Settings

Note: These settings change every part (and week) so read over them every time you submit! Theme: Parallel Style: Any Generation type: text2image Models: Any

Info

Welcome to the (unofficial) Stable Diffusion Competition! I'm hoping that together we can make a mega competition with hundreds of people at some point in the near future (IE >10 year). So, let's get started. The rules will be listed below - don't worry! I tried not to make it to complicated.

Prize

Okay, well at this point I don't have much karma so I can't give awards (maybe if you upvote this post 😉)! But for right now, you'll get lots of upvotes if you submit a good image, so you get some karma. When I get more karma I'll give bigger awards, but for right now I'll give you some little ones.

Generation

When you are generating images, please keep in mind the theme (theme is given above in the 'Settings' area). I won't award someone's generation if they're image doesn't fit the theme. The theme will be quite generic, so think about many ways you can use the word. Be innovative! When voting, please downvote posts using the wrong theme, but please be lenient (if the image looks a little a little similar to what the theme is (for example, if the theme was 'Circle' and one of the people gave a city resembling a circle, that (most likely) would count) then that is fine).

Submitting

To submit, please post your image as a comment to this post, but not a comment to an existing comment. This doesn't mean people can't comment images or at all or anything, I just won't count it as entering the competition. Also, when you submit, please provide your prompt, negative prompt, seed, and all the other properties. If you used a random seed, tap the recycle icon (♻) if you're using AUTOMATIC1111's stable-diffusion-webui. If you can't get a seed, please say so.

Voting

This kind of goes for granted, but if you like an image (and it fits the theme and qualifies), upvote it, if you dislike it (or it does not qualify), downvote it. If you have mixed feelings (IE you don't particularly like it or dislike it), leave it alone. You don't need to do this on every submission or anything like that, but do scroll down to the lesser upvoted submissions, give them a chance!

FAQ

Q: What fine-tuned models/stable diffusion versions can I use? A: Most of the time you can use any models you want. But please check the 'Models' field in the setting section to check if that is the case. Sometimes I will give a model that is required to use (I will also provide a link, if you don't trust it, just search for the model).
Q: Do I need to use Stable Diffusion? Can I, for example, use Midjourney or Dall-e 2 instead? A: No. Only stable diffusion. It's recommended to use AUTOMATIC1111 (you'll most likely get better results), but it is a hassle to set up, so in that case use https://stablediffusionweb.com.
Q: When does each part/week start at? A: Each week (the first part) should start every Friday in North America (US & Canada area), Wednesday in South America (Brazil area), Saturday in Europe (England, France, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, and many many many more area), and also Saturday in Asia and Austral-Asia (Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand area). Whew. And for time, I'll probably start at noon (New Zealand time), so go translate that into other times, sorry but I'm not doing that again. For the second part I'll do it ~4 days.
Q: What are parts? A: The first part is where you get a lot of upvotes, the second is where you bathe in them. Well, depending on how good your image is. But, in all seriousness I'll declare the winner in next week's competition, which will be a sum of both their 1st part upvotes and 2nd part upvotes. Also, when you submit for your second part, show both your newly generated image for that part and the older one for the first part. So when people vote, they'll also take into consideration your first part. Note that you may submit into the second part without submitting into the first, or submit into the second without submitting in the first, but you'll get much less total upvotes.
Q: I want to suggest something. Can I do that? A: Certainly! If you want to suggest something for a future part/week, please type this: "SUGGESTION: [Your suggestion]"
Make sure 'suggestion' is spelled right, because I'll be using Ctrl-F to find suggestions. Higher upvoted suggestion have a higher chance to be implemented.
Q: Will you be submitting an image? A: Yes, I will. I don't want to be left out on all the fun, do I? And for the award, I'll just um, gift it to myself.
Q: I have a question about this competition that wasn't listed here. A: That's fine. Just type: "QUESTION: [Your question]" As a comment (spell 'question' right and mentioned above) and I'll try respond to it and maybe add it to the FAQ.

20 M, lived in the bay all my life and moved to SF for college in January. I like to go out and do stuff when I get high and I'm looking for some stuff to do. So far I've been to:-Grandview Park
-Twin Peaks
-Pier 14 and Ferry Building
-Main Branch library and got a library card
-Land's End and the site of the former labyrinth
-Hippie Hill
-Mission Dolores Park
-Salesforce Park
-Ocean Beach
I think there's a couple more but I can't remember. My favorites so far are Grandview Park, Twin Peaks, and the library. Usually I just walk around and end up getting lost, which is how I've explored the city so far, but I'm looking to spice things up now. I don't only like parks I just somehow usually end up at them lol. Thanks in advance!
Edit: You know what I realized maybe also some places I can make friends would also be a good idea so some recommendations on that would be great too

Why are theres 10 cars per house in a single home residential area? We cannot park near our own home, most of y’all have multiple car driveways (my specific area) so use it. If Seattle was so car unfriendly we should enforce a rule like other cities…. You can only park in front of your own home or be towed after a few hours. To reduce cars then actually reduce parking. I have to come home late at night and circle for an extended period of time. While you casually enjoy your unused multiple car collection and an empty driveway.
My car is not pleasure…its a necessity. Thanks for hating my rant.

Hello fantasy,
I debated whether it was worth posting my card this year, especially since I didn’t do any cool theme like some of you! My challenge was to try to find books I actually liked, and I’m a tough customer, so ideally nothing below 3 stars, and only books I didn't mind boosting.
I only mostly made it, and there are a few books on here I’d have liked to replace, but toward the end the replacement books were getting lower ratings than the originals, until I accepted it was time to take a break. Nevertheless, it’s always fun to do bingo and I did get some great books on the card. I read 10 eligible books this year that did not make it onto the card (not counting sequels of books that are included, as I continued 2 series), and all of the books left off earned 3 stars or fewer, mostly fewer. So my favorites of the year are all represented.
Sadly I can’t seem to get the enlarged cover images to make a visual card and I am tired, so no pretty image to share, just reviews!

