For more info on the mindfuck:
http://www.ccru.net/archive/monarch.htm
I was a Ccru Meat Puppet - Justine Morrison
This testament is intended as a warning. It is addressed to those whose eyes and ears and minds can be opened. Hope lies with those people, those brave souls who dare to look. And if my experiences have taught me anything, it is that there is always hope - no matter how dark and desperate things may seem. Many, many people around the world are learning to open their eyes. I know that some of you here will open your eyes this evening. Don’t underestimate your power and importance. With each new pair of eyes that can see, we grow stronger, and the Evil retreats. It depends on not being looked at, on not being seen for what it is.
You wouldn’t be here unless you had already question the Lie. So the fact you here at all is a cause for hope.
Many of the things I will tell you will seem unbelievable at first. Many of you will think that the events I will describe could not possibly have happened. Some of you will think that I am crazy. You know what? That is exactly what I would have thought a few years ago. Yes, that’s exactly what I would have thought - even though many of those atrocious, unbelievable things had already happened to me personally. You see, when something very atrocious happens to you, you can’t remember it. You screen it out in order to survive. That’s what they count on. They feed on your disbelief. They want to make it impossible for you to believe that they exist at all. That’s how they operate.
This is a critical time in our struggle. Things are dark and desperate now. Believe me. Things are more dark and desperate than you could ever imagine.
They are playing out on the biggest possible stage. The biggest possible: the whole human race is at risk. I wish I was exaggerating.
You know, they are getting more and more sure of themselves. They are passing messages on the grandest possible scale and they do not even feel the need to encrypt them very much.
‘It’s better with the butterfly.’ Can you imagine how I felt when I saw that slogan for the first time? The biggest software company in the world announces the upgrading its online network with a strapline that was specifically addressed to me, whom they called Assassin 8. When I saw those words I just froze. Thankfully, I have come so far in my recovery now that I did not succumb to panic. I realized that this sign was as much a cause of hope as a reason to fear. They had gained a new confidence in showing themselves. The war was entering another phase. So be it. ‘It’s better with the butterfly.’ Don’t believe it for a second. It will be worse. Far, far worse.
The MSN8 campaign is a sign that my former handlers, a group calling itself the Ccru, has taken control of the emerging planet-mind. This should make you very scared indeed.
My tale is easier to tell because of the brave and honest trailblazing done by Cathy O’Brien. It is Cathy who has done most to expose the monstrous evil of the Monarch program. Every American - in fact every concerned citizen of the world - needs to read her book Trance-Formation of America. Presumably, many of you are here today because you have already read it.
For the benefit of those of you who haven’t read Cathy’s work, I must pause and explain a little about what the Monarch Program is. Those who know a little about it will have to excuse the fact that my initial explanation of Monarch will be very short. Some might think it is misleadingly short. Perhaps this is so. But to consider Monarch in all its aspects would take much longer than the time I have available today.
The Monarch program is a mind control program. It is named after the Monarch butterfly, because, just as the butterfly changes its form - metamorphoses - so the controllers ‘trance-form’ the mind and personality of their subjects. Monarch recruits its victims when they are children, usually with the collusion of their parents. It uses what is known as trauma-based mind control to condition its victims. Very briefly, this involves subjecting the children to stimuli so horrible, so overwhelming, that their psyche disintegrates. The children cannot deal with what they have experienced, so their personality breaks down into so-called ‘alters’ - submerged fragmentary personae that can be called up and trained by the controllers to carry out their evil purposes.
Who is behind this program? Well, it is known to have been operating in Nazi Germany during the Third Reich, and later to have been adopted by an offshoot of the CIA called MK Ultra. But these agencies are only masks for the forces - the Satanic forces - that are really in control.
The question for which the whole world should demand an answer is this: Why does Ccru refuse to acknowledge its history of Monarch Program involvement, even today? No doubt many of you will be asking, ‘what is Ccru?’ Even those of you who already know about Monarch might not yet know about Ccru and its role within the program.
I knew nothing of Ccru until I came across the name in publicity material for their ‘Syzygy’ (or ‘occult twins’) festival in London. The name ‘Ccru’ was strangely familiar to me, and I had no idea why. It was not merely familiar, it was powerfully and unpleasantly evocative. The moment I saw the posters and leaflets, I felt disoriented and threatened by an upwelling panic I couldn’t explain. That night I was tormented by senseless, terrifyingly vivid dreams.
Each of the dreams took place in an immense, desolate cavern. I felt that I was drugged, or restrained, or both. Either way, I could not move. The cavern was very dark, lit only by candles, and I could see almost nothing apart from row after row of symbols chalked onto the walls. This was unnerving enough, but what still terrorized me when I awoke from the dreams were the horrible sounds that resonated in the cavern: there was a disconcerting, continuous chanting, but, worse than that, a deep moaning that seemed to issue from the throat of some vast, unearthly creature.
These dreams were so vivid that they did not seem like dreams at all. They seemed more like someone else’s memories.
Although I had every reason to flee this macabre phenomenon, I found that I could not. Instead I was drawn inwards - as if I had a destined role to play.
I had originally planned to remain in London for only a week or so. But now I decided to stay longer, until at least the start of the Syzygy festival. In the end, it turned out that I stayed for the whole thing.
Ccru’s contributions to Syzygy had taken the form of nightly ‘rituals’ dedicated to what they openly called ‘demons’. Night after night, the theme of ‘twins’ and ‘twinning’ recurred. At this time, part of me still thought that this was still some kind of art prank. But the nightly rituals and readings were performed with what appeared to be total seriousness. And every day, after the official events finished, there were long, involved discussions that lasted deep into the night. None of the Ccru controllers ever seemed to sleep.
It was in these discussion sessions that I learned more about the Ccru’s belief systems. They claimed to be waging an endless war against the oppressive forces of normal social existence. In general, they seemed wary and paranoid, yet with me they seemed peculiarly trusting and eager to share their esoteric knowledge, as if recognizing a long lost and sorely missed accomplice. In fact, Ccru seized upon me with an eagerness that should have been distressing, except my sense of judgment had already decayed too far for that.
They claimed that ordinary social reality maintained the power of what they called ‘Atlantean White Magic’, a kind of elite conspiracy which they said had secretly controlled the planet for millennia. They claimed to traffick with demons who had told them many secrets drawn from a ‘Lemurian’ tradition of ‘time-sorcery’ that contained within itself everything that was and will be. Lemuria was supposedly an ancient sorcerous culture populated by nonhuman beings.
Ccru also said that they had been taught to count by a sea-beast called Nomo which they had first summoned during an elaborate ritual with took place in Western Sumatra. It was clear to me from the unspoken undercurrent that human sacrifice had been involved, probably on a massive scale. Their apparent indifference to such suffering fitted in with a general loathing for human existence itself. They celebrated what they saw as the imminent destruction of humanity by the forces of techno-capitalism.
Were these just stories, or did they really believe in what they were saying? When I pressed them on this, they never gave me a straight answer. They kept saying that I needed to learn that reality was itself a type of fiction, that both belief and disbelief had to be left behind. I realize now that this was part of a deliberate strategy to mentally destabilize me.
At the dead center of the Ccru system was the ‘Pandemonium Matrix’. It is difficult to fully describe what this horrible thing is. It was only later, when I had escaped Ccru’s influence, that its real nature was made clear to me.
What the Matrix amounted to was a list of the demon-creatures which the Lemurian sorcerers had traded and made pacts with. More than that, the Matrix gave the numerical codes and other protocols that the Lemurians had used to contact these entities. I quickly learned the names and characteristics of many of these beings. I noticed that one seemed to be invoked more frequently than the others: Katak, a demon associated with terrible destruction and desolation. Night after night I ingested this Ccru spiritual poison, not realizing - or even really caring - how thoroughly it was insidiously eroding the basic fabric of my being, calling to my own inner demons.
I didn’t know just how close I was to total destruction, and wouldn’t have known, were it not for what had happened on the last night of Syzygy. This night was devoted to what Ccru called a summoning; but it’s clear to me now that it was some form of hideous black Mass. After it had drawn to a close, I had a strong impulse to step outside for some fresh air.
Once outside, I was vaguely aware of two trenchcoated figures lingering in the darkness. Then things started to happen quickly. Before I had time to react, one of them had grabbed me, covering my mouth; at the same time, the other pulled a hypodermic syringe from his coat pocket and quickly pushed it into my arm. I realized immediately that they had drugged me.
Sedated but still conscious I was dragged for what seemed like hours through the alleys of Vauxhall. Eventually we arrived at what appeared to be a warehouse of some kind. I remembered being taken through a series of security doors, until finally we entered a large basement area. It was here that I was to spend six months of shattering revelation. My two rescuers, although it took me several weeks to properly identify them as such, were twin brothers Viktor and Sergei Kowalsky, who displayed all the heroism, nobility and truthfulness of modern knights. They themselves had escaped from a Soviet mind-control facility controlled by Russian Satanists. After years of being pursued by agents from the most occult wing of the KGB, the Kowalskys set up the base in London and there they waged their selfless crusade against the evil of Satanic mind control.
The months I spent in the Kowalskys deprogramming laboratory - they called it a ‘safe room’ - were undoubtedly the most illuminating of my life. Their therapeutic regime included hypnosis, drugs, and electrical stimulation. The Kowalskys explained that these techniques were aimed at recovering material buried deep within my mind. They were specially designed to restore the identity of what they described as ‘Monarch slaves’, a term that was then completely new to me. The Kowalskys told me that they needed to access the alternate personalities or ‘Alters’ who had been with me since childhood. They said that I had been subject to ‘pandemonium programming’, a special variant of the Monarch system of personality disintegration, compartmentalization and indoctrination. The particular numerical combinations of the Pandemonium Matrix, the Kowalskys told me, had functioned as triggers for my suppressed identity fragments.
They warned me that digging down through these deeply-compacted layers of trauma would produce inexpressible intensities of anguish. In telling me this they were not exaggerating in the slightest. Over the following terrible months I would discover that my memories were lies, my mind had literally ceased to be my own, and that I had been possessed instead by alien commands, and demons. Who had been doing this to me, and why?
It was only as my recovery work with the Kowalskys painfully advanced, step by step, that I came to understand the sinister purpose that held me in its claws. The Kowalskys explained that Ccru wasn't an acronym at all, but was actually a version of the ancient West-Polynesian word Khru, meaning the Devil of Apocalypse. Once I understood that they were really Satan worshippers a lot of other things became much clearer. The supposed Lemurian system was really a name for all the demons of hell.
Ccru’s role as agents of Satanic mind control explained the pedantically detailed theory of trauma they had outlined to me and also their striking obsession with twins. In the world in which Ccru operated, traumatism was the means and twins the raw material. It was only by the most heroic and persistent efforts that the Kowalskys had initiated me into this aspect of the phenomenon. In particular, it took months for me to fully accept that what felt like vivid personal memories were actually telepathic communications from the submerged mental compartments of my missing Monarch twin.
The Kowalskys told me that my recent involvement with Ccru, far from being accidental, was the final stage of a long entanglement with them and the forces they represented. Recovered memories from my early childhood showed that Ccru had been covertly directing the course of my entire life, education and process of psychological maturation. I had been chosen from before birth, assigned to them by the ancient breeding masters countless generations before and had undergone meticulous lifelong training to perform a special mission. I shuddered at the thought of what this mission would involve. The Kowalskys gradually brought me to the terrible realization that my mission had already been accomplished - on the very night of my rescue. They told me that, with my mission complete, I had been scheduled for ‘retirement’ only hours later. This retirement would involve a long and protracted ceremonial death, to be followed by a ritual devouring by the demon Katak. A physical death and then a soul death.
But what had my mission been?
As the therapy progressed, I crossed a new threshold in my recovery, and became subject to a new wave of horribly realistic dreams. It was in these dreams that the awful truth about the mission was revealed.
They began with a semi-familiar stranger leading me forcibly into the subterranean labyrinth beneath a tropical island.
After violating me repeatedly in the butterfly position, he took me down into the lepidoptera hall. It was long and narrow, walled by shelves of meticulously numbered jars. Each jar contained a butterfly. At first I thought they were preserved specimens, until I noticed them moving slightly, opening and closing their wings.
‘Why don't they die?’ I asked.
‘They can't die while the puppet lives,’ he replied.
It was then that I noticed, shocked, that he was standing behind himself. I heard cryptic numerical chanting in the background. Then the rear figure commanded ‘Do it now ...’
The chanting had changed into the insistent words ‘Assassin 8 .... Assassinate.... Assassin 8 ..... Assassinate .....’
I looked down and saw the number ‘8’ was painted onto my chest in blood.
Then I saw myself standing over a bloody corpse laid out upon some kind of sacrificial altar. In a moment of sickening revelation, I recognized that the body was that of William Gates III. Of course, my initial response was to deny the possibility that I could be a murderer. Surely this was some sick fantasy? Wasn’t Bill Gates manifestly alive and prosperous, even appearing frequently on TV? The Kowalskys were forced to puncture this bubble of comforting illusion. How likely was it that this was actually the true Bill Gates? The Kowalskys taught me that the probability was indeed vanishingly insignificant. Not only did they point out all the subtle distinguishing features so that after comparing video images I could distinguish between Gates and his double with close to one hundred percent accuracy, they also explained how for political reasons Gates’ continued existence had become impossible.
It was then that I recalled how, every Syzygy night without fail, the same slightly odd-looking middle-aged woman would attend, wearing a shapeless raincoat, an unnatural blonde beehive, dark glasses and an ornate butterfly tiara. She sat silently, observing proceedings, her features twisted into a cruel and complacent smile. Recalling this mysterious visitor later, with the help of the Kowalskys, I was able to strip away the disguise and realize who ‘she’ had been: none other than Microsoft mastermind Bill Gates, or more probably his twin. On other occasions the Gates-entity wore different disguises in order to attend Ccru meetings without attracting attention, yet he was never without a butterfly jewel of some kind -- a tiepin, for instance, or a ring. On one occasion he appeared masquerading as the black-snow bluesman Blind Humpty Johnson. I intuitively felt it had to be him, but I could not see the emblem anywhere. Eventually I chanced to glimpse into the left lens of his expensive shades and saw, deep in the black mirror, a holographic butterfly fluttering endlessly through the void.
It all made a terrible kind of sense, but, understandably, I reacted very badly to the discovery. The Kowalskys told me that this was probably because Gates had been involved with me in earlier episodes of satanic abuse and that recognizing him had threatened to reactivate unbearable repressed memories. They told me that it would help to acknowledge these previous encounters so that I could begin the process of healing. In any case there was no longer any doubt about the truth - Gates was dead, and I had murdered him.
With Gates’ death, Microsoft and Ccru had become one thing. I realized how completely I had misunderstood the situation. Ccru had given every indication of holding Gates in awe, following his instructions without question. Among themselves they would use many affectionate names for him, such as ‘Dollar Bill’, ‘the Gator’ and ‘Gates of Pandemonium’. He had seemed like a kind of father figure to them. How could the Ccru web-site have come to generate some of the heaviest traffic on the web, without any advertising or even word-of-mouth popularization, if not for the massive and sustained support offered by Gates and Microsoft? Many web users report that the Ccru site sometimes pops up spontaneously when using certain Microsoft applications.
Ccru went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that their close links with Gates were never exposed, even going so far as to attack him publicly. Now, of course, I saw that the very name ‘Syzygy’ had been a cynical declaration of black ritual assassination. One twin would kill another. This was typical of the brazen Ccru style - years before Ccru had spoken of the ‘Switch’. They had also publicly announced that the Age of Katak was arriving, when the world would be consumed by blood and fire. The assassination of Gates was supposed to initiate this new era. The Kowalskys explained that Gates was the romanized version of the proto-Arabic Khatzeik, the form of the name Katak as recorded on the Black Stele in the ruins of Irem. Killing Gates was both a symbolic and a practical act that would enable Ccru to take control of cyberspace and use it for the vast planetary hive-mind control system that they are creating.
The letters MSN followed by the butterfly icon signifies Mission Butterfly, or Monarch Program. I never really understood their numbo-jumbo, but they showed me that MSN8 was qabbalistically equivalent to CCRU - I can’t remember how it worked now, but it was very persuasive at the time.
After the MSN8 campaign broke, I wrote to Ccru asking them to justify their actions. It was the first time I had attempted to contact them since my healing. They were unable or unwilling to reply. According to the Kowalskys, Ccru were almost certainly Monarch slaves themselves. That was why they could so convincingly feign oblivion about their involvement in the conspiracy, as if they had no knowledge of the way the secret control-codes really operated.
I said before that these are dark days. Indeed they are. It is impossible to overstate the threat that Ccru and Monarch pose. My purpose here tonight is to draw the world’s attention to that. To open your eyes. Because to confront the Satanic threat, you must accept that it is here. You have to believe the unbelievable.
But speaking as a former Monarch slave myself I would urge caution. To really defeat the Satanists, we must learn everything we can about them. Ccru should be deprogrammed with the same compassionate thoroughness that I was.

