--- Table of Contents ---
Summer 4986, 15 Akamoth
Shaloon left the Firewyrm with the journeymen, tired and literally drained but smiling since she was allowed to help them feed and clean the animal specimens. Before continuing down the hall, the Archmage turned back to the small stable. She sighed as the Firewyrm hissed at one of the specimens for crowding too close to the bucket of meat she was dishing out to them. She was like a mother chastising over-eager toddlers. Shaloon’s lips curled in a sneer, her words slipping out in a growl of mixed languages, “Appropriate. Might as well be, her samples allowed for their evolution…”
“Archmage?” Journeyman Brom looked up from bottling the Firewyrm's blood. Fool, he would know all the words she'd said… But what sentence structure had she used? She couldn’t remember and hadn’t noticed. She walked away, having been talking to herself anyway.
She walked up the spiral stairs to the larger labs on the ground floor, the laughter of the Firewyrm ringing in her ears. Perhaps mother wasn’t the right word. The girl didn’t see them as children but as something else… “toys,” treasures.
She didn’t bother to knock before entering one of two main labs on the ground floor, and Morndancer didn’t bother to look up from his book, “We need purer samples.” she stated, leaning on the doorframe and crossing her arms to look down on him in the sunken room.
Morndancer snorted, “And where do you expect to find them? We have the Firewyrm.”
Shaloon growled, not looking forward to having this argument again. “She is tainted. Her samples mix on a molecular level, and the spell that changed her…”
“She is our greatest success!” Morndancer slammed his book closed, turning wide, mad, eyes on Shaloon, “You don’t think I tried to make something pure? Something complete? Do you have any idea how many priceless samples and artifacts we wasted before creating something that could actually survive? They are the closest things we have to true-”
“And yet, instead of focusing on replicating them, we waste our time trying to breed the beast out of animals!” Shaloon shouted then cursed, pushing roughly off the door frame, “I have sent to the central Talon and requested pure samples. They will be here in a month.”
“A month…” Morndancer mouthed, then his face twisted, “You sent for them over a season ago and are just now telling me? Why not cut your way there yourself if you are that eager to split our efforts?”
Shaloon turned her nose up at that. She had been transferred here, to this frozen backwater Talon, because she was one of the few Archmages able to cut a hole through space and teleport through the outer planes. She had allowed the transfer because she'd wanted to experiment with this man. What a disappointment. He'd been the greatest mind in the central Talon, making the most substantial progress seen since the extinction. But he refused to continue that line of study, and was now starting to ignore the last fifteen years of experiments here.
“You won’t even let me use the wyvern. It’s been cloistered away in caves for the last two and a half years while you ramble about gods and Chosen…”
“I saw one, Shaloon!” he shouted, jumping to his feet and knocking his book to the ground. Shaloon gasped, rushing down the steps for the book. Picking it up, she held the priceless tome to her chest as if cradling a crying child. “The Talons must shift their focus,” Morndancer paced around the room in circles, talking more to himself than to her, “If there is one, then there will be more. The wyrms gave them the power to reach across the planes. They will be the key. The children will create their own brood…”
Reverently Shaloon placed the book back on its pedestal and turned for the door. Morndancer had finally tipped over the edge. It was the inevitable fate of anyone who exposed their minds to the type of magic they studied. And he had reached deeper than any other. The human mind wasn't meant to converse with the forces that granted their power. She would fall too, eventually.
“But until then…” she turned back to the pacing Archmage, “The samples will be here in a month, escorted by Journeyman Karlo,”
Morndancer finally looked up, "Karlo will never advance past Journeyman, He's halfway to the Outerplains already."
Shaloon smirked, "Aren't we all?" and left the lab.
***
Veon-Zih cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders while he stood in line at the docks. Waiting patiently to present his papers to the guard signing off on the passengers disembarking from Oane. A second guard passed him, heading for a wagon to inspect the goods. The enlisted men looked tense, going through the papers and goods with more focus and efficiency than they usually would, A Paladin officer hovering over them, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and silver armor gleaming in the sun.
Veon-Zih smiled at the Paladin, handing his papers to the enlisted but speaking with the knight, “As much as I appreciate your inspired diligence, Sir, this would go so much faster if you didn’t have them checking and double-checking each signature three times over.”
“Proper procedure is key in keeping us safe, Mr…” he trailed off, looking toward the soldier who flipped to the front of the Monk's massive book to show his name, “Vee… ohn… Zee… ha?”
Close enough, “That it is good Sir. Carry on.” there was no point in arguing with Paladins over proper procedures. Even when it hampered efficiency.
Behind him, the wagon driver shifted nervously as the soldier began asking questions while perusing his trade logs. “I, um… Mr. Karlo?” Veon-Zih glanced over his shoulder as the driver stuttered. The portly man breathed an audible sigh of relief as a second man hopped from the wagon and addressed the soldier. This man was tall, or at least appeared to be, with his head stretched high and back held too stiff, his long straight robe seemed to give his slender body further length. But strangest was how he moved, in snaps and jerks, his head twitching back and forth as he spoke in a whisper to the guard.
“That’s not at all suspicious…” Veon-Zih muttered, taking his papers back from his own soldier and stepping out of the way of the line. Those who had gone before him had already disappeared into the port city, and those behind moved forward to take his place, passing the wagon to reach the free guard.
The driver had the unmistakable look of a merchant, with pouches lining his belt and his guild's badge displayed on his left breast. He should've crossed the straight to Clearhelm many times over as an apprentice before going solo. And yet, he'd stuttered nervously and deferred to his passenger, who was clearly not of the Merchants Guild. Most likely a Mage based on his robe's lack of a religious emblem.
Veon-Zih narrowed his eyes at the strange man as he passed over his papers. The book was nearly as thick as his own, though it bulged with the thickness. Either the Mage hadn’t updated the cover despite the increased pages or…
Veon-Zih cleared his throat, getting the Paladin’s attention, and gestured with his chin towards the wagon. The Paladin looked him over for a moment, his brow furrowed, then glanced towards the wagon. He had no reason to trust Veon-Zih but Paladins were not ordinary soldiers. If there was reason to worry, Hengist would urge him to look for the signs.
The guard shifted his weight just enough to turn his back to the Paladin before opening the book. Veon-Zih sighed, watching the man move. He wasn’t just turning pages. His arm pulled too far back rather than to the side. Most likely slipping something into his coat. The Paladin might not have been able to see, but he'd already caught the scent that something wasn’t right here and started forward, placing his hand on the guard’s shoulder.
“Everything seems to be in order, Sir…” the guard had a superb poker face, a sure sign he'd taken bribes before. He handed the Mage back his papers and turned to wave the wagon on.
Veon-Zih stepped forward just as the Paladin held out his hand to stop the driver. “Headed for the Mages Guild, perhaps?” Veon-Zih asked curiously, trying to sound innocent.
The Mage twitched violently, turning stunning purple eyes on Veon-Zih, “Yes. Very important samples…” he spoke slowly, as if he needed to consider each word before saying them out loud.
“Then why not take a gate?” Veon-Zih chuckled, “I’ve been across this fine kingdom of Daanlan many times over, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wagon carrying Mage goods…” he tapped his own impressive book of papers against his leg, demonstrating his experiential authority on the matter. “What about you, Sir Knight?” he asked the Paladin, ceding control back to the Temple representative.
“Your papers,” the Paladin ordered, holding his hand out for the Mage's book. The Mage nearly vibrated with the speed of his twitching. The driver blanched but swallowed, keeping silent. Though it was his wagon. The Mage handed over his papers again, but then the Paladin added an order to the soldier, “Open the crates.”
The Mage’s eyes bulged, as the soldier he'd bribed moved towards the cart. Veon-Zih and the Mage both stared as the guard climbed into the wagon, opening the nearest crate without removing it. He nodded at the contents then closed the crate again. He had definitely accepted smuggling bribes before.
“Hold, good man…” Veon-Zih called. The guard glared at Veon-Zih, and the Monk grinned. If looks could kill…
“Sir.” the guard said indignantly to the Paladin as though the knight should be offended that Veon-Zih had inserted himself into this business. The Paladin, however, just frowned, waving the man down and nodding to Veon-Zih. Something in the knight's gut insisted that the Monk was to be trusted, and Veon-Zih’s grin widened as he approached the wagon.
Digging past some bottles labeled "griffin blood", he found what was making the driver so nervous, “Scales… dragon scale.” a nearly impossible-to-find, and highly restricted, magical component. Their owners having gone extinct millennia ago.
The Paladin growled, “All of you will come with me. Now.” he snapped the papers closed, shoving them under his arm and turning on his heel towards the Temple.
The Mage hissed like a snake, his arms coming up and black fire shooting from his splayed fingers toward the Paladin’s back. Veon-Zih grabbed the side of the wagon, swinging around it and sliding along the ground, he kicked the Mage's feet out from under him. The Mage tumbled backward, his fire barely licking the Paladin’s blue cape before going out.
The Paladin turned, reaching for his sword, but the Mage had blinked, disappearing before he hit the ground and reappearing ten feet away. “Damn magic users…” Veon-Zih jumped to his feet as the Mage began to chant, his arms becoming wreathed in shadow.
The guard who had inspected Veon-Zih’s papers drew his short sword and started for the Mage. A good man. Stupid. But his heart was in the right place.
Tentacles sprouted from where the Mage’s arms had been, twitching and writhing with the same jerky movements of the man himself. Veon-Zih sprinted forward, trying to close the distance and distract from the guard.
The Mage attacked, sending one tentacle out to strike Veon-Zih, who ducked, throwing his arm up to deflect the living whip. It shouldn’t have hurt this much. Veon-Zih blocked the pain, rolling forward. He needed to get to striking distance before…
The guard screamed, flailing his sword and cutting right through the second tentacle. As if made of smoke, the tentacle broke and reformed behind the swing, smacking the guard solidly on the head. The guard’s helmet flew off, and he dropped to the ground, clutching the side of his face. The skin between his fingers was black and blistering with red pustules.
Veon-Zih reached the Mage, striking up at the man’s chest as he stood, smacking him with the palm of his hand and knocking the wind from his lungs and spell from his lips. Lifting his foot high into the air, Veon-Zih slammed his heel down on the Mage's shoulder, sending him crumbling to the ground.
The Mage hit the stone hard, some of the cobbles breaking loose and flying into the air. His tentacled arms continued to writhe, whipping back and forth behind Veon-Zih, attacking the prone guard again as if on their own.
The Mage laughed. Giggled like a young child, his head lolling to the side, eyes staring at nothing.
Veon-Zih was forced to dodge a tentacle again, this time careful not to touch it. His arm still stung where it had burned through his clothes to reach his skin. Veon-Zih gauged the power needed to knock the man out without killing him. The Temple would want to question him. His fist hadn’t yet hit when the Mage screamed and thrashed. Veon-Zih turned to see the Paladin, sword drawn and glowing with a brilliant blue-white light, standing between the Mage's tentacles and his fallen guard. On the ground at his feet, twitched the end of one tentacle before dissolving into smoke.
The second tentacle whipped forward, thrusting like a spike to stab the knight. But the Paladin calmly cut through it, channeling the divine power of Hengist through his sword to split the tentacle down the middle. The Mage screamed again, then went quiet as Veon-Zih bopped him soundly on the base of his skull.
***
Shaloon burst through the door to Morndancer’s private rooms. The magical door made of starry night slammed into the wall and rattled the mirror across the way. “Something’s wrong.”
“Of course something is wrong,” Morndancer said absently, scratching the chin of the otherworldly pseudodragon draped over his wardrobe, “The world is being reborn, and all we can do is watch.”
“No.” she didn’t have time for his new nihilism, “Journeyman Karlo, we need to find him.”
Morndancer, for once, didn’t argue. He moved to the mirror, placing one hand in the center and holding his other out to Shaloon. She fished in her robes, pulling out a small jar, and upended it into his palm. A piece of flesh flopped into the Archmage's palm, and he closed his fingers around it, chanting softly.
The image in the mirror wavered out from his fingers as if made of water, and when it calmed again, they saw two men on its surface. A Paladin and an old man in lowly peasant garb with a shaved head. “It’s him…” Shaloon whispered.
Morndancer was more focused on the Paladin, “He’s been captured. What do they know…”
The Paladin held his helm under his arm and seemed to be watching them as he surveyed Karlo. “That was like no arcane magic I’ve ever seen before, Master Veh-oan-Zith. What kind of Mage casts spells like that?”
The Monk’s lip twitched in the merest hint of a smile, but it disappeared a moment later when he covered his chin with his hand, stroking it in thought. “The Warlock kind good Sir…”
“That’s enough,” Shaloon said with a sigh. Morndancer nodded, opening his hand and holding the lump of flesh out to her. Her shoulders slumped for a moment, another researcher lost… She draped her fingers loosely over Karlo's flesh and, with a word, set it alight with black flame.
***
“A Warlock, Master Monk? In Clearhelm?” the Paladin sounded horrified. Veon-Zih wished the knight would try and say his name again, just to add a little bit of levity to the solemn moment.
“I’m afraid so. This will be the third time I've faced one, and their magic is not one you forget,” Veon-Zih answered.
The twitchy Warlock was restrained in the center of the room, eyes open but mind far away. It appalled the Paladin how easily the man had almost gotten away with smuggling into his province, doubly so now that he knew the nature of the man’s magic. “He will be questioned thoroughly. Would you like to be present when-”
The Warlock screamed, struggling against his bonds. The Paladin reached for his sword and Veon-Zih dropped into a fighting stance but both had to shield their eyes a moment later as the Warlock burst into black flames from the inside. His eyes shriveled and burned, the flames licking out the sockets and catching his hair alight as his mouth continued to scream forth black fire.
The Paladin recovered enough to begin chanting some kind of healing or disenchanting spell but not fast enough. In mere seconds, the Warlock’s arms fell free from their bonds as they dissolved into ash, followed a moment later by the rest of his body. Leaving only the scorched chair, loose chains, and a pile of ash where once the man had been.
***
“We don’t know how much they learned,” Morndancer stated, turning accusing eyes on Shaloon.
Shaloon looked away, “They won’t find us.”
“You’re right.” Morndancer turned his back on her, “We are leaving. Make the arrangements.”
***
“They're still here then…” General Rasnah stood, looking out the window of her office towards the setting sun, clasping her wrists behind her back.
It had taken Veon-Zih a few weeks to reach Smilnda from the port city of Gehdran, though Rasnah had received the report of the Warlock incident much sooner, the same day in fact, through the Mages Guild mirrors. “Any new information?” Veon-Zih asked, moving to stand beside her. He'd returned to visit Shon in Hamerfoss, but would delay if necessary.
“No,” Rasnah sighed, “I've sent word to my counterparts in Oane and to the kingdom, we are trying to trace the man’s papers and cargo, but it will take time. They've covered their tracks well, probably have been for years.”
“At least thirty…” Veon-Zih muttered, turning away from the window and Rasnah. He took the seat in front of her desk with a road-weary sigh. “Why is it, my dear Rasnah, that you must tease me so?” he asked playfully.
Rasnah managed a laugh, “What?”
“Almost every time I come to Smilnda, something exciting seems to be brewing and then,” he snapped his fingers, “gone. We haven’t heard anything of these Warlocks for over five years, and just when I start to give up hope, bam, wyvern! I don’t suppose you killed it while I was away?”
Rasnah snorted another little laugh, finally turning away from the sunset and taking her seat behind her desk, “Please don’t remind me of the wyvern. It's been two years with no sightings, and Daunas still hasn’t stopped asking to hunt it with every report.”
“Does he want to avenge his father that badly?”
“How is it vengeance when Mung killed that one himself?”
“I wouldn’t think someone Daunas’s age would still be seeking glory…” Veon-Zih stroked his chin in thought, “He’s not much better than you 'retired' lot.”
Rasnah leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers together, and finally gave him a real smile, “He works harder now than he ever did on the road. Us too, truth be told…”
“If you’re trying to convince me to join you again, you’re doing a very poor job of it,” Veon-Zih said, returning her smile. He didn’t want to return her mind to the serious issue at hand, but her’s wasn’t the only mind it was plaguing, “Now we have more Warlocks… possibly the same group. Are they going to disappear again? How many years before Smildna decides to dangle a true adventure under my nose once more?”
“Perhaps it’s a sign, my old, old... ooold friend. Perhaps these are adventures for the next generation.”
“Pah,” Veon-Zih waved that idea down as fast as he could, “I would rather not leave a mess for those coming behind. Besides, they aren’t ready.”
“They get closer every day, V. Don’t blink. As soon as you do, Shon will be Oath Sworn and off to hunt wyverns and Warlocks of his very own.”
Veon-Zih leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “How’s he doing, Rasnah?” It had been a year and a half since Shon had transferred to Hamerfoss for training. Veon-Zih had tried to visit at least once a season, and the jumps in his skills seemed outstanding. Yet something still nagged at the back of Veon-Zih's mind. Was he still disappointed the boy hadn’t chosen the Monk path?
“You’re headed there next, see for yourself,” Rasnah answered shortly, though she also pulled a drawer open.
“Humor me,” Veon-Zih said, but she already was. She didn’t even have to look for the folder, showing him clearly she'd been ready for this very conversation. Before they'd been distracted by internally combusting Warlocks.
She didn’t pass over the file, such breaches of privacy were strictly against protocols, but she did leaf through it herself. “He gets top marks in combat, particularly with ambidextrous weapons and anything that requires finesse over brute strength. His lecture grades are also high, though he struggles with decorum and etiquette. His armor scores are honestly abysmal. Though I’m not sure the blame for that lies with him…” still facing the paper, she glared up at Veon-Zih with just her eyes.
“Well…” Veon-Zih rubbed the back of his neck under that accusatory stare, “He won’t have a problem if ambushed in the bath…”
That got another little snort of laughter out of the Paladin, who closed the file, “If you want anything more personal, you'll have to ask him yourself.”
Veon-Zih nodded. He just hoped Shon had made at least a few real friends since his last visit.
***
"How?" Veon-Zih gaped open-mouthed at Shon while the other Squires tried to stifle their snickers around him, “How did you get injuries from dancing?!”
Shon let go of his dance partner’s hands, and the boy stuck his fingers under his arms as if to warm them from a winter chill. Weary blue eyes turned to Veon-Zih for only a moment before Shon looked away, his cheeks pink. One cheek was bandaged with a thick square of cloth taped in place. His rolled-up sleeves showed the ends of more bandages on his right arm, and he flinched as he rubbed his ribs nervously. Were those hurt too?
“Well, Squire? Answer the man…” Daunas called from a bench against the wall of the fortress courtyard. The Weaponmaster leaned back, his hands laced behind his head, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He maintained that dancing was for nobles and Paladins and wasn’t the one giving this lesson. Though he'd chosen to come watch regardless.
Shon mumbled something inaudible then turned away to resume dancing. His partner shook his hands out before reaching for Shon, but Daunus called out again, “What was that, Squire? Something about you taking hits on purpose?”
Shon’s eye twitched, and the boys around him tried to smother their laughter, “I won, didn't I?!” Shon called to the Weaponmaster, who snickered. The boys stopped laughing at that. They were the ones he was defeating.
The Paladin giving the dance lesson, gasped, “Squire, push-ups. Now.” Shon saluted sharply and dropped in place to perform the punishment for his rudeness. Daunas laughed louder. “The rest of you get back to work. One two, one two, leaders, don’t let your followers take control. They had their turn earlier…”
Veon-Zih made his way to Daunas’s bench, plopping heavily down on it, “The Cleric?” Veon-Zih asked the Weaponmaster, who was still smiling, though he had closed his eyes to take in the sun while it lasted. Autumn was right around the corner.
“We told him last week they weren’t going to heal anything he could've prevented himself.” Daunas explained, “Your boy has a nasty habit of taking a non-fatal hit if it means he gets the win. Which he always does. But it’s a bad habit.”
“Stubborn…” Veon-Zih muttered, watching Shon jump back to his feet to resume the dance lesson. His partner flinched at Shon's touch but started to dance without further complaint. The boys spun in well-timed circles, some stepping on feet, others pulling a little too hard, but mostly doing well. Shon had the steps down perfectly but looked stiff, like a golem going through programming. Not really feeling the music flowing from the open box beside the teacher still giving the count.
“He’s your boy." Daunas snorted out another laugh at Veon-Zih’s expense, "Sure he’s not a blood relation?” The Monk chose to ignore the insinuation and seeing he wasn’t going to get a reaction from Veon-Zih, Daunus continued, “He really is a great fighter, but he’ll need to be better with plate if he wants to keep taking hits like that.”
“You can hardly move in plate,” Veon-Zih argued, annoyed. Daunas just shrugged, so Veon-Zih leaned back with him, resting his back on the curtain wall’s cool stones, “How about everything else? Has he opened up at all?”
Daunas sighed, “In his own way. He doesn't -not- get along with anyone, and the others seem to like him well enough. But he’s quiet that one, would rather watch and listen than participate during free time, and that's assuming he's not outside practicing! He’s started helping the ones that are falling behind in combat training. It works out. He hardly uses the time he gets off anyway, and before you accuse me of taking advantage, it was his idea. I asked, and he said if they needed extra training, he might as well join them. But before you get too proud, their friendship outside the extra practice seems the same as all the others.”
So nothing had changed. Veon-Zih sighed, was there even a point in wanting Shon to make friends like a 'normal' boy? This was his normal, and if he was happy, then why encourage something different? "I suppose if it isn't harmful..." Veon-Zih whispered.
The hour bell sounded, and the Paladin closed the music box, leaving the deep rings to fill the suddenly silent air as the Squires all snapped to attention. He waited until the last bell faded before calling “Dismissed!” Almost as one, the sixteen boys sagged in relief, laughing and joking with one another as they began their first hour of free time before dinner.
Veon-Zih pushed off the wall and started for Shon. The other Squires smiled and waved or saluted greetings towards him, and he smiled and nodded in response, his feet never wavering from their path.
“Damn Shon, I swear you’ve gotten colder…” Shon’s dance partner said with a smile, rubbing his hands together. Shon just shrugged, and the boy laughed, “See you at dinner then,” before he rushed off to join some of the others heading towards the fortress proper.
Shon turned, then, spotting Veon-Zih, looked away again. Reaching him, Veon-Zih crossed his arms and arched a questioning eyebrow, waiting for the young man to look up. Shon was almost as tall as Veon-Zih now, just a few more inches, and he would overshoot his Master. That didn’t stop him from sounding small as he muttered a soft “Sorry…”
“Are you really?” Veon-Zih asked, keeping his eyebrow up.
Shon looked up, a stubborn glint in his ice-blue eyes, “They never know what to do when a blow actually lands. It ends the fights fast.”
“So you end one fight, but what about the next? Or the one after that? How many little blows do you think you can take before you fall?” Veon-Zih didn’t yell, and Shon would've heard it all from Daunas already, but it was different coming from his Master. He ran his hand through his hair, cut regulation short so not at all in his face, looking truly ashamed for the first time.
“Sorry…”
Veon-Zih sighed, taking Shon by the shoulder, “Don’t be sorry, be better.” Shon just nodded, so Veon-Zih gave him a little shake and a smile, “What about life in general? Still enjoying the military?”
Shon’s smile was as small and subtle as ever, but to Veon-Zih, it lit up his face. Shon nodded, “It’s easy and organized. I wish the Church had been so structured. As long as everyone does what they're supposed to when they're supposed to, it’s perfect.”
Veon-Zih threw his head back and laughed. By the time he looked back down, Shon was staring at him, his eyebrow arched in question. “Shon… you were born to be a Paladin.” Veon-Zih answered.
--- Table of Contents ---
Thank you for reading.

