Let me preface this post by saying this; we’re all spending time reading a subreddit about a show that’s two most reoccurring topics are farts and boobs. We take it far more seriously than we should. I am now going to proceed to continue doing just that, but at least we acknowledged it. My goal of this is to compartmentalize any common ongoing concerns with The Yak, and bring forth any helpful analysis or suggestions. It will become immediately clear that I have perhaps watched far too much of this show, for far too long now. It’s not an obsession, it just takes up a very large portion of my brain. So, let me dust off my keyboard, in order to psychoanalyze and deeply critique the people on this show, who consistently bring me great joy completely free of charge.
Mook
We might as well get the most frequently posted about subject out of the way first. In order to be an everyday personality on a successful daily talk show, you ordinarily are required to possess at least three of the following six qualities.
Confident
Charismatic
Creative
Funny
Intelligent
Interesting
Alternatively, you can also just be physically attractive.
Mook is none of these things. Zero. This is the simple and true reason why he is receiving flack for being on the show every day. Every other member that sits in The Yak studio checks off their respective boxes.
If you go back and watch some of the earliest shows that took place in the old Chicago office, Mook was an integral part of them. The crew was still figuring things out, and with a smaller cast for various reasons, he sort of naturally filled in. The thing is, he wasn’t a bad fit at all. In fact he was a good one, but unfortunately this didn’t last long. He went from a quality NBA sixth man, to benchwarmer, to over the past few weeks, if not months, playing like he belongs in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (Puerto Rican basketball league). People have said he has become a scapegoat, just as Owen and a young Sas were as well. In reality, none of them have been scapegoats, they all at one point or another have just been the weakest link on the show, and received hate for it, that’s as complicated as it is. Owen was nothing more than overwhelmingly negative most of the time, providing good one liners in between vape hits. In the end, he left of his own volition, and the show improved. Sas was almost a decade younger than Mook is now, and had a lot of room to grow. With time, he did. Retrospectively, Sas also always had the talent, he just needed to get his shit kicked in a bit by the world to harness it. Mook isn’t negative, he’s in fact quite a positive guy, and has already gotten his shit kicked in plenty. What I’m saying is his problems are not the same problems as anyone else previously on the show, he is in a boat of his own.
These are not just the thoughts of the obviously autistic and schizophrenic man typing this though, but of the general Yak fanbase. The comment sections of those aforementioned early shows loved Mook, almost unanimously; they were overwhelmingly positive. Going back and reading them is quite a shock, only having read the comment sections of late. Commenters back then were calling for him to be a regular in droves, and so he became one; now these same people are calling for his head. I am somewhat guilty of never giving Mook his flowers so to speak back then, so I will do so now for anyone who might not remember his best moments: Rap video cameo, Perth trip, gay hands, Mintzy prank calls, the Fella Friday debacle, and he had more as well in just a short time. It has just dawned on me that it is 3AM, and I am writing a manifesto in which gay hands is a point of emphasis. Anyways, Mook by all accounts had a good run, albeit a bit brief. So, what changed?
Allow me to fully don my parasocial glasses, and introduce the primary theory I have. Two things: he’s always been an avid comment reader, in addition to nothing more than him simply running out of shit to talk about. Mook has brought up the comment section himself on a number of occasions, and he’s probably always read them since he’s been on the show. They built him up, and then tore him back down. Any confidence the comments gave him, has been torn to shreds by the same device. The other reason he probably felt comfortable early on is because he had these key moments on the show that were genuinely funny, the only problem is that they were entirely built around stories about himself. He really struggles to make jokes about others, which is a massive portion of what makes The Yak great; everyone can rag on everyone. And when it comes to self-deprecation, the concept is a fine line between recalling embarrassing or out of place situations, and refraining from saying shit that should only rattle around inside one’s brain. He’s resorted to the latter as of late now that he’s run out of the former material, and with him not being a particularly good conversationalist, there’s really nothing he can fall back on. I can’t speak on his stand-up comedy as I have not seen it, but if it’s any good it just hasn’t been translated to The Yak. While he’s not immune to having funny comments, his success rate with jokes is incredibly low.
This is absolutely no slight on him though, as almost all of us would be in the same position, given we are also not qualified to be on the show. We’d run out of shit to talk about in a week, if we had anything original or interesting to say at all. In a way this makes a lot of sense; Mook is not all that different from most of us, about a year ago he was a full time accountant. I don’t know how many accountants out there could successfully fill a spot on this show, but there can’t be many of them. We’ve devolved to his only highlights in the past few months being him essentially bullied about his relationship with a woman, and him injuring himself on a bicycle.
There is one final test I can offer up as a means of understanding this predicament if you don’t already. Truly imagine each member of the show performing in an improv comedy group; if you’ve done this, they should’ve, all in their own unique ways, provided for a good laugh, except one of them. Mook would plainly, be downright painful to watch. More than likely he'd freeze up, and if he delivered anything that wasn’t a bit about cum, it’d be an anomaly. That’s not good.
This is all to say, I think Mook has a place on The Yak. As does Danny Conrad, White Sox Dave, Max, or whomever the flavor of the month is that fans are heaping praise on. These guys are all great in doses, when they have something to talk about, and can also adequately fill in, when necessary, but when it comes to hosting a daily show, you have to be a special sort of talent to make that work. The only reoccurring guests on the show who come close to being on this level, are Feits, Guilio, and Bader. I’m not even going to get into the weeds regarding Mintzy, only time will tell how that develops, or doesn’t. I trust the crew to decide who belongs in a permanent fashion, but I just hope they really evaluate Mook’s role and give him the break that it frankly seems he needs, even if it’s a tough decision. Whatever they decide to do, I’m sure it will work out in the long run as it always does; have some faith folks. For the record, as an avid listener of ANUS as well, I think he fits his role as a producer just fine on there (he’d be a horrendous producer on any respectable podcast).
Kate
People have been coming at Kate’s neck for a while, so I’d like to address that. That is, right after I talk about the kind of person she is, being sure to mention the fact that she has a broken back, just went through a miserable pregnancy, and still showed up for more workdays in the last year than plenty of her co-workers. Never mind the fact that she’s an absolute badass and true patriot, but nobody tell her that. If you don’t find Kate funny, you’re an idiot, but that’s fine, humor is subjective. And yes, she needs to spend at least half as much time on TikTok as she does, but if you’ve read to this point, you need to at least double the amount of time you spend outside. She’s clearly beloved by everyone on the show, as she should be. Kyle would take a bullet for her; Nick wouldn’t, but that’s only because the gunman wouldn’t be able to hit his rickets riddled legs. It should be entirely obvious to any regular viewer of the show at this point, that Kate doesn’t help just host the show, but she also doubles as a producer. Not in the typical podcast producer sense, but more in the spirit of a TV producer. A lot of the great premeditated ideas and bits on the show are of her creation, and even those that aren’t, she leads the coordination behind the scenes. Nobody puts more effort and love into the show than her, except for the first 120 seconds of it, given her forgetfulness to be there for those. She would be sorely missed if she wasn’t a member of the show, and I just hope people who don’t already think this can learn to appreciate her, despite her quest to have a seemingly never-ending list of flaws; that’s a hobby if you ask me, Cate. In all seriousness, she had a bit of a funk throughout the past three seasons of the show we’re calling one season, for as many reasons as one could have, but she’s fully back in her groove now.
T.J.
People have also been whining about T.J. for one reason or another. If you don’t realize how important he is to the show, you have not been watching long enough. The Yak was not nearly the same prior to his arrival, despite the cast not changing in any significant way. He’s got the fastest sticks in the (Mid)west, and while we might not all appreciate his humor, he absolutely knows how to get the most out of the show. He’s the perfect cameraman and real-time editor for the job, and he’s proven this many times over. E.g. Francis big head, Rone green face, any patented Brandon mid-bite zoom in. Given the complete technological ineptitude of most Barstool producers, it’s frankly a minor miracle we have been stuck with him. Ultimately, he knows what the guys find funny, and what the audience does as well. Has his ego inflated since dropping more than a hundred pounds in weight? No shit it has, that’s how that works, good for him. And yes, he is chronically online. He averages three sentences per stream, I can take him saying something mildly annoying every now and then; any other expectation would be absurd for a behind the camera personality, or anyone for that matter.
Big Cat
Get off your damn phone. Him constantly being on his phone and ruining the flow of conversation was long a pet peeve of mine before he brought it up himself a couple of weeks ago. His solution of giving his phone to Cheah (which worked, by the way) lasting all of one show, is hilarious. It only rubs salt in the wound when he pretends to not just be scrolling Twitter and reading the YouTube chat, saying he’s promoting the show instead. Even if that is the reason a small percentage of the time, I could not think of a less trivial task for him to do whilst on air; truly, any of the many, many employees working under him, who are otherwise not doing anything, could do it for him. Nevertheless, him constantly being on it does indeed derail discussions when he tunes back in, and they have to be rehashed because he wasn’t listening. It’s overall just rude behavior, and inconsiderate to his actual friends sitting right beside him, as well as the audience. I’m sure this in particular irks me more than most, but it really is just such an easy thing to get better at that would improve the show.
Nick, Kyle, Brandon, and Titus are all our perfect little angels and will certainly steer clear of any criticism or malice brought forth by anyone, for any reason whatsoever, for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, I petition for The Yak to host a weekly Ronesh Hashana and Sash Wednesday session, naturally observed every Wednesday. Again, there is a reason why you and I could not be on the show, what the fuck was that. Just have them Zoom in for the second half of a show once a week, it would be great to have those boys on and just yakking it up far more often. I would even be willing to compromise, by tapping into Sas’s Xbox Live party while he’s in a COD lobby, if that is what we must do to accommodate his busy work schedule. And I’m sure Brandon would be relieved to move down to at least second in RSMPE (Racial Slurs Muttered Per Episode). The King of New York simply can’t grace the Chicago plebeians with his presence and just go up and leave; we must have our fix. Of course, we must also have Rone involved to stir the pot, or as the Yiddish say, טאָפּ.
Though it may not seem it, I am truly not here to judge the character of anyone on The Yak. It is just an internet show after all, and I don’t dislike any of them, far from it. In all my years of watching, I have never posted on here before, nor commented on a Yak video, nor in the chat. I’m only writing this now because I am overly passionate about the show, and the people on it. The show seems to be going through a period of growth right now, or at least it is reaching a new audience, and during this time I want to see it at its best. Does anything about the show truly need to change? No, it doesn’t. We watch it every day for good reasons. Though it is inevitable that we will always find something to whine about; there are too many moving parts and people involved with it on a daily basis for us not to. And in fairness, it does have its issues like anything else, so if some minor ones could be addressed, everyone might be a little happier. And yet, if it remains exactly the same, that's actually a pretty desirable outcome; I already fucking love this show.
If they want to keep Mook on, then fine, let it be. At the very least, we can try and not drown the dude in hate, maybe he’ll somehow get his mojo back. Hell, while we’re at it, let Kate start her stories about something that nobody saw, that turned out to be about something that wasn’t true, that somehow ends with her being made fun of for having sexual relations with a high school mascot. Let them continue to rib T.J. and diabetic Brandon for their massive collective weight loss of going from two diabetic Brandon’s to two diabetic Brandon’s. Let Big Cat continue to cosplay as a hometown Chicagoan from Massachusetts who went to school in Wisconsin. Let Cheah continue to grill Sas on hypotheticals about his mother’s brassiere. Let Nick speak only about the opening paragraphs of Wikipedia pages. Let Rone manspread the width of four Zah’s. Let Kyle harp on Ecuadorian thickies. Let them continue to bring up Titus’s massive monster of a cock; we’re not happy about it, but we’ll allow it. Let’s just enjoy The Yak.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
We pulled off I-51 a little after midnight, stopping at a truck stop which was couched between the highway and a large forest.
We waited in the van for ten minutes or so. Trent had increased the sonar radius to its maximum of 30 miles a little over an hour ago. Somehow the red pings had kept up with us, holding a steady distance of around 20 miles. Considering we were averaging around 80 mph, and a coyote's top speed is only around 40 mph, we figured they had been enhanced in some way. Either that, or they shape-shifted into something faster. Regardless, now that we had stopped, we waited to see if the demon spawn would try and close the distance. Luckily, or unluckily, they didn't. They kept their 20 mile buffer, but we noticed they were beginning to spread out along the circumference of that boundary.
"We're close. They know that, so they're trying to trap us in." Trent said.
"Trying to?—more like they have."
We considered whether we should stay in the van and keep watch, but we figured that would do us little good. At their speed, they could be on us in ten minutes, which means we would need to stay up all night and keep tabs on their positions. Trent offered to stay up, of course, but I shut him down.
"The demon doesn't want to kill us now. You said it yourself. Plus, we need our rest. If they come, they come."
Trent didn't like it, but he acquiesced.
The truck stop had all the essentials: a gas station and mini mart with showers and an attached McDonald's, a large parking lot for truckers to idle and sleep, and even a section with lodging for those who wanted a more comfortable night's rest. I told Trent that he should take advantage of the showers, and after a little convincing, he agreed. While he was cleaning himself up, I patrolled the dingy, half-stocked aisles of "Daisy's Quick Mart". I probably would have been appalled at the quality of the store had I actually been paying any attention to it whatsoever. But I wasn't. I was thinking hard about what awaited me tomorrow.
During the drive, I had asked Trent why the demon would want us to return to the crash site. What did he mean that I would be 'confronting a dark entity in a place he couldn't help me'? He seemed hesitant to answer, but my little stunt outside the storage facility seemed to have sufficiently motivated him.
"When I said I've never done this before, I meant it." Trent started. "I've never done this exact thing before—meaning I've never projected someone into the past."
"So, I'm time traveling?" I asked.
"No—don't think of it like that." Trent paused, trying to come up with a good explanation. "It's more like I'm opening a window for you to look through: not a door. You're going to see the past, but you can't interact with the physicalities there. But that doesn't mean you can't interact with anything."
There was a space of silence as Trent tried to let me work out his meaning for myself. "I don't get it. Are you saying there's something I can interact with? Like what?" And then it hit me. "The demon. The demon can interact with me? Meaning what? It can kill me?"
"Meaning… I'm not exactly sure. You're going to be in a kind of psychic space. If it does damage, it won't be to your body. It'll be to your mind—or spirit. But I don't know what the limits of that damage could be. I just don't have those answers."
"If you've never done this, how do you know any of it will work?"
"That's an easy one." Trent answered. "Because it's been done to me."
There was silence.
"Look, if I know anything, I know my tech. Don't doubt that this will work. It's my job to make sure it does. I just need you to be in the right mental for this. Just because it knows your coming doesn't mean it automatically has the upper hand. It won't be able to see you unless you make contact with it first. In other words, you have to initiate contact. As long as you remain a spectator, you should be okay. Trust me. Just don't make contact."
I started pacing faster—fast enough to catch the attention of the overnight shift worker, a young man whose name I can't quite remember. I know it started with a "J". Jake, maybe? Anyway, he asked if I was alright, to which I responded in the affirmative. He left me alone for another couple passes, but when I almost ran into one of the shelves, he stood up and said, "Uh—I'm going to have to ask you to stop running around. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
I must have stared daggers at him, because he recoiled from my gaze. What's gotten into me? I thought. Then, steadying myself, I apologized. I looked around and grabbed the nearest edible looking piece of merchandise: a bag of Swedish Fish, and placed it down on the counter. "Just this, please."
The cashier rang me up. It was surprisingly cheap.
"Are you sure you're alright?" the young man asked. He was tall with brown hair. He seemed tired—maybe even more tired than me. But he also seemed kind.
I smiled as best I could and said, "No, I'm not. But there's not really anything you can do. Hell, there might not be anything I can do." I furrowed my eyebrows at my own response, realizing that imminent death may have broken my verbal filter.
On the other hand, the cashier did not seem surprised at all. "Ah, I see. It's one of those problems." He responded. "Well, hey, for what it's worth, you seem like one of the resilient ones. I think you'll be alright."
I only smiled and nodded at his mildly cryptic comment. Looking back, the whole interaction was a bit strange, but I had way too much mental clutter to recognize that in the moment. I took my Swedish Fish and walked through the anteroom which led to McDonald's. I found an open yellow booth that wasn't littered with crumpled straw sleeves and sat down, chomping mindlessly on my little red fish until Trent returned. When he arrived, he took my place, and I went to shower. After we were both clean and fed, we returned to the van. The pings were still pushed safely out of harm's way. But that didn't mean we were out of harm's way. Trent asked me if I wanted to sleep in the van, saying that "it'd be the safest place."
I thought it over. He was right, obviously. The van was not only outfitted with weapons I couldn't even begin to understand, but it was also our escape, and it would be just as difficult, if not more difficult to break into than the studio-style motel rooms with their wood doors and big windows. Still, if this was going to be my last night on earth, I wanted to sleep in a bed. A real bed. Trent understood and said he'd stay parked right outside my room for the night.
After purchasing a key from the night attendant, I moseyed over to the cement walkways which connected the twenty or so rooms. Mine was room #56, which I thought was odd since, like I said, there were only 20 rooms. I lugged in my tomato plushie and dad's old book and placed them on the queen mattress.
"I'll be right outside." Trent said after I collapsed onto the bed.
"Trent," I called out, stopping him half-way through the door.
"Yeah?"
All the blood in my body rushed up to my face as I realized my unfiltered mouth almost reflexively said the word "stay". I stared at Trent, my heart beating, my face hot. I considered asking him to sleep on the floor like my dad, but that would be childish and impolite. The alternative was to share my bed… Or I could take the floor.
"I'll just be right outside." Trent said before my mind processed a solution. "Come by if you need anything. I'll be up most of the night anyway."
"Okay," I replied in a faint voice.
Trent shut the door.
I sat atop the bedsheets and acquainted myself with my new living space. A feeling of regret closed over me as I considered that even sleeping on a carseat would have been better if it meant I didn't have to be alone. With a sigh, I turned on the bedside lamp and grabbed the book and stuffed tomato, using the tomato as a backrest as I slipped my legs under the covers and situated the book upright on my thighs. I cracked it open and was immediately blasted with a puff of dusty, old book scent. It was ripe at first, and I turned my head away to sneeze, but as I perused through the pages, the scent grew on me. It reminded me of the days growing up when I'd step into dad's study and read through one of the many volumes on cryptic topics which were at least two college degrees above my Lexile range.
I was only a couple minutes into browsing the collection of different scientific and philosophical works when I came across a page which contained highlighted text. This was unusual, as my dad would never mark up his books. He was a purist on that point. I rubbed my thumb over the yellow lines, and sure enough, it was highlighter.
The highlighted text was part of a small book by Carl Jung called "Synchronicity". There were a total of three pages that were marked, and they advanced like this:
Page 5:
The philosophical principle that underlies our conception of natural law is causality*. But if the connection between cause and effect turns out to be only statistically valid and relatively true, then the causal principle is only of relative use for explaining natural processes… That is as much to say that the connection of events may in certain circumstances be other than causal, and require another principle of explanation.*
Page 19:
…there are events which are related to one another experimentally, and in this case meaningfully*, without there being any possibility of proving that this relation is a causal one, since the "transmission" exhibits none of the known properties of energy…a situation which does not yet exist and will only occur in the future could transmit itself as a phenomenon of energy to a receiver in the present…Therefore, it cannot be a question of cause and effect, but of a falling together in time, a kind of simultaneity... "synchronicity"*
Page 22:
A young woman I was treating had, at a critical moment, a dream in which she was given a golden scarab. While she was telling me this dream I sat with my back to the closed window. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, like a gentle tapping. I turned round and saw a flying insect knocking against the window pane from outside. I opened the window and caught the creature in the air as it flew in. It was the nearest analogy to a golden scarab that one finds in our latitudes, a scarabaeid beetle, the common rose-chafer… which contrary to its usual habits had evidently felt an urge to get into a dark room at this particular moment.
I flipped through the rest of the pages of the book. There was no more highlighted text, but there was a message on the last page which read:
Matthew 7:7-8
I'll meet you in the darkest place.
He also included his typical smiley face which had an ovular shape and three sprouts of hair which I now realized kind of resembled my tomato plushie. It was my dad's writing, of course. But why? And how? What did this mean?
The motel had a Bible stashed away in the nighstand drawer. I got it out and looked up the verses which read the following:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
I spent maybe an hour ruminating on all of this. The whole discourse on energy and causality and a "falling together in time" just seemed so right. It was clear that my dad definitely did know what I was going through, but for whatever reason, he made it seem like he was oblivious. Why had he hidden that from me? I felt like I was being pulled in two directions. On the one hand, my dad loved me enough to leave this note, maybe even knowing the exact moment I'd need it. But on the other hand, he had neglected my struggles throughout my entire childhood. He even lied at times. Was this really enough to make up for all of that?
And then there was the section about the future transmitting energy to the past. I read back through the whole paragraph and the original writer had meant it to say this as something that wasn't possible, but my dad's highlighting made it seem like he wanted to flip the meaning. The future does affect the past. I thought about where I was headed and wondered if I would soon discover that for myself.
Lastly, dad's message. The Bible verse reminded me of the first time I prayed; how I reached out to God and received peace as an answer to my prayer. Now I feel like I'm actively seeking… something, but I don't know yet what I'll find. And then there's knocking. At first that reminded me of the story with the beetle tapping on the window, but then I went back even deeper in my memory and dug out the monster tapping at my window, and the words my dad spoke to me in order to set my mind at ease: "you're a superhero. And you know what your greatest superpower is? Your greatest power is you get to tell the monsters what to do. Because the monsters are only as strong as the stories you tell about them…so if you're ever scared, honey, just dream up a better story."
I was crying into my stuffed tomato now. I felt like all the blinking pieces of my life had finally been pulled together into a completed puzzle. This was all by design. My entire life, filled with so much chaos and confusion, was actually preparing me for this moment. And my dad thought I had the tools and strength enough to get through it. I flipped through the book one more time, thinking maybe he had left some other hidden comment—some formula to defeat this demon and return home. But there was nothing. Only that one comment: "I'll meet you in the darkest place."
What's the darkest place, dad? Is that where I'm going? Are you saying you'll be there, too?
With those thoughts in mind, my eyes became heavy shutters which, with a slight pressure on the pulley, winded shut. My swimming thoughts and firework-like fears dissipated, and I returned to a precious childhood memory. It was after an evening soccer practice. Summer. Dad was driving me to Dairy Queen. I got a cherry-dipped twist cone. I was happy.
So, so happy.
***
I woke up to sunlight blaring through my windows. Shit, I overslept, was my immediate thought. I threw off my covers and opened the front door. A glance at the clock showed 1:13 PM. I shouldn't have even been allowed to stay checked in this long. Damn, am I gonna get double-billed for this?
I heard a rummaging sound around the corner of my motel room. It sounded like a squirrel was trying to find an afternoon snack in one of the garbage bins. I stepped outside. The sun was extremely bright, to the point where I had to squint and put my hand over my eyes to even see the ground in front of me. I was trying to walk toward the van, but somehow I ended up in front of the trash bins where the animal's tail was sticking out from a turned-over, silver garbage can. Its tail was wagging excitedly, and I remember thinking that it was much too large to be a squirrel.
The animal bent down as if biting onto something, and I heard the sound of its growl as it struggled to tug whatever it was free from the barrel. Inch by inch, the creature backed out of the canister, and more of its sharp, sticky hair was revealed. I heard something snap, then the creature leapt back and I saw what it was chomping on. My eyes widened in horror as the pink tube of a human intestine was pulled taut like the end of a tangled hose. Blood and entrails were spilling out of the human's opened gut. And then, behind the canine, I saw the person's face. His face was pale white, his eyes closed, and his hair was slicked back… It was Trent.
Before I could react, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I whirled around and saw my dad. But—no, it wasn't him. It was someone wearing a paper-mache face mask that was painted to look like my dad. The forehead of the mask was already beginning to crack, white specks breaking off like sawdust. Through the cracks, I could see the figure's true form. I didn't know darkness had its own type of light, but that's the only way to describe it. It was as if malevolence itself was reified into a skin which was actually an amalgamation of millions of little, oozing parasites that leached into the nearby light. When it finally spoke, the demon's voice was a full octave lower than the old man's at the deli. And it had an earth-stilling gravitas.