Hello,
I've never posted about this kind of stuff, but I've never experienced such a persistent nagging pain
My ex and I had a very turbulent 7 year relationship, I initially met her months after healing from another long term relationship, about 25 years, and that ended amicably, and to this day I see her as a friend.
The beginning of our relationship was amazing, it was very sexually charged, she was into everything and anything I did, she was sweet, comforting, a great listener, the times we had were almost euphoric. Even during this phase of the relationship, I acknowledged to myself that I have to take things slow as things are moving so fast.
About a month and a half into "dating" she got pregnant, and I told her I will be there for you, and I'll never run away from being a Father, ever! Immediately everything changed, and of course I understand why and empathize with how she may have felt suddenly being pregnant, and I genuinely cared and made myself available at all times. We only lived a building apart, we were basically doors down from each other.
Immediately she wanted to get a place together, I let her know that she could stay with me anytime, give it a trial run, but we still need to get know each other, as I just got over a 25 year relationship. She started staying with me on and off and I began seeing a complete different side of her, she would storm out of my place and take issue with little things like clothes on the floor, or an unmade bed, I mean over the top anger.
Still throughout this period I began falling in love with her, and falling in love with my unborn child. During this period I started discovering a pattern of lies, some just white lies, some extremely severe, lies that had the potential to affect any sort of positive outcome as they entailed criminal behavior. When confronted with the worst ones I was assured she would stop.
Skip ahead to the birth, I was with her, we were both content, a happy beautiful healthy daughter came from the womb. I was in love, both with my child, as well as the Mother. We were inseparable for awhile, then she became extremely controlling, even vicious at times. My time with my daughter was often relegated to when the Mother was asleep, I would let her sleep when my daughter woke up in the night and bond with her then.
One day she got extremely upset with me as I wanted to bring my daughter and her to a family event, she had an issue with a family member of mine, this turned into a CRAZY argument, that ended up with me being denied seeing my child for over 12 days. I ended up going to the courthouse to file papers that would give me the legal right to see my daughter, regardless of the status of my relationship with the Mother.
I never served those papers, as my daughter had gotten sick, and we both met at her pediatrician appointment, everything melted away and we were together again, she became loving again, we shared bringing up our child, but I began to lose touch with all my family, including my friends, anything I would do or plan to do would cause an insane amount of friction.
Through this time we did our best to be close, but the lies never stopped, and I completely began to lose my sense of self. There were times when my daughter would be completely weaponized, used as a pawn to control me, I slowly began isolating myself from just about anyone but my daughter and the Mother. We would have an argument, could be anything, big or small, and instantly I'd be disregarded, no communication, no texts, no calls, no responses. Then we would get together and she would show me love and kindness, and I'd be hooked again. This on and off pattern lasted a good 6 years. I still struggle thinking about how dark some of those days were, and I've never strayed or abandoned my daughter. She's the light of my life, just has 2 parents that can't seem to live peacefully together.
Forward to now, just a few months ago we talked and decided it would be best to part and focus on co-parenting. The 1st month was great, we were cordial to each other during pick ups and drop offs, but we stopped both putting our child to bed together. If she had her I used to always go over and put her to bed, read books, bathe, etc and she would for the most part so the same when I have my daughter. We stopped that, as when my daughter did fall asleep that's when we would connect, quite often it was just sexual, looking back it was like giving a dog a bone, it was void of true intimacy, it was just enough to keep things balanced in an odd way, it became the only affection I came to know.
This entire time, regardless of our status, whenever we were with other people she was a gem, she always would bring gifts even if not necessary, always be extremely affectionate towards me, basically playing a part.
Here's an example, I got sick one evening, some sort of food poisoning, it got bad enough where I had to go to the hospital and be treated in a bed from early morning until evening. This happened to fall on a night we had planned a "date" night. She came to the hospital to pick me up, my parents were there and she was as sweet as you could imagine, as soon as I got discharged and we were driving home, now just the two of us, she flipped on me for ruining our date. She bought tickets to a show, and she was recklessly pissed off and as mean as one could imagine, and I was still sick, she ended up storming out of my place.
These kinds of situations became normal, and a nonstop cycle of on again/off again partners became the norm.
I'm getting long winded now, but I'll come back to the present. After about a month of just co-parenting and coming to terms with ending any sort of romantic relationship, and being cordial to one another, she started reminiscing about our past, sharing pictures of happy times with my daughter and us together, pictures of just her and I, messages of love, how she misses me, will always love me, all these things, and I opened the door again. This was days before she worked be leaving for a "yoga retreat" and I would have my daughter. Needless to say, those 4 days there was no more communication, not even with my daughter. The 1st communication on a Sunday morning was about being together again, and now sentiments of love.
This has since happened 2 more times, always surrounded by secrecy, even if it directly affects my daughter, which it has. Come to find out she was never away, "out of town" she was just down the road at an Airbnb with some guy that flies in from out of state, she told me all this and actually said how much I would like him, and that this guy would love to meet me, and at the same time maintaining how much she still loves me.
This coming week my daughter and her are taking their first "vacation" without me involved. I was completely fine with this, expressing how I first had mixed feelings, only because my daughter has never really traveled without me and her Mother, but came to terms with it and even started suggesting places to show her, a beach to check out, dolphins in these waters, manatees here etc. The guy she's been seeing at random airbnbs lives in the state they are flying too
It's just thrown me for such a loop. I haven't truly trusted her for a while for good reasons, lots of lies, and complete disregard for any prior planned commitments, but this just feels out of the park, and has me feeling like an emotional weakling. Yesterday I responded to an email saying "I just need to process some of this stuff and not communicate unless it has to do with our daughter", the response was crazy, completely shitting on me as a person on how much I've wronged her and how I never cared for her and all this stuff. My reply was you are right, I'm sorry, I've been having trouble letting go, but I'm now ready too, let's focus on being the best we can be for our daughter.
Instant reply of what a great father I am, how I've always been there, how much my daughter loves me and counts down the days to when I have her. How sorry she is that she treated me poorly, etc. It's all just nuts, and I can't simply not communicate, and I'm so confused as to why I'm feeling so hurt by all this stuff while I recognize the healthiest thing I can do for myself is truly let go. I have so many mixed emotions I can't even think about dating, or even chilling with someone new. I'm all over the place, mainly sad, it's so confusing.
Apologies for such a long winded post, may not even make clear sense, just let my "swipe" keyboard go nuts for a bit
Hope you are all well!

