99 cent only store near me

Hi everyone, I'll try to be brief.
I borrowed way too much for my Bachelors in federal and provincial loans. I had no measurable family assistance, no savings, and meager income from working part-time just kept me eating. I faired slightly better in my Masters, receiving a handful of large provincial scholarships, but still racked up some debt due to focusing on my research and therefore doing less part-time work. All-in I left the masters with a total of roughly $65k in student loans owed to a mix of Alberta, BC, Ontario and the federal gov't. I also had an 8k LOC from the bank that I took out to fund international field research.
Between the Masters and PhD, I had an art practice (that was cash positive, but barely) and did contract work for a few years while I mulled over the PhD, which I always knew I'd pursue. It also seemed like the only way to get my money's worth out of that nearly 75k! For the two years between the masters and PhD, I kept my loans out of repayment, and accrued no interest or penalties, and serviced my LOC payments.
The real info/question:
Now, 5 years into the PhD, things are very different. Between part-time contract work, teaching during the year, hard won scholarships and gov't fellowships, and through a mix of investments and High-Interest Savings ETF's, I've managed to pay down the LOC in full and am on track to be able to pay down all of my student debt in one set of payments when I finish my studies. I feel very lucky to find myself in this position.
The question is, what strategy does the group recommend?
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1. Pay down all debts to all agencies, and start debt-free but with no savings
2. Pay down debts to the provinces, which charge interest, and keep the federal loan ("good debt" which has no interest) so that I can hold onto about 15-20k in emergency funds/other savings. Service the federal loan until paid in full.
3. Basically option 1, but accepting a 25k pre-approved LOC from the bank as a temporary emergency fund, but otherwise forgetting about it, until I can save a new emergency fund.
4. Open to hearing alternatives.

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I am leaning towards 3 at the moment, but would be interested in hearing thoughts. I can't ask the bank, 'cause they'll go for 3 every time. In any case, I am holding on to the funds so they can collect interest until payments come due. It's just that I see a road to debt-free that seemed totally impossible 5 years ago, and I don't want to fumble the bag.
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Thanks in advance!

Howdy, you can call me 142. I'm 22, male, and I have 6+ years of roleplaying experience. I will only accept 18+ partners, preferably 20+.
I don't have a specific setting or roleplay in mind. Rather, I'm looking for someone to brainstorm with and create scenarios. I'm fine with nearly any setting, from sci-fi to fantasy to more niche stuff like southern gothic or dieselpunk, and even unique settings we build togethehave built. I enjoy ditching any semblance of sense from time to time and having an interaction between characters from completely different universes, as I have more interest in personality and how characters behave. I'm also more than willing to take the lead, but I want to see your stories and worlds too.
-So, what plot type am I looking for? Basically anything, honestly. Action, combat, slice of life, short interactions or longer stories with larger plots. I am open to romance plots but it is not a requisite. It's okay if RPs go stale, it happens, we can just start another! But if we lose steam too soon too often, I might have to find someone else.
-I do not roleplay fandoms. And if you somehow convince me to, it's gotta be Star Wars, and it's gotta be OCXOC. I'm far more interested in meeting characters I'm not familiar with and roleplaying characters I've created.
-As far as characters go, you can roleplay whoever you want so long as they're an OC. But I'll be clear, I roleplay furries/nonhuman characters 90% of the time. I'm more than happy to create new characters to fit new settings or plots but I'm not gonna play a human or anything that's human but with only a couple traits changed (elves, orcs, dwarves, etc). I just don't see the appeal of having to use something familiar when I can roleplay a pitch-black shadow beast addicted to Cheezits, or a green, six-legged cat thing with too many knives and a superiority complex.
-For length, I can max the Discord character limit when I need to, but don't tend to write responses much larger than that unless I'm really invested. I usually cruise at 2-3 paragraphs in a close third perspective and can manage at least one reply a day, and I would like a partner who can do the same. My time zone is EST but I've been busy lately so it may take a while to respond sometimes.
-I also love chatting OOC between plots and as long as we don't lose too much pace during them. It's very important to have open and clear communication while creating a setting and figuring out where we want to take a story as we go. I have a habit of sometimes sharing random art that I've found or drawn as well, but feel free to ask me not to.
Here's an example of my writing for you to check out:
"Godsdammit..."
The Khejitsune muttered to herself. She could not see it, but she could feel the cold beer as it dribbled from her chin and soaked into her ruff. The glass hit the table with emphasis as she reached for a crumpled handful of napkins to dab at her doused fur. The woman really did loath these simple round glasses, missing the pitcher-like ones at home with a spout for easy drinking. A lack of lips and jagged, exposed teeth meant she could neither sip like a human nor use a straw, so the fluffy alien was relegated to clumsily pouring the beer directly into her mouth. At the very least, the needless difficulty helped her to pace herself.
A gaze tossed around the room met with a few others, and a small twinge of worry attempted to root itself, only to be stamped out by her thoughts. She had not been recognized, no one would know her here. They were staring because there was a large-ish, fuzzy woman with luminous pupils sitting alone in a bar full of (mostly) humans. Animal-like folk were rather common, but Soulbearers were another story. Out here eyes simply did not have a glow behind them. Maxine relaxed a bit, remembering this. As much as she loved her job and her fanbase, sometimes she would take just about any other kind of attention over being approached for an autograph or impromptu interview. Even if that attention took the form of looks and stares from people too shy or nervous to simply walk up and ask what she even was.
Whew, this is my first post here and I get that it's longer than most others. If you've read this far and you're still interested, sweet! DM me your favorite song as of late and a little about yourself as a roleplayer and we'll see from there.

“For the baby, not for me. If it’s a girl, that’s not so bad, she’ll grow a few years and he’ll marry her. But Nella says it’s to be a boy, and she’s had six and knows these things. He gives the boys to the gods. Come the white cold, he does, and of late it comes more often. That’s why he started giving them sheep, even though he has a taste for mutton. Only now the sheep’s gone too. Next it will be dogs, till . . .” She lowered her eyes and stroked her belly.

-ACOK Jon III
The white cold seems to come with the White Walkers, and I assume Craster checked to see if the sacrifice of sheep was accepted before giving more of it. I doubt that they are turning sheep into White Walkers as well, so this seems to be a sort of confirmation that the sheep and the baby are all being eaten.
It shouldn't be this hard to reach this conclusion as in the books they are supposedly alive, and thus require sustenance. But with magic in play everything becomes uncertain. Theoretically, even an army of undead will require food, because movement requires energy, energy requires food.
I think GRRM has been decently scientific in his approach to the undead (given the subject matter). In AGOT he even goes into how the undead rot slower because any living being, including maggots and worms, refuse to go near them:

“They... they aren’t rotting.” Sam pointed, his fat finger shaking only a little. “Look, there’s... there’s no maggots or... or... worms or anything... they’ve been lying here in the woods, but they... they haven’t been chewed or eaten by animals... only Ghost... otherwise they’re... they’re...”
“Untouched,” Jon said softly. “And Ghost is different. The dogs and the horses won’t go near them.”

