Short form business plan template

If I had been on a page of puts instead of calls, would they have sold brand new 180 strike puts for .01?
I've been buying May volatility options since Friday as a specu-vestment, essentially speculating that I could buy options so cheap and around strike that even a small backstep from ATH could bring me ITM, while a 10-20% chance of some fresh new or escalated crisis, and god forbid a correction or VIX spike.
I think the VIX is being (non-nefariously) held down and intuitively suspect a pop, maybe past reversion to the 'real, unsupressed mean, was super-under-priced. This is my favorite thing, to discover something I believe in despite it all!
My previous experience with options could be decribed as "inferno" or "traumatic," so I've kept position down to 5% or so buying unpaired puts on SVXY and calls on VIX. I thought I was wrong on Friday because the option chain was so desolate, and I had to question why others weren't competing with me... today the OI and volume seems to be 100x, and with infamous KatInvestor paratrooping in Monday ...and today VIX down 7% beyond 52W lows, not suspicious itself, only to my contemplation in the context.
I was & am convinced a net influence, from unspecified mechanisms including short ETNs like SVXY, is rendering VIX a false positive all-clear sign, and... making options lower IV... thus 'the market equilibrium mechanisms (VIX, IV) are DIRECTIONALLY dampening down volatility measure, indirectly and incidentally under-signaling risk in the market, which repeats the loop, though I do not discount the probability of my thinking idiotically.
I saw it but didn't understand Friday, that SVXY calls first strike OTM for .10 were too cheap, along with the puts. In fact I saw an alarm that listed both options closest to strike as basically the year's lowest IV options in relation to their previous average 52w. I was the only volume or OI in some near-atm options, among multiple no vol / OI strikes. So I concluded that the IV was (in my estimation) not pricing in unpredictability, and perhaps a qualitative watershed climax in American preeminance. Time will tell.
I believe this phenomenon dampened overall risk signals by lowering VIX & IV pricing, and is a negative feedback loop which furthers the tension, increasing likelihood of overcoming a hastily imagined threshold, beyond which the energybwould unwind, 'double bouncing' possibility like a trampoline.
Will smart people help me understand why market makers would add strike prices up to 180 when 80 VIX was considered peak extreme fear for Covid & other 'once-a-decade' Black Swans crashes?
VIX drops 7%, having started day at 52W, (and secular, cyclical lows of 11-12); the same day, strike prices more than triple to twice previous records (of settlement price, "intraday once to 120" overheard). Alternatively, I am ignorant and there are 57.2 unsourced speculations on why a security went up down or left, maybe I was oblivious and it's normal VIX is over low.
Would Vix beyond 180 require 180% of previous month SPY ETF volume? Just a silly deal for fools to part with money on? Planning for 2-3 years out? Trying to scare the heck out of me, then assume others would take 180 VIX calls as disquieting?
PS It seemed like premium options on the chain near the strike were tempted away since 75% more new options were apparently nearly free for the taking. So some top movers may sell down positions in a rush. I also wonder if I had a split call / Put screen and I bought 1000 $180 June VIX puts for .01...
And market order might be quicker than safe limit order for 10000 new contested shares... so they auto buy, or people just are waiting in office meetings to jump in if new major strike expansion anticipated? Feels like I squandered a bonus dungeon?

Rulers of the Outer World was stumping me to no end and while I am by no means an expert gamer, I prefer completing difficult challenges with my own strategies before taking to YouTube and seeing what the pros do. After a particularly harrowing night staying up until 4:30am and getting wrecked by Virtual Sephiroth, I decided to take a break and switch to the Legendary Challenges. Cait Sith was the most annoying but still, I managed to clear it which opened up the Zack and Sephiroth fights…
Nevertheless, I decided to give them a whirl because I had gotten sick of Rulers at that point.
Enter To be a Hero.
Cleared it on my first attempt via a casual “mess-around” run where I just wanted to play with Sephiroth (our time with him in the first chapter was way too short) and take virtual photos. You can see in the video that I was practically re-learning to play Sephiroth on the fly and was amazed that I was getting through each round in spite of the rocky start, not to mention Cloud is running a Buster Sword build purely for aesthetics.
Now it’s time for the big one, Bonds of Friendship.
Okay. From everything I was reading, the Sephiroth Challenge is more fun than anything else considering how OP he is so it is perfectly reasonable to clear it even on a blind run with enough luck on your side. Zack? Different story and oooof, did this challenge throw me through the wringer. Still, I managed to clear it after two days and was absolutely flabbergasted watching speed run videos afterwards with the vaunted “Wind Killer” build. Suffice it to say, I probably should have sucked it up and watched a guide or two beforehand as that would have saved me a lot of headache but still, it was a nice feeling of accomplishment knowing that I was able to clear this bout my way.
Finally, I came back to my most hated enemy — Rulers of the Outer World.
After some more failed attempts, I cracked and looked up a few guides. The “Yuffie Dance Attack” seemed perfectly viable and I was this close to implementing it until I stumbled upon a video that showed how to perfect parry Shadowy Chains for those of us (mostly old guys like me) who have lost the lightning fast reflexes from the days of their youth. It’s an infinitely sound strategy that I had never thought of and upon utilizing it, I finally managed to take out Virtual Sephiroth and earn the Götterdämmerung. My run through Rulers was a protracted battle of attrition that required two parts to encompass but still, I am proud of this achievement and will be happily spamming Brumal Form or any other meta setup the next time I give this challenge a whirl.
If you are curious, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
I am curious to know if anyone else here has had a similar experience to my own. From everything I have gathered, it would appear that the majority of the player base cleared Rulers first and then used the Götterdämmerung to make life easier with Zack and Sephiroth. After seeing so many rage about Bonds of Friendship, I am somewhat shocked that I managed to clear that before the Outer World.
To conclude, I have always been intimidated by FromSoft games due to their high difficulty spike and the fact that I would have an extremely difficult time fitting it into my busy schedule. I was this close to purchasing Sekiro back in the summer of 2020 but work finally picked up again so of course, I had to put gaming on the back burner. A lot of my friends have tried to convince me to give Elden Ring a shot but again, the learning curve dissuaded me. I enjoy platinuming games but usually prefer simple affairs as I am far from being an expert gamer. Remake was definitely challenging but fair as there were only a couple trophies that truly tested me. With Rebirth, I was tested over and over again to the point that I got numb to it. Hell, I spent an entire weekend on the Chocobo Races alone as I am basically crap at the racing genre.
Now having earned the Platinum, I have a question for all the FromSoft players on this forum. How would you rank Rebirth’s platinum compared to Elden and Sekiro? If I was able to survive the Brutal and Legendary Challenges here, would I stand a chance against Malenia even without elite players carrying me? What about the Sword Saint?

