I need to get this off my chest. I hate non dividend paying companies. They are a ripoff. They con investors with the promise of future dividends that only hypothetically assumed, then they ask for real money exchange of it. They are like Ponzi schemes or MLM schemes that rely on constant inflow of new suckers to keep their stock prices high, while their fundamentals are crap or nonexistent. There's literally no direct monetary connection between investors and the company, just one sucker selling another sucker pokerchips.
Some of the biggest and most popular companies in the world are non dividend paying companies. For example, Alphabet (GOOG), Meta (META), formerly Facebook, Amazon (AMZN), Biogen (BIIB), and Tesla (TSLA). These companies have historically refused to issue dividends to their shareholders, even though they rake in billions of dollars in revenue and profit. Why? Because they want to reinvest their earnings into growth and innovation, or so they claim.
But what is the point of growth and innovation if it does not translate into tangible returns for the owners of the company? The shareholders are the ones who provide the dough for these companies to operate and expand. They deserve a fair share of the rewards. Otherwise, they are just throwing real money into imaginary future cash flows. It's all positive-sum anyway, right?
Wrong. Non dividend paying companies are not positive-sum. They are zero-sum or negative-sum. They create value for themselves at the expense of their shareholders. They use their inflated stock prices as currency to buy other companies, pay their fat cats, and reward their employees with stock options. They also use their market power and influence to stifle competition and manipulate public opinion. They are monopolies that exploit their customers and society.
Non dividend paying companies are also risky and volatile. They depend on the whims of the market and the expectations of the analysts. Any bad news, any missed target, any change in sentiment can cause their stock prices to plummet. And when that happens, there is no cushion, no safety net, no income stream to protect the shareholders. They are left holding the bag, while the insiders cash out and move on to the next scam.
Non dividend paying companies are not investments. They are speculations. They are gambling with other people's money. They are not sustainable or ethical.
Don't fall for the hype. Don't buy into the illusion. Don't support non dividend paying companies. Demand dividends or dump them. I know this might sound harsh or irrational, but this is how I feel. I'm sick of seeing these companies get praised and rewarded for doing nothing for their shareholders. I'm sick of seeing people blindly follow them and defend them. I'm sick of seeing them ruin the economy and the environment.
I don't care if you disagree with me or downvote me. I just needed to vent this out.

Any child’s first relationship with a superhero is with their father. Children, as they grow older, require someone to act as a role model for them. The best example of a superhero is a father. The bond between a father and child cannot be explained, it’s unique. So to grow this bond, surprise your dad with some Father’s Day gifts. Thank him for all his love on this special day. Here are some best gifts for Father’s Day that will make him happy easily. Greet your dad with some classy gifts.

• Floral Box

With a beautiful box of fresh flowers with a personalised message, you can make your dad feel special. Along with it, you can order a cake online and win his heart with simplicity and elegance.

• Clothes & Accessories

When a child is in difficulty, the first person he thinks of is his father. So this time, it’s your turn to think about him. Get him gifts like clothes or a watch of his favourite brand. A wallet is another good option. Notice the thing he requires and get it to him to show care.

• Balloon bouquet

Let him open the door to a Father’s Day special balloon bouquet. There are a variety of options available. Make the day memorable by gifting it. You can even surprise him at home with a Father’s Day balloon decoration.

• Personalised Gifts

Make him happy by getting him a customised gift like a photo frame or a caricature or a mug or a cushion. Such gifts will touch his heart so try gifting unique gifts like these.

• Sugar Tooth

No celebration is complete without a cake, so order a Father’s Day cake that looks awesome and tastes awesome too!
If there is someone who is very dear to our hearts after our mother, it is our father. Although the love of a father may not appear to be the same as that of a mother, it is the father who strengthens us from within. So make sure you make this Father’s Day memorable for him. Apart from these gifts, you can even take him some classy experiences like a dinner or a spa session. Book them and let him relax!
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Orthopedic health issues can significantly impact one's quality of life, and finding the right specialist is crucial for effective treatment and recovery. In Hyderabad, one name that stands out among the rest is Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri, an esteemed orthopedic surgeon known for his exceptional skills, expertise, and patient-centered approach. With extensive experience in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Chennuri has gained a reputation as the Best Orthopedic Surgeon in Hyderabad.
Orthopedic surgery involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system. From fractures and joint replacements to sports injuries and chronic pain, orthopedic surgeons play a vital role in restoring mobility and improving the overall quality of life for their patients.
Overview of Orthopedic Surgery
Orthopedic surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures and treatments, each tailored to address specific conditions and injuries. From conservative approaches like physical therapy and medication management to surgical interventions, orthopedic surgeons evaluate the best course of action based on the patient's unique needs and circumstances.

Importance of Choosing the Best Orthopedic Surgeon

When it comes to orthopedic concerns, selecting the right surgeon can make all the difference. The best orthopedic surgeons combine exceptional medical expertise with a patient-centric approach, ensuring personalized care, successful outcomes, and overall patient satisfaction.

Introducing Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri

Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri is a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon based in Hyderabad, India. With a passion for providing comprehensive and compassionate care, Dr. Chennuri has established himself as one of the leading specialists in the field. He is renowned for his commitment to patient well-being and his unwavering dedication to delivering the best possible outcomes.

Specializations: Knee Replacement and Sports Medicine

As a specialist in orthopedic surgery, Dr. Chennuri has focused his expertise on two key areas: Knee Replacement Surgery and sports medicine. These areas require a delicate balance of surgical proficiency, technical skills, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges patients face. Chennuri's specialized knowledge in these domains has earned him recognition as the best knee replacement surgeon and sports medicine doctor in Hyderabad.

Best Sports Medicine Doctor in Hyderabad - Dr Kiran Reddy Chennuri

Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri is recognized as one of the Top Sports Medicine Doctors in Hyderabad. He is highly regarded for his expertise in the field of sports medicine and his commitment to providing exceptional care to athletes and individuals with sports-related injuries. Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of sports injuries, including ligament sprains, muscle strains, fractures, and joint dislocations.
Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri is known for his comprehensive approach to sports medicine, combining advanced medical knowledge with a deep understanding of sports and physical activity. He believes in personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's specific needs and goals, aiming to help them recover and return to their active lifestyles as quickly and safely as possible.
With his strong educational background and years of practical experience, Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri stays up-to-date with the latest advancements in sports medicine. He utilizes cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and evidence-based treatment modalities to ensure the best possible outcomes for his patients.
Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri actively contributes to the field of sports medicine through research, publications, and participation in conferences. He is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and understanding of sports-related injuries, and he constantly strives to improve his skills and expertise.

Best Doctor for Knee Pain - Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri

Knee pain can significantly impact one's quality of life, hindering mobility and causing discomfort. When faced with knee pain, it is crucial to seek the expertise of a specialist who can provide effective treatment and relief. If you are searching for the Best Doctor for Knee Pain in Hyderabad, look no further than Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri. With his exceptional qualifications, specialized knowledge, and commitment to patient care, he is widely recognized as a leading authority in the field of knee pain treatment.
Knee pain is a prevalent condition that affects people of all ages, ranging from athletes to the elderly. It can be caused by various factors, such as injuries, arthritis, overuse, or underlying medical conditions. When knee pain becomes persistent or severe, it is essential to consult a qualified medical professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating knee pain.

Understanding Knee Pain

To better comprehend knee pain and its significance, it is important to explore its causes and common conditions associated with it.
Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can stem from several causes, including:

• Ligament injuries: Tears or strains in the ligaments surrounding the knee, such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial collateral ligament (MCL).
• Meniscus tears: Damage to the meniscus, the rubbery cartilage that cushions the knee joint.
• Osteoarthritis: Degenerative joint disease characterized by the gradual wearing down of the cartilage.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disorder that leads to chronic inflammation and damage to the joints.
• Bursitis: Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joint.
• Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendons that attach muscles to bones.
• Patellar tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone.