Now that my 4 year old HP Pavilion Ryzen 5 3500U CPU and Vega 8 Graphics laptop is starting to fall apart, I am currently picking the parts for my first pc build for productivity/streaming/gaming. However, I am having trouble choosing which GPU to buy. I have researched the best I could, but the many online debates between team red and team green and the discussions of NVIDIA's overpriced GPUs has left me unsure about my GPU choice.
Here is the build that I have in mind:
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/rgMszf

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i5-13500 2.5 GHz 14-Core Processor	$325.95 @ shopRBC
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 White ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$72.90 @ Amazon Canada
Motherboard	MSI PRO B760-P WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$204.99 @ Amazon Canada
Memory	TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$72.98 @ Amazon Canada
Storage	2x Crucial P3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	2x $61.99 @ PC-Canada
Video Card	Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card	$809.50 @ Vuugo
Case	Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case	$139.99 @ Memory Express
Power Supply	Corsair CX650M (2021) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$104.50 @ Vuugo
Monitor	BenQ MOBIUZ EX2510S 24.5" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz Monitor	$333.74 @ Best Buy Canada
TOTAL		$2188.53 CAD

Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2023-06-02 21:46 EDT-0400
I am making a build that is primarily orientated for productivity purposes while being able to live stream some of the games I play. In terms of productivity, the relevant benchmarks I primarily use are Blender, Adobe Premier Pro, Photoshop and Illustrate (note: Davinci Resolve has recently piqued my interest so I have tried adjusting my parts to fit the needed system requirements in case I do install it). Gaming wise, I want to be able to livestream the games I play in high or ultra 1080p. In the list, the BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S is a used one which I already bought from a friend who recently upgraded to a 1440p monitor. Most of the games I play are fighting games like Guilty Gear Strive and Granblue Fantasy Versus, games like Warframe and the Monster Hunter series and indie games that do not require much from my 4 year old Hp Pavilion with a Ryzen 5 3500U CPU and Vega 8 Graphics. However, since I'm building a new pc, I do want to be able to both stream and play the more beefier benchmark games like God of War, Elden Ring and also the upcoming Armored Core 6 on 1080p High-Ultra settings. I don't care about Ray Tracing, I just want to experience smooth gameplay without having to reduce the game's resolution and without picking the lowest graphics settings.
From what I understand about the two main GPU companies, NVIDIA cards are better for productivity and have better encoding for streaming while AMD cards offer better gaming experience at a better price. The RTX 4070 was picked in my list for its performance and the fact that it is a NVIDIA card suitable for productivity/streaming/gaming. However, the 4070 goes for $800 CAD while only having 12GB RAM (but then again, it is considered to be the best performance value among NVIDIA's 40s series cards). On AMD's side, many online have recommended the 6800xt over the 4070 for its 16GB RAM while being within a similar price range. Some have also mentioned that AMD's encoding is starting to get better, but I do not know if this information is credible. But, the consensus online is that since I am making build focusing on productivity, NVIDIA seems to be the better graphics card choice.
However, as mentioned before, the 4070's price has got me considering buying the RTX 3060 instead. While the 4070 does perform way better then the 3060, the latter is more budget friendly and prices at $450 CAD, has 12GB RAM like the 4070 and is recommended by many as a good performance/value for 1080p, which seems to be a good fit for my Mobiuz EX2510S. I have also seen on the Canadian Newegg store that the MSI 3060s are going through a price drop which makes it even more appealing than the 4070: https://www.newegg.ca/p/pl?d=3060 . I also saw the news of NVIDIA releasing a 4060ti 16GB in July, but after seeing the failure of the recent 8GB variant and the backlash online, I don't even know if the 16GB 4060ti should even be considered as a choice. While I do plan on upgrading to a 1440p setup, I don't think that will be happening in the near future.
TL;DR, the 3060 is slowly convincing me to be my final GPU choice for my productivity/streaming/gaming PC build due to its pricing and overall positive 1080p performance among users online. My concerns are: is the 3060 is still viable for productivity/streaming/gaming in 2023? or should I just straight up buy the 4070 for its recency and better performance? Or should I pick a god and pray for the 4060ti 16GB success? Or should I consider buying a AMD card or even Intel's affordable A770 with 16GB RAM?
Thank you all in advance for the feedback, and take care o7.

