Not too long ago I realized my cats had fleas in the worst way possible there was one jumping around on my pillow 🤮 I’ve given my cats capstar pills multiple times in the past and this time I gave them apex plus since I guess I wasn’t using the pills correctly? How can I get these fleas out of my apartment? Will they die off once the medicine starts to take affect since they can’t feed on my cats anymore or should I get a flea bomb? And which brand is the best they’re driving my crazy!!!

Hello again velo, It's me. The guy that rides uphill in Japan. On my last post I mentioned some differences in racing in Japan saying it was for another post. Well, there appeared to be some interest in me making that post. As I mentioned then... I tend to ramble. I'm an English teacher at a small high school which leaves me with a lot of free time. I enjoy spending that time researching anything from training methodology to obscure Japanese history. I decided to use some of that time to write about road racing in Japan and it turned into... well, whatever this is. It's (sort of) a guide to racing your bike over here. I've organized it into sections, so feel free to read it all or skip through them. At the end I've attached racing adjacent notes as well as a small bio.
If this post is not appropriate for this subreddit, I understand. And while I don't want to self-promote I spend most of my time reading about Japan not only because I live here, but also because my wife and I host a podcast. We mostly ramble about our lives here as foreigners. It's mostly cultural, but as long time competetive cyclists we often talk about bikes too. We host a website where I write random articles, which is where this is ultimately hosted, with photos. If you're curious you can google my username and find us.
I tried to think about things I've learned along the way and put it into writing for anyone in the future that might move to Japan and have an interest in racing. If you have any questions or see any information gaps, feel free to ask! In September we'll be moving to the Netherlands... so maybe I'll have to do this all over again then. Anyway, without further rambling, here it is.
Race License
There are actually quite a lot of road events throughout the country. However, many are marketed towards recreational cyclists. Going as far as incorporating anti-competition clauses in their rules. So what do you do if you want to race? For starters, you’ll head to the Japan Cycling Federation’s website and register for a license. It’s in Japanese, but with the magic of Google Translate it shouldn’t be too hard to navigate. This is also for those currently residing in Japan. I think otherwise you would need an international license issued from your country’s governing body.
While on their website you can check the calendar of events that are scheduled. But, it’s not as simple as where I am from (USA) where once you have a license you can register yourself for almost any event and just show up.
Race Organizers
In most cases while the JCF is the licensing body, they are not the event coordinator. Events are hosted by a number of different governing bodies within the country. There’s the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation (JICF), Japan Cycling League (JCL), prefectural federations such as the Yamaguchi Cycling Federation and finally the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation (JBCF). There are a lot of Js, Cs and Fs in the acronym lexicon over here. In this post I’ll be focusing on the JBCF because it was sold to me as Japan’s premier race organizer and the highest level of racing in Japan. It also seems to have the most robust calendar of events.
Declaration of my bias and shortcoming: The JBCF is the only organizer I’ve had any meaningful experience with. No, they’re not paying me. However I have won a cool towel, a coffee cup and some bar tape at their events. Actually I’ve given them quite a bit of money…
Teams
So you’ve got your JCF license and like me you’ve decided to participate in the JBCF. What’s next? Register for a JBCF account, sign up for events, race your bike? Almost. You do need to register for an account. After that, you need to find a team. That’s right, you need to be registered with a JBCF team to participate in races. This was a surprise to me and also a barrier to entry at first. As a new resident of Japan I didn’t know anyone here let alone a team that would let a random foreigner join.
How’d I do it then? Well, the first team I joined was through a friend of a friend of a friend. My second and current team I ended up getting to know because I took a bunch of KOMs around my new home. I guess Strava KOMs are worth something after all. If you’re looking for a team you could start by asking local shops, they often have a club organization that you can sign up for. If you’re desperate you can also make your own team. It used to only require two people, but I think they increased that to three or four.
Costs
I’m writing this in May of 2024, so the costs will be current as of that month. The USD to JPY conversion is sitting around 1 USD = 155 JPY.
Your first cost will be the JCF license fee. In my case, an elite rider over 23 years old, it was 5,000y for an e-license and 6,300y for the physical one. My first year I used the e-license, but my second year I paid for the physical one as a cool souvenir.
Beyond the license. You’ll need a team kit (bibs & jersey) and you may also be required to pay the athlete registration fee. To join my E1 team in 2024 I paid 43,000 yen. That included one team kit and the registration fee plus some small accessories (gloves, bottle, etc.). In E1 I paid all my own entry fees, which were approximately 8,500y per race.
My JPT experience was a special case. I paid roughly $1,200 (usd). But I received two kits (jerseys & bibs), a speed suit (SS skinsuit), windbreaker, vest, socks, etc. I also had the benefit of the “pro” treatment at races with lots of assistance. Was it a cold rainy day? I could ask for embro and they’d oil me up with a little massage. Needed a bike wash, snacks, or a trainer to warm up on? All provided. And all of my entry fees were covered. I never paid those out of pocket. It was a really cool experience and honestly I think I got my money's worth just in the races that I attended, let alone all the extras. Plus the team was above and beyond hospitable. A really great bunch of people.
Categories
Once you’re on a team you’re good to go! So which category should you race in? The JBCF has 5 big categories: Japan Pro Tour (JPT), Japan Elite Tour (JET), Japan Feminin Tour (F), Japan Youth Tour (Y1 & Y2), and the Japan Masters Tour (M). JET is further broken down into E1, E2 & E3. The general idea is male riders start as E3 and through results they work their way up to E1. If they’re highly motivated they’ll target a placement on a JPT Team.
Unfortunately for the women, I believe there is only one lump “Female” category. But in one of my most recent races a woman lined up with us for our race start. So that may be an option. For the Youth there’s U19 & U17. Masters is similar to the women’s category and I believe there is simply one “Masters” event, without age ranges.
Using what I know (USA Cycling Categories) I’ll try to make a comparison. E3 is your Cat 4/5 or Novice rank. E2 is around Cat 3/4 and E1 is roughly one big P/1/2/3 field. JPT is something like the US’s Domestic Elite field. Some JPT teams (and even some E1 teams) are UCI Continental teams. Although, honestly, some JPT riders are probably equivalent to strong Cat 3s.
In America I raced as a Cat 2 on the road, albeit I was a pretty weak 2. My first year in Japan I raced JPT and was able to hang in the peloton and finish events. My second year I raced as an E1, where I was very competitive and able to fight for podium finishes. That’s my experience and my basis for the above comparisons.
Events
Once you’ve got all the above figured out, it’s time to finally race! The JBCF organizes the following events: Road, Criterium, Hill Climb, Time Trial and Track. Criterium, Time Trial & Track are pretty similar to what you’d find anywhere else in the world. So for this post I’ll really just focus on Road and Hill Climb.
It’s worth noting that except for track, all of these events take place on public roads. But, unlike the USA, it seems the general rule in Japan is that for a race to be a “race” the roads need to be closed to traffic. Sounds great, right? Right! Or, mostly. Japan is a beautiful country with incredible scenery and fantastic road riding. Unfortunately, the JBCF uses very little of this. I think to minimize inconveniencing locals, cut costs, and make their lives easier, most of these events will take place on already closed circuits or around agricultural land (where no one lives or drives anyway). In practice they are “public” roads, but they only need to shut down one or two entrances to close off the entire loop.
Many “road” events are just very long short circuit races. A popular venue that hosts multiple races throughout the season is the Gunma Cycle Sports Center. This is a defunct cycling theme park built in the 1980s with a paved 6 km circuit. Some of the races in the higher categories can be up to 150 km! That’s 25 laps! And, they’ll be pulling riders. When I was racing JPT it was often a big accomplishment just to finish a race. It was a common occurrence for a break to get established with the big teams represented and the rest of the field to sit up, inevitably getting pulled before being lapped. It’s not uncommon for well over half of the field to DNF early on in these longer races. Sometimes to add a little spice to your life, they’ll run the course in the opposite direction one weekend.
So, I’m biased, but that style of “road racing” wasn’t for me. That’s what led me to the Hill Climb. At first, I thought it was just an uphill TT. But, it's a mass start! The last one I did was Mt. Ontake HC which was a 17.7km race gaining 1,150 meters in elevation finishing at an altitude just under 2,200m. I finished in 51 minutes. It’s more like an uphill criterium. You might explode, but you won’t get pulled. It’s also, of course, point to point.
Good things to know about a Hill Climb are the controlled descent and luggage delivery. When you finish you’ll be waiting at the top of the climb for all other riders and categories to finish. Sometimes this means you’re waiting for an hour or more! Thankfully the morning of the race you can give a bag to the organizers and they will deliver it to the top of the mountain. This is a great way to make sure you have extra layers and snacks waiting for you. Just make sure it’s packed in a bag that you can then easily carry with you on the descent.
Be extra mindful of the forecast. At Ontake in 2024 we started at the base of the mountain in temperatures around 16 celsius. At the summit it was 7 degrees and it started to rain! Thankfully I had a teammate who had driven to the top (you must register your vehicle) and he gave me a lift back down. If you’re riding down, the descent will be done in waves which are chaperoned and controlled by officials on motorcycles.
Registering
I can only tell you my experience and I’m not certain that this is how it always works. When I was in the JPT, I never paid for an event. Each team could send six riders and the team manager made a selection based on which riders requested to go to which event, they would then register you to go. In my E1 team I haven’t run into any rider maximums (we only have a few E1 riders), and I pay for each event. I still tell the team’s manager which event I want to travel to, they register me, but then I pay them back.
The Day Of
The JBCF events have been very organized. The week before they will release a list of registered riders along with a technical guide. The technical guide will include information about the course, where to park, where to check in, how to pin your numbers and more. It’s only in Japanese. Google Translate will be your best friend. Or if you’re lucky you may have a teammate that can speak some English and help you out.
Usually the check in process begins a couple of hours before the start time. You’ll go to license control and pick up your numbers and timing chip. If you’re doing a hill climb and need to, this is also the period of time you drop off your luggage to be taken to the summit. Get kitted & pinned up, then go to the “vehicle control”. They will check your bike against a jig, kind of like what the UCI might use, as well as check the weight (take your bottles off the bike when you hand it to them) and make sure your numbers are pinned correctly. A keen eyed inspector may even look at your helmet to make sure it has the JCF certification sticker. You could possibly be told to change helmets if yours doesn’t have the sticker. When they tell you that everything is OK, you’ll go to the table and sign the box with your name.
There are also meetings that will be happening. But, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. If the team manager can’t be present they will send an “attendant”. This person is responsible for going to the meetings and reporting back to the riders.
Podiums & Prizes
Look how far you’ve come. After all that you’re headed to the podium, which in many events will be six deep. What should you expect? Maybe a cool trophy or a medal? It’s even better. How about a formal certificate signed and stamped by the JBCF President! That’s right, you’ll be receiving an A4 sheet of paper. And yes, when they hand it to you they’ll turn it to face you, use both hands to hand it over and bow. And yes, you should receive it with both hands and bow in return. I plan to frame and hang mine like some kind of college diploma. You’ll probably receive a prize as well. Something like what I mentioned earlier in this post, a towel, cup, umbrella, etc.
Where’s the money? If you want to hold a giant cheque with a big number (because it’s in yen) you’ll need to be racing in the top category, JPT. In this category the podium is only three deep. One time in a race I had a teammate finish 3rd and win some money. I never saw any of it, which was fair as I didn’t really contribute to his result. And I never podiumed myself. So I’m not sure how the payout actually works. Did he get to keep it all? Did the team take it? Who knows. I hope he kept it all, he’s a great guy.
Other Notes
Gachinko Cycle TV & Photo Galleries. Almost all JBCF events are live streamed & archived on YouTube! There’s a company called Gachinko Cycle TV that provides coverage. This includes camera motos as well as stationary cameras. A lot of photographers also come to the events and a photo gallery is posted on the JBCF website after the events take place.
Events & Categories. Not every event will be run for every category. A motivator for me to move from JPT to E1 was that not every hill climb has a JPT category, but they all seem to have E1. My first time racing at Ontake I was in the “Open” category and not eligible for any points or placement.
Outlier events. There are some events like the Niseko Classic (Gran Fondo World Championship Qualifier) and the Tour of Okinawa. These are one off events which are not part of the JBCF or any other federation I mentioned above. But, they are “real” road races on closed roads. There are also plenty of “cookie” rides. But be aware, like mentioned earlier, many of these explicitly say you shouldn’t come and try to ride for a certain time. I think it’s related to what I’ve been told about races having to take place on closed roads. These cookie rides likely have no traffic control. And instead of a cookie, you might get a bag of dry rice to cook later. Happened to me once.
The Hill Climb might be Japan’s most accessible event. There are actually quite a few of them around the country outside of the JBCF and they can be registered for on SportsEntry - I don’t think you need a JCF license.
What about other disciplines? I’ll toss this in here at the end because I think it’s worth mentioning. If you’re not racing Track, Cyclocross or Road… you’re not going to be doing much racing. Mountain biking is still very much in its infancy here in Japan. Despite its incredible landscape, there’s a shocking lack of good mountain biking. My wife and I moved here from Western North Carolina and she’s a former Age Group XC National Champion as well as podium finisher in events like the Pisgah Stage Race and Collegiate Nationals in STXC, XC & Omnium. So believe me, we have tried to find some good mountain biking here and it’s rough.
There are some lift-access downhill courses and we actually went to one for a “gravel” race which my wife won. This was held on what was essentially a non-technical STXC course. Disappointing is a bit of an understatement. There IS Grinduro Japan… but it’s insanely expensive and again, not really a race.
This honestly has had a big impact on our decision to ultimately move away from Japan. But, keep an eye out for developments in places like: https://www.minamialpsmtb.com/ https://namba.ngo/ https://www.nsd-hakuba.jp/iwatake_mtb_park/en/
Cyclocross has a big following in Japan and the calendar appears to be full of events throughout the season. If we were staying long term, I’d be buying a cross bike. Unfortunately I don’t have one, so I never got into that scene while living here.
Although this is mostly about racing in Japan, if you come here to race you’ll also (hopefully) be riding your bike for fun. Please be aware some laws work differently here. Although I’ve never personally run into trouble I’ve been told things like: bikes MUST use the crosswalk if turning across traffic (no turning like a car turns) & that bikes CANNOT exceed 30 km/h (a bike shop owner told me this). My wife and I have often talked about this as well… while in the USA drivers can be malicious towards cyclists, Japanese drivers are often blissfully ignorant towards them. Always ride defensively. Drivers will make eye contact with you and proceed to pull out in front of you expecting you to either not be traveling with speed or to stop for them. Even in “polite” Japan, the Car is King. I’ve had far more close calls with drivers here than I had in America. Having said that, it’s still a wonderful country to explore by bike.
Who Am I?
If you read all of this, thanks! I hope that you learned a little bit about road racing in Japan. But, who am I? I’m an American from Western North Carolina, now living in Japan. Ishikawa Prefecture to be specific. I’ve been a cyclist since 2011 when I bought my first road bike. In America I’m a Cat 2 on the road and an XC MTB Cat 1 with extensive experience training for and racing in a variety of disciplines. Road riding and racing is my true love and I honestly only got into MTB to hang out with my girlfriend. I guess it was worth it because the only National Championship medals I have are from Team Relay & Team Omnium. Oh, we ended up getting married too. So that was cool. I also got into the gravel craze thanks to the plethora of racing options in the South East. I’ve stood on multiple podiums with the internet’s favorite privateer, Dylan Johnson. And I’ve dabbled in bikepacking, bike touring & ultra endurance riding. Really, I’m just a guy that thinks about bikes too much.

