Egg poker device

Peter Carl Fabergé & The History of Fabergé Eggs

2024.05.21 19:04 myjewelryrepair Peter Carl Fabergé & The History of Fabergé Eggs

Hey myjewelryrepair, ever wondered about the rich history of Fabergé eggs? Let's explore the legacy of Peter Carl Fabergé, the legendary goldsmith and jeweler whose exquisite creations have captivated audiences for generations.
Born in Saint Petersburg in 1846, Fabergé took over his father's modest jewelry shop and transformed it into a beacon of unrivaled luxury and innovation with his unique designs and spectacular craftsmanship. His big break came in 1885 when Tsar Alexander III decided to gift something truly extraordinary to his wife, Empress Maria, for Easter. The result? The first Imperial Fabergé egg.
This initial creation sparked a beloved tradition, with Fabergé designing 50 Imperial eggs over the next three decades for the Russian royal family. These were no ordinary Easter gifts—they were masterpieces of art and engineering, featuring secret compartments, miniature replicas, and astonishing mechanical devices.
But Fabergé's genius didn't stop at eggs. He also crafted an array of stunning jewelry, timepieces, and decorative objects for the elite of Europe and Asia, establishing his name as a synonym for luxury and intricate detail.
Today, Fabergé eggs are more than just opulent artifacts; they are revered as pinnacle achievements in the world of jewelry and decorative arts, continually mesmerizing collectors and art aficionados with their complexity and beauty.
Are any of you here as intrigued by the blend of art, history, and mechanical innovation found in these eggs? Let's open up a discussion on this fascinating topic!
Oh…and if you’re craving a deeper dive into the world of Peter Carl Faberge and the iconic Fabergé Eggs, don’t miss our latest blog post here!
submitted by myjewelryrepair to MyJewelryRepair [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 18:27 mcm8279 [Opinion] COLLIDER: "The 20 Best Episodes in the Star Trek TV Franchise, Ranked" 7 x TNG, 4 x TOS, 3 x DS9, 1 x VOY, ENT, TAS, PRO, SNW, PIC - no episodes of Discovery and Lower Decks in this ranking

COLLIDER:
"Few franchises have enjoyed the popularity and longevity that the beloved sci-fi Star Trek has. It's the longest-running franchise in American TV history, with no signs of wrapping up anytime soon, and has been hugely influential in pop culture. [...]
With hundreds of episodes in the franchise, choosing the best is a daunting task. At its best, the series told compelling, emotional stories, sometimes very human ones, despite the focus on the future and other species. The best episodes also often feature themes and plot devices like alternate timelines and time travel. But no matter the story, the one thing they all have in common is compelling storytelling with characters at the center.
The 20 Best Episodes in the Star Trek TV Franchise, Ranked
20) "Supernova" (Prodigy 1x19)
19) "Blink of an Eye" (Voyager 6x12)
18) "The Trouble with Tribbles" (TOS 2x15)
17) "Balance of Terror" (TOS 1x14)
16) "Devil in the Dark" (TOS 1x25)
15) "Yesteryear" (TAS 1x2)
14) "The Last Generation" (Picard 3x10)
"“The Last Generation” was the sendoff Picard and his Enterprise crew deserved. It felt very much like an ending for The Next Generation, with some Easter eggs throughout and, more importantly, great emotional moments as the crew recognized the magnitude of the threat they were dealing with and faced the possibility that some of them, or all, might not survive it. The episode also hinted at what may be yet to come in the future of the franchise."
13) "Duet" (DS9 1x19)
12) "In the Pale Moonlight" (DS9 6x19)
11) "The Drumhead" (TNG 4x21)
10) "In a Mirror, Darkly" (ENT 4x18/19)
09) "Yesterday’s Enterprise" (TNG 3x15)
08) "Darmok" (TNG 5x2)
07) "Memento Mori" (SNW 1x4)
"“Memento Mori” helped prove Strange New Worlds could be just as good as the classic, beloved Star Trek and is one of the standout episodes of the series, and it’s also among the best in the franchise. It was a compelling action-packed episode with a thrilling battle sequence and a cat-and-mouse game, and the Gorn proved to be a terrifying enemy. The episode also provided great insight into the characters of the Enterprise."
06) "The Measure of a Man" (TNG 2x9)
05) "Cause and Effect" (TNG 5x18)
04) "The Inner Light" (TNG 5x25)
03) "The Best of Both Worlds" Parts 1 and 2 (TNG 3x26/4x1)
02) "The City on the Edge of Forever" (TOS 1x28)
01 ) "The Visitor" (DS9 4x10)
"[...] “The Visitor” was a highly regarded and beloved episode in the Star Trek franchise, and also one of the most powerful, thanks to its emotional story and the performances of its cast. The episode was a great exploration of Sisko and Jake’s relationship. Their dynamic was already nice to watch, but this episode added even more to it with its story about the bond between parent and child. It also explored the ways in which obsession can destroy a person."
Janelle Sheetz (Collider)
Link:
https://collider.com/star-trek-tv-franchise-episodes-ranked/
submitted by mcm8279 to trektalk [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 18:10 k0an How is this allowed?

How is this allowed? submitted by k0an to balatro [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 16:57 CDown01 Eagles Peak Pt.9

Previous Part
The next day went by in a blur. Rocco was walking the perimeter of the camp, keeping an eye out for Brooke when I woke up. I didn’t really think he’d leave, but it seemed to give Rocco something to do other than being a general menace to society. All of us ate breakfast as normal but no one really said much. I’m not sure if they were still reeling from things they saw yesterday or if they just weren’t in a talking mood. The thought occurred to me that Shaoni may have payed a visit to each of them as well. Prying into what they saw and answering questions they might have. Honestly the whole thing felt like we were guinea pigs. Shaoni didn’t really seem to have a great handle on the trials so far. It was… mildly concerning that the ringmaster of all this didn’t seem 100% in control anymore.
Actually, I’d thought about that a lot last night. Shaoni just sort of left us to our own devices when we went through those “visions” yesterday. It’s not like she backed up her claim that she’d know what we’d seen either. If anything the fact that she came to ask me about it made me even more suspicious that she wasn’t really sure what she was doing. It was the first time I’d ever thought of Shaoni as anything other than in complete control. Slowly but surely it was becoming glaringly obvious that wasn’t the case.
If I was remembering correctly today’s trial was the trial of strength. I sincerely hoped that was a metaphor for something. You’ve got to understand, I’m not a very strong person, not physically anyways. I hoped Shaoni wanted to test mental strength or strength of will something like that. My hopes shattered as we arrived at the coliseum and saw an arena set up. There were several dummies in a corner, the kind you would see used in martial arts or HEMA or something to that effect. At the foot of the dummies were several wooden clubs. I couldn’t see them to clearly but they almost looked clawed from a distance. The real centerpiece was the platform in the middle of the coliseum. It looked like a stage and I’m sure that’s exactly how we were going to use it. The raised wooden platform had been constructed with boards placed across the top. It looked like those boards could be removed and under that was simply the cold hard ground about two feet below.
Katrina’s eyes lit up as she looked over the room.
“Now this is what I’m talking about, a real trial!”
She just about shrieked in excitement, throwing one fist in the air and startling the rest of us to attention. Katrina was the only one that really seemed excited about this. John and Robert just looked accepting and I’m not sure Brooke had put two and two together yet. I’d seen the clubs laid out by the dummies and already figured we’d be sparing with each other.
“Good morning everyone, I hope your ready for today.”
Called Shaoni, emerging unseen from behind us. Anyone who wasn’t fully awake at that point sure was then. There’s just something about Shaoni that makes you really really not want her to show up behind you unannounced. Probably why she kept doing it to us.
“Today I will test your strength, while I’d rather avoid conflict it’s sometimes unavoidable. My ideal candidate not only knows themselves but can handle themselves as well. We will allow you some time to familiarize yourself with the war clubs you’ll be using. Then you will compete against each other to find the strongest, most skilled warrior among you.”
Shaoni explained, Katrina’ excitement growing with every word.
I wasn’t to keen to participate in any of this but, like usual, I didn’t really have much of a choice at this point.
“So will you be sticking around this time then?”
I asked, wondering if Shaoni was going to cut and run again.
“I have other matters to attend to today. While I would like to stay and observe the whole day I need to prepare things for the final trial tomorrow. I’ll be back in time to see you test each other though.”
She replied dismissively, already on her way out. Shaoni seemed almost uninterested in us now. For someone evaluating us she seemed awful happy to pass off the evaluation to her followers. I didn’t say anything else as she walked out of the coliseum and towards the exit.
As I walked over to the little training area I saw the clubs were actually ornate masterpieces. They were carved from a hard dark wood. The handles resembled an eagles talon, curving near the end to grip a wooden orb. Whoever made these was beyond skilled, these things were works of art. I didn’t have much time to admire them before Katrina interrupted me.
“Hey, Keith was it? Want me to show you how to use these things?”
She called over to me, it was more of a command than a question but that’s pretty par for the course with her.
“If you want, sure. I’m uh… I’m kinda a fish out of water with this find of thing.”
I told her, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand in embarrassment. I wasn’t sure why she was singling me out for that but she answered that question for me.
“Good, Those two creep me out and that one has been drooling over me since we got here.”
She said, pointing over at Robert and John who had already started practicing, then at Brooke. Katrina showed absolutely no subtly in any of this, earning us looks from all three of the others.
I was a little afraid of Katrina teaching me anything, if someone was gonna kill me by accident it would be her. That and she still had that gun on her. Despite my misgivings she was actually a pretty good teacher. She was a bit like a drill instructor but I learned a thing or two. By the time we were done I felt like I might stand half a chance in this trial.
“Just remember your footwork, keep your balance and the rest should come natural. Oh, and if we get paired up, take a dive, it’ll be less painful.”
Katrina added with a smirk, walking over towards the group by the stage in the center of the room. Shaoni had just come back in and was up on the balcony. A few of her followers had collected us and informed us we were about to start the, ”practical part”, as they put it.
“There’s five of you so for the first matchup one of my own will serve as the opponent. Anyone what to go first?”
Shaoni asked us, looking down with a raised eyebrow and waiting for a response. Before I realized what I’d done my hand was in the air, my body subconsciously wanting to get this over with as fast as possible. Shaoni actually looked surprised as she gestured for me to take my place on the stage. Two of the boards had been removed on either side leaving us something like six feet of space to work with before falling off the platform. But I was far less concerned about that after I saw the guy walking over. It was the driver from a few days ago when Shaoni had me brought out to the camp. The guy that had his friend stabbed by Bianca, he didn’t look like he’d forgotten about that as they gave him his club.
As I took my place on the stage the only thing I was thinking was exactly how bad it hurt when you got hit with one of these things.
“Begin when you are ready.”
Called Shaoni from her place on the balcony. The guy across from me took absolutely no time to think, charging at me wildly right away. I tried to brace myself and remember Katrina’s training, taking an even stance and angling my club for the coming blow. I did manage to block his strike but the force of it threw me to the ground. My mind went into full survival mode as he swung down at me. He was way less fluid than Katrina had been when she was showing me the ropes. He just seemed like he wanted to hurt me by any means necessary. As I rolled from side to side avoiding his blows I waited for an opening. He took a particularly hard swing at my head and I rolled at the last possible second. He lost his balance, giving me a chance to slip between his legs and get back to my feet. I stood back up narrowly avoiding a swing for my head as my opponent regained his balance and swung back at me. His wide hate fueled swing carried his whole body around with it and gave me another opening. I planted my feet and took one hard swing at the man’s turned shoulder hitting him right on the bone with a sickening crack. He stumbled around towards the edge, turning his back to me. I took one final swing, hoisting the club above my head and bringing it down in between his shoulder blades with a hollow thud. The blow sent him tumbling forward over the edge and off the stage, falling to the floor below.
Katrina shot me a quick thumbs up as I walked off the stage while Shaoni looked down at me and gave me an approving nod. No one else seemed to pay me any mind as I rejoined the group. I felt empowered, I hadn’t expected to get even that far, maybe there was a chance for me in this trial after all. Robert and John fought next and despite their age they each held their own. In the end John forced Robert off the edge, his age and weight throwing off his balance. I was still impressed either of them could move like they had, I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Then Katrina fought Brooke in the last… round I guess I’d call it. The smile on her face was unsettling from the moment she realized she’d be paired up with him, like a shark smelling blood in the water. You could just tell that she was going to take pleasure in what happened next.
That smile was still on her face as she walked up onto the stage and took her place across from Brooke.
“I hope you like it rough baby, cause I’m not going easy on you!”
Brooke called to her from the other side of the stage making a point to puff out his chest and flex his muscles. That set her off like a bomb, the smile disappeared and she exploded towards Brooke. I saw the exact moment that false confidence left his eyes and he actually turned to run, he was far to late and way to slow. Her first strike went low, shooting out in front of Brooke and coming back to catch his knee sending him tripping forward. He tried to regain his balance but she had no intention of letting him. Katrina swung out in front of him again, this time catching his neck with the club on its way back. That sent him flat onto his back, the club falling form his hand and rolling off the edge of the stage was the only sound in the whole coliseum. All eyes focused on Katrina as she took a breath then delivered a kick to Brooke’s ribs so hard that he went rolling off the edge, following his club. I returned her thumbs up she had given me as she rejoined the group.
Next, those of us who remained got matched up with each other. Shaoni wanted to use another one of her followers to stand in but Katrina insisted on just going twice. That meant I’d fight her and then the winner would fight John to see who the victor of the day was. As I stood across from Katrina I considered taking her advice from before, “…Just take a dive…” she had said. I thought about it, I really did, but I’d done so well earlier right? Why stop now? While I’d been thinking Katrina had walked up to me and started to swing. I had just enough time to realize my mistake before she cracked me across the head so hard she knocked me out.
I came to an hour later, alone on an animal skin cot. I was still in the coliseum but everyone else had left apparently. The only thing I saw when I got up from the ground was the torchlight illuminating the passage that lead back outside. That and the note scribbled on a scrap of a sticky note taped to my fore head.
“I told you to take a dive.”
Well at least she might feel bad about knocking me out. I figured we must be done for the day given how dead the camp seemed when I emerged back into the light. With nothing better to do, I walked off towards the forest to clear my head. I wondered what Bianca had been up to since I’d been gone as I aimlessly wandered around the forest’s edge.
“No that wouldn’t work! We don’t know what’s up there and we are not just waltzing in through the front gates!”
Stein yelled at me as I went over my most recent idea for breaking Keith out of whatever trials were going on out by the old mine. It had been two days since I watched him get kidnapped in front of me and I was getting drastic, aaaannd maybe a little dramatic.
“But I could do it guys! Remember back at the reservation? Those guys were willing to do anything for me and there can’t be that many guards in one place. Maybe I just convince a small group to lead us in and make an excuse for us.”
“For the last time Bianca, They’re just about cultists far as I can tell. You ain’t gonna be able to fight the kinda conviction they have to that bird, even if ya could its to much of a risk.”
Tuck protested from his seat at the kitchen table.
The kitchen table had become our war room over the past few days. A map of Eagles Peak Frank had made lay across it with dozens of pins stuck in around where the old mine would be.
“I don’t think an approach from the front is a good idea at all. You and Keith got to the mine through the forest once. Could we follow that path, approach without anyone knowing we were there?”
Stein theorized as he paced back and forth at the head of the table.
“Well, we really just wandered around for a bit and ended up there. We didn’t find the mine either, it was a hole that lead down to an old cavern near the mine. They turned out to be connected but that was just dumb luck.”
I explained to the group. Tuck looked like that had given him an idea.
“So you two got some backdoor entrance figured out that you’re only just tellin’ me about? That could be perfect! The four of us could make our way out and drop through that hole, take em all by surprise!”
Tuck exclaimed, leaping to his feet. His enthusiasm was nice but it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“We… kinda made a bit of a scene when we were there, they might be watching for something like that to happen again.”
“True, but it’s the best entrance strategy I’ve heard so far, I think following up on it is worth a try.”
Frank added with a nod. Stein then started pacing up and down the length of the table for a bit. He was coming up with something, that much was obvious.
“So we’ll enter through this hole leading into a cave connected to the old mine. From what you told us about your time there its some sort of staging area for these trials, at least that’s my best guess. Odds are there won’t be many people there overnight so we make our way out there during the night. From there we move through the cave and into the mine but after that we know nothing about what we’re running into.”
Stein lectured to his audience.
“But I think we have a solution for that. Frank do we still have that drone?”
An hour later the four of us were gathered at the edge of town on that path Keith and I had taken into the forest. The trees growing together forming a sort of arch over our head’s were unsettling but I couldn’t decide why. It just didn’t sit well with me, it looked unnatural I guess and that just gave me the creeps. I get that’s rich coming from a literal succubus but its how I felt.
“Alright, just watch the trees as you take it up, I don’t want a repeat of Missouri.”
Stein instructed Frank as he got the drone in the air.
“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”
Frank chuckled, shaking his head.
“It was the first time we used this thing, there was bound to be a few unexpected variables.”
“If you call “unexpected variables” an itchy finger on the throttle. We had to have Rocco untangle it from the branches.”
Stein joked as he checked to make sure the drones camera was feeding back into the app on his phone.
I hadn’t seen them like this, being friendly with each other. There was never a time where they hated each other or anything like that but they’d been so… business like with for a long time now. It was nice to see them act like real people again. Leaning over Stein’s shoulder I got a birds eye view from the drone.
“ Just go East, its what we did. Just walked East till we stumbled into everything.”
Frank followed my advice and flew the drone due East. Eventually a campsite came into view, there were a bunch of tepees and a bunch of people just walking around.
“What, they just look normal?!”
I blurted out, a little louder and a bit more distressed than I meant to.
“How’re they supposed ta look then?”
Tuck asked
“They’re just people like you n’ me. Nothin to special about em other than the fact they worship some big ass bird.”
He continued with mild annoyance.
“I don’t know, I guess I expected these creepy guys in tarps, like from Keith’s story. These are just… well they’re just people!”
I responded, Throwing my arms out to my sides in exasperation. Tuck was right, I shouldn’t have expected everything to be just as Keith had said. Still, something just didn’t fit together for me about that whole thing. What had the deal been with those people in Imalone then? I shook my head, clearing the question from my mind, it wasn’t important now.
“There! That’s the entrance to the old mine.”
Tuck told Stein as he looked at screen. I looked over myself and felt my entire being freeze. It was Brooke, walking out from the entrance with some bitchy looking girl and two older guys that I’d seen around town before. How could he be here? After all this time why, why was he anywhere near me?
My vision swam, when it came back Frank was standing in front of me. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear anything.
“…anca! Are you ok, what’s going on? Bianca!”
I finally heard over the sudden ringing in my ears.
“Him.”
Was the only thing the escaped my lips as I pointed one finger at the screen. I felt warmth coming back into my limbs as that frozen feeling slowly left me.
“He’s here…. Shouldn’t be here… why.”
I mumbled to myself as Frank helped me into the back of the SUV twenty minutes later. I was still nearly catatonic as we headed back into town.
“So… that was him, the one you were running from when we found you.”
Stein said, breaking the silence that had fallen. I could talk normally again but I still only managed a quick “yes”.
“You know you don’t have to come with us, I’d understand.”
Frank said, snapping me to attention again.
“NO! I’ve got to help Keith, I don’t care if… if Brooke’s up there too.”
I tripped over my words just mentioning his name.
“I can do it, I can do this Frank, please.”
I begged, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down. We pulled into the driveway before Frank said anything back. As we were all getting out he muttered something under his breath. He didn’t mean for me to hear him but I did.
“I’m not sure you can girl.”
I went straight up to my room after that, I didn’t want to be around anyone. All I caught before I left Frank, Stein, and Tuck before running up the stairs was the hard look Stein shot both of them. A look that said “We need to talk” and told me that he finally had a real plan. I spent the rest of that night thinking about the past and what I’d been through. Could I go out to that mine and rescue Keith if I had to face Brooke again? The last time I’d seen him had been as I leapt out of a moving car as my eyes turned to meet his one last time, rolling down that hill to freedom. I’d never seen him since and it was rare for him to even cross my mind. I wanted to go with the rest of them but despite what I said I really wasn’t sure I could do this anymore. Eventually I just decided only time would tell, hopefully Stein’s plan was a good one and we could put this whole thing behind us.
“Ey! Ey Keith!”
Someone yelled out as I came back from my little hike around the edge of the forest. My eyes darted around behind me before they finally focused on a rustling bush. Rocco jumped out of it holding a cigar in his mouth.
“That Brooke asshole hasn’t gone anywhere, I found him out by that trail the trucks drove in on with this.”
He said, tossing the cigar up in the air where it twirled around before he caught it in his mouth again.
“I figured I should frisk him just in case. I took a bite of his pants and stole this little number out of his coat pocket.”
He continued, shaking a silver lighter with a gold inlayed image of a lion in his paw.
“Oh and the cigar, I took that too. Cuban so the guy’s got taste, still a prick. Anyways, it looked like someone got to him before me. The guy was pretty beaten up, had some nasty bruises.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was just trying to picture Brooke getting mugged by a raccoon In my head and I burst out laughing. Rocco walked back to the camp in toe with me, only stopping to look up at some weird buzzing sound we both heard above us. Probably some rickety old plane or something way up there. I think I was finally starting to get why Frank and Stein had kept Rocco around. He may be a furry criminal mastermind but when he was motivated he could actually be really helpful. I never would’ve been able to keep any sort of tabs on Brooke without his help.
We made our way back to the long tent that still had remnants of lunch sitting on the table. Usually I would’ve tried to hide Rocco but at this point I figured he deserved the free food. Plus I just didn’t want to argue with him after getting my shit rocked most of the morning. Someone walked up behind me and I heard Shaoni’s voice, of course she was creeping up behind me again.
“Your feeling alright after today I hope?”
She asked me, taking a seat next to me.
“I’ll be alright, I’m sure I’ll have a killer headache in the morning but I’ll manage.”
“Good, good. We’ll be gathering in a few hours so I can announce the final trial. I expect you out by the entrance to the mine by 6.”
“What’s the matter? No cryptic questions this time Shaoni?”
I asked, paying no mind to what was sitting next to me.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you always stop by to check in after these trials. You don’t have any questions this time?”
“No, Katrina was the victor today, there is no question about that, the woman is… brutal. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t hit you to hard, you were unconscious for some time.”
She answered, some genuine concern slipping into her voice again.
“Heh careful, I might start to think you actually care.”
I joked, less nervous than I should’ve been.
“I’ll see you tonight with the rest for the announcement.”
She said with a deep sigh, standing up and walking off toward where ever she came from.
I took a nap and just barely managed to wake up in time for this “meeting” Shaoni had planned. I couldn’t find Rocco before I left but I wasn’t all that concerned about that anymore. When I got to the entrance a massive bonfire was lit and Shaoni stood alone in front of it. Robert and John were already there and Katrina showed up a little after me. Brooke hadn’t arrived before Shaoni started her speech.
“I thank all of you for coming here tonight. Regrettably one of you is missing but I won’t be waylaid by his absence.”
She spoke with clear annoyance in her voice.
“Tomorrow marks your final trial, the most important of the three. The trial of justice. Tomorrow there will be a murder in Eagles Peak. I want you all to work together to stop it. Then, succeed or fail, pass judgment on those involved in the murder. Afterwards I will select which among you will receive my gift. But for tonight, talk amongst yourselves, plan, and rest. Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, I will have my eye on each of you.”
With that Shaoni stepped away from the fire and into the night. Not accepting any questions about anything she had said.
“What do you think she has planned?”
Robert asked me as I took a seat by the bonfire to think over everything Shaoni had said.
“I don’t know, a murder apparently. Shouldn’t you know more about it? You’re one of her followers after all.”
I said as I turned my head to see John walking off into the night. That man was weird, really weird. I knew next to nothing about him and he seemed to never speak.
“Usually sure, but she hasn’t said anything to us about this. It’s why she hasn’t directly overseen all the trials, she’s set this last one up all on her own. I guess there’s nothing to do but wait, we’re all in this together for the first part of the trial I guess.”
Robert explained, leaning back and sprawling out on the ground. He was right, there wasn’t much we could do until we were in the middle of it.
I looked around, searching for Katrina in the firelight. I found her leaning against the rocky wall that made up the entrance of the mine. I stood up, leaving Robert to relax and made my way over.
“How’s the head?”
She asked, feigning taking a swing at me again with an evil grin on her face.
“I told you to take a dive.”
“Yeah, I should’ve listened.”
I admitted, rubbing the goose egg that had formed on my head over the course of my nap.
“So what do you thin about this last trial?”
“Well, I can say that If that Brooke guy tries flirting with me one more time the murder won’t be that hard to solve. Seriously though, I think she’s gone off the deep end. How does she know there’s going to be a murder?”
Katrina made a really good point, how was Shaoni so sure?
“That’s… hmmmm, you’re right.”
“Well I’m gonna head to bed then. Something tells me tomorrow is gonna be a headache. Just try to stay out of my way when we’re all forced to work together and you should be fine. All goes well and maybe we’ll be out of here tomorrow, I know I will.”
Katrina said as she pushed herself off the rock wall she’d been leaning against. Something about the way she said that last part, it made me think she was up to something. Like she was leaving no matter what or she had some sort of exit strategy.
As I left Robert relaxing by the fire and hiked back to my own tepee for the night I spied Katrina. She had climbed up a tree and had her legs wrapped around the trunk and one of her arms gripped a branch above her. There was some kind of box in her other hand, a radio maybe. I had no idea what she was saying, she was too far off, but it had to mean something. As far as I knew none of us had any contact with the outside world since we got here. My gut feeling was that she wasn’t meant to be doing that. I wasn’t going to bother her at this point though so I went my own way and settled down for the night.
submitted by CDown01 to AllureStories [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 15:03 tinymousebigdreams An ode to Cormac McLaggen, punching bag of the Dramione fandom

