Before you read any further, check out our Unit Culture Primer to see what we’re all about.
NATO JOINT SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
US CENTCOM
OPERATION MYRMIDON
3D COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE “ROUGH RIDERS”
The 3rd Combined Joint Task Force, colloquially known as the Rough Riders, is a special purpose task force created by NATO JSOC with the intent of deterring CSAT influence in the Mediterranean and abroad. Falling under US Central Command, the Rough Riders are a unit hand picked from volunteers across all NATO/ANZUS operating forces. Typically, the Rough Riders are attached to conventional NATO forces to serve as force multipliers. They specialize in Direct Action, Counter-Insurgency, Special Reconnaissance, and forward observation for NATO fire support assets.
What we do:
The year is 2026, and the world stands poised for great change. With rising tensions in the Middle East and the Pacific, a new world power has emerged: the Canton protocol Strategic Alliance (CSAT). Premiered by China and Iran, this new treaty organization stands poised to threaten NATO's long-reigning global military hegemony. A new Cold War has begun.
In the face of this new threat, NATO Joint Special Operations Command has authorized the formation of a special purpose unit to directly intervene against CSAT’s growing sphere of influence. As a member of the Rough Riders, you will witness firsthand the years leading up to ArmA 3’s “The East Wind” campaign and the vibrant political climate of 2035. Your actions and the actions of your brothers in arms will tell the story of NATO defiance in the face of CSATs rise to power. You’ll have epic tales to tell, comrades to mourn, and more than enough action.
In the Rough Riders, we put storytelling and fun at the forefront. With a wonderful team of Game Masters and Writers, we aim to give you those “movie moments” and incredible stories of heroism, intense combat, and even hilarity when ArmA decides to ArmA somebody (or all of us).
What can I expect from the Rough Riders?

• A welcoming, friendly environment.
• Training without the boredom! If this is your first time ever playing ArmA that’s perfectly fine!
• Work Hard, Play Harder Mentality.
• Leadership and promotion opportunities.
• Your feedback to be valued, regardless of how new you are.
• The freedom to switch between roles without a stuffy MOS system.
• Roleplay.

What do the Rough Riders expect from me?

• Willingness to learn, follow orders, and contribute to the success of the team.
• To respect your fellow Rough Riders.
• A working microphone.
• A sense of humor.

What does “Accessible Milsim” mean?
In the Rough Riders, we've built our community around making the junior enlisted experience as drama-free as possible. We believe that solid milsim operations can still work without suffocating our enlisted with constricting MOS systems and countless hours of basic training. The idea is that new members can join the unit, download the mods and jump right into the action.
This is made possible by increasingly serious levels of milsim orientation the further up the chain of command you go. Your average player can jump right into fun and challenging operations if their Fireteam and Squad Leaders have the adequate training and mentality. By volunteering to try for a leadership position, you increase your commitment and seriousness level.
Accessible milsim means that you choose the level of dedication and milsim seriousness that you want. From casually showing up to be boots on the ground blowing stuff up, to managing training and combat leadership, all the way to the paperwork simulator that comes with an officer commission.
You get out what you put in.
Training:
You don't need to be a grizzled ArmA veteran to join the Rough Riders. Our simple training program is intended to bring even brand new players up to speed without killing them with boredom. You can expect to learn the following:
- TFAR Setup
- Rough Riders Intro (who we are, what we do, expectations-both ways)
- Intro to Unit Life (who you are, what you'll be doing as a new member, chain of command)
- Role Interest Declaration (helps us shape and personalize your training)
- ArmA Basics
- ACE Basics
- TFAR Basic Training
- Common Sense Combat/Fireteam Training
- CQB Basic Training
Between deployments, we do a garrison rotation that is focused on catching any new members up to speed and helping veteran members and NCOs grow and improve. The Hebontes schedule is a several week process. This allows for the writing/zeusing team to have time to create a quality deployment with all the necessary lore bits and planning considerations, while giving the unit time to relax and make mistakes in a controlled and learning-focused environment.
Opportunities:
Rough Riders members fill a multitude of roles, and are allowed to switch between them for different missions so long as they have passed the appropriate training. Roles available to Rough Riders are:
-Zeus
-**Rifleman/Designated Marksman
-AT/AA Specialist
- Automatic Rifleman
-Grenadier
-Radio Operator
-Combat Medic/ MEDEVAC Medic
-Combat Engineer
-Artilleryman/Fire Direction Officer
-Rotary-wing Aircraft Crew/Pilot
-Fixed-wing Aircraft Pilot
-IFV/APC Crew/Commander
-Media ReporteJournalist
Leadership opportunities are made available to interested members who are noted to possess technical competency and the ability to communicate effectively. Through a program we call the Warrior Leaders Course, NCO candidates are put to the test via a series of written and field exams. We have systems in place for leadership development too- so if you’re not ready to lead now (but want to), we can teach you how to be a leader.
Community members may join our writing/zeusing team and contribute to the development of our world in-game. It is expected that these individuals be team players overall, and be able to understand and support the bigger picture as determined by the administration team. At the end of the day it's about making sure the players had fun, and telling a memorable story/giving them opportunities to have stories about the operation- not about how cool you are as a Zeus.
**Designated Marksman/Sniper School is open to Rough Riders with a score of 38+ (Expert) on their Rifle Qual, who have achieved the rank of Lance Corporal. Members are eligible for promotion to Lance Corporal after one (1) full deployment with the unit.
Operations:
We operate Monday/Friday/Saturday starting at ~7pm-~8pm EST. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday are off days and Squad Leaders may run trainings if requested or if they see fit. Members typically play other games in the discord together on these off days as well.
There is no mandatory attendance expectation- we want to see you around, but everyone understands that real life comes first.
We operate on a deployment system, meaning that we spend prolonged periods of time in various regions of the world participating in roughly 1-2 month long persistent environments. Between these deployments we dedicate a few weeks to retraining the unit, catching new players up on anything they haven't already figured out during their deployment, and testing NCO candidates while our Zeus/Writer team works on the next deployment.
Information:
Founded September 2018, Rough Riders is actively seeking new members to help increase our core of dedicated players. We operate with a reinforced platoon (~40ish) that includes infantry and a myriad of support elements also manned by our members.
The Rough Riders consists of primarily North American (NA) members, and so most things are scheduled with that in mind. We do however have an international community with wonderful members from places like Australia, Laos, Russia, and elsewhere. Anybody and everybody is welcome in the Rough Riders- we just ask that you are able to speak, read, and understand English.
To join, simply join our discord and introduce yourself! No application necessary, and no sitting through hours of tedious basic training just to blow things up.
Check out some badass screenshots!: https://imgur.com/a/MEvB9by
Our discord server: https://discord.gg/KEKeawr
Our Official Arma 3 Unit page: https://units.arma3.com/unit/3djtf

Context (skippable if you wish): I have been playing Fire Emblem for 5 years and completed every mainline game at least twice (except for Engage), even fan made games and mods (eg Mangs' balance patches and TLP). While talking about the gameplay and story is fine and all, I want to bring attention to the soundtracks and sound effects.
One of the first things that got me invested into the games were the sound effects. I distinctly remember noticing the cursor moving, selecting and confirming, no damage, and missing an attack SFXs in particular (not the GBA crit for some reason). Some time later I took notice of the various tomes's SFXs when casting - I think they're great in pretty much any game.
Have you ever heard how different classes have different footsteps or flying SFXs? Here's an armor knight moving and here's a laguz moving while transformed. From Binding Blade onwards there is a discernible difference between a pegasus flying and a wyvern flying. I'll just leave this channel (Wolt's Vault) here if you want to have a listen at the SFX from the series.
The only OSTs I see/hear talked about are Fates' and 3 Houses'. While I agree that these are the most remarkably composed soundtracks in the series, outshining all others, many many more should be getting attention. Also, listen to the remastered versions of the various OSTs from DragstonDev (if anyone has any other creators in mind feel free to mention them in the comments).
Let's forget about Edge of Dawn and Lost In Thoughts All Alone (why isn't it named just Lost In Thoughts?). Let us also put SoV's Twilight of the Gods and 3H' Apex of the World aside for a moment. While yes - these are some of the biggest highlights within the soundtracks - if not the biggest - there are many many other themes worth paying attention to. Consider the following as a few examples:
Weary Confrontation Gloom from Engage (specifically from 0:28 to 1:28); For the Commanders from Binding Blade; Dance In The Skies from Genealogy; even the attacking theme from Thracia; the original Twilight of the Gods from Gaiden; Powerful Foe from Sacred Stones; Confront the Past from Sacred Stones; are you aware that Thracia has a song (with lyrics!) named Blowing In the Wind?; L'Arachel even has her own theme! (Shameless L'Arachel plug because L'Arachel is the best girl in the franchise and I will NOT discuss it - I am objectively correct about this); every battle preparation theme; I could go on...
On Engage's Weary Confrontation aside from the interval within those timestamps: why use instruments that do not fit? Why is that interval so great but the rest so weird? This also bothers me in Persona 5's Price for instance (can anyone explain that sound brought up at 0:21?), and in God Shattering Star's strange transition at 3:26 (to me it should have either ended already or transitioned directly to 3:40 instead of having this weird ahh transition). Almost forgot to mention Shambhala's theme... it fits the theme of a futuristic alien civilisation within a medieval world so... it does job, despite how out of the blue it becomes when taking the context of the franchise as a whole into consideration.
Music buffs this is your call to make a statement if you'd like to. Add to something I said in order to give more information on the topic or I don't know, do your thing.
Summarising, I recommend to pay more attention to the soundtracks and sound effects of the games instead of just the visuals and the plot - especially the older ones.

