Hey y’all, I picked up a Qui-Gon Jinn and Kestis Fallen Order hilt from TXQ recently, wanting to finally upgrade from my Xeno2 hilt. Overall impressions are very positive. I’ve always been a little apprehensive about trying out Proffie: I’m pretty tech savvy but there’s still a learning curve to get adapted to. I have no doubt I’ll eventually take the plunge, but for now I had one mission: get a good hilt at a good price and have a pretty customizable option.
So am I happy with SNV4?
Yeah, I love this thing. The app is very functional and usable. The learning curve was very soft and anyone who is willing to put in an hour of effort with FrugalJedi on YouTube can figure out how to make it all work. The blade effects you can get are very impressive, and I’ve experienced only the occasional jitter from sound effects that were fixed by a quick shut down. The smooth swing algo needs work, but it seems better than it was originally.
Here’s some tips that will save you some serious time:

1. Do not even attempt to connect to the app without doing the firmware update. Find them from FrugalJedi on YouTube or from the link in point 3. Once you do that, you won’t ever have an issue connecting, or at least I haven’t. Connection is rock solid and my edits always send.
   
2. SNV4 does take Proffie fonts, but some are more problematic than others. Kyberphonic, KSith, and Jaydalorian loaded immediately with no problems. BK Saber Sounds was tricky and took me a solid 2 hours to figure out: the high quality wav formats will not be read by the saber stock. This is something to do with being in a mono 32bit encode when it should be a 16bit. You’ll need to download audacity if and manually convert each file to this configuration for the sounds to play properly. I tried multiple other ways to get around this “busy work”. I tried converting the Xeno3, Golden Harvest to Proffie using the always wonderful SoundFontNamingConverter and that didn’t work. And neither did the convert audio function. Only when I manually changed the track using the audio editing software did these fonts work.
   
3. Please download the wonderful u/B0BA_F33TT ‘s SN-Pixel v4 2 style pack from here.
   

https://www.reddit.com/lightsabers/comments/18q64df/snpixel_v4_2023_xmas_gift_27_unique_hum_styles/
It was a wonderful eye opener to the flexibility of this board and will get you looking and feeling spiffy with a simple drop in fix.

1. Download the upgraded voice pack from FrugalJedi. He’s put in the leg work and made the voice for the saber much more usable and friendly.

Conclusion: the board has been very kind to me and have spent an hour every day playing with effects. The flexibility is immense and while not quite endless like Proffie, I’ve never had more fun with a tech toy.
Thanks for reading, hope this helps if you’re new, and most importantly: may the force be with you.

I found a very good deal on a x1c 5th gen, corei7 7760u , 16gb ram, 256 ssd for 140 USD
My biggest worries are that it's an old gen and it is 2024, so how would it hold up and how can I use it.
I plan to use it for at least 3years or more until I decide to get a different version of the x1 carbon.
The main reasons I'll be using for:

• visual studios, etc like docker and other IDE's
• Dual boot of Linux
• YouTube, Reddit , web browsing
• older console emulation ( psp, ps3, nintendo ds )
• just a little video editing in 1080p

This week’s vintage batch features black hard rubber pens from three of the Big Four American Makers of the 1910s-20s. Nibs range from Flex to Wet Noodle. As always, all are fully restored and ready to write.
 
ALBUM & TIMESTAMP
 
Pastable link: https://imgur.com/a/R5fpCKe
 
Condition (n.b.): All pens listed below have been disassembled, cleaned and restored with new sacs installed in the last couple weeks. Each of these pens is guaranteed to fill and write as designed without leaks or other problems. Nibs have been adjusted when necessary to ensure that all lay down a smooth and consistent line.
THESE PENS HAVE NO CRACKS, CHIPS, PERSONALIZATIONS, LOOSE OR MISSING PARTS, BENT NIBS, MISALIGNED TINES, BROKEN/WORN OFF TIPPING, OR THREADING ISSUES.
 
Line Widths and Writing Samples: To provide buyers with as much information as possible, I have started to adopt the following line width standards: XXF (.1-.2mm); XF (approx .3mm); F (approx .4mm); M (approx .6mm); B (approx .8mm). Nib flexibility is determined by variation (max line width under pressure) and softness (amount of pressure). Flexibility designations based on variation generally run as follows for an XF/F nib: Semi-Flex (approx. 1mm); Flex (1.2-1.9mm); Superflex (>2mm). All line width measurements are taken with a digital caliper but should be considered approximations providing a general guide. Width may vary slightly depending on type of ink and paper used as well as amount of pressure applied. All writing samples are on Rhodia dot paper using Waterman Serenity Blue.
 
 
1. 1920s Waterman 92 1/2 (BCHR, GPT, lever filler, 14k XF Flex nib). This slender (1/2-sized) model is longer than a ring top but slightly shorter than a 52, measuring 4 3/4” capped and 6” posted. Not to be confused with the later, celluloid 92, this 92 1/2 is made of black chased hard rubber with gold-plated trim. It’s the first I’ve ever encountered. Cap came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a clip), but has been outfitted with a gold-plated accommodation clip. Based on its absence from US catalogues, I believe this model was made strictly for foreign export. The barrel has a Canadian imprint while the nib reads “Ideal / England,” it being a common practice for Waterman’s Canadian pens to be finished in England. That 14k nib is a Flexible writer (note change from writing sample after taking measurement. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.8mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for shaded writing. Condition: fine [C]. This pen has no functional flaws but does show some use. Hard rubber is an even dark chocolate color – still much darker than the brown these can turn. Chasing is significantly yet evenly weakened across the cap and barrel. Hard rubber surface is smooth with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Gold-plating on the lever has a sliver of brassing in the center and parts of the clip look tarnished, though I’m not sure this amounts to full-fledged brassing. Manufacturer imprint on barrel and number stamp on barrel end are weakened but fully legible. An affordable user and a lovely writer for those wondering at what all the fuss is about early Watermans. Price: $150 SOLD
 
2. 1910s Waterman 12 Eyedropper (BCHR, German Silver clip, eyedropper filler, 14k F Superflex nib). This full-sized model measures 5 1/8” capped. This slip-cap eyedropper is made of black chased hard rubber with a rivet clip marked “German Silver” – less common than the standard nickel clips. This pen is an eyedropper. The section unscrews for the barrel to filled using an eyedroppepipette – holds far more ink than a lever filler of the same size. My usual caveats about early eyedroppers apply here. If carried, it is not uncommon to find a little ink on the nib or in the cap. Super-Flexible 14k Ideal NY #2 nib lays down a smooth and consistent F line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.5mm) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Easy variation and reliably wet flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent- [B-]. Hard rubber of the cap is dark black with virtually no fading but center of barrel shows fading to dark chocolate under certain lights. Chasing on cap is sharp and deep but barrel chasing is very light and only visible when the light strikes it. German Silver clip is pristine with no brassing or other notable wear. Hard rubber surface is smooth with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is weak but mostly legible while number stamp on barrel-end is all but worn away. Price: $190 SOLD
 
3. c.1918 Waterman 52 (BCHR, NPT w/ Sterling Silver clip, lever filler, 14k XXF Needlepoint Superflex nib). This full-sized model measures 5 5/16” capped. A nice example of Waterman’s celebrated workhorse made of black chased hard rubber with a sterling silver Ideal accommodation clip with “Waterman’s / Made in France” stamped on one side and a hallmark that reads “GP” on the other side (DETAIL PHOTO). This pen came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a rivet clip). Super-Flexible 14k Ideal NY #2 nib has a needlepoint width and superb snap-back that gives it a surgically precise feel when writing. It lays down a smooth and consistent XXF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.2mm) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Insanely responsive snap-back, needlepoint hairlines, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another excellent choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent [B]. Hard rubber retains its dark black color with virtually no fading. Chasing is weakened a bit yet readily visible over the cap and barrel. Hard rubber surface is smooth with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is quite weak and only partly legible while number stamp on barrel-end is deep and fully legible. Price: $260 SOLD
 
