I fucking hate therapy, but I love my therapist. I made a comment under a post with the title “trust no therapist” which in blanket advice is an excellent idea. Commenting under that post inspired me to post this, and reminded me about my own feelings about therapy that I wanted to share. I hate therapy for many reasons, most reasons similar to why I hate psychiatry. I’ve been ran through by both of these systems alike, I’ve been filled with more shit than a waste water treatment plant. Even though this is case I find myself having conflicting opinions about parts of therapy. So yes, I fucking hate therapy, but I love my therapist. I’ve categorized this to go over my opinion, negative experiences, and positive experiences. I’d love to know your opinion about what I’ve said and therapy in general. Here is my therapy journey.
(I understand how long this post is, but please stop, stay a while, share your thoughts!)

Opinion

I’ve had a long and tumultuous relationship with therapy, and for the most part, I hate it. Over the years, I’ve gone through more than five but less than fifteen therapists, and I generally don’t like them. Most therapists follow a rigid, psychiatric, one-size-fits-all approach that disgusts me and doesn’t work for me. They often think they have the authority to diagnose or prescribe medication, which they can't actually do, but they can refer you to a doctor based on their hypothesis. This path to diagnosis is something I don’t recommend.
Therapy often feels like a slippery slope to psychiatry, and it’s all bullshit. Therapists can be master manipulators with too much authority, potentially ruining your life if they don't like you. If you share your true feelings and they decide it’s too much, they can call the police. “Complete confidentiality unless I feel like you’re in danger,” so at anytime you feel I’m not safe and you can void our trust? Trusting someone to make the right ethical choice is nearly impossible for me because, frankly, people are shit. Why would I trust someone claiming moral superiority and acting like a mental health god who thinks they can solve all my problems? It’s a load of shit. That’s why I say, fuck those therapists.

Negative Experiences

I once had a therapist who I thought I could trust. After several sessions of pouring out my fears and vulnerabilities, I finally felt like I was making progress. However, one day, I shared something particularly sensitive about my mental health, something that I was grappling with but was in no way a danger to myself or others. Instead of offering support or helping me work through it, she immediately jumped to conclusions and decided it was her duty to call the police. I was shocked and felt betrayed. I was forced into an emergency evaluation, which was not only unnecessary but deeply traumatizing. That experience shattered my trust in therapists and reinforced my belief that many of them are just waiting to institutionalize you at the slightest hint of nonconformity.
Another therapist I saw I swear diagnosed every client with the same set of disorders, regardless of their circumstances. I sought help for trauma, but within two sessions, she insisted I had numerous other mental health issues and suggested irrelevant medications and treatments. When I questioned her, she became defensive, claiming she knew better. It was clear she wasn't listening to me and was fitting me into her preconceived notions.
A therapist once told my parents that I should not be allowed to leave the house due to my opinion on psychedelics. A little backstory I have a history of drug abuse, but I personally still use drugs like psychedelics. Am I still using drugs? Yes, but I think if taking mushrooms every month stops you from taking meth multiple times a day, and it doesn’t instill psychotic break, have at it. I had talked about my history of hard drug abuse, and how I thought psychedelics changed my life for the better. Because I had a positive opinion on scary drugs she insisted I was a danger to myself and others, even though I had been clean for a significant period and was actively working on my recovery. Her recommendation was unjustified and out of line. Instead of supporting my progress, she undermined it. This caused major upheaval in my life. It felt like punishment for my past rather than support for my recovery, increasing my stress and frustration. Jokes on her my future job is psychedelics.
I had a therapist who didn’t know what THC was, and when I described it to her she threatened to call the police.
I looked for a Jewish therapist, since I’m Jewish and I had wondered if I could find any spiritual healing. This therapist only wanted to talk about himself or the Torah. Which I didn’t mind that much, he was a chill person, he just did not help me or listen to me at all.
I could continue, but I think you get the point. I don’t trust these so-called professionals who often do more harm than good.

Positive Experience

When I first started therapy as an adolescent, almost eleven years ago. I was dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic catastrophic survival incident with my family. My first therapist was a godsend. Unlike many others I encountered later, she genuinely listened and tailored her approach to my unique experiences and needs. She set the bar high. She helped me in ways I couldn't have imagined at the time. She taught me to reframe my experiences and see my resilience and strength. She also gave strategies to deal effectively deal with my trauma. Her empathy and understanding made me feel heard and validated, which was something I desperately needed. Thanks to her, I was able to start healing in ways that seemed impossible before. She not only helped me understand and process my trauma but also empowered me to take control of my own healing journey.
And, then I became too old for her practice, which then followed numerous other therapists. None of which were successful. I was at my lowest point, feeling lost and overwhelmed by my emotions. I almost gave up on therapy altogether, but something inside me urged me to give it one last shot, trying to find the old spark my initial therapist had. And I’m so glad I did.
“Why do you keep trying therapy? Why not just talk to your friends?” Friends provide crucial emotional support, a therapist offers specialized help. Therapy sessions are dedicated time for me to focus solely on my mental health and personal growth. Friends have their own lives and problems, and don’t always have the time or energy to support you consistently. I don’t mind the model. Because of my issues, it makes it hard to simply pull myself up by my bootstraps.
My current therapist is a breath of fresh air compared to the others. From the very beginning, she created a safe and nurturing space for me to explore my thoughts, feelings, and struggles without judgment. Unlike many therapists I've encountered in the past, she doesn't try to overpower me or impose a narrative on my mental health. We have an alternative approach and open dialogue, ensuring she respects my dislike for traditional therapy and psychiatry. She even shares a lot of my anti psychiatric opinions.
I treat my therapist more like a friend who I pay to listen to me vent rather than a mental health authority. Some people might think this is disingenuous, but I don't mind it. She knows how much I dislike traditional therapy and psychiatry, and she respects that. Her ability to truly listen and provide valuable insights has been important in my journey toward healing and self-discovery. Sometimes all it really takes is for someone to seem interested in what you’re saying. I think a bad therapist tells you what they think is wrong, I think a good therapist helps you understand it for yourself. For the first time in my adult life, I trust this woman.
Her support feels like a lifeline, especially during the frightening moments when my emotions seem overwhelming. Knowing that I have her by my side gives me the strength and courage to face whatever challenges come my way. She isn't just a therapist; she's a guardian angel who helps me find light in the midst of darkness. She even helped me convince my psychiatrist to take me off Abilify.
There were times when I wanted to give up, but she never let me falter. Slowly but surely, I started to rebuild myself, stronger and more resilient than before and the best part of it was she wasn’t imposing herself upon me. It always felt like me. I think this therapist helped me reclaim my life. I'm grateful for the journey I've been on and the therapist who walked beside me every step of the way.

Final Thoughts

Through all I’ve been through, I've discovered that therapists, like us, are people. And that's all that therapy is, talking to another person. However, many people aspire to the misguided system of psychiatry. In general, therapists are viewed as and view themselves as simply an extension of the psychiatric system. In this case, I view it as talking to a robot.
Even though a therapist is just someone you talk to and you can technically talk to anyone, therapy is different for me. I'm well aware that most of the things these good therapists do, I could do myself under normal circumstances. However, I need their assistance during times of unrest when I can’t get a hold of myself.
Having a therapist provides a structured environment that helps me navigate my emotions and life challenges when I feel overwhelmed. They offer a level of support and guidance that is crucial during those difficult moments when I can't manage on my own.
I've found solace in those therapists who break away from the mold, who treat me as a human being rather than a case study. It's in those moments of genuine connection and understanding that I find the true essence of my therapy, a shared journey towards healing and growth.
The supposed goal of therapy is about connecting with another human being, finding support, and working through life's challenges together. When conducted properly, therapy can be a beautiful experience. However, overall, I believe therapy is too uniform in a field that should be completely personalized. I think therapy is easily exploitable and has the potential to exacerbate a person's condition rather than improve it.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my therapy journey. I value your perspective and would love to hear your opinions. Have you had similar experiences with therapy? What are your thoughts on the potential benefits and risks of therapy? Let's continue the conversation.

Warframe as a game has come a long way since 2013, and the development philosophy has continually evolved with it. At the beginning, it felt like they were laying down track in front of a moving train to keep it going, but as the game expanded we eventually got to the point where ambitious expansions to the type of content started being made. We got more cinematic story missions, open worlds, boss fights, and new systems like nightwave stories, a nemesis system, and railjack. The old leads really wanted to expand horizontally and push what could be done. I think the content islands, silence of nightwave, scaled back integration of opLink to Railjack to Liches, and scrapped content like modular archwing are all consequences of this admirable ambition. That ambition gave us lasting improvements to the development cycle too. The continual iteration of UI, QoL, graphics, and core system revisions to things such as melee/parkouarmor.
So lets talk about the pivots that have been happening with the new team, some "content features" other games deliver that I'd love to see, and look at some of the obstacles warframe has to account for when growing. First we should acknowledge that due to the "geological strata" early development and genre-expression of this game, it's very hard to balance. I personally love Elite Deep Archimedea missions, but hate that I can't use the builds I've collected all of this loot for. But it makes sense why. Accounting for how many ways we have the power as players to break the game across hundreds of little quirks of how abilities or mods or weapon effects have been coded, and the millions of combinations of effects... it's difficult if that hasn't been a design priority from the outset. But they're doing an excellent job with what they have. The damage attenuation on bosses feels far better than I would expect, the endgame has evolved subtlety to require I avoid or actively mitigate damage, and the enemy units have been pretty engaging with the newest faction. Most of the time I'm under no real threat, but I am required to pay attention to if it's time to press the overguard button again, or put distance between me and the horde.
I think this shows there's been a much heavier emphasis on endgame, and building out the core of what exists with the game. Yes, we still had a content island with duviri, but it also added the circuit as a way for new players to test and earn loot on a weekly hamster wheel, and incarnons to earn for vets that largely targeted the least used (highest riv dispo) weapons. Netracells, tomes, new arcanes, and a smattering of other additions have made builds more flexible and opened up more synergies to consider. EDAs and Netracells have been a breath of fresh air through their restrictions to gear usage and disallowance of self-revive. It's going a long way to build out the core gameplay. And now we're getting status and "skin-damage" reworks. All in all, I'd say playing the game has been more engaging because of this strengthening of fundamentals, despite the difficulty inherent in balancing a game while adding expanded build tools for the player and trying to make new endgame "difficult" (at least enough to make you pay attention more than an average mission).
So, what feels like it's missing from Warframe compared to other titles? Well, for an 11 year old game it certainly feels light on story, despite how good that story is. So I guess I'd start there. Is there a lot of lore? Yes, in the way that Overwatch more or less had a lot of "lore", but in higher volume here. But that isn't really a progression the way a story is, or engaging the way gameplay with a progressing narrative is. Games like FF14 or D2 have an enormous amount of story content, and drip feeds sizable amounts between expansion releases. I don't expect warframe to be able to do this at that kind of scale, at least not without incurring a large opportunity cost. The other thing is how separate the story missisions feel from the gameplay that isn't story. Story missions are single player, and heavily curated, and the rest of the game is cooperative and generative. I would love to see this addressed in the form of minor quests, nightwave (and making story missions co-op), and dungeons. I think the idea of nightwave was excellent, but introducing custom gameplay mechanics for stuff like Glassmaker, and releasing content so frequently is hard. I think there is an opportunity cost there for sure. But having a multi-objective railjack mission with currated objectives and dialogue, or a co-op khal mission, etc that adds some story would be a great way to round out some "villains of the week" and sense of current events between expansions, and I'd love to see new hires to help be able to take that on, or any kind of devkit investment to make story mission creation easier. I wouldn't even need them at an expected cadence, just one with a reasonably high frequency. More ideally we'd address how characters seldom interact with one another enough, and get more or less made irrelevant as they're rotated out for the next set each expansion, or how they don't really seem to interact with the world, and the world doesn't change much as major events happen (narmer fortuna was nice at least). An ensemble cast and sense of the world existing outside of you via them having their own story interactions between one another and involvement in their own major world events would be great.
Dungeons. Dungeons and raids. This is difficult because of the nature of the game's balance, but I'd still love to see them added all the same, even if they get a bit power crept. Other games like the aforementioned FF14 and D2 get a lot of content replayability, endgame, and story out of them. I think mechanics focused bosses, like the Zealoid Prelate in particular, could be a lot of fun, and encounters having objectives that progress a series of tasks that open up level-access such as the upcoming Ascension game mode are engaging, and feel more meaningful than running to 3 random-feeling objective locations and performing a random-feeling task. We also have the direct loading between missions that EDA provides, as well as the tileset swapping from Elite Sanctuary Onslaught and Railjack. I would love to see these building blocks pulled together to make some things like assaults on corpus fleets, or descending into hidden narmer encampments. Nothing crazy, just making a more cohesive-feeling and longer multi-objective endgame mission, one that has a specific story. Raids on the other hand, I would love to see done how the old Warframe raids were. Two teams of 4 working together inside the same instance on different coordinated tasks would be excellent.
Now these are nice dreams, and it would be great if we could pull them out of a hat somehow, but they take dev labour and time. So what would be a (possibly) reasonable way to move towards that? Well there are four starting areas, I think. Expansion content, Nightwave content, Leveraging slightly edited old content, and faction content.
Make past factions like the Entrati easier to level with and remove standing caps for them after X amount of time since release. New players should not have to slog through these system for weeks for a tiny amount of story and access to major buildcrafting tools like the Helminth. Make new faction bounties have an alternative for getting standing with side quests for the characters. They can work similar to bounties, but have a theme like recovering lost belongings from deep in isolation vault territory for grandmother, or learning about fish with daughter. There should be a lot more story and staying power for these characters. Doing all of them should provide enough standing post initial release window to max a faction. Do not make them tutorials or copy pasted between factions. Let us learn about the cast, and make unique memories with them. I know content needs to last a while, so needing to do bounties on top of side quests makes sense for the first while after it comes out.
Nightwave is probably the most important one. Many of the expansions feel very much like skipping between various surface level events or story. I don't feel invested in parvos, I don't feel much history with them. They exist elsewhere doing.... something. I cycle through duviri emotions and think "what does this have to do with narmer or the war or parvos or the man in the wall. It doesn't have to relate, really, but I wouldn't be thinking about it during these little side adventures if we just had more filling in between the major story beats. If nightwave gave us victories and losses traded back and forth against major players it would do a lot to make the core story feel like it's happening more than once every 12 months. Having a story mission with some kind of development every 4 weeks of nightwave would be a start. Having every other nightwave be a minor audio narrative you hear every 3 tiers or once per week would be cool too. Just anything to add some regular story drops as connective tissue.
Using old assets to tell new stories with the planets. How is the war on Mars between corpus and grineer looking? How about containment of Eris? How have the Narmer impacted the amalgams on Jupiter? Maybe add small cycling events like ghoul outbreaks and thermia fractures, and revamping the invasions mission types to center around these conflicts? Add a little dialogue, mix up the factions present based on current events, and slide the invasion into the automatic rotation. Same with the events. No fanfare needed, just a small flourish that improves the sense that the world has actually been impacted by these major developments. You could even tie this into the villain of the week upkeep by having different corpus boards of directors fighting various grineer generals, and have those fights contextualized with the state of the origin system.
Lastly, expansions. Notorious content islands that often introduce one-off systems or gameplay, and Inherit the role of "current content" upon release. This is hard, because there are so many directions they could take things, considering this is a large chunk of dev time and resources. I think we need some expansions that either unite old islands, or change away from their structure. The open worlds are getting better every year in terms of interactivity and design, but they just feel like empty backgrounds most of the time. Like a theater backdrop over top of a go here, defend/kill/collect. I would love to see these spaces either become combined with their hub zone as one space, and ask the player to navigate a persistent world to talk to quest-givers and make the world a quest space like Baldur's Gate 3 or an RPG, thus letting these spaces integrate granular content additions or link to tileset nodes via "cave entrances" that put you into the corresponding star chart location's defense node the same way the tunnel in cetus loads you into the plains.
Or, these expansions could be more abstract and act as linking systems between content islands. Maybe a system where you actually travel using your railjack, and stop at a planets open world as part of larger dynamic quest chains. Something where you fly out from fortuna with a mission from little duck to attack a corpus carrier defending something on Pluto, then land and do a defense mission while your railjack is getting ready to take the cargo, then escape through a railjack skirmish to get back to Orb Valis where a three part bounty has you clear a safe landing zone, transport the item to where little duck needs it, and use the item to perform a task for her operation. A detailed system that ties these things together would be worth an expansion in my mind at least. Not sure what to do with duviri, since that gameplay is just entirely different from your operator or warframe. Maybe something where you use your warframe in really small spans of duviri, but need to keep going to the undercroft to hide or swap to drifter to get the heat off of you. Either way, make it easier to keep newly added areas relevant, reusable, and interconnected.
I know a lot of people won't agree with these ideas, and I know it's very much a disjointed ramble, but I wanted to talk about it. I love this game, and the devs. I really want to see it continue really coming into it's own like it has this last year or so, but I think there are still some major holes in the method of narrative delivery, presence of major endgame activities, feeling of meaningfulness in doing activities (outside of loot/grinding), and interconnectedness of systems that already exist. I think Warframe can get even better in these areas, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how they're approaching all of this with the next tennocon and 1999.

She had been walking for days. The forest was at its thickest here. Intricately weaved briars, brambles, and berry bushes lined her path and rose just above her head. It made it almost impossible to see the forest floor on the other side. The leaves acted as a sort of barrier, deadening the sounds of small forest creatures as they foraged. She focused intently on the sounds around her listening for anything that might be out of the ordinary. If it weren’t for the trail laid out in front of her, she’d have a hard time keeping her bearing. Hell, she already was.
The forest was one of the largest and most ancient in the kingdom. Huge branches, riddled with age, twisted above her and down over the path. The smells of snapped branches and leaves rotting silently on the forest floor filled the air. Massive trees stood like watchful guardians, her silent sentinels of her path. Huge roots spread across the ground in front of her, cresting the surface like the backs of giant sea creatures.
After hours of walking, the path gradually became wider, and the forest began to open its ceiling. It revealed a brightening sky. It was obvious that this part of the road was much more traveled than from where she had come. She moved off the trail and climbed the steep hill flanking the pathway. When she reached a large oak near the top of the hill, she sat down for a rest. Its trunk was three times her width and she sat with her back against it. It would be almost impossible for someone to spot her this far up. It was the perfect vantage.
She chewed on some berries she had picked earlier in the morning. Suddenly, she heard them. Foot falls and getting closer. Her eyes darted left and right along the path trying to find the sound. She saw nothing.
“Nice spot.” A voice from behind her called, forcing her heart into her throat.
She stood and wheeled around, drawing her dagger as she spun. As it raised, it was pulled from her hand and tossed some 20 feet away.
“How did he…?” As she looked, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
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Hello everyone!
Thanks for taking a moment to read an example of my writing! We can use this to build off of or come up with something fresh and new! Either way, I hope to find new and inspiring writing partners!
Are you interested in writing fantasy stories? I'm talking elves, dwarves, goblins, and dragons; high-fantasy at its finest. Do you prefer writing on Discord where the organization is second to none? How about really meeting new friends? Not the superficial stuff, but a real connection? Then let's talk more!
I'm looking for someone female, assigned that way at birth. The only age requirement I have is that you be 18 years or older (preferably 21+). I am looking for someone who is excited to get to know a new person. Someone who enjoys out of character conversations and, dare I say, spoken communication. I'm looking for connection and friendship. I am very much a part of the great friends make great roleplay camp. If you've read this, and are looking for the same, include the word octopus somewhere in your message.
I'm looking for good conversation and new friends and not just a story. I'd like to establish something and really get to know someone's likes and dislikes, their writing style, and a real good idea of what they're looking for. I guess I've kind of realized lately that those willing to put in the work make far better partners than those who don't. It's a matter of quality over quantity for me.
I've been roleplaying in some form or another for over 20 years now. From the AOL days to Discord and everything in between. I don't typically label my writing and it's usually done in third person past. I'm not overly critical and am very laid back both in and out of character. My favorite settings are high-fantasy, but I'm very much interested in others. Post-apocalypse, science fiction, history, and even modern day settings can be wonderful with great story tellers! Just because I haven't listed it doesn't mean I won't be interested. I’d LOVE to hear your ideas!
I understand people have jobs, families, lives. I'm looking for someone who understands the same. Replies take time to craft. Some days we'll be firing them back on all cylinders. Others, we'll wait. That's alright.
Thank you for making it this far. If you've read it, and think we could potentially be a good match, please don't hesitate to reach out. It, by no means, has to be the prompt I've started!

Calculating the opening price of a stock is an essential step for investors and traders, as it provides valuable information about market sentiment and potential trading opportunities. Several methods are commonly used to determine the opening price of a stock.
Auction Mechanism: In many stock exchanges, the opening price is determined through an auction mechanism. At the start of the trading session, buy and sell orders are collected for a specified period. The opening price is set based on the equilibrium point where the highest volume of shares can be traded. This auction process ensures fairness and transparency.
Pre-Market Trading: Some stock exchanges have pre-market or pre-open sessions where traders can place orders before the regular trading session begins. During this time, buy and sell orders are matched, and the opening price may be influenced by these early trades. It's essential to note that not all stocks have active pre-market trading.
Previous Day's Close: The opening price can also be estimated by using the previous day's closing price as a reference point. If no significant news or events have occurred overnight, and there's no pre-market activity, the opening price is often close to the previous day's closing price. However, this method assumes that market conditions have not changed overnight.
Order Book Data: Analyzing the order book data can provide insights into where the opening price might be. This data shows the number of buy and sell orders at various price levels. Traders often look at the order book to gauge supply and demand dynamics, which can influence the opening price.
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I warn all that I tried to stick to my guns and not abide by perfect consensus. Sorry for long write-ups. I had a ton of fun with the comparisons, feel free to rip me apart in the comments. I will only be going to 30 players.

1. Alex Sarr Did not expect to have him at number 1, but I think if I were a GM he'd be the most desirable piece in this draft class by a good amount. I will probably end up talking a lot about archetype, but Sarr's is obviously very desirable. A frequent comp is Evan Mobley, and I see similarities in their games. The intriguing part about Sarr to me is that he is really quick and has a good handle; I see him succeeding in 5-out offenses attacking closeouts. If he continues to develop he could even turn into a slasher from the wing. Defensively I see him as less of a rim protector than someone like Mobley and more of a helpside guy, with continued work on his foot speed I actually think his ideal spot on the court is as a 4.

Comp: Quicker, but worse basketball playing Chet Holmgren

1. Rob Dillingham I think as the league shifts towards a lot of tall initiators (Tatum, PG, Cunnigham, Barnes, etc.), the off-ball skills of a point guard are extremely valuable. I value spot up shooting in a point guard more than I ever have, and Dillingham has this in spades. He is also a good creator for his teammates, something that we got to see bits and pieces of at Kentucky. Most importantly, he is one of the only guys in this draft that if you put him in isolation in the NBA right now, he could go get you a bucket. Snappy crossover and a ton of shake. He has a great in between game, truly a 3 level scorer. Defensively he has a ways to go, a lot of that is in the weight room. I think he actually did an OK job of staying with ball handlers and keeping active hands on defense. Ultimately his offensive upside was too much to overlook in a class with almost no high end talent.

Comp: Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley (boring Kentucky guard comps, I know)

1. Matas Buzelis This was a close one for me, and I was tempted to put someone a little more off-the-wall here, but I am going to play it relatively safe and go with Buzelis. First off, and I could very easily be wrong, I think his shot is better than what we saw. I trust his mechanics, and I think he is smart enough to take the right shots when he needs to. Matas is one of those guys that I think will shine early in an auxiliary role alongside good NBA players (the Ignite was pretty rough). I like Buzelis' isolation skills and he is a good rebounder and surprisingly good shot blocker. These are skills that are easily overlooked but will keep him on an NBA floor early on. I like his isolation skills, I think he has a good handle. Placing him here means I am betting on the shot coming around for sure.

Comp: I can't escape wanting to compare him to a young Duke Luol Deng. Luol was more mature physically, but I think Buzelis will impact positive basketball like Deng did. Franz Wagner is the obvious comp.

1. Ja'Kobe Walter While Buzelis (and soon Williams) are upside swings that I do not think will pop in their rookie years, Walter is one of those guys who will. Baylor ran him in very advanced, tough movement shooting sets and he still shot the ball very well. He has a blossoming in between game and a knack for getting to the line via pump fakes/seeking contact. His ceiling is a little lower than some others in the draft because he is a little short (huge wingspan though), but Walter is one of the guys I really count on to be a good NBA player. He is a really active on ball defender that I think can be surprisingly versatile despite his size. I also trust him to create a little bit with the ball in his hands, something he was really never asked to do at Baylor due to having a very ball dominant PG in RayJ Dennis.

Comp: Ceiling of Bradley Beal offensively, lower range outcome is KCP. Improvement of handle is needed, but his game has some similarities to Eric Gordon

1. Jared McCain If you go by similar archetype but better numbers, most people prefer Reed Sheppard. I like Sheppard a lot as well, but have some issues with him that I will explain later. My McCain take is very similar to Walter, this is a guy who has an NBA ready offensive game. He is a top quality deep shooter who takes a variety of different looks, he also has the ability (like Walter) to hit 3s without his feet perfectly set. McCain has an intriguing midrange game where he likes to get two feet in the paint, pump fake, and go up from the freethrow line. This proved an effective counter for teams that ran him off the three point line. I also see him as a 1 in the NBA, he has the passing chops to do it, that area was just crowded at Duke and he had limited reps in this field. Very solid defender, smart player, and great rebounding guard.

Comp: Ceiling of Jalen Brunson (more outside shot, less inside craft), high outcome Fred Van Vleet, low outcome Heat Gabe Vincent

1. Zach Edey Yes, I like Edey more than Clingan. No, I do not think he will have the same role in the NBA that he did at Purdue. With that being said, I think he will be an extremely effective NBA player. The big question is: will he be played off the floor after getting killed by switches? I personally think he is serviceable enough on the perimeter to stay on the floor, and he uses his length extremely well without fouling. He has excellent conditioning. He has good touch and a very solid jumper (see FT%). He is also absolutely gigantic, possessing a 4 inch advantage over Clingan in his wingspan. I think he will be a great rim protector, even if the block numbers do not show it. The thing that I believe can occur that will turn him into a star is him becoming a playmaking hub. Picture Edey setting a monster screen for a guard that can score on the perimeter. If the defense hedges super hard they hit Edey at the FT line. Edey can hit this shot, or if a rotation comes he can use his massive size to spray the ball to the corners for 3PT attempts. I know this will be a contentious placement, but I just think Edey is a great basketball player and will continue to be one. Feel free to tell me I am wrong in the comments.

Comp: Yao Ming

1. Cody Williams This is one I can see totally whiffing on, but I am going to stick to my guns and keep Cody Williams high. One thing I have seen on this sub is people calling him a bad defender, which I personally disagree with. Williams was constantly guarding the other teams primary scoring threat, often guarding the other teams PG the entire game (see USC/Collier). He stays in front of the ball surprisingly well, flipping his hips and gliding with drivers. He has a really long wingspan that disrupts shots very well. I think he will turn out to be a wing stopper in the NBA. This, in conjunction with what I believe to be serviceable shooting (FT numbers from HS indicate this, but it is all projection at the end of the day) should get him on the NBA floor early. He has a quick crossover that he uses to get downhill, and finishes at the rim terrifically. He is young, but looked good in a scaled back role. I hate his tendency to turn the ball over and look lost, so I am betting on him getting better with time. I will reiterate, a lot of my thoughts on Williams and Buzelis are projections based on the eye test, rather than backed up by concrete stats.

Comp: I don't think people will like this, but Jaden McDaniels. Spot up 3 threat with ball stopping upside on defense. More of an inside game than McDaniels with less defensive prowess. I think he can turn into a Tayshaun Prince

1. Stephon Castle Castle is an elite on-ball defender, probably the best in the class in this regard. He is a smart player and should see plenty of the floor early on. His ranking this high is a little dependant on the shot coming around, which I believe in. I do not think he will ever be a sniper, but I think he will be serviceable. I see him as a very similar player to Marcus Smart in a lot of aspects.

Comp: Marcus Smart

1. Zac Risacher Risacher is a genuinely bad on ball creator. He can't beat anyone off the dribble, and that really limits his upside. He plays his role well as a catch and shoot guy that defends well and plays smart, but I do not see any star upside. A guy who some see as 'similar' in Jabari Smith was creating for himself via isos at Auburn, and generally showed a large offensive repetoire. Risacher is limited. Good at what he does, but limited. I do not see him playing another position other than the 4 because of his lack of on-ball creation.
   
2. Carlton Carrington Would like to see him score more around the rim, but his pull-up game is so strong that I think he has a really high offensive ceiling. Has the size and shooting ability to play as the off-guard in an offense that revolves around one ball handler (as most of the NBA does). I love that he creates well from the midrange, snaking PnRs and using pumpfakes to get open looks. Also a smart passer, rebounder,and all around good player. Big boards aren't perfect because his ceiling is much higher than Risacher's to me, but I personally take into account immediate impact and lower level outcomes.
   

Comp: Offensive game modeled after Devin Booker, obviously the highest end outcome. Lower outcome I would say Alec Burks with point guard skills. Cam Thomas if you transferred some offensive juice to all the other facets of basketball.

1. Reed Sheppard Everything that I say about Reed will be redundant, he is obviously hyper efficient as a shooter and player. My concerns are that he struggled big time to create for himself, most of his looks are spot up. He does not have a diverse game off the dribble. He is best in the PnR when he is hitting the roll man, as he does not have the midrange or at the rim ability to score there. He will have a place in the league because he is smart and a tremendous shooter, but I do not envision him having a large role.

Comp: Patty Mills

1. Donovan Clingan I suspect to get some pushback for this, but I consider this the high for a Clingan ranking. I believe he was the beneficiary of a great college team that had amazing guards to create for him. He will have a place in the league because he is smart on offense and a good rim protector, but outside of lob threats his offensive game is really limited. Bad hands and surprisingly awkward finishing at the rim when guarded by bigs. I think he will be fine, but I really see no scenario where he is any better than a Steven Adams or Valanciunas. Those are my highest end outcomes for him. Side note- he will not be a good shooter. He can't even shoot free throws.

Comp: Jusuf Nurkic

1. Ron Holland Ron was someone I thought I was going to have really high on my board until going back to watch his games. He scores a lot in transition to boost his numbers, and is an active and OK defender. He is way more limited on offense than his numbers suggest, and I am curious to see how his game scales down to a smaller role. He is super athletic but not a great finisher at the rim, has a wacky shot that misses badly often, and despite his activity on defense he isn't particularly cerebral. I want to like Holland, but I just can't rank him too high

Comp: Sorry for this one, but I started to see some Stanley Johnson in his game. Reminds me of Nassir Little. Maybe he peaks as a Pacers Ron Artest? Gerald Wallace. I think these are stretches.

1. Kyle Filipowski Smart, do-it-all big. Great passer for short roll situations, has a good foundation for his jumper but needs some work. He will make a team happy as a 5-out center. He made huge improvements as a defender and rebounder in his sophomore year at Duke, and the team relied on him big time (and McCain). He has a problem at the rim of jumping straight into guys and trying to muscle the ball in; this will not work in the NBA. The rest of his offense is great, and he has experience working as an offensive hub creating for others. I honestly see Filipowski as a pretty safe pick.

Comp: Lovechild of Isaiah Hartenstein and Naz Reid. Certainly some of you guys despise this comp but it is probably my favorite one here.

1. Devin Carter Tough player, impacts the game in a ton of different ways. I think he will shine even when scaled down reminds me of a more athletic and larger version of...

Comp: Deuce McBride

1. Isaiah Collier So much Scoot Henderson in his game. Weird to get two prospects back to back that are so similar. I watched a lot of Scoot this year as a Blazer's fan, and I personally am a believer. Being a PG is really hard in today's game. Collier is worse at the one aspect of Scoot's game that was a big question mark: shooting. This will limit him in the league, but he is too talented and physically gifted to completely burn out. I am going to give him the comp that many people are turning to for Scoot now.

Comp: Eric Bledsoe

1. Dalton Knecht Great scorer, but this dude is gonna get cooked on defense. I think he is probably the worst defender in the draft. I am not sold on how he will scale down as a player, as the Tenn offense was so centered around him. I also think he will really struggle to score on NBA length.

Comp: Stealing this from The Ringer I think, but Max Strus. High end outcome of Desmond Bane

1. Kevin McCullar If you have read through all of this thank you, the reviews are getting much shorter. If you have questions just harass me in the comments. I hate myself for using this but McCullar is this year's Jacquez, just a guy who can do it all, and do it all well. McCullar contributes to good basketball and will continue to do so, he has very few flaws in his game.

Comp: Blazers Nic Batum, maybe some Trevor Ariza, a little bit of Harrison Barnes. Worse version of Mikal Bridges. I will stop.

1. Daron Holmes Very solid player, I like how he stepped up and ran the show for Dayton. He plays up to competition, and has a jumper that I believe in, hence the ranking above Kel'el Ware. He is a little smaller, but is really strong and uses his body well. I could see him outperform this ranking for sure. Like Filipowski, I think he is a relatively safe pick and makes a team very happy.

Comp: Maybe my brain is going here because of the last name, but I am going to say Richaun Holmes. That feels like a lower player for a comp, couldn't think of a better one. These are getting hard.

1. Baylor Scheierman Absolutely great shooter. Very good rebounder and passer for his position. Knows how to play in a scaled down role. Tough defender, but a little slower on his footspeed, makes up for that with active hands and a really strong base. He is really smart around the rim with pump fakes and pivots to make up for his lack of vertical threat. I see his game translating really well to the league.

Comp: Cam Johnson

1. Nikola Topic I think his draft profile is boosted because of how Mega runs their offense through one player, and Topic ended up gathering a lot of stats from that. For Zvezda, he is executing fairly well within the confines of the offense, and he is very quick downhill driving, but I just do not see him as a really successful NBA player. His shot is a line drive that just barely stays above the rim, and no defender in the NBA will respect it. Because of this, they will back off, limiting his PnR upside and downhill scoring.

Comp: Beno Udrih

1. Tidjane Salaun This is probably too low for Salaun, he has great tools and is a solid shooter. Sometimes he looks like he has never played basketball before. Not great at putting the ball on the floor and also not a great finisher at the rim if he is not dunking. Will be a multi-year project that could certainly pan out, this is probably the least solid placement on the entire board.

Comp: More athletic Robert Covington

1. Yves Missi Interesting player. Good at driving to the rim, great defender and headache for opposing big men. He and Salaun are wide variance players so I would not argue with anyone who had them higher or lower. I like Missi, and I think he has a lot of untapped upside. I am going to use a cliche comp for him and say...

Comp: Clint Capela

1. Tyler Kolek Great pick and roll creator for others. Good shooter. A little worringly left hand dominant and can struggle with scoring on interior prescenses. I trust him to be a solid player that can run a backup unit really well. I am also going to continue the trend of avoiding only comparing white players to white players and say Kolek is very similar too...

Comp: Tyus Jones

1. Tyler Smith Great shooter, was lost on defense. Good upside swing late in the draft that I could see getting lost in the sea of other NBA tweeners. If you can't tell I am running out of gas writing these. Tyler Smith, you are going to be comped to....

Comp: Dario Saric

1. Jaylon Tyson Good all around player that has succeeded in small and large roles. Solid shooter who has an advanced handle and can score. I feel pretty strongly in this comparison in terms of NBA role, ability, and playstyle.

Comp: Caleb Martin

1. Tristan Da Silva I personally prefer McCullar, but Da Silva is solid too. He seemed to sometimes fade out of games and his impact wasn't seen as clearly, but should have a place in the league.

Comp: Kris Murray

1. Terrance Shannon Really reliant on speed and getting to the foul line at Illinois, but also had the ability to take over games with his outside shooting. Active hands that lead to a good amount of steals. Very interested to see how he scales down, as the Illinois offense was very tailored to him.

Comp:

1. Ajay Mitchell These last two guys I could see far outperforming this ranking. Mitchell is really good at just about everything, just played against lower level competition. I think he has the upside of a recent guy in a similar situation...

Comp: Jalen Williams

1. Justin Edwards Upside swing on a guy that was in a less than ideal spot at Kentucky. Coach Cal had an embarrassment of riches and did not know what to do with it. I like his pullup game, with time and proper care he could flourish into a really talented scorer. Do not give up on Justin Edwards.

Comp: CJ Miles

Please discuss and if you would like rate out of 10.

Coyote

by Joni Mitchell
No regrets Coyote We just come from such different sets of circumstance I'm up all night in the studios And you're up early on your ranch You'll be brushing out a brood mare's tail While the sun is ascending And I'll just be getting home with my reel to reel There's no comprehending Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes And the lips you can get And still feel so alone And still feel related Like stations in some relay You're not a hit and run driver no no Racing away You just picked up a hitcher A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway
We saw a farmhouse burning down In the middle of nowhere In the middle of the night And we rolled right past that tragedy Till we turned into some road house lights Where a local band was playing Locals were up kicking and shaking on the floor And the next thing I know That coyote's at my door He pins me in a corner and he won't take no He drags me out on the dance floor And we're dancing close and slow Now he's got a woman at home He's got another woman down the hall He seems to want me anyway Why'd you have to get so drunk And lead me on that way You just picked up a hitcher A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway
I looked a coyote right in the face On the road to Baljennie near my old home town He went running thru the whisker wheat Chasing some prize down And a hawk was playing with him Coyote was jumping straight up and making passes He had those same eyes just like yours Under your dark glasses Privately probing the public rooms And peeking thru keyholes in numbered doors Where the players lick their wounds And take their temporary lovers And their pills and powders to get them thru this passion play No regrets Coyote I'll just get off up aways You just picked up a hitcher A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway
Coyote's in the coffee shop He's staring a hole in his scrambled eggs He picks up my scent on his fingers While he's watching the waitresses' legs He's too far from the Bay of Fundy From appaloosas and eagles and tides And the air conditioned cubicles And the carbon ribbon rides Are spelling it out so clear Either he's going to have to stand and fight Or take off out of here I tried to run away myself To run away and wrestle with my ego And with this flame You put here in this Eskimo In this hitcher In this prisoner Of the fine white lines Of the white lines on the free free way

AI is transforming the trading and investing world. AI refers to the use of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and machine learning to analyze historical market and stock data, get investment ideas, build portfolios and automatically buy and sell stocks. AI trading offers hedge funds, investment firms and stock investors a number of advantages, such as:

• Quicker and more precise analysis of millions of data points and market indicators
  
• Ability to capture information that current statistical models miss
  
• Elimination of human biases and emotions that can affect trading decisions
  
• Optimization of trading strategies and execution of trades at the best price
  
• Reduction of operational costs and risks
  

AI trading is not a single concept, but rather a range of different types and applications. Some of the key trends and developments in AI trading and investing are:

• Quantitative trading: This is the use of quantitative modeling to analyze the price and volume of stocks and trades, identifying the best investment opportunities. Quantitative trading relies on mathematical formulas, algorithms and data science to generate trading signals and execute trades.
  
  • Algorithmic trading: This is the use of a series of preset rules based on historical data to make trading decisions. Algorithmic trading can be used for various purposes, such as arbitrage, market making, trend following, scalping and hedging. High-frequency trading is a type of algorithmic trading that is defined by large quantities of stocks and shares being bought and sold rapidly.
  • Automated trading: This is the use of AI to automate the entire trading process, from data collection and analysis to portfolio construction and order execution. Automated trading systems can learn from their own performance and adapt to changing market conditions. Some examples of automated trading platforms are Trade Ideas, Alpaca Markets, Wealthfront and Betterment.
  • Sentiment analysis: This is the use of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to analyze the emotions, opinions and attitudes of market participants expressed in various sources, such as news articles, social media posts, earnings reports and analyst ratings. Sentiment analysis can help traders gauge the market sentiment and anticipate price movements.
  • Reinforcement learning: This is a type of machine learning that involves training an agent to learn from its own actions and rewards in an environment. Reinforcement learning can be used to develop self-learning trading agents that can explore different strategies and optimize their performance over time.

AI trading technology is revolutionizing the way investors trade, providing them with unparalleled access to market insights and decision-making tools. However, AI trading also comes with some challenges and limitations, such as:

• Data quality and availability: AI trading depends on large amounts of high-quality data to train and test its models. However, data can be noisy, incomplete, inconsistent or outdated, affecting the accuracy and reliability of AI predictions.
  
• Ethical and regulatory issues: AI trading raises some ethical and regulatory questions, such as who is responsible for the outcomes of AI decisions, how to ensure fairness and transparency in AI algorithms, how to protect data privacy and security, how to prevent market manipulation and abuse by AI agents, and how to align AI goals with human values.
  
• Human oversight and intervention: AI trading does not eliminate the need for human oversight and intervention. Humans still need to monitor the performance of AI systems, validate their results, provide feedback and guidance, troubleshoot errors and anomalies, adjust parameters and settings, and intervene in case of emergencies or unexpected events.
  

AI trading technology is providing investors with an advantage in the competitive and complex trading landscape. However, AI trading is not a magic bullet that guarantees success. Investors still need to have a clear understanding of their goals, risk appetite, time horizon, budget and preferences. They also need to keep abreast of the latest trends and developments in AI technology, as well as the market dynamics and regulations. AI trading is a powerful tool that can augment human intelligence, but not replace it.

My house has a Goodman gpg1448080m41. When i tried to connect my smart thermostat i noticed that there is no "C" wire. I peeled back the wire sheeting and did not see a "C" wire. So then i purchased a "C" wire adapter to try to hook it up to my AC unit. I located the board of the AC unit but I could not locate or see the wire nut terminals on the board. I tried looking videos, did my own research and could not find any reliable sources to help me figure out where to connect the "C" wire adapter to the AC unit.
Here is the PDF for the unit https://www.theacoutlet.com/documents/Installation-Guide-Goodman-GPG14.pdf
Another source https://www.alpinehomeair.com/product/air-conditioning-cooling/self-contained-packaged-units/natural-gas-or-lp/14-16-seegoodman/gpg1448080m41

Hello there!
First time solo buyer here. After MANY months of looking - and several offers rejected - I finally had an offer accepted on a 1920's terraced house. Given the property is over a hundred years old, I paid for a Level 3 RICS Survey.
When I looked around, the property didn't seem to have any major issues and appeared to be in fairly good shape - especially compared to some others I've seen in my price range!
Shows what I know, as the survey has come back and basically reads as if I won't survive living there 😂
I appreciate the surveyors need to cover their backs, but all jokes aside, I'm struggling to understand if I should be fleeing from the house in terror, attempting to renegotiate, or if the issues are worth trying to resolve.
The survey report is obviously very long, but the main issues I'm worried about are:

• Movement: "There is evidence of movement noted to the front elevation. This presents with deflections of brickwork along the party wall at the junction with the adjoining property to the right. Rotational movement was noted to the brickwork panel above the lounge window and below the bedroom window. In addition, stepped cracking of brickwork was noted above the lounge window. Further deflections were noted below the guttering to the front main roof slope. From this single inspection it cannot be confirmed as to whether this movement is ongoing at this property, however, further investigation and repairs are required. Evidence of former building movement even where satisfactorily resolved, can affect future saleability and suitability for mortgage and difficulty in obtaining buildings insurance. Should you decide to proceed with this purchase, you should obtain a report from a Structural Engineer now. There is evidence of structural movement affecting the adjoining property to the left side. This property appears in a poor condition externally. It is possible unrepaired structural defects to adjoining property can result in further damage to this property."
• Roof: "The main ridge is generally level with some minor deflections. The mortar to the ridge tiles has deteriorated and will require re-pointing in areas." // "Slipped and damaged slates"" // "Whilst no inspection was possible, due to the defects noted, (eg. slipped / damaged slates, lead tabs, defective mortar to ridge tiles and defects around the chimney stack), you are advised to arrange an inspection of the roof space (and timbers) by a competent roofing contractor."
• Floors: "Due to the age of property, it is possible that original solid floors do not benefit from any damp proof course and are at significant risk of dampness and other significant defects (eg: consolidation of concrete material - resulting in unevenness), as was noted at this property. At ground floor level, deflections were noted to the utility room and kitchen (solid) floor surfaces. Deflections are outside of acceptable tolerance and an inspection is required by a Structural Engineer to identify the cause and remedial works necessary. This is likely to result in the requirement to remove all utility / kitchen built-in fittings and you should budget accordingly. Where suspended timber floors are in contact with damp walls, there is the risk of timber rot. Subfloor timbers, where possible, should be inspected by the PCA Registered contractor / timber and damp specialist.

I'm mainly after opinions on:
a) Exactly how bad this is b) What my next steps should be - i.e. would it be worth going ahead with the a structural engineer, or should I be cutting my losses?
It's so hard to tell how serious things are when you'll have the scary paragraphs above next to a paragraph about radon in the area (which, given I've also grown up in the general area, would have me super radioactive by now, so clearly isn't impacting my life in any major capacity...)
The prospect of having wasted so much money on surveys / solicitors / etc. and having to live with my parents for the forseeable (I moved back when the contract on my rented house ended just as my offer was accepted) is also making me VERY SAD INDEED.
Any help would be hugely appreciated!

I play alot of strategy games like clash royale and pokemon and i personally really like more slow paced defensive forms of play. I have seen alot of discussion around this topic and ive seen posts made by the devs talking about how they specifically want offensive play styles to thrive over defensive ones and that they will purposfully keep defensive cards underpowered to help achieve this. I dont think defensive play styles should be dominant just like I don't think offensive ones should be dominant. If you've played pokemon at a high competitive level you would realize that stall is very healthy for the game when it is balanced. it keeps hyper offensive teams in check by making them have to prepare for the case of a stall match up or they will be completely walled. i think that defense should be strong to the point that every team has to prepare for facing the matchup and have a game plan to beat it. these play styles often take a lot of skill to play and one missed placement or act of over aggression can instantly lose the player the game. Im not saying defensive play styles are unviable but they are most definitely purposefully kept under-powered. I personally think defense should be as strong as offensive play styles and that if done right could promote some of the most healthy metas weve ever had. i wouldnt be making this post if the devs hadnt said that they purposefully kept the defensive cards underpowered. I personally dont find decks that aim to build one massive push and destroy the tower all at once to be very fun even though i can understand why it is for some people. i prefer the slow process of whittling down my opponent and being in control. I think that any defense heavy meta hasnt been able to develop without defense being nerfed before people can adapt and i really think that it would be interesting to see what it would be like. people are too comfortable using safe ideas that have been used for years and i think that isnt a good thing.
I would like to add that ive been playing clash royale for over 8 years on and off and even if im not a pro i have played in some of the most unbalanced metas we have ever had. most of these metas were highly offensive and if we were to get another unbalanced and broken meta i would rather see a defensive one then a highly offensive broken meta.
I would like to finish this post by saying that clash royale games are short and and even defensive decks that go to tie breaker often only last 5 minutes. this is not alot of time at all and there is a limit to how long games can last. i know its not a direct comparison but i again want to reference pokemon specifically singles because games tend to last longer and I have played in matches that have taken an hour and that hour long game is my favorite game ive ever played. i know these are two different games with two different metas so i cant say one meta would be balanced in one because its balanced in another but im mainly bringing it up as a example as to where defensive play styles brought alot to the overall game and made the experience more skillful and fun. i dont think defensive cards should be dominant in any way but i do think that they shouldnt purposefully be kept underpowered for the sole sake of promoting offensive play styles because that seems like a horrible excuse because if you didnt want the play style to be good why even include it it doesnt make any sense.
I want an open discussion and just want to hear from different prospectives and dont want people to say that they dont like defensive play styles because they hate facing them because that isnt a good reason for keeping them weak. i offensive play styles arent my cup of tea either but this doesnt mean that i would want to take away from anyone elses fun because they enjoy it. i really like the idea of slowly making progress and being careful because defensive play styles can be incredibly punishing if you miss play. i dont think that purposefully keeping defensive cards weak because people have a hard time beating them is a flawed ideology because i would rather see people adapt and make sure there deck has options to beat those play styles instead of the cop out of making them weak.
im sorry if i rambled a little bit but i hope my point is clear and wanna hear from ppl on what their thoughts on defense are and why they do or dont think that defense should purposefully be kept under powered. ill be posting a replay of pokemon that i think shows the slow progress that i had to make due where i had to make a gameplan into my opponents team to be able to win. ill explain a little bit about it so that its easier to understand what is happening in the reply. Basically my win condition in this game is to be able to remove the opposing pokemons item so that they get chipped down slowly over the course of the game. my opponents is the same because we both are playing similar styles. we cannot one shot any of there team so we need to rely mainly on indirect damage to win. In pokemon you can only use a move a certain designated amount of times and once you run out of power points you can no longer use that move. my other win condition is making my opponent run out of power points on certain moves. i dont want every clash royale game to end in the equivalent of a 481 turn game but i think that promoting making a game plan and preparing for your bad matchups ahead of time instead of just nerfing it not to say that broken cards should be nerfed.
thanks for reading
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2107231412-rz0xunwu4u6v9wkp3t73uu5eatjy5yfpw

I live in an apartment, and over a month ago my building was bought by an unscrupulous building manager, with a very negative reputation in my city. I started looking seriously at buying a house or a condo for the first time in my life, only to find out I picked a really bad time to be a first time home buyer.
I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation and look for alternatives to a single family home I can't afford, or a condo I also can't afford. I'm wondering, isn't there such a thing as a base model house that can be expanded over time? I'm saying, and I mean this, a simple as a damn 20x20ft box. Basic kitchenette in one corner, bed in one corner, toilet and standing shower in one corner. Air conditioning and heating. Maybe a window or two. A standalone studio apartment. But something built in such a way that, when I had the money, I could pay a contractor to add a porch or a window, or pay a company to build a new room onto one of the otherwise plain, empty walls? Let my house increase in apprasied value over time by installments, made "when I have the money?"
The risk would be resale, in that, if I have poor taste, I spend the money on something stupid. For an example I just made up, an indoor jacuzzi in the middle of the floor in front of the fridge; it's my own damn fault nobody wants to buy the house now. But so long as I spend money consulting an architect every time i want to do something major, like consider turning a small porch into a wrap around patio or something, then I shouldn't have to worry all that much about whether or not it's going to be worth money again one day, right? By virtue of "there'd still be a pretty big market for that kind of house" ?
I know there's probably some construction companies who would say "What the hell market is there for that kind of approach to housing?" I'm that market. At least this way, if I have to sink money into a house every year, I eventually get more of that money back than I would if I did a 30 year loan with a 7.8% mortgage rate. I could see myself doing this with one of those very basic <$50k mobile homes that are all but completely devoid of features.
If this is a bad idea then this is a bad idea, it's okay, you can tell me. I'm mostly just brainstorming solutions to how unaffordable a permanent place to stay is for me right now.

Hi all, I'd like to start preparing to know what apartment buildings/managements are respectable/good before I end up moving to NYC in the future. I've browsed StreetEasy to see currently open units, but I'd like to also learn about what other buildings (that might be fully occupied) people would recommend. There's so many apartment buildings in Hells Kitchen/Hudson Yards/Chelsea area haha. I'm planning to come up and just wander the streets to see buildings/apartments might be nice... but any recommendations would be very helpful so I can know what to target! I know of The Olivia, Longacre, Avalon, and the Orion.
Ideally, I'd like to live in a modern/modern-ish highrise building, probably would just live in a studio, in building or in unit laundry, and in building gym would be nice! Budget wise I guess I'd be looking for around $2.5-3.5k/month (probably would end up being towards the upper side of the range based off what I mentioned prior). I'm looking towards the west side (Hells Kitchen, Hudson Yards, Chelsea) and wouldn't want to live anywhere beyond 10th Ave because it's such a trek to the subway stations haha.
Any recommendations or advice on how to find apartment buildings would be appreciated :) thanks!

Personal currency time standard S.p.c time bank t-money Robert Ripley - S.P.C. STANDARD PAYMENTS COMPANIES IS SEARCHING TO FOR TO FROM TO FOR INSTALL EQUATION IDENTICAL OF ANY INVESTMENTS ON STOKE AND BOOMS MARKET AMERICAN TO FOR TO FROM TO FOR ELECTRO –CASH SUPPY PROGRESSIONS TO FOR TO FROM TO FOR AT BANKS WIORLDS TIME BANK TO FOR TO FROM TO FOR PRODUCTION COMPANIES FARMS MECANICS TO LONVEVITY RESERCH ON DEFFICIENCY ON HOLD IN BODY FIRST, I WOULD TEXT [MR..GATES] ! OR [ MR. ZUCKERBURG] OR ORICAL SOFTWARE WHO IS WITH PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATE EFICIENCY OF SOFTWARE INFORMATION TIME MONEY SELECTIONS VOUCHERS ON ESCROW WITH OPTIONS PERSONALS OR COMPANIES BANKS TIME BANK IN 3RD PARTY BANK OF CHOISE CONFORMING TO NEEDS OF PERSONS OR COMPANIEST- MONEY NO TAXE DEBTS PAID DRAW SIMULTANIOUS AND PEDRIODIC AL PAID BANK TIME BANK DEPOSIT TOTAL OPTION AUTOMATION FACTORS PRODUCTS IS SOMEWHAT MORE EXPENSIVE QUANITIFICATIONS IN MODERIZE TRADE COPM EQUATIONS EXCGANGE PRIVATE JET IS IN DUE GOING TO NEW YORK WALL STREET Initial sign to start escrow free paid draw limit bank account level 1one starting bank account sign to start exam on authentication with business title is world level time bank payments banking money 2E+16-billion-hour consecutive payments deposits sign to start periodical working production products womans 1million hour (about 114 years) consecutive payments deposits on mathematical money automation auto-work-functions-equation exchange time bank base floor 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product infinity series levels business members drive pick up payments deposits different time money escrow previously deposit payments banking address verification of banking products or pickup products address 3rd party bank verification's disk with company oligarchy and hierarchy of employments periodical production periods selections options opportunities social and civil orders body foods longevity products societal functions Quantity companies' oligarchy _______- companies quantity employments hierarchy__________ _______________________address _______________________________ days .. ____________________________________hours=unitshours Products yes or products no___________________ Working or production at farms or factories level 4four magic money Small longevity products factories Constructions assembly to for to from to for periodical highly hugely paid automation money step up production products level five 5 ratio equations distribution metro-members card copy-cash to carry 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EXCHANGE INFINITY PAID WORKING PRODUCTION COSTS EQUATIONS METRO-MEMBERS RATIO EQUATION DRIVE PICKUP FOODS OR PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION STATIONS equation time hour proprietor companies oligarchy averages times governing average time money A.T.M time bank paid employments escrow auto deposit PRODUCTS TIME MONEY PERIODICAL PRODUCTION AT LARGEST ESCROW COMPUTER TIME BANK PAYMENTS BANKING BASE FLOOR WORKING TIME MONEY AT .5 GOING INFINITY TOO 2 AVERAGES PROPORTIONATE deposits into company and employments previously deposits MONEY PAID SALE NO MARK UP EQUATIONS QUANTIFICATION LEVEL TIME MONEY IS MANY DIFFERENT TIME COSTS PAID RATE MONEY DEPOSITS WITH PERIODICAL PERIODS PRODUCTION PERSONAL INFINITY PROGRESSIONS DISTRIBUTION SIGN TO START WITH BUSINESS TITLE EFFICIENCY MONEY DEPOSITS PROGRESSIONS OF ESSENTIAL NECESSITATE EMPIRICAL OPTION MAGIC MONEY time distance CENSUS VOTES working if any product use time only distributions distance calculate time money going to address or world vicinities of money use CIVIL ALLOWANCE DURING WORKING PRODUCTION INVESTMENTS CIVIL ALLOWANCE INVESTMENTS MEDICAL INSURGENCE DIFFERENT TIME MONEY INVESTMENT GOING BEYOND PRINCIPAL CLICK DEPOSIT EQUAL PAID WORKING INTO MY MANY TIME MONEY DEPOSITS TIME BANK BANK ACCOUNTS New world stoke and booms market automate TWO WAY EQUATION COMPANIES ELECTRA MONEY CASH COPY CASH AVAILABLE TIME MONEY DISTRIBUTIONS AT COSTS ON MONEY COSTS GOLD PLATINUM SIVER green gold DIaMoNDS VALUES GOING TOO NEVER REACHING INFINITY MONEY civil allowence during working invest in time money going 1 hour beyond principle invest paid future during working medical investments insurance investments time money investments functions multi-functions is on 1 papyrus paper in plastic laminate retainers Units – q-backs your personal currency copy cash timebank time standard with different time money conform time money information time money identically cost infinity time money along with product currency emulation money insurances u.s.b. 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My name is Greg. It's been some time since I was in school as a student and I’m now a teacher in the same school I went to more than 20 years ago. I have two small children and they’ve reached an age where summer has started to have meaning. Their excitement, and the excitement I see in my students, has filled me with a reminiscence of the summers of my youth. It makes me simultaneously a little sad but also incredibly happy. I think of my friends, my parents, and my youth and I get to smile at the joy I felt then. I see my own kids today and it makes me smile at all the possibilities that summers hold for them. This is my story of summers past. But this story is only partly reminiscence. Much of it is just a feeling. A feeling I’ve not felt since…
The school bell was ringing and I was running. Teachers were trying to tell us to walk and be careful over break but we stopped listening at 3:30 pm and it was already 15 seconds past that. I grabbed my bag, my gym clothes, and my drawing pad from my locker and quickly shoved the now-irrelevant papers and notebooks in the closest garbage can. I came to regret this last action later, not because there was anything of value in those binders full of notes and paper, but because I missed out on burning them in an epically large neighborhood bonfire we had a few weeks after school ended.
The door slammed open and I breathed in the free air… Summer!
Eli, Kevin and my older brother Charlie were outside waiting for me and we were off on the first adventure of the summer: The way home.
The way home was easy by modern means. We could take Old Ryan Road to a sidewalk to a gravel siding to our subdivision. But the way we took was better in every way.
“Through the marshes” we charged. We called the path “the marshes” because it regularly flooded but it was really an old nature path the city built years ago. It was overgrown and completely underutilized. It had a deep ditch on one side and was tree-lined on the other. The long grass on the path had been tamped down but it was still up to our knees. We liked to imagine monsters lurking in the depths of the ditches and the dark of the woods, and we had to watch each other's back while making regular expeditions into the woods for weapons. A good stick was the best protection and, following proper cover and advance techniques taught to us by Kevin’s neighbor the veteran, we made our way out of the path and clear of the monsters.
All except Eli, who had clearly been possessed by some kind of ghoul and was now “it”. He attacked at the opening of the marshes, where the tall grass met the road. He roared and held his stick above his head like a Tuskin Raider from Star Wars. We all ran for it! Scattered in three directions. Expecting to be hunted.
I went for the woods that ran behind the houses in our neighborhood. But I had a long way to go before I was safe at home. I saw Eli attempt to catch Charlie but Charlie was about a foot taller and, despite his complete lack of athletic ability, he was quick!
I crept through the woods, staying in the shadows as best as I could, but It was 3:45 pm in June so even the thickest canopy couldn’t really give good concealment. I was exposed. I had to make a move. Eli had been moving in the opposite direction of me a minute ago but I didn’t know where he was now. “Go!” I said and made to sprint along the tree line, always ready to dive into the woods.
Suddenly Eli was behind me! He came from the woods and was so much faster than me. He had a smaller stick now and threw it like a boomerang at my back. It hit me under my arm and I fell to the ground in a dramatic, yet heroic death.
“Rise now, servant!” Eli said. I was his second now. Doomed to serve him forever! Or until we got home. I’d done pretty good and home was only a little farther. We took up a defensive position now, protecting the house from those who would try to enter.
It took a few minutes for Charlie and Kevin to make their way to the house. I saw Charlie first and screamed as an alarm. Servants can’t talk. Plus I was still loyal to my non-Eli counterparts, but had to be fair. Eli came running and took off after Charlie but as he did I saw Kevin out of the corner of my eye make his way up behind Eli and as I opened my mouth to shout again, he raised his stick and shouted “Safe!” while stepping on the porch. Charlie had gotten away and was still fair game. Eli told me to hold and protect the porch. I did and would take out Charlie if I had to. He was my older brother so I might take just a little pleasure in throwing a stick at him.
Jokes on me, Charlie slipped past Eli and tackled me to the ground. He was bigger than me. I lost that battle, badly, and he made it to the porch. Eli, being a good comrade, berated me about getting tackled while I told him what a failure he was at catching Charlie. Twice! We smiled, laughed at each other, and went inside!
Next adventure: Convince the parents that pizza and a sleepover are the best ideas.
Me: “Dad. Pizza, movies, and Eli and Kevin sleepover? What do you think.”
Dad: “I think you think I have all the money” he looked over his glasses at me. “Ok, fine. I’m in!”
We knew Dad was an easy mark. Mom would have had conditions. They would have been completely legitimate, but who wants conditions?
The final adventure of this final day of school: The Sleepover
Pizza was the ultimate sleepover treat. No work, no waiting, and the cute girl four grades ahead of me was the delivery driver. Did I exist to this girl? No chance. Did that mean anything to me? Nope!
Dad rented three movies from Block Buster: The Hunt for Red October, Silence of the Lambs, and IT. He liked thrillers. We weren’t complaining. We were allowed to watch The Hunt for Red October because Dad thought the original Bond was someone worthy of our time. The other two were “too scary” for us kids. But we weren’t so chicken as to let a good thing pass us by. The tapes were in the house, and we wanted to watch them. When would they be back? When we were 18? Nope, we couldn’t wait that long. But how to get them?
Our domain was the basement. Obviously. What parents wanted to share the TV with kids? We were given The Hunt for Red October, which my parents had seen in theaters, and they stayed upstairs and watched IT. We could hear Mom when we ventured up to sneak a peek giving her patented scared gasp, like she did in the car when Dad drove a little too crazy in traffic. It was obvious that we needed to get a hold of that movie.
Before we could start The Hunt for Red October, which was undoubtedly good, Kevin revealed that he’d pulled off the greatest heist of our generation; he’d swiped the tape for Silence of the Lambs and left The Hunt for Red October in its place in the case. Genius!
The Silence of the Lambs was a true marvel of cinema and at some point in the night, everyone had put something over their face and pretended to be Hannibal Lecter as he skinned his guard's face off to escape. Charlie’s was the best. He’d gone upstairs and gotten a piece of pizza, stripped the cheese off of it, and cut a hole for the mouth. The sauce and rippled dough made it pretty convincing in the dark. I was the youngest, so naturally the easiest mark, and he surprised me with it first, vaulting over the back of the couch and giving me his craziest eyes. It was effective. I didn’t sleep well for a few weeks, though I’d never give him credit for it.
My parent’s movie was longer than ours so we had to wait downstairs for it to end. After the credits rolled on our movie, Kevin turned off the lights and the TV all at once and we were in complete darkness. I don’t know if you know how The Silence of the Lamb ends, but a pitch-black basement is a terrifying setting after watching that movie. Kevin laughed from one corner, then must have moved quickly to the opposite corner and said, “It puts the lotion on its skin…” in his creepiest imitation of Buffalo Bill. I nearly died when he grabbed me and pulled me to the couch. I was in the movie for a second. I was Clarese. I was in Bill’s basement. I was doomed. Fortunately for me, Eli or Charlie made some noise and Kevin headed off to catch them too.
Then I saw the light at the top of the stairs, got my bearings, and B-lined for it. Charlie must have heard the stairs and figured out how to get up and so did Eli. We got to the top, opened the door, and proceeded to lock Kevin in his own nightmare. Awesome! We laughed and high-fived as he pushed his way out after a short struggle. Plenty of quiet insults were thrown through the door on his way out.
As my parents went to bed they told us to keep it down and start to calm down for the night. We had every intention of doing so, but after they went to bed, we discovered, to our great excitement, that IT was still in the VCR. “Yes!” whispered Eli in his quietest scream of excitement. His face, wide-eyed and mouth agape, said everything that we were all thinking. Two thrillers in one night. And it was only 9 pm!
IT finished to a room of frightened looks and excited hearts. We definitely should not have watched that and Silence of the Lambs on the same night. But we did and not one of us was going to suggest that we were scared. No, instead we snuck outside. Sewer-dwelling monsters be damned!
This was a time of dusky-yellow street lights and quiet subdivisions. It was midnight and we were alone outside. Kevin had a small flashlight that he’d wisely grabbed from the cupboard, something he’d learned was necessary on a few previous forays outside at night, but the moon was enough to illuminate our way between streetlights. We passed behind Kaia’s house and she opened the back door as we were near the middle of the yard. “Hey!” she whispered. “What do you think you’re doing?” She gave us a look somewhere between mad and intrigued. “Just out for a stroll” whispered back Charlie. “Wanna come with?” I punched Charlie secretly. He knew I had a crush on Kaia. Good big brother but I was nervous to ask her out and this didn’t seem like the time. “Nope!” she said, looking at my brother, then she made quick eye contact with me and gave me a mischievous grin.
We kept walking and Eli suggested we go to the woods, to our fort. After two scary movies and a whole pile of imagination, this was the last place I wanted to go. But everyone had been razzing me about my crush on Kaia, and they hadn’t missed her little look, so I was feeling emboldened enough to take the risk.
The woods once backed up to a farmhouse with a barn and outbuildings and a small industrial plant. Our neighborhood was the old farm field. The woods, however, was left nearly as it had been and was full of old rusting junk left behind from the farm and plant. There was a car frame and several tires, a refrigerator, a stack of chicken wire, a few car hoods, and a random assortment of smaller farm and industrial parts. Safe was certainly not the way I’d describe this woods, but it was fun.
At night, however, it became entirely different. We’d formed a path through it over time, using the car hoods to go over low, wet spots, and using the larger items as landmarks. But they were harder to find at night and the wind and shadows played enough tricks to make our imaginations roil. Toward to interior of the woods, the space opened up where someone had dumped tons or gravel long ago. On one side it formed a berm, hiding the now-abandoned industrial building, and on the other was a low area where natural rocks formed a kind of flat area. The natural perimeter around it was entirely overgrown now and the trees and bushes formed the walls of our fort. We’d built nothing there but the trees and the gravel berm formed natural barriers that closed it in. The best part, the trees were covered in vines that were just strong enough to let us swing on. If you started at the high point of the berm, you could swing 30 or 40 feet with ease.
Now, in the moonlight, our fort was infinitely more ominous. It was additionally scary because Eli kept disappearing and then jumping out with his best Pennywise impression. He even tackled Kevin at one point and the two of them rolled around for a few seconds. It was a pretty fair fight but Eli eventually pinned Kevin and pretended to bite his head off.
Now in the fort, we decided ‘kick the can’ was the best bet. Charlie drew the short straw and the rest of us bolted away to sneak around and get the best positions. I was about to go as Charlie’s back was turned, but as I got up to run, someone else ran in and absolutely punted the can and bolted off. They were followed by another, smaller shadow, and the two of them disappeared into the bushes. Charlie yelled a curse and reset the can.
Movement came from my right. I whispered “Eli? Kevin? Which one of you got the can?”. No reply. Then two girls jumped out of the dark. “Ahh!” I yelled in a surprisingly high-pitched voice. Hannibal and Pennywise reeled in my brain and I was about to be eaten by them both. But no, it was Kaia and her younger sister Amber. I blushed with tremendous embarrassment as I replayed the sound I’d just made in my head. Just as I got hold of myself a little more, the two of them ran away and Charlie replaced them with a grin. He kicked me and said, “your it!”
I moved to the center of the circle and I heard the others rustling through the undergrowth. I heard a clear cough from my left and went for it. As I did, Eli let out his best Tarzan call and literally swung from a vine to the center of the clearing and kicked the can into the bushes. Kevin stood from the bushes in front of me and chuckled. The two of them had planned it out.
Each of us in turn got caught and placed in the middle to defend the can. Kaia was the quickest to get out of the center. Turns out she’s incredibly competitive. Who knew? Amber was also pretty good, but Kaia and I teamed up to do another Tarzan swing. Mostly because it looked super cool when Eli did it. I felt her eyes on me as I swung. She ‘whooped’ as I got the can and taunted her little sister.
We dropped off the girls on our way home. I was walking with Kaia at the back and she gave me a sly kiss on the cheek as we approached their house. I nearly melted. We all agreed we should definitely sneak out again this summer. No one else saw Kaia’s kiss and no one else ever knew. I liked that little bit just for me.
(Side note: I married Kaia one day. Best thing I ever did.)
We got home and settled in for bed on couches, the ground, and the beanbag chair in the corner. Kevin seemed to always call the beanbag chair. Oh well. We started another movie but no one was invested now. We slipped off to sleep, dirty and tired but with full hearts, as the movie played in the background of our dreams.
Summer day 1: complete success.
… 4:03 am
“Oh my god! why the blue screen?” *clicks off TV*

Every value that we thought we had, debased and razed to save us 

vibe

The Based Department - Structure and Organization

Reformed from the entirety of the Russian Intelligence community, The Based Department has become a united giant, responsible for all of the intelligence, government cyberwarfare, and partially - state AI research programs within the country. With massive resources, the only thing that held the Based Department was the Ethics committees and idealism of the Department itself, willing to defy the reputation of KGB and FSB. With the Commonwealth fallen, however, and the Ethics Committee itself giving the Department a blank cheque, there are few things that hold it back.
The Department was based around multiple Directorates, responsible each for a sector of the intelligence network. With the passage of time and the rebuilding done after the collapse, many things have changed. As of now, the following is the core structure of the Based Department:

Name	Function
Secretariat of the Based	The chief administration of the Based Department. Responsible for the overall functioning.
First Main Directorate	Responsible for the overall external intelligence work. Includes multiple subdepartments each responsible for one of the hyperstates.
Second Main Directorate	Counter-intelligence. Responsible for keeping the Department out of leaks, and preventing detection of our operations within Karakum and abroad
Third Main Directorate	Military Intelligence. Responsible for maintaining our battlenetwork operations.
Fourth Main Directorate	ELINT, Cyberwarfare, Secure communications, etc. The Largest of the Directorates, with multiple subdirectorates.
Fifth Main Directorate	Currently responsible for guarding the Vaults and bases of the Based Department
Sixth Directorate	Currently responsible for subverting the organized crime in the country to our cause
Seventh Main Directorate	Responsible for Spetsnaz operations
Eighth Main Directorate	Responsible for VDV operations and air transport
Scientific Department	Responsible for the overall R&D of the Department. Prioritizes AI and cybernetic fields, but overall has enough staff to cover all important research fields.
Supply Directorate	Responsible for the overall procurement and supply of the Vaults and the bases
Tenth Department	The paranormal department of the Based. Responsible for unusual cases (like the Atlantic cargo case), also sometimes takes the load of other departments. Some of the newer projects will go there.
Engineering and Technical Service Department	Responsible for technical maintenance and everyday services of all facilities and equipment in active Based Department use. This department is responsible for design and construction of new facilities and routes of communication as well as repair and maintenance of the existing ones.
Medical Department	Responsible for the health and medical care of the staff. Includes all specter of specialists, including cyberhealth specialists and psychologists
Manufacturing Department	Responsible for the overall equipment manufacturing and parts of the maintenance. Currently able to provide artisanial low-level manufacturing, but large projects will require specific tools and facilities.

In addition, the Department includes commeetees (Including Ethics committee and AI relations committee), subdepartments, and other structurers providing it with a significant reach within the intelligence field.

The Based Department - Equipment

Before the collapse, the Department has developed and upgraded a part of the Commonwealth arsenal for their own needs. This includes weapons, accessories, and technology related to clandestine operations.
Considering our work, the Based Department specialized weapons are primarily based on either non-lethal apprehension of targets, or a covert assassination leaving no trace.

• The main weapon suites, are generally equipped with equipment focused on stealth and silent eliminations.

However, some technology was developed in the 60s to better suit our needs.
[M - probably retroactive development. All successors should have the tech too, will work on cleaning what parts are ok and what I'll need to develop myself in the current continuity.

Incapacitating agents

While a lot of our population is synthetic, biological organisms are still widespread, and in order to incapacitate them easier, we have developed new agents.

• We are to work on the development an alternative to Kolokol-1, a fentanyl derived knockout gas. Through the genetic modification of bacteria, supercomputer bioreseach, and other smart buzzwords we will try to develop a less-lethal, more effective alternative, in several forms.
  
• • An invisible agent, designed for use in a similar way to Nord-Ost operation. Pumped in airways, it should be able to slowly knockout those without protection from chemical or biological agents.
• • A thick gas, for use in grenades. Designed for better and faster penetration, potentially able to penetrate some of the filters.
• • A liquid agent capable to be delivered through water supply or injection.

The Based Department has been using agents in various forms, using them to prevent hostage situations or to quietly infiltrate a compound at night. In addition to grenades and gas canisters, The Based Depatrment has developed a "knockout flechette" ammunition, used in our next-generation guns. Contianing a small amount of the Kolokol-X agent, it was designed to penetrate power armor and release the agent inside, incapacitating the person inside directly.

EM stuff

The Commonwealth has been using EMP and EM since long. While Russian technology is quite EMP-resistant due to mass use of photonics and shielding, we do use them widely, including on a personal level.

• A similar to Kolokol-X, a flechette ammunition containing a tiny flux-compression generator EMP, is designed to deliver a strong charge on the impact. Likely penetrating the armor and shorting it from the inside, it should also work against androids, robots and Alfr, breaking the shielding from the inside.
• Widely used on the aircraft and against drones, we have adapted Active Denial System into a portable "laser gun". Firing a tight, metamaterial-focused microwave beam, it works both against human targets (heating up skin and causing signfiicant pain), and against androids/robots (disabling or destroying electronics/photonics) from a 1,5 km away, it works well to push forward during assault while minimizing casualties.

The Suits

While Spetsnaz and VDV are using DAGOTH, the Based Department operatives were designing something of their own - based on the superior Russian fashion industry.
The Suit series of equipment is a broadly applied technology for discreet, personal protection, used by intelligence agents and VIP.

The Suit

The main protection of an intelligence agent. Despite the implication, the Suit is not necessarily a black tuxedo - the technology provides adaptation to all the styles present in the country.

• The first layer is a skin-colored lower layer suit based on the supersilk ballistic fiber. Designed to not stand out, it provides a modest protection of the uncovered parts, and reinforces the rest of the protection
• The clothes themselves are likewise made out of ballistic fiber with additional protection seamlessly integrated into the vital parts. The heavier the clothing, the better the protection. The ranges are nearly anything you can wear.
• Winter clothing (very important in the Far North) has smaller heaters installed, and provides the best protection.
• The headgear also provides protection, and looks good doing so.

The Suit is unlikely to endure agaisnt a modern soldier, but can reasonably stop an armed guard or turn a lethal shot into an injury, providing our agents protection in the dire times.

The Stealth suit

Similar to the Suit, the SS is designed for inflitration and stealth operation:

• The base is similar to the suit - but also much more sleek, and fully covering the face.
• The suit layers are made out of smart fabric and smart sensors, allowing to quickly and precisely change the coloring and texture of the suit, and potentially - even it's form - turning a beachwear into a tuxedo into a dress.
• High-definition realistic holographic projectors are able to enhance the stealth further, either completing the stealth or using it to turn the appearance into something entirely else, especially from the range.
• The soles are made out of vibration-absorbing material to prevent from causing too much noise.
• Overall the SS has less protection, but still good enough to protect against most non-military weapons like older assault rifles.

Based Department - Personnel

The Department is a diverse organization, containing people of various ethnicities (mostly Russian, Polish, Karakum and French, turned into Everlasting androids), and fields of experience. Containing humans, androids, synths and even hypercode, in the halls of the Department facilities you can see nearly any combination of faces, clothes and body parts imaginable. This, also, helps them to blend in the population.

The Agents

Working primarily in the field, the Agents are the investigators, intelligence gatherers, and our reconnaissance. Wearing suits when they can, and what they need when they need, they generally pose as Siberian hunters in remote tundra, general population in the cities, and police investigators when they can, the Agents are responsible for a large part of our intelligence network, currently focused on Karakum. Some might stay in one place, providing general coverage of the region, while others are walking the earth waiting for their next assignment.
Some of the Agents exist as a hypercode - scouting the Internet from

The Negotiators

A small subset of the Department, they are responsible for working with the public and "convincing" them to join our cause. Through charm and less charming means, they are quite capable in the art of making people cooperate. They rarely stay in one place, preferring to maintain the aura of mysteriousness around them. In the Department, they are mostly nice, but also prone to swindling stuff from others in poker,

The Specialists

Those are, ironically, the furthermost people from warfare and operations. Those are procurement specialists - the closest thing we have to the outer world and our supply lifeblood. They have good identities (most of them are their actual identities pre-Collapse), stable remote job and a degree of prescence in the community. In general, their goals are, depending on a person:

• Maintain our sources of income - at this point, that's mostly cryptocurrencies generation, freelance and a small amount of the shell companies - a combination of real and fake, small and medium-sized shell companies. The income is currently more than modest, but provides us with enough cash for our support. They are responsible for giving us assets while staying low.
• Maintain steady supply of necessaries. Mostly, we are reliant on nutrients - while we can recover some and generate others, Department would rather currently continue being supplied through cheaper and more available methods. Likewise, off-the-shelf components provide the Department with more flexibility during maintenance. Through a wide network of distributors, our specialists are supplying us with what we need to survive and operate, leaving no trace.
• Provide us with special procurements - from custom orders to equipment to bribes.

The Spetsnaz

Silent and deadly, they are responsible for most of our combat oprerations. Using Genda/Dagoth chassis and even beyond that, they are the most elite unit of the Commonwealth, and among the best on the planet. With vast experience and training in every field imaginable, when we send these "Genda" Everlasting, we are sending our best.

The Perry

[ДАННЫЕ УДАЛЕНЫ]

The Guard

[ДАННЫЕ ЗАСЕКРЕЧЕНЫ]

The Brain

The custodian of the Mount Yamantau and the Based Department as a whole, the Brain is a combination of multiple supercomputer complexes and a building-sized neural mass. Containing the consiousness of the late King of Russia, the Gigachad, it is now, perhaps, the smartest being in the whole creation. Responsible for a large part of our current protection and cyberwarfare operations, the Yamantau is being used as both the HQ and R&D laboratory, where the Department's finest are researching new and old technology. The AI Singularity is coming, and the Based Department is on it's front and center.
[M] Unless pointed otherwise by Dio, I'll do 3 rolls for tech development and 1 for secrecy of it - it should be available to successors either way. The rest is mostly RP, but will roll if needed.

✨PET SITTING✨
My name is Martika. I am a Pet Sitter and a senior undergrad student majoring in Biology!
My experience includes but is not limited to: -11+ years of animal care experience -Having worked in a vet clinic for 5 years -Volunteer in shelteadoption events -Assisting with my dogs extensive medical care. -Caring for animals with severe medical conditions and confidently admistering medication -Apprenticing under a professional dog trainer -Socializing and training equines for a semester
I have personal experience in understanding how important medications and routines are for animals big or small. So finding someone reliable, loving, and qualified is important to me.
I currently offer drop in visits (30min-1hour, typically 1-3 times a day) in Fort Collins, CO. During this time I can feed, water, scoop litter boxes, provide potty breaks, and play time/scratches within the owners home.
I want clients to feel comfortable while their animals are in my care. To ensure this, I ask that we do a meet and greet prior to the booked services. This will allow me to meet you and your pets in a safe environment and go over your pets' needs while building a foundation of trust.
-References available upon request-
🐶🐱🐇🐣🐍🐷🐴🐮

So, I'm working on a fantasy setting, strongly inspired by D&D. I'm moving to the aquatic life now and I want to work on my Tritons. To summarize the species, think of a blend of actual D&D Tritons and the Zora from BotW/TotK, the focus today is not about the race biology but their culture. They are amphibious, can breath both air and underwater, they have outposts close to beaches but their main cities and settlements are all underwater. With that in mind, how can I develop a 90% underwater civilization, things like constructions, structures, weapons, etc. I mean, what kind of weapon would be best underwater? Spears, Swords, etc. How do they build their houses and temples? Can you make a concrete analog under the sea? The beach outposts would surely be influenced by the land-dwelling races, but how do they develop underwater?
I'm open to suggestions as I need to think how to develop this in a believable way. It's not just 'A kingdom but underwater', I have to consider things like water pressure, sea life around them, etc.
Thank you in advance

Thinkpad p14s gen 2i is a nice laptop: good keyboard, good ports selection and a good build quality.
Maybe, this particular unit has a factory defect, but:

1. The LTE modem from Quectel (Quectel EM160R-GL) _forces_ the PC to suspend (i.e. go into the sleep state) apparently every time it connects to a new base cell tower. I have been traveling with it for some time (mostly Europe), and it makes the laptop unusable especially on (high-speed) trains - the laptop keeps going to sleep every 3-5 minutes.
2. Also, it seems that this is related: the battery life has been 4 hours max with very modest settings (dimmed screen, no background apps, etc.). After generating a report with `powercfg -energy` I can see the following warning in the report:

``` USB Suspend:USB Device not Entering Selective Suspend This device did not enter the USB Selective Suspend state. Processor power management may be prevented when this USB device is not in the Selective Suspend state. Note that this issue will not prevent the system from sleeping.
Device NameHighSpeed USB Composite Device(UDE)
```
After checking the "Manufacturer" value for this device in Device Manager I see this: "Quectel".
***
I am not sure these bugs can be fixed by myself, probably an option is to send it to Lenovo (the laptop still has a warranty). But this means sending it to another country and they do not provide a replacement device.
***
I don't want to make rants about how Lenovo Thinkpad is not what it used to be, just sharing some objective experience with one of the modern Thinkpad devices.
Cheers.

In Feb 2024, Meta published a paper introducing TestGen-LLM, a tool for automated unit test generation using LLMs, but didn’t release the TestGen-LLM code.The following blog shows how CodiumAI created the first open-source implementation - Cover-Agent, based on Meta's approach: We created the first open-source implementation of Meta’s TestGen–LLM
The tool is implemented as follows:

1. Receive the following user inputs (Source File for code under test, Existing Test Suite to enhance, Coverage Report, Build/Test Command Code coverage target and maximum iterations to run, Additional context and prompting options)
2. Generate more tests in the same style
3. Validate those tests using your runtime environment - Do they build and pass?
4. Ensure that the tests add value by reviewing metrics such as increased code coverage
5. Update existing Test Suite and Coverage Report
6. Repeat until code reaches criteria: either code coverage threshold met, or reached the maximum number of iterations

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/ulsterbusiness/features/economy-minister-we-would-have-a-better-economy-in-a-united-ireland-with-more-opportunities/a569798889.html
Conor Murphy is not only the first republican to serve as Economy Minister – he’s the first non-DUP MLA to hold the role since 2007.
So, will a substantially different overarching political ideology shape his approach to arguably one of the Executive’s most powerful departments?
“I’m part of a political party which wants to see a united Ireland. I want to see the economy grow here – I want to see east/west trade and north/south flourish. That’s my primary job in the department.
“The all-Ireland has been growing organically… on the southern side you have one of the fastest growing economies in Europe, and we are hooked to an economy [the UK] in which we don’t have the levers in which we need to fundamentally change our economy, and economy entering recession and one which has turned its back on Europe and international relations. There’s no sense that Labour is going to do anything radically different [if elected into government].”
Mr Murphy, who stepped aside from his role for a time due to health reasons, is clear that he believes Northern Ireland would benefit, not only politically, but economically, as a united Ireland.
“I do think we would be better in a united Ireland – a better economy in a united Ireland as well and there would be more opportunities,” he said.
In terms of his own approach, he’s set out a four-pillar economic strategy, looking at “good” jobs, tackling regional imbalance, productivity, and eyeing net zero.
“We spent the last two years talking to businesses, talking to Invest NI, enterprise agencies and those with an interest, and tourism, further and higher education – to get a sense where the department wasn’t delivering. It has been very well received.”
On corporation tax, something which was devolved to the Executive but appears to no longer be a focus, Mr Murphy said the shortfall in cash as a result of cutting the rate regionally is not viable, and the “Executive should begin a discussion with the British Government, including what to do with corporation tax”.
“The difficulty was the way the Treasury wanted to deal with it. They would calculate what they thought you might benefit from it, they would take that from the block grant and therefore you were flying blind to try and get the benefit back of more investment.
“That’s almost like a punt in the dark just to see if you’ll get the return. That was difficult in 2014 when we originally negotiated it. With the state of our public finances 10 years later, that’s even more difficult.”
Invest NI has been under fire in the last year or so following a critical report, requiring improvements in leadership, operations and public accountability.
Mr Murphy said the process for a “structural and cultural change” is “under way”.
He said there will not be a focus on just job numbers, but the quality of roles, for both FDI and local firms.
“If someone is coming in and looking money off Invest NI, it’s going to be how they meet those strategic priorities around good jobs, productivity, regional imbalance and net zero. That’s the judgement.
“It’s not just who is going to provide jobs. The report suggested very radical reform within the current organisation. They suggested a structural and cultural change, and that process is under way.
“[What I have outlined] has given Invest NI a strategic focus… this was about a strategic focus at an organisation which is to do what it’s supposed to, which is to provide economic support to businesses. It’s not just about FDI, and that was one of the criticisms.
“Invest are following [those new priorities] and aren’t in the space about subsidising any job… they are incentivising people to go into other regions if they can.”
And he said he hoped Invest NI would now put more of a focus on its regional offices.
Mr Murphy says it’s about “good jobs”. This is one of his economic vision’s four pillars, and he’s drafted in economist Dr Lisa Wilson of the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) to help define what that actually means.
“Far too many jobs here are low paid – very poor terms and conditions,” he said.
“Primarily, they fall to women, young people, people with disabilities who find themselves in these roles with no job security. We are going to try and lift that.”
Regional imbalance has been a particularly important talking point regarding job creation here over the last few years, especially given the concentration of foreign direct investors opting for Belfast, over Derry or other locations.
And while the north west is largely in focus, Mr Murphy said a host of border areas, and places like the Causeway Coast, have also been impacted by a lack of economic activity.
He said it’s about letting regional Invest NI offices to work with councils, chambers and other agencies, and work out what needs to be done at a local level.
“It’s to get that sense of real local power,” he said. “All of the border areas will have suffered from that lack of investment and lack of infrastructure investment, which leads to a lack of investment in terms of jobs.
“[It’s] the lowest paid jobs, the most economic inactivity is in places like the north west and also places like the Causeway Coast & Glens, and places like Fermanagh, and south Armagh. You find differentials even within the city of Belfast.
“In broad terms it’s about ensuring that commitment to regional balance is followed through. It’s about enabling the local and regional offices of Invest NI to work closely with local economic players.
“Policy tends to be handed down from Belfast – ‘here’s what we are going to do for you’. We want to turn that around so that people in the area are actually deciding that this is what they see as a key economic initiative which could actually turn the dial.”
He says the Windsor Framework remains “the best that could have come out of Brexit”.
“[Brexit] is still going to create problems – access to labour, issues which could impact tourism,” he said.
“There are a lot of challenges still there. But in terms of trading the Windsor Framework provides us an opportunity to both access the European and British markets, and that gives us an advantage.”
Mr Murphy said Invest NI is now examining which sectors “would benefit the most from dual access, so we would know how to focus”.
The hospitality sector has been crying out for assistance, ideally cutting back VAT – although that’s something which would have to be done through Westminster – or receiving some sort of package. Mr Murphy said “the idea of financial supports is challenging”.
“The idea of financial supports is challenging because of the way budgets are. I think what this department’s responsibility is creating the conditions where the economy is growing but we also get more visitors.”
Turning to foreign direct investment, Mr Murphy – who, following a trip to Washington DC said there is strong interest in NI among US investors – said: “Invest NI is working away constantly. We met people out there [in Washington] who were interested in coming, and those who are here who may be interested in growing. These things don’t happen overnight.”
On the recent budget, Mr Murphy said “the British Government has accepted we have we have been underfunded”.
“There was some extra cash,” he said. “I’ve been in the seat as Finance Minister and understand how difficult it is to satisfy everybody.”
While net zero and decarbonisation remains one of his four pillars, there remain concerns that Northern Ireland is now well behind and slowing towards its 2030 targets and beyond, especially without sizeable wind and battery development.
Two wind farms were recently turned down for permission due, in part, to their visual impact.
Asked whether schemes could be prioritised or ‘green lanes’ created in a bid to speed up development, Mr Murphy said: “We have to keep working. If some of the problems we have, bottlenecks in the system, then we have to figure those out.
“… I’m not an expert in planning policy. Most of the sense that we have got is they don’t think policy itself is the problem, it’s the system and how to navigate around it and how to stop the bottlenecks. That should be the focus.”

I'm not American but my home country has had a bunch of civil wars over the past 80 years. We have had several presidents but I don't think we have ever actually experienced a peaceful transition of power. That's where this explanation is coming from.
What tends to happen when countries collapse into civil war is the incumbent leader often turns their own political base against them at the start of hostilities. Usually, this is because of some kind of unspeakable atrocity, like a massacre or something along those lines. In my country, in the last civil war, it was a massacre. In the movie, one of the reporters references air strikes on American civilians. That's the kind of thing that will turn large groups against you.
The next thing that happens is paranoia. Usually, the despot becomes paranoid that elements within their own government might be plotting against them. So, they begin to target their own confidants and immediate subordinates. High ranking party loyalists start going missing and ending up in jail on bullshit charges and they get replaced by yes-men and sycophants. These actions begin to create rifts in the leadership itself. I suspect the Offerman's president started to do this to his own party (probably democrat) and that is how California split. Probably the New York and the other democratic states in the movie were where the replacement leaders came from.
The final thing to understand is that it's the despot's own military officials who are the main driving force behind armed rebellion. That's usually how the true war begins. Regular civilians cannot really mount a meaningful rebellion against an army. But usually, militaries are divided into, well, divisions. 😂 Once a few high ranking officers split, they embolden a lot of units and then its on.
In my country, every time a civil war has ended in a new regime, it was always orchestrated by high ranking military officers of the old regime. And it is they who take over, forming a junta that then becomes autocratic and the cycle repeats.
Once you consider all this, it becomes obvious why political ideologies become irrelevant. As a matter of fact, political ideologies are rarely the cause of civil wars. It is only America that had that major civil war about ideology. Oftentimes, it is just about regime change more than anything. And given the movie's plot establishes a president who is in the middle of a third term, it's obvious to an outsider that that's what caused the strange seeming alliances.
Anyways those are my thoughts.