#Junk Removal Cost

[thegorillajunkremoval]

Junk removal near me

Simplify Your Move: Junk Removal Tips For A Stress-Free Transition

Relocating to a new home is an exciting chapter in life, offering a fresh start and endless possibilities. However, it also brings challenges, particularly regarding Junk removal Paso Robles.

Decluttering and removing unwanted items before moving simplifies the process and ensures your new home feels organized and stress-free.

This article will explore various aspects of decluttering, spring cleaning, handling renovations, and downsizing, providing homeowners with actionable tips to make their move seamless.

Decluttering Before Moving

Removing junk before moving refers to sorting through your belongings and getting rid of items you no longer need or want before packing up and moving to a new home.

This can involve donating, selling, recycling, or discarding items that are taking up unnecessary space. Paso Robles junk removal helps reduce the amount of stuff to pack, making the moving process easier, faster, and more organized.

It also offers an opportunity to refresh your living space, let go of old or unused items, and start fresh in your new home.

Why Decluttering Matters:

Streamlined Packing: Fewer items mean less to pack, reducing the time and energy required.

Lower Moving Costs: Moving companies typically charge based on volume or weight. Decluttering can significantly reduce the Junk removal cost.

Fresh Start: Entering your new home with only the essentials creates a physically and mentally clean slate.

How To Declutter Effectively:

Decluttering effectively requires a thoughtful, organized approach to ensure you simplify the process and achieve lasting results. Here's how to get started:

Set Clear Goals: Begin by deciding what you want to achieve. Whether preparing for a move or creating a more organized living space, having a clear goal will guide your efforts.

Tackle One Area at a Time: Focus on one Room or section at a time. Breaking it into manageable tasks prevents overwhelm and ensures you stay on track.

Sort Items: Use the "Keep, Donate, Sell, or Toss" method. If an item doesn't add value or serve a purpose, it's time to let it go.

Set a Time Limit: Allocate a specific amount of time each day or week for decluttering. Setting time limits helps prevent procrastination and keeps the process moving.

Organize as You Go: As you sort through your items, consider how you'll organize them in your new space. Use storage solutions that help keep things tidy and easy to find.

Get Help If Needed: If you feel overwhelmed, enlist help from friends, family, or a professional organizer to streamline the process.

Spring Cleaning: An Ideal Time to Declutter

Spring cleaning is synonymous with renewal and offers the perfect opportunity to declutter. Even if you're not planning a move, this annual ritual can rejuvenate your living space.

Benefits Of Spring Cleaning:

Freeing Up Space: Removing items that no longer serve a purpose creates a more spacious and comfortable home.

Improved Mental Well-Being: A clean, organized home can reduce stress and boost productivity.

Enhanced Home Value: If you're preparing to sell your home, a decluttered and clean space can leave a positive impression on potential buyers.

Tips For Spring Cleaning Success:

Focus on One Room at a Time: Dividing the process into smaller, more manageable tasks makes it less overwhelming.

Declutter First: Before deep cleaning, remove items that don't belong or are no longer needed.

Create a Checklist: A comprehensive checklist ensures you don't miss any areas.

Dispose Responsibly: Donate usable items to charities or recycle them whenever possible.

Managing Renovations And Remodeling Debris

Home improvement projects can transform your space but often leave unwanted materials and debris behind. Properly handling these items is crucial for maintaining an organized and safe environment.

Common Items To Remove During Renovations:

Old fixtures such as lighting, sinks, or cabinets.

Leftover construction materials like drywall, wood, or tiles.

Broken tools or equipment.

Steps For Managing Debris:

Rent a Dumpster: For extensive projects, renting a dumpster ensures the efficient removal of large amounts of debris.

Reuse and Repurpose: Some materials, like wood or fixtures, can be repurposed for other projects.

Contact Local Recycling Centers: Properly dispose of materials like paint or electronics that require special handling.

Hire Professionals: Consider hiring Junk removal companies to handle heavy or hazardous items.

Downsizing: Simplifying Life In A Smaller Space

Downsizing to a smaller home is a common life transition, whether for retirement, financial reasons, or a desire for a simpler lifestyle. It's an opportunity to embrace minimalism and prioritize what truly matters.

Challenges of Downsizing:

Emotional attachment to belongings.

Limited storage in the new home.

Deciding what to keep and what to let go.

Strategies For Successful Downsizing:

Visualize Your New Space: Understand your new home's layout and storage capacity to guide your decisions.

Focus on Functionality: Prioritize items that serve a clear purpose or bring joy.

Digitize When Possible: Scan important documents and photos to save space.

Host a Garage Sale: Turn unwanted items into cash while reducing the volume of your belongings.

Seek Support: Involve family or friends to help with decision-making and heavy lifting.

Final Thoughts

Moving to a new home, undergoing renovations, or transitioning to a smaller space presents opportunities to declutter and start anew.

Taking proactive steps to remove unwanted items can simplify the process, reduce stress, and create a more enjoyable living environment.

Whether sorting through old furniture, clearing construction debris, or embracing minimalism, every effort you make now will pay off. Happy moving and decluttering!

At Gorilla Junk Removal, we're here to make your decluttering and junk removal process as easy and stress-free as possible.

Whether you're moving, renovating, or simply looking to downsize, our professional team is ready to help you haul away unwanted items so you can focus on what truly matters.

