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What is #VALZUBIRIAGENDA and some ideas and insights

2023.06.10 23:00 AutoModerator What is #VALZUBIRIAGENDA and some ideas and insights

The 3 basic parameters of hashtag #Valzubiriagenda:

  1. We artists and everyone else can write and self-publish art- and artist-related books: memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs. Books are forever. Pamphlets and brochures are not books.
  2. We announce a schedule of increasing prices of our art pieces, which includes quantities (scarcity numbers) per price point and overall (the total quantity of art pieces we might ever make). This helps art traders, art investors and art collectors speculate or even stop speculating and instead join a community of investors working together to hopefully skyrocket to the higher announced prices in a shorter span of time.
  3. We can use the NFT world, because NFTs provide the tracking (who owns what) and trading.
We can also not be involved with NFTs. Stores and individuals can help sell art using online presence and our catalogs in the stores. If this trends, or once this trends, even expensive art can be sold by neighboring businesses, without exclusivity. Commission systems do not have to be standardized. Art investors can produce their own catalogs to leave at the cafés. Even the cafés can produce their own catalogs.
Valzubiriagenda NFTs
NFTs only came about a few years ago. But I had been working on this since the 1990s. I wrote a book, Valzubiriagenda, along with fellow artist Silverio Perez, and released it in 2018 (Amazon and elsewhere), tackling everything related to #1 & #2. We'll come up with #3 in a later book/ memoi marketing book.
Any artist, including tangible artists can release 10,000 NFTs if the artist chooses to do so. For tangible artists, the NFT first becomes an Art Commission Contract for sight unseen, yet-to-be made art. Once the art is made, the NFT becomes proof of ownership that the actual, tangible art is theirs.
Warehousing our tangible art
Another related idea is that the tangible art may be warehoused by the artist so that the NFT traders continue to trade. This means that even 10-ton 10-foot tall sculptures can be owned and traded by anyone without worrying about shipping, reshipping, scratches, smudges, parts breaking off, etc. The newness of the pieces remain because they are stored by the artist, source, gallery, etc. The art piece gets shipped to the art collector, the ultimate owner.
An artist who makes ceramic coffee mugs - smaller art pieces, can release 10,000 NFTs with a schedule of increasing prices so that NFT traders can trade immediately. The 10,000 coffee mugs can get damaged, so as they are made, they continue to be stored by the artist, until the time when art collectors decide to have the art pieces shipped to them.
Why only now?
I decided to write as many book-length memoirs as I can before I came out to promote this.
I'm an artist and an author. Both need time to "master." I would not even fully use "master" on myself, because there's always something new, even to my own art, my own writing and publishing.
I am now claiming that I'm the visual artist who has produced the most artist memoirs in the world. I have 5 on Amazon. I count Valzubiriagenda as both a marketing book and a memoir-of-sorts, because it has a lot of my own life lessons on writing and publishing. I would not care to contest my claim of having the most memoirs. I will release 5 more over the next 3 years.
BARTER! Get help to write, photograph art and publish your books!
Anyone can hire 11 ghostwriters for 11 memoirs. If you can make art, but you cannot write, then barter your forever art with those who can help you produce forever books.
I don't feel the pressure of writing and publishing because I feel my focus should be on art students and art experts who would study my art and my books 100 years from now. Don't expect relatives and friends to read your books.
I call myself the Dollman
For my NFTs, I am proposing to make dioramas - my original, costumed, bejeweled porcelain dolls in backdrops that will also have precious metals and gemstones. This way I can incorporate precious metals and gemstones in my work, to make sure that people perceive my art as expensive, just in case I myself don't become "famous" - there's no need to get world famous. We are artists and all we need to do is to satisfy the art niche.
Use your laptop now!
I will encourage you to start writing your book-length memoir. Write, Edit and then Self-publish it. Get help. Why wait a hundred years for someone to write about you when all you need is a laptop and a nearby coffee shop.
Don't start counting chickens before the eggs hatch. I have encountered a lot of would-be writers who immediately see themselves as bestselling. world famous assets to society. Two even wanted me to sign NDAs (Nondisclosure agreements), because they did not want me to steal their book ideas.
Here's a suggestion. I would not personally do it. From one manuscript can come 2 books: The Original Draft (unedited, with misspellings, considered to be an art piece, scanned pages(?) of your handwritten original effort), and The Final Edition (edited).
PROVENANCE!
Another way to enhance our investability, tradability and collectability is PROVENANCE - how art ownership proceeds through time. The way this can be done is also through publishing books. Everyone can write their memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs, including traders, investors and art collectors. In effect, we artists can continue to be included or mentioned in even more books, without any additional effort by us.
You as an investor, reseller, trader, art collector should be able to publish a catalog with 250 works by 250 different artists, but they need to agree to this right from the start - it's your money, you should require them to follow your version of the hashtag #valzubiriagenda parameters, which preferably should include permission for you to publish their art. Why would you track down 250 artists later?
No exclusive contracts
If you're a café, you can call for artists, and come up with a book with for example, 30 artists, with a chapter devoted to each artist's profile and images of the artist's art.
You can distribute your catalogs to businesses and individuals near and far and online.
The book Valzubiriagenda even cites that funeral homes and janitors closets can sell art, with or without exclusivity. Airline catalogs can include million dollar art pieces. Car manufacturers, showrooms and even car repair shops can sell art as well. Everyone should be able to do this, anywhere in the world, especially not just because of the pandemic, but right now, we are in really bad economies.
What's with the name #Valzubiriagenda
I was into conspiracy theories in 2018, and this term, "The Mandela Effect," was popular. I had read many times that an artist coined the term, but I had to research online, for her name, many times, before remembering it. I'm not good at remembering names. It took me a year and a half to finally tell you that Fiona Broome coined "The Mandela Effect."
I also thought I might have to research trademarks and copyrights just to come up with a generic name. So I decided on "Valzubiriagenda." I was not really sure at first, but I decided to use it as the title for my book (with co-authoartist Silverio Perez) so that there would be no turning back and I can move on.
Am I a FUTURIST?
Someone I recently met this May 2022 just called me a futurist.
In the 1990s, I proposed to a pension fund that they can raise billions of dollars, especially for emergencies, or as needed, or out of desperation, if the pension fund purchases a quantity of art from an artist who not only has a current, reasonable price, but an announced future price that the artist wants to reach.
That future price would obviously be higher than the current price. The art commission contract for multiple art pieces can be taken to the fund's financial lender for a loan. The higher future price can be used for financing purposes.
The pension fund's treasurer, a publicly elected official, said this idea might work, but we had to keep this a secret and discuss this some more, because other pension funds might copy and do this prematurely. This idea had to come from the two of us. The treasurer needed his votes and I needed credentials.
Added into the pot was my idea that I, as the artist, will also write one book-length artist memoir. This was and still is a strong factor, because the leadership and marketing books I had read then mentioned a strong tip. If you want to advance in your field, write a full-length book that is related to the field.
Unfortunately, the elected official, the treasurer of the pension fund, who was also a friend, passed away - he was old and had ailments. At that point in time, I cannot just approach another pension fund treasurer to share this idea with.
I realized I had to write a few memoirs. I needed to set an example for other artists, so I needed to write more than one memoir. Then I felt I should also make ready another book - the how-to of what I'm up to. I wrote Valzubiriagenda, which was a memoir of sorts. I knew how long it would take me to write a book, so I had to make sure I can also consider this book a memoir.
In 2008, I imagined that someone like Bernie Madoff, or a fund like Lehman Brothers, would be desperate enough to use this to save themselves and their companies. I was not ready. I had only written 1 manuscript for a memoir.
In 2012, I released Dollman the Musical, A Memoir of an Artist as a Dollmaker. Once again, I was not ready because writing it depressed me a little, and I knew I had to write more.
In 2014, I released 3 memoirs, and re-released Dollman the Musical. Besides releasing regular books, I released special editions of the 4 books, which had a "Special Secret Insert for Bankers," which explains my ideas of an announced schedule of exponentially increasing prices, to satisfy investors, and the publication of artist memoirs, to satisfy art collectors.
In 2014, I also issued out a press release. Google "Can Billion Dollar Artist Save Investors and World Economy Valentino Zubiri PRWeb August 19 2014" and you will see the press release.
What I did was stake a claim on my ideas. I did not promote my books and the press release. I just wanted them to stay online, like a sleeping giant or a dormant volcano. I even designed 3 of the book covers to look like indie books from the 1980s. I was planting the seeds, thinking they will eventually grow and bear fruit in the future.
In 2015, I was interviewed by Richard Syrett, about one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately. This book is my memoir with paranormal stories. I could have pursued promoting my paranormal stories, but I wanted to be known first as a visual artist and memoirist, so I allowed myself one interview related to Hocus Pocus Lately. Richard Syrett has(had?) his own syndicated radio show, The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, about the paranormal. He also guest hosts on Coast to Coast AM, another internationally syndicated show about the paranormal.
In 2018, I released Valzubiriagenda (co-authored by artist Silverio Perez, a fellow artist). Finally, this book is "the how-to of what I'm to."
I'm going to end this with some strangeness. In 1986, a lady at a religious gathering went into a trance and left a good number of messages. Supposedly, anyone who got into a trance would have messages, but once the trance was over, the person would not remember what was said.
I was not part of the group, but the lady turned her head to face me. She "foretold" that whatever I would decide to do in the future, it will take time, but it will be the right thing. This is one of my stories in one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately.
The Tulipmania of 1634-37
I discovered that there was this incident of rare tulips becoming collectible during the Dutch Golden Age. There were tulips so rare and so well-desired that their prices equaled to that of a house. You can read more about this online (Wikipedia) or watch a few YouTube videos about it.
Here is the most useful idea that I gleaned from the Tulipmania. The tulip bulbs remained safe inside nurseries. The traders were carrying the deeds of ownership to the tulip bulbs.
Then NFTs came to the forefront
I started learning PHP, an HTML scripting language, and MySQL, the database that PHP can connect to in the background, in 1999, when there were only 3 books about PHP and MySQL at the bookstores.
By 2014, I was trying to figure out how to make the "ledger," or database that can be used to update ownership and who can be contacted. If we are trading art, then the art ownership should be updated.
Then NFTs came about. This can be used as our ledger. Everyone can immediately trade NFTs of future, yet-to-be made art pieces, especially because it takes time to make tangible art.
NFTs actually went a step ahead, by allowing digital art to be traded.
The only setback with NFTs, in my opinion, is that it still lacks a commission system for resellers and representatives.
For example, if a café wants to represent me, then they can promote me at their café and on their online pages. If I make one piece of art that will be exclusively represented by a gallery, then that commission will be different and more specific. As ownership is transferred, the subsequent owners should be able to reset the commission. We should also have the option of giving commissions to hundreds of representatives at one time with different percentages if need be.
The recent crypto crash
Lately, we have observed that NFTs and cryptocurrencies have been behaving like the stock market and other markets. They have been fluctuating.
I believe that it is time for a trend which discourages fluctuation of prices.
I have also seen YouTube videos where social influencers are encouraging us to be on the lookout for exponentially profitable ventures, because we have all seen this happen with the exponential increase of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Let's see if #Valzubiriagenda trends
We can announce present and future art prices. The galleries won't do this (yet?) because they follow a more traditional approach to the business of art.
We have a choice of using incrementally or exponentially increasing prices. We still reserve the right to change things in the future, so everyone should know to follow the latest update.
If this trends, if you as an artist simply announces that you will write an artist memoir, or that you will include the future works in future art books, you might have more art traders, investors and collectors approaching you.
Get your pen, paper and calculator
Imagine yourself as an artist, where you are right now. Let's just say you still do not have a book about yourself and your art yet. Imagine now that you have a memoir out there. Don't you think it makes sense to charge more than what you are charging now? Writing and publishing books is just the beginning. I'm just standardizing this approach. The books also say to do other related projects. In my case, getting Dollman the Musical onstage is one idea. You will have other related projects, but the publication of memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs will help all of us.
You can also imagine that a law firm that has meeting rooms, with someone who wants to form a local #valzubiriagenda group, can have meetings. A local café can do the same. Local photographers for your art, writers, editors, book designers, proofreaders and others can join in.
I suggest have printed books to share. 15 copies of your memoir or art books will be better than an e-reader or laptop or your phone to show. These gadgets can be stolen, sabotaged, broken, have coffee spilled on them, etc. 15 printed books means simultaneously showing to 15 people. You can even give them away to potential resellers, investors, traders and collectors.
When it rains, it pours, as in the days of Noah
There's a saying, "When it rains, it pours." There is a negative interpretation and a positive interpretation.
Negative: When trouble comes, they cascade to even more.
Positive: When opportunity comes knocking, more follow suit. We can assume that if one gets our art because of #valzubiriagenda, more want to do it now, because of the rising prices, and FOMO - fear of missing out. What will they lose if they miss the boat?
As I have said earlier, if the #valzubiriagenda trends, if you announce a future memoir or art catalog, you might have an increase of investors, traders and art collectors who would want to check you out. You might encourage more sales. Just remember to write and publish that memoir and art catalog.
There's this saying, "As in the days of Noah." Imagine Noah, building his ark, with members of his own family, putting all his time and effort into it. Noah was a nice guy. I'm sure every once in a while a neighbor offered him coffee, or chai latte, or whatever refreshing drink they might have back then.
Here's the lesson to be learned. Just because they offered him some type of bubble tea drink, or coca cola, they still didn't make it to the ark. Rubbing shoulders with actors does not make you an actor. I have told my artist friends to write their memoirs. They told me that once they see me succeed, after all these many years of seeing my seemingly useless efforts, then they will write their memoirs and follow the road that I had paved for them.
Good luck to them, but if I were you, act now, get my art or make art. Support the 5-year old artist whose parent promised to release a comprehensive art catalog. If you get that 5-year old's art, and mine, I would be honored to be in the same art catalog that you will produce. I'm already successful at that point. You have gotten the mission just right.
I have already claimed to have written the most book-length artist memoirs in the world. Dethrone that claim. Barter. Use ghostwriters. Success to me means facing God one day and saying, I wrote my memoirs and left the world a legacy of books and art. I will not tell God, smiling and proudly, that I encouraged a run for my art by announcing a schedule of exponentially increasing prices that reached 9 figures. I'm sure God knows we had fun.

JOIN THIS GROUP

If you want to try out #valzubiriagenda, in any capacity, join this group. Let others know about this group as well.
If you are an artist, you can let everyone know here that you will produce your memoir, art catalogs, etc. It's okay if you don't know how to go about publishing yet, I will discuss this. Please be honorable enough to produce what you promise to produce.
If you want to meet fellow artists, investors, resellers, etc., join us here.
If you are a book writer, editor, proofreader; if you can photograph art pieces; if you are a book designer, etc., join us here. Let us know if you charge, barter for art, or both.
If you have your own tips and knowledge to share, join us here.
If you have underaged artists you are managing (parents, etc.) join us here.
Join this group if you want to sell works. Post your works. You web links. I'm sure I will.
You can announce meetings in your area. You might have meeting rooms, a café, restaurant, etc. where people can meet. In the future, you can have the regular show and tell, where books can be shown and shared.
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Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, Artist, Memoirist
Underaged artists are welcome here, so please be mindful of your language. We cannot post your adult-oriented art pieces, but you can direct us to a separate page or community. There will be limits to your posts, and there will be adult-oriented art that we cannot allow to be posted.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, artist & memoirist
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2023.06.10 22:58 SrulDog [NM] Assassin Knives Custom Golem - 42@$5

42 @ $5
Total $210
Video: https://imgur.com/a/if2wYEZ
Justification: https://www.reddit.com/KnifeRaffle/comments/11xw61x/nm_assassin_knives_golem_42_5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Description: Custom out of Eastern Europe, has studs and can be front flipped, although the jimping is a little light and makes front flipping a little difficult. Strikes well above this price point. Beautiful purple fat carbon scales and drop shut liner lock action. This is tuned with zero blade play and it drops shut better than most customs out there. Signs of carry on the clip and looks like the tip is slightly rounded. Comes with COA and pouch. Substantial 3.75in blade - big boi indeed. Ergos are a little weird.
International shipping: us proxy only
Add a note to make no comments when paying

PayPal Info: https://PayPal.me/wafflesmack
Cash App Info: https://cash.app/$sruliyellin
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Tip BlobAndHisBoy
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2023.06.10 22:48 stonk_in_my_sock Itinerary Check - 22 Days in July/August 2023

Hi All -
We are a couple from Midwest USA who are visiting Japan from July 10th to August 1st. It will be my 2nd time to Japan, and my partner's first. I am including a bit from my first time in Japan, but a lot of new things as well - my first time was over 10 years ago and I was only able to spend a week, so merely scratched the surface compared to this go-around. Our itinerary has been scheduled so that we can hopefully be a part of some celebrations for different festivals going on: Mitama Matsuri in Tokyo, Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, and Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka. I have plotted most of this out on Google maps to form this itinerary that I think should work out, however, I am open to any help/suggestions I can get! One of my main concerns would be having something scheduled on a day it is closed, or having something scheduled on a bad day of the week, too late in the day, etc. and not knowing until we get there. I appreciate any assistance I can get, especially getting as close to our departure date as we are. Here is what I have planned so far (questions at the end):
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2023.06.10 22:20 Signal-Narwhal2041 I [29M]feel I need to start over. Where should I start?

I will try and be concise, but there’s a lot for me to unpack. Overall I’m extremely depressed and feel stuck in life (job, relationships, especially family crap). Most of this is why I feel this way, and my then my plan to start over.
From ages 6-19, I was extremely depressed because I was overweight and my parents wouldn’t help me. I begged my parents to help me eat healthily. It was either too inconvenient because they only eat junk food or too expensive (we’ve always been upper middle class, and have had plenty of disposable income, neither of my parents spend money well or hoard money). In undergrad i immediately lost weight, made it my goal to get under 200lbs and I did. But after the first semester I got sick and ended up bouncing around colleges to finish a degree. I ended up becoming a commuter student because my parents forced me to chose between two local schools. I again tried to pursuade them it was better for me to start over (I would only lose a year) at a local community college which would save money and give me the opportunity to explore more fields. I was too good for community college. I’m an intelligent guy, but needed an opportunity to grow and overcome my depression, not wallow in it. At age 21, I was back home, gained all my weight back because I was stuck commuting two hours a day, and then working a shitty retail job. I finished my degree but it was not what I wanted. I merely chose a degree I could use all the college credits I earned in high school. I made and lost countless friends, was betrayed by a teacher I almost considered a family member and felt completely lost after undergrad. At this point I hadn’t really lived life. I hand two relationships in high school. A few flings when I was in undergrad, but I never got the opportunity to really know someone romantically as an adult.
Segue to Grad school. I had to get a degree I something I could parlay into a normal job. I went with International Relations. I was lucky that I lived near a well known college they would actually give me a leg up professionally. I applied and got it to my surprise. Now, two big important things came out of grad school which helped me grow and built my confidence, but now are problems:
  1. My friend, let call her Freya has become one of my best friends and favorite people. First day of grad school, I told myself just to focus on work/school. Then my friend shows up. I was almost immediately captured by here. I don’t know what, but she screamed exactly my type. I just stayed focused on my work and then one day she just walked over and started talking to me and we just hit it off, she handed me her number in a crumpled piece of paper. She told me to hit her up. Long story short it was on again off again because she didn’t seem to be in a good place, so I kept it profession and just avoided spending time with her. It just that she kept pushing to do stuff together. At one point after I had learned she was poly, I turned down a 3am coffee because I wasn’t even sure how I’d handle things and valued her friendship more than sex. But the problem is that I still have feeling of some sort. When I spend time with her, I just want a bit more. For some reason I always have energy for her. What’s confusing now is that she includes me in trips with her partner and it just me. I’m starting to feel like a third wheel and that I shouldn’t go on trips anymore. She’s the first person that has really made an effort to be part of my life and appreciate me.
  2. My job has become the bane of my existence. I quite my retail job shortly after grad school, got a temp job, they liked me and within two weeks I was a paid intern at a higher wage. People guided me through the state government system, and working with other office i was offered a fellowship. The fellowship quickly deviled into an extremely toxic workplace with a violent secretary who constantly tried to provoke people and asked sexual questions. My boss kept protecting her because she was pregnant and three other minorities. I left that office for my old office, but everyone had left and it is a toxic hellhole since the pandemic I’ve been doing way more work than I should’ve with the promise of a promotion, then. They screwed me over the and wanted me to train the “qualified” person. Now I have the opportunity to take a new job, but I’m completely burned out. I don’t know that I can succeed anywhere right now. I almost don’t care about a “career” anymore because it hasn’t gotten me anywhere or anything.
  3. My parents. If you read the first part of the post you can guess my feelings towards them right now. Since I started grad school in 2016 I’ve been begging them to downsize, consolidate their massive house and piles of shit. I could see that they were declining and they were barely adulting for most of their lives. Since I was 12 I did most of the house work (cooking, cleaning, my own laundry). Over the pandemic my mother had mini strokes and now lacks any real executive function, all she does is watch tv snack and start things then get distracted. My father who has never listened to his doctors or me has gone into end stage kidney failure.
See comments
I’m summary, my parents are draining me and refuse to change or acknowledge their imminent senility (they already there in some respects), I need to end my very close friend with my friend because it’s never going to be anything more (I’m not bitter, I just feel I’ve put myself into an emotional loop), and I’ve let my job define me too much and need to learn to live again. I feel forcing myself to absorb a new culture, actually focus on living instead of taking care of everyone else and possibly share it with someone else.
TL;DR: It’s really too long to summarize, read the whole thing. I’m struggling with selfish aging parents, a toxic job, a botched/nonexistent romantic/social life. I’m read to run off and start over. My best option is Italy, since I’ll have dual citizenship. I still have a great deal to figure out.
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2023.06.10 19:09 asd8dhd The Secrets of Interstellar and Interplanetary Travel

