Sunland springs village condos for sale

Tribes:
I'd really love to see realistic cannibals. I kind of want like loads of different factions, and you have the choice to gain their trust, or either go to war with them. If you gain their trust, this will enable you to trade and help the tribe with expanding their villages and you can do missions for them, for example going to steal something from a neighbouring tribe who keeps invading their territory, or going to gather food, or another certain item. Going to war would make the tribe very agressive, causing them to actively seek you out, and looking for your base to raid it and steal. If you wipe out a whole tribe, it can cause other tribes to be cautious around you,unless you kill a tribe that another faction didn't like.
Population and expanding:
I'd also love realistic eco-systems, so if you kill out a load of cannibals, it could take days or even months for the population to grow again. Also overtime it would be great if their villages expanded, and also if they react to the season/weather. If it's rainy, then most cannibals will be inside, making tools, or cooking food, or praying. If it's winter, most will be huddled inside, hosting parties, and sleeping/hibernating, or even just sitting by a fire with a blanket made of animal furs. In autumn, it willl be a frenzy of hunting and gathering for winter, making autumn one of the hardest times of year. Food will be scarce, and cannibals will try and steal your food. They will be stressed, and angrier more easily. You may even come across cannibals crying from stress. In spring and summer, you can come across cannibals playing in shallow ponds and rivers and fishing, or making weapons, or paddling in the sea, or hunting food. It would also be great after awhile if the villages expand, from just simple stick huts to medium stone houses.
Slaves, and prisoners and kidnaps.
It would be cool if you could steal cannibals, make then slaves or prisoners too

A thread for new collectors to ask basic questions of the community.
Frequently Asked Questions below!
A longer version of the subreddit rules is here.
For questions specifically concerning bootlegs or vendor legitimacy, please ask in the Bootleg Megathread.
NSFW & Spoiler Guidelines

• For Self Posts: include a bolded NSFW note next to links in that post.
• For Links to sites/images: If the figure is NSFW, or the website has any NSFW content (including ads) be sure to tag your post NSFW and use the appropriate link flair.

Bootlegs
Any collection posts containing bootlegs, comments advocating buying bootlegs, or links to sites selling bootlegs, recasts, or unlicensed merchandise will be removed.
People often ask about the legitimacy and/or safety of a number of websites which sell large resin statues. The more commonly-asked of those deal primarily in resins from studios which do not have a license from the Japanese IP holders to produce merchandise. Therefore links to those sites are not permitted here. Another sign is if MyFigureCollection doesn't list the either the statue, its manufacturer, or the shop it's being sold on.
MyFigureCollection
My Figure Collection is like MyAnimeList... but for figures! Their database includes thousands of items which been produced during the last couple of decades, along with reviews of shops and other helpful articles. One can also list their own collection and post gallery photos.
Shops

Retailers:
AmiAmi HobbySearch Mandarake (sells rare figures) Good Smile Company Online Shop (often has exclusives) Good Smile Company US shop Crunchyroll Shop Hobby Link Japan (aka HLJ) Solaris Japan (MFC partner) BigBadToyStore (MFC partner, US retailer) Big in Japan (also has proxy service) Tokyo Otaku Mode Right Stuf FigureHaven Archonia (EU) Yorokonde (EU) Figuya (EU) Dekai Anime (UK) Gamersheek (UK) Jungle
List of retailers on MFC
/AnimeFigures' List of Retailers
Community Guide to Shopping in Japan

Blogs/News:

Nekomagic (News/Previews) NyaaFigurines (Reviews/Releases) Kahotan's Blog (News/Reviews) Figma Blog (JP)

Buying & Shipping

1. What’s the best place to buy my anime figures from?
That’s going to depend a lot on what works for you, but most people around here buy them from Amiami, Big in Japan, Hobby Search, HobbyLink Japan, or Tokyo Otaku Mode. If none of those work for you for whatever reason, there’s a list of reputable retailers in the sidebar that you can check out at any time. Be extra careful when ordering figures from websites like Amazon or ebay, as there are a lot of bootlegs on those sites. Don’t be afraid to ask in our Bootleg Megathread if you’re unsure.
2. What differences are there between the shipping options I get from most Japanese shops?
Below is a rundown of the main shipping choices you’ll get at most retailers. Keep in mind that if an order is large enough you will be forced to use one of the more expensive options, as SAL shipments have lower size and weight restrictions.

• Unregistered SAL: Sometimes referred to as uSAL, is usually the cheapest method. It does not come with any tracking or insurance. Usually takes up 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• Registered SAL: Sometimes referred to as rSAL, is insured for the declared value up to 6,000 yen. It comes with a tracking number and usually takes 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• EMS: This method of shipping is much faster than either SAL options, usually arriving within a week of shipment. EMS shipments are insured for the declared value up to 2,000,000 yen.
• Airmail
• E-packet
• Surface: Shops don't offer this very often. It's an actual cargo ship and slow as a result.
  
• DHL: Becoming more available as an alternative to EMS on AmiAmi and other sites. Can be less expensive than EMS and of comparable speed, but may be more reliant on the specific geographical area being shipped to. The price is also determined by the size of the box. Offers their own tracking.
  

3. I placed two+ orders for figures at different times. Will my items be shipped together, or will I have to pay shipping twice?
Most shops will ask you to pay shipping on a per-order basis, but here are some that will allow combined shipping:

• Amiami: You can combine orders here, as long as the orders ship in the same month. It doesn’t matter if the item is new or preowned. Any preorders that are set for that month can also be combined with other orders for that month. However, be aware that if the preorder gets delayed, Amiami will remove that item from that month’s shipment and place it on a new order. To combine orders on Amiami, use the “Combine Orders” feature under “My Account”.
  
• Hobby Search: Hobby Search will let you combine orders that release in the same month, but you cannot combine in stock items with preorders. If you want to combine multiple preorders, or multiple in stock items, you can do so using the “Order Recombination” feature on your account page.
  
• HobbyLink Japan: At HLJ, you have the option to send paid orders to their “Private Warehouse”, where you can store them for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to ship the items, you simply select which items to ship and HLJ will combine them into one shipment for you. To use this, just select the “Private Warehouse” option as shipping when you order.
  

