the right being worse. He is acting a LOT more like himself today, thankfully. I tried not to read about the side effects of the ear medicine (I'm your "Dr. Google" patient, but I try not to overstep the doctor. It's mainly for my own research, or to ask a question so I kind of know what to expect when we go home), because I know many medications are used "off label". But the bruise (??) is really bothering me. At first, I thought maybe he had something on his ear tips, so I gently tried to clean it off with a kitty wipe.
Is this common?
This is what I was charged for yesterday. I don't know why it says "RX Counseling Declined", because I had the option of taking drops home, but the Dr. was pushing for in-office so it would already be done. We've gone there pretty much since they opened several years ago, so I trust their recommendation. I did ask a lot of questions about the ear medication, and he said if this were his cat, this is exactly the route he'd take.
Here is how his ears look this morning. Apologies for the strange angles. He moved at the last moment in the first one. He also likes to watch the water go down the toilet, and the lighting was great. 😂 It's on both ear tips, but the right is a little bigger, if that makes sense
Any advice / reassurance would be amazing. I already feel like the worst cat mom ever, especially since the vet was very angry when he first came in. I had no idea it was this bad. His follow up is next Saturday. Thank you! ♡

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Anglestan
Augustus 5, 1923
Facility 9, Mancheston
Colonel Jacobs
His hands flew through the folders General Jorgenson and Colonel Thatcher had. There were dozens of them, stacked upon each other all filed in alphabetical order. It had only been a few days since he had woken up from his coma and visited his home— now his mother’s grave. He clenched his fists at the thought. The grief and rage threatened to bubble and spill over once again. He took a deep breath and dragged out the exhale, almost to the point where he had emptied out his lungs.
He was the only one with clearance, and so he couldn’t disclose any of what he learned with his team. They would simply have to trust him and his judgment. Which he was sure they would do. His hands went over one of the folders skimming through it. There were multiple secret projects, but the ones with the most notes were Project S.T.A.R, Project L.U.N.A.R.I, Project R.E.V.I.V.E, Project D.A.W.N, and Project T.E.M.P.L.A.R.
The colonel decided to start with the most notes and papers. Project D.A.W.N.
He skimmed through the notes, reading through some of the details and highlighted words. Project D.A.W.N, the espionage project Thatcher had started placed two spies in Verlin who were to report directly to a Crescent general named Sienna Moretti who was apparently on humanity’s side.
So I was right. There was an espionage element. With the recent attacks and Thatcher’s death, however, it’s safe to assume that it had somehow failed. Either they got found out or they betrayed us. Both seem very likely, but if they were found out, it would be possible that they had died.
He read through all of it before setting the folder down. There were no new notes recently. He sighed and assumed that Project DAWN was a failure. Whether or not the agents were still alive and well, it was too risky to check if they had been compromised. It was better to assume that they had been and cut all contact. The only way to find out now was to go there himself and check. I can’t contact them again. There’s no telling if it would still be Moretti or the agents who would see my messages. It’s a big risk, and judging by the state of things, best to assume it failed.
He picked up another folder. This one had the label ‘under development’ on the folder. Project Templar. He opened the folder and was instantly met with a blueprint and drawings of a massive bipedal machine. It looked humanoid with strange proportions and was supposed to be standing at an impressive 30 meters, or 100 feet. The Titanic Engine Mech for Personal Land Assault and Reconnaissance.
It was apparently a joint project with the Church of Sol, utilizing new and advanced technologies he hadn’t heard of. A 203mm Gatling cannon on one arm, while the other had three different weapons. A massive firestarter that utilized a new type of fuel mixture that could theoretically spew flames a kilometer away using a high-pressure nozzle. The fuel was ignited using an electrical spark. The second weapon was a high-powered light weapon that fired a single powerful beam of focused light that was even further amplified by layers of focusing lenses that could increase its output several times. Its third weapon was… a dust domina?
Mark read through the specifications of the so-called ‘sand cannon’ weapon. It was a massive cannon that accelerated tiny particles several times. Each particle was to be electrically charged, and it would travel at immense speeds. Near impossible speeds. The resulting impact of a microscopic particle at such speeds would be enough to form a small crater and punch through armor like it was nothing. This weapon would fire multiple at the same time, which could literally eat away at anything on the opposing end.
In terms of secondary weapons, the titan had two missile launch chambers in front of its shoulder each containing about 40 missiles, and two massive howitzer cannons on top of it. Both are 800mm in caliber. It had massive stumpy legs that served as bunkers for a small platoon on each leg. Each leg had machine dominas and 155mm cannons. Its chassis held two nuclear reactors inside providing for its power and weaponry. Its armor was the thickest and most ridiculous he’d ever read. Two meters of heavy steel armor.
How far are we in terms of technology? This thing looks like it came out of an H.G. Wells sci-fi novel. He thought, shaking his head. It was over the top, but there was no denying its combat capabilities. If it was already under-developed then it must be the first prototype. This has already been approved. Guess I better see it for myself later and check how it's coming along. Construction apparently started just a few months before the invasion.
Next was project L.U.N.A.R.I. It was a project involving Six. “Huh,” he said, continuing to read on.
The Light Undone: Nocturnal’s Adaptive Resistance Initiative. As he read further, his eyes widened. The reason why Six was so special wasn’t just because of her immunity to all strigoi weaknesses, but because of her impressive ability to turn any true born strigoi like her. She could transfer her strain like any other strigoi and transform them into a version of hers. It however only seemed to work for naturally born strigoi. The new species of ‘half-breeds’ were called ‘Blessed Children’ as Thatcher had coined in the folder.
The plan was to turn all willing true-born hemolite strigoi into these blessed children. Able to withstand the sun. Immune to silver. Free from the dependency on blood. They could remove all the weaknesses of the strigoi and after the war— make it possible to integrate them into society as normal citizens living on the surface. The project folder also made mentions of a city-wide draft in Dante and highlighted the possibility of turning all Dantenite true born strigoi into these blessed children and renaming them as ‘Lunari’. A mix of the dark and the light. The light of Sol reflected in the children of the night.
“Thatcher, what the fuck have you been up to…” Mark whispered to himself.
While it was true that it could help in the war effort by utilizing Six and the dantenite population, it would also invite some unforeseen problems and consequences. Would humanity be okay with the Lunari? Would the world even be ready for them? Strigoi who were immune to the sun. They wouldn’t be impossible to kill, but they would be immensely more powerful if we were to take away their inherent weaknesses. This is a gamble. Its gain would only be seen during the war period, but its unintended effects on society could be catastrophic.
He frowned, setting the folder down. It was obviously Thatcher’s main plan; seeing as all her moves could be traced to the path of the eventual completion of this project. It seemed dangerous in the long run, but the duskwalkers and dantenites had been monumental in the war effort. Maybe it was the time the world started to accept them more. Isolation and segregation was definitely not the way to disperse fears and foster understanding.
If Thatcher thinks this is the next step forward… then I’ll put my faith in her plans.
Next up was Project S.T.A.R, or the Superior Tech and Adaptive Resistance. An upgrade to the current hemolite weapons and gear by using new researched studies. The Starfire Pattern Domina. The SFD-23 This thing features a new loading system and magazine, ditching the rotating cylinder most domina used, or the rotating helix magazine design of the current hemolite standard BM-16 domina.
The new domina had its magazine like a box… a strange design but it was certainly easier to handle than the bulky cylinders the helical mags used. In terms of ergonomics, it was smoother and fit more. Its placement however was on top of the domina, just above the barrel. Most of the weapon were to be made of lightweight polymers and the barrel itself were to be crafted out of reinforced aluminium. In addition to that, it had a 10-inch bayonet attached to it.
There were other new things as well, such as the composition of the bullet. Looking at the conceptual cross-section designs, Mark read through its description and how it would function. A .308 cased telescoped bullet covered in a silver jacket with break-away petals surrounding the main body. Inside the jacket was a penetrator core that was to be made of depleted uranium. It had a small amount of incendiary compound and… powdered white phosphorus behind an explosive compound. The thin silver jacket would deform and trigger the explosive compound inside the body. It would blow up causing massive internal damage and release the incendiary materials into the body with the flecks of powdered white phosphorus. The penetrator core could still potentially keep going and hit a second target, or punch through heavily armored targets.
Part of the new Project S.T.A.R was overhauling the armor and gear of not just the Hemolites but the Hunters as well. Starfire Mk 1. Carapace Armor. Carapace? It looked like plates of steel covered in a rubberized coat. It was supposed to be slipped on over the original hemolite body armor. It added a spring-loaded wrist blade to the gauntlet, a thicker coat made of resistant materials, and added extra padding for the knees, shoulders, and elbows.
However, the hemolites weren’t the only ones mentioned in the folder. It was to serve the Hunters as well. “Hunters…” Mark said. “August’s group is part of this initiative too.” He flipped through some of the pages. There were blueprints and drawings of an armored suit. A mechanized suit even smaller and more compact than the jotunn units. The Mark 1 STR battlesuit. It was supposed to hug the wearer’s frame and increase their overall power. It was supposed to be built of titanium alloy and a heavy steel frame with composite armor. It had a cooling system, life support systems that could recycle bodily fluids, and an exoskeleton frame that could increase the wearer’s strength and speed.
However, the real eye-opener was Thatcher’s notes. She had been ranting about the new human evolution, and how the Hunters were the first of the ‘Solari’. She wanted to enhance human genetics and push past the peak of human ability to reach greater heights. Implants and restructuring of the anatomy to make it more efficient. Using the blood of the goddess herself. She must have lost it. These are the ramblings of a lunatic. At least… if she didn’t mention the goddess. Why was the goddess important here?
The writings ended with the words: “See Project R.E.V.I.V.E, for more details.”
Mark eyed the final folder. His hands shook as he reached out to take it. Flipping it open, his hands nearly dropped it in shock. The goddess Helena was alive. There were pictures of her naked form floating in a giant tube of fluid. There were more of Thatcher’s ramblings and excited rants about the possibilities of such a discovery. Resurrection, Enhancement, and Veneration: Implementation of Visionary Evolution.
The goddess is alive?! According to the file, she’s currently under the Cathedral of New Lundun. Not only that, but the file also detailed the extraterrestrial tech that lay beneath the cathedral. So the goddess is real and she’s— not really a goddess, but rather, a vampyr who created herself a human body to stand in the sun, and decided that it wants to be on humanity’s side… what the fuck.
Mark’s frown and confusion only increased as he read on. Thatcher’s notes seemed to nearly descend into madness as she had written about creating ‘the first hundred’, alluding to the 100 members of the Hunters division. Her plan was to revive the goddess, and with her help and expertise in genetics— use her DNA to transform the Hunters into demi-humans. Super soldiers. Literal children of the goddess Helena. They would then don the STR battlesuits, the first of the superhuman warriors to defend humanity. Solari.
Their lightning-speed advancement into technology was heralded by studying the alien tech, which deepened the understanding of physics and engineering. Nuclear technologies, chemical warfare, new material sciences, the mechs, and walkers, it was spearheaded by trying to reverse-engineer technology centuries ahead of our own… for the past hundred years. It wasn’t completely stolen, however. More or less borrowed ideas that had been made into our own with our own designs and implements. Still, the speed at which the Church and the military had deciphered such advancements all by themselves was… impressive to say the least.
Still, the fact that the goddess was alive, and could be brought back was big news. Checking the file for details, he found that the previous general, Jorgenson, had already approved this project. It was their next step as soon as they returned from New Amsterdam; which never happened.
If Helena was alive, then she could end this war swiftly, or at the very least help greatly like she once did during the War of Darkness. Having the goddess back would throw a massive wrench in the Crescent’s plans. It would certainly be something they wouldn’t expect. Not even I expected this, since many sources say that the goddess had already ascended to watch over humanity, while conspiracy theorists claim she had died in battle and that the Church was worshiping a corpse. This could be the trick up our sleeves that no one would even consider.
The colonel quickly got up from his seat and gathered the main files he had read. He placed them in a bag and rushed outside of his office in Facility 9. He went over to a nearby room and flicked the lights on. “We need to go,” he said. In an instant seven hemolite soldiers got up from whatever they were doing and instantly stood in line.
“Sir! Whatever you need of us, sir,” the group said in unison.
They were Hemo-1. His former squad members. He had taken up Louis' suggestion that they be his personal security detail. It was a shame that he had basically placed the best hemolite team out of commission, but after all he had been through he convinced himself that he could be just a little selfish. He didn’t want to lose any more friends. Not on his watch. Not while he was in an office, and they were out fighting.
“We’re going to New Lundun. Better pack up, it’s going to be a long night.”
“Mark,” Olivia said.
Jacobs turned to her direction and gave her a nod.
“Colonel, sir, may I ask where in New Lundun?”
“Liv, you don’t need to do that with me. Please. I give all of you special permission,” the colonel groaned. “It’s so weird. I mean, ‘captain’ was bad enough, but now you’re acting like I’m an authority figure.”
“You… are, though,” Emma shrugged.
“I’m your friend, and Liv I’m literally your partner. Unless you have some kind of weird fetish, save it for later.”
Olivia grinned, shaking her head. “Duly noted!” she chirped.
“That’s better,” Mark chuckled. “Now come on, we have a cathedral to visit.”
“Uhh, I’m not sure if you noticed, but we’re kinda… strigoi?!” Louis groaned. “I’d burn the moment I step in that place! Plus, it’s coated in silver! Anything I even touch will give me burns!”
“Oh come on, Lou. You have fucking gloves on. As long as you’re not a clumsy dumbass you’ll be fine… oh wait.’
“Uh huh, just sayin’ what I think, boss.”
The group headed out and Mark said something on his radio. He then sat on the ground, making his joints pop. The rest of the squad shrugged and followed his example, sitting down on the grass and waiting for… nothing. Charles and Zach looked at each other in confusion. “Uh, sir?” they asked. “Aren’t we supposed to be heading out and traveling right now?”
“Oh yeah, we’re just waiting.”
“Foooor…?”
The colonel gave them a smirk as a loud noise began to make itself known. A hummingbird transport appeared out of the distance and stopped right above them, slowly descending into the grass. “Being colonel has its perks,” Mark said with a smile. He stood up and hopped inside the hummingbird as soon as it landed. “Come on now! We’ve got work to do! Last one aboard buys everyone food later!”
Emma zipped in before Mark could even finish his sentence, followed by Olivia, Phineas, Charles, Zach, and then Louis, who sadly took too long to process what the colonel said, and lagged behind.
“Aw, man! Fuck this shit.”
“Rules are rules, Lou. Prepare your wallet later.” Mark grinned.
With a smile, the colonel pulled Olivia to his side, who blushed for a moment before shaking her head. “Take us up! New Lundun Cathedral! How long would it take?” he asked the pilot.
“About an hour and a half!” The pilot replied. “Less if you want to get there as soon as possible!”
“Take your time! The night’s still young.”
The hummingbird started to lift up, taking them into the air. The group settled down in their seats and watched outside the open. Mark opened up a bag inside the hummingbird and took out some ear muffs built for a strigoi. Extremely loud noises were damaging for a strigoi’s enhanced hearing, so the military started implementing ear muffs for them after complaints from early deployments of the hemolite squads.
The trip didn’t take too long. In only an hour and twenty minutes they had arrived at the safe zone of New Lundun, heading straight for the cathedral. The night mass had just ended and people were leaving the cathedral. “Looks like we made it in perfect time!” Mark smiled. They hovered for a few minutes in the air before eventually landing down right in front of the statue of Helena.
As soon as they landed, the colonel and his group left the hummingbird. Mark instructed the pilot to wait for them. He went straight for the cathedral with his group following behind. He entered inside, clearing his throat. “Hello?”
“Well this is surely unexpected,” an old man said, walking up to greet them.
“Great Grandfather Aurelius. It’s uh, an honor.”
“Please. The honor is mine… I see you’re the new colonel. Yes, I’ve heard the news,” he said. “Would you mind telling me your name, young man? As well as your companions, if they feel so. I usually don’t allow duskwalkers here but, I have nothing against them. I’ll make an exception for your group.”
“Thank you, Great Grandfather,” Mark replied. “I am Colonel Mark Jacobs. These are my friends and security detail. Olivia, Zach, Phineas, Charles, Emma, and Louis.”
“I see, and what brings you here?”
“Since Thatcher’s demise, I was given access to her research and project folders upon taking up the title. I’ve learned about what’s under your cathedral,” Mark cleared his throat. “Would it be alright if we could see it? I’d like to check it for myself. Of course, under your permission and guidance, Great Grandfather.”
The church head looked from Mark to his companions. He pulled a slight frown and hummed. “Do these companions of yours have the clearance? Surely, we wish to keep our secrets hidden,” he said. Mark nodded.
“They do not have clearance to know what is in Thatcher’s folders and her findings,” the colonel nodded. “However, I give them permission to accompany me, and should they discover things for themselves, then you have my word and my trust that I can keep them from spilling state secrets.”
The Great Grandfather gave a short pause before ultimately relenting. “Very well,” he let out a sigh. “Follow me.”
Aurelius walked behind the altar and pulled the same lever, which opened the same staircase leading underground, where Jorgenson and Thatcher had once gone. “Over here, colonel,” he said. “I do not know you completely yet, but this is a big deal of trust I am giving you. Perhaps you would be the one to do things that Thatcher could not have.”
Mark nodded, he and his group followed the Great Grandfather down the staircase. It led down to a massive underground facility, with numerous priests, researchers, and scientists. Libraries, records, instruments, and artifacts of old. It was a treasure trove of learning.
“So,” Aurelius cleared his throat. “What would you like to know about?”
“This isn’t all of it,” Mark said. “Thatcher mentioned a living, breathing, Helena.”
His group behind him let out a soft gasp, but they tried their best to hide their surprise.
“Hm,” the Great Grandfather nodded. “Perceptive young man aren’t you? Very well.”
They were then led into another room, behind a set of heavy blast doors. If the whole group were trying to hide their surprise then, now they could barely contain it. Even the colonel stared awestruck at the things he had seen. Despite the near-magical objects around them, the true shock was the massive starship at the end of the hallway. “It’s impressive isn’t it?” Aurelius said. “All of the goddess’ artifacts and items at our disposal, to use and learn from, to integrate into our own. This is why Anglestan is the most powerful nation in the UHT in terms of development. When it comes to industry, however, that would go to the UNA. But we share our secrets with them. All our advancements are handed to them first before any other nation.”
“This is all amazing, Great Grandfather,” Mark replied. “But this is not what I’m here for.”
“No, it’s not.” Aurelius nodded.
He led them to another room, one that was sterilized and sported advanced machinery. Things that Mark had never even seen. There were screens with luminous green texts that appeared in front of it. Large panels with numerous keys, levers, and dials. Graphs of all sorts and beeping monitors. In the center, was the very thing he had come all this way to confirm. A large cylinder filled with liquid, sporting tubes and pipes connecting to its base. Inside was a woman of large proportion. Four arms, two legs, and six wings. In her bare chest was a symbol of the sun that seemed to glow dimly.
“There she is, there’s you goddess.”
Neither Mark nor his group spoke a word. He walked up to it, eyeing the woman inside. It really is her. Down to the last details. Golden hair, six limbs, six folded wings, and she looks massive. Probably as big as her statue just outside the cathedral. This is it. The very goddess in the history books, the one spoken about in legends and the one worshiped in the Churches of Sol.
“Can we free her?” he said.
The Great Grandfather nearly choked on his spit upon hearing those words. “Free her?! That could kill her! We don’t even understand this technology, let alone control it!” he said pointing at the panels. “The machines you see here are the best and most advanced we have based on what we can reverse engineer, but even then, the consequences of tampering with its functions may be disastrous!”
“I understand, Great Grandfather,” Mark said. “But we are in a dire situation, and the goddess may be our hope of turning this around. Whatever secrets of her tech that you don’t understand, wouldn’t she be able to teach us directly? What good is she floating around in Sol knows what?”
“That is her miraculous healing fluid. She had already built this contraption centuries ago in case anything were to happen to her, that her body’s natural healing could not sustain,” Aurelius said. “During the War of Darkness, Helena was struck with a weapon so deadly, her very cells began to tear away. The Reaper. Dealt to her by Absolem the progenitor. Her flesh was peeling from her body, and she began to decay whilst she still breathed. She entered this contraption and gave strict instructions to the Great Grandfather at the time, not to interrupt the healing process. The machine that monitored her, however, began to fail over time.”
“So this… these screens and panels…”
“Is only what functions we can understand. We took it upon ourselves to rebuild and study it the best we could. What we have right now is only a cheap imitation of a technology we do not fully comprehend,” he said. “It took us decades to even figure out the fundamentals and create a working prototype of this machine. By some miracle, the goddess’ healing process had remained even while we replaced components of technology ahead of ours.”
“But you know how to free her, don’t you?”
“I… yes.”
“Great Grandfather Aurelius,” Mark began. “We can end this war. Imagine what we could do with the goddess fighting on our side. We could advance even further, we could finally end the bloodshed, and we can show humanity that there is still hope. Imagine how people all over the world would feel seeing as their goddess has returned.”
“I wish I had your enthusiasm,” Aurelius said. “But it is simply too risky. The Church’s duty is to protect Helena and her legacy. We keep her alive, literally and figuratively. She nearly died the last time she was involved in a war. Would you risk losing the goddess?”
“Would you risk humanity losing?”
The Great Grandfather fell silent, looking back at Helena floating inside the tube, then to the panels that controlled it. He frowned and let out a long sigh. “The goddess said that we should not interrupt it. That it would end as soon as it was finished. Maybe we should trust her words.”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t spot a single blemish on the goddess. Not a single scratch,” he argued. “You said it yourself that the machine had begun to fail and you replaced components. How would you know that the thing that’s supposed to wake her up was not tampered with? Think about it. What you may think is a useless piece may be integral to the whole machine. Or maybe your replacements were not up to the task. Just because nothing’s happened doesn’t mean its functions have remained whole.”
“Young man, we simply cannot gamble with the goddess’ life here.”
“Have you no faith? Great Grandfather?”
Aurelius stepped back in shock. Mark’s companions looked at each other, clearly surprised as well. “Mark… I don’t think we should keep arguing with—” Olivia tried to say.
“No,” the colonel said firmly, cutting her off. “Great Grandfather Aurelius, do you think that Helena will not be able to pull through if we wake her? How long has it been? A century? How much longer will we wait? She may be immortal but humans aren’t.”
“I'm sorry, but the chances of failure are too high. The probability of her—”
“I don’t care about the probability! Would you rather put your faith in a statistic?!” Mark raised his voice. “I lost my mother to this war! My friends! My job! My eye, and almost my life! I’ve put mine on the line out there! You don’t know what it’s like out there! Was my mother’s death just a probability too? Was she just a statistic to you?! That as long as the numbers are good, no matter how many are lost, we are ‘winning’?!”
“Mark—!”
“No, Liv! He needs to know what’s really going on out there!” he spat. “Great Grandfather, with all due respect, but you don’t have a damn clue what it’s like to be in the field. You’re a man of faith, aren’t you? Take a risk. Everyone else has.”
Aurelius stood there, dumbfounded. He bit the inside of his cheeks and clenched his fists. “For your insolence, I would have had you flogged and stripped of your rank,” he glared at the young colonel. However, his features slowly softened, letting out a soft sigh. “But I have never seen such conviction. Mighty is your faith.”
The Great Grandfather moved over to the panels and reached into his robe, pulling out from around his neck a key with the symbol of the sun. He inserted it into the machine and turned. A beep sounded, right before Aurelius pulled a lever. In an instant, the fluid inside the glass chamber began to drain out into the tubes under it. Slowly, the chamber emptied and all that was left was the nude form of the goddess sitting in the glass.
“Did it work?” Louis asked, stepping forward and looking at the woman.
Aurelius stayed silent, his hands shaking in anticipation. Mark moved toward the glass chamber, when suddenly, the glass opened up like a door, releasing a fragrant mist. They stood there, watching for a whole minute. Nothing. At first nothing. The Great Grandfather looked like he was about to break down. His knees shook as he covered his mouth, thinking that he was responsible for the death of Helena.
That was when… a soft sound was heard. Movement. Olivia immediately went over to Mark and stood in front of him. Ready to protect him should anything happen. Slowly, the goddess moved more, her arms inched to the side.
Then, her eyes opened.

