Cause of pus pockets

Okay so i finally got the book today and.......eh.......i can see what its trying to do but there's just this feeling of it all being orbs of locations suspended in a void with nothing between them and very little Vecna. And that gave me an idea of a way to run this adventure still using most of the locations aand setups it gives but just making it more dire.
Vecna Won
First off Vecnas the god of secrets, hell yeah he would keep his universe domination plan a secret as well so heroes cant get the hint and stop him. The first change therefore happens in chapter 1 when the party are disrupting the ritual.
First off this is THE ritual and its functionally complete, its one of many rituals taking place across the multiverse around those obelisks that came up a lot in 5e. The party are able to disrupt this ritual however they cant stop them all and Vecna still succeeds in rewriting the multiverse. However, now he misses a bit, the party themselves.
The party tumble through the 'crevice of dusk' and find themselves in the dark reflection of Neverwinter, however now its not the Shadowfell, its reality. Vecna is worshipped there as a god, characters the party met earlier are now twisted as Vecna wished and the universe is cataclysmically changed. If the party follow up on their backstories they are changed as well, close family members are now evil tyrants, all the heroics they performed are all for naught. Vecna won and made the universe as he wished and he wished for Evil!
The party are one of the few bastions of the old universe, missed by Vecnas reality rewrite by disrupting the ritual, and now they are Vecnas only Blindspot.
The Wizards three (actually three)
Once the setting is established as being Vecnas and the party have started causing a ruckus they are picked up by one of the last bastions of the old universe left, the wizards three but this time Mordenkainen is actually himself. The wizards have spotted them as not beloning to this new reality and are apparently relativly unoticed by Vecnas sight so far. Comparitivly the wizards three are trapped in their sigil sanctumn and under siege by vecnas forces. the three of them are tired and wearing thin, eventually they will give out but for now they can help the paarty by instructing them on restoring the universe by restoring the rod of seven parts.
The rod here is still an ultimate symbol of law, however it is a symbol of the old universes laws, all of them, enough to rebuild the universe as it was if these laws are restored. You can think of the rod as being like a blueprint of the universe before Vecna changed everything and if brought to the right place it could Re-establish its laws and restore the universe to its original form.
The rods pieces are trying to do their thing, maintaining pockets of the old reality within Vecnas new one, though Vecna wishes to obtain them to destroy it and some are held in the hands of some terribly powerful beings who don't want to see Vecna ruling the universe.
And so now the quest is set, collect the rod pieces before vecna can to restore a blueprint of the universe before Vecna changed it. The Wizards three can direct the party towards one of these places of stability where the first piece of the rod is but they don't have knowledge of the other pieces..
At a certain point in the adventure have the wizards sanctum finally be breached and Vecna himself destroy them easily, a final bastion of the old universe fallen to his might.
Between the pieces
This now gives us an opportunity to build what Vecnas universe is, have characters backstories twisted by his will so where one player was a noble guard captain, now he's seen as a corrupt tyrant. Another player who had a heroic father now looks upon a villain. This in between world is just the normal dnd world but now twisted for vecnas evil goals. Have characters within this world give the party clues on these other areas of stability so the party can try to reach them. Use the areas around the stability areas as setups for what vecnas done to the unuverse. It fills in the gaps between the set pieces of the adventures.
The rod pieces themselves
The rod pieces should all be protected by powerful beings who see their potential or work for Vecna to protect them. Maybe some pieces are held by villains who would rather stick it to Vecna than live in his world. I personally love the idea of Strahd in his castle fighting a siege war against Vecnas forces and the party have to infiltrate the castle to reach and convince him to give up his piece of the rod so they can destroy Vecna, only for Strahd to choose to accompany them to make sure of it.
Have new allies within these pockets of the old reality who can join them or aid them in their quest, villains who grant them boons, other great heroes who offer a heroic sacrifice so they can escape. These are the last threads of the old reality and every one of them wants to do a big hit against Vecnas new one that twisted their world into the monstrosity it is.
Kas
Okay so Kas has to be here but having him in a deception role seems......weak.....he's a powerful general and fighter, not a deception master. So lets have him be resistant to vecnas reality change the same as the party. H e is also on a quest to restore the rod of seven parts but he intends to use it to restore the universe to his specifications instead. He will still help the party collect rod pieces but with the condition that he gets to be there when they eventually fight vecna. I would also add in background fluff on him where Vecnas new reality constantly mocks him as a failure and there are monuments to Vecna beating him in battle and the like. Really making him hate Vecna more.
Vecna is a god, he's always here!
So Vecna himself, he's a god in this new reality and he enjoys it, often appearing to his greatest worshippers and giving them guidance, maybe striking the final blow on battles against the old reality and mopping up the remnants of some of the reality pockets. He cant enter them himself as he would be significantly weakened but he can still send his forces in from outside.
Vecna is also a God with a capital G. He doesn't have a stat block, he cant be killed by just being stabbed on the street, if a player tries to attack him they are just disintegrated on the spot with no hope of survival against a God. The only way to defeat Vecnas godhood is to begin restoring reality to how it was when he was only the god of Secrets
One bit that I'm not fully sold on but i think could work is that the party are 'Outside' his realm, they were missed in the spell so unless he directly looks at them and works out they aren't from his remade reality he doesn't know they exist. The party are his one blind spot caused through the pure luck of them disrupting a tiny part of his ritual. A fluke that will eventually bring him down. He may occasionally speak to the party and make his prescense known but unless the party give themselves away he remains unaware of their true goals until the end. The one secret he doesnt know himself.
Finale
Going into the finale, when the rod is rebuilt the party will now have the goal of reaching where Vecna originally cast the spell. Maybe they have allies from the other reality pockets, maybe the wizards three survived, maybe Kas is helping the party out. Whatever allies they have they infiltrate Vecnas lair and reach the birthplace of his universe. When they attempt to use the rod Vecna himself appears and the fight ensues. Vecna being within range of the rod when it irs restoring reality is weakend to just his god of secrets form but still can call in aid from his reality to help and exhibits enhanced power. Maybe the rod restores other heroes from the old reality to help, maybe the party bring their own horde of allies gathered over the campaign, theres lots of ways this can go.
Conclusion
Eventually Vecna will be defeated and the rod can do its thing, at this point each party member gets a perfect wish each to influence the restored universe...….and are then dropped off in the tavern where it all started, no-one else has any memory of what happened, Vecna himself doesn't even know he succeeded and follows other methods of ascension instead. The party have the choice of telling people what happened but the chance of vecna finding out this plan and trying it again is too much of a risk......... I guess the party need to keep it a secret to themselves...…
Roll Credits I don't know if this is actually a good campaign but it sounds like the kind of thing i would run if i was to do this campaign concept. Meanwhile I'm going to return to my Curse of Strahd sequel campaign where Strahd and Azalin are duking it out to rule the domains of Dread.
Thank you for reading