If you’re unsure about whether or not a shop we haven’t listed will combine your orders, please refer to their individual FAQs.
4. When will I get charged for my preorder?
Most Japanese shops charge you once the item is in stock and ready for shipment. When that happens, they will send you an email asking for payment. Some shops (mostly overseas ones), will allow you to pay for the item up front though, if you’d like. A few with that option are:

• Big in Japan (Japanese store)
• Tokyo Otaku Mode
• Anime Island
• Crunchyroll

Keep in mind that overseas stores will likely get the figure a few months after Japanese ones, so pay attention to the release date stated on the website you are buying from so as to avoid that confusion.
5. Should I expect to pay customs fees when importing figures?
That depends on where you live. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Australia: 10% GST is now assessed up front.
• Canada: Minimum declared value for charges is around CAD$20 for regular shipments, and CAD$60 for gifts (gifting something only seems to lower the declared value by about CAD$40, not deplete it completely). When using Amiami, try their Small Air Packet option. It comes with tracking, gets there in about the same time as EMS, and is better at avoiding customs.
• European Union: As of 1st July 2021, VAT has to be paid on all goods imported from outside of the EU. Retailers are supposed charge VAT for purchases under €150, however many Japanese retailers currently do not, so VAT will be charged when your order arrives in the EU. Orders that are >€150, VAT and duty will be charged by your local customs.
• UK: As of 1st January 2021, VAT is to be charged by retailers for orders <£135. However, customs isn't currently charging VAT on parcels valued at <£135, even if the VAT hasn't been paid. Goods >£135 will have their VAT and duty calculated and charged by customs.
• Mexico: Minimum declared value for customs fees is USD$300 for shipments by post, and USD$50 for shipments by courier.
• United States: A shipment has to have a declared value of USD$2,000 before customs starts hitting you with fees, so you most likely won’t have to worry about them at all.

6. The figure I want is an exclusive, how do I go about ordering one outside of Japan?
You have three options for this:
A. Big in Japan is known to stock exclusive figures and ship to other countries. Usually the price is higher because they build in their proxy fees, but it’s easier than worrying about using a forwarder or proxy service. If you live in the US, Crunchyroll, Right Stuf, and Tokyo Otaku Mode also get exclusives sometimes, but out of the states the shipping can get expensive.
B. Forwarding Services: A forwarder is someone who you ship an exclusive item to so that they can forward the package on to you, usually for a flat fee + shipping. When using a forwarder you still make the purchase yourself, and enter their address into the shipping field. When the box arrives at the forwarder they will then stick your address onto the package and send it on its way.
Some popular forwarders are:

• Big in Japan
• Tenso

Be sure to read each sites instructions on forwarding carefully!
C. Proxy Services: With a proxy, you tell them what the item you’re looking for is and they will purchase it in your stead. This is handy for when a company doesn’t accept foreign credit cards, or you’re having trouble navigating a Japanese website.
Some popular proxies are:

• Big in Japan (Won’t proxy for Yahoo Auctions)
• From Japan

Again, be sure you thoroughly read through each sites proxy instructions.
7. I see a bunch of really cheap figures that ship from China on ebay. Are those okay to buy?
Generally, no. They’re most likely bootlegs. If you want a second opinion on that, feel free to ask in the Bootleg Megathread that’s always stickied at the top of the sub.
8. What’s a bootleg, and how can I avoid buying them?
A bootleg is a counterfeit figure often made using rejected molds of the official product. They are usually priced significantly lower than the genuine article, and in order to make their profit, bootleggers use lower quality materials and have less attention to detail- resulting in a substandard figure.
The Bootleg Megathread that I mentioned in question 7 is a great tool to avoid buying any bootlegs. It has a few tips and tricks to avoiding them to begin with, and a few more on how to spot them if you’re worried you might already own one.
9. Does anyone know when figure X is going to be released? How do I know if it was delayed?
My Figure Collection (sometimes referred to as MFC) does an excellent job of staying on top of information like release dates and delays. If you’re curious about an upcoming figures release date, check there first. This information can be found directly under the “Releases” section on a figure’s entry. If you only see a month and a year in that section, it means the release date has not yet been announced by the manufacturer, and there is still a chance the figure could be delayed.
If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.
10. The figure I want is long sold out at normal retailers! What’s the best place to pick it up in the aftermarket?
A list of reputable retailers can be found under the “Shops” section of the /AnimeFigures sidebar. They all sell legitimate products, and many of them also sell figures second hand. However, the most frequently suggested second hand sites are Mandarake and Amiami- who has a preowned section that they update every night save Sundays and Japanese holidays around 1PM JST and again around 6PM JST.
AmiAmi grades their pre-owned items on a letter scale. The general consensus from buyers is that their ratings are conservative, so unless the item and/or packaging is specifically indicated as having significant flaws, pre-owned items from them are usually in at least as good a condition as their rating suggests.
Note: When you search Mandarake, you’ll get the best results by using the Japanese characters for whatever you are searching. If you don’t know them, you can find them on MFC by clicking on any of the “details” in that figure’s listing.
11. Amiami has a figure I’m interested in labeled as “For sale in Japan only”. Does this mean I can’t order it without a proxy or forwarder?
No, you can still order it. Amiami’s English site has that warning on many items, and it’s mostly meant to inform you that this product was made for a Japanese market, and as such, will have Japanese speaking/writing in it- so don’t expect any instructions to be in English. If Amiami doesn’t want foreigners buying a certain product, they won’t even list it on their English site.

Displaying Your Figures

12. What display cases do you recommend?
If you live near an Ikea try out one of these:

• Detolf *
• Klingsbo
• Billy (Often used with Morliden doors and glass shelves.)

*If you decided on a Detolf, you might find that there is a lot of wasted space. Here are a few tutorials on raising the shelves or and adding extra ones in.

• Using metal clips
• Using acrylic supports and PVC pipe

If you don’t live near an Ikea, Amazon has a few display options, though they are more expensive. Also keep an eye on your local Craigslist (or your country’s equivalent) and stores near you that are closing up.
13. What lighting do you guys recommend?
Ikea’s Dioder LED strips were discontinued after a long run. A current version is the Vattensten, if you're inclined to buy your case and lights at the same time.
LED strips have become very commonly available in recent years; most hardware and home furnishing stores carry a selection now. Just make sure that the lights don’t get too hot!
14. What are those clear plastic boxes that I see under everyone’s figures in their collection posts, and where can I get them?
Those are called risers. Most of us use standard acrylic risers like these. Some other, easy to find things that have been suggested are:

• Plastic picture cubes
• Card Deck Boxes
• If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your own!

Check your local hobby store for the first 2 options, or your local hardware store if you want to make your own.
Another common suggestion is to visit The Container Store if you have one near you. They have a lot of things to choose from that can suit a variety of needs. Be sure to check out their standard acrylic risers, their Amac boxes, and the various display cases they sell (baseball cases, mini car cases. hockey puck cases, etc).
15. Should I keep my figures sealed?
That is, of course, up to you really, but here are a few things to keep in mind when debating this question:

• Keeping it sealed can actually damage your figure. PVC figures usually have something called plasticizer in them, and that plasticizer needs to be able to breath. If a PVC figure isn’t exposed to oxygen, after a period of time the plasticizer starts to break down and form a sticky substance on the surface of the figure. Simply opening your figures and taking them out of the box prevents this from happening. If you happen to find plasticizer goo on one of your figures, Kahotan has a handy guide for dealing with it.
• Unlike some other figure markets, keeping an anime figure sealed won’t raise its value by a whole lot. In fact, because of the plasticizer problem mentioned above, your figure could actually be in better condition if you open it versus keeping it sealed.

