Is manifesting a specific person to become interested in you romantically really as simple as changing your thoughts about them?
I realize the thoughts you think of yourself (self concept) also factor in, but if you have a generally good self concept, then all you need to do is watch your thoughts about the SP, switch them to thoughts of them being interested in you/contacting you/pursuing you, etc., keep repeating the new thoughts and ignore the current 3D reality?
Has anyone been successful in changing someone just by doing what I’ve said above? I guess it just seems so simple that I need reassurance 😅
Thank you so much!

Democrat candidates, stop talking about policy; it's not sexy and it doesn't arouse passion.

There is a single topic that should comprise the sum and substance of your stump speech; Trump's treason and our elected representatives who not only support it but encourage it. Although it is a matter of public record and supported by a mountain of evidence, the general public and not even MAGA has fully grasped the magnitude of it.
Trump called his acting Attorney General, Jeffrey Rosen, into the White House and instructed him to lie, to say the justice Department had concerns about the election and was going to open an investigation into it. Rosen said it wasn't true and could not do it. Trump told him if he refused, he would fire him, and replace him with a lackey, Jeffrey Clarke, who would do it.
Rosen consulted with his colleagues, returned to the white House and informed Trump he still wouldn't do it, and if Trump fired him the entire upper tier of the Justice Department, along with some of Trump's own White House lawyers, would resign en masse.
That, and only that, put an end to that scheme.
Trump's reasoning? He could use the ploy of the phony investigation to institute the Insurrection Act. This Act gives the president dictatorial powers. He planned to impound the voting machines so he could hide the legitimate results, suspend the Constitution and all civil rights, and even put federal troops on the street to quell any dissent.
Neither congress nor the Supreme Court has the power to intercede; Trump would be dictator.
This is how close we came to losing our democracy!
Trump, Eastman, Giuliani, Bannon, Clarke and a slew of others have been indicted (With some already losing their law license) and will eventually face trial. but it is the rest, the Republicans in the House and Senate who represent the real peril to our country. If not Trump, then someone else. The only way they can stay out of prison is by electing another despot.
The simple fact of the matter is, never pull a lever for any Republican, there is too much at stake!
At town halls ask Republicans about this and watch the stuttering response.
This is a story every American should know; tell it!

Democrat candidates, stop talking about policy; it's not sexy and it doesn't arouse passion.

There is a single topic that should comprise the sum and substance of your stump speech; Trump's treason and our elected representatives who not only support it but encourage it. Although it is a matter of public record and supported by a mountain of evidence, the general public and not even MAGA has fully grasped the magnitude of it.
Trump called his acting Attorney General, Jeffrey Rosen, into the White House and instructed him to lie, to say the justice Department had concerns about the election and was going to open an investigation into it. Rosen said it wasn't true and could not do it. Trump told him if he refused, he would fire him, and replace him with a lackey, Jeffrey Clarke, who would do it.
Rosen consulted with his colleagues, returned to the white House and informed Trump he still wouldn't do it, and if Trump fired him the entire upper tier of the Justice Department, along with some of Trump's own White House lawyers, would resign en masse.
That, and only that, put an end to that scheme.
Trump's reasoning? He could use the ploy of the phony investigation to institute the Insurrection Act. This Act gives the president dictatorial powers. He planned to impound the voting machines so he could hide the legitimate results, suspend the Constitution and all civil rights, and even put federal troops on the street to quell any dissent.
Neither congress nor the Supreme Court has the power to intercede; Trump would be dictator.
This is how close we came to losing our democracy!
Trump, Eastman, Giuliani, Bannon, Clarke and a slew of others have been indicted (With some already losing their law license) and will eventually face trial. but it is the rest, the Republicans in the House and Senate who represent the real peril to our country. If not Trump, then someone else. The only way they can stay out of prison is by electing another despot.
The simple fact of the matter is, never pull a lever for any Republican, there is too much at stake!
At town halls ask Republicans about this and watch the stuttering response.
This is a story every American should know; tell it!

(I know it’s a long tread but you will be rewarded with some nice songs at the end)
Hi guys, I’m not familiar with all these drum machines, synthesizers, groovebox,squencers or samplers. (These are the terms that I heard so far)
I want to start creating music but Ableton or any daw is so frustrating for me and I can’t even create loops and patterns. It’s not motivating me. So I want some toys.
Since I’m not familiar with the terms and stuff I don’t know which device is capable of doing what I want to do.
I want a device that has some built in sounds for drums, baseline. , effects (if possible) or some knobs-parameters that I can play with. of course when I’m more experienced I would like to design some sounds and be able to put them into the device.
Some devices that I came across
Elektron digitakt
Electron octatrak
Behringer rd 6
Korg volca beats
I know I can do what I want with push 2 but I don’t want to use daw in the inspiration process.
Some songs that inspire me lately
https://youtu.be/Dnic_iukrXE?si=ztw_4X69PqCw_guC
https://youtu.be/BWPDmFROIRk?si=75X1Wvp57AuHYl6m
https://youtu.be/6hFAFm-g7C4?si=u1FxEBruRo_6Ni4O
https://youtu.be/z4alXfhoqA4?si=-kDv_9dZaISzvu26
https://youtu.be/5fh_KXd18zw?si=Qr8TSiu5aV03CPIr
Edited: maybe I just need a simple drum machine that I can learn to make different patterns for different genres

Columbus’ extract has less “overt justification” than Acosta’s extract, but with some additional context Columbus’ logbook tells us a lot about Spain’s justification for seizure of indigenous land, as well as the ways in which the events of the proto-globalisation era must be interpreted from more broad a perspective than simply “the rise of the West and the decline of the rest.”
Two major factors contextualise Columbus’ voyage to the Americas – the first of which is the burgeoning power of the Ottoman Empire. The growing influence of the Ottomans disrupted and changed established trade relationships between Europe and Asia. In the early 15th century, Balkan states paying tribute the Ottomans paid a lower customs tax and had the right to travel the Black Sea, things their Christian neighbors went without. After the “fall” of Constantinople in 1453, the Genoese and the Venetians of modern-day Italy entered into beneficial capitulations (trade agreements) with the Ottomans, with France to follow in 1535.
The second factor to consider is the end of the Reconquista in 1492. By the tail-end of the 800-odd year campaign against the Muslim Kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, nascent Spain was suffering from the effects of what Oto-Peralías calls a “rapid rate-of-Reconquest”, where in essence, “...the disparity between the magnitude of the task and the precarious resources available… made it difficult to govern the Muslim population and preserve their agricultural technologies… (which) create(ed) societies with high levels of economic and political inequality…” - the effects of which are felt to this day.
With this context, even though we can’t yet see the rationale behind the seizure of the land of the native peoples of central and mainland America, we can see the rationale behind Isabella and Ferdinand’s patronage of Columbus’ voyage in the first place – the Christian Spanish needed money to keep up with their peers on the European continent, who were making in-roads to the new Asia. The potential benefits Columbus’ gamble to take a back-way to the Great Khan of Cathay and open up Asian diplomatic and trade relations of Spain's own outweighed the cost of outfitting three ships.
Columbus refers to “Your Highness’ letters to the Great Khan” in the logbook. It seems clear from the context of his references to the search for ports with “very and many large ships with many traders” and islands “of great commerce” that diplomatic trade relations were the purpose of his journey. But when he failed to find the Great Khan’s Empire, and instead found a people whose navy consisted of “small vessels which do not carry sails… canoes…” and who could be easily taken prisoner and interrogated by the crew of the Santa Maria, but nonetheless lived upon land “…rich in gold mines and pearls”, it’s easy to see how the goalposts changed.
The justification for the voyage was the opening of diplomatic ties with Asia. But the justification for the justification was the need for capital to offset the losses of the Reconquista and to keep up with the rest of Europe.
And so the eventual justification for the seizure of Indigenous land was the need to acquire resources and capital from underneath a relatively defenseless people. As they were unaligned with the political machinations of the European continent, there would be no consequences or repercussions.
In this way, we can see that the era of proto-globalisation relied not upon the West’s inexorable march to progress, but in this instance involved the confluent histories of the indigenous Central Americans that found the natural resources in the first place, and also the influence of the Turkic people of the Anatolian peninsula, and also the influence of the Moorish people of the Iberian peninsula.

eFootball gameplay seem to be going in a bad direction for the past months. To much AI defending/assistance/game balancing, game adding input lag, interceptions, poor passing, fouls not called for, hot potato football not rewarding any type of skillful play. The gameplay feels like its on rails, freedom is gone, players don't respond to your inputs and chances are created by either teams AI players mistakes or incredibly stupid runs. It's just not fun to play anymore. Neither online or vs AI.
eFootball could be fantastic if Konami would listen to ideas, criticism and improve. Here is my wishlist. Feedback based on me and the kids playing on PS4, PS5 and mobile. Offline and online.