So, the Others are just eating the babies and sheep, right?

Okay I'll start:
I think it was like 2014. My Mother, my brother and me live in Germany and we moved into an big apartment complex in middle of Saxony near the "Elbe" (river). Anyway in 2013 (idk the date actually) my father sadly passed away and we moved out of the house in the complex that I mentioned. I thought that place was great. But there was soemthing odd in the apartment itself. Actually in our stationary telephone (in ger.: Festnetz Telefon). When no one was near I occasionally heard a "hallo?" (ger. for hello) out of the phone in the voice of my father. At first I was scared because I didn't knew what to do and I was 6-7 years old at the time and my mother didn't believed me. I was the only one to ever hear his voice after he passed away. This ONLY happened in this building! We have the phone in our new apartment (a little bit across the town where the complex is). Sometime when I heard the "hallo?", I tried answering with a "Wer ist da?" (Who's there?), but no voice back. Only the simple "hallo?" that came randomly and not so often. After we moved out, I never heard it again...
Tbh it isn't really a horror story but I thought it was kinda creepy at the beginning, so I thought I should post it here. But I said "surreal" stories and not creepy or something.
Sorry if my Englisch is bad sometimes, as I said I'm from Germany so you know..
Im ready for your stories!

Hi guys, I have always used chrome as my main browser, recently with the new bing search and integrated chatgpt on edge, I started using morethe edge again.
For my personal use, because the engine is the same, work very well, the only downside for me is that I use all my password stored on google, and sync with chrome and android, I see that we can use the microsoft account to sync that too on windows, but I dont want to use one and dont sync with others, I need to have the password manager both on windows and android.
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Can I have some automatic sync in both ways with google and micrsoft?
All new passwords too, I always select the automatic random and strong that google sugest, so I really need a easy way to use it window and android.
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Any recomendations for these scenarios with password?