We are two experienced Rust players with experience in every aspect of the game.
Custom china walls, electricity, berry farming, fishing, pvp oil n cargo, we do it all, but like to keep it light hearted and more of a fun play style. No stressing or raging.
Looking for a mature group to join or to create one.
20+ years old, over 1k hours preferred.
Hit me with a direct message if interested.

Content warning: discussion of people (characters) dealing with the loss of children, other family, and close friends.
Grief is clearly an important part of Tolkien's world creation--note the importance of Nienna. And Gandalf, a student of Nienna's gives us one of the most famous quotes: "I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are evil."
And yet: grief is very rarely a positive element in the legendarium (except in the "shall be but mine instrument" sense, of course). Examples I can think of (aided by searching a digital text; feel free to suggest ones I've missed):

1. Nienna argues for Melkor's pardon
2. Feanor's grief at his father's death and the theft of the Silmarilion furthers his rebellion against the Valar
3. Finarfin and his people reject Feanor after the kinslaying
4. The Valar create the sun and the moon as a result of their grief over the marring of the trees and Feanor; Nienna's grief is unable to heal the trees, and it's unclear how much role she vs Yavanna had in growing the flower and fruit which became the sun and moon
5. Thingol shuts Doriath off against the Noldor and bans the use of Quenya in grief for the slaying of the Teleri
6. Gorlim betrays Barahir from his grief over his wife's death (Ok, really because he thought he could save her, not knowing she was dead)
7. Thingol's preemptive grief at losing Luthien to mortality leads him to send Beren on a suicide mission (this one definitely ends up well, but only despite Thingol's intentions)
8. Gwindor's impetuous charge after seeing his brother maimed is a critical point in losing the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (although Tolkien describes Gwindor as wrathful, not grieving)
9. The Dwarves of Belegost abandon the battle after the death of their king (Tolkien doesn't really mention whether them remaining could have turned the battle one way or another, so it's not clear what the consequences are)
10. Rian dies of grief on the Haudh-en-Ndengin
11. Turin nearly dies of exposure grieving the death of Finduilas
12. Turin's repeated griefs lead him to make consistently bad decisions
13. Hurin and Morwen achieve some peace by grieving their childrens' fate together
14. Hurin brings the Nauglimir to Thingol and betrays the location of Gondolin in his grief
15. Earendil and Elwing share the griefs of Belariand with the Valar and Valinorians, spurring them to act
16. Tar-Palantir is overcome by grief and is passive against his brother Gimilkhad and nephew Pharazon
17. The ents would wander the world, driven by their grief at the lost entwives
18. Amroth throws himself into the sea and dies at his grief from being seperated from Nimrodel.
19. The capture and poisoning of Celebrian leads her sons Elladan and Elrohir to a life of hunting orcs
20. Brego dies of grief after the loss of his son in the Paths of the Dead.
21. Helm Hammerhand's grief at the loss of his kingdom and son leads him to go on repeated near-suicidal missions haunting the Dunlendings; these missions lead to Helm's death and the ending of the first line of Kings of Rohan.
22. The sorrows of the lake-men lead them to turn on Thorin and Company, leading to the near-disaster before the Battle of the Fire Armies
23. Bilbo grieves the death of Thorin, Fili and Kili; this increases his desire to end his adventures
24. Theoden's grief after his sister's death leads him to take Eomer and Eowyn into his house and love them as his own children.
25. Gandalf believes hearing of the sorrows of the War of the Last Alliance would motivate Frodo. Later, Aragorn believes the tale of Beren and Luthien will inspire the hobbits explicitly because it is a sad tale
26. Gildor mentions that the elves' sorrows prevent him from providing more help or council to Frodo
27. The company grieves the apparent death of Gandalf despite the danger
28. The sorrows of the elves of Lothlorien lead them to fear and distrust the outside world.
29. Haldir highlights how grief perhaps makes the love greater
30. Legolas refuses to translate the elves' mourning songs because of his grief
31. Gimli considers abandoning the company rather than face the grief of leaving Galadriel (as Legolas points out, he doesn't)
32. Frodo's grief at Boromir's fall determines him to go to Mordor alone
33. Boromir's grief at his own betrayal prevents him from helping Aragorn to find Frodo
34. Theoden's grief at the death of Theodred at a minimum didn't help him overcome Grima's counsel, and likely depend his despair
35. Faramir's grief for his brother's death seems to improve his treatment of Frodo and Sam
36. Faramir holds out hope that he and Frodo will meet again to reminisce over by-then old griefs
37. The tale of Beren and Luthien overcoming grief provides inspiration to Sam
38. The orcs in Cirith Ungol feel no grief at Shelob's suffering
39. Sam is tempted by his grief at Frodo's apparent death to either give up the quest, kill himself, or claim the ring, then finally to continue Frodo's mission (and then, when he realizes Frodo isn't dead, to rescue him).
40. Pippin's grief at Boromir's death leads him to swear fealty to Denethor; Denethor's grief leads to his increasingly heartless treatment of Faramir, apparently leading to Faramir's fatal wound in the field. It's also implied Denethor still grieves the death of his wife and his treatment by his own father, Ecthelion. Gandalf accuses Denethor of using "your grief as a cloak," i.e. Denethor's grief is not purely an emotional response (without doubting that the grief is real)
41. Eowyn's grief at Aragorn's apparent suicide mission, and then at not being permitted to join him, probably leads to her plan to disguise herself and travel with the men
42. Sorrow for Eowyn's immanent death allows Merry to overcome his fear
43. Grief at Theoden and Eowyn's apparent deaths leads to Eomer's heedless charge
44. Denethor's now enhanced grief at the apparent death of both his sons furthers his dispair, leading to his madness and suicide (and, as Gandalf points out, probably the death of Theoden and the near-death of Eowyn, plus the doorwarden, several servants of Denethor, and doubtless others)
45. Faramir's griefs make his recovery less likely/harder
46. Aragorn can feel empathy and understanding for Eowyn as a result of his griefs. He also says that Merry's griefs "will teach him wisdom."
47. In an echo of Gwindor's charge, Pippin's grief at the Black Gate believing Frodo is dead betrays Frodo's importance
48. Sam in his grief at not being able to find Frodo, begins to sing; this leads to him finding Frodo.
49. How Eowyn bears her grief inspires Faramir's love for her
50. Arwen's grief helps her to pity the fallen kings of Numenor

​
​
That's a long list, and it's only the ones where the grief has a clear explicit or implicit result; there is much more sorrow which Tolkien lets us observe, without a discussion of the results of the grief.
Notably, grief tends to lead to despair, failure, or evil acts. The careers of Gwindor, Turin, Tar-Palantir, and Denethor are particularly remarkable for this. Grief is often debilitating, and at best something the character has to overcome. Grief often hastens death or leaves someone unable to act to prevent their death or other harm. Alternatively, grief can lead to wrath and rash decisions.
But there are hints of the benefits of grief and sorrow, too. From my list above, see numbers 3, 13, 15, 24, 25, 29, 35, 36, 37, 40ish, 42, 46, 49, and 50 for examples of grief which leads to or causes good (reproduced below for ease of reading).

1. Finarfin and his people reject Feanor after the kinslaying
   
2. Hurin and Morwen achieve some peace by grieving their childrens' fate together
   
3. Earendil and Elwing share the griefs of Belariand with the Valar and Valinorians, spurring them to act
   
4. Theoden's grief after his sister's death leads him to take Eomer and Eowyn into his house and love them as his own children.
   
5. Gandalf believes hearing of the sorrows of the War of the Last Alliance would motivate Frodo. Later, Aragorn believes the tale of Beren and Luthien will inspire the hobbits explicitly because it is a sad tale
   
6. Haldir highlights how grief perhaps makes the love greater
   
7. Faramir's grief for his brother's death seems to improve his treatment of Frodo and Sam
   
8. Faramir holds out hope that he and Frodo will meet again to reminisce over by-then old griefs
   
9. The tale of Beren and Luthien overcoming grief provides inspiration to Sam
   

40 (part). Pippin's grief at Boromir's death leads him to swear fealty to Denethor

1. Sorrow for Eowyn's immanent death allows Merry to overcome his fear
   
2. Aragorn can feel empathy and understanding for Eowyn as a result of his griefs. He also says that Merry's griefs "will teach him wisdom."
   
