Symbol of a animals on laptop keyboard

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: $1,000 USD • Are you open to refurbs/used? No, please. • How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? I prioritize battery life and performance. Overall, I want it to last me through college. • How important is weight and thinness to you? I don’t mind anything. • Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. Preferably 17 inches or just bigger than 13 inches. • Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/ gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Games and for school work? • If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? I enjoy fps so I would love to play valorant, but I just want it to be able to run games in general. • Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/ touchpad)? I would love it had a backlit keyboard and a touch-screen. • Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel
Hello! I will be a college freshman this summer and my mother would like to get me a laptop. We are low income, so her budget is quite gracious considering this. I was trying to do more research on laptops, but I am just stuck. (The budget is 1,000, but I would love to get something that matches my criteria below this to save my mom the most.)
Here are some of my wants and needs!
Wants: -Big screen (preferably 17 inches, but I’m not picky I just dont want it to be small like 13 inches) -backlit keyboard (i love working in the dark lol) -Runs games (games such as valorant or league lol) -can handle school work as well
Needs: -Long battery life (I dont want to live by a plug) -lots of storage (as i do want this to last me through college, its going to have to hold a lot, especially if i want to have games and school work) -fast (?) (dont really know how else to say it but i just want it to be able to run games at a high fps)
Dilemma: My father has a macbook air with an m2 chip, and i was doing research on and besides the heat and the fact it cant play valorant, it seems well rounded. My main concern is things that are for windows. I’ve never had a mac, but I am concerned if my school might require something only windows has, as the mass majority have windows. Also, I really want to game, but I have an understanding that not all games can run on mac, such as valorant.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I posted on a previous day and I really appreciated all of the responses, but I have one more question. ipad/tablet or laptop. I’m heavily considering a Tablet with a keyboard because I have a PC, which I plan on bringing. So if I need the option of sitting down with a monitor I can use it. I’ve heard great things about using a tablet and when I visited colleges a LOT of music Ed majors were using tablets. What are your thoughts?

Day 1 A news report breaks in [REDACTED] New York about a man waking up the previous morning, and attempting to turn on his TV to watch the latest episode of his favourite show, only for his remote to crumble in his hand. Confused as to what was going on, the man would attempt to manually turn on his TV, only to accidentally pull a chunk of it off. It was at this moment, that the man would discover that his TV had been replaced with a hyper-realistic cake. The man would question his wife about where the TV went, and why there was a hyper-realistic cake in its place. However, his wife was just as confused as he was about the entire situation at hand. The man would attempt to report this to his local authorities, claiming his TV had been stolen and replaced with a hyper-realistic cake. Only to be laughed off as a prankster due to his ridiculous claim. Angry at this, he would take his story to the local news station hoping for justice to be served to whoever stole his TV. Once again, his claims were laughed off and published as a mere joke. The man would claim that there would be more cases of people’s items being replaced with hyper-realistic cakes going forward and that they would all regret ignoring his case.
Day 29 Police reports coming from all over [REDACTED] New York would reveal the man’s words to be correct. Starting after a young woman would attempt to open her purse, only for the zip to completely come off upon being pulled and quickly break apart, taking some of the modelling chocolate with it. Soon people would begin reporting all over the area that their items had been completely replaced with cake. Phones, laptops, bags, earrings, necklaces, rings and even stacks of cash were discovered to have been replaced with hyper-realistic cakes. Local authorities, having now clearly learned that this was no prank, are looking into the cases to try and track down these valuable items. However, one thing these cases all have in common (aside from the cakes being delicious) is the complete lack of evidence pointing to any suspects. No DNA evidence, no signs of forced entry, and no people in the area at the time. Nobody is even sure when these items were replaced with cakes. They all say they could've sworn they were real a second ago, only to suddenly be cake. Almost as if there was no thief and they had just suddenly turned into cake. Authorities are still on the hunt for a possible suspect in this case, even though the wider New York authorities laugh at them for humouring these absurd claims.
Day 47 The situation has escalated much further than anyone could've possibly anticipated. Now the reports of items being replaced with hyper-realistic cake have rapidly expanded to the rest of New York. Hundreds of people are reporting that their valuable items are being discovered to be hyper-realistic cakes. A man would take his phone out of his pocket to check if he'd received any important emails, only for his phone to crumble into pieces of cake in his hand. A woman would attempt to cash in a check of $100,000 to a bank, only for the modelling chocolate on the check to smash into several pieces when placed down on the counter. A couple would attempt to hurry their kids into the car, worrying they may be late for school. Only for the car to fall apart right in front of them, as the door is pulled off and falls to the ground. People are getting scared, they're worrying that at any moment, any of their prized possessions could end up being a hyper-realistic cake. Nobody is sure what is real and what is cake anymore, so they've taken to trying to cut anything they own, hoping to weed out the cake from the non-cake. Many have ended up accidentally destroying many of the things they own in the process of doing this. But those who still have their stuff have taken to putting stickers on them to ensure they know they're real. That was until an edible sticker was found to be on the back of a hyper-realistic cake emulating a mobile phone. Now, people’s only option is to place all their valued possessions into safes, covered in locks with an 87-number code that not even they know. The governor of New York has commented on the situation claiming that he's doing all he can to try and solve the hyper-realistic cake mystery, but he can only do so much to calm the fear and paranoia that has overcome New York.
Day 93 The situation has dramatically escalated even further somehow, as the hyper-realistic cake plague has now begun heavily affecting the nearby states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and even some parts of Canada. Reports are coming in from all over the USA and even some of Mexico and South America of people’s items suddenly being replaced with ominous (albeit, tasty) hyper-realistic cakes. The president is doing nothing to quell the fear of US citizens, claiming the whole situation is ridiculous and that everyone is a fool for buying into it. People are starting to riot in the streets believing the president is not doing enough to try and prevent the appearance of hyper-realistic cakes. Many other countries are beginning to consider closing off all travel to the USA out of fear, and some like Germany even going through with it. The safes people were using to hold their valuable items are no longer safe. Many have been discovered to have been replaced with hyper-realistic cakes, leading to even greater fear and paranoia among citizens. And the worst thing of all. The police officer who was in charge of the case in [REDACTED] New York was discovered by his wife the previous night to have been replaced with an identical hyperrealistic cake. There is no evidence of where he may have gone, and there is no evidence pointing to who might've taken him. He has seemingly disappeared without a trace.
Day 149 As fear was reaching its limits, a spark of hope managed to emerge. Tension has been rising as countries all over the world have been receiving reports of people disappearing, and being replaced with hyper-realistic cakes. Even including those that shut off travel to the USA. The president has continued to display pure apathy to the situation, claiming the whole thing to be a farce, until he discovered one morning his wife had been turned into a hyper-realistic cake. Outraged at this, he demanded the perpetrator be immediately found and caught. He banned the selling of any ingredients that could be used to make a hyper-realistic cake, including flour, sugar, eggs, butter, baking powder, chocolate, honey, macaroni and cheese (he does not know how to make a cake, and decided it was better safe than sorry). But even then, hyper-realistic cakes continued to appear. Now even houses and everything in them were getting replaced with giant hyper-realistic cakes, twice the size of an average human being. The president was getting desperate now and was willing to do anything to catch the man responsible for this. So he had cameras set up on every street in every city in every state across the entire USA. And he had every cop working 24/7 on the sight of each camera making sure nothing was replaced with a hyper-realistic cake, and if they were to see hyper-realistic cake-related activities, they were to press a button, sounding the alarm. Yesterday, after weeks and weeks of nothing. An extremely tired officer managed to catch a woman attempting to replace a baby with a hyper-realistic cake. The woman, upon being caught, would quickly admit she was behind the hyper-realistic cake shenanigans. She was immediately brought to Washington DC where the president would proceed to scream and cry at her for hours before demanding she be placed in a holding cell so she could be questioned the following day. This was quickly announced by White House officials and the world began celebrating, praising the president as a hero who was able to end the hyper-realistic cake plague. The joyful people of the world are currently awaiting a word from the US president on who this mysterious woman is, what her motives are and where she’s keeping all these missing people.
Day 180 To the horror of everyone around the globe, the following morning, all hope was lost and all dreams were dashed. The woman taken captive last night was found to have been replaced with a hyper-realistic cake, just as everyone was. The president demanded a search for any evidence indicating how she could've escaped, but they were unable to find anything. Even the cameras meant to keep track of the woman had mysteriously failed to capture anything the previous night. This was the breaking point for the president, and as a result of this, he'd soon become wrapped up in an extremely insane conspiracy. He'd soon begin to believe the cake was a being that was more powerful than any of them, and that it needed to be eradicated at all costs. The presidents would proceed to declare Marshall law and cut off all transport to other countries. People, seeing exactly what was going to happen, attempted to escape the country by piloting the planes and boats themselves. Only to discover the planes and boats were all hyper-realistic cakes, that were unable to fly and would easily sink in water. The president would also declare that all cake is to be thoroughly burned, and anyone believed to be a cake is to be executed on sight, preferably by being cut with a blade. The president would have all secret service agents executed, claiming that they were conspiring with the cake and aided the woman in escaping custody. But even if this wasn't enough for the president, soon he’d begin believing that other countries were made of cake too and declared that any countries believed to be “cake countries” would be bombed off the map. Starting with Mexico, he sent wave after wave of bombs to the country until he was sure anyone inside was dead. He'd soon turn his attention to Germany, believing that it was also a “cake country” due to them previously closing off transportation from the USA there. Soon, Germany was no more, and the president would celebrate that he had destroyed another “cake country”. It seemed like to the president, that every country except the USA was a cake country, and no amount of bombing he did would change that. Everyone knew the sheer amount of bombs he was using was going to destroy the planet, but he didn't care. But just as quickly as this began, it ended. Yesterday, a large angry mob stormed the White House. The president would attempt to bomb the mob, only to discover the bomb launchpad had been replaced with cake. The mob quickly overpowered anyone left supporting the president with sheer numbers, and they swiftly beat the president to death in a manner too disturbing to even attempt to describe. Blood was everywhere, but they didn't care anymore, the dictator was dead.
Day 294 Shortly after the president's death, the USA descended into chaos. People were still being replaced with cake, and nobody had any way to contact people outside the USA, as every single phone was seemingly now a hyper-realistic cake. Many don't even believe there's anyone left out there, and that they were all killed by the president. People quickly began to believe the president was right, and that all the other countries were now just cake. But they took it one step further, they now began to ponder if the entire globe itself was just one giant cake. People began getting so scared of others being cake, that they would attempt to cut anyone they meet just to see if they were cake. There is no food left now besides hyper-realistic cakes, and many are so scared of them that they refuse to even go near them, let alone attempt to eat them. Many are dying from starvation, and those willing to eat the cakes are usually branded as “cake people” and killed on sight. There's still no sign of the people who went missing and were replaced with hyper-realistic cakes. Many believe they just vanished from reality itself or that they were taken by the cake. Some people have begun to worship the cake as a god and make sacrifices to it believing it'll bring their loved ones back. Reality is crumbling, society has fallen apart and it won’t be long until humanity is gone.
Day 334 Not even a year following the first-ever incident, the last human being on earth has died today. Alone, cold and afraid. There is nothing left. No trees, no grass, no water, no animals, no humans, nothing. The only thing that remains now is the hyper-realistic cakes. And that, is the story, of how I destroyed humanity with FUCKING CAKES! I guess in the end you could say… it was real.

