PSA: Heatstroke

These are signs of heatstroke in cats: excessive panting, restless behavior, sweaty feet, vomiting, lethargy, muscle tremors, drooling, excessive grooming, uncoordinated movement, loss of balance, seizures, unconsciousness.
If you suspect your cat is suffering from heatstroke, take them to the (emergency) vet immediately.
Source here. This website also has more instructions on what to do if your cat has heatstroke.

Tips to keep your cat(s) cool and comfortable

Summer is almost here (well, for the Northern Hemisphere that is) and temperatures are rising, which means we need to find ways to keep our feline friends cool!
This will serve as a Megathread for any and all tips or questions about keeping cats cool when it's warm outside.
Here are some tips from the previous post:

• Feed your cat wet food, or add water to their dry food. It's important to keep your cat hydrated
• Give fresh water a few times a day, preferably even use a fountain. You can add some ice if your cat likes it
• Put a damp paper towel in the freezer for a few minutes, then put it on your cat
• Get a pet cooling mat or vest
• Keep the AC on, and if you don't have one, use a fan
• Try to keep at least one room your cat has access to cool and dark. Bathrooms tend to be good for this, as they often have ceramic floors
• Cats do not need to be shaved in the summer. Their fur actually keeps them cool

Feel free to add more tips and/or ask questions in the comments!

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Being a PhD student, is like being a contestant on a reality show where the prize is a lifetime supply of existential dread. I'm in a lab that's about as supportive as a hammock made of wet spaghetti. I've seen more guidance in a maze with no exit. I'm considering switching labs, but that's like choosing between being hit by a bus or a lorry, isn't it?
I've been in this project since 2021, unofficially, of course. Because why would anyone want to officially acknowledge this dumpster fire of an experience? I'm still in my first year, but it feels like I've aged faster than a banana in a hot car.
The lab is a self-service buffet of scientific misery. There are postdocs, but they're about as useful as a chocolate teapot when it comes to my project. I was taught everything by another PhD student, which is a bit like being taught to swim by a cat.
I'm supposed to order everything from antibodies to cables. I'm like a one-man Amazon warehouse, but without the questionable working conditions. And the lab hygiene? It's like a frat house after a week-long party. I'm the only one who cleans up, because apparently, everyone else was raised by wolves.
And then there's the grant writing. It's like trying to sell ice to Eskimos, but the ice is my research and the Eskimos are funding bodies who couldn't care less. My funding is as consistent as British weather, and there's no guarantee I'll see a penny after October.
And the other PhD students, they're a real treat. They make me feel like this is all normal, like being thrown into the deep end of a pool filled with piranhas is just part of the process. They look at me like I've grown a second head when I ask simple questions. And if you're not working 14 or 16-hour days, you're seen as lazy. Because who needs sleep, right? It's not like it's essential for basic human function or anything.