Long story short my older sister got an OLED switch so she mailed me her regular switch for me to have. I already have an ACNH game cartridge because I used to have a switch lite. However she forgot that island save data is stored locally on the switch rather than the game cartridge and didn’t transfer her island before shipping me the switch. We live 1,000+ miles away from each other so there’s no way we can physically be in the same room to transfer. I saw that there is a way to backup island save data to the cloud and i think this may be our best solution. My only concern is if that does work, would her island still be wiped once I remove it from my switch? I would hate for her to lose all her items. Any other solutions/ideas are welcome.

first
Luna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.
Done!
Luna VI query: What did Nathan do during the first hour of the war?
***
From the instant he opened his eyes, Nathan's morning was chaotic. It all began with the ground shaking beneath him, jolting him into a state of awareness. He then was greeted by the sight of Amara. She was leaning against a corner, covered in purple from head to toe as she screamed at someone through an earpiece that she was pressing with one of her claws.
His good morning was overhearing one piece of bad news after the other.
The rest of Amara's group had been ambushed early in the morning; many were dead, injured, or missing.
A war had erupted in the sky and her allies were trying to push back the enemy forces, but the battle persisted; the outcome was uncertain.
Zara was being brought to them, but Amara had lost contact with Igmila's group who was bringing her, only receiving confirmation from another group that a rescue pod was spotted at a distance.
And when he thought that things couldn't get any worse, he heard a bang followed by the AI reporting that Ryo had shot down a drone somewhere near their position.
"Open the tent!" Red had conquered Amara's body.
None of the scenarios Nathan had contemplated the previous night had prepared him for such a chaotic morning. "Give me a second."
He only wanted a chance to get his gun from his backpack and explain why he had it in the first place, even though he suspected Amara was already aware he had it. But she didn't let him. "Now!"
She had never felt so distant to him as the moment she said that single word, which led him to just comply as he stood up and followed her in silence. But this frail silence only masked his morning grumpiness, magnified by the dire circumstances and her cold demeanor toward him.
Nathan had barely caught a glimpse of Ryo and Elysira at a distance when he muttered. "It wouldn't have been so hard to say a few words to fill me in, you know."
Amara's eyes were transfixed on the smoking pieces of the drone when she whipped her head around, glaring at him with her orange eyes. "My people are fighting a war and dying. How can you demand my time when Yelara is hurt and barely escaped alive?"
"Oh, come on, I'm not demanding anything." He scoffed, shaking his head. "I just don't think it would have been so hard to tell me what you intend to do in the next five minutes."
The tip of her tail pressed against his chest, as red and purple coexisted on her skin.
"I am heading up the mountain to find Igmila." She spoke in a detached voice, pulling her tail back and turning around, and then she sprinted in the gap between himself and the tent.
He caught a glimpse of gray on her neck and all his grumpiness was gone, replaced by a cold shiver running down his spine. With his arms moving faster than his thoughts, he grabbed her by the tail, preventing her from going anywhere.
"You absolutely can't do this Amara." Nathan looked down at the tail he held with both hands and swallowed a lump of saliva in fear of her reaction. But that still didn't prevent him from finishing what he had to say, "It's too dangerous."
Amara's eyes sought his, causing him to suspect she would demand to be released or try to free herself by force, but she did something else. "All of this is because of you. Had I not come to your tent, I would be there to assist them."
Nathan caught a glimpse of green around her back spots, which let him know that there was a hint of guilt in her words. But did that justify blaming everything on him and running into danger without thinking?
If not for the awful night followed by an awful morning, Nathan might have just taken the blame and hugged her. But he too had his limits, "How is that fair? Blame me all you want, but nothing will change that you had all the chances in the world to go back and you didn't. I'm not saying that you could have done anything abo-"
"Indeed." Gray flashed for a moment before red flowed among her black spots. "This night was a waste of time." His grip faltered at her words and she pulled her tail back from among his fingers. "I should have stayed with Yelara to help her tend to her wounds."
Nathan bit his lips in frustration. How was it possible to agree with her words, yet still feel the sharp sting in his heart?
And if that was not enough, Ryo had to step in to rub salt in the wound.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
With Elysira’s tail wrapped around his wrist as she averted her eyes from Amara, Ryo spoke, "Please don't tell me you're mad because the plant lover couldn't get it up."
Nathan blinked fast not believing his eyes. Ryo was not only shirtless but there were a lot of scratches on his neck and below. Elysira’s long strands were also a mess, but even without that, their physical closeness alone would be enough of a hint of how much fun they had at night.
When Nathan glanced at Amara to gauge her reaction, she had already crossed her arms, looking at him angrily. Which immediately made him feel as if Ryo’s not-funny joke was true although he knew it wasn't.
It took Nathan a considerable amount of self-retainment to not walk up there and rearrange Ryo's handsome face with his fist, or at least attempt to do so.
A few seconds passed before he said, "Why are you here?"
Ryo didn't even bother to look at him, his eyes focusing solely on Amara. "Information. I want her to tell me what she knows about this war."
Amara didn't look pleased to help, but she still informed him about the ambush and even alerted him that even their current position would soon be unsafe.
As If things weren't already bad enough, Ryo frowned and hurried to instruct Elysira to get his things as soon as Amara had finished talking. Nathan felt like he was in a war movie where everything was happening too fast for his emotions and reason to follow.
It was only when he saw Ryo raising his gun skywards that Nathan’s anger subsided, contained by the prospect of how bad their situation was. Ryo movements were fluid and methodical, but he never pulled the trigger on the many drones that appeared high above and, instead, retreated to take cover behind a tree.
Only now the seriousness of the situation sank in for Nathan.
He didn't even care that he hadn't explained to Amara why he had a gun yet, rushing inside the tent after exchanging a glance with her.
After crossing the circular door, he found only a few items on the ground: a pair of boots, his sleeping bag, and his backpack with all his equipment inside.
Nathan was quick, wearing his boots first before retrieving his belt, knife, and holster from the backpack. With a sequence of swift movements, he strapped the sheathed knife and holster to the belt and cinched it around his waist, securing it in place before closing the backpack and dashing out the door with his gun in one hand and the backpack in the other.
Already outside, Nathan found it weirdly reassuring that Ryo was in the same spot as before, but that only lasted until he tried to find Amara, but found nothing no matter where he searched for her.
He dropped his backpack, feeling at a loss. How could he have allowed her to venture beyond his sight when he knew that guilt was clouding her judgment?
Only when he had already cupped his hands around his mouth to scream her name that he felt a touch right above his heel—her tail.
"Psst..."
Wiping his head, Nathan saw Amara's whole body mimicking the colors of his tent, making herself quite hard to spot.
"I thought you were gone." He joined her, stooping down beside the tent as relief washed over him.
"It might be too late to join my soldiers." She didn't allow her colors to change, but the translator conveyed a hint of sadness. "I lost contact with all the teams who were coming here."
"Amara I-"
Nathan was about to attempt to make things right with her when Ryo’s assertive voice reached him. "Listen up, those fuckers are jamming our comms and they will be here at any time. Take the MLBCS and find a clearing to use it, I doubt they can interfere with the laser. Just don't forget that your immediate safety comes first or else you might not be among the living when the pod arrives."
Ryo ran back to his tent as soon as he was done speaking, leaving Nathan questioning his own intelligence. How come he had never even considered leaving the planet? A single glance at Amara and he knew why. But did he have any other option?
Staying and fighting to hold his position was something he briefly considered. But did he have a chance when even Ryo decided to leave after seeing the drones?
Mission control might give him other options, so Nathan decided to try his luck despite Ryo’s warning.
Unable to establish a two-way connection.
He confirmed the interference with the communication with a single thought, kicking his backpack in frustration even though it was expected.
Why did it have to be so hard to accept that Ryo was right and leaving the planet was his best option?
But would Ryo truly leave the planet and leave Elysira behind?
Nathan forgot Amara who was beside him and screamed, not allowing this question to stay in his mind, "Wait, what are you gonna do?"
Ryo replied as he waited for Elysira, "I'm not leaving the planet unless mission control finds a way to save Ely too."
Nathan's eyes widened, feeling like an idiot as he brought up a pop-up window showing the schematics of the rescue pods. They were designed to be fast vehicles capable of transporting a single person to the space station, but Earth's government hadn’t skimped on the design, which included various components that could be discarded, such as medical supplies and search and rescue equipment.
He used the AI to run the calculations and found that Amara would likely be able to go with him, that is if they wedged themselves into the vehicle and discarded everything else.
Nathan was about to share his findings with Ryo when he caught a glimpse of him and Elysira disappearing into the woods, abandoning their tent behind as they ran away.
A sense of urgency struck him at that moment, but it was easily forgotten when Amara's voice struck even harder, "You should go."
"What do you mean?" He sought her eyes, but she avoided his gaze, facing to the ground.
"Do what Ryo suggested." She took a small pause before she went on. "Leave the planet."
"The hell I will!" He punched the tent. "Not without you." He could only assume she was saying this because she didn't know she could leave with him. "You'll come with me, and the pod will take us to the space station."
