Title says it all. I'm looking at buying used in a high cost of living area. Looking for something reliable that'll hold its value. I figured yall were the people to ask!
The other option is a 2014 Honda Civic LX FWD $14kUSD OTD 50,000 miles Also clean, no accidents, one owner, maintained well. A few more cosmetic things than the Forester.

Core theme:

• Iconic 90’s helmet’n buster hunters from shoot’n run platformers game where you gradually obtain more armors and power ups throughout the game, with each game giving them new armors and powers
  
• They worked under an organization which revolves around hunting dangerous lifeforms (Maverick and Metroids). These organizations haved also created their enemies (Sigma was once the leader before he went Maverick and the Galactic Federation revived Ridley)
  
• Are arch-nemesis of a villain who they once were friendly with before they almost got killed by them (Ridley and Sigma) said villains also have a reputation of returning almost every time even when they really should die. These villains have is also responsible for the loss of the closest thing they have to a family (Zero and Grey Voice), through they also obtained and keep their last remmants (Zero’s Saber and Grey Voice Chozo DNA)
  
• One of their games end with their companion sacrificing their lives to save the protag from a boss and give them late-game power ups (Zero in X1 gives the Zero Buster, the baby Metroid in Super Metroid gives Samus her Hyper Beam after dying)
  
• Has an evil copycat that has the name X on them (Copy X and SA-X) they also have most of their original owner powers, but their transformation is different
  
• Their helmet hides features that fans love talking about (Samus’s gender and X’s hair)
  
• Their family could only spend little time with them before they die and after that they have to be trained for many years, whether it’s emotional or physical training, before they became what they are today
  
• They live with people different from their race (X is a robot master living with reploids and Samus lives with Chozo)
  
• They signature attack is called Charged Shot, they would shoot out lemons if not charged
  
• Despite being known for shooting, one of their signature and most powerful attack is ramming the opponent at high speeds (Nova Strike and Screwattack/Shinespark)
  
• They have a habit of losing all their previous powers in the next game, whether they lose it or just don’t bother to use it again
  
• They have a reputation of being the strongest in their verse (Samus is “the most powerful Metroid” feared throughout the galaxy, X is known to have “unlimited potential”)
  
• Legacy MU between Mega Man X and Super Metroid, as they are highly acclaimed sequels to their also famous NES games
  

Animation:

• Just the usual shoot and run, but they will exchange armors and weapons to counter each other, ending with Ultimate Armor X vs Metroid Suit Samus
  
• Have X uses the falcon armor and have an aerial fight with Samus spaceship, before X close the gap and uses his Giga Attack to destroy her ship, crashing it down.
  
• After they land, Samus could use her morph ball to get in a sneak attack and land a combo on X
  
• X manages to destroy Samus suit, but he would learn that he is facing a human being, which he pauses before being attack by Zero Suit Samus
  
• Samus would then uses her Metroid Suit to finish off the reluctant X, but when he sees the Metroid Suit, just make him somehow think that Samus isn’t human anymore and has succumbed to what he calls “a human Maverick Virus”
  
• X, no longer reluctant and can now fight as he pleases, transform into his UA and both of them have a final gundown, before ending with a Nova Strike vs Zero Laser
  

I just wanna make connections for an underrated legacy MU

I thought it would be a nice idea to share some practical tips and tricks you may have picked up over the years. No hard do's and don'ts, as taste is subjective, but guidelines that should work for every home could prove really useful. Of course, many tips will be incredibly individual or subjective, but we've got to start somewhere.

• Mark your pathways and keep them clear. From the moment you enter your home to navigating a room with multiple doorways, you want to take the shortest route without bumping into furniture. I like to use painter's tape on the floor to mark those corridors. It's best to add a little more width than you think you'll need.
• Unless pathways dictate so, avoid pushing furniture in corners. That way, you won't end up with a dead, blank zone in the middle of your living room. Be smart about reachability, you want to make sure you can walk to a window in a straight line in case you want to open it, close curtains, etc.
• Think practical and keep everything accessible. This goes for doors and windows, but also cables, electricity outlets, and plumbing. A little side table in front of an outlet won't be too much of a burden, but if you have the move an entire seating area just to get to a switch.. not optimal.
• Colours are important, but don't forget about textures. Have you noticed how great-looking rooms usually work with lots of different materials? Think of a herringbone floor with a glass coffee table in front of a velvet couch. To counter the smooth velvet, you could use more rough textiles for the pillows. Countering textures with opposite sensations (smooth vs rough, glass vs wood, metal vs rattan, etc.) works for small studios and grand mansions.
• You can never have too many outlets. The fewer extension chords, the better.
• Window treatments make a huge difference. If the room feels cold and/or unfinished, you'd be surprised how layering various window decos will make a big impact. I personally like to combine shades/blinds with curtains, as it's both practical and it looks luxurious.
• Indirect lighting enhances the visual intimacy of a room. Table lights, floor lamps, wall spots.. With the right bulbs, indirect lighting creates a calm vibe, and it helps you create different zones if you have a bigger space to decorate.
• Invest in warm light bulbs. Try different types before settling on one, and (in my opinion) warm, golden tones work best for homes. Blue, bright LED lights rarely complement your interior and decorations, and they make for harsh-looking rooms. It has also been proven again and again that exposure to blue light at night harms our sleeping quality.
• Get big rugs. For the living room: The front feet of your sofa and chairs should all fit on the rug. There are various schools of thought on this one, by the way, but a tiny rug barely covering the surface of your couch table tends to look a bit forlorn. For your dining table and chairs: The rug needs to be big enough for your chairs to be pulled out comfortably, without any of the chair legs sliding oveoutside the rug.
• Let the shape of your home guide you. What I mean by that, is: Don't copy something from another home that was built in a completely different shape or size. It usually will not transpose well.
• Allow your furniture to breathe. Each piece, be it an armchair, a table, a couch, a fixture, needs room around it. Unless you are going for "crammed antiques shop" you will want to avoid different pieces of furniture rubbing shoulders. Again, think of pathways and allow for plenty of room encircling your furniture. Measure everything and calculate with a big margin before you go off and buy that XL couch.

What are your Tips, Tricks, and Ideas? I will gladly add them to the list!

Hopefully everybody who reads this, knows that Dollar-Cost-Averaging (DCA) or ECA (Euro-Cost-Averaging) is the easiest and worry-free way to invest in Bitcoin. With a weekly DCA you buy "low" prices and you buy "high" prices. It's basically just set and forget while you don't even have to worry about the prices at all. I like DCA and have been doing it with two companies for a year now. In this post I would like to introduce and compare these two companies, that DCA in Bitcoin.
21bitcoin (language can be set to English)

• Made in Austria 🇦🇹
• Easy & fast setup, register, KYC and you can DCA, done in 5 minutes
• Start with just 15 EUR
• Setup your own DCA strategy, this can be daily, weekly, monthly (or whatever you like!)
• Simple SEPA instant transfer from your bankaccount to 21bitcoin
• Fee: standard fee is 1,49%, but this can be lowered to 0,79%. To do so you need to setup an automated savings plan (-0,5%) and use a referral code ( CPE4M ) (-0,2%). There is a minimum fee of 0,49€ for each transaction.
• Bitcoins will be first sent to your 21bitcoin wallet. You can automate the transfer of your BTC to your own wallet! For example: if amount is higher than 0.003 BTC THAN transfer to own WALLET. This is really brilliant!
• Languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Czech
• Referral code: CPE4M (this is to get -0,2% discount in fees).

RELAI

• Made in Switzerland 🇨🇭
• Easy & fast setup, takes less than 5 minutes.
• No KYC necessary (unless you trade more than 1000 CHF / 950 EUR in 24h)
• Start with just 10 EUR
• Non-custodial wallet, so only you have full control over your Bitcoins
• DCA strategy: weekly or monthly buy
• Fee: standard fee is 2,5%, but can be lowered to 1%. To do so you need to setup an automated savings plan (-0,5%), invest € 100 each time (-0,5%) and use a referral code ( REL158968 ) (-0,5%)
• Bitcoins will either be sent to your non-custodial wallet or straight to your hardware wallet (Electrum is needed for this!)
• Languages: German, English
• Referral code: REL158968 (this is to get -0,5% discount in fees).

