Abigail Jones, Bayonetta, Birdy Cephon Altera, Casca, Creo Brand, Diane (Nanatsu no Taizai), Ermes Costello, Fuuko Izumo, Gabi Braun, Haruka Saigusa, Jolyne Kuujou, Jun Asuka (Iron Virgin Jun), Kagura (Gintama), Kanata Amane, Koneko Toujou, Maka Albarn, Maki Zenin, Mikasa Ackerman, Nikaidou (Dorohedoro), Noi (Dorohedoro), Olivier Mira Armstrong, Rebecca (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), Retsu Unohana, Revy, Ryouna (Senran Kagura), Ryuuko Matoi, Satsuki Kiryuuin, Shinobu Oshino, Strength (Black Rock Shooter), Taiga Aisaka
Albedo, Alisa Illinichina Amiella, Alphard Alshaya, Chiquita (Jormungand), Hayase (Fumetsu no Anata e), Ikumi Mito, Kaga (KanColle), Kallen Stadtfeld, Kongou (KanColle), Lucy (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), Malty Melromarc, Mashiro Shiina, Mi-Ra Yu, Mitsuki Hayase, Narberal Gamma, Parona (Fumetsu no Anata e), Selesia Upitiria, Sortiliena Serlut, Vivy, Yamato (KanColle)
Ami Kawashima, Charlotte E. Yeager, Gamo-chan, Gertrud Barkhorn, Kyouko Sakura, Mikuru Asahina, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, Minori Kushieda, Misato Katsuragi, Ranko Mannen, Ryouko Ookami, Zoya (Akiba Maid War)
Annie Leonhart, Asuka Langley Soryu, Erza Scarlet, Misa Amane, Ochako Uraraka, Rei Ayanami, Rias Gremory, Sakura Haruno, Sasha Braus, Tsunade, Usagi Tsukino
Aqua, Asuna Yuuki, Biscuit Krueger, Camie Utsushimi, Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball), Chika Fujiwara, Elizabeth Liones, Emilia, Eru Chitanda, Erufuda, Frey (Megami-ryou no Ryoubo-kun.), Hibiki Sakura, Hibiki Tachibana, Hinako Ninomiya, Hinata Hyuuga, Ikaros, Kanako (Clannad), Kanade Tachibana, Kanna (Air), Kaori Kanzaki, Kotonoha Katsura, Kyouka Kagamiin, Louise (Zero no Tsukaima), Lucoa, Maho Nishizumi, Mai Kujaku, Marin Kitagawa, Maya Natsume, Mayuri (Date A Live Movie), Megumin, Mereoleona Vermillion, Michelle K. Davis, Mikoto Misaka, Milim Nava, Moka Akashiya, Motoko Kusanagi, Nagisa Furukawa, Nozomi Kaminashi, Orihime Inoue, Rachel (Kami no Tou), Rangiku Matsumoto, Rem, Rikka Takanashi, Rikka Takarada, Roberta, Saber, Sajuna Inui, Shigure Kousaka, Shion Sonozaki, Suliman (Howl's Moving Castle), Sutea Kouroya, Sylvia Sherwood, Tanktop Girl, Tenten (Naruto), Tsubasa Hanekawa, Tsumugi Kotobuki, Violet Evergarden, Yoshika Miyafuji, Yui Hirasawa, Yukino Yukinoshita, Yuno Gasai, Zero Two
Ayame Sarutobi, Bocchi, Hitagi Senjougahara, Hizuru Minakata, Nijika Ijichi, Nina Fortner, Ritsu Tainaka, Serufu Yua
Homura Akemi, Leone (Akame ga Kill!), Sakura Oogami

Processing video cg1twtymk8pa1...
As we move further into the 21st century, technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, changing the way we live, work, and interact with one another. In today's world, code is becoming more prevalent than English, with a growing number of jobs requiring proficiency in programming languages and hardware expertise. According to some estimates, programmers and hardware experts are set to make up 80% of all professionals on earth in the years to come.
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Abigail Jones, Bayonetta, Birdy Cephon Altera, Casca, Creo Brand, Diane (Nanatsu no Taizai), Ermes Costello, Fuuko Izumo, Gabi Braun, Haruka Saigusa, Jolyne Kuujou, Jun Asuka (Iron Virgin Jun), Kagura (Gintama), Kanata Amane, Koneko Toujou, Maka Albarn, Maki Zenin, Mikasa Ackerman, Nikaidou (Dorohedoro), Noi (Dorohedoro), Olivier Mira Armstrong, Rebecca (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), Retsu Unohana, Revy, Ryouna (Senran Kagura), Ryuuko Matoi, Satsuki Kiryuuin, Shinobu Oshino, Strength (Black Rock Shooter), Taiga Aisaka
Albedo, Alisa Illinichina Amiella, Alphard Alshaya, Chiquita (Jormungand), Hayase (Fumetsu no Anata e), Ikumi Mito, Kaga (KanColle), Kallen Stadtfeld, Kongou (KanColle), Lucy (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), Malty Melromarc, Mashiro Shiina, Mi-Ra Yu, Mitsuki Hayase, Narberal Gamma, Parona (Fumetsu no Anata e), Selesia Upitiria, Sortiliena Serlut, Vivy, Yamato (KanColle)
Ami Kawashima, Charlotte E. Yeager, Gamo-chan, Gertrud Barkhorn, Kyouko Sakura, Mikuru Asahina, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, Minori Kushieda, Misato Katsuragi, Ranko Mannen, Ryouko Ookami, Zoya (Akiba Maid War)
Annie Leonhart, Asuka Langley Soryu, Erza Scarlet, Misa Amane, Ochako Uraraka, Rei Ayanami, Rias Gremory, Sakura Haruno, Sasha Braus, Tsunade, Usagi Tsukino
Aqua, Asuna Yuuki, Biscuit Krueger, Camie Utsushimi, Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball), Chika Fujiwara, Elizabeth Liones, Emilia, Eru Chitanda, Erufuda, Frey (Megami-ryou no Ryoubo-kun.), Hibiki Sakura, Hibiki Tachibana, Hinako Ninomiya, Hinata Hyuuga, Ikaros, Kanako (Clannad), Kanade Tachibana, Kanna (Air), Kaori Kanzaki, Kotonoha Katsura, Kyouka Kagamiin, Louise (Zero no Tsukaima), Lucoa, Maho Nishizumi, Mai Kujaku, Marin Kitagawa, Maya Natsume, Mayuri (Date A Live Movie), Megumin, Mereoleona Vermillion, Michelle K. Davis, Mikoto Misaka, Milim Nava, Moka Akashiya, Motoko Kusanagi, Nagisa Furukawa, Nozomi Kaminashi, Orihime Inoue, Rachel (Kami no Tou), Rangiku Matsumoto, Rem, Rikka Takanashi, Rikka Takarada, Roberta, Saber, Sajuna Inui, Shigure Kousaka, Shion Sonozaki, Suliman (Howl's Moving Castle), Sutea Kouroya, Sylvia Sherwood, Tanktop Girl, Tenten (Naruto), Tsubasa Hanekawa, Tsumugi Kotobuki, Violet Evergarden, Yoshika Miyafuji, Yui Hirasawa, Yukino Yukinoshita, Yuno Gasai, Zero Two
Ayame Sarutobi, Bocchi, Hitagi Senjougahara, Hizuru Minakata, Nijika Ijichi, Nina Fortner, Ritsu Tainaka, Serufu Yua
Homura Akemi, Leone (Akame ga Kill!), Sakura Oogami

For the past six months, my college-age son (we'll call him Dennis) has been dating a Dominican girl (we'll call her Maria). Maria has been here for many years and speaks really good English, but Dennis tells me that sometimes she misses home. I share her pain. My childhood move from Ohio to Pennsylvania was drastic.
Anyway, a few months ago, Dennis mentioned that he wanted to introduce me to Maria and that they would like to stay with me for a weekend. I eagerly agreed and looked forward to spending time with the both of them. Dennis' mother and I split a few years ago, and I don't see him nearly as much as I used to. After hanging up the phone, a lightbulb went off in my head. Maria mentioned to Dennis that she missed home, so maybe I could bring home to her. I decided that I would do some research and make my house as tropical as possible for her visit.
Two weeks ago, a few days before Dennis and Maria arrived, I went into my local grocery store and bought a whole bunch of tropical fruit, some kumquat-scented shampoo, as well as some food for Caribbean recipes I found online. I also bought a Hawaiian shirt and a sombrero to complete the ensemble. I was determined to make my house as tropical as possible.
Fast forward to the night they arrived, and I had the heater cranked to 80. I was also playing some mariachi music and had prepared some plantains for frying. Dennis and Maria arrived, and I welcomed them inside. Maria seemed very nice, and I told her that I wanted to make her feel as though she never left the DR. I then offered them both piña coladas, which I had made in the blender, and she accepted. I could tell that I had made quite an impression because she couldn't stop smiling, but Dennis looked really upset and asked to speak to me privately.
He asked me what the hell I was doing and that I was embarrassing him in front Maria. I told him that I was making the house tropical so that Maria would feel more comfortable. Pennsylvania winters can be very harsh, after all. Dennis told me that I was making a fool of myself and that my sombrero and the mariachi music weren't even Dominican. I told him to relax and just try to have a good time. When he drives for long periods of time, he can get really wound up, so I figured that had something to do with it. Besides, Maria couldn't possibly judge me too harshly, not after I did all of this for her.
Long story short, attempt after attempt over the weekend to do tropical things were shot down by my son, and I was really getting put out. I felt like my attempt wasn't perfect, but that he needed to put himself in my shoes and try to empathize. Dennis and Maria are still dating, I think, but Dennis hasn't returned my calls. I've tried asking my ex-wife about their relationship, but she doesn't seem to want to talk to me. They say "no good deed goes unpunished," and that really feels true here. I just want my son back, but I don't know what to say. The kumquat shampoo was also never used. AITA?

Okay, so the objective was to get into the other teams castle and stand on the objective long enough to capture it and win the game. There were characters/builds with their own respective moves and abilities. I remember you could build a ram in front of the opposing teams castle as a way to get in. The characters were humans if I remember correctly, but not realistic looking by any means. I specifically remember it having online PvP. There were a few different maps, and I believe you could earn rewards at the end of the game. Idk it’s a shot in the dark but if you know what I’m talking about then you know how fun it used to be.

