H i d a scan at kenneston

I live in a trailer park and the neighbor less than 50 feet away (two trailers down) took my 9 year old cat. I had just moved in and I didn’t want to cause a rift. I thought if they also enjoyed her, we could (in a way) share and she could come back and forth… but she was never allowed to do that. They trapped her inside, even when I kept asking for her. They then took her and moved out of the park and have refused to give her back in writing. She is micro chipped and I have many vet records for her. She refused to let the animal control officer meet with her so he could scan her chip.
I have civil court with her tomorrow, which has now cost me $150+ in filing fees/sheriffs office fees to have her served etc. The cat herself was $500 nine years ago when I bought her, which I have proof of as well.. but all I can do is worry that this will backfire somehow. She keeps claiming she’s had her 6-9 months, which isn’t true. I just kept hoping she’d get out and walk the —not even 50 feet— home. Now she’s over a mile away in their locked apartment building. Her kids posted pictures on 4/20 on Snapchat of them allegedly hotboxing the cat with marijuana… which she now says are fake catnip joints they bought as a joke. She posted a pic of the stupid things to prove it… but it was intentionally misleading at the very least.
Does anyone have any idea how this might go in the civil courts? I have all of my proof printed out in a folder.
Thank you.

https://imgur.com/a/816KtSU
It peaks at around 1.4GW and then drops off very quickly (I might be wrong, the way that it interacts with solar and accumulators doesn't really make sense to me), where I believe it should be outputting around 2.0GW. I'm suspecting that my fluid setup is incorrect, but I've been having difficulties wrapping my head around fluids, this is my first run through of Factorio, only got the game about 3-4 weeks ago. I know that I could just get a blueprint that does work, but I feel like that pulls all the fun out of the game for me, and also prevents me from understanding fluids properly.
Also, I apologise to any mods if there's a better way to format posts that have blueprint strings in them.
Blueprint string: 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

Alright, so I'm currently in the midst of creating the foundation for the universe that my story is going to take place in. What I'm having trouble on right now is how to make the "Spiritual World" make sense in the context of the universe. But in order for you to help me, I must give you some context first.
In the beginning there are the Overkin, the Big Three, who bring the laws of reality into existence. Each Overkin possesses three major domains that they govern.

1. Nazaar, the Firstborn, governs Chaos, Darkness, and Freedom.
2. Auren, the Secondborn, governs Order, Knowledge, and Light.
3. Tena, the Thirdborn, governs Life, Death and Twighlight.

Yadda yadda, lots of stuff happens that brings the fundamental shape of the universe together, and the Three wrap a neat lil bow on it. Tena, ever the clever one, decides to create MORTALKIND YAY! We exist now! She did this because heck, she's cool and all and she just wanted to see if she could do it. After she was successful with mortalkind and saw that it was possible, she went on to make the KIN, who are the gods. In a D&D sense, think of the Overkin as Ao, and the Kin as the lesser and greater deities who answer to them.
So Mortalkind propagates across many millions of worlds across the universe. We're horny lil fucks and this is easy. The thing about that is that Tena created this nifty little thing called the Innersong, which is just a fancy word for the soul. Tena hummed to the tune of creation when she made mortals and our souls "sing" to an invisible resonance.
This resonance grows in strength when mortals come together to create civilizations. Societies of mortal people whose souls sing out in unison are known as a Chorus, or Choruses. Choruses are very important to the functioning of the universe because when a Chorus becomes large enough, they begin to generate Coherence Fields. These fields grow in size and influence the larger a chorus becomes, and this invisible field can extend far out into the space between worlds. Coherence is two things:

1. A state of logic and consistency, and
2. The quality of a united whole.

When MANY Choruses generate Coherence, their fields tend to overlap. These overlapping coherence fields envelope the universe in a protective barrier called the Synastry. What they protect the universe against is kind of irrelevant and outside the bounds of the question I'm about to pose.
All of the above takes place in the physical and material planes. What I'm having trouble with is how to justify the spiritual world. What I'm working with currently is that material existence is called the Tapestry.
tap·es·try/ˈtapəstrē/noun

1. a piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving colored weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging or furniture covering. "paneled walls hung with old tapestries"

So, if the material world is a Tapestry, then the spiritual world may be the infinite space between every individual thread. I want to call it the Frey. The spelling is intentional.
What I'm hoping for a little help with is what manifests the spiritual world itself? I want this to relate closely to mortalkind and coherence somehow. Coherence is the connective tissue of the universe. All things are connected kinda jazz. But like, I'm looking for neat words to try and give me inspiration but I'm coming up with blanks.
An idea i'm toying with is that we, mortal people, kinda just believe in a lot of silly things. Belief and Faith could be things that manifest the spiritual world, but I want the Frey to be less bound by religion, and more on maybe individual belief? My knowledge area ends pretty abruptly on this subject, so I'm just kind of at a loss lol

Good evening Healthcare_anon members
I believe we are at the midpoint of the multi series DD on the paper:
Rooke-Ley H, Brown E, Grumbach K, Hoffman A, Ryan A, Roy V, Grogan C, Appelbaum E, Lipschutz D. Medicare Advantage and Vertical Consolidation in Health Care. American Economic Liberties Project, April 2024. Available: https://www.economicliberties.us/our-work/medicare-advantage-and-vertical-consolidation-in-health-care/#, accessed 05/19/24 (for this subreddit post).
Today's discussion will be centered around page 23-31. I will be collaborating with u/ Fabulous-airport-273 on the remainder of the paper, as I believe we should address the topic in a collaborative fashion after this midpoint. If you like, you may review the previous DD in the following links:
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1culz57/medicare_advantage_capitation_model_prio
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1cw50xp/vertical_integration_of_the_healthcare_insurance/
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1cwsavi/vertical_integration_of_the_healthcare_insurance/
I was thinking on also discussing Aetna and Humana within the model as well, however in the interest of time and effort, I may have to revisit those 2 creatures at a later time - not because they are particularly difficult, but that it would be a similar rehash of UNH and BHG. The minutiae of improper population model care and investment made by CVS/Aetna and Humana is in my personal belief the reason why their MCR exploded, and perhaps inadequate preparation for CMS V28 blend adjustment also played a role. Even though CVS/Aetna has an adequate service sector, Humana does not, and we may see further margin divergence of these 2 behemoths.
Without further digression, let us begin:
Vertical consolidation - what is currently happening
"Consolidation allows these vertical conglomerates to use capitated payment structures in ways that drive profits without creating value. As noted above, corporate consolidation in health care has existed for decades, largely driven by hospitals. The primary result: hospitals can negotiate higher prices in the commercial market, cut labor costs and demand more of clinicians, and exploit various loopholes in the fee-for-service Medicare system. In addition, private equity (PE) rollups in health care have risen dramatically over the decades, also exploiting fee-for-service reimbursement and threatening patient care."
We have certainly seen the damage from PE acquisition on practices, especially in emergency medicine, which I previously alluded to in: https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1c0bi4u/the_healthcare_workforce_staffing_crisis_a/. The damage to physician morale is especially acute during this consolidation process.
We are also seeing widespread practice buyouts in the PCP arena now:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/health/primary-care-doctors-consolidation.html
https://www.beckersasc.com/asc-transactions-and-valuation-issues/optum-s-multibillion-dollar-acquisition-spree-3-deals-to-know.html
https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/finance-revenue-cycle/mergers-acquisitions/news/55000097/steward-health-care-plans-to-sell-physician-network-to-optum
https://radiologybusiness.com/topics/healthcare-management/healthcare-economics/unitedhealth-earns-emergency-order-buy-radiology-provider-placed-crisis-due-change-cyberattack
The last one from Corvallis is a particularly spicy acquisition - the change healthcare cyberattack created a cash flow crunch within Corvallis, creating the impetus for Corvallis to then sell itself to Optum. If I were to use cruder terminology, the analogy is this: Optum/Change groomed Corvallis to be dependent on its "service", and once Corvallis is dependent on Optum/Change, Optum/Change then "convinced" Corvallis that Corvallis needs to sell its body (clinics) to Optum for the couple to stay together after Optum/Change failed in its basic "pimp" duty on protecting the groomed subject. Absolutely disgusting analogy, and I hope it brings the message across - what Optum did was absolutely abhorrent and should have paid Corvallis interest and damages, but instead gets to steal the Damsel-in-distress. Who said pimping doesn't pay?
"Today, as policy moves away from fee-for-service, analogous patterns of corporate consolidation are emerging under capitation-based financing. While vertical conglomerates promise clinical integration, familiar harms are emerging, such as the push toward “productivity” medicine and the replacement or supplementation of physicians with less expensive advanced practice providers."
Ok, I am not sure if that last part was absolutely necessary. Advanced Practice Providers (APP) are Physician Assistants (PA), Advanced Nurse Practitioners (APRN), or in the case of Anesthesia, CRNA (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) who work under a supervision of an overall Medical Doctor (MD) for the practice. In the current labor shortage, there are not enough physicians to make up for lack of physician help. I would rather work with our APP colleagues on creating a more equitable platform, and this paper is not helping the cause in this manner. Vertical integration can bring plenty of harm, but having APP being part of the Team is NOT a problem. In fact, I have worked with many APP who are wonderful healthcare colleagues and we all want the same thing: equitable treatment of our patients in the most humane, effective, and medically appropriate way possible.
I. Gaming capitated benchmarks:
"Vertical conglomerates in capitation-based models are keen on controlling primary care physicians, who are essential for inflating risk-adjustment payments and quality bonuses. In MA alone, gaming of risk adjustment is responsible for at least $23 billion in annual overpayments to insurers, while quality payments amount to another $10 billion in subsidization without demonstrated value. In addition to increasing costs, the preoccupation with risk-coding and box-checking wastes scarce time with patients and contributes to dissatisfaction among clinicians."
Remember my CMS DD a month ago? If not, I will submit those links again:
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1c1n3tf/cms_finalizes_payment_updates_for_2025_medicare/
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1c1yg8q/cms_finalizes_payment_updates_for_2025_medicare/
We on the field AND CMS knows this is happening. In fact, CMS is attempting to stop this practice by the rollout of CMS V28 AND the April 1 2024 Contract Year 2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule (CMS-4205-F). What CMS is attempting to do is to decrease the capitated payments on risk adjustment and quality bonus payments to elongate the Medicare Trust Fund depletion runway, which hopefully also will force the MA companies to take care of patients. As was seen in our 24Q1 DD, companies will instead retrench, retreat, and cut benefits instead. this indicate a potential market failure of the capitated model payment. We should readdress this point in a future post.
***"***The centrality of data in diagnosis coding puts vertical conglomerates in the driver’s seat. It helps contextualize UnitedHealth’s recent $13 billion acquisition of Change Healthcare, the nation’s largest billing clearinghouse, which, according to the Department of Justice, would give UnitedHealth a near monopoly (94% market share) over the clearinghouse market. Through the prism of risk coding, as well as other financial strategies discussed below, the business case was obvious: acquiring Change gives UnitedHealth visibility into the claims, diagnosis codes, and provider IDs of tens of millions of patients"
With the Change Cyberattack in February 2024, UNH unleashed the biggest cybersecurity threat on our patients' medical history in this nation's history, all because someone forgot 2 factor authentication on a whole server worth of data. Good job United. We thank you for proving the ineptitude of private enterprises. We no longer get to just make fun of the National Health System in UK for ineptitude, or that only government agencies suck, but a private enterprise that is a small nation state with a profit margin higher than the NSA's yearly budget can't figure out 2FA.
***"***As with risk adjustment, vertical conglomerates can inflate quality scores with greater control of clinicians. They can, for example, game medication adherence quality measures by pushing providers to put their patients on 90-day refills, mail-order prescriptions, and automatic refills, even if patients never take the medications. Similarly, they can discourage or prohibit clinicians from giving samples to patients and allowing them to use lower- cost alternatives. Further, Star Ratings and other quality programs require significant administrative efforts, placing small practices at a disadvantage."
I do take exception to the samples argument. Look, we just got out of the VERY SHADY stuff happening in the 90s with MD offices taking a HUGE backhand deal when giving out samples, I don't really want to see that stuff back in vogue again. Do you know how frustrating it was for a patient to say they are on a med that is from their doctor's office, they got it for free, and they must have it as an inpatient, when they don't even have it on the medication fill list or on the electronic medical record database? Who do I trust?
II. PATIENT STEERING AND “CAPTIVE” REVENUE:
This section is the reason why I did UNH and BHG as a DD - to pave the way for the discussion on this section. If you haven't read it, please see:
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1cw50xp/vertical_integration_of_the_healthcare_insurance/
https://new.reddit.com/Healthcare_Anon/comments/1cwsavi/vertical_integration_of_the_healthcare_insurance/
"UnitedHealth is increasingly relying on this captive revenue—or “intercompany eliminations”—with its growth of its provider subsidiary, Optum. UnitedHealth has increased intercompany eliminations by over 80% in five years, reaching $108 billion in 2022. It now sends over 25% of its medical claim revenue to its own subsidiaries. Its market presence shows why: UnitedHealth exists in 87% of insurance markets, only rivaled by Humana at 90%. 130 Further, UnitedHealth has over 50% share in more than 140 MA markets."
OK even though this paper is quoting another paper, my 10K/10Q analysis does match what this paper said, except it isn't 25%. Its 37.7% now. WHOA!
"These captive revenue strategies enable regulatory arbitrage. Medical Loss Ratios (MLRs) were established in the Affordable Care Act to cap insurance administrative costs and profits and to ensure that a minimum percentage of capitation payments and private insurance premiums were spent on medical care. However, insurance companies can circumvent this regulation by paying themselves, directing above-market payments and end-of-year bonuses to their own sister subsidiaries. This is referred to as “transfer pricing” and has been best documented with PBMs. For example, UnitedHealth can evade the MLR requirement by paying higher-than-cost fees to its Optum PBM, booking that fee as a medical cost. The same is possible with medical providers: insurers can increase fees to their sister primary care or post-acute providers to conceal profits as costs and to therefore evade the MLR constraint."
Is this how UNH continues to have high profits, and how the impact of CMS V28 somehow did not threaten UNH and Elevance the same way as Humana and CVS/Aetna? I think they may be onto something...
"In addition to increasing profits, steering squeezes independent providers and other competitors. In the prescription drug space, the gaming of medication adherence, explained above, diverts business away from unaffiliated pharmacies while gaming quality metrics. As another example, vertical conglomerates that own PBMs can devise formularies and copays that funnel patients to their own pharmacies, squeezing independent pharmacies. The proliferation of “specialty” pharmacies embeds these anti-competitive practices.".
Personal anecdote: I know of independent pharmacies who CANNOT compete anymore due to high PBM requirements, "clawback" penalties, quality metrics that is impossible to achieve, and "out of network" processing fees, that these pharmacies either have to be shut down, or acquired. "Specialty Pharmacies" are basically pharmacies who carry high dollar cost items that may have more stringent FDA counseling requirements, but because now the Marketplace is littered with PBM funnels, most independent pharmacies cannot "enter the foot in the door" of the PBM requirements. Guess who does though? Optum Rx!
"Vertical consolidation in the post-acute setting presents similar steering risks. MA insurers have increasingly been under scrutiny for limiting or denying care through narrow networks, “ghost networks,” and onerous prior authorization. Recent reporting revealed that UnitedHealth and Humana are using artificial intelligence with their conveners, specifically NaviHealth, to drive “clinical” prior authorization decisions and override clinical judgment."
I think I've beaten this dead horse many times already.
"Another way to steer patients in post-acute care is to effectively bring the prior authorization function “in house.” By directly employing physicians, the risk-bearing entity can cut costs by prohibiting or discouraging clinicians from authorizing expensive care. In a 2020 whistleblower lawsuit reported by The Prospect, Maxwell Ollivant, a UnitedHealth-employed nurse practitioner in a nursing home, alleged that his supervisor denied requests to transfer UnitedHealth-MA patients with exacerbations to the hospital. This, Ollivant alleged, was consistent with UnitedHealth’s compensation structure, which gave bonuses to their clinicians who kept patients in the nursing home and out of the hospitals."
Well holy shit Batman, that is more degenerate than a WSB 0-5DTE put taken on a Thursday afternoon.
III. PATIENT “FLIPPING” AND ENROLLMENT ARBITRAGE
" In MA, favorable selection is responsible for another 11%-14% of overspending, or as much as $56 billion annually. Selecting enrollees also allows insurers in MA to game county benchmark bonuses, which excessively rewards insurers with patients in areas of low Medicare spending, to the tune of another roughly $10 billion in excess MA payments. As vertical conglomerates increasingly own physicians and operate in ACOs, similar risks of selection may arise."
CMS is acutely aware of this gaming, however their model hasn't exactly been able to pinpoint how to address this yet. This was discussed in the CMS Final rule comments section.
"More direct than marketing, provider acquisitions allow conglomerates to “flip” patients into MA plans or ACOs by coordinating efforts with sister provider subsidiaries. Conglomerates can initiate the flipping strategy by using some of the steering tactics discussed above. In a recent lawsuit, UnitedHealth was accused of terminating contracts with unaffiliated physicians in order to force the patients to establish care at nearby Optum practices. In another suit, UnitedHealth, with 50% of the MA and commercial insurance markets, allegedly attempted to force the sale of local practices to Optum. UnitedHealth was accused of cutting insurance reimbursement and steering members away from the target practice, and as a condition of insurance contracting, forcing the target practice to give UnitedHealth the first right of refusal upon sale.
I inivite our physician colleagues to comment on this section. I have personally heard of such anecdotes, but further validation is always helpful and will also increase our membership engagement on such complicated subjects
And we now reach the end of page 31. This paper is extremely dense, and required basically a multi-layer DD on top of it to corroborate and create discussion points on the topic discussion.
We hope you enjoyed this half of the mini-series, and we hope to bring you the 2nd part of the mini-series soon as a collaborative post.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this. I hope this provides you with a better perspective on a glimpse of the landscape that I am personally aware. Please submit your comments below on your thoughts
Sincerely
Moocao
​