Finding the Right Figure(s) for You

16. What are "scales" and "prizes"? What is the difference between them?
Those are classifications for figures based on a few factors.

• "Prizes" are generally more simply produced figures which are intended to be given as prizes for playing arcade games. They are inexpensive and lack the detail of scale figures, though some prize figure lines have standouts which may approach lower-end scales in quality. That is uncommon and often depends on the individual figure.
• "Scales" are called such because they are nominally designed to be proportional to the dimensions of the character which they are based on. They are generally of much better manufacture and materials than prize figures, allowing for more detail in painting, accessories, or complex poses.
• "Trading" figures appear in gashapon machines or as blind boxes on shop counters, often as sets which include multiple characters. As suggested by the class name, the randomness encourages trading. They are usually very inexpensively-produced, though as with prizes, some series are better than others.
• "Non-scale" encompasses a variety of other categories. It is often used to describe poseable figure lines such as figma and Nendoroids.

In recent years producers such as Good Smile Company attempted to further bridge the gap between prize quality and scales by introducing figure lines which are intended to be moderately-priced while retaining a higher level of detail than the typical prize figure, to varying levels of success.
17. There are so many figure companies! Who makes good figures?!
Obviously this is a very subjective question, but as a general starting point, here are a few well renowned figure companies:

• Alter
• Max Factory
• Good Smile Company
• Kotobukiya (usually hit or miss for people. Use your best judgement based off of the prototype)
• Flare
• Stronger

18. I really love “series X / character X”- how can I check if any figures were ever made for it?
My Figure Collection can be your best friend here. Simply do a search on the name of the series or character using the search bar located at the top right of the screen, and all associated figures pop up!
Alternatively, if you’re looking at a figure’s MFC entry, most of the text under the “Details” section can be clicked on and used to run a search.
19. How can I commission a custom figure?
None of the major figure companies (Alter, Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, etc.) will take a commission for a single figure. This thread has a few websites in it that you can check out, or you can look into garage kits. Some kit painters would be willing to resculpt, frankenstein together, or otherwise modify kits for the right price.
If you're looking for help completing a garage kit, /brushforhire may be useful.

Keeping Up with New Announcements

20. How can I keep up with figure news (announcements, updates, etc.)?
Most people use a MFC combined with any or all of the following news sites:

• Neko Magic
• Alter’s Blog (In Japanese)
• Kahotan’s Blog (Only GSC and their sister companies)

Many figure companies are active on Twitter, so following them there is recommended for quicker news.
To use MFC for this I’ll quote question #9.

If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.

Most companies have one or more Twitter accounts. Some examples: Good Smile Company sales, Good Smile's USA branch, Max Factory, AmiAmi Hobby News.
21. Everyone’s excited about something called Wonfes….. what the heck is that?!
WonFes (short for Wonder Festival) is a biannual figure expo where many figure producers (both large and small) show off new sculpts and updates to figures already under way. Most companies save their most exciting announcements for WonFes, so we all look forward to the expo whenever it rolls around! Winter Wonder Festival is usually held in February, while Summer Wonder Festival is usually in July. The event has also spread to Shanghai, in the late spring.
22. One or two (or 15) figures were announced at WonFes that I’m really excited about! How can I keep track of their progress once the event is over?
MFC is always really quick about getting new WonFes announcements (or any others throughout the year, for that matter) listed in their database, so we suggest using that. To find a figure from the event you can search any number of things, including the name of the character or the name of the show. You can also use the tag search to search “WonderFestival 20xx_[season]” to see all items announced at that event.

I have 20cards to trade if are interested https://s.scope.ly/KRSjIL\_udiY
Istanbul flow- feline good
Seoul searching- gangnam neons, dressed in silk
Roma eterna- fun on wheels, L'eleganza
Villa de madrid- football heaven, the classics, canoe for two
Wellington, NZ- sealebrities, nice try, wharf jumping
Parisian love- la vie en clothes, summer picnic
New orleans- the king cake, bayou banquet, river queen, miss marignys, ghostly gator
Beautiful bavaria- Spring feast, poocherhosen, bovine beauty, polka party, volksfest
Vermont orchard- entrepreneurs, snap apple, ripe choice, fat stacks, uncover vermont
Cairo- cairoglyphics, dive in, gotta scoot, a spicy sale, camel cab, cat nap.
Montreal year long- doughlicious, tough crowd, get your toboggann, slap shot, the wheel deal, hundred steps
Marrakesh- kitty kindness, desert dosing, very charming, radiant riad moroccan mint, woven wonders
london calling- on guard, leg it, phone home, london lookout, double decker, a real circus, bigger ben

Up for sale are two Semi-Boneyard AUGs, a Krytac Vector, a Boneyard SR-25, an Elite Force 1911A1, a plate carrier, and various pouches. All sold as is, though I would be willing to provide a test video of the AUG and Vector upon request (Price may be lowered if the guns do not work correctly). As for the 1911A1 I do not have CO2 (Price will reflect this). I am willing to negotiate a price, but will not accept low balls. The 1911A1 will come in its original box if I still have it. Buyer pays shipping. Happy to answer questions.
PICTURES (Timestamp not required due to flair)
Prices:

1. Semi-Boneyard AUGS - $105/Each
2. Vector - $375
3. Boneyard SR-25 - $135
4. 1911A1 - $60
5. M4 BAMF Midcaps - $7
6. M4 Lancer Midcaps - $10
7. M4 PMAG - $20
8. KWA M4 PMAG - $35
9. Plate Carrier - $65
10. Dump Pouch - $10
11. Admin Pouch - $25

Semi-Boneyard AUGs ($105 + Shipping/Each) - So I'm not sure what brand makes each of these AUGs (ASG I believe), they function and come with 2 mags a piece (The same type of magazine as pictured in the AUGs). I have swapped the various receivers between each AUG and verified that each works. I personally have never fielded them, just bought them from this subreddit, verified that they work, and put them on the shelf. Some notes to consider:

• The barrel is loose on one of them
• The black AUG has a missing metal plate that holds on the body pin
  • This plate can be replaced for a pretty low cost
• Minor cosmetic damage (small scratches, etc.) that come with use

