#and the levels and conditions and subclasses and categories and so on

[lookninjas]

2320.

Everyone's white when there's work to be done just not when it comes time to pay

[loominggaia]

SLIME MONSTERS

(lore under cut)

Name: Slime [SLY-mm]

Class: Monster

Subclass: Terrian, Weightclass varies

PPL Category: 2 - Mostly harmless to peoples but invasive or detrimental to the environment.

Forger: ???

OVERVIEW

Slime monsters (also known as "slimes") are an ancient species of monster. Their place and time of origin, as well as the identity of their divine creator, remains unknown. There are several subspecies of slime monster, and some researchers theorize that they do not all share the same creator. While most slimes are not dangerous to people, all of them are considered harmful to the world's natural ecosystem.

HABITAT

Slimes cannot survive in hot, dry conditions for long. They prefer cool, damp environments such as caves, dark forests, and swamps. They are a common pest in basements and gardens worldwide. They often venture away from their lairs in search of food after dark, then return home at sunrise.

BIOLOGY

Different species of slimes have different properties, but all of them are covered in a thick layer of mucus which may be slimy, sticky, corrosive, malodorous, or neutral. They have no organs, only a permeable membrane of skin with gelatinous goo for innards. Though they have no brains or nervous systems at all, slimes are considered living creatures, as they react to stimuli and actively participate in their own survival. It seems that their intelligence is quite low, behaving purely on their mysterious, magical instincts. How they are able to sense their prey is still unknown, but researchers theorize that their mucus membrane can detect odors and sense vibrations in the air.

Because they have no bones, slime monsters are able to squeeze themselves through tiny spaces. They have quickly spread themselves across the globe by infiltrating ships and carriages, going undetected for long periods of time until they have multiplied out of control.

Slimes breed asexually by dividing themselves into two individuals. They can keep dividing until their offspring is the size of a pea. They gain more mass by eating, and lose half of their mass each time they divide. Exactly what prompts a slime to divide naturally is unknown, but they can also be forced to divide by cutting them into pieces.

Slimes will dry out and die if conditions are not moist enough. They can also be killed by freezing them solid, boiling them with flame, and exposure to large amounts of salt, which harms their mucus membrane and dries them out. (Note: red slimes are resistant to boiling)

Slime monsters cannot be killed by smashing, puncturing, or cutting them. They can survive heavy physical trauma, and gouging pieces from them only causes them to lose mass or divide into multiple slimes. They must be destroyed on a cellular level, which can be accomplished via magic spells or advanced weaponry.

There seems to be no limit to how big a slime can grow. However, they slowly lose mass over time, and the bigger they get, the more food they require to maintain their mass. They also lose half of their mass each time they reproduce. Because of this, a slime's growth is limited by its access to food, so they tend to top out to a certain size in the wild rather than growing endlessly.

The world's largest recorded slime was as big as an elephant, and in fact, had just absorbed an entire elephant when it was discovered.

SUBSPECIES

5 subspecies of slime monster have been documented by the World Athenaeum. They can be visually identified by color, but each has other unique properties as well.

GREEN

Green slimes are believed to be the oldest and most common subspecies. Their mucus is very slippery, making them nearly impossible to pick up. They are not dangerous to humans or animals, but they are a scourge to farms and forests, as they have a ravenous appetite for plants. Curiously, these slimes only eat plantlife which is green. They ignore flowers, bark, or any part of the plant which is a differnt color. They appear to suck the life right out of plants, leaving them gray and withered after feeding upon them. They are usually found in shady wooded areas.

Green slimes are sometimes kept as pets or even zoo attractions, as they are hardy, easy to find in the wild, and even easier to care for. While they are loathed by gardeners, some people have capitalized on green slimes by making products out of their slippery mucus, such as hair gels, soaps, and lubricants.

BLUE

Their mucus is very sticky. They use this stickiness to anchor themselves tightly to surfaces and catch prey. While they're most commonly found in caves, blue slimes may also dwell in shady riparian areas. They feed on liquids, but not just any liquid will do. Blue slimes require balanced electrolytes to survive, meaning their best source of food comes from living creatures. They feed on sweat, saliva, urine, bile, or any other electrolyte-rich liquid that seeps from other organisms.

Some natural streams contain enough minerals to sustain blue slimes, as the water cascades over mountains and vegetation, collecting nutrients as it goes. This is why blue slimes like to colonize damp caverns in particular. These slimes can feed off of rocks and algae alone, although they will grow very slowly or not at all on this diet. To grow bigger, they must hunt living creatures and harvest their nutrients.

Blue slimes are opportunistic ambush-hunters. They are known to anchor their "feet" to the cieling and drop their "heads" down upon living prey, which becomes stuck in their sticky mucus. Larger prey may have the strength to escape their clutches, but blue slimes seem to be able to judge the size of their prey before they strike, and they rarely attack prey they can't handle. Small slimes only hunt small game like insects and rodents, but larger specimens can become a danger to peoples too.

Once a blue slime has ensnared its prey, it begins passively absorbing their liquids. Their prey struggles hopelessly, and the harder they struggle, the more they sweat, nourishing the slime. As time passes, they may even begin to cry or wet themselves, and the slime grows even stronger. Eventually they perish, surrendering their blood and all other liquid nutrients.

Once every last water molecule is extracted, the blue slime leaves behind a pile of dry bones, dessicated flesh, and any clothes or objects their prey may have been carrying. These grisly piles are a good indicator that large blue slimes could be lurking nearby, so explorers should exercise caution.

However, some people actually go looking for these creatures, as their sticky and dessicant properties are useful many applications.

RED

Red slimes are considered the most dangerous subspecies, as they actively seek out and attack living creatures--including peoples. They feed exclusively off of living flesh. Their mucus is highly corrosive, causing damage to most materials including fabric, plastic, wood, and even metal. This mucus is especially harmful to skin. Brief contact with this slime may cause mild burns, but the longer material stays in contact with it, the more damage it takes. Red slime mucus can completely dissolve human flesh in just a matter of minutes. Harder materials take more time to dissolve, but given long enough, it seems to be able to dissolve just about anything.

Only a few rare materials, such as pyriad skin and hair, are completely resistant to the red slimes' effects. Curiously, red elves also boast some resistance to it. Red slimes repel water and do not respond to boiling. Salt and flash-freezing can still kill them just as effectively as other subspecies. They are prey to some fire-breathing dragon species, who don't seem to suffer any negative effects from eating them.

Red slimes are thankfully not as common as the others, as their diets are more complex, they are prey to certain animals, and their scary reputation makes peoples are more eager to eradicate them when they're found. These slimes cannot survive on plants or minerals, so they only haunt areas where people and animals dwell. Wherever there are large concentrations of critters, such as vermin, there may also be red slimes lurking about. Abandoned buildings, livestock farms, and sewers seem to be the red slimes' favorite places.

Unlike blue slimes, which only attack prey they can handle, red slimes are much less discriminating. They are notorious for attacking creatures much larger than themselves. They may even divide themselves to launch a ranged attack, "spitting" their other half at prey from a distance. This of course costs the slime some mass, but it may also slow their prey down enough to be worth it.

Not only are they dangerous to animals and peoples, but these slimes can cause considerable damage to property as well. As they slop around an area, their mucus slowly corrodes everything it touches, and this is bad news if they happen to be near walls or foundations. Though these creatures are loathed worldwide, some brave souls actually farm them and use their byproducts to make things like industrial solvents.

AMBER

Also known as "gold" or "brown" slimes, amber slimes are often smelled long before they are seen. Their oily mucus emits a foul odor, and the bigger the slime grows, the stronger this odor gets. It's no wonder they smell so bad, for this subspecies feeds entirely on decaying matter, and they are not picky about what it is. Rotting vegetables, old manure, and even decaying corpses make a delicious feast for these creatures.

Amber slimes won't consume anything that's still fresh. They only move in once matter is in the moderate stages of rot. Their mucus is only faintly corrosive and not strong enough to break down fresh matter, but it can finish digesting matter which is already breaking down. This mucus is not harmful to people or animals unless it is ingested, and it is not harmful to all species. The foul stench of these slimes is actually pleasant to trolls and ogres, and their stomachs happen to be strong enough to eat them too. In some trollish and ogrish cultures, amber slime jelly is considered a delicacy.

Peoples worldwide have used these slimes to cheaply dispose of unwanted waste. However, this has been outlawed in most regions because unlike worms and fungi, amber slimes do not produce beneficial byproducts. Worms and fungus nourish the soil with their waste as they break down matter naturally, but amber slimes just add mass to themselves while giving nothing back to nature. Because of this, they are considered harmful to the environment.

Trolls and ogres are the only creatures known to eat amber slimes, and while they may be tasty to these species, they don't actually offer much nutrition. Amber slimes are illegally farmed for culinary purposes, but for the most part they are considered loathsome pests. They tend to congregate near dumpsters, compost piles, battlefields, or anywhere flies and other vermin congregate. Large amber slime colonies are often found in sewers, where their stench might go unnoticed for a long time. But domestic infestations are rare, as home and business owners quickly catch onto the rancid odor suddenly coming from the walls, where these slimes may try feeding on rotting wood or dead vermin.

PALE

Pale slimes are the most recent subspecies to be discovered. It's rumored that they were secretly developed by a divine working with the World Athenaeum, in an experiment to control other slimes. However, Athenaeum officials have not confirmed or denied this. Pale slimes first appeared in the Midland Jungle region, but over the years their numbers have grown and sightings have spread all over the world. They are found wherever other slimes are, for they are exclusively cannibalistic, feeding only on other slimes.

This subspecies has a colorless, transluscent appearance. Their mucus is described as "neutral", not particularly sticky or slippery. It does not have corrosive properties and it is copletely odorless. Pale slimes seek out and absorb other subspecies of slimes. When they absorb a smaller slime, they temporarily take on its properties until they finish digesting it, which may take hours to days. If the pale slime tries to absorb a slime that is larger than itself, it may take on its properties permanently, essentially transforming into another subspecies.

The Peoples Protection League has tried using pale slimes to control other slime infestions with mixed results. In some cases it has proven effective, but in other cases it only made the infestation worse. This subspecies is still quite new to the scientific community and research is still ongoing, so their full potential and abilities are not yet known.

TRIVIA

-The world's largest known slime monster was a red slime, discovered deep in the Midland Jungle. It was digesting an entire elephant when researchers stumbled upon it. This was considered a highly unusual specimen, as the largest slimes overall tend to be green and amber. Blue and red subspecies are more likely to stay on the smaller side due to their complex feeding habits.

-Hunting wild amber slimes to make jelly is legal worldwide, but farming amber slimes is illegal in all Great Kingdoms.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[the-ashen-gm]

[Elden Ring 5e] Otherworldly Patron: The Flame of Ruin

[IMAGE ID: Elden Ring screenshot of a mage on horseback summoning an orb of flames to shine on a twisted abomination resembling an undead humanoid with too many arms. End ID.]

The gods have fought many battles in the past against countless foes - some more deserving than others. One of the most bitter wars conducted by the gods was against the so-called “Fell God”, the patron deity of a clan of fire giants. The only record of this war that remains is the insistence by the victors that it was necessary 

However, the Flame of Ruin that the fire giants worshipped still smoulders at the mountain’s peak. For those seeking ruinous, eldritch power, it is a veritable font of strength: a flame that the gods once feared. As such, there are secret orders of acolytes who draw power from the flames with the express purpose of keeping it hidden. You are one of the few who would dare use the flames to your own ends.

Includes:

A new warlock subclass

New eldritch invocations

New spells

Expanded Spell List

1st: Absorb elements, burning hands

2nd: Aganazzar’s scorcher*, enlarge/reduce

3rd: Fireball, Melf’s minute meteors

4th: Fire shield, wall of fire

5th: Destructive wave, immolation

*found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Visage of the Fell God

Starting at 1st level, you learn the produce flame cantrip. This does not count against your number of learned cantrips.Furthermore, you learn a lost secret to harness the power of the fire giants. When your current hit points are less than half of your maximum hit points, you can use an action to sacrifice your life energy for further ruinous strength. The bizarre one-eyed visage of the Fell God erupts from your chest and you gain the following traits for the next minute:

You reduce your hit point maximum by half.

You restore all your hit points and spell slots.

You become resistant to fire damage and cold damage. If you already have resistance to fire damage from another source, you are immune to fire damage.

You can use the visage of the Fell God as an arcane focus for your warlock spells. When you cast a spell that deals fire damage in this way, you deal extra damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.

When you take this special action, you cannot do so again until after you finish a long rest.

Flame Dance

Beginning at 6th level, you gain an additional benefit to your Pact Boon.

Pact of the Blade. When your pact weapon is a whip and you attack with it as an action, you can attack again on the same turn as a bonus action. When you do so, the damage type becomes fire.

Pact of the Chain. Your familiar can be a half-ogre (see Monster Manual). Its creature type is giant instead of celestial, fey, or fiend. It can use its reaction to deliver produce flame when you cast it, using its own senses to target a creature within range of itself.

