Sick of people who give up at 8 minutes for some bizarre reason. I literally can not find any reason why it happens, the game is nowhere near lost. Maybe they've died a couple of times. Then they spin in base for the next 20 minutes spamming surrender.
Devs can you ban this shitter - https://omeda.city/players/61247cd7-46ab-459b-b99b-ad772d579823
What a waste of time. Username FTF_Y get him gone. He even put in chat that he's refusing to play - he went AFK around 5/6 minutes in to the game and decided to spend the rest of his time spinning? Rather than trying to win, or learning how to play/win? I just don't get it.
sick of him

My current bike (an inherited mountain bike from the 90s) has a seized seat post positioned too low for my height that I can’t adjust after about a week of trying, and I’m starting to look at a new bike for the commute.
Main use is around city downtown, and to work which is a 20km round trip with a 70m elevation change over the whole commute. Most of the grade is 1%, though near work the hill steepens to about 6%
I took a MEC Midtown 2 for a test drive, and found I preferred the step through frame rather than the triangle frame I currently have, and was wondering what other options I should consider.
The Midtown 2 is currently on sale for $699CAD from MEC, however I’m willing to leave that price range if there are better options.

A lil background lang. I'm a 3rd year medtech student and 1 sem na lang, intern na ako. I'm a transferee dito sa current school ko so as usual, overload ako this sem because I really wanna be an intern na. Tinake ko minors and majors ko na hindi pwedeng buksan ng summer.
My schedule is Monday to Saturday, 7am-5pm, and afternoon lang ng Monday ang free time ko kasi morning lang naman pasok ko. Kapwa ko MT students know that 3rd year is TIRED year for us. Nakakabaliw 2nd sem subjects lalo na CC2 and HEMA2. I'm surprised that I'm not yet crazy but all I know is I put all my worries and trust in God because without Him, it would be impossible to survive this sem without failing one of my subjects.
Prelims, I slacked off kasi I don't know what to do and my body and mind are still adjusting to this new schedule of mine. I failed most of my exams and yeah, I failed most of my subjects, too. Then here comes the testimony of our newly passed alumna. Ang tumatak talaga sa'kin ay yung sinabi niyang, "Ma, gagawin ko best ko kasi ayokong my pagsisihan." And that's the time I told myself, "Ngayon lang 'to and everything will be okay na after. Need ko lang tiisin."
From laging absent nung prelims due to anxiety and fatigue to always showing up no matter how tired I am. Walang tulog? Papasok. Pagod galing community? Papasok. Anxious kasi parang hindi enough yung inaral ko? Papasok. I am confident to say na not once did I miss my classes this midterm. Even in my Saturday class, I always show up. And believe me, may mga opportunities akong nakuha just because I showed up. Yung pag-aaral ko for exams, sinisiksik ko sa time ko kahit 3 hours na lang tulog ko. Sabi nga nila, "Ang tulog, mababawi, pero ang grades, hindi."
I was fucking losing it during our exams nitong midterms and after my last exam, nasa gate pa lang ako ng bahay namin, nag breakdown na ako due to pent up pagod and frustrations tapos sinalubong oa ako ng dalawa kong chanak, edi hagulgol so much na ako. 😭 I hugged them until I felt better. Good thing I have them kasi seeing them being all happy pag umuuwi ako from school is such a boost of serotonin for me. They're one of the reasons din naman why I'm doing my best.
Yesterday, I got the result of my HEMA2 major exam and long quiz. Kabado pa ako niyan kasi I'm overthinking baka bagsak ako and di ko na ma-clutch hema ko kasi super baba ng grade ko nung prelims. Nasa line of 6 ako that time and I even asked my prof if kaya pa ba mahabol and she just said, "Wag ka lang ma-late." Meaning, was ma-late at be always present para walang ma-miss na quizzes and activities. Tinignan ko and boom! 28/40 LQ ko and 64/90 major exam ko with 67 as our highest and tumaas ng 10 yung overall grade ko this midterm. From line of 6 to line of 7! Iiyak narin sana ako sa harap ng class namin kasi sobrang proud daw ni ma'am sa'kin. 😭
Ang daming bagsak sa major exam namin dahil sa malalang pa-case analysis ni prof and sobrang naiiyak na ako during and after exam that day. Lahat kami nahirapan at sabi nga ni prof, marami raw ang bumababa ang grades this midterm at kakaunti lang ang tumaas. I prayed to God na kahit 60% lang but voila! He gave me more than what I asked for! My hard work paid off. 😭 Hindi ko shinare sa family ko kasi I'm working hard in silence. Only my bf knows how hard I'm working to pass this sem and this achievement of mine.
Mas lalo akong ginanahan hahahaha! And I pray na yung ibang exams ko ay pasado rin!
Kahit pagod na pagod na kayo, if you really want to reach your goal, always show up! Not for others but for yourself. God can see your efforts and He will not let it go into waste. Pipilitin at kakayanin para sa pangarap kasi ayokong may pagsisihan. Padayon, future RMTs and believers of theirselves! ♥️

I don't really know what to say, but I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for me in my situation?
I'm 15 and in grade 9, and I have a younger brother who's 12 and in grade 6. When I was his age, I started getting addicted to media, and just generally finding some sort of escape for my life and reality in general.
When I went into 7th grade, I was unknowingly depressed and miserable. In 8th grade, I hit rock bottom and was severely depressed, suicidal, and even attempted.
It's kind of hard to explain, but right now I see my brother on the same path as me, just from a different perspective. I'm scared. Deep down I know my brother is going to turn out like me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I feel like I'm just waiting for my brother to get depressed and hurt himself and it's killing me. I want to protect my brother and give him the joy in life that I didn't get, but I don't know what to do.
Has anyone else ever been in this situation? Does anybody have any advice? I'm honestly willing to listen to anything, I just want my brother to be happy, but I feel like I'm failing as his older sibling.

