I (M30) need advice on something. I was wondering if you like someone, and you found out they (F25) are moving to another state for a new job.
Over the last few months we have gotten very close with one another and she has been opening up about everything she's got going on. When I'm in my office by myself she always comes in and talks all the time to me, and just sits in there. And when she's out and about she would sometimes call me when she's bored and just wants someone to talk to.
There is this one guy who is not the best, and hates that we talk a lot when we work together. Like I'll buy her an ice coffee every time we work together and she always says "aww thanks" and sometimes says "awe thanks that's sweet". And then sometimes I'll drive her to and from work when she doesn't want to lose her parking spot at her home. Like some of the ways she acts makes it seem like she may have feelings too.
Would you tell them how you feel before they leave or just keep it to yourself now? Since she will be here till the end of August. I have developed feelings for her over the last few months.
Other people at work can tell that I care about her and have feelings for her.

Previous / First
Writer's note: The last section has a big time anime trope lol. And the best part is I hinted at some of it a bit in one of the recent chapters.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amina stood nearly six inches taller than Nguyen as she approached and stood directly in front of him.
To his credit, he didn't balk as she glared down at him. He stood tall and straight and met her eye to eye, albeit at an upward angle.
"My husband has, or at least HAD, a lot of respect for you FIRST SERGEANT." She said sternly, ignoring Werner and the other soldier. "He lost a lot of that as a result of your..... inactions.... in the desert."
Nguyen's jaw clenched for a moment. "That makes two of us." He said in response.
Amina stared at him for a moment longer, then nodded and turned back to Werner.
"Arm your people." She said to the Ambassador. Then she looked down at Nguyen again. "Deploy them to the refugee sector to aide in the evacuation. Only fire at any golems that pose a threat or appear to be attempting to escape the perimeter of the cordon." She glanced at the other members of her command staff. "Restraining anklets stay on though. And you are to report in immediately once this has settled down."
Then she lowered herself a bit and spoke softly.
"And if any Earth personnel ever act against my people again. You will not have time to regret it, and you will not need James to be your executioner." She whispered into Nguyen's ears. Then she pulled back and looked him in the eyes again.
Nguyen swallowed, then nodded curtly.
"Understood." He said. Then he looked over at Werner, who nodded.
And with that the two Earth soldiers took off at a jog, leaving Werner behind.
As they turned the corner, one of the junior officers from earlier came running around the corner with a large jar.
"Your pickled onions General." The soldier said uncertainly.
Amina grabbed the jar greedily and moved back to her position in the room.
-----------------------------------
Alixan and Veliry, the latter of which had only just arrived, crept through the still hot tunnel carefully.
Alixan, being close to eight feet tall, had to practically crouch to move through the hastily excavated and reinforced earth as he moved. Veliry only had to hunch a bit every now and then when her new antlers brushed against lower portions of the ceiling.
"They summoned an elemental." The Prince said. "In their own control room."
"That's what the our Agent said." Veliry replied.
They had spoken , briefly, to the party of subterranean forces as they'd rapidly evacuated. Many of them had been carried out on litters, their bodies burned from the excess heat and steam that had been created before the doorway leading to the Agency's room had been destroyed.
"Won't be much evidence left then." Alixan said. "Just like last time, unfortunately."
Veliry nodded. A fire elemental was a good way to destroy evidence. Likely the reason the Agency seemed so fond of using them. Though where they were getting them was anyone's guess.
"Still." She said as they rounded the last corner. "We must do our..... dilligence?" She said uncertainly.
The uncertainty was shared by both of the mages as they saw not just a destroyed door. But a second door a few yards away, which was leaning across the hallway. They sensed no magical energy coming from it. And unlike everything else in the tunnel it was neither scorched, nor terribly warm.
Alixan carefully lifted it up and was surprised to find that it had a note on it.
Not written on parchment and tacked to the door.
Not carved into it as if with a knife.
Instead it was engraved into the wood of the door as if it had been built specifically for the task of having the message on it. It was also written in a style of Petravian that hadn't been used in nearly three centuries, though both of them could read it thanks to their studies as mages.

Bother yourselves with us no longer.
We have larger tasks to tackle.
Enjoy the final days of your paltry kingdom in ignorance.
And thank you for ridding me of ambitious fools.

