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2016.02.27 17:13 solo89 Disney Pin Swap
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2010.03.20 02:13 insanemo /r/premed
Reddit's home for wholesome discussion related to pre-medical studies.
2009.02.11 20:22 Shrooms and the Psychedelic Experience
A place to discuss the growing, hunting, and the experience of magical fungi. Primarily concerned with psilocybin containing mushrooms, but all psychoactive species are welcome.
2024.05.16 23:30 Firm-Address-9534 Portfolio Optimization Maximizing Sharpe Ratio Allowing Shorts
Hello, hope you find all well
I'm currently exploring portfolio optimization techniques aimed at maximizing the Sharpe ratio while allowing for short selling. My constraints are upper bound of 0.5 and a lower bound of -0.5.
Question 1: What shape will my optimization function take given these constraints?
Question 2: Will a local optimum converge to a global optimum in this scenario?
Question 3:Would the residual/difference from the sum of the assets' weights with the maximum allocation (0.5*the number of assets) provide the percentage to allocate in the risk-free rate ?
submitted by Firm-Address-9534 to quantfinance [link] [comments]
I'm currently exploring portfolio optimization techniques aimed at maximizing the Sharpe ratio while allowing for short selling. My constraints are upper bound of 0.5 and a lower bound of -0.5.
Question 1: What shape will my optimization function take given these constraints?
Question 2: Will a local optimum converge to a global optimum in this scenario?
Question 3:Would the residual/difference from the sum of the assets' weights with the maximum allocation (0.5*the number of assets) provide the percentage to allocate in the risk-free rate ?
2024.05.16 23:29 KittyTheSavage1 How feasible is it that I could unbend all these pins?
 | I was volunteering at my local donation based thrift shop in the back when I saw this. It’s a 10th gen Intel motherboard, gigabyte B460M DS3H AC. They’re probably about 10 bent pins spread out between two clusters of the LGA 1200 socket. I asked if I could make a donation to take it and they let me have it for free due to the nature of it being a damaged speciality item. submitted by KittyTheSavage1 to pcmasterrace [link] [comments] I unbent a few pins on an LGA motherboard meant for 2nd gen Intel around a year ago but there was only 1-2 bent. (Ram slot wasn’t working, unbent pins and it worked again) Wish me luck people |
2024.05.16 23:27 GovTech A Brogue Guide
Note: This guide contains minor spoilers.
Brogue is a challenging game and many players never manage to “beat” it, despite months or even years of attempts. This guide is intended as a framework for optimizing your gameplay so that you too can join the ranks of glorious heroes who’ve ascended the Dungeons of Doom with the Amulet of Yendor held high.
Part 1: Mindset
In his book Outliers, the journalist Malcom Gladwell makes the case that plane crashes aren’t usually caused by a single event, but an accumulation of small factors that eventually become unmanageable for the pilots. This is a useful analogy for dying in Brogue.
In most cases, a monster won’t simply walk over and kill you. Rather, you’ll use an unidentified potion that causes you to catch on fire and in the course of walking to the water, you’ll trip over a confusion trap and end up getting stung to death by eels and toads. Things start off fine, a minor accident happens and then problems pile up and suddenly you’re dead. How did this happen?
Most deaths in Brogue can be attributed to underestimating the dangers that surround you and not having contingency plans ready. Winning, therefore, is largely a matter of isolating threats and dealing with each individually, while meanwhile collecting as many contingency plans as possible. It’s much easier to kill a single pink jelly by backing yourself into a nook, for instance, than it is to stand in the open and fight eight of them at once. Your odds of survival are much greater if you have several weapons and means of escape at hand.
As you play, constantly assess how much danger you’re in. You should do this each time you descend to a new level, but also periodically throughout each level. It helps to be somewhat familiar with the game’s monsters and other hazards and to know on which levels they typically appear. By the time you reach depth 6, for instance, there’s a good chance you’ll start encountering ogres. Don’t wait until one is standing in front of you to come up with a means of killing it. Have as many plans as possible ready before you can even see her.
Tip: A common place people die is around depth 7 or 8. It’s by this time that, barring some great luck in early gear, you’ll need to begin committing to a build. The first few levels of the game will forgive a player who wanders around without much of a plan, but around depth 8, more difficult enemies appear and you need an efficient way to kill or avoid them.
Upon each descent to a new level, ask yourself, “How much am I risking by keeping this item unused in my inventory? Will using this now keep me alive on this level or am I simply wasting something that could be put to better use later?” Greedily hoarding six enchant scrolls because you still haven’t found the perfect weapon is a common precursor to death. Always just trying to stay alive for one more level is an ideal strategy if you can sustain it deep enough.
This leads us to the most underrated asset a player can wield in Brogue: information.
Part 2: Information
Like many roguelikes, Brogue is made more challenging because the player has incomplete information about his surroundings. The map is dark. There are hidden traps and enemies. Items and equipment are not identified. They could be cursed or harmful. And even if you know which items are harmful and which are helpful because you’ve used a detect magic potion, if it’s the first time you’ve encountered an item, you still won’t know precisely how it’s helpful or harmful.
Mere information is enough to keep you alive in many situations. That you could easily die with an unidentified teleport scroll in your inventory is evidence of this. The difference between being overcome by a group of furies or jackals and easily dispatching the group is knowing just where they are on the other side of that door. Waiting a few moments might save your life, if only you know well enough to do so.
You should not attempt to kill every monster in the dungeon. If you can clearly see that you can kill a monster and you’re sure that no other monster will approach during that fight, it’s generally a good idea to kill it so that it doesn’t later happen upon you at an inopportune time. But if there’s a dragon alone in a small room, it’s generally a good idea to leave him alone.
Scrolls of magic mapping, rings of awareness, rings of clairvoyance, telepathy charms and detect magic potions are incredibly valuable. Awareness gives your character free searches with each move, reducing the chance of stepping on a trap that could trigger a fatal chain reaction of events. Clairvoyance ensures you won’t miss hidden rooms and gives you advance notice of monsters. Telepathy shows you the locations and movement patterns of enemies. Detect magic ensures you won’t read a cursed scroll or equip a piece of equipment that could weaken your character long enough to kill him. Magic mapping ensures you and your allies don’t step on traps and it helps optimize your route, saving on food costs and aiding in tactical awareness for fights.
Your goal with regard to information should be a complete view of everything. This is not possible, but recognizing how much you can’t see and know is a useful step toward mitigating the risks that those information gaps present.
Tip: If you don’t have gear to help you detect hidden things, search often. (But not too often or you’ll run out of food and starve, perhaps the most ignominious of all Brogue deaths.) Clairvoyance and awareness rings are underrated — strongly consider taking them from vaults unless there’s a regeneration ring, which is perhaps the most powerful, or a ring you need for your build, like stealth or wisdom.
Part 3: Gear
Flexibility is key to survival in Brogue, because the environment is chaotic. Fires spread, clouds of noxious gasses unexpectedly fill the rooms and enemies grow greater in number as the player descends. Whatever your gear preference, the best way to survive is to decide on a build based on what’s available. Stubbornly clinging to the hope a broadsword will appear could mean an early death if you fail to use what gear is actually available.
A wide range of builds are viable. The key is to experiment, iterate and constantly assess how your selected loadout is faring against the dungeon’s threats.
Some seeds contain altars that allow the player to swap the enchants of one item to another, allowing the player to use one build in the early game and another for later levels.
Broadly, there are two strategies for gearing up. One is to put most or all enchants into a single item. The other is to spread the enchants around. Both can be viable depending on the seed.
Going all-in on a teleportation charm is a viable strategy with a bit of luck, and made more viable by armor that blocks dragonfire.
Fully enchanting a regeneration ring works best if the seed also happens to contain powerful weapons and armor with some level of innate enchantment.
Putting most or all enchants into a stealth ring can work if you have a war hammer, which is a slow weapon and otherwise difficult to use.
Many of the staves work well as the centerpiece of a build, as well.
There’s a table online that shows the amount of damage each weapon does. Consulting this can reveal tradeoffs in putting yet another enchant into your weapon versus diversifying and putting some enchants into a staff or ring, instead. It’s generally not worth enchanting armor unless it has a runic you’re using in your build.
Part 4: More tips to win Brogue
Even those who are good at Brogue die a lot. The No. 1 tip is to not give up. Replay each death, either in your mind or literally using the game’s recording function, to figure out what you might have done differently to survive. Eventually, you will prevail. It’s tough, but far from impossible.
Godspeed.
submitted by GovTech to brogueforum [link] [comments]
Brogue is a challenging game and many players never manage to “beat” it, despite months or even years of attempts. This guide is intended as a framework for optimizing your gameplay so that you too can join the ranks of glorious heroes who’ve ascended the Dungeons of Doom with the Amulet of Yendor held high.
Part 1: Mindset
In his book Outliers, the journalist Malcom Gladwell makes the case that plane crashes aren’t usually caused by a single event, but an accumulation of small factors that eventually become unmanageable for the pilots. This is a useful analogy for dying in Brogue.
In most cases, a monster won’t simply walk over and kill you. Rather, you’ll use an unidentified potion that causes you to catch on fire and in the course of walking to the water, you’ll trip over a confusion trap and end up getting stung to death by eels and toads. Things start off fine, a minor accident happens and then problems pile up and suddenly you’re dead. How did this happen?
Most deaths in Brogue can be attributed to underestimating the dangers that surround you and not having contingency plans ready. Winning, therefore, is largely a matter of isolating threats and dealing with each individually, while meanwhile collecting as many contingency plans as possible. It’s much easier to kill a single pink jelly by backing yourself into a nook, for instance, than it is to stand in the open and fight eight of them at once. Your odds of survival are much greater if you have several weapons and means of escape at hand.
As you play, constantly assess how much danger you’re in. You should do this each time you descend to a new level, but also periodically throughout each level. It helps to be somewhat familiar with the game’s monsters and other hazards and to know on which levels they typically appear. By the time you reach depth 6, for instance, there’s a good chance you’ll start encountering ogres. Don’t wait until one is standing in front of you to come up with a means of killing it. Have as many plans as possible ready before you can even see her.
Tip: A common place people die is around depth 7 or 8. It’s by this time that, barring some great luck in early gear, you’ll need to begin committing to a build. The first few levels of the game will forgive a player who wanders around without much of a plan, but around depth 8, more difficult enemies appear and you need an efficient way to kill or avoid them.
Upon each descent to a new level, ask yourself, “How much am I risking by keeping this item unused in my inventory? Will using this now keep me alive on this level or am I simply wasting something that could be put to better use later?” Greedily hoarding six enchant scrolls because you still haven’t found the perfect weapon is a common precursor to death. Always just trying to stay alive for one more level is an ideal strategy if you can sustain it deep enough.
This leads us to the most underrated asset a player can wield in Brogue: information.
Part 2: Information
Like many roguelikes, Brogue is made more challenging because the player has incomplete information about his surroundings. The map is dark. There are hidden traps and enemies. Items and equipment are not identified. They could be cursed or harmful. And even if you know which items are harmful and which are helpful because you’ve used a detect magic potion, if it’s the first time you’ve encountered an item, you still won’t know precisely how it’s helpful or harmful.
Mere information is enough to keep you alive in many situations. That you could easily die with an unidentified teleport scroll in your inventory is evidence of this. The difference between being overcome by a group of furies or jackals and easily dispatching the group is knowing just where they are on the other side of that door. Waiting a few moments might save your life, if only you know well enough to do so.
You should not attempt to kill every monster in the dungeon. If you can clearly see that you can kill a monster and you’re sure that no other monster will approach during that fight, it’s generally a good idea to kill it so that it doesn’t later happen upon you at an inopportune time. But if there’s a dragon alone in a small room, it’s generally a good idea to leave him alone.
Scrolls of magic mapping, rings of awareness, rings of clairvoyance, telepathy charms and detect magic potions are incredibly valuable. Awareness gives your character free searches with each move, reducing the chance of stepping on a trap that could trigger a fatal chain reaction of events. Clairvoyance ensures you won’t miss hidden rooms and gives you advance notice of monsters. Telepathy shows you the locations and movement patterns of enemies. Detect magic ensures you won’t read a cursed scroll or equip a piece of equipment that could weaken your character long enough to kill him. Magic mapping ensures you and your allies don’t step on traps and it helps optimize your route, saving on food costs and aiding in tactical awareness for fights.
Your goal with regard to information should be a complete view of everything. This is not possible, but recognizing how much you can’t see and know is a useful step toward mitigating the risks that those information gaps present.
Tip: If you don’t have gear to help you detect hidden things, search often. (But not too often or you’ll run out of food and starve, perhaps the most ignominious of all Brogue deaths.) Clairvoyance and awareness rings are underrated — strongly consider taking them from vaults unless there’s a regeneration ring, which is perhaps the most powerful, or a ring you need for your build, like stealth or wisdom.
Part 3: Gear
Flexibility is key to survival in Brogue, because the environment is chaotic. Fires spread, clouds of noxious gasses unexpectedly fill the rooms and enemies grow greater in number as the player descends. Whatever your gear preference, the best way to survive is to decide on a build based on what’s available. Stubbornly clinging to the hope a broadsword will appear could mean an early death if you fail to use what gear is actually available.
A wide range of builds are viable. The key is to experiment, iterate and constantly assess how your selected loadout is faring against the dungeon’s threats.
Some seeds contain altars that allow the player to swap the enchants of one item to another, allowing the player to use one build in the early game and another for later levels.
Broadly, there are two strategies for gearing up. One is to put most or all enchants into a single item. The other is to spread the enchants around. Both can be viable depending on the seed.
Going all-in on a teleportation charm is a viable strategy with a bit of luck, and made more viable by armor that blocks dragonfire.
Fully enchanting a regeneration ring works best if the seed also happens to contain powerful weapons and armor with some level of innate enchantment.
Putting most or all enchants into a stealth ring can work if you have a war hammer, which is a slow weapon and otherwise difficult to use.
Many of the staves work well as the centerpiece of a build, as well.
There’s a table online that shows the amount of damage each weapon does. Consulting this can reveal tradeoffs in putting yet another enchant into your weapon versus diversifying and putting some enchants into a staff or ring, instead. It’s generally not worth enchanting armor unless it has a runic you’re using in your build.
Part 4: More tips to win Brogue
Even those who are good at Brogue die a lot. The No. 1 tip is to not give up. Replay each death, either in your mind or literally using the game’s recording function, to figure out what you might have done differently to survive. Eventually, you will prevail. It’s tough, but far from impossible.
- Consult the in-game “discovered items” menu to see which items you’ve discovered. This can help make risk-reward assessments when using unidentified items.
- Using unidentified items in batches (away from enemies) is a good way of mitigating the danger of that activity. Using a hallucination potion or fire potion is much less dangerous if you can follow it up immediately with a life potion.
- Stay away from eels.