Tw mentions of csa material and gross people
I received an invite to my godsisters bridal shower earlier this week and have been losing it ever since. Long story short I met a girl when I was 2 then we became friends and close until about 2years ago (18 years together). Her older sister (the one who is getting married) and I went through the same eating disorder treatment after she got diagnosed about a year after I began treatment (I was 13-15 she was 17-19 at the time).
This really messed with our relationship and made it hard for me to connect because I felt like a healing space I had found that my family fought for was just invaded by people who had direct connection to my ed behaviors and did cause some anger to grow.
We kind of lost contact over the years, but everything really ended about three years ago now when the sister who I was closest to an age and friendship wise, decided to post a fake engagement thing and then let me think for months that I found out that my childhood best friend was getting married over a Snapchat story and then even when I called her asking if it was fake or if it was real, she told me it was until I found out about four months later that she had been lying the whole time. It was kind of just a final lie that really pushed me over the edge, and I have not spoken to her since then.
I never liked their dad though he always scared me even as a child, he’s a Vietnam vet with diagnosed ptsd but as someone who has been diagnosed with the same for 2 yrs now I truly see how much he used his diagnoses as a reason to abuse his family.
The crux of everything was when the two sisters and I found csa material on his iPad and from the reactions I knew this was not a first time offense. They even tried to say it was military humor which I called bullshit on but still didn’t know what to do since I was 16/17 when this occurred.
In the years since my disgust and fear for him has only grown. I’ve had a lot of trauma happen in my life and things that I know my brain has blocked but since that situation it’s always felt like there’s more and that I’m protecting myself from something horrible and it just makes me sick to think about.
It took me 5 years to tell my mom what I found. She went out to dinner with him and his wife that same week and now a year later will be attending both the bridal shower and wedding.
I’m trying to just reign in my anger because other than the photos nothing is provable or even known but my head and my heart keep telling me there’s more and it terrifies me but I’ve recently started to try and unravel all of this in therapy which helps I guess but I feel crazy especially since I’m the only one in my family who no longer interacts with them.
I don’t want to ruin her days but I will not be attending and there’s a strong part of me that wants to truly lay out why I have distanced myself, I don’t want her to be the one to receive this but her mom is the one who is accepting rsvps. And she is someone who I know has known about these things for much longer than I have.
I know this is just a lot of anger and im probably just spewing it out onto people, but I am so disgusted and scared of the fact of growing up essentially in that home with a fucking pedophile. Because I know that behavior didn’t just start then and that my feelings about that man were completely valid.
I just don’t know whether to do this gracefully, or if I want the truth to be out because either way, both are very uncomfortable for me, but I feel like I should say something in regards to the fact that I will not be joining them for any other celebrations from here on out.

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Bad cards in trading card games have annoyed me for years. As a kid, there was nothing more irritating than saving 12 bucks for 3 packs, pulling 50 cent rares out of all of them, and going home disappointed. I read the justifications and the columns and forums and heard what other players at my LGS said in support of bad cards, of course, but I never really understood any of it until I played LoR.
​
I believe that LoR is actually worse off for the lack of substandard cards, and if you bear with me for a bit, I'll explain why. I understand that it's a little late to have discussions about their design philosophy, given how many sets they've already released and the players that will expect newer sets to be largely similar, but I hope some discourse about it may put certain cards in LoR into new perspective for players here.
​

Why do you want to pull bad cards?

Well, first of all, I don't want to pull weaker cards. That's the tradeoff that's made in exchange for all the benefits that bad cards bring to the table. At the same time, I believe that LoR is better able to support the addition of mediocre cards as compared to other games, on account of the monetization model. Cards, especially at the common and rare level, are plentiful in this game, and you get the bulk of the cards you need through crafting. Between how easy it is to complete your collection, and the reduced significance of pulls in this game, it's not a huge loss if your weekly vault has 10 more unplayable uncommons.

Limited

Ever since Expeditions got silently erased from the game, some players (myself included) have been waiting (on distilled copium) for a new limited format to be introduced to this game. However, I'll be the first to admit that Expeditions wasn't always the most fun, and I think a big factor for that is the card pool.
For the three of us unfamiliar with Expeditions, it was a sort of draft format that used to be in the game. Cards were split into "buckets" under a theme, and you were given 3 options 15 times to draft a deck.
The thing is, there's basically no way to do it wrong. The majority of the cards are playable in some way, and synergy is even explicitly offered to you. In fact, a challenge that my friends and I used to do was to just click on the center bucket repeatedly until we got a full deck, and we would still easily get 7 win runs.
Diversifying the power level of cards can introduce more choices into a hypothetical limited format, rewarding player skill, and increasing the card pool stops all the decks from feeling same-ish. Seriously, if anybody remembers Expeditions, sometimes it feels like you're just going through the motions to determine the number of each card you have in your deck. Wasn't really engaging for more than a week or two.

Effect Redundancy

In a similar vein, having effect redundancy in weaker cards is nice. Let's take a look at Cunning Kitten - interesting effect, comes with an upside with a hoop to jump through, looks like the payoff might almost justify the setup. Almost. Because the fact of the matter is, while Iterative Improvement is a good card, and slamming 5/5s that replace themselves is good value for cost, they're still just 2 mana 5/5s coming out on like turn 6 on average. The effect and idea is interesting, but it's not really worth building around.
Thought experiment. Let's say we introduce a 4 mana 3/4 and a 6 mana 5/6 with similar effects. And let's look at the setup - Iterative Improvement is a great card, maybe even too great. Bump up the cost to 3, remove the +1/+1 effect, you've got yourself a strictly worse ItIm. A bad card by most measures - yet can you justify playing a worse ItIm just to have a 5th and 6th copy in a deck that really wants the copy effect?
Having cards that can ask that kind of question opens whole new avenues to deckbuilding in this game, especially for the jank player that just really, really wants to see 3 different Shark Chariot effects pop off on turn 7.

