This is my proposition for the MMO, The Legend of Zelda: War of Hyrule.
Object of the game: The armies of Queen Zelda and King Ganondorf are at war. The game is over upon the assassination of either. The player must choose a faction and cannot change sides until the defeat of Ganondorf or Zelda. It will all start again after. Ganondorf and Zelda are controlled by humans whose full time job is playing the game. There will be six people playing as each. Three people taking an 8 hour shift Monday-Friday and three people on Saturday and Sunday. When one has to call in sick or use PTO, one will take over another's shift. They can turn on AI when they need to go to the bathroom or out to lunch. The people playing as Link and Dark Link are rewarded to the player with the highest kills of their respective factions.
Ganondorf has a country to the north of Hyrule, over the gorge, past the badlands complete with it's own castle, depths, sky islands, and surface. Players to his faction start there. The country is named Drogmire.
Hyrule has been restored and even expanded. Hyrule Castle is even bigger because they put in a middle section of the castle when it got separated and they now have a really big basement going to the bottom of the depths. The final boss area in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is repurposed to be part of Hyrule Castle. The damaged areas are also repaired. Hyrule Castle Town Market has been restored to contain a variety of stores.
The game is $10 a month. $5 with a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. The players of the winning faction get the next month free. Everyone pays the first month. If multiple victories happen in one month, only the first one counts. The monthly fee will contribute to the wages of the people playing as Zelda and Ganondorf, maintenance, and adding additional features.
There are ten playable races. Five to each faction. Everyone starts out with 23 hearts. 17 shrines per race. Other races cannont enter the shrine designed to that particular race. There is a boss at the end of every shrine, but only 17 total. You can rechallenge three of the bosses a day. Upon the completion of a shine a heart container will be awarded. Stamina vessels will be purchased for 2000 rupees each. More shrines may be added as time goes on.
There will be a new separate armor set for shoes.
You can create your own character's physical appearance in an avatar creator. Players have the option of letting AI suggest a physical appearance. In order to avoid everyone wearing the same looking armor, AI will decide what each set of armor looks like or you can edit it yourself. The effect of the armor is the same for everyone. The Hateno Dye Shop can make other alterations besides color change.
Fast travel is limited to once per day. Completed shrines are the fast travel points and the map builder. Shrines also act as a launchpad. Maps are unavailable in enemy territory. This prevents an absolute frenzy to one location when the locations of Zelda or Ganondorf are revealed. Fast travel cannot be done inside enemy territory except to exit. Entering is not allowed.
The new type of Goo called Bliss will he introduced. It is the glowing yellow version of Gloom. Those in Zelda's Faction will experience healing in Bliss while those in Ganondorf's faction will be hurt by Bliss. There will also be a new food called Light Clumps. They offer Bliss Warding for Ganondorf's Factions, but are poison to Zelda's Faction. Dark Clumps are poisonous to Ganondorf's faction. It will cause poison damage if used as a weapon such as fused to an arrow or a melee weapon.
Powers of Purah pads for Zelda's Faction and Astor pads for Ganondorf's faction include Ultrahand, Fuse, Autobuild, Ascend, Rewind, Stasis, and the three new abilities: Grow, Shrink, and Arrow Prefusion. They also act as phones to communicate with other players over a distance.
Playable races to Zelda's faction.
Hylian: Level 3 Stealth Unarmed ability is Earthwake. Sprint upon pressing B. Material drops upon defeat: femurs and ears.
Rito: Level 2 Cold Resistance Unarmed ability is Gust Flight upon pressing B. No stamina is consumed when gliding, but stamina is consumed when obtaining lift. Material drops upon defeat:Beaks and wings.
Goron: Level 2 Fireproof Unarmed ability is Charge. Rolling upon pressing B. Cannot swim, but can walk on bottom of water. Cannot ride horses except giant ones. Material Drops upon defeat are back shells and hands.
Zora: Level 3 Swim Speed. Unarmed ability is Water Slash. Sprinting upon pressing B on land, super speed swimming in water. Cannot drown, even when stamina is depleted. Can swim underwater. Material Drops upon defeat: Head and arm fins.
Gerudo: Level 2 Heat Resistance. Unarmed ability is Riju's Fury. Sprinting upon pressing B. Materials dropped upon defeat: arm bones and rib cages.
Playable characters to Ganondorf's faction.
Bokoblin: Level 3 Speed Up. Unarmed ability is charge. Sprint upon pressing B. Materials dropped on defeat: horns and fangs.
Moblin: Level 3 Bliss Warding Resistance. Unarmed ability is Ground Pound. Sprint upon pressing B. Cannot ride horses except giant ones. Materials dropped upon defeat: horns and fangs.
Lynel: Attack Up Level 3. Unarmed ability is Fire Breath. Dash upon pressing B at the cost of one full stamina wheel. Cannot ride horses, shield surf, or paraglide, or climb. Materials dropped upon defeat: Sharp horn and blunt horn.
Lizalfo: Shock Resistance Level 3 Unarmed ability is Water Ball Spit. Sprint upon pressing B on land, super speed in water. Cannot drown even when stamina is depleted. Can swim underwater. Materials dropped upon defeat: horns and fins.
Gibdo: Defense Up Level 3. Unarmed ability is Sandstorm. Flight upon pressing B. No stamina consumed when gliding, but stamina is consumed when obtaining lift. Materials dropped upon defeat: ribcage and wings.
Ganondorf, Zelda, Link, and Dark Link all have 40 hearts, three stamina wheels, and all max level buffs. All their stock weapons are unbreakable. Melee weapons do 100 damage unfused, bows do 50 damage, and shields have 90 Shield Guard.
In game communication is avaliable. A USB keyboard can be plugged into the Nintendo Switch. Voice chat is also available. Since all Gerudos must be female and all Gorons must be male, there is also an AI voice changer you can use to sound like your opposite gender. Not that a wrong gender sounding voice is unacceptable. It can also be used to personalize your voice for your other characters if you choose.
All forageable materials respawn every midnight in the Pacific time zone because that is where Nintendo of America is located.
Players can buy, sell, donate, or trade items at their own agreed price. To prevent inflation, there will be only 2 billion rupees in the game. The prices in shops will be adjusted by AI in a supply and demand algorithm.
Local 2 player splitscreen is available.
There will be robot factories where people can assemble their own robots that are AI controlled to hunt down enemies.
There will be a real estate system. Players can buy and sell land and houses. They can design their own homes and store any excess items there.
Champions and Divine Beasts
Whomever has the most kills within that race is labeled the Champion. Each Champion is rewarded with a mansion that has its own armory, storage space, and garage for their own Divine Beast. Only Champions may use Divine Beasts. Kills made while piloting a Divine Beasts do not count towards your kills to keep your position as a Champion or to play as Link or Dark Link because Divine Beasts are overpowered. The Divine Beasts include the ones from the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and more for Hylians, and all of Ganondorf's faction.
Divine Beast Vah Epona: The Divine Beast that is a horse. Piloted by the Hylian Champion.
Divine Beast Vah Boko: The Divine Beast that is a boar. Piloted by the Bokoblin Champion.
Divine Beasts Vah Ursus. The Divine Beasts that is a bear. Piloted by the Moblin Champion.
Divine Beast Vah Leonis. Divine Beast that is a lion. Piloted by the Lynel Champion.
Divine Beast Vah Saurian. Divine Beast that is a serpent. Piloted by the Lizalfo Champion.
Divine Beast Vah Noctis. Divine Beast that is a bat. Piloted by the Gibdo Champion.
Kill Counts against AI based enemies do not count for being a Champion, Link, or Dark Link.
Death
Upon dying, another race within your faction must be chosen. Your other unplayed races will join you as avatars. The avatars can take damage and be defeated. Food can be used to heal Avatars. Avatars can be double teamed to use unarmed ability. Avatars have unbreakable stock weapons. Avatars can be healed with food. Upon the defeat of all five races, all can respawn. Upon your defeat you lose 1 of your weapons, bows, and shields for any surrounding players to grab. You will also lose 10 materials chosen at random.
New items Goron Bow: Normal arrows into fire arrows automatically.
Light Clump: Bliss Warding food. Poisonous to Zelda's faction.everything isthmus.
Armor of the Depths (Light Version): Bliss Warding armor for Ganondorf's faction.
Ice shoes: Freezes the ground with each step. Allows for walking on water and lava.
Iron Boots: Makes wearer heavy. Allows for walking on floor of water or to stay put in strong wind.
Cockpit: Zonai device that encases user. Possible uses can include the build for submarines. Also allows for shielding for vehicles.
Oxygen Tank: Zonai devices for extra air. Can be used for scuba diving or for additional air for submarine builds.
Gibdo Bow: Normal arrows turn into shock arrows automatically.

