Homekit loading accessories and scenes

I'm having trouble with the calibration steps for Pokemon White on my 3DS, using this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo4XAfhVckw. The stats of the pokemon I catch (Kyurem) don't give any results in the Parameter searcher, even when I use all possible ranges for Timer0. I'm fairly certain it's nothing to do with the actual seconds, as I estimated the time from hitting A to start the game and the white screens appearing to give an actual seconds of 34-35. I suspect it's because I'm not using an actual cartridge, and instead I used an NDS Forwarder to directly load into the game from the 3DS instead of having to go through Twilight menu. Is the game not being an actual cartridge causing these issues? Or does it have to do with something else in my calibration technique?

While not local, SixPoint Resin double IPA has been a favorite of mine since before the pandemic. It's been harder to find recently (ie not at Spec's when I went) and when I last found it about 2-3 months ago it was in "normal" cans instead of the skinny tall ones it used to come in. I recently got another normal can six pack, and it doesn't have the pleasing taste like I remember. Did I just get a pack that sat in the sun on a loading dock too long, or has anyone else noticed a change in taste around the time of the can change?

Hello everyone,
After 2 years of intense play, I have just made a video to share and introduce an abstract strategy game I love called Quoridor.
Today we have a small community, but hopefully it will grow into a thriving competitive scene one day :)
Quoridor: The Underrated Strategy Masterpiece - YouTube
I believe this game has everything it takes to become much more popular as it is simple, fun, deep and competitive !
What do you think about it ? Feel free to ask any question if you are curious about the game or the community !
Gabriel

Hello everyone, I’ve recently changed my hard drive from a hdd to an ssd. I’ve run stuff that cleans/fixes game files and have updated my graphics card, but the game operates very slowly. I tried reinstalling the game on both my new and old hard drive and neither improve it. To make matters worse, when I restarted my pc and steam, somehow all of my games uninstalled
To be clear, download speed is fine, but it struggles to load in the red hook logo. Also I use steam

(Part 29 of a series) The Retail Punishment in Clovis
Considering the upcoming Jun 5 hearing, this is an important installment outlining a path forward for vigorous recovery.
Four sections:

1. Who benefits?
2. Who do we go after?
3. The scene of a crime
4. Mechanism for shareholder recovery

(1) Who benefits?
Who are all possible beneficiaries of the poor sale outcomes that are being attempted to be finalized?
(a) Large BP
Two other PARP inhibitors (Lynparza and Zejula) are doing annual revs of $1.5 bn, and these are not even peak sales. How convenient would it be to eliminate a competitor right on the verge of first-line approvals that would cut into their existing sales?
I find it galling that Astra Zeneca is part of the UCC when it is in its interest to eliminate Rubraca as a competitor.
The true promise of Ruca would be when it is sold ‘up’ to a stronger BP who can go to market with strength and also pursue trials for other indications. On the contrary, Ruca is being proposed to be sold ‘down’ to an insignificant player, in effect ‘burying’ the drug for good.
There are clear antitrust matters at play here that need to be dealt with.
(b) Creditors with short positions
All creditors are bundled up in one committee which does not represent their actual economic interest.
Some creditors may have short positions that far exceed the value of their debt extended to Clovis. They would then be happy with *some* recovery but most definitely an elimination of equity. That would maximize their return.
On the other hand, some creditors are creditors in the true sense, only interested in their recovery.
My reading of the situation is that the major creditors do have massive short positions, and the ‘true’ creditors only have modest amounts at stake which is not worth fighting for.
An SEC initiated share count would help clear up matters. While it is perfectly fine to have short positions, it cannot be used to damage the interest of a separate class.
(c) Pat and other Clovis officers
They have structured things in a manner that they could still have assets even after eliminating equity. First is Luci which they would still have control over since it is outside of the filing. Second is the back-door to Ruca that may be invoked at the opportune time. Third, they have a complicated offer for NOL that they may still pursue.
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(2) Who do we go after?
The answer is simple: We go after all those that have a fiduciary duty in this case. While BP and Creditors may have pulled levers, it is harder to prosecute, so we go after company officers that are immediately responsible.
As we turn the screws on the company officers, they will either choose to shift blame on the others (very unlikely) or somehow defend their indefensible behavior.
The concept of bankruptcy fraud (either hiding assets or undervaluing assets) can only have meaning if there is a basic standard to compare fraudulent behavior AGAINST. If no such standard or threshold existed, then how would the possibility of fraud even exist?? Anything that company officers would do would be protected and beyond question. That is not so. The three fiduciary standards are the lens through which potential fraud can be posited, explored, and prosecuted.
(3) The scene of a crime
There are numerous items that indicate outcomes that are contrary to the fiduciary responsibility of the officers. I will divide them into two parts, the first ones strongly indicative of fraud, the other being supportive in indicating fraud.
(a) Strongly Indicative
(1) Liquidation plan eliminating equity even when a particular asset is outside of Ch. 11.
The company paid $200 mn. for Luci and in their own filings have mentioned that further trials were promising but not pursued due to funding issues. That initial purchase price along with the cost of further trials came from shareholders. How can the remaining Clovis entities (or the Liquidation trust) have the assets if equity is wiped out?
This clearly indicates a BK filing that at its origination was already against the equity class to whom officers have a fiduciary responsibility.
(2) An FDA approved, revenue-producing drug is being proposed to be sold for NEGATIVE dollars!
Will the court take cognizance that an asset sale which is claimed to be exhaustive and competitive leads to a negative value outcome? Are we being told that the sale order included inventory to begin with, and all these bidders were submitting bids that were LOWER than inventory book value?
Ch. 11 liquidation allows officers to formulate terms. However, when the outcome is so contrary to the recovery of creditors and equity, each and every CRITERIA and DECISION leading to that outcome is under question, and investigated for fraud perpetrated by officers.
(3) The liquidation plan was filed well before the auction results of the assets
The whole point of an auction is price discovery, how much will market entities compete to pay for assets? This is particularly important in the context of Athena success and the likely approvals for first-line. Clovis currently has no drugs in first-line, so how can they claim to have any idea of what that breadth of indication will be valued for?? Let the bidders who are much larger BPs come up with that determination.
But no, instead of waiting to see the auction results to file a liquidation plan, that plan was one of the earliest artifacts of the Ch. 11 process. This indicates that shareholder elimination was an objective of the filing to begin with.
(4) The magical appearance of the $500 mn in debt
This is in line with the point above. Public companies do not magically discover debt. Such a large debt could not have been post-petition. If pre-petition, it could not have been incurred in a quarter or two. This company is filing with the SEC every quarter.
The timing and amount of this debt is indicative of further reducing the likelihood of equity recovery by moving the goalposts. After first bringing up that debt and then going silent on it is indicative of their guilt in this regard.
[VERY IMPORTANT: I need to check some details relating to that magical debt in documents provided either by Clovis or E&Y. Those that can point me to those materials please do so in the comments. If you have it in soft copy, please email me at jacaranda dot bloomed and then ‘at’ with domain being gmail dot com.
This is truly important! Please PITCH IN with your help here.]
(b) Supportive
(1) Clovis have indicated in their filings that two of the criteria employed in choosing bidders was guidance from Pfizer and an aim to minimize transaction costs.
Both are in opposition to maximizing recovery. Pfizer has a PARP product Talzenna so there is a conflict of interest. We need to see the full list of bidders that were either included or excluded due to Pfizer along with the reasoning why.
Transaction costs are completely irrelevant if the higher bids completely cover those transaction costs. It’s like saying ‘I won’t include Big Pharma because of transaction costs’. What the company officers are omitting is that those very BP can put in bids which far overshadow the (higher) transaction costs.
We need to see the full list of bidders that were either included or excluded due to transaction costs along with the reasoning why.
(2) The Rubraca sale outcome is completely contrary to the EU distribution rights being explored previously.
Those EU distribution rights were in the region of $250 mn with Orion. How much larger is that sum compared to the full upfront value of $70 mn that is being proposed with Pharma&.
The outcome of auctions need to align with previous valuations and offers. If a particular outcome (NEGATIVE value for Rubraca) is such a strong outlier, it indicates a deficiency or fraud in the process to arrive at it.
(3) Not disclosing documents and last minute filing dumps
UST had clearly filed that it reserves the right to object to the sale order when it gets filed. It was held back by Clovis. Separately, Exhibit F was listed but not disclosed until much later.
The whole basis of court procedures is to make documents available that allow them to be objected to. By not doing so, and pushing opposing counsel to short deadlines, is not acting in good faith, and indicative of an intent to manipulate proceedings.
(4) No recovery of NOLs
Equity contribution has been in the range of billions leading to the sizable NOLs. Creditors, in contrast, have only a $900 stake. The tax benefits on the NOL are in the $200 mn plus range which is far greater than the upfront payments obtained for both FAP and Ruca combined.
Not pursuing the NOLs again indicates negligence in maximizing recovery.
There are other supporting points but I’ll stop here. Please share your own thoughts in the comments of OTHER REASONS that indicate fraudulent or fiduciary-opposed behaviors.
​
(4) Mechanism for recovery
Here are my thoughts on the immediate steps that we need to do to work towards a proper recovery for all stakeholders:
(a) An immediate referral to the DOJ Antitrust division
The debtors have gone on the record that Pfizer had input into the choice of bidders. Also, AstraZeneca is represented in the UCC.
The unfortunate outcome here is that a MARKETED Parp is being effectively buried in the hands of an insignificant overseas company that is much smaller in scale and expertise compared to Clovis itself.
This is being done to the drug that is displacing the SOC for Prostate Cancer after two decades. Unbelievable!!
(b) Full documentation on bidders that were included or excluded on the basis of each criteria that was exercised.
Clovis and PWP needs to be compelled to produce all names that were excluded or included as per each criteria. Instead of well-funded BPs in the final round we have OVERSEAS bidders that made the cut, with whom it would be harder to claw back assets. One does not reach such outcomes by accident. This outcome has been engineered.
(c) Petition the judge to liquidate under Chapter 7
Ch. 11 allows officers to set the terms of liquidation. However, now that the outcomes are available we see that:

