How smokeless pipes work

Scam Home Warranty

2020.10.18 18:28 themadkingnqueen Scam Home Warranty

Do you or someone you know currently have a home warranty or are considering getting one? Curious about getting more work for your company by becoming a technician with a home warranty? Have some questions about your home appliances and/or major systems? Been ripped off in the past by a home warranty company or technician of the same? Well you are in the right place. I'll tell you what I know, help in any way I can. For free.
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2024.05.14 03:31 Historical_Rock_6516 How should I go about limiting my time on Skyrim so I can focus more on a career change?

I've been stocking groceries for 25 years. Stocking these 40 count waters is really starting to do a number on my back. My last vacation i noticed sitting in my car for 30 minutes my back would start to get stiff and after an hour I would have constant pains in my lower back.
I used to not have that problem, but now I'm 44 and keep getting so stiff from doing water everyday. I don't know how I will be able to continue to do this throughout my 50's and 60's.
Over the years I thought about working with computers and really interested in getting into IT. The problem is I've been addicted to gaming my whole life since the 1980's till now.
My current addiction is Skyrim. I've been playing it for around a year and before that it was fallout 4. I keep telling myself I will limit my gaming time, but then I keep telling myself its going to take that much longer to complete everything.
By completing everything i mean by doing all completable quests including all guild quest's, main quest's, dlc quest's, modable area's like wymstooth, forgotton city, armorous questlines. Plus leveling all skills to get to max level while legend all of them to earn enough skill points to learn everything, have all the houses build, including the mod ones, learning all spells, learning all dragon shouts, ect. Doing all of this without fast travel and taking my time without doing any exploits. Oh and completing the dragonborn museum in solitude which has over 2000 items that can be displayed. Doing all these while focusing on one thing at a time.
Also I horde everything all minable points, all alchemy ingredients. I have two followers which I store everything on since they have infinite inventory space. I then sell all weapons and armors while saving up all the ores, ingredients, at least one of each enchanted item along with one of every other item so I can store all of this stuff in the dragonborn museum at some point.
Of course I had an itch to start a new character and now trying to do all this all over again.
Well at least now I just started walking and running while learning some warm up exercises and cooldown exercises which will get me out of the house early in the mourning, but then once I'm done I shower and then back to Skyrim every day. It is just limiting my time each day on it which is irritating me.
The reason I started to want a change is because I've tried to go to college several time over the years and can't seem to focus and never finished. Hopefully exercising daily will help me focus more if I do decide to go back to school. I just can't seem to let Skyrim go even though I've done almost everything already once over the years just never with the same character.
I've thought about majoring in Computer Science and becoming either a database admin or a network admin or something along those lines. I know If I go back to school and continue to work full time I will never seem to change careers. Have had the same job for 25 years and feeling stuck.
You think in time I will learn to let my gaming addiction go and not have the urge to start again? Should I try to limit my time on Skyrim to my days off or maybe don't play it on my days off and get out and explore the town?
I really don't know what would be best at this point. I'm just a completeness and have never done everything on one character. I'm starting to feel like this is a pipe dream that will never happen.
submitted by Historical_Rock_6516 to StopGaming [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:17 Altruistic_Tonight18 I give out taxpayer funded crack pipes, contrary to the White House’s assurances that they aren’t using taxpayer monies to fund acquisition or distribution of crack pipes. AMA

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/10/biden-smoking-kits-pipes-addiction/6724719001/
I’m not trying to bash Biden and Harris, and will be voting for them a second time soon… The White House appears to have used misdirection and some fancy pants doublespeak to publicly deny it. Here’s how it really works:
We provide “safer smoking kits” to drug users at no cost to them. What the funding bill and resulting grants said is that we, the harm reductionists who run programs, get to decide what goes in to our kits. Technically, they’re not lying. So yeah, let me tell you how the White House is able to honestly say that they don’t fund crack pipe distribution.
Our crack kits don’t technically contain assembled crack pipes… In order to make a crack pipe, a user has to put the screen or Brillo pad (we provide both) in the glass stem in order for it to meet the legal definition of “crack pipe”. It takes about ten seconds to assemble one, and we give them out usually about 5 at a time, depending on how much crack a person smokes. The max I’ve ever given out was 50, to a guy who had an eighth a day habit and was pretty damn wealthy. They get to choose, and they understand that our stock is limited, so they only take what they need. We don’t ask for names or IDs. It doesn’t matter if you’re broke or a millionaire, we serve all drug users and the people who surround them.
Our kits aren’t just EZ-Build crack pipes; we give them lip balm (as crack pipes can get very hot with obsessive use or if it’s being used by multiple people), little wood pusher sticks which help them use crack more efficiently, rubber mouthpieces which prevent burns and disease spread, new lighters, and a few other knick nacks.
We give everyone narcan as well, so they can save their opioid user friends should one get a bag of dope that’s heavy on the fentanyl. Or if they somehow find pure heroin, which was hard to come by when I was using fifteen years ago. In those days, only paramedics carried narcan! Now your friendly neighborhood crackhead carries it as well, thanks to democrats like me!
But what about meth users, you might ask? What about people who smoke fentanyl? Do they get government funded pipes too???
Yes. Totally taxpayer funded, although we do have other grants and donations. The meth kits are pretty much the same, only with taxpayer funded meth pipes instead of crack pipes. For fentanyl smokers, we have hammerhead pipes. We also have clean sheets of aluminum foil with fresh straws for folks who smoke heroin.
We also do needle exchange… Until a few years ago, it was a one for one syringe exchange, but now we give out boxes of a hundred along with sharps containers to anyone except the diabetics trying to get free medical supplies from us… Hell, even then we give them out even though our grants specify drug users as recipients. We dispose of sharps containers, and we make our clients promise to use them to minimize needle stick injuries. We have contracts with a medical waste company, as do all other needle exchange programs.
My ultimate point here is that HELL YES WE GIVE OUT CRACK PIPES THAT ARE FUNDED BY TAX DOLLARS, and we save lives by doing it. That’s not just a bold claim; harm reduction has been studied, a lot (in part because young liberals going in to allied or public health hear the bizarre and ostensibly false things that some ultraconservatives say about harm reduction and love proving them insane using actual large sample scientific studies), and continues to be studied at the most reputable colleges you can find.
So yeah, AMA. And no, I’m not going to send you pipes or syringes. We only distribute to residents of the city I’m in!
submitted by Altruistic_Tonight18 to AMA [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:09 _cannotdecide I 21M don’t know if I made the right decision to leave my 21F who wanted to join the armed forces

TLDR: I am so incredibly and lost and confused right now, I have no idea if I made the right choice, if I should try and talk to her, if I should go back and fix things, was there any hope anyway? No idea.
Whole story:
Before we got together she had expressed an interest and I said to her that would be a bit of a dealbreaker for me because for me I have to be with the person, the instability of moving around and not knowing when or how long you’d be gone would eat me alive and would kill me, I just can’t do long distance, I need to spend time with my person and see them regularly enough.
As time went on we had our issues, I was a bit more emotionally switched off in the sense i felt strongly but would never show it, and she was very emotional and immature. This caused issues along the way but over time i slowly became more emotional with her and she became better with understanding me and communicating. But nothing seemed to really be that bad where it was obvious things were shit and wouldn’t work. I thought overall we were going well. Mind you this girl has liked me forever and chased me for months before I gave in. I was never interested at the time but once I gave in to give it a try, each week that went on i fell more and more for her until the point where I became sure she was the one for me and couldn’t think of anything I’d want more. The way she would just stare at me, the way she would comfort me and be with me, her presence was everything. I had my own personal issues, some pretty big health things going on and she never let it ever affect her, she was happy to just be with me on the days I couldn’t take her out or give her much, as long as she was with me she was so happy.
Anyway, the issue now is she told me she had decided she was going to join and that was final. In the moment I became so worked up and crushed because I thought we had already discussed it and she had told me it was just a job and didn’t matter and I was everything. I became so emotional in my head I shut down and told her that’s it then I can’t see a life with you potentially gone for months at a time. She wanted me to go with her, she tried to talk to me but I was so hurt by the fact that she had back flipped everything we ever talked about with moving in together and marriage and our future.
I don’t know if cutting things was right, I don’t know if she really was the one and I can’t let her go but I am lost beyond belief. I have never had a relationship break up be this hard, and that’s because I know deep down what we had was incredible.
She didn’t want to leave because she didn’t love me, there wasn’t another person, she wanted me and only me and all she wanted was for me to go with her wherever that may be. Something is telling me we are for each other and I would never have given up on her and if this armed forces didn’t come up, we would’ve been fine continuing on. The important context here is I believe she wants to go because she comes from a broken family where none of them care for her or did anything for her. She was hurting bad and wants to run from her problems thinking it will solve her hurt. Not realising I was always there and she only needed to run to me and i would have walked through hell with her if that’s what it took.
Lastly I don’t see how she will make it in there because she has some health issues, she has a bad knee which with constant load across a few days gives in and leaves her stuck in bed for a few days, she has little energy and she doesn’t have an overly good physical form to handle the kind of fitness they would require. To me it feels like such a waste for a pipe dream to fix short term life problems, we were looking to move in together and honestly I would’ve married her within the next 12-18 months.
What do I do, i haven’t slept in days and i feel so lost and confused I can’t think or see anything clearly. All I know is I want to talk to her and build a life with her.
submitted by _cannotdecide to relationships [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:03 bittertaurus Acceptable letter to unreasonable downstairs neighbors?

Acceptable letter to unreasonable downstairs neighbors?
Hey all, me and my partner have had nothing but trouble from the couple below us since we moved in about 6 months ago, it took us about 4 months to get them to stop smoking weed inside their flat (this is in the UK by the way) and they’ve been knocking on our floor and shouting at us pretty much since we moved in. Despite it taking them months to stop their own anti social behaviour, we’re still getting screamed and sworn at for walking around at any point past 10pm. I managed to speak to them once but other than that they won’t answer their door, and the last time we tried they shut it in our face so we’ve resulted to the age old classic note. Past this last note i’m really running out of ideas, nothing we’re doing is classed as any more than basic living noise and i’d be hard pushed to even call it that, a late night sandwich made as quietly as we can or a shower after work (i believe the pipes can be heard above their bedroom but the bathroom is on the opposite side of the flat) we creep around, we whisper, and we sit in our bedroom which we ended up buying a tv for to avoid them in their bedroom below our living room. Could the landlord even help? I’m nervous to even bring it up with him knowing how unreasonable the guy below us is, i have kept a record of every disturbance from him in my notes app as i read that tip here some time ago but i don’t want anything to bite us on the ass if he manages to convince the landlord that we’re somehow disruptive shits. Any advice appreciated :/
submitted by bittertaurus to Apartmentliving [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 02:59 Frequent-Movie8220 Can someone please grade my synthesis essay

This was about the 2021 Free-Response Questions Handwriting prompt. Just looking for # values of my thesis, evidence, and sophistication.
Although some argue that handwriting instruction is beneficial in helping students develop certain skills, to a greater extent, handwriting instruction is not needed in today’s schools because the aforementioned skills aren’t directly proportional to handwriting and the world is evolving into a society that lacks the need for such writing skills.
Handwriting instruction has no place in this globally changing society that is geared more and more towards technology. Technology has no doubt pervaded into our school systems on a global level. Kids in elementary schools are receiving chromebooks, ipads, and even laptops. This is even the case for my own situation, in which I was given a chromebook for assignments in fifth grade. However, schools have continued to implement handwriting practice into daily routines, and for what reason? The opinions are starting to sway against teaching handwriting skills, however. Teachers themselves are stating that they believe we need to do away with the practice and “move on”(Source A). It is not only an individual basis level, however, as even forty one states have implemented courses that omit cursive from their curriculum as a whole(Source A). The fact that not only individuals are rebelling against this “archaic [...] communication” but also a majority of states on a national level are doing so highlights how change is what the nation wants. Specifically, technology is making the teachings of handwriting obsolete. The keyboard allows students to be “quicker on the keyboard” and can help them be “better writers as handwriting takes up less of their education”(Source C). Others agree with this sentiment that doing away with handwriting can give more time for education in other subjects too. For example, some articles are saying that handwriting is taking away time that could be better prioritized for “essential life-skills” like finance and programming(Source E). The sentiment of teachers, editors, states, and more, is that handwriting has no place in a society that is evolving.
The supposed skills that come with teaching handwriting at our schools are lacking in direct benefits. For example, some argue that handwriting activates cognitive and fine motor skills because it requires knowing what to write and how to use motion to write as such(Source D). However, this assertion could be applied to any scenario. Say painting: it requires a vision of what to make and the skills to create the work. However, why is painting not a required curriculum in many schools? This basic line of reasoning has been pointed out by others too, with one pointing out how “playing the original Super Mario Bros helps develop fine motor skills”(Source E). Knowing where to jump or which pipe to take is the equivalent to using your cognitive skills while inputting such decisions into your controller is using motor skills. However, schools are not requiring 15 minutes a day to gaming. This comparison between handwriting and Super Mario Bros underscores how the perceived benefits of handwriting are, in reality, not inherently needed. Another point of view to highlight is that while handwriting instruction may have benefits, they are highly constrained to when one is in school. In Source F, for example, it is shown that the use of paper over technology is heavily prevalent but in K-5. In Source D, it is said that elementary-age students were found to write more during their time. However, these assertions do not take into account the realities of our society. Children are not in the growing technology-focused workforce. Children will not have the time to take such liberties when having to take quick notes in high school or college. Children will be losing out on time that could be used to develop other more important skills.
Overall, the practice of handwriting instruction is not needed in today’s schools because the overall consensus agrees with such and the supposed benefits of handwriting do not outweigh the loss.
submitted by Frequent-Movie8220 to APLang [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 01:37 can_of_necks had a seasoned bakery tech come in today to give me some pointers

had a seasoned bakery tech come in today to give me some pointers
he kept saying i was already amazing for what little experience i have and that he doesn’t have much to show me but i learned some helpful tricks from him! namely how to get a perfectly smooth base coat and coming up with quick and simple designs utilizing all the different piping tips. can’t wait to work with him again on friday!
submitted by can_of_necks to cakedecorating [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:36 prestigeworldwide33 Pool Drain clogged with mineral deposits

