European wax center coral springs reviews
Short story about bad times & bad jobs
2023.06.03 15:38 obeliskposture Short story about bad times & bad jobs
I've shared fiction here before and it didn't go altogether too poorly, so I'm going to press my luck and do it again. This was written about a year ago, and I'm tired of trying to peddle it to lit magazines. Might as well share it here, know that it met a few eyeballs, and have done with it.
It's relevant to the sub insofar as it's about urban alienation and the working conditions at a small business run by IN THIS HOUSE WE BELIEVE people. (I tried to pitch it as a story of the great resignation with a momentary flicker of cosmic horror.) It's based on a similar job I took on after getting laid off during the lockdown, and the circumstances of the main character's breakup are faintly similar to one I went through several years back (her job sucked the life out of her).
Without further ado:
* * *
It was getting close to midnight, and the temperature outside was still above 80 degrees. We’d locked up the shop at 10:15 and walked over to Twenty, the dive bar on Poplar Street, where a single wall-mounted air conditioner and four wobbly ceiling fans weren’t putting up much resistance against the July heat baking the place from the outside and the dense mass of bodies giving it a stifling fever from within.
Just now I came close to saying it was a Wednesday night, because that was usually when the cyclists descended upon Avenue Brew, the gritty-but-bougie craft beer and sandwich shop I was working at back then. Every Wednesday between March and November, about fifteen to twenty-five Gen Xers dressed in skintight polyester, all packages and camel toes and fanny packs, locked up their thousand-dollar bikes on the sidewalk and lined up for IPAs and paninis. They reliably arrived around 8:00, an hour before we closed, making it impossible to get started on the closing checklist and leave on time at 10:00. The worst of them were demanding and rude, and even the best got raucous and stubborn after a couple drinks. There were nights when bringing in the sidewalk tables couldn’t be done without arguing with them. Most were sub-par tippers, to boot.
After Wednesday came and went that week without so much as a single 40-something in Ray Bans and padded shorts stopping in to double-fist two cans of Jai Alai, we dared to hope the cyclists had chosen another spot to be their finish line from there on out. But no—they’d only postponed their weekly ride, and swarmed us on Friday night instead.
I was the last person to find out; I was clocked in as purchaser that evening. The position was something like a promotion I'd received a year earlier: for twenty hours a week, I got to retreat from the public and sit in the back room with the store laptop, reviewing sales and inventory, answering emails from brewery reps, and ordering beer, beverages, and assorted paper goods. When I put in hours as purchaser, my wage went up from $11 to $15 an hour, but I was removed from the tip pool. On most days, tips amounted to an extra two or three dollars an hour, so I usually came out ahead.
This was back in 2021. I don't know what Avenue Brew pays these days.
Anyway, at about 8:15, I stepped out to say goodbye to everyone and found the shop in chaos. Friday nights were generally pretty active, the cyclists' arrival had turned the place into a mob scene. The line extended to the front door. The phone was ringing. The Grubhub tablet dinged like an alarm clock without a snooze button. Danny was on the sandwich line and on the verge of losing his temper. Oliver was working up a sweat running food, bussing tables, and replenishing ingredients from the walk-in. The unflappable Marina was on register, and even she seemed like she was about to snap at somebody.
What else could I do? I stayed until closing to answer the phone, process Grubhub orders, hop on and off the second register, and help Danny with sandwich prep. After the tills were counted out, I stayed another hour to take care of the dishes, since nobody had a chance to do a first load. Oliver was grateful, even though he grumbled about having to make some calls and rearrange Sunday's schedule so I could come in a couple hours late. Irene and Jeremy, Avenue Brew's owners, would kick his ass if he let me go into overtime.
Danny suggested that we deserved a few drinks ourselves after managing to get through the shift without killing anyone. Not even Marina could find a reason to disagree with him.
The neighborhood had undergone enough gentrification to support an upscale brunch spot, an ice cream parlor, a gourmet burger restaurant, a coffee and bahn mi shop, and Avenue Brew (to name a few examples), but not yet quite enough that the people who staffed them couldn’t afford to live within a ten-minute walk from the main avenue where all these hep eateries stood between 24-hour corner stores with slot machines in back, late-night Chinese and Mexico-Italian takeout joints with bulletproof glass at the counters, and long-shuttered delis and shoe stores. Twenty on Poplar was the watering hole set aside for people like us. It was dim, a bit dilapidated, and inexpensive, and usually avoided by denizens of the condos popping up on the vacant lots and replacing clusters of abandoned row houses.
When we arrived, Kyle waved us over. He didn’t work at Avenue Brew anymore, but still kept up with a few of us. He was at Twenty at least four nights out of the week.
So there we all were. I sat with a brooding stranger freestyling to himself in a low mumble on the stool to my left and Oliver on my right, who tapped at his phone and nursed a bottle of Twisted Tea. To Oliver’s right sat Marina, staring at nothing in particular and trying to ignore Danny, who stood behind her, closer than she would have liked, listening to Kyle explain the crucial differences between the Invincible comic book and the Invincible web series.
I recall being startled back to something like wakefulness when it seemed to me that the ceiling had sprouted a new fan. I blinked my eyes, and it wasn’t there anymore. It reminded me of an incident from when I was still living with my folks in South Jersey and still had a car, and was driving home from a friend’s house party up in Bergen County. It was 6:30 AM, I hadn’t slept all night, and needed to get home so I could get at least little shuteye before heading to Whole Foods for my 11:00 AM shift. I imagined I passed beneath the shadows of overpasses I knew weren’t there, and realized I was dreaming at the wheel.
I was pretty thoroughly zombified at that point. Heather and I had broken up for good the night before, and I hadn't gotten even a minute of sleep. Calling out at Avenue Brew was tough. Unless you found someone willing to cover your shift on like six hours' notice, you were liable to get a writeup, a demotion, or your hours cut if you couldn't produce a doctor's note. So I loaded up on caffeine pills and Five-Hour Energy bottles at the corner store, and powered through as best I could.
I finished the last thimbleful of Blue Moon in my glass. Oliver wiped the sweat from the back of his neck with a napkin and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh at the KiwiFarms thread he was scrolling through. Pool balls clacked; somebody swore and somebody laughed. The TouchTunes box was playing Bob Dylan’s “Rain Day Woman #12 & 35,” and enough bleary 40-something men around the bar were bobbing their heads and mouthing the words to make it impossible to determine which one of them paid two bucks to hear it. A guy by the cigarette machine who looked like a caricature of Art Carney in flannel and an old Pixies T-shirt was accosting a woman who must have been a toddler when he hit drinking age, and she momentarily made eye contact with me as she scanned the area for a way out. Danny was shouting over the bartender’s head, carrying on a conversation with the Hot Guy from Pizza Stan’s, who was sitting on the horseshoe’s opposite arm.
I never got his name, but when Oliver first referred to him as the Hot Guy from Pizza Stan’s, I knew exactly who he meant. Philly scene kid par excellence. Mid-20s, washed-out black denim, dyed black hair, thick bangs, and dark, gentle eyes. He was only truly alluring when he was on the job, because he seldom smiled then—and when he smiled, he broke the spell by exposing his teeth, stained a gnarly shade of mahogany from too much smoking and not enough brushing.
“How’s Best? Marcus still a joker?” Danny asked him.
“Yeah, you know Marcus. You know how he is.”
So the Hot Guy had been working at Best Burger (directly across the street from Avenue Brew) ever since Pizza Stan’s owners mismanaged the place unto insolvency. (Afterwards it was renovated and reopened as a vegan bakery—which incidentally closed down about a month ago.) Danny used to work at Best Burger, but that ended after he got into a shouting match with the owner. I happened to overhear it while I was dragging in the tables and collecting the chairs from the sidewalk the night it happened. It wasn’t any of my business, and I tried not to pay attention, but they were really tearing into each other. A month later, Oliver welcomed Danny aboard at Avenue Brew. I hadn’t known he’d been interviewed, and by then it was too late to mention the incident. But I’d have been a hypocrite to call it a red flag after the way I resigned from my position as Café Chakra's assistant manager two years earlier—not that we need to go dredging that up right now. Let's say there was some bad blood and leave it at that.
Anyway, I was thinking about giving in and buying a pack of cigarettes from the machine—and then remembered that Twenty didn’t have a cigarette machine. I looked again. The Art Carney-lookalike was still there, fingering his phone with a frown, but the girl was gone—and so was the cigarette machine.
I had only a moment to puzzle over this before Danny clapped me on the shoulder and thrust a shot glass in front of me.
“Starfish!” he said. (Danny called me Starfish. Everybody else called me Pat.) “You look like you need some juice.”
He distributed shots to everyone else. Marina declined hers, but changed her mind when Kyle offered to take it instead.
She and Kyle had stopped sleeping together after Kyle left Avenue Brew to work at the Victory taproom on the Parkway, but Marina was still concerned about his bad habits, which Danny delighted in encouraging.
We all leaned in to clink our glasses. Before I could find an appropriate moment to ask Marina if I could bum a cigarette, she got up to visit the bathroom. Danny took her seat and bowed his head for a conspiratorial word with Kyle.
I watched from the corner of my eye and tried to listen in. Like Marina, I was a little worried about Kyle. He got hired at Avenue Brew around the same time I did, just before the pandemic temporarily turned us into a takeout joint. He was a senior at Drexel then, an English major, and sometimes talked about wanting to either find work in publishing or carve out a career as a freelance writer after graduating. But first he intended to spend a year getting some life in before submitting himself to the forever grind.
He read a lot of Charles Bukowski and Hunter Thompson. He relished the gritty and sordid, and had already been good at sniffing it out around the neighborhood and in West Philly before Danny introduced him to cocaine, casinos, strip clubs, and a rogue’s gallery of shady but fascinating people. (None were really Danny’s friends; just fellow passengers who intersected with the part of his life where he sometimes went to Parx, sometimes came out ahead, sometimes spent his winnings on coke, and sometimes did bumps at titty bars.) Kyle recounted these adventures with a boyish enthusiasm for the naked reality of sleaze, like a middle schooler telling his locker room buddies about catching his older brother in flagrante and seeing so-and-so body parts doing such-and-such things.
Marina hated it. She never said as much to me, but she was afraid that the template Kyle set for his life during his “year off” was in danger of becoming locked in. The anniversary of his graduation had already passed, and now here he was trying to convince Danny to contribute a couple hundred dollars toward a sheet of acid his guy had for sale. He wasn't doing much writing lately.
I was the oldest employee at Avenue Brew (as I write this I’m 37, but fortunately I don’t look it), and when Kyle still worked with us I felt like it was my prerogative to give him some advice. The longer he waited to make inroads, I once told him, the more likely he’d be seen as damaged goods by the publishing world. He needed to jam his foot in the door while he was still young.
I could tell the conversation bored him, and didn’t bring up the subject again.
The bartender took my glass and curtly asked if I’d like another drink.
“No thanks, not yet,” I answered.
She slid me my bill.
I missed the old bartender, the one she’d replaced. I forget her name, but she was ingenuous and energetic and sweet. Pretty much everyone had some sort of crush on her. Sometimes she came into Avenue Brew for lunch, and tipped us as well as we tipped her. Maybe three months before that night—Danny witnessed it—she suddenly started crying and rushed out the door. Everyone at the bar mutely looked to each other for an explanation. (Fortunately for Twenty, the kitchen manager hadn’t left yet, and picked up the rest of her shift.)
She never came back. None of us had seen her since. But drafts still had to be poured and bottlecaps pulled off, and now here was another white woman in her mid-twenties wearing a black tank top, a pushup bra, and a scrunchie, same as before. Twenty’s regulars grew accustomed to not expecting to see the person she’d replaced, and life went on.
“How’re you doing?” I asked Oliver, just to say something to somebody, and to keep my thoughts from wandering back to Heather.
“Just kind of existing right now,” he answered. His phone lay face-up on the counter. He was swiping through Instagram, and I recognized the avatar of the user whose album he hate-browsed.
“And how’s Austin been?” I asked.
“Oh, you know. Not even three weeks after getting over the jetlag from his trip back from the Cascades, he’s off touring Ireland.” He shook his head. “Living his best life.”
He’d hired Austin on a part-time basis in September. We needed a new associate when Emma was promoted to replace a supervisor who'd quit without even giving his two weeks. There was a whole thing. I'm having a hard time recalling the guy's name, but I liked him well enough. He was a good worker and he seemed like a bright kid, but he was—well, he was young. Naïve. One day he found Jeremy sitting in the back room with his laptop, and took advantage of the open-door policy to ask why the store manager and supervisors didn’t get health benefits or paid time off. Jeremy told him it "was being worked on," and that he couldn’t discuss it any further at that time. I understand the kid got argumentative, though I never knew precisely what was said.
Irene started visiting the shop a lot more often after that, almost always arriving when the kid was working. No matter what he was doing, she’d find a reason to intervene, to micromanage and harangue him, and effectively make his job impossible. A coincidence, surely.
It’s something I still think about. By any metric, Jeremy and Irene have done very well for themselves. They’re both a little over 40 years old. I remember hearing they met at law school. In addition to Avenue Brew, they own a bistro in Francisville and an ice cream parlor in Point Breeze. They have a house on the Blue Line, send their son to a Montessori school, and pull up to their businesses in a white Volkswagen ID.4. But whenever the subject of benefits, wages, or even free shift meals came up, they pled poverty. It simply couldn’t be done. But they liked to remind us about all they did to make Avenue Brew a fun place to work, like let the staff pick the music and allow Oliver and me to conduct a beer tasting once a day. They stuck Black Lives Matter, Believe Women, and Progress flag decals on the front door and windows, and I remember Irene wearing a Black Trans Lives Matter shirt once or twice when covering a supervisor's shift. None of the college students or recent graduates who composed most of Avenue Brew's staff could say the bosses weren't on the right team. And yet...
I'm sorry—I was talking about Austin. He was maybe 30 and already had another job, a “real” job, some sort of remote gig lucrative enough for him to make rent on a studio in the picturesque Episcopal church down the street that had been converted into upscale apartments some years back. Austin wasn’t looking for extra cash. He wanted to socialize. To have something to do and people to talk to in the outside world. He wanted to make friends, and all of us could appreciate that—but it’s hard to be fond of a coworker who irredeemably sucks at his job. Austin never acted with any urgency, was inattentive to detail, and even after repeated interventions from Oliver and the supervisors, he continued to perform basic tasks in bafflingly inefficient ways. Having Austin on your shift meant carrying his slack, and everyone was fed up after a few months. Oliver sat him down, told him he was on thin ice, and gave him a list of the areas in which he needed to improve if he didn’t want to be let go.
When Austin gave Oliver the indignant “I don’t need this job” speech, it was different from those times Danny or I told a boss to go to hell and walked out. Austin truly didn’t need it. He basically said the job was beneath him, and so was Oliver.
It got deep under Oliver’s skin. He did need the job and had to take it seriously, even when it meant being the dipshit manager chewing out a man four or five years his senior. He earned $18 an hour (plus tips when he wasn’t doing admin work), had debts to pay off, and couldn't expect to get any help from his family.
The important thing, though, the part I distinctly remember, was that Oliver was looking at a video of a wading bird Austin had recorded. An egret, maybe. White feathers, long black legs, pointy black beak. Austin must have been standing on a ledge above a creek, because he had an overhead view of the bird as it stood in the water, slowly and deliberately stretching and retracting its neck, eyeing the wriggling little shadows below. As far as the fish could know, they were swimming around a pair of reeds growing out of the silt. The predator from which they extended was of a world beyond their understanding and out of their reach.
The video ended. Oliver moved on to the next item: a photograph of the bird from the same perspective, with a fish clamped in its beak. Water droplets flung from the victim's thrashing tail caught the sunlight. And I remember now, I clearly remember, the shapes of like twelve other fish stupidly milling about the bird's feet, unperturbed and unpanicked.
Danny peered at Oliver’s phone and observed a resemblance between the bird—its shape and bearing, and the composition of the photograph—and a POV porn video shot from behind and above, and he told us so. Elaborately. He made squawking noises.
“And mom says I’m a degenerate,” Oliver sighed. “Can you practice your interspecies pickup artist shit somewhere else?” Oliver flicked his wrist, shooing Danny off, and held his phone in front of his face to signal that he was done talking.
Danny sagged a little on his stool and turned away. I sometimes felt bad for him. For all his faults, he had the heart of a puppy dog. He really did think of us as his tribe. There was nobody else who’d only ever answer “yes” when you asked him to pick up a shift, and he did it completely out of loyalty.
He was turning 29 in a week. I wondered how many people would actually turn out to celebrate with him at the Black Taxi. Kyle probably would—but even he regarded Danny more as a source of vulgar entertainment than a friend.
Then it happened again. When I turned to speak to Oliver, there’d been a pair of pool cues leaning side-by-side against the wall a few stools down. Now they were gone.
This time it might have been my imagination. Somebody passing by could have casually snatched them up and kept walking.
But a moment later I seemed to notice a second TouchTunes box protruding from the wall directly behind me. I let it be.
Marina returned from the bathroom. Danny rose and offered her back her seat with an exaggerated bow. Before she got settled, I asked if she’d like to step outside with me. She withdrew her pack of Marlboro Menthols from her canvas bag, which she left sitting on the stool to deter Danny from sitting back down.
Marina never minded letting me bum cigarettes from time to time. I couldn’t buy them for myself anymore; it’s a habit I could never keep under control, and was only getting more expensive. Like everything else in the world. About once a month I reimbursed her by buying her a pack.
The air out on the sidewalk was as hot as the air inside Twenty, but easier to breathe. After lighting up, Marina leaned against the bricks and sighed.
“I wish Oliver would fire Danny already and get it over with.”
I nodded. Marina rarely talked about anything but work.
“He sneaks drinks and doesn't think anyone notices he's buzzed,” she went on. “He steals so much shit and isn’t even a little subtle about it. He’s going to get Oliver in trouble. And he’s a creep.”
“Yeah,” I said. These were her usual complaints about Danny, and they were all true. “At least he’s better than Austin.”
“That’s a low bar.”
Three dirt bikes and an ATV roared down the lonely street, charging through stop sign after stop sign, putting our talk on hold.
“Remind me. You’ve got one semester left, right?” I asked after the noise ebbed.
“Yep.”
Marina was a marketing major at Temple. She’d had an internship during the spring semester, and her boss told her to give her a call the very minute she graduated. Her parents in central Pennsylvania couldn’t pay her rent or tuition for her, so she was a full-time student and a full-time employee at Avenue Brew. Her emotional spectrum ranged from "tired" to "over it." She’d been waiting tables and working at coffee shops since she was seventeen, had no intention of continuing for even a day longer than she had to, and feared the escape hatch would slam shut if she dallied too long after prying it open.
She’d considered majoring in English, like Kyle. She went for marketing instead. I couldn’t blame her.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You’ve been kind of off all day.”
“I’m terrible.”
“Why?”
I gave dodgy answers, but she asked precisely the right follow-up questions to get me going about what happened with Heather the night before.
It was the new job. Before the pandemic, Heather worked as a server at a Center City bar and grill. (That's where I met her; we were coworkers for about a year, and then I left to work Café Chakra because it was quieter and closer to where I lived.) When the place closed its doors and laid everyone off during the lockdown, she got a stopgap job at the Acme on Passyunk, and hated it. Then in March, she found a bar-and-lounge gig in a ritzy hotel on Broad Street. Very corporate. Excellent pay, great benefits. Definitely a step up. But her new employers made Irene and Jeremy look like Bob and Linda Belcher by comparison. It was the kind of place where someone had recently gotten herself fired for leaving work to rush to the hospital after getting the news that her grandmother was about to be taken off life support, and not finding someone to come in and cover the last two hours of her shift.
Heather seldom worked fewer than fifty-five hours a week, and her schedule was even more erratic than mine. At least once a week she left the hotel at 1:00 or 2:00 AM and returned at 9:00 the next morning. Neither of us could remember the last time she’d had two consecutive days off, and it had been over a month since one of mine overlapped with one of hers. She’d spent it drinking alone at home. All she wanted was some privacy.
I’d biked to South Philly to meet her when she got home at 1:30. The argument that killed our relationship for good began around 2:30, when I complained that we never had sex anymore. Heather accused me of only caring about that, when she was so exhausted and stressed that her hair was falling out in the shower. Quit the job? She couldn’t quit. The money was too good. She had student loans, medical bills, and credit card debt, and for the first time in her life she could imagine paying it all off before hitting menopause.
So, yeah, I was cranky about our sex life being dead in the water. Say whatever you like. But at that point, what were we to each other? We did nothing together anymore but complain about work before one or both of us fell asleep. That isn’t a relationship.
She said my hair always smelled like sandwiches, even after bathing, and she was done pretending it didn’t turn her off. I told her she was one to talk—she always reeked of liquor. As things escalated, we stopped caring if her roommates heard us. “You want to be a father?” she shouted around 4:00 AM. “Making what you make? That poor fucking kid.”
We fought until sunrise, and I left her apartment with the understanding that I wouldn’t be coming back, wouldn’t be calling her ever again. I biked home and sat on the steps facing the cement panel that was my house’s backyard. After my phone died and I couldn’t anaesthetize myself with dumb YouTube videos or make myself feel crazy staring at the download button for the Tinder app, I watched the sparrows hopping on and off the utility lines for a while.
At 11:40 I went inside. One of my roommates was already in the shower, so the best I could do was put on a clean Avenue Brew T-shirt before walking to the shop and clocking in at noon to help deal with the lunch rush.
“That’s a lot,” Marina finally said. “Sorry.”
I don’t know what I was expecting her to say. She was sixteen years my junior, after all, and just a coworker. She didn’t need to hear any of this, and I definitely didn't need to be telling her. But who else was there to tell?
She’d already finished her cigarette. I still had a few puffs left. She went inside.
I decided to call it a night.
The second TouchTunes box was gone—naturally. Danny had taken my stool, and regarded my approach with a puckish you snooze you lose grin. I wasn’t going to say anything. I’d just pay my bill, give everyone a nod goodnight, and walk the five blocks back home.
And then Danny disappeared.
One second, he was there. The next—gone.
Danny didn’t just instantaneously vanish. Even when something happens in the blink of an eye, you can still put together something of a sequence. I saw him—I seemed to see him—falling into himself, collapsing to a point, and then to nothing.
You know how sometimes a sound is altogether inaudible unless you’re looking at the source—like when you don’t realize somebody’s whispering at you, and can then hear and understand them after they get your attention? I think that was the case here. I wouldn't have known to listen if I hadn't seen it happen. What I heard lingered for two, maybe three seconds, and wasn't any louder than a fly buzzing inside a lampshade. A tiny and impossibly distant scream, pitchshifted like a receding ambulance siren into a basso drone...
I don’t know. I don’t know for sure. I’m certain I remember a flash of red, and I have the idea of Danny’s trunk expanding, opening up as it imploded. A crimson flower, flecked white, with spooling pink stalks—and Danny’s wide-eyed face above it, drawn twisting and shrinking into its petals.
For an instant, Twenty’s interior shimmered. Not shimmered, exactly—glitched would be a better word. If you’re old enough to remember the fragmented graphics that sometimes flashed onscreen when you turned on the Nintendo without blowing on the cartridge, you’ll have an idea of what I mean. It happened much too fast, and there was too much of it to absorb. The one clear impression I could parse was the mirage of a cash register flickering upside-down above the pool table.
Not a cash register. The shape was familiar, but the texture was wrong. I think it was ribbed, sort of like a maggot. I think it glistened. Like—camo doesn’t work anymore when the wearer stops crouching behind a bush and breaks into a run. Do you get what I’m saying?
Nobody else seemed to notice. The pool balls clacked. A New Order track was playing on the TouchTunes box. A nearby argument about about Nick Sirianni continued unabated.
Finally, there was a downward rush of air—and this at least elicited a reaction from the bartender, who slapped my bill to keep it from sailing off the counter.
“Danny,” I said.
“Danny?” Kyle asked me quietly. His face had gone pale.
“Danny?” Oliver repeated in a faraway voice.
After a pause, Kyle blinked a few times. “You heard from him?”
“God forbid,” said Marina. “When he quit I was like, great, I can keep working here after all.”
“Oh, come on—”
“Kyle. Did I ever show you those texts he sent me once at three in the morning?” The color had returned to Oliver’s face.
“No, what did he say?”
Oliver tapped at his phone and turned the screen toward Kyle.
“Oh. Oh, jeez.”
“Right? Like—if you want to ask me something, ask me. You know? Don’t be weirdly accusatory about it…”
I pulled a wad of fives and ones from my pocket, threw it all onto the counter, and beelined for the exit without consideration for the people I squeezed through and shoved past on the way.
I heard Marina saying “let him go.”
I went a second consecutive night without sleep. Fortunately I wasn’t scheduled to come in the next day.
The schedule. It’s funny. Oliver was generally great at his job, and even when he wasn’t, I cut him a lot of slack because I knew Irene and Jeremy never gave him a moment’s peace. But I could never forgive him those times he waited until the weekend to make up and distribute the schedule. This was one of those weeks he didn’t get around to it until Saturday afternoon. When I found it in my inbox, Danny’s name wasn’t anywhere on it.
As far as I know, nobody who hadn’t been at Twenty that night asked what happened to him. We were a bit overstaffed as it was, and everyone probably assumed Danny was slated for the chopping block. The part-timers were, for the most part, happy to get a few additional hours.
Oliver abruptly quit around Labor Day after a final acrimonious clash with the owners. I never found out the details, and I never saw him again. Jeremy and Irene took turns minding the store while a replacement manager was sought. None of the supervisors would be pressured into taking the job; they knew from Oliver what they could expect.
About three weeks after Oliver left, I came in for my purchasing shift and found Jeremy waiting for me in the back room. I knew it was serious when he didn’t greet me with the awkward fist-bump he ordinarily required of his male employees.
“You’ve seen the numbers,” he said. Business for the summer had fallen short of expectations, it was true, and he and Irene had decided to rein in payroll expenses. My purchaser position was being eliminated. Its responsibilities would be redistributed among the supervisors and the new manager, when one was found. In the meantime, I'd be going back to the regular $11 an hour (plus tips of course) associate position full-time.
Jeremy assured me I'd be first in the running for supervisor the next time there was an opening.
I told him it was fine, I was done, and if he’d expected the courtesy of two weeks’ notice, he shouldn’t have blindsided me like that.
“Well, that’s your choice,” he answered, trying not to look pleased. His payroll problem was solving itself.
I racked up credit card debt for a few months. Applied for entry-level museum jobs that might appreciate my art history degree. Aimed for some purchasing and administrative assistant gigs, and just for the hell of it, turned in a resume for a facilitator position at an after-school art program. Got a few interviews. All of them eventually told me they’d decided to go in a different direction. I finally got hired to bartend at Hops from Underground, a microbrewery on Fairmount.
I’m still there. The money’s okay, but it fluctuates. Hours are reasonable. I’m on their high-deductible health plan. There’s a coworker I’ve been dating. Sort of dating. You know how it goes. In this line of work you get so used to people coming and going that you learn not to get too attached. I walk past Avenue Brew a few times a week, but stopped peering in through the window when I didn't recognize the people behind the counter anymore.
submitted by obeliskposture to stupidpol [link] [comments]
It's relevant to the sub insofar as it's about urban alienation and the working conditions at a small business run by IN THIS HOUSE WE BELIEVE people. (I tried to pitch it as a story of the great resignation with a momentary flicker of cosmic horror.) It's based on a similar job I took on after getting laid off during the lockdown, and the circumstances of the main character's breakup are faintly similar to one I went through several years back (her job sucked the life out of her).
Without further ado:
* * *
It was getting close to midnight, and the temperature outside was still above 80 degrees. We’d locked up the shop at 10:15 and walked over to Twenty, the dive bar on Poplar Street, where a single wall-mounted air conditioner and four wobbly ceiling fans weren’t putting up much resistance against the July heat baking the place from the outside and the dense mass of bodies giving it a stifling fever from within.
Just now I came close to saying it was a Wednesday night, because that was usually when the cyclists descended upon Avenue Brew, the gritty-but-bougie craft beer and sandwich shop I was working at back then. Every Wednesday between March and November, about fifteen to twenty-five Gen Xers dressed in skintight polyester, all packages and camel toes and fanny packs, locked up their thousand-dollar bikes on the sidewalk and lined up for IPAs and paninis. They reliably arrived around 8:00, an hour before we closed, making it impossible to get started on the closing checklist and leave on time at 10:00. The worst of them were demanding and rude, and even the best got raucous and stubborn after a couple drinks. There were nights when bringing in the sidewalk tables couldn’t be done without arguing with them. Most were sub-par tippers, to boot.
After Wednesday came and went that week without so much as a single 40-something in Ray Bans and padded shorts stopping in to double-fist two cans of Jai Alai, we dared to hope the cyclists had chosen another spot to be their finish line from there on out. But no—they’d only postponed their weekly ride, and swarmed us on Friday night instead.
I was the last person to find out; I was clocked in as purchaser that evening. The position was something like a promotion I'd received a year earlier: for twenty hours a week, I got to retreat from the public and sit in the back room with the store laptop, reviewing sales and inventory, answering emails from brewery reps, and ordering beer, beverages, and assorted paper goods. When I put in hours as purchaser, my wage went up from $11 to $15 an hour, but I was removed from the tip pool. On most days, tips amounted to an extra two or three dollars an hour, so I usually came out ahead.
This was back in 2021. I don't know what Avenue Brew pays these days.
Anyway, at about 8:15, I stepped out to say goodbye to everyone and found the shop in chaos. Friday nights were generally pretty active, the cyclists' arrival had turned the place into a mob scene. The line extended to the front door. The phone was ringing. The Grubhub tablet dinged like an alarm clock without a snooze button. Danny was on the sandwich line and on the verge of losing his temper. Oliver was working up a sweat running food, bussing tables, and replenishing ingredients from the walk-in. The unflappable Marina was on register, and even she seemed like she was about to snap at somebody.
What else could I do? I stayed until closing to answer the phone, process Grubhub orders, hop on and off the second register, and help Danny with sandwich prep. After the tills were counted out, I stayed another hour to take care of the dishes, since nobody had a chance to do a first load. Oliver was grateful, even though he grumbled about having to make some calls and rearrange Sunday's schedule so I could come in a couple hours late. Irene and Jeremy, Avenue Brew's owners, would kick his ass if he let me go into overtime.
Danny suggested that we deserved a few drinks ourselves after managing to get through the shift without killing anyone. Not even Marina could find a reason to disagree with him.
The neighborhood had undergone enough gentrification to support an upscale brunch spot, an ice cream parlor, a gourmet burger restaurant, a coffee and bahn mi shop, and Avenue Brew (to name a few examples), but not yet quite enough that the people who staffed them couldn’t afford to live within a ten-minute walk from the main avenue where all these hep eateries stood between 24-hour corner stores with slot machines in back, late-night Chinese and Mexico-Italian takeout joints with bulletproof glass at the counters, and long-shuttered delis and shoe stores. Twenty on Poplar was the watering hole set aside for people like us. It was dim, a bit dilapidated, and inexpensive, and usually avoided by denizens of the condos popping up on the vacant lots and replacing clusters of abandoned row houses.
When we arrived, Kyle waved us over. He didn’t work at Avenue Brew anymore, but still kept up with a few of us. He was at Twenty at least four nights out of the week.
So there we all were. I sat with a brooding stranger freestyling to himself in a low mumble on the stool to my left and Oliver on my right, who tapped at his phone and nursed a bottle of Twisted Tea. To Oliver’s right sat Marina, staring at nothing in particular and trying to ignore Danny, who stood behind her, closer than she would have liked, listening to Kyle explain the crucial differences between the Invincible comic book and the Invincible web series.
I recall being startled back to something like wakefulness when it seemed to me that the ceiling had sprouted a new fan. I blinked my eyes, and it wasn’t there anymore. It reminded me of an incident from when I was still living with my folks in South Jersey and still had a car, and was driving home from a friend’s house party up in Bergen County. It was 6:30 AM, I hadn’t slept all night, and needed to get home so I could get at least little shuteye before heading to Whole Foods for my 11:00 AM shift. I imagined I passed beneath the shadows of overpasses I knew weren’t there, and realized I was dreaming at the wheel.
I was pretty thoroughly zombified at that point. Heather and I had broken up for good the night before, and I hadn't gotten even a minute of sleep. Calling out at Avenue Brew was tough. Unless you found someone willing to cover your shift on like six hours' notice, you were liable to get a writeup, a demotion, or your hours cut if you couldn't produce a doctor's note. So I loaded up on caffeine pills and Five-Hour Energy bottles at the corner store, and powered through as best I could.
I finished the last thimbleful of Blue Moon in my glass. Oliver wiped the sweat from the back of his neck with a napkin and covered his mouth to stifle a laugh at the KiwiFarms thread he was scrolling through. Pool balls clacked; somebody swore and somebody laughed. The TouchTunes box was playing Bob Dylan’s “Rain Day Woman #12 & 35,” and enough bleary 40-something men around the bar were bobbing their heads and mouthing the words to make it impossible to determine which one of them paid two bucks to hear it. A guy by the cigarette machine who looked like a caricature of Art Carney in flannel and an old Pixies T-shirt was accosting a woman who must have been a toddler when he hit drinking age, and she momentarily made eye contact with me as she scanned the area for a way out. Danny was shouting over the bartender’s head, carrying on a conversation with the Hot Guy from Pizza Stan’s, who was sitting on the horseshoe’s opposite arm.
I never got his name, but when Oliver first referred to him as the Hot Guy from Pizza Stan’s, I knew exactly who he meant. Philly scene kid par excellence. Mid-20s, washed-out black denim, dyed black hair, thick bangs, and dark, gentle eyes. He was only truly alluring when he was on the job, because he seldom smiled then—and when he smiled, he broke the spell by exposing his teeth, stained a gnarly shade of mahogany from too much smoking and not enough brushing.
“How’s Best? Marcus still a joker?” Danny asked him.
“Yeah, you know Marcus. You know how he is.”
So the Hot Guy had been working at Best Burger (directly across the street from Avenue Brew) ever since Pizza Stan’s owners mismanaged the place unto insolvency. (Afterwards it was renovated and reopened as a vegan bakery—which incidentally closed down about a month ago.) Danny used to work at Best Burger, but that ended after he got into a shouting match with the owner. I happened to overhear it while I was dragging in the tables and collecting the chairs from the sidewalk the night it happened. It wasn’t any of my business, and I tried not to pay attention, but they were really tearing into each other. A month later, Oliver welcomed Danny aboard at Avenue Brew. I hadn’t known he’d been interviewed, and by then it was too late to mention the incident. But I’d have been a hypocrite to call it a red flag after the way I resigned from my position as Café Chakra's assistant manager two years earlier—not that we need to go dredging that up right now. Let's say there was some bad blood and leave it at that.
Anyway, I was thinking about giving in and buying a pack of cigarettes from the machine—and then remembered that Twenty didn’t have a cigarette machine. I looked again. The Art Carney-lookalike was still there, fingering his phone with a frown, but the girl was gone—and so was the cigarette machine.
I had only a moment to puzzle over this before Danny clapped me on the shoulder and thrust a shot glass in front of me.
“Starfish!” he said. (Danny called me Starfish. Everybody else called me Pat.) “You look like you need some juice.”
He distributed shots to everyone else. Marina declined hers, but changed her mind when Kyle offered to take it instead.
She and Kyle had stopped sleeping together after Kyle left Avenue Brew to work at the Victory taproom on the Parkway, but Marina was still concerned about his bad habits, which Danny delighted in encouraging.
We all leaned in to clink our glasses. Before I could find an appropriate moment to ask Marina if I could bum a cigarette, she got up to visit the bathroom. Danny took her seat and bowed his head for a conspiratorial word with Kyle.
I watched from the corner of my eye and tried to listen in. Like Marina, I was a little worried about Kyle. He got hired at Avenue Brew around the same time I did, just before the pandemic temporarily turned us into a takeout joint. He was a senior at Drexel then, an English major, and sometimes talked about wanting to either find work in publishing or carve out a career as a freelance writer after graduating. But first he intended to spend a year getting some life in before submitting himself to the forever grind.
He read a lot of Charles Bukowski and Hunter Thompson. He relished the gritty and sordid, and had already been good at sniffing it out around the neighborhood and in West Philly before Danny introduced him to cocaine, casinos, strip clubs, and a rogue’s gallery of shady but fascinating people. (None were really Danny’s friends; just fellow passengers who intersected with the part of his life where he sometimes went to Parx, sometimes came out ahead, sometimes spent his winnings on coke, and sometimes did bumps at titty bars.) Kyle recounted these adventures with a boyish enthusiasm for the naked reality of sleaze, like a middle schooler telling his locker room buddies about catching his older brother in flagrante and seeing so-and-so body parts doing such-and-such things.
Marina hated it. She never said as much to me, but she was afraid that the template Kyle set for his life during his “year off” was in danger of becoming locked in. The anniversary of his graduation had already passed, and now here he was trying to convince Danny to contribute a couple hundred dollars toward a sheet of acid his guy had for sale. He wasn't doing much writing lately.
I was the oldest employee at Avenue Brew (as I write this I’m 37, but fortunately I don’t look it), and when Kyle still worked with us I felt like it was my prerogative to give him some advice. The longer he waited to make inroads, I once told him, the more likely he’d be seen as damaged goods by the publishing world. He needed to jam his foot in the door while he was still young.
I could tell the conversation bored him, and didn’t bring up the subject again.
The bartender took my glass and curtly asked if I’d like another drink.
“No thanks, not yet,” I answered.
She slid me my bill.
I missed the old bartender, the one she’d replaced. I forget her name, but she was ingenuous and energetic and sweet. Pretty much everyone had some sort of crush on her. Sometimes she came into Avenue Brew for lunch, and tipped us as well as we tipped her. Maybe three months before that night—Danny witnessed it—she suddenly started crying and rushed out the door. Everyone at the bar mutely looked to each other for an explanation. (Fortunately for Twenty, the kitchen manager hadn’t left yet, and picked up the rest of her shift.)
She never came back. None of us had seen her since. But drafts still had to be poured and bottlecaps pulled off, and now here was another white woman in her mid-twenties wearing a black tank top, a pushup bra, and a scrunchie, same as before. Twenty’s regulars grew accustomed to not expecting to see the person she’d replaced, and life went on.
“How’re you doing?” I asked Oliver, just to say something to somebody, and to keep my thoughts from wandering back to Heather.
“Just kind of existing right now,” he answered. His phone lay face-up on the counter. He was swiping through Instagram, and I recognized the avatar of the user whose album he hate-browsed.
“And how’s Austin been?” I asked.
“Oh, you know. Not even three weeks after getting over the jetlag from his trip back from the Cascades, he’s off touring Ireland.” He shook his head. “Living his best life.”
He’d hired Austin on a part-time basis in September. We needed a new associate when Emma was promoted to replace a supervisor who'd quit without even giving his two weeks. There was a whole thing. I'm having a hard time recalling the guy's name, but I liked him well enough. He was a good worker and he seemed like a bright kid, but he was—well, he was young. Naïve. One day he found Jeremy sitting in the back room with his laptop, and took advantage of the open-door policy to ask why the store manager and supervisors didn’t get health benefits or paid time off. Jeremy told him it "was being worked on," and that he couldn’t discuss it any further at that time. I understand the kid got argumentative, though I never knew precisely what was said.
Irene started visiting the shop a lot more often after that, almost always arriving when the kid was working. No matter what he was doing, she’d find a reason to intervene, to micromanage and harangue him, and effectively make his job impossible. A coincidence, surely.
It’s something I still think about. By any metric, Jeremy and Irene have done very well for themselves. They’re both a little over 40 years old. I remember hearing they met at law school. In addition to Avenue Brew, they own a bistro in Francisville and an ice cream parlor in Point Breeze. They have a house on the Blue Line, send their son to a Montessori school, and pull up to their businesses in a white Volkswagen ID.4. But whenever the subject of benefits, wages, or even free shift meals came up, they pled poverty. It simply couldn’t be done. But they liked to remind us about all they did to make Avenue Brew a fun place to work, like let the staff pick the music and allow Oliver and me to conduct a beer tasting once a day. They stuck Black Lives Matter, Believe Women, and Progress flag decals on the front door and windows, and I remember Irene wearing a Black Trans Lives Matter shirt once or twice when covering a supervisor's shift. None of the college students or recent graduates who composed most of Avenue Brew's staff could say the bosses weren't on the right team. And yet...
I'm sorry—I was talking about Austin. He was maybe 30 and already had another job, a “real” job, some sort of remote gig lucrative enough for him to make rent on a studio in the picturesque Episcopal church down the street that had been converted into upscale apartments some years back. Austin wasn’t looking for extra cash. He wanted to socialize. To have something to do and people to talk to in the outside world. He wanted to make friends, and all of us could appreciate that—but it’s hard to be fond of a coworker who irredeemably sucks at his job. Austin never acted with any urgency, was inattentive to detail, and even after repeated interventions from Oliver and the supervisors, he continued to perform basic tasks in bafflingly inefficient ways. Having Austin on your shift meant carrying his slack, and everyone was fed up after a few months. Oliver sat him down, told him he was on thin ice, and gave him a list of the areas in which he needed to improve if he didn’t want to be let go.
When Austin gave Oliver the indignant “I don’t need this job” speech, it was different from those times Danny or I told a boss to go to hell and walked out. Austin truly didn’t need it. He basically said the job was beneath him, and so was Oliver.
It got deep under Oliver’s skin. He did need the job and had to take it seriously, even when it meant being the dipshit manager chewing out a man four or five years his senior. He earned $18 an hour (plus tips when he wasn’t doing admin work), had debts to pay off, and couldn't expect to get any help from his family.
The important thing, though, the part I distinctly remember, was that Oliver was looking at a video of a wading bird Austin had recorded. An egret, maybe. White feathers, long black legs, pointy black beak. Austin must have been standing on a ledge above a creek, because he had an overhead view of the bird as it stood in the water, slowly and deliberately stretching and retracting its neck, eyeing the wriggling little shadows below. As far as the fish could know, they were swimming around a pair of reeds growing out of the silt. The predator from which they extended was of a world beyond their understanding and out of their reach.
The video ended. Oliver moved on to the next item: a photograph of the bird from the same perspective, with a fish clamped in its beak. Water droplets flung from the victim's thrashing tail caught the sunlight. And I remember now, I clearly remember, the shapes of like twelve other fish stupidly milling about the bird's feet, unperturbed and unpanicked.
Danny peered at Oliver’s phone and observed a resemblance between the bird—its shape and bearing, and the composition of the photograph—and a POV porn video shot from behind and above, and he told us so. Elaborately. He made squawking noises.
“And mom says I’m a degenerate,” Oliver sighed. “Can you practice your interspecies pickup artist shit somewhere else?” Oliver flicked his wrist, shooing Danny off, and held his phone in front of his face to signal that he was done talking.
Danny sagged a little on his stool and turned away. I sometimes felt bad for him. For all his faults, he had the heart of a puppy dog. He really did think of us as his tribe. There was nobody else who’d only ever answer “yes” when you asked him to pick up a shift, and he did it completely out of loyalty.
He was turning 29 in a week. I wondered how many people would actually turn out to celebrate with him at the Black Taxi. Kyle probably would—but even he regarded Danny more as a source of vulgar entertainment than a friend.
Then it happened again. When I turned to speak to Oliver, there’d been a pair of pool cues leaning side-by-side against the wall a few stools down. Now they were gone.
This time it might have been my imagination. Somebody passing by could have casually snatched them up and kept walking.
But a moment later I seemed to notice a second TouchTunes box protruding from the wall directly behind me. I let it be.
Marina returned from the bathroom. Danny rose and offered her back her seat with an exaggerated bow. Before she got settled, I asked if she’d like to step outside with me. She withdrew her pack of Marlboro Menthols from her canvas bag, which she left sitting on the stool to deter Danny from sitting back down.
Marina never minded letting me bum cigarettes from time to time. I couldn’t buy them for myself anymore; it’s a habit I could never keep under control, and was only getting more expensive. Like everything else in the world. About once a month I reimbursed her by buying her a pack.
The air out on the sidewalk was as hot as the air inside Twenty, but easier to breathe. After lighting up, Marina leaned against the bricks and sighed.
“I wish Oliver would fire Danny already and get it over with.”
I nodded. Marina rarely talked about anything but work.
“He sneaks drinks and doesn't think anyone notices he's buzzed,” she went on. “He steals so much shit and isn’t even a little subtle about it. He’s going to get Oliver in trouble. And he’s a creep.”
“Yeah,” I said. These were her usual complaints about Danny, and they were all true. “At least he’s better than Austin.”
“That’s a low bar.”
Three dirt bikes and an ATV roared down the lonely street, charging through stop sign after stop sign, putting our talk on hold.
“Remind me. You’ve got one semester left, right?” I asked after the noise ebbed.
“Yep.”
Marina was a marketing major at Temple. She’d had an internship during the spring semester, and her boss told her to give her a call the very minute she graduated. Her parents in central Pennsylvania couldn’t pay her rent or tuition for her, so she was a full-time student and a full-time employee at Avenue Brew. Her emotional spectrum ranged from "tired" to "over it." She’d been waiting tables and working at coffee shops since she was seventeen, had no intention of continuing for even a day longer than she had to, and feared the escape hatch would slam shut if she dallied too long after prying it open.
She’d considered majoring in English, like Kyle. She went for marketing instead. I couldn’t blame her.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You’ve been kind of off all day.”
“I’m terrible.”
“Why?”
I gave dodgy answers, but she asked precisely the right follow-up questions to get me going about what happened with Heather the night before.
It was the new job. Before the pandemic, Heather worked as a server at a Center City bar and grill. (That's where I met her; we were coworkers for about a year, and then I left to work Café Chakra because it was quieter and closer to where I lived.) When the place closed its doors and laid everyone off during the lockdown, she got a stopgap job at the Acme on Passyunk, and hated it. Then in March, she found a bar-and-lounge gig in a ritzy hotel on Broad Street. Very corporate. Excellent pay, great benefits. Definitely a step up. But her new employers made Irene and Jeremy look like Bob and Linda Belcher by comparison. It was the kind of place where someone had recently gotten herself fired for leaving work to rush to the hospital after getting the news that her grandmother was about to be taken off life support, and not finding someone to come in and cover the last two hours of her shift.
Heather seldom worked fewer than fifty-five hours a week, and her schedule was even more erratic than mine. At least once a week she left the hotel at 1:00 or 2:00 AM and returned at 9:00 the next morning. Neither of us could remember the last time she’d had two consecutive days off, and it had been over a month since one of mine overlapped with one of hers. She’d spent it drinking alone at home. All she wanted was some privacy.
I’d biked to South Philly to meet her when she got home at 1:30. The argument that killed our relationship for good began around 2:30, when I complained that we never had sex anymore. Heather accused me of only caring about that, when she was so exhausted and stressed that her hair was falling out in the shower. Quit the job? She couldn’t quit. The money was too good. She had student loans, medical bills, and credit card debt, and for the first time in her life she could imagine paying it all off before hitting menopause.
So, yeah, I was cranky about our sex life being dead in the water. Say whatever you like. But at that point, what were we to each other? We did nothing together anymore but complain about work before one or both of us fell asleep. That isn’t a relationship.
She said my hair always smelled like sandwiches, even after bathing, and she was done pretending it didn’t turn her off. I told her she was one to talk—she always reeked of liquor. As things escalated, we stopped caring if her roommates heard us. “You want to be a father?” she shouted around 4:00 AM. “Making what you make? That poor fucking kid.”
We fought until sunrise, and I left her apartment with the understanding that I wouldn’t be coming back, wouldn’t be calling her ever again. I biked home and sat on the steps facing the cement panel that was my house’s backyard. After my phone died and I couldn’t anaesthetize myself with dumb YouTube videos or make myself feel crazy staring at the download button for the Tinder app, I watched the sparrows hopping on and off the utility lines for a while.
At 11:40 I went inside. One of my roommates was already in the shower, so the best I could do was put on a clean Avenue Brew T-shirt before walking to the shop and clocking in at noon to help deal with the lunch rush.
“That’s a lot,” Marina finally said. “Sorry.”
I don’t know what I was expecting her to say. She was sixteen years my junior, after all, and just a coworker. She didn’t need to hear any of this, and I definitely didn't need to be telling her. But who else was there to tell?
She’d already finished her cigarette. I still had a few puffs left. She went inside.
I decided to call it a night.
The second TouchTunes box was gone—naturally. Danny had taken my stool, and regarded my approach with a puckish you snooze you lose grin. I wasn’t going to say anything. I’d just pay my bill, give everyone a nod goodnight, and walk the five blocks back home.
And then Danny disappeared.
One second, he was there. The next—gone.
Danny didn’t just instantaneously vanish. Even when something happens in the blink of an eye, you can still put together something of a sequence. I saw him—I seemed to see him—falling into himself, collapsing to a point, and then to nothing.
You know how sometimes a sound is altogether inaudible unless you’re looking at the source—like when you don’t realize somebody’s whispering at you, and can then hear and understand them after they get your attention? I think that was the case here. I wouldn't have known to listen if I hadn't seen it happen. What I heard lingered for two, maybe three seconds, and wasn't any louder than a fly buzzing inside a lampshade. A tiny and impossibly distant scream, pitchshifted like a receding ambulance siren into a basso drone...
