First congregational church of bakersfield

So I've been looking up guides on yt on how to level up and all the guides are from 2 - 1 years ago saying play Co op during 3x on Wednesday and 2x on weekends and iam wondering is this still a thing because I've recently came back (been playing when bf2 first came out) and I only have 2 gold levels 🥴 (Han and officer) cause I never played Co op only multiplayer and would like to level up the rest of my troopers and hero's.

Im an international Masters student and im considering staying on campus for the first semester or so bc i don't really have any family or friends in the city, but I keep seeing posts talking about how the dorms are riddled w bed bugs and are generally very dirty. Most of the posts I've seen are from like a year ago so is it still just as filthy? Will it be better to stay off campus? I like the social aspect of staying on campus but the hygiene situation sounds awful.
I mostly see people talk ab Bartley house, are halliday/prettie better? Also on the website it says prettie hall is all female for 21-22, so is it co ed now?

I finally landed my first FS180, which actually counts, despite being sketchy af. I am so happy and stoked, because it really took me so long to learn it and it is THE trick I always wanted to master. It is a bit of a miracle that I landed it; if you watch the SLOMO you can so many things which I am doing wrong (leaning back, straight back leg, nearly NO shoulder rotation...). But anyway, I count that and I will take it from there and work on it. Thanks a lot to everyone who supported me on this journey with advice and encouraging words!

I am so happy I finally got my hands on their lightstick (it’s my first one ever)! My boyfriend bought me one since he knew I really wanted it and that the Fate tour is gonna start soon
Speaking of which, I was wondering if the lightstick has a name? I was looking for lightstick covers and decorations on Etsy for it specifically and I guess I was surprised to see no specific name like carat bong or candy bong. If it doesn’t have a name, will it get one eventually?
This is just a lighthearted post that I was wondering out of curiosity lol

https://layerzero.capital

https://layerzero.capital

Be not afraid to be honest. My goal is to get better.

I am a .NET backend developer. I want to build a mid-size SaaS web app. I know I have to work with js to build frontend of the app. But I don't want to introduce context switching between js and c#, and I want to use the same code for backend and frontend (like models and validations). So, I wanted to stick with js only. I'm new to nodejs and there is one problem that bothers me. Node.js is a single threaded runtime. I know it uses multiple hidden threads for some things. If I want to run my code concurrently, I have to use clusters or worker-threads, but I found that using them is a pain in the a**. Some people say that working with multi-threaded runtimes like .NET is hard. But I didn't have any problem with threads when working with .NET (maybe I don't have enough experience). I have read that I should use clusters or worker-threads only when there is a cpu-intensive task, but IMO even a simple task is a small cpu-intensive task too. For example, I want to use ORM for database queries. the ORM first translates my js to sql, and that uses CPU. For example, it takes 10ms for 1 request and we have 100 concurrent requests, that means the last request had to wait 2s? I have a server with 20 cores. If I use multithreading the latency won't be 2s but 100ms right? Should I create a worker-thread for each request here? If so, is there a framework or something that simplifies it? Does nestjs help me here? Sorry if there is a lot of content explaining this, I did some research but still don't get it. (Sorry for bad English)

https://layerzero.capital

Hey guys so I've been playing the new Diablo 4 game and for the first time ever, I've experienced this issue. I don't want to have to play on the games medium texture settings if I don't have to as the jump between medium and high is pretty significant appearance wise. My issue is that my geforce 2070 super with 8GB of VRAM is sometimes creeping up to around 8030mb on my Rivatuner Statistics overlay. I'm wondering if this is just because the overlay program is not completely accurate or what. It's not causing any performance drops when it eventually reaches that number but I just wanted to check in to make sure I'm safe in leaving this alone until it actually effects performance.

