I'm new to the page, but I'm in a pickle. I have a business idea of retail space for individuals with autism (and other disabilities) to gain work experience with me, then move up after some time to bigger companies. There are other aspects but I don't want to give up too much information. I know that I do not want to be a non-profit, and friends have mentioned this aligns with the purpose. It's technically between an LLC with a Social Purpose or a Benefit Corporation.
If I create a benefit corporation, it would make the business more liable in the vision, but I'm solo right now and don't know who would want to be on the board of directors or involve shareholders. Do single-member benefit corporations exist?
LLC has more flexibility, more than likely it will be Manager-Managed (solo me), but because of the flexibility, it won't be held accountable if I add more members. Plus everyone is opening LLCs. I want my business to be different (haha!).
Any feedback is greatly appreciated! TYFYT!

Hi all! I'm back finally after a year!
I have a good lot for sale and/or trade today.
I'm primarily looking to sell but I'm also open for trades. I'm very interested in Horus Heresy (especially the starter, I want to get started in it). l also want skirmish games rulebooks/minis, play mats or boards, historical minis, and board games(solo playable and dark fantasy themed ones especially). I'm open minded though so feel free to shoot any other ideas you may have for trades and/or buys. I give a discount if you buy an entire army.
I will update the list as to what is sold as sales/trades are made.
Here are pictures of what's available:
https://imgur.com/a/gmhpH2U
Here is my karma thread:
https://www.reddit.com/MiniSwapKarma/comments/odfsdcitadel223_miniswap_karma_thread/
Here's what I have:
40k:
WORLD EATERS army and CHAOS UNDIVIDED. These are all official models but the Terminators are odd and cool conversions. Some of the models are painted, others aren't. See pictures for reference(same goes for everything else on the list). Most are spray painted red

• Kharn the Betrayer. Missing backpack but good condition otherwise. $25
  
• Cypher. Old version. $25
  
• Blackstone Fortress psyker $15
  
• Exalted champion $20
  
• 10x Khorne Berserkers squad. Mix of chainswords, axes, bolt pistols. $34
  
• 12x Khorne Berserkers . 1 banner in there , text are equipped as other squad $37
  
• 9x Terminators curious and cool conversions in it. Mostly combiweapons but one reaper autocannon is in there. The red painted model has a nicely painted lighting claw actually. $45
  

SALAMANDERS army. These were mostly made from pushfit models and custom made with Salamanders bits. Two of the characters are recast, and 3 of the aggressors are, the rest are official models. I would prefer to sell these as one lot instead of splitting

• Adrax Agatone: $20
  
• Vulkan He'Stan $20
  
• Captain on bike , custom made with Salamanders bits for the shoulders and they weild a mace. $15
  
• 5x Intercessors 2 of which are painted and have nice bases. $25
  
• 10x Assault Imterccesors Sergeant has hand flamer, thunder hammer and Salamanders bits $40
  
• 5x Assault Imterccesors same as above $20
  
• 6x Aggressors 3 official 3 recast , the 3 official ones and 1 recast one have Salamanders specific bits $65
  

LAST WAR:

• Haunted Tank custom model made from bolt action tank and Warcry spikes $60

SKIRMISH / MISCELLANEOUS MINIS:

• Spider Queen $25
  
• Tall Demoness. Works great as a Keeper of Secrets. Missing an arm. Base has barb wire and a tree $40
  
• Grim Reaper this a model from the board game Destinies $15
  

TERRAIN:

• Ice bridges x2 $5 each
  
• Green and Black sci Fi piece , would work great as an objective $12
  
• Daemon Gate $25
  

I spent about three months struggling through Alloy of Law. The genre shift and new characters really didn't grab me the way Era 1 did. I complained on here, I groused, I believed Brandon had let the idea of a time jump get the better of him.
Well, I just finished Shadows of Self.
Godammit. I'm back on board.
Everything clicked for me in this book; the setting, the politics, the re-introduction of elements from Era 1.
I cannot wait to continue on and (no doubt) get my heart broken. I'm ready to be hurt again.

I saw both the Lucas and Flint headcanon threads, so I'm doing one for Jeff Andonuts (and Tony)!
This will mostly be based on Earthbound, but I'll also mention some based on late-game or even as far as Mother 3, but I could only tag for one series. I'll try my best to block out what *would* be a spoiler, but let me know if I missed something. It's a long post, sorry.
Jeff Andonuts (beginning + middle of the game):

• Despite his name, he really likes cookies more (he TOOK Tony's birthday cookies)
• Jeff doesn't mind the cold of Winters.
• Jeff likes working alone, but he doesn't like to *BE* alone
• Jeff *did* call his father "dad" at one point, before he was left at the boarding school
  • He met Tony on said day
• Jeff isn't a robot, and he's not a clone either
• Not only is Jeff near-sighted, but he may be getting far-sighted as well - in other words his vision isn't great at all
• Jeff tolerates Maxwell Labs.
• He wasn't religious or spiritual at all initially, but after Giygas, he believes in some sort of higher power - not necessarily a specific religion, but definitely felt that *someone* or *something* saved them.
• He knows some Dalaam-ese, but isn't a fluent speaker.
• He did have some sort of "feud" with Poo regarding science vs belief, but then they become close friends
• Ness thought that Paula would be more interested in Jeff, as he's smart and somewhat of a gentleman
  • He took "finishing" classes at Snow Wood
• He doesn't understand why Ness and Paula stare when he mentions getting swatted at school
  • He got swatted often
• Jeff is confused with American Eagleland dialect. The same goes for Ness and Paula and Jeff's dialect from Winters. (ie. ground floor vs first floor, chips vs crisps, herbs vs **h**erbs)

Jeff Andonuts (endgame + post-game) - more spoilers here

• Dr. Andonuts took longer to put Jeff's consciousness into the robot body than the rest of the 3.
• >! Jeff repairs his relationship with his father, but it takes longer than he realizes!<
  • Until he is taken by Porky, which leads to his appearance in Mother 3.
  • Jeff falls into a deep sadness for a while because of this, but gets encouraged by Tony and uses an improved Phase Distorter to find him again.
• Jeff DOES fix Ness and Paula's appliances (including a toaster) after they get married
• Jeff accepts that not only does Tony like him, but the realization that he likes him back!They get serious about dating when they're older, and eventually marry as well!
  • Dr. Andonuts is indifferent to their relationship, and nearly forgets when the wedding is because he's a bit absent-minded when it comes to social functions

Tony (beginning + middle of the game)

• Tony has asthma, so he carries a rescue inhaler with him
• Tony is of Italian (whatever the equivalent is in Earthbound) heritage - he knows some words and talks with his hands but not as advanced as a native speaker
• Tony plays soccer (football) in the school's team
• Tony realized that he was gay fairly young, but he's not very open for his safety. Even Jeff doesn't know.
• Tony is more of the "sensitive" one of the two friends. Also more of a romantic, and more artistic than Jeff. He's good in school too, but not Jeff-level.
• Tony is popular in school - he was getting birthday gifts! The other kids don't understand why he'd be close friends with someone as reclusive and aloof as Jeff
• Tony likes Maxwell Labs, except when he's doing a prank
• Tony>! stood at the gates when Jeff jumped over and left, and stood long enough to get some frostbite!<
• When>! Tony calls you, he *wants* to tell Jeff that he loves him, but is terrified to do so!<
  • Even when he sees him again at Stonehenge Base.
• While Jeff is away, Tony prays every night. He is a practicing Catholic, so he uses a rosary.

Tony (endgame + postgame)

• When Paula>! is praying for help, Tony is not able to "hear" her, but he only can get a "feeling", since he doesn't have PSI!<
• When Jeff returns to Snow Wood, Tony admits to him that he is gay, and that he did like Jeff this whole time! He's scared, but Jeff accepts him, and also his feelings for him.
  • Dr. Andonuts thought for about a minute when Jeff brings Tony over to meet him, but he doesn't say anything negative about it - he only asked him to get a wrench for him. Jeff tells Tony that this is actually a positive response
  • Tony's family, on the other hand, accept Jeff - either immediately or eventually. Jeff doesn't know what to do regarding their family customs when he's invited over
• Jeff and Tony get married when they're older!

Bonus: Maxwell Labs

• Maxwell is known as the "cool teacher"
• Maxwell teaches science classes
• Maxwell get irritated by Jeff's behavior sometimes (basically when Jeff gets bored and starts building a bottle rocket or something)
• Maxwell is also a DM for the school's Dungeons and Dragons club, which both Jeff and Tony are members of
  • He laughs at the players' pain as he explains that the roll failed
• Maxwell comforts Tony when Jeff leaves, and encourages him to try calling or writing to him.
  • Tony wrote more in a journal than actually sending the letters
• He attends Jeff's and Tony's wedding. He bawls

This is what I'm able to remember for now, since ideas come and go. I would like to hear other people's theories, and if you want to comment on mine, go for it!

