#[processing research results: queue]

[cripplecharacters]

Hi! I was actually wondering if you all could do a really in-depth post specifically on canes versus forearm crutches. I’ve noticed a couple of the recent asks pertain to it, and I think I myself still have one in the queue related to it, but in all of the posts y’all link us too in your answers to those asks, I have found the information is still very sparse and doesn’t directly compare the two in a lot of detail. I would really really love to see a specific dedicated post that breaks down the differences Between them directly, and goes into a lot more detail about what kind of person might prefer a cane and what kind of person might prefer forearm crutches. Differences in conditions, pain levels, fatigue levels, location of issue on their body, other symptoms, examples of disabilities that might more commonly default to one over the other, all that stuff. I’ve looked through basically all your posts on the subject I can find, and still feel like it’s really only scratching the surface, so if there’s a way y’all would be willing to do one big post on this topic specifically, I know at least I would really love it and I think others would as well! Most of the existing posts are a little too broad and surface level, and while I have found them super helpful as a starting point, I would love to see one that zooms in just on these two mobility aids rather than a broad overview of all types of mobility aids being compared like most of the existing resources y’all have. Seriously love what you all do and I would be extremely grateful for this!

Hey anon, just for you:

On Writing Characters Using Canes vs Crutches

[large text: On Writing Characters Using Canes vs Crutches]

This is a writing advice post that doesn't cover every single possibility because that's too impossible to try and do. It's simplified to be coherent for writers who have little to no experience with these sorts of mobility aids, and I encourage anyone who wants to write a character using either of these to treat this post as a small part of a larger research process. This post will contain generalizations for the purpose of me wanting to actually finish it. This is writing advice, not medical information, nor something you should be applying to real life.

Please keep in mind that a lot of the disability examples will only be shown in a single category because otherwise this would be a comical block of text. So yes, I know that a ton of conditions outside the "chronic pain" category also come with chronic pain, but I want this list to be actually easy to look through.

This will compare the cane (singular stick) to crutches (two sticks). Differences between a singular crutch and two canes will be at the end.

Canes

[large text: Canes]

The most primitive mobility aid that's out there. A wrist-height stick with a handle. An incredible invention. You hold it in your hand (at a rather natural angle) and that's mostly it - it's meant to follow a standard (left leg forward, right arm forward) gait and be a support meant for generally milder mobility issues. A cane can take up to 25% of body weight, so like half of what a leg does.

As a TLDR, here's what they could be:

One leg unable to bear the entire weight (but not completely unable) - this could be a result of a problem anywhere from the bottom of the foot all the way to the hip.

Milder balance problems - largely neurological, so either a condition that affects the brain, the spinal cord, or the nerves in the leg. There are also some autoimmune, respiratory, and cardiovascular causes as well, plus a few more.

Back/trunk problems, most commonly pain.

To use a cane you need two legs, most people who use canes for leg reasons will have a “good leg” and a “bad leg”. If this is the case, you'd typically hold the cane on the good leg side, as that redistributes the weight - and pain - between the bad leg and the cane.

The good leg needs to be able to bear the whole weight comfortably, the bad leg needs to be able to bear, at the very least, half of the weight. If the disability affects legs to the point where either:

both have problems weight-bearing;

one can't bear weight at all (e.g., amputation, flaccid paralysis, pain too severe);

then two crutches (or other mobility aid, like a wheelchair) would be the move. The cane doesn't replace an entire leg and is meant to be a minor support.

Examples of what would cause someone to use a cane:

Monoplegia or hemiplegia that is spastic (rigid) in the leg. This could be a result of stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, nerve damage, Brown-Séquard syndrome, polio, encephalitis, transverse myelitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, alternating hemiplegia of childhood, hemiplegic migraines, or being a hemispherectomy survivor. And many more things.

Chronic pain; arthritis, hypermobility spectrum disorders, chronic patellar instability, h-EDS, neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, past injuries (e.g., broken foot that healed incorrectly), systemic lupus erythematosus, joint replacement, chronic bursitis, and a lot more.

Relatively minor fatigue - most fatigue disorders will be on a wide spectrum, and people's symptoms often vary a lot. But a cane could help with fibromyalgia, Charcot Marie Tooth disease, POTS, scoliosis, severe kyphosis/lordosis, COPD (and other respiratory conditions), or milder forms of CFS/ME. Someone undergoing chemotherapy (or taking some other fatigue-causing medication) could also use one.

Muscle conditions, which are an even bigger spectrum. Spinal muscular atrophy type 3 and 4, early Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy, tibial MD, Becker MD, or early myotonic dystrophy type 2 can all be reasons to use a cane. Keep in mind that these have drastically different presentations from person to person, and it's not entirely unusual for two people with the same kind of muscular dystrophy to use very different mobility aids (e.g., a tilt-in-space powerchair vs ...no aid at all). These are just the ones where I'm aware of a person who 1) has it, 2) uses a cane, even if it's not the most common aid.

Prosthetic leg on one side; usually below knee (high level amputees will more often go for crutches, even if they use a prosthetic).

The second biggest reason why people use a cane is balance. For this the cane can be held in either hand; some people have a preference, generally for the non-dominant hand for convenience - although many people with balance problems will also have a coordination disorder that might make using their non-dominant hand too difficult. Some people will switch the side they hold it on.

For a lot of people with balance problems, a cane might be the aid they use at home, and use a rollator or a wheelchair outside.

A good cane for balance purposes is a quad cane - it has four legs at the bottom and offer more stability than the single point equivalent. However, the larger base might also mean that for some people it can be easier to hit it with their foot, which ranges from annoying to dangerous.

Examples of disabilities that affect balance;

Many of the things included in the first section - primarily those that directly affect the brain or nerves.

Conditions that cause vertigo - again, many of the same things as before because a lot of them tend to originate in the brain. So other than aforementioned meningitis or stroke and the like: Ramsay Hunt syndrome, migraines, basically any sort of brain damage, POTS, Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis.

Respiratory problems, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma, or lupus.

Coordination disorders - again, a lot of overlap with aforementioned disabilities, so I'll skip to things I haven't mentioned yet. Ataxia could be caused by a lot of things; some include the Chiari malformation, ataxia-telangiectasia, Friedrich's ataxia, Parkinson's, brain tumors, or Niemann-Pick disease. Dystonia is usually a primary condition rather than being caused by other things (although it can be). Dyspraxia is also a coordination disorder generally milder than ataxia, and canes can be potentially helpful for it as well.

As mentioned before, some coordination disorders will affect the upper limbs as well, and it might be too difficult to use a cane. For disabilities like Huntington’s disease, or ataxia that significantly affects the hands, rollators and wheelchairs tend to be more helpful.

Anything that causes the person to fall. Fall risk is the primary reason people use canes.

A cane can also be used for back/trunk issues. One can lift off some weight of the body from above the Problem by putting the weight on the arm instead. I have really severe kyphosis as well as (partial) trunk muscle atrophy/coordination problems and quite literally can't straighten my back for more than a few minutes at most - my cane allows me to do that more easily and without needing to think about it as much.

Examples of some conditions that cause that include;

sciatica;

degenerative disk disease;

past spine injury;

scoliosis or severe kyphosis/lordosis.

In my experience, you need fairly good arm strength to use a cane comfortably. For people with more significant weakness in upper limbs, rollators tend to work better.

Grip strength is also important; there are canes designed to mitigate this (the platform cane/crutch comes to mind) but they're not the most common because often (not always) when someone has this issue they already require a larger mobility aid.

Canes are often a "starting" mobility aid, i.e., a person starts using it at first but later transitions to using something else as their disability progresses (or they realize that it wasn't adequate in the first place, it mostly happens with slowly progressive conditions - when they decide to get a cane, it's often just too late). A cane can be useful at the very start of an onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but it's basically worthless beyond that.

Similarly (kind of), a cane can be the "smaller" mobility aid for someone who uses multiple of them at the same time. Someone dealing with fatigue could use a cane at home, but need a rollator for going out, or a wheelchair for longer trips. Another person could use a cane when going out with a prosthetic leg on, but use a wheelchair or crutches at home when not wearing the prosthetic.

Crutches

[large text: Crutches]

These are more complex and provide more help. Crutches directly affect your gait depending on the exact disability, and take away both hands. They can potentially take up to 100% of body weight for parts of the walking cycle if you have good upper body strength and balance, and 50% otherwise (so, one good or two half-good legs still required).

Crutches are used for a lot of things (realistically too many to cover here) so I'll just go with the main categories that encompass most of them.

A) Both legs can't fully bear weight;

The same things as in the cane section, but present on both sides rather than one.

Hypotonia; can be caused by thousands of things. Some include Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs syndrome, achondroplasia, being born prematurely, brain damage, and congenital hypothyroidism.

Paraplegia that's low-level and/or incomplete, or quadriplegia that's incomplete. Quadriplegia is a huge spectrum as well, and it will depend on the amount of strength and flexibility that the individual person has in their arms and hands.

Bilateral amputation with prosthetics. (Someone who can bear weight no problem but has a milder balance problem could use a cane instead.)

B) One leg can't bear any or a lot of weight;

The same things as in the cane section, they're basically all on a spectrum, so some people choose a cane and others choose crutches.

Unilateral amputation, or congenital limb difference.

Limb length discrepancy where it doesn't touch the ground or barely does so.

C) Significant balance issues;

Same things as for canes, but either more severe or just someone's personal preference.

D) Back/trunk pain;

Same as C).

Additional note based on things I have seen: you can't use crutches if you have no legs and no prosthetics. You can't walk literally just on crutches. You need at least a single leg or prosthetic.

(Yeah I'm aware that there's probably a guy somewhere who does tricks where he does exactly that for a short video. That's Crutches Georg and he should not be counted because 99.9% of crutches users won't be doing that ever.)

Crutches will provide much more stability and relieve more pressure than a cane, but there is a wide range of the amount of support depending on how they are utilized.

What the disability is can actually present itself in the person's gait - there are a few main ones that are associated with crutches;

Four-point. The two legs and two crutches work as four different points of support, and three of them are in contact with the ground at any time. A lot (not all) of people who use it will use crutches full-time and/or not be able to stand without them. The most stable and the slowest out of all of these.

Three-point. Probably the one most people have in mind when thinking crutches. The crutches both move at the same time, along with the bad leg, then the good leg follows. This is the "broken leg in a cast" way of walking.

Two-point. The closest to how non-crutch users generally walk. It's like having a cane on each side; left crutch forward, right leg forward. Fairly fast.

Step-to. The crutches work as one point of contact, and the legs as the other - both of each will move forward at the same time. In the step-to, a person puts their feet at the crutches' height. Fairly fast as well.

and step-through. I'd say the most difficult, least stable, providing the least amount of support. The same as in step-to, both crutches go forward before both legs, however here the legs get swung through them while the person is only holding up on crutches. This is the fastest that it gets, and can definitely be faster than an abled person walking. You can run quickly like this.

If you have issues visualizing them, there are a lot of great demonstrations on YouTube that you can look up for clarification.

There are a lot of subtle differences in which one people end up using, but as a rule of thumb, the more balance they lack, the more points of support they need. To provide some examples;

a person with quadriplegic cerebral palsy might lack balance and coordination, so they might use a four-point gait.

A person with one-sided tarsal tunnel syndrome can walk with a three-point gait, as it can be used to mitigate weight-bearing fully or partially - if the pain gets worse, they can just not touch the ground with that leg.

A person with incomplete thoracic spinal cord injury could also work with a three point gait, though they would put both legs on the ground. If someone has good strength in the arms and trunk, they can get both crutches in the front along with one leg, then try to get the second one to go forward as well. This is how a lot of crutch users with a disability affecting two legs, but with decent balance and upper body strength, walk.

A person who had a traumatic brain injury and now experiences balance problems but not as much leg issues could opt for a two-point gait. It does help with weight redistribution, but primarily provides a lot of balance.

Both step-to and step-through are primarily used by single-leg problem havers (like unilateral amputees) in my experience, but I've seen people with diplegia or incomplete low-level spastic paraplegia use it too. You need very good balance and good upper body strength. I've seen dudes do backflips and ride skateboards on crutches like this. You can run as well and be way faster than you think.

The same as canes, crutches require arm strength. The more you're looking to take away from the legs, the more will go to the shoulders. If someone doesn't have the needed arm strength, a rollator will be more helpful. Walkers not so much as they still require some strength to turn.

