Hey everyone, I (teenage, male) have been into calisthenics and working out for about two years now. It's become a huge part of my life, and I really enjoy pushing my limits and seeing the progress I make. On the other hand, my friends have a very different lifestyle. They prefer to spend their free time playing video games, watching TV, and generally not doing much physical activity.
At first, it didn't bother me. We still hung out and did the usual teenage stuff. But as I got more serious about my fitness routine, I found myself wanting to spend more time at the gym or in the park doing workouts. I started inviting my friends to join me, thinking it would be fun and maybe even beneficial for them. But they always had excuses: too tired, too busy, not interested.
I tried to balance things out for a while, but it became increasingly frustrating. Whenever we'd hang out, they'd just lounge around, play video games, and eat junk food. I felt like I was wasting my time, especially when I could be doing something productive like working out or researching new calisthenics routines.
Eventually, I started declining their invitations more often, choosing to focus on my workouts instead. They noticed and started calling me out, saying I was becoming a "workaholic" and that I didn't care about them anymore. They even made fun of me for being "obsessed" with fitness. I tried to explain how important it was to me and how I wished they would at least try to understand or join me sometimes. But they didn't get it.
Now, they're saying I'm the one being unreasonable and that I've changed for the worse. They miss the old me who used to chill with them without a care. But I feel like I'm just growing and prioritizing what makes me happy and healthy. AITA for growing distant from my lazy friends because I'm so into my workouts?
I don't want to lose my friends, but I also don't want to compromise on something that's become so important to me. I could use some outside perspective on this.

1. Determine Your Sector Needs

• Education: From elementary to university classrooms – education scales
• Laboratory/Pharmaceutical: Analytical balances, technical scales, moisture analyzers
• Industrial/Freight Transport: Industrial scales, counting scales, floor scales
• Off-site Weighing: Portable scales
• Food Processing/Preparation: Food scales
• Retail: Portable scales

2. Assess Precision and Capacity
Scales vary greatly in accuracy and capacity. Higher precision often means higher costs. Determine the range of weights you need to measure.
3. Consider Special Measurement Functions
Modern scales offer various functions beyond basic weighing. Identify which functions you need.

• Example: The OHAUS PR series supports basic weighing, piece counting, and percent weighing. The EXPLORER series offers advanced features like check weighing, dynamic weighing, totalization, formulation, density determination, peak hold, and more.

4. Identify Your Measurement Needs
The size of the weighing pan is crucial. Choose a scale with a pan size appropriate for your samples.

• Example: Laboratory bench scales have medium-sized pans, while industrial floor scales can have pans up to 1.5 meters wide.

5. Consider Your Work Environment
For industrial environments, choose durable scales with metal structures and overload resistance. For humid environments, opt for scales with high IP ratings.

• Examples: The Ranger series for portability and counting, the Defender series for heavy-duty use, and the Defender 6000 with IP69K rating for extreme hygiene requirements. For food sectors, look for scales with anti-cut membranes for safety.

6. Look for Additional Features
Scales come with various specialized features:

• Weighing from below: A hinge for hanging objects under the scale
• Dynamic weighing: Ideal for veterinarians to average readings of moving animals
• Data interfaces: USB/RS-232 for data download and storage
• Security features: User passwords
• Structural materials: Choose between plastic or metal based on your needs

OHAUS HAS THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING! NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO CHOOSE!
If you have questions ask the community can help!!

So I (30M) have been living in this shared apartment for three years, with people who come and go, usually not living there for more than a year. With those, I've had either a pleasant or a nonexistent relationship.
Now I'll admit, I've not been the best in keeping the common areas clean, leaving wet footsteps when I come out of the shower, or not cleaning the stovetop when I've cooked something oily, and I almost always miss my turn when it's time to put the trash out to the curb. It's a problem, and I do want to get better, I'm just not entirely sure how.
This new roommate (64M) had an idea: Simply threaten me with a beating whenever it happened.
The first time it happened, I let it slide. Fat had dripped off my dinner to the bottom of the oven, even though I had used a baking sheet, and I had simply not realized this. Mea culpa, on my head be it.
Then, he was upset that I didn't turn on the dishwasher. He didn't use it anyway, and there was still space in it for life two pans, so I didn't see the need.
Then, he was upset that the spice cupboard was full of spices, left behind by former roommates. I was still using some of those, there's no need to threaten me with violence just because I didn't throw them out! And a different cupboard contained a black ooze that was once an onion, I didn't even know that was there! No need to tell me he'd force me to lick it up if I didn't clean it immediately.
And so it'd go. Sometimes he'd say he'd beat me up himself, sometimes he'd threaten me with a friend, occasionally he'd stand himself in the hallway outside my bedroom, loudly pretending to be on the phone with someone, if he'd come over and "teach me some manners".
Well, I thought, this isn't pleasant, but they say barking dogs never bite, so I'd just ignore hjm. That, I did once, because that was the time he decided to attack me.
My first instinct was to stand my ground. He was shoving me across the room, so I'd just not let him. All that did was escalate the issue, but I continued standing my ground. When I had managed to wrestle the fork he was jabbing me with out of his hand, he kind of gave up, mumbling something along the lines of "we'll continue this later when my friend gets here"
So, I called the police.
Unfortunately, the police believed him over me, because when one of them pointed out two scratch marks on my neck, that I didn't know were there, I said, that "must have happened when he grabbed me there", but later I contradicted myself by saying, "has happened when". Also, his account was more detailed, and he said I pushed him first, which isn't true, but would put me in the wrong.
So, for about a week, I'm sitting in my room, too afraid to go in the kitchen to get myself something to eat, when the first good thing happens in this saga: After I told the story to my colleagues at work, they quickly organized me a place to stay for a while. For this, I am forever grateful. From here, I'd gather my wits, and look for a new apartment to move into.
Which turned out to be a wise move, because he had sent his copy of the police report, which labeled me the threat, to our landlord, who decided to evict me. I'd have to be out by the end of May, but luckily, I could sweettalk her into extending that to the end of June. That would be necessary, I thought, everyone tells me the housing market is basically nonexistent, so it'd probably take a while to find something.
That "while", as it turns out, was about two weeks.
So, right now, I'm sitting in my hotel room (that I get to stay in for free btw, thanks again friends) trying to relax a bit, and worrying more than I probably should, as I'm going back to my old apartment tomorrow to clean a bit and prepare for the move. Rationally I know he'll probably leave me alone, but my overly paranoid brain insists that he's going to decide he doesn't like the sound of my vacuum cleaner and break down my bedroom door to punch me in the face.
TL;DR: New roommate threatens to beat me up over crumbs around the toaster, attacks me one day, lies to the police and gets me evicted, but it's all going to end well.

