Muscular system labed and colored

We are taught that there are 11 major organ systems in the human body.

2014.02.08 16:44 We are taught that there are 11 major organ systems in the human body.

We are taught that there are 11 major organ systems in the human body. Endo Cannabinoid System is within all animals
[link]


2016.09.13 16:17 TMJ-Doc TMJ: Physiologic Treatment of TMJ Disorders and Neuromuscular Dentistry Testimonials

TMJ: Neuromuscular Dentistry is the Physiologic Approach to eliminating and/or treating chronic headaches, migraines, jaw pain, TMJoint pain, myofascial pain, ear pain and neck associated with TMJ disorders and postural issues including sleep apnea and snoring. It is the ideal method to approach cosmetic Dentistry and dental reconstruction. This Reddit is primarily a site for Neuromuscular Dentistry Testimonials. #TMJtesttimonial, #Testimonialtmj, #neuromusculardentistrytestimonial
[link]


2011.11.14 02:25 Helpful_guy Skyrim "Porn"

The central hub for showing off all your aesthetically pleasing Skyrim screenshots.
[link]


2024.05.17 00:20 JosedeNueces Looking for source of reflective labels

Hello, I'm the owner of a company specializing in vehicle registration systems for small government entities such as municipal golf cart, pedicab, etc registrations and currently I mostly deal with subcontracting license plates and renewal stickers but I'm now looking into actually starting to produce the stickers myself
I already know most states simply use thermal transfer barcode label printers so I'm about to go that route, but my issue is sourcing the reflective labels, as I spoke to the supplier to a lot of state DMVs (Taylor Corperation) and they told me their minimum order is atleast 50 rolls of stickers (1,000 stickers per roll) of each color which is far beyond my current demand.
submitted by JosedeNueces to CommercialPrinting [link] [comments]


2024.05.17 00:16 FinalFantasyfan003 Could this run morrowind?

Could this run morrowind?
I was thinking about getting the Xbox version but have been wanting to get a new desktop recently would this work for the version on Steam?
submitted by FinalFantasyfan003 to Morrowind [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:52 Euronotus Ialy (24S — Southwestern Indian)

Latest Observation

Last updated: Thursday, 16 May — 10:00 PM Seychelles Time (SCT; 18:00 UTC)
ATCF 10:00 PM SCT (18:00 UTC)
Current location: 9.4°S 52.1°E
Relative location: 444 km (276 mi) NE of Antsiranana, Diana (Madagascar)
  623 km (387 mi) E of Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles)
Forward motion: SW (235°) at 9 km/h (5 knots)
Maximum winds: 85 km/h (45 knots)
Intensity (SSHWS): Tropical Storm
Intensity (MFR): Moderate Tropical Storm
Minimum pressure: 997 millibars (29.44 inches)

Official forecasts

Meteo France

Last updated: Thursday, 16 May — 10:00 PM SCT (18:00 UTC)
Hour Date Time Intensity Winds Lat Long
  UTC SCT MFR knots km/h °S °E
00 16 May 18:00 10PM Thu Moderate Tropical Storm 40 75 9.0 52.2
12 16 May 06:00 10AM Fri Moderate Tropical Storm 40 75 9.0 51.5
24 17 May 18:00 10PM Fri Moderate Tropical Storm 45 85 8.9 50.7
36 17 May 06:00 10AM Sat Moderate Tropical Storm 45 85 8.9 50.0
48 18 May 18:00 10PM Sat Severe Tropical Storm 50 95 9.2 49.3
60 18 May 06:00 10AM Sun Severe Tropical Storm 50 95 9.1 48.5
72 19 May 06:00 10PM Sun Severe Tropical Storm 50 95 8.5 48.7
96 20 May 06:00 10PM Mon Moderate Tropical Storm 35 65 7.6 49.2
120 21 May 06:00 10PM Tue Remnant Low 25 45 6.3 49.5

Joint Typhoon Warning Center

Last updated: Thursday, 16 May — 4:00 PM SCT (12:00 UTC)
Hour Date Time Intensity Winds Lat Long
  UTC SCT Saffir-Simpson knots km/h °S °E
00 16 May 12:00 4PM Thu Tropical Storm 35 65 9.1 52.5
12 16 May 00:00 4AM Fri Tropical Storm 35 65 9.2 51.9
24 17 May 12:00 4PM Fri Tropical Storm 40 75 9.2 51.1
36 17 May 00:00 4AM Sat Tropical Storm 40 75 9.2 50.2
48 18 May 12:00 4PM Sat Tropical Storm 45 85 9.0 49.5
72 19 May 12:00 4PM Sun Tropical Storm 50 95 8.5 49.1
96 20 May 12:00 4PM Mon Tropical Storm 40 75 7.7 48.8
120 21 May 12:00 4PM Tue Remnant Low 25 45 6.3 48.6

Official information

Meteo France (RSMC Reunion)

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (United States)

Seychelles Meteorological Authority

Radar imagery

Not available

Radar imagery is not currently available for this system.

Satellite imagery

Floater imagery

Single bandwidth imagery

Multiple bandwidth imagery

The options to select individual bandwidths on each of the following websites may vary.

Regional imagery

Meteosat

Analysis products

Best track data

Wind analysis and storm intensity estimation products

Sea-surface temperature analysis products

Model products

Storm-specific model guidance

Storm-centered guidance

Track guidance

Track and intensity guidance

Regional single-model guidance

  • Tropical Tidbits: GFS
  • Tropical Tidbits: ECMWF
  • Tropical Tidbits: CMC
  • Tropical Tidbits: ICON

Regional ensemble model guidance

submitted by Euronotus to TropicalWeather [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:44 TaylorGuy18 [H] Victoria 3, Generation Zero, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and 400+ more. [W] Paypal or Venmo Offers.

Trying to clear my backlog of unredeemed stuff and make some money for an upcoming trip, so looking to hopefully clear this list down some, and honestly for most titles on the list I'd be willing to take $1-3 dollars for.
Here is my SteamRep page
And SteamTrades page
And links to Previous Posts I've made since I'm not sure how to update my flair to correctly show the number of trades I've completed.
I also have the Humble Choice coupons for the DLC for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Victoria 3, and Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga, if anyone would be interested in paying for those as well.
ΔV: Rings of Saturn
112 Operator
112 Operator
112 Operator
60 Parsecs!
8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure
911 Operator
911 Operator
911 Operator
A Plague Tale: Innocence
A Short Hike
A Juggler's Tale
Acceleration of SUGURI 2
Aces & Adventures
Ace of Seafood
ADOM (Ancient Domains Of Mystery)
Ai War 2
Alchemist's Castle
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Almost There: The Platformer
Alien Spidy
Agent in Depth
Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Agents of Mayhem
Amanda the Adventurer
American Fugitive
Amnesia: Rebirth
Amnesia: Rebirth
Amnesia: The Dark Descent + Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
Arcade Paradise
Arcade Spirits
Armello
Atomicrops
ATOM RPG Trudograd
Automachef
Autonauts
Autonauts vs Piratebots
Aven Colony
Backbone
Banners of Ruin
Basement
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock
Beat Hazard 2
Beacon Pines
Bee Simulator
Before We Leave
Bendy and the Dark Revival
Beyond the Wire
Black Future ’88
Blazing Beaks
Blue Fire
Book of Demons
Boomerang Fu
Boreal Blade
BPM: BULLETS PER MINUTE
Bravery and Greed
Break Arts 2
Broken Age
Broken Age
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Calico
Cattails: Wildwood Story
Catherine: Classic
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
Children of Morta
Chivalry 2 - Epic Edition
Chess Ultra
Colt Canyon
Conan Chop Chop
Construction Simulator (2015) Deluxe Edition
Control Standard Edition
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!
Coromon
Cosmic Express
Crown Trick
Crusader Kings III
Crying Suns
Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX)
Curse of the Dead Gods
Cyber Hook
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Dandara
Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft - The Eldritch Box DLC
Dark Deity
Darksburg
Darksiders Genesis
Deadly Days
Death Squared
Deleveled
Descenders
Detached: Non-VR Edition
Deep Rock Galactic
Demon Turf
Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
Dirt 5
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Disjunction (GOG Key)
Doughlings Arcade
Doughlings Invasion
Draw Slasher
Drawful 2
Driftland: The Magic Revival
DUCATI - 90th Anniversary
Due Process
Duskers
Earthlock
Edge of Eternity
Edge of Eternity
Effie
Eldest Souls
ELDERBORN
ELEX
Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG
ENCODYA (GOG key)
Endless Space 2
Endless Space 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
Endzone - A World Apart
Europa Universalis IV
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Everhood
Evoland Legendary Edition
Exapunks
Expeditions: Rome
Expeditions: Viking
F1® 2019 Anniversary Edition
Fable Anniversary
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
Farmer's Dynasty
Farming Simulator 17
Farming Simulator '17 - Platinum Edition
Fantasy Blacksmith
Felix The Reaper
Fight'N Rage
First Class Trouble
Fling to the Finish
Friends vs Friends
Frick, Inc.
Frog Detective 1: The Haunted Island
Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard
Forgive Me Father
Fort Triumph
Fury Unleashed
Fury Unleashed
GameGuru
Gamedec - Definitive Edition
GARAGE: Bad Trip
Generation Zero
Ghostrunner
Go Home Dinosaurs
Goat of Duty
Golf Gang
Golf With Your Friends + Caddy Pack + OST
Going Under
Gravel
GRIME
Grow: Song of the Evertree
Guns & Fishes
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guts and Glory
Hacknet
Hack 'n' Slash
Heave Ho
Hell Let Loose
Hello Neighbor + Hello Neighbor Hide & Seek
Hell Pie
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Hero Siege Complete
Hero Siege - Cyberpunk Samurai (Class + Skin)
Hero Siege - Avenger Paladin (Class + Skin)
Hero Siege - Class - Amazon
Hero Siege - Demon Slayer Bundle + Spawn Skin (Class)
Hero Siege - Class - Shaman
Hero Siege - Class - Marauder
Hero Siege - Class - Plague Doctor
Hero Siege - Extra slots & stash space
Hero Siege - ClassShield Lancer
Hero's Hour
Heroes of Hammerwatch
Hexologic
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hollow Knight
Hokko Life
Horizon Chase Turbo
HUMANKIND: Definitive Edition
Hyper Gunsport
I Am Fish
Immortal Redneck
Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition
Into the Pit
Into the Breach
In Other Waters
Iris and the Giant
Iron Danger
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
John Wick Hex
Juno: New Origins
Just Cause 4 Complete Edition
Just Die Already
Katana ZERO
Kerbal Space Program
Kero Blaster
Killsquad
Kingdom Two Crowns
Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
Laser League
Last Call BBS
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Legion TD 2 - Multiplayer Tower Defense
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Lethal League Blaze
Levelhead
LiEat
Life Is Strange 2: Complete Season
Life is Strange: True Colors
Lightmatter
Littlewood
Little Orpheus
Lust from Beyond: M Edition
Lust from Beyond - M Edition
Magicka
Main Assembly
Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - War Chest Edition
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus
Merchant of the Skies
Midnight Protocol
Minoria
MirrorMoon EP
Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae
Möbius Front ‘83
MOLEK-SYNTEZ
Moon Hunters
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight
Monaco
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
MORDHAU
Morkredd
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021
Mount & Blade: Warband
My Friend Pedro
Narita Boy
NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER
NBA Playgrounds
Nebuchadnezzar
NecroWorm
Necromunda: Hired Gun
Neoverse
Neverout
NeuroVoider
Nex Machina
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Niffelheim
Nimbatus - The Space Drone Constructor
Non-Stop Raiders
Oaken
OlliOlli World Rad Edition
Operation: Tango
Opus Magnum
Orbital Racer
Orbital Racer
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength
Othercide
OTXO
Overload
Overcooked! 2 + Too Many Cooks! + Surf n' Turf Pack
Out of Reach: Treasure Royale
PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2
Panzer Paladin
Patch Quest
Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Pathologic 2
Partisans 1941
Party Hard
Party Hard
Path of Giants
Pawnbarian
Paw Paw Paw
PAYDAY 2
PGA Tour 2K21
PGA Tour 2K21
Planet TD
Planet Zoo
Pill Baby
Pikuniku
Pixplode
Pool Panic
Popup Dungeon
Post Void
Prodeus
Project Chemistry
Project Wingman
Project Winter
Psychonauts
Pumpkin Jack
Puss!
Purrfect Date - Visual Novel/Dating Simulator
Quadrata
Quantum Break
Radio Commander
Raiden V: Director's Cut
Railway Empire
Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville
Rebel Inc: Escalation
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
Relicta
Remnants of Naezith
Remnants of Naezith
Remothered: Broken Porcelain
Regular Human Basketball
Regions of Ruin
Retimed
Retrowave
Revolver 360 Re:Actor
Ring of Pain
Ring of Pain
Road 96
Roadwarden
Roarr! Jurassic Edition
Roguebook
Rollerdrome
Rover Mechanic Simulator
Rustler
Rym 9000
Say No! More
ScourgeBringer
Secret Neighbor
Seven: The Days Long Gone
Shadows: Awakening
Shady Part of Me
shapez + puzzle DLC
Shenmue III
Shing!
Shining Resonance Refrain
Shoppe Keep 2
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
SIMULACRA + SIMULACRA 2
Size Matters
Slay the Spire
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
Slinger VR
Slipstream
Smile For Me
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
Speed Brawl
Spirit of the Island
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Soulblight
Soulblight
Soul Searching
Soulstice
Starbound
Stick Fight
stikir
Strange Brigade
Struggling
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Sunset Overdrive
Sunless Bundle (Sunless Sea + Sunless Skies)
Supraland
Super Daryl Deluxe
SUPERHOT
Super Magbot
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
Superliminal
Surviving Mars
Surviving the Aftermath
Suzerain
Swag and Sorcery
S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster
Swords and Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon
Sword Legacy Omen
Syberia 3
SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
System Shock Enhanced Edition
System Shock Enhanced Edition
System Shock 2
Tabletop Playground
Telefrag VR
Temtem
Terraformers
The Amazing American Circus
The Ambassador: Fractured Timelines
The Final Station
The Forgotten City
The King's Bird
The Inner World
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Long Dark
The Red Lantern
The Occupation
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition
The Serpent Rogue
The Shapeshifting Detective
The Stillness of the Wind
The Suicide of Rachel Foster
The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia
The Quarry Deluxe Edition
The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day
The USB Stick Found in the Grass
This is the Police
This is the Police 2
This War of Mine
Through the Darkest of Times
Tilt Brush
TOHU
Tools Up!
Total Tank Simulator
Tooth and Tail
Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove
Train Station Renovation
Treasure Hunter Simulator
Tropico 4
Tropico 6 - El Prez Edition
TSIOQUE
Turbo Golf Racing
Turok
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
VVVVVV
Vagante
Valfaris
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition
Verlet Swing
Victoria 3
Voidigo
Wandersong
Wandersong
Wargroove
Wargroove
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – Ultimate Edition
Warhammer: Chaosbane
WARSAW RISING: City of Heroes
Wasteland 3
We Are Alright
We Need To Go Deeper
West of Dead
West of Dead
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?
Windjammers 2
Wingspan
Wizard of Legend
Wizard of Legend
World of Goo
Worms Revolution
Worms Rumble
Worms Rumble + Legends Pack
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin
Wrench
WWE 2K23
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
XCOM 2
XCOM 2 + XCOM 2: Reinforcement Pack and XCOM 2: Resistance Warrior Pack
XCOM: Chimera Squad
X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack
X-Morph: Defense + European Assault, Survival of the Fittest, and Last Bastion DLC
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
Yoku's Island Express
Zombie Driver HD
Zombie Night Terror
submitted by TaylorGuy18 to SteamGameSwap [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:43 LordXamon Vanilla-friendly mod recommendations. QoL, performance, retextures, and more!