More Direct Comparisons

[large text: More Direct Comparisons]

The differences between pain and fatigue levels might be somewhat evident from comparing the sections above - to generalize the subject as much as possible: the bigger the pain or the fatigue, the higher possibility of using crutches over a cane is. They provide more relief for both, as well as providing more balance.

Now, there's always exceptions. Someone might not be able to use two sticks, because of a disability affecting one of the arms - hemiplegia is a common example. In this case, the person could prefer to use a single crutch rather than two. They could opt for platform crutches, which don't require as secure of a grip. They might need a rollator instead. They might have a powerchair that they operate with their good arm.

Another thing is that some people will use crutches even if a cane would work just as well. Some people like the grip more, or find them easier to use. They could also like that crutches are seen as more medical than a cane, which could be seen as a fashion accessory. Maybe they can be faster on crutches than with a cane (e.g., if their disability is limited to a single leg, getting it out of the walk cycle might be more convenient) and that matters to them.

And to go with this, some people just don't like crutches. I personally don't like the forearm cuff because I tend to swing my wrist around with my cane rather than hold it perfectly straight, so the cuff seems annoying. For someone else that could be more than a preference, e.g. if they have a limb difference that affects the length of their forearms to be much shorter - a person like this could prefer two canes.

As to what mobility aids are better for which disabilities, it's highly individualized, but to heavily generalize again: canes tend to be more helpful for relatively milder disabilities, and crutches for relatively more significant ones based on the amount of support they provide. But that's an oversimplification so simple that it's not really useful.

Someone with neuropathy in parts of their foot might find a cane completely sufficient, but it wouldn't be as useful for someone with nerve damage that caused flaccid paralysis from the hip down; they would probably prefer crutches. But then again, someone with mild vertigo could use crutches because they prefer them (even if a cane would work just fine) while someone else might have incomplete C6 quadriplegia and use a cane with leg braces over crutches because they enjoy having a free hand.

For more similarities between the two; overuse injuries can happen to both cane and crutch users, generally in the shoulder(s). They're not very common unless you're putting more weight on them than you're supposed to. They're very annoying because it drastically tanks your mobility until they get better (unless you can walk without them just as much that is), but they're treatable with physical therapy.

Now for the two canes and a singular crutch. Let's start with the fact that the latter is infinitely more popular than the former. It's basically the same as a single cane but more supportive; it's good for people who need more balance than a cane provides but can't use both hands. Two canes is very rare and I can't tell you what the actual pattern of choosing them over other options is outside of personal preference because I have no idea.

The general conclusion of the post is that crutches and canes really aren't that different, and are more of a spectrum of usable sticks by the amount of support they provide to the user. That's why often you'll see canes and crutches listed as the same thing when it comes to "management of XYZ disability" type resources - for a lot of them they're rather similar in practice, especially when compared to rollators, walkers, scooters, or wheelchairs.

I hope this was more in depth and therefore more helpful, if this still leaves you with some unanswered question feel free to reach out again.

mod Sasza

[asdfghjklmals]

MILESTONES✩༶‧˚

GENRE + T/W: sfw, fluff. suggestive comments. WORD COUNT: 6.0k words. TAGS: satoru gojo x fem!oc, dadtobe!gojo, pregnant!oc, established couple. a lil' jealous!oc.

SYNOPSIS: a compilation of short stories about the stages of pregnancy with oc gojo girlfriend and satoru. AUTHOR'S NOTE: please make sure to read 'accidents' before milestones. i couldn't have you guys miss out on oc gojo girlfriend and satoru's pregnancy journey. it was so fun to write this. a lot of research went into the baby gojo chronicles, i honestly think my fbi agent thinks i'm pregnant. REMINDER: if you want to imagine yourself in oc gojo girlfriend's character descriptions instead, please do!

8 weeks: the first pre-natal appointment

it has been two weeks since you and satoru decided that you were going to keep the baby. this week was your first pre-natal appointment to "meet" baby gojo. you couldn't tell who was more nervous, you or satoru.

during your appointment, satoru sat in the exam room as the nurse drew your blood to perform tests and to confirm the pregnancy. the nurse also performed a pap smear, which freaked satoru out after he saw what a speculum looked like. he said it looked like a 'torture chamber tool' and you wholeheartedly agreed with him.

you exchanged soft smiles with satoru multiple times throughout your appointment. satoru was engrossed with the entire process. his curiousness was adorable in your eyes as he asked your nurse questions about all the procedures and tests she was performing. about an hour later after receiving the results of your blood tests, your doctor entered the room.

“well, first things first, congratulations on your pregnancy (y/n)! your blood test came back positive with hcg.” your doctor began, “now let’s talk about some upcoming lifestyle changes you'll have to make.”

“wait, when do we get to see the baby?” satoru interrupted. you glared at him, dark green eyes telling him ‘shut up, satoru’.

“we’ll perform the ultrasound after this, satoru.” your doctor chimed. “(y/n), i want you to start taking a pre-natal. stop eating raw fish, deli meats, and eat thoroughly cooked meats for now.”

you blinked twice. that meant no sushi for you. your heart sank a little. satoru noticed the disappointment shift in your mood. he felt a little guilty.

"so that's why you had me cook your steak well-done..." satoru whispered to himself. you scoffed at his sudden realization from two weeks ago. (read ‘accidents’ here)

“do you or satoru have any pre-existing medical conditions in either families?”

“no. but he might be pre-diabetic by the time he’s 40.” you snorted.

satoru chuckled and reported back, “there’s nothing on my side of the family to note.”

“that’s great to hear. just be aware of gestational diabetes, (y/n). i know you love your chocolate ice cream so watch your intake.” your doctor typed some notes in your patient profile, “your due date is looking close to october 14th. any other questions?”

“can the baby come earlier?” satoru quickly asked.

your doctor smiled at the both of you, “i wouldn’t necessary call it early, but babies are considered full term at 37 weeks. it would be good for the baby to be born around or after that time.”

“uhm, do you think i’ll be able to give birth vaginally?” you asked next. your sister-in-law had to have c-sections, so that worried you. her recovery was a journey for her and honestly, it scared you. but you were willing to do whatever it takes to make sure baby gojo arrived safely.

“as long as there aren’t any complications, of course. we can plan on that. we'll just have to monitor how your pregnancy is going.” your doctor picked up on yours and satoru’s quiet and awkward social queues, "and yes, you can still have sex while you're pregnant.

"oh, thank god." satoru sighed in relief as you smacked him with the back of your hand. he was so embarrassing.

"please, just ignore him." you looked at your doctor, cheeks cherry red.

she laughed and asked the most important question of the day, “are you guys ready to meet your baby?”

you nodded your head and giggled, “yes. i think satoru’s more excited than i am. he won't shut up about it.”

“i’ve been waiting two weeks for this moment.” satoru said with a sheepish smile, his hand scratching the back of his fresh undercut. his blue eyes peeking through from his sunglasses.

“okay, let’s get started then.” your doctor announced while snapping on her sterile gloves. “we’ll be performing a transabdominal ultrasound today, nothing painful.”

she squeezed a handful of gel to apply to your belly. you jumped in your seat.

“are you okay?” satoru asked, concerned at your sudden movement.

you reassured him, “yeah, the gel is just cold.”

your doctor laughed in amusement and started to rub the wand around your abdomen. you heard a fast thumping noise.

“is that the heartbeat?” you wondered, looking at the black and white screen. satoru smiled from ear-to-ear as he cupped his cheek in his right hand, his left hand squeezing yours. hearing his baby’s heartbeat might take the cake for one of his favorite sounds in the world, next to your laugh.

your doctor reported back, “yup. a healthy 138 bpm. i’m gonna take some pictures now…”

you saw a tiny circle in the middle of the monitor as your doctor clicked away on her computer mouse.

“is that the baby?” satoru asked, squinting at the monitor.

“yes. you see the little image that looks like a bean?” she clicked again, “it’s about half an inch… that’s your baby.”

“it’s so cute. how tiny. a baby bean…” you gushed. you turned to look at satoru. he was itching his eyes.

“satoru gojo, are you crying?” you asked in disbelief.

he quickly defended himself, avoiding all eye contact with you. “no! something just got in my eye.”

he was such a liar. his infinity would never allow anything to touch his precious six eyes.

your doctor laughed at the sweet moment between the two of you. you watched the love of your life stare at the black and white screen in amazement. your heart felt like it was going to burst watching him. you wanted to hold him tightly and never let go.

12 weeks: surprise! we’re pregnant!

it was so hard for you and satoru to keep your pregnancy a secret for the past 6 weeks. the only two people who knew you were pregnant were shoko and megumi.

your doctor had advised you to wait until the end of your first trimester to announce your pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. once you made it past the first trimester, you thought about how you were going to tell everyone. of course, you and satoru wanted it to be a surprise. an imaginary lightbulb lit above your head.

“babe, i have an idea.” you said excitedly, grabbing satoru’s arm as he was looking through your office drawers for something sweet to snack on.

“hmmm. what is it, sweetheart?” he asked as he unwrapped a piece of chocolate. you always kept a stash of satoru's favorite chocolates in your desk for him because he loved to hide in your office and avoid his sensei duties.

“you know how we usually take a group picture with the faculty, students, and sister school every year? let's tell principal yaga to schedule it early this year.”

“oh, i like where this is going.” satoru laughed. he read your mind. you high-fived him. he gave you a quick peck on the cheek. couples’ telepathy was really a thing.

*********************************

“and why do we have to be here?” maki complained as she folded her arms. she wanted to train, not take a silly picture.

“come on, maki! it’s tradition to get a picture of all the students and faculty. it’s just that we’re taking the picture earlier than usual this year.” panda said as he patted her back.

“even okkotsu came back from his training to be in the picture. my sister flew in just to be in it too.” megumi said as he watched yuta interact with the students from kyoto. tsumiki was attached to your hip. megumi already knew the real reason why the picture was scheduled so early in the school year and why tsumiki was asked to be in the picture.

“alright! everyone looks great.” yuji cheered as he walked to his assigned spot for the group picture.

principal yaga gathered everyone, “please make your way to the field and get into your assigned spots. satoru will be pressing the button for the camera since he can teleport to his spot quickly.”

you nervously watched as all the students and jujutsu high faculty made their way to their spots, getting ready for the picture.

“okay everyone!” satoru shouted as he prepared himself to teleport next to you and megumi, “i’m pressing the timer!”

satoru appeared by your side as the 10 second timer ticked. satoru sneakily pressed record instead taking of a picture. “everyone say ‘(y/n)-sensei’s pregnant’!”

everyone stopped to look at you and satoru in confusion.

“what?”

“what did he say?”

“huh?!”

“(y/n)-sensei… is pregnant?!”

“wait what?”

“holy shit, (y/n)-sensei is pregnant!”

after a few seconds of questioning, everyone realized what had just happened. you had just announced your pregnancy.

in that moment, you were tackled by tsumiki, megumi, yuji, nobara, and yuta as they cheered around you in a group hug. ijichi, akari, principal yaga, nanami, ino, mei, utahime and shoko were all congratulating satoru. they took turns speaking with the both of you, giving you well wishes on a safe and healthy pregnancy.

“congrats, (y/n)-sensei.” maki said with a soft smile, embarrassed she complained about being here. she wouldn’t have wanted to miss this.

panda added, “yes, congratulations! we’re excited to see you and satoru become parents.”

“salmon, salmon!” toge congratulated you in his own words.

“thanks everyone. if you guys aren’t busy, we’re going to have a celebratory dinner tonight at splendid sushi. satoru’s treat.” you winked.

“hey! i heard that!” satoru shouted at you from across the field as he grinned. both you and satoru were thrilled to see everyone’s excitement on the news of baby gojo.

*********************************

“are you nervous to tell my brother you knocked up his little sister?” you teased satoru. you kissed his cheek as he brushed the loose strands of black hair behind your ear.

“nah, i’m sure he wants nieces and nephews for his kids. plus, it was an accident.” he joked as he drummed his fingers on the restaurant table. you and satoru people-watched through the restaurant window, waiting for touya and his wife. (a/n: yeah, touya is married with 2 kids now. his wife’s name is hana. a non-sorcerer. maybe i'll write a wedding fic.)

you smiled as you saw your brother walk into the restaurant, holding the door open for hana. touya’s black hair and golden-yellow eyes beamed when he saw you satoru.

“satoru! how have you been, bro?!” touya greeted his self-proclaimed brother, pulling him in for a bro hug.