Price is $125 + Shipping per AUG. I believe they MSRP for ~$165-200 on Evike (Low-High). If you buy both, I will go to $180 + Shipping.
Krytac Kriss Vector ($375) - Krytac Kriss Vector. Comes with one magazine, the flashlight, grip, and sights pictured on the gun. I bought this from someone on this subreddit and used it for like an hour. It has some upgrades (longer barrel and some others I think) and has a chrono tag from a previous owner that reads around 330 fps. The gun functions well. Only issue would be a missing charging handle spring. The spring does not affect the function of the gun outside of having to manually return the charging handle when it is pulled back. Its function was purely aesthetic. A replacement can also be purchased on Evike. Price is $375 + Shipping, the gun MSRPs for like ~$490 on Evike.
Boneyard SR-25 ($135) - Originally a semi-boneyard A&K SR-25 I bought from someone on this subreddit. When I received it, the motor was pretty much shot (Still fired a little bit) and the stock was cracked. It was meant to be a project gun, so I spray painted it and removed the pistol grip, motor, and stock. Never got around to messing with it. Currently it is just the body of the gun, the scope and the gearbox. I'm not sure what other parts I have lying around, but I may be able to find some stuff. The gun MSRPs for around ~$300 on Evike, but mine is boneyard and would need some work. I will give it up for around $135.
Elite Force 1911A1 ($60) - Elite Force 1911A1. The gun comes with one magazine and the paddle holster pictured. I purchased this gun from a store a very long time ago and used it a lot since. The gun has extensive cosmetic damage from heavy use. The gun works, last time I checked. I additionally brought it to a shop and had them replace most of the internals (Full Auto Airsoft) and have used it once since then. Upon request I can include a baggie with extra parts. The price is $60 + Shipping. The gun MSRPs on Evike for ~$130.
M4 Midcap Magazines ($7/Each for Generic Mags $10/Each for Lancer Mags$20 for PMag$35 for KWA Pmag) - Various M4 Magazines. Most bought second hand, I do have a couple PMags to sell though. M4 magazines usually go for around $10-$15 on Evike. I'll sell each generic midcap for $7. I do not know the cap, but they should all be midcaps. If you buy 5 mags at least, I'll give you one of equal or lesser value for free (While I can).
Plate Carrier and Pouches ($65 for PC$10 for Dump Pouch$20 for Admin Pouch) - Decent plate carrier and pouches, I do not know the brands. I used the plate carrier and dump pouch a bit, the admin pouch was used basically once. Plate carrier is decently comfortable, and comes with triple double stacked mag pouches. I think I bought the plate carrier for around $110, the dump pouch for around $20 and the admin pouch for like $30. I'm selling at a large discount, I just do not use the gear anymore.

Timestamp
Hello mm - big sale on barely used caps, switches, and board! Prices include shipping and g&s. Local to 94132. Shipping to CONUS and bundles will be preferred. Please comment before PM and confirm your country location.
All prices are OBO : )
Keycaps

Item	Description	Price
KAT Lucky Jade (Alphas, 60s Icon Mods, and Novelties)	Purchased directly from zfrontier. Mounted once, like new with no shine.	$140 shipped (all kits)
Drop MITO XDA Canvas (1800 kit)	Never mounted, no shine	$70 shipped
PBTfans Deep Sea Predator (Hiragana Kit, 40's kit)	Lightly used, no shine	$130 shipped (all kits)
Cerakey Crazed Blanks	Only opened to inspect, never mounted	$150 shipped
ePBT BoW Hangul (Hangul & Latin Alpha, Hangul Alphas, Hangul Mods, 40's kit)	Used for >3 days, no shine	$130 shipped (all kits)

​
Switches

Item	Description	Price
x90 Vex's Nixie Cherry MX	Diamond Polished + Lubed; 63.5g TX springs; never mounted	$150 shipped SOLD
x70 Inovokeys Black Sesame v1	lubed and filmed, some desoldered	$40 shipped
x54 Wuque Onions	lubed, some desoldered	$35 shipped
x50 Gazzew U4TX	x39 Lubed; x11 stock	$35 shipped
x55 Chosfox x JWK DD/Jingle	Stock; never mounted	$30 shipped

Keyboard

Item	Description	Price
Planck Drop Rev 6	spray painted French Beige, flashed with Vial, comes with alu and custom pc plate, stupidfish plate and case foam, and shell travel case	$90 shipped

​
Thanks!!

Watch collectors are kind of an odd bunch. I'm talking about "dumb" watches specifically - watches that only tell time and don't have any sort of smartphone connectivity or biometric tracking. Some of the fancier models might have a timer on them, but you're certainly not going to be getting text notifications. Watches have evolved over time from being a tool to basically men's jewelry. A few key terms to know first:

• Mechanical - a watch that keeps time and is powered by a complicated series of springs and gears (this is called the movement). Due to the relatively high amount of niche skilled labor involved in making them, even the most basic mechanical watches can be fairly expensive.
• Quartz - a watch that keeps time via a quartz crystal oscillator and is powered by a battery. They are much less expensive AND more accurate than mechanical watches, but are frequently looked down upon by watch collectors as not being "real" watches (they don't have a mechanical soul or some dumb shit like that).
• The Swatch Group - the Swiss watchmaking industry was seriously threatened in the 70s and 80s by the "Quartz Crisis", when significantly cheaper quartz (mostly Japanese) watches began to completely dominate the market. Several Swiss companies survived by merging together to form the Swatch Group. Mechanical watch brands moved even more upscale, with a greater focus on luxury, artisanal craftsmanship, and brand heritage. They also launched a new brand, Swatch, which made inexpensive, but still Swiss-made, quartz watches in an attempt to the re-capture the entry level market share they had lost.
• Omega Speedmaster Professional - the "Speedy" is one of the most popular watches made by Omega, a luxury brand owned by the Swatch Group. It's notable for being the watch that was given to all Apollo mission astronauts, so the majority of its branding is based around the fact that the Speedy has been to the moon (its other nickname is the Moonwatch).

In early 2022, the Swatch Group announced a new watch model that was going to be a collaboration between two of its brands - the Omega X Swatch Bioceramic MoonSwatch. The MoonSwatch would have the same appearance and dimensions as the Speedy, with a few key differences:

• The Omega X Swatch branding.
• A quartz movement instead of a mechanical one. The Speedy is known for having an especially complex movement since it's a chronograph (i.e. an analog stopwatch).
• The casing would be made of "bioceramic" (basically plastic) instead of stainless steel.
• Price would be $260, compared to the $6000+ of the Speedy.

Immediate reactions were heated. While some people loved the idea, a loud contingent hated it. The main complaints:

• It was quartz and thus not a real watch.
• It was made of plastic and thus not a real watch.
• The MoonSwatch devalued the real Speedy, since it was effectively an officially sanctioned counterfeit made of cheaper materials.
• The watch devalued the entire Omega brand, since they were putting their logo on a watch that even the poors could afford (the least expensive Omega is around $2500, which is actually on the low end for luxury watches).