How does it work?
Say you want to invest € 100 every month, these are the steps you need to follow:

1. Choose the amount you want to invest (€ 100,-) and choose the interval (monthly)
2. Use the correct referral code (above) for the lower fees
3. In your banking app you make a standing SEPA order for the set amount and interval
4. Then it will work automatically!

I use both and both work fine. I do use 21bitcoin for the most amount of Bitcoin per month. This is because 21Bitcoin is 0,21% lower in fees (obviously important over time!) and my native language is supported(!). Also 21Bitcoin is more accessible in Europe.
Automatically
Whatever you choose, don't underestimate the fact that your DCA is done automatically. I can't stress this enough. Now the BTC really (i mean really!) gets bought. This is a brilliant future and gives you a stress-free live! Just set it up ones and forget about it... I really love the push messages I get weekly that I bought Bitcoin again :-D
Hopefully this helps you and happy DCA-ing!

General summary of the thread goes here
The following two questions discussed on how Naoki Yoshida (YoshiP) answered the following questions that involve the game sales, projection and predictions of how well FFXVI (or his knowledge on games today are sold.) This won't be summarized and will be given a full transcribe and translation due to how most people tend to translate pre-order or first week sales as the success of the game, but do note that I may need to do some paraphrasing as to minimize mistakes.
ーーーーーー
Ochiai: This might be a weird question to ask but since you have put so much passion and effort into creating this game, when it comes to management, how do you think about the sales aspect here (read: translate it into profits and sales)? In terms of timing and your target audience and so on. YoshiP: So when it comes to product, when I first submit my proposal, it's a given that I would attached together with the budget documentation, like this will be the platform where the game will be released, development wise it'll take a grand total of this amount, when the game will be released, the cost for marketing and PR will take this much, and the projected profit will be around this much...these will of course be included into the documentation...but I can tell you that I wouldn't want to look at the first week sales for FFXVI (laughs).
Ochiai: (laughs) But still, I take that the board of directors came together and approved the budget you're issuing during the meeting I assume
YoshiP: Yes that was indeed the case, but when it comes to FF, there are places where you can't turn back once you get into it. but I'm being quite drastic here, and precisely because I'm a creator here, I have to be particular about the business aspect, and if I'm just creating this game out of self-satisfaction, it will definitely not connect to the next. So even though if I get told that it was a fun game, but if this doesn't translate to sales then we won't be able to create the next game. So our policy at Creative Business Unit 3 here is that at the very least, create a game where you yourself think it's interesting, and make the game earn in black numbers (※A Japanese word meaning "profit", loss of profit is "red numbers"), even if it's just a little. By doing so, we will still get money and we'll be able to work on the games we like or things that we think are interesting so I think this time.......well......well if I think this wouldn't work out, I'd actually go destroy those projects myself, like, "I'm sorry this is impossible" and then work on other projects to supplement it, and yeah I would tell them to cancel this project. I mean, I've already done this numerous times throughout my career but still, yeah since I can't turn back this time when it comes to creating this game and I told them that we'll try to sell it all out so allow me to put this amount of budget I need for this game. The answer I got from them was "Yeah, do your best"...so...yeah. But then I've been generating profits from FFXIV anyway, and manage to contribute a lot to the company and it was thanks to the Warriors of Light that made it happen, so it was hard for the company to say "no" to what I've proposed I assume (laughs).
Ochiai: Since I do not have any experience in game sales here, but you previously mentioned that if you go with the selling out pattern, then you can somewhat see the how the next implementation will be, and sometimes there are cases where this isn't what's the approach taken when it comes to sales pattern so my question is how, or at which timing would you be able to grasp on how the sales of the game will end up when it comes to today's context? YoshiP: By the way, the system of lump-sum payment is applicable only in Japan※¹ but when it comes to overseas, basically if you can just "break in" if you want to. This can be weird, but they basically just go "just purchase a shelf". What this means is that, let's take a street-level store for example: when release date approaches there will be other games released along with your game, yes? You can brush all of them aside and say you want to place one huge portion of the segment to sell, say, FF16, then you can ask them how much do you need to pay them to do so, and they'll do so. They would also tell you that you can ship them as many copies as you want to and they'll return the extra copies that they couldn't sell. Therefore to see how sales would fare will be starting from...the amount of pre-orders...but when it comes to pre-orders, anyone can pre-order whenever they want to these days and not many would do so....so sales wise we'll look at the first week, to see how many have purchased the game digitally as well as from wholesale dealers, so the sell out starts there, and the rest will be predictions: How much the game has reached to the hands of gamers, so predictions will be made. So we'll use those detailed data in advance and create a simulation. The reason is because we'll have proof at hand on how much the copies have reached the players. For example, for FFVII Remake, we calculate based on what we can see how many user base do we have and calculate from there, so judging from the content we have this time, we can estimate that there are certain generation base that hasn't played a single Final Fantasy game purchased this game but since we are making it a full real time action, we can calculate once on how much it has dropped in percentage for certain player base who would prefer turn based Final Fantasy games and create a simulation based on that, but ultimately the results cannot be certain until we open the lid (read: release the game) so it can be hard to tell.
※¹ - YoshiP's original Japanese sentence was "ちなみに買取なのは日本だけなので”. 買取 in Japanese can be different depending on the subject discussion on hand, and the standard meaning for this word is buyback, as in trading in used goods to get back some amount of money. But considering that's definitely NOT what it means... See here for more info
Ochiai: Like for example when it comes to movies, as movies run a duration of usually 2 hours when it comes to content, so in a way we can easily see how it performs, but when it comes to games, it takes time to complete them from start to finish so it's tougher to grasp how the behavior would change. So this is my personal thoughts on the matter but how do you approach the post-release sales period like there's a change in certain behavior, and what kind of marketing strategy would you take after the game is released? YoshiP: When it comes to sales extension, well, this can slightly different from country to country, but when it comes to Japan, I can bring up one good example which is Slam Dunk (which is recently aired in theaters).
For the generations who are fans of the show, they would be extremely interested about it, but there was a commotion when it comes to the promotion prior to its release and this caused everyone to have doubts. But once the fans watched the movie, they'd go "You better watch this movie!", or they'd go recommend those who haven't watch the movie but expressed interest in it and nothing beats that kind of attraction when it comes to what PR can do even today. Though as for me, I'd go back to my roots, and convey properly on how the game has been made and released properly, and if people find the game interesting, streaming from all around the world who will be streaming this game will convey their comments and the louder those voices are, then it might encourage others who hasn't buy the game yet to give it a try, purchase a PS5 along. Another thing I've realized that younger generations don't tend to be particular about the release date, and tend to based their purchase on what's popular within their community circles, and what everyone is playing. In fact this is what happened when it comes to Apex, Fortnite, and this is definitely what the flow goes for today, so what I did is to make estimations on budget, laying out the plan saying "FFXVI is coming out", and making simple approach to try getting the staff members in the shop to convince gamers to buy FFXVI along when they purchase a PS5. So this time, I've laid out a plan on sales that would last about 18 months.※² Even when looking at the ownership ratio for PS5, there's no mistake that there will a drop in absolute ratio rather than looking at the games that are released for both PS4 and PS5.
Ochiai: Yeah, that's right.
YoshiP: I mean, yeah, it would be idiotic for anyone to not make these calculations beforehand, which is why it's important to consider the sales in a long term and extend them for as long as it can be, and then from the sales that have accumulates in these long months, we can see up to which extend people have played the game, and since we can see data in the achievements people obtain in game, we can tell how much people are stuck at certain aspects, and so on. From there we may make adjustments so that it'll be easier for people to obtain them, and we wouldn't need it to be an online game to do so. Therefore, I'm not looking at the short term sales at all.
※² - In Japan, this method is called じわ売れ (Jiwa Ure), an internet lingo literally translates to "Gradual Selling".
ーーーーーー
This is it, this ends the all the relevant info you need to know from Weekly Ochiai's talk show with Naoki Yoshida.
As YoshiP encourages the collection of responses of how FFXVI would perform, I figured that I could make some little advertisement (which I don't always do so), and if you want to help YoshiP see how his game would perform, do feel free to make a visit on my Youtube channel which I'll stream the game on Day 1. But only do so if you're:
A) Not planning to get the game just yet B) Doesn't mind spoilers
While there's no guarantee that YoshiP would even look at it, but at least the data will always be there, so please feel free. Of course, watching other streamers are fine as well, but the main point here is to give YoshiP the data he needs.
That would be all. I apologize if the translation doesn't seem coherent, but hopefully it gets the point across.