1. Creditors have very low recoveries
2. Equity has no recovery
3. Rubraca is being proposed to be sold for negative dollars

It would be hard to argue that it would be difficult to obtain worse outcomes than what the officers have obtained for us.
A simple and direct way to get much better recoveries is for the judge to have it worked out as a Ch. 7 under court supervision.
The new terms will be AS FOLLOWS: Clovis as a whole is up for liquidation. This includes FAP, Ruca, Luci, 3b programs, and NOLs. The minimum bid will be set at about $900 mn which is the total creditor liability. All companies that can reasonably meet this bar and put a nonrefundable security deposit will be allowed to the data room. All interested parties must put in a single maximum bid by the deadline. Highest bid wins.
There are three possible outcomes:

1. No company bids the minimum bid: Fine, we go with the offers that Clovis has already obtained.
2. Exactly one company bids exactly the minimum bid: All creditors can go happy, they are fully made whole. All equity is wiped out.
3. One or more bidders bid more than minimum: Creditors get paid in full, and equity gets everything left over, however little or large. That is what the equity upside is all about.

Who can object to the above maximizing of assets? Step up and say why!
Obviously more detail is needed to flesh out the above, but it is completely aligned with recovery for ALL stakeholders, and preventing any antitrust concerns. Since it will be under the auspices of the court, it will be reassuring to all parties.
The above kind of liquidation protects all parties since Clovis officers have indicated their mal-intent and fiduciary opposition to equity in a VARIETY OF WAYS.
Ch. 7 liquidation will be much more applicable in this case considering the abysmal Ch. 11 outcomes that the debtors have obtained.
And yes, the US DOJ and SEC need to be fully committed to seeing this through. We are setting a criminal precedent for the future if company officers can bury FDA approved, revenue producing drugs in the manner that Clovis officers are proposing here.
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Poster: Jacaranda Bloom
Reddit user ID (bookmark or follow): Timely_Huckleberry97

In an exciting revelation, the iconic Madonna has graced us with news of her forthcoming musical masterpiece, an electrifying track titled "VULGAR." Collaborating with the exceptionally talented Sam Smith, this highly anticipated song is set to ignite the music scene when it debuts on the glorious date of June 9th.
Read more: https://www.nilatch.com/2023/06/madonna-and-sam-smiths-collaboration.html

Saw this on my local CL and didn't recognize it. Anyone know what model this is? or is it a fake? looks like a civilian but haven't seen these handles before on one. I know this is an older clip style so figured might be 90's maybe? Thanks for any info, I'm just curious about it.
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IDK if the pics loaded heres an imgur almbum
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https://imgur.com/a/K3RygM1

Jack Hess, the rising star of pop ascendance, sets the music scene ablaze as his electrifying tracks light up Spotify's esteemed "New Pop Picks" playlist. Renowned for its impeccable curation and featuring the most captivating pop hits, the playlist serves as a platform for emerging talents to soar. With his infectious melodies, mesmerizing vocals, and undeniable artistry, Jack Hess has captivated audiences worldwide. His inclusion in the esteemed "New Pop Picks" playlist solidifies his position as a pop sensation, guaranteeing that his music will resonate with an even wider audience and establish him as a force to be reckoned with in the dynamic world of pop music.

I just got a job doing tech support on AVs and I want to advance to the next level one day. I'm only learning how to fix the computers to get the vehicles back on the road, but I want to work more behind the scenes doing internal work. What would this be, and what requirements would I likely need? Is it engineering?