“i can’t believe he hugged satoru first.” you looked at hana in disbelief as she giggled, hugging you instead.

“they really are bestfriends now.” hana realized as she sat across from you.

satoru sat back down in his seat next to you, touya sitting across from him. “glad you guys could have lunch with us. it’s been awhile.”

“we have a gift for you guys! a souvenir from our last trip.” you lied to your brother and sister-in-law. you pushed a card and white box towards them.

“open it. it’s special, made especially for you.” satoru urged, touya and hana taking the card to open first.

“what do you get a brother who already has everything?” touya read out loud. hana curiously reading along with him. satoru placed his hand on your thigh. the both of you were grinning from ear-to-ear watching the two open the box. they pulled out a beige baby onesie.

touya read the text on the onesie, “how about the title uncle and auntie…?”

after putting 2+2 together, touya hid his face with his hands, both him and hana were so happy for you and satoru. your eyes started to water watching them. a tearful laugh came out of you.

“congratulations, you two. my baby sis is having a baby...” touya said as he got up to embrace you.

you hugged him tighter, “thanks, touya…” you softly said. the warmth of your brother's love and support making you extremely emotional. these pregnancy hormones were out. of. control.

18 weeks: an important question

"aren't you curious to what the gender is?" shoko asked you and satoru. you asked shoko to join you two for lunch today because you had an important question to ask the amber-eyed doctor in regards to your unborn child.

you took a bite of your chicken katsu before answering, "of course we are. but we decided not to find out because we want it to be a surprise."

“what do you want it to be? a boy or girl?”

“it doesn’t matter. as long as baby gojo is healthy.” satoru stereotypically said as he stretched his arm to rest over your shoulder. he secretly wanted a girl.

you added, “we raised megumi and tsumiki. we already experienced the best of both worlds. so i’m not picky.”

“i guess i’m just being selfish because i want to know the gender.” shoko laughed as she took a sip of her mimosa.

“oh! shoko, we have a present for you.” you said as you put down your chopsticks. you turned to satoru and he grabbed another white box with a card attached do it, similar to the one you gave touya and hana.

“it better be the gender of your baby.” she laughed as she took the present from satoru.

“it’s something even better.” satoru said with his signature shit-eating grin.

shoko opened the card, reading it out loud, “i need an extra pair of hands to help me learn and grow… i know that yours will be the best because mommy and daddy told me so…?” she looked at the card, confused.

you asked her clearly while trying not to laugh, “shoko, will you be baby gojo’s godmother?”

shoko stared at both you and satoru after she realized what you had just asked of her. she started to chuckle as she got out of her seat to hug you. “of course, i will. hopefully your baby won’t grow up to be a little shit like satoru.” she said as she punched the white-haired sorcerer in the arm, satoru completely letting her bypass his infinity to do so.

“there’s another gift in there.” satoru added, pointing at the giant glass.

shoko picked up the pint glass and read the etching, “you drink too much. you smoke too much. and you cheated on your medical exam. we can’t think of anyone more suitable to be baby gojo’s godmother.”

shoko laughed, “okay, this might have been better than finding out the gender of your baby.”

26 weeks: baby gojo’s first (external) kick

megumi came home this weekend to spend time with you, satoru, and tsumiki. normally, he would be spending his free time exploring japan with nobara and yuji, but since you were pregnant and tsumiki was back for her semester break from her study abroad program, he wanted to spend his free time with his family.

you were in the kitchen with tsumiki making dinner while satoru and megumi sat around the living room with his demon dogs, shiro and kuro. catoru was lounging in their cat scratch post and your spirit birds were out on the patio enjoying the weather. you didn’t realize how zoo-like your home was until now... and that wasn't even including all of megumi's shikigami either.

while chopping vegetables, tsumiki updated you on her high school adventures abroad. ever since she started at e.f. academy, she has been non-stop on-the-go with extracurricular activities. she told you about her latest projects, how the weather was in california, about all the friends she made, and even the boy she had a small crush on. (read 'wherever you are' here)

on the couch, megumi spoke with satoru about his shikigami and how he’s been able to tame a majority of them now. this was the first time in awhile those two haven’t bickered in your presence, and it was a sight to behold.

you rested your hands on your belly as you leaned your back against the kitchen counter, listening to your sweet teenager talk about how cute her crush was. you reminisced about your time in high school, how you thought satoru was a complete asshole when you first met him, and how his good looks and horrible personality made up for it. if your 18 year old self could see you now, she wouldn’t believe the sight. (read 'love at first fight' here)

you felt a little tap against your hands. “huh?” you said out loud, realizing what you just felt on your hands.

“(y/n)? are you okay?” tsumiki asked as she put down the chopping knife. satoru and megumi turned around from the couch, all the attention was on you.

“i think baby gojo just kicked my hand.” you announced. only you were able to feel baby gojo kick internally for the past couple weeks, but now, you thought that satoru and the kids would be able to actually feel the kicks from the outside too.

“hurry, come over here!” you said frantically, hoping baby gojo would kick again. satoru dramatically teleported beside you as megumi hopped over the couch ledge to race over to the kitchen, kuro and shiro following him.

you took all three of their hands and placed it on your belly where you thought baby gojo was. the demon dogs sniffed around you, their tails wagging happily. you pursed your lips, waiting for another kick. you felt kuro and shiro licking your hands.

and there it was. another gentle kick from baby gojo.

“i felt it!” tsumiki cheered as she jumped around the kitchen. her bright smile lighting up the room.

satoru hugged you from behind. you both smiled while watching tsumiki and megumi. megumi looked at his hand, and then back at your stomach.

“did you feel it, megumi?” you asked him with a smile.

“yeah, i did.” he said softly. “that was pretty cool.”

“what about you, daddy?” you grinned as you asked satoru.

megumi gagged at satoru’s new title, “gross. i’m leaving.”

you and satoru watched as your moody teenager made his way back to the couch, tsumiki’s attention back on chopping vegetables. satoru’s arms were still wrapped around you, his face nuzzled in the crook of your neck. baby gojo kicked once more.

“i think baby gojo is saying ‘let go of us so mommy can finish cooking’.” you giggled as you turned around to face the white haired sorcerer. you caressed his cheek with your palm. he snuck two kisses on your neck.

“fine… but i expect some alone time later.” he winked at you before kissing the palm of your hand.

you laughed, “sorry, babe, the kids are home this weekend, plus you get me all to yourself next week when we go to mexico for our baby moon.”

30 weeks: a first time parents' class

"babe, get ready. i signed us up for a class."

"what kind of class? it better not be another ‘how to have sex while pregnant’ class." you rolled your eyes at the ridiculous class that satoru signed you up for at the beginning of your pregnancy. you sighed, your belly weighing you down on your very comfortable white couch that you would probably need satoru's help getting out of.

he grinned at you as he grabbed your purse and your shoes. "a first time parents class."

your doctor recommended that you and satoru waited until your third trimester to take a 'first time parent' class. the class would teach new parents about the different kinds of births, pain management strategies, what to do if and when your water breaks, how to time contractions, postpartum care, caring for the baby, and baby first aid.

“do we have to go?” you asked, “i’m tired.” feigning exhaustion as you put the back of your hand over your eyes and forehead.

“of course we have to go!” satoru exclaimed as he sat down next to you. he was always so excited whenever it came to anything related to baby gojo. he slipped on your white sneakers for you, swiftly tying your shoe laces bunny ear style as you sat up on your elbows. you caught yourself smiling at him. he was so doting. you could definitely get used to this.

satoru studied you. you weren't wearing any makeup today, but you had the radiant "pregnancy glow" that everyone talked about. you wore a beige dress under a white crop t-shirt that hugged your belly tightly. “you look beautiful, so no need to change or do your makeup.”

“you just don’t want to be late.” you laughed. this was the first time that satoru gojo was on time for anything.

*********************************

satoru teleported you both to the hospital in tokyo that you go to for your all your doctor appointments. apparently the hospital was hosting the class he signed up for. there were many pregnant women with their significant others, friends, mothers, and mother-in-laws sitting around the small auditorium.

as you entered the room, you heard gasps and whispers about satoru.

“wow! what a good looking guy!”

“he’s a total hottie!”

“that guy is gonna be a dilf for sure!”

“do you see the cutie with the white hair and blue eyes?!”

“where should we sit?” satoru asked as he held your hand. you looped your free arm around his bicep covetously, staking claim to your man as if your very pregnant belly didn't do so already.

“don’t pretend like you don’t hear all the women in this room talking about you.” you hissed at him as you sat down in a seat closer to the front of the auditorium. because this happened everywhere you went with satoru, normally it wouldn't bug you, but for some reason it did today.

“somebody’s a green eyed monster today.” he sang with a smug smile. it was his favorite analogy to use when you were jealous because your green eyes were so fitting. he sat down next to you, draping his left arm around your shoulder, his right elbow perched on the arm rest. after over a decade of being with you, he was unphased by comments from other women. he ate it all up in high school, but satoru gojo became a changed man once he met you.

“am not.” you said under your breath. you stayed quiet for a moment. “babe, i just think it’s funny how—”

satoru's left ear was saved as your 'i think it's funny how' rant was interrupted by the presenter, “good afternoon! and welcome to the first time parents class!”

even though you were jealous and didn’t like how all the other women in the auditorium were drooling over satoru, you couldn’t stay mad. throughout the years, satoru’s beautiful blue eyes have never strayed and he never made you feel unwanted, even when you argued or when you were being difficult and stubborn. he was never bothered by your jealously. you were the only person he chased after since the day he met you at jujutsu high.

throughout the class, satoru took notes on his phone and asked questions during the q&a. it was hard to stay mad at a man as dedicated and involved as satoru gojo. you decided to just ignore the women in the class, however, that didn’t mean that you wouldn’t cling to satoru when the class ends.

*********************************

“so, what’d you think about the class?” satoru asked as he placed your go-to order of ice cream in front of you. he sat across from you as you glared at his sweet, handsome, smug face.

“it was fine. we learned a lot of information, don’t you think?” you deferred as you scooped a spoonful of ice cream into your mouth.

“yeah, and i learned that you still get jealous til’ this day.” satoru poked fun at you. “remember the first time i took you shopping in shibuya? you were soooo jealous of all the girls talking about me and you weren’t even my girlfriend at the time.” he laughed at the memory. (read ‘love at first fight’ here)

you quipped back, “satoru, everyone knows that you’re the one who’s obsessed with me.”

“true,” he agreed while taking a bite of your ice cream, “but it’s nice to see that side of you every once in awhile. what’s my baby gonna do when she’s not my number one anymore?” he mocked in a playful tone, shooting a bright toothy smile at you.

your emerald green eyes pierced his sapphire blue eyes. “what do you mean by that?”

“baby gojo is gonna be my number one.” satoru said nonchalantly, licking caramel off your spoon.

you took your ice cream away from him. holding the cup closer to you instead of putting it in the middle of the table to share.

satoru chastised you, “that’s not nice, sweetheart.”

“you’re insufferable, babe.” you rolled your eyes at him. “first, you let women drool all over you in front of me, then you tell me that i’m not your number one anymore. what’s next? you don’t love me either?”

“there you go with the theatrics.” satoru sighed, folding his arms. he wouldn't expect anything less from his life partner.

“i learned from the best teacher, i think his name was satoru gojo.” you winked at him.

"it's a good thing i love you." satoru said as he leaned over the table to kiss you on the lips. he tasted just like caramel.

32 weeks: nesting

"this fucking crib is going to be the death of me." satoru muttered under his breath as he struggled putting together the 'smart' crib that he bought. as soon as satoru found out you were pregnant, he spent a whole month researching cribs to decide which one he was going to buy for baby gojo. he decided on the most expensive one, thinking that it would be the best. rich people logic. this crib was called a 'snoo'.

"you didn't have to get such a high tech crib, babe." you said as you sat on the bed folding warm, freshly washed baby clothes and baby bedding for the snoo. you admired how cute and small the onesies were. because you and satoru didn't know the gender of your baby, you bought a lot of neutral colored clothing like beiges, tans, browns, and whites.