Our reliable and efficient services ensure that your space is cleared quickly, leaving you with a clean slate and a fresh start.

Find out more about Junk removal near me, visit our site and let us help you create a more organized and enjoyable living environment—contact us today for a hassle-free experience!

[ultimatecontractingllc]

When it comes to managing unwanted clutter, delaying junk removal may seem harmless, but it can lead to significant issues. Whether it’s old furniture, construction debris, or household junk, postponing removal can pose health, safety, and environmental risks. Below are some of the hidden dangers of not addressing junk removal promptly.

[moghedien]

honestly I encourage everyone to get comfortable opening up their electronics. game consoles. computers. phones. keyboards. headphones. whatever. like obviously don't start with the most difficult thing to open up and don't just mindlessly pop open something and lose all the screws and don't do it while its on. but get comfortable looking inside your stuff yourself

its not hard to open up most electronics that don't have an apple logo on them (and even a lot of those are easier than you'd think) and it DOES NOT VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

Companies will try to scare you from learning how to care for your own stuff because they get money that way. Warranty stickers are technically illegal in the US but just isn't enforced, and a company can't actually void your warranty if you repair something yourself, so long as you don't break something else in the process.

like I look at threads all the time where people express fear about just opening up a console and looking at the internals to see which version they have but don't be! its easy, its safe, its free! get comfortable with your electronics and learn how to clean and repair stuff yourself, it isn't scary, companies just want you to think it is!

[kirkwallguy]

Um. if potions are an ability. and there are the potion pots in the environment to heal us. does that mean that we don't have like. poultices or bombs or anything anymore.

[junkgrab]

Whether it’s clearing out your garage or managing construction debris, hiring a professional service for junk removal and recycling Orange County is the easiest way to ensure responsible, eco-friendly disposal. With transparent pricing, tailored services, and a commitment to sustainability, Orange County’s top junk removal companies are your partners in maintaining a clean and green community.

[hortoncolumbusdemolition]

Facing the challenge of demolishing an office building in Ohio? Horton Columbus Demolition and Removal Services can help. With top-notch expertise and advanced equipment, they oversee each phase—from obtaining permits to guaranteeing safety and a pristine cleanup. Rely on these professionals to clear the path for your next office project. Get in touch today at 937-360-8392 or visit https://hortoncolumbusdemolition.com/

[junkbegonedenver]

Eco-Friendly Junk Removal Options: Denver's Sustainable Solutions

In today's environmentally conscious world, more and more people in Denver are seeking eco-friendly solutions for junk removal. As awareness of climate change and environmental degradation grows, individuals and businesses are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize waste. Fortunately, Denver offers a variety of sustainable junk removal options, providing residents with the opportunity to dispose of unwanted items responsibly while contributing to a greener future.

One such company leading the charge in eco-friendly junk removal in Denver is Junk Be Gone. With a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Junk Be Gone offers innovative solutions for disposing of unwanted items while minimizing harm to the planet. By prioritizing recycling, donation, and proper disposal practices, Junk Be Gone ensures that as much waste as possible is diverted from landfills.

One of the key eco-friendly initiatives offered by Junk Be Gone is their comprehensive recycling program. Rather than simply discarding items in a landfill, the company works diligently to separate materials that can be recycled, such as metal, plastic, paper, and electronics. By partnering with local recycling facilities, Junk Be Gone helps to conserve natural resources and reduce energy consumption associated with manufacturing new products.

Additionally, Junk Be Gone emphasizes the importance of donation as a means of reducing waste and supporting the community. Through partnerships with local charities and non-profit organizations, the company is able to redirect usable items, such as clothing, furniture, and household goods, to those in need. Not only does this approach help to minimize waste, but it also enables Denver residents to give back to their community and support worthwhile causes.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, Junk Be Gone provides transparent pricing for their services, ensuring that customers are aware of the junk pickup cost in Denver upfront. By offering competitive rates and flexible scheduling options, the company strives to make eco-friendly junk removal accessible and affordable for all residents.

By choosing eco-friendly junk removal options like those offered by Junk Be Gone, residents of Denver can feel confident that they are making a positive impact on the environment while decluttering their homes or businesses. With a focus on sustainability, recycling, and community support, Junk Be Gone is leading the way toward a cleaner, greener future for Denver and beyond.

In conclusion, for those seeking environmentally conscious trash removal services in Denver, Junk Be Gone provides sustainable solutions that prioritize recycling, donation, and responsible disposal practices. By opting for eco-friendly junk removal options, residents can contribute to a healthier planet while enjoying the convenience and affordability of professional trash removal services in Denver.

[bluebliss1]

The Surprising Link between Junk Food and Kidney Stones: What You Need to Know

Introduction:

Kidney stones, those tiny yet painful formations within the kidneys, have become a prevalent health concern. Surprisingly, our dietary choices, including the consumption of junk food, can significantly contribute to their development. In this article, we'll explore the impact of junk food on kidney stone formation, provide a list of foods that can cause kidney stones, and discuss effective treatments and renowned kidney specialists in Bangalore.

The Relationship between Junk Food and Kidney Stones:

Studies have revealed that junk food, high in sodium, unhealthy fats, and sugar, can disrupt the body's mineral balance, particularly calcium and oxalate.

This imbalance increases the risk of kidney stone formation.

