Buckle up because this might be long. My (21F) friend (22F) named G and I have been best friends since freshman year and lived together starting sophomore year, along with our other friends R (21F) and L (21F). We are the all the same age, but G graduated a year earlier than the rest of us. I will try to summarize as best I can (I can give more specifics in the comments) but in the middle of sophomore year G accessed a repressed memory of inappropriate behavior from a family member. This caused her to essentially experience a mental break that manifested in increased outbursts and a slew of destructive decisions, which ultimately resulted in a Bipolar 1 diagnosis.
Throughout junior year the unstable behavior only worsened and it began to affect our relationships. It got to the point that over winter break she decided to move out of our apartment, saying that she was becoming resentful and frustrated with us because she was graduating and at a different stage of life than we were and therefore had decided to remove herself from the situation to salvage our friendships. After moving out, she continued to essentially "live" in our room by lingering around without explicitly meeting up with one of us roomates or leaving her things around the apartment, which made it difficult for us to define the new version of our relationship and set boundaries. We did our best to support her and be understanding through her harsher nature and lack of consideration for others, but R was not as able to see the situation from another perspective. She tended to take G's harsh comments to heart and resentment built throughout the spring semester until the relationship was irreparable, which led to 2 fights between the 4 of us with G blowing up at us.
After G graduated she moved out of state for a job. We hoped that this would naturally settle tensions, but ultimately their relationship wasn't salvageable and it led to the end of L and I's relationship with R as well because we "chose G over her". While G was out of state she spiraled further: she became manic, experienced psychosis, tried to self-admit to the mental hospital, and was fired from her job. After getting fired, she decided to move back to our home state, but because of her extremely strained relationship with her family she asked if she could briefly move into my family's home while I was living at school as a transition while she figured out her next move. This is where the problem arises.
The original plan was that she would stay for around a month or two but she back on her feet by Thanksgiving, however, she is still living there now in May with no plans of leaving anytime soon. No one, including her, realized just how bad her mental state was. As it turns out, most of her personality and habits were defense mechanisms and trauma responses from her childhood, and now that she has lost the ability to "mask" and adapt, it's like she is relearning how to be an aware and active member of society.
She is very easily overstimulated and any slight problem can throw her completely off, sometimes for days at a time. For example, we planned a small trip to visit a friend an hour away for G's birthday. G planned out her outfits with me the night before and then went to the guest room where she has been staying to pack. The next morning when it was right before the time we had decided to leave, I checked on her and asked if she wanted to go load the car, to which she snapped at me, yelled, and proceeded to essentially throw a short tantrum complete with jumping and door slamming. According to my parents this is not an uncommon occurrence- they have heard her throwing things across her room and often experience her outbursts, sometimes becoming the target of them. This has all had a negative effect on our relationship. It has improved over the months, but I have been consistently extremely uncomfortable with her and wanting to distance myself. Firstly, I just don't desire to be around someone who behaves that way. It is constantly like walking on eggshells and it feels like I'm always "on" and working to manage someone else's unpredictable emotions.
Secondly, I have been having a LOT of feelings about her living at my house. This has subsided a lot since the fall, but when she first moved in it was meant to be temporary, and therefore, she stayed in my bedroom. This came to a head when I came home for break to find my room essentially trashed with no effort from her to clean up for me. My room was not in the greatest state when I left it, but I came home to things like the blankets strewn about my bed, her dirty socks buried in my blankets and by my pillows, and half eaten chocolate left on the floor. After this she moved fully to the guest room, which has helped, but she has since started talking about wanting to decorate "her room", which is making me upset because it's not her room to decorate: that would imply that she is a permanent resident rather than a guest.
Thirdly, her behavior towards my family has been frankly unacceptable. Her outbursts have been directed towards both my parents and my special needs sister. None of us are particularly confrontational so it has never been explicitly brought up, but I am extremely offended that she would accept the kindness of my family to house and feed her and to still treat them with such disrespect. She also does not make an effort to be a good houseguest in other regards: only does she not do anything to help with the chores of the household, but she actively adds to the mess (doesn't do her dishes, leaves her packages on the kitchen table, etc). I know that much of this is due to her degraded mental state, but it truly feels like she is a leech. I hate feeling this way.
I believe that she is completely unaware of how any of this comes off to others based on conversations she's had with both me, L, and my mom. She continues to hold grudges and negative feelings about things from months/years ago towards L & I. For example, when she used to live with us, L and I would frequently find food to be missing that we had bought, sometimes containers completely eaten and left empty on the shelf. When we expressed frustration that G would take food without asking and then wait to be caught rather than asking beforehand or notifying us after, she told us that she essentially felt entitled to our food because we could afford to buy food and she couldn't. This is a consistent theme where L and I would have been more than willing to help out if she had asked, but we were upset under a matter of principle because it's still our stuff! I am definitely not completely blameless, but I wouldn't say that I have done nearly as much to harm our relationship. G has an inability to see any other perspective than her own, and she has yet to understand that she is not the only one who has felt hurt in our friendship.
My parents have been at a loss for how to handle the situation. They don't want to throw her out to the wolves (none of her other family is an option), but at the same time, it is almost a year since she moved in, which is 10x longer than they were anticipating. Additionally, her therapist has been telling her that she is not ready to move out on her own and is not ready to work a "big girl job", so she has been working at Starbucks since around October and is likely not financially stable enough to live on her own. There is the potential of finding roomates to live with (she has tried a couple but they have all fallen through), but another issue is I'm not sure if she has been saving her money. She frequently makes purchases on amazon, gets take out food (after my parents buy groceries specifically for her), got a $200 tattoo, and discussed buying $250 concert tickets at the table with my family.
My mom has been especially unsure of how to approach her in a way that won't "set her off", so she recently asked G if she could contact her therapist to ask some questions about how to discuss the future of the living situation, but it is unclear how that will play out (a conversation with the 3 of them, my mom communicating with the therapist, etc).
What do I do in this situation? I do have love for her, but truthfully, it's been diminishing throughout this situation and I want her out of my space as soon as possible. Maybe it's selfish, but I can't fully relax when I'm at home when she's there and I feel guilty for introducing my family to this predicament. I would be a bad friend if I threw her out, but just because she has it worse does that negate my feelings? I feel bad because her family situation is very toxic and she is clearly unpacking her childhood and grieving her lack of parental support, but it feels like it is manifesting in jealousy with my situation and resulting in her feeling entitled to my family, home, and life. It truly feels like she is taking advantage of my family but I also know she really doesn't have another option. At what point does it stop being "their problem"? Please Help! AITA?

UNMARKED SPOILERS BELOW, I will sadly go into spoiler territorry so often the post would look like a bad SCP Foundation article if I tried to black out every single one.
First thing I thought upon finding out about the Wizard Three in Sigil was to notice an opportunitty to include more iconic characters. As we learned more about their role I noticed several complaints about them. Like, "why are we having epic level NPCs relegating the work to mid-level party"? Or "isn't Tasha evil? What is she doing here?" Or "how the hell did Kas fool Tasha, who knows Mordekainen very well?". And so an idea to fix these issues all at once presented itself to me.
In this version of adventure, the PCs are summonned not by Wizard Three, but Wizard Nine. Nine iconic, high-level wizards or other magic users from across D&D worlds or even beyond. They were all summonned to Sigil, to each tap into one of Outer Planes of appriopriate aligment and channel that power into Wish, so the Will of the entire multiverse wishes of Vecna's death. Once it fails, the wizards realize it means one of them must nto be who they claim, possibly an agent of Vecna. So they immediatelly lock themselves in Sanctuary - only PCs can enter and leave because they weren't i nthe room doing the casting of that super Wish. And every time they return with next piece of the Rod, they find Wizards in most disfunctional game of Among Us ever, often probably erupting into violence - this is nine geniuses working AGAINST each other as everyone suspects everyone.
Now, you could keep the original reveal, where Mordekainen is the imposter. If you do, I would advocate against bringing any magic users who know him, like Tasha, Elminster, Storm Silverhand or Dalamar the Dark. If you decide to change the imposter's identity, you can happily bring in some of them, but I would avoid those who know each other (so if you want Elminster, then no Mordekainen or Dalamar).
Evil characters can work with this group because of several reasons, which they should be open about. They may vary from "You think I don't realize Vecna is going to screw ME over alongside everyone else", through "uppity gods need to be put in their place, especially this one" to "I would love what the guy is promising to do to all creation, but I'm not bending my knee to NOBODY!".
Below is a list of proposed characters to use from as many worlds I could think of. I will be comign back to this post to add more names and more worlds with further research, potentially going even beyond strictly D&D settings. You ca drop your own suggestions, I will happily add them to the list with next edit. All requirements are that the character is able to cast 9th level spells, if you have any notes for potential DM willing to use them, please provide them as well.
Eberron - I noticed most of suggestions for Eberron are of evil variety, due to the setting's lack of high-level heroic NPCs (with two exceptions that cannot leave their seats of power), but we'll work with what we have

• Mordain the Fleshweaver is the most popular suggestion, being a rare Chaotic Evil 18th level Wizard in Eberron. An issue is that Mordain is often used, and even recommended by Keith Baker to be used as Eberron's stand-in for Vecna. If you wanna run adventures with Hand or Eye of Vecna in Eberron, they are hand and Eye of Mordain. This may disqualify him, but you could alternatively play into it. Have Mordain rant Vecna is "ripping him off" or call the lich "a pale immitation of true dark sorcery".
• Hektula is Keith Baker's personal choice for a standin for Tasha. She is a pwoerful Rakshasa Archmage, with passion for collecting forbidden tomes of dark magic, serving one of the Overlords and firmly Lawful Evil. I certainly could see some laughs when wizards realize there's an impostor among them and all eyes turn towards Hektula, who goes "Of course, blame the shapeshifter!".
• I have seen floated idea for Sora Kell or her three daughters. The Daughters canonically in 3rd edition had levels 10 or 11 on top of being half-fiend Hags. You could maybe handwave that they get to cast 9th level spells as a coven, Sora Kell is more ambigious, with no statblock and her lore giving vibes of Baba Yaga, fans compare her to Demon Lords in power level. Personally I feel she would stand out too much.

Exandria (Critical Role) - I noticed most Exandria characters don't reach this high level - even Circle of Brass from Calamity were level 15. However, I found two options to provide a bit of fanservice for any critters at your table, both Chaotic Good:

• the Mighty Nein Reunion got us level 20 versions of Caleb Widogast, so he's great excuse for a DM to do their best Liam O'Brian impression of angsty bi diseaster wizard who really wishes he was back with his boyfriend, instead of being trapped here with all those asshole wizards.
• Not a wizard but a Bard, but if you want to bend a defintion a bit, Scanlan Shorthalt could be pulled out from a moment in time before he lost an ability to cast Wish. Considering this happens in final episode of Campaign 1 and their final enemy was Vecna, it would be thematically appriopriate.