I'm gonna start this off by saying this is a vent post. It's really long and goes over all the big instances I can recall of animal cruelty happening in my childhood all the way to present, so it will be a lot of paragraphs. The timelines are estimates, but due to trauma I have poor memory involving dates when things happened, and this probably still isn't every incident, again just the big ones I can recall. Read at your own discretion.
I (19F) live with my grandparents (70M and 67F) and my parents (42 M 43 F). Due to some injuries from last year and some medical history, I am disabled and currently jobless, and in the process of trying to obtain disability, which is relevant for later.
Since I was as little as I can remember, my family has always had cats. I even grew up with some cats that ended up feeling like siblings for me not having anyone around them age to interact with until my sister was born when I was 8.
My parents have always loved cats, but I don't think truly ever valued cats. They've always been left outdoors, and eventually the elements always get them. I have never had a family pet that grew past the age 12. All of our cats have either been attacked by dogs that are also loose in my neighborhood, been suspected to have been tortured and unalived by neighbors, got sick, or got ran over, because my family doesn't care and will just 'replace" pets less than a year later.
When I was around 5, I had my very first pet kitten. This kitten was a runt, so it stayed small for a long time. It also was very hard to potty train, and because of this, they released it outside when it was maybe barely 7-8 weeks. He did good for about a month, but after that, he vanished. But there was evidence when he disappeared that there were large dog paw prints in our driveway because it was rainy that previous night, and his food bowl was dragged out in the yard, which he couldn't have done.
Also around 5, my aunt (at this time 13F) was living with us, as her mom (my mom's mom) wasn't taking good care of her and was in and out of jail. She had pet guinea pigs for a bit. My parents decided to feed the guinea pigs potatoes without doing any kind of research. One of them died. The other one was sick and anxious all the time, so my aunt decided to release it in our backyard? It was also winter. (I want to say that I do not blame her directly because she was still a child and in a similar situation to me, and my parents didn't care about the well-being of these poor guinea pigs anyways.)
And yet another story of around age 5, my dad bought the family a pet red-eared turtle. The tank was too small for her. My dad also thought it would be "funny" and "cool" to put fish in there with this turtle whenever we were about to go on vacation. She ate all the fish in the tank: Neons, goldfish, the tank cleaners, and whatever other fish species he put in that confined tank that wasn't more than 20 gallons. (Red-eared turtles alone need around 40 at minimum.)
But that's not all. While on vacation, both I and my 13 year-old aunt got baby yellow-belly sliders. We took them home, and we put them in the tank with our adult turtle. She ate the heads off of both of them. There was one goldfish left there as well, and I got traumatized seeing both the dead turtles, and seeing her eat that last gold fish in two chomps one time.
When I was around 6, my family randomly decided, "Let's own goats!" because they have a big backyard with an old shed. Well, they ended up buying a small amount of chicken wire fence and giving them outside of the barn about a few feet to move around when our backyard is fairly large and most of it wasn't being used. And we live in a residential area, so every night we had the goats, they would scream. My parents hated their screaming and started neglecting them more by giving them less attention, which only made them scream 24/7. Finally, my parents decided to give the goats to some distant family that has farmland. (We are in the south.)
When I was around 8-9, I got another cat. She was a pretty cat, but very mean and feisty. She didn't really like anyone, but I loved her regardless. This cat was too annoying for my parents to deal with because she had behavioral issues, and instead of taking her to the vet, they decided to make her start staying outside. She loved it, but a bit too much.
(Big TW: death and some descriptions of gore) One day, I had to help my mom deal with her corpse on the road. I was obviously really sad and fell into a deal depression. I also panicked and nearly threw up when I saw, because her eyeball was hanging out. It was so disturbing for a child to see. We buried her together, but I was made fun of one day by my parents for randomly crying about her death.
When I was around 10, I owned my third cat. She also had a brother from the same litter, and my mom had recently lost a cat that she did keep inside from kidney disease. I haven't had my own cat in a while, and they decided to adopt this sibling pair from the neighbors. I got the female, my mom got the male, because she is the type to insist that boy cats are better.
Anyways, I LOVED this cat. I did so much for her, and she loved me and followed me everywhere. We'd cuddle to sleep together. She was my best friend.
But my parents never got her fixed. They also never got the brother fixed. They ended up doing the tango (gross I know, but nature) and my cat had kittens a little bit less than a year old. Since she was too young for kittens, she at first didn't know what she was doing and even misplaced her first outside and ran to me while in labor with the second. I found that kitten and helped her with all 5 of her kittens, all girls also, and the kittens ended up getting close to me as well.
Of course, once they were around 6-7 weeks, my parents were wanting to start finding home for them. But they also had another idea in mind. They wanted me to get rid of my adult cat, and the brother cat as well, and we'd take one kitten. At first I was like no, but they manipulated me and convinced me a kitten would be better. I told them which kitten I wanted, and it looked a lot like my cat. But no, since they thought one of the cats might be distantly Siamese and thought it looked the coolest from it's tabby and Siamese-like pattern, they chose that one, and then dropped my beloved cat and her brother off at a cemetery, didn't even let me say bye. They just threw them away like pieces of garbage. And then I ended up resenting that kitten anyways for not being MY cat, so the family ended up crashing her as well, and she disappeared a few years later.
Around age 11-12, I somehow managed to have pet hermit crabs, another pet yellow-belly slider turtle, and two pet rabbits. My parents were basically throwing pets at me because I guess they felt guilty or something about what they did to me. I didn't end up taking care of any of them, and they all died of starvation and/or dehydration, and I still feel terrible about it. I was so depressed that I couldn't take care of myself either. And I was given animals on top of it, and I was forced to be a high schooler in school. The pets suffered at the cost of what? Why did I even have them?
Around age 13, my parents were driving me home from school, and we saw some Canada geese with their babies by a pond. I'm sure you know where this is going, considering everything else. My mom convinced me to jump out of the car with her, and she distracted the adult geese while I caught a baby one. I knew that in itself was bad, but I didn't know Canada geese were such a protected species.
The little guy imprinted on me. I loved him, he would follow me around the yard. But once again my parents got out that chicken fence, only this time it was on the side of the house, and no shed for him to take cover in (still like a few feet of movement max.) He was growing fast, and he was plucking his feathers. A neighbor noticed and told us to get rid of him or we'd call authorities. They lied and said we "found him and rescued him." I was told to lie about this narrative for years. They ended up dropping him back off at the pond we got him from about two months after we first got him. He couldn't fly, his family wasn't there. He was defenseless. I still feel terrible to this day, I know I was manipulated, but I was 13. And again, I defend my aunt and she was also 13, so I really don't know.
When I was 15, that first turtle I mentioned was still there at our house for all those years. She had quite literally been there for a decade. My parents got tired of having to clean her tank, and she was obviously too big for it as well. But was their response to upgrade tanks and the old filtering system that's been there all that time? Nope. While I was at school, he just...released her. And not in a pond or anything, you know, being an aquatic turtle. (Not like that would be better, but better than what he did.) He just put her outside, in our front driveway. She ran away surprisingly fast according to him. An aquatic pet turtle. Just released in a residential neighborhood. I'm totally sure nothing awful happened to her.( /sarcasm.)
When I was also 15, this was when the pandemic hit. I was super depressed and bored all the time. But then a female stray cat came to our house and had kittens behind a board against my grandparents house. I started fostering them and their mom immediately. I didn't know at the time that we had any no kill shelters nearby, and neither did my parents. When the kittens were old enough, we started rehoming them. There were 3 in total. 1 got a home. The other was still outside for some reason and disappeared. The other one became my pet, whom was at first the family pet. But then they decided that he was too annoying (because he was sweet and affectionate and not what they wanted out of cats which was mean, feisty, playful.)
He is the sweetest boy ever and is still alive to this day, but because I still live with my horrible family, he has to be outdoors, and he gets really scabby from the bugs outside during the summer. As soon as I can I will move out, take him to the vet, and take him out of this home. He shouldn't have to be here.
A few years ago, my sister (11F but maybe 9F at the time) got her own kitten. He ended up growing up to be sweet and affectionate like my cat, so neither her nor my parents want him and he's outdoors, so I'll probably try to take him too.
My sister now has her own new cat that's about a year old she got last year. So far she's not abandoning him since he's a mix of sweet and playful, but my parents have talked about making him indoor-outdoor, which really means "Indoor-outdoor for a few days but after a while we'll just leave him outside and let him stay there."
As a child, I was taught so many messed up things about animals. That dogs are disgusting, gross, and pets have no feelings, and I was taught that cats also have no feelings as a child, but that they are at least a more fun and less gross pet. In fact, in my parent's eyes, no animals have feelings or sentience or any of those things. They are just play things for our benefit. Because of this, as a child I also did not treat animals with the respect they deserve, and I acknowledge this. I have been unlearning so much of this behavior since I was about 13, the goose that I had was my wakeup call.
Please, I know it may seem crazy to some that I out of all people are speaking on this, but if you own animals, please keep them indoors. And with cats specifically, if they crave outside, harness train them. Buy/build a cheap patio in your window if possible. Just don't let them roam free. They will kill so much wildlife. Having to also deal with the grief of my pets killing and bringing dead rabbits, moles, birds opossums, etc. is also a lot. It heavily effects your surrounding ecosystem as well, because annually house cats are estimated to kill over a billion birds and over 6 billion mammals. That's disastrous, and could be avoided if there weren't so many bad pet owners.
Also, don't get animals that go in tanks/terrariums/cages in general if you don't have the money to get them the most spacious enclosure with ALL of their needs. Don't put fish in bowls, it effects their eyesight and shortens their lifespans SIGNIFICANTLY. In general, do not get a pet unless you have the financial means to do so AND if you've thoroughly researched that pet, get it ethically sourced, and if you make sure you have the mental capacity to care for an animal. ANIMALS ARE NOT TOYS. ANIMALS ARE NOT HERE FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT, FOR OUR JOY. THEY ARE LIVING BEINGS WITH THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND A LIFE. THEY DESERVE RESPECT AND DECENCY. NO, THEY DESERVE BEYOND DECENCY, THEY DESERVE TO BE WORSHIPPED AND NURTURED AND SPOILED BY US, NOT TORMENTED AND ABUSED! Thank you.
Also, if you somehow got this far, please read my previous story and give me advice on that one if you have the time, but if not that's perfectly okay. My living situation sucks, but hopefully things can change. I'm counting on a change to happen soon.