3. How Eowyn bears her grief inspires Faramir's love for her
   
4. Arwen's grief helps her to pity the fallen kings of Numenor
   

From this partial list, it's clear that grief can be a good thing in one case: when it leads to empathy for others, either because it leads someone to treat another person with empathy, or because seeing and hearing of others' sufferings inspires and motivates us to overcome our own. It's interesting that the examples of positive grief tend to center around the hobbits, Faramir and Aragorn, even more than around Gandalf (or Nienna, although she's almost entirely a silent force in the legendarium). Note that the only explicit examples of Nienna's sorrow or grief are either misguided (with Melkor's pardon) or possibly ineffective (healing the two trees).
So it seems that grief in Tolkien's writings is largely a negative element which leads to despair and wrath. Only when the grief instead leads to empathy does it become a force for good. I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you think I'm understanding this the wrong way!

do y’all ever suddenly feel like everything’s a little clearer and you can think a little better for a few minutes right after taking a hit? it’s gone by 15 mins after but for a few minutes i truly feel like everything is a little easier to do and i could organize my whole life.
i dunno if this could be like just my imagination or weed-induced euphoria setting in or maybe i truly can just think a little clearer when very slightly high as opposed to stoned and i should look into harnessing that. i notice it more when i’m using my bong vs smoking but that also might be because i’m usually alone with bongs vs mostly smoking in social settings where i’m focused externally instead of internally. just wondering if i’m alone in this experience

I appreciate everyone in this sub Reddit. I haven’t posted anything here yet but I have read a lot. I have been working on a book for the last several months and I have 28,200 words. I would like to share one of my chapters to get feedback.
This is chapter 8
My father was a chief of police and several other members of my family were in law enforcement. I had been raised around and amongst police officers since I was very young and the seeds had been planted in my heart to follow in my father’s footsteps. I dropped out of high school in my junior year because I was utterly failing in my academics and frankly had no interest. I was working at Marvin’s IGA grocery store for most of the time when I was 17. After I turned 18 however, I began to look for a more serious job. My dad had heard that the local jail was hiring and that they would hire at 18 years of age. He explained that the jail was typically the first step on the path on starting a career in law enforcement and that many cops he knew had spent a year or two working at the jail before becoming police officers. In February of 2008 I applied and in early March I began a pre-employment screening process. This consisted of a background check and a polygraph test. I had never been criminally in trouble so the background check went fine. I am sure some of them had heard about my UFO 911 call but it was never mentioned to me if they had. As I walked into the administration side of the Sheriff’s Office, I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. I knew what was waiting for me - a dreaded polygraph test. The room was small, and the only thing between me and the stern-looking lieutenant was a desk. But what caught my attention was the intimidating chair in front of the desk, with various sensors and attachments ready to measure my every physical response. The lieutenant welcomed me, but his tone was stern as he explained that this was a mandatory test for all recruits seeking employment at the facility. The silence in the room was deafening, and the air was thick with tension. I knew that this moment would determine my future, and I could not help but wonder, would I pass the test or fail? I had been previously told what sorts of questions would be on the test. Several of which I knew I would have to lie on. Especially if they asked if I had ever used illegal drugs as I had smoked marijuana with friends by this point. I had been quite a book reader at this point in my life all ready and at one point I had read about how to fool a polygraph test and it essentially went like this. To fool the polygraph sensors, you have to believe your own lies. The sensors are looking for physiological signs of deception, guilt, anticipation anything of that sort. So, you must not view your answers as lies. There has to be an agreement in my mind already that the entire thing is a farce. This man is not really trying to read me, this is simply a round about way of filling out a form in his possession and I am putting the answers as I want them to appear on the form. So, in my heart this is no a question of true or false. It is a question of what I want to appear on the paper. Therefor when a question is asked. I am not lying regardless of what I say, I am simply dictating to him what to put on the paper for me. Another tip I had read was to focus on a particular place on the wall in front of you and concentrate on it. I sat down and said I was ready. He then began by asking my name and what town we were in for a base reading. Next came the questions. Have you ever committed a serious crime that went undetected? A normal response to this question would be to begin to think back over one’s history and to question one’s self to make sure you weren’t missing anything. However, I stared at the wall and decided the answer to that question needed to be no, so I said no. The polygraph examination went on like this until the end. I can’t say I passed with flying colors however. Lieutenant Carter at the end looked at me and told me my lines were strange and did not indicate either deception or truthfulness but were what they would call inconclusive. Which is still passable for I passed my exam although I got a few odd looks from the lieutenant before I left. Not long after this I was being fitted for a jailer uniform and being distributed the equipment I would be using in my new role as Jail Deputy. I had a grand sense of embarking on a noble quest that would lead to untold adventures and a feeling of being a part of something much bigger than myself. Putting on the uniform for the first time went straight to my head as I could almost feel the new powers of authority emanating out from my being. The jail was connected to the main Sheriff's Office by a set of sturdy steel doors, which were operated remotely from a centralized command center. Once inside, there was no way out unless the command center authorized it. Although there were one or two physical keys, they were not kept on the premises and were reserved only for emergency situations where the controls at the command center were inaccessible. As I walked down the corridor towards the "Pod" where I was to begin my work, I couldn't help but notice the thick, grey concrete walls that lined the passageway. The Pod I would be working in for the first few months was known as D Pod. Essentially, a Pod was a hexagonal command center situated on a raised platform, encircled by remotely operated doors that led to various cell blocks. D-Pod comprised of 6 cell blocks and 2 recreational yards. When entering D-Pod, the two largest cell blocks, D-109 and D-130, were situated on the left-hand side. D-109 housed individuals jailed on misdemeanor charges, while D-130 was reserved for those facing felony charges who had not yet gone to trial. Essentially, it was the pre-trial felony block. On the right-hand side, there were four smaller blocks. One of these, D-150, hosted federal inmates who were predominantly Hispanic individuals with immigration-related holds. However, occasionally, unique inmates with charges related to federal crimes, such as crossing state borders to commit a crime, would also be held in D-150. The final two blocks were D-169 which hosted all inmates with sex related crimes and D-170 which held all inmates with Felony charges who had recently been convicted at trial but had not been sent to prison yet. Initially, my job at the jail was titled "Working D-Pod Direct," which involved spending time in the two largest cell blocks, D-109 and D-130, rather than simply standing in the command area of the Pod. As I began to acclimate myself to the environment and interact with the inmates, I noticed a variety of odors that were foreign to me. The persistent scent of sweat and human body odor was particularly revolting. I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of it. As I glanced around at the inmates, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disdain towards them. They had made choices that landed them in jail, and now they were paying the price. While I would be civil and courteous, I didn't feel as though I owed them anything. It was clear that breaking the rules on my watch was not an option. I quickly familiarized myself with the list of inmate infractions and their respective punishments. If an inmate broke certain rules, they could be subjected to lockdown. It became somewhat of a game to try and catch them in the act, and why not? They had committed a crime and their time in jail should not be pleasant or enjoyable. After all, what motivation would they have to not reoffend and come back? Thanks to constantly splitting wood, my arms had become rock-solid. In addition, I had been diligently honing my boxing skills and was eager for a potential altercation. The idea of an inmate attempting to intimidate me was thrilling, and I relished the possibility of a challenge. My father had earned a reputation as a formidable fighter, and now it was time for me to begin carving out my own legacy. As I searched through the bunks in D-109, my eyes caught sight of an inmate's thin, uncomfortable mat resting on top of his metal bunk. I couldn't help but wonder what could be hiding underneath it. My curiosity got the best of me, and I lifted the mat to find small, circular objects made of toothpaste. It was clear to me that the inmate had made these "mints" himself. I immediately located the inmate responsible and demanded an explanation for his actions. He fumbled through a feeble excuse, which did nothing to sway my judgement. As punishment, I stripped him of his privileges to have a mat and associate with other inmates. I then escorted him to E-Pod, on the opposite side of the jail, which served as the lockdown block. While I found the concept of lockdown amusing at the time, it was a truly awful experience for the inmates. They were stripped of all their belongings except for a Bible and confined to an empty cell for 23 hours a day, with only one hour of freedom to take a shower or read the newspaper in the main area of the cell block. I found myself getting a rush from catching inmates breaking the rules. It became a daily goal of mine to ensure that at least one person was placed in lockdown. At the time I thought that the rules were very simple for people who clearly cared little about society, simple dos and don’ts. There were big ones such as “Don’t assault any jail staff”, “No Fighting.”, “Attempts to escape.”, “No sexual activity.” Etc. Then there were the pettier issues, these were the ones I spent my time on. “Leaning on the wall.”, “Storing food after meals have been picked up.”, “Being unsanitary, failing to keep cell clean.”, “Possessing anything not authorized or issued directly to the inmate through jail staff.” The latter rule was very open to interpretation, and was used if inmates had extra of anything. Many an inmate met lockdown due to having an extra roll of toilet paper in those days. A typical portion of my day might go like this. I stride purposefully down the dimly-lit prison block, my boots echoing off the concrete walls. My chest swells with a sense of authority as I approach the inmate's cell. Without a word, I barge in, my hand firmly gripping my baton. "Face the wall!" I bark, my voice carrying the weight of my position. The inmate jumps, fear etched on his face as he turns to comply with my order. I begin to inspect his cell, my eyes scanning every inch for any signs of contraband. My nose wrinkles at the faint smell of sweat and mold, but I push on, determined to maintain control. And then, there it is. An extra roll of toilet paper, sitting innocuously on the shelf. I whirl around to face the inmate, my lip curling in disdain. "What is this?" I demand, my tone dripping with arrogance. The inmate stammers, fear and distress etched on his face. "I-I didn't know," he stutters. "I didn't know we couldn't have more than one roll." I snort in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that? You should have read the handbook more closely." I reach out and snatch the booklet from his hands, flipping through the pages with a sneer. "And here it is," I say triumphantly, jabbing my finger at the relevant section. "One roll per inmate. Did you even bother to read this?" I pull the inmate out of his cell, dragging him along behind me as I stride purposefully down the hallway. "Lockdown for five days," I snap, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Maybe you'll learn to follow the rules next time." I stride out of the prison gates, my uniform crisp and my badge shining in the sun. It's been a hard day, but I've managed to keep the inmates in line, as I always do. The weight of the day's events still heavy on my mind, I pull out a pack of Marlboro reds and light one up. The smoke fills my lungs and I let out a long exhale, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Driving down the winding country roads, the sun beating down on my face, I can't help but feel a sense of peace. The green pastures and fields stretch out for miles on either side of the road, and I feel like I'm the only one in the world. When I finally get home, I grab a cold beer from the fridge and climb into the driver's seat of my truck. The sounds of the woods and insects fill the air as I crack open the can and start to read a book. The sun slowly begins to set, casting a warm orange glow over the trees. As the night deepens, I feel a restlessness stirring within me. I decide to take my truck out for a spin, driving through the small town I grew up in. The beer has been flowing freely for hours, but it doesn't even occur to me that I might be breaking the law. I revel in the feeling of being an adult, of having power and control over others. It doesn't matter that I've spent the day punishing inmates for petty offenses, because in this moment, I am invincible. The irony of my situation is lost on me, and I continue to drive around, the night stretching out before me like an open road. After I get home and as the night wears on, I continue to drink, the bottles piling up around me. The sounds of the woods outside provide a backdrop to my drunken stupor, and I stumble out into the darkness. The insects hum around me, and the night birds call out in the distance. I feel my stomach churning, and I lurch forward, retching onto the ground. The smell of beer and bile fills my nostrils, and I heave until there's nothing left. As I stumble into the woods, their darkness and isolation seem to envelop me completely. The only witnesses to my weakness are the insects and birds, their chirping and buzzing forming a constant, mocking chorus. No god, no divine presence to judge my actions or offer me solace. I know that I can’t linger here for long. I have to be at work again at 6 in the morning, ready to continue my reign of power.