Are you new to using balances or need a quick refresher? Here’s a concise guide to help you get started and maintain accuracy with your A&D Weighing balance:

1. Choosing the Right Balance: Select the balance based on your required readability, capacity, and environment. Consider factors like air currents and vibrations that might affect accuracy.
2. Setup and Calibration:
   • Place the balance on a stable, vibration-free surface.
   • Allow it to warm up as recommended.
   • Calibrate regularly using the appropriate calibration weights.
3. Weighing Techniques:
   • Use containers or weigh paper to prevent direct contact with the weighing pan.
   • Tare (zero) the balance before adding your sample.
4. Maintenance Tips:
   • Clean the balance and its surrounding area regularly.
   • Use a soft brush and lint-free cloth for cleaning.
   • Avoid direct contact with liquids and corrosive materials.
5. Troubleshooting Common Issues:
   • If you encounter fluctuating readings, check for drafts, vibrations, or levelness.
   • For error messages, refer to the user manual for specific troubleshooting steps.

Following these basics will help you achieve precise and reliable measurements every time. For more detailed guidance, consult your balance’s user manual or visit the A&D Weighing website. Happy weighing!

https://preview.redd.it/xk3ezsxqll5d1.png?width=1650&format=png&auto=webp&s=3f0467ac516a42c0c738875cf5d4d5dae371003c
https://preview.redd.it/e3nwd9kull5d1.png?width=1850&format=png&auto=webp&s=e963e7fd80690ffcffcbbab1c79ff88b8a47f91a
Hello!
Finishing a drawing has been hard for me, so, I've been doodling instead. I didn't mean to add shading or lighting to these doodles. I got bored and Portia looked do good with a bit of color, so I had to do the rest. Feel free to skip the rest of this cause Ima be yapping as per usual.
I really enjoy the good endings, but I tend to enjoy the bad endings more. There's more ideas that interests me that can be navigated through the reversed endings than the upright. A World that relied on magic suddenly disappearing? A World where chaotic magic/monsters collides with the mundane in one moment? Being completely separated from humanity and unknowingly trapped into a personal paradise? Much more interesting ideas to unravel the consequences of those choices. Of course, I do like some slice of life content though so... I can't really have cake and eat it too if I want both hehe
Or I can! Beauty of imagination, huh? In general, my apprentice's (Keongon) character arch deals with his independence. Keongon seeks self-reliance and he has to decide to either put his wants to the forefront or to account for other people in his life. Very Fool like of him. I'll explain Keongon's good and bad ending, since we all know about Portia's, Muriel's, and Asra's. (I would hope lol).
Keongon's good ending shows that he found a balance between doing what he wants and having others alongside him. (Placing a spoiler tag for his backstory cause parts of it has bits of in-game lore spoilers). Being able to move forward in his life without anyone holding him back is something he desperately wanted in his youth. Through his Aunt, he was able to leave his hometown and live in Vesuvia. There he bonded with Asra and became super close and later romantic. Thereafter, he realized the importance of a community and had a hard time grappling with his want of freedom and his love for his community. Through his apprenticeship with Julian, he ultimately decided to stay. Those two developed a deep bond, but not before long, Keongon died of the plague. Later got revived - yada yada, game starts. Keongon's... I guess "route" is similar to Asra's route which completes his character arch!
Keongon's bad ending sees him putting himself first above everyone else. He decided to strike a deal with the Devil, trading his humanity (to rid of his relationships) for power. Thus, becoming a powerful demon that can travel between realms. Or in the Devil's new fused World since the Devil would have won if Keongon agreed to his terms. I think Keongon would have a BLAST traversing the Devil's new World. He wears his hometown garments and is actively toying with other people's lives. I'm still workshopping his demon form, but I like his human (disguised?) form. Regardless, fun stuff!
All in all, I wanted his endings to not only connect to the main story, but his previous life in an odd way. Anyway, thank you for your time. I'll be back when I have more yapping to do!

Keeping your balance clean is essential for accurate results, extending the lifespan of your equipment, enhancing user safety, and preventing cross-contamination. A&D Weighing has provided straightforward tips to help you maintain your balance in top condition. Follow these 8 simple steps to ensure your balance is clean and ready for optimal performance.