Krynn (Dragonlance)

• Raistlin Majere is by FAR msot iconic character of the entire Dragonlance, the go to if you want to include an iconic Dragonlance character. Dragonlance Saga 15 anniversarry lists his aligment as Neutral, while 3rd edition book Legends of the Twins lits him as a Neutral Evil - the latter is after he becomes master of Time and Present and so powerful enough to be included.
• Dalamar the Dark - after Raistlin's demise, Dalamar was touted as new most powerful wizard, he was paired with Mordekainen and Elminster to form original Wizard Three. He is also listed as Neutral Evil, but I would argue he could be Lawful Evil.
• Fistandantilus - the greatest wizard before Raistlin, he is also Neutral Evil, but I woudl argue he's more CHaotic Evil, due to his tendency to backstab other wizards to steal their power. I honestly cannot see this guy working in this adventure, he seems like he would try to bodyjack someone and get 8 Desintegrates to the face.
• Phalin Majere - if you want a good-aligned representative of Krynn, Raistlin's nephew, Phalin is basically a magical prodigy and chosen one and firmly Lawful Good. The issue may be that it may be hard to find a time where he is powerful enough to be here, but before Wizard magic on Krynn went away (because all Gods, including Gods of magic, f*ed off to space and then had the whole planet stolen from under their noses) and he had to reclass to Sorcerer, starting all the way from the bottom.

Magic the Gathering - there are many worlds in this franchise, but they're often very shallow, so I will group this stuff together.

• My first pick would be Liliana Vess, originally from Dominaria, nowadays hanging out on Arcavios, home world of Strixheaven. Strixheaven book lists her as true neutral, and she has a history full of twists and turns where this character development from original evil could be justified. Personality-wise she could be the easiest quick replacement for Tasha, even if you don't feel like putting in the whole group of nine wizards. Also if you have player bringign back a Curricullum of Chaos PC for this game I can only imagine their jaw drop upon seeing "Provesso Vess" among greatest wizards in the Multiverse, snarking at all of them.
• Teferi Akosa, originally from Dominaria, now his homeland of Zalfir became a separate plane. He was always extremely powerful, what if accidentially phasing his whole country out of time and space, he was always heroic and good intended, but often prone of getting unwaranted suspictions from others, which makes him good for this kind of plot.
• From Ravnica we could pull either Jace Beleren or the dragon-mage Niv-Mizzet, during their respective time as the Living Guildpact, representative of all 10 Guilds of Ravnica. In this position their could fit well for neutral-aligned places of aligment chart, Jace leaning towards Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral somewhat more.
• Speaking of Dragons, here is a crazy idea - Nicol Bolas, one of greatest villains in Magic as Chaotic Evil representative. Okay, it may be not a good idea, I cannot imagine a situation where he doesn't try to hijack the plot and take Vecna's place or just kill everyone when the problem of potential traitor arises. Still, the idea of this really evil demigod-drgon being his petty, snarky self towards other iconic characters is kinda funny.
• For a reach more into Magic's past, we have Urza, original protagonist. He would fit well into Lawful Neutral or even Lawful Evil role, considering last time he dedicated himself to stop multiversal-level threat, original Phyrexia, his means quickly "begun resembling Phyrexian ends". This is the guy who honestly tried to outeugenics a wizard nazi "for greater good". Seriously, so much of Magic lore can be summed up with words "Local Man Ruins Everything" and picture of Urza.
• A different type of Magic candidate is Jodah, ultrapowerful Archmage who is not a planeswalker like others, but had often maneuver around them, so he is used to having to outsmart powerful people. He represents all colors of mana so he would fit for any of middle collum positions.
• Jodah old associate, Jaya Ballard, could also work very well, considering she did eventually ecame so powerful some planes confused her with a diety and established religions to her. She strikes me as a Neutral Good candidate.

Mystara - one of my beloved classic worlds, poses an issue because it never conformed to classic 9-types aligment, isntead opting for lawful (defined as "altruistic") and chaotic ("selfish"). A rare exception, 2e book Glantri: Kingdom of Magic, was a big help here.

• Prince Haldemar of Haaken - protagonist of series of short stories "Voyage of Princess Ark". Daring explorer, captain of flying ship Princess Ark, hero of Empire of Alphatia. Champions of Mystara describes him as good and heroic but having "typical Alphatian chaotic thendencies". As such I'd lean towards Chaotic Good or Neutral Good.
• Bargle the Infamous - Chaotic Evil, if D&D ever had something close to the Joker, it was Bargle. Bargle was originally an evil wizard who kills mentolove interest of the player in introductory adventure of Red Box, but this made him enemy #1 of whole generations of players and elevated to first iconic evil wizard. I would be wary of using him, as any D&D veteran or grognard may forget about Vecna in favor of trying to strangle the guy with his bare hands.
• Demetrion Karagentreropolus - most powerful Archmage in Empire of Thyatis (think: fantasy Roman Empire), he is of lawful aligment and described as sometiems working secretly to undermine Emperor's decisions that he finds to be bad for the Empire and its people. As such he could slot as Lawful Good.
• Empress Eriadna the Wise of Alphatia - current Empress of Alphatia, canonically of Neutral aligment, she rules msot powerful empire in the world and probably haven't conquered all of it only because her subjects care more for magical research and getting high. She's 80-years old.
• Prince Zandor - 40-years old son of empress Eriadna, described as "chaos personified", his aligment is "Chaotic (very)". Thanks to Mr. Welch it became popular to play him as wizard version of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Use him if you want a comic relief.
• Master Terari - former Emperor of Alphatia, he abdicated in favor of Eriadna and disappeared, he now runs magic school in a small kingdom of Karameikos, he is working to ascend to Immortality (basically godhood without calling it so).
• Principalities of Glantri have multiple Princes of various all kinds of aligment. The country got 2e book which gave them classic aligment., I will list them below, but two I would avoid are Eitienne d'Amberville and Jaggar von Drachenfels, since they are actually Immortals (Rad, patron of magic and Diamond,, discount Bahamut, respectively). Immortals officially aren't Gods, but this is often a distinction without difference, so I cannot see them showing up in Sigil without Lady of Pain nuking the whole building.
• Princess Carnelia de Belcadiz y Fedorias (Lawful Neutral, extremely beautiful, known for her horrible temper) and Princess Carlotina Erewan ((LG, basically discount Galadriel) rule two Elven principalities, the latter rules more traditional Elves, the former's subjects are...Spanish Elves. Yes, really. They do not like each other.
• On the evil side we have Prince Morphail Gorevitch-Woszlany (wizard Nosferatu, which is like Vampire with less weaknesses, he's Strahd on steroids), Princess Dolores Hilsbury (actually a Night Dragon, undead dragon-shaped mosnter, in disguise) and Prince Brannart McGregor (lich, he's actually from real-world Scotland, I kid you not). All three are Chaotic Evil and hide their true nature, though considering Morphail looks like he walked out of set of Dracula, they aren't trying very hard.
• Rounding Glantri princes we have Prince Jherek Virayana (Neutral, master of illusions, he deflected to Glantri from their mortal enemies, Ethengar Khanates, so he is used to being under suspiction for treachery) and Prince Harald Haaskinz (LG, he's kinda new guy in the club).

Oearth (Greyhawk)

• I don't want to spend much time on Oerth since I suspect anyone using this will use either Mordekainen and/or Tasha, who are already in the module. But some alternatives could be any of wizards who have spells named after them - Bigby is neutral, Tenser is Lawful Good, Leomund is Lawful Neutral or Lawful Good, Nystrul is Neutral, Rary is Neutral Evil

Toril (Forgotten Realms)

• Alustriel was already included. She and her five sisters (not counting Dove Silverhand, who is a Ranger and a Ghost) all fit similair role as "big good immortal sorcerress". With exception of Alassra Silverhand a.k.a. Simbul the Witch-Queen, who is Chaotic Neutral, they're all Chaotic Good, so I see little point switching Alustriel for another one if you want CG spot to be fit by someone from Toril. I would also be wary of using Storm Silverhand, who, according to Ed Greenwood, helped real Mordekainen recover after his role in Curse of Strahd and has a "friends with benefits" relationship with him.
• Elminster is also Chaotic Good, I don't get why WotC shy away from using him. I get he is controversial, but his exclusion has been kinda awkward here. They really don't think Kas can fool Elminster, but he can fool Tasha? As far as I know only one of them slept with Mordekainen, like come on! Anyway, if you want to use him, Elmisnter is also Chaotic Good, so kinda redundant with other Choosen of Mystra.
• Larloch the Shadow-King or Szass Tam could each work as a powerful lawful evil lich, that allies with the good guys out of spite against interloper god that dared throw their weight around and claim godhood over THEIR world. Larloch in particular is no stranger of going against gods and their servants, who seek to rewrite rules of magic that is basic of his power - just ask Shar and her servants at Shade Enclave.
• While characters from Baldur's Gate 3 end their adventure around 13th level, Book Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villain contains statblocks of multiple characters from previous two games. Edwin Odesserion, infamous Red Wizard of Thay, is among them, powerful enough to fit in the group.

Domains of Dread (Ravenloft) - I put this one last because of unique use we could have out of Domaind of Dread in this campaign. You see, we know that characterstrapped in Demiplane of Dread cannot leave that easily, they need Dark Powers' permission. And Dark Powers are backing up Kas. I have also seen multiple complaints how both main antagonists of this campaign - Vecna nad Kas - are absent from most of it, with many ideas being thrown around about having Kas as an active rival that competes for pieces of the Rod. It occured to me that he may play that role, while we still have an impostor - another character trapped in Demiplane of Dread could be working with Kas and the Dark Powers in exchange for their freedom. This way we could even allow PCs to sherlock holmes who the traitor is between collecting different pieces of the Rod, and still can have Kas show up with hordes of monsters to steal the Rod later. All that matters is they do not impersonate a character of the same aligment. Here are some candidates for this role:

• from Forgotten Realms, we could reach for semi-official suppliment minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy, written by lead writer of first two Baldur's Gate games. It suggests an alternate fate for main villains of Baldur's Gate II - Jon Irenicus and his sister Bodhi - that places them in Demiplane of Dread, leading their own evil cult working towards their escape. He is neutral evil, she is Chaotic Evil
• From Mystara we have Meredoth, main antagonist of classic Ravenloft module Ship of Horrors, condemned to Demiplane of Dread afre his negligence caused his subjects to die of starvation. TWICE!. He is cursed to be unable to discover new magic on his own and having to steal knowledge, so he would be itching, as a mole, to steal from other eight wizards in the room. He's Chaotic Evil.

That's for now, but rest assured, I shall be returning to this post to update it with more characters, potentially more campaign worlds even. Your suggestions whom to add are always welcome.

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Outdoor rugs are engineered to resist water and dry quickly, thanks to synthetic materials in their construction. However, to extend the lifespan of your garden rug, it's wise to add an extra layer of protection during long bouts of rain or heavy precipitation. Positioning the rug under a covered patio or using a waterproof cover when it's not in use can significantly reduce moisture exposure, keeping the rug in top shape.
Regular cleaning also plays a pivotal role in maintaining the aesthetic and functional integrity of outdoor rugs. A simple routine of shaking off debris, vacuuming, and spot cleaning will prevent dirt accumulation. For more thorough cleaning, a mild detergent mixed with water and a soft brush can remove tougher stains without damaging the rug’s fibres. After washing, ensure the rug is completely dry before placing it back. This prevents mould and mildew growth, which can be detrimental to the rug's condition.
In addition, flipping the rug periodically can prevent uneven wear and sun fading, especially in South Africa’s sunny climates. This practice ensures all parts of the rug face exposure evenly, preserving its colours and structure.
By incorporating these maintenance tips for outdoor rugs into your care routine, you ensure your outdoor living space remains inviting and stylish. Whether it’s a cosy seating area in your patio or a vibrant addition to your balcony, a well-cared-for outdoor rug enhances the charm and functionality of your outdoor settings, making every moment spent outside even more enjoyable.
Choosing the right outdoor rug for your South African home isn't just about style; it's about creating a durable, inviting space that reflects your personal taste while standing up to the local climate. With the right materials, size, and shape, you've got a plethora of options to enhance your outdoor living area. Don't forget the importance of regular maintenance to keep your rug looking its best. By following these simple care tips, you'll ensure your outdoor rug remains a vibrant and practical addition to your home, ready to withstand the elements and daily life. So, go ahead and select a rug that not only complements your outdoor space but also promises longevity and ease of care. Your perfect outdoor setting awaits.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT MATERIALS ARE BEST FOR OUTDOOR RUGS IN SOUTH AFRICA'S CLIMATE?