It all started four years ago. Right now male (35) and woman (30), are broken up and their relationship was rocky from the start especially because they could not agree on how to best raise her daughter from her previous relationship. At that time they lived to together, but were not married. Neither could manage money or agree how best to spend said finances. She totalled a vehicle he owned in a parking lot and this was her third car accident. One of her accidents caused her to have surgery on her neck, and after that surgery she sounded two octives deeper.
He, on the other hand, never could keep money in his pocket longer than a minute. He would receive a check only to have it spent that day. He bought several new vehicles and then returned them only to buy a new one. Four years ago, he needed 4k to catch up on his rent or he would be evicted. I felt bad for them and loaned him the money. It was in no way meant as a gift. It was a loan. A year goes by and they get pregnant and had a boy.
He disputed whether the boy was really his at first, but then found out it was definitely his. By then, however they had broken up. Fast forward to now and he has two babies with another girlfriend (still not married). He received a settlement recently for much more than the amount of money he owes me, but hasn't made the slightest effort to pay me back.
I know he is in debt to others in the family besides me and is paying child support as well, but I still think paying me back should be a priority. I recently started a business and could use the money. He isn't speaking to me right now because he hates that I am holding this debt over him and keep asking him to pay me back. It's been years now! AITAH for still wanting to be paid back even though he is in a worse financial position than I am?

This is an ongoing matter from last summer where I returned a fan purchased from Dyson.
I had multiple WhatsApp conversations (saved) with multiple representatives, as that was a service they offered at the time, to book a return collection, re-book it as they sent the courier to the wrong address, multiple follow ups etc.
Parcelforce collected the package from my home, and Dyson claim never to have received it.
I have followed up multiple times with parcelforce who claim that Dyson need to make a claim as they’re the ones who booked the collection. I cannot get anything helpful from Dyson at all.
The new customer service over the phone is abysmal. I have had advisors hang up simply because they don’t want to help, assure me my call is being escalated and I’ll receive a call back within 24-48 hours (I never receive a call back), and most recently an advisor confirm they have no record of having booked a collection, despite me having text conversations with Dyson and text updates from Parcelforce. The stress caused by having to deal with them is unreal. They simply don’t want to help.
I am at a loss as to what to do next. I am £400 out of pocket and just want my money back.
Can I take legal action?
Edit: to confirm I am based in England.

I started my (21F) first week as a Physical Therapy student last week, on my seventh day now. Im not sure this is the path I want to take and I can't really admit that to anyone because they're so proud of me for the work I've been doing and having my path planned. Physical therapy has always been amazing to me, since I was like 12, and in an ideal world I think I'd love to do it. But getting into the depths of the healthcare system in America is horrible. The more time I spend in the hospitals and clinics shadowing and learning, I just see the people that are rude and treat healthcare workers like shit - and I don't even blame them or get upset because the cause of it all is the pain they're in, the insurance companies fucking them over, and the enormous of out pocket costs they have to pay for a necessary service. Especially in the hospital, the PTs I've worked with were having to run room to room to meet their demands for the day and can't spend nearly as much time as they want with each patient. I considered switching to nursing because at least then I could care for the patients, meet their essential needs like giving them a wipe down, combing their hair, cutting their nails, etc. But the nurses cant even do that because they have so many patients with not enough staff. I see the patients with matted greasy hair, dirty skin, and no basic care and my heart is broken. And the worst part is I can't blame the nurses, the doctors, the PTs, and I especially do not blame the patients. The healthcare I strive to and want to provide seems unachievable today with increasingly impossible demands - less workers, less pay, more patients, more hours, and growing tension on both sides of the patient doctor relationship from lack of trust. All stemming from insurance companies and hospitals wanting more money. On top of all of this information, the work is extremely difficult. I'm having a bit of a moment where I feel like I'm not smart enough to do this because I can't pick up information fast enough and remember the 50 new things we learn a day. I never get to see my boyfriend of 4 years because I'm always studying or in classes or lab. I feel like I don't match the personality of anyone in my class and I haven't made any real friends. They all want to talk about partying and going out, but I'm a socially awkward introvert and don't enjoy going out or partying. They all study together and I go home to study because I do better alone. I'm not sure what to do anymore.