I commented this on a separate post but thought I’d develop it more and hear your guys thoughts, this is basically my general theory of what Joyboy being the original pirate to the Ancient Kingdom was like
Essentially, I think the world of one piece back then (pre-floods), consisted of one large or a couple large continents comprised of the Ancient Kingdom, tribes of the various races we’ve seen so far, and the 20 other kingdoms that eventually founded the WG, each being much more secluded with closed borders as the lack of oceanic borders and shared landmass made every country much more territorial and constantly at war (similar to our own world). I think the Ancient Kingdom must’ve had a strict status quo, with Joyboy paralleling Oden being the natural born adventurer who wanted to explore. Refusing to follow the rules of his Kingdom, he became the first pirate and first person to actually set out to sea and encounter all different sorts of people and races.
Through his explorations around the world and infectious ability to bring smiles and make friends/allies wherever he went, he was able to bring all races together to the Ancient Kingdom and usher in a sort of prosperous utopia where everybody working together contributed to it becoming the most advanced civilization. Think about it, a country where the fishman, giants, sky people, buccaneers, minks, and etc all use their unique abilities and knowledge in unison to make the best kingdom, what a beautiful concept that’s reflected also in Luffy’s crew and extended allies. Who wouldn’t want to leave their shitty oppressive country and be a part of this? This scared and threatened the other kingdoms, which led them to team up against the Ancient Kingdom and segregate the world again to maintain their social hierarchy (void century, creation of the red line, celestial dragons, etc).
This would line up with several other existing theories, where all the races seem to worship some sort of Sun God and have a variation of a sun-esque tattoo, symbolizing their allegiance to the Ancient Kingdom. It also follows the Pangea theories but I won’t go to deep into all those.
A key element to this theory comes with the character Toki. Being someone who personally knew Joyboy and of his eventual return, she fell in love and decided to have her child with Oden because she thought he was the spitting image of Joyboy’s adventurous and infectious spirit, and believed that their child would inherit that same will and be the Joyboy of the current era. She likely saw the same thing with Roger and that’s why she put her full faith and trust into them being the men who would help her set the pieces in motion for the next generation to bring the Dawn (maybe she was Joyboy’s lover back in the day, who knows). Obviously neither Ace or Momonosuke became Joyboy, but it would’ve made sense for her to make that wager. It’s a common theme in One Piece for inherited will to not come from actual genetics, but nonetheless Roger and Oden still were critical in influencing the next era and Luffy (Joyboy’s actual return).
What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your guys thoughts

Because football and the video games that aim to virtualize it have always been about competition, merit, tactics, outsmarting your opponent, accomplishment, and ultimately, the reward. The thrill of crafting the perfect strategy, the satisfaction of honing your skills, and the excitement of seeing your hard work pay off on the virtual pitch were what made the old PES series, especially PES 2013, so captivating. But today, with games like eFootball and FC24, it feels like these core principles have been pushed aside in favor of monetization schemes that allow players to bypass the essence of the game entirely.
In eFootball and FC24, you can receive rewards without even needing to play the game, simply by spending money. This undermines the entire concept of competition and merit. Legendary players, who should be rare and symbolize a player's dedication and skill, are now accessible to anyone willing to open their wallet. In the old PES days, having a legendary player in your squad was a badge of honor, a sign that you had achieved something remarkable through skill and perseverance.
Maybe it's because I'm an older player and my values are different, with higher standards (no offense meant) than what I see in this generation of video game players. I remember playing PES 2013 Master League for countless hours. Back in the golden age of PES, to keep and maintain a squad of the best players in the game, you needed to reach at least the quarterfinals of a competition regularly. Each match was a test of your abilities, and each victory felt earned. The grind was real, but it was also rewarding.
Today in eFootball, the experience is starkly different. Instead of fostering a community of players who respect each other and enjoy the competition, the game seems to breed toxicity. All too often, the messages I receive are offensive, sent by spoiled kids who can't handle a loss. They lack the sportsmanship to acknowledge a good game and often resort to insults whether they win or lose. In the past, most of the messages we PES players exchanged were to congratulate each other with a simple "GG" for the good match we played. There was a mutual respect that made the online community a much more pleasant place to be.
This decline in community spirit and the shift away from rewarding genuine skill is disheartening. The joy of outsmarting an opponent with a well-timed strategy or the thrill of scoring a goal after a meticulously built-up play has been overshadowed by the ease with which success can be bought. The games today feel more like a business transaction than a test of football acumen.
Furthermore, the move to mobile gaming and the focus on microtransactions have diluted the experience even more. I doubt this makes any sense to someone who plays on a mobile phone. The depth, the tactics, the thrill of a full 90-minute match – these are elements that are hard to replicate on a mobile device. The PC and console versions offered an immersive experience that mobile games just can't match.
Back in the days of PES 2013, the gameplay was rich and nuanced. Every decision on the field mattered, and every match felt like a new challenge. There was a sense of accomplishment when you finally managed to sign that elusive star player or led your team to victory in a hard-fought league. Today, it feels like the heart and soul of football gaming have been stripped away in favor of quick, easy, and purchasable gratification.
I could keep going, but I think I've made my point. The golden age of PES was about skill, strategy, and respect. Today's games, unfortunately, seem to have lost sight of these values. PC Master Race (I'm kidding, but also kind of not).

Salutations! Let me apologize in advance for any typos as I am doing this from my phone.
I seeking advice that perhaps somebody may have insight into regarding a substantiated CPS investigation. This is going to probably be a long one so again I apologize in advance for eating anyone's time.
This investigation began around March 8th and chiefly concerns my girlfriend of 12 years as of March 12 2024 (we're not married due to cost of marriage and decided it's better to focus on our bills. One day we'll get there though!) and my 14 year old daughter. For anonymity purposes we'll call my GF "M" and our daughter "A". The dispute starts while M is getting A from band practice after school. M is a big Taylor Swift fan while A is not. M is the art teacher at my other youngins elm school. M explains they stayed later putting up women's inspiration signs in the hallways of the school and that T Swift was one of the signs. A begins harping and ribbing on M for liking T Swift effectively reducing M's likeing of T Swift to her being stupid. This rubs M the wrong way but she lets it go.
M and A make it home and M tells A to unload the dishwasher. This is A's only real chore and it is expected daily. While A is griping about unloading the dishwasher M mentions to A that she would like her to check her phone in our bedroom at 10PM on school nights as M and I noticed that she would get wired on those canned Starbucks coffee drinks and stay up to the later hours watching TikTok. As the Michael Jordan meme would say, "I took offense to that". A was very angry by this and what was an argument quickly escalated to her stomping upstairs, putting on her headset and going nuclear screaming and cursing M with every word in the book to her online friends. This is the point where I can actually say "this is what I saw" as I am a systems admin and work from home I was still catching up on some work and had my headset on blasting music. Her stomping and screaming were so load they cut through my music and had me saying what's going on? Before I make it to A's room, M has made it up the stairs and is confronting her. The foot of A's bed faces the doorway and is quiet narrow until you walk further in the room. A's wireless mouse and keyboard she uses are on an old kidney bean shaped laptop table meant to be used on ones lap. Very similar to https://www.amazon.com/Sofia-Sam-Oversized-Supports-Laptops/dp/B013J7NHZK/ref=asc_df_B013J7NHZK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693270329223&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3293057548349339658&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014051&hvtargid=pla-450818376647&psc=1&mcid=be1c6da2469e37a186c055487dc6cb34&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwl4yyBhAgEiwADSEjeLCXUHOTVTs3pOpurZxygdvyT1W-ba-bnYvQrsLJzSa2XRh3iSFMpBoCXvMQAvD_BwE
It's old and the bottom padding piece that rests under it has come off and has been long gone since it was held on by pretty janky Velcro. M and A are arguing and A is still cursing out M except they are face to face now. M picks up the old laptop board and smacks/spanks A in the thigh as A is sitting indian style on the bed. M says "are we done" as A continues to curse her and be flippant resulting in another two smacks in the thigh for a total of three . M tosses the laptop, lap thingy to the floor and pulls the netgear USB wireless dongle from her computer and then tells A, not only have you lost your phone but now your computer. Discord means the world to A as it her means of communicating with her internet boyfriends. The internet boyfriends have been a huge headache as we have had her sending/receiving nude pictures via Snapchat, and having phone sex via the Nintendo switches fortnite lobby chat and discord That is a huge can of worms that even as I, a skilled system admin can't squash out. I'm sure there are other parents out there facing Snapchat/discord hell too but back to the story... When M removes the dongle A jump out of her bed and starts bird chesting real hard. You know, when somebody starts boeing up to get physical. She approaches M, gets in her face to curse her out a final time then tries to walk through M and out of the room. By walk through I mean that shoulder bump thing one does to be knowingly rude. When A tried to walk through M, M pushes her back. Not the "Hey homie lets fight" push but that "whoa, don't try charging me" push. A's room is disgusting, laundry and dishevelled. A's room and hygiene have always been bad. M and I have taken her to therapists for behavioral issues and depression but the best we could get was an oppositional defiance disorder diagnosis. We believe there to be more but that would be a whole new post of it's own. So, when M pushes A back, A slips at the foot of the bed which is the bottom bunk of a previous bunk bed setup. It was a fall that she fell on her butt as she went down but must have banged something as she had a bruise on her leg. She gets up screaming she is leaving and M lets her out of the door way. She rushes past me as I'm a bit stunned like what the heck just happened? A goes through the front door into our neighborhood. Luckily we're in a subdivision so she goes to a friend's which we're informed that she is over there. She comes back maybe after an hour and a half, has dinner and we all call it a night letting cooler heads prevail instead of trying to talk about it. Fast forward 2-3 days later, M gets notified that she is being invested by Mississippi CPS for claims of child abuse. We confront A and she says she told her teachers she was abused and from what I gather showed them the silver dollar sized bruise from where she slipped. The teachers were even taken back like "you know if you say this, we have to report it". She was like I know. This report was done because we took her devices and did not disclose when we would give them back. This was a petty, malicious attempt to get revenge..... And it worked. A's younger brother and sister were interviewed, our house was gone through by our cps social worker. I give my account in an interview and think, obviously she will see A has "lieabetis" and is making a falsified report. Our social worker then escalates this to a forensic investigation that involves A and her siblings being examined by a therapist individually, and a humiliating, spread your checks style wellness exam to look for bruising or any possible old injuries M could have inflicted upon them. This is April 22nd and M and I are like finally they'll see we don't beat our kids. Well.... I knew it would take a while for the medical stuff to be reviewed so I reach out to our social worker on May 13th awaiting our obvious exhonoration, but that quickly turns into her saying she has substantiated the claim and while she would not be pursuing criminal charges, this substantiation would effectively mark M as being guilty for child abuse. She would be entered into a national registry and would assuredly lose her job as the elm school art teacher. The way the claim of abuse has been substantiated was by M admitting that she smacked/spanked A with the laptop, lap desk, and that she pushed A resulting in her slip. I've begun trying to reach out for resources such as Mississippi families as Allies for guidance on this matter but I've just begun doing so today, May 14th. In my heart and in my mind, I don't believe what transpired between M and A to be child abuse. Do I believe it to be a less than optimal discipling, yes. M did not touch A with malicious intent nor to cause long term physical harm.
To finally get to my question, does anyone know in the instance of a non criminal investigation concluding M can appeal the substantiated decision in hopes of overturning it to unsubstantiated? It's not to say we're adverse to the social workers decision, but we know with a clear mind that M didn't physically abuse A.This would ruin M's newfound career. She finally cleared her first year and things were looking great. Financially it would be super tight but we thought about retaining a lawyer if they can help. It's not that we aren't without remorse for the whole situation. We just feel the context within hasn't been adequitly explained doing us a huge disservice.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. If you've made it to the end, thanks.