"Whoever they are, something tells me that they're being sincere." Alixan said after he read the message, and Veliry felt inclined to agree with him. "And that makes me more than a little concerned."
-----------------------------------
Even with his inhuman speed, the excitement was over before James got to it.
He felt the intense magical heat dissipate, then disappear entirely, when he was only a block away. Golems he had passed on his way over were already on the ground dead, their amorphous forms melting to reveal the lifeless bodies within. James felt pity for the former refugees, who had moved into this are of the city for a chance at restarting their lives after the previous devastation, only to be violated by the Agency.
When he got to the sight of all the action, he was surprised to find that it wasn't a building. Instead a large cluster of Petravian soldiers and mages were clustered around the entrance to some kind of cellar, or crypt or something. A lot of the mages were helping to heal people who looked like Petravian soldiers, but with what he recognized as mining gear. Many of them were burned, and the few mages that were among those being healed had the tell tale black veins of magical overuse.
He found himself standing next to a rather oddly clothed pair of were-folk, who he looked at curiously as he recognized the rotary grenade launcher that one of them was wearing on a shoulder strap. And also the DMR equipped CT-6.5 that the other was holding loosely. They looked at him in mild shock and his eyes widened as he saw the goggles on their faces, which looked familiar even though he'd never seen them before.
Then the crowd around them quieted. The tall fox-like one's head snapped up and looked over James.
"Chief!" The were-squirrel next to the fox said as they, evidently a woman if James's ears were correct, moved to run over to the figure emerging from the tunnel.
"Chief?" James asked as he turned to follow the squirrel's movement.
"Holy shit." The fox said as he too moved to approach the newcomers.
"Goddam." James said as he saw them.
One of them was a tall, if somewhat gangly looking, man in armor of a brilliant blue. It looked like the highest quality plate armor James had ever seen, though it did not cover their hands or feet. And yet even as he watched, the armor seemed to melt away, leaving behind water and vapor as it did.
James's head quirked to the side as he recognized the person underneath, though he'd never seen him like this before.
"Marcos?" He asked.
The old man, and Royal Arch Mage, was nothing like James was used to seeing him. Typically he was a hunched over, robed, geriatric who looked one hard fall away from death. But as James saw him carrying out the limp, burned, form of a were-person of some kind, he looked like a warrior. The grey tunic he wore was wet from the melting armor, and revealed musculature that surprised James. His sleeves looked to have been burned off, revealing wiry arms with whipcord musculature. He also wasn't hunched over anymore, and as a result he seemed to be close to six feet tall.
"I need healers." The old man said. The slow, almost halting, speech pattern he normal spoke in all but gone. Then he held up the burned form in his arms. "This man is very nearly dead."
"Chief Vickers!" The squirrel exclaimed again as she and the fox ran over.
"Vickers?" James asked silently as he saw the people around begin moving to help.
And he realized that Vickers was the burnt body Marcos was carrying.
"Oh.... Shit." James said as he moved to join everyone.

Coming back for my EQ fix and am hyped as i finally get to experience EQ actively from classic, instead of joining one late several expansions deep, Warrior is my bread and butter of everquest, but i wanna start of as Necro this time around to get a heavy supply of Plat saved up. Even got a real life buddy to join in who picked up Shaman, Thinking about picking up a cheap laptop to box with since I'm going more for plat than efficiency of parties, Should I go Cleric or druid? This is all with the intentions of rolling Warrior or another tank down the line if I get involved with a good guild.