Hello everyone I’m a 22 year old (m) business major in Florida. I’ve been in college for about a year and I’ve recently come to the realization I do not wish to be in the corporate business world for the majority if not the entirety of my work life due to being in that world after high school which is what lead me to pursue an education because I believe i would be better off with a degree than without one. Not saying one cannot reach extraordinary positions in life financially without a degree I’m just someone who wants to reach those positions through college. On top of reaching leadership positions fairly quickly and easily and making an above average salary at the age of 20 for people in the industry of hospitality, business etc I believe to have reached close to a peak that wouldn’t go much further than what I was receiving annually had I continued staying in that work force.
I’ve taken an interest into engineering and I’m having trouble into what engineering degree I would like to major in. I’m halfway into my associates degree and looking to go as far as to achieve a masters degree in engineering and stuck in between 3 majors which would be civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.
Salary obviously comes with what I would like to move into. All degrees above roughly have the same salary after college and long term as for starting pay and the longevity of the career.
But what I’m really concerned with is my work life balance for when I have a family of my own And overall satisfaction with my life. I am a weapon,car, jewelry and martial arts enthusiast and would like to have my hobbies be present in my future. Questions such as “will I be happy with x degree and career?” “Will I be satisfied with what I am doing?” “Will it all be worth it in the end?” Dread me now and I worry about investing my time and energy and my twenties into something that I’ll regret in a future
I’m someone who has always wanted to help people Wether that would be through advice, being there for others, giving and assisting too those who’s positions are bad or have not had the luxury to put them selves in better positions due to circumstances in their own lives. I’ve found my self to be a natural leader to those in my circle and in the work force. I don’t want to come off as someone who is full of himself I’m not conceded with the thought that I’m Better than others because I’m not. I’m a regular guy just looking to have a stable life and a strong sense of self worth which I believe my self to have and someone my loved ones can look up to and be an example to follow. I want to be present in my family and friends lives and not just be the dad,husband,uncle,brother, nephew, friend and son that just doesn’t have time for my loved ones.
I want to do something worthwhile and meaningful and fulfilling not only for my self but for society as a whole and have a big impact on the quality of life for people in the world without the sacrifice of my mental health(which yeah I know might be too much to ask for) and sanity and to not neglect those around me which I tend to do focusing on my goals for a better future. I know the major and work force I’m getting my self into is not easy and I will have to deal with struggles like the ones I mentioned earlier.
I’m just trying to see out of those 3 majors Which ones will I have to deal with the less problems while having a promising future financially and still be there for those I love and be able to enjoy the hard work and effort I put into whilst aligning with my values and goals. I’m sorry if I seem all over the place but I just need some advice as to what I should do I have my whole life ahead of me and can choose any path and just wish to go with the most secure one that goes with my plans,goals, and values Thank you.

I've been pondering about the UC and the Freestar and how this duel could fit into the west/east, left/right debate, trying to consider how the game's scenario is truly plausible from the standpoint of current political (and philosophical) developments, but within a humanity wandering in space.
The UC document found on the terminals outlines that the faction is the heir to the "values" of Earth. Of "culture" and "peoples" (the text is quite beautiful, actually). Both through its humanist message and its power structure, there's a clear reference to the UN and what we could call liberal-Western culture. Not the so-called "Western values" put forward by the alt-right, but those immediately disseminated (and still strongly upheld) through supranational entities, with the UN being the quintessential example. The UN (and therefore the UC itself) positions itself as a defender of humanism (in line with Enlightenment and, subsequently, European liberalism) but, obviously, from a philosophical standpoint, it is merely the heir to a very specific tradition of thought in human history. A thought that is already heavily questioned and, given the current global scenario, undergoes historical rupture.
On the other hand, the Freestar propagates a purportedly ultra-liberal idea, somewhat resembling (but not entirely, upon closer analysis) a handful of the flags raised by the so-called alt-right.
From a radical standpoint, this clash may indeed encapsulate the great confrontation of today. Is classical liberalism, the consensus formed after World War II, losing momentum?
After all, isn't a certain impossibility of aligning practice and discourse precisely what is currently straining the UN?
Ultimately, the UN and other supranational entities adopt consensuses. The consensus of market liberalism, the promises of a globalization that eradicates poverty and unites peoples, seem to have taken the opposite path. Even with strong "welfare" policies (created in response to socialism by Bismarck), rampant capitalism and the very co-option of political forces by companies and lobbies disrupt the ability to translate discourse into practice.
Europe suffers from a rise in the right due to economic crises seen as led by many social-democratic politicians, aligned with the supranational plan (with the aforementioned contradictions).
Conversely, groups like BRICS, and China's own rise as a power, embrace those excluded by the so-called "consensus".
Although Trump is a political adversary of BRICS, he positions himself as an "anti-globalist" and against the UN consensus and entities deemed "humanitarian".
In the end, Trump and China, in this respect, are in the same camp. Just as the European alt-right sees itself "deceived" by a globalization that ultimately enriched only one part of the world while plundering the other (and which generates the very immigration flow that right-wing Europeans so despise). All under the supervision and blessing of the supranational consensus created by the UN (the "non-action" or "lack of political will" is the very blessing. The entity has become corrupt).
In essence, the Freestar Collective is the outcome of this debate. Has liberalism/progressivism not reached its limit? Isn't it hypocritical in not recognizing its own inadequacy?
After all, if the planet itself was condemned with this same "policy", what would be different on a spatial scale? Who is the UC to declare itself heir to the "earth" and why would this same philosophy continue to function? Furthermore, doesn't the very notion of opening up space exploration make humanism, in itself, frivolous?
Even though I consider myself a social democrat and aligned with the UC in the first run, at this moment, I'm in front of the TV screen on NG+, seriously considering investing in a house in Akila.
I'am wrong?

