I've been eyeing on this utility ebike ever since it was first announced a while ago, and I immediately jumped on it when a LBS in Seattle got a few in stock. Even the LBS people were giggly about this ebike and throughly browsing the manuals and extra stuff (a short lifestyle mag, stickers, etc.) in the box while I was signing paperwork. They think it'll be a smash hit.
A bit about me: This is my 3rd ebike (RadRunner 1 - Aventon Aventure Gen.1), mostly riding for 20-25 mile semi-daily fun rides + grocery runs. I'm 6 feet tall and weighs about 240lbs.
This is my first impressions after putting about 100 miles on it:
GOOD

• Coming from sub-$1800 ebikes, I immediately noticed the higher quality of components. Everything feels so much smoother. Zero rattling (except the center-mounted kickstand when going over big bumps).
• I love the styling of this ebike so much. I have the Gloss White Mountain color, and it's the perfect mix of a retro and modern look.
• The hub motor is supposedly rated at 700W, but it doesn't feel underpowered at all compared to my previous ebikes with a 750W motor & a similar weight.
• This is the first ebike that I'm happy riding with lower assist levels (even 2/5), probably because of the torque sensor.
• 4-piston hydraulic brakes w/200mm rotor = lots of braking power. I have no problem going from 25mph to full stop in a few sec. If anything I need to be careful or else the wheels will lock up.
• The 20x3.5 Careless Whisper is very quiet, surprisingly so especially compared to the 26x4 knobby tires I was riding with previously.
• The headlight is B R I G H T especially at its max luminance mode. I don't think I'll need an additional light for this ebike.
• The estimated range on the display feels pretty accurate, even after riding in the hilly parts of Seattle. No sudden jump on the numbers.
• I think it's got a bit better ground clearance than my previous ebikes since I haven't experienced a pedal strike yet.

NOT SO GOOD

• No suspension fork and a super rigid frame mean that you do feel every single bump. The stock gel saddle is decent, but you might wanna add a suspension post.
• Ghost pedaling starts around 18mph.
• The throttle sends the power to the motor even when the brakes are engaged. It should get cut off.
• The throttle is very responsive, but it's almost too responsive compared to how gradually it gives you power with just pedaling.
• Sure, you can use the app or the estimated range mode, but 3 bars/segments for the battery charge indicator is kinda sad, especially given the price.
• The taillight only has on or off state and doesn't double as a brake light.
• It's nice that the headlight has SEVEN different modes, but there's no indication on the display of which mode it's in.
• Even though there's a dedicated light switch to select the headlight modes, it doesn't double as the on/off switch for the lights. For that, you have to long press UP on the display.
• All the buttons on the display are pretty mushy and have a very small area where they recognize the press.
• The rubber lock cover on the battery is a nightmare to open.
• None of the mounting points are suitable for my folding lock (Foldylock Forever). I wish there were mounting points on the down tube.
• Pannier adapters should come pre-installed and not an $100 extra.

MISC

• I wish there was a way to limit/control the top speed. Aventon's display/controller essentially has a speed limit for each assist level, and that was actually helpful to easily match the speed with riders around me. On Globe Haul, you can get to 20mph easily even when you're on the lowest assist level.
• The humming of the motor has a slightly higher pitch than my previous two ebikes with a Bafang motor. I think fewer dogs have freaked out so far haha.
• It came with an extra derailleur hanger in the box, and both the LBS and I had no idea why.
• The way the manual is written strongly suggests that there'll be an LT version.
• Since Rad Power Bikes is based in Seattle, I got more than a few people going, "Is that a new Rad? Looks good!"

Overall, I cannot be happier with the purchase. Most of the not-so-good points are minor issues I can totally live with, and I over-indexed on things I didn't really see in reviews out there. Globe Haul ST feels like an ebike equivalent of a hot hatch - small, nimble, peppy, and a ton of fun. It was a big investment for me, but so very worth it. Ask me any questions!

Race Information

• Name: TCS World 10K Bengaluru
• Date: May 21st, 2023
• Distance: 10 kilometres
• Location: Bengaluru, India
• Website: https://www.tcsworld10k.procam.in/
• Time: 0:53:40

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Finish	Yes
B	Sub 57:00	Yes
C	Sub 55:00	Yes

Splits

Kilometer	Time
1	6:34
2	5:19
3	5:08
4	5:26
5	5:14
6	5:01
7	5:22
8	4:56
9	5:11
10	5:05

Training

I’ve been running/jogging on and off for about 2 years now. And when I say on and off, I mean I would go out and run every day for a week and then either injure myself or not find time for the next couple months. However, I got more regular in 2023. At the beginning, running even 2kms would leave me winded. And I also realised a few weeks in that the treadmill I used displayed pace in km/h, not miles/h and that I was way slower than I thought I was!
Joined a local 5K in March, expecting to run about a 27:00, but ran my heart out(horrible pacing) and somehow trundled across the finish line in 24:50. After that experience, I knew I wanted to run fast, but I didn’t want to feel so drained on race day either.
I began practising properly for that exact goal for the big event on the horizon, TCS 10K in Bengaluru. Talked to a running coach, read a bunch of posts on this subreddit, watched some YouTube videos and realised I shouldn’t go all out on all my regular runs, and that it’s important to run slow for most of them. Also got a Garmin watch to help with training. Did all of that good stuff and saw noticeable improvements. Increased my mileage to about 35kms a week, and ran a 58:00 on the Sunday before race day.
Only did a couple easy runs in the week leading to race day. I knew that 57:00 was very much within the realms of possibility with race day adrenaline and what not.

Pre-race

Woke up on race day and decided I’ll play a podcast for the first half of the run and some fast paced music for the second. However, just as I left the house, I realised to my horror that my earphones had run out of battery and that I would have to run without them. I was already late, so I left them at home and rushed to the venue, Kanteerava stadium, and reached at around 5 am. It was still dark and the stadium, filled with almost 15,000(?) runners, was buzzing with energy. There was loud music and people were stretching and warming up. The event had an all woman pacing crew, and I had decided to run behind the 55 min pacer. But very soon, I realised that my group, Group C, was slower and had only the 65 and 70 min pacers.

