Do not, under any circumstance link your steam account to the ED stand alone client until you read this.

If you link too early, you just lost $100 or more, seriously. More on this later.
TLDR: Buy the F18. Rent modules on stand alone. Buy the F18, then syria, then something cool. consider persian gulf.
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Hello, my name is Kitchen and I have a problem and hate money. If you click my name, you'll see the modules I own. I fly them all, mostly proficiently, so I feel I'm qualified to talk about most of them. This is advice for a new player on 'what modules I should buy?' Or perhaps the 2nd module to buy. This is mostly an essay on purchase order, not for only planes but modules. And yes, this is an essay. If you don't want to read it, that's cool, I still think you're probably a neat person and will probably enjoy flying with this group. So first, DCS is a flight sim, so you'll need: a computer, a module, a map, and hardware to fly it with. Perhaps you need advice on hardware, so see my other essay on that. Let's also discuss the variety of eras and planes in this too. For people that know what generation things are, cool, I don't. I don't really know anything about real life planes but I do know DCS. Modern planes will get you the most play. Followed by the cold war (think F14, mig 21, f5, mirage). Korea is a smaller pool, ww2 is as small or even smaller. If you are a part of this group looking for module advice I'll only recommend modern planes first. If you want a korea war experience, you'll probably have to find that elsewhere or be the change you want to see and spark that fire and lead the group into an era/playstyle that you want. We have a personal server and can host any map/mission that is provided that has interest in playing. We of course will have themed missions from creators but generally, modern all the way. (edited)
Steam Vs Stand alone. There are huge benefits to both but I want to discuss the stand alone. For those on steam you already know how great steam is. On standalone: First, you can rent modules for 2 weeks (including maps) on the stand alone every 6 months. This is a huge deal and is awesome. So try out the module before purchase. Second, on stand alone, your first cart (the entire cart) is 50% off. You can save $100's if you dogpile your first purchase cart. Third, you can link your steam account purchases to stand alone and play on the standalone with all the modules, so you lose nothing. If you link your steam account before your purchase, you are boned for the 50%. So do not, do not, DO NOT, link your account before purchase. Lastly, standalone has "miles" you accumulate on purchase. Basically it is 10% of your purchase in savings for the next purchase, so a $50 modules will get you $5 off your next. I got the mig21 for free because I bought enough, neat. Also, the accounts are still linked, so you can always play on steam or buy more stuff on steam after the linking process and it will pass to stand alone just fine. I don't know much about you personally so I'm going to speak generally as possible but the best advice I can give is: Buy the F18 first, then buy something exciting next. Also, I'll be using words in here like you already know what it is, I can't include a dictionary for the post but if you have a question, ask. We are here to help and learn together. Ok let's go. (edited)
Free Module SU-25T This is not a bad plane, it is actually capable and it can deliver HARM based weaponry well. With a human trainer, you can be effective and useful without money. It is not as good at ground pounding as other modules but this is also free. The AI provided training is not as good as it should be. If you want to learn this and only this, ping someone that knows it and we can have you doing ground pounding in a few hours and be GOOD at it. Seriously, I'd almost recommend this over the harrier some days, more on that later. If this module had a ground locking 360 tpod like the NATO planes it would almost be too good. First Module, F18: This is the jack of all trades plane in this game that will be generally featured in every mission we host as a group. It can carry almost all the weapon types (except good cluster bombs… grrr rock eyes) like: dumb bombs, smart bombs (laser, GPS, and the walleye),mavericks, JSOWS, dumb rockets, fox 1,2,3s, HARMs, cruise missiles, and harpoons. It can land on the ground and on a carrier. It is full fidelity, has easy to learn systems, has robust and easy to find tutorials from all your favorite and least favorite youtubers. It has easy to learn air to air refueling when you are ready, easy to understand MFDs that are readable. Systems that make sense, INS aligns quickly, is easy to taxi, doesn't require a ton of buttons on a HOTAS, TPOD actually works… well-ish. If you learn this pretty well, other NATO jets will be easy to learn. There is a reason why the F18 is recommended, because it is very good. Now if you personally (or find someone that agrees) that it isn't "exciting" that's fine. But if you are clueless and willing to just jump in this is the plane to go for it. It's also easy to land on the ground, no flare required, you can literally slam it down > 2000 ft/min. This plane will hold your hand really well. (edited)
Ok so after the F18 and a map, it gets gritty. Let's talk about personality and full features. Minecraft (yes, I'm blaming minecraft) allows people to perpetually live in early access with a list of "coming soon, full release". So, anything you see promised is a lie, buy what the module has now and expect it to never go further, possibly get worse. Ignore what all these companies will tell you is coming. And yes if you haven't guessed, we're gonna talk about Super Carrier and then yes, the harrier.Super carrier is money pit but I think it is 100% based on personality for the player. Do you want to be restricted to just one carrier? Do you like being spawn limited? Want to wait your turn? Animated deck crew that has hand signals (only useful in the day time…). Then perhaps Super boat is for you. Super carrier has features that I find useful (like the FLOOS system or 'the ball') and the deck crew is kinda neat. Is it $30 neat though to you? It was to me and for us boat planes it is nice to never miss the wire because that boat wasn't available to us. You get the Su-33 with this purchase. If you think $30 is a lot then you should not buy super boat. If you think $30 is like a happy hour bar tab for yourself and it isn't, consider a purchase. If you hate exclusion and peasants, come to $uper boat and make fun of peasant boat with us. (edited)
2nd plane: So the big ones, in the modern era in my personal (by fly hours, guessing)order: A-10 F-16 JF-17 F-14 Mirage Harrier FC3 - worth it for the j-11a, f15, and the SU-25 (non T version) - appended on the bottom Viggen There's a lot to discuss in the above list and now it comes down to what you enjoy in DCS and what makes you excited. If you see the above list and one plane sticks out, like the F-14 because "it is awesome", trend that way.Comparisons, if this then that: A-10/Harrier - A-10 is the winner for me right now. Razbam keeps changing things and breaking the harrier and making it a bit less fun to fly. The a-10 is rock stable development wise and is a great experience. A-10 needs a ton of 4 way switches though. So if you are light on controls, trend towards the harrier. The harrier is faster and able to land on FARPS/crayon-boat. It can carry an impressive loadout also, around 8 bombs and 14 guided rockets. It is a considerable amount of ground pound for a small plane. You'll have to micromanage the fuel and asymmetric loadouts. It is a solid choice but very difficult to learn/master but it solid. (edited)
A-10 does have some drawbacks though, mostly dealing with speed/altitude. Some SAM sites literally can't shoot 20k up, so in the a-10 you will be generally very very low. Also you will be sub 250 knots in the a-10. So if a mig 29 is coming, you cant run away very quickly. Gun on the a-10 is obviously better and the harrier gun imo is only used for emergencies. In fact, you can only use it throttled up, which makes gun runs interesting because you are going speedy bois in a nose dive throttle up! F-16/JF-17. These planes are pretty comparable in capability and systems and weapons. I think the jeff gets ignored mostly because so few of us even know it exists before DCS. The Jeff has some really really quirky things going on with the systems/flight model/pylons that you will probably struggle with but if you are not excited about the f16, perhaps the jeff can fill that single engine void.
The 16 is more capable with a wider pylon weapon arrangement and it can carry more fuel because of a dedicated belly tank. You also don't lose a slot for a tpod but you will always be turning left/right due to drag and imbalanced trim. You can sacrifice fox 2's on your tips for fox 3 loadouts, which is worth it imo. The 16 is lacking development in a lot of systems, the TPOD makes you want to commit soduko in the parking lot of an Ikea, and it finally got JSOWs but it got the A model which is maybe better than urinating out the window at anything larger than a infantry unit. It does carry JDAMs and laser guided in all the good flavors plus the CBU 105s of doom, plus the 6 pack maverick loadout. It is a fast plane, able to actually catch up to someone, think mach 1.5 in a dive no problem, mach .99 in mil power at 30k. Air to air refueling though is very difficult to master, if you struggle in the 18 the 16 might kick you, and kick you, and kick you. It doesn't have short legs though if you stay in mil power, think 2 hour flight times no problem.
The jeff is an interesting plane. The displays look like a tesla and the tpod is seriously 4k. It has a limited ordnance selection but has the usual JDAM, GBU12, plus its own flavor of HARM, cruise missile, and harpoon. Doesn’t get an HMD and I'm not a huge fan of the fox 2s, rear aspect only most days but the fox 3 (sd-10) is a murder machine. While the jeff is multirole you don't get to do multi mission sortie since you lose a ton of flexibility by loading mixed. Expect some dirty dirty loadouts for fuel, bombs, fox 2's, and a tpod. Jeff has a datacartridge implemented, so you can do custom chaff/flare programs but you only carry 32 chaff and flare. It has also has restricted jettison requirements, below I think mach .8 for jettison which really sucks when you are going defensive against SAMs. Jeff is kinda slow, expect F18 performance, but if you are looking for full fidelity red, this is it and it honestly isn't bad, it just isn't what we expected. I find refueling it difficult due to input lag and engine spooling/cool down but maybe it is just me. And to clarify, I have refueled every plane in the game that is capable and am proficient in it 📷 Also the quirk: you can emergency jettison in both and the 16's doesn't drop your missiles. The jeff you have to be slow though, below mach .8, which makes dog fights hard because the jettison. Then you might want to switch your config switches (2 of them) and it's awkward. jeff's guns are pretty limited and the 16 carries more of them and i think its dogfight mode is better. Jeff also can't use tacan with datalink on... quirky. (edited)
F-14. So I'm torn about this plane for several reasons. First, from a mission design standpoint, the phoenix missiles it carries allow you to kill any red plane without even being shot at, so it is hard to balance against. That is a DCS thing, not a you enjoying the plane thing though. 2nd, the pilot role comes in two flavors: nothing to do and FLYING the plane. This is one of the few non fly by wire systems so you have to use rudder and gently pull into stuff. You have to trim when fuel is misbalanced, you have to make sure your wings are swept when performing certain actions. The F14 is probably the best module for look, feel, performance, and detail thanks to heatblur. The gold standard developer for this game by a long shot. Other torn reasons, the sparrow implementation is rough, you'll need to use boresight often to get a stt pal lock and that is sometimes rough. Fox 2's are old too so don’t expect some insane stuff from those. Lastly, the f14 is an old machine, so don't expect a lot of hud information, including a useful velocity vector. You are going to be looking at gauges around the cockpit and between your legs for the radar. If you don't have headtracking I feel this is 100% not the plane for you. So now let's go to RIO. Learning RIO is a whole other job. It requires the same amount of time as any other module because the F14 is like a ww2 radar simulator. You don't just tell the radar 'over there' you have to micromanage and tell the radar how to work. There's tutorials obviously but it isn't easy. The LANTIRN pod (anime cam) is also very hard to use, so don't expect a lot of joy in the backseat doing ground pound. (edited)
Oh… jester. I find jestor not too bad but sometimes I die because of him. Jester has an issue with locking onto planes I feel he should be able to. I have abandoned the AI so often just to burn towards the target, get a PAL lock and fox 3 on the guy. Or just maddog one out there because jester won't lock.But my most favorite couple of experiences in this game was with a human rio and me in the front. It was a great ride, and the stories and fond memories makes me want you to do the same. It is satisfying to murder bad guys with your friends, especially when you work together, even if it is poorly (him losing lock and me ripping the wings off in a dodge attempt….) F14 has lase bombs/dumb bombs but bombing isn't the main goal for it. Seems like an afterthought honestly and really only use for giggles and not for serious mission stuff. Difficult to air to air refuel too. Probe causes a lot of drag and is pretty far away from the nose, so getting locked in is difficult, keeping it trimmed is difficult, seeing the tanker is difficult. Jester also cyberbullies me when I do bad just like my dad did before he went away for cigs that one time.
F14 is fast though but not for long. Big plane, big engines, big fuel use. But for it's role, fleet defense, I feel if you really want to enjoy it, you will. There are some huge f14 fan bois and they are probably not wrong. Mirage - Razbam product but actually good. If you want to fly high, murder people from far away and see art, this isn't for you. Mirage needs to fight dirty with no datalink, an unusual RWR symbology, typically low altitude, and only 2 fox 1s and 2 fox 2s. If you get into a turn fight with guns, you're gonna get em. Big delta wing turns good, loses speed fast though. Air to air refueling is similar to the f18 in difficulty. Can carry snakeyes well and big 2000 lb runway baguette delivery. Fits really well into our cold war themed stuff because of the 'limitations' but I often see some EU and Zen coming back with 4 kills to their name with only 4 missiles. Maybe they were born with it, maybe it is just the make up they wear. Viggen I own this now: It is great dumb fun but planning is everything. Easy start up, good bomb loadout, has mavericks which are difficult to use. Has cool rockets, dumb bombs. You won't get a ton of use on general multiplayer servers. It is probably the best anti ship plane in the game. (edited)

