Hey all,
I wanted to raise awareness to a major disappointment that Nintendo's Tear of the Kingdom launch has provided: reports on the web suggest that the Tears of the Kingdom Switch Pro controllers have a mass defect like the joy-con drift problem was.
In June 2020, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa publicly apologized for the mass defect problem that riddled joy-cons on the Nintendo Switch: https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/30/21308085/joy-con-drift-apology-nintendo-president and mentioned that Nintendo is aiming to continuously improve their products.
A later study in December 2022 would state towards the cause of the joy-con drift: the implemented dust-proofing cowls offered "insufficient" protection against "dust and other contaminants," and the "plastic circuit boards exhibited noticeable wear." i.e. that dust would be allowed to enter in as the joy-cons aged. https://gamerant.com/nintendo-switch-joy-con-drift-design-flaw-study/
In November 2021 Nintendo of America's Doug Bowser promised that Nintendo was making "continuous improvements" to their joy-cons: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/11/doug-bowser-comments-on-the-battle-against-joy-con-drift-says-nintendo-are-making-continuous-improvements
A number of lawsuits were raised over the issue. The most recent class lawsuit Nintendo won earlier in 2023 because their EULA states that as a customer, you are not allowed to sue them if you agreed to use their products. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/02/nintendo-wins-switch-joy-con-drift-class-action-lawsuit
Fortunately US customers had been offered a free repair service for joy-cons already in 2019, and now finally also customers in Europe have been made whole a month ago in 2023 when European Union forced Nintendo to provide a free joy-con repair program: https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-offers-unlimited-free-repairs-for-joy-con-drift-issue-in-europe-062645235.html
This would be the end of the story and all would be good: hardware design defects happen, Nintendo offered to repair all the defective products, and new products would be sold fixed from the defect?
Well, unfortunately not quite. It has now been widely documented that not only joy-cons suffered from drift, but also the newly released Tear of the Kingdom themed Switch Pro controllers have a mass defect that causes a similar drift of the thumbsticks. Unlike "wear from aging", this defect however is present on brand new devices out of the box, so is not attributable to same explanation that was used for joy-cons.
A subreddit thread at https://www.reddit.com/zelda/comments/13h1kf4/totk_anyone_who_has_the_totk_pro_controller_had/ contains dozens of reports, and several similar notes can be found in many other reddit comments as well.
With joy-cons it is reported that the drift problem will exacerbate itself as time progresses. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/switch/189706-nintendo-switch/answers/584412-does-joy-con-drift-get-worse-over-time
It is unclear at this point if this same kind of worsening behavior affects the Switch Pro controller - after all the claimed root causes seem to be different (wear of age vs brand new controller)
There have been a surge of downplaying articles, like this one https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/05/psa-zelda-totk-pro-controller-drifting-after-a-few-hours-it-might-just-need-recalibrating that suggests that "you just need to calibrate it". From first hand experience, I can tell that the above article is not correct. Calibration will not help all users, and in fact, the calibration process that Nintendo offers is currently riddled with critical software bugs to even make it possible to try for some users: https://www.reddit.com/zelda/comments/13h1kf4/comment/jlxk3bw/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
If the issue is similar as with joy-cons that the Switch Pro controllers will get worse over time, then it is not likely that calibration will provide a 100% remedy for any user.
Reading the wording of the EU repair program decision, it is unclear if Nintendo is liable for a free lifetime repair of Switch Pro controllers as well, or if the current repair liability is limited to joy-cons only: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscornedetail/en/ip_23_2106
Hey Nintendo's Shuntaro Furukawa and Doug Bowser: your apology rings hollow, and your promise to continually improve your products does not seem to hold true. Instead you seem to be well aware that the controllers you are still manufacturing and selling today are defective. Under European and US law, when you sell an item that you know to be defective, leading the buyer to believe that the item is sound, you may be committing fraud.
We get it, your legal team is stronger than Ganondorf, but your sales behavior comes off equally as unethical on this account. This is not ok.
When will you announce you have made stick drift testing be part of your quality control, and actually start selling controllers that are free from stick drift in the first place?

So, basically, we just bought a home at the end of March and it has central air...sort of. At first, the central air seemed fine. It turned on and was quiet etc. It started making grinding and high pitched sounds, sometimes when it would turn on and other times randomly. To me, it seems like the fan or blower or something else similar but I'm entirely clueless when it comes to HVAC. A week and a half ago, we had the system on and it seemed fine, but the thermostat started talking to us like a weather warning saying "ALERT! ALERT!". It was in the middle of the night and I was actually showering so I didn't hear everything else lol but it shut down and we've kept it off since. The smart thermostat restarted itself at the time, also. We haven't gotten it checked because it's $200 just to look at it and I'm worried about wasting $200 if I can't afford the repairs. I thought it would be a few hundred dollars, but my mother scared me saying it will be thousands. Any idea what might be causing it and could bad circulation of the air cause it to overheat? It was on heat at the time because it was right before the weather warmed up by us. Thank you for any advice.

Recently got a Sony A95K 4k QDLED Tv. Needless to say I’m thrilled with it. However, while trying to calibrate it through the SX’s internal calibration I find I can’t see the closed eye when adjusting brightness settings.
I have all the 4k and Dolby Vision support turned on, RGB set to standard , and colour depth set to 10bit which my panel should support.
I’ve tried different picture modes on the tv and tweaking some settings but I can’t seem to get the closed eye to appear no matter what settings I adjust. I’ve also tried changing the colour space and depth and neither seem to have an affect.
The picture still looks good for the most part, but I’m not convinced I’m getting the most out of it. Is this a problem? And can anyone offer some advice? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Boiled it for a few mins at 100⁰c.
The thermostat has a stamp on it that says 82⁰https://i.imgur.com/TS2m21c.jpg
Engine has started getting a bit hot so i thought I'd check it. Isn't it supposed to be open more than this?
Here's a link to the thermostat

Calibrations
A few days ago, I suggested that Calibrations could be a way to do Interior content, as well as to moderate the Engineering grind. Well, I thought I'd expand on that here, without the Interiors focus.
There are several core issues with engineering. One of those is that players don't really know what they want before they get it. If you go grind mats to get focused pulse lasers, but they turn out to be terrible, you'll be really discouraged from going for something else. Making a major grind a requirement just to try out some common engineering effects is a harsh approach.
Another issue is that some weapons simply aren't worth using without engineering effects. Torpedoes are the most notable case, where they're basically ONLY good with Reverb Cascade. But that means unlocking an engineer JUST for those, and that's annoying.
The basic premise of Calibrations is simple.
An example of what a calibration minigame might look like. There could be different minigames for different modules.
Players can do a calibration minigame to improve the performance of(IE, temporarily engineer) some or multiple of their internal modules. The better they do at the minigame, the better the results of the calibrations. The main limiting factor will be time; it takes some time to do the minigame, maybe you'll need to do it multiple times to be successful, and you need to do it for each individual module. The effects of these calibrations will wear off after a preset time period. For weapons, it'd be after a certain number of shots, while other modules will either fade after a certain amount of time, or a certain number of uses.
This inherently makes Calibrations more useful for smaller vessels with less internal modules. A sidewinder could fairly easily calibrate both their weapons, but a Challenger or T10 would be spending so much time calibrating it wouldn't be worth it. This would encourage using the Engineering system instead, for more permanent effects.
Calibrations would function somewhat similarly to engineering; you choose an effect, and on success, it takes you up to, say, G3 effectiveness. This provides a powerful bonus, but still maintains the usefulness of engineering. It would basically be a middle ground between the two.