Absolute Nonsense and Epic Cards

Sometimes, different cards appeal to different players. I make no secret of the fact that I'm an extremely competitive player, and I evaluate all cards presented to me on that scale. But there are other sides to this game too - back when Ryze was first announced (and before he started tanking all the vitriol from the community), we had jank players working day in and day out in the hopes of bumping his winrate above 29% and actually seeing that victory animation maybe half the time. Howling Abyss, Priestess of Desert Light and Secret Keeper might not be the best idea to ever slam on a board, but we have players that live for it anyways. And don't even get me started on Heart of the Fluft, I swear it's basically a mini-cult at this point.
Having more complete jank can help more casual players feel like there's more to the game than loading up Seraphine Ezreal and making value trades for 20 turns. In fact, we have some of those cards in the game already, they just tend to be gated at Epic cards. And can I just say, Epic cards were absolutely the most miserable part of finishing my collection? We get almost none of them! The vast majority of my green shards went towards crafting them, and we're hiding an entire subsection of cards behind that 3600 (1200*3) shard buy-in?
A nice example I like to point to is the famous (or infamous) Magic card One with Nothing. In fact, there's a very nice YouTube video discussing exactly why it's such an amazing terrible card. For 1 mana, you have the privilege of discarding your hand - it's an effect that seems completely idiotic at first glance, but the synergies it offers are unbelievably tempting. It's unmatched for what it does, even if what it does is speedrun your game loss.
I, for one, would be happier with more broad, "powerful" effects of that category, and less "gain a keyword" or "give me +1/+1" effects.

Power Level in a Vacuum and Understanding Cards

The power level of a card is always relative to the other options available, and it cannot exist in a vacuum. Radiant Strike, for example, is a completely unplayable card - 1 mana for +1/+1, it's completely outclassed by Catch!. In a similar vein, Elixir of Iron is a strong combat trick in standard, but that's because Troll Chant is off the table. Yet our evaluation of card strength is almost completely flat - with so few duplicate effects at similar costs, the nearest example I can point to for Radiant Strike and Catch! is Battlefield Prowess.
Yet it's in this comparison that we understand exactly why Battlefield Prowess is such a terrible card. Grant is stronger than Give, after all, so why is Battlefield Prowess worse than Radiant Strike?
In asking this question, we understand the value of hidden information, of flexibility, of priority and the cost of an action. We understand the innate cost of a card - both the opportunity cost in deck building, and the opportunity cost of being able to draw literally anything other than Battlefield Prowess.
In my opinion, LoR has precious few opportunities for players to learn basic concepts such as these, because no questions ever need be asked. In my preparation for the Runeterra Open, I've had the opportunity to speak to other players about their prep work and opinions on the metagame. Through these talks, I've realised that some players that made it to Masters lack the knowledge of basic concepts like what I just pointed out with Battlefield Prowess.
Somewhat counterintuitively, including bad cards might help new players improve at the game far faster.
​
Of course, these are just my thoughts and opinions. Do let me know what you guys think, we can try and get a discussion going!