hey! ive been concerned about the possibility of cushings for about a year, and i thought i would come here to ask for advice or opinions as spaces such as this have always been the most helpful in figuring out the next steps.
i first found out about cushings not too long after i was put on prednisone at a dose considered to be high (50mg) for a few months to help handle my indeterminate IBD which i was diagnosed with at the same time. the tapering of my dose was rushed right at the end due to extreme constipation caused by the medication, but i had also experienced weight gain of about 60 pounds that has not budged since. i went from 130 to 190, and most of the weight went to my midsection, as well as my thighs and upper arms, and the rest of my legs and arms are quite muscular but still much thinner in comparison with no additional growth there, and i developed a hump on my neck that is quite solid. the hump was my first sign that pushed me to look into cushings as i noticed it when trying to lay my head back, it blocks most motion, which i typically would have a lot of in that area as i have EDS, which also complicates this even more as all of the skin symptoms from cushings other than the purple stretch marks are also caused by that. we never really looked into cushings during that time as it was pure chaos trying to get my IBD and other gi issues under control after prednisone, and i was in the hospital for treatments, scans, or tests almost constantly for a few months. even now things are still crazy, but its been sitting in the back of my mind for so long.
i am happy to provide more details if needed, but i’d like to know if people think this is reasonable to look into still, and where to go from here if so?

u/DTfin tells us that servers:

“… accepted the job with some income expectations and I want to, altruistically and irrationally, be fair and respect that.”

Yes, servers, like any employee anywhere, did accept their job with income expectations. What u/DTfin doesnt acknowledge is that for table-service restaurants, for decades, the flip side is that customers in those restaurants will tip in a way that’s commensurate with the service received.
Yes, tipping is at the discretion of the customer, but the customer should not stiff the server for no just reason. That only harms the server. (Many folks, like u/DTfin and u/vikingsurplus EndTipping state they are not harming servers. Those claims have been soundly refuted by u/johnnygolfr.)
By u/DTfin’s exclamation that they want to “altruistically and irrationally, be fair and respect” income expectations, you might conclude they are a consistent and, maybe, even a generous tipper.
But no, u/DTfin justifies no tipping by saying the “system is not transparent because I simply just can’t know what you want from me”.
Further they say, when advised that they can leave whatever tip they want, their retort is, “It's not that simple, and you know it.”
They then say that:

”The [tipping] system is not transparent because I simply just can’t know what you want from me. All other businesses will clearly outline how much money they expect from you in order for everyone to be happy, with this one notable exception.”

At least regarding servers in restaurants, they are being obtuse. They should know they can tip what they want, but for good service, the social norm ranges from 15% to 20%.
Apparently, that’s not easy to understand. They tell us:

“I just don’t want to concern myself with the mental overhang of figuring out what’s a reasonable “wage” for me to give you.”

I guess in addition to being a server-stiffer, they want us to know, for them, mAtH iS hArD.
Interestingly, u/DTfin tells us “We mainly want transparency rather than save money by fucking servers over, I think a lot of servers that come here fail to understand that.”
That may sound rational, but it’s not very altruistic.

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/pC5emOh
If there is anything you are interested in, just let me know. I am always willing to hear any offer. The worst thing I will do is shoot back a counteroffer.
Payment plans are available. More details at the bottom of the post.
All non-pms are on coinsales
All Prices are USD
I am Located in the US
I prefer chat, but pms are fine
I prefer to make sales, but I am willing to entertain trades.
For any coins you may want still shots of, or possibly a video in different lighting, please let me know. I will never have an issue doing this.
I have US coins and foreign coins. Look through it all, you may find something you did not know you wanted. If you want something I do not have, let me know. I may possibly be able to obtain some, or I could already have it.
All grades are my personal opinion, except those that are professionally graded. All Coins I marked as damaged, for the most part, I am unsure if they would grade straight or not; I just wanted to be transparent about them even though they still may be straight grade.
I promise to never give anyone my password and I have 2FA enabled.
Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1400.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (135.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (195.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (85.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (4200.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (500.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (550.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (515.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (200.00)
1892 O Morgan High VF (Bright) https://imgur.com/a/ku4xPq5 (55.00)
1896 Morgan Belt Buckle https://imgur.com/a/VcyvNjP (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (50.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (50.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (40.00)
1898 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/TzJgNcA (50.00)
1898 MS62PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/BycvAyH (150.00SOLD)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (900.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (500.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (500.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (1050.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (70.00)
1934 D MS62 DBL DIE OBV VAM-3 Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/ScGb7bg (350.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (250.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/ZvzTrmV (30.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/6L9ztbd (30.00)
1973 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/yqKTUSf (40.00)
1997 Proof Silver Eagle (OGP) https://imgur.com/a/kZd3qoZ (80.00)
2005 Silver Eagle First Strike MS69 https://imgur.com/a/pxRPFuS (40.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/zxzSuSv (38.00SOLD)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/GCkFghF (35.00SOLD)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/Yl2VsqP
2011 Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/wbiDsUC (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/X5IzVR9 (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle Early Releases Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/SV5Xj43 (40.00)
2021 Peace Dollar in OGP https://imgur.com/a/BlwZkB5 (205.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (30.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (25.00)
1892 AG Barber Half https://imgur.com/a/AFFhmVx (35.00)
1916 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/1weOxxW (50.00)
1921 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/enXOi59 (50.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (280.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (325.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (40.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (60.00)
1958 MS66 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/xPXZujb (75.00)
1960 PR65 Franklin (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/YNKqQ9G (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/gzkvg20 (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (35.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (130.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (35.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (425.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (48.00)
1x Face (1936, 1936, 1937 D, 1945) (Under Melt!) https://imgur.com/a/5G9pq7N (22.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (30.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (175.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (45.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (70.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (40.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (40.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (350.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/pC5emOh
If there is anything you are interested in, just let me know. I am always willing to hear any offer. The worst thing I will do is shoot back a counteroffer.
Payment plans are available. More details at the bottom of the post.
All non-pms are on coinsales
All Prices are USD
I am Located in the US
I prefer chat, but pms are fine
I prefer to make sales, but I am willing to entertain trades.
For any coins you may want still shots of, or possibly a video in different lighting, please let me know. I will never have an issue doing this.
I have US coins and foreign coins. Look through it all, you may find something you did not know you wanted. If you want something I do not have, let me know. I may possibly be able to obtain some, or I could already have it.
All grades are my personal opinion, except those that are professionally graded. All Coins I marked as damaged, for the most part, I am unsure if they would grade straight or not; I just wanted to be transparent about them even though they still may be straight grade.
I promise to never give anyone my password and I have 2FA enabled.
Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1400.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (135.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (195.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (85.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (4200.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (500.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (550.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (515.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (200.00)
1892 O Morgan High VF (Bright) https://imgur.com/a/ku4xPq5 (55.00)
1896 Morgan Belt Buckle https://imgur.com/a/VcyvNjP (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (50.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (50.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (40.00)
1898 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/TzJgNcA (50.00)
1898 MS62PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/BycvAyH (150.00SOLD)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (900.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (500.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (500.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (1050.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (70.00)
1934 D MS62 DBL DIE OBV VAM-3 Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/ScGb7bg (350.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (250.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/ZvzTrmV (30.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/6L9ztbd (30.00)
1973 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/yqKTUSf (40.00)
1997 Proof Silver Eagle (OGP) https://imgur.com/a/kZd3qoZ (80.00)
2005 Silver Eagle First Strike MS69 https://imgur.com/a/pxRPFuS (40.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/zxzSuSv (38.00SOLD)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/GCkFghF (35.00SOLD)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/Yl2VsqP
2011 Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/wbiDsUC (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/X5IzVR9 (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle Early Releases Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/SV5Xj43 (40.00)
2021 Peace Dollar in OGP https://imgur.com/a/BlwZkB5 (205.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (30.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (25.00)
1892 AG Barber Half https://imgur.com/a/AFFhmVx (35.00)
1916 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/1weOxxW (50.00)
1921 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/enXOi59 (50.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (280.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (325.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (40.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (60.00)
1958 MS66 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/xPXZujb (75.00)
1960 PR65 Franklin (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/YNKqQ9G (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/gzkvg20 (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (35.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (130.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (35.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (425.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (48.00)
1x Face (1936, 1936, 1937 D, 1945) (Under Melt!) https://imgur.com/a/5G9pq7N (22.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (30.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (175.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (45.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (70.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (40.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (40.00)
1982 No P Dime (Rattler! and Haze) https://imgur.com/a/c7AQGiQ (450.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/y3i4wos
Images: https://imgur.com/a/OC0PJPN
Nickels
1938 D MS63 Buffalo Nickel (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/hunfpfF (30.00)
1942 PR63 Jefferson Nickel (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/C91dcKR (50.00)
1963 PF69 Cameo Nickel (Very Pretty Coin) https://imgur.com/a/ESByy63 (50.00)
Cents
1858 Flying Eagle Cent FR https://imgur.com/a/7uqYwO1 (12.00)
1873 Open 3 AU Details Corrosion IHC (Attractive Coin!) https://imgur.com/a/nuAw0vJ (125.00)
1937 S MS66 RD Wheat Penny https://imgur.com/a/A4wskUD (30.00)
1946-D MS67 RED Soapbox https://imgur.com/a/JCwe4i1 (145.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (350.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.