Selling lots of classics, many Japanese pressings in pristine shape. Info regarding pressing version, inserts, OBIs, and sound quality (if I had the chance to listen to it) are noted in the spreadsheet below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q56B6gEH28roEyLT400zTw2Q9XXbwMta4nwHM8fQDrA/edit?usp=sharing
Shipping is from Honolulu, Hawaii via media mail for an added $5 on the listed price. Shipping only to US. All opened records are packaged outside of their covers inside poly outer sleeves. LPs are placed in either antistatic rice-paper inner sleeves or plain white inner sleeves as opposed to their custom printed sleeves. This doesn't apply to sealed records.
Note: Shipping via media mail from Hawaii can take up to 4-8 weeks according to USPS. If you'd like to switch to Priority Shipping, I can come up with an accurate shipping quote depending on the records you purchase. Priority generally comes out to an average of $15, but again, it all depends on the titles you purchase. However, I so far haven't had any issues with media mail; Previous sales have taken a maximum of 3 weeks to arrive.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions and requests for pictures if you're considering purchasing. I want to make sure we're all on the same page about the grading and hope that whichever record you're interested in meets your expectations.
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1. Abbey Lincoln - That's Him (E- / VG+) = $30.00
2. Al Green - Livin' For You (VG+ / VG+) = $10.00
3. Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis - Kooper Session (VG+ / VG) = $10.00
4. Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity (E / E-) = $35.00
5. Archie Shepp - Four For Trane (E / E-) = $40.00
6. Archie Shepp - Fire Music (VG / VG) = $40.00
7. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (VG++ / VG++) = $30.00
8. Aretha Franklin - Aretha Now (G+ / G+) = $10.00
9. Aretha Franklin - Spirit In The Dark (VG / VG) = $20.00
10. Arthur Lyman - Island Vibes (VG / VG+) = $50.00
11. Bill Evans - Conversations With Myself (E- / E-) = $40.00
12. Bill Evans - At The Montreux Jazz Festival (E / E-) = $40.00
13. Blue Mitchell - Boss Horn (VG+ / VG+) = $45.00
14. Bob Dylan - Self Portrait (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
15. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan (G+ / G+) = $10.00
16. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (VG+ / VG) = $15.00
17. Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks And Blues (VG+ / VG+) = $35.00
18. Bobby Caldwell - Cat In The Hat (E- / E) = $40.00
19. Bobby Caldwell - Cat In The Hat (NM - Sealed / NM - Sealed) = $50.00 (Unsure which exact pressing)
20. Bobby Lyle - The Genie (VG+ / G+) = $20.00
21. Buckingham Nicks - Buckingham Nicks (VG / VG) = $40.00
22. Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (E / E-) = $65.00
23. Change - Miracles (E / VG++) = $35.00
24. Change - The Glow Of Love (VG / VG) = $15.00
25. Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah (E / E-) = $35.00
26. Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots (E / E-) = $40.00
27. Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (VG+ / VG+) = $70.00
28. Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings (E / E) = $70.00
29. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis (E / E-) = $75.00
30. David Bowie - "Heroes" = 英雄夢語り（ヒーローズ） (E / E-) = $60.00
31. David Bowie - Low (E / VG++) = $60.00
32. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (VG / VG) = $25.00
33. David Bowie = David Bowie - Hunky Dory = ハンキー·ドリー (E / E-) = $70.00
34. Deerhunter - Fading Frontier (M / M) = $20.00
35. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (E / E) = $45.00
36. Duke Ellington • Charles Mingus • Max Roach - Money Jungle (VG / F) = $40.00
37. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Anatomy Of A Murder (VG / G+) = $15.00
38. Eddie Kamae And The The Sons Of Hawaii - This Is Eddie Kamae (VG / VG+) = $20.00
39. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book, Vol. 1 (VG+ / VG) = $20.00
40. Ella Fitzgerald - Sings The Rodgers And Hart Song Book (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
41. Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes (VG / VG) = $20.00
42. Evelyn King - I'm In Love (VG / VG+) = $15.00
43. Fela Kuti And Africa 70 - Zombie (VG+ / VG+) = $40.00
44. Fela Kuti And Africa 70 With Ginger Baker - Live! (VG / G) = $40.00
45. Frank Ocean - Endless (SEALED (Presumably M) / SEALED / VG++) = $380.00
46. Frank Zappa - Waka / Jawaka - Hot Rats (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
47. Freddie Hubbard / Stanley Turrentine With Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Eric Gale - In Concert Volume One (VG+ / VG+) = $15.00
48. Gene Harris - Astralsignal (VG / VG) = $45.00
49. Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners (VG+ / VG) = $5.00
50. Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (VG / VG) = $20.00
51. Hank Mobley - Workout (E / E) = $60.00
52. Hank Mobley - A Caddy For Daddy (VG+ / VG+) = $50.00
53. Happy End - 風街ろまん (E / E) = $80.00
54. Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off (E / E) = $50.00
55. Herbie Hancock - Fat Albert Rotunda (VG / VG) = $45.00
56. Herbie Hancock = Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage = 処女航海 (E / VG+) = $50.00
57. Horace Silver - Horace Silver Trio (VG+ / VG+) = $35.00
58. Howlin' Wolf - Howling Wolf Sings The Blues (VG / G) = $40.00
59. Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (E- / VG++) = $35.00
60. João Gilberto - The Boss of the Bossa Nova (VG / VG) = $30.00
61. John Coltrane - Transition (E- / E-) = $40.00
62. John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound (E- / E-) = $40.00
63. John Coltrane - Coltrane Jazz (E / E) = $40.00
64. John Coltrane - Blue Train (E / E-) = $70.00
65. John Coltrane - Kulu Sé Mama (Juno Sé Mama) (G+ / G+) = $15.00
66. John Coltrane - Blue Train (VG+ / NM) = $25.00
67. John Coltrane - Meditations (VG / VG) = $40.00
68. John Coltrane - Ascension (Edition I) (VG / VG) = $75.00
69. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (VG / VG) = $40.00
70. John Coltrane - Expression (VG / VG) = $40.00
71. John Fahey - Volume 1 / Blind Joe Death (VG+ / VG) = $25.00
72. John Fahey - The Best Of John Fahey 1959 - 1977 (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
73. John Tropea - Short Trip To Space (VG+ / VG) = $15.00
74. Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash At San Quentin (VG / VG) = $15.00
75. Joni Mitchell - Blue (VG / G+) = $20.00
76. Kalapana - Kalapana II (E / E-) = $30.00
77. Kamasi Washington - The Epic (NM / NM) = $100.00
78. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside = 天使と小悪魔 (E / E-) = $45.00
79. Kate Bush - The Dreaming (E / E-) = $40.00
80. Kate Bush - The Whole Story (E / E-) = $50.00
81. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (VG+ / VG+) = $85.00
82. Kate Bush - Never For Ever = 魔物語 (E / E-) = $40.00
83. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (NM / NM) = $25.00
84. Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered. (M / M) = $90.00
85. Kevin I. - Kevin I. (VG / VG+) = $40.00
86. King Crimson - Red (VG / VG) = $20.00
87. King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black (VG+ / VG) = $20.00
88. Leonard Cohen - Ten New Songs (VG+ / VG+) = $45.00
89. Leonard Kwan And Raymond Kane - Slack Key Guitar In Stereo (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
90. LeRoy Hutson - Hutson (VG / VG+) = $30.00
91. LeRoy Hutson Featuring The Free Spirit Symphony - Feel The Spirit (VG / VG) = $30.00
92. Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes - Expansions (VG+ / VG+) = $40.00
93. Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes - Visions Of A New World (VG / VG+) = $35.00
94. Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes - Renaissance (VG / VG) = $35.00
95. Lou Reed - Transformer (VG / G+) = $20.00
96. Louis Prima Featuring Keely Smith With Sam Butera And The Witnesses - The Wildest! (VG / VG) = $25.00
97. Mac Demarco - Another (Demo) One (NM / NM) = $30.00
98. Marc Benno - Minnows (VG / VG) = $20.00
99. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Watchout! (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
100. Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You (E / E-) = $40.00
101. Marvin Gaye - I Want You (E- / E-) = $45.00
102. Marvin Gaye - Marvin Gaye Live! (E / E-) = $40.00
103. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (E / E-) = $65.00
104. Marvin Gaye = Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On = レッツ·ゲット·イット·オン (E / E-) = $40.00
105. Max Romeo & The Upsetters - War Ina Babylon (VG / VG) = $25.00
106. McCoy Tyner - Live At Newport (VG / VG) = $40.00
107. Merry Clayton - Merry Clayton (VG / G+) = $15.00
108. Michael Jackson - Thriller (VG / VG+) = $10.00
109. Miles Davis - Miles Davis (E- / VG+) = $45.00
110. Miles Davis - Agharta = アガルタの凱歌 (E- / E-) = $50.00
111. Miles Davis - On The Corner (E / E) = $50.00
112. Miles Davis - Sketches Of Spain (VG / VG+) = $25.00
113. Miles Davis - A Tribute To Jack Johnson (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
114. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (VG+ / VG) = $25.00
115. Miles Davis + 19, Gil Evans - Miles Ahead (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
116. Milt Jackson - Sunflower (VG+ / VG) = $20.00
117. Mtume - Juicy Fruit (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
118. Ned Doheny - Hard Candy (E- / E-) = $40.00
119. Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (E- / E-) = $60.00
120. Nina Simone - Forbidden Fruit - Nina Simone Collections Vol. 1 (E / E-) = $45.00
121. Nina Simone - Here Comes The Sun (E / E-) = $45.00
122. Nina Simone - Baltimore (VG / VG+) = $45.00
123. Nina Simone - Pastel Blues (E- / E-) = $65.00
124. Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You (VG / VG) = $65.00
125. Nina Simone - Silk & Soul (G+ / G+) = $30.00
126. Oliver Nelson - More Blues And The Abstract Truth (VG- / VG+) = $20.00
127. Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come (E- / VG++) = $40.00
128. Otis Redding - Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul (E / E-) = $45.00
129. Otis Redding - The Dock Of The Bay (E / E-) = $45.00
130. Patrice Rushen - Posh (VG / VG) = $20.00
131. Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi (Life Out Of Balance) (Original Soundtrack Album From The Motion Picture) (VG++ / VG+) = $30.00
132. Philip Glass - Glassworks (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
133. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (VG+ / P) = $40.00
134. Prince - Sign "O" The Times (E / E-) = $70.00
135. Prince - 1999 (VG- / VG+) = $15.00
136. R.E.M. - Reckoning (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
137. Ramsey Lewis - Mother Nature's Son (VG / VG+) = $35.00
138. Ray Charles - Yes Indeed! (VG / VG) = $10.00
139. Ray Charles - The Genius Of Ray Charles (VG / VG+) = $15.00
140. Robert Wyatt - Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (VG++ / E-) = $30.00
141. Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear (E- / E-) = $35.00
142. Roland Kirk - I Talk With The Spirits (E / E-) = $45.00
143. Ronnie Laws - Pressure Sensitive (VG+ / VG) = $10.00
144. Rotary Connection - Aladdin (VG+ / VG) = $10.00
145. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
146. Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Everybody Loves The Sunshine (VG+ / VG+) = $60.00
147. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Neo Geo (VG+ / VG+) = $15.00
148. Ryuichi Sakamoto Featuring Robin Scott - Left Handed Dream (VG+ / VG+) = $15.00
149. Sandy Bull - Inventions (VG+ / VG) = $15.00
150. Sonny Rollins - Way Out West (E / E-) = $40.00
151. Sonny Rollins - The Bridge (E / E-) = $40.00
152. Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (VG / VG) = $50.00
153. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (NM / NM) = $20.00
154. St. Vincent - St. Vincent (NM / NM) = $90.00
155. Stan Getz / João Gilberto Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim - Getz / Gilberto (VG / VG) = $10.00
156. Steely Dan - Aja (G+ / VG) = $15.00
157. Steve Reich - Music For 18 Musicians (VG+ / VG+) = $50.00
158. Steve Reich - The Desert Music (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
159. Steve Reich / Richard Maxfield / Pauline Oliveros - New Sounds In Electronic Music (Come Out / Night Music / I Of IV) (VG / VG) = $45.00
160. Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July (VG / VG) = $10.00
161. Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed & Delivered (NM - Sealed / NM - Sealed) = $40.00
162. Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (VG / VG) = $10.00
163. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (G+ / VG+) = $10.00
164. Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour (VG+ / VG) = $20.00
165. Suburban Lawns - Baby (VG+ / VG+) = $20.00
166. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell (NM / NM) = $20.00
167. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (Demo) (NM / Generic) = $25.00
168. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs (M / M) = $25.00
169. T. Rex - Electric Warrior (E / E-) = $45.00
170. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (E / E-) = $45.00
171. Tame Impala - Currents (NM / NM) = $65.00
172. Tame Impala - Tame Impala (NM / NM) = $100.00
173. Tenement - Bruised Music, Vol.2 (NM / NM) = $5.00
174. Terry Riley - Shri Camel (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
175. Terry Riley - In C (VG / VG) = $30.00
176. Terry Riley - A Rainbow In Curved Air (VG / No Cover) = $5.00
177. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds / Carl And The Passions – So Tough (VG+ / G+) = $15.00
178. The Beach Boys - Sunflower (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
179. The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today! (VG / VG) = $10.00
180. The Beatles - The Beatles (VG+ / VG) = $20.00
181. The Beatles - Please Please Me (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
182. The Beatles - The Beatles (VG+ / G++) = $60.00
183. The Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz (E / E-) = $55.00
184. The Bill Evans Trio - Waltz For Debby (E / VG++) = $60.00
185. The Bill Evans Trio = The Bill Evans Trio - Explorations = エクスプロレイションズ (E / E-) = $40.00
186. The Bill Evans Trio Featuring Scott LaFaro - Sunday At The Village Vanguard (E / E) = $65.00
187. The Brothers & Sisters (2) - Dylan's Gospel (VG / VG) = $20.00
188. The Clash - Sandinista! (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
189. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (VG / VG+) = $15.00
190. The Fall - Cruiser's Creek (VG+ / VG+) = $10.00
191. The Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band - The Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band (VG / VG) = $15.00
192. The Horace Silver Quintet - Song For My Father (Cantiga Para Meu Pai) (E- / E-) = $50.00
193. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (G+ / VG) = $10.00
194. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
195. The John Coltrane Quartet - Africa / Brass (E- / E-) = $40.00
196. The John Coltrane Quartet With McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison & Elvin Jones - Ballads (E- / VG+) = $40.00
197. The Kinks - The Kink Kronikles (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
198. The Kinks - Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire (VG / VG) = $25.00
199. The Makaha Sons Of Ni'ihau - No Kristo (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
200. The Miles Davis Quintet - Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet (E / E-) = $40.00
201. The Miles Davis Sextet / The Miles Davis Quintet - Miles At Newport (VG+ / VG) = $10.00
202. The Mothers - Uncle Meat (VG+ / VG) = $25.00
203. The Mothers - We're Only In It For The Money (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
204. The Ornette Coleman Trio - At The "Golden Circle" Stockholm - Volume One (VG / VG) = $45.00
205. The Pop Group - Y (E / E-) = $40.00
206. The Pretty Things - Parachute (NM / NM) = $20.00
207. The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (VG / VG) = $15.00
208. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (VG / VG+) = $15.00
209. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (VG+ / VG+) = $35.00
210. The Sons Of Hawaii - The Folk Music Of Hawaii (E / E) = $20.00
211. The Thelonious Monk Quartet - Monk's Dream (VG+ / VG+) = $30.00
212. The Turtles - Present The Battle Of The Bands (VG / VG) = $15.00
213. The Velvet Underground - Live At Max's Kansas City (VG+ / VG+) = $15.00
214. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (E / E) = $50.00
215. The Velvet Underground - VU (VG+ / VG) = $30.00
216. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Part One (VG- / VG) = $45.00
217. The Who - Live At Leeds (VG+ / VG+) = $15.00
218. The Who - A Quick One (E / VG++) = $20.00
219. The Witch Trials - The Witch Trials (VG / VG) = $10.00
220. Thelma Houston - Summer Nights (M / M) = $15.00
221. Thelonious Monk - Monk. (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
222. Thelonious Monk Septet - Monk's Music (VG+ / VG+) = $40.00
223. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (VG++ / VG++) = $80.00
224. Various - Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 (M / M) = $55.00
225. Various - A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records (G+ / G+) = $30.00
226. Various - The Harder They Come (Original Soundtrack Recording) (VG / VG) = $20.00
227. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (VG+ / VG) = $40.00
228. William Onyeabor - Atomic Bomb (NM / NM) = $25.00
229. Wilson Pickett - The Exciting Wilson Pickett (VG / VG+) = $10.00
230. XTC - Oranges & Lemons (VG+ / VG+) = $25.00
231. Yellow Magic Orchestra - BGM (E- / E-) = $35.00
232. Yellow Magic Orchestra = Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor = ソリッド·ステイト·サヴァイヴァー (E / E) = $35.00
233. Yumi Arai = Yumi Arai - Misslim = ミスリム (E / VG+) = $45.00