1. Reduce the heavy AI assistance / game-balancing / handholding / Auto defending / Dynamic Difficulty / momentum / whatchamacallit (scr...). I understand its for getting new players staying in the game, having a chance getting coins in the events and winning games. And perhaps make games more non-predictable "anything can happen, maybe". With the current AI handholding level its "anything will happen, constantly". So many chances are created by either teams AI players making mistakes or just making incredibly stupid runs, its like a badly scripted B-movie. The amount of goalpost hits and missed open goals is just silly currently, this goes on until the last few minutes of each match. Please reduce it, or even remove it from Co-op and other game modes where skill should be rewarded. I'd rather get smashed 15-0 and learn from a good player. Than having to play another game with: added input lag and your players turn, react with 0,5 sec delay / 1 team loses every header / 4 shots in goalpost / own goals / missed open goals from 2-3m consequently, instead you have to run the ball into goal!!! / hide n seek players with pass receiver running away from the ball positioning behind defender / every ball intercepted / misdirected passes / every pass straight to other team / passes goes through "invisible" player / player freezing or even running wrong direction vs your stick / opponent attacking with high punt or lofted pass but your defender running past the ball towards opposition goal / ball glued to opposite player in the box / every attempt clearing the ball goes short distance straight to other team, even goalie high punt / all stunning shots 3m over the goal before 85min + all the other crap that's in there. This gameplay on rails is so unrewarding. If I manage to do something skillfull the AI assistance just kills the opportunity with any means. When the AI assistance takes a break, I get an easy goal with no effort from a random through pass + tap in. Many times I can't tell if I am playing well or the game has decided I should win/lose, it kills the joy for me and it's just boring. If Konami could tone down all the weird punishments I'd be very grateful.
2. Passing and interceptions. Currently worst ever IMO. Game just decides your pass from a player in balance is 90-180 degrees of straight to opponent. Even on Beginner AI and no matter PA1, 2 or 3😂 And the constant interceptions. No flow in the game. Please work on this Konami.
3. Remove the artificial input-lag. (This is a controversial one, some players simply don't believe our experience it. For me it's obvious as it can be tested offline in several ways on PS5, on mobile I havent tried to confirm it) Stop punishing one side with artificial input lag which make the gameplay feel heavy, unresponsive and your players turn & react with 0,5 sec delay. This is not from server lag as it's there in AI matches and local Trial matches as well, just switch controller between team 1 & 2 and feel the difference. It might activate from beginning of game, or in 2nd half, usually when you are doing well. And vice versa it can dissapear in 2nd half. From my experience it can be reduced or removed by switching playstyle. When finding the right playstyle for that specific match, your players suddenly become responsive again, it can even happen after switching to lowest Manager profiency. I assume its part of the game balancing mechanics. For me this is one of the worst things in the current game, when it kicks in your players don't respond to inputs in time and gameplay just feels awful.
4. Fix the player freezing. Example: after losing a header to last defender suddenly your attacker just freezes. What's going on here? Have Konami added to much AI handholding and broken the game? 😂😂😂
5. Reward different playstyles like build up play. Currently most games seem to be high press, interception ping-pong, quick pass and no dribbles. Hot potato football. Holding the ball has become very difficult. Before the AI assistance and auto defending went berzerk, you could actually keep the ball for a second and do something creative. Without 3-5 guys surrounding your player with no options. Now the gameplay is boring with the lack of variety.
6. Create a game mode free from AI assistance & artificial input lag. Just pure skill. It could be beta, division free or whatever just let us play without the heavy AI handholding. And maybe eFootball will be esports ready 😉. To be honest if another football game is released without momentum/game-balancing /added input-lag and with gameplay based on pure skill. I think eFootball will lose a lot of players.
7. Add Dream team into Trial match. We have 2 kids who love the card collecting and building their team. But playing online is of no interest to them, and won't be in many years. They want to play local PvP or co-op but with their own Dream team. By now we are very tired of playing the same local play Trial match Argentina Vs PSG. The kids have almost stopped playing eFootball, since they cant play against each other with their own team. In addition this would be a great way to test out new players, builds and game mechanics together with a friend. Much more fun than training mode. This mode is what my family is missing most from this game. And if it would be a "pure" mode without any momentum/game-balancing things would be fantastic. Just pure skill, best player wins.
8. Please add Dream team to Trial match local co-op Vs AI. Would be so much fun to test your Dream Team against the AI together with the kids or a friend on the couch beside you. Would love this mode if it would become available.
9. Add local co-op in Events. Would be great if me and the kids could take on the events together. At least add it to the AI events. Then we would actually play them and not just sim them.
10. Myleague local co-op. Add both local and online co-op into Myleague please. A reason to play it and win the league together with the kids 😀
11. Make My League worth playing. 100.000GP for completing 38 matches and winning the league is very poor IMO. Add some skill trainers and raise the GP perhaps?
12. Add all Goal Scorers, Assists and Passes made to Half Time and Full Time game stats. So we can quickly get the overview of which player cards performed well in both teams. That information would be highly appreciated.
13. Contract renewal is way too expensive. Considering many players have paid plenty in real money to get the favourite players, and you only get to keep your player for 1 year. We are paying for this digital football Pokémon and we can't even use it as long as we would like. There should be more ways to get contract renewals, the periods should be longer, 3/6/9/12months and the price should be lower. Currently it's just irritating and another killing the fun factor.
14. Make each playstyle worth using. And reward playing different type of formations. Instead of everyone using META 4 defenders and no wingers/LMF/RMF.
15. Better & more expensive Point shop players. Can we please have some decent players? I'd gladly spend 50000-100000 pink points for a player if his stats are good. IMO there hasn't been an interesting player since Ferrer & Pires. Currently I don't see any use for points except contact renewal.
16. Remove the GP cost for player reset. Having to wait for 2-3 months and then stressing for a few free weeks to retrain and test new builds doesn't make sense. GP is too valuable for me, I use it for Legacy Transfer and Contract renewal, and the few occasional GP buys for Events or hidden gems. I enjoy training players and trying out new builds, if free it would keep me logging in even when there is nothing else to do in the game.
17. Reduce the cost for Legacy transfer. Getting your wanted skills and then transferring to your favourite player is one of the game aspects I really like. But 257,000 GP for one transfer is a lot and takes away much of the fun in Legacy transfer. You get 1 Mbappe for less than 2 Legacy transfer. I am always low on GP these days, and I think 100,000-150,000 GP would be reasonable for Legacy transfer for 1 skill.
18. Legacy transfer of skills to POTW cards. If we could add 1-2 skills to the POTW the cards would be more interesting and I'd spend more coins spinning. We would get more varied and unpredictable squads instead of everybody using the same players. Most players know the good cards, what to expect from opponents cards and how to counter. Lets say you add some strong passing or shooting skills to a player usually weak in that aspect. The unpredicability would be awesome!
19. Replace/delete added skills. Building players would be much more fun if I could replace a trained skill with another one using legacy transfer. Or just be able to delete an added skill. Perhaps my playstyle changes and I want Neymar to have Through passing instead of the previously added Long-range shooting.
20. GP an option for pack spins. But it shouldn't be easy. Hard grind should be rewarded as it gives a reason to play the game. I am thinking 7,5M GP you get 75 spins in a 150 pack. That takes perhaps 6 months to grind. And perhaps the remaining 75 spins is coins only. Lower thresholds like 10 spins för 1M GP would be great but I understand its not gonna happen, as it would hurt the coin sales.
21. Remove the 500 player cap or reduce cost of adding player slots. If you are grinding skill trainers with 0GP players and training players the 500 fills up quite easily. Or reduce the 500.000GP for an extra 50 players to maybe 100.000GP. This 500 player limit is very annoying and seems unnecessary.
22. Add skill trainers and position trainers to each match pass. Would make the Match Pass way more interesting and I would spend coins.
23. Make it worthwhile playing League / divisions. Currently I don't see much reason to play it. A few skill trainers and low GP reward can't motivate me spending the time.
24. Find a way to prevent players from forfeiting games, at least events and co-op. Maybe if you are down a few goals sometimes add a random bonus like score with player X to receive 1 skill trainer, 10000 GP or something. Just to motivate players completing the match. Or create a non forfeit streak, like 10, 20 or 30 games without forfeit and you get an free extra POTW spin. (Credit: Part of this idea is from eFootball Universe Youtube)
25. 1st celebration should also be skippable. It's just time consuming in online games. Not adding any value to except maybe noobs who scored their first goal ever.
26. An option to make Sub tactic clearly visible in Game plan if activated. I played to many games now without knowing I had sub-tactic activated 😂
27. Matchmaking. This was good for a while after the matchmaking update, but not anymore. There must be something seriously wrong here. When playing in Division 9 to 7, we constantly get division 1-2 opponents in the events. Had top 120 and top 200 in a row even. 750M downloads and nobody else playing. Really?
28. The daily penalty needs an upgrade. Suggestion: More fun If I could choose player from my Dream Team. And add random Epic goalies to spice it up 😉
29. Add statistics of headers, penalties and free kicks scored on each player card. This would add value and make it more interesting building squads. Konami you have the data, use it!
30. More variety in Events. BBVA, Turkish, Brazilian Italian, English, Japan league. Over and over and over... Cmon Konami create something different so we can rotate our squads more. Suggestion: An event where only max 4 star players are allowed? Or higher GP rewards the weaker squad you use? (Credit: idea is partly from Rockchok Youtube)
31. More Beat the Clock type of events. Both me and the kids enjoyed this one. Create something similar for skill moves. Example: Perform 5 Double touch + 5 Marseille turn across pitch with fixed dummies or defending players. Or a sequence where you have to perform skill move x and y before scoring.
32. Objectives with extra bonuses. Add weekly objectives or similar. Score a hat-trick, win on penalties or score 5 times using skill move. And get some type of rewards, GP, Skill trainers, Position trainers, avatars, whatever just variety and something to play for.
33. Co-op events. So much potential but the gameplay on rails, AI assistance and the constant random AI punishments kills the fun for me. You feel almost instantly if the AI assistance is on your side or against you. Either everything goes your way and it's too easy or Epics can't make a simple pass, the input lag kicks in and your player is even dragged out of position so the other team can score. Every game feels pre-decided with almost every touch being a mistake or fumble by the team who is supposed to concede a goal. Or its 1 goal back and forth with short sequences where the conceeding team can't touch the ball. In my experience the AI assistance is at its worst in the Co-op games. Quite easy to spot as players regularly just drop the controller. And game continues to auto defend like prime AC Milan, the non-active player is forcefielded holding the ball, every ball in the box is magically sucked to defenders feet and passes and clearings going 90-180 degrees off straight to opponent. Recent example which has happened in several co-op games: Goalie makes several stupid run outs to a perfect 4 man defending line, leaving the net wide open. Changing goalie doesn't help. Same thing with 2nd goalie until opponent gets his 2 goals. Sorry but when my player, gameplay and result is controlled by AI instead of me and my teammate I lose interest.
34. Add 2nd local player to co-op events. Why can't 2 players join the co-op events together from one Playstation? Me and the kids would play co-op events a lot if this was possbile.
35. Booster player forms. Wirtz card and several other are never on A-form. Whats the point of creating a booster card then? (credit: PES Pepe Youtube)
36. Communication. Info on gameplay changes in each update would be appreciated. Like before. (credit: PES Pepe Youtube))
37. Heavy first touch or fumble receiving the ball. +90 Ball control player cant receive a pass without starting to fumble or needing several seconds to gain control, then losing the ball, again and again and again. Does stats even matter when game balancing just decides anyway?
38. Don't launch Crossplay with mobile. I suspect the recent braindead heavy assisted gameplay is needed for upcoming crossplay console & mobile update. This might be what we are getting. Gameplay on rails, autodefend, no skill, unrewarding, boring. I hope I am wrong and the previous fun gameplay on console is not gone forever 😢.
39. Master League? Promised some years ago. I guess it does not generate enough coin sales?
40. Edit mode. Create a custom crest and kits for our dream team.
41. AI games are boring and inconsistent. Even on easier difficulties the dynamic game balancing makes you miss so many chances in 1st half, open goals whatever. Then in 2nd its just walk the ball into box and quick shot goal. But if you decide to pass the ball in the box then it's magnet to defender, why not reward passing in the box? The inconsistency in the AI is just bad. And the coding seems lazy. I watch our 11 year old play and do all the right things, but the game just kills all her self-created chances. On harder difficulties even if I read the play and position perfectly to intercept a pass, the pass goes straight through my defender. And adding to that the constant interceptions and not being able to hold ball more than 0.3sec. To my understanding the AI was better before without having to bypass game mechanics (cheat), instead it was actually playing smarter. For me playing the AI is either to easy once the early game "Thou shall not score" wears off or just boring on higher difficulties. How hard is it to develop AI gameplay which is both fun, rewarding and teaching how to play better?
42. Player speed is broken. The slowest defender will catch up in 2-3 seconds with any attacker running with the ball. No matter stats of players. You make a great pass but this broken game mechanic ruins the opportunity. This is both unrealistic and highly unrewarding.
43. Player switching. Another game mechanic which seems broken and with hidden punishments added. I have mostly been using semi-assist and player oriented switching, R stick to switch. Recently switched to ball-oriented. And in my experience. When the game is against you, it constantly punishes you with bad player switching and worst default player selection. Many times the game refuses to switch to player in front of ball when I am trying to defend. Instead I am flicking through the guys behind the attacking player, while I am trying to get control of my defender. When I have free kick against me, default player is always the worst possible option eg. my CF standing 10m behind the free kick taker. Why? I enjoy a challenge but having to fight with my controller is not one of them.
44. Sort player list by team name. Would help when choosing team for events. And a nice feature when browsing all my players.
45. Position trainers. This feature was a nice addition. But can be improved and made more interesting. (A) Remove the possibility of getting duplicates on full position slots. It's just stupid and annoying. (B) Add random playstyle rewards on the new position. So an AMF Hole Player could also be SS Deep Lying Forward after Position training. (Credit: efNuts YouTube)