Pact of the Tome. When you cast produce flame, you can instead unleash it as a melee spell attack. When you do so, your target and any other creatures of your choice within 5 feet of it take additional fire damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.

Fire Monk Incantation

Starting at 10th level, you can call upon the flames of the fire giants to bolster your flesh. Incant one of the following prayers as an action, beating your breast with a closed fist.

Flame, Cleanse Me. You remove the poisoned, blinded, and deafened conditions from yourself.

Flame, Grant Me Strength. When you next roll damage dice to determine fire damage, take the maximum result on a number of dice up to your level.

Flame, Protect Me. You have advantage on saving throws until the end of your next turn.You can utter these incantations a number of times equal to your spellcasting ability modifier, after which you must take a long rest to do so again.

Guardian of the Flame

Starting at 14th level, your connection with the long-dead Fell God deepens. When you take on the Visage of the Fell God, you gain the following additional benefits:

Your size increases by one size category. If you are under the effects of an enlarge spell, the spell’s duration extends to match the duration of this feature and does not require concentration.

Spells you cast that deal fire damage deal double damage to plants, objects, and structures. Furthermore, you can cast any cantrip that deals fire damage as a bonus action.

When you transform, any hostile creature that is smaller than you that can see you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed saving throw, it is frightened of you until the transformation ends.

Eldritch Invocations

Fell Familiar

Prerequisite: Pact of the Chain, 8th level

When your familiar is a half-ogre and within 100 feet of you, it also transforms when you use your Visage of the Fell God with a grotesque visage of its own. While you are transformed, it gains the following traits:

It becomes Huge.

It is immune to fire damage.

It can use its action to spew volcanic fire around itself. All creatures within 15 feet of the giant must make a Dexterity saving throw or take fire damage equal to your level.

It has advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks and uses your spellcasting ability modifier for Charisma checks instead of its own Charisma

Kindling Sacrifice

Prerequisite: Pact of the Tome, 14th level

You have learned of an ancient, blasphemous prophecy that foretells the ruin of the gods; you can use an element of the legend to use this power in a way that was foretold. You can cast teleport by burning an effigy of a kindling maiden worth 100gp for each creature being teleported as a special material component. The flames engulf the creatures being teleported and they reappear at the target destination, waking up as if from a deep sleep.

When you cast the spell in this way, you can reroll on the familiarity table if you roll “mishap”. Furthermore, you can teleport to any place that you have only seen or only know of by description with a 100% chance of success, granted that it is of legendary importance in your world (DM’s discretion).

You may also cast plane shift or dream of the blue veil using this invocation. To do so, construct an effigy worth twice as much for plane shift or three times as much for dream of the blue veil and select a destination that is spoken of in legend in your world. When you cast any spell using an effigy, you cannot cast a spell in this way again until you finish a long rest.

Spells

Fire’s Deadly Sin

3rd-level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Target: Self (5ft radius)

Components: V S

Duration: One minute

Classes: Druid, Cleric, Warlock

You call upon the flames of ruin to consume your flesh. For the duration, you are engulfed in ruinous flames, shedding bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light in for a further 15 feet. You sacrifice a hit die when you cast this spell and at the start of your turn for the duration. Creatures that come within 10 feet of you for the first time on their turn must make a Dexterity saving throw or take fire damage equal to double the hit dice you have sacrificed thus far, or half as much on a successful save. Flammable objects that are not being worn or carried and structures that come within 5 feet of you burst into flames. The spell ends if you run out of hit dice or use a bonus action to end it early.

Flame, Fall Upon Them

5th-level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 200 feet

Target: A 25-foot radius area within range

Components: V S M (A pinch of brimstone)

Duration: Instantaneous

Classes: Druid, Cleric, Warlock

You hurl flames at a 25-foot radius area within range. Creatures caught in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 7d10 fire damage, or half as much on a success. The targets have disadvantage on the saving throw if you are at least 20 feet above them. You may also cast this spell if there is an obstacle in the way that is less than 200 feet tall, but the targets will have advantage on the saving throw.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the spell deals an extra 1d10 damage per spell level above 5th.

Flame of the Fell God

6th-level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feetTarget: An unoccupied space of your choice within range

Components: V S M (A pinch of brimstone)

Duration: Up to 1 minute (concentration)

Classes: Druid, Cleric, Warlock

A 15-foot-diameter sphere of fire appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range and lasts for the duration. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 5d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Furthermore, the sphere unleashes a blast of hot air in a radius of 10 feet around it at the end of your turn. Creatures hit with the hot air must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

As a bonus action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet. If you ram the sphere into a creature, that creature must make the saving throw against the sphere’s damage, and the sphere stops moving this turn. When you move the sphere, you can direct it over barriers up to 5 feet tall and jump it across pits up to 10 feet wide. The sphere ignites flammable objects not being worn or carried, and it sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 6th.

[westernoverseasaustralia]

Australia New Update | New PR Pathway for TSS (Subclass 482) VISA Holders

Good news for skilled workers who have been in Australia on 482 VISA (short-term stream) and decided to stay there during COVID-19! They are now eligible to become permanent residents. It’s an encouraging initiative the Department of Home Affairs, Australia, took to benefit immigrants working in Australia under a short-term stream or regional occupation list. Earlier, no PR pathway was provided to skilled workers who moved to Australia under the Short-term stream of TSS VISA. However, this recent update has provided a new provision to the immigrants due to their stay during the pandemic. If you are unaware of the update, let’s explore more about it.

Who are eligible - All TSS 482 visa holders

All 482 visa holders can apply for PR in Australia on meeting certain conditions.

No PR provision was available to immigrants working in occupations under short-term streams.

Short-term 482 visa holders who stayed for at least one year between February 1, 2020, and December 14, 2021, are now eligible to apply for PR.

The PR application will be filed through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS-subclass 186) visa.

Also, it is mandatory to fulfill other conditions applied to the 186 visas.

The same pathway is also open to candidates with Medium-term stream TSS visa holders with an occupation on the Regional Occupation List (ROL).

Apply for TRT VISA subclass 186 - VISA Requirements 

You have the required skills and qualifications according to the occupation. You may be asked for a positive skill assessment report.

You must have been sponsored to work full-time for at least three or four years.

You must be nominated by an Australian employer operating a lawful business.

Apply for the 186 visa within six months of nomination.

You must have worked for three years with the same employer on visa 457 or 482 (MLTSSL)

You must be under 45 years.

You must have a competent level of English. IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, OET, and CAE English language tests are valid to prove English proficiency. 

You must be a visa holder of the following categories - Subclass 457 visa, Subclass 482 (Medium and Long-term Strategic List), Bridging visa A, B, or C issued after 457 or TSS expired, Subclass 482 (Short-term Skilled Occupation List or Regional Occupation List) with the following conditions:

Must have been in Australia for at least one year between February 1, 2020, and December 14, 2021

And meet other VISA requirements for the TRT stream

Must meet health and character requirements

Remember: This new PR pathway is valid for two years from July 01, 2022. So, try to apply before July 01, 2024, to avail the benefit.

For more such updates related to Australian immigration, follow Western Overseas. They are the best immigration lawyers in Australia, with vast industry knowledge and experience. They deal in many VISA categories for work opportunities in Australia and have helped thousands of clients reach their visa goals. Talk to them for the best visa consultation, subclass 482. 

[flyworldmigration]

The Easiest Way to Get an Australian Visa for Indians

Looking for the best agency for Australia immigration in Kerala that can help you easily migrate to Australia? Australia is an excellent destination to migrate to and settle down. But how does one accomplish this?

How do you get an Australian Visa? Who is going to help you in the process?

How do you choose the best consultancy?

Well your search ends here with Flyworld. Flyworld is a pioneer in the field of Australian immigration and legal affairs. A decade of experience in the immigration sector and a dedicated team of experts make Flyworld one of the top Australia PR visa consultants in Kerala.

Now, before beginning the process there are various factors that you need to consider. There are various factors and subclasses that you must be aware of in order to decide on the most suitable Australian visa for you and reduce your chances of visa refusal. All visas have certain qualifications and requirements upon which your application may qualify or disqualify.

Let us look at the important types of Australian visas.

Important categories of an Australian visa:

The general skilled visa

The General Skilled Visa is available to those considering migration to Australia and settling in the nation based on their skills. Employers within the country sponsor this visa. You can look for career opportunities that match your skill set. General Skilled Migration, also known as skilled migration, allows skilled workers and professionals to make an application for permanent residency in Australia through three subclasses: SC 189, SC 190, and SC 491. Applicants must choose an occupation from the Department of Home Affairs' skilled migration occupation list. A positive skills assessment from a qualified skills assessment body is required for the candidate.

Employer-sponsored Visa

Employers in Australia can sponsor highly trained people from other countries to live and work permanently in Australia through the Employee Nomination Scheme (ENS).

Employer-sponsored visas in Australia are intended for individuals who meet certain conditions.

Both the employee and the employer must go through assessments. The company wishing to sponsor will be asked to prove its authenticity. Following which, the personnel profile will be evaluated.

Different Types of Employer Sponsored Visas: Nomination Visa (186 employer sponsored visas), Occupational Trainee Visa (442 employer sponsored visas), Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (482)

Business visa

By applying for an Australian business visa, business owners and investors can gain permanent residency for themselves and their family members. Our team has years of expertise in obtaining visas for clients from a variety of industries and skill levels. Our immigration lawyers can increase the possibility of your visa approval while reducing the likelihood of visa rejection. Different types of business visas are: skilled independent work visa (subclass 188), business talent (permanent) visa (subclass 132), and subclass 189.

Partner Visa

Individuals who are married and have a permanent Australian visa can apply for a Partner Visa 820 or a Partner Visa 801 for their partner. The migration and legal experts at Flyworld, the best agency for Australia immigration in Kerala, can give excellent guidance and help you get a partner visa easily.

Migrate with the best agency for Australia immigration in Kerala

Flyworld Migration and Legal Service is the best choice if you are planning to migrate to Australia. Flyworld has a team of expert lawyers who are experienced in the field of Australian immigration and legal procedures. So they will be able to provide effective guidance throughout the course of your immigration journey.

Flyworld has regional offices in Australia and Dubai and has an excellent track record of serving thousands of happy customers. Our Melbourne-based immigration lawyers try their best to offer comprehensive details on visa application procedures. Changes may be made in accordance with the latest regulations and rules.

Being the leading Australia migration agency in Kochi, our licenced migration consultants will assist you with personalised guidance, give you a checklist of paperwork, and make a visa application with a legal submission. This procedure will let case officers cross-check your application with applicable legal requirements and ensure a successful migration process. So hurry up and contact our experts now.

[educationpanache]

How to become a Permanent Resident in Australia?

Permanent Residency in Australia is all about the Australia PR Visa, which provides you with long-term benefits. When you decide to stay in this country of limitless opportunities, there is no need for more experience you will acquire when you come to Australia from India. You can see how an Australia PR Visa may impact your life more than you can imagine. As the world's 12th largest economy, you'll be delighted to know that Australia has the world's fifth-highest per capita income, making it a destination for business people searching for investment opportunities. 

If you want to apply for Australia PR (Permanent Resident) you can get a consultation from Panache Immigration, the best Permanent Resident Visa Consultants in Jalandhar. You can get complete guidance and support on your visa application process. 

How to Apply for an Australia PR Visa?

Choose an occupation

To begin, you must find a job that matches your past work experience and skills. The Department of Home Affairs Australia maintains a list of in-demand jobs that qualify you for the General Skilled Migration visa. It’s necessary to choose an occupation that matches your job history that defines a field based on the skill level and expertise required to complete the activities of that group's specialized domain.

Evaluate your skills

You must have a positive skills evaluation for your chosen occupation to apply for any GSM category. The Skills Assessment is critical in determining if your education and job experience meet Australian requirements. Every profession has its evaluating authority. For example, Trade occupations are taken charge of Trades Recognition Australia and Engineering occupations are evaluated by Engineers Australia. Before beginning the PR visa application procedure, please confirm with the appropriate assessment body for your selected discipline.

Check State Occupation Lists/Visa Requirements

However, if you are applying for a State Nominated or Regional Nomination Visa. You need to complete this step. The Australian government has delegated authority to individual states and territories to invite skilled workers to migrate. Each state provides a list of vocations and eligibility requirements that potential immigrants must complete before applying. It makes sense to check the eligibility conditions and occupation listings provided by each state to see which occupations are in demand and if you fulfill the visa stream's eligibility standards.

Lodge an Expression of Interest

Once you've completed the following procedures, it's time to submit an Expression of Interest, also known as the points-tested system. To be eligible for a subclass 189 visa or any other visa category, you must have at least 65 points in the system. It is the minimal score, thus the better the score, the more likely you will receive an Invitation to Apply. You will be awarded points depending on age, employment experience, English language skills, education, relationship status, and other factors.