These are the things I learned about residency that I wish I could tell myself as a July intern on wards service. I know many of y’all here will disagree with a few, but this is how I see it. There’s definitely quite a few missing, so y’all fill in what I forgot.

• You earned the right to be here. You’ve proven you can do it so don’t doubt yourself.
• You’re not expected to know everything on day 1. Your job is to show up with a good attitude and ready to work hard.
• Listen to the nurses. Some of these critical care nurses, especially. Ask for their input and don’t brush them off as mere nurses.
• Write things down. Print a list and make check boxes by each patient for what needs to get done that day. There are interns who forget things and interns who write things down.
• The first thing you need to learn is to tell sick from not sick, and that can be tricky at times. Later on you refine that until you see a whole spectrum of how sick a patient is.
• Don’t waste too much time pre-rounding. Brief pertinent exam, ask patient about changes in symptoms, but the highest yield is asking the nurses.
• Call consults before noon if you can. It’s a courtesy to the consultant/their team plus they’re far more likely to be seen that day, avoiding a delay in workup for the patient.
• Your note doesn’t have to be an essay. Keep things simple and don’t get bogged down in eloquent explanations.
• However, document your reasoning well. Especially in tough cases, drop a paragraph about why you’re doing what you’re doing and the patient agrees.
• Auto text or whatever your EMR uses. Make an arsenal of these. Use them for everything. If you have a kind of case you see a lot, template out a note so you make sure you’re documenting all the important stuff in an efficient manner.
• Be cool to your co-interns. Y’all are about to spend the next few years together. Don’t leave them in a lurch or punt to others all the time.
• Call the seniofellow/attending, especially at first. Even if they give you attitude, it’s ultimately their responsibility and they should know that.
• Try to update families daily if you can, especially for your ICU folks.
• Never, ever lie. Even once will destroy your credibility.
• Have a good attitude in a way that refuses to be bullied - don’t take that shit.
• Read all your own images. Then when rads drops a report, read that and see if you can find what they’re describing for every notes finding. It’ll make you a better doctor.
• Get to your new city as early as possible. Do things like car inspection, dentist appointment, vet appointment, etc. before July kicks off.
• Our profession has a high rate of substance abuse. Do what that what you will.
• Sit down with your family and SO and let them know what to expect and try to explain how intense this job is. When there’s a difference between expectation and reality, you have problems. Either way, it’ll strain your relationships.
• Because of this, be deliberate on spending time with your SO/friends/family even if you’re dead tired.
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Scour the hospital for the best restroom. Sometimes having a proper relaxed shit can turn a day around.
• Get to know your chiefs. Go to them with problems earlier rather than later.
• Use every minute of PTO
• Step outside the hospital for a few minute a day when you can. See the sunshine.
• Make friends with the cafeteria staff and they’ll hook you up to no end.
• Make friends with the transporters and techs - they will save you.
• Appreciate the hell out of what PT/OT/SLP do.
• Know how to tell a patient no.
• Pharmacy is your friend - they know things
• If something is emergent, keep calling to follow up. If your crashing patient needs abx, it’s not like some doctor video game where you put the order in STAT and everyone goes rushing. Call down and check the status, let them know it’s needed now.
• Don’t order everything STAT
• Calling people in general gets so much more done and avoids so many headaches.
• You’re going to lose your first patient. Remember how you feel, and make sure you never forget it. You’ll need it later.
• Hang out outside of work, invite the nurses as well.
• Election ‘24 is coming up in November so work is a great place to talk candidly about politics and try to change others’ beliefs /s
• If you’re struggling, reach out to someone.
• Try to get outside on your days off
• It’s not uncommon to end up on an SSRI
• Take the stairs places as much as you can. Cardio and a nice lower body workout.
• Answer pages as they come in. Anything STAT call back the moment you see it. Aim to get back to everyone within 5 minutes if you can.
• Day to night nurse shift change. Wait 30-45 minutes, then go around and talk to the nurse for all your patients. Let them get report and see if they have questions. Explain the plan, agree on when to call you, make sure orders all look good and make sense. We even used to bring candy from the physicians lounge to pass out for this.
• Put the diet order in
• Keep your presentations short and to the point unless someone wants them longer. Know the details, but you don’t have to recite them. You don’t have to say all the exam findings that were normal and not related to the patient’s disease
• Always be prepared to dodge a punch when near a geriatric patient
• Even a 5-10 minute phone call with your loved ones on a frequent basis can do wonders
• Some people are just assholes and you can’t take things personally
• Other people are mad at something else and want to take it out on you.
• Be cool to the med students
• Get good at delivering bad news
• Celebrate delivering good news
• Fuck prior authorizations man
• When calling a consult, have a specific clinical question you need help answering. Know the patient well. Keep the call centered around what you need from them but be ready to provide details if needed. “Dr. X wants you on board” is resident code for “I know it’s bullshit but my attending made me call.”
• Delirium and sundowning are real af. The trick is to get them home.
• Benzos aren’t just “settle down” drugs. It’s like a whisky shot through the vein in the sense that it can also disinhibit people and make wildness worse
• Get to know 1 thing about each patient other than what’s in their chart. What job did they have? What’s their favorite team? Do they have pets? You’ll remember them better when the list is large and it can make the job more rewarding
• If the nurse is worried ALWAYS go to bedside
• If you feel the urge to get a tattoo, do it
• Read everyone’s note each day on your patients
• Case managers and social workers are heroes. Get to know them and work together to get patients proper dispo
• Don’t wear your damn shoes in the call room bed
• Sit down in patient rooms if you can. It shows you’re listening, it’s less intimidating for them, and they’ll tell you more.
• Talk louder to older patients
• Sternal rub like you mean it
• Sit done one day, caffeinate, and do all those stupid compliance modules in a single bolus.
• Never make the same mistake twice
• If things don’t add up, your math is wrong
• Some patients don’t care about their health and won’t look after it after all you do. That’s just the gig.
• If something adverse for residents goes into place on a “temporary” basis, it never goes back the other way. Fight for your rights.
• You’re not crazy - the patient always tells the attending something completely different or remembers some important detail. We get it.
• Have a good comfort show to stream when you come home half dead.
• Trust but verify (that’s actually a Russian proverb Reagan borrowed when speaking about the USSR)
• Remember to love it more than you hate it. Find a way to make it fun. They say it’s the best time you never want to have again. You get to save and improve human lives. There’s no greater calling in the world than that.