Even engineered ships could find benefits from calibrations. For example, a player fighting near an installation could calibrate their weapons for Smart Rounds(an effect currently never used) to avoid accidentally damaging the installation. After the calibration fades, the normal effect would return.
Wouldn't it be nice to NOT get a fine from hitting this?
Ultimately, Calibrations would serve as a teaser and middle ground between unengineered and engineered ships, as well as offering utility to combat ships wanting different options on the fly. It could allow players to try out different engineering effects without the harsh grind, but without removing the benefits of engineering entirely. It could make the game better both for newer players and older players alike.
So...what do you think? Yay or Nay?

"Nothing ever grows here."
This was a sentiment my father expressed often, referring to a particular plot on the east side of our property, murmuring the words bitterly. No matter what crops he planted there, no matter the attention he gave them, they would either wither and die or grow in a sickly, twisted fashion.
When I was young I watched him work the land and brought him food and water as the sun beat down upon us, dreading the day that he often told me would come- the day I was old enough to toil alongside him.
My interests were books, knowledge, the arts. Things they taught at school, and the more interesting topics I could learn about from Thomas, our neighbor who lived a mile down the road from us. Though he was several grades above me, Thomas was always kind, treating me as one would a younger sibling and entertaining my curiosities. It was from him that I found myself immersed in works of fiction and fantasy, things that my father would glance at and grimace.
"These things aren't meant for people like us, Leroy. No, we weren't dealt a hand to indulge ourselves in the luxury of idle pleasures for men who do not work with their hands."
He never said these things with a tone of anger or resentment, but rather in a measured way, meant to let me understand that he would derive no pleasure in keeping me from my interests or from walking to the school in a few short months. No, he said these things regretfully, wearily. He too, had once dreamed of a life away from his family's struggling farm. The only of his three siblings to survive adolescence, he chose to stay and aid my grandfather after my grandmother passed and he began succumbing to the bottle.
While my father never gave in to such vices, seeing him grow stiffer and harder of breath each day, I knew that I soon would assume the role he had once played for his father. And so I clung to my remaining days of freedom with a feverish fervor.
​
"...and it's entirely made of ice?" I asked, insistent and intrusive at Thomas's side.
"No, it's a continent covered by and surrounded by ice…" he replied distractedly, keeping his eyes on his book as we walked, "The, uh, Vikings found it I think… maybe the Spaniards. It's interesting though, no one owns Antarctica… Besides maybe the penguins."
"The Spanish find everything.”
“Mm. The Nazis went there too. My father told me.”
“Does he ever talk about the war?”
Thomas raised an eyebrow but didn’t look up from the page. His father, Sheriff Russell, patrolled Mt.Harmon with an efficiency that could only have been instilled by combat. Nothing ever happened in our sleepy little town, and he often seemed disappointed by this.
“Does yours?” Thomas replied.
“No. Mostly worries about the Russians these days. ”
“You’d think we’d be tired of war by now, wouldn’t you? And yet we continue to find new and horrifying ways to kill one another. Seems if we invent the weapons we’ll invent a reason to point them at someone.”
“Why do we keep making them then?”
“It’s profitable.”
There was a long pause between us. I decided to change the subject.
"What are you reading?"
"Frankenstein, or; The Modern Prometheus. It's by a woman named Mary Shelley. Gruesome throughout, it's about a monster created by a man who becomes a monster himself… You'd like it, I think. You can borrow it when I'm finished."
“How does one become a monster?”
“Inwardly. You’ll see when you read it. Conversely, the monster begins to appear more human.”
I pondered the meaning of what he had said and we neared a bend in the road. Thomas suddenly stopped in his tracks and dropped Frankenstein to his side. He stared straight ahead, eyes squinting at something through thick coniferous branches. I followed his gaze, finding nothing.
"Do you see that?"
"No…" I whispered. I followed his finger until I was able to see the camouflaged Great Horned Owl roosting there. Its sharp eyes were trained on us.
“How bizarre,” Thomas remarked.
“Not really. That’s one of the most common species of owl in this region.”
“It’s not bizarre that it’s here. It’s bizarre that it’s awake in daylight and that there are so many in one place.”
Taken aback, I realized the forest we were staring into was staring right back at us. Dozens of these owls were scattered throughout the trees.
“Incredible… Enjoy this moment, Leroy. We’ll never see anything like this again.”
We lingered for a while, soaking it in. After a silent agreement was reached that we had appreciated them sufficiently we turned away and journeyed on.
​
“You’re getting better with that,” I noted, watching my father adjust the radio’s dial to his favorite station. He often asked me to tune it for him.
“There is a part of me that still dislikes it greatly. Yet I find myself compelled. It doesn’t do us well to be uninformed.”
The broadcast spoke of the weather. The next week was to be warm, uncharacteristically so for this time of year. To this he grunted, “Figures.”
“How does that figure?”
“Maybe it doesn’t. But it gives me something to blame. Might as well be the weather.”
“And what do you blame on the weather?”
“Whatever you want. It’s the perfect scapegoat.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Let the cat out.”
I journeyed to the porch with the orange creature weaving itself between my feet. It wasn’t our cat, but it was here often enough for us to feel responsible for it. We weren’t sure who it belonged to, if anyone. It scampered out into the night, where a thick fog had settled over the grass. I listened to the chirping of crickets mingle with the muffled chatter of the radio while settling into a creaking rocking chair. The glow from the lamp inside gave off just enough light as I examined the cover before opening Frankenstein, flipping through to see what annotations Thomas had made in his scribbled, slanted way of expressing his thoughts between the printed lines. They always intrigued me as much as the original work. I smiled, returning to the first page.
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils…
​
“...Well, what did you think of Duck and Cover?”
Thomas was clearly excited to discuss the schoolwide atomic weapon safety protocol video we had been shown that morning. I was less than eager to reply. Practicing the drill had left me feeling ill.
“A desk would never save us from an explosion of that magnitude.”
“Clearly.”
“Why not build a bunker?”
Thomas laughed, “It costs money. Besides, would you want to be trapped in a bunker for years until the radiation decays? I’d rather die, frankly, than become a human sardine.”
“Valid…”
“If the government really wanted to make dealing with the aftermath convenient, they’d have us each dig our own grave beforehand. When the alarms blare we would simply lie down in them, and wait.” Thomas crossed his arms over his chest and mimed falling backwards.
I forced the resemblance of a chuckle out of a throat that had constricted.
“You don’t look well.”
“Why should I?” I turned to him, exasperated, “I don’t have a desk at home. Even the illusion of shelter might be nice.”
Thomas softened his voice, “I’m sorry, I was trying to make light of the absurdity of it all… I try not to mention that you’re leaving school. I force it from my mind so often that it sometimes slips away completely.”
“It’s not just that.”
“Then what?”
“...Doesn’t it bother you? To know that there are decisions being made for us? Ones that we do not get a say in- like who to bomb, or being forced to hide under a desk in the face of certain death?” I could feel my eyes beginning to water.
“...Of course it does.”
“And yet you laugh about it?”
Thomas shrugged, “I try to. Sometimes that’s the only option left.”
​
“What was your reasoning in choosing a Chevrolet over a Ford?”
My father was patching a tire, I was pestering him while he worked in the barn.
“Truth be told, I could give a damn about brands, makes or models. They all drive, they all break down, they all require special attention to certain faulty components… I simply needed a truck, and this is the one I could afford the day I was buying.”
“So you don’t ever find yourself admiring a Ford?”
“Sure. The grass is always greener, as they say...”
“And as you say. That's an idiom you use often.”
“Perhaps. I’m a practicing pragmatist.”