The Fabulous (4.5 stars)

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann: Five fairy tale survivors come together in a dodgy support group in modern New York. This novel is weird and different, and very funny, with pitch-perfect dialogue and vibrant, memorable characters. It also does a great job of exploring feminism, trauma and economic inequality, and the ways all three of these are inextricably linked.
The Square: Mental Health (HM): I liked this square a lot, and while several of this year’s books fit, the one with the frame story about a trauma support group seemed particularly apropos!
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Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Fantasy from one perspective, science fiction from another, privileging neither; worldviews are durable and neither is really more true than the other. This is a fabulously inventive and plain cool novella, with strong writing and enough depth to be memorable. The chapter with side-by-side columns featuring the two protagonists’ very different interpretations of an origin myth is an especially nice touch.
The Square: Book Club (HM): Self-explanatory. This one was especially popular in the Hugo readalong and generated some great discussion.
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The Drowning Girl by Caitlin Kiernan: Maybe fantasy, maybe not: a woman with schizophrenia writes about some weird and troubling experiences in an attempt to parse what’s really happened to her. A weird, wonderfully-written novel with a completely believable voice, and a deep sympathy for its protagonist’s mental illness; this one never feels exploitative or shallow. Particularly impressive is the chapter written when the character is off her meds. I liked the two embedded short stories, purportedly written by the lead, a bit less, but they certainly show the author’s range.
The Square: LGBTQ List (HM): I lucked out with this one, not having realized it was on the list until after reading it with a book club. I would have preferred an own voices aspect to the prompt, and this book meets that requirement as author is trans. As far as LGBT elements in the book, the protagonist is a lesbian and her girlfriend is a trans woman.
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Murderbot by Martha Wells: I read all six of these books this year and love the series even more as a whole, which is rare for me. Murderbot is a fabulous lead, with a strong voice, extremely relatable (it judges everyone for being incompetent, and just wants to chill and watch media), and a great arc (learning to trust and care about people, despite being socially incompetent). The plots are a lot of fun, although more mystery/thriller than I usually care for, and feel well thought-through, and I appreciate the critique of corporatocracy running throughout. Wells’s ability to create great secondary characters just by showing us what they say and do, without any emotional intelligence on her narrator’s part, is something other authors should study. I’m here for as many books in this series as she wants to write and am very glad I gave her another chance after a bad experience with one of her fantasies—and I don’t even like sci-fi!
The Square: Set in Space (HM): The first book is set on a planet, albeit an uninhabited one. But most of the rest of the series is set on ships and space stations.

The Very Good (4 stars)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: Lovely, atmospheric and propulsive—I had a lot of fun figuring out what was happening here. Piranesi has a strong individual voice and I love his genuine kindness and compassion. This isn’t the perspective you would expect this story to be told from and it’s better for it. Clarke is also just an excellent writer, a strong prose stylist and a confident storyteller willing to leave some questions unanswered.
The Square: Standalone (HM): A bit of a cheat on the hard mode since I’m confident it’s only not on the list because it wasn’t published yet!
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The Bone Orchard by Sara Mueller: A dark, political standalone fantasy in a quasi-Victorian setting, featuring a woman who has suffered so much trauma that she deals with it by offloading portions of her personality and memories into other bodies. This one is well-written and different, set in an interesting world where psychic powers come with terrible costs. The beginning takes some attention to piece together what’s going on and I might have liked a little more from the end, but overall a worthwhile read.
The Square: Published in 2022 (HM): An impressive debut and I definitely want to see where this author’s imagination goes next.
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The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik: I’m a huge fan of this series: the first book got a very rare 5 stars from me, the second 4.5; this one is a little lower but I still love the trilogy as a whole. I wish this had been a little less frantically plot-driven and allowed the characters a little more room to breathe, but it’s a fabulous plot with some incredible twists and reveals, a lot of current relevance, and as always, a great protagonist in the snarky but heroic El.
The Square: Urban Fantasy (HM): Not your typical urban fantasy but I think this one definitely qualifies, as it’s set in the real world and in fact mostly in cities!
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The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin: Le Guin is a fabulous writer, and this book develops quite a deep story in a short page count, of a girl raised to be a powerful priestess who comes to question the order of things. I love the anthropological knowledge that forms the basis of her worldbuilding, and her writing is vivid and the characters feel real. Le Guin has also written about her struggles writing women as heroes, and I definitely see that in the end, where the character ending she meant as triumphant came across to me as disappointing. I wanted Tenar to take hold of her newfound authority with both hands and make the priestly compound, and perhaps her country, a better place. Instead she ends the book as a teenage refugee dependent on Ged, finding freedom only by giving up her power.
The Square: Cool Weapon: I didn’t vibe with this square so hoped something would turn up, and as Ged has a magical staff that he can also fight with, I think this technically qualifies. Sometimes technically correct is the best kind of correct.
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Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: Delightfully whimsical, sweet, and fun, this is a fairy-tale-esque story of a girl cursed into the form of an old woman, and the motley crew she falls in with, all of them living in a decidedly strange castle. I think this is really more an all-ages book than a middle-grade one; Jones’s philosophy was that kids were better at complicated plots than adults are, and that’s borne out here. I could have done without the sudden romance turn at the end.
The Square: Name in the Title: Self-explanatory.
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Daughter of Mystery by Heather Rose Jones: A lighthearted, fun book, this is a quasi-period novel set in an invented European country, featuring a romance between a young woman of the gentry who comes into money and uses it to study magic at university, and the guardswoman/duelist she inherits from her godfather. Both leads are sympathetic, the plot enjoyable, and the magic based on prayers to saints is fun. Not especially memorable but I think I’ll read the sequel (featuring a new couple) for next year’s bingo.
The Square: Indie or Self-Published: This one is small press rather than self-published; Bella Books focuses on publishing lesbian lit.

The Good (3.5 stars)

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey: A delicious psychological thriller, in which the biggest source of tension is the question of just how far our morally compromised protagonist will go. Strong writing, an unreliable narrator, and a weird cloning scenario set this one up as an intense read. Some character decisions seem a bit unlikely, but overall this one was definitely worthwhile.
The Square: Anti-Hero: I don’t love the way women labeled anti-heroes are so often just traumatized people being human, but Evelyn is pretty far gone. One might reasonably question whether there’s any “hero” in her at all, but she’s a compelling lead.
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The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott: A fun portal fantasy featuring a badass older woman and her posse setting out to rescue her adult son, who was kidnapped by a dragon. I really enjoy and respect Elliott’s work—she thinks through her worlds and characters deeply, and her progressivism is genuine, longstanding and interacts intelligently with her very well-developed worlds. These days I’m not that into quests and adventure plots, which is likely why I didn’t enjoy this one more.
The Square: Revolutions and Rebellions: In line with the progressive ethos, Esther works to oppose slavery and help workers claim their rights everywhere she goes—there’s definitely some rebelling against the status quo going on here.
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The Just City by Jo Walton: This one is hard to encapsulate in a mini-review. Time-traveling Greek gods Athena and Apollo bring together philosophers from throughout the ages to found Plato’s Republic in the Bronze Age, as an experiment. The book is a fun way to learn about Plato's Republic, and the characters’ philosophical discussions and sincere pursuit of excellence are great fun. I think Walton is better at writing about positive experiences than negative ones—her portrayals of grief and trauma have always fallen flat for me and do so again here, and some of her character voices are stronger than others, while the climactic debate seemed amateur. But despite the criticism, this one left me with a lot to think about, and I went on to finish the trilogy—the second is a slight step down but worth reading if you liked the first (unfortunately it’s hard to stop as they all end on cliffhangers), but the third is just a nosedive, WTF did she think that absurd plotline belonged in this trilogy when there were so many meatier things to explore? The trilogy as a whole I wouldn’t rate above 3 stars, but the first book gets 3.5. Somehow I never love Walton's books, but they're all so unique I keep coming back anyway.
The Square: Award Nominee (HM): Self-explanatory.
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Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde: Urban fantasy or perhaps magical realism, set in Lagos and exploring issues in contemporary Nigerian society. This one is vibrant, distinctive and messy, making no apologies for its Nigerian English and not catering to the foreign reader. It’s more short story collection than novel, and I found the first half intense and heavy but very well-written, as it explores themes of life, death, and finding meaning. The second half seems more focused on telling stories of queer Nigerians for queer Nigerians who haven’t seen much of themselves in fiction, but may do less for the reader for whom it’s not personal.
The Square: Set in Africa (HM): One of only a couple squares my natural reading didn’t fill. I checked out 5 interesting-sounding books from the library, previewed them all, and this was the winner, which I was glad of because I wanted to read an African author and not just someone of African descent. The runner-up, Redemption in Indigo, seemed strong enough that I might read it for a future bingo.
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Kalpa Imperial by Angelica Gorodischer: A thoughtful, literary collection of short stories set at various points in the history of an imagined empire; it reminds me a bit of Chinese history in its cyclical rising and falling. It’s no wonder Le Guin was a fan, as this is a thematically rich work, dealing with big ideas about history and power and the individual’s role in all this. Plot and character are not the focus, and I expected the stories to tie together more than they do, but they leave the reader something to think about as Gorodischer does not spell things out.
The Square: No Ifs Ands or Buts: This year’s easiest square, but I wanted to fit this book on my card somehow, okay?