Let me share my 3000h of modded wisdom with you, my fellow vanilla comrades. My attempt here is to provide you with as many as possible improvements to the base game while keeping the style, balance, and content as vanilla as possible. As they say, when it works the best is when you don't realize it is there. I guarantee you that after playing for a while with these, you will no longer be able to tell what's from the base game and what's not.
You don't know how to mod? Maybe this very basic guide will help. Please, note that many mods come with options to tune up your experience. It is recommended you give them a look.
You can find the steam collection here. Be aware that some of these mods require the DLCs. You don't have the DLCs? Just don't use the mod.
Dependencies:
Performance
Minor changes
Mayor changes
Balance
Content
Atmospheric changes
Bonus: comics! And the occasional animation. I noticed newbies aren't aware of these, so I linked the profiles of all the artists I could remember. Sorry if I missed someone. u/daleksdeservevictory, u/AzulCrescent, u/AetherealVanguard, u/ATTF , u/Aelanna , srgrafo, u/Fonzawa, u/Ivancmedia, u/zyll3, u/meto30, u/AeolysScribbles, u/cavalier753, u/GABESTFY, u/VectorData, u/arxian, u/Nguyenanh2132, u/sorrowful_dance, u/meto30, u/-desdinova-, u/truffli
submitted by LordXamon to RimWorld [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:34 goBerserk_ Project Napoleon Chapter 4

Fletch gently pushed open the large and lavishly decorated bronze doors of the university administration building and ambled out into the portico. He set his cup of coffee down on the pedestal of a granite pillar and pulled his cigarette case from the breast pocket of his tan trench coat. The old chief inspector plucked a cigarette from the ornately engraved case with slender fingers and wondered why the Kael let him come at all.
Something felt very off with the whole thing. The more he thought about it, the more he questioned the story he got. Mike Anderson was certainly depressed, but as far as Fletch could tell, he had not displayed any suicidal behavior. And why now? Fletch thought. Things were on the upswing for the kid. His grades were excellent, his family situation was good, and he was out of the house more this term than the last. Fletch scratched his mustache. Why would the seals hide the autopsy and the gun? He brought the cigarette to his lips, snapped the filigreed case shut, and slipped it back into the breast pocket of his coat. Fletch flicked open his lighter and sighed as he lit his cigarette. Murder.
It was a hopeless case. These days, warrants were approved by the seals, and even if they weren't, he doubted that he could get one anyway. His suspicion of foul play was backed by nothing but his instinct.
Fletch watched students hustle and bustle through the plaza in front of him as he puffed away at his cigarette and pondered his theory.
But why kill him now? They could have done it in complete secrecy while he was a POW. And it couldn’t be to keep what happened in Philadelphia under wraps. His death brings more attention to it. And he wasn’t a rebel. So why? Fletch sipped at his coffee as he flicked ash from his cigarette. Vengeance? Did he kill some noble brat during the war?
Fletch scratched at his grey mustache and glanced at his watch. I’ll have to follow that thread. He tossed his half-smoked cigarette into a puddle as he briskly walked down the steps and through the university plaza.
The withered investigator was deep in thought when he entered the parking lot. What do I tell that Enrique chap? He unlocked his car and crawled in. I certainly can’t tell him that his mate’s been clipped with no evidence. Fletch turned the key, and the engine of his little Volvo sputtered to life. It’s no bleeding use. I’ll just tell the lad they weren’t interested in sharing and keep my suspicions to myself.
As he reached for the shifter, Fletch noticed a delightfully thick manilla envelope stuck in the gap between the center console and the passenger seat.
He pulled the envelope from the crack. Gingerly, he opened it and pulled out a small note. It read We’re even now, prick.
Fletch smiled and couldn’t help but mutter, “The game is afoot,” as he flicked through the stack of documents inside.
Isabella poked her head into the large office and saw Professor Dret’la with a ball of dark green yarn on her lap and bone darning needles beset with carvings in her hands.
Isabella was struck with confusion. What? She crochets!?
The professor looked up from her labor, spotted the confused girl outside her door, and called, “Come in.”
Isabella walked into the office and took a seat. She gestured to the yarn in the professor's hands. “What are you making?”
The professor smiled as motherly as one could with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. “It will be a hat for my son. He just received his commission as a junior biologist, so he has to rummage around in freezers to get samples for his whole research team.”
Isabella blinked. This was not characteristic at all for the quick-tempered professor with a penchant for launching chalk across lecture halls at the mildest provocation.
Isabella shook off her shocked expression and gave the tall professor a dimpled cheek smile. “That’s so sweet! I’m sure he’ll love it. One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was a thick wool sweater from my mamma during a training exercise off the coast of Norway.”
The professor, still smiling, sat up straight. “I hope that’s the kind of reception I get.”
The professor’s demeanor hardened as she stowed the yarn and needles in the desk drawer. “Now, let's get down to business.”
Isabella gulped.
“To start, congratulations. You’ve passed our testing and been selected for officer training.”
Isabella asked, “Who else was selected?”
“There are nine others: Robert Rhodes, Elena Pavel, Hal Jellico, Zheng Li, Brooke Halsey, Colow Aden, Magnus Tordenskjold, Bill Lee, and Kazuya Yamamoto.”
Isabella didn’t recognize all the names.
“Should you choose to accept, you will be taking a prep course taught by Colonel Ocidea and I starting next week and lasting all through the summer. If we deem you ready, you’ll ship out for basic training and then off to the Royal Military Academy, where you can earn your commission.” Dr. Dret’la leaned in close to Isabella. “Do you accept?”
Without hesitation, Isabella answered, “Yes.”
“Mike, come over here. You’re going to want to see this.” Calty voiced from her seat in the front of the cockpit.
Mike rolled off the couch and walked into the front of the cockpit as the captain shouted, “Decelerate!” Mike couldn’t help but grab onto the back of Calty’s seat as the FTL drive kicked into gear. The cockpit glass dimmed just before blindingly bright blue jets of fire from the front-facing engines came into view. A bright green circle flickered onto the glass surrounding a marble-sized dot darker than the rest of the now dim screen. The dots and circles expanded at an extreme pace until they took up most of the display. Another dot appeared—minuscule compared to the other—surrounded by a red circle. The growth of the shadowy dots and the circles around them slowed and then stopped entirely as the engines sputtered out.
The HUD faded out of view, and the tint of the glass slowly lightened, revealing a vast planet embraced by blue-green ice with a colossal foundry in its orbit. The planet, a gas giant called Drassus, was orbited by four rings. One was made of containers, and the other three were made up of loose ore gleaming in the nearby star's light. Exhaust chimneys spewing gas and fire sprouted from the otherwise spherical foundry, giving it a sea urchin-like profile, which, together with the weave of pipes bringing fuel from beneath the icy surface of the planet below, made the foundry resemble an old naval mine.
The captain strode up to the front of the cockpit. “One-third ahead and steer 14 degrees left. We’re unloading in bay three.”
Six mech suits and a tug exited a plasma-shielded hanger as the ship came to a halt. The mechs glided to the front of the ship and started dismounting the external cargo bay from the Broken Fin while the tug hitched onto the opposite end of the ten-kilometer-long rack of containers.
A little while later, the tug pulled away with the load of containers, and the comm system blared to life. “Broken Fin, you are cleared to leave. The UO corporation thanks you for your business.”
The captain replied, “Our pleasure. Broken fin out.” as the ship pulled out of the loading bay.
He turned to the navigation officer and said, “Lock in coordinates for jump to Kael Prime.”
The captain went to the central control board and pulled up traffic control. “Tower 1, this is the Broken Fin. We request a jump slot to Kael Prime from Drassus.”
“Broken Fin, request granted. Your departure slot is at 16:33.”
Mike glanced at the top right of the ship's HUD and looked at the time. 16:21.
Better get my stuff together…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ship shuddered ever so slightly despite the inertial dampeners as it exited FTL. Mike was lounging on the couch with his bag at his feet. He was ready to get off this tub.
Mike idly watched flames lick at the cockpit window as the ship descended into the atmosphere of Kael Prime. He looked at Dreki, who was sitting on the other couch. His muscles bulged through his clothes despite wearing a white sweater so large it could be mistaken for the sail of an average-sized boat. Mike asked, “Do you know anything about what’ll happen to me now?”
The big Kael shifted in his seat. “Technically, I’m not supposed to tell you anything, but what the hell.” Dreki pulled the collar of his sweater down, revealing an angry white number burnt into his iron-gray skin just below the collarbone. “First, you’ll get branded.” He released his shirt and pointed to a small scar on the side of his head. “Then you’ll get an AR implant.”
“Where will I be getting that?” Mike asked.
“The Imperial Science Academy. We’re going to be staying there for a few days. They’ll run a bunch of tests and get you fitted for equipment there. After that, I’ll drop you off at the spaceport, and you’ll be off to Tlaxcalssus for basic training. After that, I don’t know.”
“Thanks.”
The ship shook as it touched down on the landing pad. “Time to go.” Dreki shouldered his pack and walked out the door. Mike fiddled with the straps of his bag as he followed Dreki down the ramp and to the far side of the ship, away from the rest of the passengers. Mike's nose was immediately assaulted with the acrid smell of sulfur from where the fiery exhausts of engines had melted asphalt. The spaceport was swarming with vehicles and filled with the constant roar of ship engines and a symphony of smaller equipment. Power loaders and mechs loaded and unloaded heavy cargo, shuttles bustled to and fro with passengers, baggage carriers snaked through the crowded landing pads, and vehicles that looked like floating garage doors zipped through the air at ankle height, bringing pilots and crew to their ships. Mike couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the absurdity of it all. Here he was, in the heartland of the enemy, walking through what was essentially a ten-acre parking lot.
Dreki plopped his bags on the ground and yawned as he stretched his arms over his head. “Our skiff will be here in a minute.”
Mike tuned out the beeps and whirrs of the tank-sized forklifts and mechs unloading the ship and gazed out beyond at the horizon. You’re not in Kansas anymore, bub. Mike thought as he studied the skyline of the imperial city basked in the glow of the early evening sun. Some of the buildings wouldn’t look all that out of place on Earth, but the skyline was assaulted with abominations that pissed on the laws of physics as Man understood them. Tusk-shaped skyscrapers defied gravity with their seemingly unsupported curves, and even more absurd were pyramids stacked atop another point-to-point like hourglasses. Any delusion of normalcy that Mike could come up with was shattered.
Dreki picked up his bag and pointed to a slab of black marble speeding towards them at ankle height. “Here’s our skiff.” A railing popped out of the center as the skiff came to a gliding halt. Dreki boarded the skiff and took hold of the rail, and Mike followed suit.
They sped through the spaceport and stopped outside what looked to Mike like a train station. Dreki shouldered his bag and stepped off the skiff. Mike stepped off and quickly fell in pace with Dreki. The big Kael led Mike into a grand station bustling with people. Most were Kael, but there was a smattering of other species. Some stared at Mike, others glanced, but most completely ignored him as he followed Dreki through the hall and onto a platform. Unfamiliar aliens clearly weren’t an uncommon sight here.
The walls of the station were covered with mosaics depicting Kael warriors from the distant past. Dreki noted the human's curiosity and said, “The founders of the clans.” He leveled a massive hand toward an opulent, towering mosaic of a Kael warrior wielding a bronze falx. The imposing figure's body was made of blue gemstones, the eyes rubies, one tusk silver, and the other gold. “That’s the founder of my clan, Drekalla Gold Tusk.”
Mike asked, “How’d he manage that?” As he followed Dreki into a mostly empty train car.
Dreki plopped down on a bench. “He was the war priest of Hroptaug the Conqueror during the unification wars. After the wars were won, Hroptaug granted us the Steam Hills.” Dreki pointed through the train window at the mosaic of another warrior whose body was made of milky white pearls. “That one,” He paused and spat on the floor, “Tiblan the Terror, challenged Drekalla to a duel for most of that land. Drekalla was cutting him to pieces, but the craven poisoned his blade. Just before Drekalla could deliver the final blow, the poison reached his heart, and Drekalla died. The only wound on his body was a cut across his forearm that barely drew blood.” Dreki rolled up his sleeve, showing a scar that reached from his elbow to the middle of his forearm. “Every K’alla is cut the same way to remind us of the blood feud.”
Mike inwardly sighed. Kael and their damned feuds… “How long ago was this.”
“Seven thousand four hundred and fifty-one years ago.”
Mike held back a snort. The absurdity of it all. The first human law codes came about to stop blood feuds, and out here, they have feuds that have lasted longer than Earth's recorded history.
“How’s that feud been going as of late?”
Dreki’s face sagged, “Not good.”
They both grew quiet. Mike shuffled uncomfortably.
Mike glanced at the route display and broke the silence, “What's with the middle city, inner city thing?”
Dreki relaxed slightly. “Oh, so the city used to be a fortification. The inner city is actually a volcanic island. The middle is built over the river, and the outer city was built on the banks.”
“I see.”
The doors closed, and the intercom sounded, “Next stop, the inner city.”
Dale Robert’s wrinkled face was unreadable, and his highly decorated black and blue dress uniform immaculate as he led a horse through the street. He felt the eyes of thousands of onlookers on him, and he hated it. The pure black horse had a black leather saddle on its back. Two tall, glossy black boots were placed backward in silver stirrups, and the elaborate hilt of Mike’s basket-hilted broadsword jutted from the top of a black leather scabbard buckled to the saddle. Roberts followed the horse-drawn caisson bearing the flag-draped coffin of his old commanding officer. Not much farther now, he thought. The sounds of the cartwheels rolling and the horse’s tack jangling were wholly drowned out by boots stamping the ground in unison. Almost all of the 1800 survivors of the 801st regiment were there, resplendent in their dress uniforms, marching behind Mike one more time. The local police and fire departments joined them.
Roberts was unsure about it all. He felt that the poor kid's family would have preferred a smaller service back home in Colorado instead of this damn near royal procession. And Roberts was damn sure that the seals did not give their permission for this, no matter what the police chief said.
A reporter ducked through the police barricade and tried to ask the marching soldiers questions, but they remained stone-faced as the procession marched nearer to the gates of Philadelphia National Cemetery. Roberts handed the reigns of the riderless horse to another man in uniform and joined seven other members of Charlie platoon in pulling the casket from the cassion. They silently began their march to the grave, closely followed by General McCarthy, the man who was Joint Chief of Staff, and the color guard. Bagpipers began to blare, “Going Home.” Roberts heard the sound of gravpulse engines and looked up in dismay as a Kael gunship broke through the low clouds and descended to just barely above the cemetery. A loudspeaker blared, “Disperse at once.”
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2024.05.16 23:11 Sweet-Count2557 15 Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break