Helicopters:

Generally, they are going to flat out try to kill you. They want to faceplant you into the ground and explode. I wouldn’t consider flying one without rudder pedals (not twist) except the KA-50. I would only recommend a heli if you understand that DCS does not natively support heli stuff at all really. You will have to push a lot of 'I believe in make believe' buttons. I personally own the HIP, huey, and Ka-50, and the apache is on the way.MI-8 (hip), and huey: The hip is better at killing and is stronger and faster. But it is like a semi truck with RUSSIA painted on the side. Fly it with purpose and not a sports car. Side gunners aren't the best but it gets dumb amount of rockets. Gun pods are like a light show but lags everyone out. Switches are russia: everywhere, all the time, not convenient. To switch to guns/rockets is literally two seats away. Makes sense for real life maybe but in dcs that is annoying.
Huey is a wobble fest sports car. Side gunners are murder machines, you can also get a free copy of Fortunate Son by CCR if you know where to look on ED's website. Ask in general, the link changes sometimes and is hard to find. With both the hip/huey expect to kill humvees/people only. Light APCs if you are lucky. Expect to die a lot. Hind: I think it is ok based on reports. The AI Petrovich is pretty 'god mode' kinda like jester. You can murder all sorts of tanks and stuff, plus with CTLD you can do everything the HIP can do but with more dakka. If I didn't have the HIP already, I probably would own the hind. If you go to fast, you can die easy, if you try to hover too heavy, you die. If you try to fly when the weather is hot, obviously straight to die. KA-50: imagine you are on a roller coaster but with machine guns and you will understand the ka-50. Try to get it off the rails and it will fight you and you might die. But keep it there and you will murder all of those innocent tank children you encounter. The ka-50 gun can kill t-55s, the vikkors can kill t-90s and you can carry 12 of them. It is not the Hind, so do not fight toe to toe, you want to hide behind buildings and hills and be sneaky. It is effective if you are but it is frustrating if you don't spend the time. Oh….. No night vision in it at all. So daytime or gain/contrast on high and squint. Apache: not out as of this essay. Gazelle: It exists but no one has sung its praises to me to determine its worth. Sorry

Flaming Cliffs 3:

Is it worth $50, no, and you should not buy it for that price. Is it worth $25 sort of. Is this particular module worth $7(on sale) or $15 not on sale? Probably notish. Ok, first I'm an elitist and I'm going to talk down to you. If you have only $7 for this game, it's gonna be a rough game for you to play. Just the hardware alone, stick, computer, etc is going to add up much faster than your modules. If a $7/15 module puts you off of purchasing a module because you don't want to waste your money then perhaps you're in the wrong game. It would almost be smarter to just rent in perpetuity in a round robin fashion all the high fidelity modules till you find one you like and can afford. Also I hate when people say "I want to start with something easier then transition to high fidelity". That is the wrong attitude. FC3 planes are usually low performance/capability . You will have less control of your plane and limited options with these aircraft and you will hate it when you learn the comparison. Something simple like radio management is non existent in these planes and that is just the surface. Some modules don't let push a button for gear down and another for gear up. It is just up/down on one control. Or the Su-25t, doesn't allow an axis for wheel brakes, it has to be a button. Annoying:
If I had to pick one module to buy in FC3, it'd be SU-33. Carrier ops, good fuel loadout, carries the most missiles, has datalink, has some air to ground capability, sneaky long range fox 2's. Also can air to air refuel with the basket which is easier to learn. It is in KM/h and metric but it is pretty good at what it does. Note: if you buy super carrier module you get the SU-33 included. Next choice would probably the the su-27/j-11a. J-11a is the better choice and it has fox 3's and a ton of weapons, datalink. Basically a non carrier Su-33. Next would be the F-15C. Air to air only. Can carry amraams or sparrows for the 1980s roleplay. Has an absolute insane amount of gas, can air to air refuel with boom. No 9x missiles so you can't do the spicy offbore shots. It does not have datalink and the tires pop easily. Air to air refueling is really difficult in this plane. You will have to learn radar on a system that is similar to NATO planes but lack finer controls as the 16/18 etc. It does murder people well because fox 3's though once you get them locked. (edited)
Su-25, A-10A, mig 29 - these are ok at best but for a first module it is a waste of your money imo. It is a much better deal to buy the entire FC3 pack and play with these modules but for most people, you won't touch these very often unless we have a themed mission around these airframes.There are a lot of people that think they are neat, cool, and capable and these airframes are. But this essay is written towards people buying their first couple of modules. Also gearing towards $/value which FC3 use to be good value till all the better full fidelity modules came out. If you are considering FC3, I'd either buy it first as a $30 taste test for DCS (but the hornet/viper cost $50 and they are superior and that is only two meals out at fast food) or like your third or fourth module because you want to pick some red planes. FC3 is also a possible better choice if you are on a super limited budget/don't have a full decent HOTAS setup since you'll need significantly less hardware to operate the plane well. (edited)
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Buy the F18. Rent modules on stand alone. Buy the F18, then syria, then something cool. consider persian gulf.

26 March: What happened on this day in history?
We celebrate art and science and remember some of the prominent and most loved authors. In case you are celebrating your birthday today, you will be surprised to know with whom you are sharing your birthday with.
So, let’s unwrap to see what special day is today.

What Happened Today? On This Day in History: 26 March

People & Politics

• 1799 – Napoleon captured Jaffa, Palestine.
• 1937 – Spinach growers of Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue of Popeye.
• 1945 – Allies led by US Marine Corps secured island of Iwo Jima from Imperial Japanese Army, after 18,000 Japanese & 6,000 Americans killed.
• 1971 – Bangladesh (East Pakistan) under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared its independence from Pakistan.
• 1979 – Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.
• 1985 – Pope John Paul II proclaimed first ever World Youth Day.

Natural Disaster

• 1812 – Earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and killed an estimated 15,000–20,000 people.

Art

• 1940 – ‘The Fifth Column’, a play by Ernest Hemingway and adapted by Benjamin Glazer premiered in NYC courtesy of the Theater Guild.
• 1986 – Geffen Records signed Guns N’ Roses.
• 1990 – Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa won the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• 2019 – Stolen Pablo Picasso painting “Buste de Femme” (Dora Maar) (1938) recovered after 20 years by Dutch art detective.

Space & Technology

• 1958 – US Army launched America’s third successful satellite, “Explorer III”.
• 1969 – Soviet weather satellite Meteor-1-1 launched.
• 1976 – Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.
• 1999 – The “Melissa worm” infected Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world.

Birth Anniversaries (26 March)

Continue reading...

