I started learning and using adobe premiere pro 3 months ago and ux/ui is very outdated, working with timeline, effects, keyframes and stuff is so inconvenient and frustrating sometimes. I tried to think what programs have good and modern ux/ui and first I remembered figma and then I remembered that blender not only has a good and familiar for me ui, is has also video editing capabilities! Yesterday I started to learn how to use it, and actually, surprising for me, it's very powerful. I literally can do in blender whatever I can do in premiere pro. The only thing I don't really understand is why it hasn't any gpu acceleration for playback and rendering, while main 3d block has it's all. Because the only thing kinda worse in blender is playback lag. Of course I can just use proxies and stuff, but I wasn't using that in premiere almost at all. So I'm writing this mostly just because I wanted to see how many of you guys used this part of blender and maybe blender's staff would see this post and add gpu acceleration thing. (Hope it's readable enough and i didn't make any spelling mistake)
Seeing how bad Adobe tries to fuck their users - blender is a really good way to go, but I hope devs will add gpu acceleration feature. Have you tried it? What's your opinion?

What advantages and disadvantages do these guys have?
I've been working on my list knowledge and how things fit together when building an army and have been looking at the Voidreavers.
In this video Proxy Hammer discusses that Voidreavers may start to see more competive play with Pariah Nexus: https://youtu.be/8CPtDSvQ0-Q?si=ZLaf0Cf5D1mgU5kb
But I'm still struggling to understand why.
Here's what I think I have figured out: Relatively cheap unit - 70 points for 10 CP battleline unit Scout move on a battleline - good to move up mid if starting on the board. Worth putting in a transport? This seems to negate that cheapness. No access to fate dice, kind of a bummer. Nice special weapons choices, I like both of these but is one "better"? Seem situational and dependent on meta. Unit size. I like 5 but us there a benefit to 10 for the double special weapons or swapping to rifles to access the heavy weapons?
I'd love to get more specific insight into this unit. My meta isn't particularly competitive and I enjoy the theming my lists and Corsairs are such a great looking kit!

So for reference I am ADHD/ASD, my husband is ADHD (I can definitely see ASD traits in him though), my son (2.5) is ASD, both sides of our family also have varying degrees of ADHD & ASD & I am now starting to worry about my daughter (4).
My husband & I (as well as family) used to joke about how our daughter when she was younger probably has ADHD due to a lot of the traits she had, didn’t think too much into it though because she was young & it could’ve just been typical toddler behaviour. Fast forward to when she was 3 we had child health appointments for both kids (mainly for my son as he started to exhibit very obvious ASD traits), we were told that our daughter actually exhibited a few ASD traits. I thought there was no way she had ASD because she had no problem giving eye contact (she’s just always been shy around new people/people she’s not comfortable with), could make new friends & played with other children well (& did not exhibit the very obvious traits that her brother had/has - she’s quite fear avoidant unlike him too).
Now that she’s older & has been in school for 6 months I am starting to notice that she is slightly different to her peers. She seems to mask at school though & is a completely different child there compared to at home. I will pop a list some of the things I have concerns about. I am wondering if my concerns are valid or if it is just typical behaviour for her age. I’m not sure whether to take it further, because I don’t want her to have to struggle like I had to as a child if she does have ADHD/ASD… But I also don’t want to come across as being paranoid/a hypochondriac by proxy. What are your thoughts? Also, if you got this far thank you!!! 😆
List of “concerns”: - Very rigid/literal thinking (even with play - e.g was playing barbies with a friend & her friend put a checkout in the bathroom, she was very distressed about it & said “no, the bath has to go in the bathroom!”) - Cannot handle unexpected change - will become very distressed or have a meltdown (even over minor change - e.g I had some errands to run & after going to Kmart I said “right, let’s go to Spotlight then Bunnings!”… Made the last minute decision to go to Bunnings first then Spotlight as it worked better coming from Kmart & then heading home - she had a meltdown because I had told her we were going to Spotlight first, not Bunnings - Always fidgeting, running, jumping, climbing, spinning & flapping her arms (flaps them like a bird) - excessively & at inappropriate times a lot. Also needing to chew/suck on things a lot - Acts like a cat/dog often - will also sometimes do it when she is feeling shy or awkward - Very argumentative - Lines up/organises toys &/or objects (even at the shops - once she had to organise these ride on type toys [sticks with a plush head - unicorns, dinosaurs etc] into the same category as they were all mixed together) - Has a very hard time transitioning - Feels like you are walking on eggshells around her - very intense long lasting meltdowns multiple times a day - Has a really hard time doing what she is told unless there is a “reward”, make her think like it’s her idea or make it a game - Appears to get very overwhelmed/executive dysfunction - will also say things like her legs won’t work or she is stuck to the floor - Gets very attached to certain objects/things - Has a special interest in/collects rocks (& sometimes other outdoor items like sticks, leaves, feathers etc) - keeps them in a box & takes them out to organise them/talk about them. Will get very distressed if you don’t allow her to keep them - Very rigid with her routine - will have a meltdown if it is not done the “right” or usual way - We usually have to cut the labels off of her clothes - Has a pair of PJs that she wants to wear every night - had to get more as she would have a meltdown if they were in the wash & she couldn’t wear them - She repeats herself over & over again - Always making noise whether it be vocal stimming or just constantly talking - Her attention span is very short unless it is something she enjoys doing - When asked a question she usually doesn’t answer “appropriately” & gets off track - Very sensitive to smells & loud noises - can sometimes distress hecause meltdowns - Will zone out/stare into space often - Easily frustrated/irritable - Very sensitive in general

So around 3 weeks ago I pulled the ace manga card and was so exited about it I posted it to my local one piece Facebook page. After awhile one of the workers I talked to from my local card store told me his friend was very interested in the card. We worked out a price and then he asked me to swing by the shop the next day to bring the card. I did and he put it behind the counter while I was looking around waiting on the guy. I waited 2+ hours and just told him to let me know when he shows to pick up the card so I could grab the money. A week later I had heard nothing so I asked the employee if he ever showed and he said yes and he grabbed the card. I texted the guy and he said he was just waiting until I texted him “so he knew what went where” well it’s been three weeks since I brought the card and I’ve sent my cashapp/paypal to the guy and he won’t open the messages. I think he is attempting to sell the card and then pay me but that wasn’t discussed before hand. I’m super new to the tcg community so I’m not sure if this is just something that people do (sell the card and then pay) or if I should be escalating the situation to get either my card or money. Speaking of I am also worried that if I do get my card back that it could be switched out for a proxy and I wouldn’t be able to tell (I’ve been playing for a month so they all look the same to me) I know that’s an extreme thought but it’s just a worry I’ve had
Edit: I’m glad to know I wasn’t in the wrong for assuming something shady was happening. I plan on speaking with the owner within a day or two. I also plan on deleting the post as well just in case it’s seen locally. I would rather not stir the pot more until after I get this sorted out