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5. Most Multi-Tool- 3D Precision Screwdriver
6 Hybrid Precision 3D Screwdrivers Cell Phone Repair Hand Tools, Universal Size Reliable 3D Screwdrivers Includes Phillips (1.2mm), Torx T2, Slotted (1.5mm), 5-Pin (0.8mm), Y-Three Point (0.6mm), Specified Phillips (2.5mm). Do more than just repair computers. This kit can handle PCs, laptops, gaming systems, eyeglasses, jewelry, and more.
One buyer used the kit in his work and thought "it is very convenient as it has many pointed models. The tips accommodate a variety of screw openings, which is a plus."
6. Most Ergonomic-Magnetizer Demagnetizer Screwdriver Tips
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CHOOSING THE BEST REPAIR TOOL KIT—BUYING GUIDE

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We hope our best computer repair toolkit reviews have been helpful. For more related products, including soldering stations, microscopes, batteries, screens, and more, check out these other guides from PHONEFIX.

Written 5/8/2024- updates attached below

I tried posting this on kendrick almost a week ago and it got no response, I messaged the mods to ask about Karma restrictions or account age requirements and they never replied. I made a new account and it was the same issue, but I found out last night I wasn’t fully banned, so I figured I’d throw it up and see if anyone finds it valuable. It’s written for people who have no prior knowledge of the rap game/music business. I don’t have to go as hard on obscuring names this time. One of the influencers I mentioned in my last post is known for doxxing and threatening violence against people who mention the many contradictions in their stories. (Sorry for any typos/mistakes I want to go to bed.)
Origins
I believe the current Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef is either completely or partially fabricated by certain industry leaders or the parties involved in an effort to distract from something bigger going down behind the scenes. If you were an influential label owner facing major accusations, and you needed to deflect media attention from yourself, recreating one of the most defining moments in rap history during the social media era would be a way to do it. It also wouldn’t hurt that two of the biggest rappers in the world were already sending shots at each other in their music for years prior. The public consensus is they are simply two famous rappers who hate each other and fighting over the spot for the top like in the 90’s. Only people who were directly involved could paint a more cohesive picture of the whole story. Even when all the cards drop, there is a good chance the average person won’t be able to find direct sources on their own and will continue to support their favorite artists and dismiss any evidence of their crimes like the drizzy subreddit or Ak fans.

As I said the beef between Kendrick and Drake has been brewing in the background for years, with both rappers sending shots and sneak dissing each other over the course of at least 8 years. The most agreed upon origin story is the first diss was the 2016 Big Sean and Kendrick collaboration, “Control,” and Drake responded with, “The Language”. Things stayed relatively lighthearted for a while and both were intentionally vague for many years. Before I go deep into the Kendrick and Drake stuff, it’s really important to examine some of Drake’s prior beefs because they add a ton of context to my theory. In my opinion Kendrick and Co. started scheming all of this some time around Mid 2020-Mid 2022, well after the whole Pusha T beef had transitioned into the Kanye beef.

What exactly started the beef is debatable, but at the time many attributed it to rumors of Drake pursuing Ye’s ex Amber Rose. Unfortunately the timeline isn’t 100 percent clear, and if I included every detail this would be at least 200+ pages so I’ll stick with the important stuff. The ultimate outcome of the Pusha T battle in 2018 was the revelation of Drake’s son Adidon that he had previously been hiding from the world along with getting Ye directly involved in the beef.