We adopted him quite young - maybe 7-8 months old (we don't know as he was a rescue). He was a ball of anxiety and quite/very reactive.

• He snapped and bit quite a lot - each friend got bitten once (although don't attempt to take food out of a dog's mouth if you don't know it and heed growls - don't attempt to pick up a growling dog)
• Barked at anyone who walked past
• screamed the house down for the doorbell
• And all hell broke loose if you left him alone

We paid a lot of money for training which has helped immeasurably. His overall anxiety has dropped significantly. Our trainedaycare owner estimated 80% drop.

• He walks well
• Listens 90% of the time
• Recall is coming along - just need to improve when he's with other dogs.
• He's sleeping outside the bedroom - hoping to move this from the hall to the living room in the next few weeks.
• I've gotten better at noticing when he's over-stimulated and can remove him before people have a chance to annoy him.
• And my partner and I are much more consistent with him.

​
Our Issue - We can't leave him
We have him in daycare the 3 days I'm in the office - which is costing a bomb. If we want to do anything that's not dog friendly at the weekend he's back in again. I've had to ring in sick, when he was sick because he can't go to daycare. I had to put him in daycare for an hour-long therapy session.
We set up a zoom call with him the other day (I know, lol). Just to see how long he would cry for when we left and if he would calm himself down.
Put him in his crate, gave him his favourite long-lasting treat and he howled and cried and whined for 40 minutes.
He doesn't want us to leave - ever.
I don't want to make his anxiety worse again but at the same time I'm wondering if we're strengthening his need to have us around by him never being alone.
​
About Doggo
Young - around the year mark.
Thought to be a pomeranian-spitz mix. Abandoned by previous owners for not being a purebred pomeranian.
Not neutered - trainer has said doing so will affect confidence/anxiety - said to wait until he's fully trained before doing so.
Walked 2x daily, played with regularly
Food changed to avoid additives - apparently, this affects anxiety too
​
I just need too be able to go to the local shop or a fitness class or go for dinner with my fiancee without having to pay for daycare - half-day rate for two hours.
​
HELP!

Okay internet, I need help. I used to play a PvP castle defense game around maybe 10 years ago, but I forgot the name of the game. I remember each team would try to basically get in the other teams castle and capture the objective in the middle. There were different characters/builds with their own respective moves and abilities. I also remember you could build a ram in front of the castle gates as a way to get in. It was really fun, so if you know what I’m talking about, could you help me out? I feel like I played it on the ps3 or Xbox 360.

Happy to provide pics of anything you might be interested in.. Most of this stuff I would like to move ASAP. If you would like to buy see my GameSale post!
If you are local to the Sacramento area I might be willing to do a local meetup. Cash/Paypal also acceptable on either side to help even out a trade.
Thanks for looking! Happy trading!
[HAVE]
**PLAYSTATION**
PS1 Games:

• Legacy of Kain Collectors Edition Triple Pack **SEALED** Hard to value.. I don't see this very often at all.. There is one other one on eBay right now for $369 in similar condition.. This one does have some minor wear to the corners/seal as seen in the pics.. I would really like a big item from my list for this..
• DarkStalkers 3 - CIB Minor staining
• GranStream Saga - CIB

**PLAYSTATION 2**
Strategy Guides:

• Final Fantasy X and X2 Brady Games Strategy Guides

PS2 Hardware:

• Black, Silver and Translucent Blue Dual Shock 2 controllers
• OEM A/V cable set

PS2 Games: All CIB

• Guitar Hero II
• Guitar Hero Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80's
• Myst III Exile
• 24 The Game
• Wheel of Fortune

**PLAYSTATION 3**
PS3 Hardware:

• Six Axis Controller

PS3 Games: All CIB/Boxed.

• Ace Combat Assault Horizon
• BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend Limited Edition Big Box - CIB - Includes Soundtrack, Art Book, and Calendar. Box has heavy wear. Everything else is pretty minty. Game case has some minor shelf wear.
• Dark Souls II
• Diablo III
• Yakuza Dead Souls - *HARD TRADE*

**PLAYSTATION 4**
PS4 Hardware:

• 500 Million Dual Shock 4 Controller. Has crack in center but otherwise pretty minty.

PS4 Games: (CIB/Boxed)

• 7 Days to Die
• Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare
• Dead Cells [Action Game of the Year] Edition
• Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
• Evolve
• Final Fantasy XV Deluxe Steelbook Edition book with Slipcover
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 case/art has tear in spine
• Middle Earth Shadow of War
• Nascar Heat 3
• Overwatch Origins
• Persona 5
• Resident Evil Village Deluxe Edition

**PLAYSTATION 5**
PS5 Games:

• Babylon's Fall - Sealed
• Death Stranding - Sealed

**PSPortables**
PSP Hardware:

• PSP 1000 console - Body and screen are pretty scratched up, includes a rubber cover and I can include a white replacement shell... Charge port can be touchy sometimes so it also includes a replacement port. No charger though.. (Aftermarket ones have gotten pretty cheap) - Pending
• PSP 3000 Box and tray only. Box has moderate to heavy wear with some creasing.

PSP Games

• Tekken 6 - CIB

Vita games:

• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 plus - Loose
• Wipeout 2048 - Loose

**Xbox**
OG XBox Games: (CIB unless noted)

• Blowout
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Indiana Jones and The Emperors Tomb
• Pac Man World 2 - PH
• Return To Castle Wolfenstein Tides of War - PH

**XBOX 360**
360 Consoles:

• 4GB and 250GB Consoles available. Both include OEM power brick and one OEM controller. One Kinect available.

360 Games: (CIB unless noted)

• Dead to Rights Retribution
• Dead Space 3
• Dragonball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi
• Halo 3 Limited Edition Steel book w/sleeve (minor damage) Includes manual, but no book..
• Hitman HD Trilogy Premium Edition
• Mortal Kombat - No Manual
• The Orange Box
• Portal 2
• Test Drive Unlimited
• Wet
• NBA 2K18
• NBA Live 10

**XBOX ONE**
XB1 Games: (CIB/Boxed unless noted)

• Ark
• Battlefield 4 Steelbook Edition
• Dark Souls 3
• Dishonored Definitive Edition
• Madden 22
• Prototype BioHazard Bundle
• Rare Replay
• Skylanders Trap Team
• Titanfall
• UFC 3
• Watch Dogs 2
• Wolfenstein The New Order

**NINTENDO**

• Vintage Nintendo of America Letter with Official Nintendo Envelope, Cover Letter, Nintendo Power order form, service center list, Game Pak Directory, Replacement parts list, Nintendo history. Great little piece. Definitely shows some wear and a few markings but the order forms are blank. Not sure how to value this.

**NES**
NES Carts: (loose)

• Castlevania II Simons Quest
• Kung Fu
• Ninja Gaiden II - some marker and sticker residue.
• Skate or Die - Label has snag on top
• Wizards and Warriors III - Label worn on top
• Game Genie - Have not tested yet..
• Blank/non "Nintendo" Cartridge sleeves. I have about 15-20 of these. Most in good shape. A few have some creases/denting.

NES manuals

• Bart vs The Space Mutants (The Simpsons)
• Gradius
• Mega Man 1 (Not pictured)
• Mission Impossible
• NES Advantage controller manual
• Zodas Revenge

**SUPER NINTENDO**
Super Nintendo Games:

• DOOM - CIB**
• Rockos Modern Life - CIB - Box is worn, includes insert, manual and warning slip.. both have some wear, Cart is in great shape! Willing to trade box/contents separately as I don't have another copy.
• Yoshi's Safari - CIB**

SNES Carts:

• Super Scope 6
• Game Genie - Have not tested yet.

SNES Manuals:

• Buster Busts Loose
• Hey Punk! Are You Tuff E Nuff?
• The Lawnmower Man
• Super Nintendo Console Consumer information booklet
• World Heroes

Nintendo 64**
N64 Hardware:

• N64 Console with OEM Expansion Pak. No Cords or controllers. Tested and Works!

**WII**
Wii Games:

• Mario Party 8 - No manual
• Metroid Other M - SEALED
• Red Steel - No Manual
• Trauma Center Second Opinion - CIB

**WII U**
Wii U Hardware:

• The Legend of Zelda Windwaker HD Edition Wii U - Complete in box** - Super Hard trade - Probably the item I'm least likely to trade right now.

Wii U Games:

• The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD - SEALED - I am considering having this one graded.
• Super Mario 3D World (NS) - CIB

**SWITCH**
Switch Hardware:

• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Edition OLED Switch - NIB
• Red and Blue V2 Switch - Includes Tablet, Dock, OEM charger, and either the original red and blue or I can swap for gray joy cons. Neither set have drift.. No box. But I have the manual - also includes 2x 3rd party Joy con Controller grip

Switch Games (CIB/Boxed):

• BloodRayne Fresh Bites w Card. - Sealed
• Fire Emblem Three Houses
• Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

**GAMEBOY**
GB Manuals:

• Ren and Stimpy Veediots

**NINTENDO DS**
Nintendo DS Hardware:

• Red Super Mario Bros 25th Anniversary Edition DSi XL - Has some scuffs/scrapes on the corners Pending

Nintendo DS Games:

• Mario Party DS - Sealed - (Has some knicks/tear in seal.)
• Pokémon Heartgold - CIB - NFR case, no big box or Pokewalker**
• Spiderman Shattered Dimensions - Loose
• Spyro The Eternal Night - Loose

**NINTENDO 3DS**
Nintendo 3DS Games:

• Animal Crossing New Leaf - CIB
• Bravely Second End Layer - CIB - Minor damage to case/art
• Legend of Legacy - Sealed
• Super Smash Bros. 3DS - Loose

**SEGA**
**Saturn**
Saturn Hardware:

• Saturn Console - Comes with oem controller

Sega Saturn Games:

• Street Fighter Alpha 2 - CIB*

**Dreamcast**
Dreamcast Games:

• Crazy Taxi - Loose

**MISCELLANEOUS**

• Lots of Magic the Gathering, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, DBZ cards/ Funko Pops, Bakugan. Pics of Pokémon cards can be seen here and here. MTG here and here.
• DragonBall Z Funko Pops including Golden Frieza
• X-Men Cartoon Maker - PC - CIB - Very good condition
• Naruto Best Hit Collection CD w/Slipcover.

