Delaware winning lottery numbers for today

Smart Card Merchant Services

2016.03.06 19:19 dybolic Smart Card Merchant Services

Today a majority of credit card transactions are sent electronically to merchant processing banks for authorization, capture and deposit. Various methods exist for presenting a credit card sale to "the system." In all circumstances either the entire magnetic strip is read by a swipe through a credit card terminal/reader, a computer chip is read, or the credit card information is manually entered into a credit card terminal, a computer or website.

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2023.03.25 19:01 Fit_Lengthiness_7731 Confused after 1st date

So we met last weekend (he works as a waiter in a restaurant) when I gave him my number and we had our first date in the week. I’m M24 and he is M22.
All over the weekend, we were texting back and forth. Was going really well.
Here comes the first date. He asked loads of questions, we spent hours with each other chatting away before we realised the time and that he had to get to work. Throughout the date there was lots of ‘little moments’. Stuff like where he had something stuck in his boot (we were walking through the forest) so I held his hand to keep him sturdy. A few moments where I nearly slipped and he held me up. Or like when I showed him a particular ring I wear and he put it back on my finger for me. Nothing massive but definitely a few of those ‘spark’ moments when you touch. At the end, there was no generic ‘we should do this again sometime’ before leaving, but rather we stayed around our cars chatting. He even said “I’ll defo see you again”. We brainstormed ideas of what we could do next, and he said he wanted to arrange the next one (as I arranged the first) and was asking me questions like “do you like Turkish food” so was definitely thinking about where we could go. We even settled on what day we could both do, and said we would to head into London for that evening. He was telling me how he is at a family wedding the coming days and was talking all about the family drama etc. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said “you might meet them one day and you’ll understand what I’m talking about!”. We ended with a really close hug before we went separate ways. Great vibes, great guy, flirty, neither of us were inappropriate with the other etc, and we had the next date planned. Overall - green flags all round. He also texted me first after the date saying “thanks for today, was nice x”.
The last few days he’s been away for a family wedding so has been really slow at replying - completely understand that and no issues at all.
Then yesterday morning he texted explaining his mate surprised him with theatre tickets on his only day off (when our second date was planned) and apologised saying he may have to reschedule. I played it chill, saying “That’s sounds cool, you seeing anything nice? But no stress all good with me, just let me know a date that works instead x”. This morning (24 hours later) he replied with “Will do x”.
Now I do know he is super busy. But would you say he is slow-ghosting? I don’t see how I can respond to that ‘will do’ text as I left the ball in his court and he hasn’t (as yet) come back with any alternative date suggestions. But at the same time why say all those things on the first date and continue replying (albeit slowly) if he wasn’t interested?
It’s confusing because all the green flags were there, and I may be overthinking where he’s just waiting to get his rota from work.
But would anyone have any takes or advice on the situation? I almost want to ask him “are you still interested?” but it’s only been one date and that’s a bit needy.
So yeah, any advice to help make sense of the situation would be much appreciated!!

submitted by Fit_Lengthiness_7731 to dating [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 19:01 Friendly-Calendar860 Friend of mine got this random text this morning

Edit: repost with more censorship of personal information across the post.

Hello, I am not the subject of this specific scam, but rather, asking for a friend. Earlier today, he received a text from a random phone number (see attached image). The number's area code is one from Seattle area. I drew over my friend's name in black, because I am not going to leak it. There are two messages total. "[1/2]my friends real full name This is scammer's name from the escort service you spoke to a few of my girls and all you did was waste their time like my business is a game real" and "[2/2] simple either you pay 3000 for this issue or we involve your family in a bad way call me to explain and work this out peacefully". The overall message doesn't give me any chills, its just the fact that the random number knew my friend's real full name. I looked up number in a few different ways. I also talked to a couple of other friends of mine to help figure out what is going on. They did their own separate research, and they came up with some different things. Can you help us out? is this something that my friends and I need to worry about, or is it just a scam? any and all help would be very appreciated.

submitted by Friendly-Calendar860 to Scams [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 19:00 DeanMrCrypto ELONONE - Token With Utility - Play to Earn Game Launching on March 29th 2023

ELONONE is a utility token that powers a multiplayer play to earn crypto racing game called RocketDash and a revolutionary new gasless NFT marketplace called AstroZero. Holders of the token will benefit greatly from both utilities.
RocketDash - Play to Earn Racing Game Launching March 29th 2023
RocketDash promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnojxNZ2K10
RocketDash video ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqmTkms8JCo
It is a very exciting time to be an Elonone holder due to one of our main utilities launching on March 29th 2023. That utility is a play to earn racing game called RocketDash. Presale for the rockets needed to play the game goes live on March 28th at:
https://rocketdash.game
We advise people to purchase their rockets early to avoid any disappointment.
What is RocketDash
Rocketdash is a futuristic play-to-earn racing game where players compete in races to win crypto. Players pay to enter races, then compete for the top 3 prizes, which are then awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Racing
Players will be able to enter races with 11 other competing rockets. The rockets that finish in the top 3 positions will be awarded a prize from the combined entry fee pool from all of the players that entered the race. There will be many different race entry prices to suit all types of players to ensure that everyone gets to have fun playing RocketDash on a budget that suits their needs.
Rockets will also move up in class to ensure more of an even playing field. This means that newcomers will not have to face the most powerful rockets in the game as soon as they join and will have time to find their feet and enjoy the game before mixing it with the big boys.
Engineering
You will be able to engineer new rockets by combining two rocket schematics that will give you a chance of building a higher-performing rocket than the originals. This will give you a far better chance of winning prizes in the races you compete in.
There will be a lot of experimentation to be had and the most successful engineers will be able to produce rockets with high-quality stats that will also have a chance of being passed down to future generations of rockets engineered from them. It will be highly profitable to race, engineer, and sell these rockets.
Trading
Trading your rockets will also be an option. There will be money to be made for those that produce good rockets and want to sell them on at a profit.
Those with a keen eye for a gem will also be able to buy mismanaged rockets, discover their full capabilities and sell them on for profit.
If you are a racer, engineer, or trader we have got you covered. We look forward to seeing which playstyles our users choose and what strategies they come up with.
You can stay up to date here: https://twitter.com/RocketDashGame
AstroZero - Gasless NFT Marketplace
Elonone will be the token that powers the revolutionary upcoming gasless NFT marketplace called AstroZero. This will bring immense value to the Elonone token due to the high amount of users and transactions expected.
AstroZero will be putting the artists first. With ZERO gas fees and a tiny transaction fee of 0.7%, we will be removing the financial barrier that many NFT artists face when trying to sell their work.
We strongly believe that people from all parts of the world deserve equal access to reaching their full potential in the NFT space without being hindered by insane gas fees and the extortionate transaction fees that other NFT marketplaces charge.
There is a huge amount of artistic talent in the developing world and we want to harness that and give these people the means to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and also to improve the communities around them.
Not only will zero gas fees and 0.7% transaction fees attract huge numbers of artists but it will also attract a large user base that wants to get real value for their money.
We aim to quickly take a large market share and will work towards becoming the number one NFT marketplace as quickly as possible.
Launch of AstroZero will follow closely behind the launch of RocketDash.
Benefits Of Being An Elonone holder:
- Staking: By staking your tokens you will receive a share of 70% of all profits generated by our gasless NFT marketplace paid out to you in ETH. The more you stake the more you will earn.
- Buybacks and Burns: Profits from the RocketDash game will be used to buyback E1 tokens and burn them to create even more value for holders.
- Redistributions: Those who choose not to stake will get a share of the 2% redistributions that are charged on all Elonone buys, sells and transfers.
- Access: You will be given special access to races on our play to earn racing game called RocketDash that will only be open to token holders.
- Marketing: You are investing in a low market cap token that has just begun marketing and is about to drop two utilities in the form of a play to earn racing game and gasless NFT marketplace. You are early.
- Strong Community: 13700+ holders that are always willing to help each other out. Survived bear market with ease.
- Best is Yet to Come: The two major price movers are about to be launched.
Liquidity locked for 100 years
The Elonone Developer wanted to create a safe token for investors to invest in. He provided the liquidity himself and locked it for 100 years. He will never be able to access the liquidity he provided in his lifetime.
He did this to ensure that Elonone investors have piece of mind when it comes to the security of their investment. This is how crypto should be and you should never settle for anything less.
Links
Elonone Website: https://astroelon.net/
RocketDash Website: https://rocketdash.game
Liquidity Lock: https://team.finance/view-coin/0x97b65710D03E12775189F0D113202cc1443b0aa2?name=ASTROELON&symbol=ELONONE
Audit: https://solidity.finance/audits/AstroElon/
Dextools: https://www.dextools.io/app/uniswap/pair-explore0x9ec5149472db6acffb9023a47d37b4ecbcf68a4b
CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/pt/moedas/astroelon
CoinMarketCap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/astroelon/

submitted by DeanMrCrypto to SatoshiStreetBets [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 19:00 DeanMrCrypto ELONONE - Token With Utility - Play to Earn Game Launching on March 29th 2023

submitted by DeanMrCrypto to CryptoMoonShots [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:59 DeanMrCrypto ELONONE - Token With Utility - Play to Earn Game Launching on March 29th 2023

submitted by DeanMrCrypto to ELONONE_OFFICIAL [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:53 skeeterbugbug another update this morning

submitted by skeeterbugbug to LibbyandAbbyMisc [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:53 micktalian The Gardens of Deathworlders: A Blooming Love (Part 9)

Part 9: Work Hard, Party Harder! (Part 1) (Part 8)

"You didn't warn us!" The tone of the shout wasn't angry, just somewhat exhausted.

"Oh, no, no, no, I definitely warned you." Tens replied with a smirk as he went to sit down. "Binko, you heard me warn them."

"There was definitely some kinda warning." Binko replied from his perch before taking a bite of the overripe fruit he was holding and then mumbling something untranslatable.

"An insufficient warning." The same person retorted while shifting his gaze and staring off into the distance for dramatic effect, the mock exasperation clear in his voice. "One of those big women even had my legs up in the air!"

"You too?" The question was shouted with a far more enthusiastic tone and followed by roaring laughter.

As the various members of the group went back to their side conversations, their ruckus continued to emanate from the seating area suspended high in the trees overlooking a clearing in Shkegpewen's orbital garden. It was the early morning of the day after The Hammer had been docked with Newport Station and yet the festivities had already begun. The vigor with which many of the crew jumped at the opportunity for this brief vacation reminded Tens of his very first shore leave while deployed with the Hell Divers. However, his leave had been on a station hosted by Penidons, a species of lobster-like crustaceans, not one he was physically compatible with. Considering the similarities in form, but difference in demographics, when comparing the Qui’ztar to his own people, Tens could roughly imagine how those women must have felt. Assuming what he was overhearing weren't exaggerations, the new guests to this garden were already enjoying themselves.

"Hey Tens, how long y'all gonna be here for?" Another voice called out to the man over the banter. In an instant, everyone was silent as they turned towards him for an answer to this now burning question.

"A couple days." He replied timidly as all eyes were now staring daggers into him. "But they do patrol through this sector so I'm sure they'll come back."

"Then why haven't we been graced by their presence before?" A new, doubtful voice called out.

"Our militia provides all the local defense we need." Tens tried to explain, though he knew they probably wouldn't understand without some classified context. "I don't think they've really had a reason to come here before."

"Defund the militia!" Someone, who Tens knew to be a career militia officer, called out to a chorus of cheers.