Hi math gurus! I'm in a bit of a pickle at the moment trying to figure out whether my new couch can fit within my elevator. I've done a 2d visualisation of the lift but it doesn't look like the package can fit in that space. My 3D math is very poor so I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell whether the package could be rotated within the lift so that it can fit.
Package Dimensions: 2280x1060x540mm
Lift Dimensions: 1320x1860x1320mm (WxHxD)
Lift Door: 1000x2080 (WxH)
2D Visualisation: https://www.desmos.com/calculatobpueawvwkr?lang=en

The following is a directive by the 2nd Shock Army instructing its subordinate formations and commanders on how to prepare and carry out a breakthrough, including organizational measures to improve its combat effectiveness. 2nd Shock Army was deployed in the rear of 2nd Belorussian Front in December 1944, preparing to participate in the East Prussian Operation. In mid-January to would successfully break out from the Rozhan bridgehead.

DIRECTIVE FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT OF THE EAST PRUSSIAN OFFENSIVE OPERATION
TO THE CORPS COMMANDERS AND CHIEFS OF THE TROOP BRANCHES OF THE 2ND SHOCK ARMY
When preparing for a breakthrough, I require you to focus particular attention on the following issues:
PREPERATORY PERIOD
[1)]
a) Study in the entire tactical depth of the enemy’s defense his engineering structures and obstacles, infantry and anti-tank fire systems, artillery and mortar groups, and the system of observation posts.
b) Know the areas where reserves are concentrated and the possible directions of counterattacks. Senior commanders (commanders of rifle corps and rifle divisions) must also know the operational depth of the enemy’s defense, the location of his operational reserves, the possibility of meeting them and on what lines.
c) Know where tanks are concentrated and the possible directions of their actions.
d) Using an observation system and studying all intelligence data in detail, establish the combat routine of the defending enemy.
2) Organization of observation
a) No later than December 25 the army headquarters will equip one OP [Observation Point] (main) in each direction and two auxiliary ones, providing them with communications equipment, surveillance equipment and specially trained officers.
b) Corps and division commanders must determine places for OPs and report to me no later than 12/18.
All OPs from the platoon commander and above must ensure complete observation of the terrain from the starting position according to the principle - every commander must see the battlefield.
Telephones should be placed at the OP for those where the commander is monitoring the battlefield.
c) Artillery and infantry observation should be organized by the army headquarters from 12/20/44, corps and divisions - by special order with the obligatory keeping of observation logs and a report to the top.
Observation data for the day should be submitted to corps headquarters and artillery headquarters to army headquarters by 10 p.m. daily.
d) At the OP from regiments and above, specially trained and instructed officers (3-4 people), headed by a staff officer and provided with security (2-3 machine gunners), must be located and monitored.
Observers should change every 2 hours.
The senior officer must visit the OP at least once a day.
e) Each commander must have a map with data from his personal observation and data received from other commanders (in different colors).
Artillery and infantry commanders should compare the data received by each of them about the enemy to clarify them.
f) By 12/28, the Army Headquarters will provide the corps and divisions with maps filled with the situation about the enemy based on data received from the defenders, observation from the OPs and from other sources.
3) Study the area
a) Study in detail the features of the terrain in front of the enemy’s front line of defense, in the tactical depth of his defense, and for higher commanders in the operational depth. Pay special attention to studying the terrain in tank terms.
b) Keeping in mind the open nature of the terrain, carefully study all approaches to the enemy’s front line, possible starting positions for the attack and the directions along which the artillery will advance.
Know the roads leading to the front line from the depths, and the roads in the depths of the enemy’s defense in the zone intended for the offensive.
4) Secrecy and camouflage of measures taken to prepare the operation
a) Regrouping of troops (infantry, artillery, tanks) should be carried out only at night.
Carefully camouflage the areas where troops are located, preventing the appearance of smoke during the day and the lighting of fires at night.
b) Eliminate any possibility of communication and conversations with the local population. Under no circumstances should commanders and fighters be allowed to be housed with local residents.
The headquarters of units and formations are usually located in a forest.
c) Warn all personnel about the inadmissibility of revealing the numbering of army units and formations.
d) Avoid talking on the phone about ongoing events. The commanders of the formations personally approve the lists of persons to whom telephone numbers are left and the right to converse.
Strictly prohibit the use of radio equipment until the moment of the attack.
e) Do not allow signs indicating unit numbers, field mail and commanders' names, as well as identification marks of hospitals and rear institutions to be displayed at intersections and at entrances to areas where formations and units are located. The latter will be displayed by special order.
f) Take the strictest measures to protect documents and maps, preventing their loss. Do not take maps with the details of your units to the front line.
g) Army headquarters, rifle corps headquarters, rifle divisions and rifle regiments organize a commandant service, establish commandant posts and patrols and carefully instruct them.
Commandant posts and patrols should not allow accumulations of vehicles, horse-drawn vehicles and manpower, especially in areas of visibility, and ensure strict compliance with all camouflage instructions.
Inform all personnel that the requirements of commandant posts and patrols are mandatory for all officers, regardless of official position.
h) All reconnaissance should be carried out in accordance with special instructions.
5) Combat training
Combat training begins on 12/20/44.
Combat training of troops differs from general combat training in that it is carried out in a specific environment.
Commanders of formations and units should organize combat training based on the specific tasks of each unit (being in the first or second echelon, with whom and when it interacts, etc.).
Conduct combat training on terrain as similar as possible to the one on which you will operate.
Corps and division commanders should be ready for an operational game at army headquarters by 12/26/44 based on the materials and conditions of the operation being prepared.
6) Work of headquarters
a) All headquarters prepare a complete schedule of urgent reports and the procedure for its implementation.
Establish a list of officers responsible for information from higher headquarters, formations of supporting and interacting units.
Consider the failure of the transmission of at least one report at any link to be an emergency.
Pay special attention to the truthfulness of the information.
b) Check the readiness of all means of communication: telephone, telegraph, radio, mobile vehicles (liaison officers, cars, motorcycles, etc.).
Have a reserve of radio equipment to create intermediate stations, especially for communication with mobile groups.
c) Check the distribution of functional responsibilities among staff officers and their mastery.
d) Ensure control over the implementation of combat orders of commanders. Following a combat order, an officer of the operations directorate (department) must be sent to the troops to monitor the implementation of this order.
The officers sent must be instructed by the formation commander or chief of staff and have a firm knowledge of the mission of the formation, unit or subunit to which they are sent.
e) Minimize the production time for operational documents, without in any way “eating up” the time of lower headquarters.
f) Carefully work out in advance all interaction documents for the entire depth of the battle.
g) Prepare SUV (Covert troop management) documents in advance and send them to the troops.
Immediately upon receipt of them, organize training and ensure free use of them by all officers, especially officers and administrators.
7) Logistical support
a) Carefully check the condition of automatic weapons. Each fighter must have the prescribed number of cartridges, each machine gun must have the prescribed number of belts and disks. Belts should not be damp.
Check the winding of the seals, the tension of the return springs, the availability of spacer rings (spare), extractors and antifreeze fluid.
In rifle platoons, which are intended for special work in clearing mines and laying paths for infantry, have carts for pulling away wire and other obstacles.
b) Check the ammunition from the rifle to the gun. Determine where to store ammunition, who, how and where to supply it.
c) The equipment of each fighter must be checked (fitting of uniform, equipment, contents of duffel bag, etc.).
d) Prepare a backpack supply for soldiers in the amount of one daily allowance, the issuance of which will be carried out by special order of division commanders.
Check the feeding arrangements, especially on the first day of the fight.
e) All vehicles must be repaired, possible routes determined, fuel depots installed. Each driver must be familiar with these routes and road conditions in advance. Cars must have chains and tools (shovels, axes).
f) Put horse-drawn transport in order.
g) On roads in the army zone, install signs at all intersections indicating populated areas, marking altitudes and azimuths of directions.
h) In crossing areas, prepare gaps and exits from roads every 50 m in both directions. Crossings should be distributed among commanders of formations and a commandant service should be established on them, avoiding the accumulation of vehicles, horse-drawn vehicles or manpower.
i) Establish a procedure for evacuating the wounded. Designate sanitary picket points.
Explain to the soldiers that the wounded must bring their weapons to the dressing station, and the weapons of the seriously wounded must be picked up by orderlies.
j) Explain to all fighters the inadmissibility of using captured products and “junk”.
k) All commanders should check the unit’s logistics on a daily basis.
PREPARATION AND OCCUPATION OF THE STARTING POSITION FOR THE ATTACK
1) The day before the troops reach their starting position, mark the routes to it for each company to prevent wandering and mixing of units. Set up beacons.
Take the most decisive measures so that soldiers and officers cannot get lost and fall into the hands of the enemy. Under no circumstances should you allow yourself to go over to the enemy’s side.
2) Study the starting position and equip it so that the infantry and materiel are completely covered. Eliminate the possibility of exposure and losses of manpower and materiel.
Considering the dampness of the soil and the appearance of track marks on it after turning off the road, these marks should be immediately smoothed out.
3) Regiment commanders prepare and fix roads to pull everything necessary to the starting position.
4) Consider the organization of communication when reaching the starting position.
5) Reach the starting position over two nights.
On the first night, bring out heavy infantry fire weapons and direct fire weapons. Those guns that can be seen in positions by the enemy should be brought out on the second night.
On the second night, bring out the infantry.
6) When taking over a combat area from defending units, carefully study your own and enemy’s minefields.
Clear your minefields located in the depths of the defense in advance; those located in front of the front line should be cleared of mines two to three days before the offensive, organizing the protection of the passages.
Clear enemy minefields within two nights. This demining is carried out under conditions of careful camouflage from enemy observation.
7) Before leaving for the starting position, explain to all personnel: for what, where and how should they do it, what secrecy and camouflage measures to take.
Bring the combat mission to the fighters 4 hours before the start of the attack.
INFANTRY ATTACK AND COMBAT IN THE DEPTH OF THE ENEMY'S DEFENSE
1) Build battle formations not according to a template, but taking into account the specific actions of each unit and subunit.
During a frontal breakthrough, the battle formation will be straightforward, in a forest battle - along road directions, when crossing rivers - echeloned, and when fighting in the depths of defense - maneuverable.
Pay special attention to the placement of forces and weapons in combat formations at all stages and in all conditions, so that fire weapons do not lag behind the infantry.
Senior commanders check the decisions of subordinate commanders, carefully explain the shortcomings they made in the formation of battle formations and indicate measures to eliminate these shortcomings.
2) Every Red Army soldier must understand that the main goal of an organized breakthrough of the enemy’s defense is to reach the firing positions of his artillery in the first 2-3 hours of the battle.
3) Remind each officer once again that combined arms combat consists of three elements:
a) organizing artillery fire support,
b) organizing close combat between infantry and tanks and
c) organizing close interaction between these two elements.
4) Remember that the basis of artillery fire support is not artillery preparation, but the organization of artillery fire in the depths of the enemy’s defense.
Every officer must know that the success of artillery fire depends on good organization of reconnaissance, on his knowledge of the capabilities of all means of reinforcement and the correct formulation of tasks.
5) An infantry strike must be preceded by a fire strike. This means that it is necessary to follow this order: reconnaissance, then fire strike, then attack, and not the reverse.
6) During the attack, under no circumstances should infantry be allowed to lie in the first trench. It is dangerous because it causes a desire to take cover and, as a rule, is always targeted by enemy artillery.
Don't linger at temporary stops; The longer people lie, the more difficult it is to raise them, the greater the losses.
The attack must be swift.
7) All means must be used to hit one place. Everything must be linked together.
I forbid pointing at others: “The tanks failed,” “The infantry did not rise,” “The artillery did not support.”
Check the implementation of interaction issues at all levels.
The artillery commanders will be with the infantry commanders.
8) During a battle deep in the enemy’s defense, obtaining accurate data on the enemy’s behavior becomes of utmost importance. Report about the enemy only quantitatively, and not organizationally, i.e. 30-40 soldiers and not a company or platoon.
Report exactly where and what enemy firing points are hindering the advance. Do not allow the expressions: “Heavy machine gun or mortar fire.”
9) Each commander knows at any time the position and condition of the formation (unit). The situation report must always be truthful.
The commander must have the courage to report whether his unit can carry out the order at a given moment, and if not, then for what reasons.
10) The depth of the enemy’s tactical defense in front of the army’s front lies at the line of 6-8 km from the front edge (the artillery positions). Until we reached the artillery positions, the breakthrough was not realized.
11) Consider the tactics of using tanks by the enemy:
a) for counterattacks with small groups of infantry,
b) as fixed firing points (armored fortified points) and
c) in night battle conditions.
Introduce to every officer the procedure for organizing anti-tank defense, which should include:
– a two-tier construction of the AT defense is provided;
– measures to combat both counterattack tanks and armored fortified points are indicated.
Take measures to consolidate occupied lines.
The two-tier construction of AT defense should be understood as follows:
– first tier – fire weapons from platoon to regiment (from anti-tank grenades to regimental guns); this tier is mobile and is located in infantry combat formations; his task is to fight enemy tanks and self-propelled guns encountered along the path of troops;
– the second tier is organized in depth from anti-tank fighter regiments and other artillery reinforcement means. This tier moves in jumps from line to line and ensures the advancement of the infantry.
A solid knowledge by officers and soldiers of the order of constructing anti-tank support prevents tank fear.
Each unit should have groups of sapper-hunters to blow up tanks.
12) The battle must be continuous, waged day and night. Continuity is achieved through reserves and the use of battalions specially trained for night combat. When issuing an order to commit a reserve to battle, the same order should also indicate the creation of a new reserve.
The order for a night battle should be given in such a way that the unit is not late in starting action.
13) The attack must be general. Do not allow the formation's battle to turn into battles of individual units. This can only be achieved by good observation of the enemy, knowledge of the situation, immediate response to the course of the battle, and solving the problem using fire weapons.
14) The battle must be deep, which means that commanders are required to know not only the object they are attacking, but also what is behind it, by organizing deep reconnaissance.
15) Provide advance relocation to new command posts and OPs. The relocation plan must be approved in advance by a senior commander. The axis of movement of the command post must be known to junior commanders.
You can move to a new point only when communication is established there.
16) Commanders who have personal radio stations should always keep them with them and during the offensive do not move forward without them.
17) The names of the commanders of units and formations are addressed on the radio only by their operational call signs, because some of them were published in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and mentioning them will enable the enemy to establish from which front these units or formations arrived.
18) Prohibit communications on the radio in the clear. Use only communications tables, reference diagrams and coded maps.
ISSUES OF ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FIRE
1) All commanders should check their subordinates’ knowledge of the materiel, ability to eliminate delays, and tactically, competently, fire and use each type of weapon.
2) Check all weapons for trouble-free operation and combat accuracy.
3) Require officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel to make full use of infantry fire, especially at the moment when artillery fire will be transferred from the first trench to the second.
Carefully consider infantry fire according to the stages of the battle.
2-3 minutes before launching an attack, heavy machine guns should open fire on the enemy trench under attack. Be sure to take into account which heavy machine guns will go on the attack with the infantry and which ones will support them with fire.
Light machine guns must be completely in the combat formations of the attacking infantry and fire on the move and from short stops.
Fire from machine guns on the move during an attack, taking into account to save ammunition when you need to fight in the second and subsequent trenches.
4) Artillery commanders should not dismiss the organization of fire combat for the infantry itself. Take into account the fire of heavy and light machine guns in planning.
5) The guns will be assigned to companies and platoons; you should always help them move with you, and not abandon them.
6) Commanders of rifle corps and divisions and artillery commanders should give instructions to officers up to the company commander on how and what type of artillery should be assigned tasks.
7) Each commander is obliged to know what assets are operating in his offensive zone in addition to his group. Every leader should inform his subordinates about this so that they can take it into account when making a decision.
8) Division commanders must approve the OP for direct fire guns. Each direct fire weapon must have its own target, the nature and position of this target, the number of shells to hit it, and the time for their consumption.
Rifle corps, divisions and regiments must have general fire plans for direct fire guns.
Direct fire guns should only be placed on the observation posts when the latter are fully prepared and all work is camouflaged. After installing direct fire guns, they should also be carefully camouflaged so that the enemy could not guess their presence even with the help of photographs.
9) In terms of artillery fire for the destruction of trenches, each artillery and mortar battery must have its own area, preventing firing in areas.
Check target numbers with batteries and guns to ensure there are no typos or errors. Also check the trench numbers.
10) Particularly consider the issue of organizing fire to repel counterattacks of small groups of the enemy, with the help of which he seeks to delay our advance. In such cases, the counterattacking infantry must be met with organized fire and, pursuing it, burst into his trenches on the shoulders of the enemy.
11) When moving artillery, first of all move those batteries whose fire has reached the [range] limit.
ISSUES OF USING TANKS AND SELF-PROPELLED GUNS
1) Eliminate the shortcomings in the use of self-propelled artillery that occurred in previous battles: excessive fragmentation of self-propelled units, the use of self-propelled guns as tanks, lack of proper assistance from sappers in clearing mines, building bridges, etc.
Self-propelled guns are used to reinforce regiments as infantry escort weapons.
In regimental battle formations, self-propelled guns should be placed behind the infantry.
2) Provide assigned tanks with fire from the guns of the infantry's anti-tank system. The guns accompanying the tanks must be accurately aimed at the enemy firing points that they need to suppress.
3) Fully use the minesweeper tanks attached to formations. The actions of these tanks will be supported by infantry fire.
To remove and neutralize mines not detonated by minesweeper tanks, assign sapper groups to accompany them.
ENTERING RESERVES INTO BATTLE
(second echelons)
1) Take all necessary measures to eliminate the possibility of delay in bringing reserves (second echelons) into battle.
The commanders of the reserve units must be at the OP together with the commanders of the units advancing in the first echelon.
2) Commanders of reserve units are required to conduct reconnaissance on all possible directions of action of their units.
3) Thoroughly work out on the ground issues of interaction related to the introduction of reserves. Determine the boundaries of deployment, reassignment of reinforcement equipment, establish signals and the procedure for organizing communications.
Avoid delays in switching amplifiers.
INTRODUCTION OF MOBILE GROUPS INTO THE BREAKTHROUGH
Commanders of rifle divisions and regiments can be appointed heads of mobile groups. They need to remember the following:
– more initiative; do not wait for the decision of senior commanders;
– conduct thorough reconnaissance, especially engineering;
– always have a group of sappers ready to clear mine routes, fix roads, and build bridges;
– in case of major damage, use all available human resources to correct it, without waiting for the sapper units to arrive;
– ensure communication both within the group and especially with the highest headquarters of the formation in whose zone it operates;
– before the introduction of a mobile group, check that the issues of interaction, communication and support have been worked out by the commander in whose zone the group operates.
BATTLE MANAGEMENT ISSUES
1) By 12/20/44, check the staffing, composition and preparedness of the headquarters of company and battalion commanders and the availability of communications equipment. Avoid loss of control in this link.
Every officer must once again understand that control during battle is the basis of success; its loss threatens to disrupt the offensive.
2) Rocket signals should be a means of control only by the regiment commander. Other commanders duplicate these signals.
The signals should be common throughout the breakthrough area.
3) Use only white flares to indicate our front line when flying our aircraft. These missiles should only be launched at the very front line. Prohibit the use of white flares for any other signals. Corps commanders should check and report the presence of white flares and signal pistols.
4) Ensure that rifle units (companies) are always combat-ready. It is necessary to maintain a combination of manpower and fire.
After each battle, restore the combat readiness and firepower of the attacking units.
5) Each commander must have two pre-appointed deputies.

