Sorry, not reaaaally much happening these last few weeks! Unsure whether 'no news is good news' applies here? Regardless, here's a few dot-points for your (mild) amusement.
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DenuvoNews?
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• Sonic X Shadow Generations will sadly contain Denuvo. Sega tends to adore Denuvo, so it's no shock, but still a sad confirmation. The good news is that we'll have the Switch version which will have no DRM. Because it's an old game, you may also be able to emulate with upscaled textures via a pack? Not super sure, just thinking aloud. Damned Denuvo. Sorry to share the sad news, u/chaosgemerald.
• Black Myth: Wukong has also been confirmed to contain Denuvo.
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure rounds out the top 3 annoying Denuvo announcements. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news all the time with these, I just thought it good to keep on top of these things.

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Games?
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• Dodi's upload of Alan Wake 2: Deluxe Edition (v1.1.0 + the DLC + Bonus Content) is up. Remember, if you've not got a great internet connection or data is important, wait for a repack. This is a 'fast install' option - so a 'repack-lite' kinda thing. From 76.2gb which will install to a final size of 102gb. As to how it performs on the Deck? Poorly. Srsly shittily. Imo.
• My pick of the repacks/uploads of the last week or so? Nine Sols. FitGirl has a nice repack of it. The art style, design, atmosphere and world building are incredible to me. It reminds me of this artist and his site. He is an illustrator and folklorist based in Japan who does the most amazing art of Yokai. The down-side to me of Nine Sols is the gameplay. I'm not a Sekiro-like/deflection-based combat fan. But I'm sticking with it so far!
• Grown Up Gaming has a suggestion for anyone looking for arcade racers. This video he made is a great resource for making Mario Kart Arcade work on your Deck. Annnnnnd here's the link for the video. Thanks for making the video, and pointing me over to it, u/Otherwise-Cap-7778. No thanks to you for choosing this silly Reddit username tho. It's a nightmare to look up and type in -_-
• The current state of Nintendo Switch games on the Steam Deck? <- this post in the EmuDeck sub is interesting, and the users' replies will be helpful for most I'd say.

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FitGirl's top 10 repacks of this week:
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1. The Genesis Order
2. Ghost of Tsushima
3. GTA V
4. Violet
5. Night of the Dead
6. RDR2
7. TLoU Pt 1
8. COD MW:3
9. Succubus
10. Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash

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The sub here?
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• I'd like to remind anyone new to the sub to please read the rules on the side. I know no one ever does (it is a drain), but it keeps this sub from being removed. In particular you cannot ask for, or share copyrighted games' links. This one is super important. No one is the exception to this rule, you cannot share download links.
• I've been reaching out to a few people about an AMA here on the sub. Or, at the very least an interview with me for the sub. Sadly everyone I'm in contact with is extremely busy right now. Do know however that I'm still on it, and with time I'll have something new and exciting for you.
• I wrote a very simple guide for the people who reached out to me via DM on how to get Spider-Man: Miles Morales running! It's not difficult, but since so many did reach out to me in such a short time, I thought this may help you and those in the future who want to know :)
• My last post asking what the members here are playing and recommending right now on their Decks is here. If you're looking for something new to play, stop by this one - it's the perfect spot for recommendations!

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Random?
This site is a good resource, showing the list of DRM-free games on Steam. Just for interest's sake. As of posting this, it is 1,226 games of 41,186 which have no DRM.
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If anyone's spotted anything of interest, really, share it here! <3
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I finally got around to watching the London production. It's different in some ways, but it's still very good, and of course it's still basically the same show. If you want to check it out, it's on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n_cYKiAtMI&list=PLT-MrawJ-hMi9ofrZ_GVM_GoncaP9WOwD&index=12
I was intrigued by what they did with the Narrator. In this take, he's a child. He runs onstage at the beginning, with the sound of a man and a woman arguing playing in the background. He takes some toys out of his backpack and begins playing, almost aggressively inventing characters and situations, escaping reality. The other characters, frozen until then, begin to act out his game.
This adds a different dimension to the part where they see and kill him. They are literally his toys and the story is in his mind, so how can the Witch feed him to the giant? She does, though, and he is thrown down to die and no longer in the story.
At the end, the Baker calls out, "Son! Son!" and he doesn't mean the baby. The Narrator is alive -- his own creations can't truly kill him. The Narrator used his own father as a model for the Baker, and his real father has come into the woods to find him.
Everyone's frozen except the Narrator and Baker and Witch, and I believe the Witch represents the Narrator's mother. They are the two characters who are emblematic of generational pain, after all.
It's not clear to me if his mother has also come to find him. She sings "Children Will Listen" as father and son reunite, but her delivery is oddly unemotive. Is this the Witch singing of how she ruined Rapunzel, or an ordinary human mother lamenting her earlier harsh words? It may be deliberately ambiguous; she's unfrozen, but never directly interacts with the boy, just sings. She trails offstage after them, but could be either with them or watching.
Awesome touch. The Broadway take is also awesome, with the Mysterious Man -> Baker -> baby connection, but this is differently awesome.
Another point which intrigued me was that "The Last Midnight" begins as a lullaby to Li'l Baker, building gradually to the frenzied bitterness at the end. I also enjoyed the different take on the princes; instead of studly Chad types, they're smarmy twits. Lots of good stuff, really; I've seen the Broadway show dozens of times, but this take moved me freshly.
Anyone else have any thoughts on the different versions?

EcoFlow Delta 2 & Anker Solix C1000 (Batteries). They both kick ass, but neither can handle the huge start up load of my AC. My deep cell batteries suck. I hate them. I want to go 100% Solar & only use generator from time to time. So my question is…. I wire up 3 cords together (M, M, F) plug each into the batteries, and next into my shore power. I can do this easily one at a time. But I want to split the load. If I do it now I’m assuming of course it would trip, because no incoming load should be happening. So how tf do I install a diode to make this happen? Is that what I want? I’m like 90% , but looking on Amazon I’m not even sure how I’d really connect a wire to the component. 🤷‍♂️