"my baby is going to have the best everything." satoru boasted. of course, baby gojo was going to be spoiled. they had you and satoru gojo as their parents.

during the past couple of weeks, you and satoru had bought a handful of important things that new parents would need for a newborn baby such as a crib, stroller, car seat, changing table dresser, and a comfortable lounging chair for your bedroom to put next to baby gojo's crib for the late night feeds.

satoru insisted that everything would be 'nuna' branded. the employee at his favorite department store convinced him after they mentioned that nuna was the "lamborghini of baby strollers and car seats." the matching stroller and car seat system was well over $1,000, you couldn't argue with satoru about how much he was spending because it would be hypocritical of you and your spending habits. so you let him get what he wanted.

after hours of setting up the snoo, putting together the baby stroller, installing the car seat, and building the dresser, satoru sighed, "what a long day." he crawled under the covers to meet you in bed, the back of his hand covering his face in exhaustion.

“it’s a good thing you could just use blue to move the lounge chair from the front door to the bedroom. you probably would've broke your back.” you teased him, knowing satoru gojo doesn’t do manual labor.

“the one easy part about today.” he complained.

while satoru took on his fatherly projects, you were able to deep clean the apartment, put baby clothes and diapers into the newly built dresser, add the clean bedding to the snoo, and re-organize all the drawers in the apartment. you were in the nesting stage of your pregnancy.

you turned to face him, your pregnancy pillow creating a divide between you and the exhausted sorcerer. he flattened your pregnancy pillow with his arm as you took his hand to lace your fingers with.

“you could’ve hired someone to build the snoo and the dresser, satoru.” you said to him, knowing that he normally would’ve.

“yeah, i know, but this is for my baby. i want to make sure everything is perfect.”

your heart melted at the fact that satoru was giving it his all to be involved. deep down, he wanted to be a good father and you could see that. you were proud of him.

"congrats, daddy. you just spent the day nesting with me." you smiled. you knew satoru secretly adored his new title.

the white haired sorcerer laughed, “what the hell is nesting? are we birds?”

“nesting is when couples get their home ready for the baby, satoru.”

“oh yeah? spending hours organizing drawers is nesting? because there’s nothing baby gojo will hate more than the junk drawer we have in the kitchen.” satoru teased.

you kissed the back of your teeth in annoyance, “you have been saying for years that you’d clean out the junk drawer. i found crayons in there from when megumi was in elementary school. he's a high schooler now. it only took me getting knocked up for it to finally be clean.”

you turned your body away from satoru. he moved your pregnancy pillow so he could cling to you (and so that he could be the big spoon).

“i’m just kidding, babe.” he whispered in your ear, kissing the back of your shoulder blade with his soft lips.

“uh huh. go to sleep, satoru.” you replied back to him, attempting to shut your eyes.

“so feisty…” satoru mumbled, still peppering soft kisses along your shoulder blade.

37 weeks: full term

"well... i can give birth at any time now." you said as you read your 'what to expect' app.

satoru placed his free hand on your stomach as he joined you on the white fluffy couch in your living room. you moved satoru's hand to where baby gojo was, using his hand to press firmly into your stomach.

he quickly pulled his hand away from you, afraid that he hurt you and baby gojo, "doesn't that hurt your stomach when you press that hard?" he asked.

"babe, no. give me your hand back. you'll be able to feel baby gojo's feet." you said, reaching for his hand that he reluctantly gave back to you. he leaned over to see what the hard feeling in your stomach was.

"that's baby gojo's feet?" he asked, amazed.

"yeah, baby gojo is literally killing me right now though." you said as you shifted uncomfortably. baby gojo liked to sleep in this position, making you lay on your left side more often.

satoru frowned, he knew you were uncomfortable now more than ever. "i'm sorry, babe."

you squinted at him, "what are you apologizing for?"

"for getting you pregnant."

you couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, so you nuzzled your head on his chest. he pulled you closer to him, "don't apologize for that. apologize if i'm not able to get an epidural or something." you snickered as you looked up at him, "ready to read week 37?"

satoru nodded and kissed the top of your head as you laid against him.

"baby gojo is as big as a canary melon. estimating 19 inches, and 6 pounds. at 37 weeks, you're 9 months pregnant with the end in sight." you read out loud.

satoru took the phone from you to read his part, "at a glance, if baby gojo was born this week, they'd still be early term. baby gojo is practicing for their grand entrance by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, blinking, and turning from side to side. baby gojo can grab onto things now. baby gojo is likely to be sucking their thumb a lot these days in preparation for feeding sessions."

"it says babies grow about a pound a week. the average fetus weighs about 6 pounds. and that boys are likely to be heavier than girls." you read, "since it's a little crowded in your uterus now, baby gojo may not be kicking as much. instead, they're probably stretching, rolling and wiggling." you laughed because baby gojo was still kicking strong, sometimes it was painful, stopping you in your tracks in the middle of the day.

satoru blue-eyes widened as he read the next paragraph, "here's an interesting fact. at birth, baby gojo's head, which is still growing, will be about the same circumference as their chest."

"i pray to god that baby gojo doesn't have your big head or my vagina is toast." you joked.

satoru glared at you, shaking his head while chuckling. he went back to read through some of the pregnancy symptoms. he noticed that you experienced a majority of the symptoms on the list: the pelvic pain, leg cramps, pregnancy brain, and insomnia.

because you were of small stature, you started experiencing more pressure on your pelvis as the weeks went by. sometimes satoru would hold up your belly for you with his infinity whenever you were close by, and you were thankful for such a helpful cursed technique.

before bed, satoru would feed you bananas and massage your legs to help with the leg cramps. with your breasts and stomach as big as they've ever been, you finally got your stretch marks. for the majority of your pregnancy you were stretch mark-free, they didn't appear until the third trimester. satoru liked to call them your 'tiger stripes' when he would help you apply stretch mark creams and oils to your body. him helping you apply those creams and oils was a form of intimacy you didn't know you needed during this time. satoru always knew how to make you feel confident again.

your pregnancy brain caused you to be a little forgetful, so the acrylic whiteboard in the kitchen was your bestfriend. you left little reminders on the board for yourself, satoru, and megumi throughout your pregnancy.

lastly, it was hard for you to sleep now that you were in the home stretch of your pregnancy. every sleeping position was uncomfortable, and you had to wake up multiple times a night to use the bathroom. you never got a consistent amount of sleep.

even though being pregnant was uncomfortable, you experienced some of the best memories with satoru this year: your trip to mexico gifted from touya, your surprise pregnancy announcement, asking shoko to be baby gojo’s godmother, and all the special intimate moments with satoru. your unborn baby was already so loved by everyone. you couldn't have asked for a better accidental pregnancy.

you and satoru laid on the couch together all afternoon, enjoying each other's presence in this chaotic life for jujutsu sorcerers. catoru purred and slept next to you two on the chaise, your spirit birds perched on their stands as they watched over the apartment. you dozed in and out of sleep throughout the day as sleep was rare for you lately.

you felt satoru's warm hand on your belly again, you held his hand and lifted your head, emerald greens looking towards him.

"babe, i have a serious question." you said softly.

raising your hand to kiss your knuckles, he asked you curiously, "and what's your serious question?"

"are you ready to be a dilf?" you laughed.

"are you ready to be a milf?" he asked you back, chuckling, "cause you are definitely a milf, babe."

you smiled at satoru as he continued to plant soft kisses on your hand, "yeah, i'm ready to evict baby gojo."

little did you and satoru know, baby gojo would break your water next week to make their dramatic entrance into the world. yours and satoru's lives would be forever altered.

satoru and oc gojo girlfriend go on a baby moon from week 27, read the bonus chapter, ‘baby moon’ here.

or are you ready to meet baby gojo? read the next chapter, ‘hello baby’ here.

© 2023 ASDFGHJKLMALS — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLEASE DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE, OR REPOST MY WORK.

DIVIDERS PROVIDED BY @/ANLIAN-AISHANG

[notwiselybuttoowell]

It is a warehouse the size of 12 football pitches that promises to create much-needed jobs and development​ in Caucaia city, north-east Brazil​. But it won’t have shelves stocked with products. This vast building will be a datacentre, believed to be earmarked for TikTok​, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app​, ​a​s part of a 55bn reais (£7.3bn) project​ to expand its global datacentre infrastructure​.

Caucaia [...] suffers from extreme weather events, including droughts and heavy rains, according to data from the Digital Atlas of Disasters in Brazil and the Integrated Disaster Information System.

In 16 of the 21 years between 2003 and 2024, a state of emergency due to drought was declared in the city at least once. In 2019, almost 10,000 people were affected by water shortages, the Digital Atlas of Disasters shows. As reservoirs were depleted, the water became unfit for consumption, leading to crop losses and difficulty accessing basic food for the population.

Datacentres use vast amounts of energy and water to cool their supercomputers. Nevertheless, public authorities are greenlighting their construction in cities that have persistently suffered from drought. Caucaia is not an isolated case.

According to the Digital Disaster Atlas, five of the 22 datacentres planned are located in cities that have suffered recurring droughts and water shortages since 2003.

Big tech companies admit that they are consuming water in sensitive areas due to the demands of AI. In its 2024 sustainability report, Microsoft said that 42% of its water came from areas of “water stress”, and Google said the same year that 15% of its water use was in areas of “high water scarcity”.

The large amounts of water used by datacentres keep computers and machines cool, preventing them from overheating. However, some is lost to evaporation, which can exacerbate the climate crisis in the regions where they are set up. As AI models improve, they need more processing power, which requires more energy and cooling. This means water and energy consumption are set to increase.

The International Energy Agency conservatively estimates that datacentre energy consumption will double to 945,000 GWh by 2030 – the equivalent of Japan’s annual energy consumption. Emerging countries such as Brazil will account for about 5% of the projected growth over this period.

Water consumption is set to rise significantly, with 4.2bn to 6.6bn cubic metres needed for global AI demand in 2027, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Texas at Arlington. This is more than half of the UK’s annual water consumption.

However, according to Shaolei Ren, a researcher at UC Riverside and co-author of the article, there is an essential difference between withdrawal (the water taken out of the system) and consumption (water withdrawal that evaporates) regarding datacentres.

“While residential users typically don’t use much of the water they withdraw, datacentres often use 60% to 80% of it,” says Ren. In other words, the water is lost.

Datacentres can be cooled in two ways. One is air conditioning, a power-inefficient solution for extensive facilities. Water is the second option.

One technique is to use radiators with fans in a closed water circuit, where the water is recycled or reused, similar to the system in a car engine, but costs are high. Another option is cooling towers, which remove heat from hot water using evaporation, so the cold water can be pumped back into the system. The last method involves spraying water into the air to make it more humid and lower the temperature.

But there are still some inefficiencies. “Both evaporation and spraying result in water loss,” says Emilio Francesquini, an associate professor at the Federal University of ABC.

A small datacentre with a 1MW capacity consumes 25.5m litres of water yearly, losing 1% (255,000 litres) via evaporation.

[rifki16]

Anti-Sisyphus: A Reflection after being rejected from a PhD Program at DTU

I have been trying to get back to writing, for non-academic purposes, again. And after my latest PhD application rejection, I figure, this might be the best opportunity for me to start writing non-academic analytic essays again.

I got rejected by the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) for a PhD program under their Department of Technology, Management, and Economics. The PhD program is also under the EU MOVEO project, a project which tries to conduct research on the inclusivity of transport in the EU. This rejection hits quite differently than the others - hence why I'm writing on my Tumblr page again. This is the tenth PhD application rejection I got, so far in the span of less than a year since my master's graduation ceremony. I had felt differently and more optimistically about this PhD application and program because the program is directly about STS, the field which tries to use social studies perspectives on the social of the natural sciences, a field which I'm madly interested in, and have extensive knowledge about and experience in. I really took time in making the reflective essay used for the application. I have the relevant experience of conducting STS research, which I think would actually be my competitive advantage compared to the other applicants, considering that not a lot of STS research has been done. I have quite a clear understanding of what I will do with the research if I had gotten accepted to the program - something which I don't always have about the PhD programs I applied to.

The rejection email arrived yesterday, on Saturday, at 2-ish PM, my time, or 9-is AM Danish time. I did not get a notification for the email at first. I just realized about the email when I opened the Gmail application several minutes after it had arrived. I was on the train back to my parents' place, and I did not want to ruin my mood during the trip, so I decided to open it after I got home and with my friends, Lars and Leo, being at least virtually present as I opened it. Several times during the trip, I clicked on the email again and again, and I had to restrain myself from reading the email; I couldn't understand the first part of the email anyway, as it's written in Danish. When I arrived at my parents' place, I became more and more anxious about what's inside the email.