Me and my boyfriend have been together for 4 years, he’s always seemed a bit more feminine and primarily has a lot of girl friend as it’s easier for him to get along with them. Before we got together I had already assumed he was gay which was why I friend zoned him for about 4-6 months, after confirming he wasn’t gay I decided to give him a chance and we’ve been doing great (at least I thought). My suspicion of him being gay started again when he would talk about his friend J (not using real names) it would get kind of weird and detailed so I asked him if he had feelings for J and laughed it off and said no he’s just my best friend. I didn’t bring anything of him being gay up again even though I was still cautious.
As of recently my boyfriend has been experiencing some emotional distress which is new to him as he’s lived a rather suitable life. However, he’s been really weird lately sexually, I am a very sexually active person so anytime he’s in the mood I’m automatically also in the mood, but our sex life has been different. First he always wants to do it from behind, I don’t mind if that’s what he wants, but it’s constant. I also noticed him constantly closing his laptop when I enter our room and he’s been more secretive of his phone. I also have not changed much physically since we started dating and think I look better than when we first met so I don’t think that could be it. Also the most surprising/silly thing that made me more suspicious was how he had his Skyrim character married to a guy, I know it’s silly but anytime he’s restarted the game he always has his character marry a woman, when I asked him about it he said I just wanted to try something different.
Overall, I am aware that I could be looking too into things and it could just be his new development of mental health issues (which we aren’t aware of what they actually are, he hasn’t been diagnosed with anything), but I’m getting ready to move from community college to university and I don’t want to hold him or myself back from a happy future. He could also just be falling out of love and while that will obviously hurt I still just want us to move forward, even if it’s separately.
Any (genuine/helpful) advice would be greatly appreciated.🩷
(I also haven’t gone into full detail as to not make the post too long, but if more context is needed I can go more into detail.)

Well, Hi all! again! 4Th Wall here, I figured since I just got power back, I might as well play some catch up on both series. Hope you enjoy this episode!!
Yup, I fucked that up. This is a repost with the correct Episode number, LOL! It's been a while since I've done that.
First, Previous, Next (Patreon)
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Benjamin smiled, watching the girls skip ahead of him. Today was a testing day of sorts for him. Unwilling to release firearms into this world haphazardly, yet unwilling to go without them as a backup; he had pulled from one of his sister’s favorite video games. He had “melted down” his bowie knife, repurposing the metal to be used in his latest creation. The final product rode on his hip like a short sword, but Ben was satisfied in the design when the vast majority of the people he passed ignored it as just another adventurer’s blade. Benjamin hoped, that with the existence of Majik, that he would be able to pass off any… peculiarities... as the realm of the supernatural.

The three of them arrived at the tailor’s establishment, and the girls were met with a customary indifference that seemed to present itself when a slave’s “master” was present. The moment Benjamin entered, the seamstress ceased to pay attention to the girls, and instead addressed him directly, “Ah, The Forgemaster’s Protégé. What can I do for you this day.” She said cooly, bowing slightly in welcome. “I’m here commission some clothing for these two, a reward for good service.” Benjamin began. It was technically true; the success of the forge had afforded him much more coin than a mere apprentice could have made. Qort had taken him on as a true partner, and Benjamin earned enough to comfortably afford to cloth his “slaves” in whatever he chose.

Some stigma’s remained however, and the seamstress seemed to glare sideways at the girls as they perused the fabrics adorning the walls. “Is that wise? A slave could lose her place with such gifts.” she asked, her polite tone barely hiding her disapproval. Benjamin sighed internally, ‘oh for fucks sake’ he groaned in his own mind before putting on facad, “I find that proper reward, afforded on the right servant can result in” he paused, projecting a smug expression and blatantly looking the girls up and down. “a profound dedication to their duties” he finished with a satisfied smile as the seamstress covered her mouth with a hand to hide a smile of her own. The gambit worked, and the Seamstress was obviously satisfied that the “Aereesen slave whores” were being properly “used”. “Ah, I understand. What did you have in mind for them.” She practically moaned back at Benjamin. ‘This hag needs a good pounding….’ Benjamin’s inner monologue threatened to crack his facade, “That’s the fun part, my good lady. It’s their choice. The surprise is half the excitement.” He chuckled.

The seamstress openly smiled at him this time before nodding and stepping over to the two girls. Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief as she seemed to treat them at least marginally more warmly. The old racist bag didn’t need to know that Benjamin was secretly building a small nest egg for his girls, or that his sending them out to do errands for him was how he was teaching them about money, value, and the application of Mathematics. She also didn’t need to know that the full Cutlery set that she had purchased last week had been made by Vi’s own hand as her first full solo commission set. Benjamin had stamped his “mark” on them, because slaves were not allowed to own anything, including their own work; but Vi had begun with raw steel and finished with one of the finest cooking knife sets he had seen in this world or his.