I went to a Gastro the other week, and told them I think I have a hernia (I've had a child, and recently had the worst bronchitis of my life that I definitely should have gotten treated sooner). They felt around and said no, probably not a hernia they can't feel anything it might be polyps. So, I should get a CT scan and also schedule a colonoscopy depending on what the scan found. Went in for CT scan, and it is an umbilical hernia. Note, this gastro does not treat hernias.
I asked if I should cancel the Colonoscopy, and they want me to go through with it because my hernia "should not be causing pain". My symptoms were tenderness, feeling of pelvic fullness & pressure and a small shooting pain was happening a few weeks ago that has since disappeared. Zero GI issues. When I described these symptoms to a surgeon who specializes in hernias he immediately thought its a hernia.
Has anyone been pushed to have a colonoscopy after a hernia diagnosis? To note--I am <40, female, and while the out of pocket cost I need to pay ($2kish) is not a huge hurdle for me if I absolutely need it, it seems unneeded in this case? Is this a money grab?

Putting your money where your mouth is isn’t taking some couch cushion change and saying you’re an ape. How about scraping your savings together? Placing that 401k $$ instead into your DRS account? Eating ramen instead of avocado toast for a long time to squeeze out one more share? I spent 3 years making a fraction and weathering through the storm of shills and ass bananas for the thesis that the little I could have saved could be passed down as generational wealth post MOASS. Pandering to people disenfranchised by the market with leftover fee $$ doesn’t make you one of us. You’re using our situation to boost your position. If you truly believed in the cause then you would be buying till it hurts so that post MOASS, you can actually make a change as a politician and be immune to the lobbying and elite who think they can buy you out.
Update: be a silent investor, but don’t take your pocket change that seems like a lot to regular day people and use it as your platform,
Updated update: make your logo a purple circle and maybe… I’ll look you up

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136
“Koalas!”
Bernard’s energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! I’ll never get tired of this, it’s all so cool!
As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
I’d be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if I’ll get any right this paw?
Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, I’d started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far I’d only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, I’d not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um… what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. It’s fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it I’m rambling!
I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas.
Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koala’s prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm… ok. I already know to discount the idea that they’re predators just from eye position, so let’s get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I can’t just guess that for the sake of guessing, that’s the same problem! Hrm, it’s tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.
Nevermind, I’ll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think they’re arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they-
Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, “As ever I’m delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. I’m looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?”
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, “Excellent! Then let’s get started.”
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
“Ah, there we are,” Bernard’s baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, “He looks so comfortable doesn’t he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!”
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, “A full paw? Hwuuu… jealous.”
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, “Late evening Rova?”
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rova’s direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadn’t been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool that’d flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, “Uh- I um… achem, a little bit yes, um- …sorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.”
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, “Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. That’ll be the list time I- …Ahaaaa…”
Lokki’s theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokki’s would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we weren’t too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which.
His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, “Ok, ok, let’s get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.”
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, “So, the Koala. Let’s start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.”
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh… I never want to see him angry again. So chilling.
I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koala’s physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
“Koala’s are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.”
It didn’t slip past my notice that Bernard didn’t bother to point out that the Koala’s eyes were forward facing. I didn’t think he’d simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasn’t necessary given that he’d already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
“Now this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koala’s are largely sedentary and it’s rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.”
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasn’t only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, “This is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.”
700!? Stars…
Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
“The leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koala’s low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.”
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didn’t take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
“Excuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?” Vlek’s grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailo’s recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, “You heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to them.”
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but they’ll have evolved to deal with that. Stars… I’m so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didn’t even consider the simplest solution.
“I see, thank you Doctor,” Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, “I assume they’ve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?”
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, “They have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koala’s liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.”
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, “This is mostly for adult Koala’s, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they don’t just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. It’s nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.”
Bernard’s assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way he’s acting it probably isn’t something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm…
“So,” Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, “Young Koala’s, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.”
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought it’d go. What’s different?
The unexpected normalcy of the Koala’s birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, “Now to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.”
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I don’t see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine.
I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one it’d just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They-
“They eat their own poop!?”
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an ‘Ugh’ over here and a ‘Blegh’ over there, Bernard’s own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
“Ha! Everytime! Each and every time. Clearly it doesn’t matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koala’s dietary development the reaction is the same!”
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, I’d never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species. Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww… Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. They’re serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it.
With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, “Ok then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why don’t we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koala’s live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.”
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. He’d alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the ‘predators’ we’d all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I would’ve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didn’t take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
“From habitats we move onto behaviours, so let’s start with territories. Koala’s are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering they’re only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.”
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
“As you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koala’s territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koala’s stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koala’s who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koala’s range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koala’s communicate?”
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koala’s body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
That’s how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs.
I clearly wasn’t the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, “I think they’ve got me beat on who’s got the deeper voice!”
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, “Oh you’re too kind. I’ll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As you’ve just heard, Koala’s are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from ‘Hello I’m over here’ to ‘This is my turf, stay away’. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if they’re acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.”
Really? They do something we do?
Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koala’s features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They don’t have tails so it’s obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then.
To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, “As well as their vocalisations, Koala’s are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koala’s utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.”
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right!
“Now then, we are getting close to lunchtime so I’ll finish this segment off with something I think you’ll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.”
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koala’s, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm...
I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans aren’t like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list.
Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koala’s in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what?
Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers.
Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I don’t need that in my head.
As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what I’d seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didn’t already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
“Koala diplomacy,” Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, “My favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koala’s and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koala’s to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koala’s are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.”
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
“Squee! That’d be so cool! I’d love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird! Ah! I’ve only heard their song on video. It’d be a treat to hear it in person!”
Ooo! I’ve read about them! I’d love to get up close to one.
“Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded? Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans don’t want to acknowledge for what it is.”
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option.
However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didn’t change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, “Yes Rysel? What’s on your mind?”
Sorry Bernard. I hope this one’s not too awkward for you to answer.
Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, “Thank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals for… particular reasons, and we know why. From how you’ve spoken about Koala’s I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?”
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like I’d imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that it’d been me who’d ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions?
Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh.
“A very good point Rysel, certainly one that’s worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.” Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, “We won’t be needing that. I’ve nothing prepared that I can show you and we’re heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, that’s plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.”
A bit? What does he mean just a bit?
Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasn’t going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
“So, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and I’d quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.”
While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernard’s assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didn’t believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. He’d pretty much confirmed we wouldn’t be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have.
The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
“Well I can see everyone’s excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,” chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, “Enjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and I’ll see you all back here at the usual time.”
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, “Hey Bernard, I uh… sorry if that last question was unexpected.”
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign I’d come to understand meant ‘not a problem’.
“No need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.”
Heh, called it.
I sighed, allowing tension I didn’t realise I’d been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, “Phew, that’s a relief. I’m glad. I’m curious to hear what this new lesson is you’ve got in store for us by the way.”
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, “Oh are you now? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to remain curious for the time being. It’s going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. But…”
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now!
Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I’m working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip that’s not a trip as it were. And when it happens, I’m going to need a few of the more accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. I’m hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?”
A trip that’s not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernard’s relying on me to help out!
Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, “Of course! Anything you need I’ll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!”
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, “Thank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times you’ve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think you’d appreciate the most.”
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
“Wait… WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?”
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, “Call it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise even for you!”
“Oh you ass!” Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernard’s leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.