As the various people sitting on the branches or chairs once again went back to swapping stories and filling the upper canopy with laughter, Tens began packing the bowl of his pipe. Being back on Shkegpewen, even if it was just the station and not the planet itself, felt good to him. Even though neither he, nor any living member of his people, had ever seen their real homeworld in person, he didn't really feel the need to. This home, Shkegpewen, A New Place to Land Boats, or simply Newport, had everything he and his people needed, or could ever want. It had a relatively stable and comfortable climate, edible flora and fauna were common, there was an abundance of untapped natural resources, and they were surrounded by friends and family. Despite how ideal the planet seemed to him and his people, the extreme gravity and deadliness of some of the apex predators made it an uninhabitable Deathworld for most other species. As Tens inhaled his first puff of the smooth morning smoke, he considered doing his part for the swapping of stories but wasn't sure where to begin.

"Hey, Big Boy!" A relatively high pitch, feminine voice subtly called out to Tens as he held the smoke in for a moment. "Gotta quick question for you."

"Oh, hey Wish." Tens released the smoke as he half turned around to see the woman sneaking up from behind him. "How are yah?"

"So, um…" Wishwaskde ignored his question as she knelt down close to the man and spoke in a voice quiet enough not to overheard. The pause before she started speaking again was just long enough for Tens to draw in another puff off his pipe. "So, why didn't you warn us they were into women too?"

"Wh-?" Tens was barely able to get out before he began choking on the smoke as it came pouring out of his mouth and nose.

With a cloud now separating them, and Tens trying to cough out the irritation in his throat, the woman could only respond with her own slight cough and wave of her hand to dispel the obstacle in the way of her question. As she shook her head side to side, the motion caused her pair of braids and large hoop earrings to swing back and forth. Though the deadpan, piercing gaze she quickly switched back to was quite intense, Tens knew she was just trying to mess with him. The smirk she was trying to hide, and the fresh hickies she wasn't, let him know she had plenty of fun the night before. By the time Tens's coughing was under control, Wish's expression hardened a bit more to press her friend harder.

"How would I have known that?" The man finally got out as he tapped his pipe against an ashtray for a more fresh hit.

"Oh, so you expect me to believe that topic never came up?" The woman squinted her eyes to the point Tens could barely see them.

"Uh…" Despite him eventually warming up to the rather intimidating women he had been working with for the past few months, Tens still wasn't quite comfortable enough to ask potentially sensitive questions about their cultural and social systems.

"You've snagged how many of them, now?" Binko chimed after overhearing the conversation with his more sensitive ears, and sneaking up while the two hadn't been paying attention. "And you’re telling me you haven't tried to get multiple-"

"Not that many! And I can barely handle one of 'em!" Tens cut his friend off mid squawk. "I think more than that might kill me."

"That sounds like a personal skill issue." Someone a few meters away shouted after Tens allowed his reply to get a little too loud.

"Tss" Wish let out a disappointed sound and shook her head at her clanmate. "I expected better from you."

"By the skies, I love Kno Dodem!" Binko exclaimed before almost toppling over with laughter.

"Speaking of, where's our new member?" Wish asked Binko. "I wanted to meet another Minagagshi."

"She's actually a Ko Ko, not a Xi Xi." Binko began to explain with his unique avian clicks indicating the subspecies types. Unlike his dark purple coloration and raven-like appearance, which was common among Xi Xi Krokek males, Tarki's tan and gold coloring and more aggressive facial features were the quintessential Ko Ko Krokek look. "She actually looks like a Kno. The same kind of coloring as those holopics in the museum, just lighter and with more gold. But the princess is still asleep."

"Go wake her up, then." Though the expression on the woman's face looked serious, it was just part of the game.

"Yeah, and I'll tell her you made me do it!" The avian retorted while mirroring his clanmate's glare. "Then she'll drop something on yah when yah least expect it."

There was a moment of silence as the Kroke and human locked eyes with each other in a battle of wits. Wishwaskde's deep brown eyes and Binko’s ocean blue eyes remained unmoving just long enough for Tens to take another long, smooth drag off his pipe. As he slowly released the smoke in a series of large rings, the expression on the locked pair’s faces simultaneously cracked and, in a split second, the two were bent over laughing. Despite the fact that the avian was so physically different from his human clanmates, his constant inclusion in everything Eagle Clan showed he was considered family nonetheless. This game of stoic back-and-forth was just one of many that they loved to play among close, personal friends.

"But seriously though," Binko was able to calm his laughter enough to continue. "I'll check on her soon and bring her to meet the rest of the clan. We had dinner with goko last night, and you already know how that went. My love deserves some uninterrupted rest."

"Ptss." Wish let her expression fall into a wide smile and she used a similar sound as before but with a far more positive inflection. "Good to hear, good to hear. How did goko like her?"

"She asked Tarki for some of her molted feathers." Tens chimed in with his own chuckling. "And she said yes. So, there's your answer."

"Dang!" The note of jealousy was obvious in the woman's response.

"Y'all are so weird with feather obsession." Binko joked before preening one of his quite long flight feathers that was loose. As he plucked the old, ready-to-pull feather to relieve the pressure from the newly forming one, he continued, "I know they're important to you, but I never really understand why."

"They remind us of our ancestors, who still guide us in spirit." Tens recited what he heard an uncountable number of times before. Even though he didn't really understand it himself, he did think feathers were cool.

"Try to think about it like this." Wish interjected in a tone that held much more reverence for the topic at hand. "Imagine you couldn't fly. I know that may be hard for you." She smirked at the bird.

"Oh, so, like being planetside without my weight reduction vest?" Binko's sarcastic response drew snickering from both Tens and Wish.

"Exactly." She continued while trying to resume her more serious tone. "Now imagine you're sitting there, looking up at the skies, and never knowing anything that's above your head. The heavens are always just outside of your reach. However, as you look up, you see tiny specks. Objects so distant you can barely see them. That is how we see birds."

"You make it sound so cool." Binko’s sarcastic comment drew the glare of the woman telling the story.

"Shut the fuck up and let me finish." She chided before resuming. "So there you are, stuck on the ground, birds flying way above you. Our ancestors believed that the birds that flew higher were the closest to the Creator. That's why we like feathers, and prefer ones from high-flying birds, they represent being closer to the Creator than any Human could ever be."

"Not gonna lie, that still sounds really cool." Binko's response to the story was much more earnest than his previous comments. He delicately passed his just plucked feather Wishwaskde who took the offering with respect. "Even when you can fly, you can only go so high. When I look up, I realize I can only reach so far. Helps keep me humble."

"You over here, just the humblest." Tens snidely remarked.

"And the most sacred!" Binko didn't miss a beat and went straight back to his sarcastic tone. "Because I can fly the highest." Before the next round of this never ending battle could commence, Tens began to feel a buzzing on his forearm.

"Oh, I gotta take this." Tens said in a bit of a panic as he looked down and saw who was contacting this early in the morning. Pulling an earpiece from his bracer and putting it in place, he answered the call. "Good morning, Admiral. How can I be of assistance?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, ma'am." Tens was struggling to describe the nature of the destination he was leading Atxika to. "The Lodge isn't really a jail, per say. It's more of a place where peace officers take people who partied too hard so they can sleep it off."

"Like a jail cell?" The Admiral was still confused, though she was starting to get it. "But the person gets let out in the morning?"

"That, and there's nothing really criminal involved." Tens tried to clarify. "People party too hard sometimes, that's just part of life. And sometimes yah gotta be aggressive if they get out of hand. But it isn't a crime to have fun, as long as no one gets hurt and nothing is intentionally broken. Like…"

Tens motioned over toward a bench where a person was sleeping with a blanket on top of them. The sight of a person sleeping on a park bench in the middle of such an incredibly well built and equipped space station was not what Atxika was expecting. However, as she looked closer, she realized the fresh, clean blanket had been carefully, even lovingly, draped over the person after they had already passed out. The thermos and clear, sealed container of soup beside the bench both look like they had been placed there only moments before in anticipation of the person waking up. As if on cue, the sleeping person stirred slightly and rolled over into a more comfortable position.

"Obviously, not everyone parties that hard. And some of us work in the mornings." Tens continued quietly as the pair walked past the sleeping person. "But we always try to take care of the people who go a little too far sometimes."

"I see. Interesting…." Atxika’s tone implied she was impressed by the compassion Tens’s people seemed to show. "Does this interfere with their work?"

"Not really, no." Tens replied with a shrug. "Gotta work hard to party hard. Enough smoke and drink to party like that ain't free. And we have interventions and treatment programs if it starts affecting someone's health."

There was a few minutes of silence as the pair continued to walk through what Atxika could have sworn to be an entirely natural environment. The Admiral had seen several orbital gardens in her life, however none were quite like this one. Building a garden is an incredibly difficult, resource intensive, and time consuming endeavor, and not something every species would put the effort into. In fact, her own Matriarchy had only recently begun the commission work to plan the construction of their own, over 20,000 years after their species had Ascended to the galactic stage. Even the oldest, most overgrown, and poorly maintained examples did not have this degree of organic aesthetic. To Atxika, it really genuinely seemed like the Nishnabe simply cut out a section of forest from the planet below and installed it into this massive, cylindrical space station.

"I see your people's compassion extends to outsiders as well." Atxika stopped in her tracks as her eyes came to rest in a scene she couldn’t have imagined without seeing.

Resting at the base of a nearly 20 meter wide and over 100 meter tall tree just a few meters was 3 Qui’ztar women cuddled up together, all wrapped up cozy in a blanket easily large enough for all of them. Atxika immediately recognized the sleeping women as newly enlisted personnel, fresh out of basic training, who had been especially eager to take their leave. The unique mixture of geometric and floral patterns of the fabric they were wrapped in immediately let the Admiral know that this was a Nishnabe blanket someone that had lovely tucked these women in with. As her perception widened slightly, she caught sight of a not-too-young looking human woman sitting in a chair nearby the sleeping Qui’ztar as if on guard duty. Minus the context of the forest floating in space, what the Admiral saw was more reminiscent of a mother protectively watching over her sleeping children than three soldiers who were passed out in a park on their first shore leave.

"Oh, that's just adorable." Tens cooed at juxtaposition between the intimidating appearance of the women and their deep, child-like slumber. "I see the Aunties like them."

"Aunties?" Atxika's confused expression matched her tone. "That woman is your aunt?"

"Oh no, she's not my mother or father's sister." Tens was a bit confused as his translator recontextualized the word 'aunt' to mean a familial relation. "Aunties are like the community moms. They'll help watch people's kids, pick up slack around the community, and…" Tens gestured towards the almost comical scene in front of them. "They'll be there for you when you've had too much to drink."

"Do you think she would mind if I…?" The look on Atxika’s face had suddenly grown quite devilish. Even though she was the highest ranking commanding officer in the fleet and felt she the obligation to ensure her crew maintained their dignity, she also didn't want to offend the locals.

"The Aunties are gonna love you!" Tens replied completely honestly, though with a hint of laughter. "After you, ma'am." The man bowed slightly and made a welcoming gesture towards sleeping women and their guardian.

Following the Admiral’s lead in both direction and pace, Tens ensured his footsteps were as slight as Atxika's. From what the man had come to find out, the Qui’ztar were an apex, ambush-hunting predatory species who relied on silence and careful movements to sneak up on their prey. Though it may have been the auditory enhancements his translator implant provided him, or possibly just that the fact he was walking next to the rather large woman, Tens could still hear each of her footsteps. Despite how stealthy she was trying to be, the Admiral simply wasn't light enough on her feet to fully dull the sound of her boots pressing into the soft ground. Just as the pair approached within a few meters of the sleeping women, the Auntie looked up from her sewing.