Benjamin settled onto a bench outside, using the excuse of wanting to enjoy the morning air to afford his girls some privacy. Now that Viola and Valtrya were eating a healthy diet, and the right calorie amount; they had blossomed into absolute bombshells. Their hair had recovered, and both sported long flowing locks that boasted a silky satin black color and texture that betrayed hints of deep royal purple. The color reminded Benjamin of one of those expensive custom car paints that changed color depending on the lighting.

Their skin recovered almost as quickly as their hair. The sickly, scabbed look was quickly replaced with the same satin quality as their hair to the touch, but with a light grey coloring that almost seemed to tease the edge of hinting at a greyish purple. A dense pattern of Small freckles of the same dark, almost royal, purple as the highlights in their hair frolicked on both girl’s cheeks, and down the sides of their necks. Because of their early lack of understanding on modestly, Ben knew that those freckles traveled much further. The sad truth was that Benjamin understood fully why Aereesen’s were the prize of slavers and brothels, and he silently prayed that he could give them enough self-worth and skill to have a better life than that, once he got them out of the Principality.

A door’s soft creaking broke Benjamin from his thoughts as the two sisters stepped out smiling, “Get everything you need?” he asked standing as the three of them departed the establishment. Val nodded vigorously, and Vi smiled as she spoke, “I think so, but I had to practically beg the woman to stop showing us lingerie… what did you tell her?” Benjamin felt his cheeks heat as he responded, “What I had to. The old hag doesn’t get enough at home. It’s not my fault that your ‘enthusiasm’ is in the forge and your studies, not between the sheets. I didn’t lie to her, I just let her draw her own conclusions, sorry.”

Vi’s eyes twinkled for a second, “Oh,” She smirked, “Thaaat’s why she broke out the silk. Some of her options were..” She blatantly bit her lip at Benjamin. “You didn’t…” He asked in shock, and Vi lifted up on her tippy toes to brush her lips against his ear, “Not telling” she purred, setting Bens senses on fire. She backed up a step, openly smirking at his beet red face. “But your expression is adorable… My Lord” She stated the last two words with a deep sultry tone, knowing that Ben couldn’t scold her in public before taking his hand, “May we visit the bazar next? Val saw some jewelry she wanted to look at.” Benjamin gave her a pointed look, that turned into a smile as she beamed at him, “Ok, sounds good. I need to pick up some food for the week.”

It was later that afternoon when the three of them left the bazar. They found Jukha waiting on the bench in front of their home. “Jukha! How are you!” Benjamin called, clasping the Orc’s hand firmly as the girls rushed inside to put up their purchases. Jukha reciprocated, if somewhat stiffly, to the strange to him gesture. “Benjamin, it is good to see you well.” His tone stopped Ben in his tracks, “What is it. Is your wife, ok?”
Jukha shook his head, “Vilora is well, but I have been tasked with finding you.” He said carefully, “The slaver, the one you dueled for those two,” he nodded to Vi and Val as they stepped back out of the building, “The Heir of The Romoregin house is here. He has lodged an official demand for satisfaction, and he brought a champion.”

Benjamin stiffened, “Another duel? You said an ‘official demand’… what happens if I refuse.” Jukha winced at Ben’s tone, “It is an archaic practice of my people, rarely remembered, and even more rarely demanded. You cannot deny a satisfaction claim, but should you prevail, no further claims can be made upon your person. I am sorry Benjamin, but if you flee or refuse, your life is forfeit; and your property goes to the claimant.” Jukha looked pointedly at Viola and Valtrya. “The young puke has put me in danger as well, if I do not deliver you and them to the duel, I can be detained. If they torture me….” Benjamin’s eyes widened before hardening in understanding. “Jukha…” He turned to find Viola standing next to him, with his musket in one arm and his ammunition bag in the other, and sighed, “Fuck”. He loaded his musket with a single roundball cartridge this time, unwilling to fire buck and ball in the town streets. He pealed the ball out of the paper wading after pouring the poweder, reaching into his haversack to retrieve a small round patch made of pillow ticking. Jukha looked on in mild fascination as Benjamin spit on the cloth patch before wrapping the ball in it and ramming the whole thing down the barrel. It wasn’t much, but it reduce windage, ensuring at least reasonable enough accuracy from the smoothbore to keep from hitting innocent bystanders. It would also virtually eliminate blow-by, upping the chamber pressure and giving him a little more velocity. “I’m ready.”

The four of them entered the small city square to be met with Qort and three Org guards. These soldiers wore different insignia that Benjamin had been taught were the mark of the capital. “Beenjaymen Shayfe” one of them butchered his name, “I am.” Ben nodded firmly, the other guard nodded, “And your two slaves, good. Has Jukha informed you of the proceedings.” Benjamin scowled, “A legalized way to attempt a revenge killing? Yea, I’ve been told.” Ben didn’t bother to hide his vitriol, “So I have to kill a motherfucker for defending myself from his father?”