"Your species will refuse to take me." He saw a hint of purple on her neck. "Before the mission started your people told us you humans will not get involved in our wars." She finally made eye contact, and the purple on her skin intensified. "My best chance to survive this is to hide in the mountains and wait for reinforcements."
"You don’t understand, Amara." He didn't have time for a full explanation of what humans considered not getting involved. "No one in mission control will want to leave you here to die just because of some stupid rule." He then spoke his heart out without a care in the world. "And even if they do, they will take you anyway if say I won't go anywhere without you."
A hint of yellow could be seen among her camouflaged skin, but before she could say what she would do, her tail wrapped around his neck and he felt a strong pull to lower his head and bend his knees for cover.
"The rebels are here," she whispered as her ears twitched.
Nathan was tall enough to see the slope on the other side of the tent by just standing, but Amara struggled to see from above the structure, requiring her to stretch her full height and still take little jumps to take peeks.
And it was after doing so that she dropped her camouflage entirely, letting purple run free among her black spots.
Nathan took interest in what she had seen that had caused such a reaction, and he leaned cautiously against the tent and raised his head slowly, prepared to find a few armed Irisians hidden among the trees. But what he found instead was a never-ending line of Irisian advancing downhill at a fast pace towards them.
He understood Amara's reaction now, pulling back the harmer of the revolver as he stared at her. "I need to... do something."
He made up his mind, determined to shoot. But when activated the infrared view mode and took aim at Irisians descending the slope, Nathan froze for a second. This just lasted a moment, and when found the resolve to fire, he had already lifted the gun enough that it wouldn't hit anyone and it would just be a warning shot.
He fired once, twice, and went on until all six rounds were gone, then he noticed their organized marching had stopped, all of them having activated their camouflage. Some even broke the line and retreated uphill.
When he took cover again, Amara was protecting her ears with both hands, looking at him as if he were some sort of monster. Nathan ignored her and rifled through his backpack in search of more ammunition, finding the small box with shining metal bullets after he had searched for some long seconds.
It was only when he released the cylinder to reload the gun that Nathan noticed something.
His hands were shaking.
He ignored it and pressed the extraction rod the remove the cartridges from the cylinder to make room for the new ones, clumsily dropping a few of them as he reloaded.
Amara saw this and stopped him with her tail before he had filled all the chambers.
"I cannot go with you." Her body had been conquered by purple.
"You think I'll leave you behind?" He almost reached his breaking point when she replied.
"No." Her tail touched his cheek gently. "There are too many of them, Nathan." She pulled her tail back as a hint of gray appeared. "My brother will never let me go, he lost too many ships and soldiers to give up without his prize." The gray intensified, squeezing her black spots. "If you die with me on this planet, your species might abandon Irisa forever.
"My chances of hiding in the mountains are slim, but they exist... and even if I fail I will distract them long enough for you to flee."
Her body blended with the surroundings again and Nathan felt that she was about to do something stupid, but he moved faster and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to bend her legs and join him on the ground as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"To hell with this self-sacrifice bullshit." Nathan finally decided what he would do. "Do you think I will die that easy? Guess what, you’re wrong." His hands moved from her shoulder to her back and he embraced her. "Let me tell you what we'll do, we take the MLBCS, we find a clearing, and we go to the space station." He released her and added, almost crazily. "You go with me even if I have to drag you by the tail as you scratch me, you hear me?"
He was not kidding; he grabbed her tail with his left hand, leaving her exterior filled with colors ranging from purple to yellow.
Amara was about to reply when the tent produced a thud noise, sounding as if someone had knocked on a cardboard box. When they turned to the side, there was a tiny hole in the tent dangerously close to Amara's head.
She touched the hole with her finger, and then her whole hand pressed against the side of her head, staring at him without saying a word.
Nathan's heart skipped a beat when he realized what had just happened, and consumed by a rage like he never felt before, he pressed the cylinder of his revolver back into place with just the four bullets inside, pulling back the harmer.
This time there was no hesitation, he quickly stood up and used the infrared view mode to survey the now organized groups of Irisians who had taken a defensive formation, choosing as target an Irisian who had climbed a tree and was pointing a long gun at them.
In just a moment Nathan aimed and pulled the trigger, firing one round after another. The first two missed completely, but the others hit the tree right above the target, making this Irisian panic and release his claws from the wood, only to welcome an ugly fall on the rocks below from several meters above the ground.
He took cover again immediately, but this time noise as if he was facing heavy rain under an umbrella struck his eardrums moments after he had taken cover, making him wince every time he heard the distinct noise of a projectile going through one wall of the tent and stopping the other.
With her tail still among his fingers, Nathan and Amara exchanged several anxious glances as the shooting persisted, only calming down when the rebels realized they were wasting ammunition and the barrage of fire slowly started to lose momentum.
Nathan's heart was racing and she was going through all tones of purple when she broke the silence.
"Fine!" She spoke fast. "If you are being so adamant about tying our fates together, we can do it your way." Her tail escaped his grip, but instead of pulling it back, she coiled it around his wrist. "But we are weaker together, Nathan. I will be a burden to you when you run, and you will be a burden to me when we hide."
"Oh, to hell with that too." Despite his harsh words, just knowing that they were on the same page now was enough to give him some hope. "Sorry. I do all the running and you do all the hiding, does that work for you?"
He didn't wait for her reply and loaded the gun again, this time doing it very fast even though his hands were still shaking.
"You do all the running? I fail to understand you." She said as she stood up to take a peek at the enemies, just to recoil in fear and add, "Explain yourself fast, they are losing the fear of your loud gun."
"Sure." He grasped his backpack bottom and overturned it, emptying its contents in a quick motion. With all the items on the ground, Nathan only took the MLBCS and the little box with his drones that he promptly stored in his pocket. "We won't need any of that, which means my back will be free."
"Are you crazy, I am too heavy f-"
"You're not." Nathan was 6′3″, and he had the nanites ensuring he was as healthy as a human could be. This meant that the short Amara—the top of her head only reaching a little below his shoulder—was not a challenging weight for him to carry given her slender body.
Noticing the doubt in her gaze, he lowered his body even more, turning his back towards her in a way it would be easy for her to climb, hoping this would be all the push she needed.
"You take pleasure in testing my trust, do you not?" The tone of her voice hinted at her reluctance, but she still draped her arms over his shoulder, securing her grip in a way her claws wouldn't hurt him.
Even though they had a plan now, Nathan still felt a chill down his spine at the thought of what he would have to do. And despite knowing that he had taken everything he needed, he anxiously patted down his pocket the make sure the box with the drones was there and remembered to take a handful of bullets, filling up his pockets as some of them fell to the ground.
"Ready?" He asked, trying to sound confident.
"See for yourself." Her tail wrapped around his belly, full of tiny black spots surrounded by purple as far as he could see.
Nathan took a few deep breaths and stood up, getting a glimpse of the many groups that were advancing from both sides, trying to surround them.
It didn't even take him a full second before he started firing his revolver indiscriminately at them while his legs moved on their own, not even waiting for his eyes to decide which path he would take.
Amara's weight escaped his thoughts completely, replaced by the fear evoked by the faint noise of metal breaking the sound barrier around them as soon they left the protection of the tent.
He didn't spare a single glance behind, running downhill at full throttle with bursts of adrenalin fueling his speed. He outran the reach of their guns quite fast, hurdling fallen brunches and putting not only distance but also several tree trunks between them and the hostile force behind.
With Amara's solid grip and occasional shifting of her weight to prove that she was fine, Nathan kept his pace as his muscles burned with exertion.
For a little over ten minutes he kept going, jumping over protruding roots and ducking beneath low-hanging branches. But this couldn't go on forever and eventually, he stopped to catch his breath, bending forward and letting go of items in his hand as Amara released her grip to stand on her own two feet.
His breath was coming in ragged bursts, but that didn't keep him from starting to laugh as he stared at her, whose eyes were gentle and her entire body was filled with hints of yellow.
In a split-second though, her whole demeanor changed, all the yellow giving way to purple and red.
She asked a single question, "Is that device of yours supposed to release smoke?"
The tip of her tail was pointing at the MLBCS, which now had a small hole in it from where a whisp of smoke curled upwards, just like a candle after its flame had been extinguished.
Nathan shook his head and touched his forehead; a single word left his mouth, "Fuck."
***
This was an account based on what Nathan did during the first hour of the war. The previous narrative is based on the events of the morning of the twentieth day of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
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Basically title.
I'm asking because I am currently shopping around for an engagement ring so I can propose to my partner. Ethically, I think lab grown is the way to go. But when speaking to some of my friends, some said their partners didn't like the idea of lab grown.
Then a thought crossed my mind; how is it even possible to know that you have a lab grown diamond instead of a natural one? I don't trust corporations at the best of times and this seems like the logical thing to do if you're some asshole that wants to increase profits margins.