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

“Beasts all over the shop…You’ll be one of them, sooner or later…”
The strange Hunter turned around and exhaled. His breath was visible against the night’s air.
He’s bloodlusted. Aegis, I hope you have a plan.
Shimmer saw Elpis step back slightly, with a shocked expression on her face. She shakily raised a claw and pointed at something on the ground.
No. It… it can’t be.
That’s… horrible.
A shattered red jeweled necklace lay strewn across the ground, beside the mangled corpse of the Silkwing.
The Hivewing in front of the three swung his axe to the side. As it was a trick weapon, he was able to change its form on command. The axe had two forms: a shortened form that acted sort of like a sword, and an extended form specialized in crowd control and reach.
He extended his axe and Shimmer heard a low snarl from his throat.
“Do we kill him?” Elpis asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“We don't have a choice. Steel yourself.” Aegis muttered and brandished his silksabers. The blades gleamed in the soft light of the three moons.
The hunter was taller than all of them, one head taller than Aegis and two taller than Shimmer and Elpis. Black tattered robes clung to him, marking him a Shadowhunter. Blood from tonight’s hunt stained the black fabric, showcasing his expertise and experience in the hunt. He wore a rounded dark-gray hat, and bloodied bandages covered his eyes. Shimmer wondered if he could even see.
Corpses of both beasts and dragons were scattered about the square-shaped courtyard, an equal amount of gravestones breaking up the open space. His teeth were uneven as if he had been eating and chewing rough bones. Blood dripped from his mouth down his neck, and his Hivewing stingers flexed in anticipation.
“Be careful,” Aegis started, “He’s going to use magic. Elpis, don’t use any of yours.” He told the hybrid dragon beside him, and she nodded.
The hunter walked slowly around them, searching for a weakness in their structure, and then spat out a lump of coagulated blood.
“That stench of squalid blood. No beast will be spared.” He half-muttered and half-growled. He tipped his hat respectfully, before lunging at Elpis. She dove to the side, and tried to retaliate with her scythe, but just slightly missed.
This hunter was agile, surprisingly so considering how old he looked. Shimmer gripped the handle of her silkhammer, knowing it wasn’t the time to strike. She stepped backward, seeking cover behind a grave, while Aegis leaped forward with the intent to pierce the frenzied hunter’s heart. Once again, the hunter rolled to the side and sent his axe hurtling towards the smaller Silkwing. Shimmer felt fear grip her heart, but Aegis avoided the blade. He fell back and motioned for Elpis to stay back.
“A sporting hunt. But alas, I’ve forgotten to ask your name.” Aegis growled, and the hunter laughed a sick, disturbing laugh.
“The name’s Gascoigne.” He shot back, and jumped into the air, slamming his axe down where Aegis was a split second ago. Shimmer’s ears rung from the sound of the impact. Her antennae subconsciously curled in defensively.
“Gascoigne. That’s a nice name. I’ll tell Ludwig you were a proud hunter till the end.” Aegis replied and sent his twin blades slicing into the hunter’s thigh. He recoiled, and a gleeful laugh escaped his bloodied mouth.
“Hehe… the sweet stench of blood. Just… just marvelous!” He exclaimed and raised his off-talon towards Aegis.
“Aegis! Get down!” Shimmer called, and a burst of flame erupted from the hunter’s claws across the courtyard. The limited magic the Hivewing had that he was willing to use in this hunt.
Aegis fell back, hissing in pain as a few stray flames singed his tail. The hunter chuckled under his breath, and Elpis took advantage of the opening he had presented her. She thrust the blade of her scythe toward him, opting for its sword form as of now, and the hunter knocked the blow aside. He countered with a kick to the Ice-Hivewing’s ribs, and she was sent to the ground. She coughed up a spurt of blue Icewing blood, and the hunter lifted his axe for a finishing blow.
Shimmer roared out and swung her hammer toward the hunter. The silk connected it to her wrists as it flew through the air, and it hit the hunter square in his side just as his axe was falling. He was sent into the opposite side of the courtyard, coughing and sputtering, but with a faint smirk on his face. Shimmer was in disbelief; how was he not dead?
“Ooh, what’s that smell… the sweet blood, ooh, it sings to me! It's enough to make a dragon sick.” Gascoigne laughed hollowly. He raised his talon, and Shimmer quickly rolled to the side as a ball of flame soared past her horns.
He’s going to turn at this rate.
Shimmer hid under a gravestone as a tree behind her erupted in flames, and Aegis jumped into the air. He beat his four wings ferociously before diving into the hunter. He caught both of Aegis’ horns, and he twisted his head. Aegis fell to the ground, and Gascoigne slashed his axe down across the Silkwing’s leg. Aegis cried out, and Shimmer’s heart ached. She pushed herself up, ignoring the raging fire around her, and she threw her hammer up in the air and aimed it towards the hunter. He narrowly evaded the heavy impact of the stone before Shimmer heard a metal clang behind her.
Elpis, scythe in one talon, approached Gascoigne. She had the little music box in her other.
Elpis played the music box and a song of eerie notes filled the courtyard.
The hunter stumbled back, clawing at his face, and Elpis shot Shimmer a look, her face telling her to make sure Aegis was okay.
Elpis advanced on the struggling hunter, and Shimmer leaped over to her Silkwing partner, who was injured on the ground. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but she knew this wasn’t the time to cry.
“Aegis. Look at me. Look at me.” She repeated, and he lifted his head weakly. His leg had a massive gash in it, but he could probably still walk, just with a limp.
“Ah, Shimmer. I’m alright. I’ll be back in the fight. Go, help Elpis. I’ll join back soon enough.” He groaned, and the pair heard a roar behind them.
Elpis was locked in a duel with Gascoigne, and the hunter’s stray fireballs met with blasts of frostbreath. For the first time in the battle, the hunter had a slight look of fear on his face. Elpis was relentless, her burial blade swiftly countering and stopping any attempt Gascoigne made at advancing. Aegis crawled back and attempted to stand, using a grave for support.
“Shimmer! I can’t hold him for long!” Elpis called, and Shimmer nodded. She took the hammer in her claws and swung it around her side, and in a clockwise circle in the air. It was the perfect counterweight to her body weight. She hoisted it up further into the air and then brought it crashing down onto the hunter.
It struck Gascoigne directly on the spine, and he fell to the ground.
He screamed in pain.
And then, a bright light flashed from his body.
His screams deepened in tone, morphing to be more animalistic. His posture fell forward, and his muscles rippled through his body. He grew in size, and more of his bloodied garb ripped from the size change.
Fur sprouted from seemingly random places on the Hivewing’s body, and his claws extended. His face shifted, his features becoming more and more distorted. His black hat fell to the ground.
The bandages around his eyes stayed, as well as the black-tattered garb that marked him as once a Hunter.
He was no longer a Hunter. Moons above, he wasn’t even a dragon anymore.
He was now a beast.
Shimmer’s heart pounded in her chest. She stared at the transformation for a split second, before reeling in her hammer. She took it in her right talon and dove behind a gravestone, wary of the spreading flames.
Elpis, on the other claw, held her blade in front of her. Shimmer heard a rasping cough escape the Ice-HiveWing’s throat, but she didn’t break her stance.
The beast that was once Gascoigne whipped around toward Elpis, and launched himself at her, with a ferocity Shimmer had never seen even in beasts.
Elpis sidestepped quickly. The beast slammed into the wall with a loud roar, and Shimmer spied Aegis in her peripheral vision struggling to stand. He winced as he stood on his injured leg, but didn’t cry out. He brandished his two blades as the beast charged at him.
“Aegis!” Shimmer cried.
He’s going to get hit. That beast will kill him.