“Not quite. The Heir has brought a champion. The rules are simple, all forms of combat are allowed” The first guard began as the second one began chaining the wrists of Viola and Valtrya. Benjamin began to move before thinking, only to be held back by Jukha, “Peace albino. They must do this. Fighting them will cause a forfeit.” Benjamin looked at the terrified faces of the two girls. He forced himself to calm down outwardly, but Benjamin could feel the rage building. He had worked so hard to save those two, to get them out.. now some snot nosed brat was going to try to kill him because his father didn’t know when to fuck off. Benjamin stepped out from around the guards. The “heir” was a young Durr. Ben had no frame of reference for age, but the Heir was substantially shorter, and his facial tentacles were almost mere buds. Beside him stood a crimson colossus, the same species as the Hunter he had shot saving Jukha. He was taller than that female, and was wearing plate armor, gilded in silver. He hefted a great sword of some kind and smiled openly at Benjamin. It was not a pleasant expression. “Ah, so You’re the puke I’ll be cleaning from my blade. I am Krastorin. Come here, pale one, I’ll make it quick.”

Benjamin looked him over, subtly shifting into a shooting stance but keeping his musket looking like he was resting the butt of a spear on the ground. “You look accomplished, what makes you do the bidding of the boy.” He asked, blatant scorn on his tone. The Young Durr flinched, his small tentacle buds writhing violently. “H’Dare Yee!” he bellowed, voice cracking with the strain of fury, “Aye’ll ‘ave Yee Head on Me’Wall!!”
Benjamin ignored him, focusing on the Hellirine. The man looked back at the boy with a raised eyebrow, “The young puke promised me one of those.” He pointed at Vi and Val, who had reverted to their former trembling submissive postures that Ben had met them in. “It appears that they are as well kept as claimed. I look forward to sampling them.” He leered. Benjamin looked over at the Young Durr and found his face a mixture of relief and anger. ‘Ah, lied about daddy’s slaves.’ He turned to the soldier standing next to him, “Is the duel on?” he growled.

“Combatants! Begin!” was the Soldiers response, and the crimson mercenary lifted his sword from his shoulders advancing forward with a long confident stride, “at last, let’s get this over wi..” a clap of thunder echo’d through the Feral wood, and most of the crowd cried out in surprise as Benjamin disappeared, seemingly behind a bubble of fire, and brimstone. The single round ball ignored the mercenary’s plate armor. Punching straight through as the soft lead mushroomed out into a ragged disk that measured almost an inch and a half. The mangled projectile, still travelling at almost half the speed of sound, eviscerated the chest cavity of the Mercenary before blowing a one foot wide hole out of the crimson man’s back. The exit wound missed Krastorin’s spine by an inch, but it didn’t matter. The projectile embedded itself into a post, thankfully missing any bystanders by mere inches in some cases. The Young Durr, who was standing just behind and to the side of his champion, was screaming as he pawed at the bits of pale yellow blood, bones, and fragments of internal organs now covering him from head to toe.

Benjamin handed the smoking musket to Jukha, drawing his short sword and walking over to a sputtering, choking, and coughing Krastorin. The Hellirine lay face down on the ground, having fallen that way from the momentum of his initial advance. The back of Benjamins mind was sickly amused as he remembered the old Hollywood trope of bullets throwing people backward, and a pinch of regret sparked in his soul as his opponent death rattled. He stepped up to the Heir, resting the blade against his neck, “Are we done here. Be a better man than your father and learn when to save your own life.” The Young Durr froze, staring up at him in abject terror for several moments as a puddle formed at his feet. Benjamin opened his mouth to speak again when the boy simply passed out, falling into the puddle of his own mess as his mind refused to stay conscious.

Benjamin turned to walk back towards Jukha and the girls. “Unchain them.” Benjamin’s tone could have frozen a raging forge’s inferno. To his surprise, two of the soldiers drew their weapons on him, “You need to come with us. All Touched must be registered with...” Benjamin pointed his short sword at the one talking… and pulled the trigger. The percussion revolver built into the hilt of the short sword was zero’d using a notch Benjamin cut into the crossguard, and the tip of the curved blade as a crude set of open sights. The barrel of the revolver lay along one side of the blade, and was rifled. The speaking soldier orc’s took the smaller pistol round through the forehead, exploding the back of his skull in a cone of dark green and grey mist. The exit wound showered his companion in bits of bone and brains. Benjamin’s thumb found the hammer, and four satisfying clicks echo’d in the stunned silence, “HEAR ME!” He growled, “I, am touched by the Gods. I posses the power to end any life I choose using the power of Hell itself!” ‘if I have to show them a gun, might as well throw them off the trail’ “The violence of the raging volcano obeys my very fingertips.” His revolvesword bucked a second time as another soldier orc made a move to rush him. The smaller pistol round still punched through the orcs armor and out the back, but only left him screaming on the ground. Benjamin re-cocked, and leveled his weapon at the orc holding the chains to Val and Vi. “Now, release them.” This last remaining Orc did as asked, before gathering up his screaming companion as the girls rushed to Benjamin, he pulled them close, whispering, “I’m sorry we wont be able to pick up your dresses.”

The three of them packed up that night. Qort had understood, knowing all too well what the Principality would do to acquire a Touched of Benjamins ability. “Stay safe my friend. I pray our paths cross again.” Jukha snuck them out of the village that night, using his wagon to get them to his home. They stayed a week, laying low while they planned their next move. The girls spent their time learning recipes from Jukha’s wife, and ben took the time to unwind a bit. Jukha and He went on a hunt, and Benjamin was given a run down on the flora and fauna of the Feral wood. The two of them brought back a pair of Stags, and the three women cooked them a feast.