- Avoid equipping unidentified gear unless you’re desperate or have a way of removing cursed gear, such as a scroll of remove curse, scroll of protect armor, scroll of protect weapon, or an enchant scroll. The latter is wasteful but better than being dead, and many cursed items can make a run fatally difficult.
- Remember helpful landmarks. Bloodwort stalks, pools of lava and chasms can all be used to help you navigate tricky situations. Bloodwort pods can heal. Luring enemies upstairs and then jumping down through chasms can eliminate threats. Lava can be combined with beckoning or entrancement to kill most enemies in a single turn.
- Try not to miss hidden rooms. They might contain food, life potions, enchant scrolls or other gear that would make a big difference between success and failure.
- Negation kills golems instantly.
- Don’t get cocky. No matter how powerful you get, getting paralyzed in the wrong place will kill you, as will many other things.
- Consider the multiple uses that items may have. A little forethought and creativity, combining items with the environment, can yield powerful outcomes.
- You can use an item from a vault and then return it to get a new item.
Godspeed.
2024.05.16 23:24 MangoMobile8958 My boyfriend (M 23) cheated on me but I (F 24) still love him. What do I do?
My boyfriend (23 M) and I (24 F) have been together for 5 years. I caught him exchanging flirtatious messages with a girl he knew from school early on in our relationship and had forgiven him for it. Over the span of our relationship, I struggled to trust him again but he kept reassuring me it was a one time mistake and he would never do it again. Despite the lack of trust, I always felt loved and taken care of by him. He did everything I asked for, constantly told me he loved me, and we spent all our free time together. He was the one who always wanted to work things out and stay together. We were planning on getting married and spending our lives together. Yesterday, a girl he was friends with in high school messaged me and told me he asked for her number and continued pursuing her after she said she had a boyfriend. He was messaging her while on the way to pick me up and refused to admit that he cheated until I showed him the evidence. I broke up with him immediately and he cried and begged for forgiveness. He said this is the worst mistake he’s ever made and he still loves me and can’t live without me. He said he cheats when he feels bad about himself and wants attention. This is the second time I’ve caught him being unfaithful, and I can’t stop thinking about what he would’ve done if I never caught him. I haven’t been able to eat, drink, or sleep since I found out. I love him so much still but I am beyond devastated. He said he will get help to become a better person and will wait for me forever. What should I do?
submitted by MangoMobile8958 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
2024.05.16 23:24 looking_for_EV Feeling really angry today - because my mobility issues were completely preventable.
I am severely mobility limited because my feet/ankles decided to start self-destructing last November. As I'm trying to rehab, I've been learning a lot about how feet/ankles and walking are supposed to work biomechanically, and what the signs are of improper gait and movement that would lead to injury. I've learned a lot, but as I've learned more I've started to get really angry. Angry because the injuries I have were completely preventable, but I didn't have the knowledge myself at the time to recognize the signs and remedy them early, and I didn't get the right guidance to point out those signs to me.
I wasn't born with any congenital issues in my feet or ankles and my current mobility issues were not caused by an accident that was out of my control. When I was younger, I was even a track sprinter, and I stayed active on my feet in different ways through my early 30s. Looking back at videos of me walking, and remembering when my feet started to feel different, early signs of the breakdown of my ankles started around 3 years ago. My gait started to get irregular. My foot started moving a little off. Got increasing stiffness in certain motions. And other signs. At the time, pain wouldn't last too long so I didn't think much of it. I adjusted how I walked and just bought different shoes to compensate around these issues but didn't know at the time that doing so was a bad thing.
2 years ago I injured my Achilles tendon due to starting to have a bad running and waking gait - just tendinitis, no tear. I went to physical therapy and it got me back to walking pain free after about 7 months, but I was still walking weird. I could walk far, but I still limped, and couldn't run. My right foot would point out to the extreme. But the physical therapy place at the time "graduated" me because I was able to do all the exercises no problem, and they never pointed out to me that I shouldn't have been walking like that. "Some people walk differently", they said.
I continued walking weird until last November, when connective tissue in my ankles basically started self-destructing, because I never addressed the key weaknesses and issues in my ankles and the rest of my body mechanics and walking in a weird compensatory way just chronically degraded my tendons and ligaments until they just gave out to the point that I can't even walk more than very short distances at a time and I have to use a wheelchair when I leave the house.
Now my feet and ankles are so fragile. I'm going to a new physical therapy place which is much better, getting imaging, and learning a lot about feet and ankles. But things have already gotten bad to where a lot of damage has already been done and I'll never be able to return to full mobility like how I was pre-injury. I might hopefully recover enough to walk pain free for daily activities, but I'll likely never be able to be active again, and more importantly, I'll never be able to move "freely" again.
I used to be a wanderer. I loved going on walks or hikes or bike rides, to wander outside, to explore places, to be in nature, sometimes without a set route or timing. I never had to question whether I could move myself somewhere. That provided loads of benefits for my mental health.
But now even if I get better enough to walk, I will always have limits on my mobility now. Even if my mobility improves, there will always be a million considerations for whether I'll be able to move myself somewhere - whether limits on the distance or number of steps, or the fact that I won't be able to walk on uneven terrain, or up steep hills or lots of stairs, or just limits on the amount of time I can be on my feet. Now it's just a matter of how restrictive those limits will end up being.
I'm angry that I didn't know better when the signs were there early on that my ankles were on the path to self-destruction and that it wasn't pointed out to me early enough to prevent lasting damage from occurring, even from people who ostensibly should have known better. All of this was completely preventable.
But here I am.
submitted by looking_for_EV to disability [link] [comments]
I wasn't born with any congenital issues in my feet or ankles and my current mobility issues were not caused by an accident that was out of my control. When I was younger, I was even a track sprinter, and I stayed active on my feet in different ways through my early 30s. Looking back at videos of me walking, and remembering when my feet started to feel different, early signs of the breakdown of my ankles started around 3 years ago. My gait started to get irregular. My foot started moving a little off. Got increasing stiffness in certain motions. And other signs. At the time, pain wouldn't last too long so I didn't think much of it. I adjusted how I walked and just bought different shoes to compensate around these issues but didn't know at the time that doing so was a bad thing.
2 years ago I injured my Achilles tendon due to starting to have a bad running and waking gait - just tendinitis, no tear. I went to physical therapy and it got me back to walking pain free after about 7 months, but I was still walking weird. I could walk far, but I still limped, and couldn't run. My right foot would point out to the extreme. But the physical therapy place at the time "graduated" me because I was able to do all the exercises no problem, and they never pointed out to me that I shouldn't have been walking like that. "Some people walk differently", they said.
I continued walking weird until last November, when connective tissue in my ankles basically started self-destructing, because I never addressed the key weaknesses and issues in my ankles and the rest of my body mechanics and walking in a weird compensatory way just chronically degraded my tendons and ligaments until they just gave out to the point that I can't even walk more than very short distances at a time and I have to use a wheelchair when I leave the house.
Now my feet and ankles are so fragile. I'm going to a new physical therapy place which is much better, getting imaging, and learning a lot about feet and ankles. But things have already gotten bad to where a lot of damage has already been done and I'll never be able to return to full mobility like how I was pre-injury. I might hopefully recover enough to walk pain free for daily activities, but I'll likely never be able to be active again, and more importantly, I'll never be able to move "freely" again.
I used to be a wanderer. I loved going on walks or hikes or bike rides, to wander outside, to explore places, to be in nature, sometimes without a set route or timing. I never had to question whether I could move myself somewhere. That provided loads of benefits for my mental health.
But now even if I get better enough to walk, I will always have limits on my mobility now. Even if my mobility improves, there will always be a million considerations for whether I'll be able to move myself somewhere - whether limits on the distance or number of steps, or the fact that I won't be able to walk on uneven terrain, or up steep hills or lots of stairs, or just limits on the amount of time I can be on my feet. Now it's just a matter of how restrictive those limits will end up being.
I'm angry that I didn't know better when the signs were there early on that my ankles were on the path to self-destruction and that it wasn't pointed out to me early enough to prevent lasting damage from occurring, even from people who ostensibly should have known better. All of this was completely preventable.
But here I am.
2024.05.16 23:24 sacrednsassy Volume stuck on max and car making random phone calls
So I had my car detailed and also got a new battery same day and now no matter what the audio turns itself up to max and the hands free keeps calling my most recently called number on my phone. Is it more likely it’s the car battery or did they fry my wiring to the deck with cleaning solution? Is there a way to fix this?
submitted by sacrednsassy to CarAV [link] [comments]
2024.05.16 23:13 RaucetheSoss GME Utilization via Ortex - 94.02%
 | submitted by RaucetheSoss to Superstonk [link] [comments] |
2024.05.16 23:12 KyleKKent OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy, Part 005
~First~
A Scion of Many Worlds
Observer Wu was not sure about this next call. There had been rumours, rumours stories and absurdities from first to last. But this was one he would need to investigate thoroughly. He steels his face to a neutral position as the call goes through.
“You’re on a drone observing. I am working.” Is the first thing that comes through. A voice simultaneously deep but accompanied with a chorus of tingling bells. The image shows an enormous figure that appears to be primarily composed of shimmering white fur looking over the 3D model of a building as he directs things through the air with his right hand. Support structures, beams and building materials all soar at his direction and quickly slam themselves into place to quickly construct a large structure. “I am capable of speaking as I work, so if you have questions then ask them.”
“I am Observer Wu from Earth. I am looking for Mister Blue.
“I am one of the Blues.” The enormous figure states. “Jasper Blue, also Emmanuel Skitterway.”
The camera zooms in before something white catches onto it and it’s forced back. “Apologies, the drone is not of the best quality.”
“I would assume that a... God Emperor would have better?”
“I am directing these resources into infrastructure. Things like this sewage processing plant will not build themselves and the components that the camera drone requires are better spent ensuring that pathogens are kept out of the water, or that a medical scanner has appropriate redundancies.” Emmanuel replies as the panelling to the outside of the building start attaching itself at his direction and they’re quickly left with a solid looking structure with numerous tanks to the side.
“Alright the building is finished! Painters! Have your way with it!” He calls out and numerous people rush up with decorating supplies. “There is more for me to do. While many of the relief ships arrived with prefabricated buildings there was an unfortunate and nearly universal blindspot in their considerations.”
“Which is?”
“That while the world is settled by many respects, it was at a late iron age level at best, borderline tribal in other areas. Sewage treatment and sanitation concerns like that are simply not in their proper place. Every major and minor settlement requires a massive overhaul of it’s infrastructure in order to bring the living standards up to even industrial levels, let alone galactic levels.” Emmanuel states.
“This seems rather menial for someone ostensibly in charge of an entire planet.”
“Delegation. I have any communications and status updates relayed to me through that pursuing drone, it’s a hand’s free system, so while it is not always at one hundred percent satisfaction it allows me to lead while I also work. After all, many of the legislative concerns can be easily taken care of by my numerous assistants, but only a handful of people have the sanitation know how and willingness to work and put together sewage containment.”
“A little demeaning for one worshipped as a god.”
“I am a Primal. I’m going to be regarded as such whether I indent a throne with an ever widening rear or gunk out sewer lines, and of the two only one of them actually makes things better.” Emmanuel dismisses.
“Really. Yet you’re still not getting dirty.”
“I could do things less efficiently to look like I’ve been working hard, but honestly it’s all in the Axiom. The truth of the matter is that sewer work with even just a small amount of technology is more boring than dirty.” Emmanuel states before turning, the camera turns with him. It now shows where an entire army of workers are installing the pipes and systems for a proper sewage network. “Still, not bad eh? One year ago this place was an abandoned wreck of a smaller city. The population all but mind controlled by a group of religious fanatics who convinced them to abandon their homes and any dignity. They’ve come a long way since.” Emmanuel states.
“Have they?”
“This was the Greenstone Alliance Territory, a breakaway state from The Empire of Miru. To them the cannon was the military innovation rocking the nation.”
“I see...”
“Now they get air conditioning, indoor plumbing, heating in the winter, canned food for the leaner months, telephones to speak with their loved ones over a distance, radio for alerts and entertainment and far more.” Emmanuel states as he indicates an antenna being set up.
“All that?” Observer Wu remarks. “You seem a little... involved for a supposed god.”
“There are two so called gods on this world.” Emmanuel replies. “I, who have personally conquered much of it, wheeled and dealed with other nations and proved myself as warrior and leader both, and Yserizan. Yserizan is either the mother, grandmother or great grandmother of at least a quarter of the world population.”
“And your relationship to this Yserizan?”
“One of my wives. Our union was also a unification of Lablan as a single strong point on this world and...”
“What’s this?” A new voice asks and the camera reorients to a young woman with glowing golden hair.
“Just a camera drone, nothing to be concerned about.” Emmanuel states.
“Oh. So it’s watching us?”
“Yes.”
“And the image of the person on top of it?”
“The person watching.”
“Who is he?”
“Observer Wu.”
“And why is an Observer needed?”
“Do you recall whenever Earth or the Origins of Humanity are discussed?”
“A little? Every time I seem to get a little bit more education it just lets me see how much more there is.”
“Oh that’s very normal.” Emmanuel replies.
“If I may be introduced?” Observer Wu asks.
“I am Empress Zaviah Enlightened Luxen Divine Ascendant, ruler of Miru Reborn.”
“Miru Reborn is?”
“One of the largest empires upon Lakran. Consisting of Central Miru, The Greenstone Territories of Northern Miru and The Goldlands Unification of Southern Miru. Our population is primarily Erumenta of all types, but other peoples are of course welcome.”
“And what brought about this rebirth?” Observer Wu asks and his eyebrows go up as Zaviah points right at Emmanuel.
“Heh, guilty. Everywhere I turned the planet seemed to just be full of more and more problems that needed to stop sometime ten years ago and no one else was available. So I did the best I could.”
“And then broke armies, nations and all known limits upon people.”
“All presently known limits, what I did is only impressive when it’s weighed in that I started with only Horace’s memories and didn’t even understand how an Urthani body fully worked at the time.” Emmanuel states.
“Yes. I read that report. It was absurd.”
“It was accurate. We have all the parties involved to attest for it here on planet if you care to speak with them.” Emmanuel notes as he checks a device and nods. “All right, next is...”
“Break.” Zaviah tells him.
“Excuse me.”
“Grandmother has given ME the authority to force you into rest father!” Zaviah says with relish in her tone.
“She wouldn’t!”
“She has! If I see that you’re working too hard I can tell you to stop.”
“You do know she legally has no such authority over me right?” Emmanuel asks pointing a diamond plated claw at the comparatively tiny Erumenta who’s grinning widely at this.
“Yes, but she’ll be so disappointed that her little boy isn’t taking care of himself anymore even though he promised to and...”
“It was a mistake working so hard to make the two of you friends.” Emmanuel says in a note of false despair. “Just a moment I’ll instruct the work crew on the next few communities to proceed without me.”