Aegis ignored her, and as soon as the beast was within a wingspan from him he twisted his body in such a way that he narrowly avoided the savage charge. He elegantly sliced his twin blades across the beast’s hide, and the creature howled before rapidly turning to face him.
Shimmer flew into the air. “Get away from him!” She yelled before bringing the weight of her hammer down on the beast. It flattened part of his ribcage, but it seemed impervious to the pain. It did knock him to the ground, though, giving Aegis a moment to cut through what was once two of the hunter’s wings.
The beast quickly got back on its claws before sending a flurry of swipes towards Shimmer. She dodged to the side and readied her hammer for another strike.
That was before the beast kicked her square in her chest, its sharp, ravenous claws digging in and tearing her scales. Shimmer fell back, a slight gasp escaping her mouth, and she stumbled back into the wall. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, and gazed up at the beast locked on her.
“Aegis! Help!” She yelled, and not even a second later her Silkwing partner crashed into the beast. They fell to the ground, grappling with each other before Shimmer heard a familiar song fill the courtyard.
Elpis was cranking the music box, its ominous lullaby breaking up the noise of the fight. The beast stopped attacking Aegis and instead clawed at its face. It growled and screamed in pain, drawing blood from its very own fur and scales.
“Now! Kill it!” She yelled through the song, and Aegis nodded before driving his two blades through the beast’s skull.
They stuck, and the beast roared before throwing him off. It crawled and thrashed about on the ground, clearly not dead, and the two new blades stuck to his head pointed out like new horns.
Now’s my chance.
Shimmer stumbled to her claws and wound her hammer up into the air. With every last bit of her strength, she brought it down on the flailing beast.
It crushed what was left of the hunter.
Silence filled the courtyard, only broken by a few stray notes from the music box, the pained breathing of the three hunters in the area, and the howls and screams from other places in the Hive.
Shimmer breathed a sigh of relief, before collapsing.
I did it. We did it.
Gascoigne was free.
…
“I brought you water.”
Shimmer opened her eyes and found herself in her familiar hospital room.
The morning sun’s rays lit the room, and Shimmer felt very little pain from her chest.
It had been three days since that night.
Shimmer fixed her gaze on the purple-orange Silkwing sitting beside her and smiled.
“Thanks. I’m feeling much better, we should get going to Bloodworm soon. It’s today, remember?” Shimmer asked, and he nodded. Of course, he remembered.
The summons for every hunter to come to Bloodworm Hive. Ludwig, The Holy Blade had requested them all. He no doubt planned an attack. A shame really, the hive was only newly rebuilt. And now it was going to be the site of a horrid, savage warzone.
“I remember. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Ludwig would understand if you couldn’t come,” Aegis asked, and she spied a hint of worry on his face.
“I’m fine. I need to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. I’ll come.” She sighed and took a sip from the canteen that Aegis had brought. It tasted wonderful, he had put something in to flavor it.
“Honeydew?” She guessed, and Aegis smiled.
“Yep. It’s your favorite, right?” He asked, and she nodded. She opened her arms, and he hugged her tight.
“I love you,” Shimmer whispered in his ear.
“I love you too. I pray to Clearsight that we’ll both be safe today. I can’t bear to lose you.” Aegis replied. He pulled away and gazed out the window.
Shimmer quickly drank the rest of the honeydew-flavored water before getting out of bed. She joined him at the window and was slightly surprised by what she saw.
Almost all of the hunters of Jewel Hive were preparing, some of them already flying in the direction of Bloodworm. They were all sharpening their trick weapons, mixing poisons, or saying goodbye to loved ones.
“We should get going. It’ll be midmorning when we get there, I don’t want to be late.” Shimmer suggested, and Aegis put a wing around her.
“Now? I need to get my stuff, and you do too. Join me at the workshop.” He asked, and she slid her head in the curve of his neck as he led her out of her sick room.
…
Shimmer beat her wings strong and fast against the morning savanna winds.
She saw what looked to be several hundred, maybe even a thousand dragons gathered around a hill. All of them had a colored garb fluttering proudly from their neck. Around ninety percent of the garbs were white, and the rest were black.
They were all different tribes and a fair amount of hybrids were scattered about as well. The gathered hunters were mostly Pantalan, but a good few were from Pyrrhia as well.
Shimmer and Aegis landed a short distance away from the hill, and all around them the sounds of dragons conversing and laughing with each other.
The sun was high in the sky, but it wasn’t quite noon yet.
“You see anyone you recognize?” Aegis asked, and Shimmer shook her head.
“There’s too many dragons here. It’s too much.” She whimpered, and Aegis pulled her close. He knew she didn’t do well in crowds. That was partly why she became a Shadowhunter. To work alone or with no more than a few other dragons.
“You’re safe with me.” He comforted her, and she leaned against him.
She had always hated being with a lot of other dragons. Aegis said it sounded like she had anxiety, which made sense. It didn’t do much to alleviate that fear, though.
None of them are thinking about you. They’re all busy with their own stuff.
Just take deep breaths.
“Do you want to move away? There’s fewer dragons over there,” He asked and pointed a claw across from them.
“…No, no I’m fine.” She whispered, and Aegis sighed.
“Alright. If you want to move, don’t be afraid to ask. I don’t mind it.”
Shimmer shook her head quickly, before the pair heard a loud voice from the top of the hill. They both looked up and saw the legendary hunter himself: Ludwig.
The menacing Nightwing stood proudly, his holy silver sword slung across his shoulder. His partner Memoria stood beside him, her tail twined around his. She had a bored look on her face as she stared at the crowd. The voices of the dragons fell silent, and Shimmer felt like she could breathe again.
The Nightwing’s loud voice echoed through the plain. “Dear Hunters.” He paused, his heroic voice inspiring pride and triumph in Shimmer, even though he had barely started.
“I’m sure all of you know why we’re here. Behind me, Bloodworm Hive stands proud against the horizon. Yet I am more than certain you all know what lies inside.” He paused and pointed his sword toward the dark shape of the Hive.
“Beasts. A few thousand. I think it’s time we put them out of their misery. That is why we are here. A battle of the ages, one that will go down in history. We, the brave heroes, fighting against evil. We will be reveled, we will be honored. We will protect the dragons we hold dear to our hearts, and save those we can yet save.” His speech roused the crowd, and Shimmer felt herself stand a little taller.
“The plan is simple. The Hunters of the Sun will lead the charge from the front. I have already talked to the leaders of the charge. The Shadowhunters will pick the stray beasts off from behind. We will attack at dusk when half the sun is hidden from the eye.” He gestured with his sword at the rising sun, and he extended his wings. His massive wingspan seemed to fill the sky, and Shimmer's heart swelled with pride.
He held his sword up to the heavens, and it transformed. It grew larger, into the shape of a claymore, and it turned a shade of sacred jade. It glowed with an otherworldly light, and the crowd was enamored by the display.
“Now, hunters. Spend the rest of today preparing. The hunt is on tonight. Ludwig, The Holy Blade will be with all of you in spirit.” He bellowed, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Shimmer saw a proud, triumphant look in Aegis’ eyes, and she felt the same. Ludwig’s blade captivated her. The blade of legend, inspiring all who lay eyes on it.
Ludwig would be with them tonight. The best, the greatest, the strongest hunter ever.
Tonight, the hunters would not know defeat.
Nor would they ever, with Ludwig alive and at their side.
May the good blood guide your way,
Ultima_8

