On this day 116 years ago in Kharkov Nikolay Dmitrievich Pilchikov – scientist-physicist, inventor in the field of radio engineering, author of works on optics, terrestrial magnetism, electrical and radio engineering, radioactivity, X-rays, electrochemistry, geophysics, meteorology – was shot in the heart.
At about seven o’clock in the morning of 6 May 1908, a shot rang out in a ward of an expensive Kharkov hospital. Breaking open the door locked from the inside, the doctors saw its only patient – it seemed that his life had been cut short in his sleep. The man was lying in his bunk, as if he hadn’t woken up yet. And if not for the bloodstain on his chest, no one would have realised the tragedy. A revolver lay on the tea-table beside the bed. It was from this revolver that the bullet that had pierced the scientist’s heart had been fired. Could a man who was undergoing medical treatment have carefully placed the gun beside his tea glass and folded his arms across his chest after shooting himself at point-blank range? Nevertheless, the “cadaver book” records ruled the death a suicide.
For some reason forensic experts did not do dactyloscopy – the investigation was not puzzled by fingerprints on the black “bulldog”, which became the murder weapon. And the authoritative professor Nikolai Bokarius, whose name now bears the local Institute of Forensic Medicine, even described Pilchikova’s case in a textbook for lawyers and doctors as an example of temporary purposeful capacity of suicides with fatal gunshot wounds in the heart area. At that, the luminary recommended to take into account not only anatomical features of the injury, but also the functional state of the central nervous system. The picture was completed by the conclusion of pathologists, who found in the killed after the autopsy of the corpse modifications in the structure of the brain.
A purely “police” justification for not considering the murder version was the fact that the incident took place in a locked room on the first floor (as if this could be an obstacle to unauthorised entry).
And a week after the scientist’s death, on 13 May 1908, the head of the police department received a report from the head of the Kharkov security service about the unreliability of the “extreme leftist” Professor Pilchikov, who was known for his active participation in “criminal agitation activities of engineering students”. This was confirmed by a search of the scientist’s house, during which propaganda literature from the period of the first Russian revolution of 1905 was found.
What was Professor Pilchikov doing before he was “worked out” by the police? The scientific fate of Nikolai Dmitrievich was as unusual as his death was mysterious and the fate of outstanding discoveries inexplicable.
The scientist, whose life was cut short at the age of 51, was not only a physicist, but also a lyricist: he was no less talented in composing poetry, painting pictures and playing the violin. But he considered his life’s work to be his scientific career, which was unusually successful.
The son of a public and cultural figure, who was a friend of Taras Shevchenko, was born on 9 May 1857 in Poltava, and already during his studies in gymnasium showed remarkable abilities in exact sciences. Entering the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Kharkiv University, he experimented in new at that time experiments in the field of sound recording, while still a student invented an electric phonograph.
After graduation, the graduate was left to work at the Department of Physics. His first scientific monograph was devoted to optical analysis. Later the scientist made a number of discoveries on the topics of scattered light polarisation and atmospheric ionisation, atmospheric electricity and geomagnetism, radioactivity and X-rays. Pilchikov was awarded the Silver Medal from the Russian Geographical Society for a series of studies of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, during which iron ore deposits near Prokhorovka were predicted.
After defending his thesis at the University of St. Petersburg, the master of physics was appointed privat-docent of the Kharkov University, and two years later he went to practice at a magnetic observatory in Paris, where he discovered flaws in the design of the seismograph and offered his mentors a way to correct them.
Soon the young professor of Kharkov University becomes famous outside Russia, becoming a regular at international scientific conferences and a member of the Toulouse Academy of Sciences.
Nikolay Pilchikov returned to Kharkov as a university professor, where he created a meteorological station that still exists today. To study the upper atmosphere, the professor developed a stratostat and then a high-altitude spacesuit to equip the pilot. The atmospheric optics researcher created his own seismograph and designed equipment to determine magnetic pressure.
Having moved for some time to Odessa (to work at the Imperial Novorossiysk University), in 1894 the scientist invented an original lamp for the study of X-rays, called “Pilchikov’s focus tube”. The optical and galvanic version of the study of electrolysis developed by him made it possible to obtain images on metal plates – so the inventor became the author of electrophotography or photogalvanography.
And on 25 March 1898, Nikolai Pilchikov demonstrated for the first time a device working with radio waves of a certain length and rejecting interference. During his experiments in Odessa he lit a lighthouse with the help of radio waves and moved a railway semaphore, blew up a yacht and made a cannon fire.
The scientist characterised his contribution to radio physics as follows: while Popov and Marconi were looking for a way to transmit a signal over the greatest possible distance, he was solving the problem of cutting off wireless power transmission from extraneous electrical waves. Thus appeared the first device with a protector – a security filter, allowing only the waves addressed to it to reach the mechanism and protecting the equipment from atmospheric and radio interference. The scientist not only designed and manufactured different types of the first protectors, but also tested them in practice.
With the help of his revolutionary device, Professor Pilchikov made it possible to create radio-controlled mine boats that could sink enemy ships without a crew and fire on enemy targets. In proposing the idea to the Russian military, the inventor characterised it as a way of detonating objects at a considerable distance without cables or other visible communication.
Applying for financial assistance from the military department, Pilchikov planned to spend 15,000 roubles on laboratory equipment, manufacture of devices and their testing with the support of the Sevastopol naval forces. For his part, the scientist undertook to keep the know-how in strict secrecy and not to publish any information about the development in scientific literature. As a result, this circumstance may have contributed to the fact that the scientist’s works disappeared and he himself may have been eliminated.
Military engineers discussed the professor’s petition for research funds with reference to foreign experience. Specialists compared Pilchikov’s achievements with the developments of foreign scientists experimenting with wireless telegraph, to whom the authorities did not refuse anything. For example, Preece was authorised for experiments by the postal department of England, Marconi obtained in 1897 large sums of money from the naval department of Italy, and the Berlin scientist Slaby received aeronautical parks, watercraft and troops of the Potsdam garrison from the Emperor of Germany. Pilchikov, on the other hand, had a much more extensive programme and was naturally expected to produce the most ambitious results.
On his return to Kharkov in 1902, the professor continued his research in the best-equipped physical laboratory of those times, the local University of Technology. He was also allocated a ship “Dnestr” and funds for marine experiments. On the ship in 1903 the scientist equipped a receiving radio station, and on the Chersonese lighthouse – transmitting.
Alas, neither the scheme of those protectors, nor the content of the experiments, nor their further fate are known today. In the archives we found only information about a letter of gratitude to Professor Pilchikov from the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. It was dated the beginning of September 1904. It is clear that in the midst of the war with Japan secret military developments could be of interest to both belligerents. Moreover, other external enemies were also interested in preventing Russia’s military advantage.
Professor Pilchikov’s research competed with American experiments in the Maritime Ministry under Tesla, who was also working on the task of wireless control of a minelayer from the shore. This is a case in science when “an idea is in the air” and the same discovery is independently made by scientists at different ends of the world.
It is believed that the first radio-controlled telemechanical system in the world was developed by Nikola Tesla – he patented and presented an unprecedented ship model in the summer of 1898, but came to the discovery the day before, in spring. And “Russian Tesla” Nikolai Pilchikov tested a similar invention in March of the same year, which was reported in a note in the “Odessa Review”, which for some reason remained unnoticed by the scientific community.
The “two Nicholas” had a lot in common, despite the fact that they lived and created on different continents. Scientists were almost the same age. Both had no family – neither wives nor close relatives. Both were undividedly attracted to physical science – the mysteries of radioactivity, X-rays and lightning. But to Pilchikov did not appear one day George Westinghouse with a million dollars for four dozen patents. And an understanding friend, as Tesla had in the person of Katharine Johnson, next to Nikolay Dmitrievich was not there either…
Being left without further state support, Pilchikov could not complete the work on his wireless protector. In 1905 he left to observe the solar eclipse in Algeria, from where he returned with failing health. Ill-health was aggravated by an acute feeling of loneliness.
1908 was a fateful year in the fate of the scientist. It was the best time of the year, the beginning of May, a time of intoxication with life and romantic dreams. But for Pilchikov, the “delight of nature” had no inspiring meaning: five days before his own birthday, he went to a psychoneurological clinic. And it happened under very mysterious circumstances.
According to police reports, the owner of a private hospital and a well-known doctor I. Y. Platonov received a call from an unknown man on 3 May with a request to hospitalise Nikolai Dmitrievich Pilchikov. It was asked to prepare a separate room where the patient would be alone.
When the professor appeared in the clinic, the doctors saw nothing critical in his condition. He was elegantly dressed, and in his hands held a suitcase with papers. Two days later, a shot rang out in the ward, and the papers were gone. Not a single piece of his war work was found among his household belongings. The blueprints of inventions of world importance, which the scientist had not even had time to patent, disappeared.
Wasn’t the murder then the final fat point in the planned operation? And didn’t the inventor-physicist take with him to the ward what the special services hunting for his military developments were tracking down?
Perhaps it was in the hospital that Nikolai Pilchikov, who had a premonition of trouble, tried to hide from his threatening pursuers? Or maybe they put him there so that it would be easier to realise what they had planned? And who were these mysterious killers?..
We will probably never get answers to these questions. But it is known how the brilliant ideas of the tragically departed scientist were put into practice.
In 1913, the first radio-controlled aeroplane took to the skies. Four years later, a German boat controlled from a plane blew up the quay in the English harbour of Newport. In the same year, 1917, a German ship was damaged by a British minelayer guided from a radio-controlled aeroplane. In 1925 the first mine without wires appeared. And in 1943 the Soviet troops destroyed the Nazi headquarters with General von Braun in Kharkov occupied by the enemy by controlled explosion from Voronezh.
Radio warfare has long been supplemented by radio defence, where the first role is played by devices like Pilchikov’s protectors. Thanks to radio defence, in 1944 the British were invulnerable to German fighters in the Libyan desert. Radio locks of increased complexity are used in satellite navigation and launching systems for space and military rockets. And all responsible radio electronic equipment is protected from interference by modern devices working on the principle of Professor Pilchikov’s protector – the “Russian Tesla”, who became a hindrance to someone himself…
Source: Vyacheslav Kapreljants

Listen. I know "Tyrion Targaryen" is a divisive topic. I don't think there's any theory that gets more vehement criticism. I understand why it gets the ire it does, and don't even wholly disagree.
Buuuut, if I can play devil's dragonlion's advocate here: The counterarguments to the theory are all...kinda shaky.
1. "It hurts the story"
I'll admit it. I (kinda) agree with this assessment. A "Tyrion's a secret Targ" reveal threatens to undermine other big elements of the story. One secret orphaned prince is a tragedy, but a dozen is a farce.
It also arguably hurts the Tyrion-Tywin relationship. I don't think it'd be ruinous as many of the critics do. But even if it were, that still wouldn't affect whether or not it's canon. This argument really doesn't address "what is or is not," but rather "what should or shouldn't be."
But writers do stuff they arguably shouldn't all the time. Fans of Star Wars will gladly tell you that midi-chlorians undermine the Force. But they're still canon, bc George said so. Martin is no more infallible than Lucas. I love these books, and I think GRRM's the bee's knees. But can you tell me with a straight face that "Joffrey sent the catspaw" was perfectly executed storytelling? Whether something's good or not is a subjective matter for the audience. But whether something's canon is wholly at the whims of the author. And it definitely seems like GRRM's whims are pointing towards A+J.
2. "GRRM was setting it up in the early books, but abandoned the idea at some point."
Yes, George is a gardener and doesn't necessarily stick to a rigid story plan. He's removed or changed big elements of the story, like the 5 year gap or the Brightflame cloth dragons. It's definitely possible that Tyrion Targaryen might have been a similarly scrapped plan.
(Small Tangent: I'm even pretty open to the idea that it was scrapped in the show. It's totally the kind of thing D&D would hate. But you can ask Griff & Stoneheart if show canon = book canon.)
The problem is, there's no clear point where GRRM stopped dropping hints that align with A+J. It still seems front and center in ASOS (2000), when Tywin makes his last on-page appearance. He explicitly calls Tyrion's paternity (and the fidelity of his beloved cousinwife) into question twice in that book, down to his last breath. Bookending Tyrion's first speaking appearance (AGOT Jon I). The very first thing Tyrion says about Tywin is "he thinks of me as a bastard." The idea of Tyrion's paternity being in doubt hangs over the Tyrion-Tywin relationship from the first moments to the last.
The relevant characters' most recent book appearance was the worldbook in 2014. (The same year GRRM gave his now famous explanation of why abandoning setup makes for bad storytelling.) Even then, GRRM was obliquely pointing to the possibility of A+J=T with relentless determination. Every single mention of Joanna is attached directly to a note about how much Aerys pursued her. Tyrion's birth is one paragraph after the tourney of 272. Where the only notable event was Aerys lusting after Joanna, deepening the rift with Tywin.
Which moves us nicely from the meta-textual arguments into the in-universe "evidence."
3. "[Pycelle said] Tywin wouldn't have married Joanna if she'd been with Aerys"
Pycelle sure did say that. Pycelle is wrong. That's the point. How can we tell? GRRM's choice of wording in Pycelle's rebuttal.

As Pycelle insists in his letters, Tywin Lannister would scarce have taken his cousin to wife if that had been true, “for he was ever a proud man and not one accustomed to feasting upon another man’s leavings.”

Pictured: Pycelle's wrongness.
The 2014 audience already knows Tywin absolutely would do that. The climax of his conflict with Tyrion was him bedding Shae. "Feasting on another man's leavings" is already a defining part of Tywin's relationship with Tyrion.
GRRM wrote Pycelle huffing copium. Conspicuously. The fanboy maester's denial depends on a claim the audience explicitly knows is false. It's just basic dramatic irony: the audience knows something the characters don't. If Pycelle's claims rests on false evidence, what is the author saying about the claim?
4. "If Tywin knew/suspected, why didn't he do anything more than try to resign?"
I'll be honest, this one blows my mind. The man sacked King's Landing and killed every Targaryen he could find. Tywin's big defining pre-stories action was brutally overthrowing Aerys' whole family. Sure he didn't do it immediately. But when circumstances permitted, Tywin took extreme vengeance.
5. "Tyrion's dragon dreams aren't Dragon Dreams"
Why the hell not? Symbolically heavy. Seemingly prophetic. Showing a destiny of magical conflict, with stakes as intimate as family identity, and as broad as globe-spanning war. Tyrion’s dreams check all the boxes for what makes up a Dragon Dream. (Or should I say, “They meet any cry-Tyrion?”)
When Tyrion first mentions dreaming of dragons, he’s telling Jon “I know your secret. You dream the same kind of dreams.” Again, dramatic irony time. Tyrion’s saying it as “I know you secretly feel alienation.” But a reader who knows Jon’s lineage knows the real secret is why Jon’s magic dreams fixate on family alienation. Because they’re Dragon Dreams. The very first thing GRRM tells us about Tyrion’s dragon dreams is that they’re comparable to Jon’s Dragon Dreams. And Tyrion’s have actual dragons in them.
Oh, and very non-coincidentally, this scene happens only 20ish pages after Dany has the first confirmed on-page Dragon Dream. Which hits all the same elements. Prophesymbolic vision of a buried dragon identity. Which emerges through the crucible of sibling struggle.
GRRM returns focus to Tyrion’s dragon dreams in ADWD. He has two such dreams during his journey east from Illyrio’s manse as part of a plot to marry Dany to a guy with a big fighting force behind him. Eagle eyed observers will note that this is exact same setup Dany herself had in AGOT when her Dragon Dreams started.
In both the earliest and latest books in the series, GRRM draws immediate parallels between Tyrion’s dragon dreams and Targaryen Dragon Dreams. Just from an economy of storytelling perspective, it would be weird to have Tyrion’s special important dreams-w/dragons-in-them that just happen to be totally unrelated to Jon & Dany’s Special Important Magic Dragon Dreams™️.
Caveat: Schrodinger’s Targaryen
Despite all of this, I do not think GRRM’s endgame is as simple as “And then we learn Tyrion is 100% definitely Aerys’ son and not Tywin’s.” My strongest hunch is that the plan is for the story to end without a definitive answer, but a pointedly open question. Compare it to other “unresolved Targaryen/dragonrider ancestry mysteries” like Nettles and Daeron T vs Daemon B. GRRM loves this “the mystery is more valuable than the answer” approach to storytelling.
In AGOT and ASOS we’re told “Tywin thinks of Tyrion as not his.” In TWOIAF we see maesters publicly speculating about Aerys & Joanna’s relations. I think the in-universe uncertainty is the plotline here. The speculation already exists in Tyrion’s plot, which will come to a fever pitch when (not if) he saddles Viserion.
I don’t think there’ll be any raunchy Bran-vision or tearstained secret letter from Joanna that definitively confirms Tyrion’s parentage one way or the other. Tyrion seizes Casterly Rock and there’s a hubbub about legality. Is he a golden trueborn lion, Tywin’s legal heir? Is he the red of a Targaryen dragon and/or a color-inverted Lannister bastard? Who the hell knows? What does it matter? All the truth Tyrion knows is his mother was a lioness, making him a cat regardless of coat. That, plus he has a dragon, with sharp long claws. The dragon reins are all he needs to reign from Castam Casterly Rock.
This deliberate open-endedness leaves room for a lot of options. I’m very open to chimera theory. Nerd Tangent: In myth, the chimera is literally a fire-breathing lion-serpent hybrid. All Tyrion needs is some goat imagery and he’s got the whole animal. Plus GRRM keeps making the lady of Casterly Rock mother twins at every point in the timeline. Joanna’s were even fraternal. GRRM even wrote an unpublished conversation whereTyrion talks about Maelys the Monstrous (to whom Tyrion repeatedly compares himself) absorbing his twin in-utero, and imagines the same thing happening in his own mother’s womb. George is doing everything a writer setting up a “genetic chimera” twist reveal would do.
Separately, I really like the idea of Tywin misinterpreting prophecy and dooming himself to the fate he was trying to avoid. In perfect parallel to Cersei’s experience with Maggy. Tywin gets some kind of cryptic warning about Aerys’ bloodline displacing his own. Just like Cersei’s valonqar, he jumps to a misplaced suspicion of Tyrion, when he should be examining Jaime and/or Cersei. When TWOIAF bundles the tourney of 272, Tyrion’s birth/Joanna’s death in 273, and Tywin’s role in the Targaryen downfall together, it’s entirely possible that the point is the same as AFFC Cersei constantly telling us “valonqar = Tyrion.” A red herring; there to prompt the audience into thinking about the question. But preserving mystery by laying the false answer on thick while the true answer is surreptitiously sprinkled in.
Maybe there’s even in-universe discussion about how an AJT reveal makes a farce of RLJ? “Diluting the reveal by flooding the spot with something similar but even more outlandish” was Tyrion’s own in-universe strategy for dealing with the reveal of Cersei’s royal bastards. This could be GRRM going full circle. “Oh, Ned Stark’s other closely guarded secret about royal bastardy just came out? Well, this counterstory from Tyrion about royal bastards has juicy stuff like clowns and sex with a crazy guy and kids w/physical abnormalities. Once this story spreads, no one’ll know what to believe!”
It could even go the same direction the show went for Theon’s identity dualism. Tangent: (Theon is kinda directly connected to Tyrion already, having inherited the “burn Winterfell, torn between Starks & birth family” plotline originally meant for Tyrion.) You can be both a furry apex predator on 4 legs and a mythical beast with long wriggly appendages. Lizard & lion at once.
GRRM might even be highlighting this Schrodinger-esque superstate of “both one and the other simultaneously” with Tyrion’s ADWD intro. The first time we see the cat-man after he kills Tywin, he’s drunk himself half to death in a box while on his way to Illyrio. It's the moment when he’s most in limbo– after killing the lion Tywin, but before joining sides with Aerys’ dragonspawn – he’s a half-alive half-dead cat in a box.
All I'm saying is that I think, for George, the point is the duality. The uncertainty. The multiplicity of options. Tbh, I’m not arguing that “Aerys is the father” = The Answer™️. I’m just arguing that the story is designed to set up the question.
From Tyrion’s first lines to Tywin’s last, GRRM insistently raises the notion of Tyrion not being Tywin’s son. The most recently published account of A, J, T, & T deals heavily with the contentious love triangle. I’m not saying you have to like it. I’m just saying you can’t pretend it’s not there.

Hope lies in the night
Hey, there!
Been a while since I've taken a crack at this. Had one heck of a busy spring, ready to enjoy the summer and get back to writing these fun pitches.
A couple years back, I pitched the ideal setting for a modern adaptation of DC Comics. A live-action shared universe on HBO Max, telling definitive stories of DC's flagship heroes with an emphasis on specific genres.
Essentially, imagine if the CWverse and other live-action TV series were to be hypothetically replaced by one unified vision, which broadcasted on one network. In this case, HBO Max.
(Which probably means imagining Max launched a few years earlier, somewhere around 2016 or 2017)

• The omnibus on said "Maxverse", for those interested.

Having dived into two of DC's iconic Trinity (Superman and Wonder Woman), it's time to round them out with the Dark Knight himself.
Batman's one heck of a juggernaut isn't he? I can't think of a medium that hasn't covered this hero. There's some definite standouts for sure, like the beloved animated series of the 90s and the masterpiece that was Christopher Nolan's trilogy.
And yet, so much of what we've gotten in live-action has just barely scratched the surface.
That's where this idea comes in. Taking the story of Batman, and adapting its sheer volume and scope on a platform big enough to cover it.
First airing in 2020, in some world other than this one, it's...
BATMAN
An HBO Max original series.
****
Premise
Picture, if you will, a series which picks up well into this hypothetical "Maxverse" I've laid out the past couple of years.
Batman is a superhero family drama spanning several years, from 2014 to 2018 in-universe. It covers a veteran Batman, and his alliance of costumed heroes, as they face several terrifying threats to their home of Gotham City.
Major inspirations for this series include runs by-

• Frank Miller
• Jeph Loeb
• Judd Winick
• Scott Snyder
• Tom King

The story of this imagined reboot/adaptation isn't just about Batman and his family, it's about Gotham itself. Its history, the hidden players behind it, and how far its defenders are willing to go in order to protect it. Batman himself is tested many times on his commitment to Gotham, and how deeply he believes it even can be saved.
As with the rest of the stories in the Maxverse, this Batman series is slapped with a TV-MA rating. Given the subject matters often featured in Batman comics, this particular TV-MA would be earned and then some. No sanitizing or watering down to be found here, this show would be dark.
Covered in three seasons, the major arcs are
1: The personal journey of Bruce Wayne as Batman.
2: Batman's several proteges doing their best to live up to his example, while also making their own paths as heroes.
3: A slow uncovering of Gotham City's hidden history.
4: The looming question of what kind of life Bruce Wayne could live, without Batman.
Setting
Much like the Superman series of this universe dives into alternate history regarding its primary locale, so too does Batman.
As Metropolis in this setting was born from what was once New York City, Gotham sprang from what used to be Jersey City. The two cities sit across the bay from each other, sister cities and yet almost complete opposites.
Gotham is a city with one foot in the past, and another in the future. Visual and thematic inspirations for the setting could ideally draw from depictions both old-fashioned and modern. Gothic and futuristic. In many ways, Gotham could be as much a character as the lead cast themselves. Its mythology and mystery hangs heavy over the entire series, and the unraveling of its origins drives a considerable amount of the plot in Season 3.
Other locations of note could include

• Bludhaven, a smaller city neighboring Gotham
• 'Eth Alth'eban, lair of the feared League of Assassins

Lead Characters & Performers
Leading off the massive ensemble are the power couple that is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. AKA Batman and Catwoman.
The actors I'd choose to portray them are well-known in geek circles. Whether they by Star Wars fans, or fans of various horrific works by Mike Flanagan.
Sam Witwer
Kate Siegel
As Batman is a family drama, Bruce and Selina are the resident patriarch and matriarch respectively.
Much like the character as featured in the DCEU, this Bruce Wayne has been in the game for a long time. In this case, twelve years. He's got a lot of scars to show for it, physical and mental, and while the Bat-family or his friends abroad in the Justice League keep him balanced, Bruce is starting to show the wear and tear of his long crusade.
Selina, for her part, is a woman who's long since left her life as a criminal behind. Having come from a marginalized background, she has seen both the best and worst of Gotham and its people. More than fighting criminals, her mission is helping the poor and oppressed of her city and giving them a better life than the one she was born into.
Background Story & Supporting Cast
As the series has a lot of history behind it, one could expect various tie-in materials to expand on said history.

• A film or limited series adapting Year One.
• Comics and books on the major players.

I've drafted a document detailing this abundance of lore, feel free to give it a read.
Legends of the Batman
As for the rest of the ensemble cast, I've compiled a list.
For both heroes and villains alike.
(Light spoilers by way of certain inclusions and naming, all will be elaborated on in future posts)
The Bat-Family and Allies

• (Outside of Nightwing, Oracle, Red Hood and the two present Robins, the rest of the Bat-family joins or is introduced across Seasons 1 and 2)

Enemies of the Batman
****
And that's what I got!
Happy to be back writing these posts.
Next weekend, I'm gonna finally pick back up on my revising of the MCU and other Marvel film properties.
Hope you enjoyed this! Let me know your thoughts, and how you'd even start to tackle Batman on television.

So the four-part murder mystery has an option to submit your last design and give your guess for who the murderer is on the official FB page.
I did that exact thing, and then had my comment removed by the Redecor admins with a “warning” stating the same thing it does on the page about commenting on the pinned post… which I did.
Any guesses why this might have happened? Too much detail? Wrong picture? I don’t think I’m going to resubmit. I’m just frustrated. Because people have full on novellas that are still on the post.

https://preview.redd.it/5ktzuy2wib1d1.png?width=512&format=png&auto=webp&s=487bcb0a2b76870722e5a72853d21afd72c9d2d5

Name	Vange : Idle RPG
Publisher	Picture Soft Inc.
Genre	Simulation
Size	210MB
Version	2.05.70
MOD	God Mode, Red Stone

https://modyolo.co.in/vange-idle-rpg/
👆👆👆👆Download Link👆👆👆👆
Also Join us on telegram
https://t.me/official_modyolo
Also join us on Instagram
https://instagram.com/modifiedmod.in
Also join us on Discord
https://discord.gg/GQUCUPEeed
Vange: Abandoned Knight emerges as a game dripping with allure and wrapped in enchantment in a land steeped in mystery and dripping with intrigue. Through painstakingly designed skill trees and ground-breaking equipment enhancement systems, this game immerses players in a world where they can craft their destinies and experience immersive gameplay with limitless potential.

CAN MOLD THEIR GAMING EXPERIENCE UNIQUELY, CRAFTING THEIR SKILLS METICULOUSLY WITHIN THE GAME’S UNIVERSE

Explore Vange: Abandoned Knight’s nuances to seeing how the skill tree transforms into an artist’s canvas. Players carefully hone their abilities, building a skill tree that reflects their preferred gameplay styles. The wide variety of active and passive skills available through this tailored approach to skill acquisition allows players to shape their gaming strategies into their experiences, making each foray into the game’s universe uniquely their own.

THE INNOVATIVE, UNBREAKABLE EQUIPMENT EVOLUTION SYSTEM IN THIS GAME GUARANTEES ENHANCEMENT SUCCESS, ELIMINATING TYPICAL INCONVENIENCES

A true example of the innovation present in Vange: Abandoned Knight is the game’s unbreakable equipment evolution and enhancement system. Players use steel to create equipment that has never before been this powerful. Development eliminates the inconvenience typically associated with enhancement failures by having a 100% success rate. Enhancement scrolls are available for those who want even more power, promising to upgrade their gear without running the risk of damaging it.

THE SEAMLESS EQUIPMENT SYNTHESIZE SYSTEM ELEVATES GAMEPLAY, OFFERING ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE AND NEW CUSTOMIZATION POSSIBILITIES

Beyond conventional limitations, the equipment synthesizes system seamlessly integrates, easily elevating equipment tiers. Four pieces of equipment of the same level can be synthesized by players, significantly improving their gameplay. The game’s generosity is evident in its free automatic and batch synthesize features, which further enhance user experience and open up new possibilities for equipment customization and improvement.

THROUGH DETAILED CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, PLAYERS CAN DELVE DEEP INTO CUSTOMIZATION, CREATING INDIVIDUAL AVATARS COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES AND COMPANIONS

In this game’s richly detailed world, character development is emphasized through badges and artifacts, which give players an advantage in their quests. The journey does not stop there, though! The realm is overflowing with opportunities for players to create their avatars, complete with charming outfits, adorable pets, and regal mounts. The character’s appearance can also be altered by ordinary equipment, adding another level of customization.

OFFERING A PLETHORA OF HUNTING GROUNDS AND WEEKLY UPDATES, THE GAME ENSURES ENDLESS, EVER-EVOLVING ADVENTURE AND CONTENT FOR PLAYERS

With more than 1300 hunting grounds, Vange: Abandoned Knight offers an infinite amount of content updated almost weekly to keep the adventure exciting and new. New hunting grounds become available every Friday, and daily gem mining opportunities abound for those looking for more resources. The game also includes various expedition content, such as defense battles and dungeons, to keep players interested and their thirst for adventure sated.

ENJOY ENHANCED GAMEPLAY THROUGH DAILY GOLD EVENTS AND FEATURES LIKE AUTOMATIC HUNTING AND POWER-SAVING MODE.

From 9 PM to 3 PM (UTC), daily gold events offer a 2x gold drop event to make the gameplay more enjoyable. It functions like a true idle RPG, allowing automatic hunting even when you are not logged in, and it also has a power-saving mode and screen protection to keep your smartphone safe. Use the discount codes THANKS, HAPPY, LUCKY, 3, 33, 333, and 3333 to improve your visit to this magical world!

STANDS OUT IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY, OFFERING EXTENSIVE CUSTOMIZATION, ENGAGING CONTENT, AND REWARDING EXPERIENCES FOR EVERY PLAYER

Vange: Abandoned Knight is a true gem in the gaming industry, providing a tailored experience for each player thanks to its delicate blend of strategic planning, extensive customization, engaging content, and rewarding experiences. This game has something to pique your interest and keep you coming back for more, whether you’re a strategic planner, a customization enthusiast, or an adventure seeker.

Soooooooooo context: one of my favorite things to do is shop for books at thrift stores. I bought a book from goodwill for a $1 from one of my idols. Temple Grandin, this person is a huge influence on ethology and someone I admire. Noww I finally got around to reading it and omfg I open it annnddd we'll see for yourself. Of course I freaked the fuck out in excitement and no look up to and sure it really is hers and matches. And it does and am just so happy and feel so lucky.

Update #3 appears at the bottom.
Due to numerous disparaging comments by multiple individuals, I have reposted my article.
Heckling does not change what occurred. People need to know these truths, especially those who have experienced the same. They need to know they are sane, that such things are indeed being perpetrated, and the perpetrators use shame to silence them and protect their activities.
I write to encourage them not to listen to disparaging people who speak without knowledge.
February 10, 2024
I am Joseph Cafariello, a Canadian citizen and ex-member of the Canadian military. Of sound mind, not on medication, not a drug user, not a marijuana smoker, not an alcohol drinker, with no mental disorders.
I recently posted to this Liberty subreddit experiences of harassment by Vancouver's police and fire departments (Vancouver, BC, Canada). I’m the fellow who was repeatedly ordered by police to stay out of Vancouver’s Stanley Park, and was continually harassed whenever I visited the park (which I do every second day on my early morning walks).
Immediately following that post, they changed some of the techniques they use in my case. They were either informed of my post or found it themselves, seeing as my internet activity, and phone activity for that matter, are under continuous surveillance (plenty of proof which I will not include here to avoid running off-topic).
In this post, I would like to shed some light on other harassment which is still ongoing, since it occurs in private, away from potential observers. It involves the Canadian and US militaries.
Havana Syndrome
In 2016, numerous employees of the Canadian and US embassies in Havana, Cuba, started experiencing head injuries ranging from mild headaches to concussions. It happened in their sleep, and came to be called Havana Syndrome.
Wikipedia explains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana\_syndrome):
“Havana syndrome is a cluster of idiopathic symptoms experienced mostly abroad by U.S. government officials and military personnel. The symptoms range in severity from pain and ringing in the ears to cognitive dysfunction and were first reported in 2016 by U.S. and Canadian embassy staff in Havana, Cuba. Beginning in 2017, more people, including U.S. intelligence and military personnel and their families, reported having these symptoms in other places, such as China, India, Europe, and Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of State, Department of Defense, and other federal entities have called the events "Anomalous Health Incidents" (AHI). Of over a thousand purported cases, the majority of US investigative bodies found only a few dozen cases to be suspicious.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I can tell you exactly what happens, because I have been experiencing this since I first joined the Canadian military back in 2002, and am still experiencing these “torments” (as I call them) to this day, already 3 years after leaving the military.
I go to bed. In about 15 minutes, just as I am on the cusp of falling asleep, a hear and feel a heavy thud reverberate and ultimately strike my skull. My body releases a sharp burst of adrenalin, my heart starts racing, and my blood’s circulation speeds up significantly. Depending on the severity of the blow, it can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to fall asleep again. Though there have been times I could not return to sleep for more than 2 hours.
A strong headache is felt immediately, and lasts for hours. There have been times when my heart felt like it was going to burst, having been startled as such.
The pulse to the head sometimes reverberates through the wall and my bed’s headboard. I distinctly feel as though I have been hit on the top of my skull. At other times, it feels as though the pulse has come through the air, striking the side of my skull.
This is not a sleep disorder, for it does not occur regularly. At times, my sleep is disturbed in this manner 3 or 4 days in a row. At other times, there is no disturbance for up to a week. But they never let me go more than a week without such interruptions to my sleep.
Neither is it sleep apnea, as I do not awaken gasping for breath. The pounding headaches, sudden release of adrenaline, and heart palpitations I experience are caused by external impacts of sound waves or air bursts.
Sonic Weapons
How these pulses are produced is not easy to identify. As Wikipedia explains:
“Once the story became public, various U.S. government representatives attributed the incidents to attacks by unidentified foreign actors, and various U.S. officials blamed the reported symptoms on a variety of unidentified and unknown technologies, including ultrasound and microwave weapons.”
Sonic weapons have been in use for many years by militaries, and by police in crowd control. As Wikipedia explains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic\_weapon):
“Some sonic weapons make a focused beam of sound or of ultrasound; others produce an area field of sound. As of 2023 military and police forces make some limited use of sonic weapons.”
(Do not believe the 2023 timeline. The Canadian military has been using these weapons since the early 2000’s at the latest.)
Wikipedia continues:
“Extremely high-power sound waves can disrupt or destroy the eardrums of a target and cause severe pain or disorientation. This is usually sufficient to incapacitate a person. Less powerful sound waves can cause humans to experience nausea or discomfort.”
The users of these technologies must also be using thermal detection equipment to monitor the target’s sleep. As I mentioned, I most often feel these blows the moment I am falling asleep. Body temperature drops when we sleep, and brain activity slows. Heat-detection equipment is likely being used to identify the point at which the target is falling asleep.
Why they prefer to strike at the start of someone’s sleep as opposed to the middle of their sleep, I do not know. Perhaps their intent is to deprive the body of early sleep, limiting the amount of deep sleep available to the person before their alarm rings in the morning.
Ordinary Hammers
Not all such “torments” (as I call them) are caused by high-tech equipment. I have heard and felt distinct hammer strikes running along the 2x4 beams inside my walls. These strikes can be a single hard strike, or several strikes in a row. It is definitely caused by a person with a hammer because the intervals between strikes are equidistant in time; that is, the time spacing between strikes is not random and does not change from strike to strike, but is constant between strikes, exactly as when someone is hammering. And no, it is not someone hanging pictures at 1:30 am, multiple times a week, for years.
On one occasion, when I was standing at my kitchen sink, I felt the floor-board directly under my feet pulse so sharply it felt like a brick had struck the soles of my feet. In this case, my military neighbour likely used a hammer to strike the floorboard on his side of the wall. It is the only plausible explanation.
Surveillance
This leads to surveillance of one’s activities at home. I have plenty of proofs of that. They seem insignificant on an individual basis. But when you put them all together, they present a clear picture of home surveillance.
My laptop computer’s lid cracked one night, at the bottom left corner of the screen. The next day at work, I heard my military supervisor relate to another co-worker that the night before, his laptop computer’s lid cracked at the bottom left corner. I swear to the Lord in Heaven, I am being truthful.
I tested my suspicion of being surveilled. At home one night, I blurted out-loud, “VW Passat. What an ugly sounding word, ‘Passat’”, I said. A few days later, my military colleagues at work started playing a card game at lunch, invented by one of them. The name he gave his game was “Passat”, and when he spoke it, he looked at me for a reaction. If you ever contact the Halifax military base, ask for the Claims Department and ask them if they are still playing Passat.
On another occasion, at a time when I frequented the gym every second day for a few years, I suspected my van had been fitted with a listening device. I suspected so because a number of things I had spoken with people about on my phone while in my van (nothing illegal) were repeated by people at the gym in conversations among themselves. Too many times, parts of other people's conversations matched parts of conversations I had had with others while I was in my van.
I already knew my phone was being tapped, but I also suspected my van was bugged. So one evening while driving in my van, I blurted out-loud a number of things I said I hated. "I hate (this or that)"; "I hate it when...". One of them was, "I hate when people chew gum with their mouths open." I then vocalized an exaggerated gnawing sound, "Gnaw. Gnaw. Gnaw."
The very next time I went to the gym, 2 days later, while I was at an exercise, a fellow sat at an exercise directly behind me. And sure enough, he started chewing with his mouth open, vocalizing that gnawing sound, "Gnaw. Gnaw. Gnaw." I didn't look behind at him, because I knew what was going on, and I wanted to avoid playing into his hand. So he repeated himself again and again until I was done and moved to a different station. Now, honestly, who chews gum at the gym? You can't. Or you run the risk of choking for the heavy breathing, not to mention when laying down on benches. And with precisely the same exaggerated vocalized gnawing sound I had made in my van just 2 days prior.
Their whole intent is to let you know you are being surveilled. They want you to know, as both a warning and a provocation. They want you to say something, to launch accusations, which they would readily deny, making you look paranoid. If you react too strongly, they could even have you diagnosed with some kind of disorder, and put you on medication, which further plays into their hand. (More regarding medications in the last section of this post.)
This is why, as I mentioned in my previous post, they would park their cars shining their high beams on me as I walked past them during my morning walk. And why on some occasions, a group of 3 or 4 would exit their cars and stand on my path just as I approached, forcing me to go around them. They would then remain standing on the path until my return trip through, and after I had passed by the second time, then would then return to their cars - making it absolutely clear I was their interest.
Their intent is not only to make me aware, but also to present themselves in close proximity to me, within easy reach, in the hope I would confront them, resulting in an altercation that could land me in a lot of hot water - 4 witnesses against me, all pleading innocence.
Again, it is all designed to make you look bad, and to warrant some kind of legal measure against you - preferably a medical diagnosis, discrediting you in everything you say about them. If they can't refute your claims, their only remaining option is to discredit you. That's what all of these tricks are designed to accomplish. Who would believe anything you say, once you have been diagnosed with a disorder?
There are plenty more examples. But who would really believe them? I’ll save them for the future.
Home Invasion
Both during and after my military service, I have had my apartments entered without any signs of break-ins. How? Lock-picking and duplicate keys. Indications? Missing objects; ie: money, phone adaptor, etc. Nothing major. Just something to make us understand we are being watched, and to make us understand what they can do.
But it is always something small, something for which you would be ridiculed for divulging.
Two more examples: I found my razor, which I always lay-down razor-end to the wall, turned around, razor-end toward me. Also, in one of my house slippers I found a small shoe sticker on the up-side of the heel. I had those slipper for years, and never had any shoe stickers on them. Yet there it was, clearly visible on the top surface of my slipper, not the bottom. Could I have stepped on a shoe sticker when barefoot in my apartment, only to have the sticker transfer itself to my slipper when I wore it? How many shoe stickers do you have laying around your apartment that you can accidentally step onto?
If I had stepped onto a sticker in my apartment and had it stick to my heel, that means the sticky side was up against my skin. This means the sticker would have had to flip upside down such that the sticky side would then be down, allowing the sticker to stick to the slipper. Do you really think that happened? That sticker was not there when I left my apartment, but it was there when I returned. And it was the wrong sticker, wrong brand, wrong size.
Again, what is their intent? To make someone look ridiculous so no one will believe them should they speak of other more sensitive things.
Staged Incidents
The above incidents clearly point to coordinated and staged events (at my work, my home, on my walks, etc). This is so frequently met with incredulity. "But that would require coordination on the part of so many people," the public dismisses. "They wouldn't do that."
Oh yes they would, and they have, as explained in https://fightgangstalking.com/. Note the documented cases involving the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS, Canada's equivalent to the US' CIA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP, Canada's national police force), which were reported in national newspapers.
From https://fightgangstalking.com/ :
“Disruption operations often involve tactics which are illegal, but difficult to prove. These tactics include – but are not limited to – overt surveillance (stalking), slander, blacklisting, “mobbing” (intense, organized harassment in the workplace), “black bag jobs” [home invasions], abusive phone calls, computer hacking, framing, threats, blackmail, vandalism, “street theater” (staged physical and verbal interactions with minions of the people who orchestrate the stalking), harassment by noises, and other forms of bullying. Many of these tactics were used by the FBI during its illegal COINTELPRO operations, as documented by stolen official documents and subsequent Congressional investigations.
"Although the general public is mostly unfamiliar with the practice, references to “disruption” operations – described as such – do occasionally appear in the news media, even though that fact would apparently be news to the editors of The New York Times. In May 2006, for example, an article in The Globe and Mail, a Canadian national newspaper, reported that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) used “Diffuse and Disrupt” tactics against suspects for whom they lacked sufficient evidence to prosecute. A criminal defense attorney stated that many of her clients complained of harassment by authorities, although they were never arrested."
She can add me to that list too.
For the Benefit of Others
The experiences I have recounted here seem so trivial, so insignificant, they make you look ridiculous if you talk about them. But if we don’t talk about such things, no one will ever know about them. Other people have experienced the same, and are forced to endure such torments in silence. They need encouragement to talk about their own experiences, and so I write about mine in the hope they will talk about theirs, even if I do look ridiculous. The perpetrators are more ridiculous for doing them.
I remember a military colleague being hauled away by military police one morning, as she was struggling and having a violent fit. A fellow on her floor told me she was throwing chairs at her walls screaming, “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!”. When he mentioned that, I knew exactly what they had done to her. She was considered unruly, and was being watched intently. They wanted her out, and that is how they accomplished it. Through wall tapping and sleep deprivation, they push you to the breaking point. And when you finally lose control and do something rash, they pounce on you, and you’re out. Now she has a criminal record, considered a criminal when in reality she was a victim. Welcome to the Canadian military, and other militaries besides, I am sure.
There are dozens upon dozens of experiences I could present. But who will really read them? Worse still, who will really believe them? I overheard my military supervisor in Halifax whisper to another, “Do you think he knows?”, after I had mentioned one of the many “coincidences” I experienced, but with a tone of my being aware it was not a mere coincidence. As I turned my face to my computer screen, I whispered under my breath, but still loud enough for him to hear, “Yes, (rank) (name), I know.” A few minutes later, as he walked past my desk, he leaned in by my ear and whispered, “We’re just trying to help you.” I should have pressed him for answers right then and there, but you just don’t know how much trouble you can get into when making such accusations in the military. So I let it go. But I will never forget.
Should anyone reading this ever decide to launch some kind of inquiry, I can mention names of over 100 people to contact, including military personnel, family members, neighbours, building managers, and others who have been contacted by military personnel with false narratives about me. They flash their ID’s and other credentials, and people believe anything they say. They turn family, friends, co-workers and neighbours against you, even recruiting their participation. Your acquaintances not only participate, but actually feel justified and emboldened playing tricks on you. It isn't their fault, though; they have been misled. I would reference them solely for corroboration.
As a final thought, here are explanations of two military programs in which certain persons (sometimes military, sometimes civilian) are kept under constant surveillance, and are in some cases subjected to conditioning in an attempt to turn them into what is called a “sleeper agent”. Almost all of the tactics presented below have been experience by me, including constant surveillance (ie: my previous post here regarding being harassed on my morning walks) and sleep deprivation (as per the top portion of this post, which other military members in Cuba and elsewhere around the world have also experienced).
Pentagon’s Signature Reduction Program
See Newsweek’s article: https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-inside-militarys-secret-undercover-army-1591881
Some excerpts from that Newsweek article, plus more background information on the Pentagon’s Signature Reduction Program, can be found here: https://fightgangstalking.com/
“The largest undercover force the world has ever known is the one created by the Pentagon over the past decade. Some 60,000 people now belong to this secret army, many working under masked identities and in low profile, all part of a broad program called “signature reduction.” The force, more than ten times the size of the clandestine elements of the CIA, carries out domestic and foreign assignments, both in military uniforms and under civilian cover, in real life and online, sometimes hiding in private businesses and consultancies, some of them household name companies.
“…a little-known sector of the American military, but also a completely unregulated practice. No one knows the program’s total size, and the explosion of signature reduction has never been examined for its impact on military policies and culture. Congress has never held a hearing on the subject. And yet the military developing this gigantic clandestine force challenges U.S. laws, the Geneva Conventions, the code of military conduct and basic accountability.
“…The signature reduction effort engages some 130 private companies to administer the new clandestine world. Dozens of little known and secret government organizations support the program, doling out classified contracts and overseeing publicly unacknowledged operations.
"Federal spy agencies are using Americans to spy on their fellow citizens – the same approach to governance famously employed by communist East Germany."
How to Develop a Hypnotic Sleeper Agent
By Dantalion Jones / Masters of Mind Control
The following “was” on the web, but has been removed. Surprise, surprise. But I saved its web files to my computer years ago, knowing that sooner or later it would be removed. I made a jpeg image of the web page as it once appeared, attached here.
Note that I have experienced almost all of the tactics described below, including the stalking I mentioned in my previous post here (regular walks in the park), the sleep deprivation noted at the top of this post, and the surveillance and intrusions described here as well.
Quoting the now-removed webpage: “How to Develop a Hypnotic Sleeper Agent” (from here to end of post):
Amid all the conspiracy theories one of the most feared is that there exist "sleeper agents" in our society who are programmed to come into service when they are triggered by a phone call or key word.
These alleged sleeper agents don't even know they are programmed to become saboteurs, soldiers, suicide bomber, etc because of the thoroughness of their programming. They are the feared "Manchurian Candidate" that the movies portray.
The question is "Are they real?"
If they are true sleeper agents there is no way of telling until they are activated. One can however theorize exactly how they are made.
Indoctrination
Using indoctrination a person can be made to embrace a religious or philosophical belief that would make becoming a sleeper agent possible.
This would be a person so committed to an ideal they would be willing to wait patiently as a member of society until they are called into action. These people would know their mission and consciously hold it secret while interacting with the rest of society.
Conditioning
Conditioning is a repetitive process where the desired responses are enforced and rewarded and unwanted responses are punished. This can be done consciously as part of training drill and it can be done subconsciously using hypnosis or drugs to create amnesia.
Hypnosis
It has been demonstrated that hypnosis can create "amnesia walls" in which the subject has no conscious memory of what happened in the hypnosis session. It has further been demonstrated that hypnosis can give post hypnotic instruction to be carried out automatically in the waking state without the subject knowing it or questioning the behavior.
What follows is conjecture and theory based on testimonials of people who were alleged to be sleeper agents and soldiers.
Continuous Supervisions
Continuous supervision doesn't mean that the subject is cut off completely from society. It means that they are constantly overseen and every aspect of their lives are managed (without their knowledge or consent) to support their hypnotic programming.
This would include:
• Repeated reinforcement of all hypnotic conditioning.
• Handlers. Handlers are people who help maintain the subjects environment to maintain all the programming. They can play the role of family, friends, lovers, psychologists, coaches or any roll the subject perceives as supportive. The truth is the handlers are their to support the successful fulfillment of the programming and not the subject as a person.
• Minimal sleep so that the mind/brain does not process all the sleeper conditioning during sleep.
• Creating constant environmental challenges like unemployment or poverty. This gives the subject something other than their programming to focus on.
• Frequent hospitalization. This gives overt opportunity to sedate the subject for conditioning. If the subject has a history of hospitalizations for mental disturbances all the better. No one will take them seriously.
Joseph Cafariello
PS... Today is the second day after this post (February 12, 2024). A garbage truck just slammed into my parked car.
PPS... I finish writing this post because I am satisfied with its shape and content; not because of what happened to my car.
It is similar to when you are reaching for your coat, and someone tells you, "Take your coat." Since you have to take your coat, your brain tells you it's ok to obey them, and you comply. They just created an instance where they led you, and you followed them. And your brain accepted it.
It's a technique the military uses all the time. It trains you to accept instructions from that person or group. Done enough times, you become comfortable obeying them.
I just say, "I take my coat because I choose to, not because you tell me to." It's important to make that clear, to block the conditioning and affirm our self-governance; not just to them, but to ourselves as well. Now our brain realizes we took our coat by our own choice; we are still in command.
So too, I say regarding today's event. "Thanks for the warning, but I had already finished writing my post. I finished by my own choosing."
UPDATES 1 & 2: February 26 & March 07, 2024:
My apartment was once again entered while I was out. Either a key was used or the lock was picked. This may or may not have included assistance from building staff. Home invasions are included in the list of their techniques noted above, referred to as "black bag jobs".
All tenants on my floor received new fridges a couple of weeks ago. I removed the tape securing the bins inside my new fridge, and also removed all styrofoam pads from the corners of the glass shelves when I repositioned them.
The person(s) who have been invading my living space on a regular basis have struck again. As you can see in the photo below, the styrofoam pads on the corners of my fridge's shelves were restored when I was out of my apartment. I had removed all pads when I repositioned the shelves. Yet now they are back.
It is a tactic used to undermine our observational awareness in an attempt to make us second-guess and doubt ourselves. The aim is to cause people to feel less sure not only of the things we have done, but also feel less sure of the things others have done. They want us to question the accuracy of our observations and memory.
The idea is to train you to dismiss any anomalies you may observe as being your own misperception of things. Once they convince you not to trust your own judgement, they are free to do whatever they want to you, and you will simply accept it without questioning.
UPDATE 3: May 18, 2024:
Confrontations with individuals keep occurring, at times potentially violent. Following are just 3 such encounters as of late.
1 - Kick-boxer in the park:
As I parked my car in one of the parking lots in Vancouver's Stanley Park one night, another vehicle drove up behind me and parked several spots away. A tall man exited that vehicle, and walked hastily along the path I always walk, down some steps to the water's sea wall path. I took my time and followed my usual walk, also down the steps down to the sea wall. The man knew my routine, and was in a hurry to get ahead of me.
As I walked along the sea wall, I saw the same man sitting on a bench, playing a loud religious sermon in a foreign language on a device I did not clearly see. As I walked past him, he called out to me to stop and chat. I ignored him and continued walking past. He rose and started walking behind me.
I opened my umbrella, turned, and walked past him the other way, returning to the stairs back to the parking lot. He also turned and continued following me. I started running. He also started running. I ran up the steps, as did he.
Being taller than I am, his legs are longer than mine, and he quickly caught up to me on a grassy patch at the top of the steps. I turned to him and asked, "Why are you following me?" He did not reply, but stood profile to me, the same stance a kick-boxer uses when ready to kick someone. He was tall, thin, and in excellent physical shape as you would see in a kick-boxer.
He did not speak at all, but was just waiting for me to make a move. I turned, entered my vehicle and left. The encounter continued with a chase through the park in our cars. Yes, that is correct. He chased me out of the park in his car.
2 - Told to keep quiet:
The perpetrators need to operate with as little detection as possible, and they repeatedly warn their subjects to keep their mouths shut about their experiences.
On another of my recent nightly walks, a man stood on the sidewalk ahead of me about half a block away, looked at me, and shouted into the sky at nobody, giving the appearance of being a homeless person shouting for no reason. He then started walking in my direction. I continued walking straight. As he passed me, he leaned into my face and shouted into my ear, "Shut the f_ck up!" I continued walking in my direction, and he resumed walking in his.
The idea is to make it seem as though he is just a deranged man wandering the streets at night, shouting at nothing, so that when he shouts at me, any observer would simply dismiss his actions. But in reality, he was sent to send me a message to stop publishing posts like this, which I had done many times on many sites, and continue to. They don't like it when we reveal their methods. But the truth must be known.
3 - You'll be sorry:
On another occasion, while returning from grocery shopping one afternoon, I walked past a man sitting by a storefront. He was clean-cut, wearing clean clothes, without any carts or wagons or any belongings of any kind. As I passed him, he asked me for some spare change. I replied, "I'm sorry," and continued walking past. He replied, "You will be."
There are numerous other experiences, like two seemingly unassociated men standing on the sea wall about 100 meters away from each other, each of them spitting just as I walked past each one.
There are too many experiences to mention. Looking at each experience individually, one would easily dismiss them as being unrelated and simply coincidental. But put them all together and a picture starts to form, like putting together the pieces of a puzzle.
As I hand you each piece of the puzzle one by one, you dismiss each piece, saying, "This could be anything." And you discard it. You keep discarding each piece as I hand it to you. By the end of it, you look down at the table and say, "You have nothing." That's because you looked at each piece as a separate item and threw it away. But if you leave the pieces on the table as I hand them to you and do not hastily discard them, you will see they form a clear picture when put all together.
We must look at all these events as a whole. Individually, each one could be anything. But when all of these experiences are put together and considered as a whole, they form an undeniable picture. Do not be quick to dismiss each piece. Leave the pieces on the table and look at the whole. The picture I present is sound. Remember, I have all the pieces; you do not. I see the picture more clearly than you do.
https://preview.redd.it/we31ymcsm91d1.jpg?width=966&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d56ac3dd3558a60d477ba9315104d1b66b139f8

Hi!
First time poster in this sub, first time homeowner, and that home is estimated to have been built around 1900 (haven't had time to go down to city hall and dig into the records quite yet). It was definitely used as a rental once upon a time (likely in the early 2000s) and has been on the receiving end of the landlord special with paint slopped everywhere including over every. single. outlet. >:-
Also learned from my electrician that my kitchen walls are wood lathing, plaster and paint, and then wainscoting covered by plaster and paint, so that was a bit of a surprise. However, it's in pretty good shape and overall has been kept up over the years.At some point, someone put carpet on the stairs and the entire second floor, but you can see the wood at the edges of the stairs and second floor landing; I'm on a mission to uncover it during this year (pictures attached).
Someone also put a one floor addition on (likely a few decades ago) and now there's LVP throughout the entire first floor (addition and original house sections). After reading the hint on here about peeking into the heating vents in the floor to see what's what, I may have sprinted to the older section of the house, pulled up a vent, and started poking around. I have absolutely no idea what to make of what I can see, so I've attached a picture of that as well and I'm hoping folks with more knowledge than myself in this area (i.e., everyone ever) could take a look and offer up some thoughts. I'm not pulling up the first floor LVP quite yet since it's still in decent shape and other things are taking priority (foundation, electrical, window restoration, etc.) but as a lover of real wood floors, not having any idea what's going on under there is slowly driving me crazy.
Thank you in advance for reading my mini-novel and for any knowledge/advice you're willing to share!
Stairs.
Second floor landing.
The heating register mystery.