"Today's the day!" He sang and reached into his pocket. His lips curled upward into a foxy smirk. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day." He said and held up a razor blade. Half his facade had already fallen apart, and now I could see the bugs up close, writhing in what was either horror or ecstasy. And his scent… it was somehow more rank than the rabid coyote rummaging through the trash can with Trent's cut open body inside. The demon closed in on my position, and in one, decisive motion, he brought the blade close to his chin, then sliced it across my throat. "Wake up!" He screamed.
I jumped out of my bed and grabbed my throat, feeling the cold sting of its quick slice. Hyperventilating, I patted the area down, trying to hold the blood in, but when I removed my hands, I saw they were dry. It was only a dream, I thought. Gray light was only beginning to filter in through the drapes. I'm in my hotel room. I'm safe. I tried consoling, but the pragmatic mental massages weren't enough to hold the force of my knees buckling. I dropped onto the carpet and cried for a long while.
Outside, rain was beginning to fall.
***
By the time I met up with Trent, I had already composed myself and decided to keep my dad's message and the nightmare to myself. None of it seemed particularly productive from a logistical standpoint, anyway. And I wanted to focus on the mission.
We stopped by McDonald's and bought a couple cups of coffee. Trent asked if I wanted any food, and I declined. Black coffee seemed like the only thing my stomach could take at the present moment. I could tell Trent was hungry, but he tried playing it off (I guess to be respectful of me?) I told him to knock it off and get something to eat. I didn't need my Charon getting lightheaded and dropping the paddle before he finished rowing me to Hell. He didn't care much for my joke, but he ordered a couple Chicken McGriddles at the kiosk anyway.
There were maybe ten patrons spread throughout the restaurant. We sat down at the same booth from the prior night, this time across from one another. Trent spent the first ten minutes or so babbling about our fuel supply and the logistics of the trip from here on in. Practical stuff. I've come to realize that's how he deals with his stress. He talks it out in short, durable sentences. I mostly nodded and watched as what looked like a storm front closed in on the truck stop. The sky was overcast, and there were darker clouds in the distance. The rain was still only a patter, but a middle-aged man wearing a yellow bow tie on the wall-mounted TV confirmed that there would be heavier rain and thunderstorms very soon.
After the worker delivered Trent's food and he ate it in record time, I posed the one question that was still on my mind.
"How do I fight him?" I asked.
Trent finished a large gulp of his coffee, then looked at me. It was the first substantial thing I'd said all morning; Trent could tell something was off with me, but he figured there was no point in asking what it was. "By 'him', I assume you mean the demon?"
I nodded.
Trent licked his teeth clean. "You could try praying again."
"I'm serious," I responded.
"I'm serious, too. It worked before, didn't it?"
"You mean at my house?"
Trent nodded.
"I thought you weren't a religious man?"
"I'm not. Just a practical one. If praying worked before, maybe it'll work again."
"That's the best you've got? A maybe?"
"No, I've got a lot of shit better than a maybe." He answered. "It's just not accessible where you're going. Which is why I recommend not making contact on the first run."
"First run? So we're going to do this more than once?"
"At least," Trent answered. Then, seeing my expression, he continued. "What? You thought this was going to be a one-and-done? We have to conduct some research first. I did tell you this was new for me, right?"
Somehow Trent's response had set my mind at ease a little. I was going to have more than one chance. Of course, why wouldn't I be able to go back more than once?
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? It would have gone a long way in easing my mind."
Trent lifted his hands in defense. "Sorry, I just thought that was a given. I mean, what we're doing is dangerous, just like I said, but it doesn't mean we aren't going to approach this as safely and scientifically as possible. However, there is a different problem with running multiple trials."
"The Organization?"
"That's right," Trent said like a proud parent. "Our little experiment will be like a giant spotlight, and the longer we wait around after it's on us, the greater the chance we'll have unwelcome company."
"So, safe but speedy."
"Safe but speedy. Exactly."
***
We fueled up and were back on the road a little after 8:00. From that point on, Trent and I were absolutely silent. I had the distinct feeling of being in the eye of a storm. The pings moved closer commensurate with our progress toward the crash site. The cloudfront continued its advance. And I noticed a haze beginning to descend onto the road ahead of us. It was fog.
We meandered further inland, the forest thickening around us until the rain almost stopped entirely—the leaves drinking it up before it fell onto our windshield. I kept my eyes on the radar. We were approaching the large yellow circle which indicated we had arrived. As we pulled closer, I began to feel things. Fear. Eeriness. Doubt. Then happiness. Hope. Love. Normally feelings like these had a clear source to picture, but these sensations came on in waves without any discernible reason. It was almost as if they were blinking into existence inside me.
"Here we go," Trent said like an airline pilot readying his crew for turbulence.
I still recall the exact moment we crossed the boundary into the area of higher energy. It was like something just "clicked" in my brain, and all of a sudden everything felt so much closer. The sound of the rain against the trees was almost right next to my ear. The trees in the distance would oscillate between their position a half-mile out, then suddenly seem five meters away. If I focused on something long enough, it began to radiate those same ethereal particles as when Trent released Ava's "phase lock". I checked to make sure the shifter wasn't set to "TD". Sure enough, it was still in drive.
"Can you see them?" Trent asked. "The shifts?"
"Yeah," I said in a dreamy voice. I felt like I was driving through a wonderland.
"It's the energy. I barely notice a difference. A bit of movement in the trees, but not much else. But I'm sure for you, it's a whole experience."
"What is this?" I raised my hand and caught some of the pixel dust dripping off the sun visor. It disappeared when it made contact with my hand.
"It's a kind of radiation. Everything emits it, just in different quantities. I'm still not exactly sure how it relates to the other realms, but I'm guessing it's a kind of primordial matter that helps connect our worlds."
"It's beautiful," I exclaimed. "I wish I could see the world like this all the time."
"Maybe you will," Trent whispered.
As we arrived at the crash site, I began to get glimpses of the past. My childhood dreams and memories were pushing their way out from my subconscious. I noticed an increased number of blinks, which were validated by Ava who reported the following: "Currently detecting 14,350 novel emergences and 2,777 controlled agents. Net anomalies: 2,777."
"That's a lot of blinks." I remarked. "Why doesn't Ava include them in the net anomalies?"
Trent turned his head so I could see his smirk. "Because blinks aren't anomalies."
I thought about it for a second. Blinks aren't anomalies. "I never thought about it that way."
"It's hard to think about it that way when 'normal' for most people means not picking up on a fundamental aspect of reality. But that doesn't make it any less real."
We continued past the epicenter of the yellow circle. "Are we not stopping?" I asked. "I think we already passed the crash site."
"It doesn't have to be exactly at the site," Trent said. "Plus, we don't want to stop on the side of the road and risk getting some civilian involved. There's a field about half a mile up ahead. I'm going to pull off the road and set up camp there.
The "field" that Trent was referring to was actually a large clearing that dipped down into several trench-like troughs which were filled to the brim with fog like witches cauldrons. Further on in the distance, I saw open fields, probably used for farming, and then a large hill where the trees once again reasserted themselves. We had pulled off the road and up a small incline where the trees had already been broken down, leaving a trail for us to drive through. When we surfaced at the edge of the clearing, Trent pulled us onto a flat bed of dried mud which was maybe thirty yards long.
"Here," he said with a sigh.
We both sat for a minute, looking around at the field. We had finally arrived. The rain was beginning to pick up, and the dark sky made it almost impossible to discern the time of day.
"You ready?" Trent asked.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. In his blue eyes. Was I ready? Did it even matter?
"Let's do this," I said.
***
This was the first time I was really able to inspect the back of Trent's van. He had talked up his gear a lot, and honestly, I was impressed. Not in the way that a scientist is impressed by another scientist's lab—I wasn't any kind of expert—but it still seemed remarkably well managed. Now that I was in a state where my vision had been enhanced, I could actually see the enigmatic particles circulating through the pneumatic tubes which were coiled like the pipes and valves of an elaborate wind instrument. The walls of the van, itself, were glistening white, making it easier to make out everything else inside. Along the floor were five overturned columns. Each column was dark and had a vibrating quality, as if they were charged with energy. Then atop the center three columns was a small altar which supported an apparatus with two skinny, metal arms holding a silver halo. At present, the arms were folded and the halo was suspended a few inches above the altar, faced-down. I thought maybe I'd see particles exuding from it, but instead it was emitting visible waves which bent and warped everything they touched.
"That thing is emitting a lot of energy." I remarked, gesturing toward the halo.
Trent stepped in between the columns and started pulling out the packages he had stuffed in there yesterday. "Just wait till' it's on."
Most of the packages contained only a single piece of equipment, and were otherwise packed with foam peanuts. We carefully removed each box and set them on the ground outside. I asked if the rain would damage any of the stuff inside, to which Trent only laughed and continued lugging out the boxes. When they were all out, Trent removed a box cutter from his pocket and went one-by-one opening them. There were eight pieces in total.
"What is it?" I asked as we fished the first item out.
"It's another apparatus, like the one inside. Except it'll mount on the ground out here."
I pulled out what looked like a metal tripod.
"Good, that'll go on the bottom."
"Where are we setting it up?"
"Over here," Trent said and stepped five paces away from the van. He coordinated himself up so he was centrally aligned with the inner ring, then stomped a few times. "This is the spot."
As we continued to work, I asked Trent about how the whole contraption works.
"Do you remember the first time we were in the van? When we had to escape from the semi-truck?" Trent asked and connected a secondary mounting apparatus on top of the tripod. It had four spider-like legs that made right angles and stuck into the ground.
"Of course," I said. "The 'phase lock'."
"Yeah," Trent said and gestured toward the metal stick that was in my hand. I handed it to him. "The phase lock is a seal on the level of energy that the van is allowed to release. It also controls its dispersion pattern so that it releases its energy in a steady wave. This allows Ava to scan for anomalies without causing us to become an anomaly." Trent stuck the plank into the neck of the tripod.
"So when you released the phase lock, we started emitting more energy."
"That's right." Trent confirmed. "Enough to create an alternate route through a different realm."
"So we blinked into a different realm, then back, just to avoid that truck?"
"That's right."
"But why couldn't we just move out of the way?"
"Because it had locked onto us. It was tracking our motion and adjusting its course based on the amount of energy we were emitting. So in order to escape, we had to radically skew our potential energy and then use it to shift."
"Couldn't he have just followed us?"
Trent connected four more pieces to the device which now looked like an elaborate teepee. He was fishing in the last box when he spoke again. "Yeah, he could have. But it was highly improbable that he would have found us." Trent returned from the bottom of the box with another silver ring in hand. "Think of it like this. Let's say you're trying to escape from some bad guy who's coming after you, and you enter a new room you've never seen before. Would you prefer this room to have three doors to go through, or ten?"
I thought about his riddle for a second, then responded, "It depends where they go."
Trent fastened the ring atop the teepee. "Let's say they all lead to random places, or let's say they're all closets that lead nowhere. The key is that more is better, because the more doors he has to check, the less likely he is to pick the correct one. Make sense?"
"So we opened up a bunch of doors and escaped through one at random?"
"Hence the gear 'TD', for 'Trap Door'."
I marveled at the insights, but not for long. Trent hopped back in the van and pulled a lever that I hadn't seen until now. The two metal arms raised the inner ring until it was perpendicular with the altar. Then Trent clicked one of three red buttons along the back wall, and I saw what looked like a large, glass eye suspended in a magnifying glass protruding from the wall, aligned with the center of both rings. A couple seconds later, the glass eye began to focus the energy which was being fed to it from the pneumatic tubes, and a blue pyramid of light projected from it into the first ring, then from the first ring into the second ring. All three pieces were aligned at slightly diminishing heights, so the cylinder of light beamed through the second ring, into the ground.
"Alright, time for the first trial."
I felt the nerves starting up in my stomach. Trent sensed this and hopped out of the truck. It was raining quite hard now, though it was still warm. Both Trent and I were soaked, but that hardly concerned us. He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "I know you're feeling scared." He said. "But trust me on this. You're going to do fine. Just keep in mind what we talked about. Stay a spectator. Okay?"
I looked into his blue eyes, which seemed especially gray in the dark. Still, Trent's voice was reassuring. All I had to do was trust him. Trust myself. Trust my dad. And it was all going to turn out right.
"I'm ready," I said.
Trent was still for a second, holding my eyes in his. Then he guided me behind the outer ring and into the cylinder of light.
"I should step into it now?" I asked, afraid I'd be called away immediately.
"It's not on yet, so don't worry. I still have to press another button."
I followed Trent's instructions and stood in the blue light which was centered on my chest. Then I watched as Trent ran into the back of the van and posted up next to the glass eye. "Ready?" He yelled out. It was hard to hear him over the rain, but I yelled back. "Ready!"
The next thing I saw was a blinding blue light beam from the van. I heard what sounded like a laser, then saw the cylinder oscillate, expanding and compressing. When the energy reached the second ring, I saw everything around me light up—it looked brighter than noon on a cloudless day. Then the oscillations made their way to me, and I was swallowed up whole.
***
When I came to, I was in the backseat of a car. I felt my butt rumbling. Everything was dim and quiet. And then I heard a woman's voice from in front of me.
"Mark, please, not with Lauren in the back."
The man, who I now identified as my father, pulled the cigarette away from his lips and blew the smoke at my mom. He eyed the back seat where I was sitting, using one of five markers that hadn't rolled off my lap to color a rabbit in my animal color book.
"The kid's fine." he said and took another drag.
"Mark," my mom repeated.
I saw my dad raise his hand in a rapid motion. "I said she's fine, Cheryl. Now check the map and make sure we're going the right away. I can't see shit with all this fog."
I took a moment to make sure I was really in the back seat. I patted myself. I clearly had weight. Then I tried touching the car. At first, my fingertips met a solid surface, but when I tried to press through, my hand slipped into the car. I quickly pulled my hand away as if I had reached into a fire.
That's when I heard the little three year old next to me start crying. I turned and saw that little-me had dropped another couple markers onto the ground and was struggling to reach them.
"Hey!" my dad shouted. "What did I say about crying?"
"Quit it, Mark. She just dropped her markers." said my mom; she turned to help me pick them up.
"What did you say to me?" Mark spat with a voice full of guile. He reached out and pushed her back into her seat. "Don't," he commanded. "She has to learn how to deal with life."
"Deal…" My mom started in disbelief. "Deal with life? Do you hear yourself? What's gotten into you?"
"Sometimes shit happens. It doesn't give her the right to cry. You helping her is just going to reinforce her behavior."
"Her behavior? What about your behavior? You're acting like a total dick."
I didn't even have a moment to react before my dad's hand was across my mom's face. I felt the slap more than I heard it, my own face seeming to swell with the force of the blow. I saw my mom cover her mouth and lean away. Then little-me began to cry even louder, which only challenged my dad to step up his own volume.
"Everyone needs to get a fucking grip before I crash this car." My dad shouted and took another drag. The scariest part was I couldn't tell if he was warning us or threatening us. I felt the sudden urge to do something. There was no way this was real. I was definitely in some fantasy concocted by the demon. He wanted to turn me against my dad. That was the only explanation for something like this. My dad was a good man, not… this.
As I contemplated what to do, I saw a small, golden light appear behind little-me's window. Apparently she saw it, too, because her cries hushed as she traced the wisp with her eyes. After a second, the wisp transformed into a bunny rabbit, reminiscent of the one she was coloring. The rabbit hopped alongside the window, then did a couple circles in place. I watched little me let out a playful laugh and reach toward the window.
"What's going on back there?" my dad asked with a scowl. Apparently the only sound more disturbing than cries were laughs.
I looked back to the front and saw my mom wiping blood from her lip. Her expression was miserable. "Leave her alone, Mark."
"I'll do whatever I damn well want to do, Cheryl. It's my kid back there."
My mom was quiet.
When I looked back toward the rabbit, it was no longer a rabbit but a person. Or at least it looked like a person. The figure radiated pure gold, and atop his head was what appeared to be a King's crown. I recalled Allison's experience of seeing the sun-like figure in her moment of distress. Was that what was happening here? Was this really all true?
"Hey!" My dad shouted, eyeing little-me from the rear-view mirror. "What are you reaching at?"
I looked and saw the golden figure extending his hand toward the window, and little me's hand was reaching back. "Mom, dad, it bright." little-me said.
"What's bright, honey?" my mom asked.
"Don't encourage her, Cheryl."
"Someone there!" little me shouted happily and dropped the rest of the markers and the coloring book onto the ground.
"Who's there?" asked my mom.
"Cheryl, I swear to God. Sit the fuck down."
Everything from that moment on happened so quickly I barely had any time to process it. My mom lifted out of her seat to either get little me's attention or help me pick up my coloring book. My dad responded by grabbing onto her throat, letting go of the steering wheel entirely. He threw her back against the car door, and her head hit the window so hard, the glass cracked. My dad had dropped his cigarette, and I could smell smoke coming from under his seat, but that didn't seem to bother him at all. He turned toward little-me at the same moment my three-year-old hand reached out and grabbed onto the golden figure, whose hand diffused through the window. When my dad turned, I got a whiff of the most awful smell that I wouldn't have been able to place had I not had that nightmare last night. He grabbed onto little-me's shoulder and tugged her away from the golden figure that was trying to pull her the other way. My dad's facade began to crack, and I could see those dark bugs crawling out from the pores in his arms, marching down toward little-me.
I reacted.
I grabbed onto my dad's arm and pulled him off little-me. I heard the sound of my shirt ripping as she was torn from his grip and pulled out of the car, diffusing through it like a ghost. My brief victory was immediately overturned as I saw what was now clearly the demon smiling at me, his wretched fingers curled around my forearm.
"Caught you," He sneered.
Then the whole world once again diffused into countless numbers of particles, only this time, instead of riding through it, I felt like I was falling through an elevator shaft with each floor darker than the last. The further I fell, the less I became aware of my surroundings, and the more I felt a deep sense of loneliness. It was as if I was the only person in the whole world: and the whole world was a prison designed entirely for me. This went on for so long, I began to forget who I was. Where I was. What was.
And then I landed.
***
Source Used:
Jung, Carl. Synchronicity. Translated by Sonu Shamdasani, Princeton University Press, 2010.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Content Warning: Domestic Abuse
***
We pulled off I-51 a little after midnight, stopping at a truck stop which was couched between the highway and a large forest.
We waited in the van for ten minutes or so. Trent had increased the sonar radius to its maximum of 30 miles a little over an hour ago. Somehow the red pings had kept up with us, holding a steady distance of around 20 miles. Considering we were averaging around 80 mph, and a coyote's top speed is only around 40 mph, we figured they had been enhanced in some way. Either that, or they shape-shifted into something faster. Regardless, now that we had stopped, we waited to see if the demon spawn would try and close the distance. Luckily, or unluckily, they didn't. They kept their 20 mile buffer, but we noticed they were beginning to spread out along the circumference of that boundary.
"We're close. They know that, so they're trying to trap us in." Trent said.
"Trying to?—more like they have."
We considered whether we should stay in the van and keep watch, but we figured that would do us little good. At their speed, they could be on us in ten minutes, which means we would need to stay up all night and keep tabs on their positions. Trent offered to stay up, of course, but I shut him down.
"The demon doesn't want to kill us now. You said it yourself. Plus, we need our rest. If they come, they come."
Trent didn't like it, but he acquiesced.
The truck stop had all the essentials: a gas station and mini mart with showers and an attached McDonald's, a large parking lot for truckers to idle and sleep, and even a section with lodging for those who wanted a more comfortable night's rest. I told Trent that he should take advantage of the showers, and after a little convincing, he agreed. While he was cleaning himself up, I patrolled the dingy, half-stocked aisles of "Daisy's Quick Mart". I probably would have been appalled at the quality of the store had I actually been paying any attention to it whatsoever. But I wasn't. I was thinking hard about what awaited me tomorrow.
During the drive, I had asked Trent why the demon would want us to return to the crash site. What did he mean that I would be 'confronting a dark entity in a place he couldn't help me'? He seemed hesitant to answer, but my little stunt outside the storage facility seemed to have sufficiently motivated him.
"When I said I've never done this before, I meant it." Trent started. "I've never done this exact thing before—meaning I've never projected someone into the past."
"So, I'm time traveling?" I asked.
"No—don't think of it like that." Trent paused, trying to come up with a good explanation. "It's more like I'm opening a window for you to look through: not a door. You're going to see the past, but you can't interact with the physicalities there. But that doesn't mean you can't interact with anything."
There was a space of silence as Trent tried to let me work out his meaning for myself. "I don't get it. Are you saying there's something I can interact with? Like what?" And then it hit me. "The demon. The demon can interact with me? Meaning what? It can kill me?"
"Meaning… I'm not exactly sure. You're going to be in a kind of psychic space. If it does damage, it won't be to your body. It'll be to your mind—or spirit. But I don't know what the limits of that damage could be. I just don't have those answers."
"If you've never done this, how do you know any of it will work?"
"That's an easy one." Trent answered. "Because it's been done to me."
There was silence.
"Look, if I know anything, I know my tech. Don't doubt that this will work. It's my job to make sure it does. I just need you to be in the right mental for this. Just because it knows your coming doesn't mean it automatically has the upper hand. It won't be able to see you unless you make contact with it first. In other words, you have to initiate contact. As long as you remain a spectator, you should be okay. Trust me. Just don't make contact."
I started pacing faster—fast enough to catch the attention of the overnight shift worker, a young man whose name I can't quite remember. I know it started with a "J". Jake, maybe? Anyway, he asked if I was alright, to which I responded in the affirmative. He left me alone for another couple passes, but when I almost ran into one of the shelves, he stood up and said, "Uh—I'm going to have to ask you to stop running around. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
I must have stared daggers at him, because he recoiled from my gaze. What's gotten into me? I thought. Then, steadying myself, I apologized. I looked around and grabbed the nearest edible looking piece of merchandise: a bag of Swedish Fish, and placed it down on the counter. "Just this, please."
The cashier rang me up. It was surprisingly cheap.
"Are you sure you're alright?" the young man asked. He was tall with brown hair. He seemed tired—maybe even more tired than me. But he also seemed kind.
I smiled as best I could and said, "No, I'm not. But there's not really anything you can do. Hell, there might not be anything I can do." I furrowed my eyebrows at my own response, realizing that imminent death may have broken my verbal filter.
On the other hand, the cashier did not seem surprised at all. "Ah, I see. It's one of those problems." He responded. "Well, hey, for what it's worth, you seem like one of the resilient ones. I think you'll be alright."
I only smiled and nodded at his mildly cryptic comment. Looking back, the whole interaction was a bit strange, but I had way too much mental clutter to recognize that in the moment. I took my Swedish Fish and walked through the anteroom which led to McDonald's. I found an open yellow booth that wasn't littered with crumpled straw sleeves and sat down, chomping mindlessly on my little red fish until Trent returned. When he arrived, he took my place, and I went to shower. After we were both clean and fed, we returned to the van. The pings were still pushed safely out of harm's way. But that didn't mean we were out of harm's way. Trent asked me if I wanted to sleep in the van, saying that "it'd be the safest place."
I thought it over. He was right, obviously. The van was not only outfitted with weapons I couldn't even begin to understand, but it was also our escape, and it would be just as difficult, if not more difficult to break into than the studio-style motel rooms with their wood doors and big windows. Still, if this was going to be my last night on earth, I wanted to sleep in a bed. A real bed. Trent understood and said he'd stay parked right outside my room for the night.
After purchasing a key from the night attendant, I moseyed over to the cement walkways which connected the twenty or so rooms. Mine was room #56, which I thought was odd since, like I said, there were only 20 rooms. I lugged in my tomato plushie and dad's old book and placed them on the queen mattress.
"I'll be right outside." Trent said after I collapsed onto the bed.
"Trent," I called out, stopping him half-way through the door.
"Yeah?"
All the blood in my body rushed up to my face as I realized my unfiltered mouth almost reflexively said the word "stay". I stared at Trent, my heart beating, my face hot. I considered asking him to sleep on the floor like my dad, but that would be childish and impolite. The alternative was to share my bed… Or I could take the floor.
"I'll just be right outside." Trent said before my mind processed a solution. "Come by if you need anything. I'll be up most of the night anyway."
"Okay," I replied in a faint voice.
Trent shut the door.