While the predominant narrative around the equity offering has been either 1) raising capital for M+A or 2) trying to increase cash coffers to ~5bn for the purpose of putting it into short dated treasuries-> which would return 5.6% or ~$280 million if all 5 BN was in treasuries. This would mean consistently positive cash flow for years to come (if we return to annual profitability of 200 million + 280 from treasuries = ~$1.26 EPS. 🤯
However, I actually think something much more sinister may have taken place which incited the share offering(s). For those of you that are relatively new to the trade, one of the 1st things RC did when he joined GameStop’s board was to allow up to 1,000,000,000 shared to be stored in the company’s “treasury” which means that they do not need shareholder approval for issuing new shares until the float hits that number. But WHY did RC do that?
Well, we knew that GME had a horrible board and c-suite that was happy with their large checks and didn’t mind running the business into the ground (enter BCG acting in harmony with HF). We also know that GME needed some amount of shares to sell to pay off debt, and have cash to sustain them during the turnaround. But 1,000,000,000??? That seems excessive…? It is. And that is precisely why RC did it. You see one of the last ditch efforts that HF and Broker dealers that are in this trade (and short) can do is to go long shares if there ever is a turnaround and their short thesis is disproven. They would increase overall trading volume- timed with their swaps expiring - then buy long shares, options, or put spread, or other derivatives to gain notional long exposure. They can then announce a significant stake, appoint a board member and enact what is known as a hostile takeover. Then their board member would place the brakes on any real innovative transformative ideas and push for initiatives that will cash burn without driving revenue growth, slowly burning the cash and steering the company towards bankruptcy.
I think RC and board found out that there were indeed institutional long block trades that sent a wave of worry to the board as they saw ownership % of shares increasing quickly (which explains the massive volume the last few weeks. They then issued 45 million shares to dilute ownership% why didn’t FC just buy more? Well before the earnings, there is what is known as a blackout period where jnsiders cannot buy or sell lest they be accused of market manipulation. Which is why they pulled forward their earnings and put out another 75,000,000 shares into the market to disincentivize (by making it more expensive) for those attempting the hostile takeover.
How do I know institutions are doing this? Well first, sustained increase in volume on no news. Couple this with their recent efforts to impact the makeup of the board (proxy vote for DEI based board makeup which the current board is recommending all shareholders to vote “against”. Because the shorts know they are trapped in the short trade, their next move was to go long just enough to get someone of their choosing in the board. This would also allow them to have eyes and ears into the inner workings of GameStop that RC has been intentionally keeping close to his chest by suspending all future guidance.
This is bullish AF imo as this likely means this is their last effort and manipulation tactic; if this fails, MOASS.

I'm trying to run a small swarm in a couple of containers on pve. The container image I am using has the firewall turned off, so communication between nodes and between containers on the node should be wide open.
I have created a redis instance to pair with my primary traefik endpoint, given it an overlay network, and sent it spinning out into the world. Unfortunately, I cannot access it over the network, and I've discovered that the break is happening when going from the service to the container, even as the port is exposed.
I'm going to post a series of shorthand commands to demonstrate the issue:

$ docker service ls > NAME IMAGE PORTS > traefik_redis redis:latest *:6379->6379/tcp $ docker service inspect traefik_redis > { virtual_ip: 10.0.3.21 } $ docker inspect traefik_redis.1.asdf > { ip: 10.0.3.203 } $ docker exec -it traefik_traefik.1.asdf sh # telnet 10.0.3.203 6379 > *connects* > quit # telnet 10.0.3.21 6379 > connection refused 

oddly, ping works to traefik_redis. but telnet is no go, and a redis connection to the service is right out. I'd probably also not choose to expose ports on the host, since it's intended internal only.
This is my stack compose.yml (substantially shortened):

version: '3.8' services: traefik: image: traefik ports: - target: 80 published: 80 mode: host - target: 443 published: 443 mode: host volumes: - /varun/docker.sock:/varun/docker.sock - traefik_config:/etc/traefik restart: unless-stopped deploy: placement: constraints: [node.role == manager] networks: - traefik_proxy redis: image: redis ports: - 6379:6379 volumes: - redis_data:/home/dockedata deploy: placement: constraints: [node.role == manager] networks: - traefik_proxy networks: # swarm overlay network traefik_proxy: external: true volumes: traefik_config: external: true redis_data: 

You'll notice that for traefik, I exposed the port in host mode. I was experiencing similar issues with traefik and the mesh networking output where the only way I could get the traffic to traefik was via host mode. Ideally I wouldn't be exposing the port at all, but I've been trying all sorts of things to figure out what's wrong with my installation for a while. Help me docker, you're my only hope...
Any ideas? This is same-host service/container so it shouldn't be affected by the cross-host swarm join command. Standard docker-ce on debian installation. Though LXC is not recommended on PVE for reasons, the stack is working. Could it be something I messed up with the docker configuration?

Hey ya'll, Ive been playing magic for about 10 years, and from the get-go I was frustrated with the obstacles to building constructed decks, so I pretty much always played commander. With the advent of MH3, and the amount of Arena ive played, I decided I would really like to try my hand at a competitive format like Modern. Ive come up with a Dimir Scam brew, but I need help from more experienced modern players. Im likely going to proxy all the expensive cards, so price isnt an issue. Here's what Ive come up with so far:
4x Satoru, The Infiltrator
4x Grief
4x Subtlety
4x Snapcaster Mage
3x Psychic Frog
4x Ninja of the Deep Hours
4x Essence Flux
3x Flare of Denial
4x Not Dead After All
Im very bad at building a manabase, but how should I put this together? My idea is to use Satoru to offset the card disadvantage of grief and subtlety, and use flux and NDAA coupled with Snappy to both protect my creatures and churn through my deck. I also want to find space for more interaction like thoughtseize or counters. How can I make this work? Also Psychic Frog is my new pet card so it must stay in. Thanks all!

Forgotten Dreams

Some people call Night City the City of Dreams. But to those of us living in it in 2044, it’s the City of Nightmares. Twenty years after Johnny Silverhand detonated a thermonuclear device at the Arasaka Tower and ended the Third Corporate War, the city is only just now leaving its post-apocalyptic state. The Nighters that call it home are either too stubborn to leave or have nowhere else to go. In the remnants of the American third world, that isn’t too unusual. The sky is still red with the particulates left over from the Fourth Corporate War, casting a dark bloody glow over the world. Underneath this crimson sky Night City is a battleground where every man woman and child is locked in a never ending war for survival. As hard as what remains of the Night City government and relevant neocorps try to maintain order and rebuild infrastructure, most of the city is still in ruins or utter poverty, usually both.
Electricity is unreliable, the water is tainted, and the animals have long since died out or been driven from the city leaving artificial meat and plantlife the only food sources and ration chips a universal currency only eclipsed by cold hard Eurodollars. Overall, Night City is a pretty fucking miserable place to live.
But that just means those of us left are more determined to keep fighting. The corpos at the top want to squeeze the corpse of the City of Nightmares dry of any and all eddies it might have left, the politicians want to hold on to their power, the gangers want to cling onto the highs of designer drugs and spent bullets, the civies want to keep the lights on and rations on the table, and us Edgerunners want to make our mark on the world before we get snuffed out. That’s how it works. We burn bright and we burn hot but we just don’t burn long. Not in this city.
For us, it isn’t about just surviving. It’s living on the Edge. The fine line between life and death, the new frontiers of technology, fashion, night life. We have the most ‘in’ clothes, we have the baddest guns, we have the shiniest chrome. We see this city for the living nightmare it truly is and we laugh in its face and dare it to try and take us early. And when it does, we get the greatest honor an Edgerunner can achieve: a drink named after us on the menu at the Afterlife, the bar where we all raise toasts to the legends whose lights went dark at last.
We come from all walks of life, all kinds of backgrounds with all kinds of goals and hopes and ambitions and dreams. Solos, Techs, Medias, Fixers, Netrunners, Rockerboys, Medtechs, Lawmen, whatever. But wading through the mud and muck of this city for so long can mean we get caught up in it. Stuck in the endless river of shit with no way of getting out of the nightmare. We lose sight of what matters, lose sight of the Edge. Get caught up in gang wars, corporate contracts, hunting criminals, pulling off heists and staving off cyberpsychosis. We forget the dream. We forget what makes us Edgerunners.
But I’ve been watching you for a while now, and you haven’t forgotten. You keep the dream alive. You’re living it. You’ve reminded me what it means to be an Edgerunner, which is more than I can say for any of the other new talent trying to make a name for themselves in Night City. That’s why I’m reaching out to you. The names Checkmate, and I’m looking to put together a crew for a job. A big job. The kind that’ll set you up with the street cred and the eddies to jumpstart your career by a decade, at least. Find me at the Afterlife, and let’s have a chat.
Drinks are on me.