Being a superhero means you have special abilities capable of saving the whole world. Every day is a day you wake up and rise against an invasion, an assault, a deadly monster uprising, etc. And as thanks, you are greatly rewarded. This isn’t a world of vigilantes skirting the edges of the law while hiding their identities. Instead, superheroes are a part of the Hero Association. A company that licenses, funds and promotes up-and-coming heroes of all tiers. From C rank to S rank, if you qualify, license, and stick to your contract, you’ll be given a life you’d never imagined of by the Association. Heroes are more than humble and justice-seeking fighters for good. They are the celebrities of this world. Book deals, movie deals, late-night interviews, reality series, singers, award shows, etc. People don’t see heroes as just their saviors, but they’re entertainers too. The Association seeks to grow the popularity of their supers by marketing them in ways dependent on the kind of super that they are. Regardless, if you are above C-rank, you’re bound to be used in some marketing ploy. Whether it’s to sell toys, a product line, clothing or movie tickets, you’ll become part of the Association’s money-making and fame-growing schemes.
Lately, there has been one popular trend. Two A-rank heroes were uncovered by a snooping journalist to have been dating together, behind closed doors. When the public caught wind of the relationship, the fans could not have been more wild for the juicy story. Since, the Association has cooked up all kinds of super pairs depending on what people were saying online, speculating or simply by researching their large lines of heroes and finding which two would be the most compatible in the eyes of the public. While this has been gone to drum up publicity for their chosen heroes, there is one scenario that interested them greatly.
Forum posts and threads online discussing the hero relationships where one common thing - regardless of man or woman - constantly popped up. “I’d never be able to date a hero!” “What hero would ever be interested in a normal person like me?” They were probably right. But the Association began to see a trend among the posts online - dating a hero? A total fantasy. It’d never happen. But what if it did…?
Polls were sent out. Answer the poll and win a chance at a free luxury dinner. This interested Karasu Katsumi, a salaryman that lived a perfectly average life that didn’t really even look into superhero topics or trends. He simply worked, paid his bills and moved along with his day. However, the promise of a free luxury dinner was quite enticing. Turns out, whatever answers he sent in, matched with what the poll was looking for. As it turns out, Karasu fit everything they desired in a candidate for their next publicity stunt: A top-tier hero dating an average, normal citizen. After reading nearly a thousand poll answers from different submitters, Karasu seemed like the ideal person. Perfectly normal, average, plain-looking - he served as a fantastic stand-in for all the people that will see this unfold. Your normal, average, everyday person would LIVE through Karasu and imagine that could be them someday. Suddenly the concept of dating a hero wouldn’t be a mere fantasy - but could be a very real reality. And which hero to pair him with…?
The Association wanted to go big for this one. They wanted to go wild. Terrible Tornado, their ranked #2 hero, would be the date. As much as she didn’t like it, didn’t like him, and didn’t like the publicity stunts - her contract was owned by the Association. They must engage in a public-only relationship that showcases the dynamic between a top-tier hero and an everyday salaryman. While there is difficulty in the beginning, a bond is surely to develop between the two. The shenanigans, adventures, drama and dilemmas that come will be unexpected for the fake couple, as well as the development of possibly real emotions and a chance for two people that have never engaged in deep friendships or romances, to explore that realm.
—
Hello, kind of a long one, huh? This is a plot I’ve been hoping to do again with someone new. I am looking for someone that is creative, capable of playing multiple characters but primarily Tatsumaki/Terrible Tornado, very active, Literate - Adv. Literate and able to write over Discord. If you want to discuss the plot more, ask any questions and iron out the details, please DM me with an intro about yourself, why you’d be a good fit, and what interests you about the RP. Optionally, you can shoot me a very short writing sample. I seek people’s literacy in terms of grammaspelling/punctuation as opposed to lots of detail (when it comes to samples.) Thank you again for reading and hope to hear from you if interested!