Timestamp
Endgame:
Grey Mirror Polished Brass Keyboard with Custom CNC Brass Keycaps

The board is a Monokei Hiro SE and the keycaps are CNC machined blank cherry profile chrome plated brass that were custom made for me. Tsangan bottom row (7u spacebar), stepped caps lock, scooped homing keys. The keycaps are chrome plated rather than pvd coated like the board is but they are a very close match in color with the board. The keycaps are also very thick (see comparison with rama & hibi in the album). The chrome plating on the keycaps has some minor surface imperfections (see images and image descriptions in the album). Comes with 1 extra new solder pcb with daughterboard, 1 millmaxed solder pcb with daughterboard, matching brass plate, 4 extra 1u keycaps (1 in each row profile), stabilizers, lots of heavy springs in various heavy weights including super heavy ones for the spacebar, carrying case. Does not come with switches, the keycaps will be shipped in the jtk tray shown. The weight of this keyboard fully built is about 8.7 lbs

$1750 Shipped with insurance, US only (including all US territories). $1250 for keycaps alone (with springs)
​
Artisans:
Blank Aluminum Polished

Cherry profile, row 1 (ESC), raw aluminum polished but has micro scratches (see images)

$11 Shipped
​
Blue Spruce 3 Keycap Bundle (Pudding, Thermal, Vibro)

These keycaps were NOT made by Rama Hibi or Mozi and are not endorsed by any of them. Resin, Polished, Cherry Profile, Row 1 (ESC row)

$60 Shipped
​
Iced Latte 3 Keycap Bundle (Pudding, Thermal, Vibro)

These keycaps were NOT made by Rama Hibi or Mozi and are not endorsed by any of them. Resin, Polished, Cherry Profile, Row 1 (ESC row)

$60 Shipped
​
Solid Brown Thermal

This keycap was NOT made by or endorsed by Rama. Resin, Polished, Cherry Profile, Row 1 (ESC row)

$20 Shipped
​
Dark Grey Warning Keycap

This keycap was NOT made by or endorsed by Rama. Resin, Cherry Profile, Row 1 (ESC row)

$10 Shipped
​
Mozi GMK Pickle R1

Excellent condition, Cherry profile, row 1 (ESC), resin

$48 Shipped
​
Keycaps:
Angry Miao Glacier Keycaps Dark Blank Alphas

Excellent condition, more details here

$29 Shipped
​
Macropads:
Rama M6-C Metropolis

Excellent condition, comes with original packaging, switches, keycaps, USB cable

$52 Shipped
​
Rama M6 Lunar New Year (LNY) Base

Excellent condition, mirror gold pvd brass, black silicone rubber ring. This is just the bottom piece, not a full m6 macropad. Can be used with any Rama m6 macropad, does not include screws. More details here. Comes with 6 Tecsee gold metal coated linear switches.

$55 Shipped
​
Rama M6 Purple (Haze) Base

Excellent condition, silicone. This is just the bottom piece, not a full m6 macropad. Can be used with any Rama m6 macropad, does not include screws. Comes with 6 matching purple grid keycaps.

$11 Shipped
​
Rama M6 Yellow (Yolk) Base

Excellent condition, silicone. This is just the bottom piece, not a full m6 macropad. Can be used with any Rama m6 macropad, does not include screws.

$10 Shipped
​
PCBs, Plates, Keyboard Parts:
Mode65 Blue-Grey Backpiece

Excellent condition
Keywords: Mode 65, Mode Sixtyfive

$37 Shipped
​
Mode65 Solder PCBs

Never used. 2 available
Keywords: Mode 65, Mode Sixtyfive

$42 Shipped for both or $25 Shipped each or trade both for one hs pcb (or envoy hs pcb)
​
Mode65 Alu Plate and Yellow Silicone Base

Excellent condition. Plate is full ansi
Keywords: Mode 65, Mode Sixtyfive

$19 Shipped
​
QK65 FR4 Plate, POM Plate, Alu Plate, Solder PCB

Never used, solder pcb comes with poron foam, pe foam and standoffs. These are from the R2 run.

$56 Shipped for everything, willing to split alu plate and/or pcb from bundle
​
All items include free shipping to US, international shipping available at an additional cost
Feel free to dm with any questions, discounts for bundles
Must have confirmed trades for items over $100.
​
Want to buy/trade for:

• Rama M6 PCB (Any Kind)
• Rama M6-B Mist(Silver)
• Geistmaschine studio macropod
• Gmk Sloth Base

The underlying theme of exorcist is conveyed by the motif of absentee fathers.
Regan’s father is out of her life, Father Karras’s biological father isn’t in the picture, Father Merrin is absent most of the movie, and God the spiritual father seems to have abandoned his children because the world is descending into depravity.
“Do you know what she did? Your Cunting daughter?”
“Get away from my cunt!”
“Lick me!”
“Fuck me!”
Ever wonder why that particular word “cunt?”
Who says that word constantly? Burke. Who frequently goes to Regan’s room. By the way, how do the police find Burke’s body? With his head twisted behind his back. Now do you think the author made a symbolic choice there? Because I do. I think it’s meant to convey how two faced he was. He wasn’t going to Regan’s room to chat. By the way…notice how Burke Dennings has the same amount of letters in his first and last name as another infamous director known for having sex with children - Roman Polanski.
Burke asks “What’s for Desert?” The camera cuts to Regan…asleep in her bed.
It’s also strange that when Chris discusses a potential love interest with her daughter, twelve year old Regan is immediately skeptical that he might be using her for sex. Why is a twelve year old girl that cynical? Why is her default that men only want sex from women? Could she be speaking from experience, hmmm?
Notice how Regan wets herself? A sign of sexual abuse.
Ever wonder why most of the things the demon says or makes Regan do are profanely sexual?
Ever wonder why when father Merrin confronts the statue of Pazuzu, its serpentine phallus is emphasized?
Rape is an ancient evil.
And how can a good god, a loving god, sit by while children are sexually abused. Has god left? Did he abandon us?
No.
Karras sacrifices himself to protect the innocent. In order to quell the demons of this world, the good must do that from time to time.
Exorcist III revisits and even expands on this.
Evil exists so that good doesn’t become meaningless in a fallen world. So that acts of kindness, compassion , and altruism never lose their ability to inspire awe and hope in people.

The underlying theme of exorcist is conveyed by the motif of absentee fathers.
Regan’s father is out of her life, Father Karras’s biological father isn’t in the picture, Father Merrin is absent most of the movie, and God the spiritual father seems to have abandoned his children because the world is descending into depravity.
“Do you know what she did? Your Cunting daughter?”
“Get away from my cunt!”
“Lick me!”
“Fuck me!”
Ever wonder why that particular word “cunt?”
Who says that word constantly? Burke. Who frequently goes to Regan’s room. By the way, how do the police find Burke’s body? With his head twisted behind his back. Now do you think the author made a symbolic choice there? Because I do. I think it’s meant to convey how two faced he was. He wasn’t going to Regan’s room to chat. By the way…notice how Burke Dennings has the same amount of letters in his first and last name as another infamous director known for having sex with children - Roman Polanski.
Burke asks “What’s for Desert?” The camera cuts to Regan…asleep in her bed.
It’s also strange that when Chris discusses a potential love interest with her daughter, twelve year old Regan is immediately skeptical that he might be using her for sex. Why is a twelve year old girl that cynical? Why is her default that men only want sex from women? Could she be speaking from experience, hmmm?
Notice how Regan wets herself? A sign of sexual abuse.
Ever wonder why most of the things the demon says or makes Regan do are profanely sexual?
Ever wonder why when father Merrin confronts the statue of Pazuzu, its serpentine phallus is emphasized?
Rape is an ancient evil.
And how can a good god, a loving god, sit by while children are sexually abused. Has god left? Did he abandon us?
No.
Karras resists them temptation to violate the scared girl in her nightgown and sacrifices himself to protect the innocent. In order to quell the demons of this world, the good must do that from time to time.
Exorcist III revisits and even expands on this.
Evil exists so that good doesn’t become meaningless in a fallen world. So that acts of kindness, selflessness, and altruism never lose their ability to inspire awe and hope in people.

Beseiged by nasty rumours and a whisper campaign, Priyanka Chopra has decided to immerse herself in work and focus on her forthcoming music album. But while the 29-year-old Pee Cee has opted for a dignified silence in the face of nasty media whispers, friends of the actress claim that her calm faade is just that.
Juggling work, her father's illness, and these rumours have taken a toll on the star. In particular she is upset and flummoxed by the campaign unleashed by a powerful producer-director who can make and break careers in Bollywood. "At a recent party while he was feeding her cupcakes, she heard rumours of him bitching her out-all this is very hurtful," said a close associate of the actress who did not want to be identified. The associate-cum-friend believes that a powerful clique of star wives is behind this spate of anti-Priyanka stories. "Priyanka has done nothing wrong. If these women are insecure about their relationships with their husbands, they should sort it out with them, at home. Why should they attack her?" thunders the friend.
The actress, who along with Vidya Balan has often been seen as Bollywood's go-to girl for meaty writer-backed roles, has confided to her friends that whatever is happening to her could be a function of the way the male-dominated industry operates. But she refuses to let it affect her work. "The only way she can strike back is by doing more work, good work. And it is not just films. There is music, endorsements… she is a brand, a multi-faceted personality and there is no way any star-wife can take that away from her." Says the friend emphatically, adding, "To all those who are calling her names, we would like to ask them, what are your achievements? You will only be remembered as Mrs so and so…!"
As for the stars that have allegedly refused to work with the actress, another friend counters by pointing out that she has always maintained a healthy professional relationship with her stars. "Truth is, she has not signed any new films for this year, as she is busy till October. There are several big-ticket projects she has been approached for. But since she has a policy of not announcing any project before it is ready to go on the floors, people will have to wait until August for news on that front."
When Mumbai Mirror called for her version of the events, Priyanka said she would only talk about her work and the music album. "Whatever has happened is in the past," is all she would say.
However, her protective friends were more forthcoming. "Ever since she was nine years old Priyanka has been in awe of Shah Rukh Khan. But now she is scared to even utter his name in public, no matter how innocent or professional the context." Responding to rumours that the two will not be seen together because of various pressures, the friend says, "Priyanka and SRK shot together for Farhan Akhtar's adult literacy mission film recently. There is nothing on the anvil right now for them to share a platform in public." But sources close to the actress say they continue to remain friendly.
The actress, who is flying out of the country to finish work on her music album, has a lot going on in her life right now. For the last six months her father has not been keeping well. According to her concerned friends, it is not easy for her parents to read the vicious reports about their daughter every day.
"She is a feisty fighter, a hardworking girl and will not tolerate any attempts to discredit her
professionally," says the friend, before joining the actress on the sets of Krrish, where she is shooting till the wee hours of the morning
Poor Little Rich Gauri
Is she on the verge of a nervous breakdown or is she just a bratty star wife?
From being fiercely private to being Bollywood's biggest party animal – Gauri Khan's recent uncharacteristic and irregular behavior has left her husband and friends shocked. So, what's really going on with the gorgeous Mrs Khan?
Kicked out of London hotspot
Gauri Khan and friends were kicked out of famed London club Tramp, leaving lines of illegal substances and broken bottles of Champagne in their trail. Known for its infamous celebrity guests, the club is no stranger to nefarious activities, so the party of 10 must have been doing something seriously bad to have to be escorted out of the premises!
Partied till 7am at IPL without SRK
Despite her husband leaving South Africa mid IPL, Gauri decided to stay back and party till 7am every night with her four girlfriends. Fellow party animals were shocked to see that the usually reserved Gauri was letting her hair down on the dance floor, somthing no one had seen her do before. Masala! heard someone quipping, 'We want what she's on!'
Keeping bad company
From safe (and boring) K-Jo to wild (and bored) star wives, Bhavna Pandey and Maheep Khan and hot (and spoilt) south Mumbai IT girls Renu Chainani and Nandita Mahtani – Gauri has changed her company drastically in the past few years. SRK expressed how he did not approve of their group activities and was heard telling Gauri to 'grow up and accept the responsibilities that fame comes along with'. His harsh lecture, however, fell on deaf ears as she made plans to go to with the same friends to Europe, Miami and then LA soon after! When confronted about her irresponsible behavior and the fact that SRK was sitting at home playing video games with the kids, while Gauri was out partying and neglecting the kids, the latter lashed out at SRK telling him that he had no right to control her life and abused him. So angry was the actor that he finally threatened to leave for Mumbai with the kids if she didn't get her act together!
Fed up of being the perfect mrs Khan
For years now Gauri has played the role of the perfect star wife – dressing and acting the part, being seen with the right people (only those who SRK approved of!) and building an image that she exploited and enjoyed at the time. She confided in a friend saying: 'I am tired of living for the world of fans, I want to live for myself. Why can't I?'
Breaking free or breaking down?
While many of Gauri's friends believe that she's just living life for herself, other's are convinced that she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown!
Masala! verdict
Tired and fed up of playing the perfect celeb spouce, the allegedly bratty Gauri is trying to break free. A friend of the couple told Masala! "Gauri now wants to live life for herself. What's wrong with living in the fast lane?" Nothing, we guess, as long as she's got her seatbelt on and her hands firmly on the wheel!