The MoonSwatch came out shortly afterwards, and it turns out that demand far exceeded supply. The watch was only available in select Swatch boutiques (for example, only 11 stores in the USA carry it), so if you didn't live near one of those stores you were SOL. People were lined up for hours to buy one. The MoonSwatch also came in 11 different colorways (themed after the planets, the sun, and the moon), and some of the models were limited to certain stores or even countries. A lot of the watches immediately ended up on Ebay with huge markups. Since it was sold out everywhere, that ended up pissing up the people who actually liked the watch. Some of the things they were upset about:

• It was easier to buy the real Speedmaster than the MoonSwatch. Speedy sales actually increased by 50% immediately after the launch.
• The distribution model meant you had to live in a major metropolitan area or be okay with buying one from a scalper online.
• The different colorways not being available everywhere upset the completionists who wanted to have one in every color.
• Accusations of favoritism where a few Swatch stores were taking bribes to let people have access to them early (favoritism is an issue with the watch industry in general).

Anyway, it's been a year since the launch of the MoonSwatch. Hype has died down a bit, but they're still hard to buy (Swatch stores will sell out in an hour whenever they get new stock). Swatch has said they aren't planning on doing online sales, but it's not intended to be a limited edition watch. There's still criticism (I've seen complaints that the plastic feels cheap), but even the detractors had to admit it was the hottest watch of 2022.

Inspiration finally came back. Starting to get to the main story soon. Please leave feedback. I write more as a play outline, but I am hoping to be able to write normally
​
"Well, that went about as well as I could hope," Thomas mutters to himself as he crosses the marsh back to his broken building. Storming up the stairs, he does not bother taking off his muddy shoes. Seeing the pile of leaves and discarded skins he uses as a makeshift bed, he flops down face first.
"If I did the right thing, why do I feel like I am about to break down and throw up?!"
Mind racing, he plays back over what he said and did.
"Now that I am here, I have some saved dried food, I can gather water at the stream that feeds the marsh, I have many containers to carry water with so I won't have to go everyday. I should be able to hide here for a few days."
"What to do after that? I have burned the last bridge that I had, I am not important enough to hunt so I have that going for me, but now what?"
Looking up to the sky, he sees the stars, and with tears streaming down his face, begs the stars, "Why? ...Why?"
-----
"I never thought the runt had it in him to run away," the chief bellows.
"Don't talk about him like that!"
"Why son, it's true. Today was a day to celebrate you and the work you put into making that thing work. Sure it took a few weeks to build, but you managed to organize everyone to work on it. Calling out any specific person would make it seem like you are favouring them over any other."
"But without him, th-"
"No buts! You also managed to have him flee, and with the duel he lost, he can never return. In one day, you managed to do something I have been trying to do for years. That is worth celebrating!"
Ned stands up and storms out of the dome, rustling the plastic liner within the door on the way. He immediately runs into Katrina who is standing out there, seemingly waiting for him, and possibly eavesdropping.
"So am I to go after him and return with his ears? Or tongue?"
"Katrina! What are you saying?! Yes, he is as good as dead, but we don't need to kill him."
"This is why you will make a poor chief. No guts to follow through on promises"
"There was no promise. I did not even get to choose the combat!"
"Good thing, you probably would have allowed himself to defend what he said. Claiming all your work in setting up the pump and organizing the village"
"You really think I had the idea? I can barely sort people's problems and what the craftsworkers do might as well be magic! I know that I shouldn't touch the sharp bit or the hot thing, but that's it!"
"You don't have to know those things, you know how to delegate. So what if it was not your idea. It was still you who did the work to actually get it to happen"
Suddenly, one of the villagers runs in. "Master Ned, the pump's broke"
"What do you mean, 'the pump's broke'? It has only been a few hours since we started it, and it was tested for days before!"
"The handle turns, but no water comes up"
Ned storms off to the pump, followed by the villager and Katrina. He arrives at the pump, slips through the gathering crowd, and tries the handle. It is very loose, but the screw seems to spin.
"That does not make sense, it's loose, but I was here before the festival and it worked perfectly. I would even say it was stiff"
Katrina stands, and in a huff, exclaims "It must have been Thomas! I should have ended him when I had the chance!"
"No! Katrina! Come back here right now!"
"You're not the boss, and you're not my dad!!" Katrina shouts as she runs off into the forest, bow in hand and spear on back.
"Should we fix it?" "Can we fix it?" "I don't know", the crowd mumbles
Ned, thinking about what Katrina said before arriving at the pump, stands straight and shouts:
"All of you! We are going to fix this pump, not because it is easy, but because it is unknown. One of you snuck the plans to me, so one of you knows how it works. I want this info to be spread across all craftspeople and this pump deconstructed and repaired. Do I make myself clear?!"
"Yes!" Most of the crowd exclaims. Many of the younger craftsmen immediately start yanking the pump out of the creek bank to bring it back into the shop.
Ned, ready to head back, feels a hand on his shoulder, and sees that it is Nathaniel. The tall and lanky many with a wild eye stares at him. The rest of the crowd has eagerly wandered away. Nathaniel speaks, "Good for you to start looking to the past and future. I feel that my time is near, but may the sky guide you through the challenges ahead with the winds of change"
Ned, carefully brushing off the old man's hand, replies "...ok, sure... You've got a few more years left though."
-----
Early the next morning, Thomas awakes, confused and hungry. He quickly remembers what occured the day before. He quickly eats some of his stored pemmican and water he gathered. Now finding himself with a lot of spare time, and still needing to be incognito, he stays in the building and explores a few more of the rooms. Coming into one of the smaller rooms, he comes across another long rotted out pile of springs arranged in a rectangle, and another bookshelf. Seeing these books, his eyes light up and he quickly walks over to them, testing the floor on the way. Gently lifting one our of the case, he sees that they are damp, but in pretty good shape for being in an enclosed room with a rotted metal thing.
Leafing through, he sees that it is without pictures. Placing it gently on the floor, he opens another one, and in it,sees strange yet familar shapes of a spoon, archer and W. Studying them, he realizes this is a book of star pictures, 'constellations' as the book calls them. And is surprised to find that these stars are actually each a far away sun.
Hours pass, engrossed in the knowledge of space and distances of billions, he dozes off, surrounded by books, and sleeps calmly for the first time in years.
Several days later, he forces himself to eat some pemmican and now sick of it, decides to venture out into the marsh. Sneaking through the bushes on its edge to ensure no one sees him or hears him, he spies a small pile of food, and recognizes it as a standard lunch for the kids collecting nails. He checks his surroundings, and takes the bun, and some of the dried strawberries and hightails it back to the building.
Sitting down to enjoy his meal, he realizes that he stole from one of the kids he probably helped pull nails from the ground. Taking some of his pemmican, he brings it back to where the lunch is, and places it where he found the bun.
Seeing the amount of disturbed ground around the small pile of food, he quickly snaps a pine bough off and brushes over the footprints to hide his presence.
He returns to his house, nay his home, and reads, happy if a little guilty at the food gained, and more importantly, the knowledge of the stars that this book provides.