“You consider yourself to be a pragmatist?”
“...Should I surmise from your tone that you disagree?"
“I… didn’t say that.”
“Not in so many words.”
A pair of owls hooted rhythmically from somewhere to the east. He placed the tire back on the hub, giving me a stern look before winking at me as he began tightening the bolts to the rim. His point was made and my tongue was tied. He gave a curt nod at my concession and lowered the jack, running his hands across the repaired tread to make certain that no air was escaping. Once he was satisfied that it had been patched successfully he wiped them on his coveralls and stood up, grunting and groaning as his tired limbs protested just as loudly.
When he spoke again his voice had lost some of the sharpness it typically held, “There was another matter I wished to discuss with you before this task took precedence this evening”
“I’m all ears.”
“Tell that to the mouth you’re always running…” he chuckled softly, his usual gruff timbre still absent from this remark, “Leroy, I’ve decided to hire some help around here.”
I stared at him, sizing up the implication of what he’d said.
“Do you forget who manages your finances?” I asked, incredulous, knowing that we didn’t have a quarter to spare.
“That only adds to my point. You are a child, yet you understand these things as well, or perhaps even better, than I.”
“Indeed, which makes your statement even more foolish.”
The gruffness came back to his voice with his response.
“Not at all. There is hope for you yet. You haven’t made the poor decisions I have and tied yourself to this cursed piece of land… Nothing grows here. And what does is meager…”
“...Meaning that you will need my help to succeed.”
“Nonsense. You will be at school for the spring and the fall, and in the summer you will have chores. But I cannot bear keeping you here with me. I will hire help.”
There was a finality to what he had said. A weight had been simultaneously lifted from my shoulders and placed firmly in the air between us. Impenetrable and inarguable. I found my lips trembling.
“Were you ever happy here?”
My question took him aback. He regarded me for a while before he spoke, his voice once again lowered to a softer cadence and volume.
“...I suppose I was for a time. We told ourselves we would return home to a hero's welcome… To parades and medals and our loved ones. And we did… To all the fanfare and the admiration… For what we had done. Who we had killed. The enemy- young men just like us. Scared, tired, hungry, sick men that we were told to kill with distorted reasoning, manipulation, for fear of being called a coward or a traitor… Through similar methods they were coerced to do the same to us. At the end of the day, we were only ever trying to survive, no matter which uniform we wore.”
He leaned against the frame of the Chevy.
“So I was happy to survive… I was happy to return to my infant, my wife…” he sighed heavily, staring down at the ground, “And then she left us... She was not happy here.”
“We… Couldn’t we have gone with her?”
“No,” he shook his head, “No, it wasn’t like that, Leroy… She was- is- a spirit meant to be free. She would have never been happy with us. Perhaps I was a fool for ever thinking that she could be…”
I had never heard him speak of her this frankly. I could see his eyes sadden as memories of their time together flashed through his mind. I nearly regretted broaching the subject.
“She was- she is- a good woman, in her own way,” he concluded, looking back at me.
“...And you are a great man,” I told him.
He rubbed his face with his sleeve, quickly concealing the mist forming in his eyes from my sight. When he lowered his arm he was once again composed.
“And you are a great son, Leroy.”
​
The next morning Thomas was not waiting on the porch for me on the way to school as usual. Instead I was greeted by Sheriff Russell after I knocked on the screen door. Seeing him dressed in a robe and slippers instead of his uniform was oddly disorienting.
"Good morning, Leroy. I'm afraid Thomas has had a fever through the night. His mother believes it best for him to stay in bed for the day. Just getting over mine," he added, seeming to feel the need to justify his attire.
"Oh, well pass it along to him that I hope he feels better soon."
"I'll do that, I'll do just that..." Russell yawned, coffee mug in hand. The sound of bare feet bounding down the steps came from inside and Thomas appeared, looking pale and tired.
“Young man, you ought to be resting!” Darcy poked her head around the corner to half-heartedly scold him.
“I’ll go back up in a minute, Ma, relax!”
Russell scowled at him.
“Did Pop show you this?” he asked, grabbing something off of the kitchen table and pressing it against the screen for me to see.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Only if you believe it to be a Geiger counter."
“I figured we ought to have a few at the station in case we… Well, you never know these days,” Russell said grimly, “They’ve been giving off odd readings though.”
“Have they been calibrated?”
“Do you really think I didn’t zero them in?” Thomas answered before his father could speak.
“It’s just a question… Were they stored with packets of desiccant? Have you made certain that the ionization chambers have not rusted? That the welds are intact? They will be useless if any air gets inside.”
Thomas looked toward Russell to reply.
“I… don’t know. Well, Leroy, Thomas always told me you were sharp,” Russell said, seeming to have gone from seeing me as a child to an equal in that moment. Darcy reappeared around the corner.
“Thomas, get back in your room and rest!”
He grimaced at her.
“I’ll be better in a day or two,” he grumbled, “I’ll see you then.”
“Feel better. Good to see you, Sheriff,” I said, turning to depart.
“One moment, Leroy,” he called, and I returned to the porch, “Have you ever been to the library in Augusta?”
“No, sir. I’ve never been to Augusta at all.”
“You don’t say? Well, with as much as the two of you read, it occurs to me that it would be a worthy pilgrimage to make. What do you say we all take a trip down once we’ve recovered? I imagine they have a few books in the capitol library that you could never find in our little town.”
“I… I’d love to, Sheriff,” I murmured, flustered by this act of kindness, “I’ll… I’ll ask my father.”
“Good man. And Leroy, you may call me Russell,” he smiled.
​
This was the night that the monster visited me.
It waited until my sheets were soaked in cold sweat and my teeth chattered uncontrollably to make itself known.
It rose out of the darkness, a form that slowly took shape out of billowing shadow. And then it was before me. Massive. Cadaverous. Its suppurating flesh crudely sewn together in multicolored patches.
But worse was its grin. Something so hideous was not meant to express the joy it conveyed from the cruelty of its intentions. Blackened teeth and bloodshot eyes bore into my very essence as the form of Mary Shelley's literary creation was brought to fruition before me. The scream in my lungs would not release itself. It felt as if a great weight had settled over my throat and ribs.
But no, it was the screaming in my ears that made the tapestry of my nightmare begin to fray.
My eyes shot open and the tethers of sleep paralysis released their grip on my limbs.
There it was once more, shrill and agonized, the sound of something suffering in the throes of its final moments before death.
I was on my feet. My door slammed against the wall. My father's door was already open. As I careened down the hallway I was just able to make out his silhouette, a shotgun in his hands.
"Stay here, Leroy," he barked.
A change had come over him. He was no longer the stiff-limbed, patient father I knew. His posture straightened, his voice was callous. He burst into the night, once more a soldier storming into battle. Even in my panic I could not help being awed by the transformation I had witnessed.
A shot fired…
And another.
Then a complete and deafening silence.
I crept to the door, pushing it open just enough to peer out. An impermeable fog clung to the air, making it impossible to make out anything past the porch.
"F-father?"
My toes were on the top step now, slowly inching their way to the damp grass.
Still. Silent.
"Dad?!"
The owls began hooting and the crickets started up their chatter once more. Altogether, the creatures around seemed to release a breath they had held collectively. Even the fog relinquished its grip on my vision.
I could just make out his slumped form. My feet slapped against the cold earth as I sprinted my way toward him, anticipating the worst.
"Dad, are you okay? Dad!"
Then he was on his feet once more, gripping me by the waist and hoisting me up.