Race

The race started at sharp 5:30 am and I waited patiently, watching the Group A and B runners pass the starting line. 3 minutes later, I finally crossed the line too, but we were practically walking at this point. There were too many people for the narrow pathway leading to the stadium exit. As soon as we got out, I tried to pick up pace and overtake a bunch people. Every time that I saw an opportunity to overtake someone, I would accelerate for a bit and then slow down again as I got confronted with the sea of runners.
The first km went by and it didn’t seem low-effort to me. I glanced at my watch, and it said I took 6:34 mins for the first kilometre, way off my target pace! At that moment I wondered if that is how it is, are race days at big events slow for everyone? Maybe it’s just one of those days where I feel like I’m running hard only to end up with a 70 min 10K? Shrugged off these thoughts and kept running. There were a bunch of people on the sidelines motivating the runners on and also cheering stations with cheerleaders and Bhangra dancers and peppy music. By the time I hit around 3K, I saw the 1 hour pacer right in front of me, rearing runners on in her loudest voice. I noticed a pacy uncle in a black shirt and decided to stick behind him for a bit as he made his way around the crowd. By the 4K mark, the roads had cleared up significantly, and there was sufficient space to move around without worrying about clipping someone’s heels. I locked in and started running at a steady pace.
Bangalore was beautiful this Sunday morning. Weather was perfect, just a slight nip in the air after the downpour the day before. We crossed the iconic Chinnaswamy stadium(the site for RCB fans’ heartbreak later in the day) and I was running at a comfortable pace. Glanced at my watch, and to my pleasant surprise, it said I was running at 5:00 mins/km pace. As a beginner, it is so hard to tell what pace I’m at without looking at my watch!
The next few kms felt fairly steady, and I knew the way it was going, my goals were within reach. I crossed the stretch near the magnificent Vidhan Soudha(State legislative assembly building, looks like something straight out of the Baahubali universe), and took a left into Cubbon park. I knew the hardest parts of the race were behind me and that I just had to sustain this pace for two more kilometres and I would smash my PB. So I kept at it, and in no time, the finishing line was in sight, and I tried to go for a sprint finish but quickly realised I didn’t have a lot left in the tank. Made it across and I was super elated that I finished in 53:40!

Post-race

Walked into the stadium, collected my medal and refreshments and stretched for a bit. Basked in a bit of that runner’s high. Waited there for the next 2 hours to watch the elite men and women in action. It was a treat watching them fly by!
I personally thought the run was well organised considering the huge number of participants. There were adequate refuelling stations with water, gels and some snacks being handed out at regular intervals. There were also medical aid stations, good sign boards and barricades for the runners. I had a great time and will hopefully come back next year in Group B.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

I have been doing 3 dips consistently but the last set I only did two, it was easier to dissolve with acetone that time and cut down a lot of time. The instructions that came with my peppi gel set says to do 3. Is there any reason you shouldn’t do only two dips? I hate how long it takes to dissolve. Doing my nails is a two hour process and I’m exhausted by the end of it lol.

Product Photo

Fragrance Oil

General thoughts about the format: The longevity and throw on these oils is poor enough that I won’t buy them again, despite the fantastic price point ($3.50 for 2 mls!)
Bubble Tea Sprites
Honeydew, strawberry, and white rabbit taffies with taro bubble tea.
Wet, this smells like fresh honeydew and taro boba with added sweetness from the white rabbit taffies. It’s cheerful and peppy. As it dries, the distinctness of the fruit notes fade into a general bright sweetness. I really like this scent, 4/5. It also has the best longevity of the three Luvmilk oils I bought.
If I bought this again, I’d choose the body spray to get more longevity.
Angel Blood
Mashed bananas, fluffy vanilla cake, a drizzle of caramel, condensed milk, and the softest hints of peach and pineapple.
This is a cloyingly sweet creamy banana cake scent. It made me slightly nauseous. As it dries the banana fades out really fast, and it becomes caramel with a hint of milk. 2/5.
I probably won’t buy this again, though if someone told me the bath products were less cloying than the oil, I’d consider it.
Rabbit Cafe
Sugary fried dough, strawberry jam, and a hint of florals such as gardenia and jasmine meet vanilla, coconut musk, and white amber.
Wet, I can barely smell fried dough with a hint of strawberry. As it dries the strawberry strengthens and a hint of floral comes out, but it’s the weakest of the three oils so that isn’t really saying much. It’s too bad, because I do like what I can smell. 3/5.
If I bought this scent again, I’d choose some type of bath product.

Body Spray

General thoughts on the format: I really liked the spray I got! It lasted over 48 hours on the pajama shirt I tested it on, long enough for me to actually get bored of the scent. The extreme longevity + the ability to take the scent off whenever I want makes this a huge winner for me. I will definitely be going back for more body sprays.
Divine Beast
Pistachios, almonds, slices of apples lightly drizzled with honey, Egyptian amber, and lush mossy forests.
This is all almonds and pistachios, with a hint of crisp freshness from the apples. I don’t get any lush mossy forests. I happen to love the smell of almond extract, enough to bathe myself in it, and now I can! 5/5.
I’ll buy this again in the same format when it runs out.

Lotion

General thoughts on the format: this is a medium-weight lotion that absorbs best on dry skin. It does its job and is neither amazing nor terrible. But, I LOVE the fact that you can get the bottles with a pump! I don’t like sticking my fingers into a pot of lotion and getting it under my nails. I’ll keep buying Luvmilk lotions just for the pump feature because it’s so much more convenient.
Unscented
This has a mild, slightly sour milk scent that fades quickly enough that it doesn’t interfere with whatever perfume I’m wearing. I like using it to prep the area where I plan to apply scent. 4/5.
Dream Eater
Freshly baked bread with a warm vanilla drizzle and fat sugar crystals sprinkled on top, hints of creamy coconut and faint whiffs of cedar and moss.
This scent is fainter than I was expecting. I can smell the bread, but not cedar or moss. It fades away pretty fast on the skin, which is good when you want something shorter lasting but less so if you don’t. I got this hoping for a neutral type scent that I would be happy wearing when I wasn’t in the mood for any of my HoG pumpkin butters, and it does that job well enough. 3/5.
Probably won’t buy this scent again. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, I’d just rather try other things since I find it a bit boring.

Bubble Wash

General thoughts on the format: this multi-use product is far thinner than I like for a shower gel, and doesn’t create enough bubbles to justify using it as a bubble bath. It says you can use it as a shampoo, and it didn’t feel any worse on my hair than the Dove men’s 2-in-1 I’m currently using (I know, horrifying). I’m not sure how good it would be for my curls long-term, but as a guy, I can get away with frizzy hair. I’ve heard a lot of people use the bubble wash as hand soap but I like having bar soap for that. Not sure I’d go for this format again unless I decide I do like it as a shampoo.
Forest Prince
A woodsy clean scented blend of cedarwood, moss, hyacinth, sandalwood, and subtle musk.
Weirdly, I’m getting a really strong apple note from this, with a spicy cedarwood note warming it up. It’s still a good masculine-of-center shower smell, which is what I was hoping for. 4/5.
I probably won’t re-buy this right away when I use it up because I like changing around my bath scents. But I could easily see myself circling back to it in the future.

Lip Balm

Baby Bat
A spicy dash of clove, candied violets, marshmallow fluff, and earl grey tea
The scent is not my favorite. When I initially opened it up I actually thought it might have gone bad because it smelled really sour. But after sniffing the jar of cloves in my pantry, I’ve decided that’s just what cloves smell like when there’s a lot of that and nothing else. It has no taste and the smell is mild when it’s on the lips, both of which are my preference.
The texture of this lip balm is actually perfect for me, so I’m still using it despite not liking the scent. It’s a waxy rather than oily formula and sticks to my lips without making them stick to each other. It’s long-lasting even though I always have a mug of coffee, tea, or a water bottle I’m drinking from. For reference, I don’t like Epically Epic lip balms because I find them too oily, short-lasting, and don’t like flavoring because it interferes with whatever I’m drinking. So people who are fans of theirs will probably have a different experience from me.
I will definitely buy more lip balm when Milky restocks it, but I’ll be steering clear of the Baby Bat scent.
Scent rankings:
Divine Beast > Bubble Tea Sprites > Forest Prince > Rabbit Cafe > Dream Eater Unscented (lol) > Angel Blood > Baby Bat
Edit: I somehow managed to delete half the reviews while trying to add a photo for the mobile banner. Woops. They should be back now.