Opt for outdoor rugs made from synthetic materials like polypropylene. These materials are durable, resist fading from the sun, and can handle moisture better than natural fibres, making them ideal for South Africa's varied climate.

HOW SHOULD I CHOOSE THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF MY OUTDOOR RUG?

Consider the size and layout of your outdoor space. Measure the area where you want to place your rug, leaving enough room around the edges. Choose a shape that complements your furniture arrangement, whether it’s rectangular for a seating area or round to match a circular table.

WHAT ARE THE KEY MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR OUTDOOR RUGS IN SOUTH AFRICA?

Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions closely. Protect your outdoor rugs from excessive moisture, clean them regularly to remove dirt and debris, and flip them periodically to prevent uneven wear and sun fading. This will help keep your rugs looking vibrant and prolong their lifespan.

CAN OUTDOOR RUGS BE CLEANED WITH A HOSE?

Yes, many outdoor rugs can be cleaned with a hose. It’s a quick and effective way to remove dirt and debris. After hosing it down, allow the rug to air dry completely in the sun to prevent mildew growth.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I REPLACE MY OUTDOOR RUG?

The frequency of replacement depends on the rug's material quality, maintenance, and exposure to the elements. With proper care, a high-quality outdoor rug can last several years. Inspect your rug regularly for signs of wear, fading, or damage to determine if it needs replacing.

Football, the beautiful game, captivates millions of fans around the globe with its exhilarating matches, iconic players, and intense rivalries. At the heart of this global phenomenon lies the intricate web of football fixtures and results, a dynamic landscape that shapes the narrative of every season. Visit here: Score24
Whether you’re a die-hard supporter, a casual observer, or a fantasy football enthusiast, understanding the significance of fixtures and results is essential to fully immerse yourself in the drama of the sport.
The Importance of Fixtures: Football fixtures, the schedule of matches to be played throughout a season, are meticulously crafted to ensure a balance of competition and excitement. They dictate when and where teams will face off against each other, determining crucial factors such as home advantage, travel demands, and the sequence of challenging opponents. Fixture lists are eagerly anticipated by fans and clubs alike, sparking debates, predictions, and strategic planning months in advance.
Fixtures also serve as a window into the broader context of football, reflecting the complexities of league structures, cup competitions, and international tournaments. Leagues vary in format and duration, ranging from the year-long marathons of Europe’s top divisions to the intense sprint of knockout competitions like the FA Cup or the UEFA Champions League. Each fixture carries its own significance, shaping the trajectory of a team’s season and impacting their aspirations for glory.
Understanding Results: The outcome of each fixture is encapsulated in its result, a reflection of the performance and determination displayed on the pitch. Results encompass more than just the final scoreline; they encompass goals scored, points earned, and the myriad of narratives that unfold within the ninety minutes of play. A win can ignite jubilation, propel a team up the table, and affirm their title credentials, while a loss can provoke introspection, spark controversy, and trigger calls for change. Check out: Score 24
Beyond individual matches, results form the backbone of league standings, cup progressions, and the pursuit of silverware. Points accumulated over the course of a season determine league positions, with the ultimate goal of securing titles, promotion, or avoiding relegation. Cup competitions offer teams the chance to etch their names in history, with each victory bringing them closer to the coveted prize and the glory that accompanies it.
Impact on Fans: For fans, football fixtures and results are more than just statistics; they are the building blocks of passion, camaraderie, and shared experiences. From the anticipation of matchday to the post-match analysis, every twist and turn in the schedule evokes a spectrum of emotions, from elation to heartbreak. Whether cheering from the terraces, watching from afar, or engaging with fellow supporters online, fans are united by their unwavering devotion to their teams and the shared journey they undertake each season.
The digital age has revolutionized the way fans engage with football fixtures and results, with a plethora of platforms offering real-time updates, interactive features, and personalized content. From official club websites to dedicated apps and social media channels, supporters can access a wealth of information at their fingertips, allowing them to stay connected to the game like never before.
Conclusion: In the ever-evolving landscape of football, fixtures and results remain the bedrock upon which the drama unfolds. From the grassroots to the grandest stages of the sport, they shape the narratives, ignite the passions, and define the legacy of every team and player. As fans, we cherish the highs and endure the lows, knowing that each fixture brings us one step closer to the moments of magic that make football the most captivating spectacle on earth.
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Hi EFOASBWIUATWFAIDTF, I had my first one-night stand recently. Afterward, he kind of rolled over in bed. I didn't know if I was supposed to leave, go to sleep, or be the big spoon. What's normal in this situation? Help! -Katia
Hi Katia! Whether it's romance or designing the next big revolution in SaaS for food delivery, you have to play to win! Set your eyes to the horizon, take what you want and pay for it.
That's how it was for me designing BOREAS. I needed access to the best consultants. Do you think it was cheap to dream up product names like iPhone or Fruitopia? No, I had to liquidate my 401(k). But you've got to go all in on yourself, go big or go home. In your case Katia, I'm not sure how close you live if you did go home or if the L was still running. But even if it wasn't, I recently learned that all of your expenses, whether an Uber ride home or pet insurance, can be deducted from your taxes if you own your own business. HTH! -Steve Lanston, founder and CEO of Saucily

Hi EFOASBWIUATWFAIDTF, I've been hanging onto some friendships with people who became snakes in adulthood. What do you do about toxic people you have become invested in? I feel like I'm going crazy! -Emily
Hi Emily! Great question. To be successful, you have to surround yourself exclusively with successful people. As the CEO of a potential fortune 500 company, I think about this a lot, because like you, I cannot afford to get dragged down. It's not you who's crazy, it's them.
This is the reason that I had the bittersweet task of firing my first employee. And it is why I am now in active litigation against him for undermining crucial intellectual property concerning features of BOREAS. Everyone knows that food delivery is huge right now: Door Dash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, etc. But SaaS to help these companies coordinate with each other so that customers can get sauces and toppings from other restaurants? It's a game changer. Eric knew what he was doing when sent those tweets.
Like me, you can't let injustice go unanswered. This may mean you have to go it alone sometimes. But you are the only person you can count on. Why do you think I bought a gaming computer to host our website from my apartment? It's because AWS is too unreliable. But I can count on myself. And so can you, Emily! HTH! -Steve Lanston, founder and CEO of Saucily

Hi EFOASBWIUATWFAIDTF, I am a consumate femcel (kissless, handhold-less virgin). I was recently accepted to a Master's program in NYC, and I am moving this fall (although I might defer til the spring). I want to reinvent myself, but I feel like whatever I do will look awkward and someone will laugh at me. What can I do to shed my ugly duckling persona and finally become a sought-after swan? I need your advice, please! -Cammy
Hi Cammy! One of the oldest truths is that life is full of hardships, but you have to face them head on and then pick yourself up and keep going. It's what we do when life throws us a curve ball that defines us. First ask yourself this: "Am I ready to be inspired?" Are you?
Are you ready to stop looking back and be your best self going forward? Are you ready to turn getting laid off at 46 and then losing your Amazon internship for taking home a bottle of Sriracha into a once-in-a-generation business? Every successful company has some kind of unfair advantage. What's your unfair advantage, Cammy? What asset or work ethic do you have that other girls will leave on the table? What's your secret sauce? Our secret sauce is Fire sauce from Taco Bell served on a Big Mac from McDonalds. It's one of those things that's obvious in hindsight. But you have to be the first person who sees that opportunity before everyone else follows.
I also want to say that your first sales are always the hardest. But just imagine, you start with one sale. And then two. Before long, your runway is growing, and you can afford to pay down the loans you took. Don't worry if they laugh at you, Cammy. Find your secret sauce and then lean into it. I forget who said it, but first they think you're crazy, then they fight you, and then all of a sudden you change the world. -Steve Lanston, founder and CEO of Saucily

I know there are a handful of people on here who have joined me in Loner 2e discussions so I thought it worth posting that Zotiquest Games have put out two more versions of the game, but these are very specifically geared to a setting (Steampunk and Feudal Japan). My copy of Cog & Compass came today and I'm really excited about it! I've only read through it quickly, but these are the things that caught my eye.
The TL;DR of it is that there's a defined world and very clear guidance, which is much appreciated.

• There are new mechanics specific to the setting that aren't strictly defined, so it's up to you to decide how to implement them. I like that idea.
• When traveling, there are a few things to roll on as you move and if you fail the check you can roll on complication tables. That feels closer to a PbtA "Miss" to me than simply "imagine what happens next".
• In the spirit of "Everything is a Character!" you can roll up Airships, clockwork familiars, etc. and they did something SO helpful in my opinion: the random tables are linked, so if you roll once and use the same roll for Concept, Skills, Frailty and Gear, they will all make sense! You can roll or choose something else if you want to, but if you don't want to slow down the story, roll once and the tables won't contradict each other.
  • Example: 2/1 on the Steamboat tables gives you Concept: Fishing Trawler - Skills: Deep Sea Fishing - Frailty: Fuel Hog - Gear: Fishing Nets.
• There's a D66 table of complete character sheets for Creatures & Foes in the back.