Hello again velo, It's me. The guy that rides uphill in Japan. On my last post I mentioned some differences in racing in Japan saying it was for another post. Well, there appeared to be some interest in me making that post. As I mentioned then... I tend to ramble. I'm an English teacher at a small high school which leaves me with a lot of free time. I enjoy spending that time researching anything from training methodology to obscure Japanese history. I decided to use some of that time to write about road racing in Japan and it turned into... well, whatever this is. It's (sort of) a guide to racing your bike over here. I've organized it into sections, so feel free to read it all or skip through them. At the end I've attached racing adjacent notes as well as a small bio.
If this post is not appropriate for this subreddit, I understand. And while I don't want to self-promote I spend most of my time reading about Japan not only because I live here, but also because my wife and I host a podcast. We mostly ramble about our lives here as foreigners. It's mostly cultural, but as long time competetive cyclists we often talk about bikes too. We host a website where I write random articles, which is where this is ultimately hosted, with photos. If you're curious you can google my username and find us.
I tried to think about things I've learned along the way and put it into writing for anyone in the future that might move to Japan and have an interest in racing. If you have any questions or see any information gaps, feel free to ask! In September we'll be moving to the Netherlands... so maybe I'll have to do this all over again then. Anyway, without further rambling, here it is.
Race License
There are actually quite a lot of road events throughout the country. However, many are marketed towards recreational cyclists. Going as far as incorporating anti-competition clauses in their rules. So what do you do if you want to race? For starters, you’ll head to the Japan Cycling Federation’s website and register for a license. It’s in Japanese, but with the magic of Google Translate it shouldn’t be too hard to navigate. This is also for those currently residing in Japan. I think otherwise you would need an international license issued from your country’s governing body.
While on their website you can check the calendar of events that are scheduled. But, it’s not as simple as where I am from (USA) where once you have a license you can register yourself for almost any event and just show up.
Race Organizers
In most cases while the JCF is the licensing body, they are not the event coordinator. Events are hosted by a number of different governing bodies within the country. There’s the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation (JICF), Japan Cycling League (JCL), prefectural federations such as the Yamaguchi Cycling Federation and finally the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation (JBCF). There are a lot of Js, Cs and Fs in the acronym lexicon over here. In this post I’ll be focusing on the JBCF because it was sold to me as Japan’s premier race organizer and the highest level of racing in Japan. It also seems to have the most robust calendar of events.
Declaration of my bias and shortcoming: The JBCF is the only organizer I’ve had any meaningful experience with. No, they’re not paying me. However I have won a cool towel, a coffee cup and some bar tape at their events. Actually I’ve given them quite a bit of money…
Teams
So you’ve got your JCF license and like me you’ve decided to participate in the JBCF. What’s next? Register for a JBCF account, sign up for events, race your bike? Almost. You do need to register for an account. After that, you need to find a team. That’s right, you need to be registered with a JBCF team to participate in races. This was a surprise to me and also a barrier to entry at first. As a new resident of Japan I didn’t know anyone here let alone a team that would let a random foreigner join.
How’d I do it then? Well, the first team I joined was through a friend of a friend of a friend. My second and current team I ended up getting to know because I took a bunch of KOMs around my new home. I guess Strava KOMs are worth something after all. If you’re looking for a team you could start by asking local shops, they often have a club organization that you can sign up for. If you’re desperate you can also make your own team. It used to only require two people, but I think they increased that to three or four.
Costs
I’m writing this in May of 2024, so the costs will be current as of that month. The USD to JPY conversion is sitting around 1 USD = 155 JPY.
Your first cost will be the JCF license fee. In my case, an elite rider over 23 years old, it was 5,000y for an e-license and 6,300y for the physical one. My first year I used the e-license, but my second year I paid for the physical one as a cool souvenir.
Beyond the license. You’ll need a team kit (bibs & jersey) and you may also be required to pay the athlete registration fee. To join my E1 team in 2024 I paid 43,000 yen. That included one team kit and the registration fee plus some small accessories (gloves, bottle, etc.). In E1 I paid all my own entry fees, which were approximately 8,500y per race.
My JPT experience was a special case. I paid roughly $1,200 (usd). But I received two kits (jerseys & bibs), a speed suit (SS skinsuit), windbreaker, vest, socks, etc. I also had the benefit of the “pro” treatment at races with lots of assistance. Was it a cold rainy day? I could ask for embro and they’d oil me up with a little massage. Needed a bike wash, snacks, or a trainer to warm up on? All provided. And all of my entry fees were covered. I never paid those out of pocket. It was a really cool experience and honestly I think I got my money's worth just in the races that I attended, let alone all the extras. Plus the team was above and beyond hospitable. A really great bunch of people.
Categories
Once you’re on a team you’re good to go! So which category should you race in? The JBCF has 5 big categories: Japan Pro Tour (JPT), Japan Elite Tour (JET), Japan Feminin Tour (F), Japan Youth Tour (Y1 & Y2), and the Japan Masters Tour (M). JET is further broken down into E1, E2 & E3. The general idea is male riders start as E3 and through results they work their way up to E1. If they’re highly motivated they’ll target a placement on a JPT Team.
Unfortunately for the women, I believe there is only one lump “Female” category. But in one of my most recent races a woman lined up with us for our race start. So that may be an option. For the Youth there’s U19 & U17. Masters is similar to the women’s category and I believe there is simply one “Masters” event, without age ranges.
Using what I know (USA Cycling Categories) I’ll try to make a comparison. E3 is your Cat 4/5 or Novice rank. E2 is around Cat 3/4 and E1 is roughly one big P/1/2/3 field. JPT is something like the US’s Domestic Elite field. Some JPT teams (and even some E1 teams) are UCI Continental teams. Although, honestly, some JPT riders are probably equivalent to strong Cat 3s.
In America I raced as a Cat 2 on the road, albeit I was a pretty weak 2. My first year in Japan I raced JPT and was able to hang in the peloton and finish events. My second year I raced as an E1, where I was very competitive and able to fight for podium finishes. That’s my experience and my basis for the above comparisons.
Events
Once you’ve got all the above figured out, it’s time to finally race! The JBCF organizes the following events: Road, Criterium, Hill Climb, Time Trial and Track. Criterium, Time Trial & Track are pretty similar to what you’d find anywhere else in the world. So for this post I’ll really just focus on Road and Hill Climb.
It’s worth noting that except for track, all of these events take place on public roads. But, unlike the USA, it seems the general rule in Japan is that for a race to be a “race” the roads need to be closed to traffic. Sounds great, right? Right! Or, mostly. Japan is a beautiful country with incredible scenery and fantastic road riding. Unfortunately, the JBCF uses very little of this. I think to minimize inconveniencing locals, cut costs, and make their lives easier, most of these events will take place on already closed circuits or around agricultural land (where no one lives or drives anyway). In practice they are “public” roads, but they only need to shut down one or two entrances to close off the entire loop.
Many “road” events are just very long short circuit races. A popular venue that hosts multiple races throughout the season is the Gunma Cycle Sports Center. This is a defunct cycling theme park built in the 1980s with a paved 6 km circuit. Some of the races in the higher categories can be up to 150 km! That’s 25 laps! And, they’ll be pulling riders. When I was racing JPT it was often a big accomplishment just to finish a race. It was a common occurrence for a break to get established with the big teams represented and the rest of the field to sit up, inevitably getting pulled before being lapped. It’s not uncommon for well over half of the field to DNF early on in these longer races. Sometimes to add a little spice to your life, they’ll run the course in the opposite direction one weekend.
So, I’m biased, but that style of “road racing” wasn’t for me. That’s what led me to the Hill Climb. At first, I thought it was just an uphill TT. But, it's a mass start! The last one I did was Mt. Ontake HC which was a 17.7km race gaining 1,150 meters in elevation finishing at an altitude just under 2,200m. I finished in 51 minutes. It’s more like an uphill criterium. You might explode, but you won’t get pulled. It’s also, of course, point to point.
Good things to know about a Hill Climb are the controlled descent and luggage delivery. When you finish you’ll be waiting at the top of the climb for all other riders and categories to finish. Sometimes this means you’re waiting for an hour or more! Thankfully the morning of the race you can give a bag to the organizers and they will deliver it to the top of the mountain. This is a great way to make sure you have extra layers and snacks waiting for you. Just make sure it’s packed in a bag that you can then easily carry with you on the descent.
Be extra mindful of the forecast. At Ontake in 2024 we started at the base of the mountain in temperatures around 16 celsius. At the summit it was 7 degrees and it started to rain! Thankfully I had a teammate who had driven to the top (you must register your vehicle) and he gave me a lift back down. If you’re riding down, the descent will be done in waves which are chaperoned and controlled by officials on motorcycles.
Registering
I can only tell you my experience and I’m not certain that this is how it always works. When I was in the JPT, I never paid for an event. Each team could send six riders and the team manager made a selection based on which riders requested to go to which event, they would then register you to go. In my E1 team I haven’t run into any rider maximums (we only have a few E1 riders), and I pay for each event. I still tell the team’s manager which event I want to travel to, they register me, but then I pay them back.
The Day Of
The JBCF events have been very organized. The week before they will release a list of registered riders along with a technical guide. The technical guide will include information about the course, where to park, where to check in, how to pin your numbers and more. It’s only in Japanese. Google Translate will be your best friend. Or if you’re lucky you may have a teammate that can speak some English and help you out.
Usually the check in process begins a couple of hours before the start time. You’ll go to license control and pick up your numbers and timing chip. If you’re doing a hill climb and need to, this is also the period of time you drop off your luggage to be taken to the summit. Get kitted & pinned up, then go to the “vehicle control”. They will check your bike against a jig, kind of like what the UCI might use, as well as check the weight (take your bottles off the bike when you hand it to them) and make sure your numbers are pinned correctly. A keen eyed inspector may even look at your helmet to make sure it has the JCF certification sticker. You could possibly be told to change helmets if yours doesn’t have the sticker. When they tell you that everything is OK, you’ll go to the table and sign the box with your name.
There are also meetings that will be happening. But, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. If the team manager can’t be present they will send an “attendant”. This person is responsible for going to the meetings and reporting back to the riders.
Podiums & Prizes
Look how far you’ve come. After all that you’re headed to the podium, which in many events will be six deep. What should you expect? Maybe a cool trophy or a medal? It’s even better. How about a formal certificate signed and stamped by the JBCF President! That’s right, you’ll be receiving an A4 sheet of paper. And yes, when they hand it to you they’ll turn it to face you, use both hands to hand it over and bow. And yes, you should receive it with both hands and bow in return. I plan to frame and hang mine like some kind of college diploma. You’ll probably receive a prize as well. Something like what I mentioned earlier in this post, a towel, cup, umbrella, etc.
Where’s the money? If you want to hold a giant cheque with a big number (because it’s in yen) you’ll need to be racing in the top category, JPT. In this category the podium is only three deep. One time in a race I had a teammate finish 3rd and win some money. I never saw any of it, which was fair as I didn’t really contribute to his result. And I never podiumed myself. So I’m not sure how the payout actually works. Did he get to keep it all? Did the team take it? Who knows. I hope he kept it all, he’s a great guy.
Other Notes
Gachinko Cycle TV & Photo Galleries. Almost all JBCF events are live streamed & archived on YouTube! There’s a company called Gachinko Cycle TV that provides coverage. This includes camera motos as well as stationary cameras. A lot of photographers also come to the events and a photo gallery is posted on the JBCF website after the events take place.
Events & Categories. Not every event will be run for every category. A motivator for me to move from JPT to E1 was that not every hill climb has a JPT category, but they all seem to have E1. My first time racing at Ontake I was in the “Open” category and not eligible for any points or placement.
Outlier events. There are some events like the Niseko Classic (Gran Fondo World Championship Qualifier) and the Tour of Okinawa. These are one off events which are not part of the JBCF or any other federation I mentioned above. But, they are “real” road races on closed roads. There are also plenty of “cookie” rides. But be aware, like mentioned earlier, many of these explicitly say you shouldn’t come and try to ride for a certain time. I think it’s related to what I’ve been told about races having to take place on closed roads. These cookie rides likely have no traffic control. And instead of a cookie, you might get a bag of dry rice to cook later. Happened to me once.
The Hill Climb might be Japan’s most accessible event. There are actually quite a few of them around the country outside of the JBCF and they can be registered for on SportsEntry - I don’t think you need a JCF license.
What about other disciplines? I’ll toss this in here at the end because I think it’s worth mentioning. If you’re not racing Track, Cyclocross or Road… you’re not going to be doing much racing. Mountain biking is still very much in its infancy here in Japan. Despite its incredible landscape, there’s a shocking lack of good mountain biking. My wife and I moved here from Western North Carolina and she’s a former Age Group XC National Champion as well as podium finisher in events like the Pisgah Stage Race and Collegiate Nationals in STXC, XC & Omnium. So believe me, we have tried to find some good mountain biking here and it’s rough.
There are some lift-access downhill courses and we actually went to one for a “gravel” race which my wife won. This was held on what was essentially a non-technical STXC course. Disappointing is a bit of an understatement. There IS Grinduro Japan… but it’s insanely expensive and again, not really a race.
This honestly has had a big impact on our decision to ultimately move away from Japan. But, keep an eye out for developments in places like: https://www.minamialpsmtb.com/ https://namba.ngo/ https://www.nsd-hakuba.jp/iwatake_mtb_park/en/
Cyclocross has a big following in Japan and the calendar appears to be full of events throughout the season. If we were staying long term, I’d be buying a cross bike. Unfortunately I don’t have one, so I never got into that scene while living here.
Although this is mostly about racing in Japan, if you come here to race you’ll also (hopefully) be riding your bike for fun. Please be aware some laws work differently here. Although I’ve never personally run into trouble I’ve been told things like: bikes MUST use the crosswalk if turning across traffic (no turning like a car turns) & that bikes CANNOT exceed 30 km/h (a bike shop owner told me this). My wife and I have often talked about this as well… while in the USA drivers can be malicious towards cyclists, Japanese drivers are often blissfully ignorant towards them. Always ride defensively. Drivers will make eye contact with you and proceed to pull out in front of you expecting you to either not be traveling with speed or to stop for them. Even in “polite” Japan, the Car is King. I’ve had far more close calls with drivers here than I had in America. Having said that, it’s still a wonderful country to explore by bike.
Who Am I?
If you read all of this, thanks! I hope that you learned a little bit about road racing in Japan. But, who am I? I’m an American from Western North Carolina, now living in Japan. Ishikawa Prefecture to be specific. I’ve been a cyclist since 2011 when I bought my first road bike. In America I’m a Cat 2 on the road and an XC MTB Cat 1 with extensive experience training for and racing in a variety of disciplines. Road riding and racing is my true love and I honestly only got into MTB to hang out with my girlfriend. I guess it was worth it because the only National Championship medals I have are from Team Relay & Team Omnium. Oh, we ended up getting married too. So that was cool. I also got into the gravel craze thanks to the plethora of racing options in the South East. I’ve stood on multiple podiums with the internet’s favorite privateer, Dylan Johnson. And I’ve dabbled in bikepacking, bike touring & ultra endurance riding. Really, I’m just a guy that thinks about bikes too much.