In all my past applications, I have only managed to get into a further selection stage for one application, for the Cawthron Institute Scholarship at the Victoria University of Wellington's Geography/Environmental Studies PhD program. When I got the email about the first stage result of that scholarship, I was about to run at 6-ish AM my time, as New Zealand is several hours ahead of me. When I did my morning 24-minute running routine that day, I was already telling myself to brace for the bad news of being rejected by the scholarship team. I was at peace with that apocalyptic prediction about the email. I felt good about not having to worry about what that email entailed, what it could mean for me. I felt this sense of peace. When I got back to my place, I pushed the activity slot of opening that email quite back in the queue as I did not really need to read about being rejected and some templatic, fake, consolation message about the rejection and their attempt to rescucitate my motivation to apply to some other PhD applicaitons out there. I finally got to opening the email, I think it was already during brunch time. Then, there it was in the email, I got into the next stage of the selection process for the scholarship. I was so surprised. I really did not think that I could get it.

Now, that is sort of the go-to sign I'm looking for whenever I'm about to open a reply to my PhD applications: "Am I feeling at peace before opening the email?" When I eventually got rejected from that scholarship at the last selection stage, I wasn't feeling the same peace feeling after seeing the reply email in my inbox. The false belief then became reinforced so strongly in my head that I forced myself not to be giddy or to feel that fervently in any way whenever I received a reply. I suppose that it doesn't work since, even though I made myself feel "peace", I still got rejected again and again. I also did not have that feeling when I eventually lied down last night in my bed and opened the email. Underneath the Danish text, the English text plainly said that I got rejected, without any explanations of why, just rejection. Another reason why this rejection hurts quite deeply is that I don't have many other PhD applications on rotation - something which made me question my "suitability" in academia.

This whole ordeal, PhD applications, has been like an anti-Sisyphus activity for me. As Sisyphus was condemned to roll up a huge boulder up a hill only for it to roll down and Sisyphus to roll it back up, I, on the other hand, feel like I have to plunge myself further and further into this unknown, dark, and consuming abyss. Just like a blackhole, this abyss, which I'm falling further and further seems to also "take", "absorb", every mass, or in my case, spirit and confidence, away from me. I find the abyss analogy apt as all but one of the application processes I applied to did not leave any meaningful feedback about what made me get rejected from the application, and hence, I feel like I'm pouring all of this energy and effort just for some unexplained "black box"-effectuated hands to beat me up again and again as I'm diving deeper and deeper into the abyss.

I know that I have been saying to myself that I might not fit in academia every time I got rejected for a PhD program. However, this time, this rejection feels very different; it feels like it knocks down the last worth pillar I have about my sense of belonging in the academic world.

I know it's about the journey. I know it's about giving yourself hope in times of darkness. It just hurts. It really hurts to be rejected by fellow STS researchers.

I used to feel angry, pissed off at the PhD process which rejected me. Now, I'm just tired. I'm thinking that maybe I have to find other routes from fleeing this country.

On the other hand, when I looked back ever since that second rejection by Cawthron Institute, a lot of things have changed. Back then, I never really thought that I could ever take my PhD abroad. Now, I know that I can - even though I still question the time frame of when it will happen. I know which universities have funded PhD programs. I still have four other PhD applications ahead of me, one of which I have a good feeling and interest in.

The abyss might not have beaten me in taking all of my mass away from me, but it sure is depleting. And as I only try to gauge the things ahead of me, I become even more depressed about where I am. I know I have come a long way. I now have a tool belt, which I think can get me out of the abyss and land on a good PhD program. But it sure sucks to be falling this deep, this far, and without a light to guide me.

[southeastasianists]

A deadly stampede outside a passport office that took two lives and unending lines outside embassies - these are just some examples of what has been happening in Myanmar since the announcement of mandatory conscription into the military.

Myanmar's military government is facing increasingly effective opposition to its rule and has lost large areas of the country to armed resistance groups.

On 1 February 2021, the military seized power in a coup, jailing elected leaders and plunging much of the country into a bloody civil war that continues today.

Thousands have been killed and the UN estimates that around 2.6 million people been displaced.

Young Burmese, many of whom have played a leading role protesting and resisting the junta, are now told they will have to fight for the regime.

Many believe that this is a result of the setbacks suffered by the military in recent months, with anti-government groups uniting to defeat them in some key areas.

"It is nonsense to have to serve in the military at this time, because we are not fighting foreign invaders. We are fighting each other. If we serve in the military, we will be contributing to their atrocities," Robert, a 24-year-old activist, told the BBC.

Many of them are seeking to leave the country instead.

"I arrived at 03:30 [20:30 GMT] and there were already about 40 people queuing for the tokens to apply for their visa," recalled a teenage girl who was part of a massive crowd outside the Thai embassy in Yangon earlier in February. Within an hour, the crowd in front of the embassy expanded to more than 300 people, she claims.

"I was scared that if I waited any longer, the embassy would suspend the processing of visas amid the chaos," she told the BBC, adding that some people had to wait for three days before even getting a queue number.

In Mandalay, where the two deaths occurred outside the passport office, the BBC was told that there were also serious injuries - one person broke their leg after falling into a drain while another broke their teeth. Six others reported breathing difficulties.

Justine Chambers, a Myanmar researcher at the Danish Institute of International Studies, says mandatory conscription is a way of removing young civilians leading the revolution.

"We can analyse how the conscription law is a sign of the Myanmar military's weakness, but it is ultimately aimed at destroying lives... Some will manage to escape, but many will become human shields against their compatriots," she said.

Myanmar's conscription law was first introduced in 2010 but had not been enforced until on 10 February the junta said it would mandate at least two years of military service for all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27.

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for the military government, said in a statement that about a quarter of the country's 56 million population were eligible for military service under the law.

The regime later said it did not plan to include women in the conscript pool "at present" but did not specify what that meant.

The government spokesperson told BBC Burmese that call-ups would start after the Thingyan festival marking the Burmese New Year in mid-April, with an initial batch of 5,000 recruits.

The regime's announcement has dealt yet another blow to Myanmar's young people.

Many had their education disrupted by the coup, which came on top of school closures at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the junta suspended 145,000 teachers and university staff over their support for the opposition, according to the Myanmar Teachers' Federation, and some schools in opposition-held areas have been destroyed by the fighting or by air strikes.

Then there are those who have fled across borders seeking refuge, among them young people looking for jobs to support their families.

In response to the conscription law, some have said on social media that they would enter the monkhood or get married early to dodge military service.

The junta says permanent exemptions will be given to members of religious orders, married women, people with disabilities, those assessed to be unfit for military service and "those who are exempted by the conscription board". For everyone else, evading conscription is punishable by three to five years in prison and a fine.

But Robert doubts the regime will honour these exemptions. "The junta can arrest and abduct anyone they want. There is no rule of law and they do not have to be accountable to anyone," he said.

Wealthier families are considering moving their families abroad - Thailand and Singapore being popular options, but some are even looking as far afield as Iceland - with the hope that their children would get permanent residency or citizenship there by the time they are of conscription age.

Others have instead joined the resistance forces, said Aung Sett, from the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, which has a long history of fighting military rule.

"When I heard the news that I would have to serve in the military, I felt really disappointed and at the same time devastated for the people, especially for those who are young like me. Many young people have now registered themselves to fight against the junta," the 23-year-old told the BBC from exile.

Some observers say the enforcement of the law now reveals the junta's diminishing grip on the country.

Last October, the regime suffered its most serious setback since the coup. An alliance of ethnic insurgents overran dozens of military outposts along the border with India and China. It has also lost large areas of territory to insurgents along the Bangladesh and Indian borders.

According to the National Unity Government, which calls itself Myanmar's government in exile, more than 60% of Myanmar's territory is now under the control of resistance forces.

"By initiating forced conscription following a series of devastating and humiliating defeats to ethnic armed organisations, the military is publicly demonstrating just how desperate it has become," said Jason Tower, country director for the Burma programme at the United States' Institute of Peace.

Mr Tower expects the move to fail because of growing resentment against the junta.

"Many youth dodging conscription will have no choice but to escape into neighbouring countries, intensifying regional humanitarian and refugee crises. This could result in frustration growing in Thailand, India, China and Bangladesh, all of which could tilt away from what remains of their support for the junta," he said.

Even if the military does manage to increase troop numbers by force, this will do little to address collapsing morale in the ranks. It will also take months to train up the new troops, he said.

The junta had a long history of "forced recruitment" even before the law was enacted, said Ye Myo Hein, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"So the law may merely serve as a facade for forcibly conscripting new recruits into the military. With a severe shortage of manpower, there is no time to wait for the lengthy and gradual process of recruiting new soldiers, prompting [officials] to exploit the law to swiftly coerce people into service," he said.

Even for those who will manage to escape, many will carry injuries and emotional pain for the rest of their lives.

"It has been really difficult for young people in Myanmar, both physically and mentally. We've lost our dreams, our hopes and our youth. It just can't be the same like before," said Aung Sett, the student leader.

"These three years have gone away like nothing. We've lost our friends and colleagues during the fight against the junta and many families have lost their loved ones. It has been a nightmare for this country. We are witnessing the atrocities committed by the junta on a daily basis. I just can't express it in words."

[lastweeksshirttonight]

I filled my queue earlier this week with things, in case I was too overwhelmed to post. The tags might come off a bit "business as usual" given the circumstances, but I'm leaving them there, because past Lee deserves to have their peace.

Rambling thoughts about the election below the cut.

I'm obviously gutted about the election results. I'm still processing what this means for me, for my family, my work, my country. I am very lucky to live in a state that has enshrined its commitment to minorities and LGBTQIA+ people, but I also know that may not be enough in the coming years.

I was the first trans person most of my friends knew. That's a weight I've grappled with most of my life, and I'm grappling with it now. I've spent a lot of my life having to claw for my own survival, and simultaneously pushed myself to be as perfect as possible, a model citizen no one could object to.

But they always did and always do.

Watching The Daily Show was an act of resistance for me as a teenager. It was me watching and participating in a world that actually, maybe, wanted me, a bisexual kid in a conservative hellhole, and wasn't mad that I didn't agree with the prevailing politics of my hometown. When I went to college and poured over books and found the words for my identity through all that research, it became even more important to me to have that space. Without getting too deep into it, many people in my life treated me like shit because I would not be what they wanted me to be - a pretty, polite, perfect girl. It did a lot of damage, but I always swore to myself that no one would take my identity and my passion from me. "They will not take this from me" kept me going through some awful things.

And while I'm numb and scared and hurt, that's all I keep thinking below this. They will not take the life I've built for myself. I will not let them.

I have no idea what resistance and peace will look like in the future. I am pretty sure I'll have a neon sparkly target the size of Mars on my back the second Project 2025 is implemented. But I'm gonna fucking fight as hard as I can to continue to be me, and to let all of you continue to be you.

I'm here for you all. I love you.

[govindhtech]

IBM Analog AI: Revolutionizing The Future Of Technology

What Is Analog AI?

The process of encoding information as a physical quantity and doing calculations utilizing the physical characteristics of memory devices is known as Analog AI, or analog in-memory computing. It is a training and inference method for deep learning that uses less energy.

Features of analog AI

Non-volatile memory

Non-volatile memory devices, which can retain data for up to ten years without power, are used in analog AI.

In-memory computing

The von Neumann bottleneck, which restricts calculation speed and efficiency, is removed by analog AI, which stores and processes data in the same location.

Analog representation

Analog AI performs matrix multiplications in an analog fashion by utilizing the physical characteristics of memory devices.

Crossbar arrays

Synaptic weights are locally stored in the conductance values of nanoscale resistive memory devices in analog AI.

Low energy consumption

Energy use may be decreased via analog AI

Analog AI Overview

Enhancing the functionality and energy efficiency of Deep Neural Network systems.

Training and inference are two distinct deep learning tasks that may be accomplished using analog in-memory computing. Training the models on a commonly labeled dataset is the initial stage. For example, you would supply a collection of labeled photographs for the training exercise if you want your model to recognize various images. The model may be utilized for inference once it has been trained.

Training AI models is a digital process carried out on conventional computers with conventional architectures, much like the majority of computing nowadays. These systems transfer data to the CPU for processing after first passing it from memory onto a queue.

Large volumes of data may be needed for AI training, and when the data is sent to the CPU, it must all pass through the queue. This may significantly reduce compute speed and efficiency and causes what is known as “the von Neumann bottleneck.” Without the bottleneck caused by data queuing, IBM Research is investigating solutions that can train AI models more quickly and with less energy.