Why must Kana suffer?
"In this world lies are weapons" (ch1p6). And to the ultimate idol Ai "lies are an ultimate form of love" (ch1p28).
These are some of the first words in the series, describing the very nature of the world of entertainment as a world of lies.
So what would happen to a person who boldly tried to enter that world without any lies with which to fight, and who challenges the very way of the world? The world would need to show them the consequences.
- Such a person would be forced to look up at the former rival Akane, who tries turning lies into truth (ch87p8), as that rival shines bright up above (ch81p15).
- Such a person would be forced to look at the back of the newcomer Ruby, who learned that lies "suit (her) better" (ch93p17), and realize that they'd become an extra to that newcomer (ch99p7).
- Such a person would even, after finding in Aqua the "fan who will support (them) no matter what" that they never had (ch36p13), the one fan who is enough even by himself (ch38p12), the fan they even fell in love with (ch17p20) and couldn't forget at all (ch101p14), come to think that that fan now hates them (ch99p9).
The trials in the path of light
That person would be Kana Arima. And after all this Kana Arima would surely think that "The world doesn't want Kana Arima as is. I'm not cut out for this world. It's just not for me...!" (ch103p13). In despair she would call out Aqua's name, hoping he'd show her the way, but in vain. Like several before him, he was "one of those people who hated her and left her" (ch107p6).
And now the world had shown Kana Arima its truth. All alone, she could now stop her folly. Except... Kana Arima was not yet broken. With nothing but sheer will, self-belief, and a dash of self-deprecation, she boldly bounces back up and declares "I'll survive this entertainment world as I am" (ch103p18).
​
The light rekindles
Afterword:
I wrote the above as a preamble to a larger post that just kept (and keeps...) getting larger as I try to write it, so I'm releasing the preamble on its own, and I'll release the rest later (likely in three parts)...
The gist of this preamble is that Kana's path in the story, which I've dubbed the "path of light", is unique since Kana's path is trying to disprove one of the fundamental rules of this world. If you just wanted an answer to the question "why must Kana suffer?", this preamble is my answer.
In the next parts, I intend to discuss the implications of this "path of light". I've found that once I looked at the story from the perspective that Kana was on a unique path, many passages and moments that were once unclear to me now clicked into place, and that's what I'll be discussing.
Namely, the next part will discuss Kana's role as a guiding light for Ruby, and well as Aqua himself. This will serve as my explanation for the passage in ch65p4 where spirit Gorou asks Aqua "Did you see the light in Kana Arima?", which is where I lifted the word "light" from.
And in the subsequent parts I intend to present a theory concerning the ultimate, and toughest, trial that Kana will face on her path.

This was one of the few times where I felt that the sequel outshone the first novel in a trilogy. Too many times I've seen the middle child in a trilogy or longer (looking at you, Stormlight) just get bloated by plot setup for later events.
One area where Fonda Lee's Jade War shines is in its focus on characters that don't get as much attention in the previous installment. I found myself particularly drawn to....well, a lot of them. I'm trying but unable to focus on one character arc that I feel is more intriguing than the others.
If I had to pick one, I'd select Anden. Adapting to his absent father's culture after growing up in Kekon is a fascinating ordeal to witness, especially with the emphasis on not really identifying with Espenia despite kinda fitting in through physical appearance. Rather than being equally drawn between Espenia and Kekon, Anden and his POV are deftly used by Lee to develop Kekon through its contrasts to Espenia while also introducing the latter in more detail.
Anden's relationship with another man, and the romance playing out in the shadows, is also artfully done. I know some readers could get upset with this portrayal, because if people are getting magical powers from jade in a secondary world then why not eliminate homophobia entirely? I think that has its time and place, but to me this works better. Like he would have to in our own environment, Anden is painstakingly figuring out his identity in a world that doesn't quite know what to make of him. Imagine the horrors Asian men still have to deal with in 2023 in white dominated queer spaces. Speculative fiction can be a good lens with which to view our own setting, and I could go into it more here but won't.
The other aspect of this novel that appeals to me is the focus on international relations. I particularly like that this is a multipolar world with complex relations told from the point of view of a nation getting swept up in great power struggles, rather than there seeming to be only two political entities of equal power (this gets boring and seems too common in worldbuilding). And all the domestic disagreements that entails, with different factions finding common ground with separate powers.
I do have some bones to pick, though. I found Anden's decision to focus on healing to be unconvincing and rushed. The buildup to that I think could have been developed better, and more effectively enmeshed into his storyline. There are also parts where Ayt Mada seems too one dimensional and evil, but maybe her character is fleshed out more in Jade Legacy. Idk. It also is getting to the point where the national government of Kekon seems to let the clans fight to a ludicrous degree in a country that seems otherwise functional and centralized.
These are pretty minor qualms, though, and overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5. I really enjoyed this and am eager to pick up the third book in the trilogy.
Bingo squares: Sequel, POC Author, Coastal or Island Setting

