PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor	$278.95 @ shopRBC
CPU Cooler	Deepcool AK620 ZERO DARK 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler	$88.99 @ PC-Canada
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z690 UD AX DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$219.99 @ Memory Express
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$89.97 @ Newegg Canada
Storage	Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$149.97 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card	Asus TUF GAMING OC V2 GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$599.99 @ Best Buy Canada
Case	Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case	$132.50 @ Vuugo
Power Supply	Corsair RM850e (2022) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$158.40 @ Vuugo
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total	$1718.76
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-10 13:45 EDT-0400

I haven't built a PC before, but I got this list put together by an employee at the local computer parts store. They had some store-specific sales, so the CPU is 25% off that listed price, and the Case and Power Supply come packaged together for 10% off. Before I buy and build it, I was just hoping to double check there's no obvious problems or compatibility issues with it. I mostly game (i.e., Elden Ring) and do game dev (Unity), which I think a build like this should be able to handle. Thanks in advance for any help!

KD debunking BE allowing 4% alcohol. Read "latest research" about no amount of alcohol is safe. video here
KD showed this CNCB news article from 2018.

The global study, which claims to be the most comprehensive of its kind, pours cold water on previous reports that espouse the protective effects of alcohol under some conditions.
While researchers acknowledged that moderate drinking can protect against heart disease and diabetes, they said that the risks of cancer and other illnesses outweigh those benefits and have called for a change in medical guidance.

LOOK: World Health Organization news release dated January 2023

To identify a “safe” level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol “switch on” and start to manifest in the human body.
We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink – the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is – or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,” explains Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

I think the key here and to basically anything in life, is discipline. It's not really rocket science.

Hello. I know just from reading the title you are likely seething with rage and hate for Alexee. Likely you have already down voted this post. I am appalled by the number of people having already convicted Alexee and now want her lynched.
I am equally appalled by the amount of video the public has access too. This has tainted public opinion and makes it almost impossible she will be afforded a fair and unbiased trial based on actual evidence introduced in court. All of the surveillance video from inside the hospital should never have been released. This violates Hippa Laws and a patient's Right to Privacy. "When you use security cameras in a healthcare environment, the video footage that you record qualifies as PHI. As PHI, video surveillance footage must be protected according to HIPAA regulations.Jun 10, 2021"
Alexee was experiencing an acute medical and mental health emergency and the release / leak of hospital video violates her right to doctor patient confidentiality. For those whose blood is boiling what if this was inside an abortion clinic and a teenager was violated by the release of videos in a patient treatment area? Protesters would be enraged and demand action--where is the outrage here?
Based on the facts as currently known (no discovery yet just what is in public domain and can be verified) this is how I would defend Alexee during a trial. I ask you to consider all of the following:
--Innocence until proven guilty in a court of law--the cornerstone of our legal system and society.
I strenuously argue and expect the following be inadmissible and excluded from trial:
>All video of Alexee inside the patient treatment areas of the hospital--both security cameras and police body cameras excluded .
>Police bodycam footage from inside Alexee's treatment room should be Hippa protected. She has the expectation of doctor patient confidentiality. Police knew there was no crime actively happening inside the hospital room at the moment they entered. The question of IF a crime was committed already occurred in the toilet room previous to police arrival and there was no flight risk from Alexee in a hospital room with one way in and out.
Police violated her civil rights by entering her medical treatment room while Alexee was in a hospital bed. Further police by entering her hospital room delayed urgent medical care Alexee required and placed undue stressors on her during a critical moment when per the statements of the doctor she was hemorrhaging.
>At no point was she read her Miranda Rights. Any statements made during an acute medical and mental health crisis inside a treatment room without her being advised of her Miranda Rights cannot be used against her at trial.
--During all video of her in her treatment room and patient hallway areas--as has been so far illegally released to the public violating her Hippa rights-- Alexee was under the influence of pain medicine administered by the hospital.
Pain medicine alters how Alexee feels, her body's sensations, perception of said sensations, mental acuity, mental state, memory and cognitive ability--this is the whole purpose of pain medications. These are indisputable and known scientific facts for decades which have proven pain medications cause all of these reactions which is why every single pain med has strict warnings not to operate machinery, not to drive Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera........ (For those attacking Alexee as mentally deficient, "slow", retarded, "mentally off" and / or view her reactions as not appropriate the hospital had her hopped up on pain medications before she even went to the bathroom. I say shame on anyone convicting her in the court of public opinion under the influence of medication(s) and during an acute medical and mental health crisis.
>Purported pictures of Alexee with her cheer leading team in the grey shirt and holding the megaphone in her uniform. These pictures are all over the internet and have not been verified as authentic. I believe there is a high likelihood these particular pictures have been photo-shopped making them altered fakes. There are multiple indicators of the two most widely distributed photos showing they are not authentic.