Foods That Cause Kidney Stones:

Certain foods can increase the likelihood of developing kidney stones:

Sodium-rich Foods: Excessive consumption of processed foods, fast food, and canned soups high in sodium can raise calcium levels in urine, increasing the risk of kidney stones.

Oxalate-rich Foods: Foods like spinach, rhubarb, beets, chocolate, nuts, and tea contain high levels of oxalate, contributing to the formation of calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of kidney stone.

Animal Protein: Reducing intake of animal protein from sources like red meat, poultry, and seafood helps lower the risk of kidney stones, as excessive protein intake can increase calcium and uric acid levels in the urine.

Sugary Beverages: Soft drinks and sweetened juices containing fructose and phosphoric acid can promote kidney stone formation.

Kidney Stone Treatment in Bangalore:

If you require kidney stone treatment in Bangalore, consider consulting these renowned specialists:

Dr.L N Raju – Urologist at Blue Bliss Hospital With extensive experience in diagnosing and treating kidney stones personalized care and utilizes advanced techniques for effective stone management.

Conclusion: Understanding the impact of our dietary choices, particularly junk food, on kidney stone formation is crucial. By being mindful of foods that can contribute to kidney stones and making healthier choices, we can take proactive steps towards prevention. Seeking guidance from experienced kidney specialists in Bangalore ensures proper diagnosis and effective treatment when needed. Remember to maintain a balanced diet, hydrate adequately, and prioritize your kidney health to minimize the risk of kidney stone formation.

[sexybritishllama]

in further neopets discord news, oh boy is there drama in my awful virtual pet game website today. strap in if you want way too much information on neopets’ broken economy

for some context, an event has just launched called the faerie festival. this is the first event to be run by the ‘new’ TNT (aka. the neopets team aka. the staff) since the leadership change, and they've said in recent editorials that this year’s faerie festival is going to be a combo of two previous popular events:

the faerie quest event, wherein people can get a free quest from a faerie every day in exchange for a reward (something that’s normally limited to random special events and therefore quite rare)

the charity corner, a highly requested event that hasn’t run since 2020, where you can donate random items to get points that can then be exchanged in a prize shop

there’s a LOT of ultimately worthless items on neopets that people gather from doing dailies and things, but charity corner actually gave a use to hoarding all of these, so people have wanted it back for ages. people have been going out of their way to hoard extra junk items for like 2 months now, after TNT teased the event in an editorial

this event was originally meant to start on 20th august, but got delayed 2 weeks, presumably because of issues behind the scenes. people were generally a bit disappointed but relieved if this meant they were going to get a proper, well prepared event without bugs

flash forward to 2nd october, the actual start of the event. nothing actually opens up for several hours on the day- that’s somewhat waved off by the fact that staff presumably need to be in the office to launch everything, a midnight launch isn’t expected

but, eventually, it opens!

well… kinda. there’s one page with one dialogue scene available and a link to an event page for spending neocash (the premium currency that costs irl money). the faerie quest page is giving out free daily quests, which is nice, but literally just the same as they did back in 2020. where’s the item recycling part? did this really need 2 weeks of delay?

the next day, the FAQ page for the event is published neopets support site (but not announced via news). still no sign of the actual event starting- seems like that might not be until moday?

as well as multiple grammatical errors, the FAQ had a few… concerning elements. most notably:

only 10 items could be donated per day

points would be awarded based on the rarity of the item, with the maximum rarity being r200-500, worth 15 points each

this meant people's hoarding of junk items for months was... essentially useless

r200-500 items basically means either hidden tower items (rare, expensive items that can only be bought in an account age locked shop with a purchase limit of 1 per day) orrrr….. neocash items. In other words, players could either spend an exorbinate amount of their in-game currency to buy up items to donate, or they could just hand over their credit card and pay to win

people were Not Happy about this

not long after info spread and the outcry started (and a sizeable number of people cancelled their premium membership in protest), the FAQ was quietly updated to remove mention of donating neocash items. that took away to pay to win element at least

however, now there was a new problem. a tombola man problem.

i mentioned already that the highest rarity items are pretty rare and expensive. one of the least expensive of these is an item called the Squeezy Tombola Guy Toy. you can probably see where this is going already

because you can only buy a maximum of one tombola guy per day from the hidden tower, your only option if you want to buy more than that in a day is to go to user shops. however, in light of the event, people had already started buying and hoarding tombola guy toys. equally, others were buying them purely to sell at a profit. this made the perfect storm and caused the price of the tombola guy toy, which was normally 110k NP, to explode up to 500k, 600k, even 700k within just one day

BUT THEN THE FAQ GOT UPDATED AGAIN. surprise, you can now donate 30 items per day! also they just got rid of the highest rarity tier altogether. the maximum you can get for an item is now 8 points, for rarity r102-r179.

this has now made the squeezy tombola guy toys useless. unless you’re a collector they don’t serve any function beyond that of a normal neopets toy (of which there’s thousands of much cheaper options). the price has now plummeted down to BELOW what it originally was and many users now have piles and piles of the dolls sitting in their inventory, mocking them

so what now? well, because no one ever learns, everyone is now flocking to what is now the cheapest high-rarity item eligible for donation. most are going for omelettes, which have a few different options at r102+. these have also inflated by like 400% from before the event, but unlike the squeeze tombola guys, these are only worth a few thousand neopoints, so not as bad a potential loss in comparison

it’s worth noting that while all this is going on in preparation for the recycling event, neopets is also experiencing insane inflation in a lot of other items right now, including those required for people to complete faerie quests. for example, a Griefer, which cost 5000 np just last week, is now worth selling for 1 MILLION