These technologies are analog, meaning they capture information as a changeable physical entity, such as the wiggles in vinyl record grooves. Its are investigating two different kinds of training devices: electrochemical random-access memory (ECRAM) and resistive random-access memory (RRAM). Both gadgets are capable of processing and storing data. Now that data is not being sent from memory to the CPU via a queue, jobs may be completed in a fraction of the time and with a lot less energy.

The process of drawing a conclusion from known information is called inference. Humans can conduct this procedure with ease, but inference is costly and sluggish when done by a machine. IBM Research is employing an analog method to tackle that difficulty. Analog may recall vinyl LPs and Polaroid Instant cameras.

Long sequences of 1s and 0s indicate digital data. Analog information is represented by a shifting physical quantity like record grooves. The core of it analog AI inference processors is phase-change memory (PCM). It is a highly adjustable analog technology that uses electrical pulses to calculate and store information. As a result, the chip is significantly more energy-efficient.

As an AI word for a single unit of weight or information, its are utilizing PCM as a synaptic cell. More than 13 million of these PCM synaptic cells are placed in an architecture on the analog AI inference chips, which enables us to construct a sizable physical neural network that is filled with pretrained data that is, ready to jam and infer on your AI workloads.

FAQs

What is the difference between analog AI and digital AI?

Analog AI mimics brain function by employing continuous signals and analog components, as opposed to typical digital AI, which analyzes data using discrete binary values (0s and 1s).

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[silly-alter-culture-is]

Welcome, my silly fellows

[Pt. Welcome, my silly fellows. End pt.]

‼️ currently on an indefinite break, asks may be sent but might not be responded to for a while ‼️

"Woah yet another blog for systems to send asks to, how original" we hear you saying, and you'd be right. We saw other blogs like this and thought it would be fun!

Our blog is by a system for systems who want to share silly experiences they've had with their systems (say that 10 times fast/j)

We are in no way ignoring the fact that having DID/OSDD/P-DID is the result of frankly horrendous trauma nor are we ignoring all the issues that come with this. We just want to have a nice space for some goofy experiences to be shared :)

DNI and more under the cut!

Now, with that out of the way, here's our DNI / topics we do not want in our asks, along with some info about us and our blog

[Pt. Now, with that out of the way, here's our DNI / topics we do not want in our asks, along with some info about us and our blog. End pt.]

Basic dni including their supporters

Endos/non-traumagenics and their supporters are not welcome here. Endo neutrals are fine, just be mindful that this blog is anti endo. Specific views may differ alter to alter but as a collective our system is anti endo.

We will try to avoid syscourse but we may post it from time to time and will tag it when we do. If you believe that we have missed something then let us know!

Please refrain from NSFW. If it is relevant to your ask then please pop a disclaimer at the top. One of our hosts gets very disturbed by NSFW so this is for our own wellbeing

People who believe in "cringe culture" are not welcome here. If someone isn't harming themselves or others then there really isn't much of an issue imo

When responding to asks we may add our own comments if we have them but otherwise we will just post them

We believe in researched self diagnosis and are a self-diagnosed OSDD system ourselves!

This blog is not educational and should not be used in the process of self diagnosis. This blog is intended to be silly and generally unserious

{This is subject to change and will likely be added to over time because we always forget SOMETHING when we write posts like this lol}

[Pt. This is subject to change and will likely be added to over time because we always forget SOMETHING when we write posts like this lol} end pt.]

To note:

[Pt. To note: end pt.]

If you see us post anything that breaks these then please let us know! Not all of our alters hold the same views and things may slip through the cracks. Likewise, if you see anything problematic* being posted please do tell us! We are not perfect and so may miss things or be unaware. We won't be offended

[Pt. If you see us post anything that breaks these then please let us know! Not all of our alters hold the same views and things may slip through the cracks. Likewise, if you see anything problematic* being posted please do tell us! We are not perfect and so may miss things or be unaware. We won't be offended. End pt.]

! We were unaware of @sillysystems when we made this blog but we hope to honour the community they built to the best of our abilities

For now we probably won't do anon tag claims but we might do in the future, we'll need to see how this blog does first

If you have a question or want to tell us something feel free to either send an ask or a dm, don't worry about bothering us, we'll get back to you as soon as we can

If you your ask hasn't been posted and you think we may have missed it please poke us (send ask/dm) to check where its up to! We have our posts on a queue but we may miss an ask every once in a while by accident

Thank you for reading this far and have a wonderful day :)

*problematic being things such as ableism, 'xyz disorder abuse', etc. Not things like alters with problematic sources, etc. One cannot chose their source.

[charlesandmartine]

Saturday 21st December 2024

Fraser Island/ K'gari

The alarm clock agitated at 6.15 and we were instantly awake for today's adventure. We had to present ourselves at the tourist information place in Urangan to be herded by bus to River Heads port to catch the early morning ferry to K'gari, the K being silent, leaving gari pronounced Gaary. (Fraser Island is a lot easier to articulate) Due to little research on my part, I was surprised at how large an island this was. In length, it is 123 km, 15 km wide, 22 km at its widest part; 1840 square kilometers in all. We were informed it was different from any island we are likely to have visited before because K'gari is made entirely of sand. Because of this, we were half expecting to pull alongside a giant sandcastle with a couple of paper flags at each end! Our tour guide put us right on this fallacy. I prefer, he said, to think of K'gari as a sand bank, not an island. If you imagine the last ice age, when sea levels were much lower, K'gari would merely have been a great big pile of sand attached to the rest of Australia, and the continental shelf would also be visible. The notion of how the sand was built up in the first place was put forward. It all began a long way away to the south of us here, in the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney. The wind blew, eroding and separating tiny particles of sand, depositing them into creeks, carried by rivers into the Pacific, where the longshore drift carried these sand particles north of Brisbane, forming this chain of islands. Today, K'gari is seen as the largest sand island in the world.

Now, some important advice from information gleaned from our last excursion experience that included a paid for lunch. 4 rules that you break at your peril and put you at risk of going hungry. 1. Assess the competition and position yourself at the front of the queue. There will be plenty of food. 2. Carry out a size assessment of the fellow eaters. Be sure to be in front of the people who appear to be the most familiar with large portions of food. Ergo, there will be more food available. 3. Take high value items; New Zealand green mussels, fish fillet (any sort), large lumps of chicken. (forget the legs), 4. Follow these rules, and you will be well placed for seconds.

Our tour firstly took us to McKensie Lake, which was indeed a curiosity because it was one of three lakes sat in pure sand! Afterall, sand doesn't usually hold water! This was an opportunity to lay on the sand by the lake before setting off for a boardwalk through rainforest. Between the years 1886 and 1991, loggers worked these forests on the island for their timbers: Hoop Pine, Kauri Pine, Turpentine, Blood Wood were some. This was big business, shipping timbers across to the mainland and processing them in Maryborough, yes of Mary Poppins fame. One large logging company was Mckensie and Sons, which dominated operations, even building railways to move these huge logs across difficult terrain. Then, in 1991, the federal government put a stop to the whole thing. They wanted UNESCO status as a world heritage site, and the price for this was to stop the logging. In 1992, UNESCO agreed and K'gari was granted what it wanted.

The east side of the island remarkably has approximately 80 km of flat tidal beach that our bus could drive along! Today, we probably covered 20 km of it, but often at speed. Our destination was the wreck of the SS Maheno, a steam packet that used to ply these waters and across to New Zealand in the early 20th century. 1935 came, and it was no longer cost-effective to run a steam ship, and our vessel was sold for scrap to a Japanese company who came and collected her. Deciding to tow her to the scrap yard rather than sail under power, both ships got into difficulties in a cyclone, resulting in the Maheno drifting and running ashore in the sand, where her hulk remains to this day. Now, a protected shipwreck, she will always be there rusting away. Great photography, though. We made our way back along the sands passing Coffee Rocks; ancient deposits of tree formations which break down leaving a coffeestain in the water, seeing the coloured sand cliffs and then to Eli Creek, a bit of a magnet for kids to play in the fresh waters flowing into the sea. Also, a magnet to the local population of dingoes keenly looking for a crafty meal either left by humans or foraged.

Then, it was back to the ferry and setting sail for Urangan and home. Fully fed, but weighing up whether a fish and chip supper might be required as a top-up. Another great day, tomorrow promises to be somewhat quieter.

We don't really like organised trips; being organised, conforming to a demanding itinerary, shuffling along with a whole load of other people, not being able to spend time on the parts that interest us, and not being able to skip or move on from areas that do not. It was a very long day, but we went places and saw things that we would not otherwise have had access to by our own resources. Therefore, it was well worth it, and the advice given was correct. This island, although by topography, was not remarkable, it was instead quite amazing and unique.

ps. We did stop off in Hervey Bay to get snapper and chips, but it was the third fish and chip we had tried before finding one that was open on a Saturday night beyond 7pm! What is the matter with these people? The one we did find open managed to stay open till eight! The rest of the Esplanade, the main entertainment area, was in darkness by then!

pps. We passed the Botanical Gardens at about 7pm, and we were somewhat surprised at the crowds queuing to get in. Then we remembered the Christmas lights display. And then we recalled it was nearly Christmas! A fact that to date that had escaped us!

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 30 - Santiago

We have the alarm set because we have a busy day of sightseeing planned for our last day together. We wake up to a sunnier day than yesterday and the city is looking great from our balcony with the beautiful snow capped Andes surrounding us.

First up is a free walking tour of the city. We take the Metro to Plaza de Armas - first we need to buy a Bip! Card (love the name). The process is super easy (take note Buenos Aires!). As soon as we are on the train Jack thinks there is something strange about it but he can’t put his finger on it - more research is required.

Our tour is due to be 4 hours long but luckily we get swapped out of the bilingual tour to anther guide who is doing English only so it’s only going to be 2.5 hours long.

We start off in Plaza de Armas and take a quick peek inside the cathedral which is beautiful.

Claudio is our guide and is very enthusiastic with lots of hand gestures to animate his stories. We find out more about the native people of Chile - the Mapuche. We stop by the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art which comes recommended.

Outside of La Moneda Palace (The Presidents Office) we hear about the Pinochet dictatorship and what lead to it (American intervention to prevent communism) and about more recent social and political crisis which I wasn’t aware of and we both found really interesting. A 30 Peso rise in the Santiago metro fare resulted in over a million people taking to the streets to protest. This resulted in two new constitutions being drafted both of which were defeated at the referendum ballot box leaving the country in a bit of a directionless future.

Drop by past the Old Stock Exchange building where we hear a bit more about earthquakes in Chile and how buildings now need to be earthquake proofed up to 7.0 on the Richter scale.

The last stop is the Lastarria neighbourhood which has lots of upscale restaurants. Claudio tells us a bit about Chilean cuisine. We find out that a traveller brought concept of the hotdog back from New York, added diced tomatoes, guacamole and mayo toppings to call it a “Completo italiano” because it looks like the Italian flag. Anything “European” is seen as trendy so it caught on ha! He also gives us a few recommendations for restaurants which we take up straight away for lunch - we share a beef sandwich with some kind of corn concoction and a fried egg. Washed down with a cider which is a bit more British style - not as carbonated or sweet. Delish!

Next up we walk back a little bit to climb the Santa Lucia hill - it gives a great panoramic view of the city which is great on this clear sunny day.

Another hill to climb - now it’s San Cristóbal Hill - this one is much higher and we take the funicular up and the cable car back down. This brings us back nearer to the Costanera centre so we go home for a cuppa.

We’ve been sat down resting for a while and quickly realise that the sun is about to set so dash back outside and head over to the Costanera centre to go to the observation deck. It’s on levels 61 and 62 so again we get a great view of the city. It turns out we went up at a great time as we caught the sunset and then got to see the city in the dark.

At the top they were giving out free tastings of Chilean wine so we queue up and get one but it wasn’t really worth the wait. We haven’t had much but from what we have tasted Chilean wine seems to be a bit hit or miss (unlike Argentine wine).

Next up we take the metro back to Lastarria for dinner. Our first choice is too busy to we go to a Chilean-Peruvian fusion place that has a million types of Pisco. We order a pisco cocktail (it would be rude not to!), Jack gets the salmon and I get the beef.

Next up we try go to a rooftop bar nearby but the beer was terrible and the atmosphere was pretty average so we head back to the place we stopped at for lunch and get some more cider. We spend some of our time here researching the metro - we reaised earlier that the difference was that it used rubber tyres so of course we needed to know the pros and cons of this technology. Then on the way home we stop at the Irish bar opposite our accomodation for a night cap.