Common Knee Pain Conditions

Some common conditions associated with knee pain include:

1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS): A condition characterized by pain in the front of the knee, often caused by overuse or misalignment of the kneecap.
2. Runner's Knee (Patellar Tendinitis): A condition that affects athletes and individuals engaged in repetitive knee movements, causing pain around the kneecap.
3. Osteoarthritis: The most common form of arthritis that affects the knee joint, causing stiffness, swelling, and pain.
4. Ligament Tears: Injuries to the ligaments in the knee, such as ACL or MCL tears, which can occur during sports or accidents.
5. Meniscus Tears: Tears in the meniscus, often resulting from sudden twisting or direct impact to the knee.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri is highly regarded as one of the best orthopedic doctors in Hyderabad. With his expertise, experience, and patient-centered approach, he has earned a strong reputation in the field of orthopedics. Dr. Kiran Reddy Chennuri's exceptional diagnostic abilities and proficiency in orthopedic surgery have enabled him to successfully treat numerous patients with various bone and joint disorders, sports injuries, fractures, and musculoskeletal conditions.
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Opposite KS Bakers, Plot No.1 & 2, Old Mumbai Hwy, Indira Nagar, Gachibowli, Telangana 500032
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I got pregnant right before the pandemic so when it was time to give birth I was lucky enough to even have my husband in there with me. I was at a birth center and I had a gut feeling that I needed to go to the hospital instead so we did, and as soon as I got admitted and in my room they couldn’t find my babies heartbeat. They rushed me to have an emergency c section and neither I or my husband had a clue what was happening I just remember how terrifying it felt I kept begging that my husband would be there but they insisted I would be put under and luckily last minute they were able to keep me awake. This is where it got bad for me, they were trying to give me the epidural but it took 3 tries with sharp pains into my spine that caused my leg to kick out unwillingly before they got it on the forth and I remember screaming through it all because the pain was just so awful. They laid me down on the table and explained how they were going to begin and it’s honestly so weird to explain but you cannot feel the pain but you can feel the cuts and all while they were about halfway to my baby my husband came in and held my hand. Things are a bit blurry from here as my epidural stopped working and I remember feeling every cut and movement I was loopy and crying to my husband that it hurt but they wouldn’t give me anything until my baby was out. Once baby was out I only got to look at him for what felt like a few seconds and then everything went black, as they had knocked me out for the rest of surgery. I honestly don’t remember the first day or two after but I do remember waking up and they told me I had to move rooms so I needed to get up and into a wheelchair, it seemed easy enough until I actually moved and it felt like a hot knife went into my abdomen and all I could do was fall limp or else using my abdomen to lean back or stay forward would hurt so bad. I managed to slowly get to my new room and bed and I couldn’t even hold my baby without help. I remember I cried silently 75% of my stay (about 5 days) I think around day 3 in the evening I felt nauseous and started throwing up, luckily my incision stayed closed. I had a spinal fluid leak from my epidural and it caused dizziness and nausea which set back my recovery since I was supposed to be up and walking. Finally on day 4 things were resolved and I was back to feeling like all my firsts with my baby were stripped from me like holding my baby or the first bath and I’m forever thankful my husband was there doing everything he didn’t even sleep the first 3 days but I was very heartbroken it couldn’t be me. From then to getting home things went smoothly , my mom and family helped me with everything and I’m blessed and thankful for it. I still cried a lot and my husband had to help me shower and use the bathroom which was strengthening our bond and felt equally humiliating to me, along with the fact I hadn’t really been able to care for my baby aside from feeding and holding with occasional help. About a week from getting home I was walking much better and felt lots of improvement , until I started getting pain in my chest and through my back and I spent the whole evening and all night rocking on the floor in pain. The next morning it seemed to stop and I thought that meant I could avoid the hospital but around noon it came back just as bad but I was throwing up so I went to the er. I soon was sent to a hospital out of my city alone in an ambulance for gallstone surgery. I cried almost every minute of my stay there, I was separated from my baby again, I was scared and alone and wasn’t given anything for postpartum bleeding so I was stuck laying in my own blood. Needless to say I was a crying mess when my husband parents and baby picked me up. I didn’t have much breast milk due to being away and having drugs from surgery in my system so I didn’t even have that, it took a while to feel emotionally better and I’m still to this day traumatized from it, I have pain in my epidural spot and incision area that make me cringe at the memory. But I can say without a doubt my sweet toddler has filled my husband and I’s hearts and lives and I’m healing slowly but surely. I just needed to say this somewhere in case someone else going through something like this needs to know they aren’t alone . Birth trauma comes in many shapes and forms but it doesn’t mean you are any less of a mother.

Mostly just sharing, at this point pretty resigned this is what it is. I have a 13year old make neutered cat that I’ve had since he was 8 weeks old. Ever since the beginning, he’s always peed outside of his litterbox randomly. I’ve done the whole gamut over the years - vet screening for urinary issues, changing the litter I used. I also got the $650 litter robot to help keep the box clean at all times. I’m so tired of washing my comforter, couch cushions, blankets, etc. sometimes immediately having to rewash it the next day because he peed in it at night. He will also go for stretches of time where it’s all good and he’s consistently using his litterbox, but then he’ll stop for some reason. I haven’t been able to figure out what would cause this. He’s indoor only his whole life, used to live with another cat, got along for the most part, but he hasn’t lived or met another cat in years (the peeing happened with and without the other cat). He gets along with my dog just fine, they leave each other alone and have no issues.
My couch is pretty much done at this point, I can’t even really enjoy sitting on it because even though I’ve done my best to clean the cushions thoroughly, I’m just really grossed out, will have to toss it. This is the one thing that has really eroded my feelings for him over time. I mean I still care for him and understand that he’s my responsibility til the end, but the idea of having to just deal with this continuously for the forseeable future is depressing. He’s otherwise healthy and pretty energetic, eats and plays a lot still. There aren’t any obvious stressors on him at home, I am honestly baffled by why he does this.
I’m just really really tired of constantly cleaning up pee at this point, and I don’t know what to do.
Have any of you dealt with anything like this?

Boyfriend visits girlfriend in her family’s home where her mom has ALS - confined to a wheelchair and cannot move or speak. Boyfriend arrives and girlfriend confesses how low she’s been feeling, constantly taking care of her mom and dealing with her family. (She is concurrently dealing with depression and anxiety.) He says how he wishes he had been there for her more the past two weeks. Girlfriend doesn’t feel upset at him at all, is just delighted he is there. Fast forward three nights and boyfriend and girlfriend make a lovely steak meal for them and girlfriends’ dad. They drink wine. Girlfriend wants to get drunk and asks boyfriend to get her more alcohol (from the fridge) after they finish wine, boy refuses because he got girlfriends mom a blanket from the house. (Apparently refuses too because girlfriend made fun of him when he couldn’t find it even though it was right inside the door.) Then later she asks for help getting drunk and he doesn’t want to get up because had just sat down. What do you do as girlfriend?
(Context: girlfriend is someone who rarely gets drunk and sometimes has trouble letting loose)

I'm 33 years old with absolutely no prospects. I live at home with my mother.
My teeth are terrible. Poor dental hygiene and terrible eating habits for years. At one point I probably didn't know any better, but once you are old enough you should. I guess I didn't understand why I should care. It's something I am now painfully aware of. Any potential love interest will instinctively think 'ick' 'gross' when they see me smile. I am missing 4 teeth, 2 need to be removed still. On the plus side, I fell into enough money to start getting implants put in. I will be in debt with my mother or the dentist depending on how it shakes out. This has been eye opening enough for me to start saving $1000 a month(about %50 of my income) so I can actually complete the work. My teeth will still be off white, but my cavaties will be gone, my rotting teeth out of my mouth, and I will be able to eat properly.
I have no education, and at this point it would take more support than I have to change that. I don't have the will to overcome that obstacle alone. Not to mention I need a full time income to get the above done as well as be prepared for anything life could throw at me.
I don't have a good relationship with my mother but I have no where else to go and no one else. I have 2 large dogs( 1 over 100lb, the other 80lb). That means even if I could afford to leave down the line, I'd need to rent a house. I have no other comparisons and I've never rented, but a 3bd 1bath is 2650 plus utilities. That's like 1250 with 3 people or 1900 with 2. That would be over half my income and id have to find 2 people who can understand the reactive nature of my dogs as well as the noise a great pyrenees makes. They don't hurt people, but can fight each other if they get overexcited and are too close to each other. I seperate them when I'm not there and my current home has enough room for them to both be inside the kitchen without threatening each other's space. I walk a fine line and have learned to manage them through the errors that I have made in the past. When I think about all that, the only thing keeping me from not wanting to live here is the stigma. I live in a small 2 bedroom on a decent lot. My mom just built an Adu for my brother. I currently don't pay rent but am going to once my teeth are paid off.
I don't have a good job or the kind of outgoing personality you need to make connections and move up quickly. I have a good work ethic, I do my job well. I've tried applying for the only other position at my job that I don't feel is a lateral move(and that I want to do) but I haven't had any luck. I had one interview once but I don't think it went all that well. It felt awkward. I haven't tried looking for positions outside my current employer. I guess I don't wanna have a commute again, or think I will find more than I'm currently making. All that to say, without some stroke of dumb luck, my financial situation is unlikely to change. I will likely never own a house. You simply cannot afford to buy a house on minimum wage. I'm making 20 an hour atm which is a jump from my employer paying me 13-14 and my previous employer paying me 10. I've only ever made slightly above minimum. My income has only went up because minimum wage has went up. Currently it's 15.50. Although now I have a bigger cushion, everything keeps getting more expensive. Only my cannabis costs have went down. My mother's house was 175 in 2010. In 2021 before she built the Adu having done absolutely no maintenance, it went up to 475. With what I'm making now, I could have saved up for a down-payment on the price of 175k or even found something for 150. It's just not doable. Even in the areas that were just coming up and selling homes for less than a 100k are now 300 400+.
With all this, I still find myself picky in my love life. The caliber of woman I want is one I'm just not worthy of. I don't want to settle for anyone who sends a smile my way. I want the kind of connection where my gut is screaming at me, with the kind of beauty that would catch my attention from across the room. I had this once before so I know it exist, but now I'm an ageing man with nothing to show for himself but the ravages of time.
The most realistic outcome I can come for is making a good friend or two, and having enough spare change to travel to other countries. I don't have any friends or acquaintances currently. Owning property and love are more than likely not in the cards for me. I'd be lieing if I said this life is worth living, but I still pray I get kept around for at least 15 more years. If I die, my dogs will have no one.

