I live in a 1500 sq foot townhouse with the main living area on the second floor. I will be moving my GMRS base setup into either the living room (right next to kitchen) or the office (has door to back yard). These two locations will suit my needs the best.
I want to have it located in a central location that can be heard throughout the upstairs. The radio I will be using is a Kenwood TK-8180H and the power supply is a Yaesu FP-1030A. I’m currently figuring out how to add a second speaker and mic setup to either put in the location where the radio is not, or just put it in the garage (everybody likes playing Walkie Talkie in the garage!). I’m pretty sure this is possible with those older Kenwoods.
So short story made long, I was hoping to see some pictures of folks radios that are set up in a fairly basic fashion in their house. Eventually I’ll have a second TK-8180H to put on my desk that has my other radios, etc.
This focus is simply utilitarian, so that when my wife is at home and I’m out trail running or whatever (no cell service), I can hit the local repeater and check in with her if need be. In all reality simplex will probably work too based on where I run most of the time. I figure a central location in the house would be great for that.
I also enjoy woodwork and am getting into metal work. An aesthetically pleasing enclosure/riser of some sort is on the to do list whenever I get some spare time.
I have the remote display kit so the body of the radio can be hidden. I’m thinking about doing a live edge piece that can have the display recessed into it and a desk mic mounted to it as well. Just brainstorming though.
Anyways, that got a bit long winded, but I would love to see some examples of folks more basic base station setups. Thanks!

My husband and I purchased a 3 story town home a few years ago and with a baby on the way we’ve been wanting a single story home, however, this is seriously next to impossible given that the average house is a million in our area for even a fixer upper in a bad neighborhood. We live in SoCal so it’s not like we can move to the suburbs or country for a cheaper home. Where we are it’s expensive everywhere.
My husband has a great paying job making over six figures and I just quit to stay home for a variety of reasons but will probably work remotely at some point. Our town home is in great shape but not our dream home. I’d love to invest in remodeling it to fit our aesthetic preferences but I’m torn. Do we save that money for when we retire and move out of state (we’re 25 years away from that) or for the off chance that we can someday afford a home here or do we invest our money now into our property to make it look how we want it to?
I have sort of done this with stick on tile in the bathroom for example, but would love actual tile and to invest in real long lasting changes versus quick fixes.
Any advice is appreciated!

With liminal spaces), liminal as if threshold (coming from the Latin word limen) I'm referring to transitional or threshold spaces that often create a sense of unease, uncanniness, and the potential for anything to happen. Liminal spaces, such as airports, hospitals, hallways, stairwells, parking lots, secluded spots in nature, and old houses, especially when they're empty or visited at unusual hours, can significantly influence our psychological states and perceptions. Liminal spaces are hence tied closely to Environmental Psychology, a field that investigates how our physical environment affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Liminal spaces are often associated with feelings of timelessness, anticipation of paranormal, unsettling silence, uncanny solitude, a sense of mystery, and heightened awareness. They seem to exist in in-between, defying our typical understanding of spatial and temporal norms. The unique nature of these spaces – their ability to be simultaneously familiar yet foreign – inspires a type of an anticipation. It's almost as if these spaces are whispering stories, suggesting hidden realities that our rational minds struggle to grasp. There's an inherent eeriness, a silence that's more than just absence of noise. It's a silence that seems to hum with potential, with the promise of events unseen and unheard.
With me the night time forest is prime potential to experience liminal spaces, but also regardless of time my attic seems to be a liminal space. I personally enjoy the feeling I get from liminal spaces - to me they are inspirational - they kind of give you a glimpse on something otherworldly - evidence of supernatural - a start of a quest into another world - they awaken the mystic in me.
What is your experience with liminal spaces? Do you have a place you usually visit due to this reason? Do you have a method of evoking this feeling? What is the functionality of liminal spaces in your life? Tell me what you have found out.