The Hounds of Tinderlos Chapter Three
Stuart kept his eyes forward as they piled into the cab. Moments later they were off.
Sahid also kept his eyes in the same direction too.
While he gazed at the back of the driver's head, Stuart wondered why Bill gawked at the dead zone near their office. It was like driving through a dimly lit tunnel with openings into dark and desperate scenes. When they passed into the rest of the city everyone sighed like they had held their breaths.
The light from the stores and streetlights crawled across their faces as Stuart wrestled with his thoughts. He was beginning to think that this venture that Todd had gotten them into was worse than he realized. Yes, the money was good, in fact, it was the best. But he wondered if they would pay with their slowly decaying sanity. How long would Sahid put up with his strange dreams? How long would his family tolerate them?
Even though Stuart didn't care too much about sleep, he wasn't stupid. Too few hours and even simple tasks would feel onerous. How many weird things could he take in his dreams before the thought of going to sleep would fill him with fear? He was an accountant, not a writer, so the too-steady diet of strangeness would be unhealthy. Another thought crossed his mind. Where did he get the inspiration for that dream? The black hole was probably from some article on TV or online, but everything else not so much. Especially the dancing pink fog. What was it? Did it save him from falling into the black hole?
“We're here,” Bill said.
That broke Stuart out of his gloomy thoughts. A most welcome break. He looked up at the bar in front of him. The name,” Noden's Nook”, flashed in blue and white neon. It seemed like an ordinary bar from the outside, and what he could see through the windows. Just a bunch of people sitting and drinking.
Bill paid and tipped the cabbie and they got out. No one said anything until they were inside.
The inside of the bar was just like the outside, mundane. Stuart almost sighed in relief. His tolerance for strangeness was pretty low now. Maybe they would hang out, get some beers and it would be like the old days? Maybe he would get so drunk that when he got home, there would be no dreams.
They took a seat near a window and sat down.
Bill looked around. “Let's wait a bit before we order.”
Sahid frowned. “What's going on Bill? We were supposed to find out wh-”
“I'll get to that! Sorry, please wait a bit,” Bill hissed.
Stuart just watched Bill and Sahid. It seemed like maybe some questions were going to be answered soon.
“How's the family doing?” Bill asked.
Sahid sighed. “Not good. We can't get enough sleep without nightmares. I'm thinking about taking a week off and going on a short break with my family.”
Bill scanned the bar. “Do you know why your family is having nightmares?”
Sahid shook his head. “I haven't watched anything scary other than the news. Heck, I even took a break from gaming. Mostly because I just feel too tired.”
Stuart frowned. The three of them have been in some pretty awful business situations, but none of them caused nightmares like this.
Bill nodded. “I had one weird dream before I met Abby. It was about the sea. There was something at the bottom. Um, I think a city. There were lights and creatures moving around, but it wasn't scary just strange.” Then Bill looked around the bar and smiled.
Stuart followed Bill's gaze.
Tina was walking towards their table. When she got close she said, “This job must really suck, everyone has issues.”
Stuart noticed that Tina had cut off most of her hair. No more tightly wound buns. Her ears stuck out more like pink radar dishes. For a moment he wondered if they picked up more than just sound. “Hey, Tina.”
She nodded then sat down.
“Do you want a beer?” Bill asked.
“Nah, I'm good. Maybe some soda later. Guys we need to talk. All of you look like crap,” Tina said.
Stuart smiled. Tina definitely knew how to sugarcoat things.
Bill frowned and then sipped his beer. “Even me? I'm sleeping good.”
Tina narrowed her eyes and gaze at Bill. “Not to sound mean, but you're getting that Innsmouth look.”
Sahid peered at Bill. “He looks different, but I can't put my finger on it.”
“Hey! I only went swimming there with Abby two maybe three times. What's wrong with that?” Bill frowned.
“We'll talk privately later, you and I. Now, we need to talk about the situation you guys are in,” Tina said as she waved for a waitress.
“We're in a situation?” Stuart knew better, but he did want a name and more info.
Tina scanned them. “Have any of you talked to Todd?” Head shakes all around.
“I tried to send him emails, but I didn't get any replies,” Sahid said. “Do you know what's going on?”
Tina sighed. “I checked my folder full of info, and I got a bad feeling. Especially the pen. Something very wrong is happening here. It also didn't make sense that an unknown company would work with us. Not to sound mean but really? Give us a check for millions?”
“What did you do with the paperwork?” Bill asked.
Tina looked around. “I kept it just in case. A few days later someone sent me a letter. Don't ask who, there was no name or return address.”
“What was in the letter?” Stuart asked. Now he knew why Tina didn't show up at their new office. For a moment, he wanted to curse Todd, but then he thought that maybe he got tricked too. Maybe.
Tina's gaze locked on Stuart for a second then looked elsewhere. “The letter said that Todd had gotten you guys mixed up with some seriously dangerous goings on. Other than suggesting that I find out who Nhotep is, I have nothing.”
“I tried tracing the money, but that just led to NHotep LLC. After that the trail goes cold,” Stuart said.
Bill shook his head. “I can't believe that Todd would treat us this way.”
“Maybe this isn't Todd's fault? We need to find him. He might know things. Stuart, did you find an address for the LLC?” Tina asked.
“Yeah, but what-” Stuart started.
“You need to go there and see if you find Todd. Maybe the creeps behind the LLC need him alive. Oh, I almost forgot. Take these with you and don't drop them,” She pawed through her purse and brought out a manila envelope. “Take these with you when you go.”
Stuart frowned when he looked at the envelope. “What are they?”
“Something you might need at the LLC. Be careful,” Tina said and held the envelope out to Stuart.
“Why me and not Bill or Sahid?” Stuart asked as he reluctantly reached out.
“Bill is going to dig through the servers and find out what they're really hosting. Sahid is going to check the code and find out what he can. If you know more about servers and programming, you could replace Bill or Sahid,” Tina said.
“Why don't you do it?” Stuart asked. Being volunteered for a scary mission didn't feel right. Then he started wondering why he was scared.
Tina sighed again. “If you get caught, you might be spared since you're useful to them. Also, you could make up some BS excuse that fits. They don't know me, and I would just disappear.”
Sahid laughed. It wasn't a mirthful one, more like a laugh from someone outside a very nasty cemetery. “What if this was just some crime organization? You sound like this is some sort of X-files thing. Did Fox Mulder send you the letter?”
In better times this would've gotten some laughs. Now, it was not even crickets. Maybe they were scared too?
Tina broke the silence. “Yeah, if this was just mundane crime stuff, you wouldn't have bags under your eyes. Stuart would've found more info. So yeah, it's an X-Files episode and there's no Mulder and Scully coming to the rescue. We are alone.” She turned and waved at a waitress. “I'll have a Coke, no ice please.”
While she was busy, Stuart, Bill, and Sahid exchanged glances.
Stuart felt that things had gotten very real. “How are we supposed to handle whatever is behind the weird stuff?”
Again Tina looked at Stuart.
Stuart wondered why he never knew what color Tina's eyes were. They were always hidden behind glasses. Nah, he thought, that's crazy talk. “Okay, I'll go to the address of the LLC.”
“Bring the envelope with you. Don't open it until it's necessary,” Tina said.
“Why? What's so important?” Stuart asked.
Tina shot him some stinkeye. “Do you really think that you're safe in this place with all of these strangers?”
Bill whispered. “Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean people aren't after you.”
“Really Bill? This is just some sort of shady business stuff,” Sahid said as he gulped his beer.
Tina turned and placed Bill and Sahid under her gaze. “Okay fine. If you don't think things are so strange I'll just leave. I don't want to, but if you're comfortable with strange nightmares and weird stuff happening out the corners of your eyes, well, I'll be going.”
Stuart looked at the envelope and thought about what had happened in the past weeks. He was quite sure things were going to get worse. Maybe this was their only way out? How many strange nightmares could he tolerate? Maybe Tina was right? “Guys, I'm with Tina. Let's find out what's really going on. Sahid, do you want to have your wife and kid suffer with more bad dreams?”
Sahid frowned and looked down at his empty beer mug. “No, but this seems so far-fetched. Wait. Tina, how do you know we have nightmares?”
“Well because both of you have bags under your eyes larger than my suitcases at home. Also since I've stayed here for a few weeks, I've gotten my share of nightmares too. Don't know why I didn't sign anything. That weird pen made my fingers itch. Maybe that's how I got added to the Bad Sleep Club, not sure,” Tina said in a low voice. “I get it. How about this? We give Tina two weeks. If by then we don't see anything useful, we move on,” Stuart said.
A moment passed. Tina's coke arrived in a mug with lots of ice and a straw.
Tina frowned. “Whatever.” She stuck her straw into the glass and drank away.
Bill nodded and held up his half-empty beer mug.
Sahid raised his empty mug.
Stuart raised his almost full beer mug.
Tina raised her mug of ice and Coke. “Here's to the Y-Files!”
They clinked their mugs together. A few moments later Bill got rides for everyone. Tina paid the tab. No one felt like celebrating.
Stuart rode back to his apartment and worried about what to do next. Also, he wondered what was in the envelope. The weight picked at his curiosity, but he managed to keep the seal closed. It didn't take him too long before he reluctantly fell asleep...
He was floating in the void while below him specks and splashes of different colors moved beneath him. “Is that the whole universe?” Stuart asked no one. A thought crossed his mind about seeing the Milky Way galaxy. His vision zoomed in on it. The galaxy slowly spun in space. I bet I could see my house from here, he thought. And his vision flew into a sector of space and through the solar system toward Earth.
When he was a kid, Stuart was a big fan of astronomy, but he abandoned it for a job in the 'real' world. The outer planets flew past him so fast like he was on a spaceship. If this was a dream, he wanted to stay asleep as long as he could.
“Oh, you're here,” A voice said.
Stuart stopped gazing towards Earth and looked up. It was that strange pink fog again. He wondered why and how it was speaking. “Are you talking to me?”
It nodded or Stuart felt that it had. “Yes. We're both in great danger.”
Stuart looked around for another black hole.
The fog shook its head or whatever passed for one. It was all just a swirling mass. “No, the problem is much worse than that.”
“Wait, you saved me from the black hole. Thanks.”