My remaining years are few and my body is weak, yet my memories are still sharp, so I shall share a tale I’ve long kept secret. I no longer wish to take it with me to the grave. I once feared that others might be drawn to this horrible experience of mine, like those who wander too close to the edges of a roaring tornado, only to be consumed and mangled beyond recognition. But I’ve come to realize that it was naive to think this way. Though some may not heed a tornado's warning, that’s no reason not to sound the alarm. And so, I tell this story with that purpose in mind.
Consider this the gravest of warnings to stay away from Stonemoor Manor.
In the year of 1953, I was but a young man, though already busy with the responsibilities of a career and a family. Despite my tender age, I had already dabbled in various trades, for I was a restless spirit, never one to settle. From labor to intellect, I had tried my hand at it all. With equal prowess in both craft and wit, I found my true calling in a profession that demanded both: veterinary medicine.
Life in Ireland was tough in those times. Many young families were heading off for better opportunities overseas. Though I was hesitant at first, myself and the wife decided we’d eventually do the same for our daughter’s sake. But I wasn’t about to take them to a new land empty-handed, so we agreed to stay another year in Ireland while I put away some coin. To stretch our savings as far as they would go, we chose to see out our final year in a rural spot where the cost of living was kinder on the pocket.
With but a year's worth of experience as a vet under my belt, I had yet to earn myself a reputation worth speaking of, nor had I much acquaintance with the locals in the village we'd chosen as our temporary home. Still, I held firm in the skills I possessed, my eagerness to learn, and my belief that this countryside community of farms and fields would provide ample chances to prove myself. To put it plainly, I was brimming with confidence, some might even call it cockiness. I suppose it was a mixture of that and desperation which brought me to Stonemoor Manor.
As the days stretched into months, I found myself haunting the local pub like a ghost, a familiar face among the regulars. My confidence was dwindling with the lack of work. It seemed like everyone in that village had the healthiest animals in all of Ireland, maybe even beyond. What a cruel twist, their blessed lives mocking my own struggles.
One evening, in my drunken stupor, I hadn’t noticed at first the gaunt figure come into the pub and saunter over to the shadowed corner where I was drowning my sorrows. It wasn’t until he spoke that I saw him.
“Are you the veterinarian?” He asked.
I raised my head and steadied my blurred gaze on the face of a man whose sunken features made him look more shadow than flesh. For a moment, I even thought I was looking at a skeleton.
“Aye, that’d be me.”
“They seek your presence at Stonemoor Manor.”
“And what’s the reason for that?”
“The Master’s horse has taken ill.”
“And what does this ‘master’ go by?”
The man glared in silence, then in a tone tinged with irritation and raised volume, declared, "His name is Alistair Stonemoor."
In an instant, the chatter in the pub fell silent, and every gaze turned toward our shadowed corner.
“Seems you’ve caught everyone’s ear. Should I know this ‘master’ of yours, then?” I asked.
Under the weight of the pub's collective gaze, the man squirmed uncomfortably, his voice lowering as he muttered, "It matters not. You’ll be well rewarded for your troubles."
Past the man, the bartender shook his head in disapproval, fixing me with a stern glare, and silently mouthed the word, "no."
Despite the bartender's cautionary glance, fueled by youth, folly, and a healthy dose of drink, I brushed aside his advice and turned to the man, blurting out, "How much is this Master Stonemoor offering?"
The man leaned closer, his face illuminated by the flickering candlelight, revealing a gaunt, pallid countenance and foggy eyes. He looked every bit of his seventy years or more. "Sufficient to settle comfortably upon reaching the shores of America," he murmured.
In that moment, it would have been prudent to heed the warning signaled by the hairs standing on end at the nape of my neck. When your instincts scream "leave," it's best to listen. But the allure of a swift resolution to my troubles clouded my judgment. The prospect of a better life sooner than expected was too tempting to resist. So, I rose from my seat and addressed the man, "I'll go fetch me things.”
I made the decision I believed was best for my family.
God rest their souls.
I kept from my lovely Mary the weight the Stonemoor name carried in the pub. She'd have put a stop to my leaving in an instant. Instead, I spun a tale of a wealthy gent in need of my skills, assuring her I'd be back when the job was done. With our wee Annie already tucked in for the night, I kissed my wife goodbye, gathered my tools, and slipped into the back of a sleek black sedan, driven by the mysterious man with eyes like fog, seemingly undeterred by their cloudy gaze.
I leaned in and murmured, "Didn't quite catch your name, sorry.”
“Never said it.”
“Ah, right. What is it, then?”
“Fergus.”
“Pleasure, Fergus. I’m Liam.”
“I know.”
“Right. The ad. You’ve seen me ad.”
With no response from Fergus, I pressed on, asking, "How far is Stonemoor Manor from here?"
“About a half hour drive.”
What ensued was a half-hour journey enveloped in silence, traversing through the village and onto a dirt path winding through a dense, shadowy forest. Eventually, we arrived at an iron gate, which swung open onto a secluded road. Despite my keen observation, I couldn't discern who operated the gate, nor who secured it shut behind us. Ten minutes further along this secluded path, the woods parted, revealing the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor for the first time.
It bore a striking resemblance to a castle, its exterior fashioned from grey stone adorned with towers and crenellations, save for the central portion, which appeared to be of Victorian design. Judging by the numerous windows, the manor rose at least four stories high, not accounting for any underground levels.
The manor lay bathed solely in the moon's glow, devoid of any external illumination. Among the multitude of windows, only one emitted light: a solitary glimmer from a small window perched atop one of the corner towers.
Fergus brought the car to a halt, then stepped out and opened my door. With a nod, he gestured towards the manor and uttered, "Master Stonemoor awaits you within."
"Up there, is he?” I acknowledged, stepping out of the vehicle and casting a nod towards the illuminated window.
Ignoring my question, Fergus closed the door firmly. "Come along," he directed, leading the way towards the looming manor.
We climbed stone steps to confront a grand iron door, effortlessly opened by old Fergus. He gestured for me to enter before closing the door with a heavy thud that echoed through the foyer. Cast only in the moon's silver light, the room revealed itself in fragments, with stone stairs disappearing into the shadows ahead. Fergus had vanished from sight, leaving me to navigate the dimness alone.
I called out for Fergus, but my voice echoed unanswered, stirring a growing sense of unease. Doubt crept in, whispering of traps and deceit. With cautious steps, I retreated towards the door, its cool iron offering a sense of security. Fumbling in the darkness, my heart quickened with each passing moment, panic threatening to overwhelm me. Just as my trembling hand found the handle, the room burst into light.
“Departing so soon, are we?”
A new voice pierced the silence, resonating with youth and vigor unlike Fergus's. Swiveling around, my eyes met those of a tall, middle-aged man clad in a sleek black three-piece suit, accented by a bold red tie. With raven-black hair framing his face and piercing blue eyes, he commanded the landing of the steps, which diverged to his left and right.
“Ah, sorry now. I seemed to have gone and misplaced Fergus,” I chuckled sheepishly. “Thought he might’ve been locked out. I take it you’re Mister Stonemoor?”
"Please, call me Alistair," he replied with a nod. "And you must be Doctor Kerrigan?"
"Aye... Liam, that's me name," I stammered. "Only the creatures call me doctor."
I couldn't tell if the jest garnered even a smirk, for Alistair remained rooted to the spot at the top of the stairs, a considerable distance away.
"Anyhow," I persisted, "I understand there's a sick horse in need of attention?"
"Are you drunk, Doctor?" Alistair's tone was pointed, his gaze piercing.
Alistair's question caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily speechless, akin to a child caught in mischief. Yet, I had a feeling of innocence; after all, it was Fergus who had recruited me from the pub.
“I’ve had a few pints this evening.”
“I can smell it on you.”
“That is truly impressive.”
“There is nothing impressive about it, Doctor Kerrigan.”
“Well, I didn’t go swimming in it, did I?”
“I do not know and I find your sarcasm unwelcome. Fergus will escort you to a chamber, and you shall begin attending to my horse at daybreak."
“Hold on now, I'm sorry for me behavior, but I can't be staying the night. I've got a family to get back to. And anyhow, shouldn't this horse be needing emergency treatment?"
Alistair turned on his heel and ascended the staircase to his right. "Treatment can wait until you've sobered up," he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I'm plenty sober!" I hollered after him as he vanished up the stairs. "Me hands are steady as a rock!" My protest echoed through the empty foyer, but Alistair had already disappeared from sight.
Fergus emerged from the shadows of a nearby hallway, causing me to startle. "I will show you to your room.”
“You’re a right sly one, Fergus. Anyway, I can’t be sticking around for the night.”
“Master intends to further compensate you for your time.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I shall return you to your burdens.”
With my jaw clenched and eyes shut tight, I drew in a deep breath. For a fleeting moment, a vision danced in my mind's eye: my little Annie, her smile radiant as she pointed towards Lady Liberty. So precious she was, my heart ached with longing for her to have a better life.
"Fine," I relented, opening my eyes. "Show me to the room."
As I awoke, it was not to the gentle glow of morning light, but to the harsh brightness of noon. Jumping from the bed, I checked my watch, confirming my fears. With urgency, I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and hastened out of the bedroom. Stepping into the hallway, I was disoriented, with no recollection of its layout from the night before. Rows of closed doors lined the corridor, and I began to try each one in turn. Pushing and pulling, I soon realized that every door was locked. Surely, not every room warranted such security, I pondered, my frustration growing with each failed attempt.
As I ventured down the hall and finally arrived at the imposing stone staircase, the resounding clicks of each door unlocking in unison sent shivers down my spine. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, and I hastened my descent down the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. Just as I reached the bottom, I came to an abrupt stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with the ghastly figure of Fergus.
“Sleep well?” He asked.
“Jesus, Fergus! It’s noon! Has the horse given up the ghost yet? And, I haven’t a clue what’s happening upstairs, but…”
“Master Stonemoor awaits your presence in the stables.”
I looked at Fergus a moment, wondering if he’d heard a word I’d said, then relented, “Okay, then. Can I use a phone first?”
“There’s no phone on this property.”
“No phone? That’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it? I need to let me wife know where I am.”
“I will send word.”
“Quickly, then. Just let her know not to be worrying about me. I’ll be back once the job is done.”
Fergus nodded in acknowledgement before guiding me towards the stables. In the light of day, the grandeur of Stonemoor Manor became even more apparent. It truly was a colossal structure, dominating the landscape with its impressive presence.
The stables were nearly empty, save for one stall at the far end where I found Alistair tending to a black thoroughbred, sprawled on straw, barely clinging to consciousness.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Alistair remarked, not lifting his gaze from her.
"Aye, but she's in a bad way."
Alistair nodded solemnly. "She's been like this for some time.”
"You should've woke me.”
"Wouldn't have changed a thing." Alistair paused in his brushing of the horse’s mane and rested his hand upon her flank, following the rhythm of her strained breaths.
"Isn't it me duty to tend to her?"
Alistair withdrew his hand and straightened up, his eyes bluer than ever. "No, it's not." And just then, the horse's breathing stopped. "Come along, Doctor."
Alistair guided me through the grand house, down echoing halls, and into a room adorned with portraits aplenty. He paused in the center of the room and asked, "Any of these faces look familiar?" I scoured the walls until I stumbled upon a particular painting, a sight that nearly shook me to the core. In that frame, a woman and a young lass gazed back at me, bearing an eerie resemblance to my own Mary and our sweet Annie.
My blood boiled with fury, convinced that this portrait depicted my own wife and daughter. Suspicion gnawed at me, and I eyed Alistair with distrust, wondering if he was some sort of obsessed deviant. "Out with it," I demanded, my voice sharp with anger.
“No need to fret, Doctor. This painting predates your girls by quite a stretch."
"I'm not taking it, they're too alike for comfort.”
"I’m just as baffled as yourself," Alistair conceded, his words laced with sadness. "The girls in the painting are my dear wife and daughter. Both passed away some time ago."
I stood silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize." My gaze returned to the portraits before scanning the room again, my eyes catching on something odd. "Don't you have any photographs of them?"
Alistair let out a weary sigh and turned to me. "I'm afraid not," he confessed. "They passed before photographs were even a notion."
A puzzled chuckle broke from my lips. "Surely not. Cameras have been about for a hundred years," I countered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Alistair fixed me with a steady gaze, betraying no hint of doubt or error. "So it be," he affirmed with quiet certainty.
Apart from Alistair's piercing blue eyes, other features seemed to have taken on a newfound radiance. His skin possessed a youthful glow, his hair appeared fuller, and his jawline more defined. Alistair, it seemed, had undergone a remarkable rejuvenation, growing younger right before my eyes.
“Pardon me asking, but in which year were you born, Mister Stonemoor?”
Alistair smirked and made his way to a sizable wooden desk and lowered himself onto a chair. "Are you a man of faith, Doctor Kerrigan?”
Assuming this to be a roundabout approach, I responded, "Aye, I've a healthy fear of the Almighty."
Alistair rummaged through a drawer and withdrew a hefty leather-bound tome, causing a cloud of dust to rise as he placed it upon his desk. Flipping it open, he motioned for me to approach. Amongst the sea of words, atop the first page, was a title:
The Knights Templar.
What Alistair divulged to me was a tale so fantastical, it surpassed any yarn I'd ever heard spun. He claimed to have once been among the legendary Knights Templar, embroiled in the Crusades and journeying across continents in pursuit of sacred relics and hidden truths.
But as history tells, the Templars met a grim fate, condemned by their own church and hunted to extinction. Yet, Alistair was no mere casualty of that bloody chapter. He was a survivor, lurking in the very woods where Stonemoor Manor now stood, clutching to the shadows with a treasure in hand.
Amongst the spoils of his clandestine escapades was a fabled emerald tablet, etched with secrets believed to bridge the mortal realm with the divine. Alistair, having purloined the tablet and sought refuge in the forest, claimed to have communed with the Almighty himself. And in that sacred dialogue, he made a plea, and it was granted.
Thus, his years became as boundless as his desires.
As his narrative drew to a close, Alistair closed the book and beckoned me to follow him back to the stables. Stunned into silence after what I’d just heard, I trailed behind him as we retraced our steps to the very spot where we had witnessed the horse's demise. And once we arrived, still, my tongue lay dormant as I beheld the miraculous sight before me: the once lifeless creature now stood vibrant and strong.
Finally, a solitary word escaped my lips, a gasp of incredulity as I uttered, "How?"
"The Lord bestowed upon me a gift," Alistair confessed, his voice weighted with solemnity. "But it came at a cost. In death, I find life. With each soul I take, I grow younger."
The transformation in Alistair's appearance now made sense, yet it did little to quell my lingering doubts about the resurrection of the horse. "But why is the horse alive, then?" I pressed, seeking further clarification.
In response, Alistair simply glanced past me, nodding toward a figure looming in the shadows. Turning, my eyes fell upon Fergus, his form now even more weathered, his countenance more gaunt and gray. He looked to have aged another decade.
Alistair spoke as I stood in awe, elucidating, "With death, I am rejuvenated, yet with life, Fergus withers further. I take and I gain, while he gives and he loses. Our blessing is also our curse.”
Fergus looked on with weary eyes and sagging shoulders. "There was a portrait earlier that escaped your notice, Doctor," Alistair interjected. "It was the portrait of my son... Fergus Stonemoor."
To be continued…