First Previous Wiki
Ezeonwha was walking down a long hallway. The dry and plain painted walls and the pure white lighting of the lower levels of the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office helped to frame the dingy realities of those who could only afford these floors. Not even capable of having windows, these were for those who were the cheapest of the cheap or those who mingled with them. He'd passed several Guides on the way in, their claws echoing in the halls as a sign of authority in this lawless land.
Here, mediocrity was king, and he was a loyal servant. He drew his cloak closer about his neck, unwilling to reveal himself to those who weren't already equipped to see through it all. He was famous enough to be an abduction target if he let his guard down. This place was no exception, though Justicar tried to make them such. Too much security on the higher levels and too little on the lower levels. That was the way of things.
Another hallway, this one marked with bullet holes. Two contractors and a Guide were discussing the pricing of the fix project when he turned the corner. Their voices quieted to nothing, the stillness pressing down upon them with the same intensity as the false lighting. Ezeonwha clacked his jaws, giving them a low bow before continuing on his way. He saw the Guide's eyes light up with the sign of his implants getting a reading. It was another impromptu way of tracking via facial recognition, but it was an ancient practice.
Nothing was new about what the Guides did; only how many of them seemed to be on general patrol. Had Justicar hired more of them or actually done full conversions for all of them? Those arm cannons surely weren't cheap or ethical to insert into unwilling participants. And giving a victim a gun they couldn't be disarmed of was a very bad idea, even for Elders. And Justicar was better than most Elders when it came to abject stupidity. He'd likely only been dropped a few hundred times as a child versus the more likely Elder average of a few thousand.
Ezeonwha chuckled at his internal joke, heading deeper underground into the complex. He was going to a certain meeting, and it would be best not to be late. Even if the Guides tracked him, it wouldn't be negative. The group he had been approached by a few days ago wasn't a terror group. He'd looked them up. They dealt in 'freedom and liberation from all chains.'
The Eyes Of Liberty had focused upon Penny as their latest propaganda target and perhaps as a valuable ally in their fight against all tyranny. Though such a flowery message was likely steeped in idealism for the lower ranks, with more pragmatic and likely richer inner circle elites and leaders ensuring the pot would always simmer but never boil or grow cold. That was the way movements such as these managed to skirt the line between inaction and terrorism.
It was a dangerous thing to do. But these were dangerous times. If Penny left, he'd die. Someone with a grudge would kill him. It was a given, and he'd made peace with it now. He needed to get to work, to help others like him and those worse off, with just a small piece of the meager time he had left.
He was in the system as a friend of Penny, so little scrutiny would fall on him as he came and went. He had a new friend, one who was very interested in connecting to Penny.
The offer had come through his communicator, and he'd answered it given its interesting title. After a lengthy discussion about their goals for him and Penny, he'd agreed to at least have a meeting. He didn't tell them that he had a tracker from Phoebe, which would 'be impossible to miss' if things went badly. He knew the value he had, which was why one of the androids was also accompanying him under the guise of being a Sprilnav.
The android was 'walking' on all fours, its mechanical motion entirely silent. It was obscured by a wave of holograms and hard light holograms that would ensure that it wouldn't be considered suspicious beside him. His only guard was a capable one, and Phoebe had all the confidence of an AI who knew that the destruction of her android would only be an inconvenience for her.
Ezeonwha came to an unmarked door with a well-worn door frame. One knock. One pause. Two knocks. Another pause. Four knocks. He waited, and the door swung open. Eight Sprilnav greeted him warily but warmly, their eyes shifting to Phoebe.
The inside of the room was a dull red, coming from a pair of lights in the center of the ceiling that cast dark shadows near the edges. The whole room felt dark and dangerous, and the walls were lined with guns, computers, and several drones. Shelves and drawers were neatly stacked against the wall, as well as five couches and four double beds with ladder access to the top portions.
Bags of food rested atop a trash compactor unit, and the room service button on the inner side of the wall that Ezeonwha could see in the mirror was worn down to the raw metal. No paint jobs here, only grit and business. The room faintly smelled of body odor and assorted foods. Not entirely unpleasant, but also not what he'd expected from a group with sich a flamboyant name. Perhaps they worked in cell-based units. And that was another thing.
Minds were visible in the distance of the mindscape, but the people here were huddled together mentally. They appeared to be haphazard, but Ezeonwha recognized an old army-type defensive formation a mere step from each of their positions. They were more than they appeared. Though based on how their room looked, they probably weren't veterans, just decently trained.
As they walked through the doorway, a scanner activated. One of the Sprilnav, wearing a headset with numbers and letters swirling on the inner side of the visor, called out: "Phoebe android. Commando variant. Risk assessment: Certain Death. Ezeonwha. Carrying two pistols, one hidden in the pack on his left, and the other tucked inside a strap near the lower bottom of his chest."
That made them all pause, sizing each other up. Ezeonwha smiled nervously, failing terribly to break the building tension once again. His nerves started to get to him, but finally, Phoebe spoke. "Well, friends. I, for one, am happy to talk of the business of liberty. Tell us, what do you have in mind for my friend Ezeonwha?"
"It is not about him, AI. It is about the freedom all sentient beings deserve, and which we shall bring to the galaxy no matter if we are alive or dead."
"An honorable goal to strive toward," Phoebe said.
"Thank you. Your words are quite kind for your type."
"I didn't know I had one," Phoebe replied. "But thank you."
Ezeonwha turned his head toward the Sprilnav with all the fancy equipment.
"What is the best way for me and Penny to help in the fight?"
"The best way would be for you to start killing the gang leaders you come across. Barring that, have Penny ignore the graveyards, and continue freeing the slaves as she ought to. The dead have their freedom; the living need her work more."
"I agree with my companion," another of them said. "So far, Penny has done more for the fight for justice than any other on Justicar in generations, so it is a terrible thing to ask more, but we must ask. Even knowing the terrible toll it would have if she loses the Judgment, Sprilnav are at stake."
"People are at stake, you mean," Ezeonwha said. "There is no need to bring species into this."
"There would not be, but it is still a clear factor," another of them said, a female who looked more shifty in her gaze and demeanor. The Eyes of Liberty seemed like one of those groups with too much division.
"Do you disagree with each other often?" Ezeonwha asked innocently.
"Here and there," the tech guy said. "Not often enough to be a problem, and not when what matters is at stake."
"But that is the thing. How can you agree on when something that matters is a stake?"
"Is this a test?"
"Why would it be? Think of it as a genuine concern," Ezeonwha said. "To associate with your group, I have to be certain it will be resilient to change and risks escalating in the future. If the gangs cannot strike at Penny, they will pick the next best targets. Currently, that is me. If I associate with you in a way they can find out, and I assure you they will find out eventually, you all may be at risk as well. And your group's seemingly cell-based design also means large scale mobilization is difficult, ineffective, and risks severe coordination issues which cannot be quickly or safely remedied without changing core security features of it."
"You deduced all of that from context? You are smart, Ezeonwha. And have a good brain in your head. Everlasting knows we need one of those between all of us."
They all shared a laugh.
"I am not as young as I may look," Ezeonwha said. "Penny is not properly learned of the danger that faces us here. I am. The Underground will kill me when this is over. Do you want to die alongside me, all for your beliefs?"
Silence descended again. Ezeonwha kept the pressure on them when one of them stepped forward. "For freedom and liberty? Yes. I would die for that."
"As would I."
"And I."
They all declared the rest in orders that followed the patterns Ezeonwha was noticing. There were variances in their levels of belief and faith in their purpose. Each person had a different level of value difference, which meant that their lives would be worth more or less comparatively.
Cohesion was weaker, too. Not a full defector team, but likely pieces of several. Was that by design from a higher up leader, or was that just circumstance? Another thing to figure out later, that wasn't critical yet, but he would know before he truly went on any missions with them, if he did at all.
He suspected running messages to Penny would be the majority of their tasks. The quality of intelligence the Eyes of Liberty had offered was substantial. Perhaps enough for Penny to turn herself from a major annoyance to the gangs into an actual existential threat. With Justicar's swarming protection of the Fort Court and the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office, there was a limited amount of things that even the gangs could do. And if the rumors were correct, a Progenitor would be partaking in the trial.
"To be clear, if I join up with you, Phoebe would come too."
"Why would we let an AI join us?"
Phoebe smiled. "Without me, you'll die in this fight. You have trained for around 2000 days. You're acceptable combatants, as is Ezeonwha. But you are fighting in a city, and underneath it. You need to know how to keep a low profile. You need to know how to move through a crowd, get in and out. And you need to keep collateral damage to a zero, or the gangs will use you like they have others who had your purpose and were less careful to justify their 'protection' continuing. If you march in there and kill 50 slavers, if you kill a few slaves or a single bystander in the process, your credibility will be smeared. And frankly, with me on your team, you won't get blown up by an IED when you try clearing your first room in a fortress."
"IED?" One of them asked, while the rest digested her statement, going through various levels of offended looks.
"Your translator is too cheap. Improvised explosive device. Here, that can be old engines, reused oil, cracked plastic, frictional fuel bombs, circuit extruders, sodium splash grenades, as well as the more military style attacks they can pack, from small micro rockets all the way up to lower level fission or fusion bombs. Though if you're in a fight with those things involved, you're already dead."
"Why?"
"Because unless you're Elders, or holograms, a nuke will kill you whether you're right next to it or just inside the same shield. They concentrate the thermal pulse, so your bones would be ash before the pain hit your eyes."
"And what protection could you bring against that?"
"Telling you it's there before you start the attack. That is, if you listen to me. I value your lives over that of this android, but also I value Ezeonwha over all of you combined. I will not prevent him from doing this, but I will have you all know the risks involved."
"We are prepared, Phoebe. We have done much of the training you say, though we do not believe the gangs would plant explosive devices in their own fortresses. There is too much risk around that, with betrayals so common. However, the minefields we have scouted are easy to defeat with the right tactics. Perhaps you can give us a briefing on those, too?"
A challenge.
"I can, depending on how long you wish to do this for. But I have the stamina for either hours or weeks, depending on which you choose."
"What of your batteries?"
"They are of sufficient quality," Phoebe assured.
"I hope so."
Their tech guy nodded, more numbers flashing on his visor. Ezeonwha hoped he had a different way of display, like through an implant or something, for the missions in darker areas. The Underground was, by its name, not a place where much natural light was to be found. And the gangs controlled all the power systems in their territory. It was another part of the racket.
"Why aren't you guarding Penny?"
Phoebe's back straightened, a subconscious posture change to make her seem more confident. Ezeonwha caught the tactic for what it was, though without extensive knowledge of bipedal forms, it was less likely the surrounding Sprilnav knew it.
"Penny proved before a trillion eyes she's capable of fighting Elders, Progenitors, and a Dreadnaught Captain. Not to mention her immense power. I can shoot bullets, but she can literally snatch them out of the air and eat them. She has her own way of doing things, and it is a good way."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Penny landed in the rubble and headed for the Vaquah with a trail of survivors behind her. Many of them, she could recognize the marks of slavery on, with numbers or brands on their skin or just the trauma crouching in their eyes dulled by the pain of a long life in a work camp. Penny went through the wreckage to the shield surrounding the rubble and the defining line between the rest of the city and the destruction. Several news drones flew above her.
More were arriving from various directions. The soft footsteps grew into a constant drumming sound, like a beating heart of doom. Penny marched with them, heading to the spaceport. A large medical operation there quickly rerouted many of its various branches to the most injured freed slaves.
Penny pressed her considerable psychic energy on the entire group, accelerating their healing, slowing bleeding, and generally repairing their bodies and cells from the trauma they'd suffered. But the cloud over their heads did not brighten. The atmosphere remained tense and mournful. Many of them had lost friends, family, and more. She had no right to ask them to feel any different.
She had freed them, that was all. They were not her servants. She was not their ruler.
Several of them came up to her, offering thanks in the small ways they could. Kind words. Attempts at hugs. Even offers of devout prayer and worship, which Penny respectfully declined. She knew, as did most of them, that veneration for her deeds was inevitable. She didn't want to be seen encouraging it at all, since this was a public place where many eyes were upon her.
She knew that it would be misconstrued as a threat if she did. Religions were some of the most major threats entrenched powers could face if not properly co-opted by the state to suit their needs. And here, the 'state' was a military dictatorship billions of years old, ripened with corruption, money, and the immortality of Elders sporting technology beyond any other in the galaxy.
The sky was blue with shields overhead. The Vaquah hung in the distance, its thrusters gently burning to keep it aloft. A trail of shuttles linked the massive ship with several spaceports, including this one. Penny watched the freed Sprilnav get on it one by one, promising themselves to a new life aboard her ship. Technically, they were citizens of the Autonomous Peoples' Stars.
That protection, Penny knew, was why the Vaquah and its innocent inhabitants were still intact. Elders already had hired mercenaries to attack it. They'd failed, thanks to Rimiaha and Penny, but also the defenses of Kashaunta's Grand Fleet when it was in higher orbit. Kashaunta, despite her willingness to use Penny as she would, also had a certain intelligence and empathy. It was highly selective, and only money and power seemed to flip that switch.
But Penny needed the Elder, and Kashaunta only had use for her as an asset. She palmed the new communicator Kashaunta had issued her after the last one's destruction. Kashaunta's hologram appeared. It looked around, noticing the news drones in the air.
"Not here."
"Where?"
"You will know."
In the mindscape, a Sprilnav appeared on Penny's layer. They felt odd to her, almost like the minds of certain humans high up in the hivemind's network. Penny greeted the Sprilnav warmly.
"Hello."
"Queen and Elder Kashaunta requests your presence on her flagship."
"Very well."
In reality, Penny looked around at the crowd. She waited until it dwindled to nothing, and then spoke.
"Displace."
Conceptual energy twisted, and she stood on Kashaunta's flagship, though nearer to the edge than she'd expected. The Elder was waiting for her in an outfit that looked much like pajamas, though they were under a few armor pieces that appeared anything but decorative. Now that Penny noticed it, it was the same sort of armor that Yasihaut had worn to their last encounter, which interfered with conceptual energy. The Sprilnav were highly advanced. She wondered just how far their technology could go. She'd heard mentions of some ships having artificial gravity, and of nanites and programmable matter. But nothing certain.
"Hmm," Kashaunta said, giving Penny a once over. "You have come back. Shall I assume you are still my ally?"
"Nervous, are we?"
"Nervous is what you should be, Penny. The Judgment is coming. Ten days. Indrafabar and Justicar will both be on the court as High Judges. That is not good for us at all. So I figured a bit of prudence was in order. I have thought long and hard about this, and with the great battles of our time so fast approaching, I figure it is time to mend our relationship before the chasm grows any wider."
Kashaunta motioned to a special looking sword sheath on her back. Slowly, she drew a sword. A Soul Blade. Penny began to draw up her armor.
"Oh, I am not wishing for a fight, Penny. I know the damage you could do, even in my sanctum in the sky. Tell me, do you know how Soul Blades are forged?"
"No."
"Good. And tell me, do you know why they draw so much power to swing, even for Elders and beings as capable as us?"
