I've been scribbling stories (Novels, novellas, short story collections) for quite a few years now, and self publishing. I've got a company who is enthusiastic about and has been publishing everything I write (11 books to date) for free. Why? Because I'm a Literary Prizewinner and I can actually write. I write what most consider to be unusual/off the wall stories (which, to me, is a definite plus) choosing subjects I consider need to explored, shining a light where it need to be shone, reflecting the screwed up world we live in, where a kind heart and good intentions are most likely to get you mugged, exploited and generally taken advantage of by the multitudes of unscrupulous bastards out there in the world looking after number one. Oops, I have digressed already.
The point of this missive is to explain that, regardless of a stack of great reviews for my work and the fact that all who read my offerings much enjoy them, I am unable to gain ground and let the world know that I and my work exist. The reason? The entire literary machine is based on gouging the pockets of we writers who produce the material on which the multi billion dollar empire sits. Yes, we not only supply the material but must pay enormous sums over time just to get noticed. This end of the industry is one enormous leach, sucking the life blood from all who, as artists, are driven to create the best possible stories we can possible conjure. Because of the way things are rigged, I have a stack of, in some cases exceptional, work, sitting collecting dust as so many other authors do, and as someone existing on a disability pension the chances of me ever making dollar one for my efforts are about zero, purely because I cannot possibly find the necessary money to promote this collection.
As a last and desperate measure I am swallowing my pride, as much for the benefit of my everlovin' and longs suffering wife as to the principal of getting what I consider as absolutely worthy material out into the world, and, hopefully, in the process dragging us both out of this poverty trap.
So, Yes, you guessed it. I am looking for a well heeled philanthropist with an interest in literature, writing and publishing (art, in fewer words), and, hopefully, who would like to eyeball what I have been producing these past 25 -30 years, and to perhaps help get the ball rolling as far as finding a filmmaker and/or mainstream publisher to do their bit and get this material, in its finished form, to the deserving public. And when I say deserving, I'm implying that the consumers, the readers, moviegoers and movie viewers of this world deserve a whole lot better than what companies such as NetFlix and others have been rolling out. There is so much good material lying in wait, written by so many skillful, deeply thoughtful and deserving writers, but which will likely never see the light of day for no other reason than the inability of the factory styled, greed based function of the entertainment industry of the 21st Century. And if it continues this way the public are going to be left with only second and third rate material currently pouring out of the machine for no better reason than those creators/writers succeeding are the ones with sufficient wherewithal to push their material through to the end. It's everybody loss, I promise you.
www.thomasjamestaylorbooks.com and https://thomasjamestaylorbooks.com/book-store

I just got Saints and Sinners tourist edition for $15 on the Australian PS Store. That plus the second game is cheaper than the bundle (which still isn't working).

The only reason I need a phone is for gig work like Uber Eats and Doordash. Lately with my Android the Dasher app has been awful and glitchy and barely functioning. I read online that the IOS version of the app is much better, so I borrowed an iPhone (2020 model, something X plus I think) and signed into the Dasher app and did some deliveries to test it and it worked much much better than the Android version.
So now I want to as cheaply as possible switch over to an iPhone while still keeping my same service and number. I read online that the iPhone 6S is the oldest (cheapest) iPhone that still works with the Dasher app, so is it possible to buy a cheap used unlocked iPhone 6S on ebay and just drop my SIM card in?
Should I go into my local Verizon store and ask if I could possibly trade in my Samsung Galaxy A10E for an iPhone 6S or newer?

Contributing my own experiences as I got a lot of helpful information on this sub!
Went to Osaka - Kyoto - Nara - Fukuoka - Nagasaki - Hiroshima - Matsuyama - Okayama - Himeji - Wakayama.
Will mainly be writing about highlights for each place after some general info:
General:

• Solo traveller in my early 20s from Australia. Travelling as an end of uni celebration for myself before I start my career. I am fluent in conversational Japanese, however reading and writing skills are at the level of primary school lol - google translate camera helped.
• I mainly travelled with one 32L backpack (used a light drawstring backpack on day trips when I left my 32L at hostels/ coin lockers). I did take a mostly empty suitcase to take souvenirs and just for some extra space at the end of my travels, but I left this at a friend's house while I was going around. And also to take my hiking boots for when I did the Kumano. Travelling light was amazing.
• JR pass was totally worth it as I used trains and shinkansen extensively. Also forgot my luggage like an idiot in a different city once and the JR pass saved me on a lot of time and money when I had to go back and retrieve it.
• I stayed in the cheapest hostels - great places to meet people and I met up with a few later on in my trip, which broke up the occasional boredom/loneliness of solo travel. Also went to izakaya and hot pot places with them where more = merrier.
• Got Mobal unlimited SIM card - however keep in mind that data speed slows SIGNIFICANTLY after going through the first 7GB, might as well not have been unlimited. I should have used free Wifi whenever possible.
• Withdrawing cash - major fuck up of mine, I only withdrew 10,000 to 20,000yen each time, so wasted a lot of money on transaction fees. Next time will cash out bigger amounts, especially as risk of theft in Japan is relatively low. Am counting this as a lesson for a first time traveller.
• Overall expenses including plane tickets, food/ entertainment expenses, accommodation, travel insurance (via RACV), transport, SIM card = $4000 AUD for 4 weeks (I did minimal shopping, also stayed with friends for free for 1 week).