The heavy clouds mirrored the somber mood as mourners gathered beneath the ancient oak tree, its branches swaying gently in the breeze. The scent of fresh earth mingled with the sweet fragrance of lilies, evoking memories of a life both cherished and mourned. In the hush, broken only by the distant call of a mourning dove, friends and family stood together, united in their grief and love.
 
HERE LIES PREDICTION LEAGUE
2017-2024
 
The tombstone’s inscription a sobering message of the fleeting joy it brought to its beloved fans, as the raspy words of the pleading eulogy echo through the cemetery
 
^{Nopredictionleague?}
 
A low rumble from beneath the freshly turned earth sends a shiver down the spines of the mourners. Suddenly, the ground splits open, and a skeletal hand claws its way to the surface, dirt falling away like a dark veil. Gasps and cries of terror fill the air as the corpse, impossibly animated, rises from its grave. Its eyes vacant and lifeless, flesh gaunt and slack, it begins to speak...
 
M̶̟͋y̶̢͘ ̸̺̍b̵͌ͅą̴͒d̸̢̉ ̴̯̍a̷͐͜b̸͓͗o̶͕͗ủ̵͓t̵̻́ ̸͛ͅt̸͚̀h̷̛͎ỉ̵͔s̷͔̀ ̶̣̐m̵̺̿o̵̡̓n̷̹͠t̶͈̒h̷͇̽ ̸͈̆g̶̣͘ṳ̴̌y̶̱̍s̷̻̕,̵̗̊ ̵̰̒Ȉ̷̙ ̶̄͜h̷̥̔a̶̺͒d̵̩̉ ̸͍̑t̴͍͝o̵̧͝ ̴̙̓k̵̤͂ỉ̷̫c̶̖̎k̴͓̓ ̵̰́s̴̝̃c̷̟̈́h̸̨͑o̷̱̅ŏ̴̭l̷̘̅ ̷̓͜t̴̪̿o̶̹͝ ̷̨̀t̵̹͒h̸̡̃e̴̪̓ ̷̻̈́b̵̫͘a̵̡͊c̵̜͝k̸̗͛b̷͓̋ũ̵̦r̸̠̓n̷͔͌e̶̬͊r̸̳̒ ̷̻̎f̸͓͝ő̶̭ŕ̵͕ ̶̛̳a̴̲̓ ̸͚̿b̸͓̆i̷̱̊ẗ̷̠́ ̴͍̈ṫ̷̩ẖ̵́į̷́s̷͚̍ ̸͓͆s̴̤͝ǘ̴̜ṁ̸̤m̵͖͊e̶̙̚r̴̲̓ ̷̜̃ä̷̠n̵̮̏d̷͕̓ ̷̙̈p̴̞̑ī̶̟c̵̱̊k̸̛͕ ̵̗͂u̸͙̓p̷̲̾ ̸̟͒ȃ̸͉ ̶̥͒c̸̳̆ǫ̵́n̸͙̑s̷̺̎u̸̚͜l̴̤̋t̸̥͐ì̸̳n̸̠̆g̵̳͘ ̶̛͉g̸͓̔i̵̻͒g̵͈͂ ̵̦̀ĩ̷͇n̸̮̐ ̷̮͑m̸͔͊y̸̭̓ ̴̝̈́o̸͚͗l̶͔͆d̷̘͋ ̶͓̀f̸͓̔i̵̭̿ȇ̵̡l̸̦͛d̷̝͑ ̶̫̍o̶̧͐f̶̥̓ ̸̮̓w̶̞̽ỏ̷͖r̵͉͂k̶̲͋ ̷͓̑t̴͈̍ő̸̟ ̸̭͒d̶̹͘r̵̛͇u̶̪̅m̴̨̅ ̷͚̓u̶̱͒p̴̻̈́ ̶͚̈́ś̵̢ȍ̷͈m̸̝̽e̸͔̓ ̵̹̃m̸̟͆o̵̢͝r̶̼̆ḛ̶̔ ̸̮̐c̵̱̔ą̵̊s̶̱̕h̵̜͗ ̶̻̊ą̴͐s̴̠̍ ̸̛͙ţ̶̈́h̷̃͜e̵͙͐ ̵̲͐m̷̩̌i̶̯̅s̶͝ͅs̸͈̈ǘ̸̥s̵̞͊ ̵͙̂w̵̞̋ä̶̗n̷̲̓t̶̩͋s̷͑ͅ ̸̲̅a̷̫͐n̶̞̄ö̸̦́t̴͍̂h̶̬͝e̵̛̮r̵͕̓ ̷̛̪ṭ̶͒r̶̉͜i̶̤̽p̶̦͝ ̷̦̈́o̶̠͂v̷͎̈ê̸̦r̶͛͜s̶̯̕e̴̯̊ǎ̶̮s̸͎͝.̷̜̽ ̴̱́I̴̡̅ ̵͍͝g̷̤͝e̶͍͠n̵̟̒ű̸͙i̸̹͆n̴̘͑e̴̟͋l̴̠͝y̴̻͝ ̴̮̊d̷͝ͅo̷͈͘ ̶̮͌e̴̻͌ṋ̵̈́j̵͈͒ö̵̼y̷̱̒ ̷̎ͅd̵̯͐ọ̶͗i̴̼͗ň̸̟g̵̘͝ ̴̫́p̵͙͠r̷̢͋e̸̾ͅd̷̥͝ī̸̧ć̸̣ť̷̼ĩ̷ͅo̵̪̒n̶͈͋ ̷̩̊l̶̥̇e̷̻̎â̵̪ĝ̴̪û̷̡e̷̺̾ ̷̺̿ą̶̿n̵͈̊d̵̘͘ ̶̘̃t̷̜͂h̴̨͠e̷̝̓ ̵͎̃s̸̱̾t̵̯̽a̸͉͘t̷̺̂s̷̻̐ ̸̫́a̵̤͝ṋ̵̕d̴̤͆ ̷̘̆ş̴͊p̸̥͠r̷͕̕e̵̮̚a̷̝̎d̷͍͠s̶̲͊ḧ̴́͜e̴̝͒e̸̥̒ṫ̸̩s̶̛̘ ̵͍̏i̶̖͝n̵̞̂ ̶͔̐p̴̢͊ā̷̝r̷̜͝t̷̖͠i̸͕͆c̶͚̆u̴̹͐l̵͉̒a̵̦͗r̶̮̀ ̴͕́ạ̴̽r̶͇̈ë̵̹́ ̵͍͒h̶͔͠ȯ̶̭b̴̧̕b̵͉͋i̵͓͒e̷̮̋s̴̗̑ ̶̧͝o̸͙̚f̷̲̏ ̴̧͗m̵̼̃i̸͉͒ņ̴͝e̶̟͋ ̶̡̇t̴͇̔h̸͚̆a̷̯̚t̶̮͝ ̸̧̾d̸͇̀ȍ̸͓ ̴̤̌b̵̝̒r̷̹̓i̸͎͝n̴͕̄g̷̯͐ ̷͓̈́m̵̭̂ȩ̸̕ ̶̜͒ĵ̵̨ò̶͇y̶̳̎.̶̦͆ ̴̱̔Ȁ̸̻n̵̳̽ŷ̶͚ẇ̴͖ḁ̴̅y̸͓̑s̷͈̈́,̷̪̈́ ̵̱̈́w̵̮̏i̴͋ͅt̷̰̒h̶̺̍o̸̯͌u̸̬͂t̴͙̅ ̷̪͝f̸̣̈́u̴̜̔r̵̲̈t̵̡͗h̴͕̐e̷̡͋r̴̙̋ ̵̀͜ą̸̑ď̷͚o̶̙͆,̸̣͘ ̵͇̈́W̶̞̕E̴̹͋L̴̪̈́C̶̻̀O̸̲͊Ḿ̶̪E̷̫͂ ̷̖̃T̵̮̅O̶̥͘ ̴̖̃T̶̲̈H̸̙͘I̷͚̍S̸̙̔ ̴͉̎M̸̟̐Ǒ̸̬N̸͔͝T̶̼̂H̶̥͠’̷̰̀S̴̚ͅ ̴̭̓R̷̘̽O̴̹͑U̶̳̍N̷̞͑D̸̫̋ ̵̫̎O̵̗͒F̴̲̐ ̸̺͊P̵̳͌R̵̻̃E̴̛̫Ḑ̸̀-
 
