The Soulmate Dilemma
By Tanner Briggs

Introduction

Cinema is a reflection of humanity’s desires. If it wasn’t, people wouldn’t watch it. It’s safe to say, even if you find yourself on the fringe of humanitarian yearnings, you’re probably looking for a life of love as opposed to a life of stoic loneliness accompanied by a TV dinner and a six pack of Rainier each night. Despite the masturbatory mayhem the latter could bring, the former lends a much more effective way of living: someone to lean on, to uphold your values, to socialize with, to fuck. In the theater, no single trope is more common than the guy getting the girl. Romantic, heart wrenching, mind boggling, tingly love in its purest form. Endings are always the same: the airport run, the rainy swoon, the grand gesture, the throwing-aside-all-inhibitions-and-personal-reservations-just-to-be-with-her. All of these lead to the happily ever after, but it’s the last one I’d like to talk about in more detail.

Core Criteria

Core criteria is the criteria you require of a life partner. Any one of these not being met means the relationship is doomed. It’s possible, through communication, to teach your partner to meet criteria that is not being met right now. If a standard deviation bell curve in its entirety represents everything that would attract you to a partner, your core criteria represent about 1.5 standard deviations’ worth of actual requirements. The other 1.5 standard deviations represent nice-to-haves that you’d enjoy in a partner, that would attract you even more to a partner, but that you can ultimately live without.
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Statistically, it’s very possible to meet someone that can fit your core criteria – that individual would need to be in the 87th percentile[1] of matches for you, which is not that easy to find, but it’s completely possible especially with dating apps. Remember, if even one of these core criteria is off, it will botch the whole thing – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly over time.
You’re probably saying – how the fuck does this math play into my happily ever after? This is, admittedly, where the math ends. The numbers demonstrate that it’s not easy to find someone that meets your core criteria and it’s even harder to find someone that meets all of your nice-to-haves.

The Third Bucket

When you’ve been with someone long enough, there comes into existence a third bucket. This manifestation continuously grows, enlarging over time. This third bucket represents everything you didn’t know you wanted and couldn’t have ever fathomed needing, but now you need it, you want it, you’ve gotta have it. We’ll refer to this bucket as the Cold Stone Creamery size: “Gotta Have It.” This bucket is so interesting because its contents are unique to each relationship. The collision of two personalities meeting juxtaposed against environmental factors, social situations, and mutual decisions. The Gotta Have It bucket is structured on top of a confluence of affection, individuality, inside jokes, empathy, hardship, and shared experiences.
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Notice this third bucket doesn’t fall on the statistical canvas. This bucket represent tangible value but has an intangible denominator: you didn’t know you needed these things, so you didn’t have requirements built to house this value – your denominator is zero.
“How fulfilling is your sex life scale of one to ten?”
“Seven”
“You’re at 70% satisfaction sexually, which is one of your core requirements.”
Sex is easy to quantify. She put a finger in your butt or she didn’t – she gets one point. But when you try to quantify that look she gives you as you leave the house toward a hard day of work – that unfailing mixture of reverence, sadness, and beguiling cuteness… What is the denominator for that? It’s something you never new you wanted. It’s something you never knew you needed, but it might just break your heart not to get it anymore. The denominator is zero and dividing by zero is undefined, just like the value the Gotta Have It bucket brings. It’s tangible value, but it’s not quantifiable on our core criteria scale.

The Tipping Point

Conceptually, soulmates can mean different things, but the grandly romanticized version of soulmate is often interpreted as a single perfect, permanent match. Since the beginning of time, we were destined to be together as two souls’ recognition of its counterpoint in another.[2] What I posit, however, is that a soulmate is not destiny as much as it is a bit of luck and a lot of hard work.
As the Gotta Have It segment of your connection continues to foster, there reaches a tipping point where the value of your core requirements is outweighed by the value of the tangible, yet unexpected and unsought. This Gotta Have It bucket could not have grown without the core requirements firmly in place – they were the branch from which this fruition bloomed. Yet, is it not true that the fruit is the most sought-after part of the tree? Once tipped, the foundation of the relationship is now the Gotta Have It that makes your relationship unique and special.
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Unique and special – isn’t that what a soulmate really is? Something you couldn’t find anywhere else? The relationship over time becomes something you couldn’t have with anyone else.
In this way, you do not find your soulmate, but you effectively create your soulmate. The tipping point, where the incontrovertible connection that you have fostered is irreplaceable, is the tip of the iceberg of your soulmate connection. Yet there is an entire iceberg underneath the surface of the water to explore.

The Catacombs

It seems like every great explorer finds themselves in the catacombs at one point or another. So too do we find ourselves in the catacombs as we explore our relationships. There are catacombs of thought to be fleshed out, to decipher, to sift through, to dive into, to expound upon, to divest, to ignore, to brood, to ponder. As you’re exploring these catacombs, it’s entirely important to be completely invested. After all, if Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark had only gone halfway into the temple, he would have been caught in a trap and would have never made it out alive. The catacombs are where you find fodder for your Gotta Have it Bucket. As you explore your partner’s thoughts, do so with the ideation that you’re going to come out of this with more inside jokes than before. Inside jokes are the pinnacle of connection as they can be used to poke and prod your partner without actually hurting them. They can be used to recall a time of laughter or a time of despair all while enhancing the contemporaneous levity of your current situation. “Things” as I call them, are also a jewel found in the catacombs to be shined into a pendant of connection. Rather than wear the pendant, you use it to show the other person you care. You know “things” from television shows like How I Met Your Mother, where Ted and Robin salute and say, “General Idea,” whenever someone says a sentence like, “you get the general idea, right?” That’s an example of a thing. Examples of things in a relationship are numerous – but here’s three:
· Having a dance party every time you brush your teeth
· Saying a cute phrase when performing a specific activity or triggered by an event
· Sharing a GIF that has a secret meaning only the two of you know
Use the catacombs as an opportunity to understand differences, ignore negativity, and ultimately uncover uniqueness in your soulmate or potential soulmate.

