hey there out there. So the day is already dragging on and I am hoping to find someone to start talking to. Hopefully it becomes something long term but we will have to see how it goes. A little bit about me
-I enjoy playing videogames. Lately been going through Elden Ring again, also a very big fan of mass effect. -I love to eat. Like all kinds of food. and I love to try new kind sof food -i like to travel. I have left my country a few times sti se different countries and I enjoyed every moment. I don't judge at all. I like to bring positivity where I go. I am a bit shy thought so it might take a moment for me to warm up though. We can talk more and get to know each other better. hope to talk to you soon

helo! my name's becca (she/her), i'm a very anxious person so i might struggle to hop right into a vc but i'd love to at least start to chat with some people over text and hopefully play some games! :3 i pretty exclusively play on pc, i really like fromsoftware games (dark souls remastered is my favourite but i have most the soulsbourne ones!) and mmos like world of warcraft and ffxiv etc! i really like terraria and the diablo games too, i might get iv but blizzard doesn't make it easy to want to play their games :,) basically any game where you can create your own character and make your own build to take into coop is very much my thing (bonus points if i can figure out a healer build >.>)! ideally i'd love to talk to people closer to my age since i don't get much of a chance in the games i play usually but i'm not too picky! ;3 i also love music and i play piano and guitar, i've been trying to get better at singing too! sorry for rambling a bit, ty for reading and i hope you're having a wonderful day :3 <3
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ps i'm in the eu (bst) but i'm sure i'd be able to figure stuff out server-wise!! :>

How can you work out (without excel) if a lower dps weapon is actually better as it offers +% damage In certain situations? I'm assuming attack power doesn't take those affixes into account? For example +% to cc targets.

Still looking for that 10/10. Maybe it’s you?
I wanna talk about food, the dumb stuff you did today, our mutual appreciation for rear ends, and why cereal is the best late night snack. I like gin, cool words, watching food network and pretending I can cook, all of the worst movies, and making bread. Tell me something awesome about you, something crazy you've done, play a drinking game with me, or discuss whether a grilled cheese or a taco would win in a fight. Let's hang out and be pals.

I’m mad about so many things. Here’s a short list.
1) We share a car (my car) because he got into an accident with his and didn’t have insurance so we had to pay $10K to the other parties insurance company and lost his car. I’m angry because he had recently moved provinces and I asked him to go handle everything at the ministry multiple times and he brushed me off and then it turns out the insurance renewal got sent to his old house and he didn’t get it or ever check up on it so was uninsured for months.
2) The $10K we had to pay? He told me we didn’t owe anything and that he spoke to them. A year later he gets fired from his job and in the same conversation let’s me know he actually owes $10K and they’re going to take him to court if he doesn’t make a payment plan and initial payment immediately. When I ask why he lied to me he just says he didn’t know how to tell me. Except you didn’t just hide the amount owed, you lied right to my face multiple times when I asked about it.
3) I had PPD after our second child and he didn’t step up and anytime I tried to talk about how hard it was he just told me everyone’s tired and I needed to get over it.
4) Last night I put one kid to bed and he put the other to bed. Afterwards I came to the living area and started cleaning up and he fell asleep with the kid. No problem. Then he wakes up and comes out and starts asking why I’m so angry. I’m confused because I’m literally just listening to music and cleaning the house. No I’m not super smiley but I was like this before he walked out, it’s not directed at him. But now I’m getting annoyed because he keeps asking why I’m angry and why I’m cleaning if I’m mad. Like?? There aren’t special fairies that come out and finish putting toys away and loading the dishwasher just because I didn’t want to. I just want to clean up and then decompress and go to bed but apparently I need to be happy all the time while I do it??
5) this morning he’s heading to work (he usually works in his office in the basement or his coworking space which is walking distance) and asks what I’m doing. I’m not sure yet, might go to story time or the museum or the park. He keeps asking what we’re doing and what time. Like I don’t know. Nothing is even open yet and the 1 year old has an irregular nap schedule. We’ll go when we go. Why does it matter what time?
And then he’s like “well I need the car so I need to know what time you need it”. Could you not have started with that???? Does it need to be an interrogation? You could just say “hey I need the car today from x to x time” and I’ll adjust. Then sarcastically he’s like “okay this morning I’m taking the car to work”. Like I don’t need this sass or an interrogation. Also how am I supposed to plan around you having the car if you don’t tell me you need the car??
6) I bought a Bluetooth keyboard to use with my iPad because he got a new job a couple years ago and needed my MacBook to do it. I thought his job was going to provide one but it’s been 2 years so my computer is his now. While I’m setting up the Bluetooth keyboard he’s asking why I need it. So I tell him I miss writing and I’m thinking of doing a Coursera class so it would be nice to have a keyboard. He asks why we can’t budget to buy me a computer even though he’s well aware we have no extra money and life is only getting more and more expensive.
7) he set up his life insurance for his new job and put his siblings down instead of me and the kids because he thought it meant guardianship. Even though his siblings are not our chosen guardians… I found out when I logged in to make a prescription claim and checked over all the details
Honestly I could go on and I’m sure he has a list about me but I just don’t know how to move forward from here. Lately I find I’m happiest when he’s travelling for work and not here.
There are good times too and he does help clean the house, and cook, and will take the boys to the park so I can get some time alone on the weekends.
I’m just not sure how to move forward. I hate the way he communicates and I feel like I can’t trust him to handle financial and life matters properly.
Is there a reset button we can hit? Would we better off separated?
Has anyone ever moved past a ton of resentment to have a happy relationship again? And how.