Hi all!
I’m a newly graduated medical assistant. This is my first ever job in healthcare, and I’ve been doing it for 4 months in a family practice department in a clinic. I worked in fast food before this! I’m considering going back to school for nursing, but I’m looking for some advice.
When I first started my MA job, I was disappointed. I thought it wasn’t for me, and felt I couldn’t handle the pressure of healthcare. I was new to this serious work environment. However, as time went on and I became confident, I genuinely love it.
I love my patients and I love how rewarding the job is. I’ve had many patients thank me, cry to me, hold my hand, hug me in just 4 months. I love to help people and make even a small difference in peoples lives. I adore human connection and health.
I recently was considering becoming a surgical tech. I shadowed in the OR and I loved the atmosphere. It was so interesting and I knew I would love to be a surgical tech. My problem is there’s not much growth in that. If I become a surgical tech, that’s all I can do.
I know nursing has SO many opportunities. I’m the type of person that likes to do different things.
I just can’t imagine doing typical bedside nursing. I know that is a popular discussion among nurses. I probably would do that first year in med/surg that everyone talks about.
I really wanna do psych inpatient because I was that young teen in a mental hospital once. I’m really passionate about mental health. I’m interested in working with substance abuse clinics, or maybe be a nurse in the OR. I just have a lot of things I’d rather do with that degree.
Is that valid? Is it worth going through 4 years of school for that?
Should I work as a CNA first? I feel so behind having no nursing experience.
I have a lot of plans in the future. I want to start my own business, sell art, do nails… etc. I still want a foundation that allows me to make enough money to do other things. Especially with insurance.
That’s obviously not the only reason I would go for nursing, but I just am open to so many things! I want variety and flexibility!
BTW after watching what nurses put up with, speaking with senior nurses, seeing how amazing nurses are… I just wanna say you guys are incredible. One of the backbones of healthcare and I truly thank all of you for what you do for the world. Happy late nurses week!