[WANT]
SOME specific items I'm after:

• Attack On Titan 2 or Final Battle PS4
• Baten Kaitos
• Castlevania Curse of Darkness - PS2
• Castlevania Lament of Innocence - PS2
• Castlevania Dracula X
• Conkers Bad Fur Day
• Chocobos Dungeon
• Clock Tower (any)
• Drakengard 2
• Earthbound
• Evil Dead Games (PS1-PS2)
• Geist - Gamecube
• Grandia Xtreme
• The Legend of Zelda Four Swords - Gamecube
• Majoras Mask N64
• Mario Party 6 - Complete only
• Mario Party 7 - Manual only
• Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 PS1/PS2 or Dreamcast
• Misadventures of Tron Bonne
• Mega Man 64 - Cart or CIB
• Paper Mario TTYD - Gamecube
• Parasite Eve II - Manual only
• Pokemon Crystal, Emerald, Ruby, and Silver
• Resident Evil - Saturn
• Resident Evil - PS1 Long Box
• Resident Evil Code Veronica - Gamecube
• Resident Evil Dead Aim (Also looking for other light Gun games like Point Blank, Time Crisis, House of the Dead..)
• Resident Evil Survivor
• Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles - Highly Prefer the Gun Bundle Version.
• Saga Frontier 2 PS1, Unlimited Saga PS2
• Shadow Hearts - PS2
• Shadow Hearts From the New World - Disc only
• Silent Hill Origins and Shattered Memories - PS2
• Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden Tactics
• Tekken Long Box
• Twisted Metal Long Box
• Valkyrie Profile PS1
• Wario Ware/World - Gamecube
• Xenosaga Episode III - PS2 - Complete only. Lenticular preferred.

[General Wants]

• I'd like to bulk up my Gamecube and Sega collections. Dreamcast, Saturn and Genesis mainly. I don't really need any hardware at the moment. But a CDX or Nomad would be cool though!
• PlayStation 5 games. Official Sony dual controller charger - CIB or New
• PS1 - PS4 Heavies
• PS Vita Games and maybe certain Vitas.
• PSP Games
• PSVR Games
• PS1 Long Box games
• PSX Console
• Special Edition Sony/PlayStation stuff.
• Switch games, SE Pro controllers
• Gameboys
• DS/3DS games

** Your lists/offers. I am not interested in loose discs or any sort of Greatest Hits, Platinum Hits, Players Choice, etc. Black Label/first print only. Most Carts are ok loose with the exception of games that came in plastic cases such as DS/Vita. If it had a cardboard box I can do without.

Hi everyone, english is not my first language but I'll try and do my best. First, some context:
If I'd have to describe my life, I'd would be like Cinderella, except that instead of an abusive stepmother, mine would be an abusive mother, my sisters and our father who abandoned us. I've suffered every kind of abuse (except for SA), and don't remember most of my childhood, probably it's because it wasn't a good one.
I wasn't aware of the damage I had suffered until a few years ago when I became a mother and have to face my own demons. I became aware of my pain, and I know I don't want my children to suffer the same pain that I still have.
Over the years, the relationship with my mother has turned into some kind of a "friendship", more in her benefit than in mine. She always tells my husband what "a great emotional support I am and how peaceful she feels by having me around", but she never tells me anything like that. We still live close by. Sometimes, I feel like if I get the chance to run away, I will never look back. Also, I always feel guilty for even thinking of leaving and go no contact with her.
There's a lot of resentment in me, and it's a constant struggle to not let it affect me and in our relationship, and in the way that I treat her. She has close to zero empathy for any one, and specially towards me. So, over the years I had to handle everything on my own cause she didn't think my pain was serious. The last time she came with me to the ER was when I was 9 for a tummy ache and when we got home, she accused me of fake everything to get some attention, 2 days later she realized that I wasn't lying.
She is a little more careful now about her words and actions towards me. But still, from time to time, she pushes the triggers and I end up with nothing but sadness and loneliness. Some months ago I cry and cry and cry again, cause I became aware that I had lost my mother many years ago and that day, I lost the motherfigure I had. So, as right now, I see her as a "close" friend. And emphasis on the "close" cause I don't really feel like I can rallied on her the same way that she does on me.
So, a few moments ago, my mother called me and asked me if my husband could take her to the ER cause she's feeling really bad. In my country, even though the pandemic has ceased, you are not allowed to have a family member with you at all times. So, my husband drives her to the ER, and I stay home with my kids, feeling a little numb and guilty for not feeling bad about her.
And don't get me wrong, I know she needs medical attention and that she is in pain, I would never deny her any kind of help. But as of right now, I feel like, "Oh, too bad, let's move on." It's like my neighbor told me she has to go to the ER and I'm like, "Get well soon, back to my own business."
I feel like a bad person for no feeling bad or worried about her, I don't know how normal it's that, if I am getting bitter about her or if I'm just going crazy. I will never wish her or anybody harm, but I just think "it's going to happen what's going to happen."

Speaking as a dark skinned minority idk where I can move to that’s doesn’t feel hopelessly doomed
Looking for a country that doesn’t fuck up its safety, has decent transport, good healthcare, speaks English, good housing, is this too much to ask for ? Looking for the neoliberal dream, a country run by decent people.
-Canada: Housing crisis that’s gonna get worse and worse -US: Gun crisis + Housing crisis + healthcare crisis -Japan / Korea: extremely depressing work culture + Racism - China: CCP + Racism -India / SEA: can’t speak the language - Western Europe: I’ve experienced a lot of racism here but mb I try again? -Botswana / other Africa: I’ve considered but it needs to get a bit better before I seriously consider moving
Any suggestions ?

Sometimes, especially on my phone when the words are small and close together or a small printed book, I start reading and then the words and letters feel like they are moving apart and start looking like unknown characters. Obviously i know they’re letters but they become very hard to distinguish and makes me feel like I actually don’t even know english

And I'm going to prove it.
What follows is an in-depth analysis of the Pokemon world and its culture (hereafter referred to as the “Poke'verse.”) Where I’ll attempt to understand just what these beings actually are, and how they relate to the humans of their universe. The relationship between human and pokemon is obscure, but we'll be defining it today. For this post, I will reference the video game lore, but I will, to a large extent, be pulling examples from the anime. While I can understand why some might say this invalidates my points, I truly think the anime should be considered fair game. It depicts what the Poke'verse is truly supposed to be like, as the writers intend it to be, unhampered by the restrictions of a video game.

Let's dive in.

At this point, I know that the Pokemon fandom and the general public have a well-established and largely iron-cast interpretation of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer, but today I’m going to attempt to challenge that interpretation. Because on the whole, it’s not especially flattering, and I think it’s false. You’ve seen the jokes, and the video essays, and the parody comics. You’ve seen it all. People have criticized Pokemon for the premise of the game effectively being a system of romanticized slavery. That the heartless humans kidnap these innocent animals and force them into sadistic dog-fights to further their own power, to the point where it is a global, televised sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, Pokemon…are slaves. It's animal abuse. Those who argue it are in denial.
The funny thing is, most people don’t argue it. Which is because, to a large extent, most people don’t care. It’s just a video game, right? It’s not as though the Pokemon are outwardly suffering. Pokemon fans seem to just accept this premise and live with it, because the Pokemon world is bright and enjoyable and the formula of the games is addicting. To most people, the problematic premise of this universe isn’t a big deal. Nobody takes a passionate stance against it, apart from Gamefreak itself. They have little choice but to dismiss these claims, to argue against them…but nobody really listens. The franchise may do the best it can to play up the whole “friendship” angle, but the majority of fans, casual and otherwise, would say they’re not fooling anyone.

I see things differently.

This conclusion about the Pokeverse is not the only one that can be drawn from analyzing this world. It's also based on several assumptions, headcanons, and interpretations of this world’s symbolism. I interpret these things another way myself, and I’ll try to explain how. But the bottom line is that humans and Pokemon exist together in this world and have a unique relationship. Our world has humans, but not Pokemon, so one can assume that the Pokemon are a deliberate symbol of…something. What that something is will probably vary based on who you ask, but just about everyone seems to interpret them as the “animals” of their universe. As in, living creatures who are not human. (Because Humans…are also Animals, and that’s kind of the whole point right there, but I’m getting ahead of myself.)
We seem to draw an inherent comparison between Pokemon and #RealWorld Animals, which is where all of this stems from. I believe this is a mistake. Or if nothing else, it’s not the definitive interpretation of what they are. If anything, the closest comparison I can think of is…maybe Angels? But even that doesn’t truly describe their role. The more the Poke'verse gets fleshed out, the clearer it becomes to me that catching and training Pokemon are completely misunderstood concepts. They’re not really comparable to anything in real life, certainly not the training of animals or the keeping of pets. I genuinely don’t think that the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon has an equivalent in our world.
I do understand where the impulse to make this comparison comes from. Of course people look at Pokemon and see animals. After all, they're living, breathing creatures, magical creatures that coexist with humanity. A not insignificant number of them do resemble real-life animals or are otherwise based on them. The most crucial bit of evidence for this idea is that the Pokeverse, by all appearances, lacks “real world” animals of its own. There are no recognizable creatures from our world to speak of, apart from humanity. So I can see how people reached this conclusion and I get why they draw the parallel.

However, it’s just not a fair comparison to make. Not at all.

Some animals do have the means to defend themselves, of course. But Pokemon have abilities on another level entirely. They’re basically magic. They have superpowers unique to themselves. Can a human spit fire? Tunnel a hole in seconds? Can they summon storms in the blink of an eye? Can a human block all damage with Wonder Guard? The answer is no. They cannot do this. Humans are one race, and a relatively mundane race at that. While they are distinctly separate from Pokemon…that doesn’t make them superior. It doesn’t make them more powerful. The sheer variety in Pokemon species, not to mention the variety of their powers, means that if war was to break out between the two communities…the humans would not win. It wouldn’t even be close.
Pokemon are baked deep into this culture. If you had to guess which of these two societies was here first, would you really guess humanity? I wouldn’t. Just look at the spiritual side of this world. It has deities who are confirmed to exist, who created this world as we know it..and they’re all Pokemon. Who knows where the humans even came from, but the Legendary Pokemon are the ones who fashioned the universe. It is vanity to assume that Humanity is the dominant species of the Poke'verse.
They are not, nor have they even been in charge of this world. Pokemon explicitly range from human to above-human level intelligence. The humans attempt to understand them, but the Anime clarifies that they’ve chosen to name the Pokemon based on their speech patterns. Pokemon don’t “say their name” and nothing else. It’s the reverse. They speak unique languages that the humans elected to name them for. By contrast, Pokemon can clearly understand human language. There’s no way around it, they are smarter than us. So it’s no surprise that they have their own communities and systems, totally independent from humanity. However, there are also countless Pokemon who choose (read: CHOOSE) to work with humans, on individual and group-wide scales.