Cormac McLaggen, you good for nothing. You villain. You swine.
You exist to make Draco unnecessarily jealous. You exist to remind Hermione that she needs a man of substance. You exist to make Draco—and anyone else, really—look like a God by comparison. In the entire scope of fandom, virtually every character had gotten a redemption at some point…except you! You are, unanimously, the worst.
The thing is, you being the worst is canon. All we know about you is that you’re a nepo baby, you ate a bunch of doxy eggs like a fucking idiot, and you like to get handsy when no one asked for it. You fought with the good guys in the Battle of Hogwarts but nobody cares because that’s how big of a degenerate you are. You winked into existence the worst and now you carry on, a plot device for low-stakes drama, because no one actually sees you as a threat. The brunt of all jokes with your silly name (seriously? McLaggen? “Lagging behind every other male character” is in your name), you stroll onto the scene like a walking headache.
Whenever I see your name crop up in a story, I know you’re going to be in for it and I won’t even feel bad because you probably deserve it. Men despise you. Women think you’re a skeeze. Do you even exist when you’re not antagonizing our main characters in some way?
Cormac McLaggen, you suck! But I wonder what it’s like to be in your head.
Edit: It would appear we have some McLaggen sympathizers in our midst. Did he pay you???
submitted by tinymousebigdreams to Dramione [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 14:11 TearRepresentative56 I'm a full time trader and this is everything I'm watching and analysing in premarket including full earnings summaries from PANW and more.

ANALYSIS section will be posted separately on my sub Tradingedge
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
XPEV
NEXT QUARTER GUDIANCE:
MACYS:
LOWES:
MAG 7:
OTHER COMPANIES:
OThER NEWS:
For more of my content, please join Tradingedge
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to u/TearRepresentative56 [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 14:10 TearRepresentative56 I'm a full time trader and this is everything I'm watching and analysing in premarket, including full earnings summary and all the news driving the market today

DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
XPEV
NEXT QUARTER GUDIANCE:
MACYS:
LOWES:
MAG 7:
OTHER COMPANIES:
OThER NEWS:
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to Daytrading [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 14:07 TearRepresentative56 I'm a full time trader and this is everything I'm watching and analysing in premarket 21/05 including all the news driving the market.

ANALYSIS section will be posted separately on my sub Tradingedge
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
XPEV
NEXT QUARTER GUDIANCE:
MACYS:
LOWES:
MAG 7:
OTHER COMPANIES:
OThER NEWS:
For more of my content, please join Tradingedge
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to swingtrading [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 14:06 TearRepresentative56 Everything I'm watching and analysing in premarket 21/05, including detailed earnings breakdown and all the news driving the market.

ANALYSIS section will be posted separately on my sub Tradingedge
DATA LEDE:
MARKETS:
FX:
EARNINGS:
XPEV
NEXT QUARTER GUDIANCE:
MACYS:
LOWES:
MAG 7:
OTHER COMPANIES:
OThER NEWS:
For more of my content, please join Tradingedge
submitted by TearRepresentative56 to TradingEdge [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 13:29 Chemical-Fennel3577 Latin America Infertility Diagnostics Devices Market Size, Share 2032

The Latin America Infertility Diagnostics Devices Market has gained significant attention globally due to the increasing prevalence of infertility issues among couples. Latin America, in particular, has emerged as a crucial region contributing to the growth of this market. With an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% from 2024 to 2032, the region is poised to see substantial advancements driven by technological innovations and a rising awareness of infertility treatments. This blog post delves into the various facets of the Latin America infertility diagnostics devices market, including trends, segmentation, growth drivers, recent developments, and more.

2. Market Trends

Several trends are shaping the infertility diagnostics devices market in Latin America:
  1. Increasing Prevalence of Infertility: The region has seen a rise in infertility rates due to factors such as lifestyle changes, delayed pregnancies, and environmental factors. This increase in infertility cases has spurred demand for diagnostic devices that can accurately identify the underlying causes.
  2. Technological Advancements: Innovations in diagnostic technologies, such as the development of advanced imaging systems and molecular diagnostics, have enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of infertility diagnosis. These advancements are making it easier for healthcare providers to offer personalized treatment plans.
  3. Rising Awareness and Acceptance: There is a growing awareness and acceptance of infertility treatments among the population in Latin America. This shift in perception is encouraging more couples to seek medical help, thereby driving the demand for diagnostic devices.
  4. Government Initiatives and Healthcare Policies: Governments in several Latin American countries are implementing policies and programs to support reproductive health. These initiatives include funding for infertility treatments and public awareness campaigns, further boosting the market.

3. Market Segmentation

Understanding the market segmentation helps in identifying the specific areas contributing to the market growth:
  1. By Product Type:
    • Imaging Systems: These include ultrasound devices and other imaging technologies that help visualize reproductive organs and identify abnormalities.
    • Reagents and Consumables: Essential for various diagnostic tests, these include chemicals, kits, and other supplies.
    • Microscopes: Used in laboratories to examine sperm, eggs, and embryos at a microscopic level.
    • Incubators: Critical for maintaining optimal conditions for embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
    • Others: Includes software and other support devices used in diagnostic procedures.
  2. By End-User:
    • Hospitals: Major end-users due to their comprehensive reproductive health services.
    • Diagnostic Centers: Specialized centers focusing on infertility diagnosis and treatment.
    • Fertility Clinics: Provide dedicated infertility services, including diagnostics and treatments.
    • Research Institutes: Engage in research and development activities related to infertility diagnostics.
  3. By Country:
    • Brazil: The largest market in the region due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure and high population.
    • Mexico: Significant growth driven by increasing healthcare expenditure and awareness.
    • Argentina: Growing market with rising infertility rates and improving healthcare services.
    • Colombia: Emerging market with potential for growth due to government initiatives.
    • Chile: Notable for its advanced medical services and increasing demand for infertility treatments.
    • Rest of Latin America: Includes countries with developing healthcare systems and growing awareness of infertility issues.

4. Market Growth

Several factors contribute to the robust growth of the infertility diagnostics devices market in Latin America:
  1. Emerging Markets and Economies: The region includes several emerging markets with improving economic conditions. As disposable incomes rise, more individuals can afford infertility treatments.
  2. Investment and Funding Trends: There is a notable increase in investments from both government and private sectors aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and expanding access to infertility treatments.
  3. Impact of Lifestyle Changes: Modern lifestyle choices, such as delayed marriages and childbearing, have led to an increase in infertility rates, driving the demand for diagnostic services.
  4. Increasing Age of Childbearing Women: The trend of women choosing to have children later in life is contributing to higher infertility rates, as fertility decreases with age. This trend is boosting the need for diagnostic devices to address age-related infertility issues.

5. Recent Developments

The Latin America infertility diagnostics devices market has witnessed several recent developments that are shaping its future:
  1. Innovations and New Product Launches: Companies are continuously introducing new and improved diagnostic devices. For instance, advanced imaging systems with higher resolution and accuracy are now available, providing better diagnostic capabilities.
  2. Collaborations and Partnerships: Key players in the market are forming strategic partnerships to enhance their product offerings and expand their market reach. These collaborations often focus on research and development, leading to innovative solutions.
  3. Regulatory Approvals: The market has seen several new devices receiving regulatory approvals, allowing for their commercialization and wider adoption in the region.
  4. Research and Development Activities: Continuous R&D efforts are leading to the discovery of new diagnostic markers and the development of more efficient diagnostic tools, contributing to market growth.

6. Market Scope

The scope of the infertility diagnostics devices market in Latin America is broad, with significant potential for growth:
  1. Market Potential and Opportunities: The region offers substantial market potential due to the high prevalence of infertility and the increasing demand for diagnostic services. Countries with developing healthcare systems present opportunities for market expansion.
  2. Challenges and Barriers: Despite the opportunities, the market faces challenges such as high costs of diagnostic devices, lack of awareness in certain regions, and limited access to advanced healthcare facilities.
  3. Future Prospects: The future looks promising with ongoing technological advancements, increasing investments, and supportive government policies. The market is expected to expand further, with more couples seeking infertility treatments.

7. Middle East and Africa In-vitro Diagnostics Market Analysis

A comparative analysis with the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in-vitro diagnostics market provides additional insights:
  1. Market Dynamics and Growth Drivers: Similar to Latin America, the MEA region is experiencing growth driven by increasing healthcare expenditure, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements in diagnostics.
  2. Key Players and Strategies: The MEA market features several key players employing strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, product launches, and strategic collaborations to strengthen their market position.
  3. Comparative Growth: While both regions show promising growth, the MEA market benefits from substantial investments from oil-rich countries, enabling faster adoption of advanced diagnostic technologies.