[←Interlude II] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 62→]
Slowly the group was peeled apart and taken to their various quarters, with the merchant Amicio shuffling off the children and paladins to his junior, taking the commander and captains for himself. Efrain was left with the so-called mentor, who was in a state of nervous agitation.
​
“Alright, you’ll need to explain why you’re about to have a fit,” Efrain said.
​
“Well, of course, of course, you wouldn’t know me,” said the mentor, “I came to the post of mentor long after you’d left the city.”
​
Efrain thought the title vaguely rang a bell, and he was beginning to have a dread certainty of the origin of it.
​
“Please do not tell me you’re a cast-off from Nicolo, aren’t you,” he said, the image of the far too charming ‘scholar’ coming to mind.
​
“I-If you’re referring to Nicolo Zarrentini, our most honoured founder, then yes.”
​
“That… bastard,” Efrain said, “I told him that it was a joke! A joke!”
​
The man shrank back from the apparent anger of Efrain, before growing significantly more confused as Efrain began to howl with laughter.
​
“The ass was always fond of his pranks. I believe he even said that he ‘wanted one to follow me into the grave,’” Efrain said, shaking his head, “it was so long ago.”
​
“But-but didn’t you- weren’t you part of the first convocation of the academy?”
​
“It was in Aimstand’s kitchen,” Efrain complained, “two hundred years ago, and they were both so drunk that if they’d taken a few steps to the left, they’d have drowned in the canal. ‘Convocation’ was one way to put it.”
​
This was clearly not the secrets that the mentor desired, judging by his rapidly reddening face.
​
“It was an old joke between friends, the idea of starting and academy of magic,” Efrain said, “I left, what, two hundred years ago?”
​
“But your name… and your books?”
​
“My books?” Efrain said, desperately scanning his memory of published works.
​
“Well yes. Your books. The ones you left behind. We use them as a foundation text for most of our students and…”
​
Efrain didn’t even let him finish, rather grasped him suddenly and violently by the collars.
​
“You don’t mean to say that… my old notes are used to teach. Students. Magic?” he said, voice trembling with horror.
​
“Yes?” said the man, who was beginning to sweat profusely.
​
“Those aboslute motherf-” Efrain said, as a loud gong rang out into the canal.
​
“Oh!” said the man, “We’ll have to pick up this conversation later, that’s the signal for canal clearing. We’d better be off before they close it off for the Festival traffic only.”
​
“Am I staying with you, then?” Efrain said, trying to drop the note of absolute menace in his voice as best he could.
​
“Yes, yes that would be correct,” he said, “as soon as I heard you were coming, I prepared the finest office in the academy for you. It’s not much, but I believe that you would enjoy seeing the labours of your wor…”
​
The man trailed off as he remembered the last few minutes of conversation.
​
“Either way, I would hope you’d at least examine it.”
​
“I would be happy to, mentor,” Efrain said, straightening himself, “particularly the notes.”
​
The man shrank at his venom but lead Efrain to his boat all the same, and they set off down the canals to the south.
​
“The Academy, as you might know,” he said, “is still located in the old district. As such, academy studentship is still a prized opportunity, if only to gain access in and out.”
​
“Gain access?” Efrain said.
​
“Well, it’s been monitored for thirty years, restricted to only business, and those with invitations only,” he said, patting a pin on his inner shirt, “academy students have numbered passes that-”
​
“No, why is it restricted in the first place?” Efrain said.
​
“Oh. Oh of course! You wouldn’t be aware. The Miram estate burned down almost thirty years ago. Suspected arson, though no suspects were ever caught.”
​
“Oh really?” Efrain said, “what a pity. I remember the old houses well. They had the most wonderful curtains.”
​
“The Mirams?” the man said, “I’ve only ever heard stories.”
​
“So the whole old district has been restricted? From where to where?”
​
“Just before the shipyards, master Efrain, to the tip of the white stone ziggurats. Of course the major western canals to the shipyards remain open.”
​
“What?” said Efrain aghast, “that much? Why, that was half the city last time I was here.”
​
“Yes, well,” said the man, adjusting his spectacles, “the Eisen and Poutash have been buying up immense amounts of property throughout the district for, well about eighty years now. The ‘old district’, as we now call it, is effectively two large estates with the central trade offices between.”
​
“Huh,” said Efrain, “well that’s not surprising, I suppose. They were always greedy.”
​
The man exclaimed in shock at him as they rounded a bend in the canal.
​
“My dear master Efrain!” he said, “the Eisen and Poutash are dear patrons, especially the former, who’ve been supporting this institution for generations!”
​
“Uh-huh, say,” Efrain said, trying to piece the names beyond the vague historical context that he remembered them in, “do you remember the family trees?”
​
“The family trees? Of the houses? Well, I certainly could give a guess,” said the man, “incidentally, Karkosian history is something of a passion of mine.”
​
“Well then, the Eisen,” Efrain said, “I distinctly remember something about them. In my time it would’ve been about two hundred years. So, give or take four to five generations from now.”
​
The man thought for a moment, and snapped his fingers.
​
“I think I know what you’re looking for,” he said, “you’re wondering who master Nicolo married.”
​
Ah, that had indeed been it - Nicolo did always go on and on about this one girl, who Efrain was fairly sure was well beyond his league. She was an Eisen, now that the memories had jumped to the surface of his mind. No wonder the academy had generational funding if one of the founding fathers had married in.
​
“Yes, yes,” Efrain said, “I think she was a branch family member, if I recall correctly.”
​
“No, master Efrain, you’re mistaken,” said the man, wearing a fairly familiar expression - a combination of fear of failure to please, and taking delight in correcting an error in a field he knew quite a lot about.
​
“Oh?” Efrain said, “bold claim, mentor. Back it up.”
​
The man once more pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and began to recite.
​
“About a hundred-and-eighty years ago, master Nicolo married Hymatia Eisen. Hymatia Eisen was a daughter to Fielia Eisen, the matriarch of Eisen, hence he did not marry into a branch member of the family. He married into the direct, matrilineal line, represented by current matriach Aysatra, head of the Eisen family. Who is succeeded by, well…”
​
The man dropped his eyes, apparently embarrassed on behalf of the people he’d just named.
​
“Succeded by who?” Efrain said, leaning forward in the boat.
​
“Well, that’s the problem, master Efrain. In fact it’s one we currently struggle with. Oh, I do hate politics, but everything’s political in Karkos when money’s involved,” he said, putting on a expression reminiscent of a begging dog.
​
Efrain did not find it particularly charming, and pushed the man to go on.
​
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said, “the matriarch Aysatra, who is as youthful and vigorous as a woman half, no, a third of her age, is still well… older. There’s a clamour at the house of the Eisen on who’s supposed to replace her in the most deeply unfortunate event that she might… expire. No, no that make me sound like I’m talking about food and-”
​
“I get the point,” Efrain said, “spare me the flattery of a person who’s not even here. This matriarch doesn’t have a direct descendent?”
​
“Well, yes…” said the man, “but, it’s not exactly simple. The direct heir left the city some time ago.”
​
“And this relates to the academy, how?” Efrain said, “not that I care, just curious mostly.”
​
“Well, of course,” he said, “some at the house of Eisen… well, they think that our research and education is hopelessly outdated.”
​
“You mean useless,” Efrain said, more than ever wanting to get his hands on those notes and burn every copy he could find.
​
“Well, yes,” said the man, raising his hands in a gesture of helplessness, “some have used those words.”
​
“And you’re concerned that if they’re elected to leadership, your funding will be gone,” Efrain said flatly.
​
“Exactly. You’re quite insightful, just as the records suggested,” said the man, sniffing.