I don’t know. I don’t know for sure. I’m certain I remember a flash of red, and I have the idea of Danny’s trunk expanding, opening up as it imploded. A crimson flower, flecked white, with spooling pink stalks—and Danny’s wide-eyed face above it, drawn twisting and shrinking into its petals.
For an instant, Twenty’s interior shimmered. Not shimmered, exactly—glitched would be a better word. If you’re old enough to remember the fragmented graphics that sometimes flashed onscreen when you turned on the Nintendo without blowing on the cartridge, you’ll have an idea of what I mean. It happened much too fast, and there was too much of it to absorb. The one clear impression I could parse was the mirage of a cash register flickering upside-down above the pool table.
Not a cash register. The shape was familiar, but the texture was wrong. I think it was ribbed, sort of like a maggot. I think it glistened. Like—camo doesn’t work anymore when the wearer stops crouching behind a bush and breaks into a run. Do you get what I’m saying?
Nobody else seemed to notice. The pool balls clacked. A New Order track was playing on the TouchTunes box. A nearby argument about about Nick Sirianni continued unabated.
Finally, there was a downward rush of air—and this at least elicited a reaction from the bartender, who slapped my bill to keep it from sailing off the counter.
“Danny,” I said.
“Danny?” Kyle asked me quietly. His face had gone pale.
“Danny?” Oliver repeated in a faraway voice.
After a pause, Kyle blinked a few times. “You heard from him?”
“God forbid,” said Marina. “When he quit I was like, great, I can keep working here after all.”
“Oh, come on—”
“Kyle. Did I ever show you those texts he sent me once at three in the morning?” The color had returned to Oliver’s face.
“No, what did he say?”
Oliver tapped at his phone and turned the screen toward Kyle.
“Oh. Oh, jeez.”
“Right? Like—if you want to ask me something, ask me. You know? Don’t be weirdly accusatory about it…”
I pulled a wad of fives and ones from my pocket, threw it all onto the counter, and beelined for the exit without consideration for the people I squeezed through and shoved past on the way.
I heard Marina saying “let him go.”
I went a second consecutive night without sleep. Fortunately I wasn’t scheduled to come in the next day.
The schedule. It’s funny. Oliver was generally great at his job, and even when he wasn’t, I cut him a lot of slack because I knew Irene and Jeremy never gave him a moment’s peace. But I could never forgive him those times he waited until the weekend to make up and distribute the schedule. This was one of those weeks he didn’t get around to it until Saturday afternoon. When I found it in my inbox, Danny’s name wasn’t anywhere on it.
As far as I know, nobody who hadn’t been at Twenty that night asked what happened to him. We were a bit overstaffed as it was, and everyone probably assumed Danny was slated for the chopping block. The part-timers were, for the most part, happy to get a few additional hours.
Oliver abruptly quit around Labor Day after a final acrimonious clash with the owners. I never found out the details, and I never saw him again. Jeremy and Irene took turns minding the store while a replacement manager was sought. None of the supervisors would be pressured into taking the job; they knew from Oliver what they could expect.
About three weeks after Oliver left, I came in for my purchasing shift and found Jeremy waiting for me in the back room. I knew it was serious when he didn’t greet me with the awkward fist-bump he ordinarily required of his male employees.
“You’ve seen the numbers,” he said. Business for the summer had fallen short of expectations, it was true, and he and Irene had decided to rein in payroll expenses. My purchaser position was being eliminated. Its responsibilities would be redistributed among the supervisors and the new manager, when one was found. In the meantime, I'd be going back to the regular $11 an hour (plus tips of course) associate position full-time.
Jeremy assured me I'd be first in the running for supervisor the next time there was an opening.
I told him it was fine, I was done, and if he’d expected the courtesy of two weeks’ notice, he shouldn’t have blindsided me like that.
“Well, that’s your choice,” he answered, trying not to look pleased. His payroll problem was solving itself.
I racked up credit card debt for a few months. Applied for entry-level museum jobs that might appreciate my art history degree. Aimed for some purchasing and administrative assistant gigs, and just for the hell of it, turned in a resume for a facilitator position at an after-school art program. Got a few interviews. All of them eventually told me they’d decided to go in a different direction. I finally got hired to bartend at Hops from Underground, a microbrewery on Fairmount.
I’m still there. The money’s okay, but it fluctuates. Hours are reasonable. I’m on their high-deductible health plan. There’s a coworker I’ve been dating. Sort of dating. You know how it goes. In this line of work you get so used to people coming and going that you learn not to get too attached. I walk past Avenue Brew a few times a week, but stopped peering in through the window when I didn't recognize the people behind the counter anymore.
2023.06.03 15:17 SchlesingerMindy323 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in FL Hiring Now!
2023.06.03 04:07 kassandra_k1989 European Wax Center
Is it okay to vent? I'm just seething over EWC and have no where to complain but I imagine many people here would relate.
My frustration with them started back in 2019 when I was just beginning to warm up to the idea of waxing with the encouragement of a cis friend. She recommended the EWC she went to. At the time when making an appointment online you needed to specify "MAN" or "WOMAN" which was dysphoric enough, but I noticed several options weren't available for male-bodied people. So with my appointment (as a woman) I offered a note with full disclosure that I was a transwoman and that I wanted to get my butt cheeks waxed. I wasn't even asking for a Brazilian, just my butt. What followed was a demoralizing phone call where they grilled me asking if I had undergone surgery or not, and they said if I had a penis I could not have my butt waxed. In fact, I could not even have my bikini line waxed. I could only have it waxed up to an arbitrary "short line".
But fine, whatever, I was embarrassed and didn't know what else to do, so I kept the appointment. I continued going a few more times. The people there were all nice enough. I'd just have to less-effectively shave the tops of my legs.
It was a pleasant surprise when I dared venture out post (-ish) pandemic in 2021 that they now offered more services to people with penises. It was still a little dysmorphic their website specified services as being for "V" or "P", but whatever. But I came to learn my local (not that local) EWC only had two people on staff who dared perform these services. So scheduling was always a nightmare. Sometimes I needed to make multiple appointments, one to do body parts the waxers were comfortable with and another for my more intimate areas. But I liked the woman who performed my services, so I didn't look for alternatives.
NOW, I tried to make an appointment after not having been there for a few months and I learn that the two people who used perform "P" services are gone. I'm not having much luck searching for trustworthy alternatives, but the closest EWC that appears to have at least one person on staff who can perform the service is...not very close. I will probably suck it up and make the trip because I still have a few pre-paid leg waxes...and the last time I was there a pushy salesperson convinced me to pre-pay for Brazilian services too which is very ironic.
All this to say, fuck European Wax Center. Having less body hair is a gender affirming thing, but ultimately dealing with them has been a fucking dysphoric headache for years.
submitted by kassandra_k1989 to MtF [link] [comments]
My frustration with them started back in 2019 when I was just beginning to warm up to the idea of waxing with the encouragement of a cis friend. She recommended the EWC she went to. At the time when making an appointment online you needed to specify "MAN" or "WOMAN" which was dysphoric enough, but I noticed several options weren't available for male-bodied people. So with my appointment (as a woman) I offered a note with full disclosure that I was a transwoman and that I wanted to get my butt cheeks waxed. I wasn't even asking for a Brazilian, just my butt. What followed was a demoralizing phone call where they grilled me asking if I had undergone surgery or not, and they said if I had a penis I could not have my butt waxed. In fact, I could not even have my bikini line waxed. I could only have it waxed up to an arbitrary "short line".
But fine, whatever, I was embarrassed and didn't know what else to do, so I kept the appointment. I continued going a few more times. The people there were all nice enough. I'd just have to less-effectively shave the tops of my legs.
It was a pleasant surprise when I dared venture out post (-ish) pandemic in 2021 that they now offered more services to people with penises. It was still a little dysmorphic their website specified services as being for "V" or "P", but whatever. But I came to learn my local (not that local) EWC only had two people on staff who dared perform these services. So scheduling was always a nightmare. Sometimes I needed to make multiple appointments, one to do body parts the waxers were comfortable with and another for my more intimate areas. But I liked the woman who performed my services, so I didn't look for alternatives.
NOW, I tried to make an appointment after not having been there for a few months and I learn that the two people who used perform "P" services are gone. I'm not having much luck searching for trustworthy alternatives, but the closest EWC that appears to have at least one person on staff who can perform the service is...not very close. I will probably suck it up and make the trip because I still have a few pre-paid leg waxes...and the last time I was there a pushy salesperson convinced me to pre-pay for Brazilian services too which is very ironic.
All this to say, fuck European Wax Center. Having less body hair is a gender affirming thing, but ultimately dealing with them has been a fucking dysphoric headache for years.
2023.06.03 03:57 pooped_good After 42 years of Dolphins fandom, I get to go to a game in a Miami. Need help with recommendations.
Hey fellow Fins fans!!
I have been a Dolphins fan ever since I can remember. I remember the pain of watching the Dolphins lose to the Redskins & 49ers in the Superbowl. Unfortunately(or fortunately) I’m not old enough to remember the 72 Dolphins. I live in Idaho so I have never watched the Dolphins play in person. Anyway, I won a trip through my work. I won 2 round trip plane tickets anywhere in the lower 48, 5 day/4 night stay in any Marriott listed, free rental car, meals, and $500 Visa card. I figured this would be the perfect way to go watch my Dolphins play a home game. The game that I decided on going to (due to work schedule) is the Broncos/Dolphins on September 24th. There are a few hotels that seem close enough to the stadium, but I’m not sure which one would be the best to take. I’m hoping to stay at a hotel that is on/near the beach. I have NEVER been to the coast of been in the ocean, so I want to get the best experience possible. Below are the hotels I can pick from. Could anyone give me recommendations as to the most scenic locations and stadium section recommendations? I’m pretty sure I wanna be on the Dolphins sideline side, but are the 300+ sections so far away I won’t be able to enjoy the game? One more thing, I am copy/pasting ALL the Florida hotels listed. I understand that some are not in or near Miami. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything on accident.
Hotels:
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Courtyard Miami Coral Gables
Delta Hotels Daytona Beach Oceanfront
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Miramar Renaissance Fort Lauderdale
West Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel Miami Marriott Dadeland
Courtyard Miami Coconut Grove Courtyard Miami Beach South Beach Residence Inn Naples
Renaissance Orlando at Sea World Orlando World Center Marriott West Palm Beach Marriott
submitted by pooped_good to miamidolphins [link] [comments]
I have been a Dolphins fan ever since I can remember. I remember the pain of watching the Dolphins lose to the Redskins & 49ers in the Superbowl. Unfortunately(or fortunately) I’m not old enough to remember the 72 Dolphins. I live in Idaho so I have never watched the Dolphins play in person. Anyway, I won a trip through my work. I won 2 round trip plane tickets anywhere in the lower 48, 5 day/4 night stay in any Marriott listed, free rental car, meals, and $500 Visa card. I figured this would be the perfect way to go watch my Dolphins play a home game. The game that I decided on going to (due to work schedule) is the Broncos/Dolphins on September 24th. There are a few hotels that seem close enough to the stadium, but I’m not sure which one would be the best to take. I’m hoping to stay at a hotel that is on/near the beach. I have NEVER been to the coast of been in the ocean, so I want to get the best experience possible. Below are the hotels I can pick from. Could anyone give me recommendations as to the most scenic locations and stadium section recommendations? I’m pretty sure I wanna be on the Dolphins sideline side, but are the 300+ sections so far away I won’t be able to enjoy the game? One more thing, I am copy/pasting ALL the Florida hotels listed. I understand that some are not in or near Miami. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything on accident.
Hotels:
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Courtyard Miami Coral Gables
Delta Hotels Daytona Beach Oceanfront
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Miramar Renaissance Fort Lauderdale
West Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel Miami Marriott Dadeland
Courtyard Miami Coconut Grove Courtyard Miami Beach South Beach Residence Inn Naples
Renaissance Orlando at Sea World Orlando World Center Marriott West Palm Beach Marriott
2023.06.03 01:35 bbyfog UK's MHRA implements International Recognition Framework for new medicines
Since the exit of UK from the European Union, the medicines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are no longer automatically approved for marketing in the UK. Therefore, UK’s regulator, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has implemented a new international recognition framework to use marketing submissions and regulatory decisions from other regions to support MHRA approval decision process, to support cost reduction for the industry and streamline regulatory decisions across agencies.
The 26 May 2023 MHRA release confirms that “New regulatory recognition routes for medicines will be established using approvals from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.” This process will be in place by the first quarter of 2024. The current temporary process of recognition of EMA-approved medicines, called “EU ‘reliance’ route, will end at the end of 2023.
This new framework is being implemented under the Access Consortium and Project Orbis.
submitted by bbyfog to RegulatoryClinWriting [link] [comments]
The 26 May 2023 MHRA release confirms that “New regulatory recognition routes for medicines will be established using approvals from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, Singapore and the United States.” This process will be in place by the first quarter of 2024. The current temporary process of recognition of EMA-approved medicines, called “EU ‘reliance’ route, will end at the end of 2023.
This new framework is being implemented under the Access Consortium and Project Orbis.
- Access Consortium is a collaboration between Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and UK. The purpose of this consortium is to promote greater regulatory collaboration and alignment of regulatory requirements. Australia’s TGA today issued a press release that they support MHRA’s mutual recognition framework.
- Project Orbis is an international initiative coordinated by the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence for collaborative review of oncology medicines.
- MHRA announces new recognition routes to facilitate safe access to new medicines with seven international partners. 26 May 2023 [ archive]
- TGA supports MHRA’s new international recognition framework for medicines. 2 June 2023 [archive]
2023.06.02 22:54 Pavel_Sergievsky Ukraine vs. Russia: Russian perspective.
Dear Professor Peterson,
I realize that your schedule probably won’t allow you to read this letter, least to reply. I am not expecting either of these and will not be offended. Why do I write it, then? Well, most probably because in the past several years you have been for me the voice of reason from abroad. Too many things are going in a crazy and disastrous direction, and listening to your lectures and videos have been very inspiring. It always amazes me how deeply you investigate the problem and how thoroughly you analyze it. In many cases listening to what you say have been like hearing what I always felt was true, but could not formulate and justify it myself. Thank you for that experience.
During the past year, which not only attracted the whole world’s attention to a conflict in Ukraine (at last, I’d say, war started there in 2014), but also demonstrated the unwillingness of countries and people to hear each other, I felt the growing urge to share Russian understanding of current situation and of the events that lead to it with someone who could probably be able to hear. Your name was the first to come to my mind. I hesitated until some time ago I came across the interview that you have recorded – “Israel, Russia, China, Iran: The World in Conflict” and it actually triggered me into writing. It occurred to me that, objective as you are, you may be unaware of some facts and interpretations, partly because modern media have mastered the art of being silent about some facts while shouting about the others, partly because you were born and raised in Anglo-Saxon civilization, with all embedded ideas and principles.
A bit about my background. Master’s degree in English language and literature, spent one year as a student in Connecticut, worked in American-owned companies for 17 years. That allows me to a certain degree to understand both sets of values.
I wanted to offer for your attention the view from the other side on what’s happening now between Russia and Western European civilization. I don't say that it is correct, I just say how Russians see it.
Very briefly, just point by point:
Looking at the international events of past 30-40 years, we may see 3 basic principles of international policy that the West is utilizing.
b) After the ancient Rome fell, and Europe lived through the Dark Ages, Arabian countries preserved much of knowledge and science. At that time Arabian East was much more cultural and civilized than Europe. What happened to them later, why they stopped developing science, how could Europe overtake them? One of the explanations is that at some point of time Muslim theologians declared that “Koran has everything”, so scientific research stopped. The legend says that under this slogan the Library of Alexandria has been burnt by Arabian conquerors.
c) There is an interesting correlation between the agricultural conditions in a certain territory and some national traits of character. That’s more than a coincidence. For example, wheat was the main crop in Europe. It doesn’t require any special irrigation, so you can well grow and harvest it alone. That means you are less dependent on other people. Hence smaller states (Germany before mid-XIX century consisted of dozens independent states), hence more independent opinions. Compare it to China. Rice requires serious irrigation works, you’ll never do it alone. In order to harvest rice, you need to organize a fairly large group of people to do a job together. And as the population grows, you need to perform those works at a larger scale, also because the easiest-to-work fields are already busy. As a result, we see that Chinese value the society more than they value an individual. A single person sacrificing his wishes for the good of the others is more acceptable for them than for Europeans.
This idea needs further thinking but it is quite possible that the liberalism and human rights developed in Western Europe to the extent we see due to a unique combination of religion, natural conditions and other factors. And it can’t be copied in other parts of the world. It can be brought to other parts of the world by immigration of people with European mentality, of course. But otherwise it can be done only by complete mentality change of local inhabitants. Not an easy task, could take generations and mean death of local culture.
In some part such understanding is based on the theory that appeared in history (history as a science!) in the UK in 18th century. This theory states that the process of human society development over time is a) linear and b) goes through the same stages in every society of the planet. One of the consequences of this theory was the statement that every society started from matriarchate – researchers came across some primitive society, ruled by women, and made their conclusion. This theory has long been proved wrong, but its influence is still alive.
Even if we accept that all countries, all societies are aiming at maximizing human rights, how justified will interference be? Good intentions are the pathway to hell. How long it took Anglo-Saxon civilization to reach modern state of human rights? Setting the Magna Carts as the starting point, it is a bit over 800 years, roughly 30 generations. Looking at the world history, we see how slowly societies change their organizational forms, evolving one into another. And you can’t forcefully speed it up. Imagine that our modern “crusaders of democracy” take time machine and show up at Hastings early in the morning on October 14th, 1066. “William, Harold, there is no need to fight. You need to run democratic elections, and everything will be ok…” Will they even understand the idea??? And what will happen the next day after they are left alone?
You have shown significant interest in Russian culture. If you care spending some more time on Russian books, I’d recommend you brothers Strugatsky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkady_and_Boris_Strugatsky). The form of what they have written is science fiction, but the contents is all about ethics, morale, responsibility, conscience. Try «Escape Attempt», «Hard to be a God», «Overburdened with Evil».
Why I am mentioning them now is because among others they are exploring the topic of “progressors” – people from Earth of XXII century who try to speed up the history of other planets, to solve their problems, stop wars, etc. And it doesn’t end well. As one of their heroes says, “You can’t break up the natural course of history without breaking the spine of humanity.”
It’s hard to find examples of good revolutions when they are initiated from abroad. Change of regime should be supported by majority within the country – it is the guarantee that society is ready for it. What Anglo-Saxons and NATO frequently do is supporting the angry minority in its aspirations for power. And instead of peace, freedom and prosperity it brings chaos. The classic example is Libya. Over 10 years ago the country was “spared of Gaddafi’s tyrannical rule”… How do they live now? The GDP is still around 50% of what it used to be, the country is still not at peace, there are two major forces each claiming to be the legal power. How many lives it did cost already and how much time it will take free Libya to recover? Can such liberation be called anything but a disservice? In Russia we call it “bear’s help”. I don’t say that everything was good in the country when Gaddafi was alive, but aren’t they in the worse situation now?
The whole series of Arabian spring looks like a great mess, not a great success. I rely on the opinion of an expert – below is the brief translation of an article published in 2015-2016 by Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli scholar of Arab culture and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University. I can’t find the original, unfortunately.
December 2015 was the fifth anniversary of the events known as an ‘Arabian spring’. The world applauded the heroes of the streets in Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain. Now, five years ago, those countries are still battlefields, with no light ahead. What problems have prevented them from positive development? Most of them have developed over centuries and they still prevail in mentality, remaining the dangerous rudiment.
Here’s an article by the same author on the same topic – https://fathomjournal.org/why-we-keep-getting-the-middle-east-wrong/
Here’s an interview with him – https://chicagopolicyreview.org/2015/07/28/americans-still-dont-understand-the-middle-east-this-man-wants-to-help/
In one of your interviews you discussed the competition between China and the US for influence in Africa. And your opinion was that China wins due to corruption of local elites. Let me offer another reason for your consideration. It is the same reason that allows Russia to gain influence in Middle East, Africa, South America. When China or Russia come to some country to cooperate, they come to cooperate, not to teach, not to judge, not to interfere into the internal affairs of the state. And people appreciate this.
De furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine.
One of the principles of democracy is separation of three powers – legislative, judicial and executive. So why then countries that consider themselves “leaders of democratic world” forget about this principle in international relations. They make the rules, they judge and they punish.
One of American diplomats said recently that USA supports international rules-based order. Sounds good, sounds undoubtedly right. But why USA and NATO forget about the rules when it is convenient? Or is it “We support international rules-based order, but our own actions should not be limited by these rules”? What immediately comes to my mind without web search:
Speaking more about the rules… We are tired of seeing double standards. As an illustration, I will use just one aspect – the principle of integrity of the state vs the principle of the right of nations to self-determination. It looks like the West supports integrity of the state, when this state is allied or friendly to the West, and supports nation’s self-determination when the state is not. Let’s go through some examples.
- Chechnya (an autonomous republic within Soviet Union) wanted to become independent after 1991. It quickly started to use terrorism to achieve this goal. It took a lot of effort to stop the war and bring the region back to safety. Reaction of the West – support of chechens, their leader fled to London and was not deported to Russia despite all requests.
- Abkhazia (an autonomous republic within Georgian republic which was part of Soviet Union) wanted to become independent from Georgia when Georgia became independent from Russia. Resulted in a war. The conflict is still not solved. Abkhazia now is an independent state which is acknowledged by very few countries in the world. Reaction of the West – they still consider Abkhazia as a rebellious part of Georgia. Same situation about South Osetia – another region, that was an administrative part of Georgia until 1991 and that also seeks independence.
- Donetsk and Lugansk wanted to become independent from Ukraine after 2014 coup. Ukraine tried to subdue them by force and failed. Then the workplan has been signed in Minsk – what the parties of the conflict agree to do to settle. The result should have been – Donetsk and Lugansk return to Ukraine but have extended political rights, etc. Ukraine did nothing of its promises. Reaction of the West – support of Ukraine.
- Catalonia is seeking independence. And I remember that leaders of independence movement have been under political and criminal pressure.
- Scotland had a referendum about independence. And even though results were in favour of the UK, I remember how nervously London reacted.
Russia – NATO relations after 1991
This is best said by Vladimir Pozner, a journalist who spent years of his work in the USA, Russia, Europe and is one of the most known journalists of the old school (comparing to modern propagandists). Here’s the link to his speech in Yale University on September 27, 2018 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7Ng75e5gQ&t=2556s.
His speech takes around forty minutes, the rest is the Q&A. To save you time, I’d summarize it here in just a couple of phrases. After Soviet Union collapsed, there was an illusion that we aren’t enemies anymore, that the world is open now, and that we will be partners or even friends. Russia dismissed the Warsaw Treaty union and agreed for Germany to unite, that looked just right – why keep a military union when we aren’t enemies anymore? Sometime later Russia made an offer to join NATO to provide world security together and was denied. Russia offered to join the EU, and was denied. Russia was promised that NATO would not expand eastward and less than 10 years later this promise was broken. Since then, we’ve been witnessing NATO getting closer and closer to our borders, inviting countries that are our neighbours and aggressively supporting those candidates to country leadership in East Europe who declared anti-Russia views. So now the illusion is over. We are enemies. And what’s worse – we don’t trust US anymore, so negotiating some new principles of coexistence will be problematic.
Ukraine.
Briefly about history, in more details about recent times and present situation.
In 16-17th century the territory of modern Ukraine was controlled by two forces with no clear border between them. Northwest (where the city of Lvov is now) was under Polish rule, center and the region along river Dnepr – under control of “kazak military democracies” – gatherings of all people, who fled from Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Crimea and who with time formed Ukrainians as a nation. They were ruled by elected chieftains and made their living largely by either joining some military campaign for money and loot, or by robbery raids to Poland, Crimea, Turkey. They were allied to Russia due to same religion – Orthodox Christianity.
As Poland grew stronger, its pressure on the territory grew, which led to periodic rebellions. Poland is a Catholic state, and people of Orthodox Ukraine were severely oppressed. Seeking protection, Ukrainian chieftains asked Russia to include those territories into Russian state. First request came in 1591. Russia rejected this request and several others. Only in 1654 part of Ukraine, controlled by kazaks, was included into Russia. Consequences – war with Poland and tens of thousands orthodox people fleeing from Polish-controlled lands into Russian-controlled lands.
From then on Russians and Ukrainians were really ‘brother nations’. Well, it was not heaven, but it was the best available option. Same religion, very close language and mentality. And forget about oppression. Ukrainians were oppressed as much as Russians themselves.
When the WW I started, Germany and Austria-Hungary were looking for collaborators in occupied territories of Russian Empire. They promised independence to nationalists in Western Ukraine, and found people who bought the idea. Not surprisingly, the most dedicated nationalists came from the least developed region of the country. Ukraine did not become independent at that moment, but the ideas stayed and gave their fruit during WW II, when Ukrainian collaborators actively participated in Nazis’ crimes. In one of your videos you described what Unit 731 of Japanese army was doing and you warned your listeners that they will never forget it. If you will find and read witnesses’ accounts of Volhynia massacre, you will never forget it either. I read it once long ago and I never want to read it again. It was a shock to me that people are capable of such things.
In the period between 1945 and 1991 Ukraine had the same rights as any other republic. There were no impediments to preserving and developing local culture. If you lived in any republic, you learned two languages – Russian and local. National literature was actively translated into other national languages of the Soviet Union, there were no impediments to education. Soviet Union with all its flaws, really tried to unite all of its nations into one big family. (What surprises me though is why antisemitism remained. You could come from Georgia, Uzbekistan or Yakutia and pass exams to Moscow university, no problem if you are smart enough. But it could be problematic for a Jew…)
After 1991 Russia and Ukraine remained friendly states, tightly bound by economic, cultural and even family ties. Ukraine tried to get the most out of relations both with Russia and with the West and it worked fairly well for 30 years. But with time attempts to elevate significance of their own nation led Ukrainians down a dangerous path. They started to slowly eliminate all other cultures that were present in the country. This process sped up dramatically in 2014, when after a coup the nationalist forces gained influence on the government.
Official Kiev denies being nationalistic, but don’t trust what the person is saying, see what he is doing.
We see those nationalistic ideas demonstrating themselves in a number of ways, and we have seen them before and we know what threat they can bring if left unattended. Pay attention to a dragon when it is small, you may be unable to win when it grows up.
I don’t say that our perception is correct, I just say how we see it. And to us modern Ukraine is like a younger brother who joined a bad company and who is becoming dangerous.
Now combine these two. Ukrainian nationalism plus NATO. Two threats, one well known historically, another the most dangerous rival of the past 70 years. We see them uniting and it is really an existential threat to us. In such circumstances could we afford being blind to it, just sitting and waiting what comes next? We tried to settle it peacefully. Many times Russia said that we are worried by NATO expansion, that we are worried by Western support of nationalistic movements in our neigbour countries. No effect. The last attempt was made in autumn of 2021, when Putin offered a negotiation that should have resulted in guaranteed safety. No reply.
If there is a conflict and your rival refuses to talk, he is asking for a fight. I don’t say that war in Ukraine is the right way to solve the conflict, but who can say that we did not try to set it by negotiations?
submitted by Pavel_Sergievsky to JordanPeterson [link] [comments]
I realize that your schedule probably won’t allow you to read this letter, least to reply. I am not expecting either of these and will not be offended. Why do I write it, then? Well, most probably because in the past several years you have been for me the voice of reason from abroad. Too many things are going in a crazy and disastrous direction, and listening to your lectures and videos have been very inspiring. It always amazes me how deeply you investigate the problem and how thoroughly you analyze it. In many cases listening to what you say have been like hearing what I always felt was true, but could not formulate and justify it myself. Thank you for that experience.
During the past year, which not only attracted the whole world’s attention to a conflict in Ukraine (at last, I’d say, war started there in 2014), but also demonstrated the unwillingness of countries and people to hear each other, I felt the growing urge to share Russian understanding of current situation and of the events that lead to it with someone who could probably be able to hear. Your name was the first to come to my mind. I hesitated until some time ago I came across the interview that you have recorded – “Israel, Russia, China, Iran: The World in Conflict” and it actually triggered me into writing. It occurred to me that, objective as you are, you may be unaware of some facts and interpretations, partly because modern media have mastered the art of being silent about some facts while shouting about the others, partly because you were born and raised in Anglo-Saxon civilization, with all embedded ideas and principles.
A bit about my background. Master’s degree in English language and literature, spent one year as a student in Connecticut, worked in American-owned companies for 17 years. That allows me to a certain degree to understand both sets of values.
I wanted to offer for your attention the view from the other side on what’s happening now between Russia and Western European civilization. I don't say that it is correct, I just say how Russians see it.
Very briefly, just point by point:
- Currently many people in the West are speaking about Russia as about a threat. But what makes you think that we see you differently? We see you as a growing threat. We don’t trust you. And we have plenty of reason for feeling this way.
- We see the West is regularly breaking its own rules and demonstrating double standards, so we can’t rely on its words.
- It has been clearly shown to us, that we will never be accepted by the West as an equal partner, so to us the West is neither a friend, nor a partner, but a competitor at best, an enemy at worst.
- We have seen what the West does to regimes that don’t obey and how the West does it, so West is a serious threat. Don’t come any closer.
Looking at the international events of past 30-40 years, we may see 3 basic principles of international policy that the West is utilizing.
- Democracy is the best possible society model.
- Pure democracy is limited to small communities, and is impossible in big countries. Once a certain threshold is passed, democracy is either a burden to every decision made, or is executed via representatives. And representatives, being people with all their imperfections, gradually start spoiling and corrupting the idea.
- Democracy tends to evolve, or, I’d rather say, degrade into oligarchy. Examples are numerous. Ancient Greece and Rome, Novgorod Republic (XII-XV cc), medieval Poland, etc. Even now – with all our experience, we keep hitting the same wall. Legal practice of lobbying in USA is the desire of big money (oligarchs) to have more influence on country policy. In Russia lobbying is illegal, so the same goal is achieved by other means, but without digging deep into details, it is the same – democratic form of power, spoiled by natural human desire to grab more for oneself on the expense of others.
- The most prosperous regions now (North America, Western Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia) are the ones where capitalism appeared and developed earlier than in other parts of the world. That boosted production, country strength and wealth and eventually allowed them to have colonies in other parts of the world. Owning some overseas land gave enormous economic advantages. Remember “British East India Company”, which at its peak of wealth had an army of 160 thousand soldiers (more than some counties had!). The importance of having colonies can be best illustrated by the simple fact – one of the core reasons of the WW I was the desire of Germany, who was late to the table, to have its share of a pie. And even though political power of metropolises over colonies seized in mid-XXth century, economic bounds stayed much longer. If, let’s say, a uranium mine in Uganda belongs to French company, then which country benefits more from it? And to what extent the modern wealth of Europe and North America is due to other parts of the world?
- I doubt that democracy and human rights priority are possible in every country of the world. This idea just occurred to me, so I did not dig deep into finding the proof, but mentality (to put it narrower – religion) could prevent the society from accepting ideas that are just natural for another society. There are some facts I immediately recall that support this idea.
b) After the ancient Rome fell, and Europe lived through the Dark Ages, Arabian countries preserved much of knowledge and science. At that time Arabian East was much more cultural and civilized than Europe. What happened to them later, why they stopped developing science, how could Europe overtake them? One of the explanations is that at some point of time Muslim theologians declared that “Koran has everything”, so scientific research stopped. The legend says that under this slogan the Library of Alexandria has been burnt by Arabian conquerors.
c) There is an interesting correlation between the agricultural conditions in a certain territory and some national traits of character. That’s more than a coincidence. For example, wheat was the main crop in Europe. It doesn’t require any special irrigation, so you can well grow and harvest it alone. That means you are less dependent on other people. Hence smaller states (Germany before mid-XIX century consisted of dozens independent states), hence more independent opinions. Compare it to China. Rice requires serious irrigation works, you’ll never do it alone. In order to harvest rice, you need to organize a fairly large group of people to do a job together. And as the population grows, you need to perform those works at a larger scale, also because the easiest-to-work fields are already busy. As a result, we see that Chinese value the society more than they value an individual. A single person sacrificing his wishes for the good of the others is more acceptable for them than for Europeans.
This idea needs further thinking but it is quite possible that the liberalism and human rights developed in Western Europe to the extent we see due to a unique combination of religion, natural conditions and other factors. And it can’t be copied in other parts of the world. It can be brought to other parts of the world by immigration of people with European mentality, of course. But otherwise it can be done only by complete mentality change of local inhabitants. Not an easy task, could take generations and mean death of local culture.
- All people are seeking freedom and democracy, so it is our duty to help them achieve this goal. If some part of the society resists this help, it is the tyrannical part and it should be eliminated.
In some part such understanding is based on the theory that appeared in history (history as a science!) in the UK in 18th century. This theory states that the process of human society development over time is a) linear and b) goes through the same stages in every society of the planet. One of the consequences of this theory was the statement that every society started from matriarchate – researchers came across some primitive society, ruled by women, and made their conclusion. This theory has long been proved wrong, but its influence is still alive.
Even if we accept that all countries, all societies are aiming at maximizing human rights, how justified will interference be? Good intentions are the pathway to hell. How long it took Anglo-Saxon civilization to reach modern state of human rights? Setting the Magna Carts as the starting point, it is a bit over 800 years, roughly 30 generations. Looking at the world history, we see how slowly societies change their organizational forms, evolving one into another. And you can’t forcefully speed it up. Imagine that our modern “crusaders of democracy” take time machine and show up at Hastings early in the morning on October 14th, 1066. “William, Harold, there is no need to fight. You need to run democratic elections, and everything will be ok…” Will they even understand the idea??? And what will happen the next day after they are left alone?
You have shown significant interest in Russian culture. If you care spending some more time on Russian books, I’d recommend you brothers Strugatsky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkady_and_Boris_Strugatsky). The form of what they have written is science fiction, but the contents is all about ethics, morale, responsibility, conscience. Try «Escape Attempt», «Hard to be a God», «Overburdened with Evil».
Why I am mentioning them now is because among others they are exploring the topic of “progressors” – people from Earth of XXII century who try to speed up the history of other planets, to solve their problems, stop wars, etc. And it doesn’t end well. As one of their heroes says, “You can’t break up the natural course of history without breaking the spine of humanity.”
It’s hard to find examples of good revolutions when they are initiated from abroad. Change of regime should be supported by majority within the country – it is the guarantee that society is ready for it. What Anglo-Saxons and NATO frequently do is supporting the angry minority in its aspirations for power. And instead of peace, freedom and prosperity it brings chaos. The classic example is Libya. Over 10 years ago the country was “spared of Gaddafi’s tyrannical rule”… How do they live now? The GDP is still around 50% of what it used to be, the country is still not at peace, there are two major forces each claiming to be the legal power. How many lives it did cost already and how much time it will take free Libya to recover? Can such liberation be called anything but a disservice? In Russia we call it “bear’s help”. I don’t say that everything was good in the country when Gaddafi was alive, but aren’t they in the worse situation now?
The whole series of Arabian spring looks like a great mess, not a great success. I rely on the opinion of an expert – below is the brief translation of an article published in 2015-2016 by Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli scholar of Arab culture and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University. I can’t find the original, unfortunately.
December 2015 was the fifth anniversary of the events known as an ‘Arabian spring’. The world applauded the heroes of the streets in Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain. Now, five years ago, those countries are still battlefields, with no light ahead. What problems have prevented them from positive development? Most of them have developed over centuries and they still prevail in mentality, remaining the dangerous rudiment.
- Tribalism*, that was always a survival factor in harsh natural conditions of the region. Now the conditions are different but mentality is still the same, when each person thinks of himself as a member of the clan first (family, tribe, tape, whatever…), not the citizen of the country.*
- Violence*. Resources are scarce, so anyone who is not the member of my clan, is a deadly threat. And the first reaction to a threat is violence.*
- Honour*, understood very specifically. Dishonoured person will seek revenge. It is not uncommon for a person to kill members of his own family if they dishonoured him. Honour is of primary importance in relations between countries and nations, sometimes more important than economics and healthcare.*
- Nepotism*, which has its roots in tribalism. Promoting your relatives to administrative positions is illegal in the West, but is part of normal practice in the East.*
- Corruption*. An office holder will invest in projects and regions where his tribe and supporters live, not otherwise. He feels financially responsible to his family, not to the country.*
- Multiple ethnic groups*, which protect their own languages and traditions. Marriages outside of a group are rare, coexistence with other groups is tense and hostile.*
- Islam*. Islamic extremists are sure that people who believe otherwise, are deserved to be killed.*
- Sunnites vs*.* shiites*. This conflict started back in 7th century as a conflict for control over Islam. Non-Islamic people see them analogous to Catholicism vs. Orthodox church, but in reality now, after centuries of religious wars, these are two separate religions, and the dialogue between them is very difficult.*
- Predominant culture*. Three main groups are Bedouins who live in deserts, fellahs who are the peasants, and inhabitants of the cities. Each group thinks stereotypically of other two, cross-marriages are rare.*
- Country borders*. British, French and Italian administration have been drawn the borders straight, just by a ruler and a pencil, paying no attention to the real borders between various groups which differ by religion and ethnicity. People who never thought about themselves as about having anything in common, are now the citizens of one country. And they don’t feel it this way.*
- Power change*. This is something which never happens peacefully in Arabic countries. The ethnic or religious group at power holds to it by all means.*
- Israel*. Arabs and Muslims don’t acknowledge Judaism as a live religion, Jewish people as a people. So for them the very existence of Israel is illegal. Plus Israel is very convenient as an external enemy, a good target for the aggression of the masses.*
- Oil has turned the countries of the Gulf into societies which don’t produce, but do consume without limits. The difference between wealth of the Gulf and poverty of other Arabian countries is shocking.
- West that interferes into the region to solve its own problems. Oil, gas, weapons – all is targeted to use natural resources of Middle East.
- Al Jazeera as a catalyst of social and religious unrest.
Here’s an article by the same author on the same topic – https://fathomjournal.org/why-we-keep-getting-the-middle-east-wrong/
Here’s an interview with him – https://chicagopolicyreview.org/2015/07/28/americans-still-dont-understand-the-middle-east-this-man-wants-to-help/
In one of your interviews you discussed the competition between China and the US for influence in Africa. And your opinion was that China wins due to corruption of local elites. Let me offer another reason for your consideration. It is the same reason that allows Russia to gain influence in Middle East, Africa, South America. When China or Russia come to some country to cooperate, they come to cooperate, not to teach, not to judge, not to interfere into the internal affairs of the state. And people appreciate this.
- We have the right to decide who is democratic and who is not.
De furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine.
One of the principles of democracy is separation of three powers – legislative, judicial and executive. So why then countries that consider themselves “leaders of democratic world” forget about this principle in international relations. They make the rules, they judge and they punish.
One of American diplomats said recently that USA supports international rules-based order. Sounds good, sounds undoubtedly right. But why USA and NATO forget about the rules when it is convenient? Or is it “We support international rules-based order, but our own actions should not be limited by these rules”? What immediately comes to my mind without web search:
- Kosovo, 1999. Civil war or genocide or whatever it may be called. How it should have been handled according to the rules? UN Security Council makes the decision, ‘blue helmets’ move in and stop the hot phase of the conflict. How it was done? NATO forces moved in without UNSC mandate. Forget the rules.
- Iraq, 2003. USA and its allies invaded Iraq based on false claims that Saddam had mass destruction weapons. The Center for Public Integrity stated that the Bush administration made a total of 935 false statements between 2001 and 2003 about Iraq's alleged threat to the United States. International lies-based order?
Speaking more about the rules… We are tired of seeing double standards. As an illustration, I will use just one aspect – the principle of integrity of the state vs the principle of the right of nations to self-determination. It looks like the West supports integrity of the state, when this state is allied or friendly to the West, and supports nation’s self-determination when the state is not. Let’s go through some examples.
- Chechnya (an autonomous republic within Soviet Union) wanted to become independent after 1991. It quickly started to use terrorism to achieve this goal. It took a lot of effort to stop the war and bring the region back to safety. Reaction of the West – support of chechens, their leader fled to London and was not deported to Russia despite all requests.
- Abkhazia (an autonomous republic within Georgian republic which was part of Soviet Union) wanted to become independent from Georgia when Georgia became independent from Russia. Resulted in a war. The conflict is still not solved. Abkhazia now is an independent state which is acknowledged by very few countries in the world. Reaction of the West – they still consider Abkhazia as a rebellious part of Georgia. Same situation about South Osetia – another region, that was an administrative part of Georgia until 1991 and that also seeks independence.
- Donetsk and Lugansk wanted to become independent from Ukraine after 2014 coup. Ukraine tried to subdue them by force and failed. Then the workplan has been signed in Minsk – what the parties of the conflict agree to do to settle. The result should have been – Donetsk and Lugansk return to Ukraine but have extended political rights, etc. Ukraine did nothing of its promises. Reaction of the West – support of Ukraine.
- Catalonia is seeking independence. And I remember that leaders of independence movement have been under political and criminal pressure.
- Scotland had a referendum about independence. And even though results were in favour of the UK, I remember how nervously London reacted.
Russia – NATO relations after 1991
This is best said by Vladimir Pozner, a journalist who spent years of his work in the USA, Russia, Europe and is one of the most known journalists of the old school (comparing to modern propagandists). Here’s the link to his speech in Yale University on September 27, 2018 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7Ng75e5gQ&t=2556s.
His speech takes around forty minutes, the rest is the Q&A. To save you time, I’d summarize it here in just a couple of phrases. After Soviet Union collapsed, there was an illusion that we aren’t enemies anymore, that the world is open now, and that we will be partners or even friends. Russia dismissed the Warsaw Treaty union and agreed for Germany to unite, that looked just right – why keep a military union when we aren’t enemies anymore? Sometime later Russia made an offer to join NATO to provide world security together and was denied. Russia offered to join the EU, and was denied. Russia was promised that NATO would not expand eastward and less than 10 years later this promise was broken. Since then, we’ve been witnessing NATO getting closer and closer to our borders, inviting countries that are our neighbours and aggressively supporting those candidates to country leadership in East Europe who declared anti-Russia views. So now the illusion is over. We are enemies. And what’s worse – we don’t trust US anymore, so negotiating some new principles of coexistence will be problematic.
Ukraine.
Briefly about history, in more details about recent times and present situation.
In 16-17th century the territory of modern Ukraine was controlled by two forces with no clear border between them. Northwest (where the city of Lvov is now) was under Polish rule, center and the region along river Dnepr – under control of “kazak military democracies” – gatherings of all people, who fled from Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Crimea and who with time formed Ukrainians as a nation. They were ruled by elected chieftains and made their living largely by either joining some military campaign for money and loot, or by robbery raids to Poland, Crimea, Turkey. They were allied to Russia due to same religion – Orthodox Christianity.
As Poland grew stronger, its pressure on the territory grew, which led to periodic rebellions. Poland is a Catholic state, and people of Orthodox Ukraine were severely oppressed. Seeking protection, Ukrainian chieftains asked Russia to include those territories into Russian state. First request came in 1591. Russia rejected this request and several others. Only in 1654 part of Ukraine, controlled by kazaks, was included into Russia. Consequences – war with Poland and tens of thousands orthodox people fleeing from Polish-controlled lands into Russian-controlled lands.
From then on Russians and Ukrainians were really ‘brother nations’. Well, it was not heaven, but it was the best available option. Same religion, very close language and mentality. And forget about oppression. Ukrainians were oppressed as much as Russians themselves.
When the WW I started, Germany and Austria-Hungary were looking for collaborators in occupied territories of Russian Empire. They promised independence to nationalists in Western Ukraine, and found people who bought the idea. Not surprisingly, the most dedicated nationalists came from the least developed region of the country. Ukraine did not become independent at that moment, but the ideas stayed and gave their fruit during WW II, when Ukrainian collaborators actively participated in Nazis’ crimes. In one of your videos you described what Unit 731 of Japanese army was doing and you warned your listeners that they will never forget it. If you will find and read witnesses’ accounts of Volhynia massacre, you will never forget it either. I read it once long ago and I never want to read it again. It was a shock to me that people are capable of such things.
In the period between 1945 and 1991 Ukraine had the same rights as any other republic. There were no impediments to preserving and developing local culture. If you lived in any republic, you learned two languages – Russian and local. National literature was actively translated into other national languages of the Soviet Union, there were no impediments to education. Soviet Union with all its flaws, really tried to unite all of its nations into one big family. (What surprises me though is why antisemitism remained. You could come from Georgia, Uzbekistan or Yakutia and pass exams to Moscow university, no problem if you are smart enough. But it could be problematic for a Jew…)
After 1991 Russia and Ukraine remained friendly states, tightly bound by economic, cultural and even family ties. Ukraine tried to get the most out of relations both with Russia and with the West and it worked fairly well for 30 years. But with time attempts to elevate significance of their own nation led Ukrainians down a dangerous path. They started to slowly eliminate all other cultures that were present in the country. This process sped up dramatically in 2014, when after a coup the nationalist forces gained influence on the government.
Official Kiev denies being nationalistic, but don’t trust what the person is saying, see what he is doing.
- Open Kiev map and you will find two prospects – one named after Bandera, another after Shukhevich. Those two stand behind Volhynia massacre and numerous other crimes. Now they are heroes.
- During WW II Ukrainian nationalists were gathered by Nazis into the division “Galicia”. Collaborators and traitors, they did not show much on the battlefield, but were always victorious in the punitive raids against civilians. Now they are heroes.
- Ukraine is banning and denying Russian language and Russian culture. And it did not start last year. It started much earlier, when bit by bit Russian-speaking people had more and more difficulties teaching their children in Russian, buying books in Russian. It even shows itself historically – famous writers, artists, musicians, etc. of the past are proclaimed Ukrainians if they were born or lived on the territory of modern Ukraine. Aivazovskiy was Armenian by nation, lived in Crimea which was Russian at the time. Repin was Russian, Kuingi was Greek. Gogol and Bulgakov called themselves Russian and wrote in Russian. Shevchenko wrote in Russian, and now his books in Ukraine are translated from Russian.
We see those nationalistic ideas demonstrating themselves in a number of ways, and we have seen them before and we know what threat they can bring if left unattended. Pay attention to a dragon when it is small, you may be unable to win when it grows up.
I don’t say that our perception is correct, I just say how we see it. And to us modern Ukraine is like a younger brother who joined a bad company and who is becoming dangerous.
Now combine these two. Ukrainian nationalism plus NATO. Two threats, one well known historically, another the most dangerous rival of the past 70 years. We see them uniting and it is really an existential threat to us. In such circumstances could we afford being blind to it, just sitting and waiting what comes next? We tried to settle it peacefully. Many times Russia said that we are worried by NATO expansion, that we are worried by Western support of nationalistic movements in our neigbour countries. No effect. The last attempt was made in autumn of 2021, when Putin offered a negotiation that should have resulted in guaranteed safety. No reply.
If there is a conflict and your rival refuses to talk, he is asking for a fight. I don’t say that war in Ukraine is the right way to solve the conflict, but who can say that we did not try to set it by negotiations?
2023.06.02 13:54 scribbyshollow Megalithic sites and the atmospheric potential gradient (APG)
Recent scientific findings have come to support the claims of large megalithic structures acting as artificial gateways for the earths electrical energy. Not directly mind you but recent finding in the the field of "electrical ecology" have made some serious findings in the past few years that support these kinds of theories.
One in particular is the "telluric grid theory"
The Theory
"Before or during the last ice age a global culture existed on earth, not one that was in contact globally but rather a sort of globally practiced way of thinking and inherited traditions. Not a technologically advanced one like ours but one who fully understood nature and its machinations through centuries of observation. Inevitably this culture noticed static electricity and the natural electrical flows of the earth and the many energies that play out on and within it. Eventually they learned how to focus, control and interact with these energy flows like one could control the flow of water with a funnel or damn.
They did this by building giant megalithic structures know to us as pyramids and temples that were passed down from one generation to the next. The purpose of some of these original temples were to artificially alter the electrical environment and possibly use it to propagate plant and crop growth via electrical stimulation. Not to harness electricity for technological purposes but to act as a natural “spring” or dam to release and control electrical pressure and energy within the environment. They were constructed to focus energy in its many forms and possibly to bring about generation and regeneration of life around them by stimulating and focusing the earths natural electrical energy.
As you will see these pyramid building ancient cultures had a shared practice in the form of geomancy and used what they called "the geomantic act" to pick the right place to build their sacred structures and megaliths. This practice survives to this day in the form of Feng shui, the Chinese art of placement. This is gone over in the shared mythology section. We will also go over "electroreception" and its role in evolution and how animals and life in general interact with the earths various electric fields and energies.
They did this by constructing these temples attuned to nature and its processes. They had to be in the right place, the right height, the right shape, the correct angles and built from the right materials much like today's radio towers and wireless devices adhere to these same rules. Some of these places were even built with acoustic resonance in mind, being so precise that they could manipulate sound or transform one sound into another sound intentionally.This was accomplished by havbing them interact with the "atmospheric potential gradient" which we will cover the science of in a later section.
