I’m on flutro, midodrine, and a weekly saline infusion. Today though I got really sick and thought about going to the ER for the first time. If nothing else I thought they could provide some instant BP and EKG readings and maybe additional fluids. Does it usually go that way for anyone here or do you normally get refused/told to call your cardiologist/neuro ?

4 days ago I gave birth to my baby girl at 22 weeks. There are still so many questions, including the massive “why” that are unanswered. Below is my experience.
Last year I fell pregnant and had a MMC in April (the baby stopped growing at 6 weeks, we didn't find out until our first scan at 10 weeks).
After the loss, we tried for 7 months until we fell pregnant again in Jan. We suspect it took some time because I have an 8-day luteal phase (this is considered a short luteal phase or luteal phase defect). A standard luteal phase is 12-14 days.
I did early pregnancy monitoring and every test and scan came back perfect with the exception of one blood test at 4 weeks pregnant: my TSH was slightly elevated, meaning my thyroid wasn't functioning at the level that it should. I was put on a daily dose of Levothyroxine and every blood test showed normal TSH levels after that.
Two weeks after a clean anatomy scan and one week after an OBGYN check-up, I did a 20-minute, low-impact workout for the second trimester. The workout included squats and I held an 8lb weight. It had been a few weeks since I worked out and I was feeling guilty so I did it. I paused the YT video 3 times to take long breaks (5-10 minutes). I drank plenty of water and modified certain moves as needed.
Later that night while trying to sleep, I noticed I had more discharge than usual. It was clear and wasn't too much more than I usually had so I didn't think anything of it.
The following day I already felt sore in my thighs and legs. This is normal for me. I also experienced round ligament pain. It's extremely common for round ligament pain to become more intense after a workout. It was worse than usual, but not debilitating or concerning in any way. It was all within normal ranges.
That night, so early Wednesday morning, around 3AM, I woke up because I was uncomfortable. This was normal for me at 22 weeks. I had some round ligament pain that was more annoying than anything else. As the hours passed, it got more intense and frequent. But it still just felt like round ligament pain. No blood, no mucus plug, no craps similar to a period.
At 6:30AM I propped myself up in my bed and there was a rush of liquid. I thought maybe I peed. The liquid didn’t smell like anything and even though I had just been on the toilet, I knew peeing yourself isn’t uncommon. My weak pelvic floor made peeing a regular occurrence throughout the pregnancy.
I immediately woke up my husband to get his take. I called my OB’s answering service and left a message. My husband and I decided to play it safe and get ready to head to the hospital. We thought we were being abundantly cautious. We thought we would be told I peed myself.
A little after 7:30AM, we get to the hospital. At this point, it didn’t click that something was very wrong, I don’t think my brain was allowing me to think that. I was having intense pain that was making me contort every few minutes. Once I got into the ER, I could no longer stand. I was wheeled back to L&D immediately.
In the L&D intake room, I asked to use the bathroom to pee. My husband went with me, but once I was there I couldn’t pee, I then felt like I had to poop. Seconds later, my daughter was born into the toilet. We had only been at the hospital for 5-10 minutes. My husband opened the door and yelled for help while holding me up so baby wasn’t in the water. She was moving.
They rushed our baby to the NICU doctors and after 5 or 10 minutes, the NICU doctor came over to explain there wasn’t anything else that could be done. We held her as she passed.
We only have the autopsy results left, which will take a month to receive. All other blood tests, urine tests, placenta biopsy, etc has come back clean.
I am convinced the workout I did Monday night tipped the first domino. Without that, I may still be pregnant with our baby.
Given how old I am (34 in less than 2 months) and that we want 3-4 kids, we want to start trying again immediately. One doctor recommended we wait 3-4 months, but I don’t want to. Is 3-4 months a standard wait time after a 22-week loss?
During the wait, they will do a saline sonogram to confirm there are no anomalies in my uterus that could have caused this. The doc is convinced this will come back clean and treatment for the next pregnancy will be progesterone supplementation and a cervical cerclage. She thought my weak pelvic floor could be a potential contributing factor.
If you read this in its entirety, I appreciate you. I hope people can relate and feel less alone. Maybe people can learn from my experience. There are some details I left out so if you have questions, don't hesitate. Much love to you all.

Recently I have been looking at the alchemist artificer trying to find the best ways to optimize its features and I feel like taking some of the worst classes and subclasses a challenge worth pursuing. I also saw alter self and realized I got to try and make something from that... As I worked out the build progression it reminded me of an 80s video game Altered Beast.
Build Rules: 1. can not go below baseline damage through level 11 by Treantmonk standard. 2. Must use alter self spell.
Progression Levels 1-5:
Race: Human, Stats- 9/16/14/13/14/13, quarterstaff and explorers pack
Drunken Master - The first 5 levels will play like a slightly underpowered monk, all ASIs go to DEX. Drunken master will make you more useful as you will be able to hit and run and nothing depends on wisdom other than AC.
Ending Stats: 9/18/14/13/14/13, AC: 16, DPR: 16.79, HP: 38
Progression Levels 6-9:
Alter self is a bad spell but it does let the natural weapons make unarmed strikes, it does plus 1 damage and it lasts for 1 hour. By gaining it through an elixir you do not have to concentrate and technically it is a second level spell you can remove concentration from and cast for a first level slot. This is the best alter self will be in D&D likely... If your DM lets you drink potions as a bonus action then I would go with two spell wrought tattoos of divine favor for your infusions. (mage armor as as ac bump is fine too...) If he/she does not let you BA to drink a potion then consider a homunculus servant. The elixirs have a feature that allows them to be fed to an unconscious person as an action and it stands to reason that it is easier to feed it to a conscious person. Using your BA you can have the humculous feed someone with its action. This will allow you to more effectively use your elixirs/potions but since alter self lasts an hour we are just going to assume that we do not need to worry about that because we will proactively drink it in any remotely dangerous area. At level 8 your alter self potions will ease the blow of having to wait to max DEX at level 9. I am assuming an alter self potion covers two combats as Treantmonk makes that assumption for Hex on the warlock. So at this point you are transformed 6/8 combats and have divine favor to really beef up your attacks(attacks with natural weapons are weapon attacks for divine favor).
Ending Stats: 9/20/14/13/14/13, AC: 17, DPR: 21.03, HP: 66 (no divine favor in damage calculations as it is not sustained)
Progression Levels 10-11:
Take 2 levels in Genie warlock. The short rest spell slots provide 4 slots. 1 will be used for an alter self potion and the remaining 3 slots on hex. Genies Wrath will bump damage. I will assume hex coverage constantly. On a BBEG hex will not need to be moved and on smaller encounters divine favor will be used to ease BA contention. Armor of shadows will bump AC by 1 and Fiendish Vigor will bolster our hit points.
Ending Stats: 9/20/14/13/14/13, AC: 17, DPR: 33.03, HP: 80 +9 Temp every encounter
Future Enhancements:
There is lots to consider for later levels. I would try to convince the DM to allow you to build an insignia of claws as your replicate magic item. Another 5 level will bump martial arts die so will one level of fighter.
I hope you enjoyed this build idea!

Freshly back and awake after a twelve day stint for my first time there. I knew that I wanted to go in general, and while I didn't have a firm itinerary planned out, there was one main goal that I had in terms of sites within the country. The main video game that I play is Beatmania IIDX, and it has internal trophies which are represented as badges. Your profile allows you to assign up to five of them as visible when you start a new round, and there are badges to earn for playing at least one round in every prefecture in Japan, as well as every subregion. Getting the Kanto badge meant that I needed to play at least one round in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba. After five days, I had that complete, and now I have a permanent record of this trip within the game itself. There was also a time-limited event to earn points in IIDX in order to exchange them for goods, such as a hat, or a towel, or a new account card and a poster, and I managed to get that taken care of in somewhat dramatic fashion. I did some other things too.
Primary general points
· Getting Suica set on the phone and using it was generally painless. There were only two times where I needed to summon the help of a resident JR employee to clear up an issue with the gate not reading the card for some reason.
· Most vocal interaction which I had was the opposite of painless, because I continuously kept trying to speak Japanese and failing, and most people would realize that I was completely failing at it and responded with English (some with full on sentences, others with just a few words). There were a few rare times that I was able to express my intent in Japanese, receive a response, understand the response, and reply as necessary, but that was rare. Once English was invoked, I would stay with it, because that's what they were expecting. I've been self-studying the language for more than twenty years in varying degrees of intensity, and while my reading comprehesion seemed sufficient enough for this trip, and while I didn't expect my speaking to be as good because I don't have any opportunity to practice speaking, I came away bitterly disappointed in my vocal and speaking comprehension in terms of my interaction with people there. Even within the trip I could at least overhear common chitchat better, but any time I needed to converse with someone for some reason, I usually needed to have things repeated several times and broken down before I finally realized what was being said.
· You are going to be asked about separately buying a bag with every non-food purchase. Accept or immediately present one that you are carrying to indicate how your purchase shall be bagged.
· I never once had my passport requested for presentation.
· Only once did a person volutnarily reach out to address me, and it was just to ask me where I was from in English. Otherwise, everyone left me alone the entire time.
· Weather through the period was ideal. Mid to upper 70F/25C range and only a few days where it was rainy, and even then it wasn't a downpour. A while ago I personally resolved to only wear suits in public and I purchased a new pair of Mephisto shoes after hearing reports of the extensive walking causing problems for traveller's feet and shoes. My attire help up well; there were only a few times that I needed to avoid sunlight to not get too hot, and I have no issues to report from the shoes.
· I only got X'd out of a restaurant one time, and I think it's only because I wandered into it before it was ready for service. Otherwise, I never once waited in line for food, I never once went to restaurant more than once, and all food was acceptably priced for the portion and excellent for the quality.
For these per-day recounts, I wrote them contemporaneously at the end of each day, so you'll need to forgive me for some writing being in present tense and other writing being in past tense.
Day 1 - Travel, Sugamo, Ikebukuro
Non stop flight from Chicago OHare to Haneda. 12 hours. Good thing I usually don't watch movies, because that just means that all I needed to do was binge a few to make the trip go by.
Pre-trip research led me to choose APA Sugamo as my home base for the visit, and I think that it was a very fortuitious choice. I'll have more to say about it later.
Some awkward encounters happened right away upon checking in here. I was at the nearby Family Mart to buy some things and I didn’t catch that he was making sure I wanted a bag until he repeated it five times. Yes, I’ll take it. Before getting there I was coming down to ground level after checking into my room, and when that person saw that I would have been the only other person going down to the ground, they ducked right back out. I was warned on both of these kinds of things happening, so I guess it’s good to have that immediately out of the way. It would turn out that people deliberately avoiding me was rare throughout the trip.
Despite not sleeping on the trip, I had freshly arrived and had no sense of being tired, so once I had my stuff down, I went off to Ikebukuro right away. No picture or video truly conveys how crowded these areas can get. It can only be experienced in person to be understood.
I soon found Round One Ikebukruo and went right in. So dense and loud. It’s entirely alien to me to see no less than ten IIDX machines in operation and all of them in use. I dumped the money into random tickets, as I foresaw doing, but now I have to wonder if that was the right thing to do, or if it’s tied to that location. I guess I’ll find out.
The forecast is for rain so I need to be in a hurry to figure out where I’m going to go. There might be only one day left for me to get my time limited toys.
Day 2 - Kawasaki, Kanagawa - Utsunomiya, Tochigi - Oomiya, Saitama
My body decided that it only needed four hours of sleep this morning. Without doing more research, I somehow decided to assume that more of the Round One locations were close to 24 hours of operation much like Ikebukuro. Answer: no. I hopped on the train early and went to Shibuya first, but it was very quiet, so I decided to get some of the travels out of the way today and headed south to Kawasaki. I still needed to dawdle for a while until Silk Hat opened at 900AM, and when I finally was able to get inside, I was only able to verify that their store had several allotments of the campaign goods and all allotments were out. Played one round on a monitor that was surprisingly blurry, and I don’t know why that would be the case with a lightning model, but it was, so that was enough.
After doing all of that, I resolved to try to go to Chiba and Ibaraki afterwards. I figured that with Kanagawa and Tokyo likely all out, going to the outskirts would make more sense. However, there was an injury on one of the rails that threw everything off normal, and the train I found myself riding was bound for Utsunomiya instead. Seeing as how I was going to go there eventually, I rolled with it.
It doesn’t take too long to move away from Tokyo metropolitan area before you encounter more forest like areas and rice paddy fields. Halfway through the trip I noticed that two older women suddenly hopped off while the train was waiting to go to the next stop, and I followed them when I realized they found the express line. Utsunomiya has a substantial size to its area and buildings but it was very quiet on the streets there in midday. Walked a mile to Sega GIGO, found that they didn’t even have the goods tracker up. All out. Interesting buliding for it having several neon signs, all vintage and authentic at that. Getting to there from the south meant cutting through Saitama, so I knew I had enough time to make one last attempt there. Research shown two stores being near Oomiya station, so that’s where I ended up. Taito Station was immediately visible upon exit, and they have two IIDX machines specifically with 20 gram springs, which is closer to my home setup and that much lighter than standard 50 gram springs. The final hour drew near and I made one last visit to that city’s Round One. Unlike nearly every other place I went to so far, it only had one IIDX machine. However, and maybe because of that, their goods listing didn’t show everything as out. One painful language exchange later, I was able to discern that what I wanted was available. When you spend more than 3000 yen in a single credit, the game wants to verify if you really want to proceed. It does it again at 6000 and 9000. Yes, I really do. But, having made that money dump I was able to get my hands on the e-amuse card and poster with fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Mission complete. By this point in the day it was exceedingly difficult to even look at the screen so I was ready to come home, but not before getting some goods at the Oomiya Book Off and redeeming what I could for points at Round One Ikebukuro. By the end of the day the only thing that I could tolerate doing was to buy some chicken and nigiri from the nearby train station. Good enough. At that point in the day my body felt like it wants to rock back and forth after all the train riding done today. But, it ended up being worthwhile after all.
One nostalgic feeling I had the most strongly in the day was at the Utsunomiya location where the smell of it triggered past buried memories of yesteryear. I think I want to attribute it to the stronger second hand cigarette smell but I’m not sure - all the same I felt its presence strongly there. Also, I don’t see Oomiya (or really Saitama itself) mentioned as a fun place to go, but it might serve as an acceptable alternative to Ikebukuro, only not as massive in scale of human quantity. Depending on how the trip goes in total I may end up back there for IIDX playing, at least if I don’t find any other place that has 20G springs.
Day 3 - Akihabara
With the travels out of the way, it was time to keep things more regionalized and stick to one area, and there is shopping that needs to be done, so it was off to Akihabara and to see how much of other posted tales hold true. The answer is that it is a lot of it. Kotobukiya can stand to open sooner than noon. Super Potato is indeed priced for a market which wants to snap up anything cheap - I at least found Xi for under 500 and felt that it would have been a bit silly to buy only that, but it didn’t make spending 2000 on one single issue of Arcadia any better. I had no idea that Hey Arcade was right next to both of them; while it was assuredly nice to be there and see the row of Cave shooters among everything else, something got messed up with my registration of my new eamuse card with everything else, so that quickly added to my stress. Having to carry around a few hundred dollars worth of crap with every step didn’t help matters. At least I was able to help a person recover their lost phone by applying a bit of logic to the situation and deducing it to belong to the only person there who looked French, as it was on the Lock Screen. They were relieved, yes. Then, rain came, and it was more than I was anticipating, and I left the umbrella at the room, particularly since I knew I’d be shopping this day. It also turns out to have not mattered much, because I went to visit Bic Camera so that I could get myself a hair trimmer while here, and that turned into me finding a bunch of Kit Kats available, so that meant a second bag. The wind kicked out the rain and my umbrella. In trying to get as many gifts secured as possible, I found some gachapon, but it needed 100Y coins, and I didn’t need paper money in the trip yet. After fighting with maps, I found an ATM to get cash, and got the gachapon. I came home late with feeling rather crushed about the day in that I couldn’t take pictures very well with having to juggle weather and bagging considerations. There were some nice parts of the experience to be sure but between that and more gawking at Super Potato pricing ($135 for PS3 Caladrius? $6000 for Pulstar?) and seeing similar markups on other goods, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that there is a reputation that this area carries and the pricing is there to go with it.
Day 4 - Laundry Day. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku
I was so drained at the end of Day 3 that I fell asleep on the bed immediately after ending the night call, which meant that I woke up at 0200AM to a room that was fully lit. This meant that I needed to look up how to resolve my eamuse problem or else I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I did both. Awake at 0800AM meant that I had time to do laundry while I figured out what to do with the rest of the day. This meant that I was able to get more of Sugamo in pictures, and it was nice to be able to walk among the actual residences, and do other things like come across a school as it was actually in session. With them being close by and all in succession, I figured to get Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku visited. It turns out to have been a good day for it, as the temperature was perfectly cool and no rain came, and the sun came out only for a little bit. Shibuya somehow doesn’t seem quite as large in scope in person but the crowds were definitely there, and it is much more hilly than I anticipated as well. After wandering around and not seeing any arcade for a bit, I came across a series of coffee and cookie shops and remained strong to not indulge. It was there while looking at a Disney store (which gets tourists to take pictures of it for some reason) that the song Alone Again came on through the nearby public speakers. What timing. It drove me to finally get a treat for myself, and the frozen latte (black sesame and houji) and croissant (dark chocolate filing) were certainly good, it ended up costing more than the dinner I’d have later this day. I found a seclusion with a garbage can to eat the food and not carry the trash around, then an arcade soon after, and it was time to determine if I could fix the problem. Just like an easy click, it was. New to trash. Old to new. Done. Why did it have to be this way. Harajuku came next, and the environment there was distinct. This one in particular felt like it was an extended carnival atmosphere with the single tight knit market street and emphasis on fashion. A conversation with a freelance artist in the subway actually went well enough that I didn’t feel dumb. The same sensation carried to Shinjuku as well, only it was more spread out. Kabuki street was interesting to see in person, and I didn’t get any unseemly vibes from the place. Maybe it’s different later at night. A return home at a reasonable time allowed me to go down Sugamo’s market street a bit; most of it was closed, but it was interesting to come across the few remaining stores that were open by 0800PM, and more so the one that wasn’t. Coming back to the hotel I found a 24 hour ramen shop with nobody inside. The chef didn’t want to speak and only pointed to the ordering kiosk when I addressed her. The food came through a slot in the obscured window. At least her thank you as I left was a bit more warm, and the food was certainly delicious. To match with the matcha dessert that I bought from Sugamo station, I swung by a 7Eleven to get a drink, and found a milk tea for cheaper than a vending machine. The overhead music in the store was an instrumental version of Alone Again.
Day 5. Ibaraki - Mount Tsukuba, Miraidaira. Kashiwa, Chiba. Akihabara 2.
Awake at 0500AM on my own and knowing the current forecast meant that my envisioned plan for the day was quickly realized. Reaching the Tsukuba Express starting point from Akihabara needs you to get very far down into the ground before getting out into sunlight. I was on the ride early enough to see schoolchildren going about their commute, some of them being no older than ten and going about it unaccompanied. The people of Tsukuba seemed to be particularly helpful and cheerful that day, even despite my Suica issues at the gate. I didn’t ask his name at the counter but the man at the service desk was eager to speak with me about my career and what I was doing there. One asked where I was from on the way up to the summit and another caught my cable car ticket on the way down. There had to have been a few of them who saw my doing this climb in my business attire and thinking me to be a complete idiot if not outright mocking them for doing it that way while they employed the use of dual walking sticks and the like. I know I read some reports of the home stretch being difficult, but it did get pretty close to being an actual rock climb instead of a trail hike for that part of it. A quick stop to Miraidaira on the way back to get the Ibaraki play. The way the town center greets you upon leaving the rail gate struck me as incredible, as well as for how quiet it was. It was like walking onto a movie set. I did find the sweet shop after the play, and that was another painful interaction yet again. Oh well. Two quick stops down Tsukuba Express and one across from Tobu Urban Park line was enough to have a toe in Chiba, and I didn’t even need to leave the physical building of the train station to get to the basement level to find a machine for a play. Thank you, Kashiwa, you were great. Gunma is all that’s left. The descent from Tsukuba did take some earnest exertion, and after doing that the two stops, that put me back in Akihabara about when I anticipated; what I failed to anticipate is how much that place seems to drain on me. I think I just need to eat at an actual dinner time. Once I got back to Sugamo and had food it was a bit better, but while in Akihabara and being around that environment, and not finding things on a shopping list, I found myself just standing still and watching life pass me by. I hemmed and hawed a while for a maid girl’s hour of service for chitchat, but eventually I talked myself out of it because I just didn’t want potential trouble, just like her name. Komaru. I thought about doing this once just to say that I did, but I ultimately decided against it. You cannot go to this place with the expectation that you will find anything unless it is advertised and new. If you are looking for anything used, don’t count on it being there. You also cannot go there without having a strong resolve to not engage with the touts, because it becomes disheartening to see them do their job and blankly stare at the world when they're forced to stand out there and do nothing. Back to Sugamo to find a place that advertised Wagyu but the price they wanted was more than I wanted to spend. The ramen and seaweed & rice servings were fine, but they advertised endless drink and I didn’t receive that. All for $20? No, son. I did better than that elsewhere, I’ll know better now. Long day.
Day 6 - Tokyo Flea Market, Nakano Broadway, Ueno.
The weather couldn’t have been better for this weekend. I’ve read reports that the flea market held near the horse race track will be arbitrarily cancelled regardless of what is reported on the website, but my gut instinct told me that it would occur today, and it did. Turns out that a flea market is a flea market which is a flea market, no matter where it happens. Same allotment of clothes and stuff that few people really want to buy, although I was able to find myself some neckties at least. I probably overpaid based on what I saw later in the route, but that’s fine. They look nice. I settled on some shot glasses for a gift as well, but I’m surprised that I can’t ind something ornate that isn’t part of a sake set. Seated in the shade with a chocolate churro while rap music played in the background - it’s like I never left home. A woman came to sit across from me for the sake of sitting down; she was from Holland and today’s her last day in the country. Her husband came with food eventually. She had three weeks here and went to several places (allegedly, she didn’t list them out) and I asked her about Nakano Broadway. She didn’t make it there. It’s a good thing that I did - this is probably the kind of environment and market that people expect of Akihabara now, and maybe that’s how Aki was years ago, but it’s different from this. What’s more interesting is that Mandarake has a larger presence here than in Akihabara (so it seems to me), and their stores had floor after floor of any and every kind of pop culture product that’s been made in the past sixty years at least. Buttress that with extensive watch and jewelry stores and a slender arcade in the basement, and it’s a very well centralized microcosm of the country’s economy on the whole. I actually made a point to have dinner earlier than usual this time and found a place to serve some deep fried pork cuts served with rice and soup on the side. It was enough, and very well made. The day had not ended and my bag was heavy with several books purchased there, so I reported back to base briefly and decided to try visiting somewhere else, and settled on Ueno. Just as I arrived, a festival was underway where local teams of people made an elaborate show of carrying a home made shrine to a temple. Streets were officially blocked by police to allow the procession. In following the line I came up against makeshift food and amusement stands with the traditional toy gun shooting and goldfish catching. It appears that this is an official “start of summer” festival and I was able to watch it all happen in front of me. That was the good part of the day.
Day 7 - Tachikawa / Kunitachi. Shinjuku 2.
One of the games that I've never played is Beatmania III The Final. I've played some BM3 7th Mix years ago, but not The Final. I found a location that has one - World Game Circus in Tachikawa. In looking around that area before the trip, I saw that there was a nearby shinkansen museum, and not much else, so I figured that going to both places would make that walk worthwhile. Turns out that it wasn’t a museum in the proper sense of a dedicated building. Rather, it was a bullet train engine car on the side of a building that was unrelated, and that was it. A cute interaction happened here - when I approached the car, I heard some children running around inside, so I approached cautiously without knowing if I was encroaching upon someone else's alloted time or something. Once the children saw me, they gave a hearty irrashaimase as I entered, and the boy stamped a paper and presented it to me. Perfect. Despite it not being a typical musem, the card did have some interesting content, and it's good to see some kind of commemoration for their achievements and progression in that industry regardless. They have a lot to be proud about there. Off to WGC. Maps wasn’t lying about the walk taking twenty minutes. It's a good thing that I looked it up on streetview beforehand, because I otherwise would have walked right past it without knowing it was there. Then there it was, and there I confronted a past that I couldn’t visit again. Sure, I got to play BM3 The Final at last, but my timing was off, my hands were off, there wasn’t much I could do. Along with that I can say that I’ve played on a Beatmania II cabinet, and that was better than 5th Style at least. But that was it, that was all I could stand to do. It was right there and I couldn’t bear to put up with it more than a few rounds at best. Dream big, because only disappointment follows if your smaller dreams ever are fulfilled. I don’t know why finding IKEA back in Shinjuku was so difficult, but it took a while. I bought a bag, and then I bought a bag because the other bag was at the end of the register, which makes sense. I did feed myself before getting back to the Taito station to play some songs, but it still wasn’t good enough. All thumbs. Ended the day with laundry since the timing worked. Speaking of making dreams big, it’s time to cross another one off the list tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Day 8 - Takasaki, Gunma. Oomiya, Saitama 2.
It’s a good thing that I only needed to get to Ikebukuro to transfer over to the next stop, because that’s where that particular run ended for some reason. I wonder what was up. Speaking of things getting messed up on trains, I managed to find my way on a train that needed a separate ticket, which I didn't have. The conductor found me right away and had me disembark at Uraja for me to wait for the proper transfer. The weather forecast said there’d be rain, and the travel forecast said it would take two hours to get there, and neither lied. I feel like I had more people staring at me in Gunma than other places. I will say that I found the Takasaki station area to be rather charming, with the stores that it had inside and the emphasis on the music culture there. It’s one thing to offer a piano to the public to play, but it’s another to have a public willing to use it. This location had both. Having what was essentially a Bic Camera built into the facility was a nice touch too. The Leisure Land arcade was sandwiched between other floors that had its own offering of gaming stuff, so that was an unexpected bit of a fun thing to look through. The area was clean and sparsely populated, and it wasn’t picked clean of all matter of things that would normally get snapped up, so that was interesting. Finally, I made it over to the machine. They had separate fans for each location. I got the songs and then the medals came, and that’s that. Kantou Seiou. I would have stayed a bit longer but I wanted to have the medals show up right away, and my internet wasn’t cooperating, so that’s all I could do. I think there was an Internet cafe that I could have used in the facility, but I didn’t want to deal with an awkward conversation. I did get some Lawson on the way out, as well as some trinkets from the local Gunma-chan store as well as some mini croissants and some macademia cookie things. More vocal awkwardness. Omiya was one of the stops on the way back, and I found a place to serve omrice, so that’s another one off the list. No shoes allowed inside. The value wasn’t there but the service was good enough, as was the flavor. The machines with the 20G springs are indeed legit. Back home in time for some McDonalds, and that’s another food-checklist item marked off. Takoyaki mayo dipping sauce - somehow it’s both salty and sweet. While returning to the hotel, I did happen to encounter an argument amongst two teenaged locals where the guy ended up half-heartedly kicking the girl and getting her to cry. I wonder what their argument was about. I didn’t play hero, but someone else did so enough to prevent an escalation and called the police over.
Day 9 - Sugamo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Akihabara 3, Kanda
Up early enough to decide that I should at least visit the Sky Tree while I'm there just to say that I did, and that I should visit the Sugamo street market upon its open since it was right there in front of me. I'm glad to have done so. With everything open, this felt more like what one would think to expect from a flea market environment that's operated and supported by the local populace. Small stores were open both sides of the street that go on for many blocks, and some tents and tables were set up to sell second hand goods as well. I was able to find someone selling a US Morgan dollar and he wanted only 2000Y for it, so that was an easy buy. If I would have known better to anticipate this area, I wouldn't have felt compelled to buy kitchy tourist crap that is expected as gifts elsewhere. If you are looking for a place to idly shop around that doesn't get extremely crowded and has an authentic local feel to it, consider making a point to come here. Off to Sky Tree. Getting the combo ticket for the second deck was worth it just for the lack of crowds on the upper area. If you're going to come here, consider getting a phone selfie stick or something of the kind so that you can take pictures against the windows without the structure scaffolding obstructing your view. On the subject of shopping again, this might be another area to consider visiting just for the sake of the specialty stores to be found here, such as those for chopsticks or hairpins. To close out the day, my wife reminded me to look for something from the Square Enix cafe, so that meant swinging by Akihabara yet again. Since it is within a walkway, it was a bit of a pain to find this place even with using maps, but I eventually found it and got what she wanted to find. Played some IIDX at Game Panic, which was surprisingly small and the one machine that was avaialble to play had some 2P turntable issues, so that didn't last all that long. Dinner was at a nearby place that specalized in tofu, so that was a good ramen serving with that infused. For the evening, I wandered south to Kanda to get night pictures, and found it to feel pretty similar to Ueno.
Day 10 - Ginza, Tokyo, Kanda & Akihabara 4
Launrdry in the morning. I also wanted to say that I went to Ginza in my time here, and I didn't research anywhere to go to keep it a surprise. It was a bit warmer and sunnier than usual that day, and I stuck to the main road for most of the walk, so I can't say that I found too many points of the interest along the path that I walked starting from Yurakucho station and heading out that way. High class store for high class people, and that's too rich for my peasant blood. Similarly for Tokyo proper itself, I suppose I'd have to needed to wander far away from the Yamanote vicinity to find points of interest there, as I didn't encounter anything that was remarkably distinctive here in comparison to other areas that I have previously seen. Continuing north across Nihonbashi brought me to Kanda and eventually to Akihabara yet again, as if it was a magnet that pulled me inside every time. For the sake of trying a different place I chose to play some IIDX at the Leisure Land arcade there, and I'm glad to have done that, as those machines were probably in the best coniditon that I encountered within that area. Dinner was at Tenkaippin, which I didn't realize until after I placed the order was cash only. The clerk didn't request it beforehand but I voluntarily left my passport there to show that I would return, and promptly went to the same ATM that I had found days prior in order to get the cash to pay for the bill.
Day 11 - Haneda T3, Nishi Nippori, Nippori, Uguisuidani, Otsuka, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukruo, home.
The end. I resolved to take the subway over to Haneda today to get the one luggage over there and stored, and it’s a good thing that I did - there’s no easy solution for getting over there without encountering a crowd. If anything I wonder if Yamanote is actually better. Regardless, I got that much done. With the day left to go, I ventured to Nishi Nippori and I needed to summon the map several times to make sure I found the location, as it was as obscure as it could get. Just a sign on the ground for the third floor, a stairway that led to the back, an elevator that had no decoration, a single room that housed everything. Arcade PCB kits on shelves, joystick panels in exposed boxes, nicotine odor from years past - it was like I was transported to 1995 upon entry, beyond the fact that the games weren’t as old. Most of them, they did have a lot going for SF3 3rd yet. I was able to take care of some game business in a hurry since I was the only one there. It was a very pleasant respite for play in comparison to most of the other sessions. The region itself felt much the same as this arcade - old and well worn, as in well lived. Venturing south to Nippori led me to stumble upon a shrine and cemetery just by following some stairs. Usuigudani was cleaner but mostly had hotels as points of interest. Back home to buy some mochi while mochi was for sale in midday. Then to Otsuka, thinking that I would wander to Ikebukuro, but I ended up wandering back to Sugamo instead. Whoops. Meal at Sugamo, then back out to return to Shibuya and Shinjuku at night to catch evening shots, when I hadn’t done so before at these places. Good thing I did that to get Golden Gai area shots at night. With the night winding down, I decided to have one last IIDX play at Round 1 in Ikebukuro to symbolically end where I started.
Ending arcade comments
· Although the upkeep is generally better and more consistent than the US, some machines will have hardware issues here too. I was surprised by the blurriness with some of the LM IIDX machines.
· Densha De Go on the propert large cabinet is nice but quickly becomes very expensive.
· Bombergirl is OK enough and having the dedicated detonator button that pops up for hitting the base is a cute touch.
· Chase Chase Jokers feels rather clunky and I'm not sure what the game is trying to do. Interesting side screen concept at least.
· Nostalgia is delightful and would probably find a small fanbase worldwide if it had more exposure.
· Favorite IIDX locations are Taito Station in Oomiya for the light keys and Leisure Land Akihabara for the high quality of the LMs there. Honorable mention goes to the Game Versus loctation in Nishi Nihonbashi, but that might not be worth it for a dedicated trip unless you go there first thing in the morning.
Ending overall comments
This was a life altering trip for me, as would be expected. While I'm glad to have made the journey, as to be expected, I will only want to return after making an extensive redoubled effort into speaking and hearing comprehension, because I know that I came across like a blubbering idiot so many times, and it's truly aggravating because I generally know what I want to say and most of the words that are used to say it, but it just doesn't come out of my mouth properly when it needs to be done.
I welcome any questions you may have, as that will help for me to recall the memories and have me write them down.

Location: Defense Line Husky, Datsot-3

POV: Motsotaer, Malgeir Federation Planetary Defense Force (Rank: Pack Member)
The shrieking whistle of incoming artillery shell was among the most terrifying noises known to living beings.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew. Boom. Boom. Boom.
But it meant you were still alive.
Pack Member Motsotaer wondered if the poor pups in the forward trenches heard them coming as the enemy high explosive pounded into their lines.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
One of their anti-aircraft concrete bunkers took a direct hit; its roof collapsed on itself with a loud crumble.
Grass Eater artillery was voluminous, destructive, but scariest of all, it was incredibly precise. Their intelligence assets in orbit knew all, saw all. Their kill chains were short. Once they saw you, they would call it in, and the remainder of your life was measured in minutes and seconds.
There was nothing vegetarian about the efficient and bloodthirsty way the long-eared Grass Eaters fought, and the numerous intelligent predator species they’d exterminated on their way to Datsot… some of those tales gave even Motsotaer nightmares.
The defenders of Datsot had no choice. No choice but to defend their homes against the psychotic enemies pounding their lines to bits. And the ones who remained had learned the hard lessons of war, either through experience earned by blood or via the process of not-so-natural selection.
Motsotaer clutched his rifle against his chest as he laid in his own shallow hole, eyes closed. If the end was going to come for him, there was nothing else he could do but huddle in his freshly-dug grave.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The blasts continued walking across the defense lines, undoubtedly killing scores of his comrades. But he accompanied each shockwave with a sigh of relief; they let him know that he was still alive. Still breathing.
One final rumble. And then there was silence across the battlefield.
Motsotaer waited a minute before he peeked out — another lesson that smart defenders of Datsot had discovered the hard way. A couple brave medics were already on the move, their shouts left and right, pulling bodies and the groaning injured alike out of the rubble aftermath of the shelling.
With a grunt, he pulled himself out of his hole, rushing towards the neighboring anti-air bunker. The concrete roof had collapsed, but he could still hear cries from the dark. He squeezed through the cluttered entrance.
It was a mess on the inside. The lights were all gone. Scattered sandbags. It smelled like blood and death, and he pushed aside the still body of a Head Pack Leader he only knew of, only to find the corpse of yet another Pack Member, her limbs sprawled in an unnatural position.
“Anyone still alive in here?” he asked in the dark as his eyes adjusted. “Hello?”
There were a series of loud coughs. “I’m here. I’m here.”
“Pack Leader Nidvid!” he shouted as he recognized the familiar shrill voice. “Keep talking! Where are you?”
“Here. I’m here. Help me up.”
As she continued to cough, he had the sense to fish a flashlight out of his pocket, fumbling around until he found the on button. As the light activated, he could see Nidvid half-buried in the dirt, her lower limbs trapped beneath some sand from the broken sandbags.
“Pack Leader!” He got onto his front paws and started digging. “Are you injured?”
“I don’t think so,” she shook her head in the dim lighting as she experimentally wriggled her legs. “Here, I think I’m loose. Help me up.”
Motsotaer grasped her under her arms, and with a heavy grunt, pulled her out of the dirt.
“Whew,” she said, checking her body again for wounds. Nidvid looked around at the other bodies splayed in the bunker. “Oh no… Head Pack Leader…”
“That was a close one. I can’t believe you lived through that!”
“Yeah, me neither… Wait a second,” Nidvid said as she began rummaging through a pile of rubble near the Head Pack Leader’s body. “The radio…”
“What are you looking for?” he asked as he aimed his flashlight towards where she was looking.
“Oh no, no, no…” her voice trailed off as she picked up the device she’d been looking for. “Our hardline communicator…” It was clearly broken from the strike, its shell perforated with a hundred holes and its connection to the landline severed. In disgust, Nidvid threw it back to the ground.
“What uh— what did you need that for?” Motsotaer asked. “Were we supposed to tell them we were being attacked?”
“No… It was— before the strike, we got a high priority order.”
“A high priority order?”
Nidvid recalled, “There’s a special platoon in our salient… We were supposed to get an important message to them!”
“Special platoon?” Motsotaer asked. “Are you okay, Nidvid?”
“Yes, yes,” the Pack leader replied, visibly distraught. “They only had a physical line to us because they’re supposed to be keeping in the dark. Emissions control or something like that so they can activate the flying machine swarm in time. They said this was life and death and our whole defense line hinges on it!”
“Emissions control? Flying machines? Pack Leader, we should get you to a medic,” he said skeptically.
“No! Motsotaer, this is important. We need to get the message to them now. They’re only a couple kilometers south from our position. If we run over to their position now, it might not yet be—”
He looked up at her face in alarm. “Run to another position? Outside the trench line?”
“Yes! We have to go!” she said, as she peeked out of the concrete bunker towards the barren zone ahead of the trenches. “Now! Before they start their offensive.”
Motsotaer began to protest, “But that’s no creature’s land. If we get spotted by their troops, we’ll be hunted down by the Grass Eaters ships in orbit…”
She was insistent, “Pack Member Motsotaer, get it together. We still have a job to do. Are you with me or are you going to sit here and die like a coward to the long-ears?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, straightening up. Death or not, he was no coward. “I mean… I’m with you.”
“Good. Then let’s go.”
With a grunt, she leapt out of the trenches and jogged south, keeping to the defensive side of it for the modicum of cover it provided, and Motsotaer quickly followed. As they sprinted away from the tattered defenses, they ran into a thick tree line that hopefully provided them with some concealment from the Grass Eater ships above.
After a couple more minutes of running in the forest, Motsotaer started to tire and pant. He weighed his burning lung and how embarrassed he’d be if he complained. Luckily for his ego, Nidvid gestured for them to stop after another minute and tossed him her canteen. “Take a break before we get going.”
He chugged as much water as he could in a single swig, and returned the canteen to Nidvid. He gasped out, “How much further, Pack Leader?”
“About one more kilometer south,” she said, aiming her snout up at the treetops. “I recognize the smell of this area.”
“What’s this even about? The message… what was it?”
Nidvid exercised her limbs. “That Grass Eater artillery strike… it was to prepare for their offensive on our lines. They’ve gathered an armored division on the other side of that,” she pointed out into the barren fields beyond the trees. “We have an hour at most before they roll over us.”
“An armored division?!” Motsotaer squeaked. The enemy’s Longclaws — their armored vehicles — were legendary. They could kill from kilometers away. And their thick shells protected them against all but the most powerful artillery in the Federation’s arsenal. He’d never seen one of them personally. If he had, he suspected he wouldn’t be alive to tell anyone about it. “What can we do against a Grass Eater armored division?”
“That’s why we have to get to the special platoon,” Nidvid replied. She pointed in the southern direction, “You ready? Let’s go.”
They galloped for a few more minutes. Motsotaer’s limbs tired and his breaths shallowed as his lung burnt. As he was contemplating whether to ask for another break, Nidvid pointed at a shape in the distance. “There, that’s their position!”
He squinted at it. It was not easy to see, but buried in the tree line was what looked like a bunch of out-of-place branches and leaves over a small vehicle. Buoyed by the anticipation of the end of the marathon, he managed to keep up with Nidvid’s pace.
As they approached, there was a loud shout.
“Hi-yah! Stop!”
They halted their steps and looked for the source of the voice.
“Not one more paw step, deserter! This is a restricted area! Turn around or you’ll be shot!”
Motsotaer looked up at the voice hidden up in the branches. After a moment, with some help from his nose, he found the yeller. It was a short, stout middle-aged male with strange-looking green and brown paint smeared all over his fur and face. He had a rifle aimed squarely at the duo.
“Don’t shoot!” Nidvid yelled back. “We’re runners. We’ve got an important message! For your platoon commander.”
The male in the tree looked suspiciously at them as he leapt down. He lowered his rifle, but didn’t seem any less on guard. “A message?”
“Yes, we’ve got an urgent message for Special Platoon Commander Graunsa. Take us to him right now!”
He sized the two of them up. After a moment, he said slowly, “I am Graunsa. Why are you here, and what is the message?”
Nidvid recovered some of her breath and explained, “The Grass Eaters hit us hard with an artillery strike. Our Head Pack Leader is dead. Our landline is gone. We ran all the way over from our lines north of you.”
Graunsa nodded and gestured for her to continue.
“The Grass Eater armored offensive is about to start. They’re moving into position and ready to go, and there’s a special message embedded—”
“Wait a second,” Graunsa interrupted. “Give me the special message exactly, without omission or your own interpretations.”
“Yes, Platoon Commander,” Nidvid nodded. “The message is: bunny water carriers are in play, red-five-zero-eight; come out of the dark and introduce yourself. Authorization is three-three-greyhound.”
Graunsa looked thoughtful for a moment as he pondered it.
“What does the message mean?” Motsotaer whispered at Nidvid.
“I have no idea,” she shrugged, whispering back. “The Head Pack Leader just told me to memorize it.”
The platoon commander seemed to have made up his mind. “Alright, that seems legitimate. Thanks for the message.” He turned around to leave.
Motsotaer shouted behind him, “Wait, what are we supposed to do now?”
Graunsa turned around. “I don’t know. I’m not your commanding officer.” He paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t recommend going back to your lines though. Might not be there when you get back…”
“What?!”
“You can’t just leave us! Where else are we supposed to go?” Nidvid asked.
Graunsa seemed to contemplate the question for a few heartbeats and sighed, “You said you’re from the position up north?”
“Yup,” they replied in unison.
“And you’re a spotter, Pack Member?” he asked, looking at the rank and position patch on Motsotaer’s chest.
“Yes.”
Graunsa relented. “Fine. We might find a use for you. Get into the bunker… before the Grass Eaters in orbit see us dawdling out here.”
“What? Where?”
The officer pointed at a patch of dark green leaves on the forest floor. As they approached it, he grasped a latch and lifted it to reveal a ladder. The three of them descended into the darkness and Graunsa secured it behind them. With a quiet swoosh, a lamp mounted on the wall lit up to reveal a small hallway leading to a heavy-looking door.
Graunsa knocked on it twice. He turned around and looked at Motsotaer and Nidvid. “What you’re about to see in here is of the highest secrecy level of the Malgeir Federation. If you tell anyone what you see in here, you will be executed for treason. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Platoon Commander.”
“Swear it, on your honor.”
“We swear,” they replied in unison, their voices infused with growing excitement.
“Good enough for me.”
The heavy steel door swung open, showing a room that was vastly different from what its primitive exterior suggested. It resembled a command center far more than a field base, and Motsotaer felt a blast of cold air conditioning in his face as he passed the door threshold.
At the front, a main screen showed a map of the defensive lines in the sector. Facing it, two rows of sleek, new computer screens lit up the dark. Their operators worked busily at their controls, and only a couple faces looked their way in mild interest as they entered.
“What is this—” Motsotaer started to ask. Nidvid grasped his shoulder and shushed him.
Graunsa cleared his throat. Several faces looked towards him in anticipation. “Platoon, we just got the message. Activate the FTL handshake and authenticate us in the network.”
“Yes, sir.” A young-looking communication officer near the front operated a few controls on her console. “I’ve got the advisors on the line.”
Motsotaer read his nametag: Gassin. She was a Gamma Leader, much higher ranked than he, but she looked not a day over twenty. He noted that many of the people in the room sported high-ranking insignias despite their apparent youth.
“On screen,” Graunsa ordered.
A communication window appeared on the main screen, streaming video of someone in a jet-black EVA suit.
Motsotaer stiffened. It was obvious that the subject was alien; at around 1.7 or 1.8 meters, it was far too tall for being a Malgeir. Too small for a Granti. And from the side profile of the suit, it didn’t bulge nearly enough for the tails that the Malgeir’s Schpriss neighbors were known for. A strange new species of aliens.
From the blackened visor, it was obvious that whoever that was… it was the reason for all this tight secrecy.
“Special Platoon Commander Graunsa,” it transmitted in perfect Malgeirish. The alien was either a trained-from-birth Federation Channel One newscaster with a perfectly inoffensive accent, or its translator was far better than anything the Malgeir themselves had invented. “This call is encrypted, but the enemy Znosians in orbit are trying to find your location from the signals, so we’ll have to make it as quick as we can. Have your defensive lines completed your preparations?”
Graunsa stepped up to address the screen directly, “Yes, advisor. Our fire support platoon is ready for tasking.”
“Excellent. Transmitting the first batch of targets in your sector now.”
A series of symbols scrolled onto the screen, showing a number of coordinates.
“We’re getting the enemy positions now,” Gassin exclaimed.
Graunsa turned to her and nodded his appreciation, “Sixteen armored targets. Weapons free.”
“Yes, sir. Programming the sequence.”
A camera on the main screen activated, remotely showing a small hole with some machinery in it dug a few hundred meters away just at the edge of the tree line.
“Launching flying machine swarm!”
As Motsotaer watched, a thicket of metal erupted from the hole in a blur, roaring into the sky.
The main screen was replaced by a four-by-four of windows of black and white images. It took him a couple seconds to realize that he was looking at the battlefield from above. The Malgeir had rotary wing, airplanes, and jet — some were even armed, but they were usually much bigger. And their air assets had been grounded since the early days of the battle for Datsot when the enemy took the orbits.
Not these tiny devices though.
He focused on one of the sixteen windows.
The ground sped past below the camera’s vision, tree line after tree line, the flying machine seemed to know where it was going by itself: Motsotaer looked at the other occupants in the room. None of them seemed to be directly controlling it.
He stiffened.
Is this controlled by a thinking machine?
“We’re getting in range of the target coordinates, Platoon Commander,” Gassin updated the room a few minutes later.
As if on cue, the flying machines flew higher, and the trees on the ground grew smaller, as if further away. Until…
“Targets identified!” Gassin reported with excitement in her voice.
As an infantry spotter, Motsotaer had been trained — barely — to identify enemy armored vehicles. As in, he’d been given a cheatsheet containing the silhouettes of the different types of vehicles the enemy drove. But even he couldn’t tell at this distance what the white-hot smudges on the screen were.
The machine had no such issues though.
Several red boxes materialized on the screen, clearly marking several enemy vehicles in the thermal imagery and adorning them with detailed information.
The one Motsotaer was watching said:
Hostile vehicle, Longclaw MK4 (top armor: ~25mm), 4.2 km.
No hostile EW detected.
Without additional prompting, the flying machines raced in towards their targets, each recognizing a different one as its final destination. Afraid to blink, Motsotaer stared intently at one of the video streams.
A new line of text appeared at the top of the screen:
ETA 20 seconds.
It counted down the seconds, number by number.
The enemy Longclaw got larger and larger until… the screen went black, replaced by static. As he looked around, the other windows were similarly replaced with static one-by-one.
Motsotaer frowned, wondering where the videos had gone.
Then, it hit him. The flying machines were on one-way trips.
The sixteen windows disappeared, and another one appeared, showing the enemy assembly area from a much higher perspective. And instead of the vehicles he expected, he counted sixteen burning wrecks, the black smoke from their flames reaching up into the sky in columns.
“Targets destroyed, Commander,” Gassin said. Several of the officers in the room looked at each other excitedly, but their celebration was muted.
Graunsa nodded. “Call our advisors again.”
The alien appeared on the screen again. “Excellent work, Platoon Commander. We’re assessing the lines and getting the second batch of targets to you now.”
“Understood.”
As the new target coordinates scrolled onto the main screen, Gassin didn’t need additional prompting, “Launching flying machines!”
Another sixteen of them flashed out from the pre-dug position. Another sixteen windows appeared on the screen, replacing the odd-looking aliens’ video.
“Wait a minute,” the aliens’ voice cut into the quiet hum of the control room’s operation. “Switch back to the high-altitude drone. Something’s happening.”
The main screen’s image was replaced by the previous camera looking down at enemy lines. There was a flurry of activity in the enemy base area. Numerous dots representing the ground troops moved to-and-fro. And worryingly, the red squares that surrounded enemy armor began appearing en masse as enemy Longclaws drove out of their covered positions into the open.
Dozens of them.
Then, hundreds. And more appeared every second.
“What’s going on?” Graunsa asked, his voice reflecting Motsotaer’s worry.
The alien took a minute to get back to him, its black helmeted face filling up the screen again. “They’re attacking. They don’t know what hit them in the last strike. But they must have realized that they’re not safe in their assembly area, and they’re doing the only thing they can… We estimate they’ll get to your first lines in thirty minutes.”
“Can we stop them?” Graunsa asked. “We can—”
The alien looked directly into the video. “Not sixteen drones at a time. And if you launch the whole swarm at once, it’ll reflect enough signal for them to sniff out where you are with their counter-battery radars and take you out from orbit.”
Graunsa swallowed. “That’s— that’s— The machines can fly themselves without us, right?”
The alien didn’t say anything for a few heartbeats. “Theoretically, yes. But even if you evacuate your position now, your people won’t get out of range from the orbital strike they’ll call in.”
“I understand. Feed us the enemy targets.”
“Delta Leader, we can’t ask you to—”
“I said, feed us the enemy targets,” Graunsa insisted.
Quietly, hundreds of coordinate pairs filed onto the main screen. Graunsa looked at the faces of the young officers under his command. Dozens of them. He turned around to look at his two guests. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s the right choice,” Nidvid replied, shrugging.
Motsotaer nodded at him.
“I know,” Graunsa said, turning back to the main screen. “Just doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Sir, we’re ready to launch,” Gassin reported.
“Weapons free. Release everything.”
“Yes, sir.”
The ground shook and rumbled, hundreds of flying machines leaving their canisters for the sky. They were close enough to hear the outgoing buzzing as the munitions launched. This time, more and more windows filled up the screen with the visuals of the outgoing flying machines — hundreds of them, and Motsotaer was surprised that the computers could even handle it all.
The visage of the alien returned to their screen. It said calmly, “Enemy orbital launch spotted. Multiple launches. High yield. Missiles incoming to your location, ETA twelve minutes.”
“Understood, advisor.”
POV: Slurskoch, Znosian Dominion Marines (Rank: Five Whiskers)
“Scramble! Scramble! Scramble!”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.
“What’s going on?” Longclaw Commander Slurskoch sat up in his turret cupola as the sirens rang loud through the hull.
“We’re under artillery attack!” his Controller yelled back at him through the roaring startup sequence of the turbine anti-grav engines. “The Lesser Predators… they’ve got some kind of new weapon! Took out a whole battalion’s worth of Longclaws in the 194!”
“But we’re not ready!” his Driver complained. “Our artillery is supposed to pound them for another hour before we—”
Slurskoch shook his head as he checked the friendly force tracker on his screen. “Doesn’t matter! If they’ve got some new weapon, we can’t sit still while we get pounded to bits by whatever they have. We gotta get out there. Hurry it up!”
It took them another two minutes to fully warm up the engines, and with a roar, the Longclaw burst out of its camouflaged emplacement, kicking up a curtain of dirt in front of it.
“Let’s go! Go! Go!” Slurskoch yelled as his lagging Longclaw joined the armored formation already on the move.
The Controller spoke with one of her ears in the radio, “Their artillery just launched… something at us. We’ve pinpointed their location, and orbital support is on its way.”
His Gunner whooped twice, and Slurskoch nodded silently in agreement. That’d flatten those carnivorous abominations where they stood. He drew a few symbols and circles on the digital battlemap as the Longclaws drove toward the enemy lines. “Gunner, watch those potential trench lines in front of us,” he instructed. “Their anti-armor may not look scary on paper, but their infantry can always get a lucky hit in.”
Slurskoch was taught in training that it was better to overestimate the enemy than underestimate them. Luckily, the predators usually fell below expectations, which was why the Dominion controlled the orbits of Datsot now and not them.
His Controller frowned at something in her radio, “They’re saying something about the enemy artillery… The engineers at the base assessed the strike aftermath. There’s something strange in the rubble. The attack was more precise than anything we’d ever seen.”
“What does that mean?” Slurskoch asked in confusion.
“The sensor officer in charge of the assembly area has taken full responsibility. They didn’t see the incoming at all. Higher ups are speculating that the Lesser Predators have a new weapon in their arsenal.”
“The predators made new weapons?” Slurskoch snorted. “Useful ones? That’ll be a first. Well, whatever it is, maybe our Design Bureau will get a good look at it when we finally cleanse this planet of their filth. Make our next battle a little easier when we have to take their home planet.”
His Gunner agreed, “And then, the Prophecy shall be fulfilled.”
A few kilometers into the charge across the open, the Gunner remarked with one eye on her targeting computer, “Looks like even the local winged predators know that there’s about to be a slaughter here.”
The Driver, in his open hatch, looked up at the cloud of them flying over the enemy lines. “Looks like it. A nice juicy feast for them in the coming battle. The irony of the barbaric carnivores being eaten by themselves.”
A few thousand years ago, winged predators would have curdled the blood of any natural-born Znosian. On the original plains of Znos, they were one of the most dangerous threats a lone Znosian faced. Now, that fear had been completely bred out of the gene pool, replaced with contempt for predatory primitivism, the courage to face them in battle, and the drive to exterminate them all.
Curious, Slurskoch stared up into the cloud of winged predators with his Longclaw commander optics. He frowned.
One of them shimmered.
Shimmered.
He zoomed in.
Then, he saw a metallic glint. His whiskers tightened.
“That’s— those aren’t winged predators,” he barely made out in shock. “Incoming!”
“Huh?” his Driver asked, craning his head up to look at the dark shapes in the distance.
“Get inside! Secure the hatch!” Slurskoch shouted at him.
His Driver was not very good at thinking on his own, but he had been bred to follow direct orders without question. He ducked into his seat, quickly securing the hatch above him close with trained claws.
He barely secured the Longclaw as other commanders began yelling out similar instructions on their radios.
“Incoming!” his Controller advised, about ten seconds later than necessary. “Enemy… artillery?!”
“Gunner!” Slurskoch gestured in the general direction of the sky.
“I can’t get a shot on them. They’re too high up!” she screamed back at him.
A trio of air defense vehicles next to him opened up with their six barrels towards the sky, lines of bright tracers stabbing out at the dark swarm. He saw one of the… flying machines hit and fall out of the sky. Then another.
It wasn’t enough.
As Slurskoch’s optics tracked the incoming, he saw them dive. They were fast, and they flew erratic patterns, almost organically, like actual winged beasts. If he hadn’t had that specific fear bred out of his bloodline hundreds of years ago, he would have been frozen in shock. Instead, he yelled out, “Brace! Brace!”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The world exploded around his Longclaw.
Through his friendly force tracker, Slurskoch watched an entire battalion disappear off the map on his right flank, and two Longclaws in his line of sight brewed up in massive fireballs, throwing their turrets into the sky as their plasma ammunition detonated. One of the anti-air vehicles brewed up next to his, splattering its parts against his hull.
His Driver drove for all he was worth, ducking and weaving in the open field. So did the other Longclaws. Some deployed curtains of smoke in front of them in desperation.
None of it seemed to help.
The shockwaves hit his Longclaw in quick succession, knocking him around the armored cabin and rattling his teeth.
Boom. Boom.
More Longclaws exploded. Many more. They were disappearing off his screen faster than the software could update the signals. He closed his eyes waiting for the end.
It didn’t come.
It was hard for Slurskoch to tell when the last Longclaw near them was hit. His hearing organs must have been damaged some time during the attack. His auditory senses ringed as they returned to normal, recovering when his Controller shook him with a paw on his shoulder. “—Five Whiskers! Five Whiskers!”
“What is it?” he snapped, keeping the quivering out of his voice.
“We’re alone in our company, and I can’t contact the six whiskers! And I’ve been trying to reach battalion without success!”
“Try the regiment commander!” he yelled out against the noise of the anti-grav engine.
“Can’t reach them either!”
“What about division headquarters?!”
“I think division’s gone, sir!”
“What?!”
“Nobody there has been responding. All I’ve got is a seven whiskers in the reserve infantry division behind us! They’re saying they see black smoke in the direction of our division field command!”
“What in the Prophecy? How is that possible?!”
“What do we do, Five Whiskers?”
Slurskoch had been trained for a wide variety of combat scenarios and contingencies, including losing his immediate superiors, losing most of his unit, and losing his communication link to command. But he’d never been trained for all of those combined at once. That was just not something predators were supposed to be able to do to you.
He fell back to the next best thing.
“What’s the combat computer say?” he asked.
His Controller operated the controls on her console, and after half a minute of querying, she replied, reading off the instructions, “Absent orders, continue the attack. Maybe we can push through.”
“What? Did it take our losses into account?” he protested as he checked the battlemap. Of the nearly five hundred Longclaws that had pushed out of the assembly area, only a quarter remained. At most. Some of the signals on the map were flagging themselves as mobility or mission killed.
She shrugged, “It did. That’s what it says.”
He squinted at her screen. That was indeed what it said.
Slurskoch thought for a moment, sighed, and bowed in prayer, “Our lives were forfeited the day we left our hatchling pools.”
The other crew members all did the same, lowering their heads to mutter the familiar mantra.
That ritual out of the way, he drew up to his full height of 1 meter and mustered all the confidence he could into his voice, “Attack! Attack! Attack!”
POV: Graunsa, Malgeir Federation Planetary Defense Force (Rank: Delta Leader)
The command center watched glumly as the hundred or so surviving Grass Eater Longclaws emerged from the wrecks of their comrades and slowly resumed their charge across the open toward the defense lines.
The flying machines had gotten a lot of them. Quite a few disabled too. And they were disorganized from the loss of their command. Yet they still charged. Diminished as their numbers were, they rolled towards the battered defensive lines with psychotic determination.
We’ve failed.
Graunsa sat down heavily into his chair. He brought up his communication console, connecting it to the advisor network.
The alien appeared on the screen, and though he couldn’t see its face, he could hear the sympathy in its translated voice, “You’ve done all you can, Special Platoon Commander.”
“It wasn’t enough,” he said, shaking his ears sadly. “They’re going to break through our line. Our infantry can’t stop them.”
It tilted its head. “I wouldn’t count them out completely, Delta Leader. They might. They might not. But your next defensive line certainly will hold them. The city behind you will be held.”
“Tracking enemy orbit-to-ground. ETA three minutes,” Gassin reported quietly from next to him.
Graunsa sighed. He looked at the alien, “I think I understand your people now, advisor.”
“You… do?”
“Yeah, at first, when we were picked for this mission, I wondered why your people were doing this.”
“Doing this?” the alien asked, seeming confused.
“Helping us. The weapons. The equipment. The training. The targeting. It was all in secret, but you didn’t have to do it. The other species around us didn’t do it. The Schpriss…” Graunsa snorted, “The long-tails can’t even find it in their spines to send us field rations. I thought your species… your people were just generous. Or perhaps you simply enjoyed the craft of war, being so adept at it.”
“Are we… not?”
“Those reasons may be part of it,” he conceded. “But more importantly, I think your people understand one thing the other species don’t… that we might stop the enemy here. Or we might not.”
“We didn’t set you up to fail, if that’s what you think—”
“But the next defensive line certainly will hold them,” Graunsa said, staring the alien in the eye. “You will hold them. Isn’t that right?”
It sighed. “I would be lying if that wasn’t part of the strategic equation. Our star systems are indeed next in line — sometime in the next decade or two, probably — if these bloodthirsty Buns conquered your Federation. That harsh astropolitical realism. But there’s something else too.”
“Is there?”
“Yes,” it nodded its head firmly in a familiar manner. “Yes, there is. We aren’t a particularly long-sighted species, Graunsa. We can plan, yes, but wars are fought by true believers. People don’t sign up to put their lives on the line for a hypothetical, potential invasion of our Republic twenty years in the future. They— we signed up for this because we truly believe what’s happening to your people… it shouldn’t happen to anyone, ever.”
Graunsa looked at the helmeted head for a while, then nodded. “I believe you, advisor.”
“I’m sorry this didn’t pan out, Graunsa. If I could, I’d be down there with you. We’d have made them pay for this.”
Graunsa smiled. “I believe you about that too. Thank you, advisor, whatever your name is.”
“You may call me Kara,” it said simply. A deft snap of its paws — he hadn’t noticed how soft its claws were before — and it released a latch on its helmet with a hiss. Lifting it from its head, it revealed a soft, smooth face without much fur except a bundle of long, brown strands on its scalp tied up in a neat spherical shape. Its hazel forward-facing eyes stared at him with the empathy that only other predators were capable of, filling him with mild relief. “Don’t tell anyone though,” it joked lightly, mirroring his smile back at him.
You’re not as ugly as I thought you’d be. Not nearly.
Graunsa’s grin widened at the thought. He put it out of his mind. “Ah. One last thing, advisor— Kara.”
“Yes?”
His mind drifted to his cubs at home. Perhaps they were still alive. He chose to believe that. “Our people’s clans and packs…”
“We’ll let them know,” she interrupted him softly. “And when the information quarantine is lifted, we’ll let your clans and packs know what you did here — everything.”
“Good. Thank you.”
Gassin sat down next to him, “Delta Leader, enemy missiles incoming. ETA thirty seconds, they’re entering—” She stopped her report and stared at the unmasked alien on his screen with equal parts wonder and sadness.
“Take a closer look, Gassin,” he ordered softly. “That… that is who will avenge us.”
On screen, the alien put its gloved paw up to its temple, forming a stiff triangle with its arm in a recognizable salute. “It was an honor, Graunsa.”
Graunsa returned it crisply, letting a primitive fire shine through his face. “Happy hunting, Kara.”

Location: Atlas Naval Command, Luna

POV: “Kara”, Terran Reconnaissance Office
Kara watched solemnly as the green signal blinked off the battlemap. She closed her eyes for a moment in silent prayer for the fallen.
Beep. Beep.
Another light on her console blinked urgently for her attention. Four thousand kilometers from the previous one. The war raged on — day and night — across four continents on the besieged planet. Fifty light years from the Republic, its defenders’ sweat, tears, and blood lined the fields and valleys of the beautiful blue sphere not so different from her own. Tens of millions of them: many who she knew would not see the end of this war.
They didn’t all know it, and some might not have cared, but fifty light years away, someone recorded their names, and someone felt a pang of loss for their sacrifice. In the cold, dark forest of the galaxy, somebody heard their trees fall.
Kara collected her thoughts, adjusted the bun in her hair, and lowered the tinted EVA helmet over her face once more.
She cleared her throat as she glanced at the screen and activated the microphone in her helmet, “Special Platoon Commander Treiriu. This call is encrypted, but the enemy Znosians in orbit are trying to find your location from the signals, so we’ll have to make it as quick as we can. Have your defensive lines completed your preparations?”

Meta

Thanks for reading my story! This is a standalone chapter in my Grass Eaters story, meant to be enjoyable all on its own. If you're interested in more of my writing, please do subscribe to the update waffle bot or check out the rest of the universe in Grass Eaters.
(Grass Eaters posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are closing in on the end of Book 1.)

Hello, does or has anyone here made dried herb/flower oil infusions at home for nail oil?
I made a dried herb oil infusion with dried herbs and flowers (didn't use any wet/water containing ingredients) using castor oil and grape seed oil as the carrier oils and I added a small amount of vitamin E oil..
I then used a heat method to infuse them because I needed an oil right away..
I need/want something right away that would be moisturizing but also anti fungal and anti bacterial that's why I thought an oil infusion would be great because of the state of my nails right now.. I really wanted to use something natural and not those nail strengthening slash anti fungal/bacterial nail products that smell like polishes an are mainly just chemicals because my nails need a break from them..
So l put the herbs/flowers in an air tight jar and used a crockpot on warm for 4 and a half hours to infuse it.. I then strained it, which i didn’t strain it the best there was still some tinyy pieces left but I didn’t think it would be a big deal so I left it, then last night I saw a video saying you don’t want to leave any plant matter at all?
But so I put it in amber bottle with a dropper because I read that’s the best way to store it.. I made it 7 days ago and last night I was just looking at the oil in the bottle and I noticed it's a little hazy, had something gathered on the bottom and has some hazy looking piece thing in there (idk how to describe it😭) that I'm now a bit stressed wondering is this oil bad?? Does it need to just be shaken up? Does that happen where it just needs to be shaken??
I didn’t use it yesterday at all because I don’t wanna be rubbing bad oil on my nails but now I’m a little stressed and upset.
How does it go bad that fast? Is that possible? I wish I knew what I did wrong because I wanna make more now.. and so I’ve been trying to find somewhere to maybe get some answers on how do you preserve an oil like this so it doesn’t go bad in 7 days and you’re just wasting oil?? Are there some tips/tricks on how to preserve and overall avoid oil becoming bad or growing bacteria?
When I try to google this stuff it’s a little confusing. A lot of my searches get results of google thinking I’m talking about oil infusions you’d be eating which I’m not. Plus some things say infusions last a week others say up to a year and so I’m confused.
I apologize for the length of this. I’ve tried posting in a few places on Reddit and had no luck getting an answer. So if anyone could help it’d be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi, Yellow Wrasse introduced to tank 6 days ago. Has been doing fine. Eating with when others eat every day except one. Getting along with tank mates. 3 anomalies during the six days: 1. Tiny bump on at base of caudal fin which went away in a day. We thought it was a scrape or stress. 2. Slept through breakfast one morning on day 3. Was up and it like normal later that day. 3. Two days ago saw him "gulp" a few time and mouth was maybe open more than usual. This also was gone same day.
Now it's on its side, pumping gills rapidly. Doesn't look good. I can't get a video because it's under a ledge in a shadow.
Red Sea G2 200
42 g display// 52 g system
23"L x 22" W x 21"H
Temp: 80.3
PH: 7.5
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphate: .03
Salinity: 1.24-5
Light Schedule: 1 hour ramp up to: 50% White // 50% blue for 7 hours: 1 hour ramp down.
Livestock:
Inverts:
(2) CUC Conches
(5) Turbo Snails
(1) Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
(2) Zoas Frags
Verts:
(2) Pajama Cardinals
(1) Red-Line Wrasse Halichoeres Biocelattus
(1) Canary Wrasse Halichoeres Chrysus

The Guess Who - Running Back Thru Canada Live in Winnipeg June 30, 2000 Canwest Global Park Winnipeg MB CA *** Enjoy the full concert FREE @ https://bit.ly/guesswhorunningbackthrucanada *** A Hometown Throwdown Live in the Heart of the Nation by R. Dale Roth 2024-05-18
At the end of June in the summer of 2000, Canadian rock royalty, The Guess Who, stopped Running Back Thru Canada smack dab in the middle of the nation, just long enough to unleash a massive sonic super storm on the band's hometown of Winnipeg.
Under a prairie sky ablaze with the setting sun, Winnipeg's favorite sons, The Guess Who, returned to the heart of their homeland for a concert that resonated with the pride and passion of a nation. Canwest Global Park, a baseball diamond transformed into a rock 'n' roll cathedral, became the epicenter of a musical pilgrimage for fans who had followed the band's journey from local heroes to international icons.
The air crackled with anticipation as the stadium lights illuminated the stage, revealing a backdrop steeped in history: vintage amps that had witnessed countless jam sessions, a drum kit weathered by years on the road, and an unmistakable sense of homecoming. The crowd, a sea of red and white, erupted in a chorus of cheers as the band emerged, their faces beaming with the joy of playing for their hometown faithful.
From the opening chords, it was clear that this was no ordinary concert. It was a communion between a band and its people, a celebration of shared memories and a testament to the enduring power of music to connect and inspire. Burton Cummings, his voice as strong and soulful as ever, poured his heart into every lyric, his every gesture a tribute to the city that had nurtured his talent.
Original guitarist Randy Bachman, a hometown hero in his own right, unleashed a torrent of electrifying riffs, his fingers dancing across the fretboard with the ease and confidence of a seasoned veteran. The rhythm section, a well-oiled machine, provided the driving beat that propelled the music forward, while the keyboards added a touch of psychedelic magic.
As the night unfolded, The Guess Who revisited their greatest hits, each song a cherished memory brought to life. The crowd sang along with every word, their voices blending in a harmonious chorus that echoed throughout the stadium. Cummings, visibly moved by the outpouring of affection, shared anecdotes and reflections on his lifelong love affair with Winnipeg, his words resonating with the deep sense of belonging that permeated the atmosphere.
The stage setup, while simple, was imbued with a sense of history and authenticity. The lighting, a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns, transformed the stage into a living canvas, enhancing the emotional impact of each song. The sound, crisp and powerful, ensured that every note reached every corner of the stadium, creating an immersive experience that transcended the physical space.
As the concert reached its crescendo, The Guess Who unleashed a barrage of their most beloved anthems, the crowd responding with an outpouring of unbridled enthusiasm. The final encore, a heartfelt rendition of a song that has become synonymous with Canadian identity, brought tears to many eyes, a testament to the power of music to evoke deep emotions and forge lasting bonds.
The Guess Who's homecoming concert was more than just a performance; it was a celebration of the unbreakable ties that bind a band to its roots, a reminder that home is where the heart is, and that the music born from that connection has the power to transcend time and touch the souls of generations to come.
Song by song:
1. "Runnin' Back To Saskatoon": The opening chords of this prairie anthem resonated with the crowd, setting the tone for a night of hometown pride and musical nostalgia. Cummings' vocals, infused with a sense of longing and belonging, captured the essence of the Canadian experience.
2. "Rain Dance": The band's signature blend of rock and psychedelia was on full display in this swirling, hypnotic number. Bachman's guitar work, a blend of bluesy riffs and soaring solos, transported the audience to another dimension.
3. "Glamour Boy": This hard-rocking track showcased the band's raw energy and rebellious spirit. Cummings' snarling vocals and Bachman's blistering guitar solos ignited the crowd, sparking a wave of headbanging and fist-pumping.
4. "These Eyes": One of the band's most beloved ballads, this song evoked a bittersweet sense of longing and regret. Cummings' emotive vocals, accompanied by a delicate piano melody, touched the hearts of everyone in the stadium.
5. "Lookin' Out for #1": This self-affirming anthem, with its driving rhythm and catchy chorus, had the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. The song's message of self-reliance and determination resonated with the independent spirit of the Canadian people.
6. "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature": This medley of two classic hits showcased the band's versatility, seamlessly blending hard rock with acoustic folk. Cummings' dynamic vocals and Bachman's intricate guitar work kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
7. "Let It Ride": This bluesy rocker, with its swaggering groove and suggestive lyrics, injected a dose of raw sensuality into the set. Cummings' playful vocals and Bachman's searing guitar solos fueled the crowd's passion.
8. "Undun": This haunting ballad, with its melancholic melody and poetic lyrics, showcased the band's introspective side. Cummings' plaintive vocals, backed by a sparse arrangement, created a moment of quiet reflection.
9. "American Woman": The band's most iconic anthem, this song exploded with an energy that shook the stadium to its foundations. Cummings' defiant vocals and Bachman's iconic riff ignited a frenzy of national pride.
10. "Albert Flasher": This quirky, tongue-in-cheek number, with its playful lyrics and infectious rhythm, brought a smile to everyone's face. Cummings' mischievous vocals and the band's lighthearted performance created a moment of pure fun.
11. "Takin' Care of Business": This high-octane rocker, with its driving beat and motivational lyrics, had the crowd on their feet and singing along. The song's message of hard work and perseverance resonated with the Canadian work ethic.
12. "Laughing": This introspective ballad, with its melancholic melody and poignant lyrics, explored the darker side of human emotions. Cummings' vulnerable vocals and the band's understated performance created a moment of shared empathy.
13. "Bus Rider": This funky, groove-laden track, with its catchy chorus and danceable rhythm, injected a dose of soulful energy into the set. Cummings' playful vocals and the band's tight interplay had the crowd moving to the beat.
14. "No Time": This hard-rocking anthem, with its driving rhythm and rebellious lyrics, unleashed a wave of raw energy. Cummings' powerful vocals and Bachman's blistering guitar solos ignited the crowd's passion.
15. "Share The Land": The concert culminated with this iconic anthem, a rallying cry for unity and compassion. Cummings' heartfelt vocals and the band's soaring performance brought the crowd together in a shared moment of national pride.
Featuring: The Guess Who
Burton Cummings - lead vocals, piano, harmonica, flute, guitar
Randy Bachman - vocals, guitar
Don McDougall - vocals, guitar
Bill Wallace - bass, vocals
Garry Peterson - drums, percussion, vocals
Please Comment, Like, Share & Follow.
Enjoy this, & more complete concerts FREE @ StaticContentCreations.com
Thanks for watching. D♠️R
https://reddit.com/link/1cv34ye/video/irqspvxb481d1/player

Hi,
I am new to Infuse and just bought the pro version on Apple TV.
I have all my videos managed by my Plex Media Server and connected Infuse to Plex. I have below Plex Libraries: - Movies: Library type - Movie - TV shows: Library type - TV shows - Documentaries: Library type - Other Video - Family Videos/VCRs: Library type - Other Video - Eduction Training Video: Library type - Other Video
I notice that on Infuse, videos are group by Library type, not by Library, so all the last 3 buckets are in the “Other” folder. I wish I could have them separate. Anyway how to do it?
Another question is regarding hiding a library. I have another Library of videos from wars and gunfires. In Infuse, even if I don’t select this Library, if I watch them (through folders under favorites), they will still show up in the “Watching” and “recently added” sections.
I can turn off Watching and recently added in “Up Next” setting, but they would disable watching for all videos.
Any way to not let the videos from this library not showing up in the watching list? (It’s deselected in the Library list in setting, so it’s not showing up in the homepage).
Thanks!

Watched a video on how scientifically speaking, basting adds 0 flavour to the steak, so i guess we just pour the infused butter onto the steak during serving?

Hi,
Beyond movies and TV shows, I have some additional types of videos:

• Documentaries
  
• Family video/VCRs
  
• Education training videos for my job
  

Seems like in adding a library, I can only choose among: Movies, TV shows, Music, Photos and Other Videos.
If I choose Other Videos for all of them above, when I use Infuse app on Apple TV, they are all mingled in the Other library, very hard to differentiate. (I don't need scrubber to get metadata for them, their filenames are enough to tell)
Any suggestions on better solutions? Thanks!

Ovary pain
8 years ago I had my right ovary and tube removed due to every month I was in the ER with cysts bursting. Every ultrasound after that including a CT scan has shown that it is surgically absent. However, this last Wednesday I had another ultrasound and they found a right ovary. My obgyn doesn’t seem concerned about it. She said it could be ovarian remnant. I have been having some fullness, pain on that side. Also feels like when I am laying down that there is a golf ball that I am laying on. My primary ordered an MRI to see what is going on. The right “ovary” that they found is quite large compared to my left. Has anyone dealt with this before.

Hi all,
I just had my first rituximab (riximyo) infusion on Wednesday and I'm having some weird symptoms, just curious to know if anyone else knows what's normal/expected at this point.
The infusion itself went okay, it took about 5 hours. I did have some mild eathroat itching and palpitations about 2 hours in, but they paused the drip and just ran normal saline for a bit, then I was fine. For pre meds I wad given benadryl (tablet) and solumedrol (IV). I'm not sure of the doses. I was super exhausted the rest of the day which I think was from the pre meds.
Yesterday I didn't have much of an appetite but actually had some energy during the day which was nice, though I started to feel a bit weird in the evening: racing heart, anxiety, and had a hard time sleeping. I thought maybe it was from the solumedrol so I was hoping I'd feel better today. I feel about the same anxiety wise and my heart is still racing a lot. I just feel an overall "heaviness" in my body along with some weakness. I tried to fold some laundry and felt totally gassed after. I checked my BP and it's 143/103 with a 127 HR. I've been resting since then and my HR is 110 now. I haven't eaten much still today so wondering if that could be the reason?
I tried to call my rheum to ask but his office is closed for the weekend. It doesnt feel like an emergency at this point but i am a little concerned since the solumedrol should be well out of my system by now...are these red flag symptoms that would warrant an ED visit? The only other time i get tachy like this is during bad flares. I don't have a fever or rash or anything.
Has anyone experienced similar side effects after rituximab? Thanks in advance!

Ben je benieuwd naar Infuse en of het gratis te gebruiken is in 2024? Dan heb ik goed nieuws voor je! In deze post gaan we dieper in op wat Infuse is en onderzoeken we of het gratis beschikbaar is voor gebruik dit jaar.
Maar wat is Infuse eigenlijk? Infuse is een krachtige mediaspeler waarmee je verschillende soorten mediabestanden kunt afspelen op je apparaten. Het ondersteunt een breed scala aan formaten, waaronder video's, muziek en foto's, en biedt een gestroomlijnde en gebruiksvriendelijke interface voor een optimale kijk- en luisterervaring.
Nu, laten we het hebben over de vraag die op ieders lippen brandt: is Infuse gratis te gebruiken in 2024? Nou, de prijsstelling en beschikbaarheid van Infuse kunnen variëren afhankelijk van verschillende factoren, waaronder het platform en de functies die je wilt gebruiken. In onze post zullen we de huidige stand van zaken bespreken en enkele opties verkennen voor het gebruik van Infuse, inclusief eventuele gratis opties die beschikbaar kunnen zijn.
Dus, als je meer wilt weten over Infuse en of het gratis te gebruiken is in 2024, lees dan verder en ontdek alles wat je moet weten over deze populaire mediaspeler!
Klik hier om verder te lezen: Hoe werkt Infuse en is het Gratis voor gebruik in 2024?

I want to document this in case it is able to help people - and also for catharsis. I’m the kind of person that expresses themselves through language and I think writing things down really helps me process. I hope my account of the surgical abortion process in Australia is as helpful to others as some of the accounts in this sub were for me as I researched my options.
I’m almost 42 years old. I had never been pregnant and from about the age of 18, I knew that I didn’t want my own children for a multitude of reasons mostly connected to my mental health. I adore kids - my partner has two (11 & 5) and we have 50% care of them. I also work with young people and am the cool aunt to my two wonderful niblings.
When I found out I was pregnant, the main feeling I experienced was pure shock. In part, my decision to be childfree was a passive one. After decades of struggling with Eating Disorders, I was under the impression that I couldn’t conceive children. Whilst in relationships I have always counted on tracking my ovulation and periods as a safeguard against pregnancy and it has worked for the 20 years I have been sexually active. My partner and I had an accident in early March - I did take the emergency contraceptive - but it failed. I truly thought my period was late due to being perimenopausal. I took a pregnancy tests to confirm menopause was starting and was absolutely stunned to see that positive line come up so quickly.
Unfortunately, I took the test at 6pm on a Friday - which was 2 hours after the pregnancy advisory centre closed so after I broke the news to my partner, we had to just sit with the knowledge over the weekend. I spoke to the advisory centre first thing on Monday morning and they took down all my details and confirmed I wanted to terminate. They booked my in person appointment the following week. They sent me a lot of paperwork to complete before the appointment which including information about the medication and surgical option for termination.
I initially leaned towards the medication option because I would be able to access it instantly, but after reading a little and watching the videos the clinic sent, I was scared of the pain, the blood and actually passing the embryo and sac. I made up my mind to have the surgery before my initial appointment and I am so grateful that it is an option where I live that has no conditions attached to it.
The advisory centre where I live is discreet and secure. There were many different women there; younger, older, with partners, alone, with their mums. I went alone. I had an appointment with the nurse first; she confirmed that this was my choice and confirmed all of my details and told me about the surgery. She also took my blood sugar and blood pressure. After this I waited a long time to see the doctor. The doctor booked me in for the surgery - I was disappointed I would have to wait a couple of weeks because the first 4 were tough. She also did a dating ultrasound and asked if I wanted to see it - which I did. This is the only time I will ever be pregnant and I was curious about it. It was a small blob in a bigger blob dated at 6 weeks and 3 days.
As I was already experiencing a LOT of sickness and maxalon wasn’t helping, she prescribed me anti nausea wafers which really got me over the line and allowed me to keep working. We also discussed contraception - my partner is getting a vasectomy so I didn’t need anything prescribed.
The worst part was waiting for the procedure - it made me think a lot and I was frightened. It has been a long time since my last anaesthetic. I never doubted my choice, but I did naturally have those ‘what if’ thoughts. I also hated the experience of early pregnancy; I was so ill - no food or drink helped. The omelette that settled my stomach one day was violently puked out the next. I did confide in my sister (who was scheduled to fly overseas the day before my op) and my close friends. My partner provided much needed support as well. I found myself feeling sad and scared about the surgery and feeling lonely as well.
I had the procedure yesterday. The worst parts were the anxiety and the fasting. I was parched by the time I got to the hospital and couldn’t do anything about it. I took my anti nausea medication in the morning with a precious last sip of water. Once I found the day surgery unit, I waited until I was called. The pregnancy advisory have separated beds and nurses so you’re a little away from the general population. I was given the medicine to begin the procedure along with pain relief and then got into my gown and slippers. I had to pack all of my stuff into a bag and just leave my knickers out.
Waiting on the bed with no distractions was really difficult. I felt cold and pretty frightened - I had a heated blanket, but was shivering. I’m usually a hotbod, so I assume this was from the medication too. This was more uncomfortable than the mild cramping I was experiencing which was no different to day before period cramps or what I had experienced in early pregnancy. The nurse put my line in for me. After 45 minutes I was wheeled into theatre and walked to the operating gurney. The anaesthetic went in, the mask went on. There were a lot more people in the room than I expected. I started to cry a little bit - Shallows by Lady Gaga was on the radio. One of the nurses stroked my face and told me it was going to be ok.
Then I woke up in recovery about 20 minutes later and it was done. The procedure took 10 minutes and was confirmed successful by ultrasound - all whilst I was out. A nurse helped me with my panties and pad. I was given some pain medicine in my line and then taken up to recovery after about half an hour. The glass of water, juice and sandwich I got were some of the most delicious things I have ever eaten after fasting. My blood pressure was low on my obs so I got some saline. After I had eaten, my BP was good, so a nurse walked me to the bathroom and checked my pad and I was able to change. I was also encouraged to pee. The bleeding was less heavy than a period.
My partner came and got me and I was able to go home to his place for the evening. I had a smoothie bowl for lunch and then napped for a few hours. The bleeding reduced to almost nothing over the course of the evening.
This morning I woke up and did not instinctively vomit for the first time in almost 4 weeks. I can’t describe the relief. The bleeding has ceased completely and I’m only mildly uncomfortable with some light cramping as my uterus shrinks down to its normal size. There have been some emotions today - mostly relief, but also sadness. I made sure to book a follow up counselling session to debrief with someone. The entire process was free other than my uber to the hospital and the anti nausea meds.
I’m eternally grateful to the staff that cared for me and that I had this option to pursue. It is a basic human right to have this autonomy over my body. I doubt I’ll ever need to make a choice like this again, but if I found myself in this situation, I would chose the surgery and I wouldn’t be as scared and anxious.

finally scheduled my vsg for next month!! literally cried tears of joy all the way home from my appt with the surgeon. all praise and thanks to the All High 🤲🤲 i literally have had a roller coaster getting to this point. I went through hell and back trying to get my iron levels up because I’ve had nonstop DAILY abnormal uterine bleeding for 2.5 years. getting on the schedule for infusions and doctors appointments, having to quit smoking and get drug tested, getting myself to record my food intake and make lifestyle changes…i will literally cut a bitch who tries to say that this is the easy way out!!
I am still acting like this isn’t going to happen because I don’t wanna get my hopes up and be disappointed later if anything goes wrong. i’ll allow myself to start getting hype after my pre-op diet class (1.5 weeks before the surgery). I haven’t told anybody that I’m scheduled yet except my mom because i’m counting on her help to be there.
damn, I actually forgot why I started making this post . I have been watching nothing but VSG videos on TikTok and I see that a lot of people talk about not eating carbs at all. Is that a requirement post surgery ?

In the bustling streets of New York, where cannabis culture thrives, your dispensary deserves the spotlight it warrants. With the legalization of cannabis sweeping across the state, it's crucial to harness the power of social media to elevate your dispensary's presence and connect with your audience effectively. Here are some key strategies to promote your dispensary on social media in New York:
Engaging Content Creation:
Create compelling content that resonates with your audience. Share educational posts about the benefits of different strains, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your dispensary, and user-generated content showcasing satisfied customers. Use high-quality images and videos to capture attention and spark engagement.
Interactive Campaigns:
Launch interactive campaigns to encourage user participation and foster community engagement. Host contests, polls, and giveaways to incentivize followers to interact with your brand. For example, you could run a "Strain of the Week" poll or a photo contest where customers share their favorite cannabis products.
Localized Hashtags:
Utilize localized hashtags to target your audience in New York City and surrounding areas. Research popular hashtags related to your post, such as #NYC #NYbrand #infused #smallbusiness or #cannabalsny, and incorporate them into your posts. This will help increase visibility and attract users who are interested in cannabis in your area.
Influencer Partnerships:
Collaborate with local influencers and micro-influencers to expand your reach and credibility. Identify influencers who align with your brand values and have an engaged following within your target demographic. Invite them to visit your dispensary, share their experiences, and promote your products to their audience.
Educational Content:
Position your dispensary as a trusted source of cannabis knowledge by sharing educational content about various products, consumption methods, and industry updates. Offer tips for first-time cannabis users, highlight the therapeutic benefits of different strains, and address common misconceptions about cannabis.
Community Engagement:
Foster a sense of community among your followers by actively engaging with their comments, messages, and mentions. Respond promptly to inquiries, address feedback and concerns, and show appreciation for their support. Encourage user-generated content by reposting customer testimonials and photos of their purchases.
Cross-Promotion with Local Businesses:
Partner with other local businesses, such as cafes, wellness centers, and lifestyle brands, to cross-promote each other's products and services. Host joint events, share each other's content, and collaborate on social media campaigns to reach a broader audience and strengthen your community ties.
By implementing these social media strategies as we do here at CANNABALS, your New York dispensary can effectively promote its brand, connect with customers, and establish itself as a prominent player in the local cannabis industry. Stay consistent, authentic, and proactive in your approach, and watch your dispensary thrive in the digital landscape of social media.

The Indian restaurant curry base or Indian base gravy is one of the main ingredients used by most British Indian Restaurant (BIR) chefs. They need to cook curries to order in a matter of minutes and this is exactly how they do it.
https://youtu.be/1q5eG0cl6_I
👉 If you like the video please help by clicking the LIKE button

Ingredients ##

150ml of vegetable oil around 750 grams of brown or white onions, skins removed and chopped into very small pieces 1 green pepper (chopped into pieces) 1 small carrot (grated or very small chunks) 1 tablespoon of garlic (freshly grated or paste) 1 tablespoon of ginger (freshly grated or paste) 1 tablespoon of coriander powder 1 tablespoon of cumin powder 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of garam masala powder 1 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of paprika powder 1 tin of plumb or chopped tomatoes (around 400g) 1-2 litres of boiling water (see * below)

Method ##

1. peel and roughly chop the onions, pepper and carrots and either grate or mince the garlic and ginger if using fresh
2. heat a pan on a medium heat and add in the oil. Once hot add the onions, pepper and carrot and give them a good stir to coat in the oil
3. allow to soften over the next 15 minutes stirring frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns
4. once everything looks nice and soft add in the garlic and ginger and stir through for a minute until the bitter smell disappears
5. add in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, sugar, garam masala, salt and paprika powders and stir well frying again for another minute or two to infuse the flavours
6. tip in the plum tomatoes and around 2 litres of boiling water. Give it a good stir and allow to simmer for 15 minutes stirring every now and then so nothing sticks to the bottom and burns
7. turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending until smooth

If you add vegetables in bugger chunks you may need to simmer for longer to soften. Adding finely chopped ingredients is the key to a easily blendable quick base
If you want that’s it, there’s nothing more to do. You can simply store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze.
* I always top the blended base up to 3 litres and then it's always ready to go. I then store it in the freezer in some plastic tubs. The standard recipe produces 1.5 litres of concentrated or 3 litres of standard base gravy when complete, that’s enough for 12 curries