Pool Drain clogged with mineral deposits
I have a pool drain that appears to be partially blocked with solidified mineral deposits. It’s not clogged enough that a drain king works; air at ~40psi doesn’t work, shop vac in reverse also not doing it. Drain auger didn’t work either. I was able to get an endoscope down there attached to a drain auger and found the attached pics. I think my only options from here are a drain jet, muriatic acid, or a pipe replacement. Any ideas/suggestions on how to break this up? I was thinking a drain jet is the next step. For all I know it’s solidified DE; previous owners made a mess and this is about the last issue I’m sorting out. It seems very solid though. It’s sort of in the middle of the pipe, not at either end really.
submitted by prestigeworldwide33 to pools [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:23 SvenExChao Rude druid gets booted (and how to not make their mistakes)

Hey all, I finally had my first reddit worthy experience; it might not be hall of fame horror but it’s packed with lesson to be learned.
Our table in question is an all adult (late 20s to mid 30s) respectfully rated R “friends only” crew. This is the story of how someone went from being in our wedding party to kicked out of our adventuring party.
Our crew: Myself, first time DM with a management day job. My spouse, Fighter, who’s a brand new player. Another married couple: Land Druid and Wizard, who generally host the game. Wizard and Land Druid have a kid who's great and only relevant for context on some of the bad behavior later. And finally our star of the hour, a Moon Druid problem player I'll be referring to as Rude Druid.
The story begins before Fighter and I were married and I had gotten into playing at a virtual 5e table with some work colleagues during the quaren-times. Once we all got our "go outside pass" I decided to try my hand at running a table. Fighter and I were not yet living together and we'd made a friend through an app who definitely had some "quirks" but was a fun hang and we had a lot of shared interests, one of which being tabletop. The three of us had discussed getting a 5e game rolling if we could fill out a party and Rude Druid previously was a "forever DM" so was excited to get into the player seat even though it would mean commuting about an hour to attend. Fighter met and made friends with land druid and then we all met at a “yard games and hang” party some time later where I and Wizard shared their interest in tabletop and boom-bam-pow a campaign is born. Various members of the group have various neural divergences as well as histories of (lets politely say) big bad events in their past that made a thorough session zero a must. We all agreed on where our lines and veils were and months of happy dice rolling ensue without issue.
Along the way there were some yellow flags:
Since two players were playing druids and crowd control (CC) became a major mechanic, the DM invested in some gridded combat tools and put significant effort into making CC a fun and valuable part of combat and would mix in “smart” enemies and “dumb” ones to allow for the druids to have their awesome moments but not completely take over every combat. Rude Druid constantly tried to break the grid rules of their AOE spells and even got in an open argument with DM who insisted they adhere to the published rules. One such disagreement ending with the classic Rude Druid: “I’d allow it at my table”DM: “We’re not at your table, we’re at my table and we’re following the grid combat rules”That should have been the end of that right? Would you believe the DM had to call out the player for attempting to break AOE rules several more times? Rude druid also used wild shape to access an area unavailable to the rest of the party, which was fine until they then went on to refuse to rejoin the rest of the party and insisted on their own little side adventure. They even refused the party directly asking the player to come back so they could play as well. Eventually the DM said “We’ll now cut back to the party, you may rejoin whenever you feel like it” and had to remind the player about the “don’t split the party” agreement discussed in session 0. Sadly the yellow flags turned crimson and led to some major boundary crossing. While DM had offered their guest room to the druid for nights they didn’t want to drive home, the expectations got out of hand. They first switched from driving to taking public transport, which was their prerogative, but then expected rides too and from the transit station during working hours. The fighter took care of the driving for a while because they worked a later shift and the two were friends. But then the schedule expanded to needed to be taken for food, expecting to go rock-climbing every time, etc etc and the DM’s “you can crash here and head out whenever” turned into an expectation of a 24 hour commitment of the Fighter being the druid’s personal entertainer and driver. Fighter actually left the game for a short time to deal with life stuff and druid tried to guilt other members into taking over the extra driving, which we all refused. Rude druid is also the most disgusting eater that I’ve ever experienced in my life and both I and another member of the party have misophonia which we’d brought up multiple times making it clear “this is extremely unpleasant for us. Please get it under control”. The sound effects got so bad the hosts had to resort to BANNING snacks from DND night because it was impossible for 2 of us to participate in the game. I promise you, it was so bad you’d have done the same.In the midst of all this DM and Fighter got married, navigated some difficult decisions on housing, moved in together, and now DM no longer had a spare room to offer. Shortly after moving in fighter had two major illnesses that included multiple trips to the hospital and the DM made it clear that the offer of a spare room was no longer on the table for obvious reasons. We all expected the druid to control their alcohol consumption and drive themselves home after the sessions. Rude druid instead invited themselves to crash at the host couple’s house and forced an extremely uncomfortable “that’s not okay, we don’t really do that”. It’s at this point that I’ll remind you that the host couple has a kid and I’ll roll the clock back to a point in time when rude druid quit their job. While telling the story included details that used explicitly violent language. We assumed it was probably hyperbole, but several of us have experienced violence in a way that makes us very not okay with what they were saying. We expressed that sentiment at the time making it clear none of us were ok of threats of violence, even if they weren’t genuine. Rude druid went on to reiterate their anger several more times at various different sessions and to this date I don’t they would have done anything violent but it was WAY over the line and NOT the kind of person you welcome into your home with a young kid. Yet they still seemed completely shocked when trying to stay over at their house was met with a hard no. And finally came the day that we all had enough and the decision was made not to invite them back. Two members of the party were in the final semester of advanced degrees on top of their full time jobs and made it known that they needed to pause the game until after finals because they didn’t have the time or mental energy to commit to the game. The DM and other player immediately understood, wished them the best, and agreed to shelf the game until after graduation. Rude druid did everything in their power to guilt them into continuing to play stating that it would be “good for their mental health” despite this player being the exact opposite of who you’d want mental health advice from. Around this same time the entire crew also attended the DMs birthday party where Rude Druid tried pressuring DM and Fighter to stay while over imbibing in various substances legal in the state this story occurs. This player had to have a pipe physically taken out of their hands and told “you have to drive home, sober up” after repeatedly helping themselves to another attendees scoobie snacks and being an outright jerk to a number of other people in attendance. We had to do a bit of an apology tour with other good friends who were rightly pissed off at various drunken selfish antics and promised that they’d never have to deal with rude druid again.
Our collective limits had been reached, all the other party members got together and unanimously agreed to 86 the player from all of our lives. I wish rude druid the best and I truly hope they can learn to ever consider anyone other than themself, but I for one will not be there to see it.
Happy ending: the players all graduated with flying colors, the game is back on, and rude druid’s character has technically become an NPC that’s “over there” but honestly won’t ever come up again. The game lives on and the rest of us are still good friends with a newly raised bar for what it takes to sit at our table.
As promised, here’s a few easy rules to live by so that you won’t ever experience rude druid’s fall from grace.
submitted by SvenExChao to rpghorrorstories [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:48 olsy10 In ground sprinkler help

In ground sprinkler planning
I’m planning out my in ground sprinkler system (I was going to use the RainBird online services but I can’t wait 30+ days). I have some questions as well as what I’m planning to do. I have 3 acres but am only wanting to in ground the area immediate to my house and guest cabin.
Q- should I put the PRV before I tee off into my zones from here? Or should I put a PRV after teeing off (effectively 1 PRV per zone, probably will only be 2 zones at this location)?
Q- should I put in an inline filter? The water still comes out clear but I know some sediment gets in there.
Q- the standard nozzle is the number 8, what nozzles come with it?
Q- how durable are in ground sprinklers? I have a riding lawn mower as well occasionally will drive on the grass for yard work etc…will they break if accidentally run over?
My property is sloped the entire way from my “source” down, is this a concern? (About 1 foot over an 8 foot level)
Any tips/tricks for trenching? (Besides renting a trencher of course)
Anything I am missing?
submitted by olsy10 to lawncare [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:46 Lothere55 Six Decants from u/Hype_Moments: Reviewed!

Decant Reviews Part II: The Revenge! This batch came to me from the most excellent u/Hype_Moments, who thoughtfully reached out to me to inform me of his services after I expressed dismay at my inability to obtain samples directly from Montagne. The decants arrived promptly and packaged securely enough to withstand a nuclear blast! I also appreciate the attention to detail when it comes to labeling: matching Montagne's font and including the notes makes the sampling process feel very deluxe. Great experience, would order again!
On to the fragrances. Unless stated otherwise, I have not smelled the inspiration fragrances, so I am judging these on their own merit. For your reference, I typically prefer unisex fragrances, but I decided to roll the dice and included three feminine scents this time. I'm 29, and I work in both office and classroom environments. Let's get into it!
Eau Vanille: This one is not for everyone, but it's definitely for me. The rich, deep vanilla combined with the guiac wood and incense smells like going to mass at a grand Cathedral. Sophisticated, solemn, mysterious. I imagine that Notre Dame smells like this on Good Friday. Honestly, it kind of reminds me of my confirmation. I swear, the oil the bishop puts on your (greasy, 13-year-old) forehead smells a lot like this. That said, I love this because it reminds me of a positive moment in my faith formation, but it may evoke complex or negative reactions in others. The incense calms down after a couple of hours, which allows the vanilla to shine. Definitely not too sweet, and reads straightforwardly unisex to me. If you're a vanilla-lover looking for something a bit different with some oomph, this could be for you. Maybe not the best choice for the heat of summer, but I will be looking to purchase the full bottle come autumn. Would wear to my arch-rival's funeral.
Strawberry Milk: The wildcard of the bunch. I did not think I was going to like this because I thought it was going to be extremely juvenile and sickly sweet. I ordered it out of pure curiosity after hearing about the ungodly sums folks were shelling out to get their hands on a bottle. While it's definitely a sweet gourmand, it's not syrupy sweet. It's kind of fruity and powdery and just a bit herbal. There's something in here that comes off a little minty to my nose, which is baffling considering the notes. I'm not getting anything particularly strawberry-like, though. Maybe a hint of something lactonic, like malted milk powder, and a burnt-sugar note that could be caramel. Very wearable if you like sweet scents. Not obtrusive, kind of like if you gave a your-skin-but-better scent some moxie. Certainly not your typical celebrity scent. I could see a lot of women liking this. The longevity wasn't the best on this one, though: I think I got about four hours out of it. I'm not personally in love with it, but I'm glad I tried it.
Pink Rose Exclusif: Good Lord, y'all. This THE hot girl perfume. The most attractive woman you can think of probably wears this. It's a really beautiful, sweet, creamy, powdery rose wrapped in a veil of incense and supported by vanilla and woody notes in the base. There's some fruitiness in there too, particularly in the opening. Despite the powderiness and incense, it's quite edible smelling; like a fruity sponge cake that's also drenched in rose syrup, served immediately after the Confirmation service (callback!). I recognize this scent because I have encountered it in the wild on women wearing Delina Exclusif or its dupes, and it definitely... affects me, shall we say. This will turn heads for sure. It also lasts forever with excellent projection. I put on 3 sprays, wore it all day, went to sleep, and then my pillow and sheets smelled like Pink Rose Exclusif for DAYS, just from coming into contact with my arm. You absolutely do not need much of this. As much as I love it, I'm on the fence about whether to buy it, because I'm not sure how often I would actually wear it. It's a little more femme than my personal style usually calls for, imo. Plus, I'm not sure I want all the attention this would garner. That said, it's a 10/10 frag, I'd go for it today if I were single and ready to mingle. UPDATE: After writing this review, I got the opportunity to test the OG in-store, and I can confirm that this is a 1 to 1 dupe. I don't detect any difference whatsoever. Nice work, Montagne!
Pink Rose: This one humbled me. I had already tried the Exclusif version, and figured this was the more wearable, daytime version. I did my normal application (1 spray each on wrists & inner elbows, 2 sprays on the neck, 1 on the front of my shirt) and then headed to the office. When my coworker told me I smelled good from 6 feet away, I knew I had overdone it. I was smelling this all day long, from the 8:30 AM application until bed time. And not just little whiffs here and there, I'm talking constant presence in my olfactory organ. A little distracting, if I'm honest. Luckily, it's a beautiful fragrance. Florals are hit or miss for me, but I have a soft spot for rose. Whereas the Exclusif smells like rose dessert, this smells like a living rose growing fresh and vibrant in the garden. The litchi and rhubarb bring in a little sharpness, and there's a green accord in there that's really refreshing. This is rose done in a modern, interesting way, and I dig it. Feminine, but in a way that feels manageable for my typical presentation. Despite my initial blunder, I do think it's more every-day wearable than its sister as long as you are conservative with your application. Will buy for sure, and probably sooner rather than later.
Carnal Gray Extrait: In a word: exquisite. This smells like being wealthy, well-traveled, and the hottest person at the function. Charisma in a bottle. Effortlessly sexy without being provocative. It's well blended, but not linear. We start with a spicy, herbaceous opening; you get the cardamom right away, with some sweet green undertones. Then, a beautiful dry down. It becomes more powdery with a bit sweetness thanks to iris, tonka, and vanilla. The woodiness from cedar and sandalwood and earthiness from vetiver and patchouli keep it from going gourmand, and the result is something deep, dark, and complex. Perfect for special occasions where you want to dress to impress, this would be the ultimate companion to a well-tailored suit or a fancy cocktail dress. Apparently folks are somewhat divided on whether Gris Charnel Extrait leans feminine or masculine, but to me, CGE is perfectly unisex. Great performance; three sprays lasts me all day with moderate projection. This is my favorite fragrance from Montagne so far, and in the running for my favorite fragrance of all time. It's probably not the best choice for the hot, humid summer that's coming my way, but I don't even care, this is going to the top of the queue. 12/10, I am writing in my will that I want this sprayed on me before I go in the casket.
Brooklyn Jazz: At last, a fragrance that I can compare to its inspiration! I have smelled and fallen in love with Maison Margiela's Jazz Club, and was super excited to see how the wallet-friendly version from Montagne stacks up. Indeed, it's a very close match. We have a nice peppery opening that gives way to boozy, rum tobacco heaven. It's not in the notes, but this definitely comes off leathery to my nose. It smells like sitting in a leather armchair, sipping on dark liquor, and smoking... some kind of tobacco product. I want to say a pipe rather than a cigar, but neither is my vice of choice, so I can't be sure. Either way, old school badass. Think Ron Swanson in Duke Silver mode. If anything, there is perhaps more of an herbal accord here that I didn't notice in Jazz Club, but that could be due to the translation from EDT to EDP. Masculine leaning, but still suitable for ladies who appreciate smokey scents. Altogether, a lovely warm and cozy scent. Decent longevity, but the projection could be better (maybe needs maceration). I do like it, but I'm more motivated to get my hands on Carnal Gray Extrait and Eau Vanille, both of which are certainly different, but occupy a similar region of the fragrance family tree. I may pick it up after I make it through the summer.
Thanks for reading my reviews! And special thank-yous to both u/Hype-Moments and u/AyybrahamLmaocoln for supplying this community with decants and saving us from the anxiety of blind-buying. Let me know if you have any recommendations for my next decant order, particularly more masculine scents that are good for summer; I want my collection to have a little of everything. What do y'all think of Afternoon Dive and Torino 2021? That's all, over and out.
submitted by Lothere55 to MontagneParfums [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:29 ar_david_hh Yerevan: Clashes between protesters & drivers; BEVER's allies, Archbishop's plans \\ France & OSCE welcome delimitation \\ FM vs ex-FMs: Almaty \\ Yerevan's GIS maps, promenade, lights \\ EU Trade Commissioner & European standards in Armenia \\ Electric vehicle switch \\ CB on EVs and deflation