"Shh…" Tens made the hints of a sound while he placed his index finger over his lips.

Seeing the well adorned uniform of the clearly high ranked Qui’ztar accompanying the man, the Auntie simply smiled, giggled slightly, and then went to her needles and yarn.

"Uhem." Atxika fake-coughed slightly as she and Tens came to a stop next to the cuddled up women.

"Wha…" The woman closest to them began to stir before opening her eyes slightly.

As soon as her vision came to focus on the Admiral, she shot up and tried to get into a formal saluting posture. However, before she could complete the motion, her quickness caught up to her and her deep blue complexion started to turn pale. Before the woman could start retching, the Admiral took a step back and the Auntie moved a bucket between them. Dropping down to her knees, the young Qui’ztar woman relieved the excess alcohol still in her stomach into the seemingly purpose built, and size appropriate, bucket. The rough sounds of her heaving caused her compatriots to stir as well, and soon the other two were moving to get up. By the time the first woman had regained her composure enough to retake the closest approximation of a formal salute that she could muster, the other women had joined her.

"Uhem." The Atxika fake-coughed again while Tens was doing his best to pretend he found empty space off in the distance quite fascinating. She then shot a quick glance down at the center woman's chest then back up to her eyes.

"Oh!" The young woman half shouted as she looked down before fixing her top and retaking the salute.

"Are you ladies aware that allowing yourselves to become so intoxicated that you pass out in public places is a violation of the Code of Conduct of your enlistment?" The question was phrased more as a statement and held the same tone. As Atxika did her best to maintain her straight face and commanding voice, the Auntie couldn't help but crack a smile. "You do understand this is a punishable offense, correct? And I could dock your pay for up to a month?"

None of the women made a verbal response, though it was clear from the way they attempted to mask their panicked expressions that they regretted their drunken decisions. The Admiral let them stew in their anxieties for a moment longer before continuing.

"However, considering the fact that this is your first shore leave and you have all served honorably on this deployment thus far…" Atxika turned slightly to look at the woman who was still seated and casually sewing. "I feel it would be most appropriate to let our hosts determine the appropriate punishment and recompense."

"Hmm…" The Auntie quickly switched to a stoic expression and pretended like she had to think about the proposal. "I could use some help in the garden today. And these three do look quite capable."

"Excellent." The Admiral replied with a nod before turning back to the women who were still holding their salute. "And after you have completed your service, you will also ensure that none of your sisters in arms make the same poor decisions you did last night."

"Oh, these three weren't that bad. They just got drunk and passed out under this tree pretty early on." The Auntie began to explain, though her tone implied she had been saving this next part. "A couple of other ones went for a swim in the lake. After taking off their clothes. And then aggressively flirted with the peace officers who went to confront them about it."

The nonchalant facade of casually sewing while explaining that the Nishnabe woman put on was only broken by the slight hint of a smile on her face. As Tens and the three enlisted women did their best to hide their expressions, Atxika brought her hand up to rub the bridge of her nose. Before anyone else could say anything, the seated woman continued.

"It reminded me of my bachelorette party."

submitted by micktalian to HFY [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:52 maximinusthrax90 Within range total testosterone but low free testosterone levels. Reason?

Hey guys!
I had several hormonal tests because I suffer from low libido. Testosterone was always borderline on low 400 and high 300 ng/dL and free testosterone always showed between 25-35 pg/mL.
Today, I did my yearly full body tests and the free tostesterone numbers was lower than the normal range at 7.2 pg/mL.
So, here is the main parameter data dump:

17 beta Estradiol: 28 pg/mL (in the last tests was always higher than normal range,)
Testosterone: Total - 389 ng/dL Free - 7.2 pg/mL
LH: 5,46 mIU/mL FSH 3,35 mUI/mL
PSA: 0,60 ng/mL
TSH: 2,21 mU/L
Albumin: 45 g/L
Lipid Profile : Cholestrol total - 184 mg/dL Triglycerides - 62 mg/dL Cholesterol - HDL - 56 mg/dL Cholesterol - LDL - 116 mg/dL
Rest of blood parameters: all in range

My Concern: Estradiol, Free testosterone level.
So, I was happy I brought back the Estradiol to normal levels – I was eating a lot of cruciferous veggies to get it lower recently and have been avoiding drinking water from plastic. Bummer they haven’t checked my SHBG however in my previous tests was always within range (36.9 nmol/L) and also in other tests it was always between 20s and 30s nmol/L.
My question : can a potential increase of SHBG be the reason for my Low Free testosterone levels?
Also how much should I trust these results as I read free testosterone is hard to compute and there is no indication of SHBG levels?
What is the best method to get free testosterone checked?
Note: I am 34M and saw some strength gains in gym and have been working out for the last eight months.
Thanks

submitted by maximinusthrax90 to Testosterone [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:51 C---D March 26, 2023, Wordle #645

Wordle 645 2/6* Grade: A (94%)

Guess	Result	Words Left	Answers Left	Skill	Luck	Info Gained	Grade
SOARE	⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩	346	79	87	30	43%	D−
UNTIE	🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩	Win!	—	81	99	100%	A+

https://gradle.app/#o7q4hutFEVyQ
🏆 Golfle 645: Eagle 🦅
🏌️‍♂️ ⏝◦ ⏝◦ ⛳️
⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
https://wordle.golf
Ongoing Golfle score (Par = 4 guesses):

Time Period	Number of "Holes"	Score
October 4–31, 2022	28	−7
November 2022	30	−17
December 2022	31	−14
January 2023	31	−16
February 2023	28	−15
March 2023	26	−14

What would Scoredle do?
Wordle 645 4/6* Grade: A− (91%)

Guess	Result	Words Left	Answers Left	Grade
SLATE	⬛⬛⬛🟨🟩	84	17	C+
TITHE	⬛🟨🟩⬛🟩	5	2	B
CUTIE	⬛🟨🟩🟩🟩	2	1	B−
UNTIE	🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩	Win!	—	A+

https://gradle.app/#20nkMRKdRuMHZo7KvoA16
What would WordleBot do?
Regular mode analysis: Wordle 645 4/6 Grade: A− (93%)

Guess	Result	Words Left	Answers Left	Grade
SLATE	⬛⬛⬛🟨🟩	84	17	C+
CHIRP	⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛	8	1	C+
TINGE	🟨🟨🟨⬛🟩	1	1	A+
UNTIE	🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩	Win!	—	A+

https://gradle.app/#20nkMRKdLg9dlvxUOA9tq
Hard mode analysis: Wordle 645 4/6* Grade: B+ (89.9%)

Guess	Result	Words Left	Answers Left	Grade
LEAST	⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨	243	54	D+
TRITE	🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩	11	2	B−
CUTIE	⬛🟨🟩🟩🟩	2	1	A−
UNTIE	🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩	Win!	—	A+

https://gradle.app/#20nkGRPPUnK2oYmUjKCOg
Double-letter tracker for this month:

Days	Double-Letter Answers
26	4

Very lucky here as one of my go-to 2nd guesses turned out to be the answer.

submitted by C---D to WordleBuddy [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:45 FiauraTanks Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (FanFic) - Ch. 5