The Okay (3 stars)

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel: Enjoyable but not particularly memorable, this is a retelling of the Ramayana from the perspective of Rama’s antagonistic stepmother. It takes the well-worn route of making her near-perfect and Rama in the wrong, which has generated some interesting discussions about its portrayal of Hinduism. Unfortunately, it’s told in a generic first-person voice that makes Kaikeyi herself into a generic idealized protagonist. Despite that, I really enjoyed its focus on her relationships with family and friends, particularly the other women in her life, and the flow of the book appealed to me, with our lead mostly finding success and happiness in life. If you enjoyed Circe, but want to see better feminism and could do without the sex and romance, you should definitely try this.
The Square: Family Matters (HM): I love this book for this square because the book is primarily about family relationships of various sorts. And its three-generational cast places our heroine in the middle generation rather than the youngest one, which is nice.
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In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: The only novella in this series that I’ve read, and I loved it right up until the end. Our heroine has to choose between a portal world and our world, and passes back and forth repeatedly as she grows up and her decision gets harder and harder. I loved the deep but understated emotion, the relationships between the heroine and her families both biological and found, the fact that both her mentor and her best friend are also women/girls and these relationships have a lot of depth and emotion to them, and the sheer reasonableness of this initially bizarre world and its rules. The tragic ending basically destroys all that though, as to make it happen a major character acts against common sense, her own established wishes and motivations, and the rules of the world, all in one ridiculously contrived swoop. It seems like the author knew what ending she had to come to based on this protagonist's appearance in an already-published book, and so had to force a story that had grown in a different direction into that mold. This is the second McGuire book I’ve read, and likely the last, as my enjoyment of both books was severely impaired by elements that seemed really poorly thought-through.
The Square: Shapeshifters (HM): A cool feature of the world is that takers slowly begin to grow feathers, and ultimately turn into birds if they don’t change their ways (it’s okay though, they can become human again by giving back to the community).
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The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri: This was pretty mid for me, despite elements I like in theory: the South Asian inspired world, the three major women characters who play important roles in each other’s stories. I don’t really do epic fantasy anymore (what you don’t see on this card are all the others that I DNF’d early), but my enjoyment was probably also held back by having previously read Suri’s Books of Ambha, which I enjoyed much more. I’m starting to feel as if she creates all of her major women characters by starting with the same “strong woman” template and changing up the particular life experiences—also, you really have to emotionally connect to get much out of Suri's books and I wasn’t quite there with this one.
The Square: Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey (HM): There’s a forest where time passes at a different rate. Not a huge element but it is there!
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At the Mouth of the River of Bees by Kij Johnson: Quite a varied short story collection, from fantasy to science fiction to magic realism. There were stories in here that I loved—particularly the first, “26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss,” about troubled people finding their way back into the world through a circus act. There were stories I hated, like “Dia Chjerman’s Tale,” an incredibly dark and upsetting tale of the brutal destruction of a planet. So it’s hard to recommend as a collection, though I absolutely recommend all of Johnson’s novels, particularly The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, closely followed by Fudoki. Oddly enough, the story that grew into Fudoki is here and I liked it less as a short story; the collection also includes the story that grew into my least favorite of her novels, The Fox Woman—and I liked that one much more.
The Square: Five Short Stories (HM): Self-explanatory.
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Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher: Cute but forgettable to me. A princess-turned-nun gathers a motley band to go on a quest to rescue her sister from an abusive husband who is also a king. I wanted a little more from both the world and the characters—Marra is nominally 30 but has a pretty standard coming-of-age story, which seems like a waste of an adult heroine, and the supporting cast is in theory cool but didn’t do much for me. Someone likened them to Pratchett characters and I think there’s some truth to that, so if you get more emotionally invested in his characters than I do (read: at all) you might also like this more.
The Square: Author Uses Initials (HM): Self-explanatory.
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The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: A very well-written novel; that opening is breathtaking in its sheer confidence and power. And there’s some definite character depth here. I can see why this is popular and award-winning. But I never connected with the characters, and it proved too dark a book for me to enjoy—expect horrific violence against children. Also, those themes? Yeah, I’m tired of fantasy novels that like to pretend power is irrelevant to human power relations. This setup—mages with horrifically dangerous and violent powers are hated and feared by the populace because of those powers, and use the fact that people "wrongly" hate and fear them to justify ever more violence against average citizens who can never hope to match their power—this makes a great analogy for America’s police and how they see themselves. Unfortunately the book transparently intends it as an analogy for actual oppressed people, particularly African-Americans, where it works much less well.
The Square: Weird Ecology (HM): A world geologically different from our own (though I think it may be intended as our world in the far future), where plants, animals and people have evolved to survive even decades of disaster-induced winter.
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You Feel It Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson: Set in a dystopia, this purports to be the memoir of an influential psychiatrist, with footnotes by disapproving editors. The conceit is believably executed, and as a meditation on memory and history and complicity this works fairly well. It’s less successful with plot and character, and I didn’t believe in the dystopia (the world government has outlawed families? Really?). This is a tie-in novel to a podcast, Within the Wires, and while it’s sold as one you don’t need to listen to the podcast to understand, I think maybe you actually do.
The Square: 2+ Authors: This square actually got me on a multi-authored-work reading kick this year. Unfortunately, those books are ranking lower than average for me; you’ll see one more further down and there were another two ranked too low to make it onto the card (including one that would have qualified for hard mode!).
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Monstress Vol. 7: Devourer by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda: I enjoy this graphic novel series, a beautifully drawn epic fantasy in a female-dominated world. Warning that it’s dark, graphic and gory, though, and seems to be bogging down a bit in the middle volumes. Or maybe I just need to wait till it’s finished and read it all in one go rather than one book per year.
The Square: Non-Human Protagonist: A bit of a cheat since Maika can pass, but she is Arcanic, meaning from a race of animal-people, not human. (She’s also sharing her body with a monster.) I read an actual novel for this but then I hated it so here we are.

