I've finally gotten Horizon Forbidden West and I gotta say... what a shit show... the story is mwuah everything I could've hoped for and more but the gameplay & AI & mechanics? ATROCIOUS wtf did they do. So many unecessary new weapon and special skills and so many game breaking bugs, and that climbing mechanic...it was perfect in the first game, why'd they have to change and break it. Difficult is one thing, but literally broken and unplayable is another. 🥶 A mix of excitement and disappointment. It's still worth it if you can appreciate a good story and take ur time exploring. That's my hot take for this year fbskfjd see you next year

Stages of Regret( Chapter 3)

After a disastrous Christmas party. Nesta Archeron decided to leave behind her old life, to start anew. Now a year and a half later. Her past has come back to haunt her.

For the third time that day Nesta had checked her phone. Without a doubt, She gave off the appearance of someone who had been stood up. The couple sitting a few booths across seemed to notice. As she’d caught them staring more than a handful of times. Empathetic glances were exchanged between the two. The woman, a tall blonde, had started to get up. Only to be stopped by the ring of a bell. Alerting waitstaff that a new patron had entered. Every woman, the blonde included, stared at the hulking figure that just strode in. Better late than never.

Nesta took a sip of her coffee as Cassian took a seat in front of her. A slight sheen of sweat glistened on his brow, causing a few loose strands of hair to cling to his face. He gave her an apologetic look. “ Hey, sorry, I got caught up with inventory.”

“The waitress has already asked me where my better half was.” She mused, leveling her gaze on him. Cassian sighed  “ You agreed to meet here, didn’t you?” She did. She missed their food. But, regret now clawed at her. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

Before she could reply, the bubbly waitress from earlier had returned. Placing a cup of coffee in front of Cassian. “ There you are. Shame on you for making your girl wait.” She swatted his shoulder lightly. “ Been a while since I've seen you two. How have you been?”Cassian gave her a welcoming grin. “ Oh, just been busy. I upgraded the gym recently. And added a new ring to it. We have a new promotion going on too.” She looked to Nesta next. Her eyes gleamed. “ My new job requires me to work nights. It’s also not very close to here.”

“Well, that sucks. Either way, I'm glad you're both here now. Can I assume you guys want what you always ordered? I still remember.” She tapped her forehead. “Yes.” Nesta and Cassian both replied at the same time. Which elicited a giggle from the waitress. The food was delicious here. They made her favorite Strawberry crepes. She never could find another place that made them the same. She’d even tried making them at home to no avail. Cassian called them crack crepes. He’d always ask if she needed to get her fix. “I'll put in that order.” With a smile, she was off.

Without another word, the waitress bounced away. Cassian spoke again. Skipping any pleasantries, he went straight into why they were there. she was thankful. This was already awkward enough.  “I want to be involved in everything.” Determination and sincerity laced his tone.“ I also want to start providing for our daughter too.” Nesta’s heart skipped. As dread set in, or was it anger? Did he think she couldn’t provide? She must’ve started to make a face. As he immediately continued, his tone softening. “ I’m not saying you can’t. Despite that ramshackle apartment of yours. You've provided extremely well for her and yourself. I’m not judging you, I promise.” He put his hands on the table. “ I just want to help too. I don’t want to be my father.” Nesta felt the scowl that had started to form slip. Any anger dissipated, As his eyes met hers.“ You’ll never be your father, Cassian. If there's anything I know for certain, it's that.” Cassian’s father had always been a sore subject for him. It was something they had in common.

The man abandoned Cassian and his mother when he was five. His mother raised him the best she could, which was in borderline poverty. In the end, she focused so much on her son and cared too little for herself. Cassian was 12 when she passed. It had wrecked him. To this day, it still has.

Cassian would never be his father. The words she spoke rang true. The man had her number for a week. He then proceeded to text her daily, asking how Evie was doing and requesting pictures of her. Already a doting father. Nesta obliged his requests of course. She considered herself lucky. Most of the women she knew. Who were single parents. Would kill for the father to actively want to be in their child’s life. Most never were though. So they became hardened, determined to be both parents. Something she highly respected. It took a toll on them though, she saw it. Nesta herself had days where she wanted to just give up. 

“ Okay, um well, Evie’s Birthday is in a few days. I mentioned it a couple of days back. We’re going to have a party at my place. There's a dress code though. You have to wear Pink. It’s a Pink party.”  Cassian snorted, His eyes dancing with amusement. He knew her aversion to the color. “ Alright, I can do Pink. It's her favorite color I assume?” Nesta nodded.

“ I brought up wanting Evie to know her family. And I have an idea.” Cassian leaned forward. As if ready to pitch her a business idea. “ We introduce her one at a time, spaced out of course. What do you think?” Nesta’s stomach twisted. “ We?” She forced out. Fighting to keep her tone level. Determined not to let the fear bubble up.

“Yes, we, as in you and I.” He sighed. “ You can't avoid them. What did you think was going to happen? You avoid all contact forever, while Evie and I are part of their lives?” Yes, that had been her preferred plan. It seemed to be a fallacy now.

Nesta straightened her spine “ They are your family, as well as hers. They’ll never be mine though. I don't fit in with them. I've never disillusioned myself to believe I would either.” This seemed to annoy Cassian. His mouth opened, ready to respond.  But,

The sound of clinking plates drew both of their attention away. As their food was placed in front of them. The crepes that Nesta had been craving. Now made her queasy. Any appetite had been chased off. Cassian on the other hand seemed unbothered. As he began digging into his ruben. It didn't take long for him to notice that her plate hadn’t been touched though. He stopped eating and looked up.” You were starving earlier” he noted. “ And now I’m not.” she spat out. Concern danced in his eyes. “Think about it. I know you're worried. But, know. That I’ll be there with you.” He began to reach his hand out to hers. But, pulled it back.

Nesta scoffed a laugh “ You were there last time. And you did nothing. Listen,” She held up her hand.” I know what I am. I know I’m bitchy, and mean. I’m not likable. I know this. I accept this. But, the others don’t seem to know what they are. Morrigan is bitch, a possessive one at that. She’s marked you as her territory too. Amren is so stuck up on her high horse. I doubt she knows how to get down. And Rhysand, can’t look past his own damn faults. To see that he and I are uncomfortably similar. Or maybe he does see it. I don't know.”

Cassian's gaze softened. “For Evie’s sake. I am willing to try. But, it won't be easy for me. I’m telling you I am scared, Cassian. If you insist that I be in their happy little lives. I need you to really be there for me.” Those words silenced him. A flash of something crossed his face, realization maybe? “ Tell me that you will be there for me.” She needed to hear him say it.

Within seconds, he muttered, his tone somber.  “ I’ll be there for you.” Did he finally hear her? Only time would tell.

She nodded, hating that she let such vulnerability show. Her pleading tone made her even sicker to her stomach. She needed to change the subject. “ If you want to pick up the cakes, and food for the party you can. It’s Saturday at 3. Get there around 2:30.”

“Okay, is there anything else I can do? What can I get her?” Cassian didn’t question the change of subject. He simply continued eating. Stealing the occasional glance at her abandoned crepes. He always had been able to read her. Not push her unless it was needed.

“Anything colorful, she likes sounds too. Just don't get anything too loud with built-in batteries.” Cassian wiped his mouth.” Your neighbors complain or something?” 

“No” she responded, “If I have to live with the toys. I prefer something I can tolerate, or dismantle if it becomes a nuisance”

“ What if I kept some things of hers at my place?” The question was innocent enough. Nesta hadn’t thought about Evie spending time there yet. It made sense though. For him to bring it up. He had a right to have her at his place. It would eventually partly be her home too.“ I’m not against it. But, what if you get spotted with her? Or her things get spotted in your place? ” It was a genuine concern. How would he explain his way out of that situation?

“ Fine,” He conceded. “Let's just focus on slowly introducing her. We can discuss her being at my place more at a later time.”

Her plate was still untouched when she asked for her check. The waitress gave her a strange look. But, went back to normal as Cassian handed her his card. Stating that he was footing the bill.” Can we get a box for the crepes?” he asked. The waitress happily obliged. Returning a few minutes later with Cassian’s card, and a styrofoam box.

  Nesta tapped the table. How dare he speak for her. “ Why didn’t you let me pay?” she grumbled. “ I can pay for myself just fine.” He ran a hand over his face. “ I know you can. Just let this one slide, please?” There was no arguing with him when he was like this. 

 “Fine, I’ll text you the details about the party, and where to pick up the cakes. ” With that, she stood and walked out. Box of crepes in tow. Not daring to look back.