​
Before they could pick up the conversation, their polemen, dressed in the same blacks as the academy master, spoke up. They were before a river gate of sharpened palisades, which Efrain immediately recognized as the remnants of the old outer wall of the city, painted a bright red. The guards before it were dressed in ornate brass armour, studded with a set of small pearls and seashells.
​
Not quite the legion of sand and sea of old, though the aesthetic sense clearly meant to harken back to it. Efrain idly wondered how different the city would be if the legion actually still existed. In all the histories he’d read, most of their military exploits were suprisingly minimised, save for the few folk legends about them. Of course, most of those authors immediately left out the fact that almost all the legion commanders were women, which given many history writers were men, made sense.
​
The guards checked the proudly displayed pin, nodded, and opened the canal gates. Efrain immediately noticed the difference in the stone work as the passed beyond. It was more worn, but unmistakable paler, bringing back fond memories of days and nights spent in these canals over two centuries ago. He was just glad he was returning in a black, and not the horrid purple robes that he often inhabited while he was here.
​
The streets were noticeably quieter here, no doubt everyone was completing the final administration for the Festival. The buildings were also considerably older, their wooden slates near the water thick with strands of seaweed and barncles. Efrain more than once recognized the shape of an alley, or more noticeable deviations in the stonework. It was funny just how much he remembered of the old city and its details, and how little of his friends.
​
A couple of twists and turns, and Efrain started to recognize the part of the district he was in. Catching a glimpse of the mountains in the fading sunset, and a bridge or two he recognized, though they’d been significantly upgraded and replaced. With that information, he finally realised where they were, and more importantly, where they might be going.
​
“Noooo,” he groaned, “he didn’t.”
​
The mentor attempted to calm him, not understanding why he was so audibly distraught. The answer soon became quite clear as Efrain recognized the exact route they were taking. By the time they’d passed through the two statues, now dancing fish rather than the familiar wolves, Efrain’s worst fears had come true.
​
“He’d better not be buried on the academy grounds,” he said, his fingers fidgeting.
​
“I mean - and here we are!” said the academy master, clearly glad to move on to another subject.
​
Efrain looked up, nearly threw himself over the side, and forced himself to look up again. To say that it was exactly the way he remembered it would’ve been a lie. It had clearly expanded to include the surrounding pyramids, connecting them with bridges and walkways where what were presumably students passed by. The centre pyramid was kept more or less the same, with the same augurs drawing up water to the top, cascading it down in falls across terrace after terrace of gardens.
​
Refusing the offered hand, Efrain barged past him to take the steps two at a time.
​
“Wait! Wait master Efrain! I-” the man’s voice fell further and further behind as Efrain practically ran into the pyramid.
​
It was still a mess hall, but it was now one of long tables and high back chairs. The banners and plaques above proclaimed a short history of sport and scholarly achievement. Students, predominantly dressed in black, some with colourful stripes that Efrain didn’t bother to try to decode, stared at him. As did the cooks, still busy in the large kitchens that he himself had once manned.
​
The academy master had almost caught up to him when he took off again, striding through the aisle between the tables and out the other end of the pyramid. Yes, it was all the same, the same flower pots, and the marble steps and the little waterfall with the cracked edge. Two centuries, two bloody centuries, and Aimstand never bothered to fix the thing.
​
Efrain felt a internal bout of triumph at being proved right as he continued up the steps, before, finally, coming at last to the top.
​
The garden at the flat top of the pyramid was still as beautiful as ever, and the flowers he’d cultured still survived, although the blooms were less luminous than before. Efrain stepped out into the shallow pool that dominated most of the area, and noted that at the far end, where there used to be a stone bench, sat a gravestone.
​
“Found you, bastard,” he said, taking off towards it.
​
“Please, master!” said the man, practically sobbing if not for the fact he was out of breath.
​
Several of the more senior looking students had followed, looking totally flabbergasted at the display. Efrain did not stop, nor even look back at the procession, merely took off through the pool until he reached the steps to the little knurl of turf and flowers. There he stopped, parking his hands on his hips, staring at the inscription on the stone.
​
“Nicolo Eisen,” he said, drawing every word out, “Father, Teacher, Friend.”
​
“Muh-Master,” said the man, soaked up to his knees from his hurried splashing, “master, what-”
​
“Oh, calm yourself,” Efrain said, “I’m not going to do anything.”
​
The several students that had followed looked in utter confusion at the two men.
​
“Master?” one of them inquired, “should we get the guard?”
​
“No,” the man wheezed, bent over to catch his breath.
​
“Hold on a second,” Efrain said, bending over himself to gaze at the inscription, “what’s this?”
​
“That’s founder Nicolo’s grave, master Efrain,” said the mentor.
​
“Yes, I know that,” Efrain said, “I’m old, not blind. What’s this inscription below?”
​
“Oh yes, that,” he said, drawing himself back up to his full height, “It’s actually quite the mystery. No one really knows the language, but it was put there by order of founder Nicolo. Some of our teachers and students have spent quite a bit of time over the years to-”
​
“I’d told you I’d do it,” Efrain said.
​
“Pardon?”
​
“That’s- that’s what it- oh fuck you Nicolo!” Efrain said, “‘I’d told you I’d do it.’ That’s what it says!”
​
The mentor had gone white, while some of the students looked on the verge of fainting from confused apprehension.
​
“By all rights, I should burn this place down,” Efrain sneered at the stone, “is that what you wanted? ‘Founder’? If the gods were good, you’d still be alive, so I could kill you myself.”
​
“Please do not do that!” wailed the man, “I can’t understand for the life of me why you’re so angry! I thought you would’ve been happy, maybe even proud of what we’ve achieved!”
​
“I’m not angry at you, you idiot,” Efrain said, rounding on the man, “I’m angry at that smug piece of flotsam happily buried under his lovenest.”
​
“What?” said the mentor, the sentiment echoed by almost all the students present.
​
“All right, all of you, gather round. My first lesson,” he said, and, most likely out of habit, the students fell into a neat semi-circle.
​
“This will be a test of one question, and the one to get the answer right on their first response gets…” he turned to the mentor, “do you have some kind of regular award for achievement here?”
​
“Well, we do have ribbons that correspond to-”
​
“Great, first one to guess correctly gets a ribbon,” Efrain bowled through, “the question is this - why did Nicolo learn magic in the first place?”
​
The students stared at each other, daring the others to respond first.
​
“Well, come on,” Efrain said, “someone must have a theory.”
​
“Because he wanted to expand his own horizons?” a brown-haired boy said.
​
“Wrong!” Efrain said, “if your texts say that, they’re also wrong.”
​
“Because he wanted to shore up the city of Karkos’s defences while expanding on its knowledge?” said a girl with a slightly crooked nose.
​
“Also wrong,” Efrain said, shaking his head, “that’s exactly what he would say. You take that from a speech?”
​
“Well…” said the girl.
​
“Nicolo, you preening, self centered-” Efrain said, holding his head in his hands.
​
“To impress a girl?” said someone.
​
“Who said that?!” Efrain said, the class parting to reveal a younger, shaggy-looking boy.
​
“Well, you said that it was his ‘lovenest’ so…” he shrugged sheepishly.
​
“Mentor, get this young man a ribbon. If you need a reason, then cite him actually paying attention.”
[←Interlude II] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 62→]