Write the Damn Thing

How many times have you heard practice like you play? You get the concept – so let’s move past that. Practice your relationship like it’s the one – like you’re already married. You can’t effectively explore the catacombs and you’ll never get to the tipping point if you have one foot out the door.
So what does it look like to have your foot completely inside the domicile?
In three words: be the author.
Fairy tales don’t just happen – the greats frame, construct, and execute their fucking fairytales! And only the magnificent understand that guys don’t generally need a fairytale to be happy. So – if it’s not the guy that needs it – who needs it? That’s right hotshot – it’s her. Women need the fairytale and we’re the ones who get to write it for them.
Take moments of alone time with her to call out the amazing things you’ve done together. Remind her just how lucky you are to be with her. Laughingly reminder her just how lucky she is to be with you. Build a vision board with her and frame what your future is going to be like. Shoot for the moon so she knows she’s going to have a lavish, amazing, exciting, adventurous life with you. Update the vision board constantly with new and exciting things you both like. This vision board and these asides where you underscore your connection are framing.
Constructing the fairytale involves lots of planning. The more you construct and execute the more you can frame later – it creates a virtuous feedback loop. You must put in elbow grease to get the dinner reservations, kill at your job to afford the ski weekends, and plan the shit out of that proposal.
A good rule for the proposal: do everything you’re thinking you should do times three. You can’t go big enough. Spend triple the money, get triple the people for the afterparty, get triple the tiki torches. Why? Because this is effectively the climax of the fairytale. You will look back on that moment for the rest of your lives and you’ll want to have pulled out all the stops. You’ll have other climaxes, but this solidifies the fairytale and turns it into something that will live wonderfully in her mind for the rest of eternity.
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When you plan well, execution is easy. Do the thing. Go hiking, crush the camping trip, surf the waves. Afterward you can frame. The more you frame, the more she frames to her friends and the more jealous her friends become of you. As a man, you want her talking about you to her friends ALL THE TIME. You want her friends to be annoyed with how much she talks about you and your good qualities. When you frame correctly, her friends will be in a bitch session about their husbands/boyfriends and your partner – rather than add fuel to the vent session – will close the vent with a lovely recounting of that time you took her to see the ballet.
The fun part about this fairytale castle you construct: you get to live in it with her. You get to be the king. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed – it’s the pinnacle of why you have a soulmate. It’s the pinnacle of why she loves you. You have played the game correctly and you have won.

Conclusion

“…the throwing-aside-all-inhibitions-and-personal-reservations-just-to-be-with-her.” Coming back to the last listed item from the first paragraph. Your reservations and inhibitions aren’t about you or your principles. They’re about whether you’re ready to play the game – to go all in. So how do you know when? Any time your core criteria are met that’s the time to give it everything. Remember, she’s already at least in the 87th percentile if your core criteria are met. You won’t be able to effectively explore the catacombs and reach the tipping point if you’re only half invested. And moreover, that fairytale will never manifest if you aren’t all-in writing it yourself.
You don’t find your soulmate, you build your soulmate and you write your fairytale.
Happy tipping.
-Tanner J. Briggs
[1] 📷
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[2] Dobkin, David, et al. Wedding Crashers. [Los Angeles, Calif.], New Line Home Entertainment, 2005.

This is a mega-thread for people who want to discuss before, during, and/or after the LCDJ's Official Re:SET Pre-Party. Please keep all comments relevant to the specific RLCDJ's Official Re:SET Pre-Party. We will update the general info as more is learned comes through the wire if need be.
Enjoy the show!
VENUE : The Rabbit Hole
WHERE : New Orleans, LA
WEATHER : 84°F and partly cloudy
TIME :

• Doors open: 8:00 pm
• Show: 9:00 pm

VENUE DETAILS : Please refer to the venue FAQs for more information!
TICKETS :

• Tickets can be purchased here.
• TICKET MEGA-THREAD. Feel free to post ticket exchanges here as well. Please abide by rules posted in the ticket mega-thread!

MERCHANDISE : probably none but you never know...
PLEASE keep all conversations related to the LCDJ's Official Re:SET Pre-Party.
This thread serves 3 purposes :

1. Invite people to talk about anything related to the show taking place in their city, such as the merch, the venue, the show itself, etc.
2. Allow people to organize a pre/post-show meetup.
3. Share any and all media and footage from the show.

This thread will be stickied 6 hours after the show ends.
Have fun and dance yrself clean!
COMMENTS ARE SORTED BY NEW
Please be advised that all subsequent posts regarding tonight's show, including buying/selling/trading tickets for tonight's show, will be locked and subsequently deleted.