The ghoulish phantom's twisted words are cut short as the crowd of mourners turned frenzied mob descend upon the abomination with pitchforks and torches slaying it mid-monologue. We'll never truly know what it was trying to say, nor should anyone really care.
 
*** End Credits Roll ***
 
Now without further ado, let's get down to the numbers for this round!
 
Congratulations to
shiro321
kewlgal28
For winning this round with correct predictions of a combination of
Steel Rising - Guessed correctly by 13 users or 18% of all participants (WOW!)
Hi-Fi RUSH - Guessed correctly by 3 users or 4% of all participants
 
Honorable mentions to Gramd for being the only person to correctly predict Loddlenaut
 
A total of 72 users participated in this month’s round with 16 users (22%) correctly guessing 1 or more titles.
Besides Steel Rising (13 / 18%) and Hi-Fi RUSH (3 / 4%) users also correctly predicted
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2/ 2.7%)
Loddlenaut (Just Gramd / 1.4%)
 
Nobody guessed we’d see
King Of The Castle
Bravery and Greed
Amanda the Adventurer
Mediterranea Inferno
¯\(ツ)/¯
 
and here are the standing for this season's prediction league as of now
 
thomasthe1st - 16 points
biohazardbattle - 16 points
Gramd - 15 points
Porruno - 14 points
skinny_thief - 14 points
HerrieM - 13 points
diogenesl - 12 points
Leszczyn - 12 points
shiro321 - 10 points
MJuniorDC9 - 9
 
Predictions For June 2024 humble choice will close June 3 2024 at 2359PST or sooner pending leak. June 2024 Choice will go live at June 4 10am PST
 
The scorekeeping for this season's prediction league is can be found here with the test branch available for viewing here. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, concerns or complaints either here, in the scoreboard, or via the discord If you believe your score was tallied incorrectly, please shoot me a dm wherever convenient for you and I'll get it taken care of asap. Thank you all for your patience, kindness and outpouring of support for this season of prediction league.
 
The Top Scoreres of Season 6
u/biohazardbattle 21 🥇
u/Fall-Historical 17 🥈
u/Leszczyn 16 🥉
u/Phoenix_Samurai 16 🥉
 
What is Prediction League?
Prediction League is a fan-run competition, where each month people try to predict which games will be in the upcoming Humble Choice. Every user can guess up to 15 games and the highest price of one of them. Submissions are then scored based on the criteria below, and at the end of the season, the best players will become known throughout the land, with prizes for top scorers to be disbursed at the end of season.
 
New Season Changes
If you haven't played this season before, please read the short Rules and Scoring lists below so you are familiar with the new additions. Total Bundle Value, Number of Games, Highest Game Price and extra points for round winners have been removed. Scoring for this season is automatically calculated with results published the day of choice.
Scoreboard for Season 7
Test Branch scoreboard for Season 7
 
Rules:
Post a maximum of 15 game predictions. If you post more, only the first 15 posted will count, even if you predicted a game as your #16. Please, make sure to spell game names correctly. Otherwise, they might get overlooked by the search function. All versions of a game, like standard and deluxe, will be considered to be the same. If a Choice includes a deluxe version, you don't lose or gain points for not guessing it was the deluxe. Feel free to edit your comment at any time, but not later than a week after the Prediction League was posted. If you guessed a leaked game before the leak happened, your guess(es) will remain valid and will still count for points. If you submit your prediction after the leak or edit your comment to include a leaked game, those games will not count for any points. Purposely using leaked games may also remove your previous points from the leaderboard.
 
Scoring:
Each correctly predicted game is worth 2 points. Predicting three or more games in a single round is worth 2 additional points. Being the only person to correctly predict a game is worth 1 point. Predicting a game in the same series as one included in choice is worth 1 point. For example, guessing Dark Souls II will grant 1 point if Dark Souls III is in Choice. However guessing Sekiro does not grant a point if Elden Ring was included, since they don't share a name.
 
Tips
Look at past Humble Choices and recent bundles. Humble doesn't usually repeat these games, so they don't make for good guesses. Look for recent freebies on sites like Epic or Amazon Games. Many games have been given away there, and then go to Humble a couple months later. Games that have gone on sale recently. Think big and small! Humble Choice headlines some large titles, but also includes smaller indies. New releases probably won't be included, think of titles released a year or two back. When in doubt, copium. If you've run out of ideas, you could put games from your wishlist and hope they appear in Choice.
 