The person who took said pictures, origin of the pictures, original metadata and chain of custody of these photos must be discovered and questioned. Once the absolute original files have been discovered, if they even exist, they need to be independently analyzed by a digital photography expert.
I ask everyone to please put the videos you have seen out of your mind as well as it should and will likely be for the jury during the trial. I ask you to consider the following facts as we understand them at this juncture. Use only the following facts to determine if there is any reasonable doubt concerning Alexee and what happened. Even a scintilla of doubt or uncertainty means Alexee should be adjudicated not guilty by a court.
During a trial I argue the following in defense of Alexee:
>Alexee is a teenager. She only recently turned 19. She is inexperienced in life, sex and relationships. Although technically an adult by a few weeks the law is contradictory. She is still in high school due to when she was born and started kindergarten. At 19 she cannot smoke cigarettes, vape or buy or drink alcohol. Society and the law has decided 19 is not old enough to make an informed decision on smoking and alcohol. Her mother treats her as a child.
>Alexee has been treated in such a way by her mother to be ashamed of teen sex and its possible consequences. Her mother despite good intentions created a relationship of shame regarding sex and loosing her virginity. Most teens and even young adults do not share intimate sexual details with theirs parents for many reasons. Consider the added stress the mother has created for years in a misguided attempt to protect her daughter.
People in general but especially children and teenagers deny they did something wrong when accused. A child is observed breaking an item and even though said child knows the parent saw her break the item often will deny they broke it when questioned. There are decades of child psychiatry and doctors to testify regarding this. Those young children grow up to be teenagers and if the parent(s) have not properly handled these learning opportunities at young ages the teenager will have--in this case 19 years--of improper responses of how to handle life.
>Alexee's mother was beaten and abused by her father so badly Alexee was born preterm with hip and spinal problems causing pain on and off her entire life. Imagine the unhealthy relationship regarding sex, men and pregnancy her mother--despite good intentions--during Alexee's life imprinted on a child and then a teen.
>Alexee was taking hormonal birth control pills. We do not know if these were prescribed for acne, menstrual problems or birth control reasons. If prescribed for acne or menstrual problems and Alexee's mom knew she was taking them this combined with her mom's many years worth of admonishment, forbidding and shaming of teen sex and her mother feeling confident her daughter was a virgin--this would create a mental assurance for her mother she could never possible be pregnant.
Likewise, regardless if Alexee was taking hormonal bc with or without her mom's knowledge she would be assured she was preventing any possibility of pregnancy and being safe. Hormonal bc is widely regarded as virtually 100% effective and the best non-surgical option for preventing an unwanted pregnancy. The Pill is the gold standard for being safe and responsible to the point it's common knowledge providing a false sense of security.
The pill is so ubiquitous as infallible even in pornographic videos it is commonplace for the teen or woman to state "pull out I'm not on the pill"--as if she was on the pill it would be 100% guaranteed safe. Teens and even adults are indoctrinated to commonly believe the pill is infallible--even in porn.
We know sex education is lacking in all public schools, her fundamentalist church certainly wasn't providing sex ed, her mom used fear, shame and abstinence as the only approach and her father was a scumbag abuser not even in her life in a meaningful way. Media targeted to teens promotes "safe sex" rarely making a point any bc can fail. It's promoted and considered as an absolute.
No matter how you consider the above facts both Alexee and her mom were very confident there was no way she could be pregnant. Taking the bc pill to Alexee was an assurance she could not become pregnant, she could not disappoint her mom--she was being safe with no risks and in a committed long term relationship. She wasn't "one of those girls" or the school slutt.
>Alexee gained some weight. Everyone knows the Pill can cause weight gain. Its the number one reason teenagers and young women state they don't want to take the pill. There is so much pressure on being thin--especially for a teenager and a high school student going to prom ect. When she noticed she gained some weight of course it was because of the bc pill. She can't be pregnant--of course not--because she's on the pill. How could she be? A quick Google search "can the pill make me gain weight" confirms its common.
If her mom knew about her being on BC this causes no alarms for her mom because not only does she believe her daughter is a virgin she's on the pill and the pill makes many women gain weight.
>Maybe--and we don't know--Alexee was on BC because of menstrual issues. If that was the case then any period irregularities would be explained by known period issues, the pill can make periods light or non-existent in many women so nothing to be worried about if she's irregular, besides irregular periods are common in teens--especially athletes, as a medical fact. It is well known many women bleed during pregnancy at the time when they expect to be having a period so think they are regularly menstruating.
There are even entire TV shows based on the woman not knowing she is pregnant--many are adults in their 30s, experienced in life and many even had previous children!! Plenty of incidents making this fairly common and plenty of respected medical doctors will testify in court to this phenomenon.