Hi everyone!
I know the LBJ is something this community takes very seriously and that OEM is the way to go.
However I will be selling my 4Runner in 3 months. I'm wondering if I should go for the OEM anyway or just replace them with something cheaper and let the next driver know. What do you think?
If you also have a recommendation for a website to buy them at the best price I'd appreciate that!
Thank you :)

I've compiled some frequently asked questions to help manage the influx of posts here. Please check these before posting. Remember, the search feature is your friend and might have your answer. Don't hesitate to ask if you don't find what you're looking for or have more questions.
Q: Did I rupture my Achilles? Example: I felt a pop when playing sports but no pain. I can still walk but am worried I ruptured; it felt like someone hit me on the back of the leg; is it ruptured? Etc.
A: For most folks, you will know if you ruptured your Achilles. The feeling tends to be like you got kicked on the bag of leg; you may also look around to see if anything is behind you. Some individuals also report they hear a pop or snap at the time of injury. None of us will be able to diagnose you in general, no less through a Reddit post. If you feel you have ruptured your Achilles, go ahead and see a doctor as soon as possible for further testing and/or imaging. You can also try the Thompson test at home, which is generally seen as a consistent and accurate way of knowing whether you have ruptured. If you are ruptured, you will not be able to push off of your foot, and you will see your foot dangling as opposed to being held up by the tendon. Attempting this test at home does not replace a proper diagnosis, so please see your doctor as soon as possible!!!
Q: Well, I've confirmed my Achilles is ruptured; what now? Should I have surgery or opt for non-surgical recovery?
A: This is a highly personal choice that should be discussed with your doctor. General research shows that several individuals have had success with both methods. Additionally, this sub features a number of success stories for both. Discuss the differences and which choice would be best with your doctor. If you are still trying to decide, seek a second opinion from a medical professional. None of us in this sub knows what will be best for you or your recovery.
Q: How long will I be out of work/school or sports?
A: This is highly individual and will vary from person to person. Some have reported almost having no time away from work or school with their recovery, while others report taking extra time to allow for recovery. If you work a desk job or work from home, chances are you won't miss much time. If you work more of an active or blue-collar job, discuss this with your doctor or physical therapist to get an idea of how long you will be out. Your work may be able to make accommodations for you while you are injured. Please consult your works HR specialist regarding this.
As far as sports are concerned, this is also highly variable. When picking the best recovery plan for you, your doctor will likely discuss a timeline and recovery protocol. Depending on how you recover and progress in Physical therapy, you may return sooner or longer than your doctor expects. Some have reported a return to some level of activity within weeks of the injury, while others wait much longer. Please talk with your PT or doctor if you have questions about when you can safely return to activity.
Q: I've picked my recovery plan/protocol. What can I expect next? What should I buy/how should I prepare?
A: Preparing can often seem the hardest part; if you have opted for surgery, it will likely be scheduled quickly. If you have not opted for surgery, you are likely not in as big of a rush, but it's good to be prepared. Doctors can often write notes or prescriptions for a disabled placard and a knee scooter. These are very helpful in getting around and having some freedom during recovery. Having someone you trust or a loved one looking after and helping you is also very helpful, especially if you opt for surgery. Your doctor's protocol should give you insight into recovery and what may or may not be beneficial especially post-op. Several individuals in this sub have commented on useful tools and things to get, such as iWalk, Knee scooters, leg pillows, shower benches, toilet benches, crutches, cast covers for showers, item grabbers, ice packs, etc. Please consult your doctor, physical therapist, or equipment manufacturer if you have questions about using items or if they would be useful.
Q: What surgery type should I opt for?
A: If your surgeon offers multiple types of surgeries to recover your Achilles, ask for the pros and cons of each to make a more informed decision. There is also a lot of research regarding each type of surgery published in medical studies and elsewhere. No one on Reddit is going to be able to suggest a type of surgery for you or tell you which one is the best for you and your situation. To state that one surgery type is better than the others is inherently wrong.
Q: How do I pick a surgeon?
A: This will depend on where you live and how far you are willing to travel. You may only have 1-2 options in your area. As always, do your research on the facility you are going to and on your doctor. Generally, orthopedic offices will offer options for Achilles repair and protocol. No one on here should be suggesting a doctor for you.
Q: Will my insurance cover "this or that"?
A: Questions about your insurance should be directed to your doctor's office, your insurance provider, or potentially an HR specialist at your work.
Q: I've had surgery now or opted to go non-op; when can I start weight-bearing again on my injured Achilles?
A: This is highly individual based on your recovery progress and protocol. Some have reported in this sub that they began partial or full weightbearing in as little as 1-2 weeks, while others may start at 4-10 weeks. Please listen to your doctor or physical therapist when you can begin weight bearing.
Q: How can I manage pain levels both pre and post-op?
A: Consult your doctor about pain management. Nobody on Reddit should tell you how to medicate or for how long. Other ways for pain management may include ice and elevation, which are generally seen as your best friends during recovery.
Q: What can I do to keep myself busy while I recover?
A: There are a ton of great recs in this sub you can find by searching. A lot of people find ways to keep themselves busy such as gaming, reading books, watching TV/movies, finding new hobbies to try that don't require much movement, puzzles/board games, certifications or schooling, etc. What you want to do really depends on your attitude toward your injury and what level of risk you are willing to take. Generally, out in public, many, if not most, people will be accommodating to your injury and will go out of their way to help. Many businesses offer handicap-accessible options as required by law or will make accommodations to help. Some have reported going to concerts, movies, or even traveling during their recovery.
Q: I had surgery on X Date can I travel on Y Date?
A: This is highly individual. Following your surgery, you are generally considered to be at a higher risk for blood clotting. Additionally, depending on your travel arrangements, you may be overall uncomfortable while traveling. As always, ask your doctor if you are cleared to travel on your specified date; if you are, you will need to make the call. You likely will be uncomfortable during your recovery when it comes to getting around, whether you are weight-bearing or not. You may also find your destination may or may not be very handicap accessible. Many people will opt to postpone travel if possible so they can fully enjoy their trip without any mobility issues; if this does not bother you and you are cleared to travel, then by all means.
Q: When should I start PT?
A: Your doctor's protocol should give you a timeline for starting PT. Please ask your doctor if you have further questions.
Q: How do I pick a PT clinic/therapist?
A: As mentioned above, availability will likely depend on your area. However, there will likely be more PT clinics in your area than surgeons. As far as picking one, as I mentioned above, do your research and ask around. It's highly likely that you know someone who has gone through physical therapy. You can also ask your doctor for a referral to someone nearby that they may work with or have heard good things about. If you do not like your PT or potentially want another opinion on recovery, it is always good to seek a second opinion. Your doctor generally sets your timeline and protocol. However, it is up to your PT to implement it.
Q: I'm currently recovering, and I may have re-ruptured, did I? What should I do?
A: The general consensus on this question is if you re-ruptured your Achilles, you will know. Many have reported that the re-rupture is much more painful than the initial rupture. Now, this is only sometimes the case. If you believe you have re-ruptured your Achilles, the best thing to do is contact your doctor immediately to let them know what happened and any concerns. They may ask you to come in for imaging or tell you that you are fine; either way, it is better to loop them in so they are aware and can hopefully put your mind at ease.
Q: When could you do an unassisted single-leg calf raise?
A: You'll see several varying answers in this sub. Some have reported in as little as 2-3 months, while some report they still can't do one at 12 months. If you are sticking to your protocol and PT plan and everyone is happy about the results, there is no need to rush to this milestone, and everyone heals differently.
Q: I've finished PT, now what?
A: Ask your doctor or PT if there is anything you can do in the future to help protect your recovered Achilles and what steps you should take going forward. If you have finished PT, you likely know how your tendon feels and what level of activity you may want to attempt. Note that many state they still have a mental block when returning to sports for fear of getting injured again. Take your time by easing back into whatever activity you want to try. Once PT is done and you may not be seeing your doctor any longer, it can still take time for your Achilles to recover, sometimes up to 12 months and even beyond that.
I am creating this as a working document. If you believe we would benefit from more questions here or a different layout, please leave them in the comments. I will be pinning this post.

I'll try to just include the important stuff, but I feel like at this point our issues are so compounded that I want to give a full scope of things.
Me (23M) and my bf (22M) have been together for almost a year and a half. It's been... a lot from the jump. I had just gotten out of two back to back abusive relationships, and this is his first relationship. We were best friends for a bit and I had always thought he was straight, but had a lowkey crush on him. He only told me his feelings after he accidentally came over earlier than he was supposed to and overheard me hooking up with a friend (who I'll call Sam). I want to preface by saying me and Sam agreed before and after that the hookup meant nothing, for him it was a rebound while he was home for college and getting over his Big Ex and for me it was an unhealthy way to deal with being raped by my ex a couple weeks prior. The hookup happened once. Me and Sam never so much as flirted with each other in all the years of knowing each other. My Bf knew about the assault (he grew up with my ex/abuser), and obviously knew about the hookup. He still wanted to get together so I said sure.
Off the bat he wanted me to block Sam. I've known Sam since 6th grade, much longer than I've known my bf, and I was sort of put off by the request but after getting out of two back to back abusive relationships and being assaulted, I didn't feel comfortable to really put my foot down and didn't want to cause issues. So I did. For the next year Sam was blocked, and me and bf had other issues. He was unemployed almost the entire time with no motivation to do applications, there was a point where I was either doing applications for him (where he would be reading over my shoulder the whole time making it take 3x as long) or bribing him by saying I'd only cover his beer if he put in at least one or two applications that day. He has diagnosed - but very obvious - OCD and he was putting me in the position of needing to offer him constant reassurance (if I didn't get up to check if the door was locked, he would pout and keep me up, I needed to stop everything and watch him feed the cats, do chores, lock the door, etc or else he wouldn't do it). He refused to get therapy despite me offering to do all the work of finding a therapist and setting up the appointment, or even explicitly telling him that I don't feel comfortable being in a relationship with someone who won't go to therapy. He also tends to be weirdly controlling? Like he won't be explicitly controlling, but he'll get really depressed or even angry if I so much as mention plans with other friends that don't include him - but when he is included he just complains about being left out and always wants to leave early. If I want to work on homework or do a hobby, he gets depressed that I don't want to spend time with him. If I ask him to go back to his house (he never officially moved in. I don't want him to move in. He just WON'T LEAVE) then he says I don't care about him or even that I'm abusive. He doesn't like the job I do, he doesn't want me to pursue the career I want, and he doesn't want me to travel as it's a waste of money but traveling alone isn't an option since that means I don't care for him.
There's also other things, like his insecurity or rumination on negativity ruling his life and affecting me. He wants me to spend ALL of my time with him. I'm a full time student and I work full time and support myself, while he pays no bills and does not go to school or have and desire to. I feel like he puts me in a position of being his sole support person, and guilt trips me if I don't want to spend literal hours a day reassuring or cuddling him. He will stay at my house and not leave, or throw a fit if I ask him to leave, or just wear me down so much that I feel like I have to say he can stay. I live in 140sq ft shed conversion that I worked really hard for after being homeless. It's a tiny space that I can't get any alone time in.
Lately one big issue has been coming up. He thinks I cheated. Basically, in January, I reached out to Sam to apologize for ghosting and the terms we left off on. My bf knew I was sending that message and he was okay with it. I didn't expect a reply from Sam. However a couple weeks later, he did reply. I did not tell my bf this. At this point I was really frustrated with my bf and considering breaking up due to his lack of motivation and controlling tendencies. I was working up the courage, and I confided this in Sam as he had no connection to the situation and I wanted to know if I was truly being as abusive and awful as my bf has been saying. Me and Sam kept in contact until March. The conversations were pretty surface level. We addressed the hookup and both agreed it meant nothing and there's nothing there. He talked to me about his crush and asked for advice, I asked for advice on my situation and he stayed pretty neutral. At that point I just appreciated having a normal friend. Someone I didn't have to hold their hand through their mental health issues, or bribe to get a job, or constantly reassure. There was no flirting, no sexting, no fucking. Nothing. But I knew it felt wrong to hide the friendship, and I know that was on me for fucking up. I was scared to tell my bf for fear of his reaction - both due to the way he tends to overreact about other things, and how my abusive exes isolated me from friends in the past.
So I told my bf, and I prepared to break up with him if his reaction was as bad as I anticipated. It was pretty bad, yelling and name calling etc. But he wanted to stay together. He cried and read a list of all the things he loves about me and promised to get a job and therapy and that he would give me alone time and everything. So I said I'd give it another shot.
He got into therapy after another 2-3 months of me begging him. He went to one session and never again. He got a job a month ago because I got him a job where I work (did the paperwork for him even). But he can't let it go about Sam. I ended up blocking him again a couple weeks after I told my bf because I couldn't handle him being super cold and moody every time I so much as checked the time on my phone. He was constantly asking where I was, why I didn't text him, I don't care about him as much as he cares about me, etc. He didn't get me the 2 months of space (not sleeping over for more than once or twice a week, not hanging out on nights I have homework). Last week he wanted me to recover the messages between me and Sam, so I did and he read them. There was nothing to see. I sent screenshots to my friends, hell even my mom, and everyone agrees that there's nothing there. But he's convinced that Sam was flirting with me heavy and I just let it happen, that I was planning on breaking up with him to be with Sam, all this shit. It's been a shitshow since. He keeps blowing up every couple of days saying I'm abusive and manipulative, that I don't deserve space because 'look what you did last time I gave you space'. He wanted to do couples therapy which I agreed to, and has been hounding me about it. When I asked when he's getting into individual therapy he says he will do it on his own time and that he refuses to be manipulated and coerced into it. When I say I'm too stressed to have another 4hr convo where we rehash everything and he berates me then I'm being cold and uncaring for forcing him to bottle it up and be alone. When I ask him repeatedly to go home he will ignore me and stay, or say its abuse that I'm kicking him to the curb, that I'm abandoning him in his darkest hour. He sniffs me when I come home from work and asks me why I smell like that (even though it's just the same deodorant and shampoo I've used for years). He made me give him my location and asks where I am.
Two days ago he wanted to text Sam from my phone to say "Should I tell him?" and try to like, catch me or something. He thinks I either fucked him or sexted him and deleted the texts. I told him at this point if I did cheat I would have just said that to get this over with. But I said fine, send the text BUT I don't want to touch the topic again until we get into therapy together and I want you to go home and that's that. He accused me of conspiring with Sam to get him to lie, told me 'fuck you, I'm done, we're breaking up'. I said 'okay let me go get your clothes out of the wash'. Then I come back and he yells about how fucked up I am, how much of a hoe and a cheater I am, that I'm a narcissist and a liar. Then he starts crying about me abandoning him and how unfair I am. He alludes to being suicidal and talks about how he wants to work on things. He begs me to hug him and says everything is better when we hug. I ended up letting him stay because I frankly I was scared about him being suicidal, and I was scared about what he said about me being abusive. I really don't want to be.
But the thing is I really want him out. I don't want him to live here. He says because he got a job, and he's working on his OCD himself, he cleans and helps buy groceries, he makes things nice for when I get off work, that he's doing enough. He said 'at least I don't assault you like your exes'. Yesterday he bought me a $200 bass I really wanted, and he was really nice all day. He was pretty nice today to and had a lot of self restraint when asking me if I'm at a place to talk about something and ended up dropping it since I seemed stressed. But my summer classes are starting in 3 days. I got low grades last semester because I had to choose between him and homework and he won since I would rather have peace than constant stress. I don't think I can focus on school around him. I wasted my short summer break on this stupid drama that shouldn't even be drama. He made me leave my moms really important graduation because he wanted to go home even though we were supposed to stay and hang out. I dread coming home from work. I dread him coming home from work. I'm happier when he's not around. When things are good, they're good! But at this point it feels fake because it's only calm for so many days until he breaks down about how he cant keep shoving his feelings down just for me. I feel suffocated. I feel like I have to support this person that doesn't even support me. I'm scared to break it off or tell him to go because he calls me awful things and says I'm abusive. I feel crazy. I really don't think I'm abusive. But maybe I am?? So Reddit: Am I the asshole if I kick him out? If not, HOW do I do it??