Background Lore

The world of Cyberpunk is a dystopia that focuses on individual stories of strife, hope, and personal growth. It’s a hellscape world that isn’t due to change anytime soon, and instead you learn how to survive and become the best version of yourself within it, holding on to your humanity as best you can in a world that is determined to take it from you. Sure, corpos and gangers and mercs and cops are probably going to feature as the enemies you fight mostly, but it isn’t the true enemy. The true enemy is Night City itself. The city is a metaphor for the society and very world, an abyss that’s just waiting for the chance to swallow you whole at the first opportunity. Night City is the pit where humanity goes to die, and it’s also your only true salvation because it’s where it’s at. There is no Cyberpunk without Night City, there is no humanity without Night City, there is no you without Night City. The only way to beat it is to leave it, and even those that have the opportunity often can’t bring themselves to do it.
No one ever wrote a legend about the one that walked away, after all.
The timeline of the Cyberpunk series diverges dramatically from our own around roughly the 1990s—although other divergences do occur well before then, albeit smaller in size and scope—where the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War leads to a dissemination of nuclear weapons on the black market. Coupled with a US government "deep state" called the Gang of Four, the world soon finds itself in the midst of an economic crisis and the Collapse. Proxy wars, trade wars, and a resurgent Europe butt against the prevailing US world order. Eventually, brief nuclear exchanges and biological warfare around the globe cause the gradual decline of Western civilization. Societies collapse and many governments either dissolve or are reduced to reactionary, petty authoritarian states.
In the chaos, corporations fill the vacuum of power amidst a collapsing social order. Technological advances, unbridled from government oversight or ethical limitations, lead to hundreds of new inventions. As time wears on, some corporations become as powerful as the countries they are housed in. Ultimately, four corporate wars have occurred by 2023, each one becoming more overt and deadly than the last. The infamous Fourth Corporate War was brought to an end by the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the heart of Night City. The years that followed until 2045, the Time of the Red, were a period of global reconstruction as corporations and governments alike tried to recover from unparalleled economic and environmental damage. Lawlessness, chaos and technology. This is the world of Cyberpunk.

What is Forgotten Dreams?

This roleplay is all about the Edge. The Edge is the idea that Cyberpunks/Edgerunners live and die by, which is always going forward. Never compromising yourself, never bowing down, never allowing the authority and the corpos and the world to step on you. It means the fastest cars, the most in clothes, the best cyberware, the most deadly guns, and being cool and reputable. It means living your life by the idea that you are going to be a legend, a Street Samurai that lives on forever by the badass deeds they accomplish and the people they touch.
But as the saying goes, no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, and living life on the Edge comes with its risks for you and those around you. Night City is a violent place, even before it got nuked. Life is expensive and death is cheap, and the eddies don’t trickle down unless you take them. It's easy to lose sight of the dream, lose sight of the Edge.
You will be taken on a journey that will test you physically, emotionally, and psychologically. You will see the best and worst Night City has to offer in a time when chaos is the rule of day and stability is a long forgotten memory. You will experience action, intrigue, mysteries, romance, betrayal, and more. But be warned because once you start straddling the Edge, there's no getting off again.

How Do I Apply?

If you are interested in going on this adventure with me, then what you have to do is the following:

1. Send me a PM with 'Forgotten Dreams' in the subject line. I will not respond to any chats sent my way unless they are requests for a PM first for whatever reason as I just don't like the chat system here.
2. Tell me what I should call you, a fun fact about yourself, and your likes and dislikes in storytelling, especially your hard limits. I am a writer interested in very dark themes and smut, and part of that means knowing where I need to stop for you.
3. Give me a basic character idea and a writing sample. It doesn't have to be very long, but the more complex and detailed the better chance of securing the writing spot. The writing sample should be a short narrative about your character receiving Checkmate's message and how they react to it.
4. Finally, really sell yourself as a partner to me. I'm only looking for a single partner on this idea, and I'm going to be very picky about it.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Lets start by saying that despite having used proxmox for years, I'm not really good at it. I have a basic setup made from consumer grade hardware. An Athlon X4 860k processor and 16Gigs of ddr3 RAM, no GPU. It has a couple CTs, one with nginx reverse proxy, one with nextcloud, a couple others from time to time.
My big tower computer just gave up the gost. I'm looking at buying a small intel NUC or equivalent to replace it. I was wondering how feasible it would be to use that NUC only as a thin client to connect through RDP or something similar to Windows sessions on my proxmox server. One session for my wife, one for me.
Couple questions about that idea. 1. What would I need to setup virtual sessions like this? Windows server? Is there a not too expensive way to do this when you don't need an enterprise setup? 2. Is my proxmox server even powerful enough to consider this setup? Both sessions would never be running at the same time. If just adding a GPU to make it work is enough that's definitely in my reach. 3. How would one synchronize nextcloud data with those virtual sessions, having it sync all the data seems like useless duplication of data since it would all be stored on the same proxmox server? But I would still like to have that nextcloud data available on the sessions, maybe a network drive? I can't go completely to network drives because I use nextcloud a lot to share my data with friends, access my data from outside my house, on my phone etc. 4. Could the same be done for a linux session because while my wife prefers windows, I prefer linux and would spend most of my time on that NUC on linux given the choice.

Hello all! Before my post itself, I would like to clarify a couple of things: (Feel free to skip for the "meat and potatoes")

1. I do not believe that the 2024 election is unimportant. I believe that it is not the election that will decide on the survival of American democracy, nor do I think such will be decided in an election at all. Instead, I believe the true fight would be to resist the calls of a compelling orator, either from the far right or left, that much is currently undecided. The larger point is that the campaign that such a potential threat would run would merge bipartisan issues into a single ticket, while isolating an "other". This is not as outlandish as I believe people currently think.
   
2. I do not believe that the oppression of minorities and the disenfranchised in this country under the wrong administration is trivial. I am arguing exclusively in regard to the common association with 1933 and the fall of democracy in the US.
   
3. This is incredibly important. In undergraduate, I extensively did research on and took several courses on the fall of Weimar Germany, and the factors that allowed for the rise of Adolf Hitler, all in the course of a degree of Political Science. I continued this education through my Law School career, which I have now finished. Some of this involved reading horrific books, either depicting Nazi atrocities, or Main Kampf itself, and its lesser known sequel. NONE of this means I will ever be sympathetic toward those horrific people, and their horrific policies. I believe it was a poignant education, one that teaches of the fragility of Democracy, and the power of a competent orator appealing to the downtrodden. Learning history to avoid its repetition.
   
4. Nothing here represents my political views, which I choose to keep completely separate from the discussion at hand. There is no point in this context to go into personal politics, this is exclusively a writing on a specific argument regarding the risks to American Democracy. If someone wants to ask about my personal ideas, go ahead, but that is separate from this discussion. This is a warning and prediction regarding the future of the US, if we allow the present to cloud over long-term risks.
   