Welcome back, it's Wednesday and I'll just come out and say it - that Seiko is ugly... Change my mind.

What's new

1/
Seiko Adds Four Completely New Chronographs To The Prospex Collection And Four Limited Editions To The Presage Craftsmanship Series
In 1999 Seiko launched a limited edition they called the Sportura Kinetic Chronograph. It was a funky watch that used four subdials to display the time and chronograph functions. Just looking at it and you feel the angst of the end of the millennium and the cheesy futurism (not to be confused with neo futurism in architecture led by Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava) that permeated industrial design of the time - from Oakley glasses to Jnco jeans. There’s no easy way to say this, but it’s an ugly watch. I can appreciate the experiment. But come on.
However, Seiko believes that the four dial layout of the Kinetic was pleasing to the eye. That’s why they decided to recreate it in four new solar chronographs that they are adding to the Prospex collection, marking the company’s association with the World Athletics Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary, in August. Officially called the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph, all four watches sport a new movement with the Seiko Caliber 8A50, a 1/100-second chronograph with a +/- 15-seconds per month precision rating.
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph watch is 42mm-wide, 12.9mm-thick, and its lug-to-lug distance is 48.3mm. All four watches have the same case and bracelet design but in different executions and ever-so-slightly different prices and naming schemes. I could go on into detail about the dials and colors, but it’s all just a bit confusing. You can hop on over here if you would like to know more.
Two of the models will be limited edition of 4,000 each and two will be regular production models. The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph watch prices range from 890 Euros to 970 Euros, and all four versions will be available from July 2023. Regular readers of the newsletter will know I keep things very chipper here and don’t pass judgement. But these new Seiko’s are just baffling to me. They look like those Diesel watches you buy at the mall. Am I wrong?
Thankfully, Seiko has another announcement for today. While they have shown these watches previously, they are now starting to sell these stunning Presage Craftsmanship Series watches. Marking the 110th anniversary of its first wristwatch, the Laurel, Seiko is putting out two pairs of these limited edition pieces, with each featuring a dial made by a dedicated artisan or craft workshop through a traditional Japanese decorative technique — enamel, urushi lacquer, Arita porcelain, and shippō enamel. All four models boast a new case shape, a fresh dial aesthetic, and an in-house automatic movement. And they are now hitting the market.
And despite Seiko’s price increases for recent releases, these new editions seem to align with their predecessors. The white enamel SPB393 retails for €1,650, the brown urushi SPB395 for €2,000, the ivory Arita porcelain SPB397 for €2,000, and the blue shippō enamel SPB399 for €2,250.
2/
Breguet Gives Us Two Redesigned Variations Of The Classic Chronograph With The Type XX And Type 20
Just the other day I linked to a great article on Type 20, the references issued by the French military in the 1950s. There were many brands who stepped up to produce these Type 20 watches, but the reference has stuck around to be synonymous with one brand in particular - Breguet. They have been making the Type 20 for years now, with occasional updates, but now Breguet is unveiling the new Type XX and Type 20 – a civilian and military-inspired take on the classic design - which is the biggest change to the line.
Despite at first glance looking like it’s two of the same watches with different dials, the Type 20 and Type XX are actually different watches. Both watches come in the same steel case that measures 42mm wide and 14.1mm thick with bidirectional steel bezels and matching lume pips. But this is pretty much where the similarities stop. The Type 20 has a military inspired dial with mint green lume and syringe hands, while the Type XX is a civilian version with a creamy yellow lume and alpha hands.
The Type 20 and Type XX both have a new self-winding movement, the Calibre 728 for the civilian version and Calibre 7281 for the military version. Each movement has a column wheel, vertical clutch, 5Hz frequency, and flyback functionality with 60 hours of power reserve, plus an inverted in-line lever escapement with a flat silicon balance spring for increased durability, longevity, and magnetic resistance.
Why two different calibers? The difference lies in dial layout and how useful it would be in military or civilian applications. On the military version, you only have two registers, with a 30-minute totalizer at three o'clock, now larger than the 60-second totalizer at nine o'clock. Meanwhile, the civilian version has a 15-minute totalizer at three o'clock, a 12-hour totalizer at six o'clock, and running seconds at nine o'clock.
This is not a cheap watch. It will run you $18,000. But it might just be one of the best vintage revivals we have seen in a year full of vintage revivals.
3/
French Watchmaker Yema Teams Up With Alpine French Racing Team To Mark The Most French Race With Five New Watches
One of the most legendary races in the world starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday. Yes, it’s the 24 hours of Le Mans. The race is, of course, one of the most recognisable french things, alongside the croissant and hating tourists. You know what else is very french? Alpine, the legendary car manufacturer that gained it’s fame with the quirky A110 and is currently doing really well (under Renault ownership) with its successor, also called the A110. Alpine will be present at the 24h of Le Mans With their Endurance Team. If only there was a watchmaker that could join in, making it a French hat trick. There is. It’s Yema. Yema has made five new watches to mark Alpine’s stint at Le Mans - the Yema Rallygraf A470 Limited Edition and four Rallygraf Alpine Endurance Team Automatic models of which one is mechanical while the other three are powered by the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement.
The Yema Rallygraf A470 Limited Edition takes all the right cues from 70s racing chronographs. The stainless steel case is 39mm wide and 12mm thick without the double-domed sapphire crystal. The solid caseback shows the Alpine Endurance Team logo and the limitation of the watch. The dial is finished in a gradient-blue colour, Alpine’s signature color, with a vintage dashboard-inspired bicompax layout and Alpine’s logo on the chronograph seconds hand. Inside the watch is the Valjoux 7753 and the watch comes on an appropriate black leather rally strap with a steel pin buckle. This watch will be limited to 470 pieces and can be pre-ordered for a price of USD 2,190 with delivery expected in September 2023.
This runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and delivers 48 hours of power reserve. The watch comes on a black leather rally strap with a steel pin buckle. Limited to 470 pieces, tying in with the car, it can be pre-ordered for a price of EUR 2,190 with delivery expected in September 2023.
Then there’s the meca-quartz variants. They take the same case as the Rallygraf and give it three variations - white dial with a blue outside minute track, a cream dial with a black outside minute track or a black dial with a cream outside minute track. All of these are also available for preorder now for EUR 399 and will be delivered in September 2023.
Yema also announced a second mechanical watch made in collaboration with Alpine, the Rallygraf Alpine Endurance Team Automatic. This will officially be unveiled this coming Saturday at the Circuit de la Sarthe, during the racing weekend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although we don’t know all the details at this moment, we can see it’s made of stainless steel, comes on a multi-link bracelet or black leather strap and has a black dial. The bidirectional rotating bezel can be used to calculate speeds, in combination with the inner ‘Temps Ecoule’ flange in white and blue. It is powered by the in-house Calibre YEMA2000 and will cost USD 990.
4/
The Dan Henry 1970 44mm is back with new colours and the same, affordable price
You might know Dan Hendy as the microbrand that has been pumping out vintage inspired watches since 2016. What you might not know is that they made their name with the Dan Henry 1970 44mm Automatic Diver, the first of their watches to feature an automatic movement. While it might not seem like a big deal, it was for Dan Hanry and the shoppers in the sub $500 range. While Dan Henry serviced it’s customers by providing good value for money with quartz movements, the 1970 44mm Automatic Diver was the first time they offered a mechanical movement at such an affordable price. It sold out instantly and now, four years later, they are back with a limited edition of 1970 pieces.
It’s a very big watch. Very big. The heavy stainless steel super compressor style case measures 44mm in diameter and is 14.8mm thick with a 50.5mm lug-to-lug length. Despite these large dimensions, and with all other manufacturers fighting to go smaller, people still love this watch. They love it enough for it to go for over retail on the secondary market, which is not common for a watch in this pricepoint. Both of the crowns, one for rotating the inner-bezel and one for adjusting the time, screw into the case, giving it 200m water resistance.
The dials get a contrasting pop of color on the outskirts. There’s the black and orange, as well as the black and off-white with a black case and blue with white color combinations. Each version comes with its own colour-matching FKM rubber tropic strap. To keep the price low, the watches are powered by the Seiko NH35. Not the best movement in the world, but it gets the job done for an exceptionally low price.
The new Dan Henry 1970 44mm Automatic Diver is limited to 1,970 pieces, available from Dan Henry and costs $310.
5/
Bamford Teams Up With Land Rover For The LR002 Limited Edition
Somehere near the end of last year, Land Rover designed their first watch. They called it the LR001 and they turned to Bamford to put the watch into production. It was a great looking field watch made of titanium and all in shades of grey, with a decent price and limited to 100 pieces so they all sold out very fast. Now, Bamford London and Land Rover are bringing it back with an updated, equally limited, version in all black called the LR002.
The LR002 is pretty much the same watch as the LR001, except for the color. While not a fan of black watches, this isn’t a bad thing, as it gives you a chance to buy the sold out Land Rover watch. What is bad is the price, but more on that later. The case measures 40mm wide and 13.25mm thick, and is made out of DLC coated titanium. It has a shape that resembles a field watch but much more modern and has fixed bars. From photos, due to the thick case and fixed bars, this watch looks to wear much larger than it actually is.
The dial seems to be much more interesting than the case. It has a sandwich construction with the top part having a matte black surface and the underside being filled with white lume. And by alternating circular and oblong cutouts, there’s a dynamic look to the dial. Inside the watch is the same movement as in the LR001, the Selita SW200-1B, and it’s delivered on a leather NATO-style bracelet.
The LR002 will have a run of just 100 pieces that are exclusively sold through Hodinkee. At the time of writing there are still pieces available for sale at a price of $1,700. And that’s the biggest issue. The LR001 sold for about $1,300 and the only difference between the two watches is the DLC coating. Is it worth the price difference?
6/
The Casio A120 Is The Best Pairing For Stranger Things, But Do We Need It?
The immense popularity of Stranger Thing undoubtedly lies in it’s 80s nostalgia that reminded us all of our childhoods. While playing to our good memories, it also roped in new generations by picking the best the decade had to offer and presenting it as something cool. That’s why you have a bunch of kids out there listening to Kate Bush and Metallica, while wearing Casio watches and buying VHS tapes. So it only makes perfect sense that Casio would team up with Stranger Things for a limited edition watch, and what better reference to do it with then the A120. This is the Casio x Stranger Things A120WEST-1A.
The watch is a classic Casio A120, with a 33.5mm x 40.7mm rectangle case and since it’s plastic it weighs only 25 grams. It’s not filled with a bunch of functions, but it does have a chronograph, alarm and calendar and you get three years of battery life. There’s a number of Stranger Things references on the watch - there’s a silhouette of the series’ demogorgon monster beneath the digital display and the LED backlight flickers and rapidly blinks just like the surfacing of a demogorgon in the show. Once lit, you can see the watermark of an upside down Stranger Things logo.
Casio has not announced when the watch will be available or how much it will cost, but you can keep an eye out on it here. Is this a nice homage to a good TV show, or just another example of over-consumerism and corporate media properties slapping their name everywhere, without actually making a meaningfully authentic version of the watch?
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
A review of Monta’s current flagship dress watch, the Noble
2/
Hands on with the 39mm and 42mm versions of the Hanhart 414 ES Flyback
3/
A week with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore limited edition in pink gold and titanium
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

Dryden is a go-everywhere-do-anything watch with plenty of options
Great dials are always appreciated, but no matter how good the dial is, it doesn’t matter if the watch isn’t wearable. The excellent design choices found on the dial of the Heartlander follow through to the case. Crafted from stainless steel the 38mm-wide case has a lovely 46mm lug-to-lug distance and is only 11.2mm-thick from solid steel caseback to domed sapphire crystal. These dimensions are in the Goldilocks region for an everyday watch for me and my ~6.5-inch wrist. The cases are predominantly brushed except for a thin highly polished bevel that flanks each side of the lugs.
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People loved the Seiko Alpinist giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away four Hamilton Khaki Field Automatics in a color of your choice. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.

The needs of several individuals must be met in a family bathroom because it is a high-traffic area. With so much activity going on, having a vanity double sink in Miami or Doral home can be the perfect solution for your family’s bathroom needs. The following are some reasons for this.

Maximizing Time and Convenience

Having a vanity with two sinks in your family bathroom can help everyone get ready faster in the mornings when everyone is rushing to work or school. With two sinks, many people can wash their hands, apply cosmetics, and brush their teeth simultaneously without having to wait for another person to complete it. This can be particularly useful if one has a big family or many kids.

Elevate the Aesthetics

Your family bathroom’s appearance can be improved with a vanity double sink in Miami or Doral. It can provide the area with an opulent, high-end appearance and vibe. To suit your preferences along with the aesthetic of your home as a whole, you can select from a number of sizes, styles, and materials. A double sink vanity is available to match your family’s bathroom demands and personal tastes, whether you want a contemporary, sleek appearance or a conventional, classic design.