Looking to sell some items today
Spyderco pm2 bento box edition, m390 steel this is a user many scratches on the blade handle scales are in pretty good shape.
SV 145$
Next is a bundle of the leatherman style and victorinox money clip both used and worn the style spring for the scissor is broke pretty typical the vic is just worn
SV 30$
Add on the olight i5t perfect condition no wear works fine Add on price, 25$
Add on the lumintop edc aa worn but fine working condition Add on price, 15$
wednesday sale

Our Story:
My wife is originally from a small village in Cambodia near a mountain. At the top of the mountain is buddhist temple (Pagoda). Near that pagoda my wife learned to make incense. There are old ladies who make incense for the pagoda and that's how she learned.
Flash forward to the USA and she moved here with me in early 2020.. and she was making the incense during the pandemic. Just as something to keep herself busy for fun.
I thought it was so different and unique. Like, no perfume smells or stuff that is too strong / irritating my eyes and lungs. None of that. It just smelled natural and good.
She wanted to try American incense so I ordered a bunch of it and we agreed, the boxes it comes in are very pretty and unique but it all smells like... fake.. I don't know how to explain but most of it just smells like perfume or like chemicals. There were a few good ones.. mostly from Japan that smelled good.
I always told her she could do well if she sells online. But when her family struggled financially due to the pandemic... she decided to take my word for it and sell her natural hand made incense.
So, to raise extra funds to send to her family (along with money from my full time job, of course) she started the incense business. I do all the computer stuff. Setup the website... design the labels in Microsoft Publisher and such.
I think you have to have a niche. What makes this incense different than all of the other incense is that it contains no oil, chemicals, dyes, mold inhibitors, charcoal, wood waste, fillers, or other B.S.
I always say, she does for incense what farmers markets or the amish do for food. It's great for those who enjoy incense but it's even great for those who hate incense. For those who say incense makes their eyes water, itchy throat, coughing, and headaches because those are all natural reactions your body has to all those chemicals.
Here is her shop and we are happy to answer questions!
https://theworldmakesscents.etsy.com/
Advice:

1. Don't give up. We started very slow until last October and then it built up over time. Once you get "fans" of your products, you can see they will buy your stuff every couple of months. Take note of those customers who are your regulars. When we released a new type of incense, we sent those customers a sample for free. They really love that!! Cost us $5 for each sample if you include shipping but it was worth it!!
   
2. Write (with a pen) a personal thank you to each of your customers. Showing gratitude and spending 20 seconds on a customer can really help you connect with those people who want to connect with you.
   
3. The more products you have, the more you are going to sell. When we had only 2-3 incense cones to choose from.. we got few sales and each sale was like.. 1 box of incense. Once we had 10 different types of incense you can buy from us.. we got bigger sales and more often. Variety and offering free shipping when they spend $35 is huge.
   
4. Be ready to eat some costs. I had a customer buy $5 of sandalwood powder from me. She told me it was lost in the mail Of course, that's not my fault. But i sent her a new bag of sandalwood powder for free. She ended up giving me a shout out on her Instagram and now she is a regular customer who gives me 5-star reviews. Don't be greedy and especially in the beginning... you should be ready to lose a little money on a few sales. That's the price of doing good business.
   
5. Packaging counts. We started by printing really generic labels on little boxes. Not very exciting or fun to look at. But, when we took things seriously in October and designed labels.. man we really saw the sales go up. It's not just what you sell, it's how you present it!
   
6. Use Chat GPT to help re-write your product descriptions.
   
7. If you can, offer same day or next day shipping. I swear 1/4 of my 5-star reviews are about fast shipping. People really appreciate that if you can do it. Nobody wants to wait any more, sadly. Amazon and the like have set that bar higher.
   

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/vNtwc4E
I have a couple pdp accessories for sale, all of which have seen very light use.

• zrts captured guide rod with ISMI 15# spring. Seen 50 rounds. $60 shipped
• zrts PDP V2 RMR plate. Seen 50 rounds. $50 shipped
• Tier 1 Axis Elite for 4.5” walther PDP. Comes with DCC clips. Bought it used but I never carried with it. $120 shipped.

Message me with any questions.

I bought a condo/townhouse a few years ago and this spring saved up enough to get my outdoor garden/reading nook set up. Small, w/6ft tall fence shared with neighbors on either side, no grass, just pebble and concrete like everyone else and like most neighbors also have an umbrella.
I have a new neighbor that is expressing concern about my patio umbrella to the HOA because I dont use a table to hold it.
I have an 8ft tall modest sized umbrella with a base of 70-75lbs but no table because lack of space to walk around watering plants. I leave the umbrella open as long as the weather is nice for privacy and breaking the full sun, and because the noise the crank makes really makes my other neighbor VERY angry and aggressive.
I do leave it up while I sleep and go to work less than 7 miles away, I have a camera watching the garden so if weather gets bad unexpectedly I can leave and go put it down.
TLDR: AITA for setting up a patio umbrella with a weighted base and not a table, and leaving the umbrella open and usable with favorable weather?

Check out Amazon Gold Box Daily Deals
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New Balance’s Made in USA Season 3 Collection By Teddy Santis Pays Homage To Sport Heritage
Heads up! New Balance will be launching the highly anticipated Made in USA Season 3 collection this month paying homage to sport heritage while showcasing a stunning array of colorful hues. The collection will celebrate New Balance’s rich history and artistry by infusing a fresh perspective into timeless classics.
The Spring/Summer collection will be introduced in three phases. The first release will include a limited-edition New Balance 990v6 quickstrike featuring a premium suede/mesh construction done in shades of Limestone and Magenta. Shortly thereafter a 990v4 and 998 pack will release dressed in vibrant purple tones. Additionally, the initial release will also include new colorways of the MADE in USA sweatpants, hoodies, crew necks, and tee shirts as well as mesh tank tops and nylon track suits. The second release will include a 990v4, 990v6 and 996 in neutral tones and soft pastels. Lastly, the third release will feature the 990v4, 996, and 990v6 done in shades of yellow, white and green.
The New Balance’s Made in USA Season 3 Collection By Teddy Santis will be available on NewBalance.com and at select global retailers beginning June 16th with suggested retail pricing for apparel ranging from $65 to $210 and footwear ranging from $190 to $220.
In Jordan Brand news, who’s excited for the upcoming Air Jordan 7 White Infrared?