Hi,
We are working with an AV provider on a solution that involves a Q SYS Core backend, Shure ceiling mics, ceiling speakers, cameras, etc. for a divisible space, made up of two rooms that could be combined into one.
We asked our provider and they are looking into it as well but wanted to see anyone here has ran into a similar issue.
For the Teams Meeting / Room controls we had planned on using Logitech Tap + Intel Nuc for each room because our end users are familiar with them. Originally the intent was for the Tap's needed to be wall mounted as the tables in the rooms are on wheels and would be moved out if holding a larger event which would require the room to be filled with chairs. Most of the time the rooms would have tables setup in a typical board room U shape. Now just before we were about to order the equipment the requirement from the end user changed so that they want the Tap, or at least the ability to control the Team's meeting (mute, control cameras, allow attendees in, etc.) where they are sitting at the U shaped table. Which tbh seems fair, just against what we were originally told to do.
So our issues is how do we let them control the meeting from the table, knowing that some of the time that table would need to move?
I've looked into the Logitech Tap IP which can be configured to be wireless but that doesn't seem to support Microsoft Teams on Windows and only Android.
Is it as simple as plugging in a wireless keyboard and mic into the Intel Nuc and then they would be able to control the meeting once initiated from the Tap? I see there are also Logitech Rally Remote controls would they work to control Tap / Nuc from a distance?
My least favorite, would we be able to unplug only one room's Tap from its Intel Nuc and move it to the side leaving the intel Nuc and use the other room's Tap / Nuc to setup and control the larger space configuration?
Sorry if any of these questions are dumb, it's our first time assisting with a larger conferencing space like this. Leaning on our AV provider but wanted to make sure I understand what options are out there as well.
TIA!

In the hallowed halls of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where tradition meets excellence, history was made as Nimble, a spirited canine athlete, shattered expectations and soared to victory. With agility that defied gravity and a spirit that ignited the crowd, Nimble emerged as a trailblazer, leaving an indelible mark on the illustrious competition.
From the outset, Nimble's journey to the top was marked by determination and resilience. As he gracefully maneuvered through the challenging obstacles of the agility course, it was evident that he possessed not only physical prowess but also an unyielding spirit that set him apart from his peers.
But Nimble's triumph is more than just a triumph of athleticism; it is a triumph of diversity and inclusivity. As the first of his breed to claim the coveted title at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Nimble has shattered stereotypes and opened doors for future generations of dogs who dare to dream.
Behind Nimble's victory lies the unwavering support of his dedicated handler, whose belief in his potential never wavered. Together, they defied the odds and proved that with perseverance and passion, barriers can be broken, and dreams can be realized.
As Nimble stood atop the podium, basking in the adulation of the crowd, he became a symbol of hope and inspiration for all who have ever felt underestimated or overlooked. His journey serves as a reminder that greatness knows no boundaries and that true champions rise above adversity to achieve their dreams.
In the aftermath of his historic win, Nimble's legacy will endure as a beacon of progress and possibility. His victory is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative impact of breaking barriers.
As we celebrate Nimble's triumph at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, let us also celebrate the spirit of inclusivity and diversity that he embodies. For in his victory, we find not only joy and pride but also a powerful reminder of the limitless potential that resides within us all.

I am losing my shit with this one. whilst ableton says my latency is supposedly 7.29ms, I can tell you from my timing tests it is more like 400-600ms between pressing play on a project and actually hearing audio, or from using a MIDI keyboard and actually hearing the notes.
Things I have tried:

• switching audio outputs - I have tried headphones/speakers direct to the output jack on my motherboard, the jack on my front panel, and USB-C from the motherboard to a hub which connects to speakers, and the latency remains the same.
  
• disabling input devices - no effect
  
• buffesample rate ratio - I am now at 96khz sample rate / 512 buffer size, which supposedly gives a 7.29ms overall latency but as previously mentioned in actuality it is about 400-600ms.
  
• changing audio driver, I am now using ASIO4ALL instead of DirectX, and whilst this made a significant improvement on how low I could drop my buffer / sample rate ratio before hearing artifacts, the latency has remained roughly the same.
  

It's probably worth noting that my projects seem to idle around 30% on the CPU meter, when not playing any audio.
My specs:

• Win 11
  
• 7950x processor
  
• 32gb RAM
  
• ASUS X670-P WIFI, which supposedly has "Audio Shielding, Premium audio capacitors, Dedicated audio PCB layers"
  
• boot drive is M.2
  

I usually have much more complicated sets on this PC than my macbook pro, but I'm pretty sure I've never had these latency issues on macOS, at least to the same extent.
I'm completely out of ideas on this one, so any help is much appreciated :)

timestamps: https://imgur.com/a/Jrnifzh
Hello Reddit! I currently have too many keyboards and I am trying to get rid of some of them. Shipping to CONUS and Canada only. Please leave a comment before DMing.
Ciel65 burgundy with clear coated copper weight with cock on the outside - $200 USD shipped

• the cock is usually on the inside of the case but when the designer made some copper weights he decided to put the cock on the outside instead
  • the weight is also clearcoated to prevent oxidation
• forcebreak modded the weight to reduce ping
• no damage or scratches very good condition
• NOTE: despite the stabs being lubed, they still have some ticking or rattling
• will include:
  • stock 50a o ring
  • stock alu plate
  • custom cut pp plate
  • stock HS PCB
  • bakaneko65 solder pcb
  • lubed tx rev 3 stabs for the backspace and spacebar
  • lubed gateron screw in stabilizers for enter and left shift
  • stock brass weight (not coated)
  • preinstalled copper weight (clear coated)

Akko ACR 75 Pro - $100 USD shipped

• modified it to use poron gaskets instead of silicone gasket socks which gives it a softer feel
• added guides on the side of the case to prevent the plate from shifting around due to the poron gasket modification
• will include:
  • gasket socks and jackets
  • preinstalled PC plate with stock MX2A browns installed
  • extra aluminum plate
  • stock factory lubed plate mount akko stabs
  • preinstalled included tape mod
  • included usbc cable
  • included case, plate, and pe foam