Here is the most important information, and related articles, from this article.
Published on 2023-06-02 at 02:07, this article is written by peter hannam and published by the guardian. (4 minutes)
Save 4 minutes of reading with this summary:

Last year’s 5.2% minimum wage increase had affected about one in four workers whose wages made up 11% of the national total. “There is still a series of loopholes of undercut wages and we are intending to deal with that in the second half of this year,” he said.Burke said it was “dreadful” some would interpret the wage increase as elevating the risk of higher interest rates. To complicate the size of this year’s wage increase, the Fair Work Commission increased the base against which it sets each year’s minimum wage. “[We] have decided to end the alignment between the national minimum wage and the C14 classification wage rate in modern awards – an alignment which has existed since 1997,” the decision stated. “The C14 rate is the lowest modern award minimum wage rate but was only ever intended to constitute a transitional entry rate for new employees,” and is not “a proper minimum wage safety net for award/agreement free employees in ongoing employment”.

Keep reading with 3 related articles: Reuters (2023-06-02 at 04:25) Australia hikes minimum wage as living costs surge Growing risk of June interest rate rise after minimum wage lift Tom's Guide (2023-04-06 at 10:17) You can now get paid to ask ChatGPT questions — here's how
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*** Comments mentioning anything related to treatment in this thread will be removed via our OFF TOPIC rule. Consider if you were taking a break from treatment because you were exhausted and sad - treatment (yes anything related to it) goes in treatment **\*
Coping with infertility is complex, and it is our imperative to create places where we can honor the distinctly unique needs created by infertility. Sit beside us and share what’s on your mind and going on in your life. This is a great place to get to know your fellow members outside the gravity of treatment. Discussion here includes, but is not limited to:

• Venting about the impact of infertility on our lives/relationships/careers
• Non-IF Rants of all kind – marriage, career, societal, social media, friendships, mental health, and yes… politics too. It doesn’t need to be infertility related!
• Discussions around dealing with the influence of infertility – therapy, coping methods, finding supportive friends, getting lapped by a friend, dealing with pregnancy announcements, pushy parents, people that don’t understand, etc. The big picture stuff.
• Sharing stories and parts of your life (pictures of pets always welcome!) outside of infertility

​
Example of the difference between the Treatment and Chat Thread:
Comments for the Treatment Thread

• Literally anything that involves or mentions treatment: paying for it, being exhausted by it, fighting about it, telling other people about it. If anything about your comment has anything to do with treatment, it belongs in the treatment thread. Also including diagnostic tests, medication, lab results, or lifestyle measures taking in the hopes of improving treatment outcome.
  • I'm in the TWW, and I'm glad I scheduled a vacation as a distraction!
  • I'm trying to decide if I should delay my egg retrieval cycle because this is a big work month for me.
  • I told my parents about IVF, and they were incredibly supportive. I feel really grateful.

Comments for the Chat Thread

• You can of course still discuss infertility in the chat thread:
  • I am super bummed about being lapped by a friend.
  • I have two currently pregnant coworkers, and I am losing my mind with all the pregnancy discussion.
  • Today is the anniversary of my loss, and I'm really struggling.
• Or you can discuss things unrelated to infertility:
  • Whoa, my dogwalker taught my dog to roll over.
  • There's this donut place next to my work that sells donuts for $5 each, but the WILD thing is that they're worth it!
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A few notes:

• Positive HPT or Beta Results (including Beta Hell) should only be posted in the Results thread as per the rules (except for confirmed loss): https://www.reddit.com/infertility/search?q=flair_name%3A%22Results%22
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Above all - Science minded perspective and respect for others is important here. Please treat your fellow peers with compassion.
Last reminder - this is the CHAT thread. Not the place to discuss anything focused on treatment.

So my friend had a wedding in April and though we aren’t best friends, I thought we were relatively close. Talk almost every 3-4 days, but currently live far enough apart we cannot hangout as much as we did in school. When I found out he got engage, I was like sweet and thought the possibility of getting invited was 50/50 cause he has a huge family and a wedding cost $$$. Some time passes and kind of came to the conclusion that I did not make the list. No worries.
Then randomly, I find out the day before, when the wedding was … in like the year of them being engage almost no information has been said anywhere about anything… caught me off guard but then thought “well I’m for sure not invited 😂 “ it felt like it was a secret cause they wouldn’t talk about it but idk?
Fast forward to Sunday boom baby announcement. First thought was “dang that was fast.” Then couple days later I get a text “hey what’s your address. I’m sending baby shower invites”
And ya know, kind of have me peeved, a little. I felt I was the last to know about your actual wedding day and I only knew cause someone else said it but I’m now important enough to been given a baby shower invite 2 days after you announce it? Honestly came off as greedy like, I won’t pay to have you celebrate with us but I’ll have you pay us to celebrate us. My bf came to the same conclusion too. Very off putting and it sucks feeling this way but “water off a duck back” as they say. 💦