This term is not known well enough for how omnipotent the application of it is in instances of media, films, politics, even daily personal interactions. I will offer some examples of what I refer to as a "chin-tickle" being demonstrated.
First I will explain, the idea of this term is that something of real world relevance is being conveyed in an unclear format that often involves "double-speak" or suggests upon a variety of potentially valid interpretations, though aside from misinforming the viewer with a confusing format there is also the intention of condescending them for failing to comprehend the hidden kernel of truth that resides within the confusing subject matter.
In other words, by "chin-ticking" someone, you are essentially toying around with their boundaries of perception / recognition by metaphorically slapping them in the face (or else, tickling their chin) with something that they might otherwise be able to perceive yet are failing to do so because of their own ignorance / incompetence.
For instance, the "chin-tickle" being applied here, "Why can't we just abolish daylight savings time?" is a demeaning reference to the fact that the 24 hour daily cycle of time passage has been significantly reduced gradually over the last however many years. So that is to say, in other words, daylight savings HAS ALREADY been abolished (in a sense) ... however, those readers / viewers that are too ignorant to perceive the kernel of truth here are doomed to have their chin tickled over the matter of the subtle relevance of the statement having gone over their head.
I have measured this myself, actually. Instead of 24 hours there now is less than 16 hours of time passage per day. This is a fact, I have confirmed this myself. Otherwise I find that this should already be apparent for many reasons, most of all for people that have been alive since before the year 2000, to note.
Other examples might go something like, "Being a celebrity / a leader / the president / a hero ain't all you'd imagine it to be ..." (as in to hint at what happens to all those who become celebrities of some field by some means & quite literally are duped into "selling themselves to 'The Devil' for stardom", which indeed does cost them their actual life / freedom / happiness in most cases); or "Technology is not my / your / our friend ..." (as in to hint at how most applications for more advanced technology are clearly not aimed at serving the people in a vital promising way, even though there are countless applications of mediocre technology that seemingly serve the common person on a daily basis to their liking); it might even be something quite vague & broadly suggestive, like a random news story or trivial post titled "There is NO WAY any of this is actually real ..." (as in to hint at the risible nature of our whole modern world & its functions, at a glance; although the actual contents of the story / post may have nothing to do with that particular subject matter.
As you can see, it doesn't even have to be the opposite of what you really mean (such as in the case of classical sarcasm -- calling someone Einstein after they bungle something or responding to something immediately obvious by sarcastically remarking, "no, really?" -- it can rather be a simple matter of underplaying the significance / relevance of the given subject matter. Especially in the case of broader grand scheme relevance. Perhaps you're familiar with the common saying, "Money is the root of all evil ...", which ultimately refers to the enormous relevance of this idea over the scheme of all human history. Money IS evil, to humans. It is essentially the bait that supplies the hook with an attractive quality from the fish's perspective, so that the fisherman can get the fish to bite at its own expense. Similarly, money was invented in the first place with the sole intention of gaining control over all human interest to where they could virtually MAKE people want certain things they never would have otherwise been interested in.
It is pretty embarrassing for the human race how much those in power are able to get away with, in terms of flippant deception / misinformation. Another common chin-tickle might be demonstrated as, "the government is NOT able to control everything that goes on, especially with international affairs ...", (notice how that is obviously the opposite of the actual truth, yet still might pass as convincing enough to gain the belief of the modern person in American culture).
If you are wise to the way the world actually operates it can become quite easy to realize when someone (or something) is attempting to tickle your chin with some selective wording or interpretive demonstration of some solicited values or ideals.
To note, a great abundance of modern chin-tickling aims in the direction of loosely inferring upon the overwhelming prevalence of cadaver reanimation (human to drone conversion) in the world today. An example of this might be how Americans are supposedly taken as dumb, brainless, ignorant, naive in some sense of culture or philosophy. The relevance of this in the broadest application is that cadaver reanimation often requires the total removal of the victim's brain organ (dumb, brainless) & has been most rampant in the development of the young American culture only after EVERY other national territory had already fallen victim to a near identical fate (ignorant, naive), though back through whichever time span of world history they happened to suffer it.
Cadaver reanimation was also the most advanced it had ever been during the founding of America & it was most successfully kept hidden from public knowledge even amidst the increasing prevalence of this practice as it ate away at the remaining human cultures on the Earth. In conclusion, America IS the most brainless (their brain organs are removed in order to prevent soft tissue rot once the cadaver is reanimated) & the most ignorant (the people are least of all aware of what is happening to their fellow humans, as they are converted into hollowed-out drone slaves that aren't even living anymore).
Realize the prominence of chin-tickling for yourself! See how often the algorithms that run every single facet of our modern world are working specifically to tickle your chinny-chin-chin! Try thinking twice next time you read something titled, "Russian / Chinese efforts to blah-blah ... Not going to end well for us!"

(From the perspective of vaccine mandates, Hitler was one up on Joe Biden; nevertheless, it must be admitted the Nazis did the right thing for the wrong reason when it came to conquered people because they believed withholding vaccines would result in more deaths among the deplorables.)
" . . . the Nazis didn’t actually issue a vaccine mandate. In fact, Republicans would have found much to like in the Third Reich’s vaccine policy, which was very much in line with their current recommendations: above all, it relaxed requirements for compulsory vaccination that had been in place in Germany for decades at that point, and went with a voluntary approach instead. . ."
(I guess that means if you were a German citizen in the Third Reich, you didn't have to face a no jab/no job policy. Based solely on that, the score is Hitler 1 and Joe Biden 0.
Although the linked article does come to some inaccurate conclusions concerning the true cause of disease and the benefits of vaccines, it is interesting to read.)
https://jacobin.com/2021/09/vaccine-mandates-covid-pandemic-german-nazi-inoculation-policy