This is in Arizona.
My father is a beneficiary of his father's estate and I think the executor (my dad's brother, also a beneficiary) may have breached his fiduciary duty and stolen at least $70,000 out of the estate. Here's the situation:
My grandpa died back in 2015. My dad, whose relationship with his other two siblings isn't close, stayed someone distanced from the disposition of the estate for the sake of not causing friction in what little relationships were still there. From what I understand, he's never even actually seen a copy of the will for himself. Some things I've heard in conversation over the past few years have bubbled back up for me as I've been working on the estate planning portion of my CFP education and I want to make sure things are being done justly to my dad and his sister (the other non-executor beneficiary). My biggest concern is around my grandpa's house. Here's a rundown:
-Grandpa dies in January 2015.
-Uncle (executor), for some reason, waits until February 2018 just to open probate.
-Uncle, as executor, sits on Grandpa's house until February 2020 (5 years post-death!) when he sells it to HIMSELF. This is where things start to really seem wrong to me. From what I've gathered, the other siblings were verbally notified of this transaction, but were largely not involved.
Here's the situation on the real estate transaction.
When my grandpa died, his house was worth about $127,500. When the executor finally sold the house to himself 5 years later in Feb 2020, it was worth around $200k, BUT he sold it to himself for "2015 FAIR MKT VALUE $127,500," as recorded on the deed that he drafted himself. My dad and my sister each received 1/3 of $127,500 for their share. The way I see it, my uncle instantly stole ~$70k out of the estate when this transaction occurred. Shouldn't it have been sold at a fair market value for 2020 at the time of the sale? Had it been sold to a third party, he clearly would have listed it for ~$200k. What makes me angrier, is that after buying the house for himself at a $70k discount, he then proceeds to rent it out as a landlord at current market rent, all of which he pockets for himself.
Considering the will designated a 1/3 split between the children, I believe my uncle (executor of the estate) has disproportionately, or even illegally, benefited from the estate. I wish I had caught it sooner, but only now am I starting to become formally educated on this stuff. It makes me wonder how else he may skimmed off the estate for himself that I'm not aware of yet. I've requested the full list of records associated with the probate case to review for myself.
The biggest question I have out of al of this: Was the $70k discounted self-dealing home purchase legal at all? I know there's a step up in basis to the date of death for beneficiaries and I think that's the logic my uncle tried to use. However, when he FINALLY sold it for the estate 5 years later, it had appreciated by about $70k. Had he sold it on the market instead of to himself at a discount, a full $200k sale price would have resulted in ~$23.3k more inheritance each for my dad and my aunt. Is there any recourse here? It seems like felony-level fraud to me and I want to make sure everything is done right by my dad and my aunt.
Edit: Probate was closed in 2022, but I'm hoping there is still some recourse.