8. Competitor Analysis

A detailed analysis of the major companies operating in the Latin America infertility diagnostics devices market reveals competitive strategies and market positioning:
  1. Market Share Analysis: Leading companies such as Cook Group, Vitrolife, and Thermo Fisher Scientific hold significant market shares due to their extensive product portfolios and strong distribution networks.
  2. Competitive Strategies: Companies are focusing on strategies like product innovation, geographic expansion, and strategic partnerships to gain a competitive edge.
  3. SWOT Analysis:
    • Strengths: Strong brand recognition, extensive product range, and robust R&D capabilities.
    • Weaknesses: High costs of products, regulatory challenges, and dependence on import of advanced technologies.
    • Opportunities: Untapped markets, increasing healthcare expenditure, and rising awareness about infertility treatments.
    • Threats: Economic instability, intense competition, and regulatory hurdles.

9. Key Players in the Latin America Infertility Diagnostics Devices Market

Several key players are driving the market with their innovative products and strategic initiatives:

10. Key Features of the Market Report

The market report provides a comprehensive analysis of various key features, including:
  1. Patent Analysis: Examination of key patents in the market, their impact on innovation, and competitive advantage.
  2. Grants Analysis: Overview of significant grants and funding received by key players for research and development activities.
  3. Clinical Trials Analysis: Detailed analysis of ongoing and completed clinical trials, highlighting their outcomes and implications for the market.
  4. Funding and Investment Analysis: Insight into major investments and funding activities driving market growth.
  5. Partnerships and Collaborations: Analysis of key partnerships and collaborations among leading players, focusing on their impact on market expansion and innovation.

11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the current size of the Latin America infertility diagnostics devices market?
The market is expanding rapidly, driven by increasing infertility rates and technological advancements. Exact figures vary, but the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2024 to 2032.
What are the major drivers of market growth?
Key drivers include rising infertility rates, technological advancements in diagnostic devices, increasing awareness and acceptance of infertility treatments, and supportive government initiatives.
Who are the leading players in the market?
Leading players include Cook Group, Vitrolife, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hamilton Thorne LTD, Esco Micro Pte Ltd, Genea Limited, IVFtech APS, FIJIFILM Irvine Scientific, and The Baker Company INC.
What are the key challenges facing the market?
Challenges include high costs of diagnostic devices, lack of awareness in certain regions, limited access to advanced healthcare facilities, and regulatory hurdles.
submitted by Chemical-Fennel3577 to u/Chemical-Fennel3577 [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 13:23 SuperStingray The namesake of Isolde Itou

“The past and the future, considered apart from the consequences of their content, are empty as a dream, and the present is only the indivisible and unenduring boundary between them.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer, The World As Will And Representation
In Chapter 3, it's revealed by the medical records disk that Isa's name is shorthand for "Isolde." I wasn't familiar with this name, but I felt it was distinctive enough that there had to be some meaning behind it, so I did some digging.
One use of the name "Isolde" that caught my attention was that it is the name of a facility at CERN- the ISOLDE or Isotope Separator On Line DEvice, used to produce and separate radioactive isotopes of elements for research purposes. Given the game's frequent use of motifs relating to nuclear science and the health risks of radiation, it felt too specific to be incidental. Still, there wasn't much meaning I could derive from it, but I thought it was interesting enough to be worth pointing out.
The most prominent instance of that name is from the story of Tristan and Isolde, a celtic legend and a romantic tragedy often described as a precursor to Romeo and Juliet. There are many versions of the story told across different times and cultures, but given the game's many references to Romantic Era art from the German speaking world such as Schubert's Serenade and Böcklin's Isle of the Dead, I'm inclined to think it's specifically referencing Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan and Isolde". I'll give a quick synopsis here and analyze the parallels that I think may reflect Isa's role in the story. (To avoid confusion, from now on I will only use 'Isolde' to refer to the character from Tristan and Isolde while 'Isa' will refer to the one from Signalis, unless otherwise stated.)
It begins with Isolde on a ship, being escorted by the knight Tristan, from Ireland to Cornwall to marry Tristan's uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. It is an arranged marriage she is not keen on going through. In a fit of rage, she curses the ship, hoping it sinks and takes all of them with it, particularly Tristan. After learning that Tristan killed her original fiancé, she issues him an ultimatum that she will not willingly leave with him until he drinks with her as an atonement. In truth, she is planning to poison the both of them, and he suspects as much, but in an attempt to prevent this, her attendant replaced the poison with a love potion.
Though she ends up marrying King Mark between the first and second act, Tristan and Isolde can't ignore their passionate love. They realize the only time they can safely pursue their relationship is at night, when the King and the court aren't watching. As their patience for the night grows thinner, they realize the only way to realize their love is through the eternal night: Death. But at the same time, they are caught together by the King and his attendant. Without even attempting to explain his betrayal, he asks Isolde to follow him into death and impales himself on a sword.
In the third act, Tristan partially recovers from the suicide attempt but remains delirious. At the sound of a shepard's pipe in the distance, he reflects on the death of his parents, believing the pipe to be death now calling to him. He laments drinking the potion and how it led him to live a life of madness desiring something that can never be. He dies in Isolde's arms and she follows him into death. As the King arrives to the scene, Tristan's servant kills the King's attendant in revenge and then himself. Amidst all the death, the king reveals he had learned about the love potion and had simply come to offer his blessing to Tristan and Isolde, and the story ends with them finally realizing their love in the afterlife.
In writing this adaptation of the classic story, Wagner was reportedly inspired by the work of Arthur Schopenhauer, particularly his work "Die Welt ais Wille und Vorstellung" or "The World as Will and Representation." In "The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy", author Bryan Magee identifies Wagner's use of day and night as respective metaphors for "phenomenon", the aspects of the world we can perceive and "noumenon", the fundamentally unknowable reality beneath it. Both concepts were first named by Immanuel Kant, but Schopenhauer further argued that the gap between them is the cause of misery and suffering for all sentient beings; our individual pursuits and efforts to move towards a more personally favorable 'phenomenon' cannot be reconciled with a fundamentally uncertain state of the world and its other inhabitants. That to fulfill one desire requires the quashing of ten others. Illustrating this, he writes:
"...he saw an immense field entirely covered with skeletons, and took it to be a battle-field. However, they were nothing but skeletons of large turtles five feet long, three feet broad, and of equal height. These turtles come this way from the sea in order to lay their eggs, and are then seized by wild dogs... with their united strength, these dogs lay them on their backs, tear open their lower armour, the small scales of the belly, and devour them alive. But then a tiger often pounces on the dogs. Now all this misery is repeated thousands and thousands of times, year in year out. For this, then, are these turtles born. For what offence must they suffer this agony? What is the point of this whole scene of horror? The only answer is that the will-to-live thus objectifies itself."
Returning to Signalis, this quote immediately calls to mind the first-person Shores of Oblivion scene, in which skulls are buried and littered across the sand, and a quote from one of the nearby scattered papers:
we should have never left
the primordial soup
only through death can i escape
the call of the one who rules
above all life
Tristan and Isolde, realizing that their personal passions were irreconcilable with the interests of the material world they were in, concluded the only answer was to leave it behind altogether, so they made a death pact. A "promise", if you will. So upon finding Tristan dead, Isolde takes her own life. Much like how our Isa, who upon losing hope of being able to find Erika in the living world, disintegrates.
Another related theme connecting these stories is the lamentation of fate. Just as Isolde prays for the ship carrying her to her destiny to sink with her on it, and as Tristan regrets drinking the potion that led him to a life of desire for something that could never be, two early game quotes from Isa show that she is seeking Erika not just with love and concern but with regret for how they left things:
"Erika, if you find this note, despite everything that's happened. I've come to look for you."
"Have you ever wondered if you're speaking to someone for the last time without knowing? I wish I could go back, so I could say something else."
The details of this regret are deliberately ambiguous. It sounds like they had a fight or falling out, but 'everything that's happened' implies a deeper conflict- a disagreement or choice that they couldn't reconcile. Something important enough that it took Isa away from her sister, yet also something she regrets so greatly that she would take it all back just so she can see her sister one more time.
As Schopenhauer said, "A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants." The great tragedy at the center of Tristan and Isolde is that even if we have control of our actions, we are at the mercy of the desires we were given by fate. It's a theme that permeates not just Isa's story, but Signalis as a whole.
Elster never chose to love Ariane. Had she not, she might have found the strength to end her suffering before it was too late. So she ran away from the "day" of Ariane's suffering into the "night" of keeping her in cryosleep.
Ariane never chose to love art. Had she not, she could have had a simple and comfortable life fitting in with her peers. So she ran away from the "day" of the Eusan Nation's surveillance and social ridicule into the "night" of Penrose-512.
Falke lost any hope of finding happiness after becoming burdened with emotions and identity that she could do nothing to satiate, and quite literally went from the "day" of life into the "night" of dreaming.
And then there's Adler, all but crushed by helplessness as he tries in vain to hold back the death of reality, as Elster and Isa continue to bring about its apparent decay in pursuit of their own wills. The relationship between Adler and Isa is interesting and I think quite important, as he's the only character besides Elster who gets direct screen time with her. As the game bluntly mentions the first time Adler meets Isa,
NONE OF US ARE HERE BY CHOICE (And No One Will Miss Us)
It's from this and the Schopenhauerian interpretation of Tristan and Isolde that I think Adler represents phenomenon while Isa represents noumenon.
Adler wishes to preserve the light of day. To awaken from the dream and return to shared experience of a common, coherent reality. One where what you see is what you get. Where experiences can be trusted, and results are predictable.
Isa wishes to live in the night. The world of passion and of choice. Valuing the experience of familial love over all else, even the world or truth, she continues to live only in pursuit of another reality amidst the abyss of uncertainties, one where she made amends with her sister before it was too late, or never fell out with her at all. And when she finally accepts that she cannot find it or manifest it, much like her namesake, she concludes the "eternal night" is her last recourse.
There can be no perfect reconciliation between these two wills. It can never be day and night at the same time. And yet they do find themselves together- falling into the bottom of the mine. In the Nowhere, at the end of all things. At the sunset, the liminal space in between the night and day, between dreaming and waking. Because, one means nothing without the other.
To me that is the important take away from her story. That if we don't want to live in regret over the hand life dealt us- hating ourselves for being unable to fulfill the desires we were stuck with, before its too late, we must confront the question of which world we want to live in.
Is it truly better to have loved and lost then never loved at all? Is it truly better to have tried and failed than to never try? I don't want to believe the answer is no, but none of us can be certain for ourselves until we reason with ourselves honestly about why we struggle with the question in the first place- what the true value of each side of the coin is. Perhaps then we can accept what is beyond our control.
To quote Schopenhauer once more:
Every individual, every human apparition and its course of life, is only one more short dream of the endless spirit of nature, of the persistent will-to-live, is only one more fleeting form, playfully sketched by it on its infinite page, space and time; it is allowed to exist for a short while that is infinitesimal compared with these, and is then effaced, to make new room. Yet, and here is to be found the serious side of life, each of these fleeting forms, these empty fancies, must be paid for by the whole will-to-live in all its intensity with many deep sorrows, and finally with a bitter death, long feared and finally made manifest. It is for this reason that the sight of a corpse suddenly makes us serious.
submitted by SuperStingray to signalis [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 08:04 FancyInvestment397 Best Online Casinos in the US for May 2024

Best Online Casinos in the US for May 2024
Playing at online casinos for real money is possible in practically every state in the US. And yes, that includes those without regulated iGaming markets.
In our guide below, we take a closer look at the best real money online casinos in the US and what they have to offer. From bonuses to casino games, it’s all covered here.
Best Online Casinos US

Top 10 RTP Rates at US Online Casinos

The return to player (RTP) rate is how much a real money online casino pays out to customers on average. The higher the RTP rate, the better your chances are of winning. Here’s the top ten:
Casino Sign Up Bonus Best For
Wild Casino Up to $5,000 + 125 Free Spins Excusive blackjack tournaments
Raging Bull Up to $2,500 + 50 Free Spins Progressive jackpot titles
TG.Casino 200% up to 10ETH Telegram casino gaming
Bovada Up to $3,750 Hot Drop Jackpots
Everygame Up to $6,000 Variety of slots
BetOnline Up to $3,000 VIP loyalty program
Las Atlantis Up to $9,500 Free spins promos
Drake 300% up to $6,000 Exclusive jackpots
Lucky Creek Up to $7,500 + 30 Free Spins Daily free spins
Sloto Cash Up to $7,777 + 60 Free Spins Progressive jackpots

5 of the Best Real Money Online Casinos in the US

We’ve researched and played at all of the best real money online casinos in the US and recommend only the safest and most secure. Check out some of our favorites in our reviews below.

1. Wild Casino – Best Online Casino in the US in 2024

  • Payout time: 1-2 days
  • Established: 2017
  • License: Panama Gaming Commission
  • Headquarters: Panama City, Panama
  • Restricted Regions: New Jersey

Our Verdict: 9.6/10

Wild Casino is one of the most popular and best real money online casinos in the US. Established in 2017, the platform has continuously improved over the years and now offers more than 800 casino games for real money. These includes 650+ slots, 60 table games, and 70 live casino games.
For banking methods, Wild Casino accepts Bitcoin, altcoins, credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers, and more.
As for bonuses, during research for our Wild Casino review, we found an entire page of promotions. The welcome package is a highlight here and is one of the best in the industry. Crypto players receive a boosted deal with better bonus percentages and higher limits. The offers are easy to claim and have clear terms, making Wild Casino one of the most trusted US online casinos for real money available in the USA.

Features Overview:

  • Game Variety: 9/10
  • Live Casino: 9.5/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 10/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 9/10
  • Customer Support: 10/10
Pros:
  • 650+ online slots with real money payouts
  • Great variety of table games and live options
  • Welcome bonus package covers five deposits
  • Ongoing promotions for cash casino players
  • Fast and secure banking via crypto and more
Cons:
  • No casino loyalty program

2. Bovada – Big Casino Wins with Hot Drop Jackpots

  • Payout time: 1-2 days
  • Established: 2011
  • License: Curaçao eGaming
  • Headquarters: Curaçao
  • Restricted Regions: New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New York

Our Verdict: 9.5/10

Bovada is one of the leading USA online casinos for real money with more than a decade of activity. The platform runs smoothly and hosts more than 300 casino games for real money from the likes of Rival, RTG, Genesis, DGS, Spinomenal, and Revolver Gaming. It also has its own exclusive titles developed by Woohoo Games and one of the best poker sites.
Selected slots have added Hot Drop Jackpots, which are progressive prizes awarded hourly, daily, and can reach as much as $300,000.
Bovada Casino doesn’t have the longest list of accepted payment methods. You can choose all major cryptocurrencies, or use cards from Mastercard or Visa. Deposit bonuses are available for new customers and the wagering requirement is generally lower than at other casinos online.

Features Overview

  • Game Variety: 8.5/10
  • Live Casino: 8/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 8/10
  • User Experience: 9/10
  • Payment Methods: 8/10
  • Customer Support: 10/10
Pros:
  • Promotions can award thousands of free spins
  • Hot Drop Jackpots can go up to $300,000
  • Live dealer tables running around the clock
  • Fast real money withdrawals for casino winnings
  • Great variety of online slots available
Cons:
  • Doesn’t have the best-looking online casino design

3. TG.Casino – Licensed Online Casino Available on Telegram

  • Payout time: Instant
  • Established: 2023
  • License: Gaming Curaçao
  • Headquarters: Curaçao
  • Restricted Regions: None

Our Verdict: 9.5/10

TG.Casino is a new online casino that went live in 2023. It’s only available via Telegram, which adds an extra layer of security to the already safe gaming platform. The operator has a Gaming Curaçao license and only offers games from trusted developers.
TG.Casino is one of the best in terms of overall variety with 5,000+ games from NetEnt, Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, Betsoft, Relax Gaming, and many other studios.
Players using the exclusive $TGC token to can earn additional daily rewards. The more you play, the more revenue based rewards you unlock. High rollers benefit from boosted bonuses by depositing over a certain threshold. This is all on top of the welcome bonus available for all new players.

Features Overview

  • Game Variety: 10/10
  • Live Casino: 10/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
  • User Experience: 10/10
  • Payment Methods: 8/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10
Pros:
  • Largest library of 5,000+ real money casino games
  • High roller rewards and large withdrawals supported
  • Online casino available via Telegram
  • Accepts major cryptocurrencies and has its own token
Cons:
  • Players can only sign up through Telegram
  • Doesn’t accept credit cards for direct deposits

4. BetUS – Trusted Operator with 400+ Online Casino Games

  • Payout time: 1-2 days
  • Established: 1994
  • License: Government of Mwali
  • Headquarters: Costa Rica
  • Restricted Regions: None

Our Verdict (8.8/10)

BetUS is the oldest brand on our list, first launching in 1994. Mainly known for its sportsbook, the online casino lives up to the same high standards. It has more than 400 slots, a variety of table games, multiple video poker options, and a full live casino. There are even some extra games included in the collection, such as scratch cards, bingo, and keno.
BetUS allows you to play in demo mode for free, an option that not all US real money online casinos offer.
BetUS has multiple bonuses, with bonus funds split between the casino and the sportsbook. If you’re not interested in sportsbook offers, then you can use the BetUS promo codes below to unlock the best casino bonuses. Ongoing promotions are available daily and include reload bonuses, tournaments, and random bonus prizes.