So... I've been writing a personal story, and it surrounds Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino. A few friends I showed them to said I should share them in the community - I don't know if this is the place to share them, but I thought... May as well. They include my interpretations of the songs as well.
A hotel owner who takes her place as the receptionist... And is also looking for stories to write about, inspiration for her science fiction novels. A lover who decides to not give into is darker, more lustful desires, instead waiting for his lover's calls. A friend who's concerned about what's going on through experience, a friend who's concerned through context. A distant acquaintance that shares the feeling with the lounge singer about still fantasizing about each other from time to time, and that feeling is mutual with other young men. A young lady who is happy to find comfort in the hotel owner's world. Friends that are happy about the new world they can experience. The tales of Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino. (A description for a story inside of a story.)
Star Treatment: This number is the first we hear at the location. It sets the scene as the hotel and casino is a lovely, calm place that the owner has created and started for her friends. We find out the owner has also become the lounge singer, starting a 'cover' band called 'The Martini Police'. This song also makes some references to Science Fiction properties, which the lounge singer loves... We find out the hotel has been opened for everyone... And anyone. The lounge singer puts on a show for her friends, weaving metaphors together, a signature of her work. She even says she just wanted to be like the members of a band, maybe foreshadowing... Her friends look on, happy she's singing. She also makes reference to the fact that she wants to haunt the one she loves and hopes it's okay, but they're in a tough spot... For now. In fact, that may change, everyone's enjoying the residency, which the Lounge Singer even refers to the place as her 'Make-Belive Residency'. And she, along with everyone love it.
One Point Perspective - The Lounge Singer now sings to a much smaller crowd. Her friends that are much closer to her... She lists her intentions, past and present... Everything from starting the 'Cover Band', talkinh about a stunning documentary only she saw, and asking everyone to bear with her, she's losing her train of thought... She says that she's played to quiet rooms like this before, and while there's an element of sadness, she's really just glad and grateful she has friends to talk and sing to about her thought, no matter how random or existential they are. She likes reflection, no matter how small her perspective is... For now.
American Sports - This song is from the perspective of The Concerned Friend From Experience. He's friends with The Hotel Owner, but he's experienced strange visions and dreams that he suspects are tied to the hotel. He reflects on thoughts he keeps to himself, and perhaps he's not the only one having these visions... There may be some overlap with others. He never tells anyone these thoughts, for that's not what his peers are there for. He then makes a snide comment about explosive visions, similar to the American Sports he loves, plays, and sees others just outside playing.
Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino - This song is once again sung by the Lounge Singer. The Hotel Owner has now decided to take her rightful place as the receptionist - Little does she know the consequences... She reflects on everything the place means to her, guiding her friends along this place, to custom rooms and architecture she can't help but adore. She invites the young man she loves to kiss him, and asks her friends what she can do for them. She asks them to let loose, maybe even let their darksides out to play... Something the hotel and casino is trying to bring out. There's also an ominous buzzing and red light, something The Receptionist is trying to figure out why... Something's being hidden, but why? This is her hotel and casino...
Anyways: This track shows exactly why The Hotel Owner takes so much comfort and pride in the hotel and casino, despite the looming visions and possible dangers her friends are sharing - she needs a break from her real life. She reflects on her popular status, and how that has affected what she overshares and overthinks while vacuuming. She comes to sit down in an empty room, and this is the only song not performed in front of anyone else. She just wants to show who she really is, and thanks everyone who's stuck around with her. Being her isn't easy, she has so much to deal with, which others barely take time to think of, just trying to change the conversation to 'Anyways'. The number ends with one of her friends entering to check on her, ending the self-reflection.
Golden Trunks: Something dark is definitely happening at this place... Some people allowing their dark desires to overtake them. But why? This song is from the perspective of The Vindicated Friend. Yet as the number progresses, more voices join in, reflecting that... Everyone knows that The Lounge Singer has her eyes on someone else, he's even The Vindicated Friend's best friend. Yet... The Lounge Singer relented that it's always hard to live on, especially that now she's forgiven him. She admits that sometimes, her fantasies about the past get the better of her. Some over-sharing characteristic of her, he thinks, but he hates the fact he also does... And he's not the only one. Now... They're invited for it to become reality. But by who? The forces of the hotel and casino... Why?
Four Out Of Five: The ominous buzzing and red light has only intensified. And not just for The Receptionist. The Concerned Friend From Context has now found out the 'past' of the establishment, and now she, The Concerned Friend From Experience have gotten more rapid visions... As well as many other patrons. The Lounge Singer puts on a show for the grand opening of The Information Action Ratio, a taqueria she put on the roof of the casino. Yet, beneath her cheery vineer, she knows something is going on in the world she created, at the hotel and casino of her own making. She hates that, and wants to make everything better. She reflects on the state of the world that she doesn't want to return to, and tries to be cheeky and fun, happy to share some lovely Mexican food with her friends. Until she notices some are absent... How? Why? Why have her friends disappeared? Where have they gone?
The World's First Monster Truck Front Flip: A song that is a reflection of The Friend Who's Just Happy To Be Here. It's not that she took her friendship with The Hotel Owner for granted, but she never knew she was capable of... This! She has never had the easiest life, so being offered a getaway where all she has to do is press a button, is a happy comfort she doesn't mind to take part in. She has a lot more trust in The Hotel Owner than The Hotel Owner has in her, but the gap is being closed. There's so much for her, shows for her to see, time she can spend with her friends and her boyfriend. It doesn't matter that the hotel and casino wants her to be a little darker... After all, she's a bad girl trying to be good, happy to have a friend who supports her.
Science Fiction: The Lounge Singer indulges in her cheeky writing, and we find out she's The Aspiring Science Fiction Writer. Dark events are occuring around her, and it's not that she's oblivious, she just doesn't know the depth. She's fine to sing a complicated, multi-layer love song to The Young Man Who's Unsure If He's Even In Love. She even references the fact that him, and his other friends, probably have no idea what she's talking about. She's singing songs about hidden messages, and they're certainly staying that way.
She Looks Like Fun: As The Young Man Who's Unsure If He's Even In Love watches The Lounge Singer, he can't help but sink deeper into his lustful fantasies. He's trying his best to focus on what she's singing about, and even if she does a damn good job singing a line as ridiculous as 'Cheeseburger', he can't help but comb through memories of their past... Maybe if he was to return her feelings, things wouldn't be so bad. She's a damn good dancer, and he's not the only one who thinks so... Everyone watching her would be inclined to agree. Perhaps she would be a fun girlfriend...
Batphone: The Young Man Who's Unsure If He's Even In Love knows there's a batphone that will give him immediate, private access to The Receptionist, but is keen to wait for her to call. Batman imagery means a lot to them, and he reflects in her cheekiness. He's an introspective young man, so he reflects on everything he's never told his friends... The hotel and casino seems to have that effect on people. Another effect occurring is... Dark forces and energy around him. Something strange is going on, but he's oblivious. He's too busy making his observations that he can can only share with The Receptionist. He's chosen to not given into the lustful tendencies that the hotel and casino have called him to. He's still not committing to her, or even giving her a straight answer, but maybe she'll know he's waiting... As he thinks about what's going on in the hotel and casino, because... Come to think of it, where have some of his friends gone?
The Ultracheese: The conflict is over. All that's left is The Hotel Owner and her friends. Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino is going to close its doors temporarily, as it'll have to be re-done soon, and The Hotel Owner will have to return to reality. She thinks about the ironic death she could die, despite the fact she's immortal... Writing songs about everything she's lost, like the friends that she still thinks of, has pictures of on the wall. Those people were far from her friends, so now she's just happy that she has the friends that surround her now that lover her no matter what. She knows she's done things in the past she shouldn't have, and even apologizes for the damage that may have been caused from the hotel and casino. Her friends embrace her in a hug, and she looks out, not just to The Young Man Who's Unsure If He's Even In Love, but to all of her friends, that despite everything, especially in the past year, she's never stopped loving them. Their presence has made this sad song at least into a bittersweet one. It's the perfect way to end their summer, and the perfect bookend of their friendships.
However, even the songs that aren't primarily sung by The Lounge Singer, she still sings these songs in her dreams... These songs are their stories, but the whole thing is her story as well.