Hello fireemblem! I've seen recently that my course, 98-076 Fire Emblem Design and Analysis, has been the subject of much discussion on both here and twitter.
For some explanation, my university (Carnegie Mellon University) lets students create small student-taught seminars (called StuCos). These are generally taken purely for fun, and usually don't cost anything - if you're a full-time student you don't pay extra for additional units. They also are graded purely on a pass/no pass basis, and generally are pretty chill with grading (no, you do not have to beat Thracia 12x warpless to pass the Fire Emblem course). They count as elective gen-ed credit, but usually people don't take StuCos because of the credits, since you get more than enough credits from a normal CMU courseload anyway. For this reason stucos have many varied topics - ranging from Fire Emblem to Genshin to Competitive Pokemon to Type Theory to Esoteric Programming Languages to Polytopes to UI//UX Design.
The idea behind the course is to look at FE from both a game design perspective, and from the perspective of the player (hence design and analysis). In a nutshell, the first half of the course is focused on gameplay, while the second half is focused on story. That said my course schedule is definitely subject to change especially if the Joe Zieja guest lecture happens.
To answer some other questions that have popped up on Reddit and Twitter:

• The Nino grading scale is inclusive of base stats, and does not include CON or MOV. I've since updated the syllabus to specify that Nino gets the Afa's Drops, and that there are a total of 15 levels (13, not including extratation attendance).
  
• "Optimal" play is admittedly a poor name. The point of that specific lecture will be moreso about analyzing which units are "good" or "bad" through the lens of "efficient" play. However, I intend to both open Week 1 and that week by pointing out that the real optimal way to play the single-player game is to play the way you enjoy (even if that's FE11 0-turn maximum death). Basically, efficient way provides an interesting lens to view FE because it provides us something relatively concrete to optimize towards, but it should not be the end-all-be-all.
  
• Merlinus-maxxing is basically the week where I throw in everything beyond unit and chapter design - weapon design/balance, skills, etc. It's called Merlinus-maxxing because this includes managing funds, and also because it's funny.
  
• I am pretty sure there will be Three Houses discourse on the discussion boards at some point. I don't know if I'm prepared for that point.
  
• I am absolutely covering Void's Blitzarre Adventure in the ROMhacking week.
  

Other than that, feel free to AMA!

This Post is only for those who really wanna accept the reality , those who don't want to and give inconsistent reasoning feel free to ignore.
- Also i accept that i can't be absolute but this is just to give everyone a general idea , i Apologize for any grammatical mistakes in advance

So A lot of you folks have just gotten your results and the result came in all ranges right(We have people with all types of so called ''percentages'')

I'm going to make you realize the reality behind this all
1. Is there A Difference between someone who scored 95% and someone with 92 or 93? - NO
Similarly there is no Difference between 97 or say 95 etc. - all types of ranges
In fact that's what the percentage system for - To Evaluate your academic ability based on relative idea not absolute grading - That is what is called Grading System right- A grade ranges from (90-100)
But the problem is The People of Our Country honestly have no idea of this - they themselves are illiterate and just hearing the number 97 or 98 ring a bell in their ears - that is what they are capable of right? - they think that the system of evaluation is absolute grading and 98 means -wow & amazing whereas 93 or 92 don't - which is completely absurd and someone who cannot understand this simple evaluation of range based(relative) grading doesn't deserve to judge anyone
2.Always Grades , Marks And Percentages........: That is what we study for right and that is what ''the greatest pioneers of Science & Mathematics & Humanities have worked hard for to show off the no one cares grade to someone illiterate enough to not understand the philosophy of the subject to''.
-In Fact most Indians are illiterate enough that they refer to Someone Being Good At Math by seeing their arithmetic skills , why? Because they didn't go beyond that they don't know arithmetic stopped mattering ever since the invention of calculators , they don't know about variables and derivations they just think Arithmetic is Mathematics- Absolute Shame!! - and we are being judged by these people(even more shameful)
Moreover for most Indians, the academic skills , the subject chosen are a tool of showoff and superiority complex over others, they don't care about the philosophy of subject at all
3. '' People's obsession with Photos Published in Newspaper & TV Interviews'' : What makes people of our country do this because in British Era , Only Big News and Stuff came On Newspapers - which make them think if someone comes on Newspapers even today - they must be some sort of "God''
the same goes for TVs -as cameras were quite surprise to them and TVs even more - they still believe to this day that anyone who comes on TVs and heck even Youtube is some sort of ''Great Person''
Hence the words used- "influencers'' & ''Celebrities'' - Absolute BS
Where in Reality Schools just advertise their ''results'' for more admission and so called ''reputation'' just like how farms showcase their poultry
4.Caring for Future (Seeing Reality ) : There are some things which all of us must understand either ourselves or either by someone else ,
i. The Academic System till Grade 10 in India is not up to the mark at all - Neither the Curriculum nor the evaluations
-That's why most students suffer by Sciences in 11th Grade , Because the so called previous classes haven't even taught them the philosophy of the subject and never the way of properly understanding Sciences
-Hence forth if you've only followed this curriculum till 10th , then it doesn't matter at all - neither your so called achievements nor your ''marks'' & ''percentages''
ii. You must understand the subject you are studying - that's all it matters -'' if you know how chemical reactions take place , how principles of mechanics work and how a certain theorem is proved and derived and you can reproduce these results, the depth of literature and poetry yourself'' - that's what it matters (always and only)
iii. Using absurd terms like - ''God gifted'' , ''genius'' , ''superhuman'' 'Toppers' , ''School Top'' etc. etc. - That's what illiterates do because they've never understood the subject and feels anyone who has is special label them these terms , which in turn make the believe it and treat others with inferiority
-''understanding a subject is art not some special skill, if you always study to understand a subject (not for grades) , you will excel in practical and theoretical knowledge ''
v. Honestly there is a lot of these illiteracies people think and do but I've generalized the most common ones , with this you get an idea of course and you can debunk others easily
General Advice- Don't Use Instagram and Youtube - Content which specifically aims at Indian Education(Shorts & Reels) because they are also the same degenerates and make people believe similar absurd terms
e.g. Shob*t Nir*an , Phys*cs Wa**ah etc. - see how they romanticize these same illiteracies as some sort of amazing god-like achievements - completely absurd
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Now you must say or think that what i am saying is not correct , well i admit that it is just an idea , it can never be absolute correct , but i can assure for sure that it is far better than general conceptions perceived by your parents and society
Reasoning - If there really would be worth is any of these so called ''Toppers'' and 90% scorers , Our country would have changed by now , but just open the general news and you can see for yourself where we are heading
Heck even the content we produce and watch is outright cringe and absurd - "all movies, Tv Shows, Serials " same goes for Insta and Youtube - Absolute Crap
There is no scope of Research in India - Why? - Reasearch is Peak of Academia yet none of these ''toppers'' seem to excel at it neither shows any interest towards it.
-People only care about job , money , cars, fame , marriage ; no diff. from animals at best
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So what matters in our academia really

1.for Grades (1-8) Develop interest in subjects and just understand them

2.for Grades(9-10) Choose your Discipline/Stream yourself and just focus on rigor understanding and philosophical aspect of the subjects - getting grade (75-80) is what it matters only in evaluations

3.for Grades(11-12) Even greater focus on your discipline and future career aspects

and in 12th Boards Greater than 75% is good enough , just focus on subjects and competitive exams or other career aspects

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So what should you do systematically (for 9th & 10th graders esp.) - I can't decide that but surely give and idea about it if you guys really want it on a later post

CIG knew cutting speeds would cut the fun. And they even mention it..
transcript taken from the video Star Citizen Live: Master Modes ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3JNtoMi_a4&t=475s)
At 07:54 in the video
Disco Lando - "How long ago did the idea for Master Modes happen?"
Richard Towler - "I think we're talking a good year and a half ago I think it was.. and then we started to really kind of realize we're in that kind of loop of problems and we need a way out of that problem. So we started discussing what can we do? Um, you know, the basic early idea's were like.. Well let's just not go very quick, but then its like.. We stop the travel being fun and the speed being fun, because the speed is fun. It's really important for the general game. It's really important for racing as well, that ships can go quickly because racing needs to feel like a challenge. So We started kind of sitting down and going.. How are we going to make this work? Because we got this problem.. If we limit speeds we got this problem.. What's the overarching solution to this?"
Disco Lando - "Was this a Eureka moment, was this a contested issue? Was everybody on board at first or how did this come about?"
Richard Towler - "It was interesting because we were never going to be able to stop the high speeds in the game so we knew we had that problem I would say it was a sort of Eureka moment, but also we faced some challenges trying to get this through. So it was like.. Yes we got this really cool idea, oh but you know.. We got these problems to solve."
Disco Lando - "You had a problem getting Master Modes into the game approved? Is that what you're saying here?"
Richard Towler - Yeah. It was more because it's such a major change to the game we had to convince people that it wasn't going to break racing.. It wasn't going to break (Man?).. It wasn't going to break all of the other systems we had from the game, because it's so fundamental to the way ships work, because we're literally saying we've got combat mode where these systems work you, we've got navigation mode where these systems work and.. It's such a fundamental change to the game it had to be approved by so many people.. Which is never easy because everyone is trying to look after their features.."
Disco Lando - "I have to imagine that a part of the reason why it's not immediately into the persistent universe is because it has to go through all of this testing with all of these other gameplay features you're talking about?"
Richard Towler - "Yeah.. So it's quite a challenging feature to develop because its going the Squadron first, so it's a single player focus first in terms of getting this through but we've also to move it to the PU it needs to be fully developed for the multiplayer and also due to the resources we had to put it on the (damage teams?) as well. And because of the Squadron focus, the (damage teams?) have been prioritized and that's where this fits within that as well."
IMO cutting the speeds is less fun. And definitely less fun in a multiplayer game
Edit: updated Richard's last name

I'm looking to form a peer coaching group for job seekers and was wondering if you might be interested in joining as one of the member. The Job Search Council will have only 4-5 members.
I'm following a playbook from Phyl Terry, and he highly recommends this approach. The idea is to create a support group and sounding board for one another on a Job Search Council.
The emphasis is on “asking for help” and being really open and vulnerable -- having a place to be honest about the challenges and ups and downs of the search (and to help each other do this well).
We will likely do weekly meetings, and your participation can be as private as you want or need.