4. c.1918 Waterman 52 in Box (BCHR, NPT, lever filler, 14k M/B Superflex Factory Stub nib). This full-sized model measures 5 5/16” capped. This pen comes in its original factory box with 5-page pamphlet including care and filling instructions as well as other offerings from Waterman (BOX PHOTO). It’s a clean 52 made of black chased hard rubber with nickel-plated trim including earlier, wide rivet clip. 14k Ideal #2 nib is a Super-Flexible Factory Stub that manages to deliver sharp unflexed variation without compromising smoothness. Under normal pressure it lays down a smooth and consistent M/B line (approx .7mm) on the down-strokes and XF line on the cross-strokes. And the line widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.0mm) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE – note change in flex grade after measuring). A versatile nib whose responsive snap-back, easy variation, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it well suited to shaded notes under normal pressure and calligraphic writing styles under flex, the Stub grind keeping one’s letterforms neat and straight. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. This pen and the one below came from an estate of someone who seems to have purchased these pens, wrote with them a few times, then stowed them away in their boxes. This one is definitely collector-grade, having seen very little use. Hard rubber retains its dark black color with no discernible fading. Chasing is evenly sharp and crisp. Hard rubber surface is smooth with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Manufacturer imprint on barrel and number stamp on barrel-end are deep and fully legible. Box is in sound condition with no torn ends but original owner managed somehow to burn a couple small holes in the paperwork. A boxed 52 with an uncommon nib in uncommonly clean condition. Price: $310 SOLD
 
5. c.1918 Waterman 55 in Box (BCHR, NPT, lever filler, 14k XF Flex/Superflex nib). This oversized model has a thick girth and measures 5 1/2” capped. This pen comes in its original factory box with 5-page pamphlet including care and filling instructions as well as other offerings from Waterman (BOX PHOTO). This pen is made of black chased hard rubber with nickel-plated trim including earlier, wide rivet clip. Commensurably oversized Ideal NY #5 nib yields Super-Flexible variation with Flexible softness. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.1mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE – note change in flex grade after measuring). Condition: excellent+/near mint [B+]. This pen came from the same estate as the 52 above and also resembles an artifact of a time capsule. Hard rubber retains its factory black color with no discernible fading. Chasing is factory sharp and crisp. Hard rubber surface is smooth with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Manufacturer imprint on barrel and number stamp on barrel-end are deep and fully legible. Box is in sound condition with no torn ends but original owner managed somehow to burn some small holes in the paperwork for this one as well. These big fellas are getting tougher to find, especially in this condition. Price: $440 SOLD
 
6. c.1921 Wahl Pen 72 (BCHR, NPT, lever filler, 14k XXF Superflex nib). This standard sized model measures 5 3/16” capped. Having purchased the assets of the Boston Fountain Pen Company, Wahl began manufacturing fountain pens in 1917. Wahl’s first pens were essentially rebranded Bostons and Tempoints (a NY company they acquired in 1918). The first full-fledged Wahls, dubbed simply “The Wahl Pen,” rolled off out of the factory in 1921. This 72 one of those pens. Its’s made of black chased hard rubber complemented by nickel-plated trim including Wahl’s patented roller-clip. The Wahl Pen is chiefly distinguished from earlier designs by its patented Wahl lever with apexed center. Super-Flexible 14k Wahl Pen #2 nib is a lovely writer. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.4mm) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Needlepoint hairlines, superbly responsive snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another great choice for calligraphic writing styles. Condition: excellent [B+]. Hard rubber retains its factory black color with virtually no fading/oxidation. Chasing is factory deep and crisp with no discernible wear. Surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Nickel-plated trim is exceptionally clean with no brassing or other noteworthy blemishes apart from light scratching to the clip. Manufacturer imprint on barrel and number stamp on barrel-end are deep and fully legible. Price: $280 $260
 
7. 1910s Parker Lucky Curve 20 (smooth BHR, eyedropper filler, 14k XF/F Superflex/Wet Noodle nib). This full-sized model measures 5 5/16” capped. Parker collectors know all too well how much harder it is to find early Parker eyedroppers compared to say, Waterman 12s. This simple, utilitarian Lucky Curve eyedropper from the early teens is made of smooth, black hard rubber. Slip cap came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a clip). Long Lucky Curve feed is intact. This pen is an eyedropper. The section unscrews for the barrel to filled using an eyedroppepipette – holds far more ink than a lever filler of the same size. My usual caveats about early eyedroppers apply here. If carried, it is not uncommon to find a little ink on the nib or in the cap. Early 14k Lucky Curve #2 nib with teardrop breather hole yields Super-Flexible variation with softness and flow verging on that of a Wet Noodle (comparable to a soft dip pen nib). It lays down a smooth and consistent XF/F line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.4mm) under very light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines with a light hand, strong snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another great choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent [B]. Black hard rubber retains its factory black color apart from minor fading to a deep, dark brown on the barrel visible under certain lights. Surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes aside from a group of short scratches to the left of the imprint (see imprints photo). Nib shows a small scuff here and there and a scratch on one tine that has no effect on durability or performance. Manufacturer imprint on barrel and number stamp on barrel-end are deep and fully legible. A lovely writer and the first example of one of these I’ve ever offered. Price: $270 SOLD
 
8. c.1915 Parker 16 Overlay (gold-filled over BHR, button filler, 14k XF Wet Noodle nib). Measures 4 5/8" capped and 6” posted. While Waterman overlays of this period aren't particularly common, they're far more numerous than their Parker counterparts today. Parker overlays like this one were commissioned to the George W. Heath company in New York, who is credited for some of the finer overlays on early Watermans and Conklins as well. The gold-filled filigree over this black hard rubber ringtop features an exquisitely hand-engraved Art Nouveau pattern as well as an indicia on the barrel for engraving. The pattern is the earlier, more intricate design that's more sought after than the simpler Art Deco pattern of the later 1910s-20s. Barrel overlay is stamped "Parker Fountain Pen" along with patent dates from 1891 and 1905. Pen has an Xmas tree, Lucky Curve feed and knurled blindcap unscrews to reveal brass button for filling. To fill, one simply unscrews the blind cap, submerses the nib, and depresses the brass button once. The fine workmanship of this pen is complemented by an early 14k Lucky Curve #3 nib, a scarce “Lazy S” variant with long tines. The nib is a Wet Noodle with softness, variation, and flow comparable to that of a dip pen nib. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.5mm) under minimal pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Another nib with astonishingly responsive snap-back giving it a precision feel and you maximum control over the line. Together with its thin hairlines and reliable flow over its full range of flex, this makes for an ideal choice for calligraphic writing styles. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. Overlay shows no brassing, dents, or other notable flaws aside from some pin-sized dings confined to the knurled portion around the top of the cap. Hard rubber retains its dark black color with scarcely any fading. Knurling of blind cap isn’t quite as sharp as it once was and number stamp on barrel-end is faint but legible under bright light. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible. Price: $380 SOLD
 
 
 
Shipping: Pens purchased on the weekend are mailed on Tuesday. Otherwise they are mailed within 2 business days of payment. All pens that do not come with their original boxes are packaged in PVC or thick plastic tubes to protect them in transit. To CONUS locations the following shipping options are available:

• USPS First-Class with tracking for $5 Due to the delivery delays that continue under postmaster general DeJoy, I strongly recommend that the Priority shipping option be chosen. All packages will include full insurance (covered by me). Rest assured that a full refund is guaranteed (issued through Paypal) in the event of a lost parcel and you will not have to wait until I receive a reimbursement from the USPS.
  