“You're welcome. Please let me speak before you ask any questions. Our time here is very short.”
For some reason, the fog sounded like a female British character from a Dr. Who episode. “Do you have a name?”
The fog sighed. “You can call me S'gnac. Please let me continue.”
Stuart nodded while thinking about why he could understand the strange fog and its body language. What was going on that he could interpret the way a gas could move as body language?
“The reason why we can understand each other is that this place allows it. It's a dimension of great horror and madness. I assume that you see me as strange and frightening.”
“The first time I saw you I was kinda scared. Now, not so much,” Stuart said.
“Well, that doesn't fit the pattern. When I saw you, I was frightened. A solid body, you consume and excrete gasses. It doesn't get more frightening that that. Well, mostly,” S'gnac said.
“If this is a place of horror and madness, it kinda is slacking,” Stuart said.
S'gnac sighed.
It sounded just like when one of Stuart's sisters would try to explain something to him, and he wasn't getting it. “Sorry, please continue.”
“This dimension isn't mine or yours. What I don't understand is why we're both here at the same time. Some entity or entities want us to be scared, and or driven to madness,” S'gnac said.
“Wait, you're a thinking gas. What would scare and hurt you? You can just flow away,” Stuart said.
Again S'gnac sighed.
“That's not fair. I've never encountered anything like you. I'm not even sure why we can talk to each other,” Stuart said.
A moment passed.
“Sorry, please accept my apologies. I've met a lot of strange beings in my travels. Fear is mostly universal though the type might change across species. Some might hide it and or deny, but it's there. If a being can think, it can feel fear or something like it. I can be hurt if I lose control of my vapors. It's one of my fears. I guess it would be like your fear of something tearing off a part of your body. This dimension is ruled by entities that feed off of fear, and madness. They'll keep shoving it down your throat until your mind is gone.”
Something pulled at Stuart. He looked around but he couldn't see what was doing it. So far it was a light tug.
“Why are we talking? I don't feel scared when I'm with you,” S'gnac said.
Maybe by having this conversation, he was being primed for more nastiness he thought. But that didn't make sense. Wouldn't it be better to just overwhelm him with horror than have a nice chat before? Or maybe something else had set this meeting up? “S'gnac does it make sense that these entities that live here have enemies, and they set up this meeting?”
“It is possible. There are beings in our home dimensions that would resist corruption from here. Why have they not shown up, and told us what we need to do?” S'gnac asked.
The pulling on Stuart felt like a child had a firm grip on his arm, and wanted to show him something. He was quite sure though he didn't know where it came from and that he wouldn't like what he saw. “Something is trying to take me somewhere. I don't want to go!”
“Hold on if you can! If the enemies of the rulers here allowed us to meet, there must be a reason,” S'gnac said.
The pulling intensified. No more child, it was a burly construction worker, and Stuart couldn't resist for too much longer. “Good luck, S'gnac with your fight!”
“What is luck?” S'gnac asked.
Stuart was pulled away from the universe, and into some sort of strange space. It was all curves and folds like he was in some sort of living thing. If he could've had a bit of time to explore what he was seeing it would've been fine, but he flew on.
Now the soft and inviting curves were broken up by dark and cold spines. At first, it was just a few but as he continued to travel the number of spines increased. Then with a mournful cry, he crossed over into some sort of angular space.
It was all sharp edges and endless malice here in this dim red-lit place. He was sure that looking at anything too long would cut his eyes to bleeding ribbons. This was definitely a place of madness. No sheltering curves just sharp cold edges to slice and slash.
“I knew that swiping right would get me something good,” A cold voice that sounded like the whetting of many knives sounded in the distance.
Stuart struggled against the pull. This would be a great time for him to wake up. He even tried to slap himself, but he didn't have hands or a face to hit.
“Lemme see mah dinner guest,” The cold-edged voice crooned.
Then he saw the source of the voice. It looked like someone had dumped a pile of knives and swords and other cutting things in a pile. But the collection of sharp edges was looking at him. One part seethed and sliced at the air.
The pull intensified.
“Don't worry it won't hurt. Me,” The thing said as Stuart flew toward the creature. Its blades and knives and other bladed things that Stuart couldn't understand or name seem to anticipate tearing into him. Red light shone wickedly off of the edges. Then something swooped in and grabbed him.
“You don't belong here! I'll find you my morsel!” The sharp-edged thing howled.
Stuart felt himself moving so fast he couldn't see anything. He couldn't even see who or what grabbed him. All he could feel is a relentless speed sending him somewhere...
Then he woke up.
The Hounds of Tinderlos Chapter Four
They were sitting in Sahid's office.
“Dude. Are you alright? You're starting to make me look good,” Sahid said while sipping from an energy drink. He grimaced.
Stuart frowned. “I don't look that bad.” He knew why Sahid was hitting the stuff. The loss of sleep was weighing heavily on him. The last crap job they had usually left them alone when they went home.
Sahid nodded. “Even Bill looks better than you.”
That was kinda true. His skin looked less gray and his eyes almost looked normal. But he looked tired.
“Yeah, Stu, I'm gonna be on the cover of GQ. You'll see!” Bill said and thrust some chips into his mouth.
Stuart shook his head. “Funny, real funny. I don't know how many more nightmares I can take. We gotta find Todd then get to the bottom of things. After I check my notes, I'll head out to the address.”
“Maybe they'll have the servers in the same building with Todd?” Sahid said.
Bill shook his head. “Nah, Stuart will have to go somewhere else for those. I betcha.”
“Can you do something with the servers here? What if our connection to them is why we're having problems?” Stuart asked.
A moment passed.
“Maybe that's how we got hooked into this?” Bill asked.
Sahid shook his head. “Don't you guys read any fiction? Stuff with demons or witches? I have an idea that we got hooked into this from the contracts.”
Stuart frowned. He remembered how his fingers tingled after he used that strange pen from the info pak. “My fingers felt funny after I signed with the strange pen. The ink was a strange deep red color.”
Sahid nodded. “Bingo! We probably signed in blood. Remember the instructions? We had to use the pens that came with the info paks. If we want to be free maybe we have to find the contracts, and burn them!”
Stuart looked at Bill. It seemed like this was too much like an episode from a weird TV show or a movie.
Bill looked back. “Do what you gotta do. I'm going to see if I can cut the connection to their servers from here. Might need your help, Sahid.”
Sahid looked at Stuart. “Wait, Stu's going to save Todd on his own. That's not fair.” For a moment Stuart felt a bit better. Maybe he could get a wingman for this mission?
Bill killed that idea. “You know more about the database and the connecting code than I do.”
“Yeah, but don't you see how it might be hard for Stuart to do this on his own?” Sahid asked.
“Yeah, I do see it, but we can make sure that Stuart gets the most up-to-date info. We still don't know where the servers are. I really doubt that they're at the same address they're keeping Todd. It doesn't make sense,” Bill said as he got more chips to eat. “Wait, I have Tina's number, let me call her and see if she can back up Stuart.”
Stuart nodded. It would've been better to have the good terminator with him, but Tina was better than doing this alone.
“Gimme a sec,” Bill said and grabbed his cellphone. After a moment, he called. “Hey, Tina. Stuart needs some help carrying some pizzas for the company dinner. I was wondering if you could help him out.”
There was a pause.
“Yeah, well, I doubt Stuart can carry more than two. Oh yeah and drinks too. You'll do it? Great!” Bill hung up. “Tina will meet you at another pizzeria because she has to give something to a friend. She'll meet you at Anthony Pesce's.”
Stuart frowned. “Where's that?”
Bill shrugged. “Google it. Get me one of their salmon slices please.”
“That sounds pretty tasty, but I like tuna. Can you get me a tuna slice?” Sahid asked.
Stuart looked at his friends like they had lost their minds. Yeah, they were talking in some sort of code, but he wondered if he was missing something. It was probably better to play along. “No problem.” He left Sahid's office with farewells ringing in his ears.
After he got the address off of his computer and wrote it down, Stuart put it in his pack he brought from home along with the mysterious manila envelope. Again, he thought about taking a peek inside, but somehow he resisted the urge. Then he was off after calling a cab. The idea of waiting for a bus for some reason frightened him.
The area around the office had gotten worse though he couldn't point to a reason why. Stuart had stopped walking to and from work and just used cabs. His remaining sanity thanked him. While he waited for the cab he kept his eyes off of the crumbling buildings. If the rank odor that crossed the street was a clue, well, looking around wouldn't be any better. Finally after what seemed like hours, but were really just a few minutes, the cab showed up. He gave the cabbie the address of Nhotep's home or office, then he googled the fish pizza place. Luckily, it was within walking distance.
Nhotep's place definitely gave him chills not the weather. The area was surrounded by a concrete wall on all sides. It wasn't the wall that made him uneasy, it was the dead grass around the wall. A few steps away, weeds grew with abandon. He also noticed the razor wire with its sharp edges glinting in the sunlight on top of the wall.
The entranceway was a bronze door with an intercom system. Stuart decided to get Tina before attempting to enter.
Anthony Pesce's was closed. The Health Department sign said it all. Also, the smell of rotting fish sneaking out of the place also gave Stuart the impression that maybe the food wasn't that good.
Some guy stopped next to Stuart. “That dump is never gonna open again. It was a disaster from the start. One of my friends got so sick, he couldn't eat anything solid for days. They shoulda sold that stuff as a bio-weapon if you ask me. If you want decent pizza, go to another town.”
Stuart nodded. “Thanks.”
The guy just nodded and left.
After a few moments, Stuart wondered if Tina was going to show up. He decided to give her an hour and go on with the plan without her. Calling seemed like a good idea, but then maybe they were being watched, and it would get his friends in trouble.
An hour later, Stuart lost patience. No one had called and the looks some of the people gave him weren't friendly. It was one thing to be ignored which he expected, but stinkeye from strangers when he was just standing around was another. After sighing he walked back to Nhotep's place.