5. I do not endorse or support former president and candidate Donald Trump by downplaying his threat to democracy. I stand by the belief that he is too divisive to be such, and that, if elected, he would be completely unable to seize the organs of state from the democratic process, nor will he be able to trounce the balance of powers. Let us say he fills every executive position with competent "yes men" who will work towards these ends, and has a simple majority in all branches. What can he do? Will he impeach every member of the opposition using the justice department and trumped up charges, while the SC remains enigmatically loyal to his decisions no matter the consequence? Can he wrest control over a FBI and CIA that clearly are his political adversaries? How will he circumvent the hatred held by the bottom of the governmental pyramid, those he simply cannot replace at will? In the US, I firmly believe that it would take a bipartisan support group to allow for an internal takeover. Does this mean civil war is impossible? No, in fact it is likely more likely. But this is regarding 1933 comparisons, and so operates on the presumption that there will be an internal seizure over the organs of state, eventuating in the Constitution itself being rewritten to reframe the United States as a dictatorship centered on the President. The question of a prospective civil war and its result is a completely different conversation, and would less reflect 1933 and more other internal conflicts throughout history.
   

With all of that aside, here is my argument:
The German elections of 33 were already completely doomed at the time, there was no escaping the fascist trap by then. The left had crippled itself before the election through infighting, the Stalinist communist party actually despised the social democrats (the SPD) more than the Nazis. There was a push for Hindenburg for this reason, and every party wanted authoritarianism already. Hindenburg was a monarchist, the SPD leadership wanted a dictatorship or would have nominated one to the presidency, the Communists wanted to join the Stalinist sphere, and the Nazis go without saying. All this to say that the current election is nowhere near that bad, and no Trump cannot become dictator in this term. Maybe if he rallied 66% of Congress and the population, a real fear if he was deadly effective in speaking, rhetoric, and had a previously clean record. Given the failings of the Democrats to actually work as a party for the people, a Hitler in Trump's shoes would have destroyed the Democrats, and likely would have succeeded by 2024 in removing democracy from the USA.
You see, Hitler would have had a cadre of like minded, loyal and effective individuals to spearhead his administration. He would not be mired in the same controversy, the warnings on authoritarianism would be the same, but without the outlandish remarks every other day like from senile Trump. He would likely point to the illegal immigrants as the problem, or god forbid the Jews again, given that Palestine and this crisis would be fertile grounds to stoke anti-semitism in the modern day. There would be no hush money or real estate manipulation, but there would probably be a January 6th (beer hall Putsch). he would expertly handle himself through these situations, and work far harder to sell the fact that the establishment is out to get him. He would appeal to everyone outside of his target "enemy" group, so he would work hard to appeal to all races in the US, would absolutely work alongside islamism and black supremacists for example to further his cause. Finally, the Democrats of this year would not hold a candle to such an orator and populist. Biden would literally be a modern Hindenburg, if not worse, as his mental state is far too declined to effectively debate and combat such a person. Infighting in the Dems would be far worse, as the tensions between radical leftists and more classical liberals would be exasterbated in the fact of this issue. Worse, is that Hitler was anti-globalist, a popular position today, and would not desire foreign conflict--this might sound oxymoronic given the man we know. A Hitler in the US would not see the point to war, not when the USA has the territorial means to sustain itself. He wanted self-sustaining autarkic economic spheres by the major powers in the world, and noted the US already had one. So isolationism would fit the bill here. If reborn into an American, he would have subverted and destroyed our democracy by 2024, of this I am certain. This is to say that we can still vote and decide our nation's future. It is to say that Trump is old and incompetent, and could not achieve half of what Hitler did. This is a practice run for our democracy, a litmus test to see if we can withstand the young, motivated, expert orator fascists/authoritarians of the future. This needs to be a wake up call to the Democrat party, that acts as if elections are to be taken for granted, where the American people must endure a line of those who feel entitled to the presidency because it is "their turn".
The next Trump will have very little in common with him. They will be younger, have a spotless record, and a coherent policy. They will have a cadre of like minded, competent allies. They WILL be far better at courting the working class, and the disenfranchised. They will NOT make the mistake of alienating more groups than one or two set targets. They will be inclusive towards popular groups and issues, they will work closely with minority citizens, LGBTQ activists, and more as the "American vision". People are already fed up with rampant illegal immigration, and with the Israel-Palestine crisis on BOTH sides of the spectrum, this would not be a divisive area to direct lethal hatred. The appeal of isolationism and a self-sufficient USA is not despised on both sides. The battle over abortion would be an easy path towards euthanization, as part of an extreme pro-abortion position, one that would seek to lower children from illegal families, and those with genetic deformities. Don't believe me? Iceland already does this with down syndrome children in the modern day, and abortion being promoted in illegal families is no stretch, believe me. You all see 1933, I see 1920s Weimar Germany. Our path is not set in stone, but the hallmark signs of an impending 1933 are clear as day to me. So many of the issues people see as impending fascism are pointed in the wrong direction, and the bipartisan issues and climate already exists for an evil, competent person to take votes from both sides in their own movement. The Beer Hall Putsch occurred in 1923, a full 10 years before the Nazi takeover of state. January 6th happened 3 years ago. The timing is no coincidence. The fascists needed 10 years to solidify the leadership needed for a takeover, I fully believe this is happening as we speak right now. 2024 is not the election where I think democracy will crumble in the United States, 2032 is. Be ready and vigilant Americans!
TL;DR: If 1933 is to repeat itself in the US, 2032 (99 years later!) will be the more likely date for it's occurrence. The assumption that the 2024 election resembles 1933 is wrong on several counts, but I focused on two major ones. One, the 1933 election is widely regarded to be a "doomed" election, as in no matter the result, democracy would have fallen in the 1930s fr Germany. I do not capture all of the nuance here in my expedited explanation, but feel free to ask if you would like to know more. And two, more importantly, the individual that seeks to end American Democracy would be far more uniting, and dangerous than Donald Trump. It is satisfying to label his populist platform as "fascist", but that does not effectively capture the strength and competency of his movement, something of an important distinction. A fascist can very easily include every major group in the United States, and has no need to isolate from within when, as I mentioned, there are stigmatized groups that are becoming less popular with both sides of the aisle. This is all, of course, just food for thought, I am not an oracle, and while educated I am no master of the subject matter.
If you believe I am wrong about this and that, please let me know in the comments. I do not expect to be right about anything, I am open to differences in opinion. I am here to talk to people, not argue or anything else of that matter. Honestly, I used to have close friends who are no longer with me that would have spoken for hours about this subject or that, I miss them, and am probably just trying to emulate what I have here with you all. It is poor proxy, but why not be clear about my reasoning for everything. Thanks for reading!

I am here for phase 2 of the thesis. Let's take a step back.
I came here initially for a short squeeze (I mean fuck, look at my username), as the 99% majority here did - which was fraudulently stopped.
3 years later, we are still here with the continued prospect - but no guarantee - of a short squeeze after reading hours of DD, DRSing, knowing the sideway charts guy, the german guy, the ape historian, going through tons of lows, highs, fuckery, illegal crime, MSM headlines and a million other things.
We had a solid ramp up after a long while, cryptic tweets from RoaringKitty and eventual confirmation that he had bought a fucking shit load of 120k call options that he personally believe would be ITM @ $20< by June 21. I mean, you don't buy options to lose money.
It felt like 2021 again, and everyone - or at least I - felt the fucking adrenaline in my veins.
Was this it?
Let's go over some facts first; no emotions.
Note where the word board is used as opposed to RC, as there is a difference between them.