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure that involves the relocation of hair follicles from one area of the body, the donor site, to another area, the recipient site. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant is a type of hair transplant that is gaining popularity due to the less invasive and more natural-looking results it produces. In this article, we will explore what a FUE hair transplant is, how much it costs, how it works, the procedure involved, targeted areas for treatment, any risks or side effects, and what to expect after a FUE hair transplant.
What is a FUE Hair Transplant?
FUE, or Follicular Unit Extraction, is a hair transplant procedure that extracts individual follicles from the donor area and transplants them into the recipient area. The donor area is usually the back of the head, where there is an abundance of healthy hair follicles. During a FUE procedure, a special instrument is used to extract these follicles and then they are transplanted into the recipient area. What makes FUE unique is that it does not involve the use of a scalpel or stitches, which makes it less invasive and more comfortable for the patient. FUE also provides more natural-looking results than traditional hair transplant procedures, since the follicles are transplanted one at a time.
How Much Does a FUE Hair Transplant Cost?
The cost of a FUE hair transplant can vary greatly depending on the complexity of the procedure and the number of follicles transplanted. Generally, a FUE hair transplant costs between $4,000 and $15,000. The cost of the procedure depends on the expertise of the surgeon, the extent of the balding area, and the number of follicles transplanted.
How Does a FUE Hair Transplant Work?
FUE is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the removal of individual hair follicles from the donor area of the scalp. These follicles are then transplanted into the recipient area, where they will start to grow new, healthy hair. The follicles are extracted one at a time using a special instrument. This instrument is used to make small incisions in the scalp and to remove the follicles. The follicles are then transplanted into the recipient area.
During the procedure, the surgeon will also map out the area to be treated and mark the recipient area to ensure that the follicles are transplanted in the appropriate locations. This helps to ensure that the results are as natural-looking as possible. After the procedure, the follicles will start to grow new hair in the recipient area.
Procedure for FUE Hair Transplant
The FUE hair transplant procedure typically takes between four and eight hours, depending on the complexity of the procedure. During the procedure, the surgeon will map out the areas to be treated and mark the recipient area. The surgeon will then use a special instrument to extract individual follicles from the donor area. The follicles are then transplanted into the recipient area.
Once the follicles have been transplanted, the surgeon will apply a special dressing to the recipient area to help protect the newly transplanted follicles. The dressing will need to be kept in place for several days after the procedure. After the procedure, the surgeon will provide instructions on how to care for the recipient area and the newly transplanted follicles.
Targeted Areas for Treatment
The FUE hair transplant is most commonly used to treat male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. However, it can also be used to treat other forms of hair loss, such as alopecia areata or traction alopecia. The FUE hair transplant can be used to treat any area of the scalp, including the front, top, and sides.
Risks or Side Effects of FUE Hair Transplant
FUE hair transplants are generally considered to be safe procedures. However, like any surgery, there are some risks associated with the procedure. The most common risks associated with FUE hair transplants are infection, scarring, and poor hair growth. The risk of infection can be minimized by following the surgeon’s instructions on how to care for the recipient area.
Scarring is also a risk associated with FUE hair transplants. This can be minimized by choosing a skilled and experienced surgeon and by following the surgeon’s instructions on how to care for the recipient area. Poor hair growth is also a risk associated with FUE hair transplants. This can be minimized by choosing a skilled and experienced surgeon and by following the surgeon’s post-operative instructions.
What to Expect After a FUE Hair Transplant?
After the FUE hair transplant procedure, the newly transplanted follicles will start to grow new hair in the recipient area. The growth of the new hair will usually start to be visible after several months. The growth of the new hair will typically be slow and gradual, and the full results of the procedure may not be visible for up to a year.
The transplanted follicles may also be prone to shedding during the first few months after the procedure. This is normal and should not be a cause for concern. The transplanted follicles will eventually start to produce new hair. During this time, it is important to follow the surgeon’s post-operative instructions and to avoid activities that could cause trauma to the transplanted area.

In the Name of God the Father,

and Christ King of Heaven:

I beg earnestly with you, my fellow lovers of God (theophili):
Do not be alarmed at the Works of the Lord, for this is part of our Odyssey (adventure with the Lord).
Everyday, we are tested to strengthen our spirits, so that we may be able to dawn the Armor of Faith.
Brothers and Sisters, many devilish arguments are thrust upon us and our neighbors,
Which our neighbors believe, and do evil because of their beliefs, and repeat everyday:
"There is no God, no one created the universe."
Everyday, we pray: "Let His Will be done."
What greater works exist than those that bind us to the Epiousal (ἘΠΙΟΎΣΙΟΣ - Matthew 6:11) Life?
Naysayers: "There are no miracles, no prophets, and no works of the Lord. You are possessed!"
What greater work exists in the present day than receiving the Blood of Christ by following His Sacred Heart?
For, what greater work exists of all time than the sacrifice of the Blood of Christ on the tree of sin?
Evildoers: "The Spirit is meaningless, your only life is here on Earth because that's all you can prove. Enjoy carnal pleasures while you still can!"
Delight in your persecution, rejoice upon hearing these accusations (Matthew 5:10-12)!
For Great is the proof you have confirmed of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
Truly I tell you, Great are the Revelations you receive, all disciples who follow the Beatitudes!
Your Faith is a Great Miracle from God, for blessed is he who is called "Child of God".
Indeed, you are the successors of the great Prophets, as Christ ordained you in Matthew 5:12:
" Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. "