[hiremaid-verifiedhelpers]

Toilet: A luxury For Some

That Toilet is a basic need is something we do not realize since all our homes have not one, but many toilets. But, the importance of toilets was brought home to me when I started Helper4U. When we rented out our first office space, we were on a shoestring budget, and thus had a space constraint. To tide over this, we encouraged girls among our staff to work from home if possible. But, we were amazed to find that they all preferred working from the office rather than from home, even if it meant they could earn more and could also work flexi-time. This was quite surprising because as working women most of us would jump at the opportunity to work flexi-time, not travel, spend more time at home, and still earn more.

Having a Toilet: A luxury for some

On doing some simple research it turned out that the simple reason for this was the absence of a toilet at their homes. All these girls were from slums nearby. They had to use a communal toilet, which was always very dirty, and had no water supply most of the time. Even if all else was well, they had to wait in a queue to use it. That was the first time we realized the impact a toilet can have on people’s lives. Hence we say: Toilet Ek Jaroorat (Toilet is a basic need)

For millions of women, therefore, having a toilet means becoming free: A toilet can be Freedom For Her from so many things. Even for men from slums, it is a luxury. Many drivers come early to work so that they can use the cleaner, and more accessible toilets in the buildings of their employers. This is in stark contrast to the dirty ones in their slums. We, the more blessed ones (with at least one toilet at home) cannot even imagine how not having a toilet can impact the whole life of people, right from what they eat, when they eat, and how they ”go”.

This is not the situation in India alone. Globally, millions still suffer the fear and indignity of relieving themselves in the open or in unsafe or unhygienic conditions — a situation that is most dangerous for girls and women. For more than 1.1 billion women and girls globally, a lack of toilets results in an increased risk of poor health, limited education, harassment, and even attack. WaterAid’s third annual report reveals that women and girls bear the brunt of the Global Sanitation Crisis. Not having access to a toilet puts girls at risk of harassment and attack when finding somewhere to relieve themselves or manage menstruation. Lack of a decent toilet at schools is also a reason for many girls to miss or drop out of school.

How important toilets are for girls can be also gauged from the happy faces of these females posing next to a toilet. Would any of us ever think of posing next to a toilet, leave alone smiling away too?

Some interesting facts about toilets

India tops the list for the longest line for the toilet. While there has been immense progress in improving access to sanitation through the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, there are still more than 355 million women and girls in India waiting for access to basic sanitation. If they would make a line, it would stretch around the earth more than four times.

Around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhea related diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That’s almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.

Between 2000 and 2015, people defecating in the open dropped from 1.2 billion globally. (20% of the global population) to 892 million (12%). Still enough waste is produced in the open to fill seven bathtubs every second.

This World Toilet Day, on November 19, governments are pledging to do their bit. But, how can we homeowners support this basic human right?

One simple suggestion for all homeowners

Allow your domestic Helpers to use your toilets if they need to go. Rather than send them to the road or bushes nearby, allow them to use your toilets. After all, once flushed, the waste goes through the same process, irrespective of who generated it. Similarly, if someone defecates in the open. And in many of our homes, they are the ones cleaning it. And who knows, they may already be using it in your absence. So, allow them to use it, and feel the joy of giving.

We are all prone to diseases, again, irrespective of who generated it, and where. So prevent it the most you can. A simple gesture at your end will help keep the surroundings in our cities clean.

Allow Helpers to Use Your Toilet. Discourage the use of open spaces that are open defecation.

Remember: Having a toilet is a human rights issue. Everyone has a right to health and dignity. Let us pledge to contribute to it the best we can.

[digitalphotoco]

How Long Does It Take? A Clear Guide to Business Visa Processing Times

For global professionals, the ticking clock on a business visa application can cause significant anxiety. Whether you're planning to attend a key meeting, launch a new venture, or present at an international conference—everything hinges on one thing: timely visa approval.

But when it comes to business visa processing time, there is no universal standard. The timeline is a moving target, influenced by a combination of country-specific rules, applicant profiles, travel dates, and even global events. Understanding what shapes this timeline is critical for realistic planning and smooth international travel.

What Is a Business Visa?

A business visa is typically a short-stay visitor visa or a specialized category of visa that permits temporary travel for commercial purposes such as:

Attending conferences, trade fairs, or meetings

Negotiating contracts or deals

Conducting market research

Participating in training programs

Note: A business visa does not usually permit direct employment or long-term residence in the destination country.

Standard vs. Reality: Why Processing Times Vary

While many countries list a standard visa processing time—like 5 to 15 business days for a Schengen visa—real-world scenarios often differ. Processing may take longer due to several influencing factors, some of which are outside the applicant’s control.

Key Factors That Influence Business Visa Processing Time

1. Destination Country’s Rules and Infrastructure

Visa Complexity: Some countries (like the U.S. or Canada) have multi-stage vetting, which takes more time.

Embassy Workload: Busy embassies and consulates in major cities like Delhi or Mumbai often face longer backlogs.

Technology Adoption: Countries using digital platforms often process applications faster than those with manual systems.

2. Applicant's Nationality

Countries assess applications based on bilateral relations, risk profiles, and historical visa misuse patterns.

High-application countries (like India) may face longer queues during peak periods.

3. Visa Type & Trip Purpose

Short-Stay Visas (e.g., for 1–2 week trips) are generally quicker to process.

Long-Term Business or Investment Visas may require months for background checks and approvals.

4. Application Completeness

The #1 cause of delays is incomplete or inaccurate applications:

Missing documents

Unclear travel intent

Mismatched travel dates

Low-quality scans or untranslated documents

5. Peak Season and Global Events

Visa applications spike around summer holidays, festivals, and major expos.

During these times, even simple applications may take longer due to volume overload.

6. Additional Security or Background Checks

Applicants with limited travel history, unclear job roles, or minimal ties to their home country may face extra scrutiny.

This may result in requests for interviews, added documentation, or administrative delays.

7. Use of External Service Providers

Many countries outsource visa applications to companies like VFS Global.

While these services improve access, they add 1–3 business days to the process for forwarding and receiving documents.

General Processing Timeframes (Indicative)

Visa Type

Processing Time

Schengen Business Visa

10–15 working days

USA B-1/B-2 Business Visa

15–45 working days (interview delays possible)

UK Standard Visitor (Business) Visa

15–20 working days (5-day priority available)

Dubai (UAE) Business Visa

3–5 working days (1–2 days express option)

Canada Business Visitor Visa

20–35 working days

Long-Term Business/Investor Visas

2–6 months or longer

How to Check Your Visa Processing Time

Always refer to the official embassy or consulate website, or check with the designated visa application center (like VFS Global). Many countries update their estimated processing times weekly or monthly, especially during peak seasons.

Tips to Avoid Business Visa Delays

Apply Early: Submit your application at least 1–2 months before your travel date Double-Check Your Documents: Ensure consistency in travel dates, names, and financial records Write a Strong Cover Letter: Clearly state your purpose, itinerary, and company background Use Embassy Checklists: Follow the country-specific document list strictly Respond Quickly: If asked for additional documents, submit them without delay Track Your Application: Most visa centers offer real-time tracking with reference numbers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a typical standard processing time for a business visa? A1: Most short-stay business visas take 5–15 business days, but during peak times, it may go up to 4–6 weeks.

Q2: Why do some business visa applications get delayed? A2: Common causes include incomplete documentation, missing financial proof, poor travel history, or needing extra security checks.

Q3: Does the time of year affect processing? A3: Yes, holidays and major events often lead to surges in applications, causing delays.

Q4: Can I request urgent or express visa processing? A4: Some countries offer priority or express services (for an additional fee), but these are limited to genuine business emergencies and subject to approval.

Q5: How do I check the current business visa processing time? A5: Check the official embassy or consulate website or contact the visa processing agency (e.g., VFS Global) in your region.

Q6: What if my application is delayed beyond the standard time? A6: Use the tracking system first. If the delay is significant, contact the visa center with your reference number for an update. Avoid confirming travel plans until the visa is issued.

Conclusion

The business world doesn’t wait—and neither should your visa planning. By understanding what affects business visa processing times, you’ll be better prepared to meet deadlines, avoid surprises, and ensure every business trip goes smoothly.

[medibest1]

MediBest Hospital Management System Software: One Platform for All Hospital Management Needs

Modern hospitals juggle thousands of moving parts—clinical care, billing, labs, inventory, compliance, and more. MediBest’s hospital management system software unites every workflow on a single, cloud-ready stack, replacing the maze of disconnected apps that slow teams and frustrate patients. The World Health Assembly’s 2024 vote to extend the WHO Global Digital Health Strategy highlights why interoperable, future-proof platforms like MediBest are now mission-critical.

Unified Healthcare Management System Boosts Efficiency

A true healthcare management system must break silos. MediBest synchronises data across OPD, IPD, pharmacy, diagnostics, finance, HR and telehealth in real time. Doctors see the same chart the billing team bills from; inventory updates the moment medication is dispensed. This 360-degree view slashes duplication, accelerates decisions, and cuts operational costs.

Key Modules in MediBest Healthcare Management System Software

Electronic Health Records (EHR) – Complete patient histories, orders and results on any device.

AI-Driven Scheduling & Bed Management – Predicts demand to reduce wait times and crowding.

Integrated Billing & Claims – GST-ready invoices and claim-scrubbing minimise denials.

PACS & Document Management – Images and scanned forms appear instantly in the EHR timeline.

Mobile Apps – Secure Android/iOS apps for teleconsults, e-prescriptions and status updates.

Analytics Dashboard – Live KPIs for LOS, bed occupancy, revenue cycle and more.

HealthIT.gov notes that EHR-centric platforms improve diagnostics, coordination and patient satisfaction—outcomes MediBest delivers daily.

Google My Business :-

Interoperability & Compliance by Design

Disconnected systems breed errors. MediBest supports HL7, FHIR and DICOM, creating a live data spine that links lab machines, imaging devices, wearables and public-health portals. HIMSS research shows such interoperability directly lifts patient safety and clinician confidence.

Security is baked in: end-to-end encryption, MFA log-ins, tamper-proof audit trails and quarterly updates keep you aligned with NABH, HIPAA and India’s DISHA guidelines.

Proven Gains for Hospitals of Every Size

Hospitals running MediBest report:

30 % faster discharge processing through unified meds-to-billing workflows.

20 % drop in medication errors after CPOE rollout.

Higher patient-experience scores thanks to shorter queues and transparent billing.

Whether you’re a 50-bed community hospital or a multi-location network, MediBest scales smoothly without re-platforming.

Implementation Roadmap with a Trusted Hospital Software Company

Define KPIs—LOS, claim cycle, infection rate.

Phase migration—start with EHR, then add finance and inventory.

Parallel runs validate data before cut-over.

Role-based training (2-hour micro-sessions) speeds adoption.

30-day post-go-live audit fine-tunes dashboards and rights.

Local teams in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru manage every step, offering 24 × 7 support. Click here :

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What makes MediBest different from other hospital software companies? MediBest offers a single-code-base platform with native PACS, mobile apps, AI scheduling and India-specific compliance—supported by on-ground experts for rapid deployment and training.

2. How does hospital management system software improve patient care? By unifying records, labs and billing, clinicians gain instant, accurate data, reducing delays and errors. Automated alerts and AI scheduling further enhance safety and satisfaction.

3. Is MediBest’s healthcare management system software affordable for mid-sized hospitals? Yes. Subscription pricing, modular add-ons and cloud hosting let smaller hospitals start with core features and scale cost-effectively as needs grow.

MEDIBEST :- CONTANT NOW :- Corporate Office 303, IT Park Center, IT Park Sinhasa Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 452013 Call Now +91 79098 11515 +91 97139 01529 +91 91713 41515 Email sales@medibest.in contact@medibest.in

[ivtherapy1]

The Ultimate Guide to blood tests at home Dubai, blood test lab Dubai, and blood tests Dubai

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience and efficiency are paramount, especially when it comes to healthcare. With the rise of innovative medical services, residents of Dubai now have access to cutting-edge solutions like bloodtest lab Dubai, blood test offers in Dubai, and home service blood test Dubai. These services are revolutionizing the way people approach healthcare, making it easier than ever to prioritize well-being without compromising on time or comfort. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about these services, including the benefits, how they work, and why they’re becoming the go-to choice for health-conscious individuals in Dubai.