OSAKA

• Churaisai: Okinawan cuisine restaurant - went on a friend's recommendation. Delicious, one of my favourite restaurants now. In Takatsuki, only a couple minutes walk from Settsu-Tonda Station.
• Mister Donut and Duskin Museum - small, however can decorate or make your own donuts if you book (which I didn't). Actually found the upstairs Duskin cleaning museum more fascinating.
• Namba, Dotonbori, Umeda - busiest part of Osaka, loved the vibes, great street food and shopping. Definitely get some takoyaki.
• Hattori Ryokuchi Koen - in Suita. Open air museum of old Japanese farmhouses, found it surprisingly very interesting to imagine how people must've lived. Beautiful plum blossoms in bloom as well.
• Minoh Koen - Beautiful landscape. Must try the momiji tempura (deep fried maple leaves).

NARA

• Super fast mochi pounding - see up close and then enjoy the freshly pounded delicious yomogi mochi filled with anko paste and covered in kinako powder.
• Todaiji - one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha.
• Horyuji - arrived 20 minutes before closing, was rushed through but also there were absolutely no other tourists left and the atmosphere of the quiet temple was something else.
• Kofun - ancient tombs/ graves for important people, interesting if you are into history.

KYOTO

• Arashiyama - beautiful bamboo forest but busy with tourists. My favourite part was the Monkey Park (requires a fair uphill hike but beautiful view of Arashiyama town). Tenryuji Garden was also very pretty and peaceful. Lot of food and souvenir stores.
• Kinkakuji - beautiful shrine covered in gold.
• Byodoin - tranquil garden and shrine. Located in Uji which is famous for its green tea.

FUKUOKA

• Best tonkotsu ramen I've ever had at a place called Kirin ramen. Fukuoka is famous for hakata ramen!
• Uminonakamichi Seaside Park - rented a bicycle and cycled around, is on a scenic island connected to the mainland. Then walked to Shikanoshima (which is further along the island) to the beach and Shimanoumi Jinja.
• Motsunabe at a place called Miyamoto, staff were super friendly and the food was so good! Convinced some people I met at the hostel to eat with me as nabe is something you can't really eat alone, and the place was only across the road. We had an unfinished bottle of sake there and they let us take it back to the hostel.
• Dazaifu - main temple sadly under construction but had umegae mochi (so good!). Pretty plum blossom trees. Line of shops leading to temple from the station selling souvenirs and other goodies.
• Ainoshima Cat Island - caught the ferry here with a new friend from the hostel. Beautiful ocean scenery. Friendly cats. Delicious roast curry for lunch at this hidden away restaurant, awesome vibes, they gave us pieces of sea glass to take home at the end. Very cute.
• Yatai - small mobile food stalls alongside the river in Fukuoka. The one we went to had great gyoza and vibes.

NAGASAKI

• Bomb Museum and Peace Park - heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I have been to the Hiroshima one before but this museum is definitely worth going to as well. Cheap admission, very well structured, very interesting and important lessons.
• Urakami Cathedral - beautiful cathedral but emphasised that it is not a tourist attraction.
• Oka Masaharu Museum - small 3 storey home exhibit tucked away, a shame it is not better known or advertised. I was the only one there and it looked closed from the outside when I was looking for it. Very detailed and informative sources on the war crimes committed by Japan on Korea and China.
• Dejima - open air museum of the preserved former trading Dutch post. Reconstructed buildings and exhibitions inside. Open til late.
• Champon at Lao Lee in Nagasaki's Chinatown. Must try
• Unzen Onsen - debated whether worthwhile the 1.5hr bus ride from Nagasaki but glad I went. Bubbling mud and vapour clouds. Wish I had planned better and went early enough to hike. Soaked in the onsen. Had to get used to the sulphur smell but very cool place.
• Toruko rice is a Nagasaki specialty with spaghetti, beef sauce, tonkatsu and curry pilaf on the one plate. Tasted great.
• Inusayama Observatory - took ropeway to the top of the mountain to see one of the top 3 night views in Japan.

HIROSHIMA

• Note: only time I stayed in a capsule hotel and didn't enjoy as much as my other accom. Something like 30 beds in one room, lots of business people coming and going at odd times, people not as friendly as a guesthouse. Obviously this is not relevant just to Hiroshima.
• Miyajima - ate Hiroshimayaki, climbed Mt Misen (very steep! Took around 75mins to climb 2.5km but view was worth it). Must eat age momiji manju.
• Fukuyama - went to the castle grounds, and the art museum. 2 exhibits in the art museum plus an additional special katana exhibit which we unfortunately didn't have time for. But art exhibits were cheap and I enjoyed it.

SHIMANAMI KAIDO CYCLING: ONOMICHI to IMABARI 76km

• Stayed in Onomichi the night before - small seaside town. Cinema Museum and History Museum were small but interesting, especially the cinema museum. However there is no English information so found it a bit inaccessible.
• Left early to rent the bicycle and catch the ferry across to the cycle starting point. Would recommend anyone in the area to do the cycle, it is absolutely beautiful going across the 7 islands between Honshu and Shikoku, biking across the ocean on the bridges connecting the land. I am not a cyclist but relatively fit so I finished in about 6 hours, and only stopped briefly for breaks. Because I left so early many of the stores weren't open for the first half of the trip. Doable for beginners as well, you can cycle part of it and go back or catch a bus, split it into two days by staying a night somewhere, or cruise along the whole thing in about 10 hours. Path is incredibly well marked and easy to follow, roads are safe and lead all the way to Imabari station, the finishing point.
• Area is famous for citrus, lots of citrus desserts even in the konbini.

MATSUYAMA

• Caught the train to Dogo Onsen after my cycle. Unfortunately the main onsen was under construction, and only allowing limited numbers to a restricted area. I opted to go to the two smaller onsens connected to it called Tsubakinoyu (soooooo hot! Couldn't stay in longer than 5 minutes at a time. Awesome for my fatigued muscles) and Asukanoyu (the newest of the three onsens, very clean and very warm).