"There is nothing for you to see, Leroy... Nothing at all. Close your eyes, son. Please, close your eyes…"
Despite the desperation and sincerity in his voice my curiosity got the better of me. I squinted through my eyelids, just able to make out the pile of scattered limbs through my lashes. I forced bile back down my throat and clenched my eyes tightly, shocked to find myself wishing to return to the nightmare that had awoke me.

Against all the evil that hell can conjure.
All the wickedness that mankind can produce…
We will send unto them, Only You.
Rip and Tear
Until it is Done.
-][-
Memory Transcription Subject: Vikam, Venlil Space Corps Officer
Date: [Standardized Human Time] July 2nd, 2136
The ghost signal.
It had started as faint readings that rapidly spread across the entirety of know space, manifesting as a sort of white noise in the background of Federation communications and networks, so weak it could only be picked up by our strongest equipment, and even then it was so barely noticeable that for decades most had written it off as a simple statistical error or calibration issue. Until we noticed it was getting louder. Wherever we went it was always there, as if it were not a signal but rather a reading we were unintentionally picking up, one that had been getting stronger from the moment it had appeared. The signal that over a century ago could only be picked up by the strongest of our communications arrays, was starting to now impact those same arrays, and not just that, but even innocuous things like holopads and other civilian equipment had begun to malfunction at a much higher rate.
At this point the idea of it being a mere software glitch or hardware issue had been long since thrown out, not a single software update, code rewrite, or hardware swap had done a single thing to solve the mystery. But it was ever so slightly stronger in some sectors than others, and with the signals ever increasing strength we have finally been able to tell the relative difference in strength from one sector to another. Now the most concerning thing to me was that the signal was strongest nearest to Venlil Prime.
To say this revelation was worrying would be beyond an understatement, both to our own people and the wider Federation, we sit on both the border with the Arxur and unknown space, the idea that this wasn’t an anomaly but rather an attack or weapon caused even greater panic than we had ever seen before.
If this was the Arxur that would mean that they are in possession of a weapon that could have the potential to cripple our ships and communications, leaving worlds defenseless and unable to even call for help, serving our worlds to them on a platter without even a single shot fired in defense. The idea alone keeps me awake at night, thinking that we could be at the complete mercy of another who would see us dead or enslaved.
However the second option was somehow just as frightening. If it’s not the Arxur, then what is it? Where is it coming from? Is it even coming from a single place? Though I guess that last question did have some kind of answer. A few [years] back the readings spiked to unprecedented levels, causing mass electronic malfunctions across the entire federation before falling back down to a steady level, albeit much higher than ever before. However this time instead of seemingly appearing all at once, the spike seemed to rapidly cascade across space, and by mapping out the miniscule differences in time we could gain a general direction of its source, and that source was far out beyond any known space of both the Arxur and Federation.
Well I guess that’s why I'm here. Or rather why all of us are all the way out here in what might as well be the middle of nowhere on the edge of Venlil space, chasing this ghost signal to find its source, failing that, finding out what it really is.
I don’t like being out here, I don't think any of us do. I don’t know why, but I feel like the longer I stay out here, the more I feel like… like we’re being watched. The further we go into the outer territories the more uneasy I start to feel, and from what I’ve overheard from the rest of the crew, I’m not the only one. Honestly I’d rather be back home right now, the longer I stay out here the worse and worse it's been getting.
I’ve been having… nightmares. Recurring ones, for [months] now. Worlds burning, their surfaces charred and cracked like charcoal, the surface scarred with a symbol glowing a burning red. A five pointed star sitting inside a circle. Each time I fall asleep it’s a different world, Venlil Prime, The Cradle, Mileau, Nishtal, Aafa. I don’t know how I know what world I see given the destruction, it’s like there’s some knowledge planted in the back of my mind telling me what I’m being forced to look at. I wish it ended there, but every time, after witnessing worlds burn, I'm forced down into a ship or put on the surface.
Usually nightmares come from some experience in the real world, an Arxur raid, a predator attack, or simply a horrible accident. I had never thought that a nightmare itself could be a direct source of fear. But those… things, defied all logic. How could life ever evolve on any world to end up like… that, ignoring how such creatures could even develop any technology at all, somehow being more brutal than even the Arxur have ever been, if such an idea was even possible. Every night I am haunted by creatures tearing people apart, worlds burning, and red ships descending on whatever remains.
I’ve obviously developed some form of predator disease, that's the only explanation for why my mind has been spiraling down and down all these [months]. Only the deranged mind of a predator would be consumed by thoughts of nothing but death and destruction night after night. Sometimes when we jump into subspace I swear I can hear whispers. And now I know I’m going crazy because, well, when I look at the ship diagnostics it almost looks like something is shaking the ship while in subspace. Some of our fleet look like they have emerged from subspace with damage to the hull. It’s progressed so far I’m hallucinating.
The impact this has had on my mind has been steadily deteriorating my performance and I’m worried that someone will find out. If that happens I'll lose everything, my life, my herd, my family. Luckily nobody seems to have noticed yet. Still I wonder how long I can keep this ruse going, how long I can convince everyone I’m a normal person.
“Vikam, Anything to report?” The captain of the ‘Steady River’ asked me as he entered the bridge, probably having just woken up given his general lack of tidiness.
“Nothing unusual captain, readings here are only marginally higher, less than point-seven percent, however our long range scanners have picked up surges coming from this system here.” I projected the star map to the captain's display, showing an area several systems away where we had detected a similar pulse to the one from [years] ago, albeit much, much smaller.
“How long ago was this?” The captain perked up near instantly.
“Just over a claw ago it seems.” Apparently this set him off.
“What!? And you didn’t tell me!? If we finally have a solid location on these readings we need to investigate immediately!” One of the techs on the bridge spoke up after the captains’ outburst.
“Umm sir, what if it is the Arxur?”
“If it is, don't you think we need to know!? That’s the entire point of this expedition! Vikam, tell the fleet to prepare to jump. If it is the Arxur, we need to arrive simultaneously so we aren’t sitting alone without help.” The captain gave his orders and I obeyed, coordinating with the other capital ships of the fleet to act as anchors for the smaller ships to follow into subspace.
Our ‘exploration’ fleet was little more than a bunch of warships with science equipment strapped to them. Over 1200 ships split into four search groups, some splitting even further beyond that, would all now reconvene and jump to this system, if it was the Arxur we would need every ship available to beat them back and hopefully capture whatever technology was causing this. Personally I scoffed at the idea that the Arxur could come up with anything that could do this, I doubt they even have the capability of inventing things beyond new torture methods, considering everything they have was given to them. It doesn’t matter, our fleet was reinforced with some of the newest and strongest ships we could build, the Steady River is of a new ‘Heavy Cruiser’ pattern, a fresh off the line Farsul ship with enough armor to take on any Arxur vessel and measuring in at a massive [800 meters]! And we managed to negotiate to buy four of them! And received eight more directly from the Farsul navy! Combining them with the other ships sent as part of the combined search effort, our fleet had 26 capital ships and over 500 cruisers, with the rest of the fleet being filled in by bombers, frigates, corvettes, and patrol craft. I’m pretty confident we can take a few savage reptiles.
“All sub-fleets present, preparing for subspace jump.” a voice called out somewhere on the other side of the bridge as I double checked the fleet registry, ensuring all ships were accounted for and properly linking with their respective capital ships for the aforementioned jump. I began the countdown.
“Synchronization complete, subspace drive spooling up… Preparing to jump in three… two... one… Now.” The stars visible from the viewports rapidly shifted from white to blue, to purple, and then vanished as we entered subspace and the bridge was bathed in light blue.
“All ships have successfully jumped and are in formation. We will arrive at our destination shortly.” I gave a quick update before the tech from before spoke up again.