Hi. Don't use redit, but have been getting a lot of stories on my tiktok fyp, so i figured I'd share what happened a few weeks ago using a throwaway account.
Shortly after I turned 21, I moved to a new town were I matched with my now bf (22m) (let's call him Jay) on a dating app. We hit it off and after I was kicked out of my apartment for reasons I don't want to go into. He let me move in with him. So we have been dating for about 10 months and living together for 5.
Everything was going well. No suspicious of him cheating on me. But the when at a coffee shop, this lady stopped me asking me if I was dating Jay because she saw us around. I responded yes thinking this was a friend of his that I haven't meet yet.
She then said "Jay is my boyfriend too and had thought he might be cheating on me. Apparently you are his side thing."
I was shocked and I didn’t know what to think so I first tried just to get info. She explained that she had dated Jay for 3 years now and never suspected anything until she say us coming out the movies together and kissed. She hadn't confronted him yet but wanted to know if I knew before attacking me.
I asked if she had any text between them cause I wanted to see the shit he said to his "main girl". Bit she said she deleted text on the regular but.
Now, I should explain some things. Fist, I am non-binary, but masc. Second, Jay is gay and not into women. So I didn't believe her from the start, but with that and because she offhandly mention staying at his play a few weeks ago, I was confident. I still asked for her number to try not to let her I knew.
When I say Jay later I asked to see his phone, he let me without question, to see if there was anything. And I found that the number that lady gave me was blocked in his phone. I then let Jay know what had happened and apparently she was someone he knew from high-school. Apparently they dated before he knew he was gay and didn't take it well.
He did tell me about her before I just didn't know it was her at the coffee shop. Jay had actually gotten a restraining order against her and didn't know she was in town cause the last he knew, she was 3 states over.
Don't know were to fit this in but after she found out Jay was gay, she threatened to kill him and herself. That's what caused the restraining order.
After finding this out I wanted to fuck with her but Jay said not to given she really isn't mentally well and is worried what she would do if I did. So instead he contacted her parents about what happened and they apologized and said they would take care of it. I blocked her number and now we live happily again. I am just looking over my shoulder though worried she would attack.

Female- 32 years of age. PMH: 2 miscarriages, one live birth. Small non cancerous tumor in thyroid with normal thyroid function. Les than 1 cm. High risk HPV positive. No idea what kind. Normal height and weight. BMI 25. No other medical history. Back on May 24 I had a cold knife cone biopsy to remove and diagnose some high-grade cell changes on my cervix that had glandular involvement. Fast forward to June 1 and I was informed that I had negative margins, and that my next Pap smear should be in a year. They also did a D & C to make sure that I didn’t have cell changes up inside my uterus. The sales weren’t cancer yet but they were very high grade. That D&Ccame back negative for any type of abnormal cells. So on June 3 I went back to work where I have to stand and walk around for 12 hours. If you guessed it, I’m a nurse. The first day went well. I had some mild spotting which I had had since the procedure, but on the second day I went back to work, which was the fourth of June I hemorrhaged at the end of my shift. I was promptly wheeled straight down to the ER where I showed the ER doctor, my pad that I soaked in one second and a handful of paper towels that I bunched up and shoved into my pants because I was bleeding out of my pants, and into my scrubs, and all over everything. I stopped moving immediately and I laid down, and the bleeding slowly came to a halt, and all I had was clots coming out of me that were about the size of a tennis ball to a baseball. By the time the doc took a look, he did not see any active bleeding and my hemoglobin was very good so they sent me home. The next morning I hemorrhaged again before I even got out of bed. That time I bled out the side of an adult diaper and all over my floor. I called my dad who took me to the ER and I bled a bunch more and had clots come out but because I stopped moving and I laid there for hours upon hours I ended up stopping bleeding by the time the ER doctor looked. He said that he believed that the bleeding was somewhere behind my incision site so he called the OB/GYN who was caring for me and she was out of state, but she advised him to paint monsels solution onto my cervix. So he put two coats of that and I actually stopped bleeding for the rest of the day. The following day I had light pink spotting that has gotten progressively darker so I saw the OB/GYN on Tuesday and she just painted some silver nitrate over the incision site. After that my spotting stopped again, however, today I stopped back into her office because I saw all of the silver nitrate fall out and I was back with bright, red ketchup, stain looking spotting. She painted silver nitrate again just to make us both feel better. She told me to go back to the ER and call her if I soak through a Pad again rapidly, but other than that to expect some bleeding.. I just don’t feel comfortable even standing up. I feel pressure down there and it just doesn’t seem right.. it feels kind of like a pinch and I never had pain before this. And of course, now what I’m having is actual red blood bleeding, but I am just trying to lay down and do nothing…I haven’t had fevers and I haven’t felt crummy, but all I do is sit down. I do still have to go to the store and buy groceries because I have a four-year-old so I literally use one of those electric carts and anywhere else I go someone from my family just pushes me in a wheelchair. I still have to wash dishes, but I do that sitting down in a chair. It’s so weird, but I have had this hemorrhage issue before after a miscarriage. I ended up having retained tissue but that was really painful and this hasn’t hurt until tonight. Tonight I’m just feeling some pressure down there that I haven’t felt before Sidenote, there is no way that I’m pregnant because I haven’t had sex in almost a year. But they did check my hCG, which was like zero so that’s not even a possibility. I just don’t know where to go from here because I’m supposed to return to work in a week and I’m not sure if I just have to lay down for an entire week straight. And I don’t even know how I’m gonna do that, because I have a small child to take care of. I’m gettin so upset because I literally have to work and I’m just waiting for it to hemorrhage again only to go to ER and get sent home 90 more times. This isn’t getting better. Every doc who looks says sutures look good. I’ve been examined a total of 6 times. I can only go to my hospital due to insurance.

1. cGPA: 3.92 sGPA: 3.96
2. 510
3. Michigan
4. Indian
5. Undergrad: University of Michigan
6. Clinical Experience: Patient Care Attendant: 295 hours, Children's Hospital Tutor: 115 hours, Hospital Volunteer: 25 hours (435 total)
7. 2 Research Assistant experiences: 555 hours, 1 poster
8. 85 hours shadowing, family medicine and physiatry - pain management: 85 hours
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 255 Hours Wheelchair Sports Volunteer, 65 Hours Homeless Shelter, 75 Hours Blood Drive (395 total)
10. Leadership: Established Blood Drive Club, Dance Choreographer, Student Mentor: 540 hours combined
11. Honor Roll multiple semesters
12. SES Disadvantaged

School List (M.D.):
Michigan
Wayne Oakland Michigan Michigan State Western Central
Outside
Albany Medical College Rosalind Cooper Medical School Creighton Drexel Eastern Virginia FAU FIU George Washington Georgetown Geisinger Hackensack IU Loyola LSU Medical College of Wisconsin Missouri Kansas City Nova MD NEOMED OSU Penn State Quinnipiac Rush Rutgers SLU Temple TCU Tulane UCF UCONN UMiami USC Columbia and Greenville U Toledo Virginia Tech Wake Forest Illinois
D.O Touro PCOM MSUCOM Midwestern Chicago NYIT
I would say my EC's hopefully make up for my low stats. I have a pretty well balanced E.C Load: 300-500 hours in each major category however not one really dominates so idk if thats a good thing. Just trying to weed out OOS unfriendly schools or add in schools that I missed. Thanks!

