Wasn’t expecting much with Czech food but surprisingly it is really good, I didn’t have a bad meal. Prague is very pretty, even the buildings where people live are historical and have a history behind them. Not being a big drinker, I found evenings harder to find things to do but I feel that is the case for many cities.
Attractions close too early but again that’s the case for many other cities too. Czechs are the least friendly people I’ve come across so far, we’ll see if any other countries change that in the future but I didn’t see any smile or laugh who I interacted with and that was very strange to me but most weren’t rude at least.
I’d hate to live in Prague as it’s too touristy, busy and I feel like making friends with people who don’t smile or show much emotion would be difficult and strange for me.
The golden lane as touristy as it is, was very interesting to me. I loved seeing how the people lived, the weapons and armour they would wear and the torture devices they used.
The cathedral is amazing, the outside is just so unique and the inside is just as beautiful.
The Narodni museum I spend like 3 hours in, the animals look super realistic and it’s nice to see how big they looked in person and what some of the extinct animals looked like.
The Old Royal Palace was super disappointing, it was empty and had hardly anything to actually see. I don’t get why people like it, a very poor palace and attraction indeed.
St George’s Basilica was fairly pretty with the ceiling but I actually preferred the Church of Our Lady Victorious which had beautiful interior decorations.
Vrtba Garden was okay but not as good as I expected from the pictures but a nice place to sit and it was quiet when I visited.
Petrin tower, as expected busy but you get to the top and do see the amazing views that go for miles.
I also did a ghost tour which was fascinating to hear about the real stories which caused the tales of these ghost stories. Did another walk about the plague in Prague, good but not as a good as the ghost tour.
I think 4 days was plenty, I saw everything I wanted to see and wouldn’t know what to do if I stayed longer.

Wasn’t expecting much with Czech food but surprisingly it is really good, I didn’t have a bad meal. Prague is very pretty, even the buildings where people live are historical and have a history behind them. Not being a big drinker, I found evenings harder to find things to do but I feel that is the case for many cities.
Attractions close too early but again that’s the case for many other cities too. Czechs are the least friendly people I’ve come across so far, we’ll see if any other countries change that in the future but I didn’t see any smile or laugh who I interacted with and that was very strange to me but most weren’t rude at least.
I’d hate to live in Prague as it’s too touristy, busy and I feel like making friends with people who don’t smile or show much emotion would be difficult and strange for me.
The golden lane as touristy as it is, was very interesting to me. I loved seeing how the people lived, the weapons and armour they would wear and the torture devices they used.
The cathedral is amazing, the outside is just so unique and the inside is just as beautiful.
The Narodni museum I spend like 3 hours in, the animals look super realistic and it’s nice to see how big they looked in person and what some of the extinct animals looked like.
The Old Royal Palace was super disappointing, it was empty and had hardly anything to actually see. I don’t get why people like it, a very poor palace and attraction indeed.
St George’s Basilica was fairly pretty with the ceiling but I actually preferred the Church of Our Lady Victorious which had beautiful interior decorations.
Vrtba Garden was okay but not as good as I expected from the pictures but a nice place to sit and it was quiet when I visited.
Petrin tower, as expected busy but you get to the top and do see the amazing views that go for miles.
I also did a ghost tour which was fascinating to hear about the real stories which caused the tales of these ghost stories. Did another walk about the plague in Prague, good but not as a good as the ghost tour.
I think 4 days was plenty, I saw everything I wanted to see and wouldn’t know what to do if I stayed longer.

I know I'll likely need to hire an engineer to answer my question, but I'm just curious if it's been successfully done before. We removed Spanish tile that was very heavy. There's a wall we would like to remove running about 25-30% of the middle of the house that separates a formal living room from a family room. The place was built in the 80's when they loved formal dining and formal living rooms in addition to the rooms the family actually used. I'd much rather reclaim the living space with an open floor plan. I would love to open the attic space for cathedral ceilings. Any experiences here?

Possibly putting an offer on a 1980 colonial house, but this "sunroom" is giving me pause. It is not as spacious in person as it looks in the picture, but I don't love cathedral ceilings or walls of windows. I am struggling with how it could be used. The carpeted living room oddly opens to it and the upstairs "reading nook" balcony looks over it. I would love any ideas to help me visualize how this space could look or be used.
https://preview.redd.it/pe54s2tll01d1.jpg?width=576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39d46cfb0023c1d5fae8711757b6786c6cc9dd0b
https://preview.redd.it/wf8m04tll01d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7533c16c6b3cc30e66cd3b967e1a61fbb2479092

I’m pretty much learning on the fly and I have some limitations, but here’s what I’m looking at:
Room is open concept, living room and kitchen, dining room. 24’x16’ cathedral ceiling with 4,000 cu ft. (I measured and calculated)
The TV and speakers are against the 16’ living room wall. Opposite end from the kitchen area. We sit about 8’ from the TV and front speakers.
Important: My wife does not like loud bass and I have tinnitus (playing guitar way too loud over the years) We keep the volumes at best at a moderate level for movies and watching TV in general. I will never turn up to reference volume levels or even come close. We enjoy movies more at home because we can keep the volumes at comfortable levels.
Also because of physical limitations, each Sub can’t be more than around 40 lbs.
Right now I have the old Def Tech BP-7004’s with built in Sub, along with the matching Def Tech center and Def tech sides. 5.0 system. The built in Subs have quality issues. I replaced one several years ago and Def Tech replaced it for free, but the other went bad and now they will charge me $330 to repair it. They don’t have replacement power supplies anymore. I’m done dealing with the 7004’s and will replace them at some point, (maybe next year) but first the subs.
Even with just one Sub working, the bass is still present enough for us, but it is too directional. The 7004 has three 10” sub speakers and is a thin tower.
With all this said, I’m looking at two RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII’s or one SVS PB-1000 Pro. I could get two SVS PB-1000 Pro’s if needed. Just want a nice sub setup for our living room for movies and general TV veiwing without cranking up the volume too much.