• USPS Priority with tracking for $9
  

International Customers: Please contact me for shipping quote if located abroad (delivery confirmation required). (Note: due to the issues stated above, my international shipping options are currently limited. PM for more info). Please do not ask me to commit mail fraud by altering the declared value of a pen for customs. Not only am I registered as a business but shipping insurance is based on declared value.
New York Customers: For tax purposes, I am now required to add an 8% sales tax on any sale made in the state of NY. If your shipping address is in NY state, please let me know before payment to receive an adjusted total. Discounted shipping is included for NY State residents to help defray the extra cost.
Ordering: Pens are placed on hold for the first person to reply to the thread and PM me with firm request to purchase (no chat DMs please). A request with the words “I'd like to purchase [pen number]” would be best to avoid confusion), to which I’ll reply with payment details. Please note that a message inquiring into a price discount does not suffice to place a pen on hold. If I haven't received Paypal payment within 24 hrs after a hold is placed, then pen(s) may become available to the next person.
Payment, & Guarantee: Payment by Paypal only. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something objectionable or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, the buyer may contact me up to 7 days after receiving the pen for a full refund (issued once I receive the pen back in the same condition as sold). Buyer must ship the return no later than 2 weeks after it was delivered to receive a refund. I've sold pens online for over a decade. Please check my past listings here as well as on the classifieds and historical sales forums on FPN (username: Estragon) and FPGeeks (popcod) for some of my previous offerings.
 
 
OTHER OPEN LISTINGS

• Vintage Montegrappa Extra Edacoto
  
• Waterman Nurse’s Sets
  
• Off-Catalogue Sheaffer Stubby Balance Lifetime
  
• Psychedelic Bayard Excselsior
  
• Waterman Taperite Citation
  
• Conklin Enduras, Nozac
  

With all the new Apple people fiiiiiiiinaaaaaallly discovering emulation. WELCOME. However this is not new technology. With that said, feel free to search for game suggestions on here, YouTube, or just any search engine. Try "top (insert system e.g. PSP) games" there are tons of suggestion threads already. You don't have to make a new one.

The first couple of pages starts off with a guy killing demons/monsters(?) and he comes across a baby. This baby is the very last, known human. And he decides to raise the child. Then it leads to him hooked up to tubes, and he slowly ages or de-age, from a blood transfusion.
Note: I got this chapter for free on the PSP 3000 comic app Digital Comics. I have been looking for it for years and can’t find it. I couldn’t buy it at the time and would love to now.

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/lolfuckno.
This post was originally posted to weddingshaming.
There was already a BoRU post by u/autochthonouschimera, which didn't include the last update yet.
TRIGGER WARNING: cheating, child neglect, extreme entitledness, talk of abortion
MOOD SPOILERS: infuriating, confusing, frustrating
The new update at the bottom of this post has been marked with --- ---
EDIT/DISCLAIMER: FFS FOLLOW THE NO BRIGADING RULE = DO NOT COMMENT ON THE ORIGINAL POSTS LINKED IN BoRUs!! THIS OFC ALSO INCLUDES NOT TEXTING THE OOP DIRECTLY, NOT REPORTING THEM TO SUBS LIKE care AND NOT INCLUDING THEM IN THREADS AND DISCUSSIONS!! LEAVE THEM ALONE, THIS SUB IS MADE TO LURK AND GET SOME SPICY STORIES WITH CLOSURE, NOT TO HARRASS PEOPLE WHO ALREADY GOT ALOT OF INPUT THROUGH DIFFERENT SUBs!!
Original story was posted on December 7, 2021
Okay, so this girl I know from high school is getting married. We're both 22, for reference. In our senior year of high school she got pregnant, with baby daddy A who will be referred to as Adam. Her super conservative parents kicked her out and she ended up moving in with a friend's family. She barely graduated high school. The only reason she did were because of the generosity and support of our teachers and students who volunteered to help her, which is how we met. We were in the same law class in the morning and she had the worst morning sickness that really affected her ability to be in class. So, I took extra notes for her, tutored her, and brought her her stuff if she hadn't come back by the bell. I wasn't the only one who did stuff like this for her and I know she really appreciates all the assistance we gave her. She had the baby a month after we graduated.
She'd signed up for a 911 dispatcher course for after high school because where we live it's a good steady job, with opportunity for certificates and promotions. But she didn't realize how intensive the course would be and had to drop out. She started working at a grocery store bakery, just until she had a better plan. Adam started an apprenticeship while working part time at a hockey rink, and proposed to her literally the day of her eighteenth birthday, and brought up marriage because "it's the right thing to do" (I don't really agree with that but this isn't about me) and she was always refusing.
She started cheating on him after a while (we're all 19 now), and eventually leaves him for another guy because... She's pregnant again and it is far more likely that this guy, baby daddy B who will be referred to as Brad, is the father of the child. Neither of them can afford lawyers so getting any kind of custody agreement is a mess, and then their parents got involved and they did 50/50 split (still not made official). She has the baby, that does turn out to be Brad's, and everything is okay for about nine months, when she finds out Brad has been cheating on her with his TA. Brad decides to pay child support but doesn't really want contact with the kid, only around holidays and one weekend a month for his parents' sake.
She moves back in with her parents (we're all 20 now) who only accept her back because there's grandchildren around. On the plus side, (when she's 21) she gets to take that year long dispatcher course, and passes with flying colours!
After working as a dispatcher for a year (we're all 22 now) she meets a police officer we'll call Chad, who's 26 and married... And Adam's second (?) cousin (I can't remember how they're related, just that Adam and Chad are related somewhat distantly). She has an affair with him (infidelity is super common among cops apparently). She gets knocked up, his wife divorces him, Chad proposes because "it's the right thing to do", she accepts, and her parents kick her out again for being a [insert expletive here], she moves in with Chad with her two kids. They've started planning the wedding, which... Given the background is something akin to a dumpster fire. Adam is LIVID. He was desperately in love with this girl and hasn't really recovered from what she did to him, and while she rejected his proposals years ago, she's accepted one FROM HIS COUSIN WHO PROPSED FOR THE SAME REASON HE DID.
Adam has basically made a call for loyalty in the family, dividing everyone one who should go, who should give money, etc plus they're having trouble planning anything because of COVID. Her parents have outright said that they're not going, along with half of her family, and her younger sister has been going around and sabotaging what plans they can make.
She has asked me to be a bridesmaid, I said that I couldn't because I live in a different province now, but the truth is, I do not want to be wrapped up in that clusterfuck in any way . I'm just watching the arguments and events unfold on social media because this is quite honestly the most entertaining thing I've seen all year. It's weird to me that she even asked because we're not friends, we never have been. We were friendly strangers in high school, I just helped her out for one class because she needed help and I could give it to her. I was just being nice. But based on how she turned out I'm just sad for her. Three kids in four years, and she's alienated so much of her friends and family because if her actions, and I'm torn between feeling sorry for her and putting my head in my hands.
EDIT 1:
First off, all of your comments are hilarious. Second, I'm going to answer some of the common questions.
We're from a city with over 400,000 thousand people, she just comes from the neighbourhood that is made of either bible thumpers or white trash, with no in between. But the high school we went to was in a completely different neighbourhood than that.
Our school had a pretty good sex Ed course, and they gave out free condoms and had resources to help girls get birth control, and they had programs in place for if students ever got pregnant/were going to be teen parents (they also had one of those classes with the dolls for girls who were high risk at teen pregnancy but she wasn't high risk so she wasn't in that class) I don't if BC just didn't work for her, or if she never tried it.
She started alienating her friends after the affair with Chad came out, because people weren't exactly jumping for joy that she'd broken up a marriage (Chad and his ex didn't have any kids, thankfully, so there were less obstacles). When people weren't immediately ecstatic for her she started getting very snippy, rude, and was "calling the bitches out" on social media for not supporting her new relationship or pregnancy. (Tbh I'm really worried about her health because having this many babies so close together is just not good for her health, mental or physical.) People are also worried that Chad will cheat on her "if he'll cheat with you, he'll cheat on you" and think she should avoid marrying him so that she can just leave him if it happens.
I'll give you updates as they come out, but so far it's just a lot of yelling on social media (mostly from her), some relatives slut shaming her, and people who are just really worried about her because, as funny as this is, this doesn't seem like healthy behaviour.
EDIT 2:
First off, I realized I never gave this girl a name. For the sake of clarity we'll call her Beth. I realize that I didn't mention this before, but all of these are fake names.
Second, to everyone commenting that Chad is at fault for his marriage breaking up, believe me I'm well aware of that. It is his ex wife and her family/friends who solely blame Beth. Chad is also older than her and has more life experience, so I do believe that he could potentially be taking advantage of her naivete. However, she is also an adult who is capable of making her own decisions and has chosen to make poor ones in the past.
Third, people who are upset that I'm posting this story here, claiming I'm humiliating her. She has been posting about this mess on every social media platform she has since they got engaged in July. She put this out there long before I did except she did so in front of friends, family, employers, and coworkers, as well as internet randos.
Fourth, despite getting engaged in July and attempting to start planning then, I was only asked to be a bridesmaid three days ago. I knew that there was a mess going on but I didn't really pay attention to it until she asked me to be a bridesmaid. I tried to ask what was going on, I said that she should talk to someone, but when she completely brushed me off I checked her FB and Instagram and found out about all of... This.
Fifth, I realized that I didn't really talk about how disastrous the wedding planning has been going, see here you go:

• they've had to rebook three times because venues and vendors kept cancelling when infection numbers got worse even thought their wedding was months away
• Beth has been flipping between having the wedding while she's pregnant saying she's proud of her bump, and wanting to wait until they're born because she feels fat, which is unfortunate because she's been breaking down due her insecurity on a public platform
• Beth is currently seven months pregnant
• Beth's great aunt was going to give her her wedding dress to wear (after she gives birth) but Beth's mom freaked and stole the dress from said aunt before Beth could get it and is now keeping it, the great aunt says she's too old to get in a fight and has shrugged it off
• Chad's immediate family is paying for the wedding and has been cut off by the rest of their extended family for 'choosing Chad'
• Beth's wedding colours are pink and green, which is usually a nice combo but the specific shades don't go great together, they're her and Chad's favourite colours, which is fine but she literally made a video talking about these colours for 14 minutes on her insta and both of her kids are just full on bawling in the background and she's ignoring them and she's gotten some flack for that
• Adam is finally settled into his trade and has now hired a lawyer and is trying to get primary custody and not allow his daughter to go to the wedding
• she's planning a zoom baby showebachelorette party and has sent out a registry and she's asking for crazy expensive things
• she's also set up a go fund me to help pay for a honeymoon and is making a lot of posts about how no one loves her cause the fund only has $1267 of the $20k she wanted

I'll update when I can but I'm still in school and while I do want to help her, she's refused help offered in the past and there's only so much of this I can take mentally right now.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE:
Hey everyone, so some stuff has gone down, and it doesn't look like it's over yet. Sorry, I didn't update sooner, but Rona came back with a vengeance and totally messed up plans with uni and family. Anyway, onto the update.
From the last update - 16th - Lots of ranting and chaotic wedding planning on social media, she found a dress and has decided she will get married while pregnant, they found a local wedding venue that is very lovely, but I'm shocked she's still trying to book stuff with all of their previous venue cancellations.
December 16th - Her little sister unblocked her to call her a s*ut and tell her that all her wedding plans were stupid. This resulted in a petty and entertaining facebook war until the little sis blocked her again on the 17th.
December 18th - Beth went nuts on social media because Adam had "kidnapped" their daughter, what really happened is that because courts are moving at a snail's pace due to COVID and Adam had reason to believe that their daughter was not safe living with Beth he decided to just... Not give her back. They don't have a custody agreement, and when Beth tried to call the cops they couldn't do anything because he was kinda right. There were dozens of videos on her various social media accounts of her ignoring their daughter, yelling at her daughter for crying or doing other things that toddlers do, it turns out that everything she needed was bought by Adam, food, diapers, clothes, toys, daycare (while it was open) etc. on top of the unofficial child support he was paying every month (which turned out to be $500 a month, a number I find ridiculous because Adam was already paying for literally everything) because she refused to buy anything for her daughter and insisted it was Adam's responsibility. Additionally, after the immediate post-birth appointments, Beth never took baby A to a doctor's appointment, she always deferred that to Adam. Baby A's pediatrician has NEVER met Beth. Beth even tried to get Chad to push back or intimidate him or something, but the local police where we live are under one hell of a microscope after a bunch of dirty cops got busted a couple of years ago. Basically, the cops, and the social worker they ended up calling, ended up saying there was nothing she could do until they get to court. The social worker tried to get her to go to therapy and parenting classes, but Beth refused and went on a fifteen paragraph long rant on Facebook about how she doesn't need parenting classes or therapy (she really, really does though) and called the social worker some choice words.
December 19-24 - Just a bunch of ranting on social media, calling everyone who doesn't enable or justify her behaviour cuss words, slurs, and a whole bunch of other horribly creative things. Also, both she and Chad are under investigation at work now, but she has no idea why. I'm gonna take this time to remind everyone that 99% of this info is coming from her public social media pages where her coworkers are friends and place of employment is listed.
December 25 - I am officially embarrassed to know this woman. I didn't go on her FB page until the evening cause I didn't want to deal with drama, first thing in the morning, on Xmas. In the morning she put on a very beautiful blue maternity dress, got Chad in his police blues, and baby B in a purple romper, and then live-streamed her and her family going to the courthouse to get married on Christmas day. (According to her Twitter, part of this was because their newest venue cancelled on them after COVID numbers spiked) Overall, a pretty tacky thing in my opinion because she stated plain as day, several times, that she intended her wedding anniversary to eclipse Christmas for her children because it's just "so much more special, you know?" (I am so glad that Baby B's grandparents are filing for guardianship) But here's the thing... The courthouse isn't open. Because of COVID for one thing, but also because it's Xmas and Canada has a predominantly Christian history. She proceeded to have a full meltdown, and when Baby B cried because, y'know, the kid's mom was screaming up a storm and scaring her, Beth called her a c*nt. Yup. So done with this bitch.
December 28 - I ran into her at a vaccine clinic cause we were both getting our booster shots. She didn't recognize me at first but one of my old bosses (cause I used to work at the hospital the vaccine clinic was in) called my name and said hi, so she came up to me after my old boss had left. We talked a bit while we sat down for the mandatory waiting period after getting the shot. She asked how I was but didn't even wait for me to respond before she started ranting and complaining about her life. I was just going to sit there until the time was up and then just politely make my exit, but when she started talking shit about her kids something inside me snapped. I just said "Do you even like your kids? Do you like being a mom?" She got pretty quiet for a second and then said "no". Idk, her voice and demeanour completely changed and we just sat in silence until our time was up. I said goodbye but it was really awkward.
December 31st (today) - I just looked at her feed and, this is such a shocking what-the-actual-f*** moment. She's thinking about giving up her kids. She went on about how recently she was asked if she liked her kids or being a mom, and how she realized that she didn't. She hates her children and blames them for ruining her life, and how she doesn't want to be a mom. I mean, nothing is official yet, but what the hell?!
I'll update as stuff happens now that I have the time, but this whole thing has been a big giant mess. Also, sorry for any formatting or grammatical errors, I'm not used to using Reddit on my PC.
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UPDATE
Okay, so, some stuff has happened and most of it's good? Also, the TL:DR for this update will be at the bottom
Jan 4th - Beth (and Chad) stopped posting on all social media. I was actually a little worried she died, I mean this woman posts everything short of her trips to the bathroom on IG.
Oddly enough, this got people messaging or interacting with her social media pages because she was usually the one to start contact, and that contact was usually yelling. No one heard from them and some people started to be like "should we call the cops for a wellness check?" Until Chad posted a status saying that they're fine but are "busy, please stop trying to contact us right now". Everyone listened but it was weird.
Jan 11 - I got a notification that Beth and Chad are active on social media again, but I didn't feel like drama so I didn't check out any of their posts.
Jan 12 (today) - she messaged me on FB asking me to be her MOH. She also kept going on about the resort in Cancun that she and Chad were looking to have their wedding at... This coming February. Omnicrom is really bad where we are, so no one should be travelling anywhere. I've actually had to delay my trip back to the province where I go to university. No one should be travelling anywhere.
Beth also found out that Chad was cheating on her with one of her co-workers and called the woman a "homewrecker" on FB tagged her, and posted the texts she found on Chad's phone. But Chad is the "love of her life" so she's forgiven him, but not the other woman. Which I find very hypocritical, considering how she and Chad got together.
She also sent pics of possible bridesmaid dresses and they are the most hideous dresses I've ever seen. I know that some brides do that thing where they want to look a million times better by comparison but this was just ridiculous. One of them looked like a partially deflated balloon with feathers strapped to it. She also openly admitted that she expected everyone attending to pay 3k, 2k would go towards that guest's stay at the resort and 1k would go to her and Chad and they will expected wedding gifts, so that they could get their room for free. Apparently, she talked to someone at the resort and if she got enough people to book their rooms she and Chad would get theirs for free. She also wanted the money to be given to her instead of directly to the hotel so that people wouldn't realize that she was taking 1k of their money. Beth sent me a pic of the wedding dress she wanted, and it's definitely a clubbing dress. If that's what she wants that's fine (and for the record I do think she would look great in it, Beth's (current) dream wedding dress ) but she wants all the guests to be dressed black tie. And she's already sent a list of unreasonable requests. Such as;

