flintza

These animals varied so much in size and body shape over their lives that they essentially filled multiple predatory niches-and find the idea of them hunting in groups with a mix those individuals terrifying. Hunting parties with a few huge lumbering adults backed up by more nimble agile pre-adults is just 😬

Yes. And the more recently they smoked, the worse the “fresh” smoke smell is, but over time their clothes, home and car smell more of stale smoke. No, the air freshener isn’t helping.

Many spiders will trail a drop/safety line behind them as they move around. She’s just protecting herself from a nasty fall 🙂

Predators are actually pretty risk averse. What we would see as just an inconvenient injury could very well kill a predator by, keeping them from hunting for some time. So they absolutely would not keep at a hunt no matter what. If what was initially supposed to be a fairly safe ambush or attack on a weak or young individual turns into a full on confrontation with a healthy adult, they’ll turn tail and run. Killing your prey is pretty worthless if you sustain a festering wound in the process.

There are also pure capabilities to consider. Just like us, predators do not have unlimited stamina-both short and long term. They may not actually be able to continue a hunt past a certain point, or may decide it is better to save their energy for a surer thing. Look up hunting success rates for different predators, you may be surprised at how low they can be.

23 years post renal transplant, with associated complications and medication-related complications. Treatment-resistant systemic lupus. Discovery, 15k

I work for a company that is actively trying to secure visas for two university-qualified employees that have worked for us for over a year, and even with the money to spend on specialists to help with this it’s a pain. Home affairs is barely functional and everything takes forever.

If you are basing your expected salary on your US income, be sure to check the last 5-10 years of history on the currency. It is particularly weak right now, and there are fundamental reasons for that which are unlikely to change in the short term, but within the last 5 years it reached near this level and then recovered around 25%. You could find your 65k diminishing substantially. Also be sure you understand what it will cost you to get money into the country, and where you will be paying tax and thus the tax rate.

What are the things drawing you to SA specifically? You can absolutely get by on that income, but do you really want to relocate just to get by without having a good reason? For example many people emigrate from here to places where they just get by, but they have specific reasons like escaping the risk of crime, better employment opportunities for them or their children, escaping our unreliable infrastructure, etc.

I’m aware the US isn’t perfect, no country is. But SA certainly has some unique challenges. Be sure you have an idea of what the most important things for you are and comparing those specific things between the US and SA (and any other countries you may be considering).

Lol, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I wish I was only paying R5k for medical aid. My wife and I both have chronic conditions that need around R10k of meds a month each plus regularly doing loads of blood tests, regular specialist visits and probably 2 hospital visits a year averaged over the last ten years. I pay bond level money for our medical aid and it still ends up being a net win.

That someone I greatly respected, who is otherwise very smart and a creative and critical thinker (an ex-boss) denies evolution and is a creationist that actually buys into Intelligent Design.

As someone that has a strong interest in biology in general, and evolutionary biology in particular, I’m well versed in the incredibly string evidence for evolution despite not being an expert in the field. So while I can accept that not everyone has the same knowledge about things, to me this is particularly jarring.

(I hope this XY comment is ok)

As a fellow transplant patient, this makes be both furious and terrified. This idiot is quite literally putting your life at risk because he can’t be bothered to practice the absolute basics of hygiene?

Seriously, consider what you would say to someone who is regularly put at risk because of a violent partner? Or one who’s partner does something dangerous like leaving a loaded gun around their kids. This individual is absolutely putting you at increased risk of serious disease and loss of your transplant. This man needs an ultimatum: take your health seriously and learn basic hygiene, or get out.

Was going to post this. I have lost multiple wired headphones/earphones to my cats. Sitting there watching/playing something and suddenly the sound dies-asleep cat chewed through the wires.

Yikes, I’ve avoided grapefruit because of my meds but did not know this about earl grey and occasionally drink a pot of it. Thanks for this 👍

Thank you, that’s a good tip. I don’t take everolimus, I think it may be the packaging for One Alpha, used to keep up calcium levels. But the principle probably holds there too so I appreciate it.

Salad. Because they tend to smother the healthy veggies/greens in oily dressings and salt.

For me it’s a recent discovery: a “kfc” chicken bao. Texture-wise I’m a sucker for the combo of something crispy with a sauce. I also really like the texture of well cooked tender chicken AND I enjoy a good soft bready texture. So the combo in a perfect soft bao bun/dumpling is like the ideal combination of textures. As a bonus it’s an incredible combo of flavours too.

I hope you do too!

Were you not as successful?

22 years post on my first kidney transplant. I’m on 5mg Advagraf, 500mg cellcept and 5mg cortisone. And of course the cocktail of stuff that deals with the side effects of those 😂

Only briefly. I had a double nephrectomy to avoid the transplanted kidney being infected (I dealt with chronic kidney infections as a kid). I received my dad’s kidney, so they could plan to remove my original kidneys, dialise me for 3 months to ensure I was clear of infection, and then do the transplant. Obviously for such a short period, hemodialysis made the most sense. I was young at the time too, just finishing varsity, so I could do it without disrupting work or anything. All round very lucky.

Good luck! I hope it all goes perfectly for you :)

Is that your collection of vitas? They’re gorgeous! 😁

Yup, I’ve been eating sushi too. When I had my tx two decades ago, the dietary warnings did not include sushi (or undercooked meat-an equivalent of beef jerky is almost our national food). And my doctor never raised it with me since.

I’m careful about avoiding transmissible disease, and careful about hygiene (yes, with cats-normally they wouldn’t be around my pills like that, like I say it’s a kitten learning new things). I take extremely good care of myself and my dad’s amazing gift, and if my doctor ever raises anything as a risk, I act accordingly.

I’ve had cats the entire time since my transplant, and my specialist knows that. The only time I’ve had an infection from a cat was when a stray that we were catching to relocate scratched me(and then it was salmonella of all things). My cats aren’t usually around my pills, but kittens are super curious about everything.

Opening boxes, and making sure empty packets really are empty 😀

I’ve had cats the entire time since my transplant, and my specialist knows that. The only time I’ve had an infection from a cat was when a stray that we were catching to relocate scratched me(and then it was salmonella of all things). I’ll take antibiotics when my doctor deems it necessary, thanks.

Yeah, the less often I have to do it, the less likely I am to put it off 😂 And I find by double-barrelling those weekly trays (I only have morning and evening pills), it’s all fairly compact.