My wife and I have been together for almost 10 years, married for about 5 years, and have a 1-year-old son. We both work typical 9-5 office jobs and our son goes to daycare during the week. We have lived in our house for nearly 4 years, and have really worked hard to make it a home for our family. We had a great relationship as husband and wife before our son was born, but we have hit a rough patch in recent months.
The first few months of our son’s life were very difficult and stressful. He wasn’t sleeping more than 1-2 hours at a time and was often sick. My wife was able to stay home with him for the first 3 months while on maternity leave, and I would come home to a very distressed situation on a daily basis during that time. I know it was challenging for her to take care of him full time, and I would take over baby duty after work and often let my wife sleep all night so she could get some well deserved rest.
This pattern continued for a while as we became more and more sleep deprived, and chores and other responsibilities around the house fell to the wayside. We ended getting in a bit of a disagreement around the 6-month mark where she expressed that I was not helping enough around the house and with the baby after she went back to work and that she felt unappreciated for all of her efforts. My wife typically does all of our laundry, takes the baby to and from daycare (which is on her way into the office) and does a great job budgeting and planning most of our family activities. My responsibilities include caring for the outside of the home (landscaping, lawn mowing, etc.), as well as cooking, doing most of the other household cleaning, caring for our pets, and completing household projects and renovations when we had time.
Unfortunately, I did, and still do believe that there was validity to her argument. I was beyond tired, stressed from work, money, and just generally being overwhelmed by all of the stressors that come with being a working first-time parent. I did neglect my duties as a husband to my wife, and I promised to her as well as myself to make a better effort to be there for her.
I genuinely do appreciate all that my wife does for our family and she really shines as a mother. During this same argument, I also expressed my feelings about that status of our relationship. At the 6-month mark after the birth of our son, we had not had sex since his conception, probably about 16 months at that point. We did not have sex at all during the pregnancy, which was a little over 10 months. I told her that I did not feel that she was attracted to me, and reminded her of just how infrequently she would show me any type of affection. Kisses were no more frequent than goodbyes before work or goodnights before bed. Hugs felt cold, and any advances toward intimacy I attempted were shut down as quickly as they started. I told her that this made me feel unloved, unappreciated, and crushed my confidence. Throughout our nearly 10 years together, my love language of physical touch and high sex-drive were both well established, but she seemed surprised by my feelings.
She defended her actions by saying that her hormones were wreaking havoc, she was too tired,and that she was not confident with her body enough to share it with me anymore. She also said she was often “touched out” from holding our son and didn’t want to be touched in any capacity. I completely understood the hormone angle, as this can take over a year to regulate postpartum. However, I reassured her that even though her body may not be the same, I had never been more attracted to her than I am after seeing her become a mother and my desire for her has not diminished at all. Hearing the “touched out” sort of felt like she wasn’t considering my needs at all, and honestly hurt emotionally, especially after I voiced my thoughts on the subject. It really felt like a complete dismissal of my feelings.
After the argument / discussion, I really made a conscious effort to work on being a better husband and addressing the needs she expressed to me. I more or less took over getting up with our son in the middle of the night, getting him ready in the morning for daycare, making his bottles, feeding him dinner, putting him to bed, and gave her time to even get back into a workout routine. I started to help with laundry, and even cleaned the house during the week if I worked from home. All of this was in effort to address her needs from me, let her get some rest and personal time, and perhaps selfishly, try to get the physical component of our relationship back on track.
She has since hit her goal (pre-pregnancy) weight and looks amazing. I don’t even think she looks any different than she did almost 10 years ago. Myself, I may only be a 6.5/10 on a good day, but I had also been dieting and have gotten in the best shape of my life. I am 30lbs lighter than when we were first married, and I feel / look so much better.
At any rate, I do not think my wife has made any effort in the 7 months since that discussion. Though I have made attempts to romance her, surprise her, be spontaneous, and initiate, we have not had sex for nearly 2 years. She has not made any efforts, and has turned me down at every instance. She generally seems uninterested in me at all. I feel lost, and don’t know where to turn.
I have broached the subject a few times since during this time span, and even suggested scheduling sex and counseling. None of my suggestions gain any traction with her, and I’ve honestly given up hope at this point. I have stopped making attempts at initiating any type of physical touch. Going without has gotten easier as the repeated instances of rejection compiled. I feel depressed, and have had to seek therapy recently for the first time in my life.
She talks about wanting another baby, but I don’t know if I can keep living this way. I want to be there for my son, and I can’t stomach the thought of not being able to see him every day if we were to separate or divorce. I especially do not want to bring another child into the world with someone who may have fallen out of love with me. It would not be fair to the future baby, our son, or to ourselves if we are not able to resolve our issues and stabilize our future together.
I love my wife and son more than anything, and my wife has really stuck by me during some tough times in years past. That being said, I am done feeling as though I am being tolerated and want more than anything to feel wanted again by the woman I married. I miss it. I yearn for her and her touch, but I also have needs of this nature that she is unwilling to meet or even try to meet. I know that I am a good dad to my son, and I know that I can be, and am a good husband deserving of love and affection.
My therapist told me that journaling and collecting my thoughts could help me find some answers. Since I’m not one for journaling or keeping a diary, I decided to post on here for the first time ever. I’m hoping that someone who reads this may be able to provide some perspective and maybe even share their own experience and advice for the future. Any support, advise, criticism, and even reality-checks are all welcome.

I know I'm definitely young and shouldn't have this kind of stuff on my mind but I often find myself longing for a child. My boyfriend wants all the same things but he cares about how other people will see it. He thinks that because I want marriage and babies now while we're young he will be viewed negatively by his family and the world. For the last year it's gotten worse and it's all I think about, he said that we would try once I started a new job (one I could work while pregnant) so I quit my stable job to pursue this, but the second I got my new job and mentioned it to my boyfriend he told me it's not going to happen and I have to find a new job instead. When we fight he brings up me wanting marriage and kids and calls me a child wanting a fairytale. I recently talked to my therapist about why I might be wanting one so bad. And her answer has helped me understand better. She said since I was in such a bad situation when I was a child I now crave to provide stability and nurture. Everyone else supports my wants and my family even offered help if I was to get pregnant.but he is still concerned with how people view him. So for now I just buy baby stuff and keep it in a little box with my hopes and dreams. I cry at night holding the little blankets I knitted and wonder to myself how much longer can I wait. I know this is probably dumb though. Anyways thanks for listening

View Poll

Greetings Stranger,
​
I assume we're all here endlessy scrolling through the different posts trying to find that one person to vibe with.
The main reason is because we're either extremelly bored or lonely.
My job is to try be that person to tick both those boxes off.
Lucky for you, I got a lot of attention to give.
​
So to tell you a bit more about myself.
As the title says, I am a 28 year old living together with my cat in Belgium.
Sadly one of my cats passed away in April, so I'm left with Stella.
I have a fulltime job and I've been active for around 6 years in the IT-sector.
When I get home from work, I like to unwind doing all kind of stuff, for example:
- Watching Formula 1 / Football
- Going for an evening walk
- Goofing around with my cat
- Trying to get better at cooking
- Scrolling on Youtube and ending up on the weirdest videos
- Playing some video games
- Take well deserved naps
- Listen to music
- Socialize with friends
​
So if any part of the post seems appealing to you, don't hesitate to reach out!
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Looking forward hearing from you.