OKAYAMA

• I may have been getting tired of travel at this point but felt like there wasn't much to enjoy here. Okayama Castle was pretty from the outside, they had English resources but I still found it a bit hard to follow. I should've also eaten beforehand as there was only a small cafe inside. Korakuen Garden is famous and huge but the grass looked a bit dead when I went. Still beautiful though, nice place for a picnic.
• Kurashiki was very cool! Old preserved merchant town with buildings converted into museums, shops and restaurants. Area is famous for producing denim. Easy access via train from Okayama.
• Kibiji / Kibi plans - rented a mamachari (bicycle) but I got lost and didn't make it the whole 17km between Bizen-Ichinomiya station and Sojo station as I didn't have enough time. Easy to get lost if not paying attention to signs. Pleasant trail meandering through rice fields, going past historical sites.

HIMEJI

• One of the few surviving castles in Japan. Obviously maintained and refurbished but walls still intact after hundreds of years! Beautiful structure, extensive and fascinating history exhibits. Definitely worth going.
• An artist called Yuki Matsuoka had a little exhibition in the shopping street between Himeji station and the castle. Was some really cool art, and artist is hella friendly.

WAKAYAMA - KUMANO KODO PILGRIMAGE HIKE, NAKAHECHI ROUTE

• Spent one night in Tanabe, then hiked 4 full days (80km total for me) staying in Tsugizakura, Yunomine onsen, Koguchi and Shingu.
• World Heritage Site. Beautiful and challenging hike across mountains. Saw 2 wild deer, felt very lucky. Visited the three Grand Shinto Shrines in the region: Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha, as well as Nachi Falls, the tallest single-tier waterfall in Japan.
• Required extensive planning as minimal food available, accommodation is limited and needs to be booked early. If staying in Yunomine Onsen my hostel had 3 of its own private onsens inside included in accommodation fee. Blissful after a day of hiking.
• I regret not collecting stamps from the very start, as if you do this and the Camino de Santiago they award you with a 'dual pilgrim' recognition, as they are the only two pilgrimage routes listed as World Heritage sites. Also the stamps are very detailed and unique to each area.
• I caught the train back to Tanabe from Shingu along the coast - stunning ocean scenery and beach areas. Stayed another night in Tanabe before heading to Kansai Airport to return home.

Had the most wonderful time :)) Just missed the cherry blossom season but also means I missed the peak tourist season too so am content. Would love to explore the north and east areas of Japan next time I travel!

I (26 F) have been with my husband (28 M) for 10 years. His family has always loved me and thought of me as their own, but now I’m not for sure. Recently, his grandmother (83 F) had a heart attack, a really bad one, and she’s been in the hospital for quite some time. She has kids of her own, 5 to be exact, 2 female and 3 male. I think of her as my own grandmother and she thinks of me as her own granddaughter. Today we went to see her, and found out as we were leaving that no one would be able to stay with her. Now, to put in perspective, this hospital is absolute garbage. The doctors and nurses are so rude and do not care about any of the patients unless they’re the staffs family. When we were walking out the door, her daughter (48 F) had asked me if I would care to stay with her. I told her I don’t mind, but I have to work in the morning; I work in a restaurant and have to open the store at 3 in the morning. She said okay and just left it at that. When we got home, she texted me again and said, “Could you please stay with her to make sure she’s taken care of?” Now, I don’t care to stay with her, but only on days that I am off seeing as I’m the only opener and my car had been in the shop meaning my husband had to take me to work. He can’t get up in the mornings that early because he works himself, but at 6 am. I wouldn’t have a ride to work and I wasn’t able to just call off or come in late. Right now, we’re struggling for money and we need every dime we can get so I definitely need the hours from work, plus I had called off for a week to come over and stay with her because her kids work and they can’t stay unless they’re off. I told her no and she flipped out on me, calling me selfish and said I didn’t care about her and just kept going on and on about how much of a horrible person I am because I didn’t stay. Then I got more messages from the family, some on my side and some on her side. So now I can’t stop thinking, AITA?

I was a plus size model/floor worker at a very popular boutique in my town and i have a lot of clothes from them but i’m going to have to wear that until i get the chance to buy jeans and other AE clothes. I’m normally a 2X/XXL/ 18-20 jeans and i want to order online for the size 20 option. I was told i can order through the store but will i be able to use my discount online? What’s the dress code like? Can i wear my boutique clothes? I just don’t want to loose this job 😂 I’m going from somewhere that the most expensive thing was $50 and i mean your normally spending $50 here easily. I need help lol. Also can i wear ripped jeans? I’m seeing 50/50 on that.