I sat atop the bedsheets and acquainted myself with my new living space. A feeling of regret closed over me as I considered that even sleeping on a carseat would have been better if it meant I didn't have to be alone. With a sigh, I turned on the bedside lamp and grabbed the book and stuffed tomato, using the tomato as a backrest as I slipped my legs under the covers and situated the book upright on my thighs. I cracked it open and was immediately blasted with a puff of dusty, old book scent. It was ripe at first, and I turned my head away to sneeze, but as I perused through the pages, the scent grew on me. It reminded me of the days growing up when I'd step into dad's study and read through one of the many volumes on cryptic topics which were at least two college degrees above my Lexile range.
I was only a couple minutes into browsing the collection of different scientific and philosophical works when I came across a page which contained highlighted text. This was unusual, as my dad would never mark up his books. He was a purist on that point. I rubbed my thumb over the yellow lines, and sure enough, it was highlighter.
The highlighted text was part of a small book by Carl Jung called "Synchronicity". There were a total of three pages that were marked, and they advanced like this:
Page 5:
The philosophical principle that underlies our conception of natural law is causality*. But if the connection between cause and effect turns out to be only statistically valid and relatively true, then the causal principle is only of relative use for explaining natural processes… That is as much to say that the connection of events may in certain circumstances be other than causal, and require another principle of explanation.*
Page 19:
…there are events which are related to one another experimentally, and in this case meaningfully*, without there being any possibility of proving that this relation is a causal one, since the "transmission" exhibits none of the known properties of energy…a situation which does not yet exist and will only occur in the future could transmit itself as a phenomenon of energy to a receiver in the present…Therefore, it cannot be a question of cause and effect, but of a falling together in time, a kind of simultaneity... "synchronicity"*
Page 22:
A young woman I was treating had, at a critical moment, a dream in which she was given a golden scarab. While she was telling me this dream I sat with my back to the closed window. Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, like a gentle tapping. I turned round and saw a flying insect knocking against the window pane from outside. I opened the window and caught the creature in the air as it flew in. It was the nearest analogy to a golden scarab that one finds in our latitudes, a scarabaeid beetle, the common rose-chafer… which contrary to its usual habits had evidently felt an urge to get into a dark room at this particular moment.
I flipped through the rest of the pages of the book. There was no more highlighted text, but there was a message on the last page which read:
Matthew 7:7-8
I'll meet you in the darkest place.
He also included his typical smiley face which had an ovular shape and three sprouts of hair which I now realized kind of resembled my tomato plushie. It was my dad's writing, of course. But why? And how? What did this mean?
The motel had a Bible stashed away in the nighstand drawer. I got it out and looked up the verses which read the following:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
I spent maybe an hour ruminating on all of this. The whole discourse on energy and causality and a "falling together in time" just seemed so right. It was clear that my dad definitely did know what I was going through, but for whatever reason, he made it seem like he was oblivious. Why had he hidden that from me? I felt like I was being pulled in two directions. On the one hand, my dad loved me enough to leave this note, maybe even knowing the exact moment I'd need it. But on the other hand, he had neglected my struggles throughout my entire childhood. He even lied at times. Was this really enough to make up for all of that?
And then there was the section about the future transmitting energy to the past. I read back through the whole paragraph and the original writer had meant it to say this as something that wasn't possible, but my dad's highlighting made it seem like he wanted to flip the meaning. The future does affect the past. I thought about where I was headed and wondered if I would soon discover that for myself.
Lastly, dad's message. The Bible verse reminded me of the first time I prayed; how I reached out to God and received peace as an answer to my prayer. Now I feel like I'm actively seeking… something, but I don't know yet what I'll find. And then there's knocking. At first that reminded me of the story with the beetle tapping on the window, but then I went back even deeper in my memory and dug out the monster tapping at my window, and the words my dad spoke to me in order to set my mind at ease: "you're a superhero. And you know what your greatest superpower is? Your greatest power is you get to tell the monsters what to do. Because the monsters are only as strong as the stories you tell about them…so if you're ever scared, honey, just dream up a better story."
I was crying into my stuffed tomato now. I felt like all the blinking pieces of my life had finally been pulled together into a completed puzzle. This was all by design. My entire life, filled with so much chaos and confusion, was actually preparing me for this moment. And my dad thought I had the tools and strength enough to get through it. I flipped through the book one more time, thinking maybe he had left some other hidden comment—some formula to defeat this demon and return home. But there was nothing. Only that one comment: "I'll meet you in the darkest place."
What's the darkest place, dad? Is that where I'm going? Are you saying you'll be there, too?
With those thoughts in mind, my eyes became heavy shutters which, with a slight pressure on the pulley, winded shut. My swimming thoughts and firework-like fears dissipated, and I returned to a precious childhood memory. It was after an evening soccer practice. Summer. Dad was driving me to Dairy Queen. I got a cherry-dipped twist cone. I was happy.
So, so happy.
***
I woke up to sunlight blaring through my windows. Shit, I overslept, was my immediate thought. I threw off my covers and opened the front door. A glance at the clock showed 1:13 PM. I shouldn't have even been allowed to stay checked in this long. Damn, am I gonna get double-billed for this?
I heard a rummaging sound around the corner of my motel room. It sounded like a squirrel was trying to find an afternoon snack in one of the garbage bins. I stepped outside. The sun was extremely bright, to the point where I had to squint and put my hand over my eyes to even see the ground in front of me. I was trying to walk toward the van, but somehow I ended up in front of the trash bins where the animal's tail was sticking out from a turned-over, silver garbage can. Its tail was wagging excitedly, and I remember thinking that it was much too large to be a squirrel.
The animal bent down as if biting onto something, and I heard the sound of its growl as it struggled to tug whatever it was free from the barrel. Inch by inch, the creature backed out of the canister, and more of its sharp, sticky hair was revealed. I heard something snap, then the creature leapt back and I saw what it was chomping on. My eyes widened in horror as the pink tube of a human intestine was pulled taut like the end of a tangled hose. Blood and entrails were spilling out of the human's opened gut. And then, behind the canine, I saw the person's face. His face was pale white, his eyes closed, and his hair was slicked back… It was Trent.
Before I could react, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I whirled around and saw my dad. But—no, it wasn't him. It was someone wearing a paper-mache face mask that was painted to look like my dad. The forehead of the mask was already beginning to crack, white specks breaking off like sawdust. Through the cracks, I could see the figure's true form. I didn't know darkness had its own type of light, but that's the only way to describe it. It was as if malevolence itself was reified into a skin which was actually an amalgamation of millions of little, oozing parasites that leached into the nearby light. When it finally spoke, the demon's voice was a full octave lower than the old man's at the deli. And it had an earth-stilling gravitas.
"Today's the day!" He sang and reached into his pocket. His lips curled upward into a foxy smirk. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day." He said and held up a razor blade. Half his facade had already fallen apart, and now I could see the bugs up close, writhing in what was either horror or ecstasy. And his scent… it was somehow more rank than the rabid coyote rummaging through the trash can with Trent's cut open body inside. The demon closed in on my position, and in one, decisive motion, he brought the blade close to his chin, then sliced it across my throat. "Wake up!" He screamed.
I jumped out of my bed and grabbed my throat, feeling the cold sting of its quick slice. Hyperventilating, I patted the area down, trying to hold the blood in, but when I removed my hands, I saw they were dry. It was only a dream, I thought. Gray light was only beginning to filter in through the drapes. I'm in my hotel room. I'm safe. I tried consoling, but the pragmatic mental massages weren't enough to hold the force of my knees buckling. I dropped onto the carpet and cried for a long while.
Outside, rain was beginning to fall.
***
By the time I met up with Trent, I had already composed myself and decided to keep my dad's message and the nightmare to myself. None of it seemed particularly productive from a logistical standpoint, anyway. And I wanted to focus on the mission.
We stopped by McDonald's and bought a couple cups of coffee. Trent asked if I wanted any food, and I declined. Black coffee seemed like the only thing my stomach could take at the present moment. I could tell Trent was hungry, but he tried playing it off (I guess to be respectful of me?) I told him to knock it off and get something to eat. I didn't need my Charon getting lightheaded and dropping the paddle before he finished rowing me to Hell. He didn't care much for my joke, but he ordered a couple Chicken McGriddles at the kiosk anyway.
There were maybe ten patrons spread throughout the restaurant. We sat down at the same booth from the prior night, this time across from one another. Trent spent the first ten minutes or so babbling about our fuel supply and the logistics of the trip from here on in. Practical stuff. I've come to realize that's how he deals with his stress. He talks it out in short, durable sentences. I mostly nodded and watched as what looked like a storm front closed in on the truck stop. The sky was overcast, and there were darker clouds in the distance. The rain was still only a patter, but a middle-aged man wearing a yellow bow tie on the wall-mounted TV confirmed that there would be heavier rain and thunderstorms very soon.
After the worker delivered Trent's food and he ate it in record time, I posed the one question that was still on my mind.
"How do I fight him?" I asked.
Trent finished a large gulp of his coffee, then looked at me. It was the first substantial thing I'd said all morning; Trent could tell something was off with me, but he figured there was no point in asking what it was. "By 'him', I assume you mean the demon?"
I nodded.
Trent licked his teeth clean. "You could try praying again."
"I'm serious," I responded.
"I'm serious, too. It worked before, didn't it?"
"You mean at my house?"
Trent nodded.
"I thought you weren't a religious man?"
"I'm not. Just a practical one. If praying worked before, maybe it'll work again."
"That's the best you've got? A maybe?"
"No, I've got a lot of shit better than a maybe." He answered. "It's just not accessible where you're going. Which is why I recommend not making contact on the first run."
"First run? So we're going to do this more than once?"
"At least," Trent answered. Then, seeing my expression, he continued. "What? You thought this was going to be a one-and-done? We have to conduct some research first. I did tell you this was new for me, right?"
Somehow Trent's response had set my mind at ease a little. I was going to have more than one chance. Of course, why wouldn't I be able to go back more than once?
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? It would have gone a long way in easing my mind."
Trent lifted his hands in defense. "Sorry, I just thought that was a given. I mean, what we're doing is dangerous, just like I said, but it doesn't mean we aren't going to approach this as safely and scientifically as possible. However, there is a different problem with running multiple trials."
"The Organization?"
"That's right," Trent said like a proud parent. "Our little experiment will be like a giant spotlight, and the longer we wait around after it's on us, the greater the chance we'll have unwelcome company."
"So, safe but speedy."
"Safe but speedy. Exactly."
***
We fueled up and were back on the road a little after 8:00. From that point on, Trent and I were absolutely silent. I had the distinct feeling of being in the eye of a storm. The pings moved closer commensurate with our progress toward the crash site. The cloudfront continued its advance. And I noticed a haze beginning to descend onto the road ahead of us. It was fog.
We meandered further inland, the forest thickening around us until the rain almost stopped entirely—the leaves drinking it up before it fell onto our windshield. I kept my eyes on the radar. We were approaching the large yellow circle which indicated we had arrived. As we pulled closer, I began to feel things. Fear. Eeriness. Doubt. Then happiness. Hope. Love. Normally feelings like these had a clear source to picture, but these sensations came on in waves without any discernible reason. It was almost as if they were blinking into existence inside me.
"Here we go," Trent said like an airline pilot readying his crew for turbulence.
I still recall the exact moment we crossed the boundary into the area of higher energy. It was like something just "clicked" in my brain, and all of a sudden everything felt so much closer. The sound of the rain against the trees was almost right next to my ear. The trees in the distance would oscillate between their position a half-mile out, then suddenly seem five meters away. If I focused on something long enough, it began to radiate those same ethereal particles as when Trent released Ava's "phase lock". I checked to make sure the shifter wasn't set to "TD". Sure enough, it was still in drive.
"Can you see them?" Trent asked. "The shifts?"
"Yeah," I said in a dreamy voice. I felt like I was driving through a wonderland.
"It's the energy. I barely notice a difference. A bit of movement in the trees, but not much else. But I'm sure for you, it's a whole experience."
"What is this?" I raised my hand and caught some of the pixel dust dripping off the sun visor. It disappeared when it made contact with my hand.
"It's a kind of radiation. Everything emits it, just in different quantities. I'm still not exactly sure how it relates to the other realms, but I'm guessing it's a kind of primordial matter that helps connect our worlds."
"It's beautiful," I exclaimed. "I wish I could see the world like this all the time."
"Maybe you will," Trent whispered.
As we arrived at the crash site, I began to get glimpses of the past. My childhood dreams and memories were pushing their way out from my subconscious. I noticed an increased number of blinks, which were validated by Ava who reported the following: "Currently detecting 14,350 novel emergences and 2,777 controlled agents. Net anomalies: 2,777."
"That's a lot of blinks." I remarked. "Why doesn't Ava include them in the net anomalies?"
Trent turned his head so I could see his smirk. "Because blinks aren't anomalies."
I thought about it for a second. Blinks aren't anomalies. "I never thought about it that way."
"It's hard to think about it that way when 'normal' for most people means not picking up on a fundamental aspect of reality. But that doesn't make it any less real."
We continued past the epicenter of the yellow circle. "Are we not stopping?" I asked. "I think we already passed the crash site."
"It doesn't have to be exactly at the site," Trent said. "Plus, we don't want to stop on the side of the road and risk getting some civilian involved. There's a field about half a mile up ahead. I'm going to pull off the road and set up camp there.
The "field" that Trent was referring to was actually a large clearing that dipped down into several trench-like troughs which were filled to the brim with fog like witches cauldrons. Further on in the distance, I saw open fields, probably used for farming, and then a large hill where the trees once again reasserted themselves. We had pulled off the road and up a small incline where the trees had already been broken down, leaving a trail for us to drive through. When we surfaced at the edge of the clearing, Trent pulled us onto a flat bed of dried mud which was maybe thirty yards long.
"Here," he said with a sigh.
We both sat for a minute, looking around at the field. We had finally arrived. The rain was beginning to pick up, and the dark sky made it almost impossible to discern the time of day.
"You ready?" Trent asked.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. In his blue eyes. Was I ready? Did it even matter?
"Let's do this," I said.
***
This was the first time I was really able to inspect the back of Trent's van. He had talked up his gear a lot, and honestly, I was impressed. Not in the way that a scientist is impressed by another scientist's lab—I wasn't any kind of expert—but it still seemed remarkably well managed. Now that I was in a state where my vision had been enhanced, I could actually see the enigmatic particles circulating through the pneumatic tubes which were coiled like the pipes and valves of an elaborate wind instrument. The walls of the van, itself, were glistening white, making it easier to make out everything else inside. Along the floor were five overturned columns. Each column was dark and had a vibrating quality, as if they were charged with energy. Then atop the center three columns was a small altar which supported an apparatus with two skinny, metal arms holding a silver halo. At present, the arms were folded and the halo was suspended a few inches above the altar, faced-down. I thought maybe I'd see particles exuding from it, but instead it was emitting visible waves which bent and warped everything they touched.
"That thing is emitting a lot of energy." I remarked, gesturing toward the halo.
Trent stepped in between the columns and started pulling out the packages he had stuffed in there yesterday. "Just wait till' it's on."
Most of the packages contained only a single piece of equipment, and were otherwise packed with foam peanuts. We carefully removed each box and set them on the ground outside. I asked if the rain would damage any of the stuff inside, to which Trent only laughed and continued lugging out the boxes. When they were all out, Trent removed a box cutter from his pocket and went one-by-one opening them. There were eight pieces in total.
"What is it?" I asked as we fished the first item out.
"It's another apparatus, like the one inside. Except it'll mount on the ground out here."
I pulled out what looked like a metal tripod.
"Good, that'll go on the bottom."
"Where are we setting it up?"
"Over here," Trent said and stepped five paces away from the van. He coordinated himself up so he was centrally aligned with the inner ring, then stomped a few times. "This is the spot."
As we continued to work, I asked Trent about how the whole contraption works.
"Do you remember the first time we were in the van? When we had to escape from the semi-truck?" Trent asked and connected a secondary mounting apparatus on top of the tripod. It had four spider-like legs that made right angles and stuck into the ground.
"Of course," I said. "The 'phase lock'."
"Yeah," Trent said and gestured toward the metal stick that was in my hand. I handed it to him. "The phase lock is a seal on the level of energy that the van is allowed to release. It also controls its dispersion pattern so that it releases its energy in a steady wave. This allows Ava to scan for anomalies without causing us to become an anomaly." Trent stuck the plank into the neck of the tripod.
"So when you released the phase lock, we started emitting more energy."
"That's right." Trent confirmed. "Enough to create an alternate route through a different realm."
"So we blinked into a different realm, then back, just to avoid that truck?"
"That's right."
"But why couldn't we just move out of the way?"
"Because it had locked onto us. It was tracking our motion and adjusting its course based on the amount of energy we were emitting. So in order to escape, we had to radically skew our potential energy and then use it to shift."
"Couldn't he have just followed us?"
Trent connected four more pieces to the device which now looked like an elaborate teepee. He was fishing in the last box when he spoke again. "Yeah, he could have. But it was highly improbable that he would have found us." Trent returned from the bottom of the box with another silver ring in hand. "Think of it like this. Let's say you're trying to escape from some bad guy who's coming after you, and you enter a new room you've never seen before. Would you prefer this room to have three doors to go through, or ten?"
I thought about his riddle for a second, then responded, "It depends where they go."
Trent fastened the ring atop the teepee. "Let's say they all lead to random places, or let's say they're all closets that lead nowhere. The key is that more is better, because the more doors he has to check, the less likely he is to pick the correct one. Make sense?"
"So we opened up a bunch of doors and escaped through one at random?"
"Hence the gear 'TD', for 'Trap Door'."
I marveled at the insights, but not for long. Trent hopped back in the van and pulled a lever that I hadn't seen until now. The two metal arms raised the inner ring until it was perpendicular with the altar. Then Trent clicked one of three red buttons along the back wall, and I saw what looked like a large, glass eye suspended in a magnifying glass protruding from the wall, aligned with the center of both rings. A couple seconds later, the glass eye began to focus the energy which was being fed to it from the pneumatic tubes, and a blue pyramid of light projected from it into the first ring, then from the first ring into the second ring. All three pieces were aligned at slightly diminishing heights, so the cylinder of light beamed through the second ring, into the ground.
"Alright, time for the first trial."
I felt the nerves starting up in my stomach. Trent sensed this and hopped out of the truck. It was raining quite hard now, though it was still warm. Both Trent and I were soaked, but that hardly concerned us. He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. "I know you're feeling scared." He said. "But trust me on this. You're going to do fine. Just keep in mind what we talked about. Stay a spectator. Okay?"
I looked into his blue eyes, which seemed especially gray in the dark. Still, Trent's voice was reassuring. All I had to do was trust him. Trust myself. Trust my dad. And it was all going to turn out right.
"I'm ready," I said.
Trent was still for a second, holding my eyes in his. Then he guided me behind the outer ring and into the cylinder of light.
"I should step into it now?" I asked, afraid I'd be called away immediately.
"It's not on yet, so don't worry. I still have to press another button."
I followed Trent's instructions and stood in the blue light which was centered on my chest. Then I watched as Trent ran into the back of the van and posted up next to the glass eye. "Ready?" He yelled out. It was hard to hear him over the rain, but I yelled back. "Ready!"
The next thing I saw was a blinding blue light beam from the van. I heard what sounded like a laser, then saw the cylinder oscillate, expanding and compressing. When the energy reached the second ring, I saw everything around me light up—it looked brighter than noon on a cloudless day. Then the oscillations made their way to me, and I was swallowed up whole.
***
When I came to, I was in the backseat of a car. I felt my butt rumbling. Everything was dim and quiet. And then I heard a woman's voice from in front of me.
"Mark, please, not with Lauren in the back."
The man, who I now identified as my father, pulled the cigarette away from his lips and blew the smoke at my mom. He eyed the back seat where I was sitting, using one of five markers that hadn't rolled off my lap to color a rabbit in my animal color book.
"The kid's fine." he said and took another drag.
"Mark," my mom repeated.
I saw my dad raise his hand in a rapid motion. "I said she's fine, Cheryl. Now check the map and make sure we're going the right away. I can't see shit with all this fog."
I took a moment to make sure I was really in the back seat. I patted myself. I clearly had weight. Then I tried touching the car. At first, my fingertips met a solid surface, but when I tried to press through, my hand slipped into the car. I quickly pulled my hand away as if I had reached into a fire.
That's when I heard the little three year old next to me start crying. I turned and saw that little-me had dropped another couple markers onto the ground and was struggling to reach them.
"Hey!" my dad shouted. "What did I say about crying?"
"Quit it, Mark. She just dropped her markers." said my mom; she turned to help me pick them up.
"What did you say to me?" Mark spat with a voice full of guile. He reached out and pushed her back into her seat. "Don't," he commanded. "She has to learn how to deal with life."
"Deal…" My mom started in disbelief. "Deal with life? Do you hear yourself? What's gotten into you?"
"Sometimes shit happens. It doesn't give her the right to cry. You helping her is just going to reinforce her behavior."
"Her behavior? What about your behavior? You're acting like a total dick."
I didn't even have a moment to react before my dad's hand was across my mom's face. I felt the slap more than I heard it, my own face seeming to swell with the force of the blow. I saw my mom cover her mouth and lean away. Then little-me began to cry even louder, which only challenged my dad to step up his own volume.
"Everyone needs to get a fucking grip before I crash this car." My dad shouted and took another drag. The scariest part was I couldn't tell if he was warning us or threatening us. I felt the sudden urge to do something. There was no way this was real. I was definitely in some fantasy concocted by the demon. He wanted to turn me against my dad. That was the only explanation for something like this. My dad was a good man, not… this.
As I contemplated what to do, I saw a small, golden light appear behind little-me's window. Apparently she saw it, too, because her cries hushed as she traced the wisp with her eyes. After a second, the wisp transformed into a bunny rabbit, reminiscent of the one she was coloring. The rabbit hopped alongside the window, then did a couple circles in place. I watched little me let out a playful laugh and reach toward the window.
"What's going on back there?" my dad asked with a scowl. Apparently the only sound more disturbing than cries were laughs.
I looked back to the front and saw my mom wiping blood from her lip. Her expression was miserable. "Leave her alone, Mark."
"I'll do whatever I damn well want to do, Cheryl. It's my kid back there."
My mom was quiet.
When I looked back toward the rabbit, it was no longer a rabbit but a person. Or at least it looked like a person. The figure radiated pure gold, and atop his head was what appeared to be a King's crown. I recalled Allison's experience of seeing the sun-like figure in her moment of distress. Was that what was happening here? Was this really all true?
"Hey!" My dad shouted, eyeing little-me from the rear-view mirror. "What are you reaching at?"
I looked and saw the golden figure extending his hand toward the window, and little me's hand was reaching back. "Mom, dad, it bright." little-me said.
"What's bright, honey?" my mom asked.
"Don't encourage her, Cheryl."
"Someone there!" little me shouted happily and dropped the rest of the markers and the coloring book onto the ground.
"Who's there?" asked my mom.
"Cheryl, I swear to God. Sit the fuck down."
Everything from that moment on happened so quickly I barely had any time to process it. My mom lifted out of her seat to either get little me's attention or help me pick up my coloring book. My dad responded by grabbing onto her throat, letting go of the steering wheel entirely. He threw her back against the car door, and her head hit the window so hard, the glass cracked. My dad had dropped his cigarette, and I could smell smoke coming from under his seat, but that didn't seem to bother him at all. He turned toward little-me at the same moment my three-year-old hand reached out and grabbed onto the golden figure, whose hand diffused through the window. When my dad turned, I got a whiff of the most awful smell that I wouldn't have been able to place had I not had that nightmare last night. He grabbed onto little-me's shoulder and tugged her away from the golden figure that was trying to pull her the other way. My dad's facade began to crack, and I could see those dark bugs crawling out from the pores in his arms, marching down toward little-me.
I reacted.
I grabbed onto my dad's arm and pulled him off little-me. I heard the sound of my shirt ripping as she was torn from his grip and pulled out of the car, diffusing through it like a ghost. My brief victory was immediately overturned as I saw what was now clearly the demon smiling at me, his wretched fingers curled around my forearm.
"Caught you," He sneered.
Then the whole world once again diffused into countless numbers of particles, only this time, instead of riding through it, I felt like I was falling through an elevator shaft with each floor darker than the last. The further I fell, the less I became aware of my surroundings, and the more I felt a deep sense of loneliness. It was as if I was the only person in the whole world: and the whole world was a prison designed entirely for me. This went on for so long, I began to forget who I was. Where I was. What was.
And then I landed.
***
Source Used:
Jung, Carl. Synchronicity. Translated by Sonu Shamdasani, Princeton University Press, 2010.

