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Reminds me of this one:

Here's a very interesting piece, yet another interview with a major realist scholar, except that Allison is someone I typically agree with a lot and I use his books in my classes often: https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-dealing-with-horrible-leaders-is-part-of-the-history-of-international-relations-a-31a0aabb-35eb-4107-a65f-39ae5f79c9e7

No shocker for me at all that Kissinger is pushing for appeasing Russia (though unlike Macron and co. and the NYT, at least he has the decency to still say it is up to the Ukrainians to decide, and this is just his recommendation). Kissinger is a conundrum for me. On the one hand, his academic books and articles are superb: sound logic, impeccable research and documentation, beautiful writing, comprehensive coverage of the subject. His Diplomacy is the best book out there on that subject. Ditto his book World Order. But on the other hand, he (along with Mearsheimer and Walt among others) are those realists who believe the way to keep great powers from doing bad things in the world is to appease them (though conveniently this is not applied to the U.S., and only to "other" great powers such as the former Soviet Union, the PRC, post-Soviet Russia, post-Cold War Germany, and even today's Iran). I generally agree with realist thinking, but on appeasement I'm a hard 'no'.

Their wallets are hurting

OK, I've published my alternate Shifter Spiritshift cooldown rules here: https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/613/ I haven't noticed any bugs but do let me know if you try it and notice something. I also haven't tried the meme builds I mentioned but I feel pretty satisfied with the 180s cooldown. I don't think I'd want it much longer or shorter. I explained the design philosophy in the mod page but copying it here too: Design philosophy: By default, the Druid class is a caster first and foremost, with Spiritshift as an ancillary feature. Ideally, the point of the Shifter subclass is to make Spiritshift the class’s primary feature rather than an ancillary one. Thematic Shifter builds should aim to spend the majority of their time in animal shape, with spells playing an important but secondary role. Because this is my perspective on the subclass, I disliked BPM’s implementation of a global cooldown on the Shifter’s Spiritshift forms. Preventing the Shifter from transforming freely discourages the player from treating Spiritshift as the centrepiece of their build and therefore, in my opinion, runs counter to the spirit of the subclass and the fantasy it encourages. Accordingly, I altered the relevant file in BPM so that the Shifter has a cooldown on each of its forms independently. For example, if you use the bear shape, you will incur a cooldown on bear shape only – you can still freely use any of the other four shapes, subject only to their independent cooldowns. This should not feel different to vanilla except in extraordinarily long fights, wherein you will no longer be in danger of losing your ability to Spiritshift altogether. This ensures that the player can feel confident building around Spiritshift no matter the length of an encounter. The cooldowns are set to 180 seconds. That is long enough that the player should not be able to use the same form twice in any ordinary encounter but short enough that a character who spends most of their time in Spiritshift in a very long encounter should always have at least one form available. Keep in mind that BPM has Spiritshift base duration scale with Druid power level. @dgray62 tagging you because you said you were interested @Elric Galad Let me know if I did anything wrong with the credits. (Also, I took you to be a “him” because of your name but just let me know if that’s not the right pronoun.)

A new low-cost gel film can pull drinking water from arid desert air (interestingengineering.com)

Daddy Long Legs! Adding daddy long legs would be terrifying. Imagine there being a wolf spider which has a big body, and a daddy long legs with a small body, but the way the legs move would be horrifying. The small body of it would be high up in the air (maybe high enough for a jump attack) and its creepy small mouth, and it dips down to attack, lunges forward with its legs etc. The drops would be its legs and something like more spider fangs or what not, but the legs could be used for a tier 3 spear. It could use the legs (which are durable I guess) and a spider fang and something else that's harder to get to make a poison spear. Tier 3 spear: Like the mosquito needle the recipe would be something like: 2 daddy long legs, spider fangs and some other hard drop either from the daddy long legs or something else idk. Attacks: The attacks could be weak with very strong venom (cause they have really toxic venom but their mouths are to small for humans, but not anymore!) and use the legs for lots of attacks. Whatever it may be, if you see this, thanks for reading.

I've been looking to build a castle using those gorgeous mushroom bricks since the day they were implemented, but I was never a fan of grass or stem floors. Then, lo and behold my prayers are answered, and the burr floors are introduced, which look amazing, and will go perfectly with a castle aesthetic. Only problem is it would take me actual days to complete, since every single floor requires lint rope. Not even regular lint, lint ROPE! There aren't even 20 lint nodes on the entire map! I have to wait 3 in-game days or so just to build however many floors that measly supply of lint provides, and I'm not even a 10th of the way complete on the first floor. Until more lint nodes are spread across the map, I think the recipe should be reworked. Honestly, it should consist of 6 burrs, and that's it. The rope doesn't even seem to appear anyway, since it looks like you're just weaving the burrs into shape.

why have walls if the bugs are just going to walk thru them. this wolf spider just walk thru my walls not the first time now the ants are doing it to its like all the work building walls around my house was for nothing 33 7 Comments walk right thru them ?