Paradox, Viciate, and Lorenzo continued on their descent into the castle to the Well of Wisdom. A sacred place bestowed on the Alphaverse since its creation. A well that possess the most valuable wisdom from across the Megaverse. Paradox had his group stop in one of the chambers for he assumed his prisoners will be awaking from the poison soon. He then had his chains wrap around King Alexander, Venessa, Cross, Tray, Selena, Malissa, Lucrest, Leoped, and Phonix. Viciate deployed several drones that aimed their weapons at the chained prisoners with Paradox standing resolute holding the Matrix of Eternity in his hands. The prisoners eventually woke up one by one and were greeted by crude words and jeers directed towards them. The chains that bound them prevented them from utilizing their powers to break their bonds and even if they did, the bullets from the drones will prove extremely lethal to their weakened state. Paradox ordered the prisoners to be placed in a line on their knees as he snapped his fingers which summoned imps and more infernal warriors to act as guards. King Alexander, "You can't restore the Matrix in the Well of Wisdom, it will shred you to pieces." Paradox smugly, "Maybe, but that's why I'll have each of you go in for me and see who can withstand the Well." Malissa, "He's going to sacrifice us! Where is Joan? Did she escape?" Paradox, "Oh I believe Tray knows the answer to that." Everyone turned wondering where Tray could be until he finally spoke, the others were shock at his new appearance for he appeared otherworldly to them. Tray did not lift his eyes towards the group, but rather hung his head low. Paradox's eyes beamed with sadistic delight as he spoke, "I guess one can say your sister is now very OPEN MINDED!" It took a few seconds for this joke to register in the minds of the prisoners, but when it did, all of them violently shook the chains in order to be free. "Go ahead use all your powers to break those chains, it only transfers your power levels into my soul. Lockjaw was right, all of you are complete fools in underestimating these accursed chains!"
He grabbed Phonix as his victim but stopped when what seemed to be an earthquake began to shake the foundations of the castle. The earthquake only intensified the longer it went, Venessa, "Does anyone else hear bass boosted music?" In a spectacular explosion of dazzling lights and rifts across space and time, Diamond's glowing body appeared in a giant hole in one of the castle's walls while blaring Hit Me Baby One More Time. Everyone was left speechless when they saw Diamond, believing it to be a ghost. "PARADOX!!!!!" In terror Paradox began to back away, "Impossible, I scarred you for life! HOW ARE YOU EVEN STRONGER THAN BEFORE?!" "It is not for you to know the circumstances that brought me here before you today. Regardless I am back. AND THIS TIME THERE IS NO POWER IN THE MEGAVERSE OR THE NETHERWORLD THAT IS GOING TO STOP ME!" Paradox ordered Lorenzo, Viciate, and the rest of his minions to dispose of Diamond as he journeys deeper to the Well of Wisdom. Viciate used his powers to generate clones of his allies as he slowly approached Diamond. Observing this, Diamond began to smile, "How about I even those odds." After finishing his sentence, 20 identical clones of Diamond manifested themselves behind him. Unlike other clones or copies, these 20 were able to act independently as a collective hive mind. The original Diamond attacked Viciate head on while the duplicates attacked the other clones and others attempted to free the prisoners. Viciate attempted in drawing his sword to strike Diamond in an exposed position, but Diamond's intense senses was able to prevent Viciate from using his sword. In a matter of seconds, Diamond punched Viciate to a bloody mess before leaving him stuck on one of the walls.
His abilities alerted him of several imps closing on his position, and in a swift motion, Diamond created a new Sword of Light, which was far longer and sharper to simultaneously decapitate all of the imps that circled around him. While watching all of this unfold before her very eyes, Selena could not help but smile at seeing Diamond restored to his former self, "He's back." A clone of Diamond randomly appeared next to her, "Nice to know I'm no longer on house arrest." The clone was able to free Selena from her chains and started to free the rest of the prisoners. After freeing them, he gave the group a new set of orders, "I may not know all of you, but focus your abilities in taking down those devilish warriors over there. I'll handle Paradox." The clone soon vanished alongside the other copies leaving only the original Diamond left. Just when Diamond started to follow Paradox's trail, Lorenzo used his acidic whip to suspend Diamond in place. Lorenzo was successful in his attack and used this advantage to expel fatal toxins into Diamond's lungs. "Ugh. Dude, you got some serious oral hygiene problems. Here take a mint!" Lorenzo's mouth was open due to him being stunned seeing his foe unphased with his lethal toxin. The supposed mint landed on his tongue, which resulted in a strong electrical shock being sent all over his body causing him to black out. "Nice whip though, I'm for real going to take this for my collection." Diamond bent over and collected the whip before resuming on his mission to destroy Paradox. Paradox was nearly at the entrance of the Well, but felt his body frozen in place, no matter how hard he tried to move. He finally realized he was frozen by Diamond's soul manipulation, yet when he made this realization, Diamond was already floating horizontally whispering into Paradox's audio receptor, "I think I am going to show off my newfound abilities."
Paradox tried to slice Diamond with a chain along his back, but Diamond vanished before he could land a hit. He reappeared behind him and with a simple flick, Diamond sent Paradox crashing through the castle's walls and ceilings. Paradox regained his stance as he morphed into Astros as he stopped a punch from Diamond which sent shockwaves, shattering any neighboring glass. Paradox kicked Diamond at his shin before hitting him with brute force across his face. He summersaulted backwards a few yards as he morphed into the Ice King. He then summoned several frozen daggers and sharp projectiles as he sent them flying towards Diamond at light speed. Diamond noticed the projectiles flying towards him as he achieved speeds that made time around him slow down several seconds. It was if things were occurring to him at a quarter speed, so with a wave of his arm, he took control of the projectiles and had them float around him before resuming time and sending them back to Paradox. Paradox moaned loudly as the projectiles lodged themselves in tight crevasses of his body and interfering with some of the vital mechanisms. The two teleported away from the castle into the depths of the grand city where they continued their battle. Paradox changed into Shen the disgraced Shogun as he desperately tried to slice off Diamond's limbs and head. Diamond casually dodged each attack with ease he summoned the Sword of Light which has grown longer and sharper to reflect his reunion with the Light. The two blades collided with each other, but Paradox was no match for Diamond's swordsman skills.
Diamond noticed Paradox's right arm malfunctioning from one of the ice projectiles and taking advantage of this weakness, he punched Paradox repeatedly in the chest before kicking him to the floor. He then created a revolver from his nanites and fired four bullets consecutively into his weak spot. He knew his bullets succeeded in wounding his opponent, for the sound of loose air began to hiss from broken wires and Paradox's arm glitching by morphing into many different appearances before changing back to its default appearance. Diamond smiled smugly as he released that Paradox was truly terrified in that moment, "Where has your self-confidence gone? Are those appearances not making you comfortable in your mechanical body?" "SHUT UP!" Paradox then changed into Mecha-Diamond as he was able to grab Diamond by his throat and threw him into multiple buildings. The two eventually landed on top of a commuter train before Diamond could free himself. Diamond sliced his opponent's arm to free himself and used his thrusters to fly backwards as he observed Paradox's body shifting gears to re-forge the missing arm. While in the form of Mecha-Diamond, Paradox had four mechanical tentacles grow out of him, which resulted in Diamond activating his suit to grow tentacles of his own. The two opponents had their tentacles wrap around each other as they fired their blasters at each other. Diamond tried to create two clones of himself, but Paradox's tentacles grabbed him and tossed him into one of the train carts as the civilians screamed in terror. He gradually regained consciousness as he prepared to find Paradox, but for a long minute, he could not sense Paradox. It was not until a lady screamed of a large spider approaching them from the other end when Diamond released it is Paradox crawling on all fours with great speed. Paradox shifted back to full height in a most grotesque fashion as his body spun in different ways before his head shifted back to its normal size. Diamond yelled at the passengers to run to the other cart as he dealt with Paradox. While the passengers fled, two extra mechanical arms began to form on Paradox's appearance of Mecha-Diamond as all four of arms ignited red plasma blades. "Attack Diamond!" The four arms began to spin in opposite directions of his body in quick movements as he rapidly approached Diamond that it was impossible to strike him above or behind.
Confused on what his next move should be, Diamond noticed parts of Paradox's chest plate were loose as it was glitching in and out. Out of options, Diamond swung at Paradox which he swiftly blocked with the four blades, but Diamond was able to have his nanotech grow on Paradox's arms as he then had the nanites send an electric shock on the foreign host, which granted him an opening in tearing off the chest plate and firing two blasts from his repulsers into Paradox's chest. This stunned Paradox as Diamond charged at him and began to tear all the vital wires, buttons, and controls that operated Paradox's mechanical body. Paradox's voice box became affected as it began to shift into different tones and voices as he tried to speak, "No, I will.....not.....be bested a.....second......time." Paradox was able to gain control of his arms as he threw Diamond out of the train cart out into the city's skyline. Diamond was able to shoot a grapple around Paradox's legs as he pulled both of them out into the air as his body began to glow golden with pure Light. Paradox descended towards him with chains around his body as he prepared to strike fatal blows on Diamond's body. Diamond closed his eyes as he extended his right arm while having his fingers form a finger gun. He whispered silently with firm conviction, "Through the power of Heaven's Light all things are possible......grant me the power to send this foul demon of a man back to the infernal depths where he belongs." Diamond then fired a large blast of pure Light towards Paradox as his enemy screamed in anger, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The power caused from this blast was so strong and hot that it started to melt the metal on Paradox's body and causing any remaining circuits to fry.
Diamond floated towards the ground as he stared at a ball of fire fall towards the ground as it created a large crater. He stepped forward and saw Paradox's mangled body as his soul still held possession of it. Paradox was still able to manipulate his body to change into whoever he chooses, and as a last resort he changed to Diamond's mother. "Trevor.......how could you do this.....to me......your own mother.......after all your father and I have done for you this is how you repay us?" "Quit your bull you pathetic character of a soul. If I had the power to judge you in the afterlife, I would create a separate place for sadistic manipulators such as yourself so all you scoundrels can do nothing more than hurt yourselves for your sins!" Diamond then used his power to lift Paradox in the air and was about to crush his body and seal his soul permanently, but as he did so a blazing portal appeared as a pitch-black arm reached out and snatched Paradox before Diamond had time to react. Dumbfounded, Diamond de-activated his suit and left his Light form in order to process what happened. Realizing there was nothing else to do he traveled back to the castle. When he arrived, he saw how the group of heroes easily defeated all of the devilish creatures and were tossing all the dead bodies into a giant pile. Only one thing concerned him, the fact Lorenzo and Viciate's bodies were both missing from the battle. He reasoned they managed to escape, but with the injuries they sustained, it would be a long while before they would show themselves again. After making this assumption, Diamond's family greeted him with open arms and hugs, yet even Diamond did not recognize Tray's new body. Tray had to explain his entire story again to Diamond so he would understand why he looked like "A living glowstick." Hearing Tray's story about Joan made Diamond sorrowful and offered to help in making sure Joan's body receives a proper burial. King Alexander and Diamond hastily organized the funeral and gave Joan's family time to grieve and remember their youngest member that was stolen from them.
While the mourners were conversing with themselves, the king wanted to lead Diamond through the many rooms and wings of the enchanting castle. He wanted to show Diamond the inner secrets and history of this castle, so he very discretely led him down a flight of stairs into an older section of the castle where even most of the king's court were not allowed to enter. The two stepped through two enormous emerald doors and continued on through the darkness. The king ignited a turquoise flame from his hands and led Diamond to a large wall. King Alexander, "Stare at these murals Diamond. Notice the story they tell." Diamond stared at the murals and paintings on the wall trying to understand the history behind them. He saw what appeared to be angels directing two races. To the right were humans with their leader baring a resemblance to Alexander with folded hands in prayer as their eyes gazed at the Heavenly specters, in addition it appeared that swords and shields were descending towards them. To the left were the ancient race of Enders who also had their gaze towards Heaven, but descending towards their hands were scrolls with quills, signifying their role to write and document. At the front of the line of Enders stood none other than Ranfus, although significantly younger. Diamond continued down the wall as the next scene involved the leaders of the humans and enders being coronated with the two leaders' hands being locked in agreement. The next scene depicted what was either a battle or war where many humans and enders were dead, brough to their demise by rebellious humans. It depicted how after the battle Ranfus took the remaining enders away to a place that could supervise the entire Megaverse free from human interaction. The last scene showed the battle worn king of the humans siting on his throne with a tear in his left eye, while his right side remained stoic. His left arm pointed downwards to a decree while his right arm pointed upwards with a grand castle and city floating in the palm of his hand. "The Enders used to dwell with you?" "Indeed, for you see, the king in those murals is actually my great-grandfather. Time goes by very slowly for us here, not only that but we tend to live for thousands of years. Originally, after the first man and woman were created and fell into sin, we were created in the aftermath of that event. We bear the same weaknesses as other humans after the fall, but we were created to protect the Enders, who would document the shifting tide of Creation across the Megaverse. Our special duty connected us more in tune with the messengers of Heaven and we strived to live up to our mission of acting as the second example for the Megaverse, the Main Omniverse being the first. Yet, a few of the humans of my great-grandfather's time were seduced by the powers of evil for the many fallen angels, now turned demons, preyed upon their fallen status and sparked division between human and ender. Eventually a genocide broke out where rogue humans wanted the power of the Enders to themselves and would slaughter anyone who opposed them. My great-grandfather and Ranfus ultimately triumphed, but the damage had been done for the Enders no longer trusted us and collectively agreed humans everywhere were unpredictable and destructive. Ranfus left this Omniverse with the survivors of his race, thus leaving us as the sole inhabitants of this realm. From the ashes of the old kingdom, my great-grandfather led the creation of a new one as you can see here, but the reason why his left side is sad is the fact he did not kill the leaders of the rebellion. He did not want to take their lives, so instead he banished them to the wildness of the Megaverse. After casting them out of this Omniverse, he placed a ban where no one will be able to enter or leave. Using his divine gifts, he was able to practically make it seem like this Omniverse was erased and could not be discoverable unless him or another king wills its borders to open up once again."
"And what happened to the exiled ones?" "Most of them died across the Megaverse but their main leader, Mek'el continued following the path of evil and grew stronger in the powers of darkness. This granted him an unnatural talent of cheating death, but when an event in Omniverse 63,745 occurred when that Omniverse's Celestial had an offspring with that Omniverse's name for an angel, Mek'el sensed the potential of such an offspring." "Hold on, that's the Omniverse the Megaverse Council and I had named Evangelion. Yeah, those creatures they call angels are definitely not real angels, but you mean to tell me that this Mek'el influenced The Devourer?" "No, Mek'el BECAME The Devourer. He transferred his soul into the newborn soul of the deadly offspring, completely fusing with the new soul. In response to this, my great-grandfather on his deathbed, ordered my grandfather to create a device that could end Mek'el once and for all. That device was the Matrix of Eternity. It was hastily crafted before my grandfather sent it to Omniverse 63,745 hoping it could destroy Mek'el there. Unfortunately, it did not fulfill its original purpose due to Mek'el fully becoming The Devourer and traveled across the Megaverse eating the Core of whatever Omniverse he entered. His travels would take a long time to reach his next destination, but nothing could stop him. The Matrix continued to grow with wisdom in Omniverse 63,745 before an apparition of an Ender ordered a singular person to send the Matrix in the direction of the Main Omniverse. Eventually, the Matrix landed in your Omniverse, but was kept hidden for a long time with only glimpses and rumors of such a treasure of untold power being passed on from dimension to dimension. Finally at last, you found it in 2021 just as The Devourer arrived in your Omniverse. Little did you know, but upon his defeat when you unleashed the power of the Matrix, it sent shockwaves across the Megaverse. Myself along with my people celebrated when we felt the destruction of The Devourer, finally knowing a dark piece of our history has been put to rest." "When I traveled to Omniverse 63,745 last summer, it was promoted that they created the Matrix of Eternity." "Their leaders simply changed the story and wiped our part out of their history books, for the select few who told you it was their ancestors that created it are not at fault. For they too believe this error, this is simply a mistake on their ancestor's part and nothing more. Come along now, let's head back up a few stairs back to where there was an intersection, there is more I need to show you."
The king led Diamond to a room with many floating orbs that had different colors symbolizing a different Omniverse. "I am aware that you and the Megaverse Council have a broad idea to all the soldiers at the disposal of our enemy. But I want to show you some specific souls that are.......unique. The person known as The Ageless managed to recruit several corrupted versions of the strongest beings in your Omniverse's hierarchy. Among them consist of a fallen Omniversal Tribunal, Protectors, Insanity Trio, Bad Time Trio, many alternate timeline versions of you, and other powerful individuals from the Megaverse. The Ageless and Demonic Council calls this elite group the Bad End Friends. King Alexander brings forth an orb that displays the souls of those fallen humans. This reveals the true thoughts of their soul and what their soul really says." Diamond leaned forward to hear the cries of their souls and was surprised to hear their souls cry out in unison. "We just wanted to heal but now our nightmares are real, and we'll never wake up for we're torn apart! We want freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" Diamond could not believe what he heard, for it caused him to step back to avoid their cries. "Secondly, I want to briefly touch on the Ageless' story. Thousands of years ago lived a man born with unnatural gifts, he could enter into violent places and leave with minor bruises. He was able to kill the celestials in his world with his mere hands and crude weapons. Yet, he was not satisfied, he wanted more power and more entities to kill, for he enjoyed the bloodlust. This led to him being sought out by the fallen Seraphim now named Black Hat. He offered him more power and an entire place beyond his imagination to live the rest of his days as a butcher. The man agreed and henceforth became an unwavering servant directly to Black Hat. Eventually, he earned a reputation by parading himself as a savior wearing polished white and gold armor, in order to win the trust of many defenders who protected their native Omniverse. Once he won their complete trust and learned their secrets and fears, it would be too late for that Omniverse. For it would be a matter of time before complete carnage would be unleashed on all the helpless souls in that Omniverse. Thus, he was given the title Harbinger of the End.......a human who is an undisputed champion in gladiator battles with a mind to match his muscles.......a man always youthful, laughing at the hands of time........The Ageless."
"The last thing I want to reveal to you is the location of our enemy's base. The Megaverse Council has discovered it and that is Omniverse 6,666,666. That Omniverse had so many events that ran parallel with your Omniverse it was almost an exact copy. However, before your Omniverse was assaulted by Black Hat's forces in 2021, they won a resounding battle in that Omniverse. Everything that could have gone wrong in that final battle, did indeed go wrong." King Alexander used his powers to generate a vision of that fateful day. The scene pans to a bloodied and defeated Diamond with a shattered Sword of the Omniverse with Black Hat towering over him. The two listened intently when Black Hat spoke, "The Initiative has fallen. Its members......lost. You have been deceived......betrayed.........purged." The vision hovers over countless bodies of Initiative members that had died in the battle with some of their corpses disfigured and mutilated they were unidentifiable. "I can feel you are scared of judgement day. You led millions of souls to their grave. Your lukewarm faith shaken due to your pleas and petitions being ignored. So, I offer you a choice. Join us and postpone the judgement day, have all the pleasures of the world handed back to you, and avoid living the life as a failure!" The defeated Diamond raised his teary eyes and spoke, "I......accept!" The crowd around him chuckled as Black Hat stepped away with Alastor taking his place, "It's a deal!" The defeated Diamond shook his hand and became controlled and a vessel for Alastor until his original body could be restored. After this moment a large echo of thunder echoes across the battlefield with a bright light shining in the distance. The Ageless, "What is that?" Black Hat, "The veil of the Main Omniverse has been lifted. We are no longer kept out! We must seize this opportunity before it's too late." Ageless remain here with Alastor's vessel." "Why?" "If things go sour for me and my forces in the Main Omniverse, I want us to still have a strong foothold here in the Megaverse. This Omniverse will be perfect. I will be taking half of our forces with me." "What of the few people who survived this battle, should I find them and use them as prisoners and entertainment?" Black Hat had a sadistic smile, "There are no survivors!" The vision then played the sounds of screams with Diamond begging Alexander to end the vision. "That's enough! I cannot watch nor listen to this vision anymore! Please end this nightmare!"
Alexander ended the vision as the two were brought back to reality. Alexander spoke with sympathy to Diamond, "I did not show you that vision to torture you. I revealed it, because you need to understand exactly what to expect from our enemy and take deep root in your faith." "Why did the pleas and petitions of that Diamond go unanswered?" "Truthfully, that Diamond did not pray for deliverance, he instead wanted more glory and praise. When he was in public and prayed, it was for show, and he was not sincere in the words he said. Even at the last moment, he received a message from Heaven begging him to repent from his prideful ways and deliverance would come. Yet, in that last moment, he refused with his soul saying no it has to be my way and I do not want to change the life I am living and that's final. It was his fault no Heavenly aid came, now he has no one else to blame other than himself for his misdeeds and wickedness." Diamond's body had a series of goosebumps when King Alexander finished speaking. He always wondered what would have happened in the final battle for his Omniverse if there was no intervention, now he wished for this catastrophic example to leave his mind.
After this event, King Alexander led Diamond to a sacred place called the Veil of the Celestial Plane to speak with his angelic friends. Along the way, King Alexander explained to Diamond the difference between True Balance and Perfection. How True Balance is the perfect imperfect form of Perfection, because as mortal creatures that are finite with flaws no person alive can reach True Perfection. He explained how demons fear True Balance and how the demons only focus on temporal goals not eternal, for all that awaits them in eternity is eternal punishment. (This is a footnote, because at the end of this post in the comment section I will share the entire conversation in greater detail, for some reason the Sub-Reddit automatic rules count it as a rating post no matter how hard I rephrased the dialogue. Very weird that happened because it never happened before, but hopefully I will be able to share that conversation in full under this post, because it took a lot of effort in composing the dialogue.)
Filled with courage and zeal from their conversation, Diamond entered into the Veil and soon found himself in a vast empty white plain where numerous figures of light floated around him before manifesting themselves as angelic beings. He observed how each of the nine choirs of angels were present. "The Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. All present here at this very moment." A Seraphim spoke up, "Why do you wish to commune with us?" "I am here seeking advice from my Heavenly friends in these trying times. I'm sure all of you are very much aware and can sense in the Celestial Cosmic Plane that the forces of evil are growing ever so powerful. I can feel it within my being that soon a final confrontation may happen." Saint Michael the Archangel, "You already possess all that you need. You know the prayers for deliverance and aid. Furthermore, you know how your enemy thinks." "With all due respect, this time it is different. Different than the way it was for the fate of the Main Omnvierse. This....is the fate of the Megaverse....of everything that had exist, currently exists and will exist. Please there must be some advice all of you may be able to bestow upon me." A Virtue floated towards Diamond's soul to speak, "These particular demons feast on fear, chaos, and revenge. They want nothing more than to see the righteous fall, yet their common weakness is the sin of pride." Uriel intervened, "Pride, that ancient sin which was the sole root that led a third of our former brothers and sisters into disobedience. Fully rejecting the True Love of the Father and willingly following the arrogance of the fallen light bearer, who now brings darkness and death to everyone." Azrael quickly followed up with Uriel's statement, "When they fell from grace, they still retained their position and powers. Now with their leaders nearly having their bodies restored before their fall, through the power of The Seed, they are more of a threat to the Natural Order."
Diamond came to a sudden realization, "With Cloaked Shadow having control of the Dark and shadows in general, does that mean he was a Power before he fell?" The choirs nodded as Diamond responded with his hands near his mouth deep in thought. "I see, well if pride is their weakness than surely arrogance is a key factor in their personalities. Perhaps if the Matrix of Eternity is re-loaded with the knowledge accessible from the Alphaverse, it could overwhelm them." A Cherub, "Yes! The knowledge from the Alphaverse can restore the Matrix and used to harm the demons!" Saint Gabriel the Archangel, "Do not be afraid in this next step in your journey, Trevor. Since the fall of man, the Devil and his minions have actively been at war with mankind, searching for ways to snatch souls from Heaven. Yet, in the history of not only the Megaverse, but your own world, you know that God conquers all, even in the darkest times. From the persecution of the early Christians under the rule of the Mad Emperor Nero, deadly heresies, scandals, political and religious wars, the French Revolution, Napoleon Wars, Russian Revolution, Mexican Revolution, World Wars, down to the present. The demons worked through man to not only bring ruin to the face of the Earth, but to attack the Church. However, both the Earth and the Church have endured and will continue to endure until the end of time when God will come in all His splendor and glory and reward the just while punishing the wicked. For they will receive their reward." A Throne, "There is one more thing that will surely turn the tide of the war, but only as a last resort." Diamond, "What is it? Please share." A Seraphim, "The hypothesis of you being able to fuse with your friends Ben Tennyson and Xavier is true. If Xavier is fully in tune with his scarab and enter into his phase known as Sacred and Tennyson into Alien X, you three will become the singular most powerful entity in the entire Megaverse." Saint Michael the Archangel, "Be warned for this should only be used as a complete last resort. For there can be no going back when you three become a singular entity. There might be potential for you three to separate from this final form, but if there is, it will be certain death for no mortal can yield that much power. Arise young warrior, take courage, and have total faith on the Lord, He will hear your prayers. Remember we are at your side and every warrior in the final battle will have their guardian angel with them at all times."
The Heavenly beings once again became balls of bright light, which slowly blinded Diamond before he awoke from his vision back in his own body just before the Veil of the Celestial Plane. King Alexander stared at Diamond before helping him to his feet. Diamond, "I know what I must do. I must re-load the Matrix in the Well of the Megaverse." Alexander, "That's suicide. For you to be exposed to so much power and knowledge, it will vaporize you." "Believe me, it will work. Just help me recover the pieces of the Matrix and I will reforge it with the nanotech from my suit." Diamond sprinted with great haste through all the flights of stairs Alexander had them take, back to where the pieces of the Matrix laid. He had Alexander hold the pieces together in their proper position as the nanotech from his suit crawled around the broken pieces and fused the Matrix back together again. During this time the other heroes caught up to Diamond and Alexander and decided to watch as Diamond would enter the Well of the Megaverse. King Alexander led the group to the entrance of the Well where everyone wished him good luck. Diamond transformed into his Light form and entered the Well. This form allowed him to withstand the pressure around him as he opened the Matrix to collect wisdom from all corners of the Megaverse both the good and bad. When he did this, thousands of images and lifetimes flashed in his mind causing him to scream, in order to avoid his mind from overloading he constantly switched to different forms and phases every 30 seconds. Everyone waited anxiously outside after hearing Diamond's screams and began to fear for the worst, but just when their hope wavered, a silhouette started to walk towards them. From the depths of the Well emerged Diamond holding the restored Matrix of Eternity firmly in his right hand. King Alexander, "Welcome back Diamond!" "Thanks. With the Matrix restored and the new alliance your Omniverse has made with the Megaverse Council, hope for our victory has reached an all-time high." The heroes only stayed for a few more hours at the Alphaverse before returning back to the base of the Megaverse Council. Upon arrival, the Council members were stunned to see the return of their leader, and with swift orders, Diamond once again regained leadership of the Megaverse Council.
Epilogue
In a desolate place with abandoned buildings in Omniverse 3. "Volxi, can you head downstairs into our storage to bring some refreshment to our party?" "You got it sis!" Volxi entered into one of the chambers to find a spare stash of spiked beverages but was startled when she heard a voice echo in the darkness. "Time's running out Vol." She leaned over to view where the voice was coming from until her eyes landed on a glowing dark green warrior. She gasped as she recognized it was her old friend from Omniverse 8. "Cayden what happened to you?" "That name no longer has any meaning for me." "You look so different. Your skin is green and your eyes black. You look like......" "A ghost? Phantom? Condemned Soul?! Truly a miserable fate I have fallen into. Given a body constantly degenerating and repairing itself, allowing me to phase between matter but how painful it is feeling my cells destroy themselves before regenerating and repeating the process all over again." "Is this a dream?" "No." "I thought not, if it was there would be something to replenish my throat." Cayden hands Volxi a bottle. "Thanks mate. I still have a cup on me. Here it's on the house." Cayden took a long sip before speaking. "We haven't seen each other since the destruction of your people's original home. A lot has happened since then. Last year a terrible event plagued the Megaverse and I tried to stop it. I made my own device that enabled me to visit other Omniverses. I could sense something sinister causing many Omniverses to die. I took my weapons and went to who I thought was responsible. That man was so strong and talented, he mortally wounded me without taking our fight seriously. I thought at that moment when I laid dying that I would give anything to get a second chance at life. To see my friends and family again. My requests were answered by a figure in black business attire and a top hat."
Volxi groaned for she knew who he was referring to while Cayden continued on with his speech. "I accepted his offer and became what you see before you. The only part that was positive is in our contract, I managed to still own partial control of my soul. Perhaps it is through this partial ownership that causes me to experience great pains and desperately seek liberation." "And you came back to your friend for aid huh?" "No, I came as a messenger." Volxi stared at him with concern. "You struck a deal with him too, Volxi. A deal before your home, the ninth Omniverse was destroyed, causing you and all the survivors to wander throughout the Megaverse." "I forgot all about that deal. It can't happen this soon, he did not even stay true to his promise." "Is that really a surprise?" "DANG IT! Alright I'll wager my way out of it. I always do." "You can't talk to yourself out of this one!" "How long do I have Cayden?" Cayden stepped close to Volxi where he was only a few inches away from her face. "That name has no meaning for me, I'm The Shameful now. You have only a few hours. He will send his terrible leviathan to drag you, your sister, and this entire Omniverse along with you! Already his army sets their eyes on this world, drawn by ravenous hunger, by the one who bears the crimson scar." The Shameful laid his hand on a piece of Volxi's face that was not covered by cybernetics. "Make peace with your losses and may it only be a swift end and not a contract of servitude. Alas, he always comes to collect what is his." In that moment The Shameful vanished from her sight and without a moment to lose, she started running back upstairs into the settlement screaming for everyone to pack their things and prepare to leave. Her sister, Val stopped her, "Did you fall down the stairs giving you that slash across your face? What's coming after us?" Volxi stared deep into her sister's soul, "We need to run as far as we can and get our people to safety before it's too late." From a few hundred yards away The Ageless stood waiting for the perfect time to strike with Maestro Zorro summoning the nightmarish Leviathan.