Submit your application

Finally, if you have received an Invitation to Apply or a state nomination, you may apply for an official visa using your immigration account. This procedure necessitates the submission of different documents, including proof of education, work experience, language ability, and so on.

Hopefully, this information will assist you in planning your move to Australia. Regardless of how straightforward the above information appears, it is still critical to contact an immigration agent to avoid any mistakes throughout the procedure.

Why choose us?

Panache Immigration and Education Consultants aim to thrill our clients at every stage of their interaction with us.  We as the best Permanent Resident Visa Consultants offer high-quality migration services for qualified individuals, students, and families.

Panache Immigration and Education Consultants have a beneficial impact on the professional prospects of countless applicants, and our continued relationship with our students.  You, too, can be a part of our success stories, giving your work and life a new dimension. Visit now and get complete assistance from the Permanent Resident Visa Consultants.

[nerdythebard]

#14: Ao Kuang, Dragon King of the Eastern Seas

Gods and Goddesses!

We return from our journey, to once again bring divinity to your D&D game! We take our first look into the Chinese pantheon, with the Great Dragon King – Ao Kuang! This violent dragon, associated with storms and seas, may be known to some of you Journey to the West readers as the one from whom Sun Wukong received the Ruyi Jingu Bang (aka Power Pole, for you Dragon Ball weebs ;D). In SMITE, Ao Kuang is a melee mage, so let's see what we can do!

Next Time: Hey, Tumblr staff, please don't ban me. I swear there is a reason she's almost naked!

So, what do we need to play as the world's most dangerous wet noodle?

A MIGHTY SWORD: Ao Kuang is a melee fighter with magical powers and a sword that channels electricity and summons dragons to fight on his behalf.

Water Illusionist: As the dragon of storms and seas, we need to command those particular forces of nature. Ao Kuang also has the ability to set decoys and disappear from sight.

A GIANT F**K-YOU DRAGON: Ao Kuang's Ultimate lets him transform into his draconic form and rain death from above. I'll tell you right away, we won't be able to transform fully into a dragon, but we'll get the very best close second.

---

When it comes to Ao Kuang's race, I don't see any other option than Dragonborn. More specifically, we're going to use the 2021 Draconic Options Unearthed Arcana and play as a Metallic Dragonborn. We get to choose two of our abilities to boost (+2 Charisma and +1 Dexterity), and also pick our Metallic Ancestry; although the Dragon Form in the picture above is shown as green, we're going with Bronze ancestry for its Lightning damage type. We also get a Breath Weapon, a dragon standard. We can replace our melee or spell attack with a 15-foot cone of energy burst. Each creature within the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + our Constitution modifier + our proficiency bonus), or take 2d8 lightning damage (half damage on a successful save; damage increases as we level up).

Metallic Dragonborns also get Draconic Resilience, which grants us resistance to damage type associated with our draconic ancestry, in this case, lightning. We also know Common and one language of our choice (most likely Draconic).

The regal and powerful Ao Kuang is definitely a Noble. We gain proficiency in History and Persuasion, one type of gaming set, and we learn one more language of our choice. The Position of Privilege feature grants us enough clout to walk around like we own whatever place we're in... because we probably do. It lets us secure an audience with another noble, better accommodation than others, or perhaps convince locals to fight on your behalf.

ABILITY SCORES

We'll start with Dexterity, as it's going to be our primary damage-dealing ability. We're flowing like a river, but striking swiftly like a lightning. Charisma is next, we've gained our title of the Dragon King by being intimidating as all hells and by keeping our subjects' loyalty (spoiler alert, it's also going to be our spellcasting ability). Follow that up with Constitution, we're a dragon, we need to be tough enough.

Wisdom is next, once again - we're a dragon and we're Chinese - we're practically the epitome of that trait. Strength is a little lower than I would like it, but it's fixable. Finally, we'll dump Intelligence; we're not stupid, we just need other abilities more.

CLASS

This one was another tough one. Ao Kuang is a swordsman primarily, but there are several high-level spells that fit his style and abilities. I think I've arrived at a satisfying conclusion, though, so sit back and enjoy the ride:

Level 1 - Fighter: We begin as the generic damage-dealer. Starting with a d10 Hit Dice, [10 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, and proficiency with light armour, medium armour, heavy armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons (I suggest going with a shortsword, because of its Finesse property). Our saving throws are Strength and Constitution, and we get to pick two class skills (Intimidation and Athletics).

Fighters begin by choosing their Fighting Style. Since Ao Kuang uses just a sword and no shield, Duelling is the style we're going to go with; while wielding a weapon in one hand and no other weapon, we gain a +2 to damage rolls with that weapon. We also get Second Wind, which lets us recover [1d10 + our Fighter level] Hit Points as a bonus action once per short or long rest.

Level 2 - Fighter: Starting at this level, we get Action Surge. It lets us take one additional action on our turn once per short or long rest. The number of extra actions we can take increases as we level up.

Level 3 - Fighter: We get a secondary racial ability, the Metallic Breath Weapon. Similarly to the other one, it covers a 15-foot cone, but this time we exhale a magical gas (Save DC = 8 + our Constitution modifier + our proficiency bonus). We get to choose one of two effects:

Each affected creature must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed back 20 feet from us, and be knocked prone;

Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of our next turn.

At this level, we also get to pick our subclass - our Martial Archetype. Now, I decided to go with Matt Mercer's Echo Knight to at least get the taste of Ao Kuang's duplicate ability (since we won't get access to the Mislead spell). Simply re-flavour the 'summoning yourself from another timeline' into 'creating water & vapour illusions' and we're good to go.

Echo Knight's signature ability is Manifest Echo. We summon one magical, translucent shade of ourselves that lasts until it is destroyed/we dismiss it/we're incapacitated. Our Echo has the AC of [14 + our proficiency bonus], 1 Hit Point, and is immune to all conditions. During our turn, we can move our Echo up to 30 feet in any direction (any further distance destroys it). We can use our Echo in the following ways:

As a bonus action, we can swap places with our Echo, at a cost of 15 feet of movement, no matter the distance between us;

When we take the Attack action, it can come from our Echo's space, essentially giving us 30 feet reach for our attacks;

If a creature that's within 5 feet of our Echo moves out of its melee range, we can make the attack of opportunity against it.

We also get Unleash Incarnation. When we take the Attack action, we can make one additional attack from our Echo's position. We can use this feature a number of times equal to our Constitution modifier.

Level 4 - Fighter: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement. We're not going to raise any numbers, however. Instead, we'll take the Dragon Hide feat from Xanathar's Guide to Everything. As we manifest draconic scales on our body, we get to increase one of three abilities (let's make it Constitution), and our AC while not wearing any armour becomes [13 + our Dexterity modifier]. We also gain a natural weapon in the form of our long dragon claws; we can use those to make an unarmed strike that deals [1d4 + our Strength modifier] bludgeoning damage.

Level 5 - Fighter: We gain Extra Attack. This lets us attack twice instead of once during one Attack action.

Level 6 - Sorcerer: Time to mess with some magic. In-game, Ao Kuang is not a ranged caster, so all the spells we choose here will be more in the support category. Sorcerers start with picking their subclass, their Sorcerous Origin. Since we are the Dragon King, it's only natural to pick Draconic. Sike. We're the storm lord, we're going with Storm Sorcery from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

The Wind Speaker feature teaches us how to speak and read Primordial, the language of elementals. Tempestuous Magic gives us a flying speed of 10 feet, any time we cast a spell of 1st-level or higher. If we use this flight to escape the enemy, we do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Sorcerers are creatures with the innate ability to control magic, therefore they start with the Spellcasting feature and know both standard spells and cantrips. We start with four cantrips:

Blade Ward gives us resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until the end of our next turn;

Minor Illusion creates a sound or an image within 30 feet of us and lasts for 1 minute. The image cannot be interacted with, and a successful Investigation check reveals the illusion.

Shape Water grants us control over a 5-foot cube area of water within 30 feet of us. We can choose from several different effects: we can change the water's flow, create small shapes on its surface, change the water's colour and opacity, or freeze it for 1 hour.

Shocking Grasp sends a jolt of electricity into one target we touch. On a successful melee attack (we get an advantage if the target's wearing metal), the enemy suffers 1d8 lightning damage (damage increases as we level us) and cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

We start with two 1st-level spell slots, and we know two 1st-level spells:

Fog Cloud creates a 20-foot-radius sphere of dense mist within 120 feet for 1 hour (concentration). The fogged area is considered heavily obscured, effectively blinding all creatures within.

Shield can be used as a reaction to when we're being hit. Until the start of our next turn, we get a +5 bonus to our AC.

Level 7 - Sorcerer: We gain the Sorcerer's signature ability, Font of Magic. We get access to Sorcery Points (currently 2), which can be spent on our Metamagic abilities or to create spell slots. We also gain another spell slot, and we learn one more 1st-level spell: Feather Fall greatly decreases the falling speed for us and up to five falling creatures within 60 feet for 1 minute. If we reach the ground before the spell ends, we take no fall damage.

Level 8 - Sorcerer: We unlock the previously mentioned Metamagic. This allows us to burn Sorcery Points, in order to modify our spells in a variety of ways. We learn two Metamagic options from the start:

Quickened Spell: Spending 2 Sorcery Points lets us change the spell's casting time from Action to Bonus Action;

Subtle Spell: Spending 2 Sorcery Points lets us cast a spell without using verbal or somatic components.

At this level, we unlock 2nd-level spell slots and can learn one more spell: Magic Weapon gives our weapon magical properties for 1 hour (concentration), for the purpose of overcoming resistances. It also gains a +1 to both attack and damage rolls.

Level 9 - Sorcerer: We get another ASI. Let's raise our Dexterity by 2 points, to get some better AC.

We also get another cantrip: Frostbite causes numbing frost to appear on one target within 60 feet of us. The enemy must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 cold damage (damage increases as we level up) and the next weapon attack roll they make before the end of its next turn is made with a disadvantage.

We learn another spell: Warding Wind creates a 10-foot-radius sphere of strong, howling wind centred on us and moving along with us. The wind lasts for 10 minutes (concentration) and has the following effects:

It deafens us and all creatures within;

It extinguished any unprotected flames;

It hedges out vapours, gases, and fogs;

The area becomes difficult terrain for creatures other than us;

The attack rolls of ranged weapons coming in or out of the wind are made with a disadvantage.

Level 10 - Sorcerer: Halfway through the build, and we unlock 3rd-level spell slots. One more spell enters our repertoire:

Tidal Wave creates a rolling mass of water that crashes down on an area within range (120 feet). The area can be up to 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 10 feet tall. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone (half damage on a successful save and no knockdown).

Level 11 - Sorcerer: We get our Storm Sorcery upgrades. Heart of the Storm gives us resistance to lightning and thunder damage. In addition, whenever we cast a spell that deals lightning or thunder damage, storm magic erupts within 10 feet of us, dealing [half of our Sorcerer level] either lightning or thunder damage to all creatures of our choice within range.

Storm Guide gives us the ability to subtly influence the weather around us. If it's raining, we can use a bonus action to stop the rainfall in a 20-foot-radius sphere. If it's windy, we can use a bonus action to change the direction of the wind within a 100-foot-radius sphere.

For this level's spell, Lightning Bolt creates a stroke of lightning blasting in a 100 feet long and 5 feet wide line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 8d6 lightning damage (half damage on a successful save). The lightning ignites any flammable objects.

Level 12 - Sorcerer: We unlock 4th-level spell slots here and gain one more spell:

Greater Invisibility renders our body (along with clothes and weaponry) completely imperceptible for 1 minute (concentration). Unlike regular Invisibility, this ability does not end when we attack with weapons.

Level 13 - Sorcerer: We get another ASI here. Let's get +2 to our Constitution for better Hit Points and our racial abilities.

For this level's spell, Dimension Door lets us teleport to a spot within 500 feet of us. It can be a place we can see or visualize. We can also bring objects with us or one willing creature. If we were to arrive at a spot already occupied by a creature or an object, we take 4d6 force damage and the spell doesn't teleport us.

Level 14 - Sorcerer: We unlock 5th-level spells, and we can finally take the one spell I've been waiting for:

Summon Draconic Spirit lets us call forth a spirit that takes the form of a giant f**k-you dragon! For 1 hour (concentration) a Large dragon spirit appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of us and obeys our commands. This is the best we can get to portray Ao Kuang's Ultimate ability.

Level 15 - Fighter: Having obtained our dragon summon, we can come back to swinging our Mighty Sword! And we return to an ASI! Let's get a +2 to our Strength score.

Level 16 - Fighter: We get our Echo Knight upgrade. We can temporarily see and hear through our Echo's eyes and ears thanks to Echo Avatar. We can use this ability for 10 minutes and during this time we can move our Echo up to 1,000 feet from us without it being destroyed.

Level 17 - Fighter: We get another ASI. Let's get a +2 to our Intelligence to avoid negative modifiers in our sheet.

