I know when people say they are gonna spit out a hot take or an unpopular opinion, it's just a vanilla non-mainstream opinion (DAE think Bioshock Infinite, The Witcher 3, Skyrim bad???), so how about an actual hot take for a change:
Red Dead Revolver is not just the best Red Dead game but is the only great game Rockstar ever made.
So Red Dead Revolver was actually my first Red Dead game. I played it around the time it was released. Back then, I was obsessed with GTA: Vice City, which introduced me to my first taste of the openworld genre. My parents banned me soon after seeing me slaughter people in the streets with a chainsaw. I still played it secretly. However, my parents allowed me to play Red Dead Revolver because it wasn't like GTA. It had a lot of Rockstar-style violence, but it left me a huge disappointment when I discovered I couldn't just mow down people at the town level. I still enjoyed it enough to beat it, but Neversoft's GUN on PC fulfilled that crime-roaming openworld fantasy.
So when I learned there was going to be a sequel--the exact openworld Western game that I wanted to play since Revolver--I was ecstatic. I picked Redemption up for full price and... I quit it halfway through. I didn't know why then. I finished GUN, but I found myself too bored to play RDR. I assumed the game was too highbrow for me. When RDR2 came out, I picked it up with more cautious expectations, only to be disappointed more. I quit that game sooner than I did with RDR1.
Recently, I have been replaying Red Dead Revolver. I replayed the classic GTA games again and didn't like them. I replayed Max Payne 3 and thought it was decent, but doesn't hold a candle against 1 and 2. Manhunt was just a frustrating stealth game where stealth sucks. However, Red Dead Revolver immediately clicked with me in a way the Redemption games didn't. It is an old console game, but its moment-to-moment gameplay is far ahead of anything Rockstar has published since, and it's not even close. I think this is one of my favorite pure third-person shooters alongside Vanquish, Max Payne 1, Stranglehold, and GunZ.
My gripes with the Red Dead Redemption games:
The problem with Rockstar and the other modern AAA studios is that they have realized their games shouldn't be all about action-bits back by the time of the late 2000s, but their solution is just having the player do the boring, shallow scripted events. In the case of the modern Rockstar openworld games, it often introduces a world filled to the brim but has nothing interesting to do besides slow walking, the scripted events of slowly following someone, slowly riding the horse as the NPC shoves expositions, getting animation-locked whenever I try to do anything to waste my precious time on irrelevant mini-cutscenes for the sake of "cinematic", "immersion", or "maturity."
People misdiagnose RDR2's problem as "it is bad because it is slow". In reality, the problem has nothing to do with the slow-paced gameplay. It is that things that make RDR2 slow are not gameplay at all. very mechanic seems to be designed to be "immersive" or "realistic" instead of fun, and mechanics that could be immersive and realistic while enhancing gameplay don’t exist. It is frustrating to see how people ramble on about immersion, yet seemingly forget that you have to be immersed in something. A lot of people associate immersion solely as non-interactivity--slow-walking scripted section, cinematic experience, some super fancy animations, and bloody screen and lens flare. Yet if the gameplay does not create a player narrative, there is no actual reality for the player to immerse himself. How Rockstar still goes for this approach to the openworld to this date is beyond me. Even for scripted linear games, the rigid "follow the orders or game over" is an awful game design. That's why the Call of Duty campaigns have been reviled for a long time, and they didn't do as much as RDR2 does.
It's not that Red Dead Redemption should turn into a Deus Ex game. It's about them not letting you take even a simple step from the path they have ready for you. Find me another game that shits the bed if you step in the wrong direction. Missions are literally designed to be played in a very particular way and if they aren't then the missions fail. They are absolutely in-your-face-incompetently designed. I had very little "enjoyment" trying to play a hand-holdy experience that otherwise just boiled down to "take cover and shoot". Most missions are just going to a marker on your map and waiting for the game to prompt you with what to do next, if you ever use your initiative before the game wants you to, the player gets slapped with a gamer-over screen or, at best, the NPC says, "What are you doing, John/Arthur? Go hide behind that specific rock marked yellow on your minimap and wait until control returns back to you!" As soon as you deviate from the path Rockstar wants you to take the mission breaks.
If the game gives the player control over a character, then give them full control. Don't give the player control while putting a yellow spot on the map and failing me whenever the player decides to step out of it. Missions should have freedom instead of following strict steps. It does not require a massive change in the story if it lets the player make their own way across the rooftops instead of going through the main door. Not letting the player come up with their own solution for the problem at hand is truly a 5th gen game design. Just let the player flank the enemies another way than it wants the player to.
Then count how many missions revolve around the same pattern of stealthing somewhere, getting detected, taking cover and shooting everyone, fleeing on horseback, shooting more guys, and reaching the mission-ending spot. Repeat. There is rarely a creative thought put into making each combat encounter interesting. The game throws hundreds same enemies at the player and the player just takes cover and goes shooty-shooty like it's barely a sweat. There are more times I failed missions because I did something I wasn't supposed to do than actually dying.
Arcade purity of Red Dead Revolver:
In contrast to Redemption, there is a certain purity in Revolver to be admired. It has no fat. It is just about shooting, and nothing else. Instead of doing a ton of stuff without doing any of them all that well, Revolver only focuses on a few elements and does them exceptionally. All the elements feel connected and seem like the same team worked on game elements--all the elements coming together to form a singular experience rather than slapping different elements together.
Red Dead Revolver has a linear narrative and progression and follows a linear-level structure. There is a starting point and an endpoint, and they don't change, but everything in the middle is up to the player. How you fight the bad guys is dynamic and up to your whims and skill as a player. A linear narrative doesn't have to have narrow, linear gameplay. Basically, each combat beat within the levels is treated like a small interconnected sandbox arena. There is no moment where the player has to slowly follow a NPC shoving expositions down the player. It doesn't give the player a mission fail screen unless you literally fail a mission goal or die. So why is a linear PS2 shooter from 2004 freer in its mission design and structure than an openworld game in 2018?
Then there is like a comparable set-piece, level, and diversity in the linear 7-hour game to the 100-hour openworld game. There is an effort to make each level feel distinct and fit with the different themes. One level is the shootout on a speeding train, which clearly inspired the train level in Uncharted 2. Then you fight a guy who strapped himself with dynamites and charges at you in a prey versus predator-type level. Then you get a horror-themed level where you have to protect a girl from the clowns and the teleporting magician. Then you get a long-range firefight in the valley and eventually fight a dominatrix cowgirl. Then you fight El Mariachi/Django-inspired villain who whips out a machine gun from a coffin in a ghost town. Then you get a saloon fistfight. Then you fight the US army in the massive bridge battle inspired by The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, and you have to use flares to bombard the US artilleries. And this barely covers the first half of the game. There are crazier and more unique levels peppered throughout the experience. Almost every level feels like a Western stereotype realized in the interactive form. Even from the gameplay perspective, each level requires different moment-to-moment gameplay, forcing the player to adapt new tactics, so it doesn't get repetitive like the Redemption games do.
While the story is essentially more of a homage/parody of the Western genre than a subversion like the Redemption games are, and often just an excuse to show off the set-pieces and stages, it doesn't matter. It's still entertaining from beginning to end because everything is creative. The locations are varied and unique. The villains are unique and badasses. The set-pieces are cool. Even the loading screens are dripping with the Western flairs. The Redemption games don't put much thought into the creative elements because of their focus on cover-shooting, realism, and openworld. It is refreshing to see great care in locations, villains, henchmen, set-pieces, and level/mission design. It's great to see these absurd elements stick to the arcade vibe without going into the ironic Marvel-like zoomer humor of the 2020s. Yes, the style is absurd, but there is a genuine sincerity to it, almost like a Platinum game.
Aggressive combat system:
This is more to do with RDR2 than RDR1, but Red Dead Redemption 2's combat system is passive, passive, and passive... The problem is not that it's just slow. The problem is that RDR2's combat is unresponsive, clunky, and lacks challenge. You can't die. The player movement is sluggish and each animation takes a delay. It plays so automated and unnecessarily clunky at the same time. Rather than embodying an on-screen avatar with the controller, it is like the player is controlling a submarine. The player has slow movement, near unlimited slow-mo, rigid auto-aim, and regenerating health, forcing them to take cover or abuse deadeye, which takes skills and fun away. If you play normally, you lock onto enemies with no effort. If you turn the auto-aim off, it's just unplayable. The deeper you get into the game, the simpler the combat gets.
From the beginning to the end, RDR's combat never changes. Hide behind cover, shoot bad guys in the head. Repeat. Most of the level design has the player stuck in a horizontal battlefield plane with only cover-based shooting. There is little to no verticality. The combat becomes a "peak out and shoot" loop that lacks any ounce of tactical variety. This is why every single firefight feels roughly the same. This is not even mentioning an awful, clunky melee system, which is just getting the player locked in a chain of animations. The designers failed to make the combat in an openworld game revolving around combat fun; just a filler between the story cutscenes.
"But--but, it's realistic!" Despite Rockstar's attempt, Red Dead Redemption 2 is nowhere close to being a sim or being realistic. It is a standard cover console TPS with clunky movement, outdated aiming, and heavily controlled gameplay sequences. In RDR2, the shooting is just pressing the fire button at the NPC until they fall to the ground. It doesn't matter what weapon you use, how you use it, or where you aim. There is a way to make a slow combat feel good to play and give a dynamic flow. Realistic shooters like ARMA, Squad, and Tarkov offer a ton of freedom in opportunity as well as a great depth in combat complexity. Even the non-milsim shooters like Metro, The Last of Us, STALKER, and Viet Cong construct an intense combat experience without the awkward movement and restrictions. These games have a punchy, weighty feel to the weapons, and there are various mechanics to play around the AI and the gunplay. And these games let the player immerse and engage in the head, not through the clunky attempts at "cinematic" or any gimmick in order to be a "grounded" shooter. The only real reason why the developers picked the cover shooting for RDR2 is because it felt cinematic and everyone else was doing it.
However, Red Dead Revolver is the opposite. Not only every player input is snappy and the controls don't feel like fighting my hands, but Revolver has its own unique combat system that still stands out because the developers wanted to make a cowboy game with that gunslinger gameplay. It is not really a conventional TPS in the modern sense. It takes a while to adapt to its brutal difficulty, but once it clicks, it rocks. Once you get used to it, it is the only Rockstar game with a great combat system. Max Payne 3 is a close second, but ruined by the claustrophobically railroaded level design and progression. I wonder if the strong gameplay is the remnant of Capcom's game design. The way the character moves and the arcady feel of the game resemble a Japanese game more than a western one. It has a good amount of mechanical complexity and flexibility with many quirks to exploit. It is tighter in enemy encounters, level design, and combat mechanics.
It has a primitive cover system, but it didn't turn combat into just that. It is just one of the many viable options the player has depending on the situation. Revolver is all about movement, mainly due to the bullets being slow projectiles you can roll and dodge. This might not sound much, but this completely changes the combat dynamic. The gunfight is not about connecting dots anymore. Every bullet is dodgeable, both for enemies and the player. The player, they have to calculate when and where the bullet will land. The slow bullets encourage the player to be up close, rolling and avoiding constantly. You can charge at an enemy firing and avoid every bullet pouring at you if you are good enough. This results in the constant switching of the playstyle from the guns blazing in a continuous loop.
Combat is strategic thanks to the variety of environments for fighting, and a variety of enemies too, plenty of bosses with not-entirely-clear weak points that you have to study and manipulate. Then there are various enemy types like the beefy guy with a melee weapon who charges at the player, or the sniper type, or the dwarfs that swarm the player, and the lean but fast guy... They attack differently and require different tactics. In addition, the different player characters require the player to fight differently. Unlike RDR2's "melee" system, which is just a QTE-sque mini-cutscene, in Revolver, the player just whips and kicks. It's fast. It's intuitive. The game is way more dynamic, and its dynamic aspect is not handholdy as it allows the player to engage in the combat as they want.
The game is really hard. The combat is both fanatical and deliberate. The damage output is high, and the health does not regenerate, but it's easy to avoid the enemy attacks, and the enemies often put themselves out in the open. This puts the player on the aggressive. When the player gets hit, it is often the player's fault. You are on the constant move, standing in one place is a death sentence. The game is best to be played in an aggressive playstyle because it encourages a high-risk, high-reward playstyle in a messy gunfight. Almost every part of the level is interconnected, encouraging the player to hit and run with each enemy behaving and roles distinctly different from each other. There is rarely downtime and the game can get exhilarating because of it.
Just compare your inputs at a combat level in Revolver--out in open, constantly rolling, dodging projectiles, moving, flanking, crowd-control... the amount of skills, tactics, and thoughts required to deal with enemies--to any combat encounters in Redemption, which plays stationary. The level of fluent min-to-min gameplay is unmatched by any old or new Rockstar game. Afterward, Rockstar fails to make anything more than a combat system that cannot even match a 2004 TPS in terms of mechanical depth.
The general impression I get from people is that they only play the Redemption games and never touch Revolver because it's old. I watch Youtube videos and people just laugh it off because of how ridiculous the character models look. I'd say give the game a chance, and you will find out it has some of the most fun third-person shooting out there. There are indeed non-cover shooters in the TPS genre, and they tend to be better.
I hope Rockstar would do a game like Red Dead Revolver, Max Payne 3, and Manhunt again--a smaller production, more specific, aiming for a specific niche, and more linear--rather than making another GTA or Redemption game. Many fans don't like or play them because they have a different approach from an average GTA-type openworld, but Rockstar used to experiment with through types of gameplay across their works. That's when Rockstar is the strongest. This is coming from someone who played most Rockstar games from GTA2 to RDR2.

Hello!
You can call me Cameron. I'm 28 years old I never used Reddit, so hopefully, I'm posting this in the right area...
I believe I was wrongfully terminated because my disabilities were causing me to be late to work... I am diagnosed with 3 major mental disabilities, which CAN make it very difficult for me to find and get to work... I can and will share these disabilities and how they make my daily life difficult, if you need me to. I am on a waiting list for government assistance. Due to these disabilities, I'm often late to work. I'm not talking about 1 hour to 2 hours late, just maybe 10 to 20 minutes late at most. A BIT OF BACK STORY: Gensco Inc. is a HVAC, wholesale, warehouse and distribution, corporation with multiple branches from Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and I believe California too. I personally like the company as a whole... I like my fellow co-workers. In fact, my best friend was the one who helped me a job there. The manager at the time was fully aware of my disabilities upon hiring and was being accommodating and giving me slack on when I showed up late. I was part of the team that pulled orders for big companies like Greenwood, Bel- Red, Sea-Town, and more, to stage on palettes for delivery. Typical Warehouse shipping practices. That's not all we did. There's aisle maintenance, helping other departments like Receiving and Will Call, and educating ourselves with product knowledge and online courses. I would typically go above and beyond by looking for safety hazards, taking pictures of them, reporting them, and then often fixing them with supervision. Sounds like a lot of responsibilities for someone with disabilities right?... It was... but I was promised that I'd get put in the tech. department from the branch manager. so I wanted to make a name for myself. My first 2 months go by, and I didn't know that the current branch manager was promoted to the Idaho regional manager position and was going to Boise. There was an interview process to take over his position, and apparently, only 3 people applied. They were Alex, Candace, and Stacy. (this will be important later) Alex was the lead for all of the warehouse for about a year and was working there for 3 years. Stacy's Dad has been part of Gensco for at least 20 years and is a very reputative OSR. Stacy herself is the supervisor of the branch, and she has been with Gensco, for I don't know how long. Candace was there for less than a year and was the lead of pm receiving. (graveyard) ...Candace ended up becoming the branch manager... Of course, there were a lot of upset people, and a few people actually quit and never came back. It wasn't until then that I heard that she had a nickname called "The Warden. "... Well, unlike a lot of the others, I was supportive and respectful. I know what it's like running a business for the first time ever. I even gave advice and pep talks to her. ( I used to have my own before I sucked at running a business.. It was a computer repair and fabrication company we used to freelance and test hardware. nothing big. I just didn't know what I was doing. But I've been learning and dreaming that one day I can start again... ) One day in late February I ended up getting covid and missed just about 2 weeks of work. (No, i was not paid for it. so funds were tight that month) I was told by Candace that I needed to get a Doctors note if i wanted to return to work. I didn't have insurance for about 3 years since i was working for a paving company that ended up shutting down. ever got state insurance cause I'm lazy. but I finally have insurance thanks to Gensco. so, I went in and spoke with a Walk-In Dr. and while I was there, I mentioned having back pain. they then suggested filing an L&I claim so that way my insurance would cover any back treatment. I was on the fence. then the Dr. started to push it and said that i really should file an L&I claim. Otherwise, there's nothing they can do for me.... so... I filed an L&I claim towards Gensco. claiming that my work has been making my back injury flair up and getting worse.. I've previously injured my back while working in paving, AND I most likely have a "genitive disc."" deuteriation disease" along my L4 and 5. However, that company is now shut down due to Covid. So the claim gets bumped to Gensco... THIS IS WHEN THINGS START TO GET BAD: When I returned to work, I gave Branch Manager (Candace) the Dr. note and spent that entire week scared that i was going to lose my job at any moment. Then, finally, Friday came, and I was called into Candace's office, where she asked me why I filed an L&I claim and why I didn't i report it to her when it happened. I explained to her that the doctor urged me to file one so I could get treatment for my back. Her face went red, and she told me that I had to sign a document as to why I filed an L&I claim so she could send it to HR. I filled in and signed the paper and walked out of the office. Later that same day, I was told that I'm being switched to part-time hours and light duty. No, I was not paid for full time. My pay too was reduced. I was placed in a small room that had 2 computers for training or courses. I was told that I was supposed to take 10 minute brakes every hour, and all I had to do was confirm shipment orders. which just means scan the order, double check to see if everything is correct. see if it's been paid and delivered, then digitally and physically stamp your number on the order and turn it in. Since I'm tech savvy and by this point, I knew how the software ran inside and out. I'd end up getting thousands of orders and still have like 2 to 3 hours to spare. Which would use to take their online courses on Branch Managment, Junior OSR Training, OSR Training, every single Safety Course, Diamond Software, P21 Software, On Fleet Software, Columbian and Mitsubishi products, American Standard and Train products. I even ended up doing some data analytics of the On Fleet Program for the Everett Branch. I helped improve the accuracy and efficiency of our truck Drivers delivery process. One day, my supervisor (Stacy) sees me taking my breaks and yells at me to get back to work because I've taken too many breaks. I tried to explain to her the situation, but she was not having it and gave the hand. and once more told me to go back to work. Maybe a day or two later. I've already finished the ship confirm. and was doing the OSR courses when my Candace walked by. She sees that I'm doing courses, and like a pissed off mom said "ohhh no no no, you can go in the warehouse with a rolling chair and audit the shipping pallets." I'm sure Osha would have had a hay day there... so many safety violations since she became manager. I have photos of how bad it was since I had to fix a lot of it. But from that point on, both Stacy and Candce started to treat me like a child. They even nit picked me to the point where i was in trouble at least once or twice a week for some dumb and little. for example, one day, according to Alex, I was rolling too fast on the rolling chair in the warehouse. and almost fell... A peace of pallet stopped the wheel, making the chair and almost topple over, but i was able to catch myself... but I somehow got in trouble, and the branch manager chewed me out for it.... never mind the fact that she is making a disabled injured employee use a rolling office chair as wheel chair in the shipping warehouse for HVAC equipment and products. this is how it went when she called me into her office... ( This was during the 1st or 2nd month of the L&I claim. Candace "So how are you" Me "Uhm Alright, yourself?" Candace "Not so good. So Alex told me that you were being all Speed Racer in the warehouse last night and almost hurt yourself again... Why would you do that? We already accommodate and do a lot for you. " Me "..." (I'm thinking "THE FUCK YOU MEAN DO ALOT FOR ME!?!" Candace "You know this looks really bad for you while you are claiming L&I. " Me "Sorry... Won't happen again" Candace "Good. You can leave." From that point, while i was on Light duty I refused to go and help my old team.. the shipping department. Since i knew Alex (the Warehouse Lead) was just trying to get me in trouble... Other than being treated like a child by the supervisor and branch manager. everything was going good until about May of 2023 where L&I turned down my claim. I should have had gotten an L&I lawyer but I didn't know how to reach out to one... Just a reminder at this point I have been showing up late on a rare occasion. but no more that 20 minutes late. THE day after I got my L&I claim rejected, I was called into the office for my 6 month Review with Candace. She counted the time while i was on light duty to help her decide the scores. Apparently I got bad score all around besides the self education section. But I don't do enough and I could be doing so much more. but fails explain how. She pretty much tells me that I fail to meet expectations but she fails to tell me how and I even have copies of those records. Being late to work was also on one of the sections too.. in the end she gave me a 67 cent raise.... By this point you're probably thinking.. "why haven't you left yet?" well... 1. I was living pay check to pay check. 2. I was behind on Bills 3. and It's hard for me to find a job that will actually hire someone with my disabilities. Especially where I want to go... 4. I needed the money... Fast forward to late June. My partner's family drama comes to light and needless to say... shit goes down.. Due to a serious situation we ended up fostering her little brother for the remainder of June and July. We were still behind on bills so i continued to work, my partner was unfortunately fired a month or 2 prior because she felt uncomfortable and refused to listen to another supervisor from a different department... During this I've been brought to Candaces office twice for showing up late. I informed her of my disabilities again and she dismissed me 2 weeks go by and I'm struggling with my mental health while being the rock for the 3 of us... My Partner is overly stressed and doesn't drive. There's a lot we had to do for her brother that unfortunately required the both of us. SO I had to request Family Leave... Candace allows me to fill out the paper work and turn it into HR. she told me that I can go home and figure things out. 2 weeks go by and I get a call from Candace asking me to come in sometime soon. I went there the next day and was told that I was denied for family leave. but she gave me a normal Leave contract and told me that I wasn't going to be paid for my absence... by that point it was too late. i was broke, my partner was broke and neither of us were able to work. we still had her brother for another 2 weeks... i was lucky that my family stepped int and started helping us out immensely... Her brother was adopted by his Aunt we safely transported there at the end of July. AUGUST 2023 I returned to work and also set up a meeting with an psychiatrist to start getting treatment for my disabilities. I was able to see one by the end of August where i was retested for everything. Throughout the month I was late. A LOT ... I was maybe on time for like 5 to 6 days in total... my Mental health was just getting worse and worse... I was called in once more to have another write up for my attendance and was handed a new employee handbook with the attendance policy highlighted.. I have the old one and there is no attendance policy when I was hired. SEPT 2023 I just started 1 of my 3 different medications. and show some minor improvements with sleep and other things, However i was still getting extreme anxiety attacks, depression spells, burnout, and had zero motivation to do anything. thus I was still late to work a lot.. but I decided that id start being open to my coworkers and tell them how ive been feeling about management. I ended up getting a lot of shared opinions and we all started to see a pattern involving candace. Oct. 2023 I got a Dr. note from my Psychiatrist asking for a 2 hour leniency to arrive to work while i adjust to my new medication. this was also when i was give my 2nd medication out of 3 and this helped.. quit a bit. my depression spell dont come as often and the are not as intense. I'm able to sleep at night, I actually want to laugh and smile. but.. the anxieties are still there... and they were tad bit worse.. I didn't see Candace AT ALL during that month after I gave her the Dr. note, Nov 2023 I start my 3 medication and start to see immediate improvements. I don't really get depression spells that all that often. i can still feel sad and happy. I'm able to focus, be creative and back into my hobbies. AND my work life has also improved. I'm arriving on time, I'm being more efficient at picking orders, I'm training new hires, and establishing generalized SOP for everyone in the warehouse. i was able to connect with more coworkers and got learn a lot. for example; At the Gensco Everett Branch #18 - The Branch Manager pays the female employees that has less experience more than ALL of the male employees - The female employees get fast tracked and promoted to whatever position they want while the men are stuck where they are. - She completely lost her cool and blew up at 2 other male employees and verbally threatened them. only one of them was brave enough to call HR - Everyone that called HR on Candace was coincidently fired a month later - She supposedly lied about her qualifications and resume to get the Branch Mananger Position (that one is probably just a rumor) - If she doesn't like you, she will find way to get you to quit by making work unbearable or she will fire you. (this one I've witnessed happen to 2 other employees before myself) Dec 2023 The Dr. Note that my psychiatrist made has now expired and my body adapted to the medication, so we had to increase the dosage when i pick up my next prescriptions. I showed up late 2 days in a row and wasn't spoken to about it until the following week. where i was given my final warning before they would have to terminate me. I was able to show up on time for the rest of that week except for 1 day ( Thursday ) ... i spent that entire day scare that was going to lose my job.. Then Friday came. i showed up on time. stayed late to close up for Christmas next week and we all ate at the Christmas dinner that she had set up for all of us... The day after Christmas.. the 26th, I came in to work with a bad feeling in my gut.. like something about the atmosphere felt different.. I enter through the doors and I wasn't greeted like I normally was (in my head I knew it was going to happen today) I walked past the Branch managers office and my stomach immediately tightened like I just got punched in the stomach. I go to my locker and when i open it, I see my Annual Review Report. apparently I did worse than last time... I gear up and clock in and start to walk to my position.. I look in Candace's office to see if she was there. She wasn't. As i was in the mid of the exhale of relief i heard her voice coming from the supervisors office... I started to feel nauseous... and the started to lightly spin. I took a breath in and pressed on. as i walk by them i smile and wave to them as though it was another day. no response. not even a glance. i keep walking to my post when the new lead tells me that Candace wants to see me in her office. I then turn around and start heading back to her office. She was no longer in Stacys office, so i assumed that she must have radioed him. I walk into her office to be greeted not only by her but also the Regional manger for all of the WA branches. She gestures me to sit, and he shuts the door behind me.. I instantly felt trapped, my breathing was short and tight, and my brain was racing a million miles per second. My thoughts; "I FUCKING KNEW IT!" "Why is he here?" "what's that folder for" " did he just lock the door?" "This is it... I'm going to be fired" "why did he close the door?" then silence... my mind went blank and i froze as they opened up the folder that had every single day that was late written down but with no time that i came in. they informed me that showing up late at all is considered missing half the day. they continue to tell me that i am being terminated and the reason is because I was getting to work late. when they know exactly why i have been late. it was due to my disabilities... What should i do?. is it too late to do anything now?.. I still can't find a job that will hire me, I don't have source of income, and I'm on a waiting list for government assistance...