This week’s vintage batch features European FPs from the 1930s-50s, most of which are piston fillers. Nibs range from a springy to Wet Noodle, including one dip-pen nib retrofit. As always, all are fully restored and ready to write.
 
ALBUM & TIMESTAMP
 
Pastable link: https://imgur.com/a/QtB5ctS
 
Condition (n.b.): All pens listed below have been disassembled, cleaned and restored with new sacs installed in the last couple weeks and seals installed in the last couple years. Each of these pens is guaranteed to fill and write as designed without leaks or other problems. Nibs have been adjusted when necessary to ensure that all lay down a smooth and consistent line.
THESE PENS HAVE NO CRACKS (except #3), CHIPS, PERSONALIZATIONS, LOOSE OR MISSING PARTS, BENT NIBS, MISALIGNED TINES, BROKEN/WORN OFF TIPPING, OR THREADING ISSUES.
 
Line Widths and Writing Samples: To provide buyers with as much information as possible, I have adopted the following line width standards: XXF (.1-.2mm); XF (approx .3mm); F (approx .4mm); M (approx .6mm); B (approx .8mm). Nib flexibility is determined by variation (max line width under pressure) and softness (amount of pressure). Flexibility designations based on variation generally run as follows for an XF/F nib: Semi-Flex (approx. 1mm); Flex (1.2-1.9mm); Superflex (2mm+). All line width measurements are taken with a digital caliper but should be considered approximations providing a general guide. Width may vary slightly depending on type of ink and paper used as well as amount of pressure applied. All writing samples are on Rhodia dot paper using Waterman Serenity Blue.
 
 
1. 1950s Pelikan 400 (Tortoise, celluloid, GPT, piston filler, 14k KM [F/M Ball] nib). This standard-sized model measures 4 15/16” capped. I assume that the Pelikan pen company requires no introduction here :) This is an example of one of Pelikan’s most celebrated vintage pens in tortoiseshell celluloid with transparent striations for viewing the ink level. Classic gold-plated cap band and Pelikan-beak clip. Two-chick Pelikan logo stamped in captop (see DETAIL PHOTO). This pen is a piston filler: to fill simply rotate the blind cap counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submerse the nib, and rotate the piston clockwise until it comes to a stop. Blind cap is stamped KM, corresponding to the ‘M’ marking on the 14k Pelikan nib. The ‘’K’ is for ‘Kugel’ (‘ball), designating this nib as a ball nib, the tipping finished to give it a wider sweet spot for smooth writing at a wide range of angles. Though I wouldn’t call it a flex nib, it does have a springiness and buttery smoothness that’s quite nice. It lays down a smooth and consistent F/M line by the standards above (see WRITING SAMPLE). Condition: fine [C]. I’d describe this pen as more of a user. It’s been fully restored with a new seal and is guaranteed to fill smoothly to factory capacity without leaks. However, there’s an issue with the piston while unscrewing the blind cap all the way that makes the blind cap want to lift up and disengage when the piston is close to fully extended. The solution to this is simple enough: apply a little downward pressure to the piston when unscrewing the blind cap to extend the piston and it works just as it should every time (100% reliable). This has been factored into the price all the same. Barrel transparency is near mint with light yellow coloration and no staining (see DETAIL PHOTO). Gold-plated trim shows brassing to the bottom of the clip and a sliver around the bottom edge of the cap band as well as some nicks to the top edge of the clip tassie. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprints are deep and fully legible. A chance to own one of these with superb clarity at less than half the price they fetch on merchant websites. Price: $190
 
2. 1939-44 Pelikan 100 Wartime (green Binde, celluloid, NPT, piston filler, chromium nickel [CN] steel Oblique F/M-XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 4 5/8” capped. During the material restrictions of WWII, Pelikan made several, short-lived changes to the 100. In place of 14k nibs they implemented Chromium-Nickel steel nibs marked CN. The gold-plated clip was supplanted by nickel-plated (so-called "reverse trim"). And the gold-plated cap bands gave way to no cap bands at all, the cap being either smooth or milled with decorative bands like this example. This wartime model is 100% original and correct, having all these features, including the original nib. It is made of celluloid with a vibrant green marble Binde. Pelikan two-chick logo stamped on the cap top (see DETAIL PHOTO). Barrel underneath is a transparent green for viewing the ink level. This pen is a piston filler: to fill simply rotate the blind cap counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submerse the nib, and rotate the piston clockwise until it comes to a stop. The Pelikan CN nib is a Left-Foot Oblique (iridium is ground in a shape like your left foot viewed from above). Under normal pressure it lays down a smooth and consistent F/M on the cross-strokes and XF line on the down-strokes. And the line widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.9mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Versatile variation and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for shaded writing and expressive styles. And the tipping was smoothed by Rick Propas when this pen was restored, making it just as buttery smooth as a Pelikan 14k nib. Condition: near mint [B+]. This pen comes from my personal collection and is the result of hunting the best example I could find. Wartime 100s are rare and this one, which resembles an artifact from a time-capsule, took me decades to track down. Nickel-plated trim is pristine with no brassing or other notable wear. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other noteworthy blemishes. Barrel clarity is superb with no discernible darkening or staining (see DETAIL PHOTO). Manufacturer imprints on the captop are factory deep and even contain most of their original green fill. The only hiccup is that despite being restored 2 years ago by Rick Propas and only being filled 1-2 times since, this pen only fills to half capacity. And this despite the piston operating as smooth as they come. I’ve regreased the pen, but it hasn’t seemed to make a difference. Because this pen is more off a collector-oriented find, I’ve decided to list it anyway. You’d be hard pressed to find another example of this rare piece of Pelikan history in better cosmetic condition. Price: $450
 
3. 1930s Luxor Visible 5907 (red and translucent web celluloid, NPT, piston filler, 14k Two-Tone XF Super-Flex nib). At 4 7/8" capped, this pen roughly the same length as a Pelikan. Luxor was a German brand of the Hebborn pen company, founded in 1925 by former Kaweco employee Heinrich Hebborn and located in Heidelberg until relocating to Cologne sometime before 1937. In Richard Binder's words: "The company produced pens of high quality, and it was known universally by the name of its signature brand, Luxor, with designs inspired by the aesthetic of ancient Egypt. Sub-brands included Sphinx, Visible, and Grandvisible" (source). The company is credited with having designed the first telescopic piston mechanism, which Montblanc would famously incorporate into its own designs. Despite their high quality, there weren't very many of these pens made and Luxors are especially scarce finds in the US today. This Visible model is made of a stunning red and translucent web celluloid similar to that which Wahl-Eversharp used for the Doric. Unlike the Doric, however, the entire barrel is translucent to show the ink level and piston operation. The cap is also translucent! The celluloid pattern is complemented by nickel-plated clip in an elegant Egyptian motif and triple cap bands with one wider, knurled band. This piston filler holds far more ink than cartridges, converters, and lever fillers of the same size. It is filled by removing the blind cap to reveal the turning knob (see fillers photo), rotating the knob counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submersing the nib, then rotating the knob clockwise until the piston is fully retracted. The pen is equipped with a beautiful 14k two-tone Luxor nib stamped with the pyramidal Luxor trademark. The nib is a Super-Flexible writer, laying down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.3mm capped) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines, strong snap-back and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent+ [B+] aside from a hairline crack in the shank of the nib. The crack can be seen in the photos. It has no effect on the nibs performance or how it writes. And there’s no reason to think it’ll worsen unless the nib and feed are removed and re-installed (something that is only done on vintage pens for repair, not flushing). I’m happy to offer a one-year guarantee (no-questions return for refund) that this crack won’t get any longer. Nickel-plated furniture is remarkably clean, showing no brassing or other notable wear aside from a small spot of brassing on the bottom terminus of the clip. Red color is of an even shade across the cap and barrel. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any miscroscratches. Barrel clarity is excellent but slightly ambered in comparison to the cap's (see DETAIL PHOTO). Manufacturer imprint on the cap is deep and fully legible. An uncommon and uncommonly eye-catching pen that also happens to be a lovely writer. *Price: $290
 