Upgrade Your Bathroom with Ease

A quick and simple approach to update your family bathroom without having to completely rebuild is by adding a vanity double sink. You can select a double sink vanity that suits your demands and your family’s budget due to the wide range of choices on the market. Additionally, many double-sink vanities are made to be simple to install, making updating your bathroom a quick and easy process.

Maximizing Storage and Organization

In a family bathroom, a double sink vanity can give storage and utility. Because each person can have their own designated space for their personal hygiene products, the additional sink provides more storage space. This can lessen clutter and stress by keeping the bathroom neat and organized.

Boost Your Home’s Value

Your Miami or Doral home’s resale value can be increased by installing a double sink vanity in the family bathroom. Two sinks in the bathroom enhance convenience and utility, which appeals to many homebuyers. Potential buyers can be attracted to a well-designed, high-quality double sink vanity, which can raise the price of your home.
A double-sink vanity in Doral or Miami is an ideal addition to a family bathroom. It provides comfort, utility, and an opulent appearance and feel. It is a cheap and simple option to update your bathroom and can raise the market value of your house. A vanity double sink in Doral or Miami is a fantastic investment that will offer multiple benefits for years to come, whether you have a big family or simply want to improve the overall beauty of your bathroom.

I find the issue for me, aesthetically, is that all new houses look too sterile. Is there any way to mitigate this?

Are you looking for a Dream Town Island Guide?
Here are some tips.
1.) Don’t worry about placement early on, re-arranging is free once you unlock it in the first few minutes of the game.
2.) Before you Place a Building such as the Town Center, you’ll see that there is a broken line forming a square around its edges. Put your Town Center at the correct Place and then plan a lay-out around it.
3.) Contests are worth the time whether you win or lose.
4.) Work your way to complete all building objectives one by one. Take your time, it’ll be worth it.
5.) Stores have two important factors: Value and Popularity.
Mix and match Houses and Stores so people can easily buy from the nearby stores.
Balance your layout.
6.) There’s no “best lay out”, the game is more about aesthetics. However, you can min-max the values by trial and error. Don’t worry because people can buy helicopters and go far before sleeping.
7.) Company Stocks, just buy 10 and leave it be. But, if you want to earn from it. Buy low sell high. It’s just a small margin of income when left untouched. Lucrative when you love micromanaging.
8.) Houses that accumulate savings can be upgraded. They’ll spend more as they grow.
9.) Give jobs to people by unlocking it on the building objectives on #2. If they have a job, they can work and spend easier. At least they don’t have to go out of town to work before spending.
10.) Always check the in-game store for seeds and items such as Building Rank Up. There’s no downside to Upgrading buildings.
I’ll leave it here for now.
Comment below if you have questions.

So, umm, hi. I'm here (again). Great intro, eh?
- First, the post flair. Platonic and intimate aren't necessarily mutually exclusive (for me) since I can have an intimate relationship with a platonic friend, and I can also be intimate with someone without being sexual. Both can mean sex-free/less, but there's a part of me, although covered, who still wants to keep it open for that (the physical touch) in the future. I'm seeking, at the very least, someone with whom I can be my true self in a safe and accepting environment, and that requires a level of intimacy beyond the definition that either of these flairs encapsulates. But that's me... a stickler for word definitions, giving them room for nuance and interpretation, whilst also understanding that the words we choose can be quite impactful.
- That segues seamlessly into my second point, the "A" in looking for "anyone" is for NB, M, or FTM. I am looking for someone with the potential for something beyond an emotionally and intellectually connecting relationship, though it's not my first or even second priority. I just want there to be a possibility.
- My third point, if you identify as F and find yourself connecting to my words in a way that you feel compelled to reach out and communicate? Please do. I'm all for following someone's rules and guidelines, and I also know that I need to leave room for that nuance I mentioned. It's not easy for me, and I still know it's necessary I at least try.
On that note, I'm here, trying. Here's a bulleted run-down of the woman behind the words:

• This is my 18,036th username.
• I sometimes exaggerate (the quantity of) things.
• I love parenthetical expression (it just works); most punctuation can help me get my point across without ever opening my mouth.
• Laughing and cannabis are truly my best medicines, and I have a prescription for one; the other just needs more cowbell.
• If you can't talk comedy, we won't connect in the way I am seeking. It is in my veins. When I say "talk comedy", I mean I weave humor throughout my serious messages, I bring up comedians ALL THE TIME, I love watching and discussing stand-up specials, I listen to comedy podcasts (mostly Smartless and Conan), and I believe that in another life, I was a comedian because I just relate so much to so many comedians.
• On the note of relating, I'm Autistic. The spectrum isn't linear, it's everything and everywhere. I do have strengths. I just also have a lot of weaknesses. Additionally, I also suffer with ADHD. However, because of the other alphabet diagnoses I have (C-PTSD, MDD, GAD, and BordPD), ADHD medication didn't help me when we tried a couple of years ago, it made everything worse. So, see above, laughing and cannabis are the only things that give me relief. Keep in mind, though, I live with suffering daily. There's no "fixing" or "curing" me. If you aren't comfortable with a highly emotional, intense, angry, passionate, believe it or not, kind, f'ed up woman, then, well, that's okay... I wouldn't be either. :D Just maybe don't reach out as we'll both end up super disappointed.
• Oh, did I mention I'm also agoraphobic? I mean, come on, how are you not pushing "send message" already? The figurative line will be around the door once I press post, I'm sure of it. (But seriously, I have mild/moderate agoraphobia that was activated by the pandemic, then the protests after George Floyd, then the Jan. 6th insurrection, then the anti-progress movement, and of course, as a Jewish person, seeing Nazis disguised as Conservatives just pretty much running things because they have the most money for some f'ing reason. Ugh. I don't trust anyone anymore. I don't have friends. I haven't spoken to a family member in more than two years. I haven't had a hug in two years. I haven't gone out for entertainment in 3.5 years. I am essentially still living like some did in April/May of 2020... so, yah, it's bad.)
• But I'll refer back to my initial opener and repeat, "umm, hi. I'm here (again). ".
• Okay, I'm back.
• I love football (NFL) and have become a decent baseball fan in the last 7 years. Football has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old. It's a toxic place (nfl makes me want to punch air), but I can't stop because it's a part of my core, my special interest. If you know anything about Autism, the one thing that pretty much remains consistent is that a special interest can be a life saver! Also, though, many of us become hyper-focused (especially us ADHD people) and only be able to talk about that one thing. It's annoying to me, and it's also me. :D If you can relate to that, maybe we have a chance to connect. I'm a values-based person, so it sometimes pains me to know that one of my core interests goes against a lot of my core values (safety, duh). It's one of those both/and things for me... Like how I know I love someone and also hate them. What do you think about that theory? That love and hate are separate between a thin line... (philosophical talk around psychology and human behavior is a big interest of mine.)
• Where was I?
• Oh yah, I play fantasy football and baseball. I love it. I focus on it almost year-round.
• Cats. Period. (I am a silly lady who talks to them in a very specific cat voice, but also, that voice is used to talk to birds, squirrels, bunnies, spiders, bees, and the little gophers that live under the houses around here.)
• (Side note: I'm an omnivore, and also an animal advocate. If you can't handle someone both/and, well, that's okay, I can't handle a lot, either, so I get it. It's one of those things where removing a food group from my diet would be more harmful to me, though I fully subscribe to moderation and not eating animal products for every meal; the corporate world has tried to make us lowly citizens think we have any real "carbon footprint", but someone I met through here reminded me that's just capitalists trying to blame us so they can charge us more for "eco-friendly" shit that's probably not even eco-friendly. Ugh. Where was I?)
• Oh yah...
• Back to the agoraphobia for a second... I'm a fear-based person. Not because I want to be, I just am. I'd love to find more peace, and right now, that's not the case. However, I used to socialize. I did. I have pictures to prove it. I sometimes like to reminisce in what I used to do, but I don't do anything I used to. My identity crisis is real, and I get frustrated about it, often. I retreat. I avoid. I get defensive. And, then I reflect and try be as self-aware as possible while not projecting onto you, the proverbial you. Constant communication is necessary. If I say, "I'm having a bad day," and your reaction is to wait until I'm feeling better? Then, I'm not for you (or you're not for me?). I need someone who will figuratively sit with me through those bad days, even when I say, "I don't want to talk". I need someone who can be there, even if you're only there on the other side of the screen and you say something like, "I know you are hurting today. I know you don't want to talk. I know this is hard. I am here for you. You don't have to feel better, and I'll still be here. If you want to yell, cry, or do nothing or everything in between, I'm here." I say that in such detail because I know what I need, but oftentimes, I can't ask for it in the moment when I need it, if that makes sense? My ex-husband ended up feeling like my needs were unreasonable (I was with him before my diagnoses, so to him, I was just going to therapy and "not getting better"), and I was doing what I was taught, to ask for what I need, and he, along with many others (I read people's lists of red flags) thought that I shouldn't need so much.
• Well, I do.
• (Side note: I'm not pining for my ex; we've been apart for four years, but it was the last relationship I had, and I believe in learning from experiences and those lessons need to be communicated. If you can't handle someone talking about a previous relationship here and there, that won't work. A lot of my memories directly pre-pandemic are with him, so it will come up from time to time. I assume you've had relationships, and I'll want to hear about them, too! I just don't do ex-bashing. Not cool. I loved the guy, and he doesn't deserve all the blame for our relationship ending, and I know your ex doesn't, either.)
• I own an old home that's worth less than a lot of people's cars, I assume, and I'm not handy; you being handy would be the best thing so I could ask you about all of the things. :) I also own a cheap EV that doesn't go very far, but is there when I need it. I'm a pretty poor person who lives in poverty, but makes it work because I'm a fucking survivor.