1. The board is not RC, and RC is not the board. There are only a handful of decisions that RC can make on his own.
2. It seems that the board has stopped yet another gamma ramp last minute.
3. The board has done a dilution twice - with the second dilution being a very specific close number to the number we have DRSd.
4. The board has seemingly said a big 'fuck you' to the thesis of DRS locking up the shares. Dilution is not good for a short squeeze, and factually harms DRS's efforts. It is up to you, as an individual investor, to re-evaluate the DRS thesis and see if it is still applicable for your investment.
5. The board would be aiming for around a war chest of $4,000,000,000, increasing the share's intrinsic floor. This is good for all stockholders.
6. We do not know why the board timed it at the current point in time.
7. We do not know why the board is aiming to raise more money, but the money in one way or another would be used for GameStop so this is good for the company.
8. The board could have delayed the dilution, but didn't - we do not know why.
9. We do know that what the board done has done would not be beneficial for a short squeeze, at least in the short term. There is no need to call anyone a sh*ll for that, or brainwash yourself into it.
10. RC is a billionaire already, yes, but in terms of proportions - he has a significant amount of skin in the game.

RC has signed up to do all he can to ultimate drive long-term stockholder value creation.
The board has also signed up to do all they can for long-term stockholder value creation (though they have less skin in the game).
Nor RC or the board have signed up to do all they can for a short squeeze, which would also not align with fundamentals, for the stock of a company they are running.
Read those lines again.
RC and the board were never here to give you a short squeeze. If anything, that harms the stock long term as the increased volatility keeps out institutional investors. Just because me (and you?) initially bought GME for a squeeze does not mean that we have the right to hold the board accountable to creating the conditions for a short squeeze.
We are at a cross roads:

1. Individuals that are here purely for a short squeeze, with no interest in the company fundamentals or the long-term plan of the company: paid by HFs to share negative sentiment, a newbie or an OG ape who is letting negativity get to them, there seems to be a lot of this sentiment.
2. Individuals that were here for a short squeeze / have had prior holdings, and now see better fundamentals for the stock as a potential lighter for a short squeeze - but if that doesn't happen, they are investing for a promised turnaround of the company. A turnaround because even GameStop themselves understand that the world is changing; their reports show that the company's leadership is not oblivious.

If you are in the first camp, let me put your mind at ease - the board will not go out of their way to give you a short squeeze. You will also not get rich in the next 5 days. Factually, from what the chart shows, a short squeeze was 'done' in 2021 and a future prospect of it has been diminished by further dilution. Continue your investment at your own risk, sell the stock, or even short the stock. You can stop reading.
If you are in the second camp like me and RK, then ignore all the noise and reaffirm why you are invested in GameStop.
The core short thesis still applies, but in a smaller capacity. The thesis was betting on a weak leadership with no money and no turnaround plans.
We have strong leadership, 1B$+ and vague turnaround plans - this is why the market can continue to short GameStop. They are betting on the plans failing How do we get better plans? More money. Money drives everything and is what provides the management board with air cover.
I agree with what RK said in his stream:

1. 'There is no real game-plan'. The game plan is to be determined by the board, not by me, you or RK.
2. 'Ryan Cohen and his crew are what folks should be focused on' - all eyes now on the board.
3. 'I believe this guy' (Ryan Cohen) - me too.
4. 'Now it’s all about the transformation'
5. 'The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence'
6. “You could lose it all... you could lose everything.” - Do I deem it likely? No if you've been averaging down. Should you invest 90% of your income into GME when you have 3 kids? I personally wouldn't. Have I got 90% of my expendable income in GME? Yes. Is that my choice? Yes.

The high-level short thesis went out the door with the first billion, yes - GameStop is not going to go bankrupt today, tomorrow, next year or even for the next 5. But the board must continue to work on the long thesis.
A company can be unprofitable even with no shorts.
I want my money in a company that not only shorts are scared to short, but that also attracts investors that care about its longterm growth and go long on it.
Could the board give us more updates? Yeah, I think they could.
Do I think they're not giving us updates because they don't know how to? No.
Do I think they're not giving us updates because they don't have plans? No.
Why are they not giving us any updates yet? The board knows.
Do I trust the board? Yes.
Why?
Answer lies in the 2024 Proxy Statement: We strongly encourage stockholders to read the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” the compensation tables and the accompanying narrative disclosures in this Proxy Statement which discuss in greater detail the compensation of our executive officers, the Company’s compensation philosophy and the factors that the Compensation Committee considered in making compensation decisions.
Did you read it?
In 2021, we redesigned our compensation program to ensure that the program is aligned with long-term stockholder value creation*.*
Compensation awards should be based on the fundamental principle of aligning the long-term interests of our employees with those of our stockholders.
To the extent the Company succeeds in achieving our business strategy, our executives will be rewarded through stock price appreciation; however, failure to achieve our strategy and deliver sustainable stockholder value creation will lead to an erosion of realized pay to our executives.
Mr. Cohen has declined a base salary. Mr. Cohen has declined all forms of cash bonuses. Mr. Cohen has declined all forms of equity compensation. Mr. Cohen therefore only benefits to the extent his existing investment in the Company appreciates and is therefore uniquely situated to drive stockholder value. No awards were granted to Mr. Cohen... in fiscal 2023.
I continue to have faith in my investment in the stock of a company with:

• a skilled, experience management board whom are compensated when I am also compensated
• billions of dollars available for use by the board
• a board that knows when to take risks and cut losses when the risk does not work out i.e. NFT marketplace
• improving financials year on year, making the right economic decisions in line with industry trends
• current strategic goals that I agree with: Establish Omnichannel Retail Excellence, Achieve Profitability and Leverage Brand Equity to Support Growth
• a president that has the largest stake in the game, prior experience in retail, not afraid to make big changes in the board and has a proven track record of leading change
• a fantastic level of insider stock ownership

I will re-evaluate my investment if:

• the board raises more money and does not provide suitable communication regarding their plans by latest FY25 Annual Report - I will reach out to the secretary if I wish to speak to Ryan Cohen as a shareholder
• RK applies to be on the management board of GameStop
• GameStop fails to demonstrate progress towards a transformation over a <3 year period.

I liked the stock, and now I like the company. It is now on the management board to deliver on their vision of long-term stockholder value creation.
I'm sorry but I, personally, no longer am focusing on a short squeeze as my primary target; the ultimate MOAS is no shorts due to a ever-profitable company that makes any short position in it laughable and any long position in the company a guaranteed given in any decent portfolio. Shorts have not closed and I think the only way they'll close is an irrefutable turnaround of the company.
If you are here just for a squeeze, then yeah - I don't think you'll like the board or the next few years.
I am here for phase 2 of the thesis.
(No financial advice, usual disclaimers etc. etc.)