Hi! I’m so glad I found this group. I’ve been doing gel dip (first Peppi, then Sparkle and Co, now Mondelones but I have to say I’m not a big fan).
Anyway, my question is this-
If you prep one night (remove polish, buff, shape, file, etc) and plan to do the actual dip manicure the next day, what do you do to protect your work? My nails are always at risk of chipping or breaking so I don’t want to risk it before I can get to the color tomorrow night after my kids go to bed again! 😂

Cyberbullying is bad, kids.But it does get results.
Asked to post. Decided to comply, as it helps me bully someone else into continuing to help me write another upcoming character, which will inadvertently make them write more Ma'pris lore. It's a win-win.
Here, though, use my Psyoppost^tm to fulfill your reading desires.
Previous/Wiki/Discord/Next
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Frost looked up towards the silhouette of the Garrack in the dark sky, its wide gun platform "wings" easily differentiating it from the two other Human ships in orbit. Smaller ships had been going up and down from it for hours, and Frost couldn’t reason why.
One such craft was near enough that Frost could barely make out its shape, albeit poorly due to the light level. He raised the binoculars to his eyes and focused on the landing spacecraft. It was a C-900 Hercules transport craft; a large, space-faring craft meant to transport troops and vehicles.
Frost cocked his head at the sight of the transport. They were mainly used for packing up to leave a planet, not for resupplies.
The ODSTs, who had left without saying so much as a word, had left their entire barracks module, leaving most of the pre-packaged supplies inside of it, including the armor loading racks. That was not standard procedure, as the supplies should have at least been taken out of the module.
The entire situation struck Frost as odd. Ships didn't usually use their transports that took a day to prepare for launch with delivery runs, and the fighting on the planet was far from over. Yet, on the Human radio net, they sounded like they were packing up. Frost had checked his Wyvern the day previous and found that the OPSTRAK system was down, indicating that the satellites set up for the mapping system were either destroyed or packed up.
Even on the Russian and British military nets, it sounded like they were all packing up.
Frost, wondering if it was just the Humans who were leaving, checked multiple GU military radio networks, but found the same situation.
"Hey." He called out, barely turning away from the window.
He didn't register that nobody gave him an answer at first, as he had noticed another Hercules transport land near the same area as the last one, which was taking off now.
"Hey! Anybody there?" Frost called again, somewhat coming back to his senses.
"I'm here! What do you need?" Brinear called back at him from a room or three away.
"You know what's going on? Why are all other Humans and GU forces packing up?" Frost yelled out, turning away from the window and towards Brinear's voice.
"Uhh, yeah, actually. Partially. The Ma'prisian government seemingly just ordered a kick-out on all non-Ma'pris military forces on the planet. Something about 'Ma’pris-only duties'." Brinear stated, coming out of the room he was in.
Frost’s face filled with worry, "Should I be packing my bag?"
"No." Brinear chuckled, "No, you'll be fine."
Frost just shrugged, "Alright. I wonder what it is that is so important to you guys that you'll take on the Kxa'vara yourselves."
Brinear shook his head, "I don't know. But I feel that we'll know soon."
----
Ship Captain, also recently been temporarily promoted to Section Admiral, Sa'kil Um'osta sat in her ready room's chair, scrolling through the crew roster. She had been looking over it for Urns, and had gotten quite tired of scrolling through the massive list of names; hunters who were either already deployed or going to be deployed.
She had stopped really reading the list a while back and was now just checking through for habit, and because she had nothing better to do.
Suddenly, her mind caught up to something she had noticed a bit before. Scrolling back up, she noticed something strange in the 403rd's roster.
She changed her intercom to the data manager's deck and called them.
"Data deck, we have a discrepancy in the roster; Temporary Human soldier Michael Frost is still reading as working with the 403rd, can we get that fixed?"
"Copy that, Admiral. One moment please." The voice on the other end said, their usual peppy energy replaced by fatigue from the rapid deployment, just as it had done to Sa'kil.
She sat back in her chair, taking her eyes off the screen and letting them rest somewhere else.
The intercom console beeped, and the Data Manager's voice came through again, "Sorry Admiral, that's correct. Michael Frost is still with them."
Sa'kil quickly sat forward, "What?!"
"Yes Ma'am. Corporal Michael Brian Frost is still working with them."
"Gods be damned" Sa'kil sighed, "Alright, thank you Data Deck."
She switched to the bridge's intercom.
"Admiral Sa'kil to bridge, as soon as we are in orbit and the last friendly Non-Ma'pris has left the surface, inform Captain Cavla Mac’la of the 403rd MSCF that her and her entire squad are to report to this ship immediately. I need them up here."
"Copy Ma'am, will do." The first officer replied.
Sa'kil sat back again and sighed, "Why in the name of Traelkena are you still keeping a damn Human with you, Cavla?"
----
Again, Frost was awoken to the sound of plasma fire from outside of the complex. It had been happening more and more, getting to the point where Frost had started wearing his fatigues and a plate carrier to sleep in. He swung himself out of his bunk and ran towards the exit, grabbing his rifle and slinging his launcher tube over his back as he left.
Frost sprinted towards the sound of the gunfire. He was able to make out a few of the Ma’pris from the 301st, who were effectively returning fire at the incoming attackers. Frost ran to an area of cover that provided him with a good sightline to the direction of the noise. Through the intermittent muzzle flashes of the kinetic-plasma weapons, Frost could barely make out the positions of the enemy combatants.
He could make out the silhouette of a Volaxin, who had abandoned his cover for some reason, and lined him up with the reticle of his rifle’s holosight. He pulled the trigger four times, and the Volaxin dropped, the first few rounds having broken the energy shield.
Someone from the 301st realized who had shot, and called out to him.
“Frost! Is that you?”
Frost shot at another Volaxin before answering, “Yeah. What’s up?”
“We’ve got an enemy Hr'ana hovering out in the distance, can you deal with it?” they yelled back at him.
“It’s hovering? Shit, just point that fucker out!” Frost yelled as he ducked back from a volley of enemy fire, pulling the launcher around.
“Right to the magnetic North! It’s just hovering there!” Bor’oen yelled at him from further ahead.
“Gotcha!” Frost mumbled as he shouldered the launcher, turning on the integrated sight’s nightvision.
Clear as day in the advanced nightvision scope, the outlined silhouette of the Hr’ana sat hovering 400 meters out from the complex. Frost lased the range, then accounted for the distance.
“CLEAR BACKBLAST!” he screamed out, checking over his shoulder at the same time.
The round cracked out, the bright flare of the backblast illuminating the ground and him. Through the scope, he could see the red “glow” of the round as it arced through the sky towards the suddenly lilting aircraft as it attempted to dodge the round before it connected with the left side of the Hr’ana. In a brilliant explosion of orange, blue, and purple, the aircraft exploded and promptly fell to the ground, twisting to the right as the unbalanced gravitational thrust sheared it off its axis.
“Good shot! Hr’ana down!” Bor’ren yelled out, a slight cheer coming from the other Ma’pris.
Frost ducked back behind cover as a volley of rounds came his way, a single one striking him in the plate. He let out a small yelp as the energy transferred into the plate, immediately heating it up to painful levels, melting off some of the front aramid layer at the point of impact. He attempted to hold the rig away from his chest, letting it cool down without burning him too badly. Looking down at the plate, Frost could make out the exact impact zone by the burnt fabric and residue gel particles on the rig.
“You alright?” one of the 301st Ma’pris yelled at him as he inspected himself.
Frost looked for the owner of the voice and nodded, “Yeah. Plate took it, I’m good!”
The 403rd, who had seemed to be slow to get out but were actually holding off a flank attack behind the rest of them, finally made their way over to the group.
Dar’nu slid behind the same wall as Frost and held out the Human’s helmet.
“You OK? You got hit.” the feline said, pointing at the burn mark on his plate.
Frost nodded and took the helmet, “Yeah, I’m good. Plate’s cooler now.”
Frost fumbled to put on the helmet, as he was still getting used to the large mandible armor and thick armored headsets on his new helmet. He got it on with a little struggle and immediately slammed down the visor, the HUD flickering to life and turning on the NVs the instant it locked into position with the mandibles. He looked over at Dar’nu, who stared back at him.
“I’m not going to lie, with the new helmet, you certainly look a lot more intimidating; less human.”
Frost chuckled, “Well, the purpose is not to look friendly…”
He peeked around the corner and looked at the combat zone. There were significantly fewer soldiers attacking than Frost had previously anticipated, it was just that the majority of them had kinetic-plasma repeaters, making it seem like there were more soldiers than there actually were. The helmet’s computer and thermal cameras highlighted outlines of the enemies, allowing Frost to see them much more easily.
“Hey Dar’nu, you get Frost?” Cav’s voice came through Frost’s helmet, obviously unaware that he could hear her.
“Yeah. I got him.” Dar’nu responded, looking down at his rifle.
“Great, get him back here. Staff Sergeant Bor’ren already knows the predicament and has this situation handled.” Cav’la replied, her voice sharp and stiff.
Frost looked over at Dar’nu, “What’s up with her?”
“Oh, you could hear all that?” he replied, sighing.
Frost pointed to the radio cable, which was attached into his PTT module.
“Ahh. Yeah, we’ll try to explain on the way up, for now, we have to get over there.” Dar’nu stated, annoyance in his voice too.
“Gotcha.” Frost confirmed, standing up in preparation of following the feline. “Where do we have to go?”
“The transports. We’ve been ordered to go to a capitalship immediately. Cav hasn’t fully explained why yet.” Dar’nu explained, setting off towards the transport crafts.
“Capitalship? You mean like the Saitama? Or some other GU captialship.” Frost asked, following closely behind the feline.
“Nope. The Ma’pris captialship Claws of Arakis.” Dar’nu stated plainly.
“Ma’pris!?” Frost exclaimed, “What the fuck do they want this urgently?”
“No idea.” Dar’nu responded, again in the same emotionless tone.
Frost guessed that Dar’nu knew more than he was letting on, but didn’t try digging in to find more. The pair arrived at one of the transports, where the rest of the crew was already around. The lights on the inside and out were on, meaning that the craft had already been activated, and was most likely to take off as soon as they needed to.