Here are some more examples of Drake antagonizing Ye and of him trying to use women as pawns to get material for his diss tracks. The Drake line, “Yeah, I probably go link to Yeezy, I need me some Jesus, but as soon as I start confessin' my sins, he wouldn't believe us," could be a reference to sleeping with Kim Kardashian, trying to double down on his threats to harm him or his family, or it could be a double entendre. Another example is using the name Kiki in another song, which was apparently one of Kim’s nicknames. Some other possible examples include the theories he may have tried the same thing with Kendrick’s wife Whitney around 2020-2021 in an attempt to use as ammo against Kendrick, which I’ll go into later. I don’t listen to much of either artist's music, but there are probably many of other examples in Drake’s catalogue that I’m leaving out. There is also his song Omerta released in 2019, which I'll go into below.

“Your baby mother call me when she lonely My tailor see me twice a week, he like my homie Forever grateful, forever thankful Diamond necklace, but she wears it on her ankle”

(Probably referring to Kim Kardashian since she had a few pictures with her wearing diamond ankle bracelets and was trying to make it into a trend.

“I plan to buy your most personal belongings when they up for auction”

(There were various rumors floating around for a while that Drake was blackmailing Ye with something and he was fighting to keep it from the public. I thought about it and this line might be referencing a sex tape with Kim or her little sister who me was very touch before she turned 18. In 2022 there was a whole storyline on Kim’s show where Ye flies to LA to prevent her second sex tape from being released.)

West Hollywood, know my presence is menacing
Cosa Nostra, shady dealings
Racketeering, the syndicate got they hand in plenty things The things that we've done to protect the name are unsettling But no regrets, though, the name'll echo Years later, none greater
Death to a coward and a traitor, that's just in my nature, yeah
(Drake and Ye both frequented the Delilah Nightclub located in West Hollywood and lived closeby on the same street for a while.)
"I don't carry cash 'cause the money is digital
It's the American Expresser, the debt collector"

(Sounds a lot more like it could be crypto to launder or send large amounts of ill gotten gains. It started becoming mainstream around them)

"Last year, niggas really feel like they rode on me
Last year, niggas got hot 'cause they told on me
I'm 'bout to call the bluff of anybody the fold on me"

These lines stood out because they could be referring to Ye telling the public about Drake's alleged threats a couple months before the songs release. This happened not long after the release of Sicko mode which was towards the end of 2018 as well. Ye was discussing the incident on Twitter and reached out to Drake and Travis to talk to him in private. In the next set of tweets Kanye publicly accused Drake of threatening him and his family in a major way. Surprisingly Ye seemed genuinely scared and amongst his, “crazy rants,” some of the stuff he said makes a ton of sense in hindsight. This also the beginning of his second serious public struggles with Bipolar disorder after being committed in 2016 shortly after an on stage rant where he calls out Jay Z for selling out and says he's afraid he might kill him.. As someone who shares the same diagnosis, I have a pretty good understanding of mania and psychosis and firmly believe that it's important not to write people off right away due to their mental illness. Some of my most thoughtful, creative, and productive periods were inspired by mania. Industry bigwigs have also been using mental illness to discredit influential black celebrities and visionaries going back decades, but it really picked up in the 80’s.

Dave Chappelle has gone into this a lot in the past and claims he experienced something similar before he quit show business and dipped to Africa. Their stories have a lot of interesting parallels if you’re familiar or curious. I remember he actually visited Ye at his house in Wyoming after he was reported to have had a, "mental breakdown," during his presidential run in 2020 thus marking his third breakown in six years.. The reason I put it in quotes is because it happened right after he publicly accused Kim of cheating and delivered his legendary speech on abortion. Dave went as far as going on live tv and telling the public he wasn’t crazy, he was just really struggling because he was the only one at the time fighting against the narrative, which can often be a suicide mission or a ticket to obscurity. These are three examples of someone speaking up and being deemed crazy, two years later came the nazi stuff and I'm sure we'll have plenty in store for 2024.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the very common pattern of artists dying or having their careers destroyed either after they try to leave their label or threaten to reveal industry secrets. A few more interesting industry connections I made in my research include the connections between:

T.U.G. records and J Cole's independent label Dreamville are both managed by Interscope Records, whose parent company is Universal Music Group.

Universal Music Group also hac Drake's label OvO label as well as Ye and Kendrick's old labels on their roster before they left to form their own independent labels in 2022 (around the same time the disses between Kendrick and Drake started escalating). Finally Bad Boy Records, which is owned by Diddy, and Motown Records who own Diddy's other R&B label Love Records, are also both owned by Universal. This means every label I mention is currently or was previously owned by Universal Music Group.

Ye tried for years to get out of his contract with Defjam, which happens to be ran by Jay Z who is known to be a close associate of Diddy. Jay would always used his money and power to fight against it. Ye even spoke out publicly on a few occasions, including when he said Jay Z was trying to kill him during one of his concerts. My theory is after years of getting nowhere and having his reputation skewered, in 2022 Ye finally said, "Fuck it," and dropped all the anti- Semetic stuff intentionally in a successful attempt to force his label to into using their morality clause, which requires labels to drop an artist if they're accused of any major controversy that could hurt the label’s profits. For the fourth time in four years the media reported he was having a breakdown. Even though they tried to punish him by cutting off all of his sources of income and freezing his accounts he still managed to bounce back pretty quickly. It was often reported how much he was losing, but it rarely discussed how he still was filthy rich in spite of the retrictions. His label wanted to discourage other artists from trying the same thing. My theory is he might have bought Kim or Kylie's alleged sex tape and used it for his own leverage. For Kendrick, his transition to his independent label ApLang went a lot smoother, but he had to split ownership of his new label with the previous manager owner Dave Free. Sadly it's still difficult for new or more niche artists to establish themselves without the some help.

He may be a lot of things but Ye isn’t dumb just because he has a mood disorder and the guys at the top know this, which is why I think he has really played up his diagnosis when it benefitted him. He’s still one of the most talented musicians in the game and I really think he sees his bipolar like a superpower as he says. It’s like his own invisibility cloak. He can go off his meds for a little, make an album after staying up for 72 hours, go on a “psychotic” twitter rant dropping facts throughout, then start up again once he makes enough news headlines. I think it’s worth noting the first divorce rumors in 2020 coincided with Ye’s abortion speech during his presidential run and the cheating accusations. that led to him dropping out and moving to Wyoming, and a couple months ago in February 2024 he was committed again.

The point I’m making is bipolar is complex, but pretty manageable especially if you have a ton of money to find meds that work for you and a good doctor and can keep substance abuse and stress at a manageable level. I think Ye is smart enough to know this, but it’s just safer for him to really play up the mental issues in the media. He’s proven he can literally say whatever he wants after getting cancelled and the average person is just going to write it off as psycho babble. While bias in health care is a sad fact of society, if you can use it to your advantage I say go for it. It might’ve just kept the microscope off of him long enough to plan his attack.

Ye v. Drake: Quotes of 2018
(Start of the beef, drake threats, and suspicion towards Kardashian family. )

“ It’s not about rap. It’s about family. We have to be close as a family and never let these people infiltrate just for radio spins”

“We need to show the world that people can talk without people ending up dead or in jail.”

”This is a man speaking to a man that has been placed in the program to fuck with Kanye West head and set me up“

”See when you care about your family you don’t let no man push you to do nothing that could risk your freedom“

These first four tweets by Ye were all in reference to perceived threats made by Drake after their beef escalated circa 2018. He began speaking on the industry and talking more about his psych hospital commitment two years prior and how he thought they were going to kill him. It's pretty obvious how the whole thing was planned by the sketchy doctor who called it in and his physical trainer who has a ton of connections to weird shit involving his celebrity clients.

I found interesting that Ye might not have been the first major league rapper whose life Drake threatened. During a similar period of mental illness the up and coming rapper XXXtentacion accused Drake of stealing his flow and dissed him a few times. Not long after he made a post online saying if he dies, it was Drake who did it. There are tons of conspiracies online, but none of the evidence is strong enough to draw a definitive connection. Also while it maybe be coincidental, Kendrick’s latest album Mr Morale also painted the picture that Kendrick was dealing with some serious personal issues. Some lines throughout the album may have been used to bait Drake into escalating, but it wasn’t until The Weekend, Future, and Metro Booming dropped, “We Don’t Trust You,” then Drake and J. Cole dropped, “First Person Shooter,” which was followed a couple days later with, “Like That,” where Kendrick started the chain of events that has led us to today.

Kanye vs. Drake: Quotes of 2020

Summary: Ye runs for president and gets suppressed for saying what very well could be the truth and was immediately deemed insane by the media. Kim did a couple interviews and everything he said was immediatly false. There is almost guarenteed to be some sketchy shit going down revolving her and her family. Ye was absolutely terrified of her keeping the kids away from him and it seems like there are still efforts being made to this day to paint a certain image of him for ulterior motives.

Below are six more quotes from a fan taking a deep dive into his 2020 tweets courtesy of u/ thehatstore42069 on Yeezy
”NORTHY I AM GOING TO WAR AND PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE AND IF I AM MURDERED DON’T EVER LET WHITE MEDIA TELL YOU I WASNT A GOOD MAN,” West, 43, wrote in the tweet, adding, “WHEN PEOPLE THREATEN TO TAKE YOU OUT OF MY LIFE JUST KNOW I LOVE YOU”

"I need a public apology from J Cole and Drake to start with immediately... I'm Nat Turner... I'm fighting for us."

"the utmost respect for all brothers" and said "we need to link and respect each other... no more dissing each other on labels we don't own"

"Ye is constantly trying to tell people that his family does not have his or his kids best interests at heart. He goes on to list others, linking them together with the thinking emoji. These people include rap artist Drake and Larsa Pippen, wife of Scottie Pippe. Kim K is goddaughter to Pippen's daughter, showing how close the families actually are. All of these families that associate with Ye through Kardashian connections, as well as Drake, have been accused of the same thing Kris has. EVERY SINGLE ONE of these people have mixed race children that are groomed from a young age to fuck around with celebrities so the parents can remain famous. Drake on numerous occasions has been accused of grooming girls and then getting handsy on their 18th birthday.”

“These labels want their artists to make them money and they dont care about anything else. When Kanye says things like this in an attempt to expose him, the first thing they wanna do is drug him up and put him back in the studio.”
“Righteous indignation is typically a reactive emotion of anger over mistreatment, insult, or malice of another. It is akin to what is called the sense of injustice. This is how they keep the black man down. Keep people outraged about trivial things and distract them from the real issues in the world. The real problems in the industry. If you tell people enough times that they are unequal or discriminated against they start to believe it. Drug them when they step out of line and toss them aside when the checks run out. Ye is realizing he is pawn in a bigger game, and now that he has all these roots in the game such as Yeezy or the Gap or his music, too many people cant risk (Afford) a Ye who speaks his mind.”
(End of quotes)

Amongst the twitter rant, Ye warned about the predatory nature of record deals and discussed trying to get out of his own deal, and said again how his life may be in danger if it wasn’t already and was doing anything he could to protect his kids. The most fascinating part to me though is the public call to arms he made to Drake, J Cole, and Kendrick on twitter. After inviting them to all link up, he said, “It’s time to get free, we will not argue amongst each other while some guy we don’t know in Europe is getting paid and putting that money in a hedge fund.” I believe if Ye was able to pull off this meeting, there is an ever so slight chance that all four artists might be working together to take down a greater enemy. Weirdly there have been times throughout the last couple years where these supposed enemies were photographed together being friendly or praise each other in interviews, then out of no where the disses would start flying again.

To wrap things up I want to share my a few of my theories about the Drake/Kanye beef

A. Everything is exactly as it seems and the beef is over. Ye let his mental illness ruin his life and career so Drake simply picked another target after Ye stopped putting out disses. All of these connections are just a coincidence and all of this was choreographed to boost Drake and Kendrick’s music sales and possibly distract people from the Diddy trial and possibly the complicated geopolitical issues currently facing the U.S.

C. There is also the possibility that all four rappers are in cahoots and Drake’s dirt isn’t as extreme as people are theorizing, at least in comparison to the rest of the business. This could explain why everything has played out like a movie and how they were able to predict each other’s moves so well. This could either mean they’re all just trying to boost their sales or they’re all trying to take down the “slave masters,” as Ye calls them, and change the dynamic of the music industry in favor of the artist.

D. They may be trying to help their friends in the industry who are being abused or in shitty contracts. I know a lot of famous rappers have done a lot of collaborations with Jhene Aiko and Anderson Paak, who were both signed to T.U.G. records which I mentioned above in the connections to Universal Music Group. Considering they are both frequent collaborators with all of the artists involved on both sides, it’s not unlikely they may have played some part in influencing the takedown.

T.U.G was started by Chris Stokes with his partner Ketrina Askew. Back in the early to mid 90’s were gaining popularity attracting lots of young up and coming talent. They often collaborated with Diddy and his associates. In the 2000’s Raz B from the boy band B2K claimed he was molested by Stokes and his friend Marques Houston, then quickly retracted his claims. Years later he came forward again and said we was bribed into silence and that the rest of the victims were bribed with hush money and had another singer corroborate his story and they came forward together to level the accusations. After some of his former B2K members made fun of him for his claims and accused it of being a shakedown, Raz B revealed Stokes and Houston had preyed a lot of the children associated with the label including at least one of the former bandmates and paid them off.