• all women must wear heels (for a wedding in the beach???)
• no one is allowed to have a baby or be pregnant (really?)
• girls must have longer than shoulder length hair, boys must have very short hair, only and inch or two long
• no one is allowed to be skinnier than her
• she will be providing diets for everyone attending based on how she wants us to look
• she and Chad must get bachelor and bachelorette parties both in Canada and in Mexico that need to be "fit for a king and queen" and both must be paid for but anyone but the bride and groom "cause that's just tacky"
• no unnatural hair
• no tattoos (you have five tattoos, Beth, and in the dress you want all will be on full display)
• no one is allowed to talk to her directly, they must speak through the MOH and BM

Honestly there's a lot more but I didn't feel like typing all that out. She's posted the list on FB and IG and people are already calling her a bridezilla.
I was also just kinda weirded out because aside from the previous convo at the hospital and when she originally asked me to be a bridesmaid, we haven't spoken since high school. So I respectfully declined, stating that the virus and school were my top concerns right now. Then, I decided to check her socials to see if she'd posted anything. She had and everything was basically how it was before the hiatus... Except her kids are nowhere to be found. No "look at my cute baby" pics are kids crying in the background of her videos. Nothing. Though, based on her new pics of herself, she's given birth to baby C. I mean, she's definitely still recovering, but she also definitely had a baby and that baby is not on any of her socials, so when she responded to my decline with an attempt at guilting me to be her MOH, I asked her where her kids were. This was her response.
"Oh, I left them at the side of the road in our way home from the hospital those moochers could walk home lol"
I was like, please tell me you're not being serious (especially cause it looks like she had the baby days ago). And she replied "I was just joking you shouldn't be so serious all the time". Honey, you made a joke about child abandonment/abuse, you're not being serious enough. And then I finally got the update on the kids.

• Baby A is still with Adam, Beth signed away her rights
• Baby B and Baby C have been given to a mutual cousin of Adam and Chad who is infertile (tbh I didn't need that last tidbit of info or the three paragraph long rant about how God hates infertile women, I didn't even read all of it, I couldn't, and I didn't think that Beth could be so cruel to even think those things). I checked out the FB page of Baby B's grandparents and they're happy with their grandchild's new parents, it looks like the cousin and her husband and welcoming them to the family as another set of grandparents and will let them have access to B. So yay!
• One thing I do need to stress though is that because of COVID the courts in our areas are either moving at a snail's pace or closed, so none of this is "official" but Beth (and Chad) has signed paperwork and all that needs to happen now is presenting that to a judge.