Context and symptoms: I lost my med box so I've been without my venlafaxine (im usually on 150 mg but was on 300 for about three weeks) for two days and clonazepam for almost a week. I didn't feel much without the clonazepam, maybe a bit less sleepy. But two days ago I stopped taking venlafaxine suddenly cause I don't have it and today, well I've never felt like this. First I thought it was cause I only slept 3 hours and I'm usually nauseous/lightheaded without much sleep. But as the day progressed it didn't get better, and then I started feeling like I was gonna pass out. I had an important presentation and the room was warm so honestly it took me until almost 3 to realize how bad i was getting. Cold sweats, full body shivers, my hands specifically are shaking so much it's ridiculous. No strength at all and can't focus on anything, it's like my brain just doesn't function but fortunately no major depression thoughts or feelings.
Question: I think I can buy some tomorrow but how long until I go back to feeling normal after returning? I didn't stop for a long time.
How bad long term is it that I stopped so suddenly?
I live in a country with free(and a bit decent) health care but my psychiatrist was part of my private health care plan, I lost that and can't afford to just pay him out of pocket for a consultation, do I need to schedule an appointment to tell him/another psychiatrist this happened? Or am I just overthinking and it's more of a shitty it happened but oh well situation.

so i would love to support the show cause it is some of the greatest sifi techy nerd tech in a LONNGGGGG time now seeing as the show ended we needed figurines mist, maddie caspian etc i also want to make a mist AI rice cooker! "maddie your rice is done now upload this into your stomach!" lmaooo idk but if i buy a hoodie or what not does it go to the team or some CEO's pockets?