I thought it was worth noting that the second whistleblower named Quindon Tarver died young in a car crash after mentioning his abuse again a few years prior. He seems to have left the industry not long after the incidents occurred and has few credits to his name. To this day Raz B is still trying to get his justice, while Stokes and his partner Askew, who was also involved in the abuse are still running the label to this day. Askew also has a ton of lawsuits, accusing her of using shady tactics to try to foreclose on houses. (Don’t quote me if a lawyer wants to take a look just google her full name), and has been tied to a ton of LLCs, similar to Drake. This is a good example of a shitty record deal, but I'm sure they have countless other friends in the industry who have even worse. While they were never convicted even Chris Stokes' wife confirmed it to be true.

E. The theory I personally think fits the narrative best and is the most realistic conspiracy is that Kendrick and possibly J. Cole went to the meeting, but not Drake due to his close relationship with Lucian Grange, the president of Drake’s label. Silence often speaks louder than words and this could explain why Kendrick was so ruthless and put so much effort into finding dirt on Drake. Ye, Cole, and Kendrick co-writing would be like the rap allstar team and if J. Cole wasn’t involved, it would also answer the question of whether or not he baited Drake into the battle by asking him to feature. I don’t think Drake is really their primary target though, which would explain letting him off easy. Compared to his bosses and their bosses he’s a small fish. If you take the big guys down you stand a better chance of landing a bigger blow on their operation.

Another really interesting connection is Kendrick and Ye were both signed under Universal Music Group and they both got out of their deals around couple months apart in 2022. As we speak U.M.G’s CEO Lucian Grange, who is often acccused of giving Drake special treatment, is facing charges related to sex trafficking by no other than P Diddy. This could very well explain the timing of it all. The craziest timeline would be Diddy masterminding all of this and using his connections to get it done and all the allegations are bullshit. The guy does seem pretty confident all things considered and constantly posts himself in his Batman costume which could mean he’s a vigilante.

It seems like there's a slight religious angle as well. (Ye and Diddy are both very vocal advocates of Christianity and Drake and Lucian Grange are both Jewish.) Obviously this is a reach, but they’ve been saying rap music was specifically promoted by mostly white label owners in the 80’s to help in the ongoing effort to expedite the systematic oppression of those living in black neighborhoods and the destruction of their family systems. Apparently it was an intentional decision to heavily promote rappers that promoted the very things that were destroying their neighborhoods. (So people know I'm and atheist and have zero agenda, I just thought it was interesting, please stay away from anything antisemitic. War is wrong on both sides.)

*** If my favorite theory is true, there is a possibility the Kendrick and Ye are going after Drake due to their mutual disdain for him and because he’s got a ton of power to dominate the charts and hog the radio airtime like Meek Mill and OG Maco claimed years ago. Even him dropping a record the same day as you could really fuck your album sales up. I’m also sure some of the many rumors throughout the years have had a least some truth and he will most likely snitch to avoid cell block one. I think that Drake could have been instructed to instigate this whole mess in order to draw attention away from the UMG charges brought about by Diddy. Or on the other hand it could be that Kendrick, Ye, and possibly Cole, may have had intel that Drake was going to be involved in the Diddy trial and are just gonna let the receipts show themselves. It might not have been the original plan, but they’ve already accomplished their mission of humiliating him, assuring he couldn’t use his influence to slide through the cracks, and taking over the throne.

Please take everything I say with a grain of salt I have no connection to this world or lifestyle. Regardless I believe all of the knowledge above does a pretty solid job at painting a picture of what may have let up to this and what may have been the source.
——————————-
More details found the last couple days…

Drake and Diddy Connections+Coincidences

Drake- In the P Diddy wig video from 2016 he talks about going to party with Drake, Cash, and The Weeknd in Toronto. Drake is also one of Birdman’s protégées who is known for being a predator and is rumored to have used label artists to lure young women.

Travis Scott- Interview where he comes out and says Diddy tried to lure him. Still has a long history of associating with him, video of him running from Diddy, his connection to Ruby Rose while underage.

Tim Westwood- Diddy had connections with sex offender Tim Westwood who also inspired the Drake song, “Westwood”. They also both were victims of drive by shootings along with The Weekend and they were all facing some type of allegations.

T.I.- Also has been associate with Diddy through the years, in 2021 his kid died and 11 women can forward at the same time to accuse him and his wife of drugging and assaulting them. Clearly someone wanted to fuck his life up. Possibly due to him getting arrested so many times for wild shit and people wondering how he continued to get away with it shining a light on how powerful industry lawyers are. He also had recently talked about having a gynecologist check to see if his daughter is still a Virgin, which sounds like it could have been an industrty secret. Could have been because he worried about someone trying to take advantage of her to get to him? Regardless that shit is fucking insane.

50 Cent- Has been saying pretty much the same thing as Travis Scott and has trolled Diddy for most of his career. It came out that his wife was a sex worker who was possibly recruited Diddy to help ruin his career. It sort of worked, which raises the question if 50 Cent is the only victim.

Ray J- Him and his sister worked with T.U.G. records when they were very young. Chris Stokes in the nineties who had connections with Diddy. He has been involved in a lot of sex scandals and allegedly may have played a part in Whitney Houston's death. (Which is also allegedly connected to Michael Jackson's death and both were deemed suspicious and happened during their final tours when their masters (song rights), became more valuable than their lives. Sony Records and Tommy Motolla, who also abused Mariah Carey when she was trying to start her career. These are just a few of the alleged examples of labels taking out musicians when they were worth more dead, another is the signing of high risk artists and requiring them to get life insurance so they can profit beyond releasing all their posthumous records. Also the ever so common story of the rising star artist that die at 21 after their first album or two.

He also partied with Diddy in Vegas with along Floyd Mayweather and a bunch of other famous industry people and athletes.

Tory Lanez- Tons of blackmail, also was signed by Interscope under UMG. got sent to prison for ten years after trying to leave his label. Also history of SA and and other allegations of violence towards women.

French Montana- On Diddy's label, close with Rick and Khaled, tons of drug and sexual assault allegations, also dated a Kardashian. Generally grimy.

DJ Khaled- Diddy said he could get anything in Miami, either referring to drugs or women, could explain his connections and lack of any notable talent. (New update, he was one of the first to promote Chris Alvarez’s instagram not long after he turned 18).

Rick Ross- Diddy said some weird shit about him and licked his lips and kissed him at a show. Ross is also signed to Bad Boy under Diddy. He ended up getting involved in the current feud and spamming social media nonstop dissing and threatening Drake.

A lot of the back and forth was both of them threatening to release dirt on each other. One strange coincidence I found was Drake recently trolled Ross about the 20 million dollar renovation to his home on Star island, where Diddy is currently residing. It’s rumored back in the day that P Diddy was caught in a room full of rich guys on ecstasy possibly at the beginning stages of a gay orgy. Drake also mentioned in the same tweets about Rick Ross that Birdman owned a house on the island and asked Rick Ross why he didn’t help him out.

Considering Ross is so sketchy and Drake claims the house isn’t that big, that’s a ridiculous amount of money. He may be covering up evidence, or creating tunnels in his house to escape if shit pops off and Drake might know what’s good. Interestingly enough Ross is very close with French Montana and also signed to Bad. He said his beef was related to something involving French, and Drake’s tweet popped up the same day the info came out concerning the Chris Alvarez stuff.

The famous line from U.O.E.N.O.

Meek Mill- “OG Maco called himself defending his friend Quentin Miller by substantiating the ghostwriting claims and agreeing with Meek. He hit up Twitter saying, "Some of us been knew. Meek just put it in the air. Sucks to have to compete with 6 n****s and get compared to”

Meek mill also had a short beef with Drake, some disses included lines referring to TI’s homie pissing on Drake at the movie theater, which is also interesting considering the current case against him. He also dropped a line saying Diddy almost got a domestic charge when he smacked Drake, which could either be saying that Drake is like a woman, or saying he was Drake’s boyfriend/sugar daddy.
( If you made it to the end comment with the number 8)
I thought it was interesting how the beef just kind of disappeared and even Meek said it didn’t seem genuine. Considering the allegations against Meek in the Diddy trial, and his rumored affair with Kim contributing to ending Kanye’s marriage, Meek Mill definitely did some dirt on him.

“Niggas frauds I told the truth, don't ask me shit
All this industry fake enemy and rap shit”

“Money make a sucker that told look trill again”

One of the many chapters in Drake's history in which he is seen paying his way out of trouble and starting beefs randomly.
“Now when that shit went down with Chris, you wrote a check”
This line is referring to Chris brown beef, another beef that was lost to time. All I can remember off the top was someone throwing a champagne bottle at the other’s entourage.

Ty Dolla $ign- Huge feature artist, close with Ye. Grew up in the industry and talks about growing up on the road and being in the studio with his dad and Rick James who was should have already been in prison for life for dragging, torturing, and S assaulting multiple women and children throughout his career and was himself a victim of the industry. May be part of Ye's motivation, considering their recent close working relationship.
The end.
Courtesy of,
The Randomest Moniker

My grandfather is a man of few words and hasn't really asked many questions about his recent-ish prostate cancer diagnosis and his doctors have been hesitant to give answers on life expectancy. He says he doesn't feel any real pain yet, but has lost his desire to do pretty much anything.
I was finally able to convince him to send me a screenshot of his biopsy results and I'm hoping someone here can help me understand what is going on and if possible, give a general prognosis. I'm doing my best to type out what is written in the screenshot, but the section breaks are weird so please bear with me. Please feel free to explain it to me like I'm 5 ;)
And to be completely clear... I understand that every case is different, and it may be difficult to answer some questions specifically. I'm just hoping for a high-level understanding, and to see if I can get even a Months vs Years kind of answer.
Here goes: Final Diagnosis Prostate, Transurethral Resection Adenocarcinoma, Gleason's score 5+5=10, grade group 5 Possible lymphovascular invasion Tumor involves 7% of the tissue sampled
Code 9 Microscopic Description Sections contain prostate with a high-grade adenocarcinoma, Gleason's Score 5+5=10. The tumor is composed of solid sheets of tumor cells which infiltrate the stroma. The tumor cells are mildly pleomorphic and contain nuclear pseudoinclusions and occasional prominent nucleoli. The tumor involves 7% of the tissue sampled and there is possible lymphovascular invasion.
Special Stains
Gross Description The specimen is received in formalin for paraffin processing labeled prostate chips and consists of a 26-gram, 4.0 x 4.0 x 4.0 cm aggregate of tan-rubbery tissue fragments. Approximately 35% of the specimen is sampled in 1A-1E. tj

My grandfather is a man of few words and hasn't really asked many questions about his recent-ish prostate cancer diagnosis and his doctors have been hesitant to give answers on life expectancy. He says he doesn't feel any real pain yet, but has lost his desire to do pretty much anything.
I was finally able to convince him to send me a screenshot of his biopsy results and I'm hoping someone here can help me understand what is going on and if possible, give a general prognosis. I'm doing my best to type out what is written in the screenshot, but the section breaks are weird so please bear with me. Please feel free to explain it to me like I'm 5 ;)
And to be completely clear... I understand that without seeing him as a patient, it may be difficult to answer some questions specifically. I'm just hoping for a high-level understanding, and to see if I can get even a Months vs Years kind of answer.
Here goes: Final Diagnosis Prostate, Transurethral Resection Adenocarcinoma, Gleason's score 5+5=10, grade group 5 Possible lymphovascular invasion Tumor involves 7% of the tissue sampled
Code 9 Microscopic Description Sections contain prostate with a high-grade adenocarcinoma, Gleason's Score 5+5=10. The tumor is composed of solid sheets of tumor cells which infiltrate the stroma. The tumor cells are mildly pleomorphic and contain nuclear pseudoinclusions and occasional prominent nucleoli. The tumor involves 7% of the tissue sampled and there is possible lymphovascular invasion.
Special Stains
Gross Description The specimen is received in formalin for paraffin processing labeled prostate chips and consists of a 26-gram, 4.0 x 4.0 x 4.0 cm aggregate of tan-rubbery tissue fragments. Approximately 35% of the specimen is sampled in 1A-1E. tj

My 13 year old went to the ER 10 days ago for LRQ pain that was increasing and localized over 24 hours, after over a week of constant general abdominal pain, so I was concerned they had appendicitis. Clinical signs were not all present, essentially just bad pain, directly at the appendix area, but no rebound pain. Nausea but no GI issues, and eating normally. Bloodwork showed slightly elevated lymphocytes and MPV but otherwise unremarkable. Urinalysis normal. We were told the ultrasound ruled out ovarian/uterine issues and indicated appendicitis, and that a fecalith was seen. Had it been inconclusive, they would have ordered a CT.
Pre-op, we were told that it may not actually be appendicitis, or maybe we caught it early, but regardless they felt surgery was warranted, and my kid and I agreed. Post-op, surgeon reported the appendix and some lymph nodes nearby were slightly enlarged, and all other organs looked “beautiful”. He was not confident it was appendicitis, and mentioned it could have been lymphoid hyperplasia, so pathology would take a look.
Pathology report came in today, and it diagnosed nothing. I understand ultrasounds can be inaccurate, and neither of us is unhappy about the surgery since their pain was fully relieved by it. But my question is, if their appendix was normal, what caused the pain that went away after appendectomy?? I’m baffled.
(13yo is otherwise very healthy, normal menses, no medications, no prior hospitalizations, no chronic conditions, no major illnesses. Only medical history is a couple fractures, oral surgery before braces, and glasses.)
———
Here’s the full pathology report that’s available to me:
FINAL DIAGNOSIS
APPENDIX, APPENDECTOMY:
— NO PATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS.
Pre/Post Operative Diagnosis
PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Acute appendicitis, unspecified acute appendicitis type
POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Acute appendicitis, unspecified acute appendicitis type
GROSS DESCRIPTION
Received in formalin, labeled with the patient's name, medical record number and "appendix" is a 9.0 cm in length by 0.7 cm in maximum external diameter vermiform appendix with attached mesoappendix. The surgical margin is inked. The serosa tan-pink, smooth and glistening. Serial sectioning reveals a luminal diameter of 0.7 cm, with a wall thickness of 0.2 cm. There is no perforation identified grossly. A fecalith is not appreciated. The mucosa is tan and homogenous. Representative sections, including the surgical margin, bisected tip, and central cross-section, are submitted in cassette 1A.
MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION
Microscopic examination performed.