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie delivers his state of the league media address at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ontario on Friday, December 10, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn PHOTO BY NICK IWANYSHYN /The Canadian Press
The league announced Friday that fans in Canada will have free access to exhibition contests not being carried by both TSN and RDS. American and international viewers will be able to watch regular-season games not carried by the CBS Sports Network.
​
“Free online viewing represents a new path forward for the league and all our fans,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “Through these platforms, we are prioritizing access and reach, while placing an added emphasis on building a more direct connection with our viewers.
​
“We recognized an opportunity to provide a new service for our fans, and we worked with our teams to make it happen.”
​
TSN and/or RDS will exclusively broadcast three exhibition games, which will also be made available outside of Canada on CFL Preseason Live. The online platform will also carry the six remaining contests for all viewers as the league will work with host clubs to broadcast the in-stadium video feed, while play-by-play and analysis will be provided by local crews.
The CFL exhibition season kicks off Monday with the Edmonton Elks visiting the Calgary Stampeders.
​
CFL Plus will live stream all games not being broadcast on CBS Sports Network in the U.S The entirety of the 2023 season, including the CFL playoffs and Grey Cup game Nov. 19 at Tim Hortons Field, will be available for viewers outside of North America.
​
The streaming service will be available on desktop and mobile devices with no additional downloads or login services required. A verified email address will be all that’s required to secure the league’s first-ever live-streaming platforms.
​
The complete 2023 broadcast schedule for TSN/RDS, CBS Sports Network and CFL Plus will be announced before the season. The 2023 campaign opens June 8 with Calgary hosting the B.C. Lions.
Spring subscription sale: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For a limited time, you can get full online access to the Vancouver Sun and The Province, along with the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites, for just $40 for one year or $1 a week for 52 weeks. Support our journalism by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun.
​
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on #3dfgrttrtyt

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie delivers his state of the league media address at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ontario on Friday, December 10, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn PHOTO BY NICK IWANYSHYN /The Canadian Press
The league announced Friday that fans in Canada will have free access to exhibition contests not being carried by both TSN and RDS. American and international viewers will be able to watch regular-season games not carried by the CBS Sports Network.
​
“Free online viewing represents a new path forward for the league and all our fans,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “Through these platforms, we are prioritizing access and reach, while placing an added emphasis on building a more direct connection with our viewers.
​
“We recognized an opportunity to provide a new service for our fans, and we worked with our teams to make it happen.”
​
TSN and/or RDS will exclusively broadcast three exhibition games, which will also be made available outside of Canada on CFL Preseason Live. The online platform will also carry the six remaining contests for all viewers as the league will work with host clubs to broadcast the in-stadium video feed, while play-by-play and analysis will be provided by local crews.
The CFL exhibition season kicks off Monday with the Edmonton Elks visiting the Calgary Stampeders.
​
CFL Plus will live stream all games not being broadcast on CBS Sports Network in the U.S The entirety of the 2023 season, including the CFL playoffs and Grey Cup game Nov. 19 at Tim Hortons Field, will be available for viewers outside of North America.
​
The streaming service will be available on desktop and mobile devices with no additional downloads or login services required. A verified email address will be all that’s required to secure the league’s first-ever live-streaming platforms.
​
The complete 2023 broadcast schedule for TSN/RDS, CBS Sports Network and CFL Plus will be announced before the season. The 2023 campaign opens June 8 with Calgary hosting the B.C. Lions.
Spring subscription sale: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For a limited time, you can get full online access to the Vancouver Sun and The Province, along with the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites, for just $40 for one year or $1 a week for 52 weeks. Support our journalism by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun.
​
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie delivers his state of the league media address at the Hamilton Convention Centre in Hamilton, Ontario on Friday, December 10, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn PHOTO BY NICK IWANYSHYN /The Canadian Press
The league announced Friday that fans in Canada will have free access to exhibition contests not being carried by both TSN and RDS. American and international viewers will be able to watch regular-season games not carried by the CBS Sports Network.
​
“Free online viewing represents a new path forward for the league and all our fans,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “Through these platforms, we are prioritizing access and reach, while placing an added emphasis on building a more direct connection with our viewers.
​
“We recognized an opportunity to provide a new service for our fans, and we worked with our teams to make it happen.”
​
TSN and/or RDS will exclusively broadcast three exhibition games, which will also be made available outside of Canada on CFL Preseason Live. The online platform will also carry the six remaining contests for all viewers as the league will work with host clubs to broadcast the in-stadium video feed, while play-by-play and analysis will be provided by local crews.
The CFL exhibition season kicks off Monday with the Edmonton Elks visiting the Calgary Stampeders.
​
CFL Plus will live stream all games not being broadcast on CBS Sports Network in the U.S The entirety of the 2023 season, including the CFL playoffs and Grey Cup game Nov. 19 at Tim Hortons Field, will be available for viewers outside of North America.
​
The streaming service will be available on desktop and mobile devices with no additional downloads or login services required. A verified email address will be all that’s required to secure the league’s first-ever live-streaming platforms.
​
The complete 2023 broadcast schedule for TSN/RDS, CBS Sports Network and CFL Plus will be announced before the season. The 2023 campaign opens June 8 with Calgary hosting the B.C. Lions.
Spring subscription sale: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For a limited time, you can get full online access to the Vancouver Sun and The Province, along with the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites, for just $40 for one year or $1 a week for 52 weeks. Support our journalism by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun.
​
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

I believe I've been watching too much Dead Meat Kill Counts, as I recently had a dream that was a horror movie being covered by James A. Janisse.
I remember it especially vividly for two reasons

1. Me and my friends were the victims
   
2. The slasher's gimmick was so unbelievably stupid.
   

Here it goes.
My dream was that, as Spring break started, me and my friends went on vacation to a condo in Panama City Beach Florida (we've vacationed there before) and heard of a local legend called The Umbrella Man, a man who was born with Umbrellas for hands, was bullied his whole life for it, and turned into a serial killer, and now he was after us.
The rest of the dream was a typical horror movie with us being picked off one by one by the Umbrella Man, with James A. Janisse commenting on how cool or disappointing our deaths were.
Unfortunately, my death in the dream didn't even get the Golden Chainsaw.

I was curious and bored at work. What do y'all think of this?
Sure, here's a sample itinerary for a 7-day trip to Iceland:
Day 1: Reykjavik

• Arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city.
• Explore downtown Reykjavik, including the Hallgrímskirkja church, Harpa concert hall, and the waterfront area.
• Optional: Visit the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa for a relaxing soak.

Day 2: Golden Circle

• Drive the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route that includes Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, and the Geysir geothermal area.
• Optional: Visit the Secret Lagoon hot spring for a more secluded bathing experience.

Day 3: South Coast

• Drive along Iceland's dramatic south coast, stopping at waterfalls like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss and the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara.
• Optional: Take a glacier walk or hike on Sólheimajökull glacier.