TLDR I'm typing this after the long read below. Ultimately it seems (again to me and I'd like input as to whether or not I need to get out of my own head) like games are relying less on gameplay that stands alone and more on pretty good to great gameplay but also adding pavlovian training on top of that in order to hook players even more heavily.
I noticed it first in Doom 2016 and again in Tears of the Kingdom.
First there are a couple of things that I am talking about when I say "smart phone games".
Those games can be fun in their own right but they often have a dose of Pavlovian mechanics put on top that turn them into dopamine farms.
Lets consider clash of clans. A fun and when it was released novel take on tower defense.
The key elements to it's 'hooks' are it's use of colors, it's use of sounds, and the payoff of beating other players.
When you tap on your gold mine you get the little gold chime. Same for the purple potion factories or whatever they are. At first it's just whatever. But if you beat a few other players you now start recognizing what is needed to keep getting better and then you end up getting hooked.
The colors are the "down" part of the loop and the attacking/defending is the "up" part of the loop.
Both of these things feed back into each other and ultimately create the total loop that is the game.
But how does this relate to doom 2016 and TOTK?
Doom has more compact loops of "down" and "up". Down is after you kill everything. Up is while you're killing everything. The music has taken part of the place of the tapping on gold mines but the effect is the same. And gone are the days of finding an ammo box or floating ammo and instead you're getting some combination of vibrantly colored orbs that replenish your resources.
TOTK is similar but relies much more heavily on a larger breadth of audio ques combined with tons of events sprinkled throughout the map.
Koroks are the "down", the Monster camps are a mid point and the "up" is the bigger quests throughout the game + unlocking the towers. Each thing is an event that trains you to look for more of that same event.

Good day everyone!!
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I'm building a canine genetic calculator. My spreadsheet will randomize a dog's genetic code for its color based on the parents', the write out the final name of the color. For example, to a solid black dog will be assigned the code "KbKb", and through booleans (because my brain doesn't know a better method to do this, sadly) the sheet will display the text "Solid black" in response.
Now, dog genetics are very complex so I have a lot of variables. I have found big issues assigning these genes to names because the characters that specify this genetic code are sometimes compromised of the same letter, and the difference between them meaning A or B is that theyre capitalized or not. A dog with the code "BB" is black while another with the code "bb" is chocolate.
These examples are very simple to fix because those are the only variables (named alleles) in that specific gene, but for other more complex genes such as the one for merle markings the task becomes tortuous. I am curently battling with this one because I cannot find a formula that will let the sheet correctly discriminate what I am inputting.
These are all the combinations possible for the merle gene along with the text they are supposed to display.
This is the part of the sheet that booleans the input code and translates it into the name to be displayed.
The issue I have run into is that my formulas lack either a) the ability to discriminate between capitalized and uncapitalized codes or b) the ability to read the specified code EXCLUSIVELY.
The sheet will correctly read the code "MhM" as "Double harlequin merle" thanks to the =FIND formula which discriminates capitalized letters, but it will also incorrectly mark as true other codes that include "MhM" in them such as "MhMa", "MhMc", etc. Using =CELL="Code" doesn't allow me to discriminate caps which I do need because "MhM" and "Mhm" are different things and the sheet cannot mix them up. =SEARCH runs into the same problem and I cannot manage to integrate =VLOOKUP into these formulas.
I cannot change the writing of these codes (So I can't do something like differenciating "M" from "m" by switching the last for "m." or the sort) and I need to use booleans because these are chunks of the whole final color name, but I cannot find any formula that fixes these two problems nor a way to work around them. I can share the spreadsheet privately, I would rather not post it here directly, so if you'd like to mess around with it directly please do tell me so I can send a copy to you! Thanks a lot for your time and help :)
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TLDR; I need a formula similar to =FIND that when asked to look for "Apple" will NOT return true if the cell value is apple or Apples.

