my basic little one story cinderblock house in florida is ~25 years old, with single pane vinyl windows. for humidity, noise, and energy cost reasons, i would love to change them out. it would be nice if they would add to resale value, but i dont know if that's really a thing i can expect any return on?
the list:

• seven large windows
• two smaller / side windows for a bay-window style outcrop in the kitchen
• two sets of very basic french doors that i can see daylight around even with added weatherstripping
• a front door that is a little worn and i don't love - but is tolerable

i got a quote three years ago and it was like $30k for hurricane impact replacements for the nine windows ($1500 each, installed) and two french doors ($5k each, installed). iirc they also said a front door would be $5k. i cant pay that much right now.
any recommendations or advice - be it approach, vendors, or things to keep in mind? renovation windows vs new construction? it sounds like big box stores are an option but have their own issues, but also, specialty companies are a price tier i cant entertain.
my county requires impact windows and doors, and permits for both, but as the homeowner i can also pull them myself if i am doing the work. i don't mind doing them slowly and one or two at a time, if that's a reasonable approach for someone without a GC in the family - but i will hire someone to help with what i should.
i would appreciate any advice folks have... even if its what not to do - i know those lessons are expensive, too.

• All their songs are kid friendly
  
• 4 piece band
  
• Many ideas of what their skins could be (Early 60's style, Late 60's style)
  
• They all can have their own instruments added into the game like Paul's violin bass, George's Sgt. Pepper guitar, Johns yellow epiphone, Ringo's drum kit with The Beatles on the front.
  
• There was a Beatles Rock Band Game already made by the same people who made festival
  
• There are some Beatles still alive
  
• Millions still love them to this day.
  

Here is an article I recently published on my Substack. If you'd rather read (or listen to an audio version) it outside of Reddit, you can do so here.
Why jump rope isn’t already touted as a leading running drill tool is completely beyond me. But then again…
I'm by no means an "experienced runner"—having started running in 2021 at the age of 34. So, at the time of this writing, about 3 years.
Despite this, I managed to silver-medal my age group in my first race ever.
And it was a 10k. And I was wearing barefoot-shoes.
And I had only been running before that race for about 3 months.
How the heck did I manage to pull this off?
The answer eluded me for a while. Then I remembered—ah, I’ve been jumping rope nearly every day for 2 years.
But how do those connect?
But first, why the heck would some guy start jumping rope at age 32?
About 2 years before I started running, I took up jump rope really just as a fun outdoor hobby.
Even though I was pretty inactive and a bit overweight, that’s not the reason I started skippin’.
One day, I came across some footage of boxer Lulu Hawton doing some jump rope training.
In addition to her seemingly effortless rope handling skills and rhythmic footwork, what caught my eye was a giant grin that spread across her face about 45 seconds into the video. While she was probably skipping to warm up for a match or a training session, something was abundantly clear.
She was having a blast.
And this was from a prize fighter! None of the usual boxer mean-mugging—she looked more like a kid on a carousel.
So, after buying a $10 jump rope on Amazon, I took to the driveway in my swim trunks (yes, I was so inactive, I didn’t own gym shorts).
And…whoo, did I suck.
After a few months of making puddles of sweat in my driveway as well as wheezing sounds so loud that I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t whistle EMS, I eventually got pretty decent at it.
And I lost about 45 pounds in 6 months—probably also from making some lifestyle changes merely to make jump rope less of a slog. Not the original plan, but hey, not too shabby.
After about a year, I found myself constructively critiquing other people’s beginner jump rope videos.

• “Unlock your boxer skip. Then you’ll be able to skip forever without getting tired.”
• “Here’s how to do Double-Unders, though they’re overrated.”
• “You’re skipping like it hurts. Relax and skip easy. Smile every once in a while and you’ll feel it all over.”

But how did that turn into running?
Though jumping rope is inherently enjoyable, 30-minute skipping sessions of staring at the wall without something in your headphones can be a bit drab.
One fateful day, about 2 years into being student of the jump rope, I began listening to the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.
Even before I got to the end of the book, running—just like jump rope— sounded fun**.**
Yeah, I know that sounds counterintuitive—unless you’ve read the book.
“I knew aerobic exercise was a powerful antidepressant, but I hadn’t realized it could be so profoundly mood stabilizing and — I hate to use the word — meditative. If you don’t have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain’t getting them.”
Ok, ok—I’ll bite.
I proceeded to dive into all of the normal “Couch to 5k” running programs I could find and took my jump rope to a nearby park with a 1k walking path—sprinkling in running between jump rope sessions.
But something wasn’t adding up.
There was a lot of advice about walk-running to build endurance until one could run a block, two blocks, a mile.
Not to brag, but I wasn’t experiencing most beginner snags.
**“Ah, I know why—**I did most of my newbie wind-sucking two years ago!”
This isn’t to say I wasn’t still periodically sucking wind but after two years of consistent boxer skips and double-unders, getting gassed felt like part of the fun and not a medical emergency.
I also felt much springier than the average beginning runner—able to run for miles all over the city in the most minimal of footwear.
And so, I tried my hand at my first race—a donut-themed 10k. And silvered in my age group.
(Ok, there was only two of us…but my time was still respectable. 😂)
Running became an amazingly freeing activity, like getting my driver’s license for my legs.
But I still didn’t understand why running was coming easier to me than the average newcomer.
Digging still deeper, I unearthed another exciting revelation—this time from multi-decade sub-3-hour Boston Marathon runner and one of the foremost running experts on the planet, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella.
“Running with a jump rope is also an amazingly simple drill for posture, balance, and rhythm.”
In other words—form. Overall technique.
Digging a little keeper and experimenting on myself, I discovered just how similar proper running technique and proper jump rope technique were.
Both require:

• An upright, chest-leading, elbows-back, joint-stacked posture
• A soft mid-foot landing directly under your pelvis
• A quick loading and unloading of “leg springs” from your tendons and ligaments to reduce “stickiness” and wasted energy
• A proper supination (roll out) followed by a quick pronation (roll in) of the feet to help launch one’s body
• A steady core without dropping hips from side to side to reduce energy “leakage”

And so many other commonalities. The list unraveled before me on every run.
And like running, without proper technique, jumping rope just doesn’t work—though the consequences are different.
For a jump roper, due to the lower impact, the risk of injury is quite minimal.
Most newbie rope slingers will report sore calves, slightly tender Achilles tendons, and the odd shin splint if they go full Rocky at it. No need to worry, though—most of these injuries see themselves out as the skipper becomes more experienced.
However, for runners, the injury story is more severe.
The next time you’re at a park with a good path, take a seat on a bench and watch the runners. See if you can spot folks reaching far out in front of them with straightened legs—smashing heels into the pavement.
This style of running results in everything from screaming knees, plantar fasciitis, lower back pain, to hips issues.
But why do all of these occur to new runners, but rarely to new jump ropers?
Most new runners commit a major physiological no-no when they begin their running journey: they treat running like fast, aggressive, airborne walking.
“Well, what is it supposed to be?”
Synchronized jumping.
Simply put, proper running is nothing more than a series of coordinated single leg jumps through space with each landing compressing the springs for the next stride.
To compare this synchronized jumping to the aggressive airborne walking of heel-led running, you can test these in just a few seconds.
Step 1: Stand up.
Step 2: Kick off your shoes.
Step 3: Jump up and down three times.
How did you land?
Probably on your mid-foot, knee bent slightly, with your weight stacked above your pelvis.
And did you use your compressed “leg springs” to launch you into the following two jumps?
Oddly enough, if you were to add a jump rope to this, you would on your way to spinning side swings like Lulu Hawton.
If you were to take this same technique one foot at a time moving forward, you would be running in a way that increases speed, preserves stamina (springs!), and drastically decreases your likelihood of injury.
Let’s try the same test with a few tweaks.
This time, jump, but land on your heels.
Your knees probably remained fairly straight and you felt the impact in your ankles, knees, hips, and possibly even your lower back.
Now, imagine attempting to jump rope this way.
It simply doesn’t work.
Not only would there be no second jump due to the lack of spring but the pain would stop you in your tracks—even in cushioned shoes.
But if jump rope technique and proper running technique are nearly identical, what are aggressive heel landings doing in running?
While a jump roper landing on their heels would resemble Frankenstein’s monster in an express lane to an orthopedist, this is how many people perform the aggressive airborne walk—aka, a heel-striking, over-striding run.
But why do we run this way? Well, our shoes let us get away with it.
Thick heel cushioning and a bit of forward momentum do a great job of masking the pain of repeated blows against every joint up the chain—for a while, anyway. Eventually, the chickens come home to roost in the form of stress fractures, meniscus tears, plantar fasciitis, “runner’s knee,” IT-band syndrome, and more.
Not to brag (and maybe to knock on some wood), I have never experienced any of these injuries in my three years of running.
Is this because I’m some kind of running genius with all of the cheat codes? Haha, I wish! It’s simply sheer luck that I started out with jumping rope before running—an activity that shares the same injury-preventing techniques.
So, are the shoes totally to blame? No.
It is possible to run with proper form in shoes with raised, cushioned heels. But it’s not as easy.
When your heel is totally cushioned, you will be able to run with a heel strike in the same way you can hit your head against a brick wall while wearing a football helmet. And in both instances, it will eventually become less about the forces outside of the foam and more about the forces inside the cushion against each other that do the most damage.
“So, how can getting a jump rope help me become a better runner?”
Jump rope is a tremendous training tool for runners for the same reason why running barefoot can also be helpful—the feedback is immediate.
Though running with inefficient and injurious form is possible, the feedback from doing so isn’t so immediate. When it comes to jumping rope, however, you won’t get through too many skips if you don’t learn to utilize the springs in your legs. The rope doesn’t pull punches.
So, get a rope and get started.
If you’re new to jump rope, I would recommend acquiring two pieces of equipment.
Firstly, find a jump rope with a little bit, but not too much, weight to it. The weight will help you feel the position of the rope during it’s entire rotation and remain in better sync with your wrist spins
My favorite rope for this purpose is a 7mm PVC model called the Hererope, which costs a whopping $15. If you find this to be too thick or heavy, a cheap 5mm PVC model will work as well.
Secondly, to protect your rope and provide a nice jumping surface, I would recommend a large foam-rubber exercise mat. My favorite is a massive 78” mat for $32—which is probably the cheapest jump rope mat you will find.
When it comes to footwear, barefoot is ideal. This will help strengthen and mobilize your feet—including your likely overly-supported neglected arches.
And just how does one begin to jump rope?

• Keep a tall posture—imagining a string pulling you up from the crown of your head.
• Your chest should open, elbows back, hands about a fist’s width from your pockets.
• Jump from the balls of your feet, only high enough to clear the rope. When landing, let the skin of your heels “kiss” the floor—touching without taking on weight.
• Keep your knees slightly bent, using every landing to load your springs for the next take-off.
• Keep the cadence quick to maximize spring recoil. To help, listen to a song that’s at about 160 beats per minute, such as the song “Hey Ya” by Outkast (or a song of similar tempo) to get a feel for the speed for skipping rope. (For running, many recommend using “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s for cadence tempo reference.)

Start with short seasons hopping with both feet—maybe 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest. Aim for minimal muscular activation, instead, using the recoil of your tendons and ligaments for suspension and launch as much as possible.
From jumping with both feet, move onto learning an alternating leg bounce—essentially a jog skip. Right, left, right, left—all while keeping an imaginary belt level with the horizon.
By now, you’re essentially running in place with an extremely efficient technique.
Now, apply your jump rope skills to your running!
This is going to seem quite bizarre, but it is possible (and even beneficial) to take your jump rope for a run.

• Start skipping rope on a road or path with the alternating leg bounce. Remember to keep your elbows back, shoulders relaxed, head pulled up as if tugged skyward by a string from your crown and your imaginary belt level with the horizon.
• Then, as though leaning forward just enough to give someone a kiss or have an imaginary umbilical cord lightly tugged, begin to jump rope forward.
• Remember to continue to land and load on your mid-foot—aiming to keep your weight under your pelvis just like skipping rope. Landing on your heels will likely snag the rope and keep your foot on the ground too long.
• As you proceed with this, remember how it feels—the quick foot turnover, the posture, the recoil in your leg springs, the core stability, and the lightness of it.
• In the middle of doing this, simply toss the handles behind you and keep running as though it was still there—still pretending to spin the handles.
• At a comfortable stopping point, run back to your rope—now using your hands in a wood-chop motion to counter balance your leg bounces while keeping your pelvis (imaginary belt) level and stable.

And there you have it!
You may find it quite helpful to return to this drill once or twice a week. Also if you find your form slipping a bit or becoming slugging mid-run, feel free to skip imaginary rope to try to correct your technique mid-stride. It will restore lightness and springiness to your running.
I still find myself bringing my wrists to my pockets and spinning imaginary jump rope handles if I feel my technique is collapsing a bit or if my running is becoming less springy.
And remember, most importantly—have fun. 👍
Enjoy this piece? Subscribe to my Substack blog!
You can also:

• Subscribe to the Kenetic YouTube Channel
• Follow my project of running every single street in Tulsa on Instagram.

Just like the title says. For added context I was messing with ring to clean out the crusties/gunk and now it’s just sore like my nose and mouth and front teeth to be specific.

Prompt: Beatrice accomplishes at least two prompts, the “Tell me a story” by having story connections with Swan and Quinn with exclusive in-game interactions with them and the “Written by a different style” by having a passive ultimate. I think she also accomplishes the “Contrasting parts” by being a Marksman Catcher (Role that currently only Jhin have)
Region: Noxus
Class: Marksman, Catcher
Role: Bot
Resource: Mana
Range: Ranged
Damage type: Attack damage
Physical appearance:
Beatrice is a woman who wears a full armor with a striking dark red coloration, her helmet completely covers her face and is shaped like the head of a raven but without visible eyes, the helmet is open on the back side, revealing long dark-green hair, she wears a cape made of black feathers and wields a bow made of the same dark red metal as the armor.
Base statistics:
Health: 592 +98 (= 2.258) Health regen: 3,65 +0,55 (= 13) Mana: 325 +50 (= 1.175) Mana regen: 8,5 +0,75 (= 21,25) Armor: 26 +4,7 (= 105,9) Magic resist: 30 +1,3 (= 52,1) Attack damage: 55 +5 (= 140) Attack range: 600 Movement speed: 330 Base AS: 0,625 Bonus AS: +5%
Ratings:
Damage: High
Toughness: Low
Control: Medium
Mobility: Medium
Utility: Low
Abilities
Passive: Eyes of the mureder
After damaging an enemy champion with an ability, they are revealed for 6 seconds.
Q: Raven shoot
Beatrice shoots a cluster of darkness in the shape of a raven in a straight line, dealing 60/90/120/150/180 (+60/70/80/90/100% AD) attack damage and slowing all affected enemies by 30% for 3 seconds.
Cost: 60/70/80/90/100 Cooldown: 12/10,5/9/7,5/6 Range: Line of 800
W: Carrion frenzy
Beatrice jumps toward the chosen direction and increases her attack speed by 40/55/70/85/100% for 4 seconds. If Beatrice scores a takedown while this effect is still active, the attack speed increase duration is refreshed. The initial jump can not go through walls.
Cost: 100 Cooldown: 20/19/18/17/16 Range: Line of 400
E: Dark plummet
Beatrice fires a shadow clump in the form of a raven skyward that after 2 seconds, it strikes the chosen destination, dealing 90/130/170/210/250 (+80% AD) attack damage and stunning the damaged enemies for 2 seconds.
Cost: 80/85/90/95/100 Cooldown: 12/11/10/9/8 Range: Circle of 1000 (Target range) Circle of 200 (Raven's plummet)
R: Demonic awakening
After this ability is learned, Beatrice will periodically be engulfed by demonic energy, making red light and sparks come out of her body, when this happens, her next ability will be powered up:
R+Q: Raven shoot
Now, after the ability reaches the target location or its maximum range, a non-intractable Raven will stay in that zone for 3 seconds, channeling a beam against the closest enemy champion, rooting and slowing it by 30/45/60%.
(If there is an ally Swain in this game, if the Raven have channeled at least 1 enemy champion, it leaves a Soul fragment when it disappears)
Range: Circle of 400.
R+W: Carrion frenzy
Now, the distance traveled by the initial jump is increased, can jump through walls and her attack range is increased by 100/150/200 as long as the attack speed increase effect is active.
Range: Line of 600/700/800.
R+E: Dark plummet
Now, when the Raven strikes the floor, it releases a wave that deals the same damage and slows all affected enemies by 30% for 3 seconds.
(If there is an ally Swain in this game, every enemy champion damaged by this ability leaves a Soul fragment)
Range: Circle of 400/500/600.
After damaging an enemy champion with an ability, reduce by 1 the cooldown of this ability.
(If there is an ally Swain in this game, when he gains a Soul fragment near Beatrice, also reduce 1 second the cooldown of this ability)
Cooldown: 30/25/20 Range: Circle of 1200 (Ally Swain Soul fragment gain)
Special event: In-game mission:
If Beatrice and Quinn are in the same match but on opposite teams, when they both reach level 11 and are both alive the Battle of the elite avians begins.
If Beatrice scores a takedown on Quinn while she is paired up with Valor or within 5 seconds they break apart with Behind enemy lines, the cooldown of Demonic awakening is permanently reduced by 5 seconds.
If Quinn scores a takedown on Beatrice while she has Demonic awakening ready or within 5 seconds she uses a powered up ability, the channel to pair up with Valor with Behind enemy lines is permanently reduced by 1,5 seconds.
Lore:
The armies of Noxus have small elite groups among them that serves exclusively a specific high-ranking persons, one of them, at the orders of the grand general, Swain himself, was known as “the black capes”, composed by five members, one of them was Beatrice, known in all the empire for having the sharpest aim in the empire as a whole.
One day, the black capes were sended on a mission to solve a problem some foot soldiers were having in the Western border, some Demacian rangers were infiltrating Noxian territory and systematically taking out their patrols in crucial spots. furthermore, two Ranger-knights were part of this group, one of them being their chieftain, eliminating them would erase the danger the Demacian rangers represented for quite some time, and so, the black capes were mobilized to assassinate them, after all, Demacian rangers are not only formidable foes by themselves, but they also count with the help of their animal companions, making them even tougher opponents to deal with.
After analyzing the places where the Demacian rangers have striked, the Noxian soldiers were able to triangulate their position, a small forest in the middle of nowhere, the Demacian rangers were trying to have the highest advantage they could by fighting in terrain they had mastered, despite this, the Noxian soldiers went after them anyways, in less than half a day, all the available Noxian soldiers got the forest surrounded and the black capes went inside it.
While the black capes were exploring the forest, suddenly, something caught the attention of Beatrice's eye; a big, blue eagle, sitting on a branch. Beatrice could feel something was wrong with that bird, it was looking right at them, it was no coincidence and she soon realized it was one of those ranger's animals, she quickly pulled her bow, but before she could begin to take aim, the eagle flew away and emitted a loud shriek and, within seconds, a round of arrows came from the foliage towards them, despite the surprise, all members of the black capes could dodge them, but the others rangers jumped out of their hiding spot and attacked them, Beatrice fired skyward a special arrow that leaves a trail of red dust, that was the signal for all the other Noxian soldiers to charge towards them, even with the skills the rangers had, they could not defeat so many enemies.
The Demacian rangers started with the upper hand, attacking the black capes from all side, but that situation changed when the Noxian foot soldiers arrived, the amount of troops was overwhelming for the rangers and their solid formation quickly began to crumble with a single casualty, the rangers scatters, desperately trying to end up victorious in this battle, and Beatrice decided to climb up a tree to get a better sight range and hunt down the remaining rangers, from up there, she could see the same azurite eagle from before flying toward her, carrying a ranger with a crossbow on its talons, Beatrice attempted to shoot them down, but, despite her superb accuracy, that eagle managed to dodge all of her shoots and to jump to another branch when the ranger fired back, when Beatrice could finally fire again, she aimed directly for the ranger's hearth, but that was merely a feint, when the eagle got ready to dodge once more, Beatrice changed the trajectory of her shoot, firing an arrow that pierced through one of the eagle's wing, severely wounded, the eagle had no other option but to land, but before that, it flew over Beatrice and the ranger-knight jumped off the eagle to attack Beatrice hand-to-hand, despite not being her expertise, she was able to defend herself against that ranger-knight, while on the middle of the confrontation, suddenly, the ranger-knight whistled, and despite the injury, her eagle flew towards Beatrice once more and clawed her eyes, making Beatrice lose her balance and fall down the tree, hitting her head and falling unconscious.
Some days later, she finally woke up, but something was very wrong with her, she had her eyes wide open, she could feel that, and yet, she could not see anything. That blasted ranger's bird had scarred her eyes and blinded her. While Beatrice was still trying to figure out how to react to this, a nearby soldier informed her about the situation, they were in a carriage and were being escorted back to Noxus, they managed to defeat the Demacian rangers and kill seven out of the nine that were in that forest, but they also suffered a lot of casualties, including the other four members of the black capes. Beatrice was in shock, in a single day she had lost everything, her most powerful asset and all of her trusted companions, a mix of awful emotions started tormenting her, anger, sadness, resentment… She was unable to even articulate a word and suffered in silence until they arrived at the Noxian capital. A helpful soldier escorted her to the doctors where they confirmed Beatrice's worst fear: They were not able to cure her blindness.
After hearing that, she took a decisions, with the aid of the same soldier, she went to have a conversation with her gran general, Swain, when they arrived at his place, she was informed that Swain was already expecting her and she could pass, when Beatrice got inside his office, before being able to say a single word, she immediately fell on her knees and started apologizing for her current state while tears ran down her now useless eyes, after some time of time, Beatrice said she had one request for her grand general, for him to execute her, for she is unable to be of use to the empire of Noxus, now that her vision had been taken away.
After hearing that, Swain produced the first sound he made since Beatrice had entered his office, by sighting to that extreme request she was making, after that, he got up and walked towards her, slowly but firmly, when he was in front of her, he asked if she wished to still be of use for Noxus, Beatrice insisted that she could not do that in her stat, and to that, Swain answered by repeating the exact same question. Without even questioning what that use could be, Beatrice said she wishes to serve Noxus until the last of her days. After that affirmation, Swain placed his hand on her head. A very weirdly-shaped hand, it felt more… like a claw. Before being able to think about that for much, a strange and painful sensation went through all of Beatrice, like if a thunderstorm was happening inside her body, after that sensation stopped, she… could see again. Although overjoyed for a moment, she realized something was wrong… she was seeing herself. Swain explained he had integrated her in his flock of ravens, that their consciences are now linked and she could see through them, after that brief explanation, Swain asked this time if she still wishes to serve him. Still disoriented, Beatrice, while smiling, answered that that would be her greatest honor.

I know that plopping kids in front of a screen for too long is not great, not here to judge or be judged, just trying to gauge what other kids will be talking about on the playground. My little just turned 2 and I’m trying to watch stuff ahead of age markers to make sure it’s not only engaging learning but also that it won’t wreck the sanity of everyone in the house when it’s on repeat for the 100th time
I’ve been recommended Bluey, which I did check out, it’s refreshingly fun compared to what I remember of children’s programs when I was in my early years, but probably too advanced until the bub is a couple years older. I’ve been recommended Miss Rachel on YouTube, but that means dealing with ads and the randomness of compilations. The only other shows I emember Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, and Dora the Explorer… but don’t know if they are still relevant.
All that being said, I’m open to suggestions for all ages pre-school through middle school when I expect there will be an independence rebellion, and if y’all include the year your kid(s) watched the show/movie/what-have-you that would be extra appreciated

Hey folks. Some big updates to share with you all today.
First off - we've now grown to over 250,000 subs! It's incredible to see how many people have found our helpful little corner of reddit and received the guidance they needed to go forth and build a PC. For the past decade or so, the sub has broadly been governed by a quite strict Automoderator config that ensured every request post followed the exact instructions for copying the build request questions into their post and answering them. It wasn't perfect, but this helped keep us laser-focused on doing exactly what we specialized in.
The real problem is that the solutions I came up with to smooth that process along, such as the custom CSS "Submit a Build Request" button, only work on old reddit. As time has gone on, only about 3% of our page views come from users on old.reddit.com, and that's a problem I've been wrestling with for a couple years now. The vast majority of our page views come from the iOS/Android reddit apps, and new reddit, which hide away much of the important side bar information.

The solution

Turns out it was right in front of me all along: automoderator. Effective immediately, the old "request questions" filter has been disabled, and has been replaced by a comment automatically stickied on all request posts showing instructions and an overhauled list of questions.
We are also using the following tag filter for titles that can be used on relevant posts to skip the instruction comment:

• [Meta] - (for posts and discussions relating to the sub)
  
• [Discussion] - (all kinds of generally PC-related discussion topics)
  
• [Question] - (questions about PC building, parts, troubleshooting, etc)
  

Simply use any of those in your post title like this to skip the automod sticky: [Discussion]

Other tweaks and changes

In addition to generally updating the build request questions, here are some of the more important specific changes that have been made:

• Builds/budgets now only include hardware. A note has been added that posters are responsible for sourcing and purchasing their own operating system and other software, and these are no longer included as a question in the request.
  
• Only monitors are included as a potential required peripheral in build requests now. Other peripherals such as keyboard/mouse/headset/controller are up to the buyer to factor in to their own overall budget.
  
• The wired/wifi question will now always appear!
  

Going forward

Right now, I'd love to get any and all feedback from you all in the community about these changes. The sub will remain text-post only to avoid becoming flooded with memes and other image posts. Myself and the mod team will keep an eye on how things are going and may add some additional topic restrictions or otherwise if things start going a bit too far off the rails.
Let us know what you think, and happy building!

Hey all, I'm a new 4KP Attack from Mars owner, but not new to virtual pinball. I'm sure you've all seen the discourse, but many people aren't thrilled with the lag on the 4KP right now, myself included.
Opinions here seem to range from "this is not a problem, calm down" to "native Zen tables are literally unplayable." I land somewhere in between.
I've had some free time over the last week, so here you go: an unnecessarily in-depth look at the state of input lag on the 4KP as of early May 2024. Everything was measured the week of 5/6.
Ideally, my setup is going to be mostly used for OTG play from my PC with Popper as the front end, so my main goal with this process was to calculate the 4KP hardware's "added lag," which I'm defining as lag above and beyond what I get when using a wired keyboard and low latency gaming monitor.
I don't want to bury the lede too much, so let me put some of my conclusions up near the top:

• OTG input lag is noticeable, and IMO is a problem*, especially with Pinball FX.
• Native non-Zen table input lag is excellent.
• Native Zen table input lag is a problem*, and is roughly 2.75 times higher than non-Zen table input lag.
• The 4KP hardware seems to be adding roughly 35-60ms (average ~43ms) of total input lag on OTG VPX as compared to a keyboard + gaming monitor setup.
• Added OTG input lag is being introduced both from button to PC (~10-15ms) and from PC to playfield (~35-35ms).

*I'm defining "being a problem" as lag significant enough to cause some completely missed hits and ball drains. In other words, the issue isn't just needing to learn new timing for precision shots. Basically, situations where my reflexes are fast enough, but the hardware isn't.
Measurement
What matters in virtual pinball is total input lag or latency, as measured from button press to flip. That means I'm not looking at, for example, VPX's self-reported video latency.
For measurement I used high frame rate video, which is really the best way to measure total latency with the actual vpin software in a real world use situation. I used the iOS app Is it Snappy? with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The phone can do 240 frames per second for a frame duration of ~4.2ms. In the app, you tag the frame where the flipper button was pressed and the frame where flipper motion is first seen, giving us a maximum measurement error of ±~8.4ms, but likely much lower.
To standardize as much as possible, when tagging the input frame I tagged the frame that best represented the button being fully pressed. This goes both for the 4KP flipper button and the keyboard button. This seemed like the best way to be consistent from measurement to measurement. I'll also note that doing this errs on the conservative/low side since both flipper buttons and keyboard keys are actuated before they are fully pressed. So the "true" input lag should be slightly higher even than I'm reporting.
I measured a lot of variables that ended up not making a meaningful difference for my setup. Direct X VPX vs Open GL VPX - didn't seem to matter. DisplayPort to HDMI cable vs HDMI to HDMI cable for the playfield - didn't seem to matter. VPX backglass running in .exe mode or not - didn't seem to matter. Having no VPX backglass at all - well this one did seem to show a very small potential gain, but it was within the margin of error.
Your Brain
One last and important bit of context: research seems to show that the human brain perceives anything under 100ms as an instant effect when pressing a button. Source: Google. That may be true in terms of a value judgment of "was that instant?," but we can still feel the difference between, for example, 50ms and 100ms of total lag. We could still set 100ms of total input lag though as a soft target or maximum lag that still feels purely good. For me, somewhere in the 100-125ms range is where it starts to feel sluggish, and somewhere between 125ms and 150ms is definitely where it starts to feel bad. I don't have a firm line on what qualifies as unplayable, and I'll leave that to each of you to decide for yourselves.
Results:
To keep things consistent, my VPX table was this version of Attack From Mars because it was specifically tagged as having fast flips and wasn't a brand new table with all the latest bells and whistles. These numbers represent the average of at least 3 separate measurements.

	Output: Native 4KP	Output: PC to Monitor	Output: PC to Playfield
Native 4KP:
Magic Pixel Tables	~45ms	-	-
Attack from Mars (Effects off)	~125ms	-	-
Attack from Mars (Effects on)	~138ms	-	-
OTG:
Pinball FX (Effects on and off)	-	-	~150ms
VPX w/ keyboard input	-	~88ms	~114ms
VPX w/ 4KP button input	-	~96ms	~131ms

So there you have it: an average of ~131ms of total input lag when playing VPX in OTG mode. The 4KP hardware seems to be adding roughly 10-15ms of lag on the input side and roughly 25-35ms of lag on the output side, for a total of ~35-60ms of added lag. This is definitely falling short of my soft target of 100ms or less of total lag, which explains why OTG play on the 4KP doesn't feel great right now. Pinball FX is especially bad at ~150ms of total lag, which feels borderline unplayable to me. The native Attack from Mars table is similar right now to VPX OTG. If this level of lag doesn't bother you, I'm happy for you, but it definitely bothers me.
A few last notes:

• I did measure a few different tables in VPX, and some did show PC to Monitor w/ keyboard numbers as low as ~50ms. So even within VPX, there is definitely a range of total input lag that we'll experience. Some tables likely will hit that 100ms or less target.
• I didn't want to clutter this up with another column, but measurements did show that running through Popper may introduce some additional input lag. It was in the 8-12ms range, so not enough outside the margin of error that it made me want to investigate in more detail.
• I replaced the stock 4KP flipper buttons with aftermarket gold leaf buttons, and that is what was used in my measurements. They are allegedly more responsive than stock, but I didn't measure that.
• PC specs: Intel i5-12600KF, 32GB DDR4-3600 RAM, NVME SSD, 4070 GPU, custom usb-c keyboard, Acer Nitro monitor-150hz-led-monitor).

I’ve never played a Druid in 5e or BG3 but I wanna try it out so I’m adding Halsin to my party. Problem is idk how to properly utilize a Druid’s abilities
Like wizards/sorcerers hang back and use AOE spells, clerics focus on healing and buffing/debuffing, paladins/fighters can be either raw dps or control enemies with maneuvers and spells, barbarians are damage tanks, but wtf do I do with Halsin? should I treat him like a barbarian, wild shaping and jumpin in the front lines? the rest of my party is a paladin/warlock, shadowheart, and gale (willing to swap him out)

If you find this valuable, we'd love your support for Supa Screenshot on Product Hunt today: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/supa-screenshot ❤️

Startling fact: as high as 80% of users who sign up for your product end up never coming back after the first day.

This means only 20% of top-of-funnel users come back to use your product in a meaningful way.
It also denotes the importance of first impressions — which are paramount to converting, retaining, and expanding your customer base.
And where first impressions typically form is within your initial onboarding experience.
But despite this, onboarding is frequently overlooked as a one-time checklist – often becoming stale as your product, messaging, and GTM tactics evolve.
And we’ve been guilty of this too at Supademo, where we struggled with a pattern of less-than-ideal customer activation, slow time-to-value, and low onboarding completion.
In an effort to improve these metrics, we focused on hypothesizing and implementing a series of tactics to reduce friction and accelerate time-to-value.

Ultimately, these:

• Increased onboarding completion rate by ~10%
• Increased activation rate by ~20%;
• Decreased time it took to achieve the "aha! moment" by ~39%

Here’s an actionable guide on the five tactics we implemented to improve our product onboarding:

1) Reverse trial directly into our highest-tier plan

Companies often find themselves wrestling with the choice between offering a Trial or adopting a Freemium model. As Elena Vera says: “opt for neither, because Reverse Trials are simply.. better.”
A reverse trial lets the product do the talking rather than gatekeeping with marketing lingo. It also helps customers test-drive plans that best fit their use case — without the paradox of choice.
What we did:

• Avoid overwhelming users by focusing on only highlighting core features up-front
• Nudge users to try premium features based on usage or time-based triggers
• Clearly indicate what happens at the end of the reverse trial (i.e. downgrade to freemium with limited features)

2) Use social proof everywhere

Communicate benefits through customers' voices – not just your own. This helps build trust, credibility and authority, which are crucial to their willingness to invest time and complete onboarding.
What we did:

• Added social proof throughout our entire product onboarding flow
• Tied specific social proof to specific pages (team-based testimonial on “invite your team” page)
• Linked use cases emails with case studies that map directly to the one mentioned

3) Force users to experience our "aha moment"

When building a complex product with many bells and whistles, it can be challenging to surface key features intuitively. Since our “aha” moment is tied to creating a Supademo, we “forced” users to as one of their first onboarding steps.
What we did:

• Make the first recording semi-mandatory during onboarding, removing paradox of choice
• Automatically enable and apply features meant to “wow” users or drive virality by default. You have limited time to impress new users!
• Added templates and Supademo examples everywhere — in-app, personalized onboarding emails, etc

4) Push for team usage

It's commonly accepted that team-based, collaborative SaaS platforms like Slack tend to have higher retention and lower churn. Lateral usage in the org = wider surface area for penetration, more use cases and higher odds of reaching an internal champion.
What we did:

• Automatically show matching workspaces based on domain – with an option to request access, auto-join “open” workspaces
• Encourage users to invite right during onboarding — with the goal of converting them while at peak interest (i.e. initial onboarding)

5) Personalized, action-triggered onboarding emails

Instead of dripping a handful of generic email sequences to every signup, we decided to add personalization via dynamic Supademos and product-triggered onboarding emails. With little effort, we get notified of our highest potential/most engaged leads while personalizing at scale.
What we did

• Welcome email with a personalized product tour at scale, using dynamic variables
• Automated, plain text founder emails to drive responses and feedback
• Emails when success metrics are met – with encouragement and clear next steps to guide to deeper adoption
• Short, two-sentence feature tips weekly - spacing them out so it's less intrusive and helps us stay top-of-mind — while increasing odds of catching users at the right timing

Hopefully, this helps other founders here iterate on and improve their product onboarding experience!

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Your BIOS should have this under Advanced or Overclocking section. Look for Kobra, mine has 1, 2 and 3. Kobra 3 is an undervolt of .030. You just apply it and the BIOS does it for you. My max temps dropped 8C. I lost 0 performance. The CPU won't draw up to105W, most I've seen is 96W. Your max boost speed goes from 4500mhz to 4450mhz. I saw videos about this and was skeptical but it works great. I even have an old MSI B350M Bazooka but they added it to the BIOS. Flash upgrade yours if it's been awhile. I was playing Gray Zone Warfare at 70 to 75C BUT on chopper rides only the temp flew straight to 90C with a rare spike of 92C. Now the highest is 84 but usually 82C. My idle temps average 42C and I'm using a Noctua Redux cooler with 1 fan. I have 3 case fans in front and 1 exhaust fan. That's it...4070 GPU and 33gb 3200 ram. Something you might wanna try.

I developed an underbite when I was around 7 yrs. I didn't get it treated until I was 11 and they did this weird thing where a tooth -like thing was added on top of both of my 2 central lower teeth, so when I bit down it would push on the back of my 2 front teeth and "push it" forward. To this day I still don't know what this treatment is and even what it's called so if someone knows, please tell me. From what I know, all that did was flare my two front teeth forward (and they still are today). my dad decided to end the treatment halfway (covid). I still have a fairly noticeable underbite (if you look at my teeth, not from the outside). Both of my parents have good forward growth. I have mewed for about a year and I don't think I've gotten any improvements. If someone could give me an idea of how recessed my maxilla and mandible are, that would be appreciated. Any advice helps.

In the annals of gaming history, few titles command the reverence and adoration as the legendary Doom franchise. Born from the minds of John Romero, John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, and Tom Hall, Doom would go on to lay the foundations for just about every modern video game that exists. It was a true tour de force, a success story few could scarce ever imagine.
Released in 1993, Doom was an immediate smash hit, thanks in no small part to its shareware format, which allowed users to experience the first few levels of Knee Deep In the Dead, and then order the full game via the phone number included. Players could then share the floppy disk with their friends, and so on, and so on. It was a truly revolutionary system, and within a single year, Doom had sold over 2 million copies.
The history of the Doom franchise is one of innovation, ultra violence, and controversy (1999's Columbine High School Massacre), and that reputation is one that continued with 2016's DOOM. DOOM was officially revealed at Quakecon 2014, ten years after Doom 3. Players had long resigned to Doom being considered a dead franchise. A reboot had been in the works for a number of years prior, but never got released, having been quietly cancelled by id in 2010. The future was bleak, but the 30 second long teaser ignited a spark that had been burning dimmer every passing year.
Then came E3 2015.
The hype was unreal. The trailer had everything that fans could possibly want. Gore, intense violence, insane run n gun gameplay, a rip-roaring soundtrack and the MFING CHAINSAW. But fans had been let down before. Would it really hold up its promises?
Yes. Yes, it would.
PART I: Presentation
When DOOM burst onto the scene in 2016, it did so with a visual and auditory spectacle that left players awestruck. From the moment the game boots up, players are made aware that this is not your average shooter. You are greeted with a deep, commanding voice. "Rip and tear, until it is DONE."
Immediately, players are greeted with a scene of carnage and the Doom Slayer chained to a table, which, of course, he instantly breaks free from. A zombie attempts to relieve the Slayer of his life but is beaten to the punch with a prompt skull smashing. After putting the other zombies to rest, he interacts with the panel in the corner, is greeted by one Dr. Samuel Hayden, who attempts to justify the outbreak, and decides he would rather kill shit than listen to excuses and destroys the monitor.
That is the introduction to this game. It never wastes the player's time. We aren't here to listen to long droning monologues or watch MGS style cutscenes. id Software knew their audience, and knew what that audience wanted, and they deliver in spades. This introduction sets the tone for the entire experience: relentless action, unapologetic violence, and a protagonist who is as unstoppable as he is uncompromising. The Doom Slayer's disdain for exposition and his single-minded focus on annihilating demons resonate with players who crave a pure, unadulterated gaming experience.
By eschewing lengthy cutscenes and exposition-heavy dialogue in favor of fast-paced gameplay and visceral action, id Software delivers a game that respects the player's time and delivers exactly what they came for: non-stop demon-slaying action. In an era where many games are criticized for padding their runtime with unnecessary filler, DOOM stands out as a shining example of how to create a focused and engaging experience that keeps players coming back for more.
Rather than bombarding players with lengthy exposition or intrusive cutscenes, DOOM opts for a more environmental storytelling approach. Throughout the game, players can discover audio logs, read text-based terminals, and observe environmental details that provide context and background to the events unfolding around them.
The story of DOOM revolves around the Doom Slayer's mission to stop a demonic invasion unleashed by the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) on their Martian facility. As players progress through the game, they uncover details about the UAC's experiments with Hell energy, the origins of the demonic invasion, and the Doom Slayer's own mysterious past.
While the story may not be front and center in DOOM, it nonetheless adds depth and richness to the game world, enhancing the overall experience for players who choose to engage with it. And for those who prefer to focus solely on the action, the story remains secondary, allowing them to enjoy the game on their own terms.
That's all well and good, but what about the actual gameplay? Simply put, it is exhilarating. From the moment you are given control of the Slayer, players are thrust into a frenzy of blood and violence, and it never lets up. At its core, DOOM is a first-person shooter that harkens back to the genre's roots while injecting it with a healthy dose of modern flair. The gameplay is fast-paced, frenetic, and utterly unapologetic in its brutality. You're not just a player – you're the Doom Slayer, a force of nature hell-bent on eradicating every last demon in your path.
Central to the gameplay experience is the game's combat loop, which revolves around a delicate balance of aggression and strategy. In DOOM, there's no hiding behind cover or waiting for your health to regenerate – you're constantly on the move, strafing, dodging, and leaping across the battlefield as you unleash a torrent of bullets, rockets, and plasma upon your enemies.
Weapons include the iconic shotgun, heavy assault rifle, plasma rifle, rocket launcher, and the devastating BFG 9000, among others. Each weapon offers different firing modes, such as single shot, burst fire, and continuous beam, providing players with tactical options in combat. A key aspect of combat is the Glory Kill system, which allows players to perform brutal finishing moves on staggered enemies. Glory Kills not only provide health and ammo but also contribute to the flow of combat by encouraging aggressive play. It is incredibly satisfying to watch the Slayer rip an imp in half or stomp their head into the pavement, and doing so rewards you with a large return of health.
The Chainsaw mechanic is another integral part of combat, allowing players to instantly kill most enemies and gain a large amount of ammo in return. However, Chainsaw fuel is limited and must be managed carefully. Like Glory Kills, watching the chainsaw tear demons apart is incredibly satisfying. Certain demons require more fuel but provide the player with more ammo in return. Balancing which demons you chainsaw and which ones you choose to Glory Kill is an important part of combat.
Exploration is key to progression and is rewarding to those players who choose to do. Hidden throughout the levels of the game are Argent Cells, Praetor Tokens, and Rune Trials. Each of these provide upgrades to your health/shield/ammo, suit, and passive abilities respectively. Also hidden throughout the game are levers that lead you to classic levels from Doom 1 and Doom 2, which then unlock the full level of its respective game, playable from the main menu. You can also find toy models of the Doom Slayer, which unlock various character models to view. On some of these models, the Doom Slayer will perform a unique action when picking it up, such as fist bumping the classic Doomguy. It's a nice and cute little touch added by the developers that does a little to add character to the Slayer, who is a silent protagonist.
id Software masterfully blends modern game design with a deep reverence for the classics, paying homage to the series' storied history while introducing new elements that propel the franchise forward. Central to this approach is the game's character design, which strikes a delicate balance between nostalgia and innovation. At its core is the iconic protagonist, the Doom Slayer, whose design pays homage to the original Doom Marine while incorporating modern updates that make him feel both familiar and fresh. With his battle-worn armor, imposing stature, and silent demeanor, the Doom Slayer is the embodiment of raw power and unrelenting rage.
The game's roster of enemies is a veritable who's who of classic Doom foes, reimagined for the modern era. From the lowly possessed soldiers to the hulking Cyberdemon, each enemy is lovingly crafted to capture the essence of its 1990s counterpart while introducing new mechanics and behaviors that keep players on their toes. Whether you're facing off against the agile Revenants, the relentless Hell Knights, or the grotesque Cacodemons, every encounter is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, punctuated by the satisfying sound of demon flesh being torn asunder.
But the main story is not where it ends. DOOM has an arcade mode, where players can run through the levels again, this time trying for high scores and medals while collecting 1 Ups. It's important to move fast and have accurate aim; the more kills you chain together, the bigger your score is. Getting hit reduces your score. At the end of the level, your score is tallied against others on a leaderboard. It's a great way to incentivize players to keep playing, in order to get a better and better score.
There is also multiplayer, where players compete in various game modes such as classic deathmatch, warpath and free for all. Players can become demons by collecting runes on the battlefield and this gives them a distinct advantage; demons are larger, stronger and more resilient. Players are bizarrely restricted to only two weapons and a loadout in multiplayer, which blew my mind. Loadouts. In a DOOM game. The demons are also massively unbalanced and if one team manages to get a particularly powerful demon such as a baron of hell, then it's a guaranteed win. All in all, the multiplayer just isn't great. You are better off replaying the story or arcade mode, or even SnapMap.
SnapMap is id Software's proprietary level editor, and it puts every other editor on the market to shame. SnapMap is an incredible, intuitive, easy to learn system allowing players to create their own multiplayer, co-op and single player maps. There is an extensive tutorial system that teaches users the basics, and goes up in depth, covering how to use AI triggers, switches, combinations, object layering, actions, recalls, audio cues, etc. Never have I ever seen such an in-depth interface on a console game before. While it is only surface level in the grand scheme of things, SnapMap is a great introduction to teaching users how game development works, and I urge everyone to try it out at least once.
Part II: The Music
In DOOM, the music isn't just a background accompaniment – it's a driving force that propels players forward, electrifying every moment of the gameplay experience. Composed by the incredibly talented Mick Gordon, the soundtrack of DOOM is a relentless onslaught of metal and electronica that perfectly complements the game's fast-paced action and visceral combat. From the moment you boot up the game, you're greeted by the iconic strains of the main theme, a haunting melody that sets the tone for the epic journey that lies ahead. As you traverse the game's environments, the music shifts seamlessly between atmospheric ambience and pulse-pounding metal.
But it's not just the composition of the music that makes it so memorable – it's also the way it's integrated into the gameplay itself. Mick Gordon's dynamic scoring system ensures that the music evolves in real-time based on the player's actions, ramping up in intensity during combat encounters and dialing back during quieter moments of exploration. This creates a sense of momentum and flow that enhances the overall pacing of the game
One of the standout features of the soundtrack is its use of unconventional instrumentation and sound design. Mick Gordon's signature sound combines distorted guitars, pounding drums, and industrial noise to create a sonic palette that is as brutal and unforgiving as the game itself. From the deep, guttural growls of the synth bass to the ear-shredding shrieks of the guitar solos, every element of the music is designed to evoke a sense of chaos and destruction, mirroring the relentless carnage unfolding onscreen.
Of course, no discussion of the music in DOOM would be complete without mentioning the iconic tracks that have become synonymous with the game. From the adrenaline-fueled "Rip & Tear" to the bone-crushing "BFG Division," each track is a masterpiece of composition and production, perfectly capturing the essence of the DOOM experience and elevating it to new heights. Mick Gordon's composition for the DOOM soundtrack is a tour de force in heavy metal and industrial electronica, meticulously crafted to evoke the essence of the game's frenetic gameplay.
The backbone of the soundtrack is the distorted guitar, which provides the driving force behind many of the tracks. Gordon's use of extended-range guitars and custom-tuned instruments gives the music its signature low-end punch, while his aggressive playing style adds a raw, visceral energy to the sound. In addition to guitars, Gordon incorporates a wide range of electronic and synthetic elements into his compositions, including synthesizers, drum machines, and sampled sounds. These elements are used to create atmospheric textures, rhythmic patterns, and dynamic effects.
One of the most innovative aspects of Gordon's sound design is his use of audio manipulation techniques, such as granular synthesis and spectral processing. These techniques allow him to deconstruct and manipulate audio in real-time, creating complex textures and effects.
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of Mick Gordon's composition for DOOM is his dynamic scoring system, which adjusts the music in real-time based on the player's actions. This system, known as "MIDI-controlled dynamic music," allows the music to seamlessly transition between different layers and variations depending on the intensity of the gameplay. Gordon achieves this dynamic effect by dividing each track into multiple stems or layers, each representing a different element of the music (e.g., drums, guitars, synths). These stems are then triggered and mixed in real-time using MIDI data generated by the game engine, allowing the music to adapt and evolve dynamically as the player progresses through the game.
Part III: Building a Legacy
All too often in this industry, legacy franchises are either left in the dust to be forgotten, or brought back to a limp fanfare, only to be thrust back into the shadows of the past. This happens for a myriad of reasons, and I believe the biggest one is that they don't respect their legacy, and they don't respect the players who engage with them.
At its core, DOOM is a game that understands what players want: fast-paced action, engaging gameplay, and a sense of empowerment. By focusing on these core principles, id Software created an experience that resonated with players old and new, capturing the spirit of the original games while pushing the series forward. Central to this approach is the game's unwavering commitment to respecting the player. From its minimalist storytelling and streamlined level design to its intuitive controls and dynamic difficulty system, DOOM prioritizes the player's experience above all else, ensuring that every moment of the game is engaging, immersive, and satisfying.
One of the most notable ways that DOOM respects the player is through its approach to difficulty. Rather than imposing artificial barriers or punishing players for their mistakes, the game encourages experimentation and mastery through its responsive gameplay mechanics and adaptive enemy AI. Players are given the freedom to approach encounters in their own way, whether it's through brute force, cunning strategy, or a combination of both.
Another key aspect of DOOM's player-centric design is its emphasis on accessibility. From its difficulty settings and intuitive user interface to its robust accessibility features, such as colorblind modes and customizable controls, the game ensures that players of all skill levels and abilities can enjoy the experience without feeling excluded or overwhelmed.
But perhaps the most important way that DOOM respects the player is through its commitment to fun. At its core, DOOM is a game that prioritizes the player's enjoyment above all else, delivering a seamless and exhilarating experience that keeps players coming back for more. Whether you're blasting demons with a shotgun, exploring hidden secrets, or rocking out to Mick Gordon's pulse-pounding soundtrack, DOOM is a game that never stops prioritizing YOU.
DOOM's legacy is one of respect – respect for the player, respect for the franchise, and respect for the medium of video games as a whole. By prioritizing fun, accessibility, and player agency, id Software created an experience that not only honors the legacy of the original games but also sets a new standard for what a modern first-person shooter can be. And for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude.

I should probably give some background before I start, David is 3 years older than me, around 6'6 I think, not bad looking (fighting the sibling urge to call him an ugly bastard but I'm trying to be accurate here). unlike me he got our mom's red hair which he's always kept almost military short, he's dressed the same way since we're were kids: a colorful button up dress shirt with an ugly sweater vest over top and brown jeans.
"He wouldn't hurt a fly are you insane?" That's what I said through my grief and disbelief when when the familiar voice of my friend from my hometown Garrett Robinson, now Sheriff Robinson I suppose came crackling through my phone speaker to inform me that David was a suspect in my mother's murder.
"I'm sorry Martha, I wish I was better at comfort, and I know he wouldn't, I'm just going to ask you a couple questions and then I'll let you go."
He responded with what sounded more like pity than sympathy in every word. "Go on." I said trying to compose myself, he asked me some very scripted questions that he already knew almost all the answers to, he and David had been inseparable since middle school, people rarely said one of their names without the other, and based on my brother's Christmas cards they were still just as close.
After he hung up I heard nothing about it for the following depressing month, not even some kind of funeral service calling to ask about mom, until my wife shook me awake at around 5am to show me my ringing phone with David's name across the caller ID.
"Ahoy Mort,"
He started immediately when I answered, for the circumstances he sounded so casual, as if we just talked yesterday. (He last called me on my birthday 8 months ago) "I assume you know about Mother?" He asked "I do uhm-" I choked on a sob "Did Garrett and the police figure out who did it?" I asked after composing myself with my wife's help, "I'm afraid not, but Garry did a great job clearing my name, the neighbor's were looking at me pretty nasty for a couple weeks." He paused and breathed down the microphone like he always did between thoughts, "Anywhatsit, I've been doing all the work on the funeral and wanted to invite you and Nance, they're putting her next to Dad at Parkview cemetery next weekend. How are y'all doing by the way?"
"We're fine, and thank you, we'll be there." We talked a little longer about this and that, he apologized for not inviting me sooner and joked that he "had a lot going on" and offered his home to us for as long as we'd be in town.
I spent the morning packing up for my wife and I for the week we'd be spending at David's house and occasionally having a breakdown or 2 and we left for Tennessee at about 3 in the afternoon. I drove for the first few hours in relative silence until it started getting dark. "We should stop at a hotel" I said,
"It's only a few more hours, I'll drive the rest of the way pull over."
I silently thanked God as I was pulled over, I was incredibly tired, "thanks Hun." I said as we passed each other walking around the front of my shitty minivan. Almost immediately as she was behind the wheel she got talkative as was expected after the last few years of being together, "soooo, do you think he did it?" She asked "huh?" I said tiredly "your brother?" She clarified "Nancy!" I snapped at her "okay, okay sorry I asked."
"No it's okay." It wasn't okay, that was inappropriate but I was used to her being tonally blind at this point. "I see why they would maybe look at him for a second, he and Mom never got along-" "Ooo new lore!" she cut me off "Don't call it lore dork this is real life." I snapped "sooorrry grumpypants" she groaned, I stared at her blankly while having my bi-weekly regrets about my marriage, she glanced at me twice before adding "I'm just kidding! Please go on."
And after a few minutes I did, "I was always mom's favorite, she didn't want a boy so she was very hard on Dave." "Sounds like a delightful woman." She responded sarcastically. "She wasn't that bad, I only ever saw her get physical with him once.." "oh my! Once! What an angel!" I was starting to get upset but continued anyway "she was only trying to push him over and she was drunk." Nancy tried not to laugh but failed "good luck with that he's built like a brick shithouse!" Her phrasing made me chuckle but I was still angry, she's not wrong though, he's always been a musclehead even if he hides it well under that dumb Bill Cosby ass wardrobe.
"We're going to be staying at his house I'd rather not entertain the idea that he's a killer." I said staring out the window at nothing "that's because you're no fun." She teased, "I'm with you for your looks." I shot back "and you're a bad liar!" She responded patting me on the shoulder. I fell asleep not long after that, instead of dreams my brain just played old nearly forgotton memories, David constantly getting asked for hugs by men and women all the same when we were in highschool, they would all melt into his arms, he'd always be the one to end the hugs because they never would. Then the only time I ever saw him angry, it was right after James Morris punched me in my junior year, him and Garrett both had James virtually pinned to the bathroom door and the look on David's face was foul as he spoke words I don't remember (I never told either of them I started that fight), then mom trying to push him... He stood stoic staring at her while she shoved in vain, he didn't look angry, just unbelievably hurt.
"Babe... Martha... Cinnabon..." I awoke to my wife shaking me "nm what?" I said as I started waking up. "We're here." She said as my eyes opened to see a worn sign that said 'Welcome to Parkview' "you're gonna have to direct me to the address."

Aurors blasted their way into Umbridge's house and found her hiding in a small, hidden room by using the spell Homenum Revelio.
She was surrounded by dozens of plates featuring cats and had rows of neatly stacked tins of cat food, which she appeared to have been eating for sustenance. In the corner of the room was a litter box. Oddly enough, however, there were no actual cats to be found.
The Aurors quickly disarmed her, magically bound her, and hauled her off to the Ministry of Magic to be placed in a holding cell until she could be arraigned.
Two days later, she was brought before the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt, looking slightly unkempt and tired. The entire Wizengamot, which had been noticeably thinned out since Shacklebolt had removed several members for their own crimes and/or bribery, was also in attendance.
She looked around the room and tried to find somebody who could be either an ally or someone to whom she could shift the focus, and therefore, possibly, the blame. Finding no one to fit such a criteria, she fixed her face into a contrite image and looked around at the people who were there and pled for mercy. When it became apparent that mercy was in very short supply for those in her position, she immediately claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse.
In an instant, Minister Shacklebolt's composed disposition shifted from being reserved to completely unfriendly. In a short, clipped tone, completely opposite of his typical warm, soothing, deep voice, he gave her the option to either take Veritaserum right then and there or she could go for a psychological evaluation, which was to be conducted at the Janus Thicky Ward at St. Mungo's.
Umbridge balked at the thought of being stuck in "lunatic land". That was, of course, until the Minister mentioned that being stuck under the Imperius Curse for such a prolonged time, as she was claiming, could have some serious effects on her mind. She quickly decided to keep up her pretenses and immediately agreed that she should "at least be checked out by a professional healer."
Shacklebolt issued a two week recess for the Wizengamot in relation to her case. She began to argue the time frame when he gave her a sharp look and she furiously shut her mouth. He reiterated the two week time frame and continued on to say that when they reconvened, they would hear the Healer's testimony regarding her claims and mental status.
Two Aurors, Savage and Williamson, had taken post on either side of her. Savage held her by her left arm while Williamson pulled out a white handkerchief. He secured her right hand in his and then Savage took hold of the other end of the handkerchief. As soon as he did, the portkey activated and deposited the three of them into a secure room in the Janus Thickey Ward.
After a brief intake, Healer Ashborn entered the room to remove the newest resident's personal clothing and effects and to have her put on hospital issued clothes, which were a drab, dingy grey colour. Umbridge pinched the material between her forefinger and thumb before raising it up to eye level and informing the Healer that she refused to put on something so colorless and disgusting. Healer Ashborn donned a nonchalant smirk and informed her that if it was not done willingly and swiftly that she would have no other choice but to Evanesco her personal belongings to the hospital rubbish bin and charm the hospital clothes on with a sticking spell for good measure.
Less than 2 minutes later, she was dressed and being escorted by the Aurors to her bed, which was surrounded by silver framed dividers with pale blue cloth to block the view of the neighboring beds.
As the Aurors turned their attention to make some notes on their paperwork, Umbridge made a sickly sweet noise as she cleared her throat. "Hem-hem. Am I not being given a private room?" She let out a childish giggle.
The Aurors looked at her incredulously, then at each other. Finally, Auror Savage spoke up, "Private rooms are not given to possible war criminals."
Scowling, Umbridge scoffed loudly and said, "Well, I never! I will be writing a letter to the Minister of Magic about this."
Auror Williamson spoke up then, "You think we don't take our orders from the Minister regarding this? You writing a letter won't change anything."
"How dare you! I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister -"
"Not anymore, you're not " Auror Savage said coldly, effectively cutting her off. "You are a person on trial for war crimes and a provisional resident of the Janus Thicky Ward due to your claim of being cursed. Now, you have been magically bound to be within 5 feet of your bed, meals will be brought to you, and a member of the staff will escort you to the lavatory. You are not permitted to have a wand and that cuff on your wrist is a magic binder. Since we have completed our duties, we shall now take our leave. The Chief Healer will see you tomorrow morning. Good day, Ms. Umbridge."
She pointed a finger at them while trying to maintain her calm and hissed "Now see here. You cannot just leave me here with all these crazy people, especially while bound with no magic." Her right eye twitched.
Auror Williamson raised his eyebrow at her while he took out the white handkerchief. He held it out to his partner, and, after Savage had taken hold, he activated the portkey without saying another word and they disappeared.
Umbridge sat down onto the rather thin mattress and listened as the springs shrieked as though in agony.
Well, at least I'll be using a real toilet instead of that litterbox, she thought to herself. This will be like a nice vacation. I can order my favorite meals and have some nice wine while I relax.
At that moment, Gilderoy Lockhart popped his head around the partition. "Hello," he said with a big smile and in his shmooziest of voices. "I see you're new. Nice bracelet...." he trailed off for a moment. Coming back around, he added, "Don't mind the bed. They all shriek a bit. Well, not mine, of course. I just had to smile at it a couple of times, aheh. Now it sings to me."
She narrowed her eyes while feeling even more flustered than before. "Why are you here," she spat.
"What a stupendous question. Eh...," he started but clearly began to mentally wander again.
"Can't you manage a simple straight answer," she snapped.
"Well, you see... I simply can't remember." He let out a light chuckle and pulled his eyebrows slightly together while pasting on his best grin. Why not? After all, it worked for his bed.
"Yes, well, be sure to maintain your distance. I won't have you loitering about my space. Move along." She waved him off.
She promptly learned that her stay was going to be nothing like a vacation; no favorite meals, no wine, and certainly no relaxing.
As the days wore on, Lockhart managed to finagle his way into her area for most of the day - everyday. One day he was particularly on her nerves after having rambled on and on about a dream of a very large snake and falling rocks.
Umbridge, losing control of the situation with such an utter nitwit, suddenly burst out in her annoyance. "Enough, Mr. Lockhart!" Later that day, she ended up scratching herself nearly raw due to a mild case of hives.
As hard as she tried to keep her sanity about her, he just seemed to suck it away from her. It was almost as though the more insane she felt, the saner he seemed. Could it be that he had devised a way to steal her sanity and replace it with his insanity? She became more and more leery of him as the days went by until, at one point, a near frantic paranoia set in. She spent the rest of that day completely sedated.
She begged the staff to be moved, but Cheif Healer Pye said they could not due to the restrictions placed by the Auror Department. She ordered for Lockhart to be switched to a different location. In that instance, Healer Pye said that he would not as it could disrupt Mr. Lockhart's frame of mind and treatment, causing him to relapse. She pulled her hair, stomped her feet like a petulant child, and screamed until she was Silenced and magically bound to the bed to keep her from hurting herself.
At the end of the two weeks, Umbridge found herself magically shackled and standing in front of the Minister and the Wizengamot once more. The Chief Healer was also in attendance and reported to the court that while he found absolutely zero proof of her ever having been under the Imperius Curse, he felt it was best that she remained in custody whether at St. Mungo's or Azkaban, as she was a danger to herself and others due to her mental instability.
Umbridge let out a small giggle as the Cheif Healer finished speaking. Minister Shacklebolt turned his head back to face her, catching her smile before she could mask her face. He narrowed his eyes at her and asked if she had anything to say. She quickly donned her saccharine smile.
"Thank you, Minister. While it may be difficult for some people to understand all the hard work and pressure of working at the Ministry, I, for one, am ready to stay the task to get the job done. I shall be ready to resume my official post as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic in two days time. Of course, I will need to completely redecorate my office as I'm certain that whomever has been occupying it has completely destroyed -"
"Madam." Shacklebolt had cut her off. He was done hearing her rubbish as she tried to take control of the situation. "You will not be reinstated in any sense to any position in the Ministry. You will, however, be able to enjoy your cell at the now dementor-free portion of Azkaban."
"How dare you!" Her fake smile and childish voice dropped away.
Any members of the Wizengamot who were not completely sure of her guilt nearly got whiplash with how fast she changed her demeanor. Many people began to whisper to each other about rumors they had heard that they now believed to be most likely true. She continued to glare at Shacklebolt.
"After everything I have done and sacrificed for the Ministry. After all the lying, magic-stealing mudbloods I sentenced for the sake of our world. How dare you think for one minute that you can just send me off to that dilapidated cesspool; that disgusting hell hole?!" She had began in a directed, hushed yell and finished in an irritated, huffing screech.
As the court witnessed her continued outburst, they whispered even more to each other. Shacklebolt patiently waited as she further unraveled while admitting to more crimes.
She finally cracked and shrieked out to the room. "Quit your whispering about me! I have done nothing but rid these disgusting mudbloods and blood traitors from among us! ORDER! Listen to me! I will have order!" She began pointing at different Wizengamot members who had opposed the corrupt Ministry while it was ran by Voldemort's puppets.
Having heard enough, Shacklebolt banged his gavel on the podium. The Wizengamot became completely silent as Umbridge continued to screech "I will have order! I will have order!"
Shacklebolt then picked up his wand and cast a Silencing charm in her direction. Umbridge's right eye twitched away as she continued screaming her Silenced "I will have order" chant.
The Minister looked to the Chief Healer and asked if Azkaban had a mental ward that was suitable for Ms. Umbridge. He responded to the affirmative. Umbridge was henceforth sentenced and taken to the mental ward of Azkaban.
Within a week, she had lost her privileges to use utensils, as she had used one to draw a rudimentary cat on her wall to which she was often observed speaking.
"Cordelia, you must bathe yourself. I refuse to have you in my presence whilst unkempt. I will have order." Her eyes glassed over and she stared at the wall without really seeing it as she continued to repeat, "I will have order. I will have order. I will... have......order."

I just finished {Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths by R Raeta} and had to come straight here to rave about it!

Synopsis

Anna is a young, poor woman in England 1184, outcasted for her vitiligo. Struggling to survive on her own, she one day saves a girl in dire circumstances. This girl - actually a god in disguise - thanks her with the gift of a divine peach. Anna eats the entire thing, intrigued by its hollow center and lack of a seed. The peach grants Anna a gift: her wounds heal faster than they can kill her. But this gift comes with the challenges of outliving everyone she has ever known or will ever know. As the centuries pass, the only constant in her life is that her creator - Khiran - always returns to see her.

Review

The often-made comparison between this and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue are very apt. That book is pretty polarizing, but I actually liked it quite a bit. However, I liked this one even better. This is the first book in a duology.
This book was excellent for a lot of different reasons:

• Beautiful, lyrical prose
• Anna is a deserving and kindhearted FMC, with not an ounce of sass or irony
• Khiran is an intriguing MMC, a powerful and somewhat depressed man who wishes to live in a world of Anna's creation
• Khiran's chemistry with Anna leaps off the page
• Lovely historical settings, cultures, time periods, and people give each chapter a fresh feel
• More character driven than plot driven, but with characters this great, that's a good thing
• Deeply romantic pining over centuries
• Third person POV

My only complaints about this book are quite minor:

• At some point, it does seem a little silly that Anna just so happens to experience many major world events that a freshman in high school would learn in history class. I mean, yeah she just so happens to be in London during Jack the Ripper and in the US during the Civil War and underground railroad and in Italy during the initial spread of the black plague and in Spain during the first circumnavigation of the world and expansion into the New World and in Boston during the Boston Tea Partyand she's in Germany leading up to WWII At some point those coincidences do seem improbable and very western-centric (only one chapter focuses on the east; a chapter on China and piracy).
• In addition, there are a 4-5 times in the story that anachronisms pop up that really stood out to me; calling the War of the Rebellion / War for Southern Independence the "American Civil War" in the 1860s just doesn't make sense. Referring to German LGBTQ+ people as "gay" in the 1930s when that term just didn't exist in that context then...

These complaints are very minor, however, because the prose is so beautiful and the characters are so wonderful to read about and experience all these different events through their eyes. The occassional incorrect, anachronistic word used every hundred pages or so is truly not a stumbling block to enjoying this book.
I couldn't put this book down and I am very eager for book 2 to come out in early June!

This book is for you if you like:

• Flowery, purple prose
• Slow burn romances
• Subtle, slow-moving fantasy elements
• Historical time periods
• Character-driven stories
• Mature, complex, deeply human characters
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and/or wanted a kinder, more loving version of that book
• Books that are free on KU (and currently on sale if you wanna buy it)
• Stories where even minor characters feel like real humans
• Stories where the FMC is loved because of her genuine kindness rather than for her beauty or some inexplicable quality that draws others to her
• Books featuring insecurity due to feeling like an outsider
• A really cool take on magic / gods / powers that feels almost mythical

Quotes

That night, when she curls up under the blanket and lets the tears drip silently from her cheeks, she wonders how it’s possible to grieve the loss of something she never expected to have.

.

“What we want isn’t always what we need,” Eira says, setting the jar on the table before reaching out and setting her ancient hands on Anna’s shoulders. “Immortality is a fickle beast, dear girl. Stay too long in one place and you’ll rot there.” “But I’m happy—” “No,” she interrupts, “You’re not unhappy. It’s not the same.”

.

Truths are for those who can afford to live it, not for those struggling to find any bright spot of light in a world that casts them into darkness.

.

“It’s easy to be righteous, to be angry, when you weren’t there to see all the blood and misery that came before you,” he says. “Most of these soldiers will only ever see one war firsthand in their lifetime. The ones who survive will grow old and sit in front of their hearths and pass stories of this battle to their children and grandchildren. They’ll romanticize it. Sing praises of how bravely their battalion fought. They won’t speak of the squelch of their fellow friend and soldier’s blood in their boots, or the fear that painted every soldier’s face. Enemy and ally alike.”

I just finished {Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths by R Raeta} and had to come straight here to rave about it!

Synopsis

Anna is a young, poor woman in England 1184, outcasted for her vitiligo. Struggling to survive on her own, she one day saves a girl in dire circumstances. This girl - actually a god in disguise - thanks her with the gift of a divine peach. Anna eats the entire thing, intrigued by its hollow center and lack of a seed. The peach grants Anna a gift: her wounds heal faster than they can kill her. But this gift comes with the challenges of outliving everyone she has ever known or will ever know. As the centuries pass, the only constant in her life is that her creator - Khiran - always returns to see her.

Review

The often-made comparison between this and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue are very apt. That book is pretty polarizing, but I actually liked it quite a bit. However, I liked this one even better. This is the first book in a duology.
This book was excellent for a lot of different reasons:

• Beautiful, lyrical prose
• Anna is a deserving and kindhearted FMC, with not an ounce of sass or irony
• Khiran is an intriguing MMC, a powerful and somewhat depressed man who wishes to live in a world of Anna's creation
• Khiran's chemistry with Anna leaps off the page
• Lovely historical settings, cultures, time periods, and people give each chapter a fresh feel
• More character driven than plot driven, but with characters this great, that's a good thing
• Deeply romantic pining over centuries
• Third person POV

My only complaints about this book are quite minor:

• At some point, it does seem a little silly that Anna just so happens to experience many major world events that a freshman in high school would learn in history class. I mean, yeah she just so happens to be in London during Jack the Ripper and in the US during the Civil War and underground railroad and in Italy during the initial spread of the black plague and in Spain during the first circumnavigation of the world and expansion into the New World and in Boston during the Boston Tea Partyand she's in Germany leading up to WWII At some point those coincidences do seem improbable and very western-centric (only one chapter focuses on the east; a chapter on China and piracy).
• In addition, there are a 4-5 times in the story that anachronisms pop up that really stood out to me; calling the War of the Rebellion / War for Southern Independence the "American Civil War" in the 1860s just doesn't make sense. Referring to German LGBTQ+ people as "gay" in the 1930s when that term just didn't exist in that context then...

These complaints are very minor, however, because the prose is so beautiful and the characters are so wonderful to read about and experience all these different events through their eyes. The occassional incorrect, anachronistic word used every hundred pages or so is truly not a stumbling block to enjoying this book.
I couldn't put this book down and I am very eager for book 2 to come out in early June!

This book is for you if you like:

• Flowery, purple prose
• Slow burn romances
• Subtle, slow-moving fantasy elements
• Historical time periods
• Character-driven stories
• Mature, complex, deeply human characters
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and/or wanted a kinder, more loving version of that book
• Books that are free on KU (and currently on sale if you wanna buy it)
• Stories where even minor characters feel like real humans
• Stories where the FMC is loved because of her genuine kindness rather than for her beauty or some inexplicable quality that draws others to her
• Books featuring insecurity due to feeling like an outsider
• A really cool take on magic / gods / powers that feels almost mythical

Quotes

That night, when she curls up under the blanket and lets the tears drip silently from her cheeks, she wonders how it’s possible to grieve the loss of something she never expected to have.

.

“What we want isn’t always what we need,” Eira says, setting the jar on the table before reaching out and setting her ancient hands on Anna’s shoulders. “Immortality is a fickle beast, dear girl. Stay too long in one place and you’ll rot there.” “But I’m happy—” “No,” she interrupts, “You’re not unhappy. It’s not the same.”

.

Truths are for those who can afford to live it, not for those struggling to find any bright spot of light in a world that casts them into darkness.

.

“It’s easy to be righteous, to be angry, when you weren’t there to see all the blood and misery that came before you,” he says. “Most of these soldiers will only ever see one war firsthand in their lifetime. The ones who survive will grow old and sit in front of their hearths and pass stories of this battle to their children and grandchildren. They’ll romanticize it. Sing praises of how bravely their battalion fought. They won’t speak of the squelch of their fellow friend and soldier’s blood in their boots, or the fear that painted every soldier’s face. Enemy and ally alike.”

By Juan Diego Velasquez
Mateo Muñoz
Juanjose moreno
Grade: 9°2
Today we are going to talk about the characters of Moving Castle and how for me I need to express them a little more, this work created by Studio Ghibli and written by Diana Wynne Jones, this is a very good movie but today we come to talk about the characters, the main character. It's Sophie and the other protagonist is Howl who is the owner of the moving castle and we have a demon called Calcifer who is in charge of moving the castle and then there are the secondary characters like Marco Turnip Head, Turnip Head, this one I think. It had an unexpected ending but that in the end in the rest of the film he had several appearances in which he was helping the characters but I think we could have investigated more about what happened to him and how he ended up doing the same with Marco which appears in Howl's castle as a helper but they don't show us how she got there, the villain is the witch of the wasteland who is a good character but she could have given us more of her role as a villain, they tell us that she loved Howl and that's why she followed him but that is not the reason, the reason is that there is a moment in the movie in which the villain fell into a trap that left her in bad shape and that makes the character fall since being a villain or better yet, such a powerful witch leaves a bad taste in mouth that howl I think it's very well done it has its concerns that feel real which is good and sophie I would have liked them to tell us more about their past that's all about the characters
The main theme of this part of the review is the animation and the music, without many twists due to the story and how Sofie visits many places with many types of backgrounds, you can appreciate in a fantastic way how the animation is capable of doing things incredible with the 2d to the point that sometimes you don't know if they used gci, it is majestic without any doubt, this was achieved with the incredible ghibli animation team and its director hayao miyazaki, a well-known man in the industry and who definitely He is the genius behind every detail of water, sky and fire, with a character completely made of fire, the music is incredible despite having about 3 songs in total, they are all enjoyable and are played at the right time, to knowing when there is something wrong, something uncomfortable or something beautiful, all this is possible thanks to the music director: Joe Hisaishi, who with a small team was able to make 3 works which were highlighted by time and remained recorded in the memory of all the people. Anyway, there are many reasons to praise this movie but if I can highlight one in particular it would be how beautiful it is, I haven't seen such beautiful things in a long time, the attention to detail is incredible.
A Beutiful movie to watch in family.
Howl's Moving Castle is a film that stands out for its engrossing story and exquisite animation, distinctive marks of Studio Ghibli. The movie is an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's book "Howl's Moving Castle" and was directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki.
The plot centers around Sophie, a young woman working in a hat shop who, after an encounter with the mysterious wizard Howl, is cursed to become an old woman. Determined to break the spell, Sophie embarks on a magical adventure, finding allies like the fire demon Calcifer and the wizard's apprentice Markl. Together, they inhabit Howl's moving castle, a marvel of magical engineering that moves and changes shape.
The animation of the film is simply spectacular, with meticulous details and landscapes that come to life, reflecting melancholy and hope in Sophie's eyes. The characters are charismatic and complex, each with their own vulnerabilities and strengths, adding depth to the narrative.
Moreover, the film addresses profound themes such as self-love, war, and redemption, presented in a way that will resonate with both children and adults. The soundtrack perfectly complements the magical yet dense atmosphere of the film.
In summary, "Howl's Moving Castle" is a masterpiece that combines boundless fantasy with a sincere reflection on the human condition, all wrapped up in animation that is a true visual treat. It is a film that deserves to be seen and revisited, a testament to the art of storytelling through animated cinema
(Thank you for reading)
View Poll

Hello everyone do I have a story for you. Desclaimer the names are made up for the story. And its quite long so sorry.
So I (f) have a friend Mary (f), who I met in 11th grade. I already kind of knew of her because my sister used to go to extracurriculars with her ( I also went to the same place but in a different class, I was also well known there for being smart lol I'm not really). Anyway at the start of the school year me and Mary became friends and she started to open up about her past, she told me that she was bullied in her old school , made an unalive attempt and dated a very toxic guy. (Ik these are very concerning things, she went to therapy for a while and is much better now). Now, this man child Darren dated Mary before we officially met for about 3-4 months, she told me all sorts of bad things about him. For example: his parents found him wasted in a random ally, he was toxic and would assault her, he cheated on her multiple times, EVEN WENT ON A OVERNIGHT TRIP WITH SAID HOMEWRECKER!!! Overall he is a sh*tty guy. Anyway I thought that this was behind her and she started to take a liking to a "sigma" dude in our class (this guy defined himself like that) although I don't like the guy it was better than Darren. Anyway sigma guy didn't work out so guess what she did... SHE GOT BACK WITH HER EX!!!!!!!!! The worst part is that she came to me crying 2 weeks later that he didn't change. To my disgust from then on they were on and off for the hole year while they were also hooking up with other people.
Fast forward to our last year of highschool and she finds new friends (I still exist there) and meets Caleb literally one of the only ok, civil and normal male figures in our grade. Anyway they start liking each other and end up making out at Calebs birthday party after a lot of drinking.(I was not there I recommend no underage drinking) From then Caleb confessed his feelings to her to than get heartbroken by her. MARY F*KING LIKED HIM AT THE TIME SO WHY THE F*CK SHE REGECT HIM!!!
Then I find out that she did the devils tango with Darren and lost her v card with him (I'm fumming).
From here on out Darren starts doing a lot of creepy sh*t so I'm just gonna list it:

• He waits for her to get out of school to talk
• passes by with his motercicle making a scene when we are on break
• he went to her house in the middle of the night to play cringy songs along the lines of "why did you leave me bla bla bla"
• on the night of sant jordi (catalan valentines day) he left a rose on her dorsep
• texting her telling her he knows where she is going to go on weekends (he is usually accurate)

basically he was stalking her.
Now on to Mary, while all this things were happening she made out with random dudes and stuff and had the audacity to do it in front of poor Caleb and basically a lot of shitty things that will break a man's heart.
fast forward one last time to a weekend I went clubbing for the first time, he was there, Darren I mean, and I stupidly thought that Mary was going to be responsible to than have my hopes crushed when I found out that she was making out with him.
so basically I feel dumb for supporting my friend throughout these mentally excruciating (for me) 2 years and telling her time and time again to RUN and get gaslit into thinking that she did. ex: one time she sent me a screenshot of their texts to see a big paragraf of saying that they will keep hurting each other if they were still together I was so proud of her until like 2 days later where she pulled a uno reverse card.
Anyway thanks for letting me vent my anger, and advice to everyone DO NOT BE LIKE MARY OR DARREN AND DO NOT ASSOCIATE ROMANTICLLY WITH PEOPLE LIKE THEM!!!
Lots of love and have a good day night or whatever <3

I own a bose SB 900. Recently I added two 'invisible' surround II speakers to my set up as rear speakers. When I played those 5.1 testing video from youtube, I realize the two rear do not actually give me info on the whether the sound source is in front of me or behind me. Rather, the impact I can feel is the the sound source is moved from the soundbar to the center of the room.