Basically I have been planning to buy a new laptop for the remainder of my PhD term for writing, markup and massive PDF and Youtube use. I am currently using a 2015 model Dell 5550 8gb i5 4th generation model. The magnificent machine is still pulling some muscle, but it has seen its prime. I am basically clocking 7gb of ram on an average use in it. Pretty much this new laptop is to be my office space up until the first pay hike at job down the line. So I am quite serious about future proofing it. I've always wanted to make a move to apple after the M1 buzz, despite never getting around to it though. Moreover I have been putting this away for long that looking for an intel alternative is a bit overwhelming now. However I am open to considering all possible permutations and combinations.

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. : $1500 US (upper limit, can be lower too)
• Are you open to refurbs/used?- No
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? Battery life, Robust build, light weight
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Highly
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. around 15 inches
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Zotero, Visual coder, QGIS
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? nope
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? everything must be able to take a beating.
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. Is an m2 air with 16 gb 1tb storage a better deal than a M3 16gb 256storage? what are the intel, and, snapdragon alternatives to consider

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

Growing up with health issues, I was told I'd be on meds for life. The side effects sucked, but the doctors said my condition was incurable. I wasn't having it.
I started digging and discovered the power of nutrition and exercise. It blew my mind! Simple changes in what, when, and how much I ate dramatically improved my health. I was hooked.
I studied Health Science and put the knowledge into practice. After 3 years of dedicated training, I won a Mr Australia title, opened a gym, and helped thousands improve their fitness. But nutrition was always the biggest roadblock.
I spent countless hours educating clients, creating personalised plans, recipes, shopping lists - you name it. I needed a way to make this process efficient and scalable. That's when the idea for this application was born, 13 years ago.
But the tech wasn't there yet. Developers said it was impossible. I even tried to learn coding myself but hit roadblocks. It wasn't until GPT models came out that I saw a glimmer of hope.
Fast forward to late 2023, after selling my business and countless DMs with tech geniuses, it finally clicked. Two days before Christmas, I had a working prototype. GoodMeals was born.
Now, users can input their details and goals, and GoodMeals calculates their macros, splits them across meals, and helps build a personalised meal plan. We've got over 7000 macro-calculated recipes that can be adjusted to your needs. And the best part? You can describe what you feel like eating, and GoodMeals will generate a custom recipe that hits your macros in under 30 seconds.
No more excuses. No more eating the same thing every week. GoodMeals makes nutrition easy and accessible for everyone. It's been a wild ride, but bringing this vision to life has been worth every sleepless night.
It is by no means finished, and I still want to add and improve. The initial feedback has been positive, but I also think it could be biased, so I am posting this here to try to get some relatively objective feedback and see what others think about it. Feel free to roast me or the app, I will do my best to take it on the chin and use it to make GoodMeals even better.
Thanks.

Disclaimer: this isn't directly about a dental issue, but rather an encounter I had with dental-adjacent professionals. If this is the wrong subreddit for this, please do let me know.
I got my wisdom teeth extracted today. I, foolishly, assumed that when my oral surgeon told me I would "be asleep" during the procedure, that they would be using gaseous general anesthesia because I did not know there were other forms of sedation that fit that description.
I was actually sedated using an IV line. I have intense trypanophobia, and because I truly was not expecting to see a needle while I was awake, I freaked out. I started sobbing and incoherently begging for them not to use it, which I was very embarrassed about but couldn't seem to stop myself from doing. It felt like I'd lost control of my own voice.
Everyone was as kind as could be expected, though it was very obvious that they just wanted to be over with it, understandably. So I tried my best to take slow, deep breaths and calm myself.
Before I could even process what was happening I felt a white hot jab in my arm, and screamed. It wasn't a conscious decision, because I knew logically that I was in absolutely no danger whatsoever, but nonetheless it aggressively tore its way out of my throat. Immediately, the oral surgeon's demeanor did a 180. They stared straight into my eyes and told me that I needed to stop, and that I was disrupting the clinical environment. That I simply did not need to do that, which logically I knew was fully true. I have no memories after that, presumably that was around when the sedation kicked in.
I've felt absolutely horrible for the rest of the day. I hate making life worse for busy, stressed out medical staff, but I've done it yet again, and I don't know how to live with myself. I've thought about emailing a formal apology to the oral surgeon and everyone else in the room, but I don't remember their names and I'm not sure how I'd trace them back. Not doing anything is eating away at my soul, though. What would you want your patient to do in this situation?
Edit: corrected typo