Hey lads, hope yall had a great weekend and had a chance to just chill out and relax. Mine was super busy but still fun (not so much relaxing lol). Anyway, recently I’ve been super into space after finally getting around to watching Interstellar… I know im super late but my gf finally got me to sit down and watch it with her lool and it honestly opened up this obsession for me. I’ve been binging space docs, youtube videos, and even the conspiracies of the moon landing etc. Anyone kind of go through the same phase after watching a movie or even Interstellar lol?
You know the obsession is real when you start looking to see if there’s any cool companies in the space industry worth investing in. Does anyone know any good ones? I obvs really like SpaceX (the idea of space tourism is crazy to me) but they’re private and the only way I could see myself investing in them is through a private equity company who already has an investment in them. After doing a little more research into the space space lmao, I really narrowed it down to SpaceX and wanted to see if I could find an investment company who has a good amount invested into them.
After doing some research I found a company that had a really good (early) investment into SpaceX. The company is called Stack Capital who are a company who invests in growth-to-late-stage private businesses. I had mixed emotions about this because I’ve never invested into a company like this before. So I wasn’t sure what I should do. They seem to have a solid leadership team with a bunch of experience which is making me feel a bit a better about everything tho. It seems they invested $5M USD back in 2021, which is actually a month after Inspiration4 sent four private citizens to orbit including Jared Isaacman (the first all private crew). I’m hoping one day that space travel becomes more normalized through companies like SpaceX so I can get up there and see how crazy it is for myself lool.
So like I said I’m really wanting to invest into this sector especially SpaceX and this company seems to have one of the best investments that I could find into them. Anyone know of any other companies with a similar investment on them? I’m not sure how I feel about investing into a company like this either so I could really use some other ppls experiences on this so please let me know if you’ve had positive or negative experiences with companies like Stack.
Portfolio Presentation

Hi! Do you like…Baseball? Games? The highs and lows of being part of a team competing for a championship? What about memes and shitposting?
If you said yes to any of the above then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Major League Redditball! We’re a community of more than 500 people built around a simple concept and we’re headed into our 9th season…
The aim of the game is for the hitter to guess a number that’s as close as possible to the number the pitcher they’re facing has submitted. Bang on? That’s a home run! Close? Maybe an extra base hit! Fail miserably, you’re out!
Since its inception 6 years ago Major League Redditball has been building a community of people from all over the globe and from all walks of life and we’re looking for people just like you to join in the fun. The time commitment is totally up to you - the most basic gameplay aspect takes just a couple of minutes a week - but if you’re also looking to make new friends, work on your coding skills or fancy trying your hand at some graphic design that’s awesome, too.
We’re mostly a discord based group but our games are played on our subreddit fakebaseball. Head over there and check out the sticky post for a more detailed explainer and a link to our Fake College Baseball discord server.
TLDR: If you’re looking for a fun way to spend anywhere from a couple of minutes to a few hours every week, check out fakebaseball! And if you’ve played with us before, why not come back and see what’s changed since last time you took the field?
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(Mod approved, thanks mods!)

Please, feel free to add any events below! Check out the Visitor's Guide for more things to do around town!
Looking to meet up with people? Check out Meetup St. Louis.
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Be sure to continue scrolling past the Weekly Events for Trivia Nights, Live Music, Sporting Events, Local Comedy, and more!
​