>Alexee was treated in the emergency room in December--one month prior--for back pain. The same back pain she experienced on and off her whole life--and the same back pain that would bring her to the ER the night she delivered. She would have been around 32 to 36 weeks pregnant (pregnancy full term is 40 weeks gestation even though everyone commonly thinks 9 months) and at the end of December when seen in the ER. No one, not a single medical professional noticed she was very pregnant while in the hospital four weeks prior to delivering a baby.
>Alexee tells her mom she is in pain in January and needs to go to the ER for treatment. This is significant. If Alexee knew she was pregnant and premeditated killing and hiding the baby from her mom, boyfriend and the world it makes absolutely no sense she would tell her mother she was in pain and needed to go to the hospital. If she premeditated murder and secrecy then she would not have presented herself to her mom in pain and needing medical help. Everyone has seen TV births--although not realistic--there is almost always pain and pushing and then a baby. So Alexee who has premeditated and purposely hidden 40 weeks or pregnancy fooling everyone--her mom, peers, boyfriend, coaches, teachers, nurses and doctors decides to tell her mom she needs to go to the hospital when IF she had realized she was pregnant and consciously hidden and schemed everything!?!?! This makes no sense.
We know for a fact she knew how to do things herself on the "down low". Afterall she wasn't having sex infront of her mom--she went somewhere private to do the deed. If her premeditated plan all along was to knowingly conceal........see where this is going?
>January ER visit considerations:
--Alexee's mom had three kids--makes her very experienced at pregnancy--and has no idea Alexee is pregnant.
>Alexee is seen by and triaged by a registered nurse. She does not notice she is full term and in active labor. The duty of and sole purpose of the triage nurse to identify acute medical conditions needing immediate and emergency treatment--like say heart attacks or active labor.
>Alexee is taken to a hospital exam room and seen by the intake nurse--another registered nurse-- who's duty is and is trained to takes vitals, acquire pertinent information, makes trained medical observations and prepares the patient for possible required exams for when the doctor arrives--all of this on behalf of the doctor.
This nurse does not notice she is full term pregnant and in active labor. Remember that part above "prepares the patient for possible required exams" if the nurse has any indications the issue was in anyway related to female reproductive organs or involved the vagina the nurse would have the patient--Alexee--change into a gown for a possible pelvic exam.
She does not do this--Alexee is not in a hospital gown so another registered nurse experienced in emergency medicine--nurse number two--is completely oblivious to a full term pregnancy and active labor.
>The doctor comes into the exam room. This is a licensed and trained medical doctor specializing in emergency medicine. She speaks with and presumably examines Alexee for her back pain--to do anything less is malpractice. This medical doctor, certified and practicing emergency medicine orders pain medicine administered to Alexee.
We have a trained and experienced MEDICAL DOCTOR that does not realize Alexee is full term pregnant and in active labor. Remember those photos on the internet I discussed earlier and believe them to be faked and photo-shopped? If they were real and she was that visibly pregnant tell me two registered nurses and a licensed medical doctor given the symptoms displayed, age of the patient and the obvious dynamic between mom and daughter about keeping her virginity and you still don't this she is full term pregnant and in active labor.
The dynamic observed between Alexee and her mom the doctor had the DUTY as a standard of car to ask the mother to leave the exam room so she could privately discuss things with Alexee.
>We have all been in the hospital and ER so we all know how this goes. We know another nurse came to administer the pain meds and to administer test(s) order by the doctor. (we also know this by the police interviews of all medical personal involved)
This is nurse number three not noticing a teenage girl is full term and in active labor!!! Not just any registered nurse but the Emergency Room CHARGE NURSE--the head of the nurses in the ER at that time. (he's the male nurse in the videos wearing a skull cap).
>We know one of the tests ordered by the doctor and administered was a pregnancy test. A pregnancy test that results POSITIVE. We have a teen girl patient in extreme pain who is sure she isn't pregnant and is adamant she is not pregnant because I don't believe she thought she was. This patient is in an exam room and you the medical staff and especially the doctor DO NOT immediately return to the exam room to conduct a simple and quick pelvic exam (which doesn't even require a doctor a nurse can do and routinely do pelvic exams).
>Instead the doctor orders an ultrasound. So time passes when a quick pelvic could have been done but wasn't and in comes the ultrasound tech. She DOES NOT HAVE THE PROPER WAND ATTACHMENT TO CONDUCT A PREGNANCY ULTRASOUND. On top of this she is an Ultrasound tech--certified and trained--and even after attempting an unsuccessful ultrasound doesn't realize Alexee is full term pregnant with a baby literally in the birth canal in active labor.
Keep in mind the certified and trained ultrasound tech who has done presumably dozens, if not hundreds, if not thousands of ultrasounds on pregnant women in labor--because ultrasounds are common in virtually every pregnancy--this tech doesn't realize Alexee is full term and in active labor.