The Not-So-Good (2.5 stars)

Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer: This is actually kind of fun, an epistolary novel featuring two spunky cousins encountering magic and romance in Regency England. The authors wrote the novel by writing each other letters in character as a game and without discussing the plot, which is a super fun origin story, but as a novel I don’t think it quite works—both leads have protagonist syndrome, they’re kind of the same person and their plots have all the same beats, including identical climaxes, which was awfully boring the second time around. Still, if you love Georgette Heyer and you love fantasy you might want to give this a try.
The Square: Historical Fantasy: I love this as a square and wish I had something better for it—initially I used Daughter of Mystery but then moved that out late and had to scramble.
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Pemmican Wars by Katharina Vermette: A short graphic novel featuring a Metis teenager who is struggling in foster care and meanwhile is transported back to (or perhaps just dreams of?) scenes from Canada’s past. The present-day thread is intriguingly told, almost all pictures with very few words, and brings home the protagonist’s isolation while letting readers come up with their own interpretation of what’s happening. The past segments feel really juvenile though, much younger than the YA it’s sold as, and still don’t do much to clarify the history.
The Square: BIPOC Author (HM): The square I struggled with most this year, because I really wanted to do hard mode, but had a lot of trouble finding a fantasy by an indigenous author that I wanted to read. I read a lot of lists and reviews, previewed at least 7 books, and read 3 of them. The first, while perfectly decent, was straight literary fiction and I could not make an argument that it was speculative, despite its being sold that way. The third was definitely fantasy but I thought it was pretty bad. So I wound up with this one, which is only arguably fantasy, very short, and which I didn’t think was all that great—definitely a non-ideal choice! But bingo is up and I don’t mind boosting this for those who might in fact enjoy it.
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Thanks for reading! If you want the longer version of any of these reviews, check out my bingo shelf on Goodreads. Hit the “view” button on the far right side of each listing to see my review.

In today’s world, where social media and online presence are of utmost importance, having a professional headshot is essential. A good headshot can make or break a first impression, whether it be for a job interview, social media profile, or even a dating app. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a headshot that represents you in the best possible light. While hiring a professional headshot photographer, such as Dorothy Shi Photography in New York, is the best way to get the job done, not everyone can afford it. Luckily, there are ways to take a professional headshot yourself.
Here are some of the best tips for taking a professional headshot yourself:
Find good lighting:
Lighting is everything when it comes to photography, and headshots are no exception. Natural lighting is always the best option, so try to take your headshot outside or near a window with plenty of natural light. Avoid harsh overhead lighting, as it can create unflattering shadows on your face.
Choose a neutral background:
A plain and neutral background will keep the focus on you, the subject of the headshot. A white or light-colored wall, a plain backdrop, or even a simple outdoor scene can work well.
Dress professionally:
Your clothing should be professional and appropriate for the industry you’re in. Avoid patterns and loud colors, as they can be distracting. Stick to solid colors and classic styles that are timeless.
Use a tripod:
A tripod will help you keep the camera steady, resulting in a sharper and more professional-looking image. If you don’t have a tripod, you can prop your camera up on a stable surface or use a self-timer.
Frame the shot properly:
The composition of the headshot is critical. Position yourself in the center of the frame, with your head and shoulders visible. Make sure the camera is at eye level or slightly above to avoid unflattering angles.
Focus on your eyes:
Your eyes are the most important part of the headshot. Make sure they are in focus and sharp. A blurred or out-of-focus eye can ruin an otherwise great headshot.
Experiment with poses:
Try different poses and angles to find the one that suits you best. Practice in front of a mirror or take a few test shots to see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and experiment with different expressions.
Edit your photos:
After taking your headshot, it’s essential to edit it to improve its overall appearance. Simple edits like adjusting the brightness and contrast, cropping, and removing any blemishes can make a significant difference.
While these tips will help you take a professional headshot yourself, it’s essential to keep in mind that hiring a professional headshot photographer in New York, such as Dorothy Shi Photography, is still the best way to get a top-quality headshot. A professional headshot photographer has the expertise, equipment, and experience to capture you in the best possible light. With their help, you can be sure that your headshot will make a lasting impression.
Dorothy Shi Photography is one of the best headshot photographers in New York City, specializing in acting headshots, corporate headshots, and portrait photography. Dorothy’s expertise and experience ensure that her clients receive the highest-quality headshots that will help them stand out in their industry. She works closely with her clients to ensure that they are comfortable and confident in front of the camera, resulting in natural and authentic headshots that showcase their personalities.
In conclusion, having a professional headshot is essential in today’s world, and with these tips, you can take a great headshot yourself. However, for the best results, it’s always best to hire a professional headshot photographer in New York, such as Dorothy Shi Photography.

Best Packers And Movers Near Me We've scoured the internet and talked to people who have recently moved to compile a list of the top packers and movers in your city. We've looked at factors such as experience, reputation, cost, and customer satisfaction to narrow down the list to the very best.

Looking for any advice on a solid 529 plan. I live in Maryland and the “maryland 529 plan” is managed by T-Rowe price & uses their mutual funds. A $250 payment is needed to start the account and I would start with $25 mo payments with $10 increases yearly. Obviously I wouldn’t be near maxing out this account, but I want to get something going for my toddler.
Are there any competitive options compared to this Maryland 529 plan?