1. Preparation

Before you begin, protect yourself with appropriate personal protective equipment, including a coat, goggles, and gloves. Review the operating instructions for your balance to understand how to disassemble and reassemble its removable parts, and to identify recommended cleaning methods and agents.
Tip #1: When to Clean Your Balance Every lab has its own guidelines for cleaning a balance, based on industry, application, and frequency of use. Generally, you should clean the balance immediately after each use or whenever the weighing substance changes. This practice helps avoid cross-contamination and reduces exposure risks for the next user.

2. Switch Off the Balance Display

While unplugging the power is not strictly necessary, it is recommended. If possible, leave the balance in its normal operating position without tilting it sideways or disconnecting any peripherals.

3. Clean the Surrounding Area

Clean the area around the balance daily using a soft-bristle brush and a damp chem wipe or paper towel. This helps maintain a clean environment for the balance itself.

4. Disassemble Removable Parts

A&D Weighing balances are designed for easy disassembly without the need for unlocking or unscrewing. Remove the inner draft shield, weighing pan, sub pan, pan stem, draft ring, and drip tray.
Tip #2: Choosing Cleaning Agents Select a cleaning agent that can thoroughly remove contamination without damaging the equipment. Always refer to the manufacturer’s operations manual to ensure you are using recommended cleaning agents.

5. Clean the Balance

Use a lint-free cloth moistened with a mild cleaning agent to wipe away any spilled material from the surface of the balance. For powder or dust, use a disposable tissue or soft-bristle brush—never blow on the equipment, as this could drive dirt into the balance. For sticky substances, use a damp lint-free cloth and a mild solvent or peanut butter. Avoid abrasive materials and do not allow any substance to enter the internal parts of the balance. Never spray or pour liquids directly on the balance.

6. Clean Removable Parts

Wipe removable parts with a damp cloth or tissue using a mild cleaning agent. Stainless steel parts can be placed in the dishwasher or autoclaved if necessary.

7. Reassemble the Balance

Reassemble the parts correctly, switch the balance on, and ensure it is functioning properly. If the balance was completely switched off, allow sufficient warm-up time before use as recommended in the operating instructions.

8. Ensure Balance Readiness

Check that the air bubble is centered in the marked circle, and re-level if necessary. Calibrate the balance with external weights or perform an internal calibration, such as Automatic Self Calibration (ASC). Conduct a routine accuracy test with a test weight and verify with any required accessories, such as a printer test printout.
A&D Weighing balances are designed for easy cleaning, but it’s important to take appropriate precautions and use the recommended cleaning agents.

my controls disappears everytime i open my control editor and i m not able to edit my control, i have tried to install and reinstall many versions of bluestacks 4, and i have tried to make this version BlueStacks 4.240.30.1002 , i dozen time- and still it doesnt works, i have a ryzen 5 5600H, gtx 1650 8gb of ram , and i get around 70-90 fps in free fire on the max settings in bluestacks 5, but i want to play the game of bleustacks 4 , i need it to work, tell me some way , how can i fix it , it has been 2 years- but now i really need it to work for me
https://preview.redd.it/akwaya1jll5d1.png?width=2488&format=png&auto=webp&s=9f8e3f72db9ddc4583b7cf77a69e049edaa3470a
https://preview.redd.it/5ho7r9ncll5d1.png?width=2418&format=png&auto=webp&s=f63fead40ab9811f2575279b2f90120f6c9848a0

TL;DR - I cannot summarize this post because I feel that it is necessary to read it entirely in order to fully understand the point I am trying to make. If you do not like this post that is ok, but if you decide to downvote it, please read it entirely before doing so. Thank you.

Call to Action

SuperStonk, since the beginning we have always strived to do everything in our power to protect our investments. We migrated subreddits multiple times, we established backup communication outlets, we moved brokerages and called them to demand our shares not be lent out, we backed up our DD, and eventually we learned about direct registration and DRSed our shares. If we take a step back in time to when we originally started to DRS our shares, there were two main reasons for it: the obvious one was to attempt at locking the float, but the other reason was to protect our shareholders rights. Now that we are in the end game, why should we stop now? I know there are a wide range of opinions on GameStop's recent corporate actions. The events that have occurred over the past few weeks have left thousands of shareholders with concerns. You may not agree with them, but the reality is that they are there, and they are real shareholders. I've read through their comments all over this subreddit, as well as everywhere else. My goal with this post is to remind everyone that we as shareholders have the right to let our voices be heard. We own billions in this company, and our voices are more powerful than some of you may think. This is the exact reason I created this petition, to express my concerns to GameStop. I also emailed GameStop investor relations.

Recent Events

A few weeks ago, Roaring Kitty returned and lit the internet on fire with a barrage of memes on X. Perhaps he knew something was coming. Around the same time, the volume and volatility of the stock came to life like it hasn't in years. It is clear as day that this increase in volume and volatility has nothing to do with Roaring Kitty, but rather there's something under hood occurring that is driving the price action. Whether its obligations from leaps, swaps, ETF rebalancing, or any of the other many possibilities, its clear something big is happening. During the week of May 13-17, the price of GME actually touched $80. By May 17, the price had fallen and was consolidating in the $30 range, when GameStop announced a 45 million share "at-the-market offering" and "first quarter preliminary results". On May 24, GameStop announced the completion of the share offering, having raised $933.4 million. The "acquisitions and investments" language in the filing led many to speculate that maybe GameStop needed to quickly raise capital for a merger deal that was already underway, perhaps to be announced the week of earnings and the annual shareholder's meeting.
After a brief silence, Roaring Kitty posted his absolutely insane position to SuperStonk for the world to see. At this point, the behavior of MSM and various actors on social media made it clear that whoever is on the other side of that bet is very, very scared. This past week, we saw the volume and volatility of the stock begin to churn again. By Thursday, June 6 we were seeing violent upward price action in the stock. After this price action had already begun, Roaring Kitty scheduled a livestream on his YouTube channel for the next day, July 7 at noon est. Again it was clear that something under the hood was driving the stock, as it began before Roaring Kitty posted his livestream. During after hours Thursday night, the price hit over $60. On Friday morning, GameStop announced another 75 million share "at-the-market offering" and disclosed their first quarter results, even though those had previously been scheduled to release on June 11.