这是一篇为所有中国同胞写的中英双语帖子，为了让所有人都能看懂，我会全部如实写成中英文两版，不但可以为中国战友提供一个温暖的港湾，也可以让所有其他地区的人知道中国战友与他们同在！本文章仅代表个人看法，不构成任何投资建议。 This is a bilingual post written for all Chinese Apes in both Chinese and English. To make this post understandable to all of us, I will write everything faithfully in both Chinese and English versions. Not only can this provide a warm harbor for Chinese people, but it can also let people from all over the world know that an extremely strong Chinese army is standing with them!! This article represents only my personal views and does not constitute any investment advice.
首先，我们这次战斗的最终目的是让看空这只股票的对冲基金付出惨痛的代价！！大家一致的目标应该是收割华尔街空头口袋里的钱，而不是做T低买高卖收割战友的钱。而达成这一目标我们要做的是低价买入并坚定持有，等待股价飞涨，最终形成轧空。当价格足够高的时候，做空机构就会权衡利弊，放弃抵抗被迫平仓以数十亿甚至数百亿的代价回购将来可能涨到50块甚至上百块一股的股票。到时候因为做空机构的大量回购，就会进一步推动股价继续飞速上升，到达更高，那一刻才是我们的最终胜利！ First of all, our ultimate goal in this battle is to make the hedge funds that are shorting this stock pay a painful price!! Our objective should be to harvest the money from the pockets of Wall Street shorts, rather than engaging in short-term trading to harvest money from our brothers and sisters. To achieve this goal, all we need to do is to BUY the DIP and HODL, waiting for the stock price to rise and finally cause a short squeeze. When the price is high enough, hedge funds institutions will weigh the pros and cons, give up resistance, and be forced to cover their positions at a cost of tens of billions or even hundreds of billions to buy back the stock, which may rise to $50 or even hundreds of dollars per share in the future. At that moment, due to the massive buybacks by short-selling institutions, the stock price will be further propelled upwards rapidly, reaching even higher levels, which will be our ultimate victory!
而此战我们的初步战略目标是从5月16日开始算起连续10个交易日FFIE收盘（美东时间下午4：00）价格保持在1以上不退市，就可以撤销纳斯达克的退市要求。首先你需要知道，在纳斯达克上市的股票如果连续30个交易日收盘价格低于1美元，就可能面临退市风险。纳斯达克会向公司发出通知，要求其在收到通知后的180个日历日内将股价提高到至少1美元，并保持至少10个连续交易日。目前FFIE公司已经收到了通知，并且开始10个交易日倒计时，我们必须要首先保证FFIE不会退市。为了做到这一点，已经有数十万来自全球各地的散户战友集结于此守在1块钱，随时准备买进，抵挡住空头大军的攻击，此刻，我们固若金汤！但即使某天闭市价格低于1，也不必惊慌，退市之前都随时有机会卷土重来！请继续持有！ In this battle, our initial strategic objective is to ensure that the FFIE closing price remains above $1 for ten consecutive trading days, starting from May 16th, to avoid permanently delisting by Nasdaq. You need to understand that for stocks listed on Nasdaq, if the closing price remains below $1 for thirty consecutive trading days, they may face delisting risk. Nasdaq notifies the company, requiring it to increase the stock price to at least $1 within 180 calendar days of receiving the notification, and maintain it for at least ten consecutive trading days. Currently, FFIE has received the notification and the countdown of ten trading days has begun. We must ensure first and foremost that FFIE does not get delisted. To achieve this, hundreds of thousands of retail comrades from around the world have gathered here, ready to buy at $1 and resist the attacks of the short sellers. At this moment, we stand as solid as a rock! But even if the closing price is below 1 on a certain day, no need to panic at all! We always have the opportunity to make a comeback until the stock is delisted! Please keep HOLDING!
目前截至5月21日，我们的战斗已经连续胜利了3天，还需再努力坚持7天，我们就可以达成初步胜利！而这个过程亦是让世界的焦点凝聚于我们的过程，只要让全世界看到我们的团结和壮大，就可以吸引更多志同道合的人，壮大队伍，甚至吸引名人和做多机构的加入，朝着更高的价格一路高歌猛进！🌟🚀
As of May 21st, our battle has been continuously victorious for 3 days. With another 7 days of determined effort, we can achieve preliminary victory! This process also draws the world’s attention to us. By showcasing our unity and strength, we can attract like-minded individuals, enlarge our community, and even entice celebrities and organizations to join us, marching forward, full sail ahead! 🌟🚀
而我们作为散户团体所要坚持的只有一句话，**逢低买入并坚定持有！逢低买入并坚定持有！逢低买入并坚定持有！**重要的事情说三遍。
As retail investors, we only need to remember one phrase: “BUY the DIP and HODL!” BUY the DIP and HODL! BUY the DIP and HODL! Important things are worth repeating three times.
这么喊的原因：
Reasons for this:
为什么要逢低？因为当买入价格够低，股票在购买价格之上波动的时候心态才会更稳定，不会因为机构砸盘而过分恐慌。
Why Buy the DIP? Because when the buying price is low enough and the stock fluctuates above the buying price, the mentality will be more stable and people will not panic sell because of the institution's attack.
为什么要坚定持有？因为越来越多的人坚定持有，市场上流通的可交易股票数量就会越来越少，空头机构可操作的空间就会越来越小，无法操纵价格，从而无力回天。每次担心成本过高或者做T的买卖操作，都会成为空头机构的棋子和韭菜。所以请坚定持有！
Why should we HOLD? When more and more people are holding, the number of tradable shares available in the market will decrease, reducing the space for short-selling institutions to operate. This makes it impossible for them to manipulate the price, rendering them powerless. Every time you worry about high costs or engage in quick buy and sell operations (like day trading), you become the chess of institutions and your money get reaped by them. So, please HOLD!
而如果你已经买了，你不需要担心自己是不是买的价格稍微高了，因为如果我们胜利，价格将会是几十或者几百，几十倍翻倍，不差这点买入价格。
Additionally, if you have already bought in, you don’t need to worry if your purchase price was a bit high because if we succeed, the price will be in the tens or hundreds, multiplying many times over, so a slightly higher buying price won't matter.
在这十天中，空头机构可能会想尽一切肮脏的手段制造各种舆论压力，社区关闭，并让股价下跌和造成恐慌，请心情忐忑的散户朋友们不要慌张，我们有数十万的散户坚守在这里，所有人都与你同在！在上周五，下作的做空机构突然关闭了Reddit上Roaringkitty板块，让大家变成了无头苍蝇，但在周五最后，我们还是坚持住了最后一道防线，险胜空头。而这个周末，我们的各种社区频道在Discord, Reddit, Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram以及X（Twitter)如雨后春笋般到处野蛮生长，空头机构已经再也无法造成任何恐慌，打不倒我们的只会让我们更强大！！而我们中国人更是有一句人尽皆知的俗语，一鼓作气再而衰三而竭。周五第一波我们扛住了，相信后面空头的气势只会越来越弱。
In these ten days, short-selling institutions may try every dirty trick to create various public opinion pressures, close communities, and cause stock prices to fall and create panic. Retail investors who are feeling uneasy, please don't panic. We have hundreds of thousands of retail investors holding the line here; we are together! On last Friday, the unscrupulous short-selling institutions suddenly shut down the Roaringkitty section on Reddit, leaving everyone like headless chickens. But by the end of Friday, we still held the last line of defense and narrowly defeated the shorts. Over the weekend, our various community channels on Discord, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X (Twitter) sprang up like mushrooms after rain. The short-selling institutions can no longer cause any panic; What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger! And we Chinese have a well-known saying, 'Charge with the first drum, wane with the second, and be exhausted by the third.' We withstood the first wave on Friday, and we believe the momentum of the shorts will only get weaker from here on.
最后，我们要让以后的人也知道，我们为了这场和华尔街空头的战斗都做了什么！从周五最后一秒股价的力挽狂澜，到各个社区的崛起，以及各种多语言网站的搭建。我们还有百万粉丝油管UP和百万粉丝Tiktok大佬的加入。而这一切只用了短短两天，在这里大家互相鼓励，互相学习股票知识以及同步信息，无论老少男女，每个人都在尽自己所能为胜利而战！而我们中国人在这次战役中也发挥着举足轻重的作用！我们必须要尽一切可能让所有人听到数十万中国人的声音！让说英语的人知道，他们不是孤单的。
让我们一起坚定持有！！！HODL!!!!!!
Finally, we must let future people know what we did in this battle against Wall Street shorts! From the last-second rally in stock prices on Friday to the rise of various communities and the establishment of multi-language websites. We also had the support of YouTubers with millions of followers and TikTok stars with millions of fans. And all this was achieved in just two short days. Here, everyone encourages each other, learns about stocks together, and shares information voluntarily. Regardless of age or gender, everyone is doing their best to fight for victory! We Chinese also play a crucial role in this battle! We must do everything possible to make the voices of hundreds of thousands of Chinese heard! Let English speakers know they are not alone.
Let's HODL together!!!!!!!!