DISCLAIMER
I almost didn’t post this. Not because I think it’s too wild or doesn’t make any sense. In fact, quite the opposite. The information I present here, which is the result of countless hours spent re-watching videos, listening to audio, and cross-referencing official information, is something that now seems to me to be far too viable not to be correct. I have actually tried to prove this theory wrong and… well basically I can’t. So, please bear this in mind as you read. This could end up being one of those rare occasions when we’re actually onto something. Either way, I hope you enjoy the post.
First point; this is going to be a long post. Given the subject matter, it needs to be. Second point; I have not added any images or videos directly into the post but have instead included a great many links embedded within the text itself. This should ensure that the post is no longer than it needs to be but should still allow you sufficient opportunity to fully scrutinize every part of my theory, so that you can determine for yourself whether or not you think it holds weight.
I have organised all of the information under specific headings designed to make everything more accessible. Each section focuses on a particular aspect of the main theory. Even if you think that some of what you are reading may not be relevant, I can assure you that everything written here has been included as an important part of a much larger puzzle, and so I would advise that you patiently make your way through the entirety of the post. In an effort to ensure that your time invested here is appropriately rewarded, and in the spirit of preserving the scientific method, I have tried to keep flavor text and blind speculation down to an absolute minimum.
Note that I will be listing various aspects of this post as being confirmed correct or incorrect as and when we have official information to verify such facts. So here we are, after five long years of waiting, the inevitable release of Starfield, like the event horizon of some nearby black hole, is almost upon us. With the Showcase now a mere 24 hours away, it is time for us to take a look at what makes this particular game so special, as well as discovering just how we will be given the means to fly among the stars.
And so, without further ado, let us begin.
Hitchhiker's Guide
From watching gameplay footage, and also listening to various devs talk about Starfield, we know that at some along the early part of the story, we will find ourselves on board a Constellation Starship, which is appropriately named Frontier. With us on the ship is VASCO, an adorable robot assistant who will eventually become one of our possible companions. But how did we even end up on this ship? Well firstly, I do not believe that Frontier is our ship, or at least not at first. And so, we’re probably here in the capacity of a ‘guest’ of some kind, or more likely, a hitchhiker.
If we take a look at this scene, we first hear a male shouting “that’s the Crimson Fleet!” and then a female saying “Everybody get ready!” After this, we can see that the group we are with is attacked. We already know that we uncover some kind of unknown artifact whilst mining for ore near the beginning of the Main Quest, and that the aforementioned Crimson Fleet is essentially an organised collective of space pirates. But what we don’t know is why they attacked us. This is not something I will be diving into in this particular post, although I do have some theories about this. But the relevance of the series of events here described cannot be understated, as they seem to be the launching point for our entry into Constellation and the adventures that follow.
Next, if we look a little further, we can see that this seemingly-important member of Constellation is not with us when we arrive at their Headquarters on Jemison, which suggests that he may have been killed during the above mentioned attack. Also note that, in-spite of not having a voiced protagonist this time round, we can clearly hear somebody talking over Frontier’s comms system, which means that there must be a designated pilot. Given the fact that we don’t see anyone who is confirmed as being the pilot (although it may actually be this person), it is safe to assume that this designated individual was with us during the flight but was first injured in the attack on the planet’s surface and was then taken to Medical Bay after we successfully land on Jemison.
It is my belief that, after perhaps being exposed to some kind of energy pulse from a grenade or something similar, the first member of Constellation we see was outright killed (hence why we are then asked to join up ourselves, perhaps to take over his role). The pilot, however, clearly survived as we can hear him talking to Control over the comms system during what is actually an extended two-way conversation, but I think that his vision was somehow compromised so that, even though he is able to speak, he is temporarily unable to see. The good news about this most unfortunate situation is that it opens the door for us to quickly step into the hot seat and, with the pilot acting as our guide, we will experience our very first Starfield flight tutorial.
Radio Chatter
If you listen to the beginning of both the Official Teaser Trailer and Official Gameplay Reveal for Starfield, you will hear both halves of the radio conversation I have referenced above, or at least the parts of it that Bethesda have given us so far. The first of these is spoken by somebody being referred to as Control, and the second by Frontier’s pilot. I previously posted a link to an audio I made and put up on Soundcloud, which gives us all of the confirmed parts of this conversation carefully spliced together and enhanced for clarity. Note that some of the audio, despite these enhancements, is a little hard to make out.
The final, in-game conversation is going to be a fair bit longer than what we have here and will be based on the specific processes that are required before attempting a Grav Jump. I don’t think we will hear this conversation every time we perform a Jump (especially given that our protagonist does not speak), but the first time we experience this early step-out moment, a detailed and appropriate pre-launch conversation will only serve to enhance what I’m sure will be an awe-inspiring experience.
Note that, at the end of this post, I have provided a link to a written transcript detailing what I think is being said in the full version of the above conversation. In the meantime, here is a breakdown of the confirmed parts of this audio. This is slightly different from the version I previously posted, due to new evidence clarifying exactly what is being said here. I have left line-spaces to help show where the missing parts of the audio will eventually go:
PILOT: "Control this is Constellation Starship Frontier."
CONTROL: "Constellation Starship Frontier, we have you on scanners."
PILOT: "We're ready to start on your signal."
CONTROL: "Performing Road Systems check. Helium-3 tanks, check. Seals are intact."
PILOT: "Maintaining Exit Vector course, Steady 'till Ready."
CONTROL: "We are still go."
PILOT: "Coordinates input, plotting Jump course."
CONTROL: "We read you Constellation."
PILOT: "Sky-Bus is converged, we're looking good."
CONTROL: "Jemison route looks good."
PILOT: "Allocating Auxiliary Reactor Power."
CONTROL: "Prepare for departure. Graviton Loop Array Spool, check."
PILOT: "System checks are green across the board."
CONTROL: "Your space Lane is clear."
PILOT: "Grav Jump commencing in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Road-Trip
At first, this seems like a typical, albeit futuristic version of an Air Traffic Control conversation. After all, much of what is being said does sound very familiar, and the rest seems appropriate to Starfield’s apparent Hard Science Fiction theme. But it’s only when you start digging a little deeper that you realize that something else is going on here as well.
Note the following terms taken from the above transcript: Road, Exit, Course, Coordinates, Bus, Route, Departure and Lane. All these words share a very noticeable common theme. They are all in some way related to Road Networks. Note also the phrase “green across the board," which sounds like it could also be a reference to Traffic Lights.
Zooming Along
Next, let’s look at this map, which features the home of a certain Software Development Company you may have heard of. If you zoom out a fair bit, you will see two large Cities, namely Washington and Baltimore. Zoom out a little more, and you can now see the cities of Richmond to the South and Pittsburgh to the North-West. Zoom back in over any of these four major cities, and you will see that there are many more smaller locations within each of the city limits.
Now scroll the map over to any of the areas outside of these cities, and you will find a multitude of other important locations. These include residential areas, airports, medical facilities, sports and leisure facilities, research facilities, manufacturing facilities, tech companies, supermarkets), hotels, places of worship, and many others. All the above locations are important in one way of another to the continued functioning of our society, and all can be placed within two distinct categories. These are Population Centers and Infrastructure.
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Now imagine that there has been some kind of catastrophic flood in this area, and all these locations, although somehow miraculously intact, are now separated from each other as a series of individual islands in the middle of a newly formed ‘ocean’. Suddenly, the existing Road Network, along with any cars, busses, and other road vehicles, would become useless. You would need to use a completely different system, one designed to properly accommodate these changes, which would of course have to incorporate such elements as harbors, shipping routes, and vehicles capable of travelling along a waterway.
Now let’s zoom out again, this time further. Much, much, further. Each location has now been transformed into either a planet or a moon, spread across various star systems covering a vast region of space. Each one of these planets and moons will have its own individual features, resources, possible inhabitants, and infrastructure requirements. With such a quantum leap in terms of scale, if we now wanted to travel between these locations, which could in many cases end up being several light years apart, we are going to need something far bigger in terms of scale, complexity, and technology.
Shown In 60 Seconds
During the first ever 60 seconds of Starfield footage we all saw, shown in the form of the Official Announcement Teaser at the end of BE3 on June 11th 2018 (which redditor InToddWeTrust2023 has very nicely referenced here), we were given some surprisingly important clues which now form the cornerstone of this theory. Not only have these clues stacked up with every consecutive trailer released, as well as many of the other official videos and various other snippets of information, but their sheer level of consistency places them well outside the realm of possible coincidence.
Some of these additional clues were given to us in the two videos referenced above which contain the comms audio. The second of these two videos, namely the Official Gameplay Reveal, dropped, as would be expected, at the end of last year’s Showcase on June 12th 2022. Some of the most crucial information we have been given to date regarding my theory is actually contained in the 70 seconds shown before Todd even begins to speak. We will discuss the relevance of all of this a little further on in the post.
Lo-go/no go
First, some Space related terminology. In Mission Control speak, a Launch Status Check, also known as a go/no go poll, is part of a very carefully designed system implemented by US Space Agencies to ensure maximum safety and the best possible survival chance of both the ship and its crew prior to launch. This, or something similar, will undoubtedly form an integral part of the pre-launch, or rather, pre-Jump procedures incorporated into Starfield, especially given what we know in relation to its specific influences, attention to detail, and focus on realism.
But let's look for a moment at a different type of launch. Let's look at the process of carefully managing the flow of information when you are launching a long-awaited, multi-million-dollar triple-A video game and you happen to be a major player. With the combined might of Bethesda, Zenimax, and now Microsoft, there is clearly a great deal of scope in terms of how they were able to execute all of the steps involved in this process. One critically important factor, and one that has been masterfully implemented in the promotion of Starfield, is the use of familiar iconography.
If we look at the iconography seen during the promotion of Starfield, we can see that there are two main elements. These are the circular Starfield logo, first unveiled in 2018, and of course the recently updated Bethesda Games Studios logo, which has existed in various iterations since around 2006. Both of these share a common, simplistic yet effective design, and the BGS logo in particular is now light years ahead of its original design as seen on box art and in promotional materials for The Elder Scrolls VI Oblivion. At the time of Oblivion’s release, the long-term use of this particular logo, which incorporates the now familiar Fallout Vault Door, was a little uncertain due to restrictions with the associated licence (more on this below). But once this matter had been resolved, it would make a lot of sense that they would then develop this logo into the much sharper, more modern version we see today.
Licenced to Fly
Way back in April of 2007, Bethesda realized one of their biggest long-term business goals by finally securing the full rights to the highly acclaimed Fallout series. Prior to this, in 2004, they had been granted limited rights which would allow them to develop Fallout 3 and then two additional games, but they clearly wanted full and unrestricted access to the franchise and all of its assets. Since this time, in addition to Fallout 3, we have seen the release of Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, as well as a number of smaller projects, including Fallout Shelter. This is all the proof you need to confirm the fact that, in-spite of some initial setbacks, Bethesda’s insistence on going the extra mile with regards to securing the full franchise, was most definitely worth it, and was seen by many as a landmark achievement.
Looking at the most recent entry to this ever-expanding series, namely Fallout 76, I would like to draw your attention to two of this particular game’s trailers. First, we have the Fallout 76 Official Trailer from 2018, and then The Pitt Story Trailer from 2022. In the first of these two trailers, at around the 35 second mark, we see the new BGS logo once again, and then near the end of the video we see a smaller version, neatly tucked away over on the left-hand side of the usual copyright notice. If we then look at the second trailer, at around… Hold on a second, let me rewind that a bit… wait, what?
This is where things start to get really interesting.
One Small Step
Okay, going back to the Fallout 76 trailers, although the smaller version of the BGS logo can be seen at or near the end of each of these, only the first incorporates the larger, ‘splash-screen’ version. “But why is this even important?” you may ask. “They may have simply forgotten to include this detail in the second trailer.” I can assure you that this is most certainly not the case. In fact, I am one-hundred-percent confident that this was quite intentional. I would even go as far as saying that this one, seemingly insignificant detail, actually brings us a step closer to unlocking the secrets of Starfield. Essentially, Bethesda have taken full advantage of how we all think we remember certain details, and as such, this is an example of truly expert-level hidden marketing on their part. I also believe it will form the basis of at least one of the big reveals during the showcase.
One Giant Leap
Let’s go back one more time to the Announcement Teaser and the Gameplay Reveal for Starfield. Look at how drastically different the BGS logo is in both of these videos compared to any of those used in promoting Fallout 76. What will really blow your mind here is the fact that all four of the trailers mentioned above were first shown to us during the same two Showcases we have just been discussing! In other words, the first of these videos for both Fallout 76 and Starfield were both unveiled at the 2018 Showcase, and the second of each at the 2022 Showcase. And yet each respective pair make use of drastically different versions of what we all thought was the exact same logo. This means that Starfield has been designed, from the ground up, to be viewed and experienced in a totally different way than, and completely separate from, any of Bethesda’s previous titles.
To clarify this point, after extensive research, I can confirm that this new, animated BGS logo, with the vault door rolling off to the left and then ‘opening up’ just before the text appears, has never been featured anywhere in an official capacity that is not directly related to Starfield. It is completely unique to this specific IP. This fact ties together everything we have looked at in the post so far. It also lets us see things from a completely different ‘orbital’ perspective. For example, I believe that this information gives us the real reason why Bethesda worked so hard to secure the full rights to the Fallout franchise in the way that they did. Not only did they wish to create awesome games set within the Fallout universe, but they also needed total freedom to make use of a specific part of this franchise that so that they could then incorporate it into their next, very very big, space related IP.
For Mankind
Okay. This is the part you’ve all been waiting so patiently for. This is the big reveal. For months now, perhaps even years, we have all been drip-fed the idea that Starfield is essentially “Skyrim in Space.” The reason I think that we have been told this is to misdirect us away from an intrinsic, interwoven connection between Starfield and Bethesda’s other major franchise, which is of course Fallout. But just to put your mind at rest, I do not for a nanosecond believe that the reveal will be, “We fooled you all, it’s actually Fallout in space!” no matter how cool that might at first sound.
What I do believe is that Starfield will be so different and so unique when viewed alongside anything else that Bethesda have published, that it will quite literally take your breath away. This game, the spark of which was first ignited 25 years ago, is Todd Howard’s true passion project. Everything else was simply the path he took to finally get here. This is the story he has always wanted to tell, the story of Mankind’s true legacy. And it all starts, just as it did when Interplay released the original Fallout) game back in 1997, with a familiar, but staggeringly different Vault Door.
The Vault
There is a very special and completely unique hidden Vault in Starfield. Not only is this particular Vault unlike anything you have previously seen anywhere within the Fallout universe, but it is also unlike anything you have seen in any game. Period.
This hidden Vault is actually the key to both interstellar and interplanetary travel. And it also happens to be the single biggest construction project in human history, extending across a span of almost one-hundred light years. And it is not even close to being completed, even after more than two-hundred years of construction.
This Vault is, by its very nature, completely invisible and shielded away from view. It is quite literally hidden in plain sight, and it can only be accessed through one of its specially crafted Vault Doors. But what does all of this mean for gameplay, and how does something like this even work? I’m glad you asked! Let’s strap in and prepare for launch, because we’re all in for an incredible ride.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen... to The Starfield
Entering The Starfield
The following is my own interpretation, based on scientific reasoning and a huge amount of detailed analysis, of exactly how I think this system works. It is, as ever, backed up with several links throughout, as well as additional evidence for which I shall provide a separate link at end of the post. I am expecting perhaps some differences in terms of specific details once we get hold of the final release of Starfield, but I am confident that I am at the very least well within the ballpark with all of this. Okay, here goes.
The Science Behind the Magic
Starfield is the name given to a vast network of interconnecting tunnels, spanning the entirety of the Settled Systems, providing us with a very fast and highly practical means of travelling between different planets, and even different star systems. These tunnels exist within a localized, folded state, known as Tunnel-Space. The construction of the Starfield is made possible thanks to a technological breakthrough which allows gravitational waves (or Gravitons) to be woven together to form something known as a Gravity-Tunnel, which is then stretched out and connected between any two existing stellar objects, such as two planets in a given system, of even two stars from different systems.
In order to maintain the integrity of each tunnel, it is wrapped in a special type of Exotic Matter known as Superfluid Helium. This has a number of highly unusual properties, including negative energy density and negative energy pressure. This essentially makes it the physical-space equivalent of time going in reverse, meaning that it is capable of counteracting the effects of any conventional physical force, including the gravitational pull of a black hole. As such, it will hold the structure of the Gravity-Tunnel together for an indefinite period of time over a potentially infinite distance through space.
Within the Starfield are a large number of Nodes and Junction Points. Nodes are used to connect together all of the planets in any one Star System, and Junction Points then connect different Star Systems together, making use of much larger Gravity-Tunnels that are the equivalent of Interstate Highways. Note that all flight between any given planet and any or all of its moons is handled locally, outside of the Starfield.
Because all of the stars, planets, and moons in the Settled Systems are in a constant state of flux, by which I mean their relative distance and positions) are constantly changing in respect to each other, the tunnels within the Starfield have been designed to be able to expand and contract almost infinitely so that they can accommodate any changes in these two factors depending on when, where, and how you travel.
Although the main tunnels are designed to transport people, resources, waste, and other items directly relating to either Population Centers or Infrastructure, I believe there is also a sub-system) that will allow much smaller objects, such as probes, to carry data-packets that can be upload at one location and then downloaded at another, effectively solving the problem of inoperable delays in communication between remote locations.
Inside of each Gravity-Tunnel is a bi-directional singularity, which can be switched between two opposite polarities whenever required with the help of the surrounding Exotic Matter, allowing for two-way traffic inside what is essentially a one-way system. This means that, as long as you are able to ensure the correct polarity of all connecting Nodes and Junction Points along your route (as in “Sky-Bus is converged” and “Jemison route looks good”), you will be able to travel, in theory at least, from any point A to any point B, as long as all of the required interconnections exist within the system.
When travelling through the Starfield, you will set a specific route, known as a Sky-Bus, which is a specified pathway that runs from your staring location to your destination. You will then, with the help of Starfield Control, access the tunnels using a Gating System which I will explain below. Incidentally, I believe that the accepted in-universe name for the actual transit network that we are making use of within the Starfield is the Sky-Bus Tunnel System.
Each tunnel in this system actually has two separate ‘Lanes’, one on the left for outbound traffic, and one on the right for incoming traffic. As I have explained above, each of these tunnels can only accommodate a single direction of traffic flow at any given time. And so, a safety measure had to be incorporated to prevent any accidental attempts to travel the wrong way down a tunnel and destroying yourself and your ship.
At each end of any given Node or Junction Point is a Gate. These are the ‘Vault Doors’ I have been referring to. The Gate comprises of a gigantic metal outer-ring connecting to an inner Vault Door. This Vault Door will either be at the center (closed position), or the left (open position) of the outer ring. The open/left position will allow outbound traffic to leave the orbit of the current planet they are in proximity to. To allow inbound traffic, the entire outer ring, with the Vault Door locked in place, will rotate clockwise through 180 degrees to the open/right position to allow access to the inbound Lane. When the outbound Lane is then once again required, the structure then continues to rotate in a clockwise motion until it reaches the open/left position once again. When required, the Vault Door will return to the neutral position at the center of the ring, and the tunnel will be locked.
Regarding Grav Jumps: Whenever you wish to perform a Grav-Jump, you must first request permission from Starfield Control, who will guide you through the process. Once the route is set and your Exit Gate is locked in place, by activating your ship’s Grav-Drive, along with it’s incorporated spooling system, you will first lock on to the front of the tunnel entrance.
Next, using a system similar to an Aircraft Catapult, you will be pulled into the tunnel at great speed, where the Graviton Loop Array will hold your ship in-place inside the tunnel, and will also ensure you don’t accidentally go down the wrong path. At the other end, the spooling system described above then acts as an Arresting Cable, slowing you down over a very short distance.
If all of the above is actually correct, especially the last part, then I think I will be having this on repeat in the background before Grav-Jumps!
Finally, here is the link to my additional supporting evidence and other materials, including some stuff I haven’t had a chance to really go into yet. Feel free to throw any questions at me, and I’ll do my best to answer them. In the meantime, Showcase will commence in 24 Hours…
submitted by asd8dhd to Starfield [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 17:54 jules99b A History of Ice Dance, From the 1950s Until Now: Part 4, The Rise of Natalia Dubova, Soviet Ice Dancers, and the Ice Dance Diva, 1989-1994

Parts 1, 2, and 3 can be found in this same subreddit at the links attached. Hopefully this part will live up to the insanity that inspired me to write about it!
There are…so many things that happen between 1988 and 1994 in one discipline of figure skating it is near comical. With Soviet domination of ice dance near assured during this era, the focus shifts from who will win to instead question how fast the Soviet dynasty can fall apart. The answer? Well…I guess you’ll have to see.
With Bestemianova/Bukin and Wilson/McCall opting to go to the pro ranks after their Olympic medals in 1988, Klimova/Ponomarenko seemed the de facto leaders of ice dance. Natalia Dubova now not only coached Klimova/Ponomarenko but also a married couple making their international debut in Maya Usova/Alexander Zhulin. The new rink situation pit the 2 couples against each other as each aimed to become the top couple in the world.
No one could deny Klimova/Ponomarenko in 1989 though. Skating to “Mack the Knife,” Klimova/Ponomarenko skated to victory with a more humorous and friendly free dance to expand their horizons. According to the media of the time though, this new styling for them wasn’t as beloved as their previous work. However, no one could deny their technical ability as they took the ice.
Their countrymates Usova/Zhulin nabbed the silver medal with a free dance skated to dramatic classical music. Usova/Zhulin were a team that felt like they encapsulated everything Dubova had ever aimed to bring to the ice. They floated across the ice in ways that only Klimova/Ponomarenko could sometimes achieve. They also had brilliant matching lines that Dubova liked to emphasize through her choreography. They tended to skate in a hold that had Usova in front with Zhulin wrapped behind her, consistently close together. Their gentle, lyrical skating made them a quick favorite for fans of the sport.
The Duchesnays improved from 8th at the Olympics to grab the bronze in 1989 on home ice in Paris. The Duchesnays were…the best way to describe them is that they’re the proto-French ice dance team. Their free dance was set to an instrumental version of Eleanor Rigby, and told the story of dreams and reality, where Isabelle represented dreams constantly being brought down to Paul’s reality. The Christopher Dean choreographed program was…noticeably easier in difficulty compared with the Soviets, featuring less holds overall and more lifts that took Isabelle off the ice. However, their eccentric concepts made them another crowd favorite in these years.
In 1989, Dubova also put together another Soviet team to compete against her top 2 skaters. Evgeni Platov, a 3-time World Junior champion, had just placed fifth in the world with his former partner before their split. Oksana Grishuk, coming off a World Junior title herself, moved from Natalia Linichuk’s school to pair with Platov after she split from her partner. The 2 began skating together in the summer of 1989, making Dubova the sole coach of the top 3 Soviet teams. What could possibly go wrong?
The 1990 season saw all 3 Soviet teams compete for the podium alongside the Duchesnays and, surprisingly, an American team who slipped up to 4th: Susan Wynne/Joseph Druar. For Wynne/Druar, it was the highest place finish for an American team since Blumberg/Seibert were still skating. Their free dance to “Hit the Road Jack” was a tribute to tap dance. Their style was distinctly North American, similar in style to that of Wilson/McCall, in that the woman appeared stronger on ice rather than the dainty appearance of women like Marina Klimova and Maya Usova (think Madi Hubbell compared with Gabi Papadakis for a more recent example). This style, wherein the woman was an equal on ice to her partner, was not popular with the judges of the time, so acted more as a precursor to the North American style than as a legitimate podium threat.
Klimova/Ponomarenko earned a second World title in 1990 skating to “My Fair Lady,” now fully bought into the idea of the one concept free dance but still maintaining the classical switching of rhythms within that one concept, marrying the traditions of ice dance with the post-Torvill/Dean landscape. Best described by the commentary of the time, Klimova/Ponomarenko were technically unmatched by their peers, even as their free featured less holds than had been their norm. However, their prowess still took the cake as they walked away with a second title.
The Duchesnays improved on their 1989 placement by earning silver in 1990. Skating to their first iteration of “Missing,” Isabelle and Paul truly embraced the avant garde. Dean gave his now girlfriend and her brother choreography that was simpler and easier to perform but striking in its repeated poses and lifts to make an unbreakable impression on the audience and judges, earning them first in the free dance. On a more…aesthetic note, this is the first time in my write up that I’ve seen a dress that looks like the skirt was shredded, which is just a fine precursor to the horrors of costuming to come.
Usova/Zhulin grabbed the bronze with a sophisticated tango to Piazzolla selections (naturally). Usova/Zhulin improved on their lyrical style to incorporate more speed and sharpness to their movements, which drew more attention to their matching body lines. However, the tango was far easier than their free dance the previous year, featuring more side by side skating rather than close holds. And in their senior debut as a pair, Grishuk/Platov earned 5th place with a free dance using music from “Zorba the Greek” (I truly wish I was joking). But regardless of the odd music choice, Grishuk/Platov were known for their skating skills, arguably the strongest of the next 8 years. While this free dance certainly didn’t show that off, the promise of the senior pair was apparent from the moment they stepped on the ice.
All good training rinks must carry with it insane amounts of drama though, for this is ice dance. And stuffing the top Soviet teams under one coach was bound to implode at some point. It was during this time that Dubova started to favor Usova/Zhulin for the Olympic gold in Albertville 1992. And with it, better program ideas. This came to a head when Klimova/Ponomarenko slipped to a silver medal in 1991, behind the Duchesnays. And that’s truly where the bubble burst.
The Duchesnays had an interesting season, debuting their Reflections FD which was actually a program originally meant for Torvill/Dean’s professional career before being scrapped and given to the Duchesnays…which should tell you all a lot about both Dean and the insanity that was this FD, where Isabelle and Paul were made to look like mirror images of each other. The free dance received a lukewarm reception, causing them to scrap the FD for the amateur ranks and instead opt for a second iteration of their “Missing” FD, aptly titled Missing II. Outrage from fans on behalf of Klimova/Ponomarenko was apparent, as the Duchesnays’ repeated lifts and tricks were inherently easier than the skating that Klimova/Ponomarenko were doing. But the lack of Dubova faith and the judges’ love of Christopher Dean worked in the Duchesnays’ favor.
Klimova/Ponomarenko skated to “Lawrence of Arabia,” entering the free dance in a surprising 3rd place after the original dance (OD), which had by now supplanted the OSP. After being behind Usova/Zhulin in the compulsories and behind both the Duchesnays and Usova/Zhulin in the OD, Klimova/Ponomarenko needed near perfect scores to retain their title. They would not get it. The pair attempted to expand their horizons even further with a more dramatic piece of music; Klimova/Ponomarenko put more emphasis on their lifts, which were vastly improved. But some media felt that they had lost their inherent qualities that identified them in favor of trying to prove their range. This would become a major sticking point in the Olympic year.
Usova/Zhulin meanwhile earned bronze at these Worlds, elegantly skating to “Variations” from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The couple’s lyrical and emotional interpretation entranced the audience in watching the leaders after the OD. Of course, Usova/Zhulin couldn’t hang onto their lead in the end, which really should’ve acted as effective foreshadowing of not only their competitive careers but also what was happening behind the scenes with their rinkmates Grishuk/Platov, who had placed 4th in the same event.
The summer of 1991 was absolute ice dance chaos. In a span of a few short months, all of this happened at once:
· Klimova finds out Dubova is giving preferential treatment to Usova/Zhulin. She cries in front of a Russian sports journalist.
· Andrei Bukin goes to Tarasova, begging her to take on Klimova/Ponomarenko so that they aren’t shut out of a gold. Tarasova agrees, and Klimova/Ponomarenko flee Dubova.
· Christopher Dean gets married to Isabelle Duchesnay and vows to choreograph them to Olympic glory (they later divorce in ’93)
· Alexander Zhulin, 28, begins his infamous affair with Oksana Grishuk, 19, putting a strain on the Usova/Zhulin partnership on and off ice. The affair becomes Grishuk’s fault in the media.
· The Soviet Union falls, leaving the Soviet skaters without a country to represent for a year
And those are just the heavy hitters boys and girls! Truly, an offseason to remember.
Tarasova took on Klimova/Ponomarenko and attempted to steer them toward gold amid heavy competition from Dean’s Duchesnays and Dubova’s Usova/Zhulin. A strong polka OD had Klimova/Ponomarenko in a comfortable lead going into the free dance, where they performed a lyrical and transcendent program to “Air” by Bach. The pair looked statuesque as they floated over the ice. Granted, the program had about as much substance as your average show program. But man if the couple didn’t make it look good. It was a return to form in a lot of ways for the pair, returning to their more classical roots but now with the experience of having done more dramatic works and being able to incorporate that emotion back into a lyrical program. Tarasova had her second Olympic gold medal winning team in the span of 2 Olympics, adding to her already storied career in ice dance (having led a pair to an Olympic medal in 4 of the 5 competed events at this point).
The Duchesnays settled for silver in a home Olympics in Albertville. Their free dance was set to the music of “West Side Story,” with the pair portraying the sibling duo of Tony and Maria (thank God). In a lot of ways, it was a call back to Dean’s past World title winning free dances based around Broadway musicals. And the choreography was meant to call to mind the intricate choreography of the musical, including some of the first instances of the reverse lifts naturally. However, the easier skating choreography caught up to the Duchesnays and their free program placement suffered for it. Hard to consider it a skating program if most of the dance was spent in the air or side by side.
Usova/Zhulin entered the ’92 Olympics incredibly strained. This was only exacerbated when Zhulin gave Grishuk his wedding ring for her to wear during the compulsories, to which Usova understandably lost her cool. With that in the back of their minds, it’s truly a wonder that they pulled through for a bronze medal. Their “Four Seasons” free dance was meant to tell the stories of two statues coming to life. Which seems apt for a couple whose chemistry had about as much warmth as two statues. Grishuk/Platov earned 4th place with a more modern free dance. It’s…very 80s, I don’t know how to describe it. But it was obvious that their partnership was finally flourishing in a way that their promise had predicted. Which is naturally the perfect time for more insanity to come between them.
After a Soviet podium sweep at Worlds, the summer of ’92 saw Zhulin and Grishuk’s affair escalate during the show season. Everything really hit the fan when Usova caught Zhulin and Grishuk at a restaurant together and “saw Grishuk sipping a margherita at a bar, came up behind her, grabbed her hair and smashed her head against the counter.” And although Usova later apologized, Dubova had had enough and expelled Grishuk from her camp for getting involved with Zhulin. While Grishuk headed back to Moscow, Dubova attempted to pair Platov with a young Tatiana Navka, who would’ve been around 17 and representing Belarus following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ultimately though, Grishuk returned to former coach Natalia Linichuk and Platov followed, restoring their partnership before the 92-93 season.
The Soviets, now officially representing the newly reformed country of Russia, maintained their absolute stranglehold on the discipline. With Klimova/Ponomarenko retiring to focus on the pro circuit and starting a family as well as the Duchesnays’ retirement, all medalists slid up the rankings, with Usova/Zhulin finally earning their gold medal on the backs of a sultry blues free dance that kept the audience spellbound and where they pretended that they were into each other for 4 minutes.
As if to contrast the gold medalists, Grishuk/Platov skated to a more violent blues, which is admittedly one of my guilty pleasure skates. The free dance told the story of toxic lovers, even incorporating choreography where it looked like Platov was choking Grishuk. Their skating earned them their first medal at Worlds, a silver. And they also started to find that their strength was in the dramatic, even if they don’t go back to it for several years. It is at this time that the media picks up on the former Grishuk/Zhulin affair, but only mentions it during Grishuk/Platov’s programs.
Inter-country politics began early when Alla Shekhovtsova advocated to the judges for Anjelika Krylova and her former partner Vladmir Fedorov, coached by Linichuk, to be sent to Worlds in 93, threatening their judging careers if they put their competitors Elena Kustarova/Oleg Ovsiannikov in front. Naturally. Krylova/Fedorov were sent by one judge’s vote and earned a bronze at Worlds. Krylova was known for her amazing leg line, but this free dance doesn’t really do them justice on that end. After Krylova/Fedorov earned a medal in their debut, American and Canadian media started to become frustrated with lack of results from their ice dancers, insinuating that their lack of results was strictly because of the flag next to their names. In the ‘94 offseason, Krylova/Fedorov would break up and Ovsiannikov would be lured by Linichuk to pair with Krylova.
A little further down the standings, Susanna Rahkamo/Petri Kokko dazzled with a free dance to Valse Triste. The fourth place finishers were crowd favorites known primarily for their slow, methodical, lyrical dances. An innovative couple, their choreography featured harder lifts as well as well placed switching in height. However, their programs were often not as technically difficult as the Russians even as the passion on ice touched the audience.
In the 1993 offseason, a change was made to the rules for professional skaters, stating that those who took money from doing shows could still compete at the amateur ranks. The news was huge, allowing many of the skaters who had been held to professional competitions to compete again for an Olympic title. The biggest name to return to the ice, of course, were Torvill/Dean. Just about 10 years after their win in Sarajevo, Torvill/Dean were determined to earn another Olympic gold. But in the 10-year interval, a lot had changed about ice dance.
After Dubova refused to allow RusFed to see Usova/Zhulin’s programs ahead of the Olympic season, Russia silently started to get behind Grishuk/Platov. On top of that, Usova found out about Zhulin’s affair with a 19-year-old Navka around the Olympics. Navka’s then-partner found out and beat Navka for the affair, before Usova and Zhulin’s mothers started beating each other. So, Maya Usova was distracted to say the very least.
The competition also disallowed classical music for the free dance that year, instead opting to go more modern to appeal more to the audience. Torvill/Dean publicly worried about whether their routines would be suited to more modern music.
With all that happening, the Grishuk/Platov, Usova/Zhulin, Torvill/Dean showdown started in full swing at the European championships, when Usova/Zhulin won the compulsories, Torvill/Dean won the OD, and Grishuk/Platov won the free dance. It was the closest ice dance competition in history at that point and left many wondering who would ultimately take home the Olympic gold, even as Torvill/Dean came home with the European title.
The event lived up to the hype. The first compulsory, the Starlight Waltz, was won by Usova/Zhulin before Grishuk/Platov won the blues compulsory (which is absolutely gorgeous by the way, please watch it) and began to build their reputation as the best compulsory skaters of their generation. Torvill/Dean, unfortunately, looked a bit like their age in the compulsories that Olympics, coming up third in both. However, their rhumba OD was sensational and encapsulated the best of them, including their obvious chemistry on the ice. The original dance placed first in the segment, with Usova/Zhulin in second and Grishuk/Platov in third. The final placements would come down to the free dance.
Torvill/Dean would perform a free dance to “Let’s Face the Music,” which read a bit like a greatest hits free dance, incorporating choreography from some of their more famous programs. While the program did feature closed holds when skating, there was also a ton of lifts and tricks incorporated into the choreography, which seemed controversial among the judges. Usova/Zhulin competed with a free dance based on circus acts. A more humorous routine than their past entries, the free incorporated technical difficulty effectively but was a tad bland, which is truly a feat given what the program was supposed to be emulating. Ultimately, it came up short in their final Olympic competition.
Grishuk/Platov carried away the gold with a controversial free dance to “Rock Around the Clock” (also, side note, the spelling of Grishuk’s name as Grichtchuk in the video I’m looking at is just so obscene it needs to be mentioned). What was the controversial part of this free dance you ask? According to the rules of the time, all dance couples needed to be in hold for a certain amount of time during the free dance. Many media outlets and Torvill/Dean themselves felt that Grishuk/Platov did not meet the required amount of time in hold, to the point where Torvill is attributed to saying that “if the judges wanted a show program, we could’ve given them a show program.” The judges, however, loved the free dance, even giving the team four 5.9s in technical merit and a 6.0 in artistic impression. And so the team that nearly split just two years prior were walking home from Lillehammer with gold medals in their hands. And Linichuk finally earned a second gold medal, this time as a coach.
At Worlds that year, Rahkamo/Kokko earned a long-awaited bronze after 8 senior seasons at Worlds. A French couple, Sophia Moniotte/Pascal Lavanchy earned the silver. And so ended an overwhelming era of ice dance. But as skaters like Shae-Lynn Bourne/Victor Kraatz, Tatiana Navka, Margarita Drobiazko/Povilas Vanagas, and Elizabeth Punsalan/Jerod Swallow waited in the wings while Canadian and American media lamented the lack of variety at the top, only 1 thing could be stated for certain: the chaos that is ice dance was sure to continue far past 1994.
submitted by jules99b to FigureSkating [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 17:34 irreleveantuser Executor the Ex Foedere Operator Files