"I have a few theories."
"I am sure you do," Kashaunta said. "But here is the thing. Soul Blades are typically weapons assigned to highly promising Elders, or even Progenitors. Filnatra, undisputed sword master that she is, can wield them as easily as breathing. If I were to swing this blade, there would be no drawback. Why?"
"Because you own that Soul Blade."
"Because this Soul Blade is mine. It is not just something I own. I own around seven or so more Soul Blades, with some weapons nearing their quality lying in my various vaults even now. You did not detect them, because I willed that not to be. I need you to understand this, Penny. You have power. You have might. But you are not invincible. My Soul Blade, if it struck you, would not cutely separate Nilnacrawla or Cardinality from you. Nor would your speeding space entity be able to block this blade with his flesh. If this cut you, it would release unending agony upon you before you exploded in a burst of burnt gore."
Penny sighed. "There is no need to threaten me. Allies do not threaten each other."
"But you do not see me as an ally. You see me as your means to get through the Judgment. You believe I see you as nothing more but a linear singularity maker, and perhaps a passing curiosity I'm backing on a whim. You neglect to imagine that there might be firmer reasons why I back you, and why more Elders are getting drawn into this conflict. You believe I am comfortable with showing you my more pragmatic and ruthless sides because I am comfortable with the fact that you cannot harm me. That you would not dare to do so, when you need my assistance so badly. That I might even be aiming to normalize my 'new' self with you."
"That is hardly my belief alone."
"Is it now."
Kashaunta grinned. There was no warmth in her gaze.
"Nilnacrawla," Kashaunta said. "Cardinality. Exile. Come out and show yourselves. You are being rude as guests."
Exile detached from Penny's head. He grew into the shifting array of fractals and shapes she was more familiar with. What had once grated on her eyes did so no longer. Kashaunta stared at the speeding space entity for ten seconds, then looked back up at Penny.
"He will not work on us. I will cover his form with holograms if he walks through my ship out of courtesy for my workers and crew, if he cannot."
"I am capable, Queen Kashaunta."
"You are quite knowledgable, aren't you?" Kashaunta mused, looking at him hungrily. "Oh, how I wonder what secrets you have in your head. How many of ours do you know?"
"I will not be taken as a hostage," Exile said.
"You will not because I decide not to," Kashaunta said. "Formally, our species are still at war. There is no treaty."
"The Sp'rkial'nova no longer exist."
"Yes, they do," Kashaunta said. "The name was discontinued for use regarding the lesser specimens we created. But I can assure you, Exile, if you wish to go by that name here, that we still do exist. I am a Sp'rkial'nova in the flesh. In the blood. In the mind. In the soul."
"Say what you will, Sprilnav. It changes nothing."
"On that I agree. Though our views on how things are may differ, and yours is wrong, your opinion is not valuable enough to matter."
She turned to Penny. She would have defended Exile, but he gave her a simple shake of his head area.
Nilnacrawla formed out of psychic energy in front of Penny. Cardi did the same beside her. Kashaunta tapped a claw on the ground. Tables and chairs appeared. A chef brought in food that looked passable and a few decent attempts at human cuisine.
"We do not have to eat, though I would expect that all of you at least sit at the table. We will discuss our grievances, and how to solve them before we proceed with the future. We shall first go to the matter of the Alliance. Penny, many in their number wish to establish contact with you. Do you agree to this? If so, I will add their communicator numbers to the translation program I have reserved for your personal use, in case your own device needs another sudden replacement."
"I agree."
"Good. A first step of diplomacy, I would say. Agreement. Now, Nilnacrawla, you look like you have something to say to me. What is it?"
"Free Meridia."
"Meridia was detonated by planet cracker during the 139th Sector 9 Border War. I am sorry more could not be done."
A cold draft of air rushed out of Nilnacrawla's nose. He glared at her. "You let them die."
"I did not. A Grand Fleet was defending that star system, and three came to lay siege. I am many things. A tactician, a queen, an Elder. But I am not a god. I cannot perform miracles. I evacuated 30 billion people from that world and its surrounding stations before the planet crackers hit it. 4 trillion more souls died in that blast. The best I can do is to offer an apology."
"That will never be enough for what you did. If you had never established your nation, they would still be alive."
"They would be slaves. Chattel slaves, not that cute little 'wage slavery' concept privileged people throw around. Perhaps I should remind you just how much darker that reality would have been for your female descendents, specifically. I am a brutal warlord, a dictator with an iron fist. But my claws do not squeeze nearly as tightly as I could. Metrics say that I could extract at least 370% more profit from my people if I simply enslaved them. But despite the shock this may bring to you all, I do have principles. The Autonomous Peoples' Stars are my people. My nation. My empire, if you think I'm imperialist. But I protect them as best I can."
Nilnacrawla's cold anger didn't lessen. Penny placed a calming hand on his front left thigh. He blinked. He let out a long, pained sigh. And he bowed his head to her. Not to Kashaunta, but to Penny.
"There is no need to be cruel."
"My language was accurate, Penny. He is a strong Elder. Everlasting knows he's stronger than most of these fools. Nilnacrawla was and is a hero of the Source war. I respect him enough not to mince words, or to give platitudes. Coddling is for babies. Nilnacrawla is far more mature."
Kashaunta turned to Cardi. "You have been remarkably silent in this, concept."
"I have."
"A wonderfully succinct statement. Perhaps you can shorten it further. But nevertheless, you and I will be working together with Penny much more in the near future. Rest assured, if you refuse to become more independent, you will be nothing more than a crutch for her to rely on before leaving her to fall when you are ripped away."
"When, Elder? I would like to think your protection is sufficient."
"I am sure the truth is quite the opposite, dear. I will now get to the point. Penny needs to move faster, and needs to break out of her shell. She needs to be pushed to do more. She has signed a binding treaty, which shows she is capable of more than barbarian aliens, as some Elders would call her. You, Cardinality, will help her be a high achiever. To do this, you need to learn more about your own history.
That is the theme of the year, after all. History. My history, Penny's history, Sprilnav history, and even Gaia's history, it would seem."
"Gaia? What do they have to do with all of this?" Penny asked.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that."
"Excuse me? You don't get to decide that, Kashaunta. You will tell me. I refuse to be coddled, like you say. I demand the respect I am owed."
"You forget yourself, Penny."
"I remember myself, actually. I am all I need to be. I can become all I need if I must. You can hold your backing against me all you want, but you won't withdraw it. As you said, more binds you and I than mere money and ideology."
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then I've doomed my species and my nation to war, and this planet to the full power of my wrath."
"Wrath, Penny. Wrath. The Sprilnav have many words for anger, rage, hatred. There is the desire for vengeance, in varying degrees. There is that for justice, which does differ. And that for belonging. I know you believe you are standing up to me as a way to assert your own authority in this relationship of ours. You believe I see you as inferior, and will pull back my help when it is profitable for me. I will not offer you the consequences of what your words could mean.
You already know them, and that argument is as stale as your view on us Elders. I will say this once, Penny. You are the Champion of Humanity. The apex predator of your planet, the only one mostly in charge of an Alliance that does more than merely dream of overthrowing us. It is easy for me to say you are not a threat, though I do not ignore the threat you and your nation are trying to become. Gaia will be a part of your movement, but even my information is not entirely complete. I will not mislead you by claiming I know Gaia's link to this, just that there likely is one.
And I am not unreasonably petty. I am willing to put all our animosity behind us and start anew. Even if you are not willing to do the same, I am willing to make this work for us. You have more people to care for than just the Alliance, now. Do not forget them."
"A lot of words that mean nothing."
"Because you heard, but did not listen. Perhaps it will be easier this way, Penny. I want you to win."
"Explain."
"You wish to overthrow the current Sprilnav led order of the galaxy. Your path to that will likely be through mass slave revolt. A viable strategy that I could spread far beyond just this planet. And I actually agree with you. This Judgment, this utter insanity around the Alliance and your species has shown me the truth. The Elders as a class and a species cannot be trusted to rule any longer. We need new leaders. Better leaders."
"And yourself?"
"As the hypocrite that I am, and the power-hungry ruler of the Sprilnav, I would obviously exclude myself from that number. Let's be realistic. The Sprilnav will never accept a non-Elder ruler. If you wish to see what our insurgencies would be like, imagine the 2090s Struggles of Asia. Expand that to billions of planets, large and small. Countless ships and space stations. We have more collective ships than you have people. And as your military planners know, there is no such thing as an unarmed ship. Without us, without me, your plans are stillborn. Your galactic Alliance or whatever you make will fall to pieces without proper counseling. In essence, my offer to you, and you alone, is this. The galaxy, for the Sprilnav."
"Who backs your offer, with the power to give it?"
Progenitors Lecalicus and Nova appeared in the room.
"I back Kashaunta," Lecalicus wheezed.
"I observe her offer, and wish it a proper outcome," Nova said.
"Thank you, esteemed Progenitors," Kashaunta said, standing just to bow to them. Penny stared at Nova, balling her fists.
"There will be time for battle later," he said. "But not now. Hear out her request. She does not make it lightly."
The Progenitors disappeared.
"If I accept your offer, it will be on a written record."
"No. It will not be, because if that record is written, my nation will be facing war on all sides. A better idea would be for us to keep this under wraps."
"Perfect for betrayal," Nilnacrawla muttered.
"It would be, yes. But consider the second part of this situation, Nilncrawla. If word of this galactic offer, not just the Pact, were to get out, which is why two Progenitors who know the price of interference were called here, it would mean the deaths of Penny and all her kind. Or do you forget what rapidly approaches us?"
Nilnacrawla frowned. "I did. I apologize, Penny."
Kashaunta spoke up again.
"Penny. You believe I will betray you. So I make an offer of collateral. An offer so unbelievably sacred for us Elders that many would recoil at the mere thought of it. Now that you have signed a backed treaty, you are fully qualified."
Kashaunta grabbed her Soul Blade and presented it to Penny.
"What does this mean?"
"Nilnacrawla, tell her," Kashaunta said. "She will trust your mouth more than mine."
"Bonded Soul Blades are priceless artifacts," Nilnacrawla said. "To offer one to another is the ultimate gesture of trust and respect among many martial Sprilnav cultures. It can also allow for a mind bridge, a soul pact, or a proposal for marriage between two great houses, martial families, or Elders of great wealth and power. To offer this to a human... to anyone... is an ultimate sign of backing, and one of trust.
It is a sacrosanct honor, the absolute agreement of speaking truth and respect. The words I can use in any human language are insufficient to describe the weight of this honor. This gesture is one of absolute truth. Family lines with hatred going back millions of years would never dare to violate this honor."
"Only one Elder in history did so, one who once led a group known as the Stannic Resistance. He does so no longer. Penny Balica, Champion of Humanity... if there is nothing else I can give you to prove that I do really back you, there is this."
"...Just how low are my chances in the Judgment for you to resort to this?" Penny asked.
"They are not zero, but your battle with be incredibly difficult even with this boon of mine. The future of the galaxy, I now realize, hinges on the outcome of this. If we do not have enough trust, they will sniff it out, and we will fail."
So she had no choice. But as Nilncrawla continued to explain in her mind, Kashaunta was getting the worse side of the deal. Which meant she was throwing her backing behind Penny for real, beyond all reproach and retraction. Kashaunta, the most powerful Elder in the galaxy.
"And if I reject this gift, or your reasons for it?"
"Circumstances would demand that I kill you and then myself using this blade as a way to cut apart the dishonor, before my remains are dumped into a black hole to be forgotten forever. I would not do this."
"A dark and archaic custom," Penny said. She would have said more, but she looked at Nilnacrawla's face. He was clearly deeply uncomfortable. Her five words had shaken him more than anything she'd ever said to him before.
"You do not understand," Nilnacrawla said. "This is not something to joke or lie about. With a Soul Blade Pact in play, all else must cease. Right now, there is you, and there is her. Accept or decline. The choice, your only choice, is yours."
"How will this look to the Elders in the court? To the Sprilnav, and the people who back me?"
She could see how it would be a boon and a curse.
"You, and I," Kashaunta said. "The whole of the universe between us right now is you and I. No others exist until this one act is done. There will be trust or there will be death. No in between. No middle ground. The nature of this bond will be a Pact of Blades."
Conceptual energy swirled between them. Penny's natural translation, as part of the hivemind, failed for the first time ever. Her communicator likewise did not translate the words Kashaunta spoke.
"Eis nama kaste Penny Balica, sun lanci Dorima Kashaunta. Ko'ri, lanci nupa bes na Dorima'Pecunyanova. Sp'rkial'nova. Sun. Homo Sapiens."
The air grew thick with tension. It was not just emotional, either. Psychic and conceptual energy gathered. The mindscape started to distort as more and more eyes began to view Kashaunta and Penny. But all of them were Sprilnav eyes. All of them were Progenitors. Nova's appeared brightest and largest, nearly six times the size of the next largest pair. They stared at her, sending psychic and conceptual energy down upon her in waves that forced her and Kashaunta to kneel to the ground.
"I apologize for my earlier words," Penny said. "I should not have denigrated this."
Penny stood for an hour, deeply contemplating the Pact. If it was as Nilnacrawla was describing to her, it was a promise that Kashaunta would not break. If she was offering it at all, especially to Penny, it meant she had a level of trust in Penny's capability far above what Penny had previously thought. Apparently, there were even higher agreements than this that were possible, with this Pact being the lowest level of bond and considered unbreakable with the enforcement of consequences coming from the Progenitors themselves.
She thought of her place in Justicar and the wider universe. Hours passed like water. And then, by the end of it, after nearly 19 hours, Penny finally had decided. She gave a short nod to Kashaunta, who had been kneeling to Nova all this time.
Kashaunta gestured at the sword. "Tol, nopa shikai."
Nilnacrawla fed her a few suggestions on what she would need to say.
"I come to this Pact seeking peace, justice, and hope," Penny said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery."
Nilnacrawla translated Kashaunta's next words to her.
"I come to this seeking trust, understanding, respect, and peace," Kashaunta said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery. I make this Pact before the gods, those who equal them, and those who surpass them. I bind them to an oath of silence regarding this event, until I directly instruct them otherwise, in a state of a sound mind, body, and soul. Here, we shall step into a future that needs both of us, casting aside that which is unimportant to focus on the ultimate goals we have. I offer my Blade to Penny Balica, of species Homo Sapiens. In this way, we forge a new future, and walk a new path. I accept the Pact."
"I accept the Pact."
Nova and a hundred Progenitors descended. Nova grew larger, and Kashaunta knelt to him. Penny remained standing. His sharp teeth glittered in the light. He pressed his claws to Penny's chest, and to Kashaunta's chest.
"The Pact of Blades is made before the Progenitors. We agree to your vow of silence. The penalty of breaking it will be dismemberment and disposal into a black hole. Penny Balica, Engineer Kashaunta. To break this Pact without mutual agreement is to call down our collective wrath upon yourselves. You both have agreed, and are of sound mind, body, and soul. The Pact is forged. By sword, by word, by action. I, Nova, Everlasting, Lord of the Progenitors, King of all Sp'rkial'nova, Heir to the Mantle of Power, Heir to Narvravarana, Progenitor, Elder, and Sprilnav, declare the deed done, etched in time, space, and Reality."
They winked out of existence one by one, leaving Penny and Kashaunta alone, to ponder the future. Penny's thoughts turned to the Judgment, and her confidence she could win it began to waver. How much worse was this Judgment going to be than before?
Penny stared at Kashaunta's Soul Blade. With careful fingers, she took it. Kashaunta sat up, satisfied.
"Now we can begin. I shall compile all the news about you I can find, and we shall see how to address the questions the High Judges will ask. Now that you trust me, I cannot betray you."