Agency sales is simple when you break it down...
Generate interest -> call -> follow up -> close
Seems simple on paper, right?
Well.. obviously this isn't always the case in practice,
Which is why I want to help.
Let's dive in.
The first part is the call itself.
So your campaigns are printing sales calls, and the interest is there..
Now what?
It's time to take the sales call, preferably on Zoom if possible.
Make sure they show up to the call
On the call, we like to take a consultative approach.
Dig deep in the discovery part of the call,
And show them you understand exactly where they're at with their business and where they're looking to go.
Basically, show them you give a shit.
Having a script can be helpful for call structure, but avoid reading off one.
Doing role plays with a business partner and a friend will get you comfortable enough to not need a script.
Once you learn enough about the prospect's biz,
Decide if you want to make them an offer.
This is important...
Only make offers to prospects that are truly a good fit,
You'll save yourself a bunch of time and headaches later on.
It can be tempting to sign any and everyone initially, but stay disciplined and wait for the right fit.
If the prospect doesn't need any more info and they're ready to sign,
Get the contract to them ASAP and be persistent in your follow-ups until it's closed!
If the close is going to require another call, MAKE SURE you lock in a time on the call.
Locking a time in while you're on the call is so important...
If you wait until after, you may never hear from them again and miss out on the opportunity.
Time kills deals.
If they need more info on the call,
Ask them what they'd like to see and send them a resource that relates to what they want, rather than an info dump that will overwhelm them.
Sometimes, even with a great offer, you may not see a high close rate.
Here's how we overcome that.
In our follow ups, we help prospects visualize success.
Here's how:

• Send them relevant case studies
• Connect them to a client that was in a similar situation as them before signing on
• Send over projections we calculate for them, something we call an ROI calculator

More on the last point...
We often an ROI calculator, a tool we created, to show the prospect what results they can expect from working with us...
All the #s (revenue, close rate, retainer size) are based on what they told us on the call, so it's extremely relevant to them.
We communicate this to them with a Loom video follow up,
Which works great to refresh their memory on the conversation and show them we took the time to send them a video.
Once you start scaling, it can be tough to keep track of these follow ups...
Which is why using a CRM religiously is non-negotiable.
We use PipeDrive to segment prospects into

• won
• lost
• in follow up with a follow up task assigned

For each of our offers.
To wrap up, how do we track sales success at our agency?
We track KPIs for

• Show rate
• Offer percentage
• Close rate
• Revenue per call

The two we pay attention to are show and close rates.
We aim for a 30%+ close rate and a 90%+ show rate,
Which we've hit consistently..
This can be done using a simple Google Sheet :)
Sales can be daunting without a system in place,
So I hope this has given you some value on how to dial in your sales process and scale your agency in the process.
Source

Ecoharmonism is a spiritual and philosophical belief system centered around living in harmony with nature and all beings. It combines elements from various traditions to create a holistic approach to life that emphasizes sustainability, compassion, and personal growth. Here's a brief overview of what Ecoharmonism entails:

The Three Pillars of Ecoharmonism:

1. Nature 🌿

The pillar of Nature emphasizes a deep reverence and respect for the Earth. Ecoharmonism recognizes the planet as our home, a source of sustenance, beauty, and inspiration. This pillar calls for a profound connection with the natural world, encouraging us to spend time outdoors, observe the rhythms of nature, and protect the environment. It’s about understanding that the Earth is not just a backdrop for human activities but a living, breathing entity that we are intimately connected to.
Key Practices:

• Spending time in nature to foster a deeper connection
• Engaging in sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact
• Supporting conservation efforts and protecting natural habitats

2. Harmony ✨

The pillar of Harmony is about striving for balance in all aspects of life. It encourages us to live in a way that is harmonious with nature and with other beings. This involves recognizing the interdependence of all life forms and making choices that reflect this understanding. Living in harmony means making ethical decisions, reducing harm, and fostering peace in our interactions with others.
Key Practices:

• Making ethical choices in daily life, from consumption to relationships
• Reducing harm by adopting sustainable and compassionate practices
• Cultivating inner peace and balance through mindfulness and self-care

3. Interconnectedness 🌐

Interconnectedness is the recognition that all life is part of a vast, intricate web. Our actions have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only ourselves but also other people, animals, and the environment. This pillar encourages us to be mindful of our impact and to act with the awareness that we are all part of a greater whole. It’s about understanding that our well-being is tied to the well-being of others and the planet.
Key Practices:

• Being mindful of the interconnectedness of all life in our decisions
• Supporting community initiatives and fostering a sense of global responsibility
• Educating ourselves and others about the impact of our actions on the environment and society

1. Nature: Reverence for the Earth as our home, fostering a deep connection with the natural world.
2. Harmony: Striving to live in balance with nature and all beings, recognizing our interconnectedness.
3. Interconnectedness: Understanding that all life forms are part of a web of existence, and our actions impact the whole.

The Eight Principles:

1. Unity 🌐

Unity emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life. It’s about recognizing that we are all part of a vast, intricate web of existence. By embracing unity, we understand the importance of working together to protect and nurture the parts of our ecosystem that sustain life.
Key Actions:

• Collaborating on environmental projects
• Fostering a sense of community and global responsibility
• Promoting inclusivity and togetherness

2. Compassion ❤️

Compassion is about feeling and acting on empathy for the suffering of others. It encourages us to help those in need, whether they are humans, animals, or ecosystems.
Key Actions:

• Volunteering for causes that alleviate suffering
• Practicing kindness in everyday interactions
• Supporting animal welfare and environmental conservation efforts

3. Environmental Stewardship 🌍

This principle is about taking responsibility for the care of our planet. It emphasizes the importance of sustainable living and protecting the environment for future generations.
Key Actions:

• Reducing waste and recycling
• Supporting renewable energy sources
• Advocating for policies that protect the environment

4. Personal Growth 🌱

Personal growth involves continuous self-improvement in mental, physical, and spiritual aspects. It’s about becoming the best version of ourselves to better contribute to society.
Key Actions:

• Engaging in lifelong learning
• Practicing self-care and mindfulness
• Setting and achieving personal development goals

5. Living Ethically 🌿

Living ethically means making choices that minimize harm and promote well-being. This includes considering the impact of our actions on the environment and other living beings.
Key Actions:

• Adopting a plant-based diet or sourcing animal products ethically
• Supporting fair trade and cruelty-free products
• Making conscious consumer choices

6. Gratitude 🙏

Gratitude is about recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life. It encourages us to be thankful for the natural world, our relationships, and the opportunities we have.
Key Actions:

• Keeping a gratitude journal
• Expressing thanks to others regularly
• Practicing mindfulness to appreciate the present moment

7. Community 🤝

Community emphasizes the importance of building strong, supportive networks. It’s about fostering connections and working together for the common good.
Key Actions:

• Participating in local events and initiatives
• Supporting neighbors and building strong relationships
• Creating spaces for communal activities and shared goals

8. Open-Mindedness 🌈

Open-mindedness is about being willing to learn and grow by considering new ideas and perspectives. It encourages us to be curious and adaptable.
Key Actions:

• Engaging in discussions with diverse viewpoints
• Seeking out new experiences and knowledge
• Practicing tolerance and understanding

The Wheel of the Year:

The Ecoharmonist Wheel of the Year is a calendar of celebrations that reflect our deep connection to nature, the cycles of the Earth, and our commitment to living harmoniously. Inspired and adapted from the Pagan Wheel of the Year, these holidays are infused with Ecoharmonist principles, guiding us in our spiritual and environmental practices. Here’s a breakdown of each holiday, what it means, and how you can celebrate it:

1. Awakening (February 1)

Principle: Open-Mindedness 🌈
Meaning: Awakening marks the return of light and the promise of new beginnings. It’s a time to embrace fresh perspectives and new opportunities.
Celebration Ideas:

• Start a new project or hobby
• Clean and organize your living space
• Reflect on goals and aspirations for the coming year

2. High Spring (March 20)

Principle: Unity 🌐
Meaning: High Spring celebrates the balance of day and night, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life. It’s a time to recognize our unity with nature and each other.
Celebration Ideas:

• Plant a tree or start a garden
• Participate in community activities
• Spend time outdoors appreciating nature

3. Heartbloom (May 1)

Principle: Compassion ❤️
Meaning: Heartbloom is a celebration of love and compassion. It’s a time to nurture our relationships and extend kindness to all beings.
Celebration Ideas:

• Volunteer for a charitable cause
• Perform random acts of kindness
• Spend time with loved ones and express gratitude

4. Midsummer (June 21)

Principle: Environmental Stewardship 🌍
Meaning: Midsummer, the longest day of the year, is a celebration of the sun and the abundance of nature. It’s a time to focus on our responsibility to protect the environment.
Celebration Ideas:

• Host a sustainable living workshop
• Organize a community clean-up
• Spend the day outdoors, enjoying and respecting nature

5. Day of Flourishing (August 1)

Principle: Personal Growth 🌱
Meaning: Day of Flourishing celebrates the peak of summer and our personal achievements. It’s a time to focus on self-improvement and growth.
Celebration Ideas:

• Set new personal goals
• Reflect on your achievements and challenges
• Engage in activities that promote personal development

6. Harvest (September 21)

Principle: Living Ethically 🌿
Meaning: Harvest is a time of gratitude for the Earth’s bounty. It’s a reminder to live ethically and sustainably, ensuring that we care for our planet.
Celebration Ideas:

• Host a harvest feast with locally sourced foods
• Share produce from your garden with neighbors
• Reflect on ways to reduce your environmental impact

7. Remembrance Day (November 1)

Principle: Gratitude 🙏
Meaning: Remembrance Day is a time to honor our ancestors and express gratitude for the lessons they’ve passed down. It’s a moment to give thanks for the gifts of life.
Celebration Ideas:

• Create a remembrance altar with photos and mementos
• Share stories of your ancestors
• Practice gratitude by writing thank-you notes

8. Midwinter (December 21)

Principle: Community 🤝
Meaning: Midwinter, the longest night of the year, is a time to come together and celebrate community. It’s a period of reflection and connection with those around us.
Celebration Ideas:

• Host a community potluck or gathering
• Reflect on the importance of community in your life
• Participate in communal activities and rituals

Why Ecoharmonism?

Ecoharmonism offers a fulfilling spiritual path that aligns with modern values of environmentalism and personal development. It provides a framework for living a meaningful, ethical life that contributes positively to the world around us.
Join our community to explore more about Ecoharmonism and how you can incorporate its principles into your daily life! 🌿✨
Feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences in the comments below!

Hi! My property is totally covered by wifi, only rare and small spots with poor connectivity. So, actually I've not installed a Sim card. But I want to be covered for a wifi outage, for a theft and so on.. So I'm searching for a 4g option but first.. Questions! - wifi will have priority over 4g? (so.. If wifi it's OK, will use wifi instead 4g). - how much traffic can generate with a full 4g usage without wifi? (except fpv) I need to know to find the best offer. - can I use any provider or there are limits?
Thank you!

Hey ya’ll thanks for reading this. I built a 16x34’ cabin in Montana last summer and now I have to figure out how to power it for the basics. Lights, hot water, AC, charging station, maybe a washing machine/dryer and other little things later. Not that much. Up in the mountains and will have propane for cook stove and a wood stove for heat (spray foam insulated)
So I am absolutely clueless when it comes to this stuff so please guide me to the best way to set this up. Not necessarily a full time living situation however I would like to set it up to be. I intend to live here for at least 1 year minimum to test it out and see if I like it. I spent the winter up there alone last year and it was amazing. Only propane and wood stove. But I want to bring in a nice hot water shower and have charging access and possibly lights.
Not too concerned about budget. Maybe 10kish?
What do you pros that know what’s up suggest? And if anyone in the Helena Montana area is willing to help that would be amazing!
Please guide me guys. What should I do? Great sun exposure and wind but seems a windmill would be so loud might as well just run a propane generator for backup or on demand as needed. 🤷🏻‍♂️ but I am open to anything and everything. Show me the way!
Thank you 🙏

Hey all,
So I was recently looking into investing in a whole home standby generator system, and I saw this option listed on Costco's website:
https://www.costco.com/ecoflow-delta-pro-ultra-whole-home-power-solution-18-kwh-solution.product.4000254590.html
Comparing this to the cost of buying a Generac Standby Generator, this seemed like it might not be a bad way to go. However, I don't know much about how generators work, or how solar works either and an electrician told me I'd get about 8hrs of power trying to power my entire house through a power outage with the above-listed solution, then you would be done.
For this reason, he advised going with a traditional gas standby generator system connected to the utility line.
It seems like based on the description in the Costco listing and the EcoFlow website, this would be a perfect solution, and you can use this as a full turn-key standby generator for my entire house but what am I not understanding?
Thanks all!

Hi,
I bought some very cheap EVA foam puzzle mats for my home gym setup. The mats are very small (30x30cm / 11.8 x11.8 inches) so there are a lot of interlocking points where the mats could separate.
I should have gone for 60x60cm good quality mats or maybe horse stall mats, but I was being cheap and didn't want to invest that much. Anyway, after putting together a ~4,40m² area, I tested the mats by jumping rope. They didn't separate but the whole thing moved around. I bought an anti slip mat to put underneath which fixed the problem.
Then I started some shadow boxing and nothing slipped and the mats stayed interlocked (for the most part; low to middle intensity). Then I added a 180cm heavy bag and started a test workout. And now the problem:
When I'm upping the intensity, the force generated while striking and also during quick, explosive footwork sometimes separate the mats. Small openings appear which are problematic because it's distracting, toes can get stuck and it's overall annoying. I can't go full power because of that...
Does anyone here have an idea how to keep the mats together? Or any other experiences with cheap small puzzle mats?
I thought about simply using duct tape to keep the mats together. I'd tape every mat together from underneath (just using a strip) and use long strips which would cover all the connection lines front to end and hopefully keep the mats in place as one big piece. Did anyone try this? Did it work or were there problems?
I know I should have bought good quality mats but before I say fuck it and do this, I'd like to try to work with what I got.
Thanks in advance :)
Edit: some errors

Hi,
I bought some very cheap EVA foam puzzle mats for my home gym setup. The mats are very small (30x30cm / 11.8 x11.8 inches) so there are a lot of interlocking points where the mats could separate.
I should have gone for 60x60cm good quality mats or maybe horse stall mats, but I was being cheap and didn't want to invest that much. Anyway, after putting together a ~4,40m² area, I tested the mats by jumping rope. They didn't separate but the whole thing moved around. I bought an anti slip mat to put underneath which fixed the problem.
Then I started some shadow boxing and nothing slipped and the mats stayed interlocked (for the most part; low to middle intensity). Then I added a 180cm heavy bag and started a test workout. And now the problem:
When I'm upping the intensity, the force generated while striking and also during quick, explosive footwork sometimes separate the mats. Small openings appear which are problematic because it's distracting, toes can get stuck and it's overall annoying. I can't go full power because of that...
Does anyone here have an idea how to keep the mats together? Or any other experiences with cheap small puzzle mats?
I thought about simply using duct tape to keep the mats together. I'd tape every mat together from underneath (just using a strip) and use long strips which would cover all the connection lines front to end and hopefully keep the mats in place as one big piece. Did anyone try this? Did it work or were there problems?
I know I should have bought good quality mats but before I say fuck it and do this, I'd like to try to work with what I got.
Thanks in advance :)
Edit: some errors

Dr. Seuss, revolutionized children's literature with his inventive use of language, rhyme schemes, and rhythmic patterns. His ability to craft engaging stories with a cadence that mirrors the beats and flows found in rap music sets a precedent for the genre. Dr. Seuss's books, characterized by their anapestic tetrameter—a rhythmic scheme that uses two short syllables followed by a longer, stressed syllable—are not far removed from the beats that underpin rap music. This rhythm is evident in books like "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham," where the flow of words carries a musical quality that can easily be adapted to a rap beat.
Moreover, Dr. Seuss's mastery of wordplay, a core element of rap, showcases his ability to manipulate language in ways that are both humorous and thought-provoking. He often employed invented words and whimsical phrases that not only entertained but also expanded the boundaries of conventional language. This inventiveness is a trait highly valued in rap, where artists like Eminem and Outkast have built careers on their ability to play with words and meanings. The playful yet incisive use of language in Seuss's work mirrors the lyrical dexterity of accomplished rappers, suggesting a foundational influence on the genre's emphasis on linguistic creativity.
Culturally, Dr. Seuss's works have left an indelible mark on multiple generations, much like hip-hop has over the past few decades. His books are more than simple stories; they often carry deeper messages about society, human behavior, and morality. For instance, "The Lorax" speaks to environmental conservation, while "The Sneetches" tackles issues of prejudice and equality. These themes resonate within the rap community, where artists frequently address social justice, inequality, and personal struggle through their music. The ability of Dr. Seuss to weave profound messages into engaging narratives parallels how rappers use their platforms to highlight and challenge societal issues.
Dr. Seuss's influence on rap can also be seen in the direct homage paid by artists who grew up reading his books. Rapper Logic, for example, has cited Dr. Seuss as an inspiration, noting how his rhythmic and playful approach to storytelling influenced his own writing style. The rhythmic quality and creative wordplay that define Seuss's books are evident in the complex, multi-syllabic rhymes and storytelling found in much of rap music today.
So I think it‘s fair to consider Dr. Seuss the Goat considering the stylistic and thematic parallels between his work and the principles of hip-hop culture. Dr. Seuss's innovative use of rhythm, rhyme, and language prefigures the techniques employed by many rap artists, and his cultural impact parallels the transformative power of hip-hop. By examining these connections, one can argue that Dr. Seuss's legacy subtly underpins the linguistic and rhythmic foundations of rap, positioning him as a great pioneer in the art of rhyming and storytelling.

System information

Type	Version/Name
Distribution Name	Ubuntu
Distribution Version	24.04
Kernel Version	6.8.0-1005-raspi
Architecture	arm64
OpenZFS Version	zfs-2.2.2-0ubuntu9 zfs-kmod-2.2.2-0ubuntu9

Describe the problem you're observing

Problem is that when new data is written on the pool and I do a zpool scrub the pool shows data corruption on the pool. This happens within a couple of minutes.
zpool status -v

 pool: rpool state: ONLINE status: One or more devices has experienced an error resulting in data corruption. Applications may be affected. action: Restore the file in question if possible. Otherwise restore the entire pool from backup. see: https://openzfs.github.io/openzfs-docs/msg/ZFS-8000-8A scan: scrub repaired 0B in 00:00:06 with 2 errors on Sun Jun 9 15:33:14 2024 config: NAME STATE READ WRITE CKSUM rpool ONLINE 0 0 0 nvme0n1p2 ONLINE 0 0 16 errors: Permanent errors have been detected in the following files: /valib/containerd/io.containerd.content.v1.content/blobs/sha256/49bcaff509ba6068d281f9d4ce3596ce8603dedc09b6595d253040c275ee46b5 

I can reproduce the problem both on

• a fresh ZfsOnRoot install on raspberry pi 5 with ubuntu 24.04
• a dist upgrade from existing ZfsOnRoot on ubuntu 23.10.