DC Next proudly presents:

KARA: DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON

In ARGO Solutions
Issue Eighteen: Step By Step
Written by ClaraEclair
Edited by DeadIslandMan1
 
<< < Previous Issue Next Issue > Coming Next Month
 
 
Kara wasn’t ready to face the image of her mother after so long. It had been over a year since the artificial intelligence program had been activated, last seeing activity since before Kara’s excursion to Starhaven. But, now that she was finished installing the holographic transmitters within her laboratory and office in National City — with the intelligence hub, processors, and central unit taking up a small amount of space in a closed off side room — she wasn’t quite sure how she felt.
She stared up at the final emitter, a small device attached to the ceiling, and sighed. One small part of her never wanted to reactivate the AI, the sight of her mother’s face puppeteered by a machine that couldn’t truly replicate the warmth that Alura exuded. Kara knew that the data stored in the AI was the basis of her entire business plan, extracting the knowledge it had to transform and adapt it to Earth’s needs.
She didn’t have the information on her own; if she was going to get it for herself, she would have to go through the machine. She could have called Nia, to have a friend present, or Jon, for family, but she couldn’t bring herself to bring them with her. She needed to do it alone — even if it was mere moments before an interview would take place.
Arms crossed, she tapped her finger over her bicep, anxiously talking herself through the process. There was no other way to go forward than to go through her biggest obstacle. She took a deep breath.
“Alura,” she called out, watching a small light on the emitters around the room blink for a split second before the form of her long-dead mother appeared before her eyes, a kind smile and perfect features shining back into Kara’s eyes. They were features she saw in the mirror every morning.
“Kara, my dear,” Alura began, though her smile soon faded. “You look older… How long has it been?”
“Only a year,” Kara said, a newfound fatigue extending through her voice as she shifted her stance into a more relaxed posture. “It’s been a long year.”
“Oh, my poor girl,” Alura said, taking a step toward Kara, putting her hand up to caress Kara’s face. Instead, Kara stepped back, hand up to tell the hologram to stop.
“That’s not… I don’t need you for that,” despite its existence being that of code, the hologram appeared hurt, her face sinking as she searched for some sort of answer within Kara’s face. She tried to find eye contact with Kara, but the woman’s eyes avoided her own at all costs.
“Well, what do you need, darling?” asked Alura, angling her head slightly forward, taking a look at Kara’s hidden face. The sensors installed around the room to assist in its function betrayed the holographic actions it took. It could see every angle of the laboratory, no matter where in the room its form was. “I’m always here for you.”
“First, some ground rules,” Kara began, finally looking at the light structure in its eyes. Her voice was firm. “You’re not my mother.” She paused for a moment, waiting for a response. “I… I understand that you were taken from her mind and her memories, but you’re just not her. I don’t need you to try to be, and I really don’t need you calling me pet names. Just… Kara is fine.”
“Alright, Kara,” the AI said, nodded along.
“Second; you’re in my workplace now, not my ship,” she continued. “I’m going to have employees and clients here often, I need you to assist them as well.”
“I don’t know who these people are or will be,” said Alura.
“That’s okay, I don’t know who all of them will be yet,” Kara replied. “But you’ll know when I do.” She knew that the AI could process information in nanoseconds, perhaps quicker, but she watched as it nodded its head, acting as if it was contemplating what it was being told. Kara pursed her lips.
“What is it that you will be doing here, Kara?” asked Alura. Finally taking a step away from its static position, it walked around the lab, its holographic eyes looking over all of the empty space and cheap, rudimentary earth machinery that came pre-installed in the room. “I don’t see nearly enough equipment to accomplish anything of substance.”
“Vaguely, it’ll be research and development,” said Kara. “I still need clients and employees who can actually help me do it all–”
“What will you be researching and developing?” Alura asked, turning back toward Kara, her arms clasped in front of her. Kara hesitated for a moment, cocking her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes at the blueish hologram that was staring back at her.
“I want to find a sustainable way to introduce Kryptonian technology to Earth and improve quality of life here,” Kara explained. “I don’t want them to make the same mistakes we did, and if I can adapt the right tech, I can help them.” The expression on Alura’s face seemed conflicted, a strained smile.
“And what would stop them from taking this technology for themselves? From adapting it to something other than your goals?”
“I would,” said Kara. “This planet isn’t ignorant of our technology, Kal-El was here for decades before I arrived, his son is their greatest hero. But only I have access to the necessary plans and techniques to build anything of ours.”
“I see,” said Alura, her tone apprehensive. She seemed to want to object to Kara’s plans, wanting to say more but stopping herself. Kara was surprised to see such internal conflict from a machine. “Are you sure this is the wisest–”
“I will rewrite you myself, if I have to,” said Kara, her voice suddenly cold and distant. “I’ve had enough of Kryptonian superiority. I’ve seen what our empire did to planets in the galaxy, I’ve seen the results of genocides we carried out. If I could access this information without a middle man, I would, but I have to go through you. I’m using our knowledge for something other than murder, or control, or expansionism.”
The AI said nothing in response, simply nodding.
Kara hated how she sounded, but there was a rage within her that could not be quelled. She’d been shown a side of Krypton that tore down all of her beliefs, and she wouldn’t let the old seclusionist ways prevent her from doing what she could to help those in need. Earth had growing problems, and she could see that Kryptonian technology and ideas could help find solutions.
Before either of them could speak once more, there was a knock at the door that caught their attention.
“That would be my interview,” said Kara, turning to the door and rushing to open it. Alura kept quiet as she watched.
“Doctor Veritas,” Kara said enthusiastically as her eyes met those of the brilliant woman on the other side of the door. “Come in,” she said, stepping back and gesturing into the lab, a welcoming smile on her face. “If I’m honest, this interview is mostly a formality, I don’t know how I could say no to–”
“Quite a mundane laboratory, here,” said Shay Veritas, looking over the empty room, forty feet long and thirty feet wide with high ceilings. “No useful equipment, yet.”
“Uh, no, not yet,” said Kara. “I’m still working on getting some tools from the fortress here and sorting out the finances from the grants and–”
“Investors,” said Shay, finishing Kara’s sentence. “Yes, it’s all a terrible drag. I could assist you with tools from my own, personal laboratory.”
“Oh, you have your own lab?” Kara asked, stopping in her tracks, tilting her head slightly as she continued to watch the doctor look over the lab. Shay nodded. “Why come work for me then?” The question rang sweetly in Shay’s ears, a wry smile finding its way onto her face as she turned back toward the Kryptonian, her magenta hair swinging slightly as she pivoted quickly on her cane.
“Because you are interesting, Kara Zor-El,” said the doctor, taking her time as she walked up to Kara. “You arrive, burn the countryside, disappear for weeks, smash up a warmonger’s beast sidekick, play superhero, and then disappear for a whole year before returning with a business idea. You have the power to punch your way through all your problems and yet your scientific mind is what you’re drawn to. I adore like-minded people, and the opportunity to work with a mind that experienced a civilisation so advanced it dwarfed our own, I’d be a fool to decline.” Kara nodded along.
“I suppose it would be impressive–”
“Interesting,” said Shay, interrupting Kara. “Not impressive, not yet. You are interesting.” Kara remained silent for a few moments as Shay stopped only a couple feet in front of her, a hand extended to shake.
“As I was saying,” Kara finally said, looking the applicant up and down. “This was really only a formality. You’re hired.”
 
 
A Few Hours Later…
Kara sat alone in her office, reading more and more stacks of applications, her dim office light keeping the text on the stacks of papers legible as she scanned through them. It was tireless work, but she enjoyed it more than signing continuous documents regarding taxes, grants, and registrations. It was easier to judge people than trudge through the legal language that bored her to death.
Flipping through the fifth candidate of the hour that she would have to reject, she looked up at the holographic emitter on the ceiling and shook her head.
“Alura,” she called out. There were questions to ask the machine that she hadn’t had a chance to ask before, pressing questions that needed answers. Instantaneously, the form of Kara’s mother appeared before her, a kind smile on her face.
“How can I help you, Kara?” asked the AI.
“I want to know about the old empire,” said Kara, receiving a nod from the AI, no signs of hesitance or trepidation in its face or movements. “Tell me about Starhaven, first.”
“Starhaven was an ancient, primitive planet that we settled millennia ago, bringing modern agriculture, technology, and resources to their world. When the galactic war forced us to abandon it, it was an arid planet with few oceans and irregular weather. Our intervention managed to allow the planet to retain oxygen sources on the planet as plants on the surface died out.” Kara scoffed. She was only being told half the story.
“Alright, tell me about the agriculture that was brought to Starhaven. The hydroponics facilities and the weather machines.” Kara crossed her arms and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the surface of her desk, the papers below her arms acting as rigid cushions above the wooden frame.
“The Weather and Hydroponics systems were complex, but now antiquated, systems that we used to stabilise the atmosphere of the planet and continue the water cycle in the best method we could find. It allowed wind currents, oxygen, and water to remain in the atmosphere despite worsening conditions on the surface of the planet. All resources used were native flora, invasive species were very carefully taken into account on all former imperial colonies.”
“Sure, sure,” Kara said quickly. “Now what about Project Class Worldkiller?”
“I am afraid I cannot answer that, Kara.” Alura said, her face twisting in disappointment.
“Why not?”
“It seems I have an information block, or perhaps that query does not match any parameters within the database I have access to.”
Kara furrowed her brow. Alura had never been so mechanically artificial before, she almost refused to acknowledge her status as an AI. Kara had thought that she was given the personality of the real Alura — for a query to result in such blunt terms of missing software struck her as odd.
“How do I remove the information block?” asked Kara.
“I am afraid I cannot answer that,” said Alura. “Modifying my own code is not possible. I do not have an insight to most of my own functions.”
“Is there anything related to Project Class Worldkiller that you can tell me? What about Codename: Reign?” Kara asked, hoping that she could at least come across tangential information. There had to have been records of the Worldkillers, and the data block proved that they were real, and they were dangerous. Why else would information about them be blocked to the last surviving Kryptonian?
“Unfortunately, I cannot answer that,” said Alura. “Another data block. I’m not sure why, but this information is a closely guarded secret. I know that Alura knew of them, but she has intentionally, if hastily, attempted to remove my knowledge on the subject.”
Kara sat back in her seat, hands down on her thighs, and sighed. Her gaze was unfocused and distant as she thought about the implications of deliberately hiding such information. If the Worldkillers were relics of the old empire, why hide their existence? Did Alura know more about them, for whatever reason? What did Alura know? Was she hiding their existence to keep them out of perverse hands or some other unspoken reason?
She wouldn’t be able to get answers to any of her questions from this machine, and with her mother dead, there were no answers to be had. She would have to set aside some time to reprogram the AI — or find a way to remove the data blocks — but she had no time to do so with the endless paperwork on her desk.
Well, she wanted to continue with the paperwork when the phone on her desk began blaring its loud ringing chime, almost startling her.
“Shall I take that, Kara?” asked Alura, gesturing toward the phone.
“No,” Kara said, reaching for the receiver. “It’s okay, I’ve got it.”
Picking it up, she placed it to her ear and listened as the caller immediately began to speak.
“Kara Zor-El?” asked the voice, it was a woman on the other end calling her name, her voice was unfamiliar. “Christina Bell, I work for a financier who’s interested in your company. We’d like to make a private investment into ARGO Solutions in exchange for a small percentage of ownership and a share of profits.”
Kara sat silently, tapping her fingers against the surface of her desk.
“Ownership?” Kara asked hesitantly. “I don’t know–”
“It’s nothing to be worried about,” said Christina Bell, her tone unusually upbeat. “We tend to be silent partners, supplying funds and letting our partners do what they do best in exchange for a small, almost unnoticeable share of profits.”
“I’m not… I don’t want to do this to make money,” said Kara, her voice trailing slightly. “I want to help people–”
“I understand, Miss Zor-El,” said Bell. “But I also understand, based on data available to us, that you don’t have much funding, going off of grants by the National City government, but surely that cannot be enough. Their science fund may be bountiful, but it’s not generous.” There was a brief pause as neither spoke, Kara wanting to come up with something to say.
The caller wasn’t wrong, Kara needed money if she wanted to keep the business going for more than the few months the grants allowed and to pay any employees — especially now that she actually had an employee.
“Why don’t we set up an appointment to meet and further discuss our options,” said Christina, her voice remaining unnervingly calm. “Are you free any time in the coming days?”
“Uh, mostly, yes,” Kara replied, still hesitant and unsure of her position and the offer being presented. “Friday is fully open.”
“That’s perfect,” said Christina. “I can stop by at noon?”
“Okay–”
“Excellent!” Christina exclaimed. “I will see you then!” Before Kara could respond, the line cut, and Christina Bell disappeared into wherever in National City she was. Kara couldn’t help but scoff, she had barely been given a chance to speak and yet she was already going to be in a meeting with whoever Christina Bell was, and whichever company she represented — only now realising she’d never received a name.
Unable to focus, Kara sat back down in her chair and scoffed.
 
 
There was a shadow-clad figure in an empty office across the street from Kara Zor-El, a few floors above the safehouse used by Alex Danvers of the DEO. Danvers wasn’t present that night, she hadn’t been since the arrow had flown through her window and destroyed some of her equipment days prior.
This figure, cloaked under a hood with a bow on their back, stared into the unobstructed window of Kara Zor-El’s office window, listening device in hand, attempting to identify the woman Kara had spoken to on the phone. Only a handful of companies came to mind, but there were too many to search in one night. They didn’t want to extend into the coming days, but feared that they had to in order to intercept the money that was being offered to the woman who was a total novice to Earth business practices.
There was the obvious case of wanting to take advantage of the Kryptonian and her technology, the feasibility of getting their hands on technology far beyond Earth’s current capabilities would whet the appetites of even the most reserved executive. Kara Zor-El was bringing previously untouched resources and potentially putting it into the hands of those who would adapt her benevolent intentions and warp her results into something much more dangerous.
This figure had only been in National City for less than a year, but they knew almost immediately who would try the hardest to get their hands on Kryptonian technology: Simon Tycho.
Sitting atop his ivory tower, it was the only alien intelligence he truly struggled to grasp, always on the cusp of getting it for himself, yet struggling to cross the finish line. ARGO Solutions would be his easiest con yet.
The difficult part was which company did Tycho send after Kara Zor-El, there were many that were tied to him one way or another, it was simply a matter of identifying which one fit the mark.
The figure would have to move across the city and hope they reached the right one first. Christina Bell was not one for social media or even business networking sites, despite her profession. She had next to no online presence, almost eliminating the possibility of finding her through name alone.
Tycho’s known subsidiaries were numerous, but there was no telling how many were shell companies operated by shell companies. No one would know how many off-shore accounts he was pulling his money from, how much he was laundering through tax-havens or how many companies he operated off of American soil. Only the man himself truly knew the scale of his business, but he wasn’t the wisest to confront.
The shadowy figure would have to search on their own.
 
 
Small, metallic, wrist-mounted darts made destroying security cameras easy, and the shadowy figure snuck into the third office building of the night without issue. Lazy security guards and the fallibility of tired eyes allowed for the figure to find their way to the upper floors without trouble, giving them ample time to search the offices without being caught. All it took was an incapacitated guard within the security room to do it.
There were rows and rows of cubicles as the figure slinked their way through the building, the last investment firm on the north side of National City, with dubious links to Tycho Industries. It was nearing four in the morning, and it would have to be the last of the night before their search bled into the next day. Thursday morning was not optimal if they had to get what they needed by the next day, but they could only hope.
Christina Bell’s office stared the figure right in the face as they turned a corner, one of the few offices that was allotted its own space within the company’s rented floor. The lock hadn’t even been shut, allowing the shadowy figure to get inside with ease.
They breathed a sigh of relief as they got inside, thankful to have found it fast enough to get all the information they needed. They were quick to shuffle through Christina’s desk as they waited for the old computer to boot up. There weren’t any particularly interesting or relevant papers in her desk, mostly minor acquisitions and investments in preexisting companies that trended well on the stock market.
Placing a small USB device into the computer, the figure bypassed the company assigned password and gained direct access to all of the digitised files. It was a pain to navigate, having to sort through lists and countless folders of oddly-named case files that they could only assume were some kind of shorthand code.
The jumbled letters and numbers were difficult to make out until they found what they were looking for, and hindsight became clearer than ever.
F-KZE-AS-0424. The case file for Kara Zor-El’s ARGO Solutions. The figure furrowed their brows at the name before opening it, scanning as many details as they could find. Two stood out most: the investor intended for a full acquisition — how they wanted to achieve it, they didn’t know, perhaps deceiving Kara — and the name of the investor that Christina was representing was a name that the shadowy figure knew all too well.
In the year that they had been in National City, it was a name that popped up frequently, and they already knew of the lengthy trail that connected them to Simon Tycho. With their objective completed, they downloaded the case file directly to their USB device and left without even turning the computer off nor closing the door. The matter was urgent.

Hello everyone!
Welcome to our first discussion for our next quarterly non-fiction read, Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. We're kicking things off by reading the Introduction through Chapter 4 this week. A summary is listed below.
Kahneman begins by telling us his ideal scenario for how readers will use the info in the book: to improve office gossip. Really, that's what he's most hoping readers will do. Kahneman points out that gossip in general is a chance for us to develop our decision making skills by evaluating others' decisions and the consequences. It's also generally a more powerful motivator for self-criticism than other sources, such as New Year's resolutions.
Kahneman notes that his book is intended to help readers develop a larger vocabulary and deeper understanding of the topic of decision-making similar to the type of knowledge that medical students develop about diseases. In particular, the book focuses on understanding biases related to intuition, which Kahneman believes we often fail to account for when evaluating our decisions. Ideally, by developing a greater understanding of intuition and potential biases, we can improve our decision making and offer better advice when gossiping with coworkers.
Kahneman explains that the central ideas of the book can be traced back to a guest lecture by a colleague, Amos Tversky, for a seminar he taught at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel in 1969. During the guest lecture, the two of them concluded that although most people intuitively pick up grammar rules for a language, most people cannot intuitively pick up statistical rules that affect decision-making. The two decided to embark on a study to see if this conclusion was correct for other researchers and discovered that even statisticians failed to intuitively understand statistical rules and phenomena. Kahneman and Tversky spent fourteen years running a series of experiments focused on trying to understand and analyze how intuition affects our thought processes and consequently decisions. He lists a few examples of some of the questions they tested for their experiments and notes the effect of their landmark article in Science magazine detailing their work on heuristics and biases in intuitive thinking. Afterwards, Kahneman and Tversky spent five more years running experiments focused on decision making under uncertainty, releasing another article in Science magazine that became one of the foundations of behavioral economics.
Kahneman reassures us that the book is not merely a rehash of the early research he and Tversky conducted. Instead, he wants to discuss how recent developments in cognitive and social psychology have deepened our understanding of how the mind works. In particular, Kahneman plans to focus on a psychological theory of two systems of thinking: a fast system, which relies on intuition, perception, and memory, and a slow system, which relies on deliberate evaluation. Most of the book focuses on the fast system and mutual influences between the two systems.
Chapter 1 starts Part 1, which is focused on developing an understanding and vocabulary about the two-systems approach to thinking and decision-making. Kahneman introduces us to a demonstration of the difference between fast thinking based on intuition and slow thinking right away. He also points out some of the ways that we might switch between fast and slow thinking based on the specifics of a problem and even some of the physical effects of slow thinking. We then learn a formal definition of fast thinking, which Kahneman will refer to as System 1, and slow thinking, which Kahneman will refer to as System 2, complete with examples. Kahneman also notes the general perceptions we often have of how Systems 1 and 2 play out in our lives and the actual reality of they work. In particular, System 2 uses voluntary actions on our part to engage in System 1 actions for a specific purpose - but, the effort to focus our attention on engaging System 1 actions to complete a task for System 2 comes at a cost. We often think of ourselves based on the results of System 2, but much of our thinking is actually governed by System 1, which is in charge the majority of the time, even though we don't realize it. Instead, System 2 is content to let System 1 take the lead and relies on its results, only coming into play when we specifically focus our attention on a task.
The rest of the book will largely focus on this arrangement between Systems 1 and 2 and the ways in which things can occasionally go wrong. Kahneman presents an example task that deliberately creates a conflict between System 1 and System 2, showing us how different aspects of the given task utilize System 1 and System 2 and how they work together, or not. Next, we learn about a famous visual illusion, the Mueller-Lyer illusion, and how we have to teach our System 2 to disregard System 1's intuition about the illusion and then rely on System 1's memory action to recognize the illusion in the future. This scenario can be applied not just to visual illusions but "cognitive illusions" as well, when System 2 has to consciously override our System 1 intuition about a given problem. Kahneman explains that trying to overcome cognitive illusions is difficult because the effort to be so critical of our thoughts is highly inefficient and exhausting. At best, we end up with a sort of compromise where we try to be aware of situations where mistakes are more likely and be more careful in high-stakes scenarios where mistakes would be costly. Kahneman ends chapter 1 by reminding readers that his descriptions of System 1 and System 2 will use intentional personifications of the concepts to more effectively make his points about how the two systems work. After all, as folktales, office gossip, and stories of all kinds show us, we tend to learn how to approach decisions more easily when evaluating other people's decisions, in a quirk that comes down to the two systems themselves.
We start Chapter 2 by focusing our effort on...effort. As we've read earlier, System 2 likes to think its the main star of the show. In fact, it's pretty lazy and only wants to kick in when absolutely necessary; therefore it relies a lot on the insights of System 1, who actually is the star of the show. However, that also means that it takes quite a bit of effort when System 2 needs to take over and overcome the limitations of System 1. How much effort? Well, we can learn that quickly with the Add-1 exercise, which is definitely more exhausting to actually do than it is to read about. Kahneman is very familiar with the Add-1 exercise and its more maddening cousin, Add-3; it was a primary mechanism for an experiment he conducted with a colleague Jackson Beatty at the University of Michigan.
The purpose of the study was to build upon the work of Eckhard Hess, who studied how pupil size and dilation occurs in response to various stimuli, such as emotional arousal and mental effort. Kahneman and Beatty set up experiments to measure pupil size in response to mental effort via the Add-1 and Add-3 exercises. They were able to accurately predict factors such as mental effort over the course of solving a problem and when a participant would quit the task due to overload. They were also able to replicate the symptoms of temporary blindness during a task that requires a high mental effort. Funnily enough, even outside of the exercises of the experiment, they discovered that a casual conversation seemed to require little effort at all comparatively.
Kahneman asserts that pupil size is a reliable indicator of mental effort, much in the same way that an electricity meter is (or is supposed to be) a reliable indicator of electricity use in a building. The two are quite similar until it comes to dealing with an overload. While drawing too much power normally trips a breaker and cuts off all devices on the circuit, System 2 focuses all effort on the most important task and allocates extra effort to other, lower-priority tasks as possible. As you become more skilled in a task, less effort is required to perform it; similarly, talent also reduces the effort required to perform a task. Generally speaking, our brains follow the law of least effort, where, given a variety of ways we can approach a task, we will tend to gravitate to the one that requires the least effort.
So what exactly defines the difference between behaviors and thinking for System 1 versus System 2? We've seen some examples earlier, but now we're presented with a more formal definition. System 1, as noted above, deals primarily with the automatic, involuntary actions of intuition, memory, and perception. It can detect simple relations and excels at integrating multiple pieces of information about one thing. System 2, which deals primarily with effortful, voluntary actions, handles cases where you need to maintain several ideas relating to separate actions simultaneously in memory, or when needing to combine several actions based on a rule. It's responsible for comparing options based on multiple attributes and making deliberate choices. It's also responsible for organizing task sets, which require overriding the automatic actions of System 1 to perform some type of task. Time pressure can often push a task into System 2 territory and, in the megazord of psychological research, we have learned that switching between tasks veers into System 2 territory, particularly during a time crunch. In our day-to-day lives, we do our best to avoid overloading System 2 by dividing tasks into multiple stages, allowing us to rely on tools or long-term memory to store intermediate results as savepoints.
Chapter 3 examines System 2, or the controller, in more details. We learn that System 2 has a natural speed, much like most people have a natural walking speed. And, just as trying to walk faster than your natural walking speed requires effort, so does completing tasks at a rate faster than your System 2 natural speed. In fact, trying to walk faster than your natural walking speed requires you to divert more of your attention to your walk and deliberately maintaining your faster pace - an act of self-control. As Kahneman states, "[self]-control and deliberate thought apparently draw on the same limited budget of effort." This maxim of course extends beyond just the example of Kahneman's leisurely strolls in Berkeley, California - most activities that require effortful thinking and/or a coherent train of thought also require some degree of self-control to stay on task. That effort of self-control to stay on task bumps up against the law of least effort and in short, is the reason why your room might be the cleanest it's been all semester during exam season. Now sometimes, you can manage to engage in effortful thinking without exerting too much effort by entering a state of flow, a term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced six-cent-mihaly). A flow state can occur when engaging in any of a broad range of activities, where the effort to deliberately control your attention drops to zero and all of the effort can be focused on the task at hand.
Ok, so nowadays - as in May 2024 - we've established that self-control and cognitive effort are both forms of mental work. Research shows that people are more likely to yield to a temptation if presented during a challenging cognitive task. In fact, cognitive busyness can lead to a loss of self-control and all sorts of behaviors that are usually considered undesirable in a given situation (or any situation). System 2 is in charge of controlling thoughts and behaviors and all variants of voluntary effort - cognitive, emotional, or physical - draw on its singular pool of mental energy. In fact, repeated draws on that pool of mental energy in the form of successive tasks leads to a higher likelihood that you are unable or unwilling to exert self-control in subsequent tasks, a phenomenon known as ego depletion. Generally speaking, tasks that involve some level of conflict and suppressing automatic behaviors tends to deplete self-control and that in turn leads to all kinds of behaviors that are generally considered undesirable for one reason or another.
Kahneman does point out that there is a difference between high cognitive load on System 2 and ego depletion. Your System 2 has a hard limit, and when the cognitive load is too high for your capacity, the only solution is to reduce the cognitive load - there's no option to increase your capacity (yet). On the other hand, ego depletion is a loss of willpower or motivation to complete successive tasks over time. You could do that fifth and final problem on your hard homework assignment, you just don't want to. However, if it's due an hour, you'll push through somehow. One silver lining that has emerged from research on ego depletion is the link to glucose depletion in the body and the potential for glucose to mitigate the effects of ego depletion. This is particularly promising and worth investigating more, as that horrifying study of parole judges shows.
Earlier we read that System 2 is in charge of monitoring the thoughts and behaviors of System 1 and choosing when to let it proceed and when to kick in for a given task. Kahneman takes us through a few examples of experiments he conducted with a colleague, Shane Frederick, on a theory of judgement based on the two systems. The first two examples show how our intuition leads us to an incorrect answer that could have been avoided with a bit of effort by System 2. However, by and large people don't exert that effort and just rely on the answer that immediately comes to mind. This is, of course, concerning when you realize the sheer amount of thinking and decisions we make in our day-to-day lives. So long as we jump to the conclusion that we believe is true, we stick with it and favor supporting arguments, even when a more thorough review of the problem reveals the arguments and therefore conclusion to be unsound. Another example demonstrates the extent to which our memory can affect our thinking and cognitive performance, which depends on the type of information we commit to memory compared to the task at hand as well as our ability to recall that specific information when needed. Yet again, a more deliberate search through our memory via System 1 is something that is performed by System 2 and requires effort. Ultimately, the law of least effort often means that when a superficially plausible solution to problem comes to mind, we tend to run with it unless we're motivated to dig deeper. It takes more purposeful effort to engage with our System 2 to avoid these pitfalls and attain the classical definition of rational behavior.
Kahneman wraps up chapter 3 by reviewing the ways researchers have attempted to examine the connection between thinking and self-control in recent decades. The "Oreo" experiment conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel and his students is one of the most famous examples, showing the connection between an earlier understanding of the benefits of delayed gratification and later measurements of executive control in cognitive tasks, executive functioning, and intelligence. Another set of experiments at the University of Oregon explored the connection between cognitive control and intelligence, including if it was possible to increase intelligence by improving cognitive control of attention. Kahneman's colleague Shane Frederick developed a test that is a predictor of lazy thinking, teasing out a person's tendency to rely on System 1 versus System 2 and the common characteristics of each group compared to the other. Finally, Keith Stanovich, one of the duo that coined the terms System 1 and System 2, has continued to study what makes some people more susceptible to biases of judgement. He has proposed that System 2 is composed of two parts or "minds": one mind that deals with slow thinking and demanding computation and can be associated with intelligence and one mind that deals with choosing when to engage System 2 and can be associated with rationality. Stanovich argues that high intelligence does not preclude a person from falling into traps due to biases and that we should look to these tests as better measurements of when we are more susceptible to cognitive errors.
Chapter 4 opens with a striking example to demonstrate all of the involuntary actions your System 1 takes a moment's notice. As the example shows, anything and everything can trigger System 1's associative activation, in which one idea activating triggers a whole network of associated ideas to also activate, and then those trigger other associated ideas to activate, and so on. "Ideas" is maybe a bit of a misnomer here - a better term might be "thought," but that still carries a connotation of purposeful effort. With System 1 and associative activation, however, these are a set of cognitive, emotional, and physical responses to triggers that also trigger other responses, all of which happens automatically and involuntarily on your part. Moreover, System 1's associate activation triggers ideas/thoughts/responses that are associatively coherent and do their best to make sense of the situation, despite the wide variety of actions that occurred. And, as we see in the example, System 1 creates an imagined replica of the example that we physically and emotionally react to, even when the example in question represents two abstract concepts. As Kahneman notes, we think with our whole body, not just our brain.
The phenomenon of associative activation is fairly well-known. Eighteenth century Scottish philosopher David Hume first proposed that the association of ideas occurs according to the three principles of resemblance, contiguity in time and place, and causality. This is a good starting point, but we've had a few new ideas since then. For one thing, Kahneman, and likely many psychologists, take a more expansive view of what constitutes an "idea" besides a person, place or thing (wait a minute). Psychologists today have also moved away from the school of thought that associative activation happens as your mind navigates from one idea to the next in sequence. Instead, today's prevailing theory of associative memory holds that ideas are like nodes in a network, with links of all kinds between the nodes. Once you activate one node for an idea, all linked nodes and therefore ideas are activated simultaneously, and then their linked nodes and ideas are activated simultaneously, and ok you get the idea. One other important aspect of the associative memory theory is that most of this activation happens unconsciously. Only a small subset of them will actually be registered as conscious thoughts.
In recent decades, we've come to understand associative activation as it relates to the concept of "priming." Once an idea is activated, the associated ideas linked to the original are also activated and become easier to use if needed - or "primed for use", if you will. Priming, like associative activation, also operates like a network, although the second order effects - like a primed idea causing another idea to prime - are a bit weaker. And we're being pretty loose with our language by using "idea" here because priming applies to words, concepts, actions, and emotions, as Kahneman shows in various examples. Like associative activation, much of the act of priming occurs in System 1 automatically and unconsciously. We can also see reciprocal links occur quite a bit for both associative activation and priming. As Kahneman explains, several studies have demonstrated how particular actions will prime people for certain concepts and thoughts and how those same concepts and thoughts will prime people for the same particular actions, in a chicken-egg paradox.
Of course, priming and associative activation isn't all rainbows and sunshine. The fact that priming occurs so often automatically and unconsciously can be disturbing, given that we like to believe we're much more deliberate about who we are as a person. Kahneman refences two experiments regarding ballot initiatives for school funding and money that show that priming can induce us to create a culture of behaviors and beliefs that, if pondered, we wouldn't necessarily agree with, and that this can happen without us even realizing it. Given those experiments and other research, it begs the question of how other actions can prime us to perform certain behaviors and schools of thought that in turn prime us to those initial actions.
Kahneman wraps up chapter 4 with an unsettling breaking of the fourth wall. He asserts that, as readers complete the chapter, they often disbelieve that associative activation and priming have that much of an effect on our lives. Remember, System 2 likes to believe it is what determines the defining characteristics of our personality. Kahneman then proceeds to break down the questions the reader is likely contemplating as they read the chapter and assess if priming is that big of a deal or not. And, more importantly, Kahneman asserts that despite what System 2 wants to believe - you are subject to the effects of priming. We can see demonstrations of it in the world around us, including the final example of the chapter. The research done on priming and associative activation isn't the result of some extraordinary circumstance or statistical fluke. System 2 likes to construct a narrative for who we are, what we believe, and how we behave, but in reality, these things are heavily dictated by the automatic, involuntary, and often unconscious actions of System 1.
Discussion questions are listed below. Friendly reminder that we only covering the introduction to Chapter 4 this week, and all comments should be limited to that section. Any comments that include spoilers will be removed, regardless of whether they are hidden behind a spoiler tag!
Next week u/tomesandtea will cover Chapters 5 through 10. See you then!