We KNOW the ultrasound tech had to pull up Alexee's shirt to expose the skin on her stomach to attempt the ultrasound (because you can't do an ultrasound without skin to wand contact via some snot-like medical grade jelly).
IF the tech thought Alexee was in active labor, full term and close to delivering does anyone not think she wouldn't tell a nurse or the doctor?? "Hey you better check on this girl right now?"
>None of the medical staff even tells Alexee her pregnancy test was positive. Alexee and her mom still have no idea Alexee is pregnant.
>Alexee feels like she needs to use the bathroom--to have a bowel movement. The nurses and doctor allow her to get up, unaccompanied and waddle / run holding her bottom all the way down the hall. Alexee has NO IDEA she is pregnant--has never been told by any medical staff and didn't see the baby on the ultrasound because the tech botched the procedure not having the correct wand.
>Common knowledge to most people--lay people--as a baby enters the birth canal and crowns the woman feels an overwhelming urge to have a bowel movement. We expect even at the lowest and most minimal level of care by registered nurses and licensed doctors to know a woman in labor experiences a sensation of needing to have a BM before the baby is born. Medical facts and training teaches nurses and doctors to instruct the woman to push the baby out as if she was pushing to have a BM. We know virtually every woman has a BM at some point while pushing.
Alexee and her mom still have no idea she is pregnant at this point despite being seen by three registered nurses, an ultrasound tech and a licensed MEDICAL DOCTOR.
The medical staff KNOWS 100% Alexee is pregnant-and has known long enough to send in an ultrasound tech perform a botched ultrasound--and yet the medical staff knowing all of this allows Alexee to waddle-run down a hall holding her bottom, ALONE and be in a bathroom over 20 minutes.
We are so far past medical malpractice on so many levels to the point of gross negligence and blatant disregard for Alexee-the patient. I've seen a lot of cases of malpractice at busy hospitals but nothing has ever come close to the malpractice and willful disregard for patient care and safety as I have learned in this case.
>Alexee, doesn't know shes pregnant, feels like she needs to have an urgent BM. She's on the toilet, shes in pain, pushing feels good because that is what her body is telling her and everyone knows if you feel super constipated with a huge and heavy poop that's stuck as soon as you get it out you will feel better.
At some point Alexee's body takes over--humans are animals--and like animals a body will birth a baby as an automatic process regardless if the mom is ready or not. Regardless if the mom is even conscious or not--after all comatose patients have delivered babies spontaneously.
This is that time.
I know everyone is going to shout but she should have called for help ect ect.
Really think about this and consider:
>Alexee is a teenager, young and inexperienced with her body and womanhood. She only just barely meets the legal definition as an adult buy mere weeks and can't even buy vape or a pack of smokes and she's still in high school. An adult by technicality only she is in high school, acts very immature and has not had any life experiences as an adult.
>Alexee has been to the ER twice in 30 days time and is in the ER at this very moment sitting on a toilet with an incredible urge to poop, she's seen by half a dozen trained medical professionals even just moments ago and she knows they gave her a pregnancy test "just in case" and no one has told her she's pregnant, she's scared to death but in her mind she's on the birth control pill and not a single person at the hospital during two visits has told her she's pregnant. She has NO idea a baby is about to come out. It's not possible to her and based on all we know she has confirmation in her mind time and time and time again she is NOT PREGNANT. In fact, she is on her period she thinks, she sees blood--yes confirmation of period, cramps, pain, nausea--all valid, legitimate and known period indicators. She can't be pregnant as we have established and since she is at the hospital they would have told her if she was. She has back problems, thinks she is on or starting her period and is constipated worse than she has ever been--of course combined these are the cramps and pain from the pitts of hell.
>Experts will testify at some point in that toilet room she disassociates with her body. Now she is in fear, overwhelming pain, anxiety, young with limited life experience. She has been drugged by the doctors with pain medicine which affects her sensations and cognitive abilities and decision making. She wants to yell for help but she can't. There is no voice, no words and no actual realization as to what is happening to her.
>This is NOT unheard of. Fear is a power controller. Every person responds differently. Many people do nothing and totally freeze and are oblivious to external stimuli. History is full of people--aged and experienced adults who are trained professionals in life and death situations who freeze and cannot function or function in a totally illogical way.
--The airline pilot who despite thousands of hours of flight experience suddenly forgets how to fly or simply does nothing. Or does something so incredibly stupid and so contradictory to every bit of training and flying instinct makes the wrong response causing the plane to crash. (Atlas Air B767 / Continental Express Q400 / UPS A300)
--Trained soldiers in battle firing on their own fellow soldiers wearing the same uniform right in front of them but in that moment they kill their friends.
