Attwood flip top gas fill

disclaimer i do not have an official ibs diagnosis, i saw a doctor a few years ago for issues and was diagnosed with celiacs after having an endoscopy done and they had suspected ibs-c on top of it but never went anywhere further with it. i do suspect i have it as i have the majority of symptoms including the lower left pains that feel like spasms and mucus in my poop. my question is, when i get bad pain i often get nauseous and just feel bloated and nasty. what can i take for this that wont end up making it worse? i usually have bad gas pains that i feel like wont come out and try some gas x and sometimes it works but not always. i also have acid reflux and take omeprazole but i occasionally will take tums or nauzene if something really upsets my stomach but im really worried it could do more harm than good 🥲

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“Watch where you're going, doofus” Itachi snapped, pushing the person who had bumped into him just a few moments ago.
“Im....Sorry” Geiju bowed, his beret falling from his head like a cherry blossom petal.
That was his first impression of the stoic redhead, A clumsy, weak, and art-loving sissy that seemed to entrance the school the second He first walked in the gate, He was pathetic and gay, the type of man he hated. He couldn't understand how somebody could purposely make themselves appear so weak, so fragile... Just waiting for somebody to swoop them up in their arms and never let go.
Did he stupidly fall in love? Sadly yes.
He just couldn't help it, Geiju was possibly the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on, His soft silky red hair, His emerald orb-like eyes that glimmered in the light, his frail but long arms and legs, star-speckled freckles and a perfect voice. He was like an angel, a heavenly being created with love and care by the goddess Aphrodite. The mental image of Geiju on a comfy lace bed with pillows and ribbons, in soft baby-pink kitty lingerie, was enough to make his whole face burn red in lust, guilt, and shame. He would peek from behind the art club door, just to watch him paint. He would watch in awe as Geiju created life on a canvas, from mere color, curve, and line. He would silently watch, captivated by his talent.
He wanted to fuse with him, to fill all his senses with his scent, so Itachi would be the only thing geiju would think about. Oh, to rip all his clothes off his body and take him right there and then, In front of everybody. And do it again and again and again and agai-
“ITACHIIIIIIIIIIIIII-SENPAIIII!”
“WHAT!?”
Mantaro conked him in the head with his shampoo bottle, as Hojiro and Unagi both exploded into boisterous laughter.
“You're going to waste all the water” Iruka said, Slipping on his boxers. He was also very cute, With plump cheeks and short, curvy figure.
He got up and dried himself up, there were lots of boys in school that he liked, Otohiko, A boy that wore the female uniform, He had peach pink hair and pretty little amber eyes, He had decided that Otohiko was too sweet for his dirty hands. Iruka was also alluring, He was quiet but not in the same way as Geiju, he was more straightforward and preferred to talk only when it was necessary. He had swishy silver-grey hair and soft ruby-red eyes. But judging by the way Iruka’s eyes would stay glued to Asu’s chest and butt when she was in her swimsuit, it would be worthless to try anything. Besides Mantaro would kill him with his own hands if he even breathed the wrong way around him.
He finished buttoning up his uniform top, He got a text from his father, or as he liked to call the mouthpiece of shit, Limpdick. It wasn't anything, just telling him to come home or he’d “Beat his ass” He wanted to see him try, He was a lot stronger now, so he could beat his ass.
He stepped out of the locker room, The setting sun looking gorgeous as always. He sighed and tossed his backpack over his shoulders, he really wanted to try talking to Geiju, but he had absolutely no idea where to even start, besides why would geiju like him? He had been nothing but rude to him so what reason would he have?
He kept his head down as he walked out of the school gates; The warm and comforting environment of sunset made him feel a lot better. As he was walking home, he couldn't say he wasn't pondering over asking Geiju out. What if he said the wrong thing and messed it all up? What if they started dating and they weren't meant to be? After all, it was so rare to find such a gorgeous being, it was a miracle he actually managed to find such a person, but he was worried.
He got home and went straight to his room.
“If I start being nicer to people, would he like me?” He thought to himself as he undressed and slipped into his pajamas. He walked over to his mirror and took off his shirt.
As a child, he was a very scrawny and feminine build, something his father hated, so he would always belittle him. He thought that, maybe, if he got big and strong, he would feel confident in himself.
But unfortunately, that didn't happen, he was muscular and lean now but he still felt insecure and weak inside.
“Why?” Itachi frowned, touching his chest. “Why don’t I feel strong?” he asked himself. He was angry with himself; He would never grow a pair and just ask the boy he loved so much. He was afraid of doing anything that might make his dad angry at him again. And yet, he still wanted to talk to Geiju, to make him feel happy, to hold him in his arms and never let him go.
He sighed, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine Geiju's face, He imagined his snow-white skin, his delicate fingers, and his kissable lips. He imagined him wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight, He imagined him smiling and laughing, He pictured him painting the flowers Itachi worked so hard to grow.
He opened his eyes and saw tears leaving his eyes. “What is this? Why am I crying, I'm a man! I shouldn't cry for a boy that probably hates me” he complained to nobody.
Itachi wiped his tears away and stood there, He thought about all the things he wanted to say, the words he wanted to say and how they sounded in his mind. How they would sound in his heart.
“I want you to smile for me, I want you to laugh with me, I want you to be my Husband” Itachi whispered to himself, closing his eyes again.
“I need you, I can't live without you, please, just tell me your feelings” He sat on his bed, Clutching a pillow tightly. He knew that if he never tried, nothing would happen. If he never even tried to talk to him he would regret, it forever. He pulled up a dating strategy on his phone, to prepare
-
Geiju was so engrossed in painting that he did not notice the footsteps behind him until he was Kabedon wall slammed.
He gasped, flinching for a moment before looking up to see the very person he had been imagining.
Itachi could feel his heart tighten as he looked at Geiju’s little “o” face of surprise. He stood there, frozen, words failing to leave his mouth.
Geiju was completely red in the face, his lips quivering, his hands shaking. He stared at Itachi with wide eyes, as though he was seeing him for the first time, like a stranger. His heart was racing in his chest as the realization that his crush had just wall slammed him.
“Uhhhh......” Geiju stammered out, He was still staring at Itachi in shock.
“I....I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Itachi mumbled awkwardly, his heart beating loudly in his ears.
“No, no” Geiju shook his head. “It's ok” he felt himself hand flap, trying to calm down his racing heart. Geiju smiled nervously, He cleared his throat and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.
“Uhh....I just wanted to ask.......do you want to have lunch with me?” Itachi nervously stammered out.
Geiju blinked a few times, He was surprised but also happy. "Yes, I'd love to!" he replied immediately, making Itachi sigh with relief.
True to his word, Geiju had lunch with him that day, He learned that geiju adored anything with strawberries, especially strawberry shortcakes. So, every time they ate together, he would bring him strawberry shortcake for them both, and they would talk about everything under the sun, they talked about school and about their pasts, their hobbies, and their likes and dislikes, they shared many laughs and smiles and soon, their friendship grew and grew.
They became best friends; their relationship grew stronger and stronger. Itachi would do anything for Geiju, He would sacrifice himself for him and he would do it gladly. He was afraid that one day he would lose him, so he gave him his heart and soul.
He slowly started to see himself becoming kinder and gentler. He changed his hairstyle to a bob cut that swished around his head.
He got brave enough to get a therapist to talk about his issues. And he had to thank it all on geiju. His feelings for Geiju got stronger and stronger until he couldn't deny it anymore. He had to ask him out. He knew that he should've done it sooner, but he was scared, he was afraid that Geiju wouldn't accept him for who he truly was.
“Geiju, I know this might seem sudden, but would you like to go out with me?" He asked while they were walking home from school. Geiju blushed and nodded, making him hug him in joy.
The date was on Saturday, they would meet in front of the 7-11 at 2:45 precisely. There Itachi would take him to a restaurant and then a walk through the park.
The rest of the week was excessively boring and dull, the two tentatively waited for the school day to end to prepare for tomorrow’s date.
Geiju knew he wanted to cross-dress but wasn't sure exactly what to wear. Luckily, he had Otohiko, a fellow cross-dresser's advice.
“Something with his favorite colors, tell me his favorites” Otohiko said, he wore a pearl pink oversized sweater and pure white drawstring shorts. “Black, orange” Geiju replied, readjusting his skirt.
“Well, you can wear Black Mary Janes and some orange jewelry” Otohiko got up from his very soft bed and strutted over to his closet, pulling out a pair of lolita Style Mary Janes with sheer white bows decorating them.
“Maybe you can wear something tight... you know........to leave him with a veryy gooood memory” He teased, watching Geiju’s face light up.
Back in his house, Geiju chose a light pink sailor dress with a white petticoat, he replaced the dark red ribbon with a light orange ribbon, black pantyhose, and the Mary Janes that Otohiko let him borrow. Shouko had gifted him an orange-themed necklace a few years ago, so he fished it out of his trinket box.
-
Itachi leaned against the light pole, a bouquet of flowers in hand, a special handpicked bunch of bright red roses, Violets, and green carnations. He grew the flowers all by himself, so he really hoped that Geiju would like them.
“Ita-Kun” he turned to see Geiju, who was in a dress. He felt his entire face burn red as he looked Geiju up and down. He looked so Innocent and girly in that dress.
Geiju smiled softly and twirled around, “Like it?” he teased, making Itachi blush harder.
He pulled Geiju into a hug, his heart racing as he held Geiju close. Geiju smiled happily as he snuggled closer to Itachi, putting his arms around him.
He presented Geiju with the flowers and he put them into his bag, taking a green carnation and putting it in his hair.
They walked close together, Itachi with his arm around Geiju’s waist, They laughed and chatted about random things.
“Alright, were here” Itachi said, stopping in front of the café that he had chosen, Itachi looked up at the sign above the door.
It read 'Café Yume' in colorful letters.
Geiju looked up at the sign, smiling widely, He hugged Itachi close and whispered, "Thank you for going on this date with me!"
The two walked in, with a young woman in a maid dress greeting them.
“Welcome Master” She chirped; Itachi quickly realized why the café had such good reviews, he had chosen a fucking maid café, on his first date. Shit.
Geiju was surprised but went along with it. “Yeah, sorry....” “No, it's okay” Geiju reassured Itachi it was ok, the two chatted while waiting for their food.
Geiju ordered a Hamburg curry with orange juice and Itachi ordered an omurice. Itachi made the mental note to get better at cooking.
The food came out and it smelled absolutely delicious, Geiju's was even more delicious than it looked. The two savoured every bite of their meal,
“So, how’s your mom” Itachi asked. “She’s great, Shes going to have our little sister soon”
“Oh, Shes pregnant?’ “Yeah!” Geiju replied excitedly, giggling.
“Aww, I'm happy for her!” Itachi replied with a smile. “What about your mom Ita-kun?” Geiju asked innocently.
Itachi frowned, His mother had left when he was very young, she had packed up her bags and left. He had never seen her or even heard from her since.
“She’s........fine” he lied, not wanting to sour Geiju’s mood. “That’s good” geiju replied, picking the dessert menu, and ordering a Strawberry shortcake.
Itachi brought out his wallet and paid for their meal, making them both smile happily.
-
The blooming cherry blossoms were gorgeous, Geiju had told Itachi he loved flowers, so he brought him to a beautiful park where there were tons of cherry trees. The petals of the trees had fallen, they were all over the ground like snow and the air was filled with the sweet scent of the flowers.
The two lay down in the cool grass, watching the clouds pass overhead. They watched birds flutter around, laughing as Children chased each other.
“This is amazing, so peaceful” Geiju commented, gazing up at the sky. “Yeah, its nice” Itachi agreed.
Geiju put his arm around Itachi, the two nuzzled into each other.
“Geiju?” Itachi whispered. Geiju looked up at him and smiled. “Yes, Ita-Kun?” he whispered back. “I love you” Itachi confessed, making Geiju smile wider.
“I.....Love you too” Geiju murmured, cuddling up to Itachi. The two sat and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float by. Itachi was content, he had finally told Geiju how he felt and he had been accepted.
They stayed like that for hours, Cuddling close together. “Um...” “Yeah?”
“Can we kiss?” Geiju asked shyly. Itachi blushed, embarrassed, but nodded. Geiju leaned in and kissed Itachi on the lips, his tongue gently caressing Itachi’s bottom lip. It was their first kiss, so it was sloppy and awkward, but still romantic.
Geiju broke off the kiss, looking up at Itachi. He smiled tenderly and Itachi smiled back, kissing Geiju on the cheek.
“Your........good....at this’ Geiju murmured, blushing. “No, you're good at this” Itachi teased, poking his belly.
“Do you want to do it again?” Geiju asked shyly, looking up at Itachi.
“Yeah!” Itachi replied, leaning down to kiss Geiju on the lips once more.
Itachi could feel his heart beating faster and he knew that he loved Geiju more than ever before.
At this point, the sun was starting to set, painting the sky in yellow, purple and red.
"Wow, it really does look like a painting..." Geiju murmured, staring up at the beautiful sky.
“Yeah... it's pretty amazing” Itachi agreed.
The two laid down on the grass in silence, just enjoying each others company.
“Hey, Ita-Kun?” Geiju asked timidly. “Yeah, what is it?” "Will.....you be my boyfriend?" He shyly asked, making Itachi smile. “Of course! Yes! I'll be your boyfriend forever!” Itachi exclaimed excitedly, hugging Geiju tightly.
Geiju smiled and hugged him back, the two held each other close for a long time.
"Ita.......I have to go home...." Geiju said, frowning. "Why?" Itachi asked worriedly.
"My family will be worried if I don't come home by sundown" Geiju explained.
“Oh” Itachi replied, thinking about it. . "Im sure your family will be worried for you too" Geiju said, Starting to get up. Itachi sighed, His father didnt give a shit about him, he knew if his son never came home, his father wouldn't think twice about it.
"Let's walk home together then" Geiju suggested.
Itachi nodded, relieved that Geiju wanted to stay with him. The two walked side by side, holding hands and talking about random stuff. Itachi was growing progresively more nervous, what would his father think of his son dating a man? Itachi wondered if his dad even thought of him.
"Im hungry......" Geiju muttered. "Again?" "Yeah..." Itachi really didn't want to go home now, so he asked Geiju if he could eat dinner at his house. "My dad's out most of the time, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind it" Itachi said, forcing a smile.
"Ok, I guess I can come over" Geiju said, sounding quite content. Mama would get to meet Him!
-
“Mama! Im back!” Geiju called out, taking off his shoes at the entrance.
"Mom at her obstetrician appointment! She and dad will come back soon!" Shouko called out from the kitchen, He noticed Itachi and Gave him his signature grin.
"Oh hey, Hi!" Shouko chirped and quickly went back to preparing dinner. "Uh, I didn't know that you and Shouko-san were brothers' Itachi said. "Stepbrothers" Geiju replied. “Mama and Shouko’s papa got married” Geiju continued.
“Yeah? I wanna meet them after dinner” Itachi said enthusiastically. “Sure” Geiju replied with a smile, going upstairs to change.
Geiju changed into pastel green drawstring shorts and a Cream Pj shirt with light green lines. He took off his jewelry and scurried back downstairs.
Itachi was with Shouko, Engaging in light small talk. "Im making hamburg curry with cardamom spice, I hope Geiju likes it," Shouko said excitedly.
Itachi grinned, "I'm sure he will". "Is it done yet?!” Geiju called out, coming back down the stairs.
“Almost” Shouko replied. “Zametora-kun, can you help set the table?” he asked, Itachi nodded and went over to help Geiju.
"Thanks, Ita-Kun!" Geiju said gratefully. Itachi and Geiju worked together to place the plates on the table. Geiju grabbed the cups and Itachi placed plates on the table.
"And done!" Shouko said, grinning. “Yay,” Geiju said, and Shouko pulled out a bottle of orange juice. Shouko then brought over the curry and Itachi poured the juice into the cups.
“Let's eat!” Shouko said, giving Itachi and Geiju a smile. "Thanks for having me here," Itachi said, grabbing a fork. Geiju nodded, smiling widely as he grabbed his own spoon.
Everyone dug in, and Itachi couldn't stop thinking about how cute Geiju was. Geiju was super polite, always saying please and thank you.
"Is good,” Geiju said, "Thank you, Im glad you like it!" Shouko replied. Itachi smiled, he felt odd being in the presence of family love, when he had dinner with his father, they never talked, sometimes His father would berate him, or he wasn't there at all. On those days he would just order a pizza or heat up leftovers. Shouko's food tasted really good, better than anything that he had ever eaten. Geiju was staring at Itachi, smiling happily at him.
“We should watch a movie after dinner” Shouko said, looking between Itachi and Geiju. “My neighbor Totoro” Geiju quickly said, making everyone laugh at how quickly he said it.
They all huddled up on the couch. Geiju cuddled up to Itachi, making him smile. Geiju had his head on Itachi's shoulder. He felt like he was part of the family now.
This. This is where he belonged.
Itachi was so happy; he hadn't felt this way since his mom left.
He had been abandoned by his mother and his father is abusive, but now he had found a family who loved him.
Finally.