What's up all! 4th Wall here! I finally have power returned to my home, and can play a little catch up! This one's a heavy hitter, No NSFW needed (I hope) but if you've got kids, be warned.
First, Previous, Next
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A bright flash of blues and whites spat a greyish black object into normal space a mere one hundred Clicks from physical asteroid cloud that provided a natural barrier into the Lurix system. USN Olyvia’s drives instantly flared to life, and she made for the outer edges of the asteroid field with a purposeful stride. The senior Crew was at hand, having alternated shifts so they were well rested for this endeavor. Captain Correllus Grarzia shifted in his chair slightly, watching with interest as his star helmsman switched from his standard control configuration to a more “analog” twin joystick and pedals. ‘The kid really should be piloting a fighter’ he mused just as the young lad turned to look at him. “Ready, skipper”

“Take us in. All ahead slow.” Cory ordered calmly, before keying up the ship wide broadcasting channel. “This is the captain. We’ve just entered the Lurix system. Rig for silent running. I repeat, rig for silent running.” All across the ship, nonessential systems were shut down; their lack of electronic signature aiding the stealth coating on the bulky former troop transport. In engineering. Patrick, Cammy, and the rest of their section powered down a large portion of the larger systems onboard.

Life support was set to emergency backup, with old school oxygen candles lit in special housings that allowed their life-giving emissions to be circulated throughout the ship. Each major section of the vessel had their own supplies of these low-tech solutions, and Olyvia carried enough of these candles to survive for several days without functioning life support if needed.

Only a few were lit this time, using them as an augmentation to allow for minimal use of their perfectly functioning life support systems; and Cammy returned from the compartment just in time to aid in shutting down two thirds of Olyvia’s fusion reactors. This was not usually part of the silent running protocol, but Cory had added it for this mission. While they knew where their target would be, they still knew very little about what defenses awaited them inside the system.

Patrick keyed up the mic, “Engineering reporting in, silent running.”

*acknowledged* came a voice back. And Patrick leaned back in his chair just as Cammy arrived. “Well, that’s that.” He sighed.

Cammy stepped behind his chair, rubbing his shoulders for a second, “candles are lit. Two per section. At this rate we won’t run out for a year.”

Patrick chuckled, standing before looking over at his team, “sandwiches are in the mess hall. Half go now, half after. We’ll wait and go with second shift.” The team nodded and soon. The room was half as full. “Hurry up, and wait” Patrick mused, and turned to the rest. “Hold’em anyone?”

Over the next several days, shifts were kept short with a high rotation frequency. Olyvia picked her way through the natural minefield created by a destroyed world, slipping between the dead planetary shards with deadly caution. She ran quiet, with all but minimal deflectors shut down, and a single detuned laser online on each of her flanks as a last resort against impacts. Cory, Jesse, Patrick, and Cammy met regularly to keep tabs on the ship’s progress. The admiral’s transmission had reached them in time, and the four of them, plus Jacky when she could pry herself from the infirmary, worked to formulate a plan to get into the freighter without killing everyone. They had Hera and Jacobs reports, but those reports also admitted to a certain degree of incredible luck on their part. Things could have gone very differently, and the murder of the freighter during the admiral’s capture operation hinted at a change in tactics from their foe.

Mackenzie’s Privateers had liberated several freighters since they began operations, keeping to their cover as “pirates” by leaving nothing big enough to betray their secrets behind. A few of the other captains had left pieces of inoperative Unity tech, strategically damaged and jettisoned after the fight, as red herrings to convince both the Vorath, and the Thermians that these “pirates” had somehow gotten ahold of Unity warships.


Cory stepped into the cargo bay to meet Patric and Camorra. They were tinkering, carefully he hoped, with one of Olyvia’s harpoon missiles. It was a project triggered by Cammy’s brilliant, if outlandish, idea. “We know these freighters all ran the same codes, and the same infrastructure in their computer cores. Why can’t we hack it. Human computing should be perfectly capable of it.” Cory remembered her words as he stepped up to the two, “at ease” he waved them away as they threatened to salute him, “how’s out little project coming.”


“See for yourself” Patrick smiled handing him a data pad.

Cory took the offered device, quickly scanning through the data, “All I see is Olyvia’s system logs. Did you give me the wrong one?”

Patric smiled evilly, “that is coming from the missile, we found a common power regulator chip that dam near all Delmar freighters use in their integrated core management. Our mole here mimicked that regulators protocols to get into one we installed in a conduit over there” he pointed to an open panel. “It’s designed to cycle through several common chip sets and protocols to get access.”

“You hacked Olyvia?” Cory asked, eyebrow raised in a combination of amusement and irritation.

“Well, “Cammy said calmly, “we had to test it, and Oly’s the only ship close enough…”

“I see…” Cory mused, “it will have to do, we will be reaching the edge of the field in three days, how many of these can you have ready?”

Patrick scratched the red stubble punctuating his jaw line. “Hmm two, maybe three, including that one.” He winced at his captain’s expression, “took us a minute to get the virus right, sorry.”

Cory sounded to himself like a broken record, “I guess that will have to do as well. I’ll leave it to you.” He turned to return to his office but was interrupted half way there by an urgent request for his presence on the bridge.

Jesse rose to greet him as Cory stepped into Olyvia’s command center, and he nodded towards the ready room off to the side. The two of them quickly stepped inside and Jesse closed the door. “Jesse, what’s this about” Cory asked, settling into his desk chair.

Jesse, his first officer, and battle born brother looked at him seriously, “The first of our stealth probes have made it into the system proper….. It’s not good” He tapped at his data pad before handing it to his captain, “The enemy is doing something big down there, and we don’t know what. What we do know, Is that there are three heavy cruisers in orbit, and three more destroyers in floating patrols around the system.”

Cory scrolled through the pad as his first officer made his report, pausing at the same information on the planet’s surface, “These are military installations. This makes no since. We haven’t had a use for Lurix in millennia. It’s always just been a haven for aquatic and semi aquatic species. Why didn’t our intel warn us of this.”

Jesse nodded grimly, “I don’t know for sure, but I have my suspicions.” He reached over, tapping at the tab to open a particular file Cory had yet to find. “We found these in orbit as well.” He pointed to a pair of Delmar constructed freighters, parked in orbit over the marsh world. “I authorized a single transmission to a single drone, uploading Patrick and Camorra’s hacking program into it, and we sent it to one of those freighters... this is what we found.”

Cory opened the indicated file, and felt bile rise in the back of his throat as he watched. “Ready a tight beam, send it back the way we came, Towards Simo.” Jesse looked at his captain in understanding. The risks of transmitting this close to the enemy was a grave risk. Measured against the information they just witnessed; however, it was an absolute necessity. Jesse took the offered tablet, “The Admirals need to see this…. Both of them.”

————————————————————


Clint Stevens groaned as his communicator beeped from his desk. It was a very early morning on a weekend, and Frie had let Natalie stay at her grandparents for the weekend. He quietly slipped from the entanglements of a profoundly comfortable Delmar goddess he had somehow been gifted with as his wife, and silently cursed the inevitable destruction of his plans. The Com was linked to his computer console, and Clint tapped the file as he sat down.

The file opened, beginning with a grim looking Corellus Grarzia who made an intro statement that froze Clint in his thoughts. Before he could begin to prepare himself, images flooded in that turned grogginess into razors edge consciousness ringing with a white hot fury. Frie was ripped from her slumber instantly, reaching for her biometric pistol safe as a response to the unbridled rage she experienced from her husband. It took her a moment to realize that they were not being attacked, and she rushed from their bed, neglecting even basic decency to be by his side.

The two of them watched the Horrors unfold. Children… small children of multiple different races, stacked in a freighter’s hold like cattle, being thrown food like one would an animal. Massive screens played, promising safety and full bellies should they only but kiss the hand of a severe looking Vorath female. All who had not, were treated to daily ice cold sprays mixed with random beatings. He watched as desperate older siblings attempted to shelter their kin from the abuse, often times paying the ultimate price for their valor.

Clint and Frie were spared a further assault on their senses by a beeping light, indicating an urgent call from Clint’s adopted brother. Frie slipped out of view, reaching for a night gown as a furious Mac, accompanied by an equal parts shocked and livid Lyrian, appeared on screen.


“You’ve seen it” Clint stated. There were no barriers between them, no formalities. Only pure truth.

“I have,” Mac rumbled. “Why is it always kids..”

Clint shook his head, “I can have a battle group there in two weeks. It’s not soon enough, but.”

Mac nodded sharply, “I’m redirecting everyone not on critical missions. Simo and Kid are already there with Olyvia. Wisconsin is enroute. We will await your arrival….. Clint…” Clint’s eyes met Mac’s in a joined promise that reached across time and space.