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https://i.redd.it/xf06elczal4b1.gif
https://youtu.be/A8ppsYsIy2U
Notice! The video contains [eye-catching] content, You can watch at your own discretion.
I made a 4K AI converted video, And try to use my self-made lora, The face is that of a Japanese woman in her 40s. This test and the new attempt took about 30 hours of use, If tests and new attempts are not considered, It's just a simple video production time, Should be able to finish in about 15 hours, Yes, The new step reduces a lot of conversion time.
How is it different from deepfakes? AI conversion video is still slightly different from Deepfake, Deepfake simply transforms the face, AI converting video is more like a rendering function, Since I'm using a 3D model converted to a more realistic live-action style type, In addition to face replacement, It gives clothing a more realistic texture.
How is it different from using a filter effect? If you're converting from a live action video to a 2D style type, Maybe a filter can achieve 60% effect, But there doesn't seem to be a filter to convert the 2D style to a real person? Since I'm using a 3D model converted to a more realistic live-action style type, In addition to face replacement, It gives the clothes a more realistic texture, It's more of a performance boost feeling, For example, after upgrading from UE3 to UE4, It is a rendering function.
Feel the movement is not smooth? That's because I'm using a motion file (MMD) made by another author, It is done using dynamic simulation and modified frame by frame, Can't dance videos with real people, Or compared to real-time motion capture.
This time the steps are different from the previous ones, While other steps take more time, But the overall conversion time is reduced by 30 to 50%, And the overall work time is fragmented, Reduce the risk of failure that consumes a lot of time for one-time conversion, and add more stability, reduce flicker, relatively, The steps are more complicated, Many details in the steps and the plugins installed, I can't say it very clearly, So the whole process can only be used as a reference.
If you just want simple conversion, You should use the mov2mov plugin, But the effect is not satisfactory.
my steps

1. Make a dance video, Can be made using MikuMikuDance.VAM.HS2, Some game mods also have similar functions. For example Skyrim, Of course using these software or games, means you need to spend more time studying, So many people find videos from websites like TikTok or Youtube, But I haven't done that. The video style should be as simple as possible. The more complex the movie, Subsequent conversions are more cumbersome, The recommended video is 1080P, And it's better to be a vertical screen, Because the proportion of the face is too small, will increase video conversion time, The risk of collapse of the face, You can also use common video editing software (Ex: Pr or CapCut), to increase the sharpness and brightness of the video, The purpose is to make the subsequent key frame pictures and mask pictures better identifiable. Excessively high resolution will cause the ebsynth plugin to be unrecognizable, Too low resolution will lead to distortion when converting images, This step is usually completed within a few hours, It depends on how you make it.
   
2. Use the ebsynth plug-in to convert the movie into a frame number picture and a mask picture, ebsynth can effectively extract the keyframes of the movie, Since only keyframes are taken out for conversion, This drastically reduces conversion time, Fluency is also guaranteed to a certain extent. The relative ebsynth plug-in is very cumbersome and difficult to install and use. But I can't help you with that, (You should find an installation and use instruction that suits you, For example: you may need to install FFmpeg with transparent-background..., These installations require a little skill, You may not be able to install successfully, but sorry, I can't help you with this part, 100 people may have 101 computer software installation problems,) Masking images can effectively increase stability, This step takes about 1 hour to complete, Depending on the length of the video.
   
3. Use the wd14-tagger plug-in to analyze the prompt of each key frame picture, Afterwards, the things you want to appear or delete in the screen will be deleted or added according to the prompt, This step can increase the stability of the picture. Since wd14-tagger may judge prompt error, Instead, items that should not appear in the prompt are added, Example: pistol? straw? ...things that shouldn't be in the picture at all, Use the dataset-tag-editor plug-in to delete prompts that should not appear in the picture in batches, And add these words in Negative prompt, It can avoid the chance of error when converting pictures.
   
4. Use SD's picture generation function, The SIZE of the converted picture should be as large as possible. Depending on your graphics card specifications, Thanks to the use of ControlNet, Denoising strength can be used to 0.5 to 0.7, Yes, ControlNet is very powerful, It can increase the weight of Denoising strength a lot, Make the picture more stylized, and does not lock the seed, Choose the corresponding ControlNet Model according to your video, For example, the original video I'm using is a 3D type dance video, I use Lineart and Tile to stabilize the image and increase details, Notice! It's not the only option, You should decide the Model based on your original video and the style you want to convert it to, You can try it yourself and choose what Model to use. And use the IS-NET-pro plug-in to read the prompt of each key frame and use the mask image generated before, I also use multiple SD plugins at the same time, These plugins do not necessarily need to be used, They are also suitable for the usual text conversion pictures, cutoff plugin - can increase the color stability in the picture, lora-block-weight plugin - increase the stability of lora, adetailer plug-in - repair the collapse of the face when it is too small
   
5. Try to convert the picture to see if it meets your expectations, If not, Go back to step 3.4 to modify, until you are satisfied. 3.4.5 These steps may take minutes to hours, Depends on what you want, Modify these steps back and forth to determine the length of time.
   
6. After the conversion is complete, Check the images for images that vary too much, This will cause the screen to flicker and become unstable. Modify the prompt, to retransform the problematic image, (This step depends on how perfect you want your work to be, If you only want 60 to 80 points, I guess this step can be eliminated ;) This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, Depending on the number of modifications that need to be made.
   
7. Use the upscale function in SD, Or image restoration software (EX: Topaz), Convert the picture back to 1080P SIZE.
   
8. Continue to use the [ebsynth plugin] function, Generate the ebs file required by [ebsynth software], (Note the difference between the two! One is a plugin, The other is software, Note the difference between the two ;) ebsynth software can open multiple programs, Execute multiple ebs files at the same time, It depends on how many ebsynth software can be run simultaneously by your computer specifications.
   
9. Using the ebsynth plugin again, Merge the files generated by ebsynth software, The preliminary video is done.
   
10. If the background changes too much, causing excessive flickering, You can use common video editing software (Ex: Pr or CapCut), Using the cutout function, merged with the original video, alternate background, Reduce flicker. Finally, use editing software (Ex: Pr or Topaz) to supplement frames and improve image quality. (This step also depends on how perfect you want your work to be, If you only want 60 to 80 points, I guess this step can be eliminated ;) Decide according to the rendering effect you want, This could be several hours or more.
    