Brace yourselves, this is gonna be a long one.
Table of Contents
1…… The Main Goal
2…… What I’m Seeking
3…… Personality
4…… Interests
5…… Physical Characteristics (with pics)
6…… Expectations of You
7…… Living Situation
8…… Deal Breakers
9…… Closing Remarks
(1)
The Main Goal:
Well if you’re browsing this subreddit then much like me, you were alone this weekend and I’m sure you’d like to change that as much as me. I won’t lie, I am going through a rough part of my life right now. It’s difficult for me to find the energy for anything at the moment and I’m just really seeking affection in general, anything that will give me a push. I don’t want to be that person who brings everyone down but I could really use someone to talk to right now. I’d really like to find someone who’s similar to me so much to the point that we do everything together and talk about everything while not having to pretend to be interested. I want someone with whom we can mutually spew our emotions onto and have those feelings reciprocated. Not an emotional punching bag, but an emotional teddy bear to hug and cuddle until everything feels better as many times as we need. There’s people who I’m sure have told you the same, they’ll be there no matter how many times you need the support, no matter how many times the insecurities and bad thoughts come back but they don’t mean it. I will be the exception, I’m not so ignorant to think some nice words and tales of relating to you will magically forever heal whatever ails you then get mad when you seek the same support again. Mental ailments are rarely temporary and I don’t care about someone because they’re perfect, caring about someone means being there no matter how many times they need you to be. It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t get old, and it never will.
(2)
(2.a)
What I'm Seeking:
I will upfront let you know if I’m clicking better with someone else or if you’re the one, I’m not here to tread the sea of fish or keep my options open, I’m here for one singular person.
(2.b)
Relationship:
A relationship is difficult for me right now, it’s been nearly half a year since I got out of my last relationship and the reasons for it ending are partially responsible for how I’ve been feeling and why it’s so hard for me to seek the comfort I so desperately crave. I will tell you about it but for the sake of not treating the entirety of the internet as my therapist, it’ll be in private. I really need the comfort of intimacy and the warmth of someone who cares. I'm not going to feel better if I just sulk and don’t move on. This is my attempt to get better, I’ll admit I’m not great right now and I don’t expect you to be either. If we can help each other heal, then I’d be more than happy :) A relationship isn’t just being there for when someone’s at their best. Even if a relationship is hard at the moment, I do want a life partner and I don’t want to be alone. Things aren’t going to get easier without you so I don’t want to hesitate. I view my other as an equal, I don’t like categorizing us into specific roles. We take care of each other and treat each other how we like to be treated, whatever that is, it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're "successful" or not, living simple lives with our days filled with love is the ultimate measure of success to me.
(3)
Personality:
(3.a)
On the Surface:
As you can tell I can be rather… stoic but that’s largely due to my current stressors, I truthfully am goofy and fun loving but I just can’t find it in me right now. I want to return to that but without someone to light up my world it’s been difficult to just have fun and enjoy stuff. I’m definitely more introverted, you won’t catch me at any parties or really outside at all. I definitely prefer being home though the occasional outing is not out of the question and one day I’d like to travel to other countries because I think that kind of perspective is important.
(3.b)
The Core of My Being:
I like being a spectator to it all and if we bear witness to humanity burning or its miraculous recovery, I want to watch it with you. I enjoy watching humanity advance, less so when it devolves but I want to watch it to the end nonetheless. I’m both a realist and someone who lives with my head in the clouds dreaming of scenarios or worlds that don’t exist. I’m saying that I enjoy a good narrative and can suspend my disbelief to enjoy something but you won’t catch me refusing vaccines or ignoring blatant facts for the sake of some pseudo science or witch doctor’s remedy. I’m an atheist but I do not rule out existence after death, not because I’m agnostic but because due to the nature of potentially infinite time at some point after how many googol years with a googol amount of 0s after that, something’s bound to replicate your consciousness perfectly at some point. It’s actually a really fascinating topic I like talking about. If infinite time and infinite possibilities exist, does non existence exist? Though that’s an awfully existentially dreadful thought process considering the ramifications of infinite existence and infinite possibilities during said infinite existence. I would say I’m confidently left leaning and I don’t think I could truly get along with anyone right leaning, at least America’s definition of right leaning. Left and right seems to have just become; do people deserve to suffer or do they deserve to live good lives? Being political is not something I expected to become but how can you not be when crimes against human rights are being passed on a daily basis and at the end of the day, everything’s political. Oftentimes I imagine the perfect moment as relaxing with my significant other playing games or cuddling in a cold room under blankets.
I value that special someone above all of the existential thoughts, the bad of the world, the good of the world, they practically become my world. So many worries wash away when I’m with them. I don’t know if that’s the defense mechanism my brain created to not feel bad 24/7 but if it is, I’m currently without it.
(3.c)
Insecurities:
I talk of philosophy and politics here but really I spend most of my time just playing games, watching stuff, and trying to not be sleep deprived. I’m also nowhere near as well spoken, heck sometimes I feel like my speech is broken. I won’t claim to be something I’m not, I sit at home while I complain about the world doing nothing about it wishing I had someone here with me. I’m not noble nor do I really want to be, I have morals I uphold but much like most other hypocrites I acknowledge that my comfortable life is built on the suffering of others without doing anything about it. Why? My sleep problems? Am I depressed? Is that why I have no energy to do anything? Do I just think nothing I could do could help? I can’t nail it down myself, maybe it’s a mix of everything, maybe I’m just a bad person. I have always told myself that if I had wealth I would help people but if I get that kind of wealth will I just become a wealth hoarder who tries to justify my riches as something I earned rather than something given to me through incredibly lucky circumstances? If I do help people is it because I’m a good person or out of guilt? Will I die alone? I feel like I drive everyone away with my clinginess, I get paranoid often and need reassurance often. It’s something I want to work on, something I’ve been trying to work on. Hearing that someone cares about me just never gets old. I value self awareness even if it’s painful.
(3.d)
Socializing:
I’m definitely a socially anxious/awkward mess, especially around strangers. I do feel a large amount of anxiety in public, people can’t tell by looking at my face since I kind of go stone faced in an attempt to block everything out but yeah you’ll notice that if we go out in public. Growing up my pediatrician said I was probably autistic, never got a formal diagnosis so that’s just great. But yeah that explains why I can’t make eye contact with people, I kinda just stare at the ground and avoid their gaze at all costs. A lot of these social struggles go away to a great degree once I know you for a bit but yeah I apologize for how terrible I am at socializing at first. Don’t let my social struggles fool you though, I love cuddling and being close with my person.
(3.e)
Sexuality:
I am a heterosexual male, though I’m not very masculine like at all. I may even be a bit feminine sometimes. Not that I believe any activity or manner of acting belongs to a gender but I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m definitely super affectionate and love it when my partner is too. I am open to dating demi people but I do have a libido so I don't think asexual would work out.
(4)
Interests:
(4.a)
Video Games:
As stated before, I do spend a lot of my time playing video games. It’s been hard lately with me having no energy but I really do want to play more games and have a good time playing them with you! I primarily play on PC though I do have a switch. I’m primarily into platform fighters, roguelikes, open world, survival, and sandbox games. As for single player story games, I enjoy watching them through twitch or youtube but for the most part I don’t play them myself. I’d watch you play them though!
Here’s a list of games we can play:
-Minecraft (Java)
-Risk of Rain 2
-Gunfire Reborn
-Roboquest
-7 Days to Die
-Phasmophobia
-Rust
-Unturned
-Bloons TD 6
-Platform fighters: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Slap City, Multiversus, Flash Party, Fraymakers
Whatever you want to play I’ll give it a shot! I will say that League bores me to death but I’ll play it for you :) I try to avoid MMOs, not because I don’t like them but because of how addicted I can get to them. I enjoy learning games in-depth so MMOs can be a fast track to addiction.
I recently got Kerbal Space Program 2 and ehhh not really worth it right now but hopefully later it will be? I’m super excited for Tears of the Kingdom! In the far off future I’m excited for Rivals of Aether 2 which is a platform fighter releasing in 2024, let me know of your most anticipated releases and I’ll see if I could play them with you!
Also I never got into FPS games but I could totally see myself playing like CoD with you or Escape From Tarkov. Any FPS really, I’m down.
I am a fan of Pokemon but with how things have been lately I don’t know how long that will last. Pixelmon is a common Pokemon mod I play for Minecraft if you want to play that! Also if I say I want to play something with you I mean it but there are often times when no matter how much I want to I'm just drained and can do little more than lay in bed so please don't think I'm making an excuse.
(4.b)
Science:
I really enjoy keeping up with the latest advances in pretty much everything, it could be biology, technology, astronomy, anything! I love seeing progression and I love talking about it! Really I could go on and on about what I’m obsessing about that day. I particularly love technology, ask me for my laptop specs I dare you. When I was little I always wanted to be a scientist of any kind but then insomnia and fear of college stuff hit me like a truck aaaand that’s the end of that dream.
(4.c)
Anime:
You got me, I like anime but I’d like to think my tastes are benign.
Here’s some of my favorites I can list from the top of my head:
- To Your Eternity
- Vinland Saga
- Spice and Wolf
- Re:Zero
- Mob Psycho
- Dr. Stone
- Attack on Titan
- Spy x Family
- My Hero Academia
- Ranking of Kings
- Demon Slayer
Okay I can go on and on but I will say I don’t like pointless fan service and the spamming of cliche anime moments. I mostly enjoy action and anything well animated if it doesn’t have a potato story. Heck Demon Slayer could be my top 3 out of season 2’s animation alone. I don’t watch slice of life often or romance but I would with you!
(4.d)
Misc:
I’m not going to go on and on about the tiniest little things when the main ones are covered but I’ll watch pretty much any show with you and anything really. I like random youtube videos that explain some kind of lore or mystery, sometimes mini documentaries too.
As for food I looove sushi and I’m a sucker for fast food. Okay and candy, definitely candy.
I used to play tennis but haven’t really had the opportunity nor friends to play it with and I’m way too socially anxious to seek it out. Also I will say that when we move to something like discord I type waaaay more casually. I’m not going to expect long paragraphs back and forth like we’re writing English papers for each other, I do enjoy long conversations but seriously don’t worry about having to put the utmost effort into every response, I just like making good first impressions I guess.
(5)
(5.a)
My Physical Characteristics:
I’m 5’8 (172cm), 128 pounds (58kg), with curly brown hair and blue eyes. I like keeping my hair long in the winter and cutting it in the summer. I’m pretty slim in general so if you’re looking for someone large, that’s not me. I don’t work out but my work is pretty physical so at least I’m not totally inactive. I don’t have the urge to work out or gain muscle but I do want to maintain my slim figure so if I start losing control of that I’ll work out. I like to keep my face shaved because I don’t think I look good with a beard/mustache so if you’re into those I apologize. I have an average amount of body hair? I’d prefer to be completely shaved but it’s easy to lose motivation with that battle, if you prefer shaved then I’d have no problem complying. Anyways here’s what I look like: https://imgur.com/a/MZZgf2t
(5.b)
My Physical Preferences:
Having physical preferences makes me feel shallow, if I could make myself not have them I would but unfortunately that’s now how that works. I don’t care if you’re shorter or taller than me and I don’t care if you weigh more or less than me. All I ask is that you’re slim-average weight. I would never ask for someone to be something I’m not. I don’t care about tattoos or piercings.**(6)Expectations of You (Relationship Only):**I am not looking for someone “exciting” or someone to “keep me on my toes” I’m not looking for someone to cater to my every whim or anything like that. I don’t care if you’re “boring” or if you aren’t “successful”. I know it’s a common thing for people to not want a “boring” relationship and to seek something argumentative or something with constant challenges but I just want to be with you. During the exciting times, the boring times, and everything in-between, all of it will be great with you! Maybe we do argue sometimes or maybe there will be challenges but that will never be something I purposefully seek out and I don’t want that to be something you seek out either. I will not play tricks on you and I will not play mind games, I expect the same from you. We all have personal measures of success we may or may not have lived up to but what I care about most is our commitment to each other. If we have each other we can get through tough times, near the ends of our lives I want us to look back and feel that this life together was worth more than anything. That’s not saying I want us to be haphazard, I don’t want us to make poor decisions for the sake of yolo and I want us to always be rational, especially with each other. I want you to be someone I can trust to make decisions and weigh the options with a level head, I’ll try my best to live up to the same for you. Most of all I want empathy, understanding, someone to feel the utmost comfort and trust in.
(7)
Living Situation:
Currently my life is pretty relaxed, I work 3 times a week as a night shift stocker. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate but we’re looking to move into someplace larger by the end of the year if everything works out. The internet is weirdly great for Ohio too like I have fiber and later this year we’re supposed to be getting dedicated fiber so that’s neat. I’m not attached to Ohio so the ultimate goal living location wise is probably moving to a country that won’t send you into a lifetime of dealing with the repercussions from one medical emergency.
(8)
Deal Breakers:
Might as well make this simple and make it a list.
- Anti-vaxxers
- Unironically believing astrology
- Right wingers
- Hard drugs (occasional 420 and alcohol is fine, may even join you)
- Wanting children, there was a time when I was younger when I wanted children but with the state of the word that’s a definite no and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I’d love a stress free life with as much time with you as possible.
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Racist
- Super Religious
- Don’t be a bigot and don’t deny facts.
(9)
Closing Remarks:
Well you made it, I was thinking that finding someone I’d be willing to put a lifetime of effort into at least required this much effort. If I think of anything more I’ll update the post. Also about timezones, it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I don’t have a sleep schedule and I have most of the week off from work so it really doesn’t matter.
I request that in your response you do put effort into it, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as long as this but at least enough so I know that you read this and enough about you so I know why you saw potential compatibility. I will seriously read all of it and respond the best I can. I do also request a pic included in your response (sfw please) or one soon after we start talking to prove identity, I’ll send identity proving pics too. As long as this post is up, you can send a reply!