“Captain, should we prepare for the possibility of the grays showing up?”
“Mm… Yes, pre-charge our weapons and have the crews on alert before we re-enter realspace.”
Uhh, I’m not so sure about that. “Sir, is it wise to jump into an unknown situation with our fleet prepared to attack? There’s still a possibility that an entirely unknown party is responsible for the readings, and to be honest I don’t believe the Arxur are capable of such a thing as this. If they could cripple the entire Federation at once wouldn’t we already be dead?”
“And you’d rather us go in completely undefended? If it’s the grays then we’ll be ready and with greater numbers, if it’s an uncontacted species then they need to be warned of the Arxur and join the Federation as soon as possible, and if it’s simply a natural anomaly, then our actions don’t matter. I’d rather be prepared than caught off guard and served on a plate to those savages, if they even know what plates are.” The captain half ranted towards the crew. Once again the tech from before interjected just as I was going to offer my counterpoints.
“S-sir, what if it's another pred-” he was cut off by the captain laughing.
“It’s what? Other predators? Ha! Need I remind you that not a single predator has ever made it beyond their world without our help. Now tell the weapon crews to be ready.”
I don’t know if it’s my lack of decent sleep, but it almost seems like the captain has been becoming just as irritable and out of it as I am, becoming more and more paranoid about being attacked, and keeping the sensor and weapon crews on near constant alert when searching through systems and the occasional asteroid field.
I switched one of my displays to check our progress, and just as we passed the three quarter mark something strange started to happen.
Shaking. The ship was shaking. And not just a little, it feels like I’m in an atmospheric craft going through a storm but… but this shouldn’t even be possible! Not in space and definitely not in subspace, there’s no precedent for this! There’s no such thing as turbulence in space! I slammed my paw down onto the touchscreen, hoping I hit the right button and rejoicing that I did when the ship's alarm blared and the brace warning went to all compartments. Worse still, it’s not just us.
According to what I’m seeing in the fleet communications, every single ship was experiencing the same instability we were. Some of the smaller ships were taking it so bad that they collided with each other due to the tight formation we flew in, the now wrecks instantly vanishing from subspace in a flash and becoming little more than shrapnel flying through realspace. Is this some kind of attack? People have theorized about subspace weapons but they’ve never gone beyond theories and imagination. What is going on!? If this continues we won’t have a fleet left by the time we arrive!
“S-sir we have to exit subspace right now! Our fleet is literally being torn apart!” I tried to plead with the captain but-
“No! Keep going! Tell all vessels to de-sync from their capital ships and distance themselves, even if it means we have staggered arrivals! We haven’t come all this way just to stop now!”
He’s gone insane, but I transmitted his order. Evidently all the fleet captains had agreed to this as our entire fleet de-synced from each other, but not before we lost several more ships in the process. Many had collided like the unfortunate ones before, and some simply dropped from subspace without any notice, if this was intentional or not I can’t say, but it’s entirely possible whatever is causing this forced them to do so, seeing as our own subspace drive was being pushed to its limits.
I could do nothing but squeeze my eyes shut and push myself as far back into my chair as I could, waiting for this to be over. I couldn’t see it, but I could hear the panic around me as I could imagine everyone else was having a similar response.
A bright flash of white and blue, and then…
Nothing.
Slowly I opened my eyes and saw my computer displaying a message stating our arrival at our destination and the pings indicating the arrival of the others. Raising my head slightly I looked around the bridge and out the viewports. The still panicking crew, the captain heavily breathing and leaning back with his eyes closed, the systems dual stare-
Wait, no. This system is only supposed to have one star, every single scan and map has this system as having a single star. But there, a second one stood, much smaller than the first, and… it looked… wrong. Just wrong. Instead of burning it looked like it was boiling, and had tendrils of red energy splitting off of it, with two much larger ones coming from opposite ends, splitting the void around it in two. I was so caught up in the sight of it, I barely noticed the rest of the fleet arriving, or what’s left of it. We lost over two hundred ships just getting here, either destroyed or dropped out of subspace before arriving.
“What is… what am I looking at here?” The captain, now sitting up straight, spoke everyone's thoughts out loud. “Scan that immediately!”
It’s obvious we’ve found the source of the ghost signal, however being so close to it meant that our equipment which was barely working in the first place, now struggled to even look at that… thing.
Well at least I know my initial judgment was wrong, the anomaly wasn’t a star, or even the size of one, rather it was the size of a small moon. Our sensors mistook it for a star, as it had the full output of one. This relatively tiny object in space was emitting a higher level of energy than the system's own star, but none of the sensors could make any sense of what it was or even the type of energy it was emitting, every sensor we pointed at it was overloaded with errors, but… there were objects… coming through the anomaly.
“Sir I c-can- we can’t make any sense of… what this-” I tried to give some explanation but was cut off by the sensors giving off a very different alert, ship detections, thousands of them. Tens of thousands of them. “C-captain I-I’m picking up something, there’s ships coming f-from that… that thing!”
The entire bridge scrambled to get the equipment back in order as everyone wanted to know what was going on, how anything could survive being near the anomaly that nearly fried our systems, never mind coming directly out of it. Was it even an anomaly in the first place? Had we come across some race that was so advanced that they could literally tear reality as a means of travel? Was our inability to scan it merely a by-product or intentional design? Whatever it was, the energy used was like nothing we had ever seen, or even theorized of.
I pulled up as many sensors and screens as I could to get a look at those ships and-
My heart almost stopped.
I could hear nothing but ringing and my ever increasing heart beat. I feel freezing cold and burning hot all at once. I sunk my claws into my left arm to check I’m not still in a nightmare, I wish I was, but this is real.
All of those ships are real.
Red ships.
Those things, pulled straight from my nightmares, were now bearing down on us. I could do nothing but stare in frozen horror as the automated reports indicated over three thousand ships headed to our direct position. I could do nothing as that same red energy effortlessly lanced through our ships, tearing our already loose formation apart. I could do nothing as every ship fired back in panic, the interference preventing mass communication as the fleet desperately tried to return fire. I could do nothing as-
As a green light quickly overcame the visual sensors, and just as quickly left. The ship I was watching returned to view, now a gutted lifeless wreck, burning green from the inside out. Its strange tentacles that sprouted from the bottom now limply floating in the void alongside the shattered pieces of what remained.
What. Was. That.
The interference must have been greater than I thought, because those red ships were not the only thing out there. Scanning the system as fast as I could, I saw other ships on the other side, facing the anomaly, not the same sinister red, but a pale gray. Massive ships that dwarfed all but the most gargantuan of the crimson attackers. By the stars, even the smallest of those ships was almost as big as a standard cruiser! And those capital ships… they must be at least [2000 meters]!
I would’ve asked why any sane race would build such things, but those red ships varied in size so greatly that many surpassed the gray behemoths, sometimes even more than twice over!
That knocked me out of my stupor, the pale behemoths were holding off tens out thousands of vessels whilst our scanners indicated they possessed a mere five thousand, each firing off green and blue beams alongside endless swarms of missiles and kinetic fire so numerous the red ships couldn’t physically evade.
Plasma and kinetics I understand, although strange that it was bright blue and not the standard white, but that green energy was just as unknowable as the red coming from the anomaly and those damnable nightmare ships. Even their missiles detonated with pulses of green instead of the anti-matter design used by every known race.
What had we walked in on? We had just barged into two forces engaged in one of the largest battles in history, using completely unknown technology, and now one side was protecting us, or at the very least, attacking our attackers.