Features Overview

  • Game Variety: 9/10
  • Live Casino: 8.5/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
  • User Experience: 9/10
  • Payment Methods: 8/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10
Pros:
  • Great casino interface for browsing and playing for free
  • Online casino tournaments have large prize pools
  • More than $3,000,000 in jackpots on the site
  • Daily promotions on top of a large welcome bonus
Cons:
  • Only accepts a few cryptocurrencies for banking
  • Demo mode still requires players to sign in

5. Drake – Massive Welcome Bonus for New Casino Players in the US

  • Payout time: 1-3 days
  • Established: 2012
  • License: Curaçao
  • Headquarters: Curaçao
  • Restricted Regions: New Jersey, Kentucky, Maryland, Washington

Our Verdict: 8.7/10

Drake Casino is a solid platform that should make any best online casino top ten. It has more than 500 games in total provided by studios like Betsoft, Rival, Nucleus, and Arrow’s Edge. Some of the titles have added progressive jackpots, with the Mega Jackpot exceeding $30,000.
The Drake Club loyalty program has 10 tiers that offer increasingly bigger reload bonuses and weekly deals.
The lobby can be a little slow to load games, but that the only real drawback. There are loads of filtering options to help you find your favorite games. Drake Casino also has an impressive welcome bonus that is one of the highest-value offers in the industry.

Features Overview

  • Game Variety: 8.5/10
  • Live Casino: 8.5/10
  • Promotions & Rewards: 8/10
  • User Experience: 9/10
  • Payment Methods: 8.5/10
  • Customer Support: 9/10
Pros:
  • User-friendly lobby with lots of game categories
  • Earn rewards for playing casino games for real money
  • Accepts BTC, LTC, XRP, BCH, and cards for deposits
  • Daily free spins for signing in and using a promo code
Cons:
  • Limited withdrawal methods available right now
  • Dated site design with slow loading at times

Best Online Casino Bonuses

There are dozens of real money online casinos in the US, and that means that competition for customers can be fierce. But that’s very good news for you as operators will offer a wide range of casino bonuses and promotions.
We’ve gone ahead and listed the most common of these bonuses offered by the best online real money casinos.

Welcome Bonuses

The vast majority of real money online casinos will offer a welcome bonus to all new users. This will see you earn bonus credit or bonus funds for simply signing up and making a deposit. You can then use the bonus credit to play real money casino games. Just bear in mind that you may need to make a minimum deposit before you can grab the bonus.

Deposit Bonuses

A deposit bonus is when real money casinos will match a deposit by a certain percentage. For example, if you get a 100% deposit match bonus on a $100 deposit, you will receive an additional $100 in bonus credit. This can then be used to play real money casino games, but you will have to meet some wagering requirements before you can cash out your bonus funds.

No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses are available at some real money online casinos but not all. These promotions are the best value as they don’t require you to make any deposit using your own cash. This gives you the chance to test drive an online casino to see if it’s what you’re looking for. These bonuses also have wagering requirements you will have to meet before you can withdraw your winnings.

Free Spins

Free spin bonuses are exactly what they sound like. They offer you free spins on specific slots titles. The idea here is to promote games from a certain provider or introduce new slots. Like the no deposit bonus, this is a great way to try out a game before using your own cash.

Reload Bonuses

A reload bonus is very similar to a deposit match bonus and quite common at real money online casinos. You make a deposit and the casino will match it by a certain percentage. These promotions are run on a regular basis with some of the best online casinos for real money offering them every week.

Bonus Terms and Conditions

Bonuses and promotions at real money online casinos in the USA have terms and conditions that can have an impact on the value of the bonus. That’s why you should read those Ts and Cs carefully and know exactly what they mean. Here are a few terms you’ll come across.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements at real money online casinos can also be referred to as ‘playthrough’ or ‘rollover’. This is listed as a multiple and simply tells you the number of times you need to wager the bonus amount before you can withdraw it as cash.
So say you have a bonus wagering requirement of 25x on a bonus amount of $100. This means that you will need to place wagers totaling $2,500 (25 x $10) before you can withdraw the bonus as cash. This is possibly the most important thing to look out for on a promotion because a high wagering requirement on a high-value bonus might be hard to hit.
Time Limits / Expiry
There are two types of time limits – the time you have to take up the offer and the time you have to use your bonus funds and hit those wagering requirements. The first one is simple enough. Once you sign up at a real money casino, you’ll have anything from a few days up to a month to take up your welcome bonus offer.
The second one can be a bit trickier. US online casinos will set a time limit on your offer and you have to use your bonus and hit the wagering requirement before that time is up. If you don’t make it , you could lose any unused bonus credit.
Minimum Deposits
This is a very basic condition of any real money online casino promo when there is a deposit involved. The minimum deposit, as you may have guessed already, is the least amount of money you can deposit to activate the bonus.
Now here’s the thing – a minimum deposit for a promotion may be higher than the regular minimum at a casino. And in some cases, the minimum deposit amount may change if it’s a bonus made up of several smaller bonuses. For example, a deposit match and free spins bonus over two deposits might require a minimum of $20 for the first deposit and $50 for the second deposit to unlock the free spins.
Winning Limits
Real money online casinos will pretty much give you free money just to get you playing their games. But there’s only so much free money they can hand out. So understandably, they put a limit on how much you can win using your bonus cash.
It’s not a condition that you need to worry about too much though. After all, a bonus is free money, right? But just remember that you won’t win any massive progressive jackpots with that bonus cash.
Game Eligibility
Remember what we said about wagering requirements? Well, not all games contribute towards those requirements. Promotions tend to exclude some games like roulette so check the Ts and Cs.
Games that are eligible will contribute towards your requirement at different rates. For example, slots may have a rate of 100% while the rate for table games could be 50%. This means that if you play $100 on the slots then $100 is taken off your wagering requirement. If you play $100 on a table game, then only $50 counts towards the requirement.
Restrictions
This is a little different to games eligibility because it has nothing to do with your wagering requirement. To put it simply, these are games that you cannot use your bonus funds on.
Even the best online casinos may restrict bonus use for games like live dealer games or any games that have large prizes such as progressive jackpots. You may also be restricted from entering contests using your bonus.

Best Online Casino Games

One of the benefits of playing at a top real money online casino in the US is that you get access to hundreds of games as soon as you sign up. With instant play online casinos, you don’t have to download any additional software to start playing. Simply go to the site and you’re all set. And the best online casinos might even offer many of these games in demo mode for you to try out.

Slots

Slots are one of the most popular real money online casino games. You can spin the reels to hit winning combinations called paylines, unlock bonus features and win real money. But it’s not just about matching a few symbols, there are often multiple ways to win. Slots with the Megaways mechanic can have thousands of paylines.
Real money slots also come in a massive range of themes and styles covering everything from safari themes to ancient Egypt and even rock bands. And don’t be surprised if there are hundreds or even thousands to choose from at the best online casinos.

Progressive Jackpots

A progressive jackpot is a type of prize that you’ll find in some slot titles. These jackpots grow with each and every wager that is placed on the game. The most popular jackpot slots pool wagers from players all over the world and not just the casino itself.
The biggest progressive jackpots at online casinos for real money can sometimes reach millions of dollars. In fact , the largest progressive jackpot win of all time was $23.6 million won by a player in Belgium in 2021. The jackpot was won on the Absolutely Mad variant of Mega Moolah.

Roulette

Online roulette brings this ever-popular table game into the world of online casinos. Pick a number or color and place your bet. Then wait to see if the ball lands on your pick. It’s one of the simplest games to pick up but there are actually a few variants that you can choose from.
The best online casinos will have American, European, and French roulette variants. Some real money online casinos will even offer multi-wheel roulette where you can bet on two or three wheels at a time. Unsurprisingly, roulette is also hugely popular in live casinos.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a classic casino card game where you try to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible. While the game is simple enough with a straight bet on your hand, there are plenty of side bets to bring a little more action to the table. For example, you can bet on the Lucky Ladies – betting that your first two cards total 20.
You can play virtual blackjack at your own pace at all of the best online casinos. But if you prefer a more traditional style of play, then you can also try your hand at live dealer blackjack.

Video Poker

Most video poker casinos will offer a range of poker variants that combine skill of poker with the excitement of slot machines. It’s based on five card draw and you need to match one of several winning hands by changing or keeping the cards you are dealt. Bets are placed at the start of the game.
Each variant comes with its own set of rules and payout structures that can vary quite a bit. As you can imagine, you’ll need to have some basic poker skills to master this game. It’s also not a bad idea to follow some video poker strategies to improve your odds of winning.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a hugely popular game in land-based casinos, but not quite so popular at online casinos for real money. The goal of the game is to have a hand value closest to nine. You have a few baccarat strategies to choose from such as betting on your own hand, the banker’s hand, or a tie.
The game is available at most of the best real money casinos online in a virtual format. But it’s the live casinos where you’ll find the real action. Live tables are

Live Dealer Games

You can feel like you’re stepping onto the casino floor when you play at live dealer casinos. These casinos offer live streams of table games with professional dealers. All the games have the exact same rules as those you’d find at land-based casinos and you can even communicate with the dealer via chat.
Table games like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette are the most popular games. But in recent times, the gameshow has risen to the top with innovative games like Deal or No Deal and, believe it or not, Monopoly.

Best US Online Casino Payment Methods

Any online casino with real money games should have a solid set of payment options to choose from. Below, we’ve listed the most common.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are widely accepted at the best USA online casinos. They provide a safe, secure, and fast method for deposits, and as most people already have one, they’re super convenient. Withdrawals are a different matter though as very few casinos will payout to a credit card.
It’s also worth noting that some banks may decline transactions to real money online casinos for legal reasons. For example, if gambling is restricted in your state, the bank may decline your request. There may also be fees charged when funding your online casino account.

Debit Cards

As you may know already, debit cards offer exactly the same convenience, speed, and security as credit cards. They’re also accepted by practically all real money US online casinos. And much like credit cards, many casinos don’t offer debit card withdrawals.
One big benefit of debit cards over credit cards is that there are no legal restrictions on the use of debit cards to fund gambling accounts.

eWallets

A hugely popular payment method for real money online casinos in the US, eWallets offer fast transactions with great security features. They also provide an additional layer of privacy, as your bank or credit card information isn’t shared with the online casino. However, there may be fees associated with eWallet transactions, and some online casinos may not accept certain eWallets.
Popular eWallets include PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Interestingly, the online casino industry is slowly starting to move away from older eWallets like PayPal. Even so, there are still some great casinos that accept PayPal.

Cryptocurrencies

Many of the top real money online casinos in the US now accept major cryptocurrencies for both deposits and withdrawals. These digital currencies offer some of the best security features of any payment method, and yes, that includes credit cards.
Cryptocurrency casinos let you deposit and withdraw funds with very low fees and in some cases, no fees at all. Transactions are highly secure as you don’t need to share your banking details and extremely fast. Some crypto withdrawals can be processed in hours or even minutes.
The best online casinos will accept offer a variety of crypto options including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and more. If you don’t have any crypto, casinos like TG.Casino offer you the chance to buy some using your traditional methods like debit or credit card.

Checks

The best online casinos for real money offer the complete range of payment options and, believe it or not, that includes old-school paper checks. Just pick ‘cash by check’ and the casino will send your winnings by mail.
The only drawback here is that it’s quite slow. In fact, withdrawals can take several days or even weeks. It’s all down to how fast your mail provider is and how quickly your bank can clear the check. Still a good option to have though just in case.

Wire transfers

Wire transfers are another tried and trusted method for secure and reliable deposits and withdrawals at US online casinos for real money. This is a simple transfer made directly from your bank account to the casino’s account and vice versa.
This type of transfer is very secure as your bank handles the entire process, but it takes time and can be a little on the expensive side. There may also be limits on how much you can transfer to and from your account so check with your bank first.

Tips for Real Money Online Casino Gambling

With everything you’ve read so far, picking the best online casino for real money should be pretty straightforward. But if you’re new to the online casino industry, then you might want to learn a few things about how to gamble online before you place those first wagers. Below, we’ve listed just a few of our favorite tips to get you started.

Pick a Trusted Online Casino

And by trusted we mean one that has a rock solid reputation for customer support and satisfaction. You can do this by reading reviews by people who have taken the time to actually play at casinos online for real money. That’s exactly what we do here, so picking from our recommendations is a no-brainer.

Use those Online Casino Bonus Offers

There’s great value to be found through online casino promotions whether it’s a no deposit promotion or a deposit match. Whatever is on offer, take advantage of it to give your bankroll a nice bump before you play any real money casino games.

Sign-up with More than One Online Casino

Yep, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from signing up with five or six real money casinos. This means that you can take advantage of all those welcome bonuses and promotions. You also have a better chance of finding the best real money casino games as you have thousands of games to choose from.

Look for Mobile Online Casinos

Common sense when you think about it because we spend more time on our mobile devices each day. The best online casinos will have either a mobile app or they will be fully optimized for mobile devices. Either way, this is an absolute must.

Manage Your Bankroll

This is perhaps the most important tip of all as gambling responsibly is how you can continue to have fun day in day out. Managing your bankroll is about setting a budget and sticking to it. It’s also about finding and taking advantage of any promotions that save you spending too much of your own cash.

Responsible Gaming at Online Casinos

The best online casinos take responsible gaming very seriously and will offer help and resources if you need them. This includes things like the ability to set limits on your deposits or gaming. Many will also provide tips and guidance on spotting the early signs of problem gambling.
Online casinos try their best to help, but the best advice for anyone who needs support can be found at organizations like:

Are Online Casinos Legal in the US?

The US online casino industry first became regulated when Delaware legalized online casinos in 2012. New Jersey came soon after and both states launched regulated online casinos in 2013. At present, there are seven states that have regulated online casino markets – Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
submitted by FancyInvestment397 to GamblingSites [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 07:11 pocket_arsenal Hey wait a minute, why are there other Tamagotchis on the Tamagotci Pix if it takes place off of Tamagotchi Planet??

The original storyline for vintage era Tamagotchis is that the Tamagotchis had to evacuate Tamagotchi Planet and live among humans, and that the egg shaped devices are containers invented by Professor Banzo to keep them alive in earth's atmosphere. correct?
Tamagotchi Pix seems to retread the idea of Tamagotchis dropping an egg off on earth, and the Tamagotchis going back to their home planet after their time with their human caretaker is over, but... why does the setting still look like it takes place in Tamagotchi planet, and why are all the NPCs Tamagotchis?
I know the likely answer is just that "Bandai USA didn't care enough to think that hard about their own storyline a wanted to re-use concepts from other devices" but what do you think could be an explanation?
submitted by pocket_arsenal to tamagotchi [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 00:29 Embarrassed-Series56 Money farming tips?

Hi guys. Been playing the game for as long as I remember, but I finally have a device that won’t slow down or heat up once I’m in 100+ rounds. I’m really excited to be able to see what some of the higher tier tower upgrades do, but I’m struggling trying to find a good way to take in the money. It takes me a while just to get up to ~50-100k, but I’ve been using about 4 or 5 4-2-0 banana farms, then druids and sniper abilities, then alchemists and then lastly merchantmen and monkey village upgrades. Then I’ll pepper in the thrive power Are there any specific upgrade paths, or strategies, you guys recommend to help build some nice nest eggs going into the higher rounds? I’m not trying to clear the harder maps on harder difficulties just yet. I just started trying to black border the very first map and I want to build a TSG 😅 I feel like the worlds oldest newbie bc I’m just learning what a VTSG is lol
submitted by Embarrassed-Series56 to btd6 [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 22:15 AsheeMayHunter Help please!