9-minute read.

France welcomes the latest round of negotiations between foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Kazakhstan

FM Mirzoyan said the negotiations in Kazakhstan were held in a constructive environment and referred to the statement made after the meeting.
PARIS: France stresses the importance of both sides confirming their commitment to the Almaty Protocol of 1991 and to mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity as the core of this process, following the quadripartite meeting in Prague on 7 October 2022.
France calls to continue the delimitation of the border on the basis of the principles agreed in the declaration of April 19, 2024, and as an extension of the first demarcation work carried out on the ground. At the same time, it calls for continuing discussions with a view to signing a peace treaty between the two countries.
France welcomes the initiative of the Kazakh authorities to facilitate the holding of these talks.
France continues to work together with its partners to establish just and solid peace in the South Caucasus in accordance with international law. //
source, source, source, source,

OSCE: Reaching stable and comprehensive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority for us

OSCE Chair-in-Office Ian Borg visited Armenia on Monday.
BORG: The only way to ensure comprehensive and stable peace is through diplomacy. The steps made towards border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan are the actions needed to reach peace. //
Pashinyan and Borg discussed the AM-OSCE cooperation and the peace talks.
BORG: The OSCE is committed to supporting stable peace, solving all conflicts in the OSCE area, and applying the organization’s mandate to ensure regional peace and stability. //
source, source,

opposition activists detained and released after briefly shutting down several streets in Yerevan

Last week the protest organizers, led by Archbishop Bagrat and MPs representing pro-Russian parties, called for strikes and road closures on Monday. They demand PM Pashinyan's resignation. The opposition parties have not yet disclosed when they plan to launch the impeachment process in the parliament. They likely have the minimum number of MPs to launch the impeachment but they'd still need dozens of ruling party MPs to join them for the motion to succeed, which is unlikely.
On Monday over 170 people were detained and released after blocking roads, including with the use of trash cans and hay. A red beret pushed a journalist out of his way while running up the stairs, sending him to the ground. Another journalist fainted during a clash between police and protesters. In the morning, Yandex Maps showed the traffic congestion in Yerevan at Level 5 on a scale of 1-10, a "usual workday".
In one instance, an angry driver got out of his car and pushed the trash can out of the street, while other cars proceeded to drive through the sparse group of protesters. Video.
ARF MP Garnik Danielyan, a co-organizer of the protest, engaged in a dispute with a driver. The angry driver told the MP to go "siktir", while the MP called him "chatlax". Video.
One protester suggested catching and "putting down" police officers one by one while they are alone, "because they feel good in large numbers." Video.
A psychotic incident was recorded between a protester and a bystandedriver who was presumably trying to open the road. The protester hit the man and called him "Nikol's trash". The police intervened to push the protesters out of the road.
During an encounter between a protester and one resident, the protester asked the latter if he was a Christian:
PROTESTER: Քրիստոնյա՞ ես
RESIDENT: Հա
PROTESTER: Հա ու համփ արա [suck my dick]
The resident pushes the protester, and the protester spits on him. Several people got off the buses and urged the protesters to leave or to "go protect the borders" instead. The red berets arrived within minutes and removed the trash cans and the small number of protesters from the road. video, video, video,
While the ARF has long been viewed as the voice of diaspora, other movements have emerged to challenge its dominance. The Armenian Movement of France has organized a change.org petition that calls to encourage Armenia's independence and Euro-Atlantic integration, to keep the church and state separate, and not take any destabilizing actions.
KHURSHUDYAN: They [ARF and protest organizers] are attempting to convince the diaspora to join them by influencing various organizations like the Lemkin Institute. It is strange that the Lemkin Institute released a statement accusing PM Pashinyan's Genocide statement of containing "victim blaming" only now, during these protests, several weeks after Pashinyan made that statement. It took a lot of effort for these forces to lobby and create the impression that the diaspora as a whole is on their side. //
The BEVER (Sasna Tsrer) party leaders said they are cooperating with the pro-Russian former regime parties but only on the issues of removing Pashinyan and stopping the border delimitation process.
BEVER (Ara Papyan): If Pashinyan resigns now and pro-Russian forces win the elections democratically, it will be the population's fault, not ours. // video
As you know from Sunday news digest, the pro-Russian forces and a group of ex-diplomats led by Kocharyan's Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, are against using the 1991 Almaty declaration as the basis for delimitation. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan was asked to comment on Monday.
MIRZOYAN: The Deputy PMs of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who are in charge of border commissions, have come to an agreement to launch the delimitation process taking into account the 1991 Almaty Declaration. This was welcomed by numerous states and international organizations. The foreign diplomats you mentioned are deserters who fled their duties while Armenia was under physical attack in 2021. I can no longer treat them seriously. That is the most civil language I can use toward them. In reality, by torpedoing the Almaty Declaration and the peace process based on Almaty, these ex-diplomats continue to torpedo the sovereignty, statehood, and territorial integrity of Armenia. In the best-case scenario, they do this without understanding, and in the worst-case scenario, they are following the orders of a foreign state. I don't have further comments. //
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan said they will not hold daily meetings at Republic Square anymore, and that smaller gatherings will be held near the St. Anna church every evening to wrap up the day and discuss future plans. Yesterday Arman Babajanyan revealed a meeting between church officials. On Monday, Archbishop Galstanyan confirmed that he indeed met Catholicos on Sunday. Galstanyan was asked whether he plans to "transfer" the "leadership" of the movement to political parties. He said he is open to that idea: "Թող գան, վերցնեն, ով ցանկանում է:"
source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source,

Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Economic Affairs, the EU Trade Commissioner, will visit Armenia this week

Valdis Dombrovskis will meet Armenian and EBRD officials and take part in an annual meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors.
source, source,

PM Pashinyan is in Denmark for the "Copenhagen Democracy Summit"

Nikol Pashinyan will take part in the discussion on “From the frontline: Armenia’s defense of democracy.”
source,

Armenia will bring its consumer protection legislation in line with European standards

The head of Armenia's Competition Protection Commission visited Poland to participate in ICPEN (International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network).
They spoke about unfair business practices and how to combat them, online taxi service regulations, online casinos, discounting policies used by businesses, etc.
GEVORGYAN: Armenia is going through an important phase in terms of protecting the interests of consumers. Discussions are underway to align Armenia's consumer protection legislation with EU standards. It is necessary to use digital technologies and train skilled experts in this field.
source,

Russia begins withdrawing border agents near the border village Nerkin Hand: residents

The villagers noticed that the Russian soldiers were no longer observing the traffic from the observation post and that they were packing some of their stuff.
source, source,

anti-corruption: Patrol Police officer is charged with accepting a bribe from a driver

INTERIOR MINISTRY: In early March, two officers pulled over an Indian driver on Kievyan St. One of the officers demanded a ֏20,000 bribe to ignore the fact that the vehicle didn't pass a tech inspection. They negotiated it down to ֏7,000. The officer was charged with felony bribery. He confessed. The case is in court. //
source,

Yerevan Mayor Avinyan had a lightbulb moment

The city has purchased 6,000 LED lights producing 4000K white light. Mayor Avinyan instructed the department to install them only on roads and to purchase weaker 3000K bulbs for condo backyards in order not to disrupt sleep.
Last month the city replaced 8.6 kilometers of cables. The Mother Armenia statue and the Opera building will have new գեղարվեստական lighting.
source, source, video,

Yerevan implements GIS (geographic information system) to collect data from various sources and make targeted decisions based on visualized data: VIDEO

MAYOR AVINYAN: The Municipality and all the district offices are switching to a new management style with the introduction of GIS. Every department will join it, phase by phase. We are talking about digital maps which we must learn to use. This is going to significantly simplify some of the work done by departments.
OFFICIAL: This is part of the digitization strategy. This unified GIS platform will collect information from the cadastre, transport, Active Citizen app, utility services, construction, etc., and make them accessible in one place. The visual data allow us to carry out analysis and make fact-based decisions.
For example, we created a cadastre GIS by using a satellite image as the base layer, then integrated it with the cadastre database. This map shows in detail the boundaries of properties, the purpose and status of each land plot, etc.
Another example is a map of air pollution, prior records, and analytical tools.
The GIS map for the Active Citizen app allows us to see the submissions and the completed work, their locations on the map, and how well the city responds to issues reported by citizens. You can filter the issues by category. For example, you can show only the reports about illegal dumping, click on the report and see the image shared by the citizen, then click to see the status and the outcome of city's response. The tools allow you to analyze the data and the performance rate.
Another map shows the 3D image of the city with its buildings and green areas. Here we can calculate the capacity of bus stops, etc. Drones can be used to create a very detailed digital 3D copy of specific buildings.
You can click on a land plot and it'll pull up the ownership information, the permit records, etc.
Connecting two dots shows you the altitude differences and other data that you can use, for example, during the installation of irrigation pipes.
This is less than 1% of its potential. We plan to train employees next week.
MAYOR AVINYAN: We should make some of this data public, like the air quality map or certain maps that did not require financial resources to create [քձիբ խոզ]. This is a revolutionary change in the municipality. We need to speed up the work with the use of digital tools.
video,

Yerevan begins planting hundreds of adult "high-value" trees and thousands of bushes near the new promenade/park around the Yerevanyan Lake: VIDEO

video,

Central Bank chief was invited to Parliament to discuss economy and expenditures

MP: Regarding CB's report on the efficiency of service vehicles used by state agencies. The state buildings scheduled to receive solar panels should also be equipped with EV chargers so the service vehicles can use the energy generated by the panels. I requested information from Yerevan Municipality about the service vehicle expenditures and it shows that EVs are not only cheaper because of electricity, but also because they are overall more affordable to maintain. We are talking about large savings.
CB CHIEF: Our estimates show that EVs are 2x-3x more affordable compared to combustion engine vehicles, even if we factor in all the adjacent expenses. In Yerevan, we have [state] buildings with solar panels on roofs but [connecting them to EV chargers in the parking lot] will be very difficult because these are old and sometimes "historical" buildings. They also have problems with air conditioning, plumbing, etc. At the same time, we are trying to implement this solar panel project in the newer buildings, for example, in Dilijan, where we have EV chargers for service vehicles in the parking lots.
video,

Central Bank chief spoke about the deflation in Q1

RULING MP: It is great for our residents' pockets that the prices have fallen but what is its effect on the economy and exports? What is the best inflation rate to maintain a "balance"?
CB CHIEF: During the discussions with our colleagues from IMF, regarding regional and global events, we agreed that countries develop when the inflation is low and manageable. It encourages investments. In this regard, the overall microeconomic stability and the fiscal policy of Armenia create a very good environment for this predictability. This is one of our "cards" in our relations with foreign entities.
During each CB session, we discuss several market and inflation scenarios. Under one scenario there is a risk of inflation becoming too high, while under other scenarios it could remain low. We are trying to find the most balanced option and thank God we have been able to continuously lower the [refinancing] rates, which helps the state. //
Ըստ զեկուցողիդրամավարկային քաղաքականության ծրագրում ներկայացվող սցենարների համաձայն 2024 թվականի կարճաժամկետ հորիզոնում գնաճը կպահպանվի նպատակային ցուցանիշից ցածր մակարդակում` տարեվերջին այն կկազմի 1,3%-1,5%:
video, source,

Central Bank chief spoke about the refinancing rate, the rate at which the state borrows from banks, copper prices, etc.

video,

how did the family of Ilham Aliyev's security chief obtain so many properties in the United Kingdom?