To whomever may care to read this,
We I have little time to waste. I don’t really know where I am or what year it is, the details are a bit fuzzy and so is my head.
Maybe you will laugh when I tell you that somebody I love used to call me Screwball. That’s not my real name, just a silly nickname. But, if my body is still here when you find these pages, please put that name on the headstone.
While sitting on a park bench and writing this, I can hear two older women across the way, laying on a woolen blanket, and excitedly chatting about their new life together; One is never too old for love, as love never really does grow old.
I hear that you still call this patch of dirt, Earth.
Cherish that name. Cherish love. Cling to hope and never let her go.
Someday everything will change and time will be a fluid plaything, that humans will do their best to harness and exploit beyond reason.
Yes, that’s right. Time travel is real, be amazed, go nuts. It’s nothing special in the future. Before you crazy monkeys get there, do as I say, not as I do. Maybe humanity will do better thanks to the farewell of an old man:
“Here lies Screwball and his 5 Commandments for Time Travel”
1: KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS
I’m just getting this out of the way now. Don’t be surprised or even try to act like you haven’t considered it, we’re all human. Unless that’s just not your thing, then ignore this section, I suppose. But if you’re anything like I was, when you get your hands on the keys to going anywhere in time you want, the first thought is likely going to be,
“What is the harm in a mindless one-night stand with Shakespeare?”
Don’t do it. I don’t care how enticing that one celebrity was, or if you want to become your own great grandfather, or if you are curious to know Shakespeare’s real sexuality. It is not worth it.
It is not just a huge moral and ethical issue. Under certain conditions, there is an underlying biological problem that will blow up in your face; A problem that scientists did not expect.
What many people did not know, is that the bodily fluids and sexual organs of many species, including humans, coevolves together.
Gives a whole new meaning to lovers being made for one another.
When bodily fluids from a more advanced time interact with those from the far distant past, the consequences for the under-evolved lover are highly lethal. Their bodies recognize the others’ bodily fluids as life-threatening antigens. In the end, their bodies will become so overwhelmed by a severe allergic reaction, that their genitalia will swell and expel with violent speed. Quite the climax.
Okay, that doesn’t really happen. That is impossible. Or is it?
But there is a potential for heterosexual mating between you and anybody that isn’t from your point in time to have drastically negative consequences on the evolutionary history of humanity. However, I have yet to see any impacts that homosexual acts have on the history of the world.
Shakespeare really was bisexual, by the way.
Apparently, so am I.
That’s nothing too interesting, and I shouldn’t waste anymore paper.
2: DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP
For the sake of paper, I cannot tell you the intimate details of how humans can traverse time; You’re all going to figure that out eventually, anyways. Be patient. But there are some things that should be known before you get too many bright ideas about joyriding around time:
1) Time is a cycle, but not a perfect circle. It looks more like a broken spring, whose ends have been fused together; This makes choosing your destination a bit iffy.
2) You can’t see the beginning.
3) You can’t see the end.
These aren’t just philosophical or ethical rules, they are simply the physical truth of existence. You can see the birth and end of living organisms if you want, but the seconds before and after are just a blank space. It is outside life’s collective memory and therefore, we can never perceive it. At least, that is what you should convince yourself of for your own sanity.
One woman says she found the beginning. I worked with her. Dr. Cressida Hadlow. Born in 2384, Dr. Hadlow was an unstoppable force of intelligence and kindness. She spent her whole life devoted to the study of physics, with the hope that humanity could one day harness the power of time for good. Cressida had a huge heart for everything that ever walked the planet. She understood we could never change history, but there was so much of our past that had been forgotten, oppressed, and rewritten to harm others. Her dreams were to correct those wrongs, and lead society into a truly understanding and empathetic future.
I call her Superwoman.
On August 26th, 2416, I set up my lab across the hall from Dr. Hadlow. I had no research assistants, very few connections in the department, and far too much outdated equipment. That morning, Cressida waltzed in to introduce herself, but she wound up telling me about her favorite tree in her yard. It was a centuries old oak tree that perfectly lined up with her window, so she could watch all of the birds each morning before work.
She was nuts. From that moment on, we were inseparable.
The next week, she brought in an old coffee machine and called me a screwball for not having one. I never had the heart to tell her I hated coffee, but I drank every cup she made for the next four years, and we mulled away the time by talking about all of the places she wanted to see in the past; Pangea, the Americas before colonization, to be the first to ever hear the lectures of Einstein, or walk arm in arm with Martin. We would sit in my office long into the early hours, happily sipping that horrible coffee, and slowly creeping towards the point of no return. “Holy shit!” I can still hear her scream of groundbreaking madness. I jolted so hard from my chair that I knocked over and broke my favorite mug. She made a joke about going back in time and saving it for me. Cress always credited us both, but if I am honest, she cracked the code all on her own; I was only ever an admiring acolyte in the light of her brilliance.
When the government gargoyles caught wind of Cressida’s breakthrough, they poured every ounce of money, bureaucratic bullshit, and bloodlust into gaining access to her research. She ran. The president and all of his militaristic hellhounds weighed on her gentle shoulders. Their intentions were sickeningly corporatized and shallow. “Why have museums when you can make the actual past a tourist trap? Why fight your enemies when you could annihilate their whole ancestry?”
The all-consuming pain of running and lying crushed Cressida’s body and mind. She withdrew from the rest of the world, even from me. For half a year I never heard from her, although I still drove by her old house, and sometimes there would be a bag of coffee grounds sitting on the front porch with a note for me. I think that was the closest we ever had to a date.
In the end, she had her final great breakthrough. The beginning. Or so she says. I believe she was smart enough to figure that one out too, but I hope she is just hiding in the past. The last anybody ever heard from her was after law enforcement found and broke into her hideout. She wasn’t there, but a letter appeared under my door the next morning:
“Hey Screwball,
I’m going out with a Big bang. Pour one last cup for me. Sorry that it’ll go cold.
See you soon,
Superwoman”
Time travel isn’t glamorous. Don’t get your hopes up
3: THOU SHALT NOT KILL (YES, EVEN THAT GUY)
There are a lot of terrible people throughout history that the world could have been a better place without. But radicalized justice doesn’t really work when it comes to time travel.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Mass cannot be created nor destroyed, only recreated”?
Well, that same principle can also apply to ruthless dickheads. No matter how much better life could have been without them, time will always ensure that pain is inflicted one way or another.
Let’s take my own a completely hypothetical story:
You find yourself in the rural Southeastern United States, July 8th, 2285. A block down the street is a small hospital. Inside is a healthy, newborn boy who cries for comfort. This sweet bundle of joy will grow into a tyrant that is kept alive well past his natural expiration, thanks to a bastardization of science. He will lead the world into utter chaos and bring about true Armageddon by abusing the work of a brilliant woman.
You have just escaped from a high-grade government confinement facility in the year 2420. The only things in your pocket are a time manipulator made from items you stole out of the prison store, a quick release tranquilizer gun, and the butterknife you used to sacrifice a pinky finger in order to escape said confinement facility.
You’re feeling a little on edge to say the least.
Thinking that by doing this one violent, yet good act, you will save the world and be touted as a hero for all eternity. You make your way down the street towards the building. One hand bleeding profusely into a stolen dishtowel, and the other buried in your pocket, sweating fingers glued to the butterknife.
You slink inside the building, using the tranquilizer to quietly knock out the mother, father, attending physician, and anybody else who may be watching. Just you, an innocent baby, and a bit of queasiness.
He may be a monster, but you’re not. This is still sick.
You fumble with the device and almost subdue yourself. You’re really missing that thumb right now. You take out the butterknife, then with much gurgling, blood, and crying on both ends, you’ve killed that guy. You saved the world, right?
Wrong.
You travel back into the future to bask in the glory of your good deed and kiss the woman of your dreams. Instead, you find an absolute wasteland and a timeline of unimaginable atrocities. Something isn’t quite adding up.
Apparently, the guy you killed was a hackneyed coward that never actualized the full power of corruption and destruction he held in his hands. The guy who took his place, however, was more insidious, and did realize that evil to its full potential.
So, you go back and kill him too.
That doesn’t work either.
No matter how many babies are slain by your knife, World War V always happens. Every time you interfere it just gets worse.
In one of the most awkward moments of your life, you then have to explain to your original self that infanticide is never the solution, and the timeline gets put back the way it should be.
The world isn’t saved, it goes on as it always was meant to.
No world peace, no kiss.
She’s gone.
4: YOU ARE GOING TO GET LOST
I mean this both literally and metaphorically.
The world is easy enough to get lost in during a time where you know the roads. The wrong turn down a sideroad, while on the way to pick up your coworker on an unfamiliar side of town, could lead to you both being an hour late for your Monday morning classes. Plus, her insistence on you coming inside to look at her oak tree added on a few lost minutes. They were completely worth it.
The department head’s voice went hoarse from yelling at us, which Cress could not contain herself from laughing at, and the students had a field day with rumors. From then on, she asked me for rides to work every Monday. I came early just to sit and watch the birds outside her window as they fluttered through that perfect oak tree.
Sometimes the wrong turn puts you in the right situation. Sometimes the right person leads you down a strange path that you are never sure is either right or wrong. Likely both. But no matter how well prepared you are, there is going to be a misstep, and you are going to get lost.
Sit back and embrace it every once in a while.
5: DON’T LOSE YOURSELF
This last one is a bit hypocritical of me, but that’s the point. Do as I say, not as I do. I knew when I left that I was already lost.
Dear old William Shakespeare – Willy, as he liked me to call him– once had a strange man cry on his shoulders at the pub about a woeful story of love’s labors lost. Inspired, Willy memorialized the man’s inner demons forever in his 147th sonnet:
“My love is a fever, longing still
For that which longer nurseth the disease.”
Lovesick, I believe is the word that people call it now.
I don’t know how long I have been running after you. I know that I was a far younger man when I started my feverish search. My skin was smooth, my legs carried me fast and far, and my liver handled just about anything I put it through.
At first I fought against what happened, I tore through hundreds of plans to get you back. From roving the annals of time to cold-blooded baby killing. I looked for you in the crumbling caves of Pangea, and then among the first humans to walk the earth. I braved the dense forests of pre-colonized America to fend off conquistadors, and lost a few more digits. I sat through hours upon hours of lectures by the greatest minds in history. Anywhere and everywhere that we were supposed to have gone together.
Then I denied I ever loved you and tried to throw you away. You are everywhere. I found you in every dark alley, sordid affair, and sleepless night. I saw you in the faces of your ancestors, the forests that would someday become your childhood home, and the acorn of your favorite tree. I remembered to plant it in just the right place, so you could watch it every morning when it was all grown up.
My skin is now the same sort of wrinkled and rough texture that my grandfather’s was. My legs wobble and creak as I shamble along. As for my liver and me, we have been through a lot since the day you left, Cressida.
When did we get so old, my love?
All in good time.
I feel it now.
Sorry that it’ll go cold.
See you soon,
Screwball.