After three long excruciatingly long weeks we finally have the follow up to the previous episode Teen Angst and a Smart-Boy Walk of Shame.
Last episode we saw Sheldon dealing with the failure from his latest invention and searching for guidance on how to live with the failure. This was truly a genius episode as Sheldon is quite literally the smartest person to ever live so to see him have some a major failure (Kinda like Cowboy Tears) is heartbreaking. Luckily he was able to use this failure as a learning experience to make himself just that bit smarter than he was before.
Last episode was also were we got to see the fallout from Missy being left at school while Mandy was giving birth. Now I personally never had this happen to me but I’d it had I can about guarantee y’all I would act the exact same way as Missy. Now because of this lack of love Missy is seeing from her partners she decides to run away from home.
That’s brings us to now, we finally get to see what Missy got up after sneaking off and oh boy was this a crazy episode. We see Missy steal George’s truck and sneak off into the night. Now at first I was like “Huh? Where’d she learn to drive?” Then it hit me. “OHHHHHHHHHHH!” The show being amazing as it is calls back to the season 5 episode “A Lobster, an Armadillo and a Way Bigger Number” where George teaches Missy to drive. My mind was absolutely blown away with this super tiny detail I think most normies would miss.
We soon see Missy get into a funny altercation with the worker at a gas station as she needs to fill up the truck with gas. This leads into a funny line of the employee saying “I’ve been there” in response to Missy telling the man her father has to use the bathroom and that it could be quite a while.
After this we see Missy hit up the absolute queen of the show Paige (Mckenna Grace). This is where stuff gets real.
We cut to Sheldon waking up George with the problem of his Mary not being there to make Sheldon his bacon resulting in George having to wake up and make his bacon. A very simple but funny scene.
With an excellent transition of bacon being put down on a table only to reveal this bacon ain’t for Sheldon, It’s for Missy and Paige. We see Missy and Paige eating at a diner eating some absolute delicious looking food while discussing why they’re both running away. We cut back and from between their conversation while George is talking to Missys door believing she’s in there giving him the silent treatment. The scene ends with Missy and Paige deciding on going to Florida to be on MTV and not paying for their breakfast at the diner.
In the following scene we see Mary come by the house believing George wasn’t home because his truck wasn’t outside. This leads to George wondering what could’ve happened to his truck and calling the police. Now this scene with the officer is peak comedy as they have to explain their situation with why Missy was missing and why the two of them rent living together.
We’re then back to seeing Missy and Paige having female chatter. Thennnnn, commercial break.
We’re now back with Sheldon and the fam detailing the last time they all saw Missy with Sheldon comedically recalling every single instance he saw her leading to the conclusion she left them and stole the truck.
We once again cut to Missy and Paige being besties singing in the car while having to act cool while passing a police officer. Super seriously funny stuff.
We’re once again back with Missy and Paige discussing the possibility of changing their names.
We’re then back with the family seeing Georgie being a funny goofball as usual and Sheldon mapping out all the points Missy could be at.
We then see Missy and Paige discussing what it’s like bing the child everyone ignores and being the child everyone expects everything from you. We then end the scene with the the gals being pulled over and being confronted by a police officer. Paige tells Missy a story to tell which goes to Missy comedically telling the officer the truth about what’s going on but lying about who Paige is by calling her by the fake name she gave herself.
The episode ends with Sheldon and the family getting the call Missy is okay and that was with Paige and having to drive up to them to come back home.
Overall this was excellent episode and quite the follow up to a killer cliffhanger.
Easy 9.2/10