• Blues on the Block at National Blues Museum
  • Every Saturday until August 5th
  • Come on down to the corner of Washington Ave. and 6th Street from 4 to 7 PM. Bring your lawn chair!
• Brentwood Summer Beats
  • June 9, 2023
  • Join others for an evening of music in Brentwood Park!
• Cardinals HOF Presents Flashback Fridays
  • June 9, 2023
  • Visit the Cardinals Museum for a candid interview in Sportsman’s Park Theater with 2006 Cardinals World Champion Gary Bennett on Friday, June 9th at 4:00pm.
• Cardinals HOF Presents Saturday Signings
  • June 10, 2023
  • Saturday, June 10th is Saturday Signings with 2006 Cardinals World Champion Gary Bennett from 10am-12pm in the Cardinals Museum!
• Central West End Cocktail Party
  • June 10, 2023
  • Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Central West End Cocktail Party on Saturday June 10, 2023, from 5-10 PM! Enjoy live entertainment, a cocktail competition, and food and drinks available for purchase from CWE bars and restaurants. Grab your friends and family for a fun-filled evening, featuring live music, street performers, fire dancers, roller skaters and more!
• Cherokee Pop Shop
  • June 10, 2023
  • Join others at the Rita Ford Community Center, where talented artisans will gather to showcase their handmade goods, art, fashion, jewelry and more. This is a perfect opportunity to discover new artists, support local businesses, and connect with the vibrant community of St. Louis. With live music, food & drink trucks, the Cherokee Pop Shop is a must-visit event for anyone who loves creativity, community, and shopping.
• Chess at the Brewery
  • Every Wednesday
  • Local meetup group of chess players that meet at breweries on Wednesday nights. They rotate locations each week.
  • See their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chessatthebrewery/) for the location this week.
• Chihuly in the Missouri Botanical Garden
  • Running until October 15, 2023
  • The work of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly is coming to the Missouri Botanical Garden in a stunning exhibition uniting art and nature. With thousands of pieces of blown glass forms in 20 dramatic installations throughout the Garden’s grounds, Chihuly in the Garden 2023 presents these artworks on a grand scale
• Circus Flora presents "Undercover"
  • June 1 - 25, 2023
  • This summer, Circus Flora enters the daring world of espionage! With nods to beloved spy stories throughout the years, Undercover introduces the world’s top double agent who faces an archvillain obsessed with world domination. Our spy has plenty of helpful allies – but the villain has a team, too. Will good overcome bad . . . and how? Aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, and comedians will craft this thrilling story, which will captivate your whole family!
• City Social on Washington Avenue
  • June 9, 2023
  • City Social, downtown St. Louis’ ultimate summer block party, returns on June 9 from 4 to 9 p.m.
  • Free and open to all, the event will take place on Washington Avenue between Tucker Boulevard and 14th Street. This is your chance to kick back, relax and enjoy live music with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.
• Family Night with Fredbird
  • Wednesdays
  • Join others at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar for Family Night with Fredbird on select Wednesday evenings this off-season! Bring your family down for games, prizes, and meet Fredbird from 6:30-7:30pm.
• Ferguson Farmers’ Market
  • Every Saturday
  • Enjoy live music and special events in a festive family atmosphere, and discover a wide variety of edible delights, including homemade jelly, farm fresh eggs, honey, spices, and meats. You’ll also find an ever-changing array of gift and specialty vendors, selling everything from cut flowers and bedding plants to hand-painted artwork and small-batch soaps.
  • If it’s homemade, handmade or fresh and tasty, you can buy it at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market.
• Golf the Galleries at The Sheldon
  • June 9, 2023
  • Join others for the 6th season of this playable, artist-designed, nine-hole mini golf installation, designed to be inclusive, family friendly and accessible. All proceeds from Golf the Galleries support The Sheldon’s visual arts programming, offering opportunities for local and national artists to share their work with the St. Louis community through free gallery exhibitions and educational programs.
• Juneteeth Celebration in the Delmar Loop
  • June 10, 2023
  • Expect live art demonstrations, including a community mural painting; animated performances from the Red and Black Brass Band, DJ KP and more; bounce houses, face painting and other activities for the whole family.
• Karaoke Wednesdays at HandleBar
  • Every Wednesday
  • Browse the catalog and find your favorite songs to sing! Songbookslive.com/stlredcarpet
• Karaoke Wednesdays at Mack's Bar & Grill
  • Every Wednesday
• Lafayette Square Summer Concert Series
  • June 3, 2023
  • As part of Lafayette Square’s free summer concert series, Power Play Band will perform in Lafayette Park on June 3. Spanning genres such as jazz, classic rock, R&B, swing, Latin and pop, Power Play does it all! Gather friends and family, pack food and beverages, and don’t miss this lively event.
• Landmarks Downtown Walking Tours
  • Every Saturday
  • Landmarks Downtown St. Louis Walking Tours: History, Culture, Architecture, and Exercise: What could be better on a Saturday morning?
• Open Mic Night at Schlafly Bottleworks (Maplewood)