Hello!
I am looking for anyone willing to commit to a new Stellaris campaign. Roleplay is welcome, as are any levels of experience. The bottom line is anything within the guidelines is fair game. There is no start date yet, until enough people fill in.
The new multiplayer campaign will:

• Feature vanilla Stellaris with all DLCs, the new Machine Age DLC included.
• Not include any mods changing the checksum. Mods not changing the checksum- including but limited to UI changes, more flag choices, and different species pictures- are fair game.
• Be every Monday from 18:30 to 20:30 CST. The game will start at 18:30; please arrive early to avoid hot joining and general Paradox multiplayer instability.
• End at 1 JAN 2450, unless it is otherwise majority agreed the campaign should end or continue. In the case of the latter, we will extend and take a vote at the end of every session to find if the majority wish to continue or end the campaign.
• Have little AI presence, if any. Though suggestions are always welcome if a lot of people want a crisis(es), marauders, etc. My goal is to eliminate some RNG, but again, suggestions are welcome.
• Require signing up on our Discord.
• Allow subs, though rules and requirements apply to them as well. Their actions will affect your standing, should they do something to break the rules. If you need a sub, a heads up of 24 hours prior to the game session start would be nice. You are solely responsible for finding your own sub; if you are not able to find one, the AI will take over and your country will not have special rules or edits given to it.
• Possibly have videos and streams taken of gameplay, voice, and chat. For all I know, someone might stream their experience playing this, which is completely their prerogative.

The gameplay itself has the following rules:

• No war declarations before 2220. There will be speed 3 for this portion, after which the speed will remain at 2.
• No pausing. If the game is paused, do not unpause it.
• No editing the save file, unless there is some technical issue.
• No genocidal civics (i.e. Fanatic Purifiers, Determined Exterminators, Devouring Swarm).
• No cooperative play; only one player plays their own one empire. However, if for some reason you wanted to say, play every other week and have someone else play your country every other week you cannot, that’s fine. Just explain these odd circumstances if asked; I get having a weird work/home schedule.
• No federation sizes of more than 2 human players.
• No higher than a 2:1 ratio of human participants in a PvP war. In other words, if Player A is at war with Player B and C, no one else may declare war on Player A unless Player A has someone enter the war on their side (thus bringing the ratio back to 1:1).
• Keep the same handle and country when joining/playing the session.
• Act like a proper adult (no misleading information on game mechanics, rage quitting, producing politically charged, racist, etc. names, impersonating anyone (be it in-game or on the Discord), etc.).

Breaking these rules in any fashion may result in expulsion from the campaign.
An example of usual session settings are in the attached screenshot.
As mentioned previously, the session will be as close to vanilla as possible; no mods changing the checksum are present. That said, mods not changing the checksum- including but limited to UI changes, more flag choices, and different species pictures- are fair game.
Lastly, I am not above the rules I have set out. I hate when someone tells me obvious things like “be good” which I obligatorily did above. So as your host for this session:

• My handle in-game and on Steam will be Low Income Servant.
• I will not alter the save file (aka anyone’s country) for any means other than technical bug fixes. If edits must happen for technical reasons, I will let everyone know and explain why. Otherwise, no one gets free handouts or alterations, even if someone gets annexed 5 years in due to a revolt or someone loses their great wonder 200 years into the game.
• I will pause the game only if a majority agree to it or for extraordinary reasons.
• I have other trusted individuals in Tournament Network (the Discord) to host the save file should I not be able to make it. To the best of my abilities, I do not foresee this happening. But if it should, I understand whatever my host sub does reflects upon me, Tournament Network, and affects the players whose time they are committing to this. My sub will adhere to the rules I set here.
• I will not be playing but instead be spectating, ready to resolve conflicts or answer questions.
• I will be an impartial judge. If you feel I am not, please let me know privately; I would do the same for you, unless the rules were blatantly broken. That said,
• I plan to be invisible unless called upon. I am not out to influence gameplay in any way that is unnecessary. I want you all to create the story.
• I am open to suggestions and willing to possibly put forward an idea (i.e. a future campaign scenario).

Discord is a necessary step for communication, as well as providing some form of accountability. If you are interested in participating, please use the following Discord link:
https://discord.gg/xGBeneeYYC
Once in Tournament Network, accept the Stellaris role and navigate to the “stellaris-hub” forum. The board labeled “Multiplayer Session” will be where I am looking for people to post their player names and starting government civics. Anyone joining the initial multiplayer session with something different from what was posted in the Discord will be kicked from the lobby/game. Passwords, updates, and so on for the session will be posted in the Stellaris section of Tournament Network.
Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you there!

I had a random thought that would streamline a work process. How possible would it be to have an engraver that would be able to remove a paper (sticker) label on thin glass (think slides like for a microscope), and then either the same or another engraver to place a new QR code on the "cleaned glass". This may not even be possible without cleaning it after the removal. I have no idea.
at first I was thinking the Xtool P2 to clean the label, and then the xtool F1 for the glass engraving, but realized that's likely a no go.
But here is where it get's difficult. It can't be xTool or Glowforge (unless they have some resellers who can sell to a state government tax free).

Maybe a bit late to the game talking about his track from two months ago, but damn Iconoclast is good! Slightly different feel than his normal stuff because this is written, not freestyle, but his characteristic rhythmic flows are there as always. This may be his best written work yet. His older written songs were fine and good, but his freestyle outshone them. This one though, he's levelling up on another dimension. Practically every line has multiple multisyllabic and mosaic rhymes.
"goddamn, my mind is exhausted. Hearing wack shit, I'm inclined to just pause it -
wait, no, like philosopher I'm inclined to posit
that there's no need to study the science of sonics.
Fuck pretty. My shit is gritty, grimy, and noxious
and kind of demonic so please do not refine it or polish it.
Not aligning with no label, got no time for the politics
I don't need your handout, co-sign or acknowledgement
not the type to buy into the hype and blindly just follow it"
That's crazy. Each line in the final section of the song have 5/6 syllable end rhymes, plus a cheeky homophone and a bunch of internals. If he improves his pen game at the same rate he's ramped up the freestyle over the last 4-5 years... Yeah, he's laying the foundation to become a hip-hop legend.
"I don't mean to get mathematical, but if we rankin rappers and skills are a factor, one's the only rational number"
Yep, we hear you, Harry.

Hi everyone so I made this post because I'm like kinda bored of the whole: Am I straight am I gay am I this and that blah blah blah mental gymnastic's stuff, and the whole finsexual , gynosexual, demisexual, polysexual, pansexual etc etc kinda talks.
Like literally a day here sometimes makes me feel like Alucard ... 🤨
So lets go put on our thinking hats and go do a science shall we.
Lets start with the whole straight guys thing.
Format wise I'm going to give you the source or sauce as I like to say, for your moms spaghetti, every time, and than post the relevant stuff so we can all go over that and maybe we will learn something today.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-020-01702-1
Why Do Some Gay Men Identify as "Straight-Acting" and How Is It Related to Well-Being?
Abstract ^{<---this means that its the TLDR of the whole report, I'm not buying just to post here, I dont have a money tree growing in my back yard, sadly its just 2 oaks.}
Recent literature has described the phenomenon of "straight-acting" gay men: gay men who identify with traditional heteronormative masculinity. The current study examined predictors of "straight-acting" identification in gay men and how identifying as straight-acting relates to well-being. A sample of Australian gay men (N = 966) provided self-report data on two potential predictors of straight-acting identity: self-perceived masculinity and internalized homophobia. A path analysis assessed how these variables related to straight-acting identification. While masculine self-presentation positively predicted well-being and internalized homophobia negatively predicted well-being, straight-acting identification, which positively correlated with both, did not independently predict either psychological distress or physical well-being. Analyses further suggested that internalized homophobia had particularly deleterious effects among gay men who were more feminine. Implications for clinical and public health interventions among gay men are discussed.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22323055/
"Straight-acting gays": the relationship between masculine consciousness, anti-effeminacy, and negative gay identity
Abstract
Some gay men are preoccupied with traditional notions of masculinity and express negative feelings towards effeminate behavior in gay men. Various scholars have speculated that such attitudes by gay men reflect internalized negative feelings about being gay. Thus, we sought to assess the importance of masculinity among gay men, to compare their ideal versus perceived masculinity-femininity, to ask how gay men assess masculinity, and to test whether masculine consciousness and anti-effeminacy could predict negative feelings about being gay. Results from an online survey of 751 gay men in the United States (MAge=32.64 years, SD=11.94) showed that the majority rated masculinity for themselves and in a same-sex partner as important, and they ideally wished that their behavior was more masculine (Cohen's d=.42) and less feminine (d=.42) than they perceived it to be. Furthermore, one's behavior was more important than how one looks when assessing masculinity. A multiple regression analysis showed that the degree to which they were preoccupied with masculinity and expressed anti-effeminacy accounted for 30% of the variance in negative feelings about being gay. These finding further support the idea that masculinity is an important construct for gay men and that masculine consciousness and anti-effeminacy are related to negative feelings about being gay.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22335421/
The careful balance of gender and sexuality: rural gay men, the heterosexual matrix, and "effeminophobia"
Abstract
Based on life narratives, this article explores rural gay men's subjectivity in France and the United States. After growing up in rural cultures, these gay men tend to adopt similar hetero-centered ideas about masculinity. We show that these "conventional" ideas impact their sense of self as they express feelings of "effeminophobia." They differentiate themselves from effeminate gay men and emphasize their similarities with straight men. These ideas are both coercive and disciplinary as they homogenize rural gay men's discourse and masculine identities.
And than somewhat related but not really but kinda still
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167209338072
"I'm not gay. . . . I'm a real man!": Heterosexual Men's Gender Self-Esteem and Sexual Prejudice
Five studies examined the hypothesis that heterosexual men, but not heterosexual women, endorse negative attitudes toward homosexuality (i.e., sexual prejudice) in order to maintain a positive gender-related identity that is unambiguously different from a homosexual identity. Studies 1 and 2 showed that men's (but not women's) gender self-esteem (but not personal self-esteem) was positively related to sexual prejudice: The more positive heterosexual men's gender self-esteem, the more negative their attitude toward homosexuality. Studies 3 and 4 showed that this link appears specifically among men motivated to maintain psychological distance from gay men. Study 5 experimentally manipulated the perceived biological differences between homosexual and heterosexual men. The previously observed link between men's gender self-esteem and sexual prejudice appeared in the control and no-differences conditions but disappeared in the differences condition. These findings are discussed in terms of men's attitudes as a defensive function against threat to masculinity.
Ok so now that we got a lil peek into the whole inner workings and also got a small peek into why some ppl internally hate the "geys" I think we can now extrapolate that most of those people are just having serious issues with accepting step one.
And step one is accepting that your not heterosexual.
Tun Tun Tuuuun
So step 2 will be like , Ok what kinda sexual am I than ?
AM I really the gay ?? really ??
Well maybe .. or maybe not exactly but kinda still, sort of, its all queer, dont worry you'l be fine.
Lets go over the basic's 1st.
Lets leave out trans people a litle bit at 1st and focus on just the sexes since we, as I am an enby my self , we tend to throw some Fuzzy_logic into the mix, but we will solve that later, we'll get to that at some point.
https://www.webmd.com/sex/what-is-heterosexual
Heterosexual people are sexually or romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex.
Heterosexual men are sexually or romantically attracted to women, and heterosexual women are sexually or romantically attracted to men.
The prefix “hetero” comes from the Greek word heteros, which means “the other (of two), another, different, second; other than usual.”
People often use the term “straight” in place of the word heterosexual.
You might also hear these related terms:
Heteronormative. This is a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the norm or preferred orientation over others.
Heteroromantic. This is when you’re romantically attracted to only the opposite sex.
Heterosexual ally. This is a heterosexual person who supports people with other sexual orientations.

What Is the Difference Between Heterosexual, Homosexual, and Other Sexualities?

While heterosexuality is the most common sexual identity, it’s just one of many possible sexual orientations. In addition to heterosexuality, which describes people who are sexually or romantically attracted to the opposite sex, you may hear these terms.

• Homosexual, same-sex attraction
• Bisexual, attraction to more than one sex ^{<-- remember sex is not gender}
• Asexual, no sexual attraction to any sex *
• Aromantic, no romantic attraction to any sex *
• Polysexual, attraction to people of various genders ^{<-- tun tun tuuun} *
• Heteroflexible, primary attraction to people of the opposite sex and occasional attraction to people of the same sex *
• Homoflexible, primary attraction to people of the same sex and occasional attraction to people of the opposite sex
  
• Some people also choose the labels ‘queer’ or ‘fluid’ as a way of expressing themselves by their own personal feelings.
  