They used geomagnetic energy and electromagnetic energy via orientation and position and atmospheric static electricity gathered at an altitude which is called the atmospheric potential gradient. Combining all three to form a sort of electric funnel into/out of the earth. What they used this energy for is purely speculative however some information regarding their use has survived. The one thing that is clear about them is that these temples had multiple functions and purposes, the same as modern day generators having multiple purposes.
Over time they established more and more of these temples worldwide forming a sort of grid on the surface of the earth with them. A geomagnetic or telluric grid. This was either a worldwide grid to control the earths interior energy, using the various “stations” to control the overall pressure and flow of earths interior energies the same way lightning balances out the earths ionosphere and ground currents just artificially and less intensive. Or these temples were just sort of town centers that performed this task locally and not on a global scale.
They came about this knowledge from the ancient art known as Alchemy. An objective science that gave birth to modern chemistry and was practiced world wide for a large portion of human history. Alchemy gave them objective knowledge of energy, they may not have understood the technical details or specifics of energy but the ancient texts of alchemy make it very clear that they objectively understood energy in its various forms and how it behaved.
More importantly, this knowledge of energy and electricity was intricately hidden inside their teachings and texts by the use of symbology and other coded communication. This brings about the question of who exactly they were hiding this knowledge from and why? This theory asserts that powerful people of the past were hunting down this knowledge of energy and destroying it and anyone who knew of it. Destroying all traces of humanities ancient past and the things they discovered."
Here is some of the supporting evidence from a recent study that combined all the various islands of research into the ecology of electricity. Actually I would recommend everyone read this study as it is the first of its kind and the beginning of an new branch of science forming. These findings will and are already making science rethink about the role of electricity in ecology and the environment and how that is and has effected life. It is a mountain of text so I only included the beginning and end of it because of size limitations for posts.
Source - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804
"ABSTRACT
Electricity, the interaction between electrically charged objects, is widely known to be fundamental to the functioning of living systems. However, this appreciation has largely been restricted to the scale of atoms, molecules, and cells. By contrast, the role of electricity at the ecological scale has historically been largely neglected, characterized by punctuated islands of research infrequently connected to one another. Recently, however, an understanding of the ubiquity of electrical forces within the natural environment has begun to grow, along with a realization of the multitude of ecological interactions that these forces may influence. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive collation and synthesis of research in this emerging field of electric ecology. This includes assessments of the role electricity plays in the natural ecology of predator–prey interactions, pollination, and animal dispersal, among many others, as well as the impact of anthropogenic activity on these systems. A detailed introduction to the ecology and physiology of electroreception – the biological detection of ecologically relevant electric fields – is also provided. Further to this, we suggest avenues for future research that show particular promise, most notably those investigating the recently discovered sense of aerial electroreception.
I. INTRODUCTION
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. Therefore, electromagnetic interactions inevitably influence the biotic world in a multitude of ways. There are two primary manifestations of electromagnetism: the magnetic field (magnetism), and the electric field (electricity); which when oscillating in synchronicity produce electromagnetic waves, i.e. light (Maxwell, 1865). For a summary and definition of the key electric and magnetic terminology used within this review, see Table 1. Whilst electromagnetic waves, and to some extent magnetic fields, have in many ways driven the rise and evolution of life on Earth, the influence of electric fields alone should not be understated.
Table 1. A list of electromagnetic terminology with associated definitions and SI units where applicable
Term Definition Units (if applicable) Charge A property possessed by some objects that allows them to create and interact with electric and magnetic fields. Opposite charges attract each other, whilst like charges repel each other. Coulombs (C)
Electricity The phenomena resulting from the interactions between charged objects. —
Electric field (electric field strength) The field around a charged object that will exert a force on other charged objects. The force exerted on a charge is proportional to the electric field strength. Volts per metre (V/m)
Magnetism The phenomena resulting from the movement of electrical charges. —
Magnetic field The field around a moving electrical charge (/magnetic material) that will exert a force on other moving electrical charges (/magnetic materials). Tesla (T)
Electromagnetism The combined physical phenomena associated with electricity and magnetism. —
Electromagnetic wave A propagating wave consisting of synchronised oscillations of electric and magnetic fields. Also known as ‘light’. —
Current The net flow of electrical charge through an object/space. Amperes (A)
Conductoconduction A material that allows current to flow through it. —
Conductance A measure of how well a particular object allows current to flow through it. Siemens (S)
Conductivity A material property that indicates how well a substance conducts electricity, independent of the dimensions of that substance. Siemens per metre (S/m)
Resistance Inverse of conductance. How much a particular object resists current flowing through it. Ohms (Ω)
Resistivity Inverse of conductivity. A material property indicating how well a substance resists the flow of current through it, independent of the dimensions of that substance. Ohm metres (Ωm)
Insulatoinsulation A material that does not allow current to flow freely through it (possesses high resistivity/low conductivity). —
Polarisation The net movement of charge within an object such that the distribution of charge is no longer symmetrical, resulting in an apparent electric field emanating from the object. Will sometimes be referred to as 'charge separation' if occuring within a conductor. —
Dielectric An insulating material that can be polarised when placed within an electric field. —
Potential The amount of energy theoretically required to move a unit of charge from a reference point (usually the electrical ground or a point infinitely far away) to the point in question. Volts (V)
Voltage The difference in potential between two points. Volts (V)
Ground/earth A point or object defined as being at zero potential. This will often be a conductor directly connected into the actual physical ground/earth. The ground can effectively be seen as an infinite source of charge carriers and therefore can act efficiently as a current sink. —
Capacitance The amount of charge an object can hold at a particular voltage. Farads (F)
Electrostatic induction The induction of current or polarisation within a material due to an applied electric field. —
Permittivity A measure of the polarisability of a material, which has consequences for how much electric fields are attenuated within that material. Farads per metre (F/m)
Relative permittivity The ratio of the permittivity of a material to the permittivity of a vacuum, i.e. how much weaker an electric field between two charges would be in this material compared to in a vacuum. Also known as the ‘Dielectric constant’. Dimensionless
An electric field exists around any electrically charged object, exerting a repulsive force on like charges, and an attractive force on opposite charges (Coulomb, 1785). The electrodynamic interactions of electrons and protons largely dictate the chemistry of both the abiotic and biotic world, and thus the structure of life. However, the bulk distribution and mobility of these charged particles within a material also result in electric fields manifesting their influence on biology at scales much larger than atoms and small molecules. For example, the folding of proteins, which predominantly determines their function, is governed significantly by electrostatic interactions (Zhou & Pang, 2018). It is also well appreciated that electrical interactions are responsible for a great number of cellular functions, in particular cell signalling (Lipscombe & Toro, 2014). Even at the scale of organs and organisms, the functioning of the nervous system in animals and plants relies upon electricity to generate and transmit information, in the form of propagating action potentials (Nicholls et al., 2001). However, one facet of the role of electric fields in biology has remained notably underappreciated: the ecology of electric fields. Recent work has highlighted that indeed a plethora of electrical interactions take place at the ecological scale, in terms of an organism's interactions with the physical abiotic environment, as well as conspecifics and other organisms. This article intends to review our current knowledge on the influence of electric fields at the ecological scale, including the sensory ecology of the biological detection of these fields: electroreception. Particular emphasis and detail will be given to the recently discovered field of aerial electroreception, as this provides some of the most exciting and potentially fruitful opportunities for further research. This review also aims to integrate aerial electroreception into the wider context of electroreception research by comparing and contrasting between aerial and aquatic examples, identifying common trends whilst appreciating their distinctiveness.
Abiotic electric field sources
It is first important to consider the presence of electric fields of abiotic origin. Arguably, the primary abiotic electric field source experienced by terrestrial organisms on Earth is the atmospheric potential gradient (APG) (Hunting et al., 2021c). The APG is an electric field oriented vertically in the Earth's atmosphere, such that, within the vast majority of biologically inhabited altitudes (Imshenetsky, Lysenko & Kazakov, 1978; Womack, Bohannan & Green, 2010), the electric potential increases with altitude (Wilson, 1903). Near to the Earth's surface, in fair-weather conditions, the strength of the APG is on the order of 100 V m−1, but can increase by an order of magnitude, or even invert, during certain meteorological conditions, most notably thunderstorms (Wilson, 1903; Bennett & Harrison, 2007). The APG is largely created by a potential difference between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface and is constantly maintained by the global atmospheric electric circuit, wherein thunderstorms generate electric current upwards in the atmosphere, towards the ionosphere; this current is simultaneously counteracted elsewhere on the planet in fair-weather regions by gradual currents flowing back down to the ground (Rycroft, Israelsson & Price, 2000; Rycroft et al., 2012).
It is also worth mentioning the electrical charges of atmospheric precipitation. Individual raindrops generally carry non-negligible electrostatic charges (Wilson, 1903). These charges vary in polarity, even within the same rainfall, but negative charges appear to be marginally more common (Wilson, 1903; Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Chauzy & Despiau, 1980; Bennett & Harrison, 2007). The magnitude of charge carried is also highly variable but is typically in the region of 0.1–1000 pC, depending on meteorological conditions and the size of the raindrop (Banerji & Lele, 1932; Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Smith, 1955; Chauzy & Despiau, 1980). Snowflakes and hailstones have also been shown to carry electrostatic charges (Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Latham, Mason & Blackett, 1961).
In the aquatic environment, a major abiotic source of electric fields is the Earth's geomagnetic field. Whilst the geomagnetic field itself is not an electric field, any time-varying magnetic field will induce an electric field (Faraday, 1832; Maxwell, 1865). Therefore, because the geomagnetic field varies spatially, when water or animals move through the geomagnetic field, this can be viewed as a temporal variation in magnetic field from the reference point of the moving object, and therefore electric currents are electromagnetically induced in the water or animal (Kalmijn, 1974). The magnitudes of these motion-induced electric fields are not negligible, with a fish moving at 1 m s−1 likely to induce electric fields as strong as 0.4 μV cm−1, and electric fields induced by water motion typically measuring around 0.05–0.25 μV cm−1 (Barber & Longuet-Higgins, 1948; Kalmijn, 1974). By the same electromagnetic principles, temporal variations in the ambient magnetic field, for example those caused by magnetic storms, will similarly induce electric fields in the Earth's crust and mantle, including the oceans (Kalmijn, 1974). These are generally referred to as telluric, or Earth currents, and in coastal or continental shelf waters (where oceanic telluric currents are at their highest), they are typically on the order of 0.01 μV cm−1 in magnitude (Kalmijn, 1974).
V. CONCLUSIONS
Research into the role of electricity in ecology has been long-standing, but is characterized by punctuated, largely isolated, islands of research.
This review provides the first collation and synthesis of these studies, and in so doing demonstrates the importance of considering electric phenomena when investigating ecological interactions.
Together, the studies published to date make clear the prevalence of electrical interactions within ecological systems, but there are large gaps in our current knowledge.
As an acknowledgment and understanding of the ubiquity of electric fields within the natural environment begins to grow within the scientific community, it is anticipated that many more aspects of electric ecology are soon to be uncovered.
The recently discovered sense of aerial electroreception provides an exciting and promising new field of research, with a plethora of species and ecologies awaiting investigation.
The electric field should be viewed and appreciated as a major driver of evolutionary adaptation within biological systems, not only at the atomic, molecular, or cellular levels, but also at the organism and ecological scales too."
This "atmospheric potential gradient" and how life interacts with it and the explanation of how the various systems of energy on earth interact and cause chain reactions in each other has set all of the ground work for this kind of theory to be plausible. Personally I truly think this is the beginning of a new understanding about life on our planet and the role energy plays in it on every level. The systems this report sets out could very well make us reconsider some old ways of thinking that we as a species had previously dismissed as superstitious nonsense.
This is the article the theory is from: https://unifyingtheory.blogspot.com/2021/10/electromagnetictelluric-grid-theory.html
submitted by scribbyshollow to AlternativeHistory [link] [comments]
One in particular is the "telluric grid theory"
The Theory
"Before or during the last ice age a global culture existed on earth, not one that was in contact globally but rather a sort of globally practiced way of thinking and inherited traditions. Not a technologically advanced one like ours but one who fully understood nature and its machinations through centuries of observation. Inevitably this culture noticed static electricity and the natural electrical flows of the earth and the many energies that play out on and within it. Eventually they learned how to focus, control and interact with these energy flows like one could control the flow of water with a funnel or damn.
They did this by building giant megalithic structures know to us as pyramids and temples that were passed down from one generation to the next. The purpose of some of these original temples were to artificially alter the electrical environment and possibly use it to propagate plant and crop growth via electrical stimulation. Not to harness electricity for technological purposes but to act as a natural “spring” or dam to release and control electrical pressure and energy within the environment. They were constructed to focus energy in its many forms and possibly to bring about generation and regeneration of life around them by stimulating and focusing the earths natural electrical energy.
As you will see these pyramid building ancient cultures had a shared practice in the form of geomancy and used what they called "the geomantic act" to pick the right place to build their sacred structures and megaliths. This practice survives to this day in the form of Feng shui, the Chinese art of placement. This is gone over in the shared mythology section. We will also go over "electroreception" and its role in evolution and how animals and life in general interact with the earths various electric fields and energies.
They did this by constructing these temples attuned to nature and its processes. They had to be in the right place, the right height, the right shape, the correct angles and built from the right materials much like today's radio towers and wireless devices adhere to these same rules. Some of these places were even built with acoustic resonance in mind, being so precise that they could manipulate sound or transform one sound into another sound intentionally.This was accomplished by havbing them interact with the "atmospheric potential gradient" which we will cover the science of in a later section.
They used geomagnetic energy and electromagnetic energy via orientation and position and atmospheric static electricity gathered at an altitude which is called the atmospheric potential gradient. Combining all three to form a sort of electric funnel into/out of the earth. What they used this energy for is purely speculative however some information regarding their use has survived. The one thing that is clear about them is that these temples had multiple functions and purposes, the same as modern day generators having multiple purposes.
Over time they established more and more of these temples worldwide forming a sort of grid on the surface of the earth with them. A geomagnetic or telluric grid. This was either a worldwide grid to control the earths interior energy, using the various “stations” to control the overall pressure and flow of earths interior energies the same way lightning balances out the earths ionosphere and ground currents just artificially and less intensive. Or these temples were just sort of town centers that performed this task locally and not on a global scale.
They came about this knowledge from the ancient art known as Alchemy. An objective science that gave birth to modern chemistry and was practiced world wide for a large portion of human history. Alchemy gave them objective knowledge of energy, they may not have understood the technical details or specifics of energy but the ancient texts of alchemy make it very clear that they objectively understood energy in its various forms and how it behaved.
More importantly, this knowledge of energy and electricity was intricately hidden inside their teachings and texts by the use of symbology and other coded communication. This brings about the question of who exactly they were hiding this knowledge from and why? This theory asserts that powerful people of the past were hunting down this knowledge of energy and destroying it and anyone who knew of it. Destroying all traces of humanities ancient past and the things they discovered."
Here is some of the supporting evidence from a recent study that combined all the various islands of research into the ecology of electricity. Actually I would recommend everyone read this study as it is the first of its kind and the beginning of an new branch of science forming. These findings will and are already making science rethink about the role of electricity in ecology and the environment and how that is and has effected life. It is a mountain of text so I only included the beginning and end of it because of size limitations for posts.
Source - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12804
"ABSTRACT
Electricity, the interaction between electrically charged objects, is widely known to be fundamental to the functioning of living systems. However, this appreciation has largely been restricted to the scale of atoms, molecules, and cells. By contrast, the role of electricity at the ecological scale has historically been largely neglected, characterized by punctuated islands of research infrequently connected to one another. Recently, however, an understanding of the ubiquity of electrical forces within the natural environment has begun to grow, along with a realization of the multitude of ecological interactions that these forces may influence. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive collation and synthesis of research in this emerging field of electric ecology. This includes assessments of the role electricity plays in the natural ecology of predator–prey interactions, pollination, and animal dispersal, among many others, as well as the impact of anthropogenic activity on these systems. A detailed introduction to the ecology and physiology of electroreception – the biological detection of ecologically relevant electric fields – is also provided. Further to this, we suggest avenues for future research that show particular promise, most notably those investigating the recently discovered sense of aerial electroreception.
I. INTRODUCTION
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental forces of the universe. Therefore, electromagnetic interactions inevitably influence the biotic world in a multitude of ways. There are two primary manifestations of electromagnetism: the magnetic field (magnetism), and the electric field (electricity); which when oscillating in synchronicity produce electromagnetic waves, i.e. light (Maxwell, 1865). For a summary and definition of the key electric and magnetic terminology used within this review, see Table 1. Whilst electromagnetic waves, and to some extent magnetic fields, have in many ways driven the rise and evolution of life on Earth, the influence of electric fields alone should not be understated.
Table 1. A list of electromagnetic terminology with associated definitions and SI units where applicable
Term Definition Units (if applicable) Charge A property possessed by some objects that allows them to create and interact with electric and magnetic fields. Opposite charges attract each other, whilst like charges repel each other. Coulombs (C)
Electricity The phenomena resulting from the interactions between charged objects. —
Electric field (electric field strength) The field around a charged object that will exert a force on other charged objects. The force exerted on a charge is proportional to the electric field strength. Volts per metre (V/m)
Magnetism The phenomena resulting from the movement of electrical charges. —
Magnetic field The field around a moving electrical charge (/magnetic material) that will exert a force on other moving electrical charges (/magnetic materials). Tesla (T)
Electromagnetism The combined physical phenomena associated with electricity and magnetism. —
Electromagnetic wave A propagating wave consisting of synchronised oscillations of electric and magnetic fields. Also known as ‘light’. —
Current The net flow of electrical charge through an object/space. Amperes (A)
Conductoconduction A material that allows current to flow through it. —
Conductance A measure of how well a particular object allows current to flow through it. Siemens (S)
Conductivity A material property that indicates how well a substance conducts electricity, independent of the dimensions of that substance. Siemens per metre (S/m)
Resistance Inverse of conductance. How much a particular object resists current flowing through it. Ohms (Ω)
Resistivity Inverse of conductivity. A material property indicating how well a substance resists the flow of current through it, independent of the dimensions of that substance. Ohm metres (Ωm)
Insulatoinsulation A material that does not allow current to flow freely through it (possesses high resistivity/low conductivity). —
Polarisation The net movement of charge within an object such that the distribution of charge is no longer symmetrical, resulting in an apparent electric field emanating from the object. Will sometimes be referred to as 'charge separation' if occuring within a conductor. —
Dielectric An insulating material that can be polarised when placed within an electric field. —
Potential The amount of energy theoretically required to move a unit of charge from a reference point (usually the electrical ground or a point infinitely far away) to the point in question. Volts (V)
Voltage The difference in potential between two points. Volts (V)
Ground/earth A point or object defined as being at zero potential. This will often be a conductor directly connected into the actual physical ground/earth. The ground can effectively be seen as an infinite source of charge carriers and therefore can act efficiently as a current sink. —
Capacitance The amount of charge an object can hold at a particular voltage. Farads (F)
Electrostatic induction The induction of current or polarisation within a material due to an applied electric field. —
Permittivity A measure of the polarisability of a material, which has consequences for how much electric fields are attenuated within that material. Farads per metre (F/m)
Relative permittivity The ratio of the permittivity of a material to the permittivity of a vacuum, i.e. how much weaker an electric field between two charges would be in this material compared to in a vacuum. Also known as the ‘Dielectric constant’. Dimensionless
An electric field exists around any electrically charged object, exerting a repulsive force on like charges, and an attractive force on opposite charges (Coulomb, 1785). The electrodynamic interactions of electrons and protons largely dictate the chemistry of both the abiotic and biotic world, and thus the structure of life. However, the bulk distribution and mobility of these charged particles within a material also result in electric fields manifesting their influence on biology at scales much larger than atoms and small molecules. For example, the folding of proteins, which predominantly determines their function, is governed significantly by electrostatic interactions (Zhou & Pang, 2018). It is also well appreciated that electrical interactions are responsible for a great number of cellular functions, in particular cell signalling (Lipscombe & Toro, 2014). Even at the scale of organs and organisms, the functioning of the nervous system in animals and plants relies upon electricity to generate and transmit information, in the form of propagating action potentials (Nicholls et al., 2001). However, one facet of the role of electric fields in biology has remained notably underappreciated: the ecology of electric fields. Recent work has highlighted that indeed a plethora of electrical interactions take place at the ecological scale, in terms of an organism's interactions with the physical abiotic environment, as well as conspecifics and other organisms. This article intends to review our current knowledge on the influence of electric fields at the ecological scale, including the sensory ecology of the biological detection of these fields: electroreception. Particular emphasis and detail will be given to the recently discovered field of aerial electroreception, as this provides some of the most exciting and potentially fruitful opportunities for further research. This review also aims to integrate aerial electroreception into the wider context of electroreception research by comparing and contrasting between aerial and aquatic examples, identifying common trends whilst appreciating their distinctiveness.
Abiotic electric field sources
It is first important to consider the presence of electric fields of abiotic origin. Arguably, the primary abiotic electric field source experienced by terrestrial organisms on Earth is the atmospheric potential gradient (APG) (Hunting et al., 2021c). The APG is an electric field oriented vertically in the Earth's atmosphere, such that, within the vast majority of biologically inhabited altitudes (Imshenetsky, Lysenko & Kazakov, 1978; Womack, Bohannan & Green, 2010), the electric potential increases with altitude (Wilson, 1903). Near to the Earth's surface, in fair-weather conditions, the strength of the APG is on the order of 100 V m−1, but can increase by an order of magnitude, or even invert, during certain meteorological conditions, most notably thunderstorms (Wilson, 1903; Bennett & Harrison, 2007). The APG is largely created by a potential difference between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface and is constantly maintained by the global atmospheric electric circuit, wherein thunderstorms generate electric current upwards in the atmosphere, towards the ionosphere; this current is simultaneously counteracted elsewhere on the planet in fair-weather regions by gradual currents flowing back down to the ground (Rycroft, Israelsson & Price, 2000; Rycroft et al., 2012).
It is also worth mentioning the electrical charges of atmospheric precipitation. Individual raindrops generally carry non-negligible electrostatic charges (Wilson, 1903). These charges vary in polarity, even within the same rainfall, but negative charges appear to be marginally more common (Wilson, 1903; Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Chauzy & Despiau, 1980; Bennett & Harrison, 2007). The magnitude of charge carried is also highly variable but is typically in the region of 0.1–1000 pC, depending on meteorological conditions and the size of the raindrop (Banerji & Lele, 1932; Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Smith, 1955; Chauzy & Despiau, 1980). Snowflakes and hailstones have also been shown to carry electrostatic charges (Chalmers & Pasquill, 1938; Latham, Mason & Blackett, 1961).
In the aquatic environment, a major abiotic source of electric fields is the Earth's geomagnetic field. Whilst the geomagnetic field itself is not an electric field, any time-varying magnetic field will induce an electric field (Faraday, 1832; Maxwell, 1865). Therefore, because the geomagnetic field varies spatially, when water or animals move through the geomagnetic field, this can be viewed as a temporal variation in magnetic field from the reference point of the moving object, and therefore electric currents are electromagnetically induced in the water or animal (Kalmijn, 1974). The magnitudes of these motion-induced electric fields are not negligible, with a fish moving at 1 m s−1 likely to induce electric fields as strong as 0.4 μV cm−1, and electric fields induced by water motion typically measuring around 0.05–0.25 μV cm−1 (Barber & Longuet-Higgins, 1948; Kalmijn, 1974). By the same electromagnetic principles, temporal variations in the ambient magnetic field, for example those caused by magnetic storms, will similarly induce electric fields in the Earth's crust and mantle, including the oceans (Kalmijn, 1974). These are generally referred to as telluric, or Earth currents, and in coastal or continental shelf waters (where oceanic telluric currents are at their highest), they are typically on the order of 0.01 μV cm−1 in magnitude (Kalmijn, 1974).
V. CONCLUSIONS
Research into the role of electricity in ecology has been long-standing, but is characterized by punctuated, largely isolated, islands of research.
This review provides the first collation and synthesis of these studies, and in so doing demonstrates the importance of considering electric phenomena when investigating ecological interactions.
Together, the studies published to date make clear the prevalence of electrical interactions within ecological systems, but there are large gaps in our current knowledge.
As an acknowledgment and understanding of the ubiquity of electric fields within the natural environment begins to grow within the scientific community, it is anticipated that many more aspects of electric ecology are soon to be uncovered.
The recently discovered sense of aerial electroreception provides an exciting and promising new field of research, with a plethora of species and ecologies awaiting investigation.
The electric field should be viewed and appreciated as a major driver of evolutionary adaptation within biological systems, not only at the atomic, molecular, or cellular levels, but also at the organism and ecological scales too."
This "atmospheric potential gradient" and how life interacts with it and the explanation of how the various systems of energy on earth interact and cause chain reactions in each other has set all of the ground work for this kind of theory to be plausible. Personally I truly think this is the beginning of a new understanding about life on our planet and the role energy plays in it on every level. The systems this report sets out could very well make us reconsider some old ways of thinking that we as a species had previously dismissed as superstitious nonsense.
This is the article the theory is from: https://unifyingtheory.blogspot.com/2021/10/electromagnetictelluric-grid-theory.html
2023.06.02 12:36 NimbleThor 5 Quick tl;dr iOS Game Reviews / Recommendations (Episode 178)
Happy first Friday of June, my friends! :) And welcome back to this weekly mobile gaming recommendation thread based on some of the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week. I hope you'll enjoy the read.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes an amazing adventure flying game, a cute polished puzzle game, and old school action arcade game, a fun Brotato alternative, and an indie tower defense real-time strategy game.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 178 weeks ago here.
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Laya’s Horizon is a fantastic 3D adventure flying game where we explore a large island, participate in mini-games, and complete quests – all by gliding from mountaintops using the cape on our back.
Starting at the top of a mountain, we tap to launch ourselves into a glide across a completely open game world. Scattered across the island are NPCs with quests or mini-games, airstreams that provide an uplift so we can glide further, and lots of hidden secrets.
The mini-games range from flying under bridges or close to threes without hitting any obstacles, to racing against NPC gliders. Bust most importantly, gliding around the island just feels amazing – especially when going fast. Although the core gameplay is different, it has a bit of that same feel as flying in “Sky: Children of the Light”.
Despite the many challenging quests, however, the gameplay feels more like a relaxing free-roam experience than something you’re meant to complete as fast as possible.
A few hours into the game, we also discover new mountain tops to launch from, and better capes with different advantages, which allows us to reach new areas of the map.
Laya’s Horizon is made by the developers of Alto’s Adventure, which shows in the game’s atmospheric art style and overall feel. Combined with the music, it creates a highly immersive experience.
The controls may seem daunting at first, but I quickly got the hang of them, and after an hour or two, they start to feel natural.
The biggest downside is that the game requires a beefy phone to run properly. Hopefully, it also expands with more islands down the road.
Laya’s Horizon is a premium game that can only be played with a Netflix subscription. If you already have Netflix, it’s a must-try for anyone fond of casual adventure games.
NOTE: if you don't have Netflix, it's not worth buying the subscription if you only plan on playing Laya’s Horizon.
App Store: Here
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Where's Samantha? is a beautiful and clever physics-based puzzle platformer that tells a romantic story of two living pieces of fabric who brave increasingly dangerous challenges in order to eventually reunite.
The game takes place in a surreal and colorful textile world full of gaps, springs, levers, buttons, gates, moving platforms, and other interactive objects. There are also plenty of dangerous traps that we need to overcome, including spike pits, rotating saw blades, shooting cannons, and even laser turrets.
Starting as an easy "walk in the park", the game gradually turns into a deadly obstacle course that requires some serious platforming skills to survive.
Throughout our journey, we can make use of an unusual gameplay mechanic that allows our character to split into two, or even three separate pieces of fabric that we can then operate independently. This enables us to solve complex puzzles that involve interacting with multiple remote objects simultaneously.
What’s more, our weight and physics change when splitting up, which means we can apply a large force to doors and platforms when playing as a single character, or split up so we can jump higher to get over obstacles.
What I like the most about the game is its amazing visual style, where every item we see and interact with is hand-drawn to resemble a real-world physical object. Add to this the game’s atmospheric music, crisp sound effects, responsive controls, fluid animations, and an absolutely amazing voice-over narration by an award-winning actor – and you have yourself one of the most aesthetically pleasing experiences you can hope for from a mobile game.
Where's Samantha? shows occasional ads, with a $0.99 to disable them and a $3.99 iAP to unlock the full game.
It's rare to find such a high-quality game on mobile, so if you enjoy puzzles and platformers, I can easily recommend checking it out.
App Store: Here
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Retro City Rampage DX is an old-school racing and shooting arcade game that draws heavy inspiration from the famous Grand Theft Auto series. It features lots of pixelated violence, energetic 8-bit soundtracks, hectic action, and tons of references to movies and video games of the past.
Playing as a henchman for a powerful crime lord who is robbing yet another bank, we quickly find ourselves dragged into a dangerous cascade of events that only get weirder when time-traveling and other ridiculous sci-fi elements get introduced.
I personally stopped paying attention to the story after a while, as it mostly served as a background for all the crazy events taking place, and as an excuse to reference endless iconic characters from popular franchises.
Just like in GTA, there’s a lot happening very quickly - shooting, racing, fighting, stealing vehicles, robbing banks, chasing the police, participating in minigames, and much much more. The game doesn’t restrict itself to a specific genre, instead just mashing together various elements from all the retro hits of the past. And it somehow actually works.
If we get bored by the fast-paced story mode, we can freely roam the city to do whatever we want, or hone our skills in various arcade challenges.
Unfortunately, this mobile port of the game isn’t perfect. Everything looks too tiny on small screens, and the touch controls aren’t comfortable when we need to react ultra-quickly. So it’s highly recommended to use a Bluetooth controller.
Retro City Rampage DX is a premium game that costs $4.99 on iOS. It’s a great tribute to the classic games of the past, and it succeeds at inducing a deep level of nostalgia while providing the exact type of highly entertaining gameplay experience seasoned gamers grew up with.
App Store: Here
Orientation: Portrait + some Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Pickle Pete is a reverse bullet-hell roguelike that combines the over-the-top chaotic gameplay of Brotato with the permanent character progression of Archero for a surprisingly fun gameplay experience.
The objective is to survive 10 time-limited waves of enemy attacks, return home, and then continue to the next chapter. During each wave, we control our pickle character with a large joystick while it auto-shoots at any enemies in range.
After every wave, we get to first pick one of three random stat-boosts if we leveled up during the wave, and then spend the pickles we’ve collected on buying weapons and items. Just like in Brotato, we can equip six weapons at a time, which quickly makes the gameplay chaotically fun.
If we get two of the same item, we can even merge them to increase the rarity, which makes it a lot stronger. I found the weapons to be decently diverse, and it’s entertaining to experiment with everything from snipers to magic wands, anvils, turrets, and drones.
After defeating the boss in wave 10, we receive gold and permanent items. In-between runs, we equip and upgrade these items to grow stronger, and buy stat boosts. All this permanent progression makes the game feel slightly more rewarding than Brotato.
Playing normal runs requires energy that we eventually run out of. Thankfully, the game also features a daily mission game mode, a competitive endless mode, and several challenge modes that are almost entire games on their own. Most of these don’t require any energy.
The art and animations are silly but neat, and I found it particularly nice that we can see where an enemy is about to spawn.
Pickle Pete monetizes via incentivized ads to revive, receive extra gold, or refresh the shop. There are also iAPs for items and a paid battle pass, but none of this is needed to progress at a decent pace.
App Store: Here
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Nanuleu is an area control real-time strategy game where we expand our territory, accumulate resources, and place defenses to repel the enemy onslaught until we can launch an effective counterattack.
We play on a randomly generated square grid where certain tiles contain valuable resource deposits such as minerals and water. Starting at the center, we spend resources to build various nodes adjacent to the tiles we already occupy.
Cheap root nodes serve as roads that expand our network, while more expensive extractors can only be placed on deposit tiles to increase resource production. Our objective is to reach several distant tiles on the map and build special nodes there.
As time goes by, enemy camps start to appear in the corners of the map. These spawn troops that attack our nodes, and to oppose them, we must place defense towers that fire projectiles. Once we occupy all the special tiles, we get access to our own troop factories so we can produce units that destroy the enemy spawns. Getting rid of all the enemies is the ultimate goal of the game.
The strategy revolves around carefully balancing our expansion and resource production while racing against the ever-growing enemy forces. If we fail to occupy the deposits, we may not be able to produce enough towers in time, but a larger territory is also harder to control and requires more resources for towers. I found this balancing to be quite challenging and unforgiving, which highly contrasts the game's seemingly casual art style.
Nanuleu is a $2.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Despite being rather simple and repetitive, it still provides an entertaining and unique experience for fans of real-time strategy and tower defense games.
App Store: Here
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Google Sheet of all games I've played so far (searchable and filter-able): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bf0OxtVxrboZqyEh01AxJYUUqHm8tEfh-Lx-SugcrzY/edit?usp=sharing
TL;DR Video Summary (with gameplay) of last week's games: https://youtu.be/ED1TnAyhKko
Episode 161 Episode 162 Episode 163 Episode 164 Episode 165 Episode 166 Episode 167 Episode 168 Episode 169 Episode 170 Episode 171 Episode 172 Episode 173 Episode 174 Episode 175 Episode 176 Episode 177
submitted by NimbleThor to iosgaming [link] [comments]
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes an amazing adventure flying game, a cute polished puzzle game, and old school action arcade game, a fun Brotato alternative, and an indie tower defense real-time strategy game.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 178 weeks ago here.
Let's get to the games:
Laya's Horizon [Game Size: 546 MB] (Netflix-only)
Genre: Adventure / Casual / Flying - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Laya’s Horizon is a fantastic 3D adventure flying game where we explore a large island, participate in mini-games, and complete quests – all by gliding from mountaintops using the cape on our back.
Starting at the top of a mountain, we tap to launch ourselves into a glide across a completely open game world. Scattered across the island are NPCs with quests or mini-games, airstreams that provide an uplift so we can glide further, and lots of hidden secrets.
The mini-games range from flying under bridges or close to threes without hitting any obstacles, to racing against NPC gliders. Bust most importantly, gliding around the island just feels amazing – especially when going fast. Although the core gameplay is different, it has a bit of that same feel as flying in “Sky: Children of the Light”.
Despite the many challenging quests, however, the gameplay feels more like a relaxing free-roam experience than something you’re meant to complete as fast as possible.
A few hours into the game, we also discover new mountain tops to launch from, and better capes with different advantages, which allows us to reach new areas of the map.
Laya’s Horizon is made by the developers of Alto’s Adventure, which shows in the game’s atmospheric art style and overall feel. Combined with the music, it creates a highly immersive experience.
The controls may seem daunting at first, but I quickly got the hang of them, and after an hour or two, they start to feel natural.
The biggest downside is that the game requires a beefy phone to run properly. Hopefully, it also expands with more islands down the road.
Laya’s Horizon is a premium game that can only be played with a Netflix subscription. If you already have Netflix, it’s a must-try for anyone fond of casual adventure games.
NOTE: if you don't have Netflix, it's not worth buying the subscription if you only plan on playing Laya’s Horizon.
App Store: Here
Where's Samantha? [Total Game Size: 310 MB] (Free)
Genre: Platform / Puzzle - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Where's Samantha? is a beautiful and clever physics-based puzzle platformer that tells a romantic story of two living pieces of fabric who brave increasingly dangerous challenges in order to eventually reunite.
The game takes place in a surreal and colorful textile world full of gaps, springs, levers, buttons, gates, moving platforms, and other interactive objects. There are also plenty of dangerous traps that we need to overcome, including spike pits, rotating saw blades, shooting cannons, and even laser turrets.
Starting as an easy "walk in the park", the game gradually turns into a deadly obstacle course that requires some serious platforming skills to survive.
Throughout our journey, we can make use of an unusual gameplay mechanic that allows our character to split into two, or even three separate pieces of fabric that we can then operate independently. This enables us to solve complex puzzles that involve interacting with multiple remote objects simultaneously.
What’s more, our weight and physics change when splitting up, which means we can apply a large force to doors and platforms when playing as a single character, or split up so we can jump higher to get over obstacles.
What I like the most about the game is its amazing visual style, where every item we see and interact with is hand-drawn to resemble a real-world physical object. Add to this the game’s atmospheric music, crisp sound effects, responsive controls, fluid animations, and an absolutely amazing voice-over narration by an award-winning actor – and you have yourself one of the most aesthetically pleasing experiences you can hope for from a mobile game.
Where's Samantha? shows occasional ads, with a $0.99 to disable them and a $3.99 iAP to unlock the full game.
It's rare to find such a high-quality game on mobile, so if you enjoy puzzles and platformers, I can easily recommend checking it out.
App Store: Here
Retro City Rampage DX [Game Size: 29 MB] ($4.99)
Genre: Action / Arcade - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Retro City Rampage DX is an old-school racing and shooting arcade game that draws heavy inspiration from the famous Grand Theft Auto series. It features lots of pixelated violence, energetic 8-bit soundtracks, hectic action, and tons of references to movies and video games of the past.
Playing as a henchman for a powerful crime lord who is robbing yet another bank, we quickly find ourselves dragged into a dangerous cascade of events that only get weirder when time-traveling and other ridiculous sci-fi elements get introduced.
I personally stopped paying attention to the story after a while, as it mostly served as a background for all the crazy events taking place, and as an excuse to reference endless iconic characters from popular franchises.
Just like in GTA, there’s a lot happening very quickly - shooting, racing, fighting, stealing vehicles, robbing banks, chasing the police, participating in minigames, and much much more. The game doesn’t restrict itself to a specific genre, instead just mashing together various elements from all the retro hits of the past. And it somehow actually works.
If we get bored by the fast-paced story mode, we can freely roam the city to do whatever we want, or hone our skills in various arcade challenges.
Unfortunately, this mobile port of the game isn’t perfect. Everything looks too tiny on small screens, and the touch controls aren’t comfortable when we need to react ultra-quickly. So it’s highly recommended to use a Bluetooth controller.
Retro City Rampage DX is a premium game that costs $4.99 on iOS. It’s a great tribute to the classic games of the past, and it succeeds at inducing a deep level of nostalgia while providing the exact type of highly entertaining gameplay experience seasoned gamers grew up with.
App Store: Here
Pickle Pete: Survivor [Game Size: 248 MB] (Free)
Genre: Arcade / Bullet-Hell - OfflineOrientation: Portrait + some Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Pickle Pete is a reverse bullet-hell roguelike that combines the over-the-top chaotic gameplay of Brotato with the permanent character progression of Archero for a surprisingly fun gameplay experience.
The objective is to survive 10 time-limited waves of enemy attacks, return home, and then continue to the next chapter. During each wave, we control our pickle character with a large joystick while it auto-shoots at any enemies in range.
After every wave, we get to first pick one of three random stat-boosts if we leveled up during the wave, and then spend the pickles we’ve collected on buying weapons and items. Just like in Brotato, we can equip six weapons at a time, which quickly makes the gameplay chaotically fun.
If we get two of the same item, we can even merge them to increase the rarity, which makes it a lot stronger. I found the weapons to be decently diverse, and it’s entertaining to experiment with everything from snipers to magic wands, anvils, turrets, and drones.
After defeating the boss in wave 10, we receive gold and permanent items. In-between runs, we equip and upgrade these items to grow stronger, and buy stat boosts. All this permanent progression makes the game feel slightly more rewarding than Brotato.
Playing normal runs requires energy that we eventually run out of. Thankfully, the game also features a daily mission game mode, a competitive endless mode, and several challenge modes that are almost entire games on their own. Most of these don’t require any energy.
The art and animations are silly but neat, and I found it particularly nice that we can see where an enemy is about to spawn.
Pickle Pete monetizes via incentivized ads to revive, receive extra gold, or refresh the shop. There are also iAPs for items and a paid battle pass, but none of this is needed to progress at a decent pace.
App Store: Here
Nanuleu (Game Size: 59 MB] ($2.99)
Genre: Tower Defense / Strategy / Indie - OfflineOrientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Nanuleu is an area control real-time strategy game where we expand our territory, accumulate resources, and place defenses to repel the enemy onslaught until we can launch an effective counterattack.
We play on a randomly generated square grid where certain tiles contain valuable resource deposits such as minerals and water. Starting at the center, we spend resources to build various nodes adjacent to the tiles we already occupy.
Cheap root nodes serve as roads that expand our network, while more expensive extractors can only be placed on deposit tiles to increase resource production. Our objective is to reach several distant tiles on the map and build special nodes there.
As time goes by, enemy camps start to appear in the corners of the map. These spawn troops that attack our nodes, and to oppose them, we must place defense towers that fire projectiles. Once we occupy all the special tiles, we get access to our own troop factories so we can produce units that destroy the enemy spawns. Getting rid of all the enemies is the ultimate goal of the game.
The strategy revolves around carefully balancing our expansion and resource production while racing against the ever-growing enemy forces. If we fail to occupy the deposits, we may not be able to produce enough towers in time, but a larger territory is also harder to control and requires more resources for towers. I found this balancing to be quite challenging and unforgiving, which highly contrasts the game's seemingly casual art style.
Nanuleu is a $2.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Despite being rather simple and repetitive, it still provides an entertaining and unique experience for fans of real-time strategy and tower defense games.
App Store: Here
Google Sheet of all games I've played so far (searchable and filter-able): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bf0OxtVxrboZqyEh01AxJYUUqHm8tEfh-Lx-SugcrzY/edit?usp=sharing
TL;DR Video Summary (with gameplay) of last week's games: https://youtu.be/ED1TnAyhKko
2023.06.02 12:35 NimbleThor 5 Quick Tl;Dr Android Game Reviews / Recommendations (Episode 265)
Happy first Friday of June, my friends! :) And welcome back to this weekly mobile gaming recommendation thread based on some of the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week. I hope you'll enjoy the read.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes an amazing adventure flying game, a cute polished puzzle game, and old school action arcade game, a fun Brotato alternative, and an indie tower defense real-time strategy game.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 265 weeks ago here.
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Laya’s Horizon is a fantastic 3D adventure flying game where we explore a large island, participate in mini-games, and complete quests – all by gliding from mountaintops using the cape on our back.
Starting at the top of a mountain, we tap to launch ourselves into a glide across a completely open game world. Scattered across the island are NPCs with quests or mini-games, airstreams that provide an uplift so we can glide further, and lots of hidden secrets.
The mini-games range from flying under bridges or close to threes without hitting any obstacles, to racing against NPC gliders. Bust most importantly, gliding around the island just feels amazing – especially when going fast. Although the core gameplay is different, it has a bit of that same feel as flying in “Sky: Children of the Light”.
Despite the many challenging quests, however, the gameplay feels more like a relaxing free-roam experience than something you’re meant to complete as fast as possible.
A few hours into the game, we also discover new mountain tops to launch from, and better capes with different advantages, which allows us to reach new areas of the map.
Laya’s Horizon is made by the developers of Alto’s Adventure, which shows in the game’s atmospheric art style and overall feel. Combined with the music, it creates a highly immersive experience.
The controls may seem daunting at first, but I quickly got the hang of them, and after an hour or two, they start to feel natural.
The biggest downside is that the game requires a beefy phone to run properly. Hopefully, it also expands with more islands down the road.
Laya’s Horizon is a premium game that can only be played with a Netflix subscription. If you already have Netflix, it’s a must-try for anyone fond of casual adventure games.
NOTE: if you don't have Netflix, it's not worth buying the subscription if you only plan on playing Laya’s Horizon.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Where's Samantha? is a beautiful and clever physics-based puzzle platformer that tells a romantic story of two living pieces of fabric who brave increasingly dangerous challenges in order to eventually reunite.
The game takes place in a surreal and colorful textile world full of gaps, springs, levers, buttons, gates, moving platforms, and other interactive objects. There are also plenty of dangerous traps that we need to overcome, including spike pits, rotating saw blades, shooting cannons, and even laser turrets.
Starting as an easy "walk in the park", the game gradually turns into a deadly obstacle course that requires some serious platforming skills to survive.
Throughout our journey, we can make use of an unusual gameplay mechanic that allows our character to split into two, or even three separate pieces of fabric that we can then operate independently. This enables us to solve complex puzzles that involve interacting with multiple remote objects simultaneously.
What’s more, our weight and physics change when splitting up, which means we can apply a large force to doors and platforms when playing as a single character, or split up so we can jump higher to get over obstacles.
What I like the most about the game is its amazing visual style, where every item we see and interact with is hand-drawn to resemble a real-world physical object. Add to this the game’s atmospheric music, crisp sound effects, responsive controls, fluid animations, and an absolutely amazing voice-over narration by an award-winning actor – and you have yourself one of the most aesthetically pleasing experiences you can hope for from a mobile game.
Where's Samantha? claims to show occasional ads, with a $0.99 to disable them and a $3.99 iAP to unlock the full game, but after finishing all 48 levels, I haven't encountered a single ad nor been asked to pay.
It's rare to find such a high-quality game on mobile, so if you enjoy puzzles and platformers, I can easily recommend checking it out.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Retro City Rampage DX is an old-school racing and shooting arcade game that draws heavy inspiration from the famous Grand Theft Auto series. It features lots of pixelated violence, energetic 8-bit soundtracks, hectic action, and tons of references to movies and video games of the past.
Playing as a henchman for a powerful crime lord who is robbing yet another bank, we quickly find ourselves dragged into a dangerous cascade of events that only get weirder when time-traveling and other ridiculous sci-fi elements get introduced.
I personally stopped paying attention to the story after a while, as it mostly served as a background for all the crazy events taking place, and as an excuse to reference endless iconic characters from popular franchises.
Just like in GTA, there’s a lot happening very quickly - shooting, racing, fighting, stealing vehicles, robbing banks, chasing the police, participating in minigames, and much much more. The game doesn’t restrict itself to a specific genre, instead just mashing together various elements from all the retro hits of the past. And it somehow actually works.
If we get bored by the fast-paced story mode, we can freely roam the city to do whatever we want, or hone our skills in various arcade challenges.
Unfortunately, this mobile port of the game isn’t perfect. Everything looks too tiny on small screens, and the touch controls aren’t comfortable when we need to react ultra-quickly. So it’s highly recommended to use a Bluetooth controller.
Retro City Rampage DX is a premium game that costs $2.99 on Android. It’s a great tribute to the classic games of the past, and it succeeds at inducing a deep level of nostalgia while providing the exact type of highly entertaining gameplay experience seasoned gamers grew up with.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Orientation: Portrait + some Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Pickle Pete is a reverse bullet-hell roguelike that combines the over-the-top chaotic gameplay of Brotato with the permanent character progression of Archero for a surprisingly fun gameplay experience.
The objective is to survive 10 time-limited waves of enemy attacks, return home, and then continue to the next chapter. During each wave, we control our pickle character with a large joystick while it auto-shoots at any enemies in range.
After every wave, we get to first pick one of three random stat-boosts if we leveled up during the wave, and then spend the pickles we’ve collected on buying weapons and items. Just like in Brotato, we can equip six weapons at a time, which quickly makes the gameplay chaotically fun.
If we get two of the same item, we can even merge them to increase the rarity, which makes it a lot stronger. I found the weapons to be decently diverse, and it’s entertaining to experiment with everything from snipers to magic wands, anvils, turrets, and drones.
After defeating the boss in wave 10, we receive gold and permanent items. In-between runs, we equip and upgrade these items to grow stronger, and buy stat boosts. All this permanent progression makes the game feel slightly more rewarding than Brotato.
Playing normal runs requires energy that we eventually run out of. Thankfully, the game also features a daily mission game mode, a competitive endless mode, and several challenge modes that are almost entire games on their own. Most of these don’t require any energy.
The art and animations are silly but neat, and I found it particularly nice that we can see where an enemy is about to spawn.
Pickle Pete monetizes via incentivized ads to revive, receive extra gold, or refresh the shop. There are also iAPs for items and a paid battle pass, but none of this is needed to progress at a decent pace.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Nanuleu is an area control real-time strategy game where we expand our territory, accumulate resources, and place defenses to repel the enemy onslaught until we can launch an effective counterattack.
We play on a randomly generated square grid where certain tiles contain valuable resource deposits such as minerals and water. Starting at the center, we spend resources to build various nodes adjacent to the tiles we already occupy.
Cheap root nodes serve as roads that expand our network, while more expensive extractors can only be placed on deposit tiles to increase resource production. Our objective is to reach several distant tiles on the map and build special nodes there.
As time goes by, enemy camps start to appear in the corners of the map. These spawn troops that attack our nodes, and to oppose them, we must place defense towers that fire projectiles. Once we occupy all the special tiles, we get access to our own troop factories so we can produce units that destroy the enemy spawns. Getting rid of all the enemies is the ultimate goal of the game.
The strategy revolves around carefully balancing our expansion and resource production while racing against the ever-growing enemy forces. If we fail to occupy the deposits, we may not be able to produce enough towers in time, but a larger territory is also harder to control and requires more resources for towers. I found this balancing to be quite challenging and unforgiving, which highly contrasts the game's seemingly casual art style.