"You seem surprised, Doctor. Please be assured that the change of equipment will not affect the completion of my mission. If you are really concerned, I can change back into my previous attire before entering Rhodes Island. No need? Good."
Basic Information
【 Codename 】 Executor
【 Gender 】 Male
【 Experience 】 7 years
【 Place of Birth 】 Laterano
【 Date of Birth 】 July 7th
【 Race 】 Sankta
【 Height 】 181 cm
【 Infection Status 】 Medical tests have confirmed that no infection is present.
Physical Examination
【 Strength 】 Excellent
【 Mobility 】 Standard
【 Endurance 】 Standard
【 Tactical acumen 】 Excellent
【 Combat skill 】 Excellent
【 Arts adaptability 】 Standard
Profile
Executor, the Laterano Notarial Hall's legal and professional executor, is in charge of enforcing the rights of the Laterano Citizen numbered one through thirteen.
He now has the title "Saint" bestowed upon him by the present Pope of Laterano, Yvangelista XI. Laterano has not barred this "Saint" from contacting us; the collaboration between the Laterano Notarial Hall and Rhodes Island is growing stronger by the day. Operator Executor is still under contract to serve Rhodes Island and carry out activities pertaining to the rights of Laterano citizens.
Clinical Analysis
Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there are no other signs of infection. At this time, this operator can be confirmed to be uninfected.
[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0% Operator Executor shows no signs of Oripathy infection.
[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.13u/L A slight increase in blood Originium-Crystal density. It's not particularly dangerous, but it deserves more attention. So, what's the word, has his interpersonal relationship been trending upwards lately? Has anyone looked into it?--Medic Operator T.O.
Archive File 1
Despite the title "Saint", Operator Executor is still associated with the Laterano Notarial Hall. As an executor, the Notarial Hall retains the authority to send assignments to him, and the added special title does not appear to have had a significant impact on his work.
Executor, who has returned to Rhodes Island, has changed, at least in appearance, from what they were previously.
According to Executor, as well as the explanations and additions of several enthusiastic operators, we have learned that the clothing currently worn by Executor is provided entirely by the Lateran Church, and that the choice of materials for this carefully cut special clothing is very different from that of ordinary clothing, with emphasis not only on aesthetic comfort but also on its practicality——with Executor's permission, we have carried out a series of tests on his coat, which have shown that the uniforms provided by the Lateran church for Executor offers protection against impact and puncture, and even a degree of protection against explosives.
In addition to this, the two firearms carried by Executor also caught the attention of some of Sankta operators. When fighting with the two firearms, Executor's combat style becomes more aggressive and varied in his attacks than before.
"During the last mission, Federico used his gun to directly knock out any enemy that came near him." Operator Spuria commented, "I can see this guy finishing the mission even if he was given a stick or left empty-handed, his combat style isn't even related to his guns."
"Huh? Then why the special look, you ask?"
"Because everyone thinks it's more imposing, of course!"
[Engineering Department permission log]
Regarding the mechanical flying object that follows Executor around, I initially thought it was just some kind of unique looking drone. However, I've seen it in action in Executor's battle logs, and it was probably more than a mere support drone, it had more functions......
But even Executor himself didn't know much about it; according to him, it had been handed to him directly by his Holiness, their Pope.
What secrets are in this little thing? It's tickling, if only I could try to dismantle it sometime to see ......
Archive File 2
"Operator Executor has been asking more questions."
This is a sentiment shared by various operators within Rhodes recently.
Yes, certain changes with Executor have been visible in recent times - it's not that Executor has suddenly become emotionally outgoing and easy to read. That is by no means the case. Simply put, people don't react too strongly when a person who consistently receives 90 points receives an extra mark, but they do so when a person who consistently submits blank papers suddenly begins writing seriously. Of course, everyone would notice this immediately.
Such is the case of Executor. Many operators who had encountered Executor similarly mentioned in casual conversations - that Executor had started asking them questions.
"He asked me why I didn't just kidnap the client." "Haha, you're already lucky, he asked me why I didn't just blow up the building to prevent the mission target from escaping ......" "...... How did you respond?" "What else could I have replied with, I just decided to tell him the truth; it saves more of the hassle. Blowing up the building for a mission seems good and all, but it's the follow-up that makes it rather difficult to do!" "He listened?" "Yes. What about your side?" "Er, more or less, it's quick to kidnap people right away, but that would be too much trouble." "Executor he...... He said that although he couldn't understand, after taking everything else into consideration, he admitted that our method was more reasonable and efficient......
Executor's abnormal behavior has caused some concern, and combined with recent feedback from some operators, we can speculate that Executor is trying to incorporate more factors into his thinking about the reasonableness of his actions, and that he seems to be incorporating practice and constantly trying to accomplish tasks in a better and more reasonable way.
"I feel like he's just recently added some new algorithm. It's a bit better than before, but there are still times when he derives some strange results." "You mean the time he tackled a group of bandits, covered in blood and was still ready to pacify his target like you suggested, but ended up scaring people half to death because of his expressionless face?"
[Medical Department Work Record]
I have had feedback from my officers that Executor seems to be suspecting that he is suffering from some sort of illness, as evidenced by occasional actions that take precedence, some of which seem puzzling to Executor himself. As a result, he is visiting the medical department for regular medical check-ups rather unnecessarily frequently.
"It's right to focus on regular health checks, and that's a good thing." The medical officer who complained to us had a tone of helplessness: "But he really doesn't have anything wrong with him at all except his head. Really."
Off-topic:
Some of our department's officers were also pleased with the performance of Executor and are discussing to make him into a typical textbook example, to be used as a reminder to patients who really need to be checked but refuse to do so.
Archive File 3
[Transcript of internal conversation in Hall 5, 1]
Federico is an excellent executor. Yes, I can vouch for that. It is not clear why His Holiness would confer the title of "saint" on him at such a sensitive point, but if he is a good young man, I think he is capable of undertaking and meeting His Holiness's expectations.
About Federico's background? There are no problems with his background, I remember that his parents were also attached to the Fifth Office and the file should be at...... Just a moment, let me look for the records. Ah, here they are, the Giallo's, both legal executors attached to the Notarial Hall, very good and capable, but unfortunately both were killed in the line of duty during a mission fifteen years ago. Federico would have been about ten years old at the time? Poor kid.
So what made you suddenly look into Federico's affairs? Just because of the "saints"?
...... Arturia Giallo, you ask?
...... First of all, I must make one thing clear:
Federico's file was rigorously vetted at the time of his induction and there was no problem with the process.
Remember that. This is the premise on which we will move on.
Arturia Giallo, whose father and Federico's father were cousins, is very clearly documented in the file and there is nothing to hide. After the Giallo's were killed in the line of duty, Federico stayed in the home of this cousin for a period of time, about...... two to three years, I think, after which he entered secondary school and began to live there.
By the way, it was Federico, who was a newcomer at the time, to first find out about Arturia's crimes seven years earlier, which forced her to leave Laterano. As a result, Arturia's wanted mission has been in his hands all these years. The young man's first case always has a special significance, I think.
No, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. We did a detailed investigation during the time when Arturia first became wanted, and as far as I know, Federico and Arturia were never close to each other, and that doesn't affect his work; Federico's performance has always said it all. [Transcript of internal conversation in Hall 5, 2]
Arturia had a week's stay at the Ambrosius Abbey, after which we judged that she would go to Leithanien, the report of which I have submitted to the Notarial Hall.
I cannot reveal in advance the follow-up and related matters that His Holiness the Pope has arranged.
Sister?
In terms of kinship, Arturia is only a distant relative to whom I do not need to use such titles, questions like these are meaningless.
Archive File 4
The name "Saint" may remind us of the saints of the Iberian Inquisition, which, although originally a term of respect taken from the Laterano religion, has now been digested by Iberia and is known to the Iberian people as a unique cultural expression of its own.
For the Laterans, the term "Saint" is not simply a casual term.
In all the texts relating to Laterano history, there are accounts of the first generation of saints who built stone towers and founded sacred cities. This first group of Sanktas led the people to build the foundations of Laterano, and generations of people have continued to make peace for a thousand years, creating the peaceful Laterano that exists today, far from the fires of war.
Apart from the first sages who founded the city-state, it is only the Pope who is given the title of "Saint" at the time of his appointment, which is not only an honour but also an important responsibility to lead all Sanktas and guide the city. For thousands of years, the title of "Saint" has been passed down from one pope to the next without exception - and this millennium-old tradition was broken by the decision of Yvangelista XI.
Federico Giallo became the first Saint to be elected outside the millennium.
Why such a surprising election? Executor was, undoubtly, an excellent executor, but it's not as if there were no more valiant combatants in Laterano, no lack of more devout believers, no shortage of prestigious figures, and everyone had the same question - why Federico? Why would he be worthy of the title?
Despite Executor's remarkable performance, his seemingly unaffected attitude and the unique atmosphere of the Laterano made the event somewhat less shocking, there was no denying that His Holiness' decision was completely unorthodox and alarming.
For what reason did this wise and current Pope take this decision and what signal is he sending by doing so? Executor told us that the Pope had mentioned a disaster coming to this land, but what kind of disaster would make the holy city of Laterano, which has been at peace for a thousand years, take such urgent measures?
Federico Giallo was his first choice, what comes after that? Will we see a second or third unconventional saintly eminence elected in Laterano?
Dr Kal'tsit seems to be quite concerned about Executor and the news about Laterano, I think...... Perhaps we should prepare for this in advance as well.
[Excerpt from Kal'tsit's private journal]
There is no doubt that this is a warning from the machine in Laterano, that a disaster is coming, and we all know full well that Laterano cannot be left alone in it, or even ...... The disaster will be the first to destroy Laterano.
And the so-called "saints" were undoubtedly the solution chosen by Evangelista XI to deal with it.
"The Saints" ...... The one who guides all the Sanktas on their journey?
Well, there will never be just one guide, and perhaps soon we will see more of these exceptions, more of the unconventional Laterano "saints".
They will be the cornerstone of Laterano, the hope visible in the midst of calamity, the choice when all is naught.
As for the disaster......
I still cannot give a definite answer, although that answer is becoming clearer in my mind.
Too many precursors, too many traces.
It'll be coming soon, fast.
Promotion Record
Executor has noticed that he occasionally lapses into thought.
After the mission at the Ambrosius Abbey, his thoughts often lagged, and Executor decided that he had stumbled upon his most difficult situation to date.
Letting emotions get in the way of action was something Executor could not understand. The rationality of action, that was the dilemma that plagued him.
He had not yet reached a clear conclusion. But Executor knows exactly how to act - all he has to do is still do his job, no different from before.
If there is a problem, try to solve it.
If you have doubts, find someone to solve them.
[Transcript]
"I saw Executor the other day ...... Yes, that Executor."
"Ah, I know, it's the one all of you from the dorms were head over heels for, right?"
"We gave up a long time ago! But I saw, I saw him actually pondering over a flower ......"
"......Did one of you sneak off again?"
"No! That's not what happened! He had a weird serious look on his face, like he was thinking about some mega dilemma, and I didn't even dare to say hello to him."
"...... Hmmm ...... I get it then."
"What do you understand?"
"Calm down and think about it, it mustn't be a normal situation to have that Executor pondering so much."
"Oh, oh?"
"Can you really be sure that it's flowers he's holding? Not some kind of bomb or auxiliary prop? It's just in the form of a flower, so maybe it's some new kind of mine?"
"...... When you say it like that, it feels like it really could be that, sigh......"
"That's right, it shouldn't be some simple flower, it's very difficult to make sense of."
"That makes sense...... I saw him hand it to the Doctor afterwards, do you think it could have something to do with a classified mission?"
submitted by irreleveantuser to arknights [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 16:12 litfan35 It's early June and already 30C+, so some tips on surviving the heat

My creds: born and raised in the Amazon in Brazil. "Winter" there means 20C and rain for about 2 months, the rest of the year sits at around 30C and sunny.
I did post a comment in a thread last year which people seemed to find useful, so this will also expand on that a bit more.
At home:
  1. Buy a cheap fan (you can get them starting at £10 last I checked), place a bowl with ice/ice packs/frozen water bottles either in front or behind the fan. It will send out cool air around the room.
  2. Keep the curtains closed during the daytime (especially if you have blackouts!) but open the windows if there's a decent wind going, so you'll get a good breeze without baking the room. Once the sun goes down, open all windows and curtains before putting your ice near a fan! If there's one room in the house that doesn't get direct sunlight, have that window open as much and as long as possible. If you have a layout that allows for airflow (say a front bedroom window and a living room window towards the back) maximise that and have them both open at night to get that air moving.
  3. Avoid turning the oven on unless you want your kitchen (and/or living room, if open plan) to get even hotter.
  4. Make sure your ice tray is constantly stocked up as you're likely going to be using it a lot more than usual.
  5. Ditch the duvet. This is serious. Every year when we get a heatwave I marvel at people saying they can't sleep any night, especially because when questioned they all seem to be carrying on as usual with duvets. Some will have their "summer duvet" out and wonder why it's too hot. If you're like me and you need something on your legs to sleep, use just the duvet cover, sans duvet. Or better yet, invest in a single sheet for this exact situation as heatwaves are becoming more common.
  6. When it's really hot, a cold shower will only help as much as a scalding one would when it's freezing: temporarily and inefficiently. What you really want is to reduce movement as much as possible to give your body time to regulate so its' internal temp is closer to the external temp, thereby making you feel less hot - acclimatising. This will take time though so don't expect it to happen instantly.
On your person:
  1. Seems obvious but avoid the sun as much as possible. Not just for burning reasons, but it will make you feel hotter and compound the problem. Also if you do get sunburnt, you're then basically adding constant heat to an already hot situation. Avoid getting a sunburn at all costs.
  2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You will likely find you need to pee less during the day, but that just means your body is getting rid of the water through sweat so you have to compensate by drinking about 2x as much as normal (if not more!) to remain healthy and hydrated.
  3. Water by itself is better than nothing (always!), but something like coconut water is ideal if you're really sweating, as it hydrates, replenishes electrolytes and gives you a boost from the sugar.
  4. Try to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day if you know you struggle with the heat. If you do have to go out during that time, make like a vampire to do so: hats are your friend when out and about. As are sun glasses. And sun cream. Dig them out from the holiday bag and wear them everywhere like you're on a Greek island!
  5. Pop some plastic bottles with water in the freezer overnight so you have cold water to take with you in the morning.
  6. Wear light-coloured fabrics. Anything dark will absorb the heat while light colours will help reflect some off you.
  7. HOWEVER, prioritise natural fibre clothes (cotton, linen, etc) over synthetic. If your options are a black item in cotton or a white one in elastane, go with the black cotton every time. Reason being the natural fibres allow air in, while synthetics don't. You're more likely to not feel the sweat or heat as much in cotton which lets your body release the heat through the fabric, than in synthetic clothes that trap the sweat and heat close to your body, compounding the issue.
  8. Loose, flowing clothes are ideal. Again the goal here is allowing air in to cool you off, and not trapping your own body heat in.
  9. You may not feel as hungry as usual, but it's important to keep eating like normal so your body doesn't run out of energy.
  10. Small, light meals are best - salads and foods that don't require a lot of energy for your body to break down, to help keep your body temperature cooler.
  11. Careful with the booze + heat combo. Both dehydrate you, so you need to stay on top of the water situation or be at risk of heatstroke/a particularly heinous headache the next morning.
submitted by litfan35 to london [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 13:50 Mysterious_Bath Firestorm Booking - Rebooking Kenta in ROH