First and foremost I imagine that sounds like a self-harm related question but please bare with me, it's not. I am writing a book at the moment and vividly remember reading a post once that said drawing blood via a cut from the hand was the worst place to do it because of all the nerves and veins and stuff, so I was hoping someone might be able to provide a viable option instead?
Currently I'm thinking maybe a surface level cut along the stomach could potentially work, but would love advice on how to make a blood-contract the least permanently damaging

Hello friends!
I think we can all agree that we all have some kind of intense love with music! Well.. I’ve recently come to realize (and it really could just be a me thing) that I love so many types of songs but I don’t necessarily get emotionally hit by the lyrics per say but the by the sound of the songs. The lyrics are important! But my husbands pointed out the meaning or lyrics behind songs that I’ve sang to word for word but never actually truly listened to the story behind the song, which is really a shame! At the same time though, I really love my diverse taste in music. I have songs on my playlists (also, shout out to all my ADHD’ers with about 100 different playlists and constantly switching them up!.. ok, it’s kind of an addiction though..) that aren’t even in my native language purely for the sound of the song and how beautifully the artist sings it.
One of my absolute favorite things to do on a Saturday morning (typically I’m the first one up in the house) is put my Bluetooth headset on and go through the “release radar” playlist on my Spotify and just go through over 100 different songs since I’ve followed SO many artists.
My toxic trait is being a music snob and loving all different types of music but then singing along to the most basic B songs in the supermarket or on the radio.
Anyone else understand where I’m coming from? Like you absolutely fell in love with a song not really realizing you didn’t listen to the lyrics? I feel like it’s a disrespect to the artist but god damn do they know how to incorporate sounds together. I’ll fall in love or get incredibly emotional with the simplest little fragment of a song sound. The best way I can describe this is listening to “grazed knees” by Snow Patrol and just that little bell sound along with the high pitch tone is just UGH so beautifully haunting and sets the tone for the entire song.
If you can relate, let’s here some weird song obsessions from the “noise” alone!
Side note: Everyone is great here! Thank you for being you. ☺️

How do you approach the topic/situation of your S/O's family ? I'm in my first like in person real relationship and I always kinda figured it was important but I dont know what's considered too early or too late. I want to get along with my girlfriends family, I've already met all of them at least once and have interacted with them so they do like know my name and stuff and somewhat my personality but I just want to know kinda like your guys approach/ if its even something you take into consideration or try to bother with ?