You know, I think that's a great place to end this random list of words. I've posted here over the last few years, responded to posts, and sometimes I include a picture, but I'm not going to this time. It makes me upset not to share in advance, but I also think that I tend to get responses from people who didn't read my post and just looked at my picture. I want to be attracted to you aesthetically and vice versa, I just don't want you to see the aesthetics first and forget about the words. My outsides don't match my insides. My outsides are what contributed, I'm positive, to my Autism going undiagnosed. I'm partially disabled, but you can't see my disability unless I show it, and believe me, this entire post? That's me showing it a little...
On that note, I'll bid you adieu. Please think before reaching out. I mean it, if you are someone who is just looking to chat with someone out of boredom and are nowhere near the CDT time zone, please spare us both. Potential future meeting is something I know I want. I haven't done it yet, but man, that's the goal.
Okay, seriously, I'm going now. For real...
But wait, don't go yet, I prefer PM's than chat. The Reddit app sucks, and chat isn't on 3rd party apps, plus, I like the long form communication of a PM than a live chat as that seems more casual? I don't know. That's me. Perhaps one day we could move off here, but for now, PMs are my preference.
Okay, bye.

Roblox smash bros moveset
Jab: roblox guest throws a jab with their right hand, then they throw a jab with their left hand, then they pull out a basic sword and do a up and down slashing motion with it.
Ledge Attack: roblox climbs up and does a quick headbutt
Side Tilt: they pull out a hammer and quickly swing it down, this attack has good knock back
Up Tilt: roblox guest holds a 2x3 brick above themself to block any attacks from above, and if an opponent touches the brick from above they’ll take 2% damage
Down Tilt: Roblox guest steps on a tycoon button and spawns a simple dispenser that drops basic, dark grey blocks down every 1.5 seconds for 4 seconds and then disappears. If these blocks hit an opponent, it’ll deal 2% damage and has below average knock back, There can only be 2 dispensers per player at a time, spawning a new one will automatically remove the oldest one
Dash Attack: Roblox guest runs forward and throws their foot forward
Forward Smash: they pull out a pizza box, open the box and throw the pizza forward
Up Smash: they swing a baseball bat overhead
Down Smash: lava blocks appear on both sides of roblox guest, damaging and burning opponents that touch them and knocking them back.
Grab: Roblox guest uses the move tool to drag a sit block, if it hits an opponent they’ll be forced to sit on it
Pummel: Roblox guest pulls out the darkheart and stabs it forward, if you use this attack for 2 seconds or more without stopping, it’ll start healing 1% every second you use it until you stop.
Forward Throw: Roblox guest uses the move tool to throw the sit block forward
Backward Throw: Roblox guest uses the move tool to throw the sit block backward
Up Throw: they place the gravity coil below the opponent and cause them to launch upward
Down Throw: they use the move tool to slam the sit block downward
Neutral Air: roblox guest places a 2x2 brick below themself, giving themself a platform to stand on
Forward Air: they pull out a basic knife from murder mystery and slashes it forward from left to right
Backward Air: they turn around and throw 2 golden ninja stars
Up Air: they equip a jetpack and fly upward
Down Air: they pull out a bazooka and shoot it downward
Neutral Special: Roblox guest steps onto a tycoon button and a clone machine pops up, the door to it opens and a clone of the roblox guest walks out holding a steel sword, they automatically move towards opponents and when they get close to an opponent they’ll start doing the same up and down motion as the 3rd hit of the guests jab, the clone will last 10 seconds before disappearing. There can only be 1 clone per player at a time and trying to summon a new one before the clone has disappeared will result in the move failing
Side Special: they pull out a taser and activate it sending a jolt of electricity forward, if an opponents hit by this attack they’ll be stunned for 1 second and take 5% damage, this attack has decent knockback
Up Special: roblox guest uses the gravity coil to launch themself upward
Down Special: they pull out the hyper laser gun and shoot it at forward, it shoots a short blue beam in a single direction that deals 12% damage and stuns any opponent hit by it.
Final Smash: the lower level of the stage floods with water and anyone who makes contact with the water will be sent into a cinematic final smash. Opponents will land on the party palace map and the roblox guest will activate the weather machine and activate all disasters at once, acid rain, blizzard, deadly virus, earthquake, fire, flash flood, meteor shower, sandstorm, thunderstorm, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption one after another and then 2 airplanes get built from bricks and fly in shooting at the opponents
Side Taunt: roblox guest drinks a bloxy cola
Up Taunt: roblox guest does the roblox dance
Down Taunt: they point forward and laugh
Idle Animation: they stand there staring forward blankly, they’re arms swaying back and forth
Victory Animations:
roblox guest jumps into the air and then thrusts their fist into the air smiling
Roblox guest looks into the camera, smiles, and starts clapping
It shows the old starter place before zooming in on the starting house. The roblox guest then walks out of the doorway and waves before eating a cheese burger
Entrance Animation: a roblox spawn pad appears and roblox guest spawns in
Alt Colors: Red shirt and Black Pants (work at a pizza place),
All black with white eyes and red pupils (DOORS),
Yellow skintone and blue shirts and shorts (noob),
Alt Styles: They’re whole bodies cubic (the models before rthro),
Female Guest (anthro model guest with pink hair),
brown clothes and pig head mask (piggy),
A cardboard box robot outfit with a drawn on face (box robot),
Gold and red knight armor (knight of redcliff)
Maps:
Starting Place,
Welcome to bloxburg,
Jailbreak Prison