“Dinner’s ready!!” called Viola, setting the last of the sides on the table as the dutch oven roasted meat was brought off of the stove top. It was a simple yet elegant meal. Stag, potatoes, some kind of Kale style vegetable that Benjamin had never seen before. Soon enough, everyone at the table was leaning back, as full as they could make themselves. “So, pinkskin,” Jukha asked, “Where do you plan on going. I wouldn’t mind you staying with me. I could use another hunter, but I suspect that they would notice the extra product I brought to the village.”

Benjamin Hummed, “The Maridian Combine. Qort told me that they banned slavery over a century ago, the girls have learned so much already. It would be easy to find jobs for them.” Vi and Val drooped slightly but hid it well. Jukha noticed it but said nothing. “A good choice, their boarders are well guarded, you would need to free them before you cross, or end up in a dungeon yourself.”

“Good point, I can write up a simple writ of freedom. Something I can sign and give to them.” Benjamin nodded, “I can get started on that to…” he paused as a hand fell on his. He looked to see Viola staring at him, fighting back tears, “Hey, what’s wrong. You will be free…” Jukha nodded slowly and stood. “love,” he said to Vilora, “I need some help with the livestock” The Farie met his eyes in unspoken understanding, fluttering out the front door with Jukha.

“Vi, what’s wrong.” Benjamin asked gently.

“No… go… Val… stay…” Both of them turned to Valtrya in shock. She was trembling, “I wont..leave.”

“You speak?” Benjamin looked in shock, but Viola spoke next, “Benjamin, we don’t want to leave. We want to stay, with you. I…” She paused. Ben sighed, “I want you to stay too.” He said, finally admitting it to himself, “But I can’t own you. It’s killing me that you are my property.” He reached up and wiped a tear from Vi’s eyes, “You are so much more than property. I feel evil, every day that I wake up knowing that I could do anything I wanted to you, or worse, die and have someone else hurt you for the fun of it.” Benjamin bowed his head. Viola reached out, lifting his chin to look into his eyes, “Then come with us.” She whispered as Val stood up and stepped around the table, “yes.. You, come.” She wrapped herself around Ben from the side leaning in until she was resting her head against his shoulder, “I’m… staying.. with you.” she said softly. Viola nodded, “Benjamin, how old do you think we are.”

Ben looked at her in confusion, “I have no idea, I’ve always assumed you were teenagers. 13-14 years old for Val, maybe 16 for you, but that was when you were skin and bones.” He admitted.

Viola’s eyes widened in understanding. “You did not want to bed us because you thought us children.” Benjamin nodded slowly, answering. “And forcing sex on a child is the worst kind of crime on my world”. Viola and Valtrya looked at each other, before Vi spoke. “Ben, my sister will turn one hundred and three in a fortnight. I just had my one hundred and fifteenth birthday last week.” She leaned in, pressing her lips to Bens as she kissed him passionately for a moment. “We are no children,” Viola paused as Valtrya leaned in, kissing Ben lightly on the neck, “You are not forcing us to do anything, but leave.” Viola whispered as she began to close in to a surprised Benjamin for another kiss.

The door to the cabin flew open violently, and the girls pulled back to a more modest distance. Jukha walked in, carrying a panting Vilora. “What happened.” Ben asked hurriedly, hoping he wasn’t blushing as hard as the heat on his cheeks suggested. Vilora waved a hand as Jukha set her down in her chair, “The Vin… My sisters… they reached out… They wish to meet…” The Farie gathered herself, “They also sent a warning. We must leave, tonight… hunters.”
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If you made it this far, I very much appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the episode! If you believe I have earned it, I have a Patreon that is two episodes ahead of the free releases for this series. I hope you feel taking a look is worth it. Either way, come hang out in the comments. Everyone's welcome! I've discovered Im a bit of a "warts and all" poster, so even critical comments are welcome. Hell, You might even teach me something (it happens more than I'd like to admit).
First, Previous, Next (Patreon)

PGL Wallachia Season 1

Presented by PGL

Streams

EN: Twitch 1 Twitch 2 YouTube RU: Twitch 1 Twitch 2 CN: Douyu 1 Douyu 2 ES: Twitch Twitch 2

Coverage

Liquipedia Joindota GosuGamers PGL Highlights

Schedule

ID	Team	vs	Team	Cntdwn (CEST)	PDT	EDT	GMT	SGT	AEDT
UB1a	Xtreme Gaming	vs	G2.iG	9:00	0:00	3:00	7:00	16:00	18:00
UB1b	Aurora	vs	Team Spirit	12:00	3:00	6:00	10:00	18:00	21:00
UB1c	Team Falcons	vs	BOOM Esports	15:00	6:00	9:00	13:00	21:00	0:00
UB1d	Gaimin Gladiators	vs	Team Liquid	18:00	9:00	12:00	16:00	0:00	3:00

Countdown times are in CEST. All times are subject to change based on the length of matches and delays.
Other match discussions: /dota2 on Discord