LONG POST WARNING
Hello everyone,
My partner (24F) and I (25M) returned home from our 3-week Japan trip last week and due to us using this sub a lot during our planning I thought it would be helpful for other current planners to upload a trip report.
Our main interests are Japanese traditions and history, street style/culture, and food so keep reading if these interests are mutual. Read to the bottom to see how much we spent plus some tips and disappointments.
Prelude
We were caught up in the madness at Dubai airport during our layover. Long story short; Airport (and the rest of Dubai) flooded and caused all the flights to be cancelled. What was meant to be a 5-hour layover turned into a torturous 36 hour wait. No staff to be seen, crowds of people arguing, fighting, and crying. We queued for 12 hours to get a new boarding pass for the next flight to Japan. We were meant to fly to Haneda but settled for Narita as we needed to get out of that place as soon as possible but still ended up missing our first day in Tokyo (should have had 5 days). We can’t complain too much as some of the people I spoke to on emirates were in the airport for up to 5 days before getting a flight back to their departure destination. Oh, and our baggage was missing with us only receiving our checked in bags on day 19. Cheers Emirates.
Day 1
Arrived in Shinjuku around midnight. We went straight to Don Quiojte to buy some replacement cosmetics and clothes. The combination of no good-quality sleep for 48 hours and the stimulating nature of the store was very intense! We then started to walk back towards the hostel and passed a Ichiran, so dropped in for some 2am ramen. Not the best ramen I’ve ever had but was still very good for the price.
Steps: 21,643 (includes some airport steps)
Day 2
Woke up and ate the free breakfast at the hostel (this turned out to be a really good money saver for the whole trip as we are not huge eaters in the morning anyway, but it was good to get something light in us before a long day walking). We then walked through the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden – saw some late blooming cheery blossoms and overall, it was a really beautiful botanical garden.
The next stop was Meji Shrine and a walk through Yoyogi park. The shrine was cool to see, especially as it was our first one in Japan. Saw a middle-aged man wearing denim hotpants so short that his balls were hanging out?!?!
Walked to Shibuya to see the scramble. This was cool but also felt it was a bit underwhelming at ground level but the view from Shibuya station walkway was wicked. Lunch was at a conveyor belt sushi place on the top floor of this department store right next to the scramble. This would be higher than average quality sushi in Europe, so it blew our minds that it was available on the top floor of a department store and for so cheap.
Shimokitazawa – We picked up some bargains at 2^nd street and I treated myself some Japanese jeans from a small Demin shop called Bears. The guy in the shop was super helpful and friendly and even tailored the trousers to exactly my size.
In the evening, we first had a poke around Golden Gai and then headed towards Shibuya and stopped in a cool bar where the owner was mixing vinyl while he mixed your drinks (think it was called Q Bar).
We had previously bought tickets to a gig at Circus for one of my fav rappers who I’d been wanting to see for a while. Also really enjoyed seeing the local Japanese warm up acts. Stayed until 5am and then go the train straight to the Tsukiji outer fish market. Was there way too early and had to wait roughly an hour for thing to open. Went to chill by a bench for a bit and by the time we went back to the market it was rammed! Went to bed around 8:30am.
Steps: 32,159
Day 3
We woke up at 2:30pm, got ready, and headed to the Bunkyo civic centre for the free observation deck. We heard it wasn’t meant to be the best Tokyo skyline view but for a free attraction we thought it was very good! Jimbocho book town was also very cool to see. We had a peak into a couple adult movie/magazine stores where I don’t think the owner appreciated our presence as western tourists.
In the evening, we first went for Ramen at Motenashi Kuraki in Asakusa Bashi. Honestly probably the best Ramen I’ve had to date. I ordered the Black Pepper Shio special, and it blew my mind. Even though the staff didn’t speak English they were very accommodating for my partner who doesn’t eat meat (pescetarian but will brave a meaty broth).
We then had a stroll around Akihabara and played some dance mat games in the arcades before heading back for an earlyish night.
Steps: 28,680
Day 4
I couldn’t sleep so got up around 3am and did some admin stuff to try and get our bags back to us ASAP. Chatted to people in the hostel for a few hours.
We arrived at Senso-ji for around 8am. Wasn’t too busy at this time and the temple was impressive. Went for a coffee down the road and had a chill for about an hour before heading into Asakusa. Got admission to the Drum museum which was wicked. Only 400 yen each and had the whole place to ourselves to smack some big fucking drums and make as much noise as we wanted.
We then started to head towards Ueno but made a slight detour to Kappabashi Dougu street to peruse the Japanese chef knives and other cookware. Grabbed lunch from a 7/11 and went and sat in Ueno park which was super busy. There was some food market event on which loads of food stalls had set up. There was also a stage with some J-pop performers and people dressed as ninjas dancing in the crowd. Weird to say the least. By mid-afternoon we were pretty tired so headed back to the hostel for a nap.
In the evening, we headed down to Harajuku and stopped by Big Love records. My partner is really into vinyl, so this was definitely a highlight for her. She picked up Wu Tang 36 chambers in case you were wondering. We then went for food at Afuri as my partner wanted to try the Vegan ramen to which she said it was ok but nothing special. My cold dipping noodle dish was very tasty, however. We then stumbled across this vinyl listening bar called Bar Music on the 5^th floor of this pokey building on the outskirts of Shibuya for a few drinks before bed. There was such a good vibe in there and the cocktails were super good for the price. If you’re looking for a romantic spot, then this is the place to go.
Steps: 31,818
Day 5
Today we headed to Kyoto on the shinkansen around midday after a slow morning chilling in and around the hostel and catching up on some sleep. Checked in to the hostel and had a walk around downtown Kyoto, stopping at 2^nd Street to buy some more clothes.
In the evening, we headed to Kodai-Ji to see the shrine lit up at night. We couldn’t believe how few people were there as it was stunning and truly magical place to be at night. It also has a bamboo grove (much better than Arashiyama, see below). The bar for Kyoto shrines/temples had been set very high.
Walked down Pontocho alley and stopped at a yakitori restaurant which was just ok. We knew it was going to be average when we looked around the restaurant and it was just western tourists dining.
Steps: 25,255
Day 6
First thing in the morning we rented bikes and cycled across the city to Arashiyama. Parked the bikes at the train station and walked up through Arashiyama. We were expecting it to be busy but there were so many people it was almost impossible to move. Had a look around the bamboo grove and was slightly underwhelmed after our visit to Kodai-Ji so we took the tram and then bus up to Kosan-Ji. This was very much worth the 45-minute journey as there was only one other group there and the temple nestled between the trees overlooking the river was breath-taking. On the whole, Arashiyama was way too packed during peak times to enjoy and with everything else Kyoto has to offer we wouldn’t say it was a must see.
We then picked up the bikes from the train station and cycled back across Kyoto taking the long route to explore and get lost. Once we dropped off the bikes, we went for another explore and this time went into WeGo for more clothes shopping. At this point we’d pretty much matched the amount of clothing that we had packed in our checked-in luggage that was still stuck in Dubai.
After a nap we walked towards the metro and stopped at a Katsu restaurant as we wanted to try something different, and it was pretty good. For the price of 1300 yen each we got so much food/sake and left stuffed.
Fushimi Inari in the evening. Like Kodai-Ji, we would recommend visiting Fushimi Inari at night. Firstly, to help avoid the crowds (we got there around 9pm and there was hardly anybody there) and secondly as seeing it lit up at night is a nice change. It was however slightly creepy at night, especially as it was lightly raining. My partner started to get a bit scared once we saw the signs to be careful of the wild boar and monkeys haha. We didn’t make it to the top of Mt Inari as the rain started to get heavy but still very much enjoyed walking through the hundreds of tori gates, stopping off at the shrines and soaking up the history.
Steps: 23,686
Day 7
Today was a late start as even after 8 hours sleep the 25k plus steps a day was starting to catch up with us.
We took the metro to Shimogamo Shrine in north Kyoto. It was very peaceful and quiet however temple fatigue had definitely set in at this point. We then walked through Kyoto to the beginning of Philosophers path. We had seen on this sub that people recommend skipping it unless its Sakura season however we disagree. The path along the river is so pretty and atmospheric, along with the fish gently swimming along in the river.
Kyoto Hand Crafts Centre – if you have the money then this is a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Pre-booked Sushi Iwa for a 15 course Omakase. The food was amazing, but it came to an eye watering 28k yen each. The difference for our western palettes between mid-range sushi and exceptional sushi is negligible. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I’m glad that we did it.
Steps: 23,751
Day 8
Today was an empty day in terms of things we wanted to do, so used it to walk the city and explore.
We checked out the Nishiki market and ate various fried foods on sticks which were all pretty tasty. We then walked northwards, stopping for coffee before reaching the imperial palace. By this point we were very much bored of temples and structures of similar architecture, but we actually ended up enjoying walking the palace grounds and seeing the buildings more than we thought and would recommend it to those who find themselves in north Kyoto.
A leisurely walk back down towards downtown Kyoto, stopping off at a wicked standing soba joint. Forgotten the name but their curry soba was delicious.
Chao Chao gyozas (only veggie gyoza place we could find) for our evening meal before a night cap at the bar across the road before bed.
Steps: 23,304
Day 9
Shinkansen to Hiroshima arriving around 11am.
Checked into hostel and then went straight to the A-dome, peace memorial and museum. We thought the museum was very moving and captured the horror of the events that unfolded very well. A must see for sure.
Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura and then some vintage clothes shopping in Hondori.
Went back out for food in the evening and ended up getting Okonomiyaki again. This time it we enjoyed it a lot more than we did at lunch (probably because we got it covered in cheese). There are a few streets by Hiroshima station with lots of bars and restaurants on top of each other, much like Golden Gai in Shinjuku, however they are not super touristy and has a more laid-back feel to them.
We then went to some bars in the city centre. The best one we stumbled across was called Tropical Bar Revolucion. It was on the 8^th floor and the smoking balcony overlooked the city. Plus, the beers in there tasted so good and I’m not sure why.
Steps: 23,299
Day 10
A hungover morning. Headed to the Hiroshima National Gardens. Going to some gardens is my go-to hangover activity as its low effort, relaxing, and feels productive. These gardens in particular were great and we really appreciated the signs explaining the history behind the space. Overall, we enjoyed this more than the national gardens in Shinjuku.
Public baths near Dobashi in the afternoon. If you’re feeling brave enough to get your kit off in front of 10s of strangers, then this is a good experience. Male and female baths are separate. Can’t go wrong for 400 yen.
Went for a drink at Bar Pretty and then realised the effect of golden week on trying to get a table walking into a restaurant. Walked around for about an hour with no success so settled for food from a department store food court. Sounds miserable but the food was pretty good for the price, and it was busy in there, so it still had an atmosphere.
Steps: 29,487
Day 11
Miyajima Day. Took the ferry to the island arriving at 10:30am. The Ryokan staff met us at the port and collected our bags to take back to the hotel.
Had a mooch around the port area before doing the hike up Mt Misen. The climb to the top on a hot day is not to be underestimated. Sweating buckets, but the route and the view from the top was amazing and one of the standout highlights of the whole trip.
After descending Mt Misen, we bought some beers, oysters and, ice cream and sat along the beach wall and chilled in the sun for a couple hours. The hotel staff then picked us up from the ferry terminal, we checked in and went straight to the Onsen for a couple hours before dinner. Dinner was a traditional kaiseki meal (with more courses than I can remember) served in the banquet hall with the other guests.
While the staff converted our retro ryokan room and set up the futons we had a few more beers before bed.
Steps: 20,803
Day 12
Today we had a chilled morning on the island, having a stroll and stopping for some coffees. We then took the ferry back to Hiroshima, stopping for Okonomiyaki one more time, before taking the shinkansen to Osaka.
Checked into our hostel near Namba and went out for a walk around 8pm. When looking for somewhere to eat we walked past a sign for a vegetarian Indian restaurant called Shama. After nearly two weeks of pure Japanese food we were craving some variety so decided to head in. Located on the basement floor of a particularly run down looking building the restaurant was not the most glamorous. Barely enough space for 10 people, it was hot in there. A constant stream of people was coming in and out of the restaurant and we were lucky enough to walk in when there were two spaces available. From sitting down at the table to receiving our food we waited just under an hour. This would be enough to put most people off but fuck me the food was good when it did finally arrive. We got a selection of 4 different curries, naan breads and samosa. We left stuffed. If you’re in the area this is definitely a place worth checking out.
Steps: 25,502
Day 13
Our first stop of the day was the Umeda Sky Building. Not suitable if you are scared of heights as the glass elevator made our stomachs drop slightly. The views were impressive but we thought the price was a bit steep at 1500 yen each.
We then spent the afternoon wondering about near Namba and Shinsujibashi dropping into shops and picking up some food.
For dinner we made a reservation for a Mexican restaurant near Dotonbori. Massive margheritas, nachos and enchiladas. The food was great, and it shows by how busy the place was still at 10pm. It had been open since the late 70’s with the décor to match and it had a great atmosphere.
Steps: 27,290
Day 14
Checked out Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. Loved the market – dimly lit maze of numerous food and clothing vendors. Stopped to have some Korean stew and pancakes and it was delicious. One of the best meals of the trip.
Shinsekai in the evening. What I can describe as the armpit of Osaka. We loved it. Dirty? Yes. Rowdy? Yes. Rough around the edges with a red light district to top it all off. We had Kushikatsu to finish the evening off. Fried stuff on a stick – of course it going to be tasty but it wasn’t exactly flavour town.
Steps: 23,777
Day 15
Took the train to Minoh and hiked up the trail to see the waterfall. Hike was easy in comparison to Mt Misen and the waterfall was very cool to see. Had a wonder around Minoh stopping for some lunch at a Ramen bar.
We went to the Team lab botanical gardens in the evening. It was very awe inspiring seeing all the installations lit up.
After sampling Japanese McDonalds (I had a burger where the buns were made out of rice) we went for some drinks at Zerro. We liked this bar a lot, the guys working there were very friendly and it had a good vibe.
We then sat and watched the skaters at triangle park with some beers from the konbini before going to see Dj Masda at Circus until around 4am. This area of Osaka was such a vibe and came back here a few times over our 6 days here. Overall, a very fun evening.
Steps: 26,130
Day 16
Woke up chronically hungover but powered on and went to see a baseball game. You’re allowed to bring food and drink into the stadium (as long as alcohol is in plastic/paper cups) so we grabbed some beers and snacks from family mart. We had no idea what was happening but the atmosphere was electric and we enjoyed getting pissed and cheering.
Had a nap and then went to Hafez for middle eastern food. The food was good but not amazing, nothing in comparison to my local middle eastern restaurant back home. Chilled around the Namba park/Big step area. Loved this area so much, we are big into street fashion and culture so this place really ticked some boxes. Lots of skaters and street wear stores concentrated around here. Got an early night watching Battle Royale back at the hostel.
Steps: 22,065
Day 17
Today we went to the Umeda area. Popped into some shopping centres and had Omurice for lunch. It was tasty but not something I will crave when back home. Good experience trying it though. We then walked through Yodoyobashi along the rivers and got gelato and sat in the rose garden. The sun was beating down and we enjoyed just chilling in the sun eating our ice cream.
Compufunk Records were holding a party in their store. Decent gaff with some very welcoming and kind people to party with until the early hours.
Steps: 21,267
Day 18
We reluctantly left Osaka for Hakone today. Very sad to go but onwards to the next adventure. Took the shinkansen to Odawara and then the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora. Checked into our Ryokan and relaxed in the Onsen for a few hours.
Went for a walk around Gora and had dinner at the Ryokan before watching Predator in bed.
Steps: 16,926
Day 19
Today we did the Hakone Loop, starting early in Gora.
Started with the Open-air museum and it was great. We loved the installation and ended up spending 3 hours slowly making our way round. Got some cool photos as well for the gram.
Ropeway to Lake Ashi. This was absolutely terrifying. You have to swap cable cars 3 times on the way over and the warnings of the service being suspended due to the wind was announced at each stop. I’m not going to ruin the surprise, but one section made me literally freeze in terror due to the winds outside so try to do it on a calm weather day.
We then took the pirate boat (bit underwhelming) across the Lake and stopped for some soba noodles and a wander around. Unfortunately it was way too cloudy to even get a chance at seeing Mt Fuji.
Train to Kamakura and checked into our super cute traditional hostel near the beach.
Dinner at an Izakaya from the hostel owners recommendation. Food great and beers slipped down a treat. First time I tried Yuzu Kosho as well – I’m now addicted to the stuff and literally cover all my food with it.
Steps: 19,512
Day 20
A slow start to the morning. Weather was pretty bad but we still managed to hit all the main sights in Kamakura. Big Buddha was a refreshing sight from the temples. Did some shopping up Komachi Dori. Highlight of the day was Hukokaji temple. It was so peaceful and zen in the rain with its very own matcha tea ceremony backdropped by bamboo forest. This turned out to be our second favourite temple/shrine we visited, just being beaten by Kodaji.
In the evening we went for Sushi at a conveyor belt place. Figured this would probably be my last Japanese sushi of the trip so devoured 7000 yen worth of sushi and beer. Went back to the hostel and invited some of the other guests to drink with us. The owner of the hostel had some bayberry homebrew, so we got stuck into that.
Steps: 20,494
Day 21
Enoshima Island is just a 25 min train from Kamakura. Started off the day by walking to the top of the island to get French toast and a beer with a lovely view across the bay. We then headed up the Sea candle to check out the observation deck, still the illusive Mt Fuji hides behind the clouds.
We then bought admission to the caves beneath the island which was pretty cool. I won’t ruin the surprise but there’s something waiting for you at the end of one of the caves.
Had an explore around the rockpools near the caves and took some cool photos. We then had a pizza with fish on which was pretty crazy. Walked around the island a little bit more and I picked up some more Japanese denim which wasn’t the cheapest but the quality of the trousers are great and will last me a lifetime.
Back to Tokyo in the evening.
Went for Izakaya around Asakusa and popped into a couple bars. One was called Not Suspicious and the whole bar was covered in handwritten notes by patrons. Very touristy but quite cool at the same time. Our favourite was a drawing of Mario saying It’s a Me Muthafucka.
Steps: 25,903
Day 22
First stop was Don Quiojte to pick up some Yuzu Kosho (if you know you know) and weird flavoured KitKats.
Kappabashi Dougu street to purchase a fine Japanese carbon stell Santoku. Honestly in love with this knife so much. The people at the store were very happy to hear exactly what I was looking for and even let me try before you buy on some daikon radish.
While in Asakusa I had to return to the place where I put the best thing in my mouth in Japan. Motenashi Kuroki. Switched it up this time and had their classic Shio ramen plus the duck rice as a side. Honestly this place is amazing, and you have to go there if you have time. They aren’t veggie/pescy friendly so my partner went for one last round of sushi round the corner. We met up at a massage chair parlour and spent 30 mins relaxing in the chairs.
We had a bright idea to watch the sunset one last time so headed over to the rooftop park on a department store in Shibuya. Sipping on an ice cold Kirin, the sun slowly dropped behind the distant mountains and we knew our trip had come to an end. How symbolic.
Flight at 11pm from Haneda.
Steps: 23,187
On reflection:
I honestly think this trip was almost perfect in terms of hitting our interests and travel style. There was a good balance of doing the typical first time visit to Japan sights and activities while still exploring and seeing what we came across in the moment.
It hard to pinpoint exact highlights of the trip as everywhere we visited had so much going for it in different ways. We loved the rugged and trendy vibe to Osaka, and I think this would be the city I would most want to live in for a considerable amount of time (If I had to choose). Miyajima was also stunning and a great overnight trip with the Ryokan experience. We also underestimated how much we would enjoy Kamakura with its laid-back surfer vibe and access to Enoshima Island.
One random memorable moment that has stuck with me was when we landed at Narita airport, we took the limo bus to Shinjuku. As the driver pulled away, all the staff at the station turned and bowed in unison. It felt so special to first observe a culture totally opposite to the one I grew up with and was at this point I knew I had embarked on the trip of a lifetime.
If I could go back and change something I would probably miss out Hakone and do an extra day in one of the major cities. This isn’t because we didn’t enjoy Hakone, but we feel like it’s a place that needs more time to soak in what’s going on around you (plus the weather was bad when we were there). This being said the Open-Air Museum was amazing and we enjoyed it more than the Teamlab botanical gardens so the trip up the mountains was worth it just for that.
So, how much did we spend per person (not inc flights)?
Accommodation - £765pp
Given that we spent a couple nights in Ryokans raising the average price slightly, we were pretty happy with the accommodation costs. We stayed in a mix of private room and shared dorm hostels and pretty much all of them were spot on. Travelling as a couple meant that anywhere with a private room split the price between 2. The only hostel we didn’t like was the one in Hiroshima, there wasn’t anything in particularly wrong with it, there was just a really bad vibe from the owner and other guests.
Transport - £344pp
This includes shinkansen to and from all the major cities as well as our suica top ups for metros and buses. Unless your itinerary is something like 3 days Tokyo, 2 days Osaka 2 days Kyoto then there really isn’t any point getting the JR pass now that the price has increased.
Activities – £280pp
It is hard to give an exact amount for activities and food as 1) I didn’t track what we spent our cash on and 2) my partner and I would take in turns paying for things like temple admission. That being said I’ve allocated 25% of the cash we spent to activities such as temple admission. Activities includes our baseball tickets plus club entries as well as temple and museum admissions etc.
Food – £962pp
As above, its hard to give an exact amount for food. On the whole we tried to eat cheap with possible, especially at the start of our trip. There were a few expensive meals peppered in plus we ate out twice a day towards the end of our trip as we realised we were under budget.
The total is a bit skewed as this includes all the alcohol we bought in bars as well as the konbini trips for beers and cigarettes. I estimate that booze accounts for around a third of the total per person. If you would like to do Japan on a budget, reducing the booze will make a big difference.
Shopping/Souvenirs/Gifts – £607 (just me)
We went hard with the shopping. We didn’t actually receive our checked in luggage until day 19 so we had to buy all new clothes and cosmetics. If this wasn’t the case, then I don’t think I would have spent so much (airline is comping us for the additional clothing bought anyway). I also bought a fairly expensive chef knife and Japanese denim pieces, plus lots of gifts for friends and family. Obviously, this number could theoretically 0 if you are on a serious budget and did no shopping but I really underestimated Japanese shopping, especially thrifting. Also, given our cheap choices when it came to accommodation we could afford to splurge. However just to note my partner spent less than half than I did on shopping.
Total: £2958 (582,628 yen at time of writing)
I kept within my budget of £3000. I definitely got a bit frivolous with the cash in the last few days or so, if being as careful as I was towards the start of the trip, I think the total would be closer to £2500.
Disappointments
Takoyaki. We thought it was going to be all about the octopus but were disappointed with our balls of sloppy goo surrounding tiny chewy pieces of octopus. We tried it twice and couldn’t get behind it. Sorry Takoyaki fans.
Arashiyama. Way too busy, especially around the main station and bamboo grove. If it’s the bamboo you are going to see, then Kodaji is a much better spot.
Dotonburi. Albeit we were there in golden week, and it was pretty busy. However, I get the feeling this area has fallen to the past its golden days title and has become a bit of a cash cow for places selling spiralised potatoes on a stick. The area around Namba park was a better option for us.
Tips
Konbini. Absolute life saver for snacks and drinks on the go. The food quality for a convenience store is higher than most other countries so we had no problem with grabbing a meal from one to help keep within our budget.
Don’t over pack – even though we didn’t get our checked in bags, I still packed light so had plenty of space to bring stuff back. Emirates give you your allowance by weight rather than number of baggage so we could check in additional bags on the way back.
Don’t be scared of hostels. If you don’t want to brave the shared dorms, then most hostels offer private rooms with just the shower and toilet shared. Obviously, it’s cheaper if there are two people sharing a room.
Don’t stress about cash. Most places take debit/credit card and if they don’t, you’re never more than 5 minutes from a konbini ATM.
For us, golden week didn’t seem that big of an issue. No problems booking shinkansen around GW. We spent most of GW in Osaka, as such it was going to be busy anyway so maybe we didn’t see much of a difference from normal numbers in the spring.

