I just got a Schecter banshee mach 7 left handed evertune. first when i got the guitar, all the strings were about half an inch off the fretboard, extremely high and I have no clue why it would be set like that for a guitar like this. so before playing it I went to try and do general setup work, I tuned the instrument to standard, and then began lowering the saddles, and jesus christ i was turning the evertune key probably 10 times before getting anywhere close to a normal action reading on my gauge, i got some of the the low strings down to .06(not the low B), and wanted the high strings a little bit above .05, as that's where it was set on my other schecter 7 string with the same scale length but a standard hardtail bridge. While lowering the very high E string, the action screw suddenly clicked, and it felt like the hexkey could just barely grasp onto the screw, then when I tried to raise the action back up to reverse, it got very, very, stiff, pretty much impossible to turn, so then seeing that, i went back down a little, and it gets hard to turn again, so its pretty much stripped I believe, stuck at the very bottom of the screw hole and cannot come back up no matter what i do it seems. i released all tension from the string, and the screw is still stuck, then i went to tune the string back up, and i dont even believe the saddle reached stage 2, before breaking completely, AND the string started buzzing on the high frets, despite same radius, scale, fret size, as my other schecter damien 7. This is very irritating as this guitar was highly anticipated for me and very expensive, I did a lot of research on evertunes and i understand how the system works, but there are ZERO, results on the internet for how low evertune action can go, there are no statements on the evertune manual saying that this could happen while using the action screw, and there are zero people on the internet who have apparently had this issue. is this a dead saddle? should i reset the saddle? if the evertune physically cannot go low enough to normal actions why is this bridge so popular.

When our lives are busy, planning is critical to staying organized, following up and being productive. Traditional planning methods, such as paper journals or to-do lists, have been around for decades, but they may not work for everyone. With the rise of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, there is now a more personalized and flexible approach to planning that has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach our daily tasks. In this article, we'll explore how ChatGPT is changing the way we approach planning.

The problem with traditional planning

GTD, Four Quadrants, Tomato Clock, OKR, Kanban …… they may not work for everyone. Some people find it challenging to stick to a strict schedule or long list of tasks, while others have difficulty keeping track of multiple schedules or to-do lists. In addition, traditional planning methods do not offer the flexibility to adjust to unexpected changes in your daily routine. In this age of customization, each person may need to find an efficiency methodology that works for them on their own. This is where ChatGPT comes in.ChatGPT helps us plan our time by being a trained language model that can assist us with a variety of tasks, including planning. It uses natural language processing to understand user input and generate personalized plans based on their unique needs and preferences. For example, if you type "plan my day", ChatGPT can create a schedule for you based on your priorities and tasks. It can also suggest ideas and activities based on your preferences and interests, making planning more enjoyable and easy.ChatGPT's unique features make it a valuable tool for planning. As you use it, it learns your preferences and habits, making its suggestions more accurate and personalized. Its natural language processing capabilities make it easy to communicate with it, and it can understand complex commands and questions. In addition, ChatGPT's ability to generate ideas and suggestions can help users overcome creative blocks or come up with new ideas for projects.The following scenario is our vision of a finished version of ElisiAI:Next, we take a day in the life of one Elisi user, Alex, a busy professional lawyer who has difficulty keeping track of his daily tasks and priorities. He often feels overwhelmed and stressed, which affects his work and well-being. With Elisi AI, Alex can always create a personalized plan that works for him. In the morning, Alex enters "Plan my day" and Elisi AI generates a detailed schedule of tasks, food, exercise and rest based on past data and existing schedules, from which Alex selects some good suggestions and creates a plan for the day. Throughout the day, Alex can enter updates as needed and Elisi AI will adjust and update the plan accordingly. When Alex gets stuck on a project, he can ask Elisi AI for advice and it will provide inspiration and ideas on how to proceed. At the end of the day, Elisi AI will send a summary of the day and warm encouragement, so Alex will experience a sense of accomplishment and stop feeling nervous, and he can also chat with Elisi AI for a while and let it help him solve some troubles.
According to chatGPT's own answer summary, using it for planning can have the following advantages:
​

• Personalized planning: AI can understand user input through natural language processing and generate a personalized plan based on the user's needs and preferences. This means everyone can get a plan that works for them, avoiding the one-size-fits-all problem of traditional planning methods.
• More flexible planning: AI can adjust plans in real time based on user input to accommodate unexpected changes and shifts in priorities. When meetings are delayed or tasks take longer, AI can help you adjust your plan to ensure you can complete tasks in a timely manner.
• Provide ideas and suggestions: AI can provide ideas and suggestions related to tasks or activities based on user input. This helps users overcome creative blocks or find new inspiration to help them do their tasks better.
• Can learn user preferences and habits: AI can learn from user interactions, helping AI to better understand user needs and habits. With increased use, AI can learn user preferences and provide more personalized and accurate suggestions.
• Timely feedback: AI can help users better manage their time and tasks and increase productivity. By providing personalized plans, flexible adjustments and real-time suggestions, AI can help users take better control of their schedules to complete tasks more efficiently.

Our plans for the next version of AI updates:

Task category:

Natural Language Generation: Users can use natural language input to generate specific features or content. This will improve user efficiency and greatly reduce the difficulty of learning the software. Specific scenarios: "Meeting tomorrow at 2pm" "Fitness class every Wednesday at 8:30pm for a month"Automatic task timing and ranking: Using ElisiAI for automatic evaluation of tasks, and thus automatic time estimation and importance ranking, can massively reduce the difficulty for users to handle tasks and increase the accuracy of prioritization. This reduces user errors and re-entry time when scheduling tasks. Reflect AI suggestions and adjustments in the UIAutomatic task tracking: Using ChatGPT for automatic task tracking automatically breaks down large tasks into smaller subtasks and assigns appropriate time points to each subtask so that the software can automatically track the progress and completion of the task and provide timely updates and suggestions to the user. This will improve the user's control over the task and decision-making efficiency.

Help category:

Smart Tips: Use ElisiAI for smart tips instead of novice teaching in order to provide more accurate and relevant advice to users as they operate. This can reduce the time new users need to spend figuring things out and increase the efficiency of their tasks.Chat-based help: Integrate the Help Center into ElisiAI to provide live chat-based help and support. This will allow users to quickly find the help they need and be able to interact with the AI.Bottleneck Identification: Use ElisiAI to analyze bottlenecks and problems during task execution and provide appropriate suggestions and solutions that correspond to the generation of alternative tasks and a range of possible adjustments.

Summary category:

Intelligent task analysis: ElisiAI is used for intelligent text analysis functions to help users understand and summarize large amounts of text data faster. This will increase the efficiency of the user's analysis and decision making. For example, sending an article describing an exercise program to the AI, the AI can generate a series of tasks based on this article.Automatic summary: Use ElisiAI for automatic text summary generation, similar to daily, monthly and goal summaries, to help users understand and evaluate large amounts of task data faster. This will improve the efficiency and accuracy of user execution.Sentiment Analysis: ElisiAI is used for sentiment analysis functions to help users better understand their sentiments and attitudes towards a specific topic or project. Corresponding to provide emotional support and motivation, which will improve user insight and decision making efficiency.
In short, ChatGPT's addition of efficiency in-rolls has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach planning. Its natural language processing capabilities, personalized suggestions and ability to learn from user interactions make it the most valuable tool for anyone who wants to stay organized, productive and focused. We hope that by using ElisiAI, users will be able to create plans that work for them and make highly relevant adjustments as needed to make planning easier and more enjoyable. If you find that traditional planning methods don't work for you, or are looking for a more flexible, personalized approach to productivity, try ElisiAI and see the benefits for yourself.

Finished my BS in Computer Science at UMGC recently and thought I would share my experience so people know what they are getting themselves into!
1: How was my experience with UMGC?
Very smooth. Everything from application, submitting TA (I was military), credit transfers, changing majors, contact with their advising team, etc. I got responses within a day, questions answered promptly, and issues resolved quickly. I was honestly very impressed with them.
Not a lot of clubs and student life but that was not why I went here lol. It would be nice to have interactions beyond the discussions though. Never used their tutoring services but their writing review services were pretty good.
2: How were courses? Were they easy? Tough?
TBH unlike other reviews I have read, I thought their courses were difficult and consumed a lot of my time. Maybe I am just a slower learner but the 8 week format made the pacing of the courses very difficult to keep up with. Trying to learn computer architecture/ compilers/discrete mathematics/ data structures/ algorithms in such a short time took a lot out of me.
I think the lack of support also made it very difficult. Reading the textbook then supplementing with outside resources takes a lot of time.
After the curriculum I would say I have a good foundation of Computer Science now and do pretty well on interviews.
Also to other CompSci students, I recommend checking out -- https://neetcode.io/
3: Have I had difficulty finding employment with a UMGC degree?
No, but that could be because I was already working in the CS field before my degree.
4: Would I recommend UMGC?
Yes, as long as you can teach yourself. There are some good professors that will help but from what I understand they do not have a lot of control over assignments/ lectures.
I would also recommend active duty military check out ASU online and UF online. They also recently released a BSCS online and cheaper than UMGC. There are more math requirements though!
5: How would I improve UMGC?
UMGC should implement a school slack to help students support/network with each other. Just create one through student email. This should not be hard to do but the only similar thing I have seen is the unofficial CS discord.
Professors should offer office hours/UMGC should expand their tutoring program to support students. Shout out to their writing center though!
Update the materials just a bit. Please no more links that don't go anywhere.
And a Mascot. We need a cool mascot. Are we still the nighthawks?

Im from a Latin American country and the removal of the drow remember me of a story of some US citizens getting upset when they found out that some Mexicans in the US were working on May 5th and that they (the Mexicans) could not care less about "5 de mayo".
Why??? how are these two things related?? you may ask. Well in my mind is another case of people with very good intentions trying to do good even if the people that they are "helping" could not care less, and even reaching the point of being obnoxious in their pursuit of social justice.
Is the removal of the word Drow needed because of the OGL, yes. Is the removal of the concept of evil dark elves in a fantasy setting needed to not get sued by WotC I'm not a lawyer but will be a very crazy world if that is the case.
I completely agreed with the statement that "in a setting can be problematic if a whole specie is inherently evil", and with emphasis on the "can be", everything should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
About the case of dark elves in Golarion: Im not an expert but I know a little bit about Golarion, and is my favorite DnD-esque setting. In the case of the Drow, they are elves that hid in the Darklands when the starstone fell, and a "marination process" of hundreds of years between the radiation and Rovagug influence down there they went evil and low-key mutated with dark tones skin and white hair. That's a super cool origin story, and I have no idea which parallels has with real-world human history.
Honestly, if someone reads the origin story of Golarion's dark elves and sees it as problematic because in their mind has parallels with our worlds, my advice is to go and ask those "parallels" if they see themself reflected in the Dark elves and why they see themself reflected and if that is the case Im very very very curious about that answer.
People will say: What gives?? you can still use the Dark Elves if you want on your table "No company can tell you what you can use!!!" and they are right, but that is not the point, the point is that the excessive sanitization of artistic creation will eventually transform it to a bland and tasteless thing that no one could care less.
And that the removal of a whole civilization from a setting makes impossible the existence of a future high-quality product centered on it. And I don't have the time, money, and talent to create such product.
Anyways, I really like Golarion and Paizo as a company, Im proud of their honesty even if I don't agree with the rationale behind some decisions like this one. I felt like the Mexicans seeing the social justice-inclined US citizens dealing with the "5 de mayo" celebrations.
Please don't downvote me to the Darklands I don't want to become a dark elf.

Hello lovely readers,
Welcome to the second and final discussion of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton. This autobiographical comic was Canada Reads (an annual "battle of the books") winner for 2023. You can read the first discussion here.
Summary
The story picks up one month after that horrible party. Kate sleeps with Mike. She continues to get weird sexual comments from the men she works with, but she has started to laugh the comments off. Many of the men seem to have problems with her giving them orders, and her superiors get pissy with her for minor things or for wanting ‘special treatment’. Joe, a fellow Nova Scotian, overhears her swearing in frustration and tells her that everyone at the mine is just yelling at the guy next to them for work they’re not doing themselves, but that people tend to be friendlier to people from their own region of Canada. Kate wonders aloud to Doug whether the oil sands make people better or worse.
The men at the mine have heard that Kate’s ‘little friends’ (her sister Becky and friend Lindsay) are going to be joining them, and she warns them to leave them alone. When Becky and Lindsay arrive, they are wearing skirts and they quickly notice the staring and weird behaviour from the men on site. Kate apologises for it, and they wonder why she is saying sorry.
Kate tells Becky and Lindsay that the other men have been leaving her alone since most people know about her and Mike, and they tell her it’s because in their eyes she’s ‘claimed’.
They take a trip to Gregoire Beach, but Kate doesn’t wear a swimsuit or go swimming. Becky asks her what’s up with her, as she’s noticed something is wrong. Kate talks about how everything at the beach seems so normal, but that she isn’t. However, she doesn’t explain further.
Kate looks for other jobs online, and sees a post for a job at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.
Not long afterwards, she sees the man who forced himself on her at that party. He and the group of men he’s with see her and they start laughing.
Kate hears a man playing Peter’s Dream on his guitar, and joins in singing the song.
She goes to Becky’s room and tells her that she needs to leave the oil sands for a while, even though she and Lindsay have just arrived. She asks her to promise that she and Lindsay will look out for each other, and finally tells her about the assaults. Becky tells her that it wasn’t her fault, and wishes she had been there sooner to protect her as that’s her job as the big sister. She tells Kate that it happened to her too, at her university dorm. She tells Kate she should go.
We leave the oil sands, for a year in Victoria. Kate gets the museum job but it’s no more than 21 hours per week, so she gets a second job. In a coffee shop, she hears the song An Innis Aigh playing, and tells a woman who was wondering aloud about the language that it’s Gaelic.
Victoria seems like a nicer place than the oil sands, but it isn’t perfect – the city big problems with homelessness and mental health, but none of the old, rich people living there care [read runner note – according to Victoria’s Wikipedia page, the city is known for its disproportionately large retiree population. Some 23.4% of the population of Victoria and its surrounding area are over 65 years of age, which is higher than the overall Canadian distribution of over 65 year-olds in the population (19%). A historically popular cliché refers to Victoria as the home of "the newly wed and nearly dead"]. Kate is fired from her job for not taking American money and not wanting to sell the merchandise badly enough. One of her colleagues (I think?) sees her drawing a comic, and suggests that she should make a website.
Kate tells her parents that on her days off she works at a grocery store, and her father wonders what her degree was for. Shortly afterwards, she is fired from the grocery store for yawning and ‘being surly’. She goes on a date, but panics when the guy tries to kiss her at the end.
Kate can’t get a reprieve from her student loan payments, even though she paid half of it off the previous year with her oil sands earnings. She decides to go back to the oil sands to pay the rest off, and says goodbye to the museum.
After that brief reprieve, we’re back in the oil sands, this time at Shell Albian Sands. Kate has taken a job in the warehouse office, and her living quarters are a bit fancier than at the previous sites. The site also has a Tim Hortons, Wi-Fi and a gym, even yoga classes. Lindsay tells her that a lot of the warehouse crew from Long Lake have moved up there too. One of her new colleagues is Hatim, who is creepy in a new way, plaguing her with messages despite having a wife and children.
The team get a congratulations message with a gif for achieving three million man hours without a lost time incident (LTI). Kate’s boss, Ryan, tells her that they don’t have LTIs at the site because they look bad for the company, I guess implying that they cover them up.
She sees Doug again, who seems to feel that she’s all high and mighty now with her office job, and struggles with her ‘bossing him’ since she’s younger than him (and presumably because she’s female). When she has to cover a warehouse shift, Doug laughs about how she’s down from on high and has gone soft. He tells her that he sang with The Men of the Deeps and even sang for the queen, which she doubts because he has a terrible voice. She sings a bit of Coal Town Road (which I’m kind of disappointed doesn’t sound like Old Town Road) and asks if she could be in the choir too, but he seems annoyed about her singing a mining song when she’s not a miner.
Kate’s sister Becky is still working at Long Lake, but lives in Fort McMurray, and Kate goes to meet her there; she says it’s much better than living in the camp. She tells Kate, that one time a guy jumped out of the closet in her room, but she was able to kick him out. She always locked her door, but often heard the handle jiggling at night. She even had a stalker, who managed to get into her room with a bottle of alcohol and suggested doing body shots – she didn’t report it, but when he got fired everyone thought she had.
Kate struggles to read some of the order sheets because many of the workers are bad spellers or have unclear handwriting; many of the older men at the mine left school in grade six. Lindsay tells her about one of the lead hands from Newfoundland, who can’t read, and was humiliated by the other workers when they tried to make him read the safety memo aloud so they could laugh at him. Lindsay says she’s never seen a grown man ashamed like that, and they discuss how he’s one of the nicest guys there.
A group from the Calgary office visits the mine site, and Kate has to find the nice hard hats and safety vests for the visitors, the ones the actual workers can’t have because they’re too fancy. Basically, they have to put on a show for the head office people – everyone has to look sharp, make things tidier than normal etc. One of the visitors takes a photo of Kate. After they leave, Damian asks if he can have one of the fancy new vests, but they were taken back to Calgary even though they don’t need them at head office.
Kate continues doing her comics, and her colleagues occasionally read them. Ryan finds some of them in the scanner, which she had used to upload them to her website, and tells her not to leave her stuff lying around at work.
Becky and Kate discuss what it would have been like if their father had gone out to the oil sands to work when they were children, as many people did. They wonder if he would have been like the other men they work with, and how they must all be normal at home. Kate says she tries to remember that there are a lot of men who don’t bother her, but she doesn’t remember them because they’re not the ones in her face.
Their safety lectures tell them basic information about how ice is slippery and is all over the ground, which presumably every Canadian already knows. One of the men remarks that it’s not about safety, but an arse-covering exercise so that a worker can’t sue them if they fall. Kate doodles a pony in her notebook (thank you u/Amanda39 for linking to this comic in last week’s discussion!).
Many of the staff have families that they don’t see very often. One of the men gets a phonecall from his wife’s phone, which he answers thinking it’s an emergency as she never calls during the day; it turns out to be his young son, who is calling to see when he’s coming home next.
Brian asks Kate if she heard about the ducks (TITLE DROP!!); three hundred of them got stuck in a tailings pond at another oil sands site [read runner note – two years later, Syncrude was actually found guilty of the death of 1,600 ducks]. The site begins installing anti-waterfowl devices, and the staff are reminded that they have to wear PPE at all times. They’re also told about the death Gerald Snopes, another worker; some of the men talking amongst themselves, and Ryan tells them to have some respect. He had a heart attack while operating a crane, and threw himself out of the cab so that he wouldn’t land on the controls and cause an accident.
Kate hears about a road accident involving some men from Cape Breton. She asks Davy about it to see if she knows them, but neither of them do. Kate finds the news articles and feels annoyed that they were misidentified as Calgary men.
Kate notices some welts on her back; Lindsay has them too but doesn’t know what it is. Kate mentions all the dust they have to wipe off everything, and how there’s so much crap in the air. Lindsay wonders what kind of cancer they’ll have in 20 years.
Kate finds Doug building a scarecrow for the tailings pond, which is meant to scare off the ducks. Probably another arse-covering exercise.
Activists from Greenpeace try to block an oil sands pipeline, and 11 people are arrested. One of the workers gets angry about it, asking who will put their life on the line to unclog the pipe Greenpeace has blocked, and that it sure as hell won’t be the president of Shell. Kate hears about another death – a contractor was in his trucks, and one of the heavy haulers drove over it, crushing him.
Lindsay writes an article for a grassroots paper, giving the inside perspective on working at the oil sands. Kate considers doing a comic about it for them. Lindsay later wonders if she made a mistake writing her article, as many of the comments are critical, including many from women which Lindsay did not expect.
Kate sees a video on YouTube of Celina Harpe, an elder in the Cree community of Fort McKay, talking about the effect of the oil sands on the First Nation. Kate had not realised when she arrived there that Fort McKay was a First Nation, nor that it was so close to Syncrude. She thinks about how she’s not the president of Shell, but she’s still working there, and she can’t extract herself from having come.
At another safety meeting, the staff are down the safety pyramid, which has different levels: at the base it has at-risk behaviours, then near misses, then minor incidents, and it all leads to a major incident or a fatality.
Kate receives a phone call from a reporter at the Globe and Mail who had seen her comics about the oil sands. She asks several leading questions about her experience as a woman at the remote sites and the harassment, but Kate feels uncomfortable giving her examples. She later tells Lindsay that she couldn’t talk to the reporter as she felt like she just wanted gossip, and that the story was already written before she called.
The leering of one of the other workers bothers Kate in the lunchroom, and she tells Lindsay about her assaults. Lindsay is horrified that Mike and Brian laughed at her when she told them about it. Lindsay tells her that it happened to her in university as well.
Kate calls her parents to tell them that she’s finally paid off her student loan, but she needs to keep working at the site because now she has no money. She’s going to try making it as a cartoonist, and her parents are unimpressed.
Kate notices that Ryan is acting strangely, being absent a lot and not doing his work, and it can’t fully be explained by his recent divorce. She hears about other workers who are taking cocaine and behaving strangely too. She asks Ryan if he’s ok and he brushes it off. Kate contemplates the safety pyramid again. She finds a piece of paper on Ryan’s desk with an appointment for the employee assistance program. Emily later tells her that Ryan has left suddenly, and that they need to figure things out until a replacement is found.
Kate wonders why there are so many safety meetings but none have ever talked about drugs or alcohol. Her coworkers say that everyone knows why there is so much of both, and that the company can’t have safety meetings about illegal activities anyway.
Kate finally gets to leave the oil sands and go home. Her colleague Norman gives her prints of some of his photos of the northern lights as a leaving present, including one of a rainbow. Before she leaves, the company organises a staff photograph with all the workers on the site. Kate sees the man who assaulted her the second time, and he recognises her but can’t remember her name or who she is, and asks her how it’s going.
Kate trains her replacement, and finds out that she’s earning more than her despite not having any experience in tools. She complains to John about it, and finally rants about all her shitty treatment in the oil sands. She goes to see Gary in the head office, and demands her full bonus, which was going to be docked because she was leaving. Gary tells her it’s company policy. She tells him about the harassment, and he claims she could have come to them about it, but she fires back that he knows she couldn’t have. Gary agrees to give her the bonus. Her colleagues organise a going-away barbecue, and even Mike attends.
Back in Nova Scotia, Kate is reunited with her family. While out enjoying the seaside air, she chats to a farmer who tells her he’s keeping a field for his son who is working out west in case he ever comes back and wants to build a house. A man called Lauchie visits the house before moving west himself, and tells them there’s something for everyone out there and that the young people have everything they want. Out in Halifax with friends, she and Becky see a man from one of the camps, who tells Becky that they had a bet on who would sleep with her first. Their friends who haven’t worked in the oil sands can’t believe they’d let a man talk to them like that.
In the book’s afterword, Kate talks about how the book chronicles her specific experience at a specific time. She is wary of sensationalism of her story, especially because sexual assault is so common that it’s not actually sensational. She notes that neither of the men who raped her probably consider it to have been rape. She is also critical of the treatment of Indigenous people, and says the YouTube video of Celina Harpe was a “sword that cut through my ignorance”. We also find out that Becky died of cancer, and that her former coworkers pooled money together to send to her.
Bookclub Bingo 2023 categories: Non-Fiction, Graphic Novel (grey), Mod Pick (grey)
Other links:

• The first discussion
• Canada Reads page about Ducks [I hadn’t realised that Station Eleven, another recent bookclub read, was the runner up]
• Kate Beaton on Wikipedia
• Hark! A Vagrant, the archive of Kate Beaton’s comics website
• The original Hark! A Vagrant sketch comic about the oil sands (links to all five parts; I’ve posted the parts individually below this in case that’s easier)
• Original Ducks Part 1
• Original Ducks Part 2
• Original Ducks Part 3
• Original Ducks Part 4
• Original Ducks Part 5
• Lindsay Bird was one of the people in the book whose name wasn’t changed, and in 2019 she published a poetry collection about working in the oil sands called Boom Time. There’s a CBC article about the book here.

The questions are in the comments below. Thank you for joining me and u/fixtheblue in reading this book!

I recently started playing bass and find it most natural to pluck the strings similar to how you would when playing guitar fingerstyle. It's easier for me to mute the strings using this technique since I can just rest my fingers on the strings I'm not playing. Do any other bassists play like this or should I drop it before it becomes a habit?

My favorite game of all time has to be command and conquer generals. If I find myself with enough free time Ill eventually find myself dl the game on whatever current pc I’m using and spend a couple hours enjoying my tanks assaulting the enemy base or defend from a devastating Chinese flame tank attack. Another one that I like to think about is Tom Clancy’s EndWar. What really sold that game initially was the fact that you were using your own voice to issue commands to units. RTS has been a long time favorite of mine and I’m not even relatively good at it. Thinking mainly about C&C Generals, the main issue I have is micro-management.
So, the player is a “Commander”/”General” in charge of a decent size starting force but rather than a war factory or barracks producing units they must be won through territorial gains and strategic assets being taken. The player is restricted to a First-person viewpoint allowing them to do any usual fps action including picking up a weapon and firing at the enemy themselves. The starting building will be the command center. Screens monitoring all deployed units and defensive sentry personnel. Also including an overhead map view (satellite feed?) that would be used to plan operations both large and small. God view is cool but as a primarily FPS player true immersion lands from the perspective of a realistic viewpoint. So, what about body cameras or helmet gopros like were seeing from the game “unrecord”. Tanks usually have camera feeds from them. Fixed wing drones or short duration quadcopter drones all are used for command purposes and even includes that god view like feel.
Bringing back that old EndWar feel but in 2023… Voice Commands. Using technology like ChatGPT the development would follow relatively the same path as google/apple/Microsoft developing the newest virtual assistant but, in this case, will have a much narrower scope. Also, rather than collections of units being assigned to a hotkey what if they all had names and ranks and were called out using their placement within the structure. Sgt. Andrew Miller part of Charlie company 3rd platoon 1st squad is called out as Charlie 3-1 like how the military does it currently. Drawing from xcom2, Giving the individual soldier or operator a unique name (even though randomly generated) furthers the immersion. That individual will be selected for training by the player or promoted more quickly for outstanding performance. As the player progresses through lengthy campaign certain people stand out and add to how the player makes decisions because of the individual/squad’s historic reliability. Stats are always nice to look at but giving them a name and watching them progress into a leader provides that gut feeling like instinct when it comes to deciding on who to place where.
Really the idea is remake “Squad” or ‘Arma” but replace the players with npcs and focus on the strategy aspect. This isn’t even all of it. I have more ideas and details not included but I’ve been thinking about this all day and have become bored destroying 7 enemy ai set on easy with my crusade of 300 tanks in C&C Generals. Let me know what you think!

Just wanted to share the enlightenment and relief I have received in my life lately thanks to the help of natures golden nuggets.. the MAGIC psilocybin containing mushrooms.
So I am a 28y male who has suffered from mental illness and substance abuse from early high school on. I’m a certified alcoholic with 3 years of recovery and i love drugs in all forms. Anything that can distract the ole noggin from feeling what is real. I was diagnosed bipolar at the age of 18 after overdosing on Xanax and being admitted to the mental ward. Doctors put me some pretty heavy cocktails that exacerbated my mental illness and left me feeling more broken, misunderstood and suicidal. My heavy drinking quickly turned to full fledged alcoholism in the worst form. I was in a long term relationship from 19-23 and during that time I would find bits of sobriety and relief but could never piece together more than 3-6 months before falling back into the insane abyss.
Fast forward to 25, I finally gave up drinking for (GOD willing) the final time. I made the conscious decision to start altering the course of my life. I went to a 28 day treatment program and immediately began hitting 7-10 meetings a day in the AA and CR fellowships. Everything was going good for a while, I was blessed with self employment and began building a small auto-detailing company here in eastern NC. I had more business than I could handle and I was glued to the center of my recovery groups as if my life depended on it (IYKYK). Somewhere along the lines my meeting attendance slowly went from 7-10 a week to 5 then 2-3.. it went to once or twice every couple of weeks to now I haven’t been to a meeting in months.
As I’ve sat and reflected on the whole experience it’s painfully obvious where I went wrong this time. I allowed my ego to interfere (I’ve got this) and replaced my alcoholism with a gambling addiction. I started trading crypto and forex and began throwing every cent i was making at it thinking that I could become a millionaire overnight. When I started losing EVERYTHING I was so riddled with guilt and shame that I couldn’t bear so i tainted my complete abstinence from all mood and mind altering substances by smoking weed again. The sickness of my disease took over and I kept feeding the crypto casino for the last year and a half. There would be days where I’d make $5K and I would always over leverage and lose it just as quickly as it came. The cycle was so vicious and I was hiding it with everything I had until the repossession letters started coming and I couldn’t afford to pay my cellphone bill anymore. Thankfully I was living with my mother and didn’t have to pay rent or afford many groceries, but I was losing it all.
Fast forward again to this past December.. I came clean to my family and closest friends about my newest addiction and was genuinely trying to get ahead of it. I’d go a couple of days without looking at charts but inevitably I kept returning to the thrill of striking it rich.
Fast forward for the final time to three weeks ago… a high school friend of mine moved back into town and we started hanging out again. She is an extremely heavy pot smoker and she enjoys festivals and raves and all of the goodies that sometimes come with the culture. I opened up to her about my struggles and she was able to relate in her own way. She shared how micro-dosing with magic mushrooms has helped her on her own mental health journey and she offered me some.. the alcoholic part of my brain instantly said yes.. I couldn’t afford health insurance this year thanks to my gambling addiction but i have desperately been ready to accept help. The normal side of my brain however, reminded me of my first and only experience with mushrooms. It was completely traumatic. I ate way too many and was with a group of people that I thought were my friends but I didn’t much care for (I’ve always been the loner type). I don’t remember much of anything from that night but as I was coming to I just remember beating the piss out of like 5 or 6 of my “friends”. I ripped a ceiling fan out of the ceiling and threw it through a wall and I went clean through a solid wooden door as if it were Styrofoam. To this day, when I ask anyone what happened night, I’m always told “you don’t need to know”. It’s like it’s extremely taboo for me to know what I went through that night as if it would hurt me any more than the other traumatic things that happened in the 19 years of my miserable life.. that is still so hurtful and confusing to me.. but I genuinely wanted to give the mushrooms another chance. She gave me 2 grams and advised me to trip alone this time and it was nothing less than a spiritual awakening. It was like I could see myself and the world through Gods eyes. I realized power within myself that I had never realized before. I saw myself as worthy of change and a better life. The next few days I micro-dosed throughout the day and I genuinely began to feel real relief mentally. After I ran out of my supply, I began to feel dirty and convicted. Like I was somehow wrong for choosing to break my sobriety by smoking weed and eating these mushrooms.. I had another heavy trip last weekend and received another piece of enlightenment. I have come to the conclusion that no matter what form of mental health you may suffer from or what type of substance you may chose to use or abuse to deal with those issues, your recovery and your journey is your own. It’s between you and God and it’s not for anyone in any AA meeting or any church to judge. Do what works for you and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s wrong. It is all about intent.
Spreading good vibes to anyone who is suffering tonight. You are important. You matter. You are not alone. ☮️✌️

Welcome to our Scarlet and Violet Online Activities Megathread!

Please use this thread for sharing link and friend codes instead of creating individual, standalone submissions for them.

THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR TRADE REQUESTS. Please use the separate, dedicated Megathread.
Previous Thread

Helpful Information to Share / Posting Format

Co-Op— Required Information

• Activity Description (What will you be doing?)
• YouThe Host's In-Game Trainer Name
• Link Code

Tera Raids— Required Information

• Raid Level
• Raid Pokémon's Name
• Link Code

Link Battles— Required Information

• Activity Description (What type of battles or Pokémon limitations will be implemented?)
• YouThe Host's In-Game Trainer Name
• Link Code

Sharing Nintendo Switch Friend Codes— Required Information

• Profile Name
• Link Code
• Optional: Additional Information if Desired (Games played, active times, etc.)

Accessing Online Activities

You’ll first need to progress through the game until you reach the initial Pokémon Center in Los Platos.

• Online Activities are accessible from the Main Menu via "Poke Portal"
• Once in Poke Portal you can select your desired activity

Co-Op Lobbies

• Select the "Union Circle" option, or visit a Pokémon Center's Union Circle directly
• Choose whether to "Form a Group" or "Join a Group": Forming a group will provide a shareable Link Code, Joining a group will ask you to input one
• Once enough people have joined, the Host will have an option to press "Set out together"

Tera Raid Battles

• Select the "Tera Raid Battle" option within the Poke Portal
• Input a valid Raid Link Code

Link Battles

• Select the "Link Battle" option within the Poke Portal
• Input a valid Battle Link Code

NOTE: A Nintendo Online Subscription is required to trade with someone online.
If you have policy questions for our moderators, please contact us via modmail.
Comments are automatically sorted by "New" to allow for better discovery.

Welcome to our Scarlet and Violet Trade Requests Megathread!

Please use this thread for finding or requesting trades instead of creating individual, standalone submissions for them.

THIS THREAD IS NOT FOR OTHER ONLINE ACTIVITIES. Please use the appropriate Megathreads.
Previous Thread
Reminder: Please exercise caution while trading. Only trade with people who reply directly to a request left in this Megathread. This is to prevent members falling victim to scammers via PMs.
Hacked Pokémon, as well as any Pokémon obtained through illegal methods, are not allowed! Distributing these 'mons or scamming other players will result in a ban from the subreddit.

Helpful Information to Share / Posting Format

Trade Request— Required Information

• Looking For: Pokémon Name(s)
• For Trade: Pokémon Name(s) or Make Offer (if nothing specific in mind)

Optional Information

• In-Game Trainer Name
• Link Code

We recommend you provide these afterwards, once an agreement has been made. Due to the high visibility of this Megathread, it is recommended that you send Link Codes to trade partners privately.

How to Trade in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

You’ll first need to progress through the game until you reach the initial Pokémon Center in Los Platos.

• Open the Main Menu and select "Poke Portal"
• Select "Link Trade" or "Surprise Trade"
• If Link Trading, input your partner's Link Code
• Ensure you and the person you're trading with type in the same code
• Select "Begin Searching" to start the trade

NOTE: A Nintendo Online Subscription is required to trade with someone online.
If you have policy questions for our moderators, please contact us via modmail.
Comments are automatically sorted by "New" to allow for better discovery.

Someone tweeted this, don’t know how accurate this is, but anything is better at this point.
I’ve met the team that built the Punjab Police complaint system and it was designed so NO edits can be made in it, police get good and bad points based off of complaints registered and it can impact their promotions and transfers. The police know this and worry about it. # 1787
Specifically when you call 1787 you can file a complaint for illegal detention & arrest of innocent person https://punjabpolice.gov.pk/igp\_complaint\_center\_8787…. The complaint will register, the internal auto process will kick in, culpable police will have to explain, it will put fear in them, slow them down.
Can the people complaining potentially get into more trouble because of it?Only if the police officer picks up a vendetta, and then you can file another complaint. And their boss will have to follow up then. The system is built for accountability. It’s isn’t good proof but it definitely adds red tape and fear for them.
What is the guarantee they will register complaint? They can simply refuse
Once you call on the number, an entry opens and a complaint file has to be completed by the operator.1251207,764
But the Punjab info minister has unequivocally said that we have given "free hand" to police. Will the complaint system work in the special circumstances?
It’s an auto accountability process, it will add red tape and fear into police. It’s your choice to use it or not.
​
Email it or print it out and distribute it everyone.

My partner and I are in a parallel dynamic. He has a nesting partner and they have a young toddler. For reasons unknown to me, her mother is gone 3-4 nights per week on average. He maintains the bulk of the childcare responsibilities while she gets to spend evenings and weekends virtually child-free. I feel as though my partner is being taken advantage of and used. Our time together is often (not always) centered around entertaining the child and it makes it difficult to maintain a sexual relationship.
He is tired from his job and pretty much serving as a single parent. He is exhausted and frustrated but has never expressed any resentment for the way things are. I don’t know how to address it with him without it seeming as though I am attacking his NP and making him defensive. Other aspects of our relationship are great. Not sure what to do.

I know the description is a bit abstract
Other things i would use to describe it; "the one acoustic track in a metal album" like Vermilion part 2 by Slipknot
Or "Nine Inch Nails if it was more acoustic"
I want more loaded guitars than Radiohead and Lana Del Rey (in ultraviolence) used
The songs i have in mind specifically are Nutshell of course (Alice in Chains) and Family Tree (Ethel Cain)
Would love to discover new artists who have this vibe as a whole

I’ve tried a billion self-help type audio books that are mostly ADHD centered, and none of them have helped until 2 months ago, when I discovered “How To Keep House While Drowning”, by KC Davis.
I’m an inattentive ADHD type, and general “mess” has been one of my greatest struggles for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I actually shock myself at how bad I let things get. I almost never allowed anyone to come to my place, because I became so used to living in a constant state of muck, disorganization, and in the last 2 years in which I experienced some intense traumatic events, literal filth.
I found this book on an instagram ad, go figure, and decided WHY NOT, let’s try one more freaking thing that will likely have no long lasting affect. Within the first 30 minutes of listening, something incredibly significant clicked for me. The way KC Davis, (a licensed therapist with ADHD btw), breaks down what is ACTUALLY in each and every room, is so simple and easy to understand. I usually stare blankly at my overwhelming garbage can of a place, but now I know there are 4 categories, and 4 categories only:
Laundry Trash Things that have a place Things that don’t have a place
I’ll stop myself before I literally spend the rest of my night re-writing her words lol, but I’m certain many of you reading this will see the 4 categories listed above and go, “ooooohhhhhhh”. That’s what I did. My apartment looked like an actual crack den 2 months ago and now it’s f*cking beautiful. Sometimes I just stand and stare at it with a stupid smile plastered on my face.
Get the book!!! (I recommend audio so you can listen while implanting her practices).

First Previous Wiki
Equisa frowned as she looked at her bosses again. The three Sprilnav Elders before her, not even Refined Elders, were simply staring at her disdainfully as if she'd asked if gravity was real. One of them wasn't even bothering to look at her and instead was scratching at his neck, likely a result of a bite.
A long time ago, there'd been someone who had released genetically modified Sprilnav into the air. They had been modified so heavily that it was definitely illegal, but the creatures were unusually hardy, bred fast enough to double their populations in a day, and constantly irritated most Sprilnav, even those who weren't Elders. And, of course, the products to prevent the bites were extra expensive, with planned obsolescence just another part of their hated design.
"But why can't I go back? There's no good reason for it. I want to see Joshua and Meihala again." She missed them greatly. Equisa had forgotten how lonely life was when there was no one you could call a friend. Even with all the wonderous tech of the Primary Galaxy, there was nothing that would fix that. Nothing real.
"Is fornicating with them your only reason for wishing to see them?"
"No," she replied. "But my relationship with them is a factor. I don't understand why you're constantly stonewalling me. It's unnecessary."
"You were trying to share technology with them."
"Then I won't do that anymore. Simple. Happy?"
"No."
"I can sign a binding non-disclosure agreement."
"You did last time, too."
Equisa scowled.
"I would like to talk with Nova, then."
The looks of disdain became those of derision. One of them looked like she was about to laugh at her.
"Nova is a Progenitor. He does not have time for you, much less should his divinity be tarnished by our presence. No, you are going to remain here and wait. Go find something else to do than waste our time."
The Elder pulled a hood over his head, tightened the straps of his cloak, and made a sign with his claws for the other two to follow. Equisa knew she wasn't invited to whatever meeting they were about to have. She assumed that she was going to get fired now and would have to find another place to work. That would be both demeaning and difficult. Another reminder of what she'd lost by being forced to leave the Alliance behind.
Equisa turned around mournfully, gazing at the door which led to the main corridor and elevator to the ground floor of the building. With absent amusement, she noticed that the windows had extra bars on the sides to prevent people from jumping out. Though she could jump off the very highest building in the city and come out unscathed.
Clearly, this wasn't getting her anywhere useful. Equisa had to re-think her options and determine a path forward. She exited the building, weaving through the crowds of Sprilnav that were walking and flying through the streets between the massive skyscrapers. Some of them had bought personal flight devices, useful for those who didn't want to deal with pedestrians. But it often led to disaster when people got drunk. But there were always more Sprilnav, so the accidents weren't being dealt with anytime soon.
She could see the high arches overhead, supported by huge amounts of metal and a superstructure that went down to the very core of the planet-sized city. After grabbing a few pieces of food that looked particularly good, like some meat from a new cloning facility, she settled down on a patch of artificial grass. There were other Sprilnav there, mostly couples on quiet excursions or children playing on various different playsets. But Equisa was alone.
She'd never had any children and didn't intend to. None of her previous mates had lasted longer than a few hundred years at most, which hadn't ever been enough time to unravel the complicated mess of secrets and suspicions surrounding almost every Sprilnav Elder. And having relationships with the common Sprilnav would be seen as a black mark on her reputation, perhaps the equal of the one she'd apparently received for daring to love two humans instead of some dry Elder who only moved one day a year.
While her relationship with Meihala and Joshua had been sudden, it hadn't been bereft of real love. She really did love them and wanted to have friends again. For far too long, she'd been alone. She didn't like feeling that anymore because it was in times like this when depression could sink its claws into her without warning.
She'd been trying to get in touch with the Alliance again without success. Even the more secret emergency methods she'd established weren't working at all. No quantum connections were successfully linked with her implants. Errors and notifications about having no access plagued her vision as she tried in vain to even send out a single message.
There was no way for her to reestablish contact, which worried and angered her. Even her ship was being watched, not that she could actually get to the Alliance using it. Wormholes were far too expensive for people of her stratum to be able to afford.
And she didn't have sponsors that would be willing to pay, either. She needed information, friends, and actual help. Help that no one was giving her. Her bosses didn't even care. It saddened her greatly. Equisa didn't know where she could find Nova, either. It wasn't like he was easy to find unless one knew where to look. He could easily disguise himself as a normal-looking Sprilnav, after all. Many technologies existed to allow that, and Nova likely had the best of the best.
Of course, Equisa wasn't sure how one could hide a tail, but that was just her. Even being able to have seen him once in her life was already far more than most Sprilnav would ever know. In that way, she'd been exposed to a higher power. Within the Sprilnav, the Progenitors were gods. They had cults and religious followings in their names, political power so immense that not even the rest of the species together could pool their resources enough to resist.
It was said that no one disagreed with them. And they didn't. Not if they wanted to continue existing. Equisa had a feeling that if Nova wanted to help her, he would. Though it wasn't like someone of his stature would appear before her.
"Why not?"
Equisa could feel the mindscape bend slightly and looked up to meet the eyes of a being that was far beyond her own abilities to comprehend. She didn't know what she felt at that moment.
Certainly surprised, for sure. A large amount of reverence for him and a growing disbelief that she wasn't dreaming. Perhaps she really was lying in bed with Meihala and Joshua again, and this irritating life would disappear when she awoke once more. But when she opened her eyes again, Nova still stood before her.
His small stature was quite distinctive. Despite her height advantage, there was no question as to the hierarchy of power here. Even the grass was bowing to him, bending low to the ground in a way she'd never known was possible.
And his voice held an aura of command so utterly intense that she only now noticed she was kneeling. She didn't bother trying to rise.
"What?" Equisa asked.
"Why wouldn't I appear before you?"
Of course he could read her mind. She expected nothing less. But it did feel a little violating. Okay, it felt very violating, but it wasn't like she could say that to his face. Oh. She just had.
Nova's small form coiled around itself before bulging and changing color. Soon, a normal Sprilnav was standing before her, but that ethereal air was still there. It was like a smell in the air but beyond that. Something pleasant yet distinctive. It didn't seem like perfume, either. She knew that it was affecting her mind in some way, but she didn't really care. Perhaps that was part of the effect, too.
"You're way too high up. I'm a nobody compared to you. At most, I should be seeing a Refined Elder, not a whole Progenitor."
"Am I not what you expected, then?" Nova asked. His amusement was clear in his strangely commanding voice.
Equisa sighed. "I don't know whether you're real. I can't tell if you're mocking me. I... don't know how to feel about you being here."
"You don't want me here?"
"No, it's not that. I want you here, but also... sort of wonder. Why come to me now? Why me and not the countless other Elders? Am I special? Was I chosen as something greater? And why do my superiors refuse to let me return to Earth and Luna? I have a life there."
Equisa knew now, more than ever, that she didn't have a life here.
"You do not have a life there. The humans you care for will die in less than a millionth of the time you have lived. Elder Equisa, to put it simply, associating with them in such a way is not just immoral, but it is not possible in even the short term."
Nova's cold eyes made Equisa flinch back. "I... I want to live a life free of shackles. Is that so much to ask?"
"Yes. For a Sprilnav Elder from the Primary Galaxy, it is. As an Elder, you are an envoy to the species as a whole. You represent us. Know that your actions on Luna were so reviled by some that I have already dismissed motions to assassinate you."
"People came to you, a Progenitor, to ask permission to kill me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because if they did it without my permission, due to your very close ties with Humanity, it could become problematic for them. I would not protect them from the consequences of their actions. And additionally, there are some Elders that have called for you to be sealed away for somatic realignments."
Equisa couldn't hide her fury.
"They want to alter my mind, because they couldn't handle the thought of a human sticking themselves in me? How insanely childish and petty. In fact, I'd think the reputation of always being down for it is far better than that of genocidal sadists, which is the reputation our species has among all the others. Progenitor, kill me if you must, but at least let me die free."
"You shall. However, I am not here to kill you. I am here to determine what to do with you. Sending you back to Humanity would prevent a rupture of relations, particularly the only positive relations that Elders have with them period, with the exception of Nilnacrawla in Penny's head. However, doing so would also anger a number of highly powerful conservative factions, particularly those based around supremacy and purity of our species. Granted, I would not have to worry about such an issue. But you, and your family, might be different. It is entirely possible they might wipe out all of your relatives, were you to leave for Luna to go back and soil yourself among the humans."
She frowned. "I did not soil myself, Progenitor. You don't understand what it's like. Even now, everyone I thought I knew ridicules me for daring to love who I love. Even you. You're the closest thing to a god this universe has ever seen. And yet, even you stand before me, heaping your disgust for me onto my already burdened shoulders. They're not animals, Progenitor."
"Your actions are casting the Alliance in a negative light as well, in the eyes of many Sprilnav who would not care otherwise."
"And so what? They don't matter."
"They do, you just do not want to admit it. If I wanted to stop you from loving them, I could, Equisa. Right here, right now, I could rearrange your brain, altering your memories like clay in my claws. I could make you forget what love even is. I could turn you into a slave, or into a living bioweapon. My disapproval of your decisions is mostly from the standpoint of someone who had to deal with the fallout. I care not for your decision to try and mate with humans."
"When you love someone, none of the other stuff matters. I want to go back, Progenitor Nova. Back to the Alliance. I don't know who decided that this punishment was necessary, but surely your word is above theirs."
"Yes, it is. That is not the only reason I have come to see you today. And I should note that you would do better to be more careful with your words around other Elders, or especially if you have the misfortune to meet any other Progenitors."
"I am... destabilized, Progenitor Nova. I apologize. The people I love are in another galaxy, and I am not able to reach them anymore. I'm not sure if you know how that feels."
"I did. I lived a life with my mate for eons. Before the Source war, I was the happiest Sprilnav there ever was. Now, she is long dead. The Source personally dug its claws into her chest, turning her bones to a constantly exploding supernova within her body, all while keeping her alive for a subjective time that is longer than your life has ever been. My grief after the war was great enough that I considered taking my own life. So yes, I know what it is like to love. But I am warning you about the cost of your actions."
Equisa could feel the venom in his voice. It triggered her instincts to run, but her muscles wouldn't move. Terror rang like a bell throughout her psyche as she was consumed by the hunger in Nova's eyes. And then, it all faded. The bone-curdling fear disappeared, and Nova tilted his head. She took it as a cue to speak again.
"You faced the Great Enemy alone?"
"Not alone, until she died. Yes, the Source killed her. Do I hate it? Not really. The deed is done, and the scar is cold. The real reason for the Source war was that during the glory days, we were sucking the very life force of the psychic realm away. The Source tried to open a dialogue to prevent it, and failed. When the last of its family died, leaving it as the sole inhabitant of the mindscape, the war began."
The scar wasn't cold, that was for sure. No matter how much he liked to pretend otherwise. "I can still hear your thoughts, you know."
"Yes."
"It would be nice if you allowed me to live in my delusions for a while longer."
"Well, back to the conversation then. You claim that I have tarnished the reputation of the Sprilnav, and yet we continue to purge species in the Secondary Galaxy for the mere crime of making an AI. Even though you alone could easily reach across the galaxy to deal with it at that point." "Yes."
"But you're a god."
"Yes, I am. However, that does not mean that I wish to willingly fight another one. An AI that reaches technological singularity is also a god, as much as the concept can be constrained in reality."
"What do you mean?"
"When a being becomes immensely powerful, their conceptual weight also increases, assuming they increase their psychic energy footprint. That's why Penny was able to survive being disemboweled by Yasihaut several times in quick succession. It is part of why Elders can survive forces mundane Sprilnav cannot. It is why I could walk into a black hole and survive."
"Have you?"
"Yes."
"What is it like?"
"There are no words."
"Nothing?"
"Describing something that does not exist is very difficult. How do you count in a universe where numbers do not exist? It is much the same for them. The mess inside the event horizon of a black hole is incredibly damaging, even for a being such as myself. Were I to remain in a singularity for long enough, though it would not kill me, it would begin to hurt."
"There seems to be a lot of extra importance with concepts, then," Equisa said.
"Elder Equisa, concepts run the universe. The Source's power is conceptual, just as mine is. Even the hivemind has some conceptual power, though it does not know it for sure yet. And you will not tell it, if you are to go back to Luna."
"Can you protect my family?"
"Of course," Nova replied. He clacked his jaws once, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled.
"Will you?"
"Maybe. I will need a favor in return."
"Well, if I die completing your favor, don't hold it against me."
"Do not worry. That is not the type of favor that I require. Rather, I need you to monitor the progress of the Alliance. Particularly the powers of the hivemind, Penny, Gaia, and Brey. And the intelligence of their various AI citizens."
"Can't you do that?"
"Yes, and no. Remaining near the Source's bones for a long time is not preferred."
"Then I will try. But it may not be easy, and there is every possibility my information could be wrong."
"Yes. I am aware," Nova responded. "But I will see what you can do."
"So I can go back?"
"Yes, Equisa. Though again, do not share what you know anymore. You are allowed to provide context for situations. Sharing any technological knowledge will be looked upon negatively." "I understand. I just want to see them again."
"You shall."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"She did what?" Hive Emperor Calanii growled.
"The Alliance claims that Rank 10 Ambassador Liinara insulted them several times, and has provided a recording of what was said. It has been verified by VI analysis as authentic," his advisor said.
Calanii quickly put on his clothes, now finished with the deep massage he'd been waiting for all day. He stretched a bit, feeling the gaps in his chitin more than he used to. He was getting old, slowly. Not that he'd die of old age with the immortality treatments, but aging still was possible. And the growth hormones in it had resulted in him becoming larger than he'd once been.
"I'll come back to that later. Where is she now?"
"She has gone into hiding, likely presuming that you are going to kill her. We know where she is."
"I shall issue a formal apology, then. I will also give the Alliance any compensation they reasonably request. They are requesting compensation, yes?"
"They are."
"Then deliver the contents of their list to my desk tomorrow."
"As you wish, Hive Emperor."
The advisor bowed and left. Calanii was glad that the pheromone blocker was active right now. His anger was barely contained, especially at the thought of such a stupid blunder. Reaching Rank 10 wasn't something just anyone could do, especially as an Ambassador. Liinara would die if the Alliance requested it. And if they did not, she might still die anyway.
He'd schedule a call with them and try to reestablish diplomatic ties. There was no way that their relationship would survive any longer by being left out to thaw with such a heinous breach of etiquette. He then received another call, this one directly to his office.
The banners overhead fluttered with a light breeze, obviously artificial but still pleasant on his chitin. He'd been very stressed that past few days, with Exii'darii's jailbreak looming over him. She'd try to kill him, that was for sure. The countermeasures were being put in place all around the palace, and most military sites and urban centers would receive special equipment deliveries soon. Logistics were a mess, but when the call went out, an executive order from the Hive Emperor was an easy way to speed things along.
Calanii sauntered over to his desk, realizing that he would need much more anti-stress ointment than he'd thought. It was so intense that his actual body was starting to feel it. When he answered, the screen showed the face of a Cawlarian.
"Who is this?"
"I am Truth Speaker Huatil."
"The Nest Overlord's mate?"
"Yes."
"What business do you have with me, that he does not?"
"The Sennes Hive Union has intelligence that the Sprilnav are operating several clandestine mind-control cells, intent on sowing discord and chaos amongst your populace. They have a particular focus on government officials, such as Ambassadors."
Calanii got what she was suggesting. He didn't question how she'd learned the information. No one that shacked up with the leader of an entire nation would be some pointless nobody with no connections.
"You mean Ambassador Liinara?"
"Her and others. Rich executives at companies, such as one under scrutiny for certain actions against the Alliance several years ago."
"How long has this been going on?"
"That is unknown," Hautil admitted. "What is known is that they will begin to cement their power soon. When they feel that the have enough, they will make their moves."
"Then we must move first."
"Yes, we shall. But that does not include us alone, but also the Alliance."
"What exactly are you suggesting?"
"Well, an agreement. A treaty organization, perhaps. Drafts of the documents will be given to you if you agree to inspect them. Note that this would likely be a full defensive alliance, with all that entails. There would be no room for half-measures."
"Then why the Alliance?"
"The Alliance will be a peer player in under three years," Hautil said. "By every metric, they have already reached the level of technology of our base militaries, though not specialized technology like stealth or shields yet. In particular, their ability to have an outsized impact despite their small population due to Phoebe and Edu'frec's control over vast drone and android forces is already becoming a potential concern."
Calanii knew that was true, at least. His own spies within the Alliance had noted the explosion in their fleet size with worry. Their encryption was already incredible, though that was because of their two AIs. Furthermore, they had a whole species that quite literally could not be infiltrated for spying. Perhaps that extended to mind control, as well.
"Estimates place the number of satellites in their stellar constellation within the Sol system at 330 billion. That is enough to power hundreds of times their current civilization's total power usage. Their Mercury-class guns have been confirmed capable of breaching Sprilnav ships, placing them on par with our own battlecruiser weaponry. In terms of fleet numbers itself, they have 11 dreadnaughts, with 13 more assumed under construction, 30,000 battlecruisers, 50,000 carriers, 120,000 cruisers, 500,000 destroyers, and 1.1 million frigates. In addition to that, nearly 2 million drone craft, capable of linking to direct battle networks, directed by Edu'frec and Phoebe. These numbers have not been publicized."
"Quite something, but nowhere near the billions we have," Calanii replied. Those numbers were similar to the reports he'd received. Supposedly, most of that expansion was possible due to Guulin and Acuarfar populations being so high and the wealth of the Alliance skyrocketing along with the average living standards. And most crews were small, with only a little above the number of people necessary to run a ship being placed on one, though all had overlapping specializations. This was most true for humans, which had the ability to take all the typical specializations and roll them into one.
Due to the hivemind, a human could be the best engineer ever seen at one moment and the best pilot ever the next. Its usefulness seemed to know no bounds.
"Yes. But they can put up a fight now, and most of our fleets would be tied up as defense forces in a war."
"And mind control?"
"We have confirmed that there isn't any of it within the highest members of their government. The number of surprise scans has increased considerably, and it seems that their leadership is in a contained panic over the possibility. They seem to be looking for a capability to block the abilities of mind control chips to work period," Hautil reported.
Calanii had a theory.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
"I would not."
So she was willing to lie to his face, then. His own intelligence agencies only had one single spy within the Blue Intelligence Agency. That was how they'd learned the method of placing chips within the brain to directly interfere with any attempts at establishing control. It was likely a stopgap measure since an Elder would likely find a way around it with enough motivation, resources, and time.
"Truth Speaker, yes?" Calanii asked, bemused.
"I am."
"How interesting. I know who you are."
Calanii could almost smell it in her carefully controlled movements.
"Do you? Who do you think I am?"
"You are an Agent. Top 100, most likely. Your control is admirable."
"You have been taught about something?"
"Yes," Calanii replied. "My uncle was a highly connected individual, just as my parents were. We do have our equilavents, you know."
Hautil grinned. "I've run infiltration missions on your so-called 'Star Raiders' before. You don't exactly run it as cleanly as it could be. I could provide some pointers, for a price."
That wasn't exactly comforting. She wasn't just in the lower numbers, either. Maybe he was even talking with someone below the designation 010.
"And you are authorized to give me that information?"
"Yes. I could be said to be a little... high in the hierarchy. Know that this is not to leave the room either. React to me normally at a summit or meeting, and we will be able to establish a proper working relationship."
"I do not trust you."
"Good."
"And when it comes to the Alliance, I will determine what actions to take."
"Don't wait too long, or they may just decide to seize control for themselves."

Google is very confused by my wording, probably because I don't even know what exactly it is I'm asking it, but I have a triple wide monitor setup and I like to use it to game, problem is 95% of games don't work properly with it and need to be hacked into submission to make them appear correctly, then 95% of those the HUD is on the far outer edges of the screen. What I wanted to make or know if it's even possible to make is something that would select arbitrary coordinate spaces on my current screen and then play them in another place, so I could have the HUD from the outer edges being played as an overlay in the correct places in the center monitor. It would look janky as hell but at least the information would be available (though maybe I could refine it to only overlay a certain color range, say, the color of the HUD font, and ignore the game behind it, and it would look better?) Is such a thing possible or does a program for doing this for another purpose already exist? Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this.

Just wanted to share the enlightenment and relief I have received in my life lately thanks to the help of natures golden nuggets.. the MAGIC mushrooms.
So I am a 28y male who has suffered from mental illness and substance abuse from early high school on. I’m a certified alcoholic with 3 years of recovery and i love drugs in all forms. Anything that can distract the ole noggin from feeling what is real. I was diagnosed bipolar at the age of 18 after overdosing on Xanax and being admitted to the mental ward. Doctors put me some pretty heavy cocktails that exacerbated my mental illness and left me feeling more broken, misunderstood and suicidal. My heavy drinking quickly turned to full fledged alcoholism in the worst form. I was in a long term relationship from 19-23 and during that time I would find bits of sobriety and relief but could never piece together more than 3-6 months before falling back into the insane abyss.
Fast forward to 25, I finally gave up drinking for (GOD willing) the final time. I made the conscious decision to start altering the course of my life. I went to a 28 day treatment program and immediately began hitting 7-10 meetings a day in the AA and CR fellowships. Everything was going good for a while, I was blessed with self employment and began building a small auto-detailing company here in eastern NC. I had more business than I could handle and I was glued to the center of my recovery groups as if my life depended on it (IYKYK). Somewhere along the lines my meeting attendance slowly went from 7-10 a week to 5 then 2-3.. it went to once or twice every couple of weeks to now I haven’t been to a meeting in months.
As I’ve sat and reflected on the whole experience it’s painfully obvious where I went wrong this time. I allowed my ego to interfere (I’ve got this) and replaced my alcoholism with a gambling addiction. I started trading crypto and forex and began throwing every cent i was making at it thinking that I could become a millionaire overnight. When I started losing EVERYTHING I was so riddled with guilt and shame that I couldn’t bear so i tainted my complete abstinence from all mood and mind altering substances by smoking weed again. The sickness of my disease took over and I kept feeding the crypto casino for the last year and a half. There would be days where I’d make $5K and I would always over leverage and lose it just as quickly as it came. The cycle was so vicious and I was hiding it with everything I had until the repossession letters started coming and I couldn’t afford to pay my cellphone bill anymore. Thankfully I was living with my mother and didn’t have to pay rent or afford many groceries, but I was losing it all.
Fast forward again to this past December.. I came clean to my family and closest friends about my newest addiction and was genuinely trying to get ahead of it. I’d go a couple of days without looking at charts but inevitably I kept returning to the thrill of striking it rich.
Fast forward for the final time to three weeks ago… a high school friend of mine moved back into town and we started hanging out again. She is an extremely heavy pot smoker and she enjoys festivals and raves and all of the goodies that sometimes come with the culture. I opened up to her about my struggles and she was able to relate in her own way. She shared how micro-dosing with magic mushrooms has helped her on her own mental health journey and she offered me some.. the alcoholic part of my brain instantly said yes.. I couldn’t afford health insurance this year thanks to my gambling addiction but i have desperately been ready to accept help. The normal side of my brain however, reminded me of my first and only experience with mushrooms. It was completely traumatic. I ate way too many and was with a group of people that I thought were my friends but I didn’t much care for (I’ve always been the loner type). I don’t remember much of anything from that night but as I was coming to I just remember beating the piss out of like 5 or 6 of my “friends”. I ripped a ceiling fan out of the ceiling and threw it through a wall and I went clean through a solid wooden door as if it were Styrofoam. To this day, when I ask anyone what happened night, I’m always told “you don’t need to know”. It’s like it’s extremely taboo for me to know what I went through that night as if it would hurt me any more than the other traumatic things that happened in the 19 years of my miserable life.. that is still so hurtful and confusing to me.. but I genuinely wanted to give the mushrooms another chance. She gave me 2 grams and advised me to trip alone this time and it was nothing less than a spiritual awakening. It was like I could see myself and the world through Gods eyes. I realized power within myself that I had never realized before. I saw myself as worthy of change and a better life. The next few days I micro-dosed throughout the day and I genuinely began to feel real relief mentally. After I ran out of my supply, I began to feel dirty and convicted. Like I was somehow wrong for choosing to break my sobriety by smoking weed and eating these mushrooms.. I had another heavy trip last weekend and received another piece of enlightenment. I have come to the conclusion that no matter what form of mental health you may suffer from or what type of substance you may chose to use or abuse to deal with those issues, your recovery and your journey is your own. It’s between you and God and it’s not for anyone in any AA meeting or any church to judge. Do what works for you and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s wrong. It is all about intent.
Spreading good vibes to anyone who is suffering tonight. You are important. You matter. You are not alone. ☮️✌️

Saw this one some other teams Reddits and thought it would be neat to do for ATX so each week ill run this and maybe will throw in a prize at end of season
Current Standings
Match Details: MLS Match Center
Austin FC (Form: W-W-L-L-W; 19 pts, 8th in the West)
​
RSL (Form: D-W-W-D-L; 16 pts, 12th in West)
At Q2 Stadium
Rules:
Simply make a few predictions, earn some points, and most points wins.

• Predictions must be in 1 hours before match time.

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Scoring:

10 Pts - Correctly predict outcome (score line; i.e. ATX 2: RSL 0)5 Pts - Correctly predict winner (or draw)3 Pts - Correctly predict goal scorer (3 pts per goal; identify if single player scores more than once) If None for ATX Score say "None"1 Pt - Correctly predict any cards issued (1 pt per player, name only)1 Pt - Correctly predict the ATX Starting XI (1 pt per player if its easier you may use there jersey Number)Bonus Question: How many minutes TOTAL will the 4th official show in both halves combined

How to Play:
To make it easy for me, use Markdown Mode and pasting the following:

* **Score**: * **Winner**: * **Goal Scorers**: * **Cards**: * **cf97 XI**: * **Bonus Questions**: 

or at least just copy/paste this format!

• Score:
• Winner:
• Goals:
• Cards:
• ATX starting XI:
• Bonus:

Final Prize - TBD