Quick Summery: Add dragonfly Dragonfly eats mosquitoes Tame dragonfly and fly around the yard but watch for the bird Idea: in the small upper pond that's not in the game yet you could add a bunch of mosquitoes and a dragonfly that eats them (when the dragonfly eats a mosquitoe you do not get the drops because that's op unless you Tame the dragonfly) and you could use a hard to get slurry to Tame it and an expensive saddle (takes material from multiple bosses ) to ride it, but being able to fly around the map is op so you can make it so the bird will try to eat you when it sees you. Or maybe you could just kill the dragonfly and make a glider If you have any similar ideas put it in the comments, NO idea is a bad idea

I think that's the same one I'm thinking of, will have to wait until I can access a paywall dodging site to check but I didn't take the impression that they were demanding Ukraine give up land or anything but just that they may have to do that, and also the US support has limits which may or may not be explained clearly to the Ukrainians - I think it is, don't imagine either they are so dumb to labour under false impressions or the US would be so dishonest with a friendly nation. At least some good news - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/24/ukrainian-soldiers-captured-at-azovstal-plant-in-satisfactory-conditions

Thanks, @Jayd. I'll try it out and will let you know if I notice any issues. I downloaded it and tried it, and it works like a charm. Thanks again for sharing this! It's great for those who like to play shifters with maximum flexibility, allowing you to change shapes or return to kith form to cast a spell, and then shift again.

That's fine, I'm a "him"

Unfortunately, espionage is mostly useless. The "intel" part of it works fine, but the espionage actions are just woefully weak.

So interestingly after (imo questionable) suggestions that Ukraine could win the war a number of voices have been raised urging them not to. Kissinger just joined that group after Macron, Draghi among others. They cannot possibly believe that Russia is willing to retreat from taken land, so what exactly are they playing at?

since we were thinking muppets, we got more o' the curious Gromnir brain linkages. paul williams is the guy who wrote (co-wrote) rainbow connection. we mock the 70s from time-to-time, but it is amazing the number o' quirky stars from that decade clear deserving o' their accolades who nevertheless woulda' had far more difficulty becoming famous at any other time since. side note: mr. williams is a guy who had a whole lotta rando tv appearances over the years. @Hurlsnot is possible gonna recall him from goliath. the trek fans maybe remember (or possible forget) williams were in an episode o' voyager where he curious played the leader o' a planet w/o music. etc. HA! Good Fun!

@Gorth, this goes off topic for this thread, but here's a good example of how to conduct murders. This doesn't appear to be the way Russia operates. It's a grisly subject, but this is extremely interesting. Israel tends to be quite good. Again, just take a look at how ruthless Israel is and how little it apparently cares for any fallout. Wiki article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Mahmoud_Al-Mabhouh Footage:

Weather: 90F-100F the weekend/all this week. The (not too large) swimming pool temp. is over 80F in the afternoon. Gonna have to start tossing ice cubes in it.

I absolutely don't underestimate them. You're right, they don't care much about fallout. They don't care about co-operating, either. One of the things that surfaced with Snowden's NSA leaks was that while Israel was very keen to get all the information it could from the US, it didn't really want to reciprocate. The US wasn't happy, of course. Apparently, Israel couldn't have cared less.

the rita moreno & muppets version is fun. HA! Good Fun!

canada is a nice place to live, but we wouldn't wanna visit. is there a tim horton's in wisconsin? am knowing there are locations in indiana, michigan, ohio and ny state. hit up a tim horton's and then rent strange brew or kids in the hall episodes. save yourself a trip. ... kinda/sorta kidding. we like montréal, especial the food scene. am suspecting the sex trade ain't gonna be a draw if you are taking a companion. HA! Good Fun! ps another alternative to road trip, exotica is an excellent canadian film, but not only does it carry the post weinstein miramax taint, it may be difficult to find a copy to rent.

Just because I like some supercuts with music...

So this is the point in my life where I'm starting to think that Steins;Gate wasn't the bottom of the barrel for terrible ideas...

Josh Sawyer did an interesting talk on armor systems recently, with particular bits on PoE and Deadfire. nothing terribly new if you've been on reddit or on the forums here for a while, but it's interesting just to see how he thinks

What I mean by this is the range that player made constructs such as workbenches, grinders, glue factories, ovens and spinning wheels can directly access your chests' inventory. I'm finding myself clustering everything together and its getting a little too difficult to do without cluttering up my workshop area. I build multiples of everything, so my work area is just packed with constructs. Hopefully with an increased access range, I can space everything out more without sacrificing convenience.