Back First Next
This one is going to be a bit longer because a PM To me suggested I go ahead and do a long Chapter.
I hope you still enjoy. The final piece will be released tomorrow.
Memory Transcription: Captain Neil Campbell, United Nations ‘Black Watch’ Company #4
Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136
The company had four mortars, four American M2 heavy machine guns, twelve lighter man-portable machine guns, eight light close in AA guns of 40mm twin, every trooper had a stringer mark 7 light anti-air missile, they had four longer range SAM units, eight orbital interceptors dialed into one computer, and two anti-ship missile launchers. Right at that moment, every single weapon they had was singing a song of death.
The Cheetah would silence the battlefield every time its main railgun fired a slug. Meanwhile the two Eisenhower’s autocannons rained down death upon the Arxur. While the standard rifles, pistols, or light SAW weapons would not necessarily take out a Arxur with non-vital hit; the heavy machine guns the Americans provided did.
The Radios crackled with commands going in all sorts of directions.
"All units, gunship coming through at..." Zim hesitated as he figured the direction and coordinates given by the radar operator moments ago. "7 O'Clock, will crest hill in 1 minute thirty, four man-portables dial in."
"Dial 1." Two seconds later all at once, "Dial 2." from 3 people who quickly corrected to dials 2, 3, and 4. Zim nodded, "Confirmed 4 dials."
"Forty seconds to crest." Called back the radar operator.
Campbell made note of how well Zim was handling their current position despite being a civilian. He had deducted correctly that Zim being Mayor would make them very proficient at communication and coordination, as well as delegation. What Zim had just done in thirty seconds was identify a unassigned gunship, that is one that was not anticipated by the long range missiles, short range AA guns, or anything else and assigned four stingers to it now all pre-trained and waiting for their shot.
Thompson was calling over the radio to coordinate the mortars and machine gun fire before broadcasting to Williams in the Cheetah where she couldn't get fire support to so that the MBT could deliver a couple of devastating shots.
Assigned and targeted gunships popped up at longer range and died before they had a chance to properly stabilize themselves in the atmosphere or just after take off. Fighters swooped down only for lock on and incoming missile warnings to scream at them before their sensors had even adjusted to having ground under them.
The smell of metal, ash, and blood filled the air. Arxur trying to get through the pass found it an impassable death trap. They had never encountered alien races who used barbed wire, much less the sheer volume of mines, and the thing that truly caused the reptiles to fear were the hidden single shot tubes full of deisel fuel mixed with wood glue and then aerosolized before something would ignite the fumes. Watching your comrades incinerated and calls of your enemy to let them burn, had the Arxur shooting their own comrades just to silence their screams.
Arxur field commanders stood in the back, shooting those who turned to run from the frontline while the Black Watch fired on. Their mortars were positioned around the 7 kilometer radius of the inner caldera so that at any point within the caldera or around its brim; three mortars could have rounds flying towards target at any one time. As soon as anyone radioed for support, mortars were flying in their direction, pre-dialed coordinates and ranges meant it only took three seconds for a mortar round to be dialed in and on the way.
The pass into the castle was starting to become clogged with Arxur bodies. But they were making progress, slowly. Campbell counted by this point, that most of his forward foxholes had been destroyed, all of them set alight by their preparations, preventing the Arxur from using them, recovering unreachable wounded humans, or bodies. Anyone who couldn't fall back would rather die fighting and then sending their would be captures or devourers into an inferno with them.
Campbell knew however, he was running out of ground to give and soon he would have to kill soldiers. They may kill a hundred each but they would still fall eventually. He saw his gunner snap back and drop off the side of his command vehicle. A vehicle which was all but disabled now. He moved to him.
Scrambling up the vehicle and pulling the wounded soldier down off the MG mount to the ground, laying him softly against the bullet ridden tire of the rover. He held his hand, "MEDIC! Medic!" Campbell called then turned to his trooper.
Campbell checked the nametag to be sure, Muller. "Muller, Muller." Muller turned his head, his eyes were growing hallow. Campbell looked at the wound, part of his upper chest was just gone. His neck was bleeding as well. There was a lot of blood. Slowly, he watched Muller's light escape his eyes.
That is enough. He returned to a reflection off of the now vacant eyes of Muller. The ridge had figures at the top of it. He snapped looking for Sims, when he couldn't find him, he pulled his radio. "Sims! They’re trying to storm the top of the castle! Grid 7-Bravo. Blow it, now.” he was pointing and screaming at the figures when his cyber arm suddenly jerked and sent him face down into the ground, his helmet rolling off.
On queue, the ridge where a few shadowy figures had appeared turned into a cloud of dust and rubble as a fireball erupted from it, silencing the rest of the battlefield for a few moments. The explosion sent rock, dirt, and mud over the side in an avalanche at the would be mountaineers. Everyone attempting to storm the outside of the caldera at that 50 meter grid would be buried in a coming storm of mountainside.
Campbell reached over and picked up his arm, looking at the cybernetic carefully. He sat up and next to Muller for a moment while making sure the connectors would still be good. His pain registers had shut off as soon as it disconnected. The connector appeared intact, just jerked out of the cybernetic socket by the impact and his body weight as the anchor. The round had only destroyed the outer layer of synth-flesh designed to make it aesthetically pleasing as well as his uniform that had been torn covering it.
He put the arm back in with a twist and it rebooted. His radio barked, “Cannot hold the pass, we need more firepower. Yanks, you're up!”
----------------------
Memory Transcription: Lieutenant Williams, United Nations ‘Black Watch’ Company #4
Date [standardized human time]: December 3, 2136
Williams hated this, he called another target to his gunner and used his command machine gun to put down more rounds through the fraying camouflage around his tank. Tanks were supposed to be mobile bunkers not sitting ducks. Another high caliber plasma round bounced off their shield and their infantryman, Corporal Davies as he was introduced, the soldier turned the oldest M2 anyone had ever seen in the direction it came from.
Large caliber machine gun casings bounced off the hull top as they cascaded passed something scratched onto the side of the M2. It read in smaller and smaller scratches, “France, Philippines, Tunisia, France, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq, Iraq II, Australia, Luna, Mars, The Cradle, Sillis.” The last two were still relatively fresh and easy to read.
“Williams, our forward positions are getting overrun by sheer weight of bodies, you’re up. See you on the other side.” Campbell called to the tank crew and their IFV escorts.
Good, tanks were not made to sit still. What the Arxur were about to find out is that tanks are scary when they are shooting at you but they are even scarier when moving at full speed and still shooting at you extremely accurately.
“Driver, full speed ahead into the pass, put the shield down to scrape the dirt so it will blown any remaining mines; loader, gunner eyes front.” He called out and then clicked his intercom off to switch on his radio, “Ripper 1 and 2, this is War Kitty, on our flank at 5 and 8 o’clock, staggered line fifty meter spread front, twenty to the side.”
That would put the IFVs Fifty meters behind him and twenty meters to each side. This was in case any orbital bombardment got through, even a rod from God would only get 1 vehicle then instead of multiple by the spacing.
A pair of affirmatives came back as the tank rolled forward and broke free of its camouflage to build up speed. Immediately the shield flared as soon as they broke the jungle with every single gun the Arxur had firing at them. Their small interceptor mini-phalanx on top shooting constantly to blow anything bigger than a rifle round out of the sky.
Meanwhile the IFVs pointed at muzzle flashes and sent bursts of .50 cal, 25mm, and 50mm in their direction. One Eisenhower was not a troop transport but strictly a gun platform, carrying a much heavier weapon. The only still used a proven 25mm chaingun.Williams pointed out another target, “Gunner 11, Loader HE.”
“HE Up!” The loader called.
“Sending.”
Williams’s gunner yelled back. The machine guns stopped for a second on the tank and suddenly the turret shuttered as the round was sent, the reward was a hillside that the Arxur were using for cover blowing up in a fireball of red, orange, and black smoke. Arxur body parts, dirt, and debris flying up into the air as the ground was stained with gray’s blood.
Williams wasn't going to hesitate with his ammunition. The nature of the railgun meant that the ammo no longer had large casings of propel behind them. Only the shell head was needed, that meant the tank was packed with four times the ammo of a chemical propellant tank.
The crew worked like a well oiled machine. Every ten seconds another main gun round. Between them, the three fifty’s and the 20mm beside the main gun did not stop shooting unless the gunner signaled.
It was grueling work, exhausting for the loader, mentally wearing for the gunner, forcing Williams to push his mind to the limit and glad for the stimulate that kept fatigue away from his mind. Their driver looking out like a truck driver who had been given too much caffeine but having to keep her jerks to a minimum. The objective was a smooth platform. The three drivers of the armored vehicles coordinating on their own private channel to keep moving through Arxur formations.
An hour passed, the tank rampaged. When they ran out of HE, they used HEAT, when that ran out, they switched to squash. When that ran out, they used the few anti-armor rounds they had brought.
Williams' voice was getting hoarse from calling targets, his hand vibrating from the shake of his command cupola gun. His body vibrated at a different frequency from the rumble of the engine and the quaking of the coaxial weapons.
Suddenly there was a clattering on the roof. Williams recognized it as someone foreign trying to get on the tank. There was clearly some slams against the roof of the tank. "I need help out here!" Davies called over the radio.
There was the distinctive sound of a body crushing under the tank tread that made the crew stop and debate opening the hatch to help. "Davies, what is going on out there? Davies!" Williams called in desperation.
Another few bangs on the room and their machine gunner outside had stopped replying, their shield had failed and rebooted several times, they must have got him with their boarding action. “Raider 2, we’ve got ants and War Kitty does too.”
He checked the shield read out, they had twenty seconds until reboot, twenty seconds to get these Arxur off of them.
Williams swung the turret to look at Raider 2 to see several Arxur attempting to board the tank and get the hatches open. “Raider 2, affirmative. Sorry about your gunner.” He heard the bang of Arxur landing on his hull, likely from the trees around them.
“Proceed with fly swatting, MG only. Gunner, Raider 2 at 7 and a half, full Coax.” The turret swung around, hitting an Arxur and sending him flying into a tree trunk with a sickening crunch before he fell in front of the tank tread. The MBT did not even notice crushing the creature and rolled on beyond the echo of crunching bone against the lower hull, which the loader noticed for a split second.
Pangs and hull tings echoed all around them as the IFV and tank exchanged small arms fire, clearing off their "pest problem" while not doing any significant damage to each other. Williams and his crew did not get time to celebrate.They had been rolling around the outside of the caldera. They moved from Arxur formation to formation; hitting Arxur units as fast as they could then trying to fade away before they could organize a counter attack.
They came back to the Caldera entrance for the fourth time, when they hit one of their own mines. Everyone in the tank was catapulted forward as the track blew off, the drive wheel on the left side seized and the tank nearly flipped, coming to thirty degrees to their right hand side. With a loud unearthly slam, every crew member was thrown to the floor after their heads banged off bulkheads with the whiplash.
Williams felt the ringing in his head, and the unholy headache of a concussion. His vision was fuzzy, he swore he head bells in his ears, his body felt distant; almost as if he were trying to tell his brain to radio control it. He held onto the side of the hull with one hand, trying to stand upon weak and unresponsive legs while his other hand held his aching head, “Status report.”
No one replied. He reached over to his gunner and found his head limp at an unnatural angle. He checked him, his neck was broken clean by the sudden slamming into the bulkhead. Williams ears were ringing, his body wanted to vomit, his eyes couldn’t see straight. He made out the face of his loader, Jenkins. Blood was trickling from his mouth as he laid on the floor in his loader section.
How did I get down here? Williams thought and reached for Jenkins, Jenkins gave a few spasms, spat up some blood and then his eyes glazed over until they were lifeless.
“Jenkins? Jameson? Cleo?” He called out, repeating it again and again tapping the crew intercom on his neck, weakly as he slowly got to his feet. His brain was not processing that his loader and gunner were dead.
“I’m still here.” Cleo answered with her distinctive southern accent. “But fuck, I wish I weren’t.”
His driver was alive but in a separate section from the rest of the crew. “Can… can you move? Fuck, My head.”
There was a loud pang and the feeling of air getting suddenly sucked out of the cabin. Cleo screamed out over the comms and then Williams could hear her heavy breathing. The blurring double vision making it hard to be certain of his movements. It felt like pushing through a heavy lake to get his body to move and his ears rang with the sound of an intense bell.
“Williams, Fuck… sorry Williams, but I can’t now. Damn suspension shaft just ripped through the bottom hull and into my leg.”“Stay where you are, I’ll come get you.”“No Sir, the shaft is impaling my escape hatch and all that racket outside is all Arxur hitting us on the top. Fuck…” Cleo yelled in pain as she tried to shift something.
Williams couldn’t hear the racket she was talking about. He was trying to process the idea that Cleo was hit and his emotions were screaming at him about his now dead loader and gunner. “Sir, set turret control to my station, I’m going to use the guns to cover you and the others. At least, until I bleed out.”“Cleo, we’re it.”
Williams knew saying the words meant his comrades were gone, but emotionally his brain was shut off now.There was a pause on the radio, just a few seconds. Williams slowly reached over and changed the turret control to driver operated.
“Alright, fine, grab your SMG and go out your escape hatch, I’ll hold them off and keep us looking scary. I’ve only got a little bit until I bleed out.”The turret started moving and Williams training kicked in through his concussion. He reached into his personal locker and pulled out the P90 as well as a few magazines and his survival kit, the kicked his escape hatch open out of the bottom of the tank and started to crawl beneath the stricken vehicle.
He kept crawling, heading for the forest, the sound of Arxur shouts and screams as well as gunfire getting quieter and quieter, until finally, Williams felt exhaustion overtake him and blackness closed in.
-------------------------------
Memory Transcription: Captain Neil Campbell, United Nations ‘Black Watch’ Company #4
Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136
Raider 2 slowly rolled back down the pass, free of Arxur pursuit. It was in sorry shape to look at. The Anti-Air missile launcher was hanging on by its wiring. The mini-phalanx was gone except the targeting camera which still tried to move the non-existent AMS turret with sparks frying off the frayed wires. The main chain gun barrel was ripped off and what still existed was melted. Seven holes let the night moonlight through.
Both of the tracks had damaged segments that made them rotate around their drive wheels in a funny lopsided pattern. But the IFV rolled back into the silent caldera except for its dying engine. “Raider 2, reporting. Vehicle mission killed.”
Campbell tapped his radio, “Good job, get out and get some food, then get back on the line, your infantry now.”
The Arxur had pulled back after the armour went out and rampaged for an hour. Raider 2 had to wait until darkness closed in to roll back into camp. They had heard the boom of the cannon and sound of the passing armour engines and tracks across the terrain around the caldera. Mortars had provided the armour support fire and now the entire castle smelled of Arxur blood and cordite residue. It was now four hours later and the Arxur hadn’t returned; yet.