4. 1940s-50s Oversized Stylomine 303 Retrofit (black, celluloid, NPT, accordion filler converted to twist filler, 14k XXF Needlepoint Wet Noodle nib). This oversized pen is massive, having a thick girth that doesn’t fit all the way into the slots of the slotter box and a capped length of 5 3/8.” Stylomine was a Parisian pen company founded shortly after World War I. Streamlined profile, clip, and font of the imprint exude the aesthetics of midcentury design. This pen is made of black celluloid with tapered ends. Nickel-plated trim in a deluxe configuration includes cool spring-loaded clip with a hallmark ‘Y Z’ on the right side. I wasn’t able to track this down, but it’s possible the clip is either sterling silver or silver-plated. In 1940 the company patented an innovative FP filling system comprised of a rubber sac shaped into a bellows and attached to a glass ink cartridge at the end of the barrel (see fillers photo). Referred to as an accordion filler today, the pen was designed to be filled by removing the blindcap and depressing the glass ink cartridge several times until the cartridge fills with ink. Since accordion sacs are no longer being made, I followed David Nishimura’s advice and restored this pen using a standard tubular sac trimmed at both ends. This essentially converted it into a twist filler so that instead of depressing the glass cartridge one twists it a little over 1 full turn to fill the sac as well as 1/3 to 1/2 of the glass cartridge. Thanks to the size of the pen, this retrofitted solution still allows it to hold about as much ink as a typical lever filler (e.g. Waterman 52). This pen came to me nibless. But I was able to find a serendipitous match in a massive 14k, iridium tipped E.S. Johnson #4 nib stamped ‘303’. This number matches the Stylomine model number on the barrel! Like all my dip pen nib retrofits, the nib and feed were modified to guarantee factory fit, flow, and performance, delivering the best of both centuries. That nib yields Flexible variation with Wet Noodle softness, laying down a smooth and consistent XXF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.8mm) under minimal pressure – i.e. anything more than grazing the page (see WRITING SAMPLE). Don’t be fooled by the max line width. Needlepoint hairlines, effortless variation, surgically responsive snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an ideal choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. Nickel-plated trim shows no brassing or other notable flaws. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible with ‘Made in France’ slightly weakened. Price: $340
 
5. 1930s Big Ben (grey shell, celluloid, NPT, piston filler, 14k XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 5 1/16” capped. Big Ben was a trademark of the Benzion Trading Company of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company was founded in 1933 by Niels Benzion, who had worked for the Wahl-Eversharp. A pen of cosmopolitan origins, the Big Ben has a piston-filler patented in England (hence the cap imprint) while the pen was made in collaboration with H. Hebborn & of Heidelberg, Germany. That is why this pen so closely resembles the Luxor above. This particular example is made of celluloid in a grey shell pattern resembling that of a 2nd-gen Eversharp Doric complemented by nickel-plated clip in an elegant Egyptian motif and triple cap bands with one wider, knurled band, and decorative bands at the ends of the cap and barrel. This piston filler holds far more ink than cartridges, converters, and lever fillers of the same size. It is filled by removing the blind cap to reveal the turning knob (see fillers photo), rotating the knob counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submersing the nib, then rotating the knob clockwise until the piston is fully retracted. Big Bens came with two different 14k nibs depending on when they were made and for what market: a nib stamped ‘Big Ben’ in cursive font; and a nib stamped ‘1st Quality’ in the same distinctive font. This pen is equipped with the latter. That nib is a Flexible writer, laying down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.9mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines, strong, snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an excellent choice for expressive and shaded writing. Condition: excellent [B]. Barrel transparency is superb with no staining and a yellow coloration (see DETAIL PHOTO). Nickel-plated trim is clean with no brassing or other notable wear aside from a tiny spot at the bottom terminus of the clip visible under a loupe, a couple spots on the lower cap band that have lost some of their original luster, and thinning of the plating on the blind cap’s thin decorative band. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes - scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on cap is deep and fully legible. Price: $330
 
6. 1930s Orion Everlasting 552 in Box with Papers (Black and Bronze, celluloid, GPT, lever filler, 14k XXF/XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 5 1/4” capped. Orion was Danish company (located in Copenhagen) that imported quality pen parts from Germany and England and assemble the pens in Denmark. In 1933 they changed their name to Miller Pen Co., a writing instrument importer that exists to this day. This pen comes in its original factory box with exquisite paperwork (see DETAIL PHOTO). It’s made of the same black and Bronze celluloid Conklin used for the Endura, complemented by gold-plated trim with elegant, Art Deco clip stamped ‘Orion’. Flexible 14k Orion #2 nib lays down a smooth and consistent XXF/XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.8mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE. )). Thin hairlines, strong, snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another excellent choice for expressive and shaded writing. Condition: excellent [B]. The only noteworthy flaw on this pen is brassing to the center of the clip over the Orion trademark. Trim is otherwise pristine with no noteworthy flaws. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes - scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible. Price: $240
 
 
 
Shipping: Pens purchased on the weekend are mailed on Tuesday. Otherwise they are mailed within 2 business days of payment. All pens that do not come with their original boxes are packaged in PVC or thick plastic tubes to protect them in transit. To CONUS locations the following shipping options are available:

• USPS First-Class with tracking for $5 Due to the delivery delays that continue under postmaster general DeJoy, I strongly recommend that the Priority shipping option be chosen. All packages will include full insurance (covered by me). Rest assured that a full refund is guaranteed (issued through Paypal) in the event of a lost parcel and you will not have to wait until I receive a reimbursement from the USPS.
  
• USPS Priority with tracking for $9
  

International Customers: Please contact me for shipping quote if located abroad (delivery confirmation required). (Note: due to the issues stated above, my international shipping options are currently limited. PM for more info). Please do not ask me to commit mail fraud by altering the declared value of a pen for customs. Not only am I registered as a business but shipping insurance is based on declared value.
New York Customers: For tax purposes, I am now required to add an 8% sales tax on any sale made in the state of NY. If your shipping address is in NY state, please let me know before payment to receive an adjusted total. Discounted shipping is included for NY State residents to help defray the extra cost.
Ordering: Pens are placed on hold for the first person to reply to the thread and PM me with firm request to purchase (no chat DMs please). A request with the words “I'd like to purchase [pen number]” would be best to avoid confusion), to which I’ll reply with payment details. Please note that a message inquiring into a price discount does not suffice to place a pen on hold. If I haven't received Paypal payment within 24 hrs after a hold is placed, then pen(s) may become available to the next person.
Payment, & Guarantee: Payment by Paypal only. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something objectionable or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, the buyer may contact me up to 7 days after receiving the pen for a full refund (issued once I receive the pen back in the same condition as sold). Buyer must ship the return no later than 2 weeks after it was delivered to receive a refund. I've sold pens online for over a decade. Please check my past listings here as well as on the classifieds and historical sales forums on FPN (username: Estragon) and FPGeeks (popcod) for some of my previous offerings.
 
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• Superflex Pilot 53R Koi
  
• Vintage Montegrappa Extra Edacoto
  
• Waterman Nurse’s Sets
  
• Off-Catalogue Sheaffer Stubby Balance Lifetime
  
• Psychedelic Bayard Excselsior
  
• Waterman Taperite Citation
  
• Conklin Enduras, Nozac
  

Hello !
I've been using a Skywatcher 200P for almost a year, reading and watching a lot of material online about collimation. I am afraid I have done more harm than good and I should have stuck more to the factory settings :(
I've taken this picture though my Cheshire. On one hand the donut of the primary mirror is aligned with the black dot of the Cheshire reflection and with the center of the Cheshire's cross. On the other hand, the secondary mirror is very far to be centered on the eyepiece holder. It's shifted a lot to the top and a bit to the right.
I am quite puzzled, I tried adjusting the spider vanes but it does not look to do anything and I am afraid to break them.
What are your views ?

All build/upgrade/parts check requests copy & answer these to post:

• * New build or upgrade? New
• * Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links) Not really
• * PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games) Gaming, programming
• * Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If not US, list local vendors) Greece
• * Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate) Will look into buying 2k (outside current budget)
• * Budget range? (Include tax considerations) Up to around 1400E if worth the increase
• * WiFi or wired connection? Pref wifi hence the wifi motherboard i've added
• * Size/noise constraints? Not really, but i like to keep it quiet ofcourse
• * Cololighting preferences? White is nice, but build/price is more important
• * Any other specific needs? Here is my list for now: PC part picker If i could do a build with similar performance but lower price, it would be good, but if a much better one can be done if i increase budget, maybe i'll do it.. I was also considering RTX 4070 and/or a ryzen 7, but not sure if worth with such a build. Also i'm a bit clueless about the cooler compatibility note, ChatGPT suggeested this.. Finally should i wait for July for a pottential price reduction on ryzen cpus?

Hi all,
New to this community. Glad to be here. I am in south FL. Partner has had this frangapani for a few years now. The plant has recently relocated to our very sunny balcony (at least 6+ hours of sunlight daily) - went from 4 leaves total to 11 in a couple months. Definitely seemed happy, but I think we are battling a mildew issue. We water a few times a week - because we get so much sun, the soil usually dries out at the top. Hole in the bottom of the pot for draining.
We removed leaves that had powdery white circles, moved the plant inside temporarily to dry out the soil under controlled humidity indoors (still a lot of sun but we’ve had a lot of rain the last few days) and did a light spray with peroxide. We now have these dark streaks on a few leaves. Photo attached of one we removed. Anyone familiar with this?
Extra info - trunk is a bit powdery - we dug down a little and no sign of root rot, the plant overall is still pretty sturdy upon gentle shakes. There was a little reaction to the light peroxide spray tests. Soil smells normal.
Planning to go to a garden center today to get fungicide - anyone have a recommendation on this?
Thanks in advance. Open to any insight. I am new to south Florida and frangapanis. Happy to provide more info if needed.

I love ants, ants are awesome. They are so darn intelligent and innovative, I personally like to think of them as how humans would be like if we were wayyy smaller and were eusocial but that's beside the point. As I had nothing better to do in the afternoon, I spent an hour compiling some stuff about some of my favorite species. Please comment about your favorite species of ant and tell me about them as well!! :)
Enjoy! 🐜
Mirror turtle ant: mimics the appearace and behaviour of Crematogaster ampla ants to steal their food and is able to follow pheromone trails laid out by crematogaster ampla ants and follow it to its host's food source. They follow hostile Crematogaster ampla ants to food sites and then start trying to act like them. Mirror turtle ants don’t smell anything like crematogaster ampla, so if they come within sniffing range, they’ll be swarmed and dismembered. They have to move like the enemy and walk like the enemy, all while not getting too close to them, even though they’re in the midst of the enemy and stealing their food. Mirror turtle ants are the first species of ant documented to use visual mimicry to parasitize another ant species. The workers foraging behind enemy lines raise their rear ends up in the air and mimic the walking speed and even the stilt-like posture of Crematogaster ampla. And they do it all so they don’t have to search for food themselves.
Matabele ants: Are at war with fungus farming termites who the ants frequently raid for their fungus and to eat the termites themselves. The termites often amputate the ants in combat but while the ants arent particularly powerful against the fungus farming termites but they have a secret technique at their disposal. They carry their wounded soldiers back to their nest where they are treated by the workers who nurse their wounds and disinfect and clean their wounds using antimicrobial saliva and once the soldiers are healed they can partake in battle again. But the rescuing ants have a threshold for how grieviously injured a soldier must be before they are rescued. Of the soldier has lost one or two legs, they may be rescued and taken back to be healed but if they are injured too badly, the resuers will not rescue them or waste resourses and effort trying to nurse them back to health and these soldiers that are hurt too badly are left to die.
Honeypot ant: honeypot ant species possess the unique ability to store food for rainy seasons in their bellies. Individual worker ants, called repletes, are engorged to enormous belly size by being force fed, sometimes to the point of being unable to move. Honeypot ants usually feed on flowers for their nectar but can also be seen attacking insects. When the liquid stored inside a honeypot ant is needed, the worker ants stroke the antennae of the honeypot ant, causing the honeypot ant to regurgitate the stored liquid from its crop. Replites are practically living refrigerators and are packed with so many nutrients that many other insect species, are keen on hunting them down and even raiding the honeypot ant colony for a sweet treat.
Leafcutter ant: These gardener ants cut out fresh leaves with their sharp mandibles, which they later bring to their nests to feed a particular type of bacteria that lives in symbiosis with the ants. That means that both organisms have become so co-dependent that they cannot survive on their own – the insects supply their guests with fresh nutrients in the form of leaves, while the fungi grow to later on become a reliable food source for the ants.
Tawny crazy ant: These ants are at a war with fire ants. Fire ants have an extremely potent poison that kills most other ants, but tawny crazy ants have a secret defense. When they’re hit with fire ant poison, they quickly coat themselves in their own poison, which neutralizes the fire ants’ primary weapon with a 98 percent survival rate.
Fire ants: These ants exhibit a wide variety of behaviours, such as building rafts when they sense that water levels are rising. They also show necrophoric behaviour, where nestmates discard scraps or dead ants on refuse piles outside the nest. Their venom is highly toxic and sometimes even lethal to other insects including other ants and are at a constant war with tawny crazy ants. They also have the ability to build rafts in times of floods or when the colony is forced to cross a body of water, the ants will link their bodies together to form a floating raft. The ants on the bottom of the raft grip onto each other with their mandibles, while the ants on the top of the raft link their legs together to create a protective barrier. The raft can be several layers thick and can consist of thousands of individual ants. The ants on the bottom of the raft are able to breathe by trapping air bubbles between their bodies, while the ants on the top of the raft protect the colony from predators and help to steer the raft towards shore.
Army ants: While army ants do not build permanent nests, they do construct temporary nests out of their own bodies. These "bivouacs" are formed by the ants gripping onto each other's legs and mandibles, creating a protective structure that can be used for resting or caring for the young. Army ants also are nomadic, meaning that they do not have a permanent home. Instead, they move through the forest in search of prey and temporary shelter, and are constantly on the move. Army ants live in large colonies that can consist of millions of individual ants. One of the most interesting behaviors of army ants is their ability to build rafts. When the colony is forced to cross a body of water, such as a river or a stream, the ants will link their bodies together to form a floating raft. The ants on the bottom of the raft grip onto each other with their mandibles, while the ants on the top of the raft link their legs together to create a protective barrier. The raft can be several layers thick and can consist of thousands of individual ants. The ants on the bottom of the raft are able to breathe by trapping air bubbles between their bodies, while the ants on the top of the raft protect the colony from predators and help to steer the raft towards shore.
Slavemaker (Polyergus) ants: these ants raid colonies of formica fusca or silky ants, capture their pupae and, subsequently carry them to their own nests to raise them as slaves. However, the enslaved ants are forced to work seemingly endless shifts for another colony instead of working seemingly endless shifts for their own brethren.
Acacia ants: Acacia ants act as bodyguards for acacia trees, defending them not only from weeds, but also from animals, in exchange for accomodation and food – Acacia trees and acacia ants have a unique mutualistic relationship, in which the ants provide protection for the tree and in turn, the tree provides the ants with shelter and food. One way that acacia trees can manipulate the behavior of the ants is by blocking the production of invertase, an enzyme that is essential for the ants to be able to digest sugars. The acacia tree they live on produces a chemical compound which blocks invertase production. The ants that feed on the acacia tree's sap once stop producing invertase, which is necessary for breaking down sucrose into glucose and fructose found in practically other food source, and instead rely on the tree to produce "special nectar" that contains more easily digestible sugars. By manipulating the behavior of the ants in this way, the acacia tree ensures that the ants remain dependent on the tree for their food and shelter.
Dinosaur ants: Instead of a queen these ants have an alpha female and moreover unlike a typical ant colony all the ants in the colony have the ability to reproduce. She’s surrounded by up to five beta females, who do nothing but sit around all day long. These betas are next in line if something should happen to the alpha.Sometimes a beta gets tired of waiting and decides to start laying eggs of her own. If the alpha female detects that her position is being challenged, she wipes chemicals from her stinger onto the would-be usurper. At that point, the workers will run out to punish the offending ant. They will pin the overreaching beta to the ground, sometimes for up to four days. After justice has been meted out, the beta also loses her rank and is just a lowly worker from then on, either that or she’s dead from not eating for four days.
Cardiocondyla Obscurior: Unlike most male ants who possess wings and their only purpose being to mate with a female virgin queen ant after which they die, in cardiocondyla Obscurior ants, there is only one Cardiocondyla obscurior male per colony. He’s the dominant male ant, and he must defend his territory. If a new male wonders in for some mating, the reigning ergatoid will dab chemicals from his anus onto the intruder. This secretion will cause all of the workers to band together and kill the newcomer. Cardiocondyla obscurior males have a “kill” scent. That’s not all that they’ll do. In an effort to further reduce any possible rivalry, the ergatoid combs the nurseries looking for newborn males to slaughter. The soft one-day-olds are easy to kill. However, if they find a two-day-old male whose armor has hardened, it becomes a pitched battle with a 14 percent chance that the young ant wins and a 43 percent chance that they will both die. This is mostly because they’re both rubbing their kill scents on each other, encouraging the workers to swarm in a killing frenzy. Many times, the workers end up slaying them both, but it’s okay if they both die. New male are always being born, and the dead ones are fed to the larvae.
Solenopsis fugax: Solenopsis fugax is a thief ant, meaning that it steals from other ant colonies. However, Solenopsis fugax steals the larvae of other ants. Slave-maker ants do the same thing, but Solenopsis fugax doesn’t need slaves; they’re hungry. They eat the babies of other ants. They also tend to aphids, so they’re farmers who also eat babies on the side. While most slave ants charge in recklessly and try and overwhelm a colony, S. fugax ants tunnel in. Once they find the brood chamber, they discharge pheromones that repel the other ants. It’s the ant equivalent of tear gas. They tunnel in, spray the place down to make all the adult ants run, and then they abscond with the brood, which will be eaten alive. The poison from a single Solenopsis fugax ant is enough to keep workers from 18 different species away for up to an hour.
Green ants: These ants live high up in the tree tops. Their unique ability is to build homes out of tree leaves. The first phase in nest construction involves workers surveying potential nesting leaves by pulling on the edges with their mandibles. When a few ants have successfully bent a leaf onto itself or drawn its edge toward another, other workers nearby join the effort. When the span between two leaves is beyond the reach of a single ant, workers form chains with their bodies by grasping one another's waist. Multiple intricate chains working in unison are often used to ratchet together large leaves during nest construction. Once the edges of the leaves are drawn together, other workers retrieve larvar from existing nests using their mandibles. Upon reaching a seam to be joined, these workers tap the head of the clutched larvae, which causes them to excrete silk. The workers then maneuver between the leaves in a highly coordinated fashion to bind them together and the larvae's silk is used to glue the held leaves together in place. They can only produce so much silk, so the larva will have to pupate without a cocoon. Green ants also 'milk' scale insects in or close to the nests for their honeydew. Although weaver ants lack a functional sting they can inflict painful bites and often spray formic acid directly at the bite wound resulting in intense pain.
Trapjaw ants: Trap-jaw ants have powerful mandibles that snap closed at extremely high speeds and accelerations. They use these mandibles to capture or stun prey and to fight with other ants. These remarkable mandibles have attracted the attention of biologists and naturalists for well over a century. The term “trap-jaw” refers to mandibles that have a spring-loaded catch mechanism which allows the ants to store up energy in advance of strike and to release the mandibles rapidly. “Trigger hairs” on the face of each mandible connect to neurons that control the latches and release the mandibles. The ants can use these trigger hairs to fire the mandibles the moment they touch the surface of another object. Some trap-jaw ants have another trick – they can jump with their mandibles by snapping their mandibles against the ground, they can jump into the air, often traveling over 20 times their body length. the ants carefully align their heads and bodies before striking the ground and jumping into the air. Ants also use this chaotic jumping behavior to mob and frighten predators. For example, it is startling when a large number of ants start popping like popcorn into the air. Plus, they often land on the intruder and can sting prety hard, making the combination of jumping and stinging a good predator deterrent.
Bulldog ants: Apart from their ability to jump at great heights, their eyesight is one of the most powerful in the ant kingdom due to their oversized eyeballs. To give you an idea of just how sharp their sight can be, bulldog ants can discern minute objects at a distance of more than 25 times their length. With exceptionally aggressive behaviour, the bulldog ant is prone to causing painful and, sometimes fatal, bites.
Bullet ants: Bullet ants are infamous for their very powerful sting. It's so awful that its comparable to being shot with a bullet, hence the name.
Hodor ants: These ants live in abandoned tunnels of wood-boring beetles and, to keep themselves safe from the external environment, the large workers use their disk-shaped heads as living doors to seal off the entrance to their colonies.
Diving ants: This species of ant do is dip into the digestive fluids of the carnivorous pitcher plant called the pitcher plant. There, it looks for arthropods that have fallen prey to the plant’s cunning trap and fishes them out to enjoy a fresh meal.
Allomerus decemarticulatus: These ants use a particular kind of fungus that they grow themselves – it’s never present in stems that weren’t touched by these ants. As well as being a cultivated food source for the ants, the Allomerus decemarticulatus uses this fungus to make traps called "ant gardens" that lure small insects to them. When the unsuspecting insect lands on a stem full of those trap holes, the predator insects swoop in and catch it with their mandibles. Then, they slowly drag the captive to a leaf pouch, where they tear their prey apart.
Camponotus leonardi: These ants possess the fatal ability to make their abdomens explode. They are filled with a toxic liquid that chases off predators, but their combustion comes at a steep price. A final act of defence – one of the most devoted ways to protect the colony in the face of insurmountable odds. They are also the host to the ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus.
Dracula ants: The workers of these species of ant are blind. The primary source of food for these species is the blood of their own larvae. That’s right – this species practices non-destructive cannibalism, i.e. the ability to munch on someone without killing them in the process and extracting carefully controlled amounts of blood to avoid harming the larvae. They also possess powerful jaws, paralysing stings.
Giant gliding ants: Giant gliding ants are a group of ants that are able to glide through the air to travel between trees or escape predators. These ants have flattened bodies and long legs that are adapted for gliding. When they jump or fall from a high point, they are able to control their descent by spreading out their legs and using them as wings to steer themselves towards their desired destination.
Pheidole oxyops: Pheidole oxyops ants construct feather pitfall traps to capture prey, such as other insects and spiders, that are too large to be handled by individual ants. The feather pitfall trap is constructed by a team of worker ants, who first identify a suitable location to build the trap. They then gather feathers and other small debris, such as twigs and bits of grass, and arrange them in a circular pattern on the ground. The feathers are arranged in a way that creates a funnel-shaped depression in the center of the trap. When a prey item walks onto the feathers, it begins to sink into the depression. The feathers on the sides of the depression are angled inward, making it difficult for the prey to climb back out. As the prey struggles, it sinks deeper into the trap, eventually becoming trapped at the bottom. The Pheidole oxyops ants are able to detect the struggling prey from a distance, and quickly converge on the trap to retrieve the captured prey. The trap is then rebuilt, ready for the next prey item to fall victim.
Formica archboldi: This species of ant is known for its unique behavior of collecting the skulls of another species of ant called Odontomachus bauri that it often raids the colonies of and feeds on the workers of. Formica archboldi collects the skulls for their chemical properties. The skulls contain glandular secretions that may have antimicrobial properties. By collecting the skulls, Formica archboldi may be able to use these secretions to protect their nest from harmful bacteria or fungi and because the skulls simply because they are a valuable resource. The skulls of Odontomachus ants are hard and durable, and could be used as building material for the nest or as a platform for the ants to stand on and can serve as an intimidation tactic to ward of would be predators.