Hi, I need a laptop for CAD work, engineering, programming, running local LLMs/ML, data analysis, light gaming, and audio/music production. I really want an intel i9 13-14th gen or ryzen 9 7-8000. I also would really like the body to be aluminum or some kind of metal rather than plastic. My girlfriends MacBook has got me envious. I like the MSI creator M16 HX, and ultrabookreview.com says it has a metal frame, but I cannot verify this anywhere. Size is not really important to me. I almost bought the Asus zenbook pro 14, until I learned that small laptops like that are throttled down to avoid overheating. I'd rather get my money's worth out of an i9. I'd also like to have at least an RTX 4050, and would also like switchable integrated graphics for battery use. Sorry if all of this sounds ridiculous I have never bought a serious computer before. My budget is $2,000-2,500. Thanks for your help!
Sorry, edited w/ helpful form:
Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
USD $2,000 best but $2,500 OK
Are you open to refurbs/used?
No
How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

1. Performance
2. Build quality
3. Battery life totally not important
4. I don't really understand laptop form factor. No idea what an ultrabook is.

How important is weight and thinness to you?
I would like a light and thin laptop but I'm totally unwilling to sacrifice performance for it.
Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
N/A
Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
FreeCAD, Fusion360, KiCAD, MATLAB, LM Studio, Reaper (music production) and for gaming literally just Halo 1 on steam. I program in python, I'm learning C and I almost exclusively use Ubuntu.
If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
I really only play Halo 1 right now but let's face it when I get a face-melting fast laptop I'm probably going to play other games a bit too. I don't know about settings and FPS but I want a great GPU for AI stuff.
Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
I would really like a metal body but it's not totally necessary. I would definitely buy a plastic laptop with great specs for the price. Maybe a thunderbolt 4 would be good? I'll probably get a docking station so whatever is needed for that (I just found out they exist).
Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
I'm basically looking for a desktop that can be easily transported. I don't care about battery life or portability. I've only ever had hand-me-down cheap crappy laptops with fried batteries so it will be amazing to me to have any battery life at all. I'm doing a lot of research so I can end up with a laptop that will last me many many years. I do some pretty nerdy stuff and constantly run into things my computer just can't handle.

Did I just damage my motherboard..?
So I downloaded a bios update. 1.51.0.0, and towards the end of the update my laptop abruptly shutdown. I panicked and pressed on the power button and my keyboard lights turned on but display was black for about 30 seconds…
I was fully panicking, but hen it turned on and said update successful and now it’s working like before. Just making sure I didn’t damage anything.. thanks

So I downloaded a bios update. 1.51.0.0, and towards the end of the update my laptop abruptly shutdown. I panicked and pressed on the power button and my keyboard lights turned on but display was black for about 30 seconds…
Then it turned on and said update successful and now it’s working like before. Just making sure I didn’t damage anything.. thanks

I still have my SNES, N64, and PS3 which I play (occasionally). But I've been feeling the larger gaming universe calling to me. Help me leave this world behind.

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games (ex: resolution, FPS, settings) or programs you will be using.

• I haven't really gamed in a decade, but things are looking real good out there. Something that can handle CounterStrike like games, flight simulators, and just keep my options open

2. What is your maximum PRE-TAX budget before rebates and shipping?

• Around 2000CAD. It's not a hard number though. I'd like to be efficient/effective with my investment.

3. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

• In the next month or 2

4. What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ex: toweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Everything. I've been on a MacBook for 11 years.

5. If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? How old are they? Brands and models are appreciated.

• N/A

6. Will you be overclocking (ex: CPU/GPU/RAM)? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line?

• Sure, if it's a benefit

7. Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, VR, VirtualLink, tensor cores, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

• SSD because it's fast and something that could handle VR would be great. I don't know about the other examples.

8. Do you have any specific case preferences (ex: mITX/mATX/mid-towefull-tower sizes, styles, colours, window or not, LED lighting, etc.), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

• Not really

9. Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? Note: some post-secondary students can get Windows 10 for free.

• Yes, need Windows.

10. Will you be upgrading this PC in the future (ie: will you swap out better parts later on or will you build an entirely new tower later)? If so, when?

• Probably. But I'd like a PC that could hold its own for a time.

11. Do you have a brand preference? (ex: AMD/Intel for CPUs, AMD/NVIDIA for video cards, etc)

• Not really, no.

12. What are the specs of your old PC / laptop? Do you want to see if it can be upgraded instead? If so, paste its build from PCPartPicker here.

• N/A

13. Extra info or particulars:

• I want this thing to cook.