“That sounds like work.”
“A text to go with Plan B rather than Plan A is not work, it’s good manners.” Emmanuel protests and raises an eye ridge as a much smaller girl tries to glare him down. “Are you sure you want to put so much force into your day by day interactions while...”
A tiny dark shape slams into Zaviah to the Erumenta’s audible protest as Magrica starts gushing about how cute it is for the little girl to finally have some grit in her gut and how she’s going to braid her hair and take her monster hunting and get her a battleaxe to go with that attitude...
Emmanuel turns to the politely puzzled Wu and shrugs.
“Motherhood does amazing things to some women. Magrica was much more openly fierce before, but she decided that all my children, adopted and otherwise, were hers to teach and nurture into proper warriors.”
“And how did she take the fact that you are technically the step parent of a quarter of the world’s population if what you told me about Yserizan is correct?”
“She has an entire squadron of Nagasha she’s training to be monster hunters. It’s actually going pretty well. The Jungle Nagasha are really appreciating it more than the other types, but the few Cloud Nagasha they have as scouts and aerial reconnaissance are fully embracing the role.”
“And how are you taking to... godhood?” Observer Wu asks his eyes penetrating.
“It grows more comfortable unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately.” Wu repeats. Not questioning, but certainly prompting.
“I’ve had to put aside my own prejudices in the matter. Humans have a bad track record with self proclaimed gods and messiahs. Too many fakes and too many holy wars. To say nothing of the cults, witch-hunts and the like. And Urthani would follow any number of faiths, but the divine figure was either some kind of Divine Truth, a more abstract theology, gods that embody concepts or something animist for the most part.”
“Did you look to The Nagasha for a better example?”
“I did, and that’s what caused me to grow more comfortable with the title. Primal Nagasha aren’t worshipped in the way humans would a prohet or saint. Seeing them as nigh infallible. No, a Primal Nagasha is simply the very best that a Nagasha can be and it can neither be stopped nor denied. While most of them are indeed leaders to follow, authorities to obey or the sources of philosophy to accept, they are not regarded as unquestionable or infallible.”
“And that is what helped?”
“It is. I was terrified that someone would misinterpret me, either honestly or malevolently, and cause immense damage in my name. A crusade to cull any politician that isn’t in the military through fire and steel, or an Urthani Colony deciding that they deserve the entire world and since not only have the strength now, but a god of their own, that they are righteous in slaughter... I had several kinds of nightmare when I let my mind wander.”
“And?” Wu prompts.
“I had a conversation. An important one with an important person. She helped me put everything in perspective. But she’s not the type to appreciate too much attention. So she’s requested I keep things quiet. But, I can say that she is an authority on the subject. And she had a fair amount to say.”
“So you’ve spoken to other so called gods of the serpent people.”
“Primal Nagasha, and yes. One has arrived already, she lives her life as quietly as she can. Another is soon to arrive. The first wanted my measure, the second wants to ensure that as a more militaristic Primal that I’m up to standard as she calls it.”
“Oh?”
“I’m part of the smallest stable demographic in the galaxy. Primals. Apparently we’re a very self policing people.”
“So in other words, you’re more a celebrity in multiple fields than some object of worship?”
“Closer to actual worship than celebrity worship I’m afraid. Still, it’s not mindless, and those that are looking for an excuse... well they’ll find another one if it’s not me. At least if someone’s trying to use my name to do something horrible it means I have all moral authority to let them know how stupid such a thing is.”
“I suppose that is an upside to an insane cult deciding that it wants to go on a rampage in your name.”
“But that’s just the thing I really had to internalize, if they’re going to do that, then they’re going to do it and I’m just their excuse. They’ll find another if I’m not available. I’m responsible for the example I set, the actions I do and the things I say. I am not responsible for how they are interpreted.”
“Interesting. Still, is there a reason you’re sharing this in particular?”
“I figured the most distressing thing that Earth would consider about my situation was my rise into divine stature. A powerful soldier can be understood, a powerful politician or businessman can also be understood, but someone being regarded as a god can not be understood within a positive context thanks to the rather terrible history of such on Earth.” Emmanuel says.
“That... is an interesting concern. However, you do not think your conquering an entire world to be a bad thing?”
“Considering that it was basically in unending war, competition and self sabotage? Yes. You see, this world was suffering over an unending brain drain due to the fact that all male colonists were lost in the initial crash of the colony ship. There were surviving males, but they were in stasis and could not be retrieved. The method that was used to ensure there would be a future population was flawed, intended as an emergency stopgap. But they didn’t have the means to move past it. So it was used over and over again. This world was nearing the breaking point.”
“And that justifies conquering it?”
“When the nation states are tearing themselves apart through mindless pride? Scheming for the sake of scheming? Or are outright predating the other states? Yes, yes it does. To not intervene would have killed, far, far more people.”
“So you justify things by saying that thye will thank you some day?’
“They thank me now.”
“And it’s sincere?”
“Yes, considering that I’ve had a woman weep with relief at getting something as simple as a pair of glasses, or another outright beg for her child and herself to be healed of the degeneration they’ve suffered. How can I consider it anything but sincere?” Emmanuel asks.
“Oh? Who are you speaking with?” A new voice asks before a massive serpent woman slithers into Wu’s field of view. Her hood is fully flared out to reveal her as Lady Yserizan as she regards things. “A human friend?”
“An Observer from earth, they’re struggling to believe all the things they’ve been told.”
“Considering some mornings I wake up scarcely believing how my life has changed for the better I don’t blame them.” Yserizan notes happily. “Still, is there anything this... Observer wants to know in particular?”
“In particular I want to know many things. I’m just saying my first hello and listening to whatever anyone wants to say to me. I’ll be visiting that world before I return to Earth so make of that what you will.” Observer Wu says.
“Of course, it might be interesting to show you the temple my daughters made for me.”
“I will admit, receiving a tour of a living god’s temple from the god themselves will be a new experience for me.” Observer Wu admits.
~First~ Last
submitted by KyleKKent to HFY [link] [comments]
A Scion of Many Worlds
Observer Wu was not sure about this next call. There had been rumours, rumours stories and absurdities from first to last. But this was one he would need to investigate thoroughly. He steels his face to a neutral position as the call goes through.
“You’re on a drone observing. I am working.” Is the first thing that comes through. A voice simultaneously deep but accompanied with a chorus of tingling bells. The image shows an enormous figure that appears to be primarily composed of shimmering white fur looking over the 3D model of a building as he directs things through the air with his right hand. Support structures, beams and building materials all soar at his direction and quickly slam themselves into place to quickly construct a large structure. “I am capable of speaking as I work, so if you have questions then ask them.”
“I am Observer Wu from Earth. I am looking for Mister Blue.
“I am one of the Blues.” The enormous figure states. “Jasper Blue, also Emmanuel Skitterway.”
The camera zooms in before something white catches onto it and it’s forced back. “Apologies, the drone is not of the best quality.”
“I would assume that a... God Emperor would have better?”
“I am directing these resources into infrastructure. Things like this sewage processing plant will not build themselves and the components that the camera drone requires are better spent ensuring that pathogens are kept out of the water, or that a medical scanner has appropriate redundancies.” Emmanuel replies as the panelling to the outside of the building start attaching itself at his direction and they’re quickly left with a solid looking structure with numerous tanks to the side.
“Alright the building is finished! Painters! Have your way with it!” He calls out and numerous people rush up with decorating supplies. “There is more for me to do. While many of the relief ships arrived with prefabricated buildings there was an unfortunate and nearly universal blindspot in their considerations.”
“Which is?”
“That while the world is settled by many respects, it was at a late iron age level at best, borderline tribal in other areas. Sewage treatment and sanitation concerns like that are simply not in their proper place. Every major and minor settlement requires a massive overhaul of it’s infrastructure in order to bring the living standards up to even industrial levels, let alone galactic levels.” Emmanuel states.
“This seems rather menial for someone ostensibly in charge of an entire planet.”
“Delegation. I have any communications and status updates relayed to me through that pursuing drone, it’s a hand’s free system, so while it is not always at one hundred percent satisfaction it allows me to lead while I also work. After all, many of the legislative concerns can be easily taken care of by my numerous assistants, but only a handful of people have the sanitation know how and willingness to work and put together sewage containment.”
“A little demeaning for one worshipped as a god.”
“I am a Primal. I’m going to be regarded as such whether I indent a throne with an ever widening rear or gunk out sewer lines, and of the two only one of them actually makes things better.” Emmanuel dismisses.
“Really. Yet you’re still not getting dirty.”
“I could do things less efficiently to look like I’ve been working hard, but honestly it’s all in the Axiom. The truth of the matter is that sewer work with even just a small amount of technology is more boring than dirty.” Emmanuel states before turning, the camera turns with him. It now shows where an entire army of workers are installing the pipes and systems for a proper sewage network. “Still, not bad eh? One year ago this place was an abandoned wreck of a smaller city. The population all but mind controlled by a group of religious fanatics who convinced them to abandon their homes and any dignity. They’ve come a long way since.” Emmanuel states.
“Have they?”
“This was the Greenstone Alliance Territory, a breakaway state from The Empire of Miru. To them the cannon was the military innovation rocking the nation.”
“I see...”
“Now they get air conditioning, indoor plumbing, heating in the winter, canned food for the leaner months, telephones to speak with their loved ones over a distance, radio for alerts and entertainment and far more.” Emmanuel states as he indicates an antenna being set up.
“All that?” Observer Wu remarks. “You seem a little... involved for a supposed god.”
“There are two so called gods on this world.” Emmanuel replies. “I, who have personally conquered much of it, wheeled and dealed with other nations and proved myself as warrior and leader both, and Yserizan. Yserizan is either the mother, grandmother or great grandmother of at least a quarter of the world population.”
“And your relationship to this Yserizan?”
“One of my wives. Our union was also a unification of Lablan as a single strong point on this world and...”
“What’s this?” A new voice asks and the camera reorients to a young woman with glowing golden hair.
“Just a camera drone, nothing to be concerned about.” Emmanuel states.
“Oh. So it’s watching us?”
“Yes.”
“And the image of the person on top of it?”
“The person watching.”
“Who is he?”
“Observer Wu.”
“And why is an Observer needed?”
“Do you recall whenever Earth or the Origins of Humanity are discussed?”
“A little? Every time I seem to get a little bit more education it just lets me see how much more there is.”
“Oh that’s very normal.” Emmanuel replies.
“If I may be introduced?” Observer Wu asks.
“I am Empress Zaviah Enlightened Luxen Divine Ascendant, ruler of Miru Reborn.”
“Miru Reborn is?”
“One of the largest empires upon Lakran. Consisting of Central Miru, The Greenstone Territories of Northern Miru and The Goldlands Unification of Southern Miru. Our population is primarily Erumenta of all types, but other peoples are of course welcome.”
“And what brought about this rebirth?” Observer Wu asks and his eyebrows go up as Zaviah points right at Emmanuel.
“Heh, guilty. Everywhere I turned the planet seemed to just be full of more and more problems that needed to stop sometime ten years ago and no one else was available. So I did the best I could.”
“And then broke armies, nations and all known limits upon people.”
“All presently known limits, what I did is only impressive when it’s weighed in that I started with only Horace’s memories and didn’t even understand how an Urthani body fully worked at the time.” Emmanuel states.
“Yes. I read that report. It was absurd.”
“It was accurate. We have all the parties involved to attest for it here on planet if you care to speak with them.” Emmanuel notes as he checks a device and nods. “All right, next is...”
“Break.” Zaviah tells him.
“Excuse me.”
“Grandmother has given ME the authority to force you into rest father!” Zaviah says with relish in her tone.
“She wouldn’t!”
“She has! If I see that you’re working too hard I can tell you to stop.”
“You do know she legally has no such authority over me right?” Emmanuel asks pointing a diamond plated claw at the comparatively tiny Erumenta who’s grinning widely at this.
“Yes, but she’ll be so disappointed that her little boy isn’t taking care of himself anymore even though he promised to and...”
“It was a mistake working so hard to make the two of you friends.” Emmanuel says in a note of false despair. “Just a moment I’ll instruct the work crew on the next few communities to proceed without me.”
“That sounds like work.”
“A text to go with Plan B rather than Plan A is not work, it’s good manners.” Emmanuel protests and raises an eye ridge as a much smaller girl tries to glare him down. “Are you sure you want to put so much force into your day by day interactions while...”
A tiny dark shape slams into Zaviah to the Erumenta’s audible protest as Magrica starts gushing about how cute it is for the little girl to finally have some grit in her gut and how she’s going to braid her hair and take her monster hunting and get her a battleaxe to go with that attitude...
Emmanuel turns to the politely puzzled Wu and shrugs.
“Motherhood does amazing things to some women. Magrica was much more openly fierce before, but she decided that all my children, adopted and otherwise, were hers to teach and nurture into proper warriors.”
“And how did she take the fact that you are technically the step parent of a quarter of the world’s population if what you told me about Yserizan is correct?”
“She has an entire squadron of Nagasha she’s training to be monster hunters. It’s actually going pretty well. The Jungle Nagasha are really appreciating it more than the other types, but the few Cloud Nagasha they have as scouts and aerial reconnaissance are fully embracing the role.”
“And how are you taking to... godhood?” Observer Wu asks his eyes penetrating.
“It grows more comfortable unfortunately.”
“Unfortunately.” Wu repeats. Not questioning, but certainly prompting.
“I’ve had to put aside my own prejudices in the matter. Humans have a bad track record with self proclaimed gods and messiahs. Too many fakes and too many holy wars. To say nothing of the cults, witch-hunts and the like. And Urthani would follow any number of faiths, but the divine figure was either some kind of Divine Truth, a more abstract theology, gods that embody concepts or something animist for the most part.”
“Did you look to The Nagasha for a better example?”
“I did, and that’s what caused me to grow more comfortable with the title. Primal Nagasha aren’t worshipped in the way humans would a prohet or saint. Seeing them as nigh infallible. No, a Primal Nagasha is simply the very best that a Nagasha can be and it can neither be stopped nor denied. While most of them are indeed leaders to follow, authorities to obey or the sources of philosophy to accept, they are not regarded as unquestionable or infallible.”
“And that is what helped?”
“It is. I was terrified that someone would misinterpret me, either honestly or malevolently, and cause immense damage in my name. A crusade to cull any politician that isn’t in the military through fire and steel, or an Urthani Colony deciding that they deserve the entire world and since not only have the strength now, but a god of their own, that they are righteous in slaughter... I had several kinds of nightmare when I let my mind wander.”
“And?” Wu prompts.
“I had a conversation. An important one with an important person. She helped me put everything in perspective. But she’s not the type to appreciate too much attention. So she’s requested I keep things quiet. But, I can say that she is an authority on the subject. And she had a fair amount to say.”
“So you’ve spoken to other so called gods of the serpent people.”