Okay this is in Oklahoma and a lot happened but to summarize basically I've been with this man-child for 3 years almost, I ended up breaking it off after work on Monday (mainly) because of all the issues he has but just blatantly refuses to fix. Immediately after having the discussion he flipped out, throwing things across the room and screaming at me to leave. I stayed at a friend's house that night with nothing but my bag and the clothes I had worn to work. The next day I wake up to a phone call from him where he told me not to bother going back to the apartment because he already let his mom go through all of my things. He said he told her I wanted to fight her (never said that) so she's now determined to kick my ass, and that all of her gang-banger friends now have the addresses of all my family and friends to hurt them as well (this man never remembered my phone number, no way in hell he knows anyone's address lmao but still). I have a witness to this conversation. I also was informed by one of my employees that he had come with his mother to my workplace looking for me, apparently he had been swerving through the parking lot and was acting aggressive and intoxicated. We called law enforcement out and my friend and I went back to the apartment to find it completely destroyed, multiple holes in the walls, and a lot of my furniture was torn apart across the floor, as well several paintings and art pieces that held quite a bit of sentimental value to me. I also found that my medication, makeup,some art supplies, and my medical marijuana paraphernalia has all been taken. His cat was standing on the balcony, I don't know how long she had been outside for. He was not home at the time thankfully, and we had cops standing by while I grabbed some of my things and cared for the animals. Several hours later I was at a friend's apartment on the other side of the complex after submitting the Emergency Protective order petition, id parked far down the road just in case he drove by and surprise surprise he did, I remember hearing the familiar sound of his truck before his mom knocked on the door, I was thrown in a closet to hide and dial 911 while my friend stood at the door talking to them, and thankfully he got them to leave before the police arrived. I can't imagine what might have happened if I didn't move my car down the street. I stayed with a different friend that night for my own safety. The next day went by relatively uneventful until later in the night, we got the EPO and I immediately went and made a bunch of copies before returning to my friend's house on the other side of the complex. I had been in contact with his dad who was using the tracker on his phone to keep me updated on his location, and at this point he had returned to his adoptive parents house in Oklahoma City. At around 20:45 on Wednesday we decided to head back to my apartment to take care of the animals and we found the residence occupied by a couple that none of us recognized. We quickly ran back to my friend's place and called 911, Police came out and removed them from the premesis, and they came out with bags and bags of mine and his things. The woman seemed very confused and had a baby with her, she said that my ex had given her all of it, and that I could take any of my belongings. We went through all the bags and I found several small things of mine, she claims that she was told to stay there and watch over the apartment and to pack his things for him, we got him on the phone (through his dad, I have not spoken to him at all since Tuesday morning when he called me) and he told the officers they weren't supposed to be there and that his key was stolen, and he still sounded heavily intoxicated. Finally everyone left and we went inside to find that everything had been pretty well cleaned up, but the vast majority of my belongings were missing. Adding now my PC, monitor and keyboard, a sewing machine and many yards of fabrics and notions, a cake decorating kit, a small TV and fire stick, a sweing kit from my great-great-grandmother, and a diamond necklace my mother had gotten me for my 16th birthday to the list of missing things. My jewelry box was cleaned out, anything that seemed valuable is now gone, his dad swears up and down they're going to get it all back to me but I don't think that's going to happen. We also found a bread knife with a white-powder on one side of it sitting in the living room, we suspect it to be meth or cocaine (more than likely meth, taking his mother's history and his behavior into account) but when I tried to have it tested the officer told me to just throw it out because it would just be a waste of time. That was the last big event, the last few days have been comparatively quiet aside from getting the PO amended so I can leave the apartment, and his dad texting me, begging me to drop the PO (I won't) I really want to press charges, the court Hearing for the protective order is on the 23rd and I want to be prepared for it, and I have a police report that was approved on Sunday that I have no clue what to do with.
TLDR: Crazy ex gets drunk after breakup, harasses and threatens my entire support system, destroys a bunch of my things and gives away all my valuables to his mothers meth-addicted buddies, and now is hiding behind his dad's hoping I'll drop the protective order.
Do I need an attorney? If so how do I get one? I don't have money right now as I'm trying to get a new place to live, do I still have options? I have a paper trail and witnesses to everything, what is the next step I need to take? Can I press charges for things that happened before we broke up (SA/DV??)? His parents have money and I'm afraid they won't make this an easy fight, but this man has spent his entire adult life having everything handed to him, and walking all over everyone around him. I spent 3 years trying to "fix" him and I want to make sure that after this he won't go off and hurt another girl the same way he did me. Any help is appreciated!