The club was busier than normal that night. A distraction, she welcomed.  It relaxed her to dance like this. It was freeing. A far cry from the stuffy proper dances she was taught as a child. The thought of her Mother, and Grandmother rolling in their graves, brought her joy. She hoped they saw her. The two women had controlled her. Molded her into what they wanted her to be. She’d forever resent them for that. 

She spotted many of her regulars in the crowd. One, in particular, sauntered his way over to her stage. He was hard to miss. Even upside down Eris Vanserra stood out. The red of his hair was vibrant in the bright lights. The cheshire grin he sported made her want to scratch it off. Once a month he made an appearance. Usually after a business trip. Early on he set his sights on Nesta. Many of the girls attempted to sway his affections away from her. But, all were snubbed indefinitely.

Slowly she slid down the pole to meet him. The bills littering her stage made her crawl a bit more difficult. But, she managed. “ Eris” she purred. Sliding onto her back legs. Positioning her breasts in front of his face. His eyes grew dark. “ Jade” His voice was that of a snake.“ I’m in a bit of a mood tonight. Are you going to help me cheer up?” He extended a hand.

“ Don’t I always?” Taking his hand he pulled her off. Leading her to a set of leather couches near the back of the room. She didn't miss the envious glances as they passed by. As he sat, he pulled out an envelope. Tossing it onto the small table next to her. “ Count it if you want, it should be $2,000. You know the drill. You're my arm candy for tonight.” Nesta counted it. True to his word it was all there. It always was. But, his attitude left much to be desired. 

Eris froze when Nesta set her knee between his legs. Making sure to ever so gently brush his leg. His gaze turned ravenous. Surely, Eris thought himself the predator. But, he didn't know how wrong he was.

Leaning forward, she braced both hands on the couch's back. Looking down at him she spoke. Her tone like ice. “You know better than to speak to me like that.” she leaned in closer. Lowering herself until her lips grazed the shell of his ear “ Say please, or I walk.” she whispered. Eris shuddered, his body going stiff. All the bravado from earlier now gone. He said nothing until Nesta slid the knee between his legs higher. He sucked in a breath. “ Please” he ground out. Nesta smirked “Please what?”. The man beneath her groaned. “Please be my arm candy tonight.” The men held no power in this club. Balthazar had instilled that ideology in all the women he employed. Made sure that they always knew they were in control.

Pleased with herself, Nesta took a seat on Eris’s lap. Draping an arm around his neck, and leaning in. “ Was that so hard?” The look he gave her, told her it killed him. Good, he needed to know his place.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Every hour or so, Eris would request a lap dance. Eventually, his buddies showed up. As they always did. It was routine for him. He was a creature of habit. As per her usual. she turned down his drunken invitation to go home with him. The only home she wanted to be at was hers. So when the time came. She took her money and left.

Gwyn had texted her earlier that day that she and Evie had moved to Nesta’s place. She expected Gwyn to be asleep on the couch. But, was surprised to find both her and Emerie watching tv. A bowl of popcorn placed between them. She smiled as she walked over to her sisters. “ What’re you watching?’ She asked, picking up the bowl. Earning a pout from Gwyn. Nesta chuckled “ Calm down, I’m just moving it”. Replacing it on her lap. She took the seat between them. “ Devil’s Kitchen. The mean chef is really funny.” Emerie responded mouth full. As she reached for another handful of popcorn. “ More Importantly though,” a whimsical voice spoke from her other side. “ How did today go? You know, with Cassian?” Gwyn always loved getting to the point. Is this why she was still up? Emerie paused the tv. And was now looking at Nesta expectantly. “ Well, we talked. He brought up being a part of Evie’s life more. Providing for her as well.” Nesta took a deep breath. “ He also mentioned introducing Evie to his family, slowly. Which I’m not opposed to. I just-” Nesta stopped. Taking in a breath she rested her head on Gwyn’s shoulder. “ I told him how scared I was, I think he finally got it though, hopefully.” Emerie rubbed small reassuring circles On her arm. “ I’m proud of you. We’re proud of you. I’m assuming Cassian is coming to Evie’s party?” Nesta nodded, grabbing a handful of popcorn. “ Yes, he sounded excited about it.” Emerie gave her a look. “ What?” Nesta asked. “Hear me out. What do you think about inviting, Azriel to Evie’s party?” Emerie asked, still rubbing circles along her arm. “ It would be a show of good faith. I know that it’s going to be hard. But, why not start out with one of them that never had an issue with you? Then you're safe for a while.” Emerie had a point. Azriel never spoke poorly to her. He’d even stood up for her before against Rhysand’s jabs. Doing this would give her time to figure things out. Bring herself to talk to the others. In a better mental state. Maybe even have another ally in all of this mess. Nesta sighed looking at Gwyn, she smiled, then nodded. Emerie and Gwyn watched as she typed a message to Cassian. One that would set in motion a terrible situation, or a positive one.  If you would like to bring Azriel to Evie’s party, you can. Her thumb lingered over the send button for a moment before finally descending. It was done, and Nesta was terrified.

Taglist

@sv0430 @melphss @champanheandluxxury @my-fan-side @wolfnesta

How do you plan of handling Yang's disability?

Oh boy, where to begin?

I think to start, it's important to remember just how fetishized the idea of "prosthetic/cybernetic limbs" is overall. And not just in stuff like the cyberpunk genre, but even going as far back as major wars and the need to trivialize soldier injuries. If you can "fix them back up" - it's alright, right?

It's pretty common to treat prosthetics as "superpower". Cyberpunk genre is filled with cool prosthetic gun arms and the like, which is part of the genre, I get that. And there's interesting way somewhere in there about exploring concept of transhumanism.

But when it comes to trauma - it is not a "superpower" or "upgrade".

There aren't many ways to "win" at writing a prosthetic arm storyline.

It's why, when V4 was coming up, I did not want the show to give her one. And not just because very few fictional characters go through something like that and NOT use this trope.

In a lot of ways, "writing a prosthetic" can turn the story away from "writing about a character who lost an arm" and into "writing AROUND them losing an arm" - so the the characters in the story (and thus writers) and the audience don't have to "deal with it".

The writer doesn't have to think about all the small details when setting a scene, like "now how would this character open a door" or even stuff like "can this character stumble or fall and how writing that would work". Let alone anything with action because the mind will ALWAYS jump over the fact that there's only one, for example, arm.

I remember imagining a lot of mistakes a show could make and RT walked right into most of them - pretending everything was normal, hiding her prosthetic arm (in the story or marketing) behind clothing, NEVER mentioning it at all, nor dealing with experience and trauma that a loss like that causes (because, as RT people put it, "It would be boring"). They even blew past my lowest expectations by literally having a sexual predator character compare PTSD to fear of MICE.

There are so many ways to mess up that it's genuinely scary. The arm is this "ultra-special-magic one-of-a-kind" thing? Pitfall. The prosthetic is an upgrade that allows a person to do something better than before? Pitfall. The story becomes more about the prosthetic than the character's experiences of using a prosthetic? Pitfall. Even the commonly used trope of "oh wow, this prosthetic is JUST like the real thing" IS a pitfall (if you are writing a prosthetic that is exactly like the real thing, then you are effectively writing around it and are just doing "it magically grew back" trope but with more words).

And that's before even getting into stuff like psychological effects such an experience causes or even less thought about physiological ones like phantom pain (if it's written as psychological effect? That's another insta-failure - the pain is an actual physical sensation tied to how the nervous system functions - people just LOVE throwing it together with psychological effects because it's the least researched part of such trauma and by doing so partake in little bit of ableism by implying people IMAGINED it)

It might sound counterproductive, but adding at least a somewhat accurate portrayal of the difficulties and differences of using a prosthetic IS important - the worst thing one can do, IMO, is to erase the trauma by pretending it's "fixed" or "normal" now.

Trauma doesn't make you LESS of a person (unlike how people at RT seem to think). And neither does using or not using prosthetics (unlike how people at RT seem to think)

Now, mind you, I am not going to go - "nobody should ever write prosthetics into the story". Escapist fiction is fine, and empowering stories are fine, but what's important is to think about how it fits - maybe the setting requires it? Maybe characters are going through the idea of using it as part of dealing with what happened?

The key question is always WHY. Why does Yang need one? Is it part of her internal struggle? Is it something she is coerced into by people around her? Does she feel like she needs something like that to "appear normal to people who would otherwise have a problem with her"? (Expectations of society overall are a pretty decent angle to go about writing something like this) Why do prosthetics exist in the story? Are they there just to be cool or the presence in the narrative is used as part of some wider theme?