White's standard packer vs Drew's Cascade Rancher. Both in 9D. The White's i've been trying to break in for 3 weeks. The Drew's fit beautifully with no hot spots at all right out of the box. This is my first Walnut leather boot. I am really liking it. I can see how Walnut leather is a no break in leather. It's amazingly soft right out of the box. The brown leather on the Whites is crazy stiff and after about 15 wears has yielded very little. The Drew's have a slightly more pointed toe. The toe point is centered on the Whites and a bit towards the inside of the boot on the Drew's. The biggest difference in the two boots is the room in the mid foot area. The Drew's is substantially more generous in width in the arch area of the foot. The White's is more sleek and the slim fit across the middle of the boot has made break in really tough for me. The extra room in the Drew's is a dream. Arch support feels the same in both boots. Very good arch support. I love the look of the leather on the White's but I know that Walnut leather looks better over time as it wears. It's a leather built for work and not for patina contests. Looking forward to seeing how it develops over time. The Drew's won out over the White's for me. Mainly because of fit. If anyone is interested I'll be listing a new old stock pair of White's in 9D on Ebay pretty soon. They are great boots. Just not right for my feet.

Hi all, I'm doing a kitchen remodel. Attached (images didn't load on the main post - see them in comments) are the original floor plan (kitchen plus sitting room), the new floor plan (single larger kitchen with island), and a 3d render of the new design (white and walnut cabinets - ignore the other colors). The ceilings will be 10'.
My original design assumed the skylight was going to be over the walkway part of the kitchen (not between the island and cabinets) and I'd sacrifice one of the LED lights. But my wife wants it over the island - which I agree is better overall - but I'm concerned about the impact to task lighting over the island at night.
Right now I'm contemplating the following:

1. Doing two smaller skylights so I can have pendant or LED lighting to the left, center, and right of the skylights.
2. Doing one larger one centered with one LED on either end and putting an LED light vertically in the skylight well and relying on the indirect / bounced light for the middle of the island.

I'm not really happy with either option so seeking other ideas / suggestions for having a skylight (or two) over the island without losing lighting over the island.

Just finished the highly acclaimed I suppose, to the point I looked extremely forward to it, chapter 8. Which from what I've heard, was also the last chapter that was available when the game was just released.
Well. HOLY SHIT. HOLYL FUCKING SHIT.
Starting with Lathel cursing, killing his past self in his nightmare. Ahh. AAaaAAA. Why. Why do I feel so ecstatic about it. Why. I don't understand. I think. I think it's related to something like... self-sacrifice...? No, no, this is self- harm. There's also madness, insanity in it.
Yes. I really like this new Lathel.. no. That is wrong. It's not like I like him, or rather, I actually do like him with a bit more of insanity, but looking at him like this makes me also very sad. I think the version of him that I liked the most was during chapter 6 and 7. Old but very angry Lathel.
The new Lathel... which I forgot to ask and check the community name of by the way, certainly still hits my checkboxes for insane and mad characters, as well as the 'growth' of Lathel, but mainly fills me with some... permeating sorrow.
.
That being said, I finally meet Lia, someone I know nothing about except being a the fire Queen DPS I believe.
So, I was most pleasantly surprised by directly meeting her. Liatris being a tad insane is just chef kiss. I like her a lot. I'm not quite certain on the reason she is yandere for Gray, but I definitely dig it.
.
Ah. Wait a moment. It was some weeks ago and I've already forgotten given my horrible memory that borders dementia realms (I'm actually just very busy and stressed to the point I forget what I was doing when I pass through a door...), but... wasn't there a Gray flashback with him being the youngest son of a noble family that was executing some people and he saved a girl?
Then, was that girl Liatris perhaps?
Or am I actually totally wrong and I'm remembering incorrectly? Maybe it wasn't even about Gray. I don't know. But until I get contrasting information, that will be my head canon.
Either way. I definitely like a lot Yandere Liatris. Definitely a very good additional reason to get her as soon as possible other than the Fire Queen DPS, though I heard Eris is also a great addition for that role.
.
But what I like the most, is of course the different flavor of madness the duo of her and Lathel give off compared to say, Teresse and Lathel.
If the latter was a sorrowful madness, Lia and Lathel feels closer to chaotic madness.
It's another type of insanity, but one I also like a lot. Actually, I think I just like insanity in general, so this is cheating as I would love any type of insanity. This highlight once more how much I love, I truly love Lathel's development and... process of becoming a broken person.
I love how the 'MC' is one of the people becoming insane.
And what to say of the Justia and Lathel relationship? The way they are... I don't know, connected perhaps? Is so... poetic. Romantic even. By that I don't mean romance as 'love', but in the, uh, sentimental sense. I'm a 'romanticist' if it wasn't clear enough, as in, I put extreme importance on deep emotions, feelings and inner thoughts rather than 'external' factors.
That is why I love so much this story, as, even though it's a classic tale of 'fighting evil to save the world', it's also very centered on the bonds, relationships and inner growth of the characters as well as their emotions and feelings.
Of course, the characters most fleshed out as of now are definitely Lathel and Justia, though as of late, it's way more prominent Lathel's change.
.
The way both roles got reversed, with Justia becoming a far more understanding and flexible as well as hopeful knight from the rigid, black and white evil slayer she was origially; and Lathel on the other hand, becoming more and more ruthless, almost reaching madness levels, nay, legit becoming insane, when he was a kind, naive, herbalist.... is such a romantic contrast that it almost seems poetry in my eyes.
I love the most how everyone realize and talk about his changes, Justia especially, but also Shera and to minor a degree Gray. I really love it. How everyone acknowledge, regardless of their feeling, his change, and how the narration highlight it so much.
Of course, although I admit I greatly love how he changed, I can feel this 'relaxed' because I'm aware this is by no means his 'endpoint'. This isn't his final 'version'. No. He will experience, develop much more. I'm certain of it.
I mean, I'm spoiled meta-wise due to the existence of so many more Lathel related costumes, especially 'Homunculus Lathel' and the coincidentally future story pack 'Homunculus'.
So yeah. My fondness for him will not stop growing here. I am strangely really fond of him. Strangely because it has been just a... month. Ah.
I've been in this world for a month already. I see.
.
I saw him as a naive herbalist.
.
I saw him witnessing Misha's death.
.
I grieved for and with him, to the point of mourning myself for Misha and still feeling sad over her death.
.
I saw his meeting with Shera, Gray and the whole party becoming closer.
.
I saw him becoming more and more unforgiving towards Cocytus acts of cruelty.
.
I saw him becoming berserk and reaching madness levels in the Mage Tower and alongside Teresse.
.
Now. I see him as a changed, disillusioned avenger or perhaps, empty man whose sole purpose is to crush evil.
.
And I long, to see how much more he will grow, hoping for him to find another purpose other than simply slaying evil.
.
It's my personal... fantasy, delusion even, that I hope Justia might bring him back on the correct? No, who am I to say what's correct and what is not, I hope she can bring him back to a less self-destructive way. Yes. That's more like it.
.
.
...
.
.......
.
.....................so.
.
.
So. You can imagine the shock.
I would have never imagined that Lathel would... die. I didn't particularly think of what could happen, but death was certainly not an hypothesis I even contemplated for some reason.
Thus, my first reaction was... a lack of reaction. No, disbelief perhaps? Denial? That's a little to strong. Disbelief is more correct to describe it I believe. Yes. I couldn't believe what had just happened.
And I'm, after some hours, still not quite 'connected' to what just happened.
.
No. I lied. After few hours. Right now. Especially while glancing at the cutscenes character arts. With Lathel laying down, on the brink of death and Justia crying promising him to cook his favourite dishes when they return is making my nose and eyes feel that familiar feeling when you're about to cry.
It's hitting me hard allright. Yes. It's hitting me hard now. Very hard. Fudge.
This is honestly unexpected. I'm seriously feeling it all now. I'm tearing up.
Damn. The feelings of recalling Misha are also resurfacing. Damn it.
I teared up.
I guess taking a little time to order my thoughts, also unlocked the emotional aspect I had for this specific happening.
....
.......shit. I'm starting to feel my eyes burning up a little again.
.
It's sad. It's just sad.
Lathel's experience is just sad. The more I think about it, the more tragic it feels and the more sorrowful I feel.
.
I actually wanted to say I was a little disappointed by the chapter. Not because it was bad, but simply because my expectations were extremely high and although I said I didn't particularly imagine what scenario could possibly happen, as a veteran I would say in stories, I subconsciously certainly thought of few paths. But I believe what I thought would happen was closer to some, true and uninterrupted this time, emotional climax.
Like, Lathel self sacrificing and Justia barely bringing him back and crying while screaming at him that he mustn't consume himself to 'annihilate' evil. Would Misha want that for him? Would the people that hold and held him dear wish for such ending for him? I would have loved if some of her own personal feeling was spilled at that moment as well, and by that I don't specifically mean romantic feelings, but definitely some kind of affection or closeness.
However. All of that was merely a delusion on my part.
For Lathel died.
Betraying my delusion. I was about to say I was slightly disappointed due to the above fact, as well as due to the automatic preview we have for the next chapter, showing me fast forwarding a year later and Lathel or his clone, homunculus or his legacy, showing up.
.
But now that I'm currently hit like a truck by my own emotions and feelings of sorrow over his death the more I think about it.
I think it was just a delayed reaction.
I actually still think I love the most Chapter 7, as Teresse sorrowful rage alongside Lathel's was most... beautiful.
But this chapter is certainly very special as well.
.
Furthermore, now I look very, nay, extremely forward to the party, especially Justia's reaction at their reunion. Though I am uncertain on Lathel's own reaction. I imagine him having his memory wiped though, so it will be a amnesiac "Lathel" meeting Justia. That on itself is already making me long for such reunion so much I must contain myself from immediately progressing.
Yes, because I think this is a good point to take a break at. As I fear I'll consume the story too fast, risking to suffer from that nightmarish feeling of total emptyness after reading and catching up or finishing a great story. Something... I'm very familiar with given I'm a reader first and foremost. That pain, after so many years, reaching decades even, still affects me so much it's something I believe I cannot get used to.
.
The feeling of suddenly missing something that accompanied you for a while, for the harsh every day. Suddenly disappearing and leaving a metaphorical hole within you. That emptyness.. is seriously painful.
.....I literally just realized. Have I actually been grieving for the 'loss' of stories all this time? Damn... I suppose. They are indeed my most precious thing indeed. No wonder. Though I would like to think I'm not alone in this. I believe everyone, after finishing such great story, be it due to it being completed or because it's the last available chapter, would feel empty inside to some degree. Maybe I'm overly affected. Maybe not. But it doesn't matter.
To alleviate that inevitable, unbearable pain, I'll try to resist the temptation of starting, and finishing, the next chapter immediately.
.
.
.
Then again. Haven't I been saying this for like the last 3 chapters...? I hope to continue loving a lot and for long this story, as it is very precious to me for now. Stories like this are my raison d'etre.
To 'forcefully' take a break, I have half-idea to start Brave Nine to further immerse myself in this world and lore regardless of the gameply. Unless it's completely garbage, I think I can enjoy it, for I am a reader. Hence gameplay is secondary.

Hi all, I'm doing a kitchen remodel. Attached (images didn't load on the main post - see them in comments) are the original floor plan (kitchen plus sitting room), the new floor plan (single larger kitchen with island), and a 3d render of the new design (white and walnut cabinets - ignore the other colors). The ceilings will be 10' (yes I know the ceiling height cabinets are hard to reach - but we have plenty of "seasonal" things that will feel perfectly at home up there and they'll be easier to get than if they were in the attic).
Feedback on the base floorplan is welcome, but I'm really looking for thoughts on skylight placement (not reflected in the images).
My original design assumed the skylight was going to be over the walkway part of the kitchen (not between the island and cabinets) and I'd sacrifice one of the LED lights. But my wife wants it over the island - which I agree is better overall - but I'm concerned about the impact to task lighting over the island at night.
Right now I'm contemplating the following:

1. Doing two smaller skylights so I can have pendant or LED lighting to the left, center, and right of the skylights.
2. Doing one larger one centered with one LED on either end and putting an LED light vertically in the skylight well and relying on the indirect / bounced light for the middle of the island.

I'm not really happy with either option so seeking other ideas / suggestions for having a skylight (or two) over the island without losing lighting over the island.

The Big List

Prices are firm. Please only redeem the portion of a code you are paying for. All codes are for immediate redemption. All Disney & Sony codes include points unless otherwise noted.
I accept Cashapp, Venmo, Zelle & PayPal F&F without any notes. Comment & pm if interested. Thanks!

🦝

MISC

Barbie 4K [2023] $6 (MA)
Batwoman season 1 HD [2019] $6 (Vudu)
Help, The SD [2011] $3 (iTunes/ports)
X-Men Trilogy HD [X-Men, X2 & The Last Stand] $8 (MA)

🦝

$5 4K UHD

Eternals [2021] (MA + 200 points)
John Wick 1-3 (iTunes)
Monsters Inc. [2001] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Princess Bride, The [1987] (iTunes)
Wizard Of Oz, The [1939] (MA)

🦝

$4 4K UHD

Aliens [1986] (iTunes/ports)
Avengers: Infinity War (MA + 200 points)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (MA + 200 points)
Captain Marvel [2019] (MA + 200 points)
Frozen 2 [2019] (MA + 200 points)
Halloween [2018] (MA)
Mission: Impossible [1996] (Vudu)
Mission: Impossible 2 [2000] (Vudu)
Ralph Breaks The Internet [2018] (MA + 200 points)
Scarface [1989] (iTunes/ports)
Smokey & The Bandit [1977] (iTunes/ports)
Solo: A Star Wars Story [2018] (MA + 200 points)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (MA + Sony points)
Thor [2011] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Thor: The Dark World [2013] (MA + 200 points)
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (iTunes)
Venom [2018] (MA + Sony points)

🦝

$5 HD

127 Hours [2010] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Adventures Of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, The [1949] (MA + 150 points)
Elemental [2023] (MA + 150 points)
Hannibal season 1 [2013] (Vudu)
How To Train Your Dragon 3-Movie Collection (MA)
Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The [1996] (MA + 150 points)
Hunchback Of Notre Dame 2, The [2002] (MA + 150 points)
Lady & The Tramp II: Scamps Adventure [2001] (MA + 150 points)
Mickey's Christmas Carol [1983] (MA + 150 points)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (MA or Google Play/ports)
Robots [2005] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Succession season 1 (iTunes)
Veep season 5 (iTunes)
Veep season 6 (iTunes) or both for $8
Warriors, The [1979] (Vudu or iTunes)

🦝

$4 HD

Creator, The [2023] (MA + 150 points)
Day After Tomorrow, The [2004] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Hitman [2007] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Iron Claw, The [2023] (Vudu)
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Huntsmen Part One [2023] (MA)
Locke [A24] (Vudu)
Marlowe [2023] (MA)
Monsters vs. Aliens [2009] (MA)
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Rosemary's Baby [1968] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Wish [2023] (MA + 150 points)
Wonka [2023] (MA)