We dated for a little over a year and we were official for 10 months. There were quite a few red flags and incompatibilities that I overlooked because I loved him so much. 1. He had a previous criminal record for previously selling hard drugs 10 years ago 2. He vaped often as well as smoked cigarettes from time to time, this habit of his annoyed me a lot 3. We had a 10 year age gap, he is older- I thought it wasn’t a big deal at first since I’m in my mid twenties but it started showing more and more over the course of our relationship 4. He didn’t have a super steady job, he made great money in the summer but it slowed down in the winter (it was a construction type job). There were times in our relationship that he was very financially unstable 5. He told me he cheated on all his previous exes- this scared me a lot
Our relationship was quickly becoming serious and was starting to include talks of marriage. I felt like I was being pressured into marriage and it freaked me out. He kept telling me that he loved me a lot and just wanted to be married and spend his life with me but I wasn’t ready.
The other day we had a discussion because he sensed my hesitancy around marriage and he felt bad about pressuring me but I felt deep down that my hesitancy was because he wasn’t the one. I told him that and decided it would be best if we broke up.
I keep thinking about him though. He was my first real relationship. I miss his affection the most, he was the most affectionate person I ever met. I also miss having someone I could talk to about absolutely anything, he knew about all of my family troubles, my insecurities, my traumas, everything. And he loved me anyway.
I dont know how to get over this. I was the one to break up with him and my brain is telling me that I did the right thing but my heart is telling me that I made a mistake and lost someone who I loved and loved me and I won’t find a love like this again. How do I move on?

I(17F) just need a second view on the matter.Idk what to belive... I just found out yesterday that my boyfriend(18M) of 1 year and 2 months cheated on me. I was all alone at his place, i did not have any charger so i plugged my phone in his laptop. It would not charge unless I powerd it up so I asked him for the passcode. He told me the code but told me not to look in the masegges that he had with his uncle because i might find them upseting. I was a little weirded out but I wached youtube for about 20 minutes then curiosity got the better of me and I snooped in the convos. I found some messeges from some of out fight from months ago and things that his uncle told him to tell me in response. It was ok until i found how he conffesed that he cheated on me 8 months in, so about 6 months ago. He told him that he met up with a girl, kissed and did some other stuff(did not say exactly but indicated to s*x). He said that he does not love me. But i am a safe bet and i am the best he ever had and better then he wished. He also said that he needs freedom and that he does not know what will happen then he goes to uni because there will be more temtesions. I packed my bag, called my best friend and i took off. I called him, at first he denied that anything happend, but when i read every word he said in the convo(I took photos) he admitted and tried to say that he did not know what love was back then, that he still loved me, that I was acting a little weird and he wanted to make sure that he could not love any other girl. That is why he is still with me, because he could not. He said that he did not sleep with her or another girl that he mentioned, but ofc that I dit not belive any word he said. I know i shoud end things as soon as he returs in the city...I just wanna know why he would do such a thing after so many months.Why did he need to cheat to make sure he loved me. He lied and did not admit it...i am really sad and hurt by it...Could he really love me after everything that he did?(Sorry for errors, english is my third language) Please give me some insight and some reassurance because he tried to blame it on me. Telling me that I broke us up, that it is my doing and that i should have not snooped. I feel confused

https://layerzero.capital

Hey it’s one of my first time writing here , anyway sorry for all of the mistake in my sentence
I was a gambling addict a few month back , I lost everything and took some loan , my car broke down and few other problem , right now a this moment I manage to pay the rent internet and electricity and my gf pay for the food
At this moment on a pay of 782 Per week I’m paying around 388 , because I took some loan with some fishy website , it’s arround 2.5k on those website for 2-3 month I think and I got 18k with my bank to
I still manage to keep my head above the water but a few weeks back my girlfriend told me that she is pregnant and I don’t know how to react and what to do honestly I would like to have a kid with her but not if I put myself in a thigher spot , anyone have some advice on what I should do ?

Hey guys I'm looking for for a friend someone that wants someone to talk to for more then a day if you are looking for someone that won't ghost you after the first chat and will be there everyday "when I can which is usually always unless ofc I'm asleep 🤣 I could be that guy I could be your best online friend all you gotta do is send me a dm and give our friendship a chance.
I'm laying down to get a few hours of sleep if you message and I don't respond rest assure I will the moment I open my eyes.
I hope to meet you soon.
Drew
I do have discord if you prefer a different form of talking to me just dm me your user tag and I'll send you a friend request