These are just a few of the many terms used to describe various sexual identities. Despite the large number of individuals that identify as heterosexual, it’s important to respect any individual’s sexual orientation and the label they choose. For example, some people may mainly identify as heterosexual, but their sexual identity may change over time. Others may identify as heterosexual as it relates to sexual attraction, but they may also form romantic or emotional relationships with members of the same sex. (note, not sexual, bro love )
Myths and Misconceptions about the Heterosexual Label
Although heterosexuality is fairly common, there are some myths and misconceptions about this sexual orientation.
Transgender Individuals Aren’t Heterosexual ?
Many people don’t realize that people who identify as transgender can be heterosexual. The term “transgender” refers to a person’s gender identity, not their sexuality or orientation. In fact, transgender people can be heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual, queer, asexual, or any other sexual orientation, just like cisgender people — those whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex.
Heterosexuality Isn’t Fluid ?
Heterosexual people sometimes identify with other sexualities over the course of their lifetimes. This is a common experience — many researchers believe sexuality is a spectrum and that orientation can change over time. so one can be hetero one day and gay 3 moths later when your like "wow did we just do that John ?, are we gay/bi now ? " and the answer is yes, yes you are.
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/sexual-orientation#1
What Is Sexual Orientation?
Sexual orientation is a term used to refer to a person's pattern of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to people of a particular gender (male or female). Sexuality is an important part of who we are as humans. Beyond the ability to reproduce, sexuality also defines how we see ourselves and how we physically relate to others.
So now that we covered just the basics ( yes this is going to be very long ) we are going to take a closer look at some of the more trans inclusionary sexuality labels and such.
Sexual orientation is usually divided into these categories:

• Heterosexual: Attracted to people of the opposite gender
• Bisexual: Attracted to genders the same as themselves or different than themselves".
  
• Homosexual: Attracted to people of one's own gender
  
• Pansexual: Attracted to people of any gender identity
  
• Asexual: Not sexually attracted to other people
  

Sexual orientation involves a person's feelings and sense of identity; it’s not necessarily something that’s noticeable to others. People may or may not act on the attractions they feel.
What Determines Sexual Orientation?
Most scientists agree that sexual orientation (including homosexuality and bisexuality) is the result of a combination of environmental, emotional, hormonal, and biological factors. In other words, many things contribute to a person's sexual orientation, and the factors may be different for different people.
Homosexuality and bisexuality aren’t caused by the way children were reared by their parents, or by something that happened to them when they were young. Also, being homosexual or bisexual does not mean the person is mentally ill or abnormal in any way. They may face burdens caused by other people’s prejudices or misunderstandings.
How Do People Know Their Sexual Orientation?
Many people discover their sexual orientation as teens or young adults, and in many cases without any sexual experience. For example, someone may notice that their sexual thoughts and activities focus on people of the same gender or both genders. But it’s possible to have fantasies or to be curious about people of the same sex without being homosexual or bisexual. And they may not pursue those attractions.
Can Sexual Orientation Be Changed?
Experts agree that sexual orientation isn’t a choice and can’t be changed. Some people who are homosexual or bisexual may hide their sexual orientation to avoid prejudice from others or shame they may have been taught to feel about their sexuality.
Ok break time. go hydrate with some water or something..
Meanwhile I'm gonna set up the next bit thats going to be about the:

The Bi Umbrella

https://bi.org/en/101/bi-umbrella
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15299716.2017.1297145
An umbrella term is a word or phrase that covers a broad range of related things that belong to the same general category. Bisexuality is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of identities, terms, attractions, and behaviors that all fit the scientific definition of bisexuality.
Terms that fall under the bi umbrella include pansexual (attraction to all genders, with a political emphasis on trans and non-binary gender identities), polysexual and multisexual (attraction to multiple sexes), and omnisexual (attraction to all sexes). Some people prefer the term fluid meaning that their attractions are not fixed and include people of more than one sex over time. Others feel that their sexuality, while not limited by sex or gender, is best left unlabeled because it is not central to their sense of self. If these terms all seem extremely similar, that’s because they are! Still, these words have value in that they allow people to describe their sexuality in ways that feel more comfortable or precise. They allow people to express how they see and understand themselves and how they want to be seen by others.
It’s helpful to note that while anyone who experiences both homosexual (same sex) and heterosexual (opposite sex) attractions is bisexual according to the scientific definition, that does not mean that they will label themselves or even think of themselves (identify) as bi.
https://www.umass.edu/stonewall/sites/default/files/documents/allyship_term_handout.pdf
Gynesexual/gynosexual:
People: Individuals who experience sexual attraction toward women, females, and/or
femininity, regardless of whether they were assigned female at birth.
Pansexual people:
Individuals who are attracted to others regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.
https://queerdom.fandom.com/wiki/Finsexual
Finsexual people:
Finsexual is a term for someone who is exclusively attracted to those who are feminine in nature (hence the term FIN). This can be either in their gender and/or gender presentation. Someone who identifies as finsexual can experience attraction to any gender presenting femininely and/or any feminine-aligned genders. What counts as feminine in nature is up to the individual.
The term has been deemed very similar to the term gynesexual and is sometimes and in some cases considered synonymous, however, due to gynesexual having multiple definitions, finsexual is still a unique term.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22678-demisexuality
Demisexual:
Demisexuality is a sexual orientation. People who identify as demisexual only feel sexual attraction to someone after they’ve formed a strong emotional bond with them. Compared to the general population, most people who are demisexual rarely feel sexual attraction. Some have little to no interest in sexual activity.
Most people in the general population can feel sexual attraction regardless of whether they form an emotional bond with someone. They may feel sexually attracted to strangers or to new people they meet. But people who are demisexual don’t feel this initial sexual attraction.
Forming an emotional bond doesn’t guarantee sexual attraction will develop, but the bond is necessary for them to even consider sexual activity. If they do develop a sexual attraction, the desire for sexual activity is often less intense.
The length of time needed to create an emotional bond varies. Some people who are demisexual develop a close bond quickly, but others only develop a bond after several years of friendship with someone. The emotional bond doesn’t necessarily need to be a romantic feeling. The bond could just be a close friendship.
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/autosexuality.
Autosexuality
Autosexuality is a sexual orientation where people are more sexually attracted to themselves than others.
And as a finishing touch I shall provide one with a:

A Guide to 25 Different Types of Sexuality's

We covered a bunch of these already I'll just included them for completeness, and a bunch of these are in what we would call the "gray area" as in their pretty obscure and very much not very well known, or even fully accepted even.
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/types-of-sexuality/
Sexuality, or sexual orientation, refers to who someone is or is not attracted to. Most people are familiar with only the most common LGBTQ+ types, but numerous other less-known ones exist. Learning about these sexual orientations and romantic feelings can help you better understand the variety of ways people experience and identify their sexuality.

1. Allosexual

Allosexual refers to those who experience sexual attraction to others. Allosexual individuals can be bisexual, pansexual, queer, gay, lesbian, heterosexual, or so forth. Some note allosexual is the opposite of asexual.4

1. Allotroposexual

Allotroposexual is a relatively new term used to replace skoliosexual. It refers to individuals whose primary attraction is to transgender or non-binary individuals. The term does not refer to the fetish, sexualization, and objectification of trans people by cisgender individuals.

1. Androsexual

Androsexual individuals are attracted to masculinity regardless of the person’s sex or gender. For some, this could best be described as being attracted to masculine expression, presentation, or characteristics.

1. Asexual (Aces)

People who are asexual experience little or no sexual attraction to others or have limited to little desire for sexual contact. It’s important to remember not all asexual folks are repulsed or refuse sex. People who identify as asexual don’t always experience no desire for romance and may have many successful relationships regardless of sexual contact.

1. Bicurious

Someone who is bicurious has historically been heterosexual, but is considering or curious about engaging in sexual activity with an individual who may have a sex or gender different than their partners in the past. The word “curious” should always be used instead of confused to help decrease the shame and stigma often associated with non-heterosexual activity.

1. Bisexual

A bisexual individual experiences sexual attraction to both sexes and genders. Recent research shows that the bisexual+ or bi+ (an identity label that encompasses all non-monosexual identities) female population in the US is larger than that of lesbians, gay men, and bi+ men combined.5

1. Ceterosexual

Ceterosexual is another term used to describe an individual who is attracted to transgender or nonbinary individuals. The term does not refer to the fetish, sexualization, and objectification of trans people by cisgender individuals.

1. Demisexual

A person who is demisexual often feels sexual attraction after building an emotional bond or connection with someone. Those who are demisexual note they do not feel immediately attracted to individuals based on looks, smell, and other features.

1. Fluid

Fluid individuals’ sexuality changes and is not fixed. Many folks can resonate with their sexuality being stable, but some feel their sexuality is ever-changing. Fluid individuals can also utilize other sexual orientation terms to describe themselves or may feel they do not resonate with any of them.

1. Gay

A gay man’s primary sexual attraction is to other men. This includes transgender men who are attracted to other men. Some have also used gay to refer to LGBTQ+ community as a whole.

1. Graysexual

Graysexual individuals don’t identify as asexual, but also feel less sexual attraction than most folks. Therefore, they fall into the gray area of sexuality. It can be helpful to think of asexuality as a spectrum and see graysexual as a part of this spectrum.

1. Gynosexual

Gynosexual individuals are attracted to femininity regardless of the person’s sex or gender. For some, this could best be described as being attracted to feminine expression, presentation, or characteristics.

1. Heterosexual

Those attracted to individuals of the opposite sex or gender are referred to as heterosexual or “straight.” For example a woman who is attracted to men. Cisgender, transgender, and non-binary folks can all identify as heterosexual.

1. Homosexual

Homosexuality refers to those who are attracted to individuals of the same sex or gender. For example, a woman who is attracted to women. Cisgender, transgender, and non-binary folks can all identify as homosexual. However, many now feel this term is a bit outdated and clinical. The term is also now heavily used by many anti-LGBT groups, making it less used by LGBTQ+ folks and allies.

1. Lesbian

A lesbian woman’s primary sexual attraction is to other women. This includes transgender women who are attracted to other women whether cisgender, transgender, or non-binary. There is a common misconception lesbian women are also transmen. Remember, sexuality and gender are not the same.

1. Libidoist Asexual

These individuals are asexual, but experience sexual feelings and satisfy these through self-stimulation or masturbation. As mentioned above, asexual people are not always completely avoidant of sexual attraction, feelings, or urges. For some, satisfying these needs is more pleasurable without a partner.

1. Monosexual

Mono means “one”. Monosexual individuals are sexually attracted to one sex or gender only. These folks could be heterosexual or homosexual. Monosexual people may use this term for many reasons, whether it be homosexual or heterosexual doesn’t feel right for them, or they just want to use a more inclusive term.

1. Multisexual

Multisexual individuals are attracted to multiple sexes or genders. Historically, this term has been used to include those who may have sex characteristics outside of male or female and also to be inclusive of trans folks.

1. Omnisexual

Individuals who are attracted to “all” individuals regardless of sex or gender often identify as omnisexual. Most LGBTQ+ folks grow up without language that represents their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and because of this have to create their own. While terms’ meanings may sound similar to you, they hold importance to the person using them, and this should be respected.

1. Pansexual

People who identify as pansexual are attracted to individuals regardless of their sex or gender. The original term was first coined by Sigmund Freud as “pan-sexualism.” The term has come a long way and even has its own history of advocacy and activism.

1. Polysexual

Poly stems from the Greek prefix for “many,” so polysexual individuals are attracted to multiple or many genders or sexes. Some people assume polysexual is the same as polyamory, but they are not used interchangeably. Polysexual folks also do not always engage in polyamorous relationships.

1. Queer

Queer is an umbrella term used for those who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Queer was historically used as a slur to refer to LGBTQ+ individuals, but in recent years has been liberated and taken back by the community. It’s important to remember the history of the term and realize there are still some LGBTQ+ individuals who consider this term offensive or degrading. Therefore, it’s important to only use the term if someone has expressed comfort with it.

1. Sapiosexual

Sapiosexual individuals experience sexual attraction based on intelligence vs. sex or gender. Both LGBTQ+ folks and heterosexual folks can be sapiosexual. Sapiosexual individuals may also still find physical characteristics or qualities attractive, but it is not the most important.

1. Skoliosexual

Skoliosexual individuals are attracted to those who are transgender or non-binary. This term has become controversial in nature and is no longer a preferred term. Instead, the above terms of Allotroposexual and Ceterosexual are used.
The term does not refer to the fetish, sexualization, and objectification of trans people by cisgender individuals. However, it has been used in this way, putting trans folks in danger. The controversy also stems from the meaning of “scolio” which means “crooked,” “bent,” or “twisted” and carries negative connotations.6

1. Spectrasexual

Spectrasexual individuals are attracted to multiple sexes and genders, but not necessarily all or any. At times there can be some debate about the use of spectrasexual. Some people find the term problematic, as they feel it provides an avenue for certain folks to be discriminated against. Others feel it gives them the fluidity they desire.
And to end this all ( finally) I'm going to leave you all with some food for thought as to why there are so many people using "straight" on dating apps or just like during conversation.
https://boxmenswear.com/blogs/news/why-are-there-so-many-straight-guys-on-grindr
Youtube: Straight Men On Grindr
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-many-straight-people-on-Grindr
https://www.reddit.com/askgaybros/comments/zbvv7a/whats_your_opinion_on_straight_guys_on_grindr_are/
Oh yeah also.. I am not going to read anything here in the comment section. I said all I can say, need to say, could say, and wanted to say about the topic.
^{Omg its like 4:48 am...
\}edit] And I had to edit it because ofc it messed up the lists ,sometimes I hate you reddit.)

Hey, beauty bosses~
Did you know that the FDA has specific guidelines that can classify a moisturizer as either a cosmetic or a drug based on the claims the label makes? It’s really important to get this right when you're launching new beauty products because a small mistake can cause a big headache!
Let me share a story from when we launched our new face cream. Understanding FDA rules was like learning a new language. We discovered quickly that our marketing terms were under the microscope. For instance, we couldn’t claim that our cream ‘prevents’ or ‘treats’ conditions like eczema or severely dry skin, because that would require FDA approval, shifting our product from a cosmetic to a drug category. Instead, we learned to use safer terms like "helps maintain moisture."
It required a lot of careful wording, label revisions, and legal consultations, but we finally nailed it and got the go-ahead.
How about you? Any run-ins with FDA rules during your product launches? Did you come up with any smart workarounds for keeping your labels on the right side of regulations, or maybe learned something the hard way?