I am TRYING to write her as someone who has to live with what happened. If there's a prosthetic, then it's an additional tool, but NOT a solution to her problems. The issue with Yang is that she WANTS a quick solution, in part wanting to buy into the illusion of "normalcy". She is also someone easily frustrated when that simply is not working as intended. She does not handle change well, she does not handle self-introspection well and she does not handle being forced to actually do any sort of soul-searching well. Because its always easier to invest into routine, escaping into sense of repetition rather than to take a look inside.

Just like Ruby longs for simple explanations to complex moral dilemmas, Yang wants quick solutions to complex issues.

So, if anything. she is not just going to plop a prosthetic arm in, hide it under her clothes and forget about it.

well I thought I was going to fall asleep early, but it seems like I have too many things keeping me up and since its too cold to sit at my desk and write at my journal this thought is going on the internet. Tl:dr: tomorrow is my birthday. send me 50 dollars. i am going to bed. gn

Yea, recently everything just feels so.... much. Like I'm always at a state of just slightly overwhelmed that makes it feel usless to do anything. Like I'm worried about money, and I know that I have credit so I can use it and I have things that I need and things I want that I shouldn't deny myself of just because things are a bit trying (like food I want, things I need to fix). But then I can't help but have that internalized poor mantra of "why are u buying this when u have bills to pay?" which is dumb bc I deserve to use what little money I have in making my life more enjoyable . But I'm also like. sage did U really need to upgrade your phone or buy an interview shirt or hair dye? Like, no not technically, but these are things I should do to just make myself feel better. I don't want to be using a broken phone, might as well upgrade when theres a promotion that sure makes it hard right now but is a smart idea in the long run. And yes while I didn't need the dye or the shirt - it will make me more confident in my interview so I can get a higher paying job and not be surrounded by Stuff all day causing me to want to constantly buy things bc I wont be in a store 8hrs a day 5 days a week. So like, yes you do need those things and its negligible when I consider the credit I have. And even if I have some debts, I know that no one can bail me out becausemy family is in the same situation. And I have time. I just started working. Its a rough month, and the fact that I have a trip planned makes it even harder. Because that means more money. But if I always deny myself the opportunity to go and do things bc I don't have the money then I'd never leave my house ever, and thats how I grew up and I was miserable and the money will be gone and the month will be tight anyways so just go anddon't think about it. But I do think about it, because it's hard, and I work so hard my entire life, for what? To pay rent?? other people my age get to say the money they make and build a life yet I was dealt a shitty hand and have had to spend my time working for something people are given. And it hurts bc I've wasted so much time and worked so much andhave 9 dollars to my name and so much debt. But I will find a way. ANd it will all be paid off. I don' know how but I've done this same thing before, cried about it, and went to work the next day and figured it out. And my mother has done this everyday for the past 30 years, and I feel so sorryforher because I know it's hard. And she deserves so much more and I want to give it to her, and I'm not even 23. And tomorrow is my birthday and I have to go work. Even if I called out I don't know what it would help. And I want to go out with my friends and have a good time but I need to paymy car and I need to pay my bills. And I work 9 to 5 and when I get home I have to walk my dog and make dinner. And it's cold. And by the time all of that is done I feel like I have no time to make art or practice chinese or do any of my hobbies and better myself. I''m so tired that all I do is sleep. And I feel myself falling into old habits. And I hate it, i hate it, I am trying so hard to clawmy way out of it. It's starting with a simple routine. Even if it hasn't gotten to the point where I sit and draw or read or write every day. At least I do the dishes when I finish eating, brush my teeth twice a day, foldmy clothes, make my bed, stay off my phone during my breaks, and pack a lunch. Even if that's something I should have achieved long ago, I didn't. So now I need to do that before I can learn how to do hwat I want sadly, because dreamings costs money and dreaming requires habits. AAAAAA. okay. I need to go to bed bc I need to be up at 8am to get ready for work. Happy bday to me.

been thinking about this au for a while now but wasn't sure if i should write it...

anyway, here's mortician!eddie:

quick TW: for parental death and grief mentioned!!

eddie loves dead things, he loves everything creepy and macabre. he loves that his clients don't talk his ear off or pester him with idiotic small talk and conversations. instead, he zones out, his cheap little radio crackling as it blares his favorite metal station while he rushes around his work room like a mad man.

eddie's actually a revered mortician, known for his work ethic and quickness, people choose to go to him on one of the worst days of their life because despite his disdain for clients without rigor mortis, he does have a kind heart and sturdy shoulder to always offer. and he's attentive and meticulous with each and every cadaver. his living clients thank him profusely when they see his work -- at least something makes them feel a little better. he's almost like God with the way he's able to make a lifeless corpse look content and peaceful.

it's a running joke that you can always hear eddie before you see him. the jingling of his various crucifix necklaces and rosary -- something he began carrying as a way to get the townspeople to trust him with their deceased -- always giving away his presence.

and you can't talk about mortician!eddie without talking about his beloved girl -- his old 1980 Cadillac Deville. it became his personal vehicle when the funeral home decided to upgrade since the girl was starting to sputter and require too much attention. luckily, eddie's nothing if not an attentive man, so he spent his summer fixing her up and breathing a new life into her -- it's what he does best. and after slapping on some new plates his beauty, Morticia as he lovingly named her, was ready.

now he'd ride her around anywhere he went, keeping an old mattress in the back for ~emergencies~. aka, he likes to hide from people and take naps in there.

he doesn't mind a couple scratches to the paint, he says it makes her look cooler, more scary. he did mourn his van for a while, feeling sentimental but recognized that his hearse was just a grown up version of his van.

no longer was he a young high school kid with bright eyes. now, he was a man with hardened eyes that had seen the horrors life could supply. but he knew what he was getting into when decided to study the dead and it's culture.

it's why he wanted to pursue this career -- someone needs to do the job and he has the stomach for it, so why not help others? he still holds a grudge against certain citizens of Hawkins, but honestly, being surrounded by the dead has taught him life really is too short.

his first encounter with death was his mother passing while he was still in grade school. he never knew his grandparents and his own parents didn't have a tight knit group of friends. so, the day he had to say goodbye to his mother, he wasn't sure how to process it. he felt lost, swallowed whole by grief and gloominess, and worse, he had no one to help him.

no one, except his uncle.

his uncle helped put him together again as best as he could. he encouraged eddie and helped support him through mortuary school -- honestly, he was just relieved eddie chose to continue his education. now, wayne's retired and spends eddie's days off listening to his crazy stories about work while they sit on porch chairs. he admires how grown eddie is now and he can't hold himself from telling eddie how proud he is. eddie always replies the same way; "'cause i was raised right by the best man i know."

mortician!eddie is an odd man and he knows it. he owns it.

"Eddie -- lead guitar/vocals of his band Corroded Coffin, leader of a "cult" in highscool, but underneath is kind-hearted, compassionate (to an extent) and friendly -- Munson the Mortician"....yeah, that just makes sense.

Slime Rancher 2 First Impressions

These are just my thoughts. I'm not a reviewer or anything. But if you want to use this to influence you to buy or not buy the game, go right ahead!

Shorter, spoiler-free thoughts: The game is everything I'd hoped it would be and more. There was built hype within my friend group as we all waited until it dropped to check it out, so I was a little worried I'd be heading in with overbuilt hype. It's early access after all, so my expectations shouldn't be too high. But the hype was not overbuilt in the slightest. It's Slime Rancher 2 alright! Same vibe and energy as the first game, with more content, some quality of life, and some more intrigue in the story and lore of the game.

The progression of certain aspects from the first game, such as Slime Science and upgrades, are very altered, but in a way I felt was much better and well-integrated, making the progression feel more natural. Towards the later part of the first game, the progression felt more like just going from area to area instead of upgrading along the way. I felt this was fixed by this new game.

Slime Rancher 2 is beautiful even on low settings, and just overall a good time. I had some minor issues while playing, like slimes and chickens getting stuck, or at one point I somehow managed to launch myself into the air, but those are to be expected of early access. I had no major glitches or bugs for my entire several hour play session.

If you loved Slime Rancher 1, you will love Slime Rancher 2. Simple as that.

More detailed thoughts below

Upon launching the game, I switched all my graphics settings to the lowest possible option in almost every category and capped my FPS at 60. I'm playing this game on a Macbook through a virtual machine, so naturally I'm not going to have any ambient occlusion or anything like that. But even on the lowest settings, with crappy texture quality, no bloom, and no impressive lighting settings, the game is gorgeous. The lighting is beautiful, and even just sitting still and staring at the menu screen, or the spawning area, the game is just absolutely stunning. 10/10 visuals. I have a bit of lag. The game runs at maybe 30-40 fps when playing normally. But my eyes adjusted to the lower fps and it isn't that big of a deal to me. You probably won't be able to run it if you have a potato computer, but most computers with decent graphics cards will probably run it on low settings no problem. I can't imagine how gorgeous it would look if you had a good graphics card.