In fact, Pokemon and Humans may not be so different at all.

I bet their DNA is remarkably similar. They may descend from a common ancestor. There is consistent flavor text that verifies this, stating that on a fundamental level, Pokemon and Humans are all but the same. Perhaps humankind and Pokemon weren’t always separate beings? Perhaps they were once one and the same? It’s pure conjecture, but according to the Library in Canalave City, there was a time in the ancient past when Pokemon ate at the same table as Humans and would even marry them sometimes. That last bit of trivia is cut from the English version, undoubtedly because of the popular interpretation I discussed earlier. Fans see Pokemon as animals, and the dubbing team probably wanted to avert any weird implications.
What’s odd is that in Legends: Arceus, which takes place in the ancient past…humans and pokemon have clearly already been separated, and have no relationship beyond hostility and fear towards each other. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large, the idea of a “Pokemon Trainer” is a new concept to the humans in Hisui. I’m getting very off topic now, but it does make a fan wonder. Just what happened to separate pokemon and humankind? They were as close as kin at one point, before some kind of split occurred, and it’s taken countless generations for them to redevelop a closeness...there’s a greater mystery here that isn’t relevant to the topic at hand, but these questions are worth asking. Either way, the point is that the two communities are almost fated to come together.
The Pokemon are drawn to humanity, and whether they invest in an official “trainer” or not, they seek out humans just as often as the humans go looking for them.
The Pokemon will form these partnerships out of their own desire. A desire for what, you may be asking? I think it varies, but when it comes to the TrainePokemon relationship, we can assume the typical goal is shared strength. The human and the Pokemon form a symbiotic relationship in the Training system. This is stated numerous times, especially in the Anime - A wild Pokemon will never reach their full potential. Not without a Trainer. You see? It isn’t only the humans who benefit from this relationship, and the Pokemon understand this. The vast majority of them want to be caught, they seek a trainer who can help them harness their powers.
Mewtwo decries Pokemon Training as Slavery during Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu contradicts him, and Ash literally puts his life on the line in the effort to prove him wrong. Much later, in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the same question comes up. Lucario asks if Ash is Pikachu’s “master” and Ash rejects that terminology. Because Pikachu is his best friend, nothing less. There is a reason why the word is “Trainer” and not “Master” or “Owner.” Because Pokemon Trainers do not own their Pokemon. Full stop. The Poke Ball isn't a prison. It, and the PC Boxes from the games, are implied to be a kind of virtual reality. The Poke Ball is a symbol, a convenience more than anything else, but not a requirement. Ash is living proof. The Poke-Ball may be the norm, but if you're claustrophobic like Pikachu, or you're just not feeling it, you can abstain. Ash has never treated Pikachu as a captive. Or any of his Pokemon for that matter. We don't ever see anyone keeping Pokemon as prisoners apart from the villains.

But what about catching Pokemon in general? That's still messed up, isn't it?

There is an obvious counterargument to be made to my stance, a Donphan in the room, and I won’t ignore it. The counterpoint here is that capturing Pokemon is almost always done against their will. Or at least, that’s how it’s traditionally done, and the norm in the games remains consistent. Still. Ash winds up befriending the majority of his Pokemon instead, and he’s far from the only trainer we see doing so. James is another human who recruits his teammates primarily through his own likable qualities. You might argue that while obtaining a Pokemon can happen without fighting, that style is still unusual. But again, based on the anime, it doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. I think what’s considered rare is that Ash seems to specialize in doing this despite his intended goal of training Pokemon for battle.
Regardless, capturing Pokemon through battle still happens. It happens quite a lot. The examples that differ from this norm don’t erase that, nor do they erase how repugnant it is. After all, the Trainer is cornering a creature who more often than not, was just minding their own business. (A wild Pokemon is very often the one to initiate battle, but never mind.) The trainer then forcibly kidnaps them after violently assaulting them. Even the term “capturing” Pokemon has problematic connotations. No way around it - on paper, this sounds bad. It sounds horrific. But if I may, I’d like to offer a different perspective based on what I’ve been able to observe of the Poke'verse’s culture. First of all, I’d like to offer a scalding hot take about the violence of Pokemon battles. This may be where I lose a lot of people, but hear me out.

I challenge the idea that a Pokemon battle is “violent.”

Or at least, I don’t believe the characters consider it to be violent, not in the same way we understand it. A pokemon battle isn’t assault, because they’re not human. But it’s also not animal abuse, because the Pokeverse doesn’t have animals. Again, it’s worth remembering that Pokemon are supernatural creatures with magical powers, and I’d say their powers, the “moves” they learn, play by different rules than conventional fighting. There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this is true.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, the Pokemon very specifically fight their clones without access to any of their actual moves, after Mewtwo psychically blocks their powers. Everything about this scene is meant to convey tragedy. All of a sudden, a series that’s been all about battle is preaching against violence. Sure, we can call it bad writing, executive meddling, or anything we want. But ignore the Fourth Wall and ask yourself, why would the characters react this way in-universe? Why is it that Pokemon battling has always been okay, but in this one instance, it’s not? The movie goes to great lengths to show us that the Pokemon are hurting each other. Which we don’t normally see.

The only difference? The Pokemon aren’t using their normal moves.

From this, we can conclude that the typical, conventional Pokemon battle, where the two Pokemon fight using their special abilities...it doesn’t hurt them. It may tire them out, but a Pokemon Center can heal basically any injuries in record time. Nurse Joy is some kind of miracle worker…or maybe she isn’t. Maybe The Pokemon are being tired out from their battles, but not actually harmed in the long term. Ever wonder why Pokemon can use hidden moves in the field, even when they're supposedly "fainted?" Or why Pikachu is able to get right back up after fainting in battle to cheer Ash on? This would explain why Pokemon attacks don’t cause lasting damage to humans, either. Get hit with a Flamethrower? Don’t worry, you’ll just be temporarily stunned and have soot all over your face. The doylist explanation is, once again, that it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t explain what’s happening in-universe. Team Rocket has been electrocuted by Pikachu a near-infinite number of times. So how are they even alive?
Simple. Pikachu isn’t actually trying to kill them. Because of course he isn’t. It’s quite possible that Pokemon moves simply are not capable of inflicting serious damage, or perhaps Pokemon have an inherent resistance to them. But I suspect it’s not a lack of ability that stops Pokemon moves from being violent…but an almost universal choice. That when Pokemon go on the offensive with their powers, or at least, when they direct said powers at humans…they are always pulling their punches. That’s why the fight on New Island was so grotesque - the Pokemon were not remotely familiar with battling that way, engaging in true violence, and there’s little doubt that they were figuratively and literally scarred by that night. (The ones who still remember it, anyway.)
It’s no wonder they never use their powers to cause actual bodily harm to anyone - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of sacred, unspoken taboo among Pokemon against doing so. A taboo that wouldn't be known to the newborn clone Pokemon on New Island. A taboo that may not have existed centuries ago, in say, the ancient times of the Hisui region. But present day, communities of Pokemon are more civilized, and they a working relationship with human society that ranges from neutral to friendly. We’re in head-canon territory now, but this kind of law among Pokemon kind makes a lot of sense. There may be Pokemon out there who break this taboo, but they would be few and far between - probably outcasts among their own kind. It would add a new dimension to Pikachu's refusal to fight back against his clone counterpart.
Again, this scene makes a point of telling us over and over, that what we’re seeing is wrong. “Pokemon aren’t meant to fight. Not like this.” That line right there is precisely the point. Battling isn’t meant to be like that, and in practice, it almost never is. There’s a reason why Pokemon almost never actually die in battle, and only get “very weak,” a condition that is cured flawlessly with the medical science of a Pokemon Center. It’s almost like a Pokemon’s powers create a kind of invisible simulation system, allowing them to spar with their opponent safely. Because that’s what a Pokemon battle is, at heart. It’s a test of skill. It’s meant to just be friendly sparring. A kind of sport that the Pokemon and Trainers engage in together, and it’s stated many times that they need to be in sync to have any hope of a successful career in professional matches. Again, I refer you to Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokemon were able to use their powers collectively to restore Ash to life. There’s clearly a lot more to a Pokemon’s power than just combat. That part is nothing more than recreation for them.

I deviated tremendously from the original question about capturing Pokemon, but I feel that it’s important to address this point.

Pokemon Battling is not violence. It’s effectively a sport that all sides consent to playing, a sport that has safety measures practically built in, as well as further precautions offered like the Pokemon Center. In that sense, it's more or less just another interpretation of Pokemon Contests, and Showcases, and everything else. A human helping a Pokemon study their powers and use them to fullest potential. This is the reason why I don’t actually consider a Trainer fighting a wild Pokemon to be so obscene. However, that only addresses the question of violence. Trainers are still kidnapping Pokemon against their will, right? That’s why one has to “weaken” a Pokemon to catch them. Well, believe it or not, I’m going to debunk that too.
Barring exceptions, the wild Pokemon must be exhausted to the point that they can no longer resist a poke-ball, before you can obtain them. Their opinion about being caught is always a non-issue. By all accounts, it doesn't seem as though this is acceptable. But even this, I think, is part of the cultural dissonance. Among other things, we don’t know what the little “click” of the Poke-ball actually means. It signals that the capture was a success, but is that the Pokemon choosing to yield, or the Poke Ball’s technology locking them in? It’s a little ambiguous, I’ll freely admit as much…but I would argue that the former idea isn’t impossible. Again, wild Pokemon, generally speaking, actually want to find a Trainer. The first episode of the anime even hints that certain wild Pokemon are jealous of those with trainers. With that in mind, why is catching them even a fight to begin with?