Waving away the smoke from the poof. I did it. I made you stop scrolling. Takes a bow. I'll share a secret with you. Lean over to me please. I'm not really a magician. That said, I do have super powers. I'd like your undivided attention. You should pause your show, take a quick sip of your coffee, tea, and turn down your song. I hope your not baking, or driving while reading this. I'll wait thirty seconds and let you get comfortable. Cue Jeopardy music.
Ready now? Assuming you said yes. Here we go! I got you to stop scrolling, and I asked for your undivided attention. Now, I have to deliver an amazing post. Rolling around my neck. Clockwise and then counterclockwise. One round of head, shoulders, knees, and toes. All warmed up. Look at you. You're already laughing, smiling, or at least smirking. Damn, I'm good. I'm modest too. wink-wink
Fiddle sticks, where was I. Oh I know, my super powers. For starters, I can pick perfect avocados every time. I'll wait while you re-read the previous sentence. Every single time, perfect avocados. The key is to...no way I'm telling you my secret, well not yet. That's one of my super powers. Sit down please, before I share my second super power. Cue Jeopardy music, again. Now that you're seated. I haven't lost a single sock in over a decade. I'll stop "bragging" for now. I'm modest, remember.
How about some randomness. What section of Target is your favorite? Last song you blasted in the car? Go-to karaoke song? We'll dance and sing while cooking. Nature is my happy place, especially the water. I find it therapeutic. Nothing, like the smell of rain before it actually rains. I'm a PPD (Proud Plant Dad). Plants teach me so much about me and life. I mentioned my super powers, so it's only right I mention my kryptonite. You wouldn't hold it against me right. Sushi...it's Sushi. That's my kryptonite. You should probably buy a portable charger. You'll need it with all the songs, meme, gifs, music, and dad jokes we'll be sending each other. You should probably get back to your movie, baking/cooking, prep for the work week etc. Let's simply chat. No rush, no pressure. Talk to you soon.

Gen Z, the digital natives, are taking the social media world by storm. Let's dive into how they are shaping the landscape:
📲🔍 Immersive Experiences: Gen Z craves interactive content. They love AR filters, emojis, and GIFs to amplify their online presence. It's all about engaging and standing out in a crowded virtual space! 💫🎭
💬🌐 Authentic Connections: Gen Z values genuine connections. They seek relatable, unfiltered content that sparks conversations and fosters meaningful relationships. It's not just about the likes, but the community built around shared experiences. 🤝❤️
🌍🌈 Social Activism: Gen Z is passionate about social justice. They use social media as a powerful platform to raise awareness, promote equality, and drive change. Hashtags become rallying cries for movements that strive to make the world a better place. ✊🗣️
📸🎥 Visual Storytelling: Gen Z is the generation of visual storytelling. They express themselves through captivating photos, videos, and stories. Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are their creative outlets to showcase their unique perspectives. 📷🎬
🔁🚀 Viral Trends: Gen Z loves riding the wave of viral trends. They eagerly participate in challenges, dances, and memes that dominate the social media landscape. It's all about capturing the moment and joining a global community of trendsetters. 🌊🎉
Gen Z's social media prowess is reshaping the way we connect, express ourselves, and advocate for change. Let's embrace their energy, creativity, and digital savvy! 🌟🔥
#GenZOnTheRise #SocialMediaMovers #DigitalTrailblazers

Hi I am looking for a gif of a particular wwe or wwf wrestler (i can't recall his name) but it is a gif of him in the ring beginning to shake his hips suggestively and then stopping, wagging his finger at the crowd that it's not allowed.
This was a gimmick of his, where he he would dance like that on stage but got in trouble from the network.
Thanks!

Hi all i am gif a grateful fellow in recovery for my sex addiction. Today is my dad birthday he died some 13 years ago and well to me he was perfect. In my healing I have seen my dad was an addict who died because his disease won. I have a lot of baggage with feelings around this that are all intertwined with my own values and beliefs about my own addiction. Sometimes I recover because I don't want to go out like him. Today I am officially 10 years younger than he was when he died and there is something stark about that reality. In my childhood this was the age things started to unravel for him and well I have been trapped in this sadness related to my last relationship and all of the horrible things they have done to me and my kid for more than 2 years now and I can't move foward. I at times wonder will I drown like him? Part of me says I've been in recovery long enough to know how the song and dance of emotional avoidance goes. The other part of me makes nonsensical statements that in my recovery journey I have proven inaccurate lies my disease tried to sell me. I am definitely playing mental pin pong.
Where am I today I have until 6pm to decided if I am going to keep my new gym membership. I have gone 2x and have had positive non compusive reactions. I pretty much tell my eyes to have blinders on and well I haven't recognized a single person because I never looked at them. Although this idea has been lurking under the surface that this is a great way to artificially feed my ego and give me a feelingbof being wNted and desired. Which to the point of my emotional state my x in my mind rejected me in all forms for the love of their life. I can't get past this sadness. The love of their life even showed up to my wedding and for the last 2 years they have been together with love of their life meanwhile doing unspeakable things to me and my kid and I am powerless over them and their behavior. The tie in is that in my mind my dad's inability to recover and that of my godfather who died a year later from my father for similar reasons both rejected life with me. Now I understand them choosing the slow suicide of addiction had nothing to do with me. My x loving someone else was not a measurement of me. These were individuals living their individual lives yet in my brain it all gets mushed together in one big sadness bucket that I am left to unravel without them. I feel rejected of their support.
The asset the physical exercises has been cathartic. One of my outer circle behaviors is staying physically active and having this place to go just move energy has helped especially in walkign distance. I don't know what to think ...is this my disease setting me up to find acting out partners in a highly sexualized space? or is this the Gentle voice of recovery giving me outlets for my feelings. The truth for me is these facility is to close to my house for me to rationalize acting out with people. The other point is I am allowed to use facilities in other towns outside of my required distance and in fact would be in a terrible mental state use the space to act out.
Ultimately recovery has shown me the decision to stay sexually sober is my choice. I decide to use my tools when feelings get overwhelming and I choose to escape the discomfort of now with my disease.
I have no answers my morning meditation told me to ne positive. My spiritual guides yesterday told me they are protecting me. All in all I feel like this little kid today who really wants one more morning coffee with their old man even if it's meeting him in bar at 6 am.