First off, I am not an anime guy. I've tried to watch a few socially with friends, but I found I don't like the Japanese humor, the character tropes, sexualization, or stylizations. The few I can say I really liked was Jin-Roh, Ergo Proxy, and GITS SAC. That being said, against my better judgement I went out on a limb and decided I'd try one of these slice-of-life animes, so that's exactly what I googled and Your Lie in April was the first result. With no other information I started watching it, and completed it over this last week.
Not gonna lie, for a grown man, Your Lie in April kinda fucked me up. I've worked on Oncology wards and in emergency medicine for many years and have developed a pretty good ability to compartmentalize the emotions and keep them tucked away. One occasion that sticks with me was the time I took a girl, not much older than the kids in the show, into the trauma room after she had collapsed in the reception area of the emergency department. We worked on her for hours trying to stabilize her, bouncing back and forth between cardiac arrest and rosc, but ultimately she died. Turns out she had been septic for like 2 weeks so there wasn't much that could've been done at that point because of the organ failure. But we didn't know that at the time. I also drew the short stick and had to break the news to the family, which had arrived after contacting them and had been waiting in a separate room. After that I took her to the morgue in the basement of the hospital, took five minutes to collect my thoughts, and went back to work. This show brought a lot of those repressed emotions back to the surface unexpectedly, and I have to say, as stupid as it sounds for a show about music recitals and melodramatic 14yr olds, it was sort of healing.
The themes of unreciprocated love and the shaping of identity among friends was cheesy, but not outside the realm of reality for those at that age. I know when I was an adolescent, those feelings were so new and raw that I thought it was the end of the world when I faced difficulties like moving away, or losing friends, or confessing my feelings for someone. But the show was also balanced out with the very real and very relatable experiences of letting go of someone, finding closure, and learning to appreciate the experiences you've had with someone above the sadness over lost future experiences with them. I read pretty well inbetween the lines and saw the foreshadowing for Kaori early on, but I kept thinking that somehow it was gonna work out by the power of love or music or whatever. Sadly, but respectably, the writer didn't go that route. Instead opting to express the bitterness and sadness of reality, but that it's all part of the melody of life. Whether alone, or accompanying another, you are the musician of your life and your experiences dictate the music that is played, and regardless of the harmony or dissonance, the happiness or sadness of the melody, it is still a beautiful experience to let be heard, instead of stopping and sitting in silence.
Anyway, I know a lot of you guys like the show, and I thought I would add my two cents to the bank of appreciation that people have expressed about it. I thought the people involved did a phenomenal job. I'm gonna listen to the commentary on next go around. What were you experiences the first time you watched the show, good/bad? Is there anything you would've changed? I could've done without that little sister character, but that's beside the point lol

Hi ! Sorry it this post is too complicated or specific, I didn't find the answer anywhere no matter which fix I tried.
So: I'm going back to play FO3, and I'm modding it again. But I can't seem to make it work with an ENB, because of my graphic card. Explanation:

• I'm using the 1.7.0.3 version, at least that's what's saying my .exe details. (And when I try the downgrader Anniversary Patch, it doesn't work, so, guess I won't.)
  
• I need to launch the game through MO2 and FOSE (and unofficial patch and other basic modded requirements, but they are all necessary for other mods and I know they don't concern my proble here). My computer uses an AMD RX 5700 XT as a graphic card, and Intel (AMD) cards are known to make the game crash on "New game" selection. And indeed, it does.
  
• So I use a d3d9.dll fix I got here to simulate another graphic card in fallout parameters at launch (from what I gathered). And I also use this to disable GFWL. It works, my game starts.
  
• Continuing my modding, I install the ENB I want, which is Midhrastic's, with the v0118 of ENB as specified. But here's my problem: ENBs use d3d9.dll file as well. Nevertheless I install it by replacing the file, but as expected, the game crashes again at "New Game" selection.
  

I tried many things, disabled compatibility modes/admin mode on all executables, verified I checked Archive Invalidation, tried the last version of ENB, and many other tips I found on forums that I can't remember right now, but nothing.
But I found someone with a similar problem on Skyrim, that wanted to use a mod using d3d9.dll file alongside an ENB, and they wanted to fix it by calling several .dll files as ProxyLibraries in the ENBseries.INI file. They eventually got another way to make it work (one specific to their mods, essentially a workaround I can't reproduce), and never got to do this multiple Proxy call.
SO I'm asking this:
TL;DR: Do you know how to call multiple .dll files as ProxyLibraries in ENBseries.INI file? Or, better, do you know another way on FO3 to make ENBs work on an Intel/AMD graphic card (which crashes on new game, which is a common problem)?

• New build or upgrade? This would be a new build where I am starting from scratch and buying all the parts except for the monitors.
• Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links) No existing parts in terms of the PC build.
• PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games) The purposes of this PC would be for video editing and gaming. Video editing takes priority, but I am looking for something that can do both very well.
For video editing, I work in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. I primarily work with 4K/6K footage (BRAW and ARRIRAW), typically off of an external HDD. I use a Proxy workflow for assembly, but I would be working with the full res footage for coloring.
For gaming, I am looking for something that can smoothly run new AAA titles at 60fps or higher with little to no hiccups. Specifically Call of Duty, Rockstar Games such as RDR2, and other similar titles.
• Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If not US, list local vendors) I am located in the US and am near a Micro Center.
• Monitors needed? Monitors are not needed as part of this build (my priority is to build the PC first and use the monitors I have and then upgrade monitors later).
• Budget range? Preferred budget is between $1000-1500, but could go as much as $2000 if necessary. I am also willing to shop for one over the course of 3-6 months to get the best prices on the parts during deals/sales.
• WiFi or wired Connection? Either. I can work with both.
• Size/Noise Constraints? Quieter the better, but if it needs to be loud to do what I need it to do, then so be it.
• ColoLighting Preferences? None
• Any other specific needs? My issue with my current computer (Dell XPS 15 Laptop, Intel Core i7-9750H Processor, 32GB Memory + 1TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650) is that Premiere Pro tends to run unbelievably chuggy after about an hour of use and becomes basically unusable with how slow it runs. Games also do not run particularly well on it, I have had issues with games as low usage as Lethal Company. Fixing these issues is a MUST with this new build.
I would like to have an internal 2TB SSD inside of it. If possible, I would like at least 8-10 active USB ports on it (I have a LOT of external storage and devices, even ~10 active ports would most likely require me to use an additional USB hub).

My guesses for the 4 future paths we get for TB down the line. I am going to try and include the situation around how we will get the paths as well as the unique mechanics of how it will work. None of this is in any particular order.
This is all just me taking pot shots because I find this stiff find, don't take any of it seriously.

Nihility, Wind

I believe this will be the culmination of Blade's storyline. Acheron's talk of how she guides others on meaningless paths got me thinking a lot on Blade's situation and I'm starting to believe that he is on one such path. His crusade against Dan Feng is already over, the man is very much dead, but Dan Heng is the closest proxy he can get for his anger outlet. While yes they do share certain traits, Dan Heng is fighting hard for this life of his.
I believe Blade will start to realize his rage means nothing, albeit it will be a slowly and highly painful process (for everyone). He will start to fall into Nihility. I think the TB will try and pull him out, ya know, because we're the protagonist and that's our job. Somewhere along the line he dies, either fulfilled or because we fail, and we get our new path.
The hilt of Blade's shattered sword, now forever broken. The mechanic will probably a "Death Blossom" effect, which will show up similar to Ruan Mei's effect with the flower above the enemies heads. The effect will store a portion of all damage dealt and deal it again as a DoT.
This is probably least likely prediction, but I think it'd be cool.

Hunt, Quantum

The Hunt is all about the elimination of The Abundance's abominations at all costs, at any price. I think we're gonna have to pay that price.
Given Lan's connection to the Xianzhou, it will most likely happen on one of the ships, fighting the disciples of Sanctus Medicus. To be blunt, someone we know will become marastruck. We are going to search and search for a cure to help them to no success because that is a fundamental point of this disease. And we will be forced to mercy kill them.
This will grab Lan's attention, and we will be granted the will of The Hunt.
We will be given a bow, because that's sort of Lan's whole thing. With The Hunt's focus on speed and single target damage, I think the special effect will be some sort of stacking basic attack. Every time you attack the same enemy with your basic attack, they gain a stack of "Quantum Arrow". For every stack they have, your basic attack damage will trigger again when they are hit. TB's skill will either be a basic attack enhancement or something that consumes all stacks for high burst damage.