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Every time I try and make this post it becomes the length of a novella so I'm giving up on my attempts to edit it down. The "The background info" and "Where we're at" are probably the most relevant if you don't feel like reading everything. The elevator pitch is that basically, my late friends husband is interested in dating me and I can't decide if it's an amazing or terrible idea.
​
Background Info:
She passed in December of 2022 very unexpectedly a week before her 31st birthday. Her husband is 43 and her son is 5 and in kindergarten. I'm 32. I've known her & her family for about 2 years and prior to her passing only interacted with her husband in group settings. They built a beautiful, loving family that our friends would joke of as being "marriage goals". There was a clear unspoken chemistry between he and I from day 1 but we both respected their marriage so it was a nonissue. I ended up being a much bigger support to him than either of us would have guessed. I was unintentionally by his side the last time he saw her alive in the ICU (at his request) and the *only* person who saw her before she passed aside from himself and her mother. At the time of the visit, we had every reason to believe she'd make a full recovery. I've been in touch with him regularly since then with steadily increasing frequency.
​
My Side:
I've been single for 3 years, significantly longer than ever before in my life but I've finally reached a point where I can say it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I had a lot to work through and there were many failed attempts at jumping right into a new relationship before I took a step back and did the whole "dating myself" thing. Along with this I've promised myself that I won't enter a serious relationship with anyone I don't see a real future with. I'd much rather hold onto my individual life and enjoy the world's adventures than constantly adjust my schedule and mental energy for the man (or whomever) of the moment.
I've also realized in this time that I am most likely some form of polyamorous so my future relationships will hopefully be nontraditional in that way. One thing I've known since the age of 11 is that I do not want to be a mother in any way. I really adore their child and used to babysit for them in a date night sitter pinch. He's really special and I'd regularly joke with her that if I could be guaranteed a kid just like him I would consider motherhood I just never thought it'd come to this.
It's possible the protective walls I've built are a bit too much but I'm scared of what will happen if I lower them, even though I'm maybe starting to want to. While I've found confidence in my strengths (immensely curious, empathetic, playful, thoughtful, etc.), my late friend was intimidatingly talented, driven, and intelligent in ways I'll never relate to so there's a level of fear around not living up to what he had in her even though I know how silly that is and nothing he's said leads me to believe he thinks that.
​
His Side:
Obviously I can't speak for him but I'll address my observations and his words. He mentions her to me and I currently have no issues with is, it's been nice getting to know more about my friend actually but it's never been a main talking point between us. Perhaps because of his career there seems to be certain level of, idk, emotional detachment to the event. He's a very emotional man but I haven't seen him cry over her once and has a kind of "life is what it is" mentality. I think his son has something to do with it since he has no choice but to keep the household running on his own now. It's hard to find time to mourn when you're rebuilding your life and routine. He's told me he's been trying hard to make sure his son still has the best life and is just now realizing that trying to be two parents at once is not likely to be the best way as it causes burnout.
There is a shrine in their living room of her and some of her stuff still around but most everything else he was pretty quick to store in the basement and start giving to friends/family who may want or need them. He did start seeing a therapist but doesn't feel like he's getting much from it because he doesn't feel like he has a lot of emotions to sort out as she was here and now she is gone and life goes on. I did mention how valuable a therapist can be in helping one figure out logistical things too so hopefully he continues to go for help in his transition to single parenthood if for no other reason. He has a solid support system from both his and her family but few of them live nearby (I live a 5 minute walk away). Aside from his closest couple of friends he has mentioned how people have naturally started returning to their own routines after the first couple of months.
Prior to meeting his late wife, he was in an 8 year relationship so he is similar to me in the level of seriousness he brings to his relationships (at least before now). I'm unsure about the 8 year relationship but know he and my late friend very quickly progressed their relationship upon meeting so I think he's a dive in head first type of romantic. As far as I know he's never been in an open relationship and they had a closed marriage but he admitted that there was some very very light discussions in their marriage of dipping a baby toe into alternative arrangements.
​
Where We're At:
I pretty much ignored the signs I saw of him trying to make an admittedly timid move on me because I didn't know what to do or think about it all. Eventually he point blank told me he wanted to hook up (originally all I was interested in) before changing that to date me. He was clearly nervous to discuss it at first and would alternate between saying things like how he'd "love to see me" to randomly calling me a "homie" which he'd never done before so I chalked this all up to him having widow's fire and being eager to get back out there to fill physical needs while confusing that with wanting to date again. Being unsure I could handle any clinginess that may have come from being his first experience post marriage I admitted that the attraction was mutual but that some things would need to be discussed first.
We've been able to have pretty open conversations since then (about a month ago). I told him about my desire to pursue polyamory, my need for a childfree life, and my uncertainty that I'd be able to be as present in his life as he'd want me to be but that if he was strictly looking for an emotionally safe outlet for physical needs, I'd be open to a FWB type of situation at this time. He told me he's not looking for a mother to his child and that he's never tried polyamory but that he really likes me and would be interested in seeing how that goes. He admitted that after one weekend where I chose not to be a booty call he did spend the night with another woman he's known for a while through a shared hobby (honestly a relief to me). He said she is nice and that it's cool to connect with someone who shares a niche passion with you but that he is not really interested in her. Apparently she has been eager to get to know him better and be a bigger part of his life but he wants that from me and not her.
I won't lie, no ones had a proper crush on me like this in over a decade and I forgot how nice it feels so it's getting harder toot get swept up in it. We have things in common and he's very easy to talk to which is uncommon for me to feel. He has a way of making me feel very safe and calm like I do not need to have a guard up in a way I haven't felt since my very first relationship. I've already started feeling the little butterflies when I see he's messaged me and have been open to making more time for him which is scaring the poo out of me. After our heart to heart about how we'd like to proceed for now, he kissed me and about a week later (a few days ago), I was visiting him and his son for dinner and we did end up sleeping together. It wasn't exactly how I imagined (when is it ever really) but it was a good kind of gentle and sweet that I thought didn't exist in the world anymore. On top of that we had some pillow talk before I left (early mornings to get the kid to school) and he gave me the most meaningful and sincere compliment I've ever gotten in my life. I actually started tearing up because I don't know that I've ever felt so seen by someone before and it's related to a trait I've questioned about myself in recent years.
He's currently visiting family half way across the globe for a week and half which is probably a good thing for some reflection time. Right now half of me is sprinting away from this situation to protect my heart and the life I've built for myself while the other half is seriously considering the logistics of entering some form of open relationship with a freshly widowed single father. My emotions are all over the place about this. In one moment I'm smiling and in disbelief that such a quirky, intelligent, sensitive, silly, good looking man is interested in someone like me. The next moment I'm feeling guilty over "stealing" my late friend's husband and like I'm trying to hijack the life she built. Then I'm worried about how our friends and family will view me (and him and us). Suddenly I'm a little mad/jealous that she was able to meet someone so great at 22 while I suffered through a series of traumas and abuses that's forever hardened me in ways I don't love. I'll feel frustrated that the first person I feel this way about in so long has baggage I'm not sure I can make peace with but then excited at the prospect of trying something new and seeing how it goes. This is of course in addition to all the things people feel in traditional dating dynamics so it's obviously a whirlwind! For now though we seem to be on the same page of just enjoying each others conversation and company and leaving it at that.
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Thanks:
For anyone that read this far, you're a trooper! I'd give you a strawberry smelly sticker if I could but you'll just have to take my words of appreciation instead. Even if you skimmed it skipped over parts you likely have more than enough info to give me some food for thought. Part of this may be me just needing to get it out of my head and on paper so to speak in a way my journal wasn't satisfying lol
Pleez Halp

Hey all! Been lurking, but now I'm asking for some collaboration! For the last decade I've always admired 1-off 'cafe-racers' that I see built, but never thought I'd own one especially the way I like it. Last year I decided to dive head-first into my own build and oh man, it turned out sweet. 81' Virago xv750 mated to a 2006 GSXR front end. I tried to keep as much hardware from the old girl as I could even cleaning the stainless bolts as 40+ year old stainless just slaps different. All aspects of the frame have been modified in some way (with all new powdercoating on most parts) to accomodate all the stuff under the tank and outfitted her with an m.unit. Wired it up and it was off to the races. Tuned the carbs individually, adjusted the floats (pics) and balanced them together. She starts with a little bump of the choke and purrs strong with leakdowns at 160/155 psi on the jugs Here's where I need help...It runs a top sitting still (and front what I can tell back and forth,) but If you start to jiggle it around specifically side to side it dies. I pull the choke and it dies faster which tells me it's loading up on fuel somehow when it's being knocked around. A little puff of black smoke after it recovers happens also if I can bring it back with the throttle before it putters out. I can't imagine anything else that moves other than the gas in the float. Where do I go from here?
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Linked pics of the bike and the floats (2 on the raked side.)
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https://imgur.com/a/t4sGNT7

Currently replacing the roof on an old barn lean to, so I can use it to store a car, once the roof is water tight I want to turn my attention to the floor, currently it's a brick floor, most likely laid on soil 100 years ago, it's fairly dry but not free of various insects and rodents, id like to keep the brick but modernise it. My plan is to lift the bricks, dig down as deep as required, and install a sub floor, a dpm and lay the bricks back on top. I want to layer the floor so as to avoid insects and rodents being able to get in. I particularly don't want to use sand to lay the bricks into like you would on a driveway, nor between the bricks as the place will be full of ants in no time, have a hard enough job keeping them out of the house here. Can anyone tell me the best way to do this. My guess is, hardcore base on a membrane, a dpm then a layer of cement maybe 5cm deep to bed the bricks into, The garage could hold up to an SUV at 2.5tonnes in theory so would need to be right, the excellent advice at paving expert says at least 100mm sub base for mot1 can I put a dpm direct on top of hardcore? Can I cement on top of one? Any better suggestions. I'd then use dry cement to fill the gaps in the bricks and when installed water the bricks to set the cement?

I find it so easy i get bored. Im a solo player. Only have about 10 days played. If you dont wunna get raided. Then dont kill anyone who knows where you live. Dont go to your house when people are around. Build in a spot off the track. Its quite easy it simply requires patience and a little IQ. If you see someone and arent prepared. RUN. Dont hang about and wait till they kill you. You wunna make friends then run around naked.
Someones outside your base? Dont make a sound. Stay silent for a while. Grab some food. come back they will be gone.
Hang around talk shit roof camp, get door camped get raided.
Im solo and barely evet get raided. And when i do get raided i have so many seperate rooms filled with junk the raiders just give up and miss the good stuff. One time i lived in a raided base for a week. They went top down. Got one loot room and missed all the good shit. So i lived there till end of wipe. Who the hell gonna raid a raided base.
You just gotta be sneaky.
Yes you do get unlucky. But its nowhere near as difficult as some like to claim.
TDLR:Get gud

I've provided a method below for this process as I have found most EU coke to be cut with Ephedrine (Ephedrine HCl crystals).
It's important to understand when washing, that temperature is a very important factor. Heat is the energy needed for organic reactions to take place. In this wash, we use cold Chloroform because Ephedrine is partially soluble in Chloroform. By reducing the temperature, we reduce the rate Ephedrine HCl can be dissolved in Chloroform, whereas coke will dissolve in Chloroform fairly easily, even at colder temperatures, so the wash will be more successful.
Also, Chloroform evaporates at 20'C, so please perform this wash in a cool environment. If you live in a country with a hot climate, do it at night.
I'd also recommend an Acetone wash beforehand to improve the quality of the product.
CHLOROFORM WASH
Goal - Removal of Ephedrine (also reasonable efficiency of Levamisole and Pseudoephedrine removal – Hexane wash required for 99% purity)
Equipment
- Lab Stand
- medium to high flow filter papers, 16 cm. in diameter
- plastic funnel, 3-4 in. diameter top
- Pyrex pie-dish (9-10 inches dia.)
- 100 ml glass Pyrex beaker and a 6-inch glass stir rod.
- Blow-dryer
- Chloroform (lab grade) – stored in Freezer overnight
Method
- IMPORTANT – PERFORM METHOD IN WELL VENTILATED AREA, WEARING MASK AS FUMES ARE VERY DANGEROUS TO INHALE
- Ensure Chloroform is chilled before use – you want it as cold as possible, but not less than minus 60’c. Most home freezers are set to -20’C, which is acceptable.
- Crush Chang as finely as possible and add to the beaker.
- Fill beaker with cold Chloroform - 10ml/g of Chang as an estimate. (12.5ml chloroform dissolves 1g of PURE Chang, so 10ml/g is an estimate based on assumed cut ratio, assumung you are starting with a purity of around 80%). The goal is to only add enough Chloroform to dissolve the Chang, as the other impurities will dissolve into the Chloroform (just at a much slower rate). Stir thoroughly with glass rod for 3-5 minutes until fully dissolved. Anything solid inside the beaker at this point, is not Chang.
- Take a filter paper, fold to half-circle, then again to a triangle. Open one of the two openings and place inside the funnel. Trim the funnel itself to where the edge of the filter paper (this prevents the solution touching the plastic funnel). Push the filter paper so into the funnel so the tip of the paper protrudes the funnel.
- Place the funnel on your lab stand so the tip of the filter paper is roughly 1 inch above the pie-dish. ENSURE THE FILTER PAPER IS SECURELY CLIPPED TO THE BEAKER.
- Keep stirring solution, then quickly but carefully, pour the solution into the filter paper. Once solution is in place, cover the top to protect from moisture.
- Allow the solution to fully pass onto the pie-dish (time will depend on purity, so check every 5-10 mins if solution is still in the filter paper.
- Once all liquid has passed through, from a distance of at least 12 inches away and facing away from you, carefully blow dry the pie-dish to evaporate off a majority of the chloroform liquid. Continue until a goo forms. Allow this goo to dry and crystalize in a well-ventilated area (Est 24 hours)

Sorry everyone just wanted to rant a bit:
I graduated at a top 3 CS university in Canada in May 2022. I had internships with AWS and Microsoft AI. My LC count is around 410. I can do most medium questions in under 45mins, as well of some of the well-known hards. I was fortunate enough to have interviews with Bloomberg and Google before all the hiring freeze happen. I made to final round of Bloomberg, but the interview got cancelled one day before my final round as they already found someone to fill the role. I was rejected with Google after I bombed 1/4 of my final loop.
Nowadays I've applied to most cs jobs I see that fits my qualification including no name companies I never knew existed. But I've been getting no interviews, just plain rejection email. I've also had recruiters looking at my linkedin profile before sending me their rejection email without any interviews. Objectively I don't think my experience are any bad, but I was still rejected.
I recently moved back to my home country to cut down living costs. I applied for a few localretail jobs and was rejected(I think they were probably thinking I was trolling). I guess it's over for me temporarily. I seriously don't see myself landing any single software engineering job this year.
I know it's temperary, but seeing my friends who graduated earlier than me are now already senior engineers does make me feel a little sad. I'm starting to have some self doubts whether if im cut for this industry. Been thinking a lot about taking a different career path for me. I know I'm not the best coder out there, but I honesty think I have no other valuable skills other than coding.
The past year I've also learned new technologies. I picked up Next.JS and TailwindCSS after having done mostly backend for my past work. Now I'm learning web design, Framer, and React Native. But at the same time I feel I'm not making progress in life.
Wanted to share my story here to let people on the same boat that you are not alone. I feel like shit, but I'm trying my best to move forward. I won't give up and neither should you. Lets keep pushing!
I also wanted to hear if there is any advice you guys have for me. Sorry if the story is not organized, I'm not very good at writing. Thank you so much! Really appreciated!