Level 18 - Fighter: We gain the Indomitable feature. Once per long rest, we can reroll a failed saving throw, but we must use the new result even if it's worse than the original one.

Level 19 - Fighter: We get our final subclass upgrade, the Shadow Martyr feature. Once per short or long rest, we can make our Echo protect another creature by sacrificing itself. Before the attack roll is made, we can use a reaction to move the Echo in front of the targeted creature. The triggered attack roll is then made against our Echo instead.

Level 20 - Fighter: Our capstone is Fighter 11, which gives us an upgrade to our Extra Attack feature. We can now attack three times whenever we take the Attack action.

---

And that is Ao Kuang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Seas. Let's see how well we've portrayed him:

I gotta be honest with you guys, I'm pretty proud of this build. I might have to pat myself on the back for this one. We have a very nice combination of sword and sorcery, with draconic flavour and good survivability. We have an Unarmoured AC of 17 (going up to 22 with the Shield spell), +4 to our Initiative rolls, and 148 Hit Points on average. None of our abilities reaches 20, but we don't suffer from negative modifiers so I consider that an absolute win. The only downside I can see is, we have very few skills and only two related to an ability we're good at.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and I'll see you for the next one!

- Nerdy out!

[felonyring73]

Peptide

What Is Sarm? Every Little Thing You Need To Understand

Content

Product Classifications.

Sarm (sarm Rabbit Polyclonal Antibody.

Journal Of Peptide Scientific Research.

Procollagen Peptide Kind 3 (p3np Or Piiinp).

Manufacturing of BAPs by Lactobacillus types is relatively inexpensive, compared to making use of cleansed enzymes. It additionally has a better potential to generate brand-new peptide series as well as, therefore, brand-new BAPs with particular biological homes. Nevertheless, there are still some challenges for further commercial exploitation of lactobacilli, such as the poor characterization of CEPs from various species and also the low returns of peptide production by fermentation. proven sarms of the proteolytic system of lactobacilli can overcome these difficulties. In this evaluation, an approach was suggested for selecting efficient BAP-producing Lactobacillus stress.

How long is LGD 4033 in your system?

While clinical trial participants on Ligandrol did have a higher rate of throat infections, it was concluded this was not due to the drug. Ligandrol can be detected for up to 21 days in the urine of those who take it.

The comprehensive discussion on the hidden devices as well as effects of microbial resistance to AMPs is past the range of this review, as well as the viewers is described the outstanding current evaluation by Andersson et al. Significantly, it is suggested that bacterial fatality triggered by AMPs might be a result of multiple and also complementary actions, described as multi-hit mechanism. Peptides standing for the 3 major classifications of the second structures of AMPs.

Item Categories.

Vitamin C has additionally been revealed to assist bone recovery, which may be related to the function this plays in synthesizing collagen in our body. There is additionally some proof that collagen supplements might help in the therapy of rheumatoid joint inflammation; which is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes swelling as well as pain in the joints. However this evidence is combined, as well as there is a lot stronger evidence to support well-known medical treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, such as the drug methotrexate. Collagen is a vital component of the connective tissue as well as cartilage material which is found in our joints. Some researchers have suggested that collagen supplements might aid in the therapy as well as prevention of osteo arthritis by minimizing swelling and preserving cartilage. Collagen is a protein which is naturally created in our body.

oligosaccharide, polysaccharide, or their by-products (e.g. sulfo- or phospho-substituted). Proteoglycans are a subclass of glycoproteins in which the carbohydrate units are polysaccharides that contain amino sugars.

Sarm (sarm Bunny Polyclonal Antibody.

The chain of repeating systems is connected to the protein by an oligosaccharide of a structure different from the duplicating devices. This linkage area is identical in the majority of the proteoglycans, but is different in keratan sulfate. Buy SARMs contains repeating systems of N-acetyllactosamine that are O-sulfated. Proteoglycans may additionally have one or more oligosaccharides of frameworks similar to those found in various other glycoproteins. The carboxyl group of the muramic acid is generally substituted by a peptide including residues of both L- as well as D-amino acids, whereas that of L-talosaminuronic acid is replaced by a peptide containing L-amino acids only. A glycoprotein is a compound containing carbohydrate covalently linked to healthy protein. The carbohydrate may remain in the kind of a monosaccharide, disaccharide.

What Are SARMs? – Types, Cycle, Benefits - - VENTS Magazine

What Are SARMs? – Types, Cycle, Benefits -.

Posted: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It is also one of the most bountiful protein in the body-- audit for about 30% of our overall healthy protein content. Collagen is a vital part of connective tissues-- which supply support, structure as well as security in our body, in addition to binding together organs or various other cells. Nonetheless, they have a tendency to glob with each other away from the polar or charged molecules. This clumping of hydrophobic particles is called hydrophobic communication. The coiling of RNA chain onto itself happens through hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bond is formed as between a hydrogen atom and also a very electronegative atom like oxygen or nitrogen. When a hydrogen atom comes within the electron fondness of an extremely electronegative atom like oxygen or nitrogen, electrostatic forces of tourist attraction among the proton of hydrogen and also the lone pair of electrons in oxygen or nitrogen.

Journal Of Peptide Scientific Research.

For example, poultry ovalbumin consists of a solitary glycosylated amino-acid residue (Asn-293), yet more than a loads different oligosaccharides have been identified at that website. In proteoglycans, private glycosaminoglycan chains might vary in framework, e.g. the degree of sulfation, the proportion of glucuronic acid to L-iduronic acid, and chain size. Proteoglycans are for that reason very polydisperse, unlike common glycoproteins which, even with their microheterogeneity, are not markedly polydisperse in their molecular dimension. A proteoglycan is a protein glycosylated by one or more glycosaminoglycans. The hexosamines are usually N-acetylated, as well as in some of the glycosaminoglycans the D- glucosamine is N-sulfated. Varying levels of sulfation occur in other placements of the hexosamines as well as on the L-iduronic acid.

This choice treatment integrates using a conventional technique with targeted approaches based on in silico evaluation that were so far primarily utilized for BAPs produced by detoxified enzymes or gastro-intestinal enzymes. helveticus of dairy origin, 6, 4, 21, and also 20 of them had 4, 3, 2, or 1 CEP paralogs, respectively. Miyamoto et al. studied 6 pressures separated in Mongolia as well as reported various healthy protein hydrolysis patterns than in strains isolated in European or North American nations. The only paralog detected in the 6 Mongolian stress was PrtH1. Hydrolysis pattern distinctions were likewise observed between various Lb.

Procollagen Peptide Type 3 (p3np Or Piiinp).

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In spite of the substantial development in our understanding of the incident, biosynthesis, residential properties and functions of the glycoproteins, this definition stays proper. Hereditary characterization of a cell envelope-associated proteinase from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32. Characterization of the cell wall-bound proteinase of Lactobacillus casei HN14. A testimonial of QSAR researches to predict task of ACE peptide preventions.

Bioactive Healthy Protein as well as Peptides Market report evaluations the effect of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Bioactive Protein and Peptides sector. Because the COVID-19 infection break out in December 2019, the condition has actually infected virtually 180+ nations around the globe with the World Wellness Company declaring it a public wellness emergency situation. The degrees gauged are made use of to guide professional therapy as well as would certainly be examined along with investigations such as echocardiogram as well as heart MRI scan results. A couple of tiny researches have located that eating collagen, in the type of gelatin, might result in a decrease in hunger. It deserves noting that each of these studies consisted of much less than 25 individuals, and none gauged real changes in weight.

The most potent SARM for promoting one of the most muscle development is RAD 140, additionally known as Testolone.

For example, LGD-4033 and also S-23 have been carried out to balance out the bulking impacts of testolone.

LGD-4033 and also S-4 have been piled for their results on weight management, as have LGD-4033 as well as SR9009 Stenabolic and also GW501516.

It's also taken into consideration better in a stack with ostarine to assist increase healing time as well as keep up with the efficiency enhancement of testolone.

It boosts endurance and also strength, adds to the advancement of dry, compacted muscle mass.

Unscrupulous suppliers may market such products as "lawful steroids" or "steroid alternatives".

LL-37 and human lactoferricin represent α-helical peptides, human β-defensin 1 stands for β-sheet peptides, and indolocidin represents extended/random-coil frameworks. AMPs in nature are generated either by ribosomal translation of mRNA or by nonribosomal peptide synthesis. While nonribosomally synthesized peptides are generally produced by microorganisms, the ribosomally synthesized AMPs are genetically inscribed and produced by all varieties of life, bacteria included. Without effort to offer an extensive overview when it come to all kinds of AMPs identified from various resources, this review focuses on used therapeutic facets with the emphasis of AMPs being examined as prospective medicinal agents. xClose dialog boxPlease log in to your account to include items to your favourites.

This approach uses a mix of traditional methods and in silico devices. By describing various methods for BAP production and a method for pressure selection, this work aims at providing a basic operations for development of different BAP-containing products making use of lactobacilli. For instance, various CEPs were isolated as well as purified or partially purified from Pound. Relating to the production of BAPs using Lactobacillus species, the inter- as well as intra-genus variability of proteolytic activity and also specificity make stress option hard. A technique for choice of BAP-producing Lactobacillus strains is suggested.

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A certain glycoprotein might happen in kinds that vary in the framework of several of its carb units, a sensation understood microheterogeneity. Such distinctions may impact both the size and charge of specific glycoproteins; periodically, the differences might be only due to changes in link placement in a carb device.

Are we killing ourselves to look beautiful? - ABC Online

Are we killing ourselves to look beautiful?.

Posted: Sun, 15 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Endonucleases, they can damage the phosphodiester bond also from within the chain of nucleotides. Exonucleases, they break the phosphodiester bond starting from one end of the chain. An example of thioester link is the one in between the thiol team of CoA and also the carboxylic team of acetic acid in Acetyl CoA. It is a tweaked kind of ester link in which the oxygen bridge is made use of to connect a carbon atom with a sulfur atom. It is formed as a result of the reaction between the carboxylic group of one molecule as well as the thiol group (- SH) of an additional molecule.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Alex Flores. Made for Riot Games)

In my continuation of terrifying builds for terrifying characters here’s a build for the scariest champion in League of Legends. The prime horror icon on the rift who everyone points to and says “now that is a scary champion!” Nocturne!

Fiddlesticks? How could that bag of twigs and metal be scary?

GOALS

Do I scare you, summoner? - Nocturne is a champion of fear... I mean at least until someone else came along. Still pretty good at making other champs terrified though.

The light is fading - Fighting Nocturne with spells is pointless: cast one and he gets more powerful.

Darkness... - An assassin is scary. An assassin who can turn off the lights, pop up behind you and scream “OOOGA BOOGA!” is even scarier!

RACE

There’s several things Nocturne could be and none of them really fit the description of “shadow spirit demon.” So fuck it may as well be a Changeling, to take the form of whatever your prey fears the most! As a Changeling you get +2 to Charisma and +1 to another ability of your choice... which can be Charisma! So fuck it +3 to Charisma! You also get two skill proficiencies of your choice thanks to Changeling Instincts (take Intimidation and Insight to see through your prey and strike them with fear) and you can learn two languages to compliment your Common language. (Pick whatever it doesn’t matter.)

But of course the main feature of a Changeling is their Shapechanger trait. It’s basically Disguise Self but your clothes don’t change: you still have to have a basic arrangement of limbs, can’t change your size so much that you change size categories, can’t disguise as something you’ve never seen, etc. etc. etc. But even so there’s more than enough shapechanging you can do to strike fear into your foes!

ABILITY SCORES

15; CHARISMA - You are a being of ultimate horror who knows exactly how to get under someone’s skin.

14; DEXTERITY - Nocturne is an assassin who can travel across massive swaths of the map in an instant, and your arm blades don’t seem like they’d be too heavy.

13; WISDOM - To truly terrify someone you’ve gotta know what makes them tick.

12; INTELLIGENCE - You need smarts to be scary. You need to know why they’re scared.

10; CONSTITUTION - Nocturne is a squishy assassin. (Though that being said feel free to swap INT and CON if you want better health but worse RP.)

8; STRENGTH - Nocturne is a ghost so weak that he can only attack you in your dreams... at least until your dreams become real.

BACKGROUND

There’s no background for “Ancient Nightmare Demon” so how about you join an assassin’s club instead? The Volstrucker Agent background from Wildemount gives you proficiency in Deception and Stealth along with a Poisoner’s Kit and a language of your choice. (Again pick whatever.)

Your feature Shadow Network lets you talk to other demons... the worst of the worst... assassin mains. If you write a letter in special ink, address it to a member of the Volstrucker, and throw it into a fire, the letter will materialize on the person of the agent you addressed it to. The ink used to send a letter is the same as the ink to write in a spellbook, and writing a letter in this ink costs 10 gp per page. Tell Talon you’re ganking, or tell Evelynn that she’s a hoe.