I’ll tell you why. When a wild Pokemon battles a trainer, they are essentially giving that trainer a test.

They’re gauging the trainer’s abilities to bring out the potential of their Pokemon. If you’re a trainer, and your Pokemon defeats another Pokemon in the wild…you’ve just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your Pokemon is stronger than the wild one. You have now proven that you have something to offer, you’ve passed the test. The wild Pokemon now realizes that it stands to learn something, to grow more powerful, by accepting your tutelage. That’s why it’s considered acceptable to the Pokemon to follow a trainer after they are overpowered and captured. It’s like…right of conquest, but with fully informed consent.
Consent is key here, and I believe this cultural understanding to be the reason that most Pokemon are immediately comfortable with following the trainer who caught them. While one might argue that they don't really have a choice anymore...that simply isn't true. The anime clarifies that Pokemon can release themselves from a Poke-Ball whenever they want. Misty’s Psyduck is the most iconic example of this, but there are countless others. In theory, a Pokemon could just leave a trainer who they find unsatisfactory. Actually, that’s not just a theory. That’s canon. Something that most people don’t seem to realize (or at least, they forget) is that it’s not just Trainers who ditch Pokemon they no longer want. It happens in reverse as well.

Pokemon can and do abandon their trainers, if they deem said trainers to be unworthy of their talents.

Remember when I said that I would be chiefly referencing the anime, because it’s the most reliable depiction of what the Pokeverse is supposed to be like? This is exactly what I was talking about. Because obviously, this never happens in the games. Your Pokemon don’t just disappear from your party or PC boxes, because that would be an incredibly stupid and unfair mechanic. But in the anime, where the relationships between Pokemon and Trainer are more fleshed out? In the first season, Bad To The Bone is about a Marowak who chose to ditch his trainer after said trainer had his badges stolen. While the Marowak eventually changed his mind, at no point did any character voice the idea of trying to return him by force. That was never on the table. It was Marowak’s choice and no one else’s, which is why the trainer was heartbroken.
But that’s not a one-off, it’s not the only example. There are quite a few. Due to a misunderstanding, Gym Leader Pryce once believed his Piloswine had abandoned him. Then there’s Ash. Always the mother hen, he’s adopted many Pokemon who were abandoned by previous trainers, but the opposite has also happened. His Snivy, and his Greninja, are both Pokemon who were explicitly stated to have had previous trainers whom they chose to leave, because they didn’t feel understood. Typically, it seems that Pokemon choose to leave because they feel as though the unspoken contract that is “pokemon training” has been violated somehow, or they’re otherwise not getting what they signed up for. This is why the traditional method of “catching” Pokemon is so vital. Because it’s an honor system. There's a reason we aren't able to capture a Pokemon has already fainted. That would be the most efficient way to go about things, but the MC won't do it. Why? I can only assume this is to ensure the Pokemon gets a voice in whether they're caught.
Any time a human does attempt to force a Pokemon into submission or otherwise harm them through any method that is not the traditional system of capture, the story treats them as unquestionably villainous for doing so. The other humans react in horror, and attempt to stop them. This is because forgoing the “defeat them in battle” route and instead using some kind of technology or whatnot to claim the Pokemon is seen as dishonorable at the best of times, and evil at the worst of times. The Trainer is ignoring the agency of the Pokemon. Attempting capture in the conventional way is a mutually accepted system, the wild Pokemon know and understand that a trainer may attempt to take them, and if they really don’t want to be said Trainer’s Pokemon, they can always choose to leave after they are captured. But the use of other means takes that choice away from them. These villains, usually the evil Teams, are using methods of capture that fail to demonstrate to the Pokemon why they are a worthy Trainer, and likewise rob them of the ability to judge them as unworthy.

There are exceptions, but for the reasons I have described, I fail to see how the idea of “slavery” is applicable to properly trained Pokemon.

They have the power to attack their trainers whenever they choose. Sometimes they do. They have magical abilities that enslaved humans in real life do not have. Legends: Arceus does a great job of highlighting just how dangerous Pokemon could be toward their human counterparts if they really wanted to be. They also have the power to leave. A Pokeball is not a chain. The only time a Pokemon struggles to escape a Ball is when it is first used on them, and the connection is initially forged. But, as I’ve talked about, I believe this to be a ceremonial process and little else. Trainers will immediately send out freshly caught Pokemon to heal or train, and the Pokemon don’t run. But once again, they could. What is stopping them? Ash’s Charizard never saw fit to abandon him, but if he had, what could Ash have actually done about it? Basically nothing. He’d get a flamethrower to the face and then Charizard would fly off. The same thing is true for any of Ash’s Pokemon, or the trained Pokemon of any Trainer ever.
There’s another Donphan in the room that I’d like to touch on real quick. I’ve talked a lot about how the anime clarifies the nature of Pokemon and their relationship to their Trainers…but I also mentioned that the developers have openly tried to beat back the claims of animal abuse, of slavery. The anime speaks for itself, but what about the time Black and White openly addressed these criticisms? You were probably waiting for me to bring it up, but the truth is, I don’t have much to say. The idea of Pokemon and Trainers having a symbiotic relationship, and needing each other…the idea that they shouldn’t be separated…all of that is touched on in the games, but the subject is mostly used as a scapegoat by a wannabe dictator.
I have yet to see any character in Pokemon honestly make the same comparison that critics make in real life, and I doubt we ever will see that happen. It’s just not an idea that can be properly explored in the Pokeverse, because our world is unknown to them. Our way of doing things isn’t something that any in-universe Trainer could hope to understand. It’s an entirely different culture. The way we personally view Pokemon as creatures is colored by our context, by the fact that we’re on the outside, peering into this world with the perspective of a society that doesn’t have Pokemon. To the humans, this is the way their world works. Team Plasma came the closest to approaching that idea, but even then, they were the villains. It was made abundantly clear that they were wrong.
​

• In theory, Pokemon are servants at the whims of their Trainers. In practice, they’re actually the ones with real power and the relationship is balanced, nuanced, and heavily based on mutual trust.
• In theory, Pokemon are the wild animals of their universe. In practice, they have no equivalent to our world. They are, as we're told many times, "wondrous creatures." They have no explanation.
• In theory, Pokemon are forced to engage in senseless violence day in and day out. In practice, Pokemon battling is an art form that the Pokemon themselves choose to pursue, and it is not remotely dangerous.

If you've stuck with me this long, know that I appreciate you. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. If you need me, I'll be shiny hunting for Klawf.

I decided to vent a little about how this game means to me, and also, how mind blowing it is that there is little to no game like it. So if you care to read it, thanks for listening.
As a 10 year old boy, living practically alone stuck in a middle town apartment with little to nothing to do. This stage is when I defined my personality and taste, but about the love for horror games and movies, my first contact was Clock Tower for the SNES, played in a PS2 emulator disc and I loved it, despite understanding little to nothing around how it's random aspects worked.
The starts alined for me to find Hauting Ground, cause seriously, how and why a street seller with pirated games got notice and hold of Hauting Ground. At the time these PS2 disc sellers was exploding in popularity by selling moded GTA Saandreas discs and a few selection of the most well know games in the console.
About the game, my child mind was blow, and very scared, about how Debillitas (at least is well made to look like) is actually actively looking for us through the castle and circling rooms as we unlock them. This illusion of being constantly hunted was the best, and I would hide for unecessary long times and even let go the controller to wait for the killer to show up again and make sure I go the opposite way when it clears out.
It took a very long time for me to make even the slightest progress, as I yet not mentioned, I'm Brazilian and the game was in English, so I had to explore and examine everything, and figure out how Hewie works all by myself, as any and all hints and tutorials was incomprehensible to me. But 10 unsupervised hours a day make up for my lack of understanding, and I beat the game the same year.
Since then, I got a computer and was shocked how there is no games with the same hunting and improvised hiding mechanics. Closest I experienced since my childhood was Alien Isolation, and yet it doesn't hold a candle to how Haunting Ground is build up, at least at the first stages.
To conclude my story. My mom got me a dog when I made 11 years old to keep me away from the TV a little more, wise choice, and I named the dog Hewie. He is white and fluffy, has a little more polygons, and grew a lot more than expected to my heart's content. He is getting very old, but still gets a lot of love, and no one would suspect he is as old as he actually is.
Please tell me your connection to this game as well, and any suggestions for games you know. Thank you and a good night.

My son (14) and I live in a different country than his (ex) step-dad. The bio dad has never been in the picture, and my ex raised my son from the age of 1-13 years old. They have always had a roller coaster of a relationship. My ex would always joke in ways my son didn't like, which would lead to them fighting and not speaking to each other for long periods of time (weeks to months... yes, they both acted like toddlers).
About 6 months ago, my son and I moved to another country so he could attend school. We came back to my home country and my ex's new "home country" for 3 weeks. For 1.5 weeks, my son planned to go hang out with my ex (in a different state), and for 1.5 weeks, I would spend time with my side of the family.
About 5 days into spending time with his (ex) step-dad, he calls to tell me he wants to come back to me because they have gotten into a verbal fight and no longer talking. I told him he won't see him again for another x months and to work it out.
A few days later, my ex called to tell me to book a ticket because my son still wants to leave, and they aren't getting along. I told him that he is the adult and they need to work it out. I will not buy a plane ticket. I point out that my son will be leaving the house anyway in 4 days. They both (my son and my ex) have been hounding me to get to a new plane ticket because he wants to leave.
I have suggested that if my ex wants him gone, he can buy the ticket. He said he doesn't want him gone by my son, who doesn't want to stay.
AITA for not buying a new plane ticket for my son?
Update about the "argument": Honestly, the "argument" was about something so trivial, like all their past times.
My son is very precise with words and phrases. For example, if the clock reads 7:12 and you say it is 7:10 or 7:15, he will correct you.
My ex's first language isn't English. However, my son isn't fluent in his language (but is capable of holding most conversations).
From what I understood, the argument was something about music, and exact words or phrases or meanings weren't used. This one was the straw that broke the camel's back. My son said there were other things that led up to it in similar issues.
That is why I said to work it out. He wasn't in danger it was just all about his need for exactness from someone who isn't a native speaker.