We have a split level home in the mid-north coast of NSW with tiles, a cathedral ceiling and exposed rafters that is steaming hot in summer.
Having made the decision to lose the rafters, I am tearing my hair out trying to work out the best approach to insulating the ceiling. The rafters are only 140mm deep and the plasterer has indicated they can drop the battens down a further 50mm, leaving us 190mm for batts.
The narrowest R4 batt is 195mm.
Firstly, presuming we use an R4 batt, will the lack of an air pocket between the current ceiling (old plasterboard) and the new ceiling be a problem? Further, will the fact the batt protrudes 55mm out from the rafter be an issue and should that cavity be filled also?
Secondly, am I correct in my understanding that when a batt is compressed its R value lowers, but the R value per cm is higher (ie R6 compressed by 20mm becomes R5.8)? So, might we be better off going with an R5 batt at 210mm with an extra 15mm of compression?
And finally, might we be better off ditching the batts and using something like foil board?
Any help or ideas would be most welcome.

I have a natural stone wall that I want to highlight with grazing. The stone ends at 8' and above is the angle of the cathedral ceiling, peaking at an additional approx 2' higher with a wood clad wall behind the full depth stone veneer (about 5" thick) above. The room is 26' long.
The ceiling is bare to rafters and roof sheathing right now.

1. I want to know if I can use these (see link) for wall grazing.
   
2. How many I should have installed--how far apart? A dramatic scalloped look would be cool.
   
3. What angle bulbs should I use, too?
   

I plan to install about 8" from the front of the stone. Is that correct?
TIA!!!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Globe-Electric-3-in-New-Construction-and-Remodel-White-Swivel-Spotlight-Recessed-Lighting-Kit-90679/204693133

Our footsteps were the questions echoing in the dark. Across effortless bridges spanning black nothing, through the porticos and cathedrals that could hold cities in their hearts, wreathed by carvings that would have taken a legion of masons countless lifetimes. We interlopers prodded the dimness, trespassers and pilgrims at once.
Who were you, Great Ones? Why shun the light that reigned over the world, for the darkness and the damp? The words we spoke, hushed and small, ran away into the belly of silenced grandeur, too afraid to be heard by ghosts who once had mounted so much glory.
We looked down into the waters, seas that were still without the moon to tide them, and dark without the sun to light them. The sunless oceans that poured through vestibules, thundered across cisterns and aqueducts like rivers made not by old, reckless, blind chance, but willful hands. Our wonder kissed their chilly surface, but the seas did not answer, and held the secrets of vanished masters.
Atop spires that contemplated ceilings made from every age of the old, old earth, and down into vaults that were warm with fire just beneath their polished floors; we wept quiet tears, breathed air that once supplied only the purest lungs.
We slipped warm, nascent hands over onyx seams. What became of you, Great Ones? Where have you gone, and will you come again? Through the mist and the strata we wandered, pilgrims all, looking for the bygone-gods beyond every turn.

Hey y'all -
My venue got a good deal on a Meyer system right before I started as a tech director two years ago (nice surprise) -
We've got 2 x Ultra X40's + 2 x 750-LFC's as our main PA, and 2 x Ultra X20's as delays for the back area with a lowered ceiling. None of the boxes have the RMS remote monitoring module.
We did not purchase a Meyer crossover at the same time for some reason (seeing they're being sold for $13k CAD [~$10k USD] by a local Meyer dealer...?!) - all processing is being done through matrices on our full size X32 (driving a ferrari with a hot dog or w/e, i know). The X40's and X20's pairs are running stereo from the board, each being sent individual outputs (not looping out from the one box to the other), and then I've got my sub pair running mono from the board (one output being sent from the board to one 750-lfc and looping out of that box into the second one).
Two questions:
1) I'm finding it difficult to find information regarding these boxes crossovers in any Meyer documentation or elsewhere online - Is there an ideal crossover type/frequency that I should be aiming for? I've just been using my ear to find a suitable relationship between PA/subs & the room - currently have Butterworth 24dB slope @ 98hz as the crossover filter for all of the boxes. I understand these boxes are able to be used standalone without a crossover with their internal DSP, but I believe that requires me to loop each sub out of each X40 which wouldn't be ideal for having processing control - happy to be corrected here if I'm wrong.
2) My plan is to acquire an outboard crossover to manage the system. Primarily to protect the system from those with less experience when I'm not around, but also to allow a systems tech to tune the PA and lock the settings for my techs to show up and have an easier time mixing. Another hope is to be able to connect a rudiementary analog mixer to the processor so thatrenters of the space are able to safely play house music without a tech being present. Is it a waste of money to purchase anything but a Galilleo 408 to manage my speaker processing? Would another unit prove more useful considering budgetary restrictions/use-case? (and before the "your mixer is too shitty for a galileo to make a difference", my plan is to eventually upgrade it. one step at a time!).
Apparently a systems tech from Meyer was supposed to come by shortly after they were installed to tune the room for free but never did... and then he died so now that isn't an option? Not sure how he would tune the room without a crossover...
We're a 200 cap non profit community arts organization with a board of directors (not a lot of $$$ despite the Meyer system) so it's tough for me to propose a 13k purchase on a crossover without being fully confident that it's exactly what we need.
Thanks in advance y'all - I'm a self-taught live tech with a decade of experience - I know how to mix the hell out of a show, but admittedly,have a lot of gaps in my fundamentals. Always happy to be corrected and learn as I go!