I can remember hearing about Cyberpunk 2077 when it was announced, like everywhere! Then when it first came out... Everyone said it sucked. It was a broken that wasn't even finished apparently!
I would really love to own and play this game. When it came out I only had a 1070, so it ran really bad on the set up I had. I got a refund for it... But now I have an RTX 3060 so I believe I'll be able to play this game just fine.
I just love open world RPG games. I really enjoyed The Witcher 3, another game made by this company in case you didn't know. I like the idea of playing the story or just exploring and crafting. Whatever you're in the mood for! It looks like a game with a good story and interesting characters.
My first experience with a true open world game other than GTA 3 and SA was Skyrim. I'm really looking forward to Starfield and I'm trying to save up for that!
At present. I've been playing a lot of MW2, however my buddy quit as they reset one of the game modes mission progress. The game feels a little stale so I really need something good to sink my teeth into after work!
The only thing that comes close to the aesthetic of this game that I've had experience with is Far Cry's Blood Dragon, which was pretty cool. Plus this game has Keanu Reeves!
I've had good things and bad things about this game but I'd like to form my own opinion and not just hate on something for no reason. From the footage I've seen I've been very impressed mechanically speaking... The combat and stealth looks like it feels good. From what I've seen there is a skill tree so that's cool.
Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam @ 50 percent off
My Steam profile

Hello! As I’m sure this is a common question, I’ll keep it brief. I have really enjoyed WoLong and want to continue playing Team Ninjas games.
I’ve watched Nioh 2 gameplay (epicnamebro and fightincowboy) and I know it’s something I will enjoy.
My question is, what’s the best way to enjoy the game? Should I just download if of the PlayStation plus store and buy the DLC’s? Should I guy the compete edition of the game? I have a PS5 so please let me know.
Thanks!