Interestingly, the Bible clearly says God’s New Earth (Jerusalem) will be ruled by children. Greta Thunberg represents this new generation, striving to promote and sustain life on our planet. Here, I share my notes on her most recent (February 2023) work The Climate Book, with the hope in my heart that her voice will be carried far. *[My own Christian perspective is weaved into her scientific outlook.]
To begin, Carbon Dioxide (C02) is a basic building block of life, some of which has been stored underground from plants from long ago. Over 2 million years ago, too much C02 caused a mass extinction. Afterwards, trees were virtually gone. It took millions of years for Earth's biosphere and life to recover.
People have been farming for over 10,000 years, depleting the nutrients of the land. Between 1945 and 2000, the number of people tripled. Since the 1990s, we have dumped more climate changing toxins into our environment than throughout all of human history. We consume more, due to this “great acceleration.” In the 20th century, people accelerated their use of fossils fuels.
The science is solid. The great acceleration occurred with the industrial revolution. We have filled our oceans with plastics, and are destabilizing our own ecosystem. This is like sawing off the branch we are sitting on!
Nature cycles carbon, but global warming can be exacerbated by the release of carbon from the soil due to warming. We have knocked the natural balance off, due to our use of stored fuels and our own carbon emissions. Since the industrial revolution, our economy is reliant upon fossil fuels and non-sustainable practices.
We must rebalance our planet by controlling our own behaviors and emissions. If we continue with current practices, we will warm our planet by 4 degrees by the end of this century.
What will this be like? Extreme heat waves will occur yearly, along with drought and famine. Sea ice will disappear, revealing more of the ocean.
Climate change directly causes the death of coral reefs, and if they collapse they will also take with them millions of ocean species. We may be causing the 6th extinction. Coral reefs become bleached due to warmer waters as their colorful algae is expelled, threatening over 30% of ocean species. Right now, three billion people rely upon our oceans for food. We need to farm our oceans sustainably (such as for seaweed). Fishermen are currently exploiting 90% of available fisheries. One billion people depend on fish for omega-3 fatty acids and more.
Why don’t more people care? Many do not perceive a threat because it is slow and complicated. We have exploited and distanced ourselves from Nature. Even our religions have promoted the false notion that this world is to be devalued, and we are separated from our Creator. Many feel a void, with no God within. Many try to fill this emptiness with ceaseless products. Our entire worldview and our daily habits must change.
Today 20% of California’s power use goes toward providing water. We can take better measures, like drawing from ocean water.
Factory and human waste is polluting our waters. Riots have broken out, such as in India, over access to water. Who is taking this seriously? The public? The government? It seems almost no one.
Our government could pass new laws, but they do not. People are also self-interested, and rarely act for the social good if it takes from them in any way. This age is characterized by selfishness and greed, as even the Bible warns in Revelation. Tragically and shockingly, the fossil fuel industry is receiving 11 million in subsidies each minute.
The Industrial revolution, rise of science and decrease in religious morality have all compelled these trends forward. We need a new ethic prioritizing life. Religious leaders must support life, not the Death Culture which exalts the self (no matter the consequences).
We are literally obsessed with culture wars that distract us from our common interests in protecting our planet and making future generations possible.
What stands in the way of a sustainable future for human life? Should consumers even have a choice to purchase destructive products, like plastic containers for single-uses? Should meat even be available? If we really took this seriously, what measures would we take, and what laws would our government pass?
One problem is how some lives are valued more than others, and a select few are exploiting and making life impossible for many. Those in power do not tend to question their privilege!
GLORIFICATION OF THE SELF We have convinced ourselves that we deserve our carbon-rich lifestyles. If we remain hedonistic and not prudent, the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change will suffer the most.
And, Christ will judge us based on how the least among us is treated. Do we contemplate this with each plastic bottle we toss out, or plane trip we take? Isn’t living sustainably Christian behavior, reflecting the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and our living God?
Our future grandchildren will pay and suffer for our convenience now. But, we glorify the self. We glorify the pleasure of the individual and freedom to drive our species over a cliff. Many arguments from the ‘other side’ boil down to a call for the freedom to die.
CORRUPT LEADERSHIP Our leaders are taking us over a cliff. George W. Bush pulled out of the Kyoto protocol, given it was not ratified prior to his taking power. He chose to serve corporate interests (even over human life). Bush declared that the American way of life is not negotiable (1992). Since he spoke these words over 30 years ago, our emissions have increased by 60%, creating an existential crisis.
Given such attitudes and priorities, we have a limited carbon budget to spend in the next few years if we wish to avoid the most dire consequences of global warming. We need to raise the cost of carbon, forcing consumers to pay more for products that are heavy in carbon pollution. We also need to change our diets. We must get our priorities straight.
In 2009, corrupt lobbying destroyed an act that would have helped. But the fossil fuel industry, driven by greed, spends billions on disinformation and distraction. They poison public debate with dirty money. Leaders set non-binding targets, then fail to reach the goals. Their true priorities are economic growth and profit. It seems to the public that actions are being taken, but they are not taking serious measures at all.
The richest ten percent contribute 50% of our total C02 emissions. We need to restructure our economy to be sustainable. The idea of infinite growth is not possible on our finite planet.
We are all in the same crisis, but not the same boat. The only hope is in speaking truth to power and adjusting our behaviors accordingly.
CURRENT SITUATION There is about 1 carbon molecule for every 2,000 other molecules in our atmosphere, so carbon is difficult to locate for removal. To stop putting carbon into our air is much cheaper and better than paying for carbon removal later, which would cost trillions upon trillions. Why should we allow companies to continue business as usual, passing cost and problems to future generations?
Climate change is responsible for over 2 trillion in economic costs. Economic damage from climate change will cost over 3x the amount the pandemic cost. For example, insurance rates will rise and the real estate market will suffer due to not being able to sell in coastal and impacted areas.
Worldwide, waste is increasing at an alarming rate and 20% of methane emissions are due to our waste. We need to engage in more intelligent practices. For example, we can compost (which reduces waste in landfills that leads to methane emissions). Composting will also nourish our gardens.
Methane removal, through oxidation, is needed. Half of our methane is produced from human behaviors like cattle agriculture.
C02 is forever, while methane is temporary. Methane is 20-30x more potent in warming our atmosphere than C02, but it dissipates over 40 years while C02 will remain thousands upon thousands of years. C02 is also cumulative.
Given this, we must stop our emissions of greenhouse gases immediately. If we reach zero emissions, it will drastically reduce global warming. Carbon dioxide is at its highest in 2 billion years, due to our behaviors. We are experimenting with our own lives and planet!
Toxins accumulate in sea creatures, damaging the whole ecosystem. C02 enters the blood of fish, affecting acidification. Acidity has already risen 30%, producing hazards for marine life, like for coral reefs and in decreasing calcification in the shells of sea life. Shopping bags can strangle sea animals and their stomachs are found full of microplastics.
The Amazon forest works as a giant air conditioner, cooling our planet. It absorbs C02. But temperatures in the Amazon are increasing and it is getting more dry due to the expansion of farming and deforestation.
Aerosols like smoke and other tiny particles in our air affect our global temperature. Some cool our atmosphere by reflecting the sun, even dropping temperatures by 0.5 percent. Without aerosols, our atmosphere would be hotter. But air pollution is also hazardous, coming from our cars and factories, for example.
Clouds reflect sunlight back into space, but can also insulate heat like a blanket. Reduced clouds over our oceans force the ocean to absorb the sunlight, thus contributing to global warming.
Melting ice caps no longer reflect the sun, leading even to more warming. Our glaciers are melting. The Himalayas provide drinking water to billions, yet will melt by 1/3. We have enough ice to raise our ocean levels the equivalent of a 20 story building. We have already lost the equivalent of Mt. Everest in ice sheets. This melting will lead to coastal devastation for those living near our oceans. Our oceans will rise by a meter by 2100.
Oceans absorb about 90% of the excess heat produced by global warming. While oceans absorb about ¼ of C02, warming produces less absorption. We must enhance our oceans ability to absorb C02. Even a 1.5 degree increase in temperature is a great risk to our future survival. Our weather has extremes, like the freezing waters and the heatwave that killed many in 2021.
Human made climate change has devastating consequences. For example, Hurricane Harvey cost billions and the severity was 15% greater due to human made climate change. Sadly, 20 million people were displaced by flooding in 2020.
Distressingly, we have all witnessed that even minor disruptions in our supply chain are devastating. Thus, climate change must be averted at all costs.
Our temperature has already warmed by 1%, which all reputable science agrees upon. This is already causing damage right now. Heat waves and air pollution lead to heart related and respiratory deaths, not just heat strokes. Millions die per year due to air pollution. The warming climate also triggers diseases like Maleria and will kill millions. These diseases are being seen in areas not seen before.
The increase of C02 in our atmosphere is even making our crops less nutritious. Specifically, soils lack zinc and protein. Zinc deficiency then leads to a reduced immune system. Millions more will have an iron and folate deficiency due to current C02 levels. Iron deficiency leads to premature births.
GOING FORWARD So then, what is our best path forward for survival? We have to stick to a carbon budget per year to reach our goal of only increasing the temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius. The carbon budget, to stay within the agreements of the Paris accord, will be used up in a few years. But noone seems to be sounding any alarms. Is this because our media is controlled by the elite?
Politicians still respond to mammon ($) with no concern, really, for life. Congressman Manchin singlehandedly rewrote climate legislation in 2021, even with all aware that he has millions invested in fossil fuels, like the influential Koch brothers.
Exxon Mobil has been well aware of the consequences of their actions for decades, yet put forth false discussions into the public sphere. They purposefully stalled for time, which we do not have.
The King of Saudi Arabia has unbelievable wealth and power, but when we move to solar and wind energy power will not be so concentrated. This may lead to a more hopeful and democratic future that serves the actual interests of the people. We need to turn to our Sun. We need to now rely upon energy from heaven, not from hell. It is not that we do not have the money to change. It is that those benefiting from our current Death Economy do not have the will to change.
Many will promote carbon capture technologies, but the reality is hidden. There are only about 20 carbon capture facilities operating right now, some shown to produce more carbon than they capture. We can use fossil fuels only until around 2050, unless technology like carbon capture is seriously invested in (and not just used as a talking point). Many CEOs deflect attention from change right now, promising (like snake oil salesmen) to develop sustainable technology in the future. (Interestingly, blue hydrogen can be made from carbon capture.)
Solving our crisis calls for us putting less demand upon our energy system, such as in consuming less. We need to return to more of a natural, Earth based way of life. Do we all really need to extend our days, with artificial light, past the natural hours of sunlight? Must we eat meat? Wherever there is a roof, there is a potential for a solar panel. Wind parks can also be built in offshore locations, where they are less disruptive.
Green hydrogen is a fuel that leaves only water behind and is usually produced by methane. But it costs more to produce than it makes. Thus, green hydrogen requires an abundance of cheap energy.
Hydropower facilities use water flow to produce energy, while nuclear power splits elements for energy, and produces around 10% of the world’s energy. But, a nuclear power factory that just opened in 2022 took 16 years to open. And, nuclear power can have disastrous consequences and can be the target of terrorism.
Biomass energy creates energy by burning wood or other biological matter. But, it can take hundreds of years for forests to regrow. Thus, we need to slow down this process and aim to stop burning things on Earth for energy.
Geothermal heat takes energy from the Earth's heat, producing around 17% of greenhouse gases. But it is limited in that there are limited planetary hot spots. In air capture measures, carbon is pumped underground, like in BECS. BECS pumps carbon underground and provides electricity from the burning of plant matter, which is cost effective compared to other measures. Enhanced weathering is also a promising technique, such as exposing crushed rocks and minerals to the carbon in the air to facilitate natural processes.
Finally, some promote geoengineering, which is the manipulation of our atmosphere, such as reducing the warming effects of our sun. Some support spraying sun-blocking aerosols or coating ice to protect it. This is actually risky to our ecosystems. Solar engineering is too dangerous, given once the process is started it must continue indefinitely (and political regimes can change). If suddenly stopped, warming will occur to an even greater degree than if no measures were ever taken.
REAL SOLUTIONS Elites consume and produce more than most. Our problems are that of inequality as much as pollution. If the top 10% (financially) only produced the carbon footprint of the bottom 90% of global emitters, 1/3 of carbon would be reduced. Thus, carbon budgets will affect the filthy rich the most. The most wealthy are contributing a shockingly disproportionate amount of pollution. The average person produces 6.5 tons of emissions per year, with the wealthy producing 75 tons.
Rich countries know they are liable for their pollution. They, of course, do not want to focus discussions on responsibility. The global economy could shrink by 18% due to the climate crisis.
We need to reduce emissions, restoring soils and forests. We need to protect our soil from tilling, pesticides and depleted nutrients. We have found that enriching soil with nitrogen has polluted our water. We need new practices. How can we sustainably grow food? How can we facilitate new ideas?
PLANT-BASED DIET We know that as affluence increases, so does meat consumption. But more efficient use of water and land, such as in transitioning to plant-based diets and farms, is our only viable path forward. This would support health of our land, souls and bodies!
Plant-based foods have the lowest impact, while meats can impact our environment over 20x more. Every 50 calories that go into meat (feed) produces 1 calorie as human food. 4x the size of Brazil in land is used for grazing cattle, the greatest use of land (even above forests). And, 20% of gas emissions are due to how we use land, mainly for agriculture. Our current food production also causes 30% of greenhouse gases. We need to shift to a plant-based diet. We can feed our communities using 76% less land. One burger, which gives 10 grams of protein, uses resources like land and water that would provide many more nutritious calories if the same land was instead devoted to vegetable and fruit gardens.
Turning away from meat would not only help us feed more people, it would also help reduce diseases in our bodies and help reduce carbon pollution. Specifically, 350 million tons per year in emissions would be reduced if we shunned meat. Becoming vegetarian is the single most impactful action you can take to help.
We are eating more calories, when we need to consume less. Specifically, we need to reduce pork and beef calories by 80% in wealthy countries. Currently, 1/3 of all food produced is not consumed. We must make smarter use of our land and reduce our food consumption and waste. Humans have directly reduced biodiversity in shaping the land for our purposes, such as in agricultural practices. We farm around 30% of land now. It would take far less land to farm if we stopped using land for food for cows and other “products” for the meat industry.
Given all of this, how can it be that $500 billion in government subsidies go into agriculture that is not sustainable? We need a political and spiritual revolution. We need significant behavioral and technological changes immediately. For example, if we lowered the speed limit, we would save over 5 tons of carbon emissions annually (just in Germany). We also need cities that are efficiently constructed, and need to reduce unnecessary travel. We can use online meetings rather than physically traveling to meetings.
We can also encourage college students to prepare solutions for our problems, instead of preparing for the job market! This kind of free thought would be supported by a Universal Basic Income.
Even in 2021, 95% of transport relies upon oil (including cars, planes and ships). We need to curb the sale of SUVs, which produce great emissions. Why are they so popular? We need to encourage lighter vehicles, banning SUV advertising. We need to wake up!
Renewable energy is now the cheapest form of energy. Renewable energy makes more sense, yet those who have vested interests in fossil fuels do not want change and actively work against change. Still today, 1.446 billion vehicles run on petrol. EVs are a good step, but we really need electric public transit.
We need to outlaw all petrol engine vehicles starting 2025, and more. By 2035, there will be 2 billion private vehicles. We need free public transportation, like trains, trams, busses and ferries.
We also really need to buy less. We can reuse and repair our items and vehicles, rather than buying new things. Americans spend $5,400 per year on impulse purchases, and studies show that more ‘stuff’ does not equate with greater levels of happiness. We can share and borrow items, as a true community. This is also Christian behavior.
We can wear second-hand clothing. The clothing industry fills landfills! Electric bikes are also good alternatives to our current ways. We can buy only energy efficient appliances and can avoid over packaged foods, meat and dairy.
We need to transform our food system and plant green gardens everywhere possible. We need home garden and trees and biodiversity in cemeteries, parks and public areas as well as home backyards.
Biodiversity protects us by removing C02 from the air and purifying our waters. It helps mitigate disease and even protects our health. We need to support biodiverse land because it absorbs more C02. This is a real action we can take.
We also need to let forests grow and stop cutting young trees for wood. Before the Industrial revolution, people burned mostly wood for energy. Industrialization did relieve the deforestation occurring at the beginning of the 19th century by turning to fossil fuel energy instead of wood burning. After the development of coal burning machines, pollution killed more people than we realize. We do have to stop burning fossil fuel.
Today the ability of a forest to store carbon depends on many factors. First, we need to replace trees at the rate carbon would have been captured if wood was not harvested. If a tree is not cut, how much carbon would it capture over its lifetime?
We need to reduce wood harvesting. Specifically, we can harvest from constructed tree farms, but also allow other trees to grow old, to support biodiversity. We need no till farming, a plant based diet, biodiverse forests and more. We need drastic carbon emission cuts now.
We have already reduced the populations of birds, reptiles and insects by 2/3 since the 1970s. Sadly, 60% of all songbirds have disappeared in the last decades.
We are killing our ecosystem. Pollinators (like bees) are dying, thus leading to our deaths due to not being able to eat vegetables (which increases heart disease due to poor diet and high meat consumption).
But, are people even able to respond to new information? Are we able to act on new data? We will see.
Buying less means we do not have to earn as much. Our world will be better and we will feel better. We need to take the status away from consuming products. There are websites devoted to revealing the true carbon footprint of popular products, like: www.ethicalconsumer.com
Profits motivate corporations to distract the public from the truth. We are not told how unhealthy certain common things are, even in the long term. It is not in their interest (they mistakenly think) to be honest and change to a more sustainable economy. Of course, God sees all.
Politicians are short sighted and are not addressing the crisis at all. We need “honesty, integrity and courage” (Greta Thunberg). But, many are still driven by mammon (money) to the point of our death. Many politicians are corrupt, with our blood on their hands. They have the blood of all future children who will never breathe in God's air of life, given lobbying, on their hands. How is lobbying legal? Our government does not work for the people, but for power and mammon. The rich are served and our Death Culture continues, while we continue to consume dead flesh.
Our politicians must lead us in a new direction, no matter if it is aligned with popular public opinion. Politicians need to communicate our true situation and our media needs to direct us to a more healthy future.
“The time for little steps in the right direction is over. We are in a crisis” – Greta.
Promises to become climate neutral by 2050 puts everyone back to sleep. If they really cared, drastic changes would be made right now instead of distracting our focus, according to Greta Thunberg.
“It matters what we say, but it matters even more what we do” - Greta.
We cannot act only nationally, given we are on one planet and are all affected. For example, the pandemic could not be kept to one nation. We must address our crisis as a world, not as isolated nations.
Geopolitical tensions stand in the way of true international negotiations. Nations are driven by a will to power. We need a new base ethic of valuing life and caring about each other (across nations and groups).
We need to work together to address the planetary crisis. Instead, each nation is actually preparing for conflict, based on the finances devoted to building military forces. Our money shows our true priorities.
Greta Thunberg says we need to just simply “tell it like it is.” We need to stand on our moral ground and be open to innovative ideas and solutions. She suggests many ideas for change.
First, we must start treating this climate crisis like a crisis. We must get our priorities straight. We must also admit our economic systems have failed. We need to face reality to be able to create a better world.
The best way to absorb more carbon is to leave forests alone. “A living tree must be valued more than a dead one,” explains Greta Thunberg. Scientists recommend we protect at least 30% of nature. Currently, only 3% of the Earth’s surface is unharmed.
We must spread the facts; 5.9 trillion dollars are spent annually in subsidies for fossil fuels, which is insanity. Do not fly; avoid air travel. The tourist economy is responsible for 8% of our yearly emissions. Instead of subsidies for air travel, we need to pay subsidies to encourage train travel. We can invest in wind and solar power, and scientific advances like farm-free food grown in a laboratory.
Science can shed light on how to nourish our soil and stop depleting it. Thus, we can go forward with science and morality as our guiding forces. The ‘is’ and the ‘ought’ will be complementary.
We need to educate ourselves and become climate activists. We can institute justice through protests and civil disobedience. We need to fight for democracy in non-violent ways. We need new laws to protect us.
Be disruptive. Look for common ground, using love and not hate to shed light into the darkness. Avoid culture wars that only distract us from survival with endless debates. Very simply, we must also buy less and use less. We can also stop purchasing single-use plastics, like bottles for water.
Plastics that are disposable have been available for 20 years, and thus have accumulated in our oceans. Companies that used to offer glass bottles and also clean them have now moved to disposable products and thus have passed on costs to us.
Coca-cola actively acts against legislation that would have them offer reusable bottles again, as they did before single-use plastics. Companies blame consumers for bad habits yet shoot down laws against single-use plastics. The UK is the second highest trash producer, after the US. Most plastic is counted as recycled but is not. It litters deserts and waters, affecting our climate. Transit companies disguise the true origin of waste as it is relentlessly burned in the cover of darkness.
Countries like the UK, US, Japan and Germany export waste to places like Southeast Asia, where it is often burned at night. People now suffer respiratory illness due to these common practices. Plastic produces greenhouse gases, as it is derived from oil.
And, even today, we do not have accurate data on carbon emissions. The Washington Post found that our current path to climate solutions is not even credible nor viable, given the reported numbers are so distorted. Countries report only a fraction of their true emissions, like Sweden, who reported 50 million tons of greenhouse gases when in fact they emit closer to 150 million tons per year. So, even now, only 1/3 of emissions were even included in reports in Sweden. This is seen internationally as well. We need a proper road map, based on data and our moral ground, that we actually follow!
But “Who do you vote for when the politics needed are nowhere to be found?” poignantly asks Greta Thunberg. Even in progressive countries like Sweden, only 10% of ‘recycled’ products are actually recycled. Much is burned, causing further pollution.
So, recycling is a huge greenwashed myth. Most plastic will never be recycled. It is all made so cheaply that it is made to be disposed of. So, plastic litters landfills and our waters, especially in poorer areas. Micro plastics are now everywhere, even inside us. 8 million tons per year of plastic waste is dumped into our oceans.
We can reduce packaging, to start. We need a major system change. Greenpeace is calling for a 50% reduction in plastics in coming years, given our situation.
Specifically, we already also have 40 years of carbon built up in our atmosphere and our C02 emissions are on track to rise 16% in the coming years.
We are set to increase our global temperature, yet the media is not covering this crisis. We cannot negotiate, for we value life itself while those in power prioritize profit; “They speak to flowers in the language of US dollars” says Greta Thunberg.
We need regular press briefings on our climate crisis and many discussions on how to solve our problems. For example, we can institute a #UBI as part of the transition in our economy and as jobs related to fossil fuels diminish.
Communist China is using over 70% of our carbon budget, and still will in 2030. This, while developing countries are affected the greatest by climate issues. How can developing countries move forward in a sustainable way? Capitalism also contributes to our crisis by encouraging increasing GDPs, despite the true costs to our planet. This economic system demands growth. Yet, high income nations do not need more growth. We need a new economic system based on our ecosystem. No current systems lead to life.
We need to educate ourselves. We need both individual and systemic, market change immediately. We must restructure our economy around renewable energy, less meat consumption and less SUVs, for example, to ensure our future. In fact, 80% of energy used in 2019 was still derived from fossil fuels.
Frequent flying and eating meat are some of the most destructive activities an individual can do in terms of the climate crisis. Some have made an oath to never fly and to become vegetarian, given our situation.
We need to phase out private jets, mega yachts and other egregious displays of wealth and status. We can make these displays shameful and not glorify them. We can take public transport and move away from fossil fuel based engines. For example, in Vienna, 60% of people live in community housing.
Should we shame those who live an unsustainable lifestyle? Should we offer softer signals that change is needed, like having our family over for a vegetarian dinner?
We can encourage others to live with less of an environmental impact. As one neighbor gets solar panels, so do others. We can share plant-based recipes. We can participate in social actions and protests.
Government also (on the macro level beyond the individual) needs to lead and set examples for a new way of living, following through with laws. We need to meet the basic survival needs of all humans on our planet with current resources.
The richest 20% need to reduce their consumption to 1/10th of 2015 levels, making room for others basic needs. Christ stood up for the needy and the powerless. But are we too unloving and selfish to survive as a species? What will happen to our souls, as we turn our backs to the most vulnerable?
Psychology has been used to advertise toward people’s deepest desires to inspire their purchases. Ads create (or play upon) a deep need, promising to fill the inner void. Products promise to make us feel better and to lead to our acceptance by our social groups. But, without God, people remain empty inside while landfills overflow.
For example, 73% of textiles (clothing) produced ends up in landfills. Can we start identifying with God, and not by our outer appearance and the latest fashion?
We need to phase out excess for a few, while expanding access to basic resources to all, like healthcare and housing. This is in line with instituting a Universal Basic Income (#UBI) for all, to help people of all identities survive the upcoming transitions on earth.
Our excesses are a clue into inner poverty. Many do not have solid community ties, even if they have material wealth. We are actually happier when we are connected to others, giving and sharing. Our efforts to help others and transition from our selfish society will lead to deep joy, not poverty. We will be blessed as we use our voices and hands to carry forth God’s will.
As a start, we can choose (given our morals) to buy only 3 new pieces of clothing per year, take less trips, rid ourselves of personal vehicles and eat a plant-based diet. What else can we do?
We need the Holy Spirit to guide our souls and hands as we create a new day! We can change if we hold hope, as the eloquent theologian Jurgen Moltmann has shared. We can shift from unhealthy social norms, and these healthy changes will allow all of us to thrive.
We need relationships based on love and reciprocity instead of greed and a will to power. We need less selfishness and more sacrifice for others whom we share with because we actually care. We need to restructure our world based on love, as Christ taught.
When we take action for a sustainable society, we will find new meaning in our daily actions. Our community bonds can grow stronger as we change. And, as sociologist Emile Durkheim found, strong community bonds lead to less suicides. We have the opportunity to promote life and even joy in coming together to change our world for the better!
We do not wish to conserve the world, but create a new one. We need more community control over resources and a guaranteed income for all, regardless of group affiliation. We need energy efficient public housing and to restructure the economy to a more just system. We need to align our economy with our ecosystem as well as our morality. As the brilliant Martin Buber wrote, we need to develop I-thou relationships, based on a recognition of others and not an exploitation of them. Equity and sustainably go hand in hand; there can be no sustainably without equity. Instead of asking who owns land, we need to ask who is responsible for the land. We need a politics of love.
CONCLUSIONS: CARETAKING IS A GREEN JOB! We need to transition to a care-taking society, where all are cared for and treated with love. We need to dismantle the call to endless growth and greed.
“We need to redefine hope and progress, so that these words do not translate to destruction” – Greta.
We need to prioritize people over profits. Green jobs, like caretaking, can be recognized as we turn away from jobs based on over-consumption of unneeded products. Carework is climate work! We need to not only repair our relationship with our planet, but also with each other. We can become a global family.
Solutions involve community actions in helping each other, just as Christ called for. Also, our youth must be a global force of change. We must learn from our mistakes and challenge the status quo and those with interests in the current Death Culture.
Truth, justice and morality are on the side of creating a sustainable future, explains Greta Thunberg. In our Postmodern age, where some claim all views are valid, what is Truth? Both sides of an issue are not equally valid. Survival is not a story with two sides.
We need to end our Death Culture by following the path of love (set by Christ) and carrying out God’s will, for God is Truth. When we recognize this, we will move from the Postmodern Era to the Pre-Utopian Era, as we prepare the ground for God’s New Earth.
Takethejump.org

