Recently moved into a house, we are having issues with pests so I looked at the foundation. It appears that along that entire back of the house the block doesn’t come above the ground and the wood that is there is rotting, it also appears that the pests are tearing out parts of the siding and insulation. Im not sure what to do about this. Two areas along the back of the house are additions, one used the be the garage so it has concrete slab at dirt level, then there is the kitchen, I am not sure why there isn’t block along this as it is original to the house build, and then there’s an in-law suite, they didn’t put a slab down it’s just wood build right on the dirt connected to the main house. Outside the in-law area is a concrete patio but they left a foot gap between the addition and the in-law area so the slab isn’t touching and of the foundation of the house. This is the area where all the pests are digging and ripping into the house. Should I get this area filled in with concrete? What should I do about the rotting wood?

Recently moved into a house, we are having issues with pests so I looked at the foundation. It appears that along that entire back of the house the block doesn’t come above the ground and the wood that is there is rotting, it also appears that the pests are tearing out parts of the siding and insulation. Im not sure what to do about this. Two areas along the back of the house are additions, one used the be the garage so it has concrete slab at dirt level, then there is the kitchen, I am not sure why there isn’t block along this as it is original to the house build, and then there’s an in-law suite, they didn’t put a slab down it’s just wood build right on the dirt connected to the main house. Outside the in-law area is a concrete patio but they left a foot gap between the addition and the in-law area so the slab isn’t touching and of the foundation of the house. This is the area where all the pests are digging and ripping into the house. Should I get this area filled in with concrete? What should I do about the rotting wood?

Hi!
I've been playing BTD since the Flash era on and off, but never with much ambition until now. My preferred playstyle is basically "as easy and hands off as possible, I just want higher and higher rounds completed".
This may annoy some people, as I've come to believe that the more "puzzle" type of playing is usually preferred. For me, the most fun comes from easiest map, spam towers like there is no tomorrow and let the rounds run w/o any interaction. This includes ignoring abilities/powers and anything bought with $. (I mentally come from Factorio, with the mindset that what I build should suffice to run the show without manual interaction as much as possible.)
My most recent run: https://imgur.com/Wo4cCbd looks like this. It took me to round 242.
Basically:

• Obyn
  
• Line most paths with 204 Tacks
  
• Get the following into good positions:
  
  • xx5 wizard
  • xx5 glue gunner
  • xx5 pioneer
  • 5xx druid
  • 5xx cannon
  • 5xx and xx5 Tack shooter
  • 5xx ice monkey
  • 5xx sharp shooter
• Get the sun god in a good position, add ~3-5 temples
  
• Garnish with good coverage of 420 villages and 420 alchemists
  
• Squeeze 320 or 302 super monkeys where they fit
  
• Fill in the gaps with 402 sharp shooters, 4xx druids, glue and ice, and other odds and ends
  
• As long as I can justify the space: market places and trade ships where possible along the way
  
• Hope for the best
  

So far, this has resulted in late playthroughs where anything but the purple blimps either stay in place or move backwards anywhere on the map. Buuut those purples (or pink if you like)! They always end me. They are BAD! And it seems that no means of "control" gets to them at all.
Which means that I'm probably missing mere popping power. Which is where I'd like to turn to this community! I'm 100% sure that my approach isn't ideal, and I'm definitely lacking a lot of knowledge about some of the inner workings (as well as the lingo, made worse by me playing in my native language, which isn't English). So please keep the leash a bit longer :)
I'd love to know what I can do to improve, without resorting to $-items and preferably avoiding powers I have to manually activate. (Please don't hate me for this - it's just an arbitrary "rule" I'd like to uphold purely because.) Anything that results in shredding those damn purples faster would probably already be a huge improvement.
Eager to read a lot of new stuff I never thought about, and thanks for that in advance!

Hi Everyone, I just finished constructing 3 new Cedar raised garden beds this past weekend, and I am wanting to use these to grow vegetables this summer. I saw online a few guides suggesting using garden sealant on the insides and siliconing the gaps between the 6” boards as well to extend the life of the bed before filling them.
Alternatively, my bed is sitting on clay soil mostly, and I saw some others saying to not seal your seems and sides so that water can escape easier during heavy rain if the bottom of the bed doesn’t have great drainage (we are in the pnw).
Would you suggest sealing the seams with silicone as suggested, or leaving them to swell naturally and drain excess liquid when needed? Any advice is appreciated, cedar was $$$ so want these to last as long as possible with good results. Thanks!

TL;DR Top floor took over 10 hours to cool enough to be comfortable
I've never had central AC before so I'm a little clueless. We somewhat recently moved into a 3 story townhouse, and the only thermostat is on the main (middle) floor. I have "exercised" the unit a few times by running it for a few hours at a time since it laid dormant throughout the winter. Yesterday was almost 80 degrees so for the first time we turned it on (around 3pm) and left it on for the whole day. I made sure all intake and return vents were open for proper airflow. The main floor and lower floor cooled pretty quickly, after about an hour it was nice and chilly. But it took a few hours for the top floor to start cooling. I went to bed around 11pm and it was still not too chilly in my top floor bedroom. Sometime while I was sleeping, the top floor finally cooled to a nice chilly temperature. There is actually good airflow to the upstairs vents, they were blowing a steady stream of cold air. It's just that the cold air took forever to fully fill the room. Also my bathroom is now freezing lol
Am I doing something wrong? Something wrong with my AC unit? Or is this just how central AC normally works?

Lots of chatter about draisatl. Not sure he’s as valuable as his next contract, though there’s no refuting the top end talent he brings. Just wondering why all the focus and excitement about him as a bruin without a comparison of alternatives. I am not convinced at all that he fills the leadership gap that this team absolutely needs to bridge in the post Chara-Bergeron era. I have been wholly underwhelmed and at times even disturbed at what looks like the mcdavid and draisatl + all those other guys vibe in Edmonton. Idk. Could be that his leadership is the quiet and not so visible kind, and I don’t watch them day in and day out.
As I see it, the bruins are better served by getting a scoring top 6 winger (ex: teravainen, marchessault) and another top 2 center man (ex: lindholm) than just one elite fwd. With Marchands inevitable decline in production, this feels necessary. I have no idea how feasible my suggestion is, but I am personally opposed to spending all that cap on one player when we clearly need better depth and balance.

Everything has been tested and works properly except where noted! Additional pics/timestamps available on request. Forgive me if I'm slow to respond, I'll do my best to get back to any comments in a timely manner. The person with lower rep sends first. Willing to add/accept PayPal to fill in any gaps in value, especially for my higher priority wants.
​
Switch

• Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (sealed, SEA variant)
• Monster Hunter Rise Pro Controller (w/ box only)
• VORI Black Foam Carrying Case
  • includes strap, case is better for stationary storage than transportation though

​
Wii

• Black Nintendo Wii Box ONLY
  • Nintendo & American Heart Association Edition (link to page on ConsoleVariations)
  • overall fantastic condition, been in storage since the console was opened
  • comes with inserts and sleeves only, no console/cords/Wiimotes, manuals, or games included
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (disc and box)
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (CIB)
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (no manual)

​
Nintendo 3/DS

• Super Mario 3D Land (CIB, Nintendo Selects)
• Super Smash Bros 3DS (loose)
• Pokemon Y (loose)
• Pokemon White (CIB)
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (loose)

​
PS2

• All games include their box unless noted, any that include a manual/inserts are noted. All stickers are on the outside of the box plastic, not on the cover art!
• Driver 3 (w/ manual)
• DT Racer (w/ manual, back of cover art punctured)
• Fight Night 2004 (w/ manual)
• Fight Night Round 2 (w/ manual)
• Fight Night Round 3 (w/ manual)
• God of War 2 (Greatest Hits, w/ manual, no bonus disc)
• Gran Turismo 4 (w/ manual and insert)
• Heroes of the Pacific (w/ manual)
• History Channel Civil War: A Nation Divided (w/ manual)
• Hitman: Blood Money (w/ manual and bonus disc)
• Knockout Kings 2002 (w/ manual)
• Madden 06 (w/ manual)
• MLB 2k5 (loose disc only)
• Mortal Kombat: Deception (loose disc only, many scratches)
• Nascar 06: Total Team Control (w/ manual)
• Nascar 07 (w/ manual)
• Nascar: Dirt to Daytona
• NBA Live 2005 (w/ manual)
• NFL Head Coach (w/ manual and insert)
• Pro Race Driver (w/ manual)
• Red Dead Revolver (Greatest Hits)
• Rock Band (no instruments)
• Scarface: The World is Yours (Collector's Edition, CIB)
• Short Track Racing: Trading Paint (Gamestop case)
• SOCOM US Navy Seals Combined Assault (w/ manual and insert)
• Spartan Total Warrior
• Sprint Cars: Road to Knoxville (w/ manual)
• Sprint Cars 2: Showdown at Eldora (w/ manual)
• Suzuki TT Superbikes (w/ manual)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (w/ manual)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 (Greatest Hits)
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (w/ manual and insert)
• UFC Sudden Impact (w/ manual)
• UFC Throwdown (w/ manual)
• World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions (w/ manual)
• World Soccer: Winning Eleven 9 (w/ manual)

​
Other

• PC - Dungeon Siege 2: Deluxe Edition (w/ map and game keys)
• PC - Battle Realms (loose)

​
Accessories/Merch

• Accessory - NYKO Xbox One Direct Console Charge Base w/ batteries
  • fits flush with Xbox One when plugged in, batteries are well used but still hold a decent charge
• Guide - Prima Games Official Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Scenario Guide (no poster, fair condition)
• Merch - 2007 Diamond & Pearl Box Tin - Holiday Empoleon
• Merch - 2016 Triple Power Tin - Shiny Gyarados
• Battery - 3x OEM GBA SP batteries
  • all tested and working, all have small bloat

​
Free w/ Any Trade

• Wii - The Bigs (loose, heavily scratched)
• PS4 - Fallout 76 (PAL, CIB)
• PSP - Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (loose, no casing, untested)
• Headset - OEM PS4 Mono Headset (never used)
• Accessory - 2x Nintendo Switch Lite Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• Accessory - 3x Unbranded GBA Cartridge Holders
• Battery - Non-OEM GBA SP battery (working fine)
• Battery - Dead OEM GBA SP battery (tested & not working)
• Other - Replacement GBA SP buttons & membranes
  • from RetroGameRepairShop, not OEM, buttons are clear black

Wants

Higher Priority	Lower Priority
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (CIB or box w/ all inserts only)	Pokemon Let's Go Eevee (w/ box)
Pokemon SoulSilver CIB or Big Box only (great condition, few signs of damage)	Bayonetta 2 for Switch (sealed)
Pokewalker stuff: two foam slips for Pokewalkers, will consider Pokewalkers in good condition (lower priority than the foam slips)	Pokemon Stadium 2 Box w/ Inserts (any condition, little to no tears preferred)
Pokemon Black or White edition DSi console (loose or CIB)	Cases/boxes/inserts/games to complete my loose items listed
JFC Brand Grip for PS Vita 1000 (new/used)	PS2 game offers (Current specific wants: Bully, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Kingdom Hearts, Fullmetal Alchemist: Curse of the Crimson Elixir)
"New" 3DS OEM Faceplates (preference for Pokemon but feel free to offer me any)	BoxyPixel Unhinged Shell (Black or Purple preferred, open to offers on other colors)
GameBoy Micro OEM Faceplates (any except 20th Anniversary)	Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch Pro Controller (w/ box)
GameBoy Micro OEM Charger	Special Edition 2DS Consoles (slate model)
OEM PS2 Compatible Component cables (NOT composite cables)	Phat NDS (screens must be in great shape, very few/no scatches, no dead pixels)
LoZ: TotK Pro Controller (w/ box)	Pokemon GB/A with dead batteries
Waterfield City Slicker Case for "New" 3DS	Pokemon Merch (plushies, pins, etc, just show me what you got)
Pokemon Crystal (any condition)	Black Joy Con wrist strap (only need one)
Broken/Non-working handhelds (GB, GBC, GBA, PSP, etc), broken Nintendo consoles (old to new), non-working GBC/GBA cartridges (namely Pokemon, Zelda, etc)	Offers/Lists

​

Title: Silent Symphony
INT. BOARDROOM - DAY
SETTING: A sleek, modern boardroom with a large glass table at the center. Framed posters of the company's past audio products line the walls. A large screen at the front displays sales graphs and customer demographics.
CHARACTERS:

1. JACKSON - CEO, early 50s, sharp and decisive.
2. LUCY - Chief Marketing Officer, mid-40s, insightful and creative.
3. TOM - Head of Product Development, late 30s, tech-savvy and innovative.
4. EMMA - Chief Financial Officer, early 40s, analytical and detail-oriented.
5. RACHEL - Customer Insights Analyst, late 20s, data-driven and perceptive.

INT. BOARDROOM - DAY
The executives are seated around the table. JACKSON stands by the screen, looking at the latest customer insights.
JACKSON Alright team, let's dive into this quarter's sales report. Rachel, what can you tell us?
RACHEL (clicking through slides) Our home AV equipment sales have seen a significant uptick, especially among customers aged 30 to 45. However, we've noticed a strange trend—many of these customers also report decreased usage after purchase.
LUCY Any idea why that might be happening?
RACHEL (nodding) We've done some follow-up surveys. Turns out, a lot of these customers are parents with young children. They're buying top-of-the-line AV systems, but then they can't use them because of noise concerns.
EMMA So they have the equipment, but can't enjoy it due to family constraints. Interesting.
TOM Sounds like a classic case of unmet needs. What if we develop a product to bridge that gap?
JACKSON You mean like more family-friendly AV setups?
TOM (shaking his head) Not exactly. What if we shift our focus to high-quality, wireless headphones? Something that lets parents enjoy their AV systems without disturbing the kids.
LUCY Wireless headphones with the same premium audio quality as our home systems. It could be a game-changer.
JACKSON Rachel, do we have data to support this shift?
RACHEL (nodding and clicking to a new slide) Absolutely. Our surveys show a strong interest in premium wireless headphones, especially from our existing customers. They trust our brand and would be keen on a solution that fits their new lifestyle.
EMMA From a financial perspective, it's viable. We already have the core audio technology. The investment would mainly be in the wireless components and design.
JACKSON (thoughtful) Alright, let's flesh this out. Tom, start on the technical feasibility. Lucy, I want a marketing plan that targets these parents. Emma, work on the financial projections. Rachel, keep gathering customer insights.
LUCY We should emphasize seamless integration with our existing AV systems. A complete, uninterrupted experience.
TOM And comfort. Parents will likely be wearing these for extended periods. We need them to be top-notch in both sound and comfort.
EMMA And let's not forget battery life. Long-lasting power for those late-night movie sessions.
JACKSON (smiling) Looks like we have a plan. Let's make it happen, team. We’re going to bring the cinema experience to their ears, without waking the kids.
The team nods, energized by the new direction.
FADE OUT.
INT. BOARDROOM - MONTHS LATER
SETTING: The same boardroom, now filled with prototypes of sleek, modern wireless headphones. The screen shows a promotional video of the headphones in use.
JACKSON Alright, team. Let's see what we've got.
LUCY (pressing play on the video) Introducing the Symphony Wireless Headphones. Engineered for exceptional audio quality, designed for ultimate comfort, and perfect for parents who refuse to compromise.
TOM These headphones feature our signature sound quality, advanced noise-canceling technology, and a 30-hour battery life.
EMMA Financials are solid. Projected sales are strong, and our existing customer base is eager to purchase.
RACHEL Feedback from our focus groups has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents love the integration with our AV systems and the ability to use them without disturbing their children.
JACKSON (nodding, pleased) Well done, everyone. Let's launch the Symphony Wireless and give our customers the best of both worlds. Quiet for the kids, symphony for the parents.
FADE OUT.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
SETTING: A cozy, modern living room. A young parent sits on the couch, wearing the Symphony Wireless Headphones, watching a movie on a high-end AV system. A baby sleeps peacefully in a nearby crib.
NARRATOR (V.O.) Introducing Symphony Wireless Headphones. Experience your home audio like never before, without waking the little ones.
The parent smiles, completely immersed in the movie.
FADE TO BLACK.
TEXT ON SCREEN:
"Symphony Wireless Headphones - Where Silence Meets Symphony"
FADE OUT.
THE END

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 21, 2024 — Alarum Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq, TASE: ALAR) (“Alarum” or the “Company”), a global provider of internet access and web data collection solutions, today announced financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024.
“I am thrilled to report another record quarter, marking continued growth and profitability for our company,” said Mr. Shachar Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Alarum. “As market leaders, our dedication to innovation has never been stronger. This quarter, we introduced the ‘Website Unblocker,’ a product that has not only received positive feedback, but has also attracted new customers. We also launched our revolutionary ‘AI Data Collector’ product line, which features a user-friendly, no-code interface, that allows users to set up data collection in just minutes. We believe this will be a game-changer in the web data collection industry.
We remain agile, continuously planning for the future and advancing our roadmap with potential solutions for data analysis and insights. Our sustained growth, profitability, customer retention, and the successful introduction of innovative products, are propelling us towards the next milestones and achievements of our company.”
“Today we announced another record-setting quarter, highlighting our sustained growth and increasing profitability, which impacts all our financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),” said Mr. Shai Avnit, Chief Executive Officer of Alarum. “Our IFRS basic earnings per share (EPS) increased to $0.23 per American Depository Share (ADS), while our non-IFRS basic EPS rose to $0.45 per ADS. Our IFRS net profit was $1.4 million, And our non-IFRS net profit climbed to $2.8 million. The gap between the two, is primarily due to expenses resulting from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) following an increase in our Company’s share price. Our Adjusted EBITDA soared to an impressive $3.2 million – up significantly from just $0.1 million a year ago. We are thrilled to report that NetNut’s upward trajectory continues robustly, with revenues reaching an all-time high, having surged by 139%. This growth is driven by the acquisition of new customers and a strong customer retention rate (NRR), which now stands at 1.66. This demonstrates our success in not only retaining, but also significantly expanding our engagements with existing customers.”
First Quarter Fiscal 2024 Financial Highlights:
Revenues for the first quarter of 2024 reached a Company record high of $8.4 million, an increase of 47% compared to the first quarter of 2023;
Gross margin for the first quarter of 2024 increased to 78%, compared to 66% in the first quarter of 2023;
IFRS net profit reached $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to an IFRS net loss of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2023;
Non-IFRS net profit increased to $2.8 million; Finance expenses in the amount of $0.8 million, due to expenses mainly from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) resulting from the increase in the Company’s share price, are excluded from the non-IFRS net profit calculation. This compared to non-IFRS net loss of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023;
IFRS basic profit per American Depository Share – “ADS” was $0.23 ($0.02 basic profit per ordinary share), and non-IFRS basic profit per ADS was $0.45 ($0.03 basic profit per ordinary share);
Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2024 continued to grow, reaching a Company record of $3.2 million, compared to $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023;
NetNut’s revenues for the first quarter of 2024 totaled $8.1 million, reflecting growth of 139% year-over-year, compared to $3.4 million for the first quarter of 2023; and
Net Retention Rate (“NRR”)1 climbed to 1.66 in the first quarter of 2024.
Recent Business Developments:
The Company launched an innovative artificial intelligence (“AI”) web data collection product line. This cutting-edge product line represents a significant leap forward in web data collection technology, addressing the challenges of time-intensive collector creation and maintenance that have long plagued businesses across industries;
The Company introduced its new and innovative Website Unblocker, designed to allow automated web data collection tools access to public facing web data without being tagged by anti-bot and bot-management solutions;
The Company announced exciting events lineup, including CEO Spotlight on a leading technology podcast with Dinis Guarda and hosted a webinar: Revolutionizing Data Insights with NetNut’s Website Unblocker; and
NetNut appointed Mr. Yorai Fainmesser as Strategic Advisory Board Member. As a general partner of a leading AI venture capital firm, Disruptive AI, and the former (Colonel Ret.) Head of the AI and Data Science intelligence unit 8200 in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), Mr. Fainmesser brings unparalleled expertise in AI strategy and cyber technology.
Financial Results for the first quarter of 2024:
Revenues amounted to $8.4 million (Q1.2023: $5.7 million). The increase is attributed to the organic growth in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business revenues, despite a reduction in the consumer internet access business revenues.
Cost of revenues totaled $1.8 million (Q1.2023: $1.9 million). The reduction stems mainly from the Company’s CyberKick division’s traffic acquisition costs stoppage in July 2023 and clearing fees decrease, due to the Company’s updated scale down strategy for its CyberKick operations. The reduction was partially offset by an increase in enterprise internet access and web data collection business costs of addresses and networks and servers used for the generation of the additional enterprise internet access and web data collection business revenues.
Research and development expenses totaled $1.0 million (Q1.2023: $1.1 million). Reduced expenses in the consumer internet access business due to the operations scale down of CyberKick were partially offset by an increase in payroll and related expenses in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business.
Sales and marketing expenses totaled $1.7 million (Q1.2023: $2.2 million). The decrease resulted mainly from the stoppage of media acquisition costs in July 2023 due to CyberKick’s operations scale down strategy. This reduction was partially offset by higher payroll and related expenses in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business.
General and administrative expenses totaled $1.2 million (Q1.2023: $1.0 million). The increase is mainly due to higher payroll and related expenses and professional fees costs related to the enterprise internet access and web data collection business, partially offset by lower payroll and related expenses as a result of CyberKick’s operations scale down strategy.
Finance expenses reached $0.8 million (Q1.2023: $0.2 million). The increase is mainly from expenses resulting from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) due to the increase in the Company’s share price. The increase was partially offset by interest income that stemmed from the Company’s increased cash equivalents.
Income tax expenses totaled $0.3 million (Q1.2023: tax benefit of $0.004 million). The switch to income tax expenses is due to the first-time profitably of NetNut for tax purposes.
As a result, IFRS net profit reached $1.4 million, or $0.02 basic profit per ordinary share ($0.23 basic profit per American Depository Share – “ADS”), compared to IFRS net loss of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2023, or $0.02 basic loss per ordinary share ($0.21 basic loss per ADS).
Non-IFRS net profit was $2.8 million, or $0.04 basic profit per ordinary share ($0.45 basic profit per ADS), compared to non-IFRS net loss of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023, or $0.00 basic loss per ordinary share ($0.03 basic loss per ADS).
Adjusted EBITDA was $3.2 million (Q1.2023: Adjusted EBITDA of $0.1 million).
Balance Sheet Highlights:
As of March 31, 2024, shareholders’ equity totaled $17.1 million, or approximately $2.66 per ADS, compared to shareholders’ equity of $13.2 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase stems from the 2024 first quarter net profit as well as warrants and options exercises.
Outstanding ordinary share count as of March 31, 2024 was 64.1 million, or 6.4 million in ADSs.
As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance totaled $15.1 million, compared to $10.9 million as of December 31, 2023.

Hello all;
I'm going to be staying at the HI Hostel near Central Park, and while I have some plans and ideas for a itinerary but I am looking for recommendations to maybe fill in some of the gaps;
Friday;

• Arrive in NY at around 4pm
• Drop my bag off and 'check in' to my hostel bed before going out to eat
  • My first plan is (hopefully) to try out the Bodega truck, but if that doesn't pan out, would anyone have any similar themed/priced restaurant suggestions? (I'd say up to $20 is what I'm willing to pay for a single person meal, hopefully a little less. I'm not allergic to anything so all suggestions welcome; this goes for all "fill in the blank" asks lol)
• I hope I can make it back to the Hostel at around 7:30 and try and mingle (hopefully the pool table is still there) before going to bed at around 9-ish

Saturday is big day;

• Wake up (probably out around 9) and try and fill time until 12, when my brother and his wife will come into the city;
• I want to take them to food and visit the Met but I have two choices, food first or Met first;
  • The first is if they are hungry, we get lunch after they arrive at Grand Central before moving to the Met; once again looking for any suggestions, so far I've identified Bill's, Lunch Box and Uncle Pauls as being good options, but again, open to similarly priced options
  • After we finish with the Met, maybe take a walk through Central Park and and kill time until their train home at 6. If there is any
• After they head out, I want to head back to the Hostel and mingle, before heading out to dinner around midtown, something like Jongro BBQ before doing a rooftop bar; people suggest Dear Iriving on Hudson, but I am absolutely open to suggestions

Sunday;

• Same routine wake up routine/out at 9, but this time I have the day completely open until 2, when I need to take my train back;
  • I'm a car guy, so the Rally museum (or hipsterbro store thing?) does appeal to me, but for the 3 hours prior to it opening, I might try and visit The High Line since I really liked seeing it the last time I visited; any good places to visit along that Mid to Downtown route?
• Hopefully, I'll have time to visit Joey Roses, but if people think it is overhyped; open to other recommendations for anything that would be between there and Penn Station

Apologies for how "open to suggestions" this entire thing is, but it is my first visit to NYC as a organizer, so I'm trying to make the most of it.

I am on 7.5mg and have seen great success. I have an rx that has been at CVS as well as TruePill since April 22nd, and it has not budged and there is no access. I went on an alternative to fill this gap, but not through my telehealth - I did not tell telehealth this, and in fact even told them (before using an alternative) that I would just wait for the Rx even if it meant having to go back to 2.5. My main telehealth does not do alternatives.
Well, they canceled my subscription yesterday - which is on autopay, and has never given me a problem. So far the only statement is "inconsistent adherence to medical advice." No warning and no other word - nothing. Just couldn't log in this morning. I have contacted support and will see what they say in 24 hours or however long it takes, but now I'm very scared my scripts will be invalidated and I'm going to have to restart the waiting process.
My in-person doctors are part of a huge medical group and that group will (apparently) generally not prescribe GLP-1s to anyone not diabetic no matter the indications for the medication- they endo, cardiologist, and my primary care have told me this. I have a huge care team for cardiopulmonary problems from long COVID so I can't just up and switch everyone.
I guess I'm just ranting. I'm so upset by this. I was not hoping to be on the other option forever because I plan on being a lifer and if the shortage ends it is possible alternatives will no longer be available - which means finding yet another doctoservice willing to prescribe someone who will by then, if current progress continues, be close to or at a normal weight with fewer health problems and have no continuity of care. I'm so angry and if this doesn't resolve I feel stuck and hopeless.

So…what happened at last night’s 5+ hour meeting? The top story is that the committee voted 6/0/1 (the Mayor abstained) to ask the city for $79.4 million to fund our schools in the 2024-25 fiscal year. This is $8.2 million more than what the district received this year, $5 million more than the number initially provided to the district from the city, and $2.7 more than the number that we received at the May 6 meeting (which included $2.3 million worth of cuts to close the gap between the city’s initial number and the full ask). You can see this laid out before and after public comment (2:21 and 5:09 marks, respectively).
What’s next? The superintendent will present this “ask” to the city council as part of their review of the Mayor’s proposed city budget. Eventually, the Mayor will present a final city budget to the council and once approved, the amount allotted to the schools will come back to the Superintendent as a number so she and her team can create the final budget proposal within that final number. School committee will then need to vote to approve that budget for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025).
What else? Recap below. As always, observations and opinions are solely my own. Agenda is here, recording is here. This update also includes some clarification about the difference between level funding and level services, as these are terms getting thrown around a lot.

1. Consent agenda - Two amendments (to add a link to one of the subcommittee meeting minutes and strike from the record the street addresses of students who presented at the budget hearing) but otherwise this approval was routine.
2. Report from the Ad Hoc Handbook Review subcommittee - The proposed policy (in the agenda) was approved in its first reading. (New policies get read twice over the course of two meetings to give relevant stakeholders a chance to comment on them, unless the committee decides to waive the second reading. We declined to do so last night, so this is now the time for district and school administration to provide feedback on the policy.
3. Report from Behavioral Health & Special Education subcommittee - The recommendation to co-locate the Curtis-Tufts school in/with the new high school was approved. The administration and building committee will need to flesh this out for inclusion in the materials to be presented to the MSBA.
4. CCSR recognition - summary of the program by advisor Richard Trotter (400 students, 70 projects this year), two student presentations (a high school student who talked about the program generally as well as his Mystic River clean up projects, and two elementary school students talking about their Letter Carriers Safety program), and appreciation for the support of the Cummings Foundation.
5. Humanities awards recognition - Young Playwrights Project, Student Government Day, Boston Globe Scholastic Writing Awards, Geography Bee, Day on the Hill, Shakespearean Monologue Competition, Immigration Learning Center Teen Perspectives Contest, Ethics Bowl, Mock Trial, Model United Nations - congratulations to all students and their advisors
6. High school update & climate survey results presented by principals Marta Cabral and Chad Fallon - This included data comparisons between last year and this year (all trends were positive), discussion of community norms and core values, an update on the exploratory program (CTE/arts rotation and placements), and some highlights from several CTE programs/projects (scarpentry heds, health assisting, awards, licensing, apprenticeships/placements, the biodiesel collaborative project, and the robotics team), three year strategic priorities, an update on last year’s Welch Report (various pieces in progress, other recommendations planned to go into effect next school year), and a proposal for an alternative program proposal to provide a small group learning environment to meet individual needs (pilot was approved by the committee for next school year).
7. Proposal for CTE program expansion and additions - Chad Fallon provided an overview of the enrollment/wait list numbers, shared the results of a (still-in-progress) student survey about potential new offerings (criminal justice/protective services, dental assisting, IT/networking, plumbing/HVAC, veterinary science, and the various “other” responses to an open-ended prompt), and laid out plans for expanding those programs with the highest wait list numbers (auto technology, cosmetology, electrical, and health assisting programs). The committee passed a motion directing the administration to further flesh out the proposals for inclusion in the building committee’s materials for MSBA.
8. Budget presentation (6:38 p.m., so 1.5 hours into the meeting) - Interim Finance Director Gerry McCue provided some additional context for the budget proposal received on May 6. There were questions and comments from the school committee and student representatives (including a petition), and Member Ruseau made a motion to send a cuts-free budget to city council and the Mayor. Public comment from students, alums, teachers, and parents ensued, focusing on the coordinator of performing arts position, marching band and color guard, the Missituk teaching staff, and a smattering of other items including library, technology, administrative assistants, and kindergarten numbers. Also of note, the Superintendent answered some questions about the performing arts coordinator position around 8:30 (3.5 hours in).
9. Budget vote - The committee voted to approve the motion offered before public comment began. As noted previously, this is NOT the approved budget but rather, the amount we (school committee and the district) are asking the city for. The city council will review the request in the context of the full city budget, ask questions, offer opinions, but eventually the Mayor’s office will present a final budget for city council approval and, once approved, whatever the school number is will come back to the district, who will then prepare a final budget for school committee to vote on.
10. Motion to table the update from the MSBA building committee’s meeting last week - passed and, following condolences, the meeting was adjourned. Next regular meeting is June 3.

BONUS CONTENT! What is the difference between a level funding budget and a level services budget? Level funding provides schools with the same dollar amount as they received in the year before. Because things tend to cost more year to year (due to inflation, contractual raises, etc.) having the same amount of money usually means reducing services. Level services, on the other hand, keeps the services the same but due to aforementioned cost increases, requires a higher dollar amount than the previous year. What did the district/school committee ask for this year? We voted to ask not just for level services, but level services plus additional funding to meet additional district needs (the items presented at the May 6 meeting, nothing new since then).
Superintendent should be at tonight's city council meeting to make this ask and answer questions.

Hello everybody. I know the title sounds like a joke compare to many other addictions that exists in the world (nicotine cocaine crack etc) but i know i have an ddiction with my internet habits and I want to to stop. I've used it heavily since was like maybe 10/11. Now im 21 and I hope there's still time. I'm in college and I can do my day to day fine but the problem is that i have too much free time and whem im not with my friends(which is many times) or at college(it's a large chunck but negligible compare to internet time) I basically spend it on youtube insta twittter (mainly youtube). It reached a point where i cannot try new things: i tried gym a couple months startted strong and then basically stop going a couple of weeks ago. I tried to read books or meditate or do some exercise at home and obviously those things failed since it's so fucking boring. Like the fun hobbies are all far away from my home and even then i would be there for a very short time, for being out of shape for so long and having such a sedentery lifestyle. This addiction has also led to poor accademic performance. I've been struggling to move on to the next year to the point where i might get kicked out if I repeat a grade (look im sorry if the english is a bit weird... it's my best atttept to translate to english what im trying to say). So there's that... how do I breakout from this situation? I just want to try new things in life and be happy and successfull but i love the internet. Don't get the impression I spend all day watching shorts normally it's really good videos from topics i like and i feel at least i learned something new you know. I also play some games watch some movies/series you know normal stuff, the problem is filling all those free hours with that, which at this point cannot be changed to anything else. It's like my brain telling me: " you need to be on the fucking computer from X hour to Y hour everyday". To me that sounds like an addiction. One more thing: please don't suggest for me to go to a therapist or psychologist or any of those people. I went to a few ones in the past and I didn't like it. They didn't help me at all. They did nothing basically. They were just there the entire time silent and then in the end they suggested bullshit like "Have you tried meditation?". And also i wanna solve this by my own like I think of myself of someone capable of solving their own problems. That's just my mentality. So yeah if anyone made it to the end of this incoherent mess, I appreciate you and if you have any suggestions plz share in the comments. I'm very grateful of you if you could help my situation. Thank you!

Hello everybody. I know the title sounds like a joke compare to many other addictions that exists in the world (nicotine cocaine crack etc) but i know i have an ddiction with my internet habits and I want to to stop. I've used it heavily since was like maybe 10/11. Now im 21 and I hope there's still time. I'm in college and I can do my day to day fine but the problem is that i have too much free time and whem im not with my friends(which is many times) or at college(it's a large chunck but negligible compare to internet time) I basically spend it on youtube insta twittter (mainly youtube). It reached a point where i cannot try new things: i tried gym a couple months startted strong and then basically stop going a couple of weeks ago. I tried to read books or meditate or do some exercise at home and obviously those things failed since it's so fucking boring. Like the fun hobbies are all far away from my home and even then i would be there for a very short time, for being out of shape for so long and having such a sedentery lifestyle. This addiction has also led to poor accademic performance. I've been struggling to move on to the next year to the point where i might get kicked out if I repeat a grade (look im sorry if the english is a bit weird... it's my best atttept to translate to english what im trying to say). So there's that... how do I breakout from this situation? I just want to try new things in life and be happy and successfull but i love the internet. Don't get the impression I spend all day watching shorts normally it's really good videos from topics i like and i feel at least i learned something new you know. I also play some games watch some movies/series you know normal stuff, the problem is filling all those free hours with that, which at this point cannot be changed to anything else. It's like my brain telling me: " you need to be on the fucking computer from X hour to Y hour everyday". To me that sounds like an addiction. One more thing: please don't suggest for me to go to a therapist or psychologist or any of those people. I went to a few ones in the past and I didn't like it. They didn't help me at all. They did nothing basically. They were just there the entire time silent and then in the end they suggested bullshit like "Have you tried meditation?". And also i wanna solve this by my own like I think of myself of someone capable of solving their own problems. That's just my mentality. So yeah if anyone made it to the end of this incoherent mess, I appreciate you and if you have any suggestions plz share in the comments. I'm very grateful of you if you could help my situation. Thank you!

Hey there! New gym goer here, just signed up to my Rec Center's gym program. I didn't want to jump into spending $40/mo on a Planet Fitness or Golds membership just yet, so I got a membership to my Rec Center's smaller gym. It is a littler quieter, less people, but the gym is also smaller as a whole, which also means less machines overall.
My workout days are generally Monday/Tuesday/Thursday, or Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I try to stick to the same days, but depending on my outside of work things going on, sometimes I shift the days, but still try to go atleast 3 times a week.
So basically, when I go, I target a specific section of muscles, but I'd like to know how to hit them better. I'm very list oriented, so I like to have a list of exercises I want to do, and just start knocking them out before I leave.
What I'm looking for is Suggestions for easier small gym exercises I can throw into the list, or better exercises I can do, or just overall suggestions to make my workouts hit more and just better.
P.S. I typically try to do 3-4 sets of each exercise, and I try to go to failure on the last 1 or 2 sets.
Also, here is another question, If I go 3 times a week, What is the most efficient way to hit all 4 muscle groups? If I go Mon/Wed/Fri, What is the best way to hit Arms/Chest/Back/Legs in those days?
Here is my workout normally, and any help on what I can add or make it better would help.
**Monday Chest/Arms** - Smith Machine Bench - Curl Machine - Tricep Machine Rope Pulldowns - Tricep Overhead Pulls - Dip Machine - Dumbell curls with lower weights - Dumbell Shoulder Press - Dumbell Lat raises
**Wednesday Back** - Bar Lat Pulldown Machine - Seated Row machine (i have to set up a bench on the cable machine as my gym doesnt have a Row machine) - Assisted Pullup Machine - Dumbell Rows
**Friday Legs** - Smith Machine squats - Leg Curls/Calf Curls Machine - Leg Press machine (lower weights than squats)
Any comments or suggestions to make my workouts a little bit...More efficient, or better or anything? my end goal isnt to get Swole, instead I'm just trying to reduce belly fat, live a little healthier, and fill out more of my form as time goes on.
One Major issue I feel I have is doing multiple exercises that gas the same muscle group, not allowing me to push all the way. So, with my limited gym goer knowledge, I'd like to refine my workouts to be just... Better as a whole.
Any suggestions, comments, questions, or assistance you can offer me is great! Keep in mind, I'm in a smaller gym that has "most machines" but not everything, so sometimes I need to improvise if lets say my machine is taken or something
Thanks!

We'd love to get some info on what you think the best dog breed would be for us, as we're not entirely sure yet, any input is more than welcome. Also, sorry in advance for the amount of stuff i typed down, i saw that i was supposed to be specific, so i was, again, sorry. And thank you! **What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?** * Honestly, I think we both love any kind of dog, but, i'll try to be more specific. I know that we both like retrievers, like the golden retriever and the labrador retriever, as they seem like the perfect blend of playful and friendly. We also really like spitz type dog breeds, like the shiba inu for example, this one is because, at least in my expirience, they seems like really intelligent, loyal and also kind of affectionate breeds once they get to know you better, plus, the shiba inu is pretty independent as well, which i think is a good thing since we both work full time jobs, allthough she leaves her workplace slightly earlier than me, about 30 minutes before i do. We also both have expirience with mutts, as we both grew up with family mutts when we were younger, and at least in our expirience, we both think that they tend to be very affectionate, and also incredibly hyper dogs. **What role is your dog expected to fill and how do you envision your dog fulfilling that role?** * I think the role i would like them to feel would just as a companion dog, you know, go on walks, run, play, bond, and all that jazz. That's pretty much it really, i'm sorry i can't be more specific but that's really all that we want lmao. **What experience do you have owning dogs? How about training dogs?** Have you been the primary caregiver of a dog before? If yes, what breed(s)? What is your experience with puppy or senior dog care? * As I've mentioned before, yes, I have had expirience taking care of dogs, as has my partner, i for one, have had 3 dogs during my life time, which can be sad depending on how you look at it, but the first dog lived all her happy doggo life, she was an amazing dog, but the second one, unfortunatly, had cancer, which again, unfortunatly was caught way too late, my family has a third dog now, which they still currently do. Allthough, as far as training goes, that's actually where I'm not as expirienced, since my first dog was from when i was but a child, and when i actually grew up to know that i was supposed to train her, she was already trained, i tried to train the second one, which seemed to be working, but again, things happen, and the one that my family currently has, I don't have much of a bond with, since I moved out 3 months after we got him. Anyway as far as being a primary caregiver, nope, I've never been the primary caregiver of a dog before, that's true for us both. In terms of what dog breeds we owned, the first one was a mutt, allthoug im pretty sure she was something of a chihuahua or something like that, since she was very small, but she was the sweetest little pupper so, yeah. The second one was a shiba inu, which i suspect might have had some golden retriever in him, but i'm really not sure, just a hunch, the third one is a husky. As for my partner, she's had a shiba inu as her first dog and a mutt as her second. **Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets?** If so, what breed/type, age, and sex are they? * Maybe a cat, we have talked about it, and we thought that it might be easier for them to get along if they were both introduced to each other at an early age, but that's not really something we're sure about right now, but for the sake of the argument, let's say that yeah, a cat. **Do you have children or are you planning on having children? Do you often have children as visitors, such as nieces, nephews, cousins, or friends' children?** * No we do not have children, but we plan to have children in the future, maybe in about 3 years, as we have always dreamed of starting a family. We also do get our fair bit of visitors, but also not thaaaat often, maybe a couple times a week or once a month, depends really. **Do you rent or will you be renting in the future? If so, what breed or weight restrictions are on your lease?** What type of building do you rent (condo, apartment, high-rise apartment, townhome, single-family home, etc)? * We are currently renting an apartment, i'd think we live in a fairly big apartment, not huge but, big i'd say. As far as i know the landlord doesn't really care what breed we have as long as it's not too loud as not to disturb the neighbours, which i get, honestly. **Who lives in your household and who will be responsible for taking care of the dog?** How do the other members of the household feel about having a new dog? * As of now, only me and my partner live in this household, and we're both gonna be responsible for it, and im pretty sure we're both giddy with excitement over getting a new pupper. As for as future kids, i mean, what kid doesn't like a friendly and playful doggo? **How often do you have visitors to your home?** * As i've mentioned, a fair bit, a couple times a week or sometimes once a month if evveryone's busy or something. **Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a knowledgeable and reputable breeder?** * I wouldn't mind a rescue honestly, but my partner isn't so sure about that one, so we both agreed we would want to go through the process of finding a good breeder. Maybe one day we'll rescue one though, but as far of right now, she'd rather have a dog from that's still a puppy, since she wants to have the expirience of seeing the pupper grow up, which i can understand, and am fine with. **Do you want a puppy, a young adult (1-3 years), an adult, or a senior? Why?** * As I've mentioned before, we'd want to get a puppy, as we want to see the puppy grow up, and have that expirience, since, like i said before, we were never the primary caregiver of the puppers we did have while growing up. **What size dog are you looking for?** [Here is a size chart for your convenience.](http://i.imgur.com/vnz3usJ.jpg) * After we saw the chart, we'd want a dog that would be taller or equal to a corgi, or at least that's what the dog looked like to us on the chart. **How much barking is too much barking?** * You know the kind of dog that once they hear something outside, they go into a frenzy and don't shut up for the next excruciating minutes, that would be too much barking, obviously, most dogs are going to bark, that's only natural for them, but i'd rather ot have a dog would not shut up no matter what for hours on end basically, for the convenience of our neighbours. **How much regular brushing are you willing to do?** * That's not really an issue for us really, for some reason we both like brushing the dogs, at least for me, it's just really calming and brings me to a meditative like state which is quite pleasant, so yeah. But i'd say that like once or twice a week, as we do like dog with smooth coats, don't know why, but maybe because of the kind of dogs we had while we grew up. **How much shedding do you think you can handle?** Some breeds of dogs shed more than others. Some breeds don't shed, but require trimming or other coat maintenance instead. * I'd say we can tolerate a moderate amount of shedding, it's only expected, and we're not allergic to dogs in any way. but i'd also like to not go crazy cleaning everything and all the time, cause that would get old really fast, so yeah, moderate to low shedding would be ideal. **Are you open to trimming your dog's hair, cleaning ears, clipping nails, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?** * Yes to both questions. **How do you feel about slobber? What about farts?** * Slobber is fine mostly i guess, somewhat gross i guess, too many farts are a no-no for my partner as she and her family have this crazy sensitive nose, and she will gag if it's a frequent thing. **How eager-to-please or independent do you want your dog to be?** * Both are great personality traits to have, but maybe a mix of both i guess. Though i guess if i had to choose it would be eager to please but, again we both work, so maybe a mix of the two would be ideal. **What sorts of training do you want your adult dog to have?** * i guess like positive reinforcement, obedience training or whatever it's called, socializing, leash training when we're walking around the streets, behavioral training if necessary of course, ya know, the usual. **Is there any behavior you can’t accommodate?** * Well i guess this is a pretty straight forward answer, but yeah, aggression. I'm well aware no dog is inherintly aggressive and it depends on the way the owners train him and all, but I'd rather we have a dog that's just not as likely to be aggressive because, eventhough we have had dogs before, we were never really the ones that took care of them, so, i don't know i guess im kinda afraid that i'll mess the puppy up, or i'll do a mistake and bam now he's super aggressive. Maybe it's a irrational for me to think like that but yeah, it is what it is. **How important is being able to let your dog roam off-leash in an unfenced area?** * Fairly important, i'd say that's a quality for a dog to do so, since I did grow up in a village and, so far, all my dogs we're allowed to walk off leash for at least a good while, and they were fine, obviously we're now in a city and that's just not gonna fly but i'd like to let him roam a little when we're hiking or, idk in a dog park or something. **How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What kinds of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly?** * Well me and my partner as basically always available after 4 PM, so, yeah, i'd say we'd be able to easily give him exercise for like 4 hours, as we're both pretty active people. **How long do you have to devote to mental stimulation each day?** * Good question, i'm not interely sure how much mental stimulation they would need but i'd guess around an hour or like two would be good, but anyway that's all a guess, i'd try my best to give the dog all the physical and mental stimulation it would need, as would my partner. **Where will the dog be kept when alone and where will the dog sleep?** * At our apartment, and he would be able to sleep in our room, not necessarily in our bed, but in our room i guess. **How often and for how long will the dog be left alone?** * 4 days a week for 8 hours straight, since my partner does have an 8-4 job, and i have a regular 9-5, but we do have a holiday one day of the week, so yeah, weekends are also available of course. **If needed, could you hire a dog walker, pay for doggy day care, or come home during lunch to take care of your dog?** * Not really no, we would be able to come home during lunch as that's what we do anyway, as for the dog walker and all that, maybe sometimes? Definatly not all the time though. **What is the general location in which you live?** You can decline to answer, but responses will likely assume you’re somewhere in the US without breed-specific legislation (BSL). * We live in Portugal. **What is the average temperature of a typical summer day where you live? A typical winter day?** Please indicate Celsius or Fahrenheit and the climate of places you may likely live in the future. * Depends, but in the summer it seems to be around 20°C (68°F) to 30°C(86°F), but i've seen it get even higher like 50ºC, that was one time really. In the winter the average temperature would be around 8°C (46°F) to 16°C(61°F), but again i've seen it be a little lower. **On a scale of 1 to 10, how prepared are you to care for a dog and prioritize its well-being over your career, entertainment, or other life choices for the next 12 or more years?** * I can't say were 100% prepared, as I'm pretty sure we'd be considered begginner dog owners, but i'd say we are at least 7 out of 10 prepared, as far as knowledge and willing to prioritaze or doggo. **Are you aware of the costs associated with dog ownership on an average annual basis? Have you budgeted for additional emergency veterinary care and/or pet insuranc3?** * Absolutely, that's rookie level critical thinking, of course we're well aware of the costs, and are more than prepared for them, as we've been saving up for a couple years, and we both have relatively good pay, so we won't run out of coal so to say, as in, we have our savings for the doggo if an emergency were to happen that we for some reason couldn't budget with our salaries each month, but we'd say we'd be able to budget the salaries for the doggo. 

Hello guys!
I have such a table: in column N I have a gap gill sentences, in column Q I have possible answers. The problem is: in column R I want to have solved exercises with gaps filled by possible variations (the number of variants could be different and not defined) like in cell R6 for example: every variation in a new line.
Could you help me, please. I have no idea at all 😢

“Will you look at that,” Captain Yontan marveled from the observation deck. They had arrived in the Solar System at long last, the old bastion of knowledge mankind had abandoned many millennia ago.
“Such a basic tech, yet so beautiful, so… poetic,” Lezlybe uttered, gazing at the constant flux of Sunfire Conduit pulled from the sun to one, two, three relays, and finally to the surface of Pluto, where its energy was being harnessed inside a crater. “And you’re certain that’s where the Ultimate Knowledge is stored?”
“Yes,” Yontan nodded. “Every clue leads to Pluto. Can you imagine? The Ultimate Knowledge, lost for millennia, on this planet out of all places.”
“Ready to descend at your command, captain,” announced Ghenna.
Yontan turned to his crew and smiled. It was the first time they had seen him do that in months. “Hover around the south-south-eastern quadrant of the crater. That’s where the entrance is supposed to be.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Lezlybe’s turned to face the captain, her long black hair swirling around with her.
“Wouldn’t that energy burn us on approach?”
“It might be basic tech, but not that basic, Lez,” said Yontan. “It’s safe up to a distance of 100 meters. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors because they built this thing in the distant past. They were as smart as us. Smarter even, in certain aspects, I’m sure.”
“Found the entrance, captain,” said Ghenna. It was a pale peach colored door built on the craterside.
“Land near it, wherever it’s stable.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The ship touched down next to the Hollis Crater. Yontan and four others suited up and left the craft. Before heading for the door, the team stopped to gaze at the Sunfire Conduit from their position. It went up, up, up as far as the eye could see.
Jmerr was awestruck.
“I can’t believe we’re able to look at it with basic sun visors. Do you think our ancestors purposefully designed it like that?”
“Of course,” said Yontan, mesmerized by the spiraling blaze swooshing down the crater. “Aesthetics have always been important, especially since it used to be connected to three planets, two dwarf planets, and eight moons. Many renown painters have depicted the Conduits in their art. Although no physical portraits survived, their works have been well documented over hundreds of books.”
Lezlybe approached Jmerr and put her hand over his shoulder.
“I kind of wish we could hear its thunderous sound. I imagine it’d be a satisfying swoosh, kind of like a blowtorch.”
“You’d be deaf before you’d hear a thing,” laughed Yontan. “We’re speaking of extremely powerful jets coming from a star, after all. I can’t wait to see why they’re pulling so much energy on such a small planet. It’s totally excessive in my view.”
“Maybe it’s not,” said Lezlybe. “Especially if the Ultimate Knowledge is behind this door.”
The team approached the door, a small black panel to its side. Yontan placed a round device on top and, seconds later, it retracted into the ground.
“A Grampus?” frowned Jmerr, even though no one could see his face behind the visor. “Why do you use this old AI?”
“Because I don’t know the code,” explained Yontan as they stepped inside a long hall. “So I brought this device with me to crack the password. Don’t forget that this here is also old tech. Newer devices could break something.” He glanced over his shoulder at the wide-open entryway with the ship not too far behind. “But it looks like the Grampus broke it anyway since it doesn’t slide shut.”
At the end of the wide turquoise hall, another door was easily popped open with Yontan’s device. This time, however, the heavy door closed shut when the last person stepped in.
“I hope we’re not trapped in this small room,” gulped Lezlybe.
“Don’t worry, we can ask someone on board to cut it open if needed,” said Yontan. “After all we –”
PSHHHHHHHH
A burst of gas sprayed them from all sides, followed by a shower of heavy liquid. A few moments after it stopped, the door in front of them opened, and a gentle male voice greeted them.
“Welcome to U.K. ONE. The current air pressure is at 101.3 kilopascals, with a temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius and a humidity level set at 60% RH.”
The voice then proceeded to inform them about the room’s condition among other sets of data.
“I see. We were inside a basic decompression chamber,” muttered Jmerr.
The tallest crewmate, Lessandre, popped his helmet off and took a deep breath.
“Ah, historical fresh air,” he boomed, looking around the oval room. “It brings a tear to my eye.”
“What are you doing?” Yontan shouted. “We don’t know what particles or microorganisms could linger in here.”
“Relax, captain. Tyche analyzed the air and told me it’s fine. Why don’t you all retract your visors and experience this multimillennial-old air? You’ll never have the chance to do that again, you know.”
Yontan checked with his own version of his AI, Tyche, and everything seemed to be fine, so he retracted the visor of his helmet as well, just in time to scratch an itch on his beard. The rest of the crew followed, except for Jmerr.
“Come on, Jmerr. It’s a unique experience, my friend,” beamed Lessandre, tapping on his shoulder.
Jmerr scowled at Lessandre. “I refuse to take unnecessary risks.”
“As you wish,” Lessandre grinned, loudly sniffing the air. “Ahhh. The air in here is exceptionally… how to describe it?”
“Dusty?” Lezlybe chimed in. “I think the auto-clean on the filter stopped working long ago.”
Yontan was ignoring his crew, inspecting the walls of this oval room for clues. But the room was pretty much empty, outside of the air conditioning holes and lights flickering on the ceiling.
“I know there’s another door on the other side of the crater, but that one’s the entrance to the accumulator and workspaces,” he muttered to himself, caressing the wall in the hopes of finding a button or a gap of sorts.
“Is that place also turquoise?” asked Lessandre. “I really hate this color. Reminds me too much of my ex.”
Lezlybe rolled her eyes.
“Then why don’t we go there?” asked Ghenna, who had closed her visor since she didn’t like the smell.
“Because,” began Yontan absent-mindedly while brushing his hands over the wall, “every document points to this place. We’ll check the other site if we don’t find anything here. Now if only I – aha! A button. This might be it.”
Yontan pushed it with his finger. Instead of clicking, like any other button would, his index finger sank completely in. He immediately withdrew it, fearing something might cut his finger off. But the button came back, except it was now white and protruded out of the wall. Yontan hesitantly pressed it.
An oval pedestal emerged from the middle of the floor, gradually rising until it reached chest height. The left side slid open with melodious clicks, and out came a small table with a round black object on it with a sky-blue center. Before they had the time to guess what it was, a hologram rose from it, displaying the head of an old balding man with a lazy eye.
“Greetings, future humans,” said the feeble voice. “And welcome to K.U. ONE. What is your purpose here?”
Yontan glanced at his crew, who gave him a nod and shrugs. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “We’ve come here to gain access to the Ultimate Knowledge, which is said to contain the answers to our purpose within the universe.”
“I see. And you are one, two, five. Oh! That is good news, good news indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Well, not me per se, since I’m long dead, I suppose,” the hologram laughed, “but my digital image. And five? Oh, proof that nothing happens at random.”
Yontan was slightly taken aback.
“Wait. You’re not a simple recording?”
“No, no. I’m enhanced with artificial intelligence. It speaks as I would speak, saying what I asked it to say – with a bit of panache. Now, move to the other side of the pedestal. It will pop open and contain a box.”
The other side popped open, displaying a silver box embossed with gold on the edges. It was beautiful. Lessandre grabbed it and tried to pry it open.
“Tut-tut! You need the key to open the box. I’ll hand it over only of you accept to eat its contents.”
“Eat it?” Yontan uttered in excitement. “Will it alter our brains? Give us the knowledge we yearn for?”
“Not quite. But it is a necessary step.”
“I won’t touch it,” Jmerr stated firmly. “I don’t trust this man. Whatever’s inside, it’s been in there for thousands of years. There’s no way it’s still edible.”
“Oh but it is,” grinned the man. “What do you think the Sunfire Conduit is used for?”
“What?” uttered Lezlybe. “The power of the sun used for… food?”
“Of course, there’s more to it. But a lot of energy is necessary to cool it down to near zero kelvin and keep it that way until it’s very slowly reheated to the ideal temperature for you to savor.
“Now, will you eat its contents or not?”
“Why don’t we bring it back to the ship and study it?” suggested Jmerr.
“The moment you leave the room with the box, its contents will be destroyed, and so will the key to Ultimate Knowledge.”
Yontan exchanged a glance with his crew. Lessandre gave him thumbs up, Ghenna nodded and Lezlybe shrugged. Jmerr was the only one to firmly shake his head.
“Fine, we’ll eat its contents,” said Yontan, upon which Jmerr put his hands up in the air in frustration.
A key appeared from the front of the pedestal. Yonan used it to open the box Lessandre was holding. Five dark-brown spherical objects were neatly placed within fitting molds, resembling the five dots on a die.
“Behold the Five Orbs of Knowledge,” the hologram said solemnly. “I recommend one for each of you.”
Jmerr crossed his arms. “There’s no way I’m touching this.”
“What if someone eats two?” asked Yontan, eyeing Jmerr.
“It would sadden me, even though it might be beneficial to grasp the Ultimate Knowledge.”
Without hesitation, Lessandre popped the middle one in his mouth. Every other crewmate was staring at him. A few bites in, he suddenly froze, eyes wide open. His gaze slowly shifted from Yontan, to Lezlybe, to Ghenna – whose visor was now lowered – and finally stopped on Jmerr.
“Awl eash ‘em bofh,” he rapidly chewed, popping a second one in. “Awl eash ‘em owl ihf you guysh downt.”
Yontan’s hand was shaking as he picked his Orb. Lezlybe and Ghenna also chose one.
“On the count of three,” gulped Yontan, as he noticed the horrified look on Jmerr. “One… two… three!”
The shell of the Orb had a slight crunch, with a rather soft, creamy inner core, gently melting on their tongue. Sweet with a zest of bitterness. Each bite, each movement of their tongue was another moment they savored, dreading the end of this unique flavor. It was an explosion of exoticism, a sensory overload inside their mouth; the richness of the Orb filled their taste buds and souls alike with pure bliss.
Then there was the aroma, dissolving the dusty odor of the room with its arboraceous perfume. It reminded them of Terrestrial woods, now planted across various planets in the Milky Way. Comforting, ancient, nostalgic, and so raw at heart.
Fortunately, this jolly adventure didn’t end after they swallowed it, no, each residue, sticking to the various corners of their mouths, lingered like a fleeting memory soon to disappear forever. Yet it was still there, to grasp with the palm of their hands. But when they tried to, it became vapor, dwindling, yet etched in their brains with such strength it would be impossible to ever forget this moment. Ever.
Their minds were still floating on a cloud of ecstasy when Yontan stared at Lessandre.
“You ate two,” he breathed. “And you,” he turned to Jmerr, “you have no idea what you’ve just missed. It’s… indescribably delectable.” Yontan faced the hologram. “Please, give us one more, for Jmerr. He has to try this… Orb.”
The hologram grinned widely, creasing the old man’s entire face.
“These were the last five. There are no more.”
“WHAT?” everyone shouted at once.
“Th– that’s it? No more?” Yontan’s shoulder slumped. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve taken it back to the ship and try to recreate it.”
“It’s impossible without the recipe.”
“A recipe? Give it to us, I don’t care about Ultimate Knowledge anymore,” Lessandre laughed.
“But you had two,” Lezlybe scowled.
“And I want more,” he chuckled. “I’ve never felt better in my life. Even two were far too few!”
“Yes, hand us the recipe so we can share it with the rest of the crew,” pleaded Yontan.
The hologram seemed more and more pleased with itself.
“Even if I gave you the recipe you couldn’t make it when the main ingredient’s missing.”
“What’s the main ingredient?” Ghenna asked.
“Cacao. And these were chocolate truffles, which I made myself utilizing the very last cacao beans to ever exist. I’m sorry. You’ll never eat chocolate ever again.”
Jmerr seemed disappointed upon hearing it, especially after seeing how everyone reacted to it.
“B – but… why?” Yontan asked. “Why offer us a delicious treat only to punch us in the gut right after?”
The hologram smiled. “Think. What is your purpose here?”
“To acquire Ultimate Knowledge… But I fail to understand…”
“If my clock is correct, 3622 years have passed since the last human – which is myself – set wheels in this room. 3622 years of technological advancement, of accumulated mastery of various sciences and understanding of the universe. Yet you believe Ultimate Knowledge is to be found in the past?”
The crewmembers looked at each other, dumbfounded.
“So… it doesn’t exist?” suggested Lezlybe. “We’ve come this far for nothing…”
“Haven’t you just experienced the ultimate delicacy of humankind? Therein lies everything you need to know.”
“It’s not about the knowledge,” began Yontan, “but about the experience we savor?”
“Exactly!” Clapping hands appeared in front of the hologram’s face. “Instead of looking for something that may not be, learn to cherish the transient nature of existence through every experience you encounter. Who knows what happens once you’re dead? Constant hesitation leads to a life of lost opportunities. One of you has learned this lesson the hard way, I’m afraid. However, the tall man over there has greatly benefited from this lesson. Balance in all things!”
“No data is ever lost,” snorted Jmerr scornfully. “Death is simply the temporary loss of information until it’s retrieved.”
“The no-hiding theorem,” smiled the hologram. “Of course. But you wouldn’t be here if you could completely determine the state of the entire universe. Thus, my rhetoric stays valid. For as long as this is beyond our grasp – likely until humanity’s extinction – you ought to cherish every experience and lose your fear of consequences within reason.”
The room went silent, the subtle taste of chocolate still lingering in their mouths like the fading words of an old love letter.
“What do we do now, captain?” Ghenna asked shyly.
“Take your new-found knowledge and share it with others,” the hologram said before Yontan could open his mouth.
“So… there really is nothing else here?”
“Nothing at all.”
The hologram fluttered for a moment.
“Were these really the last pieces of chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you eat them yourself?”
“Because sharing is the quintessential attribute of humanity. And I’m glad to have contributed my part, even though it took several millennia.”
“So why use all that energy from the sun?” asked Lezlybe.
“It’s twofold,” said the hologram. “Partially to keep this chocolate in pristine state, as I said before. You’ll understand the second reason soon enough. Let’s say it’s a parting gift, for that man who hasn’t eaten his Orb.”
“I don’t understand.” Yontan was running his fingers through his hair. “You speak of sharing, yet we won’t be able to share this exquisite experience. There’s no chocolate left.”
“Share the wisdom you’ve acquired. Or perhaps you shall find something unique to share with others as I did. Even the stories of your adv–”
The man disappeared for a few seconds.
“–entures – Ah? We’ve been cut. Soon I shall be free, just like your minds. Swiftly return to your ships, and sail t–”
It flickered again and stopped for nearly ten seconds.
“–he vast empty space to… wherever your heart leads you. Farewell. Fare well indeed.”
The hologram zoomed out to show an old man sitting on a wheelchair, waving both hands. It flickered one last time before completely fading out with a hum.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from everyone’s earpiece.
“Captain, is everything all right?” asked one of the crew left on the ship in a panic.
“Why? Did the entrance crumble down?”
“No, Sir. It’s the Conduit. You need to see this for yourself.”
The crew put on their visors and hurried out of the room, through the hallway, out on the freezing surface of Pluto. They gasped upon staring up.
“The Conduit!” Ghenna uttered.
It was oscillating, slowly shrinking until the last flames swooshed back and forth from the relay to the crater, and then, it retracted entirely.
“It’s… it’s gone…” sighed Yontan.
“The parting gift,” Jmerr sobbed. “He knew. He knew someone might not try out the chocolate truffle, and he purposefully shut down the entire system.”
Lessandre turned to Jmerr. “Consider this your incredible experience. We must be the only humans to ever see this happen in real time.”
“But we can reconnect it, unlike the chocolate, can’t we?” said Lizlybe.
Yontan shook his head. “Do you know of the ancient pyramids in the northern African continent?”
“Yeah…” she hesitated. “Vaguely.”
“Do you know why they’ve never been rebuilt?”
Lezlybe shrugged.
“Because there’s nothing to gain in doing so.” He pointed his finger at the vast expanse above him. “We’ve never rebuilt the ancient pyramids – not due to complexity, but due to loss of time and resources involved without any actual benefit. I’m afraid this is the last time anyone has admired this old tech at work.”
Upon their return on the ship, they told the rest of the crew what inside the U.K. ONE.
“So the Ultimate Knowledge doesn’t exist?” one of the crewmember asked.
Yontan took one last glance at the crater as the ship took off.
“I believe it does,” he beamed, looking at the bemused faces of his crew. “Not here.” He gently tapped his temple. “But here.” His hand rested on his chest. “And there.” His arms were wide open, as if trying to embrace his whole crew at once. “Acquired wisdom is the Ultimate Knowledge. And the ability to share experiences with others is our greatest gift.”