How to get in was the first hurdle. The razor wire looked really sharp, and he knew that if he tried the intercom at the door that might alert the folks behind it to what was going on. Of course, they could just say no and not let him in. There was the other thought that maybe no one was in the building who could open the door.
He was so involved in trying to solve the puzzle of getting past the door, he almost missed the strange symbol on the wall of a closed law office. Next to that was a bunch of plastic crates and boxes that made a makeshift staircase up to the wall of Nhotep's yard. Stuart peered at the symbol, it seemed to be some sort of star. The number of points seemed to shift while he gazed at it then it faded away. Stuart frowned. A quick look at the darkening sky showed him he didn't have a lot of time before evening.
Then he looked at the boxes. For a moment he wondered if it would work. To make things even easier, he saw a metal rack a few steps away. It was possible for him to carry it to the wall and use it to protect his skin from being slashed to bits by the razor wire at the top. Stuart shrugged and got to work.
It was difficult because the rack was heavy and the boxes creaked alarmingly like they were going to break at any second. He managed to put the rack over the razor wire and clambered over. There was the squeal of tortured metal as the razor wire sliced through the rack, but Stuart was already falling down.
He expected a shortfall because the wall wasn't that high, but it felt like he was falling from a great height. At the last moment, he managed to duck and roll. Grayish dust puffed into his lungs when he hit the ground. For a few moments, he just lay there stunned and coughed a bit.
When Stuart finally got to his senses, he regretted looking around. A cloudless yellow sky arched above him while an endless vista of dead gray grass grew up to his neck. This was definitely not Kansas or any place he knew. Stuart turned around and looked for the wall. Nope, it wasn't there just another view of what he saw before.
He spent several minutes looking around trying to find the house, but he failed. The silence of the area was scaring him too. If he was still in the front yard of the house, he should be hearing traffic and people instead of total silence.
Something rustled in the distance.
Stuart couldn't tell where the sound came from, but it seemed like it was getting closer. He swung a panicked gaze around. Where could he go? Maybe if he picked a direction, he would run right into what was coming through the grass or another threat? Unlike the doomed hunters in one of the Jurassic Park movies, he didn't have anything that resembled a weapon. Anything would work, a knife or a throwing star. Then he remembered what Tina has said about the envelope, and its mysterious contents. Maybe there was a gun or something useful?
He put the pack down and fumbled for the envelope.
The rustling got louder.
When he looked up, he saw something pushing the grass aside from several yards away, but his mind couldn't accept what it saw. Whatever it was, its hunger and malice were palpable like a punch to the face. He flung his gaze back into his pack and finally grabbed the envelope.
A stench of rotten meat and worse things covered him.
Stuart closed his eyes, opened the envelope, and pulled out something. His fingers tingled as some sort of electric current ran through them. After a few moments passed he opened his eyes. A quick glance at his hand showed that he was holding nothing.
He was a few yards away from a wall in a dead garden. Stuart turned around and saw a path leading up to a shabby house. Instead of pure silence, there were the sounds of traffic and people. “That's one hell of a security system,” Stuart said. Then he wondered what he did to get back there. After gazing at the dead grass and trees, he decided to get into the building before night. Something about this area made his hackles rise and he felt that when the sun went down things would be worse.
Up close the house definitely didn't look like a finalist for Better Homes and Gardens. Paint was peeling off of the door and walls in grayish flakes. The windows were caked with grime. Stuart shook his head. He just didn't understand why this place looked so bad when Nhotep had millions to throw around. To add to the nastiness of the area, the doorknob was covered in some sort of grayish slime.
It took a few moments for Stuart to paw through his pack to get enough tissues to wrap around the doorknob so he could turn it. Even with several layers, some sort of greasiness stuck to his hands. He made a solemn vow to keep his hands away from his face, and other parts of his body until he got home and wash them until they were cleaner than a microchip lab.
The door opened quietly. Stuart looked inside. While the outside was shabby city, the interior looked much different.
There was a short hallway with short shelves filled with items that felt expensive just to look at them. A cash register started to ring in his head. Cha-ching! Cha-ching! He almost reached for a shiny jeweled thing but at the last minute, he pulled back his hand. His gut said the item was just too pricey. With a sigh and a bit of anger, Stuart kept his eyes forward. He also resolved to check his bank account when he got home. Well, if he survived. With a shake of his head, Stuart banished that thought.
Everything was shiny and new like it was just made that instant. Dust? Well, that word didn't exist here. Past the hallway was a living room with a staircase leading up.
A chill snaked down Stuart's spine. Something about the cleanliness of the place bugged him. Was there an army of maids roaming the halls, and they would catch him? Or even worse like what he experienced in the garden, everything was an illusion. He might be tromping through trash and filth and not know it. His skin crawled like something was on it. He wondered if there was something worse.
Something yapped in the distance. The sound got louder.
Stuart looked around. He couldn't see the oncoming dog, but he could feel its presence like a heavy hand on his face. Every second the hand's weight increased along with the loudness of the barking. He wondered if he would end up being crushed even before he could see what the dog, well, if it was one.
Trying to run didn't work. His feet were glued to the floor and he could feel the bones in his face creak. Again he looked through his pack for the envelope.
The howling got louder.
Stuart's teeth ached but he finally pulled what looked like a strange star made out of some sort of grayish stone. It switched between having too many to too few points before fading away.
The howling and crushing pressure on his face faded. He sighed and looked around. Again he shook his head, there was no time to waste. A hasty search of the area showed no Todd. There was a door to the basement, but Stuart decided to leave that for later. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to search there. His too-heavy diet of horror movies made him reluctant.
Stuart eyed the staircase. It looked normal but after what he went through, well, he wasn't going to trust his eyes. So he slowly climbed the stairs while looking for anything dangerous. Nothing happened and Stuart was looking at a hallway with paintings on both sides. At the end of the hall was a door.
He frowned looking at the morbid pictures. Each one showed a skeleton with a few rags sitting or lying on the ground. Some of them were indoors, and others were outdoors. Each place looked decrepit and abandoned. “Is this Nhotep guy a morbid bastard?” Stuart said.
As he walked down the hall he noticed that the clothing and backgrounds were getting more modern. Dusty discarded radios changed to big bulky TVs until finally, the tech was somewhat contemporary. A chill raced down his back. There was something not quite right about this. He wondered if the pictures were a clue to something horrible. The last picture or painting on the right side of the hall was much different. It was well-lit and without any skeletons. He even knew the subjects.
Tina and Todd were sitting in front of a TV playing video games.
Stuart's eyes widened. “What the hell?”
The painting seemed so lifelike he expected Todd and Tina to start moving. Of course, there was the idea that this was just a painting, and the real Todd and Tina were elsewhere. Maybe in the basement or on this floor? Then again, after what he had experienced, maybe he was right. His friends were in a painting and would remain until they died or he saved them.
How? He wondered. How did his friends end up in that “painting?” Stuart moved his right hand close to the painting before pulling it back. Maybe if he touched it, he would get sucked in, and escape would be impossible?
Stuart inspected every inch of the bronze frame for buttons. Touching it was out of the question because he had no idea what that would do. It was smooth and shiny with nothing he could press. “I'm gonna have to use another of those weirdo stars,” He whispered.
A quick glance showed that Tina had gotten up and was facing the left side. He frowned. The last time he checked she was sitting down.
Again he reached into his pack and pulled out a star from the envelope, but he didn't bother looking at it closely. “Here goes nothing.” Stuart just touched it to the painting.
There was a flash, and something knocked him on his butt...
“Stu dude! I'm soo happy to see you! Wow, that Nhotep is a bum and a half. I should've known he wasn't the real deal. Playstation fives are as scarce as hen's teeth,” Todd said.
Stuart awoke feeling a quick flash of warmth across his body as he looked up.
Tina adjusted her glasses like they slipped off of her face. “You don't make a good cushion so I better get up.”
Stuart just watched her. She was so close.
“Stu dude, you okay?” Todd asked again as he stuck out his hand.
Todd helped Tina to her feet.
Stuart got up on his own. “You guys were in...” He looked at the painting. The once shiny frame was shattered into pieces and whatever had held the image of Todd and Tina was gone. “What the hell?”
Todd looked at the shattered frame and the cracked plaster behind it. “Wow. No one would believe that! The takeout was alright though.”
“You had takeout?” Stuart asked.
“Yeah, some weirdo outfit called ShubHub, we're the most with a thousand deliverers!” Todd replied.
“Guys,” Tina said.
“You made calls from that?” Stuart gestured at the bronze bits.
Todd nodded while looking at the other pictures. “Nhotep is a morbid bast-”
“Guys!” Tina yelled.
“What?” Stuart asked.
Tina sighed. “How long do you think it would take before Nhotep or one of his minions shows up? My guess, not so much. Let's get to the contracts and burn them.”
Stuart nodded.
They looked around and noticed the door at the end of the hall. A moment later they were rushing down the hall.
“So Tina, how-” Stuart started.
Tina raised her hand. “Contracts.”
When they reached the door, everyone looked around to see who would try the doorknob.
Tina frowned. “Really? Fine.” She tried to open the door. It rattled but stayed closed. “Damn, locked.”
“Well, I guess we leave? Or maybe we check out the basement? All creepy places have a basement,” Todd said.
Stuart had his fill of strange goings on and just wanted this to be over.
“No problem,” Tina said and pulled a hairpin out of her hair. A few moments later it was an improvised lock pick. Seconds later, they heard a click come from the door.
The door creaked open.
“That doesn't sound scary,” Todd said.
Tina shot him some stinkeye.