Erudition, Lightning

First off, being noticed by Nous means we will become a member of the Genius Society, which is objectively hilarious. It's not that I even think that's out of character for TB, because they are by all means very intelligent. TB is also just a massive goofball that it's kinda hidden.
Nous is a machine, an artificially created Aeon. And while we have very limited information on the implications, I think this means TB will physically meet Nous at one point. I don't have enough information to say exactly what will go down, perhaps this will be the point where we get the death of an Aeon as Nanook begins his rampage across the stars.
I have 2 different ideas on what abilities TB will get. 1st idea is that of having multiple summon companion (like Numby or Lightning-Lord) each tied to one of the TB's basic attack, skill, and ultimate. These summons will be robots of various sizes and shapes that we most likely got to know across the story much like Clockie.
2nd idea is that of scanning and copying a teammate. Very simple, TB's ultimate basically allows for you to double up on a character for a limited number of turns. Really need those shields? Double Aventurine. Want to give Ratio his dream of making out with himself? Go for it.
And that just leaves...

Abundance, Ice

Really just here because that's the last combo, but it does make thematic sense. While Preservation was the fire that refuses go out in the storm, Abundance is the life that refuses to yield. No clue as to the situation beyond the basic thematic relevance.
TB will get some druid type power, plant control and the like. The effect will be some sort of overheal, perhaps being able to heal over max HP or applying shields (JESUS FUCK a spider went down from the ceiling and almost landed on my hand while typing).
Anyway yeah not much to say about this one.
Again, these are just my own thoughts that probably won't happen.

Use this thread to promote yourself and/or your work!
(Descriptions of fictional crimes investigated by the story's main Character Max.)
Detective's Fate
It's august of 2008.....
Max is a detective living in Chicago He checks his pistol and puts on his police badge as he walks out his front door.
He has been searching for a serial killer known as the Caller for years and always been one step behind due to the red tape.....
More importantly the chief's lazy attitude towards getting search warrants and actions approved by the courts for raids. Twice Max had good intel on the suspect's locations and photo evidence showing him at the sites.
The department needs more vigilant, caring officers and leaders but no one steps up to do it, instead they just complain about the slow progress and officers. And hinder investigations.
Now Max has decided that it might be time to stop playing by the rules and catch this scumbag.... .... ....
Starting his car Max sets his GPS to the address that "The Caller" was last seen and pulls out of his driveway as the 50 miles of directions pop up.
The killer's nickname being for his signature of calling in as he is committing the crime.
As he drives he remembers his first case, five years ago now..... ..... .....
A woman, Joane Taylor, was found dead in an alleyway after going out for the night. She showed no signs of struggle leading the police to believe she had drank to much and expired from alcohol poisoning.... ...
The death was written off as a "party gone wrong".... That is until several more were found and the coroner decided on a whim to test for other substances.
Once it came out that the deaths were possible murders...
The calls started coming in, almost like the suspect wanted credit before revealing himself....
Then ways of the deaths began changing as the Serial Killer explored his twisted desires searching for his preferred method.
The last case being a young woman found stuffed in a dumpster after the killer apparently got scared off.... Max will never forget it.... .... ....
The GPS finishes and the car beeps its final direction, taking an exit off the highway. Ramps out here are always confusing... Which is funny since he has driven this one for five years now...
The chief says he should sit this one out but he can't... The latest victim 3 months ago.
Marie Spelner, a waitress out on her smoke break talking to her spouse on the phone.
Survived by her husband, no children or living relatives. ....
Max Spelner turns into the driveway of the house he was directed to... Stepping out of the car he walks up and knocks on the door. Looking at the house he knows the family must be doing well if they live here.... Raising his hand to knock again he hears a scream from inside....
A second later the door is answered by a middle aged butler holding a tray with wine glasses on it... "Hello Sir, I'm sorry but this house does not wish to partake in any offers at this time..."
Max calmly says. "I'm not selling anything."
The butler looks confused for a moment before his eyes dart over Max's shoulder seeing his unmarked cruiser and he nods.
Looking past the butler Max sees that a woman is cleaning up after their dog.
"Have you seen this man?" Says Max holds up a picture of the one suspected of being the killer.
The butler gives it a once over before replying. "I'm sorry sir, no I have not." His tone sounds like he is lying... ....
"Are you sure?" The detective asks.
"I would not lie about something like that, sir." He states, his eyes not meeting Max's.
The woman calls from inside "Fletcher, who are you talking too?"
"Some man asking about a killer" he calls back.
"The killer is an inside job!" The woman quickly states.
"What?!" Max says.
"The Killer, it's an inside job." She says again, louder this time. In the same Max also hears a child begin to cry in another room.
"We should start from the beginning, it will be easier to explain trust me." The woman says.
'She seems to know what is going on....
"How do I know your story holds water?" He asks out loud.
"Oh I wouldn't lie. I have been following the case myself and it seems like an inside job to me." She states, somehow sounding hurt.
"Is there anyone else in the house besides you two and the baby?" He asks noticing the baby isn't crying anymore.
"Just Fletcher and I live here, the baby is my cousins but he just stays the night sometimes." She replies.
Max draws his gun and enters the house upon reasonable suspicion of an emergency in progress or suspect on the premisses as the man seems to be deceiving.
While the woman still seems unconcerned that the child is now silent.
He pushes past the butler and rushes towards the area he heard the crying. passes the entryway, the dinning room, and a kitchen before finally finding a child in a playpen.
"There there..." He says in a sing song voice picking up the child. "I'm officer Max, do you know where your mommy is?"
The child just cries louder.
Then he sees the man from the photo walk out of the bathroom, upon seeing him he bolts for the door and Max sets the child down gently then gives chase.
He runs through the house, following the man as he can hear the woman screaming at him to stop but he doesn't."
"Stop or I'll shoot." The man doesn't even break stride.
Instead he runs out of the front door and jumps into his car.
Furious that the man might escape he fires at the car as it drives away.
The back window shatters and he hopes he got his tire, but he doesn't wait to find out as he runs to his car and initiates a pursuit....
He flips on his concealed lights in his cruiser as he reverses down the drive and into the street.
The suspects car is fast but he manages to keep up with it weaving in and out of traffic as people move over for the siren.
As they approach a red light there is heavy traffic in the intersection..... ....
The suspect slams on his brakes and Max's cruiser only just stops short of hitting it. Jumping out the Detective points his firearm at the vehicle running up beside seeing heavily tinted windows.
"Get out of the car and on the ground now!!" He shouts as he moves to the driver's side door.
After seeing no response....
Max throws open the door and the driver is gone with the passenger side open.
He quickly runs to the other side catching the man trying to sneak off tackling him to the ground and then takes his arms putting them behind his back.
Max grabs his radio and calls it in as the man cries.
As he is waiting he hears a noise that sounds like static.....
"Wrong guy moron.. Did you ever stop to think I wanted you close for this one. That I planned everything...Even framing the pothead..... I almost lost interest until you pulled in the driveway... The attic is kinda cramped tho... I think I'll go carve some meat. Maybe graduate to other things to. I'm not sure yet. Lets see if you can catch me before......" A familiar voice says over the radio then cuts off... ...
Max looks at the man on the ground. "Why did you run from me?" He asks.
"Cause I have like 19 grams of marijuana in my pocket." He replies...
"Do you know how stupid that is?! I don't care about that I'm looking for a killer."
Before he can answer Max hears the woman from the house screaming for her life and a child's cries on his radio.
Then from below Max. "He's in the house, he's in the house! My mom and the baby!" The man on the ground says crying.
Max uncuffs him and runs to his car heading back to the house as he lays down rubber on the road... ... ...
As he approaches and pulls into the driveway he notices the front door is open.
"Hold on I'm coming!" Max screams jumping out of his cruiser...
He runs into the house finding the woman's body arriving too late. Moving over to her he checks for a pulse but she is gone, a large gash in her neck.
As he stands up he slips in a fluid but gains his balance and tries not to think about what it is....
He rushes to the room the baby was in finding the play pen empty. He leaves the room searching the rest of the house and still doesn't find the child.
"Where are you!!!" He calls out....
"This is the Callers first kidnapping and the media would eat up the fact I failed to stop the man." He thinks as he blames himself.
Sirens begin to blare in the distance as backup is about to arrive... ... ...
"There's a woman dead and a baby missing! The woman is in the dinning room straight ahead of the front door, Hurry!" He yells into his radio...
Looking over at the mother seeing a piece of paper on the floor.
He walks over to it seeing writing.
"So close... Looks like I'm a kidnapper now.... Good luck finding me.... And... I so enjoyed killing that sweet wife of yours. Might do it that way again. Not to the kid tho....later Max. Ps. This game is so fun.." It says.
"He was here..." Is all he can muster as the team enters.
"He was right in this house and I missed it because her son freaked over weed and ran..." He says as another officer speaks to him gently.
"Don't beat yourself up Detective, it's not your fault. He must have hid before you got her and left after you arrived." The words do little to comfort him "First day back on the job and the killer escaped taking a child..." He says as he walks away.
The chief arrives in his new lexus with a screeching of rubber as he lurches to a halt.
He quickly exits and leaves his door hanging open as he rushes into Max's face....
"I told you to stay away from this case MAX!!!!....(takes a breath)...
"If I catch any flak from my superiors, I won't suspend you.... That'd be to easy. Desk duty and an entry level demotion. The new guy will have a higher rank than you if things go my way.... Now get outta my sight...". "(Sighs)...
"This job is gonna be the death of me..." He says walking away from Max and towards the Coroner's van..... ..... .....
On the way home the detective stops by the store close to his house which is unlike him because he usually follows the same routine.
He nears the front door and he hears a kitchen timer ding loudly from behind him as his car explodes throwing him through the storefront windows as they are blown out..... .....
Alarms around the lot and others nearby create a cacophony of noise. His head pounding as his body aches, Max pushes himself up and collapses as the store manager runs over to him telling him not to move as he dials 911.... .... ....
Waking in the hospital Max recalls the feeling of the Shockwave as he flinches in phantom pain.
"Who woulda thought its like holding a ringing metal bat that hurts your hands but all over and way more intense." He thinks.
He suddenly feels tired and falls asleep.... .... .... ....
The next time he wakes, he sees a breaking news story that Jane Saltani is reporting on....
"Young toddler Accidently Shoots Serial killekidnapper ending his life and Alerting residents in the Area." The news anchor says.
Sighing to himself Max thinks about how crazy that is and laughs.
Tho he really wanted to bring the guy in. He closes his eyes to get some much needed sleep as his door opens.
Max looks up to see a man with a silenced pistol pointed at him.
"Hm. Now they think I'm dead. Funny how they just assume they got the right guy. Just like.... You did Detect... ....." Max hears but then hears no more as his end comes at just over the speed of sound....
The Caller leaves the hair of another intelligent convicted murderer that he obtained in a spot that's believable and quickly leaves.....
He disables the surveillance system and sends a virus out to any device that has received video data from the hospital.
Erasing and corrupting the systems. Leaving a master hackers finger prints on a glass from his home....
"Sorry, no witnesses." He says to the security guard as he fires... ..... ..... .... ....