Tell me why when Shawn and Jules finally realise their complete and utter love for each other, it's when Jules is in a relationship?
Dude I like this show. It's not as captivating as Monk or as funny as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But I love playing it in the background. The characters are strategically designed to all bounce off each other, like a good satire detective show should.
Shawn Spencer. Hiding his insecurities behind many rolls of movie references and his relentless sense of humour. Using his intellect to put himself and his best friend in adrenaline inducing, sometimes dangerous, situations. He's a junky for the epicly new and challenging, and an addict for, dare I say, hot blondes. Though let's face it, he's a dog that'll rub anything the wrong way. It should also be mentioned, he's a complete fraud, a compulsive liar and a trauma filled donut of chaotic proportions with a flair for the dramatic. Unconventional and slightly uncouth, but very charming and easy on the eyes.
IN COMPARISON
Juliet A.K.A Detective O'Hara, a beautiful, socially awkward mess of try hard insecurity and compassionate incompetence. She's your straight A student, a gorgeous athlete who couldn't melt butter in her mouth... until you meet her. Juliet has scotsman blood, which means a wild side where she releases all her crazies and built up aggression from being nice all the damn time, to everyone. How do you do it, detective? She is forgiving, head strong, slightly unstable and incredibly organized. I do believe in Jules life, there is a place for everything, and everyone. Transparent, empathetic, a risk taker and loyal when it counts.
Except when she finally has a boyfriend.
Charming, rich, awkward and a little weird. He really likes her. It's like if Shawn applied himself and wasn't a complete dick. But obviously Shawns badassery far outweighs this mans stability because her and Shawn JUST KISSED.
But this isn't just a kiss. This is Juliet realising she doesn't want to be with anyone else. This is Shawn realising just how stupid he is that he let her get away and how bad he really wants her. This is big. Juliet's a blonde, but she's not a cheater. If Shawn had just made his move before, she wouldn't have considered anyone else. But Jules doesn't wait around for just anyone.
I guess it wouldn't be satisfying to just hand over the clearly destined relationship. But I'm a little disappointed that they portrayed her as kinda floosy when the whole show, she has been nothing but loyal. She waited 7 hours for a man that never showed, a man she hadn't seen in 7 years. She told Shawn to save Abigail despite knowing she would probably die. She stood by Carltons side when all the odds were against him on an investigation for murder.
But Shawn and Jules realise their mistakes through an impulsive kiss, while she's in a new relationship?! I don't think so.
They did Jules dirty, Jules ain't a cheater. I call for a rewrite. It can be argued that Shawn emotionally cheated on Abigail. But that's pulling straws. He made boundaries, he prioritized Abigail, and he sure as heck didn't kiss Jules while in the relationship. He's unjustifiably perverted but he's not a cheat.
And yet,
Screw that rich guy, lets go O'Hara and Spencer💣❤️‍🔥

i (18f) just graduated from high school and had long been making plans to go solo travelling before moving to another country for university.
recently, i came across this art community in my city that organises events centered around art, film and artistic appreciation in general. being a burnt out artist struggling with severe artblock, i was ecstatic when i found out they were organising a group art trip where we would study philosophy and paint in the mountains- it seemed right up my lane. despite my hesitation, i felt the fear of missing out on such a perfect opportunity overwhelming me and signed up immediately after the organisers reassured me that my age would not be a problem. the only catch is, i was never told or made familiar with the other people going on this trip till the very last minute.
last night, when the groupchat for the trip was made, i came to realise that every person in this group (12 in total) falls within the age group of 30-50 years. now, i do want to mention that i have pretty bad social anxiety and am extremely introverted (hence the reason im going alone in the first place- i had no friends to take with me) but i didn't want to waste my summer before university rotting away in my room alone and therefore made this very bold decision.
i don't really feel as concerned about safety as much as i do about the age gap with the other travellers. if anything, everyone else on this trip seem like seasoned artists and not amateurs like myself. but of course, i can't say i don't feel anxious about safety either given the fact that there are men going on this trip as well.
it's currently 6:30 am, i leave my house for the trip in less than 12 hours, and i haven't been able to sleep at all. i know it's too late to back out, but im losing my mind trying to think of how im going to survive the next 2 days knowing the extremely awkward age gap i have with everyone else there. given my already sub-par social skills, i know i can't ease my way into interaction with these people either and it would be nearly impossible to keep aloof given the small size of this group.
if anyone who has had a similar experience has any advice on how i can make the best out of this trip (and potentially not come out of it traumatised) i would GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. this is my very first time doing anything like this. have i made a huge mistake?

I have a roofdeck, and an aluminum pergola with solar panels above it. They double great as a shade pergola, but the gaps between them allow the rain to drip through as it runs off (they are on a slant), which is somewhat inconvenient. Two questions:

1. What's the best tape to use to cover these gaps? I am considering outdoor aluminum tape, and outdoor soft butyl tape (the sort used for RV roof repair). Any other options? I think it has to be flexible tape rather than a metal strip or a rubber T-track, because in every gap, there's a mounting bolt sticking out.
   
2. Is there a safe way to get up there to lay the tape down? The pergola is 2x7 panels, so it's 7' wide by 24' long. One of our installers suggested that it's okay to walk on the panels as long as one stays on the framed edges -- is that actually true?
   

Hi,
Is it possible to build a site that has a blog, forum, job listing's, and vehicle classifieds with WP ?
Or maybe removing the forum and just keeping the other 3 options.
Can this be done with a plugin or plugin's ? If yes can you mention which ones.
Would the images for the vehicle ads/listing's be too much on the site and slow it down ? Is there a way to automatically compress the images or convert them to webp images after the users upload them for their ad ?
Or would it simply be best to make each option into an individual site instead ?
T.I.A. to anyone that replies.

I 12 F had recently been having some problems with a girl who I haven’t been very close to, but still, we were sort of mutuals this all started a while ago when we were playing soccer at the field, she wouldn’t give the ball to me, even though I had asked several times kindly and a little bit mean I tapped on the shoulder to hopefully get her to turned around just for her to turn around and punch me after this, she went up to the office as I walked around, trying to act cool like I didn’t just get punched in the stomach after that, I had gotten caught up to the office and we had had a big talk about how we can’t be doing that at school this continue to go on and we signed a contract to not talk to each other after a while we sort of have gotten friends again and then only a few months after we just became friends. I found out my number got leaked to a bunch of strangers. I don’t even know a.k.a. the eighth graders. I do not know these girls or boys they go to my school and this girl gave them my number randomly to hopefully do something bad to me a.k.a. prank me after a while. I hanged up their number and blocked their phone. Then only a couple months later I got a text from a random number. This is the same who was trying to prank me. She texted me on her friends phone saying that it was this girl who will call Sally gave them money to prank me I figured this was only a matter of seconds it was this girl Ali, who this girl Sally, who always be talking about her saying that was her girlfriend and I asked are you Sally’s girlfriend? She replied with no we are just friends, but I’m no longer friends with her. The next day school came up to her and I said why did you give my phone number out to random people she ignored the question and my best friend started saying come on talk to her practically screaming at her mind. You my best friend will take the world for me and do anything for me and so I’ve gotten used to that she was so angry at Sally, and she was defending me and every single way possible, a couple days later we started to gain more problems not to me. She was just acting strange practically taunting me. I try to tell her that I don’t feel comfortable being friends with her nor does my family. She understood this and she left after this we went to go play volleyball at the volleyball field we were playing and then she came up to me being her petty self. She told me that she’s not feel comfortable with me being there and I have to go. I decided I’ll leave. I don’t wanna make a big scene, but after a few steps, I realized what was gonna happen. Nothing will happen even even if the principal gets mad at me I don’t care. I go back ready to play the game. She goes up and she runs and tells the principal I knew I was gonna get called up, but I didn’t care so I just walked up to the principal office filled out a note without even being asked to be up there. I was definitely the bigger person after that I came down yet. Would you like to know who I saw my best friend and Sally sitting together laughing and giggling my heart was absolutely broken. I couldn’t believe it. Why is my best friend choosing her over me you my best friend has talked bad about this about Sally so much she says that she hates her and that she just doesn’t like her in general and she’s a pick me if you know you know I was unbelievably sad and sick to my stomach I was just so sad and wondering why it’s so easy for her to cut off one of our closest friends, but it’s so hard for her to cut off a girl who has been bullying me since the day we first ever came to school the only reason why I’m so mad at this and hurt is because she would make me drop so many people and just one second and I know for a fact that it is not hard for her to anyone. She literally has dropped so many of our closest friends and one second even if they just kind of hit her on the shoulder just a tiny bit she will literally just yell at them and say that she doesn’t wanna be friends with them anymore for the smallest things leaking my number and punching me so I’m hurt but am i the awhole?