“Primal Nagasha, and yes. One has arrived already, she lives her life as quietly as she can. Another is soon to arrive. The first wanted my measure, the second wants to ensure that as a more militaristic Primal that I’m up to standard as she calls it.”
“Oh?”
“I’m part of the smallest stable demographic in the galaxy. Primals. Apparently we’re a very self policing people.”
“So in other words, you’re more a celebrity in multiple fields than some object of worship?”
“Closer to actual worship than celebrity worship I’m afraid. Still, it’s not mindless, and those that are looking for an excuse... well they’ll find another one if it’s not me. At least if someone’s trying to use my name to do something horrible it means I have all moral authority to let them know how stupid such a thing is.”
“I suppose that is an upside to an insane cult deciding that it wants to go on a rampage in your name.”
“But that’s just the thing I really had to internalize, if they’re going to do that, then they’re going to do it and I’m just their excuse. They’ll find another if I’m not available. I’m responsible for the example I set, the actions I do and the things I say. I am not responsible for how they are interpreted.”
“Interesting. Still, is there a reason you’re sharing this in particular?”
“I figured the most distressing thing that Earth would consider about my situation was my rise into divine stature. A powerful soldier can be understood, a powerful politician or businessman can also be understood, but someone being regarded as a god can not be understood within a positive context thanks to the rather terrible history of such on Earth.” Emmanuel says.
“That... is an interesting concern. However, you do not think your conquering an entire world to be a bad thing?”
“Considering that it was basically in unending war, competition and self sabotage? Yes. You see, this world was suffering over an unending brain drain due to the fact that all male colonists were lost in the initial crash of the colony ship. There were surviving males, but they were in stasis and could not be retrieved. The method that was used to ensure there would be a future population was flawed, intended as an emergency stopgap. But they didn’t have the means to move past it. So it was used over and over again. This world was nearing the breaking point.”
“And that justifies conquering it?”
“When the nation states are tearing themselves apart through mindless pride? Scheming for the sake of scheming? Or are outright predating the other states? Yes, yes it does. To not intervene would have killed, far, far more people.”
“So you justify things by saying that thye will thank you some day?’
“They thank me now.”
“And it’s sincere?”
“Yes, considering that I’ve had a woman weep with relief at getting something as simple as a pair of glasses, or another outright beg for her child and herself to be healed of the degeneration they’ve suffered. How can I consider it anything but sincere?” Emmanuel asks.
“Oh? Who are you speaking with?” A new voice asks before a massive serpent woman slithers into Wu’s field of view. Her hood is fully flared out to reveal her as Lady Yserizan as she regards things. “A human friend?”
“An Observer from earth, they’re struggling to believe all the things they’ve been told.”
“Considering some mornings I wake up scarcely believing how my life has changed for the better I don’t blame them.” Yserizan notes happily. “Still, is there anything this... Observer wants to know in particular?”
“In particular I want to know many things. I’m just saying my first hello and listening to whatever anyone wants to say to me. I’ll be visiting that world before I return to Earth so make of that what you will.” Observer Wu says.
“Of course, it might be interesting to show you the temple my daughters made for me.”
“I will admit, receiving a tour of a living god’s temple from the god themselves will be a new experience for me.” Observer Wu admits.
~First~ Last
2024.05.16 23:11 Sweet-Count2557 15 Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break
 | 15 Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break Looking for ways to keep your kids entertained and make the most of their Christmas break in Houston?Well, let me tell you about one exciting activity that will surely pique your interest. Imagine gliding across the ice, surrounded by the sparkling lights and festive atmosphere at Discovery Green's ice skating rink. It's a perfect opportunity for some family fun and a chance to create unforgettable memories.But that's just the beginning! We have compiled a list of 15 things that will guarantee a memorable and enjoyable Christmas break for you and your little ones.So, keep reading to discover the other exciting activities that await you in Houston.Key TakeawaysHouston offers a variety of holiday light displays and attractions, including neighborhoods known for extravagant lights, the Light Park in Katy, and Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston.The Houston Botanic Garden presents Radiant Nature, an illuminated wonderland featuring Chinese lantern installations, offering a unique and enchanting holiday attraction.Ice at Discovery Green provides an outdoor ice skating rink where families can skate with Santa on select days, allowing them to embrace the holiday spirit.Indoor play spaces like Wonderwild in the Heights and Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall offer safe and entertaining environments for kids to release their energy and have a great time during the holiday break.Holiday Lights and DisplaysLet's explore the magical world of holiday lights and displays in Houston, where neighborhoods come alive with dazzling decorations and festive cheer. Houston is known for its extravagant holiday lights, and two neighborhoods that stand out are River Oaks and Pecan Grove. These neighborhoods go all out, creating breathtaking displays that are perfect for holiday lights photography.As you drive around, you'll be amazed by the festive atmosphere that fills the air. The streets are lined with beautiful displays and decorations that will surely put you in the holiday spirit. It's a wonderful experience to immerse yourself in the joy of the season and create lasting memories with your family.If you're looking for a unique light experience, check out The Light Park in Katy. It offers a drive-thru light experience, allowing you to enjoy the dazzling displays from the comfort of your own car.Another immersive holiday event is Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston. Here, you can explore the wonders of space while being surrounded by stunning light displays.But the holiday lights aren't limited to neighborhoods. Houston also offers other attractions that are worth visiting. The Houston Botanic Garden presents Radiant Nature, an illuminated wonderland where you can explore dozens of Chinese lantern installations after dark. It's a magical transformation of the Gardens that showcases the beauty of nature in a new light.For some outdoor fun, head to Ice at Discovery Green. They offer an outdoor ice skating rink where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit.And if you're looking for indoor play spaces, Wonderwild in the Heights and Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall are great options. They provide safe and entertaining environments for your kids to release their energy and have a great time.In Houston, the holiday lights and displays are truly a sight to behold. Whether you're strolling through neighborhoods or visiting attractions, you'll be mesmerized by the festive atmosphere and the stunning decorations. So grab your camera, gather your loved ones, and embark on a magical journey through the best neighborhoods for holiday lights in Houston.Galaxy Lights at Space Center HoustonAs we continue our exploration of Houston's enchanting holiday lights and displays, let's now venture into the immersive and awe-inspiring world of Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston. This holiday event takes Houston's holiday light displays to a whole new level, transporting visitors into a dazzling galaxy of lights and wonder.Here's why you should add Galaxy Lights to your must-visit list this Christmas break:Spectacular Light Displays: Space Center Houston's Galaxy Lights boasts an incredible array of light installations that will leave you in awe. From twinkling stars to colorful planets, you'll feel like you're floating through space as you stroll through this captivating wonderland.Interactive Experiences: In addition to the breathtaking light displays, Galaxy Lights offers interactive experiences that are fun for the whole family. Step into a virtual reality experience and take a journey through the solar system, or try your hand at controlling a rover on Mars. These interactive elements add an extra layer of excitement and engagement to the event.Festive Entertainment: Galaxy Lights also features live performances and festive entertainment to get you in the holiday spirit. From holiday-themed laser light shows to live music, there's something for everyone to enjoy. You can even catch a glimpse of Santa Claus himself as he makes special appearances throughout the event.With Space Center Houston's Galaxy Lights, you'll not only get to experience Houston's holiday light displays, but also embark on an unforgettable journey through the cosmos. So gather your family and embrace the freedom to explore this enchanting holiday event that will create lasting memories for years to come.The Light Park in KatyThe Light Park in Katy offers a mesmerizing drive-thru light experience that will transport you and your family into a magical winter wonderland. As you enter the park, you'll be greeted by a dazzling display of lights, creating an enchanting atmosphere that's sure to ignite your holiday spirit. The drive-thru experience allows you to enjoy the beautiful light displays from the comfort of your own vehicle, making it a convenient and family-friendly holiday activity.As you navigate through the park, you'll be treated to a symphony of colors and shapes, with each display more stunning than the last. From towering Christmas trees adorned with twinkling lights to whimsical scenes depicting Santa's workshop, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The attention to detail is truly remarkable, and you'll find yourself in awe of the artistry and creativity that went into creating this magical light park.The Light Park in Katy is the perfect way to spend an evening with your loved ones. The drive-thru format allows you to go at your own pace and take in the sights at your leisure. Whether you're looking for a romantic date night or a fun outing with the whole family, this holiday attraction has it all.Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant NatureHouston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature presents a breathtaking illuminated wonderland for visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy. Step into a magical illumination that transforms the garden into a nature wonderland, creating an enchanting experience like no other.Here's why you should add Radiant Nature to your list of must-see holiday attractions:Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature: As you wander through the garden, you'll encounter dozens of Chinese lantern installations that come alive after dark. These intricate and colorful lanterns illuminate the surroundings, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere that celebrates the wonders of the natural world.Witness the transformation of the Gardens: Radiant Nature showcases the garden in a whole new light, quite literally. The enchanting illumination highlights the unique features of the plants and landscapes, allowing you to see them in a different perspective. It's a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the botanical world.Create lasting memories with your family: Radiant Nature offers a memorable experience for the whole family. From strolling through illuminated pathways to discovering hidden surprises, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Let the magical ambiance spark joy and wonder in your children's eyes as they explore this captivating nature wonderland.Don't miss out on this enchanting holiday attraction. Radiant Nature at Houston Botanic Garden promises to transport you to a world of magical illumination and natural beauty. So, gather your loved ones and embark on a delightful adventure that will leave you with cherished memories.Ice Skating at Discovery GreenGet ready to lace up your skates and hit the ice at Discovery Green for a fun-filled and festive ice skating experience. At Discovery Green, you can enjoy outdoor ice skating in the heart of downtown Houston. This popular holiday attraction offers a magical setting where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit.The outdoor ice skating rink at Discovery Green is the perfect place to create lasting memories with your family. Imagine the joy on your children's faces as they take their first steps on the ice. As you skate hand in hand, you can feel the excitement in the air and the holiday cheer all around you.One of the highlights of ice skating at Discovery Green is the opportunity to skate with Santa on select days. This special event allows your little ones to meet Santa Claus himself while enjoying the thrill of gliding on the ice. It's an experience that combines two beloved holiday traditions and will surely make this Christmas break one to remember.Whether you're a seasoned skater or a beginner, Discovery Green's ice skating rink offers a wonderful activity for everyone. The rink is surrounded by festive decorations, adding to the holiday ambiance. So, grab your skates and join in the fun as you twirl and spin on the ice, surrounded by the beauty of Discovery Green.Ice skating at Discovery Green is just one of the many holiday-themed activities that Houston has to offer. So, take advantage of the freedom that the Christmas break brings and explore all the festive attractions in the city. From dazzling light displays to enchanting holiday events, there's something for everyone to enjoy during this magical time of year.Don't miss out on the chance to make unforgettable memories with your loved ones. Lace up your skates and let the adventure begin!Wonderwild Indoor Play SpaceWhen it comes to finding a fun and adventure-filled play space for kids in Houston, Wonderwild in the Heights is the place to be. At Wonderwild, children can enjoy exciting indoor playtime and engage in active entertainment.Here are three reasons why Wonderwild is the perfect destination for your little ones:Endless Fun: Wonderwild offers a wide variety of activities that will keep your kids entertained for hours. From climbing walls to giant slides, there's something for everyone. Children can explore the colorful play structures, navigate obstacle courses, and even bounce on trampolines. The possibilities for fun are endless, and your kids will have a blast letting their imaginations run wild.Safe Environment: Wonderwild prioritizes the safety of its young visitors. The play space is designed with padded floors and walls to ensure a secure environment for children to play freely. Additionally, the staff members are attentive and trained to maintain a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. You can relax and have peace of mind knowing that your kids are in good hands.Physical Activity: In today's digital age, it's important to encourage children to engage in physical activity. Wonderwild provides the perfect opportunity for kids to get moving and stay active. Whether they're climbing, sliding, or jumping, they'll be getting exercise while having fun. This indoor play space allows children to burn off energy and develop their motor skills in a controlled and supervised setting.Frolics Castle at Memorial City MallLocated within Memorial City Mall, Frolics Castle is a fantastic indoor play area where kids can unleash their imaginations and have a blast. This kids play area is the perfect destination for mall entertainment and offers a safe and exciting environment for children to play and explore. With its colorful and whimsical design, Frolics Castle will capture the attention of kids of all ages.Inside Frolics Castle, children can climb, slide, and crawl through various play structures, allowing them to release their energy and have a great time. The castle-themed play area is filled with interactive elements, including tunnels, bridges, and obstacles, that will keep kids engaged and entertained for hours. They can let their imaginations run wild as they pretend to be knights, princesses, or even dragons in this magical setting.Parents can relax and enjoy some shopping or take a break while their children play in Frolics Castle. The play area is conveniently located within Memorial City Mall, making it a convenient option for families looking for mall entertainment. It provides a safe and supervised space for kids to have fun, while also giving parents the chance to browse the mall or grab a bite to eat.Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall is a must-visit destination for families during the holiday break. It offers an enjoyable and engaging experience for kids, allowing them to burn off some energy and have a memorable time. So, if you're looking for a fun and exciting activity for your children, head over to Frolics Castle and let the adventure begin!Neighborhood Holiday LightsAs we explore the enchanting world of holiday lights in Houston, prepare to be dazzled by the neighborhoods that go above and beyond to create a festive atmosphere. There's nothing quite like taking a drive through the city during the holiday season and witnessing the magical display of neighborhood holiday lights.Here are three neighborhoods that are known for their extravagant displays:River Oaks: This upscale neighborhood is famous for its stunning holiday lights. As you drive through the streets, you'll be greeted by beautifully decorated mansions, adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations. It's a sight that will truly take your breath away.Pecan Grove: Located in Richmond, Pecan Grove is another neighborhood that goes all out when it comes to holiday lights. The entire community comes together to create a festive atmosphere, with each house competing to have the most dazzling display. You'll be amazed by the creativity and effort that goes into these decorations.The Light Park in Katy: For a unique and immersive holiday experience, head to The Light Park in Katy. This drive-thru light park features over a million lights, synchronized to holiday music. As you drive through the park, you'll be surrounded by a dazzling display of lights, creating a truly magical atmosphere.Driving through these neighborhoods and experiencing the festive atmosphere is a wonderful way to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family. So grab some hot cocoa, hop in the car, and get ready to be amazed by the neighborhood holiday lights in Houston.Festive Atmosphere DriveReady to immerse yourself in the holiday spirit? Hop in the car and embark on a festive atmosphere drive through the neighborhoods of Houston, where dazzling light displays and beautiful decorations await.There's something magical about driving through neighborhoods adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations. It's a tradition that brings joy and excitement to both young and old. As you cruise through the streets, you'll be greeted by houses decked out in colorful lights, extravagant displays, and whimsical decorations. It's a feast for the eyes and a surefire way to get into the holiday mood.One neighborhood that's known for its extravagant holiday lights is River Oaks. The houses in this area go all out, creating a truly enchanting atmosphere. Pecan Grove is another neighborhood worth visiting, as it boasts stunning displays that are sure to leave you in awe. As you drive around, take your time to admire each house and appreciate the effort that goes into creating such festive scenes.If you're looking for a more immersive experience, consider visiting The Light Park in Katy. This drive-thru light experience offers a dazzling display of lights synchronized to festive music. It's a magical journey that will leave you and your family in awe. Another option is Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston, where you can explore a winter wonderland filled with interactive displays and larger-than-life light installations.A festive atmosphere drive is a wonderful way to create lasting memories with your family. So gather your loved ones, turn up the holiday tunes, and set off on a magical adventure through the neighborhoods of Houston. Enjoy the beauty of the lights, the joy in the air, and the warmth of the holiday spirit. It's a time to be together, to be filled with wonder, and to embrace the magic of the season.Chinese Lantern InstallationsIf you're looking for a unique and enchanting holiday attraction in Houston, be sure to explore the dozens of Chinese lantern installations after dark at the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. This breathtaking display is part of the Chinese lantern festivals, which are cultural celebrations that showcase intricate and vibrant lanterns.Here's why you should make a visit to Radiant Nature a priority this Christmas break:Immersive Experience: As you walk through the Houston Botanic Garden, you'll be transported to a world of wonder and magic. The Chinese lantern installations create a mesmerizing ambiance, illuminating the night sky with their stunning colors and designs. It's an experience that will captivate both children and adults alike.Cultural Appreciation: The Chinese lantern festivals are deeply rooted in tradition and symbolism. Each lantern tells a story and represents different aspects of Chinese culture. By visiting Radiant Nature, you'll not only be entertained but also have the opportunity to learn and appreciate the rich heritage behind these beautiful lanterns.Family Bonding: The holiday season is all about spending quality time with your loved ones, and visiting Radiant Nature is the perfect way to do just that. As you stroll together through the garden, you can marvel at the intricate lanterns, share laughter and create lasting memories. It's a chance to slow down, embrace the freedom of the moment, and enjoy the company of your family.Outdoor Ice Skating RinksAfter exploring the enchanting Chinese lantern installations at the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature, it's time to lace up our skates and glide into the next festive adventure - outdoor ice skating rinks. Outdoor ice skating is a classic winter activity that brings joy and excitement to people of all ages. Houston may not have the coldest winters, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy this icy pastime. So, grab your warmest coats and hats, because we're about to hit the ice!When it comes to outdoor ice skating, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, dress in layers to stay warm while on the ice. It's important to stay cozy, but also be able to move freely. Second, wear thick socks to provide extra cushioning and insulation for your feet. And don't forget to bring gloves to keep your hands toasty!Now, let's talk about the best outdoor ice skating rinks in Houston. One popular spot is the Ice at Discovery Green. Located in the heart of downtown, this rink offers a picturesque setting with the city skyline as its backdrop. Another great option is the Memorial City Ice Rink. This outdoor rink is surrounded by festive decorations and offers a fun and lively atmosphere.Whether you're a seasoned skater or a beginner, outdoor ice skating is a fantastic way to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family and friends. So, let's lace up our skates and glide across the ice, feeling the exhilaration and freedom that comes with this winter activity. Houston may not be known for its icy winters, but that won't stop us from enjoying the thrill of outdoor ice skating!Immersive Holiday EventWe can't wait to dive into the immersive holiday event and be transported into a world of enchantment and wonder. Here are three reasons why we're excited about this experience:Interactive Light Displays:Picture yourself surrounded by a mesmerizing array of lights that respond to your touch and movement.Engage with the interactive light installations, creating a unique and personalized experience.Watch as the lights dance and twinkle, illuminating the night and filling you with a sense of joy and awe.Magical Atmosphere:Step into a world where holiday magic comes to life, immersing you in a festive and enchanting atmosphere.Be surrounded by beautifully decorated trees, sparkling ornaments, and whimsical characters that ignite your imagination.As you explore the immersive holiday event, feel the warmth and joy radiating from every corner, making you believe in the magic of the season.Memorable Experiences:This immersive holiday experience offers the perfect opportunity to create lasting memories with your family and loved ones.Capture unforgettable moments as you marvel at the stunning light displays and share laughter and joy together.Whether it's a romantic stroll hand-in-hand, a fun-filled adventure with your children, or a gathering with friends, this event promises to leave a lasting impression.Get ready to be captivated by the immersive holiday experience and be transported into a world filled with interactive light displays, magical atmosphere, and memorable experiences. It's time to embrace the freedom of the holiday season and create cherished memories that will warm your heart for years to come.Enchanted Holiday AttractionGet ready to be transported to an enchanting holiday attraction that will captivate your imagination and fill you with wonder. Houston is home to some truly magical light installations and enchanted holiday crafts that are sure to delight both kids and adults alike.One of the must-visit holiday attractions in Houston is the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. This illuminated wonderland features dozens of Chinese lantern installations that come to life after dark. As you wander through the gardens, you'll witness the magical transformation of the surroundings and experience the beauty of nature in a whole new light. It's a unique and enchanting holiday attraction that isn't to be missed.If you're looking for some outdoor fun, Ice at Discovery Green is the perfect choice. This outdoor ice skating rink offers a festive atmosphere where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit. And on select days, you can even skate with Santa himself! It's a fun and festive activity that the whole family can enjoy.For those looking for indoor entertainment, Wonderwild in the Heights is an adventure-filled play space that will provide hours of fun. Let your kids release their energy and have a great time exploring the various play areas. And at Frolics Castle in Memorial City Mall, kids can enjoy free play and let their imaginations run wild.No matter which enchanted holiday attraction you choose to visit, one thing is for sure - you're in for a memorable experience. So gather your family and embrace the joy of the holiday season as you immerse yourselves in dazzling light displays and create lasting memories. Houston has everything you need to make this Christmas break truly magical.Release Energy and Have FunAs we continue our exploration of Houston's enchanting holiday attractions, let's now shift our focus to a subtopic that's perfect for kids (and adults) who need to release their energy and have a whole lot of fun. During the Christmas break, there are plenty of indoor activities and holiday-themed crafts to keep everyone entertained. Here are three options to consider:Indoor Play Spaces:Wonderwild in the Heights provides an adventure-filled play space where kids can climb, slide, and explore to their heart's content. It's a safe and entertaining environment for indoor play, allowing kids to release their energy and have a great time.Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall offers free play for kids, giving them the freedom to let loose and enjoy themselves. With various play areas and activities, it's a fantastic option for burning off energy and having fun.Holiday Themed Crafts:Many local museums and art centers offer holiday-themed craft workshops during the Christmas break. Kids can unleash their creativity and make their own ornaments, cards, and decorations. It's a great way to engage their imaginations while enjoying the freedom to create.DIY Festive Games:Create your own holiday-themed games at home. From pin the nose on Rudolph to a Santa sack race, the options are endless. Get the whole family involved and have a blast playing these customized games. It's the perfect opportunity to release energy, have fun, and make lasting memories together.With these indoor activities and holiday-themed crafts, kids can have a blast while staying active and engaged during the Christmas break. So, let's embrace the freedom to release energy and have a whole lot of fun!Embrace the Holiday SpiritImmerse yourself in the holiday spirit with a variety of festive activities and events in Houston. Get into the holiday groove by indulging in some delightful holiday crafts and enjoying the enchanting sounds of holiday music. Houston offers plenty of opportunities to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family.Get your creative juices flowing by participating in holiday craft workshops. Many local art centers and community organizations offer classes where you can learn to make your own unique holiday decorations. From handmade ornaments to festive wreaths, these workshops allow you to express your creativity and add a personal touch to your holiday decor.Don't forget to tune in to the sweet melodies of holiday music. Throughout the city, you'll find live performances of your favorite holiday tunes. Whether it's a local choir singing carols or a symphony orchestra playing classical holiday music, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Let the music fill your heart with joy and put you in the holiday spirit.In addition to holiday crafts and music, Houston also boasts stunning light displays that will leave you in awe. Take a drive through neighborhoods like River Oaks and Pecan Grove, known for their extravagant holiday lights. Marvel at the beautifully decorated homes and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere. For a unique experience, visit The Light Park in Katy, where you can enjoy a drive-thru light show that will dazzle your senses.Embracing the holiday spirit in Houston is all about celebrating with loved ones and enjoying the festive atmosphere. So gather your family, put on your favorite holiday tunes, and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow Much Does It Cost to Attend Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston?The cost to attend Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston varies depending on the day and time you visit. It's best to check their website for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information.When planning your visit, consider going during off-peak times to potentially save on admission costs.Regardless of the cost, experiencing the dazzling light displays and immersive holiday event at Galaxy Lights is sure to create lasting memories for you and your family.Are There Any Special Events or Activities at the Light Park in Katy?Yes, there are special events at the Light Park in Katy that Houston kids will love! With dazzling lights and a drive-thru experience, it's perfect for creating lasting memories with your family.At the Light Park, you can immerse yourself in the holiday spirit and enjoy beautiful displays and decorations. It's an enchanting holiday attraction that will leave you in awe.Can You Purchase Tickets in Advance for Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature?Yes, you can purchase tickets in advance for Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. Planning in advance is a great idea to ensure availability and secure your spot.Online booking makes it convenient and easy to purchase tickets from the comfort of your home. Pricing information can be found on their website, allowing you to budget accordingly.Don't miss out on this unique and enchanting holiday attraction, so be sure to get your tickets early!What Is the Admission Fee for Ice Skating at Discovery Green?The admission fee for ice skating at Discovery Green during Christmas break isn't mentioned without the context of Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break.Is There a Minimum Age Requirement for Children to Play at Wonderwild Indoor Play Space?At Wonderwild indoor play space, there's no minimum age requirement for children to play. This means that kids of all ages can enjoy the adventure-filled play space and have a great time releasing their energy.Indoor play spaces like Wonderwild provide numerous benefits for children, such as promoting physical activity, stimulating imagination, and promoting social interaction.ConclusionSo gather your family and get ready to make some unforgettable memories this Christmas break in Houston! Whether you're marveling at the extravagant holiday lights in River Oaks and Pecan Grove, exploring the immersive Galaxy Lights event at Space Center Houston, or letting your kids release their energy at Wonderwild or Frolics Castle, there's something for everyone to enjoy.And did you know that Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature features over 100 Chinese lantern installations? It's a truly enchanting experience you won't want to miss! submitted by Sweet-Count2557 to worldkidstravel [link] [comments] |
2024.05.16 23:11 Warm-Pomelo8881 Sick baby
Hello, my 6 month old started daycare 6 weeks ago and has been constantly sick for 6 weeks. Lung congestion, wheezing, retractions, ear infections. Antibiotics, steroids and breathing treatments have not helped. His lung X-ray was clear but his platelets came back very elevated at 1,000. The hematologist is not worried for cancer as the rest of his numbers were okay. I am freaking out and spiraling and just want my baby better. We have been referred to a pulmonologist but not for a few weeks. I pulled him from daycare for now. He had CMPA as a newborn but I thought he outgrew it and we stared him on milk based formula right around the time he started daycare. He’s been on dairy free formula for a week and reflux meds for a few days. Could that be causing all this? I’m so scared!
submitted by Warm-Pomelo8881 to NewParents [link] [comments]
2024.05.16 23:11 Weathers_Writing They call Silicon Valley the tech capitol of the world. They're wrong
I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
submitted by Weathers_Writing to weatherswriting [link] [comments]
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
2024.05.16 23:10 Weathers_Writing They call Silicon Valley the tech capitol of the world. They're wrong
I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
submitted by Weathers_Writing to nosleep [link] [comments]
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
2024.05.16 23:10 aznpersuazion Is Online Tutoring Worth it? Reviewing Online Tutoring Websites
Hello fellow tutor aspirees, side hustlers, academic extraordinaires. I’m here to give you the scoop on the various tutoring platforms, how their services work, tutoring requirements, the types of students on each platform, and of course - how much you get paid for your time.
A little about me. I’ve tutored for a few months now on the following platforms: Varsity Tutors, Wyzant, and SuperProf. I’ve had a number of students on each platform, and it’s safe to say I’ve definitely realized the pros and cons of each one.
Wyzant
Money Info: You set your hourly rate. Wyzant takes 25% of it. If you set your rate to $20/hr you get paid $15/hr.
The Requirements: Each subject you tutor you have to take a 10–20 question multiple choice test on it. The test will be beginner to intermediate questions on the subject you’ve chosen. You only have one chance to pass the test.
The Pros:
Wyzant is an easy to use platform that takes a while to build a student base. You’ll have to apply and reach out to students a lot at first before you start getting more consistent jobs. This can take a few months, so consider this before you start. The 25% fee is high, but certainly not unreasonable compared to other platforms.
Varsity Tutors
Money Info: Unless you’re tutoring GRE or LSATs, the flat rate is $15/hr, regardless of the subject. GRE and LSAT tutors make $28/hr. Varsity Tutors charges their students $50 - $75/hr.
Requirements: Most subjects do not require a test, however you do need to send in a video interview of yourself, mostly to confirm that you can speak eloquently.
The Pros:
Varsity Tutors definitely has the lowest pay amongst all the platforms. $15/hr to teach is what you can make at some retail jobs in the US. The platform can be better if you need to start making money immediately, or if you live in a country where the cost of living is lower. The amount you are paid is better for people who are teaching subjects that aren’t too difficult.
SuperProf
Money Info: You set your own rate, SuperProf takes 10%. The caveat, SuperProf charges students $39 a month to use the platform.
Pros:
SuperProf is very similar to Wyzant in that students and tutors can openly communicate and set up time with each other. The 10% fee is lower than the other platforms. But because it’s already hard to get started as a new tutor, and there are less students on the platform, it’s one of the harder platforms to build a student base.
Additional Notes
While all these platforms have their pros and cons. You can always consider tutoring independently. You do not need any licenses or business registration for tutoring in most places. Once you get a student base through Wyzant or SuperProf, you can take them off-platform and teach independently. The best part? You keep the money you work hard for.
**If you found any of this helpful, consider checking out a referral link. You get additional sign up and welcome bonuses. Signing up and using Rakuten for cash back is free!*\*
submitted by aznpersuazion to sidehustlemoney [link] [comments]
A little about me. I’ve tutored for a few months now on the following platforms: Varsity Tutors, Wyzant, and SuperProf. I’ve had a number of students on each platform, and it’s safe to say I’ve definitely realized the pros and cons of each one.
Wyzant
Money Info: You set your hourly rate. Wyzant takes 25% of it. If you set your rate to $20/hr you get paid $15/hr.
The Requirements: Each subject you tutor you have to take a 10–20 question multiple choice test on it. The test will be beginner to intermediate questions on the subject you’ve chosen. You only have one chance to pass the test.