Instantly there are some small changes that I feel add to the game very nicely. It feels as though the run speed is a bit quicker in this game than it was previously. My partner pointed it out while they were playing and I noticed it once I started too. The vac pack slots also have a little popup that tells you what item you're holding when you switch to them, which is both nice and aesthetically pleasing.

Slime Science is integrated immediately. You don't need to purchase the area that will contain the lab; the lab is right under your feet once you spawn in. This is great, of course, as one of my minor problems with the first game is that I felt Slime Science was poorly integrated with the overall progression. This makes it a natural part of progress. The resource nodes are gathered by vac instead of through harvesters, which is also a huge plus. Those harvesters always felt tedious to me, and I never got too deep into Slime Science because of them.

However, this comes with one big change: your upgrades, such as your jetpack or energy core upgrades, are part of slime science now. They need resources to craft instead of only requiring Newbucks. This change is a good one, I felt. Not only does it encourage more use of Slime Science, but it also alters your progression. In the first game I found myself buying upgrades almost instantly after unlocking them. By around the halfway point, I had them all, and I hadn't really done much to earn them beyond throwing a few plorts into the market. This makes them feel much more integrated and much more earned. I felt incredibly satisfied when I got an upgrade I'd been looking for. Some of them feel a tad expensive on the resources end, like the water tank, but if you go out of your way to get them it shouldn't take you more than fifteen minutes once you've unlocked the islands you need to make them.

The areas and level design impressed me. The area you call home is visually stunning, and the surrounding areas inspired a lot of exploration and travel. I'd often depart from my ranch with an objective in mind, then find myself in a completely different part of the map, getting distracted with feeding a gordo or gathering resources for Slime Science. The way the game is structured makes it so that it's much harder to skip over parts of progression. Instead of locked gates, you travel to new areas through portals. Gone are the days of climbing over every locked door with my jetpack.

Speaking of, the jetpack feels more like an intended part of the game than a fun gadget you can occasionally use to skip progression. Some areas require or encourage its use, while major progression is kept away from its abuse. Overall the levels feel built around using the jetpack rather than built around only running, making it feel much more like a part of the game and not an exploit.

I don't think this needs to be said, but the new slime designs are adorable. I've noticed they seem to be overwhelmingly based off animals, though. There are bunnies, angler fish, bats, butterflies... I love the animal-like slimes from the first game, with saber and hunter being my favorites, but that's my only real complaint about the designs. I feel like they could take from a wider range of inspirations. But I don't mind, really. All the slimes could be based off animals and I wouldn't mind too much! They're all adorable and make some really cute largos!

As with the first, this game is incredibly relaxing. I could see this becoming my go-to game when I need to cool off and wind down after a stressful day. It's slow-paced, with no rush to your objectives. The only real spikes in heartrate come with tarr outbreaks or nearly tripping and falling into the ocean. It's a quick gasp, then back down to calm. I'd definitely recommend this as a relaxing game if you like slower games for that, like Stardew Valley or Minecraft.

I could definitely see myself getting a bit carried away with long sessions, though. Maybe set a timer if you only want to relax for a little bit, otherwise it'll suck you right in!

Despite the early access nature of the game, I only had a few minor issues, as said before. There are some little nooks where smaller slimes or chickens can get stuck. At the start of the game you spawn in with 5 pink slimes on your ranch. I thought they lowered it to 4, but it turned out my pink slime was stuck in a corner of the ranch, along with the starting roostro. It's a quick fix though, just a vac and firing it off into the sea or wherever I want it to go. At some point, while running around my ranch, I launched myself upwards like 50 feet into the air. I don't know how it happened, and I couldn't recreate it, but that's as far as bugs and glitches go for me. Nothing too extreme. No severe lag, no frame drops, no falling through the map, no crashes, nothing. It's quite polished for an early access game. I don't know if my experiences line up with others', but from watching my friends play or talking to them about it generally, I found that to be a common experience!

This is a bit of a messy post, just a dump of my thoughts, but overall I would definitely recommend if you like cute slimes and slower-paced games. Not going to give it an out-of-ten rating, as it is still in early access, and I don't believe that's a terribly good metric. But I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thess vs Software

Okay, so now that I’ve had my little dialogue post rant about the political and economic situation that gives me the horrors every time I have to think about it too hard (so basically always), a little bit more in the way of personal news:

I want to throttle our IT department.

See, the plan was supposed to be that our IT department handled the last couple of tiny niggling things that needed to be set up on my laptop by the end of the week so I could start working from home the first week of October, immediately after my week off. I don’t know how the hell long it takes to set up an account and install a bit of software, but if two-plus days is ‘expedited’, I’d hate to think what the standard timeframe would generally be. Summary: I haven’t heard a fucking thing about this. I’m going to have to prod them tomorrow going, “Erm, excuse me, my manager did say this should be finished by the end of the week, so could I please get an update?” Which I hate doing but this is going to throw everything out of whack.

Also, my computer wants to upgrade me to Windows 11. I don’t know if I want Windows 11. I’ve read a few reviews and it’s not as if it looks bad or anything? Just ... something else to get used to and I don’t really want to. Especially not when it’s only been out for about two months. I’m always a little leery about early access; it’s one thing when it’s a video game and you know there’s going to be some bugs because no one bothers to make sure it’s properly up to par in this age of fixes and patches, but it’s for entertainment purposes so it’s just annoying. It’s a little different when it’s your whole operating system. That feels like a big gamble.

Of course, I know I’m going to have to, and it’s going to bug me until I finally agree to install the damn thing, but I’m at least not going to do so late in the evening when I have work the next day. I want to keep an eye on it and then I want to immediately muck with whatever godsawful colour scheme Windows wants to stick me with as a default. That’s going to require more than an hour or so.

Don’t mind me; I have enough uncertainty in my life without my computer going, “Hey! Time for a brand new OS! Install it now now now!” out of absolutely nowhere as far as I’m concerned. Give an entity some warning, jeez.

Since I'm inspired by the lazt thing i read; Arthur coming to Doctor about these funny little emotion malfunctions he's experiencing and them both independently realising what they are (and possibly talking/doing something about ut?)

Arthur: I'm having some minor emotional malfunctions, and the best way to fix this is to talk to the guy who seems to be causing these malfunctions.

On with the fic!

--

"It would be easier to do this on the TARDIS, you know." The Doctor said as he set down an armful of equipment he had brought into the bar.

"Yes, but I'm currently at my post, and it is such a hassle to get attached to the wheels." Arthur commented, watching as the Doctor started to sort the things he had brought.

The Doctor snorted at this, it wasn't that much of a hassle, he could get him back on the wheels in five minutes, tops! But Arthur wanted to see if he could get some work done today, he had been a bit ancey over his bar being closed for a few days now, what if someone had wanted a drink in a classy place? Hm?

So, back to the pole and track for today, it seems. Still, the Doctor didn't mind doing the examination here, might even be better for Arthur in a more familiar place. The Doctor turned on the scanner, looking at the screen to make sure it was set correctly, before getting behind the bar to start hooking Arthur up to everything.

While he did have drives and slots on his underside, some of his other ones were located on a small, hidden area on his upper back. Which meant that Arthur had to remove some of his clothing, at least enough to let the Doctor get back there.

Being respectful, the Doctor kept his eyes only on Arthur's back, since that was where he needed to work anyway, no peeking at the front. Though the Doctor did note that the detail they put into Arthur's synthetic skin was impressive, they really went all out when making someone like him.

He gently pushed on a spot at the base of Arthur's neck, and heard his fans kick up their speed. Interesting reaction. There was a small click and the skin parted, revealing a hidden panel. If the Doctor hadn't known before, he probably wouldn't have missed the barely-there seam that hid this.

"Alright, I'm gonna hook you up now, then we'll see what's going on with your emotion banks, alright? Ready?"

"Yes." Arthur replied, and the Doctor inserted the drive cord into one of the ports. "Oh!"

"Oh?"

"It always feels strange to connect to older technology."

The Doctor pouted. "It's not that old, just... a few decades off. But it's completely upgraded!"

He then turned to the scanner and keyboard, seeing that Arthur's programming and schematics were coming onto the screen. He started typing rapidly, looking through thousands of individual files to find the ones for emotions.

"You're very advanced." The Doctor commented, very impressed.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Arthur replied, looking at the glass he was polishing, had been polishing this whole time.