Malware is like a nuclear weapon if you are a scammer. What it does is when it's launched on someone's device via infected file the malware can cause all types of damage by stealing information which can be used for all types of financial gain for a scammer multiple ways.

LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man is scheduled to appear in court this afternoon on federal charges stemming from his alleged attempt to obtain additional funds from two elderly victims who had already paid thousands as part of an online phishing scheme that locked up their home computer.
Tai Su, 48, of West Covina, is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Su was arrested Friday in a sting orchestrated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and federal prosecutors Sunday filed a criminal complaint that alleges one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Su was arrested at the victims’ Encino residence when he showed up to retrieve $35,000 from the two elderly victims who had already paid the fraudsters $25,000 in cash. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Su is part of a scheme that included a computer virus, callers pretending to help the victims, and two other people who masqueraded as federal agents
The cyberattack began on April 23 when the victims opened an email and clicked on a link launching malware that seized their computer and displayed a phone number that was purportedly “Microsoft Support.” The victims called the number and spoke to a person who advised they had been “hacked,” and the hackers now had their bank account information at City National Bank.
The victims were then connected to another person pretending to be a “Fraud and Risk Investigator” with City National Bank, who instructed the victims to withdraw $25,000 in cash and give the money to purported “federal agents” who would come to the victims’ house. The victims withdrew the cash and, later on April 23, two men pretending to be federal agents – one of whom displayed a fake badge – came to the victims’ residence and collected the money.
Over the next two days, the scammers continued to seek additional funds from the victims, even directing them to make a $10,000 withdrawal at a particular City National Bank branch.
HSI agents on April 25 learned about the ongoing scam and planned a sting operation.
On April 26, during a series of phone calls with participants in the scheme, the victims agreed to make another $35,000 cash payment. After rebuffing demands to deposit the funds into a virtual wallet at a remote location, the victims arranged for another pick-up by a “federal officer” at their residence.
At the agreed-upon time, Su drove to the victims’ home. He identified himself to an 86-year-old victim, gave a passcode, and then said he was from Coinbase, a popular cryptocurrency platform. HSI agents then arrested Su, who was found to be carrying thousands of dollars in cash in large denominations, according to the affidavit.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia and Joseph De Leon of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Vulnerable Communities Task Force, which is focused on investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities that prey on communities that typically are less likely to report crimes to law enforcement and historically have had less legal recourse to address the offenders targeting them. These groups may include immigrants and migrant workers defrauded in immigration schemes, indigent individuals reliant on public benefits, the elderly, and those who have been reluctant to seek assistance from government authorities.
​

This particular play was risky but as you see they payoff was big ($25k) if these dumb asses wouldn't have been greedy this would have been a good payday but they decided to keep pushing for more when they really didn't have to. Scamming can make tons of money and can be virtually untraceable if done correctly but the GREED is what always takes people down.

​

Please note that at this point in this series of posts the descriptions are, for the most part, copied and pasted from the fourth one.
Round seven! This is the seventh post of a series of eight that are dedicated to discussing whether Undertale or Undertale Yellow has better boss fights. This series is NOT dedicated to discussing which of the available options would win in a fight.
In today's ranking, the midpoint boss of the genocide route in UT and UTY are matched up against each other.
Feel free to pick your preferred boss based on whatever factors you'd like to, such as gameplay, music, narrative, etc. Tomorrow's ranking will be the genocide route final boss matchup.
Today's exclusions were Dalv, Martlet, and El Bailador. Dalv was excluded because his fight remains unchanged, Martlet was excluded because she has no UT equivalent, and El Bailador was excluded because his fight turns into an execution. Dalv and El Bailador were, in addition to their already listed reasons, also excluded for the same reason as Martlet.
The statistics chart that details the winners of every debate will be posted on May 4th.

Hello!
You can call me Cameron. I'm 28 years old I never used Reddit, so hopefully, I'm posting this in the right area...
I believe I was wrongfully terminated because my disabilities were causing me to be late to work... I am diagnosed with 3 major mental disabilities, which CAN make it very difficult for me to find and get to work... I can and will share these disabilities and how they make my daily life difficult, if you need me to. I am on a waiting list for government assistance. Due to these disabilities, I'm often late to work. I'm not talking about 1 hour to 2 hours late, just maybe 10 to 20 minutes late at most. A BIT OF BACK STORY: Gensco Inc. is a HVAC, wholesale, warehouse and distribution, corporation with multiple branches from Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and I believe California too. I personally like the company as a whole... I like my fellow co-workers. In fact, my best friend was the one who helped me a job there. The manager at the time was fully aware of my disabilities upon hiring and was being accommodating and giving me slack on when I showed up late. I was part of the team that pulled orders for big companies like Greenwood, Bel- Red, Sea-Town, and more, to stage on palettes for delivery. Typical Warehouse shipping practices. That's not all we did. There's aisle maintenance, helping other departments like Receiving and Will Call, and educating ourselves with product knowledge and online courses. I would typically go above and beyond by looking for safety hazards, taking pictures of them, reporting them, and then often fixing them with supervision. Sounds like a lot of responsibilities for someone with disabilities right?... It was... but I was promised that I'd get put in the tech. department from the branch manager. so I wanted to make a name for myself. My first 2 months go by, and I didn't know that the current branch manager was promoted to the Idaho regional manager position and was going to Boise. There was an interview process to take over his position, and apparently, only 3 people applied. They were Alex, Candace, and Stacy. (this will be important later) Alex was the lead for all of the warehouse for about a year and was working there for 3 years. Stacy's Dad has been part of Gensco for at least 20 years and is a very reputative OSR. Stacy herself is the supervisor of the branch, and she has been with Gensco, for I don't know how long. Candace was there for less than a year and was the lead of pm receiving. (graveyard) ...Candace ended up becoming the branch manager... Of course, there were a lot of upset people, and a few people actually quit and never came back. It wasn't until then that I heard that she had a nickname called "The Warden. "... Well, unlike a lot of the others, I was supportive and respectful. I know what it's like running a business for the first time ever. I even gave advice and pep talks to her. ( I used to have my own before I sucked at running a business.. It was a computer repair and fabrication company we used to freelance and test hardware. nothing big. I just didn't know what I was doing. But I've been learning and dreaming that one day I can start again... ) One day in late February I ended up getting covid and missed just about 2 weeks of work. (No, i was not paid for it. so funds were tight that month) I was told by Candace that I needed to get a Doctors note if i wanted to return to work. I didn't have insurance for about 3 years since i was working for a paving company that ended up shutting down. ever got state insurance cause I'm lazy. but I finally have insurance thanks to Gensco. so, I went in and spoke with a Walk-In Dr. and while I was there, I mentioned having back pain. they then suggested filing an L&I claim so that way my insurance would cover any back treatment. I was on the fence. then the Dr. started to push it and said that i really should file an L&I claim. Otherwise, there's nothing they can do for me.... so... I filed an L&I claim towards Gensco. claiming that my work has been making my back injury flair up and getting worse.. I've previously injured my back while working in paving, AND I most likely have a "genitive disc."" deuteriation disease" along my L4 and 5. However, that company is now shut down due to Covid. So the claim gets bumped to Gensco... THIS IS WHEN THINGS START TO GET BAD: When I returned to work, I gave Branch Manager (Candace) the Dr. note and spent that entire week scared that i was going to lose my job at any moment. Then, finally, Friday came, and I was called into Candace's office, where she asked me why I filed an L&I claim and why I didn't i report it to her when it happened. I explained to her that the doctor urged me to file one so I could get treatment for my back. Her face went red, and she told me that I had to sign a document as to why I filed an L&I claim so she could send it to HR. I filled in and signed the paper and walked out of the office. Later that same day, I was told that I'm being switched to part-time hours and light duty. No, I was not paid for full time. My pay too was reduced. I was placed in a small room that had 2 computers for training or courses. I was told that I was supposed to take 10 minute brakes every hour, and all I had to do was confirm shipment orders. which just means scan the order, double check to see if everything is correct. see if it's been paid and delivered, then digitally and physically stamp your number on the order and turn it in. Since I'm tech savvy and by this point, I knew how the software ran inside and out. I'd end up getting thousands of orders and still have like 2 to 3 hours to spare. Which would use to take their online courses on Branch Managment, Junior OSR Training, OSR Training, every single Safety Course, Diamond Software, P21 Software, On Fleet Software, Columbian and Mitsubishi products, American Standard and Train products. I even ended up doing some data analytics of the On Fleet Program for the Everett Branch. I helped improve the accuracy and efficiency of our truck Drivers delivery process. One day, my supervisor (Stacy) sees me taking my breaks and yells at me to get back to work because I've taken too many breaks. I tried to explain to her the situation, but she was not having it and gave the hand. and once more told me to go back to work. Maybe a day or two later. I've already finished the ship confirm. and was doing the OSR courses when my Candace walked by. She sees that I'm doing courses, and like a pissed off mom said "ohhh no no no, you can go in the warehouse with a rolling chair and audit the shipping pallets." I'm sure Osha would have had a hay day there... so many safety violations since she became manager. I have photos of how bad it was since I had to fix a lot of it. But from that point on, both Stacy and Candce started to treat me like a child. They even nit picked me to the point where i was in trouble at least once or twice a week for some dumb and little. for example, one day, according to Alex, I was rolling too fast on the rolling chair in the warehouse. and almost fell... A peace of pallet stopped the wheel, making the chair and almost topple over, but i was able to catch myself... but I somehow got in trouble, and the branch manager chewed me out for it.... never mind the fact that she is making a disabled injured employee use a rolling office chair as wheel chair in the shipping warehouse for HVAC equipment and products. this is how it went when she called me into her office... ( This was during the 1st or 2nd month of the L&I claim. Candace "So how are you" Me "Uhm Alright, yourself?" Candace "Not so good. So Alex told me that you were being all Speed Racer in the warehouse last night and almost hurt yourself again... Why would you do that? We already accommodate and do a lot for you. " Me "..." (I'm thinking "THE FUCK YOU MEAN DO ALOT FOR ME!?!" Candace "You know this looks really bad for you while you are claiming L&I. " Me "Sorry... Won't happen again" Candace "Good. You can leave." From that point, while i was on Light duty I refused to go and help my old team.. the shipping department. Since i knew Alex (the Warehouse Lead) was just trying to get me in trouble... Other than being treated like a child by the supervisor and branch manager. everything was going good until about May of 2023 where L&I turned down my claim. I should have had gotten an L&I lawyer but I didn't know how to reach out to one... Just a reminder at this point I have been showing up late on a rare occasion. but no more that 20 minutes late. THE day after I got my L&I claim rejected, I was called into the office for my 6 month Review with Candace. She counted the time while i was on light duty to help her decide the scores. Apparently I got bad score all around besides the self education section. But I don't do enough and I could be doing so much more. but fails explain how. She pretty much tells me that I fail to meet expectations but she fails to tell me how and I even have copies of those records. Being late to work was also on one of the sections too.. in the end she gave me a 67 cent raise.... By this point you're probably thinking.. "why haven't you left yet?" well... 1. I was living pay check to pay check. 2. I was behind on Bills 3. and It's hard for me to find a job that will actually hire someone with my disabilities. Especially where I want to go... 4. I needed the money... Fast forward to late June. My partner's family drama comes to light and needless to say... shit goes down.. Due to a serious situation we ended up fostering her little brother for the remainder of June and July. We were still behind on bills so i continued to work, my partner was unfortunately fired a month or 2 prior because she felt uncomfortable and refused to listen to another supervisor from a different department... During this I've been brought to Candaces office twice for showing up late. I informed her of my disabilities again and she dismissed me 2 weeks go by and I'm struggling with my mental health while being the rock for the 3 of us... My Partner is overly stressed and doesn't drive. There's a lot we had to do for her brother that unfortunately required the both of us. SO I had to request Family Leave... Candace allows me to fill out the paper work and turn it into HR. she told me that I can go home and figure things out. 2 weeks go by and I get a call from Candace asking me to come in sometime soon. I went there the next day and was told that I was denied for family leave. but she gave me a normal Leave contract and told me that I wasn't going to be paid for my absence... by that point it was too late. i was broke, my partner was broke and neither of us were able to work. we still had her brother for another 2 weeks... i was lucky that my family stepped int and started helping us out immensely... Her brother was adopted by his Aunt we safely transported there at the end of July. AUGUST 2023 I returned to work and also set up a meeting with an psychiatrist to start getting treatment for my disabilities. I was able to see one by the end of August where i was retested for everything. Throughout the month I was late. A LOT ... I was maybe on time for like 5 to 6 days in total... my Mental health was just getting worse and worse... I was called in once more to have another write up for my attendance and was handed a new employee handbook with the attendance policy highlighted.. I have the old one and there is no attendance policy when I was hired. SEPT 2023 I just started 1 of my 3 different medications. and show some minor improvements with sleep and other things, However i was still getting extreme anxiety attacks, depression spells, burnout, and had zero motivation to do anything. thus I was still late to work a lot.. but I decided that id start being open to my coworkers and tell them how ive been feeling about management. I ended up getting a lot of shared opinions and we all started to see a pattern involving candace. Oct. 2023 I got a Dr. note from my Psychiatrist asking for a 2 hour leniency to arrive to work while i adjust to my new medication. this was also when i was give my 2nd medication out of 3 and this helped.. quit a bit. my depression spell dont come as often and the are not as intense. I'm able to sleep at night, I actually want to laugh and smile. but.. the anxieties are still there... and they were tad bit worse.. I didn't see Candace AT ALL during that month after I gave her the Dr. note, Nov 2023 I start my 3 medication and start to see immediate improvements. I don't really get depression spells that all that often. i can still feel sad and happy. I'm able to focus, be creative and back into my hobbies. AND my work life has also improved. I'm arriving on time, I'm being more efficient at picking orders, I'm training new hires, and establishing generalized SOP for everyone in the warehouse. i was able to connect with more coworkers and got learn a lot. for example; At the Gensco Everett Branch #18 - The Branch Manager pays the female employees that has less experience more than ALL of the male employees - The female employees get fast tracked and promoted to whatever position they want while the men are stuck where they are. - She completely lost her cool and blew up at 2 other male employees and verbally threatened them. only one of them was brave enough to call HR - Everyone that called HR on Candace was coincidently fired a month later - She supposedly lied about her qualifications and resume to get the Branch Mananger Position (that one is probably just a rumor) - If she doesn't like you, she will find way to get you to quit by making work unbearable or she will fire you. (this one I've witnessed happen to 2 other employees before myself) Dec 2023 The Dr. Note that my psychiatrist made has now expired and my body adapted to the medication, so we had to increase the dosage when i pick up my next prescriptions. I showed up late 2 days in a row and wasn't spoken to about it until the following week. where i was given my final warning before they would have to terminate me. I was able to show up on time for the rest of that week except for 1 day ( Thursday ) ... i spent that entire day scare that was going to lose my job.. Then Friday came. i showed up on time. stayed late to close up for Christmas next week and we all ate at the Christmas dinner that she had set up for all of us... The day after Christmas.. the 26th, I came in to work with a bad feeling in my gut.. like something about the atmosphere felt different.. I enter through the doors and I wasn't greeted like I normally was (in my head I knew it was going to happen today) I walked past the Branch managers office and my stomach immediately tightened like I just got punched in the stomach. I go to my locker and when i open it, I see my Annual Review Report. apparently I did worse than last time... I gear up and clock in and start to walk to my position.. I look in Candace's office to see if she was there. She wasn't. As i was in the mid of the exhale of relief i heard her voice coming from the supervisors office... I started to feel nauseous... and the started to lightly spin. I took a breath in and pressed on. as i walk by them i smile and wave to them as though it was another day. no response. not even a glance. i keep walking to my post when the new lead tells me that Candace wants to see me in her office. I then turn around and start heading back to her office. She was no longer in Stacys office, so i assumed that she must have radioed him. I walk into her office to be greeted not only by her but also the Regional manger for all of the WA branches. She gestures me to sit, and he shuts the door behind me.. I instantly felt trapped, my breathing was short and tight, and my brain was racing a million miles per second. My thoughts; "I FUCKING KNEW IT!" "Why is he here?" "what's that folder for" " did he just lock the door?" "This is it... I'm going to be fired" "why did he close the door?" then silence... my mind went blank and i froze as they opened up the folder that had every single day that was late written down but with no time that i came in. they informed me that showing up late at all is considered missing half the day. they continue to tell me that i am being terminated and the reason is because I was getting to work late. when they know exactly why i have been late. it was due to my disabilities... What should i do?. is it too late to do anything now?.. I still can't find a job that will hire me, I don't have source of income, and I'm on a waiting list for government assistance...

I got bored today, so I decided to write why you shouldn’t be around Dhar Mann’s version of Los Angeles, California. Before I explain anything, let me fill you in on the series basics, in case people don’t know about this series.
Dhar Mann is an anthology series about people learning life lessons that change their perspective of the world. Most of these lessons are as simple as “What happens in the dark, always comes to light”, and “Family is not about blood, it’s about love” or something in that regard. Yeah, most of the life lessons aren’t as drastic as, say, Grimm brother tales. You may be wondering why I’m even doing an analysis on something that is clearly a kids show. It’s not.
So, I’m gonna start by stating the obvious to those who watch Dhar Mann: Cars are dangerous. (This is the part where I start ranting a bit, be warned) According to Dhar Mann, there are 2 ways to write off a character offscreen; That illness, and car accidents. Now, I have a big bone to pick with the latter. In EVERY story with a single parent struggling with life, the reason they are single is that “My husband/wife died in a car accident”. As you may know, there are many ways to crash a car! And Dhar Mann sometimes vaguely explains that, “A drunk driver hit your wife/husband’s car”. Let’s assume that there are multiple drunk drivers in Dhar Land, in that case, the police are NOT doing their job well. Like at all. Because all the incident’s being so common (And always fatal, no less) would imply the police NEVER do anything to the drunk driver, let them go, and watch as they crash into another car, killing people. But let’s assume that the other driver (Drunk or not) dies as well (Assuming they do, cause some characters say they were the only survivors), where are these drunk drivers coming from?! Will I get hit by one if I cross the street?! Ask that to yourself next time you hear a line about a car accident.
Ugh, now that we got that out of the way, here’s another thing, the crime rate in this town is VERY high. Let’s bring up an example. In one episode about a corrupt police officer (Further proving that the police barely do anything), we learn that there is a drug epidemic of some sort of narcotic, and according to the chief, “There have been multiple overdoses in just the few days alone,” implying that there could’ve been deaths involved with this drug. Also in that same episode, there is a scene that shows a chalkboard showing multiple of the officer’s arrest tally. Here is where it gets crazy. Cole (Corrupted cop, so some may not count), has 58 ARRESTS! Excluding him, combining everyone else's tallies equals NINETY SEVEN!!!! That is HUGE! (I assume, but it IS a big city, so that may be a given). Also, in many of the stories, someone bad gets arrested and most likely sent to prison and or jail. Now I want to ask Dhar Mann, how big is the prison? Surely they can’t hold hundreds of people coming in every day! And one last thing: Kids in this land are a menace to society. Take Mikey for example. He pulled an alarm at school, robbed a bank, wrote a threat on a plane (After someone else threatened some other place, further proving this land is broken), and much more.
Lastly, I want to mention one interesting thing about Dhar Land: The diseases. If you were lucky enough not to be written off in a car accident, you have probably been written off another way, that being getting sick. The diagnosis can be cancer, Leukemia or the sad and rare (Common) unnamed disease. This disease has no name, the following symptoms include: Coughing, frailness, and then a sudden coma, and death. There might be variations of this disease, one makes you LOOK sick, others make it hard to breathe. All I want to know is WHAT IS GOING ON IN DHAR LAND?! Is there some sort of biohazard crisis in this land, or is the ground they walk on cursed or something? WHAT IS IT?!
So now that I mention all of that, what else should be addressed about Dhar Land? Comment down below!
TL;DR: Dhar Mann world, with car accidents, criminals on the loose, and potential biohazard risks, would not be a good place to live in.

Here is the list that I wrote for Georgia's post Furman execution roster for my death penalty project. Like with the previous posts, the dates aren't a precise duration of time spent on death row, but rather an approximation of their earliest known criminal activities to their executions. Many of the crimes discussed in this post are also extremely horrific, and thus please read at your own risk.
As I finished finials yesterday, the remaining states, Missouri, Virginia, Florida, and Oklahoma might be released on a quicker pace. I'm planning on doing Missouri next, but it might be split into at least two separate parts due to the currently 98 executions that have taken place.
The currently executed 77 inmates:
1. John Smith (1974-1983, electric chair): Smith and his wife decided to kill her ex husband, 38 year old Ronald Atkins, and his 29 year old wife Juanita, when they learned that the daughter she had in their former marriage were beneficiaries of the Atkins' life insurance policy. The couple and another accomplice lured the Atkins' to their home with a promise of selling them a television set, and shot them both dead.
2. Ivon Stanley (1976-1984, electric chair): Stanley and an accomplice abducted Clifford Floyd, a 46 year old insurance agent, after they lured him into the accomplice's apartment. Floyd was dragged into a forest, beaten with a hammer, and tied to a tree. He was then shot and buried alive in a shallow grave. Floyd succumbed to a combination of blood loss and suffocation and a total of $234 was stolen from him in the attack.
3. Alpha Stephens (~1961-1984, electric chair): In 1973, Stephens shot dead 57 year old Louise Mercer while robbing a grocery store her brother owned. A year later, Stephens abducted Roy Asbell, a 49 year old minister, from his home with a gun he stole from Asbell's son. Asbell tried bribing his captor with hundreds of dollars in cash for his life, but Stephens simply snatched the money away, dragged Asbell to a barn, and shot him in the head. He had a significant rap sheet that included several armed robberies, prison breakouts, auto thefts, kidnappings, and burglaries, and was first arrested at the age of 16.
4. Roosevelt Green Jr. (1976-1985, electric chair): During a robbery of a convenience store, Green kidnapped the clerk, 18 year old Teresa Allen, stole $466 from the cash register, and drove away with his loot and hostage in her car. He then raped Allen, shot her to death, and dumped her body on a dirt road.
5. Van Solomon (1979-1985, electric chair): Solomon and his accomplice Brandon Jones gunned down 29 year old Roger Tackett while robbing a Tenneco store he managed. Ironically, Solomon himself was shot by an assailant robbing his grocery store some years before the murder.
6. John Young (1974-1985, electric chair): Young attacked 6 elderly men and women with bottles, lamps, fireplace pokers, and vases in their homes, across a single neighborhood. 3 of the victims, 85 year old Coleman Brice, his 83 year old wife Gladys, and 83 year old Katie Davis, were beaten to death in the assaults. Several variables such as jewelry and watches were taken as well.
7. Jerome Bowden (1976-1986, electric chair): Bowden and an accomplice stabbed 55 year old Kathryn Stryker to death and gravely wounded her bedridden mother, 76 year old Wessie Jenkins while burglarizing their home. Several items, such a wig, a pellet gun, some jewelry, and a television set was stolen in the intrusion. The television set was sold by Bowden to one of his acquaintances. Jenkins initially survived the attack, but died from complications relating to their injuries after Bowden was indicted for her daughter's murder.
8. Joseph Mulligan (1974-1987, electric chair): As part of a scheme to collect an insurance policy, Mulligan shot his sister's estranged husband, 30 year old Patrick Doe and Doe's girlfriend, 25 year old Marion Miller, while they were driving to a party. Doe was a captain in the United States Army at the time of his death.

1. Richard Tucker Jr. (~1963-1987, electric chair): In 1963, Tucker stabbed his aunt, 61 year old Annie Armstrong, 14 times with scissors while burglarizing her home. He was released from incarceration in 1978. 6 months after being let out of prison, Tucker abducted 50 year old Edna Sandefur from a hospital parking lot while she was visiting her ill mother, and drove her to a remote warehouse. He robbed and raped Sandefur, and then beat her to death with an iron pipe. Tucker also had previous convictions of burglary and attempted rape.