It's only temporary, but I don't know how long this is going to last for.
I don't even know how to explain it, I went from being able to leave without having to explain myself, being able to lay around if I want to, not having to sneak around if I want to have a cigarette, so on and so forth... to constantly being controlled, having almost NO say in what I'm able to do, and having zero privacy in the place I live.
I've been here for a week, and it's hard. I'm not mean to my grandparents, I don't get irritable and turn rude... but on the inside, it's driving me insane. I have to find some BS excuse to run to my car and just cry in my car because I feel trapped.
Every day, it's "Come do this, we're going to do this, this is what we're doing, come on!" They're trying to drag me around like they did as a kid. Expecting me to attend their elderly get togethers and outings, expecting me to want to sit and watch Westerms with my grandpa, expecting me to go to church every Sunday (I'm not a Christian).
Every single day there is something new for me to attend to. Some church event or potluck or whatever... I hate this small town that we live in. Old redneck men staring me down, getting in my business every time I go to the store. I can't talk to a cashier without an old man who's already in a different conversation, TURNING AROUND to listen to my conversation with a cashier.
I'm doing what I can to stay sane but I'm really struggling. Before I lived here, I talked on the phone with my grandmother every day, and sometimes that was too much. Now I live with them, and I just feel watched all the time! I can't just hop in my car and go to the store. I have to ask permission. I have to come up with an explanation for EVERYTHING I want to do.
When I do get some time alone in my spare room, I usually leave my door cracked a bit so if someone yells for me I can hear it. My grandpa has gotten into the habit of pushing my door open as he walks by. Yep, that's it. Doesn't even need to talk to me... just pushes the door open for no reason.

This week marks 6 months for me, it's been a rough long journey but in the end has only benefited my life... The amount of money I've saved is insane my mental health now is a lot better I can control my emotions ALOT easier... For anyone in the early stages keep pushing don't let it beat you stay strong, the only withdrawal symptom im left with now is vivid dreams but they aren't all that bad nowhere near as bad as the first 2-3 months but it's definitely something I've had to adapt to, I smoked everyday for 9 years and I very rarely ever had dreams now I have a dream everynight, I do struggle to sleep still even after 6 months I've found the only way to get a decent night's sleep is to do physical stuff during the day and make myself wake up early in the morning. If anyone needs any tips feel free to message me I went through all of the early withdrawals so I know what it's like it was HELL

Hey, Reddit!
Just got brand new iPhone 14 and an original case from Apple Store. But never had that MagSafe case animation.
Is that only me, or apple just removed that touch from new iPhones?

We’ve been friends for about 7 months now and our friendship has developed so well. He’s in a long distance relationship with a girl in another country, we’re both 24. We go to grad school together, have the same major, and live in the same apartment building so it’s been natural to spend time together. It all happened very organically, and now we’ve gotten to the point where he calls me to tell me any good news he finds out. He’s asked to hang out nearly every day for the past few weeks. I can’t help but start to fall in love because he’s not only very good at what he does, but very intelligent, handsome, and hilarious. I hope this feeling passes but it’s been unbearable.