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

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

OSAKA

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

NARA

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

KYOTO

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

FUKUOKA

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

NAGASAKI

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

HIROSHIMA

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

SHIMANAMI KAIDO CYCLING: ONOMICHI to IMABARI 76km

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

MATSUYAMA

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

OKAYAMA

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

HIMEJI

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

WAKAYAMA - KUMANO KODO PILGRIMAGE HIKE, NAKAHECHI ROUTE

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

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

I find myself hating almost everybody anymore. By almost everybody, I don't mean 95% of people or more. There are plenty of people that I do like, however, more often than not, I find myself hating other people and wanting to be alone more than anything. Everyone I know seems to be either a jerk or a moron.
For example, I'm a Senior in high school. I've always been good at grammar and spelling. I find myself writing grammatically perfect paragraphs without even needing to revise them, although they're not always well-written; just written without grammatical errors. However, it seems as though everyone in my class is incapable of understanding extremely simple grammar rules and even spelling common words. A classmate of mine couldn't deduce that 'aeroplane' was the UK word for airplane. Hell, I don't even think he registered the similarity between the two words at all, and my English teacher didn't know that 'ironical' was a word.
I'm also currently taking precalculus and I have to suffer listening to the popular girls talk about how much they hate the math class they willingly chose to enter into. I understand that it can be quite difficult and counterintuitive at times; I don't claim to always love it myself; but they had the opportunity to simply not take the class, as it isn't a required course, and yet they insist upon flapping their gums about a class that, once again, they chose to take.
Any level of stupidity and or disrespect is basically intolerable to me anymore. I can't stand my siblings because they're so fucking intentionally quirky and loud. My brother pops his knuckles and slams our door (we share the same room) without any self-awareness. They don't even seem like people to me anymore. I once told people in a Discord chat that I don't care what happens to my siblings anymore and they seemed extremely surprised, but honestly, I don't see how I can feel differently. They treat me like garbage and cause my anxiety and misophonia to flair up to the point that I've considered suicide whenever they cause enough noise. I know it sounds extreme, but it's the truth.
Every day of my life, I have to control the urge to either hurt somebody or off myself. Both options seem perfectly sensible to me on most days, but I've managed to pull through this far. My only real hope is the fact that I turn eighteen in about a month and I intend on moving out as soon as I have the money to. My parents love me, as most parents do, and they want me to stay for longer and I wish I could be a good son and heed their wishes, but I have to respect myself first, and I can't see myself making it to the age of twenty the way things are going now. I might even resort to drink if I have to listen to the voices of these fucking people for longer than another month. To be blunt, I don't see how any considerate, empathic person can argue against my logic. I'm tired of pretending not to be a human being with actual feelings and triggers. I try not to get on the nerves of others. If people can't learn not to get on my nerves, then I hope never to see them again.

A wheeled cart provided by a shop or store, especially supermarkets, for use by customers inside the premises for transporting merchandise as they move around the store while shopping, before heading to the checkout counter, cashiers, or tills, is known as a shopping cart in American English, a trolley in British, Australian, or Southern American English, or a buggy in Appalachian or Southern American English. Customers are more inclined to buy larger quantities in a single trip when they can acquire more items, which improves store profitability.
Customers frequently use the cart to carry their purchases to their cars, however some carts have wheels that may be magnetically locked to prevent users from leaving either the store or the allotted parking space. Customers are invited to leave their shopping carts in specified parts of the parking lot in numerous locations throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Store personnel will then bring the carts back to the entrances. In some locations, locking devices that connect carts need to be unlocked by inserting a coin or token. The penny is given to the customer after the cart is put back where it belongs.

I apologize that this is going to be long, but I need help with my marriage. My husband and I are in our 30's and are both family physicians. As a physician, mental health treatment is severely limited as we have to disclose depression, anxiety, etc. when applying for state licenses, board certification, etc. I constantly live in silent suffering, putting on a face for my patients and colleagues. I have crossed state lines and paid in cash to seek therapy but it hasn't been very helpful. I appreciate whoever takes the time to read this and help with advice.
My husband and I come from different backgrounds. I grew up poor in Appalachia, lived in a single-wide mobile home and ate things like ketchup packets, mashed potato flakes or coffee creamer. I had never went to the doctor and the first time I went to the dentist I was 17. My childhood was spent playing in the woods and babysitting my little brother who is 10 years younger than me. My mom worked the night shift and my dad worked the day shift. My dad was very religious, paranoid, verbally / physically abusive to me and my mom. One time I couldn't find the phone for him to call his cousin and he got mad, gathered up all my toys and burned them in the back yard. I began drawing my own paper dolls and when he found them, he ripped them up saying it was "idol worship." He would call me "child" instead of my name, for example, "hey child, make me a tuna sandwich." He always got the biggest portions of food. When I was 8 years old he told me not to call him "daddy" anymore to hurt my mom.
My mom was MIA with severe depression, just sleeping on her days off. Other things he did was beat my sibling so bad he couldn't go to school and I took video of it, showing the librarian who then called CPS. My dad was arrested, but since he was related to the judge, the case was dismissed. The years went by getting called names, hair pulling, doing all cooking and all the cleaning; he never lifted a finger. I was 16 years old when my mom found out my dad was cheating on her with a coworker and she needed the GeoTracker to go to work that night; he was going to take it to see his girlfriend, and he started beating my mom up. I jumped out the window to help my mom and my dad grabbed my hair, screaming, "I HATE YOU!!!!!!!" Over and over and over, his voice echoing throughout the holler.
Since I was really young I have experienced extreme empathy, to the point of being a people pleaser. I always wanted to help people and animals. I never threw trash on the ground, I helped injured animals. When I was 10 years old, I scooped up tadpoles from puddles so they wouldn't die when the puddle dried up and put them in an old broken fish aquarium, releasing them back to wild when they would grow legs. To this day, frogs have a special place in my heart.
I was bullied in high school because I brought paper dolls to my first day of freshman year, I was the youngest in my high school at 13 years old. My clothes smelled like moth balls. During a fake fire drill, students had to go on the football field and there an an instance where a male student urinated on me and threw a keychain at me that he lit on fire. I was bullied because I always wore coats, even in 80 degree weather. I was ashamed at how thin I looked, I have always looked way younger than what I really am. I attempted suicide twice when I was a teenager.
I made good grades, was salutatorian of my class. I was able to get a full paid scholarship to a nearby college but I rejected it and took out a massive amount of student loans to attend University 4 hours away. I wanted to branch out in the world and I wanted to become a physician. I wanted to see what was beyond the mountains. I truly wanted to help people as it brought me happiness.
When I was 17, I started my freshman year of college. I did not know how to drive, did not have a car, my speech / grammar was very bad (I had to learn how to speak proper English), I basically lacked common sense. I walked everywhere - to campus, to the bank, to the grocery store. I had severe social phobia and anxiety. My last class to complete my bachelor of science degree was oral communications (night class as I hate public speaking). Sometimes a grocery store trip took 2 hours. During this time, to make extra money, I began selling art on eBay, making enough money to cover the monthly rent an bills. I drew portraits and also anime fanart.
Fast forward through med school, my social phobia began to improve as I got more exposure talking to people. It was my first day of clinical rotation on internal medicine and no one would show me how to write a progress note except one student. I was so shocked that someone could be this nice, to take time out of their schedule to help me. I continued to follow him like a lost puppy and we became friends. I had never dated anyone before and after 6 months of being friends he asked me to go to Starbucks. We eventually got engaged, then married, and moved to separate states to do our residencies.
Some background information about my husband - he was born in India and moved to Canada as a child. His dad was in the navy and his mom was a teacher. They had servants growing up who did all the cleaning, cooking, etc. He was given pretty much anything he asked for, which looking back, explains a lot of his behavior.
After completing residency, we finally moved to start our family practice careers. When we started living together as a married couple, things started to change. He expected me to wait on him - cook, clean, head massage, fold his clothes - basically everything his mother did for him. And if I did not do something right or not do it right away, he would get upset and run and tell his mother everything. He talked to her about our arguments all of the time.
Overtime, he began calling me names like b****, neurotic, crazy, delusional, childish, etc. Several months ago I was washing a large plastic bin in the sink and he was concerned I would knock a glass onto the floor and it would break. He started screaming at me, took the bin from me, threw it in the hall and then slapped me in the back of the head. Over the years, he would belittle me, make fun of where I grew up, call me naïve if I did not know how something worked. A few months ago he wanted chicken and so I made some in the Air Fryer, but it wasn't the same as his mom's chicken, and he yelled at me, saying I ruined the chicken and told his mom. I offered to make the chicken again, but he refused to eat it if I did, and DoorDashed Chinese food. He also calls me weird and says no one else would put up with me - meaning my collection of Sailor Moon dolls and Animal Crossing merchandise is a turn off. (BTW, when I was in medical school, I played a lot of Animal Crossing back in those days, they were so positive!)
He will not let me sleep in the same bed, saying I disturb his sleep. He sleeps in the Master Bedroom and I either sleep in the living room on the couch or in the attic. There was an instant where he had gone to sleep and I needed a new toothbrush, so I snuck in the Master Bedroom, crawling with my cellphone light on, but he saw it, got extremely angry and went to knock everything over in my closet, screaming obscenities. I could not sleep that night and had to go into the clinic in the morning to see patients, pretending nothing was wrong. My eyes were extremely swollen from crying and the staff had asked if I was feeling ok, thinking I was getting COVID. I dreaded coming home, often times hoping I would get in a car accident and die.
Last year I was diagnosed with autoimmune diseases narcolepsy and ankylosing spondylitis after contracting COVID from a patient who lied about having it during the COVID pre-screen questionnaire. I had to establish with neurologist and rheumatologist for treatment, and now take medications. Due to my declining health, I had to leave my clinic job as a family physician and now I work from home via Telehealth.
Something happened last night that made me realize my husband does not love me, and honestly, I don't believe anyone in this world loves me. I don't think I love myself. I wanted to sleep in the same bed with my husband and he got upset, saying I woke him up with having restless legs. He threw the blanket off of me, tore off the heated eye mask I was wearing and turned on the tv to 80 points so that I would leave the room. He then passed gas extremely loud and then LAUGHED as I started to cry. I left, going up to the attic to sleep.
When I try to talk to my husband about how I feel, he always turns it around on me, saying I have a big ego, I can't take criticism and I'm too sensitive. When I request I would like him to be more positive, he says things like, "this is the real world, people aren't nice." I think he became a physician because he was expected to, not because he wanted to. He starts to say things like, "I do all kinds of things for you! I pay the bills, take the dog places, follow up on important tasks that you forget!"
I apologize for the long essay, this is the first time I have told my story, to strangers on the internet. I often think what is my purpose in life? I miss my patients from the clinic, I miss that human bond. Now I feel lonely, hopeless and don't know where to go from here. What can I do to improve my life and my self esteem without the medical board knowing?