And when I rejoined our convo she said the doc she had for baby C gave her brith control, and she was surprised cause after her first pregnancy she asked her doctor for it but he refused to give her any. She mentioned that her old doctor was also her mom's and sister's doctor, she ended up asking the doc who delivered baby C to be her new doctor, so I hope that works out.
After learning all this my convo with Beth started to go down hill...
Beth: wait, did you actually think I would just leave my kids at the side of the road! I just didn't want to be a mom, but I wasn't a bad one
Me: Beth, I think that you've been through a lot of trauma in the past few years, and that it's gotten to you mentally and that you should speak to a professional.
(Of course, Beth has been a bad mom, but she does need mental health help and I wasn't going to convince her to get it, or to not tell at me, if I said that )
Beth: what? You think I'm crazy?!
Me: no. I think that getting kicked out as a teen because of a pregnancy and having your family actively reject you and try to sabotage you must have been very painful. Plus, pregnancy puts a lot of mental stress on women and you've had three in such a short time span, I just want you to take care of yourself and get what you want in life, and I think that will start with you taking care of your mental health.
Beth: what I want... IS FOR YOU TO GO STRAIGHT TO HELL! Beth then calls me every cuss word, expletive, and derogatory word she can think of one of the words she called me was a derogatory word about people from my ethnicity and my blood is boiling that she thought it was okay to say that to me.
So, I'm now on her hit list. She's been blowing up my social media all day, on her last FB post where she called me a slur she said that she still expects a good wedding gift from me. Yeah, no. So I've blocked her on everything, and I've decided to completely cut off contact. This will be my last update.
TL:DR - Beth went on a social media blackout for a bit, had baby C. Gave up all her kids, baby A is still with Adam, Baby B and Baby C are with a mutual cousin of Adam and Chad and baby B's grandparents have access. Chad cheated on her and she forgave him, but she probably shouldn't have. She's decided to have her wedding in a little over a month in Cancun and is expecting unreasonable things of everyone already. She asked me to be MOH I respectfully declined. I also suggested that she talk to a mental health professional because she's been through a lot in the last few years and she cussed me out, she also called me a derogatory name directed at people of my ethnicity and that was the final nail in the coffin. I'm now on her hit list. But her kids are safe and I have no interest in going to wedding so I'm cutting contact completely and have already blocked her on all my socials. I'm refusing to be involved with her anymore and will not be updating on the situation.
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--- EDIT - NEW UPDATE --- - JANUARY 25, 2023 - TL:DR AT THE BOTTOM
Hi, everyone, I didn't think I would be making another update, but here I am. I don't know if anyone will even care but whatever. I saw a YouTuber, Charlotte Dobre, do an entire video about this post on Facebook (which was funny, she did it well), [editor's note: here's the video in question and also: check out Charlotte Dobre's subreddit !] and got so nervous that Beth was gonna see it. Turned out, she's seen it and does not give a single damn, because as I pointed out, the majority of the info in this post came from her public social media. She also doesn't know who posted it (more on that in the update). I am still no contact with Beth and have no plans to change that anytime soon, but we have mutual friends who have told and shown me what's happened.
First things first, she and Chad did get married, but they eloped. According to all sources they are completely and utterly miserable though. Chad has proven to be and overall lazy and unfaithful husband, and Beth has really gotten into feminism (with a focus on reproductive issues) after she started using birth control, and Roe v Wade getting overturned (even though we're in Canada) really caused tension in their marriage. As it turns out, Chad thinks that abortion is murder and God created women for the purpose of making babies.
Beth tried to argue that not all women want or should be mothers using herself as an example, and then Chad went ahead and used her as an example of why women should be forced to have kids, because in the end she gave kids to an infertile couple. She didn't take that well and said that her entire life and future was ripped away from her and destroyed the second she got pregnant with baby A. Adam was never slut shamed or demeaned like she was, both at home and at school (which is a fair point, myself and many others were helpful and supportive but there were a lot of people who judged the hell out of her and said really nasty stuff) and that if she hadn't gotten pregnant she would've gone to college or university because she lost the general and financial support of her family with that positive pregnancy test. Chad has made a Tinder account. Beth was informed but it doesn't seem like she gave a damn.
So basically you could cut the tension with a knife.
And with her family, her sister came out as gay and cut off/has been cut off from their parents. But she's got a partial scholarship so she's doing okay. She and Beth are NOT on good terms but have met up and acknowledged that their parents messed them up by being religious nuts and their parents encouraged them to be competitive with each other and sabotage each other. Apparently their dad's motto is "competition brings out the best in everyone" (ugh). But they've talked and that's good enough for now.
Neither Beth nor Chad have custody or visitation of their children, which Chad is starting to regret because he's suddenly getting more and more into the church and religion. Chad talked to Beth about getting baby C back but Beth shut that down hard and warned the cousin who adopted baby C (officially and legally btw).
Beth started going to therapy after she and Chad got married, which makes me very happy and excited for her.
There was a rumour going around that Chad has a mistress and it took me a while to confirm, but it's true. He's cheating on her with a paramedic and she knows. Beth is fully aware. Idk if she plans to do anything about it or just continue to ignore it, but I hope she leaves his ass. I'm still not gonna talk to her, she crossed so many lines, but she's grown and improved a lot and her life would be a lot better without that sac of scum in her life.
Now, I have given a few details in my post that should've revealed my identity to her, namely her asking me to be her MOH. I have found out that she actually asked around 15 girls (including myself) to be her MOH, without telling any of us about the others because she was trying to get money from all of us and because her mental health has just been very bad and she needed help. And of those 15, 8 have been going to school out of province and of those eight we all had basically the same classes in high school. And apparently doesn't remember our discussion at the vaccination clinic and had major blow up with everyone she asked to be MOH. So she knows it's one of 8 people and reportedly has no interest in trying to narrow that number down. (Chad did the same thing with his groomsmen, but idk any of the numbers)
TL:DR Beth and Chad got married (eloped), are miserable, have zero custody or visitation with any of their children, Chad's cheating and Beth doesn't appear to care, Chad is super sexist, Beth is a feminist now, Beth's sister is gay and they've talked but not reconciled, Beth asked too many girls to be MOH for money and doesn't know the ID of who made this post.
Dear "Beth", if this post gets forwarded to you or somehow graces your phone screen, leave Chad. He's trash and you'll be much better without him in your life. And though I'm not willing to talk to you again because of your words and actions, I do wish for you to have a wonderful and happy life.
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Please remember the NO BRIGADING RULE: do not comment on the original posts linked in BoRUs, see Rule 7. Doing so can result into a permanent ban from this sub and the other linked sub(s).
I'm not the OOP!

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Background I started learning Spanish back in the end of 2018 because I had a new Mexican boyfriend and while he was completely fluent in English, if I stayed with him I was never going to be able to understand his phone calls or any conversations with his family. I started out by ordering a couple Spanish workbooks and also spending a great deal of effort learning to trill rr's (which I could not do at all but refused to just pronounce everything wrong). My listening input was primarily listening to my boyfriend talk on the phone. Over the years novio became esposo, I did get more practice when I would visit Mexico, and also I added (painfully) reading novels in Spanish as well as reading Spanish out loud to my husband and then trying to translate it back to English (which is great for pronunciation practice but the translation was painful). After my 2023 Xmas trip to Mexico I got in a new years resolution mood and decided I was sick of "learning" Spanish so many years and it was time to finish the job.
Dreaming Spanish I found dreaming Spanish on YouTube randomly, remembered seeing it years ago, but this time I could actually understand it. I watched a couple more free videos and quickly decided to subscribe and commit. I gave myself 300 hours of credit, because the description of "you can understand someone talking patiently to you" was perfect. The key was how easy it is to know what to do every day - watch videos. I watched them while eating breakfast or during downtime after work, and I no longer had to analyze what boring workbook exercises I should do or beg my husband to let me read/translate to him. I just watched.
I began with intermediate videos, however fairly quickly I moved on to advanced as my listening skills caught up to my reading skills (struggling to read novels for adults does eventually work). I primarily watched dreaming Spanish for first 150 hours, my favorite being Pablo's rambling and Andres. I also branched into podcasts, learn Spanish and go being the sweet spot for a long time. Hoy Hablamos is also good, but I struggle a bit with the Spain accent. For TV/video, I watched Alex Tienda's series on North Korea and then Afghanistan. I started watching Avatar probably before I really understood much but I enjoyed it, took a little pause and then started Korra (which is harder, more of the action is political/dialogue based). I've now finished Korra, and also got around to figuring out how to get my vpn to work with Netflix so I could access all the dubs (if you have Netflix I highly recommend doing this - I used Nord and set up a dedicated ip address in Spain and it turns out the majority of shows and basically all cartoons have a Spanish dub, usually with a choice of Latin American or Spain).
From 500+ hours I barely ever watch dreaming Spanish and have lost the patience for learner content. I will not listen to one more explanation of how holidays are different in spain/mexico! Honestly this is the highest compliment I can give to DS - it works so well you won't need them for long.
My favorite native content right now is Háblame Sucio (very NSFW but fun and great slang practice). Some episodes are very tough but I relisten to the same one multiple times. I'm also rewatching avatar and watch a bit of nature documentaries on Netflix (I immediately learned the word for shark lol). I'm currently looking for a good YouTube channel, I'm not that into travel blogging but I like YouTube that is basically someone talking about current events in a humorous way like Drew Goodin or penguinz0 (if you know of one let me know lol). I feel like my abilities have hit the critical threshold where I can enjoy things that I would do anyway, except in Spanish. That makes it so effortless to continue and rack up 2+ hours a day.
Abilities Funnily enough, one of my proudest achievements is being able to understand Háblame Sucio, because it is one of the first native podcasts I wanted to understand but obviously couldn't. My husband agrees it's very tough. Also, rewatching avatar, before I was mostly relying on the animation and barely catching the dialogue, now most of the dialogue I could repeat back word for word. I don't feel like I need to limit myself to learner content at all, it's accents I need to watch out for. Spain dubs are really hard, so I only bother with Latin American ones.
I've always done a little bit of speaking, especially when I would go to Mexico, but could not have a real conversation until recently. I crammed a bit to get to 600 hours before my in-laws came to visit, I wanted my MIL (who barely speaks English) to notice a huge improvement since xmas. This was a huge success, I was shocked to see I could have hours long conversations in any topic in Spanish! Granted, sometimes I would have to be a little creative when I didn't have the vocabulary I want, and I still pause to make sure I'm conjugating each verb with the intended meaning, but I'm not translating in my head unless there's a word I don't know at all. Shorter sentences spring to mind with no effort. I've felt my abilities in speaking increase noticeably during their visit (20ish hours of speech practice). I generally pronounce things accurately without much effort, except longer words (the kind of word you might have trouble saying the first few times in English too).
Going Forward
I'm losing interest in tracking hours at this point, because I'm already consuming content I would enjoy regardless. Unlike the last few years, I know exactly what I need to do to advance towards real fluency - more input! I'm also reading real native novels for adults now *without* looking up every other word or skimming over paragraphs I don't understand. I'm actually reading pretty effortlessly, although I still look up the odd word here or there when context doesn't work or I know I've seen it multiple times and still couldn't get it. I have 300k words since I started keeping track, which is only 3 novels and at this point a novel only takes a couple weeks or so. I was really proud recently when I caught a translation error in a novel I was reading (they conjugated the verb in the wrong person) and confirmed it with my husband. I need to find a new show after I finish avatar, and also more YouTube channels that fit my interest.
I want to wait a bit, but the last step will be setting a rule to only speak Spanish with my husband unless we're with gringo friends or there's an important issue that needs perfect clarity. I feel like my husband will have more trouble with this than me because it takes patience to communicate slower or a little less clearly lol. Based on my rate of progress, I think by the time I have 1k hours logged I would be "fluent" and would obviously continue to improve at a slower rate just by talking to my husband day to day.