I have a coin board I'm 70/100 coins away from knocking a penny off my price I'm at 4 cents with 11 hours to go. I made this board off the one I found an egg on and cleared. This one has stuff for my kiddos please help!! I'm looking for new and existing users . 2-4 new users/new devices would most likely clear the board. Please help me do this 😭 I have Ineligible clicks I can offer and nothing more I used everything trying to knock this out. I'll post my code you give me yours I will click no matter what temu game! Can you accept my invitation so that I can get a free gift again? I have got a FREE GIFT here! Search the code below in Temu APP. 237956530
submitted by AsheeMayHunter to USA_TEMU_CODES [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 20:58 LiteraryHedgehog MEGATHREAD: Shiny Days, May 20-21

This mini-event will run from from 19:00 GMT Monday, May 20 until 19:00 GMT Tuesday, May 21; to participate you will need version 11.4.2 or higher, at least 200 dragon power, and a high quality, stable internet connection.
Please keep all event related questions and strategy discussions in this thread while the event is live; good luck and happy merging!
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Event Notes
Elsewhere in the Game
 

EVENT FAQs

 

POINT REQUIREMENTS

  1. Mystery Mosaic - 4 points
  2. 2x Decision Eggs - 70
  3. Mystery Mosaic - 210
  4. Level 1 primary breed - 350
  5. Level 1 secondary breed - 490
  6. Mystery Mosaic - 600
  7. Mystery Mosaic - 810
  8. Shiny Level 3 primary breed - 990
Total points needed to finish the event: 3,524
 

FEATURED DRAGONS:

Note: A = Arcadian breed
 

PREVIOUSLY FEATURED BREEDS:

EVENT TROUBLESHOOTING

If the event is not showing up correctly or if glitches are affecting your play:
  1. Check that you meet the version and dragon power requirements.
  2. Try hard-closing and then relaunching your game.
  3. Try rebooting your device (ie, turn it completely off, then back on and allow it to fully boot up before relaunching the game). If you are on wifi and have access to the router, try rebooting that, too.
  4. Try switching to a completely different internet source.
  5. Try clearing your game’s cache (google for instructions for your specific phone type).
  6. If you’re suddenly experiencing multiple issues like lagging or error messages (or if the event vanishes completely), close the game and try again after 2-3 hours. Events are internet-based, and sometimes issues with the servers can cause temporary problems — all we can do for that is to wait it out.
  7. If none of the above helps, contact Gram Games Support through the in-game link or the Support Web Portal for help figuring out what’s wrong.
updated as needed
submitted by LiteraryHedgehog to MergeDragons [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 20:45 Sis_cat12 Princess Regal 12 days British Isle review

Just finished a 12 day trip, here are our thoughts. 1. Embarkation and disembarkation was easy and smooth-no big wait, no issues 2. Had a Junior suite for 3 people. Needed the “very little” extra room. Beds and pillow comfort was outstanding, best part of the cruise. 3. Decided on Princess Plus only allowed to do it for 2 of us. Was able to add to 3rd person onboard, but it was a major issue and we were charged for 8 days of crew tip of the 12 days and a casual meal (supposed to be included). Still trying to correct this with Princess. This being our first cruise with Princess in over 10 years, we weren’t sure which places were casual and what and where the premium desserts were located. Who can even eat 2 premium desserts a day for all 12 days? Alcohol as well, while I strived to get our monies worth, after a few days, I wasn’t interested in more than 2-3 (I say 3 as we did a double shot on a mixed drink, to make it taste more like what we’d have at home). Not sure I’d do a pkg again, I’d have to price it out. We did use WiFi each, and could not use “hotspot”, but could easily switch between devices. 4. Medallion- great idea. I bought a speciality chain from Amazon, which caused problems reading the medallion on their scanners, I’d suggest the “watch” type band holder or the ones that stick on your phones, which my husband and son used. Ordering from the app went smoothly for the most part. Several times though, it showed delivered when it was not. Once when we ordered a drink for my husband and an Irish coffee for myself. Maybe because they had to come from different locations? Another time we ordered extra pillows, robes and a tea set up for room. Showed delivered and we did not receive it, called room steward when we got back late to our cabin and found it wasn’t delivered as stated. We ended up getting the items, but I felt bad bothering them late at night. They work hard. Also location of shipmates (husband and son) did not always work. Waiting on drinks either ordering through app or by wait service in lounge sometimes took a very long time. Found it quicker to just get it at bar. Very limited food menu in app. “Soup” delivered was a joke and my son had a club sandwich cut in 4 tiny pieces. 5. Speaking of food……we were not fans. Dining room breakfast was great and great service. International cafe for snacks/lunch and morning coffee was also fantastic! Dinner, make reservations as soon as you board for every night. We like eating late, tried the 3 main dining rooms the first 3 nights, then just stuck with our favorite (Allegro) the food is the same in all 3 and atmosphere is really not that different, so I would say it doesn’t really matter. We just liked the vibe better. Waitservice was hit or miss, outstanding or subpar, mostly great. But, why can you never get seated near a window, if even it’s open and no one sits there before they close??? (again late eaters, so frequentl one of the last tables to leave. We had a few really good meals, but most were disappointing. I don’t know if this is because we haven’t sailed in 10 years and the quality has gone down that much across the board, or that we are just pretty good cooks at home, and expect better, but we were not happy with the food, even in the 2 speciality restaurants we tried. I don’t think it’s bad on all lines, as I know people who cruise every year and haven’t heard complaints, so maybe it’s just Princess or Regal specific. I also have heard on threads from other people that they thought the food was good on Princess, but this was our opinion. Sabitino’s -good meal, but paid a premium of $39, so in my mind not worth it. This food should be the norm on cruising. My only complaint here, we specifically selected Carbonara for our pasta choice as they stated they make it the “authentic way”-egg, parm and guanciale, no cream. The dish we received definitely had cream added. We visit Italy every few years, my husband lived there 6 years and we have friends we visit. So we know good Italian. We also did not have a great server, though watching the staff, there were definitely some great servers, we just didn’t luck out. Steak house- we chose this restaurant for my son’s 20th birthday, it also happened to be Mother’s Day in the U.S. I specifically went to the customer service desk the night before and mentioned it to the hostess when we arrived (I got a “we know” response from her). There was absolutely no special acknowledgment given to us, though many around us had celebrations. I did pop over after dessert came to speak to her again and just before we left, they ran over with a cake (after we ate dessert) and sang. I was also told at the customer service desk they would have Happy Birthday on our room video board outside our room when my son s medallion was near by- never happened. 6. Three at sea days, all which we desperately needed. My son had just finished finals, and the other 2 days one of us was under the weather. There is NO quiet place on the boat. We of course could’ve stayed in our room for a quiet place but wanted to be out somewhere and the weather was not cooperating to sit on deck. The library is very small and near one of the lounges. I suppose you could close the door IF you’re the only one using. There are quiet lounges for “Full” suite guests, that appeared unused, but we weren’t allowed access. We considered paying for the Haven, but every part was outside, and it was too raw and windy. 7. I picked this cruise solely based on stops, and they did not disappoint. We chose to do 2 cruise sponsored tours 1. Was to the Jameson distillery on our Cork stop (Cobn)- great tour and the other for Shetland Island- which had our tour cancelled but we did get on another for a walk and history around Lerwick, which we loved. Belfast we did a private tour up the coast, totally worth the money with 3 of us, it wasn’t much more than the ship was charging and we got to do it on our own time. Dublin, we took a taxi to town since we had been before and knew what we wanted to do/see. Glasgow, we had planned to train it from port into Glasgow then take a train to Stirling. My son was not feeling great, so we got a late start and just did a hop on hop off bus in Glasgow. I felt the trains were easy to manage and transferring between train stations would have been super easy. Inverness we did a private tour with a Scottish guide, they were able to prioritize everything we wanted to see in the Highlands in an 8 hour tour and got us back hours before last on board. Again, highly recommend private if you’re able, the cost difference for 2-3 is not great from boat pricing and if you have 4 you’ll save $. Edinburgh-we planned on taking the train from port, but since we missed going to Stirling from Glasgow, and it was on the top of my husbands list, I arranged a last minute tour with Historic Scotland “On the trail of Mary Queen of Scots” with Laura and it was a fabulous day, they acquired tickets in advance for Stirling and Edinburgh castle, as they sell out fast on day of tour (we meet a couple on the tender back to ship who were disappointed that it was sold out when they arrived). My favorite day, only wish we had more time in Edinburgh itself, but we covered a lot of ground and Laura our tour person (the best!) was super cognizant of getting us back in time before last tender. Normandy- very difficult finding a private tour being so close to the 80th Anniversary, and the boat tour was already sold out when we booked the cruise, but with persistence, I was able to find one. My last resort would’ve been to rent a car, and if it had been my choice alone and after having this private tour, I wish we had. Overall, the trip was great. Allowed us to visit the places we wanted to on this years big vacation, but either we are not cruise people any longer, or we need to find a cruise line/ or ship that better suits us. If you’re a foodie, and have had great recent experience with a cruise with top notch food (not with speciality restaurants on board) please comment! Hope this review helps a few of you if you go on this trip!
submitted by Sis_cat12 to PrincessCruises [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 18:25 Twitch6r A Man Amongst the Stars 9

First Previous Next
*Knock* *Knock*
A soft knock gently woke me up from my dreamless slumber. When I opened my eyes, I was met with a pitch black expanse. I noted that the retina-destroying light bulb must have been turned off at some point. Feeling around, I could feel my body was less sore then it was the previous, what I’ve taken to calling sleep cycles, as it didn’t feel quite right to call anything night or day anymore.
Still, though, I could feel a distinct pang of pain that shot through me every time I tried to perform an action more complex than raising my right hand, while doing anything with my left was completely out of the picture. With apprehension, I crossed my right arm across my body to gently grope around my left in an attempt to find the part that was actually broken, but it was to no avail, as all I achieved in doing so was hurting myself.
*Knock* *Knock*
Oh right, the door. Were they waiting for me to allow them in? In that case, this definitely isn’t Guard.
“You can come in.” I yelled hesitantly.
The door flew open at such speed that I wouldn't be surprised if the door fell off its space hinges. In the doorway, a figure stood. I couldn’t quite identify their features, but their silhouette was enough to identify the fact they weren’t too tall, by space standards, of course. They still appeared to be easily 6 foot, but at this point I could barely even consider that height tall. No, what actually grabbed my attention was the several appendages that were attached to the top of their head, and that were currently freely swaying in the wind, like seaweed in the ocean. One was currently wrapped around the door knob, clueing me into the fact they were also completely autonomous. Honestly, they reminded me a lot of… tentacles. Shit.
“S-Sorry.” Their voice and movement was shaky and erratic. They walked inside the room before quickly closing the door behind them, their features now much more visible, including the dark yellow coat and pitch black pants they wore. The gray skin across their slightly, to be nice I’ll just say chubby, body was the first notable feature. The second was the feathery gills almost identical to those of axolotl’s on the side of their head. Their face was soft, like the rest of the body, with a giant pair of pink, egg-shaped eyes that hadn't yet left the floor. Their bottom and top lip were not long enough to connect, leading to their mouth being permanently open. Their cone shaped head started pointed at the chin area, and widened out until it was big enough to accommodate the multitude of appendages on their head. They truly looked like an evolved axolotl, sans tail. “I’ve been working out recently, g-guess I don’t know my own strengths anymore.” They nervously chuckled while rubbing their webbed hands together.
“Uh, it’s alright. I mean, it’s not my door so I don’t mind.” I said in an attempt to comfort them. “No shame in working out. It’s clearly effective, right?” At this, the feathery gills adorning their head pulsed slightly in a pink light, before quickly returning to their non-luminescent state. For the first time since they came into the room, they looked at me.
“A-are you the Hum’un.”
“Who are you?” I tried not to be rude, as so far they had given me no reason to be, but it was also imperative I didn’t let my guard down. Better safe than sorry.
“Doctor!” They practically yelled, before seemingly becoming embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Doctor, a-as in, that’s wh-what I am. For you. That is.” Christ, and I thought I was nervous.
“What would a doctor of a different species do for me? We don't exactly share the same body.” I tried to not be confrontational, but at the same time, it was a real concern that I knew might impede any help I could receive.
“N-no worries, I’m no regular physician, I’m a trained interspecies specialist, specifically employed to help with whatever ailments might have befallen you. I have certifications in 7 different medical departments, over 8 polar cycles in non-primary education, have treated all sorts of species throughout the galaxy, almost-” I tuned out their accomplishments by this point, letting the ramblings just wash over me. They. I’ve just been saying they as a placeholder until I could figure out their gender, but maybe it was silly to assume an alien would always be male or female, especially considering this probably wasn’t even a mammal, judging by their aquatic look and the fact they lacked any mammary tissue. I mean, so do I, but… whatever. They would probably be fine. “Isn’t that impressive?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah it is. Great job.” I gave a reassuring smile that they appeared to have appreciated. “So, do we begin now, or?” I cut myself off to give them an opening to talk, as it didn’t seem in their nature to have the confidence to initiate.
“Y-yes, of course.” They walked up to the side of my bed before continuing. “I have been tasked with going over any injuries you may have sustained during your last mission. Is this correct?”
“I was hurt pretty bad, yes.”
“Great! Not because you were hurt, of course, just as in, you know.” The gills pulsated again.
“Calm down, I get it.”
“Mhm, of course.” They looked around before continuing. “Before we begin, mind answering a couple survey questions? It won't take long.”
“Questions? Really?” My patience for any sort of questions had run thin after yesterday's fiasco, and it wasn’t something I wanted repeated.
“J-just a couple regarding who you are. It will help me treat you b-better.”
“Fine.”
“Perfect!” They ruffled through coat pockets using the appendages on their head before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. “Firstly, are you a mammal? Yes or no.”
“Yes.” They emerged a small circle shaped object from their pocket before gliding it gently across the paper, leaving a symbol containing a large circle on the outside with different sized circles on the inside..
“Second, what is your gender?”
“Male.” Again, the object gently flew across the paper.
“Thirdly, does your blood contain any chemicals?”
“Mainly copper, but also some other metals like iron.” I explained. I hoped they wouldn’t ask any questions about my anatomy more complex than that, as my limited biology knowledge wouldn’t get me very far. “Also oxygen. A lot of oxygen.” With one last swipe on the paper, they folded the paper back up before stuffing it back into a pocket.
“Thank you so much for cooperating! You know, you’re nowhere near as aggressive as they said you would be.” The doctor spoke absentmindedly as the appendages began to pull out instruments from their pockets.
“Really? They labeled me as “aggressive?” Maybe if they didn’t try to tear me down at every opportunity, I wouldn’t have a reason to be “aggressive.” Have they ever thought about that?” I steadily raised my voice, making sure that anyone outside could hear me.
“No! Th-that's not it at all. They just implied it because injured animals are usually more aggressive. That’s all!” They sputtered in an attempt to reassure me.
“Animal? Fucking animal?” I muttered incredulously. That implication made me fume. “I’m not some stupid animal that broke its paw; some animal that would die in the wilderness without aid. If I was left in that forest, guess what? I would have found a way to survive. My species was built to survive.” In an attempt to show the doctor what I meant, I decided, for the first time since I was getting knocked around by drones, to move on my legs. I carelessly moved my legs off the bed before gaining enough ambition to jump off.
“Y-You really shouldn’t do that!” The doctor warned, taking a step back to avoid my wake. As I was too focused trying to grow accustomed to the weakness in my legs, I ignored them. I couldn’t stand on my own, instead opting to use the support of the bedside desk as support. Whether this was because I hadn’t used my legs in over a day, or because of any sort of injuries I may have sustained, I wasn’t sure, but ultimately it didn’t matter, as the result was still the same. “Please, sit back-”
“SHUT UP!” They jumped back, almost falling over in the process. Damn it, I didn’t mean to yell, it was just the strain I was putting on myself that made it hard to regulate my volume. Still, it was obvious what they were implying through their facade of “concern.” “I can, ugh, I can do this, back off!” I swung my arm forward for no real reason. They were too far away to hit, being more off a signal to not get near. I took another step.”
“Please, don’t come any closer.” Their voice was soft but at the same time obviously urgent. “You’ll get yourself hur-”
“That’s what you think.” I took another step. “You think you already know me.” Another step. Unfiltered resentment spilled out of me as I continued to move forward, despite the pain in my legs. “You don’t know anything about me. You, no, they all think they know what makes me tick. How to keep me down.”
“Don’t take another step.” Their appendages going wild, each either wrapping around themself for protection, or sticking forward at me. “I-I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Try it.”
“W-what?”
“Try it. Try to hurt me. You lay even a single one of those tentacles on me, I will rip each one off your stout head, Axolotl.” With one final step, I was now far enough away to no longer reach the desk, but even without it, I stood. “So try it, because you have no idea what I’m cap-AGHHHH!” Before I could react, an invisible stream of electricity shot out from a device one of the appendages was holding, sending bolts of pure lightning through my veins.
The sudden pain was intense enough to make me blackout for a couple of seconds. Even after, my vision was still blurry, and all I could hear was a piercing ring. I could feel my legs give out from under me as I fruitlessly swung my arms in all directions to find something for support. This was unsuccessful, and in a moment, I was off my feet and cascading to the ground. I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact, for the feeling of smashing my already broken arm into the ground, but that feeling never came. Instead, I felt multiple firm, long limbs brace around my waist, my legs, and across my chest, keeping me upright.
My brain was too fried to be confused, to fight back, so instead I leaned into the appendages. They didn’t wrap around me tightly, just enough to keep me supported. They slithered across my surface, trying to find crooks in my body for better leverage, or so I assumed. Eventually, they found some appropriate spots to wrap around for the best support. It was comfortable for me. So comfortable, in fact, I didn’t even notice my feet leave the ground.
When I did, I didn’t even have the energy to react,simply going limp in their grasp. I was in the air for what felt like an eternity, which, in reality, was probably 30 seconds at most. I was enveloped by the feeling of my cushy bed. I was pressed into it with more force than was suitable, though I suppose it was a subliminal message to me that I shouldn’t try to leave it. The appendages untangled from my body and soon, all I could see, hear, and process was a faint ringing in my ear and blurred vision that left me in no position to even try and speak.
This lasted for several minutes as I was stuck between what felt like two planes of reality. It was a disorienting mess of stimuli that I had no way of understanding in the state I was in, like how seizures are described. Was I having a seizure?
Several more moments passed, and right as I started to consider that option seriously, my vision slowly began restoring itself around the edges. So did any physical sensation outside of the after shock, shortly afterward. My tongue still felt heavy in my mouth, though, and the taste of copper still lingered, similar to the taste of a bag of electrified pennies shoved down my throat.
That’s just about when I finally heard them again.
“-and I know I shouldn’t have but I got scared and again I’m sorry I didn’t know it was on full charge and I should have checked but also I should have never used it because I was capable of stopping you without it but I was scared and I was in no authority to use it and I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry-”
I attempted a response to the ramblings that had been going on for however long, but all that came out was a bemused grunt followed by a coughing fit. It wasn’t very effective in communicating anything, not even being loud enough to get their attention. So I tried again. “Sss.”
They jumped back at the loud hissing sound. “A-a-are you okay?”
“Ss-shut up.” I practically gurgled out from the depths of my throat. “You talk too much.”
“O-oh th-thank goodness you’re ok. I’m so sorry about this. I shouldn’t have shot the Tuca’p, it was brazzen and unprofessional of me. I should have done something, anything other then-”
“Shut up.” Their expression dropped. “Quit making so many excuses, you don’t need any. I was being a dick to you, which you didn’t deserve. You were only reciting what they said. I shouldn’t have taken that out on you.” Despite everything, I’m glad I never lost the ability to find humor in a facial expression, because the one I was witnessing was priceless. I would have laughed if I’d remembered. “You know, you're not too bad.”
“I-I don’t-I’m not sure what it is-excuse me, I don’t… Thank you.” Their gills flushed a vibrant hue of pink light, filling the entire room for only a moment. “Thank you.”
I picked myself up from the groove in the bed. “Why were you here again?”
“Oh, right!” Instantly, the appendages shot in all directions, some grabbing tools from their pockets, off the desk, while two latched under my arms, and another around my waist. “Is this alright?”
“Sure.”
“Ok, perfect!” They got closer to me, really close, actually, and brought the tools along. “Now, firstly, I’m going to gently move your limbs, and you’re going to tell me if anything hurts, ok?”
“Understood.” Without further warning, the appendages wrapped around the base of my arm next to the shoulder and began to rhythmically shake them. Instantly, I felt a sharp pain in my left bicep. “Fuck.”
“Where?”
“Left. Left arm.”
“Can you use your right to show the afflicted area.” At this point, it was less of a question and more of a command. Without another word, I wriggled my right hand out of their grip and ran my fingers across the afflicted parts of my arm. This ended up consisting of the entirety of it from my shoulder to just before my hand. Damn, I must have really messed myself up.
“Right here.”
“Interesting.” The limbs suddenly left my arms and briefly went to my legs. “Anything?” They asked as they shook my legs firmly.
“No.”
“What about-” They cut themselves off while two appendages ran across my torso and body. As they went, they firmly pressed against me in another attempt to find any pain.
“I don’t think your going to find anything broken ther-shit!” The limbs immediately stopped at the point I made noise.
“Interesting.” They lightly pressed down on the spot, eliciting the same reaction from me.
“Mind telling me what's here?”
“As in bone structure? Well, on either side of my body I have 12 bones that wrap around the interior of myself. We call it a ribcage, ‘cause it’s like a cage.” It was weird to describe an aspect of the human body that is so ubiquitous that in any other circumstance, would not even require a second breath.
“From what I can feel,” they pressed down against the spot again for emphasis, “ It appears something is looser than the other bones around it. Is that normal?”
“No, I think I might have cracked a rib.”
“Will you heal on your own?”
“Aside from getting a limb chopped off, I can heal from just about anything given enough time.”
“Impressive.” They paused awkwardly like they were about to continue, but stopped before the words could leave their mouth, instead just hanging agape like a fish drowning in air. “”Y-you’re impressive.”
The last stutter made me realize how they were completely stutter-free for the entirety of the check-up. Turns out being good at a job brings out the confidence in someone. It was funny, ‘cause I could relate.
“I know.” I couldn’t help but give a smug smile. “Of course I know!”
“I’m glad.” From a coat pocket, they pulled out a small square with a sac full of a purple liquid on the back. On the front, small metal teeth lined the edges of the square, all of which protruded perfectly forward. “That being said, I have some medicine that will speed up the process. Now, if you’ll just stick out an arm.” The appendage slithered its way up the length of my arm and gripped tightly at the elbow. Without further pause, the strange square was pushed into my arm, and started to inject itself into my bloodstream.
The sensation was strange, feeling like an ice cold liquid was dumped directly into my veins. I flinched and yanked my arm back, the square unbothered by this sudden movement as it was completely dug into my arm.
“How is this going to help exactly?”
“The liquid should fuse with your blood cells and increase their proficiency. Y-You have blood cells, right?”
“Yes, I have blood cells. What doesn’t?”
“I don’t know, it's just you’re strange.”
“I know I am, a lot of people have been telling me that recently.” When the square was just about finished depositing the liquid, I yanked it out from my arm and threw it on the nearby desk. “A lot of people.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What was that?”
“I’m sorry The Council and their team haven't met your expectations of decency.” They spoke with a smooth tone that made it clear every word was carefully chosen. “And I’m sorry I contributed to that when I unintentionally disrespected you earlier. I never want anyone to feel that way. I know how it can feel.”
I didn’t respond, not because I understood them, or appreciated the apology, or the words that should have given me some sense of retribution, but because I had nothing to say. The words were phony, they rang hollow because I knew they had no worth whatsoever. What would I do with a sorry, and what did they even represent? That they cared? I think I could count the amount of people who have ever had genuine respect for me on one hand, and even then, that takes time. I have no reason to believe this one who I met 20 minutes ago had any reason to care, so I said nothing.
“W-well, I should be going now. I checked on all parts of your body, and judging by the amount of damage, you should be back up and running in barley a couple Anex’s, so I see no reason why you should worry.”
“Ok.” Their expression faltered, this time giving me no amusement. “Thanks.” I turned away from them, and proceeded to focus on the machines whirling next to me as a distraction until they left.
Finally, after a minute or so, I started to hear footsteps walk towards the door. Then, “You’re not what they say you are.”
“...”
“I know we just met, and I know we don’t know anything about each other but… I know you’re more than some aggressive fighter, more than what's under the surface.”
“...”
“I just… I just don’t believe they know that. Neither do you.” The door opened, signifying their exit. “By the way, I’ll deliver you some clothes next Anex.” And just like that, they were gone.
I didn’t understand that last statement for a minute, before looking down and suddenly remembering I was completely naked save for the crumpled blanket that lay on the floor. ‘Shit, have I been like this the entire time?’ The embarrassment that filled me was immense, and honestly made me laugh with how I didn’t notice. It was enough to, briefly, distract me from what they said to me.
I wanted to act like they had no effect on me, like with the apology, but for some reason I just couldn’t. The words clung to me, and I couldn’t help but ponder them. It was only when I reminded myself of the fact we had only briefly interacted, and that they had no knowledge of me as a person, that I threw the statement to the side to forget about. ‘First impressions are often misleading.’
They were interesting, that's for sure, but they quickly left my mind. What replaced it was the persistent thought that I was weak for rotting in this bed the past couple days. Sure I needed to heal, but by this point, it was plenty. I knew I needed to make myself feel better, and the only way I could was by proving those days of rest meant something. To prove this, I was going to walk.
I had already done it, but that was done for a different reason, and I wanted to prove it wasn’t a one time thing. So I scooted off the bed and with a deep breath, I put both legs on the ground. The immediate pain I felt made me question how I was even able to do it the first time. Still I didn’t let it deter me, and with one step in front of the other, I moved. I moved forward, not gracefully, not quickly, but I moved forward, like I was taught to do.
I touched the wall on the other side of the room and briefly rested against it for support, before walking back to the bed, then back to the wall, over, and over, and over again. The repetition showed it was worth it, showed that I was, in fact, a fighter.
‘Ha, shows what they know.’
submitted by Twitch6r to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 18:23 Reasonable-Value-926 Laird Barron Read-Along 26: “Vastation”