KENTA is underrated. That's it.
Final Battle 2005:
KENTA's first appearance for ROH comes at the end of 2005 at one of their flagship shows, Final Battle. Now, nothing much is different from here to what happened in real life, with KENTA having a great match against one of ROH's best in Low Ki. The match would go on for 21 minutes, with KENTA knocking out Low Ki's chances of winning the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, hitting him with a GTS to secure the pinfall and retaining his title.
Result: KENTA (c) def. Low Ki by pinfall to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (21:06)
Dissention 2006:
KENTA would make his unannounced ROH return at Dissention, just six days after his hellacious battle with tag partner Naomichi Marufuji. He would come out to ring after the main event between Danielson and Styles to much fanfare, with the crowd chanting his name. He would then announce an open challenge for anyone in ROH. This call would be answered by none other than THE FALLEN ANGEL, CHRISTOPHER DANIELS!!! KENTA looks pleased with this challenge and shakes Daniels' hand before going to war. KENTA emerges on the front foot of the match, managing to ground Daniels with his technical skills before bringing him down with a Bridging Tiger Suplex that only got a 1 count. Daniels would gain momentum after this, and would stay in control for the next few minutes and even hitting a BME which KENTA managed to kick out of at 2. Daniels would keep on the offence but KENTA managed things around with a huge Busaiku Knee which only gave him a 2 count. KENTA would retain control for the rest of the match, bar one last gasp effort from Daniels who tried to sneak an Angel Wings on KENTA who already had it scouted and managed to reverse it into a Fireman's Carry before HITTING THE GTS! 1..2..3! KENTA RETAINS!!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Christopher Daniels by pinfall to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (19:31)
After the bout, KENTA's celebrations would prove to be short lived as RODERICK STRONG WOULD COME OUT AND CHALLENGE KENTA FOR THE GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!! KENTA accepts this match as its made official for Arena Warfare.
Arena Warfare 2006:
With the ROH fans fully embracing KENTA's presence in their company, he finds himself having to put down one of the biggest heels in the company. Strong comes to the ramp accompanied by his Generation Next teammates, but he decides he wants to do this on his own, wanting them to be fully prepared for their match later at CZW When 2 Worlds Collide. Strong manages to start the match off perfectly, gaining full control over KENTA and managing to weaken him down with his backbreakers. This overwheming offense to KENTA makes Strong feel a bit full of himself, and his cocky nature costs him the lead here as KENTA manages to reverse a Double Underhook Suplex, floating over and knocking Strong down with a Roundhouse Kick. KENTA would then begin to work on the head of Strong, dropping knees on it and planting him with a Fisherman's Buster for a 2. KENTA would continue to beat down Strong over the next few minutes before attempting a GTS which Strong manages to get out of and OUT OF NOWHERE HITS A SICK KICK!! 1..2..KICKOUT!!! WHERE DID STRONG PULL THAT ONE OUT OF?!! Strong and KENTA both end up out on the floor as the ref begins to count. Strong manages to make it to his feet before KENTA however, and uses this to his advantage as he begins chopping the chest off KENTA, leading him to the corner. Strong then places KENTA on the top rope and looks to hit A SUPERPLEX..STRONG ROLLS OVER INTO THE END OF HEARTACHE!!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! HOW DID KENTA KICK OUT?!! Strong is stunned as desperation begins to kick in. He calls for KENTA to get back to his feet, wanting to end the match as soon as he can. KENTA eventually does make it back to his feet as Strong goes for an OLYMPIC SLAM BUT KENTA THROWS HIM OVERBOARD!! Strong gets back to his feet and runs at KENTA WHO PICKS STRONG UP ON HIS SHOULDERS...GTS!! 1..2..3!! WHAT A BATTLE!!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Roderick Strong by pinfall to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (27:45)
Following this win, KENTA's celebrations would be interrupted again, this time by THE ROH WORLD CHAMPION BRYAN DANIELSON!! He tells KENTA that he's not a fan of exports taking his spotlight in main event matches when he's the one carrying the company on his back as their world champion. Danielson tells Kenta that if he wants to steal the show and be a main event star in ROH, he needs to run past him. KENTA then CHALLENGES DANIELSON FOR THE ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!! Danielson smirks at this as the fans begin chanting KENTA's name. Danielson's smirk quickly turns into a laugh, telling KENTA he hasn't done anything special enough to gain a title match. KENTA says he doesn't care, he wants a match. Danielson gives in and grants KENTA a match against him...AND SAMOA JOE?!! Joe comes to the ring and stands at Danielson's side. He appears to agree with what Danielson said and tells KENTA to stay in NOAH. KENTA says no to Joe's request and instead challenges both men to a tag team match at Best in the World and if he wins, he gets a ROH World Title match. Danielson is confused and tells KENTA's that he's got no-one to tag with, so how is he gonna beat him and Joe. KENTA tells him to just watch, as he leaves the ring, leaving the question as to who his tag partner is gonna be.
Best in the World 2006:
Danielson and Joe make their way to the ring first, followed by KENTA who is on his own. Danielson and Joe are both confused, with Danielson asking where his teammate is. KENTA tells him to wait as the music hits... ITS NAOMICHI MARUFUJI!!! HES HERE IN ROH!! Danielson and Joe both look shocked as they know an all out war is going to go down with two of NOAH's best coming up against two of ROH's best. Nothing changes in this match compared to real life, with the match lasting just over 30 minutes and the team of KENTA and Marufuji taking the win here as KENTA hits Danielson with a GTS to gain a pinfall over the ROH World Champion, putting the odds in his favour for their confirmed upcoming bout, which will take place in 3 days at Supercard of Honor.
Result: KENTA and Naomichi Marufuji def. Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe (33:26)
Supercard of Honor 2006:
Coming into the match as the favourite here, KENTA finds himself in the biggest match of his career here as he has the opportunity to end the reign of Bryan Danielson here. Danielson is insistent on beating KENTA here, hitting him with stiff attacks that eventually lead to him getting busted open in the first few minutes. KENTA quickly realises that the Danielson he faced a few nights prior is not the same Danielson he's in the ring with now as the harsh offence continues. KENTA tries to take a breather on the outside but Danielson won't give him a moment of space, diving onto KENTA with a suicide dive as the champ is on fire. Danielson continues the offence on the outside, smashing KENTA's head into the ring post multiple times which only causes him to bleed more. The ref makes it to a count of 8 as Danielson decides to chuck him back in the ring for more punishment. KENTA tries crawling over to the other side as Danielson makes a fool out of him, pointing to him and laughing as Kenta struggles to get back to his feet. He eventually does as Danielson grabs him and starts hitting him with European Uppercuts. Danielson then throws KENTA into the ropes where he just goes over. Danielson almost looks embarrassed to be facing Kenta and mocks him as he exits the ring again. This time however, KENTA was playing possum and as Danielson went to attack KENTA, he got a fist full of ring post. Danielson tries shaking this off as KENTA gets revenge for earlier, smashing Danielson's skull into the same ring post, causing him to bleed. Danielson stumbles around the outside before rolling himself back in the ring as the ref's count gets closer and closer to 10. Kenta now has the upper hand over Danielson as he begins to hit him with kicks to any part of Danielson that's in his way. Danielson finds himself at the corner where KENTA doesn't stop, hitting Danielson with kicks to the chest. Danielson manages to catch KENTA's leg as he FLIPS HIM OVER INTO AN ANKLE LOCK!! KENTA tries escaping it but Danielson has it locked in tight. He does eventually manage to roll himself over, causing Danielson to go flying over into the 2nd rope. KENTA sees this and begins choking Danielson out, with the ref having to push KENTA out of the way. Danielson drops off the ropes, cluching his throat but KENTA doesn't care as he starts dropping knees onto Danielson's face. Danielson scurries under the bottom ropes as the tables have clearly turned. KENTA sees Danielson getting back to his feet and decides to do what any normal human would do and DIVE OVER THE TOP ROPE!! KENTA looks more than fired up here as he tosses a dazed Danielson back in the ring. It appears this match is coming to a close as KENTA picks Danielson up on his shoulders FOR A GTS..BUT DANIELSON ESCAPES AND HITS A REGAL-PLEX!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! Danielson looks at KENTA with a surprised look on his face, which quickly turns to delight as he realises he can inflict more damage. Danielson grabs the hands of KENTA, looking to pull him up, but quickly starts stomping down on his head. KENTA looks completely dazed by now as it appears one more big hit will put him out of commission. Danielson decides that enough is enough and attempts to lock in the Cattle Mutilation but KENTA DOESN'T ALLOW IT!! KENTA fights against Danielson's attempts and manages to get back to his feet before delivering an Arm Drag to Danielson. Danielson gets back to his feet and runs to KENTA who stops him dead in his tracks, picking him up FOR A BUCKLE BOMB!! Danielson bounces off the turnbuckle as KENTA runs the ropes.. BUSAIKU KNEE!! 1..2..KICKOUT!!! HOW ON EARTH?!! KENTA just sits in the ring, staring into nothingness with a look of disbelief at Danielson kicking out. KENTA starts getting mad and begins stomping the head of Danielson who is defenseless. KENTA then slowly picks Danielson up, with the intention of hitting a Falcon's Arrow, but Danielson manages to float over, hitting KENTA with a neckbreaker. Danielson stumbles back to his feet as KENTA finds his whereabouts again, with Danielson picking KENTA up on his shoulders and hitting him with a Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam. Danielson then launches at a seated KENTA with a huge dropkick that knocks him down. Danielson is feeling fired up at this point as HE LOCKS IN THE TRIANGLE CHOKE!! KENTA HAS NOWHERE TO GO!! DANIELSON ONLY MAKES IT WORSE WITH ELBOWS TO THE HEAD!! KENTA tries fighting out of it but Danielson has it locked in tight. WAIT..KENTA'S FADING!! The ref checks on him as he raises him arm up once. Nothing. Twice. Nothing. A third time...KENTA RESPONDS!! HE'S STILL IN THIS!! KENTA starts gaining elevation over Danielson as HE PICKS HIM UP ON HIS SHOULDERS...SITOUT POWERBOMB!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE FOR ONE OF THESE MEN TO STAY DOWN?!! Both men are grounded due to fatigue as the ref is forced to count. He makes it up to 6 with no response from either men. By the time he gets to 8, they find themselves pulling themselves up with the assistance of the ring ropes. They both make it to their feet before the 10 count as they stumble into each other in the middle of the ring. Danielson lands the first strike which causes KENTA to stumble but he returns the favour with a strike of his own. They continue doing this as Danielson gets booed with every strike and KENTA cheered with his. KENTA does get the upper hand here as he manages to get a powerful Roundhouse Kick on Danielson which knocks him into the ropes BUT DANIELSON RESPONDS WITH A BUSAIKU KNEE!!! HE STOLE KENTA'S MOVE!! BUT WAIT...KENTA ROLLS OVER!! HOW THE FUCK?!! HE PICKS UP DANIELSON...GTS!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! THIS IS NEVER GONNA END!! At this point, blood has stained the mat and the faces of both men, providing a mask to hide how they feel about this relentless brutality. KENTA is practically delirious as he somehow manages to make it to his feet. He calls for Danielson to get up as he looks to end this once and for all. He stands in the corner waiting, looking to hit that Busaiku Knee but Danielson doesn't move. KENTA is then forced to make his way over to Danielson to get him back to his feet BUT DANIELSON WAS PLAYING POSSUM THE WHOLE TIME AS HE LOCKS KENTA IN THE TRIANGLE CHOKE AGAIN!! DANIELSON WON'T STOP WITH THE ELBOWS AS THE REF IS FORCED TO CALL THE MATCH!!
Result: Bryan Danielson (c) def. KENTA by technical submission to retain the ROH World Championship (48:57)
Following the bout, Danielson would help KENTA back to his feet. He would then offer his hand out as a sign of respect and although hesistant at first, KENTA would shake it and raise Danielson's hand.
KENTA would then return to Japan after this, defending his GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship throughout the summer, before losing it to Takashi Sugiura at Northern Navigation. He would continue in Japan for a few more months before making his return to ROH at International Challenge.
International Challenge 2006:
After his rivalry with McGuinness over the summer, Danielson's next rival would come in the form of Homicide. After beating him once at Motor City Madness, he looked to be finished with Danielson. That is until Dethroned, where after successfully retaining his title against Austin Aries, Danielson would be attacked by Homicide, who demanded a rematch. Danielson wasn't willing to give him the rematch however, leading to Homicide taking matters into his own hands and calling in backup in the form of McGuinness. Danielson would eventually accept a tag match between the two, promising a big surprise for his partner. At the event, KENTA would be revealed as Danielson's tag partner to a massive fan eruption. The two would prove to be great tag partners as over the span of 19 minutes, the two would put the beatdown on their opponents. KENTA would be the one to gain the win for the team, hitting McGuinness with a GTS.
Result: KENTA and Bryan Danielson def. Homicide and Nigel McGuinness by pinfall (19:34)
Following this win, Danielson would get on the mic and announce he doesn't have an opponent for Final Battle, so tells Homicide he can have his rematch. As for KENTA, he puts his sights on McGuinness, asking him for a match at Final Battle. McGuinness says he wants fresh meat and accepts KENTA's challenge, with a warning he won't come out of the match the same man.
Final Battle 2006:
KENTA's immense popularity in ROH is voiced by the ROH fans as the Manhattan Center blows the roof off the building when he appears. McGuinness feeds into the crowd, disgracing them for cheering for an outsider rather than a man who's been there the past 2 years, wrestling at every show, hell, even being the greatest Pure Champion in history. The match doesn't have a definitive leader throughout, with both men not letting the other get the satisfaction of beating their opponent. McGuinness did appear to be on the upper hand however for a slight bit, but a Busaiku Knee changed the whole thing for him, despite getting the kickout at 2. KENTA would lead from this point on, with a GTS looking immanent, BUT MCGUINNESS MANAGES TO HIT A REBOUND LARIAT!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! McGuiness is furious as he drags KENTA's lifeless body to the corner. He prompts him up on the top turnbuckle, with the intention of a TOWER OF LONDON BUT KENTA FLIPS OVER MCGUINNESS AND PICKS HIM UP...GTS!! 1..2..3!!
Result: KENTA def. Nigel McGuinness by pinfall (29:08)
KENTA would make his presence felt in the main event, stopping Hernandez from interfering on behalf of Homicide. He would then remain firm in the corner of Danielson but it's not enough AS HOMICIDE ENDS DANIELSON'S 462 DAY TITLE REIGN!! WHAT A MOMENT IN ROH HERE!! Following this shocking loss, KENTA consoles Danielson, helping up and telling him it'll be okay. Danielson gets a standing ovation from the ROH crowd as KENTA begins to exit the ring to let Danielson have his moment but Danielson pulls him back in, wanting to celebrate with him. OR SO KENTA THOUGHT AS DANIELSON LOCKS HIM IN THE TRIANGLE CHOKE!!! Danielson starts screaming, saying its KENTA's fault he lost and it's nothing to do with him. Danielson lets go of the hold and goes to the outside, to under the ring, where he pulls out a steel chair. He then gets in the ring and places it ON KENTA'S LEG!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING DANIELSON?! Danielson stands on the second rope AND STOMPS DOWN ON THE CHAIR!! KENTA'S LEG IS DONE!! KENTA screams in pain as Danielson leaves him in the ring, embracing this newfound attitude.
KENTA would go out injured for 2 months, while Danielson's new vicious character would dominate ROH. KENTA's return would come at the Fifth Year Festival: NYC, after Danielson's victory over Takeshi Morishima. KENTA would attack Danielson, hitting him with a GTS before demanding a match, which is made official for the Fifth Year Festival in Chicago.
Fifth Year Festival: Chicago:
A match which, despite having less stakes than last time round, will guarantee to be an all time classic. Danielson's newfound heel persona and KENTA's popularity among the fans mix well as Danielson's heel heat is like no other, with the fans' boos louder than his entrance music. The crowd can also be heard chanting "FUCK YOU DANIELSON", over and over as Danielson gives them the Stone Cold treatment. The match is an absolute war, lasting almost 50 minutes with Danielson managing to kick out of 3 GTS's and KENTA managing to last over 2 minutes in the Triangle Choke. These men throw absolutely everything at each other, with submission, kicks, punches, chops and everything inbetween but it would be the fourth GTS that would put Danielson down for good.
Result: KENTA def. Bryan Danielson by pinfall (49:32)
Following this, KENTA would ask anyone to give him a match at All Star Extravaganza III which would be answered by Chris Hero.
All Star Extravaganza III:
KENTA's climb to the top continues here as he finds himself facing one of the biggest rising stars in ROH. Hero would put up a good fight for one of the biggest stars in ROH here but it wouldn't be enough as a Busaiku Knee and GTS would be what ends the match, giving KENTA another win in his quest to the top.
Result: KENTA def. Chris Hero by pinfall (14:37)
KENTA isn't able to celebrate this victory however, as DANIELSON WOULD ATTACK HIM FROM BEHIND! Danielson would begin stomping on KENTA's head before announcing he wants one more match, FIGHT WITHOUT HONOR TOMORROW AT SUPERCARD OF HONOR!! KENTA is unable to respond as Danielson doesn't allow him but it's safe to say the match is official.
Supercard of Honor 2007:
One year ago, these two men stood in the ring of the main event of Supercard of Honor with the biggest prize in the company on the line. Now, its a year later, a lot has changed, but what hasn't is the fact that both men find each other facing each other again in the main event of Supercard of Honor and despite there being no title on the line, the match feels more important than last year's. Under the stipulation of Fight Without Honor, both men absolutely tear at each other for 1 HOUR AND 6 MINUTES!! Whether it was Danielson stealing the Busaiku Knee TWICE, or KENTA hitting 3 GTS's in a row and Danielson kicking out, the Detroit crowd were absolutely fucking fed. Weapons also played a big part in this match, with Danielson smashing a steel chair over KENTA's head 10 times, causing him to be busted open, BUT KENTA RESPONDED WITH A BUSAIKU KNEE!! However, after one hour and six minutes, Danielson would lock in the Triangle Choke in the centre of the ring, with it looking like KENTA was going to pass out. HE DIDN'T HOWEVER, AND MANAGED TO POWER HIS WAY UP, PLACING DANIELSON ON HIS SHOULDERS FOR A 4TH GTS!! 1..2..3!! KENTA ENDS THE RIVALRY AND THE MATCH WITH A MASSIVE WIN!!
Result: KENTA def. Bryan Danielson by pinfall (1:06:44)
KENTA would make a brief return to Japan, before returning at Live in Osaka to announce his entry in the Race to the Top Tournament.
Race to the Top Tournament Night 1:
KENTA finds himself getting one of the worst draws possible in the tournament as he faces the previous favourite to win the tournament, Matt Sydal. Clearly the best match in the Round of 16, KENTA finds himself struggling in the beginning but gains control, carrying it throughout before sealing the win with a GTS, gaining his spot in the quarter finals.
Result: KENTA def. Matt Sydal by pinfall to advance to the quarter finals (12:10)
Race to the Top Tournament Night 2:
Into the quarter finals we go, as KENTA finds himself facing Sydal's former teammate in Generation Next, Jack Evans. Evans manages to put up a hell of a fight in this match, even coming close to winning after hitting Kenta with a 630 Senton, but KENTA somehow managed to kick out at 2. In the end, it would be that dreaded GTS that would finish the match off, with KENTA pinning Evans for the 3 to make it to the semis.
Result: KENTA def. Jack Evans by pinfall to advance to the semi-finals (18:22)
​
The second match of KENTA's night comes in the form of Davey Richards, who has been on a warpath as of late alongside Roderick Strong as No Remorse Cops. Richards steamrolls through KENTA in the opening minutes of the match, with a spot in the final looking dead set for him. This would change midway through the match as KENTA would use Richards' aggression against him, allowing him to control the rest of the match before finishing it off with the GTS, MEANING KENTA'S GOING TO THE FINAL!!
Result: KENTA def. Davey Richards by pinfall to advance to the finals (15:43)
​
After already wrestling for half an hour, KENTA shows no signs of fatigue here as he is willing to lay it all on the line for a shot at Morishima's ROH World Championship. Castagnoli found a tough way to the final, having to make his way through El Generico, Kevin Steen and Mike Quackenbush. Castagnoli and KENTA provide a spectacle for the audience over the span of 28 minutes with a technical masterclass. Near falls appeared throughout the match, with the most significant being KENTA kicking out of Castagnoli's Ricola Bomb. To finish the match, Castagnoli looked set to finish the match of after a flurry of European Uppercuts. Castagnoli would then find himself waiting in the corner for KENTA to get back to his feet. He eventually does and throws KENTA up in the air for a SWISS DEATH BUT KENTA HITS CASTAGNOLI WITH A BUSAIKU KNEE!! Castagnoli stumbles back into the ropes and bounces right onto KENTA's shoulders for THE GTS!! 1..2..3!! KENTA'S GOT A ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH!!
Result: KENTA def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall to win the Race to the Top Final (28:16)
Death Before Dishonor Night 2:
KENTA's rise to the top finds itself culminating here in the main event of Death Before Dishonor against fellow countryman Takeshi Morishima. Morishima is able to use his size to his advantage, overpowering KENTA in every way, displaying why he is a great champion. KENTA tries getting some offence in, kicking the champ's knees down to weaken him but this proves useless as Morishima delivers a knee to the gut which grounds KENTA. KENTA makes his way back up after this where he gets bombarded by chops from Morishima which causes him to back up into the ropes. KENTA tries to take a breather but finds himself getting tossed out of the ring by Morishima. KENTA regains his balance outside the ring as MORISHIMA COMES OUT WITH A SUICIDE DIVE!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!! Morishima then tosses KENTA back in the ring and begins to unload kicks into his back, causing KENTA to squirm into the corner. Morishima begins taunting at the booing crowd to rile them up even more as KENTA makes it back to his feet AS MORISHIMA DOES A CARTWHEEL INTO A HIP ATTACK!! KENTA is squashed as he falls forward into Morishima who picks him up for a uranage, only getting a 2 count. Morishima argues with the ref, calling it a 3 count but the ref confirms it was a 2. Morishima responds to this by kicking the head of KENTA in, before CLIMBING TO THE TOP ROPE!! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!! MORISHIMA GOES FOR THE MOONSAULT..BUT KENTA MANAGES TO DODGE IT!! MORISHIMA GETS BACK TO HIS FEET AS KENTA HITS A FISHERMAN BUSTER!! 1..KICKOUT!! HOW?! KENTA looks confused as Morishima begins to get back to his feet again. KENTA starts unloading Roundhouse Kicks onto Morishima but nothing's working as he just continues rising up. KENTA then decides to run the ropes for a BUSAIKU KNEE!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE TO KEEP THIS MAN MOUNTAIN DOWN?!! KENTA goes to the corner as MORISHIMA IS GETTING BACK UP ALREADY!! He signals to the crowd he's looking for another Busaiku Knee AS HE RUNS AND GETS CAUGHT BY A LARIAT FROM MORISHIMA!! KENTA GOES FLYING AS MORISHIMA GETS THE COVER 1..2..KICKOUT!! Morishima slams the mat as he tells the ref to count faster. KENTA gets to his knees as Morishima throws him between his legs and picks him up FOR A KNEELING POWERBOMB!! WAIT, HE FLIPS KENTA OVER AND GOES FOR A SECOND!! HE FLIPS HIM OVER AGAIN!! OH MY GOD!! A THIRD..WAIT..KENTA WITH A HURRICANRANA!! Morishima is sent flying as Kenta regains his balance. Morishima makes it to his feet as KENTA HITS A BUSAIKU KNEE!! HE'S NOT DONE AS HE HOISTS MORISHIMA UP ON HIS SHOULDERS...GTS!!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! KENTA ISN'T DONE AS HE PICKS MORISHIMA UP ON HIS SHOULDERS AGAIN..GTS..MORISHIMA LANDS ON HIS FEET!! HE TURNS KENTA AROUND..AMAZE IMPACT!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! HOW IS KENTA SURVIVING ALL THIS?!! Morishima has had enough of the referee by now and throws him out of the ring. He then walks over to KENTA WHO HITS HIM WITH A LOW BLOW!! The crowd cheers as KENTA looks shocked by what he's done. The crowd don't care and continue chanting KENTA's name. Morishima starts making it to his feet as KENTA HITS A BUSAIKU KNEE!! HE PICKS MORISHIMA UP..GTS!!! 1..2..3!! KENTA IS THE NEW ROH WORLD CHAMPION!!! OH MY GOD!!
Result: KENTA def. Takeshi Morishima (c) to win the ROH World Championship by pinfall (15:53)
Caged Rage 2007:
KENTA's first title defense would come at the next show, Caged Rage, where he would issue an open challenge, calling himself a fighting champion. This call would be answered by Brent Albright. Albright would launch at KENTA with punches but he no-sells them and begins beating down Albright. This newfound aggressive style of wrestling bodes well with the fans, who cheer for KENTA and his stiff strikes. Albright doesn't last long in this bout as after around seven minutes of being battered, KENTA puts the final blow in with the GTS, gaining the 3 count and retaining his title.
Result: Kenta (c) def. Brent Albright by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship
KENTA would then ask for a better challenger, to which AUSTIN ARIES ANSWERS!! KENTA tells him he's on as the match is set for Manhattan Mayhem II.
Manhattan Mayhem II:
A former ROH World Champion himself, Aries how it feels to have the company on his shoulders and he plans to take that feeling back here against KENTA tonight. KENTA's attitude has clearly changed since winning the world title, becoming a more aggressive and brutal wrestler. KENTA puts Aries through hell in this match, beating the life out of the former champ. Aries would get a bit of steam in the match, even managing to hit a 450 on KENTA but it only gave him a 2 count. At the end of the bout, KENTA found himself picking Aries up on his shoulders for the GTS, BUT ARIES ESCAPES IT!! HE PICKS HIM UP..BRAINBUSTER!! BUT KENTA GETS BACK TO HIS FEET!! Aries looks in shock as KENTA screams at him before coming at him with stiff elbows. Aries would bounce off the rope and hit a elbow but KENTA doesn't even react as HE PICKS ARIES UP..GTS!! 1..2..3!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Austin Aries to retain the ROH World Championship
Motor City Madness 2007:
The battle of the capital letter names next, CIMA would prove to be the toughest fight yet for KENTA, due to his high flying ability and technical prowess which managed to keep KENTA down for a bit. CIMA would even find himself hitting both the Meteora and Crossfire but KENTA would kick out of both at 2. After 12 minutes though, it would be the GTS that would end the bout, with KENTA blasting CIMA's head off to retain the gold.
Result: KENTA (c) def. CIMA by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship (12:18)
Following this, KENTA would call the ROH locker room boring and said if he didn't get a worthy opponent, he'd take the title back to Japan. This would prompt Jimmy Jacobs to come out, calling his shot for the title at Honor Nation.
Honor Nation 2007:
Double J (not Slapnuts) finds himself the next potential victim to KENTA's recent terrorisation of the ROH roster. Despite this aggressive nature that KENTA carries around with himself now, he still finds himself being cheered by the ROH crowd, although its not as big as at the start of the year leading up to his title win. KENTA allows Jacobs to hit him with some offence due to his boredom against his most recent opponents. Jacobs uses this to his advantage, taking control of the bout but it doesn't last long. Jacobs sends KENTA out of the ring, with the hopes of a suicide dive, but he fails and gets caught in the ropes. KENTA is displeased with this and starts getting mad at Jacobs, slapping him in the face and kicking him in the gut. KENTA starts laying into Jacobs with stronger offence, including a massive Powerbomb for a 2 count. Kenta starts getting bored of Jacobs and decides to finish it off with a GTS, gaining the 3 count and continuing his reign of dominance over ROH.
Result: KENTA (c) def. Jimmy Jacobs by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship (13:26)
Following this win, KENTA takes the ROH World Championship over to Japan, defending it in NOAH against the likes of Bobby Fish, Ricky Marvin and even a rematch against Takeshi Morishima. Following his victory over Morishima, KENTA would challenge THE GHC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION MITSUHARU MISAWA TO A TITLE VS TITLE MATCH!! Misawa would accept this match, but he doesn't want the match in Japan. HE WANTS IT AT GLORY BY HONOR!! The match would be made official but it did leave confusion for the winner of the Survival of the Fittest, Chris Hero. It would then be decided that KENTA vs Hero would happen on Night 1, while Misawa vs KENTA would happen on Night 2.
Glory by Honor Night 1:
Before KENTA can get to the match of his wishes, he first has to get past the winner of the 2007 Survival of the Fittest, Chris Hero. Hero has been on a tear recently, with the fans firmly getting behind him being the next ROH World Champion, even at the expense of KENTA. The fans are beginning to sour on KENTA at this point, with the cheers once received seeming like a myth at this point. KENTA notices these cheers for Hero and starts beating the shit out of him, grounding him in the corner before pointing at him, almost as if to berate the fans for thinking that Hero is the guy and not KENTA. KENTA would continue with these beatings on Hero, garnering boos from the crowd. KENTA then flips off the crowd, confirming his heel turn as he just won't stop beating Hero up. KENTA would then pick Hero up, looking for a Falcon's Arrow, but Hero would manage to float over KENTA and hit a big neckbreaker to give him control of the match. Hero would continue with this offence for a while, with KENTA unable to get a breakthrough in the match. Hero would even manage to hit the Rolling Elbow but it only gave him a 2 count. Hero wouldn't let go of control following this, managing to score more 2 counts with a Cradle Piledriver and a Hero's Welcome. At the end of the match, KENTA did manage to gain a bit of a comeuppance, even managing to hit a Fisherman's Buster which only got a 2 count. The finish however, would come with Hero in the corner, the fans cheering his name looking to hit the CYCLONE KILL..BUT KENTA DUCKS UNDER AND RUNS TO THE TURNBUCKLE!! HERO TURNS AROUND AND MEETS A BUSAIKU KNEE!! The fans cheers quickly become somber boos as KENTA picks Hero up FOR THE GTS!! 1..2..3!! KENTA RETAINS!! IT'S GONNA BE TITLE VS TITLE TOMORROW NIGHT!!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Chris Hero by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship (19:27)
Glory by Honor Night 2:
To end off Night 2, we have two of Japan's best with the icon Misawa, who's title reign is bordering a year, and the current ROH World Champion KENTA who's been on an absolute tear recently, dominating his opponents. The match is borderline similar to the match they actually had bar a few changes. At the end of the match however, Misawa has KENTA right where he wants him as he looks for the EMERALD FLOSION...KENTA ESCAPES THOUGH...HE BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES AND HITS A BUSAIKU KNEE!! MISAWA IS KNOCKED DOWN AS KENTA BRINGS HIM BACK TO HIS FEET...GTS!!! 1..2..3!! KENTA IS A DOUBLE CHAMPION!! KENTA HAS ENDED MISAWA'S REIGN!! THE FANS ARE PISSED!!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Mitsuharu Misawa (c) to retain the ROH World Championship and win the GHC Heavyweight Championship
KENTA then announces himself as the best wrestler in the world and plans to take the ROH title to Japan at the end of the year and never return with it. He also mentions the fact he's never been pinned or submitted in ROH, with his only loss coming at a technicality. He then says there isn't a single man in ROH that can beat him for the title. And then the music hits...ITS SAMOA JOE!! HE'S BACK IN ROH!! Joe comes to the ring to a massive cheer, with the belief that he had left ROH permanently to go to TNA. Joe says KENTA is right and that there isn't a man in ROH that can beat him, BECAUSE IT'LL BE A TNA GUY INSTEAD!! Joe challenges KENTA to a match at Reckless Abandon to see who the real best in the world is.
In the meantime, KENTA would return to Japan to defend his newly won GHC Heavyweight Championship, beating Misawa in a rematch and stopping Jun Akiyama from avenging the loss, beating him in a 45 minute classic.
Reckless Abandon 2007:
Definitely KENTA's biggest challenge yet, the greatest ROH World Champion ever returns home in an attempt to save the biggest prize in the company by taking it off the hands of KENTA, who's intentions to leave ROH at the end of the year with the World Championship are clear. Joe gets the advantage in the beginning, chopping the chest off KENTA and sticking some stiff hits to his skull. KENTA would turn the tides on Joe, hitting some stiff attacks himself, before grounding him with a Fisherman's Buster. The two would continue on with an evenly matched brutal showcase, exchanging control every few minutes while also hitting some big moves, including a Muscle Buster from Joe which KENTA managed to kick out of at 2. To end the match after 36 minutes, KENTA would find himself in a perfect situation after reversing a Uranage from Joe. Joe would become mad following this and run at KENTA who ducked under and ran the ropes himself before HITTING THE BUSAIKU KNEE!!! 1..2..3!! THE REIGN CONTINUES!!!
Result: KENTA (c) def. Samoa Joe by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship (36:54)
KENTA then says the clock is ticking for someone to beat him, and if not, he's taking the ROH World Championship home. He asks for anyone to come out and challenge him for a match at Final Battle, and if not? Well, you know what'll happen. Kenta waits and waits, but gets no response. Just as he's about to call it quits though, NIGEL MCGUINNESS APPEARS!! HE'S NEXT FOR KENTA'S TITLE!! KENTA smirks as he knows a guy like McGuinness isn't gonna beat him for the title.
Final Battle 2007:
History finds itself repeating once again, as KENTA and McGuinness come face to face at Final Battle for the second successive year. Last time around, KENTA was one of the most loved stars in ROH, but now? He's public enemy number one. And if McGuinness doesn't win the title, they can kiss the title goodbye. McGuinness and KENTA lock up to begin the bout, with KENTA getting a headlock on McGuinness before performing a headlock takedown. McGuinness laughs as he gets back up, with KENTA laughing too. KENTA then pushes McGuinness which causes him to start unloading on him with strikes, causing him to back up into the corner. KENTA would then put his body through the ropes, preventing McGuinness from hitting him while taunting him to try and trigger a reaction. McGuinness does nothing however and waits for KENTA to get out of the ropes to continue his attacks. KENTA is sneaky about it though and as he gets back in, he ducks under McGuinness' attack and starts kicking the legs of McGuinness before delivering a Roundhouse Kick to the head, knocking McGuinness down for a 1 count. Kenta would return to the head again, keeping McGuinness in a headlock to prevent him getting back to his feet. This only works for so long as McGuinness manages to get back to his feet, tossing KENTA overboard. KENTA would then get back to his feet and charge at McGuinness who throws him around with arm drags before slamming him down with a Powerslam. McGuinness gets fired up as KENTA is on the downside here, with the fans cheering for McGuinness. McGuinness would then go the corner as KENTA gets back to his feet, which is when McGuiness goes for the JAWBREAKER LARIAT BUT KENTA DODGES!! McGuinness turns around AND GETS HIT WITH A BUSAIKU KNEE!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! A huge sigh of relief comes from the ROH fans as the title is safe. For now. KENTA is frustrated with this and begins to drop knees onto the head of McGuinness. This prompts McGuinness to sit up which allows KENTA to hit a stiff kick to the back. McGuinness rolls in pain and decides to take a breather by leaving the ring. KENTA laughs at McGuinness for this as he exits around the other side of the ring and runs around to meet McGuinness WHO HITS HIM WITH A RUNNING LARIAT!! McGuinness then picks up KENTA and throws him back in the ring where he covers him for a 2 count. McGuinness starts punching the head of KENTA which he is unable to block, causing him to be busted open. McGuinness stops to take a look at what he's done and has a grin on his face, with the fans chanting for him to not stop. McGuinness listens to them and brings KENTA to the corner where he starts laying into him with hits. He then places KENTA on the top turnbuckle and runs to the opposite corner before running back WITH A HUGE LARIAT!! KENTA slumps over as McGuinness sees his shot AND HITS THE TOWER OF LONDON!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! MCGUINNESS CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! The fans call out the ref, saying it should have been a 3 count, purely to take the title off KENTA. McGuinness then begins taunting to the crowd again in the corner as he calls for KENTA to get back to his feet. KENTA does eventually get back up as McGuinness tries again for the JAWBREAKER LARIAT BUT DOESN'T HIT IT AGAIN!! KENTA THROWS A BIG BOOT IN THE FACE OF MCGUINNESS WHICH ROCKS HIM!! KENTA then picks McGuinness up on his shoulders for a GTS BUT MCGUINNESS LANDS ON HIS FEET AND HITS KENTA WITH A CHOP TO THE THROAT!! KENTA clutches his throat as he backs up. McGuinness follows as KENTA hits him with another kick which causes him to bounce back into the ropes and hit KENTA with a lariat. KENTA doesn't go down with this, instead rocking back and hitting McGuinness with a simple slap. McGuinness gets pissed off as this and GOES FOR THE JAWBREAKER LARIAT AGAIN BUT KENTA DUCKS AGAIN AND HITS A QUICK SNAP GERMAN SUPLEX!! McGuinness rolls back as KENTA kicks him in the gut and picks him up on his shoulders for a BUCKLE BOMB!! MCGUINNESS BOUNCES OFF THE TURNBUCKLE AND ONTO THE SHOULDERS OF KENTA FOR A GTS!!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! KENTA is starting to get pissed off at McGuinness and LOCKS HIM IN THE STFU!! McGuinness crawls around trying to find an escape but he's trapped in the middle of the ring. KENTA keeps applying pressure but McGuinness is able to get his hand up and begins punching the head of KENTA again. KENTA is forced to release as he backs up to take a quick breather. When he turns around however, MCGUINNESS MEETS HIM WITH A JAWBREAKER LARIAT!!! 1..2..KICKOUT!! WHY WON'T KENTA STAY DOWN?!! McGuinness doesn't even wait for a second after the kickout, instead going straight to the LONDON DUNGEON!! KENTA HAS NOWHERE TO GO!! KENTA begins crawling BUT MCGUINNESS PULLS HIM RIGHT BACK TO THE CENTRE!! Over a minute goes by and KENTA is still in the submission, battered and bloodied in this war as he looks to be fading. That is until he gets one last burst of energy to scrape his way to the ropes, keeping himself in the match. McGuinness is done with this match though, and lines KENTA up for ANOTHER JAWBREAKER LARIAT!! HE'S NOT DONE AS HE PICKS KENTA UP..AND ANOTHER JAWBREAKER LARIAT!! McGuinness takes one more look at KENTA as he PICKS HIM UP AGAIN FOR A THIRD JAWBREAKER LARIAT!! 1..2..3!! NIGEL MCGUINNESS HAS PINNED KENTA!!! HE'S THE NEW ROH WORLD CHAMPION!!!
Result: Nigel McGuinness def. KENTA (c) by pinfall to win the ROH World Championship (31:46)
Epilogue:
This would mark the end of KENTA's ROH run, as he would would return to NOAH and remain dominant as GHC Heavyweight Champion until September of 2008, when he would lose the belt to Kensuke Sasaki. This would not be his final appearance in ROH however, as he would wrestle 2 more matches for the company, one in a win against Danielson during his farewell tour and his final match against Tyler Black which ended as a loss, putting a full stop on the ROH career of KENTA.
So, in the span of 2 years, KENTA went from the biggest babyface in ROH, before making his eventual rise to the top, winning the ROH Championship in a controversial fashion, which caused a new person to appear, a more ruthless and dominant man who threatened to take the title away from ROH to Japan, becoming the biggest heel in ROH in the process but luckily for ROH, on the last night of the year Captain McGuinness would come to the rescue and save the company and their main title, sending KENTA packing in the process.
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2023.06.10 13:35 willmagnify Notes on “A Tale of Two Cities: the development of early Arhada city states (0-500 AD)”, Part 2

Note to self 93,
Made it back to the library. "A Tale of two cities" was still there waiting for me, thankfully (the beauty of having niche interests!). I moved on to the chapters speaking directly about the two case studies and copied the most interesting passages.
These were the most noteworthy parts on Kamābarha:
1. Kamābarha – Establishment and growth
Though there is still a certain degree of debate, scholars speculate that Kamābarha is the earliest of Arhada cities. It would be expected, considering its proximity to a great number of Middle Pottery sites and its strategic location at the intersection of the Great lake and the southern basin, offering opportunities for a higher degree of cultural interaction – which inevitably leads to cultural maturity.
Indeed, the rise of Kamābarha has left tangible markings in the archaeological record: the construction of Kamābarha III, the layer that first gives us some indication of a level of state control over the region (in the form of contract tablets and other material remains, symbolism associated with governance and a mature elite power, as well as the sheer size of its palace and granary) has been unanimously placed in the 6th century BD. For the purposes of this text, we are interested in understanding what the city looked like before and immediately after that date, in order to understand its peculiar character, as well as the ingredients that brought its success.
[...]
Kamābarha's wealth was chiefly in its copper reserves. The stretch of land between the Great lake and the southern Tritonean lakes, traversed by what the Arhada referred to as Green River, contained plentiful mineral deposits, ranging from pure copper, silver, and zinc-contaminated copper, otherwise known as "natural brass". This naturally occurring alloy was perhaps Kamābarha greatest export, although the metallurgical culture of Formative Tritonea was rather scant, and most uses for these metals were either decorative or for the production of cold-worked arrowheads. These items are found as far west as early Hortens sites and as far south as the Aluwa. They were either transported as fully formed arrowheads or as plates which were then worked locally by the importers. Within the confines of Kamābarha and its environs, however, we can find a higher ratio of copper artisanal goods and artistic objects than weapons: an indication of a lack of pressure to militarise. Brass is found on the decorations of Kamābarha's palace, in the form of mirrors, bracelets, jewellery. The oldest example of a painted copper plate – a typical Arhadan decorative items consisting of a flat copper surface covered on both sides with oil paint, was found in Kamābarha III. Chemical analyses confirm that what appears today as a simple oxidised copper disk was in fact coloured with bright pecan oil based paints.
That is not to say that the production of military gear, or, indeed, warfare, was inexistent. The dispersal of arrowheads along the north shore of the Great Lake gives us a clear indication that Kamābarha's influence was not based only on agricultural wealth or cultural influence: some amount of force was indeed employed in the creation of its political network.
[...]
2. Kamābarha –Internal Politics
Kamābarha's political structure was the natural evolution of the typical characters of pre-formative Arhada centres, as discussed earlier. At the top of the hierarchy were the "famous", as the nobility was known, and below was everyone else. Tracing the rise to power of the "famous" clans is no easy feat, but its clear that, through generations of wealth accumulation, a set of dynamics which allowed the flourishing of a restricted group of landowners culminated in a clear class divide between this group of hereditary leaders and the manpower contributing to their wealth.
At the time of Kamābarha III it seems like four or five clans shared the spaces of the palatial district, with the number dropping to three, either through the merger of two clans or the extinguishing of the families, in the 7th century. This has been suggested by the symbolism prevalent on funerary urns found within the site, with each clan being associated with a specific symbol: in early Kamābarha III we find the tortoise, the heron, the parrot, and two variations of the burning house motif – one flanked by two pecan trees, the other standing on its own. It's unknown whether the last two represented a single clan or two separate ones. As the period progressed, however, we find that later urns are only marked with heron, parrot and burning house logograms. These three clans probably included a great deal of people, between the matriarchs, the leaders and a third class of non-inheriting clan members.
Power was seemingly based on seniority, passing from the son of the eldest matriarch, who would hold leadership within the village, to the next; his second in line – either a brother or the son of the second-senior matriarch – would act as a representative. Note how power passes from the matriarchs, and not from the men themselves: it's the eldest mother that produces the city's leader, but that does not mean that the leader is necessarily the senior nobleman.
[...]
One aspect of this system that is currently under debate is whether the wealth of the four (later three) clans was pooled together or if they maintained some additional independent wealth: it would seem like that was the case. It is now believed that the Ibosso hadân (marriage vessel) was treated as a person's independent wealth: each clan would put the wealth of their Ibosso hadân together with the other members of their clan, but separate from the common wealth of the city; non-inheriting clan members would keep theirs separate shares. All other goods – the herds, the harvest from the paddies, and items produced by the clan for the treasury – were handled communally by the Council of the matriarchs and the two male leaders: the internal leader, or "First Leader", handling issues pertaining to the administration of the city at large, and an external one, a "Second Leader", whose duties involved diplomatic journeys to client villages and the collection of payments.
A diagram of power relations in Kamābarha, for reference. I was impressed by how mobile social classes were, even within such a hierarchical society. There's an entire chapter dedicated to this:
2.b Kamābarha –Lower Classes and social mobility
Overall, two other social classes were recognised aside from the members of the famous clans; the commoners and the clanless. The commoners formed the bulk of the population: there could have been anything between one and two hundred minor clans inhabiting Kamābarha, most of which were farmers and horticulturalists, but many of whom were moving towards specific arts and crafts as the quality of life increased due to the higher level food security provided by the state. The men of this social class would be called for military duty by the leadership in times of war – when the time came to exact payment by force from a client city, for example – but all evidence points to this being a rather rare occasion. Clans mostly contributed to the palace economy, in the form of corvée labour (wherein each clan had to provide a fixed number of workers for the paddy) or the production of specialised goods. Because of this, having a clan could prove to be expensive, and when those payments could not be met, clanhood would be revoked: this gave rise to the Clanless, a more generalistic group comprised of those without the means to provide work to the palace as an organised force as well as all prisoners of war, foreigners or recent immigrants that have not yet entered the social fabric of the city. These people worked the paddies in exchange for wages, paid in the form of zizania or tobacco, and would be the first group to which the most labour intensive jobs were assigned.
That is not to say that people statically belonged to one class or other; People of a famous clan could intermarry with commoners – this was somewhat rare, as the preference was to marry within one of the other famous families or with the upper class of the other cities, both client and independent. But in times of need, when there weren't suitable partners of the same generation, the Matriarchs who regulated upper class unions, could allow a commoner to enter their group. Another means of social betterment for commoners was being chosen as a favourite at the palace: when an artist or artisan – commonly a woman, but sometimes a man as well – was considered to be highly skilled by a member of the four inner clans, they could chose to sponsor them, sacrificing personal wealth to allow them to live at the palace, where they would continue their craft for the benefit of the palace's treasury. Within the palace, Favourites were then allowed to marry and reside until their death: their children, growing with the children of the famous clans, often grew up to be considered suitable marriage partners. The Clanless had ways to climb the social ladder as well: becoming a Kabaima, a helper, for the inhabitants palace was considered to be an honourable post, the highest honour for someone without a Clan. They were similarly allowed to live and marry within the palace, and where often given some payment for their descendants at the end of their service, when they reached old age or died.
In an intermediary position the commoners and the famous where the non-inheriting children of the latter. The sons and daughters of the men of the clan were not included in the matrilineal passage of power and had to find themselves a position in society: the men were often encouraged to join the "high guard", responsible for the private property of the clan within the city, and both men and women could become "Shrine keepers", organising religious functions and overseeing the community who took care of the shrine's upkeep. These positions were open to commoners too, but Famous commoners, due to their closeness to the clan (and thus, to leadership), were preferred for this kind of position.
I was fascinated about the "Shrine Keeper" figure, but I could find very little about it. I found this on shrines, though:
5. Kamābarha – Early Tritonean shrines, the rise of an architectural typology:
Within the context of northern Arhada cities, we can see the emergence of a new building type: specialised shrines, independent of the palace district. These prove to be an evolution of the domestic type: the courtyard framing a centred, central-plan building was a clear re-elaboration of palaces; the difference however is in the proportions between the single parts. The courtyard building surrounding the shrine proper, now a mere framing device, grew narrower and shorter, while the central building acquired prominence, both in size and in height. The central structure contained one large square room where votive statuettes, offerings and precious materials were gifted from people honouring the spirits to whom the shrine was dedicated. Because early shrines were made of wood, we have little direct information regarding their appearance, for which we need to employ pictorial and sculptural sources (clay models of shrines are a common pottery item, used for votive purposes). It has been proposed that early shrines were often rebuilt as the object of devotion changed according to the needs of the city – it's believed that this rebuilding of the shrine often corresponded with the promotion of a new Shrine Keeper. Eventually, shrines would be built in more durable materials, making rebuilding less practical, but in this early stage the reconstruction of the shrine was probably a ritual occurrence.
[...]
It must be noted that shrines had their way of accumulating wealth, through the management of the offerings given by the devout: some shrines in Kamābarha had enough to surpass a number of the wealthiest non-famous Clans. Because the appointment to shrines was handled by the council of Matriarchs, however, the Famous Clans always had a way to indirectly handle those resources, through the appointment of a family member.
I copied some more drawings: one is a fascinating scheme of how temple typologies became more and more complex through the ages (though the last example is some 1000 years outside the timeline of the essay) and the other is an axonometric view of temple "E".
I will be briefer on Amadahai, skipping all the things that are shared between the two cities. There are a couple of divergences that I think shed some light on how differently the political environment of the two cities evolved.
1. Amadahai – Establishment and Growth
One key difference between Amadahai and Kamābarha was in their location: while Kamābarha was built along the coast of the Great Lake, Amadahai was founded in a strategic location at the head of the land bridge that closes off most of the small lake Thidorovôdjo from the larger Odjohivôdjo. This thin strip of land was reinforced with rows of paddies on both sides, creating a lush environment for the agricultural production of the urban centre. The warmer climate of Amadahai also provided the locals with a longer growing season, ensuring a higher production of high quality fruits and fruit products – wines, preserves, oil – that would be traded all over Tritonea and beyond. It seems that Amadahai's initial wealth was derived especially from this production and a booming trade of cosmetics in the form of spiced and perfumed oils, the large scale production of pigments such as indigo dye, ochre, and oil paint. It is worth dedicating a few words to this last product: while oil paints, as mixtures of pecan oil and pigments, had been used throughout Arhadan territory for some time (especially within the Southern Pottery School), Amadahai is the first site where the chemical analyses of archeological findings detected the use of hempseed oil – which acts as a better drying oil. Indeed, the high quality of the paintwork in pottery is one of the key feature of the Southern Pottery school, and some examples of painted pots, pipes and oil vessels are still visible today, with several exemplars being held at Newtown's Royal Museum of Horean Archaology. Tobacco was another notable export of the city and its wider political network: its climate was well suited for the cultivation of the leaf which was then carried throughout the lake system.
[...]
Amadahai also served as a centre of agricultural development, with the innovation of at least two very important crops being connected to the site of Amadahai II (contemporary with Kamābarha III). The first is Taraxacum ceratophorum, the wild Tritonean Dandelion, which the Arhada domesticated around the 5th Century, and began to select over the course of the next Centuries to obtain a series of crops we commonly eat to this day. Taraxacum was used for a number of different functions: the roots could be used to create brews, the leaves could be eaten raw, the petals could be crushed into dyes or used as aromatics.
Even more economically important was the creation of the Cattail variant Typha domestica var. lanifera, also called "Southern Cattail" or "Wooly Cattail". The fluff of wild cattails was hard to spin because of the shortness of the strands. As such, hemp-cattail blends started off as a common alternative to either of the pure fibre, softening the roughness of hemp and supplementing the scarcity of workable Typha fibre. Over the years, as cattail-flower fibre goods became more prised for their soft texture, the plant was selected for longer and sturdier fibres, larger heads and shorter stalks. The gathering of the fibre was light enough work to allow for the material to spread even thogh the cattail itself, domesticated from Typha Domingensis, required warmer climates, impeding its spread to the northern half of the Arhada territories in lake Sibozjivôro. This ensured that its cultivation would remain a southern specialty for some time, further ensuring Amadahai's commercial success.
A picture of the Wooly Cattail from the book! I had no idea it was first domesticated there, though thinking about it, it makes sense. I suppose I have to thank the people of Amadahai for the sweater I'm wearing right now. Some notes on politics, then I'll have to leave the library – the old man at the desk is giving me looks.
2. Amadahai – Internal Politics
The key differences in the political structure of early Amadahai can be easily appreciated when ne observes the power structures within its leadership class. Where Kamābarha had four or three leading clans, Amadahai maintains a stable number of six clans.
Amadahai's political diagram for reference.
Because the members of the leading families represent a greater percentage of the city's demography, the leadership of early Amadahai is thought to be less top-heavy: all mothers of the six ruling clans participated in the council and, rather than having a single elder matriarch as the head of the council – as was the case in Kamābarha –, the duties of the council were split between three members, elected by the matriarchs amongst the matriarchs.
The "Speaker" had a similar functions to the senior matriarch of Kamābarha but her role was mostly that of a representative and prima inter pares, rather than a final authority. She was flanked by two peers, equally chosen by the entire council: a "Treasure mother", who acted as a steward for the shared wealth of the clans, and a "Lore mother". The responsibilities of this final figure were perhaps the widest: amongst them was a cereful knowledge of genealogy and the history of Amadahai and all its client cities, the recording of contracts of obeisance and clientele, the approval and arrangement of marriages between members of the Famous clans, as well as the mentorship of younger women who might succeed her. While the Speaker of the council evidently held the most outwardly active role, the Lore Mother, in lieu of her deep knowledge, wisdom and powerful responsibilities, was treated with the most respect amongst the three.
If we look at the political role of men, we can see that even their division of power was more egalitarian than in Kamābarha: while we can still notice a clear division between First Leader and Second Leader, in a similar fashion to what we see in the northern city, we find that the second leader does not act independently in matters of war, being assisted instead by a war council formed of all the adult men of the clan. This speaks to Amadahai's deeper martial culture, born of a more conflictual relationship with its southern neighbours. The war council culminated in the creation of a sort of military elite – hunting and engaging in sporting culture during times of peace and commanding forces of commoners and clansless people in times of war. This is visible in the developement of specialised weapons (in Amadahai II we see the first depictions of recurve self bows in pictographs, pottery and sculpture) as well as an increase in arrowhead production dated from this period. There is current debate over whether the "Famous commoner" class could join this group, but the consensus seems to be that while they could become commanders, they did not have the rights to speak or vote in the war council proper.
[...]
While both an elite military role and priesthood were acceptable paths for famous commoners, it seems that these options were barred to all other commoners (another difference from Kamābarha). Again, this is possibly explained by the higher numbers of nobles in the city. A "lower guard", overseeing the protection of everything within the city but outside the palace was manned by commoners, whereas the "higher guard", acting as personal protectors of the Famous men and right hand men in times of war, were chosen exclusively amongst the non-inheriting relatives of the clan. The same goes for the priesthood: men and women of the clan's blood but outside the line of inheritance were invited to oversee the running of a temple: to be appointed, a "famous commoner" would require the backing of a member of one of the clans – usually via their father – and unanimous consent from all the members of the high leadership: the three matriarchs and the two leaders. These postings were diplomatically and economically sensitive: they allowed one of the clans to give an affiliated party a role within the leadership of a shrine, tapping into additional resources for the benefit of their family.
Alright, I guess that's enough research for my thesis – I'm super tired. I might still borrow this book when I can. End of note.
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2023.06.10 09:51 The1stCitizenOfTheIn Twitter Files Extra: How the World's "No-Kidding Decision Makers" Got Organized