Offshore companies owned by Eyyubov’s wife and daughter spent $114 million on real estate in the United Kingdom. The family, including Eyyubov himself, also own over $46 million in properties in Dubai.
OCCRP report,

growing concerns in Abkhazia that Putin might have secretly "sold" them to Georgia as a confederation in exchange for Georgia's neutrality between West and Russia

video,
submitted by ar_david_hh to armenia [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:15 oftenfrequently Comparing the HTT strategies for each of the main families

Comparing the HTT strategies for each of the main families
Fair warning, this is gonna be a long one :)
I started working on this for my own purposes because I’m fascinated by the similarities and differences between the HTT styling approaches Kibbe recommends for the different ID families, but then thought it might be helpful to share with the sub. I always see lots of mention of “lines,” but the overall HTT approach for each ID is sometimes (often) oversimplified. Plus all the other very fun elements that make up a HTT are, imo, getting short shrift! There are a few users who have posted amazing full HTTs for their IDs and I'm hoping even more people will be inspired to explore.
So what even is this post?
Basically, I went through the styling directives in Metamorphosis (Chapter 4) for the main families and directly compared the recommendations for the IDs on a number of smaller, more discrete variables because my brain finds it more digestible that way. I only did the main families because “you’re a [insert family here] first and foremost!!” is a thing regardless of your ID ;) And I thought it was more interesting to compare the elements of the pure families without the influence of any other undercurrents. Also it just would have been a lot of work to do all of them 🙃.
A few notes before getting to the good stuff
  • I tried to mostly focus on the words Kibbe uses to evoke feelings rather than specific items, since the book was written in the 80s and clothing is obviously quite different.
  • Some of the things that fall in the middle of a scale have debateable positioning since the middles are sometimes hard to compare (ex. Is a moderate pinstripe more angular or less angular than a soft-edged plaid? My vote was more angular but your vote could be the opposite!) I included all of the language I used to determine placement on the scales so you can make your own call if you want.
  • I disincluded some, ahem, charged descriptors in a few IDs but I don’t think it changes the overall picture painted of what that ID would be looking to channel in their HTTs
This post includes all of the scales I compared the families on in 6 main categories - silhouette, fabric, detail, prints, color, and accessories - plus some keywords that came up for each family that give the overall impression of the HTT. I might make a second part later with key similarities and differences between the approaches for each pair of families, but we'll see! I'm also interested in any discussion here or observations that others might have on the various categories :)
And of course you can always read Metamorphosis for yourself in full here, which I highly recommend!

1. Silhouette

This section is related to the base silhouette of an outfit - the overall shape of garments that make up a HTT and how they relate to one another. For the purposes of this category, I'm defining "ensemble" as the pieces look related or like they were purchased together, which I believe is the sense Kibbe uses it in.
https://preview.redd.it/8earo8fbm70d1.jpg?width=1965&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40f17625fbfc45cc723b9cc83d447111428d8b02
Shapes
  • D - “keep shapes sharp and geometric. Triangles, rectangles, and everything sculpted, sleek, and elongated, with crisp edges.” “square, sharp shoulders”
  • R - “keep your shapes rounded with soft edges! Circles, ornate swirls, and intricate flowing shapes” “shoulders should be curved”
  • C - “slightly geometric or slightly curved, blend the same shapes together in your look” “slight, crisp shoulder padding”
  • N - “geometric shapes with soft or rounded edges are the key. Rounded-edged rectangles. Soft oblongs, rounded-edged squares, irregular shapes, and soft asymmetrics.” “soft-edged shoulder pads are very good”
  • G - “small, sharp geometrics” “sharp edges and crisp tailoring” “crisp” “sharp edges and extreme tailoring and construction” “sharp shoulder pads”
Outline quality
  • D - “Always straight, with elongated draping that is sleek”
  • R - “your outline should always be soft and flowing” “lots of gentle draping everywhere” “soft fluidity”
  • C - “smooth and symmetrical with the emphasis on controlled and even edges, soft, straight lines, or smoothly curved lines - softly tailored or slightly flowing.”
  • N - “a relaxed, straight line is the outline of your look”
  • G - “sharp, straight, and staccato” “severe lines with sharp edges” “broken, staccato, animated outline. Utilizing many short vertical lines and many short horizontal lines is also effective.”
Closeness of fit
  • D - “always tailored and sculpted” “streamlined shape” “tailored and sleek” “the more tailored the better”
  • R - “showcase the lush curves of your body” “Sleeves should be tapered at the wrist” “waistline should always be emphasized, with soft gathers, folds, draped sashes, and lightweight and supple belts to give a cinched effect” “[Jackets] should be fitted at the waist”
  • C - “very slight draping in constructed garments” “crisp and finished cuffs” “tailored pleats” “narrow and tailored [jackets] with a smooth outline.” “lightweight unconstructed jackets are fine when they are kept sleek and narrow. Blazers, cardigan-style, elongated Chanel (not cropped) are all good choices” “softly tailored”
  • N - “softly tailored, always unconstructed” “Your outline should be fairly narrow and slim, in a loose and easy way.” “Dropped waist detail (loose sashes, overbloused tops, ties, etc) is excellent, as are slightly dropped shoulders.” “Relaxed shapes” “relaxed and easy fit” “dresses should be simple and unconstructed, with a narrow shape and a relaxed outline.”
  • G - “Precision fitted and crisply tailored” “[a] precisely fitted silhouette is crucial to your look” “Sharp and narrow waist definition.” “very fitted” “[skirts] should be very fitted at the waistband” “Pants should always be very sharply tailored with outlined or animated detail at the edges (waistbands, pleats, crisp cuffs).” “Skin tight stretchy pants are excellent” “Very tailored [blouses] with sharp edges and crisp detail (collars, cuffs, pleats, etc.)”
Length of garments
  • D - “Long, vertical lines are essential.” “generally [jackets] should be long (ending at the mid-thigh area), although a very sleek, Italian-style might be cropped (be sure this has an extremely sculpted, streamlined shape)” “straight and long [skirts]” “a long hem” “long cardigans or pullovers”
  • R - "lengths should be kept gracefully long as uneven hemlines (mid-calf), and short as the tapered styles with an even hemline (mid kneecap)" "[for sweaters] short lengths with waist detail"
  • C - “standard length is best [for jackets] (just below break of hip)” “slightly longer jackets are possible when the corresponding skirt is elongated to match.” “moderate length [skirts]”
  • N - “Elongated [jackets] (ending from the upper thigh on down.)” “Moderate length [skirts]” “Very short skirts for fun/funky looks.” “Nearly all styles [of pants] are excellent, from very casual to very dressy… short, cropped, or long.” “Any and all lengths [for sweaters]”
  • G - “Short, cropped [jackets]” “Straight, sharp, and short [skirts]” “A slightly flared hemline [on skirts] may be slightly longer (top of the calf). Anything extremely long is very tricky, and must have a slit and be pencil slim.” “[For pants] Short lengths, anywhere from cropped at the calf to the top of the ankle.” “Short, cropped cardigans” “Short cropped jackets, vests, and boleros work well with dresses for you”
Cohesion
  • D - “keep individual pieces blended together in an artful way for elegance”
  • R - “include an artful blending of plush textures, draped fabrics, and luxurious colors” “avoid any kind of harsh contrast between top and bottom”
  • C - “A clean, unbroken silhouette is your most elegant statement! Think ‘head-to-toe’, and blend everything accordingly.” “Use [separates] carefully and sparingly” “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together”
  • N - “Separates are extremely exciting on you, and should make up the bulk of your wardrobe” “you’ll do better with an artful mixture of patterns, textures and colors than you will with an overly matched look” “designer sportswear” “definitely mix n’ match in the most sophisticated sense of the word”
  • G - “A use of well-coordinated separates with lots of animated and colorful detail can be very exciting to your look.”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • N fam has a truly impressive amount of versatility in terms of the length of pieces they're recommended, probably because they're the only family that's really strongly encouraged to go whole hog with a mix and match/separates-forward approach (a superpower tbh).
  • Although the scale of pieces recommended are obviously quite different, the words he uses to describe the shapes for D and G fams are extremely similar. Definitely two families that benefit from an emphasis on crisp sharpness and angularity.
  • I thought it was interesting that he used "softly tailored" in both the C and N fam sections, although the effect they're going for is very different (blended understated elegance vs. relaxed funky easy vibes).
  • He never uses the word "wide" in the N fam section. He does, however, use "narrow" and "loosely tailored" a number of times 😈 No oversized shapeless potato sacks here!

2. Fabric

This category is pretty self-explanatory I hope!
https://preview.redd.it/94e76p19190d1.jpg?width=1976&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=816214030ae525dd16ec2e071426eab1e571c544
Definition
  • D - “fabrics that hold a defined shape are necessary”
  • R - “fabrics that drape easily” “flowing”
  • C - “beautiful, luscious fabrics are an important element in your understated look” “very slight draping in constructed garments.”
  • N - “loose and easy”
  • G - “must always be crisp, able to hold a defined shape, and be tailored easily”
Range of textures (how many different fabrics can they use)
  • D - “Moderate to heavyweights are best, with a matte finish and a smooth surface” “textures should be tightly woven, and shiny fabrics should be very stiff and ultraglitzy”
  • R - “softly woven fabrics” “ultrashiny fabrics” “ultrasoft or plush textures” “sheer fabrics” “any kind of sparkle is excellent”
  • C - “Matte finish or slight sheen.” “Luxurious to the touch” “lightweight textures” “smooth knits” “smooth chiffon and elegantly beaded fabrics for evening.”
  • N - “All soft textures are excellent” “any fabric with a rough or nubby surface” “any wrinkly fabric works well” “all woven fabrics” “knits are excellent in nearly any weight and thickness, from very finely woven to very heavy and rough” “Plush velours, suede, and soft leather are perfect” “drapable fabrics are best kept to heavier weight jerseys.” “A matte finish is far superior to sheen for daytime” “In the evening, you can go very glitzy with hard-finished sheens”
  • G - “a flat surface or light texture is best” “finely woven knits, especially when ribbed and skinny, are good choices.” “matte finish is best, although hard-finished sheens can be very exciting (especially metallics)”
Weight
  • D - “Moderate to heavyweights are best” “occasionally lightweight fabrics can work if they are extra-structured in the design of the garment”
  • R - “lightweight fabrics”
  • C - “moderate weights. Lightweights in very constructed or tailored garments.”
  • N - "knits are excellent in nearly any weight and thickness, from very finely woven to very heavy and rough." “moderate weights are best, although textures can easily be lighter”
  • G - “usually your fabric will be of moderate weight, though lighter weights that hug the body are excellent”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • Again lots of similarities for G and D fam as far as structure and matte finish, although D also has heavier structured wovens while G has fine knits.
  • R fam and N fam get by far the most diverse recommendations as far as fabric and textures go (again a ton of versatility in N fam!). Seems like you really can't go wrong with something sparkly, shiny, glitzy, or plushy if you're in R fam. And for N fam it sounds like you get to mix far more textures into one HTT than everybody else does, which is exciting!
  • I thought the emphasis on flowing for R fam was interesting. It makes total sense - I haven't read too deeply into R since I am clearly not one lol - but for some reason I had flowing associated with N in my mind.
  • I really love the C recommendations myself - "luscious fabrics" just makes me think about burrowing in a cashmere blanket haha. I could definitely picture Grace Kelly as I was reading them.

3. Prints

Also self-explanatory!
https://preview.redd.it/nn24my93490d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a8d47c3a4d4d5984b6cac8d9deeccdf7da834c4
Pattern
  • D - “bold and geometric: stripes, zigzags, asymmetrics, and irregular shapes.” “Think Picasso and strive for a contemporary feeling”
  • R - “rich and luscious with the emphasis on an abstract, watercolor blend (think Monet). Swirls of color, flowing together, with soft and rounded edges may be used in abundance.”
  • C - “symmetrical, evenly spaced, and regular or realistic patterns. Understated prints (pin dots, pinstripes, checks, blended plaids, herringbone, symmetrical paisleys, etc.)”
  • N - “casual styles that are soft-edged geometrics (plaids, stripes, paisleys, etc.) and funky prints in irregular shapes (abstract asymmetrics, leaves, animal prints, etc.).”
  • G - “Prints should be sharp, colorful, and animated. Small geometrics and angular asymmetrics are excellent. Most of your prints should be very contemporary in feeling (“Picasso-ish”) although humorous styles that are outlined and caricatured can be quite stunning on you as well.”
Contrast
  • D - “Bold color combinations and high-contrast blends work best”
  • R - “swirls of color, flowing together”
  • C - “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together” “understated”
  • N - “generally have a softly blended edge”
  • G - “colorful and animated” “outlined” “contrast”
Scale
  • D - “bold”
  • R - “luxuriously large: oversized florals or feathery shapes are especially lovely”
  • C - “understated”
  • N - “moderate scale to slightly large”
  • G - “small”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • Again lots of similarities for D and G for the type (sharp geometric) and feeling of prints (contemporary/Picasso) with the main difference being large vs. small scale (don't worry, they're about to diverge hardcore 😂)
  • R fam is recommended significantly more abstract and organic prints than everyone else. I also thought it was interesting that both D and R call for larger-scale prints - finally something in common!
  • For C fam it seems like the most important thing is that the prints blend in and are understated rather than drawing attention to themselves.
  • Preferring high contrast and sharp prints vs slightly more blended and soft ones seems like a notable difference between D/G and N fam.