So yeah. 3 days into the event and that’s where we are so far. who knows what tomorrow might bring

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #31

August 9-16 2024

President Biden and Vice-President Harris announced together the successful conclusion of the first negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies over drug prices. For years Medicare was not allow to directly negotiate princes with drug companies leaving seniors to pay high prices. It has been a Democratic goal for many years to change this. President Biden noted he first introduced a bill to allow these negotiations as a Senator back in 1973. Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act, passed with no Republican support using Vice-President Harris' tie breaking vote, this long time Democratic goal is now a reality. Savings on these first ten drugs are between 38% and 79% and will collectively save seniors $1.8 billion dollars in out of pocket costs. This comes on top of the Biden-Harris Administration already having capped the price of insulin for Medicare's 3.5 million diabetics at $35 a month, as well as the Administration's plan to cap Medicare out of pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year starting January 2025.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have launched a wide ranging all of government effort to crack down on companies wasting customers time with excessive paperwork, hold times, and robots rather than real people. Some of the actions from the "Time is Money" effort include: The FTC and FCC putting forward rules that require companies to make canceling a subscription or service as easy as signing up for it. The Department of Transportation has required automatic refunds for canceled flights. The CFPB is working on rules to require companies to have to allow customers to speak to a real person with just one button click ending endless "doom loops" of recored messages. The CFPB is also working on rules around chatbots, particularly their use from banks. The FTC is working on rules to ban companies from posting fake reviews, suppressing honest negative reviews, or paying for  positive reviews. HHS and the Department of Labor are taking steps to require insurance companies to allow health claims to be submitted online. All these actions come on top of the Biden Administration's efforts to get rid of junk fees.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced further funding as part of the President's Cancer Moonshot. The Cancer Moonshot was launched by then Vice-President Biden in 2016 in the aftermath of his son Beau Biden's death from brain cancer in late 2015. It was scrapped by Trump as political retaliation against the Obama-Biden Administration. Revived by President Biden in 2022 it has the goal of cutting the number of cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years, saving 4 million lives. Part of the Moonshot is Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), grants to help develop cutting edge technology to prevent, detect, and treat cancer. The President and First Lady announced $150 million in ARPA-H grants this week focused on more successful cancer surgeries. With grants to Tulane, Rice, Johns Hopkins, and Dartmouth, among others, they'll help fund imaging and microscope technology that will allow surgeons to more successfully determine if all cancer has been remove, as well as medical imaging focused on preventing damage to healthy tissues during surgeries.

Vice-President Harris announced a 4-year plan to lower housing costs. The Vice-President plans on offering $25,000 to first time home buyers in down-payment support. It's believed this will help support 1 million first time buyers a year. She also called for the building of 3 million more housing units, and a $40 billion innovation fund to spur innovative housing construction. This adds to President Biden's call for a $10,000 tax credit for first time buyers and calls by the President to punish landlords who raise the rent by over 5%.

President Biden Designates the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot a National Monument. The two day riot in Illinois capital took place just blocks away from Abraham Lincoln's Springfield home. In August 1908, 17 people die, including a black infant, and 2,000 black refugees were forced to flee the city. As a direct result of the riot, black community leaders and white allies met a few months later in New York and founded the NAACP. The new National Monument will seek to preserve the history and educate the public both on the horrible race riot as well as the foundation of the NAACP. This is the second time President Biden has used his authority to set up a National Monument protecting black history, after setting up the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument on Emmett Till's 82nd birthday July 25th 2023.

The Department of The Interior announced $775 million to help cap and clean up orphaned oil and gas wells. The money will help cap wells in 21 states. The Biden-Harris Administration has allocated $4.7 billion to plug orphaned wells, a billion of which has already been distributed. More than 8,200 such wells have been capped since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2022. Orphaned wells leak toxins into communities and are leaking the super greenhouse gas methane. Plugging them will not only improve the health of nearby communities but help fight climate change on a global level.

Vice-President Harris announced plans to ban price-gouging in the food and grocery industries. This would be a first ever federal ban on price gouging and Harris called for clear "rules of the road" on price rises in food, and strong penalties from the FTC for those who break them. This is in line with President Biden's launching of a federal Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing in March, and Democratic Senator Bob Casey's bill to ban "shrinkflation". In response to this pressure from Democrats on price gouging and after aggressive questions by Senator Casey and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the supermarket giant Kroger proposed dropping prices by a billion dollars

[homeandliving]

The Benefits Of Hiring A Commercial Junk Removal Service

Waste Cost Solutions is a commercial junk removal service that offers a wide range of benefits for businesses. They understand that every business is different, and we tailor our services to meet your needs. They can provide you with a full-service solution that includes waste disposal, recycling, and donation.

And they also offer a wide range of discounts for businesses that use our services regularly. We understand that companies need to save money, and we offer a variety of solutions that can help you save money on your waste disposal costs.

If you are looking for a commercial junk removal service that can provide you with the benefits you need, contact them today! They would be happy to discuss your specific needs and provide you with a proposal that outlines our services.