This background is fairly easy to adapt outside of Wildemount but be ready to alter it in case your DM doesn’t allow Wildemount content.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - MONK 1

What? Were you expecting the magical nightmare demon to have magic? Well we need Monk levels for a number of things (notably Saving Throws) but firstly let’s talk skills: take proficiency in Acrobatics and History to jump into people’s dreams and know exactly how to frighten them! You also get a tool proficiency so take Brewer’s Supplies. A spirit making spirits? How droll!

As a Monk you have Unarmored Defense equal to your Dexterity plus your Wisdom. Yeah Nocturne does kinda wear armor, but you’ll have to go without it if you want to use Martial Arts. While unarmored and unarmed with nothing but Monk weapons (which are simple weapons and shortswords - I’d argue that your arm blades are sickles?) you gain the following benefits:

Your fists and Monk weapons can be used with DEX instead of STR.

Your unarmed strike becomes a d4 (and will increase as you level up in Monk.)

When you make an attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

LEVEL 2 - MONK 2

Second level Monks can chase down their prey with Unarmored Movement, increasing their movement by 10 feet while unarmored (as the name suggests.) But if you need to chase them down faster with Duskbringer then Ki will help with that. You have a number of Ki points equal to your level in Monk which you can use in a number of ways:

Flurry of Blows will let you spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action after attacking, instead of just one.

Patient Defense will activate Shroud of Darkness for 1 ki point so you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

Step of the Wind will let you take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn at the cost of 1 Ki, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.

This should be more than enough to chase down your foes, but realize that your Ki points are limited. They come back on a short rest though, so you needn’t worry much.

LEVEL 3 - WARLOCK 1

Oh hey look it’s Warlock again. Warlocks can choose their subclass at level 1 so it’s time to go Unearthed Arcana with the Undead patron, not to be confused with the Undying patron which doesn’t have the abilities we want.

Abilities such as Form of Dread: As a Bonus Action you can transform for 1 minute to gain temporary hitpoints and immunity to the Frightened condition, but most importantly all your attacks will force a Wisdom save on the target or else frighten them for a round. You can transform a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

And of course Warlocks get Pact Magic: you learn two cantrips from the Warlock list. To attack around you with your Umbra Blades take Sword Burst, and to let your foes know for whom the bell toles take Toll the Dead, because not taking Eldritch Blast would be a true nightmare.

You can also learn two first level spells: Hex will let you single an enemy out to do more damage to them, and Cause Fear lets you cause fear! Funny how that works. Hit your foes with Unspeakable Horror before cutting them down.

LEVEL 4 - WARLOCK 2

Second level Warlocks get Eldritch Invocations to boost their abilities in the realm of dreams. Devil’s Sight will let you see through magical darkness which is good considering that your ultimate (which we don’t have yet) makes the whole world dark. For your second invocation Misty Visions will let you create an illusion of your target’s greatest fears. And then don’t even have to be asleep!

You also get another spell but we’ll hold onto it until...

LEVEL 5 - WARLOCK 3

Third level Warlocks can learn second level spells like Blindness / Deafness from the Undead list for some more darkness, and Cloud of Daggers, because a spinning knife box is pretty spooky.

Yes I am aware that you can get the Darkness spell proper at this level but wait for a minute!

Of course more importantly you get your Pact Boon at level 3 and for a sword-arm ghost take Pact of the Blade, to make your swords on your arms or somewhere else on your body.

LEVEL 6 - WARLOCK 4

4th level means an Ability Score Improvement, and since you’re going to be doing a lot of slashing take a Dexterity increase.

You also get another spell at this level along with another cantrip: Suggestion will let you mess with a creature’s thoughts a little to make them do things they’d never dream of! For your cantrip Prestidigitation lets you do a bunch of minor major spooky stuff. Because the true fear is not taking a d10 damage cantrip.

(Artwork by Choe HeonHwa. Made for Riot Games)

LEVEL 7 - MONK 3

You’re probably wondering what the point of these Monk levels are. Simple: Way of Shadows Monks are masters of darkness thanks to Shadow Arts. You can now cast spells using your Ki: you can cast Minor Illusion for free and for 2 Ki points you can cast Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Silence, or DARKNESS. You also get Deflect Missiles at level 3, making you an unkillable nightmare. Or at least a resilient nightmare.

LEVEL 8 - MONK 4

4th level in Monk means another Ability Score Improvement: more Dexterity is needed to survive. Speaking of survive: Slow Fall will help in case you get stuck in that dream where you’re constantly falling.

LEVEL 9 - MONK 5

5th level Monks get an Extra Attack, letting them attack an extra time with their arm blades, or their fists as your Martial Arts die also increase to a d6.

But of course to scare your foes to the point that they can barely move Stunning Strike will let you force a Constitution save or stun your target! I mean, it probably won’t work because your Wisdom is so low but...

LEVEL 10 - WARLOCK 5

Quickly hopping to 5th level of Warlock for Shroud of Darkness: grab Counterspell to counter any spells coming your way. You also get another Eldritch Invocation and while Nocturne doesn’t turn invisible in on the rift One with Shadows will let you hide effectively in bushes.

LEVEL 11 - MONK 6

6th level Monks can finally embrace the darkness thanks to Shadow Step. When in dim light or darkness you can teleport up to 60 feet as a bonus action to an unoccupied space you can see, as long as that spot is also in dim light or darkness. You also have advantage on the first melee attack you make after teleporting.

You can make Darkness with your Ki which means that this ability should almost always be available. So let the Paranoia set in before jumping behind your foes to scream “OOOGA BOOGA!” Oh and your Unarmored Movement increases by 5 feet, up to 45 feet now.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 12 - WARLOCK 6

6th level Undead Warlocks are Grave Touched. You no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe, because nightmare logic. Additionally, when you hit a creature with an attack you can replace the damage type with necrotic damage. While you are using your Form of Dread, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes. So instead of doing bludgeoning damage with your fists you can do necrotic damage instead, and rip at their minds! Wait no that’s psychic damage...

Regardless you can learn a third level spell like Speak with Dead, because what’s spookier than a talking corpse?

LEVEL 13 - WARLOCK 7

7th level Warlocks get another Eldritch Invocation: to never lose track of your prey take Ghostly Gaze for some All Seeing Spirit.

You can also learn 4th level spells like Shadow of Moil to shroud yourself in darkness. Yeah I hope you didn’t think I’d stop linking to that sound clip!

LEVEL 14 - WARLOCK 8

8th level Warlocks get another Ability Score Improvement: maximize your nightmare blades with a capped Dexterity modifier. You can also learn another spell like Death Ward to come back from anything your foes may throw at you. Guardian Angel? What a nightmare!

LEVEL 15 - WARLOCK 9

9th level Warlocks get another Eldritch Invocation. Want to hover? Ascendant Step lets you hover!

You can also learn 5th level spells at this level so it’s time to finally give people proper nightmares with the Dream spell. It’s a fairly complicated spell but in essence you can project yourself into someone’s dreams to talk to them, or to yell “OOOGA BOOGA” at them to make them take Psychic damage while also being unable to get a proper long rest.

LEVEL 16 - WARLOCK 10

10th level Undead Warlocks can leave their Mortal Husk: You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and you are using your Form of Dread, you instead become immune to necrotic damage.

Additionally, when you are reduced to 0 hit points you can explode! Each creature within 30 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to 2d10 + your warlock level and you get up with 1 HP. Once you revive this way, you receive a point of exhaustion and you can’t do so again until you finish 1d4 long rests. Look: Nocturne doesn’t explode in-game but there’s nothing saying he can’t do so.

You also don’t get another spell at this level, but you do get another cantrip! Mind Sliver is an Unearthed Arcana spell (that’s been confirmed for Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) which will let you further reach into your prey’s mind, and see their deepest fears of not taking a d10 damage cantrip.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 17 - WARLOCK 11

11th level Warlocks get their 6th level Mystic Arcanum, which is a 6th level slot that comes back on a Long Rest. So it’s basically a normal spell slot but you can’t upcast your Pact Magic or your Mystic Arcanum. There are some good options to choose from (shoutout to Mental Prison) but if you want to freak out your foes with a spooky eye trick take Eyebite. Along with making your eyes (and I quote!) “become an inky void imbued with dread power“ you can force your foes to make Wisdom saves or suffer a variety of effects. I suggest reading the spell over properly to learn everything it can do.

Oh but you know what else is cool? Regular Warlock spells! And you get a third pact slot no less! I’m actually going to suggest hopping back to 4th level for Hallucinatory Terrain to shape the world around you into one of pure nightmares.

LEVEL 18 - WARLOCK 12

12th level Warlocks get an Ability Score Improvement, and seeing as we’ve had an uneven Wisdom score this entire time I’m actually going to suggest grabbing Resilient (Wisdom) this time for some spell defense and some better stats.

But more importantly you can learn another Eldritch Invocation so it’s finally time to get value out of your ability to cause fear! Lifedrinker will let you fill your blade (because technically you only have one) with Unspeakable Horror, allowing you to deal extra Necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier when you strike with them!

LEVEL 19 - WARLOCK 13

13th level Warlocks get 7th level Mystic Arcanum such as Power Word Pain to subject a target with less than 100 health to Unspeakable Horror.

You can also learn another Pact Magic spell and have you ever had that feeling of someone watching you? Well Scrying will let you watch people. Cut some claw marks through a girl’s blue dress and use the cloth fragments to watch her when you can’t strike. …That was a Nightmare on Elm Street reference…

LEVEL 20 - WARLOCK 14

14th level Undead Warlocks can truly instill Paranoia with Spirit Projection. As an action you can go beyond your body, leaving it behind in an unconscious state of suspended animation. Your spirit can remain outside your body for up to 1 hour or until your concentration is broken. When your projection ends, your spirit returns to your body or your body magically teleports to your spirit’s space (your choice). While projecting your spirit, you gain the following benefits:

Your spirit and body gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

When you cast a spell of the conjuration or necromancy school, the spell doesn’t require any components as long as they don’t have a gold cost. 

You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.

While you are using your Form of Dread, you regain hit points equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt with an attack once per turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, but one hour of pure terror should be enough to slay any foe.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Drip drop; the sound of blood - While it’s mostly tied to your Form of Dread you do a lot of damage. 3d6 + 23 damage with your blade(s and fist) every turn, increasing to 6d6 + 23 with Form of Dead.

Their twilight approaches - You have quite a lot of mobility. 45 feet of movement speed and if you want you can hover. Or even fly! And of course you have dozens of ways to teleport around the battlefield and be everywhere at once.

Are you getting tired yet? - It wasn’t my intention but you are remarkably hard to kill. Good saving throws (or at least good enough), good AC, incredible mobility, and ways to both heal and grant yourself temporary hitpoints.

CONS

Afraid of the dark? - The sad truth about fear in D&D is that most high-level monsters are immune to it. Necrotic damage is thankfully spared but even then if you face an enemy who’s resistant to Necrotic damage (yet alone immune!) you’ll run into a lot of problems.

People are flames to be blotted out - While both your Ki points and your Pact Magic slots come back on a Short Rest a lot of your best abilities are tied to Long Rests. Perhaps it’s the nature of Unearthed Arcana, but even then your pact spells are mostly meant for utility, which is fine and all but it means that you won’t have much for combat. There’s a lot of great combat spells that Warlocks get which you can grab instead of the spells I listed.

I sense fear - All the resilience and mobility in the world won’t save you from Power Word Kill. With a d8 hit die and no Constitution modifier you won’t have much more than 100 health on average.

But as day turns to night it’s your time to strike. Your role above all is to cause fear. Let your victims know that if you want them dead they won’t survive. Stalk them in every moment regardless of if they’re awake or asleep, and let them know that when the world goes dark their time is up. Just be wary of anyone who remembers to bring a flashlight: you don’t want to be blinded while chasing your prey.

(Artwork by Francis Tneh of West Studios. Made for Riot Games)

[badlandsloop]

D&D Homebrew: Rogue Subclass: Gadgeteer

A thief scales a building only to find herself trapped up there; the sound of guards climbing stairs rings in her ears. An assassin slips when bounding from rooftop to rooftop, botching their mission with one failed jump. A criminal is surrounded with no way to obscure his escape, eyes of the crowd and eyes of the law on him. This is what happens when Rogues rely on chance and not intimate planning. None of these mishaps could befall the Gadgeteer, who is prepared for everything with a collection of utility items. Gadgeteers take up the role of crafter, filling the gaps in their abilities with useful items. Mechanical hooks, whirring gears, metallic creations shifting and twisting to assume whatever shape the rogue needs. A gadgeteer’s main tool is the grappling hook launcher, allowing them to isolate, escape, and move in ways no one else can predict.  

Heist Gadgets

When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in tinker's tools and double your proficiency bonus for any check you make that uses them. Using these tools, you can spend 1 hour, any materials required listed in the gadget's description and 10 gp in materials to construct one of the following gadgets. As an action you can dismantle one of these gadgets; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can only have one of each of these gadgets in operation at a time.