4. Garment Detail

This category is related to the details within the confines of the outline of a garment. So things like necklines, collars, effects like beading and sequins, trim, buttons, etc etc.
https://preview.redd.it/342pwi6y390d1.jpg?width=1971&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64115f1045c7a3cb6d9ac1d6d843754ca943a603
Shape - sharp vs soft
  • D - “angular shapes” “sharp edges” “clean, angular necklines (plunging v’s, skinny turtlenecks, high Mandarins, slashed collars, halters…)” “anything tailored (crisp cuffs, sharp pleats, sharp lapels, etc.)”
  • R - “soft” “[Sleeves can be] very soft and flowing” “lapels should be curved, rounded, or shawl-collared” “gathers, tucks, or bouffant shapes” “any draped, gathered, or shirred touches are wonderful accents”
  • C - “clean, tailored necklines” “crisp and finished cuffs”
  • N - “Any unconstructed or loosely tailored detail works well.” “Simple necklines… are best, and you should concentrate on open necklines for your air of casual chic” “lapels should be tailored, notched, or clean (lapel-less).” “Cuffs should be very plain.”
  • G - “Detail should always be… sharp” “very crisp, staccato, broken up, and multicolored” “lots of crisp trim” “lots of outlining (collars, cuffs, waistbands, lapels) with piping of contrasting colors or fabric, braiding, beads, etc.” “Small, crisp pleats.” “Sharp, angular necklines - also small” “Small, crisp ties (ribbon, leather, etc.)” “Small, tailored lapels or crisp lapel-less with piping.” “Small, crisp cuffs.”
Scale - large vs small
  • D - “bold, sweeping geometrics”
  • R - “oversize bows, flouncy ruffles, and delicate lace are always good choices”
  • C - “[detail] should never call attention to itself”
  • N - “pleats should be soft and deep” “You can use small touches of hand embroidery or rough lace and eyelet for very simple trim.”
  • G - “Detail should always be small” “Small, crisp pleats.” “Sharp, angular necklines - also small” “Small, crisp ties (ribbon, leather, etc.)” “Small, tailored lapels or crisp lapel-less with piping.” “Small, crisp cuffs”
Complexity - clean vs intricate
  • D - “detail should always be clean and minimal”
  • R - “intricate, ornate… with an emphasis on framing your face” “Sleeves should be tapered at the wrist with intricate buttons” “any kind of sparkle is excellent (pearls, sequins, beading, etc.)” “belt buckles should always be intricate” “the more intricate or antique looking your buttons are the better” “ornate detail” “ornate necklines”
  • C - “clean, simple, and minimal - just enough to add an elegantly understated touch.” “never call attention to itself” “clean lines” “minimal detail” “minimum of detail”
  • N - “detail should be kept minimal. Plain and simple is best for you.” “gathers should be minimal” “simple tailored styles with minimal detail” “Simple shapes with easy fits” “Minimal detail”
  • G - “an overabundance of detail” “You can never wear too much detail! An abundance of it and everywhere in your look is one of the most effective tools you have for capturing your animated effervescence!” “Detail should always… call attention to itself (not blend into the lines of your garments)” “lots of animated and colorful detail” “Collar, cuff, lapel, and waistband detail (outlining, trim, piping, ribbing) are essential”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • A very stark divide here between the families that lean minimal/clean (C, N, D) and the families that lean complex (R, G)!
  • Even though R and G both call for a lot of detail, G fam seems to like it literally everywhere (but especially at the edges) while R focuses on framing the face. Another difference between them is that G detail is high contrast, sharp, and colorful while R fam's detail tends to the ornate, flowing, intricate, and sparkly - very different shapes I think.
  • Finally a category where N fam is not running away with the versatility haha - it seems like a more minimal and clean approach to detail really helps them shine.

5. Color

Y'all know what colors are :)
https://preview.redd.it/5he7hmfk790d1.jpg?width=1949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc59971dc9518bfbd276300feccba5838f4d7971
Number
  • D - “Always think ‘head-to-toe’ with your color schemes” “All monochromatic schemes are excellent”
  • R - “include an artful blending of… luxurious colors”
  • C - “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together” “monochromatic schemes are excellent, although you do not need to be limited to just one or two colors.”
  • N - “Color is an area in which you should have lots of fun! Strive for zip, verve, and lots of pizzazz with bolds, brights, pastels, vivids, and wild color combinations - anything imaginative.” “Break all the rules when it comes to color! Mix ‘n match with ease.”
  • G - “lots of animated and colorful detail can be very exciting to your look” “Your use of color should be bold and sassy; break all the rules here! Multicolored splashes are perfect. Bright and shockingly colored accessories played against a dark or light background. High, sharp contrast and wild color combinations are all very chic on you. Break your line with color!”
Effect
  • D - “color combination should be bold but elegant. Combining bright shades with dark shades achieves this with ease.”
  • R - “should emphasize a watercolor palette of soft pastels and luscious brights.” “rich, luxuriously blended colors” “pale neutrals… are your best accents”
  • C - “accentuate your smoothly blended visual outline. This means that a mixture of colors in an outfit should blend together in intensity so as not to disrupt your clean and smooth silhouette.” “The key is to make sure the tones (intensities) blend, instead of contrasting.”
  • N - “Strive for zip, verve, and lots of pizzazz with bolds, brights, pastels, vivids, and wild color combinations - anything imaginative. Neutrals work well when they are used in beautifully textured fabrics… but you will feel a little dull without a few bright accents, either in accessories or jewelry.” “Colors can be very wild and unusual if you wish, or more muted and earthy-looking”
  • G - “bold and sassy” “Multicolored splashes” “Bright and shockingly colored accessories played against a dark or light background.” “High, sharp contrast and wild color combinations”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • It's been said before but D fam's inability to do anything but monochrome has been greatly exaggerated. Outfits can have high contrast colors as long as they still read bold and sleek!
  • I found it interesting that both C fam and R fam call for a blended effect.
  • Color seems like a key category to focus on for both N fam and G fam - bold color kings/queens 👑

6. Accessories

The category for everything else - bags, hats, shoes, jewelry, belts, etc etc.
https://preview.redd.it/ek7fu7oz790d1.jpg?width=1923&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c24f3db63656cef4a8da916665ba0f19893cc86
Scale
  • D - “Belts should be bold and wide” “Metal belts will be sculpted and quite large.” “[Hats should have] wide brims” “[Jewelry should have] an emphasis on bold, modern shapes.” “[For jewelry,] Pieces should be large but not overly bulky.”
  • R - “The effect may be lavish, but the workmanship should be intricate and delicate.” “delicate [shoes]” “[For bags,] Delicate shoulder straps. Elegantly slim briefcases.” “Jewelry should always be delicate and lavish, with intricate and ornate touches. Rounded shapes, curves, swirls, and lots of dangles”
  • C - “slender pumps” “narrow heels” “moderate size [bags]” “slim and elegant” “keep [belts] elegant, slim, and narrow with small smooth buckles” “small and crisp [hats] with even brims” “Small [jewelry]”
  • N - “moderate-sized [bags]” “Jewelry should be kept on the chunky side” “It is possible to get away with very minimal chains, tiny diamond studs, etc., but chances are you won’t be satisfied with this once you experiment with a zippier look!”
  • G - “All accessories should be small, crisp, geometric, and colorful” “Small, crisp geometrics [for bags]” “[Belts] may be narrow to moderately wide.” “Small, crisply tailored hats.” “Jewelry should be small and sharp.”
Shape
  • D - “All accessories should be crisp, sharply tailored, and angular with geometric shapes. Keep everything sleek and contemporary in feeling.” “High, straight heels, crisp soles, and elegantly tapering toes.” “Angular envelopes, clutches, or structured briefcases.” “[For jewelry,] thin sharp pieces are good choices, as are avant-garde works of art.”
  • R - “softly sophisticated.” “[Shoes of] Lightweight and supple leather.” “[For bags,] small, rounded shapes. Soft, supple leather or fabric.” [For belts,] soft and supple leather or fabric.” “Soft, curvy [hats]” “Large, fluffy fur hats.”
  • C - “elegant scarves in symmetrical ties” “tapered toes” “elegant leather” “softly tailored flats” “crisply tailored [bags]” “supple leather [bags]” “tailored, symmetrical shape[d hats]” “Keep your jewelry elegant, smooth, and symmetrical” “Small, slightly geometric shapes [in jewelry] are good, as are smoothly curved swirls.”
  • N - “Unconstructed styles with soft or rounded-edged geometric shapes are most effective.” “high heels should be very angular and straight, not tapered” “unconstructed pouches” “Simple geometrics in supple leather” “softly geometric [belts]” “unconstructed [hats]. Large, loose, and floppy. Shaggy-haired fur.” “Soft or rounded-edged geometrics [for jewelry]”
  • G - “All accessories should be small, crisp, geometric, and colorful” “tailored and angular [shoes] in lightweight leather. Unusual shapes in toes and heels are excellent (asymmetrics, wedges, sharp points, etc.) as are bold colors and printed fabric.” “Small, crisp geometrics [for bags]” “Stiff leather [belts] with geometric buckles.” “Jewelry should be small and sharp and in geometric, asymmetrical, or irregular shapes.”
Detail
  • D - “sleek & elegant”
  • R - “ornate” “strappy, slender-heeled [shoes] with tapered or open toes” “[Flats] with ornamentation” “[For bags,] Ornamentation or luxurious detail (beads, gathers, trim).” “[For belts,] All beaded, bejeweled, or sparkly styles are excellent.” “belts are a focal point, and should be selected as carefully as a fine piece of jewelry” “Jewelry should always be delicate and lavish, with intricate and ornate touches. Rounded shapes, curves, swirls, and lots of dangles… sparkly materials are essential… and an antique, baroque, or rococo effect is desirable.”
  • C - “simple, clean, and elegant” “Be careful not to overdo! Go elegant instead of extreme.”
  • N - “Accessories should be kept minimal; plain and simple is your best look here” “evening sandals should be very bare, not strappy” “belts should be simple” “[For jewelry, think] “wearable art”... or it can be bright and funky costume pieces that add pizzazz! Earthy materials are very elegant and sophisticated on you (copper, silver, amber, turquoise, etc.). Hard-finished enamels and glass are fun, especially when used in bold colors for vivid accents”
  • G - “[Accessories] should call attention to themselves as detail” “Contrast is being strived for with your use of accessories, as well as bringing out your wit and a sense of fun.” “[For shoes] bold colors and printed fabric. Flats of all kinds should always be funky and fun (patent leather, trimmed, etc.)” “Brightly colored belts are excellent aids in breaking your line.” “[For jewelry] Brightly colored enamel, stone, or glass are best. Very contemporary avant-garde pieces are excellent on you, as are trendy pieces that accentuate your wit.”
Some random observations from me about this category
  • In keeping with the general themes, D fam again shines more with much bolder or larger scale accessories than everyone else, although they don't need a ton of detail within them. The overall shape seems to do most of the heavy lifting.
  • In contrast, G fam and R fam once again call for a lot of detail within their accessories. They also get the most fun-sounding shoes (to me, a magpie).
  • And again N, C, and D have the cleaner strategies for accessories, although N does have a more G-like approach recommended for fun colorful jewelry.

7. In closing, some keywords

Picked out from the sections for each main family. I find these helpful to kind of paint a word picture of the overall vibe each family is recommended to go for.
  • D - sharp, geometric, elongated, sculpted, sleek, streamlined, defined, structured, clean, bold, sweeping, angular, tailored, elegant, long, straight, contemporary, avant-garde, crisp, modern, chiseled, high-contrast
  • R - soft, rounded, ornate, intricate, flowing, draping, light, shiny, plush, sheer, delicate, curved, tapered, sparkle, gathers, folds, blended, luxurious, fluid, antique, shirred, flounces, frills, fluffy, swirls, watercolor, rich, abstract, sophisticated, strappy, ornamentation, beaded, bejeweled, lavish, rococo, elaborate, colorful, glitzy
  • C - smooth, even, blended, controlled, softly tailored, slightly flowing, clean, elegant, luscious, understated, quality, moderate, simple, minimal, crisp, symmetrical, gathers, slim, beaded, sleek, natural
  • N - geometric, soft, rounded edges, irregular, asymmetric, relaxed, straight, softly tailored, unconstructed, narrow, slim, loose, easy, textured, plush, matte, minimal, plain, simple, open, casual, chic, separates, mix and match, pattern, color, sophisticated, easy, elongated, short, zip, verve, pizzazz, bold, bright, pastel, vivid, wild, imaginative, funky, blended, chunky, elegant, tousled, free, fresh-faced, glowing, radiant, healthy
  • G - small, sharp, geometric, fitted, crisp, tailored, straight, staccato, severe, animated, broken, short, detail, defined, flat, light, matte, sheen, moderate, call attention, colorful, trim, outlined, piping, ribbing, contrast, pleats, angular, ties, lapels, narrow, well-coordinated separates, tapered, stiff, slim, asymmetrical, bold, sassy, splashes, bright, high contrast, wild, chic, contemporary, humorous, wit, fun, angular, unusual shapes, prints, irregular, avant-garde, sleek, beading, tousled, cropped, fresh-faced, glowing, doe-eyed
Phew! You made it to the end. Hopefully it was helpful, or gave you some ideas of smaller, more approachable categories to explore for HTTs. If not, at least it was a great exercise for my own weird brain processing lol. Feel free to drop any observations/thoughts you might have in the comments, I'm curious what everyone else sees or thinks is notable or interesting!
submitted by oftenfrequently to Kibbe [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:07 olsy10 In ground sprinkler planning