Waving away the smoke from the poof. I did it. I made you stop scrolling. Takes a bow. I'll share a secret with you. Lean over to me please. I'm not really a magician. That said, I do have super powers. I'd like your undivided attention. You should pause your show, take a quick sip of your coffee, tea, and turn down your song. I hope your not baking, or driving while reading this. I'll wait thirty seconds and let you get comfortable. Cue Jeopardy music.
Ready now? Assuming you said yes. Here we go! I got you to stop scrolling, and I asked for your undivided attention. Now, I have to deliver an amazing post. Rolling around my neck. Clockwise and then counterclockwise. One round of head, shoulders, knees, and toes. All warmed up. Look at you. You're already laughing, smiling, or at least smirking. Damn, I'm good. I'm modest too. wink-wink
Fiddle sticks, where was I. Oh I know, my super powers. For starters, I can pick perfect avocados every time. I'll wait while you re-read the previous sentence. Every single time, perfect avocados. The key is to...no way I'm telling you my secret, well not yet. That's one of my super powers. Sit down please, before I share my second super power. Cue Jeopardy music, again. Now that you're seated. I haven't lost a single sock in over a decade. I'll stop "bragging" for now. I'm modest, remember.
How about some randomness. What section of Target is your favorite? Last song you blasted in the car? Go-to karaoke song? We'll dance and sing while cooking. Nature is my happy place, especially the water. I find it therapeutic. Nothing, like the smell of rain before it actually rains. I'm a PPD (Proud Plant Dad). Plants teach me so much about me and life. I mentioned my super powers, so it's only right I mention my kryptonite. You wouldn't hold it against me right. Sushi...it's Sushi. That's my kryptonite. You should probably buy a portable charger. You'll need it with all the songs, meme, gifs, music, and dad jokes we'll be sending each other. You should probably get back to your movie, baking/cooking, prep for the work week etc. Let's simply chat. No rush, no pressure. Talk to you soon.

“No prison can hold me; no hand or leg irons or steel locks can shackle me. No ropes or chains can keep me from my freedom.”
-Harry Houdini

It’s time to end the Ability Score list. It’s been way too long. I know the physical scores don’t need a lot of explanation or examples. I see the scores they get, I extract feedback from what I can. But maybe there is someone who could get a spark of inspiration from it. Some new insight. So this is for you, the one who is curious enough to see if they can get something out of an article about the Dexterity score.

What is Dexterity?

”Whatever is flexible and living will tend to grow; whatever is rigid and blocked will wither and die.”
-Laozi-

Being dexterous, being swift, being nimble and quick. What does that even mean? Are those just buzzwords? Is it speed? Plenty of dexterous characters can be quick but Dexterity does not affect running speed. Is it fine motor skills? Acrobatics and balancing acts are about gross motor skills so it can’t be just that. Strength is about gross motor skills and you use muscles with Dexterity, so can’t they be used the same? Nope, that’s where we get to a nuance that gets more significant the more we realize what the differences are. The conclusion to Dexterity is this: The precision in which a physical action is achieved.
But what the heck? Don’t we use Strength to swing a weapon and isn’t that a hit-or-miss situation? Well, the difference is that we don’t need to hit exactly between the third and fourth rib on the right side of a rib cage when swinging a giant mallet. Even if you don’t hit that exact spot, you’ll still get the chance of fracturing the bones that hold it together. Accuracy doesn’t matter that much when you can’t even lift a weapon to wield it. However, weapons that are light and allow for fast and sharp movements work better with exact precision.To hit home what the differences are between Dexterity and other physical ability scores are thus:

• Fall-breaking as opposed to high-jumping
• Keeping your balance rather than standing your ground
• Quickly reacting rather than toughening things out
• Archery instead of the hammer throw competition
• Stretching rather than warming up

Motor Skills

“The body says what words cannot.”
-Martha Graham-

Bodily precision is divided into two types: fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are all about the digits, the hands, the fingers. Das Fingerspitzengefühl. It’s the finesse in which small movements are made. The sensitivity of the hands or feet is important to feel pressure and how to ease with it or go against it.
Gross motor skills are also about finesse and precision but more about the whole body and its way to keep balance or bend effectively. It uses the larger muscles with the right kind of reach and movement necessary to get a result. High-level gross motor skills are usually performed in mid-air.
Both work well with hand-eye coordination from juggling to archery to flipping a butterfly knife. Throwing something heavy, kicking a ball really hard, or dealing a good punch also fall under motor skills and coordination. But in the case of Dexterity, it needs less physical resistance and more sensitivity.

Reflexes

“Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.”
-Donald Rumsfeld

Quick muscles and a refined sense of movement are ideal for knowing when trouble comes in fast and getting out of the way on time. Reflexes are your saving grace in turning a full-on explosion into a slight singe. Your ability to react is there to trust and it will come up often when something sudden happens.