The Downsides

Although GameStop adding a few billion dollars to the balance sheet is extremely bullish for the long-term outlook of the company, that doesn't mean it didn't come without downsides. Once the current share offering is completed, the result will be a combined 120 million new shares sold into the market, representing an almost 40% dilution. This obviously adds liquidity to the stock, which is upsetting to many because we spent 3 years DRSing at least 75 million shares, which had resulted in GME becoming very illiquid. In particular, I feel the need to call into question the timing of the second share offering, as that is what bothers me the most. Going into Friday, it really looked like that run had legs, and there was a ton of hype in anticipation of Roaring Kitty's stream. GameStop chose to announce the share offering before pre-market trading on Friday morning, and by market open the price of the stock had fallen dramatically. This resulted in a huge loss of call premium in GME, on a Friday, and the same day as Roaring Kitty's livestream no less. Call holders aside, I have to question this timing even from the perspective of the company's best interest. Could GameStop have raised more capital, with fewer shares, if they had waited until a later time/day? We can tell by the volume on Friday that something was still churning under the hood. Let's imagine the potential if they let the stock run, let Roaring Kitty do his thing, and let all of those calls expire in the money to drive the price action into next week. For me, and many of the comments I've seen, this timing is very troubling.

GameStop vs Roaring Kitty?

The interpretations of Roaring Kitty's ATM meme, his memes the morning of the first 45 million share offering (May 17), and his "Happy Birthday from GameStop" comment in his livestream yesterday are still being debated. To me, his memes the morning of May 17 seemed negative. He posted a crying meme face under the Kitty mask, and the first meme of that morning was the only one off-schedule that entire week. His birthday comment yesterday also seemed like blatant sarcasm to me "wrap it up in a gift or some shit". Thus, I personally think these offerings surprised him, but that is just my opinion, I could be completely wrong.
Is all of this part of some master plan that is yet to be revealed? Is each party simply acting in their own best interest? Or is there something more going on here? Unfortunately, I don't have those answers, but I feel like the question is important at this stage in the game, so I wanted to at least mention it.

MOASS

There's been some controversy lately between those that are more interested in the long-term potential of GameStop vs those who are here for MOASS. For me, it has always been about MOASS, and after MOASS of course a lot of those gains will go right back into GME. If you're in the MOASS camp with me, don't fret, I still think MOASS is very much on the table, it could even be right around the corner. There are a lot of possibilities that could play out over the next few weeks. We know something big is still churning in the stock, Roaring Kitty's 120,000 calls don't expire until June 21, and the shorts are terrified. It is very possible that the stock will start running hard as soon as GameStop lets us know that the share offering is complete.
Although it may seem that way, my main goal with this petition and post is not to criticize GameStop's recent corporate actions, as that won't really result in anything productive anyways. Instead, I want to focus on voicing my concerns about the possibility of similar actions moving forward, particularly the next few weeks. For this reason, I left all of my opinions from this post out of the petition. I tried to keep it to one simple statement that I hope most can agree with. We do not have a once in a lifetime in front of us, we have a once in history opportunity in front of us. Roaring Kitty is back, he holds 120,000, and the stock is alive. It is time for MOASS. It is time to let our voices be heard. Let the stock run.

The Petition

I created a petition through Change.org, here is the url: https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-the-gamestop-board-of-directors
Here are the contents of the petition:
Petition to the GameStop Board of Directors
I am a shareholder of GME stock, and I am petitioning the GameStop Board of Directors to not release another "at-the-market offering" or unscheduled negative press release at a pivotal moment of the next significant movement of the stock.
I want to be clear, I have no intention of seeking or taking any legal action with this petition. I will not be submitting it any court. It is simply a public, online petition that I created to let my voice be heard. I know that many shareholders have chosen to remain anonymous (myself included). If you'd like to sign it, you can sign it with your name or anonymously (I created and signed this petition with the name "Anonymous Shareholder").
If you want to sign it, but you have additional concerns, feel free to express that via the "Reasons for signing" comment section.
If you don't want to sign it, but you have your own concerns, know that you can always email GameStop's investor relations. I did.
If you do not agree with this petition and you don't want to sign it, that is perfectly ok. Please be respectful to those with concerns.

To the Longgggg crowd

I know that some of you have an investment thesis that is more interested in GameStop's long-term potential. You think GameStop will become GameShire Stopaway. I hope you're right, and you have every right to your own investment strategy. However, you have to understand that years ago many got involved in this play for MOASS. We should've been paid in January of 2021, but here we are. We still want see the shorts' demise, and we still want to be paid.