Some of these are cosmetics and should be quite easy to implement, whereas others like new type of events takes more effort. Dream team in Trial mode and adding already existing local Co-op to more events/game modes shouldn't be that difficult. Gameplay affecting changes are likely hard and need to be tested so it doesn't affect game in a negative way.
I guess Konami calculates profits are better by pushing all players to online play. But at the same time they are neglecting the player group which prefers offline, and are willing to buy coins to get their favourite players cards. Hopefully Konami will reconsider, add a proper Master League and more offline modes with co-op and PvP.
All in all it should result in a more enjoyable experience for both ballers, casuals, squad-builders, card-collectors and those who just want offline couch co-op or PvP with their Dream team. More people having fun and spending time in the game usually results in praise, recommendations and growing user count = more coins spent. Konami keeps earning and customer base is happy. Everyone wins.
/ Cheers and thanks for reading
(This post is continously edited)
https://preview.redd.it/k4gl1sw8z51d1.jpg?width=731&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e99aba57f1ea3678f5d722365604e52ec97edfb4

For businesses in India, navigating website design costs can be a perplexing task. The wide range of prices quoted can leave you wondering – what exactly are you paying for? Upturn India Technologies, a leading website design company in Nashik, is here to shed light on this mystery.
This blog post dives deep into the factors influencing website design costs in India, explores solutions that fit your budget and offers valuable tips for reducing expenses.
Understanding Website Design Costs
We'll delve into the following key areas:

• Types of Websites: Static websites offer a basic online presence, while dynamic websites provide interactivity and user engagement. Understanding your needs will guide cost estimations.
• Design Complexity: Simple, pre-designed templates offer a cost-effective solution, while custom designs provide a unique brand identity but come at a premium.
• Number of Pages: The number of web pages directly impacts development time and cost.
• Content Management System (CMS): Popular platforms like WordPress offer user-friendly content management, but may require additional customization costs.
• Integrations and Add-ons: Adding features like e-commerce functionality or contact forms will increase the overall cost.

Breakdown of Website Design Costs
We'll provide a transparent cost breakdown, considering:

• Domain and Hosting: Securing your website's address and online space.
• Design and Development: The cost of crafting your website's visual appeal and functionality.
• Content Creation: Populating your website with engaging content.
• Maintenance and Updates: Keeping your website secure and functioning optimally.
• Additional Features and Plugins: Costs associated with incorporating extra functionalities.

Cost Comparison by Website Type
We'll explore the cost variations based on website types:

• Personal Website: A basic portfolio or online presence typically requires a lower investment.
• Small Business Website: Showcasing your products, services, and contact information comes at a moderate cost.
• E-commerce Website: Integrating online shopping functionalities significantly impacts the cost.
• Corporate Website: A comprehensive website with advanced features requires a higher investment.

Freelancers vs. Agencies: Weighing Your Options
We'll explore the benefits and drawbacks of hiring freelancers and agencies, along with their typical pricing structures.
Location and Cost Variations:
We'll acknowledge that website design costs can vary depending on the city you're located in, with Tier-1 cities like Mumbai commanding higher prices compared to Tier-3 cities.
Reducing Website Design Costs
We'll provide valuable tips to get the most out of your website design budget, including:

• Clearly Defining Your Requirements: A well-defined project scope ensures efficient development and reduces unnecessary costs.
• Template vs. Custom Design: Consider pre-designed templates for a budget-friendly approach, while acknowledging the limitations in customization.
• Prioritizing Essential Features: Focus on functionalities crucial to your business goals and avoid feature creep.
• Regular Maintenance vs. One-time Setup: Opting for regular maintenance packages can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to a one-time setup with potential future fixes.

Conclusion: Making Informed Decisions
By understanding the factors influencing website design costs and exploring cost-saving strategies, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals and budget.
Looking for a website design partner in Nashik? Upturn India Technologies offers a free consultation to discuss your website needs and provide a customized quote. We're dedicated to ensuring your business excels online
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I am currently a MacOS user but I also have a small bit of familiarity with Linux, mostly Ubuntu. I have seen Proxmox on other people's systems, but generally they are running Proxmox on a dedicated system and accessing whatever is running on Proxmox from another system on their network.
I would like to do something slightly different but I don't know if Proxmox is a suitable tool for this. What I would like to do is set up Proxmox on a new computer, that would eventually become my main desktop computer, to handle maybe three or four different operating systems, for example different Linux distros (and maybe including one MacOS or "Hackintosh" if it is possible to set one up) that would all run simultaneously. The idea would be that I could start a process running on one distro and then in some way move to a different distro to do other things. Normally I would only be using one distro at a time as my "foreground" distro but I would want to be able to instantly switch to one of the others, and/or leave a task running on one of the others.
My specific questions are:
In Proxmox can you run each instance (or virtual machine or whatever they are called, sorry I am not yet familiar with the terminology) in full screen (not in a reduced size window) and easily move between them? Kind of like on a Linux distro where you can have like four desktops and move between them? And if so, how do you switch between instances?
Please note that I want to be able to do this on a single computer, by putting Proxmox on it and then using the various instances on that same computer. I do not want to have to use VNC or Remote Desktop or anything like that. I do not want to have to add extra hardware such as a KVM switch. And, I am trying to avoid having any particular OS being designated as the "host" OS and then running the other OS instances under that (I realize that Proxmox would in effect be a "host" OS but I want all the distros/instances to be on equal footing, so to speak).
Also it is imperative that video and audio play smoothly and that a usb connected webcam (with microphone) can be used in any of the instances (not all at the same time, but if I run an audio capture program such as Audacity in any instance I want it to be able to use the microphone. And I need to be able to move files between instances; I realize that may not be as simple as drag and drop but as long as there is some way to do it (maybe using SFTP?) that would be fine.
The reason I am looking at Proxmox is that I have been told it is the most stable and trouble-free platform for running multiple distro instances at the same time, but what I don't know is if it will work the way I want to use it. My suspicion is that it's not going to check all the boxes but before I just go and assume that, I thought I'd ask.
Part of my goal is to be able to try different Linux distros, save snapshots or backups of them at various points so I can revert back if I screw something up, and generally compare them with one another. A secondary goal would be to see if I can completely ditch MacOS and just use Linux, or find out if there are some things I just can't do on Linux (I'm not a gamer so I think there may be a half chance I can make Linux work for me, but I have never tried to use it as my main desktop machine).
If Proxmox is not a suitable tool for this but you know of a better free tool for the purpose, please feel free to PM me and suggest it; I don't want to step on any toes by talking about another product in this sub. Thank you!