“No, there won’t.” Clint answered, responding to Mac’s unspoken statement.

___________________________________________________________

A week later, The Chancellor Thomas Durrant of the Sol Federation perused the latest transmissions from Unity space. He was due for reelection this coming fall, and it was a close race. His opponent was labelling him a Warmonger, as he was an outspoken proponent of a more active role in the struggle against the Vorath, and it was working. The points were closing in the polls, and The Chancellor had not come out on top with the latest debate results. Humanity simply was not interested in further conflict. For the first time in human history, the vast majority of the Human race was content with peace.

The Chancellor took a sip of his mug as he opened a file from Admiral Stevens marked priority, but not top secret and promptly spit the contents in his mouth back into the mug. It was a complete file on some kind of intelligence operation, and Durrant almost wondered if it had been sent to him in error. The gruesome cover video dispelled that notion as the leader of Humanity itself watched horrors thought long dead play out in front of him. Several minutes later, he closed the file, and opened a message prompt.


“Viktor, are you up.” He typed.

*Yea, Tom. I’m up, the campaign ain’t gonna run itself into the ground.*

Durrant snorted at the dark humor, “Viktor, I was sent something. It changes… everything” he typed, attaching the cover video, and the longer form surveillance recording he had found inside the file from Clint. Several minutes passed in tense silence before…

*Jesus Christ, Tom.*

Tom Durrant took a long slow breath, “Do you still have your man at The Post.” He paused before sending, knowing what he was asking.

*Yea… yea I do, Tom. Are you sure you want to do this. This has ‘it will blow up in my face’ written all over it.*

“I know, but this bigger than me. Do it, and announce a press conference to follow if The Post runs with it.” Durrant typed and sent the last message, closing down his console. He stood slowly, feeling his age for the first time in recent memory, and walked heavily to bed.

The Post ran with the story. In the next 48 hours, the “leaked” scenes of tortured children, some barely more than infants ripped its way into Humanities Psyche. The revelations of what exactly was going on behind Vorath lines assailed Humanity, spurring many to call for blood, and Others to cry hoax. Around and around the political commentators debated, and redebated the shocking footage.

Chancellor Thomas Durrant followed through on his word, and was now stepping up to the platform and the Microphone as promised. He stood there for a full minute, meeting the eyes of as many of the hundreds of reporters before him as he could. The weight of his expression prompted a flurry of flashes as camera drones captured the image. Durrant allowed all of this to happen, waiting until the din of activity settled into a heavy silence. “People of Humanity… By now, you have undoubtedly seen the shocking pictures from the far side of the galaxy. Many of you believe it to be a hoax, a desperate ploy for political points. Allow me to be clear. This is no hoax, I received these disturbing images directly from Admiral Clint Stevens, who is marshalling the forces at his disposal as we speak. He aims to do something about these orbital concentration camps, and I support his actions with the full backing of my authority as Chancellor of the United Sol Federation.”

Durrant paused, letting the information sink in before continuing, “to answer the question as to whether this is a political ploy for points. Let me be perfectly clear, I alone released the footage from inside those torture ships, and I do not care if you believe it to be a political ploy. If Humanity can see the atrocities committed to the young innocents in those images and refuse to stand up for them; I no longer would wish to lead that Humanity. Yes, we are few compared to what we once were, but we have a strength that cannot be fathomed by those who chose to side with pure evil. Make no mistake, any being that is capable of torturing and murdering children deserves the title.” The Chancellor of United Sol skewered the silent crowd with a withering gaze, “All of you here know that I have been an ardent supporter of taking a more active role against this pure evil, and my opponent has made a great many statements regarding my supposed “warmongering”. I believe that to debate him further on this matter is as wasteful as it would be irrelevant. As such, I am suspending my campaign immediately. Pending permission from donors and the campaign review board, I will be donating the totality of my campaign war-chest to the purchase of relief supplies and construction of rehabilitation facilities for these children.” Durrant paused as a wave of gasps swept through the room as a volley of flashes assaulted his eyes. “Holding the position of leader of the Human race seems so insignificant in comparison,” he said softly, almost to himself before scanning the crowd. “The election is 4 months away. If you wish to reelect me, so be it; but know this.” Thomas Durrant rose to his full height, “If you elect me this fall, know that I will use the full weight of this office to unleash the full might of Humanity upon this evil, or I will resign from my post and travel to Unity space myself.”

With that. Chancellor Thomas Durrant spun on his heals and marched off the stage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you made it this far, Thank You! I hope you enjoyed the episode. If this if your first time seeing this series, I hope you will join us from the beginning. I do have a patreon that has extra content that is not main story arc, but still cannon shorts, as well as exclusive content from some of my other series. If you believe I've earned it, feel free to give it a look; but know that just coming to hang is already enough.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
First, Previous, Next Patreon

I... dont really know where to begin, so I'll start with background. I've had flings in the past, but this is my first long time relationship. To be 5 years this August. We live in california.
Tldr: I recieved a phone call after having just seen her the previous day asking to talk, essentially during this reasons boiled down to
"Everything, the long distance, and (i, 29m) dont have initiative" "(i've, 29m) been talking about becoming an electrician, but havent done anything about it"
Back story.
I (29m) have supported my partner (29f) in their passion for Renaissance Faire for the entire time we had been together. She treats this as her livlihood. Has been clear about this, but I had no qualms. Her income is padded from her father at 1000$ a month, a vestige of an agreement to earn a degree (which she still has not, and has not been in school since before we began dating)
I have voiced wishing to become an electrician, i love working with my hands, and circuitry is enthralling. I have known people in the field, who have helped me get interviews and attempt entry level positions but each time have been told, the slot was filled before onboarding trully happened for me. Student loans kinda terrify me cause of debt, the trade schools i've found in cali be expensive. Most of my savings before hand went to assisting my grandma with issues that were taken care of.
We both talked about how neither of us was fully in the career we wanted, and how we wanted to see the other grow into it.
When we got together, @24 years old, i was an assistant manager in a deli, after multiple instances of being passed for applied promotions and training those who recieved those promotions.... I had enough. This was only the first year of our relationship
I got a job at a Hyatt Hotels, becoming a front end (lobby) manager. Hyatt at the time had excellent student programs and loan rates, which fizzled when the location franchised, and we lost a majority of benefits. Found a new job
I've been at a shipping company that works out of a single location for a tech company, Juniper networks. Have DOT driving certs, and multiple forklift certs. Mon-fri 9-5, making good money (close to 30/hr) feel ALOT more comfortable with loans now. Have more time that i can set aside for things. This was the last barely two years, my annual was literally a week ago.
The primary reason i havent begun said process of loans is the amount i have been trying to support her in her passion and stay connected. But even with that I was beginning to figure out times for school.
She had begun with 1 faire, then two, then some smaller ones. Trying out different Faires at different times. Just this year attempting all of them.
She has progressively added more and more faires, to the point where she we will not be at home .... 9 months? Of this year. 3 months roughly each faire, back to back at times. One faire is out of state, all the rest are driveable easy.
I say roughly as all the faires dates are up for debate, between the build, run, and teardown, there is variance of up to several weeks. Making planning outside of Faire difficult. I find out these dates through her, but with very little time in between to plan anything
I visit during the close faires, Casa de fruta Northern Ren faire, every weekend. During the farther Faires, like LA southern faire, every other weekend. Of my own volition and wish to see her.
Long distance it may be, but the longest actual time we've been apart for these is only a couple weeks at a time. Literally 2.
I text and call, not quite everyday, but no longer than a few (3ish), most of the time with no response. Again no qualms, just different things happening at different times, blind love yaknow?
I purchased essentially her entire camp, carport, cots, portable matress (trifold queen), tents, tables, stove, etc.
I drove her throughout our relationship, not just to and from Faire, literally everything. She has refused to get a drivers license out of fear. I have mobilized her supplies and camp.
We talked frequently, enjoyed shows, board games, we started heading to amusement parks, (she loves rollercoasters), we would go dancing while she was home, build lego display sets, like i could keep on going.
The last couple times shes come home from Faire, things have felt off. Like i have to reconnect with her at home. When i visit has seemed like either shes masking for me, or at faire.
She started getting too tired to do anything in between the Faires, and would refuse my assistance to get ready. Which was basically laundry and maintenance for camp things.
Sometimes these last couple months i would respond with the energy i recieved. Im human. I dont really know what else to say for that. We would talk about it Then things would go back to how they were.... for a time
Ill admit i have resting grumpy face, and on occaision am grumpy. But I never took it out on her. We had arguments, but never anything that lasted or made us truly angry. Sometimes i would say i need some alone time, just to cool off. But that never lasted for more than an hour or two.
When we began dating, she asked me bring my tone down a bit. Kinda made me realize unintended inflections.
Again these last couple months, she hasnt been rude, nor abusive... just sharp... to the point i feel like i have to apologize for ideas or actions. I brought this up, and things got better.... for a bit
I have dropped the ball on occaision with cleaning around the house, and she brought it up when they happened, but it honestly went both ways.
She ruled over laundry, i ruled over dishes, we'd help each other wipe down surfaces and vacuum. We have cats, and took turns cleaning litter.
We'd helped each other cook, but unless I laid very clear intentions i wanted to cook for her, she'd take over. She preferred cooking, saying "ocd"
Her love languages is much more touch oriented than mime are.
I have never claimed to be fast at anything. In fact literally have compared myself to the Tortoise, from tortoise and the hare. And feel very judged on it all of a sudden.
Looking back... maybe I could have initiated more... but as i began to do so more and more this last year together, i was met with more and more, "tired" or "faire".
I just... feel like a wrung out rag..... and ... i dont know... Used?
She mentioned it not being fair to either of us... just making me wonder if this might actually be better off...
Doesnt feel like it now