What is a Lab at Home Service?

A lab at home service is a revolutionary concept that brings medical testing directly to your doorstep. Instead of visiting a clinic or hospital, trained professionals come to your home to collect samples for various tests, including blood tests, urine tests, and more. This service is particularly beneficial for individuals with busy schedules, mobility issues, or those who simply prefer the comfort and privacy of their own home.

In Dubai, lab at home services have gained immense popularity due to their convenience and efficiency. Whether you need routine check-ups, specialized tests, or emergency diagnostics, these services ensure that you receive accurate results without the hassle of traveling to a medical facility.

Why Choose a Home Service Blood Test in Dubai?

Dubai is known for its world-class healthcare infrastructure, and home service blood test Dubai is a testament to the city’s commitment to innovation and patient-centric care. Here are some compelling reasons to opt for a home service blood test Dubai:

Convenience: No more waiting in long queues or rushing to clinics during working hours. With home service blood test Dubai, you can schedule tests at a time that suits you.

Comfort: For many people, visiting a clinic can be stressful. A home service blood test Dubai allows you to stay in the comfort of your home, reducing anxiety and ensuring a more relaxed experience.

Time-Saving: Busy professionals and families can save valuable time by opting for blood tests at home Dubai. The entire process is streamlined, from sample collection to receiving results.

Safety: In a post-pandemic world, minimizing exposure to crowded places is crucial. Home service blood test Dubai ensures that you can prioritize your health without compromising on safety.

Personalized Care: Many home service blood test Dubai providers offer tailored packages and consultations, ensuring that your specific health needs are addressed.

Exploring Blood Test Offers in Dubai

Dubai is home to a wide range of healthcare providers offering competitive blood test offers in Dubai. These offers are designed to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for residents. Whether you’re looking for routine blood work or specialized diagnostics, there’s a blood test offer in Dubai to suit your needs.

Types of Blood Tests Available

Routine Blood Tests: These include complete blood count (CBC), cholesterol tests, and blood sugar tests. Routine tests are essential for monitoring overall health and detecting potential issues early.

Specialized Blood Tests: These tests are tailored to specific health concerns, such as hormone levels, vitamin deficiencies, or genetic markers.

Emergency Blood Tests: In urgent situations, home service blood test Dubai providers can offer rapid testing and results to ensure timely medical intervention.

How to Avail Blood Test Offers in Dubai

Research Providers: Start by identifying reputable healthcare providers that offer blood test offers in Dubai. Look for reviews, certifications, and the range of services they provide.

Compare Packages: Many providers offer bundled blood tests Dubai, which can include multiple tests at a discounted rate. Compare these packages to find the best value for your needs.

Book Online: Most home service blood test Dubai providers allow you to book appointments online. Simply choose your preferred time and location, and a trained professional will arrive at your doorstep.

Receive Results: After the sample is collected, it’s sent to a certified lab for analysis. You’ll typically receive your results via email or a secure online portal within a few days.

Call in Doctor Service: A Comprehensive Healthcare Solution

In addition to lab at home and home service blood test Dubai, another innovative service gaining traction is the iv drip home service. This service allows you to request a licensed doctor to visit your home for consultations, diagnoses, and even minor treatments.

Benefits of Call in Doctor Service

Immediate Medical Attention: Whether you’re dealing with a sudden illness or need a second opinion, a call in doctor service ensures that you receive prompt medical care.

Comprehensive Care: From general check-ups to specialized consultations, a call in doctor service covers a wide range of healthcare needs.

Family-Friendly: This service is ideal for families with young children or elderly members who may find it challenging to visit a clinic.

Integration with Lab at Home: Many call in doctor service providers collaborate with lab at home and home service blood test Dubai providers, offering a seamless healthcare experience.

How to Choose the Right Provider for Lab at Home, Blood Test Offers in Dubai, and Call in Doctor Service

With so many options available, selecting the right provider can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:

Check Credentials: Ensure that the provider is licensed and employs certified professionals. This is especially important for lab at home and home service blood test Dubai services.

Read Reviews: Customer reviews can provide valuable insights into the quality of service, reliability, and customer support.

Compare Costs: While affordability is important, don’t compromise on quality. Look for providers that offer competitive blood test offers in Dubai without compromising on accuracy or service.

Evaluate Technology: Advanced technology ensures accurate results and efficient service. Choose providers that use state-of-the-art equipment for lab at home and home service blood test Dubai.

Assess Customer Support: A reliable provider should offer excellent customer support, including easy booking, timely results, and responsive communication.

The Future of Healthcare in Dubai: Lab at Home, Blood Test Offers, and Call in Doctor Service

The healthcare landscape in Dubai is evolving rapidly, with services like lab at home, blood test offers in Dubai, and call in doctor service leading the way. These innovations are not just a response to the growing demand for convenience but also a reflection of Dubai’s commitment to providing world-class healthcare solutions.

As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more personalized and efficient services. From AI-driven diagnostics to integrated healthcare platforms, the future of healthcare in Dubai is bright, accessible, and patient-centric.

Conclusion

In a city as dynamic as Dubai, staying healthy shouldn’t be a hassle. With lab at home, blood test offers in Dubai, and home service blood test Dubai, you can prioritize your well-being without disrupting your busy lifestyle. These services offer unparalleled convenience, comfort, and quality, making them the ideal choice for modern healthcare needs.

Whether you’re looking for routine check-ups, specialized diagnostics, or immediate medical attention, lab at home, blood test offers in Dubai, and call in doctor service have got you covered. So why wait? Explore these innovative services today and take the first step toward a healthier, happier you.

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Why Patient Experience Matters: Using Software to Improve Satisfaction

Introduction

The healthcare environment has had some radical changes, putting a fresh emphasis on patient experience as one of the core markers of success. The time when medical care was only about diagnosis and treatment is well and truly gone. Patients expect much more today—personalized care, uninterrupted communication, less waiting time, and digital engagement.

Therefore, CMS and PES software have become indispensable for modern-day healthcare providers. Modern Clinic Management Software and Patient Experience Software streamline operations, increase engagement, elevate patient satisfaction, and lead to improved healthcare outcomes. 

But, in what way does software make a contribution to improving patient experience? Let us discuss the role of technology in modern-day healthcare and how in-filling some advanced software solutions would soon prove to be a game changer for patient satisfaction.

The Importance of Patient Experience in Modern Healthcare

Why is Patient Experience Important?

Patient experience is not optional; it impacts retention and loyalty, health outcomes, and their very lives. Evidence shows patients who experience good patient care experiences follow treatment plans, place trust in providers, and return for the care they need. On the contrary, unfriendly experiences lead to noncompliance, adverse publicity, and lawsuits. 

Elements that Determine Patient Experience

A few things affect patient satisfaction:

Scheduling-the long waits and the convoluted process to book appointments irritate the patient.

Communication-Poor communication between doctor and patient leads them to leave dissatisfied.

Facility efficiency-An ill-organized work flow elevates the stress levels of both patients and staff.

Billing & Payments-Making them frustrated due to a confusing billing process.

Follow-up care-Apathy toward post-treatment care erodes patient confidence in providers.

Hence methods Clinic Management System improves patient experience

It is a Clinic Management System (CMS) for patients and healthcare providers, since it is an all-in-one platform tailored to entertain clinic processes in a way that automates and strengthens the operations pertaining to clinic multifunctional values.

Main Advantage of a Clinic Management System

Simple Appointment Scheduling

Patients can book, reschedule, or cancel appointments online without having to call.

Automated reminders eliminate no-shows and thus increase productivity for clinics.

The Effectiveness of Efficient Patient Check-ins

Digital check-in equals no more long queues or waiting times.

 Patients can update personal and medical details before arriving.

Enhanced Communicational Feature

ensuring patients timely notifications of appointments, test results, and follow-ups.

Chatbots & Virtual Assistants are manufactured for answering common questions.

Data Security/Compliance

Patient data is organized and secured with Electronic Health Records (EHRs). 

They comply with HIPAA, GDPR, and other regulatory standards.

Billings and Payments

On-line payments will make transactions quicker and hassle-free. 

Open Billing would help eliminate confusion and disputes.

Real Life Effect of Clinic Management System

Research indicates that clinics that make use of the CMS software have reported a 30 percent increase in patient satisfaction scores since they are able to provide their services faster and increase patient engagement. 

Reducing the administrative burden allows the provider to focus on what matters the most—patient care.

Improving Patient Satisfaction Using Patient Experience Software

Patient Experience Software (PES) is built specifically for measuring as well as improving patient satisfaction via digital tools and other feedback mechanisms. 

How Patient Experience Software Works: 

Collects Feedback from Patients Automated survey after appointments. 

Real time sentiment analysis of patients improves interaction. 

It Enhances Communication 

Two-way messaging for appointment reminders and follow-ups. 

Telehealth services for remote consultations. 

It Gives Personalized Care 

AI-Driven Analytics to predict patient's needs ad recommend care plans. 

Helps the providers to address issues proactively. 

Measurable satisfaction in real-time 

Wait times, appointment efficiency, and any interactions with the patient are evaluated. 

The actionable insights are regarding service improvements. 

Reasons Why Clinics Need Patient Experience Software 

72 % of patients expect real-time communication with their healthcare provider. 

Clinics implementing PES report improved patient retention up to 40%. 

It is using Patient Experience Software for bridging the gap between the expectations of patients and what is actually delivered by the healthcare providers in terms of service quality.

The Significance of Technology in Overhauling Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Patient Experience

AI chatbots are available for patients round-the-clock. 

AI helps analyze patient comments for improving deficient areas. 

Telehealth and Virtual Care

Offers remote consultations to decrease on-site clinic visits. 

Provides easier access to patients living in remote areas. 

Mobile Apps for Patient Engagement

Enable patients to keep track of health records while receiving reminders and communicating with doctors. 

Push notifications enhance adherence to medications.

Cloud-based Healthcare Solutions

SAFE storage of EHR records keeps the data accessible. 

Helps facilitate easy cooperation between several health providers. 

Conclusion

Patient experience is becoming more critical in a competitive healthcare environment. Clinics that are harnessing technology, such as Clinic Management Systems and Patient Experience Software, are thereby efficiently delivering care that is faster, smoother, and personalized.

Introducing the right software solution will help clinics operate more efficiently, bolster patient satisfaction, and improve health outcomes.

If you want to enhance the patient experience and clinic productivity, Clinthora should be your next stop. It is a complete Clinic Management System designed for modern healthcare facilities.

FAQs

How does Clinic Management Systems improve efficiency?

CMS automates scheduling, billing, and patient records, effectively cutting down on administrative work as well as waiting times.

What features should I look for in Patient Experience Software?

Core features would include collection of feedback, AI powered analytics for real-time patient engagement, and telehealth.

Does technology help in curbing patient no-shows?

Definitely! Automated reminders complement the online booking system and aid in reducing last-minute cancellations and no-shows. 

Is telehealth a feature of Patient Experience Software?

Most Patient Experience Software providers offer telehealth functionality to enable remote consultations or follow-up appointments. 

What should be the compliance requirements for Clinic Management Software?

CMS shall confirm HIPAA, GDPR, and any other data security regulations to protect the identity of patients. 

How does AI improve patient experience? 

AI analyzes patient feedback, anticipates needs, and automates interaction – an integration that enhances satisfaction levels.

[shiqi17177]

Changsha's output of construction machinery ranks first for 14 consecturive years

At present, Guozhong Zhilian has built "one platform, three laboratories, one base and one center", namely, the engineering machinery inspection and testing cloud platform, hydraulic pump/motor laboratory, oil product testing laboratory, non-destructive testing laboratory, high-end components and basic process pilot base, and engineering machinery international certification center.

"Export certification, inspection and testing are common needs of all companies." A relevant person in charge of Sany Group said that the construction of the platform has played a strong enabling role in the development of enterprises.

What is export certification? Before exporting construction machinery and equipment to a certain country or region, the other party’s qualification certification must be obtained first. In the past, enterprises could only go to other places to “register” and queue up for certification, which was both time-consuming and costly. With the completion of the International Certification Center for Construction Machinery, enterprises can complete certification at their “doorstep”.

At the same time, Guozhong Zhilian has jointly built a number of laboratories with various special enterprises. Relying on the strengths of each enterprise, it will promote the accelerated incubation of more innovative technologies and enable more scientific research results to be smoothly transformed.