I’m 5’9, 155 lbs, live and ski mostly in SoCal. I’d say I’m a pretty good intermediate. I do mostly blue runs, hit blacks a couple times a day, run some park stuff (boxes, jumps, nothing crazy), spin around, ride switch, sometimes I do short radius turns, sometimes long and I like cruising.
Here is what I have - Atomic Maven 86 in 161. This was my first ski and likely to be downgraded to my rock ski for that springtime SoCal snow coverage. I dislike their stability and chatter. Otherwise, they’ve allowed me to do most things except powder - Rossi Experience 80 W in 166. This was my second pair due to the Maven’s getting a core shot right before I was going out. I’m thinking of these as more of a hard packed snow/carving kind of ski - Solomon QST 106 in 173. Just picked this up and can’t wait for next season! This will be my pow and slush ski
I’m currently looking at park only skis as well
I’m looking at the Fischer Ranger 90, but I’m wondering if it would be redundant, particularly with the Rossi’s. The underfoot is obviously a big difference, but they share many similar stats otherwise. I’d be looking at 170 because they seem to have a short running length, but I couldn’t find that stat for the 163 or 177. I’m guessing the 163 is out given how short the running length is, and 177 seems way long for me
Ty!

We met on the corner of heartbreak and milestones, both out of relations but on our way to big changes.
You were preparing to move when I met you.
You were out of my league, a face and a world a few flights above me.
I shook your hand with one foot out the door as support for the goodbye.
I knew it was coming.
But not your return, only months behind.
Now here we are again, hearts in parts from other friends.
Out of all the pretty faces, you asked to see mine.
I expected a reunion that was only superficial, but I forgot how your laugh box affects my sense of time.
I like making you laugh till you forget how you look.
It’s hard not to argue when you self criticize.
Differences discussed like similarities.
Combatting your furrow with a creeping up smile.
I just like existing with you, I guess it has been a while.

I love the Aer City Pack 2. The organization is well though out, it's very slim for what it holds and I love the materials and the fact that the water bottle pocket is on the outside.
What I do not love however, is that you have to take the pack off and lay it on the ground before accessing anything. I used to be ok with this, but looking at bagpacks such as the the alpaka metro bagpack, modern dayfarer bagpack and even the fyro bagpack made me real jealous of that quick access side pouch.
Another annoying thing I face is the horizontal luggage pass through holder, I get why they did that, but I really really really prefer it to be vertical. That way in the airport I don't have to carry along another pouch with me for quick access items and I can still access the main compartments. (Or if this bag had a side pocket then this wouldn't be a problem
Do you guys know if there are any recommendations for any bagpacks that both have well thought out compartments and quick access. The Fyro bagpack actually almost checks off all the boxes, but by quick access pouch I really need a big one preferably with organization, think like the alpaka metro bagpack, greenroom136 northseeker. I tend to quick draw my ipad mini quite a bit too.

Hi everyone. My ex broke up with me a bit over 2 months ago after a six year relationship. We've been in no contact since the breakup (other than some logistical texts). I understood why she broke up with me and I think it was the right thing for us. My IRL friends and I seem to have a very different opinion about how to go about the situation and hoping you guys can help! I'll try to keep the background information as short as possible: I was definitely a big part of the breakup. I was incredibly complacent and really didn't put much effort into the relationship and said some very hurtful things while I was going through an incredibly stressful period at work. I'm sure it wore down my ex and as a result she decided to step away from the relationship and move out from our shared apartment. While it was her decision to move out I also know it's not very easy as we live in a very expensive city. She's either temporarily living at her friend's place or moved back to her parent's home (5 hours away) until she finds her permanent new home. Because of the situation, she was only able to take some of her belongings but did very kindly express how she wished she could have given my space back but can't take any more stuff at the moment. I have boxed up the rest of her stuff for her and put it in my storage unit, roughly a dozen boxes. I'm 100% okay with this because it's 'out of sight, out of mind' and I don't use the storage unit at all. Here's my dilemma, I also have an underground parking spot and she has the only access fob to get into the parking spot. Originally I was fine with this because she has a car and I don't. Now... I would like it back because my friends visit and I'd rather not have them pay $30 for parking when they visit. Secondly she still has the spare keys to my place. I figure if I'm getting my parking fob back, I might as well as ask for my spare key as well. The hurdle I'm trying to get over is that I don't think I can stomach seeing her and I think if I ask for these items back it'll really hurt her too. I do want to get back together eventually after I've had some more time to work on myself. On the other hand, I might be delusional and she's 100% secure about her decision and just doesn't want to bother with returning these items. As silly as it is, I don't know how to go about this... anyone been through a similar situation or know ways go to about this? Thank you.

 The necropolis was gorgeous, for what it was. Its white outer walls hiding the darker Victorian Gothic interior. The tech that was hidden in the walls though was able to move bodies in their caskets from a designated place in the necropolis to the "viewing area" as the necropolians called it. This was where I waited for my, for lack of a better term, escort to take me to the mortuary. Since science has grown surprisingly fast our abilities for forensic sciences have also grown, and that's to whom I was headed. (S)He was an, unusual (wo)man to say the least. An expert in their field and about as learned as a doctor, if not multi-doctorate. If you ever asked them why they never pursued an actual doctorate, they would get angry and act all prissy while saying that going to school would've slowed them down and all they needed were the basic certificates for their work. The reality though, revealed to me during a drunken bout, they just never liked school and believed that it ultimately stunted a person's growth and ability to question the reality around them, that everything that you need to learn is already in books and in some form or another in digital content online. They were brilliant, if a little wacky. About five minutes after I had arrived and was sitting down in the viewing area, a little box rolled up to me making a couple of beeps to let me know to follow it and immediately started rolling towards the wall opposite of where it came from. When it looked like it was about to hit the wall, a hidden door opened up by the casket viewer, inside was a set of stairs leading down into the darkness. Stepping through the doorway I became acutely aware of sounds seemingly coming from all around me suddenly. It really is impressive, as though I just stepped from a tomb to a busy workshop, the sounds of gas escaping pistons, whirring, and clanking chains flooded my ears. I continued down the stairs following my helpful little box, which despite its size and shape would suggest was actually quite nimble on the stairs. It seemed to have wheels that would extend down to the next step as the edge rolled over it and once the back of the box was clear of the step it would drop back into its squat position, hiding its wheels as quickly as possible. It continued to do so the entire way. The box seemed to notice me watching it and made a kinda shrill whistle and its undercarriage light went from a comfortable yellow to a, is that... Peach? Is it blushing? My god I think it is! I let out a small chuckle and my little blushing box stopped dead in its tracks mid-step, its light suddenly going white, almost blinding me from behind and lighting up the hallway for a split second. Luckily both of my feet were solidly on a step so I didn't take a tumble or anything, but I couldn't help doing anything but laughing harder. 