As soon as the rest of the Ma’pris saw the two of them, they all silently climbed into the transport. Frost could tell that they were all upset, and began to have an idea as to why. He waited until the craft was on its way up to space before speaking again, opening a door as he did so and leaning out of it with his rifle, taking shots at some of the few remaining combatants as they lifted up.
“So, is this about the whole ‘Ma’pris-only’ thing?” he asked, looking back into the cabin.
Brinear sighed, “Yes, that is exactly what this is about.”
“Ahh shit. Shoulda packed my bags?” Frost asked, chuckling a little.
“Well, we don’t know. We just got told that we had to come up to see Admiral Sa'kil, the commander of this operation, due to a discrepancy in crew rosters.” Mri’na sighed, “If anybody’s a discrepancy, it’s going to be you.”
Frost tilted his head to the side as a nod, leaning back in and closing the door, “Yeah, that kinda makes sense.”
“Hey… What happened to you? You’ve got a burn on your rig and smoke coming out of your launcher.” Orrin asked, looking at him.
Frost shrugged, “Well, the burn mark’s because I got hit in the chest earlier. The smoke’s probably because I haven’t unloaded the spent shell from my launcher yet.”
“You got hit? You OK?” Brinear asked, looking at the burn on Frost’s plate now.
“Yeah, just got the plate hot, that’s all.” Frost stated, attempting to brush the burn material off, with little effect.
“You need an energy shield that isn’t just on your pressure suit…” Mri’na mumbled.
“Oh, I agree.” Frost said, nodding as he spoke.
The craft sat in silence for another ten minutes as the ship raced upwards towards space.
“We’re landing in twenty, weapons off now.” Cav’la yelled from the front, barely turning away from the console.
The group of Ma’pris turned their weapons off, while Frost removed the round from the chamber and turned the weapon on safe. Frost looked out a window and saw the outer hull of the ship they were approaching. He had not been looking at all, so he had no idea what kind of ship it looked like. Due to the transport’s extraordinarily close range, Frost still couldn’t make it out. His view of space was obstructed once the transport wound up inside the bay completely.
Even though the outer bay door was currently open, Frost could still hear the noises inside the bay, indicating that there was an atmosphere. He could hear the slight humming of the doors closing behind them, even though no part of the transport was in contact with the ground.
He felt the ship’s legs make contact with the surface of the bay and heard the locks of the bay doors seal.
“We’re down. Wait for me, then we’ll head to conference room five.” Cavla stated as she got out of her command chair and started putting a different uniform over her combat uniform. Only then did Frost realize that nobody else was in their combat uniforms. They were all in nice, smooth, gray and black uniforms, and they all had some kind of insignia on their shoulder. He then realized how out of place he was, compared to them.
He was in dirty and damaged fatigues which he had been using for the past week with only the most minimal amount of washing, mud coating a good portion of his legs, a plate carrier which had 3 impact burn marks on it from kinetic-plasma weapons, a full-face helmet that Dar’nu himself had deemed uninviting, and two weapons, both of which were either hot or smoking from recent use.
“Uhh, hey guys? I’m noticing that you are all in dress uniforms or something and I’m in my combat gear. Should I be getting changed or something?” Frost asked, looking at the group of Ma’pris.
“Do you have anything else?” Cavla asked, finishing putting on her uniform.
“Not here. On the planet I do though.” Frost answered, shooting a glance towards the closed ramp of the transport.
“Then you’ll have to stay in that. It may help with our case that you should be allowed to stay, if it comes to that.” the Captain answered, stepping towards the group, “Alright, let’s go see what she needs.”
Cavla opened the ramp, and the six walked out of the craft and onto the deck of the ship. The gravity was about 70% that of Earth’s, so Frost found it a little light. Even so, his footfalls were the heaviest of all of them, each step of his magnetically enhanced boots seeming to echo throughout the bay. The few Ma’pris inside watched the group as they passed by. Frost raised his helmet’s visor and inhaled deeply. The air inside the ship was cold and crisp, which was a nice change from the humid warmth of the planet below them.
Calva led the group through multiple hallways, all of which were massively wide and tall in Frost’s mind, until they made it to a room. Frost squinted at the plaque on the door, attempting to read it. It was in Xalan, which Frost had started to learn, but he was still slow to pick up on it. The plaque translated to ‘conference room five’, which was the room they were looking for. They all stood outside of it for a moment until the door slid open. They all stepped in to see a large table, facing horizontally to them, and multiple chairs, six on one end and one on the other.
In the one chair, a Ma’pris sat, her smooth gray and black uniform garnished with gold accents and blue cuffs. There were two fully armed and armored Ma’pris at the same end; however, neither was sitting down.
All of the 403rd saluted in the standard Ma’pris fashion. Frost, being physically unable to salute their way, saluted the same way that he would to any Human.
“At ease. You may sit.” The Ma’pris at the end of the table stated, motioning to the six chairs in front of them. Cavla nodded, and they all moved to sit down in the chairs.
Frost had to remove his M5 MAAWS from his back and lean it against the table before sitting down, its barrel still letting out a small wisp of smoke. He detached his rifle from his rig-attached sling and placed it beside the launcher.
Cavla and the Admiral, at least, that's who Frost guessed it was, immediately started talking in Xalan. Every once in a while, one of the other Ma’pris in the squad would add something. On an even rarer occasion, Frost would understand a word or two, but the felines talked too fast for him to understand.
After a while, all the time Frost feeling like a fifth wheel, Cavla and the Admiral nodded. She then switched her focus to Frost. Frost noticed her glare, and looked at her.
The Admiral shot one last glance towards Cavla before glaring at Frost again.
"So, Human, I've dealt with your commanding people before; I understand that you are not one of them, and I am not fully used to Human customs, so I ask this seriously: Is a uniform like this customary to a soldier of your rank when meeting a high-ranking officer?" She said in GS. Her voice was unnaturally smooth, with no real accent or emotion present.
Frost suddenly became acutely aware of the helmet on his head and removed it, placing it on the table in front of him.
"No Ma'am, this is not the customary uniform for a meeting of this level." Frost stated, putting on his most formal voice possible.
"Really?" The Admiral mused, dragging out the word longer than necessary. Frost swore that he saw or heard one of the Ma’pris on his side deflate a little. Frost took that as a sign.
"Yes Ma'am. I was not able to change into any formal clothing, as I was in active combat when we were ordered to come to the Claws of Arakis." Frost made an offhand gesture of attempting to wipe the burn mark off his plate carrier.
The Admiral's eyes flicked to the burn mark and widened the smallest amount before returning to Frost’s face, seemingly unchanged.
She nodded, "I understand, it was an inopportune moment for us to recall you and your squad, but a necessary measure."
Frost nodded slightly as well, "Yeah, I get that .. I was able to help the 301st with the dispatching of a Kxa'vara Hr’ana before being called away anyways, meaning that they are now in a position more than capable of taking out the rest of the stragglers."
The Admiral slightly raised her eyebrows, or whatever the Ma’pris had instead of eyebrows, and tilted her head, "You possess the ability to destroy Hr’anas? According to our roster, you are an anti-armour specialist, not anti-aircraft."
Frost nodded and raised the MAAWS above the table and rested it on its back 'cone', "Your rosters are correct. This is an anti-armour, anti-ground vehicle weapon, but if the aircraft is low enough, moving in a straight enough line, or stationary, it is very easy to hit them."
The Admiral inspected the weapon visually, "That's your anti-armour weapon? Is it broken? Or armed? I see smoke rising from it." She lifted her hand and pointed to the muzzle of the weapon.
Frost shook his head, "No Ma'am, that is residue smoke from the round I had fired earlier. I simply have not extracted the spent shell from the launcher yet." He said, swinging off the cap and pulling out the spent shell.
The Admiral took the shell and inspected it, looking all throughout and around the aluminum case. Once she handed it back, Frost put it back inside of the tube
“And how many times can that be used?” The Admiral said, pointing at the launcher.
“As many times as I have shells for it.” Frost answered, matter-of-factly.
“And how many do you normally carry?” She asked, sitting back in her chair.
“Depends. With you guys, I carry two HEAT rounds, which are anti-armor, and sometimes one HEDP round, which is meant for destroying fortifications. While with Human forces, I usually carried a tandem AT round, a HEAT round, and two HEDP rounds. My assistant AT soldier would carry extra ammunition for me.” Frost explained.
“Why do you carry more rounds on yourself when you are with the Human military than with us?” She asked, squinting a bit at Frost.
“Weight.” Frost answered plainly, “You people already move faster than me in general, and any extra weight is going to impact my already slower movement. If I can’t move fast enough, I’m only a liability.”
The Admiral nodded slightly in understanding, “Understandable.” She sighed and leaned back into her chair again, “You do understand why we must have this meeting, yes?”
Frost nodded slightly, “Yes and no. I understand that all non-Ma’pris forces were ordered off the planet, but I never directly received said order, and was still on the planet after everyone else had left. I imagine that this meeting is for that.”
She nodded, “You are correct. I was under the impression that you were temporary and had been transferred out months back.” She smiled lightly, “Perhaps I misjudged you at first. You seem much more intelligent and combat-proficient than I was led to believe.”
“Thank you Ma’am.” 'I think' Frost nodded, speaking to himself in his head, “I have a good amount of experience in combat, and have had to learn these things.”
“I noticed. However-” She was cut off.
The ship rocked slightly, and an alarm and orange lighting came on. The alarm was surprisingly quiet to Frost.
“Bridge to Captain Sa'kil, we have boarders! A ship was cloaked from both radar and visuals and has made contact with the lower deck!” somebody yelled through a module in the table.
The Admiral, who Frost finally learned to be named Sa’kil, pressed a button on the module.
“Message received, Bridge. Send forces to neutralize the threats and take the ships for capture. We need to find how they cloaked themselves.” She responded, looking at the panel.
“Received Captain, Bridge off.” The voice said before the connection was terminated.
Sa’kil nodded, then looked up at the soldiers in front of her.
“You are all dismissed, go deal with the threat, then go back to the surface of the planet and await orders.”
Everyone nodded, then stood up.
“Except you.” Sa’kil said, pointing at Frost, “You need to stay here for a moment.”