hii guys! i am pretty new to my scene dolls. i did have quite a few as a kid and still have most of them but they were stored away in my toy box for years, and i only recently got into collecting them. i have some i don’t want/need anymore and times are tough, so i decided to sell them on ebay, but i can’t figure out how to price them. there are barely any sold listings and even current listings. for some of my dolls there isn’t a single sold listing on ebay. so i have no clue what price to put.. most of my dolls are nude, the rest are incomplete but they are all in great condition. i washed, conditioned, boil washed and soaked their hair in fabric softener, so now they’re all silky and soft. but yeah, still incomplete. how do you price the dolls you sell? do you use something other than ebay sold listings to see what they were sold for by others?

Hey guys,
Aceolus here. It's been about 4 years since I've rooted anything and the last thing being running a rooted pixel 3. I'm about to be getting a Google Pixel 5 and was wondering if rooting and Magisk is still a thing these days. Can anyone update me on the scene?

For all my life my mums gone on loads of different types diets, exercises and yoga etc (she switches from being diebetic and very close to being diebetic due to her going off diets once she's in the clear). Due to this she has always been very jealous of my body type even from a young age. So sometimes she makes comments/ back handed compliments about weight an example which she says constantly is "you have such a nice body type but your getting a bit fat you should stop eating so much "
I've gotten use to these comments but when I was younger I sometimes would starve myself so I could get a compliment from my mum. For the past month or so my mums gone back on a diet and during this time I've been cooking since she switched to day shifts. I usually eat with her but ever since she's on a diet she puts her food in a smaller bowl and while she's eating she's usually talking about her diet and I don't know why but it just makes me sick to my stomach like I'm on brink of vomiting while typing this. I can't even bring myself to look her in the the eye while she eats. I feel so fat compared to her and I'm smaller than she is it makes me not want to eat for days. If I see her eating it makes me starve myself for th at day

There is this thing that I call Cruel Weakness. I see it all the time in people. They are the Weak people who are Evil. They're bullied a lot, but it's not what made them Evil. They were always Evil just too weak to propagate their bad nature.
I see in Carol's character something like that.
She was cold with the daughter. She knew her husband was abusing, but didn't do much to protect her. Not because there were no ways to do so. She took her just ONE night to the abused shelter, and then returned her to the house where her husband was.
Her daughter wasn't as important to her as her regular life was.
She read books about child psychology, we see that in scenes.
Yet she terrorizes the kid in Alexandria, pushing him to insanity.
Later she allows the paranoid girl to kill her sister, leaving her alone with her, despite having the knowledge to detect how dangerous she was. And there was not a real reason to leave her alone with her sister and the baby.
Before that she murders sick people and burns them alive.
Later, she has no place to go, so she tracks Rick's group and with a lot of luck she manages to save them, with a while lot of armor plot that made no sense, (gas tanks right on the entrance waiting to be shot???)
Moving ahead, she treats Lydia like shit, trying to push her to suicide, just because she loved a boy.
Carol is Evil inside, the worse kind of Evil who uses things that happen to her, things that don't really "touch her", she is more like observing them happening to her, and weaponizing them in order to later justify her own Evil actions.

So my game is really glitchy and only loads properly less than half of the time I try to open it. This was fine until anytime I open it my peridot does not understand surfaces. He just floats in the middle of the screen. The AR seems to have entirely stopped working. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Does anyone know how to fix this?

