I'm running a SOCKS5 proxy on my server for downloading torrents via qBittorrent. UFW denies incoming and outgoing traffic by default, as designed. It's supposed to allow anything through on port 1080, but that led to me getting a "Timed out" error. If I dropped the firewall, however, the SOCKS5 proxy worked without issue.
So I tried allowing all ports for a specific IP address. No luck. So I checked out the logs at /valog/ufw.log and found that UFW was blocking packets from a set of IPs in the same subnet as the IP to the SOCKS5 proxy. So I now allow anything incoming or outgoing from any port on any IP in that subnet.
I no longer get a "Timed out" error in qBittorrent, but the actual download only works when UFW is offline, and by the logs it looks like UFW is still blocking IPs and ports that should be allowed through the firewall.
/valog/ufw.log (Edited for privacy):

2024-06-04T23:56:57.101493-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.133 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=21452 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=53722 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:01:10.137450-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=142 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=35194 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=122
2024-06-05T00:01:13.334679-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=51329 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=34680 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:02:38.508472-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=149 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=29359 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=129
2024-06-05T00:02:38.508499-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=149 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=29360 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=129
2024-06-05T00:02:38.508504-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=149 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=29361 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=129
2024-06-05T00:02:38.508507-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=149 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=29362 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=129
2024-06-05T00:02:38.508510-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=149 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=29363 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=129
2024-06-05T00:03:35.649468-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=142 TOS=0x04 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=47867 DF PROTO=UDP SPT=44315 DPT=50726 LEN=122
2024-06-05T00:04:18.100435-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.133 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=57711 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=37706 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:04:37.750706-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.133 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=57719 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=37706 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:05:02.112478-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=42120 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=42348 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:05:21.782612-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=42128 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=42348 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:05:43.100455-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=45691 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=59582 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:07:16.470600-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=42204 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=50568 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:07:44.113504-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=23975 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=33760 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
To Action From
-- ------ ----
1080 ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5 proxy
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.0/24# Allow SOCKS5 subnet
185.184.228.0/24ALLOW Anywhere # Allow SOCKS5 subnet
1080 (v6) ALLOW Anywhere (v6) # SOCKS5 proxy

Even when I specifically add every single IP individually, I get block messages for IPs that I have specifically allowed:

2024-06-05T00:27:40.322656-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW BLOCK] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.131 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=22672 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=57972 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
2024-06-05T00:27:40.642478-04:00 ((localhost)) kernel: [UFW AUDIT] IN= OUT=wlp11s0 SRC=((localhost IP)) DST=185.184.228.129 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=64 ID=17372 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=48859 DPT=1080 WINDOW=32120 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0
1080 ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5 proxy for Qbittorrent
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.0/24# Allow SOCKS5 subnet
185.184.228.0/24ALLOW Anywhere # Allow SOCKS5 subnet
185.184.228.131ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.131# SOCKS5
185.184.228.133ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.133# SOCKS5
185.184.228.137ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.137# SOCKS5
185.184.228.129ALLOW Anywhere # SOCKS5
Anywhere ALLOW 185.184.228.129# SOCKS5
1080 (v6) ALLOW Anywhere (v6) # SOCKS5 proxy for Qbittorrent

Maybe I'm missing something, here. Does anybody have any idea how I can fix this? I'm kind of at my wit's end and pretty close to just going without a firewall if it's going to cause this much trouble.

TL:DR - Trying to game in Win98 and WinXP VM's, can't get either to run games acceptably well (very choppy/unstable)
New to the Sub, but I figured this would be the best bet for any hope of solving the issues I'm encountering in my quest to enjoy some late 90s/early 2000s gaming.
For a little context, I grew up on Windows XP and have a physical collection of old games from that Era (Rise of Nations, MechWarrior 4, Age of Mythology, Dungeon Siege II, etc). Almost all of these don't run on my current Win10 Rig, or if they do, run badly with lots of issues (MechWarrior 4 being an example wherein if I breathe wrong it CTDs).
Originally, I just dragged my old WinXP machine out of the boneyard to play these classics, but that's not an option anymore sadly as our storage got trashed by vermin (I live out in the middle of nowhere, Squirrels love to make old PCs into elaborate squirrel art, Dad lost an old rig that way too). This means that my WinXP machine is probably dead, or at the very least more effort/money for replacement parts and cleaning than I can really afford right now.
So, I turned to the next logical option, Virtual Machines. I had a little experience with them beforehand, and figured with a bit of googling, YT tutorials, and some tenacity (or blind luck, whatever you wanna call it) I could get em working.
And I did! At least. . .kinda. . .
Windows XP will boot with Oracle VM VirtualBox, but runs into the problem of being unable to use DirectX8 and above, which is a problem as most of my physical library requires DirectX8. The Oracle Guest Additions installer only gives DirectX7, and even then requires some careful balancing to pull off (needing a specific version of Oracle to run and some tinkering in text editors to actually use it). I later tried Hyper-V and some script shenaniganry to allow GPU passthrough, but somewhat expectedly that didn't work since Windows XP has no idea what to do with the drivers for an RTX-2070 Super, and its not exactly like I can just put Geforce Experience on it and tell it to "make it better". I should note I've also tried just installing DirectX 8 into Windows XP, but the VirtualBox GPU card Oracle uses can't utilize it, so without a physical or virtual card its effectively dead bits (hence my attempt at passthrough earlier with HyperV)
Windows 98 I got running on CDem (wouldn't work on Oracle and not even an option on HyperV), though Whenever I tried to play anything though it slowed to a crawl. I then learned that, unlike Oracle, its a proper emulation of all the physical hardware rather than a simple virtualization, meaning it takes a lot more system resources. My PCs pretty good, but is fairly out of date by modern standards and is bottlenecked by a Ryzen 7 3700x which I figured was the main culprit as CDem is probably only using one CPU core to emulate the virtual Pentium for Windows 98. I tried tweaking CDem to alleviate that strain, using lower processor speeds and less powerful 3D Accelerator cards but nothin worked, 1 FPS in game no matter what settings I chose.
I tried then looking for other possible VM options, stumbling upon QEMU which looks promising, but having setup being 10x more in-depth and involved than the other VM software's I used, and I haven't had a chance to look through its documentation to see how to pull what I want to do off.
So, after some blood, sweat, and a few frustrated tears I am left with a handful of questions that I pray someone will be able to shed light on, or ask me in dejected horror why I have made myself suffer on this Sisyphean task. Maybe both who knows.

1. Is there a way to optimize CDem to run smoother under load? Or does the CPU bottleneck mean that its practically impossible? I'm looking to upgrade my CPU soon to address that bottleneck so it may be I just have to wait on my Nostalgia trip through Mechwarrior 2 for now which I'm ok with if necessary. (I know MechVM exists, I've tried it numerous times, but MW2 won't play music in mission and MW2Mercs CTDs immediately. I would install through DosBox and play that way, but that only solves Mechwarrior 2 out of the nearly dozen retro games I have that don't have the ability to run through DOSbox)
   
2. Is there a VM software/workaround that allows GPU passthrough for Windows XP to recognize my GPU? I know this one is a long shot since short of disguising the RTX-2070 Super as some other card I doubt WinXP will be able to tell what the hell it is. But weirder things have happened and I'm optimistic for bizarre and obscure computer wizard magickry that may make it work.
   
3. Should All else fail, is there a way to give Windows 10 the ability to read 16bit programs? Compatibility workarounds and dgVoodoo are no strangers to me (its how I got Mechwarrior 3 to run), but I can't use those tools if Windows 10 just outright refuses to install in them in the first place.
   

This has been the culmination of two days worth of trial and error, frustration and exhaustion, and momentary victories followed by anguishing defeats when I seemed so close to success. If you can't offer any advice, but read through this, I hope you were able to at least laugh at the insanity I put myself through.
Sorry about the monolith of text, I hope the coffee was good.

SPice is only found on Dune out of 13300?planets . Whoever lives and harvests there can get a lot of money and have a mutiny.
I mean look at OPEC. There are many countries that produce oil but still they have oligarchy.... whereas this "spice" is a monopoly.
Emperor is powerful enough to order Harkonnens to leave Arrakis and order Artreidis to go to Arrakis.
Movie starts saying Harkonnens made a lot of money during 80 year they ruled(?)and sold it. Which means Harkonnens, a mere baron, kept all the profits.
Just can't understand why Emperor couldn't have his own direct province and collect all the money and supply for that magic spice and planet himself. Seems so flawed.
And are we supposed to just accept that worm byproduct miraculously works to fold space and travel in light speed without knowing the mechanism? How did they fly around before spice was found?

I met this girl on tinder (we will call her G1). We talked and what not, but wasn’t anything serious. More or less just fun and games. Long story short, i got arrested and got PR bail to a rehab program. After a few days, I got kicked out of the program with some chick (we will call her G2). (We snuck out and went drinking at the bar). G2 and I lived in hotels for about 2 months until our money ran out due to drugs and alcohol. Well at by this time she was so tweaked out on drugs so badly that she would stay in the bathroom for multiple days pulling her hair out and shooting meth. G1 messaged me and asked if I could get her drugs and I said hell yea. And from that day moving forward we never left each other's side, until I got arrested, again, 4 months later.
This was the first time I was ever shown real love. She opened her home to me, gave me food,drugs,crazy sex, and just complete love and care. G1 even fought to get my stolen bags from G2, as she took them when I stayed overnight at G1s house. This girl barely even knew me, and took me at the lowest part of my life and made all the bad I was running from go away.. Well at least that's how it felt, until it all caught up and gave me the biggest reality check you could imagine…I ended up stealing G2s car for a night, ended up in county jail due to driving without a license with a $1000 bail. G2 came up with $1000 and bailed me out.( Side note this was during covid and everyone was getting crazy amounts of money for unemployment, 800 weekly wasn't uncommon) Three days later the whole squad from a different county that I had warrants in came knocking and there i was sitting in county again this time no bail and charges out of 3 different counties. At this point I was facing a minimum of 5 years on the lower side and 15 on the higher side.
Remember G2 and I have only been together for 4 months at this point… However the love and the effect she had on me emotionally was out of this world. Ive never had someone do what she did for me. Everyone in my life has either left me for someone else and or left because of my heinous addiction and the unbearable person I became while under the influence. For the 11 months I was in there, we stayed intouch, called daily (almost…), wrote eachother letters, and 1 visit due to covid.
Now, here’s where it getscomplicated…. About 3 months being in jail, I was on a phone call with my brother when he informed me G1 changed her Facebook profile picture (it was originally a photo of the both of us, then she changed it to a photo of just her). I could tell from phone calls and the lack of letters that something was off throughout the time i was in however she was in denial and it wasn't worth the argument. I needed someone there to help me mentally and she was still answering phone calls about every other day and kept telling me to keep my head up because she was there for me and was not going anywhere.. I ended up in drug court and was getting out (eventually, it took about 6 months from the time I got accepted to the time I walked out the door) instead of going upstate for a minimum of 5 years. Someone from the streets I knew ended up on my unit and he validated the info I knew just didn't want to accept until I had solid evidence. She was sleeping around with some drug dealer to support her lifestyle. Now before I got locked up I was able to move around enough to support our habits as well as relying on government money to ensure we got the drugs we needed and the rent was paid. Take the rock out of the foundation and it crumbles. That she did quicker than i thought. Now using a needle and making this dumb ass guy her bitch she was able to use drugs and waste her life the way she wanted to. Well not that she wanted to because it was the drugs making the calls at this point. I actually talked to this dude over the phone while in jail and multiple times G1 was with him however she wouldnt say a word protecting her lie she was living. As a drug addict i knew this wqas going to happen i just didnt know to what extent. I stopped calling and writing after i found out most of what was going on from the dude and she was still in denial. Shame, guilt, remorse, and feelings that would take anyone down a dark path if not treated correctly ran her to breaking down and telling me everything. At this point i actually understood why she did what she did and believed her.
This part hurts the worst.. I finally get out and it came to my attention that she was still shooting drugs and still going to see him after she dropping me of at sober living to get her daily fix. One party says its because she begged to go there because she was scared and lonely.. One party says it was just to cop and G1 was in and out no sexual exchanges at this point. ( she also claimed it was only a couple times… However, G1 couldn't explain what they did.. I honestly asked the question of what they did due to the fact that if it really only happened a couple times I feel like anyone would know exactly what they did together sexually. Especially for an exchange of drugs and money) I confronted G1 on this and she denied it. I even had pictures of her going in and out of his house from his security cameras (I know you can edit time and dates so he could have been just playing games, she explained to me many times he would try to act like me, dress like me and so on..) and he was even kind enough to tell me his version of what was still happening. I was sooo done but held on because of a super power called love and the understanding of drug addiction.
After we fought about that she made multiple attempts to go to rehab but always ended up calling me on or around day 5 and I would cave and would go to “save” the love of my life from being stranded wherever she was. No matter what if she said she was leaving she was checked out and didn't care if she had a ride or not. Honestly I think she knew I wouldn't leave her stranded. At one point it got so bad I was stabbing her with a needle to get her right because dealing with a dope sick GF while trying to remain sober and follow all requirements for drug court and the sober house was so stressful i contemplated just going on the run again and going to do my time ( I have a 7 ½-15 suspended for 5 years ) .. It was a rough point for both parties however I couldn't imagine leaving her behind after all the amazing things she did for me in the beginning when I was down at my lowest. Not only that we clicked and vibed perfectly from day 1, we were completely engulfed in each other emotionally and physically; she felt like home.
Now 3 years later we are still together. We hit a couple speed bumps along the way and even broke up for 4 months. But managed to pull ourselves together and are currently living together. I can't say our relationship is perfect however I can't complain much because she still has my back 24/7, is constantly thinking about me and what she can do for me, loves and cares for me, we still connect on every level emotionally and are able to vibe out and enjoy life. Our sex is the only thing that I feel like is affected and that has happened in the last 6 moths after we broke up for a little bit however could be due to many different factors that i will not disclose(side note we would fuck probaly 4-5 times a week while we were broken up and i actually got into a relationship with another girl. It was my way to kinda get back at her.. Kinda fucked up but atleast i broke it off)
My question to reddit is was it really the drugs and did i make the right decision by sticking by her side. Personally I believe it was solely based on addiction because I know where the dark adventures of drugs and alcohol bring you and you don't realize it until it's too late and your balls deep in shit you would never do.

Are there any perfect counters to these specific brawlers?
Surge, Rico, and mico
I'm more so curious about Rico and surge counters, it seems every single time they are left unbanned in my ranked matches they absolutely decimate me. Rico ESPECIALLY, he's easily become my least favorite Brawler to play against simply because it seems there is no counter play, maybe it's a skill issue but there is never a way to approach him without getting melted, and even if I manage to approach I'm instantly killed by that OP gadget.
Surge can be countered, I realize that, and if it's an open map I can usually pick a sniper or something, but on any tight map it seems impossible, high damage, high speed, and knockback every 3 hits? How do you beat that? And please don't say "just don't let him get his upgrades," because you know that's not a viable counter strategy, he's gonna get those upgrades, and there's no way to spawn camp him because he destroys all assassins.
Also I'm not new to the game, I mean I started playing about 6 months ago but I have a very good grasp on the meta and how to play, I'm in masters 2, I play every day, I main belle, buzz, poco, and willow (stfu she's underrated), so while it might be a skill issue I'd rather think of it as an ignorance issue. I simply don't know what to do against those 2 brawlers.
I do know how to kill a Mico, get a Brawler with an instant 1 projectile and time your attack right. But I just want to know who's especially good at shutting Mico down. I don't want to play bull every time I see him and I don't have a leveled up Shelly, so what do I do?

DAY: JUNE 4 2024
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Nutrition is a key determinant of health. But American physicians aren’t receiving effective training to counsel patients on the topic, according to a new paper from University of Georgia researchers. Current medical training focuses on weight and body mass index (BMI), exacerbating anti-obesity bias and increasing the risk of eating disorders, the authors said. And it doesn’t give future doctors adequate education on how to encourage healthier eating habits. “Mainstream medicine is still very focused on linking weight to health,” said Kearney Gunsalus,
6-4-2024

NEW POLICY RECOMMENDS AI TECH SHOULD AUGMENT PHYSICIAN DECISION-MAKING, NOT REPLACE IT

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical health care has the potential to transform health care delivery but it should not replace physician decision-making, says the American College of Physicians (ACP) in a new policy paper, titled “Artificial Intelligence in the Provision of Health Care,” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The paper offers recommendations on the ethical, scientific, and clinical components of AI use, and says that AI tools and systems should enhance human intelligence, not supplant it. “AI has the potential to aid in solving some
6-4-2024

RESEARCHERS SAY BRAIN TUMORS ARE FATAL WHEN THERE IS A DOUBLE GENE MUTATION

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare hereditary cancer predisposition disease characterized by bone marrow failure as well as endocrine and physical abnormalities. A key clinical feature in those affected is a high risk of cancer. The reason for this is that certain genes involved in the repair of DNA damage do not function properly in the disease. This includes the BRCA2 gene. The greatest risk of cancer is observed in affected patients when there are harmful changes in both copies of
6-4-2024

BEFORE HE BOARDED THE RESCUE BOAT, THEY HANDED HIM THE BILL

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, had never visited the ocean. They’d never even been on a plane. But when they bought their first home in Saginaw, Michigan, in 2018, their real estate agent gifted them tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise. After two years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, they set sail in December 2022. The couple chose a cruise destined for the Bahamas in part because it included a trip to CocoCay, a private island accessible to Royal Caribbean passengers that featured a water park,
6-4-2024

ACCESS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS MAY IMPROVE SLEEP OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS

Older adults who utilize food assistance programs to reliably access quality food may fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer than their peers who do not use such programs, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. Ashley Flores, who anticipates earning her doctorate in nutritional sciences from Penn State in August, and Muzi Na, associate professor of nutritional sciences, led this study. The results were recently published in Nutrition Journal. The national rate of food insecurity in
6-4-2024

NEW STUDY REVEALS HOW FAT IN MUSCLES COULD INCREASE RISK OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE AND UNHEALTHY AGING

Scientists at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia are calling for greater awareness of a fat deposit located in skeletal muscles. A new study explores how an accumulation of this hidden fat called intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and its associated cells can drive a range of diseases, including muscle loss, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Lead author Dr. Osvaldo Contreras, of the Sydney-based Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, says the dangers of IMAT had been overlooked for
6-4-2024

EXPLORING HOW PARENTAL DECISIONS ON VACCINES CAN BE SWAYED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is so rife with misinformation regarding childhood vaccinations, health care professionals need to be prepared to provide adequate information and support parents to ensure informed decision-making, a new study has found. Led by nursing and midwifery researcher Dr. Susan Smith from Flinders University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the study looked at the significant role social media plays in shaping parents’ perceptions and choices regarding childhood vaccinations. The paper, “Exploring social media influences on vaccine decision-making in parents: a netnography,” is published in the journal Therapeutic Advances
6-4-2024

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN TELEMEDICINE AND IN-PERSON CARE

A patient sits in the living room of her apartment in the Brooklyn borough of New York during a telemedicine video conference with a physician on Jan. 14, 2019. Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn’t mean trips to the office should end. Finding the right balance between virtual and in-person visits can be a key to getting good care.
6-4-2024

COMBINING BIOMEDICAL DATA FROM BREAST CANCER PATIENTS COULD LEAD TO ‘GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERIES’

Studying combined data from the UK Biobank, a unique record of patient information from more than half a million Britons, could help make “groundbreaking discoveries” in the understanding and treatment of breast cancer, say researchers. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death of women globally—accounting for 685,000 deaths in 2020—but some forms of the disease are more deadly than others. Understanding the unique characteristics of different variants of the disease could help doctors to diagnose and classify patients and develop new, more personalized therapies. The UK Biobank
6-4-2024

WHEN MOTHERS AND CHILDREN TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS, RESEARCH SAYS ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

Talking to their parents about daily stressors can help adolescents deal with their problems. This is particularly important during the transition to middle school, when youth often are faced with new peer and academic challenges. But does it matter where these conversations take place? That’s the topic of a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The findings are published in The Journal of Early Adolescence. “We were interested in the environmental settings for mother-youth conversations. Where do they typically happen, and what are the preferred locations? We wanted
6-4-2024

SURVEY SHOWS SHIFT IN LANGUAGE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH OVER 79 YEARS

A new survey of nearly 340,000 texts spanning 79 years shows that generic terms in mental health have shifted away from words like “disease” and “disturbance” and toward “psychiatric” and “mental health,” with “mental illness” becoming the most-used term. Nick Haslam and Naomi Baes at the University of Melbourne in Australia present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health on June 4. The authors state
6-4-2024

AUTISM SCREENING TOOL GOES GLOBAL

Researchers at Flinders University are excited about the world-wide uptake of their early screening tool for children suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The early screening tool, known as Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC), is already available in Australia and is now available free of charge to low-resource countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, China and Guayaquil (Ecuador). A study published recently in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders investigated the effects of translating and culturally adapting the screening tool for a Spanish-speaking population in Ecuador. “ADEC is
6-4-2024

LAWSUIT CLAIMS POPPI SODA NOT AS GUT-HEALTHY AS COMPANY SAYS

The popular prebiotic sodas known as Poppi may not be quite as good for your gut as the company claims. In a class-action lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Kristin Cobbs said she bought Poppi drinks because of their labels, which say they are prebiotic sodas and feature the slogan, “Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.” But, Cobbs said she later found the drinks contain only around 2 grams of the prebiotic agave inulin fiber, which she said isn’t enough to make any difference in
6-4-2024

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Hi,
I’ve been experimenting with different painting techniques and like how you can use 99% IPA to get different effects. My issue is that I allowed it to sit for several weeks and the piece was still tacky, though it did improve week after week. I thought it was close enough that a clear could lock it in. After I spray and allowed it to dry, the effect is almost entirely gone.
Does anyone know of a different way to clear coat without losing the effect, a way to quicken the drying process / speed it up, or something that effects paint the same way but evaporates better? Is the 1% the issue perhaps?
Thank yaaaa

Here's how I understand the concept: A spacecraft at an altitude reaching ten percent less gravity than on the ground (like the iss) would experience gravity if the thrust was ten percent less than the velocity needed to escape ground level. Relative to earth's surface the spacecraft would be standing still (not considering rotationary influence), allowing those onboard to weight ten percent less than on the ground. From the relativistic perspective of the spacecraft, it's sensors would read that it is moving forward. In simpler terms, does a hovering object thinks it is moving forwards? If it hovered without propulsion, one would still feel gravity. (Which remains unachievable with our understanding of physics.. ufos??? jk)
Please help me pinpoint where or if there is anything wrong with my current understanding. I guess my question could be phrased as: At what speed does a hovering object on earth feel it moving/rate of accelerating if its sensors disregard earth and its gravity?"

Im currently new to Unity and I am looking to learn how to make a game for the first time. I am making a geometry dash style game where the character moves forever right and jumps when the space bar is clicked, however im finding issues as the character jumps even without it being on the ground and I do not know how to fix it. Am I missing anything in my code or do I have to add something?
My current code for the character goes as followed: using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
public class ConstantMovement : MonoBehaviour
{
public float speed = 5f; // Speed of horizontal movement
public float jumpForce = 10f; // Force of the jump
public Transform groundCheck; // A GameObject representing the ground check point
public LayerMask groundLayer; // The layer(s) representing the ground
private Rigidbody2D rb;
private bool isGrounded;
private bool canJump;
// Start is called before the first frame update
void Start()
{
rb = GetComponent();
canJump = true; // Initially, the character can jump
}
// Update is called once per frame
void Update()
{
// Check if the character is grounded
isGrounded = Physics2D.OverlapCircle(groundCheck.position, 0.1f, groundLayer);
if (isGrounded)
{
canJump = true; // Reset the jump ability when grounded
}
// Move the character to the right
transform.Translate(Vector3.right * speed * Time.deltaTime);
// Check for jump input and whether the character can jump
if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.Space) && canJump)
{
// Apply vertical force for jumping
rb.velocity = new Vector2(rb.velocity.x, jumpForce);
canJump = false; // Disable further jumps until grounded
}
}
}

I remember using limewire and uTorrent probably 20 years ago now and they were set and forget applications, you install them, plonk your torrents in and walk away. After a day or 2 you come back, your files are downloaded and your seed ratio is at around 5 (depending on your internet).
Recently, and mostly because buying hard copies of what I want is becoming near on impossible, I have had to turn back to my torrenting ways to have my media in a permanent capacity. So after doing my research I found qBittorrent to be the best rated app and PIA to be a reputable VPN with the inclusion of a SOCKS5 proxy.
However, I am finding I have to come back to qBitorrent every few hours and pause things, tinker with the listening port, restart qB and then away it goes again for a few hours. Is this just how it is? Apart from setting up my proxy in qB I am running it at almost stock apart from 1 or 2 settings that increase my download speed but don't solve the underlying problem.
Is my proxy to blame, or is this just how qB works? I am using an old laptop with an i5 6200U, 8Gb of RAM and an external 4TB HDD as my download and playback setup. On average I'll only have 4 or 5 torrents in qB at any one time. All I need qB to do is download and seed what I tell it to in a way that doesn't require me coming back to it every few hours because it decided to stop downloading or seeding. Anyone got any ideas or can point me to an exact guide to set qB up so I no longer have to baby it? Am I perhaps better off with something like deluge?
Thanks for any advice.

Links to previous Episodes below the story.
Episode 7 marks the beginning of the final trilogy of stories in the book.
If you'd like to listen to me read this story click here.
All Strays episodes on YouTube
(Along with my questionable photoshop skills)
Episode 7 - "Farmer Bren"
“Isn’t it amazing?”
Commander Bren was trying to simply enjoy the view but he struggled to relax, as his brain calculated the volume of water, the speed it reached as it spilled over the edge, and what the rocks must look like under the falls, after centuries of erosion. After Commander Klein’s question Bren managed to shut down the critical thinking for a moment. As he watched the water flow over the falls his imagination led his mind to a space he wasn’t familiar with. He was thinking of the water, and of space. Bits of wood occasionally flowing with the water, like a spaceship in space.
Commander Klein watched as Bren seemed to shut down his mind and just enjoy the view. Klein relaxed as Bren relaxed. Finally. Klein had been about to give up. He had taken Bren to several natural wonders across the eastern parts of North America, and Bren had calculated the years a tree took to grow “that way,” what type of fauna would live in the forest along a rugged mountain river, caves, canyons, gardens, just problems to be solved. Finally, Bren was enjoying something. Niagara Falls. In the past it had been a tourist trap. Fascinating, but surrounded by tacky gift shops and hot dog stands. Now the natural surroundings made it an uncluttered connection to nature. For long minutes Bren didn’t move, just letting his eyes scan the area, following the flow of water in so many different places, all heading to the same spot eventually.
Klein allowed himself to be hypnotized by the falling water. Finally, Bren broke the silence. “This water, flowing, yet, as you go smaller it becomes droplets, then molecules, Hydrogen and Oxygen bonded together. Atoms to molecules to drops to gallons to a river to an ocean.”
Klein smiled. Even Bren’s relaxed state was science based, and technically, Bren wasn’t even a scientist. He was a diplomat. A fact driven home over the past week as Bren spent hours discussing protocols and agreements with Earth’s leaders. Although Klein and Captain Gardner spent time in those meetings, Bren was there for all of them. 12-16 hours every day, as Bren kicked into full diplomatic mode. It was impressive to watch, although incredibly boring. But Bren was as energetic as Klein had seen him. He seemed truly excited to discuss viral threats and currency exchanges while Klein sat waiting to see if they would need him for the next four hour block. He was relieved when it was over, and they got a few days off on Earth. His thoughts were interrupted by Bren, continuing.
“It occurs to me Commander, your method of FTL is like a tree branch going over the falls.” Klein smiled at the analogy. Bren continued, “But most FTL is more akin to the canal upstream. A shortcut across the field that is a far smoother way to negotiate that distance.”
Klein realized Bren was hinting at different methods of FTL in real life. He looked carefully at the canal on his pad, looking at the satellite overview. The canal he spoke of connected two branches of the river, allowing access across a great distance that would not be possible without the canal. “Like a wormhole?”
Bren smiled. “That is a fair analogy, but I was thinking more of the method of propulsion. Engines aren’t allowed in the river, so generated wave movement in the canal pushes the water in either direction, negating the need for motorized transport.”
Klein tapped the screen, looking for more information on the canal. He made a note, and sent the article to his personal message center. He’d have to read it later. “Why don’t you just tell me?”
Bren smiled, “Protocol.”
Klein nodded. Bren had made his dislike of Snap FTL apparent early on. Clearly other species in the universe didn’t use Snap. But Bren couldn’t share the details. So he dropped hints for Klein. A puzzle Klein hadn’t put together yet. Bren turned to Klein.
“This has been a refreshing break. Quite enjoyable. Shall we travel to meet Lieutenant Jeffries?”
Klein examined Bren. He actually did look refreshed. He smiled. “Yes, let’s go. I can’t wait until we fly over the Rocky Mountains. Maybe that will impress you.” Bren looked confused.
“I have been quite impressed Commander. The diamond mine was very informative. Especially how your people took the hardest mineral on your planet and exploited it for expensive trinkets and jewelry, instead of practical uses.”
Klein was unsure what Bren regarded as relaxation as they approached the shuttle.
As expected, the trip over the Rocky Mountains caused Bren to discuss Earth’s tectonic movements, as well as a discussion on volcanoes and again, erosion. Some of the canyons along the Utah/Colorado border did get his attention, as Klein flew as low as was allowed. But, as Bren pointed out, his world also had mountains.
As they turned north, they followed the trail of cities and towns along the mountains in Utah. Klein explained to Bren that somehow, Utah had avoided any major damage during the war. Utah certainly had a history of nuclear testing in the past, but as a low population area, with mountains, there was nothing of value worth destroying. Other nearby states, flatter states, had missiles located around the area and as such, were overrun in places by groups attempting to commandeer them. Battles played out, with a few warheads detonating underground. Utah had nothing to steal, and mostly fighters just bypassed the state. This was the reason so many farms had survived. As they approached northern Utah Klein marveled. “It’s amazing that Bella’s family has been on that farm for almost two-hundred years.”
Bren noted, “That is not uncommon on Klaan, but we haven’t had a major military conflict in over three thousand years.”
As they dropped to landing range Jeffries lit a smoke flare on the ground for Klein. There wasn’t much wind, but it was a legal requirement in this area, as there was no official landing pad for 100 kilometers.
As Klein and Bren hopped off the shuttle Jeffries charged up to them, excited. She stopped and offered a salute, but Klein dismissed it as they hugged, and she turned to Bren. “I’ve never asked, is a hug an acceptable form of greeting for Klaan?”
Bren shrugged, “It is not forbidden.”
She snickered as she gave him a hug, then pulled them both toward the main farm. “You made it just in time to help me feed the sheep before dinner.” Klein rolled his eyes as Bren searched his memory files. She noticed his look and pointed to a field. “Sheep!”
Bren looked up. “Ah, I have the definition of the word, but have no images to refer to.” This seemed to be what finally caused Bren to relax, as he watched the furry sheep make noise and follow them as they headed to the feed area. He noticed Jeffries speaking to the sheep. “Do they — understand you?”
She chortled. “They don’t know what I’m saying, but they know that I’m about to feed them.” Klein nudged Jeffries as Bren stopped near a few sheep who took an interest in him.
He looked at them curiously. “Hello sheep, lambs, rams, ewes. I’m Bren, and we are here to feed you.” The sheep bleated as they jostled to get closer and Bren seemed delighted. Jeffries came up and pulled a handful of alfalfa from a nearby bale, handing it to Bren and pointing for him to hold it out. As expected, the sheep forced their way to the green treats and nibbled away. Bren was overjoyed. He turned around looking for more. Jeffries pulled another bunch and gave it to Bren, who turned and hand fed the sheep again. He bounced like a child and Jeffries grabbed his arm.
“If you like that you’ll love this.” She entered a feeding area, troughs and platforms lined one side, and she directed Bren toward the feed line. “Do you want to release the levers and load the bins, or distribute the alfalfa?”
Bren looked, “Both!”
She pulled him forward. “At each station pull the lever, it will release the feed pellets into the bins.” Bren pulled one, and it did just as she described, and a few sheep pushed in, while others waited at stations down the line. “Now do the same to the others!” Bren excitedly went down the line releasing levers as the sheep began eating. He got to the end and looked back proudly. Jeffries pointed at a bale of alfalfa on a hanging trolley. “Take a couple layers off the end and put in the area next to the bins.”
Bren pulled at the bailed brick of alfalfa and pulled a few layers off, then put them carefully in the area she had indicated. Jeffries laughed. “This isn’t fine dining, you can just toss it in.”
Bren smiled as he pulled the trolley down the line, continuing to carefully place the greens in each area. When he reached the end where Klein sat on a bale of alfalfa and Jeffries was grinning, Bren spoke. “I haven’t ever seen animals such as these up close. On Klaan we do not keep farm animals. We have designated reserves, but we’re not allowed to interact. These animals are deserving of respect, and I treated them as such.” He smiled. “We will do more with them?”
Jeffries looked at him, seeing a side of him he hadn’t shown in the three months he’d been on the ship. He was always happy when they found a sleeper ship, but he seemed truly moved by his experience feeding sheep. “Yes Commander, we will put them inside tonight, and feed them tomorrow before breakfast.”
Bren smiled. “Excellent!” Jeffries took them both by the arm and guided them to the house, where the scent of home cooking was already sneaking out onto the farm.
Bren had never experienced a feast such as was served by Jeffries’ mother. Bren had awkwardly asked if any animal meat was present, and she assured him it was not. After dinner she explained as Bren asked for more details on the food. “We have excellent meat substitutes, but mostly this is just vegetables, grown right here in the ground.” She smiled, “It’s a wonder you all can survive out there, eating the — stuff — you eat.” She looked at her daughter. “Bella has lost too much weight!” Jeffries rolled her eyes. She stood to gather plates, as did Klein. Mrs. Jeffries scolded him to sit. “You are a guest, sit!” She asked for details on everything that had happened and Klein and Bren gladly answered her queries. She seemed very impressed, especially when they told the story of Jeffries clamping a shuttle on top of the Sellane fighter.
She laughed, “That is the only time you can land on top of another vehicle without getting in trouble. Lord knows she turned some tractors sideways here in the past.”
Jeffries looked at her carefully… “Mom, don’t…”
Mrs. Jeffries continued over her daughter’s protests. “Bella once tried to take a tractor into town to buy candy. She was twelve. Of course she drove tractors on the farm, but not on the roads.” Jeffries groaned as the story continued. “She was still dragging a partial trailer load of alfalfa. She trundled down the road into town, went into the store and bought her candy. What was it Belly?”
Jeffries sat down. “Gummy bears.”
Mrs. Jeffries continued, laughing along the way. “She realized that the way she had parked she was stuck. She had to back out onto the street. On a farm you don’t get traffic, but in town…” Jeffries sighed. “So little Bella just backed up. Right onto the car driven by the mayor. This caused the stacked hay to shift and the whole trailer slid to the side, dumping bales of hay onto the main street and the mayor’s car.”
Jeffries stood up. “OK, enough reminiscing, we’re going to put the sheep in for the night.”
Her mother tilted her head. “Just check the cameras and remote close the barn. No need to go out there.”
Jeffries smiled, “It seems like more fun to go.” She nodded at Bren, “You coming?” Bren jumped up, bowing to Mrs. Jeffries as he stumbled to follow. Jeffries smiled at her mother as she shrugged. “He likes the sheep.” She stopped a moment as she heard her mother speak to Klein.
“Let me show you some pictures James.” Jeffries gathered herself and proceeded to catch up to Bren.
Just before sunrise Jeffries woke and quickly got dressed to go out to the sheep. Her mother was in the kitchen, she pointed at the camera feed. “I already let the sheep out. I checked the timestamps, he’s been waiting out there for an hour.” Jeffries looked and sure enough, there was Bren, strolling up and down the fence line with handfuls of alfalfa, feeding whichever sheep chose to follow him. She went to the hall and pulled on boots, grabbing another pair as she left.
Bren was talking to the sheep as Jeffries approached. He saw her and exclaimed, “Good morning Lieutenant!” She waved.
“Go ahead Bren, just like last night.” Bren excitedly moved down the line, pulling levers and then distributing alfalfa. He reached the end and Jeffries plopped the extra boots down in front of him. “Put these on, you should be able to pull them on over your shoes.” He looked at her curiously. She smiled as she headed for a gate. He stood and she called him over. “Come on Old MacDonald.” They stepped into the area with the sheep as she grabbed a chunk of alfalfa.
They jostled into the middle of the sheep pen and a few sheep took notice, coming to see what was up. They nudged and bleated to get their attention and Jeffries thought Bren might overload. He seemed so happy. His behavior was unlike anything she had seen. As they fed and petted the sheep a message came across the communication system in the feeding area. It was Commander Klein.
“Can you hear me?” Jeffries looked at the camera and gave a thumbs up. He continued. “Hurry back when you’re done. Change of plans.” Jeffries nodded to Bren who stepped away, somewhat disappointed. She looked curiously as the sheep seemed to line up and nuzzle as he walked past them. She looked at him questioningly.
“Klaan are not telepathic, but we do have strong empathetic projection with some beings. Maybe they sensed my sadness at leaving.” Indeed as they left the sheep lingered, looking at them as they returned to the house.
When they reached the house Klein was gathering bags and packages. Bren had asked for some vegetables and Mrs. Jeffries was more than happy to oblige. Klein waved them inside. “Captain Gardner called. He’s already at the ship, and we have about an hour, instead of picking him up we’ll go straight on. But, no way we get out of here without breakfast.” He grinned as Bren noted the bags full of carrots, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and other foods to take with them.
As they ate Klein explained. “We received an automated distress call, definitely an Earth ship, and an actual distress call. So we are going to investigate.” They had planned one more day on the farm and a day spent in the Seattle area with Gardner before returning to the ship. That would have to wait. Mrs. Jeffries piled up the food, pancakes, breads and fruits, as well as traditional breakfast items, (without meat for Bren) all asking to be consumed.
After gorging themselves they packed the shuttle and Mrs. Jeffries stood with them as they prepared to leave. Jeffries hugged her mother and they held the embrace. Mrs. Jeffries spoke. “I received a note from your Captain. He is quite impressed with you. I’m so proud, but I still miss you.” They both teared up a little before Jeffries moved inside.
As she prepared to fly back to the Shepard, her mother lit the requisite smoke flare. They lifted and Klein looked down. He was a bit unnerved. “What did you guys do with the sheep? I feel like they’re watching us?” Bren smiled wide as Jeffries laughed.
“Apparently Bren can communicate with sheep.” She laughed again as Klein looked at him curiously before they pulled away from the staring eyes of a few dozen sheep on the Jeffries’ farm.
Previous Stories in this series:
Strays Episode 1 - "Klaan"
Strays Episode 1 - Part 2 "New Denver"
Strays episode 0.1 - "Welcome Home Strays" (Sleeper ships orientation video)
Strays - Episode 2 - "Manifest"
Strays, Episode 3 - "The List"
Strays - Episode 4 - "Harvest"
Strays Episode 5 - "Shaa-a-ren"
Strays Episode 6 - "Gaia"

The episode came back to the Grips walking off their team's bleachers at the badminton court, Anne Maria and Millie at the front followed by Topher and Justin. The model lingered briefly before grabbing Topher by the arm and holding him back.
“Hey! Why are you holding me back?” Topher gave him an inquisitive look.
"We need to talk about the vote should we lose today," Justin said.
“I can see where this is going,” Topher mused.
"Me and you aren't voting ourselves off, obviously, and I know you'll throw a fit if I even consider Anne Maria, so that would leave us with Millie," Justin considered.
“I'm already on board, Justin, but I'm not sure if my girlfriend would vote for her after your poor choice of words earlier on,” Topher said.
“I'm already aware of that, but I know how to get Anne Maria on our side,” Justin said. “I'm not going to flirt with her, per say. I know she's taken. Just convince her in my own special way.”
“Anne Maria's got some pretty strong loyalty to me, so you'll obviously fail if you try to make a move on her or get socked in the eye,” Topher reminded him.
“As a bonus, with Millie gone, you'll get to spend more time with Anne Maria, Topher,” Justin informed the fanboy. “She and Millie are usually together before you came into the season.”
"You've got yourself a deal already," Topher said with a smirk.
The footage flashed forward to the castmates sitting on wooden bleachers inside another studio, separated by team with Gaffers on the left and Grips on the right.
"I wonder which athletic player I'm going to be up against?" Topher said to Millie. "I've already beaten Jasmine before, so I'd like to do it again, but I think I'd prefer going up against Chase."
"This is because you think Chase is weaker than Jasmine, right?" Millie told Topher. "He's more capable than you think and can handle his own battles."
"I'm not saying that he's weak at all," Topher tried to clarify.
“Right,” Millie dully remarked with a roll of her eyes.
"SILENCE!" Chris shouted in an odd but dramatic accent, earning the attention of all eight contestants. He was dressed in nothing but a toga and a head wreath, standing in a chariot being pulled by a helmeted Chef Hatchet. A suitably dramatic piece of music began in the background as he continued. "The score is one to one! And now, second-seat Topher will be competing," he said as the chariot came to a halt in front of the bleachers, "in Grrrreco-Rrrrroman wrrrrestling with," the camera panned to reveal that they were in front of the same ring that had been used for the boxing match, "Jasmine!"
The tall Aussie grinned.
Confessional: Topher
"I gotta say," Topher told the confessional camera, "I am out of my league wrestling a girl who's shoulders my head can't even reach. It was one thing when it was knocking her into a tar pit with a bone. This time, I am completely powerless, but I have to try!"
Confessional: Jasmine
"I'm really stoked for this competition," Jasmine told the camera confidently. "For one, my intimidating physique will come in handy in a fight, and this will be a great opportunity to gain the trust of my new teammates."
Confessionals End
Jasmine was stretching in her swimsuit in the right corner when the footage resumed, smirking cockily across the ring. The camera panned over to Topher, also in his swimming trunks, but looking quite assured.
"I really wish that Jasmine was faster than Chase, but then again, Chase has lightning speed," Topher whispered before the shot panned over to Chris, who smiled impishly and pulled a rope that was hanging next to him.
The camera zoomed out as a high-walled glass box filled with colorful plastic balls was dropped into the ring on top of the contestants, a few balls scattering on the floor with the impact. The castmates on the stands looked shocked and surprised, and Jasmine popped back up completely flabbergasted, spitting one of the balls out of her mouth.
"We have to wrestle in a ball pit?" Jasmine asked with disbelief after wiping her mouth with the back of her arm.
"A seriously disgusting one," Topher echoed, surfacing nearby with a used diaper on his head. He tossed it away with a look of horror and faced the host. "Where did you get this from, anyway?"
"The local carnival," Chris answered happily. "They were pretty cheap, too, so those balls haven't been cleaned in, oh, ever. Now play ball!" He picked up a large curved brass horn and blew a few notes, signaling the start of the match.
Topher was the first to move, diving into the balls while Jasmine watched and looked around with planned caution. The fanboy resurfaced seconds later, pouncing on the Outback girl's back, who yelped in fright. He quickly put her in a headlock, but it quickly became apparent that Jasmine wasn't budging.
In fact, her shock quickly faded into annoyance, and she grabbed Topher by the arms and tried to pry him off her. "Just get off," Jasmine told the boy as he struggled to keep his hold. "You aren't gonna take me down so easily." She finally managed to break his grip, and tossed him lightly into the balls on his back.
"Quick, get him while he's down!" MK called from the sidelines, earning a nod from Jasmine.
She took a step towards Topher, but he got back up and tackled her in the stomach. The shot pulled back from the close-up of him pushing at her, to reveal that she stopped herself from falling over and grabbed Topher by the shoulders before forcing him away from her.
"Knock her out, baby!" Anne Maria called from the sidelines in excitement.
"Hey Chris," Jasmine asked, "how do we win this, per say?"
"I guess you could throw him out of the ring, but those walls are kinda high," Chris said after thinking.
Jasmine looked up at the top of the glass walls, then over to what looked like a mesh screen on one side. "I'm gonna do it," she said in determination.
"No you're not!" Topher countered, the camera cutting to him as he dived in and grabbed her leg, pulling it out and causing the Australian teen to fall backward, sending several balls and a baby bottle flying.
Topher took the opportunity to pounce forward onto her chest and grab her leg in an arm lock. "This does not count as me harming a lady, by the way," he told Jasmine. "Prepare to lose to-"
"Ma-ma?"
The music came to a complete stop, and the two competitors turned shocked looks to Topher's back, where a small and well-dressed child with curly black hair and glasses was clinging. Neither said anything, even as Chef suddenly descended from above on a rope harness, picked up the child, and ascended just as quickly.
Still wide-eyed with shock, Topher soon found himself getting flipped around as Jasmine broke out of his hold. "Time to put an end to this," she told him as she grabbed him by the waist and slung him over her shoulder, "once and for all." As he grunted and struggled to escape, she walked unflinchingly to the mesh part of the wall, ripped it open, and tossed Topher over the ropes and out of the ring.
The fanboy landed on his butt with a stunned look on his face, and Chris was next to him in moments. "And we have a winner!" he said with a grin, a victorious tune playing as the other Gaffers cheered.
Still in the ring, Jasmine cheered with her hands on her hips. "Now how ‘bout that for scoring one for the team?"
Confessional: Jasmine
"Topher would've had a good shot at beating me if it hadn't been for that kid," Jasmine told the confessional camera. "I do feel sorry for him about that, but my team has to score a win today."
Confessional Ends
The scene cut to a close-up of a smiling Chris walking across the football field used earlier that day. "So, as we head to the fourth and final leg of the Total Drama sports tournie, the Grips are ahead two to one." The four leading players were shown standing together and smiling at one another.
"The final face-off?" the host said as the shot pulled out, revealing that a small basketball court, net, and slanted trampoline had been set up. "A slam dunk competition, with points going to the most creative dunk. Let's play it for the camera! It's..." he said, passing a basketball across the court to the eye candy, who caught it and gave his competition a smirk, "Justin and Chase!"
The Grips were shown cheering for Justin, who still clutched the basketball in his hands as he looked confident. The shot panned over to Chase, also smiling confidently as his team cheered him on.
"Okay Chase, show them what a real athlete can do!" Ripper shouted.
"I'm looking forward to it!" Chase chuckled coolly.
Confessional: Chase
"This challenge was built for me!" Chase boasted in the make-up trailer. “No puzzles or tricks. Just me dribbling a ball and slam dunking! Swish!"
Confessional Ends
The footage cut back to a shot of the court, Justin standing at the left side of the center circle facing the trampoline and basket on the right, with Chase and Chris standing in the front right corner and the other six contestants along the far side of the court.
"All right. I call this the "Justin Freezes the Gaffers" Slam!" Justin announced. Chris blew his whistle and he got started, beginning with a few trick dribbles between and around his legs as he walked down the court to a jaunty whistling theme. “Hey! Keep watching!”
Justin walked past Chase and stopped nearby in order to give him a playful nudge to his arm. “Whoa! Hey!” he said and walked back to the court. He paused in front of Jasmine and Ripper. “Look out!” he warned the two as he slammed the ball under Jasmine's legs and onto Ripper's crotch, the latter groaning as the ball went back to Justin.
For his final act, Justin ran across the court and grabbed MK's hat off her head, prompting her to gasp. With both the ball and the hat in his possession, Justin placed the hat over the ball, jumped onto the trampoline, and slammed it through the hoop with only one hand.
He landed perfectly and walked back to his cheering teammates in victory.
The shot panned to the right to show Chase walking over to MK and giving her her hat back. “That was nothing!” Chase snorted. “I'll show them what a real slam dunk looks like!"
The scene cut to Chase at the center circle, already dribbling with a smile on his face. "I call this move the “Fly ‘Til You Cry” Dunk!"
“That's pretty creative,” Justin said from the same corner Chase had been standing in previously, but the stunt boy wasn't phased by it in the slightest.
A hard rock theme began to play as Chase dribbled hard a few times then ran down the court. He shot the ball high into the sky and dashed towards the trampoline. He proceeded to jump on the trampoline and bounced up, executing a front flip before scooping the descending ball and slamming it through the hoop.
He struck a pose as he landed, and the ball bounced off the court. "Point to Chase and the Gaffers!" Chris declared as both sidelined teams stood in stunned silence. "Prepare," the host said swiftly, leaning forward dramatically as the more generic background music that had resumed after the hard rock ended quickly rose in tension, "for the Ultimate Extreme Sports Tiebreaker!"
All eight teens looked wary at the announcement.
The scene flashed over to a jumbo screen set up by some fake buildings, the host appearing on it immediately. "Get ready for the battle of battles," Chris announced as an intense metal song played in the background. "The grudge match the world has been waiting for!" He slid off the screen to the right, only to slide back in from the left a moment later. "A competition so intense," he slid back to the left and reappeared from above, "so grueling," he slid back up, then popped in closer to the screen, "so..."
"So what is it already?!" Millie shouted up at the screen.
Chris blinked on the screen, which soon cut to static. The viewpoint shifted to a distance shot of the football field, now without any additional courts on it, as the host drove up in a golf cart holding several things of a distinctly pink color.
"Pompoms?!" Ripper exclaimed in disbelief after the host shook one of them.
"Yes!" Anne Maria cheered and stepped forward. "This is so much more my speed than badminton!"
"Glad to hear it," Chris told her with his trademark grin, "because the tiebreaker is a cheer-off between the Grips and the Gaffers. Each team's gotta dig deep, and create a cheer for someone they think deserves cheering."
The scene flashed again, showing the Gaffers in a huddle talking. The camera panned over to the Grips in a similar situation, and cut to a viewpoint looking up at them from inside their circle.
"I think we should just cheer for me," Justin suggested. "I'm the most good-looking guy on the show."
"Cheer for you?" Millie doubted. "Chris said we had to dig deep, and cheering for only you won't fit that criteria."
“We could cheer for the show and how famous it's making us,” Topher suggested.
“You all should listen to someone who's on the cheer team back home, i.e. me!" Anne Maria interrupted. "We're not gonna cheer for one person or a sadist show. That's not gonna work at all."
"So what are we going to cheer for?" Millie asked. “The other team are also working on how they're going to beat us!”
"We have to do something that has a lot of spirit," Anne Maria said. "Now listen up, this is what we're gonna do..."
The view flashed back outside the Grips' huddle just as Chris stepped towards them. "Time!" he called, getting their attention and breaking their huddle with a shake of his pompoms. "Grips up!"
Anne Maria took a deep breath and stepped forward. Taking the pompoms out of Chris' hands while a marching band drumline began in the background.
"Justin, Justin, he's our guy! He's got a dashing smile and he's looking pretty fly!" she chanted with a few twisting flips and back handsprings.
"Millie's the best and a savvy teen! She helps us stay so super lean!" She shook her pompoms around and did a few jumps.
"Topher is S L I C K! He makes us all pumped up every day!" She shook her pompoms a few more times and did some leg kicks as Topher, Millie, and Justin scurried into place behind her.
"Give it up, give it up, for Anne Maria! A dynamite gal, not a Cinderella! Goooooooo Grips!!" She finished with a spinning backflip just as her team unfurled a banner between them that read 'GO GRIPS!'.
The drumline ended, and the Grips were still in the poses they'd struck at the end of the cheer.
"Nice job," Chris told them. "Really speaks to cheerleading tradition. Gaffers," he turned to the other four, "your response?" Jasmine, Ripper, Chase, and MK nodded at each other, then lined up.
"Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris!" MK chanted to the tune of Men Without Hats’ “The Safety Dance”.
"Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris!" Chase joined in.
"Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris!" Ripper joined in next.
"Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris Chris!" Jasmine finished off last.
"CHHHRRRRIIIIIIIISSSSSSS!" they all chanted as one in tune as they kneeled on one leg spontaneously.
"Amazing!" Chris gushed with absolute glee. "The rhythm, the synchronicity, the incredible kissing up!" he told the Gaffers. "We have the winners! And as for the losers," his face fell into a disappointed frown, "I'll see you in the theater!" He left the Gaffers to cheer with each other.
"And we were on a good winning streak!" Millie said from the sidelines, the other Grips looking just as disappointed about their loss.
For the first time since the previous Aftermath, the Gilded Chris Ceremony opened with its usual sequence and fanfare. The host and assistant were already on stage when the introduction ended, with Chef in his formal pink dress.
"So, the Grips lose for the first time since forever!" Chris said over a shot of the four teens casting their votes, Justin seated in the front row somewhat apart from the rest of his team. "Must be tough, especially for Topher since he just debuted!"
The camera focused on Topher, who was sitting in the second-highest row with Anne Maria a row below and Millie a few feet away from Justin. "Hey," he protested, "we had a good thing going!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Chris said with a grin before turning his gaze. "Justin sure didn't help with his loss to Chase in today's basketball match!"
Justin shrugged. "Not taking any responsibility for that one."
Chris carried on. "Meanwhile, despite actually winning in the boxing ring, Millie doesn't seem to have much going on!"
"I don't need to be manipulative in order to be interesting," Millie shot a pointed glare at Chris.
"Anne Maria!" Chris continued with a grin. "I'd say you're the only one here who might be safe!"
"No kiddin’," Anne Maria said. "Why else-"
"Oh, nobody wants to hear it," Chris interrupted. "Just take the statue!" He tossed a Gilded Chris to the Jersey girl, who glared but caught it anyway. The camera panned down to Topher, who was tossed an award as well, and he caught it happily. "Tango Fail, you're safe too!"
The focus moved over to the podium as Chris turned a solemn look over to Chef, who had but a single award left in his hands. The background music turned tense, and Justin and Millie were shown waiting for the reward.
"Justin, I'm sorry, but..." Chris said slowly and sorrowfully, attracting the eye candy's attention and putting confusion on his face and a smile on the author's, "...head's up!" He suddenly tossed the final Gilded Chris his way, and he caught it perfectly.
"Aww!" Millie pouted, standing up with a distraught expression. "I was so close to the merge."
“Sorry, but I had to vote for someone,” Topher said nonchalantly.
Confessional: Topher
"Justin's plan to get rid of Millie worked," Topher said in the confessional trailer with a smile. "Though I wonder how he convinced Anne Maria to vote for her."
Confessional: Justin
"I'm not saying I voted for Millie just because she said I'm not cute," Justin confessed calmly. "Okay, it was just because of that. Thing is, Anne Maria told me she was sending me home, even though I haven't tried to use my affections on her lately. So you see? I didn't lose my mojo. I just needed to shake things up. With my new patented, all-time lady-killing mega flip."
He slowly shook his head from one direction to the other, and his hair moved about even slower before falling back into its normal perfectly well-coiffed position. "I'm back, baby!"
Confessionals End
Chef Hatchet escorted Millie to the Walk of Shame. “Millie, wait up!!” The two were stopped by Chase running over to them.
“Chase?! What are you doing here?!” Millie wondered.
“I can't just let you go without a goodbye from me,” Chase explained.
“I'm sorry we can't make it to the merge together again, but only this time, the roles are reversed,” Millie said.
“Don't worry. I'll be fine by myself just like you were last season,” Chase comforted her. “And I will win this season for us! I guarantee that!”
“Make sure to watch out for MK,” Millie added. “Me and Jasmine are sure that she's up to something.”
“Hurry up, roaches!” Chef shouted impatiently, startling the two for a brief second.
“I have to go now! Remember that I'll be supporting you while watching the show,” Millie bid her goodbye before grabbing Chase by the face and giving him a quick kiss to the lips. Afterwards, she let go and walked the red carpet with Chef, Chase waving goodbye to her.
The scene flashed forward to Millie stepping into the limousine of losers, which sped off with a cloud of dust.
The scene cut to Chris in the boxing/wrestling ring. "Wow! Looks like Millie left us with a bit of a doozy!" Chris laughed, an energetic and sporty song starting up as he sported boxing gloves. "How's that for a dramatic sucker punch?" He threw a few test jabs in the direction of Chef, who was back in his normal clothes save a pair of dark pink boxing gloves.
"Will MK continue to stay in the bad guy corner? Are Topher and Anne Maria gonna kiss?" he asked while continuing to punch the air as he worked his way around an unimpressed Chef. "Am I gonna knock big ol' Chef out with my killer uppercut?"
He started to throw a punch at his assistant, but it was swiftly answered by a hammering fist that knocked the host off his feet. "Find out next time," he said as he got back to his feet and Chef walked away, "here, on Total! Drama! Action!"
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
"Honestly, I'm kind of happy to be going home today," Millie told the camera as she sat on the seat of the limousine. "The million dollars would have been great, but I'm sure I can make tons of money selling my finished book!" She whipped out her book from her pocket and showed it. “Thankfully, I didn't get framed for writing nasty stuff about the contestants like last time, and I certainly didn't have anyone drive a wedge between me and Chase. It would've been nice to spend more time with him, but we have to focus on our own interests and passions. And if he was to win the season, then that means I'd technically win as well. So it's basically a win-win for us." She sported a face of realization. “That was a bit of a mouthful.”
Eva - 15th
Geoff - 15th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 13th
Sky - 12th
Brick - 11th
Scott - 10th
Izzy - 9th
Millie - 8th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Justin, Topher
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Jasmine, MK, Ripper

I’ve been playing with my new Assassin/Strategist build in an attempt to create a version of dodge using Misdirect, Killer Kinesthetics, and Death Knell and while it is possible on paper I’ve run into a major problem.
Misdirect is ALMOST entirely useless for two reasons. The only way to mark without Death Knell or KK is manually, but I can only manually mark specials. And the second being when I use my flashbang which is essentially maxed out on the Tactician line the cops are IMMEDIATELY unmarked when the flashbang wears off. So that means all normal cops without the Assassin line will not suffer from the effects of misdirect, but EVEN WITH Assassin it’s useless because the cops are literally incapable of shooting while they’re stunned but the marks wear off when they recover.
I started wondering how it could be worked around so that misdirect felt viable to some degree, and even more so what types of mechanics could be added to further increase the dodge percentage.

1. I feel as if marks created by skills such as KK or Death Knell should be permanent. For the player who caused it to activate but temporary for teammates. Buffed enough where the player gets use of misdirect, but not overpowered because it’s only 20% dodge that applies to SOME cops not all. Sometimes I don’t need to kill cops, I just need to go for a revive or a lost bag or FBI van while minimizing damage taken.
   
2. With health becoming as viable as it is on overkill, I feel as if to introduce more dodge based skills it would be a good idea to create the option of bringing back the Two Piece Suit (AKA No Armor). In payday 2 you always had “armor” even in the suit, but in 3 I imagine Two Piece suit being the no armor option. No chunks, but you can have an EVEN larger speed boost compared to the standard lining, 3 downs for balance to compensate the speed boost, and then developing a new skill line that focuses on running Two Piece Suit and giving increased dodge percentages. As well as synergizing with existing skills such as Assassins Mettle. Assassins Mettle would always be activated and you can always have a way to get health by just being cautiously aggressive. This would even further the use case for ammo box and sentry guns because running the theoretical no armor option and dodge you would have no personal reason to use armor box or medic bag.
   
3. I personally feel the ammo drop rate is incredibly generous, and I feel it should be nerfed to further make ammo box viable. Potentially adding a skill to ammo specialist that increases dodge percentage. For example an idea I had. (Increase dodge % by 2 for every ammo box picked up off the floor. This effect lasts for 10 seconds. The timer resets for every ammo box picked up off the ground. The % boost can only be stacked up to 5x for a total of 10%. When this skill expires you must wait 25 seconds before you can use it again)
   

Just some ideas and suggestions from my experience playing the game. What do you guys think?
Edit: Potential name for the hypothetical skill line based on No Armor (Minimalist)

Movement speed on Chaos Surge and Blood Rage was the only way to even possibly play anything other than Rogue blood and Rogue armor for solo/duo open world.
In a V Arena, duel to the death situation there are more opportunities to use different bloods but in Open World practically only Rogue is viable. For siege defense Scholar and Warrior are both good, for situations where you HAVE to fight there are bloods as good as Rogue, but even then Rogue is a completely viable and very strong choice.
But in Open World movement speed is king. Right now there's so much fucking insane CC on the mobs (in Mortium especially) that if you get hit by one single stun you can lose half your HP to mobs chain CCing you/chain hitting you with 'must dodge' abilities. This makes ganking people running rifts extremely easy and profitable. The problem is that Rogue is both the most effective runner AND the most effective chaser. For free. Not reliant on a proc or cooldown. With the strength of phys crit, Rogue also isn't really losing any combat power to be able to run/chase as effectively as it does.
Being able to run away from a fight, reset, and re-engage on your own terms is ridiculously valuable. Kiting in circles hoping your opponent gets hit by a mob CC is a completely viable way to play and honestly the strongest playstyle in rifts in particular.
This requires Rogue/Rogue at a minimum but often you need to run the Green Amulet for the additional 8% as well. Chaos Surge and Blood Rage made the problem worse, sure, but they were NOT the main issue.
The main issue is that Rogue blood is ridiculously stronger than any other blood type for Open World and it isn't even close. While still being just as strong in every other way to play. There are a couple other issues that I would resolve in addition to freshen up the PvP meta and encourage other playstyles.
Such as,
Currently Chaos Veil procs Dracula 4pc bonus twice. This is stupid broken and makes every other Veil strictly worse when paired with Rogue armor which has the best Veil 4pc. I would make Chaos Veil proc the 4pc bonus only on the first cast and not on the recast. I also think shortening the recast window or further reducing dash distance would be appropriate to bring this one in line with other Veils. Or just buff other veils up to this ones power level.
Spear Q. Spear Q is the single most consistent high damage weapon ability in the game and also makes reacting DURING the Q impossible. I would personally keep the damage but make it possible to cast or react during the cast, either the full duration or for the second half (remove the knockback from everything other than the inital damage tick). You could also do it the other way and remove the knockback from the initial TWO damage ticks but keep it on the rest so there's a small window to react.
Morningstar stats. If Spear Q is getting nerfed, whip also needs to be nerfed. Honestly, Morningstar is too strong. The stat distribution is ridiculous on it. Removing EITHER crit chance or crit damage for either 4-5% movespeed or 8-10% SPELL CDR would remain a strong stat but open up other blood types/build options for the weapon.
Rogue blood. Change the movespeed to 5 - 8% or remove the movespeed entirely and compensate with something else (attack speed imo).
Brute blood. Brute is well designed imo to encourage chasing down, but when running away it's not as strong. With how much movement speed Rogue has access to, its strictly worse at its 'power fantasy' than Rogue. And Rogue doesn't need to proc it, they just have it all the time. I would buff the movement speed on 4th tier proc from 20% to 25% if the Rogue nerfs happen and even more if they don't.
Rogue Armor. I'd reduce the movespeed by a further 1% per piece at Dracula level. I would also adjust the Veil bonus by removing the movespeed and increasing the Veil intangible duration.
Dread Armor. 30% damage on veil primary attack is pretty underwhelming compared to the rest. I would personally change that to 'Veil primary attack inflicts Condemn for (2-3s)' which, while strong, still requires you to hit your Veil attack whereas the other buffs just sort of happen. I would also buff the damage reduction. It's 4.8% which is a weird number. I'd give each piece 1.5% DR which results in 6% DR at 4 pieces.
The biggest problem in Open World PvP atm are these few outliers that are so much obnoxiously stronger than any alternative that you're intentionally playing at a disadvantage without them. Your build is Rogue/Rogue with Chaos Veil. Amulet choice is between Blademaster, Unyielding, and Master Spellweaver. How you want to set-up into Spear Q determines the rest of your spell choice. Ultimate is Merciless Charge/Heartstrike for movement/chase or Raging Tempest/Arctic Leap for free damage or Spiders for the one-shot combo. It's honestly very limiting.

Hey,
I (M) had unprotected oral sex with a girl I met off of reddit (on 26 May).
She told me she got tested a couple months ago and didn't have a digital copy of the results. I believed her.
3 days after the oral sex, I noticed that the tip of my penis was red and swollen, it also burned when I peed.
I went to the clinic the next day (30 May) and got antibiotics for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. (azithromycin – one dose of 1g pills+ Ceftriaxone. 250 mg injection x 1 dose). I also got a urine PCR test for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and blood test for Syphilis and HIV.
All of the tests came back negative.
On the 31 of May, I went to another clinic and they gave me 200 mg of Doxycycline and 200 mg of Nitrofurantoin to take daily for 10 and 7 days respectively. The Doxycycline is to treat Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU) and the Nitrofurantoin is for a UTI.
I also gave samples on 31 May for urine tests for both NGU and UTI.
As I was experiencing inflammation of the penis tip, pain while urinating and pain in my bladder and my sides, the doctor thought it best to preemptively give me the antibiotics.
Now a few days later and the symptoms are getting a bit better:
-The pain while urinating has decreased but it is still there.
-The inflammation has decreased and flairs up closer to when I'm urinating.
-I still feel pangs in my urethra and bladder area.
-My testicles feel sore and tingly
-I passed a blood clot today. It was dark and hard, but passed without pain.
Given that all of the tests came back negative what is wrong with me? I am still pending the NGU test results.
Is it possible the tests are not accurate since I took them 4 to 5 days after exposure?
I spoke to the clinic and they said the tests are accurate as soon as you get symptoms and accuracy at 5 days is good.
How can I speed up my recovery?
When is it safe to have sex with a new partner? I read some places that 7 days after antibiotics finish so for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea I should be good to have sex again on June 7?

Great discounts and excellent feedback history so buy with confidence. Combined multiple posts into one here with a bunch of price drops. Ship to lower 48 (open to shipping internationally and to AK & HI, please ask). Paypal friends & family preferred or add 3% for Paypal goods & services fee. Just let me know which items you’d like and I’ll check the least expensive UPS and USPS tracked shipping (nothing earned on shipping). Thanks for looking!
**\* SHELTERS **\*
1) Liteway Pyraomm Duo Tarp 2P Pyramid, Stealth Olive (just like MLD Duomid) + Liteway Pyraomm Mesh Half Inner, New (set up only once), $339 (Regularly $475 = Tarp $281 + Inner $194. Equivalent to MLD Duomid Tarp and Solomid XL mesh inner which sell for $470 = $290 + $180). Photos: https://imgur.com/a/Tq5mtRP - Extremely well-made pyramid shelter and generous half mesh inner - use the tarp alone, or the mesh alone on nice nights for stargazing, or both together for an ultralight double wall shelter. Fantastic bomber solo shelter, and the tarp works for two, but I’m always going on trips with my partner and we use a wider inner. Sheds wind far better than double trekking pole shelters. https://liteway.equipment/pyraomm-duo/pyraomm-duo-tarp https://liteway.equipment/pyraomm-duo-half-mesh
2) Hennessy Hammock 4 Season Expedition with XXL Snake Skins, New, $235 (regularly $309.90 = $289.95 + $19.95 for the XXL Snakeskins). Photos: https://imgur.com/a/LZN8HI8 Not only is the HH Expedition one of the best, most comfortable and durable 4 season hammocks you can get, it’s also popular for summer use in areas of high bug pressure as the double bottom is impervious to the worst mosquitoes (mosquitoes can bite through single layer hammocks). Many militaries rely on HH hammocks for good reason. Comes with attached mosquito netting, detachable Hex rain fly, support ropes, compression sack with set up instructions on back, complimentary standard 42" / 107 cm long "Tree Hugger" webbing straps to protect tree bark, and an oversized open-cell foam pad. HH asymmetrical design is very comfortable compared to more classic hammock designs.
*** PACKS **\*
3) Hanchor Marl Large Backpack, 19-21 in. Torso, New, $239 (regularly $250 + $20 international shipping. Blows away Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs) - Top backpacking guide and author Andrew Skurka has praised the Hanchor Marl for its excellent construction, strong waterproof materials and light weight and has carried one on many trips. The Hanchor Marl blows away similar volume HMG packs for carrying capability, comfort and construction (incredible stitching), and at a much better price. Aluminum stays can also be shaped to exactly fit the curve of your back. The load lifters work great to keep weight off your shoulders. Bright interior makes it easy to find gear. Convenient hip pockets with waterproof zips. Clean, simple design is a pleasure to use, with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Large size typically fits 19-21 in. torsos (removable aluminum stays are 23.5 in long). Photos: https://imgur.com/a/fxTthYj
4) Ultimate Direction Fastpackher 30L, M/L, New, $129 (regularly $179.95 + tax) - Women's version of the above. Size goes by measurement around the widest part of the chest, the range is 36 in. to 48 in. and the pack is highly adjustable so you can dial it right in. The women's backpanel is only 1/2 in. narrower than the men's, so will fit men too. Just go to this link and click on "Sizing": https://ultimatedirection.com/fastpackher-30-2-0/ Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ZfY5IB4
*** WATERPROOF BREATHABLE PANTS **\*
5) Men’s Mammut Waterproof Breathable Stretch Schoeller Pants for winter hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing and mountaineering, Men’s 34-38 waist, never worn, $149 shipped (sold for $349 + tax) - Mammut makes some of the best outdoor pants in the world, with a fantastic cut that really moves with you. These Men’s Mammut Castor pants have the stretch comfort and toughness of a soft shell with the waterproof breathable membrane of a hardshell, and built-in internal gaiters and reinforced wear areas. They are great for winter hiking, snowshoeing, climbing, mountaineering and skiing. Two zipped front pockets, one zipped rear pocket, zipped mesh thigh vents, belt loops, snap zip fly, mesh lining, reinforced cuffs to protect against metal-edge skis, crampons and snowshoes, internal gaiters to stop snow from getting in your boots, zippered ankle openings with velcro closures. Absolutely bullet-proof pants. Fits Men’s waist 34-38 in. thanks to awesome stretch in the Schoeller stretch fabric. https://www.trailspace.com/geamammut/castor-pants/ Photos: https://imgur.com/a/YjKvQVK
6) Women’s Mammut Waterproof Breathable Stretch Schoeller Pants for winter hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing and mountaineering, EU Women’s size 38 (US W’s Size 6-8), never worn, $149 shipped (sold for $349 + Tax) - See description above. Two zipped front pockets, one zipped rear pocket, zipped mesh thigh vents, belt loops, snap zip fly, mesh lining, reinforced cuffs to protect against metal-edge skis, crampons and snowshoes, internal gaiters to stop snow from getting in your boots, zippered ankle openings with velcro closures. Absolutely bullet-proof pants. Size is EU 38 Petite, but pants are sized for great coverage and long enough that they should fit regular inseam too. https://www.trailspace.com/geamammut/castor-pants/ Photos: https://imgur.com/a/kYE1kkD
*** MERINO **\*
7) Women’s Medium Merino Long Sleeved Crew, Black, 100% Merino, New, only $35 (Regularly $75 + tax and shipping). Photos: https://imgur.com/a/XuJLsINOdlo of Norway is a top quality Norwegian-founded Swiss-engineered European merino and outerwear maker. Looks sharp on trail, in town and at work. Only 6.3 oz (180g) with tags.
**\* HIKING CRAMPONS FOR TRACTION ON ICE & STEEP GRASS SLOPES *** Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ZbSvp4I
8) Hillsound Trail Crampon Hiking and Backpacking Crampon, Small, New, $59(Regularly $84.95). Later fall, winter and early spring are some of the best hiking times, with so much beauty and lack of crowds. Don’t let lack of traction stop you and avoid injury due to slips. Specs & Size Guide: https://hillsound.com/collections/traction/products/trail-crampon
9) Hillsound FreeStep 6 Hiking and Backpacking Crampon, Small, New, $45 (regularly $64.95) A slightly less aggressive and lighter crampon than the Trail Crampon above. Specs & Size Guide: https://hillsound.com/collections/traction/products/freesteps6-traction-device
**\* GAITERS **\*
10) Hillsound Super Armadillo Nano Gaiter, Small, New, $69 (Regularly $104.95 + shipping) - Top-notch gaiter with thermoregulation and self-cleaning embedded in the upper section. Material adjusts to your temperature - keeps you warm or cools you off as needed and no water or dirt gets absorbed by the material. Lower section which is abrasion and slash/puncture-resistant. Both sections are waterproof and breathable. Keep out snow, slush, rain, mud, scree, rocks, debris and dust and save your lower legs from brushy conditions. For mountaineering, backpacking, snowshoeing and hunting. Built to last and covered by a limited lifetime warranty. Photos: https://imgur.com/a/9gIO1QG https://hillsound.com/products/super-armadillo-nano
*** Ultralight Snowshoes (buy now and save over next winter) **\*
11) Northern Lites Elite Snowshoes 25 in., Red with Gray Decking, New, $169 (Regularly $234.95 + tax) Northern Lites are the lightest and fastest to hike in snowshoes, thanks to the ultralight materials and rounded frame. NL’s are a favorite of snowshoe racers. https://northernlites.com/products/elite?variant=29843534512210 Photos: https://imgur.com/a/a3P0B37
12) Northern Lites Tundra 33 in. snowshoe with new Speed Spin bindings, New, $189 (Regularly $274.95 + tax) The new Speed Spin bindings are super fast, adjust in seconds in one quick turn of a knob instead of pulling and securing multiple straps one at a time. https://northernlites.com/products/tundra Photos: https://imgur.com/a/yUCtsLW
**\* HEADLAMPS *** Photos: https://imgur.com/a/Mnrxp1w
13) COAST FL75R Rechargeable Headlamp Kit, New $39 (Regularly $59.99 + tax and shipping) - Up to 530 lumens brightness, 511 ft range, with adjustable focusing beam from bulls-eye spot to wide flood. Comes with both rechargeable battery up to 500 charges and 3 Duracells AAA. Note that though this is new in the plastic see-through package, I can see that one of the included duracells in the plastic package leaked (these are in a separate compartment in the plastic blister package, not in the headlamp, and do not affect the headlamp at all). https://coastportland.com/collections/headlamps/products/fl75r
14) Fenix E16 Portable, High Performance 700 lumen EDC Flashlight, New, $22 (Regularly $39.95 + tax and shipping) - 700 lumen, 5 Modes, 16340 or CR123A battery.
15) Petzl eLite Ultralight Emergency Headlight & Signal Device, Pair, Never Used, only $20 for both (retailed for double the price) - includes adjustable headband and protective cases, many light settings including white, red, steady and blinking.
**\* KNIVES & MULTITOOLS **\*
16) COAST Dual LED Multi Tool, New, $29 (Regularly $49.99 + tax) - The LED150 Multi-Tool comes packed with 13 tools that can help you master any task or job. Tools: Spring-loaded pliers with wire cutter, 3.0 in. Blade, two built-in LEDs, Phillips (1) and flathead (3) screwdriver tips, bottle opener, wire stripper, can opener. 2 x CR1616 batteries included. With Coast’s commitment to quality, the LED150 Multi-Tool is backed by Coast’s lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. 4 in length closed. Never opened clear blister case has some small cracks in the back around the sheath. https://coastportland.com/products/led150 Photos: https://imgur.com/a/VryHhPy
17) COAST FDX300 Double Lock One-Handed Open Stainless Steel Folding Knife, 3 in. blade, New in package, 2 available, $45 for both (regularly each $30 + tax) - One-handed opening, double lock system for double safety, stainless steel handle, partially-serrated and partially-straight blade, ambidextrous opening, 3-position pocket clip, 7Cr17 stainless steel (also known as 68Cr17, a modified version of 440A steel, with more vanadium elements added to give it extra strength, increase toughness and wear resistance). Lifetime warranty. It’s the drop point version of this $29 COAST partially-serrated tanto: https://coastportland.com/collections/cutting-tools/products/fdx306 Photos: https://imgur.com/a/yxS7uno
**\* SAWYER WATER FILTRATION **\*
Photos for all Sawyer items below: https://imgur.com/a/EyGwPih
18a) Sawyer Tap Filter for fast emergency water & for cabin use, New, $36 (Regularly $48 + tax) - Great for muddy tap water following pipeline work, use at a cabin or in an emergency. With tap filter, backwash adapter, threaded spigot adapter, dual threaded adapter, tap gauge and extension hose. Highest level filtration 0.1 micron absolute. (verification photo above in 11)
18b) Box of Two 64 oz Sawyer Squeeze Pouches, New, $10.50 (Regularly $14 + tax) - 1 left. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005SO8SPC/ref=twister_B08NGGJMD6 (verification photo above in 11)
18c) Box of Three 16 oz Sawyer Squeeze Pouches, New, $6.75 (regulary $9 + tax) - 2 boxes available. https://www.highwaterfilters.com/products/sp116-sawyer-5-l-16oz-squeezable-pouch-set-of-3 (verification photo above in 11)
*** STORAGE SACKS **\*
19) Hillsound Weatherproof Packstack Pro Storage Sack, 40L Tall, New, $25 (regularly $35) weatherproof storage sack that made Outside Magazine's Gear Guide Editor's Choice Award. https://hillsound.com/products/packstackpro Photos: https://imgur.com/a/7wlWcDr
20) Hillsound Weatherproof Packstack Pro Storage Sack, 40L Short, New, $24 (regularly $34) - weatherproof storage sack that made Outside Magazine's Gear Guide Editor's Choice Award. https://hillsound.com/products/packstackpro Photos: https://imgur.com/a/7wlWcDr
*** KITCHEN *** Photos: https://imgur.com/a/TfCHUez
21) FlipFuel Fuel Transfer Device, New, $25 (Regularly $35 + tax) - Save gas from your half-empty canisters, super easy to use, compact and ultralight. https://www.flipfuel.co/ Photos: https://imgur.com/a/nY5PQNi
**\* POCKET SURVIVAL PACKS **\*
22) Adventure Medical Kits Doug Ritter Equipped to Survive Pocket Survival Packs, New, $15 each (was $26.99 + tax and shipping) - a collaboration with survival expert Doug Ritter, of Equipped to Survive. Photos: https://imgur.com/a/POeccVT
**\* COMPACT, ULTRALIGHT SUSPENSION STRENGTH-TRAINING GEAR, AT HOME & TRAVEL *** Photos with verification: (Gray set in cardboard box are Monkii Bars II Tactical Edition, Sealed Black box is the Wild Gym Pocket Monkii Set) https://imgur.com/a/bZgIowi
23) Wild Gym Monkii Bars II Tactical Edition, New, $129 (Regularly $199 + tax) - light, strong, compact and use-anywhere outdoors suspension strength trainer. Plenty of exercises to follow available on Wild Gym’s app as well as on Youtube.
24) Wild Gym Pocket Monkii, New, $69 (Regularly $95 + tax) - light, strong, super compact and use-anywhere outdoors suspension strength trainer. Plenty of exercises to follow available on Wild Gym’s app as well as on Youtube. https://www.wildgym.com/products/pocket-monkii-suspension-trainer-exercise-straps
**\* BIKE GEAR *** Photos with verification: https://imgur.com/a/tVBmPqJ
25) Canari Men’s Microlight Cycling Wind Shell, Hi-Viz Safety Yellow, Large, New, $29 (regularly $45 + tax and shipping) - Elastic cuffs and hem seal out breezes, wind-resistant fabric and full-front zipper and collar.
26) OnGuard Wheel Locks, Pair, New, $25 (was $49.99 plus tax per pair) - Replaces quick-release skewers to prevent wheel theft. Super light cold-forged steel design. 2 pairs available.
**\* THERMAL X-COUNTRY SKI BOOT COVERS *** Photos with verification: https://imgur.com/a/u6KhIHa
27) LillSport X-Country Ski Boot Thermal Covers, New, Pair of Unisex Boot Size EU 46-47 (US M’s 11.5-12.5 and W’s 12.5-13.5), New, $39 (regularly $79.99 + tax) - X-country ski boots are very thin and your feet can get quite cold on cold days. These boot covers go over your x-country ski boots to keep your feet nice and warm and protect your boots without any bulk. Also helps racers keep their feet warm before the start. Once you’ve used them on a cold, windy ski day you’ll wonder how you skied without them before. https://www.gearwest.com/products/lill-boot-cover-thermo
28) LillSport X-Country Ski Boot Thermal Covers, New, Pair of Unisex Boot Size EU 40/41 (US Men’s 7-8 and W’s 8-9) New, $39 (regularly $79.99 + tax) - Description same as above. https://www.gearwest.com/products/lill-boot-cover-thermo
Thanks for stopping by!

Specifically, the sort of "stench" it seems to leave on you when you admit you have abusive parents--do you encounter this? If so, how do you deal with it, both internally but also, externally so it doesn't harm you in terms of things like your job and social connections/support?
Some people ask about my parents when we're becoming friends or similar, and I try to keep it succinct. I'll start with "we're not close," and if that doesn't stop the questions, "We aren't in contact, for my safety." At this point, the "stench" of coming from "bad stock" seems to start to attach. People have stopped speaking to me, making up wild accusations that I was "toxic" for admitting that I was dealing with bad parents by not speaking to them, and most say nothing at all. But I get the distinct feeling that such people see me as having a "soiled reputation" or the like for having a family that abused me and I can't speak to. Not even the NC bit--it seems to be mostly the idea that they're bad means I must be raised to be bad, too, or something like that. It worries me. It's bad enough that everyone my parents know is and has been fed a steady stream of lies that I'm a drug addict/mentally ill/"troubled," NONE OF WHICH IS TRUE. I'm not even just not a drug addict or not mentally ill, no no. I've seen psychologists and gone through therapy, and haven't had a panic attack in years and have been "verified" as "not mentally ill" by several therapists, although definitely affected to a degree by trauma--not enough for a clinical dx at this point. But on top of that, I finished 2 graduate degrees and my bachelors on full merit scholarships, have no debt, did scientific research, volunteer constantly, etc. etc. In any other family, I'd be the golden child. I went above and beyond to try to earn the respect and credibility my parents told me I could never have, and now I'm in a place where I'm actually a person people in my city respect. I hold an important role, I'm trusted with huge amounts of responsibility by very important people, and all sorts of other things that reinforce (or should reinforce) the fact that people do find me credible. In professional school, I was repeatedly told by my younger peers that I was so credible, they found it impressive, like I always seemed like I knew what I was talking about (I don't open my mouth unless I do, so). I'm always worried that I'm missing out on romantic partners or that some day someone will decide I'm "stained" and it'll affect my career. My boss is a close mentor and friend and would never, and is bringing me up the ladder rapidly and grooming me (in the positive, healthy, career-oriented use of the word) for HIS job, to take over an extremely prestigious role for my community of immense trust and respect, and I still worry that my reputation as a credible, good person will be marred simply by virtue of not having parents I can show off. Clearly some of this is internal perception, but I also needed to vent, clearly.
I'm not bragging or trying to show off. I'm scared even posting that much, but I'm trying to say, I guess, that no matter how much very concrete external validation of my credibility I receive, I still worry and ruminate. I couldn't bring myself back to therapy for a year (started again 2 weeks ago) because a therapist insisted on talking to my Nmom for "background," I refused and he bullied me into allowing him to only speak to my father (who seems to switch between enabler and demonstrating strong traits of NPD, himself), and then spoke to my mother about me after getting him on the phone against me explicit refusal of consent, with no pretense of it being a tarasoff call or similar. So it was really hard to go back, but I did, and he's good so far. I'm hoping this will help. But I recently found this sub--I'm hoping maybe a peer perspective will be helpful, too.
Any input, I'd love to hear. Even if you can just relate. Or any advice. Not really sure exactly what I'm looking for, other than how other people have experienced and dealt with a similar phenomenon or feeling.
Edit: For context, there was physical abuse and SA, medical abuse/Munchausen by proxy, and general emotional abuse typical of N-parents. I've gone NC in the past but have struggled to maintain it because I was born with multiple health conditions that are extremely severe and they used my health insurance to coerce me into contact, literally writing emails full of "rules" for forced contact and disclosure of private information in exchange for not cancelling my policy they get for free through my father's work. So that's fun. I'm 6 months from freedom and complete NC (I have to get a big promotion and raise that requires I complete a professional exam and other requirements I'm completing), and right now I've managed to actually get them to opt themselves for very low contact by threatening to out their SA to police. I also am getting on my own good health plan I can actually afford next month, finally, for the first time ever, with a salary as a trainee basically (intern) that's over 50k a year. Due to my extreme medical costs that's not enough to support myself, so in December that's when the big promotion and pay raise come through. But that's where we are. In december, I can tell them to f*** off, tell everyone in my family my mother is a pedophile and they enabled her (if I choose) so they can live with that knowledge, and move on with my life without having to ever speak to them again, which at this point is an enormous relief. I've greived losing them, and it this point, it's just salt in the wound. I no longer ever even have the desire to connect with them, but I'm so close to freedom at almost 30 years old. The thing that really hurts though is that it took until almost 30 years old to be an independent adult because I was born disabled to an abusive family that used my physical disability to continue abusing me while claiming I "chose" the arrangement. That part feels like I failed, even though I know I didn't at all.

Hello all! I am currently running Linux Mint 21.3 Cinnamon, kernel version 5.15.0-107-generic, with an intel core i3-8300 cpu, 7.7 gig ram and 5000 gb hard drive, with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050. display server X11. I have installed a great deal of the necessary drivers and it ran without a hitch until recently. I was running FL studio through wine and accidentally tabbed out, forcing me to restart my system manually with the power button. Since then, it has taken a great deal of time to boot, and now runs at a speed that is essentially unusable. Running VLC media player causes a great deal of skips and freezes, and I get wait times upwards of 40 seconds for it to do so much as display a folder or open a program like firefox. I have acquired HTOP, and tough it does middle at around 1.7/7.7 Gigs ram usage. I disabled swap, but that was because I was looking for a solution, I am unsure as to how to re-enable though I will figure out how soon, I am new to linux and can provide any other system information if it is necessary to ascertain the problem, as I would very much like to use it

I’m not sold on inserting KP right back into the starting lineup for Game 1. He may have just been playing coy with the media but his answers weren’t convincing today. Without knowing how his body will respond to ramping back up to game speed from the injury, I think there’s a case to be made to bring him off the bench knowing that Horford gives you the ability to ease him back in. Obviously the offense is better with them both fully healthy and rested in their regular roles, but the long lay-off and reduced minutes Horford has played this postseason makes me think he can handle a game or two as the starter while KP shakes off the rust. Thoughts?