import {createClient, SupabaseClientOptions} from '@supabase/supabase-js' import {UserFromToken} from '@propelauth/nextjs/client'; import jwt from "jsonwebtoken"; export default async function supabaseClient(user: UserFromToken) { if (!user) { throw new Error("User not authenticated"); } const jwtPayload = { "sub": user.userId, "email": user.email, } const supabaseAccessToken = jwt.sign(jwtPayload, process.env.NEXT_SUPABASE_JWT_SECRET "", { expiresIn: '15 minutes' }) const options: SupabaseClientOptions = { global: { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${supabaseAccessToken}`, } }, auth: { persistSession: false, } } return createClient( process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL ?? "", process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY ?? "", options ) } 

export async function POST(request: Request) { try { const user = await getUserOrRedirect(); const supabase = await supabaseClient(user); const insertData = await request.json(); console.log("INSERTDATA:", insertData); const { data, error } = await supabase .from("Posts") .insert([insertData]) .select(); handleErrorResponse(error); console.log("DATA:", data); return NextResponse.json(data, { status: 201 }); } catch (error: any) { handleJSErrorResponse(error); return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }), { status: 500, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json", }, }); } } 

INSERTDATA: { id: 'bc9a409d-27ab-41f3-acaa-c1ca295cfcf1', title: 'baseball', topic: 'sport', thumbnail: '', content: '[{"id":"1","type":"p","children":[{"text":"baseball sport"}]}]', tags: [ 'ball' ], user_id: 'acfacc9a-d279-4d1c-a10e-86b2ae529ddb', created_at: '2024-05-15T01:29:30.774Z' } Supabase error: { code: '42501', details: null, hint: null, message: 'new row violates row-level security policy for table "Posts"' } 

I don’t want to delve much into the woman’s perspective in this discussion, more about the men’s as much as possible. A lot of black men today are moving away from what people call “traditional dating” and “relationships/marriage” - what I’ll define simply as the man being the main initiator and chaser, and being the main provider and backbone of the family. Provider is such a charged buzzword nowadays because of that idea and rejection of older, established ideals.
Those men are practicing a spectrum of reversal - from requiring more equal/reciprocal energy from the woman they’re chasing, to outright refusing to chase in favor of being chased, refusing to step into the role of sole provider and requiring the woman to bring her own financial support to the relationship. Obviously, this makes sense, especially in modern US (where I am) because of the economy.
But I (23M) still don’t exactly get it. I mean, it makes sense to me to want to be pursued because of your worth, as a person and as a partner. It makes sense to be attractive in multiple ways and for that to be recognized and sought. That, I understand - I wouldn’t want my value to be dictated solely on what I can provide, or how I make you feel…
But why not go after the woman I want, and go after her hard with intention? Why not prove I’m the best man for her, the rest are lesser compared to me? I’m spending all of this time building the life I want, building the foundation so the family I create will thrive however they so please…
I don’t get the far end of the “modern” dating spectrum, where the man waits for a woman to see him and go after him. That doesn’t make sense to me at all, you spent all this energy, all of this work, to wait and be picked?
And even the more middling side of that, of course I want the woman I’m interested in to be interested back, but aren’t those men kind of waiting? It makes sense to me that the woman I’m going to be pursuing has a lot going for her, and therefore is pursued by other men… Isn’t it up to me to show her why I’m the best among the competition?
And then, after that’s all said and done she is mine… I’m unsure what the general consensus is on the less traditional side, but it just feels right in my bones to want to make the table and put something on it. Mothers, especially new mothers, go through such an ordeal the first few years, and so will the father who is putting in as much equal work with the baby as he can, but I don’t think it will ever be truly equal. It’s sacrificing energy vs sacrificing energy & body, most women get put into a disadvantage because of that when it comes to careers and education if they weren’t very well established beforehand. Someone has to provide the bulk during that time, and then after to be able to support her getting back to where she wants to be outside of being a mother and wife. Where do more modern minds fall when it comes to that?

Hi, I have seen defenders of Israel claim that Israel has made unprecedented efforts to protect civilian life in Gaza as the civilian to combatant fatality ratio is 1:1 (highly contested obviously as these are numbers Netanyahu has publicly said recently: 16K civilians, 14K combatants). They claim this ratio is unprecedented and the normal civilian combatant fatality ratio is 9:1. But it seems that 1:1 it is actually a pretty standard civilian to combatant fatality ratio in war and has been for a while:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/096701068902000108?journalCode=sdia
Here are some examples of the claim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wgHuYbBcfk
https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1786612909415473474
https://twitter.com/COLRICHARDKEMP/status/1747693189946106183?lang=en
I feel like there is some level of sophistry going on here as they refer to it as a casualty ratio and casualty does not mean fatality, it means deaths and injuries and can ever refer to other effects of war. In Gaza, 120,000 people have been killed or injured and there's only 30,000 Hamas/Islamic Jihad fighters so technically the ratio is at least a 3:1 if we're referring to a civilian to combatant casualty ratio.
I assume they are referring to the fatality ratio ratio. But is this 9:1 stat credible? They often cite the UN as a source but as far as I can tell they are referencing this study by the UN which claims that 90% of victims of war are civilians:
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/ocha-orientation-handbook-complex-emergencies
This claim in the UN study is based off this paper which also makes the same claim. But victim doesn't even mean casualty in this case and it includes people who are displaced:
https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/S0020860400060666a.pdf
See quote here where it includes refugees and internally displaced people as victims of war:
"The report goes on to deal at length with the various categories of victims of conflict, basing the analyses on statistics set out in several tables. Special attention is paid to the cases of child-soldiers (an estimated 200,000 children under the age of 15 are reportedly currently used as soldiers), refugees (over 16 million in the world in 1989) and people displaced in their own countries (over two million in Sudan). Giving a real-life dimension by eye-witness accounts and quotations from publications to what might otherwise be dry statistical data, the authors describe the efforts made by the United Nations, particularly the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to provide protection and assistance for these especially vulnerable categories of victims.
Considering that 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza, if we are defining victims in the same sense of the original study then civilian to combatant victim ratio would be over 60:1.
Now I understand that this was is different as it is urban warfare and fatalities are likely to be higher. I can't find any statistic from studies claiming that this is the ratio in Urban conflict. All I could find was AAOV data which claims that up to 90% of casualties are civilians when explosives are used in urban warfare:
https://aoav.org.uk/explosiveviolence/
However AOAV applied these statistics to Gaza and found that ratio in Gaza was 10.1 after a X (Twitter) analyst Eli Kowaz claimed it was 0.8 but had miscalcuted the data. Funnily enough, the official Israeli spokesperson also published the 0.8 figure which was the reason why AOAV clarified this was a complete falsehood.
https://aoav.org.uk/2023/x-twitter-analyst-eli-kowazs-grossly-incorrect-interpretation-of-aoav-data-trends-claiming-idf-has-low-gaza-casualty-rate-kowaz-later-deletes-post-but-others-continue-to-spread-the-misinformatio/
So am I missing something? Is there any basis to the claim that 90% of deaths in war are civilians. Does this apply particularly to urban warfare. Because Even in the Syrian Civil War (which I doubt even Assad would claim there were great lengths taken to protect civilian life) had a higher number of combatants killed than civilians killed. Even the Afghanistan War seems to have had over 3 times as many combatant deaths than civilians deaths. I understand these two wars are not directly comparable but what about in Mosul and Raqqa? What was the ratio there?
TLDR: What was the Civilian to Combatant ratio in Mosul and Raqqa and other urban combat zones?