The Pros:
- You set your own rate
- Tutors and students can freely schedule meetings on their own, rather than have someone assign you
- The user interface is better(mobile app, messaging system, teaching platform, etc)
- Students can largely vary(this can be a con too). You will get a wider range of students, who can be adults with various full time jobs.
- You are charged 25% of your hourly rate
- It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
- There are scammers(be cautious of people asking you to communicate off the platform)
Wyzant is an easy to use platform that takes a while to build a student base. You’ll have to apply and reach out to students a lot at first before you start getting more consistent jobs. This can take a few months, so consider this before you start. The 25% fee is high, but certainly not unreasonable compared to other platforms.
Varsity Tutors
Money Info: Unless you’re tutoring GRE or LSATs, the flat rate is $15/hr, regardless of the subject. GRE and LSAT tutors make $28/hr. Varsity Tutors charges their students $50 - $75/hr.
Requirements: Most subjects do not require a test, however you do need to send in a video interview of yourself, mostly to confirm that you can speak eloquently.
The Pros:
- You are assigned students after declaring interest, so you can get started tutoring within a few days.
- Students are screened so you’ll mostly get students more prepared for lessons.
- A large amount of tutors will only make $15/hr, whereas they charge $50 - $75/hr per student. This can be a huge cut, and limit on pay, especially if you’re teaching harder subjects like programming, sciences, higher level math.
- The user interface is not as great. Basic functionality is there, but the overall platform is not aesthetic.
- You are legally not allowed to take students off the platform.
Varsity Tutors definitely has the lowest pay amongst all the platforms. $15/hr to teach is what you can make at some retail jobs in the US. The platform can be better if you need to start making money immediately, or if you live in a country where the cost of living is lower. The amount you are paid is better for people who are teaching subjects that aren’t too difficult.
SuperProf
Money Info: You set your own rate, SuperProf takes 10%. The caveat, SuperProf charges students $39 a month to use the platform.
Pros:
- For tutors, SuperProf takes the least amount from your pay compared to other platforms.
- Students are generally more prepared because they are paying $39 a month to use the platform.
- The user interface is also pretty good.
- You can set your own cancellation policies
- There are less students because of the monthly subscription fee.
- It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
- You have to teach your first two lessons free.
SuperProf is very similar to Wyzant in that students and tutors can openly communicate and set up time with each other. The 10% fee is lower than the other platforms. But because it’s already hard to get started as a new tutor, and there are less students on the platform, it’s one of the harder platforms to build a student base.
Additional Notes
While all these platforms have their pros and cons. You can always consider tutoring independently. You do not need any licenses or business registration for tutoring in most places. Once you get a student base through Wyzant or SuperProf, you can take them off-platform and teach independently. The best part? You keep the money you work hard for.
**If you found any of this helpful, consider checking out a referral link. You get additional sign up and welcome bonuses. Signing up and using Rakuten for cash back is free!*\*
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2024.05.16 23:07 birdturdess Low Vit D and 'abnormal' thyroid results?
Hi all,
Not sure where to post this and thank you if anyone reads this. I've had a number of symptoms ongoing for a few years, seems to of come to ahead last few weeks just had bloodwork done and GP said low Vit D levels (20, not that low?) and thyroid results are 'abnormal'. So just wondered if anyone's had this before? Also, can anyone work out what I'm looking at with my thyroid results because I don't understand what's the abnormality (I'm a bit simple). I'll post them below
Serum TSH level 0.71 mIU/L [0.27 - 4.2] Serum free T4 level 15.1 pmol/L [12.0 - 22.0]
I also wondered if anyone has succeeded in raising their vit D levels and the thyroid has levelled off alongside? Sorry for all the questions, thank you if you got this far!
submitted by birdturdess to VitaminD [link] [comments]
Not sure where to post this and thank you if anyone reads this. I've had a number of symptoms ongoing for a few years, seems to of come to ahead last few weeks just had bloodwork done and GP said low Vit D levels (20, not that low?) and thyroid results are 'abnormal'. So just wondered if anyone's had this before? Also, can anyone work out what I'm looking at with my thyroid results because I don't understand what's the abnormality (I'm a bit simple). I'll post them below
Serum TSH level 0.71 mIU/L [0.27 - 4.2] Serum free T4 level 15.1 pmol/L [12.0 - 22.0]
I also wondered if anyone has succeeded in raising their vit D levels and the thyroid has levelled off alongside? Sorry for all the questions, thank you if you got this far!
2024.05.16 23:06 StopChristieLove69 Trying to Find an Inc3l Husband Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
Context and More Context
1) I wanted to title this "What I learned in boating school is..." really badly. I may still do it. If its titled like that, just know, Satan won this round.
2) Incels are not very good with common sense. Do you have any idea how bad at common sense you have to be for a cult follower to tell you you're bad at it? Example- some of them genuinely believe that I made my posts as "research" for a "study". This is laughably stupid considering that I literally posted everything I was doing, saying and learning in plain sight. I've written several research reports and contributed to many studies (a lot of ppl think I didnt go to school bc of the cult. We still went to school, guys. I have a Masters degree). If I ever tried to present my Reddit activity as a source, my professor would rightfully kick my teeth in. No one cares enough to "study" you guys anymore. Incels are kinda....played out. Its all about the manosphere guys now.
3) Speaking of manosphere, I've learned that they are better people than incels. Dont get me wrong, they will not see the light of heaven either, but at least they have some balls. I guess I'd rather misogyny with some backbone than misogyny that whimpers, simps, begs and cries all day idk.
4) I won't call you guys out but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, about half of the guys bitching in my comments were also in my DMs trying to "get to know me" and "giving me the benefit of the doubt to see if I'm real". Some of them, ESPECIALLY ONE OF YOU, literally commented something negative under my post after I didnt respond to him. A lot of you are fake as fuck and it's hilarious to watch you put on a show in the comments then immediately apologize in the DMs.
5) Incels believe that they should get attention from women despite hating women and being ugly. I can not figure out this logic. Like, dude, what are the positive traits? Give me one good reason why anyone should like you. If you can't, then why are you mad? We hate you for the same reason you hate yourself. Seems fair to me but idk
6) I wont get into the details outside of the above context, but listening to a bunch of guys tell me how easy my life mustve been simply because I was born a women has been.....enlightening. Buddy, I witnessed my 10 year old baby brother shoot himself in the head when I was 12, but nevermind all that. You're two inches shorter than average height. That's the real struggle.
7) As to Mr. CHARMING from the first post. He isnt. But thats okay. I found something even better than a charming man😋 iykyk
8) In a suprise twist, this post made its way out of the incel loser community and I woke up to a startling number of DMs from non-incels (men and women) asking me to stop interacting with you guys. I've learned that Im actually a total catch. The cult was very traditional in its values so I was raised to be basically a trad wife. My desire to serve and be submissive is a highly desired trait (like wayyyy more highly desired than I thought). I also thought my general cluelessness about the outside world would hold me back (which is why I was looking for incels that also were shut off from society). Turns out, even thats not really a problem. Apparently, they think it's cute. I know most of them are just trying to get something from me, but I figure, if all men really are just users and manipulative liars, I'm at least going to be with one thats being nice to me. The incels are not nice to me. The Chads are very nice to me. Turns out, Im a "high-value woman". Who knew?
9) To sum it all up, I thought incels wanted to get a gf, so I came here to be a gf. I learned that they dont actually want gfs. This is about performative self-pitying - not actual pain or societal issues. I know some of you idiots will say that the responses I got were because they think Im a troll, but I addressed that point already. Never got an answer on it either. Wonder why?
10) To all the incels that bitch and moan about how girls only want "Chads". This is how you create that type of girl. The incels dont want to change. They want to reinforce their own worldview. Well, here ya go. I'm never giving an inc a chance again. Youll die alone while Im out here dodging dick like it's a bullet in The Matrix. It took 72 hours with you guys to learn how awful you are. 25 years in a cult somehow didnt make me hate ugly guys, yet 3 fucking days with you guys did the trick. Absolutely incredible.
Please feel free to seethe in the comments below. I dont care and your anger fuels me. I spent most of my morning laughing my ass off in a group chat of real men at the stupid shit yall say. So please leave a comment. Bitching and moaning seems to be your favorite activity. I gave you a chance to do that. Youre welcome!🥰🥰🥰
Ps-dont do it iykyk
submitted by StopChristieLove69 to ForeverAloneJerk [link] [comments]
1) I wanted to title this "What I learned in boating school is..." really badly. I may still do it. If its titled like that, just know, Satan won this round.
2) Incels are not very good with common sense. Do you have any idea how bad at common sense you have to be for a cult follower to tell you you're bad at it? Example- some of them genuinely believe that I made my posts as "research" for a "study". This is laughably stupid considering that I literally posted everything I was doing, saying and learning in plain sight. I've written several research reports and contributed to many studies (a lot of ppl think I didnt go to school bc of the cult. We still went to school, guys. I have a Masters degree). If I ever tried to present my Reddit activity as a source, my professor would rightfully kick my teeth in. No one cares enough to "study" you guys anymore. Incels are kinda....played out. Its all about the manosphere guys now.
3) Speaking of manosphere, I've learned that they are better people than incels. Dont get me wrong, they will not see the light of heaven either, but at least they have some balls. I guess I'd rather misogyny with some backbone than misogyny that whimpers, simps, begs and cries all day idk.
4) I won't call you guys out but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, about half of the guys bitching in my comments were also in my DMs trying to "get to know me" and "giving me the benefit of the doubt to see if I'm real". Some of them, ESPECIALLY ONE OF YOU, literally commented something negative under my post after I didnt respond to him. A lot of you are fake as fuck and it's hilarious to watch you put on a show in the comments then immediately apologize in the DMs.
5) Incels believe that they should get attention from women despite hating women and being ugly. I can not figure out this logic. Like, dude, what are the positive traits? Give me one good reason why anyone should like you. If you can't, then why are you mad? We hate you for the same reason you hate yourself. Seems fair to me but idk
6) I wont get into the details outside of the above context, but listening to a bunch of guys tell me how easy my life mustve been simply because I was born a women has been.....enlightening. Buddy, I witnessed my 10 year old baby brother shoot himself in the head when I was 12, but nevermind all that. You're two inches shorter than average height. That's the real struggle.
7) As to Mr. CHARMING from the first post. He isnt. But thats okay. I found something even better than a charming man😋 iykyk
8) In a suprise twist, this post made its way out of the incel loser community and I woke up to a startling number of DMs from non-incels (men and women) asking me to stop interacting with you guys. I've learned that Im actually a total catch. The cult was very traditional in its values so I was raised to be basically a trad wife. My desire to serve and be submissive is a highly desired trait (like wayyyy more highly desired than I thought). I also thought my general cluelessness about the outside world would hold me back (which is why I was looking for incels that also were shut off from society). Turns out, even thats not really a problem. Apparently, they think it's cute. I know most of them are just trying to get something from me, but I figure, if all men really are just users and manipulative liars, I'm at least going to be with one thats being nice to me. The incels are not nice to me. The Chads are very nice to me. Turns out, Im a "high-value woman". Who knew?
9) To sum it all up, I thought incels wanted to get a gf, so I came here to be a gf. I learned that they dont actually want gfs. This is about performative self-pitying - not actual pain or societal issues. I know some of you idiots will say that the responses I got were because they think Im a troll, but I addressed that point already. Never got an answer on it either. Wonder why?
10) To all the incels that bitch and moan about how girls only want "Chads". This is how you create that type of girl. The incels dont want to change. They want to reinforce their own worldview. Well, here ya go. I'm never giving an inc a chance again. Youll die alone while Im out here dodging dick like it's a bullet in The Matrix. It took 72 hours with you guys to learn how awful you are. 25 years in a cult somehow didnt make me hate ugly guys, yet 3 fucking days with you guys did the trick. Absolutely incredible.
Please feel free to seethe in the comments below. I dont care and your anger fuels me. I spent most of my morning laughing my ass off in a group chat of real men at the stupid shit yall say. So please leave a comment. Bitching and moaning seems to be your favorite activity. I gave you a chance to do that. Youre welcome!🥰🥰🥰
Ps-dont do it iykyk
2024.05.16 23:05 Cabo_Refugee How many of you considered Stake Conference a free day?
Growing up, we always went to stake conference. No matter if it was a two hour drive; my parents took us all. And we had to sit for a interminable two hours on metal chairs. I continued to go to stake conference even as an adult out of the home. Later married, wife and I would attend stake conference. It was when we had kids that wife started opting out. It was, in her estimation, too much and not worth the effort. I would go by myself. Soon I would join her and stake conference was a free day for all.
Turns out, we weren't alone in this. At a certain point, the stake wanted to see greater turnout. They set-up CCTV video at the local chapels for anyone who didn't want to make the drive to the stake center. They only did that once. Few went to the chapels. Then one year they did an all-out concerted all hands on deck effort to advertise and work the commitment pattern on people to get that higher turn out. Their efforts were rewarded. It was the largest turnout at stake conference ever. Here's the problem: If every active member in every ward in the stake actually shows up, there really isn't enough space or chairs. When it became standing room only in the wings of the gym, after enough time, the standing numbers began to dwindle as people just left. They really fucked up. And part of the concerted advertising effort was just how neat and special this stake conference was gonna be. Same old same old stake conference. I'm not sure what the next stake conference's number looked like. I never went back.
I'm just curious about others' view on stake conference.
submitted by Cabo_Refugee to exmormon [link] [comments]
Turns out, we weren't alone in this. At a certain point, the stake wanted to see greater turnout. They set-up CCTV video at the local chapels for anyone who didn't want to make the drive to the stake center. They only did that once. Few went to the chapels. Then one year they did an all-out concerted all hands on deck effort to advertise and work the commitment pattern on people to get that higher turn out. Their efforts were rewarded. It was the largest turnout at stake conference ever. Here's the problem: If every active member in every ward in the stake actually shows up, there really isn't enough space or chairs. When it became standing room only in the wings of the gym, after enough time, the standing numbers began to dwindle as people just left. They really fucked up. And part of the concerted advertising effort was just how neat and special this stake conference was gonna be. Same old same old stake conference. I'm not sure what the next stake conference's number looked like. I never went back.
I'm just curious about others' view on stake conference.
2024.05.16 23:03 FewNature2993 PreInstalled QPADM for free - 👇 start modelling today 🤩
Preinstalled Admixtools (QPADM) for windows - Super easy
*I want everyone to be able to model so we learn proper modelling together. And make discoveries.
You may have seen me upload and delete results but this is because I’m getting better and striving for maximum accuracy. I can’t do that alone.
That’s why I want you to join me… hence me giving you this free very easily to use QPADM software for windows. Admixtools1 windows clone*
excited?
Let’s start
—
Here is the link to the Preinstalled AT1 clone (Not as good as linux but a lot faster) for windows :
Link is only available for 30 days
***Type www dot then ufile.io/f/vblmt
It doesn’t let me put the link in…***
Download it. Follow the instructions and bam.