While being raided by paparazzi at an airport earlier this year, SZA revealed that she had completed roughly a hundred songs since releasing Ctrl in 2017. In response, the interviewer stated, “you gotta drop all one hundred, girl.” Although SZA did not completely humour the starstruck fan, SOS, the singer’s latest album, contains a whopping 23 tracks. There’s a cameo from Phoebe Bridgers, a stadium-sized pop-punk chorus, and shades of chipmunk soul, the eclectic collection of ideas never truly gels together neatly. Even Good Days, a song released nearly two years ago, is present on the album’s final version, its inclusion illustrative of just how many different creative phases SZA is trapped in on SOS.
That’s not to say that these experiments aren’t effective as isolated moments, however. SZA’s airy, half-sung-half-rapped verses on Kill Bill, and her creepy whispered raps on Low, point at a possible future career more closely intertwined with hip-hop for the singer, assuming SOS isn’t truly her last album. But in the album’s broad scope, these jagged pieces have no place. Worse yet, when SZA isn’t trying to break away from familiar territory she instead retreads tired tropes.
On SOS, SZA sings of erotic love, feelings of isolation, and her spite for her exes, topics you’ve heard her cover before, and with significantly more specificity. No song here comes close to mapping out SZA’s carnal desires with the intensity of a Love Galore, a stand-out from Ctrl. In fact, when she and Travis Scott are reunited on Open Arms, the energy is flat and the dialogue dull. On the Swiftian-shaped Nobody Gets Me, SZA offers a true-to-life account of her fall out with her fiance, but the line, “You proposеd, I went on the road/You was feelin' empty so you lеft me,” is the song’s only affecting moment.
Nowhere is SZA more short on fresh ideas than on her choruses. For the first 43 seconds of Smoking on my Ex Pack, SZA is riled up as she humiliates an ex. Just as she lets out her last, and most venomous remark, “You hatin' from nosebleeds, I wish you well,” her savage demanour is unraveled by a sugary, lightweight hook. The song’s two halves never quite fall into place. On Gone Girl, a sense of calm washes over SZA as she coos “Inward I go when there's no one around me,” atop peppy piano keys. It’s a direct, candid line that explains how the singer finds light in dark situations and one that should’ve replaced “Gone, gone girl,” as the backbone of the song’s chorus.
Even when SZA doesn’t have a whole lot to say she at least finds ways to say it in an interesting manner. Her radiant, feathery falsetto is her greatest asset. On Seek & Destroy it turns her destructive tendencies playful, “Now that I've ruined everything, I'm so fuckin' free.” She sounds giddy to have exacted revenge on a man that once controlled her. And if there’s any positive to all the genre-bending SZA does on the album, is that she broadens her already absurd vocal range as she shuffles through styles that require her to perch in a lower register. Ghost in the Machine, a well-coordinated collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers where SZA adopts the singer’s ghostly murmur, is the most pleasant surprise.
Equally engaging is the bounce of the synth motif of Notice Me. Unlike so much of the production on SOS, which simply cradles SZA’s voice so as not to risk interrupting one of her vocal runs, it shadows her acrobatic singing, reinforcing her melodies. Despite renewing long-time collaborator Carter Lang’s position as the album’s primary producer, these beats don’t spiral into a medley of chaotic glittery effects like Anything or start and stop sporadically like the psyche guitars of Doves In The Wind. Here, he colours inside the lines, often using only the bare essentials, a warbling synth, and vanilla 808 patterns, to support his singer.
On Special, a response to an ex that played her, SZA sings her words as soon as they come to her, not censoring her agony. During her rant she slips the line, “I used to be special.” It’s accurate in more ways than one. On SOS, her prowess as a lover has been beaten and bruised by so many vindictive lovers she’s exhausted. As an artist, too, SZA seems drained. Her songs were at one point so lush with salacious detail and intricate designs that only SZA could be behind them. SOS, on the other hand, could’ve been made by anyone.
SOS - SZA - 5/10