Prediction League Hall of Fame
Season 1 Champion (2017-2018) - u/K_U
Season 2 Champion (2018-2019) - u/DeliriumTrigger
Season 3 Champion (2019-2020) - u/HiTechGreg
Season 4 Champion (2020-2021) - u/Genkii123
Season 5 Champion (2021-2022) - u/biohazardbattle
Season 6 Champion (2022-2023) - u/biohazardbattle
Season 7 (Oct2023-Oct2024) - Ongoing
 
As always, please let me know if you have any suggestions, concerns, complaints or are just in need of someone to talk to. I will am always available via Discord or steam. And if you have a chance please join the community discord! With the next fiscal year I would like to shortly enact plans for more community funded giveaways/prizes.
Edits -

Proof & Pictures
https://imgur.com/a/ynDAYTC?s=sms
Roosevelts - 21x face - $50 face available
https://imgur.com/a/HjWZlyF?s=sms
Washington Quarters (Little wear, all dates clearly readable) - 22x face - $100 face available
https://imgur.com/a/6K5i47v?s=sms
Washington Quarters (bit worn but all dates readable) so priced accordingly at 21x - Total - $60 face available
https://imgur.com/a/XjVYdiO?s=sms
War Nickels - 5% below spot at time of post ($1.70 each) - 358 total
https://imgur.com/a/63qoWG3?s=sms
SilverTowne Sealed 10 oz bar $305
SilverTowne Sealed 7 one oz bars - $31 each or take all 7 for $215 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/i9e1stf?s=sms
Payment via Zelle, Venmo or PPFF. Please add $5 for shipping via USPS. Although I find the USPS to be very reliable and have never lost a tracked package with them, I can only be responsible for properly packing, applying the correct mailing label, and getting the items to the Post Office safely.
Please message or chat. Happy to provide additional photos or videos via chat or answer any questions you have about the items listed for sale.
Shipping insurance or signature confirmation can be added at buyers request but buyer will have to pay the extra cost and be familiar with the details of the shipping insurance policy.
NOTE: I USE 2FA 2 FACTOR LOGIN SECURITY AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO TOO. I NEVER give anyone my password or let login with my account. If I have questions I PM one of the MODS listed to the right. I will RARELY cold PM you and if I do please verify it is ME.

Wasgood rep fam items for sale some brand new some only tried on some worn 1x
Tagged pic and timestamp https://imgur.com/a/NgnpbL1

1. Grey Denim tears sweat suit Sz xl ( can fit large or xl) Quality is amazing and heavy $70 shipped
   
2. Black Denim tears sweat suit Sz xl ( can fit large or xl) Quality is amazing heavy $70 shipped
   

3.pk Jordan 1 l&f Sz 10.5 Brand new no box with both laces $75 shipped

1. Aj6 red Ljr batch Sz 11 Brand new $75 shipped
   
2. Rick studios Rick Owens Sz 45 Brand new wax edition $80 shipped
   
3. Dior chucks Kevin batch Sz 44 $60 shipped Worn a couple times . A lot of life left
   
4. Kobe 4 wkb Worn 1x Sz 11 $60 shipped
   

8 ja morant Worn 1x Sz 11 $60 shipped
9.adidas ultraboost Sz 10.5 Brand new $50 shipped

1. New balance 990 Worn 1x Sz 11 $50 shipped

11.new balance 9060 Brand new Sz 11 $50 shipped

1. New balance 990 jj round Worn 1x $60 shipped
   
2. New balance 2002 Brand new Sz 11 $60 shipped
   

14.yeezy slippers Brand new $45 each
PayPal invoice only !!

I SWEAR....IF EVERYONE WOULD JUST READ AND COMPREHEND THIS 🤦🏻‍♂️ ⚠️PLEASE READ AND SHARE REGARDING SEC 201 RULE ⚠️Make sure you're setting your buy limits as high as possible, which is 10% above market price. DON’T WORRY, you’ll only be charged market price. TELL EVERYONE!! $FFIE STRONG 💪🏼
Buying just one share at a time is best, spread out over time. YES, it’s a pain in the butt, but anything worthwhile is. I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE THOUGH!!
STRATEGY: PLACE BUY ORDERS WITH LIMITS SET 10% ABOVE THE CURRENT MARKET PRICE. All it takes is 1 share, but needs to be all day. You will only end up paying the market price, but will restrict shorts from bidding below that. THIS IS HOW WE CAN REALLY PUT OUR POWER IN NUMBERS TO WORK.

1. Alternative Uptick Rule: • Rule 201 introduces the "Alternative Uptick Rule," which is designed to prevent short selling from driving down the price of a stock excessively.
2. Triggering a Circuit Breaker: • The rule is triggered if a security's price declines by 10% or more from the previous day's closing price.Once triggered, the rule imposes restrictions on short selling for the remainder of the day and the following day.
3. Short Sale Price Test Restrictions: • After the circuit breaker is triggered, short sales of the affected security are only permitted if the price is above the current national best bid. This means that a short sale can only occur at a price higher than the highest current bid pr preventing short sellers from continuously driving the price down.

Hi I have a few questions but first I'll give some necessary background. My mom (49) lived/died in Ohio; that's where her will + trusts were drawn up as well. I live in Texas (irrelevant). My sister (21) and I (29 m) are executors and the only beneficiaries.

1. My deadbeat dad owes my mom 23k in child support arrears. He has been making payments of $35 sporadically while my mom was battling cancer for the past couple years. Is that now owed to my mom's estate, owed to the state or forgiven?
   
2. My mom was kind enough to co-sign a car loan for her terrible ex-fiance. When he left her, he moved to Chicago with the car and continued making payments. Here's the issue: late last year he went to prison and left his car with his mom and sister. The women would give my mom money to make the payments for him but those payments have stop coming. Does the ex-fiance now take full responsibility for the loan/debt of the car or will my mom's estate be on the hook for the balance. Does the car belong to my mom's estate since the primary signer is in prison and abandoned the vehicle? The balance of the loan is like 3k and the value of the vehicle is likely 10k - 15k for private sale but we have no clue the location of the vehicle.
   
3. My mom's pension has a death benefit but they only allowed her to name one primary beneficiary which was my sister. My sister is obviously okay splitting it with me but I'm confused about what he do after she sends me a lump sum (90k). With there be like a gift tax? Will the entire amount be considered income for my sister, or do we just declare half as income? Or is a pension payout considered just an inheritance and not taxed as income?
   

Questions one and two are the most important. Thanks!

I made a mistake. Got excited and decided to buy a business that I love. It was breaking even when bought with almost no effort, but its a month to month storage business so there's no inventory or employees. We financed the sale but used some cash to purchase 1/2 of it and are paying the building landlord (who also owned the business) a loan amount with interest, and also are financing the equipment within business (it'd be extremely hard to sell the equipment as it's heavy, big, and stationary.
Long story short, realized that we signed a lease for a rent rate that is too high. The business is doing OK but with the rent levels, we cannot make $. It's a 10 year lease.
I spoke to a 40 year commercial realtor (2 sq mile town) who owns her own business who was sympathetic and told me that my rent should be $17 a sq/ft at most ... I'm currently paying $20 ... next month it goes to $22.50, and within another 6 months it goes to $25. It's a 10 year lease...
At $20 we are falling behind with bills being higher than expected among inflation etc.im taking no pay check and am running very lean.
We discussed selling, but like I said we have no inventory, equipment, etc that we can sell.
Question: 1) if we sell, who would buy the business with such a high lease rate? - means we are stuck right? It's zoned for a specific purpose.
I spoke to the landlord and he doesn't seem to want to budge (obviously)
What would you do? What are my options. So embarrassing.

Scavs (Russian civilian background):

1. "You fucking scav, go back to rummaging through trash where you belong, you sorry piece of shit!"
2. "You vodka-swilling peasant, can't even handle a proper weapon, you useless chernozhopy!"
3. "Get the fuck back to your shithole and drown yourself in vodka, you worthless gopnik!"
4. "What's the matter, can't afford real gear? Stick to your makeshift junk, you scavvy fuck!"
5. "You scav-brained rat, your aim is as shaky as your vodka-soaked hands, you pathetic excuse for a fighter!"
6. "Go back to your rat-infested hole, you scavenger scum, can't even outsmart a fucking rodent!"
7. "Why don't you crawl back to your dilapidated hovel, you stinking sack of vodka-infused shit!"
8. "You scav-scum, I've seen cleaner rats in the gutter than your sorry ass, you filthy motherfucker!"
9. "A true scav, only good for scavenging scraps and crying to mama, you vodka-guzzling wimp!"
10. "You scavver, you smell worse than a dumpster on a hot summer day, you filthy fucking rat!"