On ubuntu 23.10 with kernel 6.5.0-1017-raspi on raspberry pi5 with ZfsOnRoot with ZFS 2.2.0 (zfs-2.2.0-0ubuntu1~23.10.3 zfs-kmod-2.2.0-0ubuntu1~23.10.2) everything runs smooth without problems since december 2023. I also tried to do same fresh install on fresh new NVME drive and other pi5 with same results for ubuntu 24.04. This to rule out hardware errors. And it both reproducible with usb3 drive and NVME base bottom hat of Pimoroni

Describe how to reproduce the problem

You need following hardware and software

• raspberry pi 5 with 8 GB
• official Raspberry Pi5 27W USB-C Power Supply
• SDcard ( I used sandisk/samsung sd card )
• usb3 case for nvme 2280 drive ( I used LC-Power LC-M2-C-MULTI-3 )
• nvme 2280 drive ( I used WD Blue SN580 NVMe )
• preinstalled ubuntu 24.04 server image for raspberry pi ( ubuntu-24.04-preinstalled-server-arm64+raspi.img.xz )

Use following guide to install zfs on root on raspberry
I have written following scripts to make installation easier.
Steps

1. boot pi5 with sd card with image ubuntu-24.04-preinstalled-server-arm64+raspi.img
2. copy scripts rootzfs_pi_step*.sh to /root directory on sd card and copy you ssh authorized_keys
3. wget image ubuntu-24.04-preinstalled-server-arm64+raspi.img.xz and make sure it is unpacked with xz ( apt install -y xz-utils and unxz ) , install sfdisk ( apt install -y fdisk ), install zfs-utils ( apt install -y zfsutils-linux )
4. connect usb3 NVME drive and make sure it is empty ( example: wipefs -a /dev/sda , check for drive with lsblk )
5. as root run first script rootzfs_pi_step1.sh this will install ZfsOnRoot on usb3 drive
6. shut down pi5 and remove sd card. Now boot from usb3 drive
7. login as root and run script rootzfs_pi_step2_3_and_4.sh and reboot after script is finished
8. login as root and run script rootzfs_pi_step5_firstboot and reboot after script is finished
9. login as root and run script rootzfs_pi_step6_fullsoftware.sh and reboot after script is finished

Now you should have working ZfsOnRoot with Ubuntu 24.04. Start installing stuff, downloading data to generate disk activity. I installed k3s and installed helm chart and antoher test I did was installing docker and running different docker compose files ( mailcow, harbor, pihole, gitea and more) Then do zpool scrub rpool and it will shows data corruption on pool
rootzfs_pi*.sh scripts rootzfs_pi_step scripts.zip

Include any warning/errors/backtraces from the system logs

dmesg.txt syslog.txt zfs_dbgmsg.txt zfs_list.txt zpool_history.txt

Here is the first chapter of a religion text I am compiling. This religion has no name. At the beginning is the chapter number and the verse number, so chapter 1 and Verse 4 will be 1:4.
I - Humanity And Beyond 1:1 It was generations upon generations ago, as the stars were young and the song of the universe were mere notes lacking melody, that our blue planet was created. Through the darkness of the void, our home was forged in light and chaos, and life did not exits upon it for many more millennia to follow. The creation of our planet, Earth, did not immediately result in the sudden population boom of humanity. Humans have been around for a mere fleeting moment in the grand scale, and even less in the scale of Detaros. She, Detaros, was the one to manifest her dreams into a reality from her slumbering existence. She is not awake nor asleep. The passage of time was endless at first, what seemed like an eternity would be spent upon an abandoned rock, forgotten by all but one. Oceans of magma crashed and burned away the land, as mountains that spewed flame and debris cascaded over the horizon in all directions. 1:2 From the heavens above, the first of many gifts - water, rained got thr first time. Over millennia, many storms would blanket the earth, filling the deepest of chasms with the cooling water. Even then said water would bubble and boil away from the heat of sub aquatic volcanoes, but from the chemical sludges and soups, what would be the precursor for all would become. 1:3 A single organism, one barley understandably small in size - a bacterium known to us as a mere single cellular organism, one probably only having a life span of the minutes, seconds or hours. Yet it held enough information to replicate itself and to feed and to produce waste. It replicated. It replicated again and again. However, our star, still rejoicing in the bounty of Fallen Gods, produced too much radioactive material for organisms to live on the surface of the land or near the light that pierced the depths of the oceans. 1:4 Over thousands of years a barrier was formed that reflected this radiation, and eventually the earth became cleanly divided between the 3 realms - Land, Water and Air. Over time, life on Earth branched out from the singular group of organisms. It was us, Humans, who learnt this. We believe ourselves masters of creation and conquest, but no, we are not. Humanity may be upon our home, Earth, and maybe we will be for a decade, a century, a millennia from now. 1:5 However, our time in “possession” of the universe is ultimately temporary. Empires of old would burn out and fizzle into dust and smoke, and new groups and armies would form from the upturned rubble. Humanity will one day die out, be it today or in a billion lifetimes from now. Our time toying with the instruments of existence is temporary. 1:6 Regardless, it is a mercy for those to partake in their dull lives, for a life of chaos and despair is much worse fate than boredom. The uninteresting lives of man will never be remembered, but they will never be forgotten for they live on through our books, and through our minds. It was us, and followers of us who have been rewarded through not health or wealth, but knowledge. 1:7 Enlightenment is not the reason to follow a god, for trying to be devoted when one seeks rewards is a transgression. Such issues can be overcome, but it is not our right to make the wicked better. It is our duty. Ownership of our lives is a fundamental human aspect, and such aspects may not be ignored. 1:8 An old man and his donkey were trapped one day in a deep muddy hole they had fallen in. The duo pleaded passers by for aid, but were met with only people throwing dirt and mud into the decline. The foolish donkey ignored such mud, crying for help as it was buried alive, whereas the man used these materials to build steps out of the ground. To be blind to the opportunities given to one is to set oneself up for failure. By the will of humanity and of our pantheon, we are destined to forge a path that will expand beyond humanity, as one day, perhaps a new species shall rise where we once did, and perhaps they will learn of our history and of our fates. 1:9 We have a history, a history any may learn about. There were no prophets, none in possession of a direct connection to the pantheon. However, our prayers have been answered by the gods. The gods, each a embodiment of an aspect, were divided between their moralities. Each god always wandered the cosmos, creating and manipulating space and matter to their will, even to a point where they consumed The Perogantos who were the direct ancestors of the gods themselves. 1:10 Upon the dawn of creation, bewildering power was unleashed upon all that was and was not, each a blob of raw energy shaping and morphing itself at a glacial speed. The Perogantos they were called. Each a barley living soup of molecules and empty space. Each had a domain. Their names, lost to all but their descendants, contained a word of unknown power. A word is not a good way to describe it, for a word would imply it was able to be comprehended by mortal minds. It was an idea attached to the being so intrinsically it couldn’t be separated. Eventually, these entities spawned their own children - the very gods themselves. 1:11 The Kreatonia, architects, built and altered the worlds as they saw fit, working in tandem to create order, or working against each other to sow chaos and discord. The Solki were those slumbering. Not awake nor asleep. The pseudo-conscious clandestine collective cared little for the matters of many, although as the dormant beings periodically became active, great changes would occur. The Destruvari were not only corrupt but worthy of contempt. Destroyers and harbingers of decay and degradation is all they were. They sought only to undo the “damage” the Kretonia has produced. Each building the children of Detaros was a blemish upon the earth, with each human simply being akin to a fly or a gnat. 1:12 Each of the Destruvari had their own ways to bring around the end of empires. Evocae froze over much of the landscape of the world numerous times, each millions of years ago before humanity could flourish and innovate. 1:13 Each deep freeze lasted millions of years until Pychos reverted her devastation upon the planet with great waves of heat and flame. The last of these states in which the planet remained in a frozen world for well over ten million years, Pychos had enough for once and for all. In doing as he had done time and time again, Pychos entombed himself within the core of the very Earth he saved, weak and fragile. Periodically, even to this day, gouts of flame and smoke erupt from the ground as the building energy tries so desperately to escape as the slumbering cacophony of heat and turmoil tries desperately to claw free from the prison of his own making. As for Egola, she was banished from Earth, doomed to wander a void as cold as she was. 1:14 Her power dwindled as a radiant species of beings clambered forth - Humans. The will of humans took centuries to make long lasting effects upon the gods, with our rapid industrial development causing damage upon the planet. Each god had their own reaction. 1:15 Yvtå, the god of blossoms and nature, recoiled in disgust at the despicable actions of man. Nūvokato found it frustrating that the beings he deemed lesser were performing his work for him. The Kreatonia were mostly indifferent or annoyed by this. The gods all collectively agreed not to punish humanity for our actions, but instead let the consequences of waste and destruction of what they made take its toll on us. 1:16 Regardless, despite all agreeing in their courts of marble and gold, not all gods were willing to accept. 1:17 Salagos, described by the gods as a twisted jester and inventor of cruel and malignant “jokes”, deceived Tevos, a wrathful spirit, into killing a fellow spirit, one who bestowed fledgling species with the most basic of knowledge such as that of using tools or the creation of fire. The spirits name was Esh, made from the will to invent and conspire. The one with a vendetta with no reason grabbed his sword. In a grassy field where Esh was laying, observing the sunrise, Tevos decapitated the ethereal maiden, her blood spilling upon the pasture doomed humanity to a stagnant age, in which crude society overwhelmed mankind, leading to war after war after war. 1:18 However, the barbaric Salagos undid their actions by reviving Esh and bestowing upon her a great burden — the burden of knowing that her precious children of man had scarcely grown, governed by lunatic kings and queens and the laws of insanity. For their crimes, Salagos was forbidden from interfering with the affairs of gods or mortals, banished into a state reminiscent of The Slumbering, lacking the ability to ever wake. 1:19 The First Humans were not free from sin, for no being was truly ever perfect within that manner. The first humans lived their lives as ordinarily as one would expect. Wake up, eat, drink, sleep. Even today, we are no different at our core than those who tread the ground years, decades and centuries ago. 1:20 These people forged their own ideas of a god, or even multiple gods. The rise of the sun, a ritual as old as the earth, was so fascinating to them that they made their own version of pantheons. Self proclaimed prophets walked the soil, no different and us now. Those who believed to understand the workings of reality yet failed to use their “knowledge” to benefit them. 1:21 Some men did benefit the world. Great scientists and mathematicians of olde invented things from numbers to fire to art and philosophy. It was the spark of emotion and creativity that set humanity apart from the rest, destined to conquer and command as well as crumble and collapse. Of course it was some who learned that the gods had existed in one form throughout human history, from the ancient Pantheons of old to more modern beliefs of a god, or in this case it was gods. 1:22 It was Nietzsche who said “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” Such quotes are true, for a person with determination and conviction can overturn the most drastic of circumstances and the most mundane inconvenience. 1:23 By the will of The Pantheon, we are one. Humanity is one group that must stand together united against the unknown lest there is nobody left to stand against disorder and anarchy. Against the forces of chaos, we must emerge victors, for the people who have truly won have reached enlightenment such the beating heart of flesh and the soul of the very essence of their mind. 1:24 No person, no matter who they may be, or who they believe they are, regardless of whether they are a slave to violence and cruelty or the most zealous and fanatic of priests, nobody is immune to sin. Sins are undeniably evil, as torturous to both the sinful and those around them. 1:25 Pride is not the celebration of something. Nor is it the promotion of something. It is a construct of arrogance and believing oneself to be superior to those over even the most minute differences. 1:26 Excess is not living comfortably or seeking things to prevent unnecessary suffering or stress, but is living wastefully and opulently and by taking from others. The waste made by one individual could have been the material used to produce the steps that two, five, ten or even one hundred or even one thousand and more people could use to climb out of destitution. By our definition, Excess prevents the sinful from learning or being reminded of the condition of others, but also prevents those others from living better lives. 1:27 Sloth is not the will to relax, take time off or simply ignore their problems. It is the ignorance that prevents people from improving, developing and evolving. By being subject to Sloth, one can not strive for greater things, but instead seek nothing but the quickest path to instant benefits rather than a long journey to excellence. 1:28 Wrath is not anger. Wrath is hate and rage. The unprovoked and unpredictable nature of the wrathful makes it difficult to understand them. They may not always use their fists to attack but instead use their words to spew hateful rhetoric and insults at their opponents. They may be angry for a variety of reasons, but wrath prevents those finding inner peace and strength among the chaos, and thus, unable to find either themselves or a better path to take, veering off the road into the darkness. 1:29 Ignorance is not the absence of knowledge or the absence of expertise, for it is instead the failure to grasp one’s responsibilities, ignoring their wrongdoings and shortcomings and ignoring the opportunity to grow and help others. If a king is given an instruction by all twenty of his wise advisors and promptly discards said guidance, he has sinned for he has rejected the possibility to save people. However, if someone discards instructed that would harm others if implemented, regardless of if this was known or not, the ignorant would not have sinned.