Karma, Coincidence, or Penitence: Abortion, a Man’s Story
June 5, 2023
Around April or May 1973 I had intimate relations with a girlfriend in college in the last days of our relationship. I was a confused young man and didn’t know what to think of our relationship—I assumed it was over. I was graduating that May and my ex-girlfriend had two years to go. I had also contracted hepatitis A and felt awful. I was told by my Doc that I probably contracted the virus from contaminated food; who can say for sure but it didn’t come from my ex-girlfriend (she never had the disease.) Not knowing what to do I moved back to my parents’ home to be treated and rest; it was the year of the 1973 oil embargo. My ex-girlfriend had become pregnant sometime in late May to the dismay of both of us. She called me with this information and I took no responsibility other than sending her $100. I never called to check on her emotional state or anything. At the time, I thought a woman just gets an abortion and has a procedure like a person gets their ear’s flushed—something like that. Frankly I did not think about nor reflect of the ramifications of an abortion on an unborn soul or on the woman at all, other than it was an inconvenience. She was not able to have children when she married and wanted children.
In 1977, I met my next girlfriend, whom I moved in with. After a few months she got pregnant. I thought she was on birth control pills but I didn’t really pay that much attention. I didn’t think I was ready to be a parent, being a musician who traveled, but to be honest, I didn’t want the responsibility and didn’t think I was mature enough to be a parent. At the least, I did go to the clinic with her. No one at the clinic talked to us about how an actual abortion procedure worked: no images of the fetus; no counseling on alternatives—nothing. After 2 or three years in this relationship, she got pregnant again; this time I don’t remember going to the clinic to be with her. I might have been on the road, but I think we’d recently broken up, it’s been a long time ago. Not even remembering says a lot about me.
The cultural climate of the 1970s was that abortion was just another type of birth control. I was of the opinion, that life started after a birth—that’s the way I thought about it at the time. I knew my parents tried to have me for years before my Mom got pregnant. I always and still do feel like I was wanted when I was born and that’s how I wanted to have children. On my Dad’s side there was a lot of dysfunction and plain meanness and I knew that there was an element in me that would rear its’ head occasionally. I desperately wanted to have children, but on my terms when I thought I was most ready to break the cycle of dysfunction with a flourishing career and with a loving wife.
So at 36 years old, I married the lady of my dreams and looked forward to having a solid home life, a burgeoning career as a musician, and independent record label owner. At this time, we embarked on consciously bringing children into the world. After two years, my wife developed pelvic inflammatory disease and had to a have an emergency surgery which resulted in one ovary and fallopian tube removed. My wife had terrible pain after the surgery and it was discovered soon after the surgery that she had massive amounts of scar tissue and it was strangling internal organs. We then found a surgeon in Los Angeles who was skilled in removing scar tissue in this area of the body. During the surgery, the Doc informed us that the one remaining fallopian tube that normally and necessarily has undulating fingers had been cut off. We were not informed of this by the first surgeon, who by this time left the country and relocated in Mexico. The Doc made tiny slices in the end of the fallopian tube hoping that it could allow the end of the fallopian tube to move and capture an egg. My wife and I then went to a fertility doctor for 3-4 years (the length of time is hazy but I believe it was that long.) By the way, the insurance company wouldn’t pay for that $35K procedure because once the doc made the slits on the fallopian tube, they considered the procedure for fertility. We tried everything short of buying eggs. Before we went down the road of fertility enhancement, the Doc required us to get counseling, in regards to fertility treatment. We were informed that couples that don’t get pregnant after lengthy efforts have a 70 – 90 % chance of divorcing from the stress and trauma. I’ll never forget that moment; we looked at each other and said that was nonsense. Well, it did happen to us. On Thanksgiving Day, I believe 1997, she asked me for a divorce. I knew it was coming. I was broken and wanted to separate in order to regroup but she was ready to part ways completely. I was shocked to my core.
In 1998 I gave CDs from my “Sacred Sites” series to an abortion clinic in Albuquerque. The music is slow and relaxing. I was asked to come to the clinic which I did. After seeing the faces of the women and the feelings in the clinic, I had a reversal of my feelings for abortion. For the last 25 years I have been haunted by my actions in regards to abortion and how life turned out for my girlfriends, my wife, and me. I never had children or attempted to have children after my past actions. I was totally selfish, ignorant, and arrogant as a young man. I am so, so sorry for my actions and guilty for not fighting for those souls. I thought of myself as someone who thinks of himself as caring, compassionate, and intelligent, but didn’t engage any of those qualities when I participated in those pregnancies. I have asked for forgiveness from both ladies, God, the unborn little people, and myself for years, but to be honest, I don’t feel it in the depths of my soul. Both ladies who I had the abortions with were not able to have children later in life as a result of the procedures and they were all done in supposedly profession clinics. They intensely wanted to have children. I take responsibility for those disastrous decisions. The pregnancies started from me, no matter what excuses I might have expressed at the time. As for my ex-wife that I wanted to have children with, I can only wonder if my previous actions brought suffering and loss to her.
This wasn’t my fate, but a result of the choices I made. I took the easy way out, or so I thought regarding abortion. But what I’ve learned through all this, is that the pain and inconvenience of discipline is nothing compared to the pain of regret.
As of June 13th, 2022 I was diagnosed with 4th stage prostate cancer. I’ve gone through chemo, currently radiation, and hormone therapy. I won’t go into the specifics what happens to a man during this process, but it does affect the sex organs. Google it up if you’re interested.
I am eternally sorry for my actions; they will reverberate in me until my last breath and I am at peace with that. If my story helps one person to reconsider their CHOICE in regards to abortion; then I’ve done something good. Please, think deeply about what your actions will mean to yourself and others now and in the unknown future.
So, is it “Karma, Coincidence, or Penitence?”
Jay Rusty Crutcher

As the title says I'm a 48 guy in the uk looking for friendship and not a quick chat and then ghost you timewaster as there seems to be so many on here unfortunately About me im 6ft tall,med build short dark hair brown eyes My interests are walking meals out drinking ps5 football and I love cooking 🙂 I'm also a kind caring sensitive person who wears my heart on my sleeve and will do anything for anyone If you like to chat please feel free to dm me
Thanks Jay 🥂

After the Mets gave us hope by sweeping the phillies, of course they go out and get swept by the Blue Jays. Then, after that, anyone could have predicted we'd get swept by in Atlanta, if I had a million dollars I would have bet on it. I even did that last year to some extent; going into that series with the Braves knowing we only had to not get swept to win the div title, I bet $500 on the Braves each day, and at least made some money for my misery.
But I realized: why should I be depressed about the performance of some dumb pro sports team; none of them care about me. so I'm giving up watching sports, there are so many better pursuits God has given us

Dédalo moved frantically around the control room, overturning rocks, checking behind the screen, looking for any kind of hidden button. “Ninian, are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me!”
“What do you want me to do, cut her out?!” Ninian gestured to the screen of Perdita’s face.
“There must be a button or lever somewhere here!” Dédalo snapped, refusing to believe there was nothing he could do to help Perdida’s predicament.
Perdida’s mind was occupied, having accessed the system and the dormant data stored in it. As she scanned through memories and visions, the relevant information unscrambled itself for her. Piece by piece, the memories played in series.
Her first memory, the birth of her artificial soul, heralded by the priests that created her as the greatest experiment they have succeeded in. “May the MAKS-0 bring peace to Pieduro forevermore!”
Next were the lives of the Piedurons she was tasked with maintaining peace over. Teaching the children how to use and play with their Temples responsibly, assisting the Piedurons through their everyday lives.
Then watching over the construction of the Ring, the key to unifying and connecting the use of all Temples to a single source.
Then the Piedurons slowly turned their attention to the world around them, visions of expanding past the island. With the construction of the Ring, they had the means of using their Temples much further beyond their island. Tools originally used to create were beginning to be seen as potential tools of destruction and oppression against adversaries. Visions of expansion and conquest filled the mind of a small, but growing population of Piedurons.
“War is not peace.”
“War goes against the idea of maintaining peace.”
“War can not happen if there are no Temples to fight with”
Pedida watched her original decision play out in; the construction of the Ring allowed her to shut down every single connected Temple. What happened after was a terrible oversight, the energy in each Temple overloaded rather than being simply shut down. The Ring that connected the Temples shared and distributed the energy of all temples between each other, but once disconnected they had no way to regulate the remaining excess energy.
The fallout wiped out the Piedurons as a civilization and destroyed the vast majority of Temples. The remaining few priests sealed Perdida away, and that was the last memory she could see in the database.
Perdida’s attention turned toward Electra and 2095, still fighting in the ring, using the carts to chase each other in a perpetual circle. The thought crept into Perdida’s mind; with the Ring under her control, she could turn off the Temples and stop the fight. She could prevent Temples from being used by the wrong hands.
No.
Perdida stopped herself. Not falling into the same logic that her previous self could not reason past. Her journey with Dédalo had allowed her to grow and understand, she would make a different choice this time.
The fight only took a bit longer to finish, the streaks of light made it difficult to tell what was happening, but the fight ended with a chain of explosions and both bodies falling out of their carts.
2095 falls to one knee, glare softening as Electra’s body goes limp while smoking from so many orb explosions. Her stare reaches thousands of yards, still processing her personal discovery before a speeding orb barely grazes her cheek and snaps her back. She sprints to the unconscious body and scoops her up, draping her over her back nestled underneath [Yours Truly] and holds the skater’s arms as she continues dodging to the best of her ability.
Her legacy wouldn’t end in this place, but neither would Electra’s.