I was always the one that loved kids and wanted 4. I was always the one”who do you want around your future dinner table.” My husband had only wanted one but we settled on the idea of 2 We had a miscarriage in 2019 and then were faced with secondary infertility And then got pregnant in 2020 via IVF And then my son was born in 2021
I know I’m in the minority here but no real complaints during pregnancy. Birth could have been better but also could have been worse
Newborn stage was a dream. My son would wake up, nurse, and go right back to sleep Sure he was up a bunch but compared to what I hear- we got lucky with him
After he turned two we started the discussion on having a 2nd. We had two embryos in the freezer. We said if this didn’t work- we would stop at one and not go through the entire egg retrieval again Our transfer failed and I was more upset than I thought I’d be Jumped right into another and it took and I started getting positives However I also spiraled into depression It became paralyzing and all I did was cry
I had a lot of fears and anxieties. I was terrified of the next having any type of developmentally issues, medically complex issues and terrified of something happening to me. Sure I know things can happen anytime and also things can be fine but I was so afraid. I was afraid of what it would do to my son and how it could change him
It also brought back the anxieties I had while pregnant and the newborn stage. Analyzing every single sonogram and comparing it to “normal” ones on Google, stressing over every milestone, Dr appointment, vaccine.
The depression was real and debilitating. Since I found out so early with IVF about the positive test- I decided to stop the meds that were keeping me pregnant
It was the hardest decision to make Sometimes looking back on my fertility journey- I can’t believe I did it But I think it was more important for my mental health
I keep seeing all these birth announcements for the second baby and I am a bit jealous that I wasn’t strong enough mental But boards like this help and I just keep trying to focus on the positives of being one and done and being able to provide for my son and give him the world he deserves
If you read this far- thank you ♥️

Will explain my situation before I ask for advice.
Been a long ride, for how little I've been around. Having turned 24 recently, I'm getting my life together after a pitiful depressive episode. Roommate lost his job along with myself, just at the wrong time. The cards all came crashing down, ended up back with a Friend and his Mom. Living in a garage-basement, clothes kept in hampers clean or dirty, mattress on the floor and just a PC setup...
Yeah I know, not your dream bachelor pad, but I've made this bed... In part. I grew up very rough, much worse than my current situation, so I'm managing. It haunts me that I haven't been been doing all that I could, if I was doing my part after HS it wouldn't be like this. My folks weren't even alive to pay for my college, but I could've ensured I got scholarships, but didn't. Sure I was going through hell, but I knew the way out and didn't take that path. Still have my girlfriend thankfully, but we're aware I am running out of chances.
Anyway, today marks a day of change:

• Assembled a 10-shelf, clothing furniture unit
• Hung up a white board and put all my goals down
• Meticulously cleaned and moved stuff around
• Assembled a drawer kit and organized all my paperwork and personal items
• Bought a full size bed and about to call about a sleep study for my snoring

I'm going to seek out training opportunities in the trade industry since I can't afford college at all, for now. I quit smoking, quit vaping and limited alcohol in the past month (that wasn't fun). I've made it a point to read, workout and etc. but I'm still anxious as can be all the time.
I'm worried this momentum may dry out again. This isn't my first "wake-up call" at all, but it's certainly the most impactful as of yet. I just feel doomed to learn everything the hard way.
Any other ideas on how to improve when you've fallen from grace? What is the secret to consistency, for you?

(Going to be a long post ) Ye post unke liye hai jo padh mhi rahe hain par sapne abhi bhi iit se neeche ke nhi hain. Iss saal jee mains diya, boards diye, kuch aur entrances diye . When i was in 12th, after wasting 11th i wanted to become the - abse sirf padhai aur kuch nahi - student. April gaya, may gaya, june , july , august gaya. Mid terms ae, tab laga ab to padhna hi hai . Strategy videos of scoring 99%ile in 4 months took over kyunki 99 percentile se neeche sochna to gunha hain na! Phir ai 99 %ile in 3 months , then 2 months , then 1 month. Phir jan attempt ke ek hafte pehle how to get 90 percentile in one week . Nhi hua kuch boards diye , april attempt diya . Nhi ai yr rank! Mains mein 60 percentile Now, do I regret for not studying? Yes. Can I change the results of this year? No. Will I get a very good govt college everyone dreams of? No. Par ab regret se kya hoga? Kuch nhi Abhi jo log 11th mein hain, 12th mein hain, you might be feeling ki abhi to bohot time hai. Nahi hai. Time aise jaega ki pata bhi nhi chalega. I got 60 percentile in mains. Pata hai jab mains ka score calculate kiye to 47 ban Raha tha. There wasn't one chapter from whole 12th and 11th I could point my finger and say ki isse koi bhi question dedo, I'll do it. Not a single one. Jab marks calculate kiye to laga ki yar agar har mahine pcm mein ek ek chapter bhi Kiya hota to atleast kuch college to mil jata. Kuch to milta. The habits that destroyed me were yt shorts, series, movies, songs. No relationship shit aur anything. It was all me, enough to ruin my exams. Boards ka result check Kiya and you won't believe how fucking happy I was to pass the jee criteria of 75% in boards. How happy. But this is not what I imagined my life to be after 12th, did I? No. Koi nhi karta yr! I'm searching for colleges nowadays. The colleges I've never heard Of, jinke reviews bhi ache nhi , im praying ki usi mein hi jae. Kahi to ho jae. Kisi college mein. Jinke naam tak nhi sune the ,unke bhi cutoff clear nhi ho rahi. And I'll probably go in a college jiska maine 2 saal mein kisi se naam bhi nhi suna tha. I'm searching for a college jiski placement thodi to decent ho. But I. Sab ka kyaal tab kyu nhi aya jab I wasted my time? Jab I did not study when I could fucking have? Ab lagta hai ki kitna aasan tha padhna. Padhi, exam do aur college le jao. I made plans which I never executed Most of my friends have got above 90 percentile. I can't even text or call them without thinking that kya soch rahe honge vo. The worst is disappointing the ones who trusted you, gave you everything you asked for. tumhare sirf ek baar mangne se tumhe vo cheez laake de di. Apne parents. Meri maa ka sapna tha ki main IIT delhi jau. She used to be so happy jab vo bolti thi. I broke it. I fucking broke it. She still supports me, still cooks my fav dishes, still smiles at me , i am lucky and blessed to have a family jo mujhe har failure pe samjhati hai aur support karti hai. My mom still loves and cares for me . She still talks to me. But it still hurts jab unhone bola ki humein bata do agar humein zyada hi expectations laga li ho tumse aur humein hi soch liya ho ki humara bacha to acha kar hi lega. She isn't wrong. She isn't. Ek hota hai aapne mehnat Kari and something happened which was out of your control which led to a bad result. And ek hota hai jab aap mehnat nhi karte and you know you deserve that shitty result . Sabse bura tab lagta hai when i think ki i know i have the brain and i can study and i could have cleared the exam with a good result. But kabhi padhai seriously hi nhi li. No one would believe me if i said ki i like to study. Bhai mujhe sach mein seekhna acah lagta tha. Jab cheezein samajh aati thi to alag hi khishi hoti thi. Alag hi. Par maine kabhi consistently efforts nhi lagae. And that led to the downfall. Life mein na, ek na ek point par aapko ruk kar sochna hoga ki bhai main kar kya raha hu? Hum sab ko pata hai kya karna hai , mujhe bhi pata tha. You all fucking know that YouTube, insta is not going to help you. Ye sab na bolne ki batein hoti hai ki jee doesn't matter, ur rank doesn't decide your futue. My rank is 5L. I don't know what to do. But one thing ik is rank fucking matters. Mere peeche 7-8 lakh bache hain aur aisa nhi hai ki humara kych nhi hoga. Hoga. Kuch to ho hi jaega. Par abhi at this moment i have no fucking idea ki kya hoga. I can't tell about others. But for me i know mere paas time, resources, supportive environment, saare sukh suvidha thi and i could have easily stopped my self and my family from getting into this situation. Drop isn't really an option as my family thinks that 97-96 percentile isn't really possible for someone who scored 60 this year. And vo apni jagah sahi bhi hain . They trusted me and i failed. Now its their decision and i will accept jo bhi vo bolenge. Will yalk about it in some later posts. To abhi bhi time hai , sudhar jao . Meri tuition teacher kehti thi- life mein ek goal hona bohot zaroori hai. And today i understand her words. Ek goal banao. Not necessary ki jee ho. Aur bohot kuch hai duniya mein. Because you might or might not realize, but financially independent hona life mein bohot zaroori hai.Mujhe padhai ke alawa koi aisi skill nhi aati jispe main depended rahu. Time waste mat karo. Kuch seeko. Kuch bhi useful. Don't just pass your time. Just. Don't. Padhai karo. Aur agar vo nhi kar rahe to koi skill develop karo . Downfall hota hai life mein , kabhi aisi cheez ki vajah se jise hum vontrol kar sakte hain aur kabhi aise cheezon ki vajah se jise hum control nhi kar sakte. And it's important, ki jo humare control mein hain , hum usse kharaab na hone de. Life ko jeeyo. I won't say ki sirf padhai karo. Nahi. Live. Be happy. Dance. Enjoy. Padhai ke alawa bhi bohot cheezein aapko success dilati hain . But padhai ek kaafi hadd tak safe and secure way hai to success. Learn and live please All the best (Spelling vagera pe zyada dhyaan mat dena, typing karte hue error ho gaya hoga. Post ko samajhna)