I lurked a bunch in this group before my trip so am hoping that a trip report will help others. We had a larger group and a couple people in the group are mobility challenged so some of my tidbits are unique to those aspects.
Some general notes:
-I got a pocket wifi from Ninja Wifi and it was great. I picked it up from Kansai and dropped off at Narita and it was so easy. I rushed through customs and had it before the others were all through. Others in the group were using their travel plans (T mobile and Verizon) and by the end of the trip most were just connecting to my wifi because it was much faster. It wasn't completely perfect and had a couple glitches here and there, but nothing that restarting the unit didn't fix. I did bring my own power bank and 100% needed it.
-We flew into Kansai and landed around 7pm. The entry at Kansai was a breeze. Everyone had done the Visit Japan ahead of time. We took screenshots but there is airport wifi in the customs area so we could have used that as well. We were through and had our bags within 30 minutes.
-It did take us a couple of days to get the hang of the various train lines, reading google maps, etc. A lot of the train station are huge as well so we learned to allow ALOT more time than google suggested for walking, especially since our group moved on the slower side. I tried to prep everyone to add Suica/Pasmo on their phones but myself and my mom were the only ones who actually did. Two people had physical IC cards from a previous trip but the other 4 kept putting it off and ended up not ever getting an IC card. It was a huge pain to stop and get tickets every time and they regretted it by the end of the trip.
-I had saved everything using Google's MyMap before we left but I ended up not using it very much. I chose it so I could color code locations but it didn't integrate very well into the app. I had to click on the saved maps every time I wanted to see what was around us, and you also can't add anything on the app. This could be user error as this was my first time using the MyMaps instead of a list but I'll probably go back to just creating a list within the app next time.
-We brought little goodies with us to hand out in lieu of tips and everyone loved them. Little things like mac nuts (we are from Hawaii) were received with much exclamation and appreciation.
-We were celebrating 3 different birthdays while we were there so we did reserve those dinners, since we had a larger party. We mostly split up for the rest of the meals. I can't speak to how easily we would have gotten in without reservations as we didn't try.
-Like everyone else, I HIGHLY recommend the luggage transfer services. It was so nice to take the train from city to city with just a backpack. We stayed in hotels in each place and the front desk handled it for us each time. I had a larger suitcase and it was about 2000 yen for each of the transfers (Osaka to Tokyo and Tokyo to Nagano). The only time we took our luggage was on the last train ride back to the airport and that's only because we forgot to ask how far in advance we would need to drop off and I was nervous about getting it in time for the flight. It probably would have been fine though. I also left my computer charger in Osaka and the hotel shipped it to me overnight. You usually pay when you drop off your bags but they let me pay that one upon pickup.
-Day 0 - Arrived in Osaka. We stayed at the Swissotel Nankai Osaka and it is located on top of Namba station. This hotel was recommended to us by a flight attendant who travels to Japan frequently and it was great for convenience being right at the train and metro station. It was a 10 minute walk to the Dotonbori area, which was about the maximum that my aunt could walk with her walker.
- Day 1 - day trip to Nara. I signed us up for a free tour with the YMCA EGG Club and it was fantastic. We did get a wheelchair from the Kintetsu station info office. They have exactly one available and it's first come, first serve but our guide said she has never seen anyone use it before. It was perfect for us as there was a lot of walking that day. A few things were not accessible but we could leave the wheelchair outside and my aunt could use her cane.
We split up after the tour to get lunch. Me and an auntie ended up at Maguro Koya for oo toro and it was the perfect first lunch in Japan. A true mom and pop but they did have an English menu and spoke great English. It was only a few blocks from the Kintetsu station as well. Auntie and I had a few cups of sake as well and after a lingering and delicious lunch we went back to the train station and back to Osaka.
After a nap, we took a couple of cabs to the Dotonbori area since we were running late for dinner. In hindsight, it was silly for all of us to cab since the able bodied could have walked in the same amount of time. We didn't know our way around yet, though, so we all just cabbed. Dinner was at the Kanidoraku crab restaurant on the Dotonbori. It was just OK, probably wouldn't go back as there are so many fantastic places in Osaka. After dinner we went to Donki for a little chaos. Uncle nearly had a panic attack at the crowds and needed to wait outside.
-Day 2 - day trip to Kyoto - Only half of us did this as the other half had been before. We wanted to see as much as possible in the day so we reserved a guided taxi tour with Doi Taxi. It was 40,000 yen for our group of 4 and up to 7 hours but there was no way we were going to get to see much if we had to walk and take busses. I had asked him to take us to one temple and requested few stairs and little walking. He started by driving us to Gion and we did get out and walk around a bit. I had requested lunch at Yudofu Sagano in Arashiyama and if you like tofu you must go there! We walked around the Tenryu-Ji temple and gardens after lunch, which was beautiful. The Arashiyama area was packed with people. I thought Gion would be the crowded area but it had nothing on Arashiyama. After the temple we headed back to the train station to go back to Osaka. We probably didn't get quite the bang for our buck that we could have but we were getting very tired.
-Day 3 - free day. We all did our own thing. Some went to Osaka Castle, some did the Aquarium, and some just wandered.
Day 4 - Osaka to Tokyo. The teenagers were not impressed that we woke them up to get to the train station early to get bentos. They would have preferred to sleep and grab Family Mart but the rest of us wanted to browse and pick out the perfect ekiben. The selection was not as large as I was expecting at Shin-Osaka but we did still get some goodies. The teenagers were not impressed by the Nozomi and slept but the rest of us enjoyed our bentos and scenery. We got some beers and highballs from the snack cart and noted that they only took cash or IC cards, not credit cards.
Our hotel in Tokyo was the Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu. It wasn't quite as nice as the Swissotel but had a prime location right on the Scramble and the rooms were decently sized for Japan. My uncle almost had a panic attack when we got out of the Shibuya Station and he saw all of the people but he got used to it. We booked this hotel pretty far in advance and got a great deal. When I checked closer to the trip (just for giggles) it was a lot more expensive.
Day 5 - Tsukiji Market in the morning for breakfast/lunch/shopping then TeamLab Planets. Nothing new to report about those activities but this day is when we started to have issues finding escalators and elevators in the train station. Several stations in Tokyo were under construction and there were a couple of times we couldn't find any accessible options. Luckily, our mobility challenged people aren't totally immobile and could take the stairs but it was very tiring for them. I did appreciate that most of the subways and trains (and busses) have screens that show the stops and the location of escalators and elevators but they weren't always accurate if there was construction.
I really wanted to go to the Shibuya Yokocho for dinner and everyone in the group liked that idea, even the teens. I didn't think there was any chance we would all be able to eat together but we went early just in case. To my surprise we did find one place that could seat exactly 8 (if we crammed, which we did) and it was wonderful. I have no idea what it is called since most of the signs outside are in Japanese but the ownechef/bartender is named Hiro. We had some of my favorite bites of the whole trip there including a uni miso omelet and blue cheese baked mochi. The "menu" was just slips of paper on the wall, all in Japanese, but it was fun to try and use Google Translate and pick random things based on the translation. The mochi, for example, translated as "blue rice". A few of the adults bar hopped after dinner and we had a great time at each place, but Hiro's was my favorite.
Day 6 + 7 - Random Tokyo wandering and nothing interesting or crazy to report. Uncle went to Golden Gai by himself and reported that he liked the Shibuya Yokocho better. He thought Golden Gai seemed like a larger, more touristy version.
We did go to Tokyo Skytree one of these days and for the love, make a reservation if you want to go there. They do let you buy tickets same day but the line was horrendous and we were regretting our lack of planning as we watched the people with reservations walk right up.
Day 8 - Tokyo to Nagano - Our group split at this point. Half started in Shibu Onsen for some relaxation and half went to Lotte Arai resort for some skiing. I was part of the Shibu group so I'll report mainly on that. We chose Shibu because it was close to the snow monkey park and for the onsen experience. Shibu has 9 "public" onsen that only locals and people staying in a ryokan in Shibu get a key for. Getting there was very easy. The shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano took 1.5 hours and then the Dentetsu line to Yudanaka was about an hour. Our hotel picked us up at the train station.
Shibu was one of the highlights of the trip and it was especially relaxing after Tokyo. We stayed at the Shibu Hotel, which is a ryokan and family run for over 100 years. It was a bit of a splurge but we chose to include the kaiseki dinner and breakfast. The service was incredible. There are two brothers that are basically shuttling people around all day, to and from the train station and to and from the snow monkey park, and running the hotel. One of the wives and the mother run the front desk. The ryokan also has several public and private onsen for guests. It seemed like a lot of the ryokan in town were similar but as I've only stayed at Shibu Hotel I can only speak for them. Also important to note, they have a few rooms with Western style beds and an elevator, which is the main reason we stayed there. Most of the ryokan only offer Japanese style rooms, which I would have been fine with by myself but did not work for the group.
Shibu was very accessible, which I was not expecting. The town is tiny and the whole thing can be walked easily. Some of the little alleys weren't walker friendly but the main streets were tiled (I think), very smooth and wide enough for the walker. Not all of the onsen were accessible but most had a little step/s or railing so we could all participate. It was some family bonding for sure LOL
Day 9 - Snow Monkeys! We took the hotel shuttle to the park entrance and they even had snow boots for us, as the trail gets icy or muddy depending on the season. It was cold but not icy for us but we still appreciated the boots as it was a bit muddy in spots. It took us about 20 minutes to walk each way but I can see it taking much longer if there's snow or ice. There were so many monkeys and they were very unconcerned with people. No shit throwing or bag stealing was seen, unlike my previous monkey experience in Thailand. You could do this as a day trip from Nagano or even Tokyo very easily. This was not accessible as there are stairs at the beginning and end of the trip and auntie didn't want to try and walk a mile so she stayed at the hotel and enjoyed coffee in the lobby and browsing some of their homemade goodies (green onion miso, yum!).
We then took the local train back to Nagano and checked in to the Metropolitan Hotel, again right at the train station (have you sensed our preference yet). Lunch was at Misoya for my favorite ramen of the trip. I love me some miso. We saw the main temple in Nagano and visited the sake brewery close by.
Day 10 - Last full day and it was raining and cold. We didn't do a whole lot this day because of the rain but did some last minute shopping. At the Tokyu department store we found the best basement grocery with a bunch of food stalls so we grabbed a bunch of different foods and a bottle of local sake for lunch in the room.
Day 11 - Lunch at Misoya again before catching the Shinkansen back to Tokyo Station and then the Narita Express to the airport. We were pretty disappointed in the food and shopping options at Terminal 2, unfortunately. We left Nagano after lunch at 1:30 so had allowed extra time at the airport for dinner and some duty free shopping but nothing was open by the time we got through security at 6pm. We should have had dinner outside of security but we didn't realize nothing would be open. There was one little conbini that has some tuna musubi and egg salad sandwiches so that was dinner. We were more sad that the duty free was closed as we had been planning on buying some of our whisky and sake allotment there. We didn't come home empty handed but just less than we had planned.
Whew, that took awhile to write. I hope someone, somewhere finds any part of this helpful!