The Benefits of Hiring a Commercial Junk Removal Service

Most businesses produce a lot of waste, and managing it cannot be easy. Hiring a commercial junk removal service can help your business by providing convenience and efficiency. Everything from large items to small debris can be taken care of on time, which enables your business to focus on other tasks. Another benefit of hiring a commercial junk removal service is that it can save your company money in the long run. Not only can a junk removal service handle the waste and debris, but it will also help you recycle and donate items that can be reused. This means you will not have to spend extra money on waste disposal or transportation.

Moreover, commercial junk removal services offer discounts, which can be very beneficial if your business needs to get rid of large amounts of waste regularly. How a Commercial Junk Removal Service Can Help Your Business: Commercial junk removal services can help your business in more ways than one. You will save money on waste disposal and transportation costs by reducing waste in your industry.

Additionally, removing unwanted items can make more room for your business's needs. Finally, a commercial junk removal service can help your business become more environmentally friendly. Recycling and donating materials can reduce your carbon footprint and save money on waste management. Hiring a commercial junk removal service can also add value to your business by making it easier for your customers and employees. With less clutter in your workplace, you can create an environment that is more inviting, leading to higher employee morale and customer satisfaction. This can lead to better productivity and an increase in profits. The Bottom Line:

The Benefits of Hiring a Commercial Junk Removal Service

They are numerous and include cost savings, increased productivity, and environmental friendliness. They can help reduce the amount of waste, reduce transportation costs, and recycle and donate items that can be reused. These benefits can help your business save money and increase its profitability. If you want to make your business more efficient, then hiring a commercial junk removal service is the way.

[flying-womrats]

replacements for a few LMS mods

If you think you saw this post yesterday, yes you did- then I made a couple edits and realized I should have done it under a readmore in case people reblogged it... So here we go again! These are the possible replacements I found for the littlemssam mods I was using, in case they help anyone else.

Caveats: - Often not a 1:1 replacement. - I only went looking for replacements for mods I was actually using, so this only covers a fraction of her catalog. - Most of these modders still use Curseforge, they're just not exclusive to it.

Additionally, if anyone knows of a replacement for any of the following: Go For A Walk, Improved Meditation Stool, Improved Practical Spells (the improvements to the spells themselves,) No Random Job Offers (I know BosseladyTV has one, but it's CF exclusive,) Purchased Items Delivered By Mail, Release All The Ghosts, or Tea For Children, please drop me an ask! I only request no Curseforge exclusives and no Zer0.

On to the list:

Allow Stoves in University Housing -> Zerbu, No University Housing Restrictions

Auto Employees -> Kuttoe's "X Everywhere" mods, Zerbu's Spawn Refresh

Auto-Light Fireplaces Only When Cold -> Bienchen, fireplaceautonomytweak

Buy Treats via PC -> Bienchen, buypettreat

Calendar Tweaks -> Kuttoe, Less Frequent Prom (caveat: takes time to start working, especially if you're using a longer season setting)

Cookbooks -> ClaudiaSharon, Cook Experimental/Cultural/Jungle Food Without Tasting It First

Immortality Potion Fix -> Kuttoe, Potions Rework (only a half replacement- removes the VFX, but doesn't lock aging like the Scarlet/LMS mod)

Kids Can Walk Dogs -> ChippedSim, Paws & Claws (A Sim's Best Friend module)

More Away Actions -> Bienchen, awayactions (is actually included in the LMS mod)

No Burning Sun in Forgotten Hollow -> TwistedMexi, Daywalkers + Underworlds (caveat: per TMex's comment on the latter, the eternal night is only cosmetic and still requires Daywalkers for vampires to come out at "daytime". Also, Daywalkers affects all worlds. Still interested in a mod closer to LMS's if one exists!)

No Insects Herbalism -> Simularity, Improved Herbalism Potions & Features

No Shoe Sign Animation -> Lotharihoe, Shoe Sign Animation Tweaks (doesn't remove the animation entirely but does stop it from interrupting walking)

No Sick, Dirty, Sad and Hungry Pets -> Bienchen, catanddogsanity

Pregnancy Overhaul ("sims can do more" part) -> Bienchen, pregnantsimscandomore

Pregnancy Overhaul (belly sizes) -> t0nischwartz, No Bump or sonozakisisterssims4, "The belly in pregnancy depends on the number of babies" (the former is simpler but has no equivalent to the "larger belly" option, the latter has a bit more going on but has direct equivalents to LMS's sizes, so take your pick!)

Sleep All Night and Sleep In -> Midnitetech- Stay Asleep, Mokunoid- Better Sleep Autonomy or Lot 51- Sunrise depending on desired depth/customization

Social Activities -> adeepindigo, Youth, Friends and Family Activities

Small GF Reactions Overhaul -> Bienchen, lesscelebreact

Small Laundry Overhaul -> Bienchen's laundry mods cover some (but not all- anyone have something to make it cost money on community lots?) of it, along with Lotharihoe's No Autonomously Set Laundry Down to replace the "auto put away laundry" part.

Spar With For Everyone -> Bienchen, sparwithfornonmilitary

Toddler Ask For Food No Junk -> Bienchen, healthyhighchair (not quite the same thing but it solves the "why do they always give the kid chips" issue at least)

WEE: Working Elevators Everywhere -> Ravasheen, Uplifting Elevators (space and wall height permitting, it's also possible to make no-CC elevators with the RoM debug portals!)