10. William Tucker (1977-1987, electric chair): Tucker abducted 19 year old Kathleen Parry, a pregnant clerk, while he was robbing a convenience store she was working at. He forced Parry at knifepoint to withdraw money from the cash register, and dragged her into his car. When they drove to a chapel, Tucker stabbed her to death.
11. William Mitchell (1974-1987, electric chair): Mitchell accosted 50 year old Willard Williams while he was walking down a street and mugged him of $4. He then forced Williams to lay down and shot him execution style. In the following day, he held 34 year old Peggy Carr and her 14 year old son Christopher at gunpoint while they were opening their family owned store. Despite Peggy giving him $160, he made rape threats against her and forced the pair into a freezer. Both mother and son were shot several times and left for dead by Mitchell. Christopher died at the scene, while his mother survived her injuries.
12. Timothy McCorquodale (1974-1987, electric chair): McCorquodale and his entourage accused Donna Dixon, a 17 year old runaway, of stealing money from him and giving it to a black pimp that he thought she was having a relationship with. He bombarded Dixon with racist insults and sexual advances as he and his accomplices kidnapped her from a club. After she was taken to McCorquodale’s apartment, Dixon was bound, and repeatedly beaten and raped. They tortured her by cutting her breasts with razor blades, burned her body with cigarette butts and candle wax, and she was violated with a bottle. The abuse ended when McCorquodale broke her arms and legs, and strangled her to death with a clothesline.
13. James Messer Jr. (1979-1988, electric chair) To get back at his estranged wife for leaving him with their children, Messer kidnapped her niece, 8 year old Rhonda Tanner, while he was picking her up from school. He raped and severely beat Tanner in a forest and stabbed her to death.
14. Henry Willis III (1976-1989, electric chair): Willis and his accomplices abducted a policeman, 29 year old James Giddens, that was dispatched to stop their robbery of a food market. They took the captive officer near a lake, where he tried to escape by jumping into it. Willis and one of his partners shot Giddens dead while he was trying to swim to safety.
15. Warren McCleskey (1978-1991, electric chair): McCleskey robbed a jewelry store at gunpoint, and fired on the responding officers. One of the officers, 30 year old Frank Schlatt was killed in the shooting.
16. Thomas Stevens (1977-1993, electric chair): Stevens and Christopher Burger abducted a fellow soldier, 20 year old Roger Honeycutt, who was also working as a cab driver, when he picked them up from the enlisted men's club on Fort Stewart. Honeycutt was tied up with a cord, robbed of $20, and sodomized repeatedly by both of his captors. The pair then locked Honeycutt in the trunk of the cab, and drove it into a pond as they jumped out. Being unable to escape, Honeycutt drowned as his car sank into the pond's depths.
17. Christopher Burger (1977-1993, electric chair): As mentioned under Thomas Stevens' section, Burger assisted in the robbery, abduction, rape, and murder of Roger Honeycutt.
18. William Hance (1977-1994, electric chair): Hance, a former Marine that transferred himself to the Army, abducted at least 3 women, 32 year old Irene Thirkield, 24 year old Karen Hickman, and 21 year old Gail Jackson. Thrikield and Jackson were black prostitutes and Hickman was a white Marine servicewoman that was stationed in the same base as Hance. They were all raped and beaten to death with jack handles and tire irons. In a misguided attempt to throw off the police and attract media attention, Hance staged a convoluted hoax involving a race war between a gang of white vigilantes and a gang of black counter vigilantes. He tried to pretend that his victims were murdered from retaliatory killings between the two groups. Hance was also suspected in the murder of another woman in Indiana, but was never charged of it.
19. Nicholas Ingram (1983-1995, electric chair): Ingram broke into the home of 55 year old J.C. Sawyer and his wife Mary. He forced them to hand over $60 and their car keys at gunpoint, tied the couple together to a tree, and shot both of them. J.C. was killed, while Mary survived their ordeal. Ingram then stole their car and fled to California. While a fugitive hiding out in California, he committed another carjacking, and ran off to Nebraska, where he was detained for a DUI and deported back to Georgia to face trial. Due to being a British national, Ingram's execution sparked outrage in the United Kingdom.
20. Darrell Devier (1979-1995, electric chair): Devier lured 12 year old Mary Stoner into his car while she was walking home from school. He raped her in a forest, made an attempt to strangle her during their struggle, and crushed Stoner's head with a rock. Months before the murder, Devier was accused of raping a 13 year old girl, but the charges against him were dismissed from the lack of sufficient evidence.
21. Larry Lonchar (1986-1996, electric chair): During a dispute over gambling debts, Lonchar confronted his bookkeeper, 54 year old Wayne Smith, at his condo while pretending to be a FBI agent. In the altercation, he bound Wayne and his 24 year old son Steven with handcuffs, and shot and stabbed them to death. Wayne's girlfriend, 45 year old Margaret Sweat, called 911, and was also shot and stabbed to death while she was on the phone with the dispatcher. Another one of Wayne's sons was attacked in the incident, but he managed to survive his injuries.
22. Ellis Felker (1977-1996, electric chair): Evelyn Ludlam, a 19 year old cocktail waitress for the Holiday Inn, was lured into Flelker's clutches when he promised her work at his leather store. For religious reasons, Ludlam was disaffected with her job, and wanted a new line of work. Felker raped and strangled Ludlam to death and sexually mutilated her body. After he murdered Ludlem, Felker dumped her remains in a creek. He was registered sex offender with a sodomy conviction at the time of Ludlam's death.
23. David Cargill (1985-1998, electric chair): Cargill and his brother stormed a gas station, and forced a couple, 41 year old Danny and 29 year old Cheryl Williams, to lie on the floor. Cheryl was a clerk for the station, and Danny stopped by to help her close down after he put their sons to bed. The brothers shot the couple execution style, and stole a total of $482.79 from the register. They were also involved with several carjackings.
24. Terry Mincey (1982-2001, lethal injection): Mincey and his accomplices robbed a convenience store at gunpoint, and forced the clerk, 38 year old Paulette Riggs to empty the cash register into their bag. They shot her dead, and took 2 teenage siblings hostage that were present in the store. Coincidentally, a firefighter pulled up to the scene to refill his truck, and Mincey shot and wounded him. The siblings took the opportunity to escape and fled into a nearby field.
25. Jose High (1976-2001, lethal injection): High and his accomplices abducted 11 year old Bonnie Bulloch and his stepfather, 27 year old Henry Philips, from a gas station they were operating, after emptying the cash register. The robbers forced the pair into their car, reportedly taunted the captives about their intentions to kill them, and drove to a remote forest. They then shot Bulloch dead and wounded Philips.
26. Fred Gilreath Jr. (1979-2001, lethal injection): Gilreath's wife, 28 year old Linda, moved out of their home to escape their disintegrating marriage. When Linda returned with her father, 57 year old Gerrit Van Leeuwen, to pack up her belongings, Gilreath shot them both dead.
27. Byron Parker (1984-2001, lethal injection): Parker enticed 11 year old Christie Griffith into his car after she missed her taxi that was supposed to take her to her older brother's high school graduation. He bound Griffith to a tree, and raped and strangled her death, while his two year old son was waiting for him in their car.
28. Ronald Spivey (~1961-2002, lethal injection): While playing pool at a bar, Spivey got into a fight with 32 year old Charles McCook over money he perceived to have won, and shot him to death. A day later, he robbed a bank and took hostages. He fatally shot Bill Watson, a 40 year old off duty police officer that tried to stop him, and injured the manager, 21 year old Welton Allen. Allen tried fleeing to a nearby restaurant, and Spivey following him into it in pursuit. He fired on the establishment in an attempt to kill him, but missed and wounded an employee caught in the crossfire. Spivey then kidnapped a waitress and forced her to drive him to Alabama. She was rescued unharmed by local authorities when they pulled over and captured Spivey. A search of the stolen car found that Spivey stole a total of $360 in his robberies. His previous convictions include several counts of forgery, armed robbery, and auto theft.
29. Tracy Housel (1984-2002, lethal injection) Housel was a sexual predator and thief that victimized men and women alike between the ages of 18-45. He worked as a interstate truck driver, and picked up victims that he befriended from stops all across the country. They were driven to isolated locations, where Housel would bind, rob, and sodomize them. His killing methods were diverse and circumstantial, but Housel mostly used strangulations, beatings, and stabbings in the attacks. Housel was convicted in the deaths of Troy Smith (age unknown) and 44 year old Jean Drew, and is suspected in and/or confessed to 15 other murders. He was also responsible for several non fatal assaults and robberies. Like Nicholas Ingram, Housel's death sentence and execution sparked outrage in the United Kingdom due to him being a British national.
30. Wallace Fugate III (1991-2002, lethal injection): Fugate forced himself inside the home of his ex wife, 39 year old Pattie. He pistol whipped Pattie dozens of times and shot her dead in front of their 15 year old son. Unrelated to the case, but that son was beaten to death in the same house by his friends a year after Fugate's conviction.
31. William Putman (1980-2002, lethal injection): Purtman shot and killed 49 year old William Hodges on the side of a highway. Hours later, he snuck up on a married couple, 28 year old Kate Back and 22 year old David Hardin, sleeping at a rest stop in their car with their children (which included a 9 year old daughter, a 7 year old son, and an 11 month old daughter) and 14 year old niece. He shot David dead and tried to abduct Kate. When she resisted and screamed for her husband, Purtman shot her as well and fled the scene.
32. Larry Moon (1984-2003, lethal injection): According to prosecutors, Moon ambushed 34 year old Ricky Callahan while the later was walking to a pharmacy to buy headache medicine for his wife. Callahan was shot in the head during the attack and had $60 taken from his wallet. Moon was also suspected in the shooting deaths of Jimmy Hutcheson (age unknown) and Thomas DeJose (age unknown), several robberies, and the abduction and sexual assault of a female impersonator. The prosecution failed to convict him for the murder of DeJose on the grounds of self defense and the murder of Butcheson on the lack of sufficient evidence. His conviction for Callahan's murder is contested, as Moon and his supporters claim that a late hitman confessed to the killing.
33. Carl Isaacs (~1960s-2003, lethal injection): Isaacs, with the help of two of his brothers and a cellmate, escaped from the Maryland State prison, and fatally shot 19 year old Richard Miller when he tried to stop them from stealing a car. The group drove by a Georgia gas pump in the hopes of refilling their getaway car. However, the pump was empty, and decided to burglarize a nearby trailer belonging to the Alday family (which consisted of brothers, 62 year old Ned and 57 year old Aubrey, Ned's sons, 35 year old Jerry and 32 year old Chester, and Jerry's 26 year old wife Mary) while they were gone. When the family returned home, Isaacs and his accomplices held the entire family at gun point, gang-raped Mary several times, and shot them all dead. Isaacs had a very troubled history, and committed several burglaries and robberies as a teenager.
34. James Brown (~1968-2003, lethal injection): Brown went on a date with Brenda Watson, a 21 year old stripper. After they were drinking and partying together at a bar, Brown tied up Watson with nylon stockings, and raped and asphyxiated her by shoving panties down her throat. He had a long history involving violence towards women. One of his previous convictions involved an incident of him breaking into a woman’s home, and (non fatally) stabbing and sexually assaulting her. Brown also had a warrant at the time of Watson’s murder for aggravated robbery, kidnapping, and sexual assault charges when he lured another woman by posing as an artist in need of a model.
35. Robert Hicks (~1970s-2004, lethal injection): Hicks laid his eyes on 28 year old Joni Rivers while she was talking to her boyfriend using a grocery store payphone. He chased down Rivers when she tried to flee from him and nearly decapitated her in a frenzied stabbing attack. Rivers' shoes, shorts, and ring were taken and found in Hicks' car. Hicks was released from prison months earlier after serving a half of a 15 year sentence for sexually abusing a 16 year old girl.
36. Eddie Crawford (1983-2004, lethal injection): Crawford tried spending the night with one of his estranged wife's sisters after a drinking binge, but she ejected him from her home. Out of anger, he abducted Leslie English, her 2 year old daughter, from the girl's bedroom, and then raped and strangled her to death.
37. Timothy Carr (1992-2005, lethal injection): Carr and his girlfriend attended a party with 17 year old Keith Young. The couple decided that they wanted to rob the boy, and they lured him into a forest with the help of two other teenagers. Carr slit Young's throat, and then proceeded to beat him to death with a baseball bat. He and his accomplices stole a $125 paycheck and Young's car in the robbery.
38. Stephen Mobley (1991-2005, lethal injection): Mobley shot and killed 25 year old John Collins while robbing a Domino's Pizza restaurant he was managing. He had also held up 6 other restaurants and dry-cleaning shops at gunpoint in his month long crime spree.
39. Robert Conklin (~1981-2005, lethal injection): Conklin stabbed his boyfriend, 28 year old George Crooks, in the ear with a screwdriver in their apartment, and dismembered his body. In an attempt to get rid of the remains, he stuffed them in a garbage disposal in their kitchen and a nearby dumpster. At the time of Crooks' murder, Conklin was on parole from a 6 year sentence for armed robbery.
40. John Hightower (1987-2007, lethal injection): While under the influence of cocaine, Hightower shot his wife, 41 year old Dorothy, and his stepdaughters, 22 year old Sandra and 19 year old Evelyn Reaves, to death in their sleep.
41. William Lynd (1988-2008, lethal injection): Lynd got into an argument with his girlfriend, 26 year old Ginger Moore, over a planned vacation and shot her to death. While on the run in Ohio, he tried to hijack a car, and shot the driver, 42 year old Leslie Sharkey, in the process. Sharkey managed to crawl to safety, and notified the authorities of the attack. She died of her injuries a few days after the shooting.
42. Curtis Osborne (1990-2008, lethal injection): Osborne, a career drug dealer, shot his girlfriend's brother, 29 year old Arthur Jones, and Jones' girlfriend, 28 year old Linda Seaborne, dead in argument over money gained from a motorcycle sale. His death sentence was controversial, as Osborne claimed that his attorney denied him a plea bargain for a racist agenda.
43. Jack Alderman (1975-2008, lethal injection): In an attempt to collect a life insurance policy, Alderman beat his wife, 20 year old Barbara, to death with a wench.
44. Robert Newland (1986-2009, lethal injection): Newland went to the apartment of his girlfriend, 27 year old Carol Beatty, after a drinking binge, and tried to kiss her. When she rejected and slapped him, Newland stabbed and disemboweled her alive. Just before she succumbed to her injuries, Beatty used her own blood to identify Newland as her attacker to the first responders.
45. William Mize (1994-2009, lethal injection): Mize was a leader of a white supremacist gang called the National Vastilian Aryan Party, in which 34 year old Eddie Tucker had filed to join. When Tucker disobeyed his orders to burn down a "crack house" as part of an initiation ritual, Mize lured him into a forest and shot him dead.
46. Mark McClain (1994-2009, lethal injection): McClain robbed a Domino pizza parlor after ordering a pizza. He shot the manger, 28 year old Kevin Brown, dead and stole $130 from the register.
47. Melbert Ford Jr. (1986-2010, lethal injection): Ford had a very specific fantasy about robbing, abducting and then murdering his ex girlfriend, 30 year old Martha Matich, after forcing her beg for mercy. He decided to make his fantasies into a reality, and stormed the grocery store she worked at with the help of an accomplice he hired. Ford shot Matich and her niece, 11 year old Lisa Chapman, dead, and stole $579 from the register.
48. Brandon Rhode (1998-2010, lethal injection): Rhode and his accomplice Daniel Lucas broke into a house, and encountered the residents, 37 year old Steven Moss, and his two children, 15 year old Kristin and 11 year old Bryan. Bryan was home alone when the intruders arrived, and tried to fight them off with a baseball bat. Lucas and Rhodes quickly subdued the boy and shot him to death. Kristen and Steven were also shot dead when they returned home. Their bodies were discovered by Gerri, Steven's wife and the children's mother. The pair were career burglars, and previously targeted the Moss home weeks before the massacre.
49. Emmanuel Hammond (~1983-2011, lethal injection): Hammond, his girlfriend, and her cousin spotted 27 year old Julia Love broken down on the side of the road. They dragged her into their car after she declined their offer for a ride. Love was tied up, forced to withdraw $140 from an ATM, and raped. The attackers partially strangled Love and shot her to death in a remote forest. In exchange for having all charges dropped, Hammond's girlfriend agreed to testify against him and her cousin. He tried to hire a fellow inmate to permanently silence her testimony, but was foiled by prison officials. Hammond had numerous previous convictions, but my sources didn't disclose details.
50. Roy Blankenship (1978-2011, lethal injection): Blankenship climbed into a home of 78 year old Sara Bowen after breaking her window. He raped and beat Bowen, and penetrated her with a bottle. She succumbed to a heart attack from the stress of the assault.
51. Andrew DeYoung (1993-2011, lethal injection): Wanting to use their life insurance policies to start his dream business, DeYoung stabbed his parents, 42 year old Gary and 41 year old Kathryn, and his sister, 14 year old Sarah, to death, and unsuccessfully ordered his accomplice to kill his 16 year old brother Nathan. Nathan escaped through a window and went to a neighbor for help.
52. Troy Davis (1988-2011, lethal injection): Davis was sentenced to death for a crime spree involving several robberies, the non fatal shooting of a teenager, and the beating of a homeless man, Troy Young (age unknown). Larry MacPhail, a 27 year old police officer and security guard, was shot and killed when he intervened in an attempt to protect Young. Davis' execution was controversial, as he managed to amass a popular following that believed in his innocence during his time on death row. He previously plead guilty for a carrying concealed weapons charge, and Davis paid a $250 fine as part of a plea agreement to avoid prison time.
53. Andrew Cook (1995-2003, lethal injection): On a random whim, Cook walked up to a couple, 22 year old Grant Hendrickson and 19 year old Michele Cartagena, parked near a lake, and shot them both to death in their car.
54. Marcus Wellons (1989-2014, lethal injection): Wellons took an obsessive sexual interest in his neighbor, 15 year old India Roberts, and began to stalk and harass the girl in an attempt to groom her into a "relationship." At one point, he even pressured his girlfriend's 14 year old son to date her. His illicit pursuit of Roberts alarmed his girlfriend and she tried evicting him from their apartment. With his relationship in shambles, Wellons' behavior escalated beyond the breaking point. After he ransacked his now ex girlfriend's apartment and poured bleach on her clothes, Wellons ambushed and abducted Roberts while she was walking to school. He raped and strangled her to death with a telephone cord.
55. Robert Holsey (~1990s-2014, lethal injection): Holsey shot and killed Will Robinson, a 26 year old Sheriff's Deputy, during a robbery of a convenience store. At the time of the shooting, he was on parole for an armed robbery conviction.
56. Andrew Brannan (~1980s-2015, lethal injection): In 1998, Branner was pulled over for speeding by Kyle Dinkheller, a 22 year old deputy. While Dinkheller was trying to file a citation, Branner became belligerent, pulled an M1 carbine out of his truck, and opened fire. Dinkheller was killed in the shootout, but he managed to wound Branner in his return fire. Branner was a Vietnam combat veteran, and he tried to use PTSD as a defense for the fatal shooting of Dinkheller and previous domestic abuse charges from his ex wife.
57. Warren Hill Jr. (~1985-2015, lethal injection): Hill was given a life sentence when he shot and killed his girlfriend, 18 year old Myra Wright. His sentence escalated to death a few years later when he fatally beat his cellmate, 34 year old Joseph Handspike, with a nailed board. At the time of his own murder, Handspike was also serving a life sentence for shooting and killing a restaurant manager during a robbery.
58. Kelly Gissendaner (1997-2015, lethal injection): Out of a desire to leave their marriage and to collect a life insurance policy, Gissendan assisted her boyfriend in abducting her husband, 30 year old Douglas, from their home. Her boyfriend stabbed Douglas to death, and she set their car on fire to destroy his body. The couple were also charged with attempting to intimidate witnesses during the murder trial.
59.Marcus Johnson (1994-2015, lethal injection): After Johnson picked up 35 year old Angela Sizemore from a bar, he sexually assaulted her with a knife. Sizemore was stabbed 41 times in the attack, and her throat was cut. Her body was found in her car by a man walking his dog hours after the murder.
60. Brian Terrell (~1992-2015, lethal injection): Terrell forged up to $8,000 in checks using 70 year old John Watson's name. Watson, who was seeking a relationship with Terrell's mother, tried to make a deal that he wouldn't pursue any charges if the money was returned to him. According to prosecutors, Terrell broke into Watson's home, and beat and fatally shot him to avoid repaying the money. His execution caused controversy, as the defense attorneys claimed that the footprints at the scene were smaller then his feet, and that he was condemned only by what they perceived to be misused testimony from his cousin (that testified against him in exchange for a plea deal) and a neighbor (who allegedly claimed that they saw "someone else walk out of the home"). Those arguments were shut down by the courts, but embraced by anti death penalty activist groups and outlets. Regardless of his guilt or lack thereof, strong evidence points to him perpetrating similar armed robberies of other homes, and was on parole at the time of Watson's murder.
61. Brandon Jones (1979-2016, lethal injection): Jones was an accomplice to the above mentioned Van Solomon, and participated in the robbery that killed Roger Tackett.
62. Travis Hittson (1993-2016, lethal injection): Hittson, who was serving on the U.S.S. Forrestal, was convinced by a crewmate to kill Conway Utterbeck, a 20 year old fellow sailor, for the thrill of killing. When they were off duty, Hittson and his accomplice walked into the home of Herbeck's parents, and found Herbeck sleeping on the couch. Before they shot him to death, the pair bludgeoned Herbeck with a baseball bat. To prevent the body's identification, they chopped off his hands, feet, and head with a hacksaw, and dumped his dismembered remains in two separate burial sites across a 300 mile radius.
63. Joshua Bishop (1994-2016, lethal injection): Bishop and another man accosted 44 year old Leverett Morrison at a bar, and demand to have the keys to his jeep. When Morrison refused, the pair beat him to death. Bishop also orchestrated the beating death of 36 year old Ricky Wills for having intercourse with his prostitute mother. The prosecution declined to charge Bishop for Willis' murder, as they wanted to use it as evidence to help secure his death sentence for Morrison's slaying.
64. Kenneth Fults (1996-2016, lethal injection): Fults forced his way inside the home of 19 year old Cathy Bonds. He bound, gagged, and blindfolded Bonds with duct tape, and made an attempt to smother her with a pillow. When that failed, Fults shot Bonds in the head, stole her keys, and drove away with her car.
65. Daniel Lucas (1998-2016, lethal injection): Lucas was the accomplice to the above mentioned Brandon Rhode, and he assisted him in murdering Steven Moss and his children in their home.
66. John Conner (1982-2016, lethal injection): In a drunken rage, Connor beat his friend, 29 year old James White, to death with a whisky bottle and a stick while visiting him in his home. The two had gotten in fight when White refused to take Connor to a liquor store.
67. Gregory Lawler (1997-2016, lethal injection): Lawler and his girlfriend were walking home intoxicated after drinking heavily at a bar, and got into a fight. A witness called the police, and officers, 28 year old John Sowa and 38 year old Patricia Cocciolone, were sent to the scene. They carried Lawler's girlfriend to their car, and drove her to the couple's apartment. Lawler was allowed to walk home unescorted. When he arrived, Lawler grabbed an AR-15, and fired on the officers. Sowa was killed, while Cocciolone survived with crippling injuries and called for backup. The other officers besieged Lawler in his apartment, and he surrendered after a 44 minute standoff.
68. Steven Spears (2001-2016, lethal injection): Spears suspected that his girlfriend, 34 year old Sherri Holland, was cheating on him. He reacted to his suspicions by wrapping Holland's head with duct tape and suffocating her with a plastic bag in her home.
69. William Sallie (1989-2016, lethal injection): Sallie's ex wife, 19 year old Robin Moore, divorced him for his physical abuse and moved back to her family (consisting of her parents, 49 year old John and Linda (age unknown), and her siblings, 17 year old April and 10 year old Justin). He was able to acquire visitation rights to their 2 year old son from the courts, and used that pretext to attack the family. Sallie charged into the Moore family home, shot and killed John, wounded Linda and bound her to Justin with handcuffs, and kidnapped Robin and April. The sisters were both kept captive and sexually assaulted together in a trailer, but they were spared and released after a few hours.
70. J. Ledford Jr. (1992-2017, lethal injection): Ledford was welcomed inside a home by the wife of his neighbor, 73 year old Harry Johnston Jr.. He tied up the couple at knifepoint, stole an undisclosed amount of money and guns, kidnapped Johnston, and drove away with him in his truck. Johnston's body was later found near an abandoned building. He was half decapitated, had a knife embedded in his back, and covered with several minor stab wounds.
71. Carlton Gary (~1964-2018, lethal injection): Gary raped and murdered at least 8 mostly elderly women between 40-89 years old. Almost all of his victims were killed in their homes, but his youngest, 40 year old Marion Fisher of New York, was abducted while walking out of a bar. They were all strangled to death with nylon stockings, which is why Gary was given the “Stocking Slayer" epithet by the media. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, including positive DNA tests, testimonies from surviving victims, fingerprints found on crime scenes, and semen samples, Gary still has a vocal following trying to proclaim his innocence. He had an extensive criminal history, which started with several arson, assault, and robbery charges as a teenager.
72. Robert Butts Jr. (1996-2018, lethal injection): Butts and his accomplice Marion Wilson carjacked Donovan Parks, a 24 year old off duty correctional officer, after he agreed to give them a ride home from Walmart. They forced Parks to exit the car and the shot him in the head execution style. Both Butts and Wilson were part of a Latin Kings set, and are believed to have killed Parks to gain more prestige from their gang. Butt's previous convictions include charges of shoplifting and burglary.
73. Scotty Morrow (1999-2019, lethal injection): Angry that his ex girlfriend, 26 year old Barbara Young, broke up with him for his abusive behavior, Morrow shot her, and her friend, 21 year old Tonya Wood, dead in their home. A third woman, 18 year old Latoyna Horn, was injured in the shooting. Young's two children, a 5 year old son and an 8 month old daughter, witnessed the killings, but were unharmed.
74. Marion Wilson Jr. (1999-2019, lethal injection): Wilson assisted Robert Butts, a fellow Latin King gangster, in the carjacking and shooting murder of officer Donovan Parks. He had a lengthy and very violent criminal history, which included the non fatal shootings of a Mexican migrant worker and a drug dealer during robberies, unprovoked assaults on a classmate and a youth worker, and an arson attack on an apartment complex. His friends noted that Wilson had a penchant for animal cruelty, and they reported seeing him shooting dogs on random whims.
75. Ray Cromartie (1994-2019, lethal injection): While robbing a grocery store, Cromartie and his accomplice shot two clerks, 50 year old Richard Slysz and Daniel Wilson (age unknown). Slysz died at the scene and Wilson survived with crippling injuries.
76. Donnie Lance (~1990s-2020, lethal injection): Lance broke down the door of his ex wife's, 39 year old Sandra, and fatally shot her boyfriend, 33 year old Dwight Wood Jr.. He then used the butt of his gun to club Sandra to death. According to court documents, Lance subjected Sandra to extreme abuse during their marriage, and reportedly kidnapped and tortured her with beatings, strangulations, and electrocutions on numerous occasions.
77. Willie Pye (~1985-2024, lethal injection): Pye's ex girlfriend, 21 year old Alicia Yarbrough, had a child with another man that he believed was his. Despite his suspicions, Yarbrough and their boyfriend pushed Pye out of the child’s life. In retaliation, Pye and two accomplice’s broke into Yarbrough’s ex boyfriend’s home to rob it, but found her alone with her infant. They abducted and robbed Yarbrough of her jewelry at gunpoint, raped her for several hours in a motel room, and shot her a total of 3 times in the head. Due to reports of him allegedly being cognitively disabled, Pye’s execution sparked some controversy. He was previously convicted of burglary.