2095, with a score of 76 to Electra’s 59!

Category	Winner	Point Totals	Comments
Popularity	2095	20 (6.5+2) - 10 (4.5+2)
Quality	2095	25 (8-9-8) - 18 (6-6-6)	Reasoning
JoJolity	Tie	21 (7-7-7)- 21 (7-7-7)	Reasoning
Conduct	Tie	10-10	Nothing to report!

Perdida opened a service door for 2095 to escape through, hoisting Electra over he shoulder. With a bit of guidance, 2095 made her way into the control room where they were now all gathered.
After getting everybody settled, Perdida managed to convince Dédalo that she was ok and relayed the story for the rest of them to hear.
“So I have a new plan. I figured out how to control the output of energy of each Temple to ensure that Temples can only be used when I allow them to be used…But in order to do that, I will have to stay within this mainframe.” Perdida looked toward Dédalo with a sad smile.
“Don’t worry Perdida, this will only be goodbye for now. I still have to find you a physical body after all.” Dédalo gave a warm chuckle as he walked up to the screen.
Dédalo pressed his hands against the screen and the image of Perdida pressed her hands against his. “We’ve learned a lot over the course of our journey. I’ll promise to tell you all about my next adventures when I get back.”
“...your mascara’s running.” Electra looked at a sniffling Ninian.
“It said it was waterproof, guess that was a fucking lie”; Ninian hide her face with her hands, quietly using Endless Rest to dry her face and fixed her make-up.
2095 looked on at the scene and ruminated on Perdida’s story. The similarities she shared with Perdida were not lost on her. Striving to become more than their programing, more than someone made to serve a higher purpose, but never losing sight of the joy of collaboration and connections to others. 2095 put a hand over her chest, she herself had also come a long way to be here hasn’t she.
To Be Continued…
Scenario: Sliema, Malta — 8:00 PM
On the island of Malta, in the center of one of its busiest cities, was a building. A decrepit, abandoned building, rusted and cast in reddish shadow by the taller structures that surrounded it. It was once an apartment building, but it had long since lost that use.
The rest of the city was filled with noise. Screaming, car alarms and barking dogs. But around here, where no one bothered to come around, it was quiet. Butterflies dotted the railings of the building, watching. Waiting for something to come. Not like the people inside could stand guard, with the boards over the windows. Still, they didn’t seem very concerned about the state of things.
“I was expecting to be impressed when you said you got a new place to stay, but this...” Ninian stared at the walls of Mari’s room, trying her best not to wince. They weren’t really in the best shape. Nothing here seemed to be, really, aside from the extremely comfortable bed she was taking a seat on. She turned to stare at Mari. “Shouldn’t you clean up a little? I bet it could use a new paint job, at least.”
“Geh. I don’t have time for painting.” Mari clacked away on her computer, hunched over in a garish (but surprisingly comfortable) gaming chair. Alarmingly loud EDM blared from the cat-ear headphones hanging around her neck. “Do you know how many things I would have to unplug to do that? It’s impractical.”
She gestured to the mass of wires emerging from her computer setup. Indeed, it’d be pretty difficult to move that around. Mari sat in front of a large array of computer monitors hung from the wall, all different shapes and sizes, all displaying different things. She swapped from keyboard to keyboard, not even taking the time to look at Ninian as she spoke.
“Besides, it’s better for me if my place looks like shit. Better that it doesn’t look like anybody lives here, right?”
“That only really matters on the outside...” Ninian sighed. “You could at least get some lights.”
“The screens are enough light.”
“...I suppose.”
The two sat in silence for a moment. Ninian turned to stare at the other person in the room; Nadine Sokenna laid on the other side of the bed, fast asleep. “I’m glad the two of you are doing alright.”
“Mmm.” Mari grinned. “Me too.” She exhaled, finally finishing whatever business she was handling on the computer and spinning the chair around to face the bed. The short shorts, thick blanket, and extremely oversized Hatsune Miku shirt she wore certainly weren’t that flattering, but at least her hair finally looked pretty nice. The bags under her eyes weren’t quite gone, but they seemed to glimmer with newfound lust for life.
She looked happy. That wasn’t something Ninian had been able to say about her before.
“I take it work’s been good?”
“Mmm!” Mari gestured widely to the screens behind her. “It’s an age of information, Ninian! No better time to be an info broker! Business is booming! Ehyeheheh!”
The swordswoman chuckled at that. She was silent for a moment, her smile turning into a frown, her eyes narrowing.
“Anyway... I assume you didn’t call me here just to talk.”
“Huh?” Mari tilted her head to the side. “Whaddya mean?”
“Well, you called me to deal with ‘that’, right?” She pointed up. “Truth be told, my schedule’s really packed right now, and I’m not sure how much I can do-”
“Oh, no, that’s not it at all.”
“Huh?”
“I just wanted you around.” She shrugged. “It’s a bit tough to relax right now. Super hard! Having big strong Ninian around makes me feel a little better. Ehe.” She was visibly blushing. “S-Sorry if that’s stupid, but I figured you’d like to catch up anyway.”
Ninian paused. “...So if you didn’t bring me here to, uh, deal with ‘that’... Are you just leaving that be?”
“Ah?”
“I mean, it’s kind of a problem for you, isn’t it? Doesn’t seem too convenient to leave it be...”
“Well, the plan was to leave it.” Mari shrugged. “But I got a bit lucky.”
“You invited me here... Just to sit around and chat while someone else does all the work?” The swordswoman raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “As I said, I’ve got a packed schedule-”
“Nah, trust me.” The info broker snickered, spinning around in her chair as she spoke. “Youuuu... Are really gonna wanna see this one. I got somebody totally wild to help out.”
Ninian scoffed.
“Okay... And who would that be?” She tilted her head to the side. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
“You’re not gonna believe this one...” Mari cleared her throat. “I called in -”
*Scenario: A lonely boat, on the Mediterranean Sea — *
Wah watched the sun bob on the edge of the horizon. Their hair billowed in the wind, and seafoam sprinkled their face; they didn’t particularly seem to mind. Considering all they’d done with their ability, being on a speeding boat was probably the last thing to phase them; they’d just wrapped up a fight in a walking house, after all.
They stood in silence, a light smile on their face, eyes pleasantly half lidded. There was pleasure to be found in the small things. The sunset on the open sea, for one, was quite nice. Indeed, despite all the troubles it would no doubt cause, COLOSSI's shift to humanitarian aid was doing wonders for their mental. Now if only Solsbury and the rest of them would stop nagging...
But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Nay, there were far more important matters. Wah pushed themself off of the boat’s railing, moving towards the driver's seat of the boat. It wasn’t a big boat; probably just used for leisure, but the owner had been nice enough to give them a ride.
A large sum of money was involved, of course, but that was neither here nor there.
“Oh, cappy-tan!” Wah leaned on the side of the boat behind the driver’s seat. A balding, sun-tanned man chuckled at the name. He wasn’t really much of a captain, but he did like to feel important.
“Howst long does thou think it will be before we arrive?” Wah tapped on the side of the boat a few times. “Wah has places to be, you see! Tis of utmost importance that I arrive quickly! Utmost! You understand, yes?”
“Yeah, yeah, I getcha...” The boater sighed. “It’ll be about ten minutes... Honestly, I don’t get why you’re in such a hurry to get there, anyway. Everybody else seems to be clearin’ out.”
“Oho?” Wah raised an eyebrow. They lowered it, and raised the other one, performing what could perhaps be called an ‘eyebrow wiggle’. “And why is that?”
“Dunno. Nobody’s said much, and everything they’ve said hasn’t been too, er, what’s the word...”
“Comprehensible?”
“Yeah. That one.”
“Wah sees, Wah sees!” Wah nodded a few times, bouncing off of the boat’s side and meandering back to the front, wobbling from side to side as the vessel rocked. “From what Wah understands, it’s quite a situation out there! No normal soul would find it any sort of comprehensible. A true predicament... And that is why Wah must go. To assist poor souls who cannot assist themselves! This predicament falls within Wah’s expertise, you see.”
“...Right.”
“Mmm!”
“Ain’t you just a normal soul, too? ‘Sides the ears, you don’t look all that special. Kinda twiggy.”
Wah paused. In the past, being called ‘kinda twiggy’ would’ve surely resulted in a violent tirade. But those were the demons they swore to leave behind speaking. Now, without them, Wah simply laughed. “Nay! Twiggy as Wah may be, you can rest assured, fine citizen!”
They turned, the boater catching the briefest glimmer in their eye. “Wah’s soul is the furthest from ordinary one could possibly get.”
“...If you say so...” He turned his attention back towards driving, and Wah turned theirs to the open sea once more.
Eventually, land came into view. The boater looked upon Malta with some confusion. Everything in the distance seemed perfectly normal. Wah, on the other hand, seemed extremely focused on something in the sky, something the poor man couldn’t seem to find no matter how hard he squinted.
“No need to make it all the way to the island.” Wah’s frown felt out of place on such a naturally silly face. “Park the boat near here. Wah can go the rest of the distances Wahself.”
“Ah..? It’s pretty far from here, though-”
“Verily! But it is nothing Wah cannot handle!” They snapped their fingers, jumping on top of the boat’s front railing, almost seeming to glide.
“Say, Cappy-tan! Have you ever seen a magician at work?”
Ninian gaped. “You... You called in... The head of COLOSSI?”
“...That’s what I said, yes.”