Grappling Hook Launcher. This gadget requires at least 30ft length of rope and a crossbow you're proficient with. This gadget uses the same statistics as the crossbow used to craft it, but it can only fire a mechanical hook attached to a retractable rope. If you hit an object with this gadget, the hook is affixed to the object but deals no damage. If you hit a creature, the weapon deals damage as normal and the target becomes grappled, the escape DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

As a bonus action you can retract the rope if the gadget is in your hand. When you do so and the rope is affixed to object or grappled to a creature, that target moves 30 feet towards you if it is smaller than you, you move 30 feet towards it if the target is larger than you, you choose if you or the target moves if you are the same size category. If nothing is affixed or grappled by the hook, this bonus action retracts the whole rope. You cannot fire this weapon again until you retract the whole rope.

Smoke Grenade. This gadget requires a glass vial. You can throw this gadget up to 30 feet as an action on your turn, where it shatters, releasing a 10-foot radius sphere of smoke. It spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts until the end of your next turn or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. A shattered gadget is destroyed and cannot be dismantled or recovered.

Back Glider. This gadget requires a 5-foot square of leather and/or cloth. And retracting metal rods included within the base cost. You can use an action on your turn or reaction when you fall to extend the mechanical rods and form the glider. When you fall while this gadget is extended, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend. The gadget breaks after you land and cannot be dismantled or recovered.

Disassemble

At 9th level, you have a +5 bonus to your passive Investigation and your passive Perception to detect traps. You also have advantage on checks made to detect traps and checks made to disarm traps and unlock locks.

Additionally, once between long rests, you can forgo rolling and instead deal max damage to a construct creature when you hit it with your sneak attack.

Advanced Technology

At 13th level, using your tinker's tools you can spend 3 hours, any materials required listed in the gadget's description and 100 gp in materials to construct one of the following gadgets. As an action you can dismantle one of these gadgets; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can only have one of these gadgets in operation at a time.

Shock Net. This gadget requires a net weapon. The first time you build this gadget you become proficient in nets. Attacking with this gadget at long range does not impose disadvantage. When a creature becomes restrained by this net it is stunned for 1 minute. While restrained by this net, a creature takes 1d6 lightning damage and makes a Constitution Saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the stun on a success. If a creature successfully hits the net with a melee weapon attack or makes a strength check to remove the net, it takes 1d6 lightning damage. The DC of the Constitution saving throw and the Strength check to remove the net, are each equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Breather Mask. This mask covers the eyes nose and mouth. While wearing this mask you can breathe underwater, you have darkvision up to a range of 120ft, and you can see through effects and spells that create a cloud, smoke, or fog as though their area was only lightly obscured, you also have immunity to any damage those effects or spells would deal, including the spell Cloudkill.

Mechanical Spider. When you create this tiny construct you also create a sticky tracer the size of a gold piece. If the gadget and the tracer are on the same plane of existence the spider knows where the tracer is. The mechanical spider has as many maximum hit points as you, 16 AC, and a walking speed of 60ft. It has 10 Strength, 16 Dexterity, 10 Constitution, 3 Intelligence, 14 Wisdom, and 3 Charisma. It has immunity to poison and psychic damage and resistance to all other types of damage. It is immune to the charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions. It understands your commands and will fulfill them to the best of its ability but can only take the Help action. Absent of a command from you it will do nothing.

Spring Loaded Holsters

At 17th level, using your tinker's tools you can spend 1 hour to create a special holster for one of your weapons, this weapon must be a melee weapon or a weapon with the thrown property that you are proficient with. You can have two is these holsters at a time.

A weapon loaded in one of these holsters can instantly be drawn. In addition, when a creature moves into the range of a holstered weapon you may use your reaction to make an attack against that creature with that weapon. If you do, you make that attack with advantage.

When you finish a long rest, you can rewind up to two holsters and replace the weapons in them.

[princesses-and-pioneers]

5e Artificer Specialization: Alchemist

(Base class here. This artificer revision incorporates pieces of the May 2019 Updated Artificer, the old January 2017 Artificer, and JPGenn’s Artificer Revisited, Revised 2.0.1.)

Artificer Specializations

Artificers pursue a variety of disciplines. The specialization you choose reflects the field you are most passionate about, dedicating your skills to practice and perfection.

(Garundi Female by Nemanja-S.)

Alchemist An Alchemist is an expert at combining exotic reagents to produce mystical effects. Among artificers, members of this subclass are the greatest healers, as well as the ones most adept at wielding dangerous chemicals.

Tools of the Trade By the time you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you’re deeply familiar with employing its tools. Proficiencies. You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies and the herbalism kit, assuming you don’t already have them. You also gain those tools for free—the result of tinkering you’ve done as you’ve prepared for this specialization. You must use one of these tools as your spellcasting focus when using any of this specialization’s features. Crafting. If you craft a magic item in the potion category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.

Alchemist Spells

Artificer Level: Spells 3rd: purify food and drink, ray of sickness 5th: Melf’s acid arrow, web 9th: create food and water, stinking cloud 13th: blight, vitriolic sphere 17th: cloudkill, raise dead

Liquid Infusions Starting at 3rd level, you can infuse spells into potions to broaden your daily magical toolkit. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can use your Infuse Magic feature to infuse spells into potion vials without expending spell slots. The combined level of the infused spells cannot exceed your Intelligence modifier. For example, with an Intelligence score of 16, you can create either three potions infused with 1st-level spells, one with a 2nd-level spell and one with a 1st-level spell, or one potion with a 3rd-level spell. If not used, these potions will last until you finish your next long rest. The potions can be drunk or thrown at a target, treated as a ranged attack with an improvised weapon. The spell effect lasts for the duration, no concentration required.

Alchemical Adept At 7th level, your command of magical chemicals has become masterful. When you cast a spell that restores hit points or deals acid or poison damage, you add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to the hit points or damage. In addition, you can cast lesser restoration without expending a spell slot. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once).

Revitalizing Brews At 11th level, you can tailor your potions to boost the spirits of your allies. When a non-hostile creature drinks a potion that you infused or crafted, they gain temporary hit points equal to your artificer level.

Veteran Chemist By 15th level, you have been exposed to so many chemicals and unlocked their secrets that they pose little risk to you. You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are now immune to the poisoned condition. In addition, you can cast greater restoration without expending a spell slot or providing the material component. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

[whereasthepeople-blog]

‘Don’t you worry about that’: Secret evidence, the executive and the courts (a case note on Graham v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection)

It’s a secret, your honour. Don’t you worry about that.

The High Court has been in the spotlight of late, in respect of both the constitutional qualification issues for various members of Parliament as well the same sex marriage postal survey. One decision that has received less media attention is that of Graham v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection; Te Puia v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 33 handed down on Wednesday 6 September 2017.

The facts

Graham and Te Puia were citizens of New Zealand who had been in Australia for some time (Graham since 1976 and Te Puia since 2005) each pursuant to a ‘Class TY Subclass 444 Special Category (Temporary)’ visa. Both individuals received letters from the Minister giving them notice that the Minister had decided to cancel their visas under section 501(3) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (‘the Act’).

Without going in to too much detail here, section 501(3) relevantly enables the Minister to cancel a visa where the Minister reasonably suspects that the person does not meet the character test and that the cancellation is in the national interest. Section 501(6) elaborates that a person fails the character test if they have a substantial criminal record (further defined elsewhere) or the Minister reasonably suspects that the person has had association with of a group, organisation or person that has been involved in criminal conduct.

In the letters the Minister stated that in making his decision the Minister had taken account of evidence which was protected from disclosure under section 503A of the Act. Section 503A deals with information the Minister obtains from certain other agencies (usually law enforcement agencies) on a confidential basis and arose out of a reluctance in those agencies to share information where its disclosure might prejudice their sources or methodologies. In each case, that evidence was not disclosed or made available to Graham or Te Puia.

The problem

First, let’s think about this non-disclosure of evidence in the abstract. There are obvious difficulties for a visa holder in this situation. From what you’ve been told, you will be aware that the Minister is of the view (or at least reasonably suspects) that you have a substantial criminal record or other criminal associations, but you won’t necessarily know the detail of that – particularly where that detail is supplied by the evidence provided to the Minister under section 503A of the Act. One can imagine the feeling of confusion, and perhaps a temptation to go through a quick mental review – who do I hang out with? What group are they talking about?

Now, in the case of Graham the Minister’s statement of reasons did outline a connection to a particular outlaw motorcycle gang, as well as some prior offending. In the case of Te Puia, the Minister referred only to the applicant’s membership of a particular group and that decision appeared to be based only on reference to the undisclosed material. In any case, it is not difficult to see how other individuals could be left with very little in the way of reasons presented for the decision made against their interests.

Leaving that to one side however, there’s also a clear problem for the court – the executive has made a decision, based on evidence not made available to the other party. Not only that, but section 503A purports to prevent that evidence being received by the court itself. If a party were to approach the court seeking a review of the decision, say on the basis that the Minister took into account an irrelevant consideration or acted irrationally, how is the court to make a decision?

Of course there is a legitimate interest in an agency preserving its intelligence sources and its intelligence gathering methodologies. All I say, however, is that this secrecy sits in tension with the role of the courts in supervising the executive where it provides the basis for a decision.

As we will see, this difficulty was not lost on the court.

The decision

The court split 6-1 on the matter and a joint judgment was delivered by Kiefel CJ, Bell, Gageler, Keane, Nettle AND Gordon JJ. Edelman J agreed with the majority on what will be called the ‘institutional integrity’ point, but dissented on the question about the Commonwealth Parliament’s ability to restrict judicial review.

The joint judgment

The joint judgment first dismissed an argument by the plaintiff that the scheme impaired the ‘institutional integrity’ of the court in a way that would offend the Kable principle. That argument by the plaintiff appeared to centre on an analogy to public interest immunity under the common law, and the removal of the decision on what was in the public interest from the court to the executive. The Commonwealth argued that there was no constitutional principle that meant the courts had to be the arbiter of the public interest where admissible evidence were to be withheld. The court agreed.

Instead, the matter was determined on the basis of section 75(v) of the Constitution. That section provides that the High Court shall have original jurisdiction in all matters ‘in which a writ of Mandamus or prohibition or an injunction is sought against an officer of the Commonwealth’. This provision is thought to have the effect of ‘entrenching’ a minimum level of judicial review of executive action that is beyond the power of the Parliament to remove. In this way, section 75(v) ‘secures a basic element of the rule of law’ (paragraph 44 of the judgment).

The joint judgment re-affirmed that the Parliament cannot enact a law that denies the High Court (or other courts in some circumstances) ‘the ability to enforce the legislated limits of an officer’s power.’ It went on to say (at paragraph 48) that:

The question whether or not a law transgresses that constitutional limitation is one of substance, and therefore of degree. To answer it requires an examination not only of the legal operation of the law but also of the practical impact of the law on the ability of a court, through the application of judicial process, to discern and declare whether or not the conditions of and constraints on the lawful exercise of the power conferred on an officer have been observed in a particular case.

In the case of the applicant in particular, the court was denied access to the whole of the evidence upon which the Minister’s decision was based. To the extent that section 503A of the Act prevented the court from seeing information that would be relevant to the question of whether or not the Minister had exercised a power according to law, it was invalid.

Edelman J’s dissent

His honour considered that the joint judgment’s approach was overly broad, for two ‘or possibly three’ reasons.

First, history. Edelman J considered that the removal of this information from the court’s grasp was in effect, nothing new. Far more extreme impairments on judicial review had existed and indeed been standard in the 19th century. His honour referred as well to certain legislation allowing the executive to resist the disclosure of ‘State papers’ to a court by the issue of a conclusive certificate stating that such disclosure would be prejudicial to the public service. His honour conceded the Constitution may have involved a break from those traditions, but went on to say that:

it would be difficult to see how the Constitution broke from longstanding, clear, and established legal history by introducing contrary content to a generalised and broad implication which is ultimately founded on the concept of the rule of law, itself a concept the precise content of which is hotly disputed and which, on many accounts, includes notions of certainty and clarity.

Secondly his honour considered that this legislation went no further than other legislation previously upheld by the court, citing Plaintiff M61/2010E v The Commonwealth (2010) 243 CLR 319. To this I would suggest that the High Court should not consider itself bound by the general ‘fit’ of its decisions in a broader jurisprudence created by many judges over many years. The doctrine of precedent is not so inflexible and prior decisions are, on occasion, incorrect.

And finally, and perhaps most interestingly, Edelman J observed that the ‘unreasonableness’ ground of judicial review which was said to be rendered impossible to undertake by section 503A was no more than a presumption of statutory interpretation. If the presumption can be reversed, excluding review entirely, how then was it impermissible to simply take some evidence out of a proceeding that constitutionally does not have to exist? His honour did not elaborate on this point, but I think there are some clear criticisms to be made. I think this point does not fully answer the question – there are surely other grounds for review, and therefore sources of jurisdiction, that a court could be deprived of by a provision such as this from time to time.