Angler, Hippo and Turtle team managed to ambush the small squad of 5, as they were trying to flank around the mountain towards Saunders. the Hetzer quickly silencing one, but not before the others ran.
Through the valley pass they chased after them, despite their speed, the Leman’s still outran them, even in reverse. Shot after shot their front armour held strong, with hippo team managing to track 2 of them. Their main cannons and sponsons still firing in defiance until they were knocked out.
As they were pursued further down straight, they began to weave unpredictable. Shot after shot was levied toward them, and shot after shot, their either missed or glanced. Miho wondered what they were planning. Was this a scouting party? No, they would have used their lighter tanks, like the Siegfrieds Yukari pointed out. Septula Tacticus, they knew nothing of this team, nor their tactics, only that they were foreign students from the US. Their tanks resembled that used within Warhammer 40K, which Yukari somehow knew through an internet friend. How the JFS allowed such tanks was beyond her.
“Wow, they’re sure are slippery” mako spoke up “i’m not sure we can even catch them
“How are they even moving so fast for a battle tank” Hana asked “just when I have the sight over them, they manage to turn away at the last second”
“While the Leman Russ only has a top speed of 29 kilometres per hour, if properly tuned, it can go as fast as 70, or even faster” Yukari answered .
Saori looked down to Yukari with a confused look “how do you know the speed of a tank that doesn’t exist?” she asked.
Yukari simply looked back to her saying “i read it on the Wikipedia page” smiling as she did
Quickly they were nearing the end of the valley, something troubled Miho. They wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake sending those Russes down this tight area. A sudden shock went up her back as she realised what has happened. They were played. Before she could relay the order to the others, a thunderous boom echoed down the valley, as ground below the Hippo’s StuG was suddenly ruptured forth in a large blast, causing it to flip and come down onto its roof, and causing Miho’s to wobble on one side of its treads.
Just as the two Lemans exited the canyon on either side, a mighty beast burst forth from the treeline, felling mighty trees as if it were reeds. It was twice as tall as her sister’s team’s Maus and was slightly wider. A massive casemate turret sitting atop the hull, the bore size being able to fit an adolescent inside. Its light cannons springing to life firing shots downrange. Causing Miho and the others to stop in their tracks.
“Mako, full reverse!” Miho said frightened as she turned in while the rest of her team reversed before turning back around, attempting to evade this steel titan.
“What the hell is that!” Momo shouted over the radio.
Miho looked down from her Copula to look at Yukari, who was staring in awe at the death on treads they were facing away from “Yukari” she called out, with her looking up towards her commander “what is that thing?”
After taking another look, she turned back towards her commander “by the looks of its chassis, I'd say we’re dealing with a Baneblade. And judging by that turret, it would most likely be the Banesword variant”
“Any details?” Miho asked.
“The Banesword is mainly meant for long range bombardment of structures, due to its quake cannon. But the Adeptus Militarum has used it for frontline engagements against other armour, making it an impromptu Super heavy Tank destroyer” she answered with glee
“And I would guess that would be their flag tank as well” Miho pondered, wondering how they would get out of this alive.
As they swerved to avoid the massive casemate cannon, they were getting hit with shots from its light cannon turrets and sponsons, only managing to graze their armour. Quickly radioed the rest of her team that had arrived at the entrance of the valley. As soon as they reached the entrance of the valley, she gave the order to open fire upon the cliffs either side of the valley. With a few good rounds, the rock sheered away from the cliff, bringing down more debris as it blocked the path of the Banesword.
“Phew, looks like they’re not coming through here anytime soon” Saori said, relived that they wouldn’t be facing that behemoth. And with that, Miho gave the order to move out. But as they were leaving, she looked back towards the Banesword. and through the dust, she saw its commander. while they wore an intimidating commissariat uniform, their face was covered with a featureless mask. Even though she couldn't see them, she felt as if its eyes were staring deep into hers. It was the same unnerving feeling as when she first met them, as Septula Tacticus was making their entrance.
She had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time they would face each other.