I am officially out. Two nights I made the decision to finally walk out, and I am definitely officially out of that household. All the years, all the abuse, all the venom and narcissism and manipulation, gone in one night. I am starting to feel so light, so free. And it all started with one little argument to finally push me over the edge. So for context, I'm 22. I'm an international student from Mexico, and I'm living right now in the United States, studying a I tried running away from the house a little over a year ago, back when I still lived in Mexico. It didn't work. I didn't have a support network, it wasn't a generally good environment, and my parents had way too many connections to make it safe for me to go outside and enjoy life without being stalked. I ended up going back to their home, giving them a second chance under the guise of them "having changed" and us going to therapy.(All of this of course after they broke into my home to get me to "talk") Obviously, things went back to what they always are. Now the whole fallout starts about two weeks ago. My parents went on a trip back to Mexico. I stayed home alone, and the entire week I kept thinking to myself, I was so free. I felt more at peace than I had been in months without them at home. While they were gone, I went on a trip with my cousin to my aunt's house. I had a talk with that whole side of the family (My aunt, my uncle, my cousins) and I finally opened up to them about years of abuse. Years of pain and complaints that I kept in me. And I had to be honest with myself and tell them "I'm not happy there anymore". I received hugs, they cried with me, and they told me that they've known she had a problem for years, they just didn't know the extent and depth. Pretty much my entire extended family has beef with my mom because she's put in so much effort in burning every bridge in her life with the way she treats people. I was finally seen and understood and validated by family, they told me "This is not okay". They told me "We are here for you"
Fast forward to two nights ago. My family and I have, by this point, moved to a new place to rent, and my dad buys some Ikea furniture for our rooms. It's night time and I'm in my room assembling a bedframe and a night stand. I am so tired and done with the whole process, and my Narcissist mother comes in. I placed my bed away from either wall of my room so that there's space for me to jump into bed from either side. I guess she didn't appreciate that (even though it's MY room and it doesn't affect her), and the following conversation ensued: "You're gonna need 2 night stands for that bed placement to work" "Huh? What do you mean?" "One space is gonna be empty if you put your bed there (??)" "Oh but I'm not placing the night stand there" "What do you mean you're not?" "Yeah, I'm gonna place it over here. Not next to the bed" "Well that's not where it goes, it's supposed to go next to your bed" "Yeah, but I don't like it next to my bed, I like it here" By this point she starts raising her voice "Yeah! And I'm telling you that's not what night stands are made for." "Well I don't like it there! It's my room" "Lower your tone!" "I'm not even yelling at you" "Yes you are!!!" My dad comes in the room. As usual, he immediately takes her side without asking questions "Hey!! Calm down!! Lower your tone [my name]!!" "I'm not even yelling" "Yes you are, you don't realize the way you talk to us" My mom suddenly brings up something from earlier in the day. I introduced her to a college classmate I ran into, and I guess she made up some narrative in her mind: "And you know what!! The way your friend said hi to me earlier today, I know you've been talking about me. He didn't even want to hug me!!! I know you've been talking badly about me behind my back, like you always do!!!" (This literally never happened. I'm not even that close to this classmate. He knows next to nothing about my personal life) "What are you even talking about?? No I didn't!" "Yes you did!!" "No I did not" "I know for a fact you did!! You've done it before, liar" "Ugh you know what? You're imagining stuff. You're making stuff up that isn't there. I'm telling you I didn't." She walks out of the room rolling eyes at me like I'm some idiot she has to deal with, and my dad stays in the room with me. He goes on this very vague and inflammatory lecture about 'the boy who cried wolf' and how my actions have repercussions on my reputation. About how 8 years ago I complained about them to some friend and now they can't trust me anymore. I tell him that I'm not doing that and that, I'm not sure what hoops they expect me to jump through to "prove" I'm trustworthy again. My mom suddenly walks in the room again, and she says "If you've changed so much, why don't you let us go through your computer, huh?? since you're so different now and you've changed so much!! Go on [dad's name], take his computer and go through it, let's see what we find" This of course with the intent of checking all my emails, messages, content, anything. As I've posted here before, my parents absolutely hate my significant other, and I know that if they go on my computer and see my messages with her, it's going to catapult me into a whole new realm of abuse and isolation. Plus, I'm 22. Why should my parents have access to MY computer and my private matters?? This whole time I am thinking, "I can't do this anymore. I can't stand this. I can't live like this, I can't anymore. When will I put a stop to this??" My dad stands up from where he was sitting next to me, and he goes "Well come on then, [my name]. Are you gonna show us?" My mom, like a comedically evil witch is barking orders with a sinister smile and a vengeful tone on her "Take his computer now!" "You WILL give us the password [my name]" This entire time, I am silent. I am silent for what seems like an eternity. In reality it must have been a minute or two. Finally, they snap after watching me silently "Give us the password now!!" And finally my survival instincts kick in. All those years, all that time. And I have had it. I can't do it anymore. I stood up, I shrugged, I adjusted my pants, and with my firm voice I went "No." The shock on their faces was like the shock you saw at the Oscars when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock "EXCUSE YOU!! GIVE IT TO US NOW!! REBELLIOUS CHILD!! GIVE IT UP NOW!!" "No. I won't." And immediately as if on cue "Get out of this house. Get out right now" "Okay!" I started grabbing a bunch of sweaters and items, and my mom immediately goes "You're not taking anything out of this house!!" "Okay!" And I head downstairs to get out. Immediately they run after me to block the door "You're not leaving" "Yes I am, you just kicked me out" "Oh you ARE kicked out!!! After we talk!" "Nope, I'm leaving now" There's a small tussle and fight. They try to grab me, I'm stronger than them, I make it out of the house while my mother is saying something about calling the police or whatever. I'm outside the house with my dad and he won't let go, it's just me and him now while that woman is inside doing who knows what. My dad is holding on to my arm "[my name], please let's talk please please" "Let go of me" "Please, I don't want to" "If you don't let go of me right now, I'm gonna start screaming and pounding on the neighbor's door, and it's gonna escalate" He lets go, and finally, I lay it all on him. Years and years of misery, of frustration, which probably warrants a whole other post and which I recorded in my voice memos just in case" I even told him that I know my mom has a mental illness, something I've never expressed to him before. He told me "Please don't tell me what it is", and I respected that. We were outside in the cold talking for about an hour and a half. Until finally my mother opened the door again, this time trying to act innocent and shy and harmless. "You guys are still out here? Come back inside, it's cold. Please, talk the rest inside". My dad tells her: "He doesn't want to come back inside. He says he won't" "Ugh, well then honey, let him grab his things and leave! He doesn't want to, fine!" and I go "Thank you" I head back inside and start packing everything. My mom tries to make small talk, and I'm very civil and answer back normally. Until she goes "You can't take the laptop with you though" "Um yes I can." and back again with her condescending tone "Umm no you can't" "Yes I can, it's mine." "No it's not, we bought it for you" "Yeah, but you gave it to me as a gift. You can't just take gifts back. It's mine" "No!!! That's ours!! And you are LEAVING IT!!" "No!" She reaches for the computer, at the same time I reach for a shirt next to the computer, she sees my arm approaching and she starts screeching like an animal "DONT YOU TOUCH ME!!! DON'T DARE LAY A SINGLE FINGER ON ME!! IF YOU TOUCH A SINGLE HAIR I'LL HAVE YOU IN JAIL FOR A YEAR" (yeah ok) I just had to smile at how dramatic she is. "No one's touching you. Calm down" "YOU'RE A MANIPULATOR. YOU LIAR!! YOU'RE A REBELLIOUS UNGRATEFUL CHILD IS WHAT YOU ARE. YOU THINK YOU'RE LEAVING THIS HOUSE WITH THIS COMPUTER? YOU'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME. YOU THINK YOU'RE TAKING THIS COMPUTER? HUH?" And then she joyfully slammed my laptop against the table. It broke open and pieces flew out. It got completely bent out of shape and obviously rendered useless. She had that narcissistic smile, thinking full of joy, that this would be my last straw, waiting to see how much pain she had inflicted on me by smashing something I worked with. But instead, I laughed in her face. I laughed, and it ignited the fire even more. What followed was a barrage of insults and manipulation tactics "YOU DESERVED ALL THOSE TIMES I BEAT YOU!! TRAITOR. LEECH. JUDAS" (even though she denied she ever even beat me. also, if I'm Judas does that make her god herself in her mind?) I finally finish packing my stuff after going "Ok. Mhm. Wow. Ok. Sure. Uh huh" for 10 minutes. Finally she's done unloading her venom after I mock her face and voice, and she tells me "When you leave, close your door on the way out" "Uh huh, okay" My dad is disappointed. I'm not sure he even knows what I'm feeling or thinking "I see you've made your decision. I wish you'd think about it." "I've been thinking about it for years" "It hurts me that you're doing this" "It hurts me too dad. Sorry this happened" I called my cousin that I mentioned at the start "Hey, sorry to do this so late. Could you come pick me up?" "Yeah, are you okay? What's going on?" "Something happened. I need a place to stay" "Okay, on my way" While I was outside waiting for him to pick me up, my mother tried one last tactic. "Goodbye son" with a warm motherly voice she could only fake. "Goodbye." "You know I love you right? and I forgive you for everything you did" "Hm." "Can I get a hug before you leave?" I wanted to be petty, but for my own conscience I felt that if they crash and died tomorrow, I'd regret not having some sort of goodbye hug. However fake and spiteful it was. So I hugged her very briefly and with a bit of disgust. "I'm glad you called your cousin. Just tell him the truth, say you decided to walk out of here. Not that we kicked you out" Those were the last words we spoke. That we will probably ever speak to each other. That was her concern, what I'd say about her to others.
Once my cousin picked me up, I loaded everything I had in his car, and off we went to his house. I told him everything, and he was glad I had finally put a stop to it. He understood, and now we are here. This is the most free I've ever felt. I'm going to continue my studies without feeling judged at home. I have a proper home now, where I am treated fairly, wanted. There's been so many phone calls, with my aunt, my mother. These days my mother hasn't bothered contacting me. I think she knows she's lost all power on me. My dad on the other hand has sent texts concerned about my well being. I've answered them briefly and he's been respectful enough to not try to do more. My mother from what I last heard called my cousin (He's 33 btw) threatening him with all sorts of insults. My cousin told her she's officially not welcome at the house, and if she shows up, cops will be called on her. My girlfriend is so happy to finally see me out of this horrible house, as am I. I don't know what to even do with all this freedom. I'll take it easy and slow for a bit. No drinking, no crazy stuff. I need to process a lot still, but I'm so glad this is finally over. For years she loved to tell me "Everything you do in secret will be shouted from the rooftops" To threaten and scare me into "confessing" things. Well, if you're reading this, you witch, I am now shouting what you did, and will continue to shout from the rooftops that I beat you. Witch, I know you hate that word. Sorry, not sorry. Thank you everyone. TL;DR: Huge argument with parents about night stand that escalated into me leaving the house for good. Am staying with cousin. Mother has been warned to not come close or cops will be called.