How to Estimate Software Development Costs in 5 Steps

When it comes to the development of a project one of the key concerns is how much it will cost. Clients want to know in advance when the project will be done and how much it will be. There's hardly a fixed unified list that defines a cost for every case. However, we can find out crucial factors influencing software development costs.
This article will provide you with a brief guidance on the software estimation process. Additionally, it offers tips and how-tos to help you navigate the pricing aspects of software development.

Collect information about the project: 7 Questions

At Freshcode, we collaborate with clients throughout the entire software development life cycle, from gathering requirements and conducting a discovery phase to deploying the product.
The best starting point for development is a detailed meeting with stakeholders to analyze product goals, the problem it aims to solve, and key requirements.
Save a list of questions to answer for a more accurate calculation of the software development cost:
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After conducting a detailed analysis, we provide clients with a cost and time frame estimation document. This approach ensures transparency and predictability throughout the project development process, leading to timely delivery and a faster time-to-market.
We foster team commitment and a proactive mindset to achieve desired outcomes. The charts below illustrate the levels of team involvement across different units.
Read more: software development cost estimation

Determine project complexity

The key findings suggest that the software cost ranges from just $5,000 to $500,000.
The number, type, and complexity of the features in your product impact the final cost. There are plenty of other influencing factors, such as UX and UI, business analysis, marketing, QA, and even the location of the IT vendor.
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Every single case is unique and app development costs depend on the complexity of the project. The more features you add to your app, the more complex it becomes, requiring more resources for development, testing, and deployment.
Within the context of technical complexity, applications can be divided into 3 categories:

1. Basic (Simple) Complex Software:

• core feature set without third-party service integration
• simple design with common interface elements
• processing small to medium amounts of data

The development timeframe ≈ 1-3 months.

2. Medium Complex Software:

• core feature set plus additional features such as payments, real-time chatting, and analytics solutions
• responsive design with more complex interface elements and visual effects
• processing of medium to large amounts of data

The development timeframe ≈ 3-6 months.

3. Highly Complex Software:

• advanced feature set (e.g. video processing, synchronization, and different third-party integrations)
• adaptive design with advanced interface elements, complex interactions, and visual effect
• processing of large-scale data with high performance and capability
• Determine project complexity

He waited to call me, he literally thought about my sleep and that he’d called to wake me up a couple times already this past week so he thought no I’ll let her sleep and call at a more normal time. Is he not the most thoughtful thing? My baby. He woke me right out of a dream, it was an odd one which I cbf going into, but I was making a friend in it, I don’t know who but the dream was partly me trying to be friends with this other girl. Maybe it’s a sign I’ll find a new friend soon :) Anyway so he called and we chatted while he finished making up his keyboard. It sounds so good, like sooooo good. Like creamy marbley rain drop goodness. It’s funny because I thought his last keyboard sounded delicious, but in comparison to the new one the old one makes me envision large spiders tip tapping along a corrugated iron roof. Whereas the new one sounds like sitting by a fire with a hot chocolate with marshmallows and being read a story while the rain pitter patters outside. I wonder if this new one will sound like spiders whenever he makes a newer one? I’m truly such a fickle thing. They all sound good though, obviously. He said how when we live together he’ll make one for me! Or rather he’ll guide me through the process, because I need to pick the sounds and colours and feelings out. I’m not sure what I’d like it to be like, I’ll have to start thinking. I flip between wanting something cute, like a pink one with strawberries and hearts and glitter and then a sleek, profesh looking one. A light one? Or a dark one? And I have no idea about the sounds, but he’ll help me. And then we can make it up together! It sounds so fun, I really can’t wait. Anyway so he called and it’s still my favourite way to wake up.
Then we hung up and I was laying in bed debating whether I should get up or doze and I ended up having dirty lil thoughts about him… twice. I can be so boring with my lil fantasies now, I can’t entirely remember now what I thought about but it was just us two. I think he thinks I think about someone else involved more than I do, I definitely do but nowhere near as often as just him. I sound like a total creepy perve but I’ve even thought about just him… but I’ll be dead and buried before I ever tell him that. And that saying something because I think I’d like to be cremated… TBD on that. But so anyway, thinking about just me and him is always my favourite and works the fastest every single time. My honey baby handsome man.
I truly have a life full of first world problems, it makes me feel so guilty sometimes. I say sometimes because I only think about how lucky I am sometimes, which makes me feel even more guilty. There are SO many horrible awful things happening in the world to people who absolutely do not deserve a hair on their heads touched.. and here I am lambasting my cuticles for being in good condition after I bought some products to tidy them up. I just caught myself out before, I was looking at my cuticles and was negatively thinking about how clean they look lately - I’m not surprised I found a way to be negative about something good. They definitely need some nourishment and cuticle oil and things, but they’re so clean and neat? Why? I haven’t done anything? Anyway I caught myself looking at them thinking ffs why do they look nice I need to fix them - firstly that makes no sense and secondly it hit me a second later how terrible it was. And then the guilt washed over me and there are children dying across the world for no reason and here I am critiquing my cuticles. I truly don’t think I deserve the air I breathe sometimes. More than sometimes. I know I’m not a person that adds anything to this world, if anything I just take from it by worsening the health of the planet with the plastic, travel etc etc I do. I do my best to save bees who look sickly? That’s about it. I don’t bring joy to anyone else - I mean I make Andy miserable, I probably stress and worry my parents… I think the only one I bring any semblance of joy to is pups because I play with him and take him for walks and cuddle him and I won’t move an inch if he’s comfy and I’m not. Other than that… I offer nothing. So like I said, I am drenched in guilt. I wonder how I can change it? Or how I can offer more? I just feel like I have nothing to actually offer, even if I gave everything up. I guess physical labour…? But even then, I’m not strong and my hand skin is so sensitive so I can only really do so much before it hurts and gets bad. But I guess if I wasn’t being selfish I would ignore my skin, wouldn’t I? I would really like to volunteer. I used to a bit here and there, before I really got bad with my mental health. Not a lot but sometimes. I’d like to make it more of a regular thing - it’s something I’ve talked about in therapy about it being a part of the life I’m working towards. I’m thinking once every three weeks or so, so still nothing impactful but it’s something? I think I’d like to volunteer at an animal shelter, I wouldn’t mind even cleaning up their little areas and things, idk why but I don’t find animal stuff gross whereas I do people stuff. Then again I’ve only had to clean up after an animal I love with my whole heart so maybe it would be different for other ones, I could do it though. Or I’d like to volunteer at a retirement home, or visiting elderly people at their own homes. Just spend time with them, it makes my heart hurt to think of how lonely some of them can be and coming from someone who feels extremely lonely I would want to lessen that - especially in their final years. They’re the main places I’d like to volunteer. I’ve done time in “soup kitchens” here and in the UK, which I enjoyed, I only worked in the kitchen though helping prepare things and cleaning up - every time I wasn’t allowed out the front to serve, which is weird because I have LOTS of experience with that sort of thing? The way they implied it was that I was a young woman, but still? I guess 99% of those visiting there would be fine but maybe 1% wouldn’t be? Still though. Anyway I’d like to volunteer more. I need to learn to be comfy leaving the house first, maybe get my social anxiety under control a little more but I don’t need to be perfect because doing these things will help my issues. What else could I do? I donate to charities and have for years, sometimes I’ve had monthly deductions, sometimes I just donate on a whim. Like that fresh water one, I can’t remember the name off the top of my head but every few months I impulsively donate $100 or so. It’s not enough though, I should be better. I just get suss of the charities themselves and I don’t know how much actually goes to the cause, like I know they need to fund admin costs which makes sense but anyway. I just don’t have any skills, so other than vague stuff there’s not any real impact I can offer. Andy for example, he’s so talented and clever and creative, I bet he would have ways to make an impact. Like if he was to visit elderly people it would be SUCH a success as he’s so chatty and personable and kind and lovely and everything that’s good, so he would keep them entertained and ask the right questions. Whereas I’m not a talker so I would be awkward and quiet and they would have to lead the conversation and they likely don’t want that, unless I asked to be paired with chatty kathys of course. My nana was like that, you ask one question and she won’t stop talking for an hour. At least from memory, I don’t remember so well as I was littler. Hm. Anyway. I just feel like I’m a big time detractor of the world. That’s kind of a good villain name, The Detractor. Another way I can offer more is to be better, for example if I’m better then I don’t make Andy miserable which means he would feel more encouraged to live his life happily which would therefore positively affect everyone who comes into contact with him, which I know happens now anyway but maybe if he has a supportive loving girlfriend it will be even more so? Like I can be a lil battery for him, because I don’t really like interacting with others too much, or I do but I don’t like to be an active member, I like to listen and observe and chime in every now and then. None of this makes sense. But if I’m better then that has a positive effect on people around me. That’s what I’m trying to say. I’m always polite though, like if I take the bus I always say thank you when I hop off, I always say thank you when a waiter refills my drink or puts down my cutlery or whatever else. Even when I don’t want to talk at all and an Uber driver clearly does I will chat away even though my social battery is running on fumes because I don’t want them to feel rejected and maybe they need to chat, even if it’s about nothing. I always put supermarket trollies back into their homes. I never litter. I hold doors open for people, but only when it means they won’t have to do an awkward run for it because that’s not polite that’s annoying. So I think I’m polite, but a polite person does not make a good person - and I am not a good person. Or a worthwhile one.
So far this morning I have chatted to Andy, got up and made a strawbs smoothie, did a lil kitchen clean/tidy up, went back to lay on my bed but not IN bed and I read for a little bit, I journaled the bit up there and now I’m watching some YT. I’m really trying to stretch out my read time of this book, I’m excited to get into HP after this one but I also don’t want to let go of this world and these characters yet, even though it’s a reread. I’d like to have a productive day but I’m also going to let myself do whatever I fancy… I hope I fancy being productive.
I wound up reading/watching about those body and face types again, because a YT video came up as suggested. Anyway, so apparently you can be more yin or yang and I’m a definite yin. Yang is more angular, sharp and blunt whereas yin is soft, rounded and curved. I also feel like I’m a yin person, I was reading about that recently, I think I need to actively work to have more yang in my life in order to be more balanced? I mean these descriptors? Negative, passive, feminine, dark, cool, soft, reflective, still, calm, nurture, quiet, introspective, prefers solitude, cautious etc. Hellllllllllllo. Whereas yang is more embodied by words like active, light, warm, outgoing/sociable, masculine, direct, expressive, loud, restless, productive, growth, passion etc. Things that don’t really describe me. So I think maybe in that sense I’m imbalanced. It seems I’m imbalanced in everything, so that’s great. Excellent, even. I feel like Andy is 100% the yang to my yin. Maybe that’s a factor in why we work well? We balance each other? I think he has a mix of both though, he’s much more balanced. I was about to write “he’s perfect” but I am also a biased, love sick girl soooo… but I think we balance each other well, no? Anyway I’m reading more about yin vs yang and I definitely need more Yang in me because these are all yin:
Signs of “excess” in yin: * Oversleeping * Overthinking * Slow thinking * Sluggishness * Laziness * Compulsive behaviour * Lack of motivation * Apathy * Overeating :(
Versus yang that lists things like anger, restlessness, violence, frustration, inability to relax & let go, insomnia, addictions, need for constant stimulation, regular headaches etc.
And “personality traits” in yin: * imagination * peacefulness * wisdom (not for meee) * relaxation * satisfaction (?) * persistence (only with some things) * introversion
Versus yang that lists things like action, ambition, courage, adventurousness, extroversion, getting things done etc.
And “activities” for yin: * yoga * tai chi * slow walking * golf * qi gong * weight lifting * stretching
Versus yang that lists things like cardio, running, fast dancing, wrestling, hiking, swimming, biking etc.
Anyway I know this is all just one of those things, but also it makes total sense. But this reminds me of the therapy lesson where I learned I like these sorts of things, similar to the Myers Briggs thing etc, because I don’t really know who I am and so I find being grouped into a category really affirming and makes me feel less… outsidey. Which is a thing for me as I don’t easily click with people, I can get along fine with more or less anyone but I don’t genuinely enjoy the company of just anyone and I find it very difficult to be myself with just anyone, I have some form of a wall up with everyone bar a couple of people like my parents, Andy, M and K to an extent. But it also depends, if I don’t spend time with someone for awhile my walls go back up. It’s a huge reason why I don’t really enjoy social things, if it’s a one on one thing I can but in a group? Even with the girls from work who I know well, but I can’t relax and I don’t enjoy myself at all. I try to but I just feel like I’m outside of the bubble. But so anyway all that is why I gravitate towards these groupings of personality, even looks like the fact I was watching a video about face/body types which is why I started this paragraph. I like being able to see examples and do a quiz and find out I’m whatever and then seeing similarities in others who are in the group. It makes me feel included and less alone. It basically all comes down to the fact I always feel like I’m on the outside, of everything. I don’t feel included in anything really. Which comes back to my self esteem/self worth… or lack thereof. I’m wondering when I’m meant to be getting more of that btw, like WHEN? It’s the root of all my issues. Mostly.
I’ve been wondering if I should consider lightening my eyebrows… that sounds kinda crazy, well crazy in the land of eyebrow stuff, but idk. I have warm brown hair… but basically black eyebrows? It’s weird and I’ve always hated it. I know eyebrows always lean cooler than the hair on your head, so that’s natural, but idk, it’s just my hair is so warm and my brows so cool - it’s always irked me. I’ve never quite realised it was that though, I just always thought something was off, but I’m now starting to wonder if my brows should be ever so lightened. I never even thought of it as a potential solution til I saw some girl doing it and it gave her a much softer look. I know they also need to be darker by a shade or two, well they don’t NEED to be but that’s generally the natural look and I only want a natural result. So a deep brown? Because right now they’re damn near black. And I find the black jarring against my fair skin too, I like having dark brows - I would hate to have light/fair brows, and dark brows are supposedly wanted because they make the person with them appear younger, or rather fair brows can age a face. So I like that mine are dark… I just want them MAYBE a fraction lighter. But the idea scares me! Because if you bleach them then anything you add on top will likely lean super warm and idk. So idk how I’d even go about it. The woman I watched doing it on YT just used an at home bleach kit or something and she used it several times so I guess it won’t do much but still… I’m scared :(
I set up my new monitor!!!!!!!!!!! By myself!!!!!!! I know how tiny it is but I’m still so pleased with myself. I felt so embarrassed telling Andy, or less embarrassed and more silly/stupid I guess. Like it’s such a nothing thing but idk, I was nervous and I wrote out a step by step list to work through so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed and things while doing it. And when I say step by step I literally mean:

1. Unwrap the boxes and take each item out
2. Make sure to keep them in their own little areas and don’t mix them up
3. Clear my desk of everything
4. Clean my desk
5. Set up the new monitor with the stand
6. Place both monitors on the desk
7. Plug both monitors into power source
8. Put laptop on the desk
9. Put the HDMI connector usb into the laptop
10. Put one monitor HDMI cable into the laptop, as normal
11. Put the other monitor HDMI cable into the connecter
12. Connector should be connected to laptop with only one external HDMI a cable inside
13. Turn on my laptop and see if they all connect up - don’t stress if they don’t
14. Play around/google/ask Andy if any issues
15. Arrange my new desk! Try use the cable tidy things and make it nice.

So I mean, an absolute step by step. It didn’t cover all the steps as I forgot about the mouse parts and things. But anyway I did itttttt. I need to move the stuff around though because they’re too far apart but I’ll do that tomorrow. I also need to work out how to add an extra plug so I can charge my laptop too as there’s not enough plugs.
I asked him if he wanted to watch Bridg erton and I wish I hadn’t because he feels weird about it. I only asked because idk, wishful thinking? I want to watch it with him :( From season one, obviously. Idk I know he doesn’t want to so I won’t push it, but I want to show him shows I love too. I just like regency era stuff like this and idk. I shouldn’t have asked, now he thinks I want to watch with someone else? Like… who? I guess mum or M. But why get suss about that. Anyway. I guess I’ll watch it by myself, like I expected. I can’t wait for the music. And the costumes!!!!!!!! My favourite. Anyway idk. I just want to share things I love with him the way he does with me.. but maybe I just don’t like anything he’ll like?
I want the Laura Mercier strawberry blush a lot :( But I’m really trying to not buy makeup I don’t need and I already have 30-odd blushes which I don’t get enough use out of, including LM ones. But it’s such a pretty colour!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had a trillion dollars so I could have all the colours and formulas my little heart desired. But also in saying that I love the idea of being one of those women who have one makeup bag and everything fits inside, and they have maybe one or two shades or blush/lip colour and the rest is just one. It seems so easy and simple and I would really like to be like that but I am definitely not like that at all. I’m slowly learning to be more like that with skincare because that’s how it should be, but makeup…? Even though I don’t wear a lot I just love having it and looking at it. Like I just swiped some highlighter on my hand the other day to look at how shimmery it was, I didn’t apply it to my face, I just had a tiny swipe on my hand and I’d just look at it now and then. I only do that with highlighter though obviously and I love shimmery glittery sparkly things. Mum has always called me a magpie for a reason.
He’s asleep. I miss him. I can’t wait til we live together and when he’s asleep and I’m not and I miss him I can just go snuggle in next to him for a while. But not too close, as he gets too hot. I also don’t want to wake him. The idea of him doing the same with me makes me feel like floating on a cloud. And the time he said he’d still cuddle me to sleep even when he was on a different sleep cycle to me??????? Still obsessed. I wonder if that was a turning point in when my feelings were developing? I know I already fancied the hell out of him, I did from the beginning and I fell so hard and so fast for him. But I wonder if when he said that it was one of those moments that cemented him as the kind of man he is? Or rather the kind of partner he’d be? Because I’ve always wanted someone that cares about what makes me happy and I mean let’s not beat around the bush, I’ve not had a relationship where that’s been a priority to them. So the fact he knows I love being held and cuddled and I would sometimes miss it when he slept differently but if I wanted it he’d come to bed and stay with me til I fell asleep or close enough. And the fact he didn’t see it as anything special, it was just a normal thought to him?! It’s such a minor thing in comparison to everything else he has done for me and everything he has been to me and everything he’s helped me through, but it’s just a little thing that means everything. Anyway.
I watched wish with M tonight, it wasn’t good. I just can’t get on board with the latest movies of theirs lately, they’re just so bleh. The music isn’t right - there’s nothing magical about it and I wonder if it’s because they seem to hire pop music people not composers and things now? And the animation is never 2D anymore, which tbh I understand and that’s purely nostalgia of mine than anything bad but the animation doesn’t feel magical either anymore. Apart from some of the scenes were beautiful. Anyway.
I think I’ll stop now. It’s 9:30 so it’s too late for to start BT so I think I’ll read for a lil bit then go to sleep soon. Night night

Gnostics and some philosophers believe they live in some sort of materialistic simulation. They believe in predeterminism. Some believe there is no freewill and have limited outcomes and no alternative endings to fate. So, here's my opinion.
Whether simulations have or don't have alternative endings depends on two main things,

1. Complexity of the simulation,
2. whether simulation constitutes of true intelligence/consciousness...... if the simulation is just some simple game like tic tac toe then, then every thing is simple with no entropy, high predictability rate and limited outcomes.