Creatively Discovering Elitism, a New Here and Now
Copyright© Xun F Shi
2023-04-01
all rights reserved
Elitism and new elitism are the two wordings for me to comprehend the major part of all human histories. The leader of a group must be an elite, and had better be the newest and greatest elite.
With this standard, I examine all human knowledge, experiences, meanings, significance, significations, and lessons; simply in one wording, the human world of meaning, within the scope I am capable of reaching.
All the elites and new elites in human history in meaning diverge from and converge to the wonders of God (Exodus 34:10), bear human image and likeness (Genesis 5:3), but learn from God’s education (Genesis 2:19-20) with the diversely limited human faculties, because of the limitation of different sets of geological, climate, and geographical features, and various demands of human times.
Through profound study, I find that all the elites and new elites in all human histories distributed across space and along time exist in a hierarchy, and American elites and new elites reside on the top of the hierarchy of elites. Now is the Year of our Lord 2023, the third year in the third decade of the first century in the third millennium along the Time of our Lord. At now and here, I recall the human top development in second and first millennia CE, and find the top five layers there.
The top five layers are formed through the creative discoveries and the natural momenta of the creative discoveries, respectively. The first layer is formed mainly by the traditions reshaped through the Hellenistic culture, the natural momentum from the creative discovery of the Greece Golden Age. The second layer is formed mainly by Roman Empire, the natural momentum of the creative combination of the advantages of the Hellenistic culture and the Roman social and national organization. The third layer is formed through the Christian societies, which are conceived through the first layer, and grow through the second layer, and become the mainstream and the top of all human civilizations in the third layer. The fourth layer is formed by the scientific powers, which are developed through the modernity and modernization first Christian societies, with the beginning from the creative rediscovery of the legacy of Greece Golden Age, partially through the Islamic Golden Age. The fifth layer is formed through the globalization of constitutional powers, their core is God’s assistance to George Washington’s constitutional leadership through American Revolution, Constitutional Convention, the establishment of the USA, his work following his retirement, and God’s continuous assistance to his legacy.
The USA is so started with its first liberal forward movement. This movement to its logic top faces the serious power struggle between the slavery forces and the abolishing forces. The slavery forces break from the Union, and start the Civil War. For protecting the Union, the first conservative forward movement is so begun. This movement continues until its logic end in the big depression. Thus, the second liberal forward movement begins with what so called the New Deal revolution. Its ending process becomes complex and starts from the stagflation in 1970s. Reagan revolution begins the second conservative forward movement but moving mainly on the surface of human top history, helps to solve the surface issues, such as going out of the stagflation, winning the Cold War, cultivating the information era, and so on.
But the deep issues are left unsolved. They continue to float from the deep to the surface of the human top history, such as the conflicts between the modernized and unmodernized civilizations, between the constitutionalized and un-constitutionalized civilizations, between the modernized but un-constitutionalized and modernized also constitutionalized civilizations, and so on. Because of these issues, we see the terrorism, the Ukraine war, the dictatorship globalization and penetration, the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential and emerging threats of the artificial intelligence, the surface problems of the complicated climate cycles, the heavily misunderstanding of God’s world and supernatural world, and so on.
All these deep issues demand that the conservative forward movement turns from the surface to the deep, with God’s demands to subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28), to let all mankind together see the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 40:5), to bring the scattered children of God together and make them one (John 11:52), to heal the nations (Revelation 22:2), and so on.
Therefore, this is the new here and now. We need the new great enlightenment and awakening with the big data generated daily in the informational era. We examine the data with all the constitutional, disciplinary and routine accountabilities, refine the best to fill the gaps of human knowledge from diverse sources. Finally, the new elites shall grow up, creatively coordinate all the traditional insights and new insights with the constitutional, disciplinary and routine hierarchy of insights in the direction for meeting the demands of human beings, the emerging artificial intelligent beings, natural beings, supernatural beings, and God.
This is the creatively discovering elitism, along the framework of God-assisted legacy of George Washington. Around it, there are the creatively conservatively discovering elitism and creatively liberally discovering elitism. They are constitutionally competitively co-evolving forward.