Wellness Treat Fix -> Bienchen, petanxiousbufffix

Also, while I wasn't using either of them myself, Meet&Mingle can replace SimDa Dating App, and Lovestruck adds a "canon" dating app (though given EA's complete lack of attention to QA etc. I wouldn't recommend paying for it.)

edit 6/26/24: added Sunrise, petanxiousbufffix, pregnantsimscandomore

edit 6/27/24: added No Bump, moved into a new post.

edit 6/29/24: added Daywalkers, No University Housing Restrictions (ty @northernnightsky!) and the sonozakisisters bump mod

edit 7/2/24: added Underworlds (ty anon), Paws & Claws, and a link to the tutorial I followed for no-CC elevators

edit 8/22/24: added Spawn Refresh

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - October 30, 2023

1. Bill to Ban Hidden Fees in California Signed into Law

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has released a statement regarding the signing of Senate Bill 478 (SB 478). SB 478, coauthored by Senators Bill Dodd and Nancy Skinner, will eliminate hidden fees, also known as 'junk fees,' in California starting from July 1, 2024. Hidden fees are deceptive charges that sellers include in transactions, either through obscured disclosures or later revelations, impacting consumers negatively.

2. New Portable Water Treatment System Vaporizes 99% of ‘Forever Chemicals’

A startup based Washington has devised a portable system capable of removing the vast majority of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from water.

The system uses hydrothermal alkaline treatment, or HALT, to eliminate 99% of forever chemicals from water.

3. Tumor-destroying sound waves receive FDA approval for liver treatment in humans

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of sound waves to break down tumors—a technique called histotripsy—in humans for liver treatment. Technique developed at the University of Michigan provides a noninvasive alternative to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer

4. Japan's top court says trans sterilisation requirement unconstitutional

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to require citizens to be sterilised before they can officially change genders.

The 2004 law said people could only change their gender if they have no reproductive capacity. Wednesday's ruling came after a transgender woman filed a petition challenging the law.

5. Abandoned golf courses are being reclaimed by nature

Golf courses, despite occupying large green spaces, are not necessarily good for the environment.

Conservation nonprofits and local authorities are looking to acquire golf courses that have been abandoned due to high maintenance costs, low player numbers or other reasons, and repurpose them into landscapes that boost biodiversity and build natural defenses against climate change.

6. NSW court allows health officials to give blood transfusion to Jehovah's Witness toddler

Regional New South Wales health officials have won a court order authorising them to give a blood transfusion to a Jehovah's Witness toddler if needed in surgery. The Supreme Court has been told the girl, three, who can only be referred to as JI, is in need of two surgical procedures. 

On such an application, the overriding criterion to be applied by the court is the best interests and welfare of the child.

7. North Atlantic right whale population has steadied, scientists say

The population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales appears to have levelled off after a decade of steep decline, according to updated data released this morning by Canadian and American scientists. Scientists in the consortium said Monday that the 2021 estimate of 340 North Atlantic right whales in existence has been recalculated to 365 primarily because of the number of calves born that year.

The estimate for 2022 is 356.

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That's it for this week :)

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[simply-ivanka]

If Taylor Swift Had Endorsed Donald Trump

Democrats would scorn her business savvy, cap her ticket prices, and fret over her huge carbon footprint.

Wall Street Journal

By Allysia Finley

Forbes estimates Taylor Swift’s net worth at $1.3 billion. Despite her liberal leanings, the singer-songwriter has amassed her wealth the old-fashioned way: through hard work, talent and business savvy. Her endorsement of Kamala Harris last week is rich considering she owes her success to the capitalist system the vice president wants to tear down.

“The way I see it, fans view music the way they view their relationships,” Ms. Swift wrote in a 2014 piece for the Journal. “Some music is just for fun, a passing fling. . . . Some songs and albums represent seasons of our lives, like relationships that we hold dear in our memories but had their time and place in the past. However, some artists will be like finding ‘the one.’ ” She has become “the one” for hundreds of millions of fans worldwide with lyrics that chronicle relationship woes women commonly experience.

Ms. Swift took advantage of her ardent fan base in 2014 by removing her catalog from Spotify in a bid for higher royalties. “Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free,” she explained. “My hope for the future, not just in the music industry, but in every young girl I meet, . . . is that they all realize their worth and ask for it.”

She also criticized Apple Music for not paying artists during the streaming service’s free trial, prompting the company to change its policy. As she jeers in a hit song, “Who’s afraid of little old me?” Apparently, Big Tech companies.

Last year she reportedly raked in $200 million from streaming royalties on top of the estimated $15.8 million she grossed per performance during her recent “Eras” tour. Some fans have shelled out thousands of dollars on the resale market to see Ms. Swift perform. Americans have even traveled to Europe when they couldn’t get tickets in the U.S.

Her fan base may be more loyal and enthusiastic than Donald Trump’s. JD Vance scoffed at the idea that the star’s endorsement of Ms. Harris could influence the outcome of the election. The “billionaire celebrity,” he said, is “fundamentally disconnected from the interests and the problems of most Americans.” Maybe, but she certainly taps into the problems of young women.