We've inherited a service with tightly coupled components to a MySQL backend database, causing scalability and performance issues due to poorly defined schemas and duplicated business logic. We've decided to prioritize abstraction to decouple components from the backend database and introduce a REST service with APIs to serve resources and abstract away the database. Once the abstraction is in place, we plan to make necessary changes to the backend databases, including schema changes, datasource migrations (e.g., MySQL to NoSQL), partitioning/sharding, and multi-tenancy.
To facilitate migration in the REST service (using Spring), we're considering introducing Repository interfaces with two sets of implementations: one using the old datasource and another using the new datasource.

1. Is this approach a suitable strategy for migrating from the old datasource to the new one?
2. Is there a way to automate query generation in Spring for both implementations of Repository interfaces? Our goal is to automate query generation based on entity mappings (e.g., relational table annotations or NoSQL annotations) and repository interfaces (e.g., extending JPA repository or NoSQL repository) for both the old and new datasource implementations. This automation of query generation is crucial for the efficiency of implementation, minimizing manual effort, and potential errors. Any suggestions or best practices for achieving this in Spring would be greatly appreciated.
3. Additionally, how can we implement a parity checker to ensure consistency between the data retrieved from both datasource implementations? Are there any recommended techniques or libraries for this purpose?
4. How can we implement a switch between both repository implementations based on the datasource type configured in the application properties or environment variables? Any insights or examples on implementing such a switch mechanism in Spring would be helpful.

Thank you for any insights or suggestions.

Next month will be 5 years that I have been a Registered Nurse.
In honor of that, I’d like to share one (of many I have had) career defining moments…my first patient code.
I had been a RN for maybe 6 months and was working overnights from 7pm to 7:30am. I had just come on to shift and received report for my patients when the son of one of them called and asked to speak with me.
He goes on to explain that he’s concerned for his Mom because she hadn’t had much to eat or drink in the couple days she had been a patient with us. He was also concerned about her ability to communicate with staff effectively as she was older and had multiple strokes that left her forgetting a lot of her English. Instead, she tended to mumble in her native language…Polish.
After speaking with him, I immediately looked up key words in Polish I knew I would need if I was going to be able to connect with her the same way I do all my other patients.
I looked up the Polish word for nurse. Pielęgniarka.
Next, I looked up the word for pain. Ból.
Medicine. Medycyna.
Potato. Ziemniak.
Water. Woda.
Potato seems random, but in my conversation with her son, he said her favorite food was mashed potatoes (mine too!) and that’s what she had ordered for dinner earlier that was still sitting on her table to eat.
When the time came and I entered her room, I found her lying in bed, seemingly bored, but curious as to who I was. I introduced myself as her nurse using the word I had just looked up and she greeted me with a smile.
The next 10-15 minutes after had her and I laughing together as I haphazardly tried communicating with her using broken Polish and hand gestures. You could tell there was a language barrier, but it didn’t stop either of us from getting our point across, and the giggling from us both lightened the mood.
I remember feeding her the mashed potatoes and hearing her go, “Mmmmmmm” as she swallowed them.
I remember her declining the “woda” I kept offering.
Then I remember her clutching at her hip and writhing in pain. That wasn’t a shock considering she was there with a broken hip awaiting surgery, but had to be off her regularly prescribed blood thinners for a while first. I asked if she had pain and she nodded yes. I asked if she wanted pain medicine and she said yes. I gave it to her and watched her settle back down until she began itching her arms motioning to me that she was uncomfortable. I massaged lotion into both of her arms as she sighed of relief and said, “Very good! Very good” taking both of my hands into hers to thank me.
I smiled back and said that she was welcome. Knowing she was feeling better, I went to round on other patients, occasionally peeking in to see how she was doing. After an hour or so, I went back in her room and saw that she had fallen asleep. I fixed her nasal cannula as it had fallen down from her ears and I checked her foley to make sure the tubing wasn’t getting kinked. I made sure she was covered with her blanket so she wouldn’t be cold. Hospitals are always so cold…
I went to another patient’s room. 2 minutes later, one my CNA’s came to me saying they just went in her room and she wasn’t breathing.
What? How?
I just came from there and she had been sleeping peacefully. There were no signs of distress.
What do you mean she isn’t breathing?
I ran to her room. I checked for a pulse. No pulse.
Panic set in. I quickly confirm she’s a full code and my staff and I jumped into action.
One of us got the crash cart. One of us paged for a code. One of us started compressions while the other ambu bagged her.
Suddenly a bunch of staff are at my side as we all fall into our assigned roles.
I remember those compressions I did on her. No one ever talks about the trauma that CPR does to a person’s body…
How the ribs crack like uncooked pasta underneath your hands.
After rounds of CPR, we managed to get a pulse back and transferred her straight to the ICU where she coded again.
We resumed our roles. We must have tried for over 30 minutes.
She wasn’t coming back.
The family (her son and daughter) had been contacted and the doctor called it.
The rest of that night was a blur to me. I had other patients to take care of, so I went back to my unit until the family had arrived and asked to speak with me.
I told them everything that happened from the first moment I walked in to her room. I showed them my chicken scratch notes of the polish words I looked up. I explained that I had no explanation for what could have happened as I saw no signs that she was in danger. And then I broke down crying apologizing profusely feeling like I had completely failed her and them.
Suddenly the son hugged me, then the daughter. They both thanked me for doing what I did for their mother, stating that most people wouldn’t have even taken the time to look up Polish words. Then he said something I’ll never forget. He said she knew her time was coming as earlier that day she mentioned to them both that she would be going “home” soon.
To this day I wish I knew what happened. To this day I try to think about what signs I could have missed. To this day I wonder if I could have done anything differently.
I’ll never forget her, and I think of her often hoping her last moments here provided some bit of love and comfort.

Here is a bit of code I've been working today with DataviewJS.
Figured it could help some people get this done, I've been doing it using Copilot but since he isn't that smart it took many, many many iterations.
I am running a DND 5e Campaign in the Eberron Universe and this dataviewJS codeblock will parse all my notes in my "Campaign" folder in order to retrieve the notes that are tagged #POI (point of interest).
I have a hierarchy in my notes that goes from Settlement => Quarters => Wards => Districts => POIs. This is based on Sharn which is one of the biggest city I've had to document.
What this codeblock does is that it retrieves for a given Settlement (Current Note) all the quarters that link to it, then all the wards that link to the quarters that link to it, then all the districts that ... I think you understand the drill here.
It also takes into consideration the fact that a smaller settlement could be missing any of those levels in the hierarchy.
It then puts all the POIs in a table with: POI, Settlement, Quarter, Ward, District, POI Type (based on "poitype" frontmatter)
Hope this helps a few people get their notes in order :)
> [!metadatalocation]- Locations
> \``dataviewjs`
> let uniqueValues = []; //Array to store unique values
>
> // Get all pages with the tag #Quarter, #Ward, #District, and #POI in the Campaign folder
> let quarterPages = dv.pages('"Campaign"').filter(p => p.file.frontmatter.tags && p.file.frontmatter.tags.includes('#Quarter'));
> let wardPages = dv.pages('"Campaign"').filter(p => p.file.frontmatter.tags && p.file.frontmatter.tags.includes('#Ward'));
> let districtPages = dv.pages('"Campaign"').filter(p => p.file.frontmatter.tags && p.file.frontmatter.tags.includes('#District'));
> let poiPages = dv.pages('"Campaign"').filter(p => p.file.frontmatter.tags && p.file.frontmatter.tags.includes('#POI'));
>
> // Helper function to find Quarters, Wards, Districts, and POIs linked to a given Location
> function findQuartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs(location) {
> let quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs = [];
>
> // Find POIs directly linked to the location
> let pois = poiPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${location.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> for (let poi of pois) {
> let note = \[[${poi.file.name}]]`;`
> let poitype = poi.file.frontmatter.poitype ? poi.file.frontmatter.poitype : 'N/A';
> if(!uniqueValues.includes(note)){ //Check if note is already in uniqueValues
> uniqueValues.push(note); //Add note to uniqueValues
> quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs.push([note, \[[${location.file.name}]]`, 'N/A', 'N/A', 'N/A', poitype]);`
> }
> }
>
> // Find Quarters directly linked to the location
> let quarters = quarterPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${location.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> // If no Quarters are found, look for Districts directly linked to the location
> if (quarters.length === 0) {
> let districts = districtPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${location.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> // Find POIs linked to each District
> for (let district of districts) {
> let pois = poiPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${district.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> for (let poi of pois) {
> let note = \[[${poi.file.name}]]`;`
> let poitype = poi.file.frontmatter.poitype ? poi.file.frontmatter.poitype : 'N/A';
> if(!uniqueValues.includes(note)){ //Check if note is already in uniqueValues
> uniqueValues.push(note); //Add note to uniqueValues
> quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs.push([note, \[[${location.file.name}]]`, 'N/A', 'N/A', `[[${district.file.name}]]`, poitype]);`
> }
> }
> }
> } else {
> // Find Wards linked to each Quarter
> for (let quarter of quarters) {
> let wards = wardPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${quarter.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> // If no Wards are found, look for Districts directly linked to the Quarter
> if (wards.length === 0) {
> let districts = districtPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${quarter.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> // Find POIs linked to each District
> for (let district of districts) {
> let pois = poiPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${district.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> for (let poi of pois) {
> let note = \[[${poi.file.name}]]`;`
> let poitype = poi.file.frontmatter.poitype ? poi.file.frontmatter.poitype : 'N/A';
> if(!uniqueValues.includes(note)){ //Check if note is already in uniqueValues
> uniqueValues.push(note); //Add note to uniqueValues
> quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs.push([note, \[[${location.file.name}]]`, `[[${quarter.file.name}]]`, 'N/A', `[[${district.file.name}]]`, poitype]);`
> }
> }
> }
> } else {
> // Find Districts linked to each Ward
> for (let ward of wards) {
> let districts = districtPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${ward.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> // Find POIs linked to each District
> for (let district of districts) {
> let pois = poiPages.filter(p =>
> (p.file.frontmatter.location && p.file.frontmatter.location.includes(\[[${district.file.name}]]`))`
> );
>
> for (let poi of pois) {
> let note = \[[${poi.file.name}]]`;`
> let poitype = poi.file.frontmatter.poitype ? poi.file.frontmatter.poitype : 'N/A';
> if(!uniqueValues.includes(note)){ //Check if note is already in uniqueValues
> uniqueValues.push(note); //Add note to uniqueValues
> quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs.push([note, \[[${location.file.name}]]`, `[[${quarter.file.name}]]`, `[[${ward.file.name}]]`, `[[${district.file.name}]]`, poitype]);`
> }
> }
> }
> }
> }
> }
> }
>
> return quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs;
> }
>
> // Define the header columns
> let quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs = findQuartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs(dv.current());
>
> // Sort the quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs by file name
> quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs.sort((a, b) => a[0].localeCompare(b[0]));
>
> dv.table(["POIs", "Settlement", "Quarter", "Ward", "District", "Type"], quartersWardsDistrictsAndPOIs);
> \```