--A veteran police officer responding to a school shooting in Florida so overcome with fear he cannot enter the building to do the job he has trained, practiced and done for 25 plus years of his career resulting in dozens of children dying or injured.
--A respected gray-haired "old salt" ship captain who has crossed the Atlantic hundreds of times in his 50 year career--actually the admiral of the fleet-- who becomes impotent when his ship hits an iceberg and after giving the orders to evacuate disappears from leadership. (Titanic)
The recent Idaho murders the downstairs roommate, who has experienced actual adult experiences living on her own in college, comes FACE-TO-FACE with the killer while her four friends and roommates are bleeding out locks herself into her room, goes to bed and does NOTHING for hours until the net day. This is despite her admitting she heard a pained / muffled scream, moaning, an unknown voice and came face-to-face with the killer POTENTIALLY while the victims could have been saved with immediate medical care. She is defended by society as bearing no burden or negligence because she was young, scared and had been partying so was under the influence of substances.
Wait a minute........so was Alexee. Ironically some of the same people in this very forum who defended the Idaho roommate for being completely without burden by ignoring and going back to bed want to lynch Alexee or lock her up for her entire life.
Can we under all of these circumstances expect a teenage girl who has every legitimate reason to be sure she is NOT pregnant and not in labor expect her to be rational in this moment?
If Alexee herself didn't know she was pregnant, had no reason to expect she was pregnant, was on birth control, her mom who has had three pregnancies doesn't notice, her peers don't notice, her teachers don't notice, her coaches, her church, her boyfriend AND....
TWO VISITS TO THE ER / HOSPITAL 30 DAYS APART
the visit where the birth occurred:
THREE REGISTERED NURSES
ULTRASOUND TECH
EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR / LICENSED MD
If ALL of the people in Alexee's life and ESPECIALLY TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS did not notice or realize she was not only pregnant but in active labor HOW CAN WE EXPECT ALEXEE--a teenager--TO REALIZE THIS WHEN SHE TOOK HERSELF TO A HOSPITAL WANTING HELP?
The hospital and its staff disgust me. They acted with total disregard to Alexee and human life. Not a single nurse or doctor even bothered to try and resuscitate the baby when it was found. Most likely the baby was beyond resuscitation but for medical professionals in a hospital to not even attempt to save the baby after totally botching the standard of care for Alexee up to this point shows how criminally negligent everyone who treated Alexee that night is culpable for the death of a child.
The state has WAY overcharged Alexee. At most she should be facing abuse of a corpse. She needs mental help not jail. She is not likely to ever re-offend.
The ER doctor should be charged with manslaughter and negligence resulting in a death as her level of care was grossly negligent.
My heart goes out to the little boy who is not live--stillborn or otherwise. All life is precious.
So is Alexee and her life. This is beyond horrible for all involved. Every single person in Alexee's life failed her time and time again.
Do not as a jury pr society fail her again and sentence her to life in prison. There is so much reasonable double of premeditation and medical negligence / indifference in this case it would be criminal for a jury to convict her of Premeditated Murder in the 1sr degree.
I pray for everyone involved on so many levels. This case has no winners--only losers . Every single person in contact at any point with Alexee--but especially on the night in question-- and Alexee herself has a heavy cross to bear for the rest of their lives.
The nurses and ultrasound tech should be retrained, put on probation to be monitored making sure they have the skills and judgements needed to care for patients and the medical doctor should lose her license.
Alexee especially as well as her mother and boyfriend need education and counseling.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
​

DISCLAIMER
I almost didn’t post this. Not because I think it’s too wild or doesn’t make any sense. In fact, quite the opposite. The information I present here, which is the result of countless hours spent re-watching videos, listening to audio, and cross-referencing official information, is something that now seems to me to be far too viable not to be correct. I have actually tried to prove this theory wrong and… well basically I can’t. So, please bear this in mind as you read. This could end up being one of those rare occasions when we’re actually onto something. Either way, I hope you enjoy the post.
First point; this is going to be a long post. Given the subject matter, it needs to be. Second point; I have not added any images or videos directly into the post but have instead included a great many links embedded within the text itself. This should ensure that the post is no longer than it needs to be but should still allow you sufficient opportunity to fully scrutinize every part of my theory, so that you can determine for yourself whether or not you think it holds weight.
I have organised all of the information under specific headings designed to make everything more accessible. Each section focuses on a particular aspect of the main theory. Even if you think that some of what you are reading may not be relevant, I can assure you that everything written here has been included as an important part of a much larger puzzle, and so I would advise that you patiently make your way through the entirety of the post. In an effort to ensure that your time invested here is appropriately rewarded, and in the spirit of preserving the scientific method, I have tried to keep flavor text and blind speculation down to an absolute minimum.