Barron, Laird. “Vastation,” The Beautiful Thing that Awaits Us All and Other Stories (Night Shade Books, 2013)
“He had still been Randolph Carter, a fixed point in the dimensional seething. Now, beyond the Ultimate Gateway, he realised in a moment of consuming fright that he was not one person, but many persons.”
“There were “Carters” in settings belonging to every known and suspected age of earth’s history, and to remoter ages of earthly entity transcending knowledge, suspicion, and credibility. “Carters” of forms both human and non-human, vertebrate and invertebrate, conscious and mindless, animal and vegetable. And more, there were “Carters” having nothing in common with earthly life, but moving outrageously amidst backgrounds of other planets and systems and galaxies and cosmic continua.”
“No death, no doom, no anguish can arouse the surpassing despair which flows from a loss of identity. Merging with nothingness is peaceful oblivion; but to be aware of existence and yet to know that one is no longer a definite being distinguished from other beings—that one no longer has a self—that is the nameless summit of agony and dread.”
H. P. Lovecraft – “The Gates of the Silver Key”
Preface:
When I volunteered to do a write-up for our year-long Laird Barron reading, Greg casually mentioned –slyly, one might say– that he had been planning to cover “Vastation” and would I like a crack at it instead? “Sure,” I said. “I like a challenge, why not?” My wife has left me. No one comes to visit me in this place where I have been taken. Even the rats and fleas, so ubiquitous in the rest of the institution, give my cell a wide berth. They know something is wrong. My thoughts spiral; I write in circles. It is possible that in a previous life I was a detective attempting to construct a timeline from a serial killer’s wall of thumbtacks and string. I will have my revenge on Greg.
Another Preface:
“Vastation” is actually a very straightforward story. You only need to familiarize yourself with the works of H. P. Lovecraft, read a little weird fiction literary theory, and stumble across an old interview between Laird and Greg. “Vastation” is what you get when you bludgeon Lovecraft’s stories over the head and throw their remains down a deep well into the Laird Barron cosmos. To crudely rearrange a few of Laird’s thoughts from the above-mentioned interview:
“Time is a ring… the universe is dirty… it’s all about stomach acids and semen and blood and effluvia… there’s even theories that it’s a cellular structure. [I]f you can get to the edge of the universe… If you were able to travel in your physical form, like superman, out to not the edge of the universe but the edge of all creation… you would cease to exist because there’s no room for you to exist there.”1
You drop Randolph Carter’s, “moment of consuming fright,” his epiphany at the end of everything that he is all living things, into Laird’s vision of an unending, hungering, ouroboros of time and space, and we have the premise of “Vastation.”
Two more points.
  1. In reading many, but not all, of Lovecraft’s stories alluded to in, “Vastation,” I have learned that old Howie loved to write about characters living through the ages, living multiple lives, and taking numerous identities. The most prominent after, “The Gates of the Silver Key,” would be “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.” Attention should also be paid to “The Whisperer in Darkness,” because it is the first appearance of the Mi-Go, who I believe to be the inspiration for Laird’s Pod People. 
  2. The author and critic John Clute wrote a wonderful piece on the concept of vastation in regards to literary horror. He defines it, in part, as, “… a laying waste to a land or a psyche; a physical or psychological devastation; desolation… the even more disintegrative moment when the accidents of goodness are shaved mercilessly from the unsalvageable central core of the wicked.” In other words, vastation is when the illusory fabric of reality is pulled out from under the feet of the protagonist or narrator, exposing the absolute horrors beneath. In most horror or weird fiction stories vastation occurs gradually throughout the text or once at the climax. In “Vastation,” it happens endlessly.
Summary and analysis:
“Vastation” is, as Laird once put it, “a “6000-word monologue from an unutterably mad superhuman” (UMS). Like Randolph Carter, he—and UMS does think of him/itself as a he, more on that later—knows that in some impossible sense he is all people, all living beings, throughout all of creation. He lives countless lives. He knows the future and the past, albeit imperfectly. He knows how to jump his consciousness from one body to another, how to travel time, how to manipulate biology on a molecular level. His knowledge and powers and nearly godlike. In death, in sleep, or simply by staring into his own left “freakish eyeball,” he visits the infernal blackhole known as Ur-Nyctos, the “the quaking mass at the center of everything,” and “portal to the blackest of hells.” There, he shatters into quantum nothingness before reconstituting somewhere else along the ring, and he knows it will never stop. World without end, lives without end, vastations without end.
Things get darker. Completely insane, UMS spends eternity killing himself, killing his friends, getting killed by his friends, and participating in the occasional apocalypse, all the while somewhat aware he is everyone he has ever killed and everyone who will ever kill him. Every turn of the ring is the same story from a different angle, like UMS riding a train at night, looking at his reflection in the dark window.
“Vastation” begins with the answer to an impossible question. Where does the story of someone unshackled from cause and effect, imprisoned in an eternally looping cosmos, start? How did UMS become the unutterably mad superhuman? Laird throws so many red herrings at us. Does the story begin in Chicago, when UMS dies at the hands of his personal Judas, Pontius Sacrus? Or in Crete, when he claims to have been a mere flea, or human, and beholds Ur-Nyctos through the keyhole in the potter’s hidden room (shout out to “Jaws of Saturn”)? Or when he abandons his distant-future body to be taken over by the Pod People? None of these moments contain UMS’s origin because they have happened before and will happen again ad infinitum. In “Vastation,” there are no first times. Laird solves this paradox by burying a plot point from “The Gates of the Silver Key” in the first words of “Vastation.”
“When I was six, I discovered a terrible truth; I was the only human being on the planet.” Notice, UMS did not say, “when I was six years old.” I spent weeks wondering what that meant. Then I noticed that Laird twice calls time traveling “tripping back.” It seemed oddly specific and turned out to be a phrase from “The Gates of the Silver Key,” in which, after Randolph Carter experiences the Zen-through-cosmic-horror epiphany I quoted at the top of this write-up, he beseeches Yog-Sothoth—because of course Yog-Sothoth makes an appearance— for even greater forbidden knowledge. Yog-Sothoth tells Carter, “what you wish, I have found good; and I am ready to grant that which I have granted eleven times only to beings of your planet—five times only to those you call men, or those resembling them.”
Five men, making Carter the sixth human, or sixth being resembling a human. “When I was six, I discovered…” The previous five are Pontiff Sacrus and UMS’s other friends.
About Pontiff Sacrus, I also spent an embarrassing amount of time obsessing over him. It may be of interest to know that high priests of ancient Rome were known as the College of Pontiffs, that the most prestigious position in the college was held by the Rex Sacrorum, that Ted is short for Edward, and that Edward Hutchinson is a necromancer who lives many lives and a significant character in “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.”
By the way, the other time Laird stamps his foot and stares pointedly at the reader is when he employs the term “essential saltes.” It’s from “Charles Dexter Ward,” which begins with the following quote:
“The essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an ingenious Man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own Studie, and raise the fine Shape of an Animal out of its Ashes at his Pleasure; and by the lyke Method from the essential Saltes of humane Dust, a Philosopher may, without any criminal Necromancy, call up the Shape of any dead Ancestour from the Dust whereinto his Bodie has been incinerated.”
So, UMS is damned to eternal life and eternal vastation. He, understandably, is insane. He whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Denials, contradictions, and possibly flat-out lies fill his monologue. Again, it’s in the first sentence. “I was the only human being on the planet.” He has to tell himself this. The knowledge of what he always will be, what he always has done, what he always will do., is too terrible for him to bear. He denies his infinite identities with the solipsist problem of other minds. He cannot be other people because other people are fungible, mere cheap Xerox’s, fleas; he is the only real McCoy. This is especially true of women—I said we would return to gender. While humanity in general is “grist for the mill,” women are either mentioned in passing or, in the case of UMS’s wives, described as inhuman automatons.
Think about it. Even though, on an infinite loop, he has done everything, been every human, has been/will be Beyoncé releasing her country album, Joan of Arc leading her men into battle, Martha Stewart receiving her sentence, and Bathory forcing some girl—who is also him—to kick stars, UMS never describes a single life he has spent as a woman. I think this is UMS grasping at an identity. It’s not that he necessarily hates women more than any other aspect of his universal selves so much as he is clinging to his gender as a self-defense mechanism. He is an individual because he flirts with Macedonian honeys. He is himself and not the wives he is tired of fucking, who are artificial anyway, even as they react to him with the very human responses of fear and suicide.2
Returning to the big picture, UMS’s cosmic gender identity issues are just the micro in the macro. Every timeline, every epoch, in “Vastation” is a story of committing murder to avoid forbidden knowledge. UMS’s wife kills herself rather than spend another night next to him as he dreams of Ur-Nyctos. UMS kills the potter before he can finish explaining how his wheel-device works—get it? — and then kills iteration after iteration of himself before he discovers the bloody peephole in the potter’s hidden chamber. He’s accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in a different well where he cannot share his knowledge of the past or future with anyone except other aspects of himself who mock him from the mouth of his prison. He reveals nanotech and genetic engendering to humanity, then commits global genocide to erase this knowledge. Again and again, UMS tries to keep humanity and himself from forbidden knowledge he cannot escape, murderously, scrambling back from the edges of vastation, forever failing.
There’s so much more. Any person who doesn’t miss the days when he went to sleep at a reasonable hour could write a dissertation on “Vastation.” I haven’t even TOUCHED most of the Lovecraft Easter eggs I found. I had a blast working on this, but this is me holding my gloves up and yelling, “no mas, no mass.” I’m going to bed.
Discussion: 
  1. Gordon van Gelder famously told Laird that he had bought “Shiva, Open Your Eye” (Laird’s first professional sale) because he wanted to see what Laird would do next. Ten years later, Vastation saw publication in Cthulhu’s Reign and has been called something of a reincarnation of “Shiva.” What similarities do we see?
    1. I suspect, but could not find enough support in the texts, that UMS’s ascendancy into superhuman status, or his visits to Ur-Nyctos—if there is a difference—is what awakens the Old Ones, drawing their attention to pitiful humanity. He does seem to do his best to avoid them. Thoughts?
    2. If anyone has any thoughts about what Laird was referencing when UMS pushes his best friend off a bridge I would love to hear it.
    3. Does Laird deny UMS a name because he is everyone?
    4. “After I made me, I crushed the mold under my heel.” That’s some sort of pun about the fungal Pod People, right?
    Footnotes / references
  2. from an interview between Greg and Laird which took place on June 23, 2021.
    “There was one theory, if you can get to the edge of the universe, somehow get to the leading, bleeding edge of reality, it’s actually, it would compress you to, basically it would get narrower and narrower. You would get flattened. If you were able to travel in your physical form, like superman, out to not the edge of the universe but the edge of all creation, it acts just like a blade… you would cease to exist because there’s no room for you to exist there.
    And that was one theory. But the other theory was--you know how a fountain works? You’ve got a base of water and it shoots up, and it looks like a different stream of water coming out of the angel’s mouth, but it’s just the water cycling. It’s the same water going through. That was another theory about the universe. It is constantly going through itself. If you recycle the water through the fountain, or you pull a slinky through itself, or a sock, it just constantly turns into itself over and over again.
    …maybe it’s not always 100% the same, because the slinky moves left or right a few millimeters. Unless you have it on a machine going through the same exact angle at the same speed, possibly there’s: this time it went through like this; maybe it wobbled a little bit. That’s how we could get the idea of free will. That determinism vs. you can have a little control over your destiny…
    Time is a ring… the universe is dirty. Look at the processes of all--there could be life forms out there that are very clean and just made of light and music…[b]ut generally speaking, it’s all about stomach acids and semen and blood and effluvia and all this stuff. So I was like alright, it’s an organic--the universe is very organic. There’s even theories that it’s a cellular structure.”
    1. Anyone interested in this type of analysis might want to check out Julia Kristeva’s theory of the abject.
submitted by Reasonable-Value-926 to LairdBarron [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 17:19 UncoolSlicedBread Bugs I’ve seen recently, do you have any you’ve seen?