Writing this for folks whose home park is OG Disneyland and are considering or planning a trip to DLP. Whether that's you or you're looking for advice in the opposite direction, feel free to AMA!
I wrote up some aspects of my trip in this post, for reference. For context, I visit Anaheim a few times a year for 2-3 days each -- sometimes alone, sometimes with others -- and have been to Walt Disney World a handful of times (mostly for a single day while visiting my in-laws in the Orlando area).
Stow yer weapons: this is gonna be long. I'll talk atmosphere, attractions, food and drinks, and tips geared toward this audience. (I won't cover shows or character greetings, since they're not really my thing.)
Atmosphere:
Disneyland Paris is widely regarded as the most beautiful of the castle parks, and I agree. The attention to detail is stunning, from the horticulture to the rock work to the stained glass in the castle. The land transitions are smooth and beautifully executed, and the park generally feels more deliberately planned (probably since it wasn't built in a year and haphazardly swapping parts for the next seventy, like DLCA).
The park is bigger than Anaheim's, probably close to Magic Kingdom size, so add a minute or two to your commute time when crossing from one end to the other.
Some can't-miss experiences and details unique to DLP (skipping the rides since I'll cover those next, but including walk-throughs):
MAIN STREET

• The arcades on either side. Don't miss either of them! I enjoy the Discovery side with steampunk visions of cities in the future.
• If you can tour Walt's, do: the salons are themed by original lands and are charming. The home goods store named after Lily also has some nice turn-of-the-century fixtures and creative interior design.

FANTASYLAND

• The dragon. I mean, it's a dragon under the castle that snorts smoke!
• Shop interiors, especially Snow White and the Merlin shop. The beanstalk was closed when I was there, sadly.
• Cinderella's glass carriage near the Auberge.
• Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Do the walk-through. Eyvind Earle would be proud. The rectangular topiaries are a nice touch.
• The Alice in Wonderland labyrinth! Charming surprises, a true dead end, and a climb to a super neat park view in the center.

ADVENTURELAND

• The marketplace and Aladdin cave. Reminiscent of the Morocco pavilion at Epcot (sadly, I haven't been to Morocco). The restaurant has a very cool lived-in market look if you can take a peek inside. Even the windows have faux Maltese balconies/muxrabija and hanging wares.
• Adventure Isle. It's basically their version of Tom Sawyer's Island, so you can clamber through caves, look through Skull Rock, run around a pirate ship, and generally pretend you're eight. Genuinely photo-worthy.

FRONTIERLAND

• Peek into their version of the Golden Horseshoe. It may not be a replica of Calamity Jane's, like ours, but it's handsome and bigger.
• Phantom Manor's horticultural and exterior design. There's just more space for cool themed plants, and the queue design gives you time to admire them.

DISCOVERYLAND

• Steampunk everything! This is where we got our Astro-Orbiter and our short-lived, ill-fated redesign from the late 90s. It looks way better on them.
• The submarine walk through is really fun. Not sure how much it resembles the original walk-through from 50s Disneyland, but it's a low-key and visually rich treat, especially when it's sunny out.

Rides:
Some comparisons and contrasts. Didn't ride everything (e.g. carousel, teacups, Autopia), so I'll just share notes on the ones I did.
Big Thunder: Best version I've been on, period. It's on an island, so you plunge in and out of the darkness to get there, and the seats are actually divided so you're not body-slamming the person next to you every time you careen around a corner. Don't sleep on the detail and theming! Only bummer: no goat trick.
Pirates: Great queue: caves and little sneak peeks into scenes. Caribbean themed instead of bayou, restaurant included. Different structure and order of scenes, and frankly sort of confusing (e.g. Jack Sparrow is on the treasure pile among the skeleton tableaux for his little monologue). The sword fighting scene is unique to DLP (I think).
Fantasyland dark rides: Pinocchio is almost exactly the same as in CA. Snow White is more like the pre-COVID version, but even creepier; it's definitely the most divergent from the current CA version. Peter Pan is close to its CA version, but feels slightly larger?
Small World: More granular Europe, cute America section, generally quite different in layout. White-clad finale is a fair with a Ferris wheel and such.
Haunted Mansion/Phantom Manor: Identical ride track and Doom Buggies, but totally different storyline and different tableaux, particularly at the finale, which is a Western town instead of a graveyard. They don't put scrims in front of the frontier town zombies, which makes them creepier somehow. It's a unique take and a must-do.
Space Mountain: This one blows ours out of the water. Catapult launch, several inversions, much faster and darker. Be aware they don't have pouches for your stuff and will instruct you to put it on the floor. I stepped on the strap of my bag because I was certain I was gonna lose it.
Star Tours: Identical, though one time I got narration in English and the other time in French. May be randomized?
Railroad: No primeval world but they do have their own Grand Canyon. Circle tour is a must; you cover completely different ground and get a great pano of the whole park. My train was in compartments rather than long cars.
Indiana Jones: This is not the Jeep tour by any stretch; it's an outdoor roller coster that rattled my teeth out of my head. Think an extreme version of Goofy's Sky School with the unbanked turns. KEEP YOUR HEAD BACK. And even then, don't be surprised if you get off with sore ears and a buzzy headache that last a few minutes.
Food and Drinks:
I talked extensively about this in my other post, so I'll just note a couple of comparisons.

• Alcohol is more widely available in the Paris park, akin to DCA. Your best bet is wine or a kir (or a beer, if you prefer) unless you're at a place with a dedicated cocktail menu.
• The little stalls across from Small World serve things like ham and gruyère sandwiches and gauffres and sweets, with beer and wine available. Meh by Paris standards, but decent snacks that you wouldn't find in Anaheim.
• Unique themed dining. Captain Jack's has sub-par food, but if you're a fan of the Blue Bayou, it may be worth it just for the Caribbean nighttime theming. Boats floating by, and a more defined/secluded space than the sea of tables at BB. (Who goes to BB for the food anyway?) Agrabah restaurant has the most divergent theming and food from anything you can get in DLR.

General info/advice:
I have a lot of good news for Californians, because Paris is a cakewalk in comparison. I'm sure I hit a slower period, but it's so easy to go with the flow without playing nine-dimensional chess on your phone every three minutes.

• Stay at a hotel on campus! The great news is that the hotels, parks and shops are after security, so you won't have to leave the bubble for your whole trip. Say goodbye to waiting in line for bag check behind one billion strollers every morning. If you're staying in the DLH (covered in my other post), you basically roll out of bed and through the turnstiles.
• Early entry was EMPTY, and since it was 8:30 instead of 7-7:30, it felt downright luxurious. Hit those Fantasyland rides like they're going out of style. I hit Peter Pan twice before 8:40. That one does fill up later and skipping the line costs an absurd amount of money, so morning is your best bet. Not everything is open for extra magic hour, though, so do check your map.
• The park is significantly bigger and you're going to do a lot of walking. It's not as easy to jump from point to point in rapid succession as in our little jewel of a park. Plan accordingly.
• That said, take the time to really slow down and enjoy your surroundings. No need to travel halfway across the world just to bang out a bunch of rides. It's fun to check out the beautifully executed transitions (John Hench would be proud). There's even a list of horticultural treasures within the app.
• Express pass is way easier than Genie Plus. I don't recommend getting the full day; the one day I did it, I failed to break even on what I would have spent skipping the line for individual rides. Get it for the rides you want if the line looks too steep for you. They're generally valid either immediately or within 5 minutes.

I'm tired of typing, and you're doubtless tired of reading, but if you have questions about the Studios park, feel free to ask in the comments.

I have a hobby site I've been working on for a while that uses Angular. I would say I'm an amateur Angular dev at this point.
The site provides a series of tools for a video game franchise (Shin Megami Tensei) that mostly involves tables of information. The site will eventually have about 30 different games on it, and two of my Angular Material data-table components will be in all 30 games.
Each game is in it's own module, and I want each game to look slightly different. So I have implemented a module level SCSS file into each modules root directory that I call from every SCSS file within the respective module. And that's when I started to run into trouble. If I just try to style an element that is from a shared template, like my tables, from this file it doesn't actually override the default styling of the component.

table { background-color: black; border-radius: 3px; border: 3px solid white; } 

I did some research and found out about ng-deep and how what I'm trying to do wasn't really supported. But, since it had been deprecated for so damn long with no new solution in sight, I went ahead an started using it anyway. Now my module-level SCSS files are a series of mixins with lots blocks like this:

:host ::ng-deep table { background-color: black; border-radius: 3px; border: 3px solid white; } 

I guess they announced ng-deep will be un-deprecated soon? (https://www.reddit.com/angulacomments/1bkjq2v/thoughts_on_ngdeep_being_undeprecated/)
Despite that, it hasn't sat right with me because so many people say you shouldn't rely on it, and if you need to use ng-deep regularly something else is wrong. Then again, people say there are valid use cases, I'm just not experience enough to know if I'm one of them. It seems to work fine...for now.
Shadow piercing sounds messy, I don't understand it, and I'd like to stay away from it. But I also don't want to do something drastic like disabling View Encapsulation for each component I want to style, define each component individually (would result in an additional 60 components with a ton of code repetition), or throw out Angular Material.
I'm wondering if my concern about so much ng-deep usage is warranted, and--if so--how I might change my project structure to eliminate the need for ng-deep.

English is not my native language sorry for mistakes.
So my husband did a mistake and i blamed him for that and when i do talk to him about those behaviors that can hurt me he turn the table to me and play the victim just because he can't take responsibilities of his mistakes and can't apologise, what i said mean those behaviors are usual, to understand.. by the fact he have narcissistic behaviors but not sure if he is, he's manipulative..ok.. but the problem here, this time is he threatened me with betrayal ! That was like a bomb on my face like... He said that like an answer to my reaction.. he said you are so jealous and annoying. How to define this behavior? by threatening me to cheat on me if i kept being clingy and jealous. In my perception this mean he gave me an advance sign that he will cheat on me! What do you think ? Or it's just a defense act like usual to protect his pride.. because this is what i concluded by his abusive behavior. How to deal with such behaviors.. such person.. Ps : 3years married And i know he's abusive and I won't end the relation for that, i don't believe if i can fix him but i want to do or just to know how to deal with him. I need your opinion