My name is Adrian, an investigative journalist from Poland driven by a thirst for uncovering hidden truths. Chernobyl held a profound significance for me, not only as a haunting scar on history but also due to a personal connection. My grandparents had been affected by the disaster, forced to abandon their home and lives. Inspired by their resilience, I embarked on this journey to capture their stories and unravel the mysteries that shrouded Chernobyl. Filled with trepidation and excitement, I packed my gear, ready to confront the demons lurking within its irradiated walls. Little did I know that this expedition would push me into a sinister web of conspiracy, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare, forever changing the course of my life.
We were a group of intrepid travelers, united by a shared curiosity and a thirst for the unknown. The journey ahead would take us deep into the heart of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a place shrouded in mystery and haunted by the ghosts of the past.
Our guide, Igor, regaled us with tales of the ill-fated Chernobyl disaster. His voice, tinged with a mix of reverence and melancholy, painted vivid pictures of a once-vibrant city reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. As we approached the border of the exclusion zone, the landscape began to transform. The lush, green countryside gave way to desolation and decay, a stark reminder of the cataclysmic event that had unfolded here decades ago.
As we drove deeper into the heart of the exclusion zone, a palpable sense of unease settled over the van. The silence that permeated the air seemed to amplify the weight of the past, the residual energy of lives disrupted and dreams shattered. Through the windows, we caught glimpses of abandoned buildings, their crumbling facades standing as a testament to the transience of human existence.
It was amidst the eerie silence of Pripyat that my fascination with the strange and unexplained lured me away from the safety of the group. A stray cat, with its radiant blue eyes and matted fur, darted playfully through the remnants of the city, drawing me deeper into the labyrinth of abandoned streets. The curious creature seemed almost otherworldly, an enigmatic guide leading me toward an unseen destiny.
As I ventured further into the forgotten alleys of Pripyat, the echoes of my companions faded into oblivion. The weight of solitude settled upon my shoulders, both thrilling and unnerving in its intensity. It was as if I had crossed an invisible threshold, stepping into a realm where time and reality intertwined, where the boundaries between the living and the departed became blurred.
In my solitary exploration, I stumbled upon a hidden path concealed beneath a tangle of ivy and overgrown shrubbery. It beckoned to me, an invitation to uncover secrets long buried in the annals of history. My curiosity overpowered any trepidation, propelling me forward, further into the heart of the enigma.
The hidden path led me to a dilapidated building, its weathered facade standing defiantly against the ravages of time. The faded sign, barely visible amidst the peeling paint, identified it as "Laboratory 23." The air crackled with an aura of mystery as I hesitated at the threshold, my heart pounding with a mix of trepidation and excitement.
Stepping into the forsaken laboratory, I found myself in a time capsule frozen in a perpetual state of abandonment. Broken glass and discarded equipment littered the floor, remnants of a hasty retreat. The air carried the scent of rust and decay, a haunting perfume that hung heavy in the atmosphere.
Amidst the wreckage, my eyes fell upon a collection of documents scattered across a table. Their faded pages held cryptic symbols, enigmatic diagrams that seemed to dance with arcane knowledge. As I traced the lines with my trembling fingers, a sense of foreboding washed over me. It was as if these documents were a portal into a realm of forbidden knowledge, a Pandora's box that held the darkest of secrets.
Driven by an insatiable thirst for truth, I delved deeper into the lab's forgotten chambers. Within the dimly lit recesses, I discovered a hidden room, concealed behind a heavy, rusted door. The moment it creaked open, I knew I had unearthed something unimaginable.
The room was lined with shelves, each holding a multitude of binders meticulously labeled with names. As I perused the contents of the binders, a wave of disbelief washed over me. Each name was accompanied by a photograph, a face frozen in time. But it was not the faces themselves that sent a chill down my spine. It was the realization that these were the faces of missing individuals, those who had vanished without a trace from society.
One binder in particular caught my attention. It bore the chilling label "clones." Opening it, I discovered an unsettling truth: the missing individuals had been cloned, their lives replicated in secrecy within the confines of this clandestine laboratory. The implications of such a revelation were staggering, a betrayal of humanity that defied comprehension.
The weight of the evidence I had collected threatened to crush my spirit. The room, suffused with an oppressive aura, seemed to tighten its grip around me. With the damning photographs and documents securely tucked away in my bag, I turned to leave, determined to escape the clutches of this nightmare. But as I moved toward the exit, a peculiar sensation prickled the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. It was as if the air itself carried an ominous whisper, a ghostly echo of footsteps echoing through the desolate laboratory.
Fear seized me, freezing me in place. The realization dawned upon me like a chilling gust of wind—I was not alone in this forsaken place. Someone or something else lurked within the shadows, drawing nearer with each passing moment. The excitement of discovery mingled with a growing sense of dread, creating a disorienting cocktail of emotions.
In that harrowing instant, instinct took hold, overriding rational thought. Without a moment's hesitation, I pivoted on my heels and bolted towards the exit, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic fueled my every step as I navigated through the dimly lit corridors, the clamor of my own breath and the echoing footfalls of my pursuer serving as a macabre soundtrack to my escape.
Every shadow seemed to shift, morphing into a sinister figure poised to snatch me back into the clutches of the unknown. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, propelling me forward, my only goal to break free from this labyrinth of horrors. The very air seemed to thicken, as if resisting my frantic escape, but sheer determination fueled my desperate flight.
Finally, I burst through the door, gasping for breath, my pulse thundering in my ears. The world outside the laboratory, though still cloaked in an eerie silence, felt like salvation. I sprinted through the desolate halls, never looking back, each step propelling me farther from the unseen terror that had pursued me.
It was only when I reached the relative safety of the open air, the sun casting long shadows across the abandoned landscape, that I allowed myself a moment to collect my thoughts. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead as I leaned against a crumbling wall, trying to steady my racing heart. The weight of the encounter pressed upon me, a reminder that the horrors lurking in the unknown were far more menacing than I could have ever imagined.
I knew, deep down, that the discovery I had made in that foreboding laboratory had unleashed something far greater than I had anticipated. It was a truth that demanded to be revealed, but it also posed a danger that threatened to consume me. With trembling hands, I clutched the bag containing the evidence—the only tangible proof of the conspiracy I had encountered. With a renewed determination, I vowed to bring the truth to light, no matter the personal cost. The echoes of footsteps and the ghostly whispers would forever haunt my memory, driving me forward into the heart of darkness, prepared to confront the unimaginable horrors that lay ahead.
Against all rational judgment, I made the fateful decision to return to the forsaken laboratory, driven by an insatiable thirst for the truth that burned deep within my soul. The weight of the knowledge I had gained hung heavily upon my shoulders, propelling me forward into the heart of danger, where few dared to tread.
As I cautiously stepped into the decaying lab, the air seemed to grow heavier, pregnant with an otherworldly presence. The soft glow of my flashlight illuminated the desolate scene before me. Each creak of the floorboards echoed like a spectral cry, a warning from the spirits of those whose lives had been extinguished in this place.
With renewed determination, I retraced my steps, reexamining the cryptic documents and peculiar biological equipment that had initially captivated my attention. But now, armed with new insights, I saw beyond the surface. I deciphered the enigmatic symbols etched onto the aged papers, connecting them to forbidden knowledge hidden within ancient texts and whispered legends.
As I ventured deeper into the labyrinthine chambers, the air became charged with an electric energy, as if the very walls pulsed with the secrets they held. Each room held its own story, its own secrets waiting to be unraveled. I meticulously examined every piece of equipment, every forgotten notebook, uncovering a web of interconnected experiments that went far beyond human cloning.
The further I delved into the lab, the stronger the sensation of being watched became. Paranoia gnawed at the edges of my mind, as if unseen eyes tracked my every move. Shadows seemed to dance in the corners of my vision, fleeting glimpses of a presence that eluded my grasp. The air crackled with a malevolent energy, leaving me on edge, my senses heightened to every flicker of movement and every whisper of sound.
Strange occurrences plagued me, testing the limits of my sanity. Objects inexplicably shifted positions, as if moved by unseen hands. Whispers, barely audible, resonated through the empty corridors, their cryptic messages fueling my determination to uncover the truth. Each encounter with the unseen presence left me trembling, yet I pressed forward, compelled by an insatiable curiosity mixed with a gnawing dread.
With each passing moment, the veil between the tangible and the intangible seemed to thin, blurring the boundaries of reality. I began to question my own perceptions, wondering if the presence haunting the lab was merely a figment of my imagination or something far more sinister. It was as if the very walls held the memories of those who had suffered and perished in this forsaken place, their specters reaching out from the past to guide or deceive me.
Piece by piece, the puzzle began to reveal the true magnitude of the conspiracy that had been woven within the walls of the Chernobyl laboratory. The Chernobyl disaster had been orchestrated, a calculated smokescreen to mask the clandestine operations of human cloning and organ trafficking. The government, entwined with a powerful and sinister cabal, had exploited the chaos and devastation to carry out their heinous deeds.
Through a network of corrupted scientists and government officials, they had perfected the art of human cloning, creating identical duplicates to fulfill their nefarious agenda. These clones were mere commodities, their lives extinguished to harvest their organs, which were then sold on the black market to the highest bidders.
As I pieced together the fragments of the conspiracy, my mind reeled with the implications. The very fabric of society had been torn apart, with those in power manipulating the lives of countless individuals for their own gain. The Chernobyl disaster had been not just a tragedy, but a meticulously planned cover-up, shrouding the dark underbelly of a far-reaching conspiracy.
But as the shadows of truth began to coalesce, so too did the darkness that had been lurking within the lab. Confronted by unidentified individuals, their faces concealed behind masks of shadows, I found myself cornered, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic surged through my veins as I fought against overwhelming odds, desperately clinging to the sliver of hope that remained.
In the chaos and desperation, a blow to the head sent me spiraling into unconsciousness, my fate hanging in the balance. What awaited me on the other side of consciousness remained a terrifying mystery, as I teetered on the precipice of oblivion, caught between the harsh reality and the realm of nightmares.
When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself alone in the eerie lab, the ominous silence enveloping me like a suffocating shroud. As my vision cleared, I realised with a sinking feeling that all the physical evidence I had painstakingly collected had vanished, leaving behind only blank, empty pages and hollow photographs. It was as if the truth itself had been stripped away, erased by an unknown force that sought to bury the horrifying secrets I had uncovered.
Confusion and frustration gnawed at my soul. How could the evidence disappear so mysteriously, leaving no trace of the monstrous conspiracy that had threatened the very fabric of humanity? Doubt crept in, whispering insidious questions about my sanity and the validity of my discoveries. But deep down, I knew that I had seen the truth, felt its chilling touch, and I couldn't let it be silenced.
Drawing upon the last reserves of my strength, I rose from the cold, barren floor. Every muscle ached, every joint protested, but my resolve burned brighter than ever. The forces that sought to bury the truth would not deter me. With a renewed sense of purpose, I vowed to press forward, to continue the fight against the darkness that had infiltrated Chernobyl.
Steeling myself, I navigated the labyrinthine corridors, my senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The lab had become a graveyard of secrets, its walls bearing silent witness to the atrocities committed within its forsaken halls. As I ventured deeper into the heart of the darkness, I clung to the flickering flame of hope, knowing that the final chapter of this harrowing journey was yet to unfold.
The chilling realisation that the powers orchestrating the conspiracy were far-reaching and influential only fueled my determination. With every step I took, I knew that I was walking a treacherous path, one that could lead to my own demise. But the truth had become my unwavering guide, guiding me through the murky depths of the unknown, urging me to shine a light on the horrors that had been buried beneath Chernobyl's haunting facade.
As the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place, I prepared myself for the ultimate confrontation. The shadowy figures who had cornered me before would not have the final say. Armed with knowledge, resilience, and an unwavering desire for justice, I would emerge from the depths of the lab to confront the conspirators and expose their malevolent machinations to the world.
Little did I know that the journey ahead would be fraught with danger and despair, pushing me to the very limits of my sanity and physical endurance. But I was prepared to face whatever awaited me, for the truth must be unveiled, even if it meant walking through the darkest recesses of human depravity.
With a heavy heart and unwavering resolve, I ventured forth, ready to unravel the final layers of the conspiracy that had gripped Chernobyl, determined to bring light to the darkest corners and emerge from the shadows with the truth firmly in hand. The culmination of my journey was yet to come, a reckoning that would test not only my own strength but also the endurance of those who dared to confront the unspeakable horrors lurking in the depths of the human soul.
Injured and disoriented, I found myself trapped in the labyrinthine depths of the desolate laboratory. Every step felt like a battle against the darkness that surrounded me, as if the very walls conspired to keep me captive within their clutches. But the flickering flame of determination burned bright within me, pushing me to navigate my way out of this nightmarish realm.
Wounds throbbed with each movement, a reminder of the confrontation I had faced with the unidentified individuals who sought to silence me. Despite the pain, I refused to succumb to despair. Through sheer grit and unwavering resolve, I charted a treacherous path back towards the world beyond those foreboding walls.
Every shadow seemed to breathe, every creak of the decaying structure echoed like a sinister whisper. The air hung heavy with an oppressive silence, broken only by the sound of my own ragged breath. Fear gripped my heart, but the urgency to expose the truth propelled me forward, my footsteps guided by a desperate hope for escape.
As I neared the exit, a surge of relief mingled with a haunting sense of loss. Leaving behind the horrors of the laboratory meant stepping into a world forever altered by the knowledge I carried. The once-familiar reality now appeared distorted, as if a veil had been lifted to reveal the sinister undercurrents that flowed beneath the surface.
Back to safety, I struggled to find a voice amidst the cacophony of disbelief and dismissals. The physical evidence I had collected, once concrete proof of the conspiracy, now lay blank and empty, a haunting reminder of the insidious forces at work. Desperation clawed at my chest as I sought to share my story, to expose the darkness that threatened to consume us all.
But the world, ensnared in its own illusions and complacency, rejected my claims. Labelled a conspiracy theorist, my words fell on deaf ears, dismissed as the delusions of a tormented mind. The weight of frustration and isolation threatened to extinguish the flame of truth within me, but I refused to be silenced.
Filled with an unwavering sense of purpose, I returned to the desolate location of the lab one last time, hoping against hope to find remnants of the evidence that had vanished into thin air. But as I stood before the site, my heart sank. The entrance stood sealed, the lab forever concealed behind layers of impenetrable cement. It looked like it was sealed for years. It was a stark reminder that the forces orchestrating the conspiracy were determined to erase all traces of their nefarious activities.
I lingered for a moment, absorbing the weight of the loss, before making peace with the fact that physical proof was forever beyond my reach. But the fire within me continued to burn, fueled by the belief that even without tangible evidence, the truth had a way of seeping into the collective consciousness.
Edit: Someone sent me a weird email with link to my nosleep post and this image. I have no idea what does it mean, have anybody seen this image before?