Equilibrium

“I want to caution you against the idea that balance has to be a routine that looks the same week in and week out.”
-Kevin Thoman-

Dexterity is not only about fast movements. Sometimes, something needs to stay steady. From spinning plates to preventing dropping off from a great height, a sense of balance falls into this ability as well. Balance plays a bigger part in the head rather than the entire body, though. The vestibular system inside the inner ear allows us to seek the right bodily balance. So much so that we are constantly seeking it in small ways without even noticing.

Roleplaying Dexterity

“The body is living art. Your movement through time and space is art. A painter has brushes. You have your body.”
-Anna Halprin-

That’s nice and all, but now what? The physical ability scores aren’t so much about thinking and responding, they’re about actions. Opportunities, really. These opportunities can be found if you are aware of them or perhaps sought out. If you really don’t know how to play out your strengths, see if you can do something actionable.

Stretch

To stay limber and prevent muscles and tendons from locking up, they need a warm-up or at least a good morning stretch. It’s a good habit to start the day getting flexible no matter how loud it can be.
I’ve met a man at Aikido practice who never stretched in his life. His body was bulky, tough, and as stiff as an oak. You only needed to bend his arm slightly towards his back or he was already paralyzed with pain. Most limber people tend to out-slip such maneuvers if you don’t do them effectively.

Practice

Precision isn’t measured in reps or weight but in time and accuracy. Get some alone time to practice archery, knife throwing, lockpicking, or balancing on a beam. You never know when the practice pays off. Heck, you can try freerunning over rooftops or perhaps bring back the planking trend.

Variety

Treating each Dexterity skill as only one possible action is a waste. Surprise yourself and others by thinking outside of the box. Know that there are more ways to utilize quick fingers. Acrobatics aren’t just about doing somersaults. Stealth doesn’t mean you need to be invisible.

Dextrous Characters

• Aladdin
• Daredevil, Elektra, Hawkeye, Bullseye, Ant-Man, Quicksilver, and Black Widow from Marvel comics
• Every main character from Kung Fu Panda
• Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy
• Lanky Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, and Dixie Kong from Donkey Kong games
• Michaelangelo from Ninja Turtles
• Robin Hood
• Sportacus from Lazy Town
• Stella from The Italian Job
• Tai Lee and Mei from Avatar the Last Airbender
• The Flash, Catwoman, Robin, Nighthawk, Inque, Rag Doll, Green Arrow, Black Arrow, and Deadshot from DC
• Usopp from One Piece
• Vitaly the tiger from Madagascar movies
• Yen from Ocean’s Eleven

Activities for Dexterity

• Balancing meditation balls
• Cartwheeling
• Cheating at a game
• Contorting
• Dancing
• Drawing
• Finding the balance of a dagger
• Free running
• Handstand walking
• Hiding
• Inconspicuously adding something to a drink
• Infiltrating a place
• Juggling
• Moving on ice
• Perform surgery
• Petty thievery
• Pick-pocketing in a crowd
• Plate spinning
• Playing a game of cups, darts, or horse-shoe tossing
• Playing hide-and-seek
• Practice calligraphy
• Practicing fine/gross motor skills
• Sensing dents
• Somersaulting from stand-still
• Stretching
• Sword swallowing
• Tickling a sensitive spot
• Tight rope walking

Other Treasures

• Character Creation
• Character Writing
• Appearance
• Roleplay
• Strategy & Tactics
• Dungeon Crawling
• Ability Scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution, Strength
• Communication & Behavior 1

The List of Olem

Hey there honorary Justice League members - it’s a new week which means it’s time for a new discussion thread!

• Floss' pick of the week: The Flash #800

For those who don't know: the way this works is that several comments will list this week’s releases, for any given title discussion you should respond to that comment. For example, Wonder Woman discussion would go in the replies to the "Wonder Woman" comment. Clicking the titles in this post will take you directly to that comment, too.
In other words, you should only be replying to other comments. If you have trouble understanding how to comment for a particular title, please refer to this handy guide. Any unwarranted top level comments will be removed.
Also, please refrain from posting short, low-content comments on threads for issues or episodes that have not yet been released. Put some effort to generate discussion. Instead of just posting "So excited!" or "Best book!", try something with a bit more substance, like "Punchline is such an amazing character! Can't wait to see how they explore her in more depth in this issue."
Join the Monthly Book Club! This month's book is Batman/Superman: The Archive of Worlds and you can join the discussion right now here!
 
QUICK LINKS: Weekly Meta Discussions Thread Current jump-in points Weekly Discussion Archives Monthly Book Club Discord Server Twitter Last Week's Thread
^{If a pig loses its voice, does it become disgruntled?}

DC and Imprints

^{All your light hearted favourites like Wally West, Scooby Doo, and the Joker}

• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #4
• Batman #136
• Dark Knights of Steel #11
• The Flash #800
• The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9
• The Joker: Uncovered #1
• New Talent Showcase: The Milestone Initiative #1
• Peacemaker Tries Hard! #2
• Poison Ivy #13
• Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #122
• Shazam! #2
• Steelworks #1

Trade Collections

^{Wonder Woman Historia hardcover the same week as the Kelly Sue DeConnick AMA? What are the chances!}

• Batman: Fortress [HC]
• *Fann Club: Batman Squad
• History of the DC Universe [HC]
• Nightwing - Vol. 1, Leaping into the Light [TP]
• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons [HC]

Digital Releases

^{Remember, these are the short 'chapters' with a new chapter of a different series coming out daily. You can learn more here on Comixology. This is also why these are in release order, not alphabetical. Some comics may release on DC Universe Infinite or WEBTOONS.}