Bears (Russian military background):

1. "You bear-brained imbecile, can't even follow orders properly, you fucking waste of space!"
2. "Back to boot camp for you, you sorry sack of shit, go polish your boots until you learn some fucking discipline!"
3. "You disgrace to the uniform, go fuck yourself and your shitty comrades, you worthless fuckwit!"
4. "What's the matter, bear? Can't handle the heat of real combat, you cowardly piece of bear shit?"
5. "You bear-witted fuck, your tactics are as outdated as your camouflage, you incompetent motherfucker!"
6. "Go back to your barracks, you bear-bellied pussy, can't even hold your ground against a rookie!"
7. "You bear-mauled reject, can't even hold your ground against a rookie, you fucking failure!"
8. "Back to the wilderness with you, you bear-brained oaf, you useless sack of bear shit!"
9. "You bear-baiting idiot, can't even outsmart a cub, you fucking imbecile!"
10. "A true bear, all brawn and no brains, just like your fucking sorry ass!"

USEC (American mercenary background):

1. "You fucking USEC sellout, can't even shoot straight without your precious paycheck, you corporate cocksucker!"
2. "Back to your corporate overlords, you money-grubbing puppet, go kiss their fucking asses for another dime!"
3. "You capitalist pig, can't buy your way out of incompetence, you greedy piece of shit!"
4. "What's the matter, USEC? Too busy counting your blood money to aim properly, you fucking corporate whore?"
5. "Go back to your boardroom, you corporate lackey, and shove your spreadsheets up your ass!"
6. "You USEC stooge, can't even fight without a contract to protect you, you spineless sack of corporate shit!"
7. "Why don't you crawl back to your office, you desk-jockey coward, and hide behind your fucking paperwork!"
8. "You USEC swine, I've seen more integrity in a used car salesman, you lying piece of corporate garbage!"
9. "A true USEC, only good for squeezing every last penny out of a dying world, you soulless capitalist bastard!"
10. "You USEC scumbag, you smell worse than a Wall Street dumpster fire, you fucking corporate parasite!"

DAY: MAY 20 2024
5-20-2024

Why nightmares and ‘daymares’ could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