I’m planning out my in ground sprinkler system (I was going to use the RainBird online services but I can’t wait 30+ days). I have some questions as well as what I’m planning to do. I have 3 acres but am only wanting to in ground the area immediate to my house and guest cabin.
Q- should I put the PRV before I tee off into my zones from here? Or should I put a PRV after teeing off (effectively 1 PRV per zone, probably will only be 2 zones at this location)?
Q- should I put in an inline filter? The water still comes out clear but I know some sediment gets in there.
Q- the standard nozzle is the number 8, what nozzles come with it?
Q- how durable are in ground sprinklers? I have a riding lawn mower as well occasionally will drive on the grass for yard work etc…will they break if accidentally run over?
My property is sloped the entire way from my “source” down, is this a concern? (About 1 foot over an 8 foot level)
Any tips/tricks for trenching? (Besides renting a trencher of course)
Anything I am missing?
submitted by olsy10 to Irrigation [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 22:48 sheager13 Trenchless Sewer Repair/Sewer Liner

Hey there, hoping to get some opinions/recommendations on trenchless sewer repair, quotes and companies in Salt Lake City.
Have a 1950's house in SugarHouse. Had the sewer main back up last week and had it rotored out by AnyHours/Whipple. Had them come out and do the camera inspection today. Main sewer line from house > street is the original clay with 2-3ft sections and has very frequent "jumping' where the joining pipes no longer line up 100%. None of the pipes have a full lip exposed but some were about half way and will likely continue to shift.
Their advice is to do a sewer liner. Once the pipes shift too much they can't do a liner and the pipe needs a full replacing which is more expensive, but there's no way to tell when that will happen.
Quote is for $15,500 for a 50ft sewer liner. Will be working to get three more quotes.
Hoping some folks can advise on the following.
  1. Any experience with Whipple/AnyHour from a service/prcing perspective. Obviously one of the biggest names in the valley which has pro's and cons.
  2. Any advice/experience on doing a sewer liner. Has it held? Have you had other problems?
  3. How much did your sewer liner cost?
  4. Any recommendations on other companies to get a quote from?
submitted by sheager13 to SaltLakeCity [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 22:17 SciFiTime Aliens Were Never Prepared For Cookie Scouts

So far sales had been steady but not spectacular. Jenna hoped they would pick up after the school let out. She chatted and sampled with customers, pitching her spiel about supporting their troop's efforts to earn badges. It was fun work even if tiring on her feet.
Gazing up at the cloudless sky, Jenna wondered idly if it might rain later. The forecast hadn't mentioned anything, but you never knew. A tiny speck in the distance caught her eye. She squinted, trying to make it out. It grew rapidly in size—and shape. Whatever it was, it wasn't a bird.
"Hey Jamie, do you see that?" Jenna nudged her friend, pointing. Now the other girls had turned to look as well. What had been a speck was now clearly some large, cylindrical object descending from the heavens. It shone silvery-grey in the sunlight.
"Is that...a rocket ship?" breathed Tammy.
As it neared the treetops, its design became evident. Definitely not any spacecraft Jenna had seen on the news or in movies. It was smoothly rounded on all ends, with no visible engines or fins. Eerily silent, it drifted toward an open field and settled softly on four tapering legs.
The girls stared open-mouthed, cookies momentarily forgotten. A hatch appeared in the side of the ship. Light spilled out, glowing an ethereal blue. Then towering figures emerged, moving with an inhuman grace.
Jenna caught her breath. Peering closer, she could just make out bipedal forms wrapped in loose, silvery garments. Their limbs seemed overly long and jointed in odd places. As they turned in her direction, two dark eyes set wide in hairless faces met hers. No nose or mouth was visible beneath.
"Aliens," Jamie whispered. "Actual aliens. I don't believe it."
Tammy squeaked and clung to Jenna's arm. But Jenna's mind was racing. This was an incredible opportunity, too good to pass up. She flashed the others a mischievous smile. "Come on, girls. Let's go make some sales!"
The troop fell into step behind her as she marched into the field. The creatures had paused, gazing around at their surroundings with a palpable air of curiosity and caution. As Jenna neared, they angled their expressive eyes down at the little band approaching. Up close, their skin shimmered in shades of aqua and moss green, veined with silvery networks.
The tallest one shifted its gaze between the girls, as if taking their measure. It spoke, but the sound was like rushing wind and dripping water blended into an eerie melody. Its friends chattered in response, their voices blending into a dissonant choir.
Undeterred, Jenna beamed and proudly presented her box of Thin Mints. "Cookies!" she enunciated clearly. "Would you like to buy some cookies?" To her astonishment, a glowing rectangle like a computer screen lit up on the tall one's torso. Words scrolled across it in crisp English letters.
WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND. WHAT ARE COOKIES? IT SEEMS YOU ARE SELLING SOMETHING, BUT WE HAVE NO CURRENCY OF YOUR WORLD.
Jamie leaned in to whisper, eyes shining, "They can understand us! This is so cool."
Jenna gathered her thoughts, focusing on her sales pitch despite everything unusual about the situation. "Cookies are a sweet treat made of chocolate and biscuits. They're very popular here on Earth. And all the money we earn from selling them goes towards fun trips and learning new skills as Girl Scouts. Please, won't you buy a box to help support our troop? I'm sure you'll love them!"
The aliens conferred amongst themselves, still in untranslatablespeech. Finally, the glowing display lit up again. I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSACTION. WE ARE EXPLORERS HERE IN PEACE TO STUDY YOUR WORLD. PERHAPS ANOTHER TIME WE CAN BARTER. FOR NOW, WE ONLY WISH TO LEARN.
Jenna tried to hide her disappointment. This wasn't how she'd envisioned the interaction going at all. But she had come this far, so she wasn't giving up yet. An idea bloomed in her mind. "Well, since you want to learn about us, how about a trade? We'll give you a box of cookies to try in exchange for letting our whole troop come aboard your ship for a little while. What do you say?"
The girls held their breath. This was assuredly against every safety rule. But an opportunity for an out of this world experience was too enticing to pass up. The aliens conversed quietly before responding.
VERY WELL, HUMAN CHILDREN. FOR THE SAKE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WE AGREE TO YOUR TRADE. COME, WE SHALL GIVE YOU A TOUR OF OUR VESSEL.
Screeches of delight arose from the Scout troop. Jenna tried to shush them, not wanting the aliens to change their minds. But she couldn't contain her own grin of excitement and triumph. This was going to be one very memorable cookie sale!
Jenna stepped forward nervously, holding out the box of Thin Mints for the aliens to see. She did her best salesperson smile while gesturing to the colorful packaging. "Cookies!" she said again loudly and clearly.
The tallest alien leaned down, its large dark eyes fixing on the box in Jenna's hands. A long, nimble finger reached out to poke gently at the box, then drew back just as swiftly. Its companions murmured again in their strange tongue.
Frustrated not being able to communicate properly, Jenna popped open the lid so the sweet scent could waft up. She took one mint and mimed taking a bite, sighing happily and rubbing her belly. The aliens copied the sign for stomach, looking quizzical.
An idea sparked in Jenna's mind. Rummaging in her bag, she pulled out her phone and found the notepad app. Typing awkwardly with her thumbs, she showed them the words "Will you trade for this?" Arrows pointed to the cookies and to their ship.
A spark of understanding lit in the aliens' eyes as they studied the makeshift message. Their glowing display lit up in response. I APOLOGIZE, SMALL HUMAN, BUT WE HAVE NOTHING OF VALUE FROM OUR WORLD TO OFFER IN RETURN. OUR MISSION HERE IS ONE OF DISCOVERY ONLY.
"Please?" Jenna typed, giving her best pleading look. The girls clustered behind her, joining in the silent begging. But the aliens only seemed perplexed by this behavior.
Suddenly Tammy piped up, "What if we clean your ship for you? We'll dust and sweep and take out the garbage." The others stared at her, surprised by this inventive offer.
The display considered this. THAT IS A GENEROUS OFFER. HOWEVER, OUR CRAFT UTILIZES TECHNOLOGY FAR BEYOND YOUR WORLD'S CURRENT STAGE. I DOUBT YOU COULD PERFORM MAINTENANCE TO OUR STANDARDS.
At this rejection, the girls deflated with twin sounds of disappointment. But Jenna wasn't giving up yet. She furiously texted another message. "How about you give us a little tour then? We promise to be very careful and not touch anything."
The aliens conferred quietly amongst themselves for several moments. The girls held their breath, hoping their persistence was finally paying off. Then the glowing display lit up once more.
VERY WELL, SMALL HUMANS. FOR THE SAKE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WE WILL ALLOW YOU A BRIEF LOOK INSIDE OUR VESSEL. BUT YOU MUST FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. OUR TECHNOLOGY COULD PROVE DANGEROUS IF MISUSED.
The Girl Scouts whooped and cheered, doing a little victory dance. Jenna grinned, popping another Thin Mint in her mouth triumphantly. "Deal! Thank you so much for this."
The tallest alien gestured gracefully with one long arm. "THIS WAY, YOUNG ONES. WE SHALL BEGIN OUR TOUR."
Clutching their cookie boxes eagerly, the girls fell into line behind the extraterrestrials. They followed them up a floating gangway into the belly of the ship.
Inside, the walls glowed with an otherworldly luminescence. Strange symbols and interfaces winked all around, totally indecipherable. The floors felt bouncy underfoot, as if made of gelatin.
"Wow," breathed Jamie. "It's so beautiful in here."
The aliens guided them through sleek corridors and compartments full of glowing tech. They pointed out living quarters, a laboratory, hydroponic gardens, and an observation deck showing the curve of the Earth.
In the cockpit, countless viewscreens displayed alien constellations and scans of their small town below. Control panels rippled like liquid mercury beneath touch.
"This is where we navigated our journey to your solar system," explained their guides. "Truly a marvel, the distances stars can be bridged.
Tammy peered out the main viewing portal. "Your ship is so fast! How did you get here from wherever you came from?"
As the explorers launched into an explanation involving hyperdrives and folded spacetime, Jenna began to lose the thread. Space travel clearly worked very differently where these beings hailed from.
Their tour lasted nearly an hour, the aliens answering every barrage of questions patiently. All too soon, it was over, and they found themselves back outside in the late afternoon sun
"Thank you so much for the amazing tour!" Jenna gushed, hugging her now-empty cookie box. "Learning about aliens is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The tallest being dipped its head graciously. "IT WAS OUR PLEASURE, SMALL HUMANS. YOU HAVE PROVIDED US AN INSIGHT INTO YOUR YOUNG ONES AS WELL."
Its fellows chattered in their musical language, some holding half-eaten cookies and gesturing appreciatively. Jenna beamed, glad they seemed to have enjoyed the treats.
"Will you come back to see us again?" asked Jamie hopefully.
"PERHAPS, IF OUR EXPLORATIONS BRING US BACK THIS WAY," was the reply. "BUT FOR NOW, WE MUST RESUME OUR JOURNEY AMONG THE STARS. FAREWELL, AND THANK YOU ONCE MORE FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY.
The aliens turned as one and glided back up the gangway. The rockets flared, rising gracefully into the sky until they vanished into the dusk.
The girls stood watching long after, buzzing with excited chatter about this unforgettable day. In the end, it had been the best cookie sale ever. Maybe even worth breaking a few rules...
submitted by SciFiTime to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 22:16 SciFiTime Aliens Were Never Prepared For Cookie Scouts