After a second the little box crept up behind me and continued down, its status light continuing to show pinkish. I followed it slowly, the chuckle slowly dying in my throat as we reached Ceriths office. Well "office" was being nice. Morgue, mortuary, both of these fit just as well. Cerith was, for the most part, a recluse. We reached the door and the little robot continued through a little hole in the wall. I waited a second and knocked. "Enter!" Came the voice on the other side. I opened the door and stepped through. Along one wall set doors that normally housed the dead waiting to be processed. One out of dozens were open, its occupant missing from its silver slab. The middle of the room was brightly lit from a single overhead light. In the middle of the circle of light stood a figure, long Raven colored hair bound in a single braided ponytail, the rest of them bound in medical examination garb. They seemed to be engrossed in the corpse in front of them. The little robot rolled up next to Ceriths feet and made a little chiming noise. "Thank you Tabitha. That'll be all," said a voice that was neither male nor female from beneath the mask. Just sort of in the middle. "Tabitha? Never knew you to be sentimental," I said gently, the chuckle in my voice making itself clear. "I see you still find even the darkest things funny," Cerith quipped back. "My line of work Cer, you take the laughs where you get them. Look who's talking anyway, you're usually elbows deep inside someone 25/8. Even you have a seriously fucked up sense of humor." That got Cerith laughing, sounding like thunder and the whip crack of lightning at the same time. "You've got me there Julius," Cerith said after his laughter subsided. I think he suits him today. Which is both a good and bad sign. When Cerith is acting like a man, it usually means some grim news, but they are going to try to make it seem like not a big deal and laugh a lot. Plus they almost never call me Julius. Something was wrong. Very seriously wrong. As this realization hit me I got this odd tingle in the small of my back. Like someone had put several freezing needles under the skin and into my spine, something I'm familiar with from the anima-games from the cyber sphere. Halos: Divine Retribution If I remember right. Those Angels were sadistic bastards. I shuddered at both the memories from the game and the shockingly similar feeling I was experiencing. Dread, that feeling is dread my friend, the quiet part of my mind whispered to me. "Cer, what's wrong bud," I asked. He didn't say anything. For a long time. After a few minutes I was about to ask again, but then he spoke. And what came out will haunt me, quite possibly till the day I die. "This ones temporal lobes are gray matter. Nothing even close to being coherent. Just. Dead neurons. And he's not the first." Gone was the jovialness of the past ten minutes. This was Cerith the whisperer. In an almost dead tone they continued, "the others didn't fare nearly as well as this one. Most of the brain is intact here, which means that if they didn't deliver a massive shock or something similar to fully kill him he would have possibly lived as a vegetable with memory issues, but that's not what I'm looking for in this one here now. Now I'm trying to figure out what else the others had in common with him, and so far that's brought up all but naught. Well this one has a bit of liver damage. But that's about it. So Mr John was a drinker. Not much there." When Cerith is "whispering" the best thing to do is just let him be. But I couldn't help but prick my ears up at mentions of others with similar wounds, and the fact that this one had liver issues.... "Cer. You said... CERITH," I finally snapped out and caught his attention mid ramble. "Thank you. You said liver problems. But nothing similar to the others? No drugs? Alcohol? Not even a synth brain-pattern? You checked Everything?" "Well let's see, John here was a drinker that's for sure," Cerith said his hands never ceasing their work as he started to put 'John' back together seemingly satisfied that he found nothing else, " Mr Lombardo in chest 3 had cocaine mostly, and Mr Lei in chest 9 had opium. Although to tell you where it came from for both I'd have to do a molecular analysis and see what it compares to. Other than that, no. Absolutely nothing connecting any of them. As far as I can tell they are all unique cases completely separate from each other except for the damages to the brain. And I only found this by accident. During a routine scan I happened to look at the screen as it passed through the brain and noticed an odd density in his temporal lobes. Just slightly higher than normal. Hell to be honest with you it had the density of a fresh cutie, you know those little oranges?" I nodded, and he continued, "Right of course you do, who hasn't? Anyways it's just super dense compared to the surrounding tissues, and I take a sliver probe and drop it in like you do. And when I turn the damn thing on to look at the neurons the area all I see are dead cells packed on top of one another. Not natural decay death, but forced to die. Most of the cell walls were torn open like they had blown up from the INSIDE. That's when I called you." He finished up with 'John' putting the final few perfect stitches in place and sealing him up for good. Once he seemed happy with his work he called out to his seemingly empty morgue, "Grom I'm done! Can you put Mr John Doe here back in his room? Number 11 if you please." He turned away from the body on the table and removed the giant rubber gloves that went to his elbows. He walked into the dark calling out over his shoulder, "I'll be back in a sec I gotta scrub out, want a drink? I have beer, whiskey, vodka, I might have some Cognac somewhere, and bourbon. Your choice, just call out what you want and Tabitha will be there with it. Also have a seat! We have much to discuss." With that he disappeared from both sight and sound in the dark. It was a neat trick I have to admit, and it had something to do with how he had his morgue set up. Even the giant war machine that was Grom was absolutely quiet unless you managed to catch him through the gloom. I thought for the longest time the reason why I could never catch him sneaking around was from some sort of stealth program put into place, but when he goes up and down those stairs he's as loud as can be. So it was definitely not his program but the way the morgue was built. I'm confident in saying that because when I turned back to look at the table, or rather where it was, there was now a chair that looked like it had just grown out of the floor and the body was gone. Also the thought of something as big as a fridge just sneaking up on some poor combatants and snapping their necks as quietly as he walks in the morgue just gives me the heebies. As I sat in the chair a thought occurred to me. Considering how advanced the morgue seemed to be it would make sense that it had some sort of AI or integrated computer. "Computer?" I had been here a million times but I'd never had a chance to think about it nor try anything. But not even a second after I had said anything a response came. "Yes Detective Julius. My name is DANNA. Or Dynamically Actualized Neural Net AI. How can I be of service?" The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, slightly feminine and breathy, all service but no sex. Honestly I was just surprised that it worked. "DANNA, I was just wondering if I could take a look at the files that Cerith had mentioned? If it is as bad as they claim I think I might need to know anyway. Also if you can get those blood works done for me I'd appreciate it. Also something with whiskey or rum would be amazing." "Of course Detective. I will have Tabitha bring it shortly. And how would you like the information to be displayed? Desktop or dynamic?" That piqued my interest. "Dynamic please." No sooner than I had said a series of screens blinked into existence in front of me. It was some sort of Holographic display. I reached out and touched the display and was surprised that I got stopped by something. It was hard but surprisingly I found that I could push into the screen with my finger if I pushed hard enough. It kinda felt like... Oobleck. I also found that by pinching the corner I could pull the screens closer or further from me. I even found that I could grab individual pages of the reports off the screen and hold it. It felt like a thin sheet of plastic and responded like both a tablet and a singular document. If I switched pages the old one would appear back onto the screen and the next would pop onto it. This was about as slick a set up as I had ever seen and whistled my appreciation under my breath, I'm definitely going to have to ask Cerith about where they got DANNA from. "See something you like, big boy?" A very DEFINITELY female voice said in my ear from behind, soft and throaty, screaming come hither. I felt small dainty hands gently caress the tops of my shoulders before slipping down the front of my chest, pulling me back into the chair that I didn't realize I had been slouching in. "You know better than that, Jules. Your back is important and slouching will destroy the muscles and cause some to atrophy." The voice left no room for argument, and left me more than a little bit flushed. I closed my eyes and dropped my head back as far as it would go, the back of my head hitting something soft and warm, stretching my neck and back out. "Damnit Cer I thought you were scrubbing out, not completely changing." I hadn't realized it, but at least an hour had passed from when I started playing with the computer and working with the files if the clock on the computer was to be believed. "You looked like you were pretty into it so I decided not to disturb you. Plus you know how much fun it is for me to tease you like this. Especially after, well these..." One hand waved at the screens in front of me. The small hands' nails were painted the darkest black and almost made them blend into the void that existed outside of the screens. "I do Cer, and that's part of the problem, we both know that it's never going to happen. Least of all for you." She laughed a little, a clear beautiful sound and the body beneath my head bounced slightly telling me I was against her stomach. "Still I know you enjoy these little moments," she said, the pressure on the back of my head disappearing and was replaced by the voice right by my ear again as she whispered, "especially when we both know that's not at all true." At the last words she nibbled my ear gently. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her, in spite of my baser instinct rising to meet her VERY juicy insinuations. But for as long as I've known Cerith and as many times as we have both been VERY drunk, they have NEVER cashed in. I just assumed that it was a quirk of theirs. "Anyways," she said standing back up, "what are you thinking so far about the files? Spooky, right? Like I said, nothing that I can see connects them." Her hands gestured in front of me in an approximation of a shrug. She then clasped them together, wringing the knuckles and effectively trapping me in the chair and back against her abdomen. I scrubbed my eyes with my fingertips acutely aware of the growing headache that suddenly made itself known. "Your right from the medical side. I can't see everything you can, of course. I don't have near the knowledge that you have," which is true being that Cerith is at least 200 years old. I never asked directly, the old adage still holding about women and their age. Still though her answers to certain questions would lead one to believe her being her first adult car was a Bing Cherry 2201 Firebird GT with white walled hover trim and chrome accents. From pictures that I could find it looked like a slick piece. Looking back to the screens I couldn't help but feel that itch again. I couldn't explain it. That prickly feeling of ice needles again, this time in the back of my skull. As much as I'd hate to admit it. I think Cerith is right. I sighed heavily before saying "send me everything. I'll open a new case file and have the team start working on it first thing." She made a happy noise and bounced slightly, clearly satisfied with my decision to take it on. I reached out and to my left and a glass was placed gently into my hand by Tabitha. I hadn't even realized she had come over while I was working and was now ready for that drink. Room temperature rum and cola. The drink went down smoothly enough considering I drained the glass in one gulp, during which time I finally got a good eyeful of Ceriths current form. Or rather the underside of part of it. From what I could tell she was wearing a black T-shirt. That was it. I put the glass back down, it's job done without moving my head and said, "What a lovely view Cerith. I'm guessing you chose this to try to get a rise out of me?" I couldn't lie though it was affecting me, but I couldn't let her know that. Not when she's like this. Otherwise she'll continue to tease me till she leaves me with the absolute worst case of blue balls this side of the City. Her hands came up and cupped my chin almost lovingly, and her voice said "Of course Detective. Do you not approve? Or would you rather I change back to my medical examination form? Or something else?" Her words dripped with implied sex. I groaned, loudly, and said, "This is fine. Jesus Cer." Before we could continue our most scintillating of conversations there was a sudden PING! And DANNA said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a message for you Cerith. It says 'If you can get to the department Cerith, do so. We need you to explain your paperwork. And if Detective Julius is still with you have him come in too.' signed the Chief. Would you like to reply?" 'Shit, I forgot the morgue kills all signals,' I thought to myself as I stood up gently (regretfully) prying myself from Ceriths grasp with a, "duty calls. Need a lift?" I stretched gently, the scales in between my shoulders clicking appreciatively for the stretch, and turned around to notice she was indeed, just wearing a black T-shirt that hugged her voluptuous figure closely. The scales in my back clicked shut in surprise. Cerith let out a small cute chuckle, "I see after all this time I can still surprise you," she said blowing a kiss my way, reminding me of a little Gothic pixy. I rolled my eyes away from her and willed my scales to relax. I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair, slinging it on and clicking the neck clasp shut under the cord that connected my scales to the unit in my head. I was awarded the cybernetics upon completing my training and getting all my licenses to have them. The force had allowed me to customize it, I had chosen top of the line. A dual unit with custom built AI. The individual scales were ceracoated titanium microprocessors all running in both series and parallel, and could move to expel heat or react. The main unit was the same except it was one solid unit that replaced a chunk of skull. Once that was done I zipped up the front of the leathers and ran the scales through the racer setting. They clicked and flattened against the outside of the jacket, securing it to my back. I shrugged making sure it was comfortable. "I'll take the fact that you're only in a t-shirt you'll be along shortly?" "Certainly detective." Her voice was filled with dismissive submission... And sadness? I looked back at her and noticed her makeup was gone. Or had she had any on in the first place? I gave myself a mental shake. There's no way. This was Cerith, veritable goddess of the necropolis. I put the last few minutes away for review later. Chief called. I have to go. On an instinct I thought long dead, I reached out and squeezed her hand. I felt a slight squeeze back. And then she let go with a, "Go on, be a good detective. I'll be along shortly." I left with Tabitha as my guide. Before Cerith disappeared into the darkness I thought I heard her whisper, "please don't leave." My scales raised in a saddened response. I couldn't be sure I heard her right though. If I heard her at all. I reached back and stroked them, knowing my ai probably heard her, and knowing it could feel me touch the scales. After a few seconds the scales settled down. 'I know buddy,' I thought to the AI. It couldn't respond like usual AI. The force thought that was too dangerous. What if it went rogue? What if it tried to kill the host and take over? The list went on and eventually they decided the basics were ok. When I got my unit one of the first things I did was jack it into a diagnostic to see what kind of hardware I was dealing with exactly because manufacturer specs from real use are sometimes different with AI if the bits and bobs are in place. When I did, all I got on the screen was 'Hello?'

Hi everyone. My ex broke up with me a bit over 2 months ago after a six year relationship (she's 29 and I'm 30). We've been in no contact since the breakup (other than some logistical texts). I understood why she broke up with me and I think it was the right thing for us. My IRL friends and I seem to have a very different opinion about how to go about the situation and hoping you guys can help! I'll try to keep the background information as short as possible: I was definitely a big part of the breakup. I was incredibly complacent and really didn't put much effort into the relationship and said some very hurtful things while I was going through an incredibly stressful period at work. I'm sure it wore down my ex and as a result she decided to step away from the relationship and move out from our shared apartment. While it was her decision to move out I also know it's not very easy as we live in a very expensive city. She's either temporarily living at her friend's place or moved back to her parent's home (5 hours away) until she finds her permanent new home. Because of the situation, she was only able to take some of her belongings but did very kindly express how she wished she could have given my space back but can't take any more stuff at the moment. I have boxed up the rest of her stuff for her and put it in my storage unit, roughly a dozen boxes. I'm 100% okay with this because it's 'out of sight, out of mind' and I don't use the storage unit at all. Here's my dilemma, I also have an underground parking spot and she has the only access fob to get into the parking spot. Originally I was fine with this because she has a car and I don't. Now... I would like it back because my friends visit and I'd rather not have them pay $30 for parking when they visit. Secondly she still has the spare keys to my place, I figure if I'm getting my parking fob back, I might as well as ask for my spare key as well. The hurdle I'm trying to get over is that I don't think I can stomach seeing her and I think if I ask for these items back it'll really hurt her too. I do want to get back together eventually after I've had some more time to work on myself. On the other hand, I might be delusional and she's 100% secure about her decision and just doesn't want to bother with returning these items. As silly as it is, I don't know how to go about this... anyone been through a similar situation or know ways go to about this? Thank you.

Hey there, if you're 21+ and you've been craving fantasy, sci-fi and/or slice of life roleplays, we might be a good fit! Here's a little about me:

• I'm Azu, 25+, non-binary and from NZ (GMT +12)
• Genre wise I'm super into fantasy and sci-fi, and I'll always have a soft spot for slice of life
• Romance is always fun, I'm open to any gender combination and poly ships as well
• I enjoy exploring all genders, roles and character types. It's hard to pin me down 😂
• My replies range from a few paragraphs to 1000ish words depending on the situation
• My reply rate is slow! There's a lot going on in my life, so I average a smaller few replies or one big one a week
• I love brainstorming and coming up with a larger cast of characters around the initial main ones with intersecting plots 👀

In a RP partner I'm looking for: - Someone who is 21+ and LGBTQIA+ friendly - Brainstorming, plotting and ooc chatter. Let's get excited about our characters and world! - More than a few lines per reply - Any timezone and reply rate is fine, so long as we're patient and communicative we can make it work
At the moment I've got a hankering for bodyguard/diplomat in a sci-fi setting, fantasy arranged marriages and plots full of court intrigue, the golden age of sail, and some witchy, cosy fantasy slice of life - but I'm open to just about anything, and love coming up with plots and characters. If there's something specific you're craving, send it along, chances are I'll be down for it!
Original settings are awesome, love them and really enjoy collaborative worldbuilding, so super up for that but I am also happy to RP in these fandom worlds (I mostly do OC/OC, but bolded the ones I'd be open to canon/canon in):

• BG3/Faerun/D&D
• Dragon Age
• Elder Scrolls
• ASOIAF (really into the House of the Dragon era right now)
• Fire Emblem (Awakening, Fates, Three Houses)
• Star Wars
• Star Trek

If any of that interests you, shoot me a message. Let's have a chat and brainstorm together 😁

In the realm of digital creativity and gaming satire, Rocco Botte emerges as a beacon of inspiration for dreamers and creators alike. As the mastermind behind the comedy troupe Mega64, Botte’s journey from a high school concept to a cultural phenomenon resonates with those who dare to dream big.
Rocco Botte’s story begins in the classrooms of San Diego, where the seeds of Mega64 were sown on scraps of paper1. This act of daydreaming, often frowned upon, is the cornerstone of creativity. It was Botte’s willingness to embrace his imagination that laid the foundation for Mega64, a testament to the power of nurturing one’s ideas.
Botte’s life is a tapestry woven with threads of the unconventional. From impromptu performances in college to his humorous yet insightful YouTube channel, he embodies the essence of creative freedom1. For me, Botte’s path serves as a reminder that the road less traveled is often the one that leads to fulfillment. His success is not defined by traditional metrics but by the joy and engagement his work brings to a global audience.
In a world saturated with content, Botte’s authenticity sets him apart. His work with Mega64 is not just about gaming; it’s a commentary on culture, a series of conversations that invite reflection2. This authenticity inspires me to stay true to my vision, to create content that resonates on a deeper level, and to build connections that extend beyond the superficial.
Rocco Botte’s influence on my journey is profound. He stands as a reminder that dreams are worth chasing, that creativity should be unleashed, and that authenticity is the key to connecting with others. As I pursue my own dreams, I carry with me the lessons learned from Botte’s example: to think outside the box, to remain genuine, and to never underestimate the power of a dream.

A Simple Yet Thought-Provoking Doorway

Interviewer: Howl's Moving Castle was a huge success as well, with box office revenue reaching 19.6 billion yen. This places it second only to Spirited Away among Studio Ghibli films. The original story is by Diana Wynne Jones, and the screenplay was written by Mr. Miyazaki.
Mamoru Oshii: Howl's Moving Castle is excellent, my favorite among Ghibli's works. The story isn't entirely clear, the logic doesn't always hold up – these aspects haven't changed much from Miyazaki's past films. But, at this point, there's nothing more to say about those points. So, what do I appreciate about this film? In a word, it's the mechanism of that doorway. Miyazaki's changing mindset as he gets older is clearly expressed through that door's workings.
Interviewer: The door of Howl's castle leads to different worlds, and its mechanism is divided into four parts.
Mamoru Oshii: That truly impressed me. Every time the mechanism shifts, the door opens to a different world. The black passage leads to the battlefield, flames are raging, Howl transforms into a monstrous bird and flies off, then returns completely exhausted. Seeing Howl like that, Calcifer says, "He might not come back." What kind of meaning do you think that holds?
Interviewer: Does it represent Mr. Miyazaki's heart being divided into four parts?
Mamoru Oshii: It's not about the number. Women might not understand easily, but men get it right away. Especially older men, they understand at a glance. Because they are also constantly turning that doorway unconsciously. In other words, whether consciously or unconsciously, they always play multiple roles. An older man working at a company switches modes when he comes home; when playing with a young woman somewhere else, he switches again; when interacting with his son and daughter, he switches yet another time. Simply put, humans are creatures that live separately in different worlds. There may also be a dark side that leads one to become a monster. People definitely possess a side that turns into a monster and runs rampant on the battlefield, and are destined to coexist with this darkness.
I've never seen a film that depicts the multiplicity of an older man's inner world in such a persuasive way. I love it. The doorway mechanism turns, and the world changes instantly. It's fantastic.
Interviewer: That's high praise indeed.
Mamoru Oshii: It is. But it's dangerous, you know? Sometimes you slip up and reveal a side you shouldn't in front of your wife and children. Wives are probably aware of this to a certain extent, but they don't bring it up. If you ask me, that's what living with a man is all about. You might not notice it when you're dating, but after getting married and having children, women realize that older men use different faces in different situations.
Being able to create this kind of expression means that Miyazaki himself must have struggled with switching between different faces. By now, he's probably become quite adept at it. I'm the same way. After all, film directors have to be geniuses at switching gears – the face shown to staff, the face shown to producers, the face when alone, the face shown to family – you really have to separate them all.
Interviewer: That sounds truly exhausting.
Mamoru Oshii: It is, it is. A person like Miyazaki must have a remarkable monster dwelling within him, right? For Howl, that represents the moment when he throws aside all humanity and becomes a monster. Although it's incredibly difficult, even requiring him to fight till he's covered in blood, he can't escape it. Why? Because he couldn't survive without that side of himself.
He must have referenced other archetypes as well, but no one else could have expressed it so brilliantly. Miyazaki truly is one of a kind. That doorway in the film is so good that it overshadows everything that comes after. The war ending abruptly, for instance.
Interviewer: In the first place, it's unclear why the war even started. To be honest, there are too many things that don't make sense. Sophie's original goal was to break the Witch's curse, but somewhere along the way, this goal disappears, and she ends up living with the Witch.
Mamoru Oshii: That's why it's pointless to try to apply logic. This is Miyazaki's world of imagination, where the laws of cause and effect don't apply. This world itself is Miyazaki's fantasy.
Interviewer: But there is a source material.
Mamoru Oshii: Half of it has probably vanished without a trace, wouldn't you say? All that's left is the basic setting. The castle's design is amazing, it even has a torpedo launcher, doesn't it? It makes you wonder what that torpedo launcher is for and what it's supposed to fire at. It feels like Miyazaki just crammed in everything he likes.

Miyazaki and My "View of Family"

Interviewer: I love the design, though.
Mamoru Oshii: It can accommodate anything, and this time he put "family" in it.
Producer Toshio Suzuki said something interesting. He was also the producer for my film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. He said: "It's fascinating how both Miyazaki and you are making the same kind of film. In short, the theme is "home". Both are stories about family. Miyazaki's film expresses the idea that whether it's an old witch or an orphan, it's fine to welcome anyone into the family, because we're all family. And in your film, whether it's a dog or a doll, it doesn't matter if they're not human. It's a very interesting approach to considering a new kind of family."
Interviewer: Mr. Suzuki is insightful.
Mamoru Oshii: He's the kind of person who observes from such unique angles. That's his strength, thinking from perspectives no one else would consider.
Of course, I wasn't conscious of it either. I had no intention of making a story about family. The "unconscious genius" Miyazaki must have been the same. But when Suzuki pointed it out, I felt "that's exactly right". When people establish a sense of shared existence, the most basic form of it is family. Of course, there are male-female relationships within it, but when viewed from the perspective of social relationships, there's nothing other than family. Even blood ties aren't necessarily essential within it. Originally, the starting point of family is strangers, no blood relation needed. A married couple is essentially a pair of complete strangers with no initial blood ties. They start from a marital relationship and then begin to build kinship ties. It's not like in Shuji Terayama's Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets where people separate first and then spend time exploring family forms in various ways. That's probably how it is.
Thinking about it this way, even the house they live in in Howl's Moving Castle walks on two legs, doesn't it? What does that mean? It means that it's no longer even connected to the concept of "settling down", which represents the idea of family. The characteristics of a house being rooted in the land are irrelevant. On the other hand, in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, it doesn't matter whether you're human or not, but you need to be with others to live as a human being.
Looking at both films from the perspective of family makes many things easier to understand, that's for sure. If you don't think about it this way, the content of Howl's Moving Castle will become more and more perplexing as you watch it.

Hayao Miyazaki is David Lynch?

Interviewer: Speaking of family, Sophie's family is nowhere to be found. It's as if she's just a beloved and beautiful younger sister that everyone adores.
Mamoru Oshii: After watching Howl's Moving Castle, no one can recall the details of the story clearly. I watched it twice, which is rare for me, but I still can't remember the story. The protagonist Howl appears suddenly, and Sophie is introduced already sewing hats, but why is it a hat shop?
Interviewer: It's a hat shop in the original story.
Mamoru Oshii: But it must be because Miyazaki wanted to draw scenes of hat making, right? Miyazaki loves artisans, loves depicting scenes of crafting things. Up until now, he's always had this tendency - even if it sacrifices consistency to some extent, he'll find a way to realize the scenes and fantasies he envisions. But with Howl's Moving Castle, he completely let go and took a straight path to fantasy. Howl's Moving Castle is exactly that kind of film. Whether or not there's source material is irrelevant. The story of Master Howl is a prime example.
Interviewer: Voiced by Akihiro Miwa, the character of the Witch of the Waste, right?
Mamoru Oshii: Scenes like the shooting stars are undeniably beautiful, but do they have anything to do with the story? Miyazaki's impression of magic must be these beautiful visuals, so he simply wanted to create them.
Interviewer: It's not just that, the character of the Master is completely incomprehensible.
Mamoru Oshii: I've said this so many times, you can't seek consistency in Miyazaki's films because they're all fantasies. It's best to view them through the lens of David Lynch's Twin Peaks.
Interviewer: Lynch's films don't prioritize consistency either. Nobody expects a logically sound story from his work.
Mamoru Oshii: Then why have such expectations for Miyazaki's films? They're both transforming their own fantasies into films, whether it's Lynch or Miyazaki.
Interviewer: "Hayao Miyazaki is David Lynch", that's quite a bold statement.
Mamoru Oshii: There's one crucial difference between Lynch and Miyazaki: Lynch sees humans as frightening creatures. Lynch's theme is singular – the terror of humanity. As a Lynch fan, I've finally reached this conclusion recently. Humans are terrifying beings; they create terrifying events. This is the theme of Lynch's works. The very existence of humans is eerie, so his works are unconcerned with good and evil, angels and demons. That's why Lynch's films are unique.
So, what about Miyazaki? Miyazaki genuinely wants to view humans as benevolent creatures and the world as something beautiful. This fundamentally differs from Lynch, who is obsessed with a world of horror. However, they share the commonality of realizing their fantasies through film. Another difference is that Lynch consciously depicts horror, while Miyazaki does so unconsciously.
Interviewer: In the latter half of the film, Sophie suddenly shifts between being young, middle-aged, and elderly. Is there any meaning behind this?
Mamoru Oshii: No, it's just to make her appearance fit the scene. They simply decided, "It's better for her to be young here", and that's about it. There's probably no deeper reason. So even if you try to overanalyze it, you won't find anything.
Interviewer: It's fine if you don't fully understand Lynch's films, but you still want to try and understand Miyazaki's.
Mamoru Oshii: Because at first glance, they appear to be orthodox narrative films.
No matter how many bursts of fantasy there are, he still wants to reach a conclusion and summarize the meaning in the end, right? In that sense, he's still clearly more timid than Lynch.
Interviewer: But you said that Howl's Moving Castle is your favorite work, didn't you?
Mamoru Oshii: Yes. Even though it doesn't fully let go in the end, it's quite transparent before reaching the conclusion. It doesn't force itself into a narrative structure, so in that sense, I really appreciate it. The doorway mechanism and the scene where the Witch of the Waste makes shooting stars fall from the sky are both incredibly beautiful and impressive. Although the depiction of the royal palace feels somewhat generic, the scene where they're panting and climbing the palace stairs is quite interesting. There are truly many excellent scenes.

Howl is Miyazaki Himself

Interviewer: In that stair-climbing scene, there's a dog named Heen. Don't you think he resembles you a bit?
Mamoru Oshii: That dog... (laughs) The staff kept telling me about him when the film was released, and I could definitely sense some malice directed at me. Because Heen is a useless dog, isn't he? His personality seems quite bad as well.
Interviewer: So he's like you. When I saw it, I couldn't help but think, "It's Oshii!"
Mamoru Oshii: Because I've also poked fun at them many times in my own works. I named the old man who runs Shanghai Tei in Patlabor "Hayao Saki". Mr. Takahata appears as "Inspector Takahata", although he's a villain (laughs). Needless to say, Toshio Suzuki has made multiple appearances as well.
But if that dog is me, then Howl must be Miyazaki. He projected himself onto the protagonist in Porco Rosso, didn't he?
Interviewer: Wait a minute, that handsome Howl? Really?
Mamoru Oshii: Absolutely. The works where Miyazaki projected himself onto the protagonist are Porco Rosso, Howl's Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. What aspects of Howl resemble Miyazaki? This statement will surely shock many fans.
Mamoru Oshii: He wants to be that kind of man. A wizard, the head of a household - there's no doubt that Howl is his projection.
Interviewer: But Howl said, "I can't live without being beautiful."
Mamoru Oshii: That's right, he transformed from a pig and uttered those words. Voiced by Takuya Kimura, no less. In reality, Miyazaki loves to be cool, but he understands that it doesn't suit him, so he intentionally makes himself appear plain. I forget when it was, but he even imitated Ryotaro Shiba's style by wearing a black coat. Miyazaki respects Ryotaro Shiba a lot, although I dislike him.
What strikes me as the biggest similarity between Howl and Miyazaki is the scene where Howl returns to the castle as a monster and sluggishly climbs to the second floor.
That scene embodies Miyazaki's true feelings - even if he's making a big fuss outside, he still has to crawl back to his room. When Sophie scolds him saying, "You did it again! It can't be helped", didn't you feel like he must have been scolded by his wife this way too? He finally returns, but as a monster. From this perspective, he's really quite transparent (laughs).
As long as you understand Miyazaki, you can pick up on these amusing nuances. But even if you don't know him personally, the film is full of interesting scenes and beautiful visuals. However, there's really nothing to say about the plot. So, they should just tell the world that, but instead, people love to praise "how great the stories are" in Miyazaki's films.

Restaurant Arrival Time - If the drivers don't press ARRIVED button on time then the Drivers are marked as late even though they might have arrived on time...
Does it mean GH's Location service doesn't work???
Many gig companies nowadays use drop-off time for ratings purposes which should make a common sense.
GH app is perhaps less Driver Friendly... If you are doing a dbl the customers don't know about it & they try to trash the you on CALL/ TEXT - and GH is silent...
Acceptance rate should not play any role in deciding whether Drivers should get more business or big orders etc.
It's a contract & drivers should be free to accept / reject orders at will... however GH loves to embarrass drivers by showing 3 boxes etc ...
I do SHIPT as well, which is owned by TARGET - They got rid of accetance rate way long ago because they realized that it's an insult to independent contractors to force into something they are not comfortable with especially business wise.
If the restaurant is closed upon arrival ( especially on public Holidays ) GH doesn't pay anything to drivers for making an attempt to drive to the restaurant, Time & Gas. UberEats pays $3 - $4 out of respect.
It should all boil down to how many deliveries a Driver successfully completed ( COMPLETION RATE ) with good customer ratings. It should not be based on how many a driver missed.
On Blocks front - there is no penalty to quit BLOCKs anytime on DOORDASH or SHIPT. Giving more Business to drivers on a block is debatable. All do that and I like that but if you trash Driver Ratings due to ridiculous Accepance or Restaurant Arrival Time etc then how on earth good drivers are supposed to Blocks & get more Business?
I propose only 2 - COMPLETION % ( after accepting ) & DropOff Time.
At the end of the day GH or any other gig companies will do what they feel right for their business... there are no 2s about it... But can't they strike a good balance & avoid throwing insults thru APP?
The current GH RATINGS Metric doesn't make sense. This is on top of very less money offered by GH for very long distances. Many blame newbies but I blame the high Inflation & Economy which is forcing drivers to accept nonsensical orders.
I understand it is TL but there are many more points which I perhaps didn't mention here... like FOOD NOT RECEIVED etc.
GH gave me solid money in the past so no qualms, sitting near 4000 deliveries but don't feel like doing as my main one anymore. Still Respect & Love GH and always hoping for positive changes.
What do you guys think? - Do you have any other points to contribute?
It would be very interesting to have your views.
YMMV

I think I may be depressed. I usually feel ok because I distract myself with work, uni, or just some hobbies I enjoy . But there are some times like now where I get a big reminder about how shitty things have been. I’ve struggled with loneliness for the past few years and seldom have people to enjoy time with. I’ve wasted my teen years and am now 20.
There are times when this feeling of dread and emptiness just appears out of nowhere. For example I would just come across my old yearbook and remember when I had lots of friends and was closer to family. This time I was scrolling on Insta and just found a post of someone I know simply enjoying life with all their friends. Simple things like this just send me down a rabbit hole of dark thoughts and I feel a lower low every time. It gets worse during the summer when I have less to keep busy and happens more often. I truly feel like drowning in bed most days but don’t just to keep appearances for the family. Id feel shameful and embarrassed if my family truly knew about how I feel. I know I shouldn’t feel that way about it but I just do.
I know at some point I just won’t be able to distract myself and it may just turn into something worse. Idk if I’m socially incapable or something because I was doing great years ago. I just let so much slip by thinking it would get better but it hasn’t. I’m trying every day.

Hi all, hope you're doing well out there.
I've done some very amateur woodworking in the past, but all my projects were primarily completed with hand tools. However I've been wanting to get back into the hobby, and start learning a bit more. For instance, I'd really love to make my own wooden storage chests/boxes or perhaps a really simple bedframe once I've gotten some more experience under my belt.
However in researching a lot of the projects I want to do, almost ALL of them mention using a table saw at one point or another. And that's presenting a problem.
There's two big things preventing me from getting a table saw: 1) My apartment is tiny as hell, and there's just simply nowhere for me to keep said saw, let alone the space to use it. And 2) I don't feel comfortable using a table saw that doesn't have a Sawstop, and unfortunately I just can't afford that sort of expense right now. I know, it's 100% worth it, and some day I'll save up to get one, but it's just not in the cards at the moment.
So do I have any other options for more simple projects like the ones mentioned above? I'm still trying to learn as much as I can, as my previous woodworking experience was mostly limited to bowyer work (traditional English longbows and American flatbows, for the most part) which I could do with just a few hand tools, so it feels like I'm in a bit over my head with all this.

My old JD LGT finally bit the dust (RIP, but 60 years was a good run). I find myself shopping for a new mower for ~3 acres with a ton to run around. About a dozen fruit trees, 100 plant vineyard, too many other things. No large hills, but a shallow drainage ditch
My budget was set at ~3.5k, which I quickly realized isn't even enough to get something at a big box store. I determined to get enough mower... But don't want to blow that out of the water. So I started shopping used on FB Marketplace.
But a local place let me know they had Gravely ZT X with 8 hours on the clock and full warranty at a for under $4k. I jumped on it on the spot - I like the dealer and it's where I took my other tractor when it needed work beyond my comfort level. It hasnt been delivered yet.
Will I regret this purchase in a few years, given the smaller "serviceable ezt" hydros? Or should they be good for ~3 acres of residential use?
TL;DR - Will I regret a new Gravely ZT X over a sub-$4k used unit?

Haven't bought a light in a while. I miss having something that clips in my pocket. Size doesn't really matter too much I have big pockets and larger hands so tiny lights can be too tiny.
I used to run a surefire E2 led defender loved the optics size was good but it fell out of my truck years ago and was lost. I miss that thing. Currently in my work bag I go between an olight warrior x and olight seeker 2.
I'm a cable guy so searching for boxes in people's yards 1-2000ish lumens to see in attics and crawlspace sometimes I need to chase a line under a trailer during the day with day adjusted eyes. Obviously like most of us I hate the green tint and doughnut optics of the warrior, not a huge fan of that 2 stage button, I find it can sometimes be finicky. Hate the front button on the seeker hate front buttons in general, they are hard to find in the dark or get pressed by accident and liggt your pocket on fire.
Give me a forward clicky tail button any day. What I normally EDC is either another olight the sr2, wish the clip was better or reversible, not a fan of friction clips so It usually goes into my pocket to magnetically collect change.... If I'm feeling something a bit less green tint I carry an old Fenix uc40 ue love the smoothness of the hotspot, could be a little more throwy, hate the .5 second button press front button, also hard to find in the dark.
Anyways time to find something that ticks all the boxes
Doesn't need to tail stand but is a bonus, doesn't need to break glass either haha. Wish these lights had replaceable bezel options still.
1-2000+ lumens turbo Beam should be smooth and beautiful decently balanced throw over flood but a decent spill tends to be more useful for me without it needing to be a pencil beam (I have a thrunight convoy v6 for what's that thing waaaay over there)
Pocketable but can be on the bigger side I could probably pocket the warrior if it had a clip in most of my pants.
Don't care about proprietary battery's I like usb chargeable. I'd rather have a battery port that is covered by something stronger than a piece of rubber like the screw down cover on the tk22R. 21700 size wise feels good in the hand and seems to give lots of runtime
Prefer tail forward clicky for easy momentary and on in last mode. Function button can honestly be anywhere tail seperate button or front, my favorite light for years was a 4sevens maelstrom g5 with a twisty head to change brightness, also had a great beam with decent spill from what I remember.
UI prefer if there is off to lowest like holding the sr2 button to go straight to lowest setting but not a deal breaker. Don't care about sos or strobe honestly as long as I don't always have to cycle past them to get to low. Make them a triple click or fast click hold type deal. Also what the heck happened to 1 lumen or lower low. 10 lumens isn't moonlight.
Clip, needs a good clip I don't know how many times a seatbelt has taken a flashlight off my left pocket. Thats why I don't use it on the sr2 I don't realize it's gone till it's very gone. Thankfully it's always been in the truck or attached to the belt. Also why a little bigger light is generally better for me so I can feel it and know it's there.
Debating between the Fenix tk16 tk20 or 22 pd35 v3 nitecore EDC35 (love the led it has) hate that it only lets you have short bursts of search mode and not a lower output search mode. Nitecore mh12 pro is cute too just worry about the clip on it as well
Acebeam p16 and 17
Sofirn sc33
I'm at a point where I've looked at so many lights I forget what I like and dislike about most of them honestly. What lights am I missing that would fill the void. Brands I'm not familiar with suggestions. Help me light people I've been out of the game too long and need a fix.