To the Master Plan / Merger Inbound crowd

I know many of you think everything is part of a master plan that has yet to be revealed. Some of you think GameStop is going to announce some kind of merger or acquisition very soon. Well, I hope you guys are right, as I would profit greatly if you are! My argument to you is that if there is already a deal that is done and yet to be announced, or a master plan already in motion, then this petition/post is not going to change that in any way. The goal of this is to simply voice concerns just in case we have fallen off the tracks. I know you're zen, but please don't just downvote this post to oblivion and scream FUD. There are other shareholders out there with concerns who may want to see it.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

My preemptive answers to the FUD accusations

I know the accusations are coming, but here's the deal, I've been here the whole time. I'm not telling anyone to sell. I'm not price anchoring. I'm not just upset because I lost money on calls. Full disclosure, I sold my call position at market open on Friday for a small profit (although I feel for any of you who didn't make it out ahead, I've been there and I feel your pain). I've held DRS shares for a long time, and I'm not leaving. Roaring Kitty's livestream was amazing. Roaring Kitty is not a market manipulator, he is the most legendary investor of all time and he simply posted his position online for the world to see. MOASS is inevitable. Ape no fight Ape. Wen Lambo.
This is not financial advice. Don't take advice or invest your money based on the speculation and ramblings of a dumb ape on the internet.

Session 0 "Intake": https://www.reddit.com/DeltaGreenRPG/comments/1d0l92x/impossible_landscapes_session_0/
Session 1 "The Apartment": https://www.reddit.com/DeltaGreenRPG/comments/1d2sjua/impossible_landscapes_session_1_the_apartment/
Operation ALICE, New York, 1995
The Roster (Player/Character)
Lea (she/her): Jules Gradkowska - Agent MIRANDA. Journalist - research and human intelligence.
Iain (he/him): Ralph Bevis - Agent MILHOUSE. Academic - history and occult specialist.
Quinn (he/him): Richard Delapore - Agent MAVERICK. FBI Special Agent - criminal and forensic expert and the official 'face' of the investigation.
Phil (he/him): Jean Duvall - Agent MAIN. US Navy Master Chief Petty Officer - operational security specialist.
Duncan (he/him): Jake Little - Agent MALATESTA. Civilian contractor - computer and electronic specialist with a side line in hacking.
Rob_sothoth (he/him) - Handler. The arbiter of the world: the good, the bad and that which cannot and should not be named.
Background: The Agents of M-Cell are tasked with investigating the apartment of Abigail Wright. Missing since June, Delta Green has reason to suspect para-natural involvement. Their orders are simple: catalogue the apartment and remove anything deemed suspect for destruction.
Despite heavy changes made, full spoiler warning for Impossible Landscapes.