For quite a few years now, I'd been hearing about this 'infamous' fantasy series which has polarized fantasy readers. It's unlike anything else for those who love it. Or straight up DNF'd out of frustration. Nothing in between. It's complexity and difficulty is legendary which had made me stay away from it. Yet, curiosity got the better of me and I finally took the plunge.
What's this about -
Gardens of the Moon is the first novel of Malazan Book of the Fallen, telling the tale of expansion of the Malazan empire as seen through the eyes of several characters. It's completely bonkers with crazy shit happening! Soul stuffed into a puppet. Shapeshifting into mythical creatures. Meeting people from the past and future in dreams. Gods meddling in human affairs. This is as fantastical as fantasy gets!
What worked for me -
1) I read that it was originally written as a screenplay for a movie and later turned into a novel. That aspect definitely shows in the way the paragraphs are written as visual scenes. There are multiple "scenes" within a chapter which in a traditional novel would've been segregated into seperate chapters.
2) It might be the writing style or the fact that this was originally a screenplay, but the novel, unlike traditional fantasy novels, doesn't have a narrator. It feels like you're watching the action unfold infront of you. The story doesn't pause to explain or exposition. There definitely are explanation but not immediately after something new is introduced.
3) The magic in the book is a very soft magic which was very refreshing for me. It had qualities of awe and wonder which is often missing from hard magic systems. Anything and everything can and does happen within this single book. It all works well within the universe and never feels out of place.
4) Traditional epic fantasy novels that follow multiple characters have the problem of maybe having one or two POV characters that are a chore to get through their chapters. But not here. The structure of this novel prevents any particular character from taking up a whole chapter. Each chapter has short scenes from a different character's POV, which made it very fast moving.
What didn't -
1) The sheer number of characters and places introduced initially is overwhelming. Took me a while to keep track of. The biggest challenge was getting back into the book after a day or two. I needed to take some time to remember what had happened and who was where doing what.
2) The issue with screenplay like approach, that I felt, was that we'd have known characters X and Y, separately, in the earlier chapters. Later we see a scene from character X's POV where he meets Y for the first time. In the scene, Y is not mentioned by name but only through description, which makes sense as X doesn't know Y's name yet. If it was a movie/show, we'd have recognised Y in the scene. But the way it's written here, makes for unnecessary confusion and I didn't like this particular choice from the author.
3) The novel doesn't have any traditional protagonists which readers could follow. Many of these characters have complex histories and are just trying to navigate through all the shitshow around them. The plot is mysterious and intriguing but at the cost of withholding much of the information. I can understand why so many readers have trouble getting through this book.
Final thoughts -
The difficulty level is certainly exaggerated. Ofcourse it doesn't hold your hand like traditional novels, but it's not that difficult to understand if you're willing to accept that not all things are meant to be fully understood at the moment. Doesn't mean you'll be completely lost.
There are a LOT of small details and references which are sure to be missed out, since those are presented without any explanation or context. I believe that's what fans of Malazan refer to as re-read-ability of these novels. I can see that re-reading the entire series would definitely unveil nuggets of information and foreshadowing planted throughout these books.
This was a challenging but ultimately satisfying read. Rated 4 stars on Goodreads and Storygraph.
I'll be continuing on to the second novel, Deadhouse Gates. Exciting journey ahead!
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Jack Hess, the luminary of pop brilliance, illuminates the music scene as his exceptional talent earns a well-deserved place on Spotify's acclaimed "New Pop Picks" playlist. Renowned for its impeccable curation and featuring the most promising pop hits, the playlist serves as a platform for emerging talents to shine. With his infectious melodies, captivating vocals, and undeniable artistry, Jack Hess has captivated audiences worldwide. His inclusion in the esteemed "New Pop Picks" playlist solidifies his status as a rising star, ensuring that his music will shine bright and resonate with an even wider audience, establishing him as a leading figure in the ever-evolving world of pop music.

The Little Mermaid was beautiful with great visuals, performances and a good pleasant overall message.
The performances from everyone were all around good, but the stand out is Ariels actress Halle.
Halle Bailey's performance brings whimsical naivety and beauty to the front and centre, her singing was beautiful and the best part of the entire film in my opinion, the design of the underwater scenes while weird and a bit dodgy weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be.
I was sucked into the world and the characters. The only distractions were awkwafinas character rap song which had two zoom in shots, and some lyrics which couldn't have even existed yet because of the time period that it's clearly set in. It's not funny when you mix films with this sort of lyrics because they don't work.
Stage shows are different because it works there and satirical shows like that work as well, which is why Hamilton as a theatre musical works so well in that environment. But in my opinion it wouldn't not as a movie set in that time period, especially with trite such as The Greatest Showman aka THE GREATEST SHITSHOW and unless the musical was a fantasy about a real famous artist, then I'd let that pass.
No I prefer musicals like The Little Mermaid to have a similar sound to that of The Phantom of the Opera, which while obviously uses 80s synth in some moments, they use it cleverly and briefly and isn't an Autotuned mess like The Greatest Shitshow.
Melissa Macarthy was awesome and quite funny as Ursla, I felt her performance was enjoyable throughout the film and she brings Ursla to life very well.
The CGI for the most part is fine as I said, a bit rough around the edges and they could've spent a little bit more time refining them, but it doesn't really matter, just a nitpick.
The nightime scenes are great, but a fucking brilliant example of how not to colour grade, the contrast is too dark I can barely see what's going on and the whole thing looks like a blob at the end, especially with the climatic battle which is dreadfully contrasted. What stopped it from being bad was the great and fun performances and the fact that I was engrossed with the film overall.
Generally the film was a fun time I'd recommend it, I'm glad that I gave it a chance!
The trailers and advertising for this film were fucking awful, genuinely just awful. Luckily however, the film was no were near as bad as how it was presented in the trailers and thank god for that.
Entertainment rating: 9/10 Critical rating 7/10
My actual rating for this film is 7/10, but I'm giving it a 9/10 on IMDB to combat the nasty racists who dislike the film for wrong reasons.
Thank you for your time, reading my review.
Jamie - T-LJ2