This is the episode where its Cooke and Cara vs. Nany and Jonna in elimination. The one where they're blindfolded and have to break the bright colored sticks over their opponent. Cooke beats Nany first round, no argument there. But then in the second round, Cara vs. Jonna.. Cara's stick breaks bc Jonna's stick hit it. Like basically Jonna broke Cara's stick. And TJ SPECIFICALLY says "you must break your stick over your opponent".
When I first saw this back when it aired I remember being annoyed about it. And now I just rewatched the episode and yeah all these years later I still feel like that was kinda bs. Idk that Jonna should have got the point, but it should have been like a tie or something like they should've had to redo it imo.
Am I just crazy? Should that have counted? It would be one thing maybe if Cara broke it bc SHE hit Jonna's stick, but Jonna was the one to actually make contact. And regardless no stick was broken over a person. I wish I could post a clip but I really dk how to even do that. Hopefully y'all will just remember lol I'll try to post a link in the comments but no promises I'm old and not good at this.

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TL;DR - Nardil isn't working for my severe TRD. my depression arose via Long Covid, which likely has caused persistent autoimmune & nervous system dysfunction. i'm soliciting novel ideas for treatment.
​
i've struggled for Nardil ineffectiveness for 1.5 years now. during most of that time i've been at 60-67.5 mg. i've tried going higher (up to 90 mg), but anything beyond 67.5 mg brings on intolerable side effects (weight gain / bloating, urinary retention, total sexual dysfunction, high sensitivity to tyramine).
the first 4-5 months i took Nardil, it worked swimmingly - close to full remission for a few months. since then, the macro trend has been a steady downward slope of effectiveness, while the micro trend is fairly rapid cycling of "OK" vs. "bad" (3-5 days each typically). there's no pattern i've discerned that influences or dictates this micro cycling.
important note: i have a history of episodic depression going back 10 years, but the current episode (about 2.5 years) has been much more extreme, long-lasting, and treatment-resistant, and it was precipitated by a Covid infection.
for those unaware, there's now a widely-accepted subtype of Long Covid marked primarily by neuropsychiatric symptoms (severe depression & anxiety, "brain fog", pressure headaches, nerve pain, etc.) the theory is that persistent autoimmune dysfunction is affecting the nervous system, tho it's unclear how. a plausible pathogenesis, however, would be (in layman's terms): the nervous system's immune function is stuck in overdrive, causing excess glutamate activity and chronic inflammation.
as far as i know, no one has a solid answer for treatment. the covidlonghaulers subreddit is full of personal anecdotes on things that have "worked" from meds to diet to intense unorthodox medical treatments (e.g., triple anticoagulant infusion therapy to clear up "microclots"). some seem potentially promising, some clearly outlandish. clearly it's complicated - likely involving the digestive, immune, nervous, and possibly other bodily "systems" - especially for a layman like me.
that said, i'm wondering whether anyone who's more well-versed in the chemistry and intricate dynamics of the nervous system has any ideas? i don't care if they're wild and not supported by any hard scientific papers - really just seeing if my situation sparks any kernels of possible directions.
tangentially, but also important - i'm pretty much at the point where i'm ready to give up on Nardil in terms of a long term treatment option, but until i at least have a hunch of why it hasn't worked for me, i can't confidently pick any other direction that's being pitched to me by my doctor.

Hi all,
Apologies if this is not the appropriate subreddit for this issue.
My father recently got in a car accident. He “blacked out” and hit a parked car. He ended up totaling his car, which he’s had since I was a kid. On the way to the hospital my mother shared with me that he struggles with narcotics abuse. My parents have been lying to me about this issue for my entire life. I’m not sure why my dad doesn’t want me to know now that I am an adult, but he swore my mother to secrecy. My mom was telling me this because she believes my father has relapsed and has been driving under the influence. He previously “blacked out” before, allegedly got lost, and returned home at midnight. My mom found a cigarette box filled with pills and has even read his text messages where my dad has been talking to dealers. The messages convey that he was doing a drug run the day he got into the car accident.
My father is on a methadone treatment for addiction. He has to go to a clinic every morning for his dose. He woke me up screaming that I need to take him there, and directed me to the clinic. This is the first time in my life I’ve seen him so determined to get somewhere.
Although I know I don’t owe him anything, I still feel like I need to try something. My mother wants me to talk to him without revealing that she told me. Unsure how that’s possible. This is also happening at an awful time. I’m starting a new job soon and I am finally moving out of my parents house. I know it sounds awful, but I feel like I don’t have the time for this. Logically I know I don’t have to do anything, but emotionally I feel like I need to do something. It’s all I’ve been able to think about for the last couple days. It’s consuming my life. My father asked me if I could drive him every morning, since my mother is not retired. I’d be happy to if I knew he was really trying to get clean. Also, if he showered, as my father has stopped cleaning himself.
I have my misgivings with how I was raised. The drug abuse thing puts a lot of my childhood into context. I could leave, but for the safety of my mother and father I need to take action. Does anyone have advice? The hotlines have not been helpful.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2023/S747
Primary Sponsors- Senators Hise, P. Newton, and Daniel
Part 1: ELECTION DAY INTEGRITY ACT
GS 163-231 (b) is altered to extend the time to receive ballots by mail/courier to county board from 5PM to 7:30PM the day of the primary or general election. If received after that time they will not be counted unless that county has extended all hours of their polling locations or federal law requires them to be counted. It also removes the rule to allow for ballots post marked on or before election day to be received within the following 3 days of election day to be counted.
GS 163-227.10 amended with new subsection: Each county board of elections and the State Board shall publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date by which absentee ballots are available for voting.
GS 163-230.1 amended with new subsection. Each county board of elections and the State Board shall publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date by which a completed request form as described in subsection (a) of this section must be received by a county board of elections.
Article 20 of Chapter 163 of GS is amended with new subsection.
During the one-stop early voting period, each county board must report:

1. The number of absentee ballots that have been spoiled due to the voter voting in person at a one-stop voting site.
2. The number of outstanding absentee ballots.