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Session 2 "Futures Past" (June 7th, 2024)
New York: Wednesday, August 9th, 1995
05:00am - 2:30pm, EST
Following the first day of investigation, Agent MAIN is the first to wake. An early-riser after years in the military, he leaves a note for Marsha. The two will meet again, of course. Arriving at work, he gets chatting to some Navy mechanics about the little weird diagram on the napkin. About the best answer he gets (after a successful check), is that one of them remembers seeing something like a clockwork giraffe as an attraction in South America. Studying it on that basis, MAIN concludes it's an artist's attempt at design because he can't see a way for this to work or even what it might really be for. He also checks in with USN and asks a friend to track down some vintage US Arms gear (he noted the serial numbers on the radio and dud-grenade). Not being from the same branch of service (and a failed check), it will take somewhere between 24-48 hours. (I decided US Armed Forces would probably be better at digitizing records, he'll get something either way).
MAVERICK isn't far behind MAIN, starting his day as usual being one of the first into the FBI NYC Field Office. As far as the FBI is concerned, he's on the Wright case now it's in their jurisdiction. Unprepared to wait for the prints to be matched (failed check on Bureaucracy), he instead does it himself (successful Forensics check). Abigail was never arrested, but her father handed in a hairbrush she kept at his and his wife's home. The prints match. It took MAVERICK a little time (it was a close pass), because part of a second, unidentified print obscured one of Abigail's, He can discount himself and the team, and likely anyone in law enforcement as he assumed they would've gone gloved.
Next, he follows up on Art Life and makes a call. He gets on the phone with Cynthia LeChance and in the course of their conversation is able to intuit there's something she's unsure or hesitant about. Being the honest-to-goodness, earnest Agent Cooper type, MAVERICK is able to organise a lunch meeting with her as part of follow up. He doesn't have many questions, he assures Cynthia and it'll be on the FBI's dime. She agrees to meet at 12pm.
(It's worth mentioning I ruled there was no reason MARCUS (Case Officer, M-Cell) or the Agents themselves wouldn't have or be able to obtain pagers they could use to stay in contact. Definitely an incidental expense as far as I am concerned.)
MILHOUSE, after his morning run to campus, follows up on his research from the previous day. He identifies the Ars Goetia and learns there's an 18th century copy in the special collections. Luckily for him, he's able to get about an hour with the book. The book contains the names of some 72 demons, their associated heraldry and symbols which they must "pay allegiance to." The book also contains the supposed means of summoning said entities, but MILHOUSE's time is over before he can get much further into it.
He's the first to arrive at the apartment, late morning/early afternoon (roughly around MAVERICK's planned lunch interview). At the coffeeshop, he's treated to a free beverage by Marsha, who thanks him for bringing his friend in the other day. Sadly, by the time MAIN arrives, her shift is over.
MIRANDA lies awake, watching the minutes tick by until about five minutes before she'd usually be walking into the Village Voice's office before making a call. She's really sorry, but she'll have to take a personal day, but does her best to reassure her editor she's still on for the grill party on Saturday. Of more immediate concern is the missing demonic symbol she is unable to locate. The polaroid she snapped is still in her possession, but she can find no trace of the symbol drawn on its piece of brown wrapping paper anywhere in her apartment. Nor can she find any evidence her home was broken into (she has the right skills to determine that for...reasons).
She makes a quick call to her criminal contact, Hugo. It's been less than 24 hours, but she wants to just follow up to perhaps create a sense of urgency. Hugo says he might have a couple of people on the hook, but it would help if he had more to work with than just "weird and esoteric." MIRANDA will be in touch. Before heading to Kips Bay, she decides to follow up on trying to locate the cab and its driver she photographed the other day; the driver looking down the barrel of the camera at her.
It takes her most of the morning, but MIRANDA locates the garage and office. Mostly making calls asking about a cab outside Abigail's address the previous day. She knows the time, more or less. She finds a schlubby office manager who stonewalls her until money changes hands. MIRANDA gets a name and the cabbie's usual pick up and route. Guy likes to work around the Port Authority Terminal most days, she can probably find him there. She doesn't want to go alone and makes her way to the Macallistar where she expects to find the others.
A night owl and late to wake by nature, MALATESTA hits snooze on his alarm maybe only twice today. Packing up the weird crystal in a ziplock bag stowed in his backpack, he takes himself to the Mercury Gallery. He's got an angle he wants to try and it works, if not quite in the way he perhaps expected.
The gallery owner, Santiago, isn't sure what to make of the skater-grunge kid who rolls into his gallery, but he's not exactly out of place and to be truthful, his story is almost too outlandish not to be true. Through a combination of good roleplay and an opposed check, MALATESTA explains a "dude he's working for" heard about Abigail's exhibition and wanted to know if there were any paintings of hers left unsold.
As it turns out, there are. Santiago explains they're not the cream of the crop: "Most of the others were more abstract and, I would say, exemplary. She did well, especially for an artist in New York. The one or two I have left are a bit more...prosaic."
At about this time, MAVERICK makes his meeting with Cynthia. He's not hard to miss; there is no reality in which he was not a Federal Agent and Cynthia easily marks him across the street. She takes him to a small Italian bistro where she usually has lunch and begins talking. This is what MAVERICK is good at; getting people to talk. Everyone wants to, after all; it's about letting them and knowing where to push and where not.
Cynthia explains how weird the Macallistar has been for her to manage. The building has never been filled to capacity as far she can recall and those units which were occupied never remained so for very long.
MAVERICK: "Did you know Abigail?"
Cynthia: "Not really. I met her once or twice. Went with her and her dad to view the apartment." She smiles. "He was worried about her having a ground floor unit in the city, but it was the one she wanted. Never any complaints from her or from other tenants about her. Then...the rent stopped."
MAVERICK: "Yeah, we saw that."
Cynthia: "No. You don't understand. The rent stopped. No one in the building has been paying rent since March this year."
MAVERICK: "What does that mean?"
Cynthia is nervous. MAVERICK picks up she's worried she might be in trouble and he reassures her she isn't. Far from it, in fact.
Across town, MALATESTA is shown one of Abigail's unsold paintings. Santiago unveils it; a landscape, the frame longer than it is tall. A park, with a city-skyline in the background. In the centre, a statue. There are people. Some gathered in a crowd, others walking in various directions. MALATESTA feels uneasy. Then he sees them: five figures gathered in the shadows of the statue around a sixth, seated on a bench. Merely brushstrokes, details and faces indistinct. One may be a woman. Another appears to be holding a skateboard.
Santiago, distant as MALATESTA gave the painting his full attention, becomes clear again.
"See what I mean? Like something you'd see in a doctor's office."
"Yeah." MALATESTA passes a SAN check, but still takes one.
He was there just yesterday.
This was exhibited in November of last year (1994).
He tries and fails to argue Santiago down on the price and is very unaware that the gallery owner is hitting on him. Wrapping the painting, MALATESTA asks if Santiago can check on where some of the other paintings might have ended up or ask around about Abigail in general. Since it means they will meet again, Santiago is all too happy to oblige and hands MALATESTA a business card, writing his own number on the back.
MALATESTA: "Cool, man. I'll be in touch with the deets."
Santiago: "Sure...the deets." (I think it pained him to say that word)
Before leaving, he lets go something Abigail mentioned during the exhibition. While unable to recall the name, he thinks she said she got her inspiration from a book of some sort. He thinks the name might have been something French.
Across their lunch table, Cynthia explains she thinks Art Life upper management are content to wait for eviction notices to be served to the remaining tenants.
Cynthia: "I think even if everyone paid what they owe and next month's, management wouldn't change their mind."
MAVERICK: "Why?"
Cynthia: "I think they want to renovate the building. Getting everyone out lets them do that. Spruce it up, hike the rent...I lie awake at night wondering if that's legal. I've never evicted a whole building."
MAVERICK: "One of my colleagues bumped into one of Abigail's neighbours. Mr. Post, Lewis Post I think. Same story with him?"
Cynthia: "Yeah, same as the rest. More or less."
MAVERICK: "More or less?"
Cynthia: "He called me the end of March this year, said he'd be late on the rent, but not to worry and then he started asking me about the building."
MAVERICK: "And you did?"
Cynthia: "Yeah, but I wish I hadn't."
She names a few books she picked up, as Lewis wanted more than just what Art Life had on the Macallistar. MAVERICK wonders why, but she explains Lewis was nice and she was curious herself.
"It's a weird building. Always made me feel...off, being there. I can't remember the last time I went in person."
MAVERICK: "What did you learn? I have the architect's name. Daribondi."
Cynthia: "Asa. Asa Daribondi. The Macallistar was built in 1921. He designed it. He...there was a fire at his office on Mott Street in 1950 and he disappeared. He...he was a murderer, Agent Delapore. They found a child's body on the premises. After that, I stopped looking into it."
There's a long silence. The MAVERICK asks her for keys to the unoccupied apartments. He tells her a story about how when he started out in the Bureau, he was involved in a missing person's case. A little girl and in the end, they found her hiding in her treehouse.
Cynthia: "You think Abigail's still in the building? In one of the empty units?"
MAVERICK: "I don't know, but I can't discount it. I don't think she was in a normative state of mind before she disappeared."
Cynthia considers things. The plates are cleared and the coffee served.
Cynthia reaches into her handbag and removes something. "If management don't care about the building, I don't see why I should either." She hands him a master key. "Don't lose this and borrow it for...give it back to me when you're done."
True to his word, MAVERICK pays the bill.
"I hope you find her, her find something to maybe help. She was nice."
MAVERICK and Cynthia say their goodbyes and he heads to Kips Bay.
In the interim, MIRANDA has joined MILHOUSE and MAIN in the coffeeshop, with MALATESTA arriving with weird painting in tow not long before MAVERICK's arrival.
Unable to contain his excitement, MALATESTA nearly unveils the painting right then and there.
MALATESTA: "You won't believe-"
MIRANDA: "Let's not talk about this here."
MALATESTA: "No, I know, but-"
Coffeeshop patrons are giving the table weird looks.
MIRANDA: "Let's not talk about this here."
MALATESTA: "I was jus-"
MIRANDA: "Let's not talk about this here."
Some of the people are frowning, scowling almost.
MILHOUSE (to the other patrons): "Sorry. Sorry."
MAVERICK arrives not long after and the team reconvenes in the apartment to share what they've learned and determine any plans.
Unable to contain himself, MALATESTA reveals the painting. Everyone except MAIN passes the SAN check for the realisation of what it depicts. MAIN takes 4 SAN loss and does not project. Closing in on his breaking point, MAIN is confused and unable to fully process what's going on and throws himself into another search of the apartment.
MIRANDA is concerned about further exposure to the para-natural and wonders if there is anything they can do to take care. All they can do is be cautious.
MAVERICK wants to make a sweep of the empty apartments in the building. MILHOUSE agrees to partner up with him on that front.
MALATESTA and MIRANDA remain with MAIN in Abigail's apartment to conduct a further search. The three who remain received a +20% bonus to their search rolls and all pass as MAVERICK & MILHOUSE leave to check the building (They can make rolls in the apartment on their return).
They exit the apartment at 2:30pm.
Within, MALATESTA, MAIN & MAVERICK find the following:
A rent receipt with Abigail's name, undated and signature unreadable.
A page of typed script which appears to be a play Abigail was writing. Several names are mentioned: Michelle, Mark & Thomas. Michelle is the first name of one of Abigail's neighbours, right?
A plane ticket in the name of Michael Witwer from Las Vegas to Boston, dated June 6th, 2015.