April 21st, 9:15 am - Jasper Investigative Department - Interrogation Room
An inconspicuous yellow folder sits lonesome in a dimly lit room. It’s storming outside today, daunting thunder rumbles dramatically, and lighting rips through the sky, illuminating the room for a mere second, the room then being concealed in darkness once more. Footsteps can be heard from down the hallway. Moments later, Cameron Brown walks through the door, a singular officer escorting him inside. He is without handcuffs today, and sits down in his chair without an exchange of words. The officer eyes Cameron carefully, but eventually walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Cameron sits in his chair, awaiting Officer Garcia. He yawns. He was woken up much earlier than he usually is, and was quite cranky when he was told he’d have to leave his room for the time being. That being said, Cameron Brown is strangely content today. Expressing little to no signs of distress, erratic behavior, or violent mood shifts. He leaned his head back to face the ceiling as another strike of lightning rips through the cloudy sky, subsequently followed by the crashing of thunder. This doesn’t seem to bother Cameron though, as his eyes begin to flutter to a close. Eventually, he manages to fall into a light slumber. His eyelids close, and his breathing deepens and slows. Though, this moment of peace is abruptly interrupted by the door swinging open and crashing against the wall. Cameron jumps up in his seat, almost falling backward. His eyes are wide and panicked. Officer Isabella Garcia charges into the room like a wild animal. Her hair is messy, and her clothes are ruffled. She whips her head around wildly, until her eyes finally lock onto what they were looking for. Garcia practically jumps at the folder, swiping it up into her hands. As she is about to open it, she looks up at Cameron, who eyes her with confusion. She quickly turns her body to face away from him, and only then does she open the folder. She flips through the contaminants, her eyes scanning for any missing documents. Once she is sure all is okay, she turns back around to face Cameron, sitting down in her chair, and gently placing the folder down in front of her. She fixes her hair, pulling it back into a tight ponytail, then quickly flattens the wrinkle in her uniform. She coughs into her hand, clearing her throat, then lowers her arms down to the table, placing her left hand atop the yellow folder as she always does.
“Sorry for my late arrival, alarm clock didn’t go off.”
Cameron shrugged it off, though, his eyes gazed at the folder underneath Garcia’s hand intently. Garcia followed his gaze, pulling the folder closer to her. An awkward silence ensues, as both parties wait for the other to initiate conversation. Garcia pulls her tiny notebook out of her back pocket and then grabs the pen tucked behind her ear. She clicks it three times.
“You ready to start?”
Cameron takes his eyes off the folder, looking up at Garcia. “Oh-yeah, sure.”

Garcia nods, “Start whenever you’d like to.”

The walk to the foot of The Hill was longer than I remermbered it being. The day I tried to take my own life, I could’ve sworn it only took me a little under an hour to get to The Hill. Though, I wasn’t completely shocked by this. It made sense - I was seventeen, disillusioned, and depressed. Not only that, but I suffered major memory loss when I injured myself, then pumped up with medicine and pain killeers shortly there after. Still, though, the walk was long. Gabriel and I also had fifteen pounds of luggage loaded onto our backs. During Palmer’s preparation bootcamp, the group had to decide who were the strongest out of all of us. Gabriel was chosen without much thought, having previously being a D1 athlete, and I was chosen thereafter as the second strongest. To put it bluntly, we were basically used as mules. Anyway, it took us a little over four hours to reach The Hill. Spirits were high all throughout the hike. We sang campfire songs, Elias lectured us on forest foliage for a good half hour, we laughed at James and Mia’s constant bickering. It was nice, fun even. Though, as we reached the forest’s edge, my mood quickly shifted. As soon as my vision laid itself upon the foot of the hill, my body froze. My stomach flipped and churn, dropping down into my ass. The group walked past me, not realizing the paralaysis that had fell upon me. I tried to take a step forward, but I’d lost all control over my muscles. I tried to catch the attention of the others, but my voice fell short, the air catching in my throat. My knees began to quiver, and I began to shift backwards, as if my body were trying to escape back into the woods. The hair stood of my skin, and my arm began to throb right in the spot I broke it. I had to leave, I had to get out. I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm myself, but when I did, my fathers face appeared before me. His face welted and bled, and he opened his mouth to scream. An anguished screech bellowed from his mouth, and my eyes shot open. I fell to my knees as the scream continued, my bag crashing against my back on impact. I clawed at the sides of my face as the scream continued, paying no attention to the barrage of legs running towards me, kicking dirt dust in their path. Palmer dropped to the ground beside me, slapping his hands against my shoulders and shaking me. He was yelling something at me, but it was unintellligeble against the sound of screaming that only seemed to grow louder and louder.
Cameron! Cameron staushdsihdhishd….
Palmer pulled me in closer, until our faces were only inches apart. Though, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand him. The screaming grew louder, more panicked. I gripped at my chest, pressing my hand against my body to feel my heart beating. It was beating fast, so fast it felt inhuman. Suddenly, my head whipped to the side as a hand slapped itself across my face. The screaming stopped, and I whipped my hea dback around to face whoever hit me. Palmer, who’s hand was raised in the air, stared at me in shock. I opened my mouth to say something, but Palmer interrupted me.
“STOP SCREAMING.”
I looked at him, confused. Slowly coming to the realization that I had been the one screaming the entire time. I looked around at everyone. They all had fearful expressions on their faces, standing over me like I was deer they’d just hit on the highway. I closed my eyes, my fathers face was no longer there, just darkness. I sighed in relief, and my tense body went limp. I dropped my head onto Palmer’s shoulder, wetting his shirt with the tears that had began to well in my eyes. He wrapped his right arm around me, slowly patting my back. I could hear everyone slowly walking away, their footsteps shifting awkwardly in the dirt. When I picked my head back up, everyone had dispersed, leaving only me and Palmer. I looked up at him. He gently smiled back at me, though I could tell he was hiding a face of worry behind it. His lips separated to say something, but I shook my head.
“I’m fine. I’m calm now.”