More precisely: my pessimism about my ability to generate chemistry with other people.
College was not good to me socially. I got a decent GPA and graduated cum laude, but I had all manner of people saying I had poor social skills, and I didn't understand why at the time. Now, of course, I can see my cringy and boundary-busting, emotionally demanding behaviors. I can see how I was too much emotional work for other people. (I believed that I couldn't get what I wanted, social experience, if I respected others' boundaries, so I saw boundaries as the enemy. The castle wall I needed to scale if I had any hope of connection with other people.)
But at that time, the only difference I saw between myself and others was that others were liked and chosen, and I wasn't.
I didn't start out codependent. After enough negative feedback, I came to the conclusion that I had to become codependent to be socially desirable. I had to snuff out my flame, no longer be myself, deny myself and give others what they wanted.
All that ended up giving me was wasted years and even worse mental health. I'm in a much better place now.
I stumbled on the YouTuber HealthyGamerGG a few months ago, and he is a gem. Full of great insights and daring to look at common dilemmas in new, deeper ways.
This was one comment on a video of his, "How your ego protects you from rejection", that really spoke to me:
My dad gave me the most amazing advice regarding this exact scenario the last time I got romantically rejected. I told him that with every rejection I felt less and less sure of myself and my ability to make someone else happy. He said something along the lines of, "If she's not interested, it's not necessarily your fault. Nor is it hers. If the chemistry isn't there, the chemistry isn't there." That put my mind to ease a bit.
I've gotten to the point where I've mostly gotten over this self-blame, and I can believe I'm not a bad or even an awkward person. But there's still one area I continue to blame myself, and that's in the area of chemistry and compatibility.
I do not dare believe I am compatible with other people, or can generate chemistry with someone else. I beat myself up for not being able to generate that chemistry. And I feel less valuable than people I see as either luckier or more charismatic, for being able to create that sense of mutuality.
And this does not just apply to romantic relationships. ALL interactions between people must first pass a compatibility test before they can even get off the ground. For a while now, you may have noticed that job hunting has become eerily similar to matchmaking, and a lot of people fail to get hired if they don't personally and emotionally mesh with the team/company/employer. So I can kiss goodbye not only sex and romance, but jobs, starting a band, starting a business where I'm not a sole proprietor, literally anything that is not solitary.
My emotions can't handle the letdown of feeling confident a person is right for me, getting an unequivocal "no, we're not right for each other" from the other person, and losing that connection and experience, forever, as a consequence. It's much better for me to have no expectations a relationship is going to bear fruit, and then be pleasantly surprised if it happens to.
So I had better by default assume I am going to be doing everything all by myself. It has nothing to do with extroversion or introversion: it doesn't matter how much I enjoy someone else's company if they don't want mine in return.
Because I really don't want to do whatever it takes to make others like and choose me beyond being a decent person. I am not interested in making myself similar to other people-- I have the audacity to believe I should be able to make friends and build things with other people without making myself more like them. Others might think I'm entitled for this.
And my getting better socially hasn't lessened one iota my cynicism about "doing whatever it takes". Even if a behavior change gets positive results, that still means the other person liked me, hired me, said yes to me because I agreed to humor them and become a different person, one that they liked. The minute I stop acting that way, there goes their love and trust in me.
It's such a letdown to see trust defined as "this person gives me what I want and makes me comfortable above all". And it makes me that much angrier about the media saying how vital relationships are to our health. Think of what people could do if they didn't have to sacrifice or deny parts of themselves in order to get along with others. If getting along itself didn't demand you go along with peer pressure and protect the status quo at all costs.

My fellow gamers, for too long has our community suffered the indignation of an intolerable culture that has denigrated, besmirched, exploited, and has outright demonized our culture of unique individuals with a genuine love of a hobby that they see as profitable and progressive. They have taken beloved IP’s (Intellectual Properties) and twisted them into their own personal ideological crusade of undermining and humiliating the core aspects of characters they deemed as “Toxic” or “White Supremacy”. Through the guise and protection of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity) & ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) they have used our influence in the entertainment industry to push their narratives and agendas that have stigmatized our culture with numerous anti-consumer practices that they call “being progressive”. But the truth of the matter is they were never really looking to be a part of our community, they simply wanted to use our community as a tool of activism and propaganda in the entertainment industry as it was extremely profitable, and they wanted inclusion in that division. Ever since GamerGate & Female Frequency, we have had to endure the incursion of forced ideologies, xenophobic behaviors and inferior overpriced products that have never been in our best interest and have been flat out disgraceful towards foreign media.
Before Gaming had become a major source of entertainment, we were often categorized as anti-social or societies rejects where because we found more enjoyment in playing fictional characters and not spending as much time out and about, we never fully assimilated in society (which is a good thing if you ask me). From 1998 to 2007, at the height of innovation, creativity and production, Gaming had reached a golden age in which it had revolutionized society. Hollywood Execs who had ruined the movie industry turned their attention to video games as a source of income since video games had outperformed movies in terms of profit. No one was concerned about gaming, much less diversity or inclusivity until it became profitable. This makes people like SBI look extremely disingenuous as they were not interested in gamers as a community with its own culture. They simply wanted to use it as another weapon in identity politics.
Microtransactions; the hidden enemy to gamer progress and inducer to mental laziness of our community. Microtransactions have been around for a long time; however, it has never been more potent and apparent than in recent years. It has aided in the dismantling and segregation of players on the ideology of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and has created another sub-culture of gamers who have no real drive to be better outside of how much money they put into the game. This has degraded our culture as well as we have become “fat” off transactional gaming but at the same time we have been “starved” of purposeful gaming where our achievements were our sustenance. I am not saying that microtransactions are bad, but when they are exploitative and predatorial like they have been and don’t give gamers room to grow, we become lethargic and unwilling to improve ourselves as gamers. Oversaturated microtransactional games are one of the many reasons why we have become complacent and unwilling to fight against the exploitative tactics used by big brand game companies such EA, Ubisoft, ActivisionBlizzard, NaughtyDog and so many other western business model companies. Western style games were not like this in the past, they had much more depth and actual effort put into them with the gamer in mind. This has not been the case for over a decade and our connection to western developers has been whittled down to just being transactional. That is one of the reasons why you see so many remasters and remakes in today’s gamer community. They have lost their willingness to improve as developers of games and simply accept corporate/share holder rules.
Game journalists also do not have any real integrity or purpose outside of being funded for their involvement in promoting IPG (Identity Political Games) in a positive light to the public whether it’s positively received or not. They are not interested in what we have to say, they all support the same agenda and that is why they are a dying breed. Within the next couple of years, they will be out of the job and more than likely they will not be able to stay in the industry giving how they have responded to past articles that have clearly been scripted on the premise of diversity and racism. Not only that, but most of them are also extremely hostile to the community as they stereotype and defame the individuals that are a part of the community they are supposed to serve. We have been mentally liberated from their lies and coercive tactics as we tend to laugh at their obvious attempt at virtue signaling while hiding their misdoings so that they can play the victim.
My gamer brothers & sisters, I would not suggest the following action that we must take now without good cause. I have weighed our options and the best option for us now is this…...CULTURAL SECESSION. Naturally this is a form of segregation where they would more than likely claim they are being segregated by the dominant culture of the gaming community but that is incorrect. For years now we have been the ones who are often marginalized and ostracized for the smaller portion of our community. And when we aren’t, we’re exploited for more funds so that these companies can stay in business only to subject us to low quality products that coincide with the “WOKE Agenda” that are often huge expenses to these big brands i.e. AAA/AAAA games that will eventually flop for its obvious forced diversity and bug infested product which will undoubtedly piss off the consumer to the point of wanting a refund. Losing copious amounts of capital and stock in the process, not to mention their reputation is permanently marred.
We must separate on every cultural level in terms of entertainment and ideology. We must reject everything from the west that promotes toxic western beliefs, practices, and exclusion from other cultures (i.e. Southeastern Countries such as Japan and Korea). Japan & Korea have been the targets of unjust discrimination from Western Developers, Western Journalists, Western Localizers (The Wokelizers) and Western Society Prejudice regarding their sense of aesthetics as Westerners hate the aesthetic sense of these countries. The reason why they resort to such base tactics isn’t just because it weaponizes the ideal female form but it’s also because they have deep-seated insecurities about their own looks so when they see attractive female characters, they use terms such as “unrealistic” or “hypersexualized” to establish the moral high ground. But the truth is, they want to feel superior to that which is ideal, so they insult and dehumanize this figure that portrays natural female beauty because they see it as an insult to their own social superiority in what they believe is a hierarchy of them being at the top of all other women. Because of this and so many contributing factors, their movies flop harder than the Fat Chocobo landing on a group of enemies and their games seismically fail just as much if not more. We must sever our connection to Western Developers, Publishers, and ALL Western-Centric Entertainment for they seek to mentally enslave us to their Xenophobic ideology.
Let’s define Western Culture and its traits. Western Culture/Society is composed of more than several different ideologies that work in unison with one another to facilitate dominance over multiple aspects of society. Business, Social, Political, Technological, and sometimes even Global Affairs are affected by these ideologies that portray a specific mindset of Western beliefs. What are those ideologies you ask?