Nanuleu is a $2.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Despite being rather simple and repetitive, it still provides an entertaining and unique experience for fans of real-time strategy and tower defense games.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
NEW: Sort + filter reviews and games I've played (and more) in my app MiniReview: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=minireview.best.android.games.reviews
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Episode 248 Episode 249 Episode 251 Episode 252 Episode 253 Episode 254 Episode 255 Episode 256 Episode 257 Episode 258 Episode 259 Episode 260 Episode 261 Episode 262 Episode 263 Episode 264
submitted by NimbleThor to AndroidGaming [link] [comments]
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes an amazing adventure flying game, a cute polished puzzle game, and old school action arcade game, a fun Brotato alternative, and an indie tower defense real-time strategy game.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 265 weeks ago here.
Let's get to the games:
Laya's Horizon [Game Size: 546 MB] (Netflix-only)
Genre: Adventure / Casual / Flying - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Laya’s Horizon is a fantastic 3D adventure flying game where we explore a large island, participate in mini-games, and complete quests – all by gliding from mountaintops using the cape on our back.
Starting at the top of a mountain, we tap to launch ourselves into a glide across a completely open game world. Scattered across the island are NPCs with quests or mini-games, airstreams that provide an uplift so we can glide further, and lots of hidden secrets.
The mini-games range from flying under bridges or close to threes without hitting any obstacles, to racing against NPC gliders. Bust most importantly, gliding around the island just feels amazing – especially when going fast. Although the core gameplay is different, it has a bit of that same feel as flying in “Sky: Children of the Light”.
Despite the many challenging quests, however, the gameplay feels more like a relaxing free-roam experience than something you’re meant to complete as fast as possible.
A few hours into the game, we also discover new mountain tops to launch from, and better capes with different advantages, which allows us to reach new areas of the map.
Laya’s Horizon is made by the developers of Alto’s Adventure, which shows in the game’s atmospheric art style and overall feel. Combined with the music, it creates a highly immersive experience.
The controls may seem daunting at first, but I quickly got the hang of them, and after an hour or two, they start to feel natural.
The biggest downside is that the game requires a beefy phone to run properly. Hopefully, it also expands with more islands down the road.
Laya’s Horizon is a premium game that can only be played with a Netflix subscription. If you already have Netflix, it’s a must-try for anyone fond of casual adventure games.
NOTE: if you don't have Netflix, it's not worth buying the subscription if you only plan on playing Laya’s Horizon.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Where's Samantha? [Total Game Size: 310 MB] (Free)
Genre: Platform / Puzzle - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Where's Samantha? is a beautiful and clever physics-based puzzle platformer that tells a romantic story of two living pieces of fabric who brave increasingly dangerous challenges in order to eventually reunite.
The game takes place in a surreal and colorful textile world full of gaps, springs, levers, buttons, gates, moving platforms, and other interactive objects. There are also plenty of dangerous traps that we need to overcome, including spike pits, rotating saw blades, shooting cannons, and even laser turrets.
Starting as an easy "walk in the park", the game gradually turns into a deadly obstacle course that requires some serious platforming skills to survive.
Throughout our journey, we can make use of an unusual gameplay mechanic that allows our character to split into two, or even three separate pieces of fabric that we can then operate independently. This enables us to solve complex puzzles that involve interacting with multiple remote objects simultaneously.
What’s more, our weight and physics change when splitting up, which means we can apply a large force to doors and platforms when playing as a single character, or split up so we can jump higher to get over obstacles.
What I like the most about the game is its amazing visual style, where every item we see and interact with is hand-drawn to resemble a real-world physical object. Add to this the game’s atmospheric music, crisp sound effects, responsive controls, fluid animations, and an absolutely amazing voice-over narration by an award-winning actor – and you have yourself one of the most aesthetically pleasing experiences you can hope for from a mobile game.
Where's Samantha? claims to show occasional ads, with a $0.99 to disable them and a $3.99 iAP to unlock the full game, but after finishing all 48 levels, I haven't encountered a single ad nor been asked to pay.
It's rare to find such a high-quality game on mobile, so if you enjoy puzzles and platformers, I can easily recommend checking it out.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Retro City Rampage DX [Game Size: 29 MB] ($2.99)
Genre: Action / Arcade - OfflineOrientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Retro City Rampage DX is an old-school racing and shooting arcade game that draws heavy inspiration from the famous Grand Theft Auto series. It features lots of pixelated violence, energetic 8-bit soundtracks, hectic action, and tons of references to movies and video games of the past.
Playing as a henchman for a powerful crime lord who is robbing yet another bank, we quickly find ourselves dragged into a dangerous cascade of events that only get weirder when time-traveling and other ridiculous sci-fi elements get introduced.
I personally stopped paying attention to the story after a while, as it mostly served as a background for all the crazy events taking place, and as an excuse to reference endless iconic characters from popular franchises.
Just like in GTA, there’s a lot happening very quickly - shooting, racing, fighting, stealing vehicles, robbing banks, chasing the police, participating in minigames, and much much more. The game doesn’t restrict itself to a specific genre, instead just mashing together various elements from all the retro hits of the past. And it somehow actually works.
If we get bored by the fast-paced story mode, we can freely roam the city to do whatever we want, or hone our skills in various arcade challenges.
Unfortunately, this mobile port of the game isn’t perfect. Everything looks too tiny on small screens, and the touch controls aren’t comfortable when we need to react ultra-quickly. So it’s highly recommended to use a Bluetooth controller.
Retro City Rampage DX is a premium game that costs $2.99 on Android. It’s a great tribute to the classic games of the past, and it succeeds at inducing a deep level of nostalgia while providing the exact type of highly entertaining gameplay experience seasoned gamers grew up with.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Pickle Pete: Survivor [Game Size: 248 MB] (Free)
Genre: Arcade / Bullet-Hell - OfflineOrientation: Portrait + some Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Pickle Pete is a reverse bullet-hell roguelike that combines the over-the-top chaotic gameplay of Brotato with the permanent character progression of Archero for a surprisingly fun gameplay experience.
The objective is to survive 10 time-limited waves of enemy attacks, return home, and then continue to the next chapter. During each wave, we control our pickle character with a large joystick while it auto-shoots at any enemies in range.
After every wave, we get to first pick one of three random stat-boosts if we leveled up during the wave, and then spend the pickles we’ve collected on buying weapons and items. Just like in Brotato, we can equip six weapons at a time, which quickly makes the gameplay chaotically fun.
If we get two of the same item, we can even merge them to increase the rarity, which makes it a lot stronger. I found the weapons to be decently diverse, and it’s entertaining to experiment with everything from snipers to magic wands, anvils, turrets, and drones.
After defeating the boss in wave 10, we receive gold and permanent items. In-between runs, we equip and upgrade these items to grow stronger, and buy stat boosts. All this permanent progression makes the game feel slightly more rewarding than Brotato.
Playing normal runs requires energy that we eventually run out of. Thankfully, the game also features a daily mission game mode, a competitive endless mode, and several challenge modes that are almost entire games on their own. Most of these don’t require any energy.
The art and animations are silly but neat, and I found it particularly nice that we can see where an enemy is about to spawn.
Pickle Pete monetizes via incentivized ads to revive, receive extra gold, or refresh the shop. There are also iAPs for items and a paid battle pass, but none of this is needed to progress at a decent pace.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Nanuleu (Game Size: 59 MB] ($2.99)
Genre: Tower Defense / Strategy / Indie - OfflineOrientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Nanuleu is an area control real-time strategy game where we expand our territory, accumulate resources, and place defenses to repel the enemy onslaught until we can launch an effective counterattack.
We play on a randomly generated square grid where certain tiles contain valuable resource deposits such as minerals and water. Starting at the center, we spend resources to build various nodes adjacent to the tiles we already occupy.
Cheap root nodes serve as roads that expand our network, while more expensive extractors can only be placed on deposit tiles to increase resource production. Our objective is to reach several distant tiles on the map and build special nodes there.
As time goes by, enemy camps start to appear in the corners of the map. These spawn troops that attack our nodes, and to oppose them, we must place defense towers that fire projectiles. Once we occupy all the special tiles, we get access to our own troop factories so we can produce units that destroy the enemy spawns. Getting rid of all the enemies is the ultimate goal of the game.
The strategy revolves around carefully balancing our expansion and resource production while racing against the ever-growing enemy forces. If we fail to occupy the deposits, we may not be able to produce enough towers in time, but a larger territory is also harder to control and requires more resources for towers. I found this balancing to be quite challenging and unforgiving, which highly contrasts the game's seemingly casual art style.
Nanuleu is a $2.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Despite being rather simple and repetitive, it still provides an entertaining and unique experience for fans of real-time strategy and tower defense games.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
2023.06.02 12:25 Rhion-618 Just One Drop - Ch 88
Chapter 88 - From All I Believed
Morning, Two days before Shel
Captain Setar suppressed a smile as she watched the Ops door close. “Well, that was interesting… Ce’lani is a little cranky.” The last vestiges of sleep clung to her as she settled down into the command chair. She felt worn out, but it was the cusp of dawn, and Pod Seven had only just turned over control. “Report on station?”
“The perimeter’s secure,” Jelki replied crisply, pulling up the map of the campus on the main screen. “Pod One is on station and reports twelve by twelve. Sgt Ma’reis is already complaining about janitor duty.”
“Ah, first pod problems.” Setar shook her head, rubbing her eyes and blowing gently on her mug of tea. “What about the objective?”
“The objective’s secure,” Re’lan piped up, already sounding chipper. The woman could have been priestess of Jrafell. Her unwavering cheeriness would have been a character fault if she weren’t so devoted. As it was, it was a damned penance for everyone else at this time of day.
Jelke finished running the obligatory shift change checks and stretched. Things wouldn't get interesting until breakfast, but watching the perimeter was a given. It didn't keep the curiosity out of her voice, as she cocked her head and glanced over. “What was interesting with Captain Ton’is, Ma’am?”
“Mm! Well… it appears she’s expecting a call from Professor Warrick today,” Setar drawled out, taking a moment to savor their reaction. “She felt a need to remind me she’s devoted to Hele, and that if Be’ona or I let her sleep through the call, she’s going to ‘fuck us up the ass with a lasrifle and pull the trigger’.”
Re’lan was probably blushing like a cadet, but Jelke shook her head ruefully. “I expect there's a ‘but’ in there somewhere, Captain?”
“Well, yeah, she said that’s where the rifle would go…” Setar sniggered before taking a long sip from her tea, and slid a bit lower in the command couch. Her eyes wandered to the traffic on the board. “She also made it clear what’ll happen if anybody listens in.”
Thoughtful silence descended. Setar almost counted to twelve before-
“We’re going to anyway, right Captain?” Jelke asked nonchalantly. “You know, for security’s sake?”
“Sergeant, that would be a base infringement of Captain Ton’is’ privacy, which is in fucking short supply for everyone in this bunker.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, watching the steam rise from her mug. “Deeps right we are.”
_ _ _
Lady Wicama regarded her guest with interest as their autocab plied its way about the outskirts of Prelitauri. While she’d been free and cheerfully able to accommodate Khelira’s request, Monsignor Santino Barcio, or Friar Barcio, as he preferred, was not at all what she’d been expecting. She supposed it was a matter of exposure…
The Palace had never quite been the same since Princess Yn’dara’s wedding. Yn’dara was one of those odd Royals who, though well-regarded, was seldom in the public eye. A perennial favorite of the Empress, indulging her unexplained absences passed as a matter of course for the Court. Widely known to be estranged from her mother, Princess Arduina, no one enquired either deeply or often, so when she suddenly resurfaced, her return would have equally passed without comment… if not for the wedding.
Yn’dara had shocked the entire Nobility.
While it was common for any woman to marry into an established family and become a kho, the wedding should have been singular for a Princess. Princesses didn’t marry into families, Princesses formed them. And while Yn’dara technically had done so, she’d taken on three unmarried women at the same time as her husband, who was a Human! Favorite or no, the wags in the court were agog that the Empress accepted Adam so readily! The Empress, however, had been adamant; Yn’dara and her family had her blessings, and were to be left alone.
However, time had proven to be on Yn’dara’s side as well as the Empress.
After a wedding seen across the galaxy, Yn’dara’s family settled into a life of public duty. They spent long trips away from Shil, and while quietly dismissed as ‘pleasure excursions’, her trips often showed the throne to the outer provinces. Although her public engagements were few, she’d become a vocal advocate of the Empress’ reforms against graft and corruption, and, gradually, the jealous mutters about scandalous excess and Human debauchery faded away. Her marriage remained an unusual footnote, but time had demonstrated the value of Yn’dara and her wives to the throne.
Then there was Prince Adam.
Rumor held the Prince had made a favorable impression on the Empress years before, at an event hosted by Yn’dara’s mother. While details had never been forthcoming, a more significant story about Adam wafted briefly through the ranks of the Golden Glaives.
Both stories had been effectively silenced, but Wicama knew who to talk to, and being Khelira’s guardian carried a certain clout all its own. Though that influence waxed and waned over the years, raising Khelira required being aware of events that could shape her future, and she’d proven herself to be discreet. Over time, doors had opened and words had flowed.
Time had been on Prince Adam’s side, as well.
As the years passed, she’d had an exposure to Prince Adam that few of the court and none of the public enjoyed. She’d been wary at first, but he’d been a good friend and mentor to Princess Khelandri before she joined the Marines, and however infrequent his presence, he always displayed a keen mind, a loving heart, and a steadfast duty to his wives. Privately, he absolutely doted on young Khelira and possessed a loyalty to the Empress that you could bend battlesteel around. The two got along famously - after all, he was a veteran.
Not Navy, mind you, but you couldn’t have everything.
And so, as Humanity began making forays upon the galactic stage, her first impression of the species had been favorable. She’d witnessed Adam mature into his role with the court, and while the issue of children remained unspoken, that faded as well. At the time, Yn’dara had been sixth in the line of succession. A year after the wedding, Kamaud’re became an adult, followed a year later by Khelandri, and the matter became largely moot.
As for a second impression on Humans, Khelira had provided enthusiastic reports about Thomas Warrick. While the Princess thrived at the Academy, Warrick seemed to be something special.
The absence of a father in her life had been a void that no woman could properly fill, but she’d done her best. Although she’d entertained a few qualms, as the months passed by, Warrick remained a positive influence. Khelira’s messages were infrequent by necessity, but she’d written about her distress over Warrick’s family and clearly been moved. Prince Adam carried his own scars, but what veteran didn’t? He hid them carefully around Khelli, and if Warrick had chosen not to, he’d provided a useful sense of perspective, instead. It was time for Khelira to grow up, and that meant facing the grist of differing opinions and ugly realities. That was what education was actually for, and Warrick seemed to be doing admirably well as a grindstone.
All of that was before the library incident, which settled her opinion once and for all. While erratic, irreverent, and capable of violence, Humans clearly could be a positive influence when channeled in the right direction. Yn’dara had shown what a good Shil’vati woman was capable of with Prince Adam, and Lady Pel’avon was following suit.
And at least the wags at the Palace wouldn’t speak of Yn’dara’s state wedding again. As a subject for spectacle, Miv’eire Pel’avon’s had put it to shame.
Still, it was good to see Warrick married. While Professor Ha’meres scandalous exploits had faded from the public eye, older wo… more mature women didn’t forget such things. The man had been a daring adventurer - and an inveterate gadabout - and an unmarried man around that many young women was too tempting for some girls. A wife or two… preferably more… resolved such idle fancies. If the Pel’avon ceremony had been somewhat… questionable in taste, compared to Adam’s, it remained legally binding. Warrick was willing to settle down, and by all reports his wife had a proper sense of decorum.
Human men seemed to be a trial from the Goddess, but hopefully she and her kho-wife could sort him with time, love, and kindness.
While exposure to only two Humans was not what she’d call a comprehensive sample, in both cases her impressions had been quite positive. And so, when Khelli asked her to escort a Human Priest about the city, she’d been entirely willing.
Thus far, it had been an enjoyable morning. While there had been occasional missteps, their conversation had been delightful as they traveled from property to property. Even so, she hadn’t expected to meet such a kindred spirit.
Admittedly she’d stammered a bit when he mentioned eating the flesh and drinking the blood of his redeemer. On the other hand, she compared it to the first time she’d bled into the ocean, mingling salt in her blood with the seas. He’d turned shockingly pale, so she changed the subject. It was a purely symbolic act to Drepna - just a cut on the thumb, for goddess sake...
She’d taken extra care afterwards. Barcio could be clearly a sensitive male, but diplomacy was part of her work. Even calling her role ‘work’ was deceptive. She’d raised Khelira in every way an Empress could not.
It was easy for other women to appreciate the prestige of her position, but few understood the depth of it - or the satisfaction.
During her career in the Navy, her flotilla had provided direct support for the Empress, and they’d come to work closely over three tours. After Khelira’s birth years later, the invitation came from the Royal Household to act as her guardian, and she’d never looked back. Competition had been fierce for the prestigious position, but applying had been the best move of her life.
Empress Kamilesh loved all her children and had spent as much time with each of them as she could, but her work was all-consuming, and after her husband’s act of… Well, the Empress had been there, but she’d born her pain privately. She had lost herself in her work for many years before recovering a semblance of her former self, and her absence had taken a toll on her children. Kamaud’re had taken it the worst. Khelandri had bounced back, while everyone doted on Lu’ral. Barely more than an infant, Khelira had been far too young to remember. Wicama had been there through all of it.
It was a good life, and the princess was a delightful girl. For Wicama, the absence of a man in her life was something she’d felt now and then, but she invested her life in Khelira. The Empress treated her as a member of the family in all but name… and in a very real sense, the child you raised was your child.
Looking back, some women might insinuate she’d given up her personal life to raise another woman’s daughter. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
She had her calling - just as Friar Barcio had his.
Yes, he was a priest, and his religious strictures were very unusual. A male priest in any of the Shil’vati faiths would never be placed under such restraints, and for a man to go unmarried was noteworthy…
But she understood having a calling. Oh yes, she understood that as few others could.
After discussing his needs, they’d set out to examine three properties around Prelitauri. The Friar’s individual requirements were deceptively difficult when taken as a whole. A complex coupling a generous auditorium, ample administrative space, and he clearly needed substantial grounds to properly convey a sense of aura. Such accommodations were seldom on the market, and since he expected his colleagues to arrive in weeks, his need was immediate.
Thankfully, urban renewal moved in waves. The tides of such fashions meant Prelitauri was once again an up-and-coming area. While difficult to find, three older structures had the potential to be suitable, and so it was that she’d enjoyed learning about her guest as they explored the tiny district.
The Monsignor spoke four other Earth languages fluently. He tended to break into his native tongue and hadn’t mastered contractions yet, but his Vatikre was passable and he listened carefully, seldom needing to ask about a word. After limiting her contractions when she spoke, their conversation flowed easily.
Barcio had shown little enthusiasm for the first two properties, but their conversation regarding other matters never waned. She expanded on her devotion to Drepna, Shil and the roles of each goddess while asking careful questions of his faith. His own inquiries proved thoughtful, and he was as avid in politely asking after her beliefs as explaining his faith.
After their second hour together, she’d taken the liberty of calling Prelate Hi’meta Merlamiss. As a priestess of Drepna’s second circle, Merlamiss had proven a valuable contact over the years. Well connected, she enjoyed a good relationship with many other prelates of the Divine Halls; she also got on well with Xinfess, the Rakiri’s Speaker of the Dark Mother on Shil. A meeting with Barcio would readily open doors for his group that might otherwise prove difficult to attain, and while Barcio’s accent strained now and then, it was clear the Monsignor and the Prelate shared a questionably low sense of humor.
Given a chance, they’d probably get on famously.
Certainly, that would be a blessing. Their hunt for a suitable facility had not gone nearly so well, and while Barcio had been conciliatory toward the first two facilities, she could tell he wasn’t taken with either. The last property wasn’t high in her expectations, so she found herself casting her head to the side when it swept into view and he clasped his hands in excitement.
”*È bella!* This is beautiful,” he exclaimed. “It reminds me a bit of my childhood home in Sacile!”
She looked out at the complex with its low gabled roofs, as their cab wound up from the entrance. Beside the drive, a small river meandered through the campus past the main buildings. She tapped the console to slow their ride and considered the place in a new light. “I’m… well, a bit surprised to be honest, Friar.”
“Please! We have been traveling for hours now, and I am not holding a service.” The Friar spared her a warm smile, before gazing back at the premises. “I would take it as a great kindness if you would call me Santino.”
“Very well - on the condition you call me Wicama.” It had been some time since anyone called her by anything but title or rank, and the informality was pleasant. Still, as their autocab closed on the end of the lane, she let such thoughts go and considered the location properly.
The buildings were low, sensible cubes, but that was largely an end to it. The architect had made some unusual choices in Helkam motifs that strained understanding. A long colonnade bordered the river, and that seemed nice enough, but the buildings! Forgoing purple was one thing, but they were beige! With unusual elements and the repressively bland color scheme, it was small wonder the clerk handling the property confessed that the space had lain vacant. Its original owners went into foreclosure. The exotic design had proven unable to attract interest, laying dormant ever since.
Barcio… Santino… seemed delighted, however, and she pulled up the specifications on her omni-pad. “This site has two smaller auditoriums besides the main one, while the central building has four floors. One is underground, but all the floors face an interior atrium.”
As the cab gently halted in the car park, she climbed out to hold the door but Santino had already scrambled out and was examining the gardens with evident interest. Tall stands of parago trees were losing the last of their fronds for the year, but she had to admit the grounds were substantial. Yesterday’s storm had left the morning air cold and crisp, lending the gardens an appealing aspect. Untended since the last owners, much could be done with them.
She had given up trying to escort the Friar anywhere after their first two stops, and now they fell into an easy pace side by side as they strolled toward the main building. She turned back to the property itself. “So, this reminds you of your home?”
It wasn’t exactly Helkam architecture - domes weren’t covering every possible surface - but the builder had clearly been nodding in that direction. A promenade wound to the entry, supporting white chevrons that arced into the sky. The bright morning sky shone through clever cutouts, making the unusual design at least look light, rather than oppressive and unappealing. With a decent renovation, the facility had possibilities, and the price was comparatively low.
“*Si!* Oh, not so much like home, but there is the sense of it. I was born near the sea, and this feels… similar.” He gave her a depreciating smile before rolling his eyes. “It may not please everyone who is coming, but ‘everyone’ is not here, so I am allowed some indulgence! Better to have something waiting than nothing at all. I confess, some of my colleagues thought we’d only manage when the bridge to Messina is finished.”
“You should not have been sent ahead alone! Surely your colleagues were not that worried about a poor reception,” she tutted. Priest or no, there were decencies about a man traveling alone to be observed. “You shouldn't need a bridge to find a place for your mission. I don’t know where Messina is, but I’m certain Prelate Marlemis wouldn’t stand for it!”
“Tch! Excuse my poor efforts! The older I get, the more I remember things like yesterday. Unfortunately, the yesterdays I remember so well were thirty years ago!” Barcio smiled wryly up at her as they walked. “The ‘bridge to Messina’ used to be a saying… People dreamed of building a bridge to Sicily, and it became something that never happened. My English friends would instead say ‘when hell freezes over’. *Un'espressione volgare*, but very much to the point.”
“Ah… I’m sure we can manage something, and this could be made presentable. Maybe change the beige to a pale violet?” she offered helpfully as she made it to the door first, holding it open. “The aura inside isn’t so bad.”
“You’ve said that several times, but I do not know what you mean?” He paused in looking around the entry, which had an open foyer exposing the two floors above and led out to the atrium beyond. “What is ‘aura’? I do not think I know the word as you mean it.”
“Aura is… Hmm…” Wicama paused thoughtfully and gestured at the atrium. The interior was in better shape than the grounds, and the architect had done something clever. Not yet noon, a bevel along the top edge filled the space with sunlight. “Have you ever walked along a beach and wanted to save a shell? When you are there, that is aura… When you take the shell home and think of the beach, that is aura, but… less focused. Diminished. You sense the beach because of the shell, but you are not at the beach. Places can have aura, but it is more than character. If you move through a place and find yourself experiencing it? That is aura.”
“Mhm! *lodevole!* I like this idea very much. It would be right at home in the Vatican. Not everyone understands a space can move the spirit, or lend power to a message.” He nodded thoughtfully as he cast his eye about the open space. “With the right advice, perhaps we can lead others to these halls.”
“Perhaps. If you tour the Palace, I hope you’ll allow me to show you about? A lot of the real gems are hidden from the public.” She watched as he wandered toward the double-helixed stairways bordering the room. Those were definitely Helkam; walking up one side without meeting someone coming down the other was an interesting experience… once. After that, they could be an absolute nuisance. Spotting the elevators, she called him back. “The nice thing is this place is inexpensive! That will pad out your funds for a good remodel.”
Wicama quietly thanked the Goddesses that the builder’s had the good sense to install normal Shil’vati-style elevators. The sides were open, granting a wide view out over the atrium. The grounds were terraced to create a small park; that could make the underground space bearable, and the plans made them seem spacious enough. Not to everyone’s taste, but pretty. “I feel bad for asking, but can you afford the building? If the price of the first two bothered you, we can find others.”
“I would not hear of it! Thank you for your concern, but we are economical with our funds, and were sent with a generous sum. This is an important venture to everyone involved,” Barcio clasped a hand over his chest, as he shook his head. “I can not thank you enough for your help! You have surely spared me weeks, and I might not have found something half so suitable. As it is, the grounds are enough to gain me converts. Father Roscio and Pastor Weber will surely plant a vineyard before the inside is half done!”
“It’s not a problem. I have plenty of time,” she replied, dismissing the matter as inconsequential. “I work at the Palace, but with the Court away and my daughter at school, I’m a bit at loose ends just now. At the very least, I insist on helping you through the paperwork. I wouldn’t put it past some realty clerks to try and overcharge you… Someone from outside Shil, that is. I’ll ensure they stick to the listing.”
“To someone not from Shil… or someone who is not Shil’vati, perhaps?” His head canted slightly to one side, but he smiled as he said it. “*Certamente!* I would not dream of preventing you, though Rabbi Kleinbaum will be bitterly disappointed she has nothing to moan about.”
“I hope you won't take this badly, as I’ve only met one Human.” Wicama gave him a smile. She was long past girlish uncertainty, and the Navy had taught her a generous measure of professional poise to go with her skills as a markswoman. “You aren’t what I expected.”
“You know the professore, then?” He sucked in a breath and pursed his lips. “I am still deciding what sort of man he is.”
“No, actually, I know another Human but I’ve not… I have not… met Professor Warrick.”
“So. You mean that I am not *un barbaro*? I am here to make sure that we are seen as something more than savage warriors, *capisci*?” He studied her expectantly. “While the Imperium is doing good work on Earth, some still live in want. The Imperium provides enough for all to survive, but not all live in plenty. We need to present ourselves well.”
”That seems like a very secular outlook.” She offered, as they rode up to the third floor. Barcio asked for an explanation of the word, and by the time they’d made their way through the first offices he had the idea.
“My church has not always troubled itself with such things, but our holy father is greatly concerned with such inequalities. He takes it upon himself to address such matters with the Governess, when their time allows.”
“Your church has a good relationship with her?”
“È straordinario! The Governess adores our food, and while she was adamant about taking quarters in the Vatican, she has taken pains not to disturb us.” He shrugged dismissively. “*Cosa sai fare?* It seemed a small price, and we have endured far worse.”
“I used to hear terrible stories about red zones on Earth, though the Humans I’ve met don't seem the sort. It is good that your… pulp?” She tried the word and was rewarded with kind laughter and a gentle correction. “It is good that your pope concerns himself with the full welfare of the people and works with your governess. Our prelates share the same concerns.”
“I thought the Empress was the head of your church? Now, I find you have many…” he groped for a word, frowning, and gave up. “*Questo accento è una prova di fede!* ‘Denominations’ is not the right word, but she is the one revered, yes?”
“Of course! The Empress has to show all of our virtues and none of our faults, but that’s part of her role. To favor any divinity over the others could cause divisions. She has her personal preferences, of course, but never lets them be known.” Wicama explained carefully. “It would be in poor taste.”
“And poor politics, I think?” Santino gave her a long look. At his height it was difficult, but he managed. “This makes sense to me now, that the Imperium leaves matters of faith alone. *Una benedizione inaspettata.*”
Despite the serious topic, his fervent reply brought a smile back to her lips. “It seems your pope considers politics as well as economics.”
“People will always defend economic theories which assume that growth will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice. This has never been confirmed by the facts, and expresses a crude trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.” He said, stopping to clasp a hand over his cross. “Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.”
“That doesn't sound like scripture.” She offered cautiously, as they made their way into a wider suite of offices on the second floor.
“*Esattamente.* The words of Pope Francis, a good and blessed man who appointed me to my position. His successor, his holiness John Paul the Third, is much of the same mind,” Santino said quietly. “Our savior washed the feet of others and urged all to do the same. The hardest step is to be involved. To work together for change, as well as to pray. That is why I am here.
“*I pigri di cuore trovano sempre una scusa* Some Humans, they are yet angry with the Imperium. Now they have enough, they are bitter not to have plenty. For some there is never enough - the true poverty lies within their hearts,” Santino said a bit testily. “Our faith teaches us to find salvation in eternal life, but others? *Pigrizia!* They see it as an excuse from taking agency in themselves. Jesus washed the feet of others - he did not lay down and wait for someone to wash his!”
Wicama turned the unfamiliar metaphor over in her mind but decided she had the sense of it. “Sham teaches us that helping our families and one another is the same as helping ourselves. ‘The rising tide bares us all from the reefs’.” It was a matter of faith… but that was why it was faith in the first place. On the whole, it seemed like a mature perspective that explained the changes she’d seen in Prince Adam over the years. “You’re here to meet with others, but this seems as much about knowing yourselves.”
“*Sì, non è una brutta cosa avere umiltà davanti a Dio.* Human beings, while we are capable of the worst, we are also capable of choosing the good. Of rising up to make a new start. We are entering the galaxy.” He gestured out the window at the world beyond. “If not now… when?”
_ _ _ “So, when are you going to explain this masterpiece you four have been cooking up?” Marin asked. Sammi and Sam were barely awake but the twins had already arrived, bright-eyed and enthusiastic, and Marin cursed the resilience of youth. The room was acceptably warm, but Ayen had complained about the cold and used the excuse to slip back into bed. She was considering her options for joining him.
Somewhere, somehow, Sammi had found their rabbit pajamas again. “Sam, explain it to her? You do it better.” Sammi yawned, but Marin suspected it was an act. Once something got their attention, sleep was usually an afterthought.
“What, now?” Sam had barely stumbled into the room and blinked. Bleary-eyed and barely awake, he looked like he’d been ambushed, which was exactly the case.
“Pllllllleeeease…?” They sat back pulling the ears, giving their best Roger Rabbit impression. Luminous green eyes peered out at Sam, imploringly.
“Alright… I need coffee, but fine.” Sam trudged over to the kitchenette and poked listlessly at the instant coffee. It was getting perilously low, but Marin was sure he’d brought more on the ship. Eventually Sam gestured at the K’herbhal sisters with his mug. “So the girls want to create an artificial topological soliton. It's like a black hole, except where it isn't… It's sort of a kink in space-time.”
“Made you say kink!” Sammi grinned impishly and the girls blushed. Marin shook her head but paid attention. It felt far too early after another late night, but once everyone was up you had to hang on for whatever came next.
“So, what's that got to do with this… hole you want to use for power?” Marin raised her voice just enough to drag the conversation back on track.
“It’s more like a side effect. If it cuts the right angle, it goes into a realm of space-time we can tap for power. Think of it as an obverse of an energy drain, so it's like a white hole.”
“Let me guess.” Marin shook her head and grinned, holding up a hand to forestall the inevitable. “Except where it isn’t?”
“Ummm… pretty much.” Sam grumbled, blowing at his coffee. Marin glanced back at the twins. With Sam busy, the twins had gravitated to either side of Sammi. There was room left on the couch, and she wandered over to settle in beside one of them.
The Sams had been complaining for years about a lack of ‘focal power’ for their mass compression technologies, and while a rubber duck inside a diamond was impressive, they’d wanted to do something more - a lot more. She suspected if the twins were providing the means, then they already had something about to surface from the depths of their imaginations. Over the years she’d learned to pick a bit, rather than take their answers at straight value. “And if things don’t cut at the right angle? You remember how long it took to get rid of the Navy, when you started talking about making black holes?”
“It's not our fault they didn’t understand,” Sammi said defensively, crossing their arms and pouting at her before the rabbit ears fell over their face.
“Who didn’t understand what?” Akeimei yawned at the door. She cast a wink her way before wrapping her arms around Sam and gave him a quick hug. “What did I miss?”
“Umm… a parallel universe, if the math is right,” Sam mumbled from the depths of his coffee cup.
“What? Like identical versions of us?” Marin watched Akimei’s nose wrinkled at the smell before she slipped away from Sam. Slipped down beside her, they rubbed shoulders a moment. “Tell me, is there one where I get more sleep?”
“More or less identical… though it's not like you need to go into a parallel universe for that sort of thing. There’s already a ‘you’ out there somewhere right now, to say nothing of past and future ‘you’.” Sam scratched his cheek idly for a moment “It's just the math. The universe is so vast that there are exact physical cosmic twins of us out there somewhere, not to mention even more almost-twins.”
“Sam’s right!” Sammi perked up excitedly, bouncing on the sofa. “Then there are quantum cosmic twins - which gets weird because particles exist in multiple states and you’d sort of overlap… but the easiest one is probably just another us elsewhere in the universe right now! That's sort of the point where the universe is bigger than you can imagine!”
“So exactly the same… or almost.” One of the twins giggled. “Just like us!”
“Pretty much,” Sam nodded, slowly emerging from the depths of his coffee. “Another you out there on another Shil, or another me on a whole Earth, even - just a little bit different.”
“What? Like an Earth that never met the Imperium?” Marin canted her head, tossing out the obvious. It was hard to remember her life before, and she didn’t want to contemplate the alternative.
“Oh, I don't like that idea.” One of the twins stuck out her lip. “We want to come to Earth!”
“Yeah,” her sister nodded, though she suddenly looked glum. “I don’t know if Professor Warrick would mind though. He’d be with his wife and daughter, there.”
“Oh…” her sister's face crumpled. “I didn’t think of it that way.”
“Well, don’t…” Sammi hugged them both a moment, though they held the first twin a bit tighter. “The point is, somewhere he’s with them right now!”
“Wow, I guess so.” she brightened. “Just imagine! A whole Earth that never met the Shil’vati!”
“I wouldn’t worry, sis.” her twin nodded. “I think Professor Warrick is pretty happy right now.”
_ _ _
“I am not happy about this!” Tom glared at his omni-pad before tossing it down in frustration.
Miv looked up at her husband.
“It’s an honor!” She tucked her chin in and gave him a long, considered look, “What is it that’s bothering you - really? It wasn't Monsignor Barcio. Are you certain this isn't the same sort of thing?”
“Yes, I’m sure!” he growled, looking away like a guilty child. “Alright, maybe… but this uniform is the silliest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll look like a mushroom, and the hat only makes it worse!" Tom grimaced at the omni-pad accusingly, "They won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, so now I’m on the rolls as a Warden Captain - whatever that is - and this ceremony is ridiculous!”
“The ceremony is traditional. Very symbolic... Besides, they don't make wardens out of anyone below the rank of captain - I looked it up. You were one before, so it's appropriate to make you one instead of a Warden Major or Warden Colonel.” She smiled at him serenely. “Surely, it can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done.”
He turned to wag a finger her way. “I’ll take that bet!”
“Worse than our wedding reception…?” She crooned, teasing him. “Or maybe pre-term night? I swear by the Goddess no one will pinch your ass, except for Lea and I.”
“Fine…” Her smile grew wider as he grumbled, but he was calming down already and there wasn't heat in it. Still, he stubbornly clung on to the point a while longer. "It’s in my top five.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive, husband. Now then, I have meetings all afternoon, so why don't you finish reviewing the menu? You’ll feel better when all this is over and you can go back to cooking, chess, or starting that eeeyiy club… You might even give Ce’lani a call or message her?” She gathered her coat and smiled demurely, though it harbored nothing innocent. “If I’m not here you’ll have perfect privacy… Just don't promise anything you wouldn't promise to me.”
“It’s iai-do…” Tom groused, but he was already picking up his omni-pad.
She blew him a kiss and made her way toward the commons. Tom would probably stew a while, but he’d make the call.
There would be time to meet with Ce’lani on the common, before she had to come home for dinner.
_ _ _
Tom looked over the banquet menu as if it might reach out and bite him. The words stared up at him with perfect innocence.
Appetizer: Fruit and Cheese Platter - Slices of various cheeses and fruits on a platter providing a delicate mix of sweet, tangy and creamy to invigorate the dining experience. Serve with a selection of sweet and semi-sweet wines.
Soup: Choice of Tomato or French Onion Soup - Served with a piece of baguette and cheese.
Salad: Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing -- an assortment of greens and fruit with a balsamic grain dressing to cleanse the palate.
Entree: Cornish Pasty - This herb-infused meat and pastry dish provides a counterpoint to the tangy taste of the salad and soup. Served with a creamy buttered mashed potato (a vegetable, humanely prepared!) with chives (also a vegetable). Served with a selection of wines or ales.
Dessert: Chef’s Sorbet Surprise - A sweet treat complemented by a palate cleanser, ending the meal on a piquant note.
His last call with Bherdin had been a trial and a half. Omni-pads were the definition of ‘high fidelity’, and hearing the little Shil’vati hyperventilate for ten minutes over the plan was pointless. At least Melondi had easier going with Vedeem on her side... one way or another this was happening.
As a final consolation, he relented on wearing matching suits. Bherdin frequently bemoaned Tom’s 'lamentable' fashion sense, and he perked up at that, promising to get him some appropriate formalwear for the occasion.
Privately, he suspected his Shil’vati friend was looking for a convenient alibi if a riot started.
In fairness, it probably wasn't a bad idea.
“Too late to use it myself…” he muttered. It wasn’t quite noon, and Miv was probably right. Instead of Chess Club or starting Iai-do practice or just cooking out at Human Food, he was stuck here at home. Miv’s place was bigger, but most of his stuff was still in boxes; it left him listless and climbing the walls. If this worked, at least things could get back to normal.
…Mostly normal…
He flipped back to the picture of the Warden uniform on his omni-pad. It was bad enough, but the hat made the whole thing look like a blue toadstool in silver filigree.
He swiped the picture away like an act of revenge, but didn’t toss the pad back on the table.
…Miv was right... and I promised to call Ce’lani…
Tom centered himself, pulling up the number. The universe was always in motion and a good Taoist accepted their part in what came. That was the lesson of ‘the Vinegar Tasters’, and it held true… The painting showed three men standing around a vat of vinegar. Each has dipped his finger into the vinegar and tasted it. The expression on each man's face showed his individual reaction.
The painting was an allegory for Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tse. Confucius wore a sour look on his face. He believed life was out of harmony with the universe. As the second figure in the painting, Buddha had a bitter expression. Like the vinegar, life was painful and filled with attachments and desires that led to suffering. The last man, Lao-tse, was smiling at the taste. To him, harmony existed naturally and could be found by anyone at any time in any experience.
He thought about his buddy Dave. The old Marine would probably shake his head and tell him to ‘embrace the suck.’ It pretty much boiled down to the same thing.
Not that he was against calling. Miv and Lea had practically taken turns urging him on and giving their views on why it was a good idea. They hadn't harped about it, but he knew which way the wind was blowing. And Ce’lani’s message had been short, sweet in the literal sense, and the sound file she’d offered up had been…
…Pretty nice, really…
If he still said no, or decided he didn't like where this was going, they’d back his choice, of course. He didn't have a doubt in his mind… But with everything else in his life turned upside down, calling Ce’lani seemed like a calm in the eye of a storm.
…It's just a phone call. Leave the chaos at the gate…
He settled down on the couch to check his messages before giving her a call. It was nearly lunch…
submitted by Rhion-618 to Sexyspacebabes [link] [comments]
Morning, Two days before Shel
Captain Setar suppressed a smile as she watched the Ops door close. “Well, that was interesting… Ce’lani is a little cranky.” The last vestiges of sleep clung to her as she settled down into the command chair. She felt worn out, but it was the cusp of dawn, and Pod Seven had only just turned over control. “Report on station?”
“The perimeter’s secure,” Jelki replied crisply, pulling up the map of the campus on the main screen. “Pod One is on station and reports twelve by twelve. Sgt Ma’reis is already complaining about janitor duty.”
“Ah, first pod problems.” Setar shook her head, rubbing her eyes and blowing gently on her mug of tea. “What about the objective?”
“The objective’s secure,” Re’lan piped up, already sounding chipper. The woman could have been priestess of Jrafell. Her unwavering cheeriness would have been a character fault if she weren’t so devoted. As it was, it was a damned penance for everyone else at this time of day.
Jelke finished running the obligatory shift change checks and stretched. Things wouldn't get interesting until breakfast, but watching the perimeter was a given. It didn't keep the curiosity out of her voice, as she cocked her head and glanced over. “What was interesting with Captain Ton’is, Ma’am?”
“Mm! Well… it appears she’s expecting a call from Professor Warrick today,” Setar drawled out, taking a moment to savor their reaction. “She felt a need to remind me she’s devoted to Hele, and that if Be’ona or I let her sleep through the call, she’s going to ‘fuck us up the ass with a lasrifle and pull the trigger’.”
Re’lan was probably blushing like a cadet, but Jelke shook her head ruefully. “I expect there's a ‘but’ in there somewhere, Captain?”
“Well, yeah, she said that’s where the rifle would go…” Setar sniggered before taking a long sip from her tea, and slid a bit lower in the command couch. Her eyes wandered to the traffic on the board. “She also made it clear what’ll happen if anybody listens in.”
Thoughtful silence descended. Setar almost counted to twelve before-
“We’re going to anyway, right Captain?” Jelke asked nonchalantly. “You know, for security’s sake?”
“Sergeant, that would be a base infringement of Captain Ton’is’ privacy, which is in fucking short supply for everyone in this bunker.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, watching the steam rise from her mug. “Deeps right we are.”
_ _ _
Lady Wicama regarded her guest with interest as their autocab plied its way about the outskirts of Prelitauri. While she’d been free and cheerfully able to accommodate Khelira’s request, Monsignor Santino Barcio, or Friar Barcio, as he preferred, was not at all what she’d been expecting. She supposed it was a matter of exposure…
The Palace had never quite been the same since Princess Yn’dara’s wedding. Yn’dara was one of those odd Royals who, though well-regarded, was seldom in the public eye. A perennial favorite of the Empress, indulging her unexplained absences passed as a matter of course for the Court. Widely known to be estranged from her mother, Princess Arduina, no one enquired either deeply or often, so when she suddenly resurfaced, her return would have equally passed without comment… if not for the wedding.
Yn’dara had shocked the entire Nobility.
While it was common for any woman to marry into an established family and become a kho, the wedding should have been singular for a Princess. Princesses didn’t marry into families, Princesses formed them. And while Yn’dara technically had done so, she’d taken on three unmarried women at the same time as her husband, who was a Human! Favorite or no, the wags in the court were agog that the Empress accepted Adam so readily! The Empress, however, had been adamant; Yn’dara and her family had her blessings, and were to be left alone.
However, time had proven to be on Yn’dara’s side as well as the Empress.
After a wedding seen across the galaxy, Yn’dara’s family settled into a life of public duty. They spent long trips away from Shil, and while quietly dismissed as ‘pleasure excursions’, her trips often showed the throne to the outer provinces. Although her public engagements were few, she’d become a vocal advocate of the Empress’ reforms against graft and corruption, and, gradually, the jealous mutters about scandalous excess and Human debauchery faded away. Her marriage remained an unusual footnote, but time had demonstrated the value of Yn’dara and her wives to the throne.
Then there was Prince Adam.
Rumor held the Prince had made a favorable impression on the Empress years before, at an event hosted by Yn’dara’s mother. While details had never been forthcoming, a more significant story about Adam wafted briefly through the ranks of the Golden Glaives.
Both stories had been effectively silenced, but Wicama knew who to talk to, and being Khelira’s guardian carried a certain clout all its own. Though that influence waxed and waned over the years, raising Khelira required being aware of events that could shape her future, and she’d proven herself to be discreet. Over time, doors had opened and words had flowed.
Time had been on Prince Adam’s side, as well.
As the years passed, she’d had an exposure to Prince Adam that few of the court and none of the public enjoyed. She’d been wary at first, but he’d been a good friend and mentor to Princess Khelandri before she joined the Marines, and however infrequent his presence, he always displayed a keen mind, a loving heart, and a steadfast duty to his wives. Privately, he absolutely doted on young Khelira and possessed a loyalty to the Empress that you could bend battlesteel around. The two got along famously - after all, he was a veteran.
Not Navy, mind you, but you couldn’t have everything.
And so, as Humanity began making forays upon the galactic stage, her first impression of the species had been favorable. She’d witnessed Adam mature into his role with the court, and while the issue of children remained unspoken, that faded as well. At the time, Yn’dara had been sixth in the line of succession. A year after the wedding, Kamaud’re became an adult, followed a year later by Khelandri, and the matter became largely moot.
As for a second impression on Humans, Khelira had provided enthusiastic reports about Thomas Warrick. While the Princess thrived at the Academy, Warrick seemed to be something special.
The absence of a father in her life had been a void that no woman could properly fill, but she’d done her best. Although she’d entertained a few qualms, as the months passed by, Warrick remained a positive influence. Khelira’s messages were infrequent by necessity, but she’d written about her distress over Warrick’s family and clearly been moved. Prince Adam carried his own scars, but what veteran didn’t? He hid them carefully around Khelli, and if Warrick had chosen not to, he’d provided a useful sense of perspective, instead. It was time for Khelira to grow up, and that meant facing the grist of differing opinions and ugly realities. That was what education was actually for, and Warrick seemed to be doing admirably well as a grindstone.
All of that was before the library incident, which settled her opinion once and for all. While erratic, irreverent, and capable of violence, Humans clearly could be a positive influence when channeled in the right direction. Yn’dara had shown what a good Shil’vati woman was capable of with Prince Adam, and Lady Pel’avon was following suit.
And at least the wags at the Palace wouldn’t speak of Yn’dara’s state wedding again. As a subject for spectacle, Miv’eire Pel’avon’s had put it to shame.
Still, it was good to see Warrick married. While Professor Ha’meres scandalous exploits had faded from the public eye, older wo… more mature women didn’t forget such things. The man had been a daring adventurer - and an inveterate gadabout - and an unmarried man around that many young women was too tempting for some girls. A wife or two… preferably more… resolved such idle fancies. If the Pel’avon ceremony had been somewhat… questionable in taste, compared to Adam’s, it remained legally binding. Warrick was willing to settle down, and by all reports his wife had a proper sense of decorum.
Human men seemed to be a trial from the Goddess, but hopefully she and her kho-wife could sort him with time, love, and kindness.
While exposure to only two Humans was not what she’d call a comprehensive sample, in both cases her impressions had been quite positive. And so, when Khelli asked her to escort a Human Priest about the city, she’d been entirely willing.
Thus far, it had been an enjoyable morning. While there had been occasional missteps, their conversation had been delightful as they traveled from property to property. Even so, she hadn’t expected to meet such a kindred spirit.
Admittedly she’d stammered a bit when he mentioned eating the flesh and drinking the blood of his redeemer. On the other hand, she compared it to the first time she’d bled into the ocean, mingling salt in her blood with the seas. He’d turned shockingly pale, so she changed the subject. It was a purely symbolic act to Drepna - just a cut on the thumb, for goddess sake...
She’d taken extra care afterwards. Barcio could be clearly a sensitive male, but diplomacy was part of her work. Even calling her role ‘work’ was deceptive. She’d raised Khelira in every way an Empress could not.
It was easy for other women to appreciate the prestige of her position, but few understood the depth of it - or the satisfaction.
During her career in the Navy, her flotilla had provided direct support for the Empress, and they’d come to work closely over three tours. After Khelira’s birth years later, the invitation came from the Royal Household to act as her guardian, and she’d never looked back. Competition had been fierce for the prestigious position, but applying had been the best move of her life.
Empress Kamilesh loved all her children and had spent as much time with each of them as she could, but her work was all-consuming, and after her husband’s act of… Well, the Empress had been there, but she’d born her pain privately. She had lost herself in her work for many years before recovering a semblance of her former self, and her absence had taken a toll on her children. Kamaud’re had taken it the worst. Khelandri had bounced back, while everyone doted on Lu’ral. Barely more than an infant, Khelira had been far too young to remember. Wicama had been there through all of it.
It was a good life, and the princess was a delightful girl. For Wicama, the absence of a man in her life was something she’d felt now and then, but she invested her life in Khelira. The Empress treated her as a member of the family in all but name… and in a very real sense, the child you raised was your child.
Looking back, some women might insinuate she’d given up her personal life to raise another woman’s daughter. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
She had her calling - just as Friar Barcio had his.
Yes, he was a priest, and his religious strictures were very unusual. A male priest in any of the Shil’vati faiths would never be placed under such restraints, and for a man to go unmarried was noteworthy…
But she understood having a calling. Oh yes, she understood that as few others could.