As simulation becomes a little bit complicated like some chess game, the entropy slightly increases but the outcomes can be still predictable with great computation power. Since chess game also have limited iterations. As the simulation becomes extremely complex especially when it accommodates some ture intelligence/consciousness with true creativity.
Then by theory the intelligence/creativity might demonstrate some physical actions. Now the action is purely physical and it most likely still be predictable, which depends on computation and processing power of simulation computer.
But any true intelligence/creativity might also produce ideas/thoughts/idealistic conclusions that no computer or simulation can predict. By theory, the whole point of true intelligence/creativity is creating some thing 'NEW' and something unpredictable.
So materialistically a some super computer might predict every outcome and atom position from beginning of universe to the end of universe. But no super computer with any algorithm can predict the thoughts and ideas that an intelligent and creative being generates.
Thoughts might be influenced by materialistic world but still they can generate ideas that are independent of space, time. So these thoughts,ideas and the quality of them being independent of simulation factors makes us humans special.
These ideas might influence the creator of simulation itself allowing us to change outcome of simulation. So, may be we can't change outcome through materialistically. Perhaps the key is consciousness, intelligence, creativity. Creativity is predicated by intelligence and consciousness, which are predicated by motivation to live. Motivation to live is predicated by love.

So my girls birthday is coming soon and I want to give her a new espresso machine just to make her enjoy her coffee even more. She has a Varia VS3 grinder with a Smeg ECF01. I dont know how this sub feels about it but is the bambino considered a good upgrade?
Other recommendations would be nice but would like to keep things simple since she’s a busy person and while she does pour overs and other espresso specific variables (grind, weight, etc.) I can’t gauge if she wants something complex.
I reside in the Philippines so choices are quite limited. Budget is around $700~
Edit: note that prices are inflated here, a Bambino plus retails for around $660.

roulette
Types de paris
Les paris sont une pratique courante dans de nombreux domaines, tels que les sports, les courses et les jeux de hasard. Il existe une variété de types de paris disponibles pour ceux qui souhaitent tenter leur chance et peut-être remporter une somme d'argent intéressante. Voici quelques-uns des types de paris les plus populaires :

1. Le pari simple : Il s'agit du type de pari le plus basique, où vous pariez sur un seul événement. Par exemple, parier sur l'équipe gagnante d'un match de football.
   
2. Le pari combiné : Ce type de pari implique de parier sur plusieurs événements à la fois. Tous les paris doivent être corrects pour gagner, mais les gains potentiels sont plus importants.
   
3. Le pari en direct : Avec ce type de pari, vous pouvez placer vos paris pendant que l'événement est en cours. Cela peut ajouter de l'excitation à l'expérience de parier.
   
4. Le pari à handicap : Ce type de pari est courant dans les sports où une équipe est favorisée par rapport à une autre. Le handicap donne un avantage ou un désavantage à une équipe pour égaliser les chances de gain.
   
5. Le pari à long terme : Ce type de pari implique de parier sur un événement qui se déroulera à long terme, comme le vainqueur d'un championnat.
   

Il est important de se renseigner sur les différentes options de paris disponibles et de parier de manière responsable. Que ce soit pour le plaisir ou pour tenter de gagner de l'argent, les paris peuvent ajouter une dimension excitante à de nombreux événements.
Stratégies de mise
Les stratégies de mise sont un élément crucial dans de nombreux jeux de hasard et de paris, qu'il s'agisse de jeux de casino, de sports ou d'autres formes de jeux. La mise, c'est le montant d'argent que vous pariez sur le résultat d'un événement donné. Il existe de nombreuses stratégies de mise différentes, chacune conçue pour optimiser les chances de gain du parieur.
Une des stratégies les plus courantes est la martingale, où le parieur double sa mise après chaque perte afin de recouvrir ses pertes précédentes dès qu'il gagne. Cette stratégie est souvent utilisée à la roulette ou aux machines à sous. Cependant, elle comporte des risques importants, car une série de pertes consécutives peut rapidement entraîner des pertes importantes.
Une autre stratégie populaire est le système de mise fixe, où le parieur mise toujours le même montant, quelle que soit l'issue des paris précédents. Cette stratégie est considérée comme plus sûre que la martingale, mais elle peut limiter les gains potentiels du parieur.
Il est important de choisir une stratégie de mise qui correspond à votre budget, à vos objectifs et à votre tolérance au risque. Il est également essentiel de se rappeler que les jeux de hasard reposent en grande partie sur la chance, et qu'aucune stratégie de mise ne garantit des gains à coup sûr.
En fin de compte, les stratégies de mise peuvent être un outil utile pour les parieurs qui souhaitent maximiser leurs chances de gain, mais il est important de les utiliser de manière réfléchie et de se rappeler que le jeu comporte toujours un certain degré de risque.
Variantes du jeu
Les variantes du jeu offrent une façon intéressante de pimenter une expérience de jeu classique. En modifiant certaines règles ou en ajoutant de nouveaux éléments, les joueurs peuvent découvrir de nouvelles dimensions et de nouveaux défis dans un jeu qu'ils connaissent déjà.
Parmi les variantes les plus populaires, on trouve les variantes compétitives qui introduisent des éléments de compétition entre les joueurs. Cela peut inclure des tournois, des classements ou des récompenses pour les performances individuelles. Ces variantes sont idéales pour les joueurs qui aiment se mesurer aux autres et tester leurs compétences.
D'autre part, les variantes coopératives encouragent les joueurs à travailler ensemble pour atteindre un objectif commun. Plutôt que de s'affronter, les joueurs doivent unir leurs forces et coopérer pour surmonter des obstacles ou résoudre des énigmes. Cela favorise l'esprit d'équipe et la communication entre les participants.
Enfin, certaines variantes sont axées sur le suspense et l'imprévu, en introduisant des éléments de hasard ou des retournements de situation inattendus. Ces variantes apportent une dose d'incertitude et de surprise qui peut transformer complètement l'expérience de jeu.
Que vous soyez un amateur de jeux de société, de jeux de cartes ou de jeux vidéo, les variantes du jeu sont un moyen idéal pour renouveler l'intérêt pour un jeu que vous connaissez déjà. Alors n'hésitez pas à explorer de nouvelles façons de jouer et à découvrir toutes les possibilités offertes par les variantes du jeu.
Histoire de la roulette
La roulette est l'un des jeux de hasard les plus emblématiques et populaires dans les casinos à travers le monde. Son histoire remonte au 17e siècle en France, où Blaise Pascal aurait développé une première version primitive de la roulette en cherchant à créer un mouvement perpétuel. Cependant, c'est au 19e siècle que la roulette moderne telle que nous la connaissons aujourd'hui a vu le jour.
La roulette a connu plusieurs évolutions au fil des siècles pour devenir un incontournable des casinos. Son succès repose sur son caractère à la fois simple et palpitant. Les joueurs peuvent parier sur un numéro, une couleur ou une série de chiffres, et attendre avec impatience que la bille s'arrête sur le numéro gagnant.
La roulette se décline en deux principales versions : la roulette européenne avec un seul zéro et la roulette américaine avec un zéro supplémentaire, ce qui influe sur les probabilités de gain. Chaque variante a ses spécificités et ses adeptes.
Aujourd'hui, la roulette est présente dans tous les casinos physiques et en ligne, attirant les passionnés de jeux de hasard du monde entier. Que ce soit pour le frisson du hasard ou pour la stratégie de jeu, la roulette continue à fasciner et à divertir les joueurs, perpétuant ainsi une tradition vieille de plusieurs siècles.
Probabilités de gains
Les probabilités de gains sont un concept fondamental dans de nombreux jeux de hasard et de paris. Elles représentent les chances qu'un joueur a de remporter un gain en fonction des règles et des conditions de jeu. Comprendre les probabilités de gains est crucial pour prendre des décisions éclairées et maximiser ses chances de succès.
Dans les jeux de casino, les probabilités de gains sont généralement calculées en fonction du nombre de combinaisons possibles et de la distribution des gains. Par exemple, dans une machine à sous, les probabilités de gains sont déterminées par le taux de redistribution et le nombre de symboles sur les rouleaux. Plus un symbole est rare, plus la probabilité de le voir apparaître est faible.
Dans les paris sportifs, les probabilités de gains sont basées sur les performances passées des équipes ou des joueurs, les conditions de jeu et d'autres facteurs pertinents. Les cotes proposées par les bookmakers reflètent directement les probabilités de gains associées à chaque pari.
Il est important de se rappeler que les probabilités de gains ne garantissent pas le succès. Elles offrent simplement un aperçu des chances de gagner à un moment donné. Il est essentiel de jouer de manière responsable et de ne jamais parier plus que ce que l'on peut se permettre de perdre.
En conclusion, comprendre les probabilités de gains est essentiel pour tout joueur ou parieur souhaitant optimiser ses performances. En utilisant ces informations de manière stratégique, il est possible d'augmenter ses chances de succès et de profiter pleinement de l'excitation des jeux de hasard et de paris.