His honour’s dissent is far longer and more interesting than can be sufficiently described here and I highly recommend reading it. It even includes a table of contents, which I think would be useful for many judges to consider.

Concluding comments

There can be little doubt of the benefits to the rule of law that flow from a minimum content of judicial review that is beyond Parliamentary disruption. To adapt an old adage, it says to the other arms of government ‘be you ever so high, the court is above you’.

While there is also something to be said for founding restrictions on power such as this ‘minimum content of judicial review’ on the text and structure of the Constitution, I think that the present case is clear example of that approach. The words of section 75(v) could not be given their proper effect if the executive were free to make decisions outside of the bounds of legality only by virtue of the fact that the court was rendered impotent to receive evidence about the decision. The Australian Constitution does not allow for power without limit.

Whereas the People is an Australian constitutional and public law blog.

[comfsy]

I’m In The Vulnerable Class for COVID-19. A Plea To Take This Virus Seriously.

A friend of mine recently texted me in a fury.

“Someone just posted on FB that we’re doing things to stop the virus only because it’s going to ‘hurt old people’s feelings’ if we don’t,” he said.

His mother has respiratory issues and thus falls into the “older person vulnerable to the new coronavirus” category, as do many others.

Like me.

And I can read.

So when I read tweets or posts about how it’s basically “just a flu” (false) that “only hurts the vulnerable,” it makes me worry for us as a society. If we can’t protect our most vulnerable, what are we doing?

Don’t panic. Doctors/ virologists I’m speaking to say 98% of people will be fine, even if they get Covid-19. They expect it will go around the world, but that most people who get it will be a little sick, then recover. The danger is to vulnerable people. Hospitals/ old age homes.

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) February 26, 2020

COVID-19: We Need to Consider Society As a Whole

I’ve received many reader emails about COVID-19 asking for my thoughts given that I am currently dealing with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and an inflammatory immune condition that already predisposes me to a cytokine storm.

It’s been very surreal to see the news unfold at a time when I have been in quarantine of sorts (bedrest) for many, many months. Due to the CSF leak, I rely on family and friends for groceries and to make food as I cannot do so myself.  For those who are chronically ill, the lack of independence for basic needs adds an extra layer of concern and need for care on a daily basis.

The discourse about Covid-19 seems to consist of differing responses from several distinct groups of people

First, the people who are well and who believe they’ll be unscathed. This “isn’t a big deal,” they say. “Why is the media making us panic?”

Second, those who are vulnerable like me, and who know they are at risk for significant complications if they contract the virus.

There are some people who live in between those two extremes, and while healthy themselves are nonetheless able to remember a series of subclasses whose lives legitimately depend on the collective to stay safe.

And then, there are others whose actions are downright dangerous for all of us. This includes NBA player Rudy Gobert. Per Hot Air’s report:

I doubt we’ll get a better case study during this nightmare of how a single person’s cavalier denialism about the threat from the disease can put entire industries at risk. This happened two days ago. Gobert apparently thought it was silly that the NBA had set a new rule requiring reporters to stay six feet away from players at all time. So, as a goof, he decided to touch all of their microphones after his Q&A ended.

After mocking COVID-19 precautions by touching a bunch of things — he then tested positive. And like any exponential virus, others are testing positive too.

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020

Ultimately, Engel isn’t wrong from a statistical perspective.

He’s also not the first or last person I’ve seen try to stem the panic by reminding people of the expandability of the vulnerable like me.

I’m writing this post as a plea to each person to put overall societal needs above individual desires until this virus peaks.

I am not a doctor, and the following is not medical advice. It is, however, a summary of what I’ve researched for my own safety given my immune system.

Disinformation and panic don’t help anyone, especially during a pandemic.

By now, you’re probably living under a rock if you don’t know what the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the artist formerly known as 2019-nCoV until it was named COVID-19. People also refer to it as “coronavirus”, but since it’s one of many coronaviruses, I’m not going to do that here.

People also refer to it as the “Wuhan flu,” but since it’s actually not a flu virus and people are already erroneously comparing it to the flu, I’m going to stick to COVID-19 for this piece. (See below for my response to the the “it’s just the flu” people.)

COVID-19 is a called Novel Coronavirus because it’s a new disease for humans. The World Health Organization estimates a global death rate of 3.4%. While people around the world may have built up an immunity to the flu over time, the newness of the COVID-19 means no one had immunity when it first broke out.  There’s no current way to cure it.

The fast spread of this virus has led to heavy amounts of disinformation and even outright conspiracy theories. I’ve argued with quite a few people online who suggest that this is “just like the flu,” or that “most people barely feel sick.” In an internet age where we are able to get fast data out of countries that are ahead of our curve here in North America, there is simply no excuse for not acting as swiftly as possible.

Panic isn’t useful.

Changing nothing in your life isn’t useful either – it’s actually outright dangerous right now.

In the middle lies being informed, prepared, and willing to think about society as a whole. Doing so lowers the burden on our health care systems, and buys a bit more time for treatments and research to happen. Reducing the number of people who are sick at once is the best way to keep our health system from being overwhelmed. And that in turn helps not just COVID-19 patients but also everyone else who must seek treatment in a hospital.

Two factors that make COVID-19 a big concern to everyone:

A medical system that is over capacity, where doctors will need to decide who coming in gets a ventilator, who gets a bed, and more – not just COVID-19 patients, but other vulnerable patients with chronic diseases. Data tracks at a 10% hospitalization rate in Italy, with those in critical condition needing 3-6 weeks for recovery. That is a very long strain on the system.

The lack of immunity to the disease worldwide means that there’s no ceiling on the amount of people who can get infected. Presently, cases of COVID-19 are doubling in only a few days’ time. Research labs and scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine that works, but as of today there is simply mitigation, planning, and attempts at slowing down the progression.

Yes, the bulk of infections will be mild.

Those people will still transmit this highly contagious disease, though. And even if you’re fully asymptomatic, you can still spread this virus in the process as a vector.

Which is why acting now, even if you’re healthy, is critical.

This also means preparing without panic, being reasonable about what we need and don’t need without hoarding, and above all considering our roles as citizens in a collective. As Mark Manson said in a new post:

So, while staying home, from an individual risk perspective, seems unnecessary and an overreaction, from a systemic risk perspective, it’s the only prudent thing to do. The more people who go out and about, the faster this thing spreads, and the faster this thing spreads, the more the hospitals get flooded, and the more the hospitals get flooded, the more people die unnecessarily.

This chart put together today by the Institute of Disease Prevention shows the potential mitigation of COVID-19 for King and Snohomish counties in Washington State by taking precautions sooner rather than later.

Infections with and without social distancing COVID19, courtesy of the Institute for Disease Prevention

This virus is beyond containment worldwide, and acting swiftly but calmly is imperative.

Learning from Italy

Outside of mainland China, Italy now has the highest number of deaths in the world from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. And the country’s fatality rate from COVID-19—at 5%—is much higher than the global average of 3.4%.

Here's the last 8 days of US #covid19 testing mapped to Italy's numbers starting on 2/22. The trend looks awful similar. pic.twitter.com/zZ3ng396Jf

— Eli Pariser (@elipariser) March 11, 2020

Why is Italy’s death rate so high? Italy has conducted a substantial number of tests — more than 42,000 as of Saturday (March 7), according to Al Jazeera. But the size of the outbreak and the late adoption of containment measures combined with speed of spread meant that Lombardy and to a lesser extent other areas in Italy are unable to get back to a place of balance. The strain on the system is so bad that the Italian College of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) has shared guidelines (link is in Italian) for the criteria that doctors and nurses should follow in these extraordinary circumstances, likening them to the moral choices doctors face during wartime. They require doctors to allocate ICU access to the patients with the highest chance of therapeutic success. This may seem logical and even utilitarian, but it’s a devastating position to be in every day during an outbreak.

At the same time, an Italian doctor begged other countries to act now. Dr. Daniele Macchini posted (link is in Italian; English here) about what’s happening on the front lines of Italian’s coronavirus response, noting that each ventilator was like gold. He notes that there are no more specialist doctors, just doctors as a whole, a single team to try and stop the inflow of sick people. Italy does have a sizeable older population, but the case study of Dr Macchini and others on the front lines would be foolish to ignore.

The foregoing is not “media hype” but rather published testimony and guidelines from a country right in the middle of a substantial outbreak.

We need to think through the exponential growth of this disease, and we don’t seem to be doing so on a systemic level. The way exponential growth works is that seems tolerable until suddenly it’s an avalanche – and then it’s often too late.

Let’s try to avoid the avalanche.

Risk Groups for COVID-19

Briefly, because we’ve all been bombarded with graphs these days, a note about mortality and risk groups.

The pre-existing conditions that are known to be a factor in worsening COVID-19 infections in patients:

Risk factors COVID-19 via NatGeo 

The medical consensus is that those over 60 years old, and those with underlying health conditions are the most impacted by the disease.

For those who are chronically ill and/or fall into these categories, extra precaution is needed. What is also needed — as this post will keep saying over and over — is for everyone to take social reduction seriously, especially because of testing limitations in many countries but especially the United States.

In addition to the main pre-existing conditions listed above, immunocompromised patients are at higher risk for fatalities. And there are millions of immunocompromised people in America alone, a number which not only comprises those with immunodeficiency syndromes but also people with cancer – who are accounted for in the above chart – or who have been treated for it, people who have received transplants, people with HIV, and more.

Symptoms and mitigation when starting to feel sick

The symptoms of Covid-19 vary from case to case. From China’s data, the most common are:

fever

dry cough (majority of cases)

fatigue

mucus coughing up from the respiratory tract (called sputum)

If you have a fever and dry cough alone, advice from interviewed doctors is to get tested by calling your department of health – NOT by presenting to the ER or Urgent Care where you could potentially infect others.

Generally, contacting your department of health for your state, province, or territory is the best option.

For Americans: state department of health contact information here.

For Canadians, scroll down to the phone numbers of each provincial health department, here.

Where testing comes in

Data from Italy suggests that many cases went undetected and enabled community spread. This data is part of why it is extremely important to get testing capacity up to population numbers, and why containment in the USA is going to be a big problem.

As of March 11, 2020, it’s still difficult to get tested in the USA.

Several Legal Nomads readers have reported all the symptoms, a doctor’s request for testing in the USA, and still were told by the Department of Health in their state that they were not eligible.

Those readers did the smart thing and put themselves on self-quarantine, but what of the others who did not?

Based on exported cases to other countries, Italy may have had about 4000 #COVID19 cases by end of Feb, rather than the 1100 that were reported, suggesting about 70% of cases went undetected. More great analysis by @AshTuite and co https://t.co/CI4dENGlyr

— Adam Kucharski (@AdamJKucharski) March 6, 2020

Strain on the hospital system when catastrophe medicine is at play, especially in the USA

The facts for the US heath care system during this pandemic are not great.

According to the American Hospital Association, the US has 924,107 beds total, in the USA. On a per capita basis, as of 2017 that was 2.77 beds per 1000 people. For comparison, China’s 2017 per capita bed ratio was 4.05 beds per 1000 people. (See OECD heathcare stats here.)

Put simply, there are not enough hospital beds in the USA for an outbreak of the kind we’ve seen elsewhere, nor for the projection of hospitalizations – 4 to 8 million – that researchers estimate the United States will see. In fact, the US’ hospital beds per 1000 people is also smaller than the other main countries overwhelmed with an outbreak. In 2017, Italy is at 3.18, and South Korea at 12.27, both beds per 1000 people.

Moreover, with at-will employment in many states, little sick days, especially in jobs that are front-facing (service industry, food industry, etc), community spread is a valid concern.

And then there’s patients who are chronically ill and depend on medication and hospital needs even outside the “at-risk” aspect of COVID19. If the system is overwhelmed as we’ve seen happen elsewhere, deaths from pre-existing conditions that can’t get properly treated are more likely.

From a family friend, a doctor in Indiana who reviewed the Indiana State Department of Health Crisis Standard for Ventilator Allocation:

Here’s the problem: If we can’t find a way to slow the spread of this virus in the United States, the healthcare system will be faced with a surge of patients that may overcome available healthcare resources. Things like ventilators and ICU beds may be inadequate.

But most patients survive, right? The flu kills more people, right? Well, that’s again not the whole truth. Take a look at the news out of Italy. Hospitals are overrun at 200% capacity. They have ICU patients in operating rooms. They have run out of ventilators. Patients are being triaged into likely to survive or not likely to survive. The former receive a ventilator. The latter receive oxygen and medications to keep them comfortable as they die. That’s because this virus is capable of making people – especially older people and people with comorbid conditions – very very ill. None of us have immunity to this illness, and unlike flu none of us have been vaccinated against COVID-19. If this illness is allowed to spread unchecked, far too many patients will require care at the same time forcing doctors and hospitals to choose between patients who are likely to survive and those who are not – a process called ventilator allocation.

Oh come on, isn’t it just like the flu?