I've finished the framing for a 3-season porch that is attached to the back of my house. The structure is 14x14 with a 5/12 roof and will have a cathedral ceiling. There is a ridge beam, and the rafters are attached flush with the ridge beam. This means that when I lay the sheathing, there will be no way for air to escape at the ridge unless I cut horizontal slots in each channel and make a little "mini roof" over the peak. Eventually, I will be covering the rafters on the inside. The rafters are 2x6, 16" O.C.
There is no plan to have heating or cooling in this space, except maybe a space heater in the shoulder months, and even then only if we are actually out there hanging out in the space. Oh, also, this structure is south facing and will receive lots of sunshine (I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada, so hot summer, cool shoulder months, and cold/wet winters).
Questions:

1. Do I actually need venting for this roof given it's use? If so, is there any other ideas besides what I mentioned above?
2. Do I need insulation in this space? If so, what kind? If I use batts, do I need baffles?
3. What about making it a hot roof with closed cell foam insulation?

Thanks.

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Note: Alright troops, it's my birthday tomorrow so I'm taking some shore leave. No new chapters tomorrow. Fantasy General will be back on Friday with a chapter that you won't want to miss...
Marcus sat silently in his chambers, his fingers drumming into the stone armrests of his chair that faced the balcony window.
Outside, there were chants being spurned on in his name. There were ratmen down there who were ready to throw their lives away just to get a look at him and to know, for certain, that he was still alive.
"They've pinned their whole hopes on me," he whispered."And yet, I'd sell them all out just to see Mari again."
He leaned back at stared at the empty ceiling above, tracing the cracks in the stones where the rats had probably done battle before.
"What kind of person does that make me?" he asked the vacant ceiling. "Someone worth believing in? Or something who lets his own selfish desires run his mind?"
The door to his room creaked open, and a small, robed rat shuffled in.
"I guess I'll find out soon enough," Marcus said as he turned to meet the visitor he had called to his room alone.
Deekius.
The rat-priest looked up at him with both awe and – Marcus thought – a small sliver of fear. Perhaps the rat himself now believed all the sermons he had delivered about Marcus the Shai-Alud. Perhaps he didn't, and the display of terror-stricken reverence was merely an act.
He bowed his head so low that his snout practically kissed the stones of Marcus's floor.
"Shai-Alud," he said. "It is being my honor to stand before you once again. How are your wounds healing?"
Marcus waved his trivial concerns away. "My bruises are psychological, at best," he said. "More importantly, tell me straight, can your Gloomraava do anything for Festicus?"
The rat-priest closed his eyes. His silence said enough.
"Then he truly is gone," Marcus stated, turning back to the balcony and the legions of baying fans waiting down there.
"We will be giving him a proper ceremony in the Grand Cathedral of the Unclean," Deekius stated. "Then, he will be afforded the highest honor – his body shall be returned to King Skylock of Marrow and consumed by their Clan's Queen. King Shrykul is making necessary preparations."
Marcus hesitated before he spoke his next words, his mind racing.
"Tell him to wait," he said.
Deekius blinked. "Sire? The King is giving order to –"
"Do the soldiers of Clan Marrow know their commander is gone?" Marcus asked. "Do they know how, and where, he died?"
"They…they are knowing the assassins struck here tonight. They are knowing their commander is pursuing them, but all his forces do not yet know he is perishing on top of the Foundry."
"Good," Marcus said. "We will be keeping it that way."
Now he turned back to the little rat-priest. The one who brought him here when it seemed his purpose in life had departed him. When he was at his most hopeless…
"The prisoner," he said. "Where is she being kept?"
"She is being taken to the dungeons on Gloomraava Verulex's authority," Deekius said. "Her execution is being scheduled for 6 hours from now. I am being sorry, Sire Marcus, but the priest of Glumrot is having final say in this matter."
"But not," Marcus added. "The sole domain of priest Verulex."
Deekius cocked his eyebrows at him, his fur furrowing beneath his hood.
"No," he said slowly. "But he is being senior priest here. Authority of Glumrot priests are second only to Prime Putrefact's."
"Yes, of course," Marcus replied. "And where is Gloomraava Verulex currently?"
"He is in his chambers resting," Deekius replied. "He is still recovering from his wounds – the poison of the Yokun Matron is working on him. But he shall be surviving yet. He is just needing rest after all his exertions."
"Yes," Marcus said. "He was gravely wounded. Wasn't he?"
Silence weaved its way between both rat and man as the hidden meaning in Marcus's words spilled out into the air around them.
"Deekius," the human finally said. "I know you have ambition in you."
Are you really going to do this? he asked himself. Once you take a step like this…there is no going back. This is the abyss.
Even as his mind fumbled, he recalled the image of Verulex's hateful eyes staring at him beneath his ragged hood. He recalled the feeling of the Yokun's blade against his flesh as the rat held it before him. And he recalled the ratman's statements in the war-chamber. He had realized, as he was brought back to this castle, why that little priest showed no fear in making such open threats.
Because he thinks I'm weak, Marcus told himself. He thinks my displays of mercy to be the whims of a coward. He thinks I am a tool to be exploited, and nothing more.
But I have tools of my own. I'm not just a history professor, anymore. Words no longer have to be my only weapons…
"Sire?" the ratman mumbled.
"I have heard the sermons you sing about me," Marcus said, stepping closer and bending low to look the ratman right in his sharp eyes. "About the power you wield now that He-Who-Festers has looked upon you as His chosen priest. After all, it was you who summoned the Shai-Alud. And it was you who called those illusions – at the palace doors and atop the Foundry tower – that led to the defeat of the Yokun assassins, wasn't it?"
"You are knowing my skills too well, Sire," Deekius replied with a humble bow.
Now's the time, Marcus. Do it. Show him who you are. Who you can be. Show them all.
"A rat like you," he began coolly. "A rat with such power flowing through him – a Gloomraava chosen by the Unclean – shouldn't a rat like that be the priest who commands the highest office of respect in this place? Shouldn't it be a priest of Fleapit – the priest of Fleapit – who speaks for the Shai-Alud and for his people?"
The light of an epiphany slowly began to creep into the rat-priest's dark eyeballs. His mind was catching up to the desire that lay at the core of his Shai-Alud's words.
"I could give you it all, Deekius," Marcus continued as he saw the light of the priest's own desires flare in his face. "You will be installed as the new Prime Putrefact. Your old leader – he was too weak. He was captured and rots with the enemy. This happened because He Who Festers did not see him as worthy. Not like you."
The eyes of the ratman widened now. Anticipation, excitement, and even a little bit of bloodlust had just taken root within his small mind.
"Sire," he smirked. "You really are having the soul of a rat."
This is it, Marcus. If you go forward now, there is no return.
One path led towards return to his home – the honorable path where he did his job and then shipped out. That was the path he had expected he'd follow. The path that had been causing him all his headaches recently. Now, with the Glitterpak gone, it would simply be even harder to force a surrender from the Kobolds.
But another path had just been opened – a path where Mari lay at the end. If it was true that she really was here, among the warriors of the Yokun, then that meant he'd be going home without her if he found Silas alive. It meant returning to his mundane life without the one thing that made it matter at all.
The right path was so obvious to him. So clear that it was almost comical.
But that's exactly the path he could no longer tread.
"I am knowing what you want to say," Deekius whispered. "If I may speak plainly, Shai-Alud, it is something your human honor will not allow you to voice. But you wish it of me, don't you, Sire?"
Marcus licked his pale lips, feeling the trembling that had set in them earlier fade away.
"Yes, Deekius," he replied. "I do."
A curt nod from the rat and – just like that – a conspiracy was born.
"How?" the priest asked.
"First, a promise," Marcus replied. "I want your word that you shall swear your fealty to no one but me, your Shai-Alud, from this night until the end of all nights. Do this, and I will give you all the honors within my power. King Shrykul will not deny me – I am the only hope of his ailing wife. The warriors of Marrow and Glumrot will fall into line – your sermons will see to that. And from this night forward, this empire will know the name of one priest only."
That was it. That was the final stoking of the fire that sent the rat into an almost trembling frenzy. And the future of the ratman race was decided by his last whispered words:
"Sire," he said. "This is a promise. Together, we shall be making history."
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Just came back a few days ago from a 3 week trip to Japan. Here was my experience:
To preface:

• I'm Canadian, Vietnamese, gay man, solo traveller
• I like new experiences and eating food, but I am not one to seek out the best or hottest place to go or obsessively look for tips on social media
• I like shopping and fashion and love discovering brands I am unable to get in North America
• I've been to Vietnam and I understand the very complex socioeconomical discrimination between Asians and Southeast Asians, colorism and what is considered a "rich" Asian country and a "poor" or "jungle" Asian country. I will have a hot take on this later in my breakdown.

General overview:
Day 1-3: Tokyo - I landed right on Pride weekend! It was fantastic. I knew only 1 person in Tokyo and I had some friends randomly also in Tokyo the same time I was. We went out for a drag brunch, one of the first of its kind in Japan as it's still a very new concept for the country. Performers were great though. Went to the Shinjuku gay district and had a blast discovering all these cool bars all with different vibes. It's also a great place to meet locals, tourists and immigrants (not just immigrants from Western countries, but from other Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Korea etc. who now live in Japan). There was also a festival for Pride in Yoyogi park and it was crowded and fun. Great to see Tokyo really embracing Pride.
Day 4-10: Based myself in Osaka but went exploring with my Setouchi JR West Pass throughout the week I was in Osaka. Went to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, Nagoya so I can make my way to Ghibli Park (not a part of JR West so I paid out of pocket for that), and went to Kyoto twice. Overall, I really liked Osaka. I love big cities that are lively and noisy. I don't mind the crowds when I am also shopping in the Dotonbori area. The best part was cutting my day short in Kyoto because I was feeling sick, and then discovering that there was an exclusive Sailor Moon Museum happening in Namba and deciding to get tickets for that. Best unplanned experience that was actually better than Ghibli Park. Also, shopped on Orange Street, one of the best places for fashion lovers. Osaka castle was great but the line up to get in the castle was way too long and the day was super hot. Got to a see a high school Kendo tournament going on though so that was a neat experience!
Day 11-12: Flew to Sapporo from Osaka. It was cold. Windy on the first day. Rainy on the second day. Overall, just cold. Not Canadian Winter cold, but I wish I had a warmer jacket cold. It was the few places that had cherry blossoms left. The Sapporo Beer Museum was really neat and I liked learning about the history of such an iconic brand.
Day 13-21: Back to Tokyo. I am a remote worker and my job doesn't care where I work so I took the opportunity to save some vacation days for a future trip, and just work remotely while exploring Tokyo and surrounding areas. Went to Mt. Fuji for a day and back, did not get to see the mountain as it was really rainy and foggy that day. Wento the lucky cat shrine and it was cute but also busy for such a small shrine thanks to TikTok. Went out to the gay bars two more times and had a blast and met some new people (locals and tourists) who I still keep in contact with on social media. Got a tattoo at one point - LOVE IT. The artist was amazing and so gentle, I hardly felt anything. Did some more shopping in Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku and my favourite place - Harajuku! Overall, I really enjoyed Tokyo and my Japan trip as this was my first time.
Time and weather:

• rainy for half of it, warm for the other half. Chilly in Sapporo.
• was in Sapporo and Tokyo for Golden Week. Not as crazy as everyone says it would be. It was much crazier leading up to Golden Week. Was still able to get reserved seats tickets at the station itself easily and no need to book in advanced online. Honestly, didn't even bother booking online as the website isn't very clear especially when you have a JR West pass already.

Getting around:

• Digital Suica card on my iPhone. Worked for everything. So easy to use and got me around everywhere including the Kansai region and Sapporo.
• Right when I got off the plane, I got on a Airport Limo bus which was so much easier. No need to know which station to get off from and they had space for all my luggage. Took me to a hotel stop that was 2 blocks away from my hotel. Honestly, after a 9 hour flight, a limo bus is worth the $25 instead of the train and subway.
• Subways became easy to use and once you get to used to them, Osaka and Sapporo was easy to navigate as it was similar to Tokyo's subway.
• If you have a JR pass, pay attention to if you can use it on the local JR lines. Typically, you can. I forgot, and I tapped my Suica to enter a JR local line in Hiroshima, then I realized I could use my JR pass, so I stuck my pass in the machine and it let me through. But because I never tapped my Suica to leave the JR line in Hiroshima, my Suica card stopped working for train stations because it thinks I'm still on a trip in Hiroshima. Had to go to a subway guard (the ones in the booth next to the station gates where you tap your Suica), told them what happend using Google Translate and showed them my JR pass and they understood right away. They took my phone and put it on this scanner and it reset my Suica card. Very easy as if they've done this a million times before (they have).
• Used the convenience store and hotels to send my big luggage to my next hotel so I wouldn't have to deal with it on the train or train stations or flying with it when I flew from Osaka to Sapporo. Such a great service. Just bring your luggage to your hotel reception and tell them your next stop and when you want the luggage by. They will try to get it there the day you requested or the day after. Just be prepared to live out of your carry on for 1 or 2 days. If your hotel doesn't offer it, any 7-11, Family Mart or Lawson offers it. Lawson uses Japan Postal, 7-11 and Family Mart uses Yamato. I also sent my luggage to the airport before I had to leave Japan and it was a breeze. But be warned, for any transfer to an airport, it has to be 2 days before your departure flight or it won't make it on time.

Eating:
As much as I loved having a list of some places to eat at, I abandoned it and didn't really care anymore. From high-end restaurants, cafes, local places and even fast-food, everything was delicious. I stopped caring about where I ate, and just took a walk down any street and when I saw a menu I liked, I just went in. Honestly, even Denny's in Japan was amazing (it's a different menu and not like Denny's in Canada).
Shopping experience:
Loved shopping in Japan. I brought one large suitcase that was empty, put a smaller suitcase inside of it and then had my backpack and carry on suitcase. The yen was weaker than CAD, plus if you spend over 5,500 yen, and show them your passport, you'll get the tax off and some stores offer additional discounts for foreign passport holders.
Brands I bought:

• Onitsuka Tiger - best shoes ever. So stylish, comfy and very popular in Asia.
• Beams - they carry a variety of brands and their own brands.
• FR2 - great streetwear brand. They have different stores in different cities and exclusive pieces for that city.
• In Osaka, look for The Goodland Market on Orange Street. They carry brands that emphasize sustainability. Very laid-back and casual.
• Master-piece - great brand for bags.
• Saturdays NYC - this is an American brand but has a store in Tokyo. Loved the vibes. Very laid back.
• Rage Blue - easy styles with nice colours and cuts. Often had sales going on. Has a variety of brands.
• United Arrows - great styles here too. You'll be coming back to your country so fashionable.

A personal view:
I really like Japan and I would go again, but now that I've experienced it, I now know what I like and don't like. As much as everyone raves about Kyoto, I honestly didn't care for it. Inari shrine was great, the climb to the top was great exercise and most people give up not even halfway up so it gets less and less busy. I also like Nishiki market as I love street food in Vietnam so that type of vibe of just trying everything was a great experience. But honestly, Kyoto was a tourist trap (as with most places). Gion district was cute but you definitely won't find locals hanging there unless they work there. The street will be quiet for 10 minutes, then the next set of tour buses will come, 8 taxis will come and the whole experience walking through the street is kind of ruined. Also, it just felt a bit like...Disneyland. Everything was catered to tourists. I'm not someone who even seeks out places where locals are so you can meet locals as I don't really care that much if I meet a tourist or a local, if it happens it happens, but I'm not obsessed with it. But I somehow just got this feeling that Gion has been warped into a thing for tourists who are sold an "authentic, cultural experience". It reminds me of tourist traps in Vietnam, and maybe I only have this view because I've experienced Vietnam too. Perhaps a non-Asian tourist won't see this and to each their own of course. It didn't really help that there were signs saying don't take photos on private streets, and tourists would stand in front of those signs and start taking photos...
Another take is that the Japan that's shown to you on TV shows, dramas and the news is not the Japan you'll experience (unless you're always a part of a tour group). The media portrays Japan as a nation that is ONLY Japanese people, and that you will only meet Japanese people serving you and that despite a low birth rate, immigration is just not a thing in Japan. This is false. I can't count the number of times where I'll order food, have the cashier speak to me in English and Japanese (because I don't know Japanese), sit down and then hear the cashier and other staff speak Vietnamese. It dawned on me that pretty much all the food service staff were Vietnamese in Osaka and Tokyo. Probably more in other areas if I paid attention more. I started speaking Vietnamese back to them and they were surprised that I knew they were Viet. We made some pleasant conversation and for the most part they liked that someone acknowledged that they were Vietnamese. However, one time, one girl told me not to speak Viet to her or she'll get in trouble. The staff are allowed to speak Vietnamese to each other but not to the customer because the boss didn't want people to know that they weren't being served by Japanese people. Some places were more obvious such as people from Nepal, India or Pakistan working there but spoke perfect Japanese. Some places clearly only hired Vietnamese people because they can pass as Japanese. This was more shocking to me than any culture shock I could have experienced as a Canadian.
I think there's a sense of Japan being a rich nation, aligned with the US, that it's better than places like Vietnam. But after spending some time in both countries, I saw that even buildings were built in a similar way. Narrow staircases, no baseboards, sometimes low ceilings, and businesses stacked on top of each. I loved Japan and like I said, I would go again. But I think I would stick to just to Tokyo and Osaka next time. Both are also very touristy but not in a way that it's disguised as anything else. Osaka Dotonbori is a place to shop. People know that. It's extremely crowded, but you're there to shop, not for a cultural experience. If I were to go elsewhere, I would try Okinawa and maybe a rural experience too. But other than that, I'm someone who goes for the shopping and eating experience and the nightlife. I know some people might not agree with my take, as most subs about traveling to Japan always seem to be finding an authentic Japanese experience. But being able to realize that some people serving you aren't Japanese and that most experiences are waterdown and overpriced tourist experiences, you quickly realize that authentic Japanese experiences (as with any country popular with tourists) are hard to come by.
Edit: I replaced the term expat with immigrant for sensitivity.
Edit 2:
Just to provide more details on my experience that contrasts a lot of what you may find on Reddit.
Cleanliness:
Yes, parts of Tokyo and Japan itself is clean. But I have seen some parts of Toyko with garbage on the ground. Osaka is more obviously dirty if you want to put it that way. More garbage on the street, especially at night. My local friend told me that Japanese people are just good at hiding their litter and when they think no one is watching, they do litter.
Homelessness:
I saw homelessness. In Asakusa where my hotel was, there was one homeless lady on the main street near Don Quitos. I also some when you are walking to Shibuya Scramble Square. It's a big city, I'm sure homelessness is an issue there. I saw a TikTok while I was there about homeless runway children in the Shibuya and Shinjuku area.
Shyness/Attitude:
I was always told that many Japanese wouldn't really want to make small talk with you. But honestly it really depends. I had pink hair and had my nails done with a cute fun design on them. So many cashiers, retail people etc. wanted to compliment my nails and tell me how cute they were. Even leaving Japan, as I was going through security, the security lady complimented my nails as I was placing my liquids and computers in a bin. I also carried around a Sailor Moon tote bag I got from the museum and strangers on the street were stopping me to compliment it. I'm a man and I have my nails done, pink hair and a Sailor Moon tote bag. If you give them a reason to talk to you, they will.
Weak yen:
The best part about clubbing is going to the 7-11 near the gay district alleys, buying cheap alcohol, drinking it with your newly made friends, and then going back into the club to dance some more before doing it again 20 minutes later. Alcohol is so cheap there! 450 yen for a can of Jack Daniels and Coke...that's like $2-3 Canadian. We Canadians usually pay $6 or $8 for a can!
More on fashion:
I tried my best to avoid buying brands I could get in North America but sometimes the exchange rate and no tax was too good. Commes Des Garcon Play sneakers in Canada are $200 before tax. Found a design that isn't available in Canada, no tax and the conversion made them $160. Had to get them. Bought a Dior cardholder that's $480 before tax in Canada. No tax and converted price in Japan turned out to be $390. I say definitely look for the Japanese brands you can't get back home because you'll come back with more unique pieces (even if it's a popular, mass product in Japan) but also if you have your eye on designer pieces, chances are the piece is cheaper in Japan. The only thing I found that Hermes and Chanel were the same price or more expensive in Japan. But other brands like Gucci, Dior, Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton were cheaper.
Even Uniqlo is cheaper. The viral bag that people like is $25 in Canada. In Japan it's $13. There was a Golden Week sale that made the bags $8 each.
I did avoid some brands like A.P.C or Diesel (which is everywhere in Japan) because despite it being cheaper, I know when there's a sale on SSENSE it's even cheaper than what you could get in Japan.

First - Previous
Sorry for the gap in posts. I have scrapped at least six version of this. I am almost happy with this one. I had a different ending, but decided to go with what I have now. I think it is better.
I am also about to get a full knee replacement. I was supposed to get it done on April 2, but things got in the way. I have been working on getting my house in order for someone who cannot walk. It has been a bigger chore than I thought. I also have been learning OnShape to design stuff with my 3D printer. I have even designed the Star Wanderer from Chapter 2. I am working on the Behemoth. I could not get the images to post here for some reason, but if you want to go see them in OnShape, here are the links to two of the ships.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/1f4578581cf2ad6552b1d3a9/w/409acb296ee94b206655e899/e/e8210e7e7653f5e07402416a
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e8b75276d1581baf4a12d234/w/9014167e3d03cf585531cafe/e/3d1bd1b3d973f84397b0969f
“… Allighetti …Mark, are you still with us?” I regained consciousness with Burns shaking me violently.
“Gyah. Stop! Yeah, I’m alive,” I spit blood and shook my head to clear the mental fuzz. “I think I have a concussion.”
The last missile strike had driven deep into the ODP’s hull, making it all the way to the missile feed system where we’d already been working to repair damage.
Burns accessed my suit’s med panel. “You got it right in one. Your suit’s a bit damaged. The autodoc is offline. Here…”
He overrode my suit with his, and I could already feel the auto-administered meds kicking in. The pain was still there, but bearable, and the fuzziness receded a bit.
“Thanks. I feel better already.”
I pulled the damage control system with my suit’s AI and checked what else just got damaged. It was more red than green.
“Shit. The station keeping drive is offline. Orbit is destabilized. If we don’t get it back online in… fifteen minutes, we are done,” I growled. “With everything damaged now, I don’t think we can repair the damage with the skeleton crew we have.”
“We better get on it then,” Burns replied.
“Skipper,” I tried to raise Commander Kowitzci. “Skipper? Chief Hanson? Anybody on the command deck? Simonetti? Can you hear me?”
“I hear you, sir,” Simonetti replied. He and Spec-One Zebediah Abrahams were on deck three repairing the power feeds to missile batteries six, seven, and eight. Six launchers made up each battery, so that was eighteen missile tubes out of action. A small percentage of the fleet’s launchers, but we only have twenty batteries. Those missiles were fifteen percent of our throw weight.
“Well, that means station coms are online and the CIC isn’t answering. We gotta get people in there. Drop what you are doing and head that way.” I’ve known the skipper most my life. There’s no way I could not go and make sure he is alive or not.
“Valencia, what’s your location?”
“We’re on deck seven, installing a new targeting computer for point defense group ten. Why?”
“That’s what I thought. You are closest to the CIC. Head down there now,” I ordered. “You’ll probably beat us, but if it is bad as I think, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“On my way,” he replied.
“We will meet you there.”
Burns grabbed my hand and helped me up. “Is this the right call? If we don’t get station keeping back online, we’re going down hard.”
“This bucket is going down no matter what we do. I am the senior surviving officer. Or at least the surviving officer who has working coms, so I get to make the call. We’re abandoning ship. We have ten minutes to find any injured and get them out.” I triggered the command through my suit’s coms. Across the ship, the lights switched from condition red for active combat to condition blue for abandon ship. Every crewman’s suits coms buzzed with the abandon ship order and ten minute timer.
“Shit.” I felt the same way. Nobody wants to abandon ship.
I headed to the lifts to get to the command deck as I pulled up the station schematics with the location of every crewman’s last known location, then filtered for who was not responding.
“We have the six people on the command deck unresponsive, Burkett and Torres in fusion one and Chief Khan in magazine one. Get down to mag-one and check on him,” I ordered.
Burns left without another word. I trusted him to get it done.
“Fletcher?” Senior Specialist Jason Fletcher and Specialist Second Class Dinah Moretti were in magazine three and the closest to fusion one.
“Yessir?”
“Burkett and Torres aren’t responding. Get down to fusion one. Check on them and get them out if you can.”
“We got it, boss,” Fletcher replied. “Go get the skipper.”
I was surprised. He must have been monitoring the channel. Fletcher and I had never really gotten along. He always irritated me with his slacking off, obnoxious sense of humor, and need to be the center of attention. But he had surprised me in the past few days. When the shit hit the fan, the man had buckled down and performed spectacularly. I guess getting shot at for real changes your attitude. He was still an ass, but now he was a hard working ass.
I set my coms to the full crew channel. “All personnel. Abandon ship. Find any injured crew you can and get them out. We have ten minutes until I set the scuttling charges.”
Whenever an ODP is damaged enough to abandon ship, it had to be scuttled or the whole core goes to the planet in one huge chunk. Scuttling the station meant it would be in over two dozen pieces that could burn up almost completely on reentry.
I made it to the central lifts, which were offline. The door still had power and my override code opened it. But I still had to climb nine decks to the command deck. Luckily the lifts are one of the few places aboard that do not have artificial gravity. It was just a matter of jumping in and pulling myself hand over hand.
“Mark,” Valencia often ‘forgot’ that I was now an ensign. I chose not to say anything, again.
“Go.”
“There is shit-ton of damage up here. The main lifts are shot to shit and there is debris blocking my way from lift two. I am going to try lift three.”
An Orbital Defense Platform is nothing more than a long cylinder with the missile launchers, energy weapons, sensors, and shields on the top and the external magazine and its docking systems at the other end. The station has twenty eight decks and is divided into four quarter ‘pie’ sections. The main personnel and missile lifts are located at the spine, in the exact center of the hull. Lift two serves the Bravo Section of the station and were near the exterior hull. Lift three is the next one around the outer hull serving Charlie Section.
“Roger. I’m in the main lift shaft now. I am climbing past deck eighteen.”
“You might beat me there,” Valencia replied.
“Do your best. If you can’t get there in five minutes, get to an escape pod and go.”
“Boss,” Simonetti’s voice cut into the conversation. “We can’t make it to the command deck. There’s a gaping hole between us and you.”
The damage from the most recent hits had reached deep into the hull, even as far as the central lifts. I’d passed multiple holes, from size of my fist to several that I could walk through.
“I understand. Abandon ship,” I ordered. “I will see you dirtside.”
“Shit. Are you sure? It might be risky, but we can go EVA to reach you. It is only about thirty meters.”
“No. And do me a favor. If I don’t make it, but a round in my memory.”
“Mark, you are to damned dumb to die. You can buy the round. See you on the surface. Good luck.”
“Thanks, I think.” As I climbed through some mangled lift guiderails my suit’s Geiger counter went crazy. The suit’s shielding could protect me in the short term, but I don’t want to hang out here for very long. The last few meters were difficult. I had to use my plasma cutter to remove a piece of shattered bulkhead that blocked my way. I looked at my chrono as I slipped into the command deck and saw I had five minutes… Just five minutes.
The command deck was a scene from hell. I saw at least one body and several body parts floating in the zero-g. “I’m in. What’s your status Valencia?”
“Almost there.”
I found Commander Kowitzci’s body pinned under a heavy beam that had collapsed from the ceiling and checked his suit’s medical panel. “The skipper’s still alive.”
I jumped in surprise when he grabbed my hand. I could see his lips moving but, I couldn’t hear anything. I pressed my faceplate against his, hoping the direct contact would allow sound to bridge between us.
“I got you, sir. The station’s done. I’ve given the order to abandon ship.”
“Go. Get yourself out. That’s an-”
“Don’t! Don’t give me that order, skipper, because I will disobey it.”
“I’m pinned and I cannot feel my legs. Even if you get me out, I am dead weight. Save yourself.”
“Skipper, I’ve known you since I was nine and Angus is one of my best friends. If you think I am going to tell him that I left you here to save myself, even if you ordered it, think again. Now, Valencia is almost here. Between the two of us we should be able to get you out. Hang tight. I am going to check on Chief Hanson.”
Chief Petty Officer Kenzie Hanson is one of the system’s best engineers. Unlike most of the crews, she is active Navy and had spent most of her career on these things. ODP 9 was not her normal duty station, but someone in operations had the brilliant idea to send her here to replace Chief Maartens.
Having someone with her experience coordinating damage control freed me and my people to fix what we could. Which in the end was not much, or at least not enough. The incoming missile fire had kept coming regardless of what the fleet did. It had turned into a battle of attrition, and while we had more resources than they did, our problem was that planets can’t dodge. The enemy could stay further out-system and lob missiles until they ran out, and we had no choice but to defend Verdigris, no matter what the costs.
“Hey, boss!” Valencia finally made it to the command deck. It brought a wave of relief.
“Glad you could finally join us. The skipper is pinned. Hansen is unconscious but alive. Check on Dahl and Ski.”
PO1 Grace Dahl and Master Specialist Gustavus Wasnewski were still strapped into their chairs at the tactical station.
“What about Dunagin and Stavros?” He asked.
“KIA.”
Hansen’s med panel showed she was alive, just unconscious. I released her shock frame and pulled her free. The command deck’s six escape pods were spaced along the outer bulkhead. Each pod could hold ten people. A redundancy in case any were damaged.
“Shit. Stavros is dead and Dahl’s suit already hit her with hybernol.” I could hear the simmering anger in Valencia’s voice. Stavros had been a good friend to all of us.
“Get her to a pod,” I ordered.
“What about Stav?”
“I am sorry, man, but the living are our priority.” I struggled to pull Hansen across the deck. Damn I am tired.
“I ain’t leaving him here. Not like this. I just can’t.”
“Fuck. If you can manage it… then do what you gotta do.” I didn’t have time to argue. Valencia could be a stubborn little shit when he wanted.
I was tired. Maybe that is why it took me so long to realize this rescue effort would be easier in zero-g.
I triggered the all hands channel and announced, “Clamp up, people. I am cutting internal gravity.”
I did not wait for any replies and quickly pulled up the control systems on my suit’s computer. With a few quick gestures, cut the power to the artificial gravity system. Pulling Hansen got easier immediately. Now I just had to fight mass and momentum without gravity’s negative effects.
I got her into the escape pod and returned to the skipper. My chrono showed I had less than two minutes to get him free or we might both die. I chose not to think to hard on that. I could be a stubborn little shit, too. He was still pinned under the beam, but it shifted a bit when I pulled with everything I had. It made me wish I had an Österlenlender here to help. One of those walking tanks could move like it was a paperweight.
I put everything I had into it, closing my eyes and grunting with the strain. I could feel the veins popping in my forehead. Then, the beam moved. I opened my eyes and saw Valencia next to me putting everything into helping me lift. The skipper managed to wiggle free, but we could see he was hurt pretty bad.
Valencia pulled the commander free, and I released the beam that slowly fell back to the deck. It took only a few seconds to get into the escape pod. Somehow, we managed to make the ten minute deadline.
Once the wounded were strapped in, I initiated the self-destruct sequence. It was SOP when something this size was abandoned in orbit. The smaller the size of the debris, the better chance it has to burn up on reentry. No need to add anything else to the planet’s woes.
“Attention. All hands, abandon ship. Self-destruct is set for one minute. Abandon ship, abandon ship, abandon ship, abandon ship. God speed.”
With that, I sealed the escape pod hatch and went to hit the eject button. But before I could, our luck ran out. Another wave of missiles detonated against our failing shields. The x-ray laser warheads mercilessly bored deep into the station. My suit’s radiation warning went off, letting me know my exposure had reached critical levels. The energy imparted by the lasers hit with physical force, blowing through the station’s armor and superstructure like a toddler ripping into a Christmas present.
Debris flew across the command deck and flames licked at my back. The explosion threw me into the back wall of the escape pod, painfully knocking the wind out of me. I tried to sit up but could not. My legs just wouldn’t work. I looked down, finally noticing the jagged spear of chromilstyn sticking out of my chest.
“Aw, shit.” It was the last words I said.

We are in planning phase of getting our roof replaced. Our living room has cathedral ceiling with poor insulation. We are going to remove old insulation and install a new one. We are also planning to install a dozen of new recessed lights in the ceiling. Since the roof is going to be open from outside, we can technically use new construction can lights.
However, I was wondering if that is the right choice for sloped celiging with 4/12 pitch ?
Can lights are bulky and create a huge insulation void in the ceiling. I don't even think normal can light housings fit in there.
I like the light to be flushed with the ceiling and don't like to use normal can lights with eyeball trim since eyeball sticks out of ceiling. On the other hand, I have all 6" can lights in my kitchen and hallway that are connected to the living room. I like to have a matching trim for the lights.
Currently I am leaning toward these can lights since I don't see a better alternate. The won't point straight down but I guess it might be Ok not to point the light straight down for 4/12 pitch.