Didn't see anything posted, but it looks like the NWS brought back the radar loop GIF as the first thing you get to when clicking on the radar image from a forecast page. They even give you a hyperlink to the lop so you can easily copy it and add to whatever you need.
https://radar.weather.gov/station/kpbz/standard
​
https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/KPBZ_loop.gif

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED Tornado Warning National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 155 PM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has issued a

• Tornado Warning for... Southeastern Cook County in south central Georgia... Southeastern Berrien County in south central Georgia... Lanier County in south central Georgia... North central Lowndes County in south central Georgia...
  
• Until 245 PM EDT.
  
• At 155 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Adel, moving east at 45 mph.
  HAZARD...Tornado and ping pong ball size hail.
  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.
  
• This dangerous storm will be near... Nashville and Ray City around 210 PM EDT. Lakeland around 225 PM EDT.
  

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Courthouse, Cottle, Cook Co A/P, Berrien Co A/P, New Lois, Massee, Pine Valley, Hansell, Meigs and Allenville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

SHOW POSTER:
Daniel Danger
Doors: 7:00PM
Scheduled Start Time: 8:30pm ET, More likely 9PM
OFFICIAL STREAM: Free for subscribers on Nugs.Net
UNOFFICIAL STREAM: https://hippy-hour-hero-radio.mixlr.com/events/2172277
FANTASY GOOSE: https://airtable.com/shrNsjqPCNBQoYMaR
GOOSE DEDICATED THIS TOUR TO THE MEMORY OF CHUCK MORRIS, DONATE TO THE FAMILY HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-jenny-thompson-family
Tickets: Cash or Trade
---
Start time: 8:50PM
Set 1 (8:50PM - 10:08PM)
Dr. Darkness (8)
Yeti ¹ (9)
Borne ² (29)
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show³ (5)
Butter Rum (13)
Seekers on the Ridge PT. I (8)
Seekers on the Ridge PT II (5)
[End Set]
Set 2 (10:37PM - 11:52PM)
Same Old Shenanigans 🆘 (17)
Lead Up (6)
So Ready (12)
Rosewood Heart (20)
Dripfield (25)
[End Set]
Encore (11:54PM - 12:00PM)
Turn on Your Love Light ⁴ (6)
Show Notes:
¹Great Blue
²sped up version
³ The Band
⁴ Bobby Bland
PETER-O-METER:
[ ] Keyboard Warrior
[ ] CLAV
[ ] 2-Guitar Goose
[ ] Time-traveling to the 80s
[ ] Backstage bananas
[ ] Rocking
[ ] Arpeggiating
[ ] Floating
[ ] Hip swangin'
[ ] "Are you freaking kidding me right now?"
[ ] Straight Bird'n
[ ] Channeling evil Goose
[ ] Flipping switches
[ ] Razzle dazzle shoulders
[ ] Entering inter-dimensional travel
[💕] Loving you guys
[ ] Summoning deep space aliens with a mating call
[ ] Crowd Participating
[ ] Wondering whose first Goose show it is
[ ] Wizdini
SHOW INFO and SHENANIGANS
Night #2 of 2
Venue Info: The Met
Weather: Cloudy, 53°F with scattered meatballs.
Check-in (please check in by replying to the stickied MOD comment at the top! Other checkins may be missed):
NYC x2 Philly x3 ATL Burbz Asheville, NC Netcong, NJ Denver x2 DELCO Happy Hour in Philly x2 Dover, NH Northern Kentucky Chesterfield, VA Syragoose, NY x5 Chester, PA where the river meets the basement floor Rochester, NY x5! Chicago, IL x4 Dayton, OH with tits jacked and doobies rolled Logan Hotel Houston, TX Seneca, SC Cincy Baltimore, MD Alexandria, VA DC Area Edmonton Alberta Newport Beach, CA NICU in Philadelphia Glastonbury CT VA The Rail Greensboro Coliseum, NC upstairs couch, NH Orchestra via Baltimore Midlothian, Virginia Vernon, CT Zurich, Switzerland !!! The Met, traveled from Tel Aviv! On a plane to Paris! The Met, Orchestra x3 New Brunswick, NJ Grand Prairie, TX The Met x3 Augusta, GA Milwaukee, WI x 2 Trev side, 6 rows back Denver, CO x4 Sparta, NJ Portland, OR San Jose, CA Indianapolis, IN x2 Loge Cleveland, OH Green Bay, WI Weathersfield, VT White Mountains, NH Madison. WI x2 SSI, GA Camden, DE, Jupiter, FL Lakewood, CO Middletown CT Toronto, Canada Bayvillage OH Mathews, VA Henrico, VA South Burlington, VT 603 NH Cape Girardeau, Missouri Bethesda, MD Pittsfield, MA North Yarmouth, ME Pittsfield, MA NOLA x2 The Paulie Show! Madison, WI Houston, TX Landaff, NH Decatur, Georgia Hackensack NJ Prattville, AL Bay Area, CA Albany, NY x2 Skaneataeles, NY Mad Hatter's Table, Bel Air, MD Standish, ME Portland San Antonio, TX Naiville, TN Bangor, PA Baltimore County, MD Seattle, WA x2 Salt Lake City, UT Hoboken, NJ Work In the bedroom in Norwich, CT Steven's Point, WI

So, I was watching a live stream tracking a tornado outbreak, and an idea came to me: What if this was a game, tracking a big storm that spanned a couple of 100 miles, and you had to predict where tornados would pop up and warn people when they did pop up.
I'm not experienced enough in making games to make this, this would be a complicated game for anyone I think. So I haven't thought much into it, so here's a bullet point list of some ideas to expand upon that first thought:

• Predict and track tornado outbreaks and hurricanes (Gamemode 1 and 2)
• Predict and track regular weather (Gamemode 3)
• Have all these fancy maps, statistics, and radars that actual weathermen do

Would be a very complicated game to play and make, but if anyone ever does make anything like it, let me know, I'd love to try it out.
Also, let me know how I could share any ideas I want to better on here. Haven't thought much on this one so it isn't "up to quality" on what I could make, but I'd still like feedback.