In honor of this week’s RightsCon and 360/OS Summit, we dug into the #TwitterFiles to revisit the integration of the Atlantic Council’s anti-disinformation arm, the Digital Forensic Research Labs (DFRLabs), while also highlighting its relationship with weapons manufacturers, Big Oil, Big Tech, and others who fund the NATO-aligned think tank.
The Atlantic Council is unique among “non-governmental” organizations thanks to its lavish support from governments and the energy, finance, and weapons sectors. It’s been a key player in the development of the “anti-disinformation” sector from the beginning.
It wasn’t an accident when its DFRLabs was chosen in 2018 to help Facebook “monitor for misinformation and foreign interference,” after the platform came under intense congressional scrutiny as a supposed unwitting participant in a Russian influence campaign.
Press uniformly described DFRLabs as an independent actor that would merely “improve security,” and it was left to media watchdog FAIR to point out that the Council was and is “dead center in what former President Obama’s deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes called ‘the blob.’”
What’s “the blob”? FAIR described it as “Washington’s bipartisan foreign-policy consensus,” but thanks to the Twitter Files, we can give a more comprehensive portrait.
In the runup to the 360/OS event in that same year, 2018, Graham Brookie of the Atlantic Council boasted to Twitter executives that the attendees would include the crème de la crème of international influence, people he explained resided at the “no-kidding decision-maker level”
Similar correspondence to and from DFRLabs and Twitter outlined early efforts to bring together as partners groups that traditionally served as watchdogs of one another.
Perhaps more even than the World Economic Forum meetings at Davos or gatherings of the Aspen Institute in the US, the Atlantic Council 360/OS confabs are as expansive a portrait of the Censorship-Industrial Complex as we’ve found collected in one place.
In October 2018, DFRLab was instrumental in helping Facebook identify accounts for what became known as “the purge,” a first set of deletions of sites accused of “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”
Facebook in its announcement of these removals said it was taking steps against accounts created to “stir up political debate,” and the October 2018 “purge” indeed included the likes of Punk Rock Libertarians, Cop Block, and Right Wing News, among others. Even the progressive Reverb Press, founded by a relatively mainstream progressive named James Reader, found his site zapped after years of pouring thousands of dollars a month into Facebook marketing tools.
In the years since, DFRLab has become the central coordination node in the Censorship Industrial Complex as well as a key protagonist in the Election Integrity Partnership and the Virality Project.
Its high-profile role at RightsCon, the biggest civil society digital rights event on the calendar, should concern human rights and free expression activists.
According to their London 2019 event “360/OS brings together journalists, activists, innovators, and leaders from around the world as part of our grassroots digital solidarity movement fighting for objective truth as a foundation of democracy.”
Their Digital Sherlocks program aims to “identify, expose, and explain disinformation.”
The Twitter Files reveal DFRLabs labeled as “disinformation” content that often turned out to be correct, that they participated in disinformation campaigns and the suppression of “true” information, and that they lead the coordination of a host of actors who do the same.
Twitter Files #17 showed how DFRLabs sent Twitter more than 40,000 names of alleged BJP (India’s ruling nationalist party) accounts that they suggested be taken down.
DFRLab said it suspected these were “paid employees or possibly volunteers.” However as Racket’s Matt Taibbi noted, “the list was full of ordinary Americans, many with no connection to India and no clue about Indian politics.”
Twitter recognized there was little illegitimate about them, resulting in DFRLabs pulling the project and cutting ties with the researcher.
Twitter Files #19 further revealed DFRLab was a core partner in the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), which “came together in June of 2020 at the encouragement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA” in order to “fill the gaps legally” that government couldn’t.
As a result, there are serious questions as to whether the EIP violated the US First Amendment.
DFRLabs was also a core partner on the Virality Project, which pushed its seven Big Tech partners to censor “stories of true vaccine side-effects.”
The Stanford Internet Observatory, which led the project, is now being sued by the New Civil Liberties Alliance for its censorship of “online support groups catering to those injured by Covid vaccines.”
Debate as to the frequency of serious adverse events is ongoing, however. The German health minister put it at 1 in 10,000, while others claim it is higher.
The Virality Project sought to suppress any public safety signals at all. The Stanford Internet Observatory is also at the moment reportedly resisting a House Judiciary Committee subpoena into its activities.
TwitterFiles #20 revealed some of the Digital Forensic Lab’s 2018 360/0S events, which brought together military leaders, human rights organizations, the Huffington Post, Facebook and Twitter, Edelman (the world’s biggest PR firm), the head of the Munich Security Conference, the head of the World Economic Forum (Borge Brende) a former President, Prime Minister and CIA head, intel front BellingCat and future Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, all to combat “disinformation.” We can now reveal more.
The Atlantic Council is a NATO-aligned think tank established in 1961. Its board of directors and advisory board are a Who’s Who of corporate, intelligence and military power, including:
  • James Clapper – former Director of National Intelligence whose tenure included overseeing the NSA during the time of the Snowden leaks. Asked whether intelligence officials collect data on Americans Clapper responded “No, sir,” and, “Not wittingly.” Clapper also coordinated intelligence community activity through the early stages of Russiagate, and his office authored a key January 2017 report concluding that Russians interfered in 2016 to help Donald Trump. Clapper has been a 360/OS attendee.
  • Stephen Hadley, United States National Security Advisor from 2005 to 2009 (also a 360/OS attendee)
  • Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State who oversaw the carpet bombing of Vietnam, among other crimes against humanity
  • Pfizer CEO Anthony Bourla
  • Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder, The Blackstone Group
  • Meta’s President for Global Affairs, Nick Clegg
  • Richard Edelman, CEO of the world’s largest PR firm (and 360/OS attendee)
  • The Rt. Hon. Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Former Secretary General of NATO
  • Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, Former President of the World Bank
  • Leon Panetta, former US Secretary of Defense & CIA Director. Panetta oversaw the US’s massive growth in drone strikes.
  • John F. W. Rogers. Goldman Sachs Secretary of the Board
Chuck Hagel, chairman of the Council, sits on the board of Chevron and is also a former US Secretary of Defence.
The Atlantic Council raised $70 million in 2022, $25 million of which came from corporate interests.
Among the biggest donors were: the US Departments of Defense State, Goldman Sachs, the Rockefeller Foundation, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Google, Crescent Petroleum, Chevron, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Meta, Blackstone, Apple, BP, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Shell, Twitter, and many more.
Ukraine’s scandal-ridden energy company, Burisma, whose links to Hunter Biden were suppressed by the August 2020 table-top exercise coordinated by the Aspen Institute, also made a contribution.
You can view the full 2022 “honor roll” by clicking here.
The Atlantic Council and DFRLabs don’t hide their militarist affiliations.
This week’s OS/360 event at RightsCon Costa Rica runs together with a 360/OS at NATO’s Riga StratCom Dialogue, which DFRLab note they have “worked closely with” “since 2016.”
DFRLabs was founded in 2016, and has been a major catalyst in expanding the “anti-disinformation” industry.
Among non-governmental entities, perhaps only the Aspen Institute comes close to matching the scope, scale and funding power of DFRLabs.
DFRLabs claims to chart “the evolution of disinformation and other online and technological harms, especially as they relate to the DFRLab’s leadership role in establishing shared definitions, frameworks, and mitigation practices.”
Almost $7 million of the Atlantic Council’s $61 million spent last year went to the DRFLabs, according to their 2022 annual financial report.
Through its fellowship program, it has incubated leading figures in the “disinformation” field.
Richard Stengel, the first director of the Global Engagement Center (GEC), was a fellow.
GEC is an interagency group “within” the State Department (also a funder of the Atlantic Council), whose initial partners included the FBI, DHS, NSA, CIA, DARPA, Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and others.
GEC is now a major funder of DFRLabs and a frequent partner
In this video, Stengel says, “I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, they have to do it to their own population, and I don’t think it’s that awful.”
Stengel was true to his word, and apart from DFRLab, the GEC funded the Global Disinformation Index, which set out to demonetize conservative media outlets it claimed were “disinformation.” (See 37. in the censorship list)
He thought the now-disgraced Hamilton68 was “fantastic.” In total, GEC funded 39 organizations in 2017.
Despite Freedom of Information requests, only 3 have been made public to date.
Roughly $78 million of GEC’s initial $100 million budget outlay for fiscal year 2017 came from the Pentagon, though the budgetary burden has shifted more toward the State Department in the years since.
The Global Engagement Center was established in the last year of Barack Obama’s presidency, via a combination of an executive order and a bipartisan congressional appropriation, led by Ohio Republican Rob Portman and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy.
The GEC was and remains virtually unknown, but reporting in the Twitter Files and by outlets like the Washington Examiner have revealed it to be a significant financial and logistical supporter of “anti-disinformation” causes.
Though tasked by Obama with countering “foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests,” its money has repeatedly worked its way back in the direction of policing domestic content, with Gabe Kaminsky’s Examiner reports on the GDI providing the most graphic example.
GEC frequently sent lists of “disinformation agents to Twitter.” Yoel Roth, former head of Trust and Safety referred to one list as a “total crock.” Roth is now a member of DFRLab’s Task Force for a Trustworthy Future Web. Let’s hope he brings more trust than Stengel. You can read more on GEC’s funding here.
Other DFRLab luminaries include Simon Clark, Chairman of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (a UK “anti-disinformation” outfit that aggressively deplatforms dissidents), Ben Nimmo (previously a NATO press officer, then of Graphika (EIP and the Virality Project partners) and now Facebook’s Global Threat Intelligence Lead), and Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat.
Bellingcat has an ominous reputation, which it’s earned in numerous ways, including its funding by the National Endowment for Democracy...
Most recently, Bellingcat assisted in the arrest of the 21-year-old Pentagon leaker, further speeding up the abandonment of the Pentagon Papers Principal where the media protected, rather than persecuted, leakers.
Bellingcat was part of 360/OS backroom meetings with former intel chiefs, the head of Davos and the Munich security conference among many others, as we will see soon.
The Virality Project built on the EIP and had partnerships with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Google, TikTok and more to combat vaccine “misinformation.”
Stanford and DFRLab partnered with the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, Graphika, NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Center for Social Media and Politics, and the National Congress on Citizenship.
Through a shared Jira ticketing system they connected these Big Tech platforms together, with Graphika using sophisticated AI to surveil the online conversation at scale in order to catch “misinformation” troublemakers.
VP went far beyond any kind of misinformation remit, most infamously recommending to their Big Tech partners that they consider “true stories of vaccine side effects” as “standard misinformation on your platform.”
A Virality Project partner called the Algorithmic Transparency Initiative (a project of the National Congress on Citizenship) went further.
Their Junkipedia initiative sought to address “problematic content” via the “automated collection of data” from “closed messaging apps,” and by building a Stasi-like “civic listening corps,” which in recent years has taken on a truly sinister-sounding mission.
The current incarnation might as well be called “SnitchCorps,” as “volunteers have an opportunity to join a guided monitoring shift to actively participate in monitoring topics that disrupt communities”
Garret Graff, who oversaw the Aspen Hunter Biden table-top exercise, was chairman of that same National Congress on Citizenship when they collaborated on the Virality Project.
Both EIP and VP were led by Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory, a former CIA fellow who engineered the now disgraced New Knowledge initiative, which developed fake Russian bots to discredit a 2017 Alabama senate race candidate, as acknowledged by the Washington Post.
DFRLab are the elite of the “anti-disinformation” elite.
They work closely with a wide range of actors who have participated in actual disinformation initiatives.
Here they’re invited to an elite Twitter group set up by Nick Pickles of “anti-disinformation” luminaries First Draft, also participants in the Hunter Biden laptop tabletop, and the Alliance for Security Democracy, part of the RussiaGate Hamilton68 disinformation operation.
The 360/OS event marries this tarnished record with the financial, political, military, NGO, academic and intelligence elite. Some of this is visible through publicly available materials.
Twitter Files however reveal the behind the scenes, including closed door, off-the-record meetings.
“I’ve just arrived in Kyiv” Brookie notes in 2017, as he seeks to line up a meeting with Public Policy Director Nick Pickles as they discuss Twitter providing a USD $150K contribution to OS/360 (seemingly secured), and to garner high level Twitter participation.
Pickles is visiting DC and Brookie suggests he also meet with the GEC and former FBI agent Clint Watts of Hamilton 68 renown. “Happy to make those connections,” he chimes.
360/OS events are elite and expensive — $1 million according to Brookie — so closer collaboration with Twitter, especially in the form of funding, is a high priority.
Twitter offers $150,000
When Brookie mentions the attendees at the “no-kidding decision maker level” he isn’t kidding.
Parallel to the 360/OS public program is the much more important off-the-record meeting of “decision makers ranging from the C-Suite to the Situation Room.”
Here, he is explicit about a convening of military and financial power.
Vanguard 25 is presented as a way to “create a discreet and honest way to close the information gap on challenges like disinformation between key decision makers from government, tech, and media.”
The document boasts of its high-level participants
More are revealed in email exchanges, including Madeleine Albright and the head of the WEF
They go on to list a bizarre mishmash of media leaders, intelligence officials, and current or former heads of state
...Germany’s Angela Merkel was out of reach in the end, but many of the others attended this behind the scenes meeting on “disinformation.” Who are they?
  • Matthias Dopfner – CEO and 22% owner of German media empire Axel Springer SE, the biggest media publishing firm in Europe
  • Borge Brende – head of the World Economic Forum and former Norwegian foreign minister
  • Toomas Hendrick Ilves – former President of Estonia who co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Blockchain Technology. Hendrick is also a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (where the Stanford Internet Observatory is housed) and is on the advisory council of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, of Hamilton 68 renown.
  • Chris Sacca – billionaire venture capitalist
  • Mounir Mahjoubi – previously Digital Manager for President Macron’s presidential campaign, and former Chairman of the French Digital Council
  • Reid Hoffman – billionaire and Linkedin co-founder
  • Ev Williams – Former CEO of Twitter and on the Twitter board at the time
  • Kara Swisher – New York Times opinion writer, who founded Vox Media Recode
  • Wolfgang Ischinger - Head of the Munich Security Conference
  • Aleksander Kwasniewski – Former President of Poland. Led Poland into NATO and the EU.
  • Richard Edelman – CEO of the largest PR company in the world
  • Elliot Shrage – previously Vice-President of Public Policy at Facebook (DFRLab had election integrity projects with Facebook)
  • Lydia Polgreen – Huffington Post Editor in Chief
  • Jim Clapper –former US Director of National Intelligence
  • Maria Ressa – co-founder of Rappler and soon to be winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Why would such a group all gather specifically around the question of “disinformation”?
Is disinformation truly at such a level that it requires bringing together the world’s most popular author with military and intelligence leaders, the world’s biggest PR company, journalists, billionaires, Big Tech and more?
Or is this work to build the case that there is a disinformation crisis, to then justify the creation of a massive infrastructure for censorship? A glimpse of the agenda offers clues
Here the head of the most important military and intelligence conference in the world (Munich) sits down in a closed door meeting with a former Secretary of State and the Executive Vice-Chair of the Atlantic Council.
Which is followed by a closed door session with the Editor-in Chief of the ...Huffington Post and peace-maker Maria Ressa who presented to the same group of military, intelligence, corporate and other elites.
Is the role of a journalist and Nobel laureate to work behind closed doors with militarists and billionaires, or to hold them to account?
At 2022’s OS/360 at RightsCon Ressa conducted a softball interview on disinformation with current US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
In testimony last April 2023, former CIA deputy director Michael Morrell stated that Blinken “set in motion the events that led to the issuance of the public statement” by more than 50 former intelligence officials that the Hunter Biden laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russia information operation.”
The Twitter Files also revealed that in August 2020 the Aspen Institute organized a table-top exercise to practice how best to respond to a “hack and leak” of a Hunter Biden laptop.
The laptop only came to light however two months later.
In attendance was First Draft (now the Information Futures Lab), the New York Times, Washington Post, Rolling Stone, CNN, Yahoo! News, Facebook, Twitter and more.
Here, DFRLab head Graham Brookie speaks with the Aspen Institute’s Garret Graff, who coordinated the Hunter Biden tabletop exercise.
After it turned out the Hunter Biden laptop was real, and the disinformation operation was more appropriately described as having been led by the likes of Blinken and the Aspen Institute.
The appropriate response is apparently for RightsCon, DFRLab, Blinken and Ressa to put on a nice forum to promote these figures as “anti-disinformation” leaders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8YTPuTC9xs
Former DFRLab fellow and intel front Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins is also invited to the closed door sessions with a former head of the CIA, a former Prime Minister and a President.
How do you keep power accountable when you are in the same cozy club? This theme runs throughout.
Bellingcat is featured heavily at the public sessions also
On the public side, we see Amnesty International participating to further collapse the distinction between those who are meant to hold power to account, and the powerful themselves.
The Iraq war gave us embedded journalists, and the “anti-disinformation” field gives us embedded digital rights activists.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Chris Krebs also joined the closed door session.
Krebs was Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder.
Other members included Prince Harry, the Virality Project’s Alex Stamos (Stanford Internet Observatory) and Kate Starbird (University of Washington and previous 360/OS participant), Katie Couric, and more. Craig Newmark attended as an observer.
Meanwhile Renee DiResta, former CIA fellow and Stanford Internet Observatory Research Director, presented with the former Prime Minister of Sweden.
This was years before she would launch the Virality Project, and take on the bugbear of “true stories of vaccine side effects.”
The President of the Atlantic Council participated in an “off-the-record, “ behind closed doors conversation on “trust” with the CEO of the world’s biggest PR firm, Edelman.
“Public relations” and “trust” may well be opposites, and trust is being destroyed not by the disinformation street crime that these groups claim to target, but by the disinformation corporate crime protected by, or in some cases created by these same people.
Disinformation is real, but its biggest purveyors are governments and powerful corporate interests.
DFRLab and RightsCon show just how far the capture of civil society by elite interests has come. Again, I made a mistake helping to co-organize RightsCon in 2015.
The jumping in bed with the government and Big Tech was arguably there in 2015, though to a much lesser degree.
It now partners with militarists in the form of the Atlantic Council and is an enabler of the “disinformation” grift that is so deeply impacting freedom of speech and expression.
The air-gaps that should separate civil society, media, military, billionaires, intelligence and government have collapsed, and many of these actors have formed a new alliance to advance their shared interests.
If weapons manufacturers funding human rights is considered legitimate then where is the red line? Effectively, there is none.
This collapse however has also been pushed by funders, who have been proactive in asking NGOs to collaborate more with Big Tech and government - something I successfully resisted for my almost 18 years at EngageMedia, critically RightsCon was the only time I let my guard down.
The RightsCon sponsor matrix wouldn’t be out of place at NASCAR
This is the equivalent of hosting a Climate Change conference sponsored by Shell, BP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil.
How do you keep power accountable when Big Tech pays your wage? The “let’s all work together” approach has failed.
The weakest partner, civil society, got captured and we lost.
Many more lost their way and have acquiesced to and often enabled much of the new censorship regime.
https://www.racket.news/p/twitter-files-extra-how-the-worlds
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2023.06.10 05:44 JRLee62 EMBRACING THE OUTCAST: understanding homelessness ~ a new TJL episode

EMBRACING THE OUTCAST: understanding homelessness ~ a new TJL episode
https://preview.redd.it/jqpdtyzn345b1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e97cf096bb6c8189887ce9487dca2842c4ca078c
LISTEN: https://thisjungianlife.com/homelessness/
Homelessness is more than physical displacement. It constellates from numerous inner and outer factors driven by the ‘Outcast’ archetype.
Homeless symbolizes a state of disconnection, both externally and internally. It is a complex interplay between unconscious, personal experiences, and societal forces. Resolving displacement involves restoring a sense of security, belonging, and acceptance in the outer world and oneself.
It transcends the absence of physical shelter and ventures into spiritual and emotional displacement. It mirrors the alienation and dislocation experienced in a rapidly evolving society, where individuals feel lost amidst the tumultuous tides of change. In this symbolic dispossession, we recognize our collective vulnerability and insecurity. Homelessness is not a homogeneous phenomenon. It ranges from temporarily unsheltered individuals between jobs or homes to chronically unhoused individuals who spend years or decades without stable housing. The psychological implications differ substantially across these spectrums and demand a nuanced understanding.
historic conditions
Most ancient societies operated on cooperative principles where the group cared for its members. Nomadic tribes roamed the landscape, not homeless but home-full. Their home was not a fixed location but wherever they found themselves. Ancient Rome offers our first glimpse of something akin to contemporary homelessness. Strangers, outsiders, and those without family or patrons could find themselves without a place to live.
Fast forward to the Middle Ages. Urban development created a scenario where people could be ‘homeless.’ This issue was exacerbated during plague and war, driving people from rural areas to cities. Feudal lords and landowners cast off serfs who couldn’t work due to illness or injury. This issue persisted throughout the Renaissance and into the Industrial Revolution, where city overcrowding and poor working conditions made houselessness rampant.
Major socio-economic shifts occurred in the 20th century. The Great Depression led to widespread homelessness in many parts of the world. Shanty towns, or ‘Hoovervilles,’ in the United States became symbols of economic despair. Following World War II, governments worldwide focused on providing housing for citizens. However, economic disparities, mental health issues, and substance abuse contributed to persistent problems.
Looking at the postmodern era, we see homelessness as a systemic and complex issue. Economic downturns, like the 2008 financial crisis and the global COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated housing insecurity. Wealth inequality, lack of affordable housing, and inadequate social safety nets often drive people to the streets. Moreover, social stigmatization makes reintegration into society difficult for those experiencing unhoused.
psychosocial influences
Homelessness remains a persistent issue in many societies due to various political factors. Sky-rocking prices, property zoning, and development regulations contribute to the lack of affordable housing. The lack of robust social welfare systems exacerbates the problem. For many, the loss of a job or a major health crisis puts housing at risk. The criminalization of small amounts of marijuana led to vicious cycles of unemployability, poverty, and eviction for individuals and families who relied on two incomes.
Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and significant depression frequently coexist with homelessness. These conditions hinder job stability and social relationships, exacerbating the risk of homelessness. Stigma and lack of accessible mental health services create formidable barriers to treatment.
Drugs and alcohol often serve as coping mechanisms for trauma, poverty, or mental health disorders. This reliance can lead to addiction, further impairing an individual’s capacity to maintain stable housing. Resources for substance abuse treatment remain inadequate, perpetuating the cycle.
Family conflicts and domestic violence frequently precede homelessness. Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse can make staying home untenable, especially for youth and women. These individuals often carry the burden of trauma and instability, heightening their vulnerability to loss of housing.
Institutional failures exacerbate the crisis. Foster care systems often fail to prepare youth for independence. These young people may face the harsh reality of limited resources and skills upon aging out, pushing them to the streets.
Social isolation aggravates the problem. Support networks provide emotional and financial assistance during crises. Homelessness often results when these networks fray or disintegrate. Society’s stigmatization of unhomed individuals further alienates them, eroding potential sources of support.
Structural inequalities amplify this issue. Systemic racism, gender discrimination, and lack of educational opportunities lead to economic instability. Marginalized groups often find themselves disproportionately impacted. A cycle of poverty persists, leaving many without a safety net in times of crisis.
psychodynamic features
Underneath homelessness lies a myriad of psychological and emotional experiences. Often, unresolved traumas serve as precursors. A childhood marked by neglect, abuse, or severe disruption can skew perceptions of self, others, and the world. Such traumas can disrupt an individual’s ability to maintain stable relationships or employment, leading to a transient existence.
Defense mechanisms also play a significant role. These unconscious strategies manage internal conflicts and external stresses. Some might turn to substance misuse as a form of avoidance or self-soothing, exacerbating their instability and driving them toward homelessness.
Mental health challenges often intersect with homelessness. Conditions like depression, anxiety, and personality disorders can both stem from and contribute to unstable housing situations. Individuals experiencing these conditions might struggle to hold a job, maintain relationships, or seek assistance. Mental health challenges often complicate the pathway out of homelessness, as the support needed can be difficult to access or unavailable.
Internalized societal stigma also perpetuates homelessness. The marginalized status of transiency individuals can lead to feelings of worthlessness and despair. They may internalize this negative perception, leading to a cycle of self-defeating behaviors and thoughts. This self-stigma can significantly impact an individual’s motivation to seek and accept help, depriving them of housing.
Unresolved grief and loss also hold prominence. Homelessness is frequently linked to loss, not only of material possessions but also of relationships, safety, health, and dignity. Individuals may experience a form of complicated grief, intensifying feelings of hopelessness and exacerbating mental health challenges.
Lastly, we must consider the role of interpersonal relationships. For people who have experienced repeated relational trauma, trust in others diminishes. They may push away supportive individuals or services, choosing solitude over potential emotional harm.
Understanding these psychodynamic factors helps us empathize with the psychological realities underlying homelessness. In acknowledging these elements, we can shape interventions that address the material needs and the mental and emotional turmoil experienced by those struggling with displacement.
archetypal dynamics
The archetype of the Outcast challenges our notions of belonging and security. It's stark vulnerability and social marginalization confront us with despair and isolation. The homeless person becomes a symbol of our collective fears and anxieties. In their presence, we are reminded of the fragile nature of our social fabric.
As we encounter the Outcast, we are forced to grapple with questions of identity and purpose as we witness the struggle for survival in its rawest form. Homeless persons become a mirror reflecting our vulnerabilities and insecurities. Dismissed and overlooked, we turn a blind eye to their suffering, distancing ourselves from their plight. Yet, deep down, we recognize our interconnectedness and the inherent injustice of their predicament. We cannot truly be at peace while others suffer.
The Outcast compels us to confront our own biases and prejudices. It challenges us to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, regardless of their circumstances. Each unhoused person carries a story, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, reminding us of our shared capacity for strength and adaptability. They embody potential even in the most adverse circumstances.
Yet, the Outcast is not inherently negative. There exists a transformative potential within it. Traditionally, they possess wisdom derived from their harsh experiences. They serve as mirrors, reflecting societal inequities back to us. From this standpoint, we might consider the homeless as victims of societal failures and individuals capable of imparting profound insights.
Resilience thrives even in the most challenging situations. We see stories of individuals overcoming indigence, inspiring us to strive for change. Each of us plays a part in this societal tapestry. A collective push toward empathy, understanding, and action can create a transformative impact on homelessness. The modern reality of displacement calls us to confront these issues head-on, and together, we can redefine this reality for a more equitable future.
HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:
“I was at my younger sister’s house, and she woke me up in the middle of the night crying and crying. Her face was completely contorted with agony, but I had my earplugs in, so I couldn’t hear her say what was wrong. Then my mom came in too, and she was crying. I took the earplugs out, but I still couldn’t hear anything or understand them to know what was wrong; everything was still muffled. It was absolutely heartbreaking not to be able to understand them or comfort them in their immense grief.”
BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER: We’ve created Dream School to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you’ll love it. Check it out: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/
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LISTEN: https://thisjungianlife.com/homelessness/
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2023.06.10 01:46 TransparentKnives 2.75" Spiro Shamwari, 190 spots @ $10 each