Keeping your house clean and tidy is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and happy home. Whether you are running a busy household or enjoying some downtime, a professional cleaning company can be an excellent way to keep your living space in pristine condition. However, when it comes to selecting a cleaning company, it is essential to identify the features that set expert cleaners apart from average ones. In this article, we will be discussing the key things you should look for when choosing a cleaning company in Australia.
Expert cleaners Brisbane
An expert cleaner is someone who not only has the necessary skills to carry out the cleaning duties but also has a keen eye for detail. Besides, they should possess the following characteristics:
Experience and Training
When looking for a cleaning company, it is important to choose one that has a team of experienced and trained cleaners. A professional cleaning company should ensure that their team undergoes training from time to time to keep them up to date with the latest cleaning methods. An experienced cleaner will know how to tackle tough stains and will also be able to recommend the best cleaning products for your home.
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is one of the distinguishing factors of an expert cleaner. A professional cleaner will ensure that every corner of your house is clean, and nothing is left unchecked. They will pay attention to the small things like cleaning under the sofa, dusting off the blinds, and ensuring that your windows are sparkling clean.
Reliable and Trustworthy
A professional cleaner should be reliable and trustworthy. You should be able to trust them to carry out their duties even when you are not at home. This means that they should be punctual and arrive on time for their cleaning appointments. The last thing you want is to have a cleaner who is always late or doesn't show up at all.
Equipment and Supplies
A competent cleaning company should have access to the latest cleaning equipment and supplies. This means that they should be able to choose the right cleaning products that are best suited for your home. Moreover, a reliable cleaning company should know how to handle the equipment correctly, and they should also ensure that it is regularly serviced.
Affordable Cleaning Services
The cost of hiring a professional cleaning company is an essential consideration for most homeowners. While it is crucial to find a cleaning company that offers affordable services, it is equally important to consider the quality of their services. Here are some factors to consider when comparing cleaning companies in Australia.
Size of Your Home
The size of your home will play a significant role in determining the cost of the cleaning services. A larger house will typically require more time and effort to clean, and this will be reflected in the cost. It is important to get a quote from the cleaning company before hiring them to avoid any misunderstandings or surprises later on.
Frequency of Cleaning
The frequency of cleaning is a critical factor in determining the cost of the services. If you need the cleaning company to clean your home every day, this will be more expensive than a once-a-week cleaning service. Be sure to consider the frequency of cleaning that is best suited for your lifestyle and budget.
Type of Cleaning Services
Different cleaning companies offer different types of cleaning services. Some cleaning companies specialize in deep cleaning, while others focus on general cleaning services. Decide on the type of cleaning services that you require and look for a cleaning company that specializes in that particular area.
Professional Cleaning Services
When it comes to professional cleaning services, there are various services that you can expect from a professional cleaning company. Here are some of the most popular services that you can expect from a professional cleaning company.
General Cleaning Services
General cleaning services typically involve cleaning of the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, and living room. This includes vacuuming, mopping, dusting, and wiping surfaces. A professional cleaning company will ensure that every corner of your house is cleaned thoroughly.
Deep Cleaning Services
Deep cleaning services are more thorough than general cleaning services. This type of cleaning involves cleaning areas that are often neglected during general cleaning. This includes wiping baseboards, cleaning window frames, and scrubbing the shower tiles.
I would like to suggest Make it Clean for Commercial Cleaning, Bond Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning and Domestic Cleaning Services.

When it comes to Medicare, risk assessment plays a crucial role in determining appropriate reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage plans. Two important data processing systems used by Medicare for risk assessment are the Risk Adjustment Processing System (RAPS) and the Encounter Data Processing System (EDPS). In this blog post, we will decode RAPS and EDPS, shedding light on how they contribute to risk assessment in Medicare.

