Yeah it took a minute to get used to that save system and I have been burned a few times. Sometimes I would take advantage of the “save and quit” option instead of using one of the drink saves. Or take a nap on some rando’s bed for an hour!

It does get better as you go everything is a lot harder at the early levels. Once you get some armor, a horse and some practice fights in it goes a lot smoother. And running away is always an option

Wow yeah I bet that was quite a rush!

We mostly explored the island. We thought about spending the night there but the stuff we would need to keep warm would be too heavy to lug all that way. But we did find something interesting!

Wedged in the fork of a tree there was a plastic pencil box. Inside there was a little bit of cash, some toy trinkets and other random things including an email address on a slip of paper. Finding it on that island of all places weirded us out! When we got back I sent an email to that mystery address. About a week passed and a person actually replied!

That was my introduction to geocaching! The owner took a small boat there years ago. They placed it but had second thoughts about registering it because he didn’t have government permission and it was forgotten about

In my experience people who are against more Ukraine aid think that the dollar amount we send is actual cash that can be spent in other places, rather than pallets of munitions that don’t keep forever anyway.

Sure the US may be past it’s glory days. Hell even the Rand Corporation (who write a bunch of stuff for govt leaders and other high ups) says it’s been trending downhill since some point in the early 2000s. They didn’t mention 9/11 but it seems like a good historical milestone.

Essentially the paper says the last 200 years have been an anomaly and we’re slowly sliding back to historical norms. They call it the neomedieval era and it’s not just the US.

https://www.streamlight.com/products/detail/protac-1l-1aa

My bad, how about this one then? Yes it technically has modes but you can disable them entirely using the “ten tap” to make simple on/off and that’s it. There’s a few different lights with this feature but I believe this is the most compact one I know of.

Depends on what compact means to you but a good starting point would be Streamlights. They are basic and boring to most flashlight afficionados like average Toyotas are to car people. But they work.

I’d recommend looking at the Micro/Macrostream USB or Stylus Pro

Too windy is a thing haha! One time in spring it was blowing 50-60mph sustained, gusting to 70. I live close enough to the great lakes and had the day off so I drove to a park by the water out of curiosity. It was intense enough that it was a challenge just to walk around sometimes. I had never seen waves that big in person before or since!

To answer your question the woods behind my parent’s house goes to a reservoir lake. During one winter it was cold enough long enough that the ice was a foot thick. So me and some relatives made an expedition to hike through the woods, across the snow covered ice and all the way to a small island we had never set foot on!

Everyone seems to hate on snow because of driving hassles but hiking across moonlit snow is incredibly beautiful to me!

For some reason I really like windy days too! It makes everything sway around and seem alive. It can be windy in any season but it’s really nice when it’s warm enough that it doesn’t make you uncomfortably cold.

“Indy look out!”

Bing prompt: Giant ancient pinball game. Large steep, wide stone surface covered in firelight, shimmering metals and deep engravings. Shiny smooth Ball rolls fast down Bouncing off of wide circular barrels and spring panels protruding up. Streaks of motion. Pinball flippers. Camera tight over the shoulder of Indiana Jones in fedora running to the other side.

One radio station went all Christmas in like mid October. I think the station owners said “fuck it we’re going on vacation for the rest of the year” but yeah waaay too soon. Let me enjoy fall, even the gloomy grey part.

They joke but Rising Storm 2’s Army Men Christmas mode was fantastic

There’s a radio station in Ohio called The Summit and it’s only been around for a few years but they are locally owned. They play new music, local stuff, old singles most people have never heard and more. On saturdays they turn it over to older people for polkas, spanish music etc. On sundays they play Americana and a Canadian music history show

It’s been a real game changer for our radio scene. I’ve discovered a bunch of good songs thanks to them, here’s a link to listen if anyone is interested

They do log our rhythms tho

I think being in direct contact with another known member with similar intent would do it

Wow looks good!

Being aware of local and state government is always a good thing to do and so much stuff is streamed since Covid. It makes you an informed voter and it’s where most of the stuff that impacts you will take place. Marijuana is one example of the impact of state law winning out despite federal law.

Reach out in any form you choose. Get to know them and what they stand for through their actions. Explain how things will effect you and people you know. Like anywhere else being an asshole is not the way to go. You might not change their mind but reminding them that everyday voters are paying attention has an effect even if you respectfully disagree.

It sounds a lot like what many conservative people have been doing for a while. See the YT channel Dirty Civilian. They might not align with you politically but the info they present is free

All completely to plan for big whipped cream, big pie crust and big pie tin. In the end we’re just pawns in their little game

The old school Rainbow Six games were my gateway drug to the book.

The plot is essentially “what if tree huggers went batshit and weaponized a virus” so take that for what you will but the training and operations in that book were facinating to me. I saw it as world building for one of my favorite games of the time

Just wait until you hear about Washington