Exxon Mobil's (XOM) 1Q24 earnings were $8.2B and cashflow $14.7B, driven by robust strategy execution. Structural cost savings hit $10.1B, targeting $15B by 2027. Net debt was down to 3%, a decade low. $6.8B was returned to shareholders, incl. $3.8B dividends. Results came despite challenging market conditions, bottom-of-the-cycle margins and volatile commodity prices. Results demonstrated cost management with structural cost savings reaching $10.1 billion, but there were also concerns regarding the ongoing refinement throughput and strong performance chemical volume growth.
In terms of guidance, management outlined its strategy to achieve an additional $12 billion in earnings potential from 2023 to 2027 at constant prices and margins, signaling optimism for future performance.
Segment results in 1Q24 depicted a mixed picture for ExxonMobil. The company's investments in advantaged growth projects aimed at driving future earnings and cash flow showed promise, particularly in the Guyana operations. However, ongoing concerns regarding the refining throughput and performance chemical volume growth indicate the need for continuous strategic adjustments to optimize segment performance.
The call also highlighted several risks, including:
1/ Regulatory Risks: ExxonMobil discussed ongoing legal actions, such as the arbitration to confirm their rights in the Guyana asset due to the Chevron/Hess transaction, continuing lawsuits against activist investors, and defending the Pioneer merger against a lawsuit.
2/ Execution of Cost Savings and Growth Plans: While ExxonMobil has made progress toward its goal of $15 billion in structural cost savings by 2027, achieving these savings is not guaranteed. Additionally, the company's growth prospects rely heavily on executing strategic projects and integration plans, such as the acquisition of Pioneer. Any delays or difficulties could affect the planned earnings growth.
3/ Market Conditions for Chemicals: The chemical markets are currently at a historic bottom cycle, driven by an oversupply rather than demand issues. Despite this challenge, ExxonMobil has managed to deliver reasonable earnings; however, sustained low margins in the industry could continue to pressure the business segment.
Want to learn more about 1Q Earnings? See us at https://www.earningsdigest.ai/stock/analyze/XOM-2024-Q1

My LGS just got their wolfman restock and I'd like to keep my mpx as short as possible so I'm planning on direct threading. Using stock barrel so need the wonky M13.5-1LH thread. And need a swanky fde scalarworks for my fde acro
Fde scalarworks acro mount 1.93: $100ish
DA414: $50-60ish

Throwaway account. I started a job 2 months ago in PR. This role was a huge step up in my career and I was thrilled. My team seemed great and the schedule was hybrid with majority remote. That’s all changed now.
A senior employee who oversees me seemed really cool at first. She’s 44, I’m 28, and we hit it off. Shortly after me starting, she changed for the worse. There’s instances she talks to me in a passive tone, rejects my ideas, and talks to me like I’m a child (literally). I’m now only civil but nice.
This week, I asked to meet with Director to discuss a schedule for my son who will be on summer break. I was NEVER (not once) given a set schedule nor expectations of days to be in. I asked numerous times. Naturally, I followed my teams suit which is 1-2x in person. Well, Director and Sr employee met with me and said they want me in office 3x a week. Which is no issue… had I been given a notice when starting. I assumed the flexibility would allow me to be home during the summer more.
Now I’m scrambling to find child care and everything is full. I asked my boss if she would be willing to 2x a week due to this situation and she got upset with me and firmly told me “We like you but we need to find a solution. At the end of the day, this is a business.” — to add, they all joked about how often I went in person at my old job and I have it made now.
I’m very upset and overwhelmed. I feel like they did a 180°. I’m timid and hate confrontation. They both seem annoyed with me. Am I over-reacting?

I have never been a good planner. However, recently there has been an issue that keep coming up with my girlfriend about spending time together. She is very enthusiastic about making plans and going out and making memories with me. This is completely fair and why wouldn't any partner want to do that? I know that I am not the most expressive person and I like to live a calm life. We just had a fight about how I never make plans or when she brings up something she wants to do, I am never enthusiastic. I know I'm the bad guy here. This repeatedly comes up and I say that I will be better and for some reason I can't make any progress. I want to be enthusiastic and I want to be able to make plans and show her that I want to spend time with her. I genuinely do. I've used up every excuse possible saying I'm busy, I don't know where to start, planning is just difficult, etc. I just want to make things right with her. I had a whole day planned out this weekend with her but it just seems like too little too late (She is aware of these plans). I just feel stuck. I want to be excited and I want to make her happy, but I keep disregarding her plans while not making my own. She's sick of it (rightfully so) and frankly, I am sick of it. What can I do?

I just started a window cleaning business and I’m looking to make a contract. Can anyone point me to the right direction for a template.

