Hello everyone,
I know the topic is a little bit generic - I'm not the first nor the last person to ask this, but with my DM feeling a bit burned out, I thought I can help him out and take a bit of the burden on myself. I have a nice idea for a homebrew campaign and I already have the Game Mastery guide, but before I start working on it, I believe it's better for everyone involved if I get used to running the system itself: how to run encounters, what should I write down for my NPCs, etc.
And so I'd like you to recommend me a oneshot that will help learn the ropes. The things you should know: 1) I have run several homebrew oneshots in DnD5e; 2) I've been playing PF2e for over a year now, with 5 characters in total at various levels 3) almost all of the players are more experienced than me (they finished the entire Age of Ashes AP)
I also have FoundryVTT and several map making tools if necessary. All of us love roleplay the most while playing, the system is there to provide fun mechanics and challenges, but we are not power gamers and so I don't thinm a deadly oneshot is the best idea.
I hope that's good enough for you. I'm sorry if the post might seem to be unnecessary, but I'm the type of guy who had a mental need to overprepare when something is new to him. I wanna make sure I won't disappoint people I care about.

Welcome to the weekly recommendation thread that we stole from books! Ever since we got rid of the clutter from chapter update posts in here, there's been a growing number of threads asking for increasingly specific suggestions on what to read. These tend to be scattered in individual threads that branch off into more suggestions, which makes them more difficult to find. So we'll be clumping all of those together into a weekly thread that is much easier to browse.
The Rules:

1. Every comment in reply to this self-post must be a request for suggestions.
2. All suggestions made in this thread must be direct replies to other people's requests. Do not post suggestions in reply to this self-post.
3. All unrelated comments will be deleted in the interest of cleanliness.
4. Any replies/comments asking for aggregator or pirate sites to read something on will be deleted.

How to get the best recommendations:
The most successful recommendation requests include a description of the kind of book being sought. This might be a particular kind of protagonist, setting, plot, atmosphere, theme, or subject matter. You may be looking for something similar to another book (or film, TV show, game, etc), and examples are great! Just be sure to explain what you liked about them too. Other helpful things to think about are genre, length and reading level.
The "Help Me Find" threads asking for suggestions will be phased out over the coming weeks. All posts asking for suggestions/recommendations must be in this thread by August 1st, 2021. Any new threads asking for suggestions after that date will be removed.

Tisishen Part Continued..
I was stuck at my current work at Mao’ye. A mall in the central part of Taiyuan in Shanxi. Coal dust central China. Frequent dust storms leaving me having to wipe the window sills of dust piles collecting. Life felt dry as the air—numb. I never know what I want. Drifting like paper in a breeze.
23 and feeling empty. Left the previous English training center I working at teaching adults. Company started going bankrupt. Boss was an asshole. He was originally from Datong near to Inner Mongolia.
That boss ran the company horribly. Was a coward of a boss. He would watch the cameras and email complaints on my dress code and not talk to me in person. A coward.
When the company was nosediving I got sent an email in the middle of the day stating my job would be terminated by the end of the month. I worked in china as an American. In china most jobs are based on contracts between employees and employers. I was supposed to continue another seven months with my job. The contract was broken when they emailed me saying they could not keep me due to salary. Contracts can be broken due to performance but not due to finance issues. I had already work for them a year on another contract. The law in China states I was due to be paid a year and a half of salary. My boss was such a coward to not speak to me in person and email the letter. I marched in his office and got told to fuck myself. I talked to the labor board at the local government office. I was told was told that I that they would have to pay me a year and a half of salary for breaking my contract.
Those times were rather gray for me. Clouds were heavy like gnats flying around the face. My girlfriend at the time was a stern nurse. The girl made of paper. She stayed beside. My fortress. Put up for adoption by her family in Henan. Where her adopted mother would put her hands in scolding hot water for punishment. She marched into my boss’s office and created a storm. He refused to budge. A few days later when the labor office contacted him he was willing to keep me for the rest of my contract. The labor office said that because my job was offered back I could not be paid if I left my job, as it would be my choice at that point. Frustrating. My wife had her uncle’s boss contacted from Taiyuan to go into the office. She had some influence in the area. She threatened to look over various certificates to get the branch in trouble. My boss did not budge. I decided to just go ahead and leave this English training center for teaching adults. I went for a new company that paid more passed in the Moye mall on the other end of the city. Now I would be teaching children again like I used.
Is this all I am? A server?
It makes me think of a time right before I met the woman made of paper. Stern from her experiences. A fighter. I like fighters.
I met fighters before. Reminds me of a story. A story I hold deeply to my heart. There was a woman named Ming. I met her through surfing on WeChat nearby searching for people looking for others nearby. Older by a few years. Met and became acquainted over messages.
Christmas tree lights in my head
Perched to be exploited…
Balloon with the air let out
Hissing all the time… because it whines
The inferno in me wants me to burn
Because it feels right
Christmas trees lit are under pressure—they know if they dry up the whole building will be in flames
So you have to be festive when you decorate—and avant-garde with who you decorate with
Maximalist at heart with pleasure
Nomads tend to wander to find a better part of the steppe
With a phallus as a Swiss Army Knife,
Paddling in northern China building a trench
22 year old Midwesterner with psychosis looking for a frigate to save him from the deep end
Impulsivity a catalyst for losing everything
I don’t care if you’re married, if you have a tunnel you can help me in the trench
Two staged rocket—
Already psychotic
Be a Launchpad
So I can get even further from earth
Ripple through the galaxy like I got a mission—
Even if it’s delusional
Another N1
Get myself on disconnect in the vacuum
Even if I come down Iike napalm.
I met Ming because I needed her and she needed me-even if she was married. I was 23 and without security. MY first job that I forgot from my boss Ryan was insane at times. Working without a visa for a company was unbearable. I felt obligated to my boss at that time he promised he could solve my issue if I worked hard for him. And I did. He was a bit corrupt too and not the greatest. Always offering going to brothels with people to make deals happen, including trying with me too. I never went. I did work hard for him though. I wanted to escape my predicament and he knew all the right people to contact to fix my problems if I met my obligations. Obligations could mean being asked to go to another training center to work part time and gather their curriculum for my school.
It felt unstable not knowing when I could get arrested or taken away. Made Ming a perfect connection to come across. I needed a friend that brought stability. She was a radio broadcaster in the city. Extremely wealthy. She would take me on outings eating delicious cuisine in the city or among weekend trips to interesting places nearby. I consider her one of the greatest friends I had. Because of her it was getting to meet other connections at outings with friends at KTV and clubs in the city. Like rhizomes growing out of a tree. Sustainability. It led to more rhizomes of connections. Something I want to talk more about. But I need to move the clock a bit. To the start of this ramble.
I was working in Maoye. I was on a legal visa at this time. My colleagues were not legal. They were often Slavic. Russian, Ukraine, and other Slavic nations. We had an office in the building setup on a third floor of a large mal with various classrooms for the foreign teachers to teach in. They would generally have a Chinese teaching assistant to help them in the classrooms. I taught students from pre-k age to middle school there.
In the middle of the setup of the floor layout was a large open office. I would sit and plan lessons and grade amongst the Chinese staff and foreign teachers. One day I grep of plain clothed officers came into the facility. They were checking on teachers on the wrong visas. The Russian teachers and others often could not fluently speak English or qualify for the correct visas—they didn’t meet the right requirements for work visas and would be on other various kinds of visas. They stormed in and I remember my Russian friend hearing the commotion tore his shirt with his logo on it and threw it on the ground in a rush. He ran shirtless down a stair well nearby flinging the doors open. Fear, anger… got to fill their class schedule while they are all out hiding.
Final Taishen
I met Chang’e. Do you believe in the transplanting of thoughts? I do. Like pollen.
My thoughts can transplant and Change can do the same too.
Mania got me again. I wrote a poem when I was younger to express it.
Feeling bold and exacerbated
Maybe I am just high strung
Ricocheting off these walls like bumper cars
A sparkler burning hot and bright
Popping off like roman candles
I am not always calm, but I am high,
A kettle left on the burner and forgotten,
Watch me melt away into my ecstasy
Where I dance and scream all in one
I’ll hit peak when crisis comes.
I hadn’t been sleeping. I took a second English teaching job and was seeing attending to seeing different people besides Ming.
Ming was kind and always took me on nice dinner dates. I didn’t have to worry about expenses and felt secure.
I was back on my smartphone looking and fishing for people nearby. Chang’e came in as a breeze from Luoyang to meeting a relative in Taiyuan.
Chang’e was working for a boss in Taiyuan. She would go on the WeChat application looking for men nearby. Flirt to get them to meet her. Like moths in dark they get to the lights:
Useless as a glass door. You can peek through. Pigeon-toed. Drained an ocean to fill insecurities. Uncomfortable thoughts ricochet in me. Like an ambush. Giddy when disappointed. I build trenches amongst the tripwires of life. City feels like a tsunami. Manners like a bloated tick. Sipping the veins from any limb around me. As a stranger to a moth, a porch light pulling. Desolate in lost thoughts. Nights awake and bunkering in hotels. Soft in my voice, I hopscotch to hands—falling through like particles of sand. With enough friction to set off an atom bomb. To radiate right through me, and hollow my marrow. Amongst open nerves I can feel something, so I play with the pain. No matter how annoying.
As particles I transplanted through to her screen as we lay in our separate beds in the city. Mania makes me dumb. We flattered away. Fused as particles.
Her intent was for me to arrive at a designated location to drink and eat late into the night—11:00 p.m. With this given location I would be taken down like an elephant via poachers—that was the intent. At the location I was to be given an outrageous bill for the service and if I did not pay a group of big men would use their physical presence to get me to pay.
When I met her at the given location outside the door. I knew the tricks. I tested her. Asked if she would be willing to eat at another location.
She thought she would eat me and I thought I would eat her. My test was asking her to go to another place at the KTV nearby where I knew somebody that worked there—a karaoke location—the LED lights shining and me and her staring at the direction of them.
She hesitated and insisted on the location next to us. I said I had to go—before I left to contact if willing in the future to go to the KTV.
Where a perpetual hydrogen bomb would go off on our fused particles.
………. Final
The End
Her name was Lily. She wanted to be a princess. Or that is what she said all the time. Kind of hope she was joking. But I have the same problem. She kept talking about peaches and their rising cost. She was a host for live streaming . She was Korean but was cosmopolitan. She spent time in america going to school and aside from English she also learned to speak Japanese fluently .
She wanted to know if peaches were of a similar price back in america. Small talk is necessary or it can feel claustrophobic. Agonizing.
I was viewing and felt agony. Like so many do. I needed more and better than the life I felt.
Imagine calling 988 for a bit of help. You are isolated and all alone in your predicament. Where is the support? Why I get a robot on the line talking to me telling me to wait—where are the humans?
Alienation n the chamber of life. That is my life as Taishen.
Lily and her viewers provided a sense of community that I did not have. And it appears she was a contact with Chang’e via streaming that I did not know.
I am just Luo feeling alienated and climbing over the wall to get some needed assistance. Comfort amongst cold—sanctuary—hope. I was staying in Zhengzhou at this time. Originally from the flower city of Luoyang in Henan—a central province of China. I was working at the Foxxconn factory—where parts of the IPhone were made—largest iPhone factory based in China. I have to ear to feed my family like anyone else. I have a 7 year old daughter being watched by my mother in law in Luoyang—my wife was working in guangzhou at a factory. I never get to see my wife. I had feelings she might be in a relationship with a man in guangzhou. How can she be blamed? She has no love around. Her just like I don’t. If my wife is with another I might as well do my best to find connection. To stay afloat. Brushing gifts to a live streamer. I was even starting to pick up on new languages like Japanese, English, and Korean by doing it. My life was a trap. I must work to bring security to my wife who cannot bring security to me. To leave her would cause me to lose face and I would rather die than face that. Life can never be ordinary for me.
The days and habits of finding a sanctuary on an iPhone that I had to slave away and make amongst my unhappiness was a cruel punishment for just being me. I always am the victim. I’m unable to deceive myself to be happy. Nobody to hold me—I am a fish out of water. I feel the tension pull me like hooks trying to rip me into confetti—I am sure some would applaud at the sight of me being gone.
News and gossip of a virus running around like a plague. From Wuhan. Amusing as my former love came from there when we met in university. She left me like everyone else. I need Freon like a freezer to cook the hate off I feel inside me. I blend in my feelings of worth and self until it spatters as something abstract and abhorrent—like mold on a wall.
Aside from live stream hosts, I found an escape smoking hashish and going to the local brothel with colleagues. I ventured further and further from recognizing who I am. And the news of COVID had only made it worse. And n my hometown near Luoyang they put dirt and and tree trunks to block the roads to keep people from coming in and going out. I went along like getting stuck in thorny bushes and my calves left burnt. The factory became like a firecracker left held in hands pointing up to the sky. Like there is a thing like hope. There is none—gone like air out of a balloon. My fate was stolen away.
Security wanes no matter the solidity of the rock—just take enough rain to form a flood to erode—like banks as paper—pretty on the outside but not secure when the money is all gone.
Within the factory we were not receiving our allowances like we did before. Amongst stress of Covid and its unknowns we became like fish in a shrinking pool of water—agitated and biting each others scales. Abrasion. Friction. An unleashed turmoil to become a tsunami of emotions. Class felt like an overhead lamp causing the eyes to go red and burn.
Cases popped up like sprouting trees with rhizomes. When we wanted our own rooms we were told it was not a possibility. Healthy stuck with sick like classes mixing—a metaphor of it all—anger soar like geyser. Covid became a judicial sentence. Amongst a couple months before the banks failed and people could not get the money they put in. Large sums! And when the anger rose it set off the codes on our phones. Everyone must show their status. If one was positive for Covid their icon was red to indicate level of restriction—one must stay home regardless if the food that came from the government was fresh or if it even ever came at all. Green was good. But soon if you criticized the banking failure your code was red to keep one quit. The virus was the police—a means to shut up somebody like a baton. And the batons would come at the factory. Causes soon that political red of a dot was mixed with the green to allow infection to the healthy, which mean the baton of the government saying the worth of us—we were meant to shut up and is our part at the factory and ass caged dogs. Like the paper banks—when the money ran out the codes were sent to red to keep mouths homes while plain clothes cops beat the working class in the name of the communist party. Our party became paradoxical as the sickle and hammer—as it became more of the baton to make the money run and build the iPhones that make happy elites in Beijing who couldn’t care about zhengzhou. Like ants escaping the confines of an anthill drowning in the rain. Popping like bubbles in anguish.
Everything was blended in this world. Even Lily was not who she seemed. But I rather save that for another time.
The bubble was extended and the people left the confines of their residents on the company grounds despite orders that all must stay within due to COVID. Enough had formed for rebellion. Outside on the grounds the workers threw rocks, bottles, and metal fence at security in to shut them up. The batons came. iPhones were out to record what was happening. The image was bad and the workers were paid to leave the commotion and uprising as a means of saving face.
Heaven’s mandate was showing—the promise that all would be in order from the authority provided over all—no natural disasters—and I could smell flood water in the future. Beijing was not so efficiently coupled to Henan. And the security provided was looking like a facade—like glowing skyscrapers pointing at heaven—but in reality most of the buildings had nothing inside of them—bubbles to burst like the agitation felt at Foxconn.
Lily was a facade—Lily was actually Chang’e putting a show on iPhones, with perpetual hooks extending like a limb from the screen for men to bite on. Money like a work for hungry sparrows everywhere—a curse running through the zeitgeist of the time—and it was looking like the concrete was crumbling around the barriers to keep floodwaters out.
I want to laugh at the thought of small talk on peaches—the irrigation dug to make land fertile was looking more like the weapon to cause immense harm—there was a contagion besides COVID—the act of treating others as an end instead of ends to themselves—agency lost. It the slap of reality was going to come like a comet wiping extinct the good and the bad—as the water would come and cause the loss of life. In Shangqiu a girl of paper was abandoned by parents in poverty while some officials sent their kids to school abroad with sports cars—one of those princesses ran over someone and even thought heaven made him too perfect to face Justice. Something was wrong and scarily felt like it just begun.

I just completed a 1100 round trip between Denver suburbs and Omaha. Here’s my experience:
Charging Time and Experience:
Going to Omaha was 3 stops (Sterling, North Platte, and Grand Island). Total of 109 minutes and 213 kWh for $54.96. Going to Denver was 4 stops (Grand Island, North Platte, Ogallala, Sterling) Total of 105 minutes and 208 kWh for $52.93. All charging activated and paid through Ford BOCN.
Overall, the charging experience was good, with the exception of Ogallala. The EA 350kW stations wouldn’t work correctly (only 30kW output) so I had to unplug and move to the 150kW charger. Luckily, there was no charge for the those bad charging attempts. All DCFC were EA or ChargePoint. I do recommend the ChargePoint 200kW units. I have found them reliable and under used. Hotel had free level 2 charging, which was fantastic. Nebraska DCFC is extremely cheap. When was the last time you travelled 1100 miles for $107.89?
Efficiency, Navigation, and Apps:
I used Blue Cruise extensively and generally kept the speed at 75mph. Blue Cruise is a game changer for these kinds of trips. However, it is a pothole finder on bad highways. Had to disable the lane keeping in some sections of highway due to the poor conditions of the road. I had significant wind in each direction that affected my efficiency. Efficiency per leg fluctuated between 1.6 and 2.0, depending on the wind intensity. I did not set a trip to track overall efficiency.
I used the Ford navigation for the trip, but did my initial planning with PlugShare and ABRP. Ford Nav is very reliable and the integration with the truck’s system is great for eyeballing the effects of cross winds on the range. I found the Ford Nav to be very conservative in initial estimates and the delta between destination and remaining range always improved over distance. I think the system estimates highway driving at 1.6 because every time I averaged better than that, the range improved.
The charging at Sterling is a ChargePoint 200kW, but only PlugShare and the ChargePoint app list it as 200kW. Both ABRP and Ford Nav have it as a 62kW, and they both navigated around Sterling. Going to Denver, ABRP added the Ogallala stop and Ford wanted to charge to 90% in North Platte before continuing to Fort Morgan. We were following the ABRP plan until a full bladder forced the Sterling stop. Ford Nav is very good at adjusting to real conditions and updated the trip and stops in real time as the battery SoC changed.
Overall, a very successful trip with the truck.

Exploring the Basics of RESTful Architecture

RESTful programming, a concept that sounds complex, is fundamentally about simplifying the interactions between clients and servers. At its core, REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style that defines a set of constraints for creating Web services. These services, which are designed to be lightweight, fast, and maintainable, use HTTP requests to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on data. This approach has become the backbone of modern web development, facilitating seamless communication between different systems over the internet. By adhering to REST principles, developers can ensure their applications are scalable, flexible, and easily integrated with other services, paving the way for a more interconnected digital ecosystem.
The adoption of RESTful programming has surged with the rise of web applications and services that require efficient, stateless communication. Its simplicity and effectiveness in handling data exchanges make it an ideal choice for developing APIs that serve mobile apps, web applications, and other distributed systems. Moreover, REST leverages standard HTTP methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, making it intuitive for developers and ensuring compatibility across various platforms and technologies. As we delve deeper into the nuances of RESTful architecture, it becomes evident that its principles are not just about enabling communication between systems but about promoting a more organized and standardized approach to web service development.

Command	Description
GET	Retrieves information from the specified resource.
POST	Submits data to be processed to a specified resource.
PUT	Updates a specified resource.
DELETE	Deletes the specified resource.
PATCH	Applies partial modifications to a resource.

Deeper Dive into RESTful Services

RESTful programming represents an essential paradigm in web services development, offering a straightforward and effective approach to building web APIs. This architectural style, based on HTTP, emphasizes resource-based interactions using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH. Each method corresponds to CRUD operations, making REST intuitive for developers to manipulate resources on the web. The beauty of REST lies in its stateless nature, which ensures that each request from client to server must contain all the information needed to understand and complete the request. This independence from client sessions allows RESTful services to scale significantly by simplifying server design and improving service reliability and performance.
Furthermore, RESTful APIs are designed to be highly flexible and decoupled, meaning that the client and server can evolve separately without depending on each other. This decoupling is achieved by adhering to a uniform interface, which includes using standardized media types to exchange data, and, where necessary, linking to other resources to promote discoverability and navigation in the API. Such practices ensure that RESTful APIs can be easily consumed by various client applications, ranging from web browsers to mobile apps, and even IoT devices, thus fostering an environment of interoperability and flexibility. As the web continues to evolve, the principles of REST embody a timeless approach to building web services that are robust, efficient, and adaptable to the future demands of technology and user expectations.

Basic RESTful API Example with Python Flask

Programming language: Python

from flask import Flask, jsonify, request app = Flask(__name__) u/app.route('/api/items', methods=['GET']) def get_items(): return jsonify({'items': items}) @app.route('/api/items', methods=['POST']) def create_item(): item = request.json items.append(item) return jsonify(item), 201 @app.route('/api/items/', methods=['PUT']) def update_item(name): for item in items: if item['name'] == name: item.update(request.json) return jsonify(item) return jsonify({'error': 'Item not found'}), 404 @app.route('/api/items/', methods=['DELETE']) def delete_item(name): global items items = [item for item in items if item['name'] != name] return jsonify({'message': 'Item deleted'}) 

Exploring the Intricacies of RESTful Programming

RESTful programming is more than just an approach to developing web services; it is a philosophy that guides the construction of internet communication. By leveraging HTTP protocols in a way that is both efficient and scalable, RESTful services enable applications to interact with one another seamlessly. This architectural style encourages the use of simple, stateless operations. Each operation is executed without the server needing to remember previous requests, which significantly improves the scalability and reliability of web applications. Moreover, RESTful services utilize a uniform interface, which helps in decoupling the client and server logic. This separation of concerns means that the client-side application does not need to be aware of the server-side logic, and vice versa, which greatly enhances the modularity of the system.
One of the key advantages of RESTful programming is its support for a wide range of data formats, including XML, JSON, YAML, and others, which makes it extremely versatile for web service development. Furthermore, RESTful APIs are designed to be discoverable and self-descriptive, often incorporating hypermedia links to guide the client in possible next steps or actions. This level of self-documentation facilitates easier integration and adoption by developers. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the principles of REST are proving to be invaluable for creating robust, efficient, and future-proof web services that can cater to the growing demands of modern web applications and their users.

Frequently Asked Questions about RESTful Programming

1. Question: What is RESTful programming?
2. Answer: RESTful programming is an architectural style used for designing networked applications. It relies on stateless, client-server communication, leveraging HTTP methods to operate on resources.
3. Question: Why is RESTful design popular for web services?
4. Answer: RESTful design is popular due to its simplicity, scalability, and compatibility with the web. It allows for efficient and flexible web services that are easy to integrate with different types of clients.
5. Question: What are the core principles of REST?
6. Answer: The core principles of REST include stateless communication, client-server architecture, cacheability, uniform interface, layered system, and code on demand (optional).
7. Question: How do RESTful APIs handle data formats?
8. Answer: RESTful APIs can support multiple data formats, but JSON is the most commonly used due to its lightweight nature and compatibility with web technologies.
9. Question: Can RESTful APIs be stateful?
10. Answer: While RESTful APIs are fundamentally designed to be stateless, where each request contains all the necessary information to process it, some implementations may include features to maintain state under specific conditions.
11. Question: What are the benefits of using RESTful APIs?
12. Answer: The benefits include ease of use, scalability, flexibility, platform independence, and a wide range of supported data formats, making it ideal for web services.
13. Question: How does REST compare to SOAP?
14. Answer: REST is generally considered simpler and more flexible than SOAP, which is a protocol with more stringent standards and a greater overhead. REST uses standard HTTP, making it more suited for web applications.
15. Question: Are there any disadvantages to RESTful programming?
16. Answer: Disadvantages can include the potential for increased complexity in handling large numbers of resources and operations, and the need for careful design to maintain a uniform interface.
17. Question: How important is hypermedia in RESTful APIs?
18. Answer: Hypermedia, as the engine of application state (HATEOAS), is a fundamental principle of REST that enables self-discoverable APIs, improving the scalability and flexibility of web services.
19. Question: What is a common method for securing RESTful APIs?
20. Answer: A common method for securing RESTful APIs is using HTTPS with token-based authentication, such as OAuth, to ensure secure data transmission and access control.

Reflecting on RESTful Services

The journey through RESTful programming illuminates its pivotal role in the landscape of web development. As a cornerstone of modern API design, RESTful principles champion simplicity, efficiency, and broad compatibility across various platforms. This architectural style not only facilitates seamless interaction between different systems but also promotes a more organized and standardized approach to web service development. The adherence to REST principles ensures that applications remain scalable, maintainable, and adaptable to the evolving needs of users and technologies. Moreover, the discussion around frequently asked questions further cements the understanding of RESTful programming, clarifying its benefits and addressing potential concerns. As web technologies continue to advance, the principles of REST stand as a testament to the enduring value of clarity, flexibility, and efficiency in the digital age.
https://www.tempmail.us.com/en/rest/understanding-restful-web-services

It felt frustrating in Chongqing. I was rather stuck in Hechuan. I got accustomed to lajiao (spice) there. I was a Midwesterner at the age of 22. I was raised in Illinois. I became a manic—a Ferris wheel on fire—I was hiding under a bed in a hotel. Bold like napalm. Sometimes I can never stop. Even when I was 18 in a ward arguing with staff. Always want to fight things. That’s why I refused the meds and went on a plane from America to China. I was going to be an English teacher. And like a light switch, the change and SSRIs turned me into a mess. It would be my first time experiencing psychosis. My biggest issue. I never imagined I would be stuck illegally in a country suffering a psychotic episode in my early twenties.
Transplanted as pollen. I was left with a backpack and a cellphone. With a downloaded app called WeChat. I had arrogantly quit a university job in a fit. Spent the past months full of energy and not sleeping and neglecting myself, including not eating, to work on a novel. Not considering myself normally religious, I had obsessed over occult ideas during that time. Spending nights reading Aleister Crowley—haven taken a rusty pocket knife to carve a pentagram on my chest for spiritual protection.
I did not have funds to fly home. My visa was connected to my previous job, which meant I had now made it void. I was an illegal resident now in China.
I used a nifty app called WeChat as a messaging app, it allows users to find people near them that are also looking for others. It was like a virtual pond. All kinds of people, including sex workers trying to make things happen.
It could with luck be used to find people looking for people in terms of other kinds of work. It was helpful on many occasions for finding gigs working at English training schools and also finding work as a private tutor for people.
WeChat also works as a digital wallet.
Mania makes me irritable. Enough to tell a boss to fuck off. Thoughts ricochet within me. Bumper cars collide.
Being stuck and angry sucks. I scrolled and scrolled on a Huawei phone.
Absolutely pissed off at this world.
Pissed at the times police wanted to take me away for being a mess.
Sometimes women get pissed. Scrolling through their phones. Angry at their cheating husbands. It really is not that hard to have flair—be a damn white oddity. Like moths to a porchlight. Particles of sand through hands. This is when I first started the habit of it…
I rather go by a rather empty name of Taishen… with further explanation needed but now is not convenient. But I assure it is interesting enough and has some importance.
Habits are various in nature in how they attach to and eat at marrow—like atom bombs flashing as rays evaporating DNA—sets in a way less than human as putting myself in the cage of bad things taken up—my time as a former heroin addict is left as stretch marks on me in various ways. The same goes for the first time I found myself making arrangements with middle aged married women while desperation of waves whiplashed me like sandpaper hands coming at me to leave me in a tiring state of abrasion.
I had spent a night snuck away into a hotel. Found someone on a business trip. Instead of registering I waited to sneak along into the hotel elevator amongst a group of others attending the hotel, as I had no card. I headed to a designated room number. Originally I was sitting in a park. Playing on WeChat and found someone in their mid-thirties. Pictures were exchanged and I said no. She brought up paying for the hotel if I arrived. I agreed and went along.
When I met I washed up after her and we used our phones to awkwardly translate what we would do.
Room service knocked. I found myself hidden under a bed as I was not registered to be there.
It seems unusual that it was around this time I had started working on a story of my life as a heroin addict when I got caught up in my worse manic episode ever experienced during my age of 22. Finished half that story before never going back to it after my manic episode had ended. Now I am here writing about it and wondering if the same can happen again in the process of this work.
It feels extremely cliché I would write a novel about struggles with heroin addiction. It has been done many times. It’s just lame of me.
I feel like my thoughts are bit off. I left the hotel the next morning with the little money I did have on a debit card. Turns out the woman was from Taiyuan. It is a city in the northern part of China in the province of Shanxi—coal country with the worst air pollution in China. She has a colleague in Taiyuan that takes courses at an English training center. I was able to contact this place in the morning via a shared contact on WeChat given to me by the stranger I met that night.
Before I knew it I was sending my information and documents in my backpack at an internet café in a fax—with the intent that the woman agreed to share my information to the training center as she shared my contact to its hiring manager. It would land me a job that day that would help me out of my situation. Things turned not quite out as I expected though. I was shifted like a ball to somebody else to contact for a training center geared to teaching children.
I took what I had and ran off to a train station after taking the public transit. Unfortunately I was shit for money and could not afford a high speed rail pass. The slow train would take thirty-two hours to get to my destination. I would have taken a room with a bed but all I could afford was a hard seat for the travel.
Things were getting better for me in the circumstance considering I had found someone willing to take me for work despite my visa situation.
The thirty-two hour train ride was horrendous in some ways, but mostly I was in excitement despite the circumstances. I’m always giddy when disappointed. I moved up and down the aisle of the train. I could not speak mandarin, but it did not stop me from trying to interact with everyone. I talked many ears off during the train ride. I went up and down the aisle trying to interact as a moth to porchlights—I could not stop even if I had wanted to. I found great enjoyment the times I did get to sit across a table from somebody my age heading to Taiyuan from Chongqing. They were a university student returning to their hometown. Another passenger who sat beside me was an elderly man with hard boiled eggs, he was eating one after another one. I highly enjoyed each and every conversation that I had. It was like my head was a lightbulb wanting June bugs to bang against it with the intensity of Roman candles shot at my mouth of nicotine tinged teeth.
“If you find someone in Shanxi it is practice to pay the family money before you can get married. You would also have to already own a home and a car,” told my new friend across in their seat from me—a university passenger friend named David.
“Not necessarily what I was looking for. When is the next stop for snacks?” When the train stops I am able to get out and to have a walk onto the platform to buy various goods from the vendors to take back with me to eat along the ride to Taiyuan.
I had all my important documents tucked in my bag. This included my health clearance and obviously I made no mention of my mental health diagnosis or history to the doctor who had to evaluate me. My diploma and TEFL certificate were tucked away securely. A TEFL is a certificate that stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, it qualifies me to teach English as a second language abroad—it had only took a few months of taking a course online that I had paid for to obtain.
It is easy to be happy when you can trick yourself as your own con artist. Mania can make you deceive yourself. One can be doused in napalm and still not fully recognize what is actually going on. Same goes the flicking of psychosis. Even when I have nothing I find myself in my radiating irritation the most qualified of things—the velocity of my rhythm sets me out of an orbit.
The pressure cooker keeps me moving like a propeller at times. I finally arrived at Taiyuan. I arrived at the station to be greeted by Ryan my manager and his assistant Jennifer. We had our hello and introduction and they helped me get to a taxi that would bring me to my new apartment. I finally had a residence again. Apparently they were desperate for a teacher. The last teacher was from New Mexico and apparently they pulled a midnight run—that is when a teacher in the middle of the night disappears onto a plane back home without any notification of it.
The apartment was okay. On the fourth floor with no elevator, so it was a bit of a climb up a dark stairwell not lit correctly.
My job was a training center that had a location near Yingze Park in the center of the city. I was to be paid in cash via envelopes. I would assist in teaching kindergarten all the way up to high school aged students there in private lessons paid by their parents. I would also be assigned by my company to various primary schools in the city. I would take public buses to various schools paid by the company I worked for to give English lessons as I bounced around to various classrooms and schools in the city. Often I would receive a phone call to avoid going to work that day if my boss got inside input that officials would be doing raids to check foreigners’ visas that day.
A taxi ride would always be a thrill. Caused me nerves at first, but I came to love the flying in dangerous ways along a busy road. I remember a driver beeping their horn away as they drove onto the sidewalk to pass people. They treated the pedestrians as if they were in the wrong. I came flying in front of a primary school at its front gates. I was going to start teaching a first grade classroom and a kindergarten classroom. The way schools are set up is with a wall around the entirety of the exterior of the school. There is a gate at the front where one or two security will be waiting to let people in and out of the complex of the school.
I walked in front of the gate to greet the security. It was my first time with an assignment at this school. The guard said they had never seen me before and wouldn’t let me in. Not a big nuisance while I called my boss who then called the school to sort out the situation.
I miss the classroom so much. I ended up teaching in China for five years at various training schools. After returning to Illinois, I still taught as a primary school teacher in a public school.
I often feel extremely ugly from inside to my outside, but something is attractive there. This does not come just in terms of flirting and relationships—mania makes me a genuine lightbulb that flickers in a way that encourages the insects to me—everyone looks like a June bug—this is what I have come to understand about life. But that ugly does kind of stay like rot in a cavity that leaves a bad taste in the mouth that smells foul—hoping nobody catches the smell near me—it must tie into my struggles with bulimia over the years.
The same goes for my years as a teacher—in relation to the whole lightbulb phenomenon—I’m positive it is tied to mania and hypomania. The younger students always were fixated on the information I was teaching to them. I kept over the years methods taught to me and self-taught that I found extremely effective with younger students when it comes to teaching.
Everything was physical in learning in terms of intensity and ambition. When teaching my first grade classroom I would create flashcards for the vocab we would work on and implement in creating new sentences with. We would chant these words together in a way that made me a clown while teaching. Students would yell out the word that I presented with intense enthusiasm. As I walked by students it was expected that while they yelled out the word they would also physically hit the card. Later I would also work on physical gestures and acting out of vocab words and they would follow the actions and phrases with me.
I would often eventually turn the class into two teams. When students got an answer right I would behave comically and full of energy—I would give them a high five and pretend they were so strong with it that it hurt my hand in the process with much exaggeration—the students always seemed to never get tired of this act.
One game I would play involved drawing two stick figures with happy faces on them. Each figure would represent one of the teams for the classroom. I would draw a hungry alligator under the figures. Their faces would also be comical in appearance and full of exaggerations. Each figure had a parachute placed over them and four strings attached. During the game the students would race to say the word correctly represented on the flashcard or the correct word for the gesture I was making. The team that was not the slowest would lose a string on the parachute. If a team lost all four strings they would fall to the alligator who would eat them. The students found it hilarious with my actions involved in it. I would also draw tears and a person praying to represent anticipation and worry of falling down each time they lost a string.
I had a tooth game too. I would draw too large faces for each team. The team that could answer the flashcards and gestures the quickest would have a tooth drawn in their mouth. The team with the most teeth would win and it would look rather funny as the mouth grew and grew with an abnormal and extreme amount of teeth.
I often did other physical and interactive games like having students run to the word I showed a card to or gestured—each word would be attached to a point in the classroom on a wall.
I know it sounds grandiose, but the parents always seemed to think I was great at my job.
The word vulnerable means so many things to me. That word is like the coal to form the generator that makes the guiding energy for the ethics I follow in my life—I hold very strongly to these values that have developed on how to live—I can express it more later but I greatly attach a kind of Christian value system to it, which makes sense considering I was raised in a Lutheran household and always went to church, Sunday school, and went to my courses and went through my confirmation—everyone is a bit of a mop—some pick up clean water and others dirty or a mix of it—waiting to find the people to drain them voluntarily or involuntarily. I was born vulnerable. I walk pigeon-toed and grew up tripping on my feet—I speak with a soft feminine voice. Bipolar disorder makes somebody vulnerable. There was much vulnerability in being eighteen and hospitalized involuntarily for my first manic episode—tied to a stretcher. I have almost a sense of us vs them—the vulnerable and those that harm the vulnerable—take advantage of the vulnerable—I feel this is a very much Christian in the idea of the unfortunate are more holy than the rest of the bunch—children are like that in terms of being born into a cruel existence—a cruel existence I felt at times in my life and so many do—making sure harm does not come to those in need gives the light of purpose to go bright inside like a Christmas tree in my brain—this light of happiness and warmth. I never expected I would fall in love for teaching due to the antidepressant effect provided. It would become my career for a decade. Some grow up wanting to be a teacher, I became one by accident, desperation, and being saved.
Sometimes I inflate on self-hate like a helium balloon that needs to be tied to a wrist. The vulnerability equation is imprinted on my brain.
In my early teens I started struggling with bulimia and image. I remember when my mother caught me in the act. I was not offered help but criticized. I was called a girl for my problems and threatened to be taken somewhere to be fixed of my confusion. I don’t identify as transgender. I identify as a man that struggles with bulimia and happens to have feminine qualities.
I attribute it to circumstances that happened to me—a justification for the pain at times—an attack on aspects of bisexuality.
After a long day of work I did what my young self often did. I went clubbing with friends. I feel like even if I hide aspects of myself such as being bisexual, people can spot it regardless. I’m extremely secretive about it and not comfortable displaying that vulnerable aspect of myself.
My friend from England went with me. He was about six years my senior. Big guy. Tall. The clubs name was Maoye.
I always enjoyed the free drinks available to foreigners—it was done to attract Chinese clients, as the idea was foreigners being there would attract people.
Amongst the hot and sweltering crowd a man grabbed ahold of me. I felt stuck. I was taken off guard. Pushed and cornered. While on me I managed to push him off. But it all serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of my life.
A nail was placed into my hand—a constant burn and reminder of that vulnerability.
Part 2
From self-hate I can also be so grandiose. I am like a Christmas tree that is lit up. Sparklers so pretty that you cannot let go of them, even if it burns your fingertips and hurts.
From heroin to sex, you can smother the pain. You drain the ocean to fill a void in these times. It ties to mania as well. That restlessness and irritability is extinguished by the paradox of throwing kerosene to everything burning. I’m so grandiose to hide my insecurities, I mistake my misfortune as a mark of something ugly virtuous—the neon of vulnerability pulsating like a star within me. Swelling on a pain.
Bad habits. I want you to judge me and tell me what’s wrong with me. Give me a verdict.
Stress a trigger for mania, and I was stressed from the incident I had experienced at the club. I bloated like a tick to distract from locusts of thoughts that could not shut up with their commotion.
I had been sleeping around more than before. My brain was Christmas tree lights. I accelerated on a generator—I made a mixed episode worse.
Tease a disaster when you are heightened like a blimp. Full of hydrogen. Hoping to burn up ad rain down like napalm.
When the pretty candles on the Christmas tree are left untouched—not looked at like a kettle on burner that has been forgotten—the dry neglected tree will into a house fire.
I’ve had four attempts in my life so far.
When I attempt I don’t cry for help. I feel too vulnerable. I’m afraid.
Hate police and wards.
Downing pills.
My past failed attempts made me aware of everything done wrong before. The sleeping pills alone might not do what I was looking for at that time. I bought an electrical cable. This way if it failed I would still be unconscious and choked out by the cord—fail safe plan to end my life.
The words coming out of my mouth slowed down. I started getting second thoughts. Stuck my face towards the toilet bowl while on my knees. Sticking my fingers down my throat. Leaving blood vessels bursting in my eyes.
Went stumbling outside and waved a taxi down and asked to be taken to the local hospital.
Never expected finding myself checked into a psych ward in a foreign country.
Nietzsche has a quote in reference to chaos in life and how it is needed to create a star—this reference holds so much value to me. Sometimes stars hit together just right to create fate out of the worst of things. The ward lead me to meet the woman made of paper. She would one day become my wife. I would have two daughters with her. Forge together as soldiers to face the obstacles in life. Someone who would save my life during a future attempt when I was found unconscious from an overdose. The smartest and toughest woman I have ever known. Someone to build trenches with.
I liked it when she stuck that needle in me for an IV. It must correlate to being a heroin addict. The pushing of something in my vein correlates to happiness and purity.
The woman made out of paper was my nurse in the ward I was stuck in. What attracted her to the mess that is me I will never understand fully.
The woman made out of paper is named Lilu. She was one year older than me and one of my nurses at that ward in Taiyuan. She was from Zhengzhou—a city in the province of Henan that is based in the center of China. I am sure as the reader it would be nice to know why I call her the woman made of paper.
She struggled with her own demons. She also deserves much praise for her resilience and brains. When she was born she was raised by a family that adopted her and often neglected and abused her growing up. Her biological family is distant from her, even though she has an identical twin—they felt too poor to take care of her and made the choice that they needed to be less of one child as she also has an older sister—her twin got to stay with that family but she was given up and adopted. I am sure this must bother her even if she never will talk about it to anyone in her life—as she is one to refuse ever discussing emotions and feelings, as this is not her personality type—she is very much a fighter. I think most would struggle with wondering why they were the one let go of—it also must hurt her knowing that the family would have a son and keep him.
Despite all these circumstances, she graduated top of her class of four thousand students—Chinese high schools can be quite large serving a large region—they often serve as boarding schools. She was a smart and hardworking student. Circumstances never made her stop trying to be the best and moving forward and she never made excuses for herself. In university she also did well and got accepted at the most studious and hard to obtain nursing position at the number one hospital in Shanxi.
I have already ranted and gone on about my affection and feelings tied to heroin. Drinking of entire oceans to fill voids.
Paper is a void. It asks for calligraphy to be written on it to make braille. This way when fingers run over skin, it tells worth—the reason for troubles—it forms connection through those words of declaration—the whining for why things are the way they are—the filling of a void like a heroin addict needing a cure—two papers come together to write upon one another—as a paper I am her typo—I stand as a falling mess with nerves like tripwire, I keep failing and losing my composer, while she stands stronger as a declaration that has been written on—when I was chased I listened to her and joined as one. I wish and intend to always serve the woman made out of paper who has saved my life and has always been there for me, being so strong despite circumstances—amongst the wind of turmoil in life I follow along her path.
It was love at first sight for her but not for me. I had no interest in dating her at the time. I worked across the street of that hospital in an office building for a training center as a part time job. I would teach adults English who paid for private lessons near to Yingze park in the center of Taiyuan. She signed up for classes for me to teach her and brought me food on almost every other day that she had prepared. Eventually we found ourselves coupled fully.
In a pit. I get to burn as paper amongst another’s paper. Eternally. With a life that will keep reoccurring.
Part 3 Liu
A woman like Chang’e lived on a moon. Far away.
You can refer to me as Liu.
At the age of 19 I was diagnosed with a severe nerve pain condition. It is called trigeminal neuralgia but you can call it TN for ease.
I was frustrated. I had completed a degree in international finances from Chongqing University of Business and Technology. The boom of the economy was not the same. There was an urge to “lay flat”—to not try as a form of opposition to everything going on in a waning economy in China.
All are elephants chained for an audience. People love to peek and stare as though they are glass doors without hinges—to be made feel useless.
I developed TN at the age of 19, and was now 22. It came as an arrow, and quite literally to the face. It’s a rare nerve pain disorder often considered one of the most painful conditions known.
The illness involves intense nerve pain throughout the left side of my face. It felt like someone was trying to pull all of the teeth on the left side of my face without anesthesia. The pain can leave me falling to the floor unable to speak or move while screaming profanities while choked by pain. A feeling of a knife to my face over and over again. It leaves me in absolute shock. Like Roman candles to the face. An absolute hindrance. The anticipation of not knowing when it will happen again is a nightmare at times.
The disease is often called the suicide disease, apparently up to 26% try to take their lives. In a state of panic during one of the nerve attacks I began swallowing any pill near to me. I went to the hospital to have my stomach pumped when I was found comatose by my mother.
I want to be Chang’e and on the moon and away from a world I have had enough of.
Gossip spread around the workplace that I attempted suicide over an affair with a married man. There was too much guilt to return to the workplace. COVID did have an impact to the economy. I still remember my hometown having dirt and trees piled onto the exits and entrances to the city keep people in their places.
The work I did find felt beneath me. China has what is called the great firewall that keeps something in and out of the country’s networks. A VPN was necessary to access American TikTok as it was used as opposed to the Chinese version.
Feels humiliating the nature of the outcome for me—I gave up in many ways like so many Chinese youth. For work I would go to a local office building. Amongst a long hall would be a room for live stream performers. I would entertain with watchers while trying to obtain virtual gifts for actual money. I despised it—sometimes the conversation could be funny or interesting but it felt hollow.
I would paint flowers on my face and wear hanfu clothing while doing ASMR.
I had a mind of sparklers burning until it burnt and stung like wax—like I had the option to stop and cry and those tears stuck as wax and burnt or I soldiered on and grew accustomed to the pain. I was an elephant chained. The audience watched and interacted with me on the live. I was a chained elephant when it was found out about my previous attempt and when the rumors spread.
Too many thorns in life. Nails hitting at the wrong points like an equation for something terrible to eventually happen.
My favorite dish was Henan noodles. I often cooked it with my mom. It provides great memories of childhood. I hadn’t talked to my mother as much as before. She moved to a job in Taiyuan.
Sometimes I would go up to visit her. But it was harder as she worked more and more hours. Sometimes voids build even when going through extreme nerve pain. And with trigeminal neuralgia, the pain was so intense that I would freeze and scream in pain. It cannot always be hid. It made me an elephant tethered.
Life can be like a pressure like no other. Too much stress. Makes one feel irritable with a mouth like a sprinkler of napalm when someone is too close. Life feels like a lit fire cracker held—in the end it would tear my hand up. Things kept building while the other side of my face began to hurt too recently. This was rare and not so common. My eyesight was becoming blurry too and it seemed I might have multiple sclerosis as the pain was on both side, it was not common for my age, and the blurry eyesight. An appointment was scheduled and I felt terrified to know what was going on and wondered if it was best to not even know my health.
I walked out of the studio and had a cigarette. My boss came out and joined to talk. He was concerned about view count and wanted me to do things to increase it that made me feel uncomfortable. He made a few comments I found incentive.
The boss sure liked to criticize and apply pressure. He was not impressed with my work and thought I could do something different. In China an application is used called WeChat. This application has many uses. People can display and share moments like a Facebook wall, message each other, send money, video chat, and even has a feature to find people near to you who are also looking for people near to them. I was to attract people onto dates. The idea was they would be lured in and the men would go to a set destination to a planned tea house that served snacks. When the men arrived (they had no knowledge of the setup) the bill would be at an absurd rate and if the men refused to pay larger men would use their size to force them to pay up.
I was not sure at the time yet if I wanted the job. Being worried about ethics and safety. It was something I would have to think about.
My medical expenses were growing and I knew the nerve disease could be expensive to treat with surgery. All I had was thoughts while looking at the moon.
Part 4 Taishen
My former roommate in the ward I shared a room with had paranoid schizophrenia. I was stuck in the same place due to mania, and just had gotten my diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
I was so pissed being stuck there and felt I had no business being there. I found my diagnosis to be an insult to me. I was only 18 at the time—taken in on a stretcher. Made me feel very vulnerable and irritated.
My roommate was having delusions related to Christianity and could not stop waking me up in the middle of the night to ask and talk about Jesus. Left me beyond frustrated.
He was drifting from his wife and would go on and on about intending to leave her. Felt he was spied and plotted against by her. So we were both frustrated with being there.
The toilets were special. They would flush what needed to be flushed but not certain things like pills—it helped to keep people from hiding they were not taking their medications.
He had tried to flush his wedding ring down the toilet but he did not realized it didn’t flush. I went to use the restroom later and saw the ring. I told him. He took it out. He found it to be a sign form God that he is to stay with his wife, and there was immense happiness in his eyes.

Hello. I've been a member of this community and value investing philosophy for a few years now and would like to start sharing my ideas here as well.
Since I intend to do this more regularly, I'll first quickly introduce myself and then get to the pitch. I'm a finance student from Europe. I chose this field specifically because I wanted to do a combination of research and modelling for living and investing has checked all of the 'fun' boxes for that. I also have some working experience in audit and equity analysis, latter of which I hope to continue doing for a while. Now let's get down to business. Also, for the sake of simplicity, I'll call company DR and MFC.
Obvious disclaimer: this is not investment advice, this is just an idea. Do your own diligence. I'm summarizing my research here, feel free to ask questions and spark discussions, provide feedback and I'll do my best to answer to all of it. Initially I got this idea from vic writeup and Daikoku Capital also has some good info on it and some more sources I'd recommend checking out if you're going to research this in more depth.

Thesis and Business Overview

Medical Facilities Corp (TO:DR) (mcap 220mUSD) is Canada-listed, high-quality, non-cyclical surgical hospital operator in the USA with some focus on orthopedic procedures. Company collects fees from clients and insurance companies for surgeries and care.
It is currently trading at 4x P/FCF. Thesis here is that business should not be this cheap and has around 100% upside to historical average of 8-10x P/FCF. I'll give some ideas as to why this company is undervalued down the road and why this is not justified.
Company owns 5 locations and has minority stake in a few more partnered with founders of these hospitals. This keeps controlling stake to qualified surgeons and doctors while still being able to collect tons of cash.

History and Undervaluation

Back in 2016-2018 management invested around 200mUSD into less profitable hospitals which significantly worsened MFC performance. This lead to a massive slash in dividend after company could not sustain it and stock dropped by 80%. Since then, funds got interested in financial performance of MFC and replaced entire board and management and introduced a new strategy in late 2022: company should divest non-core assets and return capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. So far this strategy has been working as company sold off one of the locations in 2023 for 2.3mUSD where it was pretty much burning cash. With most recent quarterly release, a 12% increase of dividends was announced. Currently it's at around 3% with additional 3-4% of mcap in buybacks.
I think primary reason for undervaluation is the way business is structured. It is a micro-cap in Canada which operates in USA. It reports numbers in USD and interpretation of figures is further complicated adjusting for minority share. It also has an exchangeable interest liability (calculated from share value, so any dilution would be minimal). All of these together make it very hard to understand business well and get accurate information from screeners. Income may be understated during conversion and debt may be overstated. I don't think company has any liquidity/solvency issues at net debt/EBITDA ~1 and operating cashflow covering interest payments 5 times over.

Concluding Remarks

Medical Facilities Corp in undervalued player with high quality and stable cashflows. It has a long history of returning capital to shareholders and with recent strategy, board and management change there is little risk for this capital to be wasted.
Feel free to ask questions as I tried making key points as short as possible and any feedback is well appreciated!
If this gets interest, I will continue making these posts.

It was like Amazon. For boyfriend's.
According to his bio, Cam was a cat person.
His favorite food was sushi, and he loved horror movies.
His profile was cute. Cam’s photo looked professionally taken. He was a guy in his mid twenties with a slight curl in his lip that teased the start of a smile. Maybe a little on the pretentious side with the Sherlock style trench coat, though his eyes were what pulled me in.
I don't think I had ever seen that shade of blue.
Like staring directly into a perfect, crystalline blue sky.
Not quite natural, but too beautiful to ignore.
Cam was perfect.
Now, I didn't really think this Hire-a-boyfriend thing through.
I found the app through a link my friend Hannah sent me.
After just getting out of a pretty toxic relationship, finding someone to just hang out with was more comforting than dwelling on a relationship I have trouble even remembering. I don't think I can describe loving someone I don't remember. I have zero memories of him, only a vague sense that I was drowning.
That I had to run, to get away from him.
His face inside my mind is more of an outline, a shadow I can't make out. My therapist said it was PTSD, my mind’s way of dealing with trauma. I don't know the details, but I woke up in the emergency room with stitches in the back of my head.
Hanna was straight forward in her text.
She told me Hire-a-Boyfriend pulled her out of depression.
I was sceptical, though the app looked legit.
Like I said, it was Amazon. For boyfriend's.
The interface was cute.
When I signed in through my apple account, the app required a questionnaire after registering.
They asked details such as my likes, hobbies, and who and what I was in the mood for.
The Boyfriend™️ was a bestseller.
I found Cam on the feature page. His reviews were sparkling.
I hired Cam for a wedding! He was amazing! So polite, I wish he was my real bf :( - Lissa.
“Watched a movie with Cam, and he talked all the way through it. Not in a bad way lol, the movie was terrible. This guy was hot. I fully recommend”! - Ryan.
”Hire a bf is amazing lmao, my friends actually thought we were dating. The plastic thing ruins it tho. 😭” - Mina.
Scrolling down, there were even Husbands™️.
Husbands were more expensive, and could be hired for up to three days.
The Boyfriend™️, however, was only available for 2 hours up to a full night.
The app intrigued me.
I thought it was a joke, but could I really hire a pretend boyfriend?
Before I knew what was happening, I was on my second glass of wine, and my credit card was definitely in my hand, squeezed between my fingers.
In the back of my mind, hiring a boyfriend was a whole other level of dystopia.
However, I was still lying to college friends about being taken. Even worse, I blabbed I was fucking engaged at twenty three. This was definitely a me problem. My initial plan was to close down the app and install Tinder.
But my credit card was feeling heavy in my hand, the corner spiking my palm.
Cam was 50 bucks for half a day with him.
50 bucks I would otherwise spend on Uber Eats or over-expensive makeup.
Tapping on Cam, my hands were shaking. I was halfway through the hiring process that was settling on a day, a time, and a location, when a discounted Boyfriend™️ popped up.
Roman.
23.
Leaving soon!!!
Roman had two reviews, which was just a string of heart emojis and another that was hidden. I did see the start of it, but I wouldn't let me tap read more.
Hey! Isn't this… [REVIEW HIDDEN]
The guy’s lack of bio was slightly off-putting. No likes or hobbies, not even a favorite TV show. Roman’s photo stood out, however. Dark hair that was the perfect kind of messy, freckles, and a far-away look, half lidded eyes not even meeting the camera.
He looked like a daydreamer.
It made sense why this guy was on a discount. He didn't smile in one photo, and not even the teasing smirk I was used to with the others. His available photos were him standing awkwardly, arms crossed across his chest, as if he didn't know where to put them.
But, like Cam, this Boyfriend was flawless.
Not a hair out of place, and if it was, that was the style.
Each guy had a color scheme, and his color was chestnut.
His description caught my eye.
Perfect caramel coloured curls and eyes like melted chocolate. Roman is our favorite ‘Fall’ guy! An enemy to a lover in three (yes, three!) dates!
I had to agree. This guy embodied Fall itself, every outfit in deep oranges and browns that reminded me of crisp autumnal mornings. I think they were trying to sell college guy with him holding a book, and looking uncomfortable wearing a pair of glasses. His last photo was a full zoom in, capturing flawless skin and tawny eyes swirling with flecks of red.
Out of all of the guys I had scrolled through, this was the only guy who looked like he had personality.
Cam was cute, yes. But Cam reminded me of a mannequin. He was too perfect.
Roman’s perfection was human enough for him to feel real. Cam was a Ken doll wearing the exact same grin that people knew would sell. Roman was scowling, standing slightly tilted to the left, his hands in his pockets, and then squeezed into fists, before settling over his chest.
I could practically hear the impatient voice behind the camera.
Why are you scowling? Smile! Do you know how to smile?!”
“Eyes on the camera! Look awake! You're supposed to look appealing, why do you look half asleep?!”*
He made me wonder what the BTS behind Hire A Boyfriend was.
Cam was marketed as true love, while Roman was the guy next door who drives you insane, but is also kind of hot.
Were these guys strapped for cash and selling themselves out?
Was this all an act, or were they based on their real personalities?
Either way, I was sold.
Tapping hire, I chose our date to be in the city park at 3PM.
The app asked me if I had any special preferences, and I hesitated.
“Call me a donut.” I typed. If this thing was legit, this poor guy has a script.
I was nervous to meet him. After class in the afternoon, I headed to the park. It was raining, so already the date was going great. The receipt I received in my emails had the exact location, a green bench next to the water fountain.
I was five minutes early, already regretting my spontaneous, wine induced decision making.
Scrolling through my phone with clammy fingers, I was trying to cancel, when the bench wobbled next to me.
Roman.
Dressed in his usual autumnal wear, a levi’s jacket with jeans and a beanie, he looked exactly like his profile, already scowling at the ground, that exact same faraway look in his eyes.
My Boyfriend™️ was purposely distancing himself, sliding further away from me. After getting mildly offended, I remembered his standoff attitude and perma-scowl was his selling point.
The refusal to smile and inability to compliment me.
Enemy to a Lover.
He was acting.
“Hi.” His voice was a low mumble. Still refusing to look at me, he tipped his head back and blinked at the tree looming over us. “It's, um, Jane, right?”
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Hi.”
I watched his gaze wander, lingering on a butterfly. He folded his arms, pursing his lips. I had no idea what he was trying to say, before he let out a groan.
“I'm not calling you a fucking donut.”
Ooh, this guy was really getting into the role.
I liked it, playing along.
“It's fine,” I said with a laugh, “It was a stupid request.”
Roman met my eye, his lip curling. He wasn't laughing. “Yeah. It was.”
This guy was a pro.
I thought I'd made a mistake. Especially when my ‘boyfriend’ refused to walk by my side, stalking behind me instead.
He took me to a restaurant and bought me the cheapest option, indulging in the delicacy menu himself, and spent an hour ranting about birds not being real.
I started to realize why this guy was on discount. He was a fucking weirdo.
Still, though, everything about him was endearing.
The way his gaze wandered when I was speaking, like I could physically see his mind jetting off to Saturn.
Roman played with his hair a lot, twirling a single strand around his index. He ate his pasta like a psychopath, using a spoon instead of a fork, and spoke with his mouth full, spaghetti sauce running down his chin.
He (unintentionally) made me laugh out loud multiple times.
When we left the restaurant, Roman surprised me by slipping his hand in mine, entangling our fingers.
His gesture was unexpectedly warm.
When we parted ways, he had the slightest curve of a smile hinting that he was getting a little closer to me.
That’s how Hire a Boyfriend lured you in.
Their guys were like video game characters. I had to pay more to build them.
And that is what I did.
My friend was an artist, and invited me and my ‘boyfriend’ to her exhibition.
I hired Roman for the exhibition, but halfway through the date, he leaned his head on my shoulder, grasping tighter to my hand. He didn't get any less weirder, officially freaking out my friend with the birds aren't real theory. Eve was more amused than scared, immediately asking for his socials.
Roman said he didn't know what a social was, and she laughed harder.
“Your boyfriend is amazing,” Eve told me over drinks, “Isn't he like, literally perfect?”
Yes, he was.
But he wasn't mine.
I started hiring Roman every week, and the more I got to know him, I fell hard.
Every week turned to every day. I was obsessed with unlocking his true character and personality. Each time I hired him, Roman would get less standoffish, his barriers coming down.
He started to lean into me, squeezing my hand, kissing my shoulder.
Cash didn't matter to me, I was barely emotionally conscious when I was entering my card details. Just like the app said, Roman did get closer to me.
Fast forward four months, and I was sitting on a park bench with his head sandwiched in my shoulder, cherry blossoms blooming above us. It felt real.
He felt real.
I can't describe my feelings, because I don't even understand them.
He was the first man I remember truly falling in love with.
When he kissed me, I stopped seeing him as a Boyfriend™️.
Roman was like no other guy I’d ever met. Before him, I couldn't remember having a clear mind. After him, everything made sense. My friends loved him, and I had slowly deluded myself into believing he was real. His true personality was friendly, a little clumsy but in an endearing way, and he made me laugh. The park was our place, and I enjoyed dozing in the sun with his face pressed into my shoulder.
There was just one problem.
Roman was still a Boyfriend™️ which meant he was off limits. The plastic tag sticking out of his right temple assured that. If that wasn't enough, the app sent me hourly reminders, warning me to not get too close. I did understand, it was for the guy’s privacy and safety.
But it's not like Roman wasn't being affectionate himself.
The app said zero touching, including kissing, sexual intercourse. He kissed me multiple times, his head correctly leaning into mine. I still wasn't sure if he was part of his obligation as a Boyfriend, but it was clear this guy was slowly steering away from the rules.
I couldn't resist prodding the tag. “Does this not bother you?”
Roman shrugged, pulling his legs to his chest. “Not really. I like the smell of it.”
“Smell?”
Rowan held out a hand with a small smile, catching cherry blossom on his palm. “Yeah. Doesn't it smell good?”
He was talking about the cherry blossom.
Something about the way he immediately dismissed the tag put a sour taste in my mouth.
“No, the thing sticking out of your head,” I said with a nervous laugh.
Roman blinked, his lips breaking out into a smile. “I'm glad we both like it.”
Maybe he wasn't allowed to acknowledge the tag.
Ignoring my twisting gut, I focused on the sunset instead, blurred reds and oranges streaked across a twilight sky.
It was slowly starting to sink in that Roman was not mine.
“I love you,” he said in a low murmur.
Something warm dampened the sleeve of my shirt.
Was he crying?
For a moment, my words were tangled in my throat.
“I think I love you too.” I said, my cheeks heating up.
“Mm.” he sighed, and I was trying to ignore how wet my sleeve was getting. “I told you I would come back,” he snuggled into my shoulder, and that wetness was dripping down the bare skin of my arm. When he nestled his face in my neck, I smelled it, a tangy, metallic scent tickling the back of my nose.
Blood.
Twisting my head, my right sleeve was drenched with startling red.
My neck felt sticky, blood smearing my shoulder blade.
Roman was bleeding. I thought it was a nosebleed when I glimpsed his nose and lips and chin dripping red, but it was leaking from his ears too, rivulets of blood seeping from him, while the guy himself didn't move, still smiling, his head leaning on my shoulder. When my body remembered how to move, I jerked away with a shriek, but Roman stayed in the same position, his head tilted.
“I came back for you,” a wide smile spread across his lips, blood dribbling down his chin. “And our baby.”
I didn't respond, pulling out my phone to call an ambulance.
“Are you happy I came back?” he whispered. I was transfixed by the blood running down his face. His head jolted suddenly, his smile dampening, before curving into a frown. The man's eyes were suddenly so sad, wandering, like he was searching for something.
Someone.
“I changed my m-mind,” Roman’s head jerked again, drool slipping down his chin. “I w-want to be a dad, Sara.”
Roman’s words jolted something inside me, a shiver slipping down my spine.
I dropped my phone, using my sleeves to stop the bleeding. Grabbing his face, I forced him to look at me. “Hey. Look at me.” The bleeding was letting up a little. But it was his eyes that held me in a trance. I fell in love with beautiful, almost unnatural brown. What I was seeing was green, a smear of lime slowly seeping into that tawny oblivion.
“Roman.” I said, louder. “Who is Sara?”
His expression crumpled, like he was crying, a whole new personality taking over.
But he wasn't looking at me.
Roman was looking right through me.
“I love you,” his voice broke, “But I also love him. I'm not ready for a baby! I'm twenty three! What twenty three year old wants to settle down with a little brat?” His eyes widened, expression softening. “I didn't…I didn't mean that.”
I was talking to a memory.
“I love both of you. And I want to… I want to make a family with both of you,” he shook his head. “But not now, Sara.”
Sara.
There was that name again.
“Sara.” I said. “Can you tell me who that is?”
The man's gaze snapped to me. “Sara,” he whispered. “She's my girl…” his head jerked again, this time violently.
“Girl… friend?”
Roman frowned. “She's my girlfriend,” he mumbled. “I was going to go… back. But I… I couldn't… find her…”
His hands dropped limply to his sides.
“I looked for her. But they… grabbed me.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “They took me… away.”
When his whole body shuddered, eyes rolling back, I couldn't help myself, reaching forward with trembling hands and plucking the piece of plastic from his temple. It was like pulling a tag out of a toy. But it kept going, a long plastic thing feeding directly into his head.
It was like pulling a tag out of a toy.
This thing was a long coil of wire stained red, a metallic plate attached to the end.
Biting back a shriek, I dropped the tag, my fingers slick crimson.
This thing was embedded, fed, directly into this guy’s head.
Like a switch had been pulled, Roman’s arms fell to his sides. “Sara.” he said through a mouthful of red. “She's my… she's m-my…” he trailed off and blinked slowly. His gaze found my hand, where I was gingerly stroking his temple. Roman jumped up suddenly, his eyes frenzied, awake, like a startled animal. “What the fuck?” he shuffled away like I was contagious, diving to unsteady feet.
So, this was Roman.
“Who are you?” he swiped at his bloody chin. “Where's Sara?”
When I couldn't reply, his fingers gingerly stroked at his right temple.
“Fuck.” Roman let out a sharp breath. “You actually got that thing out.”
I was shaking, still holding it between my fingers.
This thing was warm, thrumming, like it was alive.
“And what is it?” I managed to get out. “That thing was inside your head!”
Roman curled his lip, his gaze wandering the park.
“Where's the exit?”
“What?!”
He grabbed me, harshly this time, pulling me to my feet. I was still trying to mentally register the tag feeding into his brain. This guy was not the man I hired, violently pulling me to his side when I could barely stand. His eyes were fierce, hollow, a whole other person taking over him. He was the shadow that had been pushed down, a suppressed memory who was awake.
And pissed.
“We need to get out of here right fucking now,” he said in a hiss. His fingernails stabbing into my skin hurt, but the pain was enough to snap me into fruition.
“That app.” I said. “What is it?”
Roman’s eyes darkened. “It's a factory,” he tightened his grip around my wrist.
“Can you help me find my girlfriend? I'll tell you everything, but we need–”
“Miss Doe, am I correct?”
The sudden voice caught me off guard.
Roman looked confused, his gaze flicking behind me.
Fuck. His lips formed the word and he stumbled back, his hand slipping from mine. Behind us, an outline of a woman slowly bled into the shadows.
“You.” Roman’s lips parted in a silent cry. He shook his head, clawing at his hair. The guy let out a spluttered sob, a thin line of blood escaping his nose.
“You're the bitch who did this to me.”
The outline inclined her head. “I know you have the memory of a goldfish, dear boy, but if I remember correctly, you were recommended to us. I even have your consent if you require proof.”
His eyes were wide. Terrified.
“You make us sign it! We don't have a fucking choice!”
“That's a rule break. Boyfriend's do not swear, unless it part of a joke and has been given full content by our clients.”
The woman appeared, no longer a disembodied voice, basking in the shadow of the setting sun, rich red hair and matching heels. She was my age or a little older. Sculpted in a black suit, this woman was oozing sophistication.
She turned to me with a bright smile.
“Hello Jane! My name is Lily. I'm a customer adviser at Hire a Boyfriend. I am so sorry for the malfunction!”
Tilting her head, Lily’s lips formed a frown.
“As we explained in our terms and conditions, the Boyfriend™️ does not usually act like this unless considered faulty. However, it is expected from a discounted model like Roman. He is scheduled to be refurbished in a week, so we'll happily take him off your hands.”
“No.” Roman whimpered. His gaze flashed to me. “Please… help me.”
His head jolted once again, and he dropped to his knees.
“That is also a rule break,” Lily said. “You never directly tell clients what to do.”
Roman’s body shook, his head jerking left to right.
“Get away from me.”
“You are broken, Roman. Allow me to fix you.”
His eyes filled with tears. “Broken?”
“That's right. Broken.”
“Sara.” Roman swiped blood from his nose. “Is she okay? Is she… s-safe?”
The woman regarded him with a pitiful smile.
“I'm sorry, who?”
Roman blinked. “Sara.” his expression crumpled. “She's my…she's m-m-my–”
Lily stepped towards him, and he shrunk back.
The sound of her heels frightened him, like he was used to them.
Used to her looming over him, a satisfied smile on her face.
“She's your what? Come on, speak up!”
He let out a raw cry, clawing at his hair.
“I don't know! I d-don't know! I…”
“Come quietly, and I will rethink my decision to convert Sara’s child when once of age,” Lily said. “The contract was clear. Section five, clause three. Hire a Boyfriend are automatically entitled to a Boyfriend’s offspring.”
Roman broke down, his head dropping into his lap.
“I'll go w-with you.” somehow, his eyes were glitching, unnatural blue light igniting around his iris. “I'll g-g-go.”
More blood, this time running thick down his face.
Lily’s lips split into a grin. “I'm sorry Roman, who is Sara again?”
He scrunched up his face, fighting to keep his mind. “I… d-d-don't know.”
I hated myself for turning away, after listening to him sobbing, begging for his unborn child to be safe, his mind torn from him right in front of me. I felt sick to my stomach. Lily was revelling in every second. Was this the reality of Hire a Boyfriend? What about Cam?
Who was behind his original face?
I should have done something. I stepped forward to grasp him and pull him back. When my hands were on his shoulders, the light fizzled from Roman’s eyes, sparks flickering out.
Like a puppet, he flopped to the ground.
In a panic, I tried to pull him to his feet, before I was violently shoved back.
The redhead nodded to me. “I apologise again for the malfunction, Jane,” she told me, scooping him into her arms.
He looked so vulnerable, a fully grown man somehow reduced to a living toy.
Lily bid me goodbye, promising me discount on my next Boyfriend™️.
I thought about that day a lot. I went to the cops with a report, only for them to tell me Hire a Boyfriend did not exist.
Apparently, I had been watching too many movies.
Two months passed by, and Roman never left my mind.
In an attempt to forget about him and delude myself into believing I was suffering a psychotic break, I lost myself in podcasts. Anything I could find, I listened to endless hours, blocking out thoughts drowning me.
Yesterday, I was making my way back home from class when I walked into a dishevelled looking girl with an armful of missing posters. I already knew who she was, and who was on the poster.
I was trying to avoid her, but this girl was following me. I could sense her steps getting closer, her breath on the back of my neck. Grief enveloped her in a sickly green aura, pale cheeks and straw-like hair stuck under her hooded sweatshirt. This time, the girl situated herself in front of me, red rimmed eyes begging me to stop walking.
I did, coming to an abrupt stop, my gaze immediately flicking to a very familiar face on the missing poster.
Unlike Roman, my Boyfriend™️, this man did have flaws.
Crooked teeth flashing a grin and an oddly shaped nose. He was stockier and had the worst fashion sense imaginable, clad in socks and sandles. This time, though, the boy had a different name.
Jun.
The photo was always different, what I guessed was a collection from her Instagram. This one was particularly heart wrenching. Roman’s eyes were bright and happy, no sign of that hollow cavern I found myself lost inside. The two of them were standing in front of a mirror, his arms wrapped around her.
Whatever happened to him after he was taken had stripped Jun away.
The girl shoved the poster in my face.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?
JUN LOCKE.
24.
LAST SEEN WEARING A PLAID SHIRT AND JEANS, OUTSIDE CAMPUS.
I didn't look at the face that had been perfected and moulded into the ideal boyfriend.
Into Roman.
I stared at the girl’s bulging pregnant belly instead.
Sara was getting bigger.
“Please,” She whispered, her voice a hoarse cry, one hand cradling her stomach. “Have you seen my boyfriend?”
It was always a no.
Swallowing hard, I shook my head.
Sara didn't even acknowledge my answer. She turned and walked away.
“Wait.” her name tangled in my mouth.
I felt like I was floating, my body moving for me. Stumbling after Sara, I lightly touched her arm and she twisted around, her eyes igniting with hope.
Opening my mouth, I choked on my words.
I have seen your boyfriend.
“Jane Doe! Oh my God, I haven't seen you in… years, is it? How are you doing?”
Sara’s half lidded eyes flicked to a familiar face behind me.
Lily.
This time, the woman strutted in a stylish red dress.
Her smile was too wide, too many teeth.
“Jane, can we talk?” she asked, “Woman to woman.”
Lily nodded at Sara’s belly. “Congratulations!” she winked. “I hope it's a boy!”
I had no choice, letting her pull me away from Sara.
Lily’s grasp on my arm was polite. She dragged me off campus. I thought she was going to throw me into a truck, before the redhead came to a stop.
I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened.
“It is quite painful, you know,” she said casually.
When I frowned at her, the woman prodded at her own temple. “The Neurowire is fed directly into the brain to ensure complete compliance with our Boyfriend's.” her gaze was across the road, and when I followed her eye, my heart almost jumped out of my throat.
Roman.
They had cut his hair. He was a sandy blonde now.
His colour scheme was deep blue, sporting a short sleeved shirt and jeans.
He was laughing, hand in hand with another girl.
“I'm only going to say this once, Jane, because you are a little too curious.”
I watched Roman reach for the girl’s hand. They must have changed his personality. Now he was smiling and playful, the two of them laughing. But there was a shy side to him, his cheeks blossoming red, fingers slipping through her fingers and entangling them.
“There are certain men in our society who are born to be Boyfriend's and Husbands.” Lily spoke up, and I realized she didn't just work for them.
She was Hire a Boyfriend.
“At Hire a Boyfriend, we believe everyone should have a significant other they can be with. Even if it's for an hour or two every day.” she turned to Roman, who was wrapping his arms around the girl, laughing into her hair.
The two of them seemed too close. I had a feeling this wasn't their first date.
Lily followed my gaze, her eyes narrowing. “Do you really think a man like that belongs with someone like Sara? No, sweetie. As you can see, Roman is currently being hired by Lula, our richest client, a socialite who is considering buying him as a full time Husband! Now, she is perfect for him.”
The redhead turned to me, lightly brushing my hair out of my face, the tips of her fingers tiptoeing across my temple. She had a smile I couldn't make sense of. “I have missed you, Jane. If only dear Ben didn't get his own way.”
She tried to touch me again, and I smacked her hand away.
I caught a hint of hurt in her eyes, before she sighed, grasping my chin with manicured nails and forcing me to look directly at her. “Sara is a woman who's boyfriend left her. She does not need any more stress for our baby.”
Dropping her hand, Lily’s tone hardened. “If you do not walk away and forget us, I will happily contract dear Sara into the Hire a Girlfriend program. And trust me, you of all people should know that it will be a very uncomfortable time for her. Would you like to know the conversion process? Well, allow me to explain–”
“Stop.”
My legs were close to giving way.
“I won't say anything.”
The bitch enjoyed my silence, my panicking thoughts trying to understand what she was saying. “Or we could make her a wife! There are a lot of lonely men looking for the perfect wife! Look at her. A young woman in her early twenties. Perfectly healthy and beautiful. And she's pregnant, so that's a bonus! Sara Mcintire is textbook girl next door. Exactly what we look for.”
Shaking my head, I was trembling, sweat trickling down my neck.
Lily's nails dug into my skin. “Am I clear, Jane? Or do you want me to say it again?” her lips grazed my ear, a shiver skittering down my spine, bugs filling my mouth. “Pain is beauty, after all, and we aim to create perfect Boyfriend's. I'll leave the process to your imagination.”
Stepping back, I nodded, swallowing a bout of vomit.
“Good.” she pivoted on her heel. “Keep walking and you will never see me again. Neither will pretty little Sara.”
Her voice followed me home.
“By the way, it was nice to see you again! Say hello to your boyfriend for me, all right?”
I don't have a boyfriend.
When I returned home, I felt like I was stepping inside a different apartment.
Everything seemed just like how I left it but the house was too… clean.
Too empty.
Standing in front of my bedroom mirror, I pulled out my ponytail, my fingers lightly prodding at my temple.
What did she call me again?
Jane Doe.
Maybe I was seeing things, but I'm terrified.
There it was.
How had I never seen it before?
With shaky fingers, I prodded the tiny plastic tag sticking out of me.
When I pulled it out of Roman, he knew who he was.
Who Sara was, and his unborn child.
Am/was I like Roman?
Am I a Hire a Girlfriend?
And if I pull this thing out, who was I before?
Edit: I've found hundreds of blood stained and fresh tags in my bedroom drawer. Who is changing them?
I live alone, but why does my apartment feel so empty?
Please help me. I think I'm going crazy.

The future is NEVER set in stone.
Whenever you get a predictions, know from deep within that you can always change it. This last month, this notion was heavily tested. And here I share the story of what happened. Brace yourselves, this is one the craziest thing I have ever experienced. Maybe for some of you this will sound absolutely insane, and that is ok. If you've read my book, you know I've had some pretty crazy experiences in this life, and this one is definitely up there in the wild ones. I will give you a Tl;DR, and you may read the long post to get all the details. Here is what happened:
I did a quantum regression session with my ex, and instead of her regressing to a past life as is common, she "regressed" to a point in the future where she had died, and was able to see exactly how she died, and through inquiries we found out it was going to happen within a month. A car accident. She had no recollection of saying all of this to me once she was back from the hypnosis state. But all was recorded. And, well, through the application of several teachings and different meditation journeys I created to release and transmute old energies, as well as a timeline shit change, I am extremely grateful to say she didn't have an accident!
​
Sounds crazy? Well, wait till you hear all the details haha! So, first, a bit of context. This happened with my ex, and at the time of the initial session, we had been separated for about a month, but were still in contact. During her relationship with me, she went through a massive spiritual awakening as I had her do many of the processes I developed to activate people's light. These are various meditation journeys, holotropic breathwork practices, plant medicine ceremonies (Primarily Iboga and 5-Meo-DMT) and so you can bet that, for someone who is eager to learn, open minded, and curious, these combined together can lead to a rapid awakening. And especially for her. She was always having wild experiences. And so at some point we got on the subject of past lives, and regressions, and I told her I had learned how to do it, but never really performed sessions with anyone. Of course, she wanted to experience it. So a few months ago we decided to do it, but after the hypnosis induction technique, she just fell asleep and was unresponsive to further inquiries. And then we went through a breakup after deciding to go our separate ways and didn't revisit the regression until last month.
​
This technique is called BQH - Beyond Quantum Healing, and it is a progression over the QHHT method developed by Dolores Cannon. It allows one to explore different past lives, and if you ever read books by Dolores Cannon, you'll find that at some point very peculiar things started happening. People remembering lives on other planets, people remembering lives as pure energy, people hearing a call to come help Earth go through an awakening, many wild things like that. It has always fascinated me. Because although I do know that at the most fundamental level of existence, we are all Source itself, the very essence of everything is Oneness and all is One, I also know that there are layers of existence and right now we are on this human journey, and the non-dual perspective doesn't negate the experience of duality, and so things like past (or parallel if you wanna use the correct nomenclature) lives are technically possible for the identity that we currently embody. I also heard that sometimes you can regress into future lives during such sessions.
​
So last month, we set a date to do it over zoom, and I will relate here what happened in this session. First, I did the hypnotic induction, which asks her to go to the most relevant time and the most relevant place. The first thing she saw were a bunch of colors. She seemed to be amidst the colors. After some probing, I found out the colors represented feelings. And she said these feelings were with her all the times. And through more probing, she found out she was inside of herself, witnessing all the feelings she has all the time. I asked her to find out why she was brought there, what she needs to do. When that happened, all the feelings started being attracted by her heart, and her heart grew bigger. She said that when all the energies combine together, they finish in the heart, and turn into love. She felt a lot of love, but then it started to be difficult to manage it and became overwhelmed. It started hurting, so I started doing a healing. This is where we basically channel in some golden light and let it run down the whole body from the head down to the feet, and grounding it into the Earth, and bouncing it back up through her. But then something happened...
​
As it was coming back, she stopped me. And she started to have a bit of a panicked expression, and said that the energy can't go up her body because she isn't a body anymore. And I asked why is that so, and she just started saying "she's dead, she's dead!". And saying that she had died. I calmed her down and asked her to describe where she was. She said she was pure energy. And I asked the purpose of where she was. She said she was in transition for the next life. And so I asked what was the previous life. She said her life as Jessica (Placeholder name for privacy, she said her name). I asked her what was Jessica's purpose in this life (This was the main question she wanted answered in the BQH session). She said she couldn't do it, she dies before being able to complete her mission. She was pretty distrust and in fear that she wouldn't be able to come back to being Jessica again. I reassured her and guided her towards a healing place.
​
When that happened, she started feeling *everything.* And felt as if she was everything. She said it was part of the healing process. And then she had the answer for the purpose of her life as Jessica was to heal. To heal, and to teach people to love, to feel , and to heal. And she said that she won't be able to fulfill her mission in this life, because she will die soon. She said an accident will happen. I asked if there is something Jessica can do to prevent that. No answer. I asked who was the one giving these answers. She said "I don't need to know that". So I asked her to ask again. She said she doesn't need to know. So I asked for Jessica's higher self to come, but then she started seeing an angelic figure. And she said she believe this is who was giving the answer. So I asked her to ask who this angel is. She asked 3 times, and then it turns out there were 2, and they were Gabriel and Chamuel (Or Samuel, sound is a bit finnicky).. Apparently there were more angels there, but only these 2 were talking to her.
​
So once that was confirmed, I asked her to ask them if the thing about her dying is the truth. They said yes. I asked if she could do something to prevent it. They said it depends on her actions. That some random action at some point, guided by her intuition, might do it. They said they will also assist. And they said that she needs to be in contact with her intuition to know the right action to prevent it from happening, but that how she is right now is not connected enough to her intuition, and that this is why they need to interfere. (I was getting a bit triggered when hearing that. ) They said it was going to happen very soon and that she didn't have enough time to develop sufficient intuition (???) They then said she has to be more open to her feelings, her desires, and her most random wishes, because some of them could be the thing that saves her. All of these, of course, were being said through Jessica who was deep in hypnosis at that point.
​
So then I asked to speak with Jessica's higher self directly, and had to repeat 3 times with some time in-between for it to happen. She finally said yes, and I asked if I was speaking with her higher self. Yes. And this is when things got really interesting. Her whole attitude and way of answering changed. It was almost filled with a certain arrogance.
​
First thing I asked is why this situation was happening, the meaning of this session. And the meaning was for her to find out how to continue to live her life. Here is what the higher self said:
​
"The important thing is that she is still alive and is loved. She needs to accept love from other people. She needs to feel everything she has to feel. She needs to connect with me and with her intuition, that way she will still be able to live. And she will be ready for a partner and a family. But right now, she needs to focus on love. To feel her love, and to let other people love her. If that happens, she can continue to be alive. If not, she will continue her journey into another life. ""
​
"What is preventing her love?" I asked. "Her fears". "And how can she overcome these fears?" "Love is the answer". (What a conundrum haha!)
​
"She needs to revaluate her life. Does she choose to love and be loved, or does she choose to not be here anymore. That is why she is here. That is why you are helping her."
​
"I will say one last thing: She really needs to be careful remaining in (The city where she lives) during the month of May. If she manages to stay alive by the end of the month, the risk will be dismissed. It's just fluctuations of her whole life that led to this scenario, as it sometimes happens."
​
Then I asked if there was any last messages, and she said "She really really need to be in contact with her true self, with her intuition." She also thanked me for having helped in her awakening, almost implying that this scenario would have occurred earlier if not from us meeting. After that I asked her if she felt more complete... "I'm always complete. There is nothing else to say." I thought it was pretty funny that the higher Self said "I am always complete".
​
And then I guided her back to conscious awareness, and once she was awake, I asked her what she remembered from the session. She didn't remember anything. According to her, she had just fallen asleep and woke up just now. This, to me, gives a certain level of validation to the "unfilteredness" nature of the information received. She was definitely not in a conscious state when it was happening. She didn't have a single memory of the session. But then when I told her everything that had happened (A very challenging thing to do...), let's just say it was pretty traumatic to hear all of that. I don't know if the text here properly reflects how crazy this is, but know that Jessica basically started being afraid she was going to die within the month. I did my best to reassure her, using the wisdom from her Higher Self to remind her there is a blueprint ahead for how to overcome this. And that's what I did.
​
At first I was able to help her navigate the emotions that this brought up, by creating a meditation that assisted in the process given by her higher self. To integrate all the feelings into the heart. When we did this meditation together, she had a powerful experience that led to her feeling so many wonderful things in her heart. And this first week everything was seemingly going great. But then, second week came by and suddenly it was really problematic. She started having wild experiences at night, and feeling like she was dying over and over. She said it was like part of her energy was leaving every time. I told her this was purification, and she wouldn't believe me.
​
She got completely disillusioned by everything, and started just accepting she was bound to death. And that it was imminent. I didn't. So I kept envisioning her having a wonderful transformation as a result of this. I told her that she can do whatever, but I will keep the Faith that she will perfectly make it through this. I made a scene in my mind's eye of her turning the calendar page to June and being super excited about it. But then it got really bad, she started having no energy for anything, and she felt like an empty husk. She couldn't feel anything anymore. She had lost all will to live, and literally told me she's just waiting for death to come.
​
I decided to fly in and help her in person because I felt at this rate it wouldn't be the accident that gets her... And, well... It took a heartfelt hug from me (And some tears) and suddenly she came back alive! It is pretty crazy. From one day to another she was completely different. Really, it's as if her soul came back into her body. I think it is because in that moment she realized that yes, there are people out there who love her. She allowed the love in. The love that is always there, for all of us. I stayed with her until the end of May, and am extremely grateful to say she is definitely still alive, didn't have an accident, and is now working at her pace on feeling all the feelings, loving herself, and accepting love from others!
​
There is so much to unpack from all of this, and this whole experience impacted several of my beliefs regarding reality. I will definitely continue to do the BQH sessions. It seems like the most powerful shortcut to what is currently for us the most important thing.
​
Much love to you, thank you for reading! And thank you for being you <3
Alek

The global aerosol cans market is projected to grow at a significant CAGR of approximately 4% from 2024 to 2030, having been valued at over USD 10 billion in 2020. The rising demand from various end-use industries such as personal care, healthcare, and automotive is a key driver of this market growth. Additionally, shifting consumer lifestyles and increasing disposable income are further propelling the market.
To know more about this study, request a free sample report @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/request-sample/?id=20133
Market Trends:
Sustainable Packaging: There is an increasing emphasis on sustainability within the aerosol cans market. Companies are adopting more eco-friendly practices by using recyclable materials such as aluminum and steel for manufacturing aerosol cans. This shift aims to reduce the environmental impact of these products. Additionally, innovations in production processes are focused on minimizing carbon emissions and enhancing the overall sustainability of aerosol packaging.
Material Innovations: While traditional materials like aluminum and steel dominate the market due to their durability and recyclability, there is a growing niche for plastic aerosol cans. These plastic cans are favored in specific applications, such as insect repellents and air fresheners, because they are lightweight and shatterproof. The choice of material is often guided by the specific requirements of the product and consumer preferences for lightweight and recyclable options.
Dominance of Personal Care Products: The personal care segment is the largest and fastest-growing segment within the aerosol cans market. Products such as deodorants, hairsprays, and shaving creams are extensively packaged in aerosol cans due to their convenience and the ability to dispense the product evenly and efficiently. The demand in this segment is driven by consumer preferences for products that are easy to use and offer precise application.
Advanced Propellants: The use of liquefied gas propellants, such as hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons, is prevalent in the aerosol cans market. These propellants are effective in dispensing products smoothly and are particularly popular in personal care and household products. Compressed gas propellants, like nitrogen and carbon dioxide, are also significant, especially in medical and scientific applications where precise control over the dispensing mechanism is crucial.
Diverse Applications: Aerosol cans are used across a wide range of industries beyond personal care. They are essential for household products like cleaning agents and air fresheners, automotive products such as lubricants and cleaners, food items like cooking sprays, paints, and medical products including inhalers and topical sprays. This diversity in application underscores the versatility and utility of aerosol cans in various sectors.
Market Opportunities:
The aerosol cans market presents numerous opportunities driven by evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements. One major opportunity lies in the increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions. Companies can capitalize on this trend by developing eco-friendly aerosol cans made from recyclable materials such as aluminum and steel. Additionally, the growing personal care and household products segments offer significant potential for market expansion, particularly in emerging markets like Asia-Pacific, where rising disposable incomes and urbanization are driving demand for convenient and efficient packaging solutions. Innovations in propellant technology and smart packaging are also creating opportunities for manufacturers to enhance product functionality and user experience, making aerosol cans more appealing across various applications including healthcare, automotive, and food products.
According to the recent report published by RC Market Analytics, the Global Aerosol Cans Market is expected to provide sustainable growth opportunities during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. This latest industry research study analyzes the aerosol cans market by various product segments, applications, regions and countries while assessing regional performances of numerous leading market participants. The report offers a holistic view of the aerosol cans industry encompassing numerous stakeholders including raw material suppliers, providers, distributors, consumers and government agencies, among others. Furthermore, the report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the global market considering market history, product development, regional dynamics, competitive landscape, and key success factors (KSFs) in the industry.
Browse the Full Report Discretion @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/aerosol-cans-market/
Geographically, the aerosol cans market report comprises dedicated sections centering on the regional market revenue and trends. The aerosol cans market has been segmented on the basis of geographic regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Aerosol cans market estimates have also been provided for the historical years 2020 to 2023 along with forecast for the period from 2024 - 2030.The report includes a deep-dive analysis of key countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, among others. Thereby, the report identifies unique growth opportunities across the world based on trends occurring in various developed and developing economies.
The Aerosol Cans Market Segmentation:
By Material:

• Aluminum
• Steel
• Plastic
• Others

By Type:

• Liquefied Gas Propellant
• Compressed Gas Propellant

By End-Use:

• Personal Care
• Household Care
• Automotive
• Healthcare
• Others

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa

Some of the leading companies in the global aerosol cans market include Ball Corporation, Trivium Packaging, Crown, Mauser Packaging Solutions, and Toyo Seikan Co. Ltd. These companies are expanding their market presence through strategies such as investment, service innovation, and collaboration. By expanding into new regions and pursuing acquisitions, they aim to achieve competitive advantages through synergistic partnerships.
To know more about this study, request a free sample report @ https://www.researchcorridor.com/request-sample/?id=20133
Key Questions Answered by Aerosol Cans Market Report:

• Product popularity and adoption based on various country-level dynamics
• Regional presence and product development for leading market participants
• Market forecasts and trend analysis based on ongoing investments and economic growth in key countries
• Competitive landscape based on revenue, product offerings, years of presence, number of employees and market concentration, among others
• Various industry models such as SWOT analysis, Pestle Analysis, Porter’s Five Force model, Value Chain Analysis pertaining to Aerosol Cans market
• Analysis of the key factors driving and restraining the growth of the global, regional and country-level markets from 2020-2030

About Us:RC Market Analytics is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities to optimize strategies. Our expert’s team of analysts’ provides enterprises with strategic insights. RC Market Analytics works to help enterprises grow through strategic insights and actionable solutions. Feel free to contact us for any report customization at sales@researchcorridor.com.
Media Contact:
Company Name: RC Market Analytics Pvt. Ltd. Contact Person: Vijendra Singh Email: sales@researchcorridor.com Visit us: https://www.researchcorridor.com/

Section One: Assets and Debt
Net worth: $212,723.31

• 401k in Fidelity $91,668.31
• Roth IRA - $29,993 in Betterment
• Equity if you're a homeowner: nope
• Savings account balance: $78,159
  • $14,178 in Betterment
  • $4000 in Ally
  • Investment
    • $59,981 in Schwab
• HSA Balance: $10,603
  • (my company switched HSA and I didn't realize I needed to liqudate my investment for them to roll over my HSA to the 2nd one. Yes I realize I need to consolidate it)
  • HSA 1: 1982 - 5,969 invested
  • HSA 2: 1812 - 840 invested
• Checking account balance: $2300
• Credit card debt: None as I pay my card off in full every month
• Student loan debt: None, my parents had paid for my college education

Section Two: Income
Income Progression:

• 2017 47k - Associate Customer Support
  • This was my first job at a B2B startup and I didn't negotiate my offer.
  • This was a small team of 2 where most of my work was on Zendesk answering customer emails and chats. Throughout this job I learned the basics of HTML as that's how our customers utilized our platform and needed to know it to help troubleshoot for them. Our company's new hire onboarding has them test out the platform like a client that was led by my team. I also worked on updating or writing any product support documentation.
• 2019 60k - Customer Support
  • I was promoted to a more senior title since my manager joined a different team and I lead this team. I was originally offered 55k but negotiated to 60k
  • Same day to day tasks as before, however, I now also work on pulling metrics and presenting different data points to the great team/ company. Also learned how to RCAs in this position. Since the technical account manager team falls within the umbrella of the greater team I was in, they also went through a support onboard process to learn how to use our platform faster and can act as a backup if one of the support members are out.
• 2019 $79k ( 72,000 base + 10% bonus) - Associate Technical Account Manager
  • I was supposed to be promoted early 2019, but had to train both my manager's replacement and mine before I could transition into this role. I tried to negotiate for a higher salary as well but was told this was the highest they could do. At this point I knew I was being underpaid but wanted to get my foot in the door for this type of role before I transitioned out of this company.
  • Learn more customer facing skills, such as the customer onboarding process, use case scoping, building out the customer use case, how to run python scripts, SQL, project management skills and help test and new features that the company was releasing. I also ended up leading the new hire onboarding process and built into a learning management system. I could have been more technical if I wanted, others on my team knew how to write python or javascripts scripts, however, I enjoyed the more customer-facing aspects of my job and knew being more technical wasn't the path I wanted to go down.
• Mid 2021 $115k + stock that's worth ~$67,000 over 4 year vesting period - Technical Account Manager
  • I was offered $110k and ~$53,000 worth of stock but negotiated it up higher.
  • My day to day involves a lot of internal meetings where the account team goes over all the moving parts my accounts go through. Escalate any issues that my customer escalates to me, work on pushing through feature requests, and do ticket reviews to go over status updates and have them raise issues that are urgent to them. Occasionally I will run SQL queries to pull reports that have already been created for my accounts or write new ones if needed.
• Mid 2022 $120k + ($12,500 stock refresh that'd take 4 years to vest) - Technical Account Manager COL adjustment
• Q3 2023 $132k + ($12,500 stock refresh that'd take 4 years to vest) - While I am promoted my salary increase haven't taken affect yet

Main Job Monthly Take Home:

• $4,933 Net pay
  • Stipends: Gym $55 and Phone $50
  • 401k contribution - 2,200
  • Health Insurance - Total $350
  • Dental - $1
  • HSA -$242
  • Medical - $89
  • Vision - $18.16
  • Employee stock purchase program - $500

Side Gig Monthly Take Home - $200-500 a month depending on how much I teach as a fitness instructor
Any Other Monthly Income Here - None
Section Three: Expenses

• Rent - $1500 for the master bedroom in a 3B2B
• Retirement contribution - $300 a month to my Roth IRA
• Savings contribution - Whatever is left over at the end of the month a
• Donations - I volunteer on Crisis text line.
• PG&E - $40 - $75 depending on how often we use the heater. Post 3 way split.
• Wifi/Cable/Landline - $19 post 3 way split
• Cellphone - $65
• Monthly Subscriptions: 441.7
  • Spotify $7 (trade for my friend’s Netflix).
  • iCloud storage - $2.99
  • Hulu$0 - Would be $12.99 but covered by Amex
  • Patreon Subscription $1
  • Barkbox $26.72
  • Manypets $69.99
  • $245 for 4 sessions of a semi private pole class
  • Class pass: $89
• Yearly Subscription -
  • $550 Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
  • $695 Amex Plantium

Pre-trip Expense

• Airbnb Cost: 224.66
• Airfare: Would have been 941.75 for direct flights but I used 62,783 points to covered it
• Shuttle Service for the entire Trip - $196
• Grocery Delivery through airbnb host - $40.71
  • This consisted of a bunch of breakfast food, snacks, 3 handle of alc, beer and selzter
• Private Chef service and grocery - $17
• Nails: $50
• 2 Dress: $150
• Temporary tattoo for the bach $54

Trip
Day 1:

• Woke up bright and early, and luckily my friends and bf of friends who are also going on this trip are watching my dogs for me while I'm on this trip. Uber to my friend's place to drop the dog off. $12
• Uber to the airport with my friend. Grabbed a knocked off Egg Mcmuffin and Ice tea before boarding the flight. $21.61
• Arriving at Cancun airport, we had to hunt down our other friends that arrived earlier before making the trek down to Tulum.
• Dropped our luggage at our airbnb and headed right out for dinner as it's now 7pm and we're all starving. Release our shuttle driver as today we reserved him on an hourly rate and starting tomorrow we have him booked for 16 hours a day. Had the most amazing garlic shrimp at El Camello Jr $24.2. The crew considered going to another bar but decided to head back to the airbnb via taxi $4, chill by the pool and drink the alc we had ordered through our Airbnb host. $28.2

Day 2:

• Woke up bright and early not by choice, but because there's no blackout curtain in my room. Got ready and headed out to our first Day Club of the trip - Taboo! We got 2 nicely shaded daybeds and ordered a bunch of food to split, including seafood pasta, hummus platters and risotto and had too many carajillo $278.63. I also got some body paints for me and the bride for $10. $288.63
• Headed back to the Airbnb in the afternoon to relax for a little bit and shower before heading out to a cute rooftop japanese dinner - Kokoro. I got an omakase set there. $94.48
• Afterwards we headed back out to the beach strip for Disco Night at Gitano. $20 for cover and bought the bride some drinks for $51. Later we found a Bachelor trip group to hang with and had free drinks for the night. Sometime after 1am we found our Shuttle Driver and made our way home.

Day3:

• Definitely got a hangover, but I woke up at 8am to let our chefs in as we had reserved a private chef to make us brunch (pre-paid) before heading out to cenotes Dos Ojos. I was too hungover and couldn't make it out so I mainly chilled by the pool.
• The rest of the group got some acai bowls and smoothies at Matcha Mama for lunch and were kind enough to bring back an acai bowl for me. $12.63
• Backup and rallied for dinner at Rosa Negra. It's always a vibe there but the tip is to do a late dinner as you can sparklers almost every half an hour and they'd invite people to dance on the tabletop after you're done eating. Had the most amazing seafood pasta there (haha yes I'm noticing I have a pattern of only ordering seafood here) and nursed my sprite. $70.71
• Around 10pm I'm calling my limit, half of the girls headed back to the airbnb while the other half go bar hopping some more with the Bride

Day4:

• We decided today was a treat yo self day and wanted to spend the whole day at Casa Malca, so headed out around 10am so that we could spend the entire day lounging by the beach. A portion of the fee we pay for our day pass goes towards food and drinks. Got some ceviche, poke and shrimp tacos to share and of course ordered more carajillo. Spent the entire day swimming in the ocean, reading and checking out their pool. $172
• Headed back to the airbnb around 6pm for a quick change before going to Hartwood for our last dinner of the trip! We did family style and ordered wayyy too much food. $105.01

Day 5:

• Woke up finish packing, headed to burrito amore for a quick lunch of shrimp burrito and matcha $18 before our 2 hour drive back to to cancun airport tipped $1000 peso from me for dealing with our shenanigans ($55 - the girls all tipped separately). From there we chilled in the lounge for a bit, before picking up a salad for the plane ride. Once we landed, I got a ride with my friend and her fiance and was able to see my fluffy pup again as my roommates were nice enough to pick up the pup for me.Total: 944.27

Final thoughts:
As the planner of this trip, prior to booking anything I had sent out a survey asking people how much they were willing to spend on the airbnb per night, for the entire trip and what they were willing to cover for the bride. We went with the common denominator and covered all drinks for the bride. I also itemized everything people ordered, so this way it'd be more fair for those that were trying to stick to a certain budget. I would say this is on par with how much I typically spend on trips. I don't typically track how much I'm spending on trips but am aware of if what I'm spending on a meal is on par with what I'm comfortable with.
*I went on the trip a while ago and keep forgetting to write it so this may feel like a more detailed summary than a real travel diary.

I really don't like talking about myself, but here it goes. I am a down-to-earth individual with a nerdy passion for art and creativity. I wear my heart on my sleeve, openly expressing my emotions and connecting with others on a deep level. Whether I'm immersed in a book, painting, or exploring new ideas, my artistic side shines through in everything I do. Amidst it all, I'm on a heartfelt quest for that special someone, seeking a genuine connection and meaningful companionship. As the title says, I'm 44, white, 6'2", about 200lbs (slight dad bod which I'm working on, despite not having any kids lol), short brown hair (that I may shave off soon), hazel eyes, beard, and a couple of tattoos.
I've honestly never been much for the club or bar scene. As I have gotten older, I find more comfort in a setting where I can really get to know a person. Additionally, all of my close friends are married, some with kids, so I don't really have a wingman or someone to go out with me to these places. Some might be thinking, well why not try dating sites? These have never been much help for me either, even if it were something only temporary. If someone was looking for just a fling, they would honestly choose a more appropriate specimen haha. But if someone truly wanted a great personality in addition to someone with passion, that's where I think I shine. I'm witty, have a good sense of humor, I'm easy going and I'm just a big nerd at heart.
Would I enjoy some NSFW activities? Of course I would...but caring about the person I experience that stuff with makes those things worth so much more in my opinion. If any of this resonates with you, please don't hesitate to reach out and get to know me. I'm an open book.
PS - Open to SFW or NSFW

So I made this document which breaks down which new digimon to the card game are added in every set.
I did not include Promos and it currently goes up to EX7.
Also in there is the list of Digimon yet to be on cards. The original list was from Wikimon. There are about 500 left without cards. The rate of new digimon per set is pretty noticeably declining though so who knows how close we will get to all of them.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Juq4YWJpD6IESkBkDzNYEA2eA9Y9HDOjaxG2mLEH7_E/edit?usp=sharing

Hi there! First time traveler to Cancun here gearing to visit in April (5 days/4 nights) next year for myself and my bf (and some friends) for his 30th birthday. Bringing some friends as well in the same 28-32 year age range. We are all foodies. His goal is mainly to be on the resort, we’ve already narrowed down the 1-2 excursions we’d want to do. After searching on this page and others, this resort seemed to be the winner for us to choose and I do like the flight+room option (unless I shouldn’t bother and get a separate ticket altogether). Definitely upgrading to excellence club. I have some questions regarding the stay:
A. Does the resort have a nightlife? We’d like a night out to get dressed up and dance the night away; preferably on the resort but if there are some awesome clubs outside to try once those suggestions are welcome too
B. Any restaurants to absolutely avoid and one worth splurging on for a nice birthday dinner (on/off the resort)?
C. If all 8 of us go; are groups rates pretty decent or should we all book separately? (It’s okay if this isn’t answered)
D. When is really the best time to book?
E. Are there motorized water activities available for a fee at the resort? Not a deal breaker
Sorry for the long post, I probably have more to ask but any information is greatly appreciated :)

Dearest gentle player,
It is with much delight that this Game Master welcomes you into the dazzling and glamourous ton of the Adamant Empire.
In this world of socialities, schemers and sycophants, you will be assuming the role of debutantes, bright and accomplished Gems, who are either just now being introduced to society or who are returning to it after being away for a very long time, with the intent of securing respectable matches for themselves.
Armed only with your wits, wiles and charms, you must charm suitors and navigate the rigid society of the Empire while avoiding scandal and ruin. Gods forbid you end up being dragged through the mud in the mysterious Lady Quartz's society papers!
What will you strive for, gentle player? Will you search for that perfect one, throwing caution to the wind in the pursuit of true love? Will you prove to be the most sparkling of Gems, earning yourself the favour of her Grace, the Queen Consort Ciyradyl, and the title of the Diamond of the season? Will you aim to rise as high through the ranks as possible? After all, why be content with being a Mrs. when you can be a Duchess? Or will you strive to forge a different path for yourself, forsaking what your family and society has set out for you? Something in between?
Whatever your goal is, be weary, dear player. For in this world, secrets are a dangerous currency and scandals can destroy entire families. Be an example of fine society or embrace infamy, tis your choice. Just know that the ton is always watching, judging in hushed whispers and giggles.
So, follow my lead and dance through candlelit ballrooms as we create together a tale of thrilling character drama, love, passion, ambition and bitter rivalries, all that which makes a heart flutter with enthusiasm and dread.
And if our darling debutantes unwittingly end up entwined in a conflict much grander than they could have ever anticipated? Well... is it truly a D&D game without some heightened stakes?
Campaign Pitch
Thank you for reading through my ramblings. I will be running a bit of a niche idea for a campaign. Those who have seen the Netflix Series Bridgerton or have consumed any media inspired/related to Jane Austen probably have a fairly good idea of the kind of story I am going for.
Essentially, this game will focus a lot more on your characters, their goals, desires and tribulations while they wade through the social season. There will be a main plotline as well as many other storylines linked to NPCs and factions that the players might interact with if they so wish, but ultimately I enjoy focusing on what my players find most enjoyable.
This will be a very roleplay heavy game. Combat will occur on occassion. This is D&D still after all so I am essentially contractually obligated to allow you to bonk at least a few times, but combat will only happen when the story demands it-and the story likely won't demand it that often. I suppose you can theoretically go out to the wilderness and do a dungeon crawl and I will play along with it, but if that is what you are seeking out of your D&D experience, this is sadly not the game for you.
Besides from roleplay, there might be some degree of urban exploration within the city of the Summit, the capital of the Empire and the setting of our campaign. There will potentially be some opportunities for sleuthing too if that is an avenue the players decide to explore more.
Instead, most of the game will be focused on exploring the lives of your characters and for those around them as well as that of your larger society. You can expect a lot of talking to each other and to NPCs so I encourage you to get deep into your character's mindset, to flesh them out as a person and to allow yourself to get vulnerable while playing them. Those are the moments my current table thrives on. We have quite literally cried as result of scenes. So never hesitate to speak up, try something new out and go deep into your character's soul.
As for me, I will strive to create an immersive, breathing world. I want my NPCs to feel like real people and for you to bond with them as such. I want your environment to react to and remember your actions, what makes you who you are. For this purpose, I will work with each of the players to intergrate their characters into the Adamant Empire and to best accomodate what you want to do in and out of character.
Speaking of the world, during character creation, we will work together to create the province you are from as well as your family and their place within society (status, any connections to guilds they might have, etc). So, you will be actively involved in creating at least a few small parts of it.
Once I have gathered up all players and received their backstories, there will be a two weeks gap between that and starting the game so I can get some more GM prep done with all the factors in mind. I want to try and begin either at the end of this month or at the start of the next one, but I won't push on this too hard.
Once we have started, I want to settle on a consistent schedule so schedule compatibility and consistence is quite important for me. I do not have a specific end date in mind for this game. I believe campaigns should last as long as it takes for them to have a satisfying conclusion. That being said, my games tend to be on the longer end so keep that in mind too.
If any of that sounds like your cup of tea, feel free to fill in the form down below! Hopefully we will get to create a great story together.
Lore
There is some lore within the Adamant Empire and the continent it is a part of, Kosmos, but nothing of massive importance that you would need to know right out of the bat. It has its own history and pantheon of Gods, etc, but honestly I am more than happy to work with the players to adjust the existent lore or to add entirely new one. Never hesitate to reach out to me.
The basics of the world are these though:
The Adamant Empire is thousands of years old. It is fairly similiar to the irl British Empire in many ways. It is extremely powerful and influential and it has supposedly independent colonies that in essence function as puppet goverments all over the continent. Few can match them in power.
That was until a hundred years ago.
King Edmund Diamant was determined to conquer one of the last remaining nations that could potentially rival the Adamant Empire, the elven isles of Yara Ambar. He miscalculated gravely, however, and that led to the Empire's first true loss. Taking advantage of the distraction, multiple colonies revolted and enough banded together to form the City States of Andora. With the assistance of their infernal supporters, the revolutionaries have gained some level of independence and are now almost certainly plotting to claim more and more of the Empire's lands for themselves.
The Empire's legions, coffers and reputation took a significant blow and they were forced to sign a treaty with the elven royalty.
Prince Orion was betrothed and later wed to an elven noble woman. This was a significant event because for centuries now, since the reign of Cedric the Conqueror, it had been strictly forbidden for non-humans to be part of the Adamantian nobility. The Oldblood families, the most ancient of bloodlines within the Empire, protested against the decision, but there was little to be done.
King Orion and his consort Queen Ciyradyl have reigned together for 70 years now. During their rule, peace and prosperity has largely been maintained and the people are content. More and more non-human families have also made their into the ton, a most scandalous occurence at first, but one that the ton has grown to accept with time, albeit some races more than others.
Alas, it is uncertain how long peace will last still. With the 99 year old King growing ill in body and mind, his wife and children have primarily taken over his duties. The City States of Andora stand proud to this day, a mark of shame upon the pride of any true Adamantian. Much conversation remains over what is to be done with them. Simultanously, there are many other forces who would benefit to see the Empire crumble on its knees.
Life in the Adamant Empire is about to change. Whether that change shall be for better or worse and what role you might play in it is yet to be revealed.
There is yet another element that needs to be discussed when it comes to the lore and that is the Gems/Steels separattion.
In essence, I and my players wished to replicate the sort of narratives one might encounter in the books of Jane Austen, where for example the Bennet family must marry all their daughters or they will end up with no inheritance (gasp!), but we still wished to be able to have PCs be male or to explore queer romances and narratives.
So, we settled on the following idea:
There is a secondary label by which individuals are put into one category or the other. People either bear the Mark of the Gem or the Mark of the Steel. This system of social distinction in essence replaces the era accurate existence of sexism.
Gems and Steels can be male or female, it does not matter. Similarly, Gems and Steels can be in relationships with men or women, that also does not matter. Creating offspring is still important within society, but magic can also accomplish that so gender or sexuality is not a factor.
What matters is that Gems are not allowed to inherit property and titles and are very limited in the careers that it is appropiate for them to have. They are expected to spend their time at home, tending to the needs of the household and the family. Steels have none of these restrictions.
Your characters are all Gems, meaning they need to marry -and marry well- in order to secure the best possible future for themselves.
Idea might be slightly altered in the future, but the skeleton of it should remain the same more or less.
As you might have figured out from this, while we will be trying to keep the spirit of the era and many of its customs, we won't be going for 100% historical accuracy (if you did not figure that out from the fact that magic exists). So, if that is what you are looking for, sorry but this table probably won't perfectly match your taste.
Table Rules
Given that we will be very focused on roleplay, character creation will have some according adjustments. you can find those down here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a7JdKnUQEfsoEOufrb8hACKmDBzIGaKEzXGKtT1sD7o/edit?usp=sharing
If you require some guidance in creating the narrative elements of your character, you can use this doc as a well as a sort of guideline:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qAudZPqYzCS9lDZGp7E6ZtWQExmCvP3DQnUqFZ9u3Ww/edit?usp=sharing
Some more rulings to keep in mind:

• Social PvP is allowed, but combat must be discussed by the players and the GM beforehand.
• For inspiration, you can have up to 3 at a time.
• Drinking potions is a bonus action :)

And we might come up with more as we play.
Plot Hook
The Player Characters all have town lodgings in the same neighbourhood, Fairbrooke Square. Thus, they might know each other to some degree or they might not. That is up to the players.
Regardless, as you were all neighbours growing up, you would have grown up alongsides the at the time Viscountess Kristina Royce (Steel). The specific relationship and dynamics that you had with Kristina can be fleshed out later between you and I, but everyone knew her in some shape, way or form.
Ten years ago, Kristina's parents died, making her Countess of Stirling and shortly after she left to roam the sea as Royces tend to do. Whether you maintained contact with her afterwards is once again your decision to make.
Kristina has now returned to the Summit, shortly after breaking off her betrothal to Emil Pleasant (Gem), son of the Baron of Fairbrooke Square and another one of your neighbours. You can also decide what kind of dynamic you have with him too.
While your whole street is whispering about the impending social season and the latest hot gossip, you (the PCs) each receive an invitation to dinner from Kethryllia Royce, Doawger Countess of Stirling, grandmother of Kristina and former handmaiden to the Queen.
It is uncertain yet what she wishes to discuss with you about, but that private dinner will be the inciting incident of our game.
Player Requirements
If all this sounds good to you, then now it is time to see if you would be a good match for the table! The ideal player for us would match the criteria down down below.

• Is 18+.
• Has a decent internet connection.
• Has a laptop cause you need that for Foundry.
• Has a mic and camera and is comfortable with having the camera open for sessions (yes, this is obligatory. I understand why some might not like it, but I find roleplay flows much more smoothly when you can see the other's face so this is must. Sorry.)
• Is available every Sunday from 4 to 9 BST.
• Is LGBTQ+ friendly as I am not going to allow any kind of hate at my table.
• Loves roleplaying.

As you might have noticed, level of experience is not a concern here. Newbies and experienced players are welcome alike!
Player Application
If you match all the criteria above, wonderful! i can't wait to hear from you. Go ahead and fill the application in. It is a bit long, but I hope it will be as fun for you to fill in as it was for me to make.
I already have three amazing players and I am looking for two more to fill out the party. The form should remain open for around a week so take your time.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXCoA6pUYSWk2WzsNq0Vb1N7xj3BSB8C3DEPVOmYfPAJ3KJg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Afterword
If you have read through all my ramblings, thank you very much! Remember to include the word "bonbon" in there so that I know you did.
This is a rather new experience for me if I am sincere. I have been GMing for a few years now, but this will be a very different sort of game to what I usually run and I am also rather new to Foundry too.
I cannot promise it will be a perfect experience, but I can promise that I will always strive to make it an enjoyable one. I am always open to critique and willing to adjust things for the entertainment and safety of the group.
I have bored you enough I would say. Farewell for now, gentle player. Let us not keep the ton waiting.

I passed the NMLS test on the first try with an 80. Here are my non-expert experience in case anyone -- like I was -- is looking for information:
Before I started classes on April 22nd, I had zero professional experience in the mortgage and real estate industry (this hampered me a little on the test, I think, since experience with mortgages and transactions would have definitely helped on many of the test questions). But I love people and I love numbers and I love contracts, and have purchased a few properties in my life wherein I enjoyed the loan process, so am pursuing Loan Origination as my next career.
My goal was to study two hours per day for three weeks. For a week I stuck to this, except being 55 with responsibilities sometimes life gets in the way and the reality is I studied for two hours a day for the first week, a couple of hours every couple of days for the next 1.9 weeks, then studied about 6 hours the final day.
I have a graduate degree, but the last time I took any kind of courses or test was 30 years ago (!). I realize now why I hated school so much as a kid, was okay with Bs in high school and college, and swore after getting my graduate degree I'd never go to school again -- for me, I don't like the artificial stress of tests. Life is too short to fret about the nits of tests. Because of this, I struggled a bit spiritually before and during the test -- what was the point of this, I kept asking myself. I'm relieved that part -- the internal debate -- is over. I don't know that I'll ever take another test again.
I struggled on how to study. 3x5 index cards? Quizlet or a similar flashcard app? Handwritten notes? (I had a decent memory until I was about 40, so in college I would skip all the classes/lectures since sitting in a lecture is akin to hell for me, and instead would read the assigned readings with a yellow highlighter during the semester, then rewrite highlighted passages by hand the day before the test, and that was enough for me to do okay on a multiple choice test). For the NMLS exam, I made lots and lots and lots of paper flashcards, but ultimately what I went back to was to write sample test questions in Google Sheets (Question was in column A, I answered in an oversized column B, the Answer key was in Question C), take the test (I answered each question in B then I'd check my answer in C and highlight in red any question that I missed), then dictate any question I answered incorrectly into a Voice Memo which I would listen to this on my daily walks. I tried to create jingles for questions I missed repeatedly ("HMDA is Regulation C, That's Section X of 1003").
I also struggled on what materials to study. I wasn't impressed with the online 20 hour course I took for the pre-education piece so was reluctant to pay $ for a test prep, plus I personally don't like prerecorded web/video lessons. I tried taking online tests, but because ultimately I didn't trust the validity of these tests I never answered more than a few questions on any one of them. Ultimately, I banked on a 4-hour free YouTube video. The video spent a lot of time on RESPA, TILA, the specifics of the various loan products, not a lot of time on specific scenarios. I watched the entire video, took detailed notes on the video, and then wrote nearly 500 test questions based on the video. I got to where I knew those 500 test questions like the back of my hand. If the test matched that video, I was going to pass!
Turns out, I don't think I bet on the right video. Maybe half the questions on the test were on the video wherein I knew I nailed the question. That means the remaining 50 percent of the questions were a modified form of a crapshoot -- these are not good odds to play. In fact, maybe a sixth of the questions I was taking wild guesses on where I was taking a swing in the total dark. I realize now that the video was just a high-level cliff notes version of a small portion of what was on the test. In retrospect, I would have spent more time reviewing the course materials from my class, looking more at the specific scenarios and the finer points of TRID (there were quite a few questions on TRID, which the video didn't really cover in detail; there seemed to be very few questions related to UAT and only four math questions). OMG about two-thirds through the test, I thought -- I'm screwed. Mid test, I started making my plans for when I failed - what would my next step be?
I noticed too that the questions were phrased in ways I didn't anticipate. For example, I know that business days are considered any day other than Sunday and legal holidays. And there was a test question about this, but it was phrased as "Monday through Saturday except legal holidays" for one answer choice and something like "Monday through Saturday except legal holidays, unless the branch is open for business on Sunday." These little twists challenged me a lot. I was also surprised how some questions were more detailed in their phrasing than I expected while others were much more simple in their phrasing than I expected. There were more than a few questions where I knew the answer, except the answer choices were ambiguous enough to make the best choice not so clear cut.
Regarding time -- there was way more time than necessary. I've always been a very very very slow test taker, and was one of the last people to finish the test, but still had more than 90 minutes remaining when I finished.
By some miracle I passed. But because only half the questions I studied were on the test, I don't know that I"m in a place to offer advice on if it's worthwhile investing $ in a test prep course, and if so which prep course. I think if anyone asked me, I would say to take 8 weeks not 3 weeks to study, and to rely more on the course textbook (i.e. study it, know it) and less on free YouTube videos.
That's it. Good luck to any and all!

Hi all, I love the game and Crytek for doing a really good job of putting it together! Big thanks to the team! ;) I can't wait for the engine update in Q3!
I have over 1100h in Hunt, but I only play for 2-10h a week. I'm sure many things have been discussed already, internally or in this reddit. I don't follow this reddit. In this case I simply want to express my support for those ideas, I hope this is the right place to do so, since I know that feedback is a valuable thing. This is actually my first post on reddit and it might be a little too long, but since I'm such a fanboy I got carried away once I was at it and I wanted to share my thoughts with you in hopes to inspire sb. with one little idea or another or simply to know what you think about it ;)
My ideas are in order from very important to me and easily implementable/more thought out up to point (4) and then from (5) less important/just brainstorming till you get to the bottom.
tl;dr: Just read the headlines.
-(1)- Please implement a searchbafilter for the hunter roster!!!!
Picture this: I consistently have 50+ Hunters in my roster. Around 10-20 of them are lvl 50, 5-10 Hunters lvl10 to lvl50 and the rest (20-35) is sitting there with 0 or 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 upgrade points, waiting to be "fat" enough to be played for the first time. After I extract with a bounty I switch to another hunter, like incentivised by the game. Then I go like "Wait, I know I had this one hunter already equipped and skilled for scopes or bolts or any specific loadout..." try to find it? GOOD LUCK! Or you geared up your hunter and are all ready to go?! Great! Your friends are still taking time? Then better don't buy this new hunter while being ready or you might start the match with it if you forget to switch back. And if you remember: Again GOOD LUCK finding your already equipped hunter!
(1a) Simple QoL solution: I would like to have a simple filter feature for my hunter roster to filter for perks, equipped gear and even skins.
(1b) Since life bars can now be chosen: Make them safe with my loadouts so I don't have to manually reconfigure all my hunters. Also you don't need a confirmation dialogue box for spending perk points for life bars atm since they are refundable.
-(2)- Matches and time wasted by no PVP / Better player pathing for pvp
Since time is an issue for me, the biggest downside for me are matches (especially when playing trios) without any PVP. Often you start in the small area, kill, banish, extract without having seen another player and you can hear everybody else having fun on the other side of the map, but since the extraction point is close and one of my teammates is for some unkown reason chronically broke (I have this one friend, 97% of games we play together, he is always near 0, but I'm always floating around 20k-50k for some reason, we usually extract or die together, I usually buy mosins and the big shots or anything I want, while he has to play free hunters(I don't get it)) it is more sensible to extract now and go for another game instead of running across the map to join the fight... For me that's 10-15mins wasted time... more so, since getting the bounty doesn't feel rewarding AT ALL, which will be adressed in (3). But if the 2nd boss was just next door, it would be an entirely different matter... I want the game to be in a way, that it predictably ALWAYS facilitates an encounter, if I play to get the bounty. IMHO there should almost NEVER be a cheap and easy way to extract with a bounty without having to get into or close to danger. This for me is THE SINGLE BIGGEST let down of Hunt: Showdown...
(2a) Gerrymander the boss areas to increase boarder length aka possibly areas of friction and fighting
I would LOVE to see you experimenting with different splits of the boss areas. Right now (and ever since the release of Hunt I believe) the areas are pretty condensed which lead to small surface area, short boarders and less interesting situations where two boss compounds are next to each other. You could split the boss areas like it's a voting district in the US: Gerrymander the hell out of it, I say! I imagine the small boss area being completely inside the big boss area or only partially inside (e.g. Stillwater, Lockbay, Alice, Chapel or even BETTER: Port Reeker, Alice, Lockbay, Pitching) to have more interesting paths for players like spawning in Scupper Lake to find out that I have to traverse the small area or switch, if you stumble upon the boss there. Either way it would be more likely that players have an encounter in their match I believe, since the surface area is bigger, paths cross more often and less situations where bosses are on the other side of the map and one team feels it's the most sensible to simply extract. Boring!
(2b) Less bosses, more clues baby!
To avoid matches without action you could also eliminate the second bounty entirely for better player funneling to the fun (aka pvp), while having more secondary bosses on the map like rotjaw.
For eco balance you could also simply make clues and other stuff more valuable. Or you could even increase the number of clues on solo bosses to 4 or 5, which would also give more income. With more clues, the area would decrease more gradually. Out of my head I'm not sure how it behalves atm on a single boss. Is it 16 locations->12->6? With more clues it could be 16->12->9->6->3.
For this you could change how clues work a little bit: You checked a Clue? Good job, get some payment from your mysterious employers, but not every clue leads to the boss. Some clues hold more information than others from 0,6 to 1 "clue points" till the bar of 3 points is full making it less predictable if you need 3 or 4 or even 5 clues. I believe the original hunt was more focused on "hunting" for the boss during development (I might be wrong though). With this, I imagine there would be more "hunting" on the map. I liked the change very much, that the boss location is not as predictable as it used to be, when observing how the area changed after picking up a clue. It went from "oh the boss is on the other side of the map" after picking up the first clue to actual searching for it, which I find to be a fun part of the game. Maybe it would thin out players even more in the early and often times more boring minutes of a hunt match till it comes to action. Though I feel like getting rid of the 2nd boss counters this already.
You could also have the clues weighted by distance to the boss: Distant clues give less clue points, therefore you can pick up more until you arrive at the boss lair. If you spawn close to the lair, big clues in the vicinity make it less likely that you wander off hunting for clue money instead of the bounty. You get an advantage by being sooner at the boss against the disadvantage of getting a little less dollars from less clues.
With different values (not money) of clues the system could also be more dynamic: You could have the area become smaller only for every whole point (you would sometimes need two clues for the map to change) or you could grey out 6 locations for an entire point and only 3 or 4 locations for smaller clues with a value of 0,6 or smth else less than 1. I also like that in Blanchet for example there is a clue in the swamp, in the south of the region which is far away from the church. I like the idea of having clues more random in the forest, maybe even with smaller dark sight viewing distance. What is clue viewing distance right now? 150m? How about 75m? I feel like that would make encounters less predictive and help Hunt live up to it's name better. Finding the boss would be a little bit more of an achievement and you would still very easily be able to find the clues as soon as you are in an area, but you can't see the next clue from one compound away already... or you can see only the general area of the clue, which becomes more precise the closer you get.
Right now, for me the "hunting part" of Hunt is more of a chore, than actual fun. Round start: Go more or less in a straight line to clue No.1, then go in a straight line to clue No.2, repeat a 3rd time: Success! But if you find nobody to shoot at or nobody shoots at you: no fun. If it was less obvious, where the clues are and therefore, where the boss is. It might be more sensible to go and check out ongoing fights in search of the boss. Also perks that help finding the boss could be a thing. The perks could make clues give more "clue points" as mentioned above or the distance to see clues could be increased etc..
I really like the rotjaw clues, you can stumble upon in the wild and also the way, they give directions. I feel, if you would have had this system from the start, Hunt would feel more like an actual Hunt for smth. For actual bosses there could be chains of clues or tiers for clues, so that a tier 1 clue points to the closest tier 2 clue and then tier 3 instead of straight to the boss. But maybe that would be a little tedious.
(2c) You could make the extraction points spawn only in the area of one boss to, again, force players to cross into the other area. Or you could make certain bosses have no extractions in their area like Scrapbeak has no items in it's compound. Some bosses are so toxic, that no carriage or boat wants to go there...
-(3)- Fighting for the bounty is kinda the goal of the game, but actually getting it (e.g. by stealing it with snake and extracting) doesn't feel as rewarding as getting some juiciy kills... ;) You could also argue that making money is the actual goal of the game and that extracting with a bounty is only one way to achieve this. I understand, that you have to balance the economy for players to be able to buy at least something, even if they die a lot. I believe it is the case, that if you find big money from looting or a cash register, you only keep it if you extract alive. (I MISS the feature btw, to be able to see the amount of money I picked up during a match on the map screen). This again gives the wrong incentive for some to leave the map without the bounty, to buy better gear.
(3a) Make the bounty actually worth something!
If it ruins the eco to increase it's money value, give it a different value. The bounty is supposed to be that really special, mystical thing, everybody is willing to die for to get it, right? Then why not let the bounty come with a real reward? A third currency like the event points we have seen in events for expample. Your hunters team extracts with the bounty? Nice, next time he starts with a couple points per bounty token to either spend in an event like fashion during a match (at the wagons, random shrines on the map or... a shop ;P).
Alternatively you could to spend the bounty tokens in between matches for "special" perk upgrades. You could have a second perk tree with more "mystical/voodoo" perks and you need the bounty for it to infuse it's supernatural power into your hunter. Then you would have two ladders of progression, one for getting exp by killing things and one for actually winning the game by extracting with the bounty. You could have those bounty points per hunter or for the entire roster.
I remember the first time playing hunt, hunter experience was more meningful because it unlocked more than perk points for the current hunter. The meta progression is seriously lacking in this game. You already have slight disbalances between new lvl 1 Hunters and lvl 50 veterans regarding perks and to a lesser degree the loadout since you usually can get the important weapon perks anyways at lvl 1. No big problem right? So I feel it would only add to the game to give players a little more reward or fun tools to play with, when they extracted with the bounty... no one has any value of 10Ks or 100Ks of $$ floating in the bank till the end of times (or EoL for Hunt :'(
(3b) Different boss? Different reward!
If we are at it, have you ever considered to let the different bosses have different bounties? Right now I simply go for the bounty of the area I start in. Sometimes I switch to the bigger bounty because it's worth more. That about it regarding decision making. If there was some kind of advantage or extra perk I could only get with the pig bounty... I might be tempted to go there, because I might already have the bounty token/perks of the boss I spawned closest to from a previous match.. it would feel more like a quest, where I am out to get a specific thing.
-(4)- More players = more fun (I hope)
I have heard rumors, that the player limit could be set to 14 or 16? I like that idea especially for teams of 3 and/or dual bosses!
-(5)- Make the area of different bosses feel more different? It's neat, that you have telltale signs of a boss in it's compound. Why not expand this feature to the entire area? Does the vile influence of the assassin has a firm grip of the entire land or just that one farm? Why not have signs of the boss in his entire area? Why not have different enemies spawn more with certain bosses? Is it the pig? Because of it's infernal energy the entire area is riddled with immolators. Spider? More hives. Let the players feel, that they are heading towards a certain boss, because it's vile influence is already visible in it's entire domain..
-(6)- More enemy types? You might consider this balanced and have no plans to add anything. I consider the pve balanced as well. But it would be fun to see moving, rotting pigs that leave behind a cloud of poison when killed or a porcupine zombie that shoots rending needles. More "standard" zombie types, like one with a snake growing on it's body, biting at you. Vultures that, once disturbed, fly high over the player giving away his general location, until they attack the player or are shot. More enemy types might help build the world or support point 5.
(6a) Shootable crows and ducks.. because I thought you are supposed to be hunting in this game?
(6b) Perks or throwables that lure zombies into an area or building.. Let the horde crush thy enemy!
-(7)- Regarding meta progression: Let people choose their upgrades instead of giving them certain things on lvl X. I know apart from the first 20h or so hours it's not really a part of Hunt's gameplay, but I believe for many new players it's more fun to feel in control of which weapon or skill to unlock next. It would also make resetting more interesting.
-(8)- If there was some kind of shop on the map to either spend the money I found during a match or that I have in my account. This could also help players change their sniper gear if it's misty, it would be a POI that generates interesting encounters... but I get it, it would be a big change and might change the game too much.
Much love, your Tano ;)