I apologize for the unnecessary philosophizing, but am I weird, or does anyone else feel an odd sense of wonder or awe when you look at the cute little squirrels in the backyard? I never grew up with any pets when I was little, so this is only a recent feeling after watching them eat nuts near the window for a year. Basically, every so often, one of them will directly look at me while they are eating. In this moment, face to face, I’m sometimes left with a stark realization that this squirrel is an entire conscious being onto himself. This squirrel has his own unique way of seeing the world, of experiencing emotions and such. What does that nut taste like to him? Is it the same as mine? If I try to “put myself in his shoes” could I do it? Obviously not, since the phenomenology of a squirrel is completely different to mine. All of this lasts until the squirrel scurries away and I’m left with an indescribable feeling that wonders why squirrels or humans are conscious at all? How can we have seemingly subjective experiences from biochemistry and physics? Its all a strange mystery, but one that I am always humbled by when I try to ponder our furry friends’ perspectives of the world.

Greetings!
Last time I asked a question here, you suggested a plugin that had a fantastic positive impact on my website, so I come here again in search of your wisdom.
​
Context:
I'm currently reworking my company's website.
We sell thousands of sounds (Ambiences, Music, SFX). Each of these products come with many metadata attached, as you can see on this public google sheet (there are 3 tabs, one for each type of content).
Each of these need several products variations as we will sell :

1. Base file (no license)
2. Several other licenses

On top of that, each product will be a bundle of the file in several formats (.wav, mp3, ogg).
I'm using the SonaarMP3 plugin and theme, as it comes attached with a great audio player. Here's the music store with placeholder tracks for reference.
​
Problem:
We add about 100 new products each month and it's increasing. We cannot have an employee setting up the products individually.

• I'd like a solution that allows me to update our products list with the newest additions, automatically create variations, possibly update older products.
• I'd like the solution to (if possible) select the track and its other formats to attach to the product.
• Ideally, the process would be automated. I have no idea how to do that, but if it's not possible, I can do it by hand once per month.

We can't afford to hire a dev atm.
​
Solutions I tried:
I tried the Products Bulk Editor but you can only update 50 products at once and it took ages.
I own ACF pro.
I own ACFAllImport, which may be a solution but I realized product variations are product themselves, which seem to be hard to handle on Microsoft Excel.
​
Do you have a solution to that problem ?
​
Thank you so much for your time!
​
Our Website for reference

I’m not currently in the market for a new job as such, but I’d like to progress within my current one as well as I like to keep my CV updated anyway.
I’m currently in my third job that I’ve served for nearly six years.
My two previous employers that are on my CV were only temporary roles.
My first job being a Christmas Temp job from November 2016 - January 2017.
My second job being from February 2017 - April 2017 which didn’t work out for me and I left.
My third and current role being from August 2017 - Present. In which I’ve progressed from a range of roles within the business.
I’m starting to wonder whether it’s worth having the first two job roles on my CV anymore?

Hi everyone,
This is my first attempt at a query letter. I really appreciate your help critiquing this. Please be strict, I wanna get this right!
---
Dear [Agent],
After the eruption of all the volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Valentina thinks she has survived the end of the world. A young single mother, she risks her life everyday working in the most dangerous volcano in a ravaged California, trying to keep her family fed. When mysterious creatures emerge from the lava, she realizes the chaos is about to begin.
Janek, on the other hand, has no idea what he’s getting into. He's the reluctant heir to the multibillion dollar corporation that exploits Valentina, sharp-witted but a little coddled. Despite the turmoils in his past, his comfortable life is only threatened when his father takes him to the volcanic mining site where she works.
Brought together by chance, Valentina and Janek survive the monsters' initial killing spree, but suffer terrible losses: her family dies, and he is infected by the strange substance that covers the creatures.
Struggling to come to terms with the tragedies that have befallen them, they will journey together in a desperate attempt to escape the chaos. In the unlikely bond between them, lies the only chance to untangle the mystery of the creatures’ appearance.
CHIMERAS (89,000 words) is a fast-paced sci-fi horror tale, centered on the riveting dynamic between its two protagonists as they survive in a dystopian California. It combines the dual POV apocalyptic drama of Aurora: A Novel with the enigmatic biological horror of Leech.
[bio]
Thank you for your consideration,
---
A few questions:

1. I'm very torn about the genre. Horror because there are monsters and some gore. There are also scientific discussions throughout the book (Medicine, Geology, Biology), but it's set in the very near future, with no new technologies except for the discovery of a new precious mineral. Is that enough to call it sci-fi? Or, if my characters go on a journey, is it adventure horror? Is speculative fiction too broad for a query? Or, do I have wiggle room to play around with a genre depending on which agent I'm querying? As you can see, I'm all over the place.
2. Comps are tough! I'm still unsure about mine. If anyone has any comp suggestions, please let me know.
3. I've been reading about some agents, and many of them say they are interested in diverse voices, etc. One of my MCs is Valentina, a Latin woman who became a mom when she was a teenager. Should I add "Latin young mother" to the query? Should I simply mention in my bio I'm a Latin woman as well? Or do I risk being pigeonholed into magical realism?

Thank you all for your help!

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.
Note: this text is only for single man without kids, who searchs for wife. You can be atheist or christian (practicing or not).
I'm a single female from Ukraine (can meet with you in another country, more safe for you). I search for a single childless man older than 35 (older- better) for a serious relationship, first without physical aspects. Your age and appearance are not important. I wish you are self-employed, your own master and bos or digital nomad but that is not a strict demand.
Sometimes men expect these aspects very fast and leave fast if not get it soon. In my opinion, this means the first interest was not in the relationship itself but in physical aspects. That's why I want to find a relationship first without it. So I can be sure that a man stays near me because he really likes me, not for physical satisfaction itself. That means not only one sphere of relationship. People divide into 2 groups. Those who give more than take and opposite. Wishing to gain satisfaction fast leads to frustration and disappointment.
I have got few marriage offers in the past, but felt that they were not serious because the men were too young, not well settled and made these offers trying to gain something. Being not a young girl, I still wait for a right person—a man who will be happy staying with me and will do everything for me. Wished person is his own boss and master thought being employee with a plan to become self boss one day is fine too.
If things work, I can relocate to you or to invite you to live in Ukraine after the war ends. If you are able to set up app called telegram for chat and meet in real life within one month, then please text me. I prefer well written letter that was sent in inbox letters, not in chat requests and chat itself.
Now more detaily about me. Never been married, no kids (will not have in the nearest time but not a childfree), no pets (had shepherd, after his death decided not to have new). Was raised in small village at farmer's house (the nature was great but didn't like the hard working lifestyle) and prefer city life. I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol . You will not have to suffer dealing with numerous people around me because I don't have friends (people disappear when interests and lifestyles become different) and my family is very small. I don't visit bars, clubs or parties and not addicted to social networks. As an introvert, I can't open to someone fast because have been cheated by those whom trusted. Life teaches, only real actions show the true person's intentions, not just his words.
About two negative moments. The first is my passivity. I was raised in a culture where it was considered vulgar if a woman is too active in the path of creating a relationship. Yes, it is obvious that active women will get success sooner than passive one but I can't change myself and prefer the one who will take initiative.
The second negative moment is that being introverted, I totally dislike situation when I have to contact with unknown people, especially with men, especially in field of relationship. That sounds not logical because how can someone know anyone if he/she doesn't like starting this contact? There is only one solution for me. I can start contact only if I have already got very detailed information about person so this makes illusion that he is already not a stranger. Most of men send short message, expecting that I will ask many questions trying to find out his personality. The truth is that I will not do it. Yes, you can call me bad for that, but I will reply only to well written detailed letter from someone who will not make me to ask many questions but will write proper letter with basic information by himself. Man's appearance means nothing for me, but what he says and what is more important, what he does - that's important.
That were negative moments. Obviously, there are much more of them but I'll let you discover size of all iceberg by yourself. Thanks for reading.
P.S. Please, be patient and don't expect fast replies, sometimes it is not easy to do due to many reasons. That one who puts efforts in his first letter will get reply faster.
P.S.S. Chat doesn't work correctly and doesn't show messages and requests there. Text only in letters section.