[on a throwaway account]
I’ve worked remote on the East Coast of the US for the last year or so at my current company. When hired, they told me to work EST hours despite the rest of my team being in California, basically. Randomly, they decided I had to be “butts in seats” on California time, which means 12-9 my time. With a family, kid, and social life, there’s no way. There’s a lot more to this, but basically I’ve had to search for other work. But that’s not even the point of this post.
When interviewing, I’ve been asked, “What’s your approach?” I always, always, always respond with Action Mapping. What do we need these people to DO? I’m not in the business of making slides clickable and pretty. Everyone digs how I say, “We’re not school; we aren’t studying to answer knowledge checks.”
I eventually talk to the only(-ish) ID at Deel about a role opening up. They have a lot of work and need more hands. Cool. She explains that currently, their training is all Rise courses that are just walls of text. She’s under a lot of pressure to get things out quickly. Isn’t everyone? She explains that with more hands, they can be more deliberate with what they make, make improvements, and actually have intake meetings. Sweet, that’s my favorite part, getting into every single detail of an issue/subject.
During our interview, she mentions she loves my website, style, and writing ability. Near the end, she says she’ll send over the case study (barf) but “not to work on it too hard, you can clearly do this.” No worries, whatever, I’m about to be forced out of my current job. Let’s do it.
When looking at the instructions, it asks to introduce a new product to a specific group so that they can “understand” it, “describe the benefits,” etc. The lone action item is “provide troubleshooting for customer issues.” I lean into that, with a few things understood:

• I don’t know the product • I don’t know the scope of the role • I don’t know the process for providing support 

So I lay everything out, not getting too into-the-weeds due to the above. We’d build a Help CenteResource Guide with instructions on how to navigate the product and include short videos explaining benefits/importance of why users use it the way they do (“users upload this doc here so they make more $”). They’ll be given a list of objectives to complete with a dummy account for the platform, fake files and documents included. Finally, they’ll be given customer troubleshooting scenarios in an interactive Storyline course. Finally, I make a very clear, metrics-driven objective: support cases for product will increase by %. I make very-very dumbed down version of all of these as she said not to work too hard and it’s more about my process, not the actual content, right?
I’m also to give a timeline for development. I always underpromise and overdeliver, and when it comes to a brand new product that the audience has never seen before–it has always taken a long time to gather info, prototype, review, etc. I say 30+ days, dependent upon how big the product is (I don’t know as I’ve never used it) and what’s already built. I also planned on explaining the nuance behind my reasoning for the whole thing, too. You know, like you would on a call reviewing content.
I send it in before the scheduled interview so they can look at it. I receive this response:
It was noted that the case study lacked a clear direction for the learner to navigate the course, such as specific instructions like ‘click here’ or ‘go there’.
Additionally, it seemed there might have been a misunderstanding regarding the audience, as there were references to AEs having support queues, which typically aligns with customer support rather than the intended audience.
Furthermore, the timeline for the project appeared to be outside of Deel’s usual pace, which we extensively discussed during the interview process as a critical aspect of the role.
From where I’m sitting they don’t want someone being the face person, interfacing with SMEs, stakeholders, and end-users. They don’t want anything that actually provides practice opportunities. They want regurgitated slides. Could I include “how to click” instructions? That takes like two seconds, you’re gonna ding me on that? You didn’t explain what AEs do or what their job scope is outside of providing support. And if you want to introduce a brand new product to a group… it’s going to take time!
Could I have asked for more clarification? Obviously, but given their current state (Rise-only) and what I aimed to do (increase a metric), I feel completely offended. The idea behind case-studies and take-home assignments is trash anyway, but to be so disrespectful is outright ridiculous. I don’t think I’m quite at the point believing they “stole” my work as it was much more conceptual than useable, but to not even get the chance to explain myself is utterly pathetic.
Furthermore, the need for all these companies to “move fast” is getting too damn high. I’m so SO SO sick of everyone everywhere just needing garbage to be made for the sake of speed. I always joke: Speed, Quality, Effectiveness. Pick two; and we know what all these damn places want.
Trash experience, but thankfully I already found another gig.
TLDR: current company soft-firing me, interviewed at a “fast-paced” company, misled with a case-study, they cancel the review of my work, they only care about making slides clickable, I need a Tylenol.

so unfortunately i don’t think i’ll be seeing sa-io finals performances as a whole 😔. so i’ll just shout out ones from those 4 categories that i liked. i do have sw & iw finals in full so going to fully review those! who asked for this you might wonder…well no one!! i just love the sport lol. since im doing in full, going to talk about every finalist (minus amp), but not going to be like mean or anything. & take this with a grain a salt, i’m just a spectator. &
also, please comment your favs from wgi weekend or shows i should hunt down & watch! if its on yt, lol.
this is LONG OMG…sorry, lol. get a snack or something 😂😂😂

• sa-ia-so-io: i have not seen many but the ones from these that i’ve like loved:
• ayala - LOVED their show! so pretty & great weapon work.
• mbi - LOVED their show as well but they indeed had a like…horrid prelims run. if it were cleaner they could’ve been easy finalist.
• cornith holders - honestly their weapon & flag work is among world class to me. really nice show!
• la voute - they had a shaky finals run but i still thought they could’ve scored a bit higher. very nice show & they’ll be a powerhouse next year hopefully.
• dartmouth - absolutely loved it. i will say…weapon wise, one member did a lot of heavy lifting, but thought their flag work was really good & clean.
• palm desert ms - how can you not respect middle schoolers in open class…that’s crazy! was a sorta shaky finals run but they still did great!
  
• scholastic world:
  
• center grove(so many signs, 81.250): this was nice. im not sure about the like theme & the design & staging of areas seemed meh, but thought weapon work though not the cleanest was pretty good! i would’ve given them a 83.2.
  
• stoneman douglas(sound, 82.7): i liked this! shoutout to the member performing with the boot but that lowkey might have hurt them in scoring since moves couldn’t be done full out. flag work def needed to be cleaner (especially the silent flag section which was good but cleaner would’ve made it more effective)but still, a good showing! i would’ve given a 83.45
  
• flanagan(ethereal echoes, 83.4): hmm…idk. music was low/highkey annoying, lol. i like their use of different flags, mostly solid weapon catches. not my fav though, loved their rock n roll show last year way more. my score, 84.1
  
• miamisburg(colors on the snowy linen land, 84.9): this was quite pretty but not their best showing. timing issues, a kinda shaky run but as the routine went on it got better! my score - 84.85
  
• bellbrook(fellow traveler, 85.25): actually…this was very well done! i really can’t fault anything other than they did a lot of 360 flag tosses & could’ve incorporated something else. great dancing, generally clean, yeah good show! would’ve given a 86.45
  
• northview(it’s a mod world, 86.4): oh the masters of the flag toss ate this! top 3 fav from wgi weekend! i love everything about this! flag work could be a bit cleaner but awesome show! my score - 87.5
  
• warren central(give me strength, 86.5): a comeback year for them. having your whole team do 2 360s under rifle is crazy!! i HATE the girl sitting in a singular spot the whole time emoting…i would’ve had her like moving throughout the tarp & interacting w/ members in the back, just something! but i did like this. very solid show. my score - 87.05
  
• kiski area(it’s all relative, 87.55): def got better has the routine went on. not sure i fully get the theme but i like the work done. nice show. my score - 87.3
  
• fishers(the great american game, 89.25): the 1st show to me to have like…really great moments! overall show was eh to me but still they did a great job. poor girls knee @ the end. my score - 88.7
  
• el dorado(on the outside, somewhat elevated, 91.7): love this tarp. great dancing & movement!! very well done! other than a few timing issues, this was flawless. also 5 members doing & catching a front walkover under a flag toss is very impressive! my score - 93.2
  
• carmel(memento mori, 91.75): this was pretty good. love the blue fabric on that coppecaramel tarp. not the most stand out but everything looked great. would’ve given a 92.7.
  
• tarpon springs(the times, 93.4): oh tarpon…you will be always be famous! LOVE this routine, my fav from wgi weekend! using “history repeating” in your show is so iconic to me. i think the bronze should’ve been theirs… my score 94.5
  
• the woodlands(the light you cannot see, 94.85): hmm…i respect the work done, im just not picking up on theme. i think on yt someone said it’s based on a book. idk, last years show eats this easily. it’s a good routine though. my score - 94.1
  
• arcadia(i’ve seen it all, 96.7): best show design a guard has presented in years! feels like everything makes sense, everything had a purpose, effective design, pretty clean minus a few hiccups. weapon wise they are weaker than like…everyone else here but show design the best of anyone @ wgi this year. my score - 95.5
  
• avon(voila, 99.35): i mean…i liked jane bond more but this show here was really perfection. i only saw literally one mistake, but this is the cleanest they’ve ever been. love the movement & dance elements, along w/ fishers, great music cues. yeah, i mean there’s nothing to fault, this was beautiful! my score - 98.95
  
• independent world:
  
• amp(found semis! coven, 87*prelims): mmm…this was better than i remembered but it gives like…coven-disney version? lol. not their best or most entertaining show but their flag work has gotten so much better! my score - 86.45
  
• icon(my favorite clown, 80.95): they have a lot of potential. weapon & flag work were great for the most part (especially weapon, great tosses!), the theme & song…a chop. i didn’t like understand it @ all & the song was…well my score - 83.05
  
• tampa independent(gravity, 83.05): it definitely picked up 2nd half of the show. they lowkey ate this! i think show & song wise…it’s been kinda done to death but this was really lovely to watch overall. my score - 85.65
  
• ucf(hibernaculum *yes i had to look up how to spell this 😂, 84.7): chile wth is going on…i lowkey kinda like this, lol. if that’s the correct spelling, then they kinda matched the definition with this show, sorta. wasn’t the best run but overall, yeah i’d watch this again & again, ha. my score - same as wgi.
  
• malachi(without you, 83.35): this was good but lowkey kinda of dragged. idk, just didn’t really stand out but they had some great music cues. my score - 83.2
  
• onyx(we’re from here, 84.9): i’m kinda digging it but not fully. i like last years way more. this is def interesting though. idk, some sections look…improvy? some areas look like to random. staging of some areas could be better. the ending flag feature was cool but timing was horrid! i overall mostly like this. i’d say 85.6
  
• vox artium(god save the queen, 87.4): oh i love this! but the music is throwing me off a bit. the billie part is…not what i would’ve went with. when mbi used it, it made sense as the “crash test dummy like coming to life” story, in this show it’s not clicking with me. yeah the billie flag section is the downside of this routine, literally everything else is awesome! my score, 89.25
  
• mirage(the origin of love, 87.85): duet work is amazing! the tricks are getting to some, but these tosses are crazy! song is meh. this grew on me as i kept watching, really nice job. i’d say 88.5
  
• juxtaposition(off the chain, 88.7): did i understand the music selection…no. BUT, thank goodness for this routine! like can we have fun @ wgi?? can we let loose a bit & just vibe @ wgi??! lol. this is prob my fav so far in iw. some drops but overall great job, fun as hell, confusing but good music. my score, 89.5
  
• origins(confide, 89.3): 1st, love this tarp! they are noticeably cleaner than everyone else i’ve seen so far. the song is not for me but it makes perfect sense with this theme. felt like everything had a meaning & everything made sense, so im happy. my score, 91.25
  
• fantaisa(for gabriel, 91.7): the theme………but i’ve seen yt comments saying ppl from the guard know the parents of gabe & this is more so to spread awareness & not just to use his name in vain, so ima respect it. this is a beautiful routine. very pretty, movement was great. did need another like big moment or 2. crowd was iffy on this it seems. my score - 92.3
  
• paramount(the harbingers, 93.4): going by the definition of harbinger, i think they accomplished that. overall not sure how i feel about this. this was good but last year i wasn’t even a fan but it gave winner energy, this is missing something i just dk what. my score - 93.2
  
• blessed sacrament(chaos theory - feel the burn - stang, 93.5): umm…chile. idk what’s going on but the theme is chaos so…i guess good job? 😂 i mean i like everything going on just the lack of structure or like legit reason kinda confuses me but like it says chaos theory. my score - 94.55
  
• etude(those days are gone, 93.6): love the dancing! you can tell they have great training. i guess i’d like more flag work incorporated but overall this was a cute show. my score - 94.3
  
• fusion(so fair so sweet so sharp, 95.4): mmm, interesting music selection. both rifle ripples were so satisfying to watch! they look the cleanest of anyone in this category. yeah…this had the winner energy to it. couldn’t see another team beating this. my score - 96.1
  

** tarpon had my fav from the whole comp easily for the 2nd year in a row! northview was my 2nd fav from the whole comp & ayala was my 3rd. my fav from iw would be a tie between vox & jux. iw could be literally any of the top 5 next year so that’ll be exciting! sw is a mystery as both arcadia & avon shot up this year. the top 6 & maybe even fishers i see as contenders. & justice for west broward!!!

Respect Steel

"You see Kal-El, you're not the man of steel. I am."

Theme Music

General Information

Name: John Henry Irons, Steel, The Stranger, Captain Luthor
Nationality: American
Weaknesses: N/A
Bio: Steel's Earth is similar to the main one in Superman and Lois, with the exception that the Kent's died early on, sending Clark to an abusive foster home where he stayed until his powers developed and he accidentally killed his abusive foster father. While this Clark Kent still became Superman he did so from a much more tyrannical perspective, eventually being convinced by Tal-Rho to conquer the planet to revive Krypton. Steel on this world was married to Lois Lane, who died during the initial stages of this invasion. Working in a bunker formerly owned by Lex Luthor Steel and his daughter built a mech suit capable of rivaling Superman. During an attempt to kill Superman Steel fell through a wormhole and arrived to the main Superman and Lois universe.

Feat Context:

Steel's suit is reliant on regular repairecharging, as such at times he is operating suboptimally, keep this in mind for feats occuring within the below ranges:

• S01E02 - S01E07: Suit is low on power
  
• S02E03 - S02E05: Suit is operating at 10% capability and is low on power
  

Note: All scans save from the comic "Earth-Prime" are from the show Superman and Lois

Background

General

• Its very difficult to ID him - S01E07

Knowledge/Intelligence/Tactics

• Can write in Kryptonian - S01E01
  
• Used nuclear power plants to test and spy on Superman, knowing the large amount of lead would hide him from Superman's senses - S01E01
  
• In a relatively short timeframe he takes apart a camper van to create a solar trap that can detect Superman's blitz and depower him - S01E07
  
• Planned to kill an Alt U Evil Superman by drawing him into space, and then hitting him wiht red solar energy to suffocate him - S01E12
  
• Disarms a bomb - S03E04
  

HUD

General

• HUD highlights and gauges threat levels of targets - S01E02
  
• Appears to ID and shut down a camera - S01E02
  
• Can detect nearby Kryptonians - S01E14
  
• Has similar sensors as a seismogrpaher - S02E02
  
• Scans the city for a particular kind of explosive - S03E04
  
• Suit autonomously IDs his location and either taps into a local camera feed or has really good X-ray vision - S03E08
  

Enhanced Vision

• Has X-ray vision, with some form of image identification HUD overlay - S01E02
  
• HUD can zoom in pretty far, and target a foe with his missiles - S01E15
  
• Zooms in mid flight - S02E13
  

Physicals

Strength

Lifting/Pulling/Pushing

• Lifts a plane - S02E09

Striking

• Throws Superman with enough force to send him flying through a concrete wall - S01E01
  
• Hits Superman to the ground, through part of a building and tearing up the street - S01E01
  
• Dents the side of his ship in a few blows, his ship is made of the same material as his suit - S01E02
  
  • His ship can withstand multiple blows from an Alt U Evil Superman - S01E12
• Hurts a Psuedo Kryptonian - S01E14
  

Striking With Kinetic Hammer

Objective

• The farther it travels the more kinetic energy it generates. From 20 ft it can stop a car in its tracks, 30 ft a truck, 60 ft it can destroy a tank and anything past that is comparable to a hit from Superman - S01E07
  
• Thrown from orbit it KO's The Eradicator and creates a shockwave powerful enough to shatter a cave - S01E15
  
• Separates Superman and Bizarro, sending them flying back with enough force to crack the ground - S02E04
  
• Sends Bizarro flying - S02E04
  
• Sends Ally, an energy vampire whose stronger than Superman, flying - S02E12
  

Scaling

• Sans suit Beats up Superman - S01E07
  
• Hurts Superman - S01E12
  
• KO's two Psuedo Kryptonians in one blow - S01E14
  
• Easily beats some Psuedo Kryptonians - S01E15
  
• At low power KOs and knocks a ton of Psuedo Kryptonians off Superman - S01E15
  
• Natalie and Jordan using the hammer take out some Bizarro Kryptonians - S02E14
  
• Kills Atom Man in two hits - S03E09
  

Flying Slams

• Counters Superman's charge - S01E12
  
• Slams through multiple concrete floors - S03E04
  
• Flies through the ceiling - S03E08
  

Durability

Blunt Force

Without Armor

• Is fine after being hit by a truck - S01E07
  
• Takes a beating from some goons - S03E08
  
• Takes being slammed into glass by Atom Man - S03E09
  

With Armor

• Takes a beating from Superman, including being hit into the ground hard enough to create a large crater - S01E02
  
• While being remotely operated, the suit holds up against a beating from Superman, including being cratered and sent through concrete - S01E02
  
• Withstands being hit back through a large statue - S01E14
  
• Takes being slammed through the corner of a building - S01E14
  
• Takes a beating from a Psuedo-Kryptonian - S01E14
  
  • Again - S01E14
• Takes a blast that sends him flying back with enough force to warp a van - S01E14
  
• Survives being sent through a stone outcropping by Bizarro - S02E03
  
• Survives a hit from Bizarro that sends him flying - S02E04
  
• Takes a hit form his own hammer - S02E13
  
• Slams through multiple concrete floors - S03E04
  
• Flies through the ceiling, and then tanks a sonic blast from Onomatopoeia - S03E08
  
• Takes being blasted back through a wall - S03E08
  

Piercing

• Tanks a ton of gunfire - S01E02
  
• Semi-automatic gunfire does nothing to him - S01E02
  
  • More - S01E02
• X-Kryptonite laquer makes Natalie Iron's armor nearly impenetrable. It was later applied to Steel's armor as well - S02E13, S02E14
  
• Tanks a ton of small arms - S03E08
  

Extreme Temperature

• Tanks Superman's heat vision and cold breath - S01E01
  
• Tanks a Psuedo Kryptonian's heat vision - S01E14
  
• Stands in open flames - S02E09
  

Other

• Armor holds up against Superman trying to crush it - S01E12
  
• Suit protected him from having his life force drained - S01E13
  
• Withstands going through an interdimensional portal that previously hurt Superman - S01E14
  

Speed

Movement/Flight

Out of Combat

• Flies across an appreciable chunk of the planet very quickly - S01E01
  
• Quickly flies into orbit - S01E01
  
• Quickly flies into the upper atmosphere - S01E12
  
• Visually moves very fast - S01E15
  
• Even while his suit is operating at only 10% capability, he is still flying at nearly 7000 m/s - S02E04
  
• Quickly flies to space - S02E14
  
• Outflies an explosion - S03E03
  

Blitzes

• Crosses a room very quickly - S01E02
  
• Blitzes into the DoD and takes out a soldier - S01E02
  
• Quickly blitzes a foe across a city - S03E04
  

Combat

• Moves so quickly that a camera only picks up a blurry image of him in a single frame - S01E01
  
• Catches Superman mid-charge - S01E01
  
• Catches a Psuedo Kryptonian's blitz - S01E14
  
• Blitzes a guy - S03E11
  

Steel Mech Suit

General

• The suit can be piloted remotely - S01E02
  
• Suit can form around him - S02E03
  
  • Suit forms around him in the time it takes him to fall - S03E04
• The energy in his and Nat's suits combined is enough to destroy an interdimensional portal - S02E15
  
• Suit uses ion thrusters - S03E04
  
• Armor is inferred to be made of Promethium - Earth-Prime #2
  

Other GeaWeapons

Kinetic Hammer

General

• Hammer weighs too much for Jon Kent to lift - S01E07
  
• Can generate red solar radiation - S01E15
  

Marksmanship

• Accurately tags a foe from thousands of feet away - S01E14
  
• Accurately throws it from orbit - S01E15
  
• Takes out multiple henchmen - S03E11
  

Speed

• Travels from orbit in seconds - S01E15
  
• Exceeds Steel's speed while he's flying at around 7000 m/s - S02E04
  

Kinetic Blasts

• Launches a group of mercenaries back - S01E02
  
• Sends a group of soldiers back and slightly moves a car - S01E02
  
• Blasts Superman off him - S01E12
  
• Launches a Psuedo Kryptonian off him - S01E14
  

Red Solar Weapons

• Has a red solar rocket - S01E12
  
  • Has enough force to crater Superman and another Kryptonian into the ground - S01E05
• Can fire blasts of red solar radiation that one shot a Psuedo-Kryptonian - S01E13
  
  • Multiple blasts damage Bizarro's containment suit - S02E02

Other Gear

• Has/had a kryptonite knife - S01E01
  
• Has some form of foam that puts out fire - S02E09
  
• Has various firearms, some developed to fight Kryptonians - S01E07
  
• Has some sort of high tech magnetized explosive - S01E07
  
• Has a Kryptonian tracker - S01E13
  

Fights

• Vs. Superman - S01E02
  
• Vs a mind controlled Superman - S01E12
  
• Beats up some goons without his armor - S03E09
  

SPOILER WARNING!: THIS CONTAINS THE LIST OF ALL CHARACTERS THAT JOINS YOUR COMBAT PARTY, IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO GET SPOILED, TURN AWAY NOW!

And disclaimer: This is a personal list based on my experience in the main game and hero's trial, I'll take into account initial stats, growth rates, and rune slots, but it'll still be a list based on ME, I'm very sure there are bits and pieces we're going to disagree on, and I welcome the debate, but don't expect a be-all end-all list. This is not a guide, just a personal review. I play the game on Hard twice, first time blind, second time to get Leene, in case that information is important to you.
I have used most of the heroes available, but I still bench quite a few of them due to one reason or another(and not necessarily because they're bad), if there's a hero I never used, I'll say so.
I'm listing them in order of the Hero's Trial screen. And skip to Dijkstra if you want tl;dr.
By u/clc88 request I decided to give a role to all of them, which I'll be using these terms to describe the roles:

• DPS: This character likes doing damage.
• Physical: This character does physical damage.
• Magical: This character does magical damage.
• Support: This character supports the team by either buffing them or debuffing the enemy.
• Healer: This character likes to use spells to heal the team.
• Spellblade: This character likes elemental enchantment spells.
• Frontline: This character specifically needs to stay on the frontline to function.
• Backline: This character specifically needs to stay on the backline to function.
• If no row is mentioned, the character functions on any row.
• If more than one role is mentioned, the character is all of them, if they are divided with a /, the character is eitheor at a time.