Re: None
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 7:56:47 PM
Post# of 579251 GoSUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: On 3/20/23, NWBO received the MHRA's MIA certificate. This provides authorization that DC VAX L can be made at the Company's Sawston (UK-Cambridgeshire) manufacturing facility for patient use in the U.K.and globally.In effect, the MHRA has made DC VAX L fully commercial on a global basis; this, all before formal approval to do so . AVC expects the MAA (formal approval of DC VAX L as a drug to be given to GBM and other solid tumor cancer patients) to be filed about 4/5/23 , and approved 45 days later. NICE patient cost coverage for the U.K. would then come 60 days later. FDA approval we estimate to come before yearend '23.
Prior to formal final RA commercial sale approvals, DC VAX L would be sold on a compassionate use basis with the cost ( $200,000) born by the patient. There are 50,000 new GBM cases , and 1.5 million new solid tumor cancer cases annually .Of these , AVC estimates 4% can afford to self pay.These 6,200 possible patients for Sawston are within the Sawston facility's 12,000 annual dosage capacity.
AVC believes the commercial ramp implications deriving from NWBO's 3/20/23 MIA approval are generally not understood.
1) Post# 578985 of 579013 Gregory Zivic, MD u/metacollectiveG $NWBO People don’t understand the weight of what just occurred. As a Physician I can now send a patient’s frozen tumor to Sawston as well as a Leukapheresis. A “treating Physician” in the UK signs off for the Specials Program. the patient’s vaccine dose shipped to me, I inject it 1:38 PM · Mar 21, 2023
NWBO 3/20/23 PR: "Under this commercial manufacturing license(MIA), cell therapy products manufactured in the Sawston facility may be exported globally. Products (e.g., immune cells) may also be imported into the U.K. for production or release of cell therapy products under the facility's licenses.
Linda Powers, CEO of NW Bio, commented, "We are very excited to reach this major milestone, as it is an essential step towards submission of our application for regulatory approval of our lead product, DCVax®-L. It is especially exciting to be able to operate globally from this base in the U.K."
Dr. Mike Scott, President of Advent BioServices, commented, "It is always challenging to be one of the trailblazers. The field of personalised cell-based immunotherapy is rapidly evolving and we are collectively navigating our way through the regulatory landscape. We are therefore thrilled that the extensive preparatory work undertaken by our skilled and dedicated team has met the extremely high standards set for this commercial level of manufacturing license."
2)Gregory Zivic, MD u/metacollectiveG Replying to u/hoffmann6383 I believe the recent MIA has a special license of some sort that allows import to the US; at least this is the case under the Specials Program right now since the MIA. NWBO would not have mentioned specifically global export capability if import not allowed on the other side 2:31 PM · Mar 21, 2023
3)The MIA license allows for global export of the vaccines and global import of immune cells/tumor resected material. Anyone in the entire world that is diagnosed with GBM can NOW ship their tumor samples to Northwest/Advent/Sawston to have their personal vaccine made and stored, all to be shipped back to the patient/doctor on a prescribed injection schedule. The beauty of this process is that patients everywhere can NOW receive their vaccine on a compassionate care basis. https://twitter.com/alphavestcap/status/1638149821004406786
https://twitter.com/alphavestcap/status/1638149821004406786
Northwest Biotherapeutics and Advent BioServices Announce Receipt of License for Commercial Manufacturing at Sawston, U.K. Facility NEWS PROVIDED BY
Northwest Biotherapeutics Mar 20, 2023, 19:46 ET
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One of the First UK Licenses for Commercial Manufacturing of Cell Therapy Products;
Allows Global Delivery of the Products
BETHESDA, Md., March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTCQB: NWBO) ("NW Bio"), a biotechnology company developing DCVax® personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, and Advent BioServices, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) based in the UK, jointly announce that a MIA license has been approved and issued by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for commercial manufacturing of cell therapy products at the GMP facility in Sawston, U.K.
This MIA is one of the first licenses for commercial manufacturing of cell therapy products in the U.K. To the companies' knowledge, there are only two other such licenses, one of which was just granted as well.
This license is the culmination of more than 3 years' work, including development of the facility, the teams of specialized personnel, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and systems, well over 1,650 regulatory documents, and a successful operating history under the initial manufacturing licenses previously obtained to produce cell therapies in the Sawston facility for clinical trials and compassionate use. All of this work was carried out by Advent BioServices under contract with NW Bio.
Under this commercial manufacturing license, cell therapy products manufactured in the Sawston facility may be exported globally. Products (e.g., immune cells) may also be imported into the U.K. for production or release of cell therapy products under the facility's licenses.
Linda Powers, CEO of NW Bio, commented, "We are very excited to reach this major milestone, as it is an essential step towards submission of our application for regulatory approval of our lead product, DCVax®-L. It is especially exciting to be able to operate globally from this base in the U.K."
Dr. Mike Scott, President of Advent BioServices, commented, "It is always challenging to be one of the trailblazers. The field of personalised cell-based immunotherapy is rapidly evolving and we are collectively navigating our way through the regulatory landscape. We are therefore thrilled that the extensive preparatory work undertaken by our skilled and dedicated team has met the extremely high standards set for this commercial level of manufacturing license."
About Northwest Biotherapeutics
Northwest Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized immunotherapy products designed to treat cancers more effectively than current treatments, without toxicities of the kind associated with chemotherapies, and on a cost-effective basis, in both North America and Europe. The Company has a broad platform technology for DCVax® dendritic cell-based vaccines. The Company's lead program is a 331-patient Phase III trial of DCVax®-L for newly diagnosed Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer, and is an "orphan disease." This Phase III trial has been completed, and the results have been presented in scientific meetings and published in JAMA Oncology. The Company has also developed DCVax®-Direct for inoperable solid tumor cancers. It has completed a 40-patient Phase I trial and, as resources permit, plans to pursue Phase II trials. The Company previously conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax-L for advanced ovarian cancer together with the University of Pennsylvania.