The Arxur had not sent in a new wave. Likely in total shock at the armored platoons sudden sally out. Campbell approached the stricken Eisenhower IFV as it rolled to a stop and seemed to break down completely when the engine was shut off.
The crew staggered out, all of them had been wounded to some degree by spalling from their vehicle’s own metal. The flakes and shrapnel generated inside the vehicle from impacts on the outside had done a number on them. But the vehicle had somehow held together. Two of the three staggering figures were trying to carry a fourth trooper out.
Campbell walked over to see Williams with a head injury, one of his feet missing and tourniqueted at the calf as well as two of his fingers ripped off and taped together. “Where are the other vehicles?”
The IFV commander fell to his knees, exhausted after constant combat and adrenaline just broke down crying. The man had enough and couldn’t take anymore. Campbell reached down and slapped his across the cheek, “Oih, stiffen your lip and answer me. We can cry about it later.”
The IFV commander looked up and nodded at the heavy cybernetic arm that had just slammed him. “Sorry sir, just… They’re gone sir. War Kitty took a mine to the tracks, probably one of ours. Raider 1 went down to an ammo explosion, the crew were incinerated instantly. Best I can think sir is that the blow out panels had been welded shut by enemy small arms fire. We found Williams near War Kitty, the Arxur were running from the burning hull, it was still shooting at them.” He took a breath, tears staining his oil and gunpowder covered face.“The gunner must have died and fallen on the turret swing with a death grip on the trigger. We put a missile in her to make sure there was nothing for the scalies to savage.” The commander managed as his crewmates came over and knelt with him while a medic ran off with Williams on a stretcher, followed by a second medic grabbing the stretcher halfway through.
The medics having issues carrying their shotguns and a patient. Aliens don’t play by our rules, medics are still targets to them. Campbell thought to himself as he gave a pat to the IFV commander.“You did excellent, son, you and your crew. So did the rest of your unit. We’ll take it from here.” Campbell tried to use the platitudes to comfort but he knew within an hour those soldiers would be sleeping in a foxhole, with their crew SMGs and sidearms, as well as a helmet just like the rest of his men.
His radio squawked, “Captain, frequency thirteen.”He removed the radio forward several clicks until a shrill deep voice came across it. “Human Commander, respond.”
Campbell recognized it as an Arxur voice and he picked up his radio, “Speaking.” He pulled out his flask and took a swig of the whiskey he kept on his person as he listened.
“We have you surrounded, there is no need to die. We are willing to take you as honorable prisoners with honorable and fair treatment, I assure you. All you have to do—”
“I’m going to stop you, right there. I just watched a pair of glorified armoured lories and a metal assault box rip through your lines and shred your forces to pieces.” He paused and let that sink in, knowing he was insulting his equipment to play up just how badly the Arxur were bloodied.
Campbell continued with this insult tirade, “I heard my recon squad of the lightest infantry I have, wrecked a thousand of you; solid. Listened to it on the radio all while it happened.” He turned to the pass and took a look at the piles of bodies across it and the carnage that looks like something straight out of the Great War more than two centuries ago. Not something he expected to ever see in a modern war.
“I have enough of your bodies to build a replica of Edinburgh Castle out of using them as the mortar.”
“Human! We have you surrounded! This is your chance for mercy! Just surrender your prey to us and yourselves.” Campbell laughed into the radio, “Have you lost your mind; leaf-licking monkey?”
“Not at all, I’m as chipper as can be right now. Listen up, izzard.” He let the name sink in for a second.
“You have us surrounded? Good, we can fire in every direction and hit one of you. You want us? Come and get us.”He flicked the radio off and headed for the medical tent. He needed to hear it from his doc just how many of his troops could fight and how many were not going to last the night or just be dead weight at this point. He also heard they took a few Arxur, alive.
------------------
Memory Transcription: Lieutenant Father Christopher O’Malley , United Nations ‘Black Watch’ Company #4
Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136
O’Malley moved to another tarp covering a body that had been recovered. He slowly and silently whispered a prayer, taking the dog tag to give to the medic but using it to get the name and town of origin of the trooper. Taking careful note of the religion and following his training as well as a guidebook for the Catholic, agnostic, or protestant he found. He moved to last one, and finished his prayer.
Campbell was waiting for him at the end of the line of recovered bodies. “Captain.” He said, standing slowly and offering a weary salute. Chris could feel his arm getting tired, he had been going so long and knew he would need a stim to keep up the night.
Campbell saluted back, “Reverend, how bad is it?”
O’Malley looked at the bodies and sighed, “Well, never thought I’d see Clemson die but he did. Dove onto a detonator and set off a satchel charge to take as many as he could before the armour rolled out.” The reverend took out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag from the white paper pipe that took nearly half of it out in one go, then exhausted all his lungs as he let the feeling of euphoria wash over him. The nicotine did its job, steadying his nerves and slowly making his shaking stop. His emotions at all the last rites he had performed starting to defray slowly.
"Father, how many today?" Campbell asked preparing himself. He knew Father O'Malley would have taken note of every time he had done last rites and done a proper headcountting as well.
O'Malley took another drag and nodded, "Thirty-Seven including the Americans who did not come back."
“Father, why do you do it? Why here?” Campbell asked as he took a seat on the ground next to the priest who was still kneeling.
“A shepard is to watch his flock and when the wolves come knocking, send the wolves back to the forest where they belong. With a bloodied nose or broken leg if needed.” O’Malley replied with a soft sigh as he took another drag, the cigarette already starting to come up towards its end.
“And how do you reconcile religion with aliens?” Campbell asked, genuinely curious as to the answer. O’Malley chuckled and pulled the cig from his lips to tap off the ashes, “That ain’t my place to be figurin’. I’m here as the chaplain, higher powers than I determine how we reconcile aliens. My job is to tend to the souls of my flock, seeing as there isn’t an atheist in a foxhole; that has gotten fairly complicated.”
Campbell nodded and pulled his whiskey flask to take another swig. It was down to less than a quarter left. “Captain, no offense but stuff will kill you.”
Campbell smiled at the gallows humour as the reverend chuckled with him for a few moments. “Never change, father.” he spoke as he stood up and started to walk back towards his command tent.
“Aye, aye, captain. Now I’ve got a special case to attend.” Campbell turned towards O’Malley as the chaplain rose and headed into the medical tent.“What’s that reverend?”
“An Arxur asked for a priest.” O’Malley stepped into the tent and headed for where he knew the patient was. It only took a few moments before he arrived at the side of the bed. The Arxur was handcuffed and collared to the cot. Both of his legs were blown off at the upper thigh. His chest was also bandaged from shrapnel that had been sent through it.
O’Malley took a seat on a folding chair and pulled the dim light of their medical tent. Blood stained the sterile sheet placed over the ground. He looked over to the gray with a pain of sympathy for his injuries. The Arxur was breathing laborious and gasping at the air as if it were fighting him. He leaned in, “Alright, my child, how may I assist you?”
Through wheezing breathes the Arxur replied, “I am no hatching.”
“Oh, you misunderstand, it is how a priest of our culture addresses someone who is more youthful than them.” O’Malley spoke slowly and he checked Arxur's pulse. Faint but for the moment steady. “Is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?”
“No, I am dying. Your docs as they are called said they cannot help.”
O’Malley cleared his throat, “You mean the medics.”
“Yes, they do not know enough and there is no surgeon here. Shrapnel has punctured my organs, I will die soon.”
O’Malley reached down to a clawed hand, his instinct was to pull away at the scales but he resisted it. He gripped the hand gently but firmly, his other hand placed near the Arxur’s mouth on his shoulder, showing vulnerability to the creature. “I am here, how may I comfort you in this hour? What is it you believe?”
“I…. I would rather know what you do, human.” O’Malley was taken aback by the request. He shook his head and resisted the urge to preach.
“I am a chaplain of our unit, I counsel the living, comfort the dying and give last rites to the dead. If that means I must learn your religion in your dying hour and console you with it, I will. Please explain what I must—”
“Human.” O’Malley silenced and listened to the Arxur speak, his mind slowly processing each word and ensuring he understood what the Arxur wished. He had trained long and hard, and he was not going to deny the wishes of a dying creature; not friend or foe. “Humor me. What is it that you believe?”
O’Malley took a moment and reached into his shirt, pulling out a small bible, he began to read a verse here and there, slowly explaining his religion, ensuring he focused upon the aspects of love, community, and companionship as well as faith. He spoke for an hour about love, mercy, and the strength of God as O’Malley believed in him.
He continued by explaining stories of the bible in short versions rather than reading verbatim. He explained the mercy and the concept of no atheist in a foxhole. O'Malley monitoring the Arxur's reaction, taking note of the tail as well as the face.
He realized the Arxur looked more peaceful than he had ever seen his species and paused, "If I remove your restraints, you won't attack me yes?"
The Arxur looked suddenly surprised and then nodded. O'Malley reached over to the buckles and clicked them off from the Arxur's wrists, waist, and neck. He did not immediately move but the creature managed a human version of a smile to show his appreciation. "Thank you, that is, more comfortable, please continue."
O'Malley continued explaining his beliefs and the story presented. He felt better preaching to a person who was able to push him away if they wished. It also began to feel less like talking to a prisoner and more like speaking with an old friend.
After intensely listening, the Arxur let out a severe ragged cough. Once the cough stopped, he was drooling blood onto his neck. “Human, my time comes. Please, lead me in a prayer, I did not believe in anything before now. But your warriors prove something supernatural about them. Now, I wish to believe in something as I draw my final breath.”
O’Malley nodded and started to give a prayer then stopped himself. He opened his small bible to Psalm and let his faith guide him. “Repeat after me and you may yet see the gates of Heaven, my friend.”
The Arxur turned his head weakly, “I am called, Grissen, can your lord forgive a wicked creature as I? The things I have—”
O’Malley squeezed the claw he held to get Grissen to be quiet and listen. “The Lord only cares that before your final moment you renounce your evil ways, genuinely mean your repentance, and accept him. If you repeat after me and truly believe in that; allow him to change your heart in that final moment, then yes.”
Grissen weakly nodded, “Proceed.”
“Repeat after me,” O’Malley waited to make sure Grissen was ready. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." O'Malley prepared his patience as Grissen repeated the words, slowly. The Arxur was having to speak very deliberately through his breathing. O'Malley could feel the pulse had quickened as well.
"He maketh me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Grissen struggled but O’Malley's patience displayed that of the saints he spoke of. He calmly waited for the Arxur to catch up and gripped his hand to give him strength. Every stumble was a simple re-guiding from O'Malley with a smile.
Grissen's eyes showed remarkable recognition of O'Malley, never moving away from him as he listened intently, even managing to turn his head to face the priest fully.
His heart screamed for the pain this creature was in. Grissen’s voice was getting worse. He was drawing weaker, and unfocused with each passing word. He felt the agony in how his body shifted and his breathing struggled. The bloodshot eyes filled with torment but something else.
O'Malley recognized it as the desperation for acceptance, the desire to belong behind the pain. He had seen it so many times in someone's last hour. O'Malley hoped a surgeon would suddenly appear and save Grissen from this terrible slow way to die. His mind begged for such a miracle but his heart knew, it was too late.
He had administered too many last rites today but here he was giving another one. He felt his own tears forming in his eyes and fought them back.
Once Grissen finished the line, he resumed, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head in oil; my cup runneth over.”
Grissen's voice was getting lower in volume, almost what O'Malley thought an Arxur child would sound like. His eyes were no longer following O'Malley; he was only speaking the words, getting more monotone and laboured with each passing breath.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Grissen slowly repeated the words, “Surely…. Goodness and mercy… despite my evil… shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
“Amen.”“A…men….” Grissen’s grip slackened and he exhaled slowly, his chest deflated. His eyes glazed over and finally, his tongue fell from his lips across his cheek.
O’Malley reached up to feel his heart and felt no pulse. He was gone.
O’Malley gently placed the clawed hands across the chest in an X. He pushed the dried out tongue into the teeth and slowed the jaw. He noticed the smile upon Grissen’s lips that had formed in that last moment. He knew to leave well enough alone there. He reached up and closed the reptile’s eyes, slowly and gently. As he had done a dozen times today, every detail was precisely right.
He took a moment to admire how peaceful the gray managed to look in his final state of death. He pulled a notepad from his pocket and wrote on it, something he knew probably wouldn’t get done as no one had time to bury the dead. It wasn’t about if there was time, it was about the act of ensuring the last request was asked for and at least acknowledged.He placed the note between the hands, it had the image of a cross upon it and the words: “Protestant” upon it. This would signal to any human that he was to be given a protestant burial.
O’Malley paused, tears dripping from his eyes for his enemy as he spoke. “Lord above, take this one, Shelter this one, enemy-mine. For all are your’s in death, even those who would see your servant slain. I ask not for vengeance but that you take pity upon this soul as it departs for the next life. He repeated in your name before his final breath, accept him with warm smiles and open arms as I commend Grissen to your care. St. Peter, I ask you to not be cautious or repulsed but instead, nod to him as you read his many sins and then inform him, all is forgiven in his final hour even by his greatest enemies. Amen.”
O’Malley felt his body shaking as he opened his eyes.His cheeks were warm with tears, a smile of delight upon his face to save a soul just before it left, even if he could not answer the question of aliens before God. It had been a worthy peaceful time here in the tent. Something O’Malley knew all too well about war, it was not war that would end war but rather; understanding could bring it to a stop. He got up, his legs weak and knees wanting to lock. He struggled to hold his weight as he walked from the tent, trying to calm his emotions.
He stepped outside, walking back to his position on the line and pulled another smoke, he had not yet gotten to his lighter when the sound of gunfire ripped through the caldera again. Weapons lighting up as the Arxur assault began anew.
For O’Malley however, he couldn’t move. His chest burned. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. He watched the cigarette drop from his hand. He felt his strength drain from his legs as he fell over on his side. Machine guns and mortars tracers rippled across the valley. He felt warm blood pouring down his chest across his shoulder towards the ground.
He willed his eyes to look down and realized he was hit. His chest was heaving blood rapidly. His strength faded and slowly he felt his eyes become heavy.
He whispered a final prayer, “Dear Lord, hold Grissen at the gates; I wish to enter beside my friend.” His final thought as his eyes closed for good barely ten paces from the medical tent. “Amen.”