  • Every Wednesday
  • Join others every Wednesday evening and showcase your talents with our Open Mic Night! Open sign up begins at 6:30PM with music starting at 7:00PM. They welcome original material, covers and spoken word! Grab a beer, then play and listen every Wednesday! There are no cover charges and no drink minimums to attend.
• Picnic in your Park at the Arch
  • June 11, 2023
  • Join others at the third annual Picnic in Your Park. Picnic in Your Park raises awareness and critical funds for their mission of park conservation, preservation, education and community programs.
• Rockin' the Riverfront at the Arch
  • Every Friday & Saturday
  • Gateway Arch Park Foundation presents a new series, Rockin' the Riverfront, to bring fun, summer-long, family-friendly entertainment along the St. Louis’ Riverfront to enhance your trip down to the Arch, riverboats and surrounding parks!
• Sensory-Friendly Family Night at the Missouri Botanical Garden
  • June 5, 2023
  • Explore, discover and experience the beauty of the Missouri Botanical Garden at this family-friendly event, which allows children and adults with sensory-processing needs to experience the attraction in a secure environment.
  • Attendees will be able to participate in hands-on activities, play in the Children’s Garden and explore the indoor Brookings Exploration Center, which features a calming corner.
  • Musical guest Low Rent District will perform during the event, and Different Dynamics will join for interactive music activities.
• Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night
  • May 31 - June 25, 2023
  • Often regarded as William Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, Twelfth Night is bursting with romance, music and high times.
  • Shakespeare in the Park is free to attend; no reservations are required. Just show up with your blankets, chairs and picnics and find a spot on the lawn. Shakespeare Glen opens at 6:30. Food by Steve’s Hot Dogs is available for purchase, and drinks by STL Barkeep.
• Soccer Pre-Match Street Party at Schlafly Tap Room
  • June 10, 2023
  • Join others before every City SC home match for a Street Party with the St. Louligans Soccer Supporters Group. They will block off the street next to the Tap Room (now known as Louligan Street) so fans can enjoy good beer, great food, music and fun before they march over to the stadium together.
• Soulard Farmer's Market
  • Wednesdays - Saturdays
  • Soulard Farmers Market is located at 730 Carroll Street in St. Louis, Missouri, a half mile north of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The market is open Wednesday through Saturday, year round. They feature locally grown and shipped in goods, including: produce, meats, cheeses, spices, gourmet kettle corn, flowers, baked goods, and general merchandise. There are also several different eateries that have many food options, which allows customers the convenience to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink while shopping.
• St. Louis Soap Box Derby
  • June 11, 2023
  • The All-American Soap Box Derby is a youth racing program, which has run nationally since 1934. Hosted by the St. Louis Jaycees, the regional St. Louis race has been held each June on The Hill for more than 15 years.
• Summer Beer & Food Pairing at the Biergarten
  • June 9, 2023
  • This beer and food pairing at the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten will get you ready for summer.
  • The meal begins with pineapple-chicken kebabs paired with Beach Bum, a combination of Kona Big Wave Golden Ale and Mango Cart, and a summer solstice salad accompanied by Stella Artois Solstice Lager. The entrée will be Spanish paella paired with Cutwater Lime Margarita, followed by a dreamsicle float for dessert and a NÜTRL Orange Hard Seltzer to wash it down.
• Sunrise Yoga at Kiener Plaza
  • Every Tuesday
  • Awaken your body and bask in the morning sunlight! This gentle yoga practice is designed to energize and align your body and mind through movement and breath. Bring your own mat/towel and water bottle.
• Thursday Nights at the Museum
  • Every Thursday
  • Kick off your weekend at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park! Each Thursday Night at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. And there are drinks.
  • Join others starting at 5:30pm for happy hour and pop-up activities, such as brief tours, games, and performances. The main stage comes to life at 6:30pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7:00pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8:00pm for you to explore!
• Tower Grove Farmer's Market
  • Every Tuesday & Saturday
  • Join others every Saturday of the 2023 Tower Grove Farmers Market Season. They'll have over 100 vendors with local produce, meat, flowers, eggs, honey, prepared foods, art, jewelry, live music, and so much more.
• Twangfest at Off Broadway
  • June 7 - 10, 2023
  • Twangfest, a nonprofit grassroots music festival presented by Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., returns to St. Louis from June 7 to 10.
  • Held at Off Broadway, Twangfest will feature the best in live Americana, country, folk, pop, rock and soul. This year’s lineup includes Black Joe Lewis, James McMurtry, Nadine, The Waco Brothers and more.
• Whitaker Music Festival
  • Every Wednesday until August 2nd
  • The Missouri Botanical Garden is an idyllic place to listen to live music. On Wednesday evenings throughout the summer, the garden hosts free, open-air concerts as part of the annual Whitaker Music Festival.