Note that I will be listing various aspects of this post as being confirmed correct or incorrect as and when we have official information to verify such facts. So here we are, after five long years of waiting, the inevitable release of Starfield, like the event horizon of some nearby black hole, is almost upon us. With the Showcase now a mere 24 hours away, it is time for us to take a look at what makes this particular game so special, as well as discovering just how we will be given the means to fly among the stars.
And so, without further ado, let us begin.
Hitchhiker's Guide
From watching gameplay footage, and also listening to various devs talk about Starfield, we know that at some along the early part of the story, we will find ourselves on board a Constellation Starship, which is appropriately named Frontier. With us on the ship is VASCO, an adorable robot assistant who will eventually become one of our possible companions. But how did we even end up on this ship? Well firstly, I do not believe that Frontier is our ship, or at least not at first. And so, we’re probably here in the capacity of a ‘guest’ of some kind, or more likely, a hitchhiker.
If we take a look at this scene, we first hear a male shouting “that’s the Crimson Fleet!” and then a female saying “Everybody get ready!” After this, we can see that the group we are with is attacked. We already know that we uncover some kind of unknown artifact whilst mining for ore near the beginning of the Main Quest, and that the aforementioned Crimson Fleet is essentially an organised collective of space pirates. But what we don’t know is why they attacked us. This is not something I will be diving into in this particular post, although I do have some theories about this. But the relevance of the series of events here described cannot be understated, as they seem to be the launching point for our entry into Constellation and the adventures that follow.
Next, if we look a little further, we can see that this seemingly-important member of Constellation is not with us when we arrive at their Headquarters on Jemison, which suggests that he may have been killed during the above mentioned attack. Also note that, in-spite of not having a voiced protagonist this time round, we can clearly hear somebody talking over Frontier’s comms system, which means that there must be a designated pilot. Given the fact that we don’t see anyone who is confirmed as being the pilot (although it may actually be this person), it is safe to assume that this designated individual was with us during the flight but was first injured in the attack on the planet’s surface and was then taken to Medical Bay after we successfully land on Jemison.
It is my belief that, after perhaps being exposed to some kind of energy pulse from a grenade or something similar, the first member of Constellation we see was outright killed (hence why we are then asked to join up ourselves, perhaps to take over his role). The pilot, however, clearly survived as we can hear him talking to Control over the comms system during what is actually an extended two-way conversation, but I think that his vision was somehow compromised so that, even though he is able to speak, he is temporarily unable to see. The good news about this most unfortunate situation is that it opens the door for us to quickly step into the hot seat and, with the pilot acting as our guide, we will experience our very first Starfield flight tutorial.
Radio Chatter
If you listen to the beginning of both the Official Teaser Trailer and Official Gameplay Reveal for Starfield, you will hear both halves of the radio conversation I have referenced above, or at least the parts of it that Bethesda have given us so far. The first of these is spoken by somebody being referred to as Control, and the second by Frontier’s pilot. I previously posted a link to an audio I made and put up on Soundcloud, which gives us all of the confirmed parts of this conversation carefully spliced together and enhanced for clarity. Note that some of the audio, despite these enhancements, is a little hard to make out.
The final, in-game conversation is going to be a fair bit longer than what we have here and will be based on the specific processes that are required before attempting a Grav Jump. I don’t think we will hear this conversation every time we perform a Jump (especially given that our protagonist does not speak), but the first time we experience this early step-out moment, a detailed and appropriate pre-launch conversation will only serve to enhance what I’m sure will be an awe-inspiring experience.
Note that, at the end of this post, I have provided a link to a written transcript detailing what I think is being said in the full version of the above conversation. In the meantime, here is a breakdown of the confirmed parts of this audio. This is slightly different from the version I previously posted, due to new evidence clarifying exactly what is being said here. I have left line-spaces to help show where the missing parts of the audio will eventually go:
PILOT: "Control this is Constellation Starship Frontier."
CONTROL: "Constellation Starship Frontier, we have you on scanners."
PILOT: "We're ready to start on your signal."
CONTROL: "Performing Road Systems check. Helium-3 tanks, check. Seals are intact."
PILOT: "Maintaining Exit Vector course, Steady 'till Ready."
CONTROL: "We are still go."
PILOT: "Coordinates input, plotting Jump course."
CONTROL: "We read you Constellation."
PILOT: "Sky-Bus is converged, we're looking good."
CONTROL: "Jemison route looks good."
PILOT: "Allocating Auxiliary Reactor Power."
CONTROL: "Prepare for departure. Graviton Loop Array Spool, check."
PILOT: "System checks are green across the board."
CONTROL: "Your space Lane is clear."
PILOT: "Grav Jump commencing in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Road-Trip
At first, this seems like a typical, albeit futuristic version of an Air Traffic Control conversation. After all, much of what is being said does sound very familiar, and the rest seems appropriate to Starfield’s apparent Hard Science Fiction theme. But it’s only when you start digging a little deeper that you realize that something else is going on here as well.
