9600 w little york rd

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Injury N US 95 and W ANN RD; NB SO 05/30/2023 07:28:14 PM

These are my own thoughts and opinions about the type of characters I'd love to see added down the line for Fortnite for their crossovers and events too
TMNT
Krang-TMNT
Shredder-TMNT
Beebop&Rocksteady-TMNT
Earthworm Jim
Bob The Goldfish-Earthworm Jim
Big Bad Mr. Frosty-Clayfighter
Rick Taylor-Splatterhouse
Nicholas Cage-Himself
Frank West-Dead Rising
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Sam Fisher-Splinter Cell
BJ Blaskowicz-Wolfenstein
Spawn
Violator-Spawn
Abe-Oddworld
The Stranger-Oddworld Strangers Wraith
Jak&Daxter
Adult Andy&Chucky Back Bling-Childs Play
Cole Mcgrath-Infamous
Sir Daniel Fortescue-Medevil
Joanna Dark-Perfect Dark
Judge Dredd
Judge Death
Mad Max
Furiosa-Fury Road
Ranger-Quake 1
Bitterman-Quake II
The Strogg-Quake II
Sweetooth The Clown-Twisted Metal
John Mcclaine-Die Hard
John Carver-Dead Space III
Ellie Langford-Dead Space II
Macready-John Carpenters The Thing
Jack Burton-Big Trouble In Little China
Snake Plisken-Escape From New York
Nada-They Live
Solid Snake-Metal Gear Solid
Lance&Bill-Contra
Primus Titus-Warhammer 40K Space Marine II
Rios&Salem-Army Of Two
Nathan Hale-Resistance Fall Of Man
The Chimeran Hybrid-Resistance Fall Of Man
Sevchenko-Killzone II
The Helghast Trooper-Killzone II
Decon St. John-Days Gone
Stubbs The Zombie-Rebel Without A Pulse
Jim Raynor-Starcraft
Rico-Starship Troopers
Beetlejuice
Jack Boniface/Mike Le-Roi-Shadowman
Bloodshot-Valiant Comics
Jackie Estacado-The Darkness
Fulgore-Killer Instinct
Battletoads
Kyle Reese-The Terminator
Colonial Marine-Aliens
Duke Nukem
Pig Cop-Duke Nukem 3D
John Rambo
Alec Mason-Red Faction
Adam Jensen-Deus Ex Human Revolution
Ernest P. Worrell
Frank Castle-The Punisher
Cthulu-H.P Lovecraft
Rogue Trooper-2000 AD
Baird-Gears Of War
Seth Gecko-From Dusk Till Dawn
Toejam&Earl
Zack-Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Conrad B.Heart-Flashback
Jack-Madworld
Aya Brea-Parasite Eve
Regina-Dino Crisis
Raziel-Legacy Of Kain
Kain-Blood Omen
Agent 47-Hitman
Sam Porter-Death Stranding
Malcom-Unreal Tournament
The Skarji-Unreal Gold
Philip Dekker-Blade Runner
Jake Armitage-Shadowrun
Kozak-Ghost Recon Future Soldier

Transforming local commerce is a paramount priority for our society. It is essential to push economic value down to the local level in order to fortify our communities and democracy. A robust middle class needs to be revived, as the advancements of our global, technologically advancing society are leaving more and more people behind, particularly those tied to "local wages." By transforming local commerce, we can amplify profits at local businesses, thereby leading to higher wages for everyone whose jobs are anchored to the local economy.
Alarming rates of income and wealth inequality in America are escalating as fewer workers reap the benefits of globalization and technological progress. This growing disparity breeds a sense of devaluation in one's role in society. Consequently, fear, anger, and distrust are mounting, fueling further divisions. Ray Dalio, the highly successful founder of Bridgewater Associates, recently warned in a New York Times bestseller that America is on a trajectory toward a second civil war if we fail to reverse the growing trend of inequity.
Over the past few decades, we have witnessed tremendous technological advancements that have benefited us as consumers. However, the majority of American workers have not experienced substantial gains from these advancements. In fact, the leveraging of global resources and technology has devalued lower-skilled roles. It is important to recognize that we cannot turn back the clock or undo these technological and global changes. Instead, we must focus on creating societal systems that harness technology and globalization in a more balanced way, ensuring economic benefits are distributed to all. Americans desire a hand up, not just a handout, to reclaim a sense of pride in their roles and themselves.
While large corporations and e-businesses have reaped substantial profits by leveraging globalization and technology, little has been done to improve the profitability of local "Main Street" businesses. As a consequence, wages tied to local jobs have stagnated. One indication of an inefficient market is the continued reliance on coupons in local commerce. Coupons enable prices to decrease even when demand is high. It is imperative that we develop tools that empower local businesses to price their products or services according to market conditions and provide them with timely insights. If demand is high, they should be able to raise prices; if demand is low, they should be able to lower prices accordingly.
However, simply building next-generation technology to enhance local commerce is not enough. It is crucial that these systems are developed in an egalitarian manner. We must strive for a healthy economic pyramid that is rooted in robust local economies. Transforming local commerce has the potential to yield the most significant economic boom since the advent of the Internet. It will generate a multitude of high-quality jobs in every local community and channel more economic value into local economies. This transformation will reverse the trend of inequity, revive a vibrant middle class, and bolster our democracy.
It is important to recognize that we are all interconnected in this endeavor. Investing in a safe and responsible "local" revolution is long overdue. By prioritizing the transformation of local commerce, we can foster stronger communities, reduce wealth disparities, and promote a sense of belonging and shared prosperity. Let us seize the opportunity to create a future where the benefits of globalization and technology are harnessed to uplift all members of society. Together, we can build an economy that thrives on the principles of equity and resilience, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.
Would love your comments/thoughts.

I'd been eyeing the classic scramblers for years now, and finally picked up a beautiful 2013 a couple of weeks ago. I have "big" plans for this bike. I've already slapped on boxes and armor, and some odds and ends, but second on my list, is full stage 1: removing the ais, airbox baffle, and snorke, k&n filter w/ the VW tail pipes as slipons (temporary until I can find/afford a 2-1 of some kind). I'm curious if you guys are confident in the open source maps with tuneECU, or if it's worth $118 for the TTP map specifically designed for what I'm doing, or if I should just cough up the money for a professional tune? I haven't priced out a dyno tune, but I imagine it's more than I want to spend. I'm really just trying to draw a little heat from the exhaust more than hunting power gains. I'm mechanically inclined, but this is my first fuel injected bike. I'm a little nervous about incorporating a computer into my wrenching- I'm sure it will be fine, but I'm an anxious person stepping into uncharted territory. My other question is can you download your current tune, so I can go back if I somehow manage to botch the diy route?

The wife and I are taking a quick little 3 day trip to Palm Springs in a couple weeks. Plan to play once or maybe twice. I’m leaning towards the pga west Nicklaus course. Typically shoot mid 80’s w/ a 14hc so I get around decent. First time to palm springs so any course recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Where: PCT Section D from Angeles Forest Hwy to Soledad Canyon Rd
When: May 13-14, 2023
Conditions: Sunny, high of 78F, nighttime low of 60F, little to no wind
Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/nzlooc
Overview: My training plan had back-to-back long runs of 18mi and 12mi scheduled for this weekend. I wanted to turn it from a lonely training slog into more of an adventure, so I decided to try my first fastpack. I found a partner unhinged enough to run it with me, and chose a section along the PCT so I could use the FarOut app to check current trail conditions and water availability. This section was runnable, came close to the goal mileage, had no food storage restrictions, was free of snow, had plenty of thru hikers around for additional safety, and had the North Fork Ranger Station (complete with picnic tables, water cache, and pit toilet!) conveniently located for our overnight stay. We planned to just cancel or perhaps try to find a different route in the event of unfavorable weather, but the weather forecast shaped up nicely in the days leading up to the trip.
Day 1: 17mi, +2700ft/-3500ft, 5:23 elapsed time, 4:48 moving time
My boyfriend dropped us off at the Mill Creek Summit, took a photo of us, and we started up the trail at 2:44pm. I was expecting a long, slightly uphill but mostly flat jog, followed by a downhill into camp. We were met with more of a rolling hills situation for the first few hours, resulting in random intervals of jogging (flat and downhill) and walking (uphill) as I tried to keep my heart rate in zone 2. I typically run in the cool evenings and into the night after work, so the afternoon sun, mild heat, and (albeit relatively low) pack weight made me feel even slower than usual. Or maybe it was my faster buddy running effortlessly on my tail?
We crossed a few streams where we gulped down the rest of our electrolyte mix and topped off with cool, clear water. We lost the trail once, briefly, when we climbed over a large blowdown instead of switching back in front of it, then crested a ridge and began the unexpectedly steep descent over rocks and roots, shielding our faces as we ran through overgrown bushes. After a final short rise, the sun began to set as we flew down sharp switchbacks cut into a steep, brushy hillside. My toe snagged a rock on the trail and I fell, gashing my knee and hand before performing a somersault front-flip to land just off the side of the trail, scrambling a bit to stop my slide down the hillside. After some cursing and waiting for the initial jolt of pain to subside, I determined there was no serious damage and we ran the final 1.5mi down to the ranger station.
We filled our bottles from the cache (thanks Todd!) and located a relatively flat spot to set up amongst several PCT thru-hikers' tents. One group asked us if we had cached our overnight gear at the station before our run, and were amazed to hear that all our overnight gear was in our running vests. I pulled an alcohol wipe out of my snack-Ziploc first aid kit to discover it was dried out... my buddy gave me one from his kit to clean up my knee and hand. I ate 1500 calories of turkey wraps, pretzels, and granola bars; a welcome change from the 9 energy gels I'd eaten during the run. I laid out my Thinlight pad on the dusty gravel and set my Uberlight mattress on it, suddenly realizing that they're the same width and the Uberlight would probably end up touching the ground as I tossed and turned in the night. I hoped it wouldn't get a hole in it, pulled my Buff over my eyes, and went to sleep.
Day 2: 8mi, +700ft/-2600ft, 2:22 elapsed time, 2:02 moving time
I woke up after a restful night's sleep to a still-inflated Uberlight. I ate my breakfast of mountain house blueberry granola (my fave) and Starbucks sweetened instant cold brew (new for this trip but definitely a keeper) in bed. As we packed up, we overheard a hiker asking Todd about trying to catch a ride to a gear shop and post office to exchange his threadbare pack; my buddy was heading home in that direction and was able to offer him a ride to build up some trail karma. We waved goodbye-for-now and set off down the gradual descent, working up a sweat quickly in the direct morning sun. We dipped our shirts in a stream to cool off, climbed out of a valley, then descended to my buddy's girlfriend's air conditioned car at the trailhead. I got dropped off at home and then my buddy drove back to give the PCT hiker a ride before heading home himself.
Gear Notes: New gear on this trip included the Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest, Thinlight pad, Salomon filter soft flask, and S2S Air Head Lite pillow. New experiences included cowboy camping and no-cook (if that even counts when you can just pack fresh turkey wraps for dinner).

• Though I've run hundreds of miles in this Adv Skin 12 vest, I've never loaded it up with 9lb of overnight gear and food. I put my gels, bars, and electronics in the strap pockets, and zipped the overnight gear (including fleece) in the back, inside the turkey bag to protect everything from my sweat soaking through. I borrowed some elastic cord and a cord-lock from my KS backpack to lash the Thinlight pad to the outside. Thanks to the frequent water access, I was able to leave my sloshy water bladder at home, so bounce with this loadout felt even less than I'm used to on my long runs.
• The Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad was way denser than the MLD Goodnight EVA pad I've used before, giving me some extra peace of mind in leaving my groundsheet at home (I'm always nervous about getting a hole in the Uberlight). I may add the groundsheet back in next time though, since the Thinlight isn't quite wide enough to keep the Uberlight off the ground, and it would have been nice to have somewhere to put my phone/socks/misc. off the ground without balancing them precariously on my sweaty shoes on the dirt beside me.
• The Salomon filter flask was an excellent purchase. Flow rate was nearly the same as the sans-filter flask. However, filtering water from the filter-flask to the sans-filter flask was a bit awkward; holding the sans-filter flask upright while squeezing the filter flask and pinching the cap -- without dripping too much dirty water into the sans-filter flask -- would have been easier with 3 hands.
• The S2S Air Head Lite pillow, my luxury item, was worth its weight in gold. I will never skimp on that 1.5 extra ounces again.
• Cowboy camping was great in the excellent weather. The gentle breeze was particularly pleasant. I discovered a couple itchy bites on my foot a day or two later though.
• I still overpack food. I packed 2.84lb of food/gels/electrolytes (including wrappers) for this trip and had some bars leftover afterwards. I was proud of myself for scarfing down my entire dinner Saturday night, though, and eating all my gels on schedule.

For context, we were together for 19 months and at one point she told me she lost feelings for me and a short while later she broke up after trying to make it work for a week. The breakup was pretty smooth and there wasn't any begging or screaming, just tears and understanding. Since then we hadn't talked much, but I did send a text every now and then, at first it was just saying stuff like "You're in my thoughts and I love you," (Im assuming it didn't mean she was in love though). That happened twice shortly after the breakup and she responded in kind with I miss/love you too but I cut that out after a little.
We ended up meeting up at one point like 3 weeks post breakup and walked my dog together and had a talk, at first it was fun and lighthearted with laughing. I tried to put my hand on her leg while sitting down which she said she wasnt comfortable with right now, so I didnt press it. We ended up talking about the breakup and that she said she would be willing to maybe try again when summer ends since she is still grieving and that she doesnt think she's ready to talk either until summer starts for the same reason. She said she thinks the breakup feels too fresh to do anything right now together but maybe in the future it could be something we do.
That leads up to now, 5 weeks post breakup. I wrote a letter apologizing for being clingy since that was where I think the feelings were lost from and I truly did mean it. Along with it I said that it wasn't an act and that Im not asking to get back together, but would like to rebuild our friendship sometime soon and see where that takes us. I dropped it off with a sweater I thought was hers (turns out it was my friend's... oops) as well as some candy and a scarf I got for her.
Her response was:
"Thanks for thinking of me, that's really nice of you. I appreciate the letter also.
Only thing is that's not my jacket lol it's prob your mom's or your sister's?? I leave on thurs so lmk if you wanna come by and then grab it lol."
I swung back by shortly after and had a short conversation. It was a little awkward due to my nerves and her looking tired so I didn't press for talk if she didn't look like she was in the mood.
SO, I think this was a really good sign for me that she isn't walled off and knows I am willing to change. Obviously I can see that she doesn't really have romantic feelings for me at this time or is really good at hiding it so I am likely the one who is going to have to keep stepping up to bat which is fine.
I could use some advice on where to take this. Some things worth noting is that every conversation we have had has been super friendly, like heart emojis and smiley faces in the majority of messages (granted we haven't talked much so that is like a total of 5). She still has photos of us up online and hasnt taken me off any of her socials. She has 100% not been with any guy since the breakup and I know she isnt even considering it (don't bother with the usual stuff about this in the comments). Finally, when she says leaving Thursday she means she is leaving to New York over the summer for an internship across the country.
Feel free to ask any more questions about my situation. I'll put the letter I wrote in the comments.
Tldr: I wrote my ex an apology letter for things I did to contribute to the breakup and she gave me a pretty warm response. Looking for advice on where to go.
My question is, where should I go with this next? I plan to obviously step back and give her more space so I don't smother her, but I'd like to have a game plan for when it feels right to contact again. I'd like to know what to do after that though. I do truly plan on building a relationship from scratch rather than pressuring her into what we had in the past.

For context, we were together for 19 months and at one point she told me she lost feelings for me and a short while later she broke up after trying to make it work for a week. The breakup was pretty smooth and there wasn't any begging or screaming, just tears and understanding. Since then we hadn't talked much, but I did send a text every now and then, at first it was just saying stuff like "You're in my thoughts and I love you," (Im assuming it didn't mean she was in love though). That happened twice shortly after the breakup and she responded in kind with I miss/love you too but I cut that out after a little.
We ended up meeting up at one point like 3 weeks post breakup and walked my dog together and had a talk, at first it was fun and lighthearted with laughing. I tried to put my hand on her leg while sitting down which she said she wasnt comfortable with right now, so I didnt press it. We ended up talking about the breakup and that she said she would be willing to maybe try again when summer ends since she is still grieving and that she doesnt think she's ready to talk either until summer starts for the same reason. She said she thinks the breakup feels too fresh to do anything right now together but maybe in the future it could be something we do.
That leads up to now, 5 weeks post breakup. I wrote a letter apologizing for being clingy since that was where I think the feelings were lost from and I truly did mean it. Along with it I said that it wasn't an act and that Im not asking to get back together, but would like to rebuild our friendship sometime soon and see where that takes us. I dropped it off with a sweater I thought was hers (turns out it was my friend's... oops) as well as some candy and a scarf I got for her.
Her response was:
"Thanks for thinking of me, that's really nice of you. I appreciate the letter also.
Only thing is that's not my jacket lol it's prob your mom's or your sister's?? I leave on thurs so lmk if you wanna come by and then grab it lol."
I swung back by shortly after and had a short conversation. It was a little awkward due to my nerves and her looking tired so I didn't press for talk if she didn't look like she was in the mood.
SO, I think this was a really good sign for me that she isn't walled off and knows I am willing to change. Obviously I can see that she doesn't really have romantic feelings for me at this time or is really good at hiding it so I am likely the one who is going to have to keep stepping up to bat which is fine.
I could use some advice on where to take this. Some things worth noting is that every conversation we have had has been super friendly, like heart emojis and smiley faces in the majority of messages (granted we haven't talked much so that is like a total of 5). She still has photos of us up online and hasnt taken me off any of her socials. She has 100% not been with any guy since the breakup and I know she isnt even considering it (don't bother with the usual stuff about this in the comments). Finally, when she says leaving Thursday she means she is leaving to New York over the summer for an internship across the country.
Feel free to ask any more questions about my situation. I'll put the letter I wrote in the comments.
Tldr: I wrote my ex an apology letter for things I did to contribute to the breakup and she gave me a pretty warm response. Looking for advice on where to go.
My question is, where should I go with this next? I plan to obviously step back and give her more space so I don't smother her, but I'd like to have a game plan for when it feels right to contact again. I'd like to know what to do after that though. I do truly plan on building a relationship from scratch rather than pressuring her into what we had in the past.

I just saw a video of a bullet shattering from being shit at a Rupert drop, and now I’m curious
Edit: wanted to clarify more thoughts I should’ve added
In Theory,

• the tails of the drops would be towards the body but angled more around the body and not directly at
  
• the actual strong part of the drops would be kinda just placed together forming close (not perfect) wall around the body.
  

Now weight is a issue? Right? Sike! (Im not mathematician, but just hear me out)
The body surface area (BSA) of a person can be calculated using the Weight (W) in kg and he height (H) in meters in the formula BSA = 1/6(WH)0.5
Using my own body for example (1.905 meters, 72.58kg) my BSA would be 1.152 meters squared.
—> now this is where I’m guessing a little, but let’s assume the armor would be about 1cm thick (the length of the Rupert drop at a angle, we’re measuring at an angles since the drops are wrapping around the body), a 1x1cm cube of glass weighs (I know drops aren’t the same as cubes, this is why this is all guessing) 2.51 grams

• knowing the surface area is 1.152 meters (115.2 centimeters) that means the hypothetical armor would weigh 2.51 * 115.2 = 289.152 grams or less than a pound

Hello, newby for sure, working on my 3 rd and 4 th 6 gallon batches.
Peach was first is really good, pineapple/strawberry next still has yeast smell but will be decent? (3 months in bottles)
So I have a black cherry (from frozen) and a mango also from frozen fruit. In 6 gallon carboys.
Black cherry ready to bottle, a month in primary, 2 1/2 months in secondary. Awesome color, not a strong yeast smell. Primary fermentation seems to be way over. So I stabilized with 5 Camden tablets 24 hours ago, went to back sweeting, and it foamed up like Pepsi with mintos, not that extreme but like that.
I was adding a cup of sugar which was dissolved in a half cup of pure water and then set to room temperature.
Placed the airlock back on and it is showing no activity….
So I tried a little of the simple syrup In the mango, did the same thing. Not as bad.
Both 6 gallon carboys are now resting, one is plugged the other has airlock, but again no activity.
Did not happen when I back sweetened the peach,
The cherry tastes very good, so I don’t think it spoiled? But it was a warm day today and ambient temperature was up to 78 degrees. It is normally cooler here.
You all have already helped me more than you know as I have been reading this channel tons for advice before I attempted my first batch.
Thanks in advance?

Dell had a memorial day sale, so I took my bonus money for not being out sick this year and spent it on my first new computer in 5 years. I had been looking for a desktop with the Intel A770 Arc card (16gb of vram seems look good future-proofing), but when the sale hit, I pulled the trigger on the laptop, as I do move rooms from time to time to game with a buddy in London while the wife sleeps. The TPD of modern desktops was a concern as well with power costs what they are.
My old one was a 5th gen i5 with 16gb (2x8) of ddr3 ram, a 256gb m2 ssd and a 1 tb 2.5" ssd, and a 1050ti 4gb. $850 for the computer with another $200 or so for a ram upgrade and the 1.5" ssd.
The new one is a ryzen 7 6800h, 16gb of ddr5 4800 (2x8), 1tb m2, and a 3070 w/8gb. Just under $1k.
Did I do OK? I was a little concerned about the 8gb of vram, but I don't think I'll ever go over 1440p and will start at 1080. I couldnt find a similar desktop (i5 12400, 3060/3060ti/a770) for anything less than 1k, and the 3060's limited vram bus was a bit of a concern. I expect to upgrade the m2 to the best 2gb I can around xmas.

Some background I gave up a job in my favourite province to stay and take care of my grandpa. I’ve had access to his bank account for 2 years as he always needed help logging in (I have never used any of his money for personal use and don’t even know how much he has as I’ve never checked).
My aunt (whom I’ll refer to as W) has all my grandpas passwords and took his book with his passwords in them. She then changed his bank account password and when I went to help him log in this morning we realized it had been changed so he called W to get his book back. My aunt whom I thought I was very close with and started to view as a mother figure since I don’t really have a relationship with mine came over this afternoon. She went on to lecture me and say I had no business having anything to do with his finances. That I had no right having access to anything and for some reason brought up that I’m a private person and she has no idea how much money is in my bank account. Then implied I was mooching off of my grandfather because I’m staying here rent free despite me doing all the cooking, cleaning, driving, and any errands that need to be done. And I don’t even want to be here I want to be doing a job I enjoy spending time with people my own age. The entire time she just was saying how I have no right or no business helping my grandpa log into his bank account because she’s not comfortable with me having his passwords. And when I asked for clarification why because it sounded like she was implying I would steal his money she just kept repeating how I have no right.
Now I’m not really upset about not having his passwords. It’s definitely annoying that she is keeping everything so he needs to contact her if he can’t remember his password instead of just having it in a book by his computer. But I just feel so unappreciated, like an outsider, and insulted that after all the time I’ve put into cultivating what I thought were good relationships with my family members and making sacrifices to make their lives easier that she thinks so little of me and had no problem berating me.
I told her that I respect her thoughts and opinions and will go along with it but that I think our relationship moving forward should be centred around my grandpa and that I need more boundaries now that I know what she thinks of me

I’m from NY and this will be my first time in Hawaii (and last to visit of the 50 states!). I’ll be taking some photos for friends at their little elopement on Po’olenalena beach in November. Since sunset is before 6p we’ll only have 3ish hours to shoot w daylight after ceremony (and we’ll spend at least SOME time right there). Can anyone recommend photo ops that would be worth leaving that immediate location for that we could squeeze in our timeline?
Also, I’ve got 3 days to explore, hike and take photos after that. I’d love to hear any off-the-beaten-path suggestions for photo ops. Thank you!

I dream of one day having a good close friend that I play video games with everyday. I've slowly lost all my gaming friends through the years and I seriously miss it. I don't really know how to go about finding a friend to play with. I've tried playing with random people in Last Epoch, for example, but it's just not working out. I don't want to play some random game that is boring alone, like, say, New World, just to look for a friend. It sounds a bit much.
So I'm looking for people here, though it doesn't seem to be working that well either. People keep ghosting me with no explanation why. But who knows, maybe one day the perfect person will come along and read this. And it only takes one person, right?
Gaming alone is not nearly as fun. I don't really care what game we play, as long as we're having fun. That said, here's some games I like:
I just got Age of Wonders 4 and have been playing it a lot in my free time. I have never played an AoW game before. I also just got Darkest Dungeon 2.
Just before that, I had gotten back into Last Epoch, with the 0.9 patch that released not long ago, and now multiplayer is a thing! I mostly played my offline necromancer by myself, but let's make new toons together and play together!
I also like Old World some, but have never played it with another person. Maybe we could, if you want?
Aside from that, I used to play Hearthstone a lot. But not anymore. I would love to find a new TCG/CCG type game to play. Not Marvel SNAP or Legends of Runeterra.
Would also like to find someone to play Slay the Spire with too where we watch each other. I'm not sure about the co-op mod as I hear it sucks, but maybe. I've played it a lot and have beat Ascension 20 and then some with the Silent, been getting into the Defect some but don't play the other 2 classes at all. Would love to have someone to play this game with or show them the ropes.
And I play some other obscure titles like Thea 2. Would be nice to find somebody to play that with.
I would really love to find someone to introduce a new game to me in a genre I like. TCG, MMO, ARPG mainly. Really, I'm just looking for a friend to play with that is fun and we get along. That's all that really matters. Sucks playing alone every night.
MMORPG's I have played and enjoyed include Elder Scrolls Online, ArcheAge, Bless Unleashed, New World, and Wakfu. I would love to get back into one of those with someone! I'm NOT interested in playing FFXIV, WoW, GW2, or Lost Ark! Don't ask! If you know of any other good MMO's, though, let me know and maybe we can play it together. Though I could definitely have fun playing one of those MMO's I've played before if I was playing with the right person.
ARPG's I have played and liked in the past include Path of Exile, Last Epoch, Diablo 3, Undecember, and Grim Dawn. I think I might be permanently done with playing PoE alone, but would like to try playing it with someone else, especially someone knew who I could teach everything to. Diablo 4 looks lame.
A little about me: I'm 34 years old, live in the US in central time zone, and live alone with my 2 cats. I'm looking for friends to game with because I don't really have many. I'm online every night and usually gaming! I'm super friendly and talkative and looking for the same, and someone who has time to talk and to play. I'm also LGBTQ+ friendly in case that needs to be said. Also looking for people who have a sense of humor. I don't care about your age as long as we get along. Voice chat is mandatory (sorry!).
I pretty much game 24/7 when I'm not working or sleeping. I usually get home around 5 or 6 PM central time (sometimes earlier or later) and usually go to bed around 3 or 4 AM. You can add me on Discord: MeltedWater#9972 (Please don't message me here on Reddit, the messages aren't going through for some reason.)

Some background: I'm currently 23F and have no spouse or dependents. I live with my parents but lost my job a couple of months ago and am currently searching for new work. My family is toxic which informs our interactions, but I am not asking for personal advice.
Today my mother asked me to sign an application to start a process that will convert my term insurance from New York Life to custom whole life, if I meet their requirements. (This term plan was enacted about a couple of years ago, I think. More info below.) From what I understand, this is a 20-year contract with premiums about $130 per month, and after that time period I can choose to cash out or let it accrue more cash value. She is insisting that this is both investment and insurance all wrapped up in one, and she wants to pay for my plan (in addition to hers and my father's). She says I need to sign asap, optimally by early June, so that they can process my application before premiums go up.
I've done some brief online digging and the company seems kind of legit but with some naysayers, and I do know that at my age almost no one is taking out life insurance - I personally don't want it. But my mother's co-worker is an insurance agent or salesperson for this company, and she was able to sell my mother on their plans. I also don't understand how this actually works: apparently my mother is the owner of not just her own insurance plan but also mine and has made me the beneficiary of the latter, but I never explicitly consented to this. I recall doing an interview for the term plan because the premiums were just less than $10 per month, but I never said yes to conversion; my mother seems to have made that decision all on her own without involving me in the discussion. Also, she says since she's paying for my plan and is the owner of the account, she's set it or can set it so that if I die, the cashout will go to her. I'm not very comfortable with this.
Unfortunately even after I expressed all my concerns, my mother won't take no for an answer and we've been fighting the whole day today. She insists that she can afford it and it's a gift to me, but to me she's spending a lot of money that we might get little benefits from. She says I can sign the application and then use a 10-day grace period to meet with a direct manager and learn more about the plan. Initially I said no because I was under the impression that if my application is accepted and I pass, I am locked into the plan, but later she backtracked and said there is another grace period after I pass and finally receive the policy. I don't know if this is true or not.
Personally I think there are many red flags and don't want to accept this, but I am very illiterate when it comes to life insurance. I'm still so confused on the plan no matter how many times my mother tries to explain it, so I wanted to get some insight from Reddit. Is it worth proceeding with the conversion? Will I end up having to cover payments myself if my mother happens to pass on?

Kelly wanted to drive that evening. We went to a music festival in Pittsburgh and were well on our way back to Buffalo. After we were around Westfield, New York Kelly began to act differently. When we drove the route two days earlier nothing came up, but she just seemed on edge all the sudden.
“Is there anything on your mind?” I asked her.
She looked at me and peaked a grin then responded, “Paul, it’s nothing, you don’t want to hear it.”
“Come on! Tell Me.” I shot back.
“My parents would drive my sister and I on this highway everytime we went to see my Grandparents.”
“So?” I interrupted her.
With a face that said she was being more serious, she looked at me. Then she looked back to the road and said, “My dad was driving us home one night back when I was fourteen. He told us something that I’m just remembering.”
There was a pause of silence as Kelly began to reveal more. “My dad told us that the local Erie tribe believed in an ‘evil spirit’ that would roam the woods by these roads. Also specifically he said to never stop around here.”
Afterwards I turned on the radio which made Kelly more calm. Our conversation then started to drift to Kurt Cobain as our favorite Nirvana song “Come As You Are” started playing. The song put us in a good mood. Then I started looking out the window towards the woods to the right of us. A sensation that there was something staring at us began to grow. That’s when I heard Kelly let out a whimper. Quickly I looked at her. She pointed out the highway closed up ahead with a detour. This was odd as.the highway was open just a few days earlier. Kelly also mentioned that her car was low on gas, but she was thinking about whether she’d be able to make it to the next town.
Her statement startled me and I asked if she seriously believed the story her dad told her. This offended her. After I explained if we got stuck with no gas we’d be more vulnerable, Kelly agreed to go to town.
We were driving through a small town in a mostly rural area. There were many fields and woods, although it soon became clear we were no closer to a gas station. Kelly began to get anxious. The low gas light came on, the idea that we’d have to pull over was becoming a reality.
An argument began between the two of us. Things were not going well. We had driven for some time while arguing before realizing we were now lost on some backroad. Soon dense trees surrounded us on both sides, and then we saw it, there was something on the road. We stopped. Kelly turned on the bright lights of the car and we saw what looked like a body in the middle of the road. We sat there for a few seconds just processing what was happening. Kelly locked the car before I could mutter anything.
Unlocking the car was my first instinct. In a panicked voice Kelly said, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m responding to the situation,” I declared as I got out of the car. Kelly kept her brights on as I approached what was in the road. Upon closer inspection it became clear it wasn’t a human body. It was a decapitated pig carcass in what looked like white silk clothing. The feeling that things were extremely messed up washed over me. Then I heard what sounded like a loud buzzing. Coming from the woods about a hundred feet away.
Even though Kelly began to honk her car’s horn I fell into a trance from the buzzing. Whatever was creating the sound began to get closer, a slender black silhouette with a wingspan of many feet began to fly towards me. Whatever this was almost managed to reach me, but not before Kelly hit it with the car. The sound of the thump that the car made with the silhouette's torso broke my trance. Kelly yelled to get in the car, I was somewhat dazed, but I still responded to her command.
Several cracks ran through the windshield of the car and there was obvious damage to the bumper. We only had a few more miles worth of gas, but we drove anyway. The woods extended some ways, but eventually we came across a large soybean field and we concluded there must be a house nearby. The car began to make sounds and was shaking. We’d have to leave our car if we wanted to continue further.
It was silent between us, until we came to a complete stop and the engine was off.
“Do you think it’s still behind us?” I gravely asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s probably not safe to sit here.” Kelly said as she turned on the hazard lights. She continued, “If we leave this on it’ll draw attention to the car.”
We had some basic equipment in the back that I grabbed. This included a flashlight, as well as a backpack containing such items as a first aid kit and some fire starting supplies I had leftover from a camping trip. We started walking down the road quickly. When we heard the buzzing, that walk turned into a run. It was bright enough from the moon that we were able to spot a black silhouette hovering above the treeline a long distance away. Both of us were fairly quick on our feet and the field was about to end, but still there was no house in sight. The silhouette had just reached the car and was beginning to come towards us.
“We’re gonna have to run through the field.” Kelly confessed what we both knew. We made a sharp turn into the soybean farm and hunched over to conceal ourselves. Kelly was in front as I kept checking behind us. The field was quite wide and it felt like I was running for a long time. At some point we heard the buzzing again.
Subsequently Kelly let out a hopeful whisper, “There’s a house nearby!” I looked to see a modern farmhouse just up ahead. The buzzing was getting louder however. By the time we made it to the front door, we started pounding and screaming our lungs out for help. A shadow of what looked like a massive bat circled us on the ground. That’s when a light on the top floor finally turned on. Waiting around wasn’t an option however, so we ran to the back yard underneath a trailer.
Lying there seemed to be our only option. While underneath I wanted to tell Kelly that I was sorry for not listening to her, but I was silent for our safety. The entity touched onto the ground by our trailer, we could see the sophisticated pattern on its wings. It had two feather-like extrusions from its face, and between them a thin trunk-like organ that curled up. The buzzing was loud enough that we had to cup our ears. Just as the winged entity began to walk towards us we saw the flash and heard the first gunshot. This led the entity to fly away.
For a few moments we waited until the buzzing was gone completely. That’s when we heard a warm older voice, “The both of you should come inside before it comes back.”
We got up and followed the man into his back door which led directly to his kitchen. My shirt had some residue on it, and it was sticky. The man hastily got me a new shirt. Once we got seated I could now more clearly see the white beard and hair that the man had. He seemed somewhat weathered. If he were a little bigger he could pass off as Santa, but he was too thin for that.
He said if anyone wanted coffee he was gonna make some. He put his rifle against the wall. He was extremely calm considering the situation. That’s when he walked to the phone and called the sheriff. We explained to the man about our car. Through the conversation it was clear the man was named Sameul and he was the owner of the soybean field. Then we heard something we’d never heard before, “Yeah Chuck you wouldn’t believe it, the EnCropia almost got them.”
After Sameul hung up the phone I asked him, “‘EnCropia,’ is that what that thing is called?”
“Unfortunately yes, it’s been here for generations, it’s most of the reason we can’t have livestock in these parts.” He finished brewing the coffee and began pouring himself a glass. He quickly gestured if we wanted a cup. Kelly wanted some so I accepted as well. He then continued, “It’s odd that it’s interacting with people again. I’m assuming you two were stopped in the middle of the street.”
“Yeah, how’d you know? We-” Kelly began to say but was cut off.
“That’s what it does, it tries to play tricks on you,” he stated.
Sameul introduced us to his wife Matilda, she seemed pleasant, and took a sincere tone when talking to us about our experience. We began talking about how university professors used to visit their town and talk to them about the sightings. Samuel said he talked to one professor who told him the official name they had for the entity. He continued to talk about how nothing was done. He was mid sentence about to reveal more details when the power went out. It happened suddenly and scared us.
What made matters worse was that one of the windows in the other room got broken by a stone. Samuel grabbed his rifle and he instructed Matilda to grab hers. In the dark we could hear the buzzing. Samuel walked to the broken window and began to fire his gun. Matilda instructed us to follow her outside. There was a building that was made of cement. The buzzing persisted as we waited there, with more shots being fired we hunkered down.
Cold is how it felt at first, again it was dark, but Matilda had her gun pointed at the door. We began to hear the screaming, it was Sameul. He did not sound well. The buzzing sounded like it was getting closer. We could see out one window, when we thought it was over we saw the lights and heard the sirens.
Chuck had called in reinforcements. When this became clear the buzzing faded away. We were in the middle of the lawn. Some officers told Matilda to come with them, while Chuck had us follow him to his car. While we followed Chuck we heard shrieks from Matilda. I still had the backpack on, as I never took it off. Chuck told us they found the car and that he was gonna take us back to the station with him for our safety.
Driving in what seemed like a safe vehicle was the only thing comforting about the situation.
“EnCropia’s is intelligent. You two should have just followed the detour.” He sternly announced.
“The highway was closed-.” I tried to say.
“-Yeah, guess what caused that.” Chuck cut me off.
Kelly wanted to know what happened to Sameul by asking. Before Chuck could respond however, he slammed on the breaks. The EnCropia was in the middle of the road. He prepared his weapon, the entity flew over and picked up the front of the car with its massive human-like appendages, while its tentacle licked the windshield. Its buzzing was almost ear damagingly loud. Chuck tried to slam on the acceleration, but we were held in place. Chuck called in for backup, but the EnCropia was very strong and managed to flip completely over.
Unfortunately I was in the back and my door didn’t open from the inside. However Kelly managed to crawl out of her door. Chuck was dazed or even possibly unconscious. Kelly then got up and tried to open my door. In this process the The EnCropia grabbed her.
“Come for me!” Kelly screamed over the buzzing. I then watched the entity fly off with her as the buzzing faded. Suddenly I heard Chuck. He sounded somewhat concussed. It wouldn’t take long for more officers to arrive.
Ambulances were called for the both of us, I didn’t need to go to the hospital, however Chuck wasn’t as lucky. I drove with a captain on the force. We drove a few miles more. That’s when I saw it. Not too far a large silhouette flew into the woods. I told Chuck’s second in command I was going to vomit. He asked if it could wait. I told him it could not wait. He stopped the car on the side of the road. As soon as both of my feet were on the pavement I broke into a full sprint. I was quick, and although the trees were thin and spaced out, it was dark enough that I disappeared. I still had my back pack which had a flashlight. I turned it on after about a mile.
The woods were becoming more dense. Soon it became clear I was lost. I now didn’t know which direction to go. I debated retracing my steps, but that’s when I saw it, it was an entrance to a cave underneath a large tree. I walked towards the entrance to it with my flashlight. I wasn’t sure how to interpret what I saw at first. It was slimy, football shaped shapes that moved.
As I explored the cave further I discovered a host of equipment made from trash and what looked like other loose wood. These looked like they assisted in turning the sticky residue from the massive larvae into silk. And that silk into clothing. That’s when I heard the whisper, “Paul, is that you?”
It was Kelly, she was beneath some of the larvae. I managed to pull her out. She then told Sameul was also there. He was unconscious, but we managed to drag him out as well. Kelly explained to me that the larvae belonged to the EnCropia. We dragged Sameul some distance from the cave, before I made the decision to go in with lighter fluid and set the larvae ablaze. When I got done pouring all the fluid however we could hear the buzzing once again. The entity was nearby. Kelly began to scream after, but I decided to light the fluid regardless.
Larvae began to cook from the flames. This angered the entity and it flew into the cave. Kelly and I dragged Samuel out in the opposite direction. Luckily after a little bit of time we saw flashlights. They had already put together a search party. Samuel was in rough shape and was sent to the hospital, but Kelly was physically fine, but emotionally not as much.
At the police station we were finally safe. We were told Sameul and Chuck were stable. By this point the sun was starting to rise. A few hours passed until some federal agents interviewed us. They wanted to know everything. Kelly’s mom came and picked us up. It was silent on the car ride home. After we arrived back Kelly and I talked and agreed to part ways.
About two decades have passed since this occurred. I’m married now to a different woman, and I have children. I haven’t had contact with Kelly since. I still have nightmares about what I saw and what I experienced. Now I always warn my kids about that part of I-90.

My problem is my nose/throat area constantly feels full of gas, causing me to have difficulty inhaling or not being able to inhale deep enough. In these moments, I don’t have much anxiety, I’m just discouraged from transitioning out of spots and moving around. It doesn’t burn whatsoever and drinking acidic stuff doesn’t suddenly bring about these sensations of stuffiness. The stuffiness can get so bad, my Eustachian tubes start to feel pressure during inhales and my eyelids can feel heavy/want to close. My voice often loses its resonance and can sound soft/unintentionally nervous. Drinking or snorting pH water doesn’t turn off the stuffiness, what normally does is excessive burping (via bending forward or taking small gulps and quickly releasing it) but you can’t do that in a work or school setting (so I’m stuck with my head feeling like a balloon getting filled up with gas). Something I should note is that 1-2 hours after eating, I start getting burpy, 3-6 hours after eating, I begin regurgitating bits of food. Drinking water can also cause some burping.
I honestly wouldn’t be complaining if I could efficiently breathe through my mouth, but every time I switch to that mode of breathing, the fullness shifts to my chest and throat after a short period. Breathing from the mouth then begins to just adds anxiety into the equation (I don’t know if I’m swallowing air or airflow is carrying gas or pepsin up).
I’ve been cleared for allergies (some minor to shrimp and peanuts), been on a no carb carnivore diet (lost 25 lbs and have a BMI of 21 w a Body Fat Percentage of 16%), I still get these feelings on anxiety meds and antidepressants. What I have is SIBO, GERD, and potentially Gastroparesis (currently waiting on a gastric emptying scan). SIBO isn’t looking like a main culprit anymore. My ANCA levels are slightly high but both my gastro and physician dismissed it. I don’t think I have histamine intolerance, MCAS, or some autoimmune disorder.
The only other realistic thing I can think of is nerve hypersensitivity (I’ve experienced cervicogenic headache, occipital neuralgia type discomfort in the past despite little evidence on MRI’s besides a herniated disc and a then-kyphotic neck). Sometimes when I hyperfocus on my nose breathing during a rare moment where it’s super clear, it can suddenly stuff up.