I need advice. I’ve been doing dips since July (so roughly five months), and in that time I’ve only done maybe 2-3 sets that have lasted a week or more. I do the gel method (Beetles gel liquids and recently GelPolish liquids) due to dip flu, and I’ve tried both full-coverage tips and regular tips (both with regular nail glue - haven’t tried the gel glue), as well as no tips. I really prefer longer nails, but I’m willing to do no tips while they grow IF my dip will stay on and IF this is my only option. No matter what I do, my nails won’t stay on for longer than a few days. I always end up losing at least one nail within 24 hours.
I’ve tried starting with builder gel (Beetles and IBD brands), polygel, and just a regular gel/dip base. I’ve tried to use a dehydrator and a primer (Modelones brand). It didn’t make a difference. I clean up my cuticles, including using a cuticle remover. I file my nails to rough them up before I start.
I typically do at least 3 coats of dip, sometimes more, depending on if I use builder gel or a glitter, etc.. I don’t think thickness is the issue but I could be wrong.
My powders are mostly Beetles, AzureBeauty, CNDesigner Dips, Saviland, and a few Peppi Gel. My light is Beetles and I always do at least one full minute for each dip.
I used to be an avid acrylic nails wearer, and I stopped this year due to my nail girl moving and me not having the time or patience to find a new person, and my work schedule. I would really prefer not to go back to acrylics, but I’ll have to if I can’t get the gel-dip method to work.
Please please please give me any advice you have! I’m willing to try whatever liquids and/or methods you think will work (except for regular dip liquids due to dip flu). If you have specific YouTube videos that will help please link them. I’m desperate. I’ve spent so much money on dip powders and supplies that I don’t want to just be wasted, and I miss having beautiful nails.