15 Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break
15 Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break Looking for ways to keep your kids entertained and make the most of their Christmas break in Houston?Well, let me tell you about one exciting activity that will surely pique your interest. Imagine gliding across the ice, surrounded by the sparkling lights and festive atmosphere at Discovery Green's ice skating rink. It's a perfect opportunity for some family fun and a chance to create unforgettable memories.But that's just the beginning! We have compiled a list of 15 things that will guarantee a memorable and enjoyable Christmas break for you and your little ones.So, keep reading to discover the other exciting activities that await you in Houston.Key TakeawaysHouston offers a variety of holiday light displays and attractions, including neighborhoods known for extravagant lights, the Light Park in Katy, and Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston.The Houston Botanic Garden presents Radiant Nature, an illuminated wonderland featuring Chinese lantern installations, offering a unique and enchanting holiday attraction.Ice at Discovery Green provides an outdoor ice skating rink where families can skate with Santa on select days, allowing them to embrace the holiday spirit.Indoor play spaces like Wonderwild in the Heights and Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall offer safe and entertaining environments for kids to release their energy and have a great time during the holiday break.Holiday Lights and DisplaysLet's explore the magical world of holiday lights and displays in Houston, where neighborhoods come alive with dazzling decorations and festive cheer. Houston is known for its extravagant holiday lights, and two neighborhoods that stand out are River Oaks and Pecan Grove. These neighborhoods go all out, creating breathtaking displays that are perfect for holiday lights photography.As you drive around, you'll be amazed by the festive atmosphere that fills the air. The streets are lined with beautiful displays and decorations that will surely put you in the holiday spirit. It's a wonderful experience to immerse yourself in the joy of the season and create lasting memories with your family.If you're looking for a unique light experience, check out The Light Park in Katy. It offers a drive-thru light experience, allowing you to enjoy the dazzling displays from the comfort of your own car.Another immersive holiday event is Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston. Here, you can explore the wonders of space while being surrounded by stunning light displays.But the holiday lights aren't limited to neighborhoods. Houston also offers other attractions that are worth visiting. The Houston Botanic Garden presents Radiant Nature, an illuminated wonderland where you can explore dozens of Chinese lantern installations after dark. It's a magical transformation of the Gardens that showcases the beauty of nature in a new light.For some outdoor fun, head to Ice at Discovery Green. They offer an outdoor ice skating rink where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit.And if you're looking for indoor play spaces, Wonderwild in the Heights and Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall are great options. They provide safe and entertaining environments for your kids to release their energy and have a great time.In Houston, the holiday lights and displays are truly a sight to behold. Whether you're strolling through neighborhoods or visiting attractions, you'll be mesmerized by the festive atmosphere and the stunning decorations. So grab your camera, gather your loved ones, and embark on a magical journey through the best neighborhoods for holiday lights in Houston.Galaxy Lights at Space Center HoustonAs we continue our exploration of Houston's enchanting holiday lights and displays, let's now venture into the immersive and awe-inspiring world of Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston. This holiday event takes Houston's holiday light displays to a whole new level, transporting visitors into a dazzling galaxy of lights and wonder.Here's why you should add Galaxy Lights to your must-visit list this Christmas break:Spectacular Light Displays: Space Center Houston's Galaxy Lights boasts an incredible array of light installations that will leave you in awe. From twinkling stars to colorful planets, you'll feel like you're floating through space as you stroll through this captivating wonderland.Interactive Experiences: In addition to the breathtaking light displays, Galaxy Lights offers interactive experiences that are fun for the whole family. Step into a virtual reality experience and take a journey through the solar system, or try your hand at controlling a rover on Mars. These interactive elements add an extra layer of excitement and engagement to the event.Festive Entertainment: Galaxy Lights also features live performances and festive entertainment to get you in the holiday spirit. From holiday-themed laser light shows to live music, there's something for everyone to enjoy. You can even catch a glimpse of Santa Claus himself as he makes special appearances throughout the event.With Space Center Houston's Galaxy Lights, you'll not only get to experience Houston's holiday light displays, but also embark on an unforgettable journey through the cosmos. So gather your family and embrace the freedom to explore this enchanting holiday event that will create lasting memories for years to come.The Light Park in KatyThe Light Park in Katy offers a mesmerizing drive-thru light experience that will transport you and your family into a magical winter wonderland. As you enter the park, you'll be greeted by a dazzling display of lights, creating an enchanting atmosphere that's sure to ignite your holiday spirit. The drive-thru experience allows you to enjoy the beautiful light displays from the comfort of your own vehicle, making it a convenient and family-friendly holiday activity.As you navigate through the park, you'll be treated to a symphony of colors and shapes, with each display more stunning than the last. From towering Christmas trees adorned with twinkling lights to whimsical scenes depicting Santa's workshop, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The attention to detail is truly remarkable, and you'll find yourself in awe of the artistry and creativity that went into creating this magical light park.The Light Park in Katy is the perfect way to spend an evening with your loved ones. The drive-thru format allows you to go at your own pace and take in the sights at your leisure. Whether you're looking for a romantic date night or a fun outing with the whole family, this holiday attraction has it all.Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant NatureHouston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature presents a breathtaking illuminated wonderland for visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy. Step into a magical illumination that transforms the garden into a nature wonderland, creating an enchanting experience like no other.Here's why you should add Radiant Nature to your list of must-see holiday attractions:Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature: As you wander through the garden, you'll encounter dozens of Chinese lantern installations that come alive after dark. These intricate and colorful lanterns illuminate the surroundings, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere that celebrates the wonders of the natural world.Witness the transformation of the Gardens: Radiant Nature showcases the garden in a whole new light, quite literally. The enchanting illumination highlights the unique features of the plants and landscapes, allowing you to see them in a different perspective. It's a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the botanical world.Create lasting memories with your family: Radiant Nature offers a memorable experience for the whole family. From strolling through illuminated pathways to discovering hidden surprises, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Let the magical ambiance spark joy and wonder in your children's eyes as they explore this captivating nature wonderland.Don't miss out on this enchanting holiday attraction. Radiant Nature at Houston Botanic Garden promises to transport you to a world of magical illumination and natural beauty. So, gather your loved ones and embark on a delightful adventure that will leave you with cherished memories.Ice Skating at Discovery GreenGet ready to lace up your skates and hit the ice at Discovery Green for a fun-filled and festive ice skating experience. At Discovery Green, you can enjoy outdoor ice skating in the heart of downtown Houston. This popular holiday attraction offers a magical setting where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit.The outdoor ice skating rink at Discovery Green is the perfect place to create lasting memories with your family. Imagine the joy on your children's faces as they take their first steps on the ice. As you skate hand in hand, you can feel the excitement in the air and the holiday cheer all around you.One of the highlights of ice skating at Discovery Green is the opportunity to skate with Santa on select days. This special event allows your little ones to meet Santa Claus himself while enjoying the thrill of gliding on the ice. It's an experience that combines two beloved holiday traditions and will surely make this Christmas break one to remember.Whether you're a seasoned skater or a beginner, Discovery Green's ice skating rink offers a wonderful activity for everyone. The rink is surrounded by festive decorations, adding to the holiday ambiance. So, grab your skates and join in the fun as you twirl and spin on the ice, surrounded by the beauty of Discovery Green.Ice skating at Discovery Green is just one of the many holiday-themed activities that Houston has to offer. So, take advantage of the freedom that the Christmas break brings and explore all the festive attractions in the city. From dazzling light displays to enchanting holiday events, there's something for everyone to enjoy during this magical time of year.Don't miss out on the chance to make unforgettable memories with your loved ones. Lace up your skates and let the adventure begin!Wonderwild Indoor Play SpaceWhen it comes to finding a fun and adventure-filled play space for kids in Houston, Wonderwild in the Heights is the place to be. At Wonderwild, children can enjoy exciting indoor playtime and engage in active entertainment.Here are three reasons why Wonderwild is the perfect destination for your little ones:Endless Fun: Wonderwild offers a wide variety of activities that will keep your kids entertained for hours. From climbing walls to giant slides, there's something for everyone. Children can explore the colorful play structures, navigate obstacle courses, and even bounce on trampolines. The possibilities for fun are endless, and your kids will have a blast letting their imaginations run wild.Safe Environment: Wonderwild prioritizes the safety of its young visitors. The play space is designed with padded floors and walls to ensure a secure environment for children to play freely. Additionally, the staff members are attentive and trained to maintain a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. You can relax and have peace of mind knowing that your kids are in good hands.Physical Activity: In today's digital age, it's important to encourage children to engage in physical activity. Wonderwild provides the perfect opportunity for kids to get moving and stay active. Whether they're climbing, sliding, or jumping, they'll be getting exercise while having fun. This indoor play space allows children to burn off energy and develop their motor skills in a controlled and supervised setting.Frolics Castle at Memorial City MallLocated within Memorial City Mall, Frolics Castle is a fantastic indoor play area where kids can unleash their imaginations and have a blast. This kids play area is the perfect destination for mall entertainment and offers a safe and exciting environment for children to play and explore. With its colorful and whimsical design, Frolics Castle will capture the attention of kids of all ages.Inside Frolics Castle, children can climb, slide, and crawl through various play structures, allowing them to release their energy and have a great time. The castle-themed play area is filled with interactive elements, including tunnels, bridges, and obstacles, that will keep kids engaged and entertained for hours. They can let their imaginations run wild as they pretend to be knights, princesses, or even dragons in this magical setting.Parents can relax and enjoy some shopping or take a break while their children play in Frolics Castle. The play area is conveniently located within Memorial City Mall, making it a convenient option for families looking for mall entertainment. It provides a safe and supervised space for kids to have fun, while also giving parents the chance to browse the mall or grab a bite to eat.Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall is a must-visit destination for families during the holiday break. It offers an enjoyable and engaging experience for kids, allowing them to burn off some energy and have a memorable time. So, if you're looking for a fun and exciting activity for your children, head over to Frolics Castle and let the adventure begin!Neighborhood Holiday LightsAs we explore the enchanting world of holiday lights in Houston, prepare to be dazzled by the neighborhoods that go above and beyond to create a festive atmosphere. There's nothing quite like taking a drive through the city during the holiday season and witnessing the magical display of neighborhood holiday lights.Here are three neighborhoods that are known for their extravagant displays:River Oaks: This upscale neighborhood is famous for its stunning holiday lights. As you drive through the streets, you'll be greeted by beautifully decorated mansions, adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations. It's a sight that will truly take your breath away.Pecan Grove: Located in Richmond, Pecan Grove is another neighborhood that goes all out when it comes to holiday lights. The entire community comes together to create a festive atmosphere, with each house competing to have the most dazzling display. You'll be amazed by the creativity and effort that goes into these decorations.The Light Park in Katy: For a unique and immersive holiday experience, head to The Light Park in Katy. This drive-thru light park features over a million lights, synchronized to holiday music. As you drive through the park, you'll be surrounded by a dazzling display of lights, creating a truly magical atmosphere.Driving through these neighborhoods and experiencing the festive atmosphere is a wonderful way to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family. So grab some hot cocoa, hop in the car, and get ready to be amazed by the neighborhood holiday lights in Houston.Festive Atmosphere DriveReady to immerse yourself in the holiday spirit? Hop in the car and embark on a festive atmosphere drive through the neighborhoods of Houston, where dazzling light displays and beautiful decorations await.There's something magical about driving through neighborhoods adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations. It's a tradition that brings joy and excitement to both young and old. As you cruise through the streets, you'll be greeted by houses decked out in colorful lights, extravagant displays, and whimsical decorations. It's a feast for the eyes and a surefire way to get into the holiday mood.One neighborhood that's known for its extravagant holiday lights is River Oaks. The houses in this area go all out, creating a truly enchanting atmosphere. Pecan Grove is another neighborhood worth visiting, as it boasts stunning displays that are sure to leave you in awe. As you drive around, take your time to admire each house and appreciate the effort that goes into creating such festive scenes.If you're looking for a more immersive experience, consider visiting The Light Park in Katy. This drive-thru light experience offers a dazzling display of lights synchronized to festive music. It's a magical journey that will leave you and your family in awe. Another option is Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston, where you can explore a winter wonderland filled with interactive displays and larger-than-life light installations.A festive atmosphere drive is a wonderful way to create lasting memories with your family. So gather your loved ones, turn up the holiday tunes, and set off on a magical adventure through the neighborhoods of Houston. Enjoy the beauty of the lights, the joy in the air, and the warmth of the holiday spirit. It's a time to be together, to be filled with wonder, and to embrace the magic of the season.Chinese Lantern InstallationsIf you're looking for a unique and enchanting holiday attraction in Houston, be sure to explore the dozens of Chinese lantern installations after dark at the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. This breathtaking display is part of the Chinese lantern festivals, which are cultural celebrations that showcase intricate and vibrant lanterns.Here's why you should make a visit to Radiant Nature a priority this Christmas break:Immersive Experience: As you walk through the Houston Botanic Garden, you'll be transported to a world of wonder and magic. The Chinese lantern installations create a mesmerizing ambiance, illuminating the night sky with their stunning colors and designs. It's an experience that will captivate both children and adults alike.Cultural Appreciation: The Chinese lantern festivals are deeply rooted in tradition and symbolism. Each lantern tells a story and represents different aspects of Chinese culture. By visiting Radiant Nature, you'll not only be entertained but also have the opportunity to learn and appreciate the rich heritage behind these beautiful lanterns.Family Bonding: The holiday season is all about spending quality time with your loved ones, and visiting Radiant Nature is the perfect way to do just that. As you stroll together through the garden, you can marvel at the intricate lanterns, share laughter and create lasting memories. It's a chance to slow down, embrace the freedom of the moment, and enjoy the company of your family.Outdoor Ice Skating RinksAfter exploring the enchanting Chinese lantern installations at the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature, it's time to lace up our skates and glide into the next festive adventure - outdoor ice skating rinks. Outdoor ice skating is a classic winter activity that brings joy and excitement to people of all ages. Houston may not have the coldest winters, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy this icy pastime. So, grab your warmest coats and hats, because we're about to hit the ice!When it comes to outdoor ice skating, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, dress in layers to stay warm while on the ice. It's important to stay cozy, but also be able to move freely. Second, wear thick socks to provide extra cushioning and insulation for your feet. And don't forget to bring gloves to keep your hands toasty!Now, let's talk about the best outdoor ice skating rinks in Houston. One popular spot is the Ice at Discovery Green. Located in the heart of downtown, this rink offers a picturesque setting with the city skyline as its backdrop. Another great option is the Memorial City Ice Rink. This outdoor rink is surrounded by festive decorations and offers a fun and lively atmosphere.Whether you're a seasoned skater or a beginner, outdoor ice skating is a fantastic way to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family and friends. So, let's lace up our skates and glide across the ice, feeling the exhilaration and freedom that comes with this winter activity. Houston may not be known for its icy winters, but that won't stop us from enjoying the thrill of outdoor ice skating!Immersive Holiday EventWe can't wait to dive into the immersive holiday event and be transported into a world of enchantment and wonder. Here are three reasons why we're excited about this experience:Interactive Light Displays:Picture yourself surrounded by a mesmerizing array of lights that respond to your touch and movement.Engage with the interactive light installations, creating a unique and personalized experience.Watch as the lights dance and twinkle, illuminating the night and filling you with a sense of joy and awe.Magical Atmosphere:Step into a world where holiday magic comes to life, immersing you in a festive and enchanting atmosphere.Be surrounded by beautifully decorated trees, sparkling ornaments, and whimsical characters that ignite your imagination.As you explore the immersive holiday event, feel the warmth and joy radiating from every corner, making you believe in the magic of the season.Memorable Experiences:This immersive holiday experience offers the perfect opportunity to create lasting memories with your family and loved ones.Capture unforgettable moments as you marvel at the stunning light displays and share laughter and joy together.Whether it's a romantic stroll hand-in-hand, a fun-filled adventure with your children, or a gathering with friends, this event promises to leave a lasting impression.Get ready to be captivated by the immersive holiday experience and be transported into a world filled with interactive light displays, magical atmosphere, and memorable experiences. It's time to embrace the freedom of the holiday season and create cherished memories that will warm your heart for years to come.Enchanted Holiday AttractionGet ready to be transported to an enchanting holiday attraction that will captivate your imagination and fill you with wonder. Houston is home to some truly magical light installations and enchanted holiday crafts that are sure to delight both kids and adults alike.One of the must-visit holiday attractions in Houston is the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. This illuminated wonderland features dozens of Chinese lantern installations that come to life after dark. As you wander through the gardens, you'll witness the magical transformation of the surroundings and experience the beauty of nature in a whole new light. It's a unique and enchanting holiday attraction that isn't to be missed.If you're looking for some outdoor fun, Ice at Discovery Green is the perfect choice. This outdoor ice skating rink offers a festive atmosphere where you can glide across the ice and embrace the holiday spirit. And on select days, you can even skate with Santa himself! It's a fun and festive activity that the whole family can enjoy.For those looking for indoor entertainment, Wonderwild in the Heights is an adventure-filled play space that will provide hours of fun. Let your kids release their energy and have a great time exploring the various play areas. And at Frolics Castle in Memorial City Mall, kids can enjoy free play and let their imaginations run wild.No matter which enchanted holiday attraction you choose to visit, one thing is for sure - you're in for a memorable experience. So gather your family and embrace the joy of the holiday season as you immerse yourselves in dazzling light displays and create lasting memories. Houston has everything you need to make this Christmas break truly magical.Release Energy and Have FunAs we continue our exploration of Houston's enchanting holiday attractions, let's now shift our focus to a subtopic that's perfect for kids (and adults) who need to release their energy and have a whole lot of fun. During the Christmas break, there are plenty of indoor activities and holiday-themed crafts to keep everyone entertained. Here are three options to consider:Indoor Play Spaces:Wonderwild in the Heights provides an adventure-filled play space where kids can climb, slide, and explore to their heart's content. It's a safe and entertaining environment for indoor play, allowing kids to release their energy and have a great time.Frolics Castle at Memorial City Mall offers free play for kids, giving them the freedom to let loose and enjoy themselves. With various play areas and activities, it's a fantastic option for burning off energy and having fun.Holiday Themed Crafts:Many local museums and art centers offer holiday-themed craft workshops during the Christmas break. Kids can unleash their creativity and make their own ornaments, cards, and decorations. It's a great way to engage their imaginations while enjoying the freedom to create.DIY Festive Games:Create your own holiday-themed games at home. From pin the nose on Rudolph to a Santa sack race, the options are endless. Get the whole family involved and have a blast playing these customized games. It's the perfect opportunity to release energy, have fun, and make lasting memories together.With these indoor activities and holiday-themed crafts, kids can have a blast while staying active and engaged during the Christmas break. So, let's embrace the freedom to release energy and have a whole lot of fun!Embrace the Holiday SpiritImmerse yourself in the holiday spirit with a variety of festive activities and events in Houston. Get into the holiday groove by indulging in some delightful holiday crafts and enjoying the enchanting sounds of holiday music. Houston offers plenty of opportunities to embrace the holiday spirit and create lasting memories with your family.Get your creative juices flowing by participating in holiday craft workshops. Many local art centers and community organizations offer classes where you can learn to make your own unique holiday decorations. From handmade ornaments to festive wreaths, these workshops allow you to express your creativity and add a personal touch to your holiday decor.Don't forget to tune in to the sweet melodies of holiday music. Throughout the city, you'll find live performances of your favorite holiday tunes. Whether it's a local choir singing carols or a symphony orchestra playing classical holiday music, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Let the music fill your heart with joy and put you in the holiday spirit.In addition to holiday crafts and music, Houston also boasts stunning light displays that will leave you in awe. Take a drive through neighborhoods like River Oaks and Pecan Grove, known for their extravagant holiday lights. Marvel at the beautifully decorated homes and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere. For a unique experience, visit The Light Park in Katy, where you can enjoy a drive-thru light show that will dazzle your senses.Embracing the holiday spirit in Houston is all about celebrating with loved ones and enjoying the festive atmosphere. So gather your family, put on your favorite holiday tunes, and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow Much Does It Cost to Attend Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston?The cost to attend Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston varies depending on the day and time you visit. It's best to check their website for the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information.When planning your visit, consider going during off-peak times to potentially save on admission costs.Regardless of the cost, experiencing the dazzling light displays and immersive holiday event at Galaxy Lights is sure to create lasting memories for you and your family.Are There Any Special Events or Activities at the Light Park in Katy?Yes, there are special events at the Light Park in Katy that Houston kids will love! With dazzling lights and a drive-thru experience, it's perfect for creating lasting memories with your family.At the Light Park, you can immerse yourself in the holiday spirit and enjoy beautiful displays and decorations. It's an enchanting holiday attraction that will leave you in awe.Can You Purchase Tickets in Advance for Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature?Yes, you can purchase tickets in advance for Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature. Planning in advance is a great idea to ensure availability and secure your spot.Online booking makes it convenient and easy to purchase tickets from the comfort of your home. Pricing information can be found on their website, allowing you to budget accordingly.Don't miss out on this unique and enchanting holiday attraction, so be sure to get your tickets early!What Is the Admission Fee for Ice Skating at Discovery Green?The admission fee for ice skating at Discovery Green during Christmas break isn't mentioned without the context of Things to Do With Houston Kids Over Christmas Break.Is There a Minimum Age Requirement for Children to Play at Wonderwild Indoor Play Space?At Wonderwild indoor play space, there's no minimum age requirement for children to play. This means that kids of all ages can enjoy the adventure-filled play space and have a great time releasing their energy.Indoor play spaces like Wonderwild provide numerous benefits for children, such as promoting physical activity, stimulating imagination, and promoting social interaction.ConclusionSo gather your family and get ready to make some unforgettable memories this Christmas break in Houston! Whether you're marveling at the extravagant holiday lights in River Oaks and Pecan Grove, exploring the immersive Galaxy Lights event at Space Center Houston, or letting your kids release their energy at Wonderwild or Frolics Castle, there's something for everyone to enjoy.And did you know that Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature features over 100 Chinese lantern installations? It's a truly enchanting experience you won't want to miss!
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2024.05.16 23:11 Weathers_Writing They call Silicon Valley the tech capitol of the world. They're wrong