Democrats hope to use Ms. Swift’s endorsement to drive them to the polls. But it isn’t difficult to imagine what the left would be saying about her had she endorsed the Republican antihero. It might go something like this:

The billionaire has gotten rich by ripping off fans, avoiding taxes and harming competitors. Time for the government to break her up. Unlike rival artists, Ms. Swift writes, performs and owns her compositions. This vertical integration allows her to charge exorbitant royalties and ticket prices.

Tickets for her “Eras” tour on average cost about $240. That’s merely the price for admission—not including food, drink or Swiftie swag. VIP passes that include memorabilia go for $899. How dare she make young women choose between paying for groceries or rent and going to a concert.

The Federal Trade Commission must cap Ms. Swift’s ticket prices at a reasonable price—say, $20—and ban her junk fees. Concertgoers shouldn’t have to pay $65 for an “I Love You It’s Ruining My Life” sweatshirt.

Her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also unfairly boosts their star power, letting them charge more for endorsements. As Ms. Swift writes in one song, “two is better than one.” Mr. Kelce reportedly signed a $100 million podcast deal with Amazon’s Wonderly. By breaking up the couple, the government could reduce their royalties and ticket prices.

Ms. Swift, the self-described “mastermind,” also dodges taxes on her “full income,” which includes some $125 million in real estate and a music catalog worth an estimated $600 million. “They said I was a cheat, I guess it must be true,” Ms. Swift acknowledges in her song “Florida!!!”

Under the Biden-Harris administration’s proposed billionaire’s tax, she would have to pay a 25% levy on the $1 billion increase in her fortune since 2017. But that isn’t enough. Ms. Swift should also have to pay taxes on the appreciating value of her “name, image and likeness,” which the Internal Revenue Service considers an asset.

How much is her brand worth? Easily billions. She might say, as she does in a song, that her “reputation has never been worse.” True, Miss Americana’s image took a hit after reports that her private-jet travel in 2022 emitted 576 times as much CO2 as the average American in a year. When Ms. Swift sings, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” she’s correct. She and her fat-cat friends are what’s wrong with America.

Appeared in the September 16, 2024, print edition as 'If Taylor Swift Had Endorsed Donald Trump'.

[rottenshotgungames]

I want to start talking about my personal game design philosophy

Stop Saying “No”

Let’s be honest here, you’ve written a hard limit into at least one of your games. We all have, I certainly have. It’s one of those simple yet effective pieces of tech (one that’s existed since the dawn of games) that can be introduced to bring an option in line with some other option, or to prevent a scaling into eternity, or some other third thing. Maybe skills have maximums, or you can only use a certain number of consumables in a combat, or an item can only be activated every other scene or round. Whatever it is, you’ve written into your game a rule that tells the players, “No. You cannot do this thing.”

I think we overuse hard limits. My goal is to convince you that hard limits, that the “No” you’ve introduced into your rules, is the game design equivalent of junk food: easy to use and bad in large quantities.

My argument boils down to two simple points:

Hard limits are frustrating and boring

Hard limits limit your design

In addition, I will be detailing three alternatives to hard limits:

Costs

Consequences

Balance

Hard vs. Soft

Before we begin, I want to clarify the difference between a hard limit and a soft limit:

A hard limit can generally be defined as, "A rule which expressly forbids or otherwise disallows something, either in a given circumstance or in general."

A soft limit, in contrast, can generally be defined as, "A rule which disincentivizes or otherwise indirectly limits something."

Alright, on with the show.

Hard Limits are Frustrating and Boring

This is what I like to call the, “What do you mean I can’t use my telekinesis to disarm that guy??? That’s fucking stupid!” Put simply, people like using their toys, and people dislike being told they can’t use their toys for whatever reason. Even if you haven’t had as vitriolic of a reaction as the one described earlier, I’m more than positive you’ve felt this way toward some rule in an RPG at some point. Even if a hard limitation is completely reasonable, it can still be frustrating to encounter; I understand why I can’t raise my Skill levels above my character level in Pathfinder, but it was still annoying and saddening the first time I heard it.

There’s this tweet from a while back, in which one Mr. Joshy McCroo (@riseupcomus) argues that any hard CC that fully prevents you from taking actions is inherently poor design as it does nothing but frustrate the person that it’s used on. This is the very same concept, and for the very same reason: it’s just not fun.

The fundamental reason for the frustration caused by hard limits is that they restrict player choice. When you introduce a hard “no,” you often remove an opportunity to create interesting decisions, and decisions are the foundation of play. Boredom with a system or a situation is spawned by a lack of choice, by a necessity to perform the same action over and over or an inability to do anything. When you give players a variety of tools that can each be used consistently—particularly in tactical games—they will use those tools in interesting, creative, and fun ways; if you restrict those tools, restrict the freedom to use those tools as desired, boredom and frustration can set in quickly.

Hard Limits Limit Your Design

This point is less objective and far more experiential / personal. This isn’t meant to demean opposing views or differing design philosophies.

As stated earlier, hard limits are simple, effective, and easy to use. If you come up against a design wall, such as an option being too powerful or players over-centralizing, it can be easy to just institute a rule that says “You can’t use this constantly,” or “You can only have this many Gizmos™️,” but doing so will often deprive you of an opportunity to innovate or otherwise improve your design sense.