The following is my ideal start to the sequel. I apologize in advance for the parentheses.
The MC is awakened by a knock at the door.
Either Amit, Poppy, or Gareth (depending on the MC's house) enter the room, saying something along the lines of
"Sorry, I didn't wake you did I?"
We discover that the MC has been staying at one of the above characters' houses for Summer Break, due to the MC being an orphan (set up MC backstory).
The MC and other character go downstairs for breakfast with the other character's family. (A lot of this takes inspiration from Harry's time at the Burrow) An owl arrives with a letter for school supplies.
It is decided that they will all go to Diagon Alley the next day. However, first things first- house chores!
Depending on the house of the MC, the chores will vary. I even imagine de-gnoming could be a possibility if with the Weasleys.
After completion of the chores, the player is given the option to explore the house and yard before ending the day. The next morning the player and family go to Diagon Alley via Flu Powder. The player is free to explore Diagon Alley, including Gringotts, where they may set up an account. There will also be an option to buy a broom and/or a wand, each with varying potentials (speed, power, etc.) However, the funds will be limited, so choices will have to be made. There will be some unique products available for purchase in Diagon Alley, which the player may have a second chance to buy during the Winter break, when they will have the option to stay at the Leaky Cauldron or at an empty Hogwarts, each with their own possible benefit.
Upon returning to the house from Diagon Alley, a bit of fun begins.
Depending on which house the MC is staying at, this bit will differ.
If staying with the Weasleys, MC will play a 2-on-2 quidditch game (with just a quaffle, I believe)
If staying with Amit, perhaps a flight to a nearby hill for some star gazing.
If staying with Poppy...maybe like following unicorn tracks, ending in a unicorn ride through the woods??
Alas, thus the fun ends and it is time to prepare for the next day's journey to Hogwarts.
(It would be cool if each family had a different way to get to Kings Cross- broom flight, portkey, floo powder? This could also be a quest in itself)
The MC walks through platform 9 3/4 and gets the opportunity to wander around briefly, before the train whistle and a voice warns of its nearing departure.
The MC, along with the other character, boards the Hogwarts Express. After checking around various compartments and perhaps getting refused by some antagonizing students, the MC finds an open compartment to sit in. After a brief conversation and perhaps some new character introductions, the MC gets the chance to buy some things from the trolley and can wonder around the train. There could be some sort of quest (finding a student's lost belonging? Stopping some older students from bullying anxious first years?) before the train begins its approach to Hogsmeade Station (Ideally the player could control how long or short the train ride lasts).
The students exit the train and the camera might show a mysterious hooded figure watching from a bench on the other platform. We might get a cut scene of the carriages trek to the school (and in said process, we might see/hear a glimpse of something worrisome through the trees.) We enter the great hall for the sorting ceremony. We watch the ceremony and notice something unusual with one of the students (perhaps something sinister even--random thought, what if the student were actually a powerful dark wizard who had used the polyjuice potion to take on the appearance of a student in order to infiltrate Hogwarts), like the hat announcing the student's house before the student even sits down (eg. Draco). This student may or may not be a potential antagonist.
We get the chance to converse with just about all of our housemates, with more lengthy conversations with students in our own year. (Along with the train ride, this is an opportunity for relationship building) We also get to eat the variety of foods that have appeared on the table. We then get some school announcements from the headmaster, including but not limited to the try out dates for Quidditch. After the announcements, the feast is brought to a close, and house prefects guide the first years to their respective houses (and in this process, the MC might catch the unusual first year looking at them as they exit the Hall).
The MC then heads to their common room along with the other students. The player gets to explore the common room and interact with it magically (lighting fireplace, accio-ing books etc.), maybe eventually getting scolded by some older students, a ghost or a prefect. Also, the bulletin board lists some possible quests to be done on a later date. There are also NPCs with whom the MC can play exploding snap and wizards chess with in the common room. (Gobstones would be available to play outside)
The player is free to stay in the common room, but with all of the other students eventually heading up to their rooms, the player will naturally wish to do so as well. Upon going up to the bedroom, they will join in on a brief conversation with their roommates about the next day's classes etc. Then, the player will get to sleep in their bed, to get some rest before the start of a new school year.

I don't know how to mark spoiler but I got all the eggs and got to the office and have literally no idea what to do next. I have been looking at the board with lamp and uv light on and off. What the hell. What is my objective here what the hell? How am I supposed to extrapolate a rabbit hunt from this schizo dribbling?

Im putting together a really dumb build. like REALLY dumb so dont roast me. But im lost and need help.
This is going to be a deconstructed wall mounted PC strictly for looks over all else. im also trying to do this CHEAP. using old hardware.
The pc does not need to do much of anything at all over run google chrome/youtube
GPU - HD6850 (i like the decals on it) Storage - 240gb ssd, Along with 8tb (4) HDD space (got them all free) PSU(random 1150w ive had for years if it works)
Thats where it ends for parts tho, i was looking into older Xeons as they are cheap, And pack a ton of cores. Which i think would be really cool to just have and look at, But ive never dealt with xeons before and have no idea what boards can be used etc. What do you guys suggest?
Looking to keep the entire thing under $150 if possible. If i cant do this with a xeon im just going to go with the i5 4750 i have laying around and pick up a random board for it

Have a dual zone wine fridge. I’ve replaced the main board, power control board and display board. Initially a sensor issue caused the fridge to beep incessantly. I’ve tried replacement sensors (which read 99 degrees which is clearly wrong. The original sensor reads an incorrect temp (like 41 degrees) when a laser temp gauge clearly indicates it’s 60-65 degrees. The problem seems to be that the temperature that the fridge thinks it is, is not the actual temp. Any ideas for how to troubleshoot this?

I managed to fast travel back to Xion to the bulletin board after fighting the unidentified naytiba. And now I’m stuck behind all the town people. Is there any way out or am I stuck? I do not want to restart the game

As normal, the Defense Ordinance Subcommission was on the regular hunt for researchers and new technologies to present to the State Defense Commission. The agency had become expert in asset acquisition, often giving exorbitant deals that couldn't be refused. When deals couldn't be made, the agency was not above subterfuge and espionage. However, DOSC very much preferred to make deals, usually providing a better life for the families of those it seeks to assimilate into its machine of the eccentric.
In recent years, DOSC had engaged in a massive radio campaign, bombarding the airwaves when and where it could with advertisements highlighting the cheery and exciting surface of the organization. The campaign had been a resounding success and DOSC had hired on dozens of new researchers of various backgrounds and talent levels.
These new employees had come from across the continent and from all walks of life. Most interesting among them were those who now made up DOSC's Computerized Ordinance Board (DOSC-COB). The chief among these researchers were the five affectionately called the Circuit Breakers; Walter Houser Brattain, Gordon Moore, John Bardeen, Mohamed M. Atalla, and Dawon Kahng. All of these men had come from all corners of the former United States. Walter was from Spokane, Gordon from San Jose, John from Illinois, Mohamed from New Jersey, Egypt originally, and Dawon from Ohio, Korea originally.
Between them was the Compact's collective understanding of cutting edge electronic research. Not but a few years ago, Dawon and Mohamed had developed the MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), the Garden of Eden of electronic components as far as DOSC was concerned, providing a higherspeed, less power intensive, and less hot transistor for more advanced circuits.
This early research and development by Dawon and Mohamed had been joined by the knowledge of the other three, Walter and John having attempted a similar feat way back in the 30s before being thwarted by the US Patent Office thanks to Julius Lilienfeld's work in the mid 20s. The Austrian Jew had stopped either man from continuing further, William Shockley's hold on the industry collapsing not long after as is firm's prospects dried up. However, now both John and Walter had a second chance. Fleeing violent application of black nationalism and seeking a life where he wasn't constantly insulted with the title "Yakubite", John had left Illinois to meet with his former associate, Walter, in Spokane where both were approached by DOSC with prospective job offers.
Much to both gentlemen's surprise, DOSC had also acquired Gordon Moore from San Jose, California. Gordon had played a direct hand in William Shockley's fall from grace, being a member of the "Traitorous Eight" as Shockley would make sure to remind the media. Free of Shockley's authorian approach to teamwork, Gordon was quickly approached by a DOSC agent while enjoying a meal in a San Jose diner. Despite Sherman Fairchild's, the benefactor who encouraged the Traitorious Eight to rebel against Shockley, DOSC's offer couldn't be resisted, securing Gordon, his wife, and his two sons immediate citizenship within the Compact and an all expense paid life in the Great North. DOSC's investment would be quickly returned on, as Gordon became the pièce de résistance to DOSC-COB's efforts.
Utilizing the prior work and minds of Dawon and Mohamed, Gordon became a wizard of the circuit board. Recognizing and expertly applying the massive advantages of the MOSFET transistor, Gordon saw the inevitability of MOSFET's take over in regards to its impressive scalability and unparalleled low power consumption.
It would be from here that Gordon and the rest of the Circuit Breakers would begin not work very closely with Tia Baisho, chief engineer of DOSC's Kinentic Movement Board (DOSC-KMB), per her own request and much to DOSC's excitement. Tia had the type of eccentric idea that DOSC drooled over, that being a radical plan to drastically reduce the strain on combat manpower, opening the military up to greater support personnel potentials. However, to do so, she would need a new field of electronic components and ability that the world has yet to see.