I currently have an iPad 11” I currently use for Procreate and will be downloading some emulators for my retro collection. However since they are limited on the systems I have to use my Surface Book 2 w a 1060 for PS2 titles and steam games. Unfortunately with the 4k screen and it being a 1060 6gb it struggles.
I would love it if iPad had the capability to run Steam, and have more recent system emulation available, mainly because I grow tired of carrying around my laptop, iPad and PS vita and having to swap around systems depending on the mood I’m in.
I’d gladly grab the new 13” pro with keyboard if it had that capability, also if they were able to add cintiq support for procreate or photoshop on iPad that would be great. lol I have a 27” just sitting in my room upstairs cause the surface book struggles with photoshop these days and it’d be nice to use the larger screen. Hell if Apple made their own version of a cintiq that was Apple Pen compatible and worked with iPad I’d definitely swap it out.

Calling all love and affection enthusiasts! Agent Twilight, hailing from the clandestine realm of SpyxFamily, embarks on a covert mission to unearth the perfect partner. If you possess the elusive blend of stealthy charm and wit, join forces with Agent Twilight for a romantic espionage adventure! Decode the secrets of our hearts together by applying within.
If you get the reference, I like you already! If you don't, that's okay but I definitely recommend watching SpyxFamily! It's an extremely cute and wholesome anime! On a serious note, falling in love sounds great right about now, okay but like when does it never? Let me go buy you your favorite flowers, get your favorite chocolates, and take you out on a cute, romantic date that will last for the whole day! I will take the time to plan everything out and if it goes great, maybe a second date too? Possibly fall madly in love with each other in the process? Sounds good with you? Bet, let's go!
I'm looking for a potential long-term partner to go on cute dates together, cozy up with some cuddles while we watch movies/shows and just be cute overall together! I'm hoping to meet someone who I can connect and vibe with! Down below is some stuff about me and what I'm looking for in a partner!
Here's a little about myself:

• Age: 23
• Height: 5'10"
• Sexuality: Straight
• Gender: Male
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Ethnicity: Chinese American
• Location: New York City
• Zodiac: Aries
• MBTI/Enneagram: ESFP-T & 2w3
• Religion: Agnostic
• Love Language: Quality Time & Physical Touch
• Occupation: Accountant
• Hobbies:
  • I love watching all kinds of shows and movies ranging from Netflix/Hulu/Disney+/HBO Max to kdramas and animes! I'm also a huge Star Wars, Harry Potter (I'm in the House of Hufflepuff), MCU, and Studio Ghibili fan too!
  • I'm a huge foodie! I love exploring all the restaurants and hidden spots in NYC especially to try out new places which includes dessert and boba spots too! My favorite foods usually start with Asian foods but I'm always open to trying new things! I’m also trying to learn how to cook as well, especially so I can meal prep meals for myself throughout the week.
  • I love exploring the city and chilling with friends, however I do like a balance going on adventures around the city/world and relaxing at home.
  • I do photography on the side. I specialize in doing portrait, food and film photography! If you'd like to see some of my work please don't hesitate to ask me!
  • I'm a gamer as well! I play games like Honkai Star Rail, Azur Lane, Nikke, LoL, TFT, Valorant, , Destiny 2, overwatch 2, Minecraft, etc. but I also own consoles such as the switch!
  • I really enjoy building different things especially Lego's, PC's and keyboards! If you want to see some pics or hear about my specs happy to talk about it! I have a massive lego collection plus plenty of unopened sets waiting to be built.
  • I’m not exactly sure if this is considered to be a hobby, but I really enjoy going to the gym. I’m not some gym rat or anything, but I am trying to lose weight and get fit so I do a mix of weightlifting and cardio whenever I go which is 5x a week haha. I’ve kept a very consistent M-F schedule for the past month and a half so far so I’m pretty happy about that.
  • I don’t really do a whole lot of this, but I however do want to make this a big part of my lifestyle which is having a better skincare routine. While I do have a very minimum skincare routine, I’d very much love to learn how to improve my skin and also fix the scarring and acne I already had. If you’re someone who knows and loves doing skincare, I’d very much love to learn from you!
  • I’m not sure if listening to music is considered a hobby, but I love listening to all kinds of music ranging from American pop modern to like kpop and jpop songs! I also really enjoy classical music too! Crazy enough I just started going to concerts last year, mainly because some of them were free for me (perks of my job) but they were super fun!

Here are some Fun Facts about me!

• I've never been out of the country before but I would love to travel more one day, especially around Asia like South Korea, China, & Japan!
• I was born on Friday the 13th!
• I played piano for about 14 years and plus I also know how to play 3 other instruments too! Can you guess what they are? Also crazy enough, I met this pianist who made song covers on youtube recently and not gonna lie, it blew my mind since i watched their videos years ago.
• I'm a pet owner! I have a dog and 4 cats.
• I know how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube and my fastest time was 28 seconds but that was ages ago.
• I really like to collect a lot of cute pins and stickers especially from anime or Asian theme things.
• I’ve met Eric Nam and Ronny Chieng, if you’re Asian, you’ll probably know who they are.
• This is more of a League/Valorant reference for those who play, but I have the Riot Buddy and Riot Fist Bump Ward.
• Personality wise, my friends would describe me as someone who is open-minded, wholesome, sweet, easy to talk to, outgoing, empathetic, trustworthy, etc. I will however let my actions speak for itself though! I'm a great listener as well so if you want to rant/ vent out I'm always here to listen! Honestly though I'm a pretty open person overall so you're always welcome to ask me any questions you wish to know!