submitted by FiauraTanks to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:43 Switch_Lazer Losing a war by winning? Questions about war score

Here's the setup... I made a custom character as the Duke of Austria (super OP build, easiest difficulty settings, no mods, on xbox) starting in 1066. I started a war early on for the Duchy of Steyermark with Hungary as an ally. The Duke of Steyermark had no allies yet and was outnumbered roughly 2:1. I raced to the Duchy capital and won a battle and the subsequent siege easily.
For the next four years I chased the enemy, totaling less than 1K, and defeated them over and over again. They would make attempts to siege my territory or re-siege their capital, but those were ended swiftly. Win after win, their numbers continued to dwindle. Does the enemy ever reach zero armies (with no allies obv)? They had a never-ending well of troops, but mine were finite. Their soldiers would return to a safe county and immediately begin another round of cat-and-mouse with like 300 troops. They could keep this up indefinitely. After a while they'd come back with more troops than before. Like they reached a minimum after which their strength began to increase. They probably bought mercs, idk, I didn't check. I was too busy micro-managing the troop movements, which is such a time sink and the AI is always faster than you.
After warring like this for a frustratingly long amount of IRL time, I noticed my war score was actually going down. I was only at like 40% despite holding the capital and winning every battle. My combined war score was this:
Total: 40%, Battles won: 181% capped to 50%, Occupying enemy capital: 10%, Occupying counties: 35% (Graz capital of Duchy aka War Target), Defender controls war target: -55%
So I occupy the war target but my enemy controls the war target? WTF? Is this a glitch? Is there some kind of war penalty for making such an OP character? Also why are contributions to war score capped? Occupying all of your enemy's lands and winning battles/sieges should contribute more than just 50%. If my troops control all your lands, you should be forces to capitulate. If I crush you in battle after battle for four years straight, you should capitulate.
The war mechanics in this game are so tedious and awful. The only way the AI surrenders is with 100%. They can seemingly win sieges with 300 levies at the same rate as my 2K MaA. Why doesn't the siege time decrease with larger armies? I can't combine my mercs and my MaA so I have to micro two armies that are moving to the same objective all while the AI moves faster and changes it's path faster. It's all just so tedious and time consuming.
I gave up the war. Any insights or suggestions? This was supposed to be an easy and fun playthrough. I'm about to give up on the game entirely.

submitted by Switch_Lazer to crusaderkings3 [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:43 lisa1896 Self - Sabotage and Being Seen, can we talk about it?

TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSION OF OCD/ED AND FOOD

So I've been to my lowest weight, 286.8, a couple of times now, today I'm 288.4. I did have one meal that was extravagant for me, meatloaf (2 servings[900 cal ouch I know]), sweet potato, 45 cal. bread. I rarely eat beef or dairy anymore and this meatloaf is a two cheese monster, one of those especially bad kind of Meatloaves. It's been 9 days since I did that and I've been working out on m/w/f and eating 1600 cal a day consistently and logging it. Weight ain't goin' noWHERE. 287/288/287/288 rinse/repeat. It's maddening. I will say I've noticed my clothing fitting differently and for some bizarre reason my upper thigh feels....looser? I guess that's the best description but I can't understand why that would be when I'm not losing.
The meatloaf was at a family dinner and there was talk about being "healthy" as you lose weight and I felt a bit noticed and it made me uncomfortable, if I'm honest it felt like judgement from one of my children and I was not expecting that. Then someone noticed at the gym and that was nice but also uncomfortable.
So we can add stress to the mix.
Today I ate breakfast, I had weighed before that, and I was bobbing through the day and got hit with just this violent hunger, like the way it felt when I was first trying to start losing weight.
I was sewing in the kitchen. I had to get up and leave the kitchen and come to my office because no one else is in the house and it was so bad I felt like I had to get out of there, got some ice water and took that with me.
So I come to my office and sit down and burst into tears and start thinking about how I was weighed as a kid and commented on and how all I used to wish for were those few times where I lost and got the praise and the (usually food) gifts.
I think I have performance anxiety.
I feel like when I don't lose anything, or worse, gain 0.2 lbs, that I'm somehow a bad person and bad things will happen. I have diagnosed OCD so yeah, THAT looks familiar. I love how OCD is like trying to make a fist around Play-Doh. No matter how tight you hold your fingers together there's always that bit that you didn't quite get to and oh look, now it's getting larger and more problematic. Sometimes you don't see it at all, like it's hidden on the other side of your hand, or deep in your brain.
Logically I know this is a fallacy but I'm having actual physical reactions and it's a lot, it is. I'm like, Fine, mental issues, I can deal with mental issues but the hunger agony is really really really getting to me. I hope that ends someday, I really do. If I stay busy it fades off but when it first hits it's almost like a punch to the gut then instant fear sets in: "Is this it? Is this the time I lose it and eat everything in the house including the maple syrup?" and I have to walk it past that and it's exhausting, all of it. The pain, the fear, the afterward where I'm exhausted on every level.
I did a weight loss channel on YouTube very briefly and had to stop for the same reason, I was absolutely going nuts when the scale didn't do what I needed it to and that was leading down some dark ED paths.
I'm going to leave in a few and go cycling because it's a beautiful day and maybe I can start to make some sense of how this is all locked together.
I didn't binge, I didn't lose it, I think I may have figured some things out.
I'm calling that a win.
So talk to me, if you made it this far, and tell me how you get through it. I feel like the more those of us on here talk about these things and make them seen the more people will get better, you know?
I know not everyone is neurospicy like me. ;P

submitted by lisa1896 to SuperMorbidlyObese [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:43 Narb_ Accused of a hit & run.

Location: Houston, TX
About a month ago I was in a traffic altercation on the highway. I was driving down an exit ramp from one highway to another. The ramp is currently under construction and 2 lanes collapse into 1. There are concrete barriers on each side, no shoulder and very little signage. It was my impression that both lanes were ending and neither had a priority. Both lanes were full of cars and people were zipper merging. I was in the left lane and had space next to me in the right lane. As I eased into the lane next to me I felt as though my rear passenger ran over a speed bump. I assumed I had driven over some construction debris. I merged in front of a large pickup truck (something like ram super duty) towing a large trailer (16-20ft) enclosed trailer covered in signage for a construction company.
Immediately after merging the truck behind me started honking profusely and driving wildly trying to pass me. He tried to pass me on my right and was getting incredibly close to my car so I pulled to the left to avoid a collision. After passing me he used his truck and trailer to block the whole exit ramp. He jumped out of his vehicle and started screaming wildly. He was incredibly belligerent and was yelling obscenities at me. Not wanting to become a victim of road rage violence I opted to stay in my vehicle and roll my window down to speak to him. He accused me of hitting him and threatened to call the cops. I told him he was free to do so as I felt I had done nothing wrong. I have been in car collisions before and its a pretty unique feeling. I know what the crunch sound of a car wreck sounds like and had not felt any type of impact other than my wheel going over something. He accused me of breaking his side mirror off of his truck and denting his fender. As he was parked at an angle in front of me I could see the whole side of his vehicle was covered in dents and scratches that are typical to see on a construction vehicle. He took multiple photos of me in my driver seat and of my vehicle and license plate. I asked him to calm down & help me clear the roadway (as is the law) because a large traffic jam was forming behind us. No one got out of there cars to offer up being a witness to anything. He accused me of trying to use the opportunity to escape and I told him I had no such intention. After a long back and forth I was able to assure him that I would pull off at the nearest available shoulder so that we could exchange information. He finally agreed and got back in his car and drove off in front of me; I followed. At the next shoulder I pulled off as promised and he continued to drive on. Given his wild attitude I did not feel comfortable following him elsewhere, especially to somewhere off the highway. There was a lot of slow traffic so I felt comfortable that there would be plenty of witnesses around. I waited a while, inspected my vehicle and found absolutely no damage. After a couple minutes of waiting he had disappeared and I got back in my car and went about my day. I chalked it up to an encounter with some random nut job.
Fast forward to this week and I received a call from my insurance saying a claim had been filed against me. I gave a full statement to insurance and provided photos of my car in its current condition; there are no scratches, bumps, dents or damage of any kind on that side of my vehicle. They said based on my statement and evidence they would be denying the claim pending a review of the police report he filed. They gave me the police report number and I was able to obtain a copy. He did not call the cops that day and waited a week or so to file a report. I was shocked to read that he said his vehicle was in front of mine and that I had hit him with my front passenger side bumper. He also claimed that I made no attempt to stop and exchange information. There are no photos attached to the police report. I don't know if they would come with one as this is my first time obtaining one.
I was told by my therapist it might be a good idea to file a counter police report so that they could have my side of the story. I went to my local police department today to do so and was told this was not possible. The officer told me that since it was already under investigation I would have to call the Hit & Run Unit and give them a statement. He gave me their number to call but they are closed today for the weekend. I would like to make a statement to back up my claim with my insurance. I feel that the guy is trying to scam me & my insurance and don't want to pay extra because of some whacko.
I recognize that I should have exchanged information with the guy despite his demeanor. I suffer from social anxiety and have had a gun pulled on me in the past so I was afraid and incredibly anxious. I just want to know if I should hire a lawyer to help me make my statement. I have read plenty of stories on here and elsewhere of people thinking they could 'straighten things out' on their own with the police only to end up in more trouble. I don't want to be one of those people. I have not been named in the police report only my vehicle has been identified.
TLDR: I have been accused of a hit & run but my vehicle suffered no damage. The other party filed a police report that conflicts with what I think actually happened. Should I hire a lawyer to aid me in making a statement to the police.

submitted by Narb_ to legaladvice [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:40 JuicySpark Ahhsh

This research took a little time, so I would really appreciate if you at least take some time to read it even if it kills you to read this long winded novel.
I'd like to first start off by saying Ethereum transactions do use up a good chunk of power. That part is not a myth.
However , The centralized corporate media FUD surrounding the ETH network power usage falls flat on its face.
I will explain.
A few people on my Facebook feed during lockdown talked about watching Netflix all day.
One in particular. "Been watching movies on netflix since I woke up at 6am, and can't stop I'm on my 8th movie today!". - that tweet was at 11pm.
Assuming these movies averaged 1.5hr each. That's 12hours of streaming!