Day 4: Vatnajökull National Park

• Drive to Vatnajökull National Park, which covers over 14% of Iceland's land area and contains Europe's largest glacier.
• Optional: Take a scenic flight over the glacier or take a guided ice cave tour.

Day 5: East Fjords

• Visit the scenic East Fjords, a region known for its stunning coastal landscapes and quaint fishing villages.
• Optional: Visit Papey island, a remote and uninhabited island accessible only by boat.

Day 6: Akureyri

• Drive to Akureyri, the largest town outside of Reykjavik and known as the "capital of the north."
• Explore the town's museums, parks, and landmarks, or take a whale watching tour from the harbor.

Day 7: Reykjavik

• Return to Reykjavik for your final day in Iceland.
• Optional: Check out the local food and nightlife scene, or take a day trip to the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Note that this itinerary is just one suggestion and can be adjusted based on your interests and travel style. Additionally, road conditions and weather can vary widely in Iceland, so it's important to stay informed and flexible.

TL:DR I loved the main story.Even with the cheese. Completely enjoyable tragedy. The game itself is a convoluted mess of terribly implemented ideas and bugs, so many bugs. But also kind of fun. I am conflicted.
I wanted to play an "Ubisoft" game. I own 3 and 4 for some reason and I am working my way through the them. Technically games 5 and 6 of the series. Shrug, justgamedevthings.
3 is such a mixed bag. I don't know what I was expecting, well, I do. I expected some assassinating. There is very little assassinating in this game. Instead it was like playing a Dynasty Warriors title. Constantly in combat. Waiting to one button counter. Surrounded all the time. You can stab an enemy with a musket bayonet and then shoot the person behind them. Sweet.
They have all these wonderful combat animations; tossing people off heights, across tables, into barrels, double executions, countering multiple people with trips and follow through moves. Garroting people with snares.
But all this combat is basically wait to press block, counter or disarm or toss, then force some type of instant kill or knockout move. You can attack with a weapon but the other enemies are going to wait until your third or fifth consecutive attack, every enemy takes 5 to 7 basic attacks to kill, and then attack from behind or the side to force you back into the waiting for a counter cycle. Incredibly unrewarding combat.
The majority of side quests are completely devoid of personality. You wander the zone and a random person has an quest marker. They give you an assassination target. You go there. Stab them. That's it. Some flavor text in the UI about how they trade furs for the Templars or something.
On the other end of the spectrum; the Homestead missions have enjoyable characters with personality. Gated quests but still nice to see the little village grow and the characters show joy and frustration. Get married, have kids, etc.
The whole game is like this, btw. You can tell it was made by hundreds of people who had a bad producer or manager. Whoever was responsible for making the game have a cohesive, consistent feel. That person or group did a terrible job.
For example: There are forts you can capture. Basically saunter into the fort, blowup the powder supply (not sure why anyone would do this), and kill the general. You can capture these forts years BEFORE the revolution, yet the final act of capturing a fort is lowering the Union Jack and putting up the Betsy Ross Flag . . . in like 1773. >.>
Really? The game has a system for blocking content and regions before they are relevant to the story, they did not implement it for 5 of the 7 forts. Weird choices like this perplex me and many like this exist.
Hunting is a QTE minigame which is both boring yet badass. You can QTE bears, its badass, it also takes way too long. But it's also the best way to get undamaged bear pelts. Most bears are conveniently not hanging out near areas where a stealth kill is possible. Same with most predators. Beavers, the games second best money source after bears, just waddle around and are hilariously easy to kill.
A crafting system which is gated behind homestead quests and a trading system which is easier to successfully use via just selling pelts. Crafting anything for profit is pointless. Just sell bear and beaver pelts. The UI is shit, but it's fun to put a convoy together, check vendors for the best price, least sales tax, etc, and then earn money mostly passively by sending them on their way.
Anyway, At the end of it all, I am left with so many "Why?" questions. I have no idea what is typical or what people expect from these titles. I went into this blind while questioning whether I would see the game design which inspired things in other titles like the Tomb Raider reboots, Dying Light, even BotW.
I honestly can't answer if I "liked" this, but I did have fun experiencing it.

Hi all, so I am looking to put in an offer today... But I want to be certain about the numbers. Any advice on this?

• Goal: Buying a condo in CA, this is a 2-1. I would like to hold this property and sell it for equity to trade up. I don't think I can cashflow in CA for a very long time, so I'm only focused on equity. I would like to cashflow at some point, but I think in the short term all west coast to my knowledge is an equity play.
• The unit: In the area I am buying, I’m seeing house prices increase on average at 8-9% YoY since 2015. This unit alone, I am seeing approx 10% avg YoY increase (but only based on estimate and sales price on years available).
• Math/Question: If I used 10% increase (this is hopeful in my opinion) and let’s say I held and sold in 5 years, we would be getting an approx of $224k after agency fee (assuming it grew to $600k price). However, over the span of 5 years I would be spending $222k on my mortgage (which only ~25k goes toward principal so more like $197k which is really more like $27k gain after agent compensation on the house equity). Whereas, if I continued to rent where I am in, which is rent locked. I would be spending $125k (instead of $222k over 5 years) which is a savings of $96k that we could be investing elsewhere. Any advice on this, is my thinking right? Is it still right to build equity or is it better to consider OOS or other investment?

Quick background. I have been fly fishing consistently for about 2 years now. Use a 3wt for panfish. It’s a cheap Wild Water fly rod that I got as a gift and use this way more than I thought I would. I also use a 5wt TFO NXT black label combo.
I’m beginning to want to go after large mouth and carp. I have some larger poppers and streamers I’ve picked up and want to try out. So this spring I stopped at a garage sale to look at some fishing stuff and ended up buying a Redington Crosswater 8WT outfit for 35 bucks. The line on it looks like it’s seen better days as it’s lost it’s suppleness and is pretty stiff. I put some line conditioner on it and took it out to throw some bigger streamers and poppers just to see what it was like. It wasn’t great. I couldn’t really shoot out any line. Casting a larger fly like that is a whole new thing on it’s own and I feel like I’m putting myself behind the 8ball with not having the best line.
I suppose some questions I have are, •Is an 8WT too much for largemouth and carp? Most opinions I’ve gotten and read are a 6 or 7. I’ve fished with a 6 to throw some bigger streamers and like it. Just wasn’t that different from the 5 I’m use to. •What is a decent all around line for that type of setup? I’d like to fish streamers and poppers on it so do I stay with floating line and throw on splitshot or do I go to a sinking tip and hope it doesn’t pull the popper down when I’m fishing something dry? •Should I just keep this around for another day and just get a 7 and or 6 and size up if I feel I need to? (I say and or because it’s a matter of time before I get either)
I know it’s a lot but Nebraska fly shop selection is dismal, so getting any real advice is next to impossible. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.