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Dorchester House, 2015
Dr. Dallon: "Must've been a fake? What with the date and all."
MAVERICK: "Must have been."

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Post-Mortem
Five players going in different directions was a little tough to juggle, but they were happy with the pace of play and I made sure everyone had something to do.
I knew we weren't going to get through an entire in-game day about an hour in and I should've taken a bit more time to line up what everyone wanted to do at the end of the previous session, but everyone still had fun. Lea put it well: it feels like there's a dam with information gathering against it and it's going to burst.
With four out of the five players having children, I took a short aside during MAVERICK's rp with Cynthia to do a table check. I know the players and they know me and I handled it in the right way as far as they were concerned.
Two sessions in and MAIN is the first character to close on his BP, being 3 or 4 (one bad roll) away from his first disorder. I appreciate this and his reasons for not projecting make sense, in-character. We'll see how that pans out.
Our next session is TBD due to life stuff and until then, be seeing you.

What aspect of your current listening experience would you like to improve?
I have been using my Massdrop Plus IEMs since forever. They sound good and fit comfortably for me. I recently found some space in my house for a dedicated listening area/room, and want to upgrade to a better sounding setup. I am starting with headphones instead of speakers because they seem easier to begin with (eg. no need to treat my room).
Budget - $1,000
Source/Amp - Spotify and YouTube (for live concerts), I am willing to buy an amp but do not have one.
How the gear will be used - Home listening only.
Preferred tonal balance - I am not sure.
Preferred music genre(s) - I mainly listen to rock/metal, but also some EDM and hip-hop/rap. I love listening to live concerts, so soundstage is important for me I think.
Past gear experience - Massdrop Plus IEMs; love the comfort, like the sound. Apple Headphones (the ones that came free with old iPhones); hate the comfort and sound.