1. Risk Adjustment Processing System (RAPS): RAPS is a data processing system used by Medicare to calculate risk scores for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Risk scores determine the level of reimbursement a Medicare Advantage plan receives based on the predicted healthcare costs of its enrollees. RAPS collects diagnosis codes from Medicare Advantage plans through their own claims submissions and encounter data. These diagnosis codes are then used to calculate risk scores by mapping them to Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) and applying specific weighting factors. The higher the risk score, the higher the reimbursement to the Medicare Advantage plan.
2. Encounter Data Processing System (EDPS): EDPS is another data processing system used by Medicare for risk assessment. It involves the submission of encounter data directly from providers who treat Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Encounter data includes detailed information about the services provided, such as diagnosis codes, procedure codes, and the associated dates. EDPS processes this encounter data and uses it to calculate risk scores for Medicare Advantage plans. The goal is to ensure accurate risk adjustment by incorporating actual utilization data from providers.
3. Differences and Integration: While both RAPS and EDPS serve the purpose of risk assessment, there are differences in their data collection and processing methods. RAPS relies on claims submissions from Medicare Advantage plans, while EDPS collects encounter data directly from providers. Historically, RAPS was the primary method for risk adjustment, but in recent years, Medicare has been transitioning to an increased reliance on EDPS. The data from RAPS and EDPS are integrated to ensure comprehensive risk assessment and accurate reimbursement for Medicare Advantage plans.
4. Importance of Risk Assessment: Risk assessment through systems like RAPS and EDPS is crucial for maintaining the financial stability of Medicare Advantage plans. By adjusting reimbursement based on the predicted healthcare costs of enrollees, Medicare can ensure that plans caring for beneficiaries with higher healthcare needs receive adequate funding. This helps to promote the availability and affordability of quality healthcare for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
5. Ensuring Accuracy: To ensure accurate risk assessment, it is important for Medicare Advantage plans and healthcare providers to submit complete and accurate diagnosis codes and encounter data. This includes capturing all relevant diagnoses and procedures during patient visits and submitting the data in a timely manner. Compliance with coding and documentation guidelines is also essential for accurate risk adjustment and appropriate reimbursement.

In conclusion, RAPS and EDPS are vital data processing systems used by Medicare for risk assessment in Medicare Advantage plans. They play a crucial role in determining reimbursement rates based on the predicted healthcare costs of enrollees. Understanding these systems and their integration can help stakeholders in the Medicare system navigate risk assessment effectively, ensuring appropriate funding for Medicare Advantage plans and quality healthcare for beneficiaries.\
Access Health Care Physicians, LLC differentiates between the Risk Adjustment Processing System (RAPS) and the Encounter Data Processing System (EDPS). RAPS is a mechanism used by health insurers to calculate risk scores for their members based on diagnoses submitted by providers. It relies on claims data and encounters between patients and healthcare providers. In contrast, EDPS is a newer system that captures encounter data directly from providers, including detailed information on services rendered. While RAPS has been in use for a longer time and is more established, EDPS aims to improve accuracy and timeliness of risk adjustment by utilizing more comprehensive and specific encounter data.
Also Read: RAPS vs EDPS Healthcare Provider

Just expressing because I need to vent what the Universe has dumped. So I JUST went through a heart wrenching traumatic sitch where one really old rescued cat had to have surgery to remove an eye and deal with a subsequent respiratory infection to boot. She made it through SO well that her now spunky old ass did a wappy paw with another rescued cat at breakfast and scratched that cat's eye! F me Freddy! It's not looking good, and now I have to find a way to get HER to an extra vet visit for her EYE! Geeze Louise! Is the Universe trying to tell me something, other than that I have too many rescued cats (four)!?! What's with all of the eye issues!?? Oh, and our car died, like died. Not the battery, checked this and looked at that to the point where my husband has been looking at buying a new (used) vehicle. I mean, we HAVE to have a vehicle to even get the cat to the vet! Money sucks! It's been a week since the scratch happened, and the eye doesn't look better. MAYBE it's healing... But probably not. It's starting to look ( ha ha pun but not) like we're going to have our Uber driver clear some time for a vet trip. It would only cost $16 bucks for an Uber, but getting the drivers schedule matched with the vets schedule will be tricky! We live in a place that calls itself a city, but really is just a small town, lol. The Ubers are so few that we know them by name. 😁 That's a benefit that will hopefully play into our court. But we're still playing money catch-up after the first cat eye issue, so finances are, well, nothing! The pet credit service is nil. So for the next several days at least we're on a wait and see (bad pun again) status. This is hard on us financially, and it SUCKS for our poor little black bean cat to have to wait, but I don't regret letting her walk into my home at all. As bad as my rescue attempt is at this point, she IS better off here. She was wild, but felt safe coming to us and our other pets... They accepted her totally! To me, because we two have a weird bond. She was dumped here by a well meaning organization, but she was never capable of being feral. Just being a black cat put odds against her. I swear that I could FEEL when this cat was near before she came inside! During a REALLY hard Winter this cat ran inside my home for shelter, but in truth I felt a bond and concern for her long before that. Weird AF! So, I've GOT to get this eye issue taken care of! I just don't know how I'm going to be able to do it right now. SMH. To anyone wanting, willing, to take in a rescue pet I HIGHLY recommend the credit insurance programs! Life beyond a yearly checkup can unexpectedly F you up! 😆 I'm learning the lesson of be proactive or be F'ed!

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Introduction: In today's fast-paced world, owning a car has become a necessity for many individuals. Whether it's commuting to work, running errands, or embarking on a road trip, our cars play a vital role in our daily lives. However, to ensure optimal performance, safety, and longevity of our vehicles, regular car servicing is crucial. In this article, we will explore the importance of car service and highlight its various aspects.

1. Maximizing Performance: One of the primary benefits of regular car service is maximizing performance. Over time, various components of a vehicle can wear out, leading to decreased efficiency and diminished driving experience. A comprehensive car service includes checking and servicing the engine, brakes, transmission, and other vital systems, ensuring they are in optimal condition. Regular maintenance helps identify and address minor issues before they develop into major problems, ensuring your car runs smoothly and efficiently.
2. Ensuring Safety: Safety should always be a top priority when it comes to vehicles. Regular car service plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of both the driver and passengers. During servicing, the mechanic thoroughly inspects critical safety features such as brakes, tires, suspension, and lights. This proactive approach helps identify any potential safety hazards and enables timely repairs or replacements, reducing the risk of accidents and breakdowns on the road.
3. Prolonging Vehicle Lifespan: Purchasing a car is a significant investment, and maintaining its value is essential. Regular car service contributes to prolonging the lifespan of your vehicle. By addressing minor issues promptly and conducting routine maintenance tasks such as oil changes, filter replacements, and fluid checks, you can prevent premature wear and tear. Taking care of your car through regular servicing will not only extend its longevity but also enhance its resale value should you decide to sell it in the future.
4. Saving Money in the Long Run: While some individuals may hesitate to spend money on car service, it is a smart investment that can save you money in the long run. Neglecting routine maintenance can lead to more significant and expensive repairs down the line. By detecting and fixing minor issues early on, you can prevent them from escalating into major problems that require costly repairs or component replacements. Regular servicing also helps improve fuel efficiency, saving you money at the gas pump.
5. Manufacturer Warranty Compliance: For individuals with new or leased vehicles, adhering to the manufacturer's recommended service schedule is essential to maintain warranty coverage. Car manufacturers often require regular servicing to validate warranty claims. By following the prescribed service intervals and documenting the maintenance history, you can ensure that any potential warranty repairs are covered.