After discussing his needs, they’d set out to examine three properties around Prelitauri. The Friar’s individual requirements were deceptively difficult when taken as a whole. A complex coupling a generous auditorium, ample administrative space, and he clearly needed substantial grounds to properly convey a sense of aura. Such accommodations were seldom on the market, and since he expected his colleagues to arrive in weeks, his need was immediate.
Thankfully, urban renewal moved in waves. The tides of such fashions meant Prelitauri was once again an up-and-coming area. While difficult to find, three older structures had the potential to be suitable, and so it was that she’d enjoyed learning about her guest as they explored the tiny district.
The Monsignor spoke four other Earth languages fluently. He tended to break into his native tongue and hadn’t mastered contractions yet, but his Vatikre was passable and he listened carefully, seldom needing to ask about a word. After limiting her contractions when she spoke, their conversation flowed easily.
Barcio had shown little enthusiasm for the first two properties, but their conversation regarding other matters never waned. She expanded on her devotion to Drepna, Shil and the roles of each goddess while asking careful questions of his faith. His own inquiries proved thoughtful, and he was as avid in politely asking after her beliefs as explaining his faith.
After their second hour together, she’d taken the liberty of calling Prelate Hi’meta Merlamiss. As a priestess of Drepna’s second circle, Merlamiss had proven a valuable contact over the years. Well connected, she enjoyed a good relationship with many other prelates of the Divine Halls; she also got on well with Xinfess, the Rakiri’s Speaker of the Dark Mother on Shil. A meeting with Barcio would readily open doors for his group that might otherwise prove difficult to attain, and while Barcio’s accent strained now and then, it was clear the Monsignor and the Prelate shared a questionably low sense of humor.
Given a chance, they’d probably get on famously.
Certainly, that would be a blessing. Their hunt for a suitable facility had not gone nearly so well, and while Barcio had been conciliatory toward the first two facilities, she could tell he wasn’t taken with either. The last property wasn’t high in her expectations, so she found herself casting her head to the side when it swept into view and he clasped his hands in excitement.
”*È bella!* This is beautiful,” he exclaimed. “It reminds me a bit of my childhood home in Sacile!”
She looked out at the complex with its low gabled roofs, as their cab wound up from the entrance. Beside the drive, a small river meandered through the campus past the main buildings. She tapped the console to slow their ride and considered the place in a new light. “I’m… well, a bit surprised to be honest, Friar.”
“Please! We have been traveling for hours now, and I am not holding a service.” The Friar spared her a warm smile, before gazing back at the premises. “I would take it as a great kindness if you would call me Santino.”
“Very well - on the condition you call me Wicama.” It had been some time since anyone called her by anything but title or rank, and the informality was pleasant. Still, as their autocab closed on the end of the lane, she let such thoughts go and considered the location properly.
The buildings were low, sensible cubes, but that was largely an end to it. The architect had made some unusual choices in Helkam motifs that strained understanding. A long colonnade bordered the river, and that seemed nice enough, but the buildings! Forgoing purple was one thing, but they were beige! With unusual elements and the repressively bland color scheme, it was small wonder the clerk handling the property confessed that the space had lain vacant. Its original owners went into foreclosure. The exotic design had proven unable to attract interest, laying dormant ever since.
Barcio… Santino… seemed delighted, however, and she pulled up the specifications on her omni-pad. “This site has two smaller auditoriums besides the main one, while the central building has four floors. One is underground, but all the floors face an interior atrium.”
As the cab gently halted in the car park, she climbed out to hold the door but Santino had already scrambled out and was examining the gardens with evident interest. Tall stands of parago trees were losing the last of their fronds for the year, but she had to admit the grounds were substantial. Yesterday’s storm had left the morning air cold and crisp, lending the gardens an appealing aspect. Untended since the last owners, much could be done with them.
She had given up trying to escort the Friar anywhere after their first two stops, and now they fell into an easy pace side by side as they strolled toward the main building. She turned back to the property itself. “So, this reminds you of your home?”
It wasn’t exactly Helkam architecture - domes weren’t covering every possible surface - but the builder had clearly been nodding in that direction. A promenade wound to the entry, supporting white chevrons that arced into the sky. The bright morning sky shone through clever cutouts, making the unusual design at least look light, rather than oppressive and unappealing. With a decent renovation, the facility had possibilities, and the price was comparatively low.
“*Si!* Oh, not so much like home, but there is the sense of it. I was born near the sea, and this feels… similar.” He gave her a depreciating smile before rolling his eyes. “It may not please everyone who is coming, but ‘everyone’ is not here, so I am allowed some indulgence! Better to have something waiting than nothing at all. I confess, some of my colleagues thought we’d only manage when the bridge to Messina is finished.”
“You should not have been sent ahead alone! Surely your colleagues were not that worried about a poor reception,” she tutted. Priest or no, there were decencies about a man traveling alone to be observed. “You shouldn't need a bridge to find a place for your mission. I don’t know where Messina is, but I’m certain Prelate Marlemis wouldn’t stand for it!”
“Tch! Excuse my poor efforts! The older I get, the more I remember things like yesterday. Unfortunately, the yesterdays I remember so well were thirty years ago!” Barcio smiled wryly up at her as they walked. “The ‘bridge to Messina’ used to be a saying… People dreamed of building a bridge to Sicily, and it became something that never happened. My English friends would instead say ‘when hell freezes over’. *Un'espressione volgare*, but very much to the point.”
“Ah… I’m sure we can manage something, and this could be made presentable. Maybe change the beige to a pale violet?” she offered helpfully as she made it to the door first, holding it open. “The aura inside isn’t so bad.”
“You’ve said that several times, but I do not know what you mean?” He paused in looking around the entry, which had an open foyer exposing the two floors above and led out to the atrium beyond. “What is ‘aura’? I do not think I know the word as you mean it.”
“Aura is… Hmm…” Wicama paused thoughtfully and gestured at the atrium. The interior was in better shape than the grounds, and the architect had done something clever. Not yet noon, a bevel along the top edge filled the space with sunlight. “Have you ever walked along a beach and wanted to save a shell? When you are there, that is aura… When you take the shell home and think of the beach, that is aura, but… less focused. Diminished. You sense the beach because of the shell, but you are not at the beach. Places can have aura, but it is more than character. If you move through a place and find yourself experiencing it? That is aura.”
“Mhm! *lodevole!* I like this idea very much. It would be right at home in the Vatican. Not everyone understands a space can move the spirit, or lend power to a message.” He nodded thoughtfully as he cast his eye about the open space. “With the right advice, perhaps we can lead others to these halls.”
“Perhaps. If you tour the Palace, I hope you’ll allow me to show you about? A lot of the real gems are hidden from the public.” She watched as he wandered toward the double-helixed stairways bordering the room. Those were definitely Helkam; walking up one side without meeting someone coming down the other was an interesting experience… once. After that, they could be an absolute nuisance. Spotting the elevators, she called him back. “The nice thing is this place is inexpensive! That will pad out your funds for a good remodel.”
Wicama quietly thanked the Goddesses that the builder’s had the good sense to install normal Shil’vati-style elevators. The sides were open, granting a wide view out over the atrium. The grounds were terraced to create a small park; that could make the underground space bearable, and the plans made them seem spacious enough. Not to everyone’s taste, but pretty. “I feel bad for asking, but can you afford the building? If the price of the first two bothered you, we can find others.”
“I would not hear of it! Thank you for your concern, but we are economical with our funds, and were sent with a generous sum. This is an important venture to everyone involved,” Barcio clasped a hand over his chest, as he shook his head. “I can not thank you enough for your help! You have surely spared me weeks, and I might not have found something half so suitable. As it is, the grounds are enough to gain me converts. Father Roscio and Pastor Weber will surely plant a vineyard before the inside is half done!”
“It’s not a problem. I have plenty of time,” she replied, dismissing the matter as inconsequential. “I work at the Palace, but with the Court away and my daughter at school, I’m a bit at loose ends just now. At the very least, I insist on helping you through the paperwork. I wouldn’t put it past some realty clerks to try and overcharge you… Someone from outside Shil, that is. I’ll ensure they stick to the listing.”
“To someone not from Shil… or someone who is not Shil’vati, perhaps?” His head canted slightly to one side, but he smiled as he said it. “*Certamente!* I would not dream of preventing you, though Rabbi Kleinbaum will be bitterly disappointed she has nothing to moan about.”
“I hope you won't take this badly, as I’ve only met one Human.” Wicama gave him a smile. She was long past girlish uncertainty, and the Navy had taught her a generous measure of professional poise to go with her skills as a markswoman. “You aren’t what I expected.”
“You know the professore, then?” He sucked in a breath and pursed his lips. “I am still deciding what sort of man he is.”
“No, actually, I know another Human but I’ve not… I have not… met Professor Warrick.”
“So. You mean that I am not *un barbaro*? I am here to make sure that we are seen as something more than savage warriors, *capisci*?” He studied her expectantly. “While the Imperium is doing good work on Earth, some still live in want. The Imperium provides enough for all to survive, but not all live in plenty. We need to present ourselves well.”
”That seems like a very secular outlook.” She offered, as they rode up to the third floor. Barcio asked for an explanation of the word, and by the time they’d made their way through the first offices he had the idea.
“My church has not always troubled itself with such things, but our holy father is greatly concerned with such inequalities. He takes it upon himself to address such matters with the Governess, when their time allows.”
“Your church has a good relationship with her?”
“È straordinario! The Governess adores our food, and while she was adamant about taking quarters in the Vatican, she has taken pains not to disturb us.” He shrugged dismissively. “*Cosa sai fare?* It seemed a small price, and we have endured far worse.”
“I used to hear terrible stories about red zones on Earth, though the Humans I’ve met don't seem the sort. It is good that your… pulp?” She tried the word and was rewarded with kind laughter and a gentle correction. “It is good that your pope concerns himself with the full welfare of the people and works with your governess. Our prelates share the same concerns.”
“I thought the Empress was the head of your church? Now, I find you have many…” he groped for a word, frowning, and gave up. “*Questo accento è una prova di fede!* ‘Denominations’ is not the right word, but she is the one revered, yes?”
“Of course! The Empress has to show all of our virtues and none of our faults, but that’s part of her role. To favor any divinity over the others could cause divisions. She has her personal preferences, of course, but never lets them be known.” Wicama explained carefully. “It would be in poor taste.”
“And poor politics, I think?” Santino gave her a long look. At his height it was difficult, but he managed. “This makes sense to me now, that the Imperium leaves matters of faith alone. *Una benedizione inaspettata.*”
Despite the serious topic, his fervent reply brought a smile back to her lips. “It seems your pope considers politics as well as economics.”
“People will always defend economic theories which assume that growth will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice. This has never been confirmed by the facts, and expresses a crude trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.” He said, stopping to clasp a hand over his cross. “Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.”
“That doesn't sound like scripture.” She offered cautiously, as they made their way into a wider suite of offices on the second floor.
“*Esattamente.* The words of Pope Francis, a good and blessed man who appointed me to my position. His successor, his holiness John Paul the Third, is much of the same mind,” Santino said quietly. “Our savior washed the feet of others and urged all to do the same. The hardest step is to be involved. To work together for change, as well as to pray. That is why I am here.
“*I pigri di cuore trovano sempre una scusa* Some Humans, they are yet angry with the Imperium. Now they have enough, they are bitter not to have plenty. For some there is never enough - the true poverty lies within their hearts,” Santino said a bit testily. “Our faith teaches us to find salvation in eternal life, but others? *Pigrizia!* They see it as an excuse from taking agency in themselves. Jesus washed the feet of others - he did not lay down and wait for someone to wash his!”
Wicama turned the unfamiliar metaphor over in her mind but decided she had the sense of it. “Sham teaches us that helping our families and one another is the same as helping ourselves. ‘The rising tide bares us all from the reefs’.” It was a matter of faith… but that was why it was faith in the first place. On the whole, it seemed like a mature perspective that explained the changes she’d seen in Prince Adam over the years. “You’re here to meet with others, but this seems as much about knowing yourselves.”
“*Sì, non è una brutta cosa avere umiltà davanti a Dio.* Human beings, while we are capable of the worst, we are also capable of choosing the good. Of rising up to make a new start. We are entering the galaxy.” He gestured out the window at the world beyond. “If not now… when?”
_ _ _ “So, when are you going to explain this masterpiece you four have been cooking up?” Marin asked. Sammi and Sam were barely awake but the twins had already arrived, bright-eyed and enthusiastic, and Marin cursed the resilience of youth. The room was acceptably warm, but Ayen had complained about the cold and used the excuse to slip back into bed. She was considering her options for joining him.
Somewhere, somehow, Sammi had found their rabbit pajamas again. “Sam, explain it to her? You do it better.” Sammi yawned, but Marin suspected it was an act. Once something got their attention, sleep was usually an afterthought.
“What, now?” Sam had barely stumbled into the room and blinked. Bleary-eyed and barely awake, he looked like he’d been ambushed, which was exactly the case.
“Pllllllleeeease…?” They sat back pulling the ears, giving their best Roger Rabbit impression. Luminous green eyes peered out at Sam, imploringly.
“Alright… I need coffee, but fine.” Sam trudged over to the kitchenette and poked listlessly at the instant coffee. It was getting perilously low, but Marin was sure he’d brought more on the ship. Eventually Sam gestured at the K’herbhal sisters with his mug. “So the girls want to create an artificial topological soliton. It's like a black hole, except where it isn't… It's sort of a kink in space-time.”
“Made you say kink!” Sammi grinned impishly and the girls blushed. Marin shook her head but paid attention. It felt far too early after another late night, but once everyone was up you had to hang on for whatever came next.
“So, what's that got to do with this… hole you want to use for power?” Marin raised her voice just enough to drag the conversation back on track.
“It’s more like a side effect. If it cuts the right angle, it goes into a realm of space-time we can tap for power. Think of it as an obverse of an energy drain, so it's like a white hole.”
“Let me guess.” Marin shook her head and grinned, holding up a hand to forestall the inevitable. “Except where it isn’t?”
“Ummm… pretty much.” Sam grumbled, blowing at his coffee. Marin glanced back at the twins. With Sam busy, the twins had gravitated to either side of Sammi. There was room left on the couch, and she wandered over to settle in beside one of them.
The Sams had been complaining for years about a lack of ‘focal power’ for their mass compression technologies, and while a rubber duck inside a diamond was impressive, they’d wanted to do something more - a lot more. She suspected if the twins were providing the means, then they already had something about to surface from the depths of their imaginations. Over the years she’d learned to pick a bit, rather than take their answers at straight value. “And if things don’t cut at the right angle? You remember how long it took to get rid of the Navy, when you started talking about making black holes?”
“It's not our fault they didn’t understand,” Sammi said defensively, crossing their arms and pouting at her before the rabbit ears fell over their face.
“Who didn’t understand what?” Akeimei yawned at the door. She cast a wink her way before wrapping her arms around Sam and gave him a quick hug. “What did I miss?”
“Umm… a parallel universe, if the math is right,” Sam mumbled from the depths of his coffee cup.
“What? Like identical versions of us?” Marin watched Akimei’s nose wrinkled at the smell before she slipped away from Sam. Slipped down beside her, they rubbed shoulders a moment. “Tell me, is there one where I get more sleep?”
“More or less identical… though it's not like you need to go into a parallel universe for that sort of thing. There’s already a ‘you’ out there somewhere right now, to say nothing of past and future ‘you’.” Sam scratched his cheek idly for a moment “It's just the math. The universe is so vast that there are exact physical cosmic twins of us out there somewhere, not to mention even more almost-twins.”
“Sam’s right!” Sammi perked up excitedly, bouncing on the sofa. “Then there are quantum cosmic twins - which gets weird because particles exist in multiple states and you’d sort of overlap… but the easiest one is probably just another us elsewhere in the universe right now! That's sort of the point where the universe is bigger than you can imagine!”
“So exactly the same… or almost.” One of the twins giggled. “Just like us!”
“Pretty much,” Sam nodded, slowly emerging from the depths of his coffee. “Another you out there on another Shil, or another me on a whole Earth, even - just a little bit different.”
“What? Like an Earth that never met the Imperium?” Marin canted her head, tossing out the obvious. It was hard to remember her life before, and she didn’t want to contemplate the alternative.
“Oh, I don't like that idea.” One of the twins stuck out her lip. “We want to come to Earth!”
“Yeah,” her sister nodded, though she suddenly looked glum. “I don’t know if Professor Warrick would mind though. He’d be with his wife and daughter, there.”
“Oh…” her sister's face crumpled. “I didn’t think of it that way.”
“Well, don’t…” Sammi hugged them both a moment, though they held the first twin a bit tighter. “The point is, somewhere he’s with them right now!”
“Wow, I guess so.” she brightened. “Just imagine! A whole Earth that never met the Shil’vati!”
“I wouldn’t worry, sis.” her twin nodded. “I think Professor Warrick is pretty happy right now.”
_ _ _
“I am not happy about this!” Tom glared at his omni-pad before tossing it down in frustration.
Miv looked up at her husband.
“It’s an honor!” She tucked her chin in and gave him a long, considered look, “What is it that’s bothering you - really? It wasn't Monsignor Barcio. Are you certain this isn't the same sort of thing?”
“Yes, I’m sure!” he growled, looking away like a guilty child. “Alright, maybe… but this uniform is the silliest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll look like a mushroom, and the hat only makes it worse!" Tom grimaced at the omni-pad accusingly, "They won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, so now I’m on the rolls as a Warden Captain - whatever that is - and this ceremony is ridiculous!”
“The ceremony is traditional. Very symbolic... Besides, they don't make wardens out of anyone below the rank of captain - I looked it up. You were one before, so it's appropriate to make you one instead of a Warden Major or Warden Colonel.” She smiled at him serenely. “Surely, it can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done.”
He turned to wag a finger her way. “I’ll take that bet!”
“Worse than our wedding reception…?” She crooned, teasing him. “Or maybe pre-term night? I swear by the Goddess no one will pinch your ass, except for Lea and I.”
“Fine…” Her smile grew wider as he grumbled, but he was calming down already and there wasn't heat in it. Still, he stubbornly clung on to the point a while longer. "It’s in my top five.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive, husband. Now then, I have meetings all afternoon, so why don't you finish reviewing the menu? You’ll feel better when all this is over and you can go back to cooking, chess, or starting that eeeyiy club… You might even give Ce’lani a call or message her?” She gathered her coat and smiled demurely, though it harbored nothing innocent. “If I’m not here you’ll have perfect privacy… Just don't promise anything you wouldn't promise to me.”
“It’s iai-do…” Tom groused, but he was already picking up his omni-pad.
She blew him a kiss and made her way toward the commons. Tom would probably stew a while, but he’d make the call.
There would be time to meet with Ce’lani on the common, before she had to come home for dinner.
_ _ _
Tom looked over the banquet menu as if it might reach out and bite him. The words stared up at him with perfect innocence.
Appetizer: Fruit and Cheese Platter - Slices of various cheeses and fruits on a platter providing a delicate mix of sweet, tangy and creamy to invigorate the dining experience. Serve with a selection of sweet and semi-sweet wines.
Soup: Choice of Tomato or French Onion Soup - Served with a piece of baguette and cheese.
Salad: Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing -- an assortment of greens and fruit with a balsamic grain dressing to cleanse the palate.
Entree: Cornish Pasty - This herb-infused meat and pastry dish provides a counterpoint to the tangy taste of the salad and soup. Served with a creamy buttered mashed potato (a vegetable, humanely prepared!) with chives (also a vegetable). Served with a selection of wines or ales.
Dessert: Chef’s Sorbet Surprise - A sweet treat complemented by a palate cleanser, ending the meal on a piquant note.
His last call with Bherdin had been a trial and a half. Omni-pads were the definition of ‘high fidelity’, and hearing the little Shil’vati hyperventilate for ten minutes over the plan was pointless. At least Melondi had easier going with Vedeem on her side... one way or another this was happening.
As a final consolation, he relented on wearing matching suits. Bherdin frequently bemoaned Tom’s 'lamentable' fashion sense, and he perked up at that, promising to get him some appropriate formalwear for the occasion.
Privately, he suspected his Shil’vati friend was looking for a convenient alibi if a riot started.
In fairness, it probably wasn't a bad idea.
“Too late to use it myself…” he muttered. It wasn’t quite noon, and Miv was probably right. Instead of Chess Club or starting Iai-do practice or just cooking out at Human Food, he was stuck here at home. Miv’s place was bigger, but most of his stuff was still in boxes; it left him listless and climbing the walls. If this worked, at least things could get back to normal.
…Mostly normal…
He flipped back to the picture of the Warden uniform on his omni-pad. It was bad enough, but the hat made the whole thing look like a blue toadstool in silver filigree.
He swiped the picture away like an act of revenge, but didn’t toss the pad back on the table.
…Miv was right... and I promised to call Ce’lani…
Tom centered himself, pulling up the number. The universe was always in motion and a good Taoist accepted their part in what came. That was the lesson of ‘the Vinegar Tasters’, and it held true… The painting showed three men standing around a vat of vinegar. Each has dipped his finger into the vinegar and tasted it. The expression on each man's face showed his individual reaction.
The painting was an allegory for Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tse. Confucius wore a sour look on his face. He believed life was out of harmony with the universe. As the second figure in the painting, Buddha had a bitter expression. Like the vinegar, life was painful and filled with attachments and desires that led to suffering. The last man, Lao-tse, was smiling at the taste. To him, harmony existed naturally and could be found by anyone at any time in any experience.
He thought about his buddy Dave. The old Marine would probably shake his head and tell him to ‘embrace the suck.’ It pretty much boiled down to the same thing.
Not that he was against calling. Miv and Lea had practically taken turns urging him on and giving their views on why it was a good idea. They hadn't harped about it, but he knew which way the wind was blowing. And Ce’lani’s message had been short, sweet in the literal sense, and the sound file she’d offered up had been…
…Pretty nice, really…
If he still said no, or decided he didn't like where this was going, they’d back his choice, of course. He didn't have a doubt in his mind… But with everything else in his life turned upside down, calling Ce’lani seemed like a calm in the eye of a storm.
…It's just a phone call. Leave the chaos at the gate…
He settled down on the couch to check his messages before giving her a call. It was nearly lunch…
2023.06.02 07:27 Sablefool June Book Nominations
Title: The Peregrine Author: J.A. Baker Date of Publication: 1967 Country of Origin: England Pagecount: 191 in both TPB and HC Goodreads Rating: 4.16 average from 4,256 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, Nature Synopsis: From autumn to spring, J.A. Baker set out to track the daily comings and goings of a pair of peregrine falcons across the flat fen lands of eastern England. He followed the birds obsessively, observing them in the air and on the ground, in pursuit of their prey, making a kill, eating, and at rest, activities he describes with an extraordinary fusion of precision and poetry. And as he continued his mysterious private quest, his sense of human self slowly dissolved, to be replaced with the alien and implacable consciousness of a hawk.
It is this extraordinary metamorphosis, magical and terrifying, that these beautifully written pages record.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/j-a-bakethe-peregrine/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: The Orchid Thief Author: Susan Orlean Date of Publication: 1998 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 284 in both TPB and HC Goodreads Rating: 3.68 average from 18,454 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, True Crime, Nature Synopsis: The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flower—the rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindenii—a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean—and the reader—will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-orlean/the-orchid-thief/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Quiet Author: Susan Cain Date of Publication: 2012 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 352 in TPB ; 333 in HC Goodreads Rating: 4.07 average from 410,719 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help Synopsis: At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-cain/quiet-power-introverts/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Red Earth White Earth Author: Will Weaver Date of Publication: 1986 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 352 in TPB; 383 in HC Goodreads Rating: 3.97 average from 216 readers Genre Tags: Historical Fiction, Native American Synopsis: Having fled his family’s farm at eighteen with a promise never to return, Guy Pehrsson is drawn back into his past when he receives his grandfather’s ominous letter, “Trouble here. Come home when you can.” He returns to discover a place both wholly familiar and barely recognizable and is cast into the center of an interracial land dispute with the exigencies of war. Widely acclaimed when first published in the eighties, the timeless novel Red Earth, White Earth showcases Will Weaver’s rough ease with language and storytelling, frankly depicting life’s uneven terrain and crooked paths.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/will-weaver-2/red-earth-white-earth/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: The Lost City of the Monkey God Author: Douglas Preston Date of Publication: 2017 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 326 in TPB; 328 in HC Goodreads Rating: 3.92 average from 52,856 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, Adventure, Travel Synopsis: A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle.
Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.
Three quarters of a century later, author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.
Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn't until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/douglas-preston/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god/
submitted by Sablefool to Literaturebythelake [link] [comments]
It is this extraordinary metamorphosis, magical and terrifying, that these beautifully written pages record.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/j-a-bakethe-peregrine/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: The Orchid Thief Author: Susan Orlean Date of Publication: 1998 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 284 in both TPB and HC Goodreads Rating: 3.68 average from 18,454 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, True Crime, Nature Synopsis: The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flower—the rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindenii—a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean—and the reader—will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-orlean/the-orchid-thief/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Quiet Author: Susan Cain Date of Publication: 2012 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 352 in TPB ; 333 in HC Goodreads Rating: 4.07 average from 410,719 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help Synopsis: At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-cain/quiet-power-introverts/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Red Earth White Earth Author: Will Weaver Date of Publication: 1986 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 352 in TPB; 383 in HC Goodreads Rating: 3.97 average from 216 readers Genre Tags: Historical Fiction, Native American Synopsis: Having fled his family’s farm at eighteen with a promise never to return, Guy Pehrsson is drawn back into his past when he receives his grandfather’s ominous letter, “Trouble here. Come home when you can.” He returns to discover a place both wholly familiar and barely recognizable and is cast into the center of an interracial land dispute with the exigencies of war. Widely acclaimed when first published in the eighties, the timeless novel Red Earth, White Earth showcases Will Weaver’s rough ease with language and storytelling, frankly depicting life’s uneven terrain and crooked paths.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/will-weaver-2/red-earth-white-earth/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title: The Lost City of the Monkey God Author: Douglas Preston Date of Publication: 2017 Country of Origin: America Pagecount: 326 in TPB; 328 in HC Goodreads Rating: 3.92 average from 52,856 readers Genre Tags: Nonfiction, Adventure, Travel Synopsis: A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle.
Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.
Three quarters of a century later, author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.
Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn't until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/douglas-preston/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god/
2023.06.01 22:14 Chico237 #NIOCORP~Global production of critical metals unlikely to meet EU demand, VW, TITANIUM & more...
 | June 1, 2023~Global production of critical metals unlikely to meet EU demand~Global production of critical metals unlikely to meet EU demand - MINING.COMEVs owned by the City of Madrid. (Reference image by Diario de Madrid, Wikimedia Commons.) A recent study by Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology found that the current global production levels of raw materials will not match the demand of the European Union’s EV industry, not even when accounting for recycling. The paper points out that the metals that are highly sought after, such as dysprosium, neodymium, manganese and niobium, are of great economic importance to the EU, while their supply is limited and it takes time to scale up raw material production. “The EU is heavily dependent on imports of these metals because extraction is concentrated in a few countries such as China, South Africa and Brazil. The lack of availability is both an economic and an environmental problem for the EU, and risks delaying the transition to electric cars and environmentally sustainable technologies,” Maria Ljunggren, lead author of the study, said in a media statement. “In addition, since many of these metals are scarce, we also risk making access to them difficult for future generations if we are unable to use what is already in circulation.” Together with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, EMPA, Ljunggren has surveyed the metals that are currently in use in Europe’s vehicle fleet. The assignment has resulted in an extensive database that shows the presence over time of 11 metals in new vehicles, vehicles in use and vehicles that are recycled. The survey, which goes back as far as 2006, shows that the proportion of critical metals has increased significantly in vehicles, a development the researchers believe will continue. Several rare earth elements are among the metals that have increased the most. “Neodymium and dysprosium usage has increased by around 400% and 1,700% respectively in new cars over the period, and this is even before electrification had taken off,” Ljunggren said. “Gold and silver, which are not listed as critical metals but have great economic value, have increased by around 80%.” According to the researcher, the idea behind the survey and the database is to provide decision-makers, companies and organizations with an evidence base to support a more sustainable use of the EU’s critical metals. A major challenge is that these materials, which are found in very small concentrations in each car, are economically difficult to recycle. “If recycling is to increase, cars need to be designed to enable these metals to be recovered, while incentives and flexible processes for more recycling need to be put in place. But that’s not the current reality”, Ljunggren noted. “It is important to increase recycling. At the same time, it is clear that an increase in recycling alone cannot meet requirements in the foreseeable future, just because the need for critical metals in new cars is increasing so much. Therefore there needs to be a greater focus on how we can substitute other materials for these metals. But in the short term, it will be necessary to increase extraction in mines if electrification is not to be held back.” June 1, 2023~Volkswagen plans EV battery revolution at new gigafactory~Volkswagen plans EV battery revolution at new gigafactory – The Irish TimesThe pilot line for small-series battery cell production at the SalzGiga fuel cell gigafactory, operated by Volkswagen Group Components, in Salzgitter, Germany. Photograph: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg On the flat plains of Lower Saxony, near the town of Salzgitter, a new empire is growing out of the land. Well, specifically out of the mud right now, as it’s been raining for the past couple of days and, like all building sites, it doesn’t take long for the muddy puddles to form. Once the mud is clear and replaced by concrete and steel, this 260,000sq m site will be the home of Volkswagen’s first battery “gigafactory”, which has become something of a buzzword of late, applied to any production site that just happens to be large. This is, or at least in due course will be, a factory for making gigas. Gigawatts of power, packaged in batteries destined for Volkswagen’s fleet of new electric cars, and indeed any customers for such parts that it finds along the line. Speaking of parts, the design and management of the factory is actually under the auspices of Volkswagen Components, the part of the car-making giant that also packs up and sends out the spare parts for your 10-year old Golf. Components is a far bigger business than it sounds, though – it’s worth some €40 billion to Volkswagen, so the €2 billion investment needed in Salzgitter to make the battery factory is getting on for small change. Even so, a whole separate division within VW Components, called Power Co, has been set up so that it can act like a start-up, and make the sort of rapid decisions and fast-developing business plans needed so that VW can keep up in the battery power race. It’s part of a €30 billion investment in battery technology, research, and construction over the next seven years to deliver a target of 80 per cent of Volkswagen’s sales, worldwide, being made up of electric cars by 2030. In Ireland and the rest of Europe, that figure is more like 100 per cent, although with the recent lobbying to water down the proposed EU ban on combustion engines, that may change in the interim. Eventually the plan is to increase production to 40gWh per year, enough batteries for 500,000 electric carsSalzgitter has been part of the VW empire for some time now. The factory on the site started in 1970, making the somewhat unloved K70 hatchback and saloon, a precursor to the first-generation Passat. By 1975, Salzgitter had been refitted to make petrol engines, and it’s been doing that ever since. Now, the plant that made engines is turning over to making batteries instead. There’s already a pilot production plant on the site, a section of the factory that once made cylinder heads and which is now making experimental batteries for the next-generation of electric cars and vans. The gigafactory that’s currently rising, to an eventual height of 60m, out of the Saxon mud will have a capacity of 10-gigawatt/hours (gWh) for each of its two large production halls. Eventually the plan is to increase production to 40gWh per year, enough batteries for 500,000 electric cars. That’s just a small part of what VW needs to build all those new EVs though – the company estimates that it needs some 240hWh of battery production by 2028, so Salzgitter will be joined by further Gigafactories in Valencia, in Sweden and in Ontario. ARTICLE continues..... MAY 31, 2023~New 'designer' titanium alloys made using 3D printing~New ‘designer’ titanium alloys made using 3D printing - RMIT University Team members Dr Tingting Song and Professor Ma Qian (left to right) with a titanium alloy part created with the laser 3D printer that the team used at RMIT University. (Note: this is not an alloy part that the team made for this research.) Credit: RMIT The breakthrough, published in the journal Nature, could help extend the applications of titanium alloys, improve sustainability and drive innovative alloy design. Their discovery holds promise for a new class of more sustainable high-performance titanium alloys for applications in aerospace, biomedical, chemical engineering, space and energy technologies. RMIT University and the University of Sydney led the innovation, in collaboration with Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the company Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in Melbourne. Lead researcher, Ma Qian a professor from RMIT, said the team embedded circular economy thinking in their design, creating great promise for producing their new titanium alloys from industrial waste and low-grade materials. "Reusing waste and low-quality materials has the potential to add economic value and reduce the high carbon footprint of the titanium industry," said Qian from RMIT's Center for Additive Manufacturing in the School of Engineering. Atomic-scale microstructure across an alpha-beta interphase interface from a new alloy 3D-printed by the team using laser directed energy deposition. Credit: Ma Qian, Simon Ringer and colleagues What type of titanium alloys has the team made?The team's titanium alloys consist of a mixture of two forms of titanium crystals, called alpha-titanium phase and beta-titanium phase, each corresponding to a specific arrangement of atoms.This class of alloys has been the backbone of the titanium industry. Since 1954, these alloys have been produced primarily by adding aluminum and vanadium to titanium. The research team investigated the use of oxygen and iron—two of the most powerful stabilizers and strengtheners of alpha- and beta-titanium phases—which are abundant and inexpensive. Two challenges have hindered the development of strong and ductile alpha-beta titanium-oxygen-iron alloys through the conventional manufacturing processes, Qian said. "One challenge is that oxygen—described colloquially as 'the kryptonite to titanium'—can make titanium brittle, and the other is that adding iron could lead to serious defects in the form of large patches of beta-titanium." The team used Laser Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED), a 3D printing process suitable for making large, complex parts, to print their alloys from metal powder. "A key enabler for us was the combination of our alloy design concepts with 3D-printing process design, which has identified a range of alloys that are strong, ductile and easy to print," Qian said. The attractive properties of these new alloys that can rival those of commercial alloys are attributed to their microstructure, the team says. "This research delivers a new titanium alloy system capable of a wide and tunable range of mechanical properties, high manufacturability, enormous potential for emissions reduction and insights for materials design in kindred systems," said co-lead researcher University of Sydney Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Ringer. "The critical enabler is the unique distribution of oxygen and iron atoms within and between the alpha-titanium and beta-titanium phases. "We've engineered a nanoscale gradient of oxygen in the alpha-titanium phase, featuring high-oxygen segments that are strong, and low-oxygen segments that are ductile allowing us to exert control over the local atomic bonding and so mitigate the potential for embrittlement." Support for this researchThe team’s work benefited from sustained, targeted investment in research infrastructure from national and state governments and from universities, Professor Ringer said.“In many ways, this work showcases the power of Australia's national collaborative research infrastructure strategy and sets the scene for extending this strategy into the realm of advanced manufacturing,” he said The Australia Research Council (ARC) through the Discovery Program and the Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM) funded and supported this research. The team acknowledges support from the Australia–US Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative program supported by the Australian Government; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; the State Key Laboratories in Hong Kong from the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government; and Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence for its Simufact DED solution used in the L-DED process design. The team’s research paper, ‘Strong and ductile titanium-oxygen-iron alloys by additive manufacturing’, is published in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05952-6). An editorial on the team’s work, ‘Designer titanium alloys created using 3D printing’, is also published in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-01360-y). * We adopted the term ‘designer titanium’ in this media release from this editorial article in Nature JUST TAKE A PEEK AT THE USGS TITANIUM AND TITANIUM DIOXIDE PRODUCTION 2022~ SEE Feb. 2023 USGS SUMMARY~Titanium (usgs.gov)https://preview.redd.it/x5gva1oepg3b1.png?width=996&format=png&auto=webp&s=444dfeadf88524403d9acd75623ebbf3b5474cffBODES WELL FOR NIOCORP! MAYBE NIOCORP WILL MAKE THIS LIST SOON? MAY 26, 2023~ NioCorp Demonstrates the Ability to Potentially Double Projected Titanium Recovery Rates for the Elk Creek Project~NioCorp Demonstrates the Ability to Potentially Double Projected Titanium Recovery Rates for the Elk Creek Project - NioCorp Developments Ltd.Demonstration Plant Shows New Recovery Process May Double NioCorp’s Titanium Production per Tonne of Ore as well as Produce a Higher Purity Product that May Command Higher Market Prices CENTENNIAL, Colo. (May 26, 2023) – NioCorp Developments Ltd. (“NioCorp” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:NB) (TSX:NB) is pleased to announce that it has successfully demonstrated an ability to potentially double the recovery of titanium from each tonne of ore the Company expects to mine at its Nebraska-based Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project (the “Project”), once project financing is obtained and the commercial plant is constructed. The new process is expected to produce a purer form of titanium that may command a higher price than is assumed in NioCorp’s June 2022 feasibility study for the Project (the “Feasibility Study”). NioCorp’s demonstration plant in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, has shown that the Company’s new and improved recovery process can likely achieve an 83.7% rate of overall titanium recovery to final product. This compares to a 40.3% titanium recovery rate in NioCorp’s previous process approach. This new result points to a potentially large increase in the amount of titanium that NioCorp can potentially produce at currently planned rates of mining. NioCorp’s current Feasibility Study shows the Project producing approximately 431,793 tonnes of titanium dioxide. The titanium produced by NioCorp’s new process is in the form of titanium tetrachloride (“TiCl4”), known in commercial markets as “tickle.” This is a purer form of titanium than the synthetic rutile, and generally commands a higher market price. TiCl4 is an input for the production of high-purity titanium oxides and compounds, which are used primarily in the manufacture of white pigments, and titanium metal and aerospace-grade titanium alloys. https://preview.redd.it/lka3uro3qg3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfafedb7c26033dc0ecbdb9e9339657af3155feb Final determination of planned titanium production can be made only after work related to a mineral reserve update, additional engineering, updated project capital and operating cost estimates, and other required information is produced for publication in a new feasibility study. Growing Demand for Titanium Metal and Alloys in the U.S. and the West Demand and pricing for titanium metal and associated alloys has increased in recent years, and the U.S. is more than 95% dependent upon foreign nations (Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Japan, and Russia) for titanium metal and alloys, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. While Russia is only the third largest titanium mineral producer in the world, it is the world’s largest supplier of aerospace-grade titanium, producing half of the world’s titanium used in aerospace before 2022. Virtually all U.S. Air Force planes rely on aerospace-grade titanium; for example, the F-22 is constructed using approximately 42% titanium by weight. https://preview.redd.it/ztoykxr6qg3b1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=fe2935532eb9ddcc3c3f5724d2d914b74861342c More Streamlined Production Process Demonstrated NioCorp’s new process has been demonstrated to be more efficient than the previous design, is expected to require fewer processing steps, and may allow the elimination of entire processes in NioCorp’s planned processing plant in Nebraska, such as acid regeneration. “In demonstrating our ability to potentially make higher-purity titanium in multiple forms, and in potentially higher volumes, we open up a range of new and exciting possibilities for the business, including potentially emerging as a key supplier of titanium to several industries of importance to U.S. national defense and commercial markets,” said Mark A. Smith, CEO and Executive Chairman of NioCorp. “The increasing value of potential titanium production in the Elk Creek Project is a direct result of our new processing design and the careful testing of that system at the demonstration plant level. This is one of the reasons why we have focused so intently on getting this process right and demonstrating its technical feasibility.” “A lot of work has gone into testing and validating this new processing approach, and while we are seeing the results that we expected, it is very gratifying to have those results validated at the demonstration plant level,” said Scott Honan, Chief Operating Officer of NioCorp. “For the U.S. and many Western nations, supply chain risk for titanium has become an increasing concern for both industry and defense markets. We look forward to NioCorp helping to contribute to a more reliable and domestic titanium supply chain from our potential production in Nebraska.” Qualified Persons: Eric Larochelle, B.Eng., Co-Owner, L3 Process Development, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information, and verified the data, contained in this news release. Scott Honan, M.Sc., SME-RM, COO of NioCorp Developments Ltd., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in the news release. FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS & CONCLUSIONS ABOVE:(It's NEVER TOO LATE FOR A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE! &.....)NORTHERN MINER ~Volume 109 Number 10 May 15 – 28, 2023~Volume 109 Number 10 May 15 – 28, 2023 - The Northern Minerhttps://preview.redd.it/xmdxtc6hrg3b1.png?width=639&format=png&auto=webp&s=33bb60760a5e37bfc520c1fe2cf811e99666a12d https://preview.redd.it/dvs1svt1rg3b1.png?width=1792&format=png&auto=webp&s=23557f26f05370acad20de567e8bf39af863b51d https://preview.redd.it/tq0zlanqqg3b1.png?width=432&format=png&auto=webp&s=bad476225f61d9a7c3faddb5f9a438d854140cfb https://preview.redd.it/iefliamrqg3b1.png?width=383&format=png&auto=webp&s=c43a2c1233df669d48faaeed90601df76578125c Chico |
2023.06.01 20:18 nothxjustlurkn Transferring out of a European Wax Center franchise to a different store
I just got hired at EWC and it's part of a franchise (they own 5 stores in So Cal). The EWC store I originally applied to just called me back and wanted to go forward with an interview. That's the store I really wanted to work for but they are not part of the franchise I just got hired at. Is it possible to transfer? I finished my EWC training, I completed my pink week, and signed all the paperwork.
submitted by nothxjustlurkn to Esthetics [link] [comments]
2023.06.01 18:02 katefeetie Trip Report: 2 Weeks in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan and Kanazawa
Since this sub was so helpful in planning, I wanted to share my itinerary and trip report! We had an incredible first time in Japan and I can't wait to go back.
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.
We got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.
Up early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.
The phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!
Luggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.
Took the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.
The forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.
Our plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.
We took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.
Started by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.
The transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.
The day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.
We walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.
Grabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.
We started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.
We got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.
submitted by katefeetie to JapanTravel [link] [comments]
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:
- We’re New Yorkers in our 30s who have been planning this trip for about 6 months.
- My bf has been learning Japanese for about a year, and I’ve been learning for about 5 months (a mix of Pimsleur and Duolingo).
- Boyfriend is into history and baseball, I'm into skincare and nature, but we’re both big on food so that was our number one priority.
- He has a peanut allergy and avoids all nuts. He learned to say that in Japanese (私はピーナッツアレルギーがあります - "Watashi wa piinattsu arerugī ga arimasu”), and every restaurant and hotel was understanding and careful. Luckily most cuisine is nut-free anyway, but we managed not to have any close calls in 2 weeks which is amazing.
- If I were planning this trip again, I think I would skip Kanazawa. It was a lovely town and the food was amazing, but we wished we had spent that time with a night or two in Osaka instead of just making it a day trip from Kyoto.
- Even if you’re not a baseball fan, Japanese baseball games are so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
- I packed a suitcase and brought a fold-up duffel bag, and halfway through the trip I moved my clothes to the duffel and just used the suitcase for souvenirs. It was a great idea but we ended up buying an extra suitcase at Donki our last day anyway.
- We both felt a bit underdressed compared to locals, especially in Tokyo. I wish I’d packed more dresses, skirts and trousers and fewer jeans and tees - the only people I saw wearing sweats, athletic wear or cutoffs were other tourists. Obviously you can wear what you want, just be aware you’ll stick out! Also, women are generally more covered up, even on warmer days, to protect their skin from the sun.
- If you go clothes shopping, take your shoes off in dressing rooms. I made a right fool of myself.
- Clothes sizing is wildly different in Japan. Know your cm measurements! Your size here may be hurtful to your ego.
- People line up to get on the train (check the ground for a guide of where to stand) and let everyone off before they get on. This seems obvious, but I’ve been living in New York so long that I wanted to weep tears of joy every time.
- If you’re new to sitting showers: there are two buttons. One is to fill up a bowl of water, and the other is to turn on the handheld shower head. Both automatically turn off a minute after you turn them on, but you can also turn them off manually. You sit on the little stool and there’s usually a mirror in front of you, which is… a humbling experience. There are usually also scrubbing washcloths.
- The worst train station toilet was still nicer than a goddamn Nordstrom bathroom. It was a pleasure to have IBS in Japan.
- At many European and American historical sites, you pay a hefty flat fee to see everything. In Japan, you can usually get into the temple grounds for free, then pay for each individual building you go into. Most were 400-700y/person, which felt really reasonable.
- We came at an almost perfect time (mid-May) weather-wise. Most days it was clear or sunny with a high in the mid-seventies. We definitely got some rain, but less than we were expecting (maybe 3-4 rainy days and 5-6 rainy nights).
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.
Tuesday: Arrival, Shinjuku
1 PM: Arrival at HanedaWe got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.
Wednesday: Harajuku, Meiji, and Shibuya
7 AM: Hotel breakfastUp early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.
Thursday: Shinjuku
4 AM: EarthquakeThe phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!
Friday: Hakone
7 AM: Set up luggage forwarding to Kyoto with hotelLuggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.
Saturday: Travel to Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Gion
8 AM: Breakfast, travel to KyotoTook the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.
Sunday: Arashiyama, The Golden Pavilion and Tea Ceremony
8 AM: Arashiyama Bamboo ForestThe forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.
Monday: Fushimi Inari, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Imperial Palace (kinda)
9 AM: Fushimi InariOur plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.
Tuesday: Day Trip to Nara
8 AM: Travel to NaraWe took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.
Wednesday: Day Trip to Osaka
7 AM: Depart hotelStarted by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.
Thursday: Travel to Koyasan, Temple Stay
8 AM: Bus from Kyoto to KoyasanThe transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.
Friday: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District
7 AM: Service & ritual at Eko-inThe day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.
Saturday: Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum
9 AM: Kenroku-en GardenWe walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.
Sunday: Travel to Tokyo, Tokyo Giants Game, Ueno Park
7 AM: Travel to TokyoGrabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.
Monday: Tsukiji Food Tour, Kapabashi Dougu, Akihabara
8 AM: 3-hour Tsukiji Food Tour + lunchWe started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.
Tuesday: Senso-ji, Flight
9 AM: Breakfast, Senso-jiWe got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.
2023.06.01 17:23 seaturtle8476 Guide to a 524 from an overstudier
Hello Mcat-ter's! I wanted to give my guide to how I got a 524 (132/130/131/131) last year (august 2022). I improved from my diagnostic which was a 497. This sub has been super helpful to me, and instead of writing secondaries I'm procrastinating by writing this post. So, lets get into it!
0) A bit about me.
I'm a mostly traditional applicant (taking a one year research year (like 95% of applicants these days)). I took the test between junior and senior year over the summer. I go to a t20 school where I got pretty good grades (~3.9 gpa). Majored in humanities (not bio) so was a little weaker on the science parts, but really good at reading. Have always been a good test taker (34 I think on the ACT, 5's on all the AP's I studied for et.c.). Tutored students in chem. Tutored my siblings in like every science subject / math. I also REALLY knew my amino acids.
1) Disclaimers
First, I want to start of saying that this technique may not work for everyone. I put in a lot of time into studying, which may not be feasible for non-trads, those who have to work full time, those with families, et.c. Second, as you will see, I bought a lot of resources (like a lot). This was NOT cheap. Fortunately I saved up a lot of money before / during college and had my parents to help me out. Third, I was really determined to get an 99th+ percentile score. While a 520+ score is not going to hurt anyone, the amount of time / energy it takes may not be worth it for your application (another 200-300 clinical hours or volunteer hours may be better for your application)
2) Non-Study Stuff that Set me Up for Success
My total study time was ~8 months. I studied part time during the spring semester, and then basically full time during the summer. I had a three day a week research internship (~20 hours per week). I basically studied 40-50 hours a week when I was studying full time. I deleted all social media. Blocked it on my phone (i think my total phone use per day went down to <2 hours a day (and that included using it for GPS to get places)). While this is probably not possible for most applicants, my internship was in a new city I had never been to / lived in. I therefore only knew like 2 people there (one of whom was my roommate). This meant I had to say no to basically no social engagements because, well, I didn't really have any friends there. While this was definitely super lonely at times, this also meant I wasn't getting pulled to go out and party (I'm usually pretty extraverted, so saying no to social events is hard for me). Obviously, moving to a new city is probably not in the cards for most people, but it was probably cheaper in the end than staying in my college town (where rent is not only higher, but the cost of going out / hanging out with friends).
3) The Resources
As I said above, I used a F*** ton of resources:
Given the gigantic list of resources, you all are going to laugh, but probably the only thing I didn't use was UGLOBE, lol. Mostly, its because I ran out of time + I felt really good about my level of prep. A lot of people like UGLOBE but it wasn't for me. YMMV and it probably is a good resource, I just didn't use it.
Study Methods:
I studied about 700 hours total (a lot, I know).
about 1 year before start of studying I took the Blueprint half-length. I got a 497 on this (125/126/121/125). I hadn't taken all the pre-reqs yet so I was pretty content with this score (ngl), but I def needed more content review.
Start of Part Time Studying:
I started part time studying over winter break. I started with a diagnostic test (Kaplan). I got a 506 on this (127/127/125/127). From there I started by reviewing the Kaplan books (reading them through and writing notes). I would take the end of chapter quizzes. I would make a flashcard for any question I got wrong. I also did the Kaplan science assessment which gave me a better idea of my areas of weakness in the sciences (my scores were between 8/30 for biochem and 25/30 for psych). I also did daily jack westin CARS.