I recently posted an analysis of input lag on the 4KP, and I'm back with more accurate data. I'm also using this post to share some info on two popular after-market replacement buttons. Read on if you're interested, skip if not, but I did the work for myself anyway, so I thought I'd share with you all.
This is specifically going to be a look at aftermarket button options and then at total input lag for a selection of native tables. I'll be focusing on OTG lag and tweaking VPX/FX settings next time.

What's New?

Just as a quick TLDR from my last post, I'm trying a bunch of stuff to try and minize total input lag as much as possible, mainly for OTG use. My input lag measuring methodology was: high speed camera method, using iOS app "Is it Snappy?," tagging the input frame as the frame where the button was fully pressed in, and the output frame as the frame where flipper movement was first seen. So basically an imprecise start frame and a precise final frame.
Well, turns out we can have a precise first frame as well. I put together a quick breadboard circuit setup (details at the very end of this post) that adds in an LED light to indicate the precise moment when the button was actuated.

Solenoid LEDs

It turns out you don't even need a breadboard or electronics skills to get much more accurate, consistent, input lag measurements than I was getting by eyeballing the button. If you have your solenoids turned on, then there will be a pair of red LEDs on one of the controller boards that light up every time you push the flipper button. To be clear, these are solenoid lights, so they won't trigger if you have your solenoids turned off. Just remove the control deck, hit the flipper button, and the lights will be easy to spot. Now the caveat here is that these lights do trigger ~4-8ms (1-2 frames at 240fps) after the breadboard light (and thus after actuation), so you should build that additional lag amount in to your measurements if you use this method.

Aftermarket Button Options

Imgur Album
One big point of discussion around input lag (maybe more on YT than here) has been the flipper buttons. Are the stock buttons bad? Which aftermarket option is best? Do these completely fix flipper lag as some videos have claimed? Does any of this really matter?
The answer to the last one is: "Kind of. Maybe." I have three buttons that I've been playing with. The stock clicky button, the popular "gold leaf" button, and the much-praised "leaf" button. I sourced these from the usual eBay sellers.
Button Characteristics
I used a digital caliper to measure some key numbers for these buttons. Total travel distance is the distance that the button is capable of traveling, from unpushed to bottomed out. The actuation point is the distance into the button press that the button completes the circuit and sends the flip signal to the machine. This is all as accurate as I could get, but there's always some literal wiggle room when taking measurements like this.

Button	Actuation Point	Total Travel Distance
Stock	~1.75mm	~3.7mm
Gold Leaf	~1.75mm	~3.7mm
Leaf	~1mm	~3mm

Stock button:
There is a Baolian/Bao-Lian brand black clicky mechanical switch inside the button, with silver-colored contacts. It has low push resistance overall that increases leading up to the click, and peaks at the click, with low post-click resistance. See the album for a dissambled white stock button and a look at the Baolian switch.
Honestly, I don't like the stock button because it's clicky, and pinball flipper buttons shouldn't be clicky.
Oh, and the click happens 2mm into the button push, so it clicks actually after it actuates.
Gold leaf button:
Essentially identical to the stock button in terms of basic push characteristics, but there's no click, and the contacts are gold-colored instead of silver-colored. There is a Baolian grey linear switch inside the button. They are quiet and smooth, with a low push resistance that is consistent throughout the push.
I'm not sure if the contacts are just gold-colored, or if they're actually gold plated. Even if they are truly gold plated, that isn't going to make a meaningful impact on response time or lag. This button and the stock button have exactly the same actuation point and total travel distance.
The lack of a click makes these an easy winner for me over the stock buttons. I like them, and they make for an easy drop-in replacement for the stock buttons.
Leaf button:
Uses an actual old-school leaf switch mechanism, so this also has no click. See the Imgur album for a demonstration video. It has a much higher push resistance than either of the other two, and it comes in two stages. A lighter pre-actuation stage, and then a heavier post-actuation stage as you transition from pushing one contact arm to pushing both arms. It's actually surprisingly tough to bottom out compared to the low-effort bottom out on the others. It does make a small amount of noise due to various parts rubbing together and bending, but I'd say not really loud enough to hear when installed.
The leaf button has shorter pre-actuation travel than the other options, so it wins for "speed" by ~.75mm. How much that actually matters in terms of perceived lag is very much up for debate, but I expect it's a small impact.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of the extra resistance these buttons have. My sweet spot is the gold leaf button.
Input Lag Impact:
Actuation is actuation. Your button choice doesn't affect lag once the button has been actuated, so if you want to do absolutely everything you can to minimize perceived input lag, go with the leaf switches. I'm sure you can claw back a few milliseconds, but it probably won't make much difference overall, and it definitely won't solve the lag problem altogether as certain YouTube videos suggest. The real lag isn't happening between 1mm and 1.75mm of the button press.
There has long been a related discussion in MechanicalKeyboards, with "normal" switches compared against "speed" switches that have a shorter actuation distance, and the consensus there is that the shorter throw "speed" switches don't actually improve your gaming performance in a meaningful way. I expect it's not that different here.
If you want the button that feels most authentic to modern physical pinball machines, go with the gold leaf buttons. That's what I'll probably stick with.

More Accurate Input Lag Data for Native Tables

Here I'm looking at a variety of stock/native tables, with a deeper dive into OTG coming later. One last quick note - I hate how the total lag measures seem to vary over time, but they do. In the past, I've captured total input lag times for Dino Dynasty as low as about 50ms, but I didn't capture anything that low this time.
Software version 2.16.6. Measurements taken using my breadboard LED indicator for the most accurate possible results. The individual measurement error is ±~6ms, and I've gathered anywhere from 5 to 15 measurements for each table, and I threw in the 95% confidence interval data for any stats heads out there.

Table	Type	Average Total Input Lag (ms)	95% CI (ms)
Dinosaur Dynasty	Magic Pixel	72.5	± 3.27
Ice Age	Magic Pixel	68.4	± 7.33
Attack from Mars (with effects)	Zen	139.5	± 5.46
Attack from Mars (no effects)	Zen	135.0	± 7.33
Star Trek Deep Space 9	Zen	145.3	± 7.33
Star Trek Discovery	Zen	137.5	± 7.33
Star Trek Kelvin Timeline	Zen	138.9	± 7.33
Tee'd off	Gottlieb	54.2	± 7.33
Space Invaders	Taito	69.2	± 7.33

I'm personally looking at ~100ms of total input lag as the benchmark for maximum acceptable lag, and below ~50ms total lag as the ideal range.
There's nothing shocking here. I just wanted to provide more accurate data. The Magic Pixel tables get a passing score, as do the native Gottlieb and Taito tables. Zen, of course, is still the problem. It's interesting how small of an improvement I got from disabling the table effects on Attack from Mars.
That's it! Thanks for reading and I hope this was interesting for at least one of you.
Breadboard Setup
A red LED in series with 50k ohms worth of resistors, with wires going to the button terminals, putting the whole setup in parallel with the button. The buttons are NC (normally closed) buttons, so the led light will be on by default and turn off when the button is actuated. The system is also very sensitive, reading even small drops in voltage as a button press. 50k ohms was the magic number where the system finally worked. Anything below that and the system was interpreting the voltage drop caused by the mere presence of the LED circuit as a button press due.

So ive been camping a few times and want to start back country camping more remote and was wondering whats the best way to find cool spots that people havent been or arent at. Me and 1 or 2 buddies want to go backcountry in Georgia and find a cool place to set up camp and trout fish and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I was assuming somewhere in chattahoochee-oconee or maybe around the AT but not sure where to look at all as I havent gone anywhere remote in the woods, only campsites. Thanks!

Hey all, I'm Lexi and I'm currently 16. Originally I really wanted to lose weight around two months ago but since then l've gotten weird about eating.
I only eat 1 meal a day, and it's usually pretty small. Like tonight I had grains and milk. I skip breakfast and lunch, and if I can, I avoid eating dinner.
I have no sweets like cookies, cake, candy, donuts or anything for that matter. I used to love all those things, and I will litterly just look at pictures of them and feel satisfied enough not to eat them. I've also cut out all sodas/ pops, only drinking water.
I avoid burgers, steak and most meats now to. The only meat I will sometimes have is ham or turkey and possibly bacon.
I also am minimizing my sugasalt intakes drastically. Haven't had pickles, popcorn, chips, fries or anything like that in a few months.
At least once a day, I have this thing where if I stand up quick like my surroundings are almost covered by black static. (Sorry that's the best way I can describe it.) and I get awfully tired to, and dizzy sometimes.
Thanks all for any replies, it means a lot to know someone cares enough to type a response. 🫶

"Don't shave, it makes the hair grow back thicker"
"Waxing makes it come back thinner over time" "No, don't wax, the bloodflow makes it grow back more"
"Laser is permanent hair removal" "Get laser before electro so the hair is sparser and finer" "Laser causes more hair regrowth" (Not to mention IPL being passed off as laser)
"You'll be hair-free in six laser sessions" "It'll take about ten hours of electrolysis to fully clear your face for the first time"
"Go to your electro appointment well hydrated" "Don't drink water before your appointment, the extra water dilutes the electricity" (???)
"Don't use aloe afterwards, it causes blistering" "Aloe is soothing"
"For best results, go regularly, even weekly" "No, you should only do fifteen minutes every six weeks, more is too much for your skin" "It's more painful to let it grow back too much between sessions" "You should wait weeks between treatments in one area so as many hairs as possible are in their growth phase"
"Thermolysis causes scarring" "No, only galvanic causes scarring"
"You shouldn't feel the hair being plucked out" "It doesn't matter if you feel it or not, it works the same either way"
"Electro is permanent" "Electro isn't permanent, I didn't treat my underlying hormonal condition and I grew more hair later"
"There's more hair on the [left/right] side of your body" "Treatments hurt more on the [left/right]"
All of these are things I've heard at one point or another, some of it obvious bs and some of it reasonable and correct. It's not helped by the fact that there are three different versions of electrolysis between which no one seems to differentiate, and that there's a lot of variation in hair growth, both between individuals and between areas (facial hair seems to be particularly hard to get rid of). Electrologist skill level probably explains much of the variance in experiences, too. I'm just frustrated that the topic seems so poorly understood and that there seems to be very little consensus. It particularly annoys me that some people just seem to make up a number for how long it'll take - "six laser sessions," "[however many hours] of electrolysis." I've seen ranges for facial hair removal in the range of 40 to 300 hours. No one seems to know anything for sure. To her credit, my provider didn't make up a number and just said "it's done when it's done, no way to tell," which seems the most honest.
I'm tired. I can keep paying for electrolysis indefinitely and I have seen some real improvement but I'm still discouraged and wish the state of knowledge on this stuff was better, so I wouldn't have wasted so much time and money on laser before.
Add your own myths and superstitions in the comments!