Sorry if I'm asking in the wrong space, but the IVAR wooden shelving unit (item # 692.513.45 ) at IKEA hasn't been restocked in a while, so I'm at the point where I'm considering just making it myself?
The material lists it as being made of pine. The measurements I need are about the same as the listing, 35in W, ~20in D, maybe ~70in H. To someone who hasn't woodworked besides making a triangle puzzle in home ec, how would y'all suggest going about it (materials, equipment, etc)?

ive been playing for about 6 hours and I can say its satisfying my CoD itch ive had for a very long time. Call of Duty absolutely tanked in quality, with it's utterly horrific over the top Skill based matchmaking. Thats so strict it's makes every match and complete neck and neck esports sweat fest every single match without fail. What made call of duty so perfect back in the day was variety. Some match's you would stomp on people, some matches you would get slaughtered then occasionally you'd get a match where its close and down to the wire. There isn't anything fun about playing that last variable every single time it becomes tiring very quickly. This game has that old school feeling of variety where you can jump on with friends have a laugh and just come call of d... XD.
As for the things I'm not a fan of its not much but they are big problems in my opinion. The movement feels pretty clean for the most part, but the fact you can change direction mid air constantly as if its Quake needs to go. I shouldn't be able to jump while strafing left and then snap back right then left again all before ive even hit the ground. This devolves all close quarters fights into just jumping and ADAD Spamming/Strafing as if its 0 gravity.
The second thing I want to get off my chest is the really inconsistent kill times. So far I have only used the M4 and the M9 pistol for my class. After six hours with the M4 some kills feel fast snappy and responsive some feel like they're just tanking shots but still die within 30bullets. Now I'm okay with either of these i don't mind long kill times and I don't mind fast ones but they need to make up their mind as to which they want. You cant be having these incredible inconsistent kill times in a game like this. Of course this could be down to the servers right now and partially on the point im about to bring up next.
The bullet travel! Why in a close quarters arena shooter like this do guns need a bullet travel system. Weapons should just be hit scan. When you pair the annoying mid-air strafe spamming with the inconsistent kill times and the pullet travel it makes killing people mid to close range a nightmare. You'll be aiming on them and your shots are trailing behind their movement. I don't think the developers quite grasp how fast a bullet is. If someone is slowly strafing 10ft in front of me and I shoot them in the chest it's still going to hit them in the chest if I aim there. Bullets in this game move with the same velocity as a nerf dart. You'll be spraying point blank and most of you shots miss at first since you have to correct for nerf dart travel time, then just as you're correcting they've jumped in the air and switched direction four times and most of your shots have hit their legs leading to them either not dying or you finally killing them with the last dart in your mag after hitting them with 20+
I think these need to be fixed as soon as possible other than that I'm enjoying the game.