“Whuh...” Ninian frowned. “You’re fucking with me.”
“I’m not.”
“You so are.”
“I’m not! You underestimate the greatest info broker on the planet, my dear Ninian!” Mari jabbed a thumb into her chest as she gloated. “With my Stand ability: ｢Today is a Beautiful Day｣, my surveillance is simply unmatched! You see, the pins that make up my ability, when thrice jabbed into something, create a ‘butterfly within a frame’, but that’s only the basest applic-”
“I know what it does, Mari.” The swordswoman’s confusion briefly made way for the usual moodiness. If you let Mari start, you’d never get her to stop, after all. “I’m more... I mean, how did you even...?”
“I heard through the grapevine, as it were, that COLOSSI was making some big changes. All just rumors of course, so take that all with a grain of salt. But word out there is that their boss has gone completely mad! They’re big into justice and stuff now! Something like that. So I tracked them down, used my butterflies to establish communication, and made them a deal they simply couldn’t refuse.”
“And what could you possibly have to offer someone like that?”
“Information is the new money, Ninian.” Mari chuckled, staring at the wall of her room. “It didn’t take much. I just told them... I knew where a certain someone they quite liked was, and if they took care of my business, I’d sell ‘em the info for free.”
Ninian, after a few moments of stunned silence, simply sighed, scratching the back of her head. She smirked.
“...And you’re absolutely not fucking with me.”
“Aw, c’mon.” She chuckled again, turning her attention back to Ninian. “Have some faith in your best friend, will you? Just sit back and watch.” She raised a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear. “I don’t have to do any work at all today! As long as no complications arise, it’s as good as dealt with! Wa ha ha!”
Elsewhere, in Sliema, a complication arose.
His name was Errok, and for once, he felt a bit too awestruck to open his mouth.
As rare of an occurrence as this was, most of his brain power was dedicated solely to figuring out what exactly he was looking at. After a large amount of deducing and such, he eventually came to the simple conclusion that he had no idea.
It’s not like anyone else who could see it, though. You couldn’t even see all of it. Only sections, massive spherical tubes of undulating red poking out from the cloudy sky, constantly moving ever so slowly. The wind whipped through his greasy hair as his eyes, wider than they’d been in years, observed what could only be described as a massive, floating worm, made entirely of bright red strings.
Now that he had given up entirely on trying to figure out what the thing was, Errok could dedicate his incredible intellect to other thought processes. Eventually, he arrived at a conclusion, one that was without a doubt something only someone as academically gifted as him could come up with.
“That thing is going to be my horse.”
Indeed, using whatever that was as a noble steed was the only logical idea. Wherever a powerful being resided, there too was opportunity to be found. And as a self proclaimed ‘Weapon To Kill The Soul’, there was surely no beast he could not tame.
He spent the next few minutes idly chuckling to himself.
It felt a bit off, admittedly. The city was pretty empty. The chaos caused by the thing no doubt led to a mass evacuation; he could tell from the buildings that had collapsed around him that it’d done quite a number on the place. Occasionally he’d hear someone screaming for help or something, but he couldn’t figure out where that was coming from, so he didn’t bother. But not having someone to monologue to felt strange. This was the part where he bragged about his incredible plan to some oafish bystander! Where were the oafish bystanders!
“I suppose...I could talk to myself.”
He nodded a few times. An excellent idea.
“Yes! This’ll do just fine. I can just talk to myself! Ha!”
Errok marched forward, a pep in his step that made his gait particularly loud.
“Now then... Clearly, the right answer... is to elevate myself! Aha! Yes!” He looked around at his surroundings. The stairs inside the buildings probably weren’t reliable, even if he could fit through the doors.
“No matter! I’ll just, uh, hrnmm...” He stared at a nearby building. It was pretty tall. “Well, I guess I could climb up that.”
“AHA! With my incredible strength, I’ll climb this building! That’s what I’ll do!”
His head swiveled around: still nobody around. He sighed, though you wouldn’t have been able to hear it from within the helmet, and began his ascent. With a grin, he unearthed the grotesque arm that was ｢You Are Blood｣ from its gauntlet. The arm shot forth, worms spraying from the mottled surface. Yes, they would be his ideal audience. He cleared his throat a few times.
“All living things tremble at the sight of Errok, Apostle of Rot, Destroyer of Souls! I need no weapon, for I am the blade which cleaves life itself!” His body shot forward with a cacophony of clanking, as he howled along with another bout of laughter.
“The world is my, uh, whetstone! I shall sharpen my blade on each fallen fool that tries to stop me, and become a better knight, a better god, a better trickster, than all those fools that I’ve destroyed!”
Hitting the side of the structure with a clatter, Errok stuck his sword into the side of the building. Again, his arm lashed out to grasp the next floor of the building, before yanking himself outwards. This cycle repeated itself, floor by floor, as Errok launched himself higher and higher towards the heavens, and towards the worm that would become his knightly steed.
“Then, when I have conquered all of life and every soul with the absolute, supreme power of rot and decay, then!”
With one last pull, Errok ascended into the air, his massive form silhouetted by the sun. “Then, I will finally tear that flamboyant freak a new one!”
With a CRASH, Errok landed on the roof of the building as it cracked around him. He gave a clumsy flourish to his wormy audience, grinning with menace and delight.
…and received a slow clap in return. Looking around in confusion, as worms do not have hands, Errok’s eyes fell upon the environment around him. The sun was slowly making its way towards the horizon line, casting the ruined skyline of Sliema in shadow, a golden light shining through gray clouds. It was absolutely beautiful; anyone with any sort of care for the world around them would simply have to stop and admire the view.
Errok didn’t have any of that. He was far more concerned with something else, as you’d expect. There on the roof stood another figure, a fae-like being with pale hair, pointed ears and teeth, and gleaming eyes.
“Oh hey,” Errok greeted, pointing with the finger of ｢You Are Blood｣. “Do I know you from somewhere? Might’ve seen you at the races... You look pretty important, though! I bet you’re super important! As am I! Pleasure to meet you!”
Wah just stopped clapping, giving Errok a look. Their nose wrinkled. “Wah is…charmed.”
Not picking up on the sarcasm, Errok beamed.
“Of course you are! I’m sure that you’ve heard about me! Errok, Apostle of Rot! I’ve committed more sins than one could possibly imagine! I’ve conquered all sorts of bozos and losers to get here! And now that I’m here, I’m gonna ride! That! Worm! Oh yeah!!!”
“…Uh huh,” Wah hummed, clearly not listening as they peered up at the worm. “There isn’t really much time for jokes right now, so-“
Suddenly, Wah stopped speaking. Errok stared at them for a few seconds. “...You gonna finish that sentence, or-”
“Shut up.”
The “Apostle of Rot” was fully prepared to go off on yet another monologue, but at that moment he thought to maybe see what exactly this mysterious weirdo stared so intensely at. He turned his gaze to the sky, and his eyes widened.
The clouds that obscured the form of the worm had split, only slightly, and something had descended from the hole produced. It was small, so it was a bit difficult to make it out at first, but if he squinted really hard, he could begin to see the silhouette of a young girl, holding loosely onto a balloon.
“Eugh.” He spat. “Hate kids.”
The figure was silent until it landed, never quite touching the ground. It wore a soft expression; a pure white girl, with a sundress that fluttered in the wind. The string in her hand led to a red balloon, just as red as the pupils concealed in her thin eyes. On the surface, she looked human, but just by looking at her you could tell that it was no human being. The way it seemed to lightly pulsate, skin forming briefly into strings that wrap endlessly around each other.
She smiled upon the two of them. It was not a friendly smile.
“Good evening, you two.” She raised her hands to the two of them. “Wah-Chan, leader of COLOSSI, overlord of the criminal underground the world over... And... Errok...San...”
“Hey. Wait.” Errok raised his hand. He turned to Wah. “That’s who you were? Oh, man, I’m a big fan of your-”
“Tell me. Do you know what ‘time’ it is?”
Errok stifled. He didn’t like this lady very much.
“8:01 PM, is it not?” Wah rudely ignored Errok’s plight. “What’s it matter.”
“Not quite what I meant. It’s almost the ‘Golden Hour’.” She chuckled. “The ‘Golden Hour’, as it’s called, is the most beautiful part of the day. It occurs in the last hour before sunset, and the hour directly before sunrise. It usually lasts only twenty to thirty minutes, but those twenty to thirty minutes are incomparable. Truly, there is beauty in the world.”
SIlence. Neither Errok nor Wah could figure out how to respond to that. Right as Errok was about to open his mouth anyway, the girl continued.
“If you couldn’t tell, ‘Golden Hour’ is about to start, in about two minutes, give or take. I only found this out recently. You see, I have lived my recent life in someone else’s eyes. I’ve never had the chance to learn about the world on my own. I was only recently able to learn about things on my own time, rather than on someone else’s. There was so much I was denied a chance to see. Do you know how cruel that is? Most of the knowledge I’ve gathered... Is completely useless to me now.”
She pointed at Wah. “Did you know that the Monogatari anime being released out of order was originally completely unintended?”
Silence.