I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
submitted by Weathers_Writing to weatherswriting [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:10 Weathers_Writing They call Silicon Valley the tech capitol of the world. They're wrong

I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.
submitted by Weathers_Writing to nosleep [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:10 Artistic-Buy1062 [FNV] I keep getting random crashes and don't know what to do

As the title says, I keep getting random crashes with "Exception C0000005 caught!" in the crashlog. I tried uninstalling NVHR and it solved the problem for a while, I already downloaded the last JIP beta in the xNVSE discord but it keeps happening and it appears to be random, because sometimes I can play like for an hour or longer but other times it crashes after five minutes or so, the last one happened fifteen minutes after I opened the game. Here is my loadorder:
  1. FalloutNV.esm
  2. DeadMoney.esm
  3. HonestHearts.esm
  4. OldWorldBlues.esm
  5. LonesomeRoad.esm
  6. GunRunnersArsenal.esm
  7. Fallout3.esm
  8. Anchorage.esm
  9. ThePitt.esm
  10. BrokenSteel.esm
  11. PointLookout.esm
  12. Zeta.esm
  13. CaravanPack.esm
  14. ClassicPack.esm
  15. MercenaryPack.esm
  16. TribalPack.esm
  17. TaleOfTwoWastelands.esm
  18. YUPTTW.esm
  19. NavmeshOverhaul.esm
  20. TTW Ultimate Invisible Wall Remover.esm
  21. FO3_Optimization.esm
  22. Main And Pause Menus Overhaul.esm
  23. TweaksTTW.esm
  24. Tale of Bi Wastelands.esm
  25. TTW Reputations.esm
  26. Tale of Bi Wastelands + TTW Reputations Patch.esm
  27. TTW New Vegas Speech Checks.esm
  28. TTW New Vegas Speech Checks - TTW Reputations Patch.esm
  29. Tale of Bi Wastelands + TTW NV Speech Checks Patch.esm
  30. Functional Post Game Ending.esm
  31. Functional Post Game Ending - TTW Patch.esm
  32. TLD_Travelers.esm
  33. A Trail of Crumbs.esm
  34. Regulators.esm
  35. Uncut Wasteland.esp
  36. Uncut Extra Collection.esp
  37. Functional Post Game Ending - Uncut Wasteland And Extra Collection Patch.esm
  38. AWorldOfPainFO3.esm
  39. Sweet Pain.esm
  40. A World of Pain Revised.esm
  41. Sweet Pain NV.esm
  42. MoreMojave.esm
  43. Home and Safehouse Tweaks.esm
  44. Home and Safehouse Tweaks - TTW Addon.esm
  45. Lootable Statics.esm
  46. zl_Armaments_Remastered.esm
  47. Tammer's NIF-Bashed Weapons Mega-Pack.esm
  48. [RWM]-Complete.esm
  49. mil.esp
  50. mil-TTWPlacements.esp
  51. mil_Add-On.esp
  52. Tactapack.esp
  53. SD_Transporters.esp
  54. Pl DOCTORS.esp
  55. CFEE.esp
  56. CFEE - TTW.esp
  57. drgNV - Melissa Companion.esm
  58. IFoundThoseWhoCare.esp
  59. The Mod Configuration Menu.esp
  60. TLD LVLI Total Overhaul.esp
  61. TTW FaceGen Fix.esp
  62. Vanilla UI Plus.esp
  63. Power Armor Holo Panel.esp
  64. PAHP_Edits.esp
  65. PipBoyUITweaks.esp
  66. ExRB-TTW.esp
  67. FOVSlider.esp
  68. ItemCards.esp
  69. 3DGrenadeIndicator.esp
  70. QuickSelect.esp
  71. SimpleNightVision.esp
  72. Immersive Minigames.esp
  73. NVCollectiblesMerged.esp
  74. TTWCollectiblesMerged.esp
  75. [RWM]-Complete Added.esp
  76. Casino Exchange All.esp
  77. DelayDLCRedux.esp
  78. Root 'n Loot.esp
  79. JIP Companions Command & Control.esp
  80. JustAssortedMods.esp
  81. JBTImproved.esp
  82. ImmersiveRecoil.esp
  83. Reload Reloaded.esp
  84. DynamicDetectionSystem.esp
  85. TTWZetaRewards.esp
  86. TTWTransportalponderEx.esp
  87. Supplemental Ammo Crafting.esp
  88. Benny Humbles You and Steals Your Stuff.esp
  89. GRA Scavenger Hunt Unbalanced.esp
  90. GUWR - TTW Patch.esp
  91. DelayDLCReduxPOPP.esp
  92. SP TTW Patch.esp
  93. MoreMojave - FPGE Patch.esp
  94. TTW No PipBoy Glove Equipping or Race Changes.esp
  95. MigArmorDegen.esp
  96. MigCrippled.esp
  97. New Blood.esp
  98. S6S Base Game Perks Redux.esp
  99. S6S Base Game Perks Redux TTW Side.esp
  100. S6S Perks.esp
  101. Friends With Benefits Perk Pack.esp
  102. Vegas Elysium.esp
  103. ImmersiveSleepEncounters.esp
  104. Unmissable Casino Rewards.esp
  105. RAD.esp
  106. New Blood TTW Patch.esp
  107. Classic Fallout Weapons Remastered v1.2.esp
  108. FNV+LR Flare Gun to 12Ga Flare Conversion.esp
  109. Tammer's KNVSE Mega Patch.esp
  110. Sweet Consumables.esp
  111. Aid Addon.esp
  112. Healing Systems.esp
  113. Unfound Loot.esp
  114. WeaponRequirementSystem.esp
  115. B42Inertia.esp
  116. PurchaseDisplay.esp
  117. Quickthrow.esp
  118. QuickthrowTweaks.esp
  119. Simple Explosive Entry.esp
  120. Simple Explosive Entry Tweaks (Easy Pete).esp
  121. Forced Entry.esp
  122. TTW Dialogue and Interactions Expansion Overhaul.esp
  123. DIEO - Tale of Bi Wastelands Patch.esp
  124. DIEO - AWOPFO3 Patch.esp
  125. TTW A Tribe of Two.esp
  126. DLC Followers All-In-One.esp
  127. TiesThatBind.esp
  128. CFEE - TTW Both ED-E Perks.esp
  129. CFEE - No Companion Limit.esp
  130. CFEE - DLC Companions AIO.esp
  131. CCO - Ulysses Companion.esp
  132. CFEE - Amanda TTW.esp
  133. CFEE - Ties That Bind - Dad Expansion.esp
  134. BennyReturns.esp
  135. drgNV - Marcus Companion.esp
  136. TheAIMerge.esp
  137. IRNPC.esp
  138. AintThatAScarInTheHead.esp
  139. TTW Pitt Rot.esp
  140. RadiationVisuals.esp
  141. Impostors and LOD Flicker Fix.esp
  142. NVMIM.esp
  143. Enhanced Movement.esp
  144. ArmedToTheTeethNV-Redux.esp
  145. Titans of The New West.esp
  146. STAR TTW 2.esp
  147. More Perks v3.esp
  148. Dead Money - Elijah's Rambling Last Words.esp
  149. Dynamic Terrifying Presence.esp
  150. Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks TTW.esp
  151. Natural Interior.esp
  152. DNWeathers.esp
  153. Interior Rain.esp
  154. Interior Rain - TTW.esp
  155. CC - Rain.esp
  156. CC - 3D Rain.esp
  157. LOD additions and improvements - TTW Patch.esp
  158. Viva New Vegas - LOD.esp
  159. Diagonal movement.esp
  160. S6S Big Guns Implementation.esp
  161. SimpleHairs.esp
  162. SimpleHairs - Color.esp
  163. Mutant Eyes.esp
Here's the modlist:
+Character Kit Remake - Teeth
+Uncut Wasteland Extra Collection CKR Patch
+Uncut Wasteland CKR Patch
+Sweet Pain DC CKR Patch
+TTW A World of Pain for Fallout 3 CKR patch
+Transporters - Immersive Fast Travel CKR Patch
+The Living Desert CKR patch
+Sweet Pain NV CKR Patch
+AWOPR CKR Patch
+MoreMojave CKR Patch
+FPGE CKR Patch
+Character Kit Remake TTW Facegen
+Character Kit Remake
+JIP_LN_NVSE_Plugin
+Wasteland Eyes - Mutant Eyes Lite
+Mutant Eyes
+Female eyes clipping FIX
+Shotgun Buffs
+Dynamic Terrifying Presence NVSE
+NV Collectibles - Merged
+Dead Money - Elijah's Rambling Last Words
+Pre-War Money Retexture
+Natural eyes by zzjay
+Hair Patcher Two ESPLess
+Simple Hairs - New Vegas
+S6S Perks Patches
+S6S Perks and Tammer Weapon Pack Compatiblity Patch
+dree74 More Perks Upscaled (and Regular-ified Art pack)
+More Perks Reimagined
+S6S Big Guns Implementation
+TTW Extra Special Love Tester
+(Unbalanced - Overpowered) Sweet Perk Overhaul
+FO4-style SPECIAL plus Infinite Intense Training - ESPless
+NV Compatibility Skeleton
+Diagonal movement
+TTW LOD
+TTW Ain't That A Scar In The Head
+TTW Pitt Rot
+I Found Those Who Care - New Ending for Veronica (TTW)
+A Tiny Perk Styled Pack (an add on for JIP - CCC)
+JIP CCC Perk Styled Collection
+Perk Style CCC Icons Modded Companions
+Perk Styled CCC Icons
+Marcus Patch
+Ulysses Patch
+Benny Returns Patch
+Melissa Patch
+DLC Companions AIO Patch
+Ties That Bind - Dad Expansion
+Ties That Bind Patch
+No Companion Limit
+ED-E Both Perks
+CFEE - A Complete Companion Overhaul
+Marcus Companion
+Ulysses Companion Mod
+Benny Returns
+Melissa Lewis Companion
+DLC Companions - All-In-One
+Ties that Bind - TTW Conversion
+Ties that Bind - a narrative companion mod
+A Tribe of Two
+Armed to the Teeth - Redux
+STARS TOTNW Patch
+PAVE TOTNW PatchTitans of Steel Version
+Tesla Armor Mods x consistent pip-boy icons - Classic Tesla Armor Icons
+TTW Goodies
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Dynamicon
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Stats (and Some Perks)
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Reputation
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Addendumb
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Vault Girl Extension
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Extension
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - DLC's Items
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Apparel
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Weapons
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Items
+3. CPI - Mod Patches
+1. Consistent Pip-boy Icons
+Map Marker Icons
+Pop-Up Message Icons
+Consistent Pip-Boy Icons v5 - Framework Plugin
+PipBoyOn Node Fixes
+STARS TTW - Sweet's Total Armor Rework System
+Classic Lightweight Leather Armor Replacer
+Classic Leather Armor Replacer for Leather Armor
+Salvaged Armor
+Modern Gunslinger Armor
+Bone Harvester - Tribal Cannibal
+Wasteland Stealth Armor NV
+The Road Warrior Armor
+Psycho Armor and Mask
+Metal Armor MkI
+WW2 M1 Helmets
+AKIRAMORI Tactical Gloves
+Altyn Helmet - Retro Tactical Headgear
+Wasteland Seeker Armor
+Geonox Riot Armor - Female Version -
+Geonox Riot Armor
+KORs Pistol Harness
+Fallout Tactics Brotherhood Metal Armor Integration
+Classic Tesla Armor
+Mercenary Wanderer
+Searchlight Firefighter Outfit
+Fallout Revelation Blues Mega Armor Pack
+Fallout The Odyssey Mega Armor Pack
+Arsthetiu's Armoire - A Nif-Bashed Armour Collection
+Classic Fallout Tesla armor
+DVA - Distributed Variety Armors - Hats Headgears Accessories
+Petal Gasmask
+Canvas Backpacks - FNV - TTW
+Waster Gear - TTW - FNV
+The Lone Wanderer - TTW and NV
+NCR Commando
+GP-5 Gasmask
+Courier Duster Replacer
+Ballistic Skull Mask
+Tribal Power Helmet - Definitive Edition
+Classic Combat Armor Replacer Combined (TTW)
+Classic Replacers for TTW
+Classic Combat Armor Replacer Redux
+Classic Fallout 2 combat armor Mark 2 (remastered)
+Classic Fallout 2 Metal armor Mk II
+Classic Fallout Metal Armor
+Veronica Outfit Replacer
+Unique Troublemaker Outfit-Nightstalker Set
+DogTooth Enclave Officer
+The BLACKJACK pack - Tons of armors for VANILLA bodys
+Power Armor Visual Enhancement (PAVE)
+Deus Specs
+Spice of Life
+Tammer's NIF-Bashed Armor Mega-Pack v4.2
+Book of Steel - Compatibility Edition
+nov 2011 book of steel
+Wasteland Soldier Redux NV
+Wasteland Soldier - NV Edition
+No PipBoy in Power Armor
+Simple Headshots
+SIDE - Simple Items Distributed Everywhere
+Immersive Recoil NPC
+Simple Explosive Entry Tweaks
+Simple Explosive Entry
+Immersive Sleeping Encounters
+Forced Entry
+Sweet Keywords
+Camping - ESPless
+Bottle the Water
+Unmissable Casino Rewards
+TTW Collectibles - Merged
+SMAC - Simple Melee Attack Canceling
+Simply Less Junk. esp-less
+Purchase Items on Display (xNVSE)
+Point Lookout Doctors TTW
+Movable Statics replaced with Lootable versions - ESPless
+Lootable Statics Compatibility Edition - Base Object Swapper
+Base Object Swapper
+Hardcore Forever
+Cookable Grenades
+Benny Fighting Chance
+B42 Quickthrow Perks
+B42 Quickthrow - an alternative grenade hotkey mod
+B42 Optics TTW Patches
+B42 Optics NV Patches
+Tactapack - B42 Optics Patch
+Classic Fallout Weapons Remastered B42 Optics Patch
+Another Millenia and Addon - B42 Optics Patch
+B42 Optics - ESPless
+Desert Natural Weathers - NV - TTW
+Climate Control - 3D Rain
+Climate Control - Rain
+3D Rain
+Interior Rain - TTW
+Interior Rain
+Longer Weather Transitions ESPless
+Natural Interiors
+Atmospheric Lighting Tweaks (Interior Lighting for FNV and TTW)
+Iron Sights Aligned - Mod Support
+Iron Sights Aligned
+Wasteland Warrior - A Melee Animation Overhaul
+Butcher Pete Complete - A Melee Animation Overhaul
+New Vegas Animation Overhaul Guns
+Anniversary Anim Pack
+B42 Weapon Inertia
+ISControl
+3rd Person Animation Fixpack
+VNV - LOD Patches
+LOD additions and improvements - TTW Patch
+Wasted LOD - Cliffs of DC
+LODIFY FNV Wall_SoGB Editon
+LODIFY - Level of detail improvement for your Fallout (TTW And NV Lods)
+Different LOD mods little tweaks and additions
+Wasted LOD - Cliffs of Mojave
+More LODs Additions and fixes
+TCM's LOD Overhaul
+Optional Overpasses
+FNV LOD Supplementation
+LOD additions and improvements
+Much Needed LOD fixed rocks color
+Much Needed LOD
+LOD Fixes and Improvements - NVSE
+Impostors and LOD Flicker Fix
+Mobile Pip-Boy Light - NVSE
+Mainframes Litter Flickering Fix
+Fallout 3 TTW Interior Optimization Project
+ExRB - Extended Roombounds
+Items Transformed - Enhanced Meshes (ITEM)
+Meshes and Collision - Totally Enhanced Nifs (MAC-TEN)
+New Vegas Mesh Improvement Mod - NVMIM
+Collision Meshes FNV
+Collision Meshes FO3
+TTW Ultimate Invisible Wall Remover
+Improved AI (Navmesh Overhaul Mod)
+Sweet Healing Systems
+Sweet Consumables
+ySI - Sorting Icons - S6S Aid Addon patch
+Aid Addon
+New Blood
+More Rads No Irradiated Lonesome Road
+RAD - Radiation (is) Actually Dangerous - Overhaul
+Unfound Loot - Harder core settings ini
+Unfound Loot
+Harder Barter Faster Stronger
+TOTNW One Hand Animations For Another Millenia plus Addon
+Titans of The New West
+Tactapack
+ZL Armaments Remastered
+KNVSE Animation Mega Patch for Tammer's Weapons
+Tammer's NIF-Bashed Weapons Mega-Pack v6.0
+SDS CFWR Patch
+Classic Fallout Weapons Remastered
+Another Millenia Gun Add-on
+Another Millenia - TTW Unique Placements
+Another Millenia
+DIEO - AWOPFO3 Patch
+DIEO - Tale of Bi Wastelands Patch
+TTW (D.I.E.O.) Dialogue and Interactions Expansion Overhaul
+GRA Unique Weapons Relocated - TTW Patch
+GRA Unique Weapons Relocated
+TTW The Regulators
+TTW A Trail of Crumbs
+Functional Post Game Ending - Uncut Wasteland And Extra Collection Patch
+Uncut Extra Collection
+Uncut Wasteland
+MoreMojave - FPGE Patch
+MoreMojave Terrain LOD
+MoreMojave
+Sweet Pain TTW
+Sweet Pain NV
+A World of (Less) Pain - A Lore Friendly AWOP Revision
+Sweet Pain DC
+TTW A World of Pain for Fallout 3
+The Living Desert Leveled List Overhaul
+The Living Desert - Travelers Patrols Consequences Increased Population and more
+Functional Post Game Ending
+B42 True Leaning - Custom INI
+B42 True Leaning - Contextual - ESPless
+Immersive Minigames
+Vegas Elysium Perk Pack
+Levelup Traits
+Friends With Benefits Perk Pack
+Sweet 6 Shooter Perks - TTW - NV
+Sweet Perk Overhaul
+NPCs Sprint kNVSE - ESPless
+Enhanced Movement INI
+Enhanced Movement
+Supplemental Ammo Crafting
+Sweet Dynamic Detection System
+Simple AI Merge
+Sweet's Configuration
+Weapon Jamming Tweaks - ESPless
+Reload Reloaded
+Immersive Recoil 2.0
+B42 FireMode - Selective Fire and First Shot Precision - ESPless
+Weapon Requirements System
+Real Weapon Mods 2 Rebalanced
+Real Weapon Mods 2
+Armor Damage Overhaul - Custom INI
+ADO - Armor Damage Overhaul
+Better Damage Multipliers
+Crippled Limb Reaction Enforcer
+Transporters - Fast Travel Alternative
+TTW Transportalponder Extended
+Home and Safehouse Tweaks INI File
+Home and Safehouse Tweaks
+JIP CCC HD icons
+JIP Companions Command and Control
+JAM - Custom INI
+Bullet Time Improved - a JAM addon
+Clean Just Assorted Mods (JAM)
+JAM - Just Assorted Mods
+Nail Gun Semi Auto Rework
+BHYSYS Custom INI
+(Benny Humbles You) and Steals Your Stuff
+Delay DLC Redux
+TTW - Mothership Zeta Rewards
+Charisma Tweaks (NVSE)
+Tale of Bi Wastelands TTW Patches for TTW Reputations and TTW New Vegas Speech Checks
+Tale of Bi Wastelands TTW
+TTW New Vegas Speech Checks - TTW Reputations Patch
+TTW New Vegas Speech Checks
+TTW Reputations
+TTW Merchant Supply Expansion
+Hardcore Perk Every Level
+Casino Exchange All
+Better Caravan
+Root 'n Loot TTW
+Tweaks for TTW Custom INI
+Tweaks for TTW
+ESP-less Tutorial Killer
+Simple Night Vision
+Radiation Visuals
+Drowning Visuals - ESPless
+Quick Select - A Zelda BOTW Style Quick Menu
+3D Grenade Indicator
+Item Cards Custom INI
+Item Cards
+Instant and Faster Pipboy (No Stutter)
+Pip-Boy UI Tweaks
+High Res Local Maps
+Simple Maps - TTW
+Clean Companion Wheel
+Vault Boy Paper Doll
+High Resolution Screens
+Vanilla Fonts Revisited
+MAPMO WSG Preset
+Extras - Stewie's Tweaks Sorting Icons Replacer
+Extras - Hi-Res Logos
+MAPMO - Main and Pause Menus Overhaul
+Recent Loot Log - ESPless
+B42 Notify - Corner Messages Overhaul - ESPless
+Clean Vanilla Hud
+Alternate Holographic Panel - No PipBoy in Power Armor
+Simple Power Armor HUD
+FOV Slider
+ySI Vanilla MiscQuest Items Patch
+ySI Sorting - Extended NV-TTW
+Sleep Wait Hardcore Needs
+Radiation Loadwheel
+Scum's Considerably Cute Corner Load Wheel
+Main Menu Redone - TTW
+ySI - Pick Up Prompts
+ySI - Colorful Icons Fix
+Colorful Inventory Ycons
+ySI - Sorting Ycons
+yUI - User Ynterface
+Vanilla UI Plus (New Vegas)
+The Mod Configuration Menu
+Vanilla Animations Weapon Scale Fix
+TTW Combat Shotgun HQ Reload Sounds
+TTW 32 Pistol Projectile Clipping Fix
+Tranquility Lane Pipboy Glove and Custom Race Fix
+Ranger Combat Helmets Clipping Fix
+NPCa - NPC Prevention of Chem addiction - ESPless
+MZ Holding Cells Fog Clip Distance Fix
+Money Fixer - ESPless
+Melee VATS Animation Restoration
+Laser Pistol 3rd Person Latch animation fix
+Gun Runners Kiosk Glass Fix
+Gauss Impact Fix - ESPless
+Freeside Neon Sign Fix
+Female Pipboy Aligned
+Viewmodel Shading Fix - NVSE
+MoonlightNVSE
+zlib Updated - NVSE
+Weapon Mod Description Fix (TTW)
+Viewmodel Shake Fix - NVSE
+Vent Lighting Fix
+Swimming Creatures Fix - ESPless
+Smooth True Iron Sights Camera
+Pip-Boy Shading Fix NVSE
+Muzzle Flash Light Fix - NVSE
+Mostly Fixed FaceGen Tints (NV or TTW)
+JIP Localized Damage Fix
+Improved Lighting Shaders
+High Resolution Water Fog - Water Aliasing Fix
+High Resolution Bloom NVSE
+Fog-based Object Culling
+Fallout Alpha Rendering Tweaks - NVSE
+External Emittance Fix - NVSE
+Equip and Movement Speed Fix - ESPless
+Depth of Field Fix - NVSE
+Consistent Spread - Firearms Accuracy and Wobble Fix
+Aqua Performa - Strip Performance Fix
+Cloud Upgrade NVSE
+Climate Control NVSE
+SUP NVSE
+AnhNVSE
+KEYWORDS
+UIO - User Interface Organizer
+ShowOff xNVSE Plugin
+Basic Console Autocomplete
+Console Paste Support
+Improved Console (NVSE)
+kNVSE Animation Plugin
+FNV Mod Limit Fix
+ActorCause Save Bloat Fix
+VATS Lag Fix
+Combat Lag Fix (NVSE)
+lStewieAl's Engine Optimizations
+Stewie Tweaks Custom INI
+Stewie Tweaks Essentials INI
+lStewieAl's Tweaks and Engine Fixes
+NVTF - INI Presets
+NVTF - New Vegas Tick Fix
+Yvile's Crash Logger
+JohnnyGuitar NVSE - INI Presets
+JohnnyGuitar NVSE
+JIP LN Custom INI
+JIP LN NVSE Plugin
+ROOGNVSE Plugin
+Tales of Two Wastelands
submitted by Artistic-Buy1062 to FalloutMods [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 23:02 nymphaea-nuphar Which Vocaloid suits which group the most concept-wise?