Here is who and what I am looking for:

• Someone to build a genuine connection with who is willing to reciprocate the time, effort and energy, I'd put in.
• Someone who can be both a best friend and my partner.
• Someone who can grow together with me to become both a better individual but also better partners too.
• Has similar interests and values as I do! (We can discuss this more in depth later) but for example someone who values transparency, open communication, honesty, trust, loyalty, etc.
• Loves and enjoys voice/video chat - I really enjoy having my partner's presence even if we aren’t exactly talking.
• Enjoys the little things in life. Since my love language is quality time, I personally don’t expect to always do something grand whenever we’re together. I’m always more than happy to be doing grocery shopping together or even just run errands.
• Possibly a gym partner. It’d honestly be nice to have a gym partner as well to workout together.
• I'm a huge hopeless romantic and would love to meet someone who is also a hopeless romantic as well! I absolutely love doing all those cute and romantic couple things you'd always see on like Tik Tok, kdramas and/or romance shows/movies! You know things like , going on cute dates together whether that would be dates in the city or dates at home, exploring the city/ world together, trying new things together and overall just making everlasting fun cute memories together that will last a lifetime!

If you have gotten this far and you feel like we can vibe well or share some common interests please don't hesitate to hit me up! You can send me a message through reddit chat or DM's whichever you prefer. Before you do message me though please tell me about yourself and also include your ASL, favorite foods and ideal kind of date so I know you've read all of this! DO NOT message me with just "Hi", "Hey", "How are you" or any kind of low effort message. I will not bother answering your message if you do that. Also I am strictly looking for females, if you are a male, please do not bother messaging me. I can't wait to hear from you! I hope you have an amazing and wonderful day!