Hey Everyone, It's been a while haha. I made a post a while back about my initial impressions of the students based upon my experiences as a teacher. Here's a link to that thread if you'd like to read it first: First Impressions
It took me much longer to complete my first playthrough than I anticipated, but I was very thorough in my exploration time and so I attribute it mostly to that and well ... life. I feel like it's harder to speak to the characters as students now but I'll try to revisit some of my earlier thoughts as well as how I view them as a person. (because we all know students aren't people /s)
**Obviously Spoilers Incoming**
I chose the Black Eagles House and went through the Crimson Flower Route:
Edelgard:
- I was pretty spot on with Edelgard when I said she would have high expectations. Early on I wondered if I would get annoyed with her tone towards you as a teacher, but I don't think she ever asked too much of me. I enjoyed her vulnerability with our support conversations and also her interactions with other students. She was stern when she needed to be and while she clearly held herself to a certain standard of etiquette she was human with them too. I guess the elephant in the room with Edelgard is do I find her actions justified. I struggled with this a bit initially because I knew the choice that was incoming (couldn't avoid spoilers for myself) but after I played up to the decision to side with her or the church the choice was obvious in my heart. Now some of this can be attributed to the way the writers/voice actors make Rhea creepy and ultimately wrathful (sounding) but I can't imagine not siding with Edelgard. I also largely agree with her ideals and enjoyed that I was a soldier in the end and not a King or Archbishop. Also, the ending scene *beautiful*
Hubert:
- I said Hubert would be arrogant but not too bad. I think arrogant was the wrong read initially. He's really never a student to you and I think this is for the sake of his role in the story but it made it hard to ever really feel like I knew him or "cared" about him. For a long time I made him Edelgard's adjutant because it felt right and that's really what he is, Edelgard's story assistant. I did enjoy the line during instruction "Maybe I was taught well" (or something like that) but really that was the only moment I felt a connection to him. Our final support scene together was sweet and that's when I started letting him battle again haha. I will say Hubert's interactions with other characters were great. I especially enjoyed his support dialogues with Petra and it shows he's not a "bad" guy, he just never really felt like a student.
Ferdinand:
- Man ... Ferdinand. The tale of two parts. I said arrogant and know it all for him and that's certainly how he is at first. This is how Hubert would have been if he felt like a student. I felt like Ferdinand grew under my instruction. I felt like our interactions were special and substantial. He was so introspective at times that it really made me hold him in high regard as I continued playing. I wanted him to succeed. However, there were some moments that made me annoyed with him. I found his dialogue when offering him a lost item particularly grating. It is something to the effect of "how dare you think this is mine." While this is on par for his early character it is a fault in the system to have it continue after he has made such growth. His support dialogues are somewhat forgetful compared to the everyday interactions we had but there's a good amount of comedic value with Ferdinand (especially his eating with Edelgard dialogue) . And then there is post time skip Ferdinand ... what did they do to my boy. He became what I would've suspected of Sylvain and that's fine, live your life and all that but it seemed like he lost his "heart" the things that made him endearing and special. I could go on but I'll give one example to wrap this up. His support dialogue with Bernedetta early on was so sweet and really painted a misunderstood picture of him ... and then the final support is like "we were almost married. Ok Bye." Sure, I got the comedic value of it all but it just wasn't the same and I missed that student I got to know and care about.
Caspar:
- I had said Caspar would work hard and maybe sometimes try too hard. This is overall pretty accurate and going in I didn't have any expectations on Caspar. Low expectations may have yielded my endearing opinion of him but I also think he wasn't terribly memorable either. As a student he was kind of one note, "I want to be stronger to protect people." The term escapes me, but he is a character like Naruto or Natsu in that he could be an anime main character but minus some of the depth a long running series protagonist may develop. Our support interactions were initially good in that it showed his struggle with being brash and the issues that may cause but then it ended with "I'm just going to be me." The same thing happened with Caspar and Hubert's support dialogues, "think about your actions ... thought about them ... Just be you." As a teacher, I would cheer for Caspar and I liked him. As a viewer I would get tired of him and I ultimately did. That said, I loved his and Bernie's supports and I will always ship them now.
Dorothea:
- I said Dorothea would be attentive and a good student but that maybe her casual language with the teacher could be troublesome. I think I was right on all accounts really. If you really like Dorothea maybe skip this one haha. I found Dorothea to be my least favorite character. As far as a teacher-student dynamic goes Dorothea was great. I liked her feedback and generally liked our interactions and her interactions with other characters weren't tiresome or annoying. I think what it came down to is that she just never surprised me. I wasn't a fan of Hubert but man did he surprise me on occasion and then I'm audibly saying "I see you Hubert." I never had those moments with Dorothea, instead I had more than my share of eyerolls. The crowning moment with Dorothea for me was right before the final battle her dialogue input is something like "I hope I find a man after this is all over." Like ... we are about to fight a dragon and that's your contribution. I understand her story, I do, and I sympathize with her. I know that because of her past her arrogance and superiority are defense mechanisms against an elite that shunned her and treated her like trash. I guess I needed that moment of weakness from her and maybe it's there in some support dialogue (the closest I got being her support with Linhardt) but she just never gave me a moment to remember her by and instead became a little annoying.
Petra:
- I had said Petra would be a good student who maybe needed some language acquisition help. This is what Petra is as a student and as a character. She is kind of one note but man do I love her. This is mostly an aesthetic choice on my part because everything about Petra's look is wonderful. She stands out but not obnoxiously so, she looks unique and feels like the foreigner she is supposed to be. She has some great instruction dialogue that makes you want to help her learn. Our support dialogues were good but pretty plain, just explaining her reasoning and what not. Where Petra really shined though was in her support dialogue with other characters. The "I don't speak the language" trope would have made her pretty boring if not for her interactions with other characters. I especially liked her conversations with Edelgard, Hubert, and Caspar. She showed so many wonderful qualities like independence, conviction, humor, self awareness ... I could go on. Now all that said She and Dorothea are really the same in being kind of one note overall, but I guess I connected more with Petra and I can't point to any one reason why. I loved them both as students but as characters Petra just spoke to me more.
Bernedetta:
- I had said she would be fine to teach but shy. The writers obviously painted her this way from the get go and she does follow that trope faithfully. As a student her little moments of success were so nice and I liked her instruction lines. The yelling, which I'm sure is a meme, was fine ... sometimes annoying, sometimes funny. Our interactions were obviously building up to the moment she steps out of her room but I didn't find it as rewarding as maybe it was intended to be. The real shining moments for Bernedetta were in her support dialogue with other characters (is becoming a theme as I type). Now, these supports follow a formula of "sweet moment ... Bernie realizes she's vulnerable ... she screams." sometimes this was cute, sometimes this was an *eye roll* but I mostly liked them. My favorites were her early Ferdinand supports and her Caspar supports. I thought that I wanted Ferdinand and Bernie to be together until I got that final Caspar support. The way she stood up for what she wanted and took on an uncomfortable situation for her own happiness was touching and made me really want to use her again. I think Bernedetta was the one character I went in not liking that much to wanting to always talk to when I see her.
Linhardt:
- I said Linhardt sleeping wouldn't bother me and that made him a wash as a student. Obviously this was a little bit of a misdirect to make him seem lazy when he's a bit more complex than that. Linhardt was an interesting student. His whole "I'm awake" and similar lines grew old after a while but his support dialogues with me and other students were interesting and made him more endearing to me. I liked that he's just kind of searching for his purpose. The thing about Linhardt that I enjoyed the most was how wise he is. His interaction with Lysithea was really a nice moment as well as an interesting one in how he went about making her realize things about herself and her situation. However, Linhardt also had some Sheldon Cooper moments (which I'm a Sheldon fan) but they could be a little frustrating sometimes. He also had a Dorothea type line before the final battle about crests and so I was rolling my eyes a bit. Overall he had his moments and I didn't mind the ones that were just meh.
Lysithea:
- I recruited Lysithea. I had said maybe sometimes she'd ask questions rudely but would be a good student. I think Lysithea is great, but she can be pretty childish, sometimes comedically so. I understand that she's ~16 while the others are ~18 but they really gave her some overtly childish things to do and say sometimes. As a student she was exactly like I thought she would be so nothing surprising there. As a character I really enjoyed her growth and her story. Our interactions together were cute and she was my Goddess Tower visit during the ball so that was a fun moment as well. I also enjoyed her moments with other characters especially Linhardt. Lysithea was my main target going in with the anticipation of her being one of my favorites. She didn't end up as my favorite but I did enjoy our time together.
Annette:
- Annette was my other recruit (that I intended to get) and I had said she'd probably want lots of extra credit and constantly ask how she was doing in class. This was a pretty accurate assessment of who Annette is as a student. Our early interactions were cute and endearing as she really wanted to do well. I know several characters do the little excited clenched fist cheer when instructing them but Annette's seemed to fit her the best and seemed cannon for how she would really react. Of all the students I most wanted to give Annette a hug. She seemed like she just needed to know she's of value and I wanted her to know I valued her. Her interactions with the Black Eagles weren't terribly memorable, but I did enjoy her and Linhardt's supports. I look forward to using her on a Blue Lions run.
Ingrid/Felix:
- I recruited them unintentionally because I interacted with EVERYONE haha. I didn't do much with them so I will use this to speak to recruitment in general. I wish I had gone in with the intent to only recruit 1-2 additional characters. It just becomes a little too overwhelming when you only use 10 in battle most of the time.
Faculty:
- A few people in my last post asked how I felt about the faculty so I'll mention them a bit here. It seems like maybe the writing focused on the students (as I would expect) and let the faculty be very one note so none of them really stand out but I'll list the ones I talked to a lot.
Alois:
- I liked Alois and our dialogue after Jeralt's death was really touching and I felt like he and I would've hugged and I'd have cried haha. I like that he just wants to be a good person and I want to get my support dialogue further with him next time to see what other interactions we might have.
Manuela:
- Manuela is Blanche Devereaux. If you don't know who that is ... look it up and thank me later for the best TV series of your life. I like her design and she was my wife's favorite character and I took her support to S but our interactions were kind of boring. She is what she is and I don't mind it but I also don't think I'll bother chatting her up in my next run.
Seteth:
- Seteth grew on me. He is meant to come across initially as a no nonsense kind of strict guy and all that but his supports are sweet and his interactions with Flayn were nice and made me like her more than I otherwise would have. I felt bad I couldn't bring him to my side but I wasn't heartbroken about either.
Rhea:
- Man ... Rhea is weird. She's got creepy vibes from the beginning and all the reveals and dialogue only made me like her less. I didn't know anything about her when she and the professor have their moment after he is wounded and like your head is in her lap but that moment didn't strike me as sweet ... it just felt weird. I think it will be hard for me to ever do the church route.
Flayn:
- Flayn is boring haha. I need to do more with her support wise I think but I felt like she was thrust upon me and told to like her but I just didn't.
Shamir:
- Shamir has a cool character design and that's why I gave her a lot of sunflowers but as I built our support I found myself less and less interested in what she had to say.
Jertiza:
- Jeritza and I had such a short life together but I think it could've been magical given more time. Something about his line delivery is satisfyingly dead pan and wonderful. He's also so strong by the time you get him that I used him frequently.
​
Overall Impressions:
- I am going to have a really hard time playing any other route besides Crimson Flower. While not all of the students "spoke" to me I found Edelgard and her goals did speak to me and I loved this particular route.
Character Ranking:
Impacted Me Greatly: Edelgard, Annette
Love Them: Petra, Lysithea, Alois, Linhardt
Really Surprised Me: Bernedetta, Caspar, Seteth, Jeritza
So Much Potential: Hubert, Ferdinand
Avoid Talking To Next Time: Dorothea, Manuela, Rhea, Flayn, Shamir
​
Be sure to comment your own thoughts and please understand these are just my thoughts, everyone likely had a different experience from my own so don't take it to heart when I say someone is boring haha.
I feel like there's thousands more things I could say. I love this game and have started a Golden Deer run, but I will miss Edelgard and will finish my journey with this game doing one more Crimson Flower playthrough. You never forget your first and it was beautiful.