An increase in nightmares and hallucinations—or ‘daymares’—could herald the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, say an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. The researchers argue that there must be greater recognition that these types of mental health and neurological symptoms can act as an early warning sign that an individual is approaching a “flare,” where their disease worsens for a period.
5-20-2024 Yoga and meditation-induced altered states of consciousness are common in the general population, study says
Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and other practices are gaining in popularity due to their potential to improve health and well-being. The effects of these practices are mostly positive and occasionally transformational, yet they are known to sometimes be associated with challenging altered states of consciousness. New research by a team including investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital reveals that altered states of consciousness associated with meditation practice are far more common than expected. Although many people reported positive outcomes, that were sometimes even considered transformational, from these experiences, for a substantial
5-20-2024 Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya
Total in-episode expenses and resource use before the index surgery (preop) and including/after the surgery (postop). The comparisons are separated for analysis into (A) single institution cohorts (1 and 2) and (B) multi?institution cohorts (3 and 4). Moyamoya disease is a rare condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain, especially in children. Narrowing and blockage of vessels significantly increases the risk of stroke and requires surgical revascularization for treatment. Although research shows that outcomes of revascularization are better
5-20-2024 Study explores links between social media use, mental health and sleep quality
The more time you spend on social media, the greater the likelihood of having unpleasant social-media related dreams that cause distress, sleep disruption and impact our peace of mind. Flinders University’s Reza Shabahang says that the vast and rapid adoption of social media has the potential to influence various aspects of life, including the realm of dreaming. “As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its impact extends beyond waking hours, and may influence our dreams,”
5-20-2024 How are asthma and heart health linked?
Although the heart and lungs are neighbors in your chest, people may think of them as separate entities with unrelated problems. But a growing body of evidence suggests that asthma—one of the most common lung disorders—is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Asthma is a serious chronic disease in which airways are inflamed, often in response to specific triggers. It affects about 25 million people in the U.S., including nearly 5 million children, causing millions of annual visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms. “We call these major changes
5-20-2024 STUDY EXPLORES PATIENT TRUST IN PHYSICIANS
Trust in one’s physician drives positive health practices. In a scoping review, SUNY Poly Professor of Sociology Dr. Linda R. Weber discovered new developments in the measurement of trust, identified those measures of trust that have known reliability and validity, and compared those instruments’ conceptualizations, dimensions, and indicators. The paper is published in the journal PLOS ONE. Weber explains that 10 dimensions emerged from the study: fidelity, technical competence, communicative competence, interpersonal competence (i.e., caring), honesty, confidentiality, global, behavioral, fairness, and system trust/accountability. In addition, these findings provide the foundation
5-20-2024 TIMESAVING TIPS FOR COOKING HEALTHY MEALS
Living a busy, fast-paced life can make it hard to find the motivation to cook a healthy meal at home. However, learning some shortcuts in the kitchen can keep your healthy eating goals on track and help you avoid grazing on unhealthy snacks, grabbing the first thing you see in the fridge or going out for fast food. Why cook at home? Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight is challenging when you eat out too frequently. Restaurant portions often are super-sized
5-20-2024 UNDERSTANDING PERIMENOPAUSE VS. MENOPAUSE
Menopause marks a significant transition for women, yet understanding its precursor, perimenopause, and its symptoms can be complex. Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and medical director of The Menopause Society, says experiencing perimenopause and menopause can be confusing for some. She says it is not only patients who may find it confusing, but medical providers as well, due to lack of training in menopause management. “Menopause is defined by no menstrual cycle for a year,” says Dr. Faubion.
5-20-2024 LOW-DOSE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION HAS NO BENEFIT FOR BREASTFED INFANTS, SHOWS STUDY
The American Pediatric Association recommends iron supplements to all healthy infants who breastfeed longer than four months, while its European counterpart, Society of Gastroenterology, Hepataology and Nutrition, does not recommend it. These deviating guidelines stimulated researchers to design a new study. Breastfeeding is strongly recommended, and the proportion of children are breastfed during the first half of life is high. The researchers wanted to determine whether breastfeeding babies could benefit from extra iron.
5-20-2024 ALLERGY MEDICATIONS COME WITH HAZARDS: BE AWARE
People with seasonal allergies often turn to over-the-counter and prescription medicines to relieve symptoms like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes, nose or throat. But they often aren’t aware that these meds—including antihistamines—have as much risk for potential side effects, drug interactions and overdose as other drugs. “All medicines have side effects associated with them even when they are taken appropriately and according to dosing directions on the label,”
5-20-2024 I CAN’T AFFORD OLIVE OIL—WHAT ELSE CAN I USE?
If you buy your olive oil in bulk, you’ve likely been in for a shock in recent weeks. Major supermarkets have been selling olive oil for up to A$65 for a four-liter tin, and up to $26 for a 750 milliliter bottle. We’ve been hearing about the health benefits of olive oil for years. And many of us are adding it to salads, or baking and frying with it. But during a cost-of-living crisis, these high prices can put olive oil out of reach. Let’s take a look at why
5-20-2024 Researchers uncover biological trigger of early puberty
Heather Brenhouse, associate professor of psychology, says disrupting the caretaker relationship can really traumatize a child or a developing rodent. Credit: Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University New research conducted by the Brenhouse Lab reveals how early life adversity triggers early puberty and late-life anxiety, paving the way for potential interventions. The onset of puberty has been creeping downward for decades. In the United States, the average age of girls reaching puberty ranges from 8.8 to 10.3 years old. The early start of puberty, which is associated with many health risks, can be
5-20-2024 Bioluminescence and 3D-printed implants shed light on brain–spinal interactions
Brain-spinal cord duet’s neurodynamic symphony is now accessible to scientists via novel multi-organ implants. Credit: Dmitrijs Celinskis A sensory process such as pain is no ordinary phenomenon—it’s a symphony of neural and vascular interactions orchestrated by the brain and spinal cord. Attempting to dissect this symphony by focusing on a single region is like trying to understand a complex melody by listening to just one instrument. It’s incomplete, potentially misleading, and may result in erroneous conclusions. Enter the Carney Institute’s team of visionaries. Their mission? To develop tools that allow
5-20-2024 New thesis explores cancer treatment that can prevent relapse
. What is the main focus of your thesis? Relapse following initial treatment efficacy remains a major clinical challenge for many cancers. The focus of my thesis has been to explore the therapeutic impact of immune cells in patients with blood cancer (leukemia), by first investigating which cells
5-20-2024 New study reveals health and social benefits of car-free living
Participating in a three-week car-free challenge has enhanced the health and well-being of Oxford residents, according to research conducted by The University of Bath’s Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), in partnership with climate charity Possible and Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON), conducted this research project. After ditching their cars for three weeks, 10 out of the 12 drivers across Oxford who participated said they plan to continue with reduced car use beyond the project. The findings of this research project show that: Day-to-day transport emissions were slashed
5-20-2024 Research shows linked biological pathways driving skin inflammation
A certain biological pathway—a set of linked reactions in the body—drives the inflammation seen in the skin disease psoriasis, a new study finds. The work could lead to improved therapies for all inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic and allergic dermatitis and a type of boil called hidradenitis suppurativa, say the study authors. The findings are published in the journal Immunity. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to irritation and infection, but when out of control, it can lead to the reddish, flaky, itchy lesions that
5-20-2024 Prescription co-payments linked to more hospital admissions in New Zealand, study finds
A new study from researchers cautions that bringing back the $5 co-payment for prescription medicines could see a jump in hospital admissions. The study analyzed health data for 71,502 people and found those who didn’t pick up a prescription because they couldn’t afford the $5 fee had a 34% higher rate of being admitted to hospital.
5-20-2024 How a simulation is informing COVID-19 vaccine policy after our ‘return to normal’
As the saying goes “There is no such thing as normal” and this has been especially true after the pandemic. Before the emergence of the omicron COVID-19 variant, countries like the U.K. had high vaccination coverage along with widespread exposure to COVID-19 in the population. This combination of vaccine and infection-derived immunity is termed hybrid immunity and is different to vaccine immunity or infection immunity alone. In contrast, other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and those in the Western Pacific, had a very different pandemic experience.
5-20-2024 Researchers find intriguing connections between Alzheimer’s disease and other common conditions
A study has found that while some medical conditions appear to increase our likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, others appear to decrease the odds. The study, led by Dr. Yijun (Nicholas) Pan and Dr. Liang Jin, analyzed data from 2,443 older Australians living in Melbourne or Perth who are part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, an internationally recognized cohort for dementia research. “We found anxiety and other neurological disorders are associated with increased likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Pan said.
5-20-2024 Prepping autistic or sound-sensitive kids for cicada noise
As Chicagoans await the emergence of the cicadas, parents of children on the autism spectrum and/or who have sensitivities to sound can take a few steps to prepare for what is expected to be a loud summer. “Some children on the spectrum can struggle with loud or unexpected noises, such as toilets that automatically flush, fireworks around the Fourth of July or the emergence of a large number of cicadas,”
5-20-2024 Study highlights importance of screening for rare inherited iron metabolism defects
Over 40% of cases curated based on stringent clinical and laboratory criteria from the Indian subcontinent have an inherited iron metabolism defect on comprehensive genomic evaluation, report investigators in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Although iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent form of anemia globally,
5-20-2024 Study finds tyrosine kinase Csk promotes germinal center B cell survival and affinity maturation
The authors found that Csk (a tyrosine kinase that attenuates B cell receptor signaling) is required for germinal center maintenance and efficient antibody maturation. The immune system strikes a fine balance by identifying and neutralizing disease-causing agents while carefully avoiding destruction of healthy tissues and cells. Now, researchers from Japan have shed new light on one of the processes that helps train immune cells to act only against genuine threats.
5-20-2024 Significant gaps between science of obesity and the care patients receive, say experts
As research continues to produce evidence about the underlying causes of obesity and optimal strategies to treat and manage obesity have evolved, there are disparities in application of the latest scientific advances in the clinical care that people with obesity receive. Widespread adoption of current findings, consistency of care and expertise in obesity care varies by health care professional and institution.
5-20-2024 Improving online depression treatment
Symptom course of depression for individuals who dropped out of treatment and those who completed treatment. In the dropout group, there is an initial decrease in symptoms while the patients were still in treatment, which tapers off as they drop out. For completers, there is close to a linear change over time. This suggests there is a relation between the more that an individual continues to participate in ICBT and their depressive symptom improvement.
5-20-2024 Women face worse chronic kidney disease management in primary care
Women receive worse primary care-based chronic kidney disease (CKD) management than men, according to a research letter adult patients with CKD receiving primary care at 15 practices using electronic health record data to examine sex disparities in guideline-based CKD management
5-20-2024 Bisoprolol does not reduce exacerbations in at-risk COPD patients
For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bisoprolol does not reduce the number of self-reported exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both, according to a study
5-20-2024 Anticancer potential of CLK kinase inhibitors 1C8 and GPS167 via EMT and antiviral immune response
The diheteroarylamide-based compound 1C8 and the aminothiazole carboxamide-related compound GPS167 inhibit the CLK kinases, and affect the proliferation of a broad range of cancer cell lines. A chemogenomic screen previously performed with GPS167 revealed that the depletion of components associated with mitotic spindle assembly altered
5-20-2024 Study sheds light on bacteria associated with pre-term birth
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that multiple species of Gardnerella, bacteria sometimes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and pre-term birth, can coexist in the same vaginal microbiome. The findings, published in mSystems, add to the emerging picture of Gardnerella’s effects on human health. Gardnerella is a group of anaerobic bacteria that are commonly found in the vaginal microbiome. Higher levels of the bacteria are a signature of BV and associated with higher risk of pre-term birth, but it is also found in women who have no sign
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations

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Lets get into it, off the bat:
Property Tax: California 1%… Texas 1.7%
Average home price: California $786,000…. Texas: $307,000
Property tax for average home: California $7,860 annually…. Texas $5,219 annually
Homes in Texas are MUCH cheaper than California, in fact good luck finding a house in any nice area if any major city in CA for less than $1 million. Anyway, that greatly offsets how much property tax you will be paying. Off the bat it costs more to own a house in California, by a strong margin.
Next lets look at income tax, assuming $100K income (which again is low for CA and high for TX)
California: ~ 6.4% income tax plus 1.1% state disability insurance. Yields around $7.5K on $100K
Texas: ZERO state income tax, and zero disability.
Alright, so California’s state income tax burden is about 7.5% higher than TX.
Combined between property tax and income tax you’re looking at about $16.3K for California and only $5,219 for TX.
Now sales tax: California 7.25% - 10.75%…. Texas 6.25% - 8.25%
Again…. Higher
Vehicle taxes: California YES…. Texas NO
Gas taxes: California: $.51/gallon… Texas: $.21/gallon
Some other considerations: Literally everything is cheaper in Texas. Food, groceries, beverages, alcohol, utility water, cost of labor, Etc.
As someone who is from NY and has lived in: NY, CT, CA, TX and FL. I can say, without a single doubt that TX was by far the overall cheapest to live in, where my money went the furthest. Living in NYC and in CA was so absurdly expensive, and the taxes were fucking AWFUL.
Food is California is basically 2x the cost for 1/2 the amount of food compared to TX.
Also - I am fully aware I am comparing different home values (average state values). Comparing comparably based on sq footage, bedrooms and bathrooms, and comparable areas will only work against California. But I’m happy to compare a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom 3,000 sq foot home in Los Angeles or SF to one in Houston or Dallas.
Anyway, CMV