Untying the Knots of the Twelve-Letter Alphabet
https://www.astrologyinstitute.com/articleprofile/articles/2016/untying-the-knots-of-the-twelve-letter-alphabet
12 Letter Alphabet Exposed
https://westernastrology.net/12-letter-alphabet-exposed-part-a/
https://westernastrology.net/12letter-alphabet-exposed-part-b/
Liberating Uranus and Aquarius – From Each Other
http://www.astrologyinstitute.com/articleprofile/articles/2016/liberating-uranus-and-aquarius-from-each-other
Probing Pluto and Scorpio, Clarifying Neptune and Pisces
http://www.astrologyinstitute.com/articleprofile/articles/2015/untangling-astrologys-symbols-part3
10 Astrology Habits to Break.
https://ambientastrology.com/articles/2016/3/25/10-astrology-habits-to-break
https://soulfriendastrology.com/category/learning-astrology/
12 Letter Alphabet Exposed
FIRST HOUSE
While the words; are a manner of speech there might be less confusion if they were replaced with "present": The first house shows how we present as an individual. This presentation includes attitude, physical health, demeanor and appearance, among other things.
The first house is much more than how we strike out as an individual. It can actually show a ‘wait and see attitude’. If a passive sign is on the ascendant or the ascendant ruler in a passive sign there will be less ‘striking out’ and more withdrawal or cautious approach to life.
With other factors such as the house location of its ruler and aspects to the ascendant, the first house shows temperament style and general attitude to life, which may be nothing akin to Mars or Aries.
The odds are only one in twelve that the sign on the ascendant will be Aries and the wide scope of other possible expressions cannot all be described as Arian or Martian.
Neither should we restrict the red planet to its daytime domicile of Aries. It is also the nocturnal ruler of Scorpio although this is rarely considered or understood.
Associating Mars with the first house also ignores the other two planets which have a connection to this house.
The first is Mercury, which has its joy in the first house. The joys of the planets is a worthwhile study of its own.
Mercury has a natural association with the brain and head and this correlates well with the association of the first house with the head.
Mercury is also associated with speech and communication.
Mars has no natural association with the head or brain, unless you are thinking of using your head as a battering ram!
In the system of planetary joys Mars is placed in the sixth house of injuries and sickness, a place where it is at home.
The first house straddles the boundary between day and night which is an apt fit for adaptable Mercury as the go-between.
Saturn also has a first house association because this is where the soul is entrapped within the body as it incarnates. Saturn is the natural ruler of doorways and the first house is the soul’s doorway into physical life. The eighth house of death is the exit doorway, also associated with Saturn.
SECOND HOUSE:
Yes Taurus is about stability and physical comforts and pleasure, but has little to do with money itself. Venus, the planet which rules Taurus, is about the comforts that money can buy, the adornments and beautiful things. But money itself is represented by Mercury, the natural ruler of exchange and financial dealings. Mercury does the buying and Venus does the enjoying. Venus does not represent money; that is Mercury’s domain.
Jupiter the planet of wealth and prosperity, has a natural association with the second house. In the Chaldean order of the planets Jupiter follows Saturn. Saturn is associated with the first house, Jupiter with the second house.
THIRD HOUSE:
It is understandable that, at first glance, the third house would seem to have an association with Gemini and Mercury.
However in previous generations it was clearly understood that the third house was the house of the "goddess", and the Moon had a special relationship with this house.
In horary astrology the Moon is frequently seen as conveying messages between other planets in its role as ‘the translator of light’. Among the seven classical planets it is the fastest moving body, linking planets as it aspects one and then to another. This sequential linking is very significant in questions about communication, linking people together, or the movement of goods. In this latter respect it also has an association with transport.
FOURTH HOUSE:
Historically the 4th house is associated with foundations and property, the land, deep roots, mines and wealth from under the ground.
Compare these fixed traits to that most fluid and movable of planets: the Moon. This is not a good fit. The changeable Moon is much better suited to the busy comings and goings of the 3rd house.
In the ancient model of the “4 Ages of Man” the IC is associated with the winter of our lives. Yet in the northern hemisphere where Western astrology arose the Sun passes through Cancer at the height of summer. Neither is the 4th house a good fit for Cancer.
Historically the 4th house is associated with the father, not the mother.
FIFTH HOUSE:
The Sun is the supreme ‘Commander-in-Chief’, the symbol of might and mastery, power, truth, light and enlightenment. The superior planets genuflect and step backwards in retrograde motion when they come face to face in opposition with the Sun, and all the planets disappear in his blinding light when in conjunction with the Sun.
The fifth house is the house of fun and frivolity, parties pleasure and entertainment. In a sense this is the most superficial of houses and is in no way deserving as the home of the Lord of the Heavens.
The Sun represents so much more than parties, children, pleasure and sporting games. The importance of these activities pales into insignificance when faced with the majesty of his presence. In many religions and spiritual systems the image of god or the force which guides the universe has a solar representation.
To suggest that the Sun is restricted to the rulership of the house of fun and creativity is to diminish his great power and demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of his role in the heavens and in astrological interpretation.
In the diagram above describing the joys of the planets we see that the Sun rejoices in the ninth house, the house of higher learning, spirituality, and the search for the ultimate meaning of life. The joys of the planets describe places where planets are most comfortable and ‘feel at home’. The Sun is much more comfortable than in the ninth house of spirituality than in the fifth house of frivolity.
Neither is Leo a good fit for the fifth house as it is regarded as a barren sign because of its dryness. The 5th has long been known as the house of sex procreation and children. In horary astrology in questions of fertility and in electional astrology when choosing a suitable time for conception Leo on the ascendant or on the fifth house cusp is generally avoided because of its association with infertility and sterility.
To link the sign associated with barrenness with the house associated with fertility and creativity shows a misunderstanding of basic astrological principles.
SIXTH HOUSE:
Confusions relating to the meaning of the sixth house are worthy of an article on its own.
The association with work in the sense of career or profession can be attributed to a misreading of Lilly where he refers to the 6th house as the house of service. He was actually referring to servitude and servants.
The modern equivalent are the working poor doing menial jobs, in the service of another. There has never been, at least until recent times, a sense that the 6th house is associated with anything resembling a career. Historically this is, among other meanings, the house of slaves. While perhaps there are few real slaves in the Western world, the unskilled worker going from job to job is a close equivalent. These workers are typically more lacking in skills, rather than being skilled.
Going back to the objection mentioned above that Virgo is focused I am not sure how focus is a noteworthy trait of the sixth house, or even that Virgo is especially focused. Virgo is after all a double-bodied sign. Scorpio Aries and Capricorn also have some claim to being focused.
It is more common for people to confuse the sixth house with Virgo because of Virgo’s association with health. However the sixth house is not the house of health; that honour belongs to the first house. The sixth house is the house of ill-health and also injuries, the opposite of health. The preoccupation with exercise and diet typically associated with Virgo is better explained by the combination of the dry earth qualities of Virgo when combined with its discerning ruler: Mercury.
It is the first house which is the house of life and health and vitality. Mercury rejoices in this house and is much more comfortable here than in the sixth house of sickness and injuries.
It is Mars which rejoices in the sixth house. It is of course the minor malefic and is well suited to the house where the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune beset us all from time to time. Incidentally in mundane astrology the sixth house is associated with the military which has an obvious connection with Mars.
SEVENTH HOUSE:
Yes the seventh house is about relationships of all types. As well as amorous relationships and contractual business type relationships, also included are adversarial relationships with open enemies and those involving a sporting or other type of contest.
Relationships involving open conflict can hardly be confused with the graciousness associated with Libra or the pleasantness associated with Venus. These relationships could better be described as Martian. As the enemy rides over hill towards you, rifle at the ready with bayonet attached, Venus is nowhere to be seen. These situations are better described by Mars. So should we associate Aries and Mars with the seventh house, as well as Libra and Venus? The logic is similar. It should not be ignored that the seventh house is as much about engagement with the enemy as it is with the lover or friend.
The seventh house is about ‘the other’ we engage with, for whatever reason, whether it be the terrorist or the lover, the violent bully or the loving spouse. The relationships associated with the seventh house can be associated with love or hate. The seventh house is primarily about the people we engage with, and the type of engagement cannot be restricted to just Venus or Libra. The planet which usually best describes the type of engagement is the one ruling the sign on the seventh house cusp or a planet conjoining the descendant.
EIGHTH HOUSE:
The confusion concerning the eighth house is connected both with the adoption of Pluto as Scorpio's modern ruler and the adoption of the '12 letter Alphabet'; system by some astrologers. In the 12 letter Alphabet, invented by Zip Dobyns, the meaning of the houses planets and signs are merged. For example the eighth house, Scorpio, and Pluto are seen to have a similar theme, referred to as an archetype. Pluto's association with transformation and regeneration and Scorpio's association with sex are both transferred to the eighth house.
However the eighth house is the house of death. While it's true that some astrologers have associated the eighth house with sex because sexual orgasm is sometimes called ‘the little death, the purpose of sex is to procreate, to bring life into the world, not death.
Previous to the modern era the eighth house was not associated with sex. This modern confusion is perpetrated by a misunderstanding of the primary functions of the houses. Sex is a fifth house matter. Death and bringing life into the world are opposite things. One should not be confused with the other.
I have often heard it said that death is only one form of transformation and somehow this justifies assigning transformation as a core meaning for the eighth house, which in turn validates Scorpio’s and Pluto’s association with the eighth house.
It is ironic that Pluto's mythical association with rape is rarely mentioned in conversations about eighth house sexual activity.
The tangled web of confusions associated with the interchange of Scorpio Pluto and the eighth house is mind boggling and really does take us a long way from the real meaning of the eighth house. Followers of the 12 Letter Alphabet system associate intimacy with the eighth house because of its new association connection with Pluto.
The core meanings of the eighth house have to do with death in the physical and real sense; fear and loss; the resources of those we engage with, and inheritance.
The eighth house is not a particular pleasant place no matter how much we might like to romanticize it or give it a positive spin. The sign on the cusp of the eighth house and the planet which rules that sign are what is relevant in any type of astrological interpretation of the 8th house.
NINTH HOUSE:
We tend to liken Jupiter to philosophy and religion and the attribution of Jupiter to the 9th House fits fairly well. (Jupiter is also the planet associated with the Ninth in the wheel of houses that begins with Saturn as the First.) The Ninth was the place of the “Sun God” in ancient astrology and was strongly associated with public religious practice; yet, like the Third, it was also associated with dreams, prophecy, and divination. The Ninth House being associated with higher education or long journeys is a later addition.
The planet in joy in the Ninth House is the Sun and, for a place that is cadent, the Ninth gets a lot of sunlight and the Sun can be happy here. It also fits well with the deification of the Sun’s power in many cosmologies and religions throughout history. It may also conform to the image of Sun as a planet of higher intellect, as the light of reason.
TENTH HOUSE:
Astrologers after my lifetime or yours will look at this affiliation with bewilderment. Archetypally mixing the House of career, reputation, and fame to Saturn and Capricorn is itself enough to throw out the entire Twelve Letter Alphabet system.
You might retort, “But it’s the place of one’s boss!” I answer that there are many kinds of bosses and they’re not all oppressive. The dimensions of leadership and mentorship – solar and not saturnine factors – are prominent Tenth House factors.
The 10th is the traditional place of one’s “action” – career, calling, fame and reputation. I include a larger sense of “vocation”, so that if you work retail by day but are a political activist or animal rights advocate otherwise, the latter would be included within your Tenth House. If a “lifestyle” includes neighborhood vigilantism, being a “survivalist”, or attending a lot of funerals, that person’s Tenth House would qualify as Saturnine.
Capricorn, as the cardinal earth sign, governed by a heavy nocturnal (feminine sign) Saturn, and the place and time of least light in the Northern Hemisphere, is completely out of place in the public and daylight-filled Tenth. Because the Tenth is place of authority, it is far closer in meaning to the Sun than the gray planet Saturn.
ELEVENTH HOUSE:
In ancient times the 11th, the “Place of the Good Spirit (or daimon)”, was a place of fortune and abundance. According to traditional sources Jupiter is in joy in the Eleventh, befitting a place that is considered so fortunate. (The Eleventh is the House opposite the 5th, the Place of Good Fortune and the joy of Venus, the other benefic.) The Eleventh House became the place of “hopes and wishes” and later the place of friendship and social groups; “hopes and wishes” is more in line with the original meaning of the Eleventh House.
Is this like the fixed air sign Aquarius? The “Water-Bearer” has a linear mental quality and a tendency to become conceptual that is not particularly like the Eleventh House in its original meanings. Aquarius is a sign of social responsibility and objective mind, and Aquarius relates well to a diurnal (masculine sign) Saturn that is a lighter Saturn than the one who governs Capricorn. However, if you confine the Eleventh House to friendships and social groups, the affiliation with the diurnal Saturn isn’t such a problem.
Things become much more confusing when astrologers mix up Aquarius with the outer planet Uranus, the planet of eccentricity, suddenness, and genius, and then try to bring in the Eleventh House. Uranus is quite different from the fixed mental “human” sign Aquarius. Uranus is rebellious, radically individualistic, and is deliberately outside convention. Aquarius, the sign opposite Leo, is humanitarian and oriented more toward groups and cultures than individuals. To bring this confusion to the Eleventh House only makes this problem worse; it obscures the original benevolent and protective quality of this house which is well demonstrated by Jupiter’s traditional association.
TWELTH HOUSE:
There are many difficulties here, and many are based on the distorted ways that the sign Pisces has been defined. But first let’s look at the Twelfth House by itself.
Like the Sixth and Eighth, the Twelfth is also disconnected to the Ascendant and is also a place about life’s difficulties. The Twelfth is a cadent house that in ancient astrology was the Place of the “Bad Spirit.” In the outer world the Twelfth is where we locate prisons, confinement in institutions, and dark hidden places. More internally, this is the place of being haunted – by previous karma, psychological “unfinished business,” and other manners of “self-doing” that come about because of what we cannot see. Psychological astrologers have looked to the Twelfth House for unacknowledged factors that may wreak havoc on one’s person and within one’s relationships. This is in keeping with the qualities of this house.
This all seems very different from the mutable watery sign Pisces that is flowing, changeable, and can develop different disguises for its personal and social roles. Pisces, as a quality of mind, has a strongly intuitive nonlinear bent. Unlike the planet Neptune, however, natives with prominent Pisces placements manage to maintain their identity even if that identity is not well-defined. Both the sign Pisces and its purported ruler Neptune are a far cry from the vice grip many of have experienced when in conditions of external or internal confinement.
Jupiter, the great benefic and the traditional ruler of Pisces, is even farther away from the significations of the Twelfth House. Jupiter – especially in the feminine sign Pisces – brings intuition of possibilities that is often called “faith” or “hope”. The Twelfth, however, is where cold reality comes at us from behind often with harmful intent; it is far closer to Saturn than Jupiter. And Saturn is, of course, the “joy” of the Twelfth House.