Memory transcription subject: Michael Smith, Human extermination officer
Date [standardized human time]: Oktober 29, 2136
We entered the darkness and shadows fell over us. Ortsa quickly informed us that the temperature in the shadows was another five degrees colder than it had already been, and that the remaining light would soon be below the level visible to human eyes and shortly after even the Yotul wouldn’t be able to see anymore. This was something I actually had not thought about, but now I needed to ask:
“Hey Ortsa, how exactly are you supposed to drive if you can’t see? And how can we study anything if our only light is starlight? Does this truck not have lights?“
Ortsa laughed.
“Oh dear, of course it does. But we can’t use those, because they would disturb the local fauna. We also have night vision goggles, but later on there will be so little light they will hardly work. Instead, we have THIS!“
Ortsa grinned dramatically, stopped the truck and pressed a button. The bulletproof windows made a weird sound and suddenly the outside was clearly visible, although completely black and blue.
“Wait, what? How does this work?“
Some of the scientists and the other two extermination officers looked around at the windows, trying to understand, while Doctor David Schneider grinned proudly and Ortsa - equally proud - elaborated:
“You remember those flashlight looking thingies on top of the truck you saw when entering?“
Now that she mentioned it, I did remember them. They were extendable, in all directions pointable… things, that kinda reminded me of flashlights, just like Ortsa said, but really big and at the end of multi jointed metal rods, so they could reach more places. I had assumed they were energy weapons of some sort, but okay. The other passengers nodded and observed the conversation with great curiosity.
“Yeah. What do they do?“
“They can produce visible light too, but right now they are producing a single, very specific wavelength of ultra violet light, that most lifeforms we know are not sensitive to. Thus it shouldn’t disturb the local ecosystem. And the ‘glass‘ you are looking through is actually laced with a thin material that absorps this specific wavelength and then reemits them at a different wavelength, a specific shade of blue that is within our visible spectrum. Thus we get a black and blue image of the outside world. Doctor Schneider came up with it and I build it.“
Doctor Schneider churned in:
“This is not the only measure we took. Ortsa also made the engine almost perfectly silent and we are rolling on sound dampening tires and with multiple vibration softeners, so our Truck makes almost no sound and causes very little disturbance.“
“And“ ,the Venlil fauna expert Lim added “all our fumes are made almost completely odorless. On top of all that we will a keep the truck at least five hundred feet away from the river at all times, so we don’t disturb the nature. This way we can illuminate and observe anything, but most creatures should not even notice our Truck. We hope so, at least.”
Mirva, who still struggled with the situation but did her best not to look scared, asked:
“Wait, if we are five hundred feet away, how do we take samples?“
Doctor Schneider looked at her with empathy in his eyes.
“I am sorry, Mirva. But I am afraid we will have to leave the vehicle for that.”
Mirva shot up from her seat, her eyes wide open and filled with terror.
“No, not out THERE! I won’t go there! Go without me!“
She fell back a couple steps, as trying to get further away from the door. Fuck, I needed to calm her.
“Hey, Mirva, it is okay”, I calmly and carefully said , making sure to speak as quiet and soft as I could without beeing impossible to understand.
She looked at me with fear, but she did listen. Probably because this wasn’t the first time I calmed her down.
“Focus on me, on my words, okay Mirva? Now calmly breathe in and breathe out. Everything is okay. You are in an armored truck surrounded by friends and bodyguards and no one will hurt you, yeah? Not as long as I am here, okay?“
Mirva was still freaking out, but she was breathing more calmly now and, following my gestures, leaned in for a hug. I was really happy that the exterminator suit covered my face, otherwise this would not have worked. I hugged her and held her and just waited for her to collect herself. While waiting I was looking around through the windows to try and find anything near the river that would help distract her. I was very happy to see a flower - Mirva loved flowers. And she loved talking about them.
“Hey Mirva? Do you see that flower there? What is that? Would you mind explaining it to us?“
Mirva left my hug, looked around and immediately her face glew up.
“Oh my god, that is a night daisy! Their cousins grow near the dark side of Venlil Prime and are a rare delicacy because they need centuries to grow to a ripe age. It had been theorized that some of them would grow even here, but to actually see one, that’s amazing!“
Doctor Jonson, the human expert on xeno flora, if I recalled correctly, also stared at the flower like it was the best thing ever.
“I read about these. They contain insane amounts of fructose in their roots as storage for not just bad years, but bad decades. And despite their small size their body is almost entirely wooden, except for the big leaves that allow it to collect the tiniest amounts of light and are shockingly cold resistant. This is one of the most extremophile plants in the galaxy!“
My boss Vartek and I shot each other am amused glance. The flower girls freaking out about some random plant was just way too cute.
“Say, would it be a good idea to take some samples, Mirva? You know, for science?“
And Mirva, the same Venlil who had just freaked out at the very idea of going outside suddenly grabbed a syringe, and made her way to the door.
“Of course, that is a great idea, Mike. Come on Doctor Jonson, we have to go!”
Ortsa heard their intention and - pressing yet another button - opened the door. Doctor Jones quickly put on a coat and grabbed night vision goggles for her and Mirva, who had already run out. Luckily her fur meant she didn’t need a coat. And the temperature wasn’t quite freezing yet, so that was a plus. Farlent and I immediately put on goggles as well and followed the two, flamethrowers at the ready. If anything tried to eat our friends, it was about to have one hell of a time.
But for now everything was calm and quite. The river ran quietly, some fish swam in it, but no predators and no monsters lurked for us. The Truck looked as absurd from the outside as from the inside, like some cyborg dragon beetle transformer or something… it was pretty hard to describe. But now that I knew some of it’s functions I appreciated it a whole lot more.
It was our all in one food storage, fortress, home, vehicle, computer, communications array, data storage and light source… and once I was back I was gonna call it Bob. It was the ONLY appropriate name, I chuckled to myself.
Meanwhile, Mirva and Doctor Jonson started taking small samples from the plants. Lim had also walked out to take images of the fishes and keep track of their behavior, but didn’t seem to discover anything surprising.
Farlent was busy triple checking our surroundings for threats, luckily she found nothing.
I noticed Jonson shivering as she talked to Mirva and once again I was happy to wear my suit. It’s thermal isolation wasn’t perfect, but it worked better than any human made clothing ever could. I would have to make sure the human scientists dressed properly next time, their safety was my responsibility after all.
Under my watchful eye Lim returned to the truck to discuss his findings and the further strategy with the other scientists, while I walked back to Doctor Jonson and Mirva who - thank god - looked a lot happier than before, as she marveled at the flower and went over the dozens of tiny differences to it’s better known cousins in the inhabited areas. Jonson was busy typing dozens of datapoints into her notepad.
“Hey, Mirva? I got a question.“
Yeah, Mike? What do you want to know?“
„How exactly does a plant… you know… grow without sunlight? I mean, don’t they need that?“
Jonson and Mirva exchanged a quick look, before Mirva explained:
“Okay, first of all this is not really a plant, it is closer to a Terran tree than anything else. And secondly, if you want to look at its leaves in the Truck later you will notice that they are very big, folded in a way that maximizes their surface and of a very dark green, mostly due to a high level of chlorophyll. They are masters at collecting even the tiniest amount of the light that still reaches them here and they use every last bit of it. Their longevity is actually a big part of that strategy - they use most of their energy to merely stay alive and only have very little spare to grow, so instead they just grow extremely slowly. And the beautiful thing is that they can live this long, not in spite but BECAUSE of the lack of sunlight. You see, the lack of sunlight means a very low level of cosmic radiation, so their cells don’t get destroyed over time that much. Combine that with drastically less competition and almost no animals trying to eat them and you get the perfect conditions for a long life. Thus they can live for centuries. This also gives them the opportunity to grow a body out of wood, unlike grasses and flowers that need to grow much faster and don’t have the time for that.“
Mirva waved her tail around excitedly like little children sometimes did, and Doctor Jonson finished her explanation.
“All of this makes them one of the only plants that grow here and thus they are the perfect basis of the food chain. Understanding them is vital to understanding this ecosystem. And their excistence in the twilight zone means that the ecosystem there must have been at least somewhat similar to the ecosystem on the dark side, which is promising.”
I smiled, happy that we were making progress this quickly, even though I was pretty certain they had drastically simplified their points so I could understand them. But hey, at le-
“Predator nearby! Retreat to the Truck!“
Farlent’s shout made me jump up and I quickly opened the safety of my flamethrower. Mirva suddenly looked like she was about to freak out again and Jonson didn’t look much better, but she was focused enough to grab Mirva by the arm and run with her back to the truck, while I checked the direction Farlent was pointing towards .
And indeed, I saw not one, but two pairs of glowing eyes - frontfacing eyes- staring at me from right below the waters surface. I did however not see a body belonging to those eyes, which was weird. But I wasn’t stupid enough to hang around and find out how deadly those things were the hard way.
Checking all directions and keeping my flamethrower pointed at the eyes the entire way, I slowly retreated to the truck, waited for Farlent to jump in and then gave Ortsa the sign to slam the door shut. She did - and now we waited for the predators next move.