So some may remember me asking about how to proceed with me causing damage to an Enterprise rental van ordered by me but written in her name without the damage waiver or me as an authorized driver, which was done by scratching the opened sliding door in her garage.
I leaned toward being honest with them when we returned the car, but had multiple arguments with my livid friend for being naive and she stated that there wasn't anything I can do. When we arrived, the sun was in the right direction that the associate didn't see it, and without agreeing we kept our mouths shut until it was time to get out of there in a hurry. Another brick in a wall of bad decisions.
Corporate called her today and notified her she had a hold put on her account for $1900 because of all of the above information and she only had umbrella insurance. She does not currently have a car insured in her name but stayed because of her homeowners and was going to get one soon.
So there's bills coming out right now in an already negative account, mortgage, taxes, student loans, the whole lot. And her check this week is getting eaten by that for sure. I'm sorry for this being not relevant to this sub but now I really really do not know what to do, who to ask, etc. I don't have money available for hardship, credit good enough for loans anymore, and everyone I know is paycheck to paycheck. I'm just losing my mind and am going to regret this for the rest of my life
Edit: just going to put a cap on this and say that there's nothing I can do to get her or myself out of this. Just going to be looking into reducing my debt and emptying every pocket until the problem is gone. Anyone who sees this, do not repeat my mistake

I have 40% hearing loss in my right ear. Its mostly that I can't hear speech when there is background noise at all. It just all blends into a pile of noise. My family notices it mostly when in the car, they all have to scream around me. I have been to a few ENTs that all agree the problem exists but they can't quite pinpoint the exact cause. They finally all agreed that hearing aids were the best move right now so I bought a pair and got them yesterday. I think the fitting went well and all that but I really didn't know what to expect or what to look out for and I have to say after having a few hours with them, if this is what hearing is supposed to be then I really don't want any part of it.
They are super tinny and they pick up every single noise. There is so much static. I don't want to be able to hear my hand going into my pocket. The streaming from my phone is abysmal (galaxy s24).
I tried creating some new sound profiles but they are only marginally better if at all and they all lack any bass. Not that I want to be in a dance club but I would like to listen to a movie without everyone sounding like chipmunks. And keyboards are the absolute worst. I am at a computer all day and every key press just makes me insane. I've read here that the closed domes can help a lot, is there something else I should be looking at as well?
I think what is the most frustrating is the overall inconvenience of the things. Ideally I would just pop them in and out as needed like a set of earbuds. I don't always need them and I only need it in my right ear which doesn't sit well with wearing glasses. I am also having a difficult time getting them in and out but I think I could learn to get better at that. I see that jabra has some hearing aid type earbuds but they only work with iphone and I will never own an iphone otherwise I would try them. I can't find anything else that seems legit and not some amazon junk.
Is this just how it is now? Do I need to just suck it up and get used to it? I called costco and am trying to get back in for a follow up but I typically don't hear back from them for at least a day or two.

We are staying in an Airbnb for a week while we prepare to move across country. It’s our first time ever using this type of thing. It’s a 3 bedroom 2 bath home. Upon arriving everything seemed to be good. The house is clean and kept. We arrived 05/17. Yesterday while washing some dishes the kitchen sink began leaking a lot and quickly created a puddle on the floor in front of the cabinet under the sink. I turned the water off and put a towel down. I then texted my husband to ask what I should do. (Coincidentally my husband is a plumber)He said to keep everything off and he will check it when he gets home from work. When he checked it, turns out the disposal was leaking and needed to be replaced before the sink could be used again. The broken disposal was put in 2016. We immediately contacted the host and asked if they would like to have my husband fix it or if they would wanted to call a plumbing company themselves. We gave our contact number and asked them to contact us. They did. After calling my husband they decided to have my husband fix it. They also asked for a couple photos. My husband had to put in a new disposal. He took before and after pics and a pic of the new disposal box. He then contacted the host again and gave them the pics and update. The hosts response was thanks and we’ll leave you a good review. That was the end of the exchange. Am I wrong to be upset that they mentioned nothing of payment/reimbursement. Are we as guests of the Airbnb obligated to pay for this repair and the new part out of our pockets? My husband says he doesn’t want to cause any issues and to just let it go. Please give me your opinions.