• Monday, 6/5 (WEBTOON) - Red Hood: Outlaws #43
  
• Tuesday, 6/6 (WEBTOON) - Zatanna & the Ripper #48
  
• Thursday, 6/8 (WEBTOON) - Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #86
  
• Friday, 6/9 (WEBTOON) - Vixen: NYC #55
  

TV Shows

^{complicated daddy issues}

• Tuesday, 6/6: Superman & Lois S03E11 - Complications
• Tuesday, 6/6: Gotham Knights S01E11 - Daddy Issues

^{This Week’s Soundtrack: Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love}

Hey guys, I remember seeing this gif a long time ago somewhere in a forum thread as someone's signature, but it's either buried now or possibly even removed.
The gif was at a party I believe, with the camera panning downwards as Trump walks up to a lady, whispers something in her ear, then walks into a group of two or three ladies and starts dancing with one of them, stepping back and forth while swaying his arms left and right.
Thanks ahead of time if anyone has a copy of this awesome gif!

“The good news,” announced the gravelly voice of Mimi the tentacle alien, “Is that this model defaults to zero-g when it breaks.” He led the way down the corridor with tentacle slaps instead of footsteps, which managed to sound exasperated.
I had the brief thought that he was louder than Mur and Wio when he walked, possibly because he spent so much time in the engine room where everything was noisy. But I put that thought aside. I had a pretty good idea what the bad news was.
“The bad news,” Mimi grumbled, “Is that the carrying cage that these high-paying customers insisted on is so broken that I can’t fix it. Even with the right tools.”
“So we have animals in zero-g,” I said.
Mimi waved a tentacle in a way that I privately found hilarious. “We just took off! Just! It’s like they’re trying to frame us for damages!”
I looked at him in alarm. “Are we sure they’re not?”
He made a dismissive motion, still walking. “That’s what the cameras in the storage holds are for. There’s proof that no one dropped it or whatever. And I think Captain Sunlight is already talking to them about it, which is a conversation I do not envy her.”
I winced. “Yeah. Which animals? It’s just one of the carriers, right?”
“The little ones. I dunno what they’re called. They were alive when I left, but they looked pretty upset.”
That didn’t narrow it down. As the ship’s resident animal expert, I’d had a look at each of the half-dozen life support chambers that passed for carriers among the rich folks. Each of them held a different type of little furry whatsit in wild colors. Each was sealed with its own supply of air and gravity — or at least it was supposed to be.
I couldn’t hear any distressed noises yet, but when Mimi poked the button for the door, it slid open to a chorus of muffled squeaks.
The six chambers were lined up in a row, on display in the center of the room, with nothing close enough to so much as touch them. Five held animals calmly nosing around the bottom.
One held a whirling tornado of blue fur.
I dashed over to peer through the glass, hands dancing uncertainly. I shouldn’t touch it, shouldn’t open it. But—!
…But.
I looked closer. “They’re running.” I dropped my hands and stared.
Mimi plopped down next to me. “Is that bad?”
“No, it’s just — Look at them! They’re doing this on purpose!” I started to smile as I realized why the squeaks sounded familiar. “They’ve made their own hamster wheel.”
“A what now?” Mimi wanted to know.
I gestured vaguely. “It’s an exercise thing for animals like this where I’m from. A wheel that they run inside of, and it keeps spinning. These guys—” I pointed at the chamber. “—Have created their own.”
“Uh-HUH.” Mimi tilted his head to watch the antics, which were slowing down as they noticed us. “That is a strange reaction to zero-gravity.”
“I’ve heard of mice that did that, actually,” I said as a memory surfaced. “It took them a while to make a game of it. I wonder if this isn’t the first time the carrier’s gravity has gone screwy.”
Mimi held a curl of tentacle thoughtfully to his face. “That is an interesting data point. The captain will want to know.” He lowered it. “And if you’re sure these things aren’t about to die of organ explosion or whatever, then we should go tell her.”
The blue furry things — which did honestly look a lot like mice — had settled down to some more even-tempered bumping around in there. None were limping as far as I could tell, and none had been knocked unconscious or worse.
“I think they’re okay,” I said, looking closely. “The food dispenser is closed, thankfully, so there aren’t any pellets or globs of water floating about. They just got a bit of excitement.”
Mimi levered himself off the floor. “They’re not the only ones,” he grumbled. “Annoying little meatsticks must be in cahoots with the rich jerks, trying to make our lives harder. Why would they even do that?”
I gave the chamber one last look, then stood and followed him toward the door. “I dunno, it looks like fun. Probably a lot of animals would enjoy that if they knew it was an option.”
Mimi stared at me with one large eye. “Animals from your planet.”
“Well, yeah. Probably others too.”
He made a wet-sounding snort of skepticism and led the way into the hall.
I followed, smiling. “Come on, it looks like fun. I was just thinking it would be neat to try in a zero-g room, though flat walls wouldn’t be as good as curved ones.”
“Your planet’s full of weirdos. You know that, right?”
“Oh, it’s been said before.”
~~~
Thanks to this Tumblr post about a NASA experiment for the inspiration.
These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.
Cross-posted to Tumblr and HumansAreSpaceOrcs.

“The good news,” announced the gravelly voice of Mimi the tentacle alien, “Is that this model defaults to zero-g when it breaks.” He led the way down the corridor with tentacle slaps instead of footsteps, which managed to sound exasperated.
I had the brief thought that he was louder than Mur and Wio when he walked, possibly because he spent so much time in the engine room where everything was noisy. But I put that thought aside. I had a pretty good idea what the bad news was.
“The bad news,” Mimi grumbled, “Is that the carrying cage that these high-paying customers insisted on is so broken that I can’t fix it. Even with the right tools.”
“So we have animals in zero-g,” I said.
Mimi waved a tentacle in a way that I privately found hilarious. “We just took off! Just! It’s like they’re trying to frame us for damages!”
I looked at him in alarm. “Are we sure they’re not?”
He made a dismissive motion, still walking. “That’s what the cameras in the storage holds are for. There’s proof that no one dropped it or whatever. And I think Captain Sunlight is already talking to them about it, which is a conversation I do not envy her.”
I winced. “Yeah. Which animals? It’s just one of the carriers, right?”
“The little ones. I dunno what they’re called. They were alive when I left, but they looked pretty upset.”
That didn’t narrow it down. As the ship’s resident animal expert, I’d had a look at each of the half-dozen life support chambers that passed for carriers among the rich folks. Each of them held a different type of little furry whatsit in wild colors. Each was sealed with its own supply of air and gravity — or at least it was supposed to be.
I couldn’t hear any distressed noises yet, but when Mimi poked the button for the door, it slid open to a chorus of muffled squeaks.
The six chambers were lined up in a row, on display in the center of the room, with nothing close enough to so much as touch them. Five held animals calmly nosing around the bottom.
One held a whirling tornado of blue fur.
I dashed over to peer through the glass, hands dancing uncertainly. I shouldn’t touch it, shouldn’t open it. But—!
…But.
I looked closer. “They’re running.” I dropped my hands and stared.
Mimi plopped down next to me. “Is that bad?”
“No, it’s just — Look at them! They’re doing this on purpose!” I started to smile as I realized why the squeaks sounded familiar. “They’ve made their own hamster wheel.”
“A what now?” Mimi wanted to know.
I gestured vaguely. “It’s an exercise thing for animals like this where I’m from. A wheel that they run inside of, and it keeps spinning. These guys—” I pointed at the chamber. “—Have created their own.”
“Uh-HUH.” Mimi tilted his head to watch the antics, which were slowing down as they noticed us. “That is a strange reaction to zero-gravity.”
“I’ve heard of mice that did that, actually,” I said as a memory surfaced. “It took them a while to make a game of it. I wonder if this isn’t the first time the carrier’s gravity has gone screwy.”
Mimi held a curl of tentacle thoughtfully to his face. “That is an interesting data point. The captain will want to know.” He lowered it. “And if you’re sure these things aren’t about to die of organ explosion or whatever, then we should go tell her.”
The blue furry things — which did honestly look a lot like mice — had settled down to some more even-tempered bumping around in there. None were limping as far as I could tell, and none had been knocked unconscious or worse.
“I think they’re okay,” I said, looking closely. “The food dispenser is closed, thankfully, so there aren’t any pellets or globs of water floating about. They just got a bit of excitement.”
Mimi levered himself off the floor. “They’re not the only ones,” he grumbled. “Annoying little meatsticks must be in cahoots with the rich jerks, trying to make our lives harder. Why would they even do that?”
I gave the chamber one last look, then stood and followed him toward the door. “I dunno, it looks like fun. Probably a lot of animals would enjoy that if they knew it was an option.”
Mimi stared at me with one large eye. “Animals from your planet.”
“Well, yeah. Probably others too.”
He made a wet-sounding snort of skepticism and led the way into the hall.
I followed, smiling. “Come on, it looks like fun. I was just thinking it would be neat to try in a zero-g room, though flat walls wouldn’t be as good as curved ones.”
“Your planet’s full of weirdos. You know that, right?”
“Oh, it’s been said before.”
~~~
Thanks to this Tumblr post about a NASA experiment for the inspiration.
These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.
Cross-posted to Tumblr and HFY.