“Come on it’ll be fun.” Jamie says and runs ahead, his bobbing flashlight the only thing Nova can see in the unlit cave. Nova really dosen’t want to be here but decides to suck it up for Jamie. He has run so far that his flashlight is now out of sight. Suddenly very afraid of the dark space shes in, Nova flicks on her flashlight and runs after Jamie, imagining all the unseen things that could be hidden in the darkness. “Hey,” shouts Nova, “slow down Jamie” She slams into something and for a second thinks her heart is going to rip through her chest. “Hey, watch it.” Jamie– whos flashlight is, for some reason, off –says in an eerie voice “You never know what could be lurking around in here.” “Why the hell would you say that.” Nova’s done trying to please him, she just wants to leave and says so to Jamie. He just laughs and replies, “Don’t be chicken. Whens the next time we’ll be able to do something like this.” “I don’t ever want to do something like this again. I didn’t even want to do this.” “But you told me you were excited for today. Why’d you lie?” He sounds hurt and Nova curses herself for saying anything. However, before she gets the chance to respond Jamie tells her to turn off her flashlight. “No way in hell.” is Nova's responce to this insane idea. “Only for a minute, I want to experience pitch black.” “Why should I?” “Because you owe it to me for only pretending to be excited.” Jamie says. His feelings are obviously hurt and Nova feels bad but not enough to turnoff her flashlight. Plus, she only lied to make him happy. She couldn’t bare to shut down his excitement when he eagerly told her about this long tunnel like cave in the mountains. Frankly, he should be the one apologizing, he knows she has a fear of the dark and nevertheless suggested this five day backpacking trip. They had hiked here in two days, setting up camp when the sun fell. Earlier today, Jamie woke her up and paced impatiently while she got ready for the day. Getting ready consisted of changing in a freezing tent, brushing her teeth and eating a protein bar for breakfast. They then hiked 10 miles to the cave and left their bulky backpacks at the mouth of the cave. When Nova still dosen’t turn off her flashlight Jamie deseraptly says, “Please, Nova” in such a despairing voice that Nova has no choice but to listen. She turns her flashlight off with a click and suddenly they are surrounded by the murky darkness that was pierced by the light before. A few minutes later Nova is actually starting to feel somewhat peaceful when a voice echos down the cave from the way they came, “Nova, where did you go?” the voice is Jamie’s. Ice cold terror runs through Nova because that can’t be Jamie, he’s standing beside her. Right? “You heard that too, right Jamie?” She asks quietly and when he doesn't answer she breaks into a cold sweat. She still hears her naming echoing down the cave and knows it’s not her imagination. “Who’s that, Jamie?” she shakily asks. She knows he’s still there because she can feel his cold breath running down her neck. Yet, he still dosen’t answer her, only breaths heavily from behind. She’s struck with the horrifying idea that maybe the person behind her isn’t actually Jamie. More streaks of fear run through her bones and she knows what she has to do to put her mind at ease. Trembling, she turns around and raises the flashlight towards the Jamie with her. Summoning all her might she flips the on switch. It takes a few seconds to adjust to the sudden brightness, but when her squinting eyes finally do, she wishes she had never turned it on. Standing in front of her is a jet black scaley creature. Its the same size as a human, maybe a little taller, but that’s where the similarities stop. Dark, red eyes with slits for pupils leer into her soul and it’s mouth spreads out in a smile that stretches from one ear to the other, revealing vicious sharp teeth that reflect against the light. “You never know what could be lurking around in here.” the creature snarls in a strident gravelly voice. Nova can’t move. Can’t think. Can’t run. Can’t escape. Her eyes are glued on the creature as it moves even closer towards her, it’s bone crack with every step. Nova finally gains some movement and closes her eyes just as the creature extends it’s creaking neck and opens its huge smiling mouth around Nova’s head before abruptly snapping its jaw closed. --- *Where the hell is she?* Jamie thinks, calling Nova’s name over and over while walking deeper and deeper into the stuffy cave. Earlier he stopped to tie his shoes and the next thing he knew she was running down the cave. He assumes she’s playing a prank on him, as unlikely as that seems, that’s the best explanation Jamie can come up with. Maybe his plan to cure her fear of the dark actually worked. Its a futile thought but what else is he supposed to think when his cautious fiancée goes sprinting down a dark cave he knew she didn’t even want to be in. Yes, he knew she was only pretending to be excited about this trip for him, but he hoped it would be able to break her out of her “I have to be 100% safe” attitude. A more logical idea comes to him– she’s hiding to prove that things can go wrong. Prior to entering the cave he told her they had to stick together in case one of them got hurt. *Oh my god, what if she’s hurt.