He hoi me noi my buds. It is your baker man Pirate here. With Human Trauma book two coming to a close in the next week, I wanted to shre with you all the next planned novel I am working on. This time around we will have a stuborn human mercanary, a lizard princess, and one goal---escape Heavalun Mass city. all thats in thier way is corrupt cops, gangsters, the general populace and thier willingness to tolarate one another.
Lets get this Bread.
-----
Shooting up from the blankets, Conor grabbed hold of the neck of whoever was jostling him awake, his cybernetic arm whirring while activating. Suddenly touching someone asleep was a stupid idea to do to anyone from Heavalun. Any sentient from this city was on edge most of the time and was usually particularly ornery when waking up.
He was especially prickly after years of contract killing and near-nonstop battles. While most people from Heavalun Mass City were used to fighting or having to keep an eye over their shoulder, watching for gangers, junkies, pickpockets, or the local police, his experience working and living here made him like a rubber band, ready to snap. Be that a neck, arm, leg, or whatever the poor sod he was fighting had.
“Who the fuck do you think you are,” Conor snarled, his natural and cybernetic eye narrowing and focusing in the wan light of his drab bedroom.
In an action built into him like an instinct, he willed his cybernetic eye to switch to see in infrared thermal sight, letting him get a good look at whoever this was while his natural eye adjusted to the lighting.
In bright orange, reds, and whites, Jurilra's face came into focus. She was a Jurintik, a werewolf like species; while he was human through and through. She had dull brown fur, long, dirty blonde hair, and a gaunt face and frame. The Jurintik was an alien species widespread throughout the galaxy, be it in the GU(galactic Union), Freespace, or here deep in the COS (concord of systems); you can’t swing a pipe without hitting at least two of them.
“Conor—let—-go,” Julitra gagged, clutching at Conor’s cybernetic forearm, her claws scratching roughly at the overlapping metal plates. “It’s me.”
Realizing who it was, Conor let her neck go, and she fell to the ground. He had only lifted her several centimeters off the floor, but doing that when half your torso, including your shoulders, one arm, and most of your organs were non-organic, or at least cybernetically enhanced, was a simple task, and he had done so out of sheer reflex.
“What were you thinking waking me up like that? You’re lucky I didn’t just dust you with my hand cannon,” Conor said, gesturing to the massive handgun sitting on the bedside table. “What in the stars are you doing here anyway?”
Taking a moment to rub at her neck and gag for a moment, Conor pieced together what likely happened. Considering that Julitra was naked, save for a thong, he must have hired her last night to blow off some steam—it wouldn’t be the first time he had done that when drunk.
“You didn’t pay me for last night,” Julitra said, standing up and nervously scratching her furry forearms and looking deeper into the shithole of an apartment toward the room where Conor stored all his weapons, money, and other precious items for barter or fencing purposes.
Conor sighed and scratched behind his still intact ear, the other having been halfway taken off by a frag grenade a few local years ago. After taking a moment to swing his legs out of bed, flexing his sore muscles, and rubbing his palms on his thighs, he looked up at her, having deactivated the thermal vision in his eye. “Fine; in the room top drawer on the right, you will find some bags of Murt and Syntrit. Take one of each.”
“Alright,” Julitra said, turning around and sashaying in that direction, clearly doing her best to move suavely and gracefully.
But Conor knew that was a load of Kret shit; She was little more than a strung-out junkie who just managed to keep herself on another fix fast enough by either guy like himself paying her for a quick lay or by managing not to get taken advantage of by one of the dealers on a street corner.
At least if she was selling herself for the night, she wasn’t going to end up in some slave market in the lower sections of the city or crammed into a skiff bound for a star on the far side of the galaxy. Julitra did have some kids to take care of, after all.
Not that it mattered to Conor if she went missing; there would be another skag he could bring in here. He just preferred her because she never tried to steal from him nor kill him in his sleep—finding another girl that he could trust would not be easy, especially in this shithole of a mass city. That well over a billion sentients were nestled in it did not matter; finding another piece of ass would be a pain.
“And only take one. I know how much product I have,” Conor grumbled, standing and heading toward the kitchenette. The dirty, blood-stained carpet was uncomfortable under bare feet.
God he hated going around with bare feet. It paid to have good boots to keep your feet safe from glass, nails, and other debris. That was especially important when operating in urban areas.
When he was out in the countryside or the house, he would forgo wearing them, and switch to sneekers, but being bare foot still sucked.
“I know,” Julitra replied from the room, “can I use your shower?”
“Whatever,” Conor replied flippantly, pulling down dried stulk leaves and tossing a pot of water on the stove.
So long as she didn't cause any issues with him getting started for the day, he honestly could not care less. All he needed to start the day was a pipping hot cup of stulk, and his stims. On that subject, the datapad built into his artificial arm chimed and reminded him of just that.
He frowned while retrieving the volatile cocktail of stimulants from the cupboard. He was almost out and only had enough for three days. Inside were six small autoinjectors about 20 centimeters long, marked with several warnings indicating that they should only be used in dire combat situations. But he was a particularly unique case and needed them just to survive.
After having a solid forty percent of his body replaced with cybernetics, from a metallic jaw, fake eye, a few replaced organs, torso, numerous enhanced joints, and even a few bits of wire running through his brain, the stims kept him working.
Without his friend Stich’s unique stimulant blend twice a day, Conor would start to fall apart. First would come the tremors, then body lockup, followed by seizures and eventually death. He had never made it that far in relapse; it was just easier to keep his organic parts cranked up to keep pace with his enhanced parts, and the video Stich showed him of sentients who relapsed was a good dissuasion.
Those poor sods were mangled wrecks, limbs at unnatural angles, blood, hydraulic fluid, and bone everywhere. And they were at most twenty percent wired up—what he could end up like was something he would rather not learn.
Dutifully and like clockwork, Conor ripped the cap off an auto-injector and shoved it into his thigh; a dull hiss sounded out as the brackish fluid flowed into his muscles. Just as he tossed the now empty injector into the trashcan, the sounds of Julitra starting the shower and humming flowed into the joint living and bedroom.
While Julitra was showering, Conor's friend and coworker Brakul sent him a message.
Brakul: Hey, conor, what are you doing tonight? I think I might have a contract for us to pick up.
Conor: No plans at this point. I just gotta get Julitra out of my safe house.
Brakul: Are you still fucking that scag? You know that won’t end well.
Conor: Yeah, gotta get my dick wet somehow. Besides, aren’t you still plowing that Kurilta we worked with a few months back—the one with the red hair?
Brakul: Yeah, I am. I like the crazy little woman. Plus, she is only a meter tall and makes me feel massive. But are you in or not?
Conor: Yeah, I'm in. When, where, and who is the client?
Brakul: Perfect, meet me at Zyntle’s around 2100. If all goes well, we got a contract for some new upstart to the north out of town. He is looking to hire some muscle for a few months. Don't worry about the contract's legitimacy; Norla sent this man my way to arrange half a dozen bodies. I just want you there in case something goes down.
Conor: So, bring a few extra solutions?
Brakul: if you would, and keep ‘em quiet, no shotguns. We will be in Zynie's place and need to keep things civil.
Conor: Afirm, see you then.
After switching off the arm-mounted datapad, Julitra stepped back into the room, redressed in her clothes from the previous night. They weren't anything fancy by any stretch of the imagination. Just a simple lowcut dress, showing off a shallow valley of furry cleavage, and cut to give ample view up her thighs and see the thong barely covering her womanhood.
For a hooker, it was good enough.
“Want to have some stulk?” Conor questioned, pouring himself a glass.
“Sure,” Julitra replied, going and lounging at the dingy table in the corner of the room.
They were quiet while eating their meager breakfast; neither had much in common or to talk about as is. The only things Julitra knew about Conor were: he killed people for money, sold stolen goods, and could give her a mean dick down. Whereas Conor knew damn near everything about her, acquired through basic profiling of her actions, attire, and mannerisms or from some of the intelligence brokers he dealt with regularly.
Some friends called him paranoid for keeping such tight tabs on anyone he dealt with; at least Brakul and Stich did. But Conor knew that knowledge was power and was needed if you wanted to always end up with your opponent dusted and not you. Conor knew better than anyone that you don’t survive like he has without a bit of paranoia. Hell, he was more persistent than a Hureclian beetle seeking water.
Once they had finished scarfing down crackers, canned meat, and the bitter, brackish brew, Julitra quickly took her leave, with Conor locking the door behind her. First, the deadbolts, then the chain, followed by a biometric scanner, and lastly, he kicked a metal wedge underneath the door—it would take a whole breaching team from the local government a solid hour to breach that reinforced metal monstrosity, and that was just how Conor liked it.
Unless you were invited into his home, it would behoove you to stay out and not try to get in.
Now that he was alone again, Conor trundled into the room Julitra had gotten her payment from and opened up one of the massive ceiling-high safes lining the walls. Inside was some of his equipment. This specific one contained most of his low-visibility equipment: body armor, weapons, knives, toolkits, and anything else he might need for more subtle operations.
In the other safes were other tools he might want, but those kits were built for more specific jobs: sniping, heavy assaults, aerial and maritime operations, along with anything else he could use in a warzone, but most of that was overkill for tonight.
So Conor pulled out a few items he thought could be useful and started his preparations in such meticulous detail that it would take him the rest of the day.
—-
The area outside of Zyntle’s nightclub was insanely crowded, even for Heavalun standards. Up and down the street, as far as the eye could see, were nightclubs, bars, and restaurants, catering to whatever vice once could possibly want.
Unlike some of the out portions of the city, areas in the inner and lower regions like here, you could not see the sky. Instead, if one looked up, they would be met with obnoxious neon signs and more buildings arching overhead, choking out any star or sunlight that might be visible.
Aiding in the choking and oppressive atmosphere, Aliens of all shapes and sizes bumped into one another with little grace, care, or concern. Most were decked out head to toe in bright neon colors that melded together in a caleidoscope of shifting brilliance.
At least that gave the usual drab greys, rust reds, and browns of the cityscape some color, even if Conor usually found it more annoying than not. Thankfully, neither Conor, Brakul, nor their strange contact could not hear the crowd outside from the second-floor window. Instead, they were being bombarded by something as if not more grating.
The happy tones and idle conversations of the crowd on the dancefloor below them, along with repetitive keyboards, synthetic snapping basslines, and ethereal vocals, filled the air to a near-deafening level. If not for the three of them having wired up to a local chatterbox that Conor brought along, they would not be able to hear one another.