Spots@$Price 190 spots $10 each
Total Price: $1900
Make and Model: 2.75" Spiro Shamwari
Timestamp and Pics: https://imgur.com/a/DC5kd0p
Price Justification: https://imgur.com/a/f7nXlS9 Initially raffled for $2000, this guy's sold for $1950 recently. Mine has a small scuff as pictured near the plunge line on the grind though.
Escrow: No
Description: PLEASE BE THOROUGH. EXPLICITLY STATE ALL ISSUES : Got this on raffle, only issue I can find is a small scuff near plunge line on grind. Has to be looked at in light at an angle to see. It's a 2.75" spiro sham (titanium) drop point blade shape. Not used, carried, or sharpened since I got it. Only getting rid of it because I got the EXACT same thing at Blade Show after sleeping in line for a Cheka blade shape, but guy in front of me in line got the last Cheka so I got ANOTHER drop point. If you have a cheka you'd like to trade for my other drop point please hit me up :/
International shipping: Proxy only

PayPal Info: [REDACTED]
​
Tip BlobAndHisBoy
Number of vacant slots: 0
Number of unpaid users: 0
Number of unpaid slots: 0
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84 Voodoo6two6 PAID
85 EDCdragonfly PAID
86 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
87 142walterwhitewalker PAID
88 claaark PAID
89 FriendshipKnown2564 PAID
90 chicken-wings99 PAID
91 SurpriseUnhappy2706 PAID
92 deadheadz1 PAID
93 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
94 FriendshipKnown2564 PAID
95 VaderD17 PAID
96 watchurknaf PAID
97 ptanks15 PAID
98 ptanks15 PAID
99 sdorn77 PAID
100 jay3011 PAID
101 jay3011 PAID
102 claaark PAID
103 thaaatguy PAID
104 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
105 142walterwhitewalker PAID
106 FriendshipKnown2564 PAID
107 threadrev PAID
108 trippical PAID
109 deadheadz1 PAID
110 jay3011 PAID
111 claaark PAID
112 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
113 Gboogie3 PAID
114 deadheadz1 PAID
115 ILostTime PAID
116 threadrev PAID
117 Jimmy_Jig PAID
118 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
119 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
120 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
121 thaaatguy PAID
122 threadrev PAID
123 claaark PAID
124 threadrev PAID
125 ptanks15 PAID
126 czarslayer PAID
127 ptanks15 PAID
128 trippical PAID
129 deadheadz1 PAID
130 VaderD17 PAID
131 deadheadz1 PAID
132 VaderD17 PAID
133 ptanks15 PAID
134 EDCdragonfly PAID
135 EDCdragonfly PAID
136 142walterwhitewalker PAID
137 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
138 threadrev PAID
139 142walterwhitewalker PAID
140 threadrev PAID
141 williehodges PAID
142 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
143 142walterwhitewalker PAID
144 deadheadz1 PAID
145 claaark PAID
146 claaark PAID
147 Voodoo6two6 PAID
148 ILostTime PAID
149 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
150 deadheadz1 PAID
151 jay3011 PAID
152 deadheadz1 PAID
153 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID
154 142walterwhitewalker PAID
155 142walterwhitewalker PAID
156 sdorn77 PAID
157 ptanks15 PAID
158 sdorn77 PAID
159 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
160 threadrev PAID
161 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
162 czarslayer PAID
163 Ivankasbuttplug PAID
164 ptanks15 PAID
165 deadheadz1 PAID
166 ptanks15 PAID
167 chicken-wings99 PAID
168 czarslayer PAID
169 142walterwhitewalker PAID
170 czarslayer PAID
171 VaderD17 PAID
172 czarslayer PAID
173 sdorn77 PAID
174 ptanks15 PAID
175 142walterwhitewalker PAID
176 ptanks15 PAID
177 VaderD17 PAID
178 claaark PAID
179 ptanks15 PAID
180 ptanks15 PAID
181 chicken-wings99 PAID
182 deadheadz1 PAID
183 wjinak PAID
184 thaaatguy PAID
185 sdorn77 PAID
186 thaaatguy PAID
187 thaaatguy PAID
188 Maeil PAID
189 142walterwhitewalker PAID
190 Dense_Elephant_699 PAID

submitted by TransparentKnives to KnifeRaffle [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 01:09 lbabinz [Amazon] Weekly Video Game Price Drops (June 2 - 9)

Item Price MSRP % Off History*
Air Missions: Hind - Nintendo Switch $44.99 $45 0% off Lowest price $42.5 on 2023-2-20
Airoheart - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $42.49 $45 5% off New Lowest
Aksys Games Under Night In-birth Exe: Late [cl-r] Collector's Edition Ps4 $67.98 $80 15% off Lowest price $55.62 on 2021-3-11
Aksys Games Under Night In-birth Exe: Late [cl-r] Nintendo Switch $51.03 $55 7% off Lowest price $41.53 on 2021-7-11
Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $24.36 $60 59% off New Lowest
Alice Gear Aegis Cs: Concerto Of Simulatrix - Nintendo Switch $46.74 $50 6% off Lowest price $41.57 on 2023-5-16
Amd Ryzen 9 7900x3d 12-core, 24-thread Desktop Processor $724.00 $750 3% off Lowest price $707.99 on 2023-5-12
Anno 1800 Console Edition - Xbox Series X $39.99 $45 11% off New Lowest
Art Of Rally Collector's Edition - Playstation 4 $68.39 $90 24% off New Lowest
Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection - Nintendo Switch $29.99 $50 40% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-11-28
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - Nintendo Switch $39.99 $45 11% off Matches low
Autonauts - Playstation 4 $31.61 $35 9% off Lowest price $17 on 2023-5-1
Back 4 Blood Ultimate Edition - Playstation 5 $19.99 $122 83% off New Lowest
Bassmaster Fishing 2022 Super Deluxe Edition - Nintendo Switch $34.93 $45 22% off Lowest price $29.95 on 2022-12-1
Bayonetta™ 3 - Standard Edition $54.99 $60 8% off Lowest price $49.99 on 2023-4-5
Beyond A Steel Sky - Nintendo Switch $23.89 $30 20% off Lowest price $20.66 on 2023-4-5
Biomutant Atomic Edition - Xbox One $287.99 $365 21% off Lowest price $107.91 on 2023-1-19
Blade Assault - Nintendo Switch $39.77 $40 0% off New Lowest
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans 2 $39.65 $40 0% off New Lowest
Burnout Paradise Remastered Nintendo Switch Games And Software $24.97 $40 37% off New Lowest
Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - Playstation 4 $67.20 $85 20% off New Lowest
Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $71.16 $85 16% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2022-11-24
Charade Maniacs Nintendo Switch $64.99 $65 0% off Matches low
Chorus Xbox $21.50 $30 28% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-9-27
Clash: Artifact Of Chaos - Zeno Edition (ps4) $35.18 $45 21% off New Lowest
Clive N Wrench Collectors Edition Playstation 5 $79.04 $80 1% off Matches low
Cobra Kai 2 Dojos Rising - Playstation 5 $31.12 $45 30% off Lowest price $29.96 on 2022-11-29
Colors Live Nintendo Switch $59.22 $80 25% off Lowest price $34.95 on 2022-11-28
Commandos 2 & 3 Hd Remaster Double Pack - Xbox One $44.94 $45 0% off Lowest price $31.43 on 2023-4-17
Crypt Of The Necrodancer Collectors Edition - Playstation 4 $34.29 $60 42% off Lowest price $22.96 on 2022-6-1
Cuddly Forest Friends Nintendo Switch $47.05 $50 5% off Lowest price $43.9 on 2023-5-16
Curse Of The Sea Rats - Nintendo Switch $49.15 $50 1% off Lowest price $42.22 on 2023-5-17
Cyberpunk 2077 - Xbox One $27.83 $30 7% off Lowest price $19.96 on 2022-8-19
Date A Live: Rio-reincarnation - Playstation 4 $35.23 $50 29% off Lowest price $24.99 on 2020-6-18
Days Gone - Playstation 4 $29.99 $30 0% off Lowest price $9.99 on 2023-2-17
Death Stranding Director’s Cut - Playstation 5 $29.99 $50 40% off Lowest price $29.95 on 2022-11-17
Deathloop - Playstation 5 $12.78 $75 82% off New Lowest
Deathloop - Playstation 5 - Deluxe Edition $87.89 $105 16% off Lowest price $39.09 on 2023-5-11
Deeeer Simulator: Your Average Everyday Deer Game - Playstation 4 $33.99 $35 2% off New Lowest
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles - Nintendo Switch $75.06 $80 6% off Lowest price $49.96 on 2022-11-29
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles - Playstation 5 $45.36 $50 9% off Lowest price $39.96 on 2022-12-11
Disciples Liberation Xbox $60.57 $70 13% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2023-4-12
Dodgeball Academia - Nintendo Switch $26.86 $43 37% off Lowest price $25.95 on 2022-12-3
Doom Eternal - Playstation 4 $26.55 $75 64% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-4-16
Doom Eternal - Xbox One $8.02 $60 86% off New Lowest
Doom Slayers Collection - Nintendo Switch $44.99 $50 10% off Lowest price $42.2 on 2022-2-14
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero - Blu-ray + Dvd $29.36 $30 2% off Lowest price $26.28 on 2023-4-17
Dragon Ball: The Breakers Special Edition - Xbox One $12.91 $35 63% off New Lowest
Dying Light 2 - Playstation 4 $39.99 $50 20% off Matches low
Ea Sports Pga Tour Playstation 5 $59.99 $85 29% off Matches low
Ea Sports Pga Tour Xbox Series X $59.99 $85 29% off Matches low
Electronic Arts Battlefield V Playstation 4 - Standard Edition $30.21 $50 39% off Lowest price $9.97 on 2021-11-27
Elex 2 Collectors Edition -playstation 4 $96.15 $130 26% off Lowest price $75.14 on 2023-5-4
F.i.s.t. Forged In Shadow Torch Day 1 Edition - Playstation 5 $44.95 $45 0% off Lowest price $39.6 on 2023-5-22
Far Cry 5 (bilingual) - Playstation 4 - Standard Edition $24.50 $30 18% off Lowest price $19.95 on 2020-12-1
Far Cry 6 - Playstation 4 $19.96 $80 75% off New Lowest
Far Cry 6 - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $19.96 $80 75% off New Lowest
Final Fantasy Vii Remake Intergrade - Playstation 4 $28.98 $70 58% off Lowest price $27.94 on 2022-7-13
Final Fantasy Xii The Zodiac Age - Nintendo Switch $40.00 $40 0% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2020-12-30
Foreclosed - 13200 Xbox Series X Games And Software $33.65 $35 3% off Lowest price $14.12 on 2023-5-13
Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition - Xbox One $24.97 $40 37% off Lowest price $24.95 on 2021-12-17
Garfield Lasagna Party - Playstation 4 $44.91 $45 0% off Lowest price $42.5 on 2023-3-6
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed - Playstation 4 $29.99 $45 33% off Matches low
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed - Playstation 5 $29.99 $45 33% off New Lowest
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Collector's Edition Playstation 4 $57.43 $85 32% off New Lowest
Ghostwire: Tokyo - Playstation 5 $25.93 $50 48% off New Lowest
Godfall: Deluxe Edition - Playstation 5 $79.17 $80 1% off Lowest price $29.96 on 2021-12-16
Grand Theft Auto V - Playstation 5 $29.99 $45 33% off Lowest price $13.99 on 2022-10-21
Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox Series X $29.99 $45 33% off Lowest price $13.99 on 2022-10-21
Halo Infinite - Xbox Standard Edition $19.99 $77 74% off New Lowest
Hidden Objects Collection Nintendo Switch Games And Software $41.24 $60 31% off Lowest price $29 on 2022-12-15
Hitman 3 - 13200 Xbox Series X Games And Software $70.11 $80 12% off New Lowest
Hori Nintendo Switch Playstand, Pokémon Black And Gold Pikachu - Nintendo Switch Accessories $22.28 $24 7% off Lowest price $17.06 on 2022-2-26
Hori Nintendo Switch Split Pad Pro (blue) Ergonomic Controller For Handheld Mode By Hori, Officially Licensed By Nintendo - Nintendo Switch Accessories - Midnight Blue Edition $68.90 $70 1% off Lowest price $56 on 2022-8-22
Hori Nintendo Switch Split Pad Pro (pokemon Legends: Arceus) Ergonomic Controller For Handheld Mode - Officially Licensed By Nintendo & Pokemon Company International -nintendo Switch Accessories $76.48 $80 4% off Lowest price $57.95 on 2022-12-3
Hotline Miami Collection - Nintendo Switch $27.97 $37 24% off Lowest price $23.37 on 2022-9-21
Human Fall Flat Dream Collection Playstation 4 $39.99 $40 0% off New Lowest
Human Fall Flat Dream Collection Playstation 5 $39.99 $40 0% off New Lowest
Isonzo Deluxe Edition - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $42.29 $45 6% off Lowest price $42.2 on 2023-4-24
James Pond Codename Robocod Nintendo Switch Games And Software $14.84 $20 25% off Lowest price $9.6 on 2020-11-2
Just Dance 2022 - Playstation 5 Edition $9.99 $55 81% off Matches low
Just Dance 2023 Edition - Playstation 5 (code In Box) $39.99 $75 46% off Lowest price $29.99 on 2023-4-29
Just Dance 2023 Edition - Xbox Series X (code In Box) $39.99 $75 46% off Matches low
Killer Queen Black Nintendo Switch Games And Software $27.76 $45 38% off Lowest price $18.8 on 2020-11-30
Kingdom Hearts Melody Of Memory - Nintendo Switch Games And Software $41.78 $75 44% off Lowest price $24.99 on 2022-3-25
Lake - Playstation 5 $27.46 $35 21% off Lowest price $25.64 on 2022-7-26
Lego Brawls - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $20.21 $50 59% off New Lowest
Lemon Cake - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $23.45 $35 33% off Lowest price $21.19 on 2023-3-23
Lets Build A Zoo - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $39.60 $40 0% off Lowest price $33.33 on 2023-3-8
Lg 27gp850-b Ultragear Gaming Monitor 27” Qhd (2560 X 1440) Nano Ips Display, 1ms Response Tim, 165hz Refresh Rate, Nvidia G-sync Compatible, Amd Freesync Premium, Tilt/height/pivot Adjustable Stand $449.99 $450 0% off Lowest price $449 on 2021-6-23
Life In Willowdale Farm Adventures - Nintendo Switch $39.99 $45 11% off New Lowest
Lost Judgment - Playstation 5 $61.16 $70 12% off Lowest price $17.99 on 2022-12-12
Mad Rat Dead - Playstation 4 $41.93 $55 23% off Lowest price $37.07 on 2022-7-29
Maneater Apex Edition - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $23.32 $25 6% off Lowest price $19.3 on 2023-4-24
Mario Golf: Super Rush - Nintendo Switch Games And Software - Super Rush Edition $76.26 $78 2% off Lowest price $54.99 on 2023-3-10
Marvel's Midnight Suns Legendary Edition - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $49.95 $115 56% off New Lowest
Marvel's Spider-man: Miles Morales The Art Of The Game $46.06 $50 7% off Lowest price $33.43 on 2021-9-21
Maximum Games Kingdom Majestic Playstation 4 $16.08 $50 67% off New Lowest
Maximum Games Street Power Soccer Switch $26.54 $45 41% off New Lowest
Meta Quest 2 — Advanced All-in-one Virtual Reality Headset — 256 Gb $489.99 $580 15% off New Lowest
[Monopoly Plus + Monopoly Madness - Playstation 4 Playstation 5](https://amzn.to/3HRpwn0) $29.99 $30 0% off
Msi Gaming Geforce Rtx 3060 12gb 15 Gbps Gdrr6 192-bit Hdmi/dp Pcie 4 Torx Twin Fan Ampere Oc Graphics Card (rtx 3060 Ventus 2x 12g Oc) $394.99 $400 1% off New Lowest
My Fantastic Ranch - Playstation 5 $21.24 $45 52% off New Lowest
My Universe: Cooking Star Restaurant - Playstation 4 $43.45 $50 13% off Lowest price $33.42 on 2021-5-20
Nba 2k19 For Playstation 4 $40.36 $50 19% off Lowest price $10.72 on 2020-11-25
Nba 2k23 Michael Jordan Edition - Xbox One $95.94 $115 16% off Lowest price $59.99 on 2022-11-18
New Joe And Mac Caveman Ninja T-rex Edition (ps4) $42.29 $45 6% off Lowest price $40 on 2023-5-22
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 Slime Speedway - Nintendo Switch $27.61 $45 38% off Lowest price $25.8 on 2023-4-3
No Man's Sky - Nintendo Switch $54.99 $75 26% off Lowest price $49.99 on 2023-1-7
No Man's Sky - Playstation 5 $54.99 $75 26% off Lowest price $39.95 on 2022-11-20
Peppa Pig World Adventures Playstation 4 $39.98 $45 11% off Matches low
Persona 5 Royal: Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch $68.86 $75 8% off Lowest price $39.96 on 2022-11-21
Pga Tour 2k23 - Xbox One $29.99 $75 60% off Matches low
Playstation Psvr Marvel's Iron Man $14.99 $30 50% off Lowest price $14.95 on 2021-11-18
Potion Permit - Playstation 4 $42.43 $45 5% off New Lowest
Powera Controller Charging Base For Nintendo Switch $29.99 $35 14% off Matches low
Powera Enhanced Wired Controller For Nintendo Switch - Battle-ready Link, Gamepad, Game Controller, Wired Controller, Officially Licensed $34.71 $35 0% off Lowest price $33.99 on 2023-3-21
Powera Enhanced Wired Controller For Nintendo Switch - Bob-omb Blast, Gamepad, Game Controller, Wired Controller, Officially Licensed $34.15 $35 2% off Lowest price $29.99 on 2023-4-25
Powera Enhanced Wired Controller For Nintendo Switch - Pikachu Blush $29.96 $35 14% off Lowest price $24.2 on 2022-9-2
Powera Folio Case For Nintendo Switch Or Nintendo Switch Lite - Nintendo Switch Accessories $32.99 $35 5% off Lowest price $11.92 on 2021-7-23
Powera Moga Xp5-x Plus Bluetooth Controller For Mobile & Cloud Gaming On Android/pc - Nintendo Switch Accessories $70.54 $80 11% off Lowest price $62.41 on 2021-4-17
Powera Protection Case For Nintendo Switch - Oled Model, Nintendo Switch Or Nintendo Switch Lite - Quantum Crash $21.06 $25 15% off Lowest price $19.37 on 2023-1-8
Powera Protection Case For Nintendo Switch Or Nintendo Switch Lite - Animal Crossing: Nook Inc, Protective Case, Gaming Case, Console Case, Carry Case $22.84 $25 8% off Lowest price $13.9 on 2022-3-19
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2: Launch Edition - Xbox Series X $34.94 $35 0% off Lowest price $19.59 on 2022-9-4
Rabbids: Party Of Legends - Playstation 4 $29.99 $45 33% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-11-28
Rabbids: Party Of Legends - Xbox One $29.99 $30 0% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-11-28
Rainbow High Runway Rush Nintendo Switch $49.99 $50 0% off New Lowest
Rainbow High Runway Rush Playstation 4 $49.99 $50 0% off New Lowest
Rainbow High Runway Rush Xbox Series X $49.99 $50 0% off New Lowest
Razer Limited Edition Captain America Wireless Controller & Quick Charging Stand Bundle For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One: Impulse Triggers - Textured Grips - 12hr Battery Life - Magnetic Secure Charging $118.61 $150 20% off New Lowest
Razer Quick Charging Stand For Playstation 5: Quick Charge - Curved Cradle Design - Matches Ps5 Dualsense Wireless Controller - One-handed Navigation - Usb Powered - Black (controller Sold Separately) $39.99 $40 0% off Lowest price $34.99 on 2022-7-12
Razer Quick Charging Stand For Playstation 5: Quick Charge - Curved Cradle Design - Matches Ps5 Dualsense Wireless Controller - One-handed Navigation - Usb Powered - Red (controller Sold Separately) $39.99 $40 0% off Lowest price $34.99 on 2022-7-12
Razer Quick Charging Stand For Playstation 5: Quick Charge - Curved Cradle Design - Matches Ps5 Dualsense Wireless Controller - One-handed Navigation - Usb Powered - White (controller Sold Separately) $39.99 $40 0% off Lowest price $34.99 on 2022-7-12
Record Of Agarest War Standard Edition Nintendo Switch $47.84 $50 4% off New Lowest
Resident Evil 2 - Playstation 4 $36.99 $60 38% off Lowest price $27.29 on 2022-6-24
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Document File $34.00 $38 10% off Lowest price $23.13 on 2021-6-27
Riders Republic - Playstation 4 $29.99 $40 25% off Lowest price $24.99 on 2022-11-18
Riders Republic - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $29.99 $40 25% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2022-11-28
Rock Of Ages 3: Make & Break Switch By Modus $21.36 $45 52% off Lowest price $20.81 on 2021-10-29
Saint Kotar - Nintendo Switch $28.03 $40 29% off New Lowest
Samsung 980 Pro Ssd 1tb - M.2 Nvme Interface Internal Solid State Drive With V-nand Technology (mz-v8p1t0b/am) $109.99 $230 52% off New Lowest
Sandisk 64gb Microsdxc Card Licensed For Nintendo Switch, Yoshi Edition - Sdsqxao-064g-gn6zn $24.99 $25 0% off New Lowest
Seagate Firecuda 530 1tb Internal Solid State Drive - M.2 Pcie Gen4 ×4 Nvme 1.4, Transfer Speeds Up To 7300mb/s, 3d Tlc Nand, 1275 Tbw, 1.8m Mtbf, Heatsink, With Rescue Services (zp1000gm3a023) $164.99 $240 31% off Matches low
Seagate Spider-man Special Edition Firecuda External Hard Drive 2tb - Usb 3.2 Gen 1, Customizable Led Rgb Lighting White, With Rescue Services (stkl2000417) $124.99 $130 3% off Matches low
Seagate Storage Expansion Card For Xbox Series X/S 1tb Solid State Drive - Nvme Expansion Ssd For Xbox Series X/S (stjr1000400) $204.99 $300 31% off Lowest price $204.98 on 2023-5-1
Session: Skate Sim - Playstation 4 $39.95 $55 27% off New Lowest
Sifu Vengeance Edition - Nintendo Switch $57.51 $60 4% off Lowest price $52.09 on 2023-4-14
Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Playstation 4 $22.53 $40 43% off New Lowest
Spooky Spirit Shooting Gallery Nintendo Switch $45.95 $50 8% off New Lowest
Star Ocean The Devine Force - Xbox One & Xbox Series X $34.99 $75 53% off Matches low
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Playstation 4 $28.01 $40 29% off New Lowest
Streets Of Rage 4 Xbox One - Standard Edition Edition $60.78 $61 0% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2023-4-13
Super Bullet Break - Day 1 Edition - Playstation 4 $43.89 $45 2% off Lowest price $38.86 on 2023-5-4
Tactics Ogre Reborn - Nintendo Switch $39.99 $60 33% off Matches low
Tandem: A Tale Of Shadows - Playstation 4 $20.60 $55 62% off Matches low
Tekken 5 (original Soundtrack) (vinyl) $43.70 $90 51% off New Lowest
Temtem Xbox Series X $34.90 $50 30% off New Lowest
The Callisto Protocol Standard Edition Playstation 4 $41.99 $75 44% off Lowest price $29.99 on 2023-4-30
The Cruel King And The Great Hero Storybook Edition Nintendo Switch $75.11 $80 6% off Lowest price $49.99 on 2023-1-14
The Dark Pictures House Of Ashes - Playstation 5 Edition $30.94 $35 11% off Lowest price $19.97 on 2022-8-5
The Dark Pictures House Of Ashes - Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S Edition $34.85 $35 0% off Lowest price $9.97 on 2022-11-11
The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me - Playstation 4 $33.98 $50 32% off New Lowest
The House Of The Dead Remake Limidead Edition - Playstation 4 $43.88 $45 2% off Lowest price $42.5 on 2023-4-24
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword Hd - Nintendo Switch Games And Software - Standard Edition $68.68 $70 1% off Lowest price $54.95 on 2022-2-17
The Quest For Excalibur: Puy Du Fou - Playstation 4 $15.02 $20 24% off Lowest price $12.88 on 2023-2-22
The Wild At Heart Playstation 4 $33.58 $40 16% off Lowest price $26.38 on 2022-2-4
Them's Fighting Herds Deluxe Edition - Playstation 4 $36.78 $45 18% off Lowest price $29.95 on 2022-11-20
They Always Run - Playstation 4 $30.91 $35 11% off New Lowest
Thymesia - Xbox Series X $26.62 $35 23% off New Lowest
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - Xbox Series X $26.92 $50 46% off Lowest price $9.97 on 2022-7-29
Transformers Battlegrounds - Nintendo Switch Games And Software $34.99 $35 0% off Lowest price $19.99 on 2021-11-24
Tribes Of Midgard: Deluxe Edition - Playstation 4 $25.50 $35 27% off Lowest price $21.3 on 2022-10-10
Two Point Campus: Enrollment Launch Edition - Nintendo Switch $43.60 $45 3% off Lowest price $34.96 on 2022-11-21
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger Hd Playstation 4 $34.59 $35 1% off Lowest price $29.98 on 2022-10-8
Wd_black 1tb Sn750 Se Nvme Ssd With Battlefield 2042 Game Code Bundle - Gen4 Pcle, Internal Gaming Ssd Solid State Drive, M.2 2280, Up To 3,600 Mb/s - Wdbb9j0010bnc-nrsn $98.87 $200 50% off New Lowest
Wd_black 1tb Sn850x Nvme Internal Gaming Ssd Solid State Drive With Heatsink - Works With Playstation 5, Gen4 Pcie, M.2 2280, Up To 7,300 Mb/s - Wds100t2xhe $109.97 $150 26% off New Lowest
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School - Playstation 5 $42.33 $45 5% off Lowest price $41.5 on 2023-4-10
Wild Hearts Playstation 5 $81.99 $85 3% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2023-3-30
Wrc Generations - Xbox Series X $37.34 $45 17% off New Lowest
Wwe 2k22 Deluxe Edition - Xbox Series X $35.82 $120 70% off New Lowest
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core (red) $152.99 $175 12% off Matches low
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices - Black $199.98 $200 0% off Lowest price $183.81 on 2020-5-4
Xbox Series S Console - Xbox Digital Only (disc Free) Console Latest Generation $379.99 $400 5% off Lowest price $359.49 on 2022-12-30
Xbox Wireless Controller + Usb-c Cable For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices, Usb-c Cable Included - Carbon Black $59.99 $70 14% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2022-12-29
Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices $84.99 $95 10% off Matches low
Xbox Wireless Controller – Sunkissed Vibes Opi Special Edition For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices $64.99 $75 13% off New Lowest
Xbox Wireless Controller – Velocity Green For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices $59.99 $70 14% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2023-5-10
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices - Pulse Red $59.99 $60 0% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2022-8-19
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Carbon Black $59.99 $65 7% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2022-9-16
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Deep Pink $59.99 $70 14% off Lowest price $59.96 on 2022-8-22
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Electric Volt $59.99 $60 0% off Lowest price $59.94 on 2023-4-12
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Robot White $49.99 $65 23% off New Lowest
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Shock Blue $59.96 $70 14% off Matches low
Xbox Wireless Controller For Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, And Windows Devices – Stellar Shift Special Edition $64.99 $75 13% off Matches low
*History is a beta feature, only goes back as far as I've been tracking this item, and may not be 100% accurate
submitted by lbabinz to VideoGameDealsCanada [link] [comments]

2023.06.10 01:03 Miniver_Cheevy_55 How much time does checking luggage add?