Hello everyone!
We have filled over 80% our spots for this year's JAMUN! Additionally, we have decided to add the new committee of UNDP! Get your spot today! https://forms.gle/Nm97w2Yi82fd1Pni6
This year's ninth annual Junior Academy Model United Nations (JAMUN) conference will be hosted in-person by the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, NJ on Saturday, May 13th, 2023! Any students in grades 5 through 8 are welcome to attend!
Priority Registration is NOW OPEN! If you want to attend, we highly recommend that you register during Priority or Regular Registration as we will be going on a first-come-first-serve basis and will have a CAP this year due to unprecedented interest levels to ensure organization and one-on-one and group feedback. Country and committee preferences will also be on this first-come-first-serve basis, but we will try our best to get you in topics you are interested in. Please use this Google Form link: https://forms.gle/Nm97w2Yi82fd1Pni6.
After submission of the form, you will be contacted soon after regarding permission forms, payment, and emergency contact information.
Many of you will probably be independent delegates, but feel free to tell your friends, siblings, and family members that they can join in as well by registering.
Priority Registration is $30.90 per delegate (person), including lunch. Priority Registration will end on April 6th, 2023 at 11:59pm.
From April 7th, 2023 to April 27th, 2023 at 11:59pm, Regular Registration will be open at $35.00 per delegate.
From April 28th, 2023 to May 1st, 2023 at 11:59pm, Late Registration will be open at $40.00 per delegate.
All payments should be submitted by May 13th, 2023 and there will be NO refunds or delegation size changes after May 1st, 2023 at 11:59pm.
Notably, these payments should be submitted by May 13th, 2023. After May 1st, 2023 at 11:59pm, there will be NO refunds. After May 1st, 2023 at 11:59pm, there will be NO delegation size changes.
We are offering the following committees:
SPECPOL - Developing Strategies to Ensure Sustainable Space Exploration
SOCHUM - Improving Conditions in Refugee Camps
DISEC - The Ethics of Drone and Surveillance Technology
WHO - Reforming Healthcare Systems in Prisons
AU - Addressing the Adverse Effect of Climate Change on Infrastructure
Specialized - G20 - Climate Sustainability Working Group
UNDP
For more information on these committees, please contact [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and refer to the blurbs and topic guides that will be released onto our website (Committees (academymodelun.org)) in the coming days! Position paper information will be released soon!
We are pleased to announce the following opportunities at JAMUN:

• Prestigious awards for the top delegates of each committee!
• ZOOM program session held before the conference by Secretariat (members of the BCA Model UN Travel Team that recently won Outstanding Large Delegation at Yale) to learn about MUN procedure, fundamentals, enhance speaking skills, ask for advice about MUN and BCA, and play speech games!
• Feedback on position papers submitted as well as feedback during the conference and after (through email)!
• Guest speaker!
• BCA tour!
• Ability to ask questions to current BCA students, seniors, and faculty from all academies!
• Lunch with new friends (included in prices above)!
• If you are accepted into BCA, your experience will enhance your chance to join the MUN Travel Team and attend conferences such as Princeton, Yale, and George Washington University!

Thank you and make sure to fill out the form!

Where we met Jan Egeland last.
Where we met Tchizak last
Where we met Johnathan last
[Wiki] - [Chapter Start] [First] - [Prev] - [Next]
Jan Egeland stared down at the document in front of him. This was bad, this was terrible, this was… It was like a bout of exceptionally bad food poisoning, the more he read it the worse it got and just didn’t stop. As you went through the events, every time you thought the Raha had hit rock bottom, they’d once again find another level of depravity.
The buzzer sounded once again, the signal that someone was at the door to his office. A buzzer that had been going on for the last twenty minutes. He knew exactly who was on the other side of that door: Unk’gar, the Estorian diplomat. No more fancy velvet letters and snide comments: the Raha he had met before had been desperately trying to talk with Jan.
The Terran however had been spending the last twenty minutes trying to calm down, trying to bring the anger to a manageable simmer. The diplomat was a master at never snapping, never letting even the worst of the worst get to him. But these actions… If anything as time went on he got more and more angry.
Jan pressed a button to unlock the door, seeing the entrance slide open and revealing a very nervous looking Raha on the other side, antenna twitching and wringing its little talon like hands. The Terran made a motion towards the chair opposite his desk which the insect quickly took.
“Greetings bright one, I am so glad we could talk before this gets out of hand, we need to-”
“Shut the fuck up, you don’t get to talk, I talk.”
The Raha was silenced by the pure furry emanating from Jan as Unk’gar just sat there across from the Terran, squirming in his seat. Somehow those words coming from the normally soft spoken Jan made them more terrifying. Honestly even the Terran was slightly concerned with how he felt: the anger was like a burning in his chest, he hadn’t felt this way since… well since before going into stasis.
“Let's go over what happened shall we. First a member of your royal family attacks a Terran vessel, injuring one and enslaving another, which breaks all of our previous agreements.”
“It is highly regrettable that prince Hakthas made the mistake of not verifying such an action, we didn’t know about-”
“Don’t. Bullshit. Me.” The Terran interrupted the snivelling excuses of the insect in front of him, a tone that stated there was no way to attempt to argue this. “We’re not really annoyed with that part, because your arsehole prince got himself killed doing that. Good riddance frankly.”
Jan took a moment to glance back down at the document in his hands, as if the events that had happened over the past week hadn’t been burned into his brain at this point.
“Your reaction to this was to board a Ritlian research vessel, killing everyone. You did this might I add, by breaking the safe harbour law, the only treaty the both of us have agreed to. We’ve informed the rest of the Federation species about this so I’m sure every Estorian space captain is going to be thrilled to realise that nobody is going to save their ass anymore.”
Unk’gar looked as if he was going to interject, which the Terran immediately held a finger out to cut them off so they could continue.
“You used this ship to attack a research station, killing all three scientists inside. Research that was going to revolutionise medical technology in the galaxy, research that has been set back by at least ten years. You do all this, while also failing to accomplish any of your actual goals!”
“The Raha royal house regrets that Lut’har chose such unsanctioned actions against the Terran Alliance, we-”
Jan slammed his fist onto the table, causing the opposing diplomat to jump in his chair.
“An AI captured his ship! We have all your communications, we know you gave express permission and had knowledge of his actions before he took them. Your lies are insulting.”
The Terran was practically baring his teeth at this point, the ever calm and ever friendly Jan Eagland was losing his temper.
“Maybe if it was just that we could work something out. But in those three scientists, you killed an uplift, a dog. No I’m incorrect, you tortured a dog to death. We, the Terran alliance, are done with you.”
Jan reached into his desk, pulling out a document he had already prepared, and handed it over to Unk’gar.
“You have three hours to decide whether to accept these terms. We expect the Raha Royal house to leave the Estorian Empire and submit to vassalization by the Terran conclave.”
Unk’gar’s antenna twitched wildly as he read the proposal, worry and shock emanating from his entire body.
“They won’t accept this, we can look at reparations but-”
“Accept it, or we know where this is heading.”
—--------------------------------
“So the package provides standard maintenance, teardown and rebuild. We’ll have your friend running like new”
Tchizak couldn’t really smile, the brown exoskeleton plates that made up the Kirken face didn’t allow for such a movement, but the 3ft tall insect had long ago worked out that tilting your head slightly to the side gave off the same impression to Terrans. Yes, Tchizak had become very very adept at conversing with the deathworlder apes who called themselves Terrans.
It had all started seven years ago, when a chance meeting with a Terran looking to get their cleaning droid fixed had spiralled into a business opportunity that had made him and his boss very rich. That original store still existed, “Ptatch’s tower of repair”, still a messy amalgamation of oil, scrap parts and pure ingenuity that promised to fix anything anywhere. This was a far cry from the expensive modernised saleroom Tchizak was currently stood in, decor of white and silver showing off the various services and accessories that “Ptatch’s Droid Hospital” provided.
It had started slowly. He’d done the crazy thing the original Terran had asked of him: Fixed up a now obsolete cleaning droid that the deathworlder had pack bonded with and called “Cleany McCleanface”. Then that Terran had told others. Slowly but surely more had come, hundred of them, each clutching broken down machines that nobody sane wanted to fix.
After that they had started going into accessories. New startup tunes, CPU upgrades, case upgrades, accessories of the mundane and dangerous. Tchizak had soon learned that if you stated you could “heal” a Terran’s mechanical friend, as well as give them fun new accessories, then they practically fell over themselves to throw credits at you.
Their biggest store was the one he was working at now on the Kirken colony named “Diamond’s Eye”, but “Ptatch’s Droid Hospital” had locations on over five planets, each one a major Terran destination. Because where Terrans went, they brought their friends with them.
“Also this comes with free installation of any additional accessories. Case replacements, addons, the works.”
This was all how Tchizak now found himself beating his small wings furiously to keep at the same eye level as the Terran opposite him, using a hand to control the soft light projector displaying the various accessories they sold. Gone were the days of dingy dangerous looking stores. Screens showing products to be purchased lined the walls, with one playing a music video from some hip new Kirken band. Everything was polished and provided a level of professional service.
For a fee of course.
“This won’t change Buddy’s internals, right? You’re not going to just try and replace him like all the other places?”
Tchizak gave another friendly head tilt. Terrans were on average 6ft of angry muscle bound ape, able to thrive on planets that would kill most Kirken. However he’d started to find them adorable. It was the same question every time, that same illogical idea that you can’t replace the machine friend they had bonded with.
What exactly defined the machine’s “life” differed between each person: some refused to replace any non critical part, preferring to keep even the most brittle and faded plastic casings. Others seemed fine as long as the motherboard or CPU wasn’t replaced. As if there was a special part of each droid that hosted the “soul”, but nobody could agree exactly what that was.
“Of course not! Mr “Buddy” will be the exact same machine. If you’re uncomfortable removing or replacing parts we can stick with external accessories.”
The Terran seemed happy with that reply, before responding, almost embarrassed.
“What about weapons…”
Of course he wanted weapons. Terrans loved taking harmless machines and making them dangerous for no apparent reason. He couldn’t tell why, but weapon attachments were their most popular selling item.
“Of course, we’ve got knife holsters in up to 6 blade configurations, chainsaw holsters and gun holders for most small arms weapon brands. All of which come with additional control modules for either autonomous or manual firing.”
“What about something… bigger.”
Tchizak took a moment to change the soft light display to show his most dangerous item.
“Claymore roomba is what you’re looking for. This attachment comes with one ornamental completely accurate Claymore.”
“Ornamental? Can I re-”
A single insectoid finger was shoved into the mouth of the Terran, shushing him instantly. While the deathworlder could have tore Tchizak limb from limb, the potential customer just looked confused.
“If you finish that sentence, I can no longer legally sell you this item.”
The Kirken took a moment to rummage around the brown satchel he was wearing, before fishing out a prewritten message from some very intelligent lawyers.
“Ptatch’s Droid Hospital would like to remind all customers that the Claymore roomba attachment is for ornamental use only, and the completely accurate and realistic design is only for Terran cultural reasons. The ornamental claymore can only be removed for cleaning purposes, and should not be replaced with a real item, as this breaks weapon trafficking laws. Ptatch’s Droid Hospital does not support the customer buying their own claymore and replacing it.”
Tchizak finished his legal spiel, the Terran seemingly understanding what he was getting at and giving a nod.
“Ok, I’ll take it!”
“Fantastic, just let me get the bill and we can start the work-”
The various screens in the sales office gave a loud high pitched tone as they all turned to a red colour, each screen showing the two words: “Emergency Broadcast”.
—------------------------------