i have a 55 gallon i want to plant aesthetically and add a large driftwood centerpiece in. i want it dedicated to mystery snails only. what's the max amount of snails i could house in a tank that large?

Hey everyone :) like the title says my in laws have very generously purchased a stroller for our baby. Baby is due in October but they purchased now because there was a big sale. The stroller they purchased is the 3 wheeler, Joie Crosster stroller in black with brown leather crossbars. I am grateful for the gift but unfortunately this is not the stroller I wanted. And it wasn’t cheap, about $700 for a simple stroller with no included accessories such as car seat or bassinet.
To start, it is only front facing without the ability to flip the seat. I am a first time mum and have always been excited about parent-facing strollers, especially in the first few months, as I think it’s adorable and I wanna look at my baby!! There is the ability to purchase compatible additions that could be parent-facing but this will at our own expense.
I also am not overly excited about the look of the stroller. It is a cross terrain, 3 wheel stroller with huge back and front wheels meant to help crossing into different ground types. My partner and I are wholly city based and are not very adventurous/nature exploring. We will just be using this stroller around the city, shopping malls, travelling to friends and families houses. I am also only 152cm and it’s quite tall and bulky. There are stroller sets available that I would have rather preferred, better suited my preferences both functionally and aesthetically. I checked the store they purchased from and they don’t do refunds, only exchanges or store credit, but this store doesn’t even have many stroller options.
Am I being extremely ungrateful for feeling this way? It’s just not the stroller I dreamed/spent hours researching about. I know the gift came from a good place, just maybe the wrong choice? Does anyone else have experience with this specific stroller and how was it?
Thanks xx

user:cupcakeado

• has vc
• has premium
• rh private server
• 2018

royale high:
has most rh gamepasses: NOT both multipliers
decent rh invi
30k diamonds
bloxburg:
near 80k cash
has a few plots(no houses)
gamepasses: large plot,multi floors, advanced placing, premium
drag adv:
has aranga
other small adds
others:
has progress in other small games
(MM will be used)
apple gift card only
DM IF U WANNA BUY!
pls take i dont play roblox anymore :")

user:cupcakeado

• has vc
• has premium
• rh private server
• 2018

royale high:
has most rh gamepasses: NOT both multipliers
decent rh invi
29k diamonds
bloxburg:
near 80k cash
has a few plots(no houses)
gamepasses: large plot,multi floors, advanced placing, premium
drag adv:
has aranga
other small adds
others:
has progress in other small games
(MM will be used)
apple gift card only
DM IF U WANNA BUY!
No underpays

user:cupcakeado

• has vc
• has premium
• rh private server
• 2018

royale high:
has most rh gamepasses: NOT both multipliers
decent rh invi
29k diamonds
​
bloxburg:
near 80k cash
has a few plots(no houses)
gamepasses: large plot,multi floors, advanced placing, premium
​
drag adv:
has aranga
other small adds
​
​
others:
has progress in other small games
​
(MM will be used)
apple gift card only
DM IF U WANNA BUY!

Never used Reddit before so I’m sorry if it’s in the wrong category Looking for a custom harem house. Everything I’m finding is not what I’m looking for. Unsure how detailed to get in this post but
Harem House (vampire master)
I love the Victorian/goth/vampire aesthetic
Top(2nd) floor Master bedroom w/ attached bath Two(2) bedrooms w/ attached baths (for favorites) Study - computer and a few bookshelves (master plays instruments so if you wanna make it big enough to fit some of them, cool) Coffin room
Main floor Kitchen Dining area Entertainment area (I don’t care for TVs, just a place for a stereo for them to dance would be nice) Main harem bedroom, all single beds Work out area (a separate yoga mat area would be cool) Two or three bathrooms
Outdoor Pool (doesn’t have to be huge) Garden (medium size is fine for money tree, plasma trees and garlic) I like the idea of a Spa area, sauna and message tables but it isn’t needed
Can be 64x64 but I’m not a huge fan of overly cluttered spaces No CC, no mods, (sorry, I only play with the games and packs)
Again, I’ve never used or posted to Reddit before so if I’m doing this wrong, I apologize I’m more than willing to discuss further if anyone is interested Thanks