No.

For the love of all things holy, NO.

This isn’t the flu – it’s a different virus altogether. Scientists in Asia have described it as a cross between SARS and AIDS in terms of how it impacts the body.

It is more contagious than the flu.

It is more deadly than the flu.

Even assuming a global death rate of 1% (despite the current rate of 3.4-3.5% per the WHO), it would be 10x more deadly than the flu, which has a death rate of 0.1%.

COVID19 vs the flu, courtesy of Bloomberg.

The data from all around the world indicates a much higher mortality rate and a very different virus altogether from seasonal influenza. China’s datasets, as well as those from countries like Taiwan and Singapore where so far containment has been possible, have all provided us with information to help us see what’s coming.

And the success of our outcome depends on individual willingness to mitigate risk moment to moment.

So what can we do? Think collectively, not individually, to help flatten the curve of the epidemic.

“We are past the point of containment,” says @UWMedicine Dr. Helen Chu. “Now we need to keep the people who are vulnerable from getting sick.” #COVID19seattle @UWVirology @WADeptHealth WADeptHealth @KCPubHealth https://t.co/q4mvKarU2D

— UW Medicine Newsroom (@uwmnewsroom) March 6, 2020

For those who require hospitalization, they require the long term stays I mentioned earlier of  ICU care for a period of 3-6 weeks. Italy thus far estimates that many COVID-19 patients need at least 4 weeks on mechanical ventilators.

That number would put hospital systems over capacity very quickly if we don’t flatten the curve on this virus.

via Vox news

This virus is going to affect your life. And you get to choose how you act to decide if you want to contribute to flattening the curve, or spiking it.

I sound like a broken record for social distancing because we know testing isn’t going to get everyone and thus if we want to have a bell curve more like South Korea versus like Italy, we need to start taking action on an individual level yesterday.

I realize not everyone has the privilege to work from home or to take all the measures I list below.

But doing the extent possible is extremely important from EVERYONE, in order to help ease the impact of this epidemic.

Fine, you’ve convinced me. Now how do I help stop the spread for COVID19?

Starting place: do not panic. Each of us thinks better and makes smarter decisions when we are not in cognitive overload. The earlier you take precautions, even if you’re not directly impacted yet by the virus, the better you can help lower the societal burden. Choose compassion for the societal burden over fear and distrust. I know it’s not easy, but as a collective we do depend on it. Worldwide data shows there’s no advantage to being a late mover here.

1. SOCIAL DISTANCING

Does your company let you work from home? Start doing so now.

Limit nonessential public gatherings.

Make small choices that can take out away from groups of people, even in quotidian activities. Refrain from museums, clubs, dancing, religious services, and more as this plays out. Crowded spots are prime dissemination spots.

What is a “public gathering”? Doctors I have spoken with define a public gathering as anything more than 6 people, but there doesn’t seem to be consensus overall as you can see with the number (5) below. Regardless of the actual numbers, social distancing is how we can have a hope at slowing the spread of COVID-19, and potentially mitigate its effects on the hospital system.

The same doctor who wrote about the — above, says:

This means not flying on a plane or taking a cruise or a train. This means cancelling your vacation. This means not going to gatherings of people. How many is too many people? To give you an idea, one of the health organizations I work for has banned meetings of more than 5 people. Most meetings are video or teleconferenced. So should you go to a crowded school event or a sporting event? NO! And school’s shouldn’t be so irresponsible to continue to offer such gatherings.

This also includes cancelling non-critical medical visits, to keep the hospitals and systems as clear as possible for the coming burden. Telemedicine has been available for a few years now, and this is definitely the time to avail yourself of it if you have the privilege to do so.

I’ve been telling people, “be St. Louis, not Philadelphia,” because in 1918, Philly held a huge parade during an influenza outbreak. In contrast, St. Louis cancelled all gatherings. As you can see from the chart below, the death toll was very different in those two cities.

There is a reason for canceling public gatherings. In a pandemic, don't be Philadelphia (held a parade in 1918 when cases started to come up, downplayed cases), be St. Louis (canceled gatherings). More here: https://t.co/KE7RYbxDGM @mlipsitch pic.twitter.com/wyrHx0nOLA

— Florian Krammer (@florian_krammer) March 6, 2020

  It’s selfish to complain about “changing your plans” or making adjustments to social activity when the downside of doing nothing is systemic overload and catastrophe medicine. Again, this isn’t hype, this is simply a summary of what we’ve seen in other countries to date with medical systems that don’t have enough beds for contagion at this volume.

As Mark Manson says in a new post about COVID19 :

So, while staying home, from an individual risk perspective, seems unnecessary and an overreaction, from a systemic risk perspective, it’s the only prudent thing to do. The more people who go out and about, the faster this thing spreads, and the faster this thing spreads, the more the hospitals get flooded, and the more the hospitals get flooded, the more people die unnecessarily. 

People like me don’t have the privilege to be out in the world safely right now, and nor do your parents and grandparents.

WASH YOUR HANDS. OFTEN. LONGER THAN YOU WANT TO.

The most important thing other than social distancing is to wash your hands, for 20 (long) seconds.

That’s a lot longer than most of us have been washing our hands. And we need to do it frequently. Before and after eating food. When returning home from outside. When in contact with anyone else. If there is a chance your unwashed fingers has the virus on them, you do not want that anywhere near you or your home.

Happy birthday sung twice is about the right length, so many people are singing that as they wash. Here’s a song generator from The Verge that can help you choose other options so you don’t hate birthdays by the end of this COVID19 pandemic.

Soap works very well on this virus, and it doesn’t need to be anti-bacterial soap. It just needs to be a looooong wash, because of the nature of the virus.

For the science behind why that is, see the thread below:

1/25 Part 1 – Why does soap work so well on the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus and indeed most viruses? Because it is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. A two part thread about soap, viruses and supramolecular chemistry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OCwqPjO5Ht

— Palli Thordarson (@PalliThordarson) March 8, 2020

If you cannot use soap and water because you’re away from access to it, alcohol-based hand sanitizer with over 60% alcohol content is a good stand in. When you do get access to water, though, soap and wash immediately.

STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE

THIS IS SO HARD.

I’m not alone; a study from 2015 shows people touch their faces an average of 23 times per hour.

It’s very important though, and we have to keep avoiding it as much as possible. This includes the eyes, since ocular transmission has been one of the ways the virus is spread.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Matt Shirley (@mattsurelee) on Mar 6, 2020 at 2:50pm PST

DISPOSABLE GLOVES IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

Wear gloves or nitrile or latex disposable gloves when in public spaces like buses, subways, and other areas where you will be touching areas that others have touched like pumping gas.

If you are in a social situation where you need to remove your gloves, do not touch your face or eyes, no matter how much something itches. And before you put gloves back on, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, scrubbing the fingers.

STAY 2m (6 FT) AWAY FROM SICK PEOPLE, AND TRY TO KEEP DISTANCE OF 1m (3 FT) GENERALLY WHEN OUTSIDE.

This means life changes that have irritated some people, but nonetheless are reasonable precautions during an outbreak like this.

And still, social distancing takes precedence.

If you’re going to dine out, get take-out food and bring it home instead. Sit outside if there’s a terrace, instead of staying inside a closed restaurant. Netflix instead of a movie theatre. You get the drill.

THIS MEANS NO HAND SHAKING OR CHEEK KISSING TO GREET PEOPLE.

Curtsy, arm pump, touch your feet together, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re not actually touching your hand or face to someone else’s hand or face.

AVOID PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

This likely doesn’t require an explanation, but is to avoid a cough, sneeze, or hand-to-hand contact that can put us in the danger zone for droplet splatter or air particles that can transmit the virus.

DOORKNOBS: LEARN TO CLEAN THEM OFTEN AND TRY NOT TO USE THEM IN PUBLIC. 

I’m very limited here because of my CSF leak, but for those of you who can open and close doors using your elbows, hips, or shoulders: do it. If not, wear gloves to turn a doorknob, or wash your hands immediately after touching it. If someone does get sick in your household, wiping down your doorknobs is a good idea too.

The CDC has a list of cleaning recommendations for COVID-19 here.

WIPE DOWN YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN YOU RETURN HOME FROM OUTSIDE. 

I use alcohol-wipes for this, small size, but the ones I bought are no longer available. A spray bottle with rubbing alcohol sprayed onto a wipe will usually suffice. Apple used to say not to clean phones this way, but due to COVID-19, Apple has changed its guidelines. The company now says you can use a wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol or a Clorox wipe to clean your iPhones.

WHEN THE WEATHER ALLOWS, OPEN A WINDOW.

This virus cannot linger in a well-ventilated space, per this FP article, though it’s quite cold in much of North America still.

ON MASKS 

There’s a lot of controversy about masks. If you do choose to use one, you need to don and doff them with gloves on, and then make sure you properly dispose of the gloves.

When the mask has been taken of, place it inside of a disposable container or bag, seal it, and put it in the trash.

From a March 12th piece by The Guardian, they recommend wearing them when caring for sick people and when around sick people:

Wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick – viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate masks.

However, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus, and some studies have estimated a roughly fivefold protection versus no barrier alone (although others have found lower levels of effectiveness).

If you are likely to be in close contact with someone infected, a mask cuts the chance of the disease being passed on. If you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, or have been diagnosed, wearing a mask can also protect others. So masks are crucial for health and social care workers looking after patients and are also recommended for family members who need to care for someone who is ill – ideally both the patient and carer should have a mask.

However, masks will probably make little difference if you’re just walking around town or taking a bus so there is no need to bulk-buy a huge supply.

If someone is coughing or sneezing it’s good to ask them to put on a mask to protect you.

DON’T FORGET TO STAY SOCIAL, EVEN INSIDE

I’ve been on bedrest now for close to two years, and with technology I’ve been able to keep myself sane and connected with friends. In times like this, where fear often takes over, it’s even more important to stay in touch with people you love even if you can’t see them.

An epidemic of loneliness is not what does the immune system good. These are three things that really helped me during bedrest and isolation the last few years:

Schedule nighttime calls with friends to calm you before bed.

Watch Netflix programmes together, pressing play at the same time.

Start meditations in groups where everyone meditates starting at the same time.

STOCK UP, RESPONSIBLY

Make a list of crucial medication and cold/pain relief medication and stock up for a month’s extra supply – or more if your insurance allows.

In Canada, most people I’ve spoken with have gotten 2 months extra prescription medication filled. In the USA, this will vary by state and insurance provider.

Other things to have in the house:

All-purpose cleaner

Hand soap

Dish soap

Rubbing alcohol in case you need to dilute it to make a spray.

Paper towels

Cold & flu medicine that you favour, if any.

Painkillers like Tylenol or Advil

Latex gloves or nitrile gloves to wear donning and doffing masks, or for use outside the home.

Toilet paper (for a few weeks extra not a panicked by of a monster load of toilet paper!)

Bleach or Lysol or Clorox Wipes for cleaning.

Toothpaste

Laundry detergent

Some non-perishables that are easy to have in case you want to minimize your food trips: rice, canned tuna or chicken, protein bars, popcorn, crackers, nutritious seeds like flax or chia, peanut butter, oats, cans of chickpeas and beans, and oils you use to cook with. Also some frozen veggies.

Don’t forget the pets! Stock up on pet food for an extra month.

The vulnerable are worthy of protection too.

Today, Norway now has a mandatory quarantine for all inbound travelers and cancelled all schools, all sporting events, and has a mandatory quarantine for people coming into the country from abroad.

In the USA and Canada, these large-scale domestic measures have not happened yet, though more and more cancellations are happening each day.

We know that the countries that have been most successful at lowering their overall death rate are the ones who take swift, aggressive measures quickly.

In South Korea, for example, nearly 20,000 people are being tested every day for the virus and labs are working 24/7 to get testing kits back. This morning, I heard a segment on NPR from a man there who tested positive despite his only symptom being a slight cough. In Seoul, the radio anchor reported drive through testing with results delivered via text in 5-6 hours.

We can see from Italy what happens when we don’t take a preemptive, wide-reaching approach. Let’s not squander the horrifying lesson they taught us. It’s clear that the US does not have the capacity to test at high levels like South Korea, meaning many people who are otherwise asymptomatic could be infecting the vulnerable classes in society.

It took me many days to write this article because I can only stand for small 20 minute increments to write it with my CSF leak. But it’s well worth the “up time” if it makes a few more people take COVID19 seriously.

Stay home.

Do what you can to protect the at risk population.

Change your schedule, your patterns, your habits to the maximum extent you can.

Just because I’m vulnerable to this virus doesn’t mean I’m less worthy of staying well.

COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 by the numbers (WORLDWIDE) – Worldometers

COVID-19 by the numbers (USA ONLY, including cases per county so people can track the spread locally) – Infection2020

How to prepare reasonably without panic – Virology Down Under

WHO global data for COVID-19 

How does the virus affect the body – National Geographic

Stay The Fuck Home (a succinct summary) 

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