29F, 8 weeks postpartum with my first baby.
I am not breastfeeding. I noticed I had a new, small mole/freckle on my breast that appeared since having my baby at 6 weeks postpartum. It didn’t look like my other freckles/moles, it was very small but black in color. Went in to have it checked, and they shaved it and here is the report. I have googled and cannot figure it out. They didn’t seem worried when they called, but it already looks like it grew back (only been a week or so since shaving) or it’s a scab, but they claimed they got the whole mole off of my skin. I’m naturally freaking out because I just had a child and now I’m terrified of anything happening to me. All the doctor said was to return to check the mole in 6 months.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
DIAGNOSIS: RT BREAST- JUNCTIONAL MELANOCYTIC NEVUS WITH ARCHITECTURAL DISORDER AND MILD CYTOLOGIC ATYPIA (DYSPLASTIC NEVUS). Note: The lesion extends to involve a peripheral margin.
CLINICAL INFORMATION RT BREAST - SHAVE, O DN PA 3 SPECIMEN DATA GROSS DESCRIPTION: Specimen received in ten percent neutral buffered formalin labeled with two patient identifiers identified as "RT BREAST" a consists of 2 pieces of a shave biopsy measuring 1 X 1 mm and 1 X 1 mm. The specimens are totally submitted in one cassette.
MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION: A junctional melanocytic proliferation of mildly atypical melanocytes is arranged predominantly as nests at the dermal-epidermal junction.

Let's delve into both sides of student loan forgiveness that's easy to grasp for everyone. Many of us share the sentiment that using taxpayer money to wipe out loans for those who attend college is unfair on the surface. It's a valid concern, but let's unpack this.
Imagine being 55, like me. When critics label loan forgiveness as a "free handout," they often overlook crucial details. Back in the 1990s, student loan services engaged in predatory practices that many are unaware of. Hello Sallie Mae, I’m speaking to you! There’s a reason some servicers like Sallie Mae don’t handle government loans anymore. They are praying on the private student loan borrowers. I pity these people.
Think about it this way: if your mortgage lender operated by using predatory practices, you'd be livid! Thanks to the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, you are protected now. However, in the 1990s, borrower records were haphazardly maintained, if at all, leaving borrowers in the dark about their total owed, interest paid, and more. Loans were shuffled around so much that vital information, like payments, got lost along the way, leading to numerous lawsuits over the years.
Loan servicers didn't exactly have borrowers' best interests at heart either. They often nudged them towards deferment and forbearance, which only inflated the loan amounts further. Plus, prior to 1994, there wasn't even an income contingent plan available. And when it finally came into effect, many borrowers weren't informed about it. I was not even aware of it until 2009. Picture a time when the internet was still in its infancy, and reliable information was hard to come by. Servicers failed to educate students about their options, leaving many struggling to keep up with payments.
Fast forward to today, and we see the consequences of these actions. Compound interest has caused some borrowers who've been diligently paying for over 20 years to owe two to three times what they initially borrowed. The government, too, has suffered losses to the tune of $437 billion due to defaults. It's a staggering amount, highlighting the mismatch between what students borrowed and what they could realistically repay. The government needs to regularize this now before we have more generations in debt.
Now, some might argue that forgiving these loans is akin to a bailout. But in reality, it's a lifeline for citizens who've been trapped in a cycle of debt for decades. We're talking about individuals in their 50s and 60s, still burdened by loans they took out in their youth. These aren't CEOs of big corporations; they're regular folks struggling to make ends meet. If you want to be mad about bailouts, do some research on all of the corporate CEOs who have profited from bailouts in the past 20 years!
The government is not giving away money to the 20- or 30-year-old next door who just graduated from college and will have the ability to make payments over the next 20+ years. This is justice for the college students of the 1980s and 1990s who were preyed upon.
Consider this: many of these borrowers have spent years, even decades, making payments, often sacrificing basic needs to do so. For them, loan forgiveness isn't a handout; it's a chance to finally breathe easy after years of financial strain. And let's not forget the elderly, like the 85-year-old with dementia whose Social Security checks are garnished every month to repay student loans. Yes, I personally know this man. It's a heartbreaking reality that we can't ignore.
Ultimately, it boils down to simple math. Imagine having paid off the principal of the loan and still owning 80k in interest. Even if the borrower works until 75, the math just doesn’t work out when compared to low yearly salaries these borrowers struggle to live on. Trust me when I say if you aren’t rich by 55 or 60, statistically, it’s just not happening. Taxpayers are not getting that money back anyway.
Many of these borrowers make 30k to 50k per year. For a large percentage of borrowers, paying off their loans in full is a near-impossible feat. And it's not just about financial numbers; it's about providing relief to those who've been unfairly burdened by a flawed system. So, when we talk about student loan forgiveness, let's remember who is really benefiting, everyday citizens who deserve a shot at financial stability in their twilight years.

Cervical biopsy CLINICAL DETAILS: 22yr /referred with PCB (raised) IMB ./ co... MACROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION: Specimen pot labelled with patient's details only; no specimen site is given. Three fragments of cream and tan mucosal tissue, ranging in size from 4 mm to 6 mm. 3 in 1. All embedded. - what does this mean? VM/B MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION: Additional levels examined (i.e. >3): No Evidence of TZ sampling: Present HPV-related changes: Present CIN1: Present CIN2: Absent CIN3: Absent Crypt involvement: Absent High grade CGIN: Absent Stromal invasion: Absent Other significant finding: Absent p16 immunohistochemistry: No abnormal expression CONCLUSION Cervical biopsy: CIN1 with HPV-related changes. REPORTED BY:

Does anyone know what possibly was wrong with my placenta and why my baby was growth restricted?? I’ve asked my dr but he can’t explain anything for another 2 months until he can get me seen.
MICROSCOPIC EXAM PREFORMED - The specimen is received fixed in a single container labeled with the patient's name and marked "Placenta". The specimen consists of a placenta weighing 480 grams and measuring 15 x 13 x 2.5 centimeters. The fetal surface is bluish-gray with a minimal amount of subchorionic fibrin deposition. The surface vessels are normal. The maternal surface is reddish-brown and with a small amount of peripheral hemorrhage. The cotyledons appear to be intact and complete. Cross section is red and spongy and without hemorrhage. The attached umbilical cord measures 45 centimeters in length with an average diameter of 1 centimeter. The umbilical cord is attached paracentrally. On cross section it has three vessels. No clots, varices, or thrombi are noted. The membranes are thin and fragile. Sections representative: 1 umbilical cord and membranes (4); 2 and 3 placenta (1 each).
Final diagnosis
THIRD TRIMESTER SLIGHTLY IMMATURE PLACENTA, 50TH PERCENTILE FOR 37 WEEK GESTATIONAL AGE, WITH SCATTERED MICROCALCIFICATIONS, LIGHT ACUTE SUBCHORIONITIS, STAGE I AND HYPERTROPIC DECIDUAL ARTERIOPATHY. THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD, NO PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES MEMBRANES, LIGHT ACUTE SUBCHORIONITIS, STAGE I AND HYPERTROPIC DECIDUAL ARTERIOPATHY

I would like to start my post by stating that I am not an admin of this sub or a person who is running anything here. I’m just your average guy who wants to help spread the word about borrower defense.
First, congratulations to everyone who got the good news about Art Institute today. It's been a long time coming. I hope more group discharges are coming. If you are one of the lucky people who has received good news today regarding Art Institute and this good news has led you to this sub for more information. Then please consider the following. These school group discharges for AI, CCI, ITT, etc. don’t happen in a vacuum. They are often the result of extensive Private/State/Federal investigations, previous applications of Borrower Defense to Repayment being received in mass with tons of evidence included, and litigation. We may not see it, but a lot of hard work goes into securing these school Group Discharges. It is really important for all of us to spread the word and encourage people who have experienced what we have to apply for borrower defense to repayment. Please encourage anyone you know who may have similar experiences to apply. Apply if it's a big university, a large private trade school, a local private trade school (I know a few people in this sort of situation and have successfully encouraged them to apply). It doesn't matter what school it was. If they have gone through even a fraction of what we have they most likely qualify, should apply, and we should be encouraging them to apply. If you attended one of these Group Discharge institutions but find that you are outside the Group Discharge time frame then apply for Borrower Defense now. These time frames reflect the proof they have to justify these and these schools are now under the microscope. There is no reason to wait anymore.
Currently processes like Borrower Defense to Repayment are under attack by the political interests in this country. There are politicians in our government right now that would like to see these processes eliminated. I would argue that a whole political party would like to do away with it. They tend to think we are people crying wolf and just wanting a handout that we don't deserve. We need to make sure we stand up and show them that it isn’t right for students to be defrauded by predatory institutions and it isn’t right for the government to stand by and let it happen. It is more important now than ever to have our voices heard. The best way to do this is get people to apply for Borrower Defense to Repayment. Borrower Defense is helpful for everyone regardless of political affiliation and that is what needs to be understood by our political leaders.
If you know somebody who feels their college defrauded them, please encourage them to file for Borrower Defense to repayment, contact their State Attorney General, contact your representation at the state and Federal level, etc. Most importantly VOTE THIS NOVEMBER. These are the ways people can get personally involved. I specifically request those of us in Red States to start getting loud about this. Our state level politicians are more likely to hear us and start working for us regardless of the party affiliation they have. Once/if they start listening it usually starts working it's way up from there. We have to spread the word about Borrower Defense. We have to make every single person we can aware of it so they know they have a right to fight back against predatory institutions like these. We aren't the only ones that got taken advantage of by these predators. I have shared the link to it below. Please share this sub with anyone who is in that situation. Please point people to the Borrower Defense - Student Loan Discharge Facebook group and the various school specific discharge groups. If your school doesn't have one of these specific discharge groups on social media then please consider organizing, starting one, and collaborating/collecting evidence. Sweet vs, Cardona won't be the end of this.
If you follow the Borrower Defense - Sweet vs. Cardona Group on Facebook then you know Theresa will be stepping away for a while due to medical issues. Medical issues or not she deserves a break from this and to step away for a while. Theresa, the admins of this sub, PPSL, and so many other don't know about have fought hard for us. We owe them so much. They have poured so much of their lives into this. We need to start preparing for what's next. We need to step up. This is the best way to thank those that have helped us out so much.
https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/

I took many courses in philosophy, and a few in American Studies, and a few in military history, and European Culture in WWI (and one on Women in the Middle Ages). The philosophy courses were my favorites. I had a social philosophy course (basically they teach you ideas regarding ethics, and political philosophy) by a more or less conservative person (socially I am very libertarian about sex and sexuality, I also think the government should do minimal regulation of hard drugs, and not touch anything else),
I am a proponent of Social Democracy economically (basically this system where private businesses generate a lot of that income and everyone is taxed, the richer you are the more you are taxed, the working poor might literally be taxed pennies, the homeless, not even that...and then massive amounts of that go into social safety nets, this is unemployment, social security, medicare and medicaid. I imagine this could go to border security and customs, national defense, policing, public roads, public transit, and public education, maybe even some of it goes to public television and radio (and public funding of the arts, and possibly cinema, like the French do).
When it comes to questions regarding how we know, what we know about ultimate truth, I tend to think that what we know is through the five senses (sometimes people speak of sense-data), but the five senses can deceive, so we have to double-check that which we know. Test assumptions (I am sleep deprived, and almost literally wrote "assumpts"). I also believe scientific instruments such as telescopes, microscopes and even Geiger-counters can reveal the ultimate truth about the world to us. I personally do not believe I can definitively prove God does not exist. I think what I can do is say, well I see no sufficient empirical data or evidence to show to me that the existence of a God is likely. That which can be unlikely, may still be possible. This is a position people call "weak atheism".
When it comes to phenomenon of psychology...these can absolutely be felt on "the inside". "I am depressed", "I feel elated (happy)", "I am anxious", "I am obsessed", "I am tired". I do think an outside professional may be necessary to administer tests to determine whether a person is, for example bipolar disorder, non-verbal learning disability (the inability to understand non-verbal cues, navigate getting from point a to point b on a map, but you do NOT have a narrow and specialized interest, you can have general interests and have this disorder), or pervasive developmental disorders that are not otherwise specified (I have been diagnosed with both of these, but also "aspergers syndrome" back when it was still called that).
I also think public health should be heavily invested in by state and federal government, including mental health. I have also heard that when taking tests for mental disorders, whether or not you have one, you will start to think "I have this", even if you do not. This is called confirmation bias. It is not helpful. This is why I am in favor of using state resources (if your state allocates some to mental health, which mine, the state of Oklahoma does) to get tested for mental disorders or even developmental disabilities, and even to get treated, if you cannot afford private treatment (I cannot). Could it be possible that the scientific community is biased in the types of people they select in their diagnoses? Yes. This is possible. Should the scientific community rethink the way it approaches autism spectrum disorder diagnosis? Well, in my lifetime it has at least two different times (two different DSMs have decategorized asperger syndrome and collapsed high-funcioning and low-functioning autism, which previously objectively existed, even though those labels sounded judgy or politically incorrect, into one category Autism Spectrum Disorder, but now we have 3 levels of the disorder). Should it continue to reexamine and rethink this phenomenon? Yes. It would be bad science if it didn't. Could gender racial, or class biases exist regarding this disorder? I do think better funded schools are more likely to catch the condition early in people, vs. not. I do think the way autism presents in boys is that they are noticed playing by themselves (and socially isolated) so it is caught early. Does this mean we do not get bullied? No, not at all. Does this mean teachers and adults are effective at fighting this. They were absolutely ineffective in the Southern U.S. (or at least Tulsa,OK) in the 1990s and 2000s (of course homophobia was also more socially acceptable during that time, I think things would begin to change in a big way in the second half of the 00s). Can straight femme boys (like I used to be) be subject to homophobic bullying? Yes. Sexual assault as well? Absolutely. This did happen (to me at least, possibly to others...my parents sent me to a charter school where the student body was more tolerant, and the school did not tolerate bullying or fights, for the longest time I thought of Charter Schools as left wing or libertarian instead of right wing, for this reason).
That being said the medical model of developmental disability is inherently limiting. I think the focus on disorders and neuroses instead of positive psychology or humanism in psychology.
Now, back to epistemology (the study of how we know, what we know, about the Truth). I am a skeptic. I don't just believe something because one study says this is so. I need at least 10, and that might even be a light number. I don't even trust that every person has good intentions. People have to prove to me that they have good intentions, then they gain my trust. I need sufficient evidence, and the bar is high. I am also talking about objective scientific truths here. These are the highest truths. People say there are subjective truths. It is true that I am feeling sad, happy, angry, anxious, depressed, bored, horny, powerful, powerless, understood, misunderstood etc. can be truths about the way one feels, but this is very non objective, and while perhaps the purview of the counselor or psychotherapist's couch (or cushioned chair, or love seat), or certain social discussion groups. It is possible to put this into quantifiable data, but probably more than that is needed for the science of diagnosis.
With regards to how to live practically, on a day to day level. Resist hedonic impulses. Save resources. Make good solid friendships (these are the most valuable things in life). Read "The Art of Living" by Ancient Stoic Philosopher (and freed slave from the ancient West), Epictetus. Take walks. Challenge yourself physically. Challenge yourself mentally. Be involved in "the polis". Appreciate the beauty in the everyday, and in nature, and in good art, music, and theater...if you can. Embrace aging when it comes. Embrace your final end, when it arrives (not the worlds final end, just yours), but do not hasten it. I am Epicurean in that I see more virtue in developing close frienships, and pursuing those than romantic relationships (which seem inaccessible to me), or (god forbid) running for public office (even city council or school board). I am an Epictetian Stoic in that I believe certain things are under my control and certain things are not, and I should only worry about the things that are under my control. Epictetus lived during a time when slavery was legal (and I do not believe it was oriented around race in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome the way it was during the time of the African slave trade, which was centuries and centuries later than the time of Epictetus. I am not even certain the concept of race that we have today existed in ancient Greece or the Roman Republic). I do believe that my body is my own, and woe to him or her that wishes to challenge that assertion (physically). They shall be met with immediate efficient and brutal blunt violence (I am a sexual assault survivor).