Hello there! I've still not entirely recovered after finishing Rebirth, that ending was just whoa. I believe I've watched/read most of the theories out there regarding the game's finale and Aerith's fate, but none of them managed to explain everything sufficiently. I admit I'm in the "I hope Aerith lives" camp, but I understand the corner the developers wrote themselves into: Aerith fans and the japanese fanbase at large will riot if she dies for good, and purists will riot if one of the games' central themes (coping with loss, grieving) is broken. A textbook case of trying to have your cake and eat it too. Unless they find a way to do both?
Trying to get my mind off FF7, I replayed Zero Escape: Virtue's Last reward (seriously try it if you were more impressed than annoyed by FF7R's multiverse shenanigans, it's the real good stuff), and one of the puzzles caused a bit of a eureka moment to me. A secondary solution to a puzzle in one of the rooms is the sentence "SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING". It obviously hints at a character in the game and not FF7, but with the implications of the two games thus far in the remake continuity (plus AC), one character in Zero Escape bears a striking resemblance to Aerith: Akane Kurashiki (Big spoiler for the first game in ZE: 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors).
Both are capable of jumping between their selves in different timelines and have awareness of it. Akane is trying to prevent her own death by gathering information she needs to escape death via incineration, from other timelines and in the future. Would Aerith resign to her own fate even in command of such a power? Pre-chapter 13 it's heavily implied she wouldn't, why would discovering that she's basically omniscient change this?
Unless she has a plan cooking. She's being relentlessly hunted by someone who also has multiversal knowledge and could overpower and kill her any day of the week. She needs to throw Sephiroth off her trail somehow. If you played Persona 5, the situation might be familiar to you... (spoilers for Persona 5 follow)
In that game, the protagonist Joker and his fellow phantom thieves are being cornered by the detective Akechi, who at that point is a traitor amongst them. How do they get out of the situation? By failing an infiltration, Joker getting caught, the tricking Akechi into a cognitive version of the interrogation room he's being held in and letting him kill Joker there. Akechi is in the belief that he killed Joker in the real world.
This got me thinking: what if Aerith pulled a similar trick? Her situation is a bit more complicated, in that she knows Cloud is under Sephiroth's control, so she has to fool the party as well to fool Sephiroth. Her mournfulness in the Ch14 date could come from her impending doom - or the guilty conscience from what she has to put the party and especially Cloud through and that she may doom one of her alternate timeline selves to death.
As for the how, there are multiple possibilities, but the one I find most likely is that she swapped her consciousness with the comatose Aerith from Zack's world. As for when it happened, I believe it was at the moment when everyone was distracted by the smoke and mirrors - the moment Cloud deflected Sephiroth's blade. Whether this happened for real and created a timeline shift, one where Aerith lived and one where she was impaled, or just in Cloud's mind, it doesn't matter. It's the ultimate red herring. Cloud can have a revelation at some point in the 3rd game that she failed to save Aerith, he still won't know that the body Sephiroth stabbed didn't have Beagle!Aerith's soul in it, but Terrier!Aerith's comatose and possibly damaged soul. Such a last-second switch of a would-be-victim isn't the first time Square pulled this. It's what happened in Chrono trigger too! Remember what Marlene said about Terrier!Aerith to Zack? "When Aerith wakes up, she will be killed." Why does she wake up? Because she switched places with Beagle!Aerith!! Terrier!Aerith's body now contains Beagle!Aerith's soul, the one that prayed at the Forgotten Capital, the one that's whole, healthy and undamaged. Marlene was right, although the "multiple versions of Aerith" thing went over her head, understandably.
And if Cloud split the timeline again by deflecting Masamune, and can see both timelines? All the better. Where is the real black materia? Hidden in the void between worlds. Where Cloud's mind is right now. That may be why he finds the black materia in his pocket. That will draw Sephiroth's attention, lure him towards his OG plan of summoning Meteor, a threat Aerith can deal with once the party defeats Sephiroth at the northern crater.
As for who fights beside Cloud in Rebirth's final boss battle? I believe it's omni!Aerith, the one who gave premonitions of the future to her self in Remake, the one who visited Cloud in his dream in Remake chapter 14.
Why do I think this explanation could predict what happens in Part 3? Because this way, the writers can keep their cake until the very last minute, then eat it. The party and the player can go through coping with Aerith's "death", then have her return at the very last minute to appease those who yearn for her survival, at the climax of the game, when Sephiroth is weakened, on his last phase and Meteor needs to be stopped. This way, she can be kept out of the plot for the most part, and her presence, both story- and gameplaywise can be a postgame reward. Not to mention the mindblowing revelation of her complex plot at the end.
Anyway, that's just my theory, I needed to write it out of me. 2027(?) can't come soon enough.

Stuck in a really nasty bind right now, and I'm hoping someone in town can help me. Looking for any advice you've got that could help me figure this all out.
A few months ago I signed up for a Humana Dental Value HI215 (DHMO) dental plan. I'm 23, self-employed, and don't make a ton of money, so it made sense for me. Flashforward to now, I have a wisdom tooth coming in and it's causing me intense pain. Humana has a list of providers on their site that they say accepts my plan, but I've called over 20 and they all say they don't take it. One woman informed me she had no clue what the "HI215" was, but knew for a fact that her oral surgery office did not accept an HMO. Humana shows me on the list that all these people take the HI215 part of my plan, but there's no filter for me to search who takes HMO.
I am pretty distraught. I am in so much pain, I pay monthly for this insurance plan, and I can't do anything with it. Has anyone had luck taking an HMO plan to an oral surgeon anywhere in Ohio? I'm desperate and can't afford to spend the $3,000+ out of pocket to get my wisdom teeth removed. Thank you in advance.

Hello!!! Is there anyone who collects feathers?? Cause recently, i moved in new country, which has absolutely different climate, so i start to noticed things, I've never seen before!! And it includes types of birds, which I've never heard about! So this is why i want to start picking up their feathers! I actually have some right know in my pocket, I'm interesting: should i wash them? I know that parasites often live on the body of birds, but I'm still not sure😔 I don't want to destroy the order in which the grooves cling to each other, because this will disrupt the original appearance of the feather, but ALSO i don't want to pick up tiny neighbours, or viruses.... By the way, i have no idea, where should i keep them? Maybe in a box, or I don't know, some kind of a book?