About Advent BioServices
Advent BioServices is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) based in Sawston, U.K. The Company operates the 88,000 square foot GMP facility in Sawston, which includes a large, HTA licensed, cryostorage facility capable of storing several million vials of tissues and cells, and includes capabilities for all stages of cell therapy development and production. During the past three-plus years, the Company has recruited staff members with a wide spectrum of specialist skills in the cell therapy space. The Process Development and QC teams provide significant expertise in complex assay development, GMP manufacturing, product release and GMP-related monitoring which has underpinned the work leading to MHRA licensing for commercial manufacturing, as well as the prior licenses for manufacturing for clinical trials and compassionate use (Specials).
Disclaimer
Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements concerning future treatment of patients using DCVax and future clinical trials, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "design," "plan," "continue," "may," "will," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Readers should not rely upon forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation, risks related to the Company's ability to achieve timely performance of third parties, risks related to whether the Company's products will be viewed as demonstrating safety and efficacy, risks related to the Company's ongoing ability to raise additional capital, and other risks included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. Additional information on the foregoing risk factors and other factors, including Risk Factors, which could affect the Company's results, is included in its SEC filings. Finally, there may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the Company's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by securities laws.
CONTACTS
Dave Innes
Philippe Piré
804-513-4758
917-796-2426
[email protected]
[email protected]
Les Goldman
240-234-0059
[email protected]
Bright Boy
Re: hoffmann6383 post# 578889 Tuesday, March 21, 2023 1:55:12 PM Post# of 579111 Go People, People, People!!! It's your friendly "hillbilly" here with some more great news!! Don't know if I can "one up" my earlier post about the "Dog eating the license", but I'll try. So here we go!!
I don't think everyone realizes how dynamic and important the manufacturing license really is so I'll take a shot at giving you my take on it. First of all, the marketing approval (MAA) and the government subsidy approval(NICE) are pretty much in the bag before the manufacturing team gets the "green light" to proceed. The MAA and NICE teams talk to the MIA team and say," This stuff looks really cool and we wanted to let you know before you run off and do a lot of work on something that we won't approve when you're finished!!" Okay! So that's the first part.
Now for the second part and this is the part that involves a lot of money so read very carefully!!! The MIA license allows for global export of the vaccines and global import of immune cells/tumor resected material. Anyone in the entire world that is diagnosed with GBM can NOW ship their tumor samples to Northwest/Advent/Sawston to have their personal vaccine made and stored, all to be shipped back to the patient/doctor on a prescribed injection schedule. The beauty of this process is that patients everywhere can NOW receive their vaccine on a compassionate care basis. No more waiting!! No more opportunities for the "dark forces" to delay or deny suffering cancer patients their desperately needed treatments !!!
People, as of yesterday, Northwest is now IN BUSINESS !!!! AND that opens the door for institutional investors and an uplist to the New York or Nasdaq exchanges!!!!
All of the above is as good as that first sip of ice cold buttermilk on a hot summer day!!!! AND for those unfortunate shorts and haters it adds a whole new description to the letters FTD and I'll let you guess what that might be!!!
Cheers,
BB
MISCELLANEOUS SPECULATIONS ON WHAT'SNEXT:
Since today's MIA manufacturing certificate puts NWBO on the road to commercial approval in the U.K by 8/1/23, and in the U.S. by 12/31/23 , let's list what might be in an S-1 to get institutional ownership up from the current zero. None of these top biotech funds have any ownership of NWBO.( https://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-report/top-7-life-sciences-public-investors). By '29, FCF should be $3.5 billion from $ 4 billion in revenues.
Therefore, let's speculate on what could be in the S-1:
1) MAA filing by 4/1/23.
2) NICE commitment letter for patient cost coverage by 6/1/23.
3) Full U.K. commercial approval by 8/1/23.
4) Full FDA approval by 12/31/23.
5) Stock priced at $4.00 .
6) 250 million shares for 5 institutions.250 million shares for retail.$ 2 billion in proceeds.
7) New COO announced.
8) Announced CRL global manufacturing agreement.
9) Uplist to NYSE when the S-1 goes effective.
10) Major bracket firm investment banker on board.
11) Absent the short side activities of the past 10- year , DC VAX L could have come to market 5 years ago. 3 million cancer deaths have occurred during the last 5 years. DC VAX L could gave prevented 5%, or 150,000 . At a damage award of $ 5 million per patient , the total damage award is $750 billion. Settlement: Citadel et al pay $ 5 billion to NWBO; $ 5 billion to cancer research.
12) As to criminal charges (murder 1), federal agencies sue Citadel et al principals .Since they are bankrupted by the civil suit settlement , the penalty becomes 10 years in jail.
13) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66579590/northwest-biotherapeutics-inc-v-canaccord-genuity-llc/ One legal expert said, " Nwbo's spoofing lawsuit has perhaps the best proof the FEDS have ever seen. See page 69 and onward. " Therefore , it's doubtful the FEDS not go ahead with criminal allegations.
14) The MIA award today validates NWBO's cancer life saving capabilities. U.K. final commercial approval will accelerate other RAs to do the same.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2798847
https://www.webmd.com/cancehow-many-cancer-deaths-per-year
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-report/top-7-life-sciences-public-investors