I started my X journey many years ago now with X3TC. Like most folks, I bought the Superbox at some point in a Steam sale and never looked at it again. Over the winter, while cleaning out a closet, I found an X2: The Threat CD-ROM in a box of my partner's things and, so, the idea of booting it up just to see what it was like has been there for a while. Then, I put a bunch of hours into the 6.0 beta for X4, beat Kingdom's End in a day, and started my goal of finishing all the terraforming (as a Boron) for the achievement. One night, feeling a bit burnt out, I decided to go ahead and boot up X:BTF. Now, maybe six weeks later, I just finished the last mission in X3: Reunion. I thought I would share my impressions of the original X games.
X: Beyond the Frontier (1999)
This game really surprised me. To be honest, going into this, I did not expect to marathon through the whole series or even to finish X:BTF. I just thought it might be a fun distraction for a couple hours. Yeah, it definitely shows its age in the graphics and UI, but the gameplay loop is still solid. Good job EgoSoft. They also released a patch in 2021 (who does that), so this game ran the best on my modern PC out of all the old titles. It feels very barebones compared to the more modern games, but I kind of appreciated that. I do a lot of manual remote trading and micromanagement in X4, not to mention personally dealing with constant pirate and Xenon attacks all over the gate network, so I am spammed with notifications. I found myself going to X:BTF to relax after a long day at work, just tooling around in my little ship, trading some energy cells and sunrise flowers, not having to worry about all that other stuff. I have a good bit of nostalgia for trading games of this era, so that helped.
The combat is... well, it reminded me of Wing Commander on the SNES, so I'm not sure I'd even call it 'of the era'. Doesn't really compare to games like TIE Fighter. Xenon also appear to just spawn around the player, there are no safe sectors, and this is really frustrating early. The weapons/shield scale is very steep so you can't even scratch an M3 with anything less than plasma cannons. Fortunately, the AI can't hit you. At all. Any movement completely throws them off, so the real danger from the Xenon is suicide ramming attacks. Early on, my strategy was to run to a station and call for help, which I could easily do with 20 Xenon on my tail, as long as I didn't turn on SETA, so it was more annoying than threatening. It was VERY satisfying to finally get guns capable of shredding those darn M3s. I spent the last 10 hours of the game engaged in non-stop combat and by that time, I was an unstoppable force, taking out destroyers with ease and the last battle was a cakewalk.
Overall X:BTF took me about 30 hours to complete because I decided to max relations with all five races as a challenge goal. Otherwise, I could have probably finished the plot earlier. But I enjoyed the game a lot. Low expectations probably helped, but it is still a really solid game to just chill with. If you can get past the UI and blocky graphics (you thought Teladi ships were bricks in X3, lol).
​
X2: The Threat (2003)
I will say first that X2 was the most frustrating game to play. It has most of the functionality of the later games, but none of the QoL or UI improvements. It feels like an even jankier X3. It also has a lot of compatibility issues. The main story cutscenes caused crashes and required hunting for workarounds. I had to play part of it on an old laptop. The story itself was really good though and I love the ship models. EgoSoft, why does the X2 Titan and Nova look the best? Bring those designs back. I had to grind missions a lot early to make money. Built a couple SPPs but decided not to waste too much time on the Empire building, since I planned to play X3 next anyway. In the end, I did mobile silicon mining to get the 2 million or so credits to buy and equip a Nova (M3 / heavy fighter), which carried me through the rest of the plot.
The last battle was incredibly memorable, if sadistic in mission design. Overall, the story was a lot of fun and I'm glad that I played through it. In the end, it took 30 hours. I probably could have gotten through faster if I'd gone straight for the Nova, but I originally thought I'd need at least a corvette and tried to set up some passive income. I kind of regret not getting to play around more with larger ships. I'd like to buy one of those Titans. But the number of hours I'd need to grind for one quick romp through a Xenon sector kind of puts me off. I backed up my saves, so if I get bored in the future, I might come back to it.
X3: Reunion (2005)
Since I started the X series, the only thing I've ever heard about Reunion is that you should skip it. I've heard it's a buggy mess, the new games are better, etc. By this point, I was already planning to do a long run through X3:TC after, so I decided to just speedrun the plot. I started by going after the abandoned ship in Menelaus' Frontier, sold it, used the money to fully kit out my Buster, and then all the rest of my money came from selling ships that bailed. Honestly, I probably had the most fun in this one, just treating it like a short story-based game. The plot missions are absolutely nuts. I imagine it was a buggy mess in 1.0, but these days it seems fine. I really liked all the turret missions that people hate, even the one through the city (I got 640 fps there on my 3060 Ti, so I guess that helped). Also, every other mission was "fly inside some structure", cave, station, asteroid, whatever. Between the turret missions and tunnel missions, it felt a lot like Rebel Assault instead of an X game. That actually made it more fun though. I really liked how most of the missions gave you a random ship to fly, let me get away with never upgrading from the Buster, and also try out a lot of different ships and weapon loadouts. Oh, and the final battle in this one and the cutscene when the Terrans show up, EPIC. Overall, A++ experience. Sure, today, you're better of going to AP or FL for the sandbox play, but if you want the story, 2023 Reunion is solid.
​
So, in summary, the old games are surprisingly playable. X2 is probably in the worst shape, but the overall story arc of X2 and X3: Reunion back-to-back is fantastic (except I had to head cannon that Julian lost all his assets in a high stakes card game in the intervening months. RIP JoulesCorp). All the stories are pretty short, and you don't actually need to grind out a whole Empire, you can finish all the plots in a fighter. If you are a fan and would enjoy experiencing the story of the Kha'ak Invasion and first contact with the Terrans, it's not even that much of a time investment. I've put more hours into Kingdom's End than all three of these games combined.