So far sales had been steady but not spectacular. Jenna hoped they would pick up after the school let out. She chatted and sampled with customers, pitching her spiel about supporting their troop's efforts to earn badges. It was fun work even if tiring on her feet.
Gazing up at the cloudless sky, Jenna wondered idly if it might rain later. The forecast hadn't mentioned anything, but you never knew. A tiny speck in the distance caught her eye. She squinted, trying to make it out. It grew rapidly in size—and shape. Whatever it was, it wasn't a bird.
"Hey Jamie, do you see that?" Jenna nudged her friend, pointing. Now the other girls had turned to look as well. What had been a speck was now clearly some large, cylindrical object descending from the heavens. It shone silvery-grey in the sunlight.
"Is that...a rocket ship?" breathed Tammy.
As it neared the treetops, its design became evident. Definitely not any spacecraft Jenna had seen on the news or in movies. It was smoothly rounded on all ends, with no visible engines or fins. Eerily silent, it drifted toward an open field and settled softly on four tapering legs.
The girls stared open-mouthed, cookies momentarily forgotten. A hatch appeared in the side of the ship. Light spilled out, glowing an ethereal blue. Then towering figures emerged, moving with an inhuman grace.
Jenna caught her breath. Peering closer, she could just make out bipedal forms wrapped in loose, silvery garments. Their limbs seemed overly long and jointed in odd places. As they turned in her direction, two dark eyes set wide in hairless faces met hers. No nose or mouth was visible beneath.
"Aliens," Jamie whispered. "Actual aliens. I don't believe it."
Tammy squeaked and clung to Jenna's arm. But Jenna's mind was racing. This was an incredible opportunity, too good to pass up. She flashed the others a mischievous smile. "Come on, girls. Let's go make some sales!"
The troop fell into step behind her as she marched into the field. The creatures had paused, gazing around at their surroundings with a palpable air of curiosity and caution. As Jenna neared, they angled their expressive eyes down at the little band approaching. Up close, their skin shimmered in shades of aqua and moss green, veined with silvery networks.
The tallest one shifted its gaze between the girls, as if taking their measure. It spoke, but the sound was like rushing wind and dripping water blended into an eerie melody. Its friends chattered in response, their voices blending into a dissonant choir.
Undeterred, Jenna beamed and proudly presented her box of Thin Mints. "Cookies!" she enunciated clearly. "Would you like to buy some cookies?" To her astonishment, a glowing rectangle like a computer screen lit up on the tall one's torso. Words scrolled across it in crisp English letters.
WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND. WHAT ARE COOKIES? IT SEEMS YOU ARE SELLING SOMETHING, BUT WE HAVE NO CURRENCY OF YOUR WORLD.
Jamie leaned in to whisper, eyes shining, "They can understand us! This is so cool."
Jenna gathered her thoughts, focusing on her sales pitch despite everything unusual about the situation. "Cookies are a sweet treat made of chocolate and biscuits. They're very popular here on Earth. And all the money we earn from selling them goes towards fun trips and learning new skills as Girl Scouts. Please, won't you buy a box to help support our troop? I'm sure you'll love them!"
The aliens conferred amongst themselves, still in untranslatablespeech. Finally, the glowing display lit up again. I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSACTION. WE ARE EXPLORERS HERE IN PEACE TO STUDY YOUR WORLD. PERHAPS ANOTHER TIME WE CAN BARTER. FOR NOW, WE ONLY WISH TO LEARN.
Jenna tried to hide her disappointment. This wasn't how she'd envisioned the interaction going at all. But she had come this far, so she wasn't giving up yet. An idea bloomed in her mind. "Well, since you want to learn about us, how about a trade? We'll give you a box of cookies to try in exchange for letting our whole troop come aboard your ship for a little while. What do you say?"
The girls held their breath. This was assuredly against every safety rule. But an opportunity for an out of this world experience was too enticing to pass up. The aliens conversed quietly before responding.
VERY WELL, HUMAN CHILDREN. FOR THE SAKE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WE AGREE TO YOUR TRADE. COME, WE SHALL GIVE YOU A TOUR OF OUR VESSEL.
Screeches of delight arose from the Scout troop. Jenna tried to shush them, not wanting the aliens to change their minds. But she couldn't contain her own grin of excitement and triumph. This was going to be one very memorable cookie sale!
Jenna stepped forward nervously, holding out the box of Thin Mints for the aliens to see. She did her best salesperson smile while gesturing to the colorful packaging. "Cookies!" she said again loudly and clearly.
The tallest alien leaned down, its large dark eyes fixing on the box in Jenna's hands. A long, nimble finger reached out to poke gently at the box, then drew back just as swiftly. Its companions murmured again in their strange tongue.
Frustrated not being able to communicate properly, Jenna popped open the lid so the sweet scent could waft up. She took one mint and mimed taking a bite, sighing happily and rubbing her belly. The aliens copied the sign for stomach, looking quizzical.
An idea sparked in Jenna's mind. Rummaging in her bag, she pulled out her phone and found the notepad app. Typing awkwardly with her thumbs, she showed them the words "Will you trade for this?" Arrows pointed to the cookies and to their ship.
A spark of understanding lit in the aliens' eyes as they studied the makeshift message. Their glowing display lit up in response. I APOLOGIZE, SMALL HUMAN, BUT WE HAVE NOTHING OF VALUE FROM OUR WORLD TO OFFER IN RETURN. OUR MISSION HERE IS ONE OF DISCOVERY ONLY.
"Please?" Jenna typed, giving her best pleading look. The girls clustered behind her, joining in the silent begging. But the aliens only seemed perplexed by this behavior.
Suddenly Tammy piped up, "What if we clean your ship for you? We'll dust and sweep and take out the garbage." The others stared at her, surprised by this inventive offer.
The display considered this. THAT IS A GENEROUS OFFER. HOWEVER, OUR CRAFT UTILIZES TECHNOLOGY FAR BEYOND YOUR WORLD'S CURRENT STAGE. I DOUBT YOU COULD PERFORM MAINTENANCE TO OUR STANDARDS.
At this rejection, the girls deflated with twin sounds of disappointment. But Jenna wasn't giving up yet. She furiously texted another message. "How about you give us a little tour then? We promise to be very careful and not touch anything."
The aliens conferred quietly amongst themselves for several moments. The girls held their breath, hoping their persistence was finally paying off. Then the glowing display lit up once more.
VERY WELL, SMALL HUMANS. FOR THE SAKE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WE WILL ALLOW YOU A BRIEF LOOK INSIDE OUR VESSEL. BUT YOU MUST FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. OUR TECHNOLOGY COULD PROVE DANGEROUS IF MISUSED.
The Girl Scouts whooped and cheered, doing a little victory dance. Jenna grinned, popping another Thin Mint in her mouth triumphantly. "Deal! Thank you so much for this."
The tallest alien gestured gracefully with one long arm. "THIS WAY, YOUNG ONES. WE SHALL BEGIN OUR TOUR."
Clutching their cookie boxes eagerly, the girls fell into line behind the extraterrestrials. They followed them up a floating gangway into the belly of the ship.
Inside, the walls glowed with an otherworldly luminescence. Strange symbols and interfaces winked all around, totally indecipherable. The floors felt bouncy underfoot, as if made of gelatin.
"Wow," breathed Jamie. "It's so beautiful in here."
The aliens guided them through sleek corridors and compartments full of glowing tech. They pointed out living quarters, a laboratory, hydroponic gardens, and an observation deck showing the curve of the Earth.
In the cockpit, countless viewscreens displayed alien constellations and scans of their small town below. Control panels rippled like liquid mercury beneath touch.
"This is where we navigated our journey to your solar system," explained their guides. "Truly a marvel, the distances stars can be bridged.
Tammy peered out the main viewing portal. "Your ship is so fast! How did you get here from wherever you came from?"
As the explorers launched into an explanation involving hyperdrives and folded spacetime, Jenna began to lose the thread. Space travel clearly worked very differently where these beings hailed from.
Their tour lasted nearly an hour, the aliens answering every barrage of questions patiently. All too soon, it was over, and they found themselves back outside in the late afternoon sun
"Thank you so much for the amazing tour!" Jenna gushed, hugging her now-empty cookie box. "Learning about aliens is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The tallest being dipped its head graciously. "IT WAS OUR PLEASURE, SMALL HUMANS. YOU HAVE PROVIDED US AN INSIGHT INTO YOUR YOUNG ONES AS WELL."
Its fellows chattered in their musical language, some holding half-eaten cookies and gesturing appreciatively. Jenna beamed, glad they seemed to have enjoyed the treats.
"Will you come back to see us again?" asked Jamie hopefully.
"PERHAPS, IF OUR EXPLORATIONS BRING US BACK THIS WAY," was the reply. "BUT FOR NOW, WE MUST RESUME OUR JOURNEY AMONG THE STARS. FAREWELL, AND THANK YOU ONCE MORE FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY.
The aliens turned as one and glided back up the gangway. The rockets flared, rising gracefully into the sky until they vanished into the dusk.
The girls stood watching long after, buzzing with excited chatter about this unforgettable day. In the end, it had been the best cookie sale ever. Maybe even worth breaking a few rules...
submitted by SciFiTime to u/SciFiTime [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 21:50 DiscountAnxiety99 AITAH for kicking my mother in law out?

I 24f and my 31m husband have lived in our very small apartment with 3 young children 10,8,3 since 2021 and in January I was informed his mother was being evicted due to her refusing to leave her financially abusive relationship and they went to live in the woods from Jan to April 28th (alittle back story; when I met my husband 5 years ago she treated me like garbage always comparing me to his ex girlfriend that he almost married and had the two older kids to the point I would physically get sick if I had to be around her April of 2022 she had been staying with us to help with our baby and in the middle of helping us one night she got up left with one of the kids and said she was bringing them back the next day. at that point I was suffering with ppd and needed an extra hand which my husband was not doing we got in a fight and he called his mother and she came back threatened to attack me and took our daughter for 3 days while my husband had me admitted to hospital after that I never ever treated her the same but this April gone by her mother my husband's grandmother passed and I have always had the mentality if you are nice to me I'm nice to you kind of thing and she had been very nice to me for a long time so I tried to be a comfort to her told her I was thinking of her checked in on her the whole 9 yards) 3 days before the end of April he came to me and explained she was being kicked out of the spot she was staying and would be coming to stay with us for a while which was okay by me I would have some help around the house and someone to talk to since my husband is a first responder and works alot. Three days into her living with us she starts throwing down rules like my children can't play in the livingroom anymore my 3 year old can't have naps anymore and I started feeling anxious and sick around her so I called my mom explaining everything and she came and picked me and my youngest up for the night. It wasn't til I got to her house that I realized husband worked in the morning so I called and said hey I forgot you qork tommrow do you need me to come home? He resured me that no I don't need to come home him and his mother got it handled I said okay but told him to tell her if she needed me to call me I texted him 4 or 5 more times that night to make sure he knew if he needed me to come home to call and my mother would bring me I even messaged his mother but no reply from her all day Saturday sunday comes along and he comes get me doesn't say a word to me about anything won't even speak to me I get home and I'm getting our youngest settled down for a nap and I hear his mother scream "myname get out here right now we need to talk" so I replied with "what now hername" and this is where she started attacking me saying I'm a bad mother I'm disgusting I keep youngest in the bedroom all day I never do this or that and that was when I piped up and said how dare you speak to me like that in my own home I asked you both multiple times over the last 3 days if you wanted me to come home no one replied and she started going on about how they were cleaning and I replied your serious right you were online when I messaged you and she replied no I wasn't and calling me a lier and husband is losing it at me in front of youngest who is screaming and crying so I turn around and pack my stuff and tell him my dad is on his way to come get me and they tell me I need to go back in the house and clean up my filth (she had thrown garbage bags in my bedroom and diaper boxes) I said no and started calling the cops cause she was treating to take my daughter again and I said no that is my child your not leaving with my child cops show up they take both our statements and the cop is telling me me and husband should have a conversation about weather or not she needs to be in the home so I go in packing my things to leave cops say he can have the child til 5pm then I'm allowed to come get her so I'm packing to leave and he's chasing youngest thought the house so I'm yelling so he can hear me and his mother flips out and tells me to lower my f***** voice or the cops will come right back and I tell her to leave me the hell alone so I can have a private conversation with husband so she goes out stands on our deck waving her hands like a madman screaming that the cops need to come back and deal with me but when the cops come back he tells me to lower my voice I apologize and ask some legal questions and they go to leave I finish packing my stuff and husband tells me to leave and go wait for him and when I walk out I hear her tell the cop she's concerned for her grandchildrens safty and that was when I realized how little she really cared and I only stayed at my mother's for a few hours before I came home and told him I don't feel safe in my own home and I shouldn't have to live like this and the following day she came at 8pm grabbed her belongings and left I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for her I would if she didn't say that opening up a child safty case on us by telling the cop the kids wernt safe. She now calls every morning and every night to talk to him. He won't go anywhere or do anything in case she needs him and quite honestly I'm kind of sick of her acting like he needs to take care of her 24/7 it's annoying and rude. So I guess I just wanna know aitah for telling her off and that she needs to leave?
submitted by DiscountAnxiety99 to AITAH [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 21:44 Potential-Ad-2172 I am jealous of my friends for not having to work after university and deeply resent my life working full time and missing out on my 20s

Basically, I just need to vent about my personal life and need an outsiders opinion on if I’m just depressed or actually have grounds to feel like crap about my life.
I am working my first full time permanent job and have really been struggling to balance work, my social life, and house keeping. By struggling to balance, I mean that the majority of my time is now spent either working or doing “life things” like cooking and cleaning and food shopping and finances etc. The other time is spent packing as many social things in as possible and I now have little downtime, which is hard for me. Both the work week and the weekends burn me out. It has been 6 months and I have yet to figure this balance out. I have worked full time for the past 6 summers and winter breaks, but have always had an end date looming and at least a week off in between school and work to recoup. So it’s not like I’m a stranger to hard work, I think the no end in sight is just getting to me.
I know this is how the world works and that no one actually likes to work, but I have been feeling so much grief and despair that this is what my life looks like now, and will probably ook like for the foreseeable future. I do not like my job, which is remote, and I am trying to transition somewhere with a 4 day work week and hybrid working, which is a pipe dream in this job market as an early career professional.
I feel like I have completely lost any support system that I had during uni, outside of my boyfriend’s support. Out of my friend group of 6 people, I am the only one who has a full time permanent job almost a year after graduating. Like most people, I had to get a job because I had no savings coming out of uni as I had worked every summer to save up for the year and then spent it all on rent/food/social activities. I paid for all of my living expenses throughout university. I worked a customer service job the summer after graduating to save up to pay a deposit on an apartment.
My close friends are in a different situation. Like I said, they don’t work. Instead, they live either off of savings (because their parents paid for everything in uni and they got thousands of $$ as graduation gifts) or because their parents are continuing to pay for them to live (paying for rent, taxes, food, fun, etc). Most of them have applied to jobs but kept getting rejected and gave up after awhile.
Because of these differences, my life looks a lot different than theirs, and specifically different than my roommate’s, who also does not work. She is usually in the living room during the day, while I am working remotely in my room, doing tasks and taking meetings. She rarely leaves the house and complains constantly about her life being boring and about “being poor” (meanwhile she has over 10k in the bank whilst I have maybe 1.5k). It is really hard to hear her say these things and I feel shameful about my financial situation. Sometimes I just want to be alone and not have to be perceived or talk to someone or watch my own show on the living room TV alone. But I feel rude making this request because most days she has no social interactions outside of me. In addition to this, I feel like I still do the majority of the housework despite working full time and having extracurricular activities multiple times a week. But I also wonder if because I’m more proactive about household chores, I’m just not giving her a chance to do them.
Because I work remotely and she doesn’t do much, we are always in each others spaces, and it has degraded our really great friendship from before moving in together. It feels like she isn’t considerate of my life and my emotions and my time, and just constantly complains and doesn’t leave any room for my feelings in our relationship, or any space for me in the house because she is always there. I feel like I am constantly doing acts of kindness for her and generally just being a good considerate roommate and friend and not getting anything in return except for the bare minimum.
The last few months have been really hard for me. I have tried to open up to my friends about the state of my mental health and my job and be vulnerable, but in the beginning it felt like they just kind of shrugged it off because “at least I had work” and they perceived themselves as having nothing. So I’ve become less and less vulnerable. And I am so jealous of them and their lives and their freedom. Not once has one of them said - is there anything I can do for you? Like sometimes I just want someone to cook me dinner for once.
I am trying to make new friends with similar lifestyles and financial constraints and shared values, but it is hard when having moved to a new city and started full time work almost immediately. Socializing also takes a lot of energy which I normally don’t have after work. It also makes me sad for my university relationships to not be as fulfilling as they once were.
So, dear reader, am I being a victim and just need to suck it up and have a more positive outlook on life ? Or are my feelings valid and maybe I’m just outgrowing my friends and my values are changing? Or do I need to be more vulnerable and quit working so hard and give other people the chance to offer support? OR a sneaky 4th option, please tell me your thoughts.
TLDR I (23F) have started working my first permanent job while the rest of my university friends are either living on savings or their parents money, and do not work at all. Because of this I don’t know how to connect with them because our lifestyles are so different and I don’t have the same amount of free time as they do. I no longer have the support system I once did.
submitted by Potential-Ad-2172 to offmychest [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 21:43 daminokun How do you guys handle depression while working everyday?(Just ranting)