The season seemed to be good and full of content, after over a year it was supposed to be GOOD™, however the game has gone worse by several metrics:

• Feels worse to play: Netcode was always bad but lately it feels even worse. Desync being more noticeable plus issues like missing aim assist on controller on PC, settings getting reset and more I'm probably forgetting now.
  
• Performance and crashes: The game was never rock solid but it was at least stable, now we are having insane frame drops and crashes while customizing the cores.
  
• Scummy practices in the store: Sweeping crosscore under the rug while selling a SINGLE coating for 14 bucks, selling similar coatings to previous ones instead of new combinations, pricey single coatings that appeared in previous packs, huge packs combining stuff that people want with ugly crap few people would buy otherwise...
  
• Mismanaged stuff galore: issues like the weekly reward being changed after it's live, issues with map updates like the non-respawning in the event...
  

This was supposed to be the comeback season and while the content seems to be there all the issues make it feel like we're worse than before. What are your thoughts? Do you think it's because the layoffs? The new management making (somehow) worse decisions than before? Daddy MS forcing them to milk more revenue? Or do you think everything is actually fine?

Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of: Chase Sapphire Preferred, $17,800 limit, 02/2023 Amex Platinum, no clue (bought a $7k fence easy enough), 02/2023 Amex Blue Cash Preferred, $25,000 limit, 02/2023 USAA Cashback Rewards Plus, $7,800 limit, 05/2017

• FICO Scores with source: Experian 757
• Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: 7 years
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 3
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 3
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 3
• Annual income: Combined $100,000

CATEGORIES

• OK with category-specific cards?: Yes
• OK with rotating category cards?: Yes
• Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
• Dining: $300
• Groceries: $700
• Gas: $200
• Travel: $80 a month
• Do you plan on using this card abroad?: CSP
• Any other categories (examples: phone/internet, insurance) or stores (example: Amazon) with significant, regular credit card spend: $400

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

• Current member of Amazon Prime?: Yes
• Current Verizon customer?: Yes
• Currently paying $13.99/month or more for Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu / EPSN+) or other Hulu services? Yes, Disney bundle at $19.99 on platinum card for credit back
• Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: USAA. Apart from credit card affiliations, no to others
• Active US military?: Yes
• Are you open to Business Cards?: Yes

PURPOSE

• What's the purpose of your next cards?: to figure out which cards to apply for next to maximize MUR points primarily towards Air Canada/Aeroplan, maybe Southwest. Also for hotels (wife prefers smaller boutique hotels for aspiration travel) if that's possible with these points.
  
• Do you have any cards you've been looking at? In order, Chase Freedom Ultimate, Chase Freedom Flex, Amazon Prime Visa, Amex Gold, Amex BBP, Upgrade CSP to CSR... Any other recommendations or suggestions?
  

To the SME'S that reside here, I'm hoping for your advice regarding what cards I apply for next as well as strategies/insight into reaping travel rewards points. I currently use my cards as follows-
*USAA for gas *Amex BCP for groceries and all streaming services except for Disney Bundle *Amex Platinum for Verizon phone bill, $19.99 Disney bundle, and one time expensive purchases for purchase protection *Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently everything else
I understand Amex and Chase both have Air Canada/Aeroplan as a travel partner, and with my wife being Canadian we like to travel up to Canada at least once per year. Our nearby airport is Raleigh and has Air Canada, but is also a Southwest hub so accruing UR points could be more beneficial. Does the Amex trifecta rack in more points than the Chase trifecta would? And which trifecta would work best for my current situation? Would love to set up an optimal card rotation within the next year or two. If you made it this far into this write up, thanks.

Dear Apes,
The company finally turned profit, in my opinion the apes played a huge part in this.
A big thank you for your receipt porn from GameStop store, how I wish my most beloved company would expand to Singapore, I would've bought everything I need from there and told friends and families to shop there as well even if it's more expensive.
I've DRS and booked all my shares, hodling since the beginning and to witness the earning today (this itself calls for a celebration 🎉) plus the DD all coming true was truly momentous.
Kudos to RC and team, everyone in GameStop and the Apes around the world. Cheers and have a wonderful day/night wherever you are. 🥂🍻
Love, Ape from 🇸🇬

My edad is giving my mom ideas to make her make me talk to her. Despite me explaining to my dad my choice of why I cut her off. I’m in NC with her. And I continue to stay that way. Talking to her will do nothing for me. She doesn’t actually care about me which is the worst, she wants my attention and finds ways for me to talk to her so she can get her fill.
I heard mt mom complaining to my dad about how i won’t talk to her still and he told her to cut off the wifi on my end to make me speak to her. Ummmm Hell to the no? What the fuck type of disturbing manipulation power trip is that???? Plus I’m in college online so I NEED WFIFI connection to my classes!
ALL of this? Willing to make me fail or withdraw from college ALLL BECAUSE she wants ME to speak ti her? I can’t fathom or thinking words to explain my mother for doing this. This is disgusting and fucking selfish and careless. I don’t even think daughter can be used in this dynamic. Im certainly not getting mother daughter vibes. This is a whole different type of dynamic.
Also she purposely prevented in getting food for me from the store because I “won’t talk to her”. I talk to her at times but apparently it’s not at the minimum she expects me to? Like what the fuck. I gave her a list a few weeks ago and told her everything on the list of food I want from the store stays the same unless I text her. So everytime she goes to the store she gets what’s on that list. But toddy’s has just didn’t do it and told me “to talk to her”. UGUGHHHHHHH Im moving the fuck out when I transfer. Fuck my my mom. The amount of rage I have for her is harmful to me. I have hurt myself is many times because of it. I got so angry I was shaking.