RHZ is hiring for the following positions.
Pay Range: $30/hr-$45/hr plus OT, per diem, paid travel, bonus, company vehicle, and benefits. The vast majority of your work will consist of driving to local area customers during the week, with one to two partial days on weekends per month. You might have 3-4 overnight stays a year. The majority of the time will consist of regular hours. There are the occasional emergency service calls, but they're rare.
RHZ is a veteran-owned company built by an ex-Navy Nuke. We give bonuses on children's & employee's birthdays as a small token of appreciation, as well as year-end bonuses. We take care of our own.
The most important quality is passion. These positions require a core set of skills to build from. The main skills must be taught on the job. The skills we're looking for: - Electrical (24VDC to 480VAC) - Hydraulic systems - Pneumatic Systems - Industrial burners - Mechanical aptitude - understanding of systems - PLC/HMI (all major brands)
5 years experience, an engineering degree, or a vet with tech specs preferred.
Field Service Tehnician I, II, III Job Description Duties: The Field Service Technician’s primary responsibility is to create solutions to industrial issues and problems which meet RHZ’s core philosophy: a) meet the customer’s stated and unstated needs, and b) do so efficiently, with no unnecessary parts (no upselling). This can include emergency troubleshooting, generating information and parts lists for future work, inspecting equipment, adjusting automation controls, creating custom automation programming, remote telephone and computer assistance, and supervising overall projects. The Field Service Technician is responsible for generating clear, concise reports of their work while on customer sites, of following all required safety procedures and policies, and of reporting all results to RHZ office staff. Field Service Technician may also be responsible for supervising and training other Field Service Tehnician, and managing subcontractors for particular projects.
These duties may include work on equipment such as various types of Oxidizers, paint booths, dust collectors, burner trains, flares, and a variety of other industrial and pollution abatement systems. Summary of Field Positions:
Field Service Technician I – our most skilled Technician who can be considered an expert at the operation, care, programming, and maintenance of most types of pollution abatement equipment RHZ routinly encounters. The FST I is responsible for troubleshooting and routine work on customer sites. The FST I is the team leader and highly capable of performing detailed custom programming and trouble-shooting equipment problems. They will travel to remote locations, interact with customer representatives, generate solutions to both mechanical and automation issues, and implement such solutions at the approval of the customer and/or their supervisor. They are the primary point of contact between RHZ and the customer.
Field Service Technician II – a knowledgeable technician, familiar with most of the equipment we routinely encounter. Able to reliably read electrical and mechanical drawings and use most of the routine equipment required for the job. It is expected that an FST II has a beginning understanding of PLC programming and is actively working towards mastering those skills.
Field Service Technician III – the least experienced of our FST’s, the FST III is generally a trainee – someone who is still learning how the equipment we service works, and has little to no knowledge of PLC programming. It is expected that FST III’s are actively working to acquire the knowledge required to advance to an FST II.
RHZServices.com
Send Resumes to: [email protected]
We're based in the Alliance. If you know of anyone who might be interested in this type of work, please have them send a resume to Holly.