Brace yourselves, this is gonna be a long one.
Table of Contents
1…… The Main Goal
2…… What I’m Seeking
3…… Personality
4…… Interests
5…… Physical Characteristics (with pics)
6…… Expectations of You
7…… Living Situation
8…… Deal Breakers
9…… Closing Remarks
(1)
The Main Goal:
Well if you’re browsing this subreddit then much like me, you were alone this weekend and I’m sure you’d like to change that as much as me. I won’t lie, I am going through a rough part of my life right now. It’s difficult for me to find the energy for anything at the moment and I’m just really seeking affection in general, anything that will give me a push. I don’t want to be that person who brings everyone down but I could really use someone to talk to right now. I’d really like to find someone who’s similar to me so much to the point that we do everything together and talk about everything while not having to pretend to be interested. I want someone with whom we can mutually spew our emotions onto and have those feelings reciprocated. Not an emotional punching bag, but an emotional teddy bear to hug and cuddle until everything feels better as many times as we need. There’s people who I’m sure have told you the same, they’ll be there no matter how many times you need the support, no matter how many times the insecurities and bad thoughts come back but they don’t mean it. I will be the exception, I’m not so ignorant to think some nice words and tales of relating to you will magically forever heal whatever ails you then get mad when you seek the same support again. Mental ailments are rarely temporary and I don’t care about someone because they’re perfect, caring about someone means being there no matter how many times they need you to be. It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t get old, and it never will.
(2)
(2.a)
What I'm Seeking:
I will upfront let you know if I’m clicking better with someone else or if you’re the one, I’m not here to tread the sea of fish or keep my options open, I’m here for one singular person.
(2.b)
Relationship:
A relationship is difficult for me right now, it’s been nearly half a year since I got out of my last relationship and the reasons for it ending are partially responsible for how I’ve been feeling and why it’s so hard for me to seek the comfort I so desperately crave. I will tell you about it but for the sake of not treating the entirety of the internet as my therapist, it’ll be in private. I really need the comfort of intimacy and the warmth of someone who cares. I'm not going to feel better if I just sulk and don’t move on. This is my attempt to get better, I’ll admit I’m not great right now and I don’t expect you to be either. If we can help each other heal, then I’d be more than happy :) A relationship isn’t just being there for when someone’s at their best. Even if a relationship is hard at the moment, I do want a life partner and I don’t want to be alone. Things aren’t going to get easier without you so I don’t want to hesitate. I view my other as an equal, I don’t like categorizing us into specific roles. We take care of each other and treat each other how we like to be treated, whatever that is, it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're "successful" or not, living simple lives with our days filled with love is the ultimate measure of success to me.
(3)
Personality:
(3.a)
On the Surface:
As you can tell I can be rather… stoic but that’s largely due to my current stressors, I truthfully am goofy and fun loving but I just can’t find it in me right now. I want to return to that but without someone to light up my world it’s been difficult to just have fun and enjoy stuff. I’m definitely more introverted, you won’t catch me at any parties or really outside at all. I definitely prefer being home though the occasional outing is not out of the question and one day I’d like to travel to other countries because I think that kind of perspective is important.
(3.b)
The Core of My Being:
I like being a spectator to it all and if we bear witness to humanity burning or its miraculous recovery, I want to watch it with you. I enjoy watching humanity advance, less so when it devolves but I want to watch it to the end nonetheless. I’m both a realist and someone who lives with my head in the clouds dreaming of scenarios or worlds that don’t exist. I’m saying that I enjoy a good narrative and can suspend my disbelief to enjoy something but you won’t catch me refusing vaccines or ignoring blatant facts for the sake of some pseudo science or witch doctor’s remedy. I’m an atheist but I do not rule out existence after death, not because I’m agnostic but because due to the nature of potentially infinite time at some point after how many googol years with a googol amount of 0s after that, something’s bound to replicate your consciousness perfectly at some point. It’s actually a really fascinating topic I like talking about. If infinite time and infinite possibilities exist, does non existence exist? Though that’s an awfully existentially dreadful thought process considering the ramifications of infinite existence and infinite possibilities during said infinite existence. I would say I’m confidently left leaning and I don’t think I could truly get along with anyone right leaning, at least America’s definition of right leaning. Left and right seems to have just become; do people deserve to suffer or do they deserve to live good lives? Being political is not something I expected to become but how can you not be when crimes against human rights are being passed on a daily basis and at the end of the day, everything’s political. Oftentimes I imagine the perfect moment as relaxing with my significant other playing games or cuddling in a cold room under blankets.
I value that special someone above all of the existential thoughts, the bad of the world, the good of the world, they practically become my world. So many worries wash away when I’m with them. I don’t know if that’s the defense mechanism my brain created to not feel bad 24/7 but if it is, I’m currently without it.
(3.c)
Insecurities:
I talk of philosophy and politics here but really I spend most of my time just playing games, watching stuff, and trying to not be sleep deprived. I’m also nowhere near as well spoken, heck sometimes I feel like my speech is broken. I won’t claim to be something I’m not, I sit at home while I complain about the world doing nothing about it wishing I had someone here with me. I’m not noble nor do I really want to be, I have morals I uphold but much like most other hypocrites I acknowledge that my comfortable life is built on the suffering of others without doing anything about it. Why? My sleep problems? Am I depressed? Is that why I have no energy to do anything? Do I just think nothing I could do could help? I can’t nail it down myself, maybe it’s a mix of everything, maybe I’m just a bad person. I have always told myself that if I had wealth I would help people but if I get that kind of wealth will I just become a wealth hoarder who tries to justify my riches as something I earned rather than something given to me through incredibly lucky circumstances? If I do help people is it because I’m a good person or out of guilt? Will I die alone? I feel like I drive everyone away with my clinginess, I get paranoid often and need reassurance often. It’s something I want to work on, something I’ve been trying to work on. Hearing that someone cares about me just never gets old. I value self awareness even if it’s painful.
(3.d)
Socializing:
I’m definitely a socially anxious/awkward mess, especially around strangers. I do feel a large amount of anxiety in public, people can’t tell by looking at my face since I kind of go stone faced in an attempt to block everything out but yeah you’ll notice that if we go out in public. Growing up my pediatrician said I was probably autistic, never got a formal diagnosis so that’s just great. But yeah that explains why I can’t make eye contact with people, I kinda just stare at the ground and avoid their gaze at all costs. A lot of these social struggles go away to a great degree once I know you for a bit but yeah I apologize for how terrible I am at socializing at first. Don’t let my social struggles fool you though, I love cuddling and being close with my person.
(3.e)
Sexuality:
I am a heterosexual male, though I’m not very masculine like at all. I may even be a bit feminine sometimes. Not that I believe any activity or manner of acting belongs to a gender but I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m definitely super affectionate and love it when my partner is too. I am open to dating demi people but I do have a libido so I don't think asexual would work out.
(4)
Interests:
(4.a)
Video Games:
As stated before, I do spend a lot of my time playing video games. It’s been hard lately with me having no energy but I really do want to play more games and have a good time playing them with you! I primarily play on PC though I do have a switch. I’m primarily into platform fighters, roguelikes, open world, survival, and sandbox games. As for single player story games, I enjoy watching them through twitch or youtube but for the most part I don’t play them myself. I’d watch you play them though!
Here’s a list of games we can play:
-Minecraft (Java)
-Risk of Rain 2
-Gunfire Reborn
-Roboquest
-7 Days to Die
-Phasmophobia
-Rust
-Unturned
-Bloons TD 6
-Platform fighters: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Slap City, Multiversus, Flash Party, Fraymakers
Whatever you want to play I’ll give it a shot! I will say that League bores me to death but I’ll play it for you :) I try to avoid MMOs, not because I don’t like them but because of how addicted I can get to them. I enjoy learning games in-depth so MMOs can be a fast track to addiction.
I recently got Kerbal Space Program 2 and ehhh not really worth it right now but hopefully later it will be? I’m super excited for Tears of the Kingdom! In the far off future I’m excited for Rivals of Aether 2 which is a platform fighter releasing in 2024, let me know of your most anticipated releases and I’ll see if I could play them with you!
Also I never got into FPS games but I could totally see myself playing like CoD with you or Escape From Tarkov. Any FPS really, I’m down.
I am a fan of Pokemon but with how things have been lately I don’t know how long that will last. Pixelmon is a common Pokemon mod I play for Minecraft if you want to play that! Also if I say I want to play something with you I mean it but there are often times when no matter how much I want to I'm just drained and can do little more than lay in bed so please don't think I'm making an excuse.
(4.b)
Science:
I really enjoy keeping up with the latest advances in pretty much everything, it could be biology, technology, astronomy, anything! I love seeing progression and I love talking about it! Really I could go on and on about what I’m obsessing about that day. I particularly love technology, ask me for my laptop specs I dare you. When I was little I always wanted to be a scientist of any kind but then insomnia and fear of college stuff hit me like a truck aaaand that’s the end of that dream.
(4.c)
Anime:
You got me, I like anime but I’d like to think my tastes are benign.
Here’s some of my favorites I can list from the top of my head:
- To Your Eternity
- Vinland Saga
- Spice and Wolf
- Re:Zero
- Mob Psycho
- Dr. Stone
- Attack on Titan
- Spy x Family
- My Hero Academia
- Ranking of Kings
- Demon Slayer
Okay I can go on and on but I will say I don’t like pointless fan service and the spamming of cliche anime moments. I mostly enjoy action and anything well animated if it doesn’t have a potato story. Heck Demon Slayer could be my top 3 out of season 2’s animation alone. I don’t watch slice of life often or romance but I would with you!
(4.d)
Misc:
I’m not going to go on and on about the tiniest little things when the main ones are covered but I’ll watch pretty much any show with you and anything really. I like random youtube videos that explain some kind of lore or mystery, sometimes mini documentaries too.
As for food I looove sushi and I’m a sucker for fast food. Okay and candy, definitely candy.
I used to play tennis but haven’t really had the opportunity nor friends to play it with and I’m way too socially anxious to seek it out. Also I will say that when we move to something like discord I type waaaay more casually. I’m not going to expect long paragraphs back and forth like we’re writing English papers for each other, I do enjoy long conversations but seriously don’t worry about having to put the utmost effort into every response, I just like making good first impressions I guess.
(5)
(5.a)
My Physical Characteristics:
I’m 5’8 (172cm), 128 pounds (58kg), with curly brown hair and blue eyes. I like keeping my hair long in the winter and cutting it in the summer. I’m pretty slim in general so if you’re looking for someone large, that’s not me. I don’t work out but my work is pretty physical so at least I’m not totally inactive. I don’t have the urge to work out or gain muscle but I do want to maintain my slim figure so if I start losing control of that I’ll work out. I like to keep my face shaved because I don’t think I look good with a beard/mustache so if you’re into those I apologize. I have an average amount of body hair? I’d prefer to be completely shaved but it’s easy to lose motivation with that battle, if you prefer shaved then I’d have no problem complying. Anyways here’s what I look like: https://imgur.com/a/MZZgf2t
(5.b)
My Physical Preferences:
Having physical preferences makes me feel shallow, if I could make myself not have them I would but unfortunately that’s now how that works. I don’t care if you’re shorter or taller than me and I don’t care if you weigh more or less than me. All I ask is that you’re slim-average weight. I would never ask for someone to be something I’m not. I don’t care about tattoos or piercings.**(6)Expectations of You (Relationship Only):**I am not looking for someone “exciting” or someone to “keep me on my toes” I’m not looking for someone to cater to my every whim or anything like that. I don’t care if you’re “boring” or if you aren’t “successful”. I know it’s a common thing for people to not want a “boring” relationship and to seek something argumentative or something with constant challenges but I just want to be with you. During the exciting times, the boring times, and everything in-between, all of it will be great with you! Maybe we do argue sometimes or maybe there will be challenges but that will never be something I purposefully seek out and I don’t want that to be something you seek out either. I will not play tricks on you and I will not play mind games, I expect the same from you. We all have personal measures of success we may or may not have lived up to but what I care about most is our commitment to each other. If we have each other we can get through tough times, near the ends of our lives I want us to look back and feel that this life together was worth more than anything. That’s not saying I want us to be haphazard, I don’t want us to make poor decisions for the sake of yolo and I want us to always be rational, especially with each other. I want you to be someone I can trust to make decisions and weigh the options with a level head, I’ll try my best to live up to the same for you. Most of all I want empathy, understanding, someone to feel the utmost comfort and trust in.
(7)
Living Situation:
Currently my life is pretty relaxed, I work 3 times a week as a night shift stocker. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate but we’re looking to move into someplace larger by the end of the year if everything works out. The internet is weirdly great for Ohio too like I have fiber and later this year we’re supposed to be getting dedicated fiber so that’s neat. I’m not attached to Ohio so the ultimate goal living location wise is probably moving to a country that won’t send you into a lifetime of dealing with the repercussions from one medical emergency.
(8)
Deal Breakers:
Might as well make this simple and make it a list.
- Anti-vaxxers
- Unironically believing astrology
- Right wingers
- Hard drugs (occasional 420 and alcohol is fine, may even join you)
- Wanting children, there was a time when I was younger when I wanted children but with the state of the word that’s a definite no and I feel like I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress. I’d love a stress free life with as much time with you as possible.
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Racist
- Super Religious
- Don’t be a bigot and don’t deny facts.
(9)
Closing Remarks:
Well you made it, I was thinking that finding someone I’d be willing to put a lifetime of effort into at least required this much effort. If I think of anything more I’ll update the post. Also about timezones, it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are. I don’t have a sleep schedule and I have most of the week off from work so it really doesn’t matter.
I request that in your response you do put effort into it, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near as long as this but at least enough so I know that you read this and enough about you so I know why you saw potential compatibility. I will seriously read all of it and respond the best I can. I do also request a pic included in your response (sfw please) or one soon after we start talking to prove identity, I’ll send identity proving pics too. As long as this post is up, you can send a reply!

So I just got the offer from them but it states that you must comply with the Covid 19 vaccination policy for new hires. Does anyone know what that policy is?
Edit: just read they require all pilots to be vaccinated before first day.

I posted this as a comment on another thread, but wanted to get this group’s thoughts:

1. ⁠Castro is filling the 2022 Nick Gordon role for us right now, and that’s more valuable than anything we’d get in return for him prospect-wise.
2. ⁠We’re bound for a roster crunch once Maeda, Thielbar, and Larnach are healthy. We have a lack of high leverage arms in the bullpen right now combined with underperforming outfielders (Kepler, Gallo)
3. ⁠Our rotation looks pretty damn good right now, and while he has options, sending Varland down for Maeda would be a mistake in my opinion.

So, here’s what I see as the options going forward:
Pitching:
Go with a six man rotation for a period of time (would require optioning Sands and one of optioning Moran or DFA-ing De Leon/Lopez. I see a De Leon option more likely than Lopez right now.
If Kenta does decently, there is a massive lack of SPs at the deadline and we could probably trade him and get some return, even though he’d be a rental.
Alternatively, stick Maeda in the bullpen the rest of the way, he has experience in this role with the Dodgers. Could cover up his velocity issues and give us a decent arm there.
Batting:

1. ⁠Infield: I think we have to keep Castro and Farmer for sure, with Solano being a potential DFA candidate, though I think the Solano scenario is unlikely.
2. ⁠Outfield: At this point, I feel like Buck needs a trip to the IL and a rehab stint. He’s not providing value in the field and his slump at the plate is long even by his standards.

If we stick Buck on the IL, we could call up Larnach/Wallner and have him rotate between DH and OF as needed.
If we don’t, then someone is going to have to go out of Kepler and Gallo. I think DFA-ing Kep is more likely than us going so with Gallo. Gives Larnach/Wallner an opportunity.
We could do both of the above as well.
Then we’d have good IF depth (Farmer, Castro, Solano) and OF depth (TayloCastro at CF, Castro/Larnach/AK at LF, and WallneLarnach at RF)

https://brownstone.org/articles/vax-gene-files-accidental-discovery/

So, the Pfizer and Moderna vials of bivalent vaccine that McKernan tested were contaminated with DNA. DNA encoding the spike gene and potentially capable of inserting into the genome of an organism.
The question is, does this DNA have the potential to become part of the genome of a human organism and if so what might be the consequences? This would have required looking at ‘genotoxicity,’ something Australia’s TGA says the (Pfizer) injections were not tested for, and the TGA did not ask for.
In case you are wondering, there are strict guidelines about DNA contamination levels in mRNA products. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and FDA stated limits are 330 nanograms of DNA per milligram of RNA. In Australia, the TGA says it should be no more than 10 nanograms per dose.
(It’s unclear how these limits were decided. Personally, we’d be hoping for zero DNA in our mRNA injections.)
This means that DNA should not be more than 0.033 per cent of the total nucleic acids in the dose. But McKernan’s analysis demonstrated DNA contamination of up to 35 percent in the bivalent injection samples. This is up to 1,000 times higher than deemed to be ‘acceptable’ by the regulating authorities.
Next, McKernan analysed the monovalent (earlier) injections. The Pfizer monovalent injections were also found to be contaminated with DNA, though not as much. The levels of DNA in the Pfizer monovalent injections were 18-70 times higher than the EMA limit.

17-Apr-2023

• ​​OpenAssistant released the best open-source Chat AI (https://medium.com/@sann3/open-source-conversational-ai-takes-a-big-leap-forward-e2ccc68dfb1d)
• I replaced my assistant by a bot powered by AI to do her job (https://twitter.com/nico_jeannen/status/1647396475989811201)
• UC Berkeley's open-source Vicuna LLM chatbot released new improved model weights (https://huggingface.co/lmsys/vicuna-13b-delta-v1.1)
• You Can’t Regulate What You Don’t Understand (https://www.oreilly.com/content/you-cant-regulate-what-you-dont-understand-2/)
• 91% of ML Models Degrade in Time (https://www.nannyml.com/blog/91-of-ml-perfomance-degrade-in-time)
• An open source AI tool to animate children's drawings (https://github.com/facebookresearch/AnimatedDrawings)
• Sam Altman: OpenAI is not training GPT-5 and "won't for some time" (https://twitter.com/smokeawayyy/status/1646670920214536193)
• Companies like Uber and Amazon use AI to pay people different wages for the same work, a new study finds (https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/companies-like-uber-and-amazon-use-ai-to-pay-people-different-wages-for-the-same-work-a-new-study-finds/articleshow/99471054.cms)
• AWS announced New Tools for Building with Generative AI on AWS (https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/announcing-new-tools-for-building-with-generative-ai-on-aws/)
• Amazon CodeWhisperer, Free for Individual Use, is Now Generally Available (https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-codewhisperer-free-for-individual-use-is-now-generally-available/)
• Current Best Practices for Training LLMs from Scratch (https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5ac6b7f2924c656f2b13a88c/6435aabdc0a041194b243eef_Current%20Best%20Practices%20for%20Training%20LLMs%20from%20Scratch%20-%20Final.pdf)
• AI suggested 40,000 new possible chemical weapons in just six hours (https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/17/22983197/ai-new-possible-chemical-weapons-generative-models-vx)
• BharatGPT: The Made in India AI Language Model (https://bharatgpt.live/bharatgpt-the-made-in-india-ai-language-model/)
• What Are Transformer Models and How Do They Work? (https://txt.cohere.ai/what-are-transformer-models/)
• GPT Unicorn: A Daily Exploration of GPT-4's Image Generation Capabilities (https://adamkdean.co.uk/posts/gpt-unicorn-a-daily-exploration-of-gpt-4s-image-generation-capabilities)