I’ve been cooking on this for a minute and now, I am absolutely convinced that this is the case.
Also, spoilers ahead if you are really behind on the anime.
For the record, I really love stuff about aliens, UFOs, and all of that. So I do a lot of studying and looking into things alien related. Interestingly enough, I came across a bunch of stuff about this sunken continent called Mu while reading. Interesting hypothetical UFO lore, and more. I did think One Piece’s overarching plot line about the ancient civilization was reminiscent of the things I read.
Then, I saw someone in a recent thread post this. It’s an anime called The Mysterious Cities of Gold.
After reading through the general plot line of this, I am now convinced that One Piece is this anime taken one step further. I think Luffy is supposed to be Enki, and Imu is Enlil.
To give background, Enki and Enlil are deities belonging to a group called the Annunaki. The Annunaki are basically Mesopotamian deities, and their story has inspired tons of stuff. Some scholars even say that Yahweh, the name God in Abrahamic religions, is actually a recent name for Enlil directly. This often leads to Enki being syncretized with the Devil.
Enki and Enlil have two specific tales that make it apparent than One Piece is thematically connected, and there’s one big visual piece of representation that makes the Enki connection extremely plausible. I’ll get to these down the way.
Enki has a story that inspired the story of Adam and Eve. You can read more about it here. Enki basically created mankind and allowed them to eat the fruits from the tree of knowledge, which Enlil did not approve of. It did start conflict. Further more, the Adam and Eve story we all know adds fuel to this One Piece theory because this version of the myth puts even more emphasis on the Serpent/Enki leading Adam and Eve to do so, much to the anger of God/Enlil.
This parallels with Devil Fruits, and I do think the whole God motif with Imu alongside his obsession with Viví may come to resemble this.
Also, there is a Flood Myth about Enki and Enlil that parallels One Piece. Basically, Enlil was fed up with humanity’s shit and decided to drown us. Enki basically instructed this guy to build an arc to save humanity behind Enlil’s back, which pissed him off. The story I linked is one version I’ve read, but all versions say that a conflict arose between Enki and Enlil, and Enki basically comes out ahead.
This is probably similar to the story of Noah and the Flood. I once read that as time went by, different aspects of the original version would eventually be reduced. Like, the actions of multiple gods consolidated to one god.
One Piece is currently going through a plot that resembles this. Imu floods shit, Luffy loves boats (and the sea, both of which Enki was fond of). There’s the ark in Fishman Island. There’s floods everywhere.
Interestingly enough, there’s a line from this that puts me in mind of Joyboy returning from the same mythology:
On Nergal: "There are many forms of heroism. There is that form that represents a magnificent stupidity, where the hero achieves nothing, saving neither his people nor his own life, but taking with him down into death as many of the enemy is possible. He will fight in the underworld that battle which he did not win, for it is sad that as a man dies, all that he has done is presented to him, to see if he regrets his actions or not. If he regrets and pines for the things that he failed to do or the errors he has made, then this is a weight he must carry into his next time of living. [Lishtar´s emphasis]. Herein is the tale of justice: the assessors of hell visit upon each man his crimes, and according as he loves them or hates them, he will be attracted to the same events, time without end, till the actions of his life will be without blemish" (page 41)
I find that one major symbol that connects Luffy to Enki is the Goat Fish. Enki is represented by a goat fish. Meanwhile, Luffy’s first ship, the Going Merry, is not quite a fish goat, but it has a similar aesthetic.
I’m just saying, I think One Piece takes inspiration from a lot of interesting stuff, and it does seem to line up. Maybe it can indicate what will happen next? Idk.

Hey, good people. I'm looking for assistance finding a work EDC bag. Design-wise I like the look of Boundary Errant and Bellroy Melbourne, but I'm open to other ideas like roll-top, or traditional style bags. 20L seems to be the size I'm gravitating towards. 30L is probably my max.
I'd like to be able to carry a 13" macbook air, 12" ipad pro, ipad mini, Peak Designs Tech Case (80% full), a small keyboard, sunglasses, snacks and keys. Water bottle storage would be a bonus.
A durable material and a good warranty are important to me. Completely waterproof would be a bonus.
For the price of most bags these days, I strongly prefer USA-made.
For the right bag, I'd spend up to $500, since I have already spent well over that total in bags that didn't end up meeting the need.
What I've tried in the past:
Topo Designs Mountain Briefcase (pre-outsourcing). Topo Designs Daypack (pre-outsourcing). Red Oxx Mini Ruck. GORUCK GR1. Tom Bihn Synapse 19.
What I'm considering: Tom Bihn Addax 31 - Has laptop and tablet storage. Has water bottle slot on outside. Doesn't come with framesheet and they don't have it for sale. Might be too big.
Mission Workshop Rhake - Pricey, but looks like organization might work. Sounds durable, is waterproof. Looks interesting. Hard to buy this without knowing if it will work, though.
ILE Default - Has laptop and tablet spaces. Good size. Not keen on look.
Any intel on these bags or other suggestions?

Hello hello ! <33 I’m Neptune! :] I’d love to make a best friend! To clarify I want to chat a good amount before we start gaming!! Someone I can talk to daily about any and everything! ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ This will be a long post but it’s worth it, trust lol! Okay, so I’m pretty shy to start, but promise I can keep a convo going so I hope you can too! I’m really supportive and will keep you company since I love being in the presence of others ♡ . I’m really looking to make friends who don’t mind talking often and really getting to know each other! Ones that won’t just up and leave! EMPHASIS ON THIS! I really want to make some strong bonds and have people I could regularly game, voice chat, watch stuff with, and just hang out with! Even someone to do cheesy matching discord profiles/icons, please it’d be so cute lol! I don’t want to jump into gaming straight away so let’s chat here for a bit! I’d prefer if you were closer to my age so like 21+ ! <3 Would also prefer people in EST but if time difference isn’t too large of a gap that’s fine too!
Some stuff about me!! I graduated from university and am currently studying for a licensure! I play on PC but I have an Xbox (don’t use it really)! I use controller actually but wanna learn keyboard and mouse >.< help me out LOL! Currently, I’m really obsessed with Fortnite so that’s the game I really play almost everyday! Need someone to play zero builds (or regular builds is okay)! I’ve been wanting to try out Fortnite Ranked but have no one to try it out with :’D ! I also really love Overwatch (I need a Tank/DPS duo! Where y’all at?) !! I have other games and can share my steam, but to name a few I have BG3 (just started, show me your Tavs!!), Overcooked, Stardew Valley, etc! I also need to finish playing my Mass Effect run through so if anyone who’s played it before, I’d love to chat! I am very much open to trying other games! Im on a budget right now though so only free games LOL! I’m really hoping to find someone who considers me a duo ♡
Other interests of mine include marvel, transformers, castlevania (which I’d love to watch the new season with someone), anime, star wars, and other medias! I also collect crystals, keychains, and more! I want to also watch Gen V and finish season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen (I wanna rewatch the whole series tbh)!!
I also very much love love loveeee The Weeknd !! xotwod ♡ he’s my favorite artist/musician ever! If you’re xo, I love you already!
I lean left and I’m lgbtq+ friendly! I’m queer ♡ I’m really big on having good morals!
If you message me, please, please introduce yourself and list your interests or I won’t respond :P I can’t emphasize this enough. I expect energy to be matched! If your response is short I will probably not answer back. Prefer people who have things in common with me!
I can send you my Discord if I think we’ll click! :] I’d like to chat before we game!
!! If you’ve read this whole post!! Tell me your favorite planet or season (like Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) !! :3 !!
No comments please! Send me a chat!
Also please give me time to answer!