Greetings beachvolley!
Have you ever wondered about the concept of positional consistency in beach volleyball? Now, you might be thinking ‘Oh, that's just about being in the right place at the right time'. Yes, but with a little more detail. Let's stare right into the eye of this often overlooked aspect of our sport, and appreciate the chili sauce on top of the volleyball taco that it truly is.
Positional consistency - A Spicy Ingredient in the Taco of Success
Research suggests one of the highest predictors of beach volleyball success is a high level of positional consistency. It’s not as much about explosive power, killer serves or even the sharpest cut shots. The key that may turn those close losses into clutch victories is consistently being in the optimal position - not just for digs, spikes or sets - but for player-to-ball and player-to-player interactions.
So, what's the secret? Here's what you can practice:

• Player-to-ball positioning: Always strive to be in optimal position respective to the ball. This means being in a balanced, neutral position to react quickly, regardless of where the ball is hit.
  
• Player-to-player positioning: This refers to being in an optimal position respective to your teammate and opponents. You should position yourself such that you're reducing your opponents' angle of attack while also covering as much ground as possible to react to unexpected returns.
  
• Small and Swift Movements: Avoid large scale adjustments mid-play. Instead, rely on quick and small movements that keep you agile and steady. This balance stems from core stability, so don't neglect those core workouts!
  
• Visual Focus: Keep your eyes on the ball and your opponents - the earlier you pick up cues about where the ball is going, the better your chances of positioning yourself effectively.
  

But, like any good meal, the ingredients alone won't create the dish. You have to properly cook it:

• Countless drills: There are no shortcuts here. The secret of the best players is hidden in their relentless drilling of positioning fundamentals - doing it even when the push for more flashy skills might be tempting.
  
• Game-pace situations: Drills are crucial, but so is practice in real, game-pace situations. Try to find a practice partner willing to hit rounds of shots at you, so you can refine those positional instincts.
  

The next time you're on the sand, remember, like a seasoned beach warrior, that a little bump, set and spike contribute to the victory, but it's the shadow dance - the unseen positional consistency – that can take your game and turn it into a fine-tuned scoring machine. You've got this, beach volley marvel! Dive into this aspect and you might find your game rising like a well-set ball against the sun-dipped horizon of victory. Game on!
References:

1. The Development of Positional Norms in Beach Volleyball;
2. Advancing the Science and Practice of Sports Skills Acquisition.

I've heard of the ones on Market Street (Sports Club), Union Street, and Pine Street.

1. Which one has the best facilities?
   
2. Which one has the most people in tech?
   
3. What are the vibes at each location?
   
4. Please don't ban me for this - but which one has the hottest girls?
   
5. What are the classes like including the yoga class (are there baddies)?
   
6. Is there a working area in each location to work on your laptop?
   
7. Is there a restaurant at the location or smoothie bar or something?
   

Thanks in advance.

I'm out in California in the Bay Area. Growing up, it seemed like there were more hockey fans than there are now. These days, when I'm out and about, I barely see any fans. No one is wearing any gear or has any sort of hockey memorabilia on their car.
Ice hockey has gotten prohibitively expensive, making it accessible only to the rich. We used to have more inline hockey around here, but now there's only a barely surviving rink in Oakland and a league in San Jose.
I grew up playing street hockey, and there were more kids playing then than now. My mom would drive me around, and I would see multiple games break out. When I drive around now, I don't see any.
Instead, I see kids playing soccer and baseball, which leads me to why I'm feeling this way today. There's a local outdoor inline rink that never gets used for its intended purpose. The youth league is long gone. I see people skating in it, some guy takes his daughter there for cartwheels, and what else does it get used for? Soccer. That's what I saw today—a bunch of kids making use of a hockey rink for soccer.
I even went over and asked how often they use the rink for soccer, and the kids didn’t even know it was a hockey rink. Another didn’t even know what it was. The park was also full of kids playing baseball. You can’t tell me a bunch of kids would rather sit around bored in some outfield watching bugs, hoping something happens in baseball, compared to the constant action of street hockey. Also, if you’re a mom trying to get your overweight, video game-addicted kid off the couch, baseball isn’t going to help him lose weight, and he will probably hate how bored he is.
I don't see the future of hockey looking good. It’s a white-dominated sport in both participation and viewership, and it seems like white people just don’t want to have kids anymore. On top of that, the costs will keep only the richest from playing.
There still might be hope, though. We might need a top-down approach, but it could work. The NHL needs to require their local teams to sponsor hockey, not just in the city they play in but on a regional level.
They need to help build inline rinks and donate equipment to schools for street hockey so it can be a sponsored sport like basketball and baseball. These versions of hockey are significantly more affordable. This way, it gets people a stick in their hand, knowing the rules, and hopefully becoming future fans.
Right now, the NHL has some BS NHL street program, but I haven’t seen any programs implemented in all of Northern California. We've let inline hockey die off for whatever reason, but building the rinks and helping organize leagues would help. Street hockey is too easy and can be played, sponsored, and maintained by schools. The time to do this was a decade ago; the second best time is now. If not, I feel hockey will just be a sport in major decline.
Rant over. Enjoy the playoffs.
TLDR: Hockey fandom and participation seemed to have declined especially in the Bay Area. It’s decline due to high costs and limited access to rinks. Street and inline hockey are nearly extinct, with kids preferring soccer and baseball. The NHL needs to sponsor local hockey initiatives and provide equipment to schools to revive the sport especially inline and street. Without intervention, hockey's future looks bleak.