Conclusion: Car service is not merely an option but a vital aspect of responsible car ownership. Regular maintenance enhances performance, ensures safety, prolongs vehicle lifespan, saves money, and maintains warranty coverage. It is recommended to consult your vehicle's owner's manual or a trusted mechanic to establish a maintenance schedule tailored to your car's specific needs. By investing in regular car service, you can enjoy a smoother, safer, and more reliable journey on the road.
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This Post https://www.reddit.com/SexEducationNetflix/comments/13xu71f/for_all_rotis_fans_and_people_who_are_obsessed/ was Reported but I Approved it. There are new and/or returning commenters on this subReddit. It's closer to SE S4's 'release'. It's seemingly close to more news about SE S4 and closer to when the SE S4 trailer comes out. That Post and Post thread is legitimate.
I fully meant it in my Original Sticky Mod Post (https://www.reddit.com/SexEducationNetflix/comments/1003v1y/its_okay_to_love_or_hate_a_ship_its_okay_to_love/). It's okay to hate Ruby Matthews in this subReddit. It's okay to hate Otis/Ruby in this subReddit.
And it's obviously okay that millions of SE viewers would be disappointed that there wasn't more Otis/Maeve in SE S3 and that Maeve literally left the country at the end of SE S3 and seemingly will be away from Moordale for at least a few episodes in SE S4.
Except for those who break the Rules of Reddit or the Rules of this subReddit and eventually get permanently Banned because of either frequency of Rule-breaking and/or egregiousness of Rule-breaking, all Sex Education viewers are fully welcome on this subReddit.
I actually consider CharlieWaitress111 one of the bettebest members of this subReddit given the user makes Posts that get engagement and spark interesting and fruitful discussion.
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And I encourage people to have some empathy for Otis/Maeve 'shippers. Imagine if Buffy/Spike happened before Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Angel merely made out 3 times after over 4 years after Buffy the Vampire Slayer BtVS 1.01 first aired. People watching Smallville wanted Clark/Lois to happen even though Lois Lane wasn't even first introduced in the show until S4. And I think Clark/Lois doesn't even happen until like S8. But at least Smallville viewers didn't have to worry about the show being cancelled before Clark/Lois finally actually happens. Imagine those watching Gossip Girl and were 'shipping Serena/Dan but like Serena/Nate, Dan/Vanessa or even BlaiDan all happen before Serena/Dan does. And then before Serena/Dan are even shown as actually boyfriend/girlfriend on-screen, Blake Lively announces she's leaving the show after the upcoming Season and you know that Serena's character will be a several-hour plane ride away from Dan for perhaps half the upcoming Season. Regarding The Vampire Diaries, Elena/Stefan first kiss by the end of TVD 1.02, Elena has a sex dream about Elena/Stefan in TVD 1.03, Katherine/Stefan have a flashback sex scene in TVD 1.06 and another in TVD 1.17(?), Elena/Stefan first have sex in TVD 1.10, and Elena/Stefan become boyfriend/girlfriend by TVD 1.02 and Elena considers they first started dating in TVD 1.01. While Elena/Stefan don't kiss in TVD S3 until TVD 3.22, Elena/Stefan is very reinforced in TVD S3 to the point that it seems impossible that Elena/Damon would happen after TVD S3. Elena/Stefan are relatively stronger than ever in TVD 4.01-4.04 and it seems as if they'll literally be together forever given Elena is now a vampire and Elena/Stefan effectively get engaged at the end of TVD 4.01. And then TVD 4.06 happens and the viewership numbers and ratings soon fall. But there are still strong Elena/Stefan 'teases' like in TVD 4.16, 4.19, etc. Katherine/Stefan happens in TVD S5. Elena/Stefan have 'teases' in TVD S5 such as TVD 5.04 and especially TVD 5.18. Both were effectively fan service. TVD 5.18 has the highest viewership numbers and ratings of TVD S5 because so many watched on DVR and obviously fast-forwarded to all the Elena/Stefan stuff. The ratings and viewership permanently tanked after TVD 5.16(?) because Katherine was killed off. Online outside of Reddit, Elena/Damon is clearly favored. But the actual viewership of TVD has Elena/Stefan as by far the most popular 'ship and Katherine/Stefan is considerably more popular than Elena/Damon. And the numbers show that.
Clark/Lois are endgame in Smallville, but the viewership numbers and ratings were highest in S1-S5.
Elena/Stefan 'shippers have an arguably perfect ending point for the show: either the end of TVD 4.01 or 4.04 including the deleted part of the training scene in which Elena happily states that she'll be with Stefan literally forever and it's clear that Elena/Stefan are having sex. Katherine/Stefan 'shippers have TVD S5 and can consider that TVD S8 all led to Stefan's decision to die with Katherine rather than be married to Caroline or wait to see Elena again and that Katherine and Stefan are in Peace together and thus are literally the only confirmed literal soulmates in the the TV version of the TVD'verse.
BlaiDan, Serena/Nate, Serena/Carter, etc. 'shippers complain to this day that those couples weren't endgame.
Buffy/Angel 'shippers can consider that BtVS 7.22 or AtS 5.22 is the end of the Buffyverse and that Buffy is still being Cookie Dough for Angel. Buffy/Spike 'shippers have that Season 8-12 exist.
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And, yeah, 'shipping in SE is relatively mild compared to other intellectual properties. Including Harry Potter.
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Hi all!
I am international student and will be starting my PhD in the US near the west coast this fall, and my girlfriend would be doing hers near the east coast. We tried to get close-by admits, but unfortunately that did not happen. Have any of you had long distance relationships during your PhD? Any advice would be helpful.
My current plan is to try and stay together during the summers/winters, and perhaps fly out to meet each other atleast once in 30-45 days (costs around 300$ to and fro). We're hoping to explore different places in the US too, so we could fly to a common city.
I don't live in the US and haven't experienced the stresses of the PhD life, so the above plan might sound naive. Do you think it is practical, given money is a secondary consideration? We've been working for the past couple of years, and have some savings to spend. Any suggestion as to the practicality of this would be appreciated!
Thank you so much :)

Backstory: My wife and I purchase our first home three years ago. At the time I was working on restaurant out of state (design work) and hit it off with the AV consultant. Started talking home automation and what would be a good fit for DIY. Took the opportunity to prewire my house during renovation and he was gracious enough to sell me all the hardware at cost as well as offer to do some remote programming. He spent a lot of time helping me coordinate the infrastructure, I spent a lot of time and money doing it but most rewarding was learning and figuring out how this all works. Certainly became a hobby.
Anyway, they’re extremely busy all the time working on million dollar houses. I’ve got 1450 sf…I’ve successfully been able to work out one day of remote programming and a previously couple hours here or there configuring network - I’m two years down the road and they don’t have time to help. Always offering to pay, dropping “how y’all looking, any free time” every couple months, even sent expensive bottle of booze to hopefully keep me front of mind just because…its embarrassing. Im so close, all the backend stuff is configured in Accelerator, I just need the final two ways setup for lights/audio then voice. TVs communicating, but TC user interface needs to be purged of useless menus.
There’s almost no one locally to Louisiana who messes with URC. Are there any remote programming services available to recommendations for companies outside the dealer who sold me the stuff? Anyone come to mind akin to, “oh ____ is a wiz, he could knockout a 1500 sf project in a day”??
I’ve got thousands of dollars invested and seems like we’ll outgrow this house before I ever get to use the system I learned all about (not to mention my time investment and labor).
System overview: MRX-15 Ra2Select lighting - 10 or so dimmers 8 zones Heos 3 Frame TVs Reolink Surveillance Echo voice was the plan 15+25 port poe Araknis UniFi All lives locally on a miniPC
Any advice? Any recommendations for help along the gulf coast? Thank you