Nowa
^{Physical Support DPS}
Is the main character, and so has to be good. Nowa starts out with decently high power and very high skill, allowing him to pretty much never miss and hit fairly hard. Later on his power skyrockets to absurd level, making him one of the hardest hitting hero on the roster. His dex falls off at endgame, but at that point dex isn't as important anymore since nothing dodges at that level. With Dijkstra his damage is second only to Momo.
His runes are also among the best in the game, Swinging Slash being a hard-hitting attack costing only 2 SP. Searing Blast Wave is quite literally a built in Crimson Nova, which, while his mag is on the lower side, is actually okay in helping with mob clears, it's not like he's using his MP for anything else anyway. His open slots are actually very good, having 2 all types at 3 and 4 rarities, allowing him to be customized/min-maxed with ease.
Overall, he's top class, as expected of the main hero of the game.
Garr
^{Physical DPS}
His job is to hit hard, hit accurate, and be tanky, and he hits hard, hits accurate, and is tanky. He's your strongest hero at the beginning of the game, and will continue to excel at his job all the way through. His only downside is that he's very slow, and will most likely go last in the turn order.
His runes are a bit rigid, if you choose to main him, you will more likely end with him using Mighty Power, Conservation: Power, and Warrior's Pinnacle. But rigid doesn't mean bad, he'll hit like a truck and tank damage just fine even against endgame threats.
Lian
^{Physical DPS}
Bench. Sorry, I don't like her, okay? I know she's kinda cute and is actually really strong, and her rune slots are superb for someone with only 4 runes, but I don't like her character, alright?
Objectively speaking though, she's a worse Leene. Any of her setups can be done with Leene, but better. And that's actually a praise, Leene joins at the very last moment in the story, Lian is available for most of it.
Mio
^{Frontline Spellblade/Physical DPS}
Mio starts the game with really high magic for a front liner, which would be best utilized as a spellblade. Mio with Fire God's Sword or Fire Enchantment hits stupid hard early game, and she continues to play this way through the main story. Post-story she transitions into a full warrior, having power comparable to Garr while still having a bit of that mag carried over from her time as a spellblade.
Rune-wise she's decent for her role, having all she ever needs, an all type slot for elemental enchantment and enough slots for passive and stats enhance runes, but overall I find her weaker than Elektra. Iaido Strike is still very good though, and you won't go wrong with her.
As a sidenote, I ranted about Mio having a bad first rune slot during beta and its actually fixed in the main release! Not sure if it's because of my rant, but wow!
Leene
^{Backline Physical/Spellblade Support DPS}
I...well, if you worked hard enough to get Leene, you most definitely know enough about the game to realize she's absolutely broken. Full Force Clacker is hands down the best physical attack in the entire game. Her base doesn't tell you that no, she's entirely focused on dex, spd, and luk with very little in other stats, but the runes actually do love her, as it allows her to freely choose them, and you can choose to skew any of her stats to the extreme while having all the auxiliary benefits of any rune she wants. My personal setup is one SP Charge, 4 Tremendous Power, Brilliance for Crusader's Horn and Absolute Heal(Radiance is objectively better for this, but I wanna flex t4 rune for no reason), and Land for the world hates you and def debuff. Tempest/Pure Water is also great as they can enchant the weapon of the whole team alongside other utilities.
I do think it's better to just do 1 SP Charge 6 Tremendous Power, but I love me some utilities.
Seign
^{Frontline Spellblade DPS/Support}
Seign is a spellblade throughout the game, early game both his pow and mag are really good, allowing him to hit decently hard from both sides and excel even more as a spellblade. In fact, he's the best spellblade for a large chunk of the main game, just try putting any enchantment(preferably fire) on him and do Sword Rain, you'll see some huge numbers. By the time you're at the final dungeon though(yeah, not even endgame, just the final dungeon), he starts to fall off, and he falls even harder by endgame. He still has utility as a partner for Nowa for Friendship Combo for some nice mobbing, but other than that he's not going to do too much.
Thankfully, his rune slots allow him to take a more supportive role, he has slots for both Radiance and Pure Water, allowing him to be a decent support, and he can still throw swords when he's done buffing. With Dijkstra around he's actually pretty much the best in slot for this purpose.
Hildi
^{Backline Magical DPS/Support}
Hildi has the stats of a proper mage and can be fully outfitted as one, either to support or nuke, but it is noteworthy that her weapon is physical. This allows her to perform better than actual mages in some weird team comps(Dijkstra, at this point I repeated his name enough, just scroll down to the end if you're curious, he's the last one on the list)
Rune-wise she doesn't have a rarity 4, so by endgame she ends up as a support using Storm and Radiance.
Valentin
^{Frontline Physical/Spellblade DPS}
When you first get him he'll make for a wonderful spellblade, if you give him rune of Fire Enchant or cast Fire God's Sword on him he'll do very respectable damage.
Benched at endgame due to poor rune slots.
Pohl
Benched.
Ivy
Benched.
Yaelu
^{Backline Physical DPS/Support}
Yaelu is unique. She joins with really high power and speed, and will perform well as a lead attackeitem user. All her stats, and I mean all of them falls off lategame.
Benched after her section ends.
Mihlu
Benched.
Marisa
^{Magical/Spellblade Everything}
Marisa is a hybrid with magical lean, meaning she's competent as both a caster and a spellblade. You can enchant her and attack or you can just nuke with her. She's one of the few mages that actually uses SP, so she'll have more uses during longer runs.
At endgame with Mage's Pinnacle she's a decent caster, though she's nowhere close to Momo. She's in the same camp as Seign, provide support first, then do damage when free, except she has less synergy with Dijkstra, so she's actually a bit worse.
Nil
^{Backline Physical/Spellblade DPS}
Nil starts off as a spellblade, the game even gives her a Fire rune, and she's decently good at her job. She's actually going to be underwhelming for most of the game until you're at the final dungeon, where you would notice a skew in her stats. She has transitioned from a spellblade into a sniper. If you leveled her a bit more during endgame you'll find that she's no longer a sniper, she's outright an intercontinental ballistic missile.
This changes her rune preference quite a bit, instead of using an enchantment then attack, you'd rather just go full missile with her. SP Charge, mighty/tremendous, then fire at will. When you have access to Dijkstra, she's going to truly shine.
Wayve
^{Frontline Spellblade Support DPS}
Is what I'd call a maingame Jegan. He's going to be this stupidly powerful hero in every way imaginable, his physical is godly, his magic lets him be a very competent spellblade, especially with his personal rune shredding entire rows.
His runes are also really good, having access to 2 4th any type, you can put pinnacle and SP charge him and Magic Barrage every turn, which will decimate even bosses.
The thing is, he falls off hard after main story. He's still absolutely usable yes, and just like Seign, he can still be a very good support with great mobbing ability. He still rocks with Dijkstra around, but he'll no longer be that big bro who does everything for you like during story.
Lilwn
Benched.
Alwe
Benched, though Rain of Arrows with Dijkstra sounds very good, I never had a chance to properly try it during the main story, and he sucks endgame.
Lakian
^{Backline Spellblade Support DPS}
Unlike Alwe, I actually like Lakian, a lot. He's a spellblade archer, with very high stats on both sides, letting him do crazy elemental damage with enchantment while still hitting hard on the physical side. Too bad he joins pretty late, would've been a mainstay in my party.
At endgame he's one of the very few spellblades that are still spellblades, and with elemental enchantment and buffs(both of which he could do by himself because elves and magic) he does damage comparable to Nowa.
Yes, Dijkstra. I'm going to omit this part now, because it's getting old mentioning him every time I review a physical attacker, but yes, Lakian is good with Dijkstra.
Garoo
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
DIJKSTRA GOOD GAROO STRONK.
CJ
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
CJ is in the same camp as Wayve, a very strong character for the entirety of the story, then falls off at endgame. Y'know what? I'll just use "Wayve" to describe this subset of heroes now to make things move a little faster.
I'm actually a bit sad, she's actually really good during the story and her attack stuns. She's strong even in early endgame and even has access to pinnacle, but falls off so hard that she basically gets no growth during the last twenty levels.
Isha
^{Backline Magical Everything}
Is a surprisingly good mage. Her auto is good, her personal rune is good, her rune slots are good, she's quite literally a weaker Momo with SP row clear, which is still pretty darn good.
I recommend Pure Water for support and healing, and Conflagration for damage, so she can fill all magical roles in one character. She's basically a Marisa that's fully committed to magic.
Kogen
Benched.
Yuthus
Benched.
Zabi
Benched.
Kallathor
Benched.
Carrie
^{Backline Magical/Spellblade DPS/Support}
Is a mage with spellblade utility as her personal rune deals blunt damage, and she's going to do well for most of the main story. With all her rune slots being magic though, she's another Wayve.
Sabine
Benched.
Perielle
Benched. Well, not really. I do bench her as a combatant yes, but use her very frequently as a support.
Melridge
^{Backline Magical DPS}
Another solid story mode mage with SP actives. He's going to be very strong when he first joins, and will continue to be so for several dozen levels before becoming a Wayve.
Bernard
His unique action seems very interesting, but benched.
Yuferius
^{Physical DPS}
Yuferius is a very simple haro. He hits hard. Very hard, and that's it. He's a very strong attacker the moment he joins, and will stay that way throughout the main game. By endgame though, he doesn't have access to 3rd passive, so no Pinnacle, but that doesn't mean he's another Wayve. You see, he also works from the backline, so he can be your backline attacker that happens to have the tankiness of a front liner.
He doesn't have gimmick like other backline attackers, he's just very strong.
Scarlet
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
Wayve because of her runes. Unlike Yuferius, you can't put her in backline, so without Pinnacle she's not going to go beyond story mode.
She's hella strong during the main story though.
Elektra
^{Frontline Physical Support DPS}
Elektra joins pretty late, so you probably already have a proper team by the time you have access to her, so she might be overlooked, but she's actually a really good unit. She has the stats of a proper attacker alright, and she even has access to t4 skills, meaning easily shred armors with Armor Break. She's one of the only physical attackers to have access to t3 magic runes. I choose Radiance for the attack buff and passive healing, but Storm and Stone are also solid choices for support. She also has access to t4 all type, which means you can actually go wild with her build, but I believe it's best used for Tremendous Power to make sure she can keep up with other physical attackers.
Yeah, she gets access to pinnacle too, making her one of the best characters in terms of overall usage.
Maxim
Benched.
Viesskin
^{Frontline Physical Support}
If you somehow don't have access to Crusader's Horn(or want to save MP for long Hero's Trial run), Viesskin is the next best thing. He deserves a high standing just for Draconic Fury alone, even though he sucks at everything else. He's okay as a spellblade, but there's a jillion other options better than him in that regard.
As for rune, I believe SP+ is one of the better options on him, as it allows Draconic Fury as early as possible, then I believe you pick a utility magic rune like Fire for enchant, Earth for armor shred/ailment heal, dark for sleep, or water for healing, then spam those utility spells until his SP is up again, then repeat Draconic Fury.
Markus
^{Backline Magical Support DPS/Healer}
Despite me liking him so much, he's a Wayve. His rune selection is actually pretty damn good, pinnacle, arcane magic, great personal. He's going to perform well throughout the main story, just give him something to boost his max HP a bit or he dies from being glared at too hard. His main fall is that his base stats are horrible. Think Leene, but without being loved by the runes.
Rudy
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
Pinnacle access, 2 Conservation: Power, no SP usage, need I say more? Rudy joins the party pretty weak, but he's a project unit where you need to put time into growing him...or you can, just like me, bench him until endgame and level him up in one burst. His endgame growths are absurd, and he'll quickly outgrow your Wayves.
Put a True Sight Glasses him to fix his accuracy issue.
Mellore
^{Backline Magical Support HealeDPS}
Mellore is, just like Rudy, a project unit, but this time it's a mage. She's going to be an underwhelming unit for a large portion of the game, until her mag spike really hard lategame. Unlike Rudy though, she doesn't have access to pinnacle, so while she's okay to switch in during Hero's trial, she's not going to be anything spectacular like momo despite their base mag being really close to one another. She's still solid as a healer that can dps in her downtime.
Kuroto
^{Backline Physical DPS}
I benched him early on, only to find out he's actually really good for Hero's Trial. He's a proper archer alright, but he has access to heavy armor and shields. This will pump up his survivability to the extreme, while having all the qualities you would expect from an archer. Solid unit to run Hero's Trial with.
Francesca
^{Spellblade Support/Healer}
And here we have another unique one. She's a solid spellblade during the main story, having really high power and magic and will perform well as such alongside her caster or healer role if you want to keep her lore-accurate. Do note that she only has 1 magic rune slot, so if you want her to heal she's not going to be able to spellblade by herself. Easily circumvented by having another hero cast Stormfront, a spell you want one of your party members to use anyway.
During endgame though, her power stops growing(no, it doesn't spike, the two stats grow together, and one stops growing), forcing her to be a full mage, and so will be underwhelming as she no longer fills the whack-your-face niche, so I ended up benching her.
Yume
Benched.
Iugo
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
Basically a second Garr the moment he joins. Iugo joins the party early and will most likely be a mainstay until you optimize more complicated characters. Just like Garr, he's simple, he hits hard, hits accurate, and is tanky. He's faster than Garr, making him a better version for that part of the game. During endgame though, while Garr gets to keep being tanky, Iugo's defense falls off pretty hard. He goes from one of your tankiest unit to having less defense than a lot of your back liners. He is, however, still very fast and hits really hard. It's like he took off his armor after story mode ends or something.
He gets access to Pinnacle, so he gets to keep being a powerhouse even during endgame.
Yusuke
Benched.
Gigina
^{Frontline Physical Support}
Very weak overall, but early on he's among the fastest character in the game and will start his turn before bosses, letting him support the party with items.
Gigina is a weak character that makes early hard mode a lot easier, if that makes any sense.
Falward
Benched.
Wyler
^{Backline Physical DPS}
No, not Wayve. He starts falling off as early as midgame, which is actually worse, but still...
Marin
^{Backline Magical Support Healer}
Same as above. Lemme say this though, Wyler+Marin is pretty solid throughout the early parts of the game, as their hero combo provides free heal that can be spammed every turn. They might suck as the game progresses, but I need to stress how easier the game is with them early on.
Gieran
^{Backline Magical Support HealeDPS}
Wayve. Such a shame, his unique is so interesting, the only mana discount in the game.
Galdorf
Benched.
Riufan
Benched.
Lam
^{Backline Physical DPS}
Lam is your back line physical glass cannon. She can even self buff AND attack in one move, making her one of the better options for faster Dijkstra team that doesn't want to waste a turn buffing.
Do note that she doesn't have any SP consuming active, so SP Conservation: PoweMighty Power works really well on her.
Hakugin
^{Physical DPS}
I'm sorry, but I have to say it. She's a Wayve. She's ultra strong throughout story mode, with aoe clear with her Shadow Clone and Sidewinder for single target burst, she's going to dominate most fights singlehandedly. Her speed also allows her to do disruption with Reaper's Lullaby, which actually saved me so many times during the undead section of the game.
During endgame she has a unique niche that she's the fastest character in the game, but you don't have to be that fast to be faster than pretty much all the bosses, so even in that small niche she doesn't really have a place.
Faye
Benched.
Milana
^{Backline Magical/Spellblade Support DPS}
Milana is a weird one. When you first get her, she'll have crazy high power for a mage, while having little mag. This actually makes her Summon Revenant Army stupid strong early on, while leaving her spells much to be desired. Her mag stats has a late bloomer growth type though, it'll remain awkward for a majority of the game, but by the final dungeon she'll outshine any mage not called Momo. This, on top of allowing her to be a proper mage, lets her assume a pseudo spellblade role by using SumRevArm as her pow are still comparable to fighters at that point.
By endgame though, she's going to unfortunately fall off due to not having an enhance slot. Her base mag is still high, but with Arcane Power giving 15% to other mages, she's going to end up a Wayve.
Maureus
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
I like this character so much, and you know where this is going. Yeah, he's a Wayve. He goes from having one of the highest power in the game to one of the lowest among physical attackers.
During the time he gets to shine though, he's pretty funny to use. Man always makes me smile with his animation.
Reyna
^{Frontline Physical DPS/Support}
Reyna is hands down the tankiest unit in the game, no questions asked. Her def is the absolute highest in the game, and you'd think her mdef would suffer to compensate, but no, her mdef is also pretty darn high, in fact, it's higher than a large percentage of mages. She'll take 1 damage from anything not a literal nuke. Her pow is also stupid high throughout the main game, hitting as hard as Garr, a premium physical attacker all while being a full tank. She's also fast enough to provide utility, if you hand her a Dark rune, her Reaper's Lullaby will be able to sleep most enemies before they get to move.
Endgame though, her power falls off really hard. She'll still be the absolute tankiest unit period, but without the ability to dish out damage(or contribute via support), she's just another Wayve.
Quinn
Benched.
Prunella
Benched.
Jorhan
Benched.
Chandra
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
My favorite dragon. She's pretty strong in her own right, and during your first playthrough she has a special niche in that when you have access to only 1 Warrior's Pinnacle, she'll be the best user as her power more than makes up for 2 units combined. You'll only have to optimize one unit instead of two when you have limited resources. While her stats or rune doesn't fall off endgame at all, it is other heroes that catches up to her, so she's unfortunately benched during endgame despite having some of the most wonderful stats in the entire game.
Aleior
Benched, though looking at his stats, it seems he's even stronger than Chandra somehow? I know Chandra is faster and tankier, but still...
If not for the fact that he takes 2 slots, I'd really, really want to try turning him into a monster spellblade for Hero's Trial.
Momo
^{Backline Magical Everything}
Momo is an exemplar mage, having everything a proper caster needs and should have. His magic, mdef, and mp are all sky high, and his def isn't even low for some reason. He'll stay relevant for the entirety of the game, even when you have access to Dijkstra, Momo is the one mage that will stay useful despite not benefitting from the guy at all.
At endgame his true potential unlocks, his personal rune, Magical Font, skyrockets his already high magic to stupid level. He's going to hit the thousand with his auto, while his spells potentially hitting 2k. In my experience, it's best to not use Fire runes on him, as his auto already is a fire nuke, it's better to broaden his attack options. Wind and Dark runes do okay as coverage.
El Alicanto
Benched.
Foxiel
^{Flex, can fill any role}
Foxiel is a mediocre unit with access to 2nd amd 4th all types, and with an average base across the board meaning she can fill specific niche your team needs. Need a physical attacker, but also want Stormfront? Foxiel have you covered. Want an Armor Breaker but with spellblade utility? Foxiel can do that too. She can even be your Pinnacle physical attacker. She's not going to be super strong at anything, but she can fill the holes in your party with her rune slots.
Also what the hell her defenses? Why is a random fox this tanky? No, it's not something to write home about, but it's still surprising considering her looks.
Aoi
Benched.
Celia
^{Frontline Physical DPS}
Another Wayve.
Dr. Corque
Benched.
Reid
Benched.
Shixeen
^{Frontline Physical Support DPS}
Shixeen actually has her niche in that she allows your characters to collectively break armor, which would be really useful in Hero's Trial where pretty much all the bosses have really thick Armor.
If not for the fact that Dijkstra completely allows you to bypass this step and get to damaging immediately. Benched.
Leon
^{Frontline Spellblade DPS}
He's a Wayve, but lemme get a bit into detail. He advertises himself as a magic knight, using sword and all, but his strength growth is abysmal. He's actually a full mage in armor using a sword, and his base stats reflect as such. This means he can either be a full caster, doing magic properly or he can be a spellblade, with access to feint thrust for added utility. Either way, post-story his magic growth plumets, instead growing power for whatever reason. This results in him having really low power and magic by endgame, and so is a Wayve.
Dijkstra
^{Frontline Physical Support}
This is it. This is the GOAT. All previous 70 entries(well not really, I benched quite a few) are just a setup for this. I need to get this out of my system. Dude, Dijkstra enables so many characters that would otherwise be overshadowed by Mage's Pinnacle to actually dish out respectable damage. Without him any backline physical not called Leene is obsolete, you're better off using mages with Pinnacle. With him though, he IS the Pinnacle rune for all physical dps, front or back, even for the ones already with Pinnacle. With him around, you have no reason to use any dps mage not called Momo or Isha(unless you, of course, like them as a character, then by all means).
His equipment selection isn't important. His runes aren't important. Just make him tanky enough so he won't die and you're good. This is the only time def+ and mdef+ runes are considered optimal for dps(because you no longer deal double damage if Dijkstra dies).
Powerful Warcry is totally busted, it essentially doubles the dps of all your physical attacks this turn, allowing so many backline physical dps to shine in ways they otherwise can't(because Warrior's Pinnacle is front only and Mage's Pinnacle doesn't do anything for physical dps).
Calc wise he's worth it even if you're going 3 mages, as doubling the other 2 physical dps's damage is still worth the one spot he takes on the team. Not to say you should be going 3 mages with Dijkstra duh, but bringing 1 or 2 favorite mages on the team isn't going to hurt his value.

That's really long!

Wow...just to rant about Dijkstra being broken I wrote about all the heroes I used at some point during my playthrough lol. Of course, this list is personal, you're free to disagree or even point out juicy characters I benched. Anyway, that's my personal review of all the characters, thanks for reading!

BoxOfficeTheory Presale Tracking
USA Showtimes As of April 26
Presales Data Google Sheets Link
BoxOfficeReport Previews
DOMESTIC PRESALES
Tarot Thursday comp: $0.54M

• abracadabra1998 ($0.40M Thursday comp. Still doing absolutely nothing (April 25). Now at 6 tickets sold lol (April 21). Tarot only has 2 theaters sold in all the 25 theaters (April 18).)
  
• el sid ($0.85-$0.90M Thursday comp. Not even that bad. The quite good sales in California help. Of course, with so uneven comps we have to take that number with a grain of salt (April 29). So not too great but also no disaster in my theaters. At the moment my guess would be that it gets high single digits opening weekend(April 26).)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($0.49M Thursday comp and $0.38M Santikos Thursday comp. I think the pace chart says it all for this one. Pretty tarotble (April 30).)
  

The Fall Guy Thursday ONLY previews comp: $2.25M
The Fall Guy Thursday+EA previews comp: $2.84M

• abracadabra1998 ($2M Thursday comp and $0.70M EA comp. I would have expected them to start climbing up by now. Again, my comps are not the best and walk-ups are king for this, but without a catalyst like a buzzy review drop I can see this have a rough final week (April 29). I'm using a variety of comps here but trying to go with the blockbusters that had better walk-ups/were less pre-sales heavy (April 25). Bottom of the U curve this week most likely (April 15).)
  
• el sid ($3.45M Thursday comp. Average (without TLC) True Friday comp: $8M which sounds quite reasonable to me but seldomly have I tracked a movie where the success depended so much on the jumps in the release week and the walk-ups. Compared to Civil War the true Friday would be only $4.7M but compared to a film with good jumps and walk-ups as TLC it's $27.5M (at the moment) (April 30). A nice number but it will very probably go down because e.g. for TLC with only 306 tickets on Monday it was way easier to have decent jumps in the next few days. The EA shows on Wednesday for sure hurt the Thursday presales of The Fall Guy so this is really no bad number. Overall no signs for a breakout hit but very, very solid. All it needs now are at least ok jumps. Not a bad number but it's a little bit as feared, it did not quite have the normal Monday jump. OTOH, other movies which already had a lot of buzz had way worse jumps, 25% are still acceptable (April 29).)
  
• Flip (I looked at two (non-plf) theaters near me, and for next Friday Phantom Menace has 99 tickets sold while Fall Guy has only 68 tickets (April 27).)
  
• JimmyB (I know its only one theater [one of the theaters in katnisscinnaplex's Jacksonville sample] but if this forum says a movies presales are popping I like checking my local Cinemark and will see sales are doing great like the forum says. This theater is probably the busiest theater in Jacksonville and its in a nice area of town...lots of homes, apartments, restaurants and a huge outdoor mall. The area would be the prime demo for a movie like Fall Guy, Fall Guy sales are just DOA. 5 sales for two showtimes 5/1 early access. 5 sales for six showtimes 5/2 Thursday (April 25).)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($2.91M EA+Thursday Comp. $1.05M EA and $1.85M Thursday comp at Santikos. I was hoping for +30% and it only grew 11.6%... I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said. I don't see any reason to think it grows from here (April 30). The last few days it has been on track with comps (April 29). I'm not saying this is going to earn 5m+ in total previews, but we shouldn't get all doom and gloom yet (April 18).)
  
• keysersoze123 (It again accelerated (April 29). Definite sign of acceleration but overall pace is still quite low. let us see how final week goes now (April 28). Meh Pace for sure (April 27). $40M OW looks tough. Its hard to extrapolate at this point as pace is really low. If I have to guess its looking at 2.5m ish thursday only gross. So around 25-30m range (April 27). No sign yet of a big breakout. Plus early shows being just day earlier than previews will have some impact on thursday pace until really close to release (April 26). Again there is almost no pace. There is still time but unless the pace picks up dramatically, we are looking at a disappointment (April 17).)
  
• Porthos ($2.37M EA+Thursday comp.)
  
• TheFlatLannister ($2.33M Thursday comp. It's slipping fast against comps. Kind of a yikes update (April 30). Pretty good T-4 (April 28). Fell pretty drastically against comp in the past 5ish days (April 27). Pretty much ~$3M right now (April 18).)
  
• Tinalera (Doesnt seem to be much pre sale appetite right now in Vancouver and Calgary [CANADA] (April 23).)
  
• TwoMisfits (Local Cinemark final sets for this weekend - Fall Guy got ONE extra late night showing at my PLF for 2.25 screens (and 9 showings Fri/Sun and 11 Sat) - at the non-PLF, it got an extra screen to have 2 screens (8 showings Fri/Sun and 9 Sat)... So, even if walk ups are bonkers, there's just not gonna be a lot of open space to walk into...aka, Cinemark does not have faith this is breaking out wildly above its current presales-to-weekend-multiplier landing spot (aka, no $50M+ incoming, I don't think) (April 30). While final sets are not up for my Cinemarks, it is telling that Fall Guy is NOT getting all PLF at my PLF theater. Instead, the Star Wars re-release is getting 1 full XD (and 2 screens for presales), which is the same as Fall Guy. At my other local, Star Wars is not yet booked, and Fall Guy is still sitting at 1 screen for presales (April 23).)
  
• vafrow ($1.6M Thursday only comp. A good day, although it's more about the law of small numbers. 66% growth is nice, but not that impressive when your baseline is so small Another ho hum day at a point where even walk up friendly films start seeing some movement (April 29). This film is performing bad, and this market seems worse than others (April 28). Slight bump in sales, but still far off the pace (April 27). Three days of zero sales (April 26). Continues to be unimpressive. I haven't added it as a comp, but it's Thursday preview sales are actually behind Monkey Man at this point (April 24). Full showtimes are up for the Thursday previews for Fall Guy, and across my five screen sample, it only added two showings. Theyre really maintaining a light touch on this one. It's not like there's a lot in theatres right now that warrants holding onto screens either. Still crawling along slowly (April 23). A little bit of movement coming out of the weekend (April 22). I eyeballed some other showings in the area that seem to be doing better, so some of my results might be impacted by distortions from a smaller sample (April 21). Another zero sales day. Yes, final week and walk ups are what's going to matter in the end, but we should be seeing something at this point (April 19). A zero sales day after sales spiked a bit a few days ago. I think it lends support to the idea that the SNL appearance did it's job. But with reviews out and now a big public relations win, they're also running out of trigger events to jump sales (April 17). After some progress the day before, fairly quiet today. Zero sales for previews, slight bump on EA (April 16). Starting to see some movement. It's still pretty quiet, but it is moving. I wonder if the SNL appearance helped put some spotlight on this. The gap in sales between EA and Thursday previews is closing at least (April 15).)
  

Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Re-Release Friday opening day comp: $4.00M

• charlie Jatinder ($4.95M Friday comp (compared to Avatar and Titanic re-release). MINI-TC2 $22k Friday sales and $44k Saturday sales. Surprised by SAT being so ahead in sales. Depending on how wide the release is, can see $3M+ FRI, may be even $4M (April 29).)
  
• filmlover (Saturday (May the 4th) is looking to a huge day for it just from glancing at ticket sales. As expected, of course (April 29).)
  
• Flip (I looked at two (non-plf) theaters near me, and for next Friday Phantom Menace has 99 tickets sold while Fall Guy has only 68 tickets (April 27). Phantom Menace should have a good chance at #2 next Friday unless it’s in less than 2.5k theaters (April 26).)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($3.50M Friday opening day comp and $3.54M Santikos Friday comp. Looking pretty solid for this weekend! Comparing OD to previews will skew things a little, but not many options here (April 29). This is the largest re-release (22,369 screenings and 1,860 theaters) I've seen since I've been tracking (April 26).)
  
• Relevation (It’s selling phenomenally in one of my friend’s markets for FRI, even outstripping Dune previews at the same point and it’s already well clear of Challengers, Argylle, and The Beekeeper’s entire runs at my market. Could be looking at a double digit debut (April 25).)
  

The Amazing Spider-Man Monday Re-Release

• filmlover (Have actually sold a fairly decent amount of seats so far (April 15).)

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes EA+Thursday previews comp: $4.74M

• abracadabra1998 ($5.08M EA+Thursday comp. This has been doing pretty consistently well (April 25). Keeps climbing, decent pace so far (April 18). 29% ahead of The Fall Guy on April 15.)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($4.4M EA+Thursday comp. Comps are currently between 3.5m and 4m for previews (including EA) for the most part (April 17).)
  
• keysersoze123 (Its going to open bigger than Fall Guy for sure. Not sure how wide the early shows are. But a EA gross around 1.5m could be in play. Previews we have to wait and see how it accelerates close to release (April 27). Again minus early shows, presales are moribund (April 17). Presales does not scream a huge breakout. Early shows have good presales but that is just it. Definitely nothing close to a $90M opening weekend (April 9).)
  
• TheFlatLannister ($4.31M Thursday comp. Not even going to update Planet of the Apes because its growth has been pitiful (April 30).)
  
• Vafrow ($2.8M Thursday comp. It actually had a decent day (April 29). Sales dropped by 3. Cancelled tickets for one of the shows it seems. It keeps getting worse (April 28). Continues to be sluggish (April 26). Seems to be sluggish. There isn't anything right now that looks like it's going to paint this in a positive light. The fourth iteration of a franchise reboot should see stronger sales up front (April 21).)
  

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Monday Re-Release

• filmlover (Have actually sold a fairly decent amount of seats so far (April 15).)

IF Thursday comp: $1.23M

• PROMOTIONS (APRIL 29 ONLY: Each purchased ticket with RegalMovies gifts a ticket to someone at 826. Regal offering 2500 rewards points.)
  
• abracadabra1998 ($1.31M Thursday comp. Comps are obviously silly at this stage, just wanted to show that unsurprisingly not really a lot of interest from a get-go. We shall see how it does in these coming weeks (April 29).)
  
• AniNate(Gonna try some amateur local tracking: 55 tickets sold across 4 Cinemarks. I feel like this level of unadulterated upfront interest is pretty notable for an original family movie (April 30).)
  
• charlie Jatinder (Hmm. So no real Regal impact it seems at katnisscinnaplex's theaters (April 30).)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($1.14M Thursday comp. 25 Regal sales (out of 45?) (April 30).)
  
• vafrow (For a 100 km radius (which captures the whole broader region, probably about an 8M population base), it's sold 11 tickets. Still no sales locally (April 30). I think this only went up overnight, so it's not too odd to have zero sales (April 29).)
  

The Garfield Movie EA+Thursday Comp: $2.34M

• abracadabra1998 ($0.42M EA comp and $1.12M Thursday comp. Seems like it'll be like Trolls where EA syphons off all the early sales. Very low sales will lead to big variance in these early days. Trolls ($1.63M) is the most useful Thursday comp due to similar EA situations (April 25).)
  
• el sid (The start in my theaters was very modest. It had today for Thursday, May 23, combined 19 sold tickets (in all of my 7 theaters) (April 23).)
  
• katnisscinnaplex ($3.14M EA+Thursday comp.)
  
• Porthos (Maybe it's only in Sacto, but have to say I was rather impressed with Garfield's sales. Did pretty decently on its D1 locally, all things considered. And it wasn't even thanks to an EA boost as the lone EA showing up so far has sold exactly one ticket so far. Considering the extreme backloaded nature of the genre + at least some upfront interest due to the Name Brand, not gonna do any comps. Yet. But I will provide some contrasts. Garfield: 60 tickets sold on Day 1 (EA: 1 ticket sold) [T-31]. Sonic 2: 182 tickets D-1 [T-24]. Minions 2: 67 tickets D-1 [T-24]. Nope: 57 tickets D-1 [T-42]. Elemental: 37 tickets D-1 [T-30]. Wonka: 57 tickets D-1 [T-29]. Mean Girls: 52 tickets D-1 [T-29]. (April 23).)
  
• vafrow (Still no sales (April 28). Still no sales. KFP4 was at 12 for day 2 (April 24). No sales on Garfield. Kung Fu Panda 4 sold 4 tickets on its first day (April 23).)
  

The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Re-Releases (June 8-10)

• katnisscinnaplex (Just for kicks I took a look at the LotR re-releases scheduled for June. They're getting one show each (for the most part) in around 1k theaters. Some locations already adding a second showing (April 30). Looks to be in around 1k theaters. Sales looking good already as expected (I already got mine!) (April 26).)