Hello hello ! <33 I’m Neptune! :] I’d love to make a best friend! To clarify I want to chat a good amount before we start gaming!! Someone I can talk to daily about any and everything! ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ This will be a long post but it’s worth it, trust lol! Okay, so I’m pretty shy to start, but promise I can keep a convo going so I hope you can too! I’m really supportive and will keep you company since I love being in the presence of others ♡ . I’m really looking to make friends who don’t mind talking often and really getting to know each other! Ones that won’t just up and leave! EMPHASIS ON THIS! I really want to make some strong bonds and have people I could regularly game, voice chat, watch stuff with, and just hang out with! Even someone to do cheesy matching discord profiles/icons, please it’d be so cute lol! I don’t want to jump into gaming straight away so let’s chat here for a bit! I’d prefer if you were closer to my age so like 21+ ! <3 Would also prefer people in EST but if time difference isn’t too large of a gap that’s fine too!
Some stuff about me!! I graduated from university and am currently studying for a licensure! I play on PC but I have an Xbox (don’t use it really)! I use controller actually but wanna learn keyboard and mouse >.< help me out LOL! Currently, I’m really obsessed with Fortnite so that’s the game I really play almost everyday! Need someone to play zero builds (or regular builds is okay)! I’ve been wanting to try out Fortnite Ranked but have no one to try it out with :’D ! I also really love Overwatch (I need a Tank/DPS duo! Where y’all at?) !! I have other games and can share my steam, but to name a few I have BG3 (just started, show me your Tavs!!), Overcooked, Stardew Valley, etc! I also need to finish playing my Mass Effect run through so if anyone who’s played it before, I’d love to chat! I am very much open to trying other games! Im on a budget right now though so only free games LOL! I’m really hoping to find someone who considers me a duo ♡
Other interests of mine include marvel, transformers, castlevania (which I’d love to watch the new season with someone), anime, star wars, and other medias! I also collect crystals, keychains, and more! I want to also watch Gen V and finish season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen (I wanna rewatch the whole series tbh)!!
I also very much love love loveeee The Weeknd !! xotwod ♡ he’s my favorite artist/musician ever! If you’re xo, I love you already!
I lean left and I’m lgbtq+ friendly! I’m queer ♡ I’m really big on having good morals!
If you message me, please, please introduce yourself and list your interests or I won’t respond :P I can’t emphasize this enough. I expect energy to be matched! If your response is short I will probably not answer back. Prefer people who have things in common with me!
I can send you my Discord if I think we’ll click! :] I’d like to chat before we game!
!! If you’ve read this whole post!! Tell me your favorite planet or season (like Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) !! :3 !!
No comments please! Send me a chat!
Also please give me time to answer!

I purchased the K100 RGB to use with my work laptop (Lenovo Thinkpad) a year or so ago. Everything has worked fine until recently. Whenever I power on, reset, or wake the laptop the only lights that display are the ones on the display at the top of the keyboard (caps lock, num lock, etc.). They are all lit up and they flash white non stop. The only way to solve the problem is to be logged into windows (doesn't work at the lock screen), unplug the keyboard, and plug it back up. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts, but always eventually returns to normal functionality. Downloade iCUE is not an option do to IT policy restrictions.
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. TIA.

So on my asus laptop I have windows 11 pro.  
I wanted to perform a reset on it to give my PC a clean slate but doing so through settings > system > reset wasn't working and was giving me the error There was a problem when reseting your PC. No changes were made.
No problem I thought, I'll use the windows recovery reset instead.  
However my recovery screen doesn't give me all the options. First it asks me for my keyboard layout. Than it doesn't have the option to reset my PC, nor is there an option to continue to windows 11 boot. When I click troubleshoot there is no option to reset.
This is the first time I used WinRE on my laptop so not sure if the WinRE was always like this on my laptop.  
Find images here of what my WinRE looks like and what WinRE should look like: https://imgur.com/gallery/windows-recovery-missing-otions-itNWtcX
I first believed that there might be something wrong with my windows recovery partition, so I tried various ways to fix it including:

1. Used reagentc to disable/enable windows recovery  
   
2. Used diskpart to delete and than create a new windows recovery  
   
3. Downloaded a fresh ISO, took the winre.wim file and reagent.xml file from that ISO and put it on my laptop, than using reagentc created the recovery partition file pointing to these new winre files.  
   
4. Did a clean install on my windows laptop twice with a bootable USB, but winRE still missing the same options.  
   
5. Did a clean install on the other hard drive on my laptop, still same problem.  
   
6. Reflashed BIOS on the offchance it would do something.  
   

None of these steps resolved issue.  
I also create a bunch of windows pro VMs which also had the same missing options in WinRE. I than started wondering if perhaps it's an activation issue, as none of my windows VMs have an activated windows license?  
On my laptop it initially installed Windows Home, but I used a generic activation key to get it from home to pro, than used a legitimate key to activate the windows pro. Wondering if this somehow messed up the WinRE?  
On my windows gaming PC I have the correct WinRE environment on a fully activated windows home operating system.  
I'm aware I could use a bootable USB stick to reinstall windows but looking online I can't find someone who's had my issue and fixed it so I'm curious if anyone knows what could be causing the problem. I'm honestly stuck at this point so interested to hear peoples thoughts.

Last night when I went to get on a video call with my girlfriend, I noticed that my computer opened on a black screen, no logo, no loading or anything. I plugged it in, in case it had something to do with a low battery. I unplugged it in case it was getting too much power, or something like that. Nothing. The keyboard could still turn on/light up, I could turn capslock on and off, as with fn lock. Powering it on and off, rebooting it, etc did nothing, so I gave up on it for the night.
Today, I turned it on, still nothing, and tried everything I could, from attempting to open task manager to winre, everything short of taking out the battery like some suggested. I managed to find an hdmi cord and hook it up to my television, and after another restart I was able to login.
This let me do a bit more digging, I don't Believe, it is anything software. I can connect to other monitors fine, I found nothing when scanning my laptop for viruses or the like, and there have been no recent updates to any of the drivers. The only recent update that was recent enough was for a security update.
I Think this rules out software, however take that with a grain of salt, I'm not computer savvy, whatsoever. Thus I think it has something to do with the screen itself. (Camera on the monitor, above the screen works fine) Is there anyway to fix or repair this? Some more information that may help is that last night when I first tried to turn on task manager with control, alt, delete, and alt - r after (I'm not fully sure why, my girlfriend knows a bit more about tech than me and that's what she said to do), the light behind the screen would turn on for a little bit, before shutting off a while later. Now it won't even turn on. Do I need to replace the screen/other hardware, or is it repairable?
Thank you so much in advance and I hope you have a great day!

My bf just bought a 1200 Sportster and wanted me to pick out a bell for him. I had to Google it to find out what it is, and I think it's really sweet he asked me to give him one. I wanted to ask here though, will any bell do? Are there certain superstitions for what's on the bell? I see some manufacturers make bells with a ton of different symbols, animals, etc. Just want to know your thoughts!

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:

$5000 but willing to go over that if needed.

• Are you open to refurbs/used?

No

• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?

Good performance is most important. Build quality is always nice. Would prefer if it was not a 2-in-1 as I would not use the features.

• How important is weight and thinness to you?

I don't care.
Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
I will likely plug it into a bigger monitor, so not very important.

• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.

Adobe programs (Photoshop, Premier), FL Studio. For gaming it's less important as I can always go to cloud gaming (BG3), but as long as it can handle light gaming off cloud (e.g: phone games emulated on Bluestacks) that would be cool.

• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?

1080p probably. 4k is really not needed. For games, see above^

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?

It needs to be fanless and ventless, and run Windows natively.
Thank you!