To preface this, this took me not even 3 hours, with dinner, slacking, and watching some vtuber clips inbetween. You can save the tryharding remarks.
I analyzed threads in the DPS, tank, and healer sections of the EN official forums from April 1, 2022 to now, to gauge job design feedback and the traffic. Yes, April 1st 2022 is around infamous 6.1 patch, this is mainly about Kaiten. It always was. Metrics are thread counts, views, and number of replies.
My point was to calculate metrics and gauge what was most talked about in EW in regards to job design feedback. Obviously, this isn't perfect, it doesn't tell you any nuances, and it doesn't filter out all the shitposting that's happening on OF, but I would say it's better than nothing. If things are talked about, then there's probably a good reason for it.
I categorized threads into topics about individual jobs and into "others" category. For example, thread called "Give me Hissatsu: Kaiten or give me Hissatsu: Seppuku" would be SAM thread, "Elemental Mastery needs to unlock much earlier" would be SMN, and "From Meleewalker to Meleetrail" would belong to others category. I was only using name of title to determine what was it about, I ain't going through 1300+ threads. This also means that I counted thread "I was almost in the mood to play FF14 again" as others category, even though this thread talks about Kaiten.
Obviously there will be some mistakes, few miscategorizations, and some might not agree with the process. In which case, I can confirm that if you have basic knowledge in python and can use chatGPT, you can make something like this too in a reasonable time, so just do it yourself, the way you want it.
Anyways, here are the results sorted alphabetically. First number is sum of given metric for the job in all related threads, second is comparison of this for all threads in the section, last number is same as second but it ignores the threads in the "others" category:
DPS

Job: BLM Threads: 24 3.18 % of all 4.29 % excl. other category Views: 114234 2.47 % of all 3.74 % excl. other category Replies: 597 2.63 % of all 3.94 % excl. other category Job: BLU Threads: 17 2.25 % of all 3.04 % excl. other category Views: 56406 1.22 % of all 1.85 % excl. other category Replies: 136 0.60 % of all 0.90 % excl. other category Job: BRD Threads: 28 3.71 % of all 5.01 % excl. other category Views: 131472 2.85 % of all 4.30 % excl. other category Replies: 516 2.27 % of all 3.40 % excl. other category Job: DNC Threads: 13 1.72 % of all 2.33 % excl. other category Views: 45631 0.99 % of all 1.49 % excl. other category Replies: 254 1.12 % of all 1.68 % excl. other category Job: DRG Threads: 28 3.71 % of all 5.01 % excl. other category Views: 194937 4.22 % of all 6.38 % excl. other category Replies: 972 4.28 % of all 6.41 % excl. other category Job: MCH Threads: 49 6.50 % of all 8.77 % excl. other category Views: 365662 7.92 % of all 11.96 % excl. other category Replies: 1520 6.69 % of all 10.03 % excl. other category Job: MNK Threads: 34 4.51 % of all 6.08 % excl. other category Views: 132969 2.88 % of all 4.35 % excl. other category Replies: 418 1.84 % of all 2.76 % excl. other category Job: NIN Threads: 50 6.63 % of all 8.94 % excl. other category Views: 199611 4.32 % of all 6.53 % excl. other category Replies: 1017 4.47 % of all 6.71 % excl. other category Job: PCT Threads: 9 1.19 % of all 1.61 % excl. other category Views: 35712 0.77 % of all 1.17 % excl. other category Replies: 242 1.06 % of all 1.60 % excl. other category Job: RDM Threads: 13 1.72 % of all 2.33 % excl. other category Views: 124548 2.70 % of all 4.07 % excl. other category Replies: 614 2.70 % of all 4.05 % excl. other category Job: RPR Threads: 21 2.79 % of all 3.76 % excl. other category Views: 181924 3.94 % of all 5.95 % excl. other category Replies: 663 2.92 % of all 4.37 % excl. other category Job: SAM Threads: 200 26.53 % of all 35.78 % excl. other category Views: 984175 21.32 % of all 32.20 % excl. other category Replies: 5462 24.03 % of all 36.02 % excl. other category Job: SMN Threads: 69 9.15 % of all 12.34 % excl. other category Views: 468395 10.15 % of all 15.32 % excl. other category Replies: 2591 11.40 % of all 17.09 % excl. other category Job: VPR Threads: 4 0.53 % of all 0.72 % excl. other category Views: 20898 0.45 % of all 0.68 % excl. other category Replies: 160 0.70 % of all 1.06 % excl. other category Others in DPS section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 195 25.86 % of all Views: 1559504 33.78 % of all Replies: 7572 33.31 % of all 

Tanks

Job: DRK Threads: 27 12.68 % of all 21.60 % excl. other category Views: 922897 28.87 % of all 55.96 % excl. other category Replies: 5251 37.63 % of all 57.95 % excl. other category (DRK has megathread with 765K views and 4K replies) Job: GNB Threads: 13 6.10 % of all 10.40 % excl. other category Views: 43674 1.37 % of all 2.65 % excl. other category Replies: 236 1.69 % of all 2.60 % excl. other category Job: PLD Threads: 57 26.76 % of all 45.60 % excl. other category Views: 500659 15.66 % of all 30.36 % excl. other category Replies: 2449 17.55 % of all 27.02 % excl. other category Job: WAR Threads: 28 13.15 % of all 22.40 % excl. other category Views: 181953 5.69 % of all 11.03 % excl. other category Replies: 1126 8.07 % of all 12.43 % excl. other category Others in tank section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 88 41.31 % of all Views: 1547409 48.41 % of all Replies: 4892 35.06 % of all 

Healers

Job: AST Threads: 52 13.07 % of all 26.67 % excl. other category Views: 292441 8.38 % of all 30.74 % excl. other category Replies: 1728 8.62 % of all 32.86 % excl. other category Job: SCH Threads: 72 18.09 % of all 36.92 % excl. other category Views: 347459 9.95 % of all 36.53 % excl. other category Replies: 1913 9.54 % of all 36.38 % excl. other category Job: SGE Threads: 39 9.80 % of all 20.00 % excl. other category Views: 171477 4.91 % of all 18.03 % excl. other category Replies: 865 4.31 % of all 16.45 % excl. other category Job: WHM Threads: 32 8.04 % of all 16.41 % excl. other category Views: 139875 4.01 % of all 14.70 % excl. other category Replies: 752 3.75 % of all 14.30 % excl. other category Others in healer section, threads that don't focus on individual jobs: Threads: 203 51.01 % of all Views: 2539981 72.75 % of all Replies: 14790 73.77 % of all 

Some more ranting from me:
Other than massive wave of SAM mains that have stormed OF because of 6.1 changes, you can definitely see other interesting stuff which you can discuss, but I'll focus on my beloved Kaiten. Yes, I understand that OF is terrible place and doesn't represent majority of playerbase (nothing does), but devs keep telling us to give our feedback specifically in there.
So what should we take away from this? SAM was by far most talked about job in EW, it was 1/3 of talks for all 12 DPS jobs (14 if you include VPR and PCT). SMN was second, and it wasn't even half of that. It's most talked about job even if you include healers and tanks. People simply dislike removal of Kaiten, Tenka Gokken changes, and other things that happened in 6.1, it's that simple. Those changes received such a weird justification, Yoshi himself was fumbling in 6.1 patch notes reading stream and came up with like 3 other nonsensical excuses.
It's not button bloat, since EW added a goddamn Shoha 2, other than that, there are another 2 ST/AoE pairs that have no reason to be separated and it always made perfect sense to put Iki and Ogi on the same button. It's not action bloat, at best it reduces actions in burst from like 25 to 24 depending how you pool Kenki, and then some actions in filler, but it's not like there's some high octane gameplay in filler. It's not about distinct buttons either, since you often need to use gap closer to spend that last drip of Kenki before you leave burst. Future proofing excuse doesn't work either, since it seems like that after more than 2 years, we are only getting oGCD finisher of Ogi. The "X before every Y is bad design" doesn't apply either, with new addition to DT, we get the "X after every Y" finisher.
It doesn't make sense, they asked for feedback, and as you can see, they received insane amount of it, yet they have yet to acknowledge it. If they won't budge after all of this, there's no point in trying anything else.
Acting upon feedback means that you keep in touch with community and you consider and implement changes that community wants. Of course not all feedback is good, but if there's plenty of people that want something, at least give proper reason why you don't think it's good. Communication is a key.
Acting upon feedback doesn't mean that you wait until some player says something you want to hear, then you implement it and claim that you acted upon feedback.
TL;DR: Why bother with giving feedback when they ignore even such an outstanding amount of it.