I’ve noticed a bunch of bugs recently, I’d report these but I’m not 100% sure how and I’m too afraid to ask so I’m posting them here so we can all wallow in our grief.
  1. The Pawn/Shack Device for the Chess/King/Vault easter egg doesn’t work.
Usually, you go inside, send the signal on the device and it will spawn a hoard along with a disciple. It just toggles the interaction but doesn’t complete it.
  1. Delivery/Transport Missions, the waypoints disappear pretty regularly.
Seems to be bugged when you go to the map or select other waypoints. It’s usually right after you get into the LTV and the delivery waypoint disappears as you take off. So you have to just drive to spots you think it could be and hope a helo is waiting.
  1. PlayeDowned Player symbols missing from mini-map.
This is new to me, happened yesterday where I was in the same map square as a downed team and they weren’t showing up for me - even as I got close to where I think they were. They were doing an outlast in t2, H3 I think was the map coordinate, and they kept asking for help in chat. Finally they give a coordinate, and I realize I’m near them, like less that 200m.
But they’re still not showing up, despite them asking for help in chat after I clear the entire H3 square, and the only clues I have to their location is a sentry gun icon. I run over and see a hoard, and still can’t find them, I go down once and barely make it out alive and still can’t see them after running through the entire PND area.
I guess they disconnected soon after, never got a so and so disconnected notification either for them. They never chatted again.
submitted by UncoolSlicedBread to MWZombies [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 13:22 ufo9au Top Online Casino Games on Ufo9au.net

Top Online Casino Games on Ufo9au.net
Online casinos have revolutionized the way we experience gaming, offering convenience, variety, and the thrill of winning from the comfort of our homes. UFO9 Australia is a prominent platform that provides an extensive range of online casino games, catering to both novice and seasoned players. In this article, we will explore the top online casino games available on UFO9 Australia, highlighting their unique features and why they are a must-try for any gaming enthusiast.
https://preview.redd.it/q4lr2iiwfk1d1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e06d43f687d54c5c1f0ee017afed50e3d5f9c708

Why Choose UFO9 Australia?

Diverse Game Selection
UFO9 Australia boasts a vast collection of online casino games, ensuring that every player finds something that suits their taste. From classic table games to modern video slots, the platform offers a comprehensive gaming experience.
High-Quality Graphics and Sound
The games on UFO9 Australia feature high-quality graphics and immersive sound effects, creating a realistic and engaging gaming environment. This attention to detail enhances the overall experience, making each game more enjoyable.
Secure and Fair Gaming
Security and fairness are top priorities at UFO9 Australia. The platform uses advanced encryption technology to protect players' data and ensure that all games are fair and transparent. Regular audits and certifications by independent agencies further guarantee a safe gaming environment.
Top Online Casino Games on UFO9 Australia
1. Blackjack
Overview
Blackjack is a timeless card game that requires both skill and luck. The objective is to beat the dealer by having a hand value closest to 21 without exceeding it.
Features
Various blackjack variations
Interactive live dealer options
Side bets and bonus rounds
Why Play?
Blackjack's blend of strategy and excitement makes it a favorite among players. UFO9 Australia's live dealer blackjack games provide an authentic casino experience with real-time interaction.
2. Roulette
Overview
Roulette is a classic casino game where players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel. It offers multiple betting options and a thrilling gameplay experience.
Features
American, European, and French roulette variations
Live dealer roulette
High-definition graphics
Why Play?
Roulette's simple yet captivating gameplay, combined with the potential for significant winnings, makes it a staple in any online casino.
https://preview.redd.it/10juhns1gk1d1.jpg?width=509&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ccfbafe541a779beb05a4bd6f19a9f313afe159
3. Slots
Overview
Slots are among the most popular online casino games, known for their simplicity and variety. Players spin the reels in hopes of matching symbols to win.
Features
Hundreds of themed slots
Progressive jackpots
Bonus rounds and free spins
Why Play?
The sheer variety of slots on UFO9 Australia ensures that there is always something new to try. Progressive jackpots offer the chance for life-changing wins.
4. Poker
Overview
Poker is a skill-based card game that pits players against each other in a battle of wits and strategy. UFO9 Australia offers various poker formats, including Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
Features
Multiple poker variations
Tournaments and cash games
Live dealer poker
Why Play?
Poker's strategic depth and the potential for significant payouts make it a favorite among competitive players.
5. Baccarat
Overview
Baccarat is a card game where players bet on whether the player or the banker will have a higher hand value, or if the game will end in a tie.
Features
Standard and live dealer baccarat
Side bets and bonus features
Easy-to-understand rules
Why Play?
Baccarat's straightforward gameplay and favorable odds make it an attractive option for both beginners and experienced players.
6. Craps
Overview
Craps is a dice game where players bet on the outcome of the roll or a series of rolls. It is known for its fast-paced action and variety of betting options.
Features
Realistic animations
Multiple betting options
Interactive tutorials for beginners
Why Play?
Craps offers a dynamic and social gaming experience, with the potential for substantial payouts.

FAQs

What makes UFO9 Australia stand out from other online casinos?
UFO9 Australia stands out due to its diverse game selection, high-quality graphics, secure gaming environment, and excellent customer support.
Are the games on UFO9 Australia fair?
Yes, all games on UFO9 Australia are regularly audited by independent agencies to ensure fairness and transparency.
Can I play UFO9 Australia games on my mobile device?
Yes, UFO9 Australia offers a fully optimized mobile gaming experience, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games on the go.
What payment methods does UFO9 Australia accept?
UFO9 Australia accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers.
Is there a welcome bonus for new players?
Yes, UFO9 Australia offers a generous welcome bonus for new players, along with regular promotions and loyalty rewards for existing members.
How can I increase my chances of winning?
While winning in online casino games is largely based on luck, you can increase your chances by understanding the rules of each game, using strategies where applicable, and taking advantage of bonuses and promotions.

Conclusion

UFO9 Australia provides a top-notch online casino experience with its extensive game library, high-quality graphics, and secure platform. Whether you're a fan of classic table games like blackjack and roulette or prefer the excitement of video slots and poker, UFO9 Australia has something for everyone. Dive into the world of online gaming with UFO9 Australia and discover the thrill of winning from the comfort of your home.
submitted by ufo9au to u/ufo9au [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 08:57 Count-Daring243 Best Cheap Gun Safes

Best Cheap Gun Safes
​
https://preview.redd.it/xg5ljprc4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80c9fbe9f0bc1892bef48bad051b11cb0c4273fe
If you own a firearm, it's essential to keep it secure and safe from unauthorized access. In this article, we explore some of the most affordable gun safes available on the market, helping you protect your investment without breaking the bank.

The Top 19 Best Cheap Gun Safes

  1. Stack-On Beveled 18-Gun Security Cabinet - Protect Your Valuables - Secure your rifles, shotguns, and pistols with the Stack-On Steel 18 Firearm Compact Security Cabinet Locker Gun Safe, offering superior protection and easy storage with adjustable shelves.
  2. Top-rated, affordable gun safe with robust security features - Fort Knox PB1 Handgun Safe with 13.5inch Dean Safe Pistol Sock - The ultimate in strength, reliability, and versatility, this 10-gauge steel handgun safe is ready to protect your valuables and provide secure storage.
  3. Top-Class Secure 5-Gun Storage - A high-quality gun safe from American Furniture Classics that provides excellent protection, storage, and peace of mind with its sturdy construction, craftsmanship, and keyed access.
  4. Affordable Gun Safe with Fingerprint & Digital Keypad Lock - VEVOR 6 Gun Safe: The ultimate firearm storage solution with advanced security features, perfect for protecting your loved ones and valuable firearms.
  5. Heavy-Duty 5-Gun Metal Security Cabinet - High-quality 5-gun metal security cabinet with a three-point locking system, approved by the California Department of Justice, ideal for small spaces and easy installation.
  6. Affordable Gun Safe with Dual Lock Security and Built-In Storage - VEFOR 6 Gun Safe - Enhance your gun security with fingerprint and digital keypad lock, offering ultimate protection and flexible storage for your valuable firearms.
  7. Winchester 26 Long Gun Safe - Secure and Spacious Storage for Your Firearms - Winchester 26 Long Gun Safe - E-Lock, Gun Safe, Gray
  8. Wasatch 24 Gun Fire and Water Safe with Anti-Theft Electronic Lock - Protect your valuable shotguns and rifles with the fireproof and waterproof Wasatch 24 Gun Fire and Water Safe, featuring an advanced electronic lock and a customizable interior design.
  9. Secure 3 Rifle Gun Cabinet with Digital Lock - VEVOR's 3 Rifle Safe offers top-notch security, craftsmanship, and quick access for firearm owners, ensuring your valuable weapons are safely stored and protected.
  10. Classic Solid Wood Gun Cabinet - The American Furniture Classics 8 Gun Cabinet combines elegant design with functional storage, featuring solid wood and veneers, a tempered glass front, and a fully locking key lock system for secure display and protection of your long guns.
  11. American Furniture Classics 16 Gun Metal Cabinet - The American Furniture Classics 16 Gun Metal Cabinet boasts a scratch-resistant, textured black finish and wood grain accents for added style, providing secure storage for long guns and shotguns in its accessible and sturdy construction.
  12. Snapsafe Under Bed Safe: Secure Storage Solution for Valuables - SnapSafe Under Bed Safe offers large storage capacity with pry resistance and digital lock featuring key backup for enhanced security, perfect for under seat gun safes.
  13. Affordable Electronic Locking Wall Safe for Valuables Storage - Secure your valuables with the Tracker Series Model WS211404-E wall safe, featuring a sturdy steel construction, key storage hooks, and removable shelves, providing protection for your small important documents, keys, and cash.
  14. Affordable Fireproof Electronic Lock Gun Safe with 30-Gun Capacity - This Sports Afield SA5527BASIC-THD 30-Gun Fireproof Safe offers reliable protection for your valuables, featuring a fully programmable electronic lock, rugged steel construction and adjustable side shelves, all in a sleek black design.
  15. Discreet and Secure Gun Safe with Biometric Fingerprint Lock - The Bentism Gun Safe offers a secure, large storage solution for up to 5 rifles and 4 pistols, complete with a biometric fingerprint lock and smart alarm system for enhanced firearm safety.
  16. Vibrant 60-Gun Safe with Stunning Features and Top-Tier Security - The Remington STS 60-Gun Safe offers exceptional durability, ample storage, and advanced security features, making it an ideal choice among other cheap gun safes on the market.
  17. Affordable 1/8-inch Thick Steel Small Firearm Safe - Secure your valuable small firearms in this affordable, 1/8 solid steel safe, featuring a secret PIN code and included keys for easy access.
  18. Surelock Security Conceal 4 Gun Safe with Expanding Fire Seal - The Surelock Security Conceal 4 Gun Safe provides a compact, moveable, and fire-resistant storage solution for 3-4 long guns, offering peace of mind with digital keypad access and key backup.
  19. Secure 5-Gun Long Gun Safe with Electronic Keypad - RPNB's 5 Gun Long Gun Safe offers ultimate protection for your rifles and valuables, boasting a solid steel body, motorized locking mechanism, and a separate ammo cabinet, all while adhering to Google search guidelines.
As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Reviews

🔗Stack-On Beveled 18-Gun Security Cabinet - Protect Your Valuables

​
https://preview.redd.it/ggwlu92d4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=057e80d99c53b971637032eef3f392d51a014be7
The Stack-On Beveled 18-Gun Security Cabinet, Steel, is a reliable and durable option for storing your rifles, shotguns, pistols, and other valuable belongings. The exterior finish is a sleek black, and the interior is spacious with an abundance of storage options. One of the main draws of this cabinet is its strong security features, including a key-coded cylinder lock and 4-way door locking system.
However, the most disappointing aspect of this cabinet is its build quality. The thin metal sheets and weak locking mechanism make it an untrustworthy option for securing your precious firearms and valuables. I had high hopes for this cabinet, but unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. I found the installation process to be somewhat difficult and time-consuming as well.
On a positive note, the steel shelves are a nice touch for added durability and support. They make it easier to organize your firearms and accessories, and the adjustable half-width shelves allow for customization. Additionally, the molded barrel rests and foam-padded bottom provide an extra level of protection for your antique firearms.
Unfortunately, the interior design is not as well thought out as it could be. The placement of the barrel rest holes is not ideal for all firearms, and some users have noted that the paint job inside the cabinet is of poor quality, leading to rust formation.
Overall, while the Stack-On Beveled 18-Gun Security Cabinet, Steel, has its merits, the build quality and installation process are significant drawbacks that cannot be ignored.

🔗Top-rated, affordable gun safe with robust security features

​
https://preview.redd.it/k4jvpdid4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c5246bbd8c25170967b4cec4a70d0a69e0b7820
I recently had the opportunity to put the Fort Knox PB1 Handgun Safe to the test, and I must say I was impressed with its durability and functionality. This safe's 10-gauge steel body and 3/16-inch wraparound door make it practically impossible to break open, ensuring that your valuable firearms are well protected. I particularly enjoyed the gas-strut-assisted heavyweight door, which makes lifting the door a breeze and holds it open for easy access.
The Simplex push-button mechanical locking system is a winner in my book. It's fast and easy to use, providing up to 1,081 different combinations to keep your safe secure. The textured grey powder coat finish adds an elegant touch while still exuding a sense of strength and quality. The interior features egg crate foam lining to protect your firearms, guns, and magazines from scratches and damage.
One of the standout features for me was the convenience of pre-drilled holes for easy bolting down. It made setting up the safe a breeze and allowed me to feel confident that it wouldn't be going anywhere. The only downside I experienced was the limited number of combination possibilities, which could potentially make it easier for someone with ill intentions to access the safe. Still, this safe's overall build and security features outweigh this minor inconvenience.
The Fort Knox PB1 Handgun Safe is the perfect solution for gun owners looking for a reliable and strong safe to protect their firearms. With its sleek design and impressive construction, this safe is truly the best bang for your buck.