From the day after the election through the day after the absentee ballots receipt deadline, each county board must report by 5:00 PM each day:

1. The number of absentee ballots that have been counted.
2. The number of outstanding absentee ballots.
3. The number of voted provisional ballots.

Lastly, the State Board is required to publish all reports received from a county board of elections on its website daily. The published information must be publicly accessible and presented in a readable and usable format.
Part 2: PROHIBIT PRIVATE MONEY IN ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION
GS 163-22 amended with new subsection. Nothing in this Chapter shall grant authority to the State Board of Elections to accept private monetary donations, directly or indirectly, for conducting elections or employing individuals on a temporary basis.
GS 163-33 amended with new subsection. Nothing in this Chapter shall grant authority to county boards of elections to accept private monetary donations, directly or indirectly, for conducting elections or employing individuals on a temporary basis.
GS 163-37 amended. Nothing in this Chapter shall grant authority to county boards of commissioners to accept private monetary donations, directly or indirectly, for conducting elections or employing individuals on a temporary basis.
Part 3: REMOVE FOREIGN CITIZENS FROM VOTING ROLLS
GS 9-6 amended. All applications for excuses from jury duty, including applications based on disqualification under G.S. 9-3, shall be made on a form developed and furnished by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Applications shall allow prospective jurors to specify the reason for excusal based on disqualification, including lack of United States citizenship.
Article 1 of Chapter 9 of GS adds new subsection.
This section describes the handling of data for individuals who request to be excused from jury duty.

1. The details (name, address, and reason for the request) of anyone who applies to be excused from jury duty due to ineligibility should be retained by the clerk of superior court for the duration of the biennium as per G.S. 9-2. These records are not considered public records under G.S. 132-1, and the clerk can destroy them at the end of each biennium.
2. If a person is disqualified from jury duty because they are not a U.S. citizen, the clerk must report this information to the State Board of Elections quarterly. This report includes personal data from the master jury list, reasons and date of disqualification. The Board uses this information to remove names from its list of registered voters according to G.S. 163-82.14. These records are public under G.S. 132-1, with exceptions as prohibited by federal statute, and they can be destroyed after four years.
3. Nothing in this section restricts the authority of a local or State Board of Elections to determine a person's voting eligibility.

GS 163-82.14 amended.
This section pertains to the disqualification of noncitizens from jury duty and their removal from voter registration lists.

1. The clerk of the superior court must send an electronic file every quarter to the State Board of Elections for every person disqualified from jury duty because they are not a U.S. citizen.
2. Within 30 days of receiving this report, the State Board of Elections must: a. Review the voter registration and citizenship status of each person identified, using state and federal databases. b. Distribute to each county board of elections a report of the individuals registered to vote in that county, including their voter registration number, and the results of the review. If the review determines that the individual became a U.S. citizen after being disqualified from jury duty and did not vote prior to becoming a citizen, their name will not be included in the report.
3. Within 30 days of receiving the report, the county board of elections must: a. Give 30 days' written notice to the voter. If the voter does not object, the board removes their name from registration records and notifies them of the removal. b. If the voter objects to the removal within 30 days, the chair of the county board of elections initiates a challenge under G.S. 163-85(c)(7). The report from the State Board of Elections serves as primary evidence in the preliminary hearing that the person is not a U.S. citizen. This presumption can be rebutted by evidence of citizenship naturalization or other federal documentation of citizenship.
4. The records kept under this subsection are public records under G.S. 132-1, unless prohibited by federal law. The State Board of Elections and county board of elections must retain these electronic records for four years and can destroy them when they are no longer public records.

Part 4: INSPECTABLE ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPES
GS 163-230.1(f) is amended to allow for absentee ballot applications to be available to the public for inspection during the 5 week period before an election. There will will be 1 or more of these meetings during this period every Tuesday at 5pm.
Part 5: BAR CODING BY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS ONLY
GS 163-237 is amended to state "any person other than the State Board or a county board of elections, or any employee of the State Board or a county board of elections, who affixes or prints a barcode on an absentee ballot, an absentee container-return envelope, or an absentee ballot request form shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor."
Part 6: RETENTION OF VOTING RECORDS/ARCHIVE OF PAST ELECTIONS RESULTS
GS 163-22 and GS 163-33 add new subsections. State Board of Elections shall ensure election records are retained and preserved for a period of 22 months after an election or as otherwise specified in federal law, whichever is greater.
GS 163-166.12(c)- Elections officials shall list on on voter rolls what type of identification was provided by voter to be available to public.
Part 7: VOTER ASSISTANCE LOG
GS 163-166.8(b) updated to state that Precinct officials shall maintain a log of any person rendering assistance to a voter pursuant to this section. The log shall include the printed name and address of any person rendering assistance to the voter and a space for that individual's signature.
Part 8: REQUIRE PROVISIONAL BALLOT FOR SAME-DAY REGISTRATION
Article 7A of Chapter 163 of GS adds subsection.
The new text details the procedure for same-day registration and voting at one-stop voting sites.
As per § 163-82.6B, an individual who is eligible to register to vote can register in person and vote at a one-stop voting site in their county of residence during the specified one-stop voting period. However, the individual must vote using a provisional ballot, and the ballot is only counted under one of the following circumstances:

1. Upon verification of the individual's address in accordance with procedures outlined in G.S. 163-82.7. This verification should be done by first-class mail.
2. If the voter provides a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document displaying their name and address to the county board of elections where they reside before the polls close on election day.

Part 9: REPORT/REVISIONS TO ELECTIONS RECORDS AFTER CERTIFICATION
GS 163-182.15 amended by adding a new subsection. The State Board of Elections shall submit an annual report on any revisions made to elections records after certification of elections, including the rationale for and timing of the revisions, to the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government.
Part 10: ALLOW ANY ELIGIBLE VOTER IN A COUNTY TO FILE A CHALLENGE 5 OF A VOTER'S ABSENTEE BALLOT
GS 163-89(b) updated. Allows for any registered voted of the same county to challenge a voter's absentee ballot.
Part 11: ABSENTEE BALLOTS/REQUIRE PRINTED NAMES FOR WITNESS SIGNATURES
GS 163-229(b)(3) and GS 163-231(a) updated to required printed names of any witness for absentee ballots.
Part 12: REQUIRE SIGNATURE VERIFICATION SOFTWARE FOR ABSENTEE 28 BALLOTS
G.S. 163-231 adds new subsection. The State Board of Elections shall require county boards of elections to use verification software to check the signatures of voters noted on executed absentee ballots before those ballots are accepted by the county boards.
Part 13: ENSURE PRECINCT OFFICIALS ONE-STOP VOTING PLACES ARE 35 ALLOCATED THE SAME AS THOSE SERVING ON ELECTION DAY
GS 163-227.6(a) updated. This law explains that a county board of elections can unanimously decide to establish one or more sites for absentee ballots to be applied for and cast, notwithstanding other provisions of G.S. 163-227.2, 163-227.5, and this section.
Staff members at these sites should either be members or full-time employees of the county board of elections or have received equivalent training. Precinct officials should be allocated similarly to election day voting sites.
These sites need to be approved by the State Board as part of a Plan for Implementation, which must also be approved by both the county and State boards. This plan should include sufficient security measures for ballots and should prevent individuals from voting more than once. It should also contain a provision for the presence of political party observers, similar to those at voting places on election day.
A county board of elections can propose not to offer one-stop voting at its office. The State Board may approve this only if there is an alternative site reasonably near the county board office and if the sites provide adequate coverage of the county's electorate.
If the county board of elections can't unanimously agree on a plan, any member(s) can petition the State Board to adopt a plan. The State Board can also consider alternative petitions from other board members. The adopted plan should not disproportionately favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.
Part 14: CHALLENGE APPEALS OF STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS HEARD IN 11 COUNTY WHERE CHALLENGE ORIGINATED
GS 163-90.2(c) updated. This passage explains the procedure for appealing decisions made by a county board of elections in relation to challenges under this Article.
A decision made by a county board of elections regarding any challenge can be appealed to the Superior Court of the county where the board's offices are located within 10 days. If the appeal is made by the State Board of Elections, the appeal would go to the Superior Court of the county where the challenge originated.
Only those individuals against whom a challenge is upheld, or those who have made a challenge that has been overruled, have the standing to file such an appeal.
Part 15: IMPERSONATING AN ELECTIONS OFFICIAL/CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR
GS 163-274(b) updated. Any person to impersonate a chief judge, judge of election, or other election officer while in the discharge of duties in the registration of voters or in conducting any primary or election shall be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.
Part 16: EXTENSION BY JUDICIAL ORDECLOSING OF POLLS
GS 163-166.01 is updated. If the statutory poll closing time of 7:30 P.M. on election day is extended by court order in one county, the poll closing time shall be extended on election day in all counties by an equal amount of time.
Part 17: REQUIRE SBI INVESTIGATION/ELECTION-RELATED FELONY OFFENSES
GS 163-275 updated to mandate State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) to get involved on any felony level crimes relating to elections.
Part 18: POLL OBSERVERS/SHIFT SERVICE AND RELIEF
GS 163-45(a) is updated to allow an observer relieved after serving no less than the four hours provided in this subsection may serve an additional four hours during the same primary or election day at any voting place in that same county upon designation by the party chair.
Part 19: PRECINCT ELECTION OFFICIALS/REVISE SERVICE DUTIES ON DAY 51 OF PRIMARY, GENERAL, OR SPECIAL ELECTION
GS 163-47(a) is updated to remove requirement for Chief Judge and Judges to remain at the polling place all day for any election.
Part 20: REQUIRE TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION PROCESS/MAIL-IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Article 20 of Chapter 163 of the GS adds new subsection. The State Board of Elections shall establish and implement a two-factor authentication process for executed absentee ballots transmitted by mail to a county board of elections. A county board of elections shall use the process established by this section before an executed absentee ballot is opened and counted by elections officials.
Part 21: REQUIRE KNOWING VIOLATION/VOTING WITHOUT RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP RESTORED
GS 163-275(5) updated to state that it is only a crime when someone knowingly voted when their voting rights were stripped away due to a crime.
Part 22: STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS RECOMMENDED REVISIONS
Has a bunch of small changes to procedures or clears up some procedural questions. Nothing of merit.