"How much power could it possibly take to stream our movies?, Surely it can't be more than that Evil Crypto thing all those selfish people do?", said Nancy Know Nothing, and her gluten free husband Nick Know it All.

Well let's take a look!

Researchers at lancaster university found a 2-hour stream equates to boiling 10 KETTLES of tea.

Each kettle of water uses 1KWH to boil.**

Nancy Know Nothing bragged about 12hrs of streaming, then joined the cancel culture group to tell you evil crypto users you're hurting the environment. That's boiling 60 kettles of water. She used 60KWH! Wow and highly likely she also boiled water that day. Maybe, maybe not. Many people enjoy relaxing with a hot cup of tea while watching a movie.

An ethereum transaction uses 48.14KWH.

but not per household. Or maybe per crypto user? No. That's ludicrous. Instead all this power per transaction is divided amongst many computers at many locations. And those giant farms. 😆
Now, let's compare the power needed of ETH transactions per day on the Eth network with the power needed to stream movies per day.
During this bull run, we average about 1.2 Million ETH transactions per day. "During a bull run".

This is total worldwide transactions.

Not US, not Europe. Total Worldwide
That's 1.2M at 48.14KWH.
1.2M x 48.14 = 58.09M KWH per Day. Seems like an insane amount right?
Now let's look at streaming movies.

According to a Statista survey in the US.

25% of adults ages 18-29 said they streamed at least one movie per day in the early part of 2020.
That's 2.5 months of pre-pandemic lockdown mixed with only .5 months of lockdown
These aren't even figures during full lockdown which we all know is probably way higher. But let's just stick with the surgery for the early part of 2020. I don't want to add to much confusion.
I will be conservative and say these movies averaged 1.5hrs ea, and each of those 25% were conservative, and environmentally conscious(like they all claim), and only streamed one movie each.

There are 53.7 Million adults 18-29 in the US.

**At 25% that's 13,400,000 adults ages 18-29 streaming at least one 1.5HR movie per day.
I'm not even considering those who streamed 2,3,4 or 8 movies like Nancy Know Nothing bragged about that day.
I'm also not considering everyone aged 4-17 and 30-XX years old who streamed movies.
Let's keep it stupid simple.
**13,400,000 x 1.5hrs = 20,100,000Hrs per day streaming movies in the US ALONE and only for the age group 18-29. and Sorry I have to keep repeating that. I'm sure some non crypto users are choosing to block that fact out of their head due to biases. Maybe some might call it a racist fact. That wouldn't surprise me much these days.
So we have 20,100,000 Hours of streaming.
According to researchers we had 10 kettles of tea per 2 hrs of steaming, and each kettle using 1KWH. 1hr of streaming would be 5 kettles or 5KWH.
20,100,000hrs x 5KWH = 100,500,000KWH per day.

JUST IN THE US ALONE.
JUST AGES 18-29
JUST CONSIDERING THEY STREAMED ONLY ONE 1.5HR MOVIE PER DAY.

Compare this 100,500,000 KWH to total worldwide ETH transactions per day.

100,500,000KWH Steaming Just 18-29 in US per day.

58,090,000KWH in ETH transactions per day DURING A BULL RUN!

Wow! Who would've thought that just in the US in a certain age group streaming movies is almost doubling the power needed for the worldwide ethereum network?
Holy shit. Just that age group in the US. Not only that. Most of that profit is going to just a couple of big tech corps. Profits from ETH are being spread out amongst millions of regular people (and some rich mining farm owners)
If we calculated exact numbers for every age around the world for streaming per day. You can bet your ass we are in the Billions of KWH per hour.

BILLIONS in KWH! and all streaming profits go to a handful of powerful corporations.

World wide Ethereum network power usage isn't even close to competing in power usage.
Not even close.
This is what the world is. This is what centralized control is about.
They feed off regular people's ignorance about crypto, make them afraid of what they do not understand by just pointing out a number, and not educating them on the bigger picture.
The real Truth. The cold honest truth is that those who are "pro-centralization" that "don't do the evil crypto thing" are eating up more power steaming propaganda filled movies than those who "do the bad crypto thing", and are Pro-Decentralization.
Streaming statistic source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/935493/movies-watching-streaming-frequency-us-by-age/
Steaming power usage source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7022913/amp/Energy-used-stream-one-film-make-60-cups-tea.html
ETH daily transactions source: https://ycharts.com/indicators/ethereum_transactions_per_day#:~:text=Ethereum%20Transactions%20Per%20Day%20is,from%20720114.0%20one%20year%20ago.
Eth transaction power usage per transaction source: https://www.loop-news.com/p/the-big-problem-with-nfts-energy
Quick Note: we average 300K BTC transaction per day worldwide. BTC transactions use roughly the same power per eth transaction. Still, combing these two cryptos isn't even close to the power used by US streaming movies for all age groups.
Remember: I only considered one 1.5hr stream. We all know at least 5% are steaming more than that.
Thank you.

submitted by JuicySpark to CryptoCurrencyTalk [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:37 Danish-Dame Grandma died, Got laughed at in Therapy and I just lost my dad.

I don't know where to go with this, but I've heard this has helped some helped.
So a couple of weeks ago my grandma died, we weren't super close or anything but it was still sad. I went to her funeral last Saturday, and my brother was sick during the thing, so we left early, which I was unhappy about, but I had to as he was my ride home. Like, can you just for a few hours try to ignore that you're sick so we can pay some respect to our grandma? Guess two hours is your max and we leave almost as soon as we're done eating afterwards.
Yesterday, Friday. My mum, my brother and I were at family therapy and my brother and I were having a bit of an off-topic discussion, and it got a little heated, and then he starts laughing at me. How disrespectful can someone be, to start laughing at another person, their own family member, at THERAPY? That is one of the most disrespectful things anyone can do to another person. And he did it to me. We're at therapy, opening up, being honest and all kinds of stuff, and he's practically yelling, talking over me, and laughing at me. I was talking kinda loud as well, but I listened when he spoke and did not talk over him. Fuck you. And then I talk to my mum the next day, (today), and she says "sometimes you just have to forgive and move on, he did apologize" yeah. He apologized WHILE HE WAS LAUGHING. Do you seriously think he was sorry? I don't and do not accept the apology. I can't, that would go against everything I believe in. I don't care if you're family member or not, one little apology does not magically fix everything, especially when you obviously don't mean it. So, I leave the therapy room and express I can't be in the same room as someone who's laughing at me while we're at therapy. After the other two are done, about an hour later, he comes out, pats me on the back and says "I know that was wrong and provocating". Yeah, it was. And you expect me to just be what.. Fine with that? Just because you acknowledge that it was wrong? Look inwards brother, see how shit of a person you HAVE to be, to even be able to do something like that. Just because we disagreed and you disagreed so hard that you started laughing? What in the hell is wrong with you.
Then today my dad wakes me up by calling me at 10am. He's started drinking again, and I told him 5 years ago I would cut him out of my life if he ever started drinking again. He's a former alcoholic and I was with him TWICE. Twice he was in the hospital and rehap and I was with him throughout it all, and then you start drinking again? And you call me to say goodbye? What the fuck. He says he'd remove my number, and obviously I blocked him as well.
I just feel so sick. So fucking sick, there's so much bad shit happening all at once and I don't know how to deal with it.

submitted by Danish-Dame to offmychest [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:37 Sewdohe CraftNectar [Modded] [SMP] {1.19.2} {Custom Modpack} {Kitchen Sink}

CraftNectar - We like modded minecraft
Are you tired of vanilla Minecraft? Do you want to experience new dimensions, creatures, and items? Look no further than our modded server! Our server provides a unique and exciting experience for all players. With over 200 mods installed, you will be able to explore new worlds, craft powerful weapons, drive crazy vehicles, build amazing machines, fight challenging bosses, and so so much more!
Our team of moderators ensures that the gameplay is fair, safe, and balanced. We also have a friendly and active community, ready to assist you with any questions, issues, or even if you're having a hard time with doing something.
Our modpack has a little (or alot) of something for every player. - Like building? You'll find a myraid of different building blocks, including new wood, furniture, glass, roofs, doors, trapdoors, tables, storage, and TONS more stuff. - An adventurer? We have tons of custom weapons, including the iconic dark souls weapons, extra bows / arrows, and all kinds of new and intersting armors. - Like fighting / PVP? We have a dedicated arena accessible via waystone to set up PVP matches encased in glass so spectators can cheer for who they want to win. - Like Crafting? We have so many things to craft I can't list them all here. With multiple cooking mods, tech mods, decoration mods, new biomes and materials, the things you can craft are nearly endless - Merchant at heart? We got you covered as well. We have numismatic overhaul to mimic the currency used in Terraria (copper, silver, and gold coins) and with it you can trade with other players or even set up a shop and sell items while offline! Come become the richest on the server. - Stay safe or live on the edge - your choice. We have server land claims claimable via the minimap on right click. Customize your claim to allow usage or certain items - or don't! If you like base raiding and all that jazz just leave your home unclaimed - that means it's fair game! We also have a PVP toggle so you can take part in that if you so choose too. Or not. Regular players get 35 chunks to claim by default. Patrons get 60 or 100 extra claims depending on support level. - and MORE!!! On top of all listed above we also usually have ~1 modpack update a week where we add community suggestions and new origins to play as!
100% FREE TO PLAY, ALWAYS! CraftNectar is supported by it's admin (me) as well as it's playerbase. We have a Patreon for the server and the players who really love the server help support it for everyone else. Patrons only receive a name decoration and extra land claims, no P2W here.
So why wait? Join our server today and embark on an epic adventure! Our server is always up-to-date with the latest mods and versions, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
To join, simply visit our discord and follow the instructions. We look forward to seeing you online!
Happy crafting!
Conenction URL: craft.divnectar.com
Connection Instructions: On My Website
Server Wiki: Here
The modpack is also available as a pack on Curse Forge now!
Discord Server: Link

submitted by Sewdohe to mcservers [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:37 ThePrinceMagus These CM Punk Instagram stories are getting out of hand…

submitted by ThePrinceMagus to Wrasslin [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:37 N3TW0RKJ3Di PlayStation 5 Repair

Good afternoon, I am reaching out to see if anyone has advice. So last month my daughter knocked my ps5 from its stand. It turns on but there is no HDMI output. So I sent the system into PlayStation repairs. It was gone for a month and when I got it back today I was very excited, only to have my spirits crumble when it is acting in the same manner before they “repaired” it. It is as if my PlayStation took a little vacation and came back to me in the exact state that it left. Getting in touch with PlayStation repairs is so hard, they have the number to call Monday-Friday but I didn’t know if anyone knew of an email address for repairs. I get the no reply emails but I wanted to try and reach out to someone through email if possible. Has anyone else ever sent something to them only to get it back in the same condition?

submitted by N3TW0RKJ3Di to playstation [link] [comments]

2023.03.25 18:36 aditisinha91 EPR CONSULTANT

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The CPCB will issue an EPR certificate to the applicant upon verification of the documents and confirmation of compliance with the prescribed standards.
The applicant must then submit the EPR certificate to the concerned state pollution control board for registration.
The state pollution control board will issue a registration number which must be displayed at the premises where waste is being handled or stored.

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2023.03.25 18:33 anabolic_coach Q&A #71...Best Motivational Book for Strength Athletes!