🦝

$3️⃣ Codes

$3 4K UHD

Aladdin [2019] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Alien [1979] (iTunes/ports)
Angel Has Fallen (Vudu or iTunes)
Assassin's Creed [2016] (MA)
Back To The Future Part II [1989] (iTunes/ports)
Back To The Future Part III [1990] (iTunes/ports)
Big Hero 6 (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Bourne Identity, The [2002] (iTunes/ports)
Bourne Ultimatum, The (iTunes/ports)
Cinderella [2015] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Dracula Untold (MA)
Dredd (Vudu)
Fantastic Four [2015] (iTunes/ports)
Fast & The Furious, The [2001] (MA)
Frozen II [2019] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Gemini Man (Vudu)
Guardians Of The Galaxy [2014] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Hacksaw Ridge (Vudu)
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, The [2021] (Vudu or iTunes)
Interstellar (iTunes)
John Wick (Vudu)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (Vudu)
Jurassic Park [1993] (iTunes/ports)
Jurassic Park III [2001] (MA)
Keeping Up With The Joneses (iTunes/ports)
Little Mermaid, The [1989] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Logan Lucky [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu)
Moana (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
mother! [2017] (iTunes)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (iTunes)
Prometheus (iTunes/ports)
Rango [2011] (iTunes)
Revenant, The [2016] (iTunes/ports)
Sicario (Vudu)
Snitch (Vudu)
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw (Vudu or iTunes)
Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Thor: The Dark World (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Toll, The [2021] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Top Gun (iTunes)
Wolf Of Wall Street, The (Vudu)

🦝

$3 HD

101 Dalmatians [1961] (MA + 150 points)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel [2009] (MA)
Angry Birds Movie 2, The [2019] (MA + Sony points)
BFG, The [2016] (MA + 150 points)
Birdman [2014] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Birth Of The Dragon [2017] (MA)
Black Adam [2022] (MA)
Breaking Bad season 6 (Vudu)
Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite (MA)
Chronicle [2012] (MA)
Color Purple, The [2023] (MA)
Desperation Road [2023] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Disneynature: Bears [2014] (MA + 150 points)
Friday The 13th, The [1980] [Theatrical] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Fruitvale Station (Vudu)
Ghostbusters II [1989] (MA + Sony points)
Goosebumps 2 [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Grown Ups 2 (MA + Sony points)
I Am Vengeance: Retaliation [2020] (Vudu or iTunes)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (MA + Sony points)
I, Tonya [2017] (MA)
Line Of Duty [2019] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Little House On The Prairie season 5 (Vudu)
London Has Fallen (iTunes/ports)
Lone Ranger, The [2013] (MA + 150 points)
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (MA)
Northman, The [2022] (MA)
Orange Is The New Black season 1 (Vudu)
Phoenix Forgotten (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Planes: Fire & Rescue [2014] (MA + 150 points)
Project Ithaca [2019] (Vudu or Google Play)
Promised Land [2012] (iTunes/ports)
Promising Young Woman [2020] (MA)
Rambo III [1988] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Ray [2004] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Rocky Horror Picture Show, The [1975] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Searching [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Sin City (Vudu)
Slender Man [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs [1937] (MA + 150 points)
Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse (MA + Sony points)
Stoker [2013] (MA)
Stuber [2019] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Superfly [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail (Vudu or Google Play)
Venture Bros: Radiant Is The Blood Of The Baboon Heart [2023] (MA)
Walking Dead season 9, The (Vudu or Google Play)
White Boy Rick [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Wolverine, The [2013] [Unleashed Extended Edition] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
World's End, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Yesterday [2019] (MA)
Zombieland: Double Tap [2019] (MA + Sony points)

🦝

$2 Codes

💲2️⃣ HD

12 Years A Slave (MA or Google Play/ports)
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi (iTunes 4K)
1917 [2019] (MA)
21 Jump Street (MA + Sony points)
2 Guns (iTunes/ports 4K)
31 [2016] (Vudu)
About Last Night [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (MA)
Action Point [2018] (Vudu)
After Earth [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Age Of Adaline, The (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Alien Covenant (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
All Eyez On Me [2017] (iTunes)
Allied [2016] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Aloha [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Alpha [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Alpha & Omega 2: A Howl-lday Adventure (Vudu)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Amazing Spider-Man, The [2012] (MA)
America: Imagine The World Without Her (Vudu)
American Assassin [2017] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
American Girl: McKenna Shoots For The Stars [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
American Hustle [2013] (MA + Sony points)
American Reunion [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Vudu or iTunes)
Annie [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Ant Man & The Wasp [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Arrival [2016] (Vudu)
Assassin's Creed (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Avengers: Infinity War (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Bad Boys For Life (MA + Sony points)
Bad Words [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Barbie & The Secret Door [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Battleship [2012] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Baywatch (iTunes 4K)
Beauty & The Beast [1991] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (MA + 150 points/iTunes option is expired)
Before I Fall [2017] (MA)
Before I Go To Sleep [2014] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Beirut [2018] (MA)
Ben-Hur [2016] (Vudu)
Best Man Holiday, The [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Between Worlds [2018] (Vudu or Google Play)
Black Panther [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Blockers [2018] (MA)
Bohemian Rhapsody (MA or Google Play/ports)
Book Club [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Boss Baby, The [2017] (MA)
Bourne Identity, The (MA)
Bourne Legacy, The (iTunes/ports 4K)
Boy, The [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Breakthrough [2019] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Bridesmaids [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Broken City [2013] (MA)
Bumblebee (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Cabin In The Woods, The (iTunes 4K)
Captain America: Civil War (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Captain Phillips [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (MA)
Carrie [2013] (Vudu or Google Play)
Case For Christ, The [2017] (MA)
Christopher Robin [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Contraband (iTunes/ports)
Counselor, The [2013] [Theatrical] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Croods, The [2013] (MA)
Curse Of Chucky [2013] [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Daddy's Home (Vudu)
Daddy's Home 2 (Vudu)
Danny Collins (iTunes/ports)
Darkest Hour [2017] (MA)
Darkest Minds, The [2018] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Dark Tower, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Dead In Tombstone [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Deadpool 2 [2018] (MA)
Deepwater Horizon (iTunes 4K)
Despicable Me 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Despicable Me 3 [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Devil's Due [2014] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Die Hard [1988] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Divergent Series: Allegiant, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Django Unchained (Vudu)
Doctor Strange [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Dog's Journey, A [2019] (MA)
Dolittle [2020] (MA)
Dom Hemingway (MA or Google Play/ports)
Downton Abbey [2019] (MA)
Dracula Untold [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Dream House [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Dredd [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Duff, The (iTunes or Google Play)
Edward Scissorhands (MA or Google Play/ports)
Emoji Movie, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Ender's Game (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Endless Love [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Epic [2013] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Equalizer, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer 2, The (MA + Sony points)
Escape From Planet Earth (Vudu)
Ex Machina (Vudu)
Exodus: Gods & Kings (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Fate Of The Furious [F8] [Theatrical] (MA 4K or iTunes/ports 4K)
Fences [2016] (iTunes 4K)
Ferdinand [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Fifty Shades Darker [2017] [Unrated] (MA 4K)
Fifty Shades Freed [2018] [Theatrical] (MA)
Fifty Shades Of Grey (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fighter, The [2010] (iTunes)
Flight [2012] (Vudu or iTunes)
Footloose [2011] (Vudu or iTunes)
Frozen Ground, The [2013] (Vudu)
Fury [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Game Of Thrones season 2 (Vudu)
Get Out [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Ghostbusters [2016] [Theatrical & Extended] (MA + Sony points)
Ghost Team One [2013] (Vudu or iTunes)
Gifted [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports, iTunes option is expired)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (iTunes 4K)
Gods Not Dead 2 [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Gods Of Egypt (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Greatest Showman, The [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Grey, The [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Hacksaw Ridge (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option expired)
Hail, Caesar [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Halloween [2018] (MA)
Hanna [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters [Unrated] (Vudu)
Happytime Murders, The [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Hateful Eight, The (Vudu or Google Play)
Heat, The [2013] [Theatrical] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Heaven Is For Real [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Hell Or High Water (iTunes 4K)
Hercules [2014] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Here Comes The Boom [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Hitman's Bodyguard, The (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option is expired)
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Homefront [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Honey 2 [2011] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hop [2011] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Host, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Hotel Transylvania [2012] (MA + Sony points)
How To Train Your Dragon 2 (MA)
Hugo [2011] (Vudu or iTunes)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu or Google Play HD)
I Can Only Imagine [2018] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Ice Age: Continental Drift (MA)
Ides Of March, The [2011] (MA)
Imitation Game, The (Vudu)
Impossible, The [2012] (Vudu)
Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Vudu)
Inside Out [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (MA + Sony points)
Instant Family [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Internship, The [2013] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Into The Woods [2014] (MA + 150 points)
Invisible Man, The [2020] (MA)
I Still Believe [2020] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Jackass 3 [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (Vudu)
Jarhead 2: Field Of Fire [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Jason Bourne [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Jigsaw [2017] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
John Wick (iTunes 4K)
John Wick 1 & 2 (Vudu or Google Play)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (iTunes 4K)
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (iTunes 4K) or all 3 iTunes for $5
Joy [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (MA + Sony points)
Jurassic Park III (MA)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (MA)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Labor Day [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
La La Land (iTunes 4K)
Last Knights [2015] (Vudu)
Last Witch Hunter, The [2015] (iTunes 4K or Google Play)
Les Misérables [2012] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Life [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Life Of Pi [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lockout [2012] [Unrated] (MA + Sony points)
Logan [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Logan Lucky [2017] (MA)
Longest Ride, The (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Looper [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Lorax, The [2012] (MA)
Love, Simon [2018] (MA)
Lucy [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Magnificent Seven, The [2016] (Vudu)
Mama [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again [2018] (MA)
Marauders (Vudu)
Marine 4: Moving Target, The [2015] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Maze Runner, The [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Mechanic: Resurrection (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Men In Black 3 (MA + Sony points)
MI-5 [2015] (Vudu)
Mile 22 (iTunes 4K)
Million Ways To Die In The West, A [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Mindgamers [2017] (MA)
Minions [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (iTunes 4K)
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Miss You Already [2015] (Vudu)
Moneyball [2011] (MA + Sony points)
Money Monster [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Monuments Men, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Mortal Instruments: The City Of Bones, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Mother's Day [2016] (MA)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman [2014] (MA)
Mulan [2020] (MA + 150 points)
Mummy, The [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Murder On The Orient Express [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (iTunes/ports)
Neighbors [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Noah [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
Non-Stop [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Now You See Me 2 (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Nurse Jackie season 7 (Vudu)
Nut Job, The [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Oblivion [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Orange Is The New Black season 2 (Vudu)
Oranges, The [2012] (MA)
Ouija [2014] (MA)
Pain & Gain [2013] (Vudu)
Paranormal Activity [2009] [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 2 [Unrated Director's Cut] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 3 [Extended] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 4 [Unrated] (iTunes)
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension [Unrated] (Vudu)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranorman [2012] (iTunes)
Passengers [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Patriots Day (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option is expired)
Paul [2011] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Pet Sematary [2019] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Pitch Perfect (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 3 (MA)
Planes [2013] (MA + 150 points)
Premium Rush [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Prince, The [2014] (Vudu)
Prometheus (MA or Google Play/ports, no iTunes option)
Proud Mary [2018] (MA)
Purge, The [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Purge: Anarchy, The [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Purge: Election Year, The [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Quiet Place, A [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Ralph Breaks The Internet [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Rambo: Last Blood (Vudu 4K or iTunes 4K)
Redemption [2013] (Vudu)
Red Dawn [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Replicas [2019] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Riddick [2013] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Rings [2017] (Vudu or iTunes)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Rise Of The Guardians [2011] (MA)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Robin Hood [2018] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Rock Dog (iTunes)
Rocketman [2019] (iTunes 4K)
Roger Corman's Death Race 2050 [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Runner Runner [2013] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Rush [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Saban's Power Rangers (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Safe House [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Scoob! [2020] (MA)
Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption (iTunes/ports)
Scrooged (Vudu)
Search Party [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Secret: Dare To Dream, The [2020] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA 4K or iTunes/ports 4K)
See No Evil 2 [2014] (Vudu)
Sex Tape [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Show Dogs [2018] (MA)
Sicario (iTunes 4K)
Silent House [2012] (iTunes/ports)
Sing [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sinister (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Skyscraper [2018] (MA)
Smurfs: The Lost Village [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Snow White & The Huntsman [2012] [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sparkle [2012] (MA)
Spider-Man: Homecoming [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Spy [2015] [Unrated] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Star Trek [2009] (iTunes 4K)
Star Trek: Beyond (iTunes 4K)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Step Up All In [2014] (Vudu)
Step Up Revolution (Vudu or Google Play)
Straight Outta Compton [Unrated] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Super 8 (Vudu)
Super Buddies (MA without points)
Taken 3 [Unrated] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (iTunes 4K)
Terminator: Genisys (iTunes 4K)
Texas Chainsaw [2013] (Vudu)
Thing, The [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Think Like A Man Too [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Titanic (Vudu)
Top Gun (Vudu)
Tower Heist [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell (MA)
Tremors: Shrieker Island (MA)
Trolls: World Tour [2020] (MA)
True Grit [2010] (Vudu or iTunes)
Turbo [2013] (MA)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (iTunes 4K)
Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Underworld: Awakening [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Underworld: Blood Wars [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets (Vudu)
Venom [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Vice [2015] (Vudu)
Walk Among The Tombstones, A (iTunes/ports)
Warcraft [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
War For The Planet Of The Apes [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
War Room [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Wedding Ringer, The [2015] (MA + Sony points)
We Die Young [2019] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
When The Game Stands Tall [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Whiplash [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Wolf Of Wall Street (iTunes 4K)
Woman In Black, The [2012] (MA)
Wonder [2017] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Wonder Park [2019] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Woodlawn [2015] (MA)
World War Z (iTunes 4K)
X-Men: Apocalypse (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Zero Dark Thirty (MA + Sony points)
Zookeeper's Wife, The (iTunes/ports) PENDING
Zootopia (MA without points)

🦝

💲2️⃣ SD

127 Hours (iTunes/ports)
All About Steve (iTunes/ports)
Black Swan (iTunes/ports)
Bride Wars (iTunes/ports)
Crazy On The Outside (iTunes/ports)
Dragonball: Evolution [2009] (iTunes/ports)
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! (ITunes/ports)
Hitman [2007] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Love & Other Drugs (iTunes/ports)
Max Payne [2008] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Texas Rising season 1 (Vudu)
This Means War (iTunes/ports)
Unstoppable [2010] (iTunes/ports)

🦝

$1 Codes

💲1️⃣ HD

2 Guns (MA)
Alex Cross (Vudu)
Bad Moms [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Battleship [2012] (MA)
Big Hero 6 (Google Play/ports)
Book Club (Vudu)
Butler, The [2013] (Vudu)
Deadpool (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Despicable Me 2 (MA)
Despicable Me 3 (MA)
Divergent (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Divergent Series: Insurgent, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Duff, The [2015] (Vudu)
Expendables 2, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Expendables 3, The [Theatrical] (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Fast & Furious [2009] (MA)
Fast & Furious 6, The [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fast Five [Extended] (MA)
Fate Of The Furious, The [8] [Theatrical] (MA)
Fences [2016] (Vudu)
Frozen [2013] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Furious 7 [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Girls Trip [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Good Day To Die Hard, A (MA or Google Play/ports)
Gunman, The [2015] (MA)
Hell Or High Water (Vudu or Google Play)
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hunger Games, The [2012] (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (Vudu)
I, Frankenstein (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Independence Day: Resurgence (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Vudu)
Jason Bourne (MA)
Jurassic Park [1993] (MA)
Jurassic World (iTunes/ports 4K)
Leprechaun: Origins (Vudu)
Les Misérables [2012] (MA)
Lone Survivor [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (MA)
Maggie [2015] (Vudu)
Minions [2015] (MA)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Vudu)
Mud (Vudu)
Now You See Me [Extended] (Vudu or Google Play) or [Theatrical] (iTunes)
Other Woman, The [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Parental Guidance [2012] (MA)
Red 2 (iTunes 4K)
Ride Along 2 (MA or iTunes/ports)
RIPD Rest In Peace Department (MA)
Safe [2012] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA)
Shack, The [2017] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Skyfall (Vudu or Google Play)
Snitch (iTunes 4K or Vudu/Google Play HD)
Son Of God [2014] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Star Trek: Beyond (Vudu)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (iTunes 4K)
Taken 2 (MA)
Ted [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports) or [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014] (Vudu)
Terminator: Genisys (Vudu)
Transformers: Age Of Extinction (iTunes 4K)
Transformers: The Last Knight (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (iTunes 4K)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (iTunes)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Vudu or Google Play)
Unbroken [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Warm Bodies (Vudu)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (Vudu)
Zootopia (Google Play/ports)

🦝

💲1️⃣ SD

22 Jump Street (MA + Sony points)
Act Of Valor (iTunes)
After Earth [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Alpha [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (iTunes/ports)
Amazing Spider-Man, The [2012] (MA)
Amazing Spider-Man 2, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
American Hustle [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Arthur Christmas [2011] (MA + Sony points)
A-Team, The [2010] [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Blood Father [2016] (Vudu)
Bourne Identity, The (MA or iTunes/ports)
Call, The [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Call Me By Your Name [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Phillips (MA + Sony points)
Chappie [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Charlie's Angels [2019] (MA + Sony points)
Crank 2: High Voltage (iTunes)
Date Night [2010] [Extended Edition] (iTunes/ports)
Day The Earth Stood Still, The [2008] (iTunes/ports)
Deliver Us From Evil [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Elysium [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Expendables, The [2010] [Extended Director's Cut] (iTunes)
Goosebumps [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Hangover, The [Theatrical] [2009] (iTunes/ports)
Here Comes The Boom [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania 2 (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania 3 (MA + Sony points)
Hours [2013] (Vudu)
House At The End Of The Street, The [2012] (iTunes)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (iTunes/ports)
Immortals [2011] (iTunes)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (MA + Sony points)
Insidious: The Last Key (MA + Sony points)
Looper [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Men In Black III [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Monte Carlo [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Monuments Men, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Mortal Instruments: The City Of Bones (MA + Sony points)
Nerve [2016] (Vudu)
Olympus Has Fallen (MA + Sony points)
Orange Is The New Black season 1 (Vudu)
Orange Is The New Black season 3 (Vudu)
Paranoia [2013] (iTunes)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (iTunes/ports)
Perfect Guy, The [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Peter Rabbit [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Predators [2010] (iTunes/ports)
Raven, The [2012] (iTunes)
Rio [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports)
Rite, The [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Robin Hood [2010] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Safe Haven (iTunes)
Sausage Party [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Shark Night [2011] (iTunes)
Sparkle [2012] (MA)
Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse (MA + Sony points)
Star, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Taken [2009] [Extended Cut] (iTunes/ports)
That Awkward Moment [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Think Like A Man Too [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Trust, The [2016] (Vudu)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Tough Love (Vudu)
Underworld: Awakening (MA + Sony points)
Vow, The [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Wanted [2008] (iTunes/ports)1
Warrior [2011] (iTunes)
Water For Elephants (iTunes/ports)
Wedding Ringer, The [2015] (MA + Sony points)
When The Bough Breaks [2016] (MA + Sony points)
White House Down [2013] (MA + Sony points)
X-Men: First Class (iTunes/ports)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (iTunes/ports)

🦝

Super Cheap SD & HD Codes

All movies are 3 for $1 but must spend at least $1 on total order.
Cabin In The Woods, The (iTunes SD only)
Criminal [2016] (Vudu SD only)
Dirty Grandpa (Vudu SD only)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu SD only or iTunes SD only)
Expendables 3, The [Unrated] (iTunes HD only)
Fast Five [Extended] (iTunes/ports HD)
Furious 7 [Extended] (MA ports HD)
Hunger Games, The (Vudu SD or iTunes SD only)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (Vudu SD only)
John Wick 3 (Google Play HD only)
Life Of Pi (iTunes/ports SD)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu HD only)
Perks Of Being A Wallflower (iTunes SD only)
Skyfall (iTunes SD only)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Vudu HD only)
Taken 2 (iTunes/ports SD)
Transformers: Age Of Extinction (Vudu HD only)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Vudu SD only)