When I went back to school, the pace of studying definitely slowed. I studied less. I took another kaplan FL in feburary and got EXACTLY the same score again, which was disheartening. I pretty much took all of march / half of april off, and then restarted studying end of april. I then restarted studying in april, still part time. During this time, I continued reading kaplan, doing Khan academy practice questions, and anki.
Full time studying:
I started full time studying May 1. On average I studied 5hours a day on the days I had work, 8 hours a day on the days I didn't, took a practice test on Saturdays (reviewed half of it that evening (I really think you should review cars right after you take it, otherwise you loose understanding of the reasoning you thought). I would usually review the second half of the exam the following day, and only study 3-4 hours on Sunday.
This was a very succesful strategy for me. The PR class has you take an AAMC practice test as your baseline and I scored a 513 on this (130/129/127/127) which obviously I was stoked about and gave me a ton of confidence.
When my princeton review class started, I did the 3 hour class, the majority of the reading, and about 50% of the suggested practice. Occasionally, during parts of the class I really understood (like gen chem), I would practice other sections. During this time, I took a full length every week, did flash cards, read berkely review for the stuff I didn't understand, did KA practice questions, did the Kaplan / Blueprint Q-Banks. I did this for about six weeks.
For the last 6 weeks of studying, I finished up the PR class, and started AAMC. The other important things I did (which are kinda unique?) which I truly think helped me succeed are 1) I wrote out every single word of the Kaplan quick sheets by hand, 2) I wrote out every single word of the Miles Down quick sheets by hand, 3) I looked up the weirdest mnemonics for everything and texted them to my long distance SO / told them over facetime; Laughing over them and sharing them really made them stick 4) I read every single word of the JW content outline aloud. My roommates definitely thought I was crazy ( I definitely sounded it) but this definitely helped like 1000%. Legitimately, the bio question I am 100% sure I got wrong (and likely the reason I got a 131 and not a 132) was from the one sub-sub-sub section that I said screw it, this isn't going to be on the test.
I continued doing a practice test each week. I reviewed all of the AAMC materials.
For the week before the test I took things pretty easy, I reviewed everything super leisurely. Bio was still what I was struggling with so the only thing I did practice test wise was take the Sample Bio (which I got a 58/59 on so a 132). I didn't do the rest of the sample because I was feeling kinda burnt out.
A note about full lengths:
I took full lengths almost exactly in testing conditions: no referencing notes, wearing the same outfit (down to the socks), eating the same meal, same time of day, same weird whiteboard thing, wore a mask (you had to when I took it, not sure if its still the same) et.c. However, I did practice with certain (distractions). I tried to mimic, what happens if I had five minutes fewer due to a malfunction, what if my pen doesn't work, what if a loud alarm goes off, et.c. This allowed me to prepare incase anything went wrong.
My Practice Tests (in order, including ones where I only did a section):
Blue Print Half Length Diagnostic 497 125 126 121 125
Kaplan Science Assessment N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Kaplan Practice test 1 506 127 127 125 127
Kaplan Practice test 2 506 127 127 125 127
Blueprint Practice test 10 126 127
AAMC FL1 513!!!! 130 129 127 127
Blueprint Bio Only practice test 1 129!!!
Princeton Review FL 1 512!!! 127 129 127 129!!
Princeton Review FL 2 508 :( 126 127 127 128
Blueprint Chem/Phys Only practice test 1 129!!!!
Blueprint Cars Only practice test 1 128
Blueprint P/S Only practice test 1 129!
Blueprint Practice test 2 517!!!!!!!! lets go! 131 (WTF, how????) 128 129 129
Blueprint Practice test 3 515 129 128 129 129
AAMC FL2 519!!!! 130 130! 130! 129
AAMC FL3 519!!!! 130 128 130 131!
AAMC FL4 524!!!!!!!!!!!!! 132!!!!! 132!!!!! 128 :( 132!!!!!
AAMC Sample, biology only 131!!!!!!!!
AAMC average (519)
Test Day
The day before test day I slept in a motel Literally in the same strip mall as the testing center. I went there the day before to ensure that I knew where it was and to ask them a couple of questions. While you only need one form of photo ID I made sure I had two just in case. I woke up early, did a couple jumping jacks, chugged an iced coffee (big mistake, I had to pee SOOOOOO badly during C/P (but maybe thats the reason for the 132, who knows)). Got to the testing center early (was the first one). I had pretty good timing for the test (except cars, had only like 4 minutes for the last passage). I finished P/S 40 minutes early, because I was tired and just done. However, I thought I FAILED when I came out of the testing center. No lie, I almost voided (THANK GOD I DIDN'T). I went back to my hotel, cried my eyes out, and went home.
Score result day:
Again, I thought I failed, I was very pleasantly surprised when I got my score back ( I also cried). Was super happy to NEVER have to take this stupid test again.
whew! That was long. Super happy to answer questions you all might have on my (insane, ngl) study schedule.
Wishing everyone 528's
submitted by seaturtle8476 to Mcat [link] [comments]
0) A bit about me.
I'm a mostly traditional applicant (taking a one year research year (like 95% of applicants these days)). I took the test between junior and senior year over the summer. I go to a t20 school where I got pretty good grades (~3.9 gpa). Majored in humanities (not bio) so was a little weaker on the science parts, but really good at reading. Have always been a good test taker (34 I think on the ACT, 5's on all the AP's I studied for et.c.). Tutored students in chem. Tutored my siblings in like every science subject / math. I also REALLY knew my amino acids.
1) Disclaimers
First, I want to start of saying that this technique may not work for everyone. I put in a lot of time into studying, which may not be feasible for non-trads, those who have to work full time, those with families, et.c. Second, as you will see, I bought a lot of resources (like a lot). This was NOT cheap. Fortunately I saved up a lot of money before / during college and had my parents to help me out. Third, I was really determined to get an 99th+ percentile score. While a 520+ score is not going to hurt anyone, the amount of time / energy it takes may not be worth it for your application (another 200-300 clinical hours or volunteer hours may be better for your application)
2) Non-Study Stuff that Set me Up for Success
My total study time was ~8 months. I studied part time during the spring semester, and then basically full time during the summer. I had a three day a week research internship (~20 hours per week). I basically studied 40-50 hours a week when I was studying full time. I deleted all social media. Blocked it on my phone (i think my total phone use per day went down to <2 hours a day (and that included using it for GPS to get places)). While this is probably not possible for most applicants, my internship was in a new city I had never been to / lived in. I therefore only knew like 2 people there (one of whom was my roommate). This meant I had to say no to basically no social engagements because, well, I didn't really have any friends there. While this was definitely super lonely at times, this also meant I wasn't getting pulled to go out and party (I'm usually pretty extraverted, so saying no to social events is hard for me). Obviously, moving to a new city is probably not in the cards for most people, but it was probably cheaper in the end than staying in my college town (where rent is not only higher, but the cost of going out / hanging out with friends).
3) The Resources
As I said above, I used a F*** ton of resources:
- Princeton Review 513+ Guarantee Course (ok, I know people are probably going to think I'm a troll for this, but I really found it helpful (for the most part). Personally, I found their cars strategy to be super helpful (again I know people are going to think I am a troll, I promise I'm not). I also found their science videos / the biology classes to be super helpful (I knew actually 0 anatomy before studying). Our physics instructor was great, the psychology one was kinda meh. This class included all of the princeton review text books + online quizzes + vides + all the AAMC resources+ a couple other things I'm probably forgetting. If I had to do it again, I would probably have done a slightly slower paced class ( I did the five day a week, 3 hour a day class (probably would have done 4 days a week)). I also would NOT have gotten the 513 guarantee .
- Princeton Review Science Workbook (This was also from Princeton Review course). This was probably in the top 2 most helpful resources (besides AAMC). This book is probably 1000 pages of pure practice passages. I legitamately did every single bio / biochem passage and I credit it for 5 points on my MCAT. If you can only get one resource (besides AAMC) this is what I would get.
- Kaplan Review Books. Pretty Self Explanatory. I would rotate between reading these and the Princeton. These are less dense than the princeton ones and are pretty good if you already have a strong foundation. These also came with a qbank and some practice tests which I found super helpful.
- Kaplan quick sheets. This was included in the Kaplan Review Books, but also deserves its own line. This does a great job of summarizing all the major topics. In all honesty, if you are good at test taking and have this thing memorized fully, I truly think you can get minimum 508 on the test
- Blueprint full lengths + qbank. I found this one super helpful. I probably wouldn't have bought 10 tests in retrospect (they were having a sale), but I found that you could do sections of the tests to be super helpful for practicing sections of the test I was weaker at.
- Blueprint half-length diagnostic. It's Free! and a great place to see what your baseline is (don't waste an AAMC test on that)
- Berkeley Review (I got these for free from a friend). I found their cars practice to be super helpful. Their explanations are super in-depth which are really good if you are not getting a topic. I found their physics questions to be super good practice. I leafed through the biochem book a couple times, but otherwise didn't use them too much (mostly because I had so many other resources).
- Khan Academy. These have good videos for when you are not understanding something. The practice questions / passages are also pretty good.
- JackWestin Cars Pretty good to get a hang of timing, but the logic is not super reminiscent of AAMC. I did them for the first couple months of part time studying, but stopped for the most part once I got to full time studying
- AAMC content outline and Jack Westin Content Outline. Probably most underratted resource. The content outline gives you everything that could be on the test. You should at least look at it. Jack Westin has filled the entire thing out for you. It is SOOOOOOO clutch (literally this made up the other 50% of my success on B/B.
- Anki / Flashcards. I used milesdown. Thought it was good overall (didn't get through all the cards). Milesdown also has a review sheet that is REALLY good. 100% recommend. I also used an amino acid deck to really drill them (this I finished, and probably reviewed all the cards 5-10x). I also did a physics / chem equations flashcard deck.
- 100 page psych doc. I thought this was good overall. 300 felt too long / too detailed for me
- AAMC resources. All of them (except for ¾ sections of the sample, but that was because I was too tired, and found resting to be more important for my success). I also reviewed every answer.
Given the gigantic list of resources, you all are going to laugh, but probably the only thing I didn't use was UGLOBE, lol. Mostly, its because I ran out of time + I felt really good about my level of prep. A lot of people like UGLOBE but it wasn't for me. YMMV and it probably is a good resource, I just didn't use it.
Study Methods:
I studied about 700 hours total (a lot, I know).
about 1 year before start of studying I took the Blueprint half-length. I got a 497 on this (125/126/121/125). I hadn't taken all the pre-reqs yet so I was pretty content with this score (ngl), but I def needed more content review.
Start of Part Time Studying:
I started part time studying over winter break. I started with a diagnostic test (Kaplan). I got a 506 on this (127/127/125/127). From there I started by reviewing the Kaplan books (reading them through and writing notes). I would take the end of chapter quizzes. I would make a flashcard for any question I got wrong. I also did the Kaplan science assessment which gave me a better idea of my areas of weakness in the sciences (my scores were between 8/30 for biochem and 25/30 for psych). I also did daily jack westin CARS.
When I went back to school, the pace of studying definitely slowed. I studied less. I took another kaplan FL in feburary and got EXACTLY the same score again, which was disheartening. I pretty much took all of march / half of april off, and then restarted studying end of april. I then restarted studying in april, still part time. During this time, I continued reading kaplan, doing Khan academy practice questions, and anki.
Full time studying:
I started full time studying May 1. On average I studied 5hours a day on the days I had work, 8 hours a day on the days I didn't, took a practice test on Saturdays (reviewed half of it that evening (I really think you should review cars right after you take it, otherwise you loose understanding of the reasoning you thought). I would usually review the second half of the exam the following day, and only study 3-4 hours on Sunday.
This was a very succesful strategy for me. The PR class has you take an AAMC practice test as your baseline and I scored a 513 on this (130/129/127/127) which obviously I was stoked about and gave me a ton of confidence.
When my princeton review class started, I did the 3 hour class, the majority of the reading, and about 50% of the suggested practice. Occasionally, during parts of the class I really understood (like gen chem), I would practice other sections. During this time, I took a full length every week, did flash cards, read berkely review for the stuff I didn't understand, did KA practice questions, did the Kaplan / Blueprint Q-Banks. I did this for about six weeks.
For the last 6 weeks of studying, I finished up the PR class, and started AAMC. The other important things I did (which are kinda unique?) which I truly think helped me succeed are 1) I wrote out every single word of the Kaplan quick sheets by hand, 2) I wrote out every single word of the Miles Down quick sheets by hand, 3) I looked up the weirdest mnemonics for everything and texted them to my long distance SO / told them over facetime; Laughing over them and sharing them really made them stick 4) I read every single word of the JW content outline aloud. My roommates definitely thought I was crazy ( I definitely sounded it) but this definitely helped like 1000%. Legitimately, the bio question I am 100% sure I got wrong (and likely the reason I got a 131 and not a 132) was from the one sub-sub-sub section that I said screw it, this isn't going to be on the test.
I continued doing a practice test each week. I reviewed all of the AAMC materials.
For the week before the test I took things pretty easy, I reviewed everything super leisurely. Bio was still what I was struggling with so the only thing I did practice test wise was take the Sample Bio (which I got a 58/59 on so a 132). I didn't do the rest of the sample because I was feeling kinda burnt out.
A note about full lengths:
I took full lengths almost exactly in testing conditions: no referencing notes, wearing the same outfit (down to the socks), eating the same meal, same time of day, same weird whiteboard thing, wore a mask (you had to when I took it, not sure if its still the same) et.c. However, I did practice with certain (distractions). I tried to mimic, what happens if I had five minutes fewer due to a malfunction, what if my pen doesn't work, what if a loud alarm goes off, et.c. This allowed me to prepare incase anything went wrong.
My Practice Tests (in order, including ones where I only did a section):
Blue Print Half Length Diagnostic 497 125 126 121 125
Kaplan Science Assessment N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Kaplan Practice test 1 506 127 127 125 127
Kaplan Practice test 2 506 127 127 125 127
Blueprint Practice test 10 126 127
AAMC FL1 513!!!! 130 129 127 127
Blueprint Bio Only practice test 1 129!!!
Princeton Review FL 1 512!!! 127 129 127 129!!
Princeton Review FL 2 508 :( 126 127 127 128
Blueprint Chem/Phys Only practice test 1 129!!!!
Blueprint Cars Only practice test 1 128
Blueprint P/S Only practice test 1 129!
Blueprint Practice test 2 517!!!!!!!! lets go! 131 (WTF, how????) 128 129 129
Blueprint Practice test 3 515 129 128 129 129
AAMC FL2 519!!!! 130 130! 130! 129
AAMC FL3 519!!!! 130 128 130 131!
AAMC FL4 524!!!!!!!!!!!!! 132!!!!! 132!!!!! 128 :( 132!!!!!
AAMC Sample, biology only 131!!!!!!!!
AAMC average (519)
Test Day
The day before test day I slept in a motel Literally in the same strip mall as the testing center. I went there the day before to ensure that I knew where it was and to ask them a couple of questions. While you only need one form of photo ID I made sure I had two just in case. I woke up early, did a couple jumping jacks, chugged an iced coffee (big mistake, I had to pee SOOOOOO badly during C/P (but maybe thats the reason for the 132, who knows)). Got to the testing center early (was the first one). I had pretty good timing for the test (except cars, had only like 4 minutes for the last passage). I finished P/S 40 minutes early, because I was tired and just done. However, I thought I FAILED when I came out of the testing center. No lie, I almost voided (THANK GOD I DIDN'T). I went back to my hotel, cried my eyes out, and went home.
Score result day:
Again, I thought I failed, I was very pleasantly surprised when I got my score back ( I also cried). Was super happy to NEVER have to take this stupid test again.
whew! That was long. Super happy to answer questions you all might have on my (insane, ngl) study schedule.
Wishing everyone 528's
2023.06.01 15:57 PritchettRobert506 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in MI Hiring Now!
2023.06.01 05:25 shortuguese (Finally) telling my story after lurking for over a year
I think to get the full picture of my experience, you have to start at the beginning of my life.
I was born with pretty severe glaucoma, and would have been blind if not for emergency surgery when I was only three weeks old. The situation with my eyes was sort of like a hydra though, we resolved one condition, and three new conditions would pop up because many eye conditions lend to others. So needless to say, I was always in and out of ophthalmologists’ offices and was very used to being poked and prodded.
I’d swell with pride every time a nurse or doctor said something to the effect of “Wow, you’re doing so good! Most kids cry for XYZ!” Whether that be eyedrops, getting my pressures checked, etc. I knew these remarks were compliments to me, but also to my parents. Making my parents look good made me feel good too. So I’d always respond with some comment to the effect of “What, like it’s hard?” a la Elle Woods. I was hungry for validation from adults.
I was absolutely fascinated by medicine. I was always paying attention when the doctors were talking to my parents, learned about my own conditions as well as others I didn’t have, and I knew all major eye anatomy by age 10. There weren’t many 10-year-olds asking their doctor how their optic nerve looks.
It extended outside of ophthalmology too, I would always watch when I was getting shots, even though my mom told me not to. And when I broke my arm shortly after turning 7, I was so excited about the x-rays. I wanted to be a pediatric ophthalmologist from a young age, to help kids and parents in similar situations to mine.
I’m not sure exactly what age the UTIs started, all I know is that I was constantly on antibiotics to combat the latest infection. I’d get ultrasounds of my abdomen (I was also fascinated by those) and doctors would feel around externally, always with clothes on if my memory is correct. My records show that I had a VCUG at age 4, but I don’t remember it at all.
So at age 7, being told we were going to go to the hospital and have my stomach x-rayed, I was pumped. The testing was on a weekend, so my dad, mom, and older sister all came along.
I remember being in a great mood that day. What was there to be anxious about, right? It was the weekend, and I was going to see inside my stomach—that’s all fun stuff. My mom came in the room with me, and my dad and sister stayed out in the waiting area.
I remember my mom’s mood not matching mine. When they sent us into the adjoining bathroom with instructions for me to pee and change into a gown, my mom seemed anxious, maybe a little agitated. I was in a goofy mood though, not really deterred by hers.
We came out and I laid on the exam table, still in a good mood. That good mood was gone pretty quickly.
My understanding now is that my VUR was a fairly severe case, so it is likely that I had an active UTI while this was all done. Even just them cleaning me was painful. I remember the nurse who cleaned me looked at me incredulously and brushed it off when I told her that it hurt.
But things hit the fan when they started to catheterize me.
I was immediately in fight or flight (and I chose fight). Nurses struggled to hold my legs down and apart on the table. I was crying, kicking, and begging them to stop. They didn’t.
So I looked to my mom for help. Her expression wasn’t just disappointment, it was disgust. Disgust at my behavior, I realized. I was normally such a cooperative kid. She didn’t want to be seen as a permissive parent, and so expressing her disapproval of my behavior was necessary. She didn’t humor my distress, only exasperatingly telling me to get it over with so we could go home.
Once I realized my mom wasn’t going to help me, I remembered my dad and sister were out in the waiting room. If I scream loud enough, I thought to myself, they’ll hear me. And then they’ll barge into the room and demand that these people stop. They’ll help.
So I screamed. And screamed. No one came. No one stopped. And eventually I was tired out enough that they were able to catheterize me.
The VCUG confirmed that my VUR was operable. And so in the summer, about a week before I turned 8, I had the surgery.
Even though I knew I’d be under anesthesia for it, I was still terrified because I knew what they’d be doing while I was under was similar to what they did in the VCUG.
The morning of my surgery, I considered finding a hiding spot. My almost-8-year-old logic was that if we missed the surgery appointment, I wouldn’t have surgery at all. What kept me from actually trying that plan was knowing my parents would be furious with me. So I didn’t.
I had one more VCUG post-operation, probably to confirm the surgery worked. This time, I knew what was going to happen and I was extremely anxious.
The only thing that was different that time was that there was one, younger nurse with a modicum of empathy. She explained that when I was tense, my urethra was like a closed fist, showing how she couldn’t get a finger from her other hand through her fist. She loosened up the fist to show that relaxing would help me be more open and it wouldn’t hurt.
I nodded in understanding, but realistically I came from a family full of people with undiagnosed, untreated anxiety and absolutely no skills in emotional regulation. I didn’t know anything about deep breaths to relax. And I certainly didn’t have any kind of specialized knowledge in relaxing my pelvic floor muscles. They gave me a plastic straw and told me to breathe through it and focus on that. I remember cringing and thinking it was like having a catheter in my mouth too.
And so that VCUG ended up like the last one. Me fighting and crying and screaming, and none of the adults in the room considering that my distress might be justified.
No one ever told me that that was it. I was done. I wouldn’t ever need another VCUG. So I lived in perpetual fear that there’d be follow ups and my parents wouldn’t tell me in advance, just drive me to the hospital and spring it on me. Would I need to go back every year? Every 5 years? In 10 years? I had no idea, and I never asked. Because what if I did need follow ups, and my parents had just forgotten about scheduling them? I wouldn’t want to remind them.
When the next school year started that fall, I was different. Previously a social butterfly who easily made friends, I now was having a hard time finding a place I belonged.
I stumbled on trichotillomania to self-soothe, compulsively pulling out my eyebrows and eyelashes. Having light skin and very dark hair, thick eyebrows, and thick eyelashes (thanks, Southern European genes), any time I pulled a significant amount of hairs out, it was very noticeable, and I spent much of that school year with hardly any eyebrows and eyelashes. Looking like a freak didn’t really help in making friends, and it became a vicious circle. I pulled because I was anxious, was anxious because I didn’t have strong friendships, and didn’t have strong friends because I pulled.
I’ve overcome the eyebrow portion, but I still struggle with compulsive eyelash pulling to this day.
I was terrified of my own body. A lot of kids explore, even if only for the sake of cleaning themselves. But me? No. As soon as I was bathing unsupervised, I stopped cleaning between my legs. And when I’d use the bathroom, I’d wad up a thick cushion of toilet paper so that I wouldn’t be able to feel myself when I wiped.
The onset of puberty changed nothing. While girls my age were talking like graduating from pads to tampons was the only way to ascend to womanhood, I couldn’t bear the thought of sticking anything up there. Just thinking about even attempting to use a tampon made me sweaty. My 14th birthday party was a pool party, but I ended up getting my period the day before and couldn’t swim with my friends that day.
When I got my first period at age 13, I remember crying. I thought about how now, if I was raped, I could get pregnant. And I really did not want to get pregnant. I got my period at school, and on the walk to the nurse’s office to call my mom, I eyed every man and boy I passed suspiciously. I knew enough about pregnancy and childbirth to know it was something I never wanted to happen to me, because it meant 9 months of having strangers stick their hands and various medical devices inside my body, and ending with unimaginable pain.
The hilarious thing is that I never drew the connection between all of this and my VCUG experience. And I wouldn’t realize it for well over a decade.
I met the love of my life in college when I was 21. He was kind and compassionate, and pretty instantly we just seemed to be on the same page. He became my best friend.
I had finally discovered masturbation (albeit, external only and through layers) at age 19, but hadn’t ever tried penetrative sex. He was understanding of my anxiety around penetration, and we had fun doing things within my comfort zone for a while. Then, at age 24, after living with him for a few months, I had decided I was ready to try and got on birth control.
Every attempt was unsuccessful. It was like I was a brick wall down there, and I always called it off. Different positions, different lubes, lots of lube, ridiculous amounts of lube, lights on, lights off, spending the whole day getting horny in advance of trying—we tried basically everything except alcohol. Alcohol was my mom’s suggestion when I asked her if I had any medical issues she knew about that would interfere with intimacy (I was thinking maybe I was intersex or something of that sort). A glass or two of wine to relax, just for the first time so I can get it over with, she said. I thought that sounded like a great way to become dependent on alcohol and said no thanks.
So I looked into sex therapy, found someone I liked, and filled out her preliminary paperwork. One of the questions asked about medical history, especially that which involved genitalia. So I looked up the name of my condition, VUR, and mentioned the VCUGs without really thinking about it. After all, that involved my urethra, not my vagina. It couldn’t possibly be related to the vaginismus I was struggling with.
She asked about it in our initial sessions going over history. And we quickly confirmed it was very much related. That led me to do more research, which led me to Reddit forums! I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and PTSD.
I learned that no, I wasn’t being dramatic about the pain I was in. The time I spent since gaslighting myself, saying I was probably just overreacting… it doesn’t add up given the facts and the context of my medical history. All of the adults in the room both times failed me. Unfortunately, this procedure is still performed to this day, on tens of thousands of children each year.
I feel a lot of guilt. I’ve spent many sleepless nights crying for all of the kids who have been traumatized in the 20 years since this happened to me, thinking that I should be doing more, speaking up, writing letters. I’m still trying to figure out my place in all this. I feel like I may not be able to “heal” or “move on” while this is still happening daily.
I’m now 27 and still working on learning the body I’ve spent at least two decades tuned out of. Therapy has been great, but progress is slow—there is much to unpack and work on. I’ll be trying EMDR in the next month or so. My partner, now my husband, has been supportive and patient along the way, and I am so grateful for him.
With the clarity I have now, I know that I’m most uncomfortable lying on my back. Even for things like going to see my esthetician for facials and brow waxing, I can’t fully relax on my back. Additionally, the thought of any kind of medical penetration makes me ridiculously anxious. Initial COVID testing methods where they swabbed deep into the nose were something I avoided like the plague itself. I jumped on the rapid self-tests that didn’t require you to swab as deep. I also want to see an ENT for allergy and breathing issues, but am terrified that they’ll want to stick something up my nose or down my throat. I also have not seen a gynecologist—getting a pap smear is completely off the table if I can’t even be penetrated by someone I trust. Isn't it ironic how I’ve changed from wanting to be a doctor, to now being terrified of them?
It does feel eerily poetic though, that I had no say over what happened to my body on that exam table then, and even though I’m now in the pilot seat, I still don’t have a conscious say over my body. My body remembers being violated, and it’s been on high alert ever since, ignoring my conscious brain. Still working on finding my peace.
submitted by shortuguese to VCUG_Unsilenced [link] [comments]
I was born with pretty severe glaucoma, and would have been blind if not for emergency surgery when I was only three weeks old. The situation with my eyes was sort of like a hydra though, we resolved one condition, and three new conditions would pop up because many eye conditions lend to others. So needless to say, I was always in and out of ophthalmologists’ offices and was very used to being poked and prodded.
I’d swell with pride every time a nurse or doctor said something to the effect of “Wow, you’re doing so good! Most kids cry for XYZ!” Whether that be eyedrops, getting my pressures checked, etc. I knew these remarks were compliments to me, but also to my parents. Making my parents look good made me feel good too. So I’d always respond with some comment to the effect of “What, like it’s hard?” a la Elle Woods. I was hungry for validation from adults.
I was absolutely fascinated by medicine. I was always paying attention when the doctors were talking to my parents, learned about my own conditions as well as others I didn’t have, and I knew all major eye anatomy by age 10. There weren’t many 10-year-olds asking their doctor how their optic nerve looks.
It extended outside of ophthalmology too, I would always watch when I was getting shots, even though my mom told me not to. And when I broke my arm shortly after turning 7, I was so excited about the x-rays. I wanted to be a pediatric ophthalmologist from a young age, to help kids and parents in similar situations to mine.
I’m not sure exactly what age the UTIs started, all I know is that I was constantly on antibiotics to combat the latest infection. I’d get ultrasounds of my abdomen (I was also fascinated by those) and doctors would feel around externally, always with clothes on if my memory is correct. My records show that I had a VCUG at age 4, but I don’t remember it at all.
So at age 7, being told we were going to go to the hospital and have my stomach x-rayed, I was pumped. The testing was on a weekend, so my dad, mom, and older sister all came along.
I remember being in a great mood that day. What was there to be anxious about, right? It was the weekend, and I was going to see inside my stomach—that’s all fun stuff. My mom came in the room with me, and my dad and sister stayed out in the waiting area.
I remember my mom’s mood not matching mine. When they sent us into the adjoining bathroom with instructions for me to pee and change into a gown, my mom seemed anxious, maybe a little agitated. I was in a goofy mood though, not really deterred by hers.
We came out and I laid on the exam table, still in a good mood. That good mood was gone pretty quickly.
My understanding now is that my VUR was a fairly severe case, so it is likely that I had an active UTI while this was all done. Even just them cleaning me was painful. I remember the nurse who cleaned me looked at me incredulously and brushed it off when I told her that it hurt.
But things hit the fan when they started to catheterize me.
I was immediately in fight or flight (and I chose fight). Nurses struggled to hold my legs down and apart on the table. I was crying, kicking, and begging them to stop. They didn’t.
So I looked to my mom for help. Her expression wasn’t just disappointment, it was disgust. Disgust at my behavior, I realized. I was normally such a cooperative kid. She didn’t want to be seen as a permissive parent, and so expressing her disapproval of my behavior was necessary. She didn’t humor my distress, only exasperatingly telling me to get it over with so we could go home.
Once I realized my mom wasn’t going to help me, I remembered my dad and sister were out in the waiting room. If I scream loud enough, I thought to myself, they’ll hear me. And then they’ll barge into the room and demand that these people stop. They’ll help.
So I screamed. And screamed. No one came. No one stopped. And eventually I was tired out enough that they were able to catheterize me.
The VCUG confirmed that my VUR was operable. And so in the summer, about a week before I turned 8, I had the surgery.
Even though I knew I’d be under anesthesia for it, I was still terrified because I knew what they’d be doing while I was under was similar to what they did in the VCUG.
The morning of my surgery, I considered finding a hiding spot. My almost-8-year-old logic was that if we missed the surgery appointment, I wouldn’t have surgery at all. What kept me from actually trying that plan was knowing my parents would be furious with me. So I didn’t.
I had one more VCUG post-operation, probably to confirm the surgery worked. This time, I knew what was going to happen and I was extremely anxious.
The only thing that was different that time was that there was one, younger nurse with a modicum of empathy. She explained that when I was tense, my urethra was like a closed fist, showing how she couldn’t get a finger from her other hand through her fist. She loosened up the fist to show that relaxing would help me be more open and it wouldn’t hurt.
I nodded in understanding, but realistically I came from a family full of people with undiagnosed, untreated anxiety and absolutely no skills in emotional regulation. I didn’t know anything about deep breaths to relax. And I certainly didn’t have any kind of specialized knowledge in relaxing my pelvic floor muscles. They gave me a plastic straw and told me to breathe through it and focus on that. I remember cringing and thinking it was like having a catheter in my mouth too.
And so that VCUG ended up like the last one. Me fighting and crying and screaming, and none of the adults in the room considering that my distress might be justified.
No one ever told me that that was it. I was done. I wouldn’t ever need another VCUG. So I lived in perpetual fear that there’d be follow ups and my parents wouldn’t tell me in advance, just drive me to the hospital and spring it on me. Would I need to go back every year? Every 5 years? In 10 years? I had no idea, and I never asked. Because what if I did need follow ups, and my parents had just forgotten about scheduling them? I wouldn’t want to remind them.
When the next school year started that fall, I was different. Previously a social butterfly who easily made friends, I now was having a hard time finding a place I belonged.
I stumbled on trichotillomania to self-soothe, compulsively pulling out my eyebrows and eyelashes. Having light skin and very dark hair, thick eyebrows, and thick eyelashes (thanks, Southern European genes), any time I pulled a significant amount of hairs out, it was very noticeable, and I spent much of that school year with hardly any eyebrows and eyelashes. Looking like a freak didn’t really help in making friends, and it became a vicious circle. I pulled because I was anxious, was anxious because I didn’t have strong friendships, and didn’t have strong friends because I pulled.
I’ve overcome the eyebrow portion, but I still struggle with compulsive eyelash pulling to this day.
I was terrified of my own body. A lot of kids explore, even if only for the sake of cleaning themselves. But me? No. As soon as I was bathing unsupervised, I stopped cleaning between my legs. And when I’d use the bathroom, I’d wad up a thick cushion of toilet paper so that I wouldn’t be able to feel myself when I wiped.
The onset of puberty changed nothing. While girls my age were talking like graduating from pads to tampons was the only way to ascend to womanhood, I couldn’t bear the thought of sticking anything up there. Just thinking about even attempting to use a tampon made me sweaty. My 14th birthday party was a pool party, but I ended up getting my period the day before and couldn’t swim with my friends that day.
When I got my first period at age 13, I remember crying. I thought about how now, if I was raped, I could get pregnant. And I really did not want to get pregnant. I got my period at school, and on the walk to the nurse’s office to call my mom, I eyed every man and boy I passed suspiciously. I knew enough about pregnancy and childbirth to know it was something I never wanted to happen to me, because it meant 9 months of having strangers stick their hands and various medical devices inside my body, and ending with unimaginable pain.
The hilarious thing is that I never drew the connection between all of this and my VCUG experience. And I wouldn’t realize it for well over a decade.
I met the love of my life in college when I was 21. He was kind and compassionate, and pretty instantly we just seemed to be on the same page. He became my best friend.
I had finally discovered masturbation (albeit, external only and through layers) at age 19, but hadn’t ever tried penetrative sex. He was understanding of my anxiety around penetration, and we had fun doing things within my comfort zone for a while. Then, at age 24, after living with him for a few months, I had decided I was ready to try and got on birth control.
Every attempt was unsuccessful. It was like I was a brick wall down there, and I always called it off. Different positions, different lubes, lots of lube, ridiculous amounts of lube, lights on, lights off, spending the whole day getting horny in advance of trying—we tried basically everything except alcohol. Alcohol was my mom’s suggestion when I asked her if I had any medical issues she knew about that would interfere with intimacy (I was thinking maybe I was intersex or something of that sort). A glass or two of wine to relax, just for the first time so I can get it over with, she said. I thought that sounded like a great way to become dependent on alcohol and said no thanks.
So I looked into sex therapy, found someone I liked, and filled out her preliminary paperwork. One of the questions asked about medical history, especially that which involved genitalia. So I looked up the name of my condition, VUR, and mentioned the VCUGs without really thinking about it. After all, that involved my urethra, not my vagina. It couldn’t possibly be related to the vaginismus I was struggling with.
She asked about it in our initial sessions going over history. And we quickly confirmed it was very much related. That led me to do more research, which led me to Reddit forums! I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and PTSD.
I learned that no, I wasn’t being dramatic about the pain I was in. The time I spent since gaslighting myself, saying I was probably just overreacting… it doesn’t add up given the facts and the context of my medical history. All of the adults in the room both times failed me. Unfortunately, this procedure is still performed to this day, on tens of thousands of children each year.
I feel a lot of guilt. I’ve spent many sleepless nights crying for all of the kids who have been traumatized in the 20 years since this happened to me, thinking that I should be doing more, speaking up, writing letters. I’m still trying to figure out my place in all this. I feel like I may not be able to “heal” or “move on” while this is still happening daily.
I’m now 27 and still working on learning the body I’ve spent at least two decades tuned out of. Therapy has been great, but progress is slow—there is much to unpack and work on. I’ll be trying EMDR in the next month or so. My partner, now my husband, has been supportive and patient along the way, and I am so grateful for him.
With the clarity I have now, I know that I’m most uncomfortable lying on my back. Even for things like going to see my esthetician for facials and brow waxing, I can’t fully relax on my back. Additionally, the thought of any kind of medical penetration makes me ridiculously anxious. Initial COVID testing methods where they swabbed deep into the nose were something I avoided like the plague itself. I jumped on the rapid self-tests that didn’t require you to swab as deep. I also want to see an ENT for allergy and breathing issues, but am terrified that they’ll want to stick something up my nose or down my throat. I also have not seen a gynecologist—getting a pap smear is completely off the table if I can’t even be penetrated by someone I trust. Isn't it ironic how I’ve changed from wanting to be a doctor, to now being terrified of them?
It does feel eerily poetic though, that I had no say over what happened to my body on that exam table then, and even though I’m now in the pilot seat, I still don’t have a conscious say over my body. My body remembers being violated, and it’s been on high alert ever since, ignoring my conscious brain. Still working on finding my peace.
2023.05.31 18:06 Ok-Kick832 hello everyone I had this what if in my head months ago and so I finally wrote it down over the course of months it was, what if mammals dominated during the Mesozoic? And what would WWD be like?
Hope you enjoy this first is NEW BLOOD
By a river, a female Archosaur stalks a herd of dicynodonts called Placerias, looking for weak members to prey upon. Downstream, a male feathered dinosaur resides in a tree with his family. A female Postosuchus, a rauisuchian and one of the largest carnivores alive in the Triassic, attacks the Placerias herd, and wounds one individual; the herd scatters, leaving the wounded Placerias to the Postosuchus. Early bats are depicted feeding on dragonflies and cooling themselves in the little water remaining during the drought before being eaten by a larger dragonfly. Searching for food, a female badger like mammal, alongside another badger, discovers the dinosaur nest; the female wards them off. Later that evening, after he goes off hunting, an inquisitive chick follows but falls onto land trying to follow its father and is caught by the female badger. At night, the dinosaurs pick up their remaining pups and then move away. On the next day, the badgers work to collapse the tree. The female Postosuchus meanwhile is shown to have been wounded by the Placerias, a prior attack on them leaving her with a tusk wound on her thigh. After being unable to successfully hunt another Placerias, she is expelled from her territory by a predatory phytosaur. Wounded, sick, and without a territory, the female Postosuchus dies and is eaten by a pack of archosaurs. As the dry season continues, food becomes scarce. The Placerias herd embarks on a journey in search of water, while the archosaurs begin to cannibalise their young, and the male dinosaurs also resorts to hunting baby badgers at night. Finally, the wet season arrives; the majority of the archosaurs have survived (including the lead female), and the dinosaur pair have a new clutch of eggs. The episode ends with the arrival of a herd of giant Procoptodon like mammal which are followed by a large fox like mammal which fights and kills a Postosuchus.
TIME OF THE TITANS
This episode follows the life of a female prosauropod, beginning at the moment when her mother lays a clutch of eggs in the heart conifer forest. Three months later, some of the eggs hatch; the young prosauropods are preyed upon by fox like mammal and other dinosaurs. After hatching, the hatchlings retreat to the safety of the denser trees. They face many dangers as they grow, including predation by the foxes and existing Smilodon like mammals which are replacing the foxes increasingly . Even a giant Deinotherium like mammal accidentally also kills one of the hatchlings by swinging its tusks while fending off a pair of Smilodon like mammals and a weird crocodile like cetan. Elsewhere, adult herds of prosauropods are shown using their massive weight to topple trees in order to reach cycad leaves and giant ferns. Each one hosts a small mobile habitat of damselflies, bats, and beetles. After some time, the creche of cute creatures have grown into subadults. Nearly all are killed by a huge forest fire; only three survivors emerge onto the open plains, including the young female. They encounter several Paracetherium before only two reach safety of a herd of adult prosauropods. Several years later, the female mates, and a few days after, is attacked by a bull smilodon like mammals. She is saved when another prosauropod strikes the Allosaurus with its tail. She rejoins the herd, albeit with deep wounds on her side, but she will recover. The closing narration notes that their successors the sauropods will in the Cenozoic become the largest animals ever to walk the Earth but currently its the paracetherium.
CRUEL SEA
episode begins with a small elephant like mammal being snatched from the shore by a male Liopleurodon. It then cuts to show how dinosaurs have dominated the European islands with fauna similar to the ones in Jurassic Impact. Meanwhile, hundreds of cetans arrive from the open ocean to give birth but they are attacked by a Basilosaur look a like. Hybodus and a Liopleurodon are on the hunt; when a mother cetan has trouble giving birth, a pair of Hybodus pursue her. They are frightened off by the male Liopleurodon, which eats the front half of the cetan. Meanwhile, a Andrewsarchus like mammal the last of its kind if you forget the fox like mammals swims to an island and discovers a turtle carcass; it fights over the carcass with another. Later, during the night, a group of horseshoe crabs gather at the shore to lay their eggs, which attracts a flock of bats in the morning to eat the eggs. However, a few of the bats are caught and eaten by a giant dragonfly . While the cetan juveniles are growing up, they are hunted by Hybodus, which in turn, are prey for the Liopleurodon. While the male Liopleurodon is hunting, he encounters a female Basilosaurus like mammal; after the male bites one of her flippers, she retreats from his territory, and a group of Hybodus follows the trail of her blood. A cyclone strikes the islands, killing many animals, including several bats and the basilosaurus, who is washed ashore and eventually suffocates under his own weight. A group of small dinosaurs feed on her carcass. At the end of the episode, the juvenile cetans that survived the storm are now large enough to swim off and live in the open sea but are hunted by some other cetans.
GIANT OF THE SKIES
The episode begins with the last giant Dragonfly dead on a beach. Six months earlier, the last Dragonfly, resting among a colony of breeding giant bats in Brazil, flies off for Cantabria where he too must mate. He flies past a migrating group of chalicothere mimics and the nodosaur Polacanthus. He reaches the southern tip of North America, where he is forced to seek shelter from a storm. He grooms himself, expelling his body of fleas; the wings begin to change colour in preparation for the mating season. He then sets off across the Atlantic, which was then only 300 kilometres wide, and after a whole day on the wing, reaches the westernmost of the European islands. He does not rest there however, as a pack of dromaeosaurs are hunting horses; a young one is bullied off an Horse carcass by the adults. The Dragonfly flies to the outskirts of a forest to rest after stealing a fish from a bat, but is driven away by a flock of new fliers called Anurognathids. Flying on, he reaches Cantabria, but finds no other dragonflies and consequently he does not mate. After several days under the sun trying to attract a mate, the protagonist dragonflies dies from a combination of heat, stress and starvation. . The new replacements bats feeds on its corpse.
SPIRITS OF THE ICE FOREST
A few hundred kilometres from the South Pole, a clan of Leaellynasaura emerge during spring after several months of total darkness. They feed on the fresh plant growth (which has adapted to the changing seasons), and build nests to lay their eggs; a Koolasuchus also wakes and heads to a river, where he will stay during the summer. Out on the banks of the river, migrating herds of Macraucheia have also arrived to feed and lay their eggs. When summer arrives, many of the Leaellynasaura clan's eggs have been eaten; however, those of the matriarch hatch successfully. Meanwhile, a male Polar Smilodon like mammal and its pride hunts both the Leaellynasaura and the Macraucheia, the latter species also having to deal with blood-sucking birds the Smilodon male deals with being attacked and exiled by a larger male. When autumn arrives, the herd begins to migrate, and the Koolasuchus leaves the river to find a pool for hibernation and all the cubs of the old male Smilodon are killed. During the migration, some Muttaburrasaurus become lost in the forest; they vocalize loudly while trying to return to their herd, preventing the Leaellynasaura clan's sentries from hearing the male Smilodon approaching. It manages to kill the matriarch of the clan. Winter descends and the forest is shrouded in darkness, but the now matriarch-less Leaellynasaura clan is able to stay active, using their large eyes to help them forage for food. The clan and other creatures are also shown to use various methods of coping with the cold.. Finally, spring returns, and two Leaellynasaura males challenge each other for the right to mate, and the clan establishes a new dominant pair and the old male Smilodon kills the new male Smilodon and takes the pride back. The closing narration acknowledges that soon this landmass will be pulled closer to the South Pole and when that happens, this unique ecosystem and its inhabitants will disappear.
DEATH OF THE DYNASTY
Several months before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, the last mammals are living under intense environmental stress due to excessive volcanism. A female giant Entelodont like monotremes abandons her nest, the eggs rendered infertile due to acidic pollution. Her calls for a mate are answered by a smaller male, who kills a young rhino like mammal to appease her. Three days later, after repeated copulation, she drives him off. The mother fasts as she tends to her nest, contending with raids by dromaeosaurs and Squirrel like mammals. Meanwhile, herds of deer like mammals wander between islands of vegetation among the volcanic ash, and rhinoceros rut for the right to mate, while losing their young to attacking dromaeosaurs. Only three of the Entelodont hatches ; the mother hunts one of the last elephants to feed herself and her brood. One of the last giant bats flies into the area and is killed by the last cetans. Several days later, while defending her two surviving offspring, the mother is fatally injured by the tail of an Ankylosaurus. The juveniles remain expectantly next to the carcass of their mother the next morning; several hours later, they are killed along with the other mammals in the region by the impact of a comet in the Gulf of Mexico. The impact, said to be as powerful as ten billion Hiroshima bombs, resulted in 65% of life -the mammals included- dying out in the ensuing cataclysmic changes to the climate. In an epilogue, the present-day African plains are shown; while they are now dominated dinosaurs after millions of years of recovery from the impact, they are still populated by a small group of mammals that did survive the extinction: the rodents, the squirrels and many other small vermin like mammals.
THE GIANT CLAW- TO EDIT
searches the late Jurassic islands for Therizinosaurus, who has massive and very long claws.
The episode starts off with Nigel in his ship where he shows a giant claw that scientists originally thought to be the rib of a giant turtle but was actually the claw of Therizinosaurus. He is interrupted when a giant turtle passes through and he films them. The turtle sneezes on him and Nigel sets off on his journey
Nigel comes across a nesting ground of heterodontosaurs that he crosses by using a red flag to draw their attention while one snaps at his cameraman. They travel into a forest where they watch a pack of cassowary like dinosaurs and their friends hunt heterodontosaurs. In a different forest, Nigel sets camp and finds a scorpion that he keeps. At night, a group of Mononykus like creatures approach the camp site and Nigel tries to catch one. After he caught one, he discovers that they have feathers but he puts his thumb in its mouth causing it to bleed. The next morning, Nigel finds that the Mononykus have eaten his scorpion and he packs up his camp. In the scrublands, Nigel hides in the vegetation urging his cameraman to turn off the camera when he spots a feathered predator that spooks some Mononykus.
Then Nigel waits out at a beach with some Heterodontosaurs and Mononykus as a perfect place for theropods to hunt prey. There he finds a hatched nest with the skeleton of a baby Therizinosaurus in a partially hatched egg as well as herbivore dung. Not far away, he finds a full skeleton of a Therizinosaurus. A large crocodile notices him and chases him and his cameraman into the forest. They climb onto tall tree stumps out of their reach and use a bicycle horn to scare of the raptors. After hearing commotion from the heterodontosaurs, Nigel returns to the watering hole where a feathered apex comes to scavenge and drink but is interrupted by the roar of a Therizinosaurus leading to a clash of the titans. The Therizinosaurus fends off the Tarbosaurus with its formidable claws forcing it to back down. Nigel then finds whole herd of Therizinosaurus emerging from the forest and it is a herbivore that uses its sickle-claws to hook tree and bush branches towards its mouth. Nigel ultimately concludes that it was gentle herbivore by touching one that licks him and knocks him over.
Land OF GIANTS
Nigel travels back in time with his film crew. He travels to a nearby lake, where large mammals named Brutodontids nest every year. There Nigel sees a juvenile Brutodon, where he is attacked by a giant mosasaur. Nigel then coaxes it out of the lake by splashing a stick in the water. It lays on the shore. Nigel attaches a video camera to his head and walks towards it, and demonstrates it's biting power by pushing a stick into it's mouth and having it bite down on it.
Later Nigel climbs up the volcanic slopes to get a panoramic view of the area to see Brutodon herd. Instead he finds a herd of small horses. His search leads him all the way to the coast, where he views a colony of medium sized bats on the cliffs hunting fish. Nigel doesn't return to the campsite until night, where he finds that a large predator has attacked his tent, and left all the provisions littered across the surrounding ground. He finds a single theropod dinosaur tooth jammed in a can of meat.
The next morning Nigel has set up an alarm system outside the camp so that if something breaks the laser tripwire, a loud alarm will sound, alerting Nigel. Later he tracks down the predator, where, around midday, Nigel hears a commotion further ahead. He finds a wounded horse in a rocky gully. He walks further upstream to find a smaller dead individual with a strange feathered apex predator eating it.
Later Nigel is shown flying over the ash-fields in an ultralight. Soon he finds another Sea Bat flock. After breaking away he sees a giant bat, one of the largest animal ever to fly. Soon Nigel discovers the Brutodon herd far below, so he lands the ultra light nearby his jeep. He then drives off towards the herd and locates it without any trouble.
After appreciating their gargantuan size, Nigel drives into a natural 'funnel', caused by a break in some trees. He then sets up some weighing scales designed for lorries. After several fruitless attempts, an Brutodon steps on the scales, showing that it weighs 92.3 tonnes, and Nigel explains that that's the same as 30 African elephants.
The next morning Nigel in chasing an horse 20 miles away from the camp in the jeep, when he realizes that it is actually running because a Giganotosaurus is chasing them both. Nigel narrowly escapes the predator only to meet up with the herd later in the morning to find an entire pack of Giganotosaurus mobbing the herd but most are killed.
By the afternoon the pack has singled out a juvenile, and are inflicting wounds, waiting for her to bleed to death. The hunt continues for the rest of the day and into the night, when filming is no longer possible and Nigel must leave.