Hey, thanks for reading this! :) First off: I'm sorry this turned out so stupidly long, it could probably have been 3 sentences. I have "can't keep myself short" disease. Here goes:
I have a question regarding side-effect management on Vyvanse, and whilst google/reddit did provide some answers, they were all over the place and mostly anecdotal. --- I would ask my doctor, but to be entirely honest, he's very good at shrugging his shoulders. I don't get the impression that he particularly cares about patient comfort.
Anyway, a little rundown: I'm a trans man (meaning afab, been on testosterone for 6+ years now), 25, and a naturally very short/slim person at 1.65m/50kg (I would like to gain another 5kg, my metabolism is hard to keep up with, always has been. I was born 3 months early, my childhood doctor once said that's normal for "our kind"?). I was diagnosed with ADHD last year, and have been on medication since the beginning of this year. It has monumentally improved my quality of life, I am very grateful, I just also struggle a little with side-effects!
I take 30mg Elvanse (US: Vyvanse) in the late morning. I started out with Medikinet (Ritalin in the US, I think) but that gave me strong nausea as well as some blood pressure + heartrate issues, so we switched. I also tried 50mg Elvanse for 1 month, the mental effect was better, but the nausea got worse. I also take 5mg Bisoprolol (betablockers), because Elvanse still gives me (much less severe) elevated BP. This part is mostly fine these days, at least numbers-wise (it still feels a little off, some times).
Here's my main issue: I am so, so thirsty all the time! My mouth feels like cotton, water cannot quench it. I've always drank almost exclusively water, and before medication I drank about 1.5 litres of pure water (the daily recommendation in Germany, I'm not sure why googling in English suggests twice the amount?) a day, of course on top of the usual food+other drinks intake. On medication it's now more like 2-2.5 litres of pure water, I am actively stopping myself from drinking more.
For the past two months I've been putting an electrolyte package into my water every day, which DID improve the thirst situation as well as some other mild side-effects, but did not fix it entirely. (Chewing sugar-free bubblegum also helps briefly.) I am concerned about over-hydration, mainly because I already cut down a little on my initial water intake, and this seemed to improve my general well-being and digestion. As another factor I already physically struggle to meet my caloric turnover of ~2.5k+/day, so stomach space is a hot commodity. I do eat plenty and regularly and balanced, cooking is a passion of mine! High on carbs and fibre and good fats.
For full context: The other side-effects I still struggle with are mild afternoon nausea, fatigue (may be unrelated), and a varying, tight feeling of high BP/pulse (mild shortness of breath) which my pressure cuff somehow doesn't agree exists. It thinks I'm in the upper end of peachy, although the diastolic figure tends to plummet off the lower end of the chart. (Also: Elvanse doesn't last nearly as long as the manufacturer claims it should. Maybe half.)
Here's finally my actual question: I just read that stimulants don't only make you "falsely" feel thirsty (this was my assumption thus far), but actually make you need more water. Is this true? Does my body physically need this extra litre it's demanding, or is it just confusing "dry mouth" for "actually thirsty"?
....Are there maybe any other suggestions to help with my cottton mouth? Or the remaining issues? (I'm in Germany, US brand recommendations might fall short...)
I'm once more sorry this got so long, I might have taken Rule 1 a little too serious, I think! Thank you for reading!

Bethesda announced today that Creations and the Creation Kit are both launching tonight.
The two share a similar name, but confusingly, the results from them are quite different to the end user. This is most noticeable on PC, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Creations

Bethesda "Creations" are unofficial, semi-official, or official mods for Bethesda games that are made available in a mod shop usually placed on the main menu of the game in question. You can browse, install, and manage these Creations from within the game itself. You typically need a Bethesda account to access this.
Creations are somewhat controversial because they employ the largely-panned practice of paid mods. Creations can be free, but their creators can charge money for them if they choose, and of course the semi-official and official mods from Bethesda typically cost money. There is a pretty deep story to that whole mess that I'm not going to get into in this post, but just understand that Creations may cost money.

The Creation Kit

The Creation Kit (or 'CK' as it's typically called in the community) is a piece of free software that modders can download and use to create mods for the game. If you're a PC player, you may know already that Starfield has a decent amount of mods available, all of which were made before this CK has come out. This is because the CK is not required to make some mods, but there are many types of mods that do require it. Many types of mods that include new areas, items, models, assets, or a deeper linking into the game logic require the CK to implement. This is a surface-level explanation and it's not exhaustive, but just know that the CK is responsible for some of the most prolific mods in Bethesda games throughout history.

The important distinction

Mods created with the Creation Kit do not have to be listed as Creations. CK mods can be listed anywhere the modder likes. Typically, for PC, these mods are listed on Nexus, a free and verified mod hosting platform for hundreds of different games. Bethesda games' modding scene on PC is typically most prominent on this site. Steam's Workshop can also be used to host mods, and offers a slightly more hands-off approach to mod installation, though Nexus offers a downloadable program called Vortex that handles mod installation in a very clean way as well. There are then other third party websites that can also host mods - most of these are community verified (meaning they're known to be legitimate modding community platforms), but always express caution and ask the community if you are unsure.

PC Modding vs. Console Modding

If you're on PC, you have all options available for modding. You can use Bethesda mod platform in game to browse Creations, you can use Nexus to download mods and Vortex to install them, you can use Steam Workshop, or you can even browse one of the many third-party websites hosting more.. 'niche' mods for Bethesda games.
If you are on console, however, your options are much more limited. In most cases, the only mods console players have access to are those listed as Creations. This is because console versions of Bethesda games don't have access to the third-party websites like Nexus, so you can't implement mods from a third-party platform.
So, TL;DR - Creations are mods available in the game menu, often cost money, and often curated, sponsored by, or created directly by Bethesda. The Creation Kit is a tool for modders to make in-depth mods in Bethesda games. Creation Kit mods do not have to be listed as Creations, and a vast majority of them are not.

Im doing research project explores the multifaceted phenomenon of K-Pop fandom and its cultural impact. My goal is to understand and create a 'tool' to help people that might suffer from parasocial relationships. While my research has focused on fan engagement and motivations, a balanced perspective necessitates exploring diverse viewpoints. If you have a spare time and wants to help me out, feel free to message me. Im looking for people that may not be fans of K-Pop to participate in this study. Your critical observations and analysis of K-Pop's cultural influence are valuable contributions.