I remember sitting in that room. That amazing room in that house on that street with all the pine trees. I’d have my basketball court, toy box, pinball machine, and PS1 all in that room with the green carpet. Such a small room, but it worked. I remember the solemn days of watching Ed,Edd, and Eddy. I remember the days where I’d actually stop playing my games to go outside and ride bikes down the street when the two boys next door came to visit their aunt. I think she was their aunt…grandma… visions kinda blurry.. I just know they were related.
My mother wasn’t a saint to others and apparently she did some bad things. But she will always be a saint in MY story.
Something I’ll never forget is that day when I was at my aunt’s house. There were these railroad tracks behind the place. And a small place to do laundry. I guess it was shared with everyone in the area.. anyway, I was expecting to leave with my mom that day. But everyone knows I love playing games and how easily distracted I was by them. It was just an average Nintendo 64. A far cry from my PS1 and what I had at home. I was in another room while my mom snuck out. I sensed something was off, so I went and checked the living room and my cousins and aunt told me she left. I ran into the back and saw her car taking off. Just thinking of it now fills me with such anguish and a sense of abandonment..
But that same night, or was it the next night?…I can’t remember. I was in the bed at night feeling empty. Its not that I disliked staying at my aunts place.. I just wasn’t expecting it that time… I was in bed, it was dark and only one small light to the left. Suddenly my mother popped up. I remember looking up at her as she carried me out of that bed. I could feel the intense coldness of her black trenchcoat, but to me, that feeling was the best in the world, because in that moment, I knew I was saved. I knew I was going home. Possibly the best memory I have.. think I was 5?…6 maybe?..
And as I sit here listening to Purple Curse by MagicXbeats, the sound bites of ed, Edd, and eddy he put into the song triggered these memories for me. All in an instant. Looking back on it now…regardless of whatever has happened in my life or will happen… I can always say that I had an amazing childhood. I only wish I could have seen her face one last time before that fateful night at 8yrs old. If she were to see me now, my father tells me she’d be proud of how far I’ve come. Of how far we’ve both come. I owe it to her to continue. I owe it to both of them.

As I was reading that Square Enix isn't happy with the sales numbers of FF7R (I know they have absurd expectations), would it have been better to make one big remake instead of three games over the course of 6-8 years?
In my opinion Remake and Rebirth have a pacing problem and the games easily could have been 20 hours long each. I really love how they designed the world, but the activities mostly feel like time stretching.
Do you think one game (let's say 60-70 hours) would have been better gameplay- and economically wise?

I couldn't come up with a good title that accurately sums up the post in a reasonable amount of time, sorry. I am open to any harsh words as I probably need it.
I am 18 almost 19, doing online college, no job, pretty much on the computer all day playing games with friends or watching TV/youtube. The advice I want is how to fix/deal with feeling like a neglected child and/or not feeling cared about enough.
My family, I believe, is well off and live comfortably. Dad has a good job and my mom works 2 jobs, one full time one part time- we make enough money. I believe the only reason I ended up staying in my room doing things to pass time is because my parents don't really seek me out, they aren't assertive towards interacting with me. I do believe this is partially my fault as I was always a loner on purpose for a majority of middle school/highschool since we moved when I was in the 7th grade. I don't have many friends and don't care to have big groups of friends either. I don't enjoy parties/concerts or loud places. My closest friends (and at the moment only real friends) live too far for us to interact IRL without planning a big trip. I hear people mention things like not needed a reason to talk to people, but I always think, if you have no reason to talk, what would you even talk about? Given this thought process, it's understandable that my family doesn't interact often, but it's too un-often I believe. My parents never knock on my door (could be unreasonable because phones exist, I have no idea). My parents and I can go days without holding a conversation. We don't ever travel or do any thing like bowling, go-kart, etc. together. It seems like the only thing that interests them is themselves and work. I hate to say they put work first but I'm coming closer and closer to that as I think about this.
I feel reluctant to call my parents not great parents however, they are not what my version of an ideal mothefather figure would look like. Granted, this "ideal" is mostly from observing other parents or things on the internet which would be a far fetch to say is realistic and I understand that not every family dynamic is the same, but maybe they are lacking core features that most parents have?
Is everything I've mentioned just my own fault or every participants fault? Am I being unreasonable?
(not sure if this was too harsh for advice, new to reddit, I kinda just viewed it as needing advice and not a vent/depression worthy topic even though it does affect me a bit)

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Hi! This is my first reddit post ever so bear with me. I just started playing fall guys about 6 months ago and have really been enjoying it, but y’all took away my favorite maps. I was okay with grinding through some of the boring maps in hopes of getting a great one. The great ones consist of (Slimescraper, Slimb Climb, Tiptoe, tiptoe final, jump showdown). Dualclimb might be the worst map in the whole game, not even because it’s so bad, but because of how disrespected I feel playing that garbage. It would be awesome if you actually combined the two, AND DID NOT ALLOW CHECKPOINTS! Anyways, I Lowkey like the update but I’m not enjoying any of the maps, and I’ll most likely stop playing soon bc of how boring the game got :(