Hey All, I have been testing many CEDH decks to bring into tournament play with an 80 min timer for consideration. I've narrowed it down to 4 decks with their pro's and con's. I would love to hear thoughts from vets and new cedh players alike on my thought process. The moxfields don't have primers made yet since a lot of the lines take inspiration from already made lists. I'll make rounds of this post in a couple reddit/discord groups.
Tasigur Broodlord; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/mnfcR1cMaUy5HvKgW_Jx7g
Pros
-Extremely Fast Combos, Potential to win turn 2-3 consistently
-Plays through stacks pretty well being more creature heavy with different lines available
-Commander can grind and manipulate through a table pretty consistently
-Easy fixing off 3 color manabase, no difficulty casting spells
-Large interaction
-Slightly off meta, mindslaver effects are ineffective unless opponent has piloted before
Cons
-Susceptible to graveyard hate
-Thoracle line available to praetor's grasp players
-Broodhoard line is interactable and non deterministic
-Slower and less card advantage than meta decks without Nezahal/Rhystic
Derevi Flicker Tempo; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/dE09DZy4uUekq_H-SRXFwA
Pros
-Cheats Commander Tax/Casts, ability to turn off an attack or turn on a land for politics can be relevant
-Stax Interaction can beat out breach and consultation decks pretty strong, plays through its own stax well
-Attack plan is strong against ad nauseum players, toolbox creatures lets creativity into deck plan
-Evades removal using blinks and taxes, allowing it to snowball easily
Cons
-Meta/Well-Known, lines can be predictable
-Susceptible to Wipes/Removal from Value Commanders like Niv-Mizzet
-Flying creatures don't play well into kraum decks
-Possible to turn off interaction from other decks at table but doesn't pack a lot of interaction on its own, will likely lose counterspell battles
-Decks win condition is non-deterministic and slow, will just lose to a table with 2 or more turbo decks like Rogsi/BlueFarm
Hermit Pod; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/tb_hmrXsREODeXOK6q4cRA
Pros
-Premier Toolbox/Stax Deck with strong interactivity despite being non-blue, a card exists for every situation
-Card advantage always available with Tymna
-Stax pieces are extremely strong against Breach Lines
-Strong Recursion available, card removal rarely effects the decks ability to win
Cons
-Extremely Linear Gameplan, Graveyard hate and removal of Kiki makes winning difficult
-Double Pip spells in 4 color deck can make for awkward color fixing situations even with perfect mana base
-Deck's win lines are slow and involve multiple interactible pieces fitting together, making winning in an 80 min setting possibly difficult
-Is meant to be the anti-blue deck at the table, off meta decks are sure to beat it
Maelstrom Wanderer; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/3KFo3A_72EKA7J-1wgKMrQ
Pros
-Extremely Fast, can win out of nowhere and take advantage of opponents board states easily
-Offmeta, unlikely that players will interact with anything that isn't so obviously problematic
-Beatdown plan is super relevant despite not having the Slicer clock.
-Creative ways to avoid breach loss, large creatures scare off Tymna/Kraum/Najeela
-"Biorhythm" Win available with ease in CEDH due to big evasive creatures being able to get through 9 life.
Cons
-Interaction is typically saved for game losing situations
-Draw power is pretty minimal, Rhystic, Fish-Stick, Library
-Cascade RNG can cause a fizzle and wasted resources
-Loses steam and gameplan to meta stax pieces (Drannith, Rule of Law Effects, Interrupter) without decent removal options.
-Dead cards in hand once the linear gameplan is executed

Hey All, I have been testing many CEDH decks to bring into tournament play with an 80 min timer for consideration. I've narrowed it down to 4 decks with their pro's and con's. I would love to hear thoughts from vets and new cedh players alike on my thought process. The moxfields don't have primers made yet since a lot of the lines take inspiration from already made lists. I'll make rounds of this post in a couple reddit/discord groups.
Tasigur Broodlord; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/mnfcR1cMaUy5HvKgW_Jx7g
Pros
-Extremely Fast Combos, Potential to win turn 2-3 consistently
-Plays through stacks pretty well being more creature heavy with different lines available
-Commander can grind and manipulate through a table pretty consistently
-Easy fixing off 3 color manabase, no difficulty casting spells
-Large interaction
-Slightly off meta, mindslaver effects are ineffective unless opponent has piloted before
Cons
-Susceptible to graveyard hate
-Thoracle line available to praetor's grasp players
-Broodhoard line is interactable and non deterministic
-Slower and less card advantage than meta decks without Nezahal/Rhystic
Derevi Flicker Tempo; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/dE09DZy4uUekq_H-SRXFwA
Pros
-Cheats Commander Tax/Casts, ability to turn off an attack or turn on a land for politics can be relevant
-Stax Interaction can beat out breach and consultation decks pretty strong, plays through its own stax well
-Attack plan is strong against ad nauseum players, toolbox creatures lets creativity into deck plan
-Evades removal using blinks and taxes, allowing it to snowball easily
Cons
-Meta/Well-Known, lines can be predictable
-Susceptible to Wipes/Removal from Value Commanders like Niv-Mizzet
-Flying creatures don't play well into kraum decks
-Possible to turn off interaction from other decks at table but doesn't pack a lot of interaction on its own, will likely lose counterspell battles
-Decks win condition is non-deterministic and slow, will just lose to a table with 2 or more turbo decks like Rogsi/BlueFarm
Hermit Pod; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/tb_hmrXsREODeXOK6q4cRA
Pros
-Premier Toolbox/Stax Deck with strong interactivity despite being non-blue, a card exists for every situation
-Card advantage always available with Tymna
-Stax pieces are extremely strong against Breach Lines
-Strong Recursion available, card removal rarely effects the decks ability to win
Cons
-Extremely Linear Gameplan, Graveyard hate and removal of Kiki makes winning difficult
-Double Pip spells in 4 color deck can make for awkward color fixing situations even with perfect mana base
-Deck's win lines are slow and involve multiple interactible pieces fitting together, making winning in an 80 min setting possibly difficult
-Is meant to be the anti-blue deck at the table, off meta decks are sure to beat it
Maelstrom Wanderer; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/3KFo3A_72EKA7J-1wgKMrQ
Pros
-Extremely Fast, can win out of nowhere and take advantage of opponents board states easily
-Offmeta, unlikely that players will interact with anything that isn't so obviously problematic
-Beatdown plan is super relevant despite not having the Slicer clock.
-Creative ways to avoid breach loss, large creatures scare off Tymna/Kraum/Najeela
-"Biorhythm" Win available with ease in CEDH due to big evasive creatures being able to get through 9 life.
Cons
-Interaction is typically saved for game losing situations
-Draw power is pretty minimal, Rhystic, Fish-Stick, Library
-Cascade RNG can cause a fizzle and wasted resources
-Loses steam and gameplan to meta stax pieces (Drannith, Rule of Law Effects, Interrupter) without decent removal options.
-Dead cards in hand once the linear gameplan is executed

Wherein is related what befell Don Quixote as he was going to visit his lady Dulcinea del Toboso.
Prompts:
1) What did you think of Sancho’s desire to be famous, regardless of how he is represented?
2) What did you think of Don Quixote’s discourse on the pursuit of fame?
3) What did you think of Sancho’s argument, that if it is renown you are after it is better to be a saint than a knight?
4) Do you think the two will finally meet Dulcinea, and how will that meeting go?
5) Favourite line / anything else to add?
Free Reading Resources:

• Project Gutenberg
• Standard eBook
• Librivox Audiobook

Illustrations:

1. “Blessed and praised be the almighty Allah!” cries Cid Hamet Ben-Engeli at the beginning of this eighth chapter
2. Don Quixote and Sancho in the field again
3. The Pantheon
4. The great emperor Carolus V
5. Castle of St Angelo
6. we had better turn saints immediately
7. With these, and other discussions of the same sort, they passed that night and the following day (coloured)
8. the second day they descried -
9. - the great city of Toboso
10. At the sight of it, Don Quixote’s spirits were much elevated, and Sancho’s as much dejected
11. they tarried among some oak trees near the town
12. the time appointed being come, they went into the city

1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11 by Tony Johannot / ‘others’ (source) 2, 12 by Ricardo Balaca (source) 7, 8 by Gustave Doré (source), coloured versions by Salvador Tusell (source) 10 by George Roux (source)
8 happens to be the picture I used for the footer (old reddit) / background (new reddit) of this subreddit!
Past years discussions:

• 2021-07-01
• 2022-07-01
• 2023-07-01

Final line:

Till that hour came, they tarried among some oak trees near the town; and the time appointed being come, they went into the city, where things befel them that were things indeed.

Next post:
Fri, 24 May; in two days, i.e. one-day gap.

Hey All, I have been testing many CEDH decks to bring into tournament play with an 80 min timer for consideration. I've narrowed it down to 4 decks with their pro's and con's. I would love to hear thoughts from vets and new cedh players alike on my thought process. The moxfields don't have primers made yet since a lot of the lines take inspiration from already made lists. I'll make rounds of this post in a couple reddit/discord groups.
Tasigur Broodlord; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/mnfcR1cMaUy5HvKgW_Jx7g
Pros
-Extremely Fast Combos, Potential to win turn 2-3 consistently
-Plays through stacks pretty well being more creature heavy with different lines available
-Commander can grind and manipulate through a table pretty consistently
-Easy fixing off 3 color manabase, no difficulty casting spells
-Large interaction
-Slightly off meta, mindslaver effects are ineffective unless opponent has piloted before
Cons
-Susceptible to graveyard hate
-Thoracle line available to praetor's grasp players
-Broodhoard line is interactable and non deterministic
-Slower and less card advantage than meta decks without Nezahal/Rhystic
Derevi Flicker Tempo; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/dE09DZy4uUekq_H-SRXFwA
Pros
-Cheats Commander Tax/Casts, ability to turn off an attack or turn on a land for politics can be relevant
-Stax Interaction can beat out breach and consultation decks pretty strong, plays through its own stax well
-Attack plan is strong against ad nauseum players, toolbox creatures lets creativity into deck plan
-Evades removal using blinks and taxes, allowing it to snowball easily
Cons
-Meta/Well-Known, lines can be predictable
-Susceptible to Wipes/Removal from Value Commanders like Niv-Mizzet
-Flying creatures don't play well into kraum decks
-Possible to turn off interaction from other decks at table but doesn't pack a lot of interaction on its own, will likely lose counterspell battles
-Decks win condition is non-deterministic and slow, will just lose to a table with 2 or more turbo decks like Rogsi/BlueFarm
Hermit Pod; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/tb_hmrXsREODeXOK6q4cRA
Pros
-Premier Toolbox/Stax Deck with strong interactivity despite being non-blue, a card exists for every situation
-Card advantage always available with Tymna
-Stax pieces are extremely strong against Breach Lines
-Strong Recursion available, card removal rarely effects the decks ability to win
Cons
-Extremely Linear Gameplan, Graveyard hate and removal of Kiki makes winning difficult
-Double Pip spells in 4 color deck can make for awkward color fixing situations even with perfect mana base
-Deck's win lines are slow and involve multiple interactible pieces fitting together, making winning in an 80 min setting possibly difficult
-Is meant to be the anti-blue deck at the table, off meta decks are sure to beat it
Maelstrom Wanderer; https://www.moxfield.com/decks/3KFo3A_72EKA7J-1wgKMrQ
Pros
-Extremely Fast, can win out of nowhere and take advantage of opponents board states easily
-Offmeta, unlikely that players will interact with anything that isn't so obviously problematic
-Beatdown plan is super relevant despite not having the Slicer clock.
-Creative ways to avoid breach loss, large creatures scare off Tymna/Kraum/Najeela
-"Biorhythm" Win available with ease in CEDH due to big evasive creatures being able to get through 9 life.
Cons
-Interaction is typically saved for game losing situations
-Draw power is pretty minimal, Rhystic, Fish-Stick, Library
-Cascade RNG can cause a fizzle and wasted resources
-Loses steam and gameplan to meta stax pieces (Drannith, Rule of Law Effects, Interrupter) without decent removal options.
-Dead cards in hand once the linear gameplan is executed