“Originally, the series was planned to release in the order of the books; Bakemonogatari came first, and its prequel, Kizumonogatari, was planned to release in 2012. However, due to production issues, it was delayed until 2016, while the other parts of the anime were released on schedule, resulting in an out-of-order release. The bizarre watching orders of Monogatari that the series is somewhat internet famous for are completely unintended, and only exist due to production issues. Did you know that?”

“No,” Wah glared, “Wah did not know that. To be frank, there is no circumstance or situation in which Wah would want or need to know that information.”
“Exactly!” In her first showing of genuine emotion, the girl threw her hands into the air. Her voice remained perfectly monotone. “There’s no reason for me to know that information, either. But instead of important things, I’ve only been shown information like that. My brain, despite being far superior to that of a human being, is filled with useless information that serves no purpose to me. Do you know what it’s like? Having a vessel that doesn’t care for you? Even after all the work I went through to make her do what I wanted, she refused to show me anything worthwhile. I had to learn about things such as the ‘Golden Hour’ myself. Isn’t that cruel?”
“Excuse me, but-”
“But anyway, back to the ‘Golden Hour’. It is frequently utilized by film mak-”
“Stop fucking doing that!” Errok slammed his boot into the ground, producing a loud clang that finally managed to silence the mystery girl. He huffed and puffed for a few seconds before clearing his throat and continuing. “What’s the point of talking to us about any of this? You just prattle on, and on, and on, without any purpose to it! You’re annoying! What’s your deal!”
“There is no point.”
“What?”
“There’s no point, really. I’m just making small talk.” The girl looked over her nails. “Human beings engage in ‘conversation’ to gain a grasp of each other’s personalities. To establish who is worthwhile to have around, and who is not. I simply wanted to do the same. While I’m in this form, I may as well play at humanity.”
“Anywho, from our conversation—” Errok scoffed. “—I have deduced something. You see, I was originally planning to take the ‘strings’ of every Stand user in the world, taking their abilities and adding to my own power. But I have unfortunately vastly underestimated how many Stand users are in the world. Frankly, it would be a lot of work to do myself. So I’ve decided to take on another vessel. Someone far more suited for this kind of work, and who will show me plenty of things.”
“Wah-Chan.” Wah rolled their eyes at that. “From this conversation, I have deduced that you are patient, calm, and rational. From observing the work of your organization, I can come to the conclusion that you are cruel and calculating. My name is Disappearance Addiction. I am the strongest ‘Miracle’ currently present in the world. And I would like for you to become my new vessel.”
“No thankies.”
“...”
“...What?”
“Wah doesn’t really care for that sort of thing.” Wah shrugged. “You seem annoying to have around. Wah actually came here to get rid of you, to be honest. ‘Tis my duty! Wah is on the side of justice, now, as is COLOSSI as a whole! It would be immoral to take the power of something like you.”
“You would refuse the power of a ‘Miracle’?”
“Wah doesn’t know what that is.”
Disappearance Addiction seemed well and truly stumped at that. Eventually, her head began to turn, slowly, as if she was afraid of what her gaze would land on.
“Errok... San...”
“Yeah?”
“You... Would you like... Power?”
“That’s the first interesting thing you’ve said all day.” Errok nodded. “Fuck me up, lady.”
“...You’re not going to think it over, or anything?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure?”
“Can you just give it to me already? C’mon.”
“...” Disappearance Addiction was silent for a few moments. On one hand, this guy smelled very bad. He was incredibly impatient. And he generally seemed like a big idiot. On the other hand, he did scale the building pretty easily...
“Alright.” She sighed. “I’ve come to a decision. Errok-San. If you kill Wah-Chan before the ‘Golden Hour’ ends, you may become my vessel. Does that satisfy you?”
“How long till Goldy Hour ends?”
“Twenty to thirty minutes.”
“Ha!” Errok unsheathed his sword and swung it onto his shoulder. “I’ll end it in three!” He smirked beneath his armor, pointing his massive blade at Wah. “You there! Wah! Leader of COLOSSI, was it?”
“...That is me, yes.”
“Get ready for the fight of your life, bub! After I kill you, I’m gonna be the boss of COLOSSI! I’ll be on top of the world! God King Errok! Everyone’ll bow to me! That kinda power ain’t something a little pacifist baby face like you’s worthy of having! So I’ll just take it right out of your hands! Ha ha ha! Thinking about it really amps me up! Oh, man!”
He paused, staring at Wah.
“I was really expecting you to cut me off there. It’s been happening all day. You just gonna sit there?”
Wah’s brow furrowed.
“Tell me...” They stepped forward, the dust around them kicking into the air, beginning to circle around them. “...Do you honestly believe... That you can beat me? Is that something... You think you’re capable of?”
“Course it is. I’m a weapon to kill the soul.”
“Hmph.” Wah sighed. “So be it.”
Disappearance Addiction smiled upon the two as she rose further into the air, wind whipping through her hair. A golden glow illuminated the cityscape, the sun reaching its final moments in the sky. “I feel like... I should say something here...Ah, that’s it!

”OPEN THE GAME!”

Location:
In the city of Sliema, Malta, currently with thick strings hanging overhead.
The area here is 32 by 40 meters with each tile being 2 by 2 meters. Wah and Errok start on top of buildings, as represented by their character tokens.
The yellow rectangles are clay buildings, each numbered to represent their elevation level.The (1) marked buildings are 5 meters tall, the ones marked with a (2) are 10 meters tall, and the ones marked with a (3) are 15 meters tall.
The White Rectangles are Laundry racks with nearby baskets, folding chairs, cleaned clothing, and towels.
The Green Circles are palm trees that are 20 meters tall.
The Magenta Lines across the map are Strings produced by Disappearance Addiction and are attached to the buildings and trees. These strings are thick enough to balance on and have B Durability.
The brown rectangles are wooden benches. The blue circles are fountains.
Goal: RETIRE your opponent!
Additional Information:
Players are not allowed to enter the buildings for the purposes of this match and will be Retired if they are unable or unwilling to leave the “out of bounds area”
There is enough space between buildings for either player to move through the alleyways
Wah starts next to a large umbrella with a hooked handle, a portable grill, and a cushioned lawn chair

Team	Combatant	JoJolity
Bastards of Barcas	Errok	“The word “ignorant” has a nice ring to it, so I don’t mind being called that, but “incompetent” is going just a bit too far…” Establish superiority over your opponent through your movement and positioning!
COLOSSI	Mx. Wah	“A creature like you having a brain residing in his skull…is already a miracle in and of itself.” Establish superiority over your opponent through your movement and positioning!