I have a 10yo English bulldog mix. He’s a reactive dude and was bred incredibly poorly but now is generally a lazy old man and can be managed after years of training. For backstory: he was crate trained until he was around 2 and then he used to sleep in bed with my mum until I moved out, but for the last 3 years at least he has slept in his crate without concern.
Old dogs can learn new tricks though apparently. The beginning of the month he had a lame back leg, likely a sprain (double hip dysplasia will do that to you). He was acting ok besides the limp but thought I’d give him some metacam before bed anyways. So we went to bed and he started aggressively panting, like he does in the car when we get on the loud highway, it sounds very panicky. So I took him out of his crate, we went outside for a pee and came back in and I realized he was trembling so I figured I’d let him sleep in the bed with me so I could keep an eye on him. He settled fairly quickly and was fine the next day. Big mistake. Now, every night, instead of going right to the crate at bedtime he tries to get on my bed and has to be moved. Then he starts panting and trembling, for at least an hour. He did it for 56 minutes tonight and just stopped suddenly, which is what happens. We’ve been sleeping with ear plugs. Nothing has changed in our routine which he’s basically had for 3 years. No change in heating in the house. He will go in the crate HAPPILY during the day or if we leave, no panting.
I have tried: Pain meds before bed, orthopaedic mattress, heating pad, feeding him only in his crate, praising him +++, blanket covering the whole crate, no blanket on the crate, cooling the house down, throwing something and saying no, crating him more often, increasing training and walks, vet check was clear. Nothing is working lol I feel like it’s gotta be behavioural, old man wants to be in bed with mum but I’d rather pull my toenails off with pliers then sleep with the dog in the bed. He has trazadone for use in long car rides but I actually am unsure of the safety of using it long term so haven’t tried it.
Any tips or recommendations are welcome!

Apologies for the low detail here, the fact that this is retro and over such a large area meant I couldn't go into a large amount of detail.
1506
1507, Scandinavia
In Scania, the movements begin with a shelling of Helsingborg castle by the large Danish navy and its flagship, the Great Copenhagen. Following this, there are clearly ships and men being assembled on the other side of the Oresund. The Swedish under King Nilsson had spread themselves out with most of their forces split between Malmo and Helsingborg. In their eagerness to consolidate where the Danes would be landing, they leave a small contingent in Malmo and head north to Helsingborg to meet the Danish attack. However, this attack never came. Denmark's coordination was enough so that Nilsson was three days away when Prince Christian's army landed near Malmo. After one failed assault and further barrage, Malmo threw open its gates to Christian. With Malmo taken, Christian began the march north to take Helsingborg.
On the way, Sweden would attempt to harrass the army and slow it down, as they were slightly outnumbered, but the troops at Svante's command were not very effective. The Danish decoy army and King Hans would meet up with Christian's army to the South of Helsingborg, where Nilsson would defend Helsingborg out of the range of the Danish navy. The battle would begin with a roaring artillery barrage, which was unanswered by the Danes, who had planned on relying upon their ships for cannon. The weight of the initial charge and the ferocious redshank mercenaries initially made it appear that Nilsson would have to yield both fortresses on the Oresund. The Swedes however, put on a brave face and managed to eventually triumph over the Danish onslaught. King Hans was able to retreat with easily, leveraging his clear advantage in light cavalry to screen his retreating troops. King Nilsson pursued his enemies after a few days of rest to Malmo, but could not formulate a satisfactory plan to take the city and fortress garrisoned by the Danish troops, and the Danish navy prowling just beyond the coastline.
To the north, in Bahus fortress, careful Norwegian levies tried their hand at raiding the surrounding Swedish lands, but found almost nothing of value to plunder (6). They were latter reinforced with a small Danish force with orders to simply reinforce the fortress.
First Half of 1507, Ruthenia
It was very suspicious to the various princes of Muscovy and Ryazan that no hammer fall from the Polish or Lithuanians had come to fall on the easternmost part of the border. Making what we would now call an executive decision, Prince Shemyachich sent off the troops from Ryazan north, to where the enemy must be, while he kept his force in Ruthenia, just in case. He decided that he would raid surrounding lands while keeping Ruthenia secure.
First Half of 1507, Vyazma
Ostapy Dashkevich had been given an experimental mission to embarass the Russian Grand Duke and take a lynchpin of the Muscovite defense. Trying such well known tactics as carrying around far too many supplies for his army and lighting approximately five campfires for every actual man in the army, he would attempt to fool Vyazma into surrendering to his make believe huge army. The many thousands of men grew worried for three weeks as this huge force threatened to descend on them, but stayed put otherwise. It soon became clear that in fact, there was no huge force, and that this was merely a ruse. His trickery failed, Dashkevich scattered his army and merely conducted raiding missions in the meantime. This army under Daniil Shchenya moved north as well, realizing that Vyazma was under no real threat.
1507, Narwa
Two nearly evenly sized armies stare each other down from their twin fortresses on the two sides of the Narwa river. Stalemate.
1507, Novgorod/Pskov
In a twin strike, the Polish army under Grand Hetman Mikolaj Kamienieki and Lithuanians under Grand Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski advanced north from Polock and Toropets respectively. The Lithuanian army made great progress, aided by the ongoing renovation of border fortress Veliky Luki leaving it nearly defenseless. Up the Lowat river they went, taking Kholm, and then Staraya Russa before resting and awaiting reinforcement from the Polish, who they had been in communication with. Kamieniecki himself had been slowed greatly by the Muscovite army under the command of Semyon Mozhaisky, tasked with preparing defenses since last September. Mozhaisky was clearly outnumber however, and was forced to yield to the north while merely slowing Poland down. Kamieniecki, reaching the outskirts of Pskov, simply could not take the city with Mozhaisky in it. Pskov was also able to resupplied by the Velikaya River. Here, he made the decision to leave two thirds of his army to "siege" Pskov and keep Mozhaisky contained, while sending the other third east to aid the Lithuanians for their push.
Wolter von Plettenberg of the Livonian Order had been having a wonderful time camping in the Latvian wilderness when he suddenly received a letter from Kamienieki berating him. Intending to catch a flanking Muscovite army to attack Narwa, Kamieniecki made it clear no such army was coming, and the only enemy force in the area was staying in Pskov proper. Taking the long way around the successfully renovated fortress of Izborsk, the Livonians were finally on their way.
With the Polish reinforcements, Ostrogski continued to the north, to the prize of Novgorod. The dilapidated defenses of Novgorod did not hold out for long, and the Poles and Lithuanians took the city for a good sacking. Old rivalries die hard it seems. Soon after, the Muscovite armies from the south finally arrived on the scene in the middle of July, heavily bloodying the Polish-Lithuanians outside of Novgorod. The Polish-Lithuanians were so unlucky as to lose all their artillery in the disorderly retreat. Reorganizing all the way back to Porchow, their luck turned once again in their direction. Plettenberg had finally arrived, with a fresh cadre of cannon and gunpowder. Unfortunately for the Russians, their scouts had failed to detect the Livonian arrival, and they themselves had been sent packing after large casualties in the Battle of Porchow. From here, the siege of Pskov would continue through the end of the year, and the other army at Porchow regaining its strength.
1507, Finland/Karelia
The flashpoint of this conflict continued in the north at Vyborg. The Muscovites had been busy building defenses across the rivers here as well, with two armies to defend, both under the command of Vasily Shuysky, one in Vyborg, and one in Korela. Trying to dislodge him would be the team captain famous mercenary Nils Johannesson and Bishop Hemming Gadh. Approaching Vyborg, the army from Korela forced the Swedes to send their cavalry out to defend against their raids on their supply lines. Thrown back from the Vuoski at first, Johannesson was forced to medidate on his next move to dislodge the tenacious Muscovity force.
His luck as well would turn, as his scouts had heard of the suspicious lack of supply trains heading into Vyborg. With no hope of naval resupply, Narwa and Pskov supporting their own armies, the Muscovite supply train had run out of Novgorod. With the temporary occupation by Poland, the supplies north were the first to stop. His weakened army beginning to starve and thoroughly out of gunpowder from shelling Vyborg into oblivion, the second attempted crossing of the Vuoski by the Swedes was successful. Preparing for this foregone conclusion, Shuysky gave up Vyborg and retreated to Korela. Johannesson, tasting blood, was hot on his tails. Lining up with Lake Otradnoye covering his left flank, he attempted as well to prevent the Swedes from taking Korela. The Swedes as well have run out of gunpowder, the great number of artillery being difficult to support in the terrain of Finland. Even with their better defensive position, Shuysky is forced to retreat once again after minor casualties in the battle of Otradnoye, heading further south to friendly territory to safely winter.
Baltic 1507
The Malbork Treaty ships attempt to challenge the Danish supremacy over the Oresund, which is rebuked swiftly. The Oresund lost to them, the Malbork ships simply spent their time resupplying Johannesson in Finland.
Map 1
Map 2
--- Casualties
(I'll be editing them in)