I sense an unpleasant encounter with Novichok lies in his future...

Senior Russian diplomat resigns: https://unwatch.org/exclusive-senior-russian-diplomat-at-u-n-defects/ His open letter:

una pequeña sugerencia que es explorar mas el jardin pero bajo tierra. los hormigueros mas amplios, las cuevas mas largas y tambien que se pueden construir tus casas bajo tierra. Agregué un nuevo insecto y como seria una casa creada de una bellota. solo es una idea si les parece. soy malo con el ingles asi que fue convertido por google. a small suggestion that is to explore the garden more but underground. the widest anthills, the longest caves and also that you can build your houses underground. I added a new insect and how it would be a house created from an acorn. It's just an idea if you like. I'm bad with English so it was translated by google.

*raises hand* ...will I get banned if I confess that not only I don't have it, I don't plan to take them either, even for free?

Please people, off brand Alpha Protocol should clearly be called Omega Methodology.

Here's my outline for mounting mechanics. I'd like these to be engaging and unique, and fit the style of Grounded as closely as possible. Ladybug The Ladybug seems to be the perfect ride, but she also has some fight in her. Once tamed, she can be used as a pack mule, or a war mount. This starts by choosing a saddle, which will either be a War Saddle, or a Pack Saddle. The war saddle will be large, and consist of tough outer armor, and a comfy spot for her chosen warrior. The pack saddle sacrifices comfort for storage, allowing you to attach acorn chests, as well as pile on grass planks or weed stems. Initially, she will be limited in her abilities, but by accessing a menu, you will be able to provide her various cooked meals to upgrade her stats, such as carry capacity, max health, movement speed, and max stamina. The saddles themselves can also be upgraded, but you must be sure that her carry capacity allows for this. The pack saddle should be unlocked around midway in the game, allowing you to carry large quantities of supplies as your base ideas become more ambitious. The war saddle, however, will be a late-game unlock, but you can swap these saddles at any time, so be sure to tame that Ladybug as soon as you can. Keep in mind, however, that saddles can only be carried on your shoulder, and can only be stored on grass pallets. Bee The Bee is a dutiful and speedy insect, adept at flying high above the action, and all across the yard. Because of this, it seems only fair that they aid you in your quests, given you can earn their favor. In order to do this, you must construct an offering, which looks a lot like a flower. From there, you must keep it chock full of that sweet, sweet nectar. If a bee stumbles upon your offering, she will return there the next day at the exact same time. Be sure to arrive on time, and you will slowly gain her trust. Upon the 3rd consecutive day, after collecting the nectar from your offering, she will begin to follow you. You have until nightfall to offer her a Petal Bow, which will allow you to keep track of her as she buzzes around the yard. You have now tamed a bee! But you aren't even close to riding her yet. To do that, you'll need a Sleek Saddle, crafted by rare end-game materials. You also need to continue to maintain your offering, as well as spend time with your bee to increase her trust to the maximum level. Only then will she allow you to place the saddle, and finally ride off into the sunset. There's no choice for combat when riding a bee. Not only is she non-confrontational, but she definitely doesn't want you to get hurt! Ain't that sweet?

Still a BIG problem....especially for new players at low levels. Or when starting a new playthrough. I had to abandon one game because of this recurring nightmare.....too many Wolf Spiders in one area (Oak Tree), respawn rate is overnight (at best) or instantly (at worse), and Wolf Spiders/Orb Weavers/Ants phasing through walls, palisades and even mushroom brick walls. I believe the Obsidian team fixed this before....with success. Hope it's on they're list and soon to be resolved. Willow would greatly appreciate the help, guys. She's stuck on a lily pad watching the parade of patrolling Wolf Spiders and hoping for a break.

I feel that the Ant head totem should repel ants, or at least, red ants. I enjoyed finding it, the cave looked creepy & was saddened when I found out that the totem was simply decoration.

Yes....the Wolf Spiders Houdini Act it back. New jump moves....kind of cool. Not staying around to watch with level 0 armor and a sprig bow.....but, still cool. Respawning instantly and phasing through walls? Not a fan. And when did they start patrolling the Oak Tree every minute in broad day light? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Behold! Milky Way's monster black hole imaged for the 1st time. | Space

We draft well and usually have decent coaching but are often plagued by injuries and ownership that doesn't often pay to retain talent. Speaking of which, I hear our president is heading off to Minnesota.

Deadline - Colin Cantwell The man who designed Star Wars craft such as Death Star, TIE Fighter, Star Destroyer and X-Wings....

Harvest Time in Gamedec is seriously addictive.