Have:
Q50c25 Handmade
Q50c25 Radium
Q2525 Fixer
B50c25 Epr
AA50c25 Epr
B2515fr Epf
B2525 Fixer
BE25 Fixer
Q50c25 NU Laser
Q2515fr UC Laser
B2525 UC Laser
AA50c25 UC Laser
B50c25 NU Laser
AA2525 NU Laser
Q2525 Cryolator
V2525 EPR
Q50c25 Gauss
B40p+1s Chainsaw
AA40p+1s Chainsaw
V40p50bs Chainsaw
AA2515fr Flamer
Railways:
Q2550bs Q2515fr
Q2590wr Q50c90wr
Tse15fr Q50c50bs
Fixers:
VE25 AAE25 B2515fr
Q2515c TS50c25 B2515c
B15v25 berE25 ber2525 V50c15fr
B50c15fr BE90wr TSE25
Q50c100 AriE25 TS2525
AAE15c AA2590wr AssE15fr
AA2515c JunkE25 GS50c25
Junk2525 JunkVHC25 Q25dwa25
Handmades:
V50c25 V2590wr
Q50c15fr TSE15c
Q50cStealth JunkE25
B2515fr Ass2525
V2525
Heavy:
BE15fr lmg AA2515fr lmg
AA2590wr 50 Cal Q50c15fr lmg
Q50vhc25 cryolator TS2590wr cryolator
QBash90wr minigun ass2515fr cryolator
BE50drwa lmg TS2515fr GP
QE25 LMG, Minigun, Gatling gun
Aa2515fr GP B2515fr pepper shaker
TSE90wr Gatling gun VE90 lmg
AA50c15fr flamer V15ap25 lmg
AA2590wr Gatling laser AAE90 50 cal
Commando:
QE15fr Auto pipe TSE15fr Auto Pipe
QE25 Combat Rifle AAE15c elders mark
Q50vhc25 AR Q25100 Tesla TS2525 Tesla
I50c25 bpr VE90wr AR junk2525 epr
VE15fr lever action TSE15fr lever action
Q50vhc25 Plasma rifle BE+1p Fixer
B50c50bs Laser Q50vhc25 Gauss
B50vhc25 Elders Mark Q50c25 10mm smg
JugE15fr elders mark B50vhc25 .45 smg
QE250 auto pipe Q2525 Gauss
AA50L25 AD I50C15fr Gauss J50c25 AD
Z50c25 AD BE25 Auto pipe
Pistols:
B50c15fr gamma gun
MUT2525 laser pistol AAE25 10mm pistol
B50c25 M79 B2590 gamma
Q50c15c .44 V2525 Western
AA2525 .44
Bows:
AA50c25 crossbow I50C25 Crossbow
AA50vhc15c crossbow
I50c25 Compound B50c90 Compound
Melee:
B15v50bs chainsaw AA40p50bs ripper
VSSS assaultron blade AA40p40 Drill
AASSS Glove (not sanitized)
V25D+1s chainsaw, BSSS deathclaw
Z40pa90wr chainsaw VSSS Bone club
Armor:
Best:
UNY AP WWR FSA LA
UNY INT SENT S Metal LL
UNY INT SENT Trapper CP
UNY INT SENT USA CP
UNY INT SENT S Metal LL
UNT INT SENT Marine CP
UNY INT FDC Trapper LL
UNY AP SENT Reverse paint FSA RL/LL
UNY AP FDC Combat LL
UNY INT FDC ROBOT RL
UNY AP CAV H Combat CP
OE AP CAV Trapper LA
OE AP WWR S RAIDER RA
The rest (lots of good rolls):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GQ0neVgdAtcOlY2WnUkDvAtLYvLw-LIr6G_BaZzOFsU/edit?usp=sharing
Apparel:
TFJ x7
Red Asylum x5
LC x3
TLC x9
Responders Set x6
FCJS x8
Loon x4
Bosjs x2
WPJS x3
USA x2
FSA x2
Buffoon x3 Hag x3
Fiend, Raven x3, Demon
Brahmin x2
forest, yellow, pink asylum
Rare bats
Enclave Aligned Auto/flamer
Enclave Severe Beta, Forceful stock
Enclave calibrated capacitor
Leaders
1.5k L&L 8
2k explosive, 2k energy bobbles
2k psychobuff, 500 psychotats
Bulk steel
Bulk acid
Specific Wants:
TFJ, Red asylum, LC
Responders Set, FCJS, TLC
WPJS, BOSJS, USA, FSA
UNY AP SENT USA CP
UNY AP SENT H Combat RA
Q2525 Auto Pipe
Q2525 Fixer
Q50c25 Railway
B/I 50vhc 25 compound bow
B50c25 Handmade/fixer
B2525 BE25 Handmades
Q groll fixers/handmades/rails
Grolls (Weps or Armor)
Leaders
Open to all offers however, let me know what your thinking and we can make a deal :)

Listing a bunch of stuff for sale with more to come potentially. Selling as I either haven't used it much or at all. Looking at local meetups in the GTA for most. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Gear overview: https://imgur.com/a/R87uWYH

1. Eagle Industries Yote Hydration Pack and bladder in Ranger Green - $325 https://imgur.com/a/yuL83v2

• New, never worn but missing tags - A incredible and iconic pack with a built in helmet carrier but ended up not doing what I needed it to. Never worn to a game or training and comes with stock unused hydration bladder. Retails new for 267USD/350CAD and requires taxes, shipping, and import totaling about 475CAD.

1. ATS Tactical War Belt Medium $95 https://imgur.com/a/8hoL0ed

• New, never worn with tags - Made up of an inner and outer belt this is the best war belt you will ever wear. Ever. ATS produces some of the best gear me and others have laid hands on. Its so good I've had others adopt one themselves after trying it out. This is by far the comfiest and best performing belt system I've used hands down. Selling as I ordered the wrong size for me. Retails for 22+55USD/105CAD plus shipping, tax, and import fees totaling about 140CAD.

1. ATS Tactical Tear Away Med Pouch - $60 https://imgur.com/a/ats-med-pouches-akTEDoF

• New, never used with tags - An incredible Medical pouch that can tear away from its Mollee attachment system to be brought around or handed off to whomever needs it. Adaptable and durable I have one in RG on my current rig. Selling as got away from using multicam for the most part. Retails for 50USD/68CAD plus taxes, import, and shipping totaling around 90CAD.

1. ATS Tactical EDC Belt Large - $75 https://imgur.com/a/Ta1LPLz

• New, never used without tags - An incredible EDC or airsoft belt. Semi rigged (hard enough to hold mags and a pistol holster but not hard enough to jam into you or cause discomfort. Honestly and incredible belt and the only one I wear airsofting even under my belt setup. Could be used as a standalone mag and pistol belt too. Selling as I ordered the wrong size for me Retails for $66USD/90CAD plus shipping, tax, and import totaling around 120CAD.

1. OneTigris Single Pistol Mag Pouch in Multicam - $10 https://imgur.com/a/0nYYHpR

• New never used with tags - Typical pistol mag retention pouch. Selling as I got away from multicam for the most part. Retails 15CAD plus tax.

1. Taco Mag Pouches (unkown brand) in tan - $30 https://imgur.com/a/BoCUxAN

• New unused without tags - 2 Taco shell mag pouches one with a pistol mag holder as well. Selling as I got away from mulitcam for the most part. Retails for $20-30CAD each - selling as a pair.

1. Desert Camouflage Combat pants Med Regular - $25 https://imgur.com/a/z4xffxr

• Unworn with tags desert camouflage combat pants. Was going to use them as a substitute for multicam as they blend well but never got around to it. Retails $30CAD plus tax.

1. Eagle Industries Double Mag Pouch in Tan - $20 https://imgur.com/a/xzpLluc

• New unused without tags - Great pouch issued to US Marines, authentic and reliable. Selling as I got it in a pack of 3 and only needed 2. Retails between 20-25CAD per pouch plus tax and shipping.

Guns and stuff overview https://imgur.com/a/cqbDUqO

1. TM MWS M4A1 GBB (Repaired) + 5 Mags + Barrel and rail alternate. -$1450 https://imgur.com/a/hGp1q4m

• Used - The Ferrari of gas blow backs this is 2019 model has been gamed used and repaired and comes with 5 mags. Its a beast of a gun which can compete with the best of them. A few years back it had a crack appear in the lower receiver and was therefore repaired by a tech using JB weld. Crack was located at the ring where it connects to the buffer tube. Is repaired and works at this time. It has 5 mags that go with it which when tested today don't leak and also comes with the original M4 outer barrel, sight, and rails. Currently has a MK18 conversion done to it. Selling as I ended up swapping to a different gas M4 brand for mag compatibility with other guns. Retails for 1050CAD & 90CAD per mag plus taxes totally approximately 1850CAD with140cad conversion kit plus taxes for a total of ~2000CAD

1. G&P M203 Grenade Launcher (LMT Quick Lock) - $180 https://imgur.com/a/g-p-C89gdAz

• Used - Amazing grenade launcher from an outstanding company. Solid and feels good to hold made of metal. Sometimes slides back slightly when opened fully but with still enough room to chamber a round. Selling as I moved away from longer railed rifles and use smaller grenade launchers now. Retails for 250CAD plus tax.

1. CYMA MP5 Aluminum RAS hand guard conversion kit - $60 https://imgur.com/a/8L8JmuD

• Used with box - This kit allows for a standard MP5 to have attachments and a front rail. Solid metal and feels good to hold. Includes both the outer barrel and rail. Slightly used and does not include the plastic turn grip initially included. Retails for 80CAD plus tax new totaling 90CAD.

Hello everyone! Today Im selling brand new solid sterling silver chains and bracelets at a variety of styles and lengths for only $2.5 per gram. Why pay retail at a jewelry store?
Chains/bracelet Proof: https://imgur.com/a/3JvThQG
Coins/bullion/other proof: https://imgur.com/a/LS4m8Qr
Chains:
24” 7MM BOX LOCK Cuban Link Chain 74g- $185
22” 6MM BOX LOCK Cuban Link Chain 49.8g- $124
22” 7MM Cuban Link Chain 73.9g- $184
24” 7MM Cuban Link Chain 76.3g- $190
26” 7MM Cuban Link Chain 87.3g- $218
20” 5.5MM Cuban Link Chain 42.8g- $107
22” 5.5MM Cuban Link Chain 47.6g- $119
24” 5.5MM Cuban Link Chain 52.2g- $130
20” 5MM Cuban Link Chain 31.9g- $79
22” 5MM Cuban Link Chain 34.3g- $85
26” 5MM Cuban Link Chain 41.4g- $103
26” 4.5MM Rope Chain 49.5g- $123
24” 3.7MM Rope Chain 29.3g- $73
20” 3MM Rope Chain 17.9g- $44
26” 3MM Rope Chain 23.7g- $59
20” 3.8MM Franco Chain 33g- $82
22” 3.8MM Franco Chain 38.4g- $96
24” 3.8MM Franco Chain 42.3g- $105
22” 3MM Franco Chain 27.3g- $68
24” 9MM Figaro Chain 72.8g- $182
Bracelets:
8” 5.5MM Rope Bracelet 21.3g- $53
7” 4.5MM Rope Bracelet 13.2g- $33
8” 4.5MM Rope Bracelet 14.6g- $36
7” 3.7MM Rope Bracelet 8.4g- $21
8” 3.7MM Rope Bracelet 9.7g- $24
8” 7.5MM Cuban Link Bracelet 28g- $70
8” 7MM Cuban Link Bracelet 24.7g- $61
8” 5.5MM Cuban Link Bracelet 16.8g- $42
COINS, BULLION, OTHER:
1 Goldback Utah 2021 -$7
1/2 troy oz silver 2002 Libertad (see pics) - $25 $22
1/2 oz fine silver 2013 Australia ‘War in the Pacific’ - $18
1/10 oz fine silver generic round - $6
Cull 1923 Peace dollar (scratched, dings, see pics) - $26
Partial date Walking liberty half (I believe its 1919, but you be the judge) - $13
1856 Seated liberty quarter - $20
1836 Capped bust dime - $25
1876 seated liberty dime - $12
1944-D Philippines 20 Centavos silver - $5 $4
1965 Canada silver quarter - $5
1892 Sri Lanka Ceylon 10 cents silver UNC - $12 $10
Shipping is $5 ground advantage (first class) or $9 priority
International shipping available! Contact me for costs.
Orders $100+ ship free first class!
Payment methods: Zelle (preferred), cashapp, venmo, and PPFF
NO notes with payment please!! (Use an emoji if a note is required)
NO GOODS AND SERVICES PAYMENTS. PAYMENTS BETWEEN FRIENDS ONLY
Authentic solid sterling silver marked 925 Italy
More styles and sizes may be available upon request!
If you have any questions feel free to ask!