Anyone know of a lawyer I can pay to talk to, to compel action pertaining to getting approval for installing a mini split AC? I own a small town house and my property management company is very poor with responding to emails. It's Level Community Management I have to deal with and they are notorious for shitty service. I must have property management company approval before I can install a new AC because mini split refrigerant lines are externally ran (they have a neat 3 inch wide cover and will be painted to match).
I've been trying since April 20th to even know about the paperwork I needed and it took 2 weeks for them to respond after me finally mentioning that they are breaching the contract by not responding.
I dropped off paperwork May 15th and I think they may have "lost" the paperwork.
I talked to a community manager May 24th at a HOA meeting and she swore that things would be immediately expedited. I got an email the next day and she has not responded to emails since. My HOA board is also unresponsive.
This was my email from this morning to the property management company:
Hello,
I am formally requesting expedited and timely approval for a mini split AC install to immediately bring my place up to Nevada state legal standards as per NRS 118A.290 definition of a "habitable condition" whereas NRS 118A.290-3I mentions "air-conditioning...in good repair".
My AC is not in good repair.
Two copies of the required ARC paperwork were dropped off the morning of Monday, May 15th directly to Breanna including an additional short write up, neighbor signatures, and a diagram. This was followed up with an email afterwards. The model number of the AC is: Blueridge BMKH24LM21-12W-12W as per the May 26th email.
I am asking for a date of when this request is approved or denied, and if denied so I can rapidly work with you all to resolve any issues, so that I can make immediate arrangements with the AC contractor to bring my place up to Nevada state legal standards.
I appreciate your time and understanding my sense of urgency in having a fully functional AC unit when the temperature is about to hit triple digits.
Where do I go from here? Office of the Ombudsman for Common-Interest Communities? Take them to court?
I obviously need an AC unit in Las Vegas and I'm de facto being denied one by the property management company at this point.
BTW, a 2 ton, 2 head 21 SEER mini spit is $8600 which is very fair. I should be eligible for a rebate.

A three hour introductory practical session introducing students to backstage, lighting and sound systems.
10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm.
Call the Buxton Opera House Box Office to book on 01298 72190.
Buxton Opera House, Water St, Buxton SK17 6XN, UK
June 2, 2023 at 12:00AM
June 3, 2023 at 12:00AM

I’m a woman in my 30s, and all my life I’ve felt different. I’m naturally very introverted. It was hard for me to make friends as a kid, and I preferred to spend time alone or online. These days, I’m very content to spend the entire day with my partner and our pets. Even one day a week in the office for my job burns my social battery out.
I’ve always been called sensitive. I cry easily. Loud environments are overwhelming (to the point that I shut down). I have anxiety and do lots of repetitive behaviors to calm myself. My therapist said I seem like someone who identifies with HSPs, or highly sensitive personality types. I can’t do bars and clubs without headphones or earplugs.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and started taking adderall. I find that it helps me a lot with my ability to get started on projects and have the physical energy to stay awake all day. (Prior to this I would need to nap in the afternoon. Like my body would just not be able to function.) I tend to hyperfixate on things like games I’m playing or books I’m reading.
I’ve always assumed I wasn’t autistic because I believed all the stereotypes were universal. I have a high degree of emotional intelligence. I’m very empathetic. I can read people’s feelings well (even if I don’t always know how to react or what to say). I just figured that because I was not “emotionally absent” that I couldn’t be autistic. I know now that it’s not 1:1 that way.
I just genuinely can’t tell if I’ve gotten used to masking, or maybe I’m convincing myself I have??? Like I’m gaslighting myself into thinking I might have autism?? And I definitely don’t want to self-diagnose just because maybe it fits and I’m suddenly appropriating this…. Idk… thing?? Something huge and impactful to other people??
I can’t afford to get assessed out of pocket, and where I live there aren’t many options anyway. I don’t even know where to start. I’ve read the articles about why diagnosis isn’t helpful or necessary. My main reason for considering it is because my employer would take it very seriously. I currently have some accommodations at work but they’re temporary and I believe I could benefit from further assistance.
I think I also just want the validation. I’ve always felt weird and different. I just… I don’t know. I feel like I’m at some weird crossroad in my life.
Sorry for the vent. I apologize for taking space here when I probably don’t deserve to. Thanks for reading.

This is my story.
Introduction:
Growing up was a turbulent and challenging journey for me. From a young age, I faced the harsh reality of a dysfunctional family, an absent mother, and an aggressive father. These circumstances shaped my early years, filling them with confusion, anger, and an overwhelming sense of abandonment.
The Weight of Rejection:
One of my earliest memories is desperately longing for my mother's love and attention. But instead of the nurturing embrace I craved, I discovered her deep attachment to alcohol. I became all too familiar with the hidden boxes of wine, the arguments, and the bruises that marred our relationship. The rejection I felt during those formative years left a profound impact on my sense of self-worth.
The Battle with Mental Health:
As I entered adolescence, the weight of my past and the unresolved trauma began to take its toll on my mental well-being. Anxiety became a constant companion, and I found myself caught in a web of self-destructive behaviors. The fear of rejection, born from my early experiences, manifested in my inability to connect with others and the overwhelming belief that I was somehow damaged.
A Glimmer of Hope:
Amidst the chaos, there were moments of solace. My grandmother, a beacon of unconditional love, provided a temporary respite from the turmoil. Though distance separated us, her unwavering support and affection nurtured a small spark of hope within me.
The Breaking Point:
It was during a particularly difficult time in my life that I found myself in a hospital, seeking help and solace. The mental health ICU became both a refuge and a battleground as I confronted the depths of my pain. I learned to wear a mask of normalcy, hiding the turmoil that raged within. Slowly, with time and the guidance of compassionate professionals, I began to rebuild myself.
The Journey to Healing:
Recovery was not a linear path; it was a series of small victories and setbacks. I immersed myself in self-reflection, therapy sessions, and the search for understanding. I learned to forgive myself and let go of the burdens that were never mine to carry. Self-love became my mantra, and I vowed to break free from the cycle of pain that had defined my past.
Sharing the Light:
As I emerged from the shadows of my past, I realized the power of my story. I recognized that my experiences, though painful, had the potential to inspire, comfort, and guide others who may be on their own healing journeys. With a newfound purpose, I embraced opportunities to share my story, offering support, empathy, and encouragement to those who needed it.
Conclusion:
Today, I stand as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. My journey from a broken child to a healed adult has shaped me into a compassionate and strong individual. While the scars of the past remain, they serve as a reminder of the battles I have fought and the strength I possess. As I continue to navigate life's challenges, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story, knowing that it has the power to uplift, inspire, and bring hope to those who may be treading a similar path.