The next morning, Nigel finds the herd at the nesting site beside the lake. While the females lay their eggs Nigel comments on what a magical ending this is for his dinosaur safari. Suddenly a Mosasaur lunges at him out of the water
NEW DAWN- WWB REALITY
The episode starts by showing how the mammals were dominating the land and that dinosaurs were small. Then it shows how "an asteroid the size of Mount Everest" struck the Earth and demolished the mammals, and how dinosaurs evolved into new forms thereafter. The first episode depicts the warm tropical world of the early Eocene, sixteen million years after the extinction of the giant mammals. Bats, the one of the surviving lineage of the mammals, including the giant carnivorous Mega Bat, rule this world, while dinosaurs are still very small. The setting is near the Messel pit in Germany. Due to volcanic activity, sudden bulk escapes of carbon dioxide trapped underneath lakes pose a significant hazard to the local wildlife. The episode centers around a Parkosaur family, a leaping, shrew-like dinosaur, which has emerged in the dawn hours to forage for food. As the mother forages, first in solidarity, and then with her pups, she wanders near a large predatory mammal, identified as an Ambulocetus the last cetan. A female Mega Bat, who has been taking care of the single undeveloped baby in her nest, makes two attempts to hunt a small herd of Protoceratops like dinosaurs, early ceratopsians. The first attempt fails when sounds among the vegetation betray her presence and they mob her. The second attack proves successful when the Protoceratops consume fermenting grapes and are unable to evade her attack also defends her territory from another. Unfortunately, while the mother hunts, a horde of Titanomyrma, giant carnivorous ants, encounter the baby when it dropped out of the nest, and successfully kill and eat the chick. When the female discovers her dead offspring at dusk she leaves the forest to try and start another family.
With the arrival of night, a band of lemur-like Godinotia, socialize and copulate in the dark the narration reveals how they will be the most successful in this new world. Ambulocetus finally manages to catch a Flamingo like bird near the lake edge. As the night wears on, an earth tremor unleashes trapped carbon dioxide out from underneath the lake and the gas suffocates most of the surrounding life. The Parkosaurs survive because the nest was upwind of the gas while the Bat was killed because she stayed in that area in the forest.
It is mentioned that although they survived the gas, they would ultimately leave many descendants, while the Ambulocetus, who was killed by the lethal gases, would leave none.
WHALE KILLER
This episode introduces the Mosasaur, an ancient type of mosasaur. Mosasaur became the new king of the ocean after the giant cetans of the Mesozoic died out alongside the mammals (see Cruel Sea). It was much bigger than the sharks it shared the ocean with, and it regularly ate the sharks. However, Mosasaur was still less advanced than the modern species; it still had rear flippers (that helped it during the mating) and lacked the blubber. At the same time, this program depicted the beginning of 'climate chaos' - a relatively minor extinction event between Eocene and Oligocene, also known as "The Great Cut". On land dinosaurs too have become big and huge. This episode featured Torosaurus like ceratopsians and the Andrewsarchus, a mammal that was considered to be a relative to the kings of the Cretaceous the Entelodont. Both were much bigger than the land dinosaurs featured in New Dawn episode, but their brains were still small and their behavior - primitive. They were the first true dinosaur rulers of the land and most of them would die out during "The Great Cut". As the El Nino continues and the extinction event is beginning, the female Mosasaur is forced to change her hunting ground from open seas to mangrove swamps (the future Sahara desert). There she encounters small sharks, Apidium, and Moeritherium. It is described as the last stronghold of the mammals A spinosaurid like dinosaur eats an Apidium but is too small to attack Moeritherium, The mosasaur hunts and eats one alive. She leaves.
The Torosaurus continue to strive but most of the juvenlies are killed young by the poisonous plants of their home Two Andrewsarchus steal such a calf, but begin to fight over it in order to determine which of them gets to eat it first. The calf's mother decides that the calf is alive and fights off the Andrewsarchus - for a time, but leaves when the rest of her young hatch.
The female Mosasaurus discovers a lagoon where dolphin like mammals that appeared after the mass extinction of cetans are beginning to calf. At first the smaller whales use their numbers' advantage to chase away the giant, but the female Mosasaurus eventually returns and begins to hunt and devour the calves - and this time the adults can't stop her.
Several months later Basilosaurus gives birth to her own calf, but the episode ends saying that both the mother and child are doomed to perish - but whales as a group will survive.
LAND OF GIANTS
The third episode takes place in late Oligocene Mongolia, where seasonal rains are followed by long periods of drought. It follows a mother giant hawk, an enormous herbivorous bird , and her young male calf. The mother struggles to raise her calf, fending off predators such as Dromaeosaurs and trying to teach the calf to survive on its own. The episode also follows other animals in the surroundings, including a Therizinosaurid, tyrannosaurids and iguanodontids, and the hardships they endure as the new animals from the south move in.
NEXT OF KIN
A family group of the descendants of the Apidium is down; yet another female was killed by the Troodontids that hunt them, leaving behind an orphan daughter. The males of the group, Grey and Hercules, are beginning to challenge each other for leadership, and the females are supporting Hercules rather than Grey, A bigger, more numerous group attacks, driving the focus group from their old home. Because of this, they start to migrate through the highlands of Ethiopia, searching for a new one. During their travels they meet a large stegosaurid in musth which chases them away from its territory as it tries to wow a much larger female. They settle in a area with a waterfall where many iguanodontids roam they try to scare them off but can't. However it is also home to a large allosaur type creature which kills many and drags the rest for its chicks to eat. Grey is killed in the process and using some planning they steal some of the allosaurs chicks and cause it to migrate for the safety of its chicks. That night one of the babies is stolen by a Troodontid which now rule the area without the constriction of the Allosaur. One day the female orphan is attacked by the Troodontids in full daylight when the rest rally together and try and kill the Troodontid. They settle down and some evolved descendants of the protagonist from the first episode comes and eats the lice in their fur.
SABRE TOOTH
The fifth episode shows the strange fauna of the isolated continent of South America and explores the effects of the Great American Interchange, which had happened 1.5 million years earlier. Since South America had drifted apart from Antarctica 30 million years ago, many unique dinosaurs had evolved, including a Ankylosaurus like creature , an armored armadillo-like ankylosaur with a cannon ball-sized spiked club on its tail; An edmontosaurus like dinosaur, a camel-like dinosaur with a long trunk and though not a dinosaur a large heron like pterosaur has evolved larger than the largest of the bats.
Before the continents of South America and North America collided, a 10-foot-tall predatory bear called with sabre teeth like Smilodon, had reigned as top predator. However, the great birds, migrating from the north, soon displaced them as top predators. The episode focuses on a male bear, a saber-toothed ursine, called Half Tooth, who lives a lone life in a territory of females all of their cubs are his one day two males chase him out and try to become the individuals the females mate with.
Next, the episode shows The new birds hunting down the edmontosaurs and the bears trying to protect the young from the two brothers (in vain) but they are eventually killed when they go hunting. In the background, the mammals still hunt, but give way to the birds. However, a therizinosaurid, who wanted to eat meat as diet supplement, charges the pack while the males attempted to mate, in order to eat some of the carrion. In the process, it kills the dominant rival male, enabling Half Tooth to return, kill the other male and reclaim his territory. Then he had another litter of cubs. Meanwhile the pterosaurs arrive for their winter migration.
Mammoth JOURNEY
narrator reveals that the world's climate is starting to deteriorate, bringing on an ice age. This means all animals, even the mighty titanosaurs and their symbiotic bird partners are struggling with the last of their kind living in the focus herd. One of the herd falls through a pond concealed by ice. Her sisters comfort her, and in the morning the scavengers Troodontids and humans gather gather. The herd then have no choice but to leave their fallen sister to prepare for the coming Ice Age winter. The narrator also reveals that so much water is frozen at the poles, causing sea levels to drop. A vast Ice Age forest, which today is the North Sea, supports an array of dinosaurs including a herd of titanosaurs. Also residing on the plains in summer is a new creature: Human.
Despite having no physical adaptations for the cold, they wear animal hides to keep warm. The episode's main focus is the mammoth's 400 kilometre migration to the Alps and back in the spring. Meanwhile, two stigymoloch like dinosaurs are fighting for a harem of females, but are then ambushed by the humans who kill one of the males. As the titans migrate, one of the herd and the juveniles under her care are separated and stalked by a woolly giganotosaurus, but survive.
Upon reaching the Alps, the mother and the juveniles are reunited with the herd. Here in the valleys, one of the herd lays her eggs to return next year to raise the survivors and the birds mate with each other and a new generation is born, some leave into the Alps but many stay with their parents. The episode also focuses on the Neanderthal, who, despite being built for the cold, is struggling as a result of the Ice Age. One of them is attacked by a Woolly Pachyrhinosaurus, but survives because of his shorter stature and thicker bones.
As the titanosaurs migrate back to the plains, they come into Neanderthal territory where the juveniles is annoyed by the mammals and one is killed by the largest of them all Cave Foxes which drag them down to their cliff home where several giant Parkosaurs watch. they arrive back in their forest where the Gigantosaurus the only thing an adult fears attacks and kills the matriarch. The humans scavenge on the carcass. The titanosaurs are revealed to be going extinct with their herd being the largest thanks to the Ice Age while their birds have a different story thanks to their big partners. The scene then changes to the Oxford Museum and the narrator reveals that "If all this has taught is anything, it's this: no species lasts forever.
BALLAD OF BIG AL
The special begins at the University of Wyoming's Geological Museum, showing the bones of a baby prosauropod followed by an Allosaurus (2.1 metres tall is the maximum height) named Big Al. After the ghost of Big Al wanders the museum passing by his own skeleton and a burrow with some fossilized eggs, the film then travels back in time to 150 Mya) showing a similar nest. Al and his siblings are hiding in the burrow when they are called by their mother. She brings them to a river bank and the hatchlings start to hunt for insects and lizards. When the mother leaves the hatchlings temporarily, a predatory Dilephodon like mammal comes out of hiding and kills one of them (luckily, the victim was not Al).
Al is then shown at the age of two years. He tries to hunt a flock of Dryosaurus. He has not yet learned how to ambush from his mother so he fails to kill one of the swifter, smaller dinosaurs. Later, he snatches a lizard from a branch to keep him satisfied. Al comes across a dead Deinotherium like mammal and an Allosaurus waiting for death in a pit of sticky mud, which forms a predator trap. Meanwhile, a two-year-old female Allosaurus, attracted to the carcass, also gets stuck. She struggles to free herself, but fails. Al luckily avoids the same fate, because he has learnt to avoid carrion and the large carnivores that it usually attracts. Unable to escape, the trapped Allosaurus pair die of exhaustion, their corpses left to the bats. Al returns to his mother and his three siblings and feasts on the carcass she has caught.
Three years pass, and a herd of juvenile Prosauropods are migrating across their forest home and into the grasslands, heading for a herd to the south. Al, now 1.2 meters long, is joined by several other Allosaurus (possibly, his siblings) and they manage to successfully panic the herd into leaving a weakened sick individual behind. But as the Allosaurus gather for the kill, Al is struck down by the neck of the prosauropod. The pack decides to wait for a few hours until the prosauropod is brought down by heat exhaustion and his illness. Though they feed, within the hour, a five-year-old female Allosaurus scavenges the kill. Al takes some remnants of the carcass for himself and leaves, trying to find a safer place to eat.
3 years pass by, and Al, now 1.8 metres long with the crests over his eyes reddening, is shown drinking at a pond. His presence however makes other mammals around the pond nervous and the smell of blood he brings with him puts off a pair of Deinotherium that were attempting to mate. Away from the pond, he discovers the scent of a nearby six-year-old female Allosaurus and issues a mating call. She is interested, but as Al attempts to mate, a Smilodon like mammal out on the prowl pack attacks and kills the female. Al is lucky enough to escape from the ensuing fight with his life, although he sustains injuries to his right arm as well as smashed ribs. Later the dry season comes, and Al is attempting to hunt a flock of rabbit like mammals as the Dryosaurus have moved away. Whilst ambushing them however, he steps on a hedgehog like mammal and kills it but then it is stuck in his foot so he ends up breaking something in his right foot in the resultant fall; he limps away the, his chances of survival as prey gets scarcer now very unlikely. As the dry season turns to a drought, Al's limp from the fall gets worse and his right middle toe -which he broke in the fall- has become badly infected. Soon, unable to hunt because of this handicap, he dies in a dried-up riverbed, where two hatchling Allosaurus are hunting for bugs and come across his emaciated carcass where they eat his eyes and tongue and leave. He is said not to have reached full size, dying as a mature adolescent and that the process of his fossilisation was so perfect it preserved even the injuries he sustained in his lifetime including -amongst others- lumps where his ribs healed after their break and the raging infection on his middle toe even the hedgehog he stepped on. The narrator concludes the special stating how Big Al, in death, represents a frozen moment in the fast and furious life of a carnivorous dinosaur.
Now I'm going to do the worst part of WWD, Walking With Dinosaurs 3D and I'm going to remove the voices and keep it as an actual documentary
In the early cretaceous a few million years before the fourth episode of WWD a thing that was actually good and next to the western interior seaway. Patchi is the youngest and smallest in a litter of tiny baby Torosaurus like dinosaurs that are being out competed by pronghorn like mammals. Their father Bulldust the leader is the leader of the herd. Patchi is also attacked by a bird, which attempts to eat him, but he is saved by his caring mother, resulting in Patchi having a hole in his frill as an injury.
Later, Bulldust moves his herd south as well, but when they try to pass through a forest, they are forced to flee when the local Dromaeosaurs make fire to flush out some pronghorns and a forest fire erupts. Taking advantage of the chaos, a pack of dromaeosaurs attacks the scattered herd. They kill most of Patchi and Scowler's family, while their leader and alpha, Gorgon, fights and kills Bulldust while he’s trying to run away as he cares nothing about his children thanks to his kind's ability to breed like rabbits. Afterwards, Patchi's herd, now led by Bulldust's mate, combine with a female named Juniper's herd as they continue their migration. Gorgon's pack attacks them again, and in the ensuing chaos, Patchi, Scowler, Juniper (and many others) fall into a river and are swept downstream to the ocean all juveniles but Juniper, Scowler and Patchi killed in the process, with a scavenger bat following them from above. At a beach, Scowler follows a herd of rhino like mammals to find food, leaving Patchi and Juniper behind as they are scarred up and Juniper's eye is destroyed. The two make their way through a forest and eventually are able to find their herd and Scowler.
After years of making the same migration from north to south and vice versa, the leader of the herd is killed in a river by two cetans Scowler confronts his brother and his gang of friends and challenges him for a battle in exchange for leadership of the herd. Scowler, as he is much stronger and larger than Patchi, quickly gains the upper hand and defeats his brother by trapping him under a young tree before disowning him and ordering Juniper, along with the rest of the herd, to leave Patchi behind. Despondent and heartbroken, Patchi, now trapped underneath the tree and unable to do anything, attempts to accept his fate by allowing scavengers to kill and eat him but thanks to a pterosaur literally pecking out his eye while looking at a butterfly he has the rage to go out fighting.
Reinvigorated by the bat, Patchi and his friends (actually just a bunch of dragonflies that live on his back but like him despite their intelligence) escapes and fights off the scavengers, before catching up to the herd, only to find them confronted by Gorgon and her pack once more (now its gets dark) they manage to scare most of the herd and a bunch of Pronghorn like mammals into a river which causes most to drown, during the battle between Gorgon and the ceratopsians. Scowler pushes Juniper accidentally into a hole with a spike and kills her. patchi in a fit of rage fights Scowler and has his last remaining eye gouged out but he manages to push him off a cliff that was there and while Patchi looks like he's contemplating his action when he is just standing there when Gorgon and her pack kill him, meanwhile a male approaches Gorgon and drops the head of Juniper in front of her she accepts this and leaves to mate.
It then cuts to the survivors who are building up their nest and thanks to their rerouted migration which saves them and their kind from extinction from the Pronghorns. Gorgon's pack have to move away and the lovely gory ecosystem collapses a few million years after this thanks to the arrival of Brutodon which out compete the definitely not sauropod replacement mammals that look like giraffes that will become the largest creatures on earth and it ends on one of Gorgon's young evolving WWM style into the giant theropods from Nigel Marvin's adventures with the largest creatures on earth. The credits this time are of a before and after showing the area in Patchi and friends era and in Nigel marvin's adventures era showing the river area where Patchi was killed into the river area where the Brutodon laid their eggs.
Species/ replacements
Nanotorosaurus replaces Pachyrhinosaurus
Nanogigantosaurus replaces Gorgosaurus
Pronghornodontids replaces Parkosaurus
Parkosaurs replace Chirostenotes
Loxodontamimus replaces Edmontonia
mega Dragonfly, Nanoanurognthathus and mega bats replace Quetzocoatlus
Brontomimus replaces the hadrosaurs
Atroxodontids replace troodontids
Tiny Compusnathids replace Alphadon
Avitelmessus replaces Avitelmessus (crab evolution wasn't that impacted)
submitted by Ok-Kick832 to walkingwithdinosaurs [link] [comments]
By a river, a female Archosaur stalks a herd of dicynodonts called Placerias, looking for weak members to prey upon. Downstream, a male feathered dinosaur resides in a tree with his family. A female Postosuchus, a rauisuchian and one of the largest carnivores alive in the Triassic, attacks the Placerias herd, and wounds one individual; the herd scatters, leaving the wounded Placerias to the Postosuchus. Early bats are depicted feeding on dragonflies and cooling themselves in the little water remaining during the drought before being eaten by a larger dragonfly. Searching for food, a female badger like mammal, alongside another badger, discovers the dinosaur nest; the female wards them off. Later that evening, after he goes off hunting, an inquisitive chick follows but falls onto land trying to follow its father and is caught by the female badger. At night, the dinosaurs pick up their remaining pups and then move away. On the next day, the badgers work to collapse the tree. The female Postosuchus meanwhile is shown to have been wounded by the Placerias, a prior attack on them leaving her with a tusk wound on her thigh. After being unable to successfully hunt another Placerias, she is expelled from her territory by a predatory phytosaur. Wounded, sick, and without a territory, the female Postosuchus dies and is eaten by a pack of archosaurs. As the dry season continues, food becomes scarce. The Placerias herd embarks on a journey in search of water, while the archosaurs begin to cannibalise their young, and the male dinosaurs also resorts to hunting baby badgers at night. Finally, the wet season arrives; the majority of the archosaurs have survived (including the lead female), and the dinosaur pair have a new clutch of eggs. The episode ends with the arrival of a herd of giant Procoptodon like mammal which are followed by a large fox like mammal which fights and kills a Postosuchus.
TIME OF THE TITANS
This episode follows the life of a female prosauropod, beginning at the moment when her mother lays a clutch of eggs in the heart conifer forest. Three months later, some of the eggs hatch; the young prosauropods are preyed upon by fox like mammal and other dinosaurs. After hatching, the hatchlings retreat to the safety of the denser trees. They face many dangers as they grow, including predation by the foxes and existing Smilodon like mammals which are replacing the foxes increasingly . Even a giant Deinotherium like mammal accidentally also kills one of the hatchlings by swinging its tusks while fending off a pair of Smilodon like mammals and a weird crocodile like cetan. Elsewhere, adult herds of prosauropods are shown using their massive weight to topple trees in order to reach cycad leaves and giant ferns. Each one hosts a small mobile habitat of damselflies, bats, and beetles. After some time, the creche of cute creatures have grown into subadults. Nearly all are killed by a huge forest fire; only three survivors emerge onto the open plains, including the young female. They encounter several Paracetherium before only two reach safety of a herd of adult prosauropods. Several years later, the female mates, and a few days after, is attacked by a bull smilodon like mammals. She is saved when another prosauropod strikes the Allosaurus with its tail. She rejoins the herd, albeit with deep wounds on her side, but she will recover. The closing narration notes that their successors the sauropods will in the Cenozoic become the largest animals ever to walk the Earth but currently its the paracetherium.
CRUEL SEA
episode begins with a small elephant like mammal being snatched from the shore by a male Liopleurodon. It then cuts to show how dinosaurs have dominated the European islands with fauna similar to the ones in Jurassic Impact. Meanwhile, hundreds of cetans arrive from the open ocean to give birth but they are attacked by a Basilosaur look a like. Hybodus and a Liopleurodon are on the hunt; when a mother cetan has trouble giving birth, a pair of Hybodus pursue her. They are frightened off by the male Liopleurodon, which eats the front half of the cetan. Meanwhile, a Andrewsarchus like mammal the last of its kind if you forget the fox like mammals swims to an island and discovers a turtle carcass; it fights over the carcass with another. Later, during the night, a group of horseshoe crabs gather at the shore to lay their eggs, which attracts a flock of bats in the morning to eat the eggs. However, a few of the bats are caught and eaten by a giant dragonfly . While the cetan juveniles are growing up, they are hunted by Hybodus, which in turn, are prey for the Liopleurodon. While the male Liopleurodon is hunting, he encounters a female Basilosaurus like mammal; after the male bites one of her flippers, she retreats from his territory, and a group of Hybodus follows the trail of her blood. A cyclone strikes the islands, killing many animals, including several bats and the basilosaurus, who is washed ashore and eventually suffocates under his own weight. A group of small dinosaurs feed on her carcass. At the end of the episode, the juvenile cetans that survived the storm are now large enough to swim off and live in the open sea but are hunted by some other cetans.
GIANT OF THE SKIES
The episode begins with the last giant Dragonfly dead on a beach. Six months earlier, the last Dragonfly, resting among a colony of breeding giant bats in Brazil, flies off for Cantabria where he too must mate. He flies past a migrating group of chalicothere mimics and the nodosaur Polacanthus. He reaches the southern tip of North America, where he is forced to seek shelter from a storm. He grooms himself, expelling his body of fleas; the wings begin to change colour in preparation for the mating season. He then sets off across the Atlantic, which was then only 300 kilometres wide, and after a whole day on the wing, reaches the westernmost of the European islands. He does not rest there however, as a pack of dromaeosaurs are hunting horses; a young one is bullied off an Horse carcass by the adults. The Dragonfly flies to the outskirts of a forest to rest after stealing a fish from a bat, but is driven away by a flock of new fliers called Anurognathids. Flying on, he reaches Cantabria, but finds no other dragonflies and consequently he does not mate. After several days under the sun trying to attract a mate, the protagonist dragonflies dies from a combination of heat, stress and starvation. . The new replacements bats feeds on its corpse.
SPIRITS OF THE ICE FOREST
A few hundred kilometres from the South Pole, a clan of Leaellynasaura emerge during spring after several months of total darkness. They feed on the fresh plant growth (which has adapted to the changing seasons), and build nests to lay their eggs; a Koolasuchus also wakes and heads to a river, where he will stay during the summer. Out on the banks of the river, migrating herds of Macraucheia have also arrived to feed and lay their eggs. When summer arrives, many of the Leaellynasaura clan's eggs have been eaten; however, those of the matriarch hatch successfully. Meanwhile, a male Polar Smilodon like mammal and its pride hunts both the Leaellynasaura and the Macraucheia, the latter species also having to deal with blood-sucking birds the Smilodon male deals with being attacked and exiled by a larger male. When autumn arrives, the herd begins to migrate, and the Koolasuchus leaves the river to find a pool for hibernation and all the cubs of the old male Smilodon are killed. During the migration, some Muttaburrasaurus become lost in the forest; they vocalize loudly while trying to return to their herd, preventing the Leaellynasaura clan's sentries from hearing the male Smilodon approaching. It manages to kill the matriarch of the clan. Winter descends and the forest is shrouded in darkness, but the now matriarch-less Leaellynasaura clan is able to stay active, using their large eyes to help them forage for food. The clan and other creatures are also shown to use various methods of coping with the cold.. Finally, spring returns, and two Leaellynasaura males challenge each other for the right to mate, and the clan establishes a new dominant pair and the old male Smilodon kills the new male Smilodon and takes the pride back. The closing narration acknowledges that soon this landmass will be pulled closer to the South Pole and when that happens, this unique ecosystem and its inhabitants will disappear.
DEATH OF THE DYNASTY
Several months before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, the last mammals are living under intense environmental stress due to excessive volcanism. A female giant Entelodont like monotremes abandons her nest, the eggs rendered infertile due to acidic pollution. Her calls for a mate are answered by a smaller male, who kills a young rhino like mammal to appease her. Three days later, after repeated copulation, she drives him off. The mother fasts as she tends to her nest, contending with raids by dromaeosaurs and Squirrel like mammals. Meanwhile, herds of deer like mammals wander between islands of vegetation among the volcanic ash, and rhinoceros rut for the right to mate, while losing their young to attacking dromaeosaurs. Only three of the Entelodont hatches ; the mother hunts one of the last elephants to feed herself and her brood. One of the last giant bats flies into the area and is killed by the last cetans. Several days later, while defending her two surviving offspring, the mother is fatally injured by the tail of an Ankylosaurus. The juveniles remain expectantly next to the carcass of their mother the next morning; several hours later, they are killed along with the other mammals in the region by the impact of a comet in the Gulf of Mexico. The impact, said to be as powerful as ten billion Hiroshima bombs, resulted in 65% of life -the mammals included- dying out in the ensuing cataclysmic changes to the climate. In an epilogue, the present-day African plains are shown; while they are now dominated dinosaurs after millions of years of recovery from the impact, they are still populated by a small group of mammals that did survive the extinction: the rodents, the squirrels and many other small vermin like mammals.
THE GIANT CLAW- TO EDIT
searches the late Jurassic islands for Therizinosaurus, who has massive and very long claws.
The episode starts off with Nigel in his ship where he shows a giant claw that scientists originally thought to be the rib of a giant turtle but was actually the claw of Therizinosaurus. He is interrupted when a giant turtle passes through and he films them. The turtle sneezes on him and Nigel sets off on his journey
Nigel comes across a nesting ground of heterodontosaurs that he crosses by using a red flag to draw their attention while one snaps at his cameraman. They travel into a forest where they watch a pack of cassowary like dinosaurs and their friends hunt heterodontosaurs. In a different forest, Nigel sets camp and finds a scorpion that he keeps. At night, a group of Mononykus like creatures approach the camp site and Nigel tries to catch one. After he caught one, he discovers that they have feathers but he puts his thumb in its mouth causing it to bleed. The next morning, Nigel finds that the Mononykus have eaten his scorpion and he packs up his camp. In the scrublands, Nigel hides in the vegetation urging his cameraman to turn off the camera when he spots a feathered predator that spooks some Mononykus.
Then Nigel waits out at a beach with some Heterodontosaurs and Mononykus as a perfect place for theropods to hunt prey. There he finds a hatched nest with the skeleton of a baby Therizinosaurus in a partially hatched egg as well as herbivore dung. Not far away, he finds a full skeleton of a Therizinosaurus. A large crocodile notices him and chases him and his cameraman into the forest. They climb onto tall tree stumps out of their reach and use a bicycle horn to scare of the raptors. After hearing commotion from the heterodontosaurs, Nigel returns to the watering hole where a feathered apex comes to scavenge and drink but is interrupted by the roar of a Therizinosaurus leading to a clash of the titans. The Therizinosaurus fends off the Tarbosaurus with its formidable claws forcing it to back down. Nigel then finds whole herd of Therizinosaurus emerging from the forest and it is a herbivore that uses its sickle-claws to hook tree and bush branches towards its mouth. Nigel ultimately concludes that it was gentle herbivore by touching one that licks him and knocks him over.
Land OF GIANTS
Nigel travels back in time with his film crew. He travels to a nearby lake, where large mammals named Brutodontids nest every year. There Nigel sees a juvenile Brutodon, where he is attacked by a giant mosasaur. Nigel then coaxes it out of the lake by splashing a stick in the water. It lays on the shore. Nigel attaches a video camera to his head and walks towards it, and demonstrates it's biting power by pushing a stick into it's mouth and having it bite down on it.
Later Nigel climbs up the volcanic slopes to get a panoramic view of the area to see Brutodon herd. Instead he finds a herd of small horses. His search leads him all the way to the coast, where he views a colony of medium sized bats on the cliffs hunting fish. Nigel doesn't return to the campsite until night, where he finds that a large predator has attacked his tent, and left all the provisions littered across the surrounding ground. He finds a single theropod dinosaur tooth jammed in a can of meat.
The next morning Nigel has set up an alarm system outside the camp so that if something breaks the laser tripwire, a loud alarm will sound, alerting Nigel. Later he tracks down the predator, where, around midday, Nigel hears a commotion further ahead. He finds a wounded horse in a rocky gully. He walks further upstream to find a smaller dead individual with a strange feathered apex predator eating it.
Later Nigel is shown flying over the ash-fields in an ultralight. Soon he finds another Sea Bat flock. After breaking away he sees a giant bat, one of the largest animal ever to fly. Soon Nigel discovers the Brutodon herd far below, so he lands the ultra light nearby his jeep. He then drives off towards the herd and locates it without any trouble.
After appreciating their gargantuan size, Nigel drives into a natural 'funnel', caused by a break in some trees. He then sets up some weighing scales designed for lorries. After several fruitless attempts, an Brutodon steps on the scales, showing that it weighs 92.3 tonnes, and Nigel explains that that's the same as 30 African elephants.
The next morning Nigel in chasing an horse 20 miles away from the camp in the jeep, when he realizes that it is actually running because a Giganotosaurus is chasing them both. Nigel narrowly escapes the predator only to meet up with the herd later in the morning to find an entire pack of Giganotosaurus mobbing the herd but most are killed.
By the afternoon the pack has singled out a juvenile, and are inflicting wounds, waiting for her to bleed to death. The hunt continues for the rest of the day and into the night, when filming is no longer possible and Nigel must leave.
The next morning, Nigel finds the herd at the nesting site beside the lake. While the females lay their eggs Nigel comments on what a magical ending this is for his dinosaur safari. Suddenly a Mosasaur lunges at him out of the water
NEW DAWN- WWB REALITY
The episode starts by showing how the mammals were dominating the land and that dinosaurs were small. Then it shows how "an asteroid the size of Mount Everest" struck the Earth and demolished the mammals, and how dinosaurs evolved into new forms thereafter. The first episode depicts the warm tropical world of the early Eocene, sixteen million years after the extinction of the giant mammals. Bats, the one of the surviving lineage of the mammals, including the giant carnivorous Mega Bat, rule this world, while dinosaurs are still very small. The setting is near the Messel pit in Germany. Due to volcanic activity, sudden bulk escapes of carbon dioxide trapped underneath lakes pose a significant hazard to the local wildlife. The episode centers around a Parkosaur family, a leaping, shrew-like dinosaur, which has emerged in the dawn hours to forage for food. As the mother forages, first in solidarity, and then with her pups, she wanders near a large predatory mammal, identified as an Ambulocetus the last cetan. A female Mega Bat, who has been taking care of the single undeveloped baby in her nest, makes two attempts to hunt a small herd of Protoceratops like dinosaurs, early ceratopsians. The first attempt fails when sounds among the vegetation betray her presence and they mob her. The second attack proves successful when the Protoceratops consume fermenting grapes and are unable to evade her attack also defends her territory from another. Unfortunately, while the mother hunts, a horde of Titanomyrma, giant carnivorous ants, encounter the baby when it dropped out of the nest, and successfully kill and eat the chick. When the female discovers her dead offspring at dusk she leaves the forest to try and start another family.
With the arrival of night, a band of lemur-like Godinotia, socialize and copulate in the dark the narration reveals how they will be the most successful in this new world. Ambulocetus finally manages to catch a Flamingo like bird near the lake edge. As the night wears on, an earth tremor unleashes trapped carbon dioxide out from underneath the lake and the gas suffocates most of the surrounding life. The Parkosaurs survive because the nest was upwind of the gas while the Bat was killed because she stayed in that area in the forest.
It is mentioned that although they survived the gas, they would ultimately leave many descendants, while the Ambulocetus, who was killed by the lethal gases, would leave none.
WHALE KILLER
This episode introduces the Mosasaur, an ancient type of mosasaur. Mosasaur became the new king of the ocean after the giant cetans of the Mesozoic died out alongside the mammals (see Cruel Sea). It was much bigger than the sharks it shared the ocean with, and it regularly ate the sharks. However, Mosasaur was still less advanced than the modern species; it still had rear flippers (that helped it during the mating) and lacked the blubber. At the same time, this program depicted the beginning of 'climate chaos' - a relatively minor extinction event between Eocene and Oligocene, also known as "The Great Cut". On land dinosaurs too have become big and huge. This episode featured Torosaurus like ceratopsians and the Andrewsarchus, a mammal that was considered to be a relative to the kings of the Cretaceous the Entelodont. Both were much bigger than the land dinosaurs featured in New Dawn episode, but their brains were still small and their behavior - primitive. They were the first true dinosaur rulers of the land and most of them would die out during "The Great Cut". As the El Nino continues and the extinction event is beginning, the female Mosasaur is forced to change her hunting ground from open seas to mangrove swamps (the future Sahara desert). There she encounters small sharks, Apidium, and Moeritherium. It is described as the last stronghold of the mammals A spinosaurid like dinosaur eats an Apidium but is too small to attack Moeritherium, The mosasaur hunts and eats one alive. She leaves.
The Torosaurus continue to strive but most of the juvenlies are killed young by the poisonous plants of their home Two Andrewsarchus steal such a calf, but begin to fight over it in order to determine which of them gets to eat it first. The calf's mother decides that the calf is alive and fights off the Andrewsarchus - for a time, but leaves when the rest of her young hatch.
The female Mosasaurus discovers a lagoon where dolphin like mammals that appeared after the mass extinction of cetans are beginning to calf. At first the smaller whales use their numbers' advantage to chase away the giant, but the female Mosasaurus eventually returns and begins to hunt and devour the calves - and this time the adults can't stop her.
Several months later Basilosaurus gives birth to her own calf, but the episode ends saying that both the mother and child are doomed to perish - but whales as a group will survive.
LAND OF GIANTS
The third episode takes place in late Oligocene Mongolia, where seasonal rains are followed by long periods of drought. It follows a mother giant hawk, an enormous herbivorous bird , and her young male calf. The mother struggles to raise her calf, fending off predators such as Dromaeosaurs and trying to teach the calf to survive on its own. The episode also follows other animals in the surroundings, including a Therizinosaurid, tyrannosaurids and iguanodontids, and the hardships they endure as the new animals from the south move in.
NEXT OF KIN
A family group of the descendants of the Apidium is down; yet another female was killed by the Troodontids that hunt them, leaving behind an orphan daughter. The males of the group, Grey and Hercules, are beginning to challenge each other for leadership, and the females are supporting Hercules rather than Grey, A bigger, more numerous group attacks, driving the focus group from their old home. Because of this, they start to migrate through the highlands of Ethiopia, searching for a new one. During their travels they meet a large stegosaurid in musth which chases them away from its territory as it tries to wow a much larger female. They settle in a area with a waterfall where many iguanodontids roam they try to scare them off but can't. However it is also home to a large allosaur type creature which kills many and drags the rest for its chicks to eat. Grey is killed in the process and using some planning they steal some of the allosaurs chicks and cause it to migrate for the safety of its chicks. That night one of the babies is stolen by a Troodontid which now rule the area without the constriction of the Allosaur. One day the female orphan is attacked by the Troodontids in full daylight when the rest rally together and try and kill the Troodontid. They settle down and some evolved descendants of the protagonist from the first episode comes and eats the lice in their fur.
SABRE TOOTH
The fifth episode shows the strange fauna of the isolated continent of South America and explores the effects of the Great American Interchange, which had happened 1.5 million years earlier. Since South America had drifted apart from Antarctica 30 million years ago, many unique dinosaurs had evolved, including a Ankylosaurus like creature , an armored armadillo-like ankylosaur with a cannon ball-sized spiked club on its tail; An edmontosaurus like dinosaur, a camel-like dinosaur with a long trunk and though not a dinosaur a large heron like pterosaur has evolved larger than the largest of the bats.
Before the continents of South America and North America collided, a 10-foot-tall predatory bear called with sabre teeth like Smilodon, had reigned as top predator. However, the great birds, migrating from the north, soon displaced them as top predators. The episode focuses on a male bear, a saber-toothed ursine, called Half Tooth, who lives a lone life in a territory of females all of their cubs are his one day two males chase him out and try to become the individuals the females mate with.
Next, the episode shows The new birds hunting down the edmontosaurs and the bears trying to protect the young from the two brothers (in vain) but they are eventually killed when they go hunting. In the background, the mammals still hunt, but give way to the birds. However, a therizinosaurid, who wanted to eat meat as diet supplement, charges the pack while the males attempted to mate, in order to eat some of the carrion. In the process, it kills the dominant rival male, enabling Half Tooth to return, kill the other male and reclaim his territory. Then he had another litter of cubs. Meanwhile the pterosaurs arrive for their winter migration.
Mammoth JOURNEY
narrator reveals that the world's climate is starting to deteriorate, bringing on an ice age. This means all animals, even the mighty titanosaurs and their symbiotic bird partners are struggling with the last of their kind living in the focus herd. One of the herd falls through a pond concealed by ice. Her sisters comfort her, and in the morning the scavengers Troodontids and humans gather gather. The herd then have no choice but to leave their fallen sister to prepare for the coming Ice Age winter. The narrator also reveals that so much water is frozen at the poles, causing sea levels to drop. A vast Ice Age forest, which today is the North Sea, supports an array of dinosaurs including a herd of titanosaurs. Also residing on the plains in summer is a new creature: Human.
Despite having no physical adaptations for the cold, they wear animal hides to keep warm. The episode's main focus is the mammoth's 400 kilometre migration to the Alps and back in the spring. Meanwhile, two stigymoloch like dinosaurs are fighting for a harem of females, but are then ambushed by the humans who kill one of the males. As the titans migrate, one of the herd and the juveniles under her care are separated and stalked by a woolly giganotosaurus, but survive.
Upon reaching the Alps, the mother and the juveniles are reunited with the herd. Here in the valleys, one of the herd lays her eggs to return next year to raise the survivors and the birds mate with each other and a new generation is born, some leave into the Alps but many stay with their parents. The episode also focuses on the Neanderthal, who, despite being built for the cold, is struggling as a result of the Ice Age. One of them is attacked by a Woolly Pachyrhinosaurus, but survives because of his shorter stature and thicker bones.
As the titanosaurs migrate back to the plains, they come into Neanderthal territory where the juveniles is annoyed by the mammals and one is killed by the largest of them all Cave Foxes which drag them down to their cliff home where several giant Parkosaurs watch. they arrive back in their forest where the Gigantosaurus the only thing an adult fears attacks and kills the matriarch. The humans scavenge on the carcass. The titanosaurs are revealed to be going extinct with their herd being the largest thanks to the Ice Age while their birds have a different story thanks to their big partners. The scene then changes to the Oxford Museum and the narrator reveals that "If all this has taught is anything, it's this: no species lasts forever.
BALLAD OF BIG AL
The special begins at the University of Wyoming's Geological Museum, showing the bones of a baby prosauropod followed by an Allosaurus (2.1 metres tall is the maximum height) named Big Al. After the ghost of Big Al wanders the museum passing by his own skeleton and a burrow with some fossilized eggs, the film then travels back in time to 150 Mya) showing a similar nest. Al and his siblings are hiding in the burrow when they are called by their mother. She brings them to a river bank and the hatchlings start to hunt for insects and lizards. When the mother leaves the hatchlings temporarily, a predatory Dilephodon like mammal comes out of hiding and kills one of them (luckily, the victim was not Al).
Al is then shown at the age of two years. He tries to hunt a flock of Dryosaurus. He has not yet learned how to ambush from his mother so he fails to kill one of the swifter, smaller dinosaurs. Later, he snatches a lizard from a branch to keep him satisfied. Al comes across a dead Deinotherium like mammal and an Allosaurus waiting for death in a pit of sticky mud, which forms a predator trap. Meanwhile, a two-year-old female Allosaurus, attracted to the carcass, also gets stuck. She struggles to free herself, but fails. Al luckily avoids the same fate, because he has learnt to avoid carrion and the large carnivores that it usually attracts. Unable to escape, the trapped Allosaurus pair die of exhaustion, their corpses left to the bats. Al returns to his mother and his three siblings and feasts on the carcass she has caught.
Three years pass, and a herd of juvenile Prosauropods are migrating across their forest home and into the grasslands, heading for a herd to the south. Al, now 1.2 meters long, is joined by several other Allosaurus (possibly, his siblings) and they manage to successfully panic the herd into leaving a weakened sick individual behind. But as the Allosaurus gather for the kill, Al is struck down by the neck of the prosauropod. The pack decides to wait for a few hours until the prosauropod is brought down by heat exhaustion and his illness. Though they feed, within the hour, a five-year-old female Allosaurus scavenges the kill. Al takes some remnants of the carcass for himself and leaves, trying to find a safer place to eat.
3 years pass by, and Al, now 1.8 metres long with the crests over his eyes reddening, is shown drinking at a pond. His presence however makes other mammals around the pond nervous and the smell of blood he brings with him puts off a pair of Deinotherium that were attempting to mate. Away from the pond, he discovers the scent of a nearby six-year-old female Allosaurus and issues a mating call. She is interested, but as Al attempts to mate, a Smilodon like mammal out on the prowl pack attacks and kills the female. Al is lucky enough to escape from the ensuing fight with his life, although he sustains injuries to his right arm as well as smashed ribs. Later the dry season comes, and Al is attempting to hunt a flock of rabbit like mammals as the Dryosaurus have moved away. Whilst ambushing them however, he steps on a hedgehog like mammal and kills it but then it is stuck in his foot so he ends up breaking something in his right foot in the resultant fall; he limps away the, his chances of survival as prey gets scarcer now very unlikely. As the dry season turns to a drought, Al's limp from the fall gets worse and his right middle toe -which he broke in the fall- has become badly infected. Soon, unable to hunt because of this handicap, he dies in a dried-up riverbed, where two hatchling Allosaurus are hunting for bugs and come across his emaciated carcass where they eat his eyes and tongue and leave. He is said not to have reached full size, dying as a mature adolescent and that the process of his fossilisation was so perfect it preserved even the injuries he sustained in his lifetime including -amongst others- lumps where his ribs healed after their break and the raging infection on his middle toe even the hedgehog he stepped on. The narrator concludes the special stating how Big Al, in death, represents a frozen moment in the fast and furious life of a carnivorous dinosaur.
Now I'm going to do the worst part of WWD, Walking With Dinosaurs 3D and I'm going to remove the voices and keep it as an actual documentary
In the early cretaceous a few million years before the fourth episode of WWD a thing that was actually good and next to the western interior seaway. Patchi is the youngest and smallest in a litter of tiny baby Torosaurus like dinosaurs that are being out competed by pronghorn like mammals. Their father Bulldust the leader is the leader of the herd. Patchi is also attacked by a bird, which attempts to eat him, but he is saved by his caring mother, resulting in Patchi having a hole in his frill as an injury.
Later, Bulldust moves his herd south as well, but when they try to pass through a forest, they are forced to flee when the local Dromaeosaurs make fire to flush out some pronghorns and a forest fire erupts. Taking advantage of the chaos, a pack of dromaeosaurs attacks the scattered herd. They kill most of Patchi and Scowler's family, while their leader and alpha, Gorgon, fights and kills Bulldust while he’s trying to run away as he cares nothing about his children thanks to his kind's ability to breed like rabbits. Afterwards, Patchi's herd, now led by Bulldust's mate, combine with a female named Juniper's herd as they continue their migration. Gorgon's pack attacks them again, and in the ensuing chaos, Patchi, Scowler, Juniper (and many others) fall into a river and are swept downstream to the ocean all juveniles but Juniper, Scowler and Patchi killed in the process, with a scavenger bat following them from above. At a beach, Scowler follows a herd of rhino like mammals to find food, leaving Patchi and Juniper behind as they are scarred up and Juniper's eye is destroyed. The two make their way through a forest and eventually are able to find their herd and Scowler.
After years of making the same migration from north to south and vice versa, the leader of the herd is killed in a river by two cetans Scowler confronts his brother and his gang of friends and challenges him for a battle in exchange for leadership of the herd. Scowler, as he is much stronger and larger than Patchi, quickly gains the upper hand and defeats his brother by trapping him under a young tree before disowning him and ordering Juniper, along with the rest of the herd, to leave Patchi behind. Despondent and heartbroken, Patchi, now trapped underneath the tree and unable to do anything, attempts to accept his fate by allowing scavengers to kill and eat him but thanks to a pterosaur literally pecking out his eye while looking at a butterfly he has the rage to go out fighting.
Reinvigorated by the bat, Patchi and his friends (actually just a bunch of dragonflies that live on his back but like him despite their intelligence) escapes and fights off the scavengers, before catching up to the herd, only to find them confronted by Gorgon and her pack once more (now its gets dark) they manage to scare most of the herd and a bunch of Pronghorn like mammals into a river which causes most to drown, during the battle between Gorgon and the ceratopsians. Scowler pushes Juniper accidentally into a hole with a spike and kills her. patchi in a fit of rage fights Scowler and has his last remaining eye gouged out but he manages to push him off a cliff that was there and while Patchi looks like he's contemplating his action when he is just standing there when Gorgon and her pack kill him, meanwhile a male approaches Gorgon and drops the head of Juniper in front of her she accepts this and leaves to mate.
It then cuts to the survivors who are building up their nest and thanks to their rerouted migration which saves them and their kind from extinction from the Pronghorns. Gorgon's pack have to move away and the lovely gory ecosystem collapses a few million years after this thanks to the arrival of Brutodon which out compete the definitely not sauropod replacement mammals that look like giraffes that will become the largest creatures on earth and it ends on one of Gorgon's young evolving WWM style into the giant theropods from Nigel Marvin's adventures with the largest creatures on earth. The credits this time are of a before and after showing the area in Patchi and friends era and in Nigel marvin's adventures era showing the river area where Patchi was killed into the river area where the Brutodon laid their eggs.
Species/ replacements
Nanotorosaurus replaces Pachyrhinosaurus
Nanogigantosaurus replaces Gorgosaurus
Pronghornodontids replaces Parkosaurus
Parkosaurs replace Chirostenotes
Loxodontamimus replaces Edmontonia
mega Dragonfly, Nanoanurognthathus and mega bats replace Quetzocoatlus
Brontomimus replaces the hadrosaurs
Atroxodontids replace troodontids
Tiny Compusnathids replace Alphadon
Avitelmessus replaces Avitelmessus (crab evolution wasn't that impacted)
2023.05.31 16:21 SchlesingerMindy323 [HIRING] 25 Jobs in FL Hiring Now!
2023.05.31 13:59 upbstock 🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞🏞
As investing trends come in and out of fashion, it can be difficult to navigate what is real and will power the future, and what is hype and will eventually fade. Trading companies that are in the thick of the trends can also be tricky, especially when trying to recognize value ahead of the broader market and appraising how the given technology will play out. Others that are looking for a quick buck might want to jump on the train in any event, even if it's for a quick ride, though the short-term strategy can quickly leave a bag holder with a screen full of red at the end of a big run-up on a stock price.
Enter Nvidia: The company, a leader in artificial intelligence hardware and software, saw its shares soar 24.6% to $380 in AH trading on Wednesday, bringing its YTD gain to over 160%. The latest movement came after the firm posted Q1 results that topped expectations and blew away forecasts for the upcoming period. "Demand [related to generative AI and large language models] has extended our data center visibility out a few quarters and we have procured substantially higher supply for the second half of the year," Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) executives said on an earnings call. "The easiest way to think about that is over the next four or five, 10 years, most of that trillion dollars, and compensating adjusting for all the growth in data center still, it will be largely generative AI."
In fact, Nvidia is indicated to open today with a market-cap gain of more than $185B, making it worth more than Meta (META) or Tesla (TSLA), and it might even turn into the biggest single-day record (Apple (AAPL) rose by $191B in November 2022). Peers are riding the sentiment higher, such as rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) +8.5%, AI software maker C3.ai (NYSE:AI) +9.3% and Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) +7.7%. Bigger players like Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), which are incorporating generative AI into their platforms, rose as well, while the AI rally sent Nasdaq futures up nearly 2% overnight.
But... the jury is still out on artificial intelligence. There's no doubt that companies are on the brink of something big, and that it will change many industries and how we do things, but it's important to separate hype from reality when talking about any emerging technology. Remember the Internet of Things? Web 3.0? The metaverse? DeFi, blockchain, and NFTs? Many shares related to companies operating in these spaces have seen their prices dwindle from the record highs seen when the news cycle was first played up. Contrast that to smartphones, streaming, e-commerce and the cloud, which have had much more lasting impacts on business investment, the labor market and broader economy.
From the comments section: "[NVDA's] $6B rev and $2B in researching and development. That's how to build the future. Incredible stock," writes SA premium user ErikInvest, while chris hafferty adds "AI is as significant as the commercialization of electricity!" Raph86 counters that "from the COVID everything bubble right to the AI bubble... Market demands more of the sweet stuff!" in SA article, Nvidia Fiscal Q1 2024 Earnings: Solid Beat, But Hedge Your Bets. "The valuation does NOT have to be justified," replies Natturner1966. "It's the stock market, not a college finance class." (22 comments)
On negative watch
The United States is in danger of losing Fitch's top sovereign debt status due to "increased political partisanship that is hindering reaching a resolution to raise or suspend the debt limit." The "AAA" long-term foreign currency issuer default rating was placed on Rating Watch Negative, though Fitch still expects a resolution before the so-called "X-date," which can impact the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY). Recall that in 2011, the U.S. lost its top rating at S&P, as the government approached default in a similar standoff. S&P has not restored the country to its highest rating, but the last of the Big Three credit rating agencies, Moody's, still has its highest "Aaa" ranking on the U.S. (42 comments)
Here comes the sun
Solar is emerging as an energy superpower with this year's global investment in the sector ($380B) set to surpass spending on oil production ($370B) for the first time. That's according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, who said the development "will soon start to see a very different energy system emerging and we can keep the 1.5C goal alive." The change is a result of strong subsidies and tax credits like the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as policy alignment among nations towards climate and energy security, and better economics of alternative power sources. "Clean energy is moving fast, faster than many people realize," Birol added. "For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about $1.7 are now going into clean energy. Five years ago, this ratio was 1:1." (9 comments)
Pause in June?