Mosquitoes and the diseases they spread have been responsible for killing more people than all the wars in history.
Mosquitoes transmitting malaria kill 2 million to 3 million people and infect another 200 million or more every year.
Tens of millions more are killed and debilitated by a host of other mosquito-borne diseases, including filariasis, yellow fever, dengue and encephalitis.
Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk for malaria.
Malaria has occurred in the United States, and still does on rare occasions.
An influx of malaria-infected persons has produced localized malaria transmission in some areas of the United States.
The threat of developing encephalitis from mosquitoes is far greater than the threat of malaria in the United States.
Encephalitis, meningitis and other diseases can develop from the bites of mosquitoes infected with certain viruses: West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, LaCrosse (California) encephalitis, and Eastern equine and Western equine encephalitis.
Mosquitoes belong to the group of insects known as diptera, or flies.
Two wing the characteristic that distinguishes flies from other types of insects.
The proboscis distinguishes a mosquito from other types of flies.
The proboscis, a long tubular mouthparts for sucking up fluids and the hair-like scales on its body.
The female mosquito’s life is often measured in weeks or months, while ales typically live only about a week.
Mosquitoes hatch from eggs laid in places that are or will be filled with water.
The eggs hatch into worm-like larvae that usually lie just beneath the water’s surface.
Larvae breathe through tubes on the tail end of their bodies, and feed on microscopic organisms, such as bacteria.
Thus most mosquito larvae require water containing organic material: leaves or sewage to serve as food for microorganisms that will be consumed by the developing mosquito larvae.
Larvae can grow and develop into comma-shaped pupae in less than 1 week.
While larvae wiggle violently when disturbed, while mosquito pupae tumble through the water when disturbed.
While mosquito larvae and pupae breathe through siphon-like devices.
Usually within three days the pupa will transform into an adult mosquito.
Most female mosquitoes attack birds and mammals, though some feed on the blood of reptiles and amphibians.
Only female mosquitoes bite.
A blood meal is usually required for egg laying.
All male mosquitoes, and the females of a few species, do not bite, and feed on nectar and other plant juices instead of blood.
Mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide exhaled by their hosts many feet away.
Mosquitoes also sense body chemicals, such as the lactic acid in perspiration.
Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, and people react differently to mosquito bites, some showing very little sign of being bitten, while others exhibit substantial redness, swelling and itching.
The reaction to a mosquito bite is an allergic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva.
Mosquitoes can fly long distances from their water source: some more than 20 miles.
Mosquitos fly only about 4 miles an hour.
Flies typically fly into the wind to help detect host odors.
There are fewer mosquitoes present on windy days.
When a mosquito finds its target, it lands, inserts its proboscis and probes for blood vessels beneath the skin, and injects saliva into the wound.
The saliva contains an anticoagulant that ensures a smooth flow of blood.
The mosquito’s saliva also may contain pathogens such as malaria parasites or encephalitis virus, transmitting disease.
The West Nile virus is transmitted predominantly by Culex mosquitoes.
Culex mosquito are medium-sized mosquitoes that are brown with whitish markings on the abdomen.
Culex mosquitos include the house mosquitoes (C. pipiens and C. quinquefasciatus).
Mosquitos that develop in urban areas, and the western encephalitis mosquito (C. tarsalis) more commonly found in rural areas, typically bite at dusk and after dark.
By day they rest in and around structures and vegetation.
Culex lay eggs on still water in a variety of natural and man-made containers, including tree holes, ditches, sewage and septic system water, catch basins, storm drains, non-chlorinated swimming and wading pools, decorative ponds, bird baths, flower pots, buckets, clogged gutters, abandoned tires, and water-retaining junk and debris.
Culex mosquito cannot develop in running water and water that is present less than a week.
Therefore, every effort should be made to prevent water from accumulating in containers or, at least, empty water out of them on a weekly basis.
Adult Culex mosquitoes do not fly far from where they develop as larvae. And unlike other mosquitoes that die with the coming of the first hard frost in autumn, the house mosquito can “over-winter” in protected places like sewers, crawlspaces and basements.
Aedes Mosquitos
The Aedes group of mosquitoes includes many nuisance mosquitoes, as well as species that transmit disease to humans. This is a diverse group that includes the inland floodwater mosquito (Aedes vexans), the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the tree hole mosquito (Ochlerotatus triseriatus*) – all of which prefer to feed on the blood of mammals. Floodwater mosquitoes lay their eggs on soil that becomes flooded, allowing the eggs to hatch and larvae to develop in temporary pools. Asian tiger and tree hole mosquitoes are container-breeding mosquitoes, laying their eggs in small, water-filled cavities, including tree holes, stumps, logs, and artificial containers, such as discarded tires.
Inland floodwater mosquitoes are brown with pale B-shaped marks on their abdomens. They can become particularly bothersome after areas, such as river backwaters and other low lying places, become flooded.
They are often the first mosquito noticed in spring, and later after heavy rainfall. Adults emerging together from flooded areas are often so numerous that natural controls, such as predators and parasites, are overwhelmed.
Unlike some other Aedes mosquitoes, inland floodwater mosquitoes may fly more than 10 miles from their larval development sites in search of blood meals. In Illinois, they may bite more people than any other species. They typically begin flying in late afternoon and are most active after dark, but will bite any time of day if disturbed while resting in shaded, heavily vegetated areas. Fortunately, in the United States they rarely, if ever, transmit disease, and typically die in autumn with the first hard frost.
Asian tiger mosquitoes are distinctive, black and white mosquitoes that bite by day (see picture on page 1). They were brought to this country in 1985, hidden in shipments of tires, and have since been found in many states including Illinois. The Asian tiger mosquito is capable of carrying LaCrosse encephalitis and West Nile viruses, though it is unclear whether the mosquito transmits these to humans. For more information, see the IDPH fact sheet on Asian tiger mosquitoes.
The primary vector (carrier) of LaCrosse encephalitis is the tree hole mosquito. It is a dark mosquito with silvery white spots on the sides of its thorax and abdomen. Like the Asian tiger mosquito, the tree hole mosquito bites by day and lays its eggs in small containers where water will pool, such as tree holes, discarded tires, cans, buckets and barrels. They often are found in and around wooded areas.
* Ochlerotatus triseriatus, the tree hole mosquito, was formerly known as Aedes triseriatus.
Mosquito-Borne Encephalitis Diseases
The cycles of mosquito-borne viral encephalitis and meningitis diseases are similar. Most involve various bird species that are said to be reservoirs. Once infected by a mosquito bite, the reservoir species are usually not seriously affected. They will, at least for a time, produce enough virus in their bodies to infect mosquitoes. In this manner, mosquitoes pick up the virus and may become vectors, or organisms that transmit the disease to other animals, such as birds, horses or humans. Horses and humans are generally thought of as “dead-end” hosts because they do not produce enough virus to infect mosquitoes. Thus, dead-end hosts are not involved in the spread of disease.
For any particular season, the number of human encephalitis cases is not easily predicted. The occurrence of some encephalitides seems to be cyclic. This may be due to variations in the condition of infected birds in a reservoir population. Birds may harbor enough virus to facilitate transfer to mosquitoes that bite them for only a few days after being infected. After this, they do not serve as a reservoir for the virus. When more and more birds in an area have passed the infective stage, fewer birds are around to pass the virus to mosquitoes. Thus, fewer mosquitoes will carry the virus, and fewer people will be infected.
The variation in numbers of infective vs. non-infective birds in a population may play a big part in the cyclic nature of some viral encephalitis diseases. Of course, many other factors are involved, such as the availability of food and other resources influencing the size of bird populations; the availability of sites for the development of mosquito larvae, which influences the size of mosquito populations; as well as weather, including rainfall and temperature.
West Nile Disease
In 2002, Illinois led the nation in West Nile disease cases with 884 and 67 deaths.
Like all encephalitis producing viruses, West Nile virus survives in birds and/or mammals, using them as reservoirs. Most birds and mammals survive infection, while the mosquitoes that bite them can ingest the virus and infect other animals they bite, including humans. The virus can affect some birds and mammals, such as crows, blue jays, squirrels, horses and humans, more seriously than others, producing severe illness and death. However, about 80 percent of humans develop no symptoms after being infected with the virus, developing at least a temporary immunity. Persons older than 50 years of age, and those with compromised immune systems, are much more likely to develop West Nile fever, a flu-like disease that may last for weeks, or life-threatening nervous system complications such as meningitis or encephalitis.
St. Louis Encephalitis
Similar to West Nile virus and also transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis is known for periodic outbreaks in the human population. In the United States, its occurrence has been limited compared to that of West Nile virus, and St. Louis encephalitis is usually confined to the southern portion of the United States, especially the Mississippi Valley. Compared to West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis has a lesser potential for producing epidemics. First noticed in St. Louis, Missouri, the largest epidemic occurred in the mid-70s when nearly 2,000 human cases were reported. Birds serve as a reservoir for the virus.
Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitides
Outbreaks of these related encephalitis viruses are rare. Several different mosquito species are suspected vectors of Eastern equine encephalitis, while Culex tarsalis, known as the western encephalitis mosquito, is the vector of Western equine encephalitis. Their uncommon occurrence is fortunate because, of all encephalitides, the equine encephalitides may have the highest potential for human mortality.
California Encephalitides
This group of encephalitis viruses is unique in several ways — it usually produces relatively mild illness in humans, and mammals, rather than birds, act as reservoirs for the virus.
The most common California encephalitis virus in the Midwest is LaCrosse. The LaCrosse virus is unique in that it primarily affects children, and because the virus can pass from a female mosquito to her offspring, mosquitoes can become infected without having to feed on an infected host.
Death from LaCrosse encephalitis is rare, but affected children may suffer from seizures and other nervous system complications that can persist for years. The disease is carried byOchlerotatus triseriatus, the tree hole mosquito. It bites humans after feeding on squirrels and chipmunks. LaCrosse encephalitis is associated with wooded areas inhabited by these rodents. Because the tree hole mosquito develops in natural cavities and in artificial containers, and because adults do not fly far from their larval development sites, there is increased potential for LaCrosse encephalitis where tires and other debris accumulate near wooded areas.
Preventing Mosquito Bites
One strategy to prevent mosquito bites is avoidance. But even if one were to remain indoors throughout the mosquito season, they might still encounter mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, such as the house mosquito, are adept at getting into structures to feed on the inhabitants, and also to use crawlspaces, basements and cellars as quiet spots in which to shelter themselves for the winter. It is important to keep structures in good repair, maintaining the integrity of window and door screens and weather stripping, and screening or sealing all gaps through which mosquitoes might enter, such as spaces around utility lines, vents, foundation cracks, and gaps around windows and doors.
Repellents are the first line of defense against mosquito bites. Many products provide somedegree of protection against mosquito bites. However, certain active ingredients provide better protection. For many years, DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) has been the standard by which products are measured. When applied according to label direction, products containing 20 percent to 30 percent DEET provide protection against mosquitoes that lasts several hours. Products containing much higher percentages of DEET are available, but generally do not provide significantly longer protection.
Recently, products containing another active ingredient, picaridin, have been shown to provide a similar degree of protection, and without the familiar odor and stickiness of DEET products. A third ingredient, lemon oil of eucalyptus, is a plant-derived compound that also is capable of providing protection, though not as long-lasting as that provided by products containing DEET or picaridin.
Whatever repellent you choose, be sure to read the label directions before applying to yourself or to children. Products containing lemon oil of eucalyptus should not be applied to younger children.
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https://standardofcare.com/mosquitos/
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