* He’s increasingly cursing himself for bringing her here. Along with the rising worry comes anger. He knows secretly planning to cure her fears was a mean thing to do but why does she have to choose now to get back at him. A loud snapping sound breaks him out of his thoughts and he shudders as the displaced sound echos off the cave walls toward him. “Okay, Nova, you proved your point.” Jamie shouts angrily “We can go back now. I won’t make you do anything like this again. After this you can stay inside all day, worrying about irrational notions and never doing anything fun!” A slurping sound and thump answer his voice. Okay, this really isn’t like Nova. He at least expected her to yell back and call him an asshole. Unease replaces his anger and Jamie wearily calls out Nova’s name one more time, he hates the way his voice wavers like a scrawny kid trying to stand up to a bully. “Jamie, finally your here.” Her voice is muffled and he can tell she’s eating something even though he strictly told her not to bring food into the cave because it could attract wild animals. Although, he also told her to always stay with him which she violated so I guess he shouldn’t be surprised. Jamie’s heart fills with relief and he hurries toward Novas voice. “You scared me…” his voice trails off when he notice’s a red liquid running along the limestone floor. “Are you hurt? I told you to stay with me…. Hey, Nova, why aren’t you answering.” And exactly like Nova before, Jamie makes the mistake of shining his flashlight on the creature. Any remaining courage abandons his body when his eyes take in the nauseating scene ahead. It’s kneeling over Nova’s lifeless body, its clawed hands are wrapped around her torso, digging into her back. The beasts head is down, ripping through the beautiful skin covering her stomach. The wet slurping sound is repulsing. Jamie feels like he’s going to throw up or faint, probably both. Blood trails out of the many gashes scattered along Nova’s body. The worst part of this scene though, is her head; or lack of it. Where her once beautiful face was is now gone, all gone. He will never again look into her soft hazel eyes. He will never again see her shining smile or hear her heavenly laugh. He will never again caress her soft skin or run his hands through her silky hair. There’s so many never again’s. No, this can’t be true, she can’t be gone, not the love of his life, his soulmate, his everything. Jamie’s legs give out beneath him but he can barely feel his knees split open against the grinding rock floor. The words repeat in his head: *Never again. My everything. Never again. My everything.* They are still looping in his head when the scaly creature finally lifts it’s head. It’s mouth spreads wide, showing off it’s spiky, now bloodstained, teeth. “It’s all your fault,” Nova’s silvery voice flow’s out of the creature’s ugly mouth, “you killed me.” It’s sinful crimson eyes roll bad into it’s head with a squelching sound. What appears is a black glob of something that starts to ooze a tar like substance out of it’s eye sockets. Behind the big blob of inky black something starts to appear. What Jamie sees when the last of the black liquid is gone make’s rage erupt in his head and with a boost of adrenaline, he lunge’s at the scaled creature, screaming. A sharp pain explodes in his chest and he looks down at the clawed hand buried in him. “You never know what could be lurking around in here.” the creature say’s in Nova’s silvery voice and opens it’s huge mouth, showing endless rows of sharp teeth. The last thing Jamie see’s is Nova’s beautiful eyes staring out of the beasts hideous face. ---
*“It has been eight days since 19 year old Nora Patterman and 22 year old Jamie Goldloc left for a backpacking trip somewhere in the rockies and never returned. Family and friends of this couple are asking anyone with information to reach out. Nora was last seen wearing a dark blue raincoat, black cargo pants and brown hiking boots. She is 5’8”, 120 pounds, has dark, long hair and hazel eyes. Jamie was wearing a black raincoat, gray sweatpants and brown hiking boots. He’s 6’1”, muscular with a weight of 180 pounds, has blond, short hair and green eyes. They were each carrying a large blue hiking backpack and drove to the start point of their hike in a black Ford Ranger. If see- * *“Oh, wait. Yes, Jackie? Okay….Okay. Thanks. A new development in this case was just released. Police Officials are saying they found the two lovers backpacks outside a cave. No other information regarding the location of the cave has been released at this time, but Officer John Cloose, of the RCMP, says they will be going into the cave. It is said they heard the voices of both Nora and Jamie asking for help deep within.”*

Jack Hess, the powerhouse of pop resonance, ignites the music scene as his electrifying tracks light up Spotify's esteemed "New Pop Picks" playlist. Celebrated for its impeccable curation and featuring the most captivating pop hits, the playlist serves as a platform for emerging talents to shine. With his infectious melodies, compelling vocals, and undeniable artistry, Jack Hess has captivated audiences worldwide. His inclusion in the esteemed "New Pop Picks" playlist solidifies his position as a rising star, guaranteeing that his music will resonate with an even wider audience and establish him as a force to be reckoned with in the ever-evolving world of pop music.