45 and started cooking in early 2021 after being the king of takeout for 20y. Love grilled and bbq’d food. Have watched videos on YouTube, have the apron the says so. Wife and mother in law(!!!!) says I have become really adept at cooking meats, so much so that it’s now my role.
That said, I’ve never grilled or smoked food before. Have lurked here for a while tho.
Bought a Weber kettle for the versatility after researching to start…what’s y’all’s recs on first smoke? The grill part I can figure out: heat, meat, temp, Bob’s your uncle.
But what did y’all use for your first smoke? I’m torn between shoulder, ribs, brisket, wings, thighs…basically medieval torturing myself lol. Save me.
Edit: Thanks to all for your advice, I'm still reviewing everything lol, but some awesome suggestions and pointers. Some thoughts & clarifications based on what I've seen already...

1. Answered this in a buried reply, but I absolutely plan on actually grilling on it prior to my first smoke. Both will be this month.
   
2. A lot of votes for all the things lol. I'd probably select a pork butt for my first smoke, but that's the only meat I mentioned that I'm slightly leaning away from...since I have one in the slow cooker right now lol.
   
3. Starting with charcoal briquettes and wood chunks. Bought a pack of the latter in 3 flavors to experiment with and will go from there. Have seen at least one comment advising against wood chips, but I know enough about building fires to know that wood chips will be gone a lot quicker and the flavor probably wouldn't be as consistent throughout. Will finally be able to use more of the jar of bacon fat I have too.
   
4. Thermometers: I have 2 currently and will be adding a third (our pen instant read broke and I just haven't replaced it yet). Currently using a ChefIQ remote therm (2 probes) and a ThermoPro 4 probe that I bought in December (so I'll have a probe to monitor grate temp) when I made a prime rib for Xmas - and being aware that I was going to start smoking this year. Might also add a dedicated grate therm based of several comments. Thanks for the advice on grate therm placement too!
   
5. Accessories I've already purchased: Chimney, detail brush, grilling utensils, high-heat gloves, a small folding mesh table for use during grilling, a Slow n Sear, and I feel like I'm missing a couple of things. Will buy a cover as well when I find one I like. Also ordered two of these for those who have been suggesting YT videos. Made bacon bits last weekend because my shirt accidentally cranked the stove dial to burn everything (I wear baggy shirts because I hate tight clothing).
   

Thanks again to all! Looking forward to being less of a lurker, I just have to remember to take photos during the process lol.

I enjoyed the discussion that Dan, Destiny and also Lycan had on stream about the direction of the podcast.
As was pointed out, it is EXCEEDINGLY difficult to 'manufacture' chemistry in a conversation and to Force participants to be interested.
Dan, in my opinion was on the right track here; it is important to have some structure - a couple small and potentially loosely defined segments where you can be SURE that there will be 100% engangement.
This leaves the other maybe 50-80% of the podcast as room for natural dialogue.
I'm not going to entirely YAP, but post some video examples of some of these kind of "loose, but mildly structured" segments from other podcasts - namely a podcast that I think has the same "do whatever the fuck we want" vibe that I get the feeling from Dan randomly hoping onto Destiny's stream and arguing over a topic - the magic that they said they are kinda trying to capture on Anything Else.
I mean, the podcast is called FuckFace for crying out loud.

Hosted by

Gavin Free (British guy behind the Slomo Guys) Geoff Ramsey (One of the Co-founders of Roosterteeth) and Andrew Panton - potentially unhinged man who lives near Vancouver
I'm gonna link some of their "supplemental" podcasts - i.e. not the main podcast release but something that was released as extra - though similar segments could work well on Anything Else as well.
Something that they do often are "Drafts" - they use the snake draft format - but here is the thing: They do it for ridiculous topics.
In the playlist there are Multiple spread throughout but here is an Example of the "US States Draft"
Another one is the "Ads Draft" where they try to come up with the roster of best memorable ads they have ever seen as an adult or from childhood.
Slightly more traditional, this is the "Xmas Movie Draft"
Their first draft was the "Falls Draft" AKA best or most iconic falls/fails ever recorded (eg. Grape Lady OH-oh-OH...) - This to give an idea of what it looked like in their First try of the segment.
I am only sharing these examples to give an idea of the vibe/segment that I (personally) believe would work well in the show with the Dynamic of Dan and Destiny (maybe Guests?) - I'm not necessarily demanding y'all steal these ideas.
Btw if anyone wants to listen to these episodes they aren't only on YouTube but also on the common podcast streaming services under "F**ckFace"

Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t finished the game yet. But I’m so excited to have this new sub and a place to chat about this without getting downvoted by clerith fans lol.
I know Rebirth didn’t give us the full Zerith reunion as many hoped. Although I do think we’ll get that in part 3 and I absolutely know I will ball my eyes out. I just love Zack and Aerith ever since I watched my husband play the old psp crisis core a few years ago. And then we played reunion together. I know there’s some haters of crisis core. It does show its age a bit writing wise, but ultimately it’s still a game that means alot to me and seeing more of my fav characters. The themes and the music still hit so hard and I love how much of a positive puppy Zack is and how he brings out the best in my favourite flower girl aerith. The ending destroys me every single time I play and because of that and the angst surrounding this couple I’m eagerly awaiting to see their reunion.
So here were my top moments in Rebirth that made hold out hope for our Zerith reunion in part 3.
Opening scene: Omg getting to play as Zack right away blew my mind. I started frisking out pretty much immediately. lol. And him running to get aerith and holding her just completely set me up as super emotional right off the bat.
Gongaga: Seeing Aeriths reaction to meeting Zack’s parents was so emotional. And I got teary seeing how much Zack looks like his dad. Aerith is trying her best to move on but it’s clear the loss of Zack still affects her. This is the interesting thing about grief of a loved one that was lost on me as a kid when I played the OG back in the day. There are some loves and deaths you don’t get over you just learn to live with and the grief becomes more bearable over time. But even when you move forward it never truly leaves you. it’s a very complicated feeling and FF7 does such a. Good job of showing the complicated real human emotions and themes of love and grief which shows how great the storytelling is.
Aerith on the way to see the Gi: She touches the life stream and senses Zack’s touch - omg this scene gave me shivers. It reminded me of how they clocked the sense of each other when aerith is living midgar and Zack is carrying cloud.
Zack and Marlene: I love how Zack keeps his love for Aerith at the forefront of his mind and doesn’t get jealous or overreact when Marlene tells him about Aerith and Cloud. Zack wants the best for Aerith and he knows he’s been gone along time. And that whatever is going on he’s gonna do his best for the people he loves. Cloud and aerith included. And despite his puppy behaviour it shows so much incredible faith and trust and maturity. His unwavering believe that somehow Aerith brought him to this world and that one day he will find her. I also really appreciated that Zack sits on the floor to get in Marlene’s level and really listens. This scene was just so endearing.
Aerith’s song: Yes I know the singer said she thought of Cloud and Aerith. But Nojima wrote the lyrics and recently said it was about everyone which makes a lot of sense and I’m glad he said that. It is could, Zack Elmira and her friends,and yet I had this impression when aerith calls the life stream and we see Jessie, Biggs and Wedge - Aeriths eyes look to still be searching and my interpretation is that she is looking for Zack and can’t see him. So heartbreaking.💔
Yuffie optional date with cloud: Not exactly a Zerith moment but I loved how she references crisis core and her having a wee crush on Zack. If you haven’t see this scene yet please look it up on YouTube. It’s adorable.
Niblehiem memories: Cloud remembering Zack blew my mind. And how Adorable was it Zack talking about Aerith and cloud admitting “Zack was my friend and head over heels for Aerith”. I loved this scene so much, it made my heart happy.
Aeriths date with Cloud: Seems to be Aerith recreating her Zack shopping date. But it’s just not the same you get this sense of how awkward it is. And I think aerith saying “there’s liking and then there’s liking” and her realizing she was trying the realizing cloud isn’t Zack and those old memories and feelings aren’t the same. The photographer telling them they looked like they were at a funeral was quite telling I believe.
Zack final church scene: “Who’s to say the worlds can’t be joined again” this line absolutely makes me think we will be getting more Zerith moments in part 3.
Summary: Zacks optimism is so infectious in this game and it somehow made me love him even more.
Cloud and Aerith clearly love each other as friends but cloud responds much more favourably to Tifa romantically and to me rebirth cemented Zerith and Cloti.
Aerith and Zack are two of my fav characters and it’s funny to me to see how many people want Aerith with cloud because he treats her so poorly. She has to beg him for dates and presents and you know she wouldn’t have to do that with Zack. If I was aeriths friend I’d be telling her how much of a red flag cloud is for how he treats her. Lol.
These two deserve to find each other at the end ❤️ if you made it this far, thanks for reading. lol