The scanner pinged and the Doctor raised an eyebrow, slipping on his smarty specs to take a look. An emotion had been activated and the Doctor was quick to trace it to the source. He found the files and was surprised to find that there were all sorts within the file.

"Fascinating!"

"What is?" Arthur asked, looking at the screen.

"Look at this! I don't think these 'extra emotions' you've told me about are glitches in your system, or a virus at all! You've been equipped with all sorts, it just seems that they had been locked away because you're meant to just play a part!"

Arthur looked at him strangely. "What do you mean by all that?"

"Well, I'm gonna just take a guess..." The Doctor rubbed his neck, "and say that if someone were to poke around in your files, they could technically put you into other jobs, where other emotional responses could be required, so you were set with all sorts to have, just in case."

"Well, I am a service droid. If need be, I can be repurposed."

This made the Doctor frown, shaking his head. "No, don't say that. You do not need to be repurposed."

"But it happens to androids all the time, many of us are built to serve a purpose. And when it is no longer necessary, we are either scrapped or reused and become a new persona." Arthur said, his rubbing of the glass increased and he had a nervous look on his face, even if his voice seemed calm.

The scanner indicated anxiety, which is something an android meant to be a bartender should not feel.

The Doctor reached over, putting his hands on Arthur's, gently removing them from each other. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I highly doubt you will be scrapped or repurposed."

"You've said that before. How can I trust you on that?"

"I'll make sure of it. I promise, if anything like those were to happen, I'll do everything I can to make sure you stay as you are, as Arthur the bartender, or whatever you want to be as Arthur."

Arthur looked at him, his eyes widening just a bit, and there were noises from his inner mechanics. A ping caught the Doctor's attention, and he glanced at the screen for just a split second.

Affection.

Comfort.

Lo-

Oh.

The Doctor looked back at Arthur, who looked at him with a bit of confusion. "What did it say now?"

Was it his place, to say what Arthur was feeling? Should it be something that Arthur should discover on his own, like many others have over time, including the Doctor himself? He and Arthur had kissed once before, just a few days ago, but neither have spoke about it, and Arthur was always quick to change the topic if the Doctor implied it.

Maybe it would be wise to let Arthur figure things out on his own, he was smart, he would discover that he was going against his programming. And the Doctor loved that, he loved that Arthur was unconsciously doing that, good for him.

His own feelings on this, though, well... the Doctor did like Arthur, a lot, and he knew there was something there, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to say 'love', not yet. Give it time.

He reached behind Arthur, unplugging him. Arthur blinked, shaking himself out, before quickly doing up his shirt and bow tie with reflexes the Doctor couldn't match.

"I think it would be best if you see how you feel about having more emotions than you were originally supposed to have. If you don't like them, I'll lock them back up for you, but if you want to keep exploring, more power to you." The Doctor said, looking away to start packing things up.

Arthur stood there quietly, contemplating this. "I would... like to explore them. It is a strange sensation, but I'm not opposed. It is different. And different can be good, yes?"

This made the Doctor grin. "Of course, different's great. Love different, means big things."

"Then I shall be different."

"Good, never change." The Doctor said, giving his hand a squeeze, which was returned.

--

I like the idea of the Doctor knowing first, but Arthur needing time to figure things out. He knows he likes the Doctor, a lot, but he doesn't know how he really feels.

Give him a few days, it'll hit him. Probably while he's making a drink, and he does the cliche of dropping the glass when it finally hits him like a ton of bricks.

Electrical Upgrades for Older Homes: Modernizing Your Wiring

If you live in an older home, you know that they can be charming, but they also require a lot of upkeep! However, have you considered whether you need to modernize your wiring? Many older homes have wiring that is no longer considered up to code.

Upgrading Electrical Wiring in Older Homes

You’ve probably heard of the idea that if you have an older home, you should seriously consider getting the wiring upgraded. Still, you may not actually know why this is so important. These are the three main reasons that it’s crucial to have up-to-date wiring:

Older wiring systems may not be able to keep up with increased demands for power. It used to be that you’d only have some major appliances and lights that need power. Now, you likely have computers and several mobile devices, too, that need charging!

Old knob-and-tube wiring can be dangerous and may invalidate your insurance policy.

Out-of-date wiring can pose a serious fire hazard.

Indications That Your Home Needs an Electrical Upgrade 

You may have already seen signs in your home that you need an electrical upgrade. These are 5 of the most common signs that you need to reach out to a professional Mississauga electrician about getting an electrical upgrade: 

Your circuit breaker is constantly tripping, or you keep blowing a fuse.

The lights in your house are always dimming or flickering, and replacing the bulb doesn’t fix the issue.

Your outlets have a yellowish tinge to them that doesn’t go away if you clean the outlet. This can be a sign that there is something wrong with your outlet (for example, it’s ungrounded) and that you need to get it replaced immediately!

You touch a light switch, and it is warm. This can be a sign there’s a problem with your wiring.

You are using too many power strips or extension cords and risk overloading a circuit. A qualified Mississauga electrician can talk to you about installing extra outlets.

How to Modernize Your Home’s Electrical Wiring

Now that you’re thinking about modernizing your home’s electrical wiring, you must decide what approach to take. Do you simply want to make sure everything is up to code and there’s no risk of an electrical fire, or do you want to make some enhancements to your home as well? Here are some options to consider:

Upgrade your electrical panel. This will make it more robust and able to handle increased power demands.

Install three-pronged outlets if you don’t have any, or add more outlets to high-traffic locations.

Install ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) outlets in places like your kitchen and bathroom. GFCI outlets turn off the power when they get wet, which is a great safety feature!

Upgrade or replace your light switches. Some options are to add a dimmer function or install motion sensors.

These are just some of the options to consider when upgrading your wiring. Talk to a qualified electrician to learn more about all the ways you can improve your wiring.

Choosing the Right Electrician

Choosing the right electrician is the key to successfully upgrading your wiring. If you’ve never needed the services of a Mississauga electrician before, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure where to start. These four tips will help you figure out how to choose the proper electrician:

Ask friends and family for recommendations, and check online reviews. This will help give you several electricians to choose from.

After you’ve made a short list of potential candidates, contact each of them and ask for a quote. Don’t necessarily go with the cheapest option. How a company handles your quote request will tell you a lot about them.

Confirm with each electrical company you contact that they are licensed and have insurance. This is critical as it ensures that you will not be on the hook for damages to either property or people if something happens during your wiring upgrade.

Once you’ve selected the company, be sure to get everything in writing. This includes the work you want done and the amount the company quoted.

Understanding the Benefits of Electrical Upgrades

There are several great reasons to invest in electrical upgrades beyond just ensuring that your wiring is up to code and that you’ve reduced the risk of an electrical fire. Here are some of the benefits of electrical upgrades 

●      An upgraded electrical system can help you save money in the long run by offering increased electrical efficiency. It also helps decrease your environmental impact.

●      It leads to a better quality of life for you and your family. No one wants to argue over who is going to be able to plug in their devices to charge, or keep having to reset a breaker!

●      It can increase the value of your property, as that’s one less task that a potential future owner has to worry about.

●      You can choose to have smart technology installed as part of an electrical upgrade, allowing you to control your home lighting from wherever you are.

Preserving the Charm: Modern Wiring Without Compromising Character

Are you concerned about compromising the character of your home if you upgrade the wiring? The best way to ensure you preserve the charm of your home is to look at what’s most important to you. Is it something like original woodwork or hardwood flooring? Or, perhaps it’s a feature like crown moulding.

Regardless of the feature, the best way to help preserve it is to talk to the electrician about it before they get started. They can figure out a way to add new features or upgrade your wiring that is minimally disruptive to the features you love.

The Key to Success Is Preparation 

The best thing you can do to ensure that your electrical upgrades are successfully made with minimal disruption to your life and home is to be prepared. Take the time to interview electricians and be clear on what needs to be done. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand what the electrician tells you.

When you’re ready to move forward, make sure you get a detailed quote in writing and ask for a timeline—both on when your electrician will be able to get started, and how long they think the job will take.

Revitalize, Renew, Reclaim With Our Expert Water Damage Restoration Rockingham By Perth Flood Restoration

Rockingham residents frequently encounter water damage, whether it's due to unexpected events, burst pipes, or leaky roofs. This issue can lead to serious consequences if not addressed promptly and efficiently. That's where Perth Flood Restoration comes in.

Our team is equipped with extensive knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment necessary for swift and effective water damage restoration Rockingham. We prioritize speed in minimizing harm and preventing mould growth after any water damage incident occurs. Our emergency services are available round-the-clock for your convenience and peace of mind during unexpected situations.