Q: Hey Coach I thought I would shoot you a DM. I am an athlete that competes at a high level in Dragon Boating. I have been to Nationals in Canada several times and even made the World Team.
I recently got injured and it totally screwed me over from competing this season. Now my question isn't about healing my injury although maybe that would be something that we could discuss on a consultation call.
My reason for writing you is that I am totally in the dumps. I actually am going though some depression as a result of my injury. I never felt like this before. Now I have had injuries in the past more minor ones and I can accept that. But this one is a little more severe and it ruined my whole season.
My mood has been horrible and I am even acting out to my family and friends lately as I am so irritable. I was wondering if you had any good books that could help get me back on my feet from a mental angle?
I need something to help put some wind in my sails again and figured I would ask you for some guidance since you have been a coach for over 25 years. I figured that during this time your athletes may have gone through some tough times and you could help me get on my feet again.
Sorry to whine like a little bitch but this really knocked me down hard. Any words of motivation or help would really help me right now.
Thanks Coach
Dragon Boating can be Intense!
A: Hey man its great to hear from you. I am happy to hear from all our community members. I am sorry to hear about your injury. This is something that does happen to athletes all the time especially those that compete at the world level.
Listen brother, anytime you want to get on a call just reach out to me. I am not here just to answer your questions on putting together your best anabolic cycle, but I am here to be a friend as well. This is why I started this community on Reddit because I wanted to have a close knit group that cares about one another and helps each other. I know you aren't a bodybuilder and that is cool. Its nice to see competitors from other sports reading my content. As you know I do coach athletes in numerous sports and I do have a few Dragon Boat competitors in my roster as well so I do understand the sport.
Give Me a Call Anytime Brother!
I have just the book to help kick you in the ass and get you back on your feet as you said. I dedicate this book review to you, as I want your next season to be the best you ever had. Send me your phone number and we will get on a call. I might just be able to help you speed up the healing process from angles you never knew.
One Amazing Motivational Book!
One of the recent projects I have taken on for our community here on Reddit is that of doing some different product reviews when time permits. Now I have reviewed some different strength books, videos, and such to help readers have the inside scoop on various strength media in the search for serious results. Now in my lifetime, I have read a lot of different books.
The Anabolic Coach is Constantly Reading New Books!
Now you may be thinking that I am talking about nutrition texts or different studies from some Journal of who knows what, but that’s not what I am referring to at all. I like to read books on a variety of topics from history to finance to arts and just about everything in between minus science fiction. But of all the books that I have read over the years, none have touched my heart like the one that I will be doing a review for today. The book that I am talking about is called Extraordinary Resolve: Six Months for the Rest of My Life and it was written by Bob Youngs and Michele Stanek.
Bob Coaching Matt Wendler for his 1000 Pound Squat!
More than just an Elite Powerlifter
Now for the veterans in the sport, you will know who Bob Youngs is right off the bat. Bob is a World Class Powerlifter and an Elite Member of Westside Barbell. Bob was not only a top-level competitor but he was also a World-Renowned coach and owner of Southside Barbell in Florida. Let’s not forget that he is a prolific writer as well. He has written numerous articles for Elite FTS website where he also had his training journal outlining his latest contest cycle. He was one of the early pioneers helping to bring forth the Westside Barbell Method of training on the internet.
Bob and Michele Loving Life!
Hell for years I would look forward to reading Bob’s work because he could take an advanced theory on strength and simplify it so even someone like me could understand. One series I always enjoyed was called, “My Diary” where Bob would discuss his pre contest thoughts and ideas as well as reviewing his performance at different competitions. Another amazing article that I really enjoyed was one called, “Things I Would do Differently”. Here from his vast training knowledge and experience in the trenches, he explained to lifters things he would have done differently throughout his competitive powerlifting career. By taking his advice in this article alone it would help beginners to the sport prevent injuries, perfect their technique, improve their recovery, and much more. Another very invaluable series was his four-part saga titled, “Handling Lifters at a Meet”.
Bob is an Amazing Strength Coach!
This was without a doubt the most comprehensive series written about being the best handler for your teammates when they stepped onto the platform. Plus with Bob’s unique writing style it felt like he was right there with you coaching you every step of the way. I guess this is one of the reasons why he’s writing in his new book will without a doubt touch your heart in a way you never thought possible.
Now for those of you who have not followed Bob’s blog or his entries on Elite FTS you might be wondering why I sound so affected by just another book written by a Powerlifter. That is because this book is not just another book written by a Powerlifter. Extraordinary Resolve is not simply a book but a testament to Bob’s struggle and fights with Cancer.
Bob Fought Off Cancer like a Warrior!
The Fight of his Life!
On June 24th of 2009 at the age of 39, Bob was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). For those of you who don’t understand what this means I‘ll explain. AML as it is known is a cancer of the Myeloid line of blood cells. It causes rapid growth of white blood cells that later accumulate in the bone marrow. This then causes problems with the production of normal blood cells.
From the next day on Bob would start his chemotherapy treatment and would be in for the fight of his life for the next six months. The book travels on daily entries from Michele taking you step by step through Bob’s tragic suffering through chemotherapy and his recovery. I am telling you this is a book that you will not be able to put down once you pick it up. When someone writes a book about a specific topic even if it’s their true love in life, nothing will compare to the heartfelt sentiment that his fiancée Michele has poured through these pages.
Chemotherapy is No Fun!
Michele is a wonderful person whose loyalty and sincerity through Bob’s struggle is displayed throughout his chemo treatment and remission. One thing you will note from this book is that Bob was surrounded by some of the most loving and caring family and friends that ultimately helped give him strength during his darkest hours. They supported him and were by his side from the beginning of his chemotherapy and are a constant support structure to him to this day. Through all their valiant efforts and support, this is one of the reasons why Bob is here today to tell his story.
Live Strong and Never Surrender
The story of this book is one that will give you a bird’s eye view into the life of an Elite Powerlifter who wouldn’t give up when the fight of his life knocked on his door. Bob didn’t back down or lose hope even when things looked their worst. Even after losing close to 80 pounds and having multiple organ failures, having suffered massive internal bleeding, and even coming out of a coma, Bob would not settle for defeat.
Bob Competing at Nationals!
One of the things that sticks out so much after reading this book is the fact that Bob’s positive attitude played a major role in his recovery. No matter how bad things got Bob would not lie down and give up. He fought every inch of the way like a true warrior not bending to the hand of cards he was dealt. You see many of us get down and focus on small things that affect our lives.
We somehow forget that there are other people in the world, in our country, in our city, or even in our own backyard that is suffering a million times more than us. This book will make you look at your own life and will make you realize that many of the everyday problems you face are really nothing at all. It will make you appreciate every day you wake up healthy and can live and work and enjoy all the things you do.
Bob Relaxing After a Busy Day!
Priceless Life Lessons
There are so many valuable life lessons in this book that everyone can benefit from. Sometimes people,( I am talking about all of us), can lose focus on what’s truly important in life. You can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of work, making money, training, and your daily chores and forget to enjoy each and every day that you are blessed with.
Leukemia is No Joke!
One thing you will take from this book that I found very inspirational is that Cancer survivors only have two types of days. Those are good days and great days. In fact, this is how everyone should look at life and not let all the petty headaches and drama that occur in everyone’s life make them lose scope of what is truly important like your family, friends, and loved ones who have your back when times get tough. This book will help you truly understand what it is like to face death head-on and beat it. It will also show you how precious a loving network of family and friends are when you don’t know what the next day brings forth.
Love Every Day of Your Life!
Life is Precious
Now I don’t want to give you the entire story here because I want you to take this journey yourself. I am telling you this is one of the most moving and inspirational books you will ever read. Cancer is a disease that affects everyone at some time. Now I don’t mean that everyone will get it but what I am saying is that at some time in your life you will know someone either in your family or from friends that will be affected by this horrible disease.
We are seeing a rate of Cancer among the populations of North America that has skyrocket in recent decades. I am so glad that I read this book because I have learned a lot not only about Bob’s struggle and his “never give up” attitude, but also how truly precious life is. Many of us take things for granted and don’t take time to stop and smell the roses and lose focus where our real priorities should be. This book will change your thinking and your priorities in life beyond what you can imagine. I have read plenty of motivational books from all the top names in the industry but none of them will change your outlook on life like this one.
Bob with His Son
To get a copy of this truly amazing book go to Dave Tate’s website at www.elitefts.com or you can order it by phone at 1-888- 854-8806. If you read one book this year make it Extraordinary Resolve. I guarantee it will move you and motivate you in ways you never thought possible.
World Leader in Strength Training!

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2023.03.25 18:33 ruinprophet1 Gaming PC

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

Mostly FPS gaming and just personal use want to be able to hit high frames in FPS games. The game I mainly play is Valorant. From time to time I tend to play other RPG games. For personal use, I tend to use Youtube a lot and do a lot of multitasking where I have a lot of different tabs open. I currently use a PC that I built in about 2016, so all of the parts are outdated and I am running low on storage. It is getting kinda annoying that I can't run a game and watch a video on a second monitor or do anything other than my game without frames dropping consistently and my not being able to enjoy the game how it is supposed to play.

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

Between $1500-2250

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

Most likely around two to three weeks, but possibly sooner as the micro center deals look good enough to start now.

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Basically all new computer parts. I already have a ducky keyboard, mouse, and 144hz monitor. I do plan on purchasing a 240hz monitor.

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

I have access to Microcenter in Tustin, California only problem is 7900x CPU is out so idk if I should go with 7950x for a bit more or 7700x for a bit less.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

I will be reusing the ducky keyboard, hyperx Mouse and asus 144hz monitor and possibly could save my gb of hard drive so idk how that works with just plugging it in with the new pc

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

I am not too familiar with overclocking, so I guess I do not plan on overclocking.

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

want at least a 1gb of SSD and 32 gb of ram as its not that much more then 16gb now.

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

something that fits all the parts perfectly doesn't need RGB at all
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
I have Windows 10 in my current PC. I would have to figure out if I still have the license for my current copy that I could transfer to the new PC, or if I should just buy a copy of the latest version of Windows?
I am really focused on the number of frames i am getting will also play the game on low settings for FPS games but want something that can play on high settings when its an RPG-style game.

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2023.03.25 18:31 Possible_Message_266 Ex texted me happy birthday

So my ex gf of 3 years broke up with me early February complete blindside. This is the 3rd time she has done this. The first 2 times I convinced her to keep going and we turned the relationship around each time into something healthy but she seems to keep following the same pattern. We had a closure talk to get my stuff back about 2 weeks after and even still there was not much of a reason other than her being overwhelmed, scared, unsure, etc. Basically all the non sense reasons.
I woke up to a long apology text the following day that she sent about 5AM and it was still a very self centered text and felt like it came more from guilt rather than empathy. I decided to not respond to it as I was tired of giving my energy. I thought I would never hear from her again and to my surprise I got a text today following my birthday with a text that feels a lot warmer than someone who doesn’t want to speak. Might I also add the ending of the apology text before says “I promise I won’t message you again.”
Extra information the 1st time she broke up with me was 1 days before surgery. 2nd time as a few days before Thanksgiving. 3rd time was at my personal lowest recently lost my job and dropped out of graduate school. And a week before family vacation.
All of that to say I decided to block her number as the text was really upsetting and wondering what people think of it. Was it just a simple warm wishes or more than that? Thanks.
Ending of 1st text “I promise I won’t message you again, I just can’t get you out of my head and I feel like I can’t think straight. You mean so much to me and I’m so sorry for everything.”
2nd text (today) “I hope you had a great birthday yesterday wherever you’re celebrating it from ❤️”

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