I owe this sub bigtime for not letting me skip right on past PW and jumping to TPP. I won't make any comparisons to other entries in the series because sometimes that can take the focus off the point of the post and take the discussion in a different direction. But I will say this: MGS PW is immediately on my favorite games list.
I can't believe that this fully-fledged title was a PSP game almost 15 years ago. The gameplay and the customizability of the gameplay was a main point for me. The cut scenes done in an anime style really kept my attention and made the delivery of the story more dramatic. The story itself was intense and actually made me love and appreciate MGS3 even more.
But the challenge of the gameplay is what I had been looking for without even realizing it. Overall it wasn't a super difficult game but I did play it solo and I pretty much stuck to the mainline missions and with the exception of my R&D squad, none of my teams were leveled about 20. Going into each boss fight required me to make my shots count since most of my weapons (aside from MK22 and M16) were at level 1. I literally beat Peace Walker with my final clip of my M16 after exhausting my LAW and Ghustav ammo and it was super satisfying, just like video games are supposed to be.
Given the fact that my teams are so low in level I'm likely going to skip chapter 5 and just watch the final ending on YouTube and I'm completely comfortable with that decision. I hope this experience has properly prepared me for Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain because I just picked up the Definitive edition on the Xbox store and I wait to get into them.
Thanks again.
EDIT: I’m not skipping chapter 5 after all . I’m continuing with the extra ops.

I was playing femC route. Over 80 hours playtime and was just before the Sunday date with Ryoji in late November. Saved, came off. Next day I turn my psp on and my save data is corrupted! Anyway to recover this save? or should I just watch a play through on YouTube because no way in hell am I starting all over again! Screw that!
UPDATE: I recovered it! The save data file somehow deleted itself and the data was in a file called _OVRWRT... Or something like that. Copied the files from it into a folder, named it the appropriate name for saveslot 1 and I can now continue 😁

https://youtu.be/7psysxCnWG0?si=Ov5cldjBs8FI8wTr
Description
ANBERNIC RG35XX H/RG35XX Plus/2024 new version RG35XX system updated
RG35xxH V1.1.0 (20240428 ) Change log: 1. Optimize psp performance 2. Move apps to App Center 3. Add N64 emulator. 4. Add RA emulator ATARIST, AMIGA, AMIGA32CD, C16, C64, C128, VIC20 5. Update gpsp, mgba core to support interstellar good dog vibration 6. Add vba-next core
RG35xx+-P V1.1.2 (20240428) Change log: 1. Optimize psp performance 2. Move apps to App Center 3. Add n64 power button to switch cross-key analog joystick 4. Add N64 emulator. 5. Add RA emulator ATARIST, AMIGA, AMIGA32CD, C16, C64, C128, VIC20 6. Update gpsp, mgba core to support interstellar good dog vibration 7. Add vba-next core
(It's not yet on the Anbernic site for download but it's on the official Anbernic YouTube video description. Link above)

Hi,
Started Piano in October. Learned Minuet in G Maj from YouTube. Got a Yamaha for Xmas that came with 3 months FlowKey. FlowKey was great, but I spent that 3 months learning half of Moonlight Sonata (1st mvt, obviously).
Now my 3 months is up, I don't really think it's the platform for me. $20/$30 per month when it's going to take 5 or 6 months for me to learn one song? I love Moonlight Sonata, but not $180 worth.
Subscription is just not the model for me.
With that in mind, is there a paid platform where you can just buy a song and have lifetime access to that one song? (Like Ricksmith 2014 did on guitar before they bought in to the subscription bs).
Or even a free one that's good.
I don't mind paying, but I do mind paying 6 months to get just one song. Terrible value for me.
Thanks in advance.

Despite the fact that YouTube has rolled out the YouTube Premium subscription to offer ad-free music and offline listening features to its users, there are still many restrictions like device limitations, in-app playback, and availability. On account of these situations, YouTube lovers opt to find a better solution to download music from YouTube for offline playback on multiple devices.
In this article, we will discover 8 free YouTube Music Downloaders together. Additionally, you will also obtain extra tips for using each of these downloaders. Read on and pick the one that suits you best!

Free YouTube Music Downloaders for Desktop

1. Any Video Converter Free

Any Video Converter Free is a free downloader that allows users to download videos or playlists from YouTube Music or other websites. It supports various output audio formats, including MP3, MP4, and OPUS. In addition, the users can also get handy tools like downloading and editing videos for their intended use. Moreover, it provides a simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to use.

2. Freemake Video Downloader

Freemake Video Downloader lets you easily download YouTube Music videos and playlists. It supports downloading videos in different qualities, including HD and 4K. The software provides various output formats for your downloaded content, such as MP4, MP3, AVI, and more.

3. aTube Catcher

aTube Catcher enables you to download videos from various social websites such as Vimeo, Facebook, and YouTube. You have the option to export multimedia content to different devices such as your computer, mobile device, iPad, iPod, PSP, GPS devices, MP4 Players, Android devices, DVD, VCD, MP3, or iPhone. The platform supports a wide range of formats, including 3GP, 3G2, AVI, XVID, MP4, MP3, MP2, WMA, WMV, GIF, FLAC, WAV, PSP, MPG, VOB, OGG, and MOV.

Free YouTube Music Downloaders Online

1. Y2mate

Y2Mate is an online website that enables users to download YouTube Music videos in different formats such as MP4 and MP3. It is very easy to use and users can download YouTube music by simply pasting the video URL into the website. Y2Mate provides downloads in high-quality video and audio and offers multiple resolution options to select from. Additionally, users can trim or cut the downloaded audio or video file as per their requirements.

2. Convert2mp3

Convert2mp3 is a free service that helps you to download your favorite video songs in mp3 formats. It supports downloading audio in various file types, including 128kbps, 256kbps, and 320kbps.
For more details about this article, please go to Tidabie.