My hearing was finally coming back to me. “W-WE CAN’T REFORM! FLEET COMMUNICATIONS ARE OVERLOADED!” A tech screamed, a response to an order from the captain I hadn’t heard. Everyone was screaming, the bridge was in utter chaos, and the rest of the fleet was faring no better, hundreds already lost, our fighters and bombers were easily picked off by those cross-ships, and we couldn’t even communicate with how overworked our ship systems were directly after that horrid jump.
We could do little to save ourselves. But there were others who could, and were seemingly setting out to do just that.
Green and blue bolts began to mesh with our white plasma, part of that pale fleet had broken off and were assaulting the red fleet from our right flank, creating a cross of fire, though it was plainly evident that these unknown people were doing most of the work, as our shots went wide or failed to strike through the enemies shields and flowed off their armor like water. Our only true success was taking down those fighters, and a few groups having an unspoken agreement to collectively target some of the relatively smaller enemy vessels, finally destroying them after putting dozens of shots through their thick armor, creating a mosaic of burning dots.
We had no time to cheer, a few dozen out of thousands didn’t mean anything, even with the encroaching pale fleet doing most of the work, fortunately this also meant that the unknown predators started focusing their efforts on them instead of us, giving our ships a small reprieve.
A voice rose above the cacophony of mayhem in the bridge “Sir there’s something coming through comms!” What? I thought-
“I THOUGHT YOU SAID COMMS WERE OFFLINE!?” Exactly what I was thinking, though with less screaming involved.
“They were, but-” He was cut off as static overpowered every noise in the bridge, my console indicating it was a message being broadcasted from the pale fleet. An incredibly distorted voice was barely heard through the static.
“Unknown fl_________re in gr___ danger _____ reactiv________ Anima Fie_______ re-r____ to Al___ Centa___ im___iately. If you __________ any lon____ you___________ apart.”
Alongside the near indecipherable broadcast, came a packet of data that was so heavily encrypted that I don’t think an entire planet's worth of computers trying to decode it could do so in anything less than a decade, but even so, the message was clear, or maybe it’s just what I wanted to hear. Leave.
The pale fleet was now sitting between the red fleet and us, firing off massive energy beams from what I can only assume are spinal cannons like our own, only these ones were shredding through the predators en masse. Now that they were much closer, the pale ships began firing green orbs, moving slower than the beams, but whenever they neared a foe, green arcs of energy shot out and scorched anything they touched, before the orb detonated in a flash of light, sending out one last pulse of lightning to destroy whatever it could before vanishing.
We had little time to admire the artistry and effectiveness of these strange weapons, with the pressure now off our own fleet, every ship began to prepare to jump back to a predetermined fall back point.
Wait- no! That’s insane! We’ll never survive jumping back into subspace!
But it was too late for me to voice my objections, white became blue, blue became purple, and the stars disappeared as we jumped back into the azure abyss that would surely be our death.
Fleet Integrity: Critical
Fleet Cohesion: Critical
Estimated Fleet Losses: 881 / 1229 - 71.6%
Ship Systems: Damaged - Non-Critical
Estimated Crew Loss: 94
Enemy Losses: [ERROR: ENEMY FLEET UNKNOWN]
Allied Losses: [ERROR: ALLIED FLEET UNKNOWN]
-][-
Aaaaannnndd with ten pages, 4000 words, the first chapter is done!
Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll, and I hope this chapter meets your expectations for an intro to Argent Earth, with our first character being just a little guy who’s being endlessly tormented by nightmares now brought to life. Someone get this man a donut.
We see some new Federation ships and an exploration fleet coming up against forces beyond their understanding, and our first look at the ARC navy.
Now for some clarification in case someone didn’t get it so I don’t have to reply in the comments:
The ghost signal - not a real signal, demonic energy interferes with technology but they don’t know that. It’s the interference they’re picking up, which has been slowly increasing as the veil thins and rifts are made. Also a Stellaris reference.
Turbulence - The ‘turbulence’ was their ship's subspace drives and systems malfunctioning because they essentially jumped right on top of a rift without any kind of shielding. To put it in 40K terms, they basically jumped into a warp storm without a gellar field, and got off real lucky.
Demon proof your tech kids. Though that can be hard if you don’t know they exist.
Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating Nature of Predators.
Until next time, Rip and Tear.

Hello, I (22f) am wondering if ITA in my recent situation. Around Christmas I had a friend (24f) come up to visit and she decided she was not going to back to her home in different state. I was ok with her staying at first because she said she’d be looking for an apartment after working at the store across from us. However she didn’t work there long enough because she got sick and no call no showed for multiple days. She then had asked me get her a job at the liquor store I work at, so I talked to my manager and she got hired. Here’s where it goes south. She started calling out every shift, and saying that our manager wasn’t working with her. I tried to explain that he doesn’t speak English well and to have patience but she quit by texting me to tell him. I told her I was very disappointed and upset by her actions. I also told her I need her to find somewhere else to stay, she has multiple people up here, including family and a bf. But now she isn’t talking to me. Part of me feels guilty because I used to be homeless and she let me stay with her. But it’s more than just the jobs that has been wearing on me. She adjusts my thermostat, rearranges my kitchen, invites people over without asking, and has her bf stay over. When I’ve tried talking to her about it she makes me feel guilty and Idk what to do. Idk if I should’ve set stricter boundaries when she first showed up or if that would’ve even helped. I care about her but I’m at my limit both mentally and physically. Aita?

Now, to start, I've experienced strange things in my past, but I'm not an easy believer. I find myself more of a debunker.
Then this happened.
It was about a month ago that I heard a man's deep voice over the baby monitor in my grandmother's room and she was responding to it. I wake to everything. But I wasn't asleep at the time. As always, I went to check on her. Never mattered whether day or night. She knew I was always there.
When I first posted about this, someone mentioned that the veil was thinning for her to cross over. I don't recall everything that I put in that first post, but I went in once when she laying down. I couldn't exactly hear Voices at that point but the green light meter (sounds) was filling up. She started saying something about that "he and they" were talking to her, but she didn't want to talk to them.
She told someone on the phone that she had less than 2 weeks to go. But she seemed to be holding on. Even though everything seem to be going south for her, it was only after, having lived a long and rough road, she knew I went to the doctor to get checked out that she, relieved from what I heard, said "Good."
We had her in rehab for just a little while. Her organs were starting to fail. Trying to get her back on point. We had a place to move to out of this apartment that charges way too much. So we would visit her.
We watched the Preakness together. Joked around about different things. She'd smile and laugh. And then she went to sleep. I thought that was just what she did, go to sleep. I think she passed before I even made it down the hallway.
A day later, just like usual, having the thermostat set at 73, all of a sudden it got very very cold. Like low 40s. Maybe high 30s. Enough so that I'd have to climb underneath the blanket because I would start shivering. And I heard her call my name. I was watching something so I had to put that on pause to listen. A couple days later, I wasn't watching anything but looking at my news feeds, and that same cold started again. That time I heard her voice right outside my bedroom door.
It wasn't the 89-year-old grandmother's voice. That was the voice of the second mother that I had many many years ago. Didn't seem to be in distress or asking for help, but more like letting me know.
Today I was talking about her prize ring with my mother that she'd lost and where I think it might have been. Slipped off into the food disposal in the sink. Suddenly there came a strange sound from the kitchen, at the food disposal, which hasn't worked in a few months. It caught the cat's attention too. It's eyes grew really really wide and then it started smiling with its eyes.
I asked Mom if it was cold. She said no. But then a cold draft came from the kitchen.