I know I'm not wrong objectively but Id like some input on what I should have done differently
I've been talking to this guy for about 3 weeks. Tonight was the second time we had ever met up though.
We've sexted a bit but I've never sent any nudes. Just a gym selfie that I cropped to just my ass. He's sent me dick pictures. And I've been more than happy to reply. I'm a good writer. And I can tell the story over the phone. And idk I feel as if the entire time, I was so vocal about needing to feel safe and comfortable. Most of the fantasies revolved around him taking control and teaching me slowly. He said he wanted something long term too
He actually got mad that I couldn't hang out with him sooner than tonight. So instead of the weekend like I would have preferred. I went to his place after work
And I wanted to have sex with him, I did. But he got very upset when I couldn't leave work early like I thought I could. And when I finally made it, I thought he'd lean down for a kiss. Or ask me about what was obviously a long day or idk just talk to me.
I don't even know this guy's last name.
But instead, his giant dog jumped on me. Which was lovely but his whole house smelled like dog, there was nothing but a couch, tv, and car parts. He wanted to get down to it right away. No kiss, no hug, just me waddling in
And I kept waiting to feel comfortable. I had a mocktail drink, did those anxiety breaths in the bathroom, I even imagined how much it would make another imaginary person jealous if I just slept with them. That doesn't make sense but I was despatately trying to turn myself on. But it literally never happened
And I'm dissapointed too. I woke up at 5am to shave. Why? Because I was so exhausted last night that I couldn't even shower. I bought this dress specifically for tonight. Its black and lacy but tasteful enough to wear to work. I also bought matching underwear specifically for tonight
And frankly, I am super horny. I haven't had sex in over a year. I haven't had a matching set of underwear on in over a year. And I've been horny with him but tonight...I just couldn't.
I kept fishing for any kind of conversation but he told me I was avoiding actually sleeping with him. I told him it was the opposite. That I really really wanted too but I'm asking for some kind of reassurance that the guy who actually wants to fuck me actually likes me. I'm trying to turn myself on with the idea of him, what kind of man he was, but I couldn't get anything out of him.
I also hadn't eaten today because work was quite busy. I had 4 slices of bacon from a company cafeteria at 8am. So I asked if he'd like to get something to eat since it was 6. He said that he'd already had a snack.
Maybe this is unfair but that also bothered me. He knew I was coming over and that I was working hard enough to stay longer than expected and he didn't even think about dinner.
So here I am, starving and sweaty from a long day, and trying to get in the mood. But the entire time I was thinking about how I was forcing the mood for him and he wasn't doing anything to make me feel comfortable. Eventually he relented and I ordered a $9 sushi roll.
Or maybe he was right. Maybe I should have just did what I said I'd do. And I tried to tell him that I don't want to do this out of consolidation.
But after 2 hours he said he was "over it" and started working on his laptop. He said that I was all talk and we've been talking for over a month. And that maybe true but this is the second time we've been in the same room and that room smelled like his dog. Heck, I don't even know if I was worth of the bedroom or was his empty living room it.
Part of me wanted to say, all you had to do was kiss me. Anywhere. Put your arm around my waist. Say I looked nice. I wish that there was a bedroom and that he'd gotten a rose or something.
Tbh, I don't even know if he's attracted to me. For all I know, I'm the first person taking the bait and he's willing to sleep with anyone regardless of he's attracted to them
Was I wrong for now things went down? Should I have sexted him if I wasn't planning on going through with it? Was it fair of me to say I wanted too but could?
And the reason why I haven't had sex in over a year? Because the guy I dated before told me I'm not lovable and listed all the reasons why. And I know for fact that's not true but I never want to feel like that ever again. I don't have to be in love but at minimum, I don't want to sleep with someone who can look me in the eye and be cruel. And I did so much just to make it out there to his place and he didn't even want to get dinner till after sex, if dinner at all.
But am I just taking out all my baggage on this guy?

Its looking like im about to get my first paid client and need help figuring out my rate and proposal ideas. So backstory: im a bartender at a country club and have become close with one of the members who owns an international land surveying company and has over tipped me to the point of paying my bills multiple times and i explained to him what i do as a product designeresearcher. we’re two meetings deep at his company and am being tasked with designing a turbo tax-esque form field experience to creating zoning reports since a lot of it is repeat information that shouldnt be manually inputted multiple timed which is how theyre currently making them. Im planning on not just designing it but building it from scratch with no code tools and such. Theyre goal of doing this is to have better quality control and standardization of their report creation. even though its my first big client i know these people are millionaires and i wanna get my values worth out of this. Thoughts?

Proud of the Cavs. They had no business challenging the Celtics the way they did given the short handed roster. Charles Barkley said exactly that postgame. And we watched Mobley take serious strides and gave us a preview of the special type of player he’s developing into.
But these playoffs highlighted the issues in this roster, and whether the Cavs improve next year is dependent on whether the FO can make the hard decisions.
We need to trade Mitchell. I know, he’s the biggest star we’ve had since Lebron and this isn’t going to be a popular opinion. But it really bugs me that we lost when he dropped 50 on Orlando, that we got blown out by Boston both games he dropped 33 each on them, that the team didn’t really seem to suffer too much in his absence. Orlando and Boston allowing him to be ball dominant while shutting down the other four was a successful strategy for them both.
With Mitchell out, the ball movement improved and the scoring became more even. This is because Garland is the superior distributor.
Mitchell’s stock is hot. He scored a ton in the playoff with GMs at home watching. We cant go giving a max contract to a player whose team may actually be better off without him. I think the wise move would be to trade him now, get better pieces that don’t have such a skill overlap with Garland, and let’s see where the Cavs can go with Garland serving as a true floor general.

Hi, so I want to learn how to make bagels, and other types of baked goods, for my parents small business but I'm a total beginner when it comes to baking. I was wondering how long I could potentially keep fully proofed, and kneaded, essentially ready-to-go homemade dough in the fridge? Just so I can plan ahead and make things easier for myself. Could I make a batch of bagel dough, and keep it in the fridge for, let's say, a week without ruining it?