​
18-Apr-2023

• RedPajama, a project to create leading open-source models, starts by reproducing LLaMA training dataset of over 1.2 trillion tokens (https://www.together.xyz/blog/redpajama)
• ChatGPT Is Consuming a Staggering Amount of Water (https://futurism.com/the-byte/chatgpt-ai-water-consumption)
• Google & UC Berkeley’s ‘Self-Debugging’ Framework Teaches LLMs to Debug Their Own Code (https://syncedreview.com/2023/04/17/google-uc-berkeleys-self-debugging-framework-teaches-llms-to-debug-their-own-code/)
• Stability AI makes its Stable Diffusion models available on Amazon’s new Bedrock service (https://stability.ai/blog/stability-ai-makes-its-stable-diffusion-models-available-on-amazons-new-bedrock-service)
• DuckDuckGo’s building AI-generated answers into its search engine (https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23629095/duckduckgo-ai-answers-browser-app-extension-search)
• Major Photography Prize Winner Reveals Image Is AI-Generated, Rejects Award (https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy3vxy/sony-world-photography-awards-ai-generated)
• Community is the future of AI (https://stackoverflow.blog/2023/04/17/community-is-the-future-of-ai/)
• Soundini: Sound-Guided Diffusion for Natural Video Editing (https://kuai-lab.github.io/soundini-gallery/)
• how do we overcome 4096 token limit in OpenAI GPT requests? (https://twitter.com/wooing0306/status/1645092115914063872)
• DINOv2: A Self-supervised Vision Transformer Model (https://dinov2.metademolab.com/)
• Analyze cloud resources using GPT (https://github.com/selefra/selefra)
• GPTest VS Code Extension (https://github.com/JRB-y/gptest)
• AI-agents that automatically generate and use Langchain Tools and ChatGPT plugins (https://github.com/hey-pal/toolkit-ai)
• Drag & drop UI to build your customized LLM flow using LangchainJS (https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise)

​
19-Apr-2023

• Microsoft reportedly working on its own AI chips that may rival Nvidia’s (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23687912/microsoft-athena-ai-chips-nvidia)
• Meet the $10,000 Nvidia chip powering the race for A.I. (https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/23/nvidias-a100-is-the-10000-chip-powering-the-race-for-ai-.html)
• Kent Beck on ChatGPT (https://twitter.com/kentbeck/status/1648413998025707520)
• Can open-source LLMs detect bugs in C++ code? (https://twitter.com/MrCatid/status/1647155706548695040)
• GitHub Copilot AI pair programmer: Asset or Liability? (https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.15331)
• Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models (https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.07682)
• AI Playground (https://play.vercel.ai/)
• Live Conversations with AI using ChatGPT and WebRTC (https://blog.livekit.io/meet-kitt/)
• T-cell vaccine for COVID-19 may last longer than current vaccines (https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/t-cell-vaccine-covid-19-may-last-longer-current-vaccines/)
• If there's one thing AI has done for us, it's killed Zuck's metaverse (https://www.pcgamer.com/if-theres-one-thing-ai-has-done-for-us-its-killed-zucks-metaverse/)
• An example of LLM prompting for programming (https://martinfowler.com/articles/2023-chatgpt-xu-hao.html)
• Chinchilla data-optimal scaling laws (https://lifearchitect.ai/chinchilla/)
• Jevons Paradox and LLMs (https://matt-rickard.com/jevons-paradox-and-llms)
• A Google AI model developed a skill it wasn't expected to have (https://qz.com/google-ai-skills-sundar-pichai-bard-hallucinations-1850342984)
• 4 Million Accounts Compromised by Fake ChatGPT App (https://www.artisana.ai/articles/4-million-accounts-compromised-by-fake-chatgpt-app)
• LLaVA: Large Language and Vision Assistant (https://llava-vl.github.io/)
• An open, billion-scale corpus of images interleaved with text. (https://github.com/allenai/mmc4)
• Connect to Google Colab VM locally from VSCode (https://github.com/amitness/colab-tunnel)
• OP Vault ChatGPT: Give ChatGPT long-term memory using the OP Stack (https://github.com/pashpashpash/vault-ai)

​
20-Apr-2023

• Stability AI Launches the First of its StableLM Suite of Language Models (https://stability.ai/blog/stability-ai-launches-the-first-of-its-stablelm-suite-of-language-models)
• Exclusive: AI startup LangChain taps Sequoia to lead funding round at a valuation of at least $200 million
• “Langchain is Overrated”, and other strategies I use to deal with the GPT Hype (https://medium.com/@aplaceofmind/langchain-is-overrated-and-other-strategies-i-use-to-deal-with-the-gpt-hype-af06aa1a6be1)
• Autonomous Agents & Agent Simulations (https://blog.langchain.dev/agents-round/)
• GPT-3 Creative Fiction (https://gwern.net/gpt-3)
• Could ChatGPT become an architect? (https://constructionphysics.substack.com/p/could-chatgpt-become-an-architect)
• How to train your own Large Language Models (https://blog.replit.com/llm-training)
• Why universities should return to oral exams in the AI and ChatGPT era (https://theconversation.com/why-universities-should-return-to-oral-exams-in-the-ai-and-chatgpt-era-203429)
• Ideas to Professional Presentations in Seconds (https://www.magicslides.app/)
• How physics advanced Generative AI (https://www.assemblyai.com/blog/how-physics-advanced-generative-ai/)
• Google employees label AI chatbot Bard ‘worse than useless’ and ‘a pathological liar’ (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/19/23689554/google-ai-chatbot-bard-employees-criticism-pathological-liar)
• The Anatomy of Autonomy: Why Agents are the next AI Killer App after ChatGPT (https://www.latent.space/p/agents)
• Teach GPTs to read API documentation using LLaMA, LoRA, and Langchain (https://github.com/danielgross/LlamaAcademy)
• web-llm: Bringing large-language models and chat to web browsers. (https://github.com/mlc-ai/web-llm)
• llama.go is like llama.cpp in pure Golang (https://github.com/gotzmann/llama.go)
• Leverage locally-hosted Large Language Models to write software + unit tests (https://github.com/catid/supercharger)

​
21-Apr-2023

• Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo on Poe becoming the web browser for AI (https://www.semafor.com/article/04/19/2023/quora-ceo-adam-dangelo-on-poe-becoming-the-web-browser-for-ai)
• Snapchat making AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT available to every user (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/ap19/snapchat-making-ai-chatbot-similar-to-chatgpt-available-to-every-user)
• Stack Overflow Will Charge AI Giants for Training Data (https://www.wired.com/story/stack-overflow-will-charge-ai-giants-for-training-data/)
• This new technology could blow away GPT-4 and everything like it (https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-new-technology-could-blow-away-gpt-4-and-everything-like-it/)
• How to run your own LLM (GPT) (https://blog.rfox.eu/en/Programming/How_to_run_your_own_LLM_GPT.html)
• The ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence Chatbot: How Well Does It Answer Accounting Assessment Questions? (https://publications.aaahq.org/iae/article/doi/10.2308/ISSUES-2023-013/10903/The-ChatGPT-Artificial-Intelligence-Chatbot-How)
• Introducing WebGPT (https://twitter.com/willdepue/status/1649147091573432321?s=20)
• Some Glimpse AGI in ChatGPT. Others Call It a Mirage (https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-agi-intelligence/)
• Google Looks to Turbocharge AI Efforts With Combined Brain, DeepMind Unit (https://www.wsj.com/articles/alphabets-google-combines-ai-research-units-brain-and-deepmind-620f4f7d)
• Experience CozoDB: The Hybrid Relational-Graph-Vector Database - The Hippocampus for LLMs (https://docs.cozodb.org/en/latest/releases/v0.6.html)
• The Embedding Archives: Millions of Wikipedia Article Embeddings in Many Languages (https://txt.cohere.com/embedding-archives-wikipedia/)
• Building A ChatGPT-enhanced Python REPL (https://isthisit.nz/posts/2023/building-a-chat-gpt-enhanced-python-repl/)
• Large Language Models: Scaling Laws and Emergent Properties (https://cthiriet.com/articles/scaling-laws)
• San Francisco GPT and CensusGPT — natural language interfaces to public data (https://github.com/caesarhq/textSQL)
• Text-prompted Generative Audio Model (https://github.com/suno-ai/bark)
• One step Baby AGI (https://github.com/Methexis-Inc/OneStepBabyAGI)
• Retrieve data from databases using natural language commands (https://github.com/logunify/dsensei)
• Runs a sharable ChatGPT docker container, allowing you to share a ChatGPT session with friends via a web browser. (https://github.com/BLuFeNiX/PlayGPT)
• Run Large Language Model "Agents" in Salesforce apex (https://github.com/callawaycloud/llm-apex-agents)

​
24-Apr-2023

• Bard now helps you code (https://blog.google/technology/ai/code-with-bard/)
• ChatGPT could cost over $700,000 per day to operate. Microsoft is reportedly trying to make it cheaper (https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/chatgpt-could-cost-over-700000-per-day-to-operate-microsoft-is-reportedly-trying-to-make-it-cheaper-/articleshow/99637548.cms)
• SafeGPT: New tool to detect LLMs' hallucinations, biases and privacy issues (https://www.giskard.ai/safegpt)
• ChatGPT finds hundreds of vulnerabilities every day in NPM (https://twitter.com/feross/status/1648055850060374016)
• The inside story of ChatGPT's astonishing potential (https://www.ted.com/talks/greg_brockman_the_inside_story_of_chatgpt_s_astonishing_potential/no-comments)
• A snapshot of today's open-source LLMs space (https://twitter.com/theaievangelist/status/1645809824314298368)
• Yokosuka becomes Japan's first city to use ChatGPT for administrative tasks (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/04/20/national/chatgpt-yokosuka-trial/)
• Google Colab no longer allows remote UI (https://twitter.com/artificialguybstatus/1649178893020979201)
• ChatGPT4 writes Stan code so I don’t have to. (https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2023/04/18/chatgpt4-writes-stan-code-so-i-dont-have-to/)
• We all contribute to AI – should we get paid for that? (https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/21/as-ai-eliminates-jobs-a-way-to-keep-people-afloat-financially-thats-not-ubi/)
• ChatGPT creates mostly insecure code, but won't tell you unless you ask (https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/21/chatgpt_insecure_code/)
• ProfileGPT: What does ChatGPT know about you ? (https://sahbichaieb.com/profilegpt/)
• Training open-source LLMs on ChatGPT output is a really bad idea (https://gist.github.com/mlaprise/bf4745655194162babfc2d158162e2e0)
• Human creativity in an AI saturated future (https://metastable.org/everything.html)
• Chart-GPT (https://twitter.com/whoiskatrin/status/1650245885127806976)
• WasmGPT ChatGPT-like chatbot in the browser(https://github.com/lxe/wasm-gpt/tree/wasm-demo)

​
25-Apr-2023

• OpenAI has applied for “GPT” trademark with USPTO (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35692476)
• openai Brand guidelines (https://openai.com/brand)
• Grimes Tells Fans To Deepfake Her Music, Will Split 50% Royalties With AI (https://www.forbes.com/sites/martineparis/2023/04/24/grimes-tells-fans-to-deepfake-drake-her-welcomes-collaboration-with-ai/)
• Large language models could improve their performance by outsourcing tasks to specialist AIs (https://spectrum.ieee.org/large-language-models)
• Bard vs GPT — Math, Logic and Problem Solving BATTLE (https://medium.com/nice-math-problems/bard-vs-gpt-math-logic-and-problem-solving-battle-%EF%B8%8F-ec8915fbd7e2)
• GCP: Supercharging security with generative AI (https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/rsa-google-cloud-security-ai-workbench-generative-ai)
• ChatGPT now has a new Russian rival called GigaChat (https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/chatgpt-now-has-a-new-russian-rival-called-gigachat-378618-2023-04-24)
• RedPajama training progress at 440 billion tokens (https://www.together.xyz/blog/redpajama-training-progress)
• Transcribing Audio on AWS with Whisper: Cost Comparison AWS vs OpenAI (https://www.paulruales.com/blog/whiser-aws-guide)
• H2O LLM Studio - a framework and no-code GUI for fine-tuning LLMs (https://github.com/h2oai/h2o-llmstudio)
• LoopGPT Modular Auto-GPT Framework (https://github.com/farizrahman4u/loopgpt)
• Low-code LLM (https://github.com/microsoft/TaskMatrix/tree/main/LowCodeLLM)
• A GPT-empowered penetration testing tool (https://github.com/GreyDGL/PentestGPT)

​
26-Apr-2023

• Hugging Face releases its own version of ChatGPT(https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/25/hugging-face-releases-its-own-version-of-chatgpt/)
• ChatGPT users can now turn off chat history, allowing you to choose which conversations can be used to train our models (https://openai.com/blog/new-ways-to-manage-your-data-in-chatgpt)
• The UK will spend £100 million to develop its own 'sovereign' AI (https://www.engadget.com/the-uk-is-creating-a-100-million-ai-taskforce-143507868.html)
• Google’s search business is feeling the heat (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/25/23698087/alphabet-google-earnings-q1-2023)
• An AI Scraping Tool Is Overwhelming Websites With Traffic (https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy3vmx/an-ai-scraping-tool-is-overwhelming-websites-with-traffic)
• Amazon CodeWhisperer is out of beta. We tried it. Spoiler: it isn’t good (https://codeium.com/blog/amazon-codewhisperer-review)
• Web LLM (https://mlc.ai/web-llm/)
• Language Models Enable Simple Systems for Generating Structured Views of Heterogeneous Data Lakes (https://github.com/HazyResearch/evaporate)
• Layered, depth-first reading—start with summaries, tap to explore details, and gain clarity on complex topics (https://github.com/1rgs/clarity-reader)