I like Kaito with Wonderland x Showtime. He and Rui look like they were brought up near the same Chornobyl sewage system because of their vibrant hair color. Also, I adore Miku with More! More! Jump because of the idol concept.
submitted by nymphaea-nuphar to ProjectSekai [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:53 Total_anon1 Issues with passing variables when using sheets in Swift?

I am currently making a Calorie Tracking app using Swift, but am having some issues with how different views are presented using sheets when trying to pass a variable
I have 2 views - my CaloriesView:
import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct CaloriesView: View { u/EnvironmentObject var viewModel: AuthViewModel @EnvironmentObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @State private var shouldPresentSheet: Bool = false @State private var selectedCategory: String? = nil var body: some View { NavigationView { ScrollView { VStack(spacing: 20) { CurrentCaloriesView(viewModel: calsViewModel) mealSection("Breakfast", foods: calsViewModel.breakfasts) mealSection("Lunch", foods: calsViewModel.lunches) mealSection("Dinner", foods: calsViewModel.dinners) mealSection("Other Food", foods: calsViewModel.otherFoods) } .navigationBarTitle("Calories", displayMode: .inline) } } .onAppear { Task { await calsViewModel.fetchTodayMacros() await calsViewModel.fetchTodayFoodIntake() } } .sheet(isPresented: $shouldPresentSheet) { FoodListView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel) } } @ViewBuilder private func mealSection(_ category: String, foods: [(String, Double)]) -> some View { VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) { Text(category) .font(.headline) .padding(.top) ForEach(foods.indices, id: \.self) { index in let food = foods[index] VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) { Text(food.0) .font(.headline) .bold() Text("Weight: \(food.1, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .padding(.vertical, 8) } Button(action: { Task { let currentDate = Date() // Use the current date let currentUserId = Auth.auth().currentUser!.uid // Directly using the user ID as we're sure user is logged in do { let macrosDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesMacrosDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !macrosDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createMacrosDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } let foodIntakeDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesFoodIntakeDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !foodIntakeDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createIntakeDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } selectedCategory = category shouldPresentSheet = true } catch { print("Error creating documents: \(error.localizedDescription)") // Handle errors, perhaps by showing an alert to the user } } }) { Label("Add Food For \(category)", systemImage: "plus.circle.fill") .font(.headline) .foregroundColor(.white) .padding() .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) .background(Color.green) .cornerRadius(10) } .padding(.bottom) } } } 
And my FoodView:
import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct FoodListView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @ObservedObject var foodViewModel = FoodViewModel() @Environment(\.dismiss) private var dismiss @Environment(\.presentationMode) var presentationMode var body: some View { NavigationView { List(foodViewModel.foods) { food in NavigationLink(destination: FoodDetailView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, food: food)) { Text(food.name) } } .navigationTitle("Select Food") .toolbar { ToolbarItem(placement: .navigationBarLeading) { Button("Cancel") { dismiss() } } } .onAppear { foodViewModel.fetchFoods() } } } } struct FoodDetailView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel var food: Food @State private var weight: String = "100" @State private var showConfirmation: Bool = false @State private var errorMessage: String? @ObservedObject var authViewModel = AuthViewModel() var body: some View { VStack { TextField("Enter weight in grams", text: $weight) .keyboardType(.numberPad) .textFieldStyle(RoundedBorderTextFieldStyle()) .padding() if let weightAsDouble = Double(weight) { Text("Calories: \(Double(food.calories) * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") kcal") Group { Text("Protein: \(food.protein * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Carbs: \(food.carbs * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Fat: \(food.fat * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .font(.headline) } Spacer() Button("Add Food") { Task { let today = Date() guard let userId = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { errorMessage = "Unexpected error: User ID is not available." return } do { let weightDouble = Double(weight) ?? 100 let mealType: MealType = .other // This should be determined or selected by the user print("Adding food with weight: \(weightDouble)") // Debug log try await calsViewModel.addFoodIntakeAndUpdateMacros(userId: userId, date: today, food: food, weight: weightDouble, mealType: mealType) showConfirmation = true } catch { errorMessage = "An unexpected error occurred: \(error.localizedDescription)" } } } .alert("Food Added", isPresented: $showConfirmation) { Button("OK", role: .cancel) { } } message: { Text("Your daily intake has been updated.") } if let errorMessage = errorMessage { Text(errorMessage) .foregroundColor(.red) .padding() } Spacer() } .padding() .navigationTitle("\(food.name) Details") } } 
Currently, in FoodDetailsView, the mealType variable that is being saved to the firestore document is hardcoded to be ‘Other Food’, so all of the food, no matter which of the 4 "Add Food For \(category)" buttons I click is being shown in the ‘Other Food’ category
I instead want the food to be saved into the Firestore document with the relevant mealType, depending on which section the button is clicked in
I have tried doing this by passing a mealType variable through when the “Add Food For \(category)" button is clicked, as you can see in the new versions of CaloriesView and FoodView below:
CaloriesView:
import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct CaloriesView: View { @EnvironmentObject var viewModel: AuthViewModel @EnvironmentObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @State private var shouldPresentSheet: Bool = false @State private var selectedCategory: String? = nil @State private var selectedMealType: MealType? = nil var body: some View { NavigationView { ScrollView { VStack(spacing: 20) { CurrentCaloriesView(viewModel: calsViewModel) mealSection("Breakfast", foods: calsViewModel.breakfasts, mealType: .breakfast) mealSection("Lunch", foods: calsViewModel.lunches, mealType: .lunch) mealSection("Dinner", foods: calsViewModel.dinners, mealType: .dinner) mealSection("Other Food", foods: calsViewModel.otherFoods, mealType: .other) } .navigationBarTitle("Calories", displayMode: .inline) } } .onAppear { Task { await calsViewModel.fetchTodayMacros() await calsViewModel.fetchTodayFoodIntake() } } .sheet(isPresented: $shouldPresentSheet) { if let selectedMealType = selectedMealType { FoodListView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, mealType: selectedMealType) } } } @ViewBuilder private func mealSection(_ category: String, foods: [(String, Double)], mealType: MealType) -> some View { VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) { Text(category) .font(.headline) .padding(.top) ForEach(foods.indices, id: \.self) { index in let food = foods[index] VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) { Text(food.0) .font(.headline) .bold() Text("Weight: \(food.1, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .padding(.vertical, 8) } Button(action: { Task { let currentDate = Date() let currentUserId = Auth.auth().currentUser!.uid do { let macrosDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesMacrosDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !macrosDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createMacrosDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } let foodIntakeDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesFoodIntakeDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !foodIntakeDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createIntakeDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } selectedCategory = category selectedMealType = mealType shouldPresentSheet = true } catch { print("Error creating documents: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } }) { Label("Add Food For \(category)", systemImage: "plus.circle.fill") .font(.headline) .foregroundColor(.white) .padding() .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) .background(Color.green) .cornerRadius(10) } .padding(.bottom) } } } 
FoodView:
import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct FoodListView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @ObservedObject var foodViewModel = FoodViewModel() @Environment(\.dismiss) private var dismiss @Environment(\.presentationMode) var presentationMode var mealType: MealType var body: some View { NavigationView { List(foodViewModel.foods) { food in NavigationLink(destination: FoodDetailView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, food: food, mealType: mealType)) { Text(food.name) } } .navigationTitle("Select Food") .toolbar { ToolbarItem(placement: .navigationBarLeading) { Button("Cancel") { dismiss() } } } .onAppear { foodViewModel.fetchFoods() } } } } struct FoodDetailView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel var food: Food var mealType: MealType @State private var weight: String = "100" @State private var showConfirmation: Bool = false @State private var errorMessage: String? @ObservedObject var authViewModel = AuthViewModel() var body: some View { VStack { TextField("Enter weight in grams", text: $weight) .keyboardType(.numberPad) .textFieldStyle(RoundedBorderTextFieldStyle()) .padding() if let weightAsDouble = Double(weight) { Text("Calories: \(Double(food.calories) * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") kcal") Group { Text("Protein: \(food.protein * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Carbs: \(food.carbs * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Fat: \(food.fat * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .font(.headline) } Spacer() Button("Add Food") { Task { let today = Date() guard let userId = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { errorMessage = "Unexpected error: User ID is not available." return } do { let weightDouble = Double(weight) ?? 100 print("Adding food with weight: \(weightDouble)") // Debug log try await calsViewModel.addFoodIntakeAndUpdateMacros(userId: userId, date: today, food: food, weight: weightDouble, mealType: mealType) showConfirmation = true } catch { errorMessage = "An unexpected error occurred: \(error.localizedDescription)" } } } .alert("Food Added", isPresented: $showConfirmation) { Button("OK", role: .cancel) { } } message: { Text("Your daily intake has been updated.") } if let errorMessage = errorMessage { Text(errorMessage) .foregroundColor(.red) .padding() } Spacer() } .padding() .navigationTitle("\(food.name) Details") } } 
But doing it this way causes the sheet containing FoodListView to be presented as completely blank, containing not even the ‘Cancel’ button
The original code did not do this - any ideas why? Thanks
Edit - for an MVP Minimal Reproducible Example, see my Stack Overflow question: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78492454/why-does-passing-a-variable-into-a-view-that-is-presented-using-a-sheet-cause-th?noredirect=1#comment138379430_78492454
submitted by Total_anon1 to iOSProgramming [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:48 VirtualClout [5-16] Equipment Discount Dump