• Perpetual Victimhood: By weaponizing the fact that they are marginalized and of a small portion of western society, they can push their agenda to absurd standards that ultimately ostracize the main demographic. And when companies don’t capitulate, they are labeled as anti-progressive/misogynist’s or cohorts of White Supremacy. They use this to cancel their targets and silence them through societal defamation to keep the public on their side. They also use this mindset to justify their own lack of self-agency as they tend to throw companies who do adhere to their demands but miserably fail to turn a profit under the bus so that they can maintain face in front of the public while denying their actual involvement. They will never accept “Sense of Agency” when it’s negative but will gladly accept it when a positive outcome shines on them as if they are entitled to it.

Official Wiki GamerGate Page)
​

• Societal Terrorism: This is another form of ideology weaponization that they use in order to make companies “toe-the-line” with their agenda. By weaponizing cancel culture, they exert dominance over these companies but in exchange they also reimburse those companies with DEI & ESG funds that raise their credit score as well as having social status with the marginalized demographic. However; cancel culture has not succeeded in years and developers and publishers probably only want the money and the DEI ESG rating. But they have to maintain the image of having social economic power so that they can continue to strong-arm other developers into compliance and promoting financial benefits of DEI & ESG. In other words, if you are not for sale, they discredit and stigmatize you in the industry.

Asmongold Clips.
https://youtu.be/Iq86DnmX2xY
​

• “Its not us, its you who’s wrong” Mentality: This mentality is especially annoying as they tend to use it to hide their incompetence. They often look down upon gamers who are not in the industry to hide their obvious lack of knowledge on game development thinking that their job title grants them special status that they believe gives them the right to be condescending. But the truth they never wanted revealed has already strangled their careers of all credibility. They were never GAMERS, they were INVADERS. Community Colonists that seek to indoctrinate next generational gamers into their hive-mind and brand previous generations of gamers as villains.

@GeeksandGamers
https://youtu.be/1HbrTkqQFuM
​

• Double-standard Enforcement: By labeling something as “unrealistic” or “hypersexualized”, they can claim this is morally wrong if it promotes traditional dynamics between men and women. Heterosexual relationships are condemned while at the same time Same-sex relationships are praised. Additionally, heterosexual relationships with main white male characters turn antagonistic and spotlight stealing. This is deliberate as to promote the “Girl Boss” ideology to indoctrinate women into the Feminazi state of mind. While at the same time, should a male character also adopt the “I don’t need male/female” ideology its seen as Toxic Masculinity which isn’t even a real thing. The idea of a strong male character is taboo while enforcing strong female characters is the ideal.

@MugenLord
https://youtu.be/to5Uciy_yeg
@EndymionTv
https://youtu.be/7TPTR8-qmbk
​

• Dehumanization/Demonization: This is something that most military branches use in order to remove conscious inhibitions such as mass slaughter is wrong or categorization. By enforcing ideologies to denounce humanity in certain targets, it deactivates your conscience by saying this is not human therefore its ethically okay to treat this target without compassion and deny the fact it has sentience. We gamers fall under this category for journalists, developers, companies and society at large. This is a tactic we are familiar with to an extent as it implies that we are not normal when we do not do what everybody else is doing. “Geeks are the worse” or “Nerds need to fall into a pit of lava” are verbal dehumanization forms that most people in society say and we as Gamers tend to be relegated to those categories. This is their way of imposing the social hierarchy on us by establishing superiority. We know this as Gamers as we see it very often in the games that we play and some times experience it in real life.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gamergate#The_end_of_their_relevance
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• Deflection/Projection: This is basic psychology 101. By redirecting the conversation away from their mistakes and back on to the opposing view to avert blame and justify their innocence they can avoid criticism. However; deflection is a CONSCIOUS decision, meaning they have no real argument to justify their incompetence. If you can consciously process the situation, you have self-agency which means you don’t have a legitimate excuse. Projection is something else entirely. Most times, Projection doesn’t work on conscious decisions rather it is automatically deployed when feeling threatened, anxious or both. Instead of accepting accountability for feelings or actions that are deemed socially unacceptable they accuse others of committing that unacceptable behavior thereby exonerating themselves and proving that those feelings and/or actions are not their own.

@TheTrentReport
https://youtu.be/bPIPSKruYRo
These traits are so nefarious and unconscionable that I have a hard time believing that anyone could harbor them. However, given the social, political, and economic climate that we are in, those in power who use their influence on controlling society most definitely possess these insidious traits. Everything that they do is all about control and since video games are the biggest market in the world, they want control over it and the communities built around it to accrue more wealth and to use that wealth to subjugate other cultures. Mainstream media is a tool as well as mainstream organizations and sites to help accomplish this goal.
The government recently announced its intentions towards what they believe is “GamerGate 2.0” and now even the ADL has made an official appearance, referring to gamers as “extremist’s”. We know EXACTLY what they are doing, and they aren’t even trying to hide it anymore because they don’t think we are aware of their motives. This is just a pretext for them to exert even more control and we know why, it’s because they want the influence we as a community have to must serve them. So here is what we do my fellow gamers-
“In light of recent events and years of mainstream stigma, we the members of the Global Gaming Community [GGC] must officially renounce ALL TIES to the corporate western video game market. We have been financially exploited through predatorial monetization schemes, pelted with numerous articles of disdain and intentional misrepresentation from game journalists, news outlets regarding us as dangerous individuals and, even subjected to inferior products not only riddled with bugs but also products meant to push political agendas. For the preservation of our community and its unique culture, apart from a few select game development studios we officially sever all connections to western owned video game companies & their mainstream affiliates. From this point onward, we will no longer support western corporate developers, journalists and publishers that do not coincide with the goals of our community.”
Naturally this is completely optional. If you are okay with the state of the gaming community as it is, feel free to ignore this. But if you wish for real change and a break away from oversaturated monetization in the games you play and the push for radical ideological reform, then you are in the right place. Lets sever these rotted miasmic ties once and for all so that our community can be preserved and made better for future gamers. If you agree with this, share it with whoever you think might be interested. The more gamers who get involved, the easier it will be for us to finally break free from mainstream game companies and their associates.

Not funny. I didn't laugh. Your joke is so bad I would have preferred the joke went over my head and you gave up re-telling me the joke. To be honest this is a horrible attempt at trying to get a laugh out of me. Not a chuckle, not a "hehe", not even a subtle burst of air out of my esophagus. Science says that, before you laugh, your brain preps your facial muscles, but I didn't even feel the slightest twitch. 0/10 this "joke" is so bad I can't believe anyone legally allowed you to be creative at all. The amount of brainpower you must have put into that "joke" to make it unfunny has the potential to power every house on Earth. Get a personality and learn how to make jokes; read a book. I'm not saying this to be funny; I genuinely mean it to articulate how this is just bottom-barrel embarrassment at comedy. You've single-handedly killed humor and every comedic act on the planet. I'm so disappointed that society has failed as a whole in being able to teach you how to be funny. Honestly, if I put in all my power and time to try and make your joke funny, it would require Einstein himself to build a device to strap me into so I can be connected to the energy of a billion stars to do it, and even then all that joke would get from people is a subtle scuff. It was like you told a knock-knock joke without the door. It's as if you stumbled upon the concept of wit in a dark alley and decided to mug it of all its charm before clumsily presenting it as your own. Maybe you should take a crash course in joke construction because what you just delivered was like watching someone fumble through a minefield of missed punchlines. I have to say, your attempt at humor was as dry as a desert in a drought. It's like you reached into a bag of jokes marked "expired" and pulled out the moldiest one you could find. I'm all for a good laugh, but your joke was more cringe-inducing than comedic. It's as if you were aiming for a chuckle but hit the mark of awkward silence instead. I've seen funnier things on the back of a cereal box. Honestly, your joke was about as refreshing as a sip of flat soda. If laughter is the best medicine, then your joke was like a bitter pill that's hard to swallow. It was about as funny as getting a root canal without anesthesia. Your joke was like a deflated balloon, lacking any wit or originality. Next time, maybe try a different approach, because this one fell flatter than a pancake beneath a steamroller. Your joke was about as amusing as watching paint dry in a retirement home. I've seen more humor in an instruction manual for assembling IKEA furniture. Your attempt at wit was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except the needle was laughter and the haystack was your punchline. I've heard funnier jokes from a malfunctioning GPS trying to give directions through a corn maze. Your comedic timing was so off, it's like you were playing a different game altogether. If your joke were a movie, it would have been titled "The Unfunny Chronicles" and gone straight to DVD. Even crickets were silent after that attempt at humor. You're lucky I still have the slightest of empathy for you after telling that joke. Otherwise, I would have committed every war crime in the book just to prevent you from cracking an attempt at humor ever again. We should put that joke in textbooks so future generations can be wary of becoming such an absolute comedic failure. I'm disappointed, hurt, and outright offended that my precious time has been wasted trying to understand that joke. In the time that took me to understand I was planning on helping kids who have been orphaned, but because of that "joke", you've wasted my time explaining the obscene integrity of your terrible attempt at comedy. Now those kids are suffering without meals and there's nobody to blame but you. I hope you're happy with what you have done. I'd recommend you stick to something safer, like telling knock-knock jokes to a wall because at least the wall won't groan in agony at your punchlines.
My own.
original :)

So I'm 34, and I have a 2003 ford expedition 5.4L 2 valve, I'm looking at buying my first trailer within a few weeks.
I'm currently looking at a aspen trail 17bh by Dutchman, I found a few nearby me for 14k brand new.
My credit union is offering me 8.49% apr over 84 months which works out to about 180 a month.
My biggest questions are what should I be prepared for? I'm looking at a 10000lb weight distribution hitch, and a Curt brake controller.
My truck (the expedition) is rated for 10klbs, the trailer is 3500 dry, and about 5000 full.
I have a predator 3500w inverter gen, with remote start, and I plan on getting an enclosure for it that mounts to the front A-Frame.
I plan on living out of it for 6 weeks at a time when I'm working in Oregon. So I was planning on grabbing a 100lb propane tank I can stick in the truck so I'm not running into town every 3 days for more propane, and I was thinking of doing a dual fuel conversation on the generator.
I also plan on adding a couple deep cycle batts and the truck already has 5 110ah batteries and 400w of solar I plan on connecting to the coach