In order to prevent further harm and prevent the growth of mould and bacteria, it is crucial to act quickly in the event of flooding. Perth Flood Restoration recognizes this importance and provides emergency services available 24/7 to be there for you when you need us most. We utilize advanced tools and techniques to assess the damage and initiate the restoration process immediately.

Our awesome team will work together with your insurance company to make sure that everything goes super smoothly when it comes to your claims. We totally get how frustrating it can be to deal with insurance stuff, so we're here to take that stress off your shoulders. No worries, we've got your back!

Water damage is an urgent matter that demands prompt action to minimize disruption. Perth Flood Restoration recognizes the urgency of the situation and responds with lightning-fast reaction times.

Don't delay, as water damage requires immediate attention. Our emergency services are available around the clock to address flood harm, no matter the time of day or night. We understand the importance of restoring your property to its pre-damaged state as quickly as possible, and we're committed to working with you to achieve that goal. Trust us to provide swift and effective solutions for your water damage emergencies.

Advanced Tools

Perth Flood Restoration has super cool tools and tricks up its sleeve to make sure your place gets fixed up fast and awesome! We always stay ahead of the game by using the latest and greatest technology. Our gear is always getting upgraded and taken care of, so you know we're on top of our game!

Can I Restore Water Damage Myself?

Fixing water harm is a really complicated job that needs experts who know what they're doing. You got to make sure you hire a good company that knows how to do the job right.

How To Prevent Flood Harm In The Future?

Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clean and free of junk. This will stop water from overflowing and causing damage to your stuff. Put special gadgets in places that might get flooded to detect any moisture. If there's a leak or flooding, these gadgets will let you know.

If you're having any water problems, contact us right away. We're available all the time for emergencies and we'll call you back fast. Our team at Perth Flood Restoration will check out the harm, make a plan to fix it, and work with you every step of the way to make sure everything gets back to normal.

                                     Get Swift Solutions, Lasting Relief! Avail yourself of our exceptional water damage restoration Rockingham – Contact us for immediate restoration and safeguard your home. Your trusted partner in recovery is just a call away – Act now, restore today!

Contact us today

The Importance of a Regular Home Maintenance

Before we dive into the benefits of home maintenance, what exactly IS home maintenance? What does it entail for homeowners? Home maintenance means examining and if necessary, repairing or replacing the various components of your home. It’s checking your home’s components (foundation, plumbing, roofing, etc.) for safety and efficiency. In other words, it’s ensuring everything in your home works the way it’s supposed to. Home maintenance doesn’t refer to general, everyday tasks like cleaning and organizing. Cleaning the bathroom – not home maintenance. Checking under the bathroom sink for leaks – home maintenance. Home maintenance can be simple. Yet so many homeowners (like me) tend to ignore home maintenance. They put it off until something breaks and needs repair or replacement, which leads to an expensive and daunting experience. 

It Will Save You Money In The Long Run: Aging and ineffective equipment consume far more money and resources than new ones. An air filter that hasn’t been serviced in a while, for example, will consume more energy than one that has just had its filters cleaned. Similarly, old pipelines should be changed before they break and begin leaking water, resulting in increased replacement expenses. You will save a lot more money in damages and repairs for every dollar invested in preventative maintenance. Simple problems are always better handled before they even happen. Please visit this link http://allmelbournehandyman.com.au/handyman-point-cook/ and you get the best home maintenance service.

Owning a home requires a lot more responsibility than renting. If something breaks down, there's no landlord to come and fix the problem; it's in the owner's hands. That means the responsibility of keeping a home clean and maintained is up to the homeowners. Your realtor, mortgage lender, and everyone on the Internet has told you how important it is to keep your home maintained, as well as thousands of ways to do it. But why is it so important? As a home warranty company, Landmark's main purpose is to help homeowners who have systems and appliances that fail from old age and normal wear and tear. However, in our contract, we stipulate that if a system or appliance has failed because of a lack of maintenance, it's not considered "normal wear and tear. You shouldn't just maintain your home because of the benefits of a home warranty though (although that's an excellent reason to do so!). There are a number of other reasons home maintenance is so important.

Boost Your Home’s Value: Like any other purchase, your home is considered as a significant investment. Whether you are looking to sell it soon or in the coming years, one thing you would want is the best return for your effort and money. Not long ago, a survey found out that homes with upgrades and renovations can have gains that raise their value. You must have in mind that every other buyer is looking for a home that won’t ask for much upkeep for a few years. Therefore, the more you maintain your home, the more your chances of grabbing a fair price during the transaction. It would be best if you, therefore, hire the services of a contractor to handle the regular repairs now and then. 

Home Warranties and Home Maintenance: Home warranties and home insurance don't generally cover for breakdowns caused by lack of maintenance. You'd be hard-pressed to find a home insurance company that would cover for flooding in your attic or roof if it turns out you never cleaned out your gutters, which caused the flood. The same principle applies to a home warranty: if you never changed the filters for a year on your HVAC system and the fan burned out from too much strain, a home warranty generally wouldn't cover the repairs or replacement. Why does a home warranty make you maintain your systems/appliances? You have to complete maintenance on your systems and appliances in order to keep them in good working condition and to extend their lifespans. Most home warranty companies only repair or replace systems and appliances if the homeowner has tried to maintain them.

Prevents Further Damage To Your Home: Secondary damage is the type of damage that occurs as a result of prior damage that has been in the house. For example, when running water bursts a pipe and ruins the hardwood flooring beneath. If water seeps into electrical outlets and causes damage on the house’s wiring, or if the roof falls due to unstable trusses. Clearly, repairing or replacing something instead of getting an expert to fix it before it breaks would cost a lot more. Contact HomeSmiles to find out if you have any home maintenance problems.

Local Melbourne Handyman

level 27 / 101 Collins St Melbourne Victoria, 3000 Australia

0466 344 447

The New Way To Sell Your Home in New Jersey

By Cardwell Thaxton

Are you planning on selling your New Jersey house? Before you commit to an agent or try to sell it on your own, learn about the new way to sell your home in New Jersey!

For most people, the thought of selling their New Jersey house will likely involve the MLS and the help of a local agent. Before you decide to sell this way, take a look at the numbers to make sure it makes sense for you. There are many ways for you to sell your home, and each of these will have a different impact on you both financially and mentally!

So, What Is This “New Way?”

Selling your house to a direct buyer instead of listing with an agent! You will not only save money on marketing, listing, repairs and closing costs, but you won’t have to wait to receive your money! Imagine being able to sell your New Jersey house without the stress and hassle of a traditional listing!

There Are MANY Benefits to A Direct Sale Here Are Just A Few

No Commissions – Because you are selling to a direct buyer and not through an agent, you will be able to keep any money that would have otherwise gone to commissions. This usually runs about 6% of the final sale price.

No Marketing Costs – You will not have to pay a dime to advertise your house online or in print. There are no photography costs or fees of any sort to worry about.

No Staging Costs – Many time, people will use professional home stagers to help showcase their property. Even if you only do this in a few rooms, the fees can add up.

No Time or Money Spent Cleaning – A big part of listing your New Jersey house is keeping it clean. People will come by for last minute showings, and your house needs to be kept tidy for these short-notice guests. When people view your home, they don’t want to see personal belongings or clutter. Keeping everything put away and leaving at the drop of a hat can be stressful to home sellers. When you sell to us, there is no cleaning required. Simply take the belongings you wish to keep and we will handle the rest!

No Repairs Required – When you sell directly to The Cardwell Thaxton Group, you will never have to spend a dime making repairs or upgrades. Listing your New Jersey house will often require you fix up the home both before and after the inspection has been completed. We will buy your house as-is, repairs and all.

No Landscaping – Just like maintaining the inside of a home, the outside needs to be maintained too. When you are trying to sell, this is even more important. You will want to keep the lawn mowed, weed pulled and clutter out of the yard. Curb appeal is extremely important when selling a home. You will either need to spend time doing this yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

End Maintenance Costs Immediately – If you own a property, it will inevitably cost you money in maintenance costs each month. From a faulty shelf to new A/C filters, the things you might see as small expenses can add up quickly. Ending these costs now instead of later can help you keep more cash in your pocket.

No More Monthly Costs – The cost of your monthly utilities, homeowners insurance, and property taxes can add up fast. When you list your home, you will have to continue paying these bills for an indefinite amount of time. Even if you are not living in the home, water and electricity will need to be kept on for people who view the home.