I've seen a lot of people asking about the differences between the Stratos and the Manta. I too was having trouble deciding between them / comparing them, so I got my hands on them and tried them out. Hopefully this helps others make a decision as well.
Note: This post is specifically going to be comparing the Manta 24 L and the Stratos 24 L only.
——
Notes
At the time of this post, the Manta is $200 and the Stratos is $180. The Manta comes with $50 worth of water bladder. Buying the same water bladder (the 2.5 L LT) separately for the Stratos makes the configuration $230.
Additionally, using Osprey's website to sort by Backsystems > "AirSpeed" does not show Manta as an option. I think this is a bug on their website. When the only filter condition is "BackSystems: AirSpeed", the Stratos (along with others) shows up but the Manta does not. As far as I know, the Manta has not been discontinued.
The Manta I looked at was made in February 2024, and the Stratos was made in December 2023. They are both the current / latest version of the backpack.
When you buy from Amazon, make sure you check when your backpack was made (black label on the inside of the biggest pocket). Amazon does not differentiate between the product years and has sold previous year's versions (like that had the button + elastic ladder system instead of the current plastic ladder system) recently. Watch out for this.
——
Expert Opinions
Before comparing their specifics, I want to include this: I talked with someone at REI extensively about the two bags. He said he'd been working at REI helping people find hiking backpacks for decades and that he always recommends buying the backpack that doesn't come with a water bladder and to buy both items separately instead. He told me that in order for a company to keep their water-bladder-included backpacks (Manta) similarly priced to their water-bladder-not-included backpacks (Stratos), that the companies used lower quality materials, cut corners, and generally made the water-bladder-included backpacks lower quality. Because of this, his personal strong option was to go for the Stratos over the Manta.
In contrast, after studying these backpacks carefully and thoroughly, I came to the exact opposite conclusion: I chose the Manta over the Stratos.
——
The Specifics
Here is every difference I found between the two. Please let me know if I missed anything. To keep things more concise, I will use "S" to denote Stratos 24 L and "M" to denote Manta 24 L. I am not talking about sizes!
Load Lifters

• S had thicker straps
• M has thinner straps

Frame

• I think their frames are identical

H20 Port

• M H2O passthrough feels slightly more constricted than S

Shoulder Straps

• Maybe it was just the two backpacks I recieved, but the S has way softer shoulder straps than the M
  • It's possible this will change or even out with wear, but initial reaction was they are quite different
  • This was the only case where I found the S better than the M, but significantly so
  • I reached out to Osprey to ask if they use different materials in the straps
• S under-strap material wraps onto the front equally on both sides
• M under-strap material only wraps onto the front from the inside, making the outside of the strap a little less comfortable and scratchier
• S had chest strap with clip + whistle
• M has chest strap with magnetic latch (that water bladder mouthpiece can attach to)

Waist Belt

• S wait belt pockets bigger than M
  • S easily fits iPhone 14 Pro Max with case
  • M fits but tighter and slower to get in and out
• This may be the specific bags I tried but S hip belt feels *slightly* more padded than M

Rain Cover Pocket

• M rain cover pocket is wider than S
  • M stocks out less and impacts internal space less because rain cover can be folded thinner and flatter
  • S sticks out slightly more because it's folded into a space about 1/2 the size of the M

Total Pockets

• S has 5 (from inside to outside):
  1. Medium mesh filled pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 2. Large primary compartment
  3. There's an elastic separator for the water bladder
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium vertical pocket
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
• M has 5 (from inside to outside)
  1. Large dedicated water bladder compartment
     • 2. Large primary compartment
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium side access vertical zip pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
     • 6-ish. Elastic stuff compartment

Compression Straps (upper)

• The upper compression straps clip in opposite directions on each bag
• M tightening part faces away from you if you're wearing the bag
• S tightening part faces towards you if you're wearing the bag
• M pulls from closer to the center of the bag than S, M seems to compress better than S
• M buckles stick out sideways off the top of the bag and kinda look dumb when unclipped

Compression Straps (lower)

• The M lower compression straps go across the bottom of the water bottle pocket
• The S lower compression straps go across the middle of the water bottle pocket
  • This is better for tripod carry

Water Bottle Pockets

• M has top and side entry into water bottle pocket
• S has only top entry into water bottle pocket

BackSystem / AirSpeed

• The holes in the S mesh are larger
• The holes in the M mesh are smaller, which kinda surprised me because I'd imagine it is *slightly* worse for ventilation
• S has almost-white netting, M has same-color (at least it's black on the black M) and looks like it'll handle dirt and sweat better

Conclusion
Over all, the Manta is the clear winner to me over the Stratos. Better pockets, more organization, more versatile, and faster access to gear.
The Stratos, despite not being a dedicated water bladder backpack weirdly seems slightly better in terms of how the water bladder hangs and how the tube goes through the bag. I had a hard time getting the tube out of the way of the bladder on the Manta, while the tube lays flush on the Stratos and doesn't twist. The Stratos bladder hangs lower than the Manta which might be why, but that probably makes the load distribution on the Manta better.
The Stratos trampoline mesh felt more breathable with the larger holes, though this may be just the style of the specific one I tried. I am awaiting Osprey's reply on the topic.
The Stratos shoulder straps felt softer, but also were undeniably more comfortable with the towards-you facing material wrapping around both edges of the strap. This may be minor or end up not mattering after use, this is just my perspective. I am also waiting Osprey's reply to this topic.
I think if you're planning on not using a water bladder / don't need to access your stuff often and you prioritize maximum comfort, Stratos might have a slight edge.
Manta feels more premium, more thoughtfully designed, and is absolutely more user-friendly. The difference in quality of organization is significant. I also like that the Manta's colors seem more uniform.

I've seen a lot of people asking about the differences between the Stratos and the Manta. I too was having trouble deciding between them / comparing them, so I got my hands on them and tried them out. Hopefully this helps others make a decision as well.
Note: This post is specifically going to be comparing the Manta 24 L and the Stratos 24 L only.
——
Notes
At the time of this post, the Manta is $200 and the Stratos is $180. The Manta comes with $50 worth of water bladder. Buying the same water bladder (the 2.5 L LT) separately for the Stratos makes the configuration $230.
Additionally, using Osprey's website to sort by Backsystems > "AirSpeed" does not show Manta as an option. I think this is a bug on their website. When the only filter condition is "BackSystems: AirSpeed", the Stratos (along with others) shows up but the Manta does not. As far as I know, the Manta has not been discontinued.
The Manta I looked at was made in February 2024, and the Stratos was made in December 2023. They are both the current / latest version of the backpack.
When you buy from Amazon, make sure you check when your backpack was made (black label on the inside of the biggest pocket). Amazon does not differentiate between the product years and has sold previous year's versions (like that had the button + elastic ladder system instead of the current plastic ladder system) recently. Watch out for this.
——
Expert Opinions
Before comparing their specifics, I want to include this: I talked with someone at REI extensively about the two bags. He said he'd been working at REI helping people find hiking backpacks for decades and that he always recommends buying the backpack that doesn't come with a water bladder and to buy both items separately instead. He told me that in order for a company to keep their water-bladder-included backpacks (Manta) similarly priced to their water-bladder-not-included backpacks (Stratos), that the companies used lower quality materials, cut corners, and generally made the water-bladder-included backpacks lower quality. Because of this, his personal strong option was to go for the Stratos over the Manta.
In contrast, after studying these backpacks carefully and thoroughly, I came to the exact opposite conclusion: I chose the Manta over the Stratos.
——
The Specifics
Here is every difference I found between the two. Please let me know if I missed anything. To keep things more concise, I will use "S" to denote Stratos 24 L and "M" to denote Manta 24 L. I am not talking about sizes!
Load Lifters

• S had thicker straps
• M has thinner straps

Frame

• I think their frames are identical

H20 Port

• M H2O passthrough feels slightly more constricted than S

Shoulder Straps

• Maybe it was just the two backpacks I recieved, but the S has way softer shoulder straps than the M
  • It's possible this will change or even out with wear, but initial reaction was they are quite different
  • This was the only case where I found the S better than the M, but significantly so
  • I reached out to Osprey to ask if they use different materials in the straps
• S under-strap material wraps onto the front equally on both sides
• M under-strap material only wraps onto the front from the inside, making the outside of the strap a little less comfortable and scratchier
• S had chest strap with clip + whistle
• M has chest strap with magnetic latch (that water bladder mouthpiece can attach to)

Waist Belt

• S wait belt pockets bigger than M
  • S easily fits iPhone 14 Pro Max with case
  • M fits but tighter and slower to get in and out
• This may be the specific bags I tried but S hip belt feels *slightly* more padded than M

Rain Cover Pocket

• M rain cover pocket is wider than S
  • M stocks out less and impacts internal space less because rain cover can be folded thinner and flatter
  • S sticks out slightly more because it's folded into a space about 1/2 the size of the M

Total Pockets

• S has 5 (from inside to outside):
  1. Medium mesh filled pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 2. Large primary compartment
  3. There's an elastic separator for the water bladder
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium vertical pocket
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
• M has 5 (from inside to outside)
  1. Large dedicated water bladder compartment
     • 2. Large primary compartment
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium side access vertical zip pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
     • 6-ish. Elastic stuff compartment

Compression Straps (upper)

• The upper compression straps clip in opposite directions on each bag
• M tightening part faces away from you if you're wearing the bag
• S tightening part faces towards you if you're wearing the bag
• M pulls from closer to the center of the bag than S, M seems to compress better than S
• M buckles stick out sideways off the top of the bag and kinda look dumb when unclipped

Compression Straps (lower)

• The M lower compression straps go across the bottom of the water bottle pocket
• The S lower compression straps go across the middle of the water bottle pocket
  • This is better for tripod carry

Water Bottle Pockets

• M has top and side entry into water bottle pocket
• S has only top entry into water bottle pocket

BackSystem / AirSpeed

• The holes in the S mesh are larger
• The holes in the M mesh are smaller, which kinda surprised me because I'd imagine it is *slightly* worse for ventilation
• S has almost-white netting, M has same-color (at least it's black on the black M) and looks like it'll handle dirt and sweat better

Conclusion
Over all, the Manta is the clear winner to me over the Stratos. Better pockets, more organization, more versatile, and faster access to gear.
The Stratos, despite not being a dedicated water bladder backpack weirdly seems slightly better in terms of how the water bladder hangs and how the tube goes through the bag. I had a hard time getting the tube out of the way of the bladder on the Manta, while the tube lays flush on the Stratos and doesn't twist. The Stratos bladder hangs lower than the Manta which might be why, but that probably makes the load distribution on the Manta better.
The Stratos trampoline mesh felt more breathable with the larger holes, though this may be just the style of the specific one I tried. I am awaiting Osprey's reply on the topic.
The Stratos shoulder straps felt softer, but also were undeniably more comfortable with the towards-you facing material wrapping around both edges of the strap. This may be minor or end up not mattering after use, this is just my perspective. I am also waiting Osprey's reply to this topic.
I think if you're planning on not using a water bladder / don't need to access your stuff often and you prioritize maximum comfort, Stratos might have a slight edge.
Manta feels more premium, more thoughtfully designed, and is absolutely more user-friendly. The difference in quality of organization is significant. I also like that the Manta's colors seem more uniform.

I've seen a lot of people asking about the differences between the Stratos and the Manta. I too was having trouble deciding between them / comparing them, so I got my hands on them and tried them out. Hopefully this helps others make a decision as well.
Note: This post is specifically going to be comparing the Manta 24 L and the Stratos 24 L only.
——
Notes
At the time of this post, the Manta is $200 and the Stratos is $180. The Manta comes with $50 worth of water bladder. Buying the same water bladder (the 2.5 L LT) separately for the Stratos makes the configuration $230.
Additionally, using Osprey's website to sort by Backsystems > "AirSpeed" does not show Manta as an option. I think this is a bug on their website. When the only filter condition is "BackSystems: AirSpeed", the Stratos (along with others) shows up but the Manta does not. As far as I know, the Manta has not been discontinued.
The Manta I looked at was made in February 2024, and the Stratos was made in December 2023. They are both the current / latest version of the backpack.
When you buy from Amazon, make sure you check when your backpack was made (black label on the inside of the biggest pocket). Amazon does not differentiate between the product years and has sold previous year's versions (like that had the button + elastic ladder system instead of the current plastic ladder system) recently. Watch out for this.
——
Expert Opinions
Before comparing their specifics, I want to include this: I talked with someone at REI extensively about the two bags. He said he'd been working at REI helping people find hiking backpacks for decades and that he always recommends buying the backpack that doesn't come with a water bladder and to buy both items separately instead. He told me that in order for a company to keep their water-bladder-included backpacks (Manta) similarly priced to their water-bladder-not-included backpacks (Stratos), that the companies used lower quality materials, cut corners, and generally made the water-bladder-included backpacks lower quality. Because of this, his personal strong option was to go for the Stratos over the Manta.
In contrast, after studying these backpacks carefully and thoroughly, I came to the exact opposite conclusion: I chose the Manta over the Stratos.
——
The Specifics
Here is every difference I found between the two. Please let me know if I missed anything. To keep things more concise, I will use "S" to denote Stratos 24 L and "M" to denote Manta 24 L. I am not talking about sizes!
Load Lifters

• S had thicker straps
• M has thinner straps

Frame

• I think their frames are identical

H20 Port

• M H2O passthrough feels slightly more constricted than S

Shoulder Straps

• Maybe it was just the two backpacks I recieved, but the S has way softer shoulder straps than the M
  • It's possible this will change or even out with wear, but initial reaction was they are quite different
  • This was the only case where I found the S better than the M, but significantly so
  • I reached out to Osprey to ask if they use different materials in the straps
• S under-strap material wraps onto the front equally on both sides
• M under-strap material only wraps onto the front from the inside, making the outside of the strap a little less comfortable and scratchier
• S had chest strap with clip + whistle
• M has chest strap with magnetic latch (that water bladder mouthpiece can attach to)

Waist Belt

• S wait belt pockets bigger than M
  • S easily fits iPhone 14 Pro Max with case
  • M fits but tighter and slower to get in and out
• This may be the specific bags I tried but S hip belt feels *slightly* more padded than M

Rain Cover Pocket

• M rain cover pocket is wider than S
  • M stocks out less and impacts internal space less because rain cover can be folded thinner and flatter
  • S sticks out slightly more because it's folded into a space about 1/2 the size of the M

Total Pockets

• S has 5 (from inside to outside):
  1. Medium mesh filled pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 2. Large primary compartment
  3. There's an elastic separator for the water bladder
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium vertical pocket
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
• M has 5 (from inside to outside)
  1. Large dedicated water bladder compartment
     • 2. Large primary compartment
     • 3. Small sunglasses pocket
     • 4. Medium side access vertical zip pocket
  2. Has key-ring
     • 5. Small rain cover pocket
     • 6-ish. Elastic stuff compartment

Compression Straps (upper)

• The upper compression straps clip in opposite directions on each bag
• M tightening part faces away from you if you're wearing the bag
• S tightening part faces towards you if you're wearing the bag
• M pulls from closer to the center of the bag than S, M seems to compress better than S
• M buckles stick out sideways off the top of the bag and kinda look dumb when unclipped

Compression Straps (lower)

• The M lower compression straps go across the bottom of the water bottle pocket
• The S lower compression straps go across the middle of the water bottle pocket
  • This is better for tripod carry

Water Bottle Pockets

• M has top and side entry into water bottle pocket
• S has only top entry into water bottle pocket

BackSystem / AirSpeed

• The holes in the S mesh are larger
• The holes in the M mesh are smaller, which kinda surprised me because I'd imagine it is *slightly* worse for ventilation
• S has almost-white netting, M has same-color (at least it's black on the black M) and looks like it'll handle dirt and sweat better

Conclusion
Over all, the Manta is the clear winner to me over the Stratos. Better pockets, more organization, more versatile, and faster access to gear.
The Stratos, despite not being a dedicated water bladder backpack weirdly seems slightly better in terms of how the water bladder hangs and how the tube goes through the bag. I had a hard time getting the tube out of the way of the bladder on the Manta, while the tube lays flush on the Stratos and doesn't twist. The Stratos bladder hangs lower than the Manta which might be why, but that probably makes the load distribution on the Manta better.
The Stratos trampoline mesh felt more breathable with the larger holes, though this may be just the style of the specific one I tried. I am awaiting Osprey's reply on the topic.
The Stratos shoulder straps felt softer, but also were undeniably more comfortable with the towards-you facing material wrapping around both edges of the strap. This may be minor or end up not mattering after use, this is just my perspective. I am also waiting Osprey's reply to this topic.
I think if you're planning on not using a water bladder / don't need to access your stuff often and you prioritize maximum comfort, Stratos might have a slight edge.
Manta feels more premium, more thoughtfully designed, and is absolutely more user-friendly. The difference in quality of organization is significant. I also like that the Manta's colors seem more uniform.

Purtle's Internet Lineup for June 9th, 2024 3:17pm
Pics:

• The black-and-white version of Shin Godzilla will have its American premiere in New York on July 14th and 21st, as part of the Japan Cuts film festival. https://twitter.com/14_kaiju/status/1799161832743358777
  
• Happy pride everyone https://twitter.com/Samburr8/status/1798607573165527313
  
• fighting game player who tells their friend in vc "bro please block low" and then does an overhead https://twitter.com/malignanttrog/status/1799261839349711257
  
• It's exceedingly rare, but I love watching an older animated film and even with my experience going "how the hell did they do that?!" And not just in the context of the year is what made but how would they do it even now? Anyway Memories (1995) is up on Prime Video https://twitter.com/parkerrsimmons/status/1799460759153635633
  
  • watch 'Magnetic Rose'
• Pokemon news
  
  • Here's your first look at the PokemonWorlds exclusive plush Pikachu and Paradise Resort promo card! Both items will be available to qualified Worlds competitors while supplies last, with the Pikachu plush available for purchase at the on-site Pokémon Center pop-up store. https://twitter.com/playpokemon/status/1799831569378820446

Clips:

• Will Smith in a movie theater watching the new Bad Boys film with fans and they didn't know [:54] https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1799496227064619305

Videos

• [WR] Super Mario Sunshine Any% in 1:12:58 by toobou - new minute barrier broken by the OG runner https://old.reddit.com/speedrun/comments/1dbsrw0/wr_super_mario_sunshine_any_in_11258_by_toobou/

Articles/News/Other

• Russia Declares US As Enemy State For First Time Amid Deteriorating Ties Over Ukraine https://old.reddit.com/worldnews/comments/1dbck0s/russia_declares_us_as_enemy_state_for_first_time/
  
• Growing up in the American south & seeing the utter decimation this one vine can do leaves such a huge impact on you. It’s like wow. A guy in the 1940s destroyed America’s ecology bc he thought it looked pretty & thought it would help stop erosion. Now there’s no going back. https://twitter.com/Trey_Explainestatus/1799515919875502562
  
  • living in Georgia in the mid-00s I assumed, like everyone else, that kudzu would one day eat the world. But it didn't—it's just very good at growing near highways, so people overestimate its spread. We've also important an invasive bug that eats kudzu https://twitter.com/crulge/status/1799557773375557706
  • Kudzu only grows in the sun and suffers in shade. It looks so menacing along roads and highways and doesn’t go deeper into the forest. There is a kudzu bug currently decimating it. https://twitter.com/VicVijayakumastatus/1799611853548474511
• Xbox Games Showcase Wario Summary Thread https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1799840881333150008
  
  • Xbox Games Showcase 2024: Every Announcement and Reveal https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1799871207216455922
  • Perfect Dark - Gameplay Reveal - Xbox Games Showcase 2024 [3:27] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUi9DR9sc4&ab_channel=Xbox
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages Official Trailer 1 [1:55] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tk8lkmYGWQ&ab_channel=BethesdaSoftworks
  • new cod is 300gb omegalul https://twitter.com/CODWarfareForum/status/1799836461375824080

Hi, it's my first time building a pc. I would like to build a workstation, gaming pc, video editing machine.

• * New build or upgrade? New.
• * Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links) Older 65 hz monitor.
• * PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games) Mostly for web dev, video editing, and unreal engine 5.
• * Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If not US, list local vendors) US, no Micro Center.
• * Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate) No.
• * Budget range? (Include tax considerations) $1000.
• * WiFi or wired connection? Wifi 6.
• * Size/noise constraints? Yes. Quiter is better.
• * Cololighting preferences? White. RGB fans.
• * Any other specific needs? No.