Almost all Federal Reserve officials at the FOMC's May 2-3 meeting said downside risks to growth and upside risks to unemployment had increased due to banking stresses, according to the minutes published from the gathering. Participants "generally expressed uncertainty about how much more policy tightening may be appropriate," while some noted that additional "policy firming would likely be warranted at future meetings." That means the bank is still divided on whether to continue raising interest rates, especially if progress in bringing down inflation to the Fed's 2% target remains "unacceptably slow." The policymaking committee in May increased its key rate by 25 bps to a range of 5.00%-5.25%, representing its 10th straight rate hike, while odds rose of the Fed pausing in June following the release of the minutes. (56 comments)
Today's Markets
In Asia, Japan +0.4%. Hong Kong -1.9%. China -0.1%. India +0.2%. In Europe, at midday, London -0.3%. Paris -0.3%. Frankfurt -0.2%. Futures at 6:30, Dow -0.2%. S&P +0.6%. Nasdaq +1.9%. Crude -1.9% to $72.95. Gold -0.1% to $1963.50. Bitcoin -1.7% to $26,256. Ten-year Treasury Yield +4 bps to 3.76%
Today's Economic Calendar
8:30 GDP Q1 8:30 Initial Jobless Claims 8:30 Chicago Fed National Activity Index 8:30 Corporate profits 9:50 Fed's Barkin Speech 10:00 Pending Home Sales 10:30 EIA Natural Gas Inventory 11:00 Kansas City Fed Mfg Survey 1:00 PM Results of $35B, 7-Year Note Auction 4:30 PM Fed Balance Sheet
Companies reporting earnings today »
What else is happening...
Final GDP data shows Europe's largest economy entered recession.
Microsoft (MSFT) says Chinese hackers attacked 'critical' infrastructure.
Meta Platforms (META) wraps up spring layoffs, deepest in tech.
The implications of Apple's (AAPL) deal with Broadcom (AVGO).
Snowflake (SNOW) plunges as lowered forecast outweighs Q1 results.
Kohl's (KSS) pops on earnings topper, reaffirms guidance.
FTC is probing bidding collusion for these baby-formula makers.
Breakthrough innovation: Nike (NKE) reshuffles C-suite responsibilities.
Icahn Enterprises (IEP) continues slide as Ackman fans the flames.
Google (GOOGL) and European Commission to develop AI governing pact.
submitted by upbstock to Optionmillionaires [link] [comments]
Enter Nvidia: The company, a leader in artificial intelligence hardware and software, saw its shares soar 24.6% to $380 in AH trading on Wednesday, bringing its YTD gain to over 160%. The latest movement came after the firm posted Q1 results that topped expectations and blew away forecasts for the upcoming period. "Demand [related to generative AI and large language models] has extended our data center visibility out a few quarters and we have procured substantially higher supply for the second half of the year," Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) executives said on an earnings call. "The easiest way to think about that is over the next four or five, 10 years, most of that trillion dollars, and compensating adjusting for all the growth in data center still, it will be largely generative AI."
In fact, Nvidia is indicated to open today with a market-cap gain of more than $185B, making it worth more than Meta (META) or Tesla (TSLA), and it might even turn into the biggest single-day record (Apple (AAPL) rose by $191B in November 2022). Peers are riding the sentiment higher, such as rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) +8.5%, AI software maker C3.ai (NYSE:AI) +9.3% and Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) +7.7%. Bigger players like Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), which are incorporating generative AI into their platforms, rose as well, while the AI rally sent Nasdaq futures up nearly 2% overnight.
But... the jury is still out on artificial intelligence. There's no doubt that companies are on the brink of something big, and that it will change many industries and how we do things, but it's important to separate hype from reality when talking about any emerging technology. Remember the Internet of Things? Web 3.0? The metaverse? DeFi, blockchain, and NFTs? Many shares related to companies operating in these spaces have seen their prices dwindle from the record highs seen when the news cycle was first played up. Contrast that to smartphones, streaming, e-commerce and the cloud, which have had much more lasting impacts on business investment, the labor market and broader economy.
From the comments section: "[NVDA's] $6B rev and $2B in researching and development. That's how to build the future. Incredible stock," writes SA premium user ErikInvest, while chris hafferty adds "AI is as significant as the commercialization of electricity!" Raph86 counters that "from the COVID everything bubble right to the AI bubble... Market demands more of the sweet stuff!" in SA article, Nvidia Fiscal Q1 2024 Earnings: Solid Beat, But Hedge Your Bets. "The valuation does NOT have to be justified," replies Natturner1966. "It's the stock market, not a college finance class." (22 comments)
On negative watch
The United States is in danger of losing Fitch's top sovereign debt status due to "increased political partisanship that is hindering reaching a resolution to raise or suspend the debt limit." The "AAA" long-term foreign currency issuer default rating was placed on Rating Watch Negative, though Fitch still expects a resolution before the so-called "X-date," which can impact the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY). Recall that in 2011, the U.S. lost its top rating at S&P, as the government approached default in a similar standoff. S&P has not restored the country to its highest rating, but the last of the Big Three credit rating agencies, Moody's, still has its highest "Aaa" ranking on the U.S. (42 comments)
Here comes the sun
Solar is emerging as an energy superpower with this year's global investment in the sector ($380B) set to surpass spending on oil production ($370B) for the first time. That's according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, who said the development "will soon start to see a very different energy system emerging and we can keep the 1.5C goal alive." The change is a result of strong subsidies and tax credits like the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as policy alignment among nations towards climate and energy security, and better economics of alternative power sources. "Clean energy is moving fast, faster than many people realize," Birol added. "For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about $1.7 are now going into clean energy. Five years ago, this ratio was 1:1." (9 comments)
Pause in June?
Almost all Federal Reserve officials at the FOMC's May 2-3 meeting said downside risks to growth and upside risks to unemployment had increased due to banking stresses, according to the minutes published from the gathering. Participants "generally expressed uncertainty about how much more policy tightening may be appropriate," while some noted that additional "policy firming would likely be warranted at future meetings." That means the bank is still divided on whether to continue raising interest rates, especially if progress in bringing down inflation to the Fed's 2% target remains "unacceptably slow." The policymaking committee in May increased its key rate by 25 bps to a range of 5.00%-5.25%, representing its 10th straight rate hike, while odds rose of the Fed pausing in June following the release of the minutes. (56 comments)
Today's Markets
In Asia, Japan +0.4%. Hong Kong -1.9%. China -0.1%. India +0.2%. In Europe, at midday, London -0.3%. Paris -0.3%. Frankfurt -0.2%. Futures at 6:30, Dow -0.2%. S&P +0.6%. Nasdaq +1.9%. Crude -1.9% to $72.95. Gold -0.1% to $1963.50. Bitcoin -1.7% to $26,256. Ten-year Treasury Yield +4 bps to 3.76%
Today's Economic Calendar
8:30 GDP Q1 8:30 Initial Jobless Claims 8:30 Chicago Fed National Activity Index 8:30 Corporate profits 9:50 Fed's Barkin Speech 10:00 Pending Home Sales 10:30 EIA Natural Gas Inventory 11:00 Kansas City Fed Mfg Survey 1:00 PM Results of $35B, 7-Year Note Auction 4:30 PM Fed Balance Sheet
Companies reporting earnings today »
What else is happening...
Final GDP data shows Europe's largest economy entered recession.
Microsoft (MSFT) says Chinese hackers attacked 'critical' infrastructure.
Meta Platforms (META) wraps up spring layoffs, deepest in tech.
The implications of Apple's (AAPL) deal with Broadcom (AVGO).
Snowflake (SNOW) plunges as lowered forecast outweighs Q1 results.
Kohl's (KSS) pops on earnings topper, reaffirms guidance.
FTC is probing bidding collusion for these baby-formula makers.
Breakthrough innovation: Nike (NKE) reshuffles C-suite responsibilities.
Icahn Enterprises (IEP) continues slide as Ackman fans the flames.
Google (GOOGL) and European Commission to develop AI governing pact.
2023.05.31 08:28 yolo420blazedeeznuts [Music festivals] The unofficial Glastonbury festival forum - a cultural behemoth, a tyrannical owner, and the 'spirit of the festival all year round' - a recent history
The Glastonbury Festival
For those of you who don't know it, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is the biggest music festival in the UK, and one of the longest running. Since its first iteration in 1970 (preceded by the Bath Festival in 1969) it has become a cultural touchstone in the UK. While the mainstream may still be interested in more traditional affairs like the royalty, queuing or scones and tea, for the others music festivals have led the way for the counter culture.
In its early days, when dairy farmer and all round nice guy Michael Eavis organised the festival at his farm (Worthy Farm) located near the town of Glastonbury once a year and tickets were £1, the festival was naturally (and fairly) associated with soap-dodging crusties, a reputation that has evolved over the years. In the eighties the travelling community used the farm as a base and the festival took on an anti-Thatcher edge. During the 90s the festival became known for seminal sets from up-and-coming British bands and pushing dance music into the spotlight, but its popularity attracted more and more people each year, most of who were not paying for tickets and instead hopping over the flimsy fence as security did nothing to stop them.
By 2000, the local council had had enough, and ruled that the festival take exceptional security measures to be granted a licence. A 'super-fence' was created, and the festival got back to focusing on music, albeit when it wasn't being hit by record rainfalls twice in two years. In 2008, a combination of two years of campsite floods and underwhelming headliners meant that tickets didn't sell out until the first day of the festival and the future of Glastonbury looked to be in doubt. Yet a headline set by Jay Z (goaded on by Noel Gallagher) helped change the festival's fortunes, and every year that it has run since then (it takes a year off to fallow the fields every five or so years and didn't run during the pandemic) it has sold out its tickets on the day that they went on sale. It is now arguably in a stronger place than it has ever been, with over 100 stages, 1000s of performers including musicians, theatre, opera, comedy, dance, and art, and about 210,000 people on site over the course of its five days still overseen by Michael Eavis, although his daughter Emily Eavis is in charge these days.
A festival is nothing without its attendees, and among the general Glastobury festival attendees are a passionate, dedicated and obsessive cohort. Many of this cohort have been going to the festival for decades, and each year their rank is joined by new, younger members who attend the festival for the first time and see just what is so magical about it. Like any pop culture icon, the fans of Glastonbury congregated online, and that place was eFestivals.
eFestivals - the unofficial Glastonbury forum
eFestivals was founded in 1998 by owner Neil (his username is Neil, I'm not doxxing him) - more on him later. The site was essentially set up as a news source on music festivals around the UK and abroad. It was set up before the official Glastonbury website. News would include general information about various upcoming festivals, announcements of artists' tours, and rumoured acts appearing at the festivals. It was the latter that was eFests' unique strength, thanks to connections that Neil had with various booking agents around the UK. News of headline acts that were supposed to remain secret for weeks or months often leaked out at eFests, which attracted a lot of followers in the early days of widely accessible internet.
As many sites of a similar ilk did around the same time, eFests started a forum as a place for its visitors to sign up and discuss their favourite festivals. Very quickly the Glastonbury subforum became the most popular section of the website, and remains so to this day. While other subforums attracted a lot of footfall at times, the year-round post count on the Glastonbury forum drove the visitor numbers to eFests through the roof as the hardcore Glastonbury fans found their home between festivals. As the banner on the forum promises, eFestivals would let you 'Experience the spirit of Glastonbury all year round, a place for general chat about the Festival.'
The normal times
Now, I am going to skip forward here. I only started visiting eFestivals around 2014, so there is a lot of history that I am not familiar with. What is clear though, is that between 1998 and 2014 Neil was the pre-eminent source of reliable information on artists performing, and particularly the headline acts, at Glastonbury. His information was right almost all of the time, and the forum users lapped it up. In fact, they lapped it up so much that they generally turned a blind eye to his somewhat hardline moderation.
Like any popular forum, there were big names that could dominate conversation. On eFests, these included Crazyfool01, an obsessive known for his fancy dress; russycaps, an obsessive known for his aggressive trolling and later his imgur account; the Nal, a older veteran obsessed with trolling in the threads on weather; Bamber, a poster aggressively obsessed with female pop acts and their looks; and Matt42, a newer member obsessed with being aggressively wrong about most things. There were many others too, a true mix of old veterans, always complaining that the festival wasn't as good as it was in the 80s/90s/00s; middle aged music fans arguing about how Kasabian were an awful choice for headliner or how Foals were ready to step up; and newcomers who had never been, seeking advice on where to camp or how much drink to take.
The trouble begins
The forum was going from strength to strength but around 2018 Neil (who had almost exclusively been the sole moderator) started to get the banhammer out more frequently. He wasn't happy about the amount of in jokes, Simpsons references and off topic threads that would dominate the forum in long stretches between festivals and official announcements. One small group, dubbed the 'wacky banter crew' by Neil, were viewed as the source of the forums' problems. Eventually many of them were banned, in what was seen as an unnecessary move by many. They all rejoined with different names.
It was also around this time that Neil's information appeared to be getting less reliable year on year. Whereas before he had been able to share details of many of the acts due to play the festival months ahead of official announcements, by 2019 Neil was generally as well informed as the average forum user. Although he would get the occasional tip off, often these were on acts that users already had knowledge of. In fact, it became apparent that a number of forum users had better sources and connections with the music industry than Neil. Neil would often dispute their information, but the users would be proved correct more often than not. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Neil confidently stated in 2022 that Nightmares on Wax would be headlining the West Holts stage on the Sunday, much to the bemusement of many. When the line up dropped, Nightmares on Wax were in fact third on the bill, a whole five steps down from headliner.
After Brexit in 2016 politics also seeped more and more into the forum, which is understandable given the left leaning stance of the festival and many of its attendees. For most, opposing Brexit and the Tories was standard, but some users instigated arguments about the state of the country that could takeover threads in an instant. Neil would often join in with these arguments, taking what can politely be referred to as a 'right wing' view point, while maintaining that he was anti-Conservative.
Looking back, by October 2019 the forum, while still attracting users and hundreds of posts a day, was clearly heading toward melting point. In the ticket sale for the 2020 festival that month, fancy dress obsessive Crazyfool01, like many others, was not successful in getting himself a ticket. For a man who made his entire personality the festival, this was the end of the world. In a thread that was deleted not long after, he lamented how his pain in not getting a ticket was worse than anyone else's, which earned him the ire of other ticketless users angry that he was monopolising the communal disappointment and that he shouldn't be so entitled. For balance, I should point out that Crazyfool01 is very, very popular among many of the forum's users, and one of Neil's most loyal fans. He was seen by many to be most influential user on the site and a poster boy of the friendly Glastonbury-goer image.
Crazyfool01 would continue to post about his ticketless situation daily, and launched initiatives to help as many people as possible in the upcoming resale, although cynics would say that was entirely motivated out of his own pursuit of a ticket. Hundreds of others had been ticketless in years previous, but he had never put so much effort in the resales. Soon enough he had a huge number of forum users to help him secure a ticket in the resale as part of this. Some users suggested that he volunteer at the festival as a way in, but he refused. He also discussed his idea of going to the homes of the festival bosses at Christmas to beg for a ticket, although thankfully he was talked out of this. Although the pandemic would see the 2020 and 2021 iterations of the festival cancelled, Crazyfool01 would eventually have a ticket bought for him in the resale for the 2022 festival.
The pandemic years were probably the darkest time for the forum, and for the festival itself, which was apparently close to bankruptcy. As users had to wait longer than usual for their Glastonbury fix, there was nothing festival-related to talk about, and the politics that had crept into the forum was amplified as conversation turned to the rights and wrongs of lockdowns, facemasks and other contentious issues. There were a number of megathreads on covid (Neil would delete them occasionally) that were full of arguments, personal attacks, hot takes and general desperation about the situation. Users organised social skype meets during lockdown to give them something to do, and they were about as awkward as you would expect.
It was some time in 2021 that Neil had some serious health problems. I don't know the specific details, but it had a significant impact on his way of life and, unfortunately, his approach to moderating and posting on the forum. Crazyfool01 took it upon himself to quietly organise a whipround to raise some money to gift to Neil so that he could afford a electric scooter to get around the festival site for the upcoming festival in 2022. Neil and his wife found out about the money by reading user PMs, accepted the money, never said thank you, and later said that they didn't need the money. Add on to this some severely transphobic comments that Neil made, and his reputation was well and truly sullied, a matter complicated by his ill health.
The split
It was in this context that the first great split happened in May 2022, less than two months ahead of the first Glastonbury festival since 2019. Neil's moderation was too aggressive for many users as he sought to remove 'troll' posts, and then users. Some users were identified by Neil as being part of the 'wacky banter crew', but their posts were part of the normal festival discourse, and were in no way trolling. In particular, Neil found out that previously banned user 'Gucci Piggy' was going by the username 'Somto Unigwe Raphael', and was furious that this seemed to be common knowledge.
Neil banned the account of Hugh Jass II, having accidentally deleted the original Hugh Jass account, for the crime of being an alt account and shit hit the fan. Users were outraged that one of the forum's most popular users had had their account removed, despite not doing anything to antagonise Neil or being in any way affiliated with the WBC. A war of words ensued, with the highest profile victim being Matt42, who was branded a 'cuck' by Neil for knowing that Gucci was Somto (as did 90% of other regular users), while some other innocent bystanders were banned. It was clear that this was a step too far as users who normally turned a blind eye to Neil's tyranny called out this move as incorrect. The users not loyal to Neil were even angrier, and some said that they would be leaving the site. It turned out not to be an empty threat.
Almost instantly a discord server (named Other Fests) was set up by the WBC, and the link began to circulate around the Efestivals forums. Within a week of the discord starting it had over 500 members. It was a chaotic place in the beginning, with many users unfamiliar with discord and confused by the faster moving conversations. Amid users trying to continue their usual Glastonbury chats, conversation was dominated by slagging off Neil and eFestivals users that didn't make the move, and bemoaning leaving the forum. Able to speak freely for the first time without the risk of being banned, a lot of posts were made in anger, with many declaring that they would never go back to eFests.
To the surprise of many, including Neil, who had declared that people had tried to set up rival forums before and failed, Other Fests was successful. People were happy with the move and didn't miss eFests. Glastonbury festival always happens at the end of June, so the months of May and June were always the busiest months on eFestivals. This proved to be the case for the discord too. While the 'eFestivals drama' thread quickly became the most popular thread, other discussions about the festival (and other festivals) were just as busy as, if not busier that, the old forum thanks to the new format. On eFests the difference was noticeable. During this period there would normally have been thousands of posts a day, but in 2022 there was barely any activity at all.
Users still loyal to Neil remained on eFests, preaching Neil's gospel that the rebellion would fail, and the traitors would eventually come crawling back. Due to the bad blood and barbed words being traded, the annual eFests Glastonbury meet was not officially organised, although some users did meet up on site at the usual place and time. The 2022 festival happened, and once the post-festival reviews and hot takes had happened, it seemed that the new way of life had set in: a much quieter, less popular eFestivals forum had the historical importance but tainted reputation; and the up-and-coming OtherFests discord, where the emphasis was on not being as bad as eFests. Everyone seemed happy.
Then something strange happened. The discord disappeared. While traffic had certainly dropped off after the 2022 festival, this was usual for that time of year. There was no obvious reason as to why it was deleted. Although I haven't been able to find the exact reason, it seems like the original creator Gilgy had some doubts about the exercise around October or November 2022, so deleted everything.
Confused, many users ended up reluctantly going back to eFests, while others ended up on reddit and some just didn't do anything. The traitors reintegrated to eFests, many still unhappy about having to be there. This continued on for a few months, and then, in January 2023, a second discord, 'OtherOtherFests' (OOF) was founded.
The second, permanent split
This time aroundon discord there was a bigger moderation team, a clear purpose (to exist alongside eFests, not in spite of eFests), and a set of principles that users were asked to adhere to (be nice). OOF also had a softer launch than the original discord - there was no particular event that sparked its necessity, which meant that user numbers built slowly. As the link circulated, many eFests refugees moved back over the discord, with some saying that they would be using both sites.
As this was quietly happening in the background of eFests, the foreground was dominated again by Neil. In late 2022 roughbloke, a user with always reliable sources, posted in the Headliners 2023 thread that he had solid information that Guns 'N Roses would be headlining the festival in 2023. While rumours like this are to be taken with a pinch of salt, BSR was known to be one of the most reliable sources of Glastonbury information. Many users were upset at the prospect of their festival hosting GNR, particularly given their up and down live performances, reputation, and the fact that they didn't really fit in with the ethos of the festival. No one was more upset than Neil. He refused to accept the rumour as viable, and would disrupt any conversation on the matter to say that it was a made up rumour and that he would not be going to Glastonbury if GNR were announced.
As Neil's rants were becoming more and more unhinged, the link to the discord server was circulated more, and greater numbers of users shifted over to OOF. Occasionally the link was posted in the open after a particularly bad rant, and Neil got wind that he had a rival again. As he was increasingly erratically, (such as banning the word 'discord' in PMs), users encouraged him to stop and to at least appoint another moderator to help him out. Crazyfool01 made it his mission to become that moderator, and after a private campaign, Neil eventually made him one, doubling the size of the moderator team.
In March GNR were announced on the first official poster and the fallout on eFests was toxic. The majority of users saw it as a poor booking and indicative of a poor line up. roughbloke asked Neil for an apology over the abuse he received for (correctly) predicting GNR and Neil belligerently refused to do so, doubling down on his insults and stating that he would be returning his ticket due to GNR being booked.
It was not long after this that Neil posted more transphobic bile (bizarrely related to GNR), and despite being asked to remove his post, he kept going. Users were disgusted that Neil was continuing to post hate speech on the Glastonbury forum, a festival that is supposed to be for everyone. By the time Neil stopped his transphobic posts, he had driven a huge number of previously loyal users over to Discord and had Crazyfool01 resign as moderator. Crazyfool01 even joined the discord after negotiations with the mods, posting on both sites.
OOF was now in rude health, with users taking part in world cups of crisps and biscuits and trading all sorts of solid line up information (on the agreement that it would not be leaked to eFests). Very quickly it had over 1000 members and this time it didn't buckle. While the eFestivals drama thread still attracted a lot of attention, users sensed that eFests' days were limited and many campaigned for other users to stop slagging off users loyal to Neil and to make it a welcoming place for them. The mods frequently discussed whether to delete the drama thread, as there was no need for it any more. Almost every single time they had that debate there would some new drama on eFests (such as Neil being transphobic again, user Kalifire sending abusive messages to a young woman, Crazyfool01 quitting the discord after being politely asked to stop recruiting members back to eFests, or Russycarps returning from the dead) that would reignite the chatter as users gathered to watch the unfolding binfire.
That brings us to the present. eFests is looking like it is about to have its life support turned off, and the OOF discord is attracting the vast majority online Glastonbury-related chatter, and has a far more active community. It even got its unofficial flag into Yves Tumor's promotional material. This has all come about thanks to one man. Neil built eFestivals from the ground when websites were still a confusing and new technology. He amassed a loyal following and cultivated the best online space for UK and European music festivals out there. His change in behaviour over years however, is yet another example of someone not dying a hero, and instead becoming the villain. Where either site goes from here is unclear, but it's hard to see eFests recovering given that its greatest assets - its users and its reliable line up information - now belong to the discord.
Addendum - new ownership
Between the time that I started writing this and finishing it, arguably the most significant event of eFests 25 year history occurred. Neil sold the site. He had said several months ago that he was looking to sell it, but no one realistically thought that a) he would get a price that he was happy with or b) that he would be able to relinquish control. It was announced a few weeks ago that the sale had gone through, with someone going by the name 'Iggy Makarov' taking ownership of the site. Users scattered for clues of who this mysterious figure was, with some detective work on OOF suggesting that he was a crypto-bro.
Days later Neil couldn't refuse one final piece of drama, almost as this post was being written. Crazyfool01 (him again) started a thread for the 'official' eFests meet to take place at Glastonbury 2023. Within a few posts Neil arrived, and attacked his most loyal servant for making the meet 'all about him' (hilariously by posting a McFly video). Neil continued attacking Crazyfool01 and stated that the 'official' eFests meet wasn't the one that Crazyfool01 had announced, but would be taking place in the same bar, at the same time, as Crazyfool01's unofficial meet. (Neil never did return his ticket to this year's festival like he said he would for months and months.)
It was in this context that Iggy, the new site owner, appeared for the first time. He described himself as an ad man, and wasn't initially looking to make a profit from the forum. Users on both eFests and OOF were suspicious of his motives (he claimed to have never been to a festival), but everyone was glad that Neil's reign of terror was finally over. We end on an optimistic note, hoping that eFests and OOF can co-exists, waiting to see what Iggy will do.
Author's note
I know that a lot of hobby dramas are posted with receipts, but unfortunately in this case it hasn't been possible, mostly because I never kept any of the old days, and if I ask those who might have them, I doxx myself. I'm sure that there are slight inaccuracies in the above account of events, so if anyone wants to PM me to correct me, I will happily do so.
I hope I have given everyone a fair write up - I use both sites and see the merits of each. I recognise that Neil comes out of this badly, and that the issue is complicated by his health issues. I can assure you that he has always behaved like this (since I have been part of the online Glastonbury community at least).
Thank you to the mods of this sub for their patience and help in making sure that it adheres to the rules.
See you on the farm.
submitted by yolo420blazedeeznuts to HobbyDrama [link] [comments]
For those of you who don't know it, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is the biggest music festival in the UK, and one of the longest running. Since its first iteration in 1970 (preceded by the Bath Festival in 1969) it has become a cultural touchstone in the UK. While the mainstream may still be interested in more traditional affairs like the royalty, queuing or scones and tea, for the others music festivals have led the way for the counter culture.
In its early days, when dairy farmer and all round nice guy Michael Eavis organised the festival at his farm (Worthy Farm) located near the town of Glastonbury once a year and tickets were £1, the festival was naturally (and fairly) associated with soap-dodging crusties, a reputation that has evolved over the years. In the eighties the travelling community used the farm as a base and the festival took on an anti-Thatcher edge. During the 90s the festival became known for seminal sets from up-and-coming British bands and pushing dance music into the spotlight, but its popularity attracted more and more people each year, most of who were not paying for tickets and instead hopping over the flimsy fence as security did nothing to stop them.
By 2000, the local council had had enough, and ruled that the festival take exceptional security measures to be granted a licence. A 'super-fence' was created, and the festival got back to focusing on music, albeit when it wasn't being hit by record rainfalls twice in two years. In 2008, a combination of two years of campsite floods and underwhelming headliners meant that tickets didn't sell out until the first day of the festival and the future of Glastonbury looked to be in doubt. Yet a headline set by Jay Z (goaded on by Noel Gallagher) helped change the festival's fortunes, and every year that it has run since then (it takes a year off to fallow the fields every five or so years and didn't run during the pandemic) it has sold out its tickets on the day that they went on sale. It is now arguably in a stronger place than it has ever been, with over 100 stages, 1000s of performers including musicians, theatre, opera, comedy, dance, and art, and about 210,000 people on site over the course of its five days still overseen by Michael Eavis, although his daughter Emily Eavis is in charge these days.
A festival is nothing without its attendees, and among the general Glastobury festival attendees are a passionate, dedicated and obsessive cohort. Many of this cohort have been going to the festival for decades, and each year their rank is joined by new, younger members who attend the festival for the first time and see just what is so magical about it. Like any pop culture icon, the fans of Glastonbury congregated online, and that place was eFestivals.
eFestivals - the unofficial Glastonbury forum
eFestivals was founded in 1998 by owner Neil (his username is Neil, I'm not doxxing him) - more on him later. The site was essentially set up as a news source on music festivals around the UK and abroad. It was set up before the official Glastonbury website. News would include general information about various upcoming festivals, announcements of artists' tours, and rumoured acts appearing at the festivals. It was the latter that was eFests' unique strength, thanks to connections that Neil had with various booking agents around the UK. News of headline acts that were supposed to remain secret for weeks or months often leaked out at eFests, which attracted a lot of followers in the early days of widely accessible internet.
As many sites of a similar ilk did around the same time, eFests started a forum as a place for its visitors to sign up and discuss their favourite festivals. Very quickly the Glastonbury subforum became the most popular section of the website, and remains so to this day. While other subforums attracted a lot of footfall at times, the year-round post count on the Glastonbury forum drove the visitor numbers to eFests through the roof as the hardcore Glastonbury fans found their home between festivals. As the banner on the forum promises, eFestivals would let you 'Experience the spirit of Glastonbury all year round, a place for general chat about the Festival.'
The normal times
Now, I am going to skip forward here. I only started visiting eFestivals around 2014, so there is a lot of history that I am not familiar with. What is clear though, is that between 1998 and 2014 Neil was the pre-eminent source of reliable information on artists performing, and particularly the headline acts, at Glastonbury. His information was right almost all of the time, and the forum users lapped it up. In fact, they lapped it up so much that they generally turned a blind eye to his somewhat hardline moderation.
Like any popular forum, there were big names that could dominate conversation. On eFests, these included Crazyfool01, an obsessive known for his fancy dress; russycaps, an obsessive known for his aggressive trolling and later his imgur account; the Nal, a older veteran obsessed with trolling in the threads on weather; Bamber, a poster aggressively obsessed with female pop acts and their looks; and Matt42, a newer member obsessed with being aggressively wrong about most things. There were many others too, a true mix of old veterans, always complaining that the festival wasn't as good as it was in the 80s/90s/00s; middle aged music fans arguing about how Kasabian were an awful choice for headliner or how Foals were ready to step up; and newcomers who had never been, seeking advice on where to camp or how much drink to take.
The trouble begins
The forum was going from strength to strength but around 2018 Neil (who had almost exclusively been the sole moderator) started to get the banhammer out more frequently. He wasn't happy about the amount of in jokes, Simpsons references and off topic threads that would dominate the forum in long stretches between festivals and official announcements. One small group, dubbed the 'wacky banter crew' by Neil, were viewed as the source of the forums' problems. Eventually many of them were banned, in what was seen as an unnecessary move by many. They all rejoined with different names.
It was also around this time that Neil's information appeared to be getting less reliable year on year. Whereas before he had been able to share details of many of the acts due to play the festival months ahead of official announcements, by 2019 Neil was generally as well informed as the average forum user. Although he would get the occasional tip off, often these were on acts that users already had knowledge of. In fact, it became apparent that a number of forum users had better sources and connections with the music industry than Neil. Neil would often dispute their information, but the users would be proved correct more often than not. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Neil confidently stated in 2022 that Nightmares on Wax would be headlining the West Holts stage on the Sunday, much to the bemusement of many. When the line up dropped, Nightmares on Wax were in fact third on the bill, a whole five steps down from headliner.
After Brexit in 2016 politics also seeped more and more into the forum, which is understandable given the left leaning stance of the festival and many of its attendees. For most, opposing Brexit and the Tories was standard, but some users instigated arguments about the state of the country that could takeover threads in an instant. Neil would often join in with these arguments, taking what can politely be referred to as a 'right wing' view point, while maintaining that he was anti-Conservative.
Looking back, by October 2019 the forum, while still attracting users and hundreds of posts a day, was clearly heading toward melting point. In the ticket sale for the 2020 festival that month, fancy dress obsessive Crazyfool01, like many others, was not successful in getting himself a ticket. For a man who made his entire personality the festival, this was the end of the world. In a thread that was deleted not long after, he lamented how his pain in not getting a ticket was worse than anyone else's, which earned him the ire of other ticketless users angry that he was monopolising the communal disappointment and that he shouldn't be so entitled. For balance, I should point out that Crazyfool01 is very, very popular among many of the forum's users, and one of Neil's most loyal fans. He was seen by many to be most influential user on the site and a poster boy of the friendly Glastonbury-goer image.
Crazyfool01 would continue to post about his ticketless situation daily, and launched initiatives to help as many people as possible in the upcoming resale, although cynics would say that was entirely motivated out of his own pursuit of a ticket. Hundreds of others had been ticketless in years previous, but he had never put so much effort in the resales. Soon enough he had a huge number of forum users to help him secure a ticket in the resale as part of this. Some users suggested that he volunteer at the festival as a way in, but he refused. He also discussed his idea of going to the homes of the festival bosses at Christmas to beg for a ticket, although thankfully he was talked out of this. Although the pandemic would see the 2020 and 2021 iterations of the festival cancelled, Crazyfool01 would eventually have a ticket bought for him in the resale for the 2022 festival.
The pandemic years were probably the darkest time for the forum, and for the festival itself, which was apparently close to bankruptcy. As users had to wait longer than usual for their Glastonbury fix, there was nothing festival-related to talk about, and the politics that had crept into the forum was amplified as conversation turned to the rights and wrongs of lockdowns, facemasks and other contentious issues. There were a number of megathreads on covid (Neil would delete them occasionally) that were full of arguments, personal attacks, hot takes and general desperation about the situation. Users organised social skype meets during lockdown to give them something to do, and they were about as awkward as you would expect.
It was some time in 2021 that Neil had some serious health problems. I don't know the specific details, but it had a significant impact on his way of life and, unfortunately, his approach to moderating and posting on the forum. Crazyfool01 took it upon himself to quietly organise a whipround to raise some money to gift to Neil so that he could afford a electric scooter to get around the festival site for the upcoming festival in 2022. Neil and his wife found out about the money by reading user PMs, accepted the money, never said thank you, and later said that they didn't need the money. Add on to this some severely transphobic comments that Neil made, and his reputation was well and truly sullied, a matter complicated by his ill health.
The split
It was in this context that the first great split happened in May 2022, less than two months ahead of the first Glastonbury festival since 2019. Neil's moderation was too aggressive for many users as he sought to remove 'troll' posts, and then users. Some users were identified by Neil as being part of the 'wacky banter crew', but their posts were part of the normal festival discourse, and were in no way trolling. In particular, Neil found out that previously banned user 'Gucci Piggy' was going by the username 'Somto Unigwe Raphael', and was furious that this seemed to be common knowledge.
Neil banned the account of Hugh Jass II, having accidentally deleted the original Hugh Jass account, for the crime of being an alt account and shit hit the fan. Users were outraged that one of the forum's most popular users had had their account removed, despite not doing anything to antagonise Neil or being in any way affiliated with the WBC. A war of words ensued, with the highest profile victim being Matt42, who was branded a 'cuck' by Neil for knowing that Gucci was Somto (as did 90% of other regular users), while some other innocent bystanders were banned. It was clear that this was a step too far as users who normally turned a blind eye to Neil's tyranny called out this move as incorrect. The users not loyal to Neil were even angrier, and some said that they would be leaving the site. It turned out not to be an empty threat.
Almost instantly a discord server (named Other Fests) was set up by the WBC, and the link began to circulate around the Efestivals forums. Within a week of the discord starting it had over 500 members. It was a chaotic place in the beginning, with many users unfamiliar with discord and confused by the faster moving conversations. Amid users trying to continue their usual Glastonbury chats, conversation was dominated by slagging off Neil and eFestivals users that didn't make the move, and bemoaning leaving the forum. Able to speak freely for the first time without the risk of being banned, a lot of posts were made in anger, with many declaring that they would never go back to eFests.
To the surprise of many, including Neil, who had declared that people had tried to set up rival forums before and failed, Other Fests was successful. People were happy with the move and didn't miss eFests. Glastonbury festival always happens at the end of June, so the months of May and June were always the busiest months on eFestivals. This proved to be the case for the discord too. While the 'eFestivals drama' thread quickly became the most popular thread, other discussions about the festival (and other festivals) were just as busy as, if not busier that, the old forum thanks to the new format. On eFests the difference was noticeable. During this period there would normally have been thousands of posts a day, but in 2022 there was barely any activity at all.
Users still loyal to Neil remained on eFests, preaching Neil's gospel that the rebellion would fail, and the traitors would eventually come crawling back. Due to the bad blood and barbed words being traded, the annual eFests Glastonbury meet was not officially organised, although some users did meet up on site at the usual place and time. The 2022 festival happened, and once the post-festival reviews and hot takes had happened, it seemed that the new way of life had set in: a much quieter, less popular eFestivals forum had the historical importance but tainted reputation; and the up-and-coming OtherFests discord, where the emphasis was on not being as bad as eFests. Everyone seemed happy.
Then something strange happened. The discord disappeared. While traffic had certainly dropped off after the 2022 festival, this was usual for that time of year. There was no obvious reason as to why it was deleted. Although I haven't been able to find the exact reason, it seems like the original creator Gilgy had some doubts about the exercise around October or November 2022, so deleted everything.
Confused, many users ended up reluctantly going back to eFests, while others ended up on reddit and some just didn't do anything. The traitors reintegrated to eFests, many still unhappy about having to be there. This continued on for a few months, and then, in January 2023, a second discord, 'OtherOtherFests' (OOF) was founded.
The second, permanent split
This time aroundon discord there was a bigger moderation team, a clear purpose (to exist alongside eFests, not in spite of eFests), and a set of principles that users were asked to adhere to (be nice). OOF also had a softer launch than the original discord - there was no particular event that sparked its necessity, which meant that user numbers built slowly. As the link circulated, many eFests refugees moved back over the discord, with some saying that they would be using both sites.
As this was quietly happening in the background of eFests, the foreground was dominated again by Neil. In late 2022 roughbloke, a user with always reliable sources, posted in the Headliners 2023 thread that he had solid information that Guns 'N Roses would be headlining the festival in 2023. While rumours like this are to be taken with a pinch of salt, BSR was known to be one of the most reliable sources of Glastonbury information. Many users were upset at the prospect of their festival hosting GNR, particularly given their up and down live performances, reputation, and the fact that they didn't really fit in with the ethos of the festival. No one was more upset than Neil. He refused to accept the rumour as viable, and would disrupt any conversation on the matter to say that it was a made up rumour and that he would not be going to Glastonbury if GNR were announced.
As Neil's rants were becoming more and more unhinged, the link to the discord server was circulated more, and greater numbers of users shifted over to OOF. Occasionally the link was posted in the open after a particularly bad rant, and Neil got wind that he had a rival again. As he was increasingly erratically, (such as banning the word 'discord' in PMs), users encouraged him to stop and to at least appoint another moderator to help him out. Crazyfool01 made it his mission to become that moderator, and after a private campaign, Neil eventually made him one, doubling the size of the moderator team.
In March GNR were announced on the first official poster and the fallout on eFests was toxic. The majority of users saw it as a poor booking and indicative of a poor line up. roughbloke asked Neil for an apology over the abuse he received for (correctly) predicting GNR and Neil belligerently refused to do so, doubling down on his insults and stating that he would be returning his ticket due to GNR being booked.
It was not long after this that Neil posted more transphobic bile (bizarrely related to GNR), and despite being asked to remove his post, he kept going. Users were disgusted that Neil was continuing to post hate speech on the Glastonbury forum, a festival that is supposed to be for everyone. By the time Neil stopped his transphobic posts, he had driven a huge number of previously loyal users over to Discord and had Crazyfool01 resign as moderator. Crazyfool01 even joined the discord after negotiations with the mods, posting on both sites.
OOF was now in rude health, with users taking part in world cups of crisps and biscuits and trading all sorts of solid line up information (on the agreement that it would not be leaked to eFests). Very quickly it had over 1000 members and this time it didn't buckle. While the eFestivals drama thread still attracted a lot of attention, users sensed that eFests' days were limited and many campaigned for other users to stop slagging off users loyal to Neil and to make it a welcoming place for them. The mods frequently discussed whether to delete the drama thread, as there was no need for it any more. Almost every single time they had that debate there would some new drama on eFests (such as Neil being transphobic again, user Kalifire sending abusive messages to a young woman, Crazyfool01 quitting the discord after being politely asked to stop recruiting members back to eFests, or Russycarps returning from the dead) that would reignite the chatter as users gathered to watch the unfolding binfire.
That brings us to the present. eFests is looking like it is about to have its life support turned off, and the OOF discord is attracting the vast majority online Glastonbury-related chatter, and has a far more active community. It even got its unofficial flag into Yves Tumor's promotional material. This has all come about thanks to one man. Neil built eFestivals from the ground when websites were still a confusing and new technology. He amassed a loyal following and cultivated the best online space for UK and European music festivals out there. His change in behaviour over years however, is yet another example of someone not dying a hero, and instead becoming the villain. Where either site goes from here is unclear, but it's hard to see eFests recovering given that its greatest assets - its users and its reliable line up information - now belong to the discord.
Addendum - new ownership
Between the time that I started writing this and finishing it, arguably the most significant event of eFests 25 year history occurred. Neil sold the site. He had said several months ago that he was looking to sell it, but no one realistically thought that a) he would get a price that he was happy with or b) that he would be able to relinquish control. It was announced a few weeks ago that the sale had gone through, with someone going by the name 'Iggy Makarov' taking ownership of the site. Users scattered for clues of who this mysterious figure was, with some detective work on OOF suggesting that he was a crypto-bro.
Days later Neil couldn't refuse one final piece of drama, almost as this post was being written. Crazyfool01 (him again) started a thread for the 'official' eFests meet to take place at Glastonbury 2023. Within a few posts Neil arrived, and attacked his most loyal servant for making the meet 'all about him' (hilariously by posting a McFly video). Neil continued attacking Crazyfool01 and stated that the 'official' eFests meet wasn't the one that Crazyfool01 had announced, but would be taking place in the same bar, at the same time, as Crazyfool01's unofficial meet. (Neil never did return his ticket to this year's festival like he said he would for months and months.)
It was in this context that Iggy, the new site owner, appeared for the first time. He described himself as an ad man, and wasn't initially looking to make a profit from the forum. Users on both eFests and OOF were suspicious of his motives (he claimed to have never been to a festival), but everyone was glad that Neil's reign of terror was finally over. We end on an optimistic note, hoping that eFests and OOF can co-exists, waiting to see what Iggy will do.
Author's note
I know that a lot of hobby dramas are posted with receipts, but unfortunately in this case it hasn't been possible, mostly because I never kept any of the old days, and if I ask those who might have them, I doxx myself. I'm sure that there are slight inaccuracies in the above account of events, so if anyone wants to PM me to correct me, I will happily do so.
I hope I have given everyone a fair write up - I use both sites and see the merits of each. I recognise that Neil comes out of this badly, and that the issue is complicated by his health issues. I can assure you that he has always behaved like this (since I have been part of the online Glastonbury community at least).
Thank you to the mods of this sub for their patience and help in making sure that it adheres to the rules.
See you on the farm.
2023.05.31 03:04 imakeholesinu Metrolink North/South Open House Summary
Project Overview, Presented by Kristen Lueken
Goal 1 - Provide more choices to those with limited transportation options
Line would have 14 stations in 5.6 mile corridor, operate from 5AM - 1AM 7 days a week, 10-15min transit travel time.
Goal 2 - Invest in historically underserved or marginalized neighborhoods
24% of residents along the alignment live below the federal poverty threshold. 2600 legally binding affordable housing units within walking distance of the line.
Project Timeline:
Still looking for feedback along the "new" alignment where Choteau and Cass were not part of along the first proposed route.
Project Design Elements
Light rail will travel in dedicated traffic lanes, cars can cross to turn but cannot drive on the track, the road and rail are not shared north to south.
Minneapolis, Houston, Phoenix are examples of how this would be accomplished.
Additional U-Turns would be added for driving as center turn lanes would be eliminated in this system.
Stations would be located either in a Side Platform configuration or a center platform configuration depending on left turn lane needs for car traffic.
North St. Louis County Community Connector
This would be phase 2 after the Jefferson N/S connector is built. St. Louis County is looking at similar equity and demographic factors and soliciting feedback on it's 4 possible routes.
Interactive map of 4 possible North County routes
Public Involvement: Presented by Laurna Godwin
33 stakeholder groups and elected official breifings (20 County, 13 in the city)
7 City Neighborhood presentations
2 City community sponsored tabling events
40 "street team" pop-ups in City and County (survey and project promotion)
2,390 online respondents to the survey
57% City resident, 41% from the County responded
70% currently own or lease a vehicle
65% would use metro
In the County the GoodFellow-West Florissant option is the favored option for the County connector.
Next Steps/Q&A
Team will review open house feedback and continue to reach out to City and county officials
Cost estimate is not available at this time. Shooting for end of summer 2023.
Connection transfer from Jefferson line to Red/Blue line is being considered
Bike infrastructure needs feedback from open house events and community engagement. If you want protected bike lanes/infrastructure along this alignment make your voice heard.
Signals will be upgraded along the route for Traffic Signal Priority instead of timer based usage.
Metro is finalizing a contract with the next level consultant for the Federal step.
Metrolink Security Assessment presented by Kevin Scott
This is about the current 38 platforms.
Mid-america airport will be a new station added.
WSP USA conducted the security survey.
Bi-State will move to a closed/gated platform system. New Gating, enhanced fencing, additional 800 cameras and real-time tracking center, will include upgraded cameras to platforms, buses and train cameras.
Fare collection system will be upgraded as well during the updates to each station.
Secure Platform Plan will be done in 6 packages.
Package 1 College, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Washington Park - Construction completion scheduled for Spring 2024
Package 2 Central West End, Civic Center, Cortex, Delmar, Forest Park, Grand, Union Station - Construction completion scheduled for Summer 2024
Anticipated to have all stations upgraded by Spring of 2025.
$52 Million will be needed for completions, $12 Million from Bonds, $12 Million from Illinois Federal Stimulus, $17.25 from BSD Capital & ARPA funds, $10.75 Million from Private business.
Pilot program for metal detection systems is beginning, last for 4 weeks.
More information can be found here. The virtual townhall was recorded and will be uploaded on the website in a day or 2. It will be approximately 1h 30m in length.
submitted by imakeholesinu to StLouis [link] [comments]
Goal 1 - Provide more choices to those with limited transportation options
Line would have 14 stations in 5.6 mile corridor, operate from 5AM - 1AM 7 days a week, 10-15min transit travel time.
Goal 2 - Invest in historically underserved or marginalized neighborhoods
24% of residents along the alignment live below the federal poverty threshold. 2600 legally binding affordable housing units within walking distance of the line.
Project Timeline:
Still looking for feedback along the "new" alignment where Choteau and Cass were not part of along the first proposed route.
Project Design Elements
Light rail will travel in dedicated traffic lanes, cars can cross to turn but cannot drive on the track, the road and rail are not shared north to south.
Minneapolis, Houston, Phoenix are examples of how this would be accomplished.
Additional U-Turns would be added for driving as center turn lanes would be eliminated in this system.
Stations would be located either in a Side Platform configuration or a center platform configuration depending on left turn lane needs for car traffic.
North St. Louis County Community Connector
This would be phase 2 after the Jefferson N/S connector is built. St. Louis County is looking at similar equity and demographic factors and soliciting feedback on it's 4 possible routes.
Interactive map of 4 possible North County routes
Public Involvement: Presented by Laurna Godwin
33 stakeholder groups and elected official breifings (20 County, 13 in the city)
7 City Neighborhood presentations
2 City community sponsored tabling events
40 "street team" pop-ups in City and County (survey and project promotion)
2,390 online respondents to the survey
57% City resident, 41% from the County responded
70% currently own or lease a vehicle
65% would use metro
In the County the GoodFellow-West Florissant option is the favored option for the County connector.
Next Steps/Q&A
Team will review open house feedback and continue to reach out to City and county officials
Cost estimate is not available at this time. Shooting for end of summer 2023.
Connection transfer from Jefferson line to Red/Blue line is being considered
Bike infrastructure needs feedback from open house events and community engagement. If you want protected bike lanes/infrastructure along this alignment make your voice heard.
Signals will be upgraded along the route for Traffic Signal Priority instead of timer based usage.
Metro is finalizing a contract with the next level consultant for the Federal step.
Metrolink Security Assessment presented by Kevin Scott
This is about the current 38 platforms.
Mid-america airport will be a new station added.
WSP USA conducted the security survey.
Bi-State will move to a closed/gated platform system. New Gating, enhanced fencing, additional 800 cameras and real-time tracking center, will include upgraded cameras to platforms, buses and train cameras.
Fare collection system will be upgraded as well during the updates to each station.
Secure Platform Plan will be done in 6 packages.
Package 1 College, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Washington Park - Construction completion scheduled for Spring 2024
Package 2 Central West End, Civic Center, Cortex, Delmar, Forest Park, Grand, Union Station - Construction completion scheduled for Summer 2024
Anticipated to have all stations upgraded by Spring of 2025.
$52 Million will be needed for completions, $12 Million from Bonds, $12 Million from Illinois Federal Stimulus, $17.25 from BSD Capital & ARPA funds, $10.75 Million from Private business.
Pilot program for metal detection systems is beginning, last for 4 weeks.
More information can be found here. The virtual townhall was recorded and will be uploaded on the website in a day or 2. It will be approximately 1h 30m in length.