Get Paid Right Away – When you sell to a direct buyer such as The Cardwell Thaxton Group, you will know exactly what you are getting and on what day. There are no lenders or red tape. We are able to pay you in days, not weeks or months. By selling directly, you will not have to live in limbo. You will be able to move on with your life quickly and easily.

Peace of Mind – With a traditional sale you will have to question how much you will be offered and when. If you do get an offer you accept, it can still fall out at the last minute, especially if your buyer is using traditional bank financing. When you sell to us, we have the funds available to pay you right away! You don’t have to worry about waiting or the sale falling through!

The benefits of selling directly are numerous! For many people, it is the simple, stress-free way of selling they have been looking for! We encourage you to run the numbers to find out if it makes sense for you!

Before listing, learn more about the new way to sell your home in New Jersey! We can help! Call us today! (908) 456-1593

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

Earn Quick Cash By Car Removals Brisbane

Thinking of removing your car from your backyard/parking? Is your junk car not easy on the eyes? You might want to upgrade your car. If you no longer need your unwanted car. It is also possible that you can contact us to sell my car Brisbane. If you need the money for something else then you have to choose to sell my car for cash.

Well, if you are having any of the problems above or something else then you should surely contact us EasyCash4Cars because your junk or unwanted car will look bad and generally makes the property look ugly, and it also reduces the value of the property where the car is parked. Yes, you’ve heard that old junk cars stored in yards and driveways have a very negative impact on the price of a property.

we’re here To help you. At EasyCash4Cars we buy your unwanted car and do yourcar removals Brisbane in return providing you with Cash.

Can You Trust Car Removals Brisbane?

You can trust our company EasyCash4Cars as we have been running this company for the past 7 years and 99% of people trust our company and think of selling your car for cash then contact us to Sell my car for cash. We are known for providing quick cash and accepting any kind of vehicle. We provide genuine customer service.

We provide you with quick cash and keep your information 100% secure with us. Everything we do is legal as our team is fully experienced and we are licensed. Many companies and many people know us all over Brisbane. You don’t need to go anywhere for Car removal Brisbane our team comes to your place and does the required process. You just have to contact us to Sell my car for cash. We will do the remaining work. You will get tension-free service with us.

How to Sell My Car in Brisbane?

As other companies ask you to perform a lot of steps and make you roam here and there and make you super stressed till your work is done. But, with us, you can be sure that you don’t have to do anything except these few steps,

Firstly visit our EasyCash4Carsofficial website and when you open the page you will see a Free online quote form which asks you the following details like the condition of your car whether it is crap, old, drivable, written-off, etc., your name, email contact no many other details. You have to fill out that form.

After you fill out the form you can also estimate your car value and how much cash you can get in return for your junk car. The value you see will be 100% true.

After you are ok and satisfied with the value of your car we can proceed further. Contact us and get an appointment with us. Generally hearing an appointment will make sense of going somewhere and meeting someone but with us, you don’t need to go anywhere we will come to your place.

After fixing an appointment with us our Car removals Brisbane team will come to your place to inspect your vehicle the whole process will hardly take 1 hour nearly. After inspecting our team will remove your car by a truck without damaging the surrounding property.

Finally, when you hand over the vehicle keys to us and sign the papers provided by us then we will pay you the cash quickly, or else if you want us to send the cash directly to your bank account we will do it too.

Isn’t the best and quick way toSell my car Brisbane? Then what are you waiting for to contact us now?

Contact Info:

Easy Cash For Cars

Phone: 0406 492 220

Address: 50 granard rd Archerfield

Email: [email protected]

Step-by-Step Guide to Formatting Windows 7 and Windows 10

If you're experiencing difficulties with your Windows 7 or Windows 10 PC, it might be time to restore the computer's original settings.

Uninstalling a recent update or running Microsoft's Refresh Windows tool might fix problems with Windows machines. In fact, you can even do your own diagnostic tests to ensure your hard disk is in good working order. In any case, if your PC is underperforming or if you plan to get rid of your current PC, it may be time to reset it to factory settings.

Whether you're still using Windows 10 or have upgraded to Windows 11, these steps are pretty much the same. If you choose to run this process, you may lose your files and current settings, so make sure you back up your files before you begin.

Formatting Windows 7

Go to the Start menu and select Control Panel. Go to System and Security.

You will be prompted to select Backup and Restore on the new page.

To recover the system settings or computer, click on the Recover system settings or your computer option in the Backup and Restore window.

The next step is to choose Advanced recovery methods. 

In this window, you will have two options: Restore files from a system image backup and Restore Your Computer to Factory Conditions. Go with the second option.

In this case, you have two options: Back up now or Skip. Click on the first one if you want to create a backup. By clicking Skip, you can skip the step.

To start the factory reset process on your Windows 7 laptop, click the Restart button.

Once your laptop is shut down, it will restart after a short period of time. Your next notification will ask you to choose a keyboard input method. You can now click Next. In the end, you will have three options:

Restore the operating system to the factory default.

Restore operating systems and Retain user data.

Exit.

Select Restore operation system to factory default. Following that, click Next and again Next, then click OK.

Formatting Windows 10

Open the Settings window by clicking the gear icon in the lower-left corner of the Start menu in Windows 10. You can also find the Settings app in the application list. In Settings, click Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC, and then click Get started.

Decide what to erase.

Depending on the operating system, you can select Keep my files to remove only downloaded apps and settings. If an issue needs to be rolled back, this will preserve your personal files. If your drive cannot be saved or you plan to get rid of the computer, you can select Remove Everything. This will clean the drive of downloaded apps, settings, and personal documents.

Choosing the Reinstall option

Depending on your operating system, you may need to reinstall it before hitting the reset button. If you prefer to install Windows from local storage, you can choose Local reinstall. 

If you prefer a more direct route to download files, click Cloud download to pull them directly from Microsoft's servers. It requires more than 4GB of available storage space but is intended to be faster and more reliable than booting from a USB drive.

Configure additional settings

Following your selection, there are some extra settings you can customise, depending on what you selected. Your choices can be viewed by clicking Change settings at the Additional settings screen:

Keep my files will restore your PC's default settings, apps, and files from when it was brand new. To change this, disable Restore preinstalled apps.

By selecting Remove everything, Windows will delete all of your files. This is the fastest and most efficient way to remove personal files, but it's less secure because they can be recovered only with the right software. In case you desire to sell the machine, you should enable Clean data to overwrite the data rather than just delete it. You'll have to wait a little longer, but it's worth it.

If you wish to change the way you wish Windows to be reinstalled, you can change it from this menu. Select whether Download Windows? should be enabled or disabled. When you select Yes, the operating system will be downloaded remotely.

You can also choose to wipe multiple drives at once if you have multiple drives installed. Depending on the configurations set up at your workplace, you may have another option for deleting workplace resources.

Performing a computer reset

When you click Next, Windows will summarise what will happen if you reset your computer. When you select Keep my files, you can see a list of apps that will be removed during the reset. Click on Reset when you're ready to commit. After some time, your computer will restart and boot again.

You are done with your work if you are selling your computer. If not, sign back into Windows and ensure what you removed has been properly wiped. Now you can restore your backups to the computer if you backed up by using an online backup service or a Recovery Drive.

Wrapping Up

This post demonstrates how to format a Windows 7 and Windows 10 laptop. You can wipe all data from Windows 7 and Windows 10 laptops, regardless of whether they come with installation CDs or not.

FAQs

Is formatting PC necessary?

The only way to get a computer or hard drive to work is to format it. By formatting the system, all files and errors are removed, and the computer is restored to its original state. It is almost always followed by the installation of the operating system, allowing the user to use a fresh system after the installation.

Does formatting PC delete virus?

Infected files that are stored or have made a home on your device are not typically removed when you format the device. If you have formatted your hard drive thoroughly, viruses are still capable of returning to your computer.

Does formatting PC make it faster?

It is technically true that formatting your laptop would speed it up. By formatting, you can clean your computer's hard drive and erase all of its cache files. You will get even better results if you format your laptop and upgrade it to the latest version of Windows.

2022 Annual Review

(shuffling papers) Pandemic, war, Musk buys Twitter, artificial intelligence... Humanity has certainly had an eventful year. Now age 34, here’s how 2022 was for me.

What went well this year?

Olivia was born. It’s remarkable that I’m able to have two consecutive annual reviews in which I say a new child was born! She was born completely healthy, with the exception of a congenital knee dislocation. Thankfully, it was a quick fix and she’ll be fine.

At the time of writing, she’s nearing eight weeks old and meeting her milestones. I want to publicly commend my wife Eve on her flawless dedication to breastfeeding so far.