I was diagnosed almost 14 years ago. I've been on "all the drugs" and couldn't tolerate any of them. I have currently been managing my symptoms without prescription drugs for over 7 years, so I thought I'd share what I've found works for me. I still have bad days, obviously, (about 6 or 7 per month, usually around ovulation and then my period) where I am more or less bedridden, but the rest of the time I am able to do most of what I want to do. There's a lot of info here, so it's long. Also, I am not a doctor, or medical professional, and as with everything you should consult your medical team before starting or altering your treatments or lifestyle, this is for anecdotal purposes only. (I start with general ideas and then move on to specifics, scroll down if you are interested in a specific section: General Thoughts, Equipment, Supplements, Treatments/Programs, Alternate Techniques/Little Things That Help.)
General Thoughts: The first and best thing I did for myself was cultivate my dark sense of humor. Leaning into and laughing at the "darkness" of it all helps me the most when I feel the most helpless.
Secondly, if you are eligible and can afford to leave work for a few years while you wait on your case to finish, I highly recommend filing for Social Security Disability (USA.) The lawyers cannot charge you up front, their pay is capped, and they usually won't take your case if they aren't 100% sure they can win so it's basically just a waiting game. Also, when your case closes, they back pay you to the first date of your disability. We used my backpay check to put a down payment on our house, and the monthly benefits take off a lot of financial pressure.
Distraction is my Best Friend. I make sure I have tons of hobbies/activities/projects that keep me as mentally and physically active as possible. When I'm stuck in the bed, I'm usually still reading, knitting, crocheting, doing crosswords, playing board/video games with the kids, etc. Staying busy keeps me from thinking/concentrating on the pain too much. CREATING anything, even if you "suck at it" is rewarding and beneficial on so many levels. When I'm not in bed, Dance has always been my favorite thing. My husband installed a dance pole and a ballet bar for me and it really helps keep me stretched and limber.
Support in its many forms is extremely helpful. This one was REALLY hard for my self-reliant, caretaker mentality. Reaching out to my friends and family and being really honest about my condition eventually took so much pressure off. I started a Discord support group for women (in general, not fibro specific) and now we all reach out to each other for all kinds of issues. I kept switching therapists until I found one I really like and mesh with.
Here are other things I do or have found that help: (In an effort to save text, I'm going to try to keep the explanations to a minimum, please google anything you haven't heard of yet)
Equipment: Massage Gun, Foam Rollers, Massage Hook, Heating Pads, Grounding Mats, Ice packs, Epsom Salt for days, Biofreeze (A note on Biofreeze - it's not just a gel that you roll on for pain relief - It's meant to be used WHILE STRETCHING to reduce the feeling of the "burn" of the stretch so you can get a deepelonger stretch.) I also have a portable sauna (LOVE! CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH - Especially when followed up with an Ice Bath,) Red Light/UV/SAD lights, and a Rebounding (Exercise) Trampoline. (Rebounding is great for your lymphatic system. Before I bought the trampoline I would put my hands on my wall and walk in place on my bed.)
Supplements: I get positive results in reducing muscle tightness taking Vitamin D, Magnesium, Potassium, CBD, and DIM (basically broccoli in a pill - cruciferous veggies are great for you but I can only eat so much broccoli and cauliflower.) I'm 43 and staring down the barrel of The Change and I've found Vitex and Black Cohosh help with the mood swings and hot flashes. I have a lot of digestive system issues with my fibro so I take 2 immodium and a simethicone every morning and chase it down with a glass of Metamucil (not the best, but OMG it makes such a difference in "slowing my system down" so everything doesn't just blow through me. ) On that stomach note, when it gets where I can't really eat or don't have an appetite, I always keep Ensure or Boost drinks handy because I can chug them pretty quick and they have at least some calories and nutrients. Also, there is a herbal company called Urban Releaf that makes an aromatherapy "chemo relief" inhaler that works wonders for nausea.
Treatments/Programs: Highly recommend acupressure massage/trigger point massage. You can go to a massage therapist or learn to do this at home. I love, love, love "A Little Book of Self Care: Trigger Points" by Amanda Oswald. It is comprehensive and well explained and illustrated. I have had success with acupuncture and cupping, however, lately my Eastern Medicine Practitioner has been performing Gua Sha on me and it has been the most useful treatment so far. It involves scraping the knots with a special tool. It has kept me more loose than the other treatments.
This is going to sound weird and possibly horrible to some of you but I can say with certainty that the following is EXCELLENT for that overall body pain where I just feel like my blood is "toxic" or something and I feel so much better after doing this: A Coffee Enema. I follow the exact instructions outlined in The Gerson Therapy. Don't knock it 'til you try it!
Something I do when I need energy and I want to feel Peppy and kind of "high" (lol) is IF - Intermittent Fasting. (Or TRF, or Water-fasting.) The longest fast I ever did was 100 hours and I felt like I was FLYING for almost the whole second half, an amazing feeling. I don't always have the mental capacity for it though, haha, I like cheese too much. Sometimes I'll do a FMD (Fast Mimicking Diet, instead.)
A quick note on diet: We all know we should eat healthier. All I will say is I do try to include as much of the following in my diet: Garlic, Onion, Black Pepper, Cumin, Turmeric, Cayenne, Cruciferous Veggies and Berries.
Alternate Techniques/Little things that help: Any kind of Breathwork: Square Breathing, "Ragged" Breathing, Pranayama Breathing, Hypoxic Breathing. (REALLY finding a lot of benefit in hypoxic breathing personally.) I also frequently use -the 4-7-8 breathwork method for sleep. I try to actively avoid "mouth-breathing" apparently it's really bad for you on several levels. On a semi-related note, Singing (doesn't matter if you are bad at it,) Belly Laughing, and Emotional Crying are all good for several body systems. There is a psych trick I employ a lot when I'm angry or stressed called The Half Smile. There are low aerobic, low impact "exercise philosophies" that employ breath techniques with exercise (and sometimes other therapies.) I use techniques from all of the following: Qigong, TaiChi, Yoga, Wim Hof.
"Tapping" and "Touch for Health" are both body reset techniques that really help in a pinch. Same with Aromatherapy (Lavender, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Rosemary, Ylang Ylang are my favorites) and Sound Treatments (Tibetan or Crystal Singing bowls, tuning forks, drums, chanting, etc.) All of these are great for when I'm "having a moment" and need to get back into some Clarity. (Even 30 seconds of a drum or chant video on youtube helps a lot.) Consider frequency videos as well, experiment with different sounds on different frequencies. (Hertz)
Touch Therapies: Hands-on healing, like Reiki, Pranic healing, "Healing Touch", etc. But, ALSO, just Hugs from family/friends, holding hands, cuddling. Closeness is a powerful healing tool. (Sometimes I'm too sore to hug so my close people know to ask first, and if I'm too sore they just will tap, tap, tap me lightly somewhere which means "I. Love. You.")
Daily Orgasms. At least once a day. By myself, or with a friend. (Endorphins, ftw.)
Grounding/Earthing. and also SUNSHINE. I Cannot Express Enough how important this is. GO OUTSIDE. I Always feel better in the sunshine, even if it is cold. I always feel better with my bare feet on the Actual Ground. THAT SAID, I hate the cold, lol. So I made the investment into UV/SAD lights and grounding mats for inside my house when it's winter. Also, Random Pro tip: I have a more productive and better day if I go for a short walk or even a short drive to nowhere and back first thing in the morning.
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE/100% RESPONSIBILITY. Again, Super Hard. "I cannot always control my disease but I am 100% responsible for how I FEEL about my diagnosis." Sometimes, I have NO CHOICE but to *just* Lean In to the Ridiculousness. Embrace the Suck. Forgive. Forgive others for not understanding or being frustrated. Forgive myself for feeling "less than." Forgive my illness, even. It is What It is. Which brings me to...
Self Love. Forgiving myself and my Body for it's betrayals is a constant battle. It is no less than a CONSTANT CONVERSATION with myself. I highly recommend researching Neuro Linguistic Programming and implementing whatever self care routines you can. Mine are herbal baths and plenty of time in my gardens. I'm also very particular about my media intake. I am highly emotionally affected by the media I watch/hear so I make sure to balance dramatic/sad articles/shows/songs with plenty of upbeat, wholesome, or comedic media as well.
Spirituality/Religion. Personally, feeling that there is something "Greater" than me, greater than this existence, is comforting and also gives me another emotional outlet. Like an imaginary friend that's always there. "Spirituality is different from religion and can take many different forms. Practices could include prayer, meditation, or mindfulness. You may choose to attend worship services, or community events, or keep your practices personal and private. There is no "right" way. " It's merely communing with your energetic space in some way. "
Lastly,
I never give up hope. I never stop trying to find the next thing that might help, the next thing that might give me some, even momentary relief. Within the next year I hope to spend time trying Biofeedback, HRV, and cryotherapy to test the potential benefits.
It's also worth noting that I am fully aware of the extent of my privilege. I know a lot of you won't have the financial ability, time, or lifestyle to pursue some of these treatments/suggestions. I offer them up only as a reference and resource. I wish the best for ALL of You, My Fibro Friends. I Wish for all of you to have Your Best Life. Feel free to ask questions. I will get to them as often as I can.