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My remaining years are few and my body is weak, yet my memories are still sharp, so I shall share a tale I’ve long kept secret. I no longer wish to take it with me to the grave. I once feared that others might be drawn to this horrible experience of mine, like those who wander too close to the edges of a roaring tornado, only to be consumed and mangled beyond recognition. But I’ve come to realize that it was naive to think this way. Though some may not heed a tornado's warning, that’s no reason not to sound the alarm. And so, I tell this story with that purpose in mind.
Consider this the gravest of warnings to stay away from Stonemoor Manor.
In the year of 1953, I was but a young man, though already busy with the responsibilities of a career and a family. Despite my tender age, I had already dabbled in various trades, for I was a restless spirit, never one to settle. From labor to intellect, I had tried my hand at it all. With equal prowess in both craft and wit, I found my true calling in a profession that demanded both: veterinary medicine.
Life in Ireland was tough in those times. Many young families were heading off for better opportunities overseas. Though I was hesitant at first, myself and the wife decided we’d eventually do the same for our daughter’s sake. But I wasn’t about to take them to a new land empty-handed, so we agreed to stay another year in Ireland while I put away some coin. To stretch our savings as far as they would go, we chose to see out our final year in a rural spot where the cost of living was kinder on the pocket.
With but a year's worth of experience as a vet under my belt, I had yet to earn myself a reputation worth speaking of, nor had I much acquaintance with the locals in the village we'd chosen as our temporary home. Still, I held firm in the skills I possessed, my eagerness to learn, and my belief that this countryside community of farms and fields would provide ample chances to prove myself. To put it plainly, I was brimming with confidence, some might even call it cockiness. I suppose it was a mixture of that and desperation which brought me to Stonemoor Manor.
As the days stretched into months, I found myself haunting the local pub like a ghost, a familiar face among the regulars. My confidence was dwindling with the lack of work. It seemed like everyone in that village had the healthiest animals in all of Ireland, maybe even beyond. What a cruel twist, their blessed lives mocking my own struggles.
One evening, in my drunken stupor, I hadn’t noticed at first the gaunt figure come into the pub and saunter over to the shadowed corner where I was drowning my sorrows. It wasn’t until he spoke that I saw him.
“Are you the veterinarian?” He asked.
I raised my head and steadied my blurred gaze on the face of a man whose sunken features made him look more shadow than flesh. For a moment, I even thought I was looking at a skeleton.
“Aye, that’d be me.”
“They seek your presence at Stonemoor Manor.”
“And what’s the reason for that?”
“The Master’s horse has taken ill.”
“And what does this ‘master’ go by?”
The man glared in silence, then in a tone tinged with irritation and raised volume, declared, "His name is Alistair Stonemoor."
In an instant, the chatter in the pub fell silent, and every gaze turned toward our shadowed corner.
Under the weight of the pub's collective gaze, the man squirmed uncomfortably, his voice lowering as he muttered, "It matters not. You’ll be well rewarded for your troubles."
Past the man, the bartender shook his head in disapproval, fixing me with a stern glare, and silently mouthed the word, "no."
Despite the bartender's cautionary glance, fueled by youth, folly, and a healthy dose of drink, I brushed aside his advice and turned to the man, blurting out, "How much is this Master Stonemoor offering?"
The man leaned closer, his face illuminated by the flickering candlelight, revealing a gaunt, pallid countenance and foggy eyes. He looked every bit of his seventy years or more. "Sufficient to settle comfortably upon reaching the shores of America," he murmured.
In that moment, it would have been prudent to heed the warning signaled by the hairs standing on end at the nape of my neck. When your instincts scream "leave," it's best to listen. But the allure of a swift resolution to my troubles clouded my judgment. The prospect of a better life sooner than expected was too tempting to resist. So, I rose from my seat and addressed the man, "I'll go fetch me things.”
I made the decision I believed was best for my family.
God rest their souls.
I kept from my lovely Mary the weight the Stonemoor name carried in the pub. She'd have put a stop to my leaving in an instant. Instead, I spun a tale of a wealthy gent in need of my skills, assuring her I'd be back when the job was done. With our wee Annie already tucked in for the night, I kissed my wife goodbye, gathered my tools, and slipped into the back of a sleek black sedan, driven by the mysterious man with eyes like fog, seemingly undeterred by their cloudy gaze.
I leaned in and murmured, "Didn't quite catch your name, sorry.”
“Never said it.”
“Ah, right. What is it, then?”
“Fergus.”
“Pleasure, Fergus. I’m Liam.”
“I know.”
“Right. The ad. You’ve seen me ad.”
With no response from Fergus, I pressed on, asking, "How far is Stonemoor Manor from here?"
“About a half hour drive.”
What ensued was a half-hour journey enveloped in silence, traversing through the village and onto a dirt path winding through a dense, shadowy forest. Eventually, we arrived at an iron gate, which swung open onto a secluded road. Despite my keen observation, I couldn't discern who operated the gate, nor who secured it shut behind us. Ten minutes further along this secluded path, the woods parted, revealing the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor for the first time.
It bore a striking resemblance to a castle, its exterior fashioned from grey stone adorned with towers and crenellations, save for the central portion, which appeared to be of Victorian design. Judging by the numerous windows, the manor rose at least four stories high, not accounting for any underground levels.
The manor lay bathed solely in the moon's glow, devoid of any external illumination. Among the multitude of windows, only one emitted light: a solitary glimmer from a small window perched atop one of the corner towers.
Fergus brought the car to a halt, then stepped out and opened my door. With a nod, he gestured towards the manor and uttered, "Master Stonemoor awaits you within."
"Up there, is he?” I acknowledged, stepping out of the vehicle and casting a nod towards the illuminated window.
Ignoring my question, Fergus closed the door firmly. "Come along," he directed, leading the way towards the looming manor.
We climbed stone steps to confront a grand iron door, effortlessly opened by old Fergus. He gestured for me to enter before closing the door with a heavy thud that echoed through the foyer. Cast only in the moon's silver light, the room revealed itself in fragments, with stone stairs disappearing into the shadows ahead. Fergus had vanished from sight, leaving me to navigate the dimness alone.
I called out for Fergus, but my voice echoed unanswered, stirring a growing sense of unease. Doubt crept in, whispering of traps and deceit. With cautious steps, I retreated towards the door, its cool iron offering a sense of security. Fumbling in the darkness, my heart quickened with each passing moment, panic threatening to overwhelm me. Just as my trembling hand found the handle, the room burst into light.
“Departing so soon, are we?”
A new voice pierced the silence, resonating with youth and vigor unlike Fergus's. Swiveling around, my eyes met those of a tall, middle-aged man clad in a sleek black three-piece suit, accented by a bold red tie. With raven-black hair framing his face and piercing blue eyes, he commanded the landing of the steps, which diverged to his left and right.
“Ah, sorry now. I seemed to have gone and misplaced Fergus,” I chuckled sheepishly. “Thought he might’ve been locked out. I take it you’re Mister Stonemoor?”
"Please, call me Alistair," he replied with a nod. "And you must be Doctor Kerrigan?"
"Aye... Liam, that's me name," I stammered. "Only the creatures call me doctor."
I couldn't tell if the jest garnered even a smirk, for Alistair remained rooted to the spot at the top of the stairs, a considerable distance away.
"Anyhow," I persisted, "I understand there's a sick horse in need of attention?"
"Are you drunk, Doctor?" Alistair's tone was pointed, his gaze piercing.
Alistair's question caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily speechless, akin to a child caught in mischief. Yet, I had a feeling of innocence; after all, it was Fergus who had recruited me from the pub.
“I’ve had a few pints this evening.”
“I can smell it on you.”
“That is truly impressive.”
“There is nothing impressive about it, Doctor Kerrigan.”
“Well, I didn’t go swimming in it, did I?”
“I do not know and I find your sarcasm unwelcome. Fergus will escort you to a chamber, and you shall begin attending to my horse at daybreak."
“Hold on now, I'm sorry for me behavior, but I can't be staying the night. I've got a family to get back to. And anyhow, shouldn't this horse be needing emergency treatment?"
Alistair turned on his heel and ascended the staircase to his right. "Treatment can wait until you've sobered up," he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I'm plenty sober!" I hollered after him as he vanished up the stairs. "Me hands are steady as a rock!" My protest echoed through the empty foyer, but Alistair had already disappeared from sight.
Fergus emerged from the shadows of a nearby hallway, causing me to startle. "I will show you to your room.”
“You’re a right sly one, Fergus. Anyway, I can’t be sticking around for the night.”
“Master intends to further compensate you for your time.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I shall return you to your burdens.”
With my jaw clenched and eyes shut tight, I drew in a deep breath. For a fleeting moment, a vision danced in my mind's eye: my little Annie, her smile radiant as she pointed towards Lady Liberty. So precious she was, my heart ached with longing for her to have a better life.
"Fine," I relented, opening my eyes. "Show me to the room."
As I awoke, it was not to the gentle glow of morning light, but to the harsh brightness of noon. Jumping from the bed, I checked my watch, confirming my fears. With urgency, I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and hastened out of the bedroom. Stepping into the hallway, I was disoriented, with no recollection of its layout from the night before. Rows of closed doors lined the corridor, and I began to try each one in turn. Pushing and pulling, I soon realized that every door was locked. Surely, not every room warranted such security, I pondered, my frustration growing with each failed attempt.
As I ventured down the hall and finally arrived at the imposing stone staircase, the resounding clicks of each door unlocking in unison sent shivers down my spine. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, and I hastened my descent down the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. Just as I reached the bottom, I came to an abrupt stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with the ghastly figure of Fergus.
“Sleep well?” He asked.
“Jesus, Fergus! It’s noon! Has the horse given up the ghost yet? And, I haven’t a clue what’s happening upstairs, but…”
“Master Stonemoor awaits your presence in the stables.”
I looked at Fergus a moment, wondering if he’d heard a word I’d said, then relented, “Okay, then. Can I use a phone first?”
“There’s no phone on this property.”
“No phone? That’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it? I need to let me wife know where I am.”
“I will send word.”
“Quickly, then. Just let her know not to be worrying about me. I’ll be back once the job is done.”
Fergus nodded in acknowledgement before guiding me towards the stables. In the light of day, the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor became even more apparent. It truly was a colossal structure, dominating the landscape with its impressive presence.
The stables were nearly empty, save for one stall at the far end where I found Alistair tending to a black thoroughbred, sprawled on straw, barely clinging to consciousness.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Alistair remarked, not lifting his gaze from her.
"Aye, but she's in a bad way."
Alistair nodded solemnly. "She's been like this for some time.”
"You should've woke me.”
"Wouldn't have changed a thing." Alistair paused in his brushing of the horse’s mane and rested his hand upon her flank, following the rhythm of her strained breaths.
"Isn't it me duty to tend to her?"
Alistair withdrew his hand and straightened up, his eyes bluer than ever. "No, it's not." And just then, the horse's breathing stopped. "Come along, Doctor."
Alistair guided me through the grand house, down echoing halls, and into a room adorned with portraits aplenty. He paused in the center of the room and asked, "Any of these faces look familiar?" I scoured the walls until I stumbled upon a particular painting, a sight that nearly shook me to the core. In that frame, a woman and a young lass gazed back at me, bearing an eerie resemblance to my own Mary and our sweet Annie.
My blood boiled with fury, convinced that this portrait depicted my own wife and daughter. Suspicion gnawed at me, and I eyed Alistair with distrust, wondering if he was some sort of obsessed deviant. "Out with it," I demanded, my voice sharp with anger.
“No need to fret, Doctor. This painting predates your girls by quite a stretch."
"I'm not taking it, they're too alike for comfort.”
"I’m just as baffled as yourself," Alistair conceded, his words laced with sadness. "The girls in the painting are my dear wife and daughter. Both passed away some time ago."
I stood silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize." My gaze returned to the portraits before scanning the room again, my eyes catching on something odd. "Don't you have any photographs of them?"
Alistair let out a weary sigh and turned to me. "I'm afraid not," he confessed. "They passed before photographs were even a notion."
A puzzled chuckle broke from my lips. "Surely not. Cameras have been about for a hundred years," I countered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Alistair fixed me with a steady gaze, betraying no hint of doubt or error. "So it be," he affirmed with quiet certainty.
Apart from Alistair's piercing blue eyes, other features seemed to have taken on a newfound radiance. His skin possessed a youthful glow, his hair appeared fuller, and his jawline more defined. Alistair, it seemed, had undergone a remarkable rejuvenation, growing younger right before my eyes.
“Pardon me asking, but in which year were you born, Mister Stonemoor?”
Alistair smirked and made his way to a sizable wooden desk and lowered himself onto a chair. "Are you a man of faith, Doctor Kerrigan?”
Assuming this to be a roundabout approach, I responded, "Aye, I've a healthy fear of the Almighty."
Alistair rummaged through a drawer and withdrew a hefty leather-bound tome, causing a cloud of dust to rise as he placed it upon his desk. Flipping it open, he motioned for me to approach. Amongst the sea of words, atop the first page, was a title:
The Knights Templar.
What Alistair divulged to me was a tale so fantastical, it surpassed any yarn I'd ever heard spun. He claimed to have once been among the legendary Knights Templar, embroiled in the Crusades and journeying across continents in pursuit of sacred relics and hidden truths.
But as history tells, the Templars met a grim fate, condemned by their own church and hunted to extinction. Yet, Alistair was no mere casualty of that bloody chapter. He was a survivor, lurking in the very woods where Stonemoor Manor now stood, clutching to the shadows with a treasure in hand.
Amongst the spoils of his clandestine escapades was a fabled emerald tablet, etched with secrets believed to bridge the mortal realm with the divine. Alistair, having purloined the tablet and sought refuge in the forest, claimed to have communed with the Almighty himself. And in that sacred dialogue, he made a plea, and it was granted.
Thus, his years became as boundless as his desires.
As his narrative drew to a close, Alistair closed the book and beckoned me to follow him back to the stables. Stunned into silence after what I’d just heard, I trailed behind him as we retraced our steps to the very spot where we had witnessed the horse's demise. And once we arrived, still, my tongue lay dormant as I beheld the miraculous sight before me: the once lifeless creature now stood vibrant and strong.
Finally, a solitary word escaped my lips, a gasp of incredulity as I uttered, "How?"
"The Lord bestowed upon me a gift," Alistair confessed, his voice weighted with solemnity. "But it came at a cost. In death, I find life. With each soul I take, I grow younger."
The transformation in Alistair's appearance now made sense, yet it did little to quell my lingering doubts about the resurrection of the horse. "But why is the horse alive, then?" I pressed, seeking further clarification.
In response, Alistair simply glanced past me, nodding toward a figure looming in the shadows. Turning, my eyes fell upon Fergus, his form now even more weathered, his countenance more gaunt and gray. He looked to have aged another decade.
Alistair spoke as I stood in awe, elucidating, "With death, I am rejuvenated, yet with life, Fergus withers further. I take and I gain, while he gives and he loses. Our blessing is also our curse.”
Fergus looked on with weary eyes and sagging shoulders. "There was a portrait earlier that escaped your notice, Doctor," Alistair interjected. "It was the portrait of my son... Fergus Stonemoor."
To be continued…

Is anyone post menopausal on HRT and taking it cyclical? Like maybe 3 weeks on then 4 days off? I saw a dr online said it would be best to do it this way because it mimics the natural way the body works. ( or used to work) just curious if anyone does it that way ??