I haven't travelled internationally for more than 20 years, and I'll soon be going to Greece for 3 weeks. In past travels, my husband and I have always just used carry-ons to avoid the hassle of checking luggage. But I'm flying Emirates for the first time, and their carry-on allowance is a joke: 1 carry on of no more than 15 lbs and NO personal item (e.g., purse, laptop, etc.). I can, however, check a bag of about 50 lbs. My husband keeps insisting that we can get by with just a carry-on each. I wouldn't even mind having to wash out and re-wear the same 3-4 outfits, but what bothers me is that I won't be able to buy any souvenirs.
I'm trying to gather info before putting my foot down and insisting on one checked bag. In your experience, how much time and angst does checked baggage add to your trip? How much earlier do I need to be at the airport, how long does it generally take to retrieve the bag, etc.? I know this varies, but I'm just trying to get a general idea since I haven't travelled in so many years.
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2023.06.09 23:45 next3days Weekend Rundown of Events for those in/near Blacksburg (June 9th - June 11th)

Here's this weekend's rundown of fun events you can enjoy in Blacksburg and throughout the surrounding areas within the New River Valley. There's quite a few annual events occurring this weekend such as the Pearisburg Festival in the Park and Claytor Lake Festival if you have a caride and feel adventurous.
Weekend Rundown for June 9th - June 11th: 1. A Night To Fight Alzheimer’s with Boxing Sparring Sessions Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness, Blacksburg Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Advance Tickets: $15.00, At the Door: $20.00 Enjoy live, local boxing with sparring sessions with 100% of the proceeds benefitting The Alzheimer’s Association and The Longest Day to raise money for Alzheimer's research. Please note: These are not sanctioned fights. Instead, they are USA Boxing approved Sparring sessions lead by USA Boxing Certified Coaches, amongst USA Boxing athletes, using USA Boxing Sparring rules. The intent is to put on a show, raise money for a great cause, and keep all participants safe. There will also be raffle tickets to win sweet prizes from local companies. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708170 2. 2023 Relay for Life Annual Event (Montgomery County, VA) Christiansburg Middle School, Christiansburg Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 - 11:00 PM Admission: Free Join Relay for Life of Montgomery County for their annual Relay for Life event. Celebrate survivors, remember those we have lost and fight back as a community to give cancer the boot. Enjoy live entertainment, children's fun, food, arts & crafts and small business vendors, silent auction, 50/50 Raffle and more. The event is free to attend, but please plan to bring payment for any food and vendors you wish to purchase from. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707517
3. 2023 Pearisburg Festival in the Park Pearisburg Community & Recreation Center, Pearisburg Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 - 11:00 PM and Saturday, June 10, 2023, 9:30 AM - 11:00 PM Admission: Free The Pearisburg Festival in the Park celebrates its 38th anniversary in Giles County, Virginia. Enjoy carnival rides, two days of live entertainment, food vendors with all your favorite festival foods, special activities, vendors and crafters. Festival in the Park promises to be an awesome two days of community spirit, family fun, live music, and great food. There will be rides and games for the whole family. Friday is Unlimited Wristband night and Saturday features a full day of entertainment, the Cancer Kids and Christmas Car Show & Cruise along with headliner Chris Higbee and closing with a fireworks display. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/VenueEventListing.cfm?V=542
4. Root Down in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Root Down is a jazz trio based in the New River Valley area featuring musicians Justin Craig, Doug Norton and Nick Romantini. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708744
5. MLB / USA Baseball: Danville Otterbots vs. Pulaski River Turtles (Star Wars Night and Fireworks) Calfee Park, Pulaski Friday, June 9, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $5.00, Seniors Ages 65 & Older: $1.00, Kids 6 & Under: Free Grandstand: $11.00, Reserved Seating: $12.00, Party Zone: $12.00, Club Seating: $15.00 The Pulaski River Turtles MLB / USA Baseball's Appalachian League team hosts the Danville Otterbots as they continue their 2023 season with Star Wars Night. Several characters will be on-site throughout the game to interact with fans and take photos. In addition, every Friday night game will end with a fireworks show for the fans. Tickets can be purchased at the gates on game day or online. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708693
6. Ripejive in Concert Dogtown Roadhouse, Floyd Friday, June 9, 2023, 8:00 - 11:00 PM Admission: $8.00 Ripejive is a Blacksburg, Virginia based quartet that delivers original, hard-hitting funk. From retro grooves to jazz fusion, blazing guitar and soaring saxophone color tight pocket rhythms with sounds from New Orleans to New York that always bring a party. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708066
7. Summer Tea In Honor of Lucy Lancaster's Birthday (Reservation Deadline) Lancaster House, Blacksburg Saturday, June 17, 2023, 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM Registration Deadline: Saturday, June 10, 2023 Admission: $25.00 The YMCA at Virginia Tech presents their 1st Annual Summer Tea in Honor of Lucy Lancaster's Birthday with two seatings on 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM with a reservation deadline of Saturday, June 10, 2023. Located in the beautiful, historic Lancaster House, mark Lucy Lee Lancaster’s birthday by enjoying a deliciously decadent celebration featuring tea and delicious homemade delicacies. The Tea will be catered by Carolyn Ansley, famous for her authentic and delicious teas in past years in Blacksburg. Proceeds from the Tea will directly benefit the Y Community Programs such as Meals On Main, International Programming and After School care. Deadline to purchase tickets is Saturday, June 10th. Lucy Lee lived in the Lancaster House built in 1913 by her parents William and Lucy Lee Sibold Lancaster until her death in 1989. She left the house to the YMCA at Virginia Tech. Lee was one of the first five women admitted to Virginia Tech in 1925. She majored in biology and worked in the library which was housed at that time in what had been the campus chapel. Her work in the library led to her decision to become a librarian, and she attended Columbia University Library School where she received her Masters of Library Science degree. She returned to Blacksburg and worked in the university library until her retirement in 1970. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708759
8. 2023 Native Plant Sale Price House Nature Center, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM Admission: Free The New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society will hold its Fifth Annual Native Plant Sale. The Native Plant Sale includes perennials, trees, shrubs, ferns and more. All plants in the sale are native to Virginia and do not include cultivars. Most are pollinator friendly. The native plant sale only uses sustainable non-peat potting mix. All proceeds from the sale go to support the activities of the New River Valley Chapter, including public education and outreach, improving habitat at local parks, removing invasive species and awarding grants to area youth for native plant garden projects. In addition to the many plants for sale, there will be activities for adults and children. There will be booths where you can ask how to create a pollinator garden or which plants are exotic invasives which kill off natives which the wildlife need to survive on. Tree tubes to protect trees and shrubs from deer will also be sold. Storytime with Joelle for children begins at 12:30 PM. You can also visit the Price House Nature Center which will be open from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Parking is one block away in the Blacksburg United Methodist Church. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708676
9. 2023 Claytor Lake Festival Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Parking is $20.00 per vehicle or $15.00 with five cans of food. The Claytor Lake Festival Committee presents the 24th Annual Claytor Lake Beach Festival. The festival kicks off the summer season at Claytor Lake State Park each year. Enjoy entertainment all day, fireworks at night, arts & crafts vendors, beach access included with admission, free children's activities, youth & adult fishing tournament, wine tasting and lots more. Registration for the annual Everett Lee Yearout, Jr. Adult and Youth Fishing Tournament will be held 7:00-10:00 AM. This year the tournament theme is "Fishing is the Best Hobby Because". The Car Show voting is done by the show participants who are completely registered by 10:30 AM. All entries will receive a dash plaque, goodie bag and category winners will receive trophies. There is no pre-registration fee. The fee is $20.00 to enter the car & motorcycle show and this is the only fee you pay to enter the festival. Swimming is included with admission. The event is rain or shine. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708202
10. Procession of Appalachian Species (Giant Puppet Parade) and Biodiversity Fair Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park, Floyd Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Springhouse presents the Procession of Appalachian Species and Biodiversity Fair with events centered around Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park. New River Valley residents are invited to participate in a giant puppet parade celebrating our region’s biodiversity. This event, dubbed, "The Procession of Appalachian Species," will start and end at Lineberry Park in downtown Floyd, VA. Participants are encouraged to bring homemade puppets and costumes that represent one of our region’s many spectacular species. Musicians and dancers are also encouraged to bring their crafts to this event. The parade starts at 11:00 AM. If you don't have a homemade puppet or costume please come and you can puppeteer one that we have made. After the parade, join the Biodiversity Fair featuring food, music and activities from 12:00-2:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708682
11. June 2023 Used Book Sale Montgomery Museum of Art & History, Christiansburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday, June 9, 2023, 2:00 - 7:00 PM and Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mass-Market Paperback Books: $0.50, Large-Format Paperbacks: $1.00, Hardback Books: $1.50, Children’s Books: $0.50-$1.00 The Montgomery Museum of Art and History will be holding a two-day Used Book Sale featuring thousands of books including children’s books, adult fiction, and non-fiction. Genres include mystery, romance, science fiction, cooking, history, crafts, religion, self-help, and much, much more. The book sale will also feature puzzles, magazines, comic books, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs.. On Saturday, June 10th from 1:00-4:00 PM, bring your own bag for a bag sale. All books that can fit will be offered at a total of $10.00 per bag. Brown paper bags and tote bags are perfect for the bag sale. Please, no plastic trash bags. Proceeds will be used to help the museum in areas such as educational programming, collection care, and exhibit preparation. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708149
12. 2023 Two-Day Floyd Artisan Trail Annual Tour Downtown Floyd, Floyd Saturday, June 10, 2023 and Sunday, June 11, 2023, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free The Floyd Center for the Arts hosts the 11th annual two-day Floyd Artisan Trail. Floyd County artisans, farms, galleries, and more will open their doors for this year’s Artisan Trail. Featuring over 30 different individuals and businesses, the Artisan Trail is a years-long tradition in Floyd to celebrate the abundant artistry available in this area. The Artisan Trail is a free to attend and invites locals and tourists alike to travel around the county to visit the open studios, see live demos, and purchase one-of-a-kind handmade art and goods in a self-guided tour across Floyd County, Virginia. The Trail happily hosts local farms and farm markets, offering tours and locally grown produce and farm goods. There may even be adorable farm animals to see. Maps and brochures with all participants’ information are available online and will be available at the Floyd Center for the Arts. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708882
13. Balance and Brews Iron Tree Brewing Company, Christiansburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:45 - 11:45 AM Admission: $20.00 Move through foundational yoga poses, gentle stretches, and experience the many restorative benefits that yoga has to offer. This one hour class is appropriate for all levels, including those who are totally new to yoga. The cost includes an Iron Tree beverage of your choice. No reservation required, just show up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708760
14. Author Talk with Penny Blue Christiansburg Library, Christiansburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Admission: Free Christiansburg Library presents an Author Talk with Penny Blue about her first book "A Time to Protest: Leadership Lessons from My Father Who Survived the Segregated South for 99 Years". Historians have written about famous names in Black History, such as: Martin Luther King, Jr., Madam CJ Walker and Booker T. Washington. Penny Blue’s dad, Charles Edwards, Sr., is not famous, but the way he lived his life made an impact on his 10 children and the community in which he lived. The stories he told his children and grandchildren are the inspiration for Blue’s book. Penny says the main theme is standing up and speaking out for what is just and right. Books will be available for purchase for $25.00 through CashApp or with cash or check only. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708891
15. Sugar Magnolia 5th Anniversary Celebration Sugar Magnolia, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM 25% Off Storewide, $2.00 Ice Cream Scoops Sugar Magnolia presents their 5th Anniversary Celebration at their original location in Blacksburg, VA. There will be face painting and a balloon artist in store from 12:00-2:00 PM. Guests can also enjoy: 25% off storewide all day, $2.00 ice cream scoops all day, tasting stations, raffles, gifts with purchase and more. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708741
16. Fourth Birthday Party Celebration with Music from Cinémathèque Eastern Divide Brewing, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 12:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Eastern Divide Brewing presents their Fourth Birthday Party Celebration with Music from Cinémathèque. Enjoy free ice cream and live music from 5:00-8:00 PM featuring the upbeat and unique rhythms of Cinematheque including surf rock, exotica, spaghetti westerns, Ethiopian jazz, and Afro-Beat. Eastern Divide will also have a vintage and artisan pop up market featuring Eden's Emporium, Broken Arrow Creations, Madigan Made and Tees Don't Grow on Trees. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708886
17. Music at the Villa with Parker's Pillbox Villa Appalaccia Winery, Floyd Saturday, June 10, 2023, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Relax and enjoy some great music along with great wine and food. Sprung from the western hills of Virginia, Parker's Pillbox is an on-the-rise power trio to watch. Parker's Pillbox is instantly recognizable by their unique, cohesive sound, which manages to be unto itself while drawing influences from a multitude of genres. Flavors of country, jazz, grunge, and good 'ol southern rock and roll blend together to create music which is truly an experience. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708181
18. Saturday Afternoon Music with Ball & Chain New River Vineyard & Winery, Fairlawn Saturday, June 10, 2023, 2:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Join New River Vineyard & Winery on the patio for an afternoon enjoying their wine, frozen wine slushies, handcrafted beer and music from Ball & Chain. Ball & Chain is a stripped down acoustic rock duo. A girl from the mountains of Virginia and a boy from the Bronx. The regional musical influences of each coalesce into melodious tension. Passion, fun and sass pervades Jon & Lucinda’s blend of rock, R&B, and blues, resulting in vocals and harmonies that stroke your soul. Seating is first come, first served. Guests can bring a blanket and chair. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708884
19. Arc in the Park 2023 Nellie's Cave Park, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 3:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free Enjoy the free food including an all-you-can-eat hot dog bar and pulled pork barbecue, outdoor field games, face painting, entertainment, snow cones and friendships. The Gift Card Raffle will help raise funds for the organization. Prizes include gift cards from Avellinos, PKs, The Maroon Door, Zeppoli’s, In Balance Yoga, The Cellar, The Lyric and lots more. Tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased online or in person at the event. The prize drawing will be held at the event at 5:00 PM. Participants do not have to be there in person to win. The event is handicap accessible. The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708881
20. Rockin' Main Street Concert Series with Travis Reigh and The Jared Stout Band Downtown Christiansburg, Christiansburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 5:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free The Town of Christiansburg and the Christiansburg Parks & Rec continues their Rockin' Main Street Concert Series featuring music from The Jared Stout Band and Travis Reigh. Attendees can purchase food and drinks from a selection of food trucks and wine and beer vendors. Patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the live performances. Travis Reigh is a singer-songwriter born and raised out of Southwest Virginia, bringing you original material with rock roots and a country sound that you don't want to miss. Get ready to experience the high-octane energy and soulful sound of the Jared Stout Band! This alt-country powerhouse hails from Southwestern Virginia and is known for their unique blend of Appalachian rhythm and blues. As runners-up for the "On-The-Rise" award at FloydFest 22, the Jared Stout Band delivers an unforgettable performance by bringing their own energetic and soulful original songs to the stage. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707447
21. Mount Tabor Ruritan Club June Fish Fry with The Blacksburg Community Band Slusser's Chapel Church of God, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 5:00 - 7:00 PM Adults: $12.00 Children Ages 3-11: $6.00 Children Under 3: Free Carry-Outs: $12.00 The Mount Tabor Ruritan Club presents their June Fish Fry with the Blacksburg Community Band performing. Enjoy a serving fish, fries, slaw, homemade desserts and beverage. The Blacksburg Community Band, Inc. is an all-volunteer community organization formed in 1989 under the auspices of the Department of Parks and Recreation in the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia. This is a fundraiser for the Ruritan Club's community service projects and scholarships. Held rain or shine under the picnic shelter below the lower church parking lot. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708078
22. 2023 Music on the Lawn Concert Series with Virginia Hollow Christiansburg Library, Christiansburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Free Virginia Hollow is a mixture of Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Indie, and Rock. A singer-songwriter band that performs songs written by lead singer Carrie Hinkley, along with an occasional handpicked cover or two. Virginia Hollow is a band and a sound born from the hills, valleys and mountains of Appalachia. Their performances and music take you on a journey fraught with raw emotions and stories of love, trust, betrayal and longing. Each month, one talented local band will play a concert on the library's lawn after hours. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for an evening under the stars. Feel free to bring a picnic as well. This concert is rain or shine. In case of rain, the concert will be moved inside. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707890
23. Slushie Saturday with Music from Furious Jones Moon Hollow Brewing, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Moon Hollow Brewing presents their first Slushie Saturday with Music from Furious Jones. This Summer every Saturday is now Slushie Saturday at Moon Hollow. This Saturday will have two slushies available one made with Ebb & Flow Prickly Pear and one non-alcoholic slushie, Prickly Pear Raspberry flavored. Singer and songwriter Furious Jones will perform a live acoustic solo show featuring Americana, Blues, Folk, and Rock with both originals and extensive covers. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708719
24. Mist on the Mountain in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Mist on the Mountain is an Irish Traditional Music group based in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. From lively jigs and reels to heartbreaking laments and rollicking ballads. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708745
25. Dean Trimble in Concert Long Way Brewing, Radford Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Dean Trimble is a musician playing 70s and 80s classic soft rock and classic country and he is based in the New River Valley. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708860
26. Cary Wimbish Band in Concert Brick House Pizza, Radford Saturday, June 10, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM Admission: Free The Cary Wimbish Band makes its debut performance at Brick House Pizza. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Cary Wimbish has quickly earned a loyal following in the Richmond area since his debut in 2018. Combining powerful vocals with both acoustic and electric guitar, Cary’s repertoire includes covers of well known traditional country, bluegrass, classic rock and blues songs. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708866
27. June Blacksburg Vintage Market Market Square Park, Blacksburg Sunday, June 11, 2023, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free The Blacksburg Vintage Market hosts their June Vintage Market. Vendors will be selling all things vintage from clothes, jewelry, vinyl records, and more. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708681
28. Sunday Mountain Music Series with Indian Run Stringband Mountain Lake Lodge, Pembroke Sunday, June 11, 2023, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free The Indian Run Stringband plays fiddle and banjo foot stomping dance tunes and sings traditional songs with old time harmonies perfect for dancing the two step. From dance tunes to the blues, the Indian Run Stringband plays with love and abandon. They make old-time music fresh and new. Stop by Salt Pond Pub every Sunday starting Memorial Day weekend through August for live music and delicious food & drinks. Perfect for relaxing with the whole family (furry friends welcome too). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708136
29. Gearheads For A Cause for Ashley Ray Blue Ridge Church, Christiansburg Sunday, June 11, 2023, 5:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Gearheads For A Cause is hosting a special cruise in in memory of Ashley Ray of Dublin, VA that was took from this world at the young age of 25. Ashley was a amazing mother of two sons and always happy and outgoing. The money raised will be for Ashley's family to help with her two boys and the family's needs. Vehicles of all type are invited to attend as well as spectators. Admission and entry are free. There will be a raffle, cake walk and vendors on site. Gearheads For a Cause hosts car shows to help raise spirits given all our community has undergone and bring together an otherwise separated community. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708892
30. Freddy Modad in Concert Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston Sunday, June 11, 2023, 5:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Free Guitarist Freddie Modad performs classic rock and more. Reservations are not required, but recommended for dining area seating. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708893
31. MLB / USA Baseball: Burlington Sock Puppets vs. Pulaski River Turtles (Saddle-Up Sunday) Calfee Park, Pulaski Sunday, June 11, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $5.00, Seniors Ages 65 & Older: $1.00, Kids 6 & Under: Free Grandstand: $11.00, Reserved Seating: $12.00, Party Zone: $12.00, Club Seating: $15.00 The Pulaski River Turtles MLB / USA Baseball's Appalachian League team hosts the Burlington Sock Puppets as they continue their 2023 season. Saddle-Up Sunday returns. Arrive early for free cowboy hat giveaways while supplies last and take a ride on the buckin’ mechanical bull. Rides are free of charge. It's also Sunday Savings featuring concession specials. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708695
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
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2023.06.09 22:32 Signal-Ad967 Wax pen to Hawaii!??

Going to Kauai, Hawaii, and leaving out of SD international. I really want to take my stilizy pod, but I’m traveling with my boyfriends family and there’s no way I can get caught or seen with that. I know a lot of people have said carry on, but I don’t even want to risk it being found, or questioned, especially in front of family. Hell, I wouldn’t even want them to see me with a normal vape (which is actually allowed lol.) I want to put it in my checked bag but I am worried. I have it taped it on both ends and I stuck it inside my blush, and then inside my makeup bag that’s going in my checked luggage. Considering the TSA carry on rule that everything needs to be in plastic bags, I figured I wouldn’t be able to put my makeup on my carry on if l’m putting the pod in there. The battery I was thinking to just separate and put somewhere else, maybe that I’ll put on my carry on if I absolutely need to. Please help! I’m worried it’ll leak or something but I’ve seen others says they throw it in checked bag and they’re good. Only helpful comments please and thank you!
submitted by Signal-Ad967 to Stoner [link] [comments]

2023.06.09 21:20 Signal-Ad967 Stiiizy to Hawaii

Going to Kauai, Hawaii, and leaving out of SD international. I really want to take my stiiizy pod, but I’m traveling with my boyfriends family and there’s no way I can get caught or seen with that. I know a lot of people have said carry on, but I don’t even want to risk it being found, or questioned, especially in front of family. Hell, I wouldn’t even want them to see me with a normal vape (which is actually allowed lol.) I want to put it in my checked bag but I am worried. I have it taped it on both ends and I stuck it inside my blush, and then inside my makeup bag that’s going in my checked luggage. Considering the TSA carry on rule that everything needs to be in plastic bags, I figured I wouldn’t be able to put my makeup on my carry on if I’m putting the pod in there. The battery I was thinking to just separate and put somewhere else, maybe that I’ll put on my carry on if I absolutely need to. Please help! I’m worried it’ll leak or something but I’ve seen others says they throw it in checked bag and they’re good. Only helpful comments please and thank you!
submitted by Signal-Ad967 to Stiiizy [link] [comments]

2023.06.09 20:30 Timely-Elk8291 Trip report: Geezer first-timers--May 8-June 5. Kyoto, Izu Peninsula, Tokyo, Nara, Kamakura (Part II)

It was a long trip. This is a long post. Apologies in advance.
HIGHLIGHTS (Days 1-14 of 28) KYOTO--Kiyomizu temple; Nanzenji temple; Nijo Castle; Sanjusangendo temple; Shugakuin Imperial Villa; Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion); Fushimi Inari shrine; 184th Kamogawa-Odori geisha show HIMEJI-The castle and garden. NARA-Todaiji temple UJI-Byodoin temple IZU KOGEN--Jogasaki Coast nature trail
TOKYO, Monday 5/8
We arrived mid-afternoon at Tokyo/Haneda, right after Golden Week ended. It turned out to be, coincidentally, the day when the Japanese government officially downgraded the Covid pandemic to the level of a seasonal flu.
Fresh off a 13-hour flight and experiencing Japan for the first time, we went from touchdown to hotel check-in in something like 90 minutes, braving an almost-rush-hour crush on the Keikyu Line train from the Terminal 3 station.
Experience has taught us that meticulously planning every step of arrival in a new country is crucial to avoiding confusion, getting lost or simply wasting time.
Pre-loaded Suica cards on our smartphones led us straight to the train without standing in any lines.
We' chose the Shinagawa Station area of central Tokyo to spare our jetlagged selves another leg of indeterminate length--four or five hours at least--to reach our Kyoto base. Shinagawa is a straight shot--no transfers--from Haneda and a great place to catch a bullet train.
It was a geezer move that gave us plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with the layout and operation of one of Japan's busiest train stations.
Before crashing for the night, we'd taken care of some business by getting cash from an ATM and picking up reserved seat tickets for a post-Kyoto leg. We used a JR Railway ticket machine to print out the tickets, using QR codes emailed to us the previous month when we bought the tickets online directly from JR-East railway (we avoided costly middlemen in all our travel and entertainment purchases, something that requires planning but is easily doable from abroad). Like all our electronic machine transactions in Japan, there was an English language option on the touch-screen.
A machine also checked us in at the Prince Hotel Shinagawa, part of a modern high-rise development, chosen mainly for convenience. It's a one-block walk from the train station and was perfect for a couple jet-lagged Japan newbies. What we got, for the princely sum of $116 USD, was a spacious (by Japan standards) room on the 34th floor with a dead-on view of Tokyo Tower. Dinner was carryout sushi from the Queen's Isetan department store on the opposite side of the station, plus beer and sake from a convenience store, all consumed in the hotel room with Tokyo's skyline at our feet.
KYOTO , Tuesday 5/9
On the advice of an old Japan hand, we made Kyoto our base for the first two weeks. It worked well. We explored a fabulous city, took three day trips (Himeji/Osaka; Nara; Uji) and left town wishing we'd had time for more.
We expected our first full day to be a blur, due to jetlag, but it wasn't too bad. Following advice from this sub for first-time shinkansen travelers, we got to the station an hour early.
We bought far enough in advance on the Smart EX app to get a slight discount. We booked back row seats on the right-hand side for easy luggage storage but discovered that both our bags (including my larger one, which measures 142 cm [L+H+W]) also fit on the overhead rack. We never had luggage problems on trains during our trip.
Our train to Kyoto had great Fuji views, our first. After depositing the bags in a Kyoto station storage locker (rented with the smartphone Suica card), we made our first sightseeing stop: Toji Temple, a quick subway ride and walk away.
About picking hotels
We used triangulation to pick hotels; that is, cross-checking information from various sources to give us the best possible chance of getting a good place at a decent price. Sources included a handful of guidebooks from the public library, Trip Advisor and this sub.
Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier ($221 USD per night with massive breakfast buffet, best of the trip) turned out to be a great base. We paid extra for a room facing the Kamo River, a popular gathering spot for locals, tourists and joggers. We benefited from early booking (more than six months in advance, shortly after Japan began opening up). Inflation and other factors have since raised the price of the same room by about 10 percent.
The newish (opened in 2017) hotel attracts mainly Japanese/Asian travelers who, like me, enjoyed the onsen in the basement. We also put the coin-operated washedryers to good use.
KYOTO, Wednesday 5/10
Up and out, thanks to jetlag, shortly after 5 a.m., walking deserted streets to the foot of magical Kiyomizu temple, arriving just as it opened at 6 a.m. We were back at the hotel for breakfast by 8, after walking down the picturesque, cobbled streets of Sannenzaka, shops still closed, with more tourists starting to trickle in.
About choosing sightseeing spots
I'm a sucker for ratings, assuming they're done well. So, guidebook must-sees, like DK Eyewitness's or Lonely Planet's, star ratings in the Michelin Green Guide to Japan or in the downloaded Gateway to Japan guide (a steal at $10 and in your pocket for free on Kindle app) and, finally, Japan Guide's recommendations helped guide our steps.
That's how we ended up spending the afternoon at Nanzenji, a must-see Zen temple, which, like Kiyomizu, is laid out at the foot of the mountains east of town.
Lunch this day was at Junsei, a yudofo (boiled tofu) restaurant we stumbled onto near the temple. We used wooden sticks to skim the surface of an iron vat filled with simmering soy milk, that was set before us over a gas flame.
About finding restaurants
If you've never been to Japan but lurk on this sub, you've already heard that it's practically impossible to get a bad meal. We booked a handful of places before leaving home but agree with others that you rarely need to do that to eat well. If you're determined to hit a place that's highly popular, often with deep-pocketed foreign tourists, reservations may be required.
We're foodies, up to a point, but Japan's profusion of starred Michelin restaurants was wasted on us. We've learned over the years that we seldom enjoy paying the inflated cost. Over four weeks, we ate once at a Michelin one-star, chosen for other reasons.
That said, Michelin's Bib Gourmands (good, affordable restaurants) never disappointed us. They are plentiful in Japan, especially in Kyoto and Tokyo, and worth seeking out. Most of the time, though, we picked places to eat by cross-checking Google (asking for "soba noodles" near me, for example) and Tabelog, the indispensible crowd-sourced Japanese website (we looked for places in the 3.5 range).
Non-speakers of Japanese can have a hard time making reservations. We found that we could make them in advance from abroad through services like TableCheck (and an apparently expanding number of others aimed at tourists, usually charging a fee; sometimes small, sometimes steep). On the ground in Japan, we sometimes reserved for free through Google and Tabelog (at random places which you can find on Google or Tabelog restaurant listings); they were always honored. We also asked hotel reception desks for reservation help on occasion. We went to a couple restaurants in person and booked a table for later. But the easiest and often best way to get in is simply to arrive on the early side for lunch (by 11:30 or so) or dinner (between 5 and 5:30). More than once, we walked right into a place and were seated, only to discover lots of people waiting in line outside when we left. That said, if you're looking for an above-average meal on a Saturday night, especially in a popular location, you might want to book in advance.
Konbinis (convenience stores) are cheap, good and extremely reliable sources of takeout. And though we liked what we got there (mainly onigiri), we wound up relying on them less and less as the trip went along. The same was true of department store basements, which lived up to their reputation as fantastic food sources, for locals and tourists alike. We learned that we could often eat for the same amount or less in restaurants geared to locals or foreigners on limited budgets, rather than chowing down in our hotel room.
KYOTO, Thursday 5/11
We hit Nijo Castle in the morning and Sento Imperial Palace, one of several attractions we reserved in advance through the Imperial Household Agency. All were well worth it (and free of charge). The agency website explains the rules, which vary somewhat from site to site. We also toured Kyoto Imperial Palace.
About navigation
Just as the Google Translate app (and similar devices) have broken down language barriers, several travel apps have vastly simplified the business of getting around. Google Maps was our basic navigational tool and it rarely failed us. Another app that helped work in concert with Google Maps was Navitime's Japan Travel guide. Both provide alternate routes, detailed information on trains and stations and much more. Sometimes, when we popped out of subway station, we'd check the compass app on the smartphone to make sure we were heading off in the right direction. It doesn't hurt that public transit throughout the country increasingly uses English or romaji to translate Japanese. Over four weeks, we only found one place where we had trouble deciphering the destination signs on buses (oddly enough, in Himeji, a tourist magnet).
KYOTO, Friday, 5/12
A busy day started at Katsura Imperial Villa. Like other Imperial Household venues, a guided tour (in Japanese, but with free English audio guide) is the only way to see the place and its beautiful gardens.
We also caught a kabuki for beginners show at sumptuous Minamiza Theatre--tickets purchased online in advance--after briefly stopping by bustling Yasaka-jinja shrine down the street.
Dinner was our priciest splurge: Itoh, a serene, traditional style steak house in the atmospheric Gion neighborhood. We hadn't initially planned on eating Kobe beef, since we've pretty much given up beef in our everyday lives, but we were persuaded by a family member who correctly posed the question: If not now, when? Worth the steep tab ($264), not least because our table overlooked the tiny Shirakawa canal, the service was great and now we can say we know what Kobe beef is all about. Like buttah.
KYOTO, Saturday 5/13
We were at Sanjusangendo when it opened and glad we'd gone. The display of 500 life-size, gilded 1000-armed kannon in Japan's longest wooden structure was unforgettable.
We're museum people--either you are or you ain't--and the special exhibition at Kyoto National Museum on the 850th anniversary of the founder of Shin Buddhism was well worth it. Unfortunately, like most Japanese museums, photos were prohibited inside. In this regard, technically advanced Japan lags much of the civilized world; even Old Europe has greatly loosened such restrictions in recent years. Smartphone cameras can be a nuisance to other visitors, but they are a quick and easy way of capturing what you've seen and preserving it for later study.
Lunch was at Vegan Ramen Uzu Kyoto, a Bib Gourmand and the weirdest place we ate. Expanded availability of vegetarian ramen is a promising, healthier trend, and we enjoyed it at several places in Tokyo and Kyoto. A TableCheck reservation, made well in advance, got us seats at this cutting-edge spot. Dining is at a polished black surface in a darkened room bathed by the illumination of a giant, swirling teamLab artwork. Pricey but good.
KYOTO, Sunday 5/14
We're horseplayers and enjoyed a day at recently reopened Kyoto Racecourse, capacity 120,000. Betting is easy; just stop by the information desk for instructions in English.
Dinner at Tiger Gyoza Hall was lively, inexpensive and delicious. It was the only restaurant on our trip that we visited twice; reservable on Google.
KYOTO, Monday 5/15
No place put us through more hoops than Kokedera, better known at Moss Temple. It was well worth the difficulty of getting a needed reservation; if you do it by mail from abroad--the least expensive way to go--you need a couple months head start (and an International Reply Coupon, which you have to buy online from the Swiss Postal System). We got there and back via city buses. Along the way we crossed Togetsukyo Bridge in the very congested tourist hotbed of Arashiyama. It didn't make us regret our decision to skip the area.
Afterward we visited Ninnaji temple. Ryoanji temple and its famous rock garden (where noisy fellow tourists made a Zen experience impossible) and Kinkakuji, the incredible Golden Pavilion. The place was jammed but crowd control is excellent and we're glad we made it.
KYOTO, Tuesday 5/16
Shugakuin Imperial Villa, a vast imperial property of gardens and buildings (which you cannot enter) on the northeastern outskirts, was our favorite Imperial Household Agency site. We felt fortunate to get advance tickets through their lottery but saw that same-day tickets were also available there and at other Agency sites; it would be a long way to go, however, if all tickets were gone on the day you wanted to enter. Since we made a conscious decision to visit Japan after the cherry blossom and Golden Week crowds were gone, we have no idea what things are like during busier times.
We strolled the Philosopher's Path after lunch. Perhaps if it had been a quiet early or cherry blossom time, we might have been blown away. Instead, it was a rare disappointment. It struck us as a very conventional touristy trail; nothing special at all.
On the other hand, Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), near one end of the path, lived up to the hype. We capped the day by off by catching the procession of Aoi Matsuri, or Hollyhock Festival, one of Kyoto's three big annual festivals. The parade of hundreds of elaborately costumed people, some on horseback, highlighted by a pair of ox-drawn carts, was a hoot. What surprised us was the absence of music or any sort of percussion.
HIMEJI and OSAKA, Wednesday 5/17
A shinkansen whisked us to Himeji for a tour of the incomparable castle and impressive gardens. We took advantage of the unique Himeji Castle English Speaking Guide service, which generously provides personal tours with an area resident, in English, at no cost (book online in advance).
Lunch was at Mentetsu, a very good ramen shop at a mall located between the train station and the castle. Recommended.
We finished the excursion at Osaka's famous, crazy Dotonburi neighborhood, a cross between Times Square and Disney. Dinner was our first okonomiyaki, deliciously prepared at Okonomiyaki Mizuno (a Bib Gourmand). We're allergic to standing in line---life is too short--and we never waited more than 30 minutes for a table on our trip. They took our order at Mizuno while we were in line, and it was prepared before our countertop seats shortly after we got in. Oishī!
UJI, Thursday 5/18
Uji is renowned for its tea and Byodoin temple, best known for its elegant phoenix hall, which is pictured on the back of the 10 Yen coin. It was a great day trip, including lunch at a traditional local soba shop that served cold noodles sobayu style; you pour hot soba stock--the cloudy water the noodles were boiled in--into what's left of your soy-based dipping sauce and drink the (supposedly) healthy brew. Definitely the way to go. Mampukuji, a Zen temple, was a worthwhile stop before we caught a train back to Kyoto.
NARA, Friday 5/19
Our first day of heavy rain failed to dampen the visit to one of the best places on our trip. The town, a tourist favorite because, or in spite of, the overpopulation of overly friendly deer, is well-described elsewhere. We toured Todai-ji, with its giant Bronze Buddha, had lunch at the cute and delicious Pizzeria Trattoria Magazzino (Bib Gourmand) and checked out Kohfukuji temple, too.
KYOTO, Saturday 5/20
Fushimi Inari shrine, on almost every Kyoto must-see list, lives up to its reputation. We followed good advice from this sub and arrived early, a few minutes before 8 a.m. Already, crowds were building. We detoured from the main path through thousands of torii gates and wandered instead up an almost totally deserted sylvan trail on the south side of Mt. Inari, past bamboo groves, a few minor shrines and some houses. After about 45 minutes, we reached a set of stone stairs to the summit. From the top, we took the main path down, dodging the stream of fellow tourists as best we could and gaping at the gates and the view from the halfway point. We highly recommend this alternative way of seeing the best of two Fushimi Inari worlds.
We celebrated our last full day in Kyoto, and our 40th wedding anniversary, with a memorable kaiseki lunch at Hana Kitcho, a Michelin one-star booked weeks in advance from home. The beautifully decorated private room, attentive service, imaginative presentation, museum-quality stoneware and delicious food were certainly up to one-star standards.
The minute that advance online tickets went on sale for the 184th Kamogawa Odori, I jumped on them. The tourist-oriented geisha dance performance is held in May at a theater that overlooks the Kamo River. We were lucky to have been given seats in the front row and when one of the geishas tossed a white cloth package in my direction I snatched it. I now have an unexpected souvenir, a cloth banner autographed by the geisha herself. The fantastic show will remain in memory.
IZU KOGEN, Sunday 5/21
We left Kyoto for the Izu Peninsula and what turned out to be the best single night of our trip. Hanafubuki, a modern ryokan I learned about on this sub, was everything we could have wanted. It features 9 private outdoor onsens on beautifully landscaped property and elegant guest rooms with fluffy futons for sleeping on tatami mats. The ten-course dinner was exquisite. Breakfast, a seven-course feast that featured whole grilled horse mackerel and golden-eye sea bream, was simply amazing.
IZU KOGEN, Monday 5/22
A short walk from the ryokan is the scenic Jogasaki Coast nature trail, a rugged stretch of rocks and pounding surf. A guy I met there who introduced himself as Zeus, a Japanese native currently living in California and in town to visit his parents, compared the coastline to Monterey Bay. We could have used another night to allow us to explore the trail at greater length.
Lunch was at a great local restaurant, walking distance from the train station, Honke Maguroya, featuring local fish and top-grade tuna. The wasabi rhizome, which you grate yourself, is a tipoff to the quality of the sushi, but the prices are extremely reasonable. Recommended.
From there we headed back to Tokyo and the remainder of our trip. Highlights and a full (too full?) final report coming soon.
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2023.06.09 20:23 TripleNerdScore1 Trip Report: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hakone (30s couple, traveling while visibly trans)