Cigarettes and rebellion have always gone hand-in-hand, and in an age of cigarette packet-sized health warnings, now more than ever, smoking a fag says: 'I do not give a fuck.' But if Brandon Flowers is hoping to strike a seditious pose by sparking up at the start of the interview, it's not going according to plan. The Killers' frontman is on all fours rooting through the junk that carpets the anteroom at the band's rehearsal space. "Has anyone seen my lighter?" he asks, rocking back on his heels. The question hangs in the air while Brandon cocks his head, waiting for an answer like a meerkat listening for a predator. Twenty-five years old and with a delicate bone structure, there's something almost dainty about him. Receiving no response, he returns to his search. "Oh, Jeez," he sighs. "I had it just a minute ago."
It's a scene that emphatically does not suggest a rebel without a cause. The mess isn't helping. The Killers' HQ - an industrial unit sandwiched between a construction supplier and the offices of a housing development just off Dean Martin Drive in West Las Vegas - is ankle-deep in designer clothing. A Dior Homme suit lies crumpled by the door; there's a pile of shoes topped like a sundae by a pair of Marc Jacobs trainers; and anyone wishing to enter the shoebox room the band use as an office must negotiate a mountain of discarded jeans. Many items are identifiable as coming from the wardrobe of Hot Fuss, The Killers' hugely successful 2004 debut album - triple platinum in the UK with two weeks at Number One and five million sold worldwide. Look! There are the shirts, ties and suit jackets they wore when they thrilled Glastonbury 2005 with indie rock anthems Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me. That was the crowning moment of a two-and-a-half year tour that finally concluded in October of last year. It seems that after playing that final date in Miami, they returned to Vegas and shrugged off their image onto the floor of this bland white box.
Now a fine layer of dust covers the dead clothes. The Killers have no further use for white tuxedos on their second album, Sam's Town. Today, Brandon wears a black polo shirt, black pin-stripe waistcoat, black jeans and black boots. Where there used to be a layer of foundation, there is now a beard - an untrimmed beard at that. Dave Keuning (30, guitar), Mark Stoermer (29, bass) and Ronnie Vannucci (29, drums) all echo Brandon's black ensemble. Ronnie has added Aviator shades and a handlebar moustache for a dash of motorcycle cop, Dave's frizzy bubble of hair gives him a Marc Bolan-ish air, and there's something very teenage about Mark's scuffed Vans.
Short of walking around wearing sandwich boards saying, "Our new record is a bit heavier than the last one," The Killers couldn't hope to communicate that message more effectively. And they have gained some musical girth on Sam's Town. The pop hooks that made Hot Fuss so irresistible survive intact - see the ringing guitar riffs on first single When You Were Young - but there's a newfound punchiness, coupled with an epic sweep. The minor-to-major uplifts on Bones are fabulously dramatic, the coda to Why Do I Keep Counting? thrillingly intense. Comparisons to Bruce Springsteen have been made. If they overstate the case a little, they are at leaset qualitatively accurate. The Killers are back and this time it's serious - they've got the bootlace ties to prove it.
"Hey, it says here that Springsteen's headlining Glastonbury next year," shouts Ronnie, who's flicking through the NME. He nods sagely at the page without looking up.
"Really?" asks Dave, nicknamed Crazy Dave on account of his alledgedly volatile nature.
"The Boss is headlining one night, we're playing second on the bill the next night and Kylie's headlining the Sunday," says Brandon, charging like a bull through Michael Eavis' as-yet-unannounced line-up with what subsequently proves to be a characteristic gaucheness.
But that lighter is proving elusive. This being America, none of the people hurrying to-and-fro prepping the world for the release of Sam's Town smokes. Manager Robert Reynolds - Bobby Rey to the band - barks into his mobile, booking his band onto eye-wateringly demanding tours. "We're going to make a lot of money," he cackles to himself before switching calls to make a series of stern pronouncements on legal matters. Dave, Mark and Ronnie disappear for a jam session. Artwork is approved, B-sides are decided on and schedules are hammered out.
"I can't find it," Brandon says, finally. But he's not going to be denied the opportunity to underline The Killers reinvention with a puff of smoke. "Let's go to the gas station. I'll have to buy one. It's too busy to talk here anyway."
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Brandon's black (of course) Volkswagen Touraeg four-wheel drive is barrelling down West Flamingo Road into town. "I was a bell boy there," he says, pointing out of the driver's window at the stucco facade of the Gold Coast casino. "I was working there when we were signed."
Coming from Las Vegas, it is perhaps inevitable that casinos play a big part in The Killers' story; not only is Sam's Town named after one, it was recorded in one, too.
The band began writing songs while on the road with Hot Fuss, turning up early for soundchecks to run through new ideas. On a trip home to Vegas, George Maloof, a hotelier known for cultivating famous friends, invited them to record the album in the new studio he'd built at The Palms, his flagship hotel-cum-gambling den. When the tour finished in October 2005, they returned to Vegas and spent five month finessing the songs they'd sketched out on the road. Then, in February, they decampled to the third floor studio at The Palms and recorded Sam's Town over 11 weeks.
Producer Flood (U2, Depeche Mode) encouraged them to experiment. They overdubbed, fiddled with synthesizers and played with new equipment. It took them five weeks to get the backing vocals right. The band sang the harmonies, then double-tracked them four times. The end result recalls Queen wondering, "Is this is the real life? Is this just fantasy?" When Ronnie, a trained classical percussionist, brought some kettledrums down, eyebrows were raised; but the fabulously bombastic coda on Why Do I Keep Counting? vindicates his indulgence.
"That's kind of the Ben Hur of the album," he says. He's not wrong. Sam's Town is a record on an epic scale. "Yeah, it has drama," he continues. "But, at the same time, I think it's a little more exposed than Hot Fuss. It's a little more naked. Last time it was about a lot of fictional things." By "fictional", Ronnie means that Hot Fuss wore its predominantly British influences for all to see. Brandon's taste in music is rabidly Anglophile - he constantly references The Smiths, The Cure and Joy Division - and it showed. By contrast, Sam's Town is an unequivocally American record. The lyrical imagery is pure American dream - cars, girls, wide-open spaces and escaping to a better life. "We're burning down the highway skyline/On the back of a hurricane that started turning/When you were young," sings Brandon on When You Were Young. That's the basis of the Springsteen comparisons then, though the lack of pathos more closely recalls another blue-collar rocker from New Jersey - Jon Bon Jovi.
The phrase "this town" recurs throughout the album, and it's always receding into the distance as The Killers escape to a new life. "This town was made for passing through/I never did get along with everybody else," sings Brandon on This River Is Wild. On Read My Mind he "never really gave up on breaking out of this two-star town", while on the title track he offers something of an explanation: "Nobody ever had a dream round here."
"With the first record, there was this feeling that there was this world out there that we didn't know," says Mark later in the day. Before The Killers, he studied philosophy: now he's their quiet one. "We wanted to get out and away from this and be somewhere else. We hadn't had a lot of experience - hadn't travelled much - then we were gone for three years. We didn't sit down and say that we wanted to make a record about how we're glad to be home, but that's what happened naturally."
It's not an angsty record. The Killers have already escaped with Hot Fuss, and, having done so, they view the experience fondly now they're back. There's a mistiness to Brandon's eyes as he explains how the album got it's name.
"Sam's Town is a casino on the edge of Vegas," he says. "I grew up in Henderson, which is out on the way to the Hoover Dam. My mom and dad lived in a trailer park, and my dad used to hitchhike up and down Boulder Highway, which is the only way you could get to Vegas. Sam's Town was the first thing you saw on your way in to town. So, when you're driving down Boulder Highway from Henderson, I always thought you finally knew you were getting somewhere when you saw Sam's Town. It was kind of like a beacon."
"It's not a completely American album," contines Brandon. "We still have our English influence, but we're also from the Wild West. Somehow we've managed to unify all that on this album. it's just such a perfect resemblence of what we are."
At the petrol station, Brandon rummages through the glove box looking for change to buy a lighter. "This is a great album," he says, pointing at Highway Companion, the latest from iconic American rocker Tom Petty. "I've always been a big fan of his. He's such a great American artist."
Yes, Brandon: we get the point.
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When Brandon finally lights his cigarette, he smokes it awkwardly, like a child mimicking something he's seen the grown-ups doing. However, when he cheerfully admits that, "I feel the same mentally as I did when I was 12," it's not a knowing nod to the fact that he sometimes behaves like a loveably precocious child, but a reference to an unusually comprehensive grounding in pop music at an early age.
When Brandon sings about "this town", he doesn't mean Las Vegas. He means Nephi, Utah or Henderson, Nevada, where he spent his childhood. His parents are Mormon and he is the youngest of six children. "I was a surprise," he says. "I've got a 42-year-old sister." If he was issues about his "surprise" status, he chooses to gloss over them. "It turned out perfect because my brother was a teenager when I was a kid," he says. "He would bring home things like Rattle And Hum by U2 and I would watch it. I remember he bought Live In Dallas by Morrissey. It was always him watching these things, or his door was shut and you'd hear The Head On The Door by The Cure blasting through the house and rattling the walls."