​
27-Apr-2023

• Mark Zuckerberg says Meta wants to ‘introduce AI agents to billions of people’ (https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/26/23699633/mark-zuckerberg-meta-generative-ai-chatbots-instagram-facebook-whatsapp)
• Yellow AI launches dynamic automation platform powered by generative AI for enterprises (https://venturebeat.com/ai/yellow-ai-launches-dynamic-automation-platform-powered-by-generative-ai-for-enterprises/)
• Google Researchers Unleash AI Performance Breakthrough for Mobile Devices (https://www.artisana.ai/articles/google-researchers-unleash-ai-performance-breakthrough-for-mobile-devices)
• Microsoft Releases SynapseMl v0.11 with support for ChatGPT, GPT-4, Causal Learning, and More (https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-synapse-analytics-blog/what-s-new-in-synapseml-v0-11/ba-p/3804919)
• Transformers from Scratch (https://e2eml.school/transformers.html)
• Store Embeddings in redis (https://release.com/blog/training-chatgpt-with-custom-libraries-using-extensions)
• FastGPT: A fast, full search, AI answering engine (https://labs.kagi.com/fastgpt)
• DeepDoctection: Document extraction and analysis using deep learning models (https://github.com/deepdoctection/deepdoctection)
• DeepFloyd IF: open-source text-to-image model (https://github.com/deep-floyd/IF)

​
28-Apr-2023

• ChatGPT Grows in Popularity as Bing and Bard Flatline (https://www.artisana.ai/articles/chatgpt-grows-in-popularity-as-bing-and-bard-flatline)
• ChatGPT is finally ready to leave 2021. It can browse the internet now.
• (https://i.redd.it/its-official-chatgpt-is-finally-ready-to-leave-2021-it-can-v0-r6x7pu2m8bwa1.png?s=5fe6d2d520b1f13dfa95c2c90ef09720db5f1523)
• ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers (https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/chatgpt-prompt-engineering-for-developers/)
• Europe to ChatGPT: Disclose Your Sources (https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-to-chatgpt-disclose-your-sources-863ef330)
• NVIDIA Announces NeMo Guardrails: An Open-Source Tool Designed to Improve the Performance and Safety of AI-Powered Chatbots like ChatGPT (https://www.marktechpost.com/2023/04/26/nvidia-announces-nemo-guardrails-an-open-source-tool-designed-to-improve-the-performance-and-safety-of-ai-powered-chatbots-like-chatgpt/)
• China Expert Gives Startling Reason Why CCP Is Requiring AI to ‘Reflect Socialist Values’ (https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/free-speech/catherine-salgado/2023/04/27/exclusive-china-expert-gives-startling-reason-why)
• Unleashing Infinite-Length Input Capacity for Large-scale Language Models with Self-Controlled Memory System (https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13343)
• LLM+P: Empowering Large Language Models with Optimal Planning Proficiency (https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11477)
• Knowledge Retrieval Architecture for LLM’s (https://mattboegner.com/knowledge-retrieval-architecture-for-llms)

A quite harsh (EN/GER) PvE/RP server, active Admin, is welcoming all PvE/RP players who want to explore the large Prison Island of Scum at their own pace.
The start can be harsh since there are a lot more puppets roaming around in Towns and Bunkers
Name: ENDZONE (GEEN -- PvE/RP) IP: 176.57.171.142:28402 Location: EU West
Metabolism: Is lowered just a bit, eating twice a day is now enough. Mech Damage: Is set to 1.2 Puppets: x9 exterior, x5 inside, x3 Wild, spawn chance for all is 70%. Puppet Respawn-Timer in Bunkers and Towns is raised to 30 minutes, so once you have cleared out the hordes of Puppets, you get at least enough time to loot what you can before they are back. Suicide Puppets: Active Puppet Damage: 2.8 Loot rate: for stuff found in the world 1.2 and for containers 1.8 RP: more than welcome, but in no way a requirement or must-do to play on this server. NPC Trader: Are active, but a lot of items, like military equipment and almost all guns, scopes and large backpacks, are removed to encourage looting POIs and make that AK you find in some crate feel a lot more special. Magazines and basic Ammo types for any weapon are for sale at the Armory for a higher, price. Building mode: Unrestricted, few rules in place like not building in Areas that are patrolled by Mechs, don't block Bridges or main roads. Cargo Drops: Active, 30-45 minutes in-between Vehicles: A few Cars are scattered all over the Map, the same goes for dirt bikes and bicycles, more can be bought at the Traders or maybe bartered for with other players if anyone has a spare (Engine install works on the server) Nighttime: Will start at 22:00 and Sunrise is at 04:00 (max darkness) Restart times: 06:00 CEST and 18:00 CEST
Discord: https://discord.gg/SuGKYwEScS
-No Bot-shop no P2W, the server is Bot-free
-The start can be challenging if you just run into a town without any preparations because of the high number of Puppets, but the current settings keep it interesting even if you are fully geared out, there is always a risk of losing everything, crafting a bow is the best way to start off.
So if you are having problems just ask in chat, someone can give you a ride to a safer location or a Trader.
--Some additional Info:--
Trade Routes:
Salt: 1Kg Salt pack can be sold for a better profit at the C2 Trader and looted in bigger numbers at the Salt Ponds down in the Z2 Sector
Fishing: All types of fish can be sold to either the Saloon or the Boat-shop at any Trade Outpost, both will pay the same amount.
Hunting Animals: Animal heads from Bear, Wolf, Horse, Donkey, Goat, Buck, and Doe can be sold to any General Goods Trader.Any Saloon will pay some good money for skinned animals and animal parts (no steaks)
Puppet Hunter: At any general Goods trader Puppet heads and Eyes can be sold for a bit of cash.
Stalker: Depleted Plutonium and graphite can be sold to the Armory at any Outpost for a higher amount of money if you survive the Radiation...
Farming: Now your garden can be used to make some money as well, any Saloon will buy crops you can harvest from your garden for a little bit of rofit.

(If this post is still up, I'm still looking!)
Hey there. I really want to develop a female led/slight gentle femdom relationship with a special guy.
When a lot of men see the term "female led relationship," they think, "Oh, the woman will make all the decisions with no input on what I think/want."
Are there dynamics like that? I'm sure there is. Personally, I'm not looking to be "the boss" or "above" you in any way. I want us to be equal... but have you give up control to me in a few other ways. :)
What do I mean? Keep reading on!
● ABOUT ME ●
You can call me Dreamer for now. (I'll tell you my real name once we get to know each other) Please do NOT call me Miss, Master, Dominatrix or Ma'am.
I'm 25 years old and an INFJ-T. I live in Nashville, Tennessee, USA (AKA Music City) and I'm on Central Standard Time. I'm a Black woman and I stand 5 feet, 7 inches tall. My eyes are brown and I wear glasses. I don't have any tattoos or piercings at the moment.
One thing I want to mention is that I'm plus size, AKA a bigger girl. I'm undergoing a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in two months to lose the excess weight I have in a sustainable and permanent way. I'm ready to regain my body and be healthy and confident again. I'd love to have you by my side throughout my journey!
As far as personality goes, I'd describe myself as empathetic and sweet. I like to help others as much as I can. In person, I tend to be rather shy at first. People tend to mistake that for weakness or gullibility. I'm anything but; my strength lies in introspection and quiet observation. I notice every nuance of a person's actions, words, body language, vibe... my intuition hasn't steered me wrong yet!
● INTERESTS ●
I won't go into detail on every single interest that I have but I'll talk about my biggest ones that you'll likely hear me mention the most.
✨️Writing✨️
I've been writing since I was six years old, but I started taking it seriously around 13 years old. All in all, it's been 19 years. As of right now, I primarily write Fanfiction but in the past, I've written short stories, poetry and I even tried to learn how to write screenplays at one point.
I wrote my first full-length book in 2018/2019. I started the sequel in early 2020, but I'm still working on it. I lost a LOT of inspiration during the pandemic but I'm finally writing for it again.
If you also enjoy writing, I'd love to "talk shop" with you and maybe we can exchange some of our past works.
✨️Music✨️
Music has gotten me through a lot over the years. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone says that. But it truly has. It's shaped my life and introduced me to a lot of things and people that I probably never would've done or met otherwise.
There's no point in saying I like xyz genre because I've listened to pretty much everything. The only ones I truly hate are country and gangster rap. If you want specifics, though... I've been a HUGE twenty one pilots fan for 9 years. (I have more merch, stickers and other random shit than I care to admit to lmao) I also love other artists like Amber Run, Purity Ring, Phantogram, Daughter, Lorde, OneRepublic... plus tons more.
I've always had this dumb idea of a guy and I confessing to each other through playlists with songs that make us think fondly about each other...
God, I'm single.
✨️Photography✨️
I've been into photography for 10 years and I've had my DSLR for eight years. (It's definitely the camera version of 'Ol Reliable) I enjoy nature and portrait photography. I'd love to show you some of my work and get your thoughts on it.
✨️TV/Movies✨️
TV genres I like: Animation (like Spongebob), comedy, drama, documentaries (disaster and crime ones are my favorites), true crime (like Forensic Files), old sitcoms (like Sanford and Son) and cooking and baking competitions/reality TV (like Kitchen Nightmares US and UK, Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, The Great British Baking Show, etc)
Movie genres I like: Animation, drama, comedy, action, psychological thrillers and science fiction. I thoroughly loved The Greatest Showman so one could say I like musicals but it's the only one I've seen so not sure if that really counts. Comic book movies are pretty alright too, but I really haven't seen anything past the first Avengers movie lmaooooo.
I say this as unpretentiously as possible, but I haven't seen most popular TV shows or movies that your average person likes. I think the last "popular" thing I watched was that Jeffrey Dahmer series on Netflix. (mainly out of morbid curiosity because everyone was freaking out about it... and because I think Evan Peters is a cutie) I only saw a few episodes and then forgot to watch the rest of it, but it wasn't as horrific as everyone was saying. Maybe I've watched too much Forensic Files and I'm desensitized lmao.
✨️Video and computer games✨️
Video game genres I like: Adventure, action-adventure, RPGs & JRPGs, Strategy... basically anything that is relatively fun and not horror related.
Some of my all-time favorites: Kingdom Hearts II, Ratchet and Clank, Journey, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X.
As far as computer games, the only thing I play on a regular basis is The Sims 2 and The Sims 4. As a kid, I loved simulator and time-management games; some old favorites are the RCT series, Simcity: Rush Hour, the first four Diner Dash games, the Delicious series and Burger Shop 2 (which I still have on my computer actually lmao)
✨️Other random interests✨️
Art, traveling, people watching, researching random topics on Wikipedia and watching YouTube, especially channels with old shows and movies.
☆ CAREER ☆
My last position was working nights at a psychiatric hospital. I'm looking for something new at the moment.
☆ ET CETERA ☆
I really love dogs and cats. I have three cats and they're little demons but I love them to death. I also love small animals like ferrets, bunnies and snakes!
My main love languages are words of affirmation, quality time and gift giving/receiving. To be honest, though, there's elements of each language that I enjoy or relate to in one way or another.
I don't smoke and I drink every so often. Otherwise, I'm vaccinated and DDF.
● ABOUT YOU ●
I'm looking for a guy between the ages of 23-33 years old. I might be willing to talk to someone within two years in either direction (so 21 min and 35 max) if you meet all my other preferences/wants. If you're younger than 21 or older than 35, though, please don't contact me.
Please be single and emotionally available. I won't interact with anyone already in a relationship or married (even if you're separated or in a "dead bedroom," you're STILL married) and I'm especially not interested in anyone poly/ENM. I'm definitely 100% monogamous.
Hair is super important to me! I prefer medium length to long hair, something I can stroke and play with a lot lmao.
I have a REALLY big soft spot for blue and/or doe eyes, but don't let that deter you. If you have kind eyes, I'll fall in love with them, no matter their color!
I tend to like softer facial features and even softer personalities. Are you super masculine in public but a total softie in private? Lovely! Are you less masculine but a little more feminine? Great! Are you androgynous or otherwise fall somewhere in between? I can dig it!
Key traits that I like in a guy include, but are not limited to: Being sweet, gentle, empathetic, considerate, an active listener, exceptional at communication and willing to go the extra mile for those that you love, be it family, friends, your partner, etc.
With that being said, it's important that you have time for me. I'm not expecting us to talk 24/7 but if you're always too busy to talk to me, this won't work. At some point, I'd like for us to also talk on the phone as our schedules permit, of course.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, please be from the USA/North America and willing to meet and get to know each other in person ASAP.
● WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ●
It's important to me that you're an active listener; what I mean is that you'll make an effort to listen to what I have to say and respond to it accordingly. If I tell you my thoughts on a matter or ask you a question or give you a compliment etc etc, please respond to it. It makes me feel so sad and small if I feel like my thoughts or opinions are not important/relevant.
I can tell pretty quickly if someone is genuinely interested in me or not. Like I said before, I notice everything lol.
I mentioned earlier how one of my love languages is words of affirmation. One of the ways I enjoy that is through compliments. I'm not looking for you to worship the ground I walk on, but being told "You look beautiful" or "When you do xyz, that makes me really happy" makes me feel SO seen and appreciated.
It's incredibly frustrating to send a picture of myself and get a lukewarm response in return. :(
Affection is also super important to me. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, cuddling, touching... all the cute couple shit. I want you to touch me, not in a pervy way, but in an affectionate way. I want to stroke your hair while I hold you close... little things like that make me incredibly happy.
Keep in mind, everything I want from you, I'll give to you in return. I'll always listen and acknowledge you, give you compliments, shower you in affection, plus whatever else makes you feel wanted and appreciated as a person and in a relationship.
● OUR DYNAMIC ●
I always want you to have a choice and be able to voice your opinion. I will never degrade or boss you around in general, but especially when it comes to your personal choices. I'm a switch that used to be a predominant sub and believe me, I've had doms tell me before, "I make the decision on what you wear, what to eat, who you hang out with, etc etc... because I'm your dom and what I say goes."
Some people may like that. More power to them. But I'm not like that. I want you to feel free to express yourself. If you want my opinion, I'll give it to you, of course. But my job is to build you up and support your decisions, no matter how small!
Again, I'm not looking for you to kiss my ass. I'd love for you to take the lead on most decisions (with my input, of course). But I want you to also have a "service" attitude; whether that's helping out with household chores or surprising me with a massage after work or giving me flowers "just because" or helping me paint my toenails lol... just to name some examples. The sky's the limit.
That extends to "the bedroom" as well. I want my pleasure to be just as important to you as yours is to me.
In short? I just want to feel doted on and taken care of. I want to be the most important person in your life and you be the most important person in my life. I want to make you feel special and praise you and tell you how much you mean to me. And I want the same in return. 💓
● "KINKS" ●
This is inevitably gonna come up at some point. I'll say when it comes to my "kinks" (if you want to call them that) I like:
Teasing, edging, telling you when you can cum and begging me for it (I believe it's called orgasm control/denial), moaning, praise, blindfolds, eye contact, body worshiping (you and me), breast worship, oral, fingering and using toys on you...
Been a little curious about pegging someone one day. We'd have to build up to it, of course, because I don't want to hurt you. If you're not into that, though, don't worry! It's definitely not a requirement.
Things I do NOT like (or hard limits) are:
Humiliation, degradation, anything that causes you or me physical, emotional and mental harm, blood, pee, scat, vomit, diapers, CNC, ageplay, raceplay, hitting, slapping, choking or anything else illegal, unethical or otherwise unloving.
● IN CONCLUSION... ●
If you read all of this, good job! Here's a cookie, hope you like chocolate chip. 🍪
Seriously, though, I can't name every little thing I want. Despite the length of this post, I'm not trying to play Build-A-Boy. I realize you have your own caveats and that's totally fine. Let's get to know each other and see what happens. All I ask for, again, is that you want a serious, longterm relationship and not view me as just some sort of "kink dispenser."
Chats or DMs are fine. When you send me a message, please include the following...
• Name or alias • Location • Age • Height, body type, hair cololength, eye color • Your interests/hobbies • Whether you're a sub or a switch • What you're looking for out of a relationship and something (or things) you really enjoyed about my post • A clear, SFW picture of yourself • Your current favorite song (so I know you actually read through all of this) • Whatever else you want to add to catch my attention. The more you can match my "detailed energy," the better.
I won't reply to those who ignore my preferences or the message requirements above. If you send me nudes/dick pics/sexting or FWB requests/rude messages, you will be blocked and reported.
Thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you have a good night!