The chatterbox was not fancy; it was just a tiny device Conor had whipped up. That lets them speak normally into microphones on their collars and be heard in earpieces. He had devised the idea for it after a few skiff airborne operations, where unless you were jacked into the aircraft comms, you could not talk without screaming.
Now, the chatterbox just doubled as the perfect tool for having conversations you would rather not have others around listen into. Hell, unless you were inches from them, you would not be able to hear them at all.
Brakul and whomever this Farun’se was, a two-meter tall feline-like alien, had been going over the finer details of the contract for the last half hour. Conor had been listening just enough to keep in the loop, but his focus was elsewhere. Namely in the crowds around them, watching for anything he did not want to see: other contractors, a gang war about to erupt, or anything else that caught his eye. People-watching was one of the things Conor enjoyed about setting up jobs; it gave him plenty of time to keep tabs on the ever-shifting city.
He had not spotted anything yet, in regular vision, Thermal, or through tracking, but something was off—he could feel it in his hackles. As such, One of Conor's hands was in his somewhat oversized brown leather jacket, wrapped tightly around the grip of his suppressed handgun. Neither Brakul nor the Client commented on him keeping watch; they both knew he was just filling the role of an enforcer and was backup for them.
“So, what do you think about the contract?” The Farun’se man questioned before taking a sip from his drink.
Whatever that glowing drink was, it was not ethanol-based; the smell was far too sweet. Conor could tell that much even through the skull-like mask covering his face. Not that the flat black ballistic bask he wore to cover his metallic jaw and mangled face covered scents much. It was built much like the other equipment he wore to enhance his senses, not diminish them.
“I think it is perfectly acceptable. But are you certain you only want a ten-man team to provide escort and transport for your client while within the city?” Brakul asked, flipping a palm up. “I am certain I can get more, considering your daily generous payment offer.”
Generous was one way to put it. The politician the Farun’se represented offered a whopping 15 thousand crit a day for well-experienced mercs. It was enough to get Conor's tail wagging; Most jobs barely pay that out, and this contract was supposed to be ten days long. You could almost buy a house outside the city for that kind of crit. If they were actually paid it out and not betrayed by their employer, at the end of the day, Conor likely would do just that; then, he would have a place to live without the threat of death around every corner.
Each of his jobs over the last few years was a means to that end—escaping this shithole. But getting out of the city was difficult, even for guys like him with opportunities to leave and a reasonably regular income.
“Well, we can work that out via messaging, but for now, I am just offering what I am allowed to,” The client said. “Anything more than that, and I won't be able to pay you half upfront.”
At least they are offering half the credits upfront. Conor must have missed that part during their long-winded discussion about what type of experience each mercenary needed, what weapons they would be allowed, and the specifics of the contract.
All they would have to do was finalize details of the team when Brakul had assembled another eight bodies, but they could do that in a few weeks.
“If that’s the case, then I think we should be good for now,” Brakul said, standing and extending a hand for the client.
“Perfect, expect to hear from me in a few days. Please have your team prepared by the end of the week,” The client replied, shaking Brakul’s hand.
After removing his earpiece and microphone, the client nodded to Conor and disappeared into the crowd looming around the stairs leading to the ground floor.
“So you like the sounds of that?” Brakul asked, sitting back down and sipping at his drink.
Keeping his sight on the crowd below, Conor tracked the client as he struggled to weave through the jostling dancers. The Feline was clearly out of his element in the crowds of the mass city. Based on how quickly he was recoiling from each touch by the intoxicated patrons, he was uncomfortable with all the physical contact forced onto him.
The sight was almost comedic, but Conor was used to dealing with people like the client's representative. If you had enough crit to hire ten mercs, you came from one of two walks of life: you were an influential underground leader who could afford the extra muscle, or you were a sheltered individual with no real business in Heavalun Mass City but decided you wanted to make some friends in low places and needed locals who would be loyal to the almighty crit.
But all of that was neither here nor there for the time being; Brakul would handle any issues with the contract. He was far better at being a politician than Conor was.
“So, any issues with what he wants?” Brakul smirked, knowing that it had been several months since Conor's last contract and that he needed the money.
Conor passively waved at his friend; he did not need to comment. Conor would take any contract that came his way so long as the pay was solid enough. In the past, he had taken contracts Brakul refused for moral reasons.
This contract of defending some high-born trader was in no way out of the ordinary and was relatively tame by Conor’s standards. His last contract was far more low-brow enough that he had almost said no. But for the low, low cost of 100 thousand crits and the fancy nanotech armor he was wearing under his tank top, he was more than willing to blow up the wing of a hospital with a firebomb—insurance paid to fix the building and burry anyone caught up when he killed a lowborn noble or some distant planet.
“I’m more interested in what's going on down below,” Conor said, pointing to a group gathering near the club's back entrance.
Below, barely visible through the flashing strobe lights and low haze of fog machines, seven Kyrail lingered at the back doors. One of the amphibian-like bipeds was giving instructions to the others. It was a shame the music was so loud; if not, Conor and Brakul could easily hear them, but even without sound, it was easy to see what they were doing. They were scouting a mark.
“What do you think, Voodals gang?” Conor posed, scanning the crowd for whomever the lead croaker was trying to target.
Voodal is a leader of one of the area's crime families and merc groups. They had been competitors of Conor and Brakul and their usual hiring groups for a long time. While Brakul and Conor did not have beef with them, one of their usual employers, the Farklut clan, had generations of bad blood.
That rivalry was nasty, to the point anyone who was a direct member of either family would dust the other on sight. Both had been caught up in that rivalry several times and had a negative opinion of the Voodal family and any of their ilk.
“Likely. This is part of a contested city, after all,” Brakul replied, sipping his drink.
“I wonder what they are doing here?” Conor said, still not having located whatever it was they were doing, but he had seen them pull out a particularly nasty drug, giving him an idea of precisely what they planned on doing—abduction.
The gaggle’s leader had passed out plastic bags with what looked like Visage clinging to the bags. That drug might as well be chloroform on the strongest combat stim out there. It would put you in a trance and make you forget the next several days until the effects wore off. The perfect drug for slave traffickers and abductors.
The only reason Conor could tell was that he had used the tactic several times to capture targets alive. It was great; you could fish information from them freely, and they wouldn't remember anything beyond where they had been picked up and whenever the drug wore off.
“I see their target,” Brakul muttered, “switch to IR. I will laze her for yah.”
As his friend and partner told him, Conor switched his false eye to IR and watched, and Brakul’s pistols laser pierced the crowd and danced on the back of a red scalled Kurlatra, dancing happily with some other repltilians of her species. All were woefully ignorant of the Kyrail weaving through the crowd toward them, hands tucked into jackets, likely clutching knives, pistols, and bags of drugs.
“Hmmm, odd, not a lot of Kurlatra on this side of the GU borders,” Conor commented.
“For sure,” Brakul agreed.
Kurlatra were a noble-esc species in the GU and tended to stay in the GU, as opposed ot the COS; most here only cared about their nobility for the sake of making money on ransom after all.
The GU was safe but was overbearing compared to the COS. It had far more laws, restrictions, and limitations on carving out a living. Conor’s chosen profession of being a Mercenary was outlawed in the GU unless you were on the Union congress's payroll, But he was not on that list, despite trying a few times.
“Wanna toss a wrench in their plans?” Brakul questioned.
“How so?” Conor replied, keeping a keen eye on the crimson scalled in the center.
Compared to those around her, she was different. Unlike the others who wore simple clothes, she wore a very revealing yellow dress that was low cut in the back and front, showing offer cleavage, but that's not what made her so different. It was all the glistening jewelry that made her smell of crit.
All those stones and precious metals were likely worth a few hundred thousand crits on their own. That was before you sold her pert ass to some slaver.
“We can go down, nab her after the entourage is dealt with, and be big damn heroes. Then we get an award from that payday of a ruby. If she is not feeling up to it, we could ransom her off to the Voodal; they want her for some reason,” Brakul explained, using his keen eye for diplomacy and deals to guide Conor’s mind to the potential payout.
Conor took a moment to take stock of the situation; he had enough ammo to carve through the Voodal family present and could carry such a Kurlatra if needed. Should this shit go sideways and end up in a firefight, they could just use the crowd and vanish.
“What about the contract we just took,” Conor posed
“We haven't taken one yet,” Brakul reminded, “that rep needs to get back to us with upfront payment. Until then, we are freelance.”
Conor could not deny he was right; no crit had changed hands yet, they were still unemployed, and this bitch might be worth some cash. Before Conor had a chance even to comment one way or the other, Brakul pressed on a nerve he knew would get Conor to act.
“Come on. I got fifty crit that says you can't extract that Kurlatra before the Voodal drug her,” the fellow Jurintik mocked.
The bastard knew how to get to Conor for sure. He was competitive and hated to have his abilities brought into question. Just out of professional pride, Conor could not let that lay.
“Two hundred,” Conor countered.
“One hundred,” Brakul retorted, “oh, look, they already nabbed one of the entourage.”
He was right. One of the Kurlatra heading toward the bathrooms near the back entrance just had a bag of Visage slammed into their mouth and had already gone glassy-eyed. Now, there were only five Kurlatra left, including the clear HVT(High-Value Target)
“One fifty,” Conor snapped, eager to have his friend stop messing with him.
“Deal, I will cover and feed you intel from her. Open channel one,” Brakul sneered.
Without missing a beat, Conor shot up from the table and descended the stairs into the crowd, drawing his suppressed pistol and activating his target tracker to keep sight of the HVT.
Conor did not know it yet, but that little bet, one that was not even worth as much ammo as he was about to expend, would send his life on a journey that would change him forever.
----- So what did you all think? was it a good time? a fun start at bare min? next chapter we will have connor dealing with the voodal, follwed by us meeting the little princess. It should be fun.
Please dont forget to updoot and comment. I will see you all in the comments.
Your Humble baker
-Pirate
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Next

Hi Team - Is there any such simple AI tool where you give it Target Data and Input Data and it attempts to develop an algorithm that transforms the Input Data to resemble the Target Data? I know this is basically machine learning in a nutshell, but has anyone developed such a tool? Then after running it, you can save the weights in the form of a standalone "black box" (please excuse my lack of vocabulary).