They're glass jars.

The conversation around what Hit Points (HP) are and what they represent in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a cyclical one. It's a concept that periodically bubbles up in the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) community, like an ancient dragon in its cyclical slumber, and we seem to be in the midst of another awakening.
It's no surprise that understanding HP often seems like trying to learn Draconic without a spell of Comprehend Languages. Table Top Roleplaying Games are narrative adventures, so we naturally want to weave a compelling story around every game element. And therein lies the enigma of Hit Points - no matter how you narrate them, you're likely to walk into a wall of confusion and pile of contradictions.

A Historical Perspective

Many D&D elements, including HP, sprung from the hobby's wargaming roots. In those days, units usually had a defensive score and an offensive score. The outcomes were binary: units either lived or died. But when these concepts morphed into the individual tactical combat that defined Original D&D (OD&D), there was a need for a way to track the progress towards defeat, thus giving birth to Armor Class (AC) and Hit Points (HP).
In OD&D, AC denoted how challenging you were to hit, and HP showed how close you were to defeat. The game simply states, "Your hit points determine how hard your character is to kill." And that's it. That's the HP origin story. They're an arbitrary, abstract measurement of how difficult you are to kill and how far along the game is in achieving that.

The Evolution of HP

Later D&D editions got increasingly philosophical about HP. Advanced D&D acknowledged physical punishment, but clarified that "a significant portion of hit points, especially at higher levels, stands for skill, luck, and/or magical factors." It even said it would be "ridiculous" to assume characters could endure such physical punishment, further emphasizing that HP are not intended to be taken literally.
2nd Edition D&D kept the abstract theme, defining damage as an abstract concept that allows characters to be heroic. It didn't dwell on the semantics of HP. 3rd Edition, on the other hand, leaned into the mechanics and didn't provide a narrative explanation for HP and damage at all. 4th Edition tried to have the best of both worlds, setting a base number of hit points representing "real" damage, while anything over was the old dance of skill, luck, and magic.
By the time 5th edition D&D came around, we're back in the abstract realm, with the game stating, "Hit Points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck."

Hit Points: Setting the Stage, Not defining the Genre

Hit Point mechanics are integral, but the presence of HP doesn't force your game into a specific genre. That job is for the Dungeon Master, who tailors how this mechanic comes into play. For instance, early D&D editions painted a grim, risky scene with low HP and tight damage thresholds, providing a sword-and-sorcery feel. In contrast, 5th Edition, with its generous HP pools and high-damage exploits, resonates with high-fantasy heroics.
Remember, it's not the existence of HP that set these styles; it's their application. As the DM, you have the freedom to adjust this tool to shape your campaign's tone, from injecting grimdark elements into a 5th Edition game by reducing HP, to amping up the heroics in a 1st Edition game by increasing HP totals. At the end of the day, HP is a vital but flexible aspect of the D&D universe.

Hit Points: Tools, Not Shackles

It's crucial to remember that Hit Points are a mechanic, not a set of shackles for the DM. They have their boundaries and are not designed to simulate everything could befall a character. Every edition of D&D underscores this, suggesting that the DM delineates these limits.
For instance, if a character decides to take a dip in a lava pool or plunge from a mile-high cliff, many DMs might opt not to roll damage, deeming these situations unsurvivable. In such cases, the official material often advises DMs to declare character death outright, instead of getting tangled in the mire of damage dice. However, if these drastic scenarios occur frequently in your game, it might be worth reassessing your game design.
On the flip side, some DMs might channel a superhero vibe, letting characters brush off falls from great heights. That's equally valid. As with any ruling in a tabletop RPG, maintaining an internally consistent world is the important part.
The bottom line? Understanding the tone of your game and setting appropriate limits is key when navigating the world of Hit Points. Keep this in mind as you weave your epic tales of adventure.

Living with the HP Conundrum

Trying to define Hit Points is like grappling with a Mind Flayer — it's a sure path to madness. Make it too abstract, and you create a narrative disconnect. Make it too literal, and you grapple with the absurdities of surviving a lava bath or healing from the brink of death overnight.
In my humble opinion, D&D intends for players to embrace the vagueness of Hit Points. They're not 'meat points' or a measure of your plot armor, but more an abstraction of your character's struggle to survive. Like most time travel plotlines, it's nonsensical. So, just wave your hand, enjoy the game, and let the Hit Points fall where they may. Their purpose is to serve the adventure, the narrative, and ultimately, the fun. Because, in the end, who needs a physics lesson in the thermal dynamics of lava when you can have a daring escape from a volcano instead?
That's my take, but what about yours?

Bari, Piper of Nashramae

Bari is an orphan who perform music in the streets of Nashramae, city that can be found in the northern part of Shurima. No Lore Sorry.

Date:

29.05.2023

Image:

I do not own these images. It is served as a reference only.

Gameplay:

A Support who excel in Buffing an Ally during Teamfights with a complex Spell Kits and modified Basic Attack. Literally his psuedo-Basic Attack and spells are buffs. By the way Bari is DISARMED eternally. His Ultimate is also a Buff that can REFRESH the Ally’s Ultimate. This means Ally may perform their Ultimate twice or refresh their Ultimate early due to some unexpected circumstances.

Note:

All of spell damage/effect, scalings, amount, cost and cooldowns are roughly estimated. Numbers can be adjusted and it is only a representation.

Passive: Mythical Flute

MODIFIED BASIC ATTACK: Bari cannot use Basic Attack against Enemy Units or he is 🚫 DISARMED instead she use Flute Music to Buff an Ally Champion/Minion to apply an INDIRECT Basic Attack.
Bari RIGHT CLICK an Ally Champion/Turret/Minion to start playing his Flute then creates a Tether between them. Bari will grant an Ally with 🎶Hyper Notes which the amount of 🎶Hyper Notes is applied on Allied Champion’s next Basic Attack as bonus ⚔️Physical Damage.

HYPER NOTES: Since Bari is naturally 🚫DISARMED, his ⚔️Attack Damage stats converts (30% - 55% of his AD) ^{based on Level} as 🎶Hyper Notes (Hyper Notes acts as his unique Attack Damage stats). He can apply up to 5 times only.
TEMPO: Bari can grant his current 🎶Hyper Notes to Ally at the 🎵Tempo Rate of 0.650 per Second (it is known as 🏹Attack Speed/Rate normally). The 🏹1% of bonus Attack Speed he gain is converted into 🎵1% Tempo. 🎵Tempo stats improve his Tempo Rate.

Bari’s On-Hit effects, Critical Damage and Item Effects by Bari is applied separately on the bonus Physical Damage dealt on the empowered Basic Attack released by Ally.