• Dreamer

(P.S. I don't use Snap, Kik, Telegram, WhatsApp and whatever else. I use Discord and I only give my cell number out to people that I'm comfy with.)

EDITING TO ADD: this is NOT an ad! :) I totally understand that many of you would pass on this as it is:) I’m just trying to crowdsource from the experts as to what would be acceptable vs not, and I’m absolutely willing to reconsider a lot of this. Thank you to everyone who has provided gentle yet very firm and constructive feedback to a very anxious mom who’s willing to learn!
I hope it’s ok that I’m posting here, please delete if not!
I’m a FTM to the happiest 6 month old boy. I just went back to work this week, hubby WFH and has meetings all day. He’s currently going through his last two months of pat leave. I’m honestly not 100% committed to staying at my job (I’m an attorney), and have been considering being a SAHM (at my hubby’s offer, we could afford it). That being said, I’m still looking for a nanny and want to make sure I’m getting the best caretaker for the most important thing in my life.
We live in a 2B2BA, the second room is an office and we room share. Baby is on a 3 nap schedule, naps are in the bedroom (contact and/or crib naps). Never cries unless he fusses when he’s hungry/teething. We live in the southwest and the drivers are atrocious here, lots of accidents, so I’d prefer no driving with baby. We do have a park with shade within walking distance (10min walk, no streets on the way). Baby is crawling so we need someone diligent. I’ll probably be coming home early most days so nanny can leave early too)
We only want childcare, other than rinsing the bottles out or wiping up spills/spit-ups, no house chores.
So far we plan to offer

• Salary in upper range of our area’s COL
• 35-40 GH (mon-Fri)
• 2days PTO/month (?)
• ok with disclosed cameras in living/bedroom area (no bathroom obvi)
• 30min paid lunch break while hubby keeps an eye on bubs (but will likely be in the living room as well).

We require: - criminal background check - non-smoker - vaccination proof (COVID/flu/TDAP) - drug test (it’s a 420-friendly state and nothing against others partaking but I work in criminal law and have seen too many incidents with kids where drugs (including MJ) are involved. - drivers licence in case of emergency and clean driving record. -5+yr experience with infants - ok with no screen time for LO, no phones except lunch break/during naps. - Engage and play and read with baby
Does this all sound reasonable? What, if anything, should I add or reconsider? What should I look out for to get the best carer for the live if my life? Is it reasonable for me to ask for a few pics a day because I want to know my baby is happy? I don’t want to be overbearing, I’m just absolutely terrified to leave the care of my baby to someone else.
THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE!
ETA: I probably should clarify that this isn’t an ad I was thinking of posting, I’m starting from absolutely zero in terms of any nanny experience so I’m loving the feedback, since this is the first time I’m actually thinking of things to include//remove/reconsider for a potential ad! As you’ve all surmised, I’m very anxious and my only real bottom line is I want someone to love my LO and help him thrive!
ETA 2: thanks to you all, I’m going to modify the no outside movement: after we’re all comfortable with each other, I’d be ok brainstorming with nanny for age- and current health-appropriate outings (providing a car seat and gas mileage $$ of course).
ETA 3: LO absolutely naps in crib, it just would take a few contact naps for him to feel comfortable with someone (he’ll pass out in a wrap even if he’s not super familiar with someone yet). I’d be fine with crib naps, they’re just still very short, which is why I mentioned contact naps :)
ETA4: sick days separate from PTO, got it:)

In Skt. mūla-m / mūra-m, Kh. mùḷ ‘root’ it seems clear that mùḷ ‘root’ is cognate with mūla-m. These retroflex l’s also seen in Kh. kukùḷi ‘puppy’, Skt. kukkura-s ‘dog’. Skt. r and l caused a following s to become retroflex, so the change of r > ṛ in Skt. has been considered in the past. Of course, I include l https://www.reddit.com/Dravidiology/comments/13wtfko/retroflex_cs_in_skt_dravidian/ . These etymologies seem to show support for both changes. Any change of ṛ > ḷ would be trivial, and in no way against the principles of historical linguistics. The only reason why these have not been recognized in the past seems to be because most ḷ in Kh. come from Skt. ḍ and r from r. If some r > r and some r > ḷ, this would require an optional change, or some other explantion. When a contradiction of this sort appears, the conclusion seems simple: mùḷ < mūla-m and kukùḷi < kukkura-s are both true, and some l became ḷ, whatever the reason. Even something as simple as this is too much to accept when some linguists insist on total regularity. Instead of the simple etymologies above, Richard Strand, one of the only linguists to study Khowar in detail, gives Kh. mùḷ ‘root’ from OIA. *mu:ḍa- ‘root’, which does not exist. I have no idea what his reconstructions are intended to preserve, but such delusions being needed to preserve the doctrine of regularity only show how little it has no offer in the first place.
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In the same way, he has Kh. kukùḷi ‘puppy’ < Skt. kukkuṭá-s ‘rooster’ http://nuristan.info/lngFrameL.html . Not only is this an entirely different meaning, but kukkuṭá-s ‘rooster’ and kukkura-s ‘dog’ are identical except for ṭ vs. r, so his etymology can not be seen as anything but a direct statement that r > ḷ is impossible. If the same sound sometimes seems to come from r, l, ṭ, why prefer ONLY ṭ? In fact, kukkuṭá-s and kukkura-s might be from one stem, showing r > ṭ was possible within Skt. (as it seems to be within Dardic, Kh. kéeḷi ‘ewe’, A. čhéeli, KS ǰèéṭ \ gYèéṭ ‘jenny goat’), since animals being named from making noises can have a large range in species (Skt. māyu- ‘bleating/etc’, mayú- ‘monkey?/antelope’, mayū́ra- ‘peacock’, Av. anumaya- ‘sheep’). For Skt. kukkura-s ‘dog’ : A. kučúro ‘dog’ he once again simply makes up a word, *kucchura-, to preserve only regular sound changes. Since kukkura-s and *kucchura- are so similar, he seems to be saying that kk / cc(h) in Skt. could exist, but not kk > č in a language unknown to linguistics before the last century.
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By refusing to accept simple changes, the consequences of several optional changes can not be combined into a greater order. A palatalization by u would match *kub- ‘bend/curve’ > G. kúbos ‘hollow above hips on cattle’, L. cubitus ‘elbow’, Skt. chúbuka- \ cubuka- \ cibuka- ‘chin’. Since both cu- and ci- exist, older *cü- makes sense. This u \ i also in Dardic (Kh. phùk, Ba. phík ‘few’) and more ex. at https://www.reddit.com/etymology/comments/zxs5ca/armenian_loys_latin_l%C5%ABx_light/ . This has bearing on important controversies of the past, such as *leuk- > Skt. rúśant- ‘bright/shining’ but rúkmant- ‘gleaming’, ruc- in verbs, etc. Since these forms require earlier plain or palatal k, their common origin is disputed. If kk > č above were known, seeing both in the environment by u suggests that u > u\i in Dardic came from older u > ü (fronted, like many dialects of ancient Greek), which would explain optional palatalization next to u. Other examples might include *kubiko- ‘chin’ > chúbuka-, cibuka-, etc. Evidence here helps explain Arm. optional palatalization next to u (*yugo- > luc ‘yoke’, etc.). With these examples combined, the data can be understood, even if no completely regular explanation is apparent at present. Merely ignoring the evidence alltogether since it MIGHT not be regular makes no sense, and brings no order to the data. An explanation that applies to many words in related languages is much better than making up words to avoid any explanation at all.
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For many words, even though they must come from the same older one, a larger amount of optional change, free variation of pronunciation, etc., would be required in the proto-language. Looking at other cognates, this seems like a needed feature, and is therefore the best explanation. See Li. kurkulai ‘frog roe’, Kh. kučkukùḷi ‘tadpole’; Skt. márya- stallion’, máya- ‘horse/mule’, máyī- ‘mare’, Kh. madyán ‘mare’. Not only would this include r > d, but r > 0, perhaps as in Arm. kēt ‘biting fly’, kret ‘wasp’, among many others https://www.reddit.com/etymology/comments/zkgi2m/latin_pr%C4%93x_request_armenian_a%C5%82ersank_a%C5%82a%C4%8Dank/ . Not finding evidence of total regularity is not a fault of the system of analysis if it matches evidence and finds the real answers, especially if optionality can be used to explain other words and features of the languages. Other linguists I’ve talked to will come up with unattested dialects that existed in the past with slightly different changes from known languages in order to avoid admitting to optional changes. This is basically explaining the obscure by the more obscure, and not suitable for any explanatory theory. When another option exists, optionality itself, it should be taken. IE changes to velars (K) often seem irregular, and the large number of unexplained changes in Armenian seem to have no regular cause https://www.reddit.com/IndoEuropean/comments/13x1295/pie_and_armenian_k/

This is the weekly meet-up thread. Always be aware of potential risks of meetings strangers online. Be careful and be safe.
To better match yourselves up, you may want to (but not required for now) fill out the following questionnaire:

1. Age, gender, party group, Nationality
2. Purpose of meet up.
3. Length of meet up.
4. Date/potential dates.

Example:

1. M,33, solo traveler, USA
2. Looking for food buddies to try Korean meals that require 2+ people
3. Just for dinner, I have plans after
4. Anytime this week, even today is possible

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Weekly CoVid/Entry+Exit Korea questions
If your primary topic is related to:-Entry/Exit requirements (K-ETA, Q-code, vaccinations, etc) -CoVid Tests (where to get tests, what tests are required, vaccinations, what happens if I get CoVid, etc)-Predictions (When do you think X will open, what will change, etc)
Please post here. They are not allowed as a stand alone question anymore. All parent comments on this thread must be questions relating to those topics. If you’re one of those people interested in answering these, reply to parent comments. Travelers, try to look over the other questions asked on this week’s thread before asking. While some members don’t mind answering, it gets weary when every week the questions are the same. We understand the rules are constantly changing but try to do some homework first. The idea is to clean up the main page with travel questions about places to go, things to see, and so on and so forth. Cheers and happy travels!
Per user mikesaidyes:
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Entry Requirements - Testing Rules, Documents, Timeline

(FOR Visitors and NOT for Korean citizens or long term residents with ARC)
The Singapore embassy has the most up to date info, better than the American consulates.https://overseas.mofa.go.ksg-en/brd/m_2435/view.do?seq=761395&page=1
**The Singapore Embassy link has documents with Testing FAQ, how to use K-ETA and Q-CODE. Look at it and download the PDFs.**

1. K-ETA for visa free entry: http://www.k-eta.go.kr Follow the directions exactly - bureaucracy loves rules. Do as they say and don't take any shortcuts with pictures, etc. This is no longer required for some countries.
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