Note the following terms taken from the above transcript: Road, Exit, Course, Coordinates, Bus, Route, Departure and Lane. All these words share a very noticeable common theme. They are all in some way related to Road Networks. Note also the phrase “green across the board," which sounds like it could also be a reference to Traffic Lights.
Zooming Along
Next, let’s look at this map, which features the home of a certain Software Development Company you may have heard of. If you zoom out a fair bit, you will see two large Cities, namely Washington and Baltimore. Zoom out a little more, and you can now see the cities of Richmond to the South and Pittsburgh to the North-West. Zoom back in over any of these four major cities, and you will see that there are many more smaller locations within each of the city limits.
Now scroll the map over to any of the areas outside of these cities, and you will find a multitude of other important locations. These include residential areas, airports, medical facilities, sports and leisure facilities, research facilities, manufacturing facilities, tech companies, supermarkets), hotels, places of worship, and many others. All the above locations are important in one way of another to the continued functioning of our society, and all can be placed within two distinct categories. These are Population Centers and Infrastructure.
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Now imagine that there has been some kind of catastrophic flood in this area, and all these locations, although somehow miraculously intact, are now separated from each other as a series of individual islands in the middle of a newly formed ‘ocean’. Suddenly, the existing Road Network, along with any cars, busses, and other road vehicles, would become useless. You would need to use a completely different system, one designed to properly accommodate these changes, which would of course have to incorporate such elements as harbors, shipping routes, and vehicles capable of travelling along a waterway.
Now let’s zoom out again, this time further. Much, much, further. Each location has now been transformed into either a planet or a moon, spread across various star systems covering a vast region of space. Each one of these planets and moons will have its own individual features, resources, possible inhabitants, and infrastructure requirements. With such a quantum leap in terms of scale, if we now wanted to travel between these locations, which could in many cases end up being several light years apart, we are going to need something far bigger in terms of scale, complexity, and technology.
Shown In 60 Seconds
During the first ever 60 seconds of Starfield footage we all saw, shown in the form of the Official Announcement Teaser at the end of BE3 on June 11th 2018 (which redditor InToddWeTrust2023 has very nicely referenced here), we were given some surprisingly important clues which now form the cornerstone of this theory. Not only have these clues stacked up with every consecutive trailer released, as well as many of the other official videos and various other snippets of information, but their sheer level of consistency places them well outside the realm of possible coincidence.
Some of these additional clues were given to us in the two videos referenced above which contain the comms audio. The second of these two videos, namely the Official Gameplay Reveal, dropped, as would be expected, at the end of last year’s Showcase on June 12th 2022. Some of the most crucial information we have been given to date regarding my theory is actually contained in the 70 seconds shown before Todd even begins to speak. We will discuss the relevance of all of this a little further on in the post.
Lo-go/no go
First, some Space related terminology. In Mission Control speak, a Launch Status Check, also known as a go/no go poll, is part of a very carefully designed system implemented by US Space Agencies to ensure maximum safety and the best possible survival chance of both the ship and its crew prior to launch. This, or something similar, will undoubtedly form an integral part of the pre-launch, or rather, pre-Jump procedures incorporated into Starfield, especially given what we know in relation to its specific influences, attention to detail, and focus on realism.
But let's look for a moment at a different type of launch. Let's look at the process of carefully managing the flow of information when you are launching a long-awaited, multi-million-dollar triple-A video game and you happen to be a major player. With the combined might of Bethesda, Zenimax, and now Microsoft, there is clearly a great deal of scope in terms of how they were able to execute all of the steps involved in this process. One critically important factor, and one that has been masterfully implemented in the promotion of Starfield, is the use of familiar iconography.
If we look at the iconography seen during the promotion of Starfield, we can see that there are two main elements. These are the circular Starfield logo, first unveiled in 2018, and of course the recently updated Bethesda Games Studios logo, which has existed in various iterations since around 2006. Both of these share a common, simplistic yet effective design, and the BGS logo in particular is now light years ahead of its original design as seen on box art and in promotional materials for The Elder Scrolls VI Oblivion. At the time of Oblivion’s release, the long-term use of this particular logo, which incorporates the now familiar Fallout Vault Door, was a little uncertain due to restrictions with the associated licence (more on this below). But once this matter had been resolved, it would make a lot of sense that they would then develop this logo into the much sharper, more modern version we see today.
Licenced to Fly
Way back in April of 2007, Bethesda realized one of their biggest long-term business goals by finally securing the full rights to the highly acclaimed Fallout series. Prior to this, in 2004, they had been granted limited rights which would allow them to develop Fallout 3 and then two additional games, but they clearly wanted full and unrestricted access to the franchise and all of its assets. Since this time, in addition to Fallout 3, we have seen the release of Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, as well as a number of smaller projects, including Fallout Shelter. This is all the proof you need to confirm the fact that, in-spite of some initial setbacks, Bethesda’s insistence on going the extra mile with regards to securing the full franchise, was most definitely worth it, and was seen by many as a landmark achievement.