https://preview.redd.it/17nmkdmmsd5d1.jpg?width=717&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f74c04d794d285353bdc61476c64b0a35527675
Diary of Saint Faustina - paragraph 1242 - Supernatural Deeds
1242 My Jesus, penetrate me through and through so that I might be able to reflect You in my whole life. Divinize me so that my deeds may have supernatural value. Grant that I may have love, compassion and mercy for every soul without exception.
Saint Faustina's entry makes me wonder what these supernatural deeds are and what they really look like. I don't think she's talking about miracles because as far as I know, all miracles attributed to her took place after her death. It sounds more like she's talking about normal everyday deeds but again, what everyday deed becomes supernatural through divinization by Christ? The last line of her entry is telling, “Grant that I may have love, compassion and mercy for every soul without exception.” That line seems to speak of souls Saint Faustina bumps into day by day as she goes through life so I think she's asking Christ to inject supernatural value into her routine interactions with others.
In my part of town, that calls to mind a rising homeless population, always needing a few dollars but that doesn't actually feel so supernatural after I pry open my wallet. Too many times they just take the money and walk away from the burrito place they're panhandling in front of, straight to the liquor store two blocks away. I know my charity is “divinized” because I know how cheap I am without God, but what supernatural value does my charity have if it just goes for more beers instead of food? Does the unholy use of divinely inspired charity cancel out its supernatural holiness? I don't know that answer but I do know Christ's greater charity from the cross has been massively abused and being God, Christ foreknew that would happen but gave us His charity anyway. I've heard non Catholic Christians claiming they're already forgiven for all sin they’ll ever commit so it's okay to divorce for frivolous reasons. And in the Catholic Church, I know the sacrament of Confession is abused as a convenient escape from sins that the sinner isn't really trying to avoid. But since Christ poured out His mercy despite that kind of abuse, I assume we're all supposed to do likewise.
I think when Saint Faustina seeks Christ's divinization to supernaturalize her deeds, she's speaking of using deeds that are done in Christs name as a vehicle for God's supernatural level of Mercy coming into the fallen world. Not with regard to whether or not that mercy is abused but just so God's redeeming Mercy pours into this fallen realm through us, whose deeds take on Christ's supernatural nature, through His divinization of us. That seems more in line with Christ’s own work of mercy on the cross because that deed ignited an explosion of supernatural Mercy into the world, the salvific shockwaves of which are still redeeming souls to this day. If we practice even a small measure of mercy on others, in the way Saint Faustina speaks of, prayerfully and in Christ's name, we ourselves will be divinized in spirit by equal measure to our deeds in the flesh. We will become servants and givers of Divine Mercy rather than gatekeepers trying to judge the homeless man's worthiness of our charity. This is how by Christ's divinization of us, we acquire a portion of His personhood so that His thoughts become ours, and the deeds which Christ's divinization of us into, then acquire the supernatural value Saint Faustina speaks of.
Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
First Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The outflow of God's Mercy through us is of supernatural value in our spiritual lives, even if abused by the recipient because the flow of Divine Mercy through us cleanses us interiorly of self-love, and fills us supernaturally with God's outgoing love in the virtues of grace, charity and mercy. If we give a few dollars to that homeless guy, whether it goes to food or alcohol, our lesser nature becomes cleansed by the waters of Divine Mercy flowing through us. We ourselves become the ones who realize our supernatural self through Christ's divinization, leading us out of fallen self and into Christ's supernatural personhood by whatever degree our deeds measure up to.
Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
Leviticus 20: 7-8 Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy: because I am the Lord your God. Keep my precepts, and do them. I am the Lord that sanctify you.