Mid-20s, works in retail(?) sector, handling picky and kaki repot customer has made my already crippled mental health much worse. Not to mention shitty coworkers who took leave at the last minute forcing me to work extra shifts and more and more task being thrown at me because of that shitty coworkers.
Stress has been building up, and just like a package, thoughts to end it all came with it. Sure, I'd love to quit but finding a new job is like trying to catch smoke in my area. Living in a small town has it's own perks but the downside is limited job and healthcare option.
I guess it's true when people say retail is not for the faint hearted and weak minded. Thought i had it in me but i guess i've been overwhelmed by it. I hope nothing shitty gonna happen tomorrow, but i know well enough how life works so it's no more than a pipe dream.
submitted by daminokun to myhappypill [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 21:23 LeBourgeoisGent Obervations on Starfield’s Tile System

Obervations on Starfield’s Tile System
I’ve been scouring different planets, mostly taking notes on POIs and their distribution, but along the way—in true Bethesda fashion—I got sidetracked by another mission: to dig into the game’s terrain generation.

What are “tiles,” exactly?

They may not be what you think they are.
Take a look at your map. Ever notice how hilly or mountainous areas rising from surrounding plains—or even right next to each other—seem to be squared off? Look closely…
https://preview.redd.it/bzh3s3n5180d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=287c591a71ac111a20b2633f992832bd2ae37cf2
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
https://preview.redd.it/dbskcu38180d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=c8da2670dd1b957f0e1db001a24b5f59833e806c
Those are the “tiles.” And you’ve been crossing them the whole time.

Why do we call them “tiles”?

Todd Howard, of course. Here’s a relevant quote:
Well, the planets themselves, the landscape's pretty much all procedural. We kind of make these large... Think like kilometer-sized tiles we've generated. And those get kind of wrapped around the planet.
https://www.ign.com/articles/todd-howard-interview-starfield-sgf-2023
People latched onto the idea that “tiles” represented distinct world spaces because that’s what they were looking for, but Todd never said that. He was simply talking about the way blocks of terrain are distributed across a whole planet. That’s a wholly separate question from what gets loaded and how. Mind you, I’m not touching that latter question at all, just noting what a “tile” refers to.
As Todd indicated, tiles are (usually!) just 1 square kilometer in size. They contain a few distinct topographical features. They level off at their edges so they can fit with any other tiles, and the world’s landscape is generated by procedurally arranging them in a mosaic. It’s a pretty basic system and one people have long used with pen-and-paper RPGs, just not to this scale.
Occasionally there are bigger tiles. The largest mountains outside Akila City, for instance, appear to be 2X2.
https://preview.redd.it/aa06orvn180d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82674ddcf5fc98012d51698f42a9b4321e538b66
The playable world space itself is 64 square km, so each zone contains dozens of tiles.
The tile placement is consistent across separate playthroughs, so there must be underlying rules that yield consistent outcomes. Doesn’t mean they’re not at least partly random, though, as they could’ve just tagged an initial randomized outcome to lock them in place.

Déjà vu

Another thing about the tiles is that they’re preset components, finite in number, and, yes, they can and do repeat, even within the same zone.
Here’s a nice location on Maheo I. Swamp biome.
https://preview.redd.it/ekplojzf280d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=91210848723410910ead8ea69a2587b40bf776a9
Here’s what the tile itself looks like in the map view.
https://preview.redd.it/fptdw6pg380d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e24240daf407ce6ea844e239454baa04807c98cb
You can see just how big that one tile as it takes up most of the visible landscape, although you can see beyond it in the distance.
Here’s the “same” location elsewhere in the same zone.
https://preview.redd.it/08q0cl2p280d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c623dcbf853b3a5914c51247c747ae6c3942119
Here’s what that tile looks like in the map view.
https://preview.redd.it/tphc13x5380d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=590772b4a673972ef0652670c05f98d02fff5b15
Note how it’s been rotated 180 degrees. Rotating tiles is a quick and easy way of creating additional landscape variation since you can’t literally make an infinite number of presets. (Same trick you use when installing laminate flooring.) Also note how, despite being in the very same zone, the objects placed on the tiles (rocks/trees/bushes) differ somewhat. They’re presumably subject to separate procedural variation, and they’ll make a bigger impression on anyone looking around at ground level.
Here’s the “same” location on Indum IV-d, in another swamp biome. Note how we have a very different terrain texture, as it’s an icy moon.
https://preview.redd.it/vp54bwy9280d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=07408d6c342cc5c713b24b1b3abb8bd0febde8fc
And here we have the “same” location on Charbydis II. Another swamp.
https://preview.redd.it/cdk80kxy280d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=61330bad1e9a560e7aaca62edc150fe70c0515b7
In this case, the tile has actually been reversed. That further doubles the number of potential variants, and—Jessamine, I told you to get out of the way!

Different biomes and POIs

While conducting this exercise I accidentally stumbled on a different example that illustrates a couple of other points. After dropping off a group of workers relocating to Waggoner Farm (savanna biome), I looked at the surrounding map and noticed a familiar feature, so I had to go there and check it out.
https://preview.redd.it/qihrclqx480d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=c1d91a3268637275c8ac82ece8b67e6269cfb5c7
This same feature can be found northeast of Sonny Di Franco’s estate on Maheo I (swamp biome).
https://preview.redd.it/ma3jk88r380d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7ab9f22485ac496609bcb95b2c7cfafd8f92fe1
A couple of takeaways from this:
First, the same tile appeared in two different biomes, which means tiles aren’t completely restricted by biome. That said, some restrictions presumably exist to ensure biomes have more distinct characteristics. For instance, cratered surfaces only appear with other cratered surfaces and not in the middle of forests.
Second, Maheo I had two POIs, while Montara Luna only had the one. (I was literally standing where the other one should be.) But the one on Montara Luna is nevertheless in the same spot as one of the two on Maheo I. This is just a guess, but each tile may have certain nodes for possible POIs that may or may not generate when the space is loaded in the same way other Bethesda games have nodes that may or may not trigger random encounters as you approach them.

Please don’t be disillusioned!

This is just in case anyone was thinking terrain was continuously procedural and unique on every planet. I’ve seen posts in the vein of “Hey, look at this big mountain/crater I found!” and winced as I thought about the possible implications of my findings. I’m not looking to rain on your parade! You still discovered what you discovered. But don’t be surprised if you discover it again somewhere else.
Despite chasing down dupes, I’m impressed with the number of distinct tiles. I’d wager there are thousands of tiles in all. If you examine any map closely enough you might find a couple of duplicate tiles out of the dozens within any one zone, and it’s not until you pore over a handful of zones, especially those with the same biome, before the dupes really start adding up.
And if you’re not looking closely at the maps, you might never notice at all. It's not you're going out of your way to stand in the same spot facing the same direction the way I've been!
But looking at them can tell us interesting things about how they work, as we've already seen.

“Are the planets real?”

Of course not, it’s a video game.
Okay, serious answer. It depends on what we mean by “real.” I assume the game has a virtual map of each planet, and different tiles procedurally assigned to different parts of that map. When we select a landing site, the game plants it at the nearest available POI spot and loads in a world space centered around it, 64 square km of which is traversable, with the remainder existing for the sake of filling out the background. Ironically, the edge of traversable space is often in the middle of a distinct terrain tile.
It's worth noting that unique locations, like New Atlantis and Akila City, don’t necessarily form the center of their respective zones. (Those two certainly don't.)
The size of the loaded world space is arbitrary, and Bethesda probably settled on one that allowed for sufficient stability on lower-end hardware.
Beyond that, I have no idea.

Implications for theorycrafting

Thinking about tiles as modular landscape components has a lot of potential for pointless naval-gazing theorycrafting about terrain possibilities. For instance, just imagine if certain tiles could be required to line up in certain ways depending on their edges, creating larger superstructures. There could already be something like that in place to keep coasts aligned. (Me, I’ve got river ideas, even if they’re just a pipe dream…)
Also, any given tile in the game could potentially be cleanly replaced with a customized tile as needed.

A final desperate plea

Anyway, please stop calling the entire loaded world space a “tile.” Or else…
No animals were harmed in this production
…I might just swat you with an old rolled-up magazine.
submitted by LeBourgeoisGent to NoSodiumStarfield [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 21:13 Xertz10 Storm water Catch Basin is never dry

QUESTION: Shouldn't the storm water catch basin at the end of the cul-de-sac be dry during the dry season in Florida? The southeast corner of a North to South community with mostly East - West streets in Florida is where all the drainage from the roads and underground pipes goes to. At the southeast corner, ever since they did some work on the pipe leading out of the community, there has been standing water in the catch basin, which could also be coming from work on the sprinklers and irrigation which comes from our own community well, and runs down the roads. The catch basin used to be completely dry for 15 years during the dry season, but the catch basin has never been dry this winter and I am suspicious it could lead to flooding...
... or to West Nile Virus mosquitoes, and other species of mosquitoes. In fact, I even caught an Asian Tiger Mosquito in the area (as identified by Google Images).
Right now the water level is below the bottom of the bottom of the 12 inch black pipes that go both north and south from the catch basin, but the water is still about 4 inches above the concrete bottom of the catch basin - (very approximate measurement done by another). But even now with the black pipe leading south from the catch basin having no water in it, I am surprised the water in the catch basin does not go away. Shouldn't it evaporate at least?
Reading this article did not make me feel better:

"Surveillance of above- and below-ground mosquito breeding habitats in a rural midwestern community: baseline data for larvicidal control measures against West Nile Virus vectors" - (Study of mosquitoes in catch basins.)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15962015/
All comments and advice appreciated. I am not an engineer, but am trying to figure out the vocabulary of things and how to talk through issues.
submitted by Xertz10 to civilengineering [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 20:30 Matt-Sharp Heat Pump Experience

Just thought I’d share the full experience I’ve now had from start to finish getting a heat pump. TL;DR - no heat pump, took 7 months to get there.
Paid deposit in November 2023, was quoted £1,150. Was told the survey would be around January.
January came round, no survey, chased up constantly until we got a date in March
Survey on 19th March, said that we’d have to have a fair amount of external pipe work because they can’t go through the floor to the current cylinder location, as well as some internal trunking to hide the new pipes. Also said a gravel soakaway would be required. Fair enough, disappointing but still better than no heat pump
Week or so later I get the call from Octopus telling me that they don’t have enough room to fit a cylinder, I ask what measurements they’d need to fit one, they tell me, I measure, and am told they’ll investigate.
Back and forward for the next 2 months with weeks in between of 0 contact, I get told it won’t fit ‘but let me check and get back to you’.
Repeatedly tell them I currently have a 210L cylinder with expansion tanks currently, so expect the 210 they’re quoting will fit. Then get asked how big the current one is, tell them again, then get advised it won’t fit, but the slimline model would - they even sent over their docs showing the required sizes - great! Slimline will fit - how big is a slimline task I ask? Oh, 210L. So why wasn’t this quoted weeks ago? No idea
Fast forward another week, nope, even slimline won’t fit, do you have any other cupboards suitable? Nope. Okay, let me double check to see if it’ll fit
Next day, told it’s not viable and I’ll be getting a refund.
The whole process was so time consuming and drawn out, but I’m just gutted that they won’t install, because everyone else is coming in at a minimum of 3-4x that cost. If anyone knows anyone installing in the same ballpark as Octopus I’d be very interested as I’m keen to get a heat pump, but as we’re ideally about to get solar, I’d like to keep the HP cost down
Bit of a rant but just wanted to document it as of all the reasons I was concerned it wouldn’t go ahead, those were all fine, it was just the airing cupboard (which is roughly 2160(h) x 940(w) x 1000(d)mm) was apparently too small, and I must’ve resent the measurements to them at least 6-7 times
Edit: just done another quote request online and it’s now £3,636.73 after the grant, almost definitely just being mugged off because they realised it wasn’t going to make them money
submitted by Matt-Sharp to OctopusEnergy [link] [comments]


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