Here are some Gym equipment deals i've found today on amazon.
I track deals everyday, if you would like to see daily updates, you can check out Doyouevensave.com. It took me 8 months to create and is now running automatically and out of my own pocket. If there's any equipment you would like me to track, please let me know. Thanks
Category: Weights Title: BalanceFrom Color Coded Olympic Bumper Plate Weight Plate with Steel Hub, 10LB Single Original Price: 38.48 Sale Price: 25.40 (34% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MN99MGF
Category: Weights Title: GIKPAL Bumper Plates, 2-Inch Olympic Weight Plates with Steel Hub, Rubber Weight Plates High-Bounce with Colored Fleck for Weight Lifting Strength Training,100lbs Original Price: 159.99 Sale Price: 139.99 (13% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZZDRMG2
Category: Barbells Title: CAP Barbell Classic 7-Foot Olympic Bar, Chrome - New Version (OBIS-85) Original Price: 78.99 Sale Price: 59.99 (24% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFZFJDSH
Category: Barbells Title: Holleyweb Olympic Training Barbells Curl Bar 300LBS/400LBS/700LBS/1500LBS Weight Capacity Available,Workout Barbell Super Suitable for Weightlifting, Hip Thrusts,Squats and Lunges (Black/20lbs) Original Price: 56.39 Sale Price: 50.36 (11% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S3N9NC1
Category: Barbells Title: RitFit Olympic Barbell 4FT, 2-inch Weightlifting Bar for Strength Training and Home Gym Original Price: 89.99 Sale Price: 79.99 (11% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1L5S13
Category: Barbells Title: Signature Fitness Cast Iron Standard Weight Plates Including 5FT Standard Barbell with Star Locks, 95-Pound Set (85 Pounds Plates + 10 Pounds Barbell), Multiple Packages, Bar Only, Black Original Price: 39.99 Sale Price: 34.79 (13% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098556WKQ
Category: Racks & Rigs Title: Mikolo Smith Machine, 2200lbs Squat Rack with LAT-Pull Down System & Cable Crossover Machine, Training Equipment with Leg Hold-Down Attachment Original Price: 1249.99 Sale Price: 1099.99 (12% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHRNWR4K
Category: Racks & Rigs Title: Major Fitness Power Rack Power Cage, Raptor F16 All-In-One Multi-Function Squat Rack for Home Gym(YELLOW) Original Price: 279.99 Sale Price: 249.99 (11% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC9GJQ5F
Category: Racks & Rigs Title: papababe Power Cage, Squat Rack with LAT Pulldown(Power Cage Lat Pulldown) Original Price: 299.99 Sale Price: 249.99 (17% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JX3DC5Y
Category: Racks & Rigs Title: PRx Performance Wall Mounted Folding Power Squat Rack - Heavy Duty Adjustable Pull Up Bar, Space Saving Home Gym Equipment with Durable J-Cups, Ideal for Weight Lifting and Strength Training - Black Original Price: 599.99 Sale Price: 499.99 (17% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082L3M5GP
Category: Benches Title: Yoleo Adjustable Weight Bench for Full Body Workout; Foldable Bench Press Bench of Home Gym Strength Training; Incline Decline Flat Utility Workout Bench with Quick Folding& Fast Adjustment (Black) Original Price: 99.99 Sale Price: 79.92 (20% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099JZT1WR
Category: Benches Title: FLYBIRD Weight Bench, Adjustable Strength Training Bench for Full Body Workout with Fast Folding-New Version Original Price: 149.99 Sale Price: 111.99 (26% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNYSJ8W
Category: Benches Title: HulkFit Pro Series Flat Workout Bench - Black Original Price: 105.51 Sale Price: 74.96 (30% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3JV392Z
Category: Benches Title: Keppi 1200LB Weight Bench, Heavy Duty Bench1000 PRO Adjustable Workout Bench Press Set for Home Gym Strength Training, Removable Foot Catch for Incline Flat Decline Sit Up Bench for Full Body Fitness Original Price: 289.99 Sale Price: 195.98 (33% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZNZ7X41
Category: Handles Title: RENRANRING Gym Exercise Handles, Replacement Handle Attachments for Cable Machine Pulleys, Resistance Band and Strength Trainer, Pull Down Workout Accessories, Home Gym Add On Equipment Original Price: 9.99 Sale Price: 7.95 (22% OFF) URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088NSW1RV
submitted by VirtualClout to GarageGym [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:46 CrushingPhotography What Cameras and Lenses Do Sports Photographers Use? (Across Various Price Points)

You may wonder:
And that’s exactly what I’m here to help you with today.
Here are the top 5 best cameras for sports photography (beginner and advanced folks) across various price points.
I'll also include the recommended lenses for sports for each of the camera body mentioned.
These options work for a variety of events/team sports:
Whatever camera you decide to choose, remember, for this photography genre, fast focusing and high frame rate is what you need to look for.
Alright, here's the roundup of the best cameras for sports photography.

1. Canon Rebel T6i

Type: Compact SLR Weight: 555 g Resolution: 24MP LCD: Fully articulated Touchscreen: Yes Weather-sealed: No ISO: Auto, 100-12800 (expandable to 25600)
While the Canon Rebel T6i (or 750D outside the US) is not ‘the latest and greatest’, it’s still a sweet choice in many ways.
Here are my 3 reasons why you should consider it:
The kit lens isn’t good for this genre though!
(The T7i is the newer model but it’s also a bit more expensive.)
Reasons to buy:
Reasons to avoid:
Best lens for action shots:
Most of the kits come with the 18-35 lenses but those are not long enough, so that’s why you should get 18-135mm lens for sports photography.
Moving on to the next camera.

2. Canon 7D II

Type: Mid-size SLR Weight: 910 g Resolution: 20MP LCD: Not articulated Touchscreen: None Weather-sealed: Yes ISO: Auto, ISO 100-16000
Canon EOS 7D Mark II is one of the most advanced APS-C sensor DSLRs at the moment.
In fact, it is one of the best affordable Canon cameras for sports on the market today.
It’s also one of the best DSLR cameras under $2000 budget (with the kit lens that you can use for this type of photography).
There is no abundance of secondary functions in it common for newer models, but everything a professional photographer or a videographer needs is always at hand.
This is a real workhorse with lots of capabilities.
It has excellent autofocus, both when viewed through the viewfinder, and when using the display. It also has the highest speed of continuous shooting and a large buffer.

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Best lens for action shots:
As I mentioned earlier this glass is a good one to get because it’s long enough for moving objects. If you’re on a budget, it’s always better getting a used 7D II body but absolutely do get that 18-135mm.

3. Nikon D500

Type: Mid-size SLR Weight: 860 g Resolution: 21 MP LCD: Tilting Touchscreen: Yes Weather-sealed: Yes ISO: ISO 100 – 51200 (expandable to 50 – 1640000)
The truth is...
Nikon D500 is one of the most amazing digital cameras ever produced by Nikon, equipped with a DX format sensor.
The Nikon D500 uses a new 20.9-megapixel CMOS sensor and a new Expeed 5 image processor. High burst rate (10 frames per second) and 153 points of autofocus, located throughout the frame area are an excellent offer for that kind of money!
It is complemented by an inclined touch screen, which makes it even more convenient. The D500 also has excellent video capabilities and allows you to shoot in 4K.
Keep in mind, this Nikon body is not for those who are looking to buy their very first DSLR.
All the charms of this camera will be appreciated only by an experienced photographer, meanwhile it will be difficult/frustrating to master for a beginner.

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Best lens for action shots:
If you use D500 with the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom, then you have an amazing combo to crush it in sports photography. This glass is at a relatively lower price-point.
The new ones are a bit better but the older one will be just a bit cheaper if you are on a lower budget. (Don’t worry you won’t see that much of a difference in the lenses overall).

4. Sony a9

Type: SLR-style mirrorless Weight: 673 g Resolution: 24 MP LCD: Tilting Touchscreen: Yes Weather-sealed: Yes ISO: Auto, 100-51200 (50-204800)
This one is one of the best mirrorless cameras for sports photography (and an official EISA Award winner).
Sony a9 is a high-speed full-frame mirrorless that’s designed to go head to head with Canon and Nikon’s flagship professional DSLRs.
The a9 presents a high rate of burst of up to 20 frames/s, and a large buffer of up to 200 RAW frames, as well as an impressive ISO performance.
Even though smart modes of autofocus (such as focusing on the eyes, Lock-on AF and priority in the recognition of faces) require some time getting used to, they can significantly facilitate your work.
The 5-axis stabilization in this hybrid camera works well (both for photos and videos).
I must say that it’s also great for video shooting:
There is 4K and slow-motion shooting of 100/120 frames/s in Full HD. There is only no support for S-Log profiles, however the rest of the traditionally wide range of features is preserved.

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

Best lens for action shots:
Given that we are talking about sports, the best lens that’s recommended to buy along Sony a9 is Sony 70-200 GM fixed zoom lens.

5. Nikon D5

Type: Large SLR Weight: 1415 g Resolution: 21 MP LCD: Fixed Touchscreen: Yes Weather- sealed: Yes ISO: Auto, 100-102400 (expandable to 50-3280000)
Without a doubt...
Nikon D5 is one of the best DSLR cameras for any pro level photography, including sports.
Everything in this product, every little thing is set up to ensure a simple and guaranteed result when shooting in any conditions.
1) It’s not afraid of dust and moisture.
2) It easily, if not the best out of all cameras, deals well with the lack of light.
3) D5’s autofocus works so stably and quickly that you simply forget about it.
4) The speed of the continuous shooting and the large volume of the frames in RAW can guarantee you catching the right moment in any photo-shooting scene.
5) The resource of the battery makes it possible to shoot for a day without stopping or limiting yourself with the number of frames.
Nikon D5 is one of the best DSLRs for sports photography today.
It is an excellent choice for those photographers who really do shoot in difficult conditions and are required to guarantee the result

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

.Best lens for action shots:
We now established what is the best DSLR if you are into sports.
If you decide to go with Nikon D5 instead of Sony a9 mirrorless, then go with the Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 Sports DG Lens. You'll be blown away.

Best Cameras for Sports Photography: Final Thoughts

Look...
All of the aforementioned products are absolutely great. Some of them are full frame sensor, a couple of them are APS-C sensor (so keep the crop factor in mind).
They are not all expensive cameras. You can find across various price points, whether you are looking for digital cameras for beginners under $1000 or under the $5000 price tag, or more advanced gear for professional sports photographers.
In fact, all of the products mentioned are used by the pros and it shows that the quality really is top-notch (especially Sony a9, Nikon D5, and Canon EOS R with advanced autofocus systems).
Let's have a discussion in the comments.
Leave your suggestions or questions on the best cameras for sports photography (for beginners too).
Do include the following:
And/or any other thoughts on choosing the gear for action shots!
For example:
What would you recommend to sports moms?
What do you think is the best camera for recording youth sports?
How about video cameras to record team sports like volleyball, basketball, soccer, or football games?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
submitted by CrushingPhotography to CrushingPhotography [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:38 RadioRavenRide Is Pantone's Business just Rent Seeking?

Hello,
Recently, I happened to come across an artist complaining about how Adobe photoshop removed a lot of colors. I was curious about this, and found out the reason. Apparently, Adobe had a deal with a company known as Pantone to license their proprietary color space for Adobe's software. This deal fell through, and users now had to pay for an extra subscription to get these colors back. So what is a proprietary color space?
Pantone's money-maker is the Pantone Color Matching System, which specifies a suite of different colors and how to make them by using a selection of base colors. This color system is used in a wide variety of industries such as graphic design to standardize colors across different systems and stages of production. This color space is Pantone's intellectual property.
If you're like me, after reading that last paragraph you may have raised an eyebrow.
  1. Apparnetly, Pantone has never been clear about how their colors are protected as intellectual property, which is iffy. However, since colors are from nature I would assume they cannot be copyrighted, and because Pantone uses them not as a brand identification but as things to just license out for other entities to make things like products it's probably not a trademark either. And if they patented a color on a digital display, I would like to patent this picture of an Ape I made.
  2. Suppose that Pantone could legally own colors. What value is Pantone providing, exactly? One could argue that their color-making throughout production is the service, but based on the Adobe debacle it seems like the colors themselves are the real product. But color is finite: according to Pantone, most humans can only differentiate about 1 million colors. Because colors come from nature and are inherently limited, they seem much more like land than commodities. Additionally, when a natural resource extractor sells coal or wood, they put in labor and capital to extract those resources. Did Pantone send explorers to end of the rainbow to capture color in magical bottles?
So, what is the core of Pantone's business model? Are they rent-seeking? Should anything be done about it?
submitted by RadioRavenRide to neoliberal [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:26 SickDudeLmao4 Locations, lore and factions of my Semi-Apocalyptic world important for the story

Hello!
Please gimme your opinions.
This takes place in a world pretty similar to ours, same technology and a north and southpole.
The old world ended when terrorists of an unnamed country murdered the daughter of President Ezmil of Asba in a livestream.
The terrorists(who acted on their own) country lost all international support in their war with Asba in return.
Ezmil went mad with grief however, replaced the important decision makers with radicals (Asba was a dictatorship even before that) and launched a nuckear attack, not only on the enemy bloc, but other countries and the Poles.
However, there were new defense systems in place; essentially a highly complicated cluster of bombs, able to deter hypersonic missles. Many went through though, leading to some places still being irradiated. The destruction of the Poles led to the creations of huge wastelands in some parts (where people still live with great difficulty). This means there are now pockets of civilizations seperated by destroyed swathes of land.
This lead to horrible catastrophes as well as a world war, which quickly broke down due to the environmental problems not allowing for large scale warfare. Instead, rogue legions and warlords of once the same or allied states fought each other, leading to devastating massacres left and right.
The country of Prexberg, a strong democratic country, was destroyed by floods a and some nukes in it's center, essentially cutting it in half.
The Empire
In the northeast, the forces leaning torwards facism prevailed, turning into the Pseudo-monarchy "The Imperial state of Prexberg"., usually referred to as "The Empire". The Emperor is only a figurehead, though, the real power lies in the hand of the party, made up of the officers and leaders of the old legions.
The north of Prexberg was relatively rural compared to the south, parts due to mismanagement and corruption, parts due to it's proximity to the "Leguanas", a powderkeg of states constantly at each others throats. This often forced Prexberg into conflict and made it the industrial elite more likely to settle in the more peaceful south.
The Empire really tries to sell the feeling of "home" and "the good ol' times". They play folk songs on the radio, build old style houses and heavily encourage the "old ways".
This is a scam, of course. The Empire is a technocratic horror show, their luxury bought by enslaving those considered minorities in the old Prexberg, as well as heavily micromanaging society.
Their military is feared everywhere. The black masks and heavy armor is a bringer of news. Death will come to you and all who don't fit in.
Their ruthless tactics are their strength and their weakness at the same time. Fear keeps the people in line, and victory the loyalists. However, the potential influx of new citizens is often denied to them, because their massacres make people run in the arms of their rival, Luxgia. This, however, also created greater social cohesion and a more efficent use of their resources.
Luxgia
On the other side of the Wasteland lies Luxgia, which is made up mainly of old Prexberg territory, but also that of other smaller states who joined willingly. They are in a cold war with the Empire, due to their different ideologies and due to both states claims to be the rightful succesor state of Prexberg.
Here, the democratic forces won out. The army became not an instrument of the old Warlords to enforce their will, but a citizens force.
Liberal and democratic values are held high in Luxgia, and remain a staple of inner and foreign policy.
However, despite it's founding myth, cracks begin to appear. The democratic dream also slowly rotted away, turning Luxgia into an oligarchy. It's elite, enboldened by the constantly increasing populations need for secruity, shelter and food and the resulting complacency, allowed them take bigger steps in centralising power.
Luxgias elite are known for their lavish feasts , weird fashion and lifestyle. They are despised in parts of society. However, everyone realizes they are needed, and they give the masses personal freedom and a sense of secruity, creating an unstable equilibrium.
To cope with the lack of resources, corners are often cut. The cities are rather ugly, made up of concrete and square blocs, in which hundred od families find place in.
Nothing is wasted. Due to the lack of space, even corpses are used as fertilizer to feed everyone. (A tactic the Empire greatly frowns upon; but do so secretly as well)
However, despite Luxgias huge influx of people from the Wasteland and other surrounding states, their resources are spread thin. The aforementioned fear of collapse as well as personal freedoms, and their even bigger fear of the Empire, are what keeps it going.
The Wasteland
The Wasteland is a flooded, partly radioactive swamp. Arnachy is the order of the day.
The land, whose earth is only black sludge by now, is filled with the bombed out skeletons of once great cities and burnt forests, the water in the streets often hiding the huddling corpses below.
But even here, life still thrives.
Survivors of the war, independent settlements, smaller criminal operations and the powerful cartel all operate within it.
As it's mostly flooded, many are stuck within, allowing for the Cartel to make business. The Cartel acts as a unofficial trade orginazation for the Empire and Luxgia. If a powerful Luxgian Oligarch needs a slave, or an Imperial Party Official needs a new heart, the Cartel will profit. Their small fleet of ships , their unaccountabilty and acess to a larger market make them a huge player everyone depends on one way or another. This also ensures their secruity within the Wasteland. Attack a cartel merchant, and your fellow survivors will flay you before the Cartel does, for they often are the lifeline for the poor souls trapped in the Wastes.
However, there are many colorful characters and places in the Wastes. Be it the the Zuian Settlement, a religious enclave of psychedlics enjoyers, or Father Lambold, a self proclaimed priest picking off people with his sniper from the church tower.
Some even claim to have seen mutants roam the Wastes, but no one has been caught, yet. Just a rumor, I'm sure.
Yeah, so That's it for now. These places are actually way more detailed, but I wanted to give a short overview. Please tell me what you think.
submitted by SickDudeLmao4 to worldbuilding [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 22:02 DirectorBest3630 My first npm react package