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Hey all, Here looking to sell or trade away my Mamiya 6 MF. Beautiful camera with insanely great lens. Unfortunately, I think i just prefer an SLR without electronics in it. A rangefinder isn’t for me. I am looking to have the camera sold for $2200 net to me. Willing to sell locally in South Florida for a bit less. I am entertaining trades, but will most likely only trade for a Hasselblad 500CM/501CM, +/- cash either way. I may also be interested in a Fuji X Pro-3.
Mamiya 6 MF + extras photos
Included in the sale is: Mamiya 6 MF Body, 75mm f/3.5 in pristine condition, Mamiya Lens Hood, Tiffen UV Filter, Mamiya body cap w/ extra battery storage, Random roll of film from my jar
The light meter on this camera is absolutely solid. It takes amazing readings and is spot on. I also have used my sekonic light meter side by side to confirm this.
The rangefinder patch is bright and clear, as shown in the photos. The RF patch is correctly calibrated and is beautiful to use.
The bellows in the camera are in great condition and have always been extended/retracted with care.
The advance lever is in great condition and is always carefully cocked. Never had an issue with it, butter smooth.
There is nothing I can say is bad about this camera. Functions amazingly and looks beautiful. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and send a chat.

First time watcher, NO SPOILERS BEYOND EPISODE 50 PLEASE. I have NOT seen anything past the episodes listed in this post. And if I ask a question that gets answered later in the series, or make crazy statements that may sound stupid with hindsight of later events, kindly don't take the responsibility of answering those for me, as that would still be a spoiler to me, and I want to experience the answers in the show itself. Thanks for understanding and respecting.
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41. Gathering × Of × Heroes - 4/5 (It's crazy how rich Gon and Killua are. Just casually spending 20 million "Jenny" (why is the fictional currency just called by a female name?) like it's nothing. And that's not to mention the 800 million they made at Heavens Arena. Also, apparently Nen is able to visualize a whole 3 dimensional space around you through... A computer? How does THAT happen? I know you can infuse items with Nen and make them do specific things, but has the Hunter Association gone around and infused every public computer with Nen?? I DOUBT that. So what's actually happening here? Does the website somehow involuntality active the users Nen to visualize the bar? And if so... HOW does it do that?? It's a website, which is not a tangible thing. It can't have any Nen contained within it, and I don't see how it can forcibly activate someone elses Nen. Maybe the website's servers has the Nen infused and they transmit the Nen towards you when you load it... I don't know. Gosh. I was probably not meant to think this hard about it.
It's the Phantom Troupe, wowee. That's... A LOT of characters. I am certainly not going to remember them easily. The blonde guy (Shalnark) sticks out very oddly compared to the other male characters due to his huge, vertical oval eyes. This show has a strange contrast in general with character designs, since some will look really sharp and rough with "normal" sized eyes, while others will have the typical "cutesy" big eyed, button nosed, round anime design. Hell, the "big eyes" in this show far exceeds what is typical! I much prefer the former, but the latter works for female characters (Although Neon is REALLY pushing my limits) and kids. But Shalnark is an adult, yet he has the face of a child. He looks so weird! He doesn't appear at all like someone who would be a dangerous thief, unlike every other male characters in the Troupe. Neither do 2/3 of the female characters to be fair, but as I said, it works for them. I'm glad at least one of them, Pakunoda, was allowed look unique. She's got that long aquiline nose instead of a button. LOL.
Side note: The "ghost" that comes out of Neon's pen when she writes fortunes looks freaky)
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42. Defend × And × Attack - 4/5 (I really liked the background score for the opening in the Yorknew Marketplace. Also, HI LEORIO! Been a long time since I saw him. I figured that he wouldn't really have learned Nen. He has no reason to, he's not a fighter. Although it would be amusing to see what type he is and what abilities he'd manage to concoct. But he did learn Ren, so... Who taught that to him? Anyway, I love that the first thing he does when he meets up with Gon and Killua again is scam people. Stay classy. Still the funniest character. Also, the Phantom Troupe lady who attempted the arm wrestling challenge, Shizuku, looks so goofy. She has the massive eyes I talked about last episode, but her glasses only cover the lower half of them, and she's constantly cross-eyed. I think it's a funny look.
I really enjoyed that scene where Hisoka looks around at the other Phantom Troupe members, and stares down the boss. I don't know why, nothing really happened in it, I just enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and the score accompanying it. But more than that, I really enjoyed the conversation between Kurapika and Melody quite a lot. Specifically her backstory. But the effects of the cursed Sonata of Darkness melody is so strange. Basically, it's so cursed that your body will somehow just burn up from the inside, get all scaly and crusty (or whatever it is that happens, we never properly see the result) just from hearing it. But if you only hear some of it, it instead gives you "ugly" features? Since the way it "deformed" Melody was... Making her a midget, balding the top of her head, and giving her buck teeth. Those are some very oddly specific "deformities")
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43. A × Shocking × Tragedy - 4/5 (Well, THAT sure was a massacre. There was a giant pool of blood for crying out loud. Quite disturbing, to be honest. Those guys were all supposedly part of the mafia, so I guess I'm not supposed to feel too bad, but surely they were not all bad guys... And Baise passed away in the chaos as well, right by the hand of Shizuku. That was a brutal moment. I didn't get super attached to her as a character or something, but that was still cruel. Shizuku's Nen ability is pretty zany, though. She can conjure up a vacuum cleaner and suck endless amounts of mass and then just despawn it? Where does all the content go?
I don't have much else of substance to say. The mafia families keep attacking Uvo, and I'm given some information about the 10 Dons around the world and their "Shadow Beasts", but they only show up at the end. So, next episode better be amazing. "Worm" looks freaky as hell, though. Is that actually a human?!)
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44. Buildup × To A × Fierce Battle - 4/5 (Remember just a few episodes ago when this show refused to show blood on Hisoka's arm? Well, now they're letting us see characters get half their head bitten off and a bullet between the eyes. I'm not even sure why the title says "buildup". That wasn't buildup, that WAS the fierce battle. Uvo completely wrecked the Shadow Beasts. It was pretty disturbing. It's kind of annoying that they probably would have had a chance of winning if they were just a little more clever. First of all, Leech shouldn't have been so close to Uvo's face. Second, Rabid Dog should have attempted to dodge the "bullet" rather than block it with his hand. I mean, easier said than done, I guess. You can't exactly think rationally in extreme moments like that. I'm just saying that it would have been feasible to survive. Especially since the scene was slowed down to show what Rabid Dog was thinking fast, yet didn't consider moving! I was glad to see that Worm at least survived in the end, but then he died anyway.
Kurapika being able to restrain and yank Uvo with his chains was pretty awesome and satisfying, considering how highly he thinks of himself. He got humbled. Also, I don't think this was meant to be comical, but I found it pretty funny when Kurapika was monologuing about his chain restriction in his head while you can hear Melody in the background screaming at him to focus on the road. Made it feel like it was meant to be a parody of excessive monologues. LOL. Speaking of Melody, her relaxing flute music was great. It was genuinely calming even for me, the viewer!)
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45. Restraint × And × Vow - 3/5 (The Owl's entrance was pretty cool, and his round, goofy eyes were amusing (lotta thoughts about eyes lately). Too bad he barely put up much of a fight. That was disappointing. Especially since he was seemingly the smartest of the Shadow Beasts. He told the others not to underestimate the Phantom Troupe! Idiots. These Shadow Beasts were really not as powerful as cracked up to be. I guess it's to show how truly dangerous the Phantom Troupe is, though. Kurapika was able to punch Uvo hard enough to give him a nosebleed, so he must be pretty damn powerful himself. That was satisfying to see. Again, Uvo's being humbled. His uncontrollable rage upon rescue was hilarious. His pride was hurt, wah wah. Excited to see him hunt down and have an actual fight with Kurapika.