Hi everyone! This sub was so incredibly helpful to me in the planning process - I was deeply grateful for everything I learned, so I thought I'd post a trip report now that we're back!
About us: We're a 30s couple from the Midwest US. We're pretty experienced travelers (South America, UK/Ireland, Europe, lots of places in the US), but this was our first visit to Asia and first visit to Japan. As travelers, we love getting out on foot, local food/drink (especially street food), live music, nerd shit, weird art/vending machines. Also, my partner is a cis guy, but I am a trans masc person who is visibly trans (post-op in a few ways, but not passing/not stealth).
Dates: May 13 - May 29
What we did: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hakone Back to Tokyo
Tips and tricks:
Because I'm a nerd, here's the actual breakdown!
DAY 1 ARRIVAL 📍 Flew into Haneda; made it to our hotel (lovely experience at Hotel Plaza Sunroute); had our first world-famous konbini 7/11 experience; walked around Shinjuku; went out for dinner at Ryu no Miyako Inshokugai - talk about jumping in the deep end 🍣 Onigiri and vending machine green tea; little whipped cream treats; Nagahama ramen and sesame mackerel donburi 👣 10,400 steps 🏁 4.8 miles
DAY 2 SHIBUYA 📍 Meiji Shrine and Gardens - got goshuin and omamori; Harajuku, went to 7/11; back to the hotel for a nap; Shibuya, including Don Quijote, Center Gai and Dogenzaka Street; Nonbei Yokocho for late night 🍣 7/11 (plum onigiri and corn/mayo sandwich, some kind of spam musubi situation, matcha roll); Ichiran coin-op ramen with extra chashu and a matcha tofu custard thing; banana shock smoothie at Shibuya109 in Center Gai; chicken and pork belly yakitori with beers at Morimoto; brown sugar shoju and shoju-infused Oolong tea cocktails at Tight Bar (strong recommend for this joint!); grilled squid, octopus, and okonomiyaki for afters at Tsukishima Monja Kuuya Shibuya 👣 32,000 steps 🏁 14.5 miles 😮‍💨
DAY 3 SHINJUKU 📍 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden; Shinjuku area (including Disk Union, Disney, Onitsuka); Kabukicho and Kabukicho Tower; GODZ metal bar; Golden Gai; Omoide Yokocho 🍣 7/11 (onigiri, matcha filled roll thing, royal milk tea, tomago sushi, strawberry donut, cafe latte); many types of dango (sesame oil, soy sauce, and apricot mochi were our favs); McDonald's (weirdly good chicken sandwich with yuzu radish topping, vanilla custard chocolate pie, white grape soda); yummy little warm imagawayaki filled with adzuki bean paste + royal milk from depachika); a couple of Asahis at GODZ; simple yakitori snacks at Golden Gai (including some… mystery offal items); back to 7/11 for drunk matcha ice cream and waffle snacks 👣 28,800 steps 🏁 13.0 miles
DAY 4 ASAKUSA 📍 Went out for coffee; walked around Kinarimon Gate and Nakamise; toured Asakusa Shrine, Senso-ji Temple, surrounding Shinto and Buddhist shrines; stopped for sushi and mochi; went for a walk up Sumida River; dipped into Shoden and Imado shrines; crossed Kototoi Bridge to Tokyo Skytree; went up Tokyo Skytree; back to Senso-ji for night photos; capped off evening with gyoza 🍣 Lattes at cute puppet theater coffeeshop (espresso, dandelion tea); 7/11 for breakfast-y fuel; strawberries from a street stall at Nakamise; sushi lunch; beautiful mochi + tea dessert; grilled gyoza, soup dumpling gyoza, shoujo Oolong tea cocktail for afters 👣 25,500 steps 🏁 11.66 miles
DAY 5 JIMBŌCHŌ, AKIHABARA 📍 Train to Ichigaya - notable French-inspired neighborhood; breakfast at local French café; Yasakuni Shrine; Kanda River walk by Hosei University; Tokyo Daijingu Shrine; Jimbōchō Old Book Town; walked from there to Akihibara; hit up noodles, arcade, nerd shops (comics, TCGs/CCGs, retro video games systems, TTRPGS, etc); gachapons; hit up the bizarre rare vending machines 🍣 Vending machine coffee and milk tea; yummy French pastries (bacon and sour cream roll, quiche, sour cream raisin custard thing); had to try some avocado and cheese Doritos; cold udon with duck broth soup, curry rice for Chris; fish-shaped taiyaki with custard cream dessert treat; dope gyoza place ("weekday" version with pork and cabbage, shrimp and chili mayo, yakitori with tare, and shogayaki with onions) 👣 Forgot watch at hotel - we’ll say 10,000 steps 🏁 Guessing about 5 or 6?
DAY 6 TEAMLAB PLANETS, TRAVEL TO KYOTO 📍 Hit up teamLabs, had an amazing time exploring the exhibits - the infinite light crystal room was our fav; train to Tokyo Station; lunch at underground Ramen Street restaurants under the station - went with Soranoiro, one of the few veg/vegan ramen shops in Japan - delicious; shinkansen to Kyoto; out for nightlife in Kiyamachi-Dori and Pontocho 🍣 Quick 7/11 snacks; train snacks (pocky, coffee, little teriyaki cutlet sandwich); Soranoiro ramen bowls; killer yakitori we fried right at our table in izakaya in Pontocho (honestly probably a meal highlight of the whole trip); brown sugar shoujo; 7/11 for ice cream on the way back 👣 18,900 steps 🏁 8.63 miles
DAY 7 KINKAKUJI, NISHIKI, GION 📍 Kinkakuji Temple; bus back to Kiyamachi-dori; spent whole afternoon walking and eating street food at Nishiki Market; back to hotel for rest, laundry, rooftop drink; out for nightlife in Gion 🍣 Family Mart for coffee and doughnuts; Nishiki Market Street street food delights - seared yakitori style crab stick, little octopus chuka idako on skewers, kara-age on skewers, sea squid croquettes and beer, strawberry and adzuki bean mochi balls; mimosas and red wine; Kyoto Gion Okaru - geisha-decorated izakaya with insane curry udon bowls and beers; picked up box of mochi dango for dessert 👣 20,200 steps 🏁 9.07 miles
DAY 8 SHRINE DAY 📍 OK, this is a lot:
🍣 Hotel coffee, tea, cream puffs; adzuki bean buns with tea made from the actual hydrangeas of the tea garden at the shrine; dope bento box lunch; got takeout fast food donburi and fizzy lemonade 👣 22,800 steps 🏁 10.39 miles
DAY 9 FUSHIMI-INARI 📍 Fushimi Inari, the famous shrine of over 1,000 torii gates - super amazing (and intense!) summit of Mt Inari! Back to Nishiki Market for reward street food and drinks; back to hotel for a rooftop drink and soak; finally out for soba at Kawamichiya Ginka in Pontocho. 🍣 Snack pack on our hike (sausages, cheese, some kind of fish meat/cheese stick, and surume - sweet chewy dried squid stuff); orange smoothie; conveyor belt sushi; strawberry mochi roll; whisky highball and red wine; massive soba spreads (chicken seared with wasabi/yuzu/horseradish dipped in ponzu sauce, fried soba noodles in a rich soup, cold soba noodles dipped tsukemen-style in a really amazing umami soy sauce soup, tempura shrimp and veggies, a hot soba noodles in a clear broth soup) 👣 27,600 steps 🏁 Supposedly 12.3 miles, but that hike to summit Mt Inari was something else 😤
DAY 10 TRAVEL TO OSAKA, SHINSABASHISUJI, AMEMURA, DOTONBURI 📍 Beautiful brunch on the bank of the canal in Kyoto; local train to Osaka-Umeda; checked into Osaka hotel; walked around Shinsaibashisuji and Dotonburi a little bit; scoped out Amemura ("Ameri-mura") for dope American-inspired Japanese streetwear; wandered up and down street food stalls in Dotonbori; swung by Namba Hips (mostly pachinko); found a couple of fun little hole-in-the-wall places (little Japanese craft beer brewery, retro video games bar) 🍣 Brunch at Kawa Cafe (croque monsieur, ramen, tea and delicious apple tart); takoyaki, cheesy waffle shaped like a massive 10yen coin, sweet chili hotdogs from stands in Dotonbori; dashi gose craft beer (by Derailleur Brew Works) from Umineko, shots at Space Station bar 👣 19,500 steps 🏁 9.01 miles
DAY 11 NAMBAYASAKIJINA, DOTONBURI 📍 Morning Japanese breakfast at a wonderful little 24-hour diner; Hozen-ji (moss shrine); Kamigata Ukiyo-e Museum across the street (focusing on Osaka woodcuts celebrating Dotonburi's kabuki and entertainment history); Nambayasaka-jinja (lion head shrine); Den Den Town (Osaka's Akihabara); ended up at a cozy little kushikatsu bar which actually was playing the Tigers game (away game vs the Swallows at Tokyo); street food waffles for dessert; hit up a late-night batting cage - ended up at Round1 (a big multi-floor arcade complex) and did the rooftop batting cage! My partner won a giant plushie for me from a claw machine! 🍣 Dope traditional japanese omelette and fish breakfast; cute macarons from market stand; Family Mart for snacks before nightlife; skewers, beer, and highballs from Dotonbori kushikatsu place; ridiculous nutella, whip, and strawberry stuffed waffle from Waffle Khan 👣 29,100 steps 🏁 13.31 miles
DAY 12 KUROMON ICHIBA, OSAKA CASTLE, DOTONBURI 📍 Kuromon Ichiba Market for street food; Osaka Castle Park and Nishinomaru Gardens; toured Osaka Castle and museum all the way up to the top; subway to Tanimachi-9-chome subway station for amazing live jazz at Sub Jazz Cafe. (This was amazing! Akira "Ro" Hasegawa (sax) and Yukie Fujikawa (keys) - Ro is also the owner and was bartending on this particular night too.) Out to Don Don for killer yakiniku and beer; found our way to Oboradaren, an Tokunoshima-themed island vibes bar and music spot where there was a great live band playing fun island vibes beach rock - big crowd of 40s+ Japanese women who knew all the songs, wound up drinking passionfruit chuhai and joining them in the conga line around the bar 🍣 Oden hot pot, wagyu skewer, otoro sashimi, crab gratin in the half-shell, bracken green tea soy cakes at Kuromon Market; ice cream sandwiches at Osaka Castle; milk tea, little roast beef sandwich, and cheesecake at Sub Jazz Cafe; yakiniku-style wagyu, ribs, ox tongue, assorted mushrooms; passionfruit chuhai and red wine at the island vibes spot; taro and brown sugar boba teas 👣 23,000 steps 🏁 10.42 miles
DAY 13 KAIYUKAN, SHINSEKAI, DOTONBURI 📍 Fun trip to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan; quick pass through Shinsekai; lunch at spot where you can fish your own catch from an indoor fishing boat pool; out for one last Dotonburi night - wound up getting konbini snacks and sitting on the waterfront talking and people-watching for hours 🍣 Not a banger food-wise, but interesting little spread at the fish-your-own place - huge prawn for grilling, kara-age, and fatty tuna nigiri for Max, tempura veggies and whitefish with doteyaki for Chris; from Family Mart, fruit smoothie, ice cup, and KitKat for Max, onigiri and lemonade for Chris 👣 19,100 steps 🏁 8.64 miles
DAY 14 TRAVEL TO HAKONE, HAKONE SHRINE 📍 Bombed to Shin-Osaka for an early shinkansen to Odawara; trained to Odawara to Hakone; dropped luggage off at ryokan, then bus to Motohakone; saw Hakone Shrine and Onshi-Hakone Park (as well as a segment of the actual Old Tokaido!); returned to ryokan for the night, where we were treated to a gorgeous 1:1 kaiseki from a Michelin-star chef, private hot spring onsen, and private in-room hot spring bath 🍣 Konbini snacks before shinkansen; snacks and coffee on train; late lunch in Motohakone (curry and soba, pork cutlet); incredible, massive multi-course kaiseki and sake for dinner, plus strawberry cake, champagne, and more sake for dessert 👣 13,900 steps 🏁 6.26 miles
DAY 15 HAKONE OPEN AIR MUSEUM, TRAVEL TO TOKYO, LAST NIGHT IN SHINJUKU 📍 Woke up in gorgeous ryokan; leisurely kaiseki breakfast with leftover cake; final soak in the private onsen; Hakone Open Air Museum - very cool; had kind of a challenging trip back but finally made it from Museum back to ryokan to bus stop to Hakone-Yumoto to Odawara to Shinjuku to the hotel 😮‍💨 Considering the last night as our real "last night" of the trip, our final night out in Tokyo was all just extra icing on the cake - went out for yakitori skewers and Asahi Superdrys in cozy alley in Omoide Yokocho, found really wonderful cake and tea dessert open late also in Omoide, hit up 🎵 Donki! 🎵 for a final round of bulk snacks and souvenirs, ended up on a late-night excursion to find Park Hyatt Hotel (featured in Lost in Translation); finished night at hotel watching the city go to sleep from our balcony 👣 22,700 steps 🏁 10.3 miles
FINAL SCORE 📸 Pics: 1,929 👣 Steps: 337,700 🏁 Miles: 153.78 (we averaged 9.6 miles per day, every day, for 16 days) 🇯🇵 “Nihongo jōzu!”: 4 (I know more proficient Japanese speakers are insulted, but it's honestly a pretty nice comment when you're at my level) 👶 Comments on how young we look/how we can’t possibly be celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary: 3 ✨ Gratitude: Infinite.
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2023.06.09 19:01 Morgellons-Live "What Are Drugs And Supplements?" article by Aajonus Vonderplanitz

"What Are Drugs And Supplements?
Drugs are industrial chemicals combined in different ways to create a change in bodily conditions. Industrial chemicals have no relationship to nourishment. Nourishment grows, maintains and renews the body every moment that food passes through our digestive tracts. As food passes through, usually in 24 hours, bacteria digest and release nutrients in the food that gives us energy, vitality and bodily stability, that is homeostasis.
Drugs cannot create homeostasis. In fact, they create the opposite. They create disease and suffering. If we were to try and live on medication and supplements without food, we would quickly become ill and die. Even eating ultra-processed foods can quickly make us sick and diseased as proved in the documentary "Supersize Me". In the film, the subject ate nothing but McDonalds "wholesome" food for 30 days. He gained about 30 pounds, diabetic symptoms, depression and anxiety in just 30 days.
ALL supplements are chemically derived even if they are from food sources. In order to isolate a nutrient from food, heat and industrial solvents must be utilized. In "natural" supplements, kerosene, kerosene-derivatives and/or ethyl alcohol are used. Although they are considered natural, they are highly toxic, and to varying degrees damage animal/human cells. Kerosene, ethyl alcohol and other industrial processes are used to dissolve food from which substances will be extracted and negatively alter those substances sought.
Do we think that rinsing it will eliminate the solvents or are they etched into food molecules and sub-particles? What chemicals are formed with the interaction of the solvents and food? Would we soak our food in kerosene or ethyl alcohol for 30 minutes, rinse it for 30-45 seconds and eat it? That is a mild scenario of the industrial process. Laboratories usually soak food for 6-10 hours to dissolve it and rinse for 30-180 seconds.
Then they use various industrial processes to isolate parts of the dissolved food that they will sell as nutrients. All nutrients are complex. Once nutrient-complexes are separated, they no longer function as holistic nutrients, causing accumulation of fragmented nutrient-parts and imbalances. That does not include the kerosene or alcohol contamination within the so-called "nutritional" supplements. Deformed fragment and solvent toxicity accumulates, causing great imbalances on cellular levels.
In order for a company to grow and process foods to isolate and extract so-called concentrated "nutrients", they would have to produce at least 20 supplements to gain a profit. They would have to isolate at least 20 separate "nutrients" that they can package and sell in order to profit.
If, for instance, a company produced only 1 supplement from a specific food that they grew, one bottle or even one pill would cost about $1000 yet still not be truly natural and complete.
Vitamin E For example, how many units of vitamin E are in one ear of corn to make one low-dose vitamin E capsule containing 100 I.U.? If the company and lab are very very lucky, they might derived 50 I.U. from one ear of corn, that is only 1/2 capsule. The average cost to grow one ear of corn is 50 cents.
First, let's take a brief look at vitamin E. Vitamin E from food sources is listed as "d-alpha- tocopherol" on food packaging and supplement labels. Synthetic (laboratory-made) vitamin E is listed as "dl-alpha-tocopherol". Some food-sourced vitamin E supplements provide other forms that are vitamin E-related, such as gamma-tocopherol, tocotrienols, and mixed tocopherols. They constitute the vitamin E complex. All of those must be present to utilize vitamin E efficiently to accomplish the many things that our bodies perform with it. Some people take large doses because they believe or hope that doing so will keep them healthy or lower their risk of certain diseases.
The myth is that we have to derive vitamin E from food or supplemental sources. The truth is that our bodies create vitamin E from completely raw natural fats through healthy natural bacterial processing during digestion. If digestion is healthy and uncontaminated, during digestion, our bodies' intestinal bacteria not only fractionate food molecules but redesign them, including the production of vitamin E. Cooking, processing and chemically treating food destroys creative bacteria in our intestines, causing massive deficiencies such as vitamin E. Consequently, absence of vitamin E causes oxidization and other toxic substances that result in symptoms of aging.
Returning to vitamin E manufacturing, the wastes remaining from "natural" supplemental processes are 99.9999% of the corn. Waste is voluminous and very expensive as well as harmful to environments. Therefore to be profitable a company and/or lab making the vitamin must find other uses for all of that waste. Most food manufacturers sell waste as animal feed that will grow inferior and diseased animals for meat, diary and eggs. All animals have grown and been vital on their natural raw diets, disease-free for millions of years. As Hippocrates stated, let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. Processed chemicallized fodder is not a natural diet to any creature.
In "natural" supplement-manufacturing what actually happens is, a well-meaning person representing a company approaches representatives at laboratories and asks for bids or estimates for cost of producing an "all natural" vitamin supplement. The lab wants the work. The representative tells the company representative that they will produce an "all natural" supplement in which they will not add or use any thing that is not a natural substance. Usually, no one knows that ethyl alcohol and kerosene will be used since they are "natural" solvents.
Most supplemental companies do not grow or utilize raw food from which they derive their "natural" supplements. To make products viable and profitable for both parties, the lab goes to food- manufacturers and buys their waste. Food- manufacturers sell their waste (already chemically and industrially processed with thousands of chemicals) to the lab. The lab dissolves the waste without adding new chemicals that are not "natural". They use the "natural" solvents mentioned above: ethyl alcohol, kerosene and/or kerosene derivative. They label their supplements "All Natural". NO SUPPLEMENT IS TRULY NATURAL, ORGANIC AND BIOACTIVE.
Now, let's consider the composition of synthetic vitamin E. It is made by combining industrial chemicals completely unrelated to food. They are as able to create real vitamin E as laboratories are able to build an apple from chemicals. It is impossible and ludicrous to make such claims. It simply cannot be done.
In fact, did you know that most synthetic vitamin E is the byproduct of film-developing chemicals? Film-developing chemicals are extremely toxic. They are expensive to contain and dispose of the waste. Sometime in the 1960's a scientist noticed that petroleum-based film-developing fluid waste looked about 70% like vitamin E. Instead of film- developing companies paying enormous costs of waste disposal, they diversified into processing and selling the toxic waste as vitamin E. Ninety-five percent of supplemental vitamin E consumed in the world is, or is very similar to, toxic film- development waste.
Controlling fear and panic during illness (detoxification) Industrial toxins create all illness whether mild or severe diseases. The first thing that should be our concern is not to panic when faced with severe detoxification, even if deforming. Going to a medical or "alternative" doctor will usually result in the same experience, that is, terrorization followed by poisoning. They will terrorize you into believing the worst-case scenario.
They are trained to scare the "living daylight out of you". Literally, that means to scare you senseless and stupid. They will convince you with chemistry nonsense, microbial and auto-immune myths and other horror stories to confuse you into accepting harmful substances or "therapies" whether they be medication or supplements.
Herein, I chose to document and share my grueling experience with you so that if such detoxification happens to you, you do not panic and seek harmful medical help. Since all such detoxifications are the result of industrial toxins accumulated and stored in the body, the cause is never bacterial, fungal, or parasitical. Taking antibiotics may stop the detoxification of stored industrial chemicals but does not remedy the problem.
The problem is that stored industrial toxins cause internal imbalances and damage. Taking an antibiotic adds industrial toxins and causes more harm. In other words, the body simply changes its priority to harnessing and detoxifying the new industrial toxin that is the antibiotic, and suppresses detoxification of the old accumulated and stored industrial chemicals.
Since April 2, 2011 until September 7, 2011, my last annual detoxification from those forced injections and anesthesia caused severe attention deficit disorders when I attempted to write. The area in my brain relating to writing became unresponsive and agitated when I attempted to write complex thoughts. It took me 3-5 times longer to write anything. Consequently, my newsletters have been tardy.
Besides the brain disorder, I suffered shoulder, arm, chest, buttocks, leg and foot detoxification similar to those that occurred for 6 months immediately following the forced anesthesia and injections 19 months ago. Other symptoms I have endured since that time are:
low skin luster with grayish and/or greenish tones especially in legs numbness of feet especially in soles thick callused soles deformed whitish or tarnished toenails, some as thick as 1/8 inch severe increased hair loss on top my head severe reduced ability to neutralize, dissolve and discharge industrial toxins from my skin, causing dryness cellular death and scarring appearance of aging from many dead cells in skin sporadic farsightedness loss of much sensuality, feelings, sexuality and 5 teeth and every time I breath, I smell harsh chemicals even in remote forests. Most of those symptoms are normal indications of "aging". However, that malignant aging is simply the result of industrial contamination gradually destroying cells."
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2023.06.09 16:45 Optimal_Accident_111 AITA/WIBTA for telling on my bosses sons?

Hello my name is Olive (name changed) I'm 31/F from Australia. I am personal house keeper for a well respected doctor and her family and I work 5 days a week. I have been doing this job for about 4 months and always try my best to be kind, friendly, helpful and try my hardest at my job. I look after their dog whilst I'm there, plus house work, letting trades people etc in and continuously pick up and tidy up after her two sons 19 and 21. A few days ago at work while I was on the top level of the house, whilst changing the linens on the bed in the master bedroom I looked out the verandah to see 2 puppies who has escaped their yard and where running willy nilly around in a bushy area next to the river that backs onto the properties, one adult and one young puppy. I panicked as I was very scared they would slip into the river and drown. I ran down the two internal flights of stairs and down 3 more flights of stairs to get to the rivers edge (which is incredibly hard as I am not the smallest woman, quite challenged in the fitness department, with breathing problems, imagine if you will a plump potato with little legs that sounds like a snoring pug while running down three sets of steps made of lose pebbles and wood... not pretty) I hauled ass down there to find I needed to scale a fence and walk through the mud to get to this little pupper and you bet I got him, he was cold, muddy and miserable. I took my jumper off and wrapped him up and carried him back through the mud, over the fence and back up the stairs to the house. One of the boys youngest we will call him A 19/m happened to come outside as I walked into the courtyard head to toe in mud and carrying a shivering dog. Yes I can say he did assist me in getting towels and food for the pup and put a photo of him up in social media to help track down his owner. I had to sit in a jumper which I had to ask numerous for numerous times, that was three times to small and a towel so I could wash my clothes, I bathed, cuddled and comforted this scared lost little soul, until his Dad came to collect him. All within 1.5 hours of the rescue, which was an awesome win! His owner was absolutely frantic and so grateful that his baby was safe and sound, we came to learn he was only just 4 months old. Here's where I'm unsure what to do, after all the antics I finally washed and dried my clothes and got dressed, finished my jobs for the day and went home. After I left the fellow dropped by a lovely bottle of wine as a thank you gift which is so kind of him. However, I wasn't there so I did not recieve it, nor did either of the sons whome where the only people there at the time as my boss and her husband are out of the country, actually tell me anything about it. Although while at work today I did clean up while classes, and remnants of the left overs of the wine. I feel really really hurt that I wasn't even told about it nor was I given a gift that was destined for me. It is a personal choice that I don't drink alcohol, but I would have really enjoyed having a glass as a cheers to the little furry dude who plopped into my life for an hour or so. WIBTA if I messaged my boss to let her know her sons basically stole my thank you gift?? Thanks in advance (sorry it was so long winded)
EDIT 1 FOR CLARIFICATION:
I only found out about the gift after I was messaged from the owner thanking me and telling me to enjoy it for helping them.
The older dog took off when I called out and was able to make its way home whereas the younger dog was down further on the side of the incline and unable to make its way up to where it's canine companion was. I would have gone after both if I was physically able but unfortunately I couldn't I'm just glad everyone was safe.
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