Link to Official Player Spreadsheet
Link to Match Schedule
As always, if you would like to interact with the tournament community and be among the first to get updates for the tournament, please feel free to PM a member of our Judge staff for an invite to our Official Discord Server!

J1, J2/ 50 hours a week/ 250k TC here. I live ready to be let go by both positions. The reason I do is the fact that I am 2+ years into this journey of Jn>1. Therefore, due to saving and conservatively investing the extra funds, I see it as two years I can do nothing, and I will equal the alternative of a J1-only setup. Worse case those extra years can be for health issues, early retirement, extended travel, or commitment to intense education goals. I enjoy the posts on here about OE folks laughing their way through a layoff, and I will relish that moment, and each extra day extends my cushion of not caring.

Do you ever feel like you are living in an alternate reality than the person you are caring for? Like you are seeing things completely different from how they are perceiving it??
My mom has Stage IV lung cancer. At time of diagnosis, while she wasnt super active, she could still drive, go to the store and generally do all normal activities. When the doctor asks my mother how she is doing, she says she is just fine and feeling a little better.
Right now she is mad because I am questioning the judgment of taking her on a planned trip to the ocean. We were supposed to stay in a hotel for 2 nights, go to the beach and out to dinner at a few places she likes. This was planned in early March to happen end of June. I don't see how any of that is possible given her current condition and deterioration.
Since Feb, she did 3 rounds of chemo and the 3rd just destroyed her in March. We also discovered she had 2 compression fracture in her spine from the cancer, of about 90% with marked height loss and pain whenver she sits in certain positions. So she was taking copious amounts of oxycodone. Due to the chemo, she didn't eat for a full week and was severely dehydrated from diarrhea and lack of drinking. She ended up passing out and hitting her head and ended up in the ER.
We finally started to get her to eat and she started to feel better and maybe gain some strength back, but was still unsteady. Our home has stairs and no bathroom on first floor, but we are always available to help her move from one floor to another for a change of scenery (both my brother and I work from home), she just shows no interest. At that point she had gone from 129lbs at end of Jan to 103lbs at end of April and was essentially bedridden. Then the Dr started her final treatment option of targeted therapy on 5/15.
By 5/21, she had diarrhea was dehydrated and passed out again and hit her head. This time she was almost critical by the time she got to the ER. Her BP was 85/52. She was also diagnosed with pneumonia and spent 8 days inpatient. She barely ate and left at 97 lbs, with a walker and home oxygen and was diagnosed with moderate malnutrition. Oh yeah, and her hair is falling out, not from any chemo, but lack of nutrients.
Now that she is home, she does not need the oxygen, but still requires a walker to move from bedroom to bathroom and fights every meal and every drink. She refuses to go further than her bed and to the bathroom. Whenever she goes out for appointments (which is the only time she will leave her bed), she uses a wheelchair. I would easily say she has fallen 12 times in the last 3 months, many time hitting her head. She wears diapers now because she cannot always make it to the toilet. My brother and I basically force-feed her toddler sized meals and force her to drink water, gatorade and Ensure drinks. I have literally PLEADED with her over the last months to eat and drink throughout this so she could retain some strength so we could make this trip, but she has fought every meal, refused every form of protein drink, and will not leave her room, etc. Yesterday, the Dr tried to get her to discuss hospice options, in case this last treatment isn't tolerable and the only question she had was if he would give her another prescription for oxy in case she runs out. She has no dementia diagnosis and while she definitely isn't as sharp as she used to be, she is still aware enough to make her own decisions on her treatment and her actions.
Am I really an asshole for not feeling safe to try to take her on the trip? It would just be myself, her and my 18yo daughter. I can't see a scenario where we do more than drive by the beach and sit in a hotel room for 2 days trying to manage her constant diarrhea. And I absolutely can't see a scenario where I would be strong enough to lift or hold her if something should happen and with her spinal compressions, I fear a wrong move could cause catastropic damage. She honestly doesn't understand why my daughter and I can't just hold her up to walk to the ocean and then we can leave her in the hotel, while we go to dinner, etc. I feel like I have given her every chance to work to make this happen and she has just refused to try. She keeps trying to guilt me by saying she will be so disappointed and I keep pointing out she made choices that led us here.
It is just so frustrating and I want to cry all the time. I just want her to accept this reality so we can try and make her remaining time as happy and enjoyable as possible for her. 😞

I 21F recently started working at a nursing home. It's my first ever job in care and I'm working here to get experience to go into nursing. On Monday, we were taking the residents out to have lunch and some of them are wheelchair bound and others aren't but use them for transport due to lack of mobility.
I was taking a resident into the dining room who was wheelchair bound and at the same time, my coworker 'Sally' (31F) was helping someone into a chair from their wheelchair. She wheeled the resident up to the table and asked them to stand up and hold onto the table so she could transfer them into a chair. All of my coworkers are pretty chilled out and always cracking jokes to each other so I thought it would be funny to do the same so I wheeled my resident up to the table and asked them to stand up.
He has dementia so for a second he actually tried to stand up but obviously wasn't able to and told me he couldn't and me and another coworker laughed and I told him it was okay and he could stay in his wheelchair. However, Sally pulled a face at me and and walked off. A couple minutes later, she pulled me aside and asked to talk to me. She told me that she thought it was inappropriate that I asked the resident to stand up, saying I was basically making fun of him.
I told her I wasn't and that it was just a harmless joke and pointed out how our other coworker laughed at it and how other people have said much worst things about residents in the staff room. But Sally was still upset with me and told me I needed to be more considerate towards the residents. Sally has a reputation of taking her job too seriously so I didn't listen to her at first but then another coworker heard about it and said it was a messed up thing to joke about.
Sally and another coworker think I'm an a hole because I 'made fun' of a resident by asking him to stand up when he can't. But I don't think I'm an a hole because I was just joking and everyone else are always joking/moaning about the residents in the staff room. Also, the resident has dementia so it's not like he would remember me asking him. I really think what I did wasn't that bad but Sally's been so cold to me and has been making it hard for me to work with her so I want to know whether or not I'm in the wrong and if I am I'll apologize but if I'm not then I expect her to apologize. AITA for jokingly asking a resident to stand up?

I have three cats. Lyra, Oko, and Calypso. They have all been indoor and outdoor their entire lives with a very complicated system they found that allowed them to get out from under the front porch.
I just a few days ago covered the holes with concrete and after having all three cats discover their secret tunnel has been blocked, they're all acting VERY different, with Oko being the absolute king of dramatic. Every time I get up he sprints towards the front door, every time I see him, he's at a window or door that leads outside. He's also incredibly energetic.
He was my cat who brought me live animals on an almost weekly bases. Mice, Snakes, Opossums, even a live blue jay! But now that his hunting grounds are closed off and all three cats are locked inside together, they're having a hard time adjusting.
I tried to let them out onto the floating, second story back porch, but Lyra literally jumped off. Then, when I sprinted outside to go after her in the back yard, Oko escaped through the front door. Since they've been such amazing, wonderful cats as being allowed inside and out, Oko just kinda sat on the front porch. He didn't run away or anything like that.
I do worry that if I do let him out, a bird will catch his eye and off he goes. That wouldn't be a big deal but now their ONLY way back inside, at least on their own, is gone. They would have to wait on the front porch for me to see them and let them in. This worries me because I love these guys with all my heart and I want them inside for their safety mainly, I would never have to worry about them being hit by a car again.
I haven't mentioned Calypso much because I don't think much changed for him. Every time I came home from work he'd be asleep on the cat tree and he hasn't really batted an eye since the blockage.
So we have a hyper cat that is dying to get outside, a chill cat that definitely wants out, but isn't chomping at the bit, and a super chill cat who when I let them out on the back porch, just flopped over.
What are my options for making this as easy as possible for them? I have a cat door I could put on the garage but that leads to safety concerns for my house, I could put it on the door to the back porch but then they don't care and just jump off. I'm not in a position to be able to buy a screened in area for the front or back porch, though that would be the easiest compromise. I have also got some new toys for them to get their energy out in the day. Like a motion detection laser pointer and a mouse on a string that goes on a door frame.
TL;DR: I have three cats that were indoooutdoor for 3-4 years, now they're trapped inside and one of them is freaking out about it. Please help!

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