Domestic Calendar Dates (last updated April 23):
APRIL

• (Apr. 30) Presales Start [The Strangers: Chapter 1]

MAY

• (May 1) Presales Start [Possum Trot + The Young Woman and the Sea]
  
• (May 1) Early Access [IMAX Only, Wednesday: Fall Guy]
  
• (May 2) Presales Start [Babes]
  
• (May 2) Thursday previews [The Fall Guy + Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace Re-Release + Tarot]
  
• (May 6) Opening Day [The Amazing Spider-Man Re-Release]
  
• (May 8) Presales Start [Furiosa]
  
• (May 8) Early Access [PLF Only, Wednesday: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes]
  
• (May 9) Thursday Previews [Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes + My Ex-Friend’s Wedding]
  
• (May 13) Opening Day [Monday: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Re-Release]
  
• (May 16) Thursday Previews [Babes + Back to Black + If + The Strangers: Chapter 1 + The Blue Angels IMAX]
  
• (May 20) Opening Day [Monday: Spider-Man Homecoming Re-Release]
  
• (May 23) Thursday Previews [Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga + The Garfield Movie + Sight]
  
• (May 27) Opening Day [Monday: Spider-Man Far From Home Re-Release]
  
• (May 30) Thursday Previews [Ezra + Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle + Robot Dreams + The Young Woman and the Sea]
  

JUNE

• (June 3) Opening Day [Monday: Spider-Man No Way Home Re-Release]
  
• (June 6) Thursday Previews [Bad Boys: Ride or Die]
  
• (June 8) 1-Saturday Re-Release [The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition]
  
• (June 9) 1-Sunday Re-Release [The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition]
  
• (June 10) 1-Monday Re-Release [The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition]
  
• (June 13) Thursday Previews [Inside Out 2 + Untitled Angel Studios Film + The Watchers]
  
• (June 20) Thursday Previews [The Bikeriders]
  
• (June 27) Thursday Previews [Blue Lock The Movie -Episode Nagi- + Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 + A Quiet Place: Day One]
  

JULY

• (July 2) Opening Day [Wednesday: Despicable Me 4]
  
• (July 4) Opening Day [Thursday: Possum Trot]
  
• (July 4) Thursday Previews [MaXXXine]
  
• (July 11) Thursday Previews [Fly Me to the Moon + Untitled New Line Horror movie]
  
• (July 18) Thursday Previews [Twisters]
  
• (July 25) Thursday Previews [Deadpool and Wolverine + Didi + Fabulous Four]
  

AUGUST

• (August 1) Thursday Previews [Harold and the Purple Crayon + Trap]
  
• (August 8) Thursday Previews [Borderlands + Cuckoo + The Fire Inside]
  
• (August 15) Thursday Previews [Alien: Romulus + Horizon An American Saga Chapter 2]
  
• (August 22) Thursday Previews [Blink Twice + The Crow + The Forge + Slingshot]
  
• (August 24) Opening Day [Saturday: Untitled Angel Studios Film]
  
• (August 29) Thursday Previews [City of Dreams + Kraven the Hunter]
  

Presale Tracking Posts:
March 12
March 14
March 16
March 19
March 21
March 24
March 26
March 30
April 2
April 4
April 6
April 9
April 11
April 13
April 16
April 18
April 20
April 23
April 25
April 27
Note: I have removed most tracking data that has not been updated for 2 weeks. I think there is value in keeping data for a week or two but at a certain point they start to lose their value and should not be treated the same as more recent tracking data.

NOVUS ROLEPLAY

Website - https://novusreborn.com/
Discord - https://discord.gg/novusroleplay
Overview
Novus Roleplay was founded on the premise that the most important part of roleplay was the players' ability to create the character scenes they wanted. We view the job of our community to facilitate a supportive, quality atmosphere for players. Novus is based in the non-lore State of New Malverne, offering El Reno, Prescott Lake, and Alpine Beach.
Our development team has spent thousands of hours remodeling/texturing the GTA V environment for this immersive experience. Our cities are where characters live, laugh and love while crime, despair, and conflict brew just under the surface.
Planting Your Roots.
Create a Story, with Epic roleplays mixed all over. To help guide character development, Novus RP uses character alignments. Pick from nine different character paths and create the story. Be ready to engage with other stories along the way.
Live. Work. Play.
Your character moves to a new city or wakes up to a new morning where they’ve been their entire life. Where do you choose for your character to live? Options await. Each character has a different path that we know you’ve thought a lot about including work. Our player-managed businesses are meant to serve as a base. Player-owned businesses allow you to come up with your new ideas, rent or buy an available shop, and create roleplay opportunities. The character you’ve created has spent their time working hard selling coffee, putting out fires, or maybe slinging drugs. Time to have fun and play in a city full of options.
No Admission Required.
We break down the walls to give you options. While your character must meet the IC minimums, there are no OOC walls you must leap over to do fun things like start a business, creating a faction or having an idea featured in the server. It is our goal to erase ‘click’ or ‘friend favoritism’ mentalities, leading to a more fair roleplay community.
Pure Life Economy.
In-server currency is evenly earned by players both legally or illegally. No items are spawned in, or obtainable through ‘pay to pay’ patreon subscriptions or donator perks. We aim to make it fair for all.
No Lag or Poor Equipment.
All of Novus Roleplay facilities are hosted on a 100% Dedicated Server with industry-leading components and a fast internet uplink. This means your player data will save and you can expect little to no server lag. We don’t cut corners.

#NoMoreBadmins

We believe proper administrative staff can either lead to the growth or demise of a roleplay community. We pledge to administrate fairly and justly, prioritizing the enjoyment of our community members. See the steps we’ve taken for better admins in our bylaws.

– Our Staff Team
Start your voyage and give Novus a try!

(since our site is down)
Trevor Project
The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 to help prevent LGBTQ+ suicides and is available 24 hours a day. If you or a loved one needs help, text START to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386, you can also chat with a counselor on their site.
Trans Lifeline
The Trans Lifeline is a hotline run by trans people for trans and questioning people and are available even if you're not in a crisis or aren't sure about your gender. They are available 24 hours a day and your call can remain anonymous. If you are in the US, the Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860, if you are in Canada the Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-330-6366. Marca al 877-565-8860 en los Estados Unidos o al 877-330-6366 en Canadá y oprime el #2 para conectarte con operadors que hablan español.
Crisis Text Line
The Crisis Text Line is a hotline available 24/7 in the US to reach a counselor to help you through a crisis. Crisis does not always means thinking about ending your life, but can still severely impact our lives. To reach a counselor, text HELLO to 741741. You can also reach them on Whatsapp or on their site.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Domestic violence can affect anyone and can be a terrifying experience, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 to help you create a plan to get out of a domestic abuse situation. If you are in a domestic abuse situation or believe your internet usage might be monitored, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233), text START to 88788 or chat with a live advocate.
HUD LGBTQ Discrimination Resources
Have you been denied housing because of your gender identity or orientation? You can file a complaint with you regional FHEO Office and have it investigated by HUD. You can find more information and additional resources from HUD here. You can learn how to file a complaint and find your regional FHEO Office.
Safe Schools Coalition (Washington Specific)
Safe Schools Coalition was founded in 1993 when they spun off The Schools Committee. the Safe Schools Committee aims to make schools safer for both LGBTQ+ students but also staff. If you need a speaker, trainer or are interested in getting involved, Safe Schoos Coalition can help.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project (New York Specific)
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project was launched in 2002 by trans activist and lawyer Dean Spade in memory of the 1969 Stonewall Riots veteran Sylvia Rivera. The SRLP aims to guarantee all people are able to self-determine their gender and to be able to express their gender, regardless of socioeconomic or ethnic backgrounds, free from violence and transphobic acts. If you need legal support, send their legal team an email (legal services can only be provided to people living int he five boroughs of New York City and people incarcerated by the State of New York.)
Suicide & Crisis Hotline
The suicide and prevention hotline is available 24 hours per day and provides free help to people experiencing crisis or suicidal feelings. If you or a loved one needs help, call 988 or chat with a counselor on their site. Additionally you can call an international hotline here.
Point Foundation
Point Foundation has a mission to uplift LGBTQ students who have high leadership and academic potential as well as a positive outlook on the future despite the challenges they face to make an impact on society by providing financial support and training to US college students from around the world. Are you interested in a scholarship? Apply today!
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
The TLDEF fights discrimination based upon gender identity and expression as well as working for the equality of transgender people through public policy, litigation, direct legal services and education.
NCTE Health Care Guide
The National Center for Transgender Equality has put together a comprehensive guide to healthcare as a transgender person, including what your plan covers, how to determine what insurance is best for you and applying for pre-authorization.
Transgender Law Center
The TLC is the largest organization in the US that is made up of trans people, working for the equality of all people. For over twenty years, they have been assisting, organizing and informing community members and leaders to achieve liberation.
Cerebral Palsy Guide
The Cerebral Palsy Guide s working hard to educate the public on cerebral palsy. In addition to raising awareness, they also provide important information to those affected by cerebral palsy and helps over 8,000 families in getting aid. The Cerebral Palsy Guide has a dedicated page to helping families prevent youth with cerebral palsy from being bullied and how to help their child is they're being bullied which can be found on their site.
The LGBTQ+ Bar
The LGBTQ+ Bar was launched in 1988, partly in response the HIV/AIDs crisis. The LGBTQ+ Bar has a mission of promoting justice for the LGBTQ+ community through its network of affiliated lawyers, judges, legal professionals, activists and affiliated organizations. If you or someone you know needs an attorney, visit their State & Local Affiliate Organizations Page.
Lambda Legal
In 1973, Bill Thom filed incorporation paperwork for a 501(c)(3) but the panel denied the application. After an appeal, Lambda Legal was born, ready to represent LGBTQ+ folks in court. Lambda Legal had a prominent role in major cases such as Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), Henkle v. Gregory (2001), Lawrence v. Texas (2003), Glenn v. Brumby et Al. (2011) and most recently Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). If you or someone you know needs legal assistance, call your nearest branch and ask for the Help Desk.
American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU has roots that dates back to January of 1920 and has along history of fighting for civil liberties. The ACLU was the sole critic of President Roosevelt's internment camps, the ACLU was also instrumental in the cases of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Roe v. Wade (1973), Doe v. Bolton (1973), they helped persuade the court in the case of Lawrence v. Texas (2003). If you need legal assistance, please contact your local affiliate.
Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders
SAGE proudly stands up for the elder LGBTQ+ pioneers who have been fighting for their right to live and love. They currently have staff in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco as well as a network to help LGBTQ+ people nationally. If you need assistance planning long term care, finding housing or need and advocates contact SAGE.
Cutter Law Cyber Bullying Guide (California Specific)
Cyber bullying is a very serious issue in our society and unfortunately the LGBTQ+ community reports higher rates of cyber bullying¹. Cyber bullying can be destructive on mental health, impacting grades, social interactions and can cause depression in youth. To better understand why cyber bullies bully and how to address these issues Cutter Law, PLC has written a guide that can be read here. If you are in California and need an attorney, visit Cutter Law, PC.
Feeding America
Feeding America is a national network of assistance programs and food banks dedicated to helping get food and groceries to those who need them. If you need assistance with food or signing up for SNAP or WIC, find your local food bank.

I know I've taken a different route to learning Spanish than staying 100% with DS and wanted to share how things have gone for me. While I've commented on a bunch of posts here about my own experiences, this will be my first proper write-up. I'm actually currently at 186 hours, so this post is a bit overdue, but I was inspired by a YouTube video today by Greg and Lisa Lewis to contribute my own experiences to hopefully help others.
(You can jump down to my Methods section and my General Tips and Experience if my Spanish learning background isn't of interest to you. Also, I'm a technical writer by trade, so I had to do the whole formatting thing to help communicate what I wanted to get across.)

How I Got Started

I originally studied 4 years of French in high school, went to an intensive month-long class in France, and then when I got to college, I was lazy enough to study it again for three quarters. After graduating with a degree, I went back for another undergraduate degree and took two or three quarters of Russian, just because. After graduating with my second undergrad degree, I went into the working world and eventually worked for a company that said they would pay for half of an employee's tuition for whatever they were going to college for. So...I went back to the city college near me (in Atlanta so it was Georgia State University) and took undergrad classes. There I studied Japanese for three or four quarters.
All of that was to give context to my studying of languages.

Motivation

Spanish was never on my original radar and last year, I got into studying Irish on Duolingo (which was not in the slightest helpful with learning Irish. I decided to shift over to refreshing my French language studies via Duolingo and ended slowly becoming reacquainted with the language. Because I have a penchant for this one local killer Mexican restaurant near me, I decided to include Spanish with my French Duolingo studies since Spanish is all over the place and my studies could actually be potentially helpful in daily life.
I also have started going to the local Hispanic grocery chain (Talpa) and just started buying random things that piqued my interest which also in small ways expanded my vocabulary.
Even before I started studying Spanish, I enjoyed Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias. Since studying Spanish, I started expanding my Spanish music selection to include Sebastián Yatra, Maria Becerra, Pablo Alborán, and just random music via Apple Music or Amazon Music.
What's also driving me forward is wanting to not just be able to watch or listen to Spanish videos and music as well as converse with Spanish speakers and be able to read, my "eyes on the prize" goal is to be able to watch Siempre Bruja totally in Spanish with no subtitles.
I've also found watching videos on YouTube or reading everyone's successes in this subreddit, I've found the personal stories of YouTube such as Greg and Lisa Lewis and the new channels they recommended of Rue Avenue, Spanish Journey with Mike Lee (Atlanta represent!), and AJLearnsSpanish (which Greg and Lisa Lewis recommended in their most recent update for hitting 600 hours). Hearing all these success stories helps motivate me when I'm feeling a bit stuck on not understanding as much as I think I should be understanding what I'm watching or listening to.

Methods

While DS is my primary learning tool by far (and so glad I found it thanks to the Reddit languagelearning community), there are some others tools that got me started or impacted me that I am using, did use, or will use in the future. I'll list what I used to get into my Spanish studies in the order that I started using them. I got into DS after about two days after I started using Duolingo, Babbel, and Language Transfer
Duolingo (I don't really recommend)
Duolingo is something I'm primarily sticking with to keep up with my friends. I have found it slightly helpful with reinforcing vocabulary and a bit of structure.
Babbel (Decently helpful)
Before I found DS, I went and took the plunge and bought the lifetime subscription to Babbel last year during Black Friday's sales week last year.
I'm only doing one session a day as well as the review (doing the listening review which helps reinforce the understanding part like I get out of DS). While some of the lessons in past tense or future tense have been a bit helpful when listening to podcasts or a bit of DS, I've really found it is helping me conceptually in understanding Spanish and how it works grammatically which has actually been somewhat helpful with DS and podcasts.
Language Transfer (Recommend it when you have more DS under your belt—maybe 300-600 hours?)
Language Transfer was something I had when I started studying French and it occurred to me to use it for Spanish. Looking back at the 23 lessons I listened to, the first number of episodes helped me in subtle but also tremendous ways (primarily cognates and some other tips).
I'll return to it when I hit somewhere in the 300 to 600 hour range and start from scratch.
Drops (Really appreciate and recommend this app)
Drops is a vocabulary app that has actually been really helpful to me with my comprehending Spanish when listening, watching, or even the little bit of reading I'm doing. I use the free version (5 minute chunks a day) that I use with my daily routine of other forms of learning Spanish other than DS.
Why I recommend Drops is that it teaches vocabulary using illustrations as well as constantly saying the word each time you select it. It's been very helpful in picking up things that I hear or see elsewhere (like in a Hispanic grocery store or hear on a podcast or hear someone say it in DS). The reinforcement of the vocabulary you have learned is also a big help.
The very minor downside is that somehow I went from beginner Spanish to advanced vocabulary (maybe trying one of the short term achievements for a special occasion, holiday, or event?) and realized only recently that there is a ton more beginner friendly (as in the words that are mainly used in Spanish) material, so I moved back to beginner lessons.
Beelinguapp (Haven't used it beyond a few uses, but definitely recommend it when reading comes into the picture for you)
Another thing I bought a lifetime subscription to on sale thanks to Woot! having it on sale.
I tinkered around with a bit and found the combination of native speakers reading text to you (you can have it fully in Spanish or Spanish at the top and English at the bottom of your phone's screen) helps with pronounciation and reading comprehension. There is the standard levels of difficulty from beginner to intermediate to advanced, plus it keeps track of how many words you've read for those people who are also tracking the amount of words you read for comprehensible input.
Spanish Dictionary (¡!) (When I cheat and look up words, it's been amazingly helpful with pronunciation as well as definitions)
Spanish Dictionary has been helpful (I got a subscription to it) when someone says a word
Podcasts and Shows/Videos
Thanks to you all in this subreddit and the wonderful spreadsheet of what people are using for CI, I found some great podcasts that have helped me get more CI into my daily life (like when driving). I will eventually probably listen to podcasts when doing more than just driving some day.
I highly recommend YouTube videos on pronouncing Spanish letters. Seriously, I highly recommend starting with such videos (I've watched a bunch of them). it has really helped me with visualizing what is being said phonetically as well as helped understand what is being said in DS videos, podcasts, and when I've done my bits of reading and trying to say words outloud for my apps.
Cuéntame (Super Beginner) is an amazing first podcast to learn from as a super beginner or beginner if you understand cognates which I'll go into more down below in my Tips section if you aren't familiar with them. This is where the little bit of Duolingo I had done helped get me get the basics when listening to her speak. The cognates helped me put together what she was saying which provided me an incredibly exciting upward spiral in my Spanish studies which helped me some with my comprehension of DS videos which helped me better understand Cuéntame.
Chill Spanish (Beginner) is what I moved over to after finishing Cuéntame. Chill Spanish was a mixed bag for me as a super beginner but was a bit easier the more learning I had once I had moved past 50 hours with DS and CI. Sometimes his podcast was pretty advanced for me and other times I got most of what was being said.
Help Me Learn Spanish Joel (Beginner to Intermediate) is one I have to jump between listening to the podcast at 1x (for the beginner leveled podcasts) and .75x (intermediate leveled podcasts). When he's doing a beginner level podcast, I have been able to understand most of it. When he's doing an intermediate level podcast, slowing it down to .75x speed helped me somewhat continue understanding what's being said, but a bunch of the vocabulary (like what people eat for breakfast (desayuno), lunch (almuerzo), and dinner (cena)) and their customs (costumbre) were things I needed to look up to grasp which is not what Pablo recommends but has helped me understand more vocabulary that I didn't originally get from DS or one of the apps I use.

General Tips and Experiences

Cognates

• Look for the cognates — if you are an English speaker or know one of the Romance languages, cognates are so helpful in jumping ahead in comprehension. Cognates are common words in Romance languages that are similar to each other. Language Transfer's early lessons helped me grasp the concept which made DS and podcasts a lot easier in the beginning.
• I used my own understanding plus TakeLessons.com's breakdown of common cognates to create the below bullet points (giving credit where credit is due and to possibly help others).
  • There is a good sized overlap between English and Spanish (as well as French and Italian) words, so if you listen for words that are like what you know in English (sostenibilidad/sustenibilidad does sound like sustainability for example or arból is connected to something like Arbor Day which is celebrating the planting of trees). There are ton of more direct connections like hospital, metro, cereal, horrible, escape, etc...
  • Mind you, not all Spanish words will be matches for the English words I use as examples below, but knowing cognates definitely help me leap frog forward in my comprehension.
  • Verbs like adopt -> adoptar or limit -> limitar or control -> controlar for example are ones that when I realized "wait, that sounds like a word I know in English..." and might have looked it up for confirmation, it helped me relax more in what I was listening to or watching and trust myself to understand more.
  • -mente: When I found out that's putting a word I knew in English into the adverb form (-ly), I realized how much that was being used in podcasts and videos I was taking in.
  • -ción: When I realized a bunch of words I knew in English that ended in -tion were the same in Spanish as the ending of -ción, that helped me grasp more Spanish as well. Words such as celebración, ficción, and nación just made sense.
  • -idad: It turns a word that sounds like a word I know in English into an -ity word like difficulty -> dificultad or sustainability -> sustenibilidad.
  • -oso/osa: Words that end in English with -ous end in -oso/osa in Spanish. For example, curious -> curioso/curiosa or famous -> famoso/famosa.

Other Tips

• As I mentioned above, learning vocabulary through the combination of seeing the word and hearing it (like in some language learning apps like Drops (again, an awesome app for the CI in my opinion) or Beelingua or even Duolingo) will help with reading comprehension or when you are out in the world and come across Spanish text.
• I can't recommend enough if you are starting, you need to watch videos on YouTube about pronouncing the Spanish alphabet. It will help in the long run big time, even if you stay a DS purist because it will eventually translate into more easily reading or picking up on what's said so you can get how it probably looks like spelled out in your brain if you need to.
• Watching videos or reading posts where people share their hitting DS levels and what it's been like has encouraged me to keep going.
• Going to Hispanic grocery stores or restaurants or looking up the lyrics to Spanish-speaking songs I like has also motivated me when I hear or read some words and get what's being said or sung. Big boost to my desire to study more.
• Explore the culture of the language around your neighborhood or city. I buy a lot of random things from the Hispanic grocery store which has taught me a bit more of Spanish than what I've gotten through DS or the apps I used. Going to Mexican restaurants or a tapas restaurant also helps me with increasing my vocabulary. When in New York City, I swung by Spanish Harlem and enjoyed reading advertisements around the neighborhood or on the subway and trying to translate them in my head which helped me feel more confident in my progress.

The Positive Feedback Loop of DS

I'm really glad I found DS and this subreddit, because it supercharged my Spanish studies. Realizing I'm understanding a bit more here and there (usually noticing tiny improvements daily) is really exciting to me.
I also agree with CI's point about comprehension vs. standard learning methods. If you can't understand what's being said, your communication skills (like me listening to French is spotty at best and I can grasp certain words) will be limited. Using DS as my main source of learning and how the teachers will draw or otherwise illustrate what's being said definitely helps solidify the ideas being communicated with builds upon where you hear it being used otherwise.
With my app usage, it's reinforced what I've learned in DS and DS has reinforced what I'm learning in DS or podcasts.
When I'm feeling stuck, I put on videos of other DS learners and listen to them sharing what positives they are getting from using DS or their Spanish speaking experiences and improvements they've noticed. It helps me refocus on my studies which end up helping me notice the improvements.
When you are learning a language which is like conceptually climbing a mountain, you can lose site of how far you've come if you are only looking ahead to how much you still have to go unless you look back. I recommend occasionally going back to easier content like new or even old DS videos of a previous learning tier or listening to podcasts that were tricky long ago and get that big boost from just how much you now do comprehend versus how much you struggled or kind of got what was being communicated.
Most of all, just enjoy the ride which I've found Dreaming Spanish really makes a lot of fun, especially the ridiculous content of all the DS content creators I've watched so far. Pablo's deadpan ridiculous videos with such facts as his body is made up of 85% mango just crack me up and make learning much more enjoyable than other methods or silly videos about Calcetín's adventures, cooking mishaps, or whatever goofy and entertaining things the DS people come up with.
I got a bit of a boost recently at my favorite Mexican restaurant when I asked the waitress if what I thought would be correct in ordering what I ordered was actually right. "Quiero enchilada chipotle sin arroz, pero con frijoles" encouraged her to correct me to refrijoles, and also we started chatting about where she was from. She mentioned she was from El Salvador and from my podcast listening and hearing all about breakfast food choices people make, I asked her about pan dulce for breakfast. She recommended that I check out a El Salvadorean panadería and get a traditional pan dulce from El Salvadoreans—quesadilla salvadoreña which was a really tasty pan dulce to have for breakfast. It also got her excitedly sharing more about her culture which also motivated me to keep learning.
Another bit of exciting Spanish interactions came when I went to El Salvadorean restaurant and asked for atole de elote. One of the women in the kitchen came up to me and was so surprised that I asked for that. She asked how I even heard about that and mentioned that I was learning Spanish and I heard a lot of discussions about various atole that there are out there. It was a very interesting hot drink made with sweet corn which I never would have ordered otherwise.
Thanks for reading however much you actually read and thanks to all on the subreddit for inspiring me to keep on going thanks to the success stories, the silly DS memes, or even talking about how much you love one of the DS content creators. I really appreciate you all and your contributions to this subreddit!

As many a fearful flier know, there was quite a lot of convective weather (aka thunderstorm activity) across the Great Plains of the United States this past week, with dozens of tornados hitting Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa alone. Yet airlines and their crews successfully transported millions of people across the United States last week without incident. How did we do it with so much severe convective activity? And what did we do to make it not only safe, but also even comfortable for our passengers?
I was lucky enough to do a transcon Sunday and yesterday, traversing the areas of severe weather twice, and took two screenshots that really illustrate the way we use the tools at our disposal, and how sometimes even our best information on turbulence isn’t always correct (meaning the free tools online available to passengers (ahem…like a certain turbulence-predicting website beginning with a T) can be utterly useless!).
https://preview.redd.it/nq2fv1mj8nxc1.jpg?width=1523&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=639473d0e595f43a97fa8a83c482ed9777b18563
This first one was heading from New England to Southern California on Sunday morning. This is our primary weather application on our iPad, and it has a pretty extensive turbulence feature. The centre of the screenshot is right around Sioux Falls, SD. The magenta line is our routing across the country, with the colored areas being gradients of turbulence (yellow being occasional light turbulence, light orange being continuous light, then occasional moderate, with the darkest colour being continuous moderate or greater turbulence). Those white X’s? Those are concentrated areas of lightning, indicating strong convective activity and thunderstorms cells reaching into the 30-40 thousand foot range.
So as you can see, there was a lot going on. We were nearing our maximum altitude for our weight at 36,000 feet, and the tops of some cells were indicating more than 40,000 feet. So what do we do to ensure we didn’t fly into a cell or encounter severe turbulence? Well first, we needed to figure out exactly what was going on, and test our weather app’s hypothesis about moderate-severe turbulence along our route. As we got close to the yellow boundary, we began by asking Minneapolis Center (who controls a large swath of airspace extending from Madison all the way out to Rapid City) who else was heading in our direction ahead of us and what they were seeing along their route. We also began using our radar to pick out the largest cells along our route. ATC came back and told us that there were some complaints about intermittent moderate turbulence, but that nobody was deviating around any cells. We also noticed that most of the worst weather cells were south of our route by about 50 miles. So it appeared that our app had the storm cell location and severity correct, but perhaps wasn’t quite correct about the intensity of the turbulence. We made a quick call back to our fantastic cabin crew and let them know that they should put everything away and take their jumpseats for the next 30 minutes or so. Even though we speculated that it wasn’t going to be as bad as expected, safety is always our #1 priority, and we elected to be on the “better safe than sorry” side of things.
We pressed on and finalised our plan. Our radar is an incredible, real-time machine that paints us not only areas of visible moisture (like storm cells), but also lightning, hail, and elevation of the tops of cells. I was the pilot flying and my captain was the pilot monitoring, so we set two different settings on our respective sides; he had the radar in the “On Path” mode (which paints only what is directly in our path), and I had my setting on “All”, which provides a big picture look at what is out there, not just at our altitude, but also below us. Everything that I was seeing was green and yellow crosshatched on my side, indicating that the tops were at least 4,000 feet below us. No deviations necessary.
When we finally did hit the redder areas of turbulence, we ended up with nothing more than light to moderate turbulence lasting for about 15 minutes. Our tools are fantastic, but weather and turbulence changes so rapidly that even our tools get it wrong sometimes! Turbli and the like are orders of magnitude worse than our tools, which is why we are so adamant about not listening to them.
https://preview.redd.it/ujpvujal8nxc1.jpg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c71736bbf27e45349be0f7590b3dbea63074137
This second photo is from our flight back yesterday. KORD is Chicago, KIND is Indianapolis, and KDTW (cut off on the right of the screenshot) is Detroit. We were at 35,000 feet and could go no higher because of our weight, but again, thunderstorms permeated our route. This screenshot is from FlightAware, a flight tracking website that overlays weather along the route. So why does it look like we flew right through the thunderstorm cell of yellow in the center of the screenshot, and then deviate to the right shortly after it where it seems like there’s nothing more than a small bit of rain?
As it usually does, it comes down to the limitations of commercially-available software. Just like on Sunday, we used our onboard radar to determine that the big yellow cell was actually quite a ways below us (by almost 10,000 feet), even though it was relatively intense. There was no reason to go around it because we knew that it was too far below us to throw hail or severe turbulence up at us (which is possible in severe thunderstorms) and we were able to see it with out own eyes (which is the best weather detection system we have). But what about that little green one? Well, FlightAware was a little late to the party. That cell had grown in size and intensity by the time we got to it, and our radar was indicating that the tops were approaching 30,000 feet. At 35,000 feet, we could safely go over it, but we knew that it would probably throw some bumps out along the way. I made the decision to deviate slightly right of course, on the upwind side of the cell, to hopefully remain clear of the light-moderate turbulence we knew it would produce. And my few thousand hours of flight experience proved me right. It was a smooth ride on the southern edge of the cell, and we got a mesmerising view of the mushroom-like cloud spilling over like a slow-motion video of popcorn popping. The best part though is that our colleagues at Air Transport International in a Boeing 767 flying boxes from Pennsylvania to California 1,000 feet above us didn’t even bother changing course. Pilots and boxes have something in common: moderate turbulence causes us no strife at all.
I’m entirely biased in saying that we have one of the most incredible jobs in the world, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. This week caused a lot of us to be on the road longer than we anticipated, made our jobs a lot harder, and upended a lot of your plans as passengers. But we have so many tools at our disposal to do our jobs as safely and as efficiently as possible. It’s why the aviation safety record is what it is, and why you are statistically safer getting on an aircraft than doing just about anything else in life. For us, it’s just another day in the best office in the world.