I came across the problem where I am releasing changes on daily basis, but as a solo developer, i do not have time to implement some kind of release notes system in existing clients applications plus to write them manually, and considering using 3rd party platforms is not working on different clients, so I came up to this solution.
Upon creating PR to my `master` branch, I would write release notes in description of the PR.
Example: - implemented new feature 1 - fixed bug with something - fixed other bug
And mark that PR with label `release`
Since this is fast thing to do, only thing left was to create fast way to implement it, and in doing so I created solution as NPM package so I can reuse it in all my react projects.
Implementation is pretty simple as:
And that is it.
This is now rendering simple list of items, where each item represents one PR meeting above filter (label & base branch)
https://preview.redd.it/8mqyupsugu0d1.png?width=2547&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5e988ed965a06ea7ccf54aee36bc5359895ad14
I am sharing this here so maybe some of you find this helpful and use this package to speed up his delivering process.
Feel free to fork and improve it (I see a lot of space for it, however will not do it for now) and I will gladly merge improvements.
Note: Currently it is fetching only last 30 PRs, and from those pick the ones meeting filter so that is kinda buggy, but I will fix it in a few days, for now it is good enough for me, to show my client last few release notes.
Package name: ls-release-log
submitted by DirectorBest3630 to react [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 21:57 hoggersbridge Engines of Arachnea: The Bug World (Chapter 20: The God Speaks)

Link for all the chapters available here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road
Deep in the groaning halls of sinew and bone he awaited his audience with the god. At a wave of his hand the ribs which held up the ceiling contracted, tendons shifting within the pink walls of the chamber as the jagged, calcareous spurs that composed the doorway sank back into the spongy masses of tissue, revealing a passage curving down and out of sight.
Menash stood before the yawning portal and considered eternity. This was no an idle thought: here in the Dawning Chamber, the concept was very real. His father, Yulan, had stood in this exact spot times beyond count. When he was struck down in his prime by the Night Weaver and her Leaper offspring, torn limb from limb as he fought to defend Chthonis from a raiding party, Menash’s uncle, Aqavarr, had carried his broken remains over that grinning threshold to join the hosts of the dead, never to return.
A hot and heavy exhalation rattled up out of the depths, wafting in the acrid scent of the bonding pools and the wet slithering sound of the rebirthing canals. Menash felt a crackle of static in the corners of his mind before the signal sharpened and he heard It whisper distinctly:
“Enter…”
The familiar dread crept its way up the small of his back, and he gave a little shiver. No matter how many times he had communed with the Vitalus, he’d never been able to shake the feeling of his utter insignificance. But he persevered, walking bravely down the slurping passage, past the rows of broad antechambers lining either side of the hallway. Each one held a slumbering shape immersed in a cryogenic bath, towering hulks of muscle encased in ribbed and riveted plates of chitin. No two were alike in size or physiology, but all seemed to emanate the same primeval aura of dread that tickled Menash’s fight-or-flight-instinct, skewing it very much towards the latter response. These were the Hollowores, soulless avatars of the Vitalus, each one a tool capable of eradicating an entire species. As Menash approached, one of the living weapons stirred to life. A pronged, anvil-shaped head emerged from the bath, umbilical feeder tubes detaching from its armored flanks as the rest of its bulk followed, its mauve exoskeleton as sleek and shiny as amethyst. The Hollowore extended legs as thick as grown pine trees and lifted itself above him, its pairs of crushing pincers dripping amniotic fluids as it herded him towards the central room.
Bundles of white gossamer filaments spread all across the floor, encircling steaming pools of pus and acid. He saw arms and legs, sensory organs and entire exoskeletons being knitted before his very eyes, the amino acid chains being stitched on a layer at a time, the weeping pus evidence of microphages fighting off possible infections as the Vitalus did Its work.
These were the next generation of exomorphs, yet to be assigned to their hosts. It was here that Vitalus constantly improved the only thing that could ensure the continued survival of Menash’s subspecies. Exomorphs were bonded to Gallivants at birth, the organisms supplying their hosts with the means to breathe an atmosphere they was never meant to endure, and the strength to fight in a world that was red in tooth and claw. They were as swift as the summer wind and could multiply their host’s muscular power by up to twelve times their natural output.
But for all their God-given might, Gallivants were still mortal. They could and often did perish in the endless struggle for existence that the Vitalus called the Great Game. But even in death they could still commit their essence to posterity, passing down their defining traits through the malleable genetic code of the gilt helix. It was the Vitalus’ greatest boon; through the gilt helix a single individual could become a progenitor of an entire generation, becoming at one stroke the father of whole nations and peoples.
One day he too would prove worthy of the honor that Yulan had earned with his life. But he was not alone in that ambition. Menash was annoyed to find the crimson-clad Vezda and the cowardly Racek waiting for him inside, standing next to a large ball of filaments that hung from a tonsil-like growth hanging from the walls.
This node pulsed, emitting a small storm of bioelectric activity, networks of fungi conveying commands in the form of oscillating voltages to their communities of symbiotic bacteria, the latter containing greigite mineral crystals aligned in the shape of electromagnetic coils. Other networks hidden in the walls modulated and amplified the signals, and the three Gallivants steeled themselves for the onrushing flood of information as the Vitalus tapped into their minds.
He was a candle before the raging heart of the thunderstorm. For an instant Menash touched a fraction of Its intelligence, the divisions of time and space rolling back as they joined the ocean of shared consciousness, becoming one with the living systems of Arachnea. From the tiniest aeroplankton floating above the waves of the golden coastlines, to the herds of ultrapods munching their way through swathes of trees in the savannahs. Menash felt himself pushing up out of the soil, longing and lusting and reaching for the sunlight with a trillion green fingers uncurling, alive with the furious movement of life.
But what was that flicker of orange to the east? That searing heat, that prickling pain spreading like a cancer down his side?
The Vitalus scooped them up and hurled them headlong into hell itself. A roaring wildfire was sweeping into the heart of the eastern rainforests. Menash tasted ash and ruin, felt pieces of himself wither and burn, his branches tongues of fire, wood cracking from the intense blaze, sap boiling instantaneously upon contact and rupturing, splitting him right down the grain. He fled in terror, running, slithering, digging, swimming, flying away in crazed panic from the walls of red death closing in on him. As his skin flaked off in clumps of charcoal he looked back and saw it towering over the treetops, the epicenter of this howling vortex of destruction: the grey behemoth. Its burnished metal hide gleamed like copper, reflecting the fury of the conflagration burning well into the night.
Menash pulled his mind away before it was lost forever in the storm of electric potentials. He saw Racek and Vezda swaying on their feet, breathing hard and fast.
“Heart of the World,” he managed to gasp, “What is your bidding?”
The Hollowore maneuvered itself until it was facing him directly. Tiny beady eyes fixed him in their blank gaze. The node emitted a blue pulse and the creature shuddered as it received the signal. It opened a maw powerful enough to chew boulders into gravel and rumbled:
“This one is the alpha which survived first contact with anomalous variable. It will tell Us what occurred, and from whence this threat emerged.”
“It came from the karst mountain range, where the yellowjacket Amit live,” Menash replied, “It was destroying the largest mound in that area, massacring its inhabitants. It brought the mountain down on them—we’ve never seen anything like it. Zildiz was the first on the scene. She warned us not to approach, and that it was dangerous, but some of us,” here he cast an angry look at Vezda, “Some of us went ahead and tried to scavenge from the bodies of the dying. Then the behemoth ignited the air and burned scores of us to cinders.”
“Irrational. Why did you do this?”
“W-we thought that you had spawned the grey behemoth,” Menash stammered, embarrassed to say the least, “That it was the newest addition to the Great Game, another species of ultrafauna that would help perfect Arachnea.”
“Not so. It was made by an evil far older than the All-In-One,” replied the Vitalus, “It is called a Divine Engine. In cycles past, this evil sought to undo this world and all that inhabit it. In that, it almost succeeded.”
Menash felt his blood run cold at those words.
“Is it the only one of its kind?” Racek piped up. Menash and Vezda both bristled at his interruption; subordinates were only supposed to speak when spoken to.
“There were several deployed here in Our infancy. We had thought them all destroyed in the War of Creation.”
“Your Munificence,” Racek went on, heedless of the venomous looks he was getting from the other two, “Most of us survived because Zildiz persuaded us to dive into the river. She saved all our lives! But as I washed up on the riverbank, I saw the behemoth casting a seedpod into the skies. I did not see where it landed, but it was travelling in a high arc due east. Is this the behemoth’s method of reproducing? If so, then how many offspring can it generate from this one seed?”
The Vitalus met his questions with a minute of silence. Menash had never known It to take so long to respond to a query, and felt another stab of unease in his gut. Unless he was imagining things, the Vitalus seemed genuinely disturbed by the scenario that Racek has raised, enough to convince Menash that the danger was far from hypothetical.
“That is a distant possibility,” It said somewhat cryptically, “Regardless, We cannot allow the Engine’s continued existence.”
“Then it must be destroyed,” Vezda said, her barbed tail eagerly perking up.
“We are not certain that it can be,” the Vitalus said, and Menash heard Racek audibly gulp at the admission.
“But Your Omniscience, you alone are the arbiter of growth and decay,” Vezda said in disbelief, “Surely you can unmake this monster as well?”
“Perhaps. The Divine Engines were built to withstand the extremes of temperature, gravity, atmospheric pressure, acidity and irradiation found on semi-inhabitable exoplanets. Worlds of bareness and desolation, glassed by thermonuclear bombardment or infested with alien microorganisms. In the wars of Our youth, the Betrayers used tungsten-alloy warheads fired from space platforms to crack their bulkheads. Not even Our vessels, the Hollowores, could damage them in any significant way. We will need time to gather the raw materials and fabricate the weapons needed to end this threat.”
“What must we do?” Menash asked.
“If this variable is not dealt with, it could upset the delicate balance We have sacrificed so much to achieve. Already the wildfire it has caused will release close to 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroy 2.3 million acres of forest before Our countermeasures can stop it. Time is our limiting factor. If the Engine cannot be destroyed now, it must be restrained.”
“It hasn’t moved an inch since we last saw it,” Vezda said brightly, “Maybe it has already died?”
“Yes, and maybe your mother was a horka toad,” Racek said snidely. Vezda scowled and took a step towards him, then stopped as she remembered that she trod on hallowed ground.
“Not so. It has merely gone dormant. Having expended its fuel, it is now running on the bare minimum of its reserves. My children, you must ensure that it does not wake again. Establish a quarantine zone around the Engine and let none approach, on pain of death. The Leaper kindreds will secure the ground while the Gallivants patrol the skies.”
Vezda and Menash exchanged troubled looks. Nobody wanted Leapers establishing a foothold in what was essentially a buffer zone between their subspecies. Once allowed to settle in a habitat, it would not take long for them to adapt and become masters of their new territory. Ousting them would become a battle of attrition, and given the lower birthrates of Gallivants, it was not one they could long afford.
“Respectfully, we do not require assistance from our brother kindred,” Menash ventured, “We are more than capable of safeguarding the area ourselves.”
The node throbbed again, the bioelectric flashes taking on an angry purple hue. With a sound like the grinding of a millstone the Hollowore clashed its claws together impatiently. All three of the mortals took a hasty step back.
“The alpha will obey, or another will be found that can,” the Vitalus growled at them, “All subspecies will observe a general truce during this period. This is a temporary addition to the Great Game. Those that serve Us well shall be rewarded. We shall also enlist the aid of your terrestrial cousins, as well as the Cataphract clans to replenish the soil, and lone Saints who shall rove beyond the quarantine zone.”
Menash’s unease deepened. The Vitalus was bringing together four different kindreds, some of which killed each other on sight, in a move that reeked of desperation. The kindreds had worked together before, of course, on complex projects such as altering rainfall patterns and husbanding struggling species, but never so many at once. This was bound to end in bloodshed.
“Those that break the truce shall be chemically neutered, and their gilt helix purged from the existing gene pool,” the Vitalus continued, “You will maintain this quarantine until We have dealt with the Engine.”
“It is understood!” Menash and Vezda said at once.
“But what about Zildiz?” Racek blurted out, again risking his entire lineage by speaking out of turn, “She might still be alive out there!”
“He’s right,” Menash found himself agreeing despite his dislike for Racek, “She’s our alpha, after all. It would be a shame to lose her helix. Do we have your leave to send out a party to recover her?”
The Vitalus pondered the request for a moment, then crushed his hopes when it said:
“Regrettable, the loss of the female. Valuable stock for the breeding program. But it has not responded to Our signals—it is unlikely to have survived. The female Vezda shall take up its duties as alpha.”
“But Your Benevolence—” both men cried out in unison.
“It is decided. She has risked the Great Game, and must abide by its outcome. To speak more on this would risk Our displeasure,” the god warned.
“We can’t spare the manpower anyway,” Vezda pointed out, trying not to look too pleased at Its decision. She darted a quick look at Menash, long enough for him to see the selfish desire festering in her heart. He turned away from her in disgust, baring his blades by the slightest of margins to let her know what he thought of her, then asked the Vitalus:
“But what of the Engine’s seedpod? Should we search for it?”
“Negative!” the Vitalus boomed, its node reinforcing the word with a spike of activity that sent needles of pain spearing into their heads, “We shall complete this task. It is dangerous and can be entrusted to no other.”
The Hollowore angled its massive head towards the cavernous ceiling, armored flaps on its back sliding aside as it unfurled sets of rigid sixty-meter wings. A wide sphincter on the roof gaped open and Menash saw the evening sky awash with the stars in their milky multitudes. The Hollowore took a deep breath through the spiracles lining its thorax and abdomen, pumping air through a pair of hollow tube-like protuberances under either of its wings. Menash and the others quickly scampered to a safe distance. Seconds later there was a scream of chemical combustion and the Hollowore rose into the evening skies, leaving behind a long trail of superheated gases, the backwash almost knocking Menash off his feet. They watched as the Hollowore gained altitude, making straight for the columns of billowing smoke on the horizon, a sweeping shadow blotting out the light of the heavens.
The Vitalus’ mental presence receded with it. When it did not return, they took it to mean that they were dismissed and likewise took flight and headed for Chthonis. They were hardly out of the Dawning Chamber when Vezda seized the scrawny Racek by his wings and anchored her feet right up against his back.
“Funny little man, are you? Crack jokes at my expense again, and I’ll see to it that you’ll never fly again!” she snarled, yanking hard. Racek yelled as his wings threatened to pop out of their sockets.
“Stop!” Menash said, ramming his shoulder into her and knocking the smaller male out of her grip. Vezda rounded on him, blades out and her tail aquiver with rage.
“As for you! No one should speak to the Vitalus like that!” she shrieked, “Much less gainsay It! Are you trying to get us all killed? It is the source and continuance of life itself—”
“But the Vitalus doesn’t always consider the individual scale of things,” Menash reasoned, controlling his rising anger as he tried to defuse the situation, “Its scope of thought is beyond ours. Therefore it is up to us to look after each other. None of us can win the Great Game alone. We need people like Zildiz for the species to prosper.”
“Your logic is flawed,” Vezda spat, “Empathy is a sham devised by the selfish action of the gene, which seeks only to preserve itself. At least I am honest enough to look after my own interests. Your obsession with that whore is misplaced. Heed my words, Menash. What happened today marks a change in the Great Game. Only the ruthless will reap the rewards of this era. Think on that, and act accordingly.”
The female darted off in another direction, leaving the two behind.
“Thanks,” Racek said, rubbing at his sore shoulders, “My, my. She’s really taking her promotion very seriously, isn’t she?”
“This doesn’t make us friends,” Menash said shortly, “We share a common interest, that’s all.”
The two flew together in silence for a time, the dark canopy unrolling below their feet. Racek had always been a bitter rival for Zildiz’s affections. In the mating seasons he and Menash had flown the damsel-dance against each other countless times, racing and dogfighting at top speed through the dense bamboo thickets in an effort to impress her.
But each time she had always chosen Menash. Naturally. He was the stronger, the braver, the son of the Scourge who had slain hundreds on his lightning raids into Leaper territory. Their pairings had been brief and passionate, yet she had always laughed at the end and gone on her merry way, a rose petal borne on a scented breeze, the dalliance as meaningless to her as other concerns like eating or breathing.
But not to him. Right now, all that mattered was her. And Racek was the only one in the whole wide world who knew exactly how he felt. Did that mean he could be trusted? Menash considered the enormity of what he was about to do, and wavered. Then he saw her face in the darkness of his home, the face she wore when they were all alone together, and he took a deep breath before breaking the silence, saying:
“I’ll be in charge of the quarantine. I can arrange for you to disappear for a few days. I can have one of the younglings mimic your magnetosynaptic signal, make it seem like you’re with the rest of us.”
“You’d do that? For me?” Racek said in astonishment.
“Hah. Not for you,” Menash laughed softly. He looked Racek straight in the eyes and continued: “What’ll it be, then?”
If he so much as hesitates, I’ll have to kill him here and now, Menash told himself.
“Why, yes. Yes, of course!” the little brown male said vigorously.
“Good,” Menash sighed with relief, “She’ll be very grateful to whoever brings her home. I’d do it myself, but as an alpha I can’t risk being seen as disobedient.”
“Then why give me this chance? After all that’s passed between us?”
“I should have thought that was obvious,” Menash replied. Racek digested that for a bit, then out of nowhere said:
“If I find her—when I find her—I’ll tell her exactly who it was that sent me.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Bah! Just so we’re even, that’s all,” Racek grinned, his mouthparts slanting askew.
“Thanks, I guess. I’d…I’d appreciate that. You do understand what we’re risking here, right?”
“Sure. We’ll be total genetic write-offs if we’re caught. But it’s not like I wanted to see tiny ugly Raceks running around the house anyway. What about you, though? Why are you putting your neck on the chopping block?”
“You know why,” Menash said quietly, his thoughts still lingering on her face.
“Yes,” Racek agreed with a wistful air, “Yes, I suppose I do.”
And the pair spoke no more until they reached Chthonis.
Link for all the chapters available here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road
submitted by hoggersbridge to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 21:54 KrystalLight03 Need to vent as I head into my busiest month...