"I didn't eat pudding with 3 fingers." - Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) having a normal one on Fox News

Parental Breakdown

As the right-wing culture wars have intensified over the last decade, their effects have been felt the most acutely in American schools, and we should all be extremely fucking concerned!

• According to the nonprofit American Library Association, Republicans attempted a record 1,269 library-book bans and restrictions in 2022. Another record, 2,571 individual book titles were targeted for censorship in 2022, up from 1,858 in 2021. Attempts to ban materials were directed at school or classroom libraries and public libraries alike. In an op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona stressed the Biden administration’s opposition to book bans as Florida becomes ground zero for censorship and counterfactual curriculum.
  
• Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed legislation requiring Florida schools to seek community input on the materials available to children in their libraries. In many ways, Florida has become a sort of sanctuary state for right-wing parents and reactionaries who believe that they, not scholars or education experts, know best when it comes to curriculum in every subject, don’t want their children to learn the truth about the world, and take a particularly censorious view of education. Last summer, the DeSantis administration led an overhaul of the state’s civics curriculum, stressing American exceptionalism, “patriotism,” and downplaying the shameful history of the Founding Fathers’ own role as slave owners and slavery supporters.
  
• This week, the principal at Tallahassee Classical charter school was forced out after an art teacher showed Michaelangelo’s “David” statue to sixth-grade students. Yes, an art teacher showed one of the most famous pieces of art in human history during…an art class. The horror! The outcry from parents was swift, one of them called the nude statue “pornographic” (lol). It’s also worth noting that although this particular charter school is notably conservative, it’s explicitly a “classical” school whose mission is to provide “a content-rich classical education in the liberal arts” and requires teaching of the Renaissance to sixth graders. You cannot remove Michaelangelo’s “Creation of Man” or Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” or da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” and claim you’re teaching a complete Renaissance curriculum. But boy are they trying!
  

Unfortunately, what happens in Florida doesn’t stay in Florida, and conservatives are hoping the Sunshine State becomes a model for sweeping changes all the way up to the federal level.

• The House GOP narrowly passed legislation today called the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act (eyes roll up atop my brain), an early priority of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The bill would require schools to publish course studies and a list of all books kept in libraries, as well as underscore parental prerogatives to meet with educators, speak at school board meetings, and examine school budgets. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) successfully added an amendment that would require schools to report when transgender girls join girls’ athletic teams and denote which bathrooms they are allowed to use.
  
• The bill is DOA in the Senate, but it’s a clear harbinger of what’s to come if and when the Republican Party regains majorities again. It also exposes the core of what they’re after. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, the furthest-right lunatics in Congress, tried unsuccessfully to add provisions to the Parental Bill of Rights Act that called for abolishing Department of Education programs in schools and giving vouchers for parents to send their children to private schools with public funds. That amendment may have failed for now, but it’s a clear shot across the bow that was ultimately supported by over 100 House Republicans.
  

All of these efforts—from book bans, to nationalistic curriculum changes, to the campaign for “parental rights” to supersede all other learning objectives—have the same goal: the complete eradication of public education. Cardona said in his op-ed on the subject, “What we teach in our nation’s classrooms speaks to the essence of who we are as Americans.” Conservative efforts to erase certain parts of our history and entire demographics of Americans from our national narrative shows exactly who they are.

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Under The Radar

Less than a week after trolling the world into believing he would be arrested this week (and using it to raise $1.5 million from his swarms of loyal followers), disgraced former president Donald Trump is using his deranged social media platform Truth Social once again to warn that “potential death and destruction” would result if he’s charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his crimes related to the hush-money payments he arranged for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Just hours later, the D.A.’s office discovered a threatening letter addressed to Bragg containing white powder in its mailroom. New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection determined that the substance was not dangerous, but the DA’s office remains on high alert, as along with the powder, the envelope contained a single piece of paper with the typewritten words, “ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!” How subtle.

What Else?

One of Trump’s innumerable lawyers Evan Corcoran sat before a grand jury today and was forced to answer questions related to the former president’s “alleged” “mishandling” of classified documents that he took to and hid at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News “weak,” contradicting most other legal experts, but we’re sure his motives are pure!
Gov. Brad Little (R-ID) will make the final decision as to whether to add firing squad as a method of execution in Idaho after both of the state’s legislative chambers approved it. We speak for everyone when we say: What the actual fuck?
Spain, the world’s largest producer of olive oil, is likely to halve its output this year due to drought, which will drive up prices worldwide.
President Biden’s approval rating has taken a significant hit, maybe it has something to do with him tacking to the right on crime, drilling in the arctic, and immigration?
A right-wing federal appeals court blocked President Biden’s order that federal employees must be vaccinated against COVID. Conservative jurisprudence is clear on the fact that all the authority of the executive branch is vested in the president of the United States (unless the president is a Democrat).

Be Smarter

The United States Senate confirmed Gary Gensler to head the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 14, 2021, the same day that cryptocurrency company Coinbase went public on the U.S. stock market. Gensler has been critical of the crypto sector from the beginning, (rightly) characterizing it as bursting with fraud (hi, Sam Bankman-Fried), and his agency has been embroiled in a series of skirmishes with crypto executives even as the industry continues to fall in on itself. On Wednesday, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong posted that after an investigation of the company’s assets, the SEC delivered a formal notice to prepare for enforcement actions. Cryptocurrency companies believe they operate in a regulatory gray-area, and Gensler has thus questioned whether crypto firms rely on a business model that is fundamentally illegal. Coinbase is prepared to go to court with the SEC, in a case that will almost certainly determine the fate of the whole crypto industry.

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Light At The End Of The Email

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) vetoed a sweeping Republican bill that would ban transgender-youths’ access to gender-affirming care and restrict the bathrooms they can use. Props to Gov. Beshear for not backing down to these freaks even in an election year.
The National Labor Relations Board’s general counsel issued a memo that all non-disparagement clauses in severance packages have been retroactively voided after a ruling in February invalidating them.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) officially repealed Michigan’s right-to-work law. Unions and fair wages for all!!
The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill this week that would prohibit banning books or other materials from libraries in response to partisan or doctrinal pressure.

Enjoy

steph mccann on Twitter: "i wish china had more of my data. maybe someone will finally fucking understand me"

Download app: MyRadar
Click layers at bottom left
Have these layers on:

Hi def radar
forecast
weather alerts

And it really is that easy.
The colored overlays will tell you alerts for that area. Yellow = tornado watch. Red = tornado warning.

Flying into Fresno for work this week. There is some weather predicted this week so I’ll probably want a tie down vs. just sitting on an FBO ramp.
What’s more GA friendly when it comes to fees, overnights and securing the aircraft?
I had originally just planned for FAT but then FCH popped onto my radar.
Thanks!