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Sporting Events This Week	Attractions Around the Area	Comedy This Week
St. Louis Cardinals schedule	Anheuser-Busch Brewery	Funny Bone Comedy Club
St. Louis Blues schedule	City Museum	Helium Comedy Club
St. Louis City SC schedule	Gateway Arch	The Improv Shop
St. Louis Battlehawks schedule	Missouri History Museum
St. Louis Billikens schedule	National Blues Museum
Gateway Grizzlies schedule	St. Louis Aquarium
Gateway Motorsports Park	St. Louis Art Museum
St. Louis Ambush schedule	St. Louis Science Center
	St. Louis Zoo

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Trivia Nights
Location	Date/Time	More Information
Anheuser-Busch Biergarten	Tuesdays 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
Bar K	Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
City Foundry	Thursdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Joey B's on the Hill	Mondays 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm	Trivia Details
Nick's Pub	Mondays
Felix's Pizza Pub	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
Schlafly Brewpubs (Any Location)	Tuesdays 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Rockwell Beer Co	Tuesdays	Trivia Details (Reservations required)
The Mack	Tuesdays at 8:00 pm	Trivia Details
The Pat Connolly Tavern	Wednesdays at 7:00 pm
The Post	Wednesdays 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Trivia Details
Pieces Board Game Bar & Cafe	Wednesdays	Trivia Details
HandleBar	Thursdays at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Trivia Details
Steve's Hot Dogs	Tuesdays 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Trivia Details

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Live Music This Week
Music Venues	Live Music Around Town
Blueberry Hill Duck Room	1860 Saloon
Chesterfield Amphitheater	BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups
Delmar Hall	Broadway Oyster Bar
Enterprise Center	City Foundry
The Fabulous Fox Theatre	Gallery Pub
The Factory	Game 6 Honky Tonk
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre	Gaslight Lounge
Off Broadway	The Heavy Anchor
Old Rock House	Jazz St. Louis
The Pageant	Joe's Cafe
Red Flag	The Lot on the Landing
The Sheldon	McGurk's
St. Louis Music Park	SoFar St. Louis Secret performances around town
St. Louis Symphony Concert Calendar	Venice Cafe
Stifel Theatre	Yaquis on Cherokee

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Recurring Outdoor Activities
Big Muddy Adventures – STL Riverfront Adventure	Big Muddy Adventures was established in 2002. They are the first professional outfitteguiding company providing access to the wild wonders of the Middle Mississippi and Lower Missouri Rivers.
Gateway Arch Events	There are a variety of things to do along the Mississippi River.
Hidden Valley Ski Resort	Ziplining, scenic chairlift rides, and hiking trails opened during the summer. Skiing, snowboarding during the winter.

Through Lowes' use of automation, they have alienated an entire city from both shipping and deliveries.
My closest store is nearly 90 minutes away, so I prefer to have my items shipped. After going to my cart to check out, it asks for both my mailing and shipping address. After filling it out, it actually changes my city and zip code to a neighboring city. Huh!?
After wasting time trying to trick it into working, I called customer service for help. After explaining everything, I was assured it could be handled. 30 minutes later, I was told she was experiencing the exact issue I was having and couldn't get around it. I was then informed to call the store directly, and of course, they would be able to handle the issue.
Next up is the pro desk. "Yes, we've seen this issue with your town", but since we can't ship there, we would be happy to deliver it to you instead. It would normally cost you $79, but we will do it for $35 for your troubles. After adding the first item to the order, he discovered he wasn't able to mark it for delivery. "Sorry, you should should try calling Home Depot" <<-- (paraphrasing)
So, they deliver to the cities on both sides of us, and have to go through our city to reach the other, but we are, for lack of a better analogy, invisible to Lowes because of some address database it uses
You would hope you could complain to someone to actually have this remedied, but the red tape to get this issue to the right department is a mountain that no one wants to climb. So, Lowes has effectively blacklisted out city.
Isn't technology wonderful? What a joke!