Instructions :
Step number 1 = Download and extract all the files into a directory (A place) you are comfortable with.
Step number 2 = Download the Harvard labs HO dataset... as it is quicker to run and has modern samples too so you can test modern samples.
https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/allen-ancient-dna-resource-aadr-downloadable-genotypes-present-day-and-ancient-dna-data
Step number 3 = open up a text file and write down the below text. This will be called the parqpadm file... titled "parqpadm.txt"... its very important. and you need it to run qpadm function.
DIR: C:\Directory\path\to\admixtools\directory\ indivname: (Datasetname).ind snpname: (Datasetname).snp genotypename: (Datasetname).geno popleft: left.txt popright: right.txt details: YES allsnps: YES inbreed: NO ## default NO
**Fill in the directory info by right clicking and selecting copy path and pasting it in the text above in front of DIR
**The dataset name you download where it says dataset name without paranthesis....
Step 4 = Create a text file and name i right
A right file is a text file wherein your "Right or reference population lies".... It is very very very important for correct right group selection... best practices differ depending on who you ask... even researchers...
and I have recently learned what reich labs does today and what they used to do and recommend is different.
You will be safe with the below right group for most eurasians
Mbuti.DG Jordan_PPNB Israel_Natufian Russia_Karelia_HG Iraq_PPN Morocco_Iberomaurusian Russia_AfontovaGora3 Russia_MA1_HG.SG Serbia_IronGates_Mesolithic Turkey_Boncuklu_N Turkey_Epipaleolithic Switzerland_Bichon Iran_GanjDareh_N Georgia_Kotias.SG ONG.SG Mongolia_North_N
Step 5 = Create a text file and name it left. The first population name in your left file will be your target... and the following are the sources you want to use to measure it
so for example
Me Source Source Souce
in this format...
** You can look up all population names on the right column of the .ind file you downloaded...
All names are there.
Once you do this... save both your left and right and parqpadm files in the directory **
Step 6 =
Everything is ready now
if you have looked up what target and sources you want modelled
go to your windows terminal.. look it up on search
and type
cd copy and paste path to directory or place of admixtools folder here
and if done correctly the path is added to the text on the left
Now just type qpAdm -p parqpadm.txt > whatevername.txt
whatevername = the results of your run
how to read :
if successful after a few minutes a text file appears and is populated with relevant stats... scroll down and look for "summ"
P value is listed as the second number after the population name
with wight after that. wight times a hundred = percent of that source your pop has.
if percentages are off or stupid like - or 200% your model sucks.**
there is also a section called STE slightly above this area. Make sure that is below .04 fir plausible models.
P values should be above .05 for a pass. 5e-3 = .005... 5e-4 .0005 and so on
STE errors should be below .04
and weights have to add up to a hundred... cant have bizarre stuff.
if all the above have been met and your right group is good. You have a plausible model.
Best practices :
Read and ask about best right groups
Dont use too many similar populations you need distinct mixes for good modelling
Dont force models
Good luck
submitted by FewNature2993 to illustrativeQPADM [link] [comments]
*I want everyone to be able to model so we learn proper modelling together. And make discoveries.
You may have seen me upload and delete results but this is because I’m getting better and striving for maximum accuracy. I can’t do that alone.
That’s why I want you to join me… hence me giving you this free very easily to use QPADM software for windows. Admixtools1 windows clone*
excited?
Let’s start
—
Here is the link to the Preinstalled AT1 clone (Not as good as linux but a lot faster) for windows :
Link is only available for 30 days
***Type www dot then ufile.io/f/vblmt
It doesn’t let me put the link in…***
Download it. Follow the instructions and bam.
Instructions :
Step number 1 = Download and extract all the files into a directory (A place) you are comfortable with.
Step number 2 = Download the Harvard labs HO dataset... as it is quicker to run and has modern samples too so you can test modern samples.
https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/allen-ancient-dna-resource-aadr-downloadable-genotypes-present-day-and-ancient-dna-data
Step number 3 = open up a text file and write down the below text. This will be called the parqpadm file... titled "parqpadm.txt"... its very important. and you need it to run qpadm function.
DIR: C:\Directory\path\to\admixtools\directory\ indivname: (Datasetname).ind snpname: (Datasetname).snp genotypename: (Datasetname).geno popleft: left.txt popright: right.txt details: YES allsnps: YES inbreed: NO ## default NO
**Fill in the directory info by right clicking and selecting copy path and pasting it in the text above in front of DIR
**The dataset name you download where it says dataset name without paranthesis....
Step 4 = Create a text file and name i right
A right file is a text file wherein your "Right or reference population lies".... It is very very very important for correct right group selection... best practices differ depending on who you ask... even researchers...
and I have recently learned what reich labs does today and what they used to do and recommend is different.
You will be safe with the below right group for most eurasians
Mbuti.DG Jordan_PPNB Israel_Natufian Russia_Karelia_HG Iraq_PPN Morocco_Iberomaurusian Russia_AfontovaGora3 Russia_MA1_HG.SG Serbia_IronGates_Mesolithic Turkey_Boncuklu_N Turkey_Epipaleolithic Switzerland_Bichon Iran_GanjDareh_N Georgia_Kotias.SG ONG.SG Mongolia_North_N
Step 5 = Create a text file and name it left. The first population name in your left file will be your target... and the following are the sources you want to use to measure it
so for example
Me Source Source Souce
in this format...
** You can look up all population names on the right column of the .ind file you downloaded...
All names are there.
Once you do this... save both your left and right and parqpadm files in the directory **
Step 6 =
Everything is ready now
if you have looked up what target and sources you want modelled
go to your windows terminal.. look it up on search
and type
cd copy and paste path to directory or place of admixtools folder here
and if done correctly the path is added to the text on the left
Now just type qpAdm -p parqpadm.txt > whatevername.txt
whatevername = the results of your run
how to read :
if successful after a few minutes a text file appears and is populated with relevant stats... scroll down and look for "summ"
P value is listed as the second number after the population name
with wight after that. wight times a hundred = percent of that source your pop has.
if percentages are off or stupid like - or 200% your model sucks.**
there is also a section called STE slightly above this area. Make sure that is below .04 fir plausible models.
P values should be above .05 for a pass. 5e-3 = .005... 5e-4 .0005 and so on
STE errors should be below .04
and weights have to add up to a hundred... cant have bizarre stuff.
if all the above have been met and your right group is good. You have a plausible model.
Best practices :
Read and ask about best right groups
Dont use too many similar populations you need distinct mixes for good modelling
Dont force models
Good luck
2024.05.16 23:03 figuringitout3790 Should I get a new doctor?
Hi all,
I’m starting to get frustrated with my endocrinologist. I just completed my second round of labs - numbers below. I’m 34, done having kids and my doctor is being VERY hesitant to prescribe me TRT and even within that, she said she would want me on gel and not injections. She told me that technically my total T levels are within normal range and that’s the best indicator for T (which I disagree with). It’s weird bc she seems to be such a competent endo but I’m getting very frustrated.
Total T - 360 NG/dL SHBG - 60.3 nmol/L Free T - 30.6 pg/mL T bioavailable - 73.4 NG/dL
My libido Is non existent, my motivation/drive is nowhere we it should be, energy levels down, and I’ve lost significant muscle mass.
My PCP sent in a script for Androgel so I’m considering starting that even though I’d prefer injections as I have kids and absorption rates but I feel like he’s not the right Dr to work with on TRT.
Should I find a different endo? Go to a urologist? Clinic? Stick with my current endo and just push her to prescribing me?
Any help would be appreciated!
submitted by figuringitout3790 to trt [link] [comments]
I’m starting to get frustrated with my endocrinologist. I just completed my second round of labs - numbers below. I’m 34, done having kids and my doctor is being VERY hesitant to prescribe me TRT and even within that, she said she would want me on gel and not injections. She told me that technically my total T levels are within normal range and that’s the best indicator for T (which I disagree with). It’s weird bc she seems to be such a competent endo but I’m getting very frustrated.
Total T - 360 NG/dL SHBG - 60.3 nmol/L Free T - 30.6 pg/mL T bioavailable - 73.4 NG/dL
My libido Is non existent, my motivation/drive is nowhere we it should be, energy levels down, and I’ve lost significant muscle mass.
My PCP sent in a script for Androgel so I’m considering starting that even though I’d prefer injections as I have kids and absorption rates but I feel like he’s not the right Dr to work with on TRT.
Should I find a different endo? Go to a urologist? Clinic? Stick with my current endo and just push her to prescribing me?
Any help would be appreciated!
2024.05.16 23:03 Minimum-Sea6605 Veteran home buyers having a hard time getting their offers accepted…
Is it safe to say there are a number of you who have been making offers on houses you want to buy, just to have them not accepted? Then, to add insult to injury, your realtor tells you it is because you are using your VA Home Loan Benefit as opposed to a Conventional Loan?
Negative.
And even if the seller decided against you because of your VA Home Loan Benefit, it’s their loss.
Do not let anyone talk you out of using the VA Home Loan Benefit you earned. Aside from a zero down payment, you don’t have to pay mortgage insurance, if you have a service connected disability you are now exempt from the funding fee, there is no pre-payment penalty if you wanted to pay the mortgage off sooner, and interest rates for VA Home Loans are traditionally lower than other products like Conventional and FHA.
I know it can be discouraging; as a Mortgage Loan Officer, I am not immune to this as I had to deal with the same market when I bought my new home last month. However, just as we did back in the service, “you have to plan your dive, dive your plan”, have an OPORD on how you will accomplish your mission of buying the right home for you and your family. You need to surround yourself with a team of very apt professionals. You need a lender whom you trust, has a vast amount of knowledge on the VA Home Loan product, and you are comfortable with. One that you know you can ask a question of at 2am when you are up thinking of “what ifs, and maybes” and not taking 3 days to get back to you. Aside from the lender, you want a realtor who is savvy enough to not only know how powerful the VA Home Loan is, but be able to educate the seller’s agent, and by proxy, the seller themselves on the value of it.
Lastly, when making an offer, MAKE SURE you are doing so with a preapproval accompanying it (Not a prequal that does NOT hold the same weight). Your lender should also be running your file through DU/AUS.
A Pre-Approval with a DU (Desktop Underwriter) will set you above most, if not all, the other offers. A DU a.k.a. AUS, runs your file through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac systems (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are federally backed home mortgage companies created by the United States Congress, they guarantee most of the mortgages made in the U.S.) allowing us to do a quick “underwriting scrub” and generate a result and file number which I give you and your realtor to submit with your offer.
This gives all parties involved (realtors, sellers, etc.) a huge sense of relief knowing that you have gone as far as being Desktop Underwritten with your preapproval, mitigating credit and qualification risks making you a stronger buyer.
If your lender does not know what DU/AUS is, find a new lender.
As I have said in previous posts, I have an Open Door Policy when it comes to my DMs…please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. I am on a multistate team, operating in all 50 states, so don’t let demographics and location hold you back on getting free advice.
Hope this helps!
submitted by Minimum-Sea6605 to VeteransBenefits [link] [comments]
Negative.
And even if the seller decided against you because of your VA Home Loan Benefit, it’s their loss.
Do not let anyone talk you out of using the VA Home Loan Benefit you earned. Aside from a zero down payment, you don’t have to pay mortgage insurance, if you have a service connected disability you are now exempt from the funding fee, there is no pre-payment penalty if you wanted to pay the mortgage off sooner, and interest rates for VA Home Loans are traditionally lower than other products like Conventional and FHA.
I know it can be discouraging; as a Mortgage Loan Officer, I am not immune to this as I had to deal with the same market when I bought my new home last month. However, just as we did back in the service, “you have to plan your dive, dive your plan”, have an OPORD on how you will accomplish your mission of buying the right home for you and your family. You need to surround yourself with a team of very apt professionals. You need a lender whom you trust, has a vast amount of knowledge on the VA Home Loan product, and you are comfortable with. One that you know you can ask a question of at 2am when you are up thinking of “what ifs, and maybes” and not taking 3 days to get back to you. Aside from the lender, you want a realtor who is savvy enough to not only know how powerful the VA Home Loan is, but be able to educate the seller’s agent, and by proxy, the seller themselves on the value of it.
Lastly, when making an offer, MAKE SURE you are doing so with a preapproval accompanying it (Not a prequal that does NOT hold the same weight). Your lender should also be running your file through DU/AUS.
A Pre-Approval with a DU (Desktop Underwriter) will set you above most, if not all, the other offers. A DU a.k.a. AUS, runs your file through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac systems (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are federally backed home mortgage companies created by the United States Congress, they guarantee most of the mortgages made in the U.S.) allowing us to do a quick “underwriting scrub” and generate a result and file number which I give you and your realtor to submit with your offer.
This gives all parties involved (realtors, sellers, etc.) a huge sense of relief knowing that you have gone as far as being Desktop Underwritten with your preapproval, mitigating credit and qualification risks making you a stronger buyer.
If your lender does not know what DU/AUS is, find a new lender.
As I have said in previous posts, I have an Open Door Policy when it comes to my DMs…please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. I am on a multistate team, operating in all 50 states, so don’t let demographics and location hold you back on getting free advice.
Hope this helps!
2024.05.16 23:01 Round-Walrus3175 Can a Wand and Scroll Thaumaturge be a "Money Wizard"?
In the game Divinity: Original Sin, the weirdest class I played was the Ranger. At first, life was pretty rough. Using basic arrows were pretty underwhelming and getting and using magical ammunition felt good, but was incredibly expensive/hard to find early on in the game. As the game went on, though, and both materials and money became much easier to come by, things started to change. I dubbed my ranger a "Money Wizard" because, effectively, instead of paying for spells in slots and cooldowns, I was paying in straight cash and materials. If I had the resources to fund my lifestyle, I could realistically do what most of the magic classes could do to enemies every single turn. It was kind of a joke, but also a super interesting concept and it worked really well. Surprisingly, the potential is also there in this system with the Thaumaturge.
The Thaumaturge with a scroll can hit like a full caster with the same spell at the majority of levels. With Scroll Thaumaturgy, all their scrolls' DCs (Rumored to also apply to attack rolls) scale based on their class DC. The Thaumaturge's Class DC is only two points behind a caster's DC at levels 7,8, 15, 16, 19, and 20 and otherwise the same. That surprised me a fair bit. As far as the in-combat logistics, Scroll Thaumaturgy also has you covered. Since you can hold a scroll in the same hand as your implement, you can roll into combat with up to two implements and two scrolls in hand and be able to use all of them freely. But, I mean, the Thaumaturge is a martial, so how are we going to afford all these scrolls? The Wand is the way.