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-- I just kinda wrote down how i'm feeling at the moment. I made it in the style of a story. But it's the best way i can get it out. Sorry it is long. Just read it. That's all I ask. --
I don’t know what I’m doing. For the better part of 10 years, my entire adult life, I’ve never known what it is that I’m trying to accomplish. Am I doing the right thing by dedicating all my time to my work? What do I consider my work? Is it my actual job that pays me biweekly? Or is it my job as a father... or maybe it’s my major at university? Whatever it is, it’s never enough. Life is supposed to be fulfilling and right now, I can’t tell the difference between fulfilling and life-sucking. Distractions scratch an itch but have never satisfied my hunger.
Enough complaining, let me tell you what I do on a daily basis. My day starts at 6 AM. Why? Because I’m a slave to the corporate machine. But that’s a story for another day. Work ends around 4 PM if things go the way they should, and often they don’t. My commute home usually takes 30 to 45 minutes due to the ignorant shipyard traffic that consumes every road, freeway, and dirt road. Hundreds of moron drivers that create a ghost of a traffic jam. It’s now 5 PM. I’m free. Respite from retail hell. From the public. I’m alone. At least for now. What’s next? Dinner, dishes, workout, or relax? God knows relaxing isn’t a real option. Working out? No thanks, I’ve been on my feet for 10 hours. Dinner will get me yelled at by my family if I pick the wrong thing to eat, we’ll get to that later, so dishes it is! 6:30 PM. They arrive. My wife, my son, and the attitude that comes along with it. What did I do this time? Why is everyone raising their voice at me? Why do I get attitude, huffing and puffing, and whining when I ask for any kind of help? Oh, you worked for 3 hours today and your back hurts. I’m sorry. The kid has been a pain since you got home? I’m sorry. You don’t feel good? I’m sorry. Have you noticed my problem yet? Obviously, I haven’t made dinner yet. Good job thinking about other’s feelings. Worked out great.
Back in 2019, I was let go from my job. COVID was great, right? Unemployment was paying more than I made working my full-time job. I’m not going to pretend to be a good little boy and not abuse it. I did. I milked the fuck out of it. I took a leap and applied for college. My dream has always been to make video games. My life has revolved around them since I was in diapers. I signed up for a 4-year degree in game programming. Little did I know that this was just a misguided investment in my own validation.
It is now 9:00 PM, and aside from the wife and the kid asking me to come to the room every 15 minutes, I have time. Not much, but I have some. Enough. I hope… What is left that I need to do? I need to do homework. Yay. The time is now 2:00 AM. I should probably go to bed… but I’ve had absolutely zero me time. A couple YouTube videos wouldn’t hurt right? What’s the difference between 4 hours of sleep and 3 hours of sleep? Not much honestly. Some time between 2 AM and 4 AM I go to bed. Every night is different, don’t judge me.
The cycle continues. 2-4 hours of sleep, work, cleaning, yelled at, dinner, homework, repeat. For the record, that is not all I do. There are some smaller amounts of time where I spend time with my son, or I have a few minutes free to play games, or spend time with my wife. Even when I’m being judged or yelled at, I’m expected to stay calm and levelheaded. It’s my job. I’m a man, welcome. I’ve also searched for more fulfilling hobbies and that’s what comes next.
From 2015 to 2017 I was streaming on twitch. I loved every minute of it. I was growing and making real money. Then THE big event happened. My wife, my girlfriend at the time with our newborn child, and I were supposed to be moving out that weekend. I took off early from work that day to get started. I walk in the apartment. Empty. Aside from a bed in the corner of the room, a dresser, my computer, and my poor dog Bella inside a cage. I let the dog out, walked around to see what else I needed to move. I called my girlfriend, excited that she had gotten a head start on our move. If you’ve figured it out already, yes, she did. If you haven’t, she was leaving me and taking our child. This was the start of my downfall.
A lot happened between then and now. But it worked out. We got married. Almost divorced. A lot of toxicity between us. But I loved her. And I loved my son. They were, and still are, my everything. So, I stuck it out.
Enough babbling. I’m currently learning two languages to further my own personal education. Spanish and Japanese. Spanish because it’s difficult to get by in life without it, and Japanese because I am obsessed with Japan and Japanese culture, and I hope to travel to Japan someday. So, on top of everything, I’m also doing that. It takes a lot out of me.
Is that it, OP? You’re overfilling your plate… You’re going too fast, doing too much, and not living a healthy lifestyle. No. It’s not it. Here comes YouTube. No, not the videos I watch. I also make videos. The 30ish minutes I have available to play games? Yeah, I multitask and use my game time to record a video. Shameless mid story plug? You be the judge.
Some nights are spent mashing watching videos, doing homework, or relaxing with editing the videos. No one wants just a recording of some idiot playing video games. It needs quality, it needs cuts, it needs love, it needs hours…
Is it alot to some people? Yeah, and some others might say that it’s light work. It’s not good to have such little sleep. On top of the sleep apnea I already have, which makes my 2-4 hours of sleep the equivalent of 1-2 hours of sleep.
I’ve realized that I’m stuck. I’ve done way too much to give up, and I’ve done way too much to keep going. I’m financially ruined, physically destroyed, and metaphorically molested. All because I wanted something. Validation.
Take it from me. It’s not worth it. Live your life. Know your limits. Don’t seek validation.