Truly be glad and rejoice when they say you cannot prove the Great things you have witnessed!

Rejoice in the praise that our Lord Jesus Christ gave God the Father, because God Willed for you to see these things, and for the wise and learned folk not to (Matthew 11:25-26).
Yes, God Willed for you to see these things because you have received them like children (Luke 15:16)!
Thus, relinquish guilt of your sins, by the Holy and Powerful Name God the Father; only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is this possible.
For the atrocities we have committed, we stand to witness God at the cross.
For the sake of our souls, we will be in the presence of the Holy Spirit,
and witness the Spirit of Christ as He lie in agony on the cross.
May you and I tie in agony with Christ on the cross, for the sake of our souls.
Oh Theophilus, how often we are so inclined to reminisce upon Jesus' amazing Works,
Thus how often do we miss that most amazing Work, because of the agony we need to receive from it?
For the sake of our souls, I pray that God delivers unto us retribution for each of our sins while we are still alive (although not every branch can be burned until Judgment Day, acc. to Matthew 14:29/Parable of the Sower).
By God's Great Mercy, that we may we be absolved of all our debts upon our deaths, and shake all the dust from the earth off our souls, when we our leave home for Home in Judgement.

Theophilus, before entering the Kingdom of God, each must pledge allegiance before the Heavenly King, Christ.

Many are called to the Feast with Abraham (Matthew 8:11-12) in the Kingdom of Heaven. As it stands, many of our neighbors have yet to be called to the feast, since they are currently bound to carnal things.
Tragically, almost as many of those who are called to the Feast do not arrive (Luke 14:15-24), and even some will take their seats, hungering to eat at the Feast before they are unceremoniously cast out into the place of punishment (which provokes weeping and teeth-gnashing).
Hear my words: All they who accept Christ as Lord and Savior, will take place at the Feast, only after they consume the cup of suffering that Jesus Christ took (Mark 8:34).
To our souls, the most bitter pill to swallow is the Great strength of longsuffering:
That neither Pontius Pilot, nor the Pharisees nor Sadducees, nor the Jews or any particular group of people have themselves willed alone in putting Jesus to death.
God allowed His Only Son to be sacrificed at our hands, because of the wicked ways in which we sinned, so that we would no longer be lead astray towards evil.
The Lord watches over you when you envision these events, so when you go astray, return your attention to the Great sacrifice at the cross.
For the Lord watches over you when you visit these events, and the Spirit of Christ grants comfort to those who mourn in solidarity with Christ's Great sacrifice (Matthew 5:4).
Through this sacrifice, let your spirit be renewed in the Holy Spirit.
Recognize the great strength you have gained by your Faith,
For like sheepish little children, you have strayed, but as Children of God, your souls have been lifted up!
Through Christ, we shine like beacons (Matthew 5:14-16). So deny your wicked self and take up the cross which has been placed upon you today!
Glory to God the Father, keep blessed His Name. Thank you God for this community which has received my humble and spirited message, for in no other corner of my life could such message be received. And peace be to Christ, to Him we pray as One, for the Kingdom, Power and Praise are yours forever!