So I recently got into dip. I have a few Peppi Gel colors, and a lot of AzureBeauty (inexpensive on Amazon). I of course want every color in existence now! So far I like both brands I have. But my question is: are all powders created equally? My first instinct is to keep purchasing inexpensive “kits” from Amazon, but I also don’t want to waste my money if they end up sucking. Not sure if it matters for different powders, but I use gel liquids because I developed dip flu when I used the dip liquids.

Hi Everyone! I was wondering if anyone has had this issue and maybe had a dupe they tried and loved?
I’ve been doing my own nails for years. Anything from acrylics to Gel polish and I recently got into Dip powder. I liked the strength of acrylic with the ease of gel polish. I am extremely rough on my hands so nothing short of going to the salon would keep anything on my nails for more than 4 days. I was using ASP dip powder from Sally’s and was pretty “meh” about it.
I saw Peppi on Facebook and got the starter kit and LOVED it! It lasted 14 days on my nails! Pleasantly surprised. What I didn’t count on though was an asthmatic reaction 2 hours after I did my first set. It went away overnight but was not pleasant. I thought that was weird, since I never had a reaction like that. I did nothing else before bed that would have triggered it. Did my nails in a wide open area with air flow.
I just did a second set on me last night and used my husbands painting respirator to see if anything changed. Nails looked great- I was happy. Then two hours later I had another asthma attack, but MUCH milder than the first time.
Has anyone else had this reaction and then tried another brand that they ended up loving that didn’t give them the reaction? I love the dip system since I don’t have time to sit and do acrylics anymore and would love to keep doing it.
Or am I doomed to keep doing my nails every 4 days? Lol!
Thank you!

I originally intended on watching it shortly after its release in April of 2020 on Netflix, but after hearing so much bad about the animation and reading negative reviews, ended up not watching it and lamented a lack of "true" continuation of the SAC storyline. Over a year later, I realized that my impressions were incorrect and finally learned that SAC_2045 was a direct continuation of the SAC universe after Solid State Society (seems like I was not alone in my impressions and many folks still are under the impression that it's a reboot!). With that in mind, and also having enjoyed another Kenji Kamiyama-directed CG series that received much negative reception in Ultraman, I decided to finally give SAC_2045 a shot.
I was pleasantly surprised and drawn into the series enough that I ended up marathoning the series over a couple of days. Unusually, contrary to others, I actually enjoyed the first half of the series better than the second half, as I felt that the second half retreads ground touched on in the first two SAC seasons and dives into technobabble surrounding the "post-human" business without enough setup and motivation for how the crisis came to be. I do think that this is where the Netflix-driven push of anime towards 13 episode cours (and economic patterns at large of course, so not all Netflix's fault) will result in unfortunate trade-offs in terms of the amount of time directors and series composers have to orchestrate complex plots. I definitely can't imagine the entirety of 1st or 2nd Gig under 13 episode constraints. I had fun with the first half's self-contained "heist plot/one last job"-style premise.
In terms of more dislikes, certainly agree with the general consensus that the animation is lacking, particularly for the background characters and setting, which made LA and Fukuoka look very lifeless, but was able to get used to the character animation about three episodes in. Also, I was bummed about Motoko's updated character look following her masterful hair-do designed by Makoto Shimomura in the 2D-SAC entries. I felt that Makoto Shimomura's designs were one of the best things about SAC. Makoto's design married Motoko's manga origins and 80s action hero with cyberpunk in a manner that ended up feeling unique and timeless to me (my favorite Motoko design by far out of any of the GitS incarnations). Ilya Kuvshinov's refresh to me manages to make Motoko look more peppy, immature, naive, and generic, and coupled with the excessive hip wiggle, she doesn't look world-weary and appears overly energetic. It takes Atsuko Tanaka's smoldering voice to counter the look and remind one that this Motoko is the same one from SAC. It definitely makes sense that full cyborgs would change their look and body over ensuing years and I also wonder if this update is a call-back to the manga, when Makoto uses parts from generic models to not stand out as much, but I really wish that Motoko kept her original SAC hair. I think this also would have been a stronger indicator of continuity and clued into to all the confused people like me that SAC_2045 was a direct continuation.
Purin was not a welcome addition to the cast for me (and another reason why I enjoyed the first half more) and her Batou-crush was really annoying. Batou is a cool dude as usual, but I still don't get what the hell happened at the end of his spotlight episode with the seniors. It was a fun episode (the escalation of the seniors pointing a gun at each other may have been my favorite part of SAC_2045 and balanced the heaviness of financial devastation of seniors with a farcical touch), but I have no idea how the seniors were able to cash out without being caught. I feel like there should have been some hand-waving in a subsequent episode with Batou getting in trouble, but governments bailing him out because of operational secrecy/Batou's importance, etc. Even for an incompetent police division, the entire thing would have felt fishy as fuck, with the assailants fleeing without a trace, the corrupt banker somehow sending the cryptocurrency transaction during the hostage situation while he was with his mistress, and ex-military Batou just waving the white flag to his hostage-takers. I suppose the music is decent and does its job, but also sometimes feels like a watered-down imitation of Yoko Kanno's previous GitS soundtracks, and I wonder whether licensing issues and contractual terms or whatnot prevented the re-use of any of Yoko Kanno's tracks. There's a track that feels like a stripped-down version of Run Rabbit Junk. Not to say that Yoko's work by default is better over that of other composers, especially knowing her past issues with plagiarism, but I felt that her previous work was a great fit (and continues to be) for the SAC universe.
Also, I'm disappointed that Kenji and Shinji went back to a version of the nude-robot-assembly montage for the OP. The 1st and 2nd Gig SAC OPs were great. Why go back to this thing that has been so overdone at this point?
Despite my complaints, I'm ultimately glad I experienced any more SAC I found passably entertaining at all, and I hope the second season improves on some of the established issues. It feels clear that SAC_2045 was cheaper by far to make than 1st and 2nd Gig, and perhaps the lower cost and sacrifices were necessary for getting anything out. At the end of the day, it was good to have the Section 9 cast together again with their chemistry intact, and the character interaction writing is great and like seeing old friends. You can do a lot of wrong, as SAC_2045 does, but as long as you don't wreck the chemistry and friendship between Batou and Motoko, the show can go on. Also, animation complaints aside, the action is really solid, and the sound-design during the action is heavy and rattling.
I do wonder what pressures and demands Netflix required of Kenji and Shinji, and wonder whether any of that gets loosened for Season 3. I do hope more people gradually watch the show to encourage one more full season after SAC_2045, as I feel like the show at least has that much left, especially with SAC_2045 overall being a little weaker and less substantive. When collaborators get back together for a project after a long time away and add newer contributors, it may just take time and output before the team is able to gel again and hit a groove.
I wonder what SAC_2045 will be referred to as in the long term -- 3rd Gig?
Osamu Saka, who voices Aramaki, is 90 fucking years old! We won't get too much of him left, so am grateful to enjoy his voice while he's still around. I'm surprised by how many lines he has, given the strain of seiyuu recording sessions. Hopefully, he's able to do this one more season of SAC_2045 and then, they'll be able to write Aramaki's character out if there is a continuation in the saga, since I can't imagine anyone else voicing him. It seems like Aramaki is the only role that Osamu Saka is active on now and probably reprising as a favor to the production team. Atsuko Tanaka is close to 60! Legend.