I never thought that I would get a need to make this post, but a certain cis white male Yugituber has invoked a recent push in the idea that Set Rotation is the solution to a majority of Yu-Gi-Oh's problems, and that it's very reasonable for it to be implemented, be it replacing the main format, or otherwise.
Before I explain my reasoning as to why this is a ludicrous idea, let's go over what Set Rotation is, and what it COULD potentially fix.
What is Set Rotation? (No it's not the card)
For the few of you who don't know, Set Rotation is the main gimmick of some other TCG's 'Standard' formats, i.e. MTG and Hearthstone. The idea is that the only cards that are legal in this Standard format are cards that have been printed in the past 2 or 3 years, and any sets that go past this timer 'Rotate Out', and become no longer legal for the format.
So, what would this potentially mean for Yu-Gi-Oh?
Slows Down Powercreep
This is the big one, and the main thing pro-rotation players hone in on as to why Set Rotation would be a step in the right direction. With every card being on a soft time limit, Konami would no longer have an incentive to make each set stronger than the last to drive in sales, and can instead sell sets on the notion of "This old set has less time to live, but this new set is on a fresh limit." This theoretically means that the rampant powercreep we've been seeing these last few years can be curved down majorly, and we can go back to the strategic back-and-forth gameplay we've been yearning for.
Curation of Good Formats
This next one is a little more nuanced. With the need to keep track of 10 000+ cards no longer on the menu, Konami can have an easier time designing exciting, interesting formats for the players to try out. They can print archetypes without the sorry that this random card from 2005 would break it, or that this random 2018 staple blows it out of the water. They could even pick and choose cards that have since rotated and reprint them in a core set, or as some have proposed, a yearly "Base Set", containing all the staples that have since rotated out of Standard.
And... that's about it! Those are pretty much all there is to Set Rotation, and how it could fix many of Yu-Gi-Oh's issues. And to be fair, curving down powercreep and the potential for fun gameplay experiences does look very enticing.
Let me explain why it isn't so simple.
25 Years of Fans for What?
Of the big 3 card games, MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! is the only one where its main format does not feature Set Rotation. It would be pretty disingenuous to say that a negligible amount of people were drawn to this game FOR its lack of Set Rotation, instead of DESPITE it. And a large amount of the playerbase, and TCG players in general, don't appreciate their cards being on a blatant timer. "Well, they were on a timer anyways thanks to powercreep!" Not to the staples, they aren't. Generic cards last a solid 6? 7 years of consistently good use until a new card takes its place? And while it's true that archetypes certainly face a large brunt of the powercreep problem, many players simply don't care. They want to keep playing that rogue deck they always liked, and it being no longer legal due to just being too old is a real downer on them. This leads us to...
It Can be an Alternate Format! Or Can it?
It's no surprise that Konami is absolute shit at managing alt formats. This, alongside some other points I'll get to later, is an example of Set Rotation simply asking waaaay too much out of Konami. If a Rotation format were to be introduced alongside the current, "Legacy" format we're all familiar with, if Konami doesn't push it out the ass and shove it down our throats, it's natural thanks to the past 25 years of its history that the Legacy format would be more popular. Simply adding Set Rotation this far into a game's life requires extremely careful planning from a company, and extreme customer loyalty. And Konami does not check either of those boxes.
I Like Money
You can construct this as an advantage for Konami, but if they don't want to heavily support two ongoing formats at the same time, the price of the game can become a major issue. The current price of the game wouldn't be going anywhere. If Kashtira, Purrely and VS are any indicators, just because cards are new and being opened a lot doesn't mean they'll be cheap. Now add on that you can only play these cards for all of 3 years maximum before you have to invest all over again into another deck core as well as all of this new format's staples. This could be one of the reasons why Standard in Magic The Gathering died out, alongside WOTC removing the primary incentive to play Standard in the first place.
Oops! Legacy Support!
This is probably the biggest physical hurdle that needs to be jumped if we want Set Rotation to be a thing. A huge amount of Konami's current product is the printing of support for archetypes much, much older than 3 years in order to push it into meta viability. This would, simply put, not be able to exist in a rotating format. A common counterpoint thrown around is that whenever Konami prints legacy support, they can just announce that the archetype its for is now in the Standard rotation!
There are many problems with this.
Firstly, this would probably be the nail in the coffin for TCG and OCG never being able to unify as formats. And the stick in the mud is VJump Promos. Every VJump magazine, the OCG prints a mechanically exclusive card into it, usually one that supports an archetype. If this would bring it into the Standard rotation, all of a sudden we have one format that has Sky Striker legal, and one that doesn't. Secondly, some archetypes are just too old or too big to be reprinted. If CYAC were to release with this Standard format in mind, we would be seeing a TON of old-ass Superheavy Samurai cards shooting up in price, cards in sets now out of print, so Konami wouldn't even be making any money off of those purchases. And if Konami were to, say, print the archetypes the new cards are supporting in some of of supplementary set, not only does that have the possibility to bring product fatigue, do you really want the entire HERO and Blackwing archetype again?
Simply Overhaul Your Game
This is another point in Konami just not being competent or trustworthy enough to pull something like this off. Set Rotation could be implemented, IF Konami heavily supports alt formats, IF Konami decides to overhaul their entire product design, IF Konami is willing to curb their powercreep, and IF Konami even wants to take this major, major risk in the first place. That's a lot of big ifs towards a company that can't even livestream their events half the time, and a company that made fucking Metal Gear Survive.
Other, Healthier Solutions
Many of the pro-rotation players argue that this is the way to solve Yu-Gi-Oh's, admittedly, large, Powercreep problem. I argue that there are other ways to solve this. Ones that aren't as large of risks for Konami, ones that don't overhaul the game as we know it, and ones that can reliably provide a good break from current Yu-Gi-Oh!, which is realistically what we all want.
Pretty much the only alternative formats Konami is willing to pour some attention to are Speed Duels and Time Wizard. GOAT and Edison appear to be doing the best out of the legacy formats we have, and Konami has even shown some interest in it with Hidden Arsenal Chapter 1, a set that printed a whole bunch of Edison cards and even gave us an un-errata for Armory Arm. All it takes is one or two sets to make either one of these formats a budget friendly option, and Konami can just sit back and not need to use that brain of theirs. A non-rotating, static format that you can always fall back on to have a good time when current Yu-Gi-Oh! is getting bothersome on you. Speed Duels are doing quite well, with Konami opting for single boxes, DUDE style, instead of the traditional booster pack format, and they once again give players a nice refresher when they're tired of getting Zone-locked for 9 or getting Kaiju'd for the tenth game in a row.
I hope that I've reasonably laid out my reasoning as to why Set Rotation, while having good intentions, is reasonably, and practically not possible for Konami to implement in this day and age.
TLDR: Set Rotation helps for Powercreep and making good formats, but IMO ignores 25 years of history, Konami's refusal towards alt formats, cost, and product design. GOAT/Edison or Speed Duels are probably better for something like this.

I have a potential job offer that will come through sometime next week. They are offering me 120K NZD in Auckland for a software engineering role. I am single, 26 and have 4 years of experience.
From what I researched, this salary isn't really great because of high cost of living.
I live in India right now and the firm in NZ is willing to sponsor the visa. I would say I save a lot right now in India. Around 3000 NZD per month if I convert.
I want to explore this seemingly beautiful country and live here for a few years but I am not sure if the salary will be sufficient to live a good life and also not sure about future prospects.
Also will my savings be more than current and will it be less?

From what I've seen, I think it likely that AI will replace most jobs completed today by humans. Thats mean most people will lose their jobs over time.
When that happens either our economy will adjust like it has after other technological revolutions and enough jobs will be created to sustain the working class or our economy will collapse because of its inability to create jobs that can't be done better and cheaper than AI and likely cause a recession.
How could any job that requires human knowledge not benefit from the input of an AI trained specifically for that specific task or an AGI capable of doing an endless variety of tasks?
The question then will be how can we transition towards an economy that doesn't rely on human labor. And I think this question depends on a few factors as well. For example, will AGI replace the current owners of wealth? If AGI is able to displace the working class, then surely it will be able to replace the job of any shareholder. The future of wealth, then, will lie with owners of AGI. How will the power of AGI be distributed? This to me seems like the essential question.
The markets will undoubtedly feel the effects of AGI. There will be a constant push for better (more efficient and less costly) products and services because competition will be optimized. However, that competition will be driven by better optimized AGI, possibly with little to no human input.
This could all be really good or really bad for humans. Which leads me to my other essential question, what role will the government play? I don't think current policy on AI is at all a reflection of what future sentiment of AI will be, mainly because we've seen very little consequences as a result of our technological advancement. However, we do know advancement is taking place and so it can be surmised that that advancement will either have positive or negative results. How will those results be perceived by the the general public and how will perceptions change with more and more advancement? If negatively, are our democratic institutions functioning well enough that our government can respond appropriately to the symptoms created by those advancements? I look at the current state of democracy, and I worry.
But wouldn't government and government officials also seek to optimize with AGI either of their own volition or at the behest of their constituents?
To what extent could the government use AGI to create a society for its citizens in which their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are more firmly upheld? I really think the answer to both questions is here.
In the long run, competition driven by AGI creates lower costs for everything including AGI itself, food, medicine, solar, wind, and nuclear energy, entertainment, education, transportation, and technology. The government could be an influential player in their cost reduction if allowed to implement their own AGI.
When the cost of infrastructure falls to zero, how quickly will our society change and for that matter, improve?
None of this will happen without human implementation. I don't think it will happen overnight like some people do. But I think the implementation of AI into our lives is coming and it could come faster than we think. Hopefully, we will be in a position to appropriately respond to both the potential and risk of whatever we create.