Credit for the original story goes to u/spacepaladin15.
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Memory transcript subject: Tressa, Venlil civilian
Date [Standardized Human Time]: February 30th, 2177
Location: Lower sprawl of City 23, Venlil Prime
If they were spotted, there was little anyone could do to save them. Tressa’s pistol could maybe pick off one exterminator before the rest rushed them down, if his aim was solid and he didn’t fumble the shot entirely. With their current luck, the chances of his final stand making even the slightest difference was slim to none.
What they needed more than anything was stealth, tact. Slip in silently, act decisively, rush out with Beast before anyone could take notice. So when James managed to sprawl out on the sidewalk over a miniscule crack in the concrete and let out a cry of pain that drew the attention of all 3 or 4 other people on the street, Tressa knew they were truly already dead.
He decided not to voice this grim conviction as he helped his human compatriot to his feet. However, James’ slight limp when he got back to walking didn’t exactly lift his spirits. At a time like this, a sprained ankle was effectively a death sentence. If they got caught (when they got caught, at this rate), James wouldn’t be able to run. He alone was now condemned to an agonizing, slow death by immolation that the exterminators relished so dearly.
He’d stick by him, Tressa decided then and there, defending him pistol and claw until the last moment they fell together. As far as dying alongside each other went, burning was... well, it was far from romantic, but he’d take what he could get. Anything would be better than capture.
He’d seen what they did to the ones they didn’t just incinerate on the spot… The thought of James being tortured into one of their empty-eyed puppets, little more than a pet with the shock collar to match, filled his every step with furious determination. If he shot back, they’d be forced to try and kill both of them. It would be a mercy.
His bleak thoughts were silenced by a cloud of dust as Sasha carefully kicked in a dilapidated door. They’d snuck through another war-torn abandoned building, this one an apartment complex, to get a good look at the Tipped Quill before simply rushing Beast. From here, they could form something more resembling a plan of action.
Grabbing a pawful of coat fabric, Tressa wiped grime from the miraculously unbroken window to get a clearer view. He took a look through, and wiped harder. Then wiped his eyes with his other paw for good measure. The sight before him didn’t change.
​
A patrol vehicle sat outside the building, lights flashing and cabin empty. The cycling orange and yellow illuminated the rest of the scene, casting sharp shadows and harsh spotlights on the bare concrete. From his vantage point, Tressa could see the whole street lit in a garish blood-orange glow. It was empty. Not a single exterminator lay outside.
It had to be a trick of the light. Or a trick of the mind. Or perhaps they were already in the burned-out apartment, having spotted the group and lying in wait for the most dramatic moment to strike. He braced for impact. A rapid clicking noise behind him; he nearly drew his pistol before realizing the sound was familiar. It was nothing more than the sound of a keyboard.
While the rest of their group was pressed up against the cleared spot of the window to try and get a look outside, Trish was frantically typing something on her pad. Eyes widening enough to see their whites, she lashed her tail against the crumbling floor tiles to get their attention as she turned her pad around for them to see.
It was a video of the Tipped Quill. Live camera footage; Trish briefly wondered how she’d gotten access. Only briefly, though; the reality of what he was seeing chilled him to the core as soon as it registered, his brief spark of curiosity replaced with a dull, lifeless horror.
Stalking the bar were five figures clad in black combat armor, kinetic weaponry in hand. Exterminator emblems on their backs. One of them, a Venlil, walked up to a crumpled spiky fig…
Burai. One of them walked up to Burai, and just stared. Blue blood pooled beneath its boots, and it kneeled down to get a better look before getting up and walking away, leaving indigo footprints across the once-cleaned floor and flicking its tail in satisfaction. Tressa felt bile rise in his throat, and had to step away before he ruined the pad.
​
Sasha looked a second away from throwing up herself. Trish was seemingly too shocked to even react, simply staring at the pad blankly. James, however, had a gleam in his eyes. Not just tears (although those sparkled in the dim light of the pad as well) but intelligence. The beginnings of a plan were forming in his mind. He moved back to the window, and Tressa followed his motion as he began to mutter, apparently thinking aloud to himself.
"Those… those aren’t flame suits, are they?”
“It’s combat armor. If I tried to shoot them, I’d have trouble taking down a single one.”
“No, no, that’s not what I’m getting at— you think they keep those firebombs in their vehicle?
“I doubt they— Wait. You don’t mean… You think that could work?”
“It’d be fitting if nothing else. Yeah, if we can seal the front door… just need to get Beast out of there quickly before she gets seared as well.”
Sasha stepped over. “What are you two… no. That can’t be your plan. Do you really think they’ll just sit and wait? They can probably just shoot out the door, no matter what you try to block it with. And that’s assuming they haven’t already discovered the Den… although, even using the fire escape would buy us enough time to take Beast…”
“Will one of you tell me what you’re all muttering about over there?”
James wheeled around to face Trish, a cruel smile starting to break across his face. “We’re thinking the Tipped Quill could use a bit of a makeover. The standard exterminator fare, but this time…” His smile widened as he paused for dramatic effect, the spirit of Burai apparently possessing him for an instant. “...This time, they’ll get to enjoy the flames firsthand.”