The Wand implement effectively gives the Thaumaturge the "cantrip" for the Money Wizard. It's free, it's nice, and it scales surprisingly well. It isn't super flexible, so I would recommend starting off with electricity and branching out to fire or cold with the Adept Benefit. It is competitive with ranged cantrips and gains range, rider effects, and a 1 action "spellshape" that adds a significant amount of extra damage, culminating at level 17 in effectively giving an at-will ability with the damage and area of a Rank 5 Fireball with rider effects on a failed save and freely chosen between fire, cold, and electricity damage. Additionally, it de-emphasizes the need for runes, so we can chuck the majority of our budget into just buying scrolls. A recommendation to squeeze a bit more out of this wand is to take some kind of spellcasting archetype (Bard is convenient), so that you can make your wand implement a magical wand and get yet another casting of a spell through the power of the almighty gold coin.
The biggest problem is pretty much always going to be the economic side of things. Ostensibly, you can "convert" a Striking rune into 5 Rank 2 scrolls or 16 Rank 1 scrolls with a similar amount of gold, which isn't a terrible number for the Rank 1's, but is definitely on the skinny side for Rank 2s, especially considering it is a fairly large amount of the budget. You might be able to scrap up some looted scrolls, which would be pretty funny, but that's going to be random. Scroll Esoterica and its line will give you a few more lower level scrolls, but that feels like more of a bonus than a true budget reliever. This may be the biggest impediment to the Money Wizard concept. One thing that could help significantly, if downtime is available, is to gain Magical and Communal Crafting and work together with your caster(s) during downtime to Craft some scrolls to mitigate some of that cost. Outside of that, though, you will probably always be a least one spell rank behind, except for certain circumstances.
Of course, regular Wizards (or any caster) can ALSO be Money Wizards, if they want, because you can just buy and use a bunch of scrolls of anything from your tradition, but I find it interesting that a non-caster might be able to do the same thing and, even more interestingly, without being beholden to any spell tradition. Outside of being tradition agnostic and having a very strong damage cantrip in the Wand implement, though, there are significant weaknesses due to a limit on how many at-Rank scrolls a Thaumaturge can produce in a given level.
submitted by Round-Walrus3175 to Pathfinder2e [link] [comments]
The Thaumaturge with a scroll can hit like a full caster with the same spell at the majority of levels. With Scroll Thaumaturgy, all their scrolls' DCs (Rumored to also apply to attack rolls) scale based on their class DC. The Thaumaturge's Class DC is only two points behind a caster's DC at levels 7,8, 15, 16, 19, and 20 and otherwise the same. That surprised me a fair bit. As far as the in-combat logistics, Scroll Thaumaturgy also has you covered. Since you can hold a scroll in the same hand as your implement, you can roll into combat with up to two implements and two scrolls in hand and be able to use all of them freely. But, I mean, the Thaumaturge is a martial, so how are we going to afford all these scrolls? The Wand is the way.
The Wand implement effectively gives the Thaumaturge the "cantrip" for the Money Wizard. It's free, it's nice, and it scales surprisingly well. It isn't super flexible, so I would recommend starting off with electricity and branching out to fire or cold with the Adept Benefit. It is competitive with ranged cantrips and gains range, rider effects, and a 1 action "spellshape" that adds a significant amount of extra damage, culminating at level 17 in effectively giving an at-will ability with the damage and area of a Rank 5 Fireball with rider effects on a failed save and freely chosen between fire, cold, and electricity damage. Additionally, it de-emphasizes the need for runes, so we can chuck the majority of our budget into just buying scrolls. A recommendation to squeeze a bit more out of this wand is to take some kind of spellcasting archetype (Bard is convenient), so that you can make your wand implement a magical wand and get yet another casting of a spell through the power of the almighty gold coin.
The biggest problem is pretty much always going to be the economic side of things. Ostensibly, you can "convert" a Striking rune into 5 Rank 2 scrolls or 16 Rank 1 scrolls with a similar amount of gold, which isn't a terrible number for the Rank 1's, but is definitely on the skinny side for Rank 2s, especially considering it is a fairly large amount of the budget. You might be able to scrap up some looted scrolls, which would be pretty funny, but that's going to be random. Scroll Esoterica and its line will give you a few more lower level scrolls, but that feels like more of a bonus than a true budget reliever. This may be the biggest impediment to the Money Wizard concept. One thing that could help significantly, if downtime is available, is to gain Magical and Communal Crafting and work together with your caster(s) during downtime to Craft some scrolls to mitigate some of that cost. Outside of that, though, you will probably always be a least one spell rank behind, except for certain circumstances.
Of course, regular Wizards (or any caster) can ALSO be Money Wizards, if they want, because you can just buy and use a bunch of scrolls of anything from your tradition, but I find it interesting that a non-caster might be able to do the same thing and, even more interestingly, without being beholden to any spell tradition. Outside of being tradition agnostic and having a very strong damage cantrip in the Wand implement, though, there are significant weaknesses due to a limit on how many at-Rank scrolls a Thaumaturge can produce in a given level.
2024.05.16 22:52 TheCannaMan710 Build Me A Pc Please. 🙏🏽
Is this a brand new build, or an upgrade to an existing build?Brand New
Please list any existing parts or monitor(s) you have that you would like to re-use with this build. For upgrades, a PCPartPicker list of your full build is extremely helpful. Be as specific as you can be here, including links or exact model numbers of each component whenever possible.I Have NOTHING.
What will this PC be used for? Examples include things like gaming, general/multimedia use, photo/video editing, coding, Al/ML, etc. Include specific games and applications you intend to run, and any particular performance goals you have, as each may have different specific hardware needs.I’d LIKE to game in 4k If Possible with my budget. I play Warzone, Infinite, Minecraft. I’m coming from an XBOX X. Other than gaming I may try to stream later on in life. I edit and shoot a lot of YouTube videos, some college school work but nothing crazy.
What country will you be purchasing in? If you are in the US, do you live near a Micro Center? For other countries, please check if your country is supported by PCPartPicker by using the country selector dropdown on the top right - if not, please provide some links to reliable local vendors you are comfortable ordering from.I’m in California but not close to a micro center.
Do you need one or more monitors included in the budget? Please list how many and any size/resolution/ refresh rate preferences if needed.Id like one SOLID 4K for the gaming/editing. Maybe a second monitor for discord/streaming or doing things on the side. The other doesn’t NEED to be 4k if it doesn’t need to be.
What is your preferred and maximum budget range for this build, in local currency? Parts lists may sometimes have additional shipping costs. Please note whether prices in your country include sales tax or not, and adjust your budget accordingly. Typically VAT countries will have it included in the part list prices, whereas regular sales tax countries like the US and Canada will not.I’m Planning on putting this all together around February/March, I know it’s a little ways away and more parts/upgrades will be available then.
After Taxes/shipping I’d like to be at or less than $3.5k USD
Do you need Wifi, or do you have a wired ethernet connection available?I have a wired Connection/ Ethernet.
Do you have any specific size or noise requirements for the build?I’d like a Full Sized Case, I have one in mind but would like to hear other opinions. I want a good amount of RGB in this build, I’d like a case with a nice window or two to show off the build. I’m in an area where noise isn’t an issue, however I don’t want something SCREECHING lol.
Do you have any aesthetic preferences for color or lighting? Describe what you're looking for, or feel free to provide some links to examples that may help. Some people prefer an inobtrusive stealth build, while others may prefer a case full of rainbow RGB.CASE full to the brim of Rainbow RGB.
Any other specific requests or requirements? Examples might include a specific minimum amount of storage, or a particular CPU socket for a future upgrade path, etc.I have ALOT of friends who have built there own, some are saying buy a prebuilt, some are suggesting things from their own bias. I’d like to hear some things from the people of this great group. I appreciate all the time and effort people MAY spend on this. Thank you.
2024.05.16 22:50 The_Fearles_Toothles What should I do? How do I approach her without feeling awkward or weird? Is it still possible to text her?
Hi all, so I'm gonna make this quick. I sort of/partially have feelings for this person. Partially because 1. We've never actually had a decent conversation 2. Im not sure about my feelings either The reason I show interest in this person is because how she treated me. At first I viewed her as in just like everybody normal, in my college there's a lot of pretty girls here and there but I'd say she's cute. So my first interaction with her was because my friend wanted data for a physics experiment, I was in the same class with her and basically I was hesitant and I didn't wanna do it but due to his constant begging, I'm like ok it won't hurt I guess. I didn't wanna do it because I don't wanna talk to girls, last time I talk to one it didn't end well. I never dated, she was just an acquaintance I'd say (past), somehow I'd say something dumb and got pissed off, called me a piece of shit and blocked on wa. This happened twice (this girl and another girl) but I won't go too much in details, in short I was young and basically the way I talk was not respectful. Now I'm more mature but I'm still careful with my words, this all happens in text btw. So yeah I digressed, pretty much intimidated by this girl, grew the guts, went up n talk to her. I asked her for the data and she said yes, kinda thought she was gonna be rude abt it but she was surprisingly really nice, she sent it via phone number n yea I to this day still have her phone number.
My next encounter with her was basically me and my friend (the guy who ask me for the data) were at a university, for like course briefing cuz I wanna take computer science. Somehow she was also in this lecture but with friends?? I didn't think too much nor do I bother much. But surprisingly, she said hi and ask for my name. It took me by surprise to be honest, I've never been great with being social, I've always been alone and invisible towards ppl, by the time I reached to college I completely abandoned my past, so I have no contacts with past highschool mates. The thought of this kinda just took me by surprise that's all. We didn't talk, I should have tried to initiate too, because I could have had the chance to meet new ppl and her friends, but I was very anti social and like I said I only cared about myself, I came from a dark past, so basically I have 0 social skills.
After the briefing, I encountered her again, it was during an English test. Time's up, paper done, I packed my bag and started to leave but she surprisingly approached me again. She was just asking about the paper, like how is this done, this and that. On my way back, I started to see her differently.
Last encounter, not physical, through chat, I was sicked and admitted to the hospital. She was the only person who I knew had the same classes for phys and eng, also I have her hp. I texted her, saying what did I miss, she was very kind about it to provide info. At the moment, I kinda show interest, well is not love at first sight bullshit but just interested, I wanted to know her better.
Present day, it's been few months since we chat, the thought of her kinda graze my mind every now and then. Biggest mistake I made was I should have initiated the conversation more like what do you plan on studying or where course you taking in uni, I thought I could get her to talk to me but I was really shy to converse with her knowing how much I suck at talking to ppl. I only realised this mistake when the new sem started, I should have just ask her out actually, I think she also lived near me according to a conversation I hear with the lecturer and her. Basically, I fucked up. I'm in the same class with her in English only this year, which in itself is lucky considering there's 31 classes and I got to be in that one class with her. But she had a fair share of friends and I couldn't approach her.
Ok, I'm just gonna talk about her abit. The reason I find her hard to approach is because she had a lot of friends, I don't assume I know, I've seen her alot with her friends and basically there was no room for me to interact. I feel like it be too creepy to suddenly text her now, plus I always see with her best friend? So I feel like she's the type of person who doesn't wanna be in a relationship, I don't even know if she has bf or not. I know nothing about her, and trying to know her now would seem to odd and bad timing. Idk about you guys but I feel like she would be creeped out, cuz l'm like a loner in class and also think is just impossible to text her. I won't be seeing her as the semester ends, but is finals so that's the time I see her but again I'd probably won't talk to her cuz again she has a lot of friends so she probably entertain them instead of a loner like me, plus I don't wanna stand out in front multiple people. I was thinking of maybe ask to study together? But two of us is just really weird.. I find it weird too
So what would you guys do in my position? I think is kinda pointless to ask since yk I had the chance I blew it, it took me months to realise I should have initiated the conversation, it doesn't matter if we're dating or not, I just wanna know her and be friends with her, I found myself in a serious of friendship desperation 💀 compared to last year. Feel free to inquire more questions about my situation. Like to see how you guys would go about it, I know I'd said I keep it short but hey wth, might as well go full story mode
submitted by The_Fearles_Toothles to Crushes [link] [comments]
My next encounter with her was basically me and my friend (the guy who ask me for the data) were at a university, for like course briefing cuz I wanna take computer science. Somehow she was also in this lecture but with friends?? I didn't think too much nor do I bother much. But surprisingly, she said hi and ask for my name. It took me by surprise to be honest, I've never been great with being social, I've always been alone and invisible towards ppl, by the time I reached to college I completely abandoned my past, so I have no contacts with past highschool mates. The thought of this kinda just took me by surprise that's all. We didn't talk, I should have tried to initiate too, because I could have had the chance to meet new ppl and her friends, but I was very anti social and like I said I only cared about myself, I came from a dark past, so basically I have 0 social skills.
After the briefing, I encountered her again, it was during an English test. Time's up, paper done, I packed my bag and started to leave but she surprisingly approached me again. She was just asking about the paper, like how is this done, this and that. On my way back, I started to see her differently.
Last encounter, not physical, through chat, I was sicked and admitted to the hospital. She was the only person who I knew had the same classes for phys and eng, also I have her hp. I texted her, saying what did I miss, she was very kind about it to provide info. At the moment, I kinda show interest, well is not love at first sight bullshit but just interested, I wanted to know her better.
Present day, it's been few months since we chat, the thought of her kinda graze my mind every now and then. Biggest mistake I made was I should have initiated the conversation more like what do you plan on studying or where course you taking in uni, I thought I could get her to talk to me but I was really shy to converse with her knowing how much I suck at talking to ppl. I only realised this mistake when the new sem started, I should have just ask her out actually, I think she also lived near me according to a conversation I hear with the lecturer and her. Basically, I fucked up. I'm in the same class with her in English only this year, which in itself is lucky considering there's 31 classes and I got to be in that one class with her. But she had a fair share of friends and I couldn't approach her.
Ok, I'm just gonna talk about her abit. The reason I find her hard to approach is because she had a lot of friends, I don't assume I know, I've seen her alot with her friends and basically there was no room for me to interact. I feel like it be too creepy to suddenly text her now, plus I always see with her best friend? So I feel like she's the type of person who doesn't wanna be in a relationship, I don't even know if she has bf or not. I know nothing about her, and trying to know her now would seem to odd and bad timing. Idk about you guys but I feel like she would be creeped out, cuz l'm like a loner in class and also think is just impossible to text her. I won't be seeing her as the semester ends, but is finals so that's the time I see her but again I'd probably won't talk to her cuz again she has a lot of friends so she probably entertain them instead of a loner like me, plus I don't wanna stand out in front multiple people. I was thinking of maybe ask to study together? But two of us is just really weird.. I find it weird too
So what would you guys do in my position? I think is kinda pointless to ask since yk I had the chance I blew it, it took me months to realise I should have initiated the conversation, it doesn't matter if we're dating or not, I just wanna know her and be friends with her, I found myself in a serious of friendship desperation 💀 compared to last year. Feel free to inquire more questions about my situation. Like to see how you guys would go about it, I know I'd said I keep it short but hey wth, might as well go full story mode