Looking at the most recent entry to this ever-expanding series, namely Fallout 76, I would like to draw your attention to two of this particular game’s trailers. First, we have the Fallout 76 Official Trailer from 2018, and then The Pitt Story Trailer from 2022. In the first of these two trailers, at around the 35 second mark, we see the new BGS logo once again, and then near the end of the video we see a smaller version, neatly tucked away over on the left-hand side of the usual copyright notice. If we then look at the second trailer, at around… Hold on a second, let me rewind that a bit… wait, what?
This is where things start to get really interesting.
One Small Step
Okay, going back to the Fallout 76 trailers, although the smaller version of the BGS logo can be seen at or near the end of each of these, only the first incorporates the larger, ‘splash-screen’ version. “But why is this even important?” you may ask. “They may have simply forgotten to include this detail in the second trailer.” I can assure you that this is most certainly not the case. In fact, I am one-hundred-percent confident that this was quite intentional. I would even go as far as saying that this one, seemingly insignificant detail, actually brings us a step closer to unlocking the secrets of Starfield. Essentially, Bethesda have taken full advantage of how we all think we remember certain details, and as such, this is an example of truly expert-level hidden marketing on their part. I also believe it will form the basis of at least one of the big reveals during the showcase.
One Giant Leap
Let’s go back one more time to the Announcement Teaser and the Gameplay Reveal for Starfield. Look at how drastically different the BGS logo is in both of these videos compared to any of those used in promoting Fallout 76. What will really blow your mind here is the fact that all four of the trailers mentioned above were first shown to us during the same two Showcases we have just been discussing! In other words, the first of these videos for both Fallout 76 and Starfield were both unveiled at the 2018 Showcase, and the second of each at the 2022 Showcase. And yet each respective pair make use of drastically different versions of what we all thought was the exact same logo. This means that Starfield has been designed, from the ground up, to be viewed and experienced in a totally different way than, and completely separate from, any of Bethesda’s previous titles.
To clarify this point, after extensive research, I can confirm that this new, animated BGS logo, with the vault door rolling off to the left and then ‘opening up’ just before the text appears, has never been featured anywhere in an official capacity that is not directly related to Starfield. It is completely unique to this specific IP. This fact ties together everything we have looked at in the post so far. It also lets us see things from a completely different ‘orbital’ perspective. For example, I believe that this information gives us the real reason why Bethesda worked so hard to secure the full rights to the Fallout franchise in the way that they did. Not only did they wish to create awesome games set within the Fallout universe, but they also needed total freedom to make use of a specific part of this franchise that so that they could then incorporate it into their next, very very big, space related IP.
For Mankind
Okay. This is the part you’ve all been waiting so patiently for. This is the big reveal. For months now, perhaps even years, we have all been drip-fed the idea that Starfield is essentially “Skyrim in Space.” The reason I think that we have been told this is to misdirect us away from an intrinsic, interwoven connection between Starfield and Bethesda’s other major franchise, which is of course Fallout. But just to put your mind at rest, I do not for a nanosecond believe that the reveal will be, “We fooled you all, it’s actually Fallout in space!” no matter how cool that might at first sound.
What I do believe is that Starfield will be so different and so unique when viewed alongside anything else that Bethesda have published, that it will quite literally take your breath away. This game, the spark of which was first ignited 25 years ago, is Todd Howard’s true passion project. Everything else was simply the path he took to finally get here. This is the story he has always wanted to tell, the story of Mankind’s true legacy. And it all starts, just as it did when Interplay released the original Fallout) game back in 1997, with a familiar, but staggeringly different Vault Door.
The Vault
There is a very special and completely unique hidden Vault in Starfield. Not only is this particular Vault unlike anything you have previously seen anywhere within the Fallout universe, but it is also unlike anything you have seen in any game. Period.
This hidden Vault is actually the key to both interstellar and interplanetary travel. And it also happens to be the single biggest construction project in human history, extending across a span of almost one-hundred light years. And it is not even close to being completed, even after more than two-hundred years of construction.
This Vault is, by its very nature, completely invisible and shielded away from view. It is quite literally hidden in plain sight, and it can only be accessed through one of its specially crafted Vault Doors. But what does all of this mean for gameplay, and how does something like this even work? I’m glad you asked! Let’s strap in and prepare for launch, because we’re all in for an incredible ride.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen... to The Starfield
Entering The Starfield
The following is my own interpretation, based on scientific reasoning and a huge amount of detailed analysis, of exactly how I think this system works. It is, as ever, backed up with several links throughout, as well as additