I used to have a habit paying all my credit cards' debt by setting up the auto payment in full, when I had a part-time job. Recently, due to some changes in my personal and professional life, I needed to quit the part-time one which means my income was cut off. Thus, should I need to keep doing this habit? The pro is that I have more flexible money at hand if I only pay the minimum. On the other side of the coin, it seemingly is hurting my FICO scores since I've been trying doing so for 2 months already.
Some facts:
- auto loan: $500-$600 per month
- auto insurance: $139 per month
- rent: $950 per month
- income: $ 73,000-$75,000 annually

After being a member since pre-COVID and noodling on this decision for over a year, I signed and shipped off my cancellation paperwork this week. It’s bittersweet, but I think I’ve made the right decision. A few things that led me here:

1. I do not like repeat templates. Since the implementation of this policy, I’ve had one foot out the door. I pay $169 per month for a workout I’ve never seen before, not to do the same thing I did two weeks ago.
   
2. HR monitor gives me anxiety. I stopped wearing it December 2021 and follow my Apple Watch religiously since it’s more accurate.
   
3. Strength training is more enjoyable to me (for now) than cardio, and even the floor these days feels like cardio. Why is the rower often part of the floor and now the tread block?
   
4. Where did everyone go? Coaches, classmates, everyone is gone. When I joined, it was impossible to get into 3G classes. Now I can walk into a prime time 2G, join the class on the spot, and chose my staring location. I love the energy of a packed studio and I haven’t seen one in two years.
   
5. Less effective. Period. When I initially joined I was whipped into shape at warp speed. Now? I don’t know. Something is just different.
   

I am forever grateful for getting my fitness journey started at OTF. I would not be able to walk into a regular gym with the confidence I have today if it weren’t for OTF. In my opinion, this is a fabulous jumping off point for folks who want to get into exercise but have no idea where to start.
Special should out to Mr. and Mrs. DC for all the early Intel. You got me through a sprained ankle and helped me decide whether or not to set that alarm for 4 am several times.
Anyone else in this boat? Am I alone in this or is this a trend?
I’ll miss you all and farewell! Until next time 🙂

Silver Snow and Verdant Wind share a significant amount of content, it is a common complaint and well justified as the two routes share about half the content. While Silver Snow might have been drafted there are parts that were clearly written for Verdant Wind and hastily shoved into Silver Snow, much of early Silver Snow works much better for Verdant Wind than it does in Silver Snow. For example the joining with troops in Alliance territory or the whole scheme with stealing uniforms works better in Verdant Wind. However the Silver Snow parts in Verdant Wind are even more noticeable and conspicuous. Byleth has little connection to Rhea in Verdant Wind compared to Silver Snow and so Byleth's focus and constant worry for Rhea feels extremely out of place in Verdant Wind. The whole Embarr and Shamhala sections were also clearly made for Silver Snow. Edelgard and Byleth similarly lack a connection in Verdant Wind, and so, as much as Edelgard's line about how Byleth's "path lies across [her] grave" is my favorite line in the game, that line would have made much more sense direct at Claude in Verdant Wind given how at heart Edelgard and Claude are very similar people. Similarly The Shamhala section was more about Rhea coming to terms with her family's murderers, this was a very Rhea chapter, and it could have easily been re-framed to be more inline with Verdant Wind's themes, again here Byleth is strangely concerned with Rhea in a way that isn't justified on this route. Both Silver Snow and Verdant Wind contain content that was blatantly intended for the other route, and I just wish there had been a bit more time because these are relatively easy problems to fix.
To solve these problems not much would need to change really, most of the assets and content would be retained, almost all the maps could stay the same just some new dialogue and re-framing of scenes would be needed. Silver Snow needs relatively fewer changes. Instead of meeting Leicester reinforcements in Ailell have the Church regroup its lost members and have the map be a large one with lots of forest and rough terrain where you have to save multiple groups of Church members from Adrestian forces and Monsters. The Great Bridge of Myrddin could still happen and it would be better since Reigan would have more forces to contend Gloucester with. Fort Merceus could still work just find another reason, I mean Azure Moon did fine without having to impersonate Adrestian soldiers, could actually use the same reason as them of Leicester decided to help now that the Bridge is taken. Remove or change some of the lines that were very Verdant Wind, and that's really all that needs to be changed for Silver Snow the later half of Silver Snow works beautifully and is probably the best written part of the entire game.
Verdant Wind needs a little more work. The first thing would be to remove most of the references to how desperate Byleth is to find Rhea. In Silver Snow finding Rhea is Byleth's primary objective as they feel a personal connection to Rhea and its part of Byleth's existential journey finding out who they really are. In Verdant Wind finding Rhea is a side objective for Byleth and Claude because Rhea is one of the better sources of information on what the history of Fodlan really is and what are the forces determining the current situation. The early part of Verdant Wind can be kept as it is focused on the Leicester Alliance and Merceus chapter: "The Golden Scheme" is probably the most Claude chapter in the game. Changes start at the Enbarr chapters, I think it would be very interesting if Verdant Wind was the only route where the battle wasn't fought in the city center. Unlike in Azure Moon Edelgard isn't as desperate here, I think it is possible she would have chosen a fight outside of Enbarr, possibly in the plains to the north. Another idea which would be a nice parallel to Crimson Flower would be if Leicester launches a pincer attack from land and sea and so the map starts with you from one side and a group of allies on ships from another adjacent side. In the throne room Claude and Edelgard have quite a bit of interesting dialogue so while the scene where Byleth kills Edelgard was clearly written for Silver Snow, I do think it would still work if Edelgard addresses Claude more instead of Byleth.

Edelgard: Your ideals, I understand they're not so far removed from my own. But without sufficient knowledge of this land's suffering, I can't entrust Fódlan to you!
Claude: Perhaps. I daresay it's true that I don't fully understand the history of Fódlan. Still, I've seen many things in my life. Don't worry. I'll finish the job for you.

​

Claude: Edelgard, give up! We don't want to kill you!
Edelgard: But...I must kill you. If I don't, the righteous world I dream of will never see the light. Come at me with everything you have. For one of us, this is the end!

For the last two chapters of Verdant Wind, the events should be rearranged. Nemesis was always a flunky, he was never more than a petty thief set on a path by the Agarthans so let me propose a different sequence for the same events. Claude starts scouting for the location of Shambhala but the Agarthans find out and release Nemesis along with their zombie army which like in "Fodlan's New Dawn" starts terrorizing southeastern Fodlan. Hearing that Nemesis The King of Liberation has risen from the dead along with the Ten Elites and is leading a zombie army Claude and Byleth confront Rhea like they do at the beginning of "Fodlan's New Dawn". Rhea seeing her mother's murderer within reach joins the battle and dies taking down Nemesis. This I'd argue is more poetic for Verdant Wind especially because there's less emphasis of Rhea's connection to Byleth. In Verdant Wind Rhea is even more stuck in the past, Rhea has spent so many centuries obsessing over Sothis, her death, and Nemesis. Seiros and Nemesis are both historical figures and so it is fitting that they end together, all these people that should be history, now finally are.
What to do about the new last chapter of Verdant Wind is the difficult question. The Agarthans make a very fitting thematically consistent final boss for Verdant Wind as they caused a large amount of the problems in Fodlan. The developers of Three Houses did a good job of making each final map of the four routes unique and grand and a capstone to the route. The problem here with a Shambala map would be how to make it different and more grand than the chapter in Silver Snow. One idea I have is to cave in the roof midway through the battle at which point the music would change from Shambala's dubstep to a remix of Claude's theme. Could always unleash some giant cyborg human crest experimentation monsters on the players. Could also make this a multi-commander map and hopefully Bias and the other named characters would get some characterization. I do like the idea that this is a rout map with many waves of reinforcements as the Agarthans refuse to give up and would rather die than live under those they see as subhuman. It would be nice if the Agarthans could be given more characterization because as bigoted as they are they do have several good points. They started out as the pro-human faction wanting humans to live freely and be able to decide their own destiny without having to be ruled over by dragons. There's hints that they are the remnants of modern real life humans between the ICBMs, the nuclear power warning signs written in Cyrillic, the United Nations symbol, and the mechs. There is a lot to make the Agarthans sympathetic and nuanced is only the game would lean into that. This could be spun in a way that's thematically relevant in that the downfall of the Agarthans was that they became isolated underground that isolation led to a cycle of increasing xenophobia, bigotry, and hatred. They got so stuck in their own ways that the world moved on without them. The end cutscene could be Claude and Byleth leading the army up to the surface as the sun rises or Byleth jumping on Claude's wyvern to see the sun rise.
Really the changes overall are quite small, minus a unique end cutscene this mostly uses existing assets because all I have proposed is reordering a few scenes and changing some lines, a mod could easily be made to implement this.

Can someone make a livable wage to take care of basic needs doing QHHT full time? As in, pay rent/mortgage, groceries, insurances (auto/health/home), and so much more?
I just started the QHHT level 1 course yesterday. The web site said you can make $100k+ a year. I didn't get into the course to only make money or based on some unrealistic expectation of riches. I realize the healing practitioners in the many modalities, as I, want to help people so it isn't necessarily about money. I'm very curious about how practitioners set their fees and if they are full time practitioners, retirees with pensions or other incomes?
Reading the range of QHHT session lengths (from Reddit posts of clients) of 4-16 hrs makes me wonder how QHHT practitioners sustain basic needs, schedule session lengths, and what their fees are. I know Dolores says you charge by the session not hourly.
To be clear I am terrible at math, so my calculations and perspective on how the following works out is likely WAY off. For example,:
$200/4 hr 2 sessions a day 8 hr "working" day 5 days a week
Is $104k/yr.
If you spend all 8 hrs or 16 hrs a day, that takes your earnings way down. Also, because sessions have to be in person, how realistic is it to expect 40 clients a month (2 per day @ 4 hr sessions)? Do practitioners travel as in mobile QHHT to peoples homes? I mean if I compare locations across the country, cost of living, etc, it doesn't seem like you can meet basic needs no matter where you are. I mean will $200/session fly in the Midwest vs. California or NY?
And what are typical fees practices have based on their level? I can't imagine a level 1 charging $200/session right away compared to a level 3.
When I told my husband I wanted.to do hypnotherapy as my next career, he said, "That's a hobby or side gig, that's not something you can consider a financially sustainable career." I was initially offended bec I didn't know enough about QHHT and though 1-2 hr sessions were the standard as with typical hypnotherapy. But breaking it down, I guess I should be happy to someday break even on my investments into the courses? (Especially if I move up to level 3 over the years).

Dance Moms has always been such a comfort to me for some reason. When I'm upset, I just turn my brain off and turn on Dance Moms. I love the first 2 seasons the most because the OGs were still passionate about dance and Abby wasn't as strict as she became later on (I also loved the random outings and activities they did back then).
Even years after the show has ended, this show has such an active fandom. Especially on this subreddit- we keep up with the girls as they venture into their own lives and careers, laugh at quotes (this is honestly the funniest sub I've been in- and I've been in a lot- because the jokes are legendary), talk about old happenings on the show, and just enjoy ourselves.
If you're ever in need of a good laugh, just scroll this sub for a while and you're covered.
I've spent so many hours just looking through this sub- there's so many fun posts on here and it's a great time all around. Thank you.
P.S.- I'm also on K-pop twitter and they use Abby GIFs all the time.
As a parting gift:

"FOR THE RECORD. Dance Moms/Joffrey Auditions WERE NOT for the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, is the only training program owned, operated or endorsed by The Joffrey Ballet. The Joffrey Ballet is not affiliated with any other dance training or school program, including the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. The Joffrey Academy, located in the Exelon Education Center at Joffrey Tower in Chicago, Illinois, is the only school that follows the organizational mission, training syllabi, and artistic vision of The Joffrey Ballet. No other program, including those holding the Joffrey name, is sanctioned by The Joffrey Ballet. For more information, please contact Academy Reception at 312.784.4600."

[←Chapter 60] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 61→]
“One of the cornerstones of understanding the nature of Nieth and Hebeen is understanding their strange religion, or religions, as the case may be. In that previous phrase, we touch upon the issue at question. Does Nieth even have a religion, as we, the followers of the Lost, blessed be them, would understand it? Already, the initial impression is strange - rather than worshipping a pantheon of gods, as is wide-spread throughout the continent, they worship one, yet all.
It might help to touch upon some relevant history, as well as some examples to illustrate the roots of such a foreign concept.
Nieth, as far as we can seek, has its roots in a nomadic peoples that travelled the great desert that wraps around its northern half. These were unlike the brutish and savage people of our own northern flood plains, more like the mystical but lowly Vieatta from the mountains past them. Still, it was enough for them to carry on the advanced and civil arts of poetry and music.
It’s within those that they encoded much of their history from early days, although without the advent of writing which other societies wisely use, some of it was subject to mythologization. Regardless, life by all accounts was strenuous out on the sands, and the sacred was pushed aside for the practical. From the practical needs of water and shade there appeared to arise a new religion, one that enfolded all primitive others within its arms as emanation of ‘Embass Aliyah’, or ‘The One and Truth’.
This may provide some illumination to the reader who may have heard of Nieth’s ‘acceptance’ of our Faith.
Within this one, unifying principle, people gravitated to the Oasis of Nieth, which was a popular way station for trade and rest. Many of the historians I have engaged suggest that the principle of ‘The One’ was a major factor in the formation Nieth as a societal centre, as well as the establishment of the Nine Princely Families. The fact that the scions of the Nine Families that I’ve had the fortune to interview claim vastly different patrons between them supports this.
The current ‘landscape’ as it were, for the religion of Neith is roughly as follows:
Perhaps one in five are adherents of our own Faith. Most, that is to say, three in five, worship the traditional, normal pantheon of Nieth, which is also the religion of the ruling prince. In addition, the sisterhood who administer Hebeen, the city of children, are drawn from this majority faith. More details on the various gods and their descriptions is enclosed in the following chapter. The remaining are split between various small and often foreign denominations, including some faiths from the First Lands.
Of these, there are two that bear special mention. The first is the actual seat of the ‘pure’ faith of ‘The One and Truth. It is a relatively small, if quite beautiful temple in the Seat of the Nine. The high priest (‘teacher-guide’ as he refers to himself) was gregarious and pleased to answer my various questions through a translator. Despite being the nominal religion of Nieth, its principles underlying the whole of the society, its actual numbers of worshippers are small. A potential reason for this is the second faith of note.
This is a separate derivation of the principles of ‘The One’ and seemingly the older of the two. It is the principal faith of the various nomadic peoples that wander the Plague Dunes of Nieth. As their account goes, the principle of ‘The One’ was revealed to the forebears of the Nine Families out in the northern deserts. The families had planted and grown an oil-bush to an impossible size (presumably why it is referred to as a tree in oral retellings), often feeding it with cruel blood sacrifices from other enemy tribes.
One night, either nine generations, nineteen, or ninety nine, depending on which account you receive, the oil tree burned. For those that know anything about oil bush, they will know it burns with a fearsome light due to the eponymous liquids within. In this case, such was the magnitude of the tree and blaze that the volatile oils exploded outwards. The founders of the Nine Families, who held council around the tree when camped in the locale, were covered in the oils.
This crude anointment, while horribly disfiguring them all, supposedly imparted revelation to them about the nature of ‘The One’. As such, the faith of ‘The One’ is strongly rooted in the depths of the desert, and many of its more zealous adherents are to be found out among the dunes, navigating the toxic and dangerous environs using methods not understood even among the Neith city-dwellers.
Hence, most of the faithful of ‘Embass Aliyah’ leave Nieth and its surrounding fiefs to live with the nomads from which their faith originated. While the high priest does not concede the idea that ‘The One’ would have a special connection to the desert, for it exists everywhere equally, he considers it understandable for people desiring to live the savage life of their ancestors. Even so, one can observe the imprint the desert has left upon the primitive church, the icon of the oil tree being central to their architecture and symbolism.
To illustrate the devouring nature of this faith, one can examine one of the most famous events in the history of Nieth, which led to the founding of its sister-city Hebeen. For those that take such an interest in the regions of the south, you might quickly realise that one of the title gods of the majority faith shares the same name as a Karkosian deity -‘Viethustra, The Bloody Handed God’.
By all accounts as brutal as he is cunning, he is also the god that provides for the administration of justice. Though all of these gods are of course false as we understand them, one can find an interesting parallel with the origins of Nieth as a society. An astounding number of original texts survive from those haydays, often reflective accounts of the events by those who lived them.
Supposedly this adoption into the widely recognized pantheon traces to the great conflagration that consumed Nieth some four hundred years ago. This destruction particularly devastated the child population of the city. The reigning prince, after the fires had been quenched, ordered the formation of Hebeen, the city of children. Thereafter, almost all children of Neith of age are sent to cross the Aderhajj mountains, and come out into a place where they live and play together, under the watchful eyes of servants of Viethustra and the Dusky Sister.
Another example, far more contemporary, is that of the Yumyaq, the nightly processions of songs, hymns and poetry recitations. The overall effect is hardly like the organised harmonies of our own choirs, and often subject and song clash in the air of cities. However, it is the general belief that such a task is essential for the preservation of Embass Aliyah. It may be universal, but its claimed emanations, which is to say, every religious being in the world, are bound to locations.
So, this discordant din is, in a sense, a spiritual beacon, for the gods to return home, over the land and sea to Nieth. It is perhaps better explained by the high priest of Embass Aliyah, who suggests that it is more of a reminder. Namely, a reminder that the gods all exist within the embrace of Embass Aliyah, and that they will always be worshipped in Nieth.
Out of all the strangest tenets of the faiths of Nieth, this is perhaps the most offensive to those learned. Not only would it implicitly suggest that they have solved the most important theological question of the Lost Ones (i.e. ‘where they were lost’), but also the term ‘Yumyaq’ (‘Of gods’ or ‘godly’ depending on usage) is questionable in itself.
Indeed, the derivation of the term, as far as I can trace it, is actually a title given to the city itself.
‘Yumyaq Al-Nieth’. Or, to translate the crude language, ‘The Watering’ or ‘Resting Place of the Gods’.
​
An Account of Nieth and Its Civilization
Except from Chapter 4: Faith and Religion
Brother Amelius Jacobino, Eps., Brotherhood of The Shaded Path
UNDER ORDER OF REVIEW - OFFICE OF THE HIGH LUTICIENT
​
It was an all too normal day, for all of its stresses, or at least, so Yemassa thought. The merchant trudged through the street, his bag of wares heaped high upon his back. That was just about the only thing that was abnormal - his big request. It was an unusually large order of various herbs, spices, and raw plant products that his small farm cultivated. While his handful of workers were busy harvesting gemsing, hot peppers, and the spiky amanas plant, he was carrying the last of the stock into Nieth proper.
The long, squat buildings had their dark windows shuttered against the afternoon sun. Despite that, many of the various city merchants and their clientele were happy to host conversation and commerce. Indeed, they were rushing to do so, considering that the Yumyaq was almost upon them. Once the sacred hour of sunset had passed, no commerce would be allowed, at least no formal commerce.
The activity was abuzz in most parts of the city, especially since the complete rout their forces had enjoyed to the north. Some raiding legion from across the sea had challenged the might of Nieth and learned a hard lesson. Yemassa wasn’t much aware of the details, though like every good citizen, felt a certain pride at the rumour of crushing victory. More importantly, excitement usually meant people’s pursestrings grew a little looser.
The thought hot on his heels, Yemassa drove himself forwards. The request had been a surprise, both in magnitude and in source. He was headed towards one of the inner, higher districts where the wealthy were congregating. He climbed the freshly cleaned steps to one of the upper roads, finding it mostly clear of people, save those that were stall-shopping.
Onwards and upwards he climbed, going up the various footpaths carved out by hundreds of tromping feet over the years. He had to take care to avoid the various pebbles and small scrub brushes that nipped at his wrapped feet however. Finally, he made it to one of the smaller winding district streets, which spat him out in one of the quieter streets. A bend and a twist in the route later, he managed to find his way into the courtyard of the commissioner.
He was greeted by two separate maid servants who helped him unpack and ferried the goods to where they needed to go. To further the shocking nature of the encounter, the client, a woman devout enough to wear a veil over her face, came out to speak to him directly. He knelt before her, refusing to lift his eyes even against her insistence that he need not be so formal.
She even deigned to discuss business, inquiring after his holdings and what kind and how much of his products he grew. He answered with as much humility as he thought was safe, and found a receptive customer at the other end. He had to keep himself from jumping up with excitement when she casually suggested he recommend his services to friends. Only when she returned to the inside did he spring away, walking back down the hill with significantly more energy then he’d climbed.
Just before he scampered off the road and onto the various footpaths that led down to the main thoroughfare, he caught a glimpse of the far cliffs between the houses. It would be sunset soon, he knew, and if he waited for just a few more minutes, they would turn a golden red in the evening. The others would manage just fine without him for a little while longer, he was sure.
So, making his way between the various alleys of the neighbourhood, he clambered out onto a shelf of rock. This was both a better and more precarious view, given the drop of several hundred hands into another quarter already in shadow below. It had been the site of an old mine, he thought, although his knowledge of the older parts of the city was not completely up to snuff.
He hunkered down on a rock a handful of paces from the edge, crossed his legs, and waited. Soon enough, the sun lowered in the cliffs behind him, the skies awash with the evening haze. This was a good spot, he’d have to remember it when he desired a good view of the city. From here, he could see most of the northern quarters, as well as the great central sprawl of the city running from left up to right.
At the very top of the city to the right stood the palace of the Nine Families. As Yemassa watched, its nonagon concentric layers of domes and spires, one for each generation he recalled, began to glimmer a pinkish hue. As the shadows below his feet began to stretch out to cover districts by the dozen, the northern cliffs seemed awash in fire.
Before he had much of a time to enjoy it, however, he heard the first lilting notes. The plucking of strings, the beat of rabbit-skin drums, the raised voices all started from below. He recognized some of the tunes that began the Yumyaq, songs of the working man and woman mostly about hard days in the fields or jungle. He smiled, the notes recalling fond memories of his own family, though he generally heard less of them now.
It was with a start that he realised that meant he had spent nearly a half hour on the ridge. As more elaborate poetry in service to one god or another began to drift behind him, joining the din from below, he scrambled. Thrusting the pack onto his shoulders, he took one last chance to survey his city as the cliffs shone their fiery colours. The din of the Yumyaq, the song of bountiful Nieth, rose to the heavens, calling across the brushlands and jungle to the distant sea, to carry the gods home.
It was a good sound, a familiar sound, the sound of home to him as well as those distant divine beings. Before he could turn his heel and walk down to the footpaths that would take him home, however, he found something tickling the edge of his vision. He squinted at the far cliffs, red and magenta, with hints of orange and yellow among the craggy faces.
He squinted further, trying to determine what exactly had drawn his attention.
It took him a half-minute more to determine that a flickering, bluish light was moving this way and that in the shadows of a cliff face. That was certainly odd, he thought as he watched the barely visible speck hover in place.
It only became odder when a second, yellowish light joined it.
It became alarming when a dozen, then two dozen, then hundreds of multicoloured lights joined it. The shadows it had inhabited vanished a glow of yellow and blue as they seemed to get bigger. They were getting bigger, Yemassa realised, as little tendrils and flakes began to shoot up above the cliffs in the sunset haze. Reds, purples, greens, but predominantly yellows and blues floated like petals on the wind.
There was a deep rumbling at the edge of his hearing, not powerful enough to shake the ground, but enough to send a wave through his feet. Fear lanced through him as he watched them grow brighter and larger until…
With an explosion of colour and light, a great torrent, like a spring pouring forth from a crevasse, vomited out and up. Yembassa watched as a swirling mass, a comet coming down to earth, shot forward across the city. As he watched it streak towards his position, frozen with shock, pieces of the light flaked off, drifting almost lazily down toward the city.
A piece of Yembassa recognized the locale - the school quarter, where most of the children would just be running out of classes. The scholars and priests studying long hours into the night, preparing to defend themselves against peers, or to present a proposal to the Prince-in-Reign.
There was a flash so bright he had to turn his eyes away.
When he looked back, the minarets and walls of the school districts were drowned under a sea of flames. More flashes followed, bits and pieces of the great comet delivering the biggest explosions he’d ever seen as they made contact with the ground.
Yembassa’s legs finally managed to unlock as the first screams began to drift up to him on suddenly scorching air. He realised numbly that half the city was burning in a matter of moments, and that the comet was shooting straight towards him. He turned to run, yet something drew his eyes around even as his legs pumped.
The mass turned just in time, streaking below the cliff line, where the old mine entrances had been, he thought. A small spine of hope poked through his terror.
Slowly, slowly, wavering from side to side in gentle, periodic motion, the molten feather drifted down, down, to touch the rocks where he’d been sitting.
Then there was light, and sound, and a heat that melted his eyes out of their sockets and tore him limb from limb.
[←Chapter 60] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 61→]

I am a few weeks into my second grow and I’m walking into a 5x5 that was set up by someone else prior. They have a nice in-line fan and they had some old mars hydro 300w leds, two of them. I just replaced with a phantom pheno 440 . Before w the 2 300s I was at around 80F and 50-52 RH. With the pheno440 I’m at 86F (100%power on light) and teetering on 49 and 50 RH. This tent is in a workshop but this room is cooled with a portable AC and the ac exhaust is vented through to attic. I have a very small dehumidifier running and also two more fans circulating. I have the inkine fan running about 50% and I have the Ac pointed toward the air inlet side.I tried opening or closing the exhaust holes on the tent to see if it lower the temps. These numbers are during the hottest part of the day, so in the morning and nights they will be lower. can anyone give me some tips? I am growing a handful of autos and vegging three photos on 18 6

I would need someone from the mozilla team to explain how is this "protecting my privacy"
Taken from: https://accounts.firefox.com/en/legal/privacy
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This is all by default when a user installs this VERY popular browser, being it popular mostly because its "privacy" claims. Can anyone from mozilla come here and explain how is that mozilla claims "we believe that privacy is fundamental to a healthy internet." ? and then proceed to tell me that I can "share even less" ?

Pt 1 If you haven't read it.
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Pt 2 If you haven't read it.
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Pt 3 If you haven't read it.
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Hope you enjoy Pt 4 and happy reading!
​
*Flick* "Aligning descent profile for re-entry." I had made all the final preparations
*Flick* "Prepare for comms black out in 10" William began the countdown.
"9"
"8"
"7"
"6"
"5- when you get back I absolutely *have* to show you this really old movie, interstellar, its a classic" Will interjected.
"4-Oh my stars we're about to enter the atmosphere of Ix-5 at 7km/s and all you can think about is showing me some old movie when we get back?!"
"3- Fine."
"2"
The plasma had begun to lick around the edges of the heat shield and up onto the windows.
"1"
The comms began to make a static hissing sound.
"Just breathe." Will muttered to himself.
The whole shuttle began to shake violently.
"PASSING MAX-Q" Will had to shout to be heard over all the rattling.
Just like that, it began to quiet down, the fiery inferno of re-entry plasma died down and we began our coast down to find a suitable landing spot. Comms had also returned.
*Click* "I'd just like to let everyone know that we made it through re-entry just fine." Will had radioed back to the ship.
The sound of faint cheers from bridge could be heard.
"Engaging cloaking device" *Flick*
A loud hum could be heard as the cloaking device not only prevented us from being seen by eyes, but also seen by any radar, sonar, or other means of detection spun to life.
"So where should we land?"
"Oh just a few more kilometers to shore, then I'll just find a nice, secluded spot and we'll spend the next couple of days getting to know the locals!" I responded gleefully, as this was my first time with a civilization that didn't just learn how to farm.
After carefully gliding down we landed in a patch of grass-like vegetation. Will pointed out all the leaves were all black, to which I responded by telling him that the vegetation had to adapt to capture more of the light spectrum than the vegetation on Earth, because of the dimmer, red dwarf this planet orbited.
We had set up the basics, communications equipment, synthesizers, and a variety of other scientific tools.
"Hey, remember when you said you wanted to see an example of human food! Because I do!" Will exclaimed giddily.
After plugging in a drive and pressing a few buttons, the machine whirred to action, printing out a most unusual dish.
"So keep in mind this is just one dish out of... out of well I don't really know how many different kinds of dishes we have, all you need to know is that it's a very large number... But here's too hoping you enjoy it!"
What came out were this white, almost sphere like but more so a squat raindrop shaped... things. Will called them "Dumplings", and they smelled delicious, though he had dipped them in this brown liquid he called "Soy Sauce" that I really did not care for as far as smell goes.
I carefully picked one of these dumplings and bit into it.
"Oh my" I said, albeit muffled by the food.
"It's good isn't it! I told you!" Will grinned.
"That's quite the... texture. I don't really know how to process this. It's so soft and yet firm. Nutrient packs are so much easier, they don't make a mess and they're just so efficient, I mean, you could probably play around with the recipe, make them tastier. Right?"
"You just don't get it do you." Will said, shaking his head.
"Oh well, more for me." He grabbed at my half eaten dumpling.
"Hey! That's mine!"
"So you DO like it then!"
"No, just, ugh, leave me and my dumpling alone, I've already had my Nutrient Pack for the day I'm going to hibernate now."
Will rolled his eyes at my response.
"Fine." He said in that same begrudging manner as before.
I walked on over to the hibernation chamber, a circular area just big enough for me with a warm, gentle breeze flowing over. As I was going inside I heard Will behind me closing up the door after bringing everything inside.
"Wait... you were going to tell me about.... sleep..." I muttered out.
"Oh yes so hold one, could you just fully wake up for a little bit so I can explain, so your species, and for that matter every other alien species I've met, sleeps one hemisphere or one part of their brain at a time, but humans sleep the whole brain all at once."
"What's that like?" I replied, still in the grip of hibernation.
"So for starters we are like, FULLY unconscious the whole time, we can be woken up but we have a very, VERY limited understanding of what's going on around us. We also go limp so we don't move around accidentally, we still do. It's not perfect but it works enough to where I can say, "yeah we go limp"."
"But aren't you... what happens... if... someone ambushes you at night?"
"In all likelihood unless we happen to be right next to a weapon or something good enough, we die."
"Oh my. How... how did this not drive your species extinct?"
"I'm left wondering that same question too Tomō."
This might be the first time I've heard about a human ever being truly defenseless. Will had disappeared off into another room to change, returning in only a pair of shorts. Which left me examining his exposed torso. Human skin is wrapped quite tightly around the internal structure, and there seems to be very little, if any, loose skin, it also seemed to only be composed of one layer, most others I've meet without loose skin have special layers that can break off. Perhaps humans might be less sturdy than I had come to expect. No no that can't possibly be true I thought to myself, or as much as I could with half a brain working.
The morning was punctured by this infernal clattering from Will's bed, his arm swung up and smashed down on a small table next to him, causing the sound to stop.
"What was that?! Did someone find us?!"
"No... it was just my [Yawns] Alarm, we need to be startled to wake up and that [Will yawned again] was the startling noise."
Will climbed out of bed, shuffled over to another table (Those humans have a lot of tables) grabbed a fresh change of clothes and made his way over to the bathroom to change.
That's when I heard it, a loud SHHHHH sound from the bathroom, I made my way over to the locked door and shouted:
"EVERYTHING OKAY IN THERE WILL?"
"YEAH, JUST TAKING A SHOWER."
"A WHAT?"
"SHOWER"
"WHAT'S THAT?"
"I DON'T CARE FOR THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW."
"OH OKAY."
I shuffled back over to my hibernation chamber, pulling the divider closed I took in a bath of UV sterilizing light and changed out of yesterday's uniform, and into todays, which on scout missions is always a set of cloths made to imitate the look of whatever cloths are common on whatever world we're scouting. In this case it was a brown turtleneck sweater, some black pants, 6 pairs of gloves as the basic orbital scan of their unencrypted communications revealed they obsess over cleanliness, often sporting multiple pairs of gloves for specific tasks, kept in separate pockets, land lastly, a sort of shawl like piece of fabric, apparently used to protect yourself from the midday dust and wind storms.
The disguise of our more... alien features was provided by some makeup, changing our skin to a sort of pale grey. We also made use of some printed prosthetic noses, wigs, and ears, which made our faces impossible to distinguish from the local inhabitants.
Once I had finished applying all my disguises, I exited my chamber and walked over to where Will was, standing by the synthesizer watching it print up a breakfast.
Will, who hadn't even donned the appropriate clothing at this point (he was wearing a simple outfit of black shorts and a grey t-shirt), was oddly enough, sopping wet. His hair had turned a jet black color due to its saturation of water, releasing its store down his face and his neck, resulting in the back of his shirt, and the front collar turning a visibly darker shade and sticking to his body, at this point I also noticed that his skin was covered in beads of moisture glinting in the sun.
"Why are you so wet?" I asked him.
"It has to do with a shower, I get myself under this sort of, simulated rainfall, only the temperature is nice and hot, and use soap, not the same kind you use to clean your hands, but the function is still the same, I then put some stuff in my hair which gets rid of oily build up, the water rinses everything off, but by the end I'm soaking wet, I will need to dry off properly though before I put on all the disguises."
As he grabbed his tray with his hands, still damp from the shower, and the skin around his fingers was all shriveled up.
"Your fingers look like mine now! See!" I asked, moving right up next to him to better show him my fingers.
"It just increases the surface area so I can grip things better underwater, only happens if they get wet."
"Why wouldn't they be like that all the time?"
"Once again I'm left wondering that question myself."
"So what's on the menu for "break-fast"?" I asked
"Well for starters, it's just one word, breakfast, and secondly, I'm having two slices of buttered toast, an egg, and a black tea. Standard human breakfast, though Coffee is more popular."
"Black tea...?" I had heard of Coffee before and its danger to other species, and was hoping that this tea drink lacked any of this substance known as Caffeine.
"Yeah just a little caffeine to wake me up."
"CAFFEINE?! That's... that's a.... that's a Class IV chemical weapon! They banned that centuries ago! How?! What?! Oh my... Oh my..." I began to hyperventilate.
"Relax! There's only what... 50 milligrams in a cup."
"FIFTY?! FIFTY!?! ONLY FIFTY?!? THAT'S TEN TIMES THE DEADLY DOSE! WHAT ARE YOUR THINKING!" I shrieked, though deep down I did take note of how that was less than that of Coffee.
"Shhh, you'll risk us getting caught, calm down, don't worry I'll have the cup disposed of properly, I've done this every day and so far, no one's gotten hurt." Will said in his standard, nonchalant attitude that has become so typical of him, a tone which did not seem anywhere near appropriate for the situation.
"SO FAR?!" I was not heeding his instructions to calm down, it's typically very hard to do so when faced with something that could lead to a violent death.
"Look, look, it's totally harmless for us humans, besides, the Federation strictly manages our recreational use of substances highly dangerous to other species, such as but not limited too: Caffeine, Capsaicin, and Cocoa. I make one wrong move and my ass is sent to jail."
I was shocked, frozen with shock, at least I wasn't screaming but I felt like I couldn't move a muscle. Capsaicin was last used by the Rx'lac to murder billions, Cocoa I hadn't heard of before so it must have been something unique to Earth, but it terrified me still. In my frozen state I waited for the cup he drank from to be destroyed, and at this moment I began to regain my motor functions.
After rigorously drying himself off with a towel and this awfully loud machine he pointed at his hair, Will began to
"Now, could you help me apply the makeup?"
Human hands, while much sturdier than what most of us use, in the case of Captain Reloxyn, she has 6 tentacles which can vary their diameter, and in the case of Zorxians like myself, we have the two hands attached to their respective arm much like a human, but the geometry of the fingers themselves are different, each finger is made up of 3 fluid filled sacs, attached one after another in segments, each sack is attached to the previous with a variety of muscles, which gives each joint the ability to make movements with a full 120 degree range of motion, in any direction. While this makes them far more fragile, due to the lack of skeletal structure, this makes us quite dextrous.
But yet, I noticed that Will's right hand, arm, and ankle were already painted, which puzzled me, if he could paint his right side, then why couldn't he paint his left?
"Do you really need my help? You did just fine painting the right side of your body."
"Tomō, do you really know so little about humans?"
"You know you're the first human I've met!"
"Humans tend to have what's called a dominant hand, what it means is that there's one hand I am really good at using, and another that I'm not so great at using, I *could* train myself to use both hands equally well, but I never really had a need, and even when it would've come in handy, there's always been someone else who can help me. Like you!"
"Aww, thanks!" I responded.
"In my case, my dominant hand is my left one, fairly uncommon. Only about 10% of people are like that, the rest are right handed, and a very small number are born with both hands being of equal capability."
"But you really should get on it with the whole training your right hand. There won't always be someone to help you."
"And yet there always has." Will responded jokingly.
"We ready?" I asked.
"Just have to get some things ready, hold on, if this society is so obsessed with cleanliness, how come they don't wear face masks? I doubt they've gotten to a point where they've already eradicated all diseases. That should take them at least another century."
"Oh, this is the really cool thing about this planet! So basically, airborne diseases never evolved! They just... don't exist here!"
"Absolutely fascinating." Will responded.
"Everything we need is now in the bag." He pointed to the black bag slung over his shoulder made from the local flora.
"And we should be ready to go!" Will enthusiastically marched over to the shuttle door, opening it at saying;
"After you!" With a look of pride on his face, odd, if anyone should be proud, it should be me, after all, this mission is already off to a good start considering he's a rookie.
The red light of Ix bathed the planet in this warm glow, Ix was rare for a red-dwarf system, as most habitable planets are tidally locked, but we marched through the woods, noting observations of the local ecosystem that we stopped periodically to jot down in our notepad.
About halfway through the forest Will stopped suddenly, turning back to face me.
"You forgot to tell me what bridge came up with for our secret identities? Oh stars, saying it like that makes me feel like some kind of super-spy!"
"Oh yes, I must have gotten distracted..." I reached for my communicator.
"Okay, so we're two hikers, you named Po'ol and I named Gra'aul, and we just finished up a nice long hike and so we're off back to Hl'Ix, population 12.8 million, and about a 2 hour train ride. Oh by the way, I have to share the language file hold on... yup that should do it! Congratulations you are now fluent in Ix!"
A requirement of working for any Federation job was the implantation of a language chip which allowed the user to become fluent in all 608 languages and, what they called "Significant Dialects" spoken in the Federation, though for people working on exploration vessels like me and Will, we had access to a file sharing system so we could download new languages for the planets we visited after the central computer processed them.
"Thanks!" Will responded from a meter or so ahead of me.
We continued our march down to the road, where we walked parallel to it as cars zipped by. Eventually the forest we had landed in cleared way for farmland, which after about 5 kilometers or so more walking, started to turn to houses with expansive yards, which gradually became smaller and smaller as we neared the center of town.
"You getting tired yet?" Will asked me, we had decided it was best for him to walk behind me, so we could make sure we stayed together.
"Yeah, but just a bit longer until we make it into... whatever the name of this town is."
"Alright."
We continued to make our way into the town, named Urup and with a population of about 3 thousand. When we got there it was almost devoid of any activity, and the wind had started to pick up, which carried in dust. Thankfully we anticipated this, having donned contact lenses to keep debris out of our eyes, and using the shawl to cover up our mouth and nose. At this point will stopped to pull out a small, and very thin, weather sheet, which he released into the wind. This device would record the weather conditions as it gets carried by the wind. Just after doing this, he turned to me and said,
"Weather at time of release: Temperature: 10 degrees Celsius. Wind speed: 56 Kph, rising. Feels like: 5.2 Degrees Celsius, falling. It wasn't able to get a good reading on dust concentration because it's rising too fast so that should tell you everything you need to know."
The wind nearly blew Will's shawl off, but he grabbed it just in time, and me, being too focused on Will, had let my own shawl blow away in the wind, and while Will had tried to reach for it, the wind carried it away far too quickly for him to get it in time, only missing his fingers by a handful of centimeters. I quickly covered my mouth with my sweater, though this did leave part of my midsection exposed to the elements, a suboptimal position to be in during a dust storm of this magnitude.
"Dammit! Almost had the blasted thing!" Will shouted, the rush of the wind was beginning to drown out our voices.
He put his hand in one of the many pockets on his pants, that's something everyone can appreciate about Ix fashion, anything below 10 pockets is simply unacceptable. Anyways, Will pulled out a small pair of scissors, and quickly removed his shawl.
"What are you doing you can't remove your shawl in these conditions!" I shouted back at him.
"I'll be quick, don't worry!" Will responded as he cut his cloth in two.
"Here!" He said handing me the now removed half of his shawl, and quickly covering his face with the remaining half.
We continued on, though this time much slower than before, as we didn't want to loose our balance and be toppled by the wind. Never before had I ever had to deal with wind this intense, no wonder they assigned the human.
"Squat down! Boundary layer winds should be slower!" He shouted to me while bending down to waddle his way across the street to the hotel.
Squatting down only provided minimal relief, as I suppose one would have to crawl to truly take advantage of this effect. Slowly but surely we made our way across the road, over to the hotel. Opening the first set of doors we were met with a powerful blast of air, which prevented any dust from getting in. Only until after the doors had closed, and our clothes were sufficiently purged of any particulates that had somehow lodged their way into the remarkably dense fabrics. Eventually though, the blast died down, and the second doors opened automatically.
The doors opened to reveal an interior with a largely brown, beige, and black color pattern. The whole lobby was lit with a quite warm color tone, with the lightbulbs occasionally flickering and all the windows had been sealed off behind steel plates. Eventually Will turned his head to face a desk spanning quite a large distance, located just in front of a large board with all the room numbers located next to a light.
We could vaguely hear someone talking to another person, emanating from behind a door marked "Employees Only", Will glanced at me, pulling my attention to his gloves, which he began to swap out for a new pair. I quickly followed suit. Eventually, just moments after I finished putting on a new pair of gloves, one of the people from behind the door exited.
"Why on Ix would there ever be customers walking in during the middle of the storm! We issued the alert 2 hours ago!" The woman said to the man who stayed in the room as the door closed behind her.
Turning around to face the two of us, and walking over to the main part of the check in desk, she began to speak to us.
"Hi my name us Za'ul!" She said, showing us her name tag.
"Now what can I do for the two of you! Must've been miserable trapped out there in the storm!"
Will began to approach the desk, seeing this I decided to sit down and catch my breath, the 10 kilometer walk had exhausted me, it was remarkable to see Will barley fazed by it.
"Hi my name is Po'ol and this is my hiking buddy Gra'aul, we just finished up the most beautiful of hikes through that nearby forest, so we're on our way back to Hl'ix! I was wondering if you could get us a room please and thank you ma'am." He said in a sort of folksy manner, not too dissimilar from the way Za'ul spoke.
"Alright you want one bed or two?" She responded.
"-Two please." He said, almost cutting Za'ul off.
"All right! You want first floor or second floor?"
"Oh second floor would be lovely."
"Well here's your key and have a lovely stay!"
Will walked over to me.
"Got us a key for room 203, here's your key" Will had switched from his folksy mannerisms to a soft whisper, but I just let the key hit me, I was far to tired to catch it.
"Well I see our hike took quite a bit out of you, so just come up when your ready, I got the bags don't worry."
I nodded my head in silent agreement, I was exhausted, but I knew I should probably go upstairs to the room with him.
"Hold on.." I said, slowly lifting myself up onto my feet and carefully making my way over to the elevator.
Standing in the cramped elevator I noticed Will suddenly had this terrible and persistent oder.
"You okay?" I asked him
"Yeah... why do you ask?"
"It's just... you smell kind of... bad."
"Oh!" He chuckled with that same old chuckle I had heard a million times before.
"Yeah, uh, I'm sure after I explained to you what a shower was you were probably perplexed as to why we don't do the standard UV bath, but basically humans smell bad after a long day, or after a long enough, or intense enough period of physical exertion. Showering gets rid of the smell. I did notice the Ix had only a single layer of skin, and hopefully this means they too have the scent issues that humans have, and thus also make use of showering."
"I see. Can you take another shower when we get to the hotel?"
"Tomō! That's... don't say that to other humans okay, you can be direct with me like that but... a lot of other humans will not take that kindly. Just letting you know that."
ding
The elevator had made its way up to the second floor.
"Let's see, 203... 203... here it is!"
Will unlocked the door and opened it.
"Oh thank the stars they have actual beds and it wasn't just a translational error!" He cried out in relief.
Will ran over to the bathroom.
"And they have showers too! Just Wonderful! Don't worry a shower should adequately clean you too."
"Oh I brought my own portable UV sterilizer, I'll be fine."
"You just relax down I'll take care of the report back to bridge."
I made my way over to the beds and just collapsed into it. Hibernating while laying down was not ideal, but at this point I'd do anything not to be on my feet anymore. Eventually I decided that I didn't care for lying face down, and instead rolled over to face Will, just to make sure he didn't botch the report.
Eventually once he finished his report, he walked over to the rooms corners and placed the sound barriers, which would cancel out our voices making sure nobody heard us. Which he, well, I was supposed to do first thing upon entering, though I was far to tired, and Will must've only just noticed. You know, when he first got here he really just annoyed me to no end, but now, he's really settled in and has gotten really into the hang of things, and sure, he's weird, but you know what, he's a human, he's not weird, just... different.
​
I think I'm going to leave it off here, I know I promised some action but this is just where the story lead me, and it was already getting long. Part 5 will be out tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Hey everyone!
I've looked at quite a few coding for kids/homeschool topics on reddit lately, this sub included. And I don't agree with some of the approaches or advice on introducing kids to code.
It's not enough to teach kids coding if you want to prepare them for the future job market. There are a lot of free resources that can help, but they often need more going beyond the code. Some paid resources aren't worth the money because they barely cover code, let alone any extras.
And honestly, many parents need to be more knowledgeable about the space to create the best custom packages. So they get discouraged or neg others trying to help or guide their kid down a different path. Homeschoolers can have an advantage in the tech industry based on their self-direction, critical thinking, and other qualities that come naturally from homeschooling (I'm biased, but I'm sure there's overlap).
I'll share a few questions to think about when researching coding programs at the end of this.
I'm by no means the end all be all of the tech industry, but I hope to start a discussion where I can answer questions and help if possible. Or at least be a connection to someone/something that can answer your questions. I'll share a simple way.
Warning lengthy post ahead
It's been a few years since I've posted in this group, so let me get a few things about my intentions out of the way so this can be a productive conversation. Feel free to skip the list if you aren't one of those skeptics that ruin great discussions with intent questions or "this is a scam" comments.

• I was homeschooled from 5th grade until college (I did drop out of high school for a bit in protest of not going to traditional, but that's another story). And I've multiple styles of homeschooling, from unschooling to structured curriculum to correspondence lessons (we lived in rural places at one point, so online was too expensive).
• I got a GED, an undergrad in math, an MS in Computer Science, and a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering by my mid-20s. I've done freelancing, consulting, and careehomeschool coaching over the last 7 years. I also have over 5 years of experience teaching or tutoring coding classes.
• Yes, I have a paid self-guided online coding camp/mentorship program. No, I'm not posting to promote it here. If you're interested, you can message me privately, but that is not the point of this post.
• Yes, I have a Youtube, but again, the point of this post is not to promote it. Message me privately if you care about that.
• No, I'm not a regular poster on Reddit, and when I have, it's usually to promote some project because I usually just lurk.
• Yes, this post is genuine because of what I've been reading online and the personal conversations I've been having recently. There's a discussion to be had where I can help clarify some things.

Actual post starting
I want to start by opening two points, then let the conversation go where it goes:

• Why coding isn't enough/where I believe the industry is going
• Free vs. Paid Options

Why isn't teaching kids coding enough?
I'm not old enough to have experienced this, but my older cousins have described a time in the 90s when you good 2 or 3 times minimum wage just by knowing how to use Microsoft Word. It was so new and rare.
Today, knowing how to use Microsoft Office is expected. The same is going to be true for coding.
When your homeschooler hits the job market, coding will probably be as common as knowing PowerPoint.
A future of tech jobs will be knowing how to filter and piece technical information together to solve problems.
Lots of coding for kids programs put together fun mini-projects for students but need to teach kids how to continue growing technically independently. They need sustainable next steps.
They also need to help students understand their career options besides getting a job. A large number of homeschoolers end up starting businesses.
Coding/tech is a perfect space for homeschooled kids to try freelancing or start their own company because a lot of it can be low cost.
I'm not saying every kid learning code needs to start their own business, but kids should know it's possible.
Free vs. Paid Options
Now we get to the free vs. paid portion. As I mentioned earlier, choosing whether or not to pay for a coding curriculum isn't black or white. It depends on your goals, budget, and child (I know, Captain Obvious).
I'll share a few scenarios of how I would approach choosing free vs. paid programs. If you have a different scenario, share it in a reply. Then, I'll share a framework I think every parent should consider when considering a plan.
When would I choose to go with a *paid** coding program*
I'd go with a paid option if my child showed a genuine and consistent interest in creating software. And my child was at least 10 years old. I would like at it as a similar investment in my child's future as piano lessons or sports training.
This program should be project-based, include a grading service, and have some regularly scheduled live sessions.
There are a lot of ways to solve problems with code correctly. Not initially, but a good program should transition your child to creating more and more of their own solutions. To do this, kids will need someone who will take the time to understand your kid's thought process and provide steps to correct how they think about the problem. It is a different experience from just being shown the answer or looking at an answer key.
I would also look for soft skills training and some career planning resources. Things like how to work on a coding team, how those projects are structured, how to find good mentors, and how to get paid or unpaid internships. I might even want this paid version to provide me with a coding mentor my child could talk to a few times.
I also expect this program to provide us with clear next steps for my student once the program is done. This may be the next class in a progression of classes, a certification, a job (paid, part-time, or internship), and or a roadmap entrepreneurship/freelancing.
When would I choose to go with a *free** coding program*
I would choose free coding programs if I aimed to introduce my child to see if they were interested in coding enough to invest in it.
Here I would want a program that covers structural basics, projects related to things my child cares about, an answer key or auto-grading system, and a series of lessons.
If my child was under 10, I'm looking for visual blocks programming lessons like on SCRATCH or some offline assignments that use physical items to teach problem-solving/logic. I would ensure my child learned key terms and design or system thinking.
If my child is 10 and older, starting with visual block programming is ok, but the lessons must move toward a text-based language like Python, JavaScript, or Java. I suggest Python first because it is easier for new coders to quickly understand and implement early concepts. It's like learning to speak English before worrying about all the technical rules behind how it works.
The free coding program challenge
A challenge in using many free/low-cost coding programs for kids is that the projects don't always teach kids to go off and create their own problem-solving projects. Kids will sometimes only learn to copy and paste or get good at doing that one project but do not understand the process of expanding that project. They don't learn how to continue to grow as developers.
This point is where parents will need to do the legwork to find additional resources and mentors for their child. Bonus points if that coding mentor looks like your child or comes from a similar cultural background. Many studies support that if we see someone we feel "looks, talks, walks" as we do, we are more likely to believe we can do it too.
Lastly, I need to figure out the next steps for my child before they even start the coding program. I won't want to lose momentum if they get excited about coding. These steps could be free resources, a paid program, or a paid program because I now know my child is interested based on the free program.
Framework/questions for parents
As promised, here's my framework for any parent or homeschool group leader looking to create a coding program for their kids. Then, questions I would ask when evaluating a program.
Framework is called ACRES.
A - Ask questions - Discover local computer science resources C - Categorize - Group like resources and identify hidden access challenges R - Reach out and select - Contact experts and select the best options for your community. E - Educate - Hold your program, include soft skills training, and educate your parents S - Sustain - Ensure student success by pointing them to vetted resources for their next steps
11 questions I would ask myself

• What's my goal for finding a coding program for my kid?
• How serious/self-directed is my child when interested in new topics?
• What's my max budget for this each month?
• Does this program teach basic coding concepts and have a progression of courses/lessons?
• What are the testimonials for this program?
• Does this program provide grading/parent support?
• Do I have possible coding mentors in my circle? Or is that something I need to pay fofind?
• Which programming language is this program going to use?
• Will this program teach my kid soft skills that apply to the tech industry?
• Will this program expose my child to tech entrepreneurship, internships, and jobs? Or do I want to handle that exposure myself?
• Does this program have instructors, coaches, or mentors reflecting my child's culture?

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.
Are there any questions or concerns? Do you agree? Or disagree?
Is there something I didn't cover that you wished I had? Or that is unique to your situation?
Happy to continue the discussion.

Many subreddits are going to blackout from the 12th to the 14th of June in protest due to the clamp down on 3rd part apps. This sub has an auto moderator, so are we going to be seeing a blackout on this sub aswell?

Hey there, so i been building and installing nvidia drivers since 570 series and i never ever had a day where i had this error so im quite confused and concerned that maybe my gpu is actually dead.
Will try to attach pics if i remember how but i was on a game and the game instant closed out which i thought was weird then soon as i restarted it it instant closed again soon as it loaded into game and i also noticed i had some programs closing too right before for no reason that was game related like wabajack for skyrim mods.
​
So i thought i should try updated drivers and thats when i noticed weird issue, never had that before and i noticed in msi AB that there was 0 info showing for my gpu. So i downloaded display driver uninstaller, ran that and it uninstalled them fine and i went on to restart and i tried to install them again but it failed but windows showed it auto installed some drivers ( not newest ones ) that were 528 i believe and not 535 so i tried to install again once i saw windows auto install of those were done and it actually got past the first part where u select what u want but soon as it went to install it errored out again.
Gpu shows in device manager as 4090 fine and upon restart the gpu info is shown in msi but i cannot install updated drivers, any game i boot into crashes once i go into game but on main menu and stuff is fine but once i load into a level it closes out.
So idk if the gpu is taking a dump or what as idk what caused this as i never honestly had this happen ever, worse thing i dealt with before was a bad PSU at one point and that was it over the years.
Any help be muchly appreciated.

I accepted a stacked delivery with two orders.
Turned out the orders were both for the same person, from the same restaurant. (First time I've experienced that.)
So, I got to the restaurant to pick up the orders and the guy hands me one order. I show him the app with the same name twice, to pick up from his location, he looks at it and says, "Oh, that pizza order is next door".
Okay, the other order pickup is next door, for the same person...makes sense, even though the app listed only one restaurant. So, I go next door and they have the pizza, I mark it picked up and head to the delivery.
I get to the delivery address, (Yes, it was the correct address.) put the food at the door, take a pic and mark delivered. The app finalizes it and shows me the total amount I made. Fine, I continue on my way.
I get about a mile away from the delivery and receive a phone call from a Doordash customer with a name that was not the name I delivered to, and he says I delivered his order to the wrong house. I gave him the address I delivered to to verify, and he says "No, that's not even close, I live about 3 miles away". I told him that I can only deliver to the address on the app.
Turns out that according to him, his part of the order was the pizza, and the other part was for the person I delivered to. He was pissed off, and I don't blame him, but I only had the information on the app.
Next thing I know I see a contract violation stating that I never delivered the order and never tried contacting the customer. Of course I messaged Doordash and tried to explain what the problem was, but I haven't heard back from them.
Anyway, this is my first one in over 2000 deliveries. I'm not going to sweat it, but that app sure has it's problems, and forcing me into a contract violation is something I'm not too happy about. At least I got paid though.

I would need someone from the mozilla team to explain how is this "protecting my privacy"
Taken from: https://accounts.firefox.com/en/legal/privacy
In this Privacy Notice, we explain what data Firefox shares and point you to settings to share even less. We also adhere to the practices outlined in the Mozilla privacy policy for how we receive, handle and share information we collect from Firefox. Firefox by default shares data to: Improve performance and stability for users everywhere {: #health-report }
Interaction data: Firefox sends data about your interactions with Firefox to us (such as number of open tabs and windows; number of webpages visited; number and type of installed Firefox Add-ons; and session length) and Firefox features offered by Mozilla or our partners (such as interaction with Firefox search features and search partner referrals).
Technical data: Firefox sends data about your Firefox version and language; device operating system and hardware configuration; memory, basic information about crashes and errors; outcome of automated processes like updates, safebrowsing, and activation to us. When Firefox sends data to us, your IP address is temporarily collected as part of our server logs.
You can perform searches directly from several places in Firefox, including the Awesome Bar, Search Bar, or on a New Tab. We receive data about how you engage with search in Firefox and the number of searches you request from our search partners.
Location data: When you first use Firefox, it uses your IP address to set your default search provider based on your country. Learn more.
Search queries: Firefox by default sends search queries to your search provider to help you discover common phrases other people have searched for and improve your search experience if your selected search provider supports search suggestions. Learn more, including how to disable this feature. Links to our default search providers are: Google Microsoft (Bing)
If you enable "Improve the Firefox Suggest Experience," we and our partners may also receive your search queries. Learn more below.
Location data: Firefox uses your IP address to suggest relevant content based on your country and state.
Technical & Interaction data: Firefox sends us data such as the position, size and placement of content we suggest, as well as basic data about your interactions with content. This includes the number of times content is displayed or clicked.
Pocket Recommendations: We recommend content to you based on your browsing history, language, and country location. The process of deciding which stories you should see based on your browsing history happens locally in your copy of Firefox, and neither Mozilla nor Pocket receives a copy of your browsing history. To help you see relevant Pocket Recommendations based on your location, Firefox shares your language and country location with Pocket.
Mozilla and Pocket receive aggregated data about the recommendations you see and click. We also share aggregated data about the sponsored content you see and click with our third-party ad platform Adzerk so advertisers can see how many people click on their articles. This aggregated data does not identify you personally. (*yes, sure.. I add*)
Top Sites: When you click on a Sponsored Top Sites tile on New Tab, we share your country, region, county (if you're in the US), the tile you clicked, and the time you clicked with AdMarketplace (a third-party referral platform) to verify you navigated to the website. Firefox does not share your IP address or any other information that could be used to identify you.
Add-on and Feature Recommendations: We recommend Add-ons in two places: the Manage Your Extensions Page (about:addons) and the Awesome Bar, where you search or type in URLs. We may also recommend Firefox Features in the Awesome Bar. We base the recommendations in about:addons on a cookie. We base the recommendations in the Awesome Bar on your interaction with Firefox. Mozilla does not receive your browser history. The process happens locally in your own computer’s copy of Firefox. Learn More about Awesome Bar recommendations or Extensions Page recommendations.
This is all by default when a user installs this VERY popular browser, being it popular mostly because its "privacy" claims. Can anyone from mozilla come here and explain how is that mozilla claims "we believe that privacy is fundamental to a healthy internet." ? and then proceed to tell me that I can "share even less" ?

Company: MongoDB
Location: Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Canada Cayman Islands Costa Rica Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Montserrat Nicaragua Panama Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. 📍
Date Posted: June 06, 2023 📅
Apply & Description 👉 https://jobboardsearch.com/redirect?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot&utm_id=jobboarsearch&utm_term=himalayas.app&rurl=aHR0cHM6Ly9oaW1hbGF5YXMuYXBwL2NvbXBhbmllcy9tb25nb2RiL2pvYnMvc3RhZmYtcHJvZHVjdC1tYXJrZXRpbmctbWFuYWdlcg==

>**What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.**
* Clip Studio Paint, I have a screen drawing tablet that I use. Possibly Adobe Photoshop or AfterEffects in the future. Final Fantasy XIV, fairly heavily modded.
>**What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?**
* Absolute max currently is about $800.
>**When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.**
* Ideally as soon as possible.
>**What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc\)**
* Only inner components.
>**Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?**
* South Carolina, USA. No access to Microcenter.
>**If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.**
* Windows 10 Home 22H2CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700F CPU @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHzMotherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co, B365 HD3RAM: 16GB BL8G30C15U4R.M8FE1HDD: WDC WD10EZEX-08WN4A0D: Size 931GBFree 931GBSSD: ADATA SX8100NPC: Size 476GBFree 21GBGPU: NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER
Tower, two HP monitors, keyboard, and mouse.
>**Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?**
*No.
>**Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)**
* Large storage.
>**Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?**
* N/A
>**Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?**
* No.
>**Extra info or particulars:**
FFXIV occasionally crashes, and sometimes my computer bluescreens, it will also refuse to boot while taking me to BIOs whenever i try. When it reboots after the crash, the VGA error light comes on for a moment and then the boot error light says on until it boots it goes straight to bios until i restart it. Let me know if you need any more info, thanks in advance!!

Joel wasn't an uncommon kind of man. He would occasionally immerse himself in conspiracy theories, driven by his insatiable curiosity about past events. However, there came a time when he delved a little too deeply, causing a profound shift in our world that can never be reversed.
(3 weeks prior)
"Hey kid. Have you heard of something called the Minor Awareness?" Joel asked.
"No, I haven't come across anything remotely similar to that. What kind of conspiracy theory have you stumbled upon, sir?" I questioned.
"Well, to put it simply, there's a belief that there are individuals in our world who are born with knowledge encompassing all of human existence, yet they never feel compelled to share this information with others."
"Well, that's quite an outlandish notion. It's hard to believe that people with such profound knowledge would keep it to themselves. Are you suggesting that these individuals are somehow controlled from birth, manipulated by a higher power?"
"I don't have all the details, just the overarching concept. It's said that those born with this knowledge possess the ability to tap into supernatural forces that can manipulate our reality, for better or worse."
"I'm not sure how to react to this. You usually present logical theories, but this one seems to lack a clear purpose or significance. Even if it were somehow true, how would it negatively impact my life?"
“You clearly didn’t understand the magnitude of what I’ve said, I hope one day you do before it’s all too late.”
I never really understood what he meant until it was all too late just as he once said it would be. Joel was a choir teacher at my high school, he was driven by a passion to teach others, wether it was through music, theories, or established science articles.
Occasionally, he would invite me over for weekends to hang out and discuss life. In a way, I felt like the grandchild he never had, and our dynamic worked perfectly. However, one particular night, his mood took an uneasy turn. I could sense the unease radiating from him, which in turn made me feel unsettled.
After some trial and error, he finally opened up to me about a secret he had been keeping from me for a while.
"Look, Adrian, I haven't been completely honest with you about the extent of my involvement in the world of conspiracies and ancient history. Why don't you take a look in my basement? It's on the far left side of my house."
Taking a deep breath, I walked down the staircase. The basement appeared to be like any other until I turned the corner and discovered a vast collection of ancient texts, artifacts, and even jewels. Most of them seemed to be related to the Amazonian culture. I was in awe. I couldn't believe Joel had amassed such a significant collection that correlated with all of his theories. Before I could delve into the details, I heard a voice behind me.
"Isn't it fascinating? I had intended to show you all of this after you graduated, but it seems time is running short for us."
"I have so many questions, but my first one is, how did you manage to acquire all of these things?"
"With time, dedication, and, most importantly, curiosity, you can achieve a lot. I know you have many questions, but I encourage you to read through this journey tonight. Everything will become much clearer."
That night, filled with anticipation, I hurried home and delved into the pages of that aged and worn journey. It quickly became evident that Joel had been faithfully documenting his experiences in this journal for a significant period of time. The entries contained vivid descriptions of numerous expeditions he undertook, including visits to exotic locations like the Amazon rainforest, Egypt, and remote tribal areas across the globe.
I understand if you approach this with skepticism, but let me assure you that the precise dates, specific times, and intricate details portrayed in the journal appeared unquestionably authentic, leaving little room to doubt their veracity.
Just as I was about to delve deeper into the journal, a bird suddenly crashed into my window with a force that startled me. Filled with a mix of curiosity and unease, I cautiously ventured outside to investigate the commotion. What I encountered was a distressing scene—a lifeless pigeon, its head twisted and matted with blood.
The sight of this gruesome spectacle overwhelmed me, causing a surge of discomfort and disgust that nearly made me retch. However, amidst this unsettling sight, something caught my attention: there, fastened to the pigeon's leg, was a note.
"Your eyes have become vessels for darkness; I shall reclaim you once more, mortal."
These haunting words were ominously inscribed on the note, which was eerily affixed to the mangled leg of the lifeless pigeon. An overwhelming surge of the most dreadful emotions consumed me, causing my legs to give way beneath me, leaving me kneeling in a state of speechlessness and confusion. I was utterly clueless about the next course of action.
Doubts began to assail my mind. Had I unwittingly fallen victim to a cruel prank? Or had I stumbled upon something that was meant to remain hidden? Countless thoughts swirled through my consciousness, each one more unsettling than the last. Eventually, I resolved to meticulously analyze every page of the journal, determined to uncover the truth behind these disconcerting events.
I got back to my room and fast forwarded to the back in hopes that I’d find the knowledge necessary to understand this whole situation. And there it was, “the minor awareness”, titled on the top on the last page of this journal.
A brief summary of my findings reveals the existence of a phenomenon called the "minor awareness." It suggests that at any given moment, there are at least seven individuals in the world who possess the entirety of human history within their consciousness. These individuals have no inclination to share or disclose these details for others to discover. However, the reasons why others are aware of the "minor awareness" remain unknown.
As I delved further into my research, I uncovered the remarkable ability of these individuals to tap into supernatural forces. According to the information I came across, there are parallel worlds coexisting with our own, existing in a separate realm.
While we remain oblivious to their existence, those who possess the minor awareness are fully conscious of both our reality and these hidden realms. They possess the unique ability to perceive these realms continuously and even establish contact with beings capable of manipulating our world in various ways.
For a brief moment, I managed to momentarily set aside my fear and the unsettling events that had just occurred—the pigeon's untimely demise, which seemed to carry an ominous warning. However, my nerves quickly resurfaced, overpowering any sense of calm.
In this state, I realized my only recourse was to reach out to Joel, but my attempts to contact him proved futile as he failed to answer. Faced with this situation, I hastily gathered a pocket knife and some pepper spray, hastily preparing myself for a journey to his house.
As I arrived at Joel's house, my hands trembled uncontrollably, engulfed by fear that left me in a state of shock. Doubts plagued my mind, questioning the reality of it all. Had the theories that had long fascinated me, hidden within the depths of my heart, now resurfaced as undeniable truths?
Gathering my courage, I stepped out of the car and pounded on his door with all my might. His car sat parked in the driveway, and all his belongings remained inside.
I continued to knock relentlessly for at least ten minutes until I decided to check under his doormat for a spare key. Although I didn't find a key, I discovered a note scattered with numbers, which I immediately recognized as a simple riddle he had once taught me. It involved matching the numbers to corresponding letters of the alphabet to reveal words. Within a few minutes, I managed to decipher his message.
The note read, "window in the backyard is open."
I cautiously crawled into the house, only to find no sign of Joel's presence. There were no notes, no lights on—nothing. Even his phone rested on the counter, displaying my missed calls. It suddenly struck me that I should check the basement. Perhaps he was there or had left some clue to his whereabouts. However, as I descended the steps, a wave of regret washed over me.
I realized I shouldn't have entangled myself in a world I was never meant to be a part of. I yearned to remain ignorant of all these revelations. But my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by commotion coming from the left corner of the basement. I crouched down stealthily, trying to catch a glimpse of who was there. To my surprise, four individuals in purple robes were thoroughly examining Joel's discoveries.
Feeling a sense of danger, I slowly retreated, making my way back to the safety of my vehicle. As I drove away, a peculiar sight unfolded before me—countless neighborhood pets, cats and dogs alike, gathered in front of my car, fixating their gaze upon me. It was clear that the unusual experiences I had encountered would not leave me unscathed.
I failed to mention earlier that I had kept the journal with me at all times, fearing that someone might come after it. Shortly after my departure from the basement, I arrived home only to discover that my front door was wide open, indicating a break-in. Anger surged through me, and with desperation, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "What the fuck do you want from me?!" I repeated this plea several times, and then proceeded to search every room of my house, meticulously examining every minor detail.
As I moved through the rooms, a trickle of blood caught my attention, seeping through the crack under my bedroom door. My heart raced with anxiety as I anxiously swung the door open, only to collapse in shock and heartbreak. There, lying before me, were the lifeless bodies of both my parents. In my father's hand, he clutched a vial of an unfamiliar drug, while my mother lay beside him, whispering her final words in a pained whimper.
"They made me do it," she cried, her voice barely audible.
"Mom! Everything will be okay. I'm going to call an ambulance! Please don't worry, Mom!" I sobbed uncontrollably, trying to console her.
"I love you, son. Leave. They'll frame you for our deaths. There's a suitcase filled with money under our bed frame. Run, my baby. Everything will be okay. I promise." Her tear-filled eyes expressed her love for me as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness and passed away in my arms.
Overwhelmed with hatred and heartbreak, my spirit engulfed, I made a solemn vow to survive—for the sake of my mother, even if my own will had waned.
I sped down the state highway, my belongings in tow, heading towards a camping site where my friends and I had always found solace. Throughout the journey, I couldn't help but unleash a torrent of curses directed at Joel, blaming him for entangling me in a world that had shattered my own. Emotions of various shades overwhelmed me, but above all, a thread of intense hatred consumed me for whatever forces were responsible for my parents' deaths.
Upon reaching the camping site, I secured my German Shepherd, using him as an alert system to ward off any unwanted guests. As a sense of safety gradually seeped back into my veins, my dog locked eyes with me, his gaze penetrating deep within, leaving me with an unsettling mix of confusion, fear, and hatred—a conscience devoid of clarity.
In a sudden turn of events, my dog's gaze broke, and once again, a pigeon descended, delivering a note. It read, "In the shadows, they sleep. In the darkness, they keep. In my view, you will sleep."

Does anyone know anything about this codes or how to fix them

>**What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.**
I play Fortnite, LoL and want to play APEX as well as CoD then stream
>**What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?**
$2500 - $3000 AUD
>**When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.**
In a week time
>**What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc\)**
Everything except mouse, keyboard, headset and OS
>**Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?**
Australia, Sydney , NSW
>**If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.**
Windows 10 OS, dell dock, mouse, keyboard, headset and HP monitors
>**Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?**
No
>**Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)**
Prefer a large storage around 2TB
>**Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?**
No preference
>**Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?**
No need