For me, learning design was a serious process of Example and Trial. I’d use reference points (such as RPGs or Video Games that I really liked) to guide me through tough decisions, and when I didn’t have that guide I’d just write and revise until something fit. Eventually, I realized that growing as a designer and developing my own philosophy meant expanding beyond (even if ever-so-slightly) my influences, and the balance shifted from Example(60)/Trial(40) to Example(30)/Trial(70). For me, the fun of design is coming up against these kinds of issues and seeing if I can develop a novel approach or take a stale approach and spice it up, and I feel myself getting better every time I try.

Hard limits are easy to use and generally (relatively) easy to implement, as such they offer less opportunity for growth.

Some alternatives to hard limits, and why you might consider using them:

Costs

Two prevalent examples of costs are weapon ammunition and (≥2) times per Scene/Combat/Rest/Day abilities (both of these can be found in D&D 3e onward and many of its derivatives).

A cost is basically just a hard limit that's been a few steps removed, but those few steps manage to turn it into a soft limit of sorts. Costs fundamentally take a hard "No" and turn it into a "Yes, but . . ."

This is probably the easiest alternative to implement, which explains why it's kinda found everywhere. Even spell slots in the Dragon Game are a form of cost limitation. It's also just a generally strong solution, usually removing a significant amount of frustration and adding opportunities for resource management gameplay. However, if not implemented with care or consideration for surrounding options, you could end up with people carrying over 500 arrows at any given time or once more falling into a set rotation of combat abilities that they perform round-to-round (thereby negating the boredom fix).

Consequences

This is my personal favorite alternative.

A consequence, like a cost, is a "Yes, but" that disincentivizes an option or changes how a player thinks about using that option. There are two major differences between a cost and a consequence:

Costs are always negative in nature (you are spending something as part of doing something), consequences can be but aren't necessarily negative.

Costs always lead to a state that acts as a hard limit (once the resource is empty, you cannot do the thing), consequences do not directly involve a hard limit.

Two prevalent examples of consequences are taking damage for doing something (such as the Stress generated by Blades in The Dark's flashback mechanic) and gaining / losing affinity with a person or faction (a la Over War: The Night Comes Down).

The primary benefit of implementing a consequence is the interconnection with other mechanics. Costs are relatively self contained—usually only branching out to a currency mechanic, a weight mechanic, or a leveling mechanic at the very most—because the threat of a hard limit somewhere down the line is often enough to change how players approach a specific mechanic or situation on its own; consequences, on the other hand, necessitate an understanding of and interaction with other mechanics in the system because they literally cannot exist without them. If using a specific ability is going to give you a status condition—for example—that status condition inherently affects other mechanics and how you interact with them as well, changing how you think about that ability and its place in your toolset pretty substantially.

As an example, there's a Priest ability in Hollow Halls (my fantasy dungeon crawler) entitled Glimpse The Plan. Glimpse The Plan doubles the user's Believe proficiency (stat used for casting Parable spells), but also afflicts them with the Blind and Afraid statuses (which are both pretty bad). The Priest playtester quickly realized that if he was Afraid all of the time, then he effectively eliminated half of the consequences—and wouldn't ya know it, there's an option to become permanently Afraid at character creation to increase your health.

All of that being said (and my favoritism clearly on display), consequences can suffer from a difficulty of implementation. Some consequences, particularly the taking of damage, are really easy to throw about haphazardly and thereby suffer from the same "limitation of design" problem that hard limits do; but escaping those, adding consequences that are unique and create interesting choices, takes time and care and an awareness of how certain mechanics can and do interact. Even the easier-to-implement consequences can often take a few tries to fine-tune.

Balance

This is simultaneously the simplest and most complicated alternative. To balance something here means to compare an option to other surrounding options, weigh the value of each, and slowly tweak numbers until they're all in line with each other. Generally speaking, the easiest way to do this is to craft an option as a baseline and balance everything else around that option, but there are times where you'll create a more powerful ability that you don't want to change, thereby causing it to become the new baseline and so on and so forth.

This alternative involves a lot of trial and error, a lot of guesswork, a lot of testing, and a willingness to add, remove, and change elements of any given option. It’s time consuming, stressful, and incredibly rewarding. I don’t recommend going pure nitty-gritty numbers-hound in every situation, or even in every game, but—if used properly—this option can create an incredibly healthy and interesting environment of options.

The primary strength of numbers balancing is that you'll probably be doing it at least a little bit anyways. Unless you're part of the "balance is for pussies" crowd, some amount of balance work will be done on every option you introduce into the game. This is kinda just, y'know, the logical extreme of that process.

All three listed alternatives can be used with each other, even on a single mechanic.

Conclusion

I do not think that hard limits are inherently bad. I really need to make it clear that I DO NOT think that you should never use them (as much as that may be suggested by the title of this post). Sometimes you'll be on a serious time crunch, or you won't be able to come up with a suitable alternative, or it's the most thematically or mechanically sound option, so on and so forth. There are instances in which it will be appropriate, or even preferable, to use a hard limit—but that doesn’t make an over-reliance upon them any better for you or the people playing your game.

Honestly, what I want people to take away from this post is very simple: every design decision matters. Even seemingly inconsequential choices with limited impact can have profound effects on an important moment for some of your players, and as such are worth considering carefully.

Self-Promo

Hey, I'm Gio. I run Rotten Shotgun games. If you wanna support me, or keep up to date on my work, you can find me on Itch.io at https://rotten-shotgun-games.itch.io/

Otherwise, I hope y'all have a great night and a great day!

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