“Confused statement: But this is impossible!”
The room was a stereotypical lab. If you asked someone to picture in their mind a generic science lab, they would describe the room they were in: With test tubes, blinking machines, hazard signs and various pieces of equipment bubbling away with unknown liquids.
Inside stood four figures, all Scythens, three of the bioluminescent bundle of tentacles were sat on their hovering disks, two of the machines denoted with the standard scientist colours, one denoting the form of a police officer. All of them were hovering around a fourth Scythen, who was most definitely not hovering: Because they were dead, splattered along the floor as if torn in two.
“Explaining statement: This can’t happen. The room was locked from the inside, and to cause this damage…” The first scientist spoke in the mechanical voice that all Scythen’s did.
“Continuing statement: Would require an object to have negative mass, but be travelling faster than light!” The second scientist responded.
The police officer floated around, occasionally prodding something as they investigated the death, leaving the two scientists to talk amongst themselves.
“Concerned statement: We’re all alone out here on the ship. What could have killed them?”
“Scared statement: I don’t know, are we going to be fine?”
“Sexual tension: Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
During this time the police officer had finished looking around, instead deciding to focus on a random cleaning droid making its way through the room.
“Revealing statement: Who drew the smiley face on this droid? I need to see the video feed for the ship.”
In an instant the feed was brought up on one of the various screens, showing the corridors of the ship over the last few hours, fast forwarded through in a few moments.
“Exclamation: Stop! Right there! Enhance!”
The video footage was paused and the single frame enlarged. It showed a 6ft tall bipedal figure, two forward facing eyes, like some form of ape. The figure was running along the floor on all fours, only wearing a basic nondescript uniform of some kind
“Shocking statement: You have a Terran on the ship!”

“OH FUCK OFF!”
Dr Johnathan Fletcher had jumped off the seat, the Terran making an angry gesture with his hand as he shouted at the TV screen. The room was small, standard crew quarters: a bed, a basic couch and some other creature comforts such as the TV attached to the wall. A TV that had been paused by the other figure in the room after the Terran’s outburst: the Sythen calling themselves Lena who was currently flashing the colours for confusion.
“Concerned question: What is wrong friend Johnathan?”
Johnathan shook his head, annoyed. It was supposed to be a fun movie night in the darkened room, to go watch some Scythen media. Lana had told him of a fun Scythen made horror movie. What he didn’t expect was to be insulted this deeply.
“Is this really how the Scythen see us… as some kind of… of… feral science goblin!”
“Clarifying statement: I don’t think anyone said ‘feral’. If it makes you feel better, it’s never the Terran’s fault”
Johnathan glared at Lana for a moment.
“Reminding statement: May I remind you that you created an unstable antimatter bomb on the ship?”
“That ended up leading to a breakthrough in energy generation!”
“Continuing point: You submerged sector A3 in dangerous acid.”
“That ended up creating a lubricant 17% more efficient than the current accepted formula!”
“Final point: You set fire to the kitchen.”
“Grilled cheese toasties don’t taste right when made using the synthesiser!”
Lana turned the colour of annoyance, deeply wishing they had a face so they could indulge in the Terran movement of ‘facepalming’
“Explaining statement: Friend Johnathan, I enjoy your company and your personality, but Terrans have a reputation they have earned. I have worked on this vessel for 49 years, during which before your employment there had been a total of 19 emergencies. Do you know how many there have been during your two years on this ship?”
Johnathan slowly began to rub the back of his neck as he realised where this was going.
“A few...”
“Answering statement: 471. I like you friend Johnathan, just sit down and enjoy the movie you feral science goblin.”
—-----------------
The movie had continued predictably. Other impossible murders took place, until the Scythen crew were able to capture the Terran using a pile of candy and a rock with eyes painted on it as bait. Just as Lana had said, in the end it turned out the captain of the ship had been the one to bring the Terran on board, due to some disagreement with a reduction in grant funding.
The end climax had involved the Terran creating a miniature blackhole to destroy the captain with: Created using nothing but a piece of string and a toaster. In the end the two main characters had started a relationship together, and the Terran had been humanely released onto a local farm which had plenty of room to run around in and lots of rocks to pack bond with.
Johnathan had to admit, Terran slander aside it had been an enjoyable B-movie horror flick. He stepped off the seat once more, giving a stretch as he stood up.
“Well this ‘feral science goblin’ is going to head off for the night. Thanks for inviting me over Lana, it was a lot of fun to-”
The TV gave a loud high pitched tone as the screen turned to a red colour, showing the two words: “Emergency Broadcast”.
—-------------------
Dr K Xavius sat at her desk, typing away on her Galnet connector late into the night. The room was unassuming: Digital whiteboards filled every wall, equations and design schematics filling each one. Tools neatly lay in their respective docking areas, hand written notes were delicately placed into orderly piles, overall the room looked like most others at the research facility.
The fact that a Hagorthian was the one sitting at the desk was an oddity and caused most new employees of the top secret Terran research facility a bit of whiplash. The Hagorthian’s were a vicious race, apex predators with a culture of warfare and combat. Reptilian, heavily armoured, deep black scales. Each three fingered hand and foot ended in vicious razor sharp claws. Four pitch black eyes lay above a large face-spanning jaw of giant needle like teeth.
In addition to this, the Hagorthian’s were one of the five main races of the Estorian empire, so seeing one here was a huge oddity. At a glance there was nothing special about Dr Xavius, apart from her rather short stature at only 7ft tall. However just mentioning her name was enough to make most people understand why she was here.
Her name was Dr Kov Xavius, and she had cured the god plague.
By Hagorthian standards she was a failure. Her species have an interesting quirk: They never stop growing. An infinite continued growth and regeneration lead into a culture of nearly infinite desire to feed and fight. It wasn’t uncommon for mature Hagorthian’s to reach the height of 10-15 ft of pure muscle, and the recorded height of the Emperor Uzb - the current ruler of the species - was over 30. While Dr Xavius when compared with most people would be considered a dangerous accumulation of claw and strength, compared with her species she was a runt. She had hit 7ft tall at a young age, then… just stopped.
Long ago she could have fixed this genetic defect, but to do so would have removed the second side effect, one she considered far more important than just being physically strong and vicious: her mind. Nothing was out of her understanding, her memory impeccable, complex ideas and concepts were child’s play.
She had left her homeplanet long ago in search of anything interesting to solve, leaving behind an almost guaranteed death as a runt. It was during this search that she had found out about the Terrans. A small article written in a science journal nobody read. ”The Exception”. It talked about the strange race of AI’s that broke Zarith’s law, and about a plague that ravaged their creators, a plague they had long been trying to fix.
Dr Xavius had assumed the entire thing would take a year to complete at most, like everything else she had put her mind to. It had taken 31 years. 31 years of study, of experimentation. It had been the best 31 years of her life. During this time Xavius had grown to love the Terrans. Not for any of the sentimental reasons anyone else did, but for the simple fact that in their insanity and chaos they had provided her with the greatest puzzle.
Then, it was over. Sure others would have been teary eyed over seeing reunions between human and Uplift, human and AI. For Dr Xavius it had been a disappointment. For those thirty years she had the greatest puzzle in her claws, and now it was gone. Sure the monetary compensation had been huge, not that she needed money in Terran conclave territory: her name alone was enough to get anything she required. Xavius secretly guessed that she could probably steal a military ship and drop an antimatter bomb on the most populated city on Earth, and get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for it.
No, what she wanted, what she needed was more puzzles. More impossible theories to be made possible. The Terrans were not the smartest species in the galaxy. But one thing that Terrans did have, was an almost psychotic aversion to the word “no”. Most species took the laws of the universe as fact and worked around them, while Terrans seemingly were offended by them.
This meant that this location was one of the few in the galaxy where exceptional amounts of money and resources were spent trying to break laws and ideals that everyone else had long ago determined to be immutable facts. Impossible challenges, impossible puzzles, with the resources to truly try and solve them.
It was everything that Dr K Xavius wanted and loved. Sure the Terrans were way too chatty and social for her tastes, but that was a small price to pay for the gift they gave her: something, anything able to challenge her mind.
Which is what she was doing in her office, late at night furiously typing away as the Galnet Viewer gave a loud high pitched tone, the screen turning a bright red and showing the two words: “Emergency Broadcast”.
—------------------
Emergency Broadcast: Due to unforgivable actions taken by the Raha royal house, and the Estorian Empire’s unwillingness to bring those responsible for their crimes to justice, as of 71 NST, 6th of June at 17:00 the Terran Conclave is enacting section three of the Terran Alliance Agreement, the mutual defence declaration.
The Terran Alliance is now at war with the Estorian Empire.
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The Lizardmen Family is a cluster of 8 clans focused on quick progression to the endgame. Please join by going to our discord and telling us which CB you hit, how many CvC points you can commit and if you have a preference for downing Hydra - someone will direct you to an appropriate clan.
We are looking to fill the following positions:
Summary of available spaces:
2- UNM spaces, 180k+ CvC, 300k PR-CVC, NM/Brutal Hydra
1- UNM space, 120k+ cvc, Hard/Brutal hydra
8- UNM spaces, 50k+ cvc, Normal Hydra
3- UNM spaces, No cvc focus, Normal Hydra
14- NM spaces, No cvc focus, Normal Hydra
8- Brutal spaces, No cvc focus, Normal Hydr
We have a diverse community of Raid players that spend time hanging out and theorycrafting in our channels. We spend a lot of time helping everyone, so we can all continue to progress through the game. We will help you in all your trials against Telaria's madness, including the Hydra, Clan Boss, Faction Wars, Dungeons and Doom Tower. We have an extensive amount of players who have finished both FW and hard DT, and are currently destroying NM Hydra.
-Our top clan Lizardmen Vanguard, LZDV kills all tiers of CB daily, we kill all tiers of Hydra weekly, we do 180k+ cvc non-pr, 300k+ PR- CVC.
-Our 2nd CvC focused clan Lizardmen Harbingers, LZDH kills all tiers of cb daily, Normal and Hard hydra weekly, and do 150k+ CVC
-Our 2nd Hydra focused clan Lizardmen Warlords, LZDW kills all tiers of cb daily, Normal, Hard, and Brutal Hydra weekly, and do 120k+ CVC

• We also have Lizardmen Gladiators, LZDG which is a small step up from casual play. They kill UNM/NM cb daily, Normal Hydra weekly(soon to be hard also), and do 50k+ CVC
  
• All of our other UNM clans kill both UNM and NM cb daily, Normal Hydra weekly, and do 20k CVC
  
• Our NM and Brutal clans kill their cb boss level daily, no cvc or hydra requirements
  

We really hope to see you become a part of our family. We can find the right spot for you no matter what stage of the game you are in.