🎯Music Tether Max Range	800
🎯Tether Target Range	600

Q: High Notes

ACTIVE: Bari plays his flute which Bari and nearby Ally gain a decaying 🥾Movement Speed for 4 seconds. Tethered Ally will also gain bonus 🏹Attack Speed for 4 seconds while HALF of effect to non-tethered Ally.
Bonus 🏹Attack Speed is based on his 🎵Tempo Rate.

🥾Bonus Movement Speed	(30/35/40/45/50%)
🏹Bonus Attack Speed	(10/15/20/25/30%) (+0.5% per 1% bonus 🎵Tempo Rate)
🎯Spell Range	600
🕒Cooldown	(10/9/8/7/6) seconds
💧Cost	(40/45/50/60/65) mana

W: Soothing Sound

ACTIVE: Bari release a soothing sound in a target linear area in front which it grant 🛡️Shield to all Ally Champion it hit while 🌀Marks Enemy Champion for 3 seconds.
If Shielded Ally hit a 🌀Marked Enemy Champion, 🌀mark trigger to 😵Stun them for a duration.

🛡️Shield	(50/80/110/140/170) (+50% AP) (+100% of 🎶Hyper Notes)
😵Stun Duration	(1/1.15/1.3/1.45/1.6) seconds
🎯Cast Range	625
🎯Linear Width	65
🕒Cooldown	(16/14.5/13/11.5/10) seconds
💧Cost	(60/65/70/75/80) mana

E: Discordant Tone

ACTIVE: Bari plays a discord of harmony that is released around the Tethered Ally Champion or himself if there is no tether.
This will create a sound wave around the target dealing 🔥Magic Damage, ↗️Knock Away all enemy unit hit and apply 🤐Silence for a duration.

🔥Magic Damage	(70/110/150/190/230) (+50% AP) (+100% 🎶Hyper Notes)
🤐Silence	(0.6/0.8/1/1.2/1.4) seconds
↗️Knock Range	325
🎯AoE Radius	350
🕒Cooldown	12/11/10/9/8) seconds
💧Cost	(60/65/70/75/80) mana

Ultimate: Mythical Song

ACTIVE: Bari plays his Flute and inspires his Tethered Ally Champion. This will instantly 🕒REFRESH Ally’s Ultimate Spell.

Activating this spell if the Ultimate of Ally is NOT ON-COOLDOWN, this spell will put in a (60/45/30) second Cooldown.
Note: This idea have unique interactions to different/unique types of Ultimate. Some may be useless like in Bel’Veth Ult, Shapeshifters like Jayce/Nidalee and Non-Ult Champ like Udyr. In conclusion, they may have unique effect to the said Ult so it could be modified in order for this Ult properly be in effect.

🕒Cooldown	(60/45/30 seconds) (+90/80/70% Current Cooldown of Ally’s Ultimate)
💧Cost	(100/150/200) mana

Passive Explanation:

Bari have a very Unique Basic Attack. He is eternally Disarmed on the whole duration of the Game. In order to compensate this Self-Debuff (Disarm), Bari can buff his Ally Champion/Turret/Minion by granting them bonus Physical Damage on their Basic Attack using his own stats which is the Hyper Notes (please see below for definition). The more AD based stats he gained the more bonus damage he grant to Ally. There is also a Tempo Rate, a rate that measures how fast Bari apply Hyper Notes to Ally (please see below for definition). Since he is Disarmed, Unique Passives and stats from Item became Useless especially to On-Hit effects, Critical Chances, Armor Penetration and Life-steal. In order this concept more effective and viable, these effects is applied on the Hyper Notes or Bonus Physical Damage he grant. Example: (1) Lifesteal grant heal to Bari after the bonus Physical damage lands hit to enemy; (2) Bonus Armor Penetration is separately applied on the bonus Damage dealt; (3) The bonus Damage is separately deal Critical Strikes; (4) and lastly, the On-hit effects is applied separately on the Bonus Damage dealt.

Unique Term’s Definitions:

• 🎶Hyper Notes = it is simply Bari’s Attack Damage. Since he is disarmed the bonus stat of Hyper Notes doesn’t directly used by Bari in offense as Basic Attack. Instead he give this bonus stat to Ally. The Hyper Notes he give will then convert back into as bonus Physical Damage on their next Basic Attack.
• 🎵Tempo Rate = it is simply Bari’s Attack Speed. Since he is disarmed, his Tempo Rate is used to determine how fast Bari apply or give Hyper Notes to the Ally. The faster Tempo Rate he have the faster Bonus Damage he grant to the Ally.

I did a search and didn't see a couple of questions I have addressed, so I'll apologize in advance if my search skills suck.
I didn't see that correct flair is needed and I don't know if I can add that after I've created the post? I'm not sure how do to that... sorry
I'm on the PRO free trial so I assume all of the application's functions are unlocked. I've got Infuse loaded on my ATV 4K and my iPhone. The reason I'm trying out Infuse is because of the issues Plex on ATV has with certain types of files that Infuse play with no issues.
My first question has to do with transcoding. Streaming on the iPhone, PlexDash shows that the stream is being sent directly and I'm getting buffering. Does Infuse on the iPhone indicate to Plex Server that transcoding needs to be done? Does Infuse on the iPhone determine if transcoding is needed?
Second question has to do with Plex Server libraries. I can't seem to figure out how to separate out my content in Infuse based on the libraries that I've created and categorized content into. Is there a way to recognize the libraries set up on Plex Server?
Third question has to do with audio track selection and subtitles. I started watching a show in Plex and it came up English and no subs automagically. I stopped watching in Plex and resumed with Infuse and it switched to French and French subs. Is there a way to say Look for and if not found Look for subtitles, which I believe can be done in Plex?
Last question has to do with Plex users. I have a managed account called Home which is the one we use at home (duh). It doesn't look like there's means to easily change User with Infuse, and no way at all to use managed accounts. Is this true?
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Thanks in advance!

