It was funky and felt distinctly un-LaTeX with the pdf cropping and graphic declarations, but was super fun. Way different from academic writing or even hobby typesetting with normal, pre-made classes (the DnD 5e LaTeX Template by rpgtex is a gamechanger for homebrewed dnd content and was the catalyst for this). The standalone document class is really weird to work with, and using tcolorboxes as the main document content feels like I am fitting a square peg into a non-euclidean hole, but it is still working!

I am just glad I decided to use LaTeX and not python for this.

They are, and will always be, iconic. I only used one other source when making this, mainly for the font pack and the potential to add a texture map to the text block in lieu of solid gray.

It sucks and makes dealing ith the illness so much worse. Ironically, stress is a trigger for Crohns/UC and the stress of dealing with this has been responsible for multiple flareups of mine. Luckily, a lifeline might be on the horizon for autoimmune disorders like Crohns, Celiacs, and MS

A new (anti?)vaccine is being tested that can rewrite the immune system to take the body’s normal, healthy cells off its kill list. Fingers crossed that before I turn 35 I can just be done with this horseshit before it causes any lasting damage to my insides

https://scitechdaily.com/new-vaccine-can-completely-reverse-autoimmune-diseases-like-multiple-sclerosis-type-1-diabetes-and-crohns-disease/

I got my Crohn’s diagnosis about 3 years ago. While it has been worth it, the amount I have spent on medication, procedures, doctor’s visits, etc has kept my credit card near its limit for years and is a constant source of anxiety. This is with decent insurance. I have a job that is flexible with hours, but between flare ups and infusions, I have to miss work semifrequently and someone not in my position could be in a very tenuous state with their employer. Not to mention the stress of fighting the insurance for coverage of medications that are thousands of dollars per dose and dealing with systemic incompetence of the people involved in every stage of the process. They all fail (doctor’s office, infusion clinic, insurance, etc) to communicate in anything resembling a timely manner without my constant pestering and prodding. It is torturous, and only marginally better than the symptoms themself, and I understand exactly why people forego treatment if they have deal with any one of these issues individually, let alone with all of them. Just so BCBS/UHC/etc can turn a profit off our suffering.

The Mattel Cinematic Universe is the true MCU

A true Sapphic Barbie Utopia is too powerful for normies to gel with

She looks like my old puppy Annie, who we lost last year after managing her chronic kidney failure for 4 years. She even has the wonky teeth. Sweet lil visiting pup, give her an extra pet for me.

No problem, sorry if that came off as snippy. it is something I actually still feel some latent guilt(?)/regret about since it was technically my fault that my parents had to lose one of their pets (I know it is illogical and I don’t actively blame myself, this happened 24 years ago and I was a literal toddler).

The memory sucks, not gonna lie, but I luckily don’t remember the pain aspect. it had the positive effect of making me a staunch proponent for the well being of animals, even those perceived as dangerous. If it could happen with our sweet dog that had never shown any signs of aggression, I think we owe it to these creatures that rely on us to show them compasion.

I agree completely that it is never the dog’s fault, and irresponsible dog ownership hurts the dog as much as those put at risk by the owner’s carelessness.

It was one of our family dogs, and we all loved her dearly. I was playing on the couch and fell off, landing on her tail and hurting her. She instictually snapped and it resulted in, unfortunately, the worst possible outcome (it is shitty, but it is one of my first well formed memories). Despite it being a freak one off, my parents couldn’t feel safe given what happened and rehomed her to a family friend who didn’t have children. She lived a long happy life and my dad still got to see her regularly, as he was heartbroken that he had to make this choice. I personally don’t think my parents letting their kid play around the family dog, one that they had since before I was born, should have their faces readjusted.

Multiple times.

Photo for any weirdos who want to see it.

Thanks!

I had a decent section of my right side of my face forcibly removed via a dog bite when I was 3. The cosmetic surgeon did an amazing job putting my face back together (no visible scarring other than the puncture mark and my eyelid acts weird sometimes), but the rip started at the corner of my eye, and as a result, that hole never healed up quite right.

It is about the size of a grain of rice and is really annoying. When I blow my nose, it acts as the third escape route for any congestion, which is gross as hell, popping my ears ranges from tricky to impossible, the eye is more watery than the other, and when I cry because my parents treated me like the fuck up that I truly am and I am undeserving of love, that eye is prone to irritation. I can make a really high pitch whine from it on demand though, so it is all worth it!

He is the Lord of the Frenzied Flame