Okay, so I have this vegan friend who's always talking about how great veganism is and how it's the only ethical way to live. She always goes on and on about "How good the vegan life is" and tries to convert me so I feel "skinnier and better". She even convinced me to try veganism for a week, and let me tell you, it was the most depressing week of my life.
Anyway, my vegan friend invited her vegan friend over for a dinner party, and I knew I had to step up my vegan game. I spent hours searching for vegan recipes, and I even went to a specialty vegan store to buy some expensive vegan ingredients. Nothing but the best for the oh so special vegan queens, right?
When the vegan friend arrived, she immediately started complaining about how the food wasn't "vegan enough." She demanded to know the source of every ingredient and whether they were ethically sourced.
I was so confused. I thought I had done everything right. But apparently, I guess had forgotten to buy a "special" kind of vegan cheese that probably only grows on the top of the Himalayan mountains or something like that. Makes about as much sense as what they were yelling about.
The vegan friend was absolutely livid, and my vegan friend was also upset with me for not being a better vegan host. They both started lecturing me about the importance of ethical veganism and how I was contributing to the destruction of the planet by not being a better vegan.
I finally had enough and just told them I don't care about their "Vegan elitism" and made them leave. My friend hasn't been speaking to me ever since.
I tried my best to accommodate their vegan demands, but they made me feel like I was committing a crime by not being a perfect vegan host. I think they were being ridiculous and entitled, but maybe I'm in the wrong here. What do you guys think?

So im going to put this out there. I have seen a cardiologist recently and everything came back fine besides a 40-45% which is now a 50% EF according to my recent stress test. This issue has been going on for a while but no where near as concerning as this time
Saturday night i was dry herb vaping only did like 1 bowl / edibles
Sunday night i took some edibles and was fine all day until i took a nice dose of 20 MG D9 and 40 MG D8. I was laying down and noticed if i move my neck to fast it would generate a tightness in like my shoulder and collar bone area. Checked my HR it was 45-65 i work out a lot. It wasn't like i couldn't breathe just seemed like a loss of range of motion with head movements. Kinda felt like a newborn i would pick my head up and i work be forced to drop it. Also i would grab my shoulder wen it would generate any kind of of pain not really my chest more so around my shoulder and arm pit area. I feel like it is a posture thing cause i trained back the day prior and it was all kinds of popping in my shoulder and lat area. Also if i move my arms sometimes ill feel it in my chest just a brief soreness. Has anyone had anything similar ? i want to make sure this wasn't a heart attack. Maybe that dry herb session from the day prior caught up with me who knows it was only 1 bowl
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I would also like to note im a experienced user been taking these edibles consistently for like 3 weeks now if its not one thing its another it seems ill never be able to enjoy this flower like i would like to