I love that Hisoka is simply so horny for fighting people that he joined the Phantom Troupe just to battle the boss. And he's willing to team up with Kurapika to double cross them just so he can do so. I'm VERY intrigued to see where this will lead. Hisoka and Kurapika teamup? He's got to be the "traitor" that tipped the 10 Dons off about the planned attack. As a final note, uh... Gee, how do I phrase this... Why the fuck are Gon and Killua black in the Hunterpedia segment??!!?!)
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46. Chasing × And × Waiting - 3/5 (No Hisoka/Kurapika teamup yet, but he's gonna return tomorrow, so... That's still interesting. And the ending when Uvo tracked Kurapika was very suspenseful. But everything else in the episode, while good, I have very little to comment on. I liked Kurapika being voted the temporary leader, I guess. And Uvo kissing Shalnark sure was a thing that happened. Gon, Killua and Leorio are now also gonna hunt the Phantom Troupe, so... More interesting stuff. Gon and Killua are still black in the Hunterpedia segment. After looking it up, turns out it's meant to be a tan due to the previous few segments being set outside. The color choice looks far more like plain black skin though, not a tan, or even a sunburn)
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47. Condition × And × Condition - 5/5 (The fact that Uvo and Kurapika both took the time to go to the outskirts of the city before fighting is pretty funny, because it means they obviously went together. Must have been an awkward trip. And it's also funny that we see Uvo taking a piss before the fight. He doesn't take it very seriously at all, which makes it all the more satisfying when Kurapika absolutely wrecks him. Deservingly so. And I enjoy the fact that Kurapika is a "heroic" protagonist who doesn't share the typical "If I kill them, I'm no better than them" ideology. It's a pretty tiring trait, since most of the time it's literally about evil people who cannot be changed or contained, like Uvo here. But that doesn't mean Kurapika enjoyed the act of doing it, he was clearly torn. Which makes this all the more interesting. And a badass fight.
Kurapika's "condition" doesn't really make any sense to me at all. Like, how does setting up a failsafe for yourself so that you'll be punished if you break a condition you make up on your own somehow enhance your abilities? This is why I don't think Nen is as awesome and unique as people make it out to be. There's a lot of rules and restrictions, but no explanations for "why" of them. WHY does such a condition enhance your powers? What's the in-universe reason for it? It just seems to be "because it does". Not very compelling to me, to be honest. Not that it made the episode less enjoyable, considering that it was awesome. Also, Gon and Killua are white again. Yay)
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48. Very × Sharp × Eye - 3/5 (Gon actually pawned his Hunter License?! That was surprising, and kinda sad, considering he can now NEVER get another one. What if he need it for more Ging clues? Wah wah wah wowowowow. Anyway, this episode is just "Gon and Killua go antiquing", but I enjoyed the laid back vibe of it, and Zepile was a nice character to meet. So overall, decent)
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49. Pursuit × And × Analysis - 4/5 (Holy crap, this is some suspenseful stuff. I loved Gon and Killua tailing the two Phantom Troupe members, but even moreso when they were caught. The zoom-in on Gon and Killua's eyes and their lightning fast bolt was a great visual. As was Killua bopping around the room, and his fight with Phinks, even though it was brief. I wish the series would have sequences like that which go on for longer, because that was epic. The only other fight of this calibre we've seen was the start of Gon and Hisoka's battle at Heavens Area. Not that the dialogue heavy battles are "bad", but sometimes an all-out brawl is a visual treat, and it's a bummer when it's so great, yet so short. But the Phantom Troupe capturing Gon and Killua is still super exciting, so this remains awesome. It was made even more suspenseful when I thought Gon was going to escape, but then Machi stopped him like she's The Flash or something! Honestly, 5/5 for the entire latter half of this episode.
Killua's father and grandpa are both now on their way to take care of the Phantom Troupe as well, so there's even more exciting things to get hyped for! The only less interesting part of this episode is the scene with Neon. Her role in the show felt to me like it was mostly just a way to forward Kurapika's journey towards the Phantom Troupe. Hell, the whole Nostrade family aspect felt more like a segway into that, so I don't understand why there's so much focus put on Neon and her father. It's not a LOT of focus, but it's some. She has a scene every few episodes. She did have that fortune-telling ghostwriting ability, so, there's gotta be SOMETHING important with her coming up, otherwise these parts would all be a waste)
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50. Ally × And × Sword - 4/5 (Wow, new intro- Dammit, IT'S JUST THE FIRST THEME SONG AGAIN! I'm being sarcastic, since I actually love the opening, but I've definitely developed a preference for the second version more. And this one only changes visuals once the chorus hits, but then the last part is the same one of Hisoka taunting Gon. Definitely feels like they could switch it up a little more, but I enjoy the individual Phantom Troupe spotlight regardless, so, whatever.
Heh, Killua averting Gon's "wow" from Hisoka to Shizuku was a nice save. How lucky that they met her a few episodes earlier. Seems she has memory loss, so I guess THAT'S an aspect of her character... Anyway, this is one of those episodes that is great, but I somehow don't have a lot to say about. It's only 2 scenes, so there's not a lot of different things happening for me to have many takes on. Best I can do is list the parts I enjoyed. And they include: Nobunaga showing genuine emotion for Uvo, Gon getting so angry he manages to win one armwrestling mach against him, Killua freaking out over feeling powerless, him and Gon's clever escape, and Gon's grin in the end when he claims Killua is the one who should keep HIM in check, not the other way around. But I basically just recapped the episode here, so, yeah. NEXT)

I am having trouble unlinking my google nest thermostat from a matter hub. It gives me a error saying connect to the same wifi network to link or unlink a hub but, I’m already connected to the same wifi as the thermostat. I also tried factory resetting the thermostat but it still did not work. What should I do

I am having trouble unlinking my google nest thermostat from a matter hub. It gives me a error saying connect to the same wifi network to link or unlink a hub but, I’m already connected to the same wifi as the thermostat. I also tried factory resetting the thermostat but it still did not work. What should I do

Hey everyone - new Ecobee owner here. Got the enhanced version for upstairs and downstairs. I'm using them both like my dumb thermostat at the moment to make sure things are working properly before I start fiddling. That said, it seems like the temperature readings are really "slow" to change back and forth compared to my old generic thermostats.
For example, I have it set to hold at 74 degrees. When it hits 75 degrees it doesn't instantly turn on. Instead it may sit at that temperature for a bit before eventually kicking in. But then when it does, it is taking 50 minutes or so to get back down to 74 and eventually turn off. But then it may be another hour or more as it creeps back up and sits on 75 to turn back on.
For reference, my old thermostat would turn on right when it hit 75 degrees and run for maybe 15 minutes to get it back down to right at 73 degrees or so. Then it might be another 15 minutes before it creeped up and turned back on.
I don't get the impression that running the A/C for long cycles like this is great for the systems and it's making me feel pretty cold (I guess due to the humidity drop?) But is this typical of the thermostats? I did tell it to ignore humidity adjustments because I wanted to compare it to the current thermostats I still had sitting around. Thoughts? Is this just the way the read temperatures?

My screen on the iComfort wi-fi thermostat died again. My last one died right before the 5 year warranty died and was replaced but now less than 5 years later it has died again. The installers are saying it goes by original install date for warranty so I’m screwed. I remember from before I was told there was no generic brands I could install because it was a Lennox multistage furnace. A replacement cost $900 plus tax plus install fees. FML!
Are there any generic brands like Nest I could install? Am I just screwed? Help! Heat wave is coming and I got no AC!