I have a story to share.
This has been on my mind for years and I until now I haven't figured out a way to come out with it in a way that would be inaccessible for any of my family members or friends and completely anonymous. I don't use this platform often, and I may never reply.
Sorry if it's badly written, I tried.
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All throughout my life I was a ray of sunshine, I was confident, happy, social and optimistic. My parents split when I was 3, they were never married as that isn't a requirement where I live. My dad was an alcoholic but he worked, so he wasn't a complete deadbeat, and my mum had to quit her profession due to an injury she got from a life threatening situation, money was tight basically.
For the first 3 years of my life it was my dad, brother, mum, and I which obviously changed after my parents splitting. After I turned 4 my mother introduced a new man into our lives, stepdad, he was nice, fun, welcoming, loving and all of those things a father should be, we went to the themepark, zoo, local swimmingpool, I even learned how to bike with him around, even to spell some things such as "bird", "mum" and "dog".
However life isn't all butterflies and sunshine as we all know and my biological dad was still fighting for custody over my brother and I, he was granted shared custody with my mum, so there were weekends my brother and I went to see our dad who had also gotten a new girlfriend, she'd usually drop us off by our grandma's house while our dad was at the pub getting drunk or something, there were many times I'd see him sleeping on the couch instead of his bed. Girlfriend was nice to us, she didn't tell us much about the circumstances of our dad and why he was sleeping on the couch again and stuff.
Fast forward a year: my sister's birth, she was the child of my stepdad and mum and of course I love(d) her with all my heart and it's been an honor to see her grow into the wonderful young lady she is now, we moved to a different part of our country, to a house, to start a new life for the now expanded family and all that, we moved a few more times which isn't really relevant to the story so I'll spare you the details.
Fast forward 3 years: I was 8 and I had just learned to read a year prior, I was sitting in the courtroom deciding to never see my dad again, which I've upheld since, and my brother made a similar decision, the court then decided to give full custody to my mother over both of us till we were old enough and could decide for ourselves.
A year later my mum had my fourth sibling, (we also got a dog, chihuahua, he will be relevant, I swear) which means we were 7 people living under the same roof. Not much happened in these years until I hit 10, which is when everything went downhill. My parents got a complaint from my brother's kindergarten, suggesting that he's a troubled kid and needs to be properly raised, of course we didn't have any problems with him at home and he was a shy little boy with big bright blue eyes that would make you melt in seconds, the report was forwarded to the family section of the communal services who took the case very seriously and drove to our house to discuss this matter, one of the women got my mother's name wrong and I corrected her, she admitted to mistakenly mixing the two cases together and apologizing deeply for it, she then asked where our two big dogs were, we all looked at her confused and said we don't have two dogs, we have one and it is a chihuahua, the woman grew impatient and seemed awkward. They eventually left and apologized for the disturbance, thinking it was all over we went back to our normal lives. Boy were we wrong. It started flooding in with accusations of abuse and negligence, they called me dirty and my older brother a troubled kid, my brother was always the shy one of the two of us and was an easy target for bullying, people would call him delusional and stupid which lowered his confidence to rock bottom, I doubt getting saved by his little sister made him feel any better though.
It continued going downhill. When I was 11 my brother and I changed schools and were the new kids, though I never really knew how his school treated him I sure as hell knew how mine treated me. My classmates were mainly stuck-up snobs who always had the newest of the newest, everyone had known each other since preschool and the overall environment was a hell to work/study at. I was bullied, I had never been bullied before so I didn't know how to grasp the situation, my self esteem was trampled and the confidence I had built was long gone, I spent a lot of time at home with my ipad and just watched youtube videos till I had to eat dinner and go to bed again, most of the time I'd stay up late watching videos and wake up tired and ill, unable to move out of bed. My parents weren't understanding at that point, when they did manage to drag me to schoo I'd get sent home for feeling "ill" when in reality I just wanted to leave the psychological torment. I lied to my parents about school and how they were treating me, I just didn't know how to tell them so I went with "school's okay". The bullying was never physical, only emotional and psychological they tormented me for being new and different, it almost got physical once but I got myself together and said he wouldn't hit me, so he didn't.
I lived that lie for 2 years before moving to a different part of the country and moving to a new school, again, this school was different, they included me and tried getting to know me. But by then I had developed a stutter and I had a hard time looking them directly in the eyes, my teacher told me a bunch of other students dealt with anxiety "like me", though I was never diagnosed with anxiety, mainly because I don't have it. They were understanding and we went on trips to mcdonalds and burgerking every once in a while.
Everything went well till I hit my teenage years, of course, and my mental health dipped. I went to bed at 2-3am and woke up at 6, a lot of the time I was tired when I arrived at school and never learned anything because of it, my grades were terrible, I was barely passing, this continued till I was 14, when covid hit, 2020 was a nightmare for me, isolation was even worse than staying home willingly, for my mental health that is, my parents were also unable to work due to quarantine and a lot of us were glued to our computers to do homework and attend zoom meeting. I slept through classes and my grades were still barely passable, maybe even worse. Allegations continued and in 2021 my siblings were taken from us, my parents were devastated and both went into depression, I think, I made dinner every once in a while because they just couldn't. I stayed with my mum on the couch and hugged her when she started crying, my brother for the most part was having a hard time dealing with it as well and so he stayed in his own room, so did my stepdad, he always slept because he knew he couldn't deal with it awake. I was 14 and due to all of this my emotions developed a filter that made it impossible to speak about them to anyone. The same year as when my siblings were taken, I was taken to an orphanage for 8 weeks and my brother moved to live at a college dorm while he studied, this was in May and it took a huge toll on my parents once again, they had to relive what happened to my siblings all over again, but this time they were alone in the house. I turned 15 at the orphanage and had lost a bunch of weight, I felt light in my own body despite all this and I was finally smiling again. The orphanage was good for me, but the circumstances could and should have been way different from what they were.
I don't have a good ending for this unfortunately, I'm currently the only child living in this house and it's lonely. But I am doing my best in school and I hope they're proud of me, they deserve everything and more. As I'm writing this I am 16, turning 17, and I'm doing pretty okay, I'm passing my exams and being as social as possible. I don't know what this post is, I think the correct term is a vent? But it doesn't feel like a vent, it feels more like something I've been aching to say, a scratch that I've been dying to itch but haven't known how to, it wasn't even supposed to be this long. Anyway, thank you for reading, I think?

I like to know ppl’s thoughts between these two. I am deciding if I should get the RC card, as my Boundless annual fee just hit. I already have the Aspire and may even consider a 2nd Aspire down the road, so I can put together 2 FNC for an nice annual weekend getaway. Here are my pros/cons in comparison…

1. Aspire Diamond wins over RC Gold Status. The real perks don’t begin until Platinum, at least in the US.
2. Immediate Sign up bonus on Aspire vs nothing with the RC.
3. Aspire 250 airline incidental vs RC’s 300.
4. Aspire 250 resort credit. RC 100 if you book 2 nights at an high end property.
5. RC Priority pass is better.
6. Aspire FNC has no ceiling vs RC’s 85K certificate.
7. 450 annual fees on either card.

Based on these points, I’m thinking a second Aspire rather than the RC. Are there any points I may have left out to favor the RC card?

When i had a chromecast and i would cast youtube to my tv ,only having a chromecast, there were normal short commercials like watching youtube on your phone.
Now i put my chromecast away and with the fire stick when i cast, the commercials/ads have like 70% increased. You can skip the ad after 30 secs or a minute or whatever but its real inconvenient. Is this just a firestick thing or a new thing with you tube. A lot of these ads are 10 minutes or more if i dont get the remote and hit skip add. Now i cant find my chromecast to check.
Short version- my firestick has a LOT more ads and LONGER ads when i watch youtube on it vs my old chromecast. Is there anyway to avoid at least some of the ads besides having to click skip ads everytime?

If any of you are digital archivists, how would you define “digital forensics” within our field?
I’ve thought of it as extracting metadata, discovering digital provenance, determining the best way to migrate or emulate a file, etc.
But I’ve heard it used in other ways for other fields, and I’ve become a little confused. Can anyone direct me to a concise, clear definition of “digital forensics” for the archives field?

First time posting here and posting for a friend!
TLDR; My friend and I work at the same company and she was just fired for requesting to work from home and providing a letter from her therapist.
To make the background as short as possible, we both started at this company about a year ago. Her and I are two of the only female employees that work in the office on a regular basis. For about the first 6 months of her employment, she had been working off site at different job sites for clients. During this time she had been sexually harassed at a job site (this was reported to our HR), had multiple panic attacks at work (she has a severe anxiety disorder which she has been open to our manager about), and being the only queer female in the office dealt with hearing our coworkers say homophobic slurs (not directed at her but said in her presence) among other general sexist comments that occur in those types of environments.
After about 6 months, she was offered a promotion that allowed her to no longer do field work and work full time in the office. After about 1 month of working in the office Mon-Fri dealing with the same office conditions, she began having pretty severe general anxiety in life causing her autoimmune system to flare up and she became physically ill. This was in Dec 2022. When she became physically ill, she asked our manager to work remotely until she was better. He allowed this and was very sympathetic to her situation. After a few months of working from home, she requested to work from home permanently since she felt this really helped her regulate her stress/anxiety. Our manager said that they should be able to accommodate this and that all she needed to do was provide a doctors note. She got a note from her therapist stating her different mental disorders and the note suggested that remote work would be the best accommodation for her health.
She turned this note in and a month goes by without anyone speaking to her. She requested multiple meetings with HR and our manager to no avail. Then after about a month, her therapist tells her that she received a letter from our company lawyer basically asking the therapist to elaborate on why she can't complete the job responsibilities that she agreed to. After reviewing the job description given to her vs what the lawyer stated in their email, most of the job responsibilities the lawyer listed were NOT in her official job description. After she learned about the lawyer email, she had a meeting with our HR and manager finally and they basically said when she signed onto the job that they didn't know they would need as much help in the office as they did and that the responsibilities have changed. In this meeting they didn't officially state that they were denying her accommodation, but that she needed to start coming into the office again immediately at least three days a week. Since she's been going back in, there hasn't been a single day that has required her to do anything that NEEDS to happen in the actual office. Last week they had another meeting with HR and manager that they were officially denying her accommodation and they were laying her off and would pay her two weeks severance for the inconvenience.
She's spoken to a pro bono lawyer but they guy was a total dick and clearly did not believe that having generalized anxiety was a real thing so he was no help. (She takes multiple medications for this and has had GA for many years so this isn't a new illness)
Ever since she spoke to the lawyer she's been devastated and feels like maybe she was in the wrong but I don't think she is. Even I feel like going to the office is generally terrible and not a good environment and I haven't dealt with half the issues she has. She's like my sister so please be gentile but does she have a case here? How hard is it to make a case for a 'disability discrimination' since this is a mental illness and not physical all the time? This isn't all of the facts as there were a lot more things that happened but just trying to see if she should continue with legal action here for wrongful termination? It's really devastating to see my friend suffering so much so any advice is appreciated! <3

Hello everyone,
I've been experiencing an issue with my Raspberry Pi 3 where I get a black screen when trying to open certain applications via VNC. The Raspberry Pi is connected via power and LAN only, and I'm not using any monitor or display device directly connected to it.
The specific issue is that when I try to open certain applications, specifically TeamViewer, VS Code, and the browser, the screen turns black or white, or the application doesn't display correctly at all. This occurs every time I try to access these applications through the VNC connection. Other applications seem to work fine.
So far, I've attempted to troubleshoot this problem by changing the VNC resolution, but it hasn't resolved the issue.
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Any insights or suggestions on what might be causing this issue or how to resolve it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help!