“...You want to burn it down to kill them. That’s what you’re suggesting?”
Yeah, when she put it that bluntly, it did sound like a pretty dumb plan. They were exterminators; of course they’d know how to deal with fire. Maybe they’d be better off trying to use the patrol vehicle as a—
“I can keep their attention for a moment with the speaker system, when the time comes. Just give me the word.”
—
There weren’t any firebombs in the trunk. Or regular bombs, or even so much as a lighter. There was a storage case for the flamethrowers, but it was predictably empty. Tressa nearly slammed it closed in frustration before remembering their need for stealth.
“Nothing in this box either.” whispered James. “Do they just have their equipment on them at all times? Shouldn’t they at least keep spares somewhere?”
“If they did, we should have found them by now.” Tressa finished rummaging through a secret compartment under a cushion; they packed extra water, ammo, cuffs, even some medications. Everything except for a goddamned lighter. His tail lashed with such frustration that James understood instantly. He leaned out the door to talk to Trish, who was still keeping an eye on cams in case the exterminators found the Den or started approaching the front door.
“Trish, you think you can start some sort of electrical fire? There’s that panel on the wall right behind all the high-proof drinks; a strong spark’d be all you need.”
“Not a chance. The circuit breaker would stop me from doing anything remotely. And besides, those bottles are sealed. The alcohol won’t burn unless they’re broken. Maybe you could throw something at it? Something metal that could cause a short?”
“Throw something? And just… hope I don’t miss entirely, and hope it hits the right spot to cause a spark, and hope I can get out in time?”
“Then by all means, keep looking in there for a lighter. I don’t see any other…”
Trish halted mid-sentence. Her eyes went wide, darting between Tressa and the bar several times before she managed to make a noise. It was hard to call speech exactly, and while there were words mixed in, it held no meaning that the rest of them could discern. It took multiple failed attempts to string together a coherent sentence before she finally forced herself to stop and breathe. After several suspenseful moments spent gathering composure, she finally managed to find the words.
“Tressa, you brought your pistol, right? Do you think… would the panel spark enough if you shot it?”
—
Some part of his mind was vaguely aware of the herd at his back, nervously awaiting his move. Of the cold wind biting at his ears. Of the soft orange lighting, or the chatter he could just barely make out from inside the building, or the frigid door handle. But that part was very small. As far as his conscious mind was concerned, only two things existed. The gun in his hands, and the panel on the far wall. He could already imagine it, even though he was on the other side of the door. He lined up the shot in his head. His grips on the handles in both of his paws tightened.
“Make some noise for them… now!”
Trish clicked something on her pad, and flattened her ears before covering them with a free paw.
The speakers blared a harsh static tone, covering the sound of the door slipping open as Tressa peaked in just enough to take his shot. The exterminators were looking elsewhere, attention captivated by a flickering screen and sensed dulled by the cacophony around them. Despite their ample peripheral vision, none of them noticed as Tressa took aim.
The gun in his hands, and the panel on the far wall. Lower right side was where the cluster of capacitors he needed to hit would be, and that shot would strip right through a bottle of high-proof lureroot gin, the one Burai was always fond of. He forced his paw to stop shaking, twisted his head to get his eye aligned with the sights, and found his mark.
​
The trigger depressed with a satisfying click, followed instantly by the harsh kick and savage warcry as his shot rang out.
​
Tressa rushed to close the heavy wooden door, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the pandemonium he was leaving behind. A violent blue spark gave way to a grand jet of flame as the alcohol ignited. The exterminators wheeled around, apparently not noticing him in the slightest due to the sudden presence of a fire they hadn’t started. One of them started to back up, tail pressed against the ground in panic.
That was all Tressa was able to catch before he got the door closed. Even with his ears buzzing from the shot, he could hear the click of the lock automatically re-engaging. He dove backwards, letting himself fly head over heels for a pawful of meters before righting himself and taking aim at the doorframe with bated breath.
From the other side of the door, he heard a roar of flame. An agonized cry. He steeled himself, preparing for the door to fall away and the wrath of a pissed-off extermination crew to fall upon them like a thunderbolt. His aim was steady, head-level. He held his breath, ready to shoot anyone who made it out.
The sound of fire and the sounds of pain intermingled, one single furious, horrified roar of agony and hatred. There was a noise like a jet taking off. There was a shriek of pain in many voices. The door shook from the impact of a shockwave inside, then jittered violently from the impact of several bodies, fists and claws and boots all trying to break it down. A desperate wave of flesh and fur, slamming against the frame with less strength each time.
There was a noise like pleading, although it could have been the wind.
A few shots rang out from the inside of the bar, a couple piercing through the door. The bullet holes leaked with blood. One final, solitary howl of torture barely distinguished itself from the blaze for a few more seconds before choking out with a final gunshot.
Then, it was just the hushed crackling of flame.
---
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