This is a mega-thread for people who want to discuss before, during, and/or after the Re:SET - Los Angeles show. Please keep all comments relevant to the specific Re:SET - Los Angeles show. We will update the general info as more is learned comes through the wire if need be.
Enjoy the show!
VENUE : Brookside at The Rose Bowl
WHERE : Pasadena, CA
WEATHER : High of 74°F and sunny
TIME :

• Doors open: 3:00 pm
• Big Freedia: 4:00 pm - 4:40 pm
• IDLES: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Shit Robot: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
• Jamie XX: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
• Shit Robot: 7:30 pm - 8:15 pm
• LCD Soundsystem: 8:15 pm - 9:45 pm
• Curfew: 10:00 pm

VENUE DETAILS : * Please refer to the venue FAQs for more information! * Venue map can be found here
OPENING ACT(S) : Jamie XX, IDLES, Big Freedia, Shit Robot, Lovefingers & Heidi Lawden, ( DJ Topgun
TICKETS :

• AXS.
• TICKET MEGA-THREAD. Feel free to post ticket exchanges here as well. Please abide by rules posted in the ticket mega-thread!

MERCHANDISE : t-shirts and long sleeves, oh my!
PLEASE keep all conversations related to the Re:SET - Los Angeles show.
This thread serves 3 purposes :

1. Invite people to talk about anything related to the show taking place in their city, such as the merch, the venue, the show itself, etc.
2. Allow people to organize a pre/post-show meetup.
3. Share any and all media and footage from the show.

This thread will be stickied 6 hours after the show ends. Once unstickied, this thread will be placed on the sidebar for the duration of the tour -- each GDT will replace the corresponding AXS website :)
Have fun and dance yrself clean!
COMMENTS ARE SORTED BY NEW
Please be advised that all subsequent posts regarding tonight's show, including buying/selling/trading tickets for tonight's show, will be locked and subsequently deleted.