SOURCE: "Memory Lane," Oliver Knox, The Atlantic, June 2023.
I. Welcome
Jason Sullick and Henry Young were the only ones to film their encounter with the House.
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat’s up guys, this is JJ and H, and we’re gonna do it.”
“We’re gonna do it!”
“And we’re gonna film it, this is my phone, Henry’s got his — so okay here’s the important stuff.”
“In case we go missing.”
“Shut the fuck up, we’ll be fine. Important stuff. My house’s address: 5381 Charleston Street, Glenbrook, Virginia. The House’s address…” There is a natural uneasy emphasis that comes with mentions of The House. “…is 5353 Charleston Street, Glenbrook, Virginia. Just down the street. They just moved in and they’ve been, like—”
“They’ve been messing with people.”
“Yeah.”
“But nobody knows how. Or what they’re doing. Or who they are.” He makes the spooky fingers.
“Yeah. It’s fucked up. But we’re gonna — you know — get to the bottom of it. So here we go—”
The boys approach the House and tilt their cameras up to capture its front facade. Two lit second-story windows peer down at them.
Jason is first to the door, foot on the welcome mat — and the door opens into darkness. Neither camera adjusts well to the change in light; the inside of the house is lost in pixel haze.
“Um — hi?”
There is no reply.
“We — live nearby, we were—”
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to—”
Neither hear the door closing behind them.
Three hours later on the dot (the timestamps on the phone footage confirm it), Jason and Henry exit the House waving goodbye. The phones’ dangle in their hands, forgotten.
“Thanks!”
“Thank you!”
The door closes.
The boys take two steps.
Jason slows first. The phone drops from his grip and hits the porch with a thud.
Henry is the one to say it. “…what just happened?”
The House had been empty for eighteen months before they moved in.
“But it wasn’t on anybody’s mind, I don’t think,” Maggie Trost tells me. She lives across the street, a schoolteacher, and she’s been here ever since she was a girl. She’s raised a family — her husband Jim works at the office building nearby, her teenage son Connor is obsessed with trains. None of them can recall anything quite like the current peculiarity on the block. “It’s not like people stayed away from it — people just didn’t have reason to go up to it.”
Connor nods. “Nobody was sneaking off and getting high in that house, it’s too close to everyone. It can see everyone and everyone can see it.”
With a pair of bay windows peering down, wide-eyed, from above, I agree there isn’t a big sense of privacy to the House. “The closer you get to the House, the more you feel like you’re stepping into the spotlight,” Maggie says. “Like the House is watching you, or something is.”
The eye windows are hard to miss. But today the curtains are drawn and the House looks like it’s — almost — sleeping. Safe enough to approach, at least, and I suppose that’s the moment the bait is bit.
Jason and Henry stumble home in a daze. Jason’s father Leigh is a medic and finds the same symptoms in both boys: BP drop, dilated pupils, muscle pain all over. Neither can remember anything that happened inside the House. The boys’ families are in contact and piece together the events. The parents are panicking.
The footage on the boys’ phones cuts off with their entry and restarts with their exit, and is dismissed by both families as a blurry indistinct mess.
But if anyone in either family had examined that footage frame-by-frame, they would have seen him.
He appears for only one frame before the footage ends — the pale face of a thin man, just inside the foyer, over Henry’s shoulder, as the boys first enter the House. The giveaway whites of his eyes are caught by the camera, a second before he glides out of sight.
It would have been the neighbors’ first glimpse of the House’s main inhabitant — or, any inhabitant — in the six days since it became the hub of this particular suburban universe.
II. Strangers
If you were to create perfect tree-nestled Americana in a lab, it would look like Charleston Street. Or Admiral Lane next to it. Or Franklin Court across the bridge.
Flags hang above the front porch, swaying in the breeze. Sprinklers are running and cars are washed in driveways (at least three, by my count). Elm trees provide the shade but sunlight finds its way through and the dogs are basking in it and it’s all just so — perfect. Picturesque, like a postcard from better times.
Places that strike this chord rarely do so unintentionally, or unaware. I cushion my phrasing as I ask Maggie.
“Oh, for sure, we put the work in, we know what we want our community to feel like. You can say it, they’re not bad words. Good old-fashioned honest America — can’t find much of it anymore, but you can find it here.”
“Did the House affect that?”
Maggie snorts at the thought. “We’re a resilient community, we can survive weird neighbors. Within reason.”
“Did the House have any history before? Good or bad?”
“Gosh, no, it was just a house.”
For the eighteen months since its previous residents moved out, the House had simply been a void. Those previous residents? Anthony and Ruth Clarkson, Richmond-born retirees who moved to California to be closer to family, since divorced. Neither returned my messages.
The next residents? A trickier matter from the start.
“This is — wow, I don’t even know — a few years’ worth of work? I started building around the track and I didn’t stop until I ran out of space. But I want to start another town.”
Connor is giddy as he tours me through a criss-crossing train layout the size of two ping-pong tables. Multiple engines running with a half-dozen cars each. Tunnels and stations and bridges and even tiny townsfolk, frozen in routine. It fills half the garage; a Ford F-150 occupies the other half.
“Mom and Dad okayed this?”
“They think it’s cool. We only have one car anyway, so why not?”
A Santa Fe Super Chief streamliner winds its way through the mini-world. Connor can flip a switch on the controls and make the cars’ interiors light up — or, he wishes he could. “There’s something wrong with the wiring in one of the cars, so now I have to go car-by-car and train-by-train until I find it. I can do it, it’s just — if I can do it without taking the whole thing apart, that’d be great.” He turns wistful. “But when I get all the lights on and all the parts going, the train crossings, those two cranes moving — it’s awesome to watch. It’s like a huge cuckoo clock that you can control.”
I’m tugging at my collar and he notices.
“Right, that’s the only problem: it gives off a TON of heat. That’s why the garage door was open, the morning when they came.”
On September 9, 2021, a moving van with North Carolina plates enters Charleston Street before dawn. Connor is awake, hard at work on his train layout, garage door open, and sees the van pull into the House’s driveway.
He paints the scene with his hands from our vantage point across the street. “I’m here, I see the van come from down there. And obviously I’m curious — it’s new neighbors, everybody’s gonna be curious. But there’s no family, it’s just a bunch of movers. No kids, no parents.” Connor points to the House’s door. “The front door was open, they didn’t even use the garage door. They move in, like, maybe ten boxes, and then they roll out. And that’s that.”
The House was loaded, waiting. Who would be first?
Maggie recalls peeking through the curtains, trying to catch a glimpse. “I’m sure everybody wanted to be the first to get the dirt, and to make a good impression. Set the stage, you know?” There’s a flash of mischief in her eyes. “Or maybe that’s just my own instinct. But yes — I was spying. Connor was too.”
“But you didn’t take the plunge, go knock on their door?”
“We all knew Jennifer would be first. She’s the ‘welcome committee’ neighbor — she makes lemon bars. They’re her thing, she makes them for every shindig. Mine is banana bread, I’m the master.” She’s right, I’m already halfway through a mini-loaf.
Jennifer Fielder arrives on the House’s doorstep with lemon bars that very morning.
“I ring the doorbell, I kind of shift on my feet, get my smile on. I’m holding the lemon bars.” Jennifer is fidgety as she remembers first contact. She’s polite but spacey, and talks in staccato. “The door opens. There’s nobody there. So I peek my head in. I take a step inside. I don’t hear the door closing.”
Next thing Jennifer remembers, it’s exactly three hours later.
“I walk outside onto the porch, right back where I was. And I just — I think I blink a few times, and I kinda teeter on my feet. My legs and my arms are so sore, and — I hate that I did this — I dropped the lemon bar dish. Shattered it right on the ground. I loved that dish.”
The neighbors were watching, of course, and a few rushed over. Maggie wasn’t one of them. “I watched. I could see her face, she looked like she was — like — waking up from a dream. Like a hypnotist snapping his fingers.”
The dish, for what it’s worth, had been picked clean.
The neighbors help Jennifer home and pry with questions, but Jennifer can’t recall what the new residents looked like, what they did, what they said — she can’t remember anything from inside the House.
Jennifer’s husband Howard Fielder leads the response, enlists Kyle Morgan and Benjamin McHugh, and the three men approach the House together, ready for anything. Howard knocks on the front door loud enough for the neighbors to hear it down the block.
The door opens. Connor is watching from across the street: “Howard wasn’t taking no for an answer, they were going in that house.”
Kyle and Benjamin follow Howard inside.
Three hours later, the men exit, waving goodbye, friendly, calm, dazed, before blinking out of the trance on the porch.
The men can remember nothing, but feel the same symptoms — BP dropping, muscles burning.
Although — come to think of it — Benjamin’s knee, sore from an earlier workout injury, is feeling much, much better.
The word goes out: Stay away from that House.
Why?
We don’t know why.
It’s an overnight urban legend: The House That Wipes Your Mind. Parents warn their kids to take alternate routes home, avoiding the House altogether. “It turned into a neighborhood boogeyman,” Maggie says. “But who could we call?”
“The police?”
Maggie snorts. “Please. What are they going to do — arrest a house? We don’t need that kind of attention, we were going to solve our own problem. Or ignore it, which is just as good.”
So the House sits, unwelcome but untouchable, an open mystery. Of course Jason and Henry come snooping with cameras rolling. What teenagers could resist?
“They were smart to film it,” Maggie admits. “But the House was smarter.”
I mention the figure in the footage — the pale face of a thin man, seen only for a frame. Maggie doesn’t know about this.
“Can I see it?”
I show Maggie the frame. She frowns. “Looks like a blur to me, I don’t see a face.”
Connor doesn’t see it either. He nods with his mother. “Looks like a blur.”
Through sheer luck, right as I’m leaving, I catch Jim coming home from work. He’s cagey at first but warms up quickly. I show him the image of the thin man.
“Looks like a blur to me.”
Once Jason and Henry are home safe, the neighborhood spends the day simmering: tinkering with adults’ minds is one thing, but our kids? An angry mob mentality is growing.
It’s Jim who gets the group moving. He yells, the crowd responds; he’s on his feet, the crowd is joining him. They would confront these new neighbors as a group — nobody messes with an angry mob — and demand answers. They wouldn’t leave until the mystery of the House was solved.
Maggie recalls: “I remember thinking, this is it, this is what we’ve been waiting for. I was right there in that group, ready for — gosh — I don’t know, but I was ready for it.”
Jim leads the group down the street, up to the House’s door. It opens before he can knock and Jim pushes his way inside. The mob follows — every last person, squeezing through the threshold, eager to partake in whatever happened next.
The door closes.
Three hours later, the angry mob emerges as a placated gaggle, waving goodbye, lobbing thank-yous to the host/s inside. The front door closes and a bubble bursts in each of their minds as the encounter is, as always, lost to the ether.
“At that point, there’s a futility to it,” Maggie recalls. “We all got together and we tried, and we wound up right back outside, so now we just… go home, I guess. Might as well get used to the new neighbors, since there’s not much we can do about them. Clearly.”
No need to adjust — the new neighbors are gone the next morning. At dawn, Connor is the first to notice the front door is open and bravely ventures inside. He finds the House cleaned out, only scraps left behind. Diet Coke cans in the trash. A stray page of an operations manual.
When Connor leaves, he’s surprised to find that he remembers what he saw inside. The House is a house again.
III. Home
When I tell Maggie I’m going, there’s a look on her face. Disappointment, but relief, too.
“Well, I hope we’re leaving you with fond memories. So to speak, I mean. House stuff notwithstanding.” She asks for my favorite part of my visit. I say I won’t be forgetting her banana bread anytime soon. This seems to satisfy her.
I’m not being completely honest. Of all things — Connor’s train layout is what sticks in my mind. It’s the last thing I want to revisit before I leave and Connor is happy to show it off again. I take in more of the details. The architecture is impressive, very imposing, very classical. There’s a neat roundabout with cars circling it. Everyone’s hair is blond.
Connor is still frustrated with the wiring. He shows me a gutted train engine and the circuitry exposed. “All those need to be inspected. Fix what needs to be fixed. Then put it all back. It’s gonna be a process. But you gotta do it, it’s part of running things. The less painful, the better.”
He’s right. Imagine you’re like Connor, and you have total control over a system — all-powerful, as easy as flipping a switch — but you need to perform maintenance. If you could do so without disrupting the system, wouldn’t you? Inspect components one-by-one, or as a group; any way they come. Turn them off, open them up, fix what needs to be fixed, turn them back on, and send them out. It would be easy, surely.
The Santa Fe Super Chief takes a corner too fast and derails — clatters across the landscape, mowing down a tree. Connor winces and scoops up the engine, his baby.
“Well — there you go. Shit happens. Don’t tell them I said that.”
At the time of this writing, The House is only a minor neighborhood oddity, an ex-point-of-interest. It’s still not anyone’s Lover’s Lane or stoner hangout — it’s the empty house down the road again, as it was before. Until new folks arrive.
The locals have fallen back into routine, which is where they seem most comfortable. Maggie teaches at the academy every day. Jim works in The Building. Connor studies — government, finance, tradecraft, combat — and devotes any remaining free time to the layout in the garage.
“It’s hard to fit it into the big schedule,” Connor admits. “But when I get up in the morning, I just stay up. That’s my free time." Connor is on flag duty: per neighborhood ordinance, the flags mounted above each household door — the American one and the other one — are to be lowered and folded at dusk and raised again at dawn.
Connor buttons his shirt, kisses Maggie goodbye, and leaves for nightly training with a group of friends, indistinguishable. Connor, like everyone on Charleston Street and in the community of Glenbrook, is gifted with blonde hair and the most brilliant blue eyes.
“Do you ever have trouble telling them apart?” I ask Maggie.
“The young ones?” She looks confused, briefly. “Never. They’re our special babies.”

Number One: Bang
​
When I was a young kid, I had a best friend named Mike that I used to hang around all of the time. We did everything together for many, many years. We slept over at each others’ houses on a fairly regular basis. We really didn’t even have to ask our parents’ permission when we did so, that was how often that we did it. We’d just say “Hey, I am sleeping at Mike’s tonight” or “Hey, I am sleeping at Jack’s tonight!” And that was all there was too it.
​
I tended to sleep over at Mike’s house more often than he did at mine. This was because his dad was a single parent and he often would work at night. Even when we were really young and shouldn’t have been left home alone, we spent a lot of time home by ourselves. The night that this happened, we were 12, and I was over at Mike’s house while his dad was working.
​
This night, it was actually storming pretty bad outside too. We both actually liked storms, so that was no big deal. It also put us in a really spooky mood, so we were telling each other creepy stories. I have to admit to getting a little bit scared. We even ordered a pizza and Mike and I both answered the door to get the pizza. The delivery guy was a new guy and not the one that we normally had. He asked for our parents to get the pizza too, but Mike told them that they were busy and took the pizza.
​
After quite a bit of time scaring ourselves, the storm was getting even worse. Eventually we heard this horrible noise that sounded like something was slammed up against the house. It caused us both to jump and I was definitely scared.
​
Mike told me that it was probably just the door to the basement. He said that the door didn’t latch very good. Occasionally when it was windy, it would get blown open and then slam shut again. It was pretty windy outside that night, so his explanation made sense.
​
We were eating pizza in Mike’s bedroom and playing video games when I decided I wanted to get some pop to drink. Mike decided to come with me. We had scared each other so much that I don’t think either of us wanted to be by ourselves at that point. So, we both left the room and started walking down the stairs to the first floor.
​
Suddenly, Mike stopped. He put his arm up to make me stop too. The staircase led to the kitchen which was in the back of the house. He pointed over to the door and I saw what he saw. The door was broken. The area around the knob and of course the lock was cracked. The door then swayed a little in the wind, before suddenly slamming shut hard again. That was the noise that we had heard earlier.
​
If that wasn’t scary enough, right after, there was a flash of lightning which suddenly brightened up the entire house. In the brief second that everything was illuminated, I saw a shadow of a person on the wall of the kitchen. The living room was adjacent to the kitchen, which meant that someone was in the living room of the house.
​
We tried to be quiet as the two of us turned and hurried out way back up the stairs. There was enough thunder that it was easy for the sounds of us moving around to be drowned out. We made it back to the room and locked ourselves in. I brought up that if the intruder was able to break open the kitchen door, then he should have no problem breaking into the bedroom door. Mike told me to shut up.
​
We called Mike’s dad and told him what happened. He told us to stay in the room and not to make a sound. He would come home right away.
​
Mike and I went into his bedroom closet and we remained in there, listening to the storm while we waited to see what would happen.
​
It didn’t take long before we heard a loud pounding on Mike’s bedroom door. We thought it was the intruder until we heard Mike’s dad call out to us. Both of us jumped up, ran to the door and let him in.
​
For those wondering why we called Mike’s dad and not the police, Mike’s dad was a police officer. He got to the house quickly with his partner before the intruder had a chance to escape and easily apprehended him.
​
The intruder turned out to be the new pizza delivery guy. I guess when we answered the door, he made the correct assumption that we were home by ourselves. So, he broke in and tried to rob us.
​
We still stayed home by ourselves after that, but we started making frozen pizza instead.
​

Number Two: WTF
​
This is the weirdest damn story to ever happen to me. Personally, I have never had a supernatural experience before and this wasn’t that, but I think this would have been even weirder than seeing a ghost.
​
I was at my cousin Nathan’s house for one summer. I enjoyed being there and we were about the same age, so we spent a lot of our time together. My aunt and uncle both worked evening shifts and lived about 40 minutes out of town, so we had the evenings to do whatever we wanted to do. As fun as that might sound to some, we never really got into any real trouble.
​
But there was one night when we were watching some movies that a thunderstorm rolled into the area. Unlike where I live now, the storms back then lasted for a while and could get pretty ferocious at points. The lightning was bright and the thunder was really loud.
​
We were watching scary movies, which I always figured boys of that age tend to do. So, the storm just amplified how scared we were getting. But maybe because we weren’t alone and we had done this many times before, we were not truly worried about anything.
​
Suddenly after a bolt of lightning lit up the outside, I heard Nathan yelp. When I asked him what was wrong, he said it looked like there was someone outside the window watching us.
​
Of course, I thought he was joking and trying to scare me. But he did sound like he was pretty scared and when I looked over in that direction, I thought I saw a figure outside of the window too.
​
Quickly, Nathan jumped up and ran to the door, locking it. The figure moved away from the window as quickly as Nathan had got up. So I wondered if he did this to try and get to the door.
​
My question was answered when I heard a loud pounding on the front door. Of course, there was no way we were going to open the door. We were scared out of our minds.
​
We asked who was there, through the door. But he didn’t identify himself. He just started yelling in this crazy sounding voice, “Lemme in, I wanna get in!” He didn’t sound scared or anything, it was a demand, not a plea.
​
“No fucking way!” Nathan yelled back.
​
Well the man began pounding on the door even harder for a few moments before he stopped. We saw him move away from the door (there were windows in the door) and realized he might be moving to the back of the house.
​
Both Nathan and I ran to the back door and got there in time to lock it too. But unlike the small windows in the front door, the back door had bigger windows. We were able to see the man and his appearance made the whole thing creepier. He had a scraggly gray beard and long, wild hair and when he saw us, he grinned a nearly toothless grin.
​
The man pounded on the door, once again demanding, “Lemme in, I wanna get in!”
​
He began pounding on the glass and we thought he was trying to break it. I ran and grabbed a large kitchen knife while Nathan ran out of the room. I showed the man the knife and told him that he had better leave. But he kept pounding on the window, finally causing it to break. I think he cut himself too because he yelped. But this didn’t keep him from reaching for the door handle to unlock the door.
​
That is when I heard the bang that wasn’t thunder. Looking to the side of me, I saw that Nathan had got himself one of his dad’s guns. He must have fired it, but I don’t think he hit the man or the door. I wasn’t sure at first what he had did.
​
The man quickly withdrew his hand from the door and he moved away from the door.
​
We went to all of the windows of the house, looking to see if we could find him, but we couldn’t find anything.
​
We couldn’t do anything about the window, but we remained in the living room with the gun in case the guy came back. We must have scared him off though, because he never came back.
​
I thought Nathan would get in trouble for using the gun but his parents were just happy we were not hurt.
​
​

Number Three: L
​
I live in Chicago so taking public transportation is a major thing in my life. Anyone who lives in the area knows that if you live or work or go to school close enough to an El station, it can make your whole life a lot easier. Also, contrary to what you might hear on the news from people, being in Chicago is not as dangerous as you might think. There are absolutely dangerous areas, but the crime is concentrated mostly in those areas. I live on the North side, I take the red line a whole lot and I always feel safe when I do.
​
There was only one time when something really sketchy happened on the red line that scared me.
​
This was back when I was going to school. I didn’t live on campus. I had an apartment in Roger’s Park. But I needed to use the library resources for a paper that I was writing. So, I stayed at school until it was very, very late.
​
As I was finally making my way to the red line station, a thunderstorm began to break out. I was on a bus taking me to the station, so it was not big deal. But I was hoping that the storm would end before I had to walk from the station to my apartment.
​
There weren’t very many people on the train that I got on. This wasn’t unusual for this time of night, although I can’t recall how late it was. But I got on a train and there was this one guy there who immediately began making me very nervous. One of the things whether you are walking in Chicago or taking transportation, you follow the “eyes forward, mouth shut” rule. You definitely don’t stare at people. And this guy began staring at me and wouldn’t stop.
​
After a short period of time, I pretended to get a phone call. I got up, while talking, and started moving toward the front of the car. I then moved into the next car and walked all the way to the end of the car. It was just so uneasy being stared at and I felt so much better when I got to the other car.
​
It didn’t take long, though, before the door between the cars reopened and the guy moved into the car that I had gone to. He didn’t get too close to me, but he resumed his staring at me. Like before, he didn’t look away at all while he was staring. It was making me get very scared at this point and I decided I would just get off on the next stop that had people on it and wait for the next train.
​
The very next stop, there we plenty of people waiting on the other side of the platform. So I got up to get off. You can only imagine the feeling that I had, when the guy who was staring at me got off the train as well.
​
I kept trying to tell myself that I was unlucky and I just picked the stop that he was going to get off of anyway. But unlike the others who got off there, he didn’t go to exit the station. He went and sat down by a guy who was playing a guitar and just waited.
​
Since I didn’t leave either, he must have suspected what my ruse was. He kept staring at me too, and I really didn’t know what to do at that point.
​
This was before Chicago started putting guards on the L, so I didn’t have someone like that to go too. I decided I would leave the station. You guessed it, as soon as I started to leave, the man got up and began following me.
​
I was very scared going up the steps to get to the exit. This was the first time that I truly felt that I was in some sort of danger on public transportation. I was scared what might happen to me if I got out on the streets. I wondered what this guy might do to me.
​
I hit the luckiest break of my life though. There was an attendant in the station and she was talking to a police officer. I exited through the turnstile and then I made my way over to them.
​
Looking back, I noticed that the guy got to the exit and must have seen the police officer too. What did he immediately do? He turned and went right back down the steps. That was the final thing that I had needed to see to know that the man was indeed following me.
​
I didn’t even tell the officer what happened. I went outside, where it was still storming and I found a bus stop. I decided I would wait out in the storm and just take a bus as far as I could before maybe connecting with the L again.
​
I never saw the guy again. Chicago is a big city and that is one of the best features is that you can see a person once and hopefully never again.
​

Number Four: Witness
​
I really enjoy storms. I mean REALLY enjoy storms. And I don’t just mean thunderstorms. I like normal rain storms, I like wind storms, I like snow storms. As long as it is storms, I tend to like it very much.
​
I live in a run down neighborhood. I mean, it’s not really bad. There is not a lot of violence or anything like that. But it is definitely the poor part of the town and there are a few weed dealers in the area. For the most part it is pretty quiet. But the houses are all pretty old and for the most part I didn’t know my neighbors at all.
​
Usually in the very late fall, early winter, we got some really rough wind storms. And this one evening, we got one where the wind was probably 25 MPH and up. It got dark early that time of year, so it was already dark early. But to make matters worse (I didn’t know this exactly when it happened) but the wind was so strong that it broke a tree that fell over on a power line and that knocked out the electricity for the entire neighborhood. This left me with very little to do because I didn’t have candles to read and couldn’t get any light from any other source.
​
I decided that I was going to go sit on the porch and watch the storm. It was pretty cold outside, but I got myself a blanket. I had a chair sitting on the porch that I sat down in and the blanket kept me pretty warm. It was pretty dark outside and it was pretty cloudy too, so there was no light from the moon. But after being out for a little while, my eyes adjusted enough and it really looked pretty cool outside.
​
Most of what I saw was pretty neat. At one point I watched as a garbage can, from who knows where, roll down the streets. The wind was really stressing the trees in the area too. I was watching them swaying and stretching and occasionally you could hear the groaning sound of one of the trees bending too far.
​
Now it is really important to understand how dark it was outside. I mean, it was very dark and I doubt anyone would have been able to see me sitting on the porch looking out over the neighborhood.
​
Across the street and two houses down, I heard a noise. Looking over there, I noticed a figure standing in front of the front door of the house. I could only make out very minimal features of the man though. The sound I heard, seemed like a door slam, so I got the impression that he had been kicked out of the house or something.
​
The man began banging hard on the door. I could hear the bangs clearly over all the sounds that the wind was making. He began yelling at whoever was in the house to let him in. His voice sounded crazed but he didn’t sound drunk to me.
​
After banging for a bit, I suddenly heard the sound of a gunshot in his direction. It was only when he said he would fire again that I realized that he had been the one to fire the gun.
​
I froze in my chair, now fully scared. I heard the man yell something like, “What are the police gonna do?” which made me think that whoever was in the house called the police.
​
I watched and waited to see what would happen. After a few moments, though, the man turned away from the house and began hurrying down the road. The scariest thing is that he was hurrying up the street, which is where my house was.
​
I remained still. Like I said it was dark and probably much darker on my porch. But I was still scared that this man with a gun would notice I witnessed the whole thing.
​
Fortunately, though, he hurried on by. He didn’t even look in my direction so I guess that he didn’t notice me.
​
It wasn’t long before I heard the police sirens coming that way. I figured at that point it was best just to get into my house while I could. I assume the police caught up with the guy and arrested him, but I don’t really know.