*Long Vent Post*
September 2024 bride, and I always knew June was going to be an insane month...but this is out of hand, and my nerves are wrecked.
My best friend of 20 years is getting married at the end of July, and her bachelorette trip is the weekend of June 7th. We planned our wedding showers to be the same weekend at the end of June (me on Saturday, her on Sunday) so I could minimize my travel. This was decided very early on. It's been a lot of fun sharing all of this together, and she honestly has been the best support system.
My FMIL, who has been engaged for almost 10 years, decided months after FH and I got engaged that they were going to get married at the end of July. The day after my best friend (where I am a bridesmaid). They are going to elope and don't want anyone there, but she planned a 4-day bachelorette trip for herself and made it a mother-daughters thing. I am very much looking forward to it and excited to bond more with FMIL and FSIL. This trip is the weekend after my bestie's bach trip.
FH has not visited his brother or nephews in a year, and my FBIL is going through some marital troubles. We planned a road trip to visit them for Memorial Day weekend (they live 5 hours away). I am looking forward to the getaway, even if I have to reign in my irritation/rage with FBIL's wife because I know too much of his side of things.
I have a project for work that requires an international site visit. My boss asked if I could go on 5/27 for the week. I told him that is Memorial Day, so he replied, "OK...then Tuesday." So now I'm going out of the country for the week after I return from FBIL's.
I had a business trip two weeks ago that was cancelled while I was *in transit* to the destination. I turned around and came back home. It has now been rescheduled for the day before my FMIL's bachelorette trip. Cool.
Last week my mom tells me that her and my step-dad (together 27 years, never officially married) are having a wedding on June 1st. Beyond excited for them, especially given my step-dad's health struggles the last two years. My aunt is hosting and orchestrated the whole thing as a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was intended to be a JP courthouse wedding originally, but Aunt has now made it a big backyard family celebration. I adore this for my mom. What I don't adore is the now 2-week rush to plan a wedding for my parents, where my mom texts and calls non-stop with questions and asking me to make decisions for her. She literally called me at 10:30 PM last night to ask me what the guys should wear. I had to pick the color palette and flowers because it was all to be based on a dress I already own. I'm being pulled into every detail...and I am tired. I was already past the point of decision fatigue while planning my own wedding and consulting on my best friend's choices. I do not have the mental capacity for this.
A recap for my travel now...
5/25-5/27: Road trip to visit FH's family
5/28-5/31: International business trip
5/31-6/2: Flying to hometown for my mom's wedding
6/7-6/9: Best friend's bachelorette trip
6/12: Business daytrip (flying to and back same day)
6/13-6/16: FMIL's bachelorette trip
6/28-6/30: Flying to hometown for both mine & bestie's wedding showers
This past Sunday on Mother's Day, my FMIL implied I wasn't expressing enough excitement for her bachelorette trip. She's also disappointed I won't be staying with her the night before we leave for the airport, because I'm getting in late from my business trip. I'm sensitive to this given that she is paying for the whole weekend, but I am exhausted and cannot think about it today. I have FOUR places to be before then. I will be excited when I get there, but please wait for that moment.
In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out laundry, a clean home, who is watching the dog next month, still staying on top of my wedding planning to-do list (had a major issue come in this morning regarding invitations), need to coordinate my MOG gift (another major project), and wrap up craft projects assigned to me for the wedding shower. I want nothing more than to lock myself in a room this weekend and talk to nobody, but know that is unrealistic.
I'm not looking for a solution to any of this and know that it will all work itself out, but today I am in my feels and PMS'ing, and just need to scream because I have already ate two chocolate chip muffins today due to stress and a third seems extreme. Thank you.
submitted by KrystalLight03 to weddingplanning [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 21:40 noahgiboney Scroll View Paging with Container Relative Frame: Unexpected Overscrolling

Scroll View Paging with Container Relative Frame: Unexpected Overscrolling
I am stuck on this issue how my scroll view is over scrolling each time it pages down. I want it so that the safe area above is ignored, the bottom of the current color is inline with the top of the TabBar, and the top of the next color is sitting under the TabBar. I have tried every method on this form and this one. If anyone has a solution to this would it would be greatly appreciated. Here is my code and a video showing the issue.
struct Testing: View { @ State private var colors: [Color] = [.red, .blue, .purple, .green, .pink, .yellow] var body: some View { TabView { ScrollView { LazyVStack(spacing: 0){ ForEach(colors, id: \.self) { color in ZStack { Color(color) .containerRelativeFrame([.horizontal, .vertical]) } .scrollTargetLayout() } } } .ignoresSafeArea(edges: .top) .scrollTargetBehavior(.paging) .tabItem { Image(systemName: "house") } } } } 
https://reddit.com/link/1ctlp8u/video/yrchozn6du0d1/player
submitted by noahgiboney to SwiftUI [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 21:35 Winter-Assumption957 Would like a bit of perspective on my roots/style

Would like a bit of perspective on my roots/style
Hello, I’m new. Does anyone else have a terrible time with Pinterest? I find that I can find something almost right, but not quite. I find I pin bunches of art, crazy stuff, all sorts of things, and no examples of styled clothing. I really pushed myself to pin actual people with clothing I might wear. Even so, my pinterest boards do not quite accurately indicate what I’d wear. They are too neutral, and too warm toned. The patterns and the very sparkly one are aspirational. Perhaps the middle one, blonde with the purple sweater, tan pants. That comes the closest, but I don’t quite look like that. I’d wear exactly that though. I’m probably an FN, and a true/warm spring. I’m not at all sure of my essences. I think somehow classic/natural fits, and is most of it. I think I might also have gamine or ethereal, but I can’t figure it out. I have a short hair, and long hair has never worked on me. Friends say I look like a mermaid when I wear the dresses I own and have included. They love the colors, I dyed them, and I’ve dyed the purple button down, because those colors are hard to find! I find that colors make a big difference. So I would rarely wear an outfit of neutrals, because it makes me look a bit tired. The jewelry is spot on for me, rose gold, something that sparkles and does not get in my way.
I also included my actual clothing, and what I actually wear. For some reason, it looks much colder in temperature this way than how it looks on me.
I think I am very much mushroom, moderate earth, small bit of sun, but I do see perhaps a case for stone. What do you think? I wish I had more soulful earth or moon, but as a person who does best with graphic color contrast, its difficult to get that. Patterns in true spring colors tend to feel like clownish for some reason, or muddly color from a distance. Black is difficult, it does nothing for me at all. I have no clothing at all in patterns, except something I just wear to bed. Would love positive descriptions of my style! What types of things should I look for on Pinterest, or generally?
I did a style consult with someone who said my style was boring, that I was entirely yang, and that I needed hair clips and strings and things on my clothing, and I’ve really tried for 2 years now to implement their suggestions and forget the negative commentary. Their commentary really hurt me, because I padid them for their help and thought they could help me. That sort of thing is tough. Their suggestions were just off. I’ve decided to move forward, but I’m very nervous about this. I’ve worked hard on my style, but it has stalled quite a bit since I tried to get a consult and by accident encountered a style system that really didn’t help me at all.
https://preview.redd.it/c23wmfzdau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd6734284db5cb877a9295e7c2a1b7dc51cee623
https://preview.redd.it/aq57m5kfau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=047c1fcbcf3b8f58fa46b5ba7ce26a1a47f30ac8
https://preview.redd.it/lv78dzdjau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69373ee59d6e6f8b7cfe679459f9a1dc005bca0a
https://preview.redd.it/jk7f8ydjau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec095a925a221729b881dcd14f43ce3855b53b8f
https://preview.redd.it/cx1k0ydjau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffdde273f867abad8467ee0c64dc2962d9127b36
https://preview.redd.it/c8iy0zdjau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd4ce066b6277b3963fc8424d4b531224846d1d5
https://preview.redd.it/2s70rxdjau0d1.jpg?width=752&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5059071e4e3bd8af90c2e094b044bcce6b0c1380
submitted by Winter-Assumption957 to StyleRoots [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 21:32 Arteemis2 The 2 most played MMORPGs don't have much useful content beyond Dungeons and Raids

I'm making this post because of my constant upset of not loving the biggest mmorpgs on the market.
As we know, the most played MMORPGs right now are World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. They are much similar as they have MAGNIFICENT endgame dungeons/raid battles, mount/skin/reputation/achievements farming and PvP.
But my point is, the only really useful content I see from these is the part of the dungeons and raids. If I say this to any FFXIV or WoW player, prob they won't like it. But after the experience I had playing a specific MMORPG for 3 years in my childhood, my eyes just can't shine and I don't get the same dopamine hit while playing these current MMOs.
I've been thinking about this for a long, long, LONG time, and now, I think I found an answer.
The name of the game I played was Grand Fantasia. And the reason I think I used to love so much this game and can't like the actual ones is the RPG element. In MY opinion, you can't develop your character that much in these 2 games. In FFXIV, when you reach the max level, the only thing you can get to your character is the highest ilvl gear from raids, and that's it. In WoW, you have a little more customization, while you can select from different secondary stats on your gear, trinkets always have a special and unique effect, some other items have a cool special effect, you have set effects, you can insert gems to them, enchant, and you have the cool legendary weapons, always with special effects. You can also change your masteries the way you want. But as WoW is a competitive PvE game, all the customization I said might just be an illusion, as you will be always following an optimal guide for efficiency.
In Grand Fantasia you had an insane amount of stuff you could do to develop your character, and I think I should list every possible thing I remember to make here the best comparison I can.
With a level 80 character (max was 90) you had:
-> Many set options, every single one with different special effects. You had the orange crafted set, the PvP set, the legendary set (that was a kind of top tier crafted set), the GvG set, the alchemist set (that you had some peculiar ways of crafting it), the purple sets (detailed ahead).
-> Many legendary weapons options. Pretty much similar to WoW's legendaries, but with many options to EVERY class at every 5 levels after level 50. These weapons gaves a lot of personality to the classes who used them. Mages after lvl 70 were insane in this game, they got a staff that gave them permanent crowd control immunity, and a chance to activate his extra effect when hit, reducing all physical damage taken in 50% for 12 seconds.
-> Purple items, that was an option of gear who had no special effect, but had a bit more base stats in comparison to legendaries, and special gem slots, giving them complete exclusive and interesting effects at your choice.
-> Getting some equipments were hard, but it didn't end there. You had many extended progress you could do to them. You could manually open slots in you gear, 6 to two-handed weapons, 3 to single-handed weapons, 2 to body, and 1 to the rest of the set. You could RNG enchant the items, that would bring a good random effect from a specific selection. You could upgrade the items from +0 to +18 (after +7 was expensive, +18 players were like gods among men), ugprading them also added a visual effect, making them more and more badass. You could also level up your items untill your actual character level, selecting the specific stats you went to boost.
-> Different mounts. They didn't have always the same movespeed, who would make them a simply reskin. So you really liked when you get a +100% movespeed mount. You also had the combat mount, an insanely expensive mount that you could use in combat, and gave you +75% movespeed. The combat mounts also could be leveled up untill your character level, giving you boosts while using it.
-> RNG enchanting skins. You could fuse skins, giving one of your choice a random rarity color with RNG stats. Getting what you went, gaves an insane amount of dopamine.
-> Mastery system. You could prevent you character from gaining XP to give this XP to a list of special statuses, which varied from class to class. This list had around 16 statuses to develop, and after that, you could select about 4 to level until 15.
-> Talents system. Similar to WoW, but much less complex. They only gave you the stats you choose, and you could make a combo, giving a bit of extra effects. These talents also had many levels, so you had to farm them to the highest level you could.
-> Useful title system. The way of acquiring them was similar to WoW and FFXIV. It was after completing determined objectives. But in this game they gave you extra stats, while every title had a rarity color, making them another useful and rewarding farm.
-> Reputation system similar to WoW. But this gave you useful potions for combat, crafting pets, titles, pet skins, and some other useful things.
-> Collection system. You had an account-wide chest that could store skins, mounts, legendary and purple weapon/gear. After collecting many points of a determined category, you could select a bonus stat to use like a title. This system was hard, expensive, and gave you an INSANE boost to your character, so extremely rewarding.
Almost everything about the game you could accomplish with gold. So if you didn't like a dungeon farming for mats, you could simply buy them from the auction house. While there were MANY useful materials in the game, people had almost infinite ways to farm gold in AH, giving you an insane diversity in gameplay.
Even with all these collectibles, you could effectively FINISH your character. In this topic I need to mention another MMORPG, Black Desert Online. After all I said you could do to progress your character, you might had tought the game was just an infinite grind like BDO, but it was not. As you could get everything with gold, the hardest thing was creating an effective way to earn your gold. But after that, your life simply became much easier. Creating a high level gold maker character in this game to boost your low level character to the level 40 battleground ie was so much satisfying.
After all that said, let's talk about the answer I said I found after much thinking.
I listed above the positive aspects of the game to me. Don't get me wrong, the game wasn't perfect. His dungeons in comparison to WoW and FFXIV, were RIDICULOUS. While you have many mechanics to learn and cool stuff from the top MMOs, in Grand Fantasia you had bosses with patterns like: reflect all damage for 5 seconds, and that's it. PvP battlegrounds were massively unbalanced untill you got strong enough to solo carry your team or even compete with enemy players.
With this I concluded that the most fun thing in an MMORPG is the act of progressing your character. Even if the dungeons are simple and the PvP is just ok. These aspects are mere ways of checking how much you effectively progressed.
In WoW, the endgame is basically spamming M+ and Raids. That is much fun and it is works perfectly fine IMO. But if you want to login and do other useful stuff to progress your character, you simply have none. FFXIV works the same, but without M+.
submitted by Arteemis2 to MMORPG [link] [comments]


http://activeproperty.pl/