A little introduction. Tactical Breach Wizards is an as-yet-unreleased game in development by Suspicious Developments, the same studio and mind behind games like Heat Signature, Morphblade, and Gunpoint. Not much has really been put out widely about the game, but on first look I immediately fell in love with the world and a story began writing itself in my head. This is also loosely inspired by a prompt that was popular right here on Reddit a few years back, see if you can figure out which one.
I rediscovered this recently while combing through my files trying to find misplaced notes, and decided to share it here.
Edit: only after posting it did I notice the typo in the title. I'm not changing it.
Enjoy
-==-
"Alright, Danny-boy. Today's the day." Nathan unceremoniously dropped the wall calendar on Daniel's desk, narrowly avoiding a flash crystal being tweaked by the team Warlock. Daniel looked over from his labors of the last three hours and sure enough, the day circled in blue was in fact the date in question, and that day was indeed today.
"So it is." Daniel said simply as he put down the crystal and his tools. He allowed a small smile to creep across his face, he was beginning to think that Nathan had forgotten. He knew with certainty that their Cleric, Byron, had not remembered. As if on cue Byron rose from his bunk, towering over the other two even without his armor.
"What day is it?" Sounded the deep baritone of his sleep-addled voice. The first scent of brewing coffee wafted across his nose from the other side of the apartment and he followed it with a smile much broader than Daniel. That brown elixir mattered more in the morning than any question.
Nathan was shocked that the barbarically large Cleric of their squad, who could recite hundreds if not thousands of passages of sacred text from memory, could not remember that today was the day that it was. How could he forget such an important and defining moment? How has he not been counting down the days to now?
"It's Patron day, you holy oaf! Danny said if we made it through our first year as a squad without getting separated or siesta'd" He accentuated his point by drawing his thumb quickly across his throat, not that Byron saw for his visual acuity was focused on the steady drip of coffee into the carafe "That he'd tell us the whole story. No more hiding behind incomprehensible infernal writing."
"Eldritch, but you're right." Daniel said as he rose from his seat "It is, and I will," His tone was his customarily flat bass, deeper than one would expect from his slim build, "but not one moment sooner than that pot is finished brewing and my mug is refilled."
Those following few moments passed without further dialogue between the members of Peregrine Squad. They had indeed been together for a year. Living together, training together, and fighting together on the front line against the criminal elements of Monte Berylle, the great walled city nicknamed ‘The Verdant Mountain,’ called by Nathan ‘The Green Dungheap’. They were a tactical response squad, specializing in dynamic entries, and had built a reputation for precision over their year together. No other squad even came close to their combination of low collateral damage with a high rate of live arrests.
Nathan, a nimbly athletic half-elf Arcanist of Southern ancestry, was the Squad Leader. Or at least he was on paper due to being the senior service member of the three. They shared leadership, as a squad they had a rule that whoever had the clearest picture of what went on called the shot. Sometimes that was Byron, sometimes Daniel, but mostly it was Nathan due to his abilities and favored spells. He was considered by some to be wise beyond his years, but those who knew him for long enough oft followed 'wise' with 'ass'. Those whom [i]he[/i] felt he knew long enough also followed 'ass' with 'friend'... and sometimes a heart-felt 'bastard'.
Daniel, the skinny Western-hailing Warlock, was the youngest of the group not that you'd ever know from looking at him or talking to him. His eyes bore a depth that most would call maturity, others would call scars of trauma. He always spoke with a firm and even tone whether he was describing the weather or talking down a deranged mage gesticulating with a magical implement. Today's focus was on him due to the promise he'd made to explain his unusual status within the Police Service, a Warlock of an independent Patron totally unique in the history of the Service. He'd filled out the magical history section of his paperwork in Eldritch Script, as was his right, but it meant that only another Warlock or at least a Linguist attuned to Eldscript could read it without the use of a Transliterator, and even then none recognized the name or title and it had caused ripples throughout the service.
Byron was a Cleric from the mountains. From his towering two meter height you would never guess he had Dwarf blood running through his veins, or at least a quarter of it. He was the tallest son of his family name for nearly a dozen generations. He was slow to many things, violence chief among them. It did not stop him from interrupting and halting many fights while growing up and during his school years. He was on the path to a priesthood when he was approached by a bishop who recruited him to a different aspect of the clergy, citing his 'powerful defensive instincts'. Today if you looked around their lodging you would wonder why only one of the three closets had a door, until you realized that the 'door' was actually Byron's tower shield leaning against the crown of the alcove.
The chime of the coffee maker broke the not-quite-silence that had fallen over the room, and soon the squad was seated in the middle with three steaming mugs arranged between them. It was time.
"So. I am a Warlock." Daniel said, only to be interrupted by Nathan chiming in with "No, shit." He cleared his throat to indicate that there was a certain format he had decided upon for this telling, and interruptions were not welcome. Nathan muttered a rare but sincere apology through his coffee.
"I am a Warlock, which means my power comes from a divine or arcane Patron. Divine Patrons are grossly similar to a Cleric's chosen Deity, but functionally different." Byron shifted uneasily at the comparison between Clerics and Warlocks. He knew that not all of them were servants of evil demons bent on the destruction of the material plane. Heck, one of the best he'd ever known was seated about five feet away from him. Daniel was truly one of the better people he'd ever known, let alone Warlocks or other mages. "Warlocks, like Clerics, can gain strength through Faith and Prayer, but unlike Clerics their strength can not be shared with others. Warlocks forge individual contracts with their patrons, and my pact is particularly... individual." Daniel sighed and blew the steam from his coffee, lost briefly in his own distorted reflection as the ripples bounced around.
"It starts in my childhood. You all know I came from a bad home, but I never told you just how bad." Daniel paused to take a sip of his coffee, and this time it was Byron interrupting. Highly uncharacteristic.
"Were you forced into the Pact?" The Holy Oaf asked. Daniel shook his head gently, though he did appreciate the concern.
A little introduction. Tactical Breach Wizards is an as-yet-unreleased game in development by Suspicious Developments, the same studio and mind behind games like Heat Signature, Morphblade, and Gunpoint. Not much has really been put out widely about the game, but on first look I immediately fell in love with the world and a story began writing itself in my head. This is also loosely inspired by a prompt that was popular right here on Reddit a few years back, see if you can figure out which one.