I am a 29 year old single mum of a 21 month old. To cut a very long story short, my son was conceived within marriage however I abruptly left my now ex-husband when I was 15 weeks pregnant.
I have been single, very happily so, since. My son has some contact with his dad, which will include one overnight per fortnight after his second birthday. I work 4 days a week, with my son in childcare and grandparent care. I have a super supportive family network.
Being a mother has been the greatest honour of my life and I feel so committed to this role and my family. The plan was always that I would have 3-4 kids in quick succession but obviously due to divorce, it didn’t pan out this way. I have such a strong yearning to have at least one more child. It’s on my mind every day. I am the eldest of four siblings and I want my son to have the opportunity to have the beautiful sibling relationship/s that I am so blessed to have.
I have been investigating donor conception (hopefully IUI) and think I am ready to contact a clinic and start looking into this process seriously.
I’m wondering if anyone would be kind enough to share any advice/considerations/things they wish they knew? Particularly anyone who has another, non-donor conceived child. Something I am carefully considering is the family dynamic of one kid who has a present father (albeit only fortnightly contact) and one that does not.

I rented a car for one day and paid for a child seat and confirmed through messaging that it would fit my toddler son but when I picked up the car, there was only an infant seat inside. I had to go to the store and buy a toddler car seat. I just want my refund for the child seat ($15) add on but the host refused.
I know it’s only $15 but I feel cheated because I only rented from this host because of the car seat but ended up not being able to use it because my son is not an infant. I would have rented from a different host that was closer and cheaper.
Host refused to give me a refund for the $15 and turo support won’t help unless the host agrees to the refund. I’m going to leave the host a bad 1 star review. Is there any reason I shouldn’t??

And it’s beating my ass this morning. Super irritated with everything. I had a great day yesterday but today feels like I took a step back to week one. Anyone relate?

Hello,
I often see posts here asking about the best way to tackle home affairs and thought I would share my recent experience applying for a passport. My mom and I decided to apply for new passports in the last week of April 2023 as hers was about to expire and mine only had a few months left.
We booked an appointment at Grabouw home affairs for a weekday in the first week of May 2023. Arrived 15 minutes prior to our appointment and much to the displeasure of everyone in the line we were immediately waved in once the clock hit 14h00 (appointment time). We waited for our photos and our fingerprints to be taken.
My mom needed a proof of address but since I received my smart ID last year I was already on the system and they didn't need mine. My mom was automatically signed up for a smart ID card as they saw she only had the green book. We were finished within 45 minutes of walking in the door (make sure you go well before load shedding as apparently while they have a generator the home affairs system goes down and can take like 40 minutes to reboot and start up again).
The home affairs guy saw we were from Cape Town and recommended that we collect our passports (and my mom's smart ID) at Barack street as there is no collections only line at Grabouw and it is super busy. They said it would take 15 working days and we would get an SMS. Sadly I had to pay double as my passport was expiring in 7 months (not the required 6 months for normal renewal fee). We left to taste wine.
Fast forward 4 weeks we never received any SMSs from Home Affairs, we gave it an extra week but decided to chance Barack street this week after not hearing anything. We arrived at 07h00 and stood in the collections line to the right of the entrance. We were number 28 and 29 in the line. At 08h00 the first 15 people were waived into Home Affairs (we were upgraded to a plastic chair spot which are reserved for the first 20 or so people in the line) and we were allowed in at 08h20 . I lost my slip of paper I got from Grabouw but they didn't need it and just input my ID number. We walked out at 08h35 with our documents.
We were so impressed with the Collections department at Barack street (I went six months ago and it was a much longer wait - apparently they get super busy during school holidays) . I reckon that if you go at 11h00 or so at the moment you could just walk in.
Including queuing the whole passport experience took just over 2 hours of our time and drive out to Elgin. Was pleasantly surprised.

u/as4ronin "Caught them at the right time. Curser highlights the notable. Notice the price fluctuations of the 500 batches, the 74 batch, and the single digit flood on the BID side that magically got filled when the batches on the ASK were all higher. This is how they dropped it so quickly."
“who is filling all the low priced BID orders when the leading ASK orders are 15-30 cents higher?”
Video here:
https://www.reddit.com/srne/comments/142wrwp/caught_them_at_the_right_time_curser_highlights/
FINRA = To protect investors and ensure the market's integrity, FINRA—the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority—is a government-authorized not-for-profit organization that oversees U.S. broker-dealers. We work every day to ensure that everyone can participate in the market with confidence.
Clearly FINRA is not upholding it's mission statement.
I have a small dividend stock position in SCLX that was awarded to me, so any price point is in the green for me. This kind of trading behavior is making a mockery of the market.