Raising Violet. Violet continues to surpass her milestones. It’s so incredibly rewarding to watch her develop day by day, learning how to ask for something rather than scream and point at it. I don’t think we go a day without her making us laugh. The “two under two” lifestyle is a big challenge, but I’m able to give her sufficient attention.

Web development. I learned a good amount this year, and I’m happy to announce that as the lead developer at my job, I was finally able to start a new piece of software in Svelte! That means that in the next few months, a Fortune 500 company will be using Svelte in production; albeit for internal usage only.

Game development. I didn’t get all that I wanted done this year, but it was still a good year. I finally migrated Tinydark off Orbium; all games now live under tinydark.com and the Orbium is now known as the Hub. I upgraded the Hub until I was comfortable that it wasn’t an embarrassment. I’m also happy to say it looks like a friend I was mentoring will be able to step in and get some work done on the Hub.

GAM3 and URPG saw many upgrades. Details here. I really enjoyed making content for URPG.

Oh, and Tinydark is an officially registered company now. :}

Cursing. I’ve managed to keep my language clean around the kids. I’m still internally vulgar; I’ll be coding or gaming and I’ll curse. Will try to improve.

What didn’t go so well?

Lost contact with my mom. No details on this, but she’s made it clear it’s fairly permanent.

Focus, cognition, and fatigue. I could honestly write five paragraphs about this, but this was my worst year for cognition yet. I’m having a hard time retaining what I learn and I’m permanently on a “third wind” and desperately need a solid eight hours of sleep for pretty much a year straight. It just can’t happen with our present lifestyle.

I’m doing way too much stuff for someone in my state, but I just have to take the small wins where I can get them for now. Once Olivia’s sleep regulates, I can start moving toward eight hours of sleep.

I couldn’t release Black Crown: Exhumed. I did release a teaser website for it. There was too much left to be done, but the game is 99% imported.

Pokemon GO addiction. I still play, but I’m trying to limit myself. PvP is incredibly addicting for my gaming archetype and it’s just too easy to throw in a quick three-minute game here or there. I have to be careful because the rapid tapping required for PvP can end in hand pain.

My body. I kept up with strength training, but I’ve let my cardio and flexibility slide. I’m in pain as I write this because I picked up the baby the wrong way this morning. The pain I’m in is something of a distraction when working.

The biggest problem is my forward neck posture. I get a headache 4-5 days a week just from the condition my neck (and back) is in and this is a top priority for 2023.

What did I learn?

I would say I learned to finally accept that I don’t have enough time to do everything I want as quickly as I want to. This is tough for me to cope with, and I think there’s a risk that I’ll unlearn it in the coming years...

I spent a lot of time this year studying woke culture. I ramped it up again after my daughter was born; I think I felt similar to how some mothers “nest” before the baby’s born. I want everything to be safe and happy for my children, and it seemed that learning about this serious threat to democracy and quality of life was my way of coping.

Finally, I’m deciding to not give people more than I get in return. I’m a good friend, which means I’ll often reach out to people even if they haven’t messaged me in a while. I am no longer in the position to write lengthy emails and check up with people who don’t think about me nearly as much as I think of them.

Goals and Expectations: 2023

I’ve been developing games with the goal of living off them since 2007. I do not forget this important fact as I press on, building technology, trying to make a “browser game” that’s worthwhile, ethically designed, and that I could make good money with. When I accepted that I just don’t have time to guarantee a 2023 release for URPG, my mind quickly defaulted to Bean Grower. I need to start releasing, I need to start making money; I need to be a dragon.

Release Bean Grower on the app store. BG’s had a great response and it’s served its intended purpose: a supplemental game for the studio, one that doesn’t need a landing page and isn’t expected to be a game that someone plays every day. Yet experience shows that BG may have more potential than I thought, and I’d like to spend 100-150 hours finishing it off as Version 2 release. This will be a good opportunity to get a game onto the app store, which is a ToDo for Black Crown and URPG.

Release Black Crown: Exhumed in October. Making it for the Steam Halloween Sale is a stretch, but I’m confident I can get it done. 

Start building a new house... or at least find the land. After two new kids, inflation, and stylin’ and profilin’, our bank account’s not full enough for it. But I’m holding an ace: the house we’re in now has appreciated greatly since we built it. Everyone wants to live here. If I can use the equity in the house against the loan, we’ll be able to lay the first bricks this year. We’re stable now, but soon enough, Olivia will be too old to live in the master bedroom with us, and there are sundry things we don’t like about the place we live in now.

Healthy body, healthy mind. If I had my way, I’d spend this year eating as much meat as possible, strength training and cardio 6 days a week, and grinding game dev. Alas, I’m becoming my own bottleneck. I need to stretch daily, jog, take it easy on the caffeine, and see what comes of it.

For the mind, well. My ADHD is becoming a serious problem. I’m constantly making mistakes outside of the realm of IQ, and it’s affecting everything from my Pokemon win rate to the kids’ diaper changes. Aside from better sleep once it’s logistically possible, I want to get back to “information sponge” Vael. I want to spend time each week on intellectual YouTube and take notes. Some people want to read ten books a year; I want to listen to one JBP podcast a week. That’s 52 two-hour conversations with very smart people.

I’m also going to attempt to go back to my Sherlock-inspired habit of looking at my surroundings more and paying more attention in general. This means the phone’s going to stay in the pocket.

-- --

See you next year. Vael

Ways commercial electrician west hills Can Improve Your Home

Does your house seem outdated? If that’s the case, you may want to look into getting a commercial electrician West Hills. A licensed commercial electrician may upgrade your property in many ways, such as installing new wiring, upgrading your electrical panel, or adding more outlets and lights. If you want to improve your house, you should contact a professional commercial electrician. They will do everything it takes to transform your house into the home of your dreams! Some of how a business electrician might enhance your house are as follows. They Can Help With Electrical Repairs Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s wrong when you’re in the thick of your day and something isn’t sitting right. It might be a dull pain in your back from sitting at a desk all day, or you could find that the lights in the kitchen flicker whenever you run the water There are many methods to improve your house’s quality without hiring a contractor to conduct any significant renovations. When an electrical problem arises, it may be necessary to hire a commercial electrician (or contractor). Certified experts in home repair, these contractors can assist you in figuring out what’s wrong with your house and how to fix it. The Commercial Electrician West Hills Can Install New Lighting Fixtures Or Appliances So you live in a house that’s been around for a few decades. It’s unique, although it might need a few improvements. Too little counter space, old fixtures in the restrooms, and inadequate lighting in the halls are all complaints that everyone has. You may improve your current property without having to go through the hassle of selling and moving by hiring a commercial electrician West Hills to perform the necessary upgrades. If you need more bathroom space but can’t afford to add on right now, you can consider renovating just one of your existing bathrooms and building an addition down the line. If you need assistance making sure your home has adequate electrical outlets for your new appliances and lighting, a commercial electrician can help. If letting in more natural light is your top objective, a business electrician may assist by installing skylights or solar panels. This will improve the appearance of your house and make it simpler to maintain an efficient energy budget. They Can Help With Remodeling Projects People from many walks of life like to gather together around the holidays. However, it may be challenging to find the time to tend to some of the more common items around the home that require growth in the flurry of Christmas preparations and present purchasing. A business electrician might be helpful in this situation. A remodeling project is a fantastic way to raise your home’s resale value. However, while you’re in the midst of a project, it’s easy to lose track of where you put your tools or whether you left any nails lying about. The services of a commercial electrician West Hills will be helpful in these situations. Because they are professionals, you won’t have to worry about whether or not one of your kids stole your hammer or whether or not you’re missing a piece of wood from the bookcase you’re trying to construct. They Can Recommend Products and Solutions That Are Right for Your Home Professional electricians have seen it all and can recommend the equipment that will serve you best. What’s more, they may suggest ways to improve your existing circumstances or suggest ways to make significant changes in your life. Together, you may develop a plan for your home’s electrical infrastructure. You won’t have to guess where to place items or how they’ll look together since they can assist you in coming up with a strategy, then choosing the essential components and organizing them in the most effective manner possible. This will be extremely helpful if you ever want to sell your home. Commercial electrician services may save costs in the long term and provide you peace of mind about any trouble spots that might arise if they aren’t constantly checked. Here at Hoffer Electric, we’re dedicated to improving your home by offering the best in electrical services. This includes everything from rewiring your house to upgrading your electrical system to keeping all of your electrical devices running smoothly. We’re also here for you when it comes time to purchase or replace new appliances or if you want to learn more about safe and efficient ways to use electricity in your home. For more information about how Hoffer Electric can help improve your home, contact us today at (323) 329-6064.