The Killers were formed when Brandon answered an advert Dave had placed in a local paper in late 2002. Dave cited Oasis as a big influence; Brandon had seen them play recently and responded; and, as Dave has said in previous interviews: "He was the only person to reply to my ad who wasn't a complete freak." However, the band was born in Brandon's brothers bedroom.
"His room was like a shrine," enthuses Brandon. "It was a holy place. I wish I could show you a picture of it. It was covered in posters. There'd be a big picture of Elvis wearing a bow tie that just said 'The Smiths' [the artwork for The Smiths 1987 single Shoplifters Of The World Unite]. You had The Cure wearing face paint [the artwork to The Cure's 1985 single In Between Days] - all that kind of stuff. I remember Morrissey being on the cover of the NME, with the halo [from 1985] - stuff like that. You just wanted to know about these people 'cause they were so cool. My brother seemed like such a cool person. But he was a teenager, so he wasn't going to be that nice to me, a kid."
Brandon was fascinated by his brother's collection of music, magazines and posters, but he was denied access to them - officially, at least. "I would sneak in," he says. "I knew he'd be angry if he found out, but I would go in as soon as he left the house." For a long time Brandon was too scared to actually play anything. "That didn't come 'til later. I just used to go in there because I liked it. Then I got to the point where I'd actually take a tape out and put it in. It took more guts to do that."
It was a life-changing moment. "I was ten and the first song I played was Sing Your Life by Morrissey. I remember dancing about to it."
The lyrics to Sing Your Life include the lines, "Sing your life/Just walk right up to the microphone/And name all the things that you love/All the things that you loathe." It's intriguing to wonder what Morrissey makes of the neophyte he inspired with these lines.
Eventually, Brandon inherited his brother's tape collection. "It was around the same time CDs started coming out in a big way. He started buying CDs and gave me his tapes. And that was it: it took off from there. I got a hundred of the best albums - all the New Order, all the Morrissey, all The Smiths, The Beatles. I started buying posters. I went to see The Cure in concert. It was just kind of a continuation of my brother. And it was nice because, though my parents were strict, they were already used to it from him. There was no, 'My dad doesn't understand me,' or any of that kind of stuff. My mum likes The Smiths."
Brandon was 13 and his favourite band was late-'70s/early-'80s American new wavers The Cars, and particularly their jaw-droppingly catchy 1979 single Just What I Needed.
"I wouldn't exist without that song," he says. "That was the one. I remember driving around with my mum when I was 13, and we're living in Nephi - a really small town - and I felt so cool when I put that song on. Like: 'I have something that none of these kids I'm going to middle school with tomorrow have.' That excitement is what music's about, isn't it? That's why I understand the mentality of people that don't like us because we've sold so many records. I used to like it when no one else knew about a band. So I get that - I do."
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Brandon's first band was called Blush Response. It was never going to work out. Not because he refused to move to Los Angeles with them, but because he is utterly - comically - shameless. He's given to making outrageously boastful statements like: "It's not like the '60s, '70s and '80s now. There are only a few bands around that are really good, that just do it. I mean, there's what, five or six of us?"
For the record, in Brandon's estimation, those bands are Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, of course, The Killers.
"I don't want people to think I'm lumping myself with other people just to make us sound cool," he says. Really? It sort of sounds like you are. But he just steamrolls through it. "Yeah, but you know what I mean," he says, grinning at his own cheekiness. He's so disgracefully forward you can't help but laugh along with him - Oh you are awful, Brandon! But joking aside, The Killers are the most commercially successful of all the bands he mentions.
Later, back at the rehearsal space, the band run through Sam's Town at deafening volume in preparation for the forthcoming tour - first the US, then the world. The infectious, almost contagious, chorus of When You Were Young sounds fabulous, as do the U2-like guitars and Twin Peaks synths of Read My Mind. Meanwhile, Smile Like You Mean It and Somebody Told Me benefit from the newfound harder edge.
They somewhat heavy-handedly underline the new direction by playing Paranoid by Black Sabbath and Get It On by T Rex. That's the thing: The Killers are not a subtle band. Their songs are like a wet kiss from a girl who's a bit too drunk. They are big and brash, and not everyone loves them for it. Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me might go down as well at hip nightclubs as they do on the festival circuit, but the DJs play them with the same guilty look they wear when playing a pop record.
"I hate that," says Brandon. "Like writing a song you can hum somehow cheapens it? It makes me think of this quote by Morrissey. Everybody knows how he read Oscar Wilde, Keats and Yates when he was growing up and that he wanted to be a writer. He was talking to this journalist who asked why he hadn't become a writer, and Morrissey said: 'What I do is more powerful than what you do because I can write down these words and you get it to a melody. How can you beat that?' I'm of the same opinion. I don't understand why a good melody that's memorable is a bad thing."
Being dismissed as pop particular aggrieves Ronnie. "When we first came out we got compared to Duran Duran all the time. Jesus Christ! We got a keyboard player now all of a sudden he's Nick Rhodes! Come on!"
"The people who criticise us for being too poppy don't get it," agrees Mark. "I think that's the problem with a lot of rock music. People are afraid to write a song any more. Either that or they can't. And that attitude hurts music in general. The best bands ever have all written great songs. You can still do it and do it intelligently and it can be original. This isn't a studio creation with a producer writing these songs for us. We're not Avril Lavigne, or something like that. We're a real band writing real songs, just like a punk band would do, except that we write pop songs."
You get the impression that The Killers knack for showboating pop hooks that border on vulgar is inextricably tied up with the brazen side of Brandon's personality. But while his ebullient charisma, not to mention the songs themselves, mitigates his outrageousness, there is a less attractive side to his ego. He has a combative streak. He can't resist taking pot shots at emo bands, notably Fall Out Boy, whith whom The Killers share an A&R man.
Has he heard how many emo kids it takes to change a light bulb? "No." None. They just sit in the dark and cry. It's a full 30 seconds before he stops laughing. When he does he admits: "Yeah, we've had problems with other bands. You know, when you walk in the room it's like..." He whistles the theme to The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. "We're like gangs."
And while the other members of the band are diplomatic on the subject of Brandon, you don't have to read too deeply between the lines to conclude that there have been internal issues, too.
"Some people will think Brandon's the big genius," says Dave, visibly bridling. "There are songs, such as Why Do I Keep Counting?, where he's written every note. But there are others, like When You Were Young, that were more of a collaboration - like Mr Brightside, where I had some of the music and Brandon came up with the lyrics. We always have arguments about who wrote what. The truth is that we all help in that process."
When asked how success affected them, Ronnie says: "There were certain things that needed adjusting. When you're on tour for two years, people can get a little needy. It doesn't help that you're surrounded by yes men and everybody's working for you. At times we've had to say, 'Who do you think you are?' to people. No one wears the trousers, but some people would like to. I think if it wasn't for the people in the band kicking each other in the ass... Let's just say there was some ass-kickin'."
It doesn't take a genius to work out whose ass needed kicking most often.
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It's the following day and The Killers are back at their rehearsal space. The topic of discussion is what to wear in the video for Bones, the second single. It's a big deal: the director is Tim Burton. "I feel like Frank Sinatra when I sing it," announces Brandon. "With maybe a little bit of Morrissey and a little bit of Elvis, too."
Of course he does. But if securing the services of Tim Burton tells you one thing, it's that The Killers are about to get even bigger, perhaps even make the leap to the same level as Coldplay et al. Already stars, they are about to become superstars. Brandon can hardly wait.
"Do you know that Rolling Stone didn't want to put us on the cover last time," he says indignantly. "They didn't think we were stars. We sold five million albums! What more do they want from a band?"
Whatever was required, Brandon would be happy to do most things. "I'll do stuff that some people don't want to do, 'cause I want people to hear the music," he says. However, even he has limits. "The Rolling Stone thing made the record label think: 'What can we do to make them stars?' If I go on vacation with my wife, do they have to send somebody to be there to take pictures of me? Is that how you become a star? I don't want that. I walked down the red carpet one time and I realised I don't like it. But you don't have to walk down the red carpet for people to hear your music. We do still have some of that indie blood running through our veins."
He heads off at a tangent: "When you walk around Liverpool, you think of The Beatles, or you go to Manchester and you think of The Smiths or Oasis. I want you to come to Las Vegas and think of Sam's Town. And I think we've started to capture that, which is a truer version of The Killers, 'cause that's where we're from."
He pauses.
"I used to live across the street from Sam's Town. Maybe it'll be like our Abbey Road where people go to take pictures."
Is that what he'd like?
"I wouldn't mind it," he says, desperately hoping it will come true.
He puts a cigarette between his lips, looks down at his trouser pockets and pats them in search of the lighter he bought yesterday.
"Hey, I don't suppose you've got one?"