I'm using a dupe account for anonymity.
Alright, this is something I need to open up with. This is something about which I need like minded people to talk to and piece this all together. It’s ruining my sleep (I got three hours last night because I was so terrified of falling back asleep and waking up to something unpleasant), making me snap into fight or flight responses when I hear the damn crockpot say it’s done because something behind me spoke, and something that is making the stress and worry in my life infinitely worse.
I’m like 99.9% sure I’ve been abducted by aliens.
Now… This is something that I feel has been happening for a while and it’s always kinda been a running gag between me and my family/friends. “There goes *name and address withheld*, how were the aliens last night?” they’d say. “Oh, creepy, as usual, sound based paralysis, keeping me knocked out, the classic” I’d reply. And I’d be off on my next adventure! But it wasn’t a joke to me. I could delve more into previous experiences and I want to since I feel you all could help me. However, I want to jump to what I feel was the turning point in all this because as scary as waking up paralyzed and unable to scream was, sleep paralysis is a real disorder. I wrote a note asking the aliens to stop abducting me and the paralysis stopped for a while but that could easily have been psycho-symatic. I lived in a haunted house (a whole other story but don’t worry the ghosts were friendly) so of course I would be scared of the dark in some way and be worried about seeing faces outside the window or felt myself being watched. Heck, once or twice I kinda felt myself floating a bit waking up at night but that could easily have been me being woozy from having suddenly woken up at night. Things continued like that on and off from childhood to early adulthood.
Before recently, it was only sleep paralysis and maybe a weird dream or two followed by some odd thoughts or sensations like snapping awake and either feeling or having a voice in my head say “it’s okay it’s all over now” (which only started happening a few years after the first few paralysis episodes as a teen/young adult).
Fast forward, past childhood, teenage years, into adulthood having moved out and things began getting more intense (which does not necessarily mean malevolent as I’ll get into). I suddenly had multiple experiences where I “saw” something.
Now... “Saw” is a bit of a loaded term. In my entire life there's really only been a couple moments that I think I could qualify as having "SEEN" them which are the most recent moment, funnily enough.
As of the past year or so, I now have three categories of experiences. The most vivid are waking moments where I can tell I'm not in a dream, although I am sometimes not fully conscious, like having a snippet of something like half waking up from anesthesia and then passing out again (although never experiencing some horrible experimentation thing). These include moments like seeing I’m kinda dangling in the air and thinking “cool! This is happening!! (sudden change in feeling as I wake up more as if my dream state and waking state react differently) wait… Oh shit this is happening okay be calm hold up I’m gonna bump into that window no it’s gonna let me through and dematerialize” that sort of thing. Second is dreams that become more real, like one time I was dreaming normally and suddenly found myself choosing to run into the master bathroom, then it felt more real and I was crying to “please, just leave me alone” and feeling pure and utter shame and disgrace that I left my wife sleeping in the bed while I let my instinctual fear take hold of me before a sudden, short buzz snapped through my forehead and I was calm and walked out and there were two tanish (color not fully remembered) not too short Grey aliens, one leaning in the doorway and another sitting on the bed and then the dream was over. Finally there were just dreams like when I was practicing being a keeper in soccer and was doing well but then when a harder opponent came I got distracted by trying to do nice things instead of being a keeper (like getting the ball when the opponent said don’t because it’s their job to get the ball they kicked too far). That made the opponent feel disappointed in me and I felt bad I failed them but I somehow knew it was aliens training me or something and thus I had to work on my focus because they’re training me and training involves not being perfect. Obviously those dreams are the ones I least expect people to believe regardless of any information I give.
I’m sorry if I sound disjointed or rambling so far. I just have a lot of things about which I have never spoken about so I feel I have to mention this stuff.
But, let's get into the first time that I, in my waking state and no possible super realistic dream, saw something.
There’s been 3 of those where I believe I saw an alien. But the first was back in the middle of last year when my wife was abroad on vacation. I refused to sleep in the bedroom almost the entire time because I was terrified of them abducting me and not having my wife there as ... I dunno, another person to help, comfort me, etc? I think this was after that bathroom dream where I felt shame and another similar incident. But I digress. I slept on the couch with the tv on and facing the bedroom door, ready to pop up at any time and see them (I still fall asleep with a view on the entire room in case I wake up so I can see them). But still, I finally worked up the courage on the very last day before she came home to sleep in there because something told me in my head, or some feeling, that it was important that I slept in there at least once. I felt it was the beings telling me I had to overcome my fear and be able to go with them or that I knew it from somewhere else. So... I left some long ass video playing on my phone and passed out on top of the sheets in my clothes not even laying on the pillows. This was hours after I normally went to sleep because I was procrastinating- I mean getting the courage lololol.
I slept for a few hours, and... At the end of the dream I was having, it suddenly morphed into something of that second kind I mentioned. Say what you want, but the dream had a different feel to it then, more tangible and real but not quite as vivid and in a real location like the bathroom one. For some reason, the submerged school I was in with fish swimming in the halls had a certain presence. I was suddenly trying to influence the fish and water and everything but couldn’t get it. Then some large entity like maybe a whale or shadow of a manta ray was nearby and I said something like “oh, I am slowing down time but only for me because you’re slowing down time around me”. I forget the exact words and looking back they don’t make the most sense but the main idea was that whatever I was doing with time was being counteracted and it was a revelation that I wasn’t fucking up, I “got it”. Then, the “camera” the view of the dream shifted and I saw the “sport model” ufo ( Picture of the "sport model" ) fly from my position into the next room of the school and land on a pedestal near the back with the water all swirling around beneath it. For some reason, I knew this was the ship taking me home and I was getting a glimpse of the craft, allowed to know just a BIT more about what I experienced instead of having my memories wiped.
Okay, bit weird, but like, at that point I was all in the UFOs and UAP legislation rabbit hole. Of course I had a weird dream about it.
Except… When I woke up at dawn and looked out my bedroom door, I saw, half in the hallway bathroom doorway... A Grey. A typical, short, big headed, big eyed alien. Naked though, no jumpsuit, I don’t think, but I guess I could be wrong because it was sort of hazy. I snapped up onto my hands and knees, half leaning forward to get a better look and half trying to fully wake up. Before this I had actually said to my wife that I’m sure plenty of people would willingly go with aliens and let them do some medical tests and all that if they asked nicely so they could learn about us and we could learn about them. I honestly would if they just rang me up and asked so I could see a real life spaceship and help them know more about my species. So, I thought, with the dream I just had, were they finally just gonna come over and not be all spooky and say hello and we can be friends? I hopped up and said “Hi!” in some sort of breathy like thank god you’re here sort of tone which was a HUGE deal for me because I worked for YEARS to overcome my innate TERROR of even a basic DRAWING of a Grey alien and also switch my fight or flight response half because of how I felt during previous sleep paralysis or weird dream experiences. However, the alien was kind of frozen, it was t-posing like a glitched game character for lack of a better word, and it eventually disappeared into the muted blue nothing of the fading night, like it went from 50% opacity to 0. It didn’t feel like a dream then. I was awake and getting out of the bed and I’ve never hallucinated before when in the pre waking twilight. Heck, I never really saw anything when having sleep paralysis and that’s a symptom of sleep paralysis. And then I just sort of... Went about my day from then.
I just sort of knew at that moment for a fact that they were seeing how my waking self would respond to seeing one of them. I feel it may not have even been a real alien but just a projection or a dummy. The feeling of the real me, the dream state self, being totally cool with them but the waking self tied to the fleshy bone sack with animal instincts having that innate “WHOA WTF” feeling I have to deal with is something I’ve felt for a bit.
Still, there are two other waking moments where I saw a Grey alien but never a clear and obvious moment, always obscured in some way, but, so far, I feel that’s the point. I’m not supposed to see them flat out yet, you know? I’m not supposed to be one of those people who claim they got to walk around the ship yet. I’m getting closer as the very last encounter told me, but I’m supposed to wait and go on faith and live out my life without the full confirmation and with the element of uncertainty to fully experience the last few days of this era with all its ups and downs before they reveal themselves and everything changes.
And, I mean, no matter how scared I was or what may have been done to me or if they were teaching me like in that dream... If I was taken, I’ve always been put back and I’m never hurt. Some people claim to have huge cuts or something. But I’ve never had that. I’d lived in the woods for the majority of my life so maybe some of the bruises I thought were just from random branches smacking me while hiking were from them and I did recently have one weird abrasion on me, but I’ve never been really hurt. And if I was helpless and put snuggly back in my bed, they don’t wish me real harm because I couldn’t have stopped them. From what I can tell, all of this fits with the obvious fact that whatever those UAP the government finally admitted exist actually are, we’re not dead yet since nothing we have could counter a ship that can pull 5000gs. So… they’re at least not malevolent and maybe just ambivalent which I’ll take. Or at least some aren’t evil and I’ll take that too.
I have no idea if I’m just crazy like I said before or not. But, just typing all this out I realized with how the UAP legislation talks about so many sightings going into water and how I felt I was being taught and thus the dream was in an underwater school... I mean... I did always have this weird fascination with things being able to just dive into the water and rocket away under there into a whole new world where nothing else could touch them.
And add to that one time my I nodded off on the couch with my head on my wife, then I suddenly popped up, gasping, like I was some veteran with PTSD ready to attack the person waking me up (which I do enough that she jokes about it) to which she replied “boy, that meeting with aliens really fucked you up, huh?” Another reason on top of a few I feel she knows more than she’s telling me and is here to help me through this. To be frank, I wonder if she’s an alien or was abducted too and they let her in on what’s going on because she’s REALLY good at keeping a secret lol.
Holy jeebus I just postulated that my wife’s an alien wow. Maybe I am crazy.
All I can say is this is all exactly what I experienced. I mean, I live in a city (not a big one but still) with a military airbase. Like, how would an alien ship not get noticed? So, maybe my stress is finally getting to me. But it’s just one weird experience on top of another and another. There are other incidents like when I began being taken away from my bed where I saw what looked more like a floating Grey alien doll than a real one. And there was the most recent event where I woke up to my wife cradling me like she did during another waking event telling me it’s okay before I saw what I think was the most clear and true real alien a couple weeks ago. Again, all I know is this is what I experienced, real or not. I mean, I grew up in a haunted house so weird stuff isn't new to me at all. I used to play with the ghost there who I named Gigi when I was a kid. All I can really rely on is the basics. If I'm just crazy then as I get my head more in order this will stop, but if it's real, I'm still here with no ill effects beyond being scared witless sometimes so they at least don't want me hurt or dead when they very easily could do that.
And I mean, hey, if it is real, kinda cool aliens or whatever thought I was interesting enough to visit, right? And I never feel they mean me any ill will, if anything I kind of get the vibe it’s just necessary and unfortunate that I specifically have to go through this exact thing but I know I’d rather deal with 10 minutes of pain for a year of pleasure than let myself live with a problem forever. If they’re training me and watching me and helping me, that’s kinda awesome and really gives me purpose in life. I just wish they’d be honest with me so I can know to fully devote myself. I’d feel bad if I didn’t succeed in the training or if I disappointed them. I’d love to be good enough for them and myself. But then again, I kinda feel I never got much praise as a kid so maybe that’s what’s contributing to these hallucinations. I wish I’d just know if I’ve finally lost it and I can go see a doctor, lol.
Before finishing typing this though, I did a bit more research and, apparently, according to other people who claim to have been abducted or to have seen Greys, them vanishing into thin air like the one I saw isn't that uncommon. So... There's that at least. Although it's very possible I've heard that before and simply forgot but it was still in my head somewhere and that made the alien I saw disappear in a waking dream. I still feel I saw something and I wasn't dreaming it though. Still that's the only time I saw one disappear like that and the other two I saw when waking, or the other two times I saw them when a dream started to become real, didn't do that either.
Oh well.
The US congress is holding public hearings in April on UFOs so… We'll see.
Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Peace, friends. <3