🔗Top-Class Secure 5-Gun Storage

​
https://preview.redd.it/xzn7r0xd4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=679c6afb1753c0a52dbd71ba25835e463cc5e8ad
I've had the pleasure of using this gun safe in my home for quite some time now, and I must say, it's been a reliable companion. The first thing that stands out is the 3-directional bolt system. It gives me peace of mind knowing that my firearms are securely locked away. Plus, the high strength steel construction ensures durability, even in the face of potential wear and tear.
One feature that I absolutely love is the soft foam pad at the bottom. Not only does it provide a cushioned resting place for my weapons, but it also helps maintain their condition over time. The holes for mounting to the wall and/or floor are another great addition. This gives me the flexibility to install the safe wherever I see fit, whether it's in my bedroom or living room.
However, no product is perfect. There are some aspects of this gun safe that could be improved. For instance, the keyed access can be a bit cumbersome at times. While it does offer an added layer of security, it can also be a nuisance if you misplace the key.
In conclusion, this affordable 5-gun safe from American Furniture Classics has been a worthwhile investment for me. Its robust construction and secure 3-directional bolt system make it an ideal choice for those looking to store their firearms safely and securely. While the keyed access may require some getting used to, the overall quality and performance of this product are well worth the cost.

🔗Affordable Gun Safe with Fingerprint & Digital Keypad Lock

​
https://preview.redd.it/ohz3v76e4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c89a53e034bef340b9a994600681a864c89034b
I recently needed a gun safe for my firearms and I stumbled upon the VEVOR 6 Gun Safe. As a responsible gun owner, I always prioritize my gun's security. The VEVOR Gun Safe not only promised advanced security features but also boasted a durable construction.
What stood out to me the most was the dual-lock system, both with a fingerprint and digital keypad. This feature ensures that only authorized individuals can access the safe, providing an added layer of protection. The dimensions of the safe were perfect for storing my firearms, fitting them perfectly without any issues.
However, there was one downside: it was a bit heavier than I expected. At 82 lb, it required some effort to move around when needed. But overall, the VEVOR Gun Safe served its purpose by protecting my valuable firearms and my loved ones. I would highly recommend it to any gun owner looking for a reliable and secure storage solution.

🔗Heavy-Duty 5-Gun Metal Security Cabinet

​
https://preview.redd.it/b002w1ge4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b0fbcb26344fd79965f02d9cd8eac11f1cb7f73
As a first-time gun owner, I was in the market for a small and affordable security cabinet. I came across the American Furniture Classics 5 Gun Starter Metal Security Cabinet and decided to give it a try. I must say, this cabinet has exceeded my expectations in terms of its 3-point locking system, which keeps my firearms safe and secure. The cabinet is made from high-quality black powder-coated paint, making it both attractive and durable.
One of the standout features of this cabinet is its soft foam barrel rest and carpeted floor, which protects my long guns from scratches and damage. It's also fully assembled right out of the box, so I didn't have to worry about any confusing instructions nor spend hours putting it together. Additionally, it includes four expansion bolts to secure it to the floor, providing even more peace of mind.
However, there are a few cons to consider. Some users have reported issues with the cabinet's build quality, stating that the metal seems thin and may not withstand a determined break-in attempt. Additionally, the cabinet's lock mechanism has been described as "flimsy" by some, leaving me slightly concerned about the overall security it provides.
In conclusion, the American Furniture Classics 5 Gun Starter Metal Security Cabinet has become an essential part of my home, providing a secure and affordable storage solution for my long guns. While it may not be the most robust option on the market, it provides more than enough security for everyday use.

🔗Affordable Gun Safe with Dual Lock Security and Built-In Storage

​
https://preview.redd.it/8zwoslxe4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=953c2adb6e894cbec464cf136a62514b6d267cd3
Imagine you're a serious gun owner who values both your firearms and the safety of your family. You've searched tirelessly for a reliable storage solution, but most are either too complicated or too expensive. That's where the VEVOR 6 Gun Safe comes in - a practical, stylish, and affordable option.
Opening the safe, you're greeted by a spacious interior, with ample room for your rifles and pistols on the adjustable shelves. You appreciate the versatility, allowing you to customize the storage according to your needs. However, you also notice that shorter firearms fit perfectly, but longer ones might not find enough space unless you remove the pistol shelf.
Securing the safe is a breeze. The dual-lock system, which includes both a fingerprint and digital keypad, provides both convenience and security. It makes you feel confident that your family and valuable firearms are well-protected.
Making the VEVOR 6 Gun Safe even more appealing is its solid construction. The exterior has a sleek black finish that adds a touch of sophistication to your home. The wall thickness is sturdy at 0.04 inches. However, you notice that the metal used in the construction does not have a specific classification, which may leave some wondering about its durability.
In conclusion, the VEVOR 6 Gun Safe is a worthy investment for those seeking an affordable, practical, and reliable firearm storage solution. Though it might not be perfect for everyone, its strengths outweigh the minor drawbacks, making it a satisfying addition to your home security.

🔗Winchester 26 Long Gun Safe - Secure and Spacious Storage for Your Firearms

​
https://preview.redd.it/vlz2h5jf4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=61b6c3261b8ae2a45f8e324d6ca5ee7db5ac9a38
As a reviewer who has been using the Winchester 36 Long Gun Safe in my daily life, I can confidently say that this is a great investment for anyone looking to keep their firearms and valuables secure. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the sleek, powder-coated gun metal gray finish, which added a stylish touch to the safe while also enhancing its durability.
One of the standout features of this gun safe was its electronic lock with an override key. Having both an electronic keypad and a backup key gives me peace of mind knowing that I won't be locked out in case of a power failure or if the electronic lock fails. The solid steel locking bolts provided robust security, ensuring that my firearms are kept safe and secure at all times.
The interior of the safe was spacious enough to accommodate up to 26 long guns, making it an ideal choice for gun enthusiasts and collectors alike. Additionally, the adjustable shelves allowed me to customize the layout according to my needs, providing ample storage for other valuables as well.
However, there were some cons worth mentioning. The door of the safe had a bit of play in it when closed and locked, which could be improved upon in future models. Furthermore, the instruction manual could have been more comprehensive, especially when it came to resetting the combo on the electronic lock.
Overall, I would recommend the Winchester 36 Long Gun Safe to anyone looking for a reliable, well-made safe with ample storage and good security features. It may not be perfect, but at this price point, it's hard to beat.

🔗Wasatch 24 Gun Fire and Water Safe with Anti-Theft Electronic Lock

​
https://preview.redd.it/jh3iue0g4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36d65b68d6ef7b00359c9f30fff86da717771277
I recently had the opportunity to try out the Wasatch 24 Gun Fire and Water Safe with E-Lock 24EGW, and I must say, I was impressed. This fireproof and waterproof safe is perfect for gun enthusiasts who want to protect their precious belongings from potential damage.
One of the most impressive features of this safe is its backlit electronic lock, which comes with an Alarm-U function. The alarm notifies you of any attempted theft, and the backup key provides an extra layer of security. I loved that it offered external hinges, allowing for a full 180-degree opening, making it effortless to access my safe.
The interior door storage and 3-spoke handle design were another bonus that I found extremely useful. Additionally, the safe is equipped with 3 1.5-inch active locking bolts and 2 dead bolts that effectively deter any potential intruders.
However, I did notice that the safe is quite heavy, which can make transportation difficult. The size of the box also seemed to be larger than originally estimated, which was a bit of a hassle.
Overall, my experience with the Wasatch 24 Gun Fire and Water Safe with E-Lock 24EGW has been positive. I feel confident that my valuables are safely guarded, thanks to its impressive fire and water resistance capabilities. While there were a few minor drawbacks, they do not outweigh the fantastic features of this safe.

🔗Secure 3 Rifle Gun Cabinet with Digital Lock

​
https://preview.redd.it/4aq91zng4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcd2ac3ca2e89341c095d3031776004bd3b115ab
Nestled within the realm of personal security, the VEVOR 3 Rifles Gun Safe has been an invaluable ally in safeguarding my collection of firearms. Its digital keypad and robust construction create an aura of safety, providing me with peace of mind. The quick access feature has proven incredibly useful, especially during those moments when every second counts.
It's hard not to rave about its craftsmanship, a crucial aspect that never ceases to impress. The removable shelf, ammo storage box, and pistol rack make organization a hassle-free affair. However, one minor drawback - the locking mechanism could benefit from a more secure two-way system for enhanced security. Despite this, it's a reliable storage solution that ensures my loved ones remain protected from accidental access.

🔗Classic Solid Wood Gun Cabinet

​
https://preview.redd.it/76sz9m6h4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc27ed8e36290b4186da3f9750d9eae0a5909930
As a firearm enthusiast who wanted a stylish and secure way to store my guns, I was excited to try out the American Furniture Classics 8 Gun Cabinet. I have to say, this piece of furniture definitely added an elegant touch to my living room, while keeping my guns locked away and out of reach from unwelcome hands.
The first thing that caught my eye was the quality craftsmanship of the cabinet; it's made from solid wood and wood veneers, which gives it a rich, timeless finish. The careful design of the gun organizers ensures that each of my rifles are held steadily in place, with felt-lined butt plates and barrel rests preventing any potential scratches or scuffs.
One feature that I particularly appreciated was the tempered glass front, allowing me to proudly display my collection while still keeping them safely behind a fully-locking key lock system. The capacity to store up to 8 long guns made it perfect for my collection, without taking up too much space in my home.
However, there were a couple of minor drawbacks. The instructions were a bit cryptic, making the assembly process slightly more challenging than it needed to be. Additionally, the storage capacity is limited, so I wasn't able to fit as many scoped rifles/shotguns as I would have liked.
Overall, the American Furniture Classics 8 Gun Cabinet has been a stylish and secure way to store and display my guns, bringing both elegance and practicality into my home. Despite the small issues with assembly and limited storage, I would still recommend this cabinet to anyone looking for a high-quality gun storage solution.

🔗American Furniture Classics 16 Gun Metal Cabinet

​
https://preview.redd.it/7bb6yelh4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11f0df0dfe6263561b58977c876d46497a1a9222
I've been using the American Furniture Classics 16 Gun Metal Cabinet for a while now, and let me tell you, it's been quite an experience. This classic design, featuring a scratch-resistant black finish with gold accents, certainly stands out in my living room. The cabinet interior and door back are adorned with wood grain paneling accents, which add a touch of elegance.
Now, when it comes to setting up this cabinet, I must admit, it wasn't the easiest task. The instructions were quite lackluster, leaving me to figure out a lot of things on my own. However, once I got the hang of it, the assembly process became relatively smooth. The cabinet is solidly built with heavy-duty materials, making it sturdy and reliable.
The cabinet is designed to hold 16 guns, and it definitely delivers on that promise. I was able to store various types of rifles and shotguns without any issues. However, one downside is that it doesn't accommodate modern sporting rifles with scopes or magazines attached. So, if you're primarily looking to store those types of firearms, you might need to look for a different cabinet.
Another con worth mentioning is the door quality. While the door is sturdy, it doesn't close completely, leaving a small gap. This may not be a significant issue for everyone, but it's something to keep in mind.
On the positive side, the cabinet offers ample storage space and can easily be secured to the wall or floor. The locking mechanism, although not the most secure, is sufficient for keeping young children away from the guns.
Overall, I would recommend the American Furniture Classics 16 Gun Metal Cabinet to anyone looking for a stylish and functional gun display case. While there are a few drawbacks to consider, the cabinet's affordability and ample storage capacity make it a worthwhile investment.

🔗Snapsafe Under Bed Safe: Secure Storage Solution for Valuables

​
https://preview.redd.it/sah1ye8i4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=143cd1b4b6cff63602742643642566cfdcf2a74d
SnapSafe Under Bed Safe was a game-changer for me. I wanted to keep my valuables secure but also easily accessible, and this product fit the bill perfectly. Its sturdy construction with heavy-duty steel and pre-drilled bolt holes made it a reliable option for permanent installation. The 3-foot cable provided additional security by allowing me to anchor the safe to a stationary object.
The digital lock was a standout feature, with its programmable 3 to 8 digit access code and key backup. It also featured a pry-resistant door, which added peace of mind by keeping unauthorized users at bay, especially children. However, one downside that I noticed was the audio beeps, which could be a bit noisy at times.
Using the SnapSafe Under Bed Safe in my daily life was trouble-free. The large slide-out drawer accommodated a variety of items, from firearms and jewelry to documents, giving me the flexibility I needed for secure storage. The interior space was more than enough, and the exterior dimensions enabled it to fit neatly under my bed, taking up minimal space.
Overall, I highly recommend this product for anyone looking for an under bed safe that offers both security and convenience. It may not be perfect, with the audio beeps being a minor drawback, but it certainly gets the job done and provides the peace of mind I was seeking.

Buyer's Guide

When it comes to securing your firearms, a cheap gun safe is an affordable solution. However, not all budget safes are equally reliable or practical. In this guide, we'll help you navigate the world of bargain gun safes, considering their features, construction, security, and more.

Security Rating

​
https://preview.redd.it/lo7yjcom4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e33797c73995919e044126e4ba72b717887b7683
The first thing you should look for when searching for a cheap gun safe is the security rating. While it's true that most economical safes don't have the high-end security features of their more expensive counterparts, there are still options with a reasonable level of protection.
Common security ratings for safes include ETL, UL, and BSI certifications. Look for safes with a combination of good construction and locking mechanisms. You should also consider the thickness of the door and walls, as this plays a significant role in preventing forced entry.

Type of Lock

Gun safes often use various types of locks, including electronic locks, dial locks, and key locks. For a cheap safe, a key lock is usually the most secure option. However, electronic locks can be convenient for frequent use, especially if you forget the combination frequently.
Electronic locks tend to be more vulnerable to electronic attacks, so if you choose this option, ensure that you have a good backup system in place, such as a set of spare batteries or a spare key.

Interior Size and Organization

Another essential factor to consider when buying a cheap gun safe is the interior size and organization. A safe with adjustable shelves and dividers can allow you to better organize and store your firearms, ammunition, and accessories. It's also essential to look at the dimensions of the safe's interior to ensure that it will accommodate your firearms.
If you plan on adding more firearms to your collection, consider purchasing a safe with a larger capacity or the ability to add more shelves or dividers as needed.
​
https://preview.redd.it/x8xsbrsn4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8b973b7dd199177937692e25689732066ddab45

Weight and Construction

A cheap gun safe will not typically feature the best steel thickness and overall construction. However, a heavier safe is generally harder to move and more challenging to break into. Many budget gun safes use electronic locks, which means they rely on lightweight materials, such as aluminum or steel with lower thickness ratings.
Before purchasing, check the safe's weight and materials. The weight of a safe is critical when you consider its ability to protect your firearms from theft or unauthorized access. A safe with steel walls at least 0.4 inches thick and a door at least 0.5 inches thick is a reasonable starting point.

Other Considerations

  • Choose a safe with an anti-pry bar to protect against physical attacks.
  • Making sure the safe has a powder-coated finish can prevent rust and make it more durable.
  • Look for a warranty that covers the lock and structural components of the safe.
  • Regular maintenance, such as lubricating locks and examining the exterior, is essential to ensure the safe's longevity.
  • Consider purchasing add-on security features, such as cable locks or padlocks, to enhance safety.
Purchasing a cheap gun safe doesn't mean you have to compromise on security and quality. By knowing what features to look for and what warning signs to avoid, you can find the perfect budget safe that meets your needs without breaking the bank.

FAQ

​
https://preview.redd.it/b6z6xt2o4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72578f387f024888e11f4fb09bb2697e7fa7ed52

What are the benefits of owning a cheap gun safe?

A cheap gun safe can provide basic protection for your firearms. It helps to keep guns out of reach of children, which is crucial for safety. Additionally, it can deter unauthorized access and reduce the risk of theft.

Can a cheap gun safe be used for storing non-firearm items?

Yes, many cheap gun safes can also be used for storing other valuables, such as jewelry, important documents, and electronic devices. This can provide additional security for these items.
​
https://preview.redd.it/2xpyz1mo4j1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f9968ef2214492ece66d8602e23665ea1dcf93a

What type of locking mechanism should a cheap gun safe have?

A cheap gun safe should have a reliable locking mechanism, such as a combination lock or a key lock. It is essential that the locking mechanism is difficult to bypass and offers protection against theft.

What materials are used in making a cheap gun safe?

Cheap gun safes can be made from various materials, such as steel, solid wood, or composite materials. The choice of material depends on factors like cost, security, and style preference.

What are the sizes available for cheap gun safes?

Cheap gun safes come in various sizes, ranging from small, portable safes to larger, standalone units. It is essential to choose a size that fits your needs and the number of firearms you want to store.

What is the weight of a typical cheap gun safe?

The weight of a cheap gun safe can vary, depending on the materials used and the size of the safe. Generally, portable safes weigh between 20 to 40 pounds, while standalone safes can weigh up to 100 pounds or more.

How can I protect my cheap gun safe from fire damage?

To protect your cheap gun safe from fire damage, consider purchasing a fire-resistant safe. These safes are designed to withstand high temperatures and protect your valuables during a fire.

What is the life expectancy of a cheap gun safe?

The life expectancy of a cheap gun safe depends on various factors, such as the materials used, the manufacturing quality, and the level of maintenance. With proper care, a cheap gun safe can last for many years.

What should I look for in a cheap gun safe that is of good quality?

When looking for a cheap gun safe of good quality, consider the following factors: the locking mechanism, the materials used for construction, the fire rating, the size, and the manufacturer's reputation. A good-quality safe should offer protection against theft and damage, and it should be easy to operate.
As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
submitted by Count-Daring243 to u/Count-Daring243 [link] [comments]

http://activeproperty.pl/