The authenticity of the document is viable and much necessary before going abroad!
Kerala is one of the most demanding states in India with all optimal facilities. Kerala has its own significance in building the economy of the country. There are a huge number of people from Kerala who are relocating to Different nations abroad. A businessman longing for the foreign market, a student fascinated with foreign studies, the youths are engrossed to quick employment, whereas an Ex-pat is interested in a peaceful nation. Hence it becomes quite progressive to get proper documentation before going abroad. All the documents would require seamless attestation.
What are Birth Certificates?
A birth Certificate is a document of official record that acts as evidence for the birth of a child. A Birth Certificate can be applied from the online portal of the government website. You can get the same from the registrar’s office.
What is Birth Certificate Attestation in Kerala?
Birth Certificate Attestation in Kerala means proving the authenticity and genuineness of the document so that the document good for use in foreign nations. The documents are attested by a viable procedure pre-drawn by regulatory bodies. The legal forums and government bodies like HRD, MEA and Embassies are responsible for the attestation of birth certificates in Kerala. The unattested Birth Certificate has no such uses in a foreign nation, they are mere sheets of paper.
What are Birth Certificate Attestation Fees in Kerala?
The Birth Certificate Attestation fees in Kerala are nominal and affordable. We make the entire procedure of Birth Certificate attestation easy for you.
What is the right procedure for Birth Certificate Attestation in Kerala?
· Notarised Attestation
· HRD Attestation
· MEA Attestation
· Concerned Embassy Attestation
You can get the Birth Certificate attested by our reliable team of Experts, visit us at https://www.globalattestation.com/

I'm adopting two 1 year-old cats in a couple of weeks and their foster mentioned they prefer an open litter box. Does anyone have a recommendation for one that you love and s easy to clean?

I've been looking for a job for 2 1/2 months and sent out 191 applications. Was excited to finally get an interview for a good paying job and they asked me to do another interview. All the managers couldn't be there on that day (why schedule it??) so I had to do a third interview. Three weeks went by so I reached out and they told me I am still being considered. Four days later they said I didn't get the job but encouraged me to apply for a different one that was available. Interview number four and even though I haven't heard back I know I bombed it because I didn't come off as a "team player." Of course they said they would contact me either way this week and they absolutely didn't.
In the meantime I am taking all the stupid assessments and jumping through hoops with the damn Workday accounts and the personality tests - those are the worst! Some tests have represented to employers that I am not someone that works well with others, some of the tests say I can't work remotely because I like people to much (definitely not true, and I've been working remotely for three years now). I'm either too rigid in my approach to work or show that I take too many risks. My head is spinning because I don't even know what to do or say at this point. I don't know what these people want from me or how choosing strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree sums up my personality and work ethic.
I was finally offered a job and had to take it even though it pays $4 less an hour than what I need. The listing said remote but now they want me to come to the office on my first day and it is an hour each way. I have no choice but to use the last of my money to pay for an uber because my car broke down. I was supposed to start the third week of May. Then they said the last week of May. Then they said the first week of June. They just called and said they are pushing it back another week. The job barely pays enough to cover rent and bills, but if I had started it when I was supposed to I would be alright. Now I am completely f*cked.
Once I start the job I have to go through intensive training and none of it can be missed. How can I interview for other jobs if I am stuck holding on to a shitty one during business hours? I have been through training for past jobs and they never grant people their lunch when it is supposed to happen. Its only after the instructor feels we are at a good stopping point, and the length of time is only compounded by some jerk asking 50 million questions that have already been answered.
I moved 700+ miles from home with plenty of money and now I'm down to one can of cat food and can't refill my prescriptions until I get a job. I have some potatoes, bread, and a couple cans of soup. I've never been so depressed or worried about how I'm going to get by, and that is saying a lot because I raised a child on my own, with absolutely no child support, after leaving an abusive relationship.
I suppose this post doesn't have a lot of purpose, I am just venting because I know most of you job seekers can relate.

The JP Ones Wins, Imo