I'm a 26-year old female who has been strongly considering dog ownership! I've been postponing adopting a dog until I was secure in my finances, relationship, and living situation. This year, I finally reached a point of financial stability in my life, and I've built up an emergency fund of a few thousand dollars. I also settled into a one-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend of two years.

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs.

* This will be my first dog as an adult! As a child, I grew with a golden retriever and two Brittany Spaniels, but I was never the primary caregiver.

1. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

* Right now, I'm looking into rescuing, either through a humane society or rescue organization.

1. Describe your ideal dog.

* When I think of my ideal, dog, I imagine an affectionate life companion -- a dog who actively seeks out human affection, rather than tolerates it! :) I also live in an apartment, so a low-energy (and relatively quiet dog) is ideal. To make up for my small living conditions, I hope to take my dog on a few walks a day, visit the dog park, or even have a running partner! I'm primarily a home-body, so a dog that likes to curl up on the couch with me would be great! I am looking for a dog that requires light grooming -- I don't want to be visiting a groomer weekly -- and sheds minimally. In addition, I have a one-year old cat so I am looking into dogs with low prey drives.

1. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

* I have strongly been considering greyhounds! When researching breeds, I was surprised to learn that they can make great apartment dogs; they are low-energy, low-shed, and do not bark as much as other breeds! As a runner myself, I love the idea of adopting a retired racer and giving a greyhound a permanent home! I've heard that greyhounds aren't built for endurance runs, so being a running buddy isn't a deal breaker!
I have also looked into other breeds that are recommended for apartments, such as the pug or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

1. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

* I anticipate training basic commands.

1. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

* I am not interested in sporting events at this time.
**Care Commitments*\*

1. How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

* I anticipate interacting with my dog for upwards of 3 hours a day.
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
* I am planning to walk my dog for at least an hour a day: at least 30 minutes each before and after work. I also live only a 5-minute walk from my work, and I can exercise my dog during my hour lunch. I would love to visit the dog park and potentially take my dog on runs.

1. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

* I am willing to do low-maintenance grooming myself, such as regular brushing, trimming nails, and cleaning ears.
**Personal Preferences*\*

1. What size dog are you looking for?

I am open to any size dog, but most drawn to medium to large breeds.

1. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

* I am pretty uptight when it comes to cleanliness, so I am looking into a low-shed dog. I also live in an apartment, so a decently-quiet barker is ideal!

1. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

* I do not anticipate letting my dog off-leash so I can prioritize his/her safety!
**Dog Personality and Behavior*\*

1. Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

* Definitely snuggly!
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
* I would prefer a dog who is eager to please and seeks out human affection.

1. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

* I would prefer my dog to be quiet and unbothered when strangers approach my door; I also would prefer a dog that is tolerant and welcoming to visitors.

1. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

* I am hoping for a social dog that is tolerant towards other dogs.

1. Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

* I am wary of separation anxiety and destructive behaviors, so I would like to avoid this if possible.
**Lifestyle*\*
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
* My dog would be left alone on the weekdays between the hours of 9AM-12AM, and 1PM-4:30 PM. My partner and I are fortunate to live right next door to our workplaces, so we can check in on the dog during our hour-long lunch break! My partner and I are homebodies who rarely travel, so our lifestyle is accommodating for dog caretaking.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
* My partner prefers an affectionate dog as well! We will be splitting the responsibilities of ownership equally, but I expect to be the primary owner in charge of walks.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
* We have a one-year old cat.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
* No, we are not planning on children in the near future.
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
* We currently live in an apartment that allows dogs with some restrictions; breeds that are restricted are pitbull breeds (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier); Rottweiler; Doberman Pinscher; Akitas; and Chows.
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
* We live in Pasadena, California outside of Los Angeles and are not aware of banned breeds.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
* Summers can be hot -- in the 80s and above. Winters are cool and wet, and temperatures can be in the 40's.

I think I might be going crazy, but I have it in my mind right now that I want to complete a sprint distance triathlon. I am completely new to the sport, but not new to swimming, biking, and running. I recently took up running and have run a 5k and a 10k and I have gotten the bug to continue competing. My gym is having an indoor triathlon in two weeks that I am going to participate in, so I will get a feel for doing all three disciplines in a row. I know how to swim, but will definitely need to improve my technique. And I can definitely bike and run the distance required. Now, in no way shape or form will I come close to winning, my goal is just to go out and complete the race. There is a sprint triathlon near my city that is in the middle of July, so about 15 weeks out. Do you have any preferred or recommended 15ish week training programs that a beginner should use as a guide for training for a sprint triathlon?

Looking for a great golf Instructor in the Houston area. Preferably in the South near Missouri City. I have tried online lessons and just not for me. Thanks.

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 29%. (I'm a bot)

SYDNEY: Rapidly melting Antarctic ice threatens to dramatically slow deep-water currents in the wor­ld's oceans, scientists say, impacting the spread of fresh water, oxygen and life-sustaining nutrients for centuries.
New modelling points to faster Antarctic ice melts driving a "Substantial slowdown" of water circulation in the ocean depths if global carbon emissions remain high, researchers said in a study published in "Nature" on Wednesday.
The "Overturning circulation" of waters in the de­­epest reaches of the oceans would slow by 40 per cent by 2050 in a high-emissions scenario, according to the study, which warned of impacts that would last "For centuries to come".
Trillions of tonnes of cold, highly salty and oxygen-rich water sink around Antarctica each year, sen­ding a deep-water current northward to the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, scientists say.
"If the oceans had lungs, this would be one of them," England said.
If the oceans become stagnant below 4,000 metres, "This would trap nutrients in the deep ocean, reducing the nutrients available to support marine life near the ocean surface," he added.

Summary Source FAQ Feedback Top keywords: ocean^#1 water^#2 nutrients^#3 ice^#4 slow^#5
Post found in /worldnews.
NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.

I've been searching for this book for years! think I was in 5th grade when I read it, so it was somewhere around 2013 or 2014, with 2015 being the absolute latest I would say I read it. Something important to note is that the book was formatted in a really unique way. In the beginning of the book, the text is in large font and it's written with very basic, simple words, but as the book goes on, the writing gradually becomes more complex and the font gets smaller. Anyways, in the beginning of the book, a girl is found on a shore at the beach. From what I remember, she was badly injured and was found completely naked after washing up on the beach, and she had to be airlifted and taken to the hospital in a helicopter. She was in her human form when she was found on the beach, but she had previously been a mermaid. She was eventually taken in by a family and fell in love with one of the boys there. She spends a lot of time with him, not letting him know that she used to be a mermaid. I don't remember much else from the middle of the story, but I do remember the ending of the book: she's sitting near a road with the boy and she says something about how she loves the calm rumble of the cars going by because it always reminds her of the sounds of the ocean. I'm sorry that this is so vague, but I really don't remember much else from the book. If anybody can tell me what this book is called, I'd be so grateful. Any help is appreciated.

Hey everyone!
I’ll be visiting NJ and NY for a day or two and found that Jersey City might be the best spot for me. I was thinking either staying in Hoboken or closer to downtown and heard that the PATH is probably the best option in heading into Manhattan. I’ve been looking at a few hotels near the Hoboken and Exchange stations and was wondering how transportation will work as I’ve only previously stayed in Brooklyn with an MTA card (back in 2018)
Also, if I were to get a rental is parking fairly easy to find? I don’t mind paying but want something safe (as well as possibly allows in and out) while I’m there.
Let me know if you have any other housing suggestions in the area as well!

I know where my crush works and lives (nowadays, many things can be found online). I want to create an occasional opportunity to meet her without being creepy. I live in different city than her residency. Obviously, I shouldn't show up near her home. The only option is near her work place.
How do I create an opportunity? What's the good topic to chat if I'm fortunate to meet her?

#1 Kook here, the beginnerest of beginners, only surfed white wash twice. Is assateague in the summer worth going to at all as a weekend warrior beginner? I’ve had 2 short surf lessons and want to really try to make the 3hour one way drive on the weekends this summer to see if I can improve. But since the surf seems so inconsistent this time of year, is that even realistic? Is it better to try for a calmer part of Ocean City instead or some other spot?

Is a trip to Vice City in your near future? There have been many Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) leaks over the last few years, but the most recent suggests that players will return to a classic GTA location. Rumor has it that Grand Theft Auto VI may take place in Vice City.
This particular rumor started through the usual sources -- Twitter and Reddit. Twitter user Vector Hold, also known as Peter Brian Rice, claimed that Rockstar Games’ music rights representatives have been contacting Synthwave artists. Rice is a synthwave artist himself and has reportedly heard this information from fellow musicians. Rockstar Games hopes that the artists will contribute music for a radio station in the upcoming game. The tweet was posted earlier this week, but Rice has since deleted it.
There was also a reddit post that was created several months ago by user “markothemexicam.” The user claimed that their information was from their roommate. The roommate supposedly formerly worked for Rockstar North. They contended that GTA 6 will be set during an “unspecified” time in Vice City. This post has also been deleted, but has been saved elsewhere on the internet.
It would be tempting to discredit this reddit post as these kinds of claims are a dime a dozen on the Internet. However, another GTA leaker also recently suggested that GTA 6 would be set in a location familiar to players. Both markothemexicam and the GTA leaker have a fairly decent track record with regards to GTA predictions.
Other information on the internet suggests that the storyline of GTA 6 will be focused on drug smuggling. Players will reportedly travel between Vice City and Central or South America. This theory was originally suggested by YouTube channel “The Know” and has since gained quite a bit of popularity.
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It is important to keep in mind that all of this information is simply speculation. There have been plenty of fake GTA 6 rumors in the past. For example, a Twitch channel called "GTAVI" appeared this past spring. The channel promised it would provide information about the game during a livestream on April 1st. However, this channel turned out to be an elaborate April Fools’ prank.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. It was the best-selling game of 2002 and received a number of awards. 17.5 million copies of the game have been sold and it has now been ported to several other platforms. It is easy to see why so many players would be thrilled to return to Vice City. Unfortunately, we will know nothing for certain until Rockstar Games decides to make a formal announcement.