Hello, everyone!
Through this post I wish to relay my interpretation of Clockie's adventures abroad The Compass. It is, as told by Pisce, a summary of all the adventures of Clockie. We all know by now that The Watchmaker: Mikhail Char Legwork, is the author of Clockie's adventures. And he wished throughout the series to relay his adventures with the Nameless to us, in a way that would stand the erosion of time...? Regardless, this is what I could make out of it: (If you have an inquiry as to why I took certain interpretations that aren't so obvious, please comment bellow, or contact me, and I'll do my best to explain it to you)
Greenhorn
Our story starts when the astral express embarked toward a new journey. Its hull was damaged, but thankfully Mikhail, the mechanic, managed to repair it in time, and saved everyone abroad the express. That’s when, as a reward, the astral express's navigator: Falcon Amundson gave him his pocket watch.
The astral express arrived at an unknown destination, ravaged by snowstorms, and the strong gust of wind blew the navigator’s hat away. Mikhail set off to retrieve it on his own and returned it to its rightful owner with a shivering smile. In this world where the sunlight grows dimmer every day, The Nameless’ trailblazing expedition led them to discover the truth behind the disaster: a swarm had engulfed the sun! Blocking the sunlight in their wake.
The people of the blizzard begged the Nameless to take them away through the astral express. Their resources were almost depleted in this frozen world. The trailblazers had to lie to the people about their incapability to rally them against the swam, which worked magnificently.
The people, rallied by the express crew, fought valiantly against the swarm disaster. But fighting them off was not enough, the Astral Express’s navigator had to lure the remaining monstrosities away somehow. He dragged the brim of his hat and set off toward the sun, -- probably after finding a True Sting Overlord like the one appearing in Argenti’s story quest -- luring the swarm away with him.
As the sun scorched their bodies, they exploded, destroying the entirety of the swarm. Such a feat, however, did not come without sacrifices. Despite the sun and heat returning to the people, that day marked the last day the express crew would see their beloved navigator.

Crème de la crème
The astral express continues its journey and finds itself at the Garden of Recollection’s domain. As we all know, they don’t welcome outsiders. The crew was stopped outside the palace, and Mikhail had no choice but to help the crew find a way out of this predicament. That’s when he made a certain discovery which would allow him to mimic the garden’s royalties, sending him to the heart of the imperial palace where he’ll be setting off on a new adventure!
As he strolled the palace’s halls at night, he bumped into a rather curious lady. She was Razalina, the “princess” of the palace of recollection, and she spoke to Mikhail about her vast knowledge of the garden’s technologies. She was most studious and knowledgeable, but she had never left the palace before... To reciprocate, Mikhail told her about the nameless, their explorations, and trailblazing expeditions throughout the cosmos. Their adventures were known far and wide, and it made Razalina yearn for such an adventurous life outside.
As time went on, Mikhail too started to miss the journey on the Astral Express. He decided to sneak his way back in, but he couldn’t get his newly formed connection with Razalina off of his mind. He wished to have her join them abroad the Express. Little to his knowledge, Razalina has already made her way abroad, and acquainted herself with the crew, who wholeheartedly accepted her arrival. They threw a feast in her name to welcome a new member to the path of the trailblaze. She then became the crew’s cartographer, charting out the cosmos, and allowing the Astral express to move farther and farther into the stellar sea.
Her exit from the realm of memo keepers was not granted, her father – the king – sent a large number of troops to hunt down the Astral Express, but due to their large ignorance of the realm outside the mirrors, they had to withdraw when the crew destroyed dozens of memoria-formed objects in a grand display of strength.
The crew then embarks on a new journey into a world which sought their help. The residents of said world beseeched the Astral Express crew to help them stop Tiernan from hurting their leader, claiming that he planned on “burning down” the village to do so.
Razalina and Mikhail took up the residents’ request, facing Tiernan in battle. But then, they learn the identity of “the real bad guy”. Tiernan explained that the leader planned to use the “fire” to back up the residents into a corner, selling off all their lands to the IPC.
When the crew reported back to the people about their leader’s ploys with the IPC, they took an odd stance to stand with their leader, thinking “It’s not that bad to work with the IPC”.
Following this event, Tiernan alongside the express crew, were promptly kicked out of this community. That’s when the crew relayed its wishes for Tiernan to join them. He gladly accepted the position abroad the Astral Express, quickly making friends with the other crewmates, and vowing to protect them as the new Guard of the Astral Express.
Mikhail, Razalina, and Tiernan quickly became inseparable. Despite their whimsical nature, which constantly put them into trouble, they showed a great display of wits whenever problems would arise.
They went on journeying the cosmic sea, finding hidden treasure inside a tomb, constantly helping to fight off the swarms, spending all their hard-earned cash on trips of leisure, and always flooding the Astral Express’ repositories, causing much trouble to the conductor.
One day, as they journeyed the stars, they received an invitation from the IPC to discover the secrets of a certain Stellaron disaster at what we now call “Penacony”. They couldn’t refuse the invitation due to previous debts they had with the IPC... That’s when Mikhail started helping Razalina with collecting information in a hurry to embark on this new journey. He discovered that this new region was actually a prison!
Eve of Departure
The night before arriving to “Penacony”, Mikhail had a strange dream about “a sea of fire”, “a swathe of darkness”, “a vast wasteland”, and “a glorious paradise”. It was a very long dream, spamming 1111 hours! (It is important to note that “The angel number 1111” is a symbol of “Leadership, New Beginnings, and Spirituality” etc...)
Truly, the symbolism here pretty much dictates all the happenings leading to modern day Penacony.
If you reached this far, thank you for putting in the effort to witness what I had been pondering about :')

I'm sorry, but this is a post I made on the Steam discussion boards for Cat Quest 2. I wasn't getting any help there, so I'm hoping it is ok if I post this here too.
Trying to get coop set up so I can play with my kid. When I use a controller and keyboard/mouse, the controller always controls the keyboard (p1 or p2, it doesn't matter). It controls movement, attack, roll, etc..
I tried just using 2 controllers, one always controls the other. Don't remember if it's p2 controlling p1 or vice versa, but right now this is not playable couch coop.
I have seen a post or 2 documenting this bug(?) but I have not seen a solution. Is there one?

Did more testing, thinking it was my controller. It is not my controller. I have tried out 4 different controllers. I have uninstalled and reinstalled. Nothing works.
P1: keyboard and mouse p2: controller
P1 moves around just fine, independently from p2. When p2 moves in a direction opposite from p1, p1 stops even if p1 is still trying to move. When p2 rolls, p1 attacks.

**Introduction**
In 2024, the world teetered on the brink of all-out global warfare as numerous active combat zones threatened to escalate into catastrophic conflicts. One such hotspot was Ukraine, where the Russian winter offensive inflicted devastating casualties on both sides. Faced with dwindling options, President Vladimir Putin made a fateful decision that would alter the course of history: the deployment of a tactical nuclear warhead on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. This act was intended to deal a crippling blow to the Ukrainian government and serve as a stark warning to NATO, signaling Russia's willingness to employ nuclear weapons in defense against perceived Western aggression. As the countdown to impact began, Officer Blake Collins, a US Special Forces commander stationed in Kiev, received a chilling call from the Office of President Joe Biden, informing him of the inbound nuclear missile and advising him to seek shelter, bracing for the inevitable blast.
**Part 1**
The detonation was nothing short of cataclysmic. As the nuclear bomb engulfed the heart of Kiev, millions perished instantaneously in a maelstrom of destruction. In response to the attack, the United States declared war on the Russian Federation, retaliating with a tactical nuclear strike on Leningrad. This exchange of nuclear blows marked the point of no return, as Putin ordered a full-scale first strike against NATO, launching over 1200 nuclear weapons at more than 500 targets, predominantly major cities. The USA countered with over 1000 nuclear missiles aimed squarely at Russian territory. Within a mere 24 hours, the world as it was known ceased to exist.
**Two weeks after the blast...**
Commander Blake Collins reflects on the harrowing moment of the explosion, narrowly escaping the devastation of Kiev. Fleeing towards France amidst the desolation, he bore witness to the widespread ruin that now plagued the world. Amidst the chaos, he sought to establish a semblance of order, setting up a base in Paris and extending a helping hand to fellow survivors. With a small farm, access to clean water, and shelter for a few souls, hope flickered amidst the darkness.
**Three weeks after the blast...**
Encountering Rose, a former nurse, during a scavenging excursion, Blake extends an invitation to join his fledgling community. Her medical expertise proves invaluable as she tends to his wounds, sustained in a confrontation with an assailant. Meanwhile, Revere, another survivor with technical proficiency, joins their ranks, enhancing their base's infrastructure and capabilities.
**Part 2**
**Three months after the blast...**
Amidst burgeoning hope, the community expands under Blake and Rose's guidance. With Revere's expertise, they fortify their base and establish essential systems for survival. Dubbed "New Hope," their settlement symbolizes a beacon of resilience in a ravaged world. As their numbers swell, they institute a governing council, with Rose as president, Blake as Head of Security, and Revere as Head of Infrastructure.
**Four months after the blast...**
New Hope faces its first trial by fire as raiders descend upon them under cover of darkness. Despite sustaining losses, including Blake's trusted lieutenant, Rudy, the community repels the attackers, vowing to fortify their defenses against future assaults. Amidst the tragedy, hope perseveres, albeit tinged with the harsh reality of their new existence.
**Six months after the blast...**
Reflecting on six months of rebuilding, Blake takes pride in New Hope's progress. With fifty residents, essential services, and even a sense of normalcy, their once-fledgling settlement now resembles a thriving township. However, the specter of danger looms large, prompting Blake to lead raids against marauding gangs in defense of their newfound home. Amidst the turmoil, a ray of light shines as Blake and Rose anticipate the arrival of their first child.
**Twelve months after the blast...**
Surveying the burgeoning fields and bustling community of New Hope, Blake reflects on his journey from devastation to triumph. His dream of rebuilding amidst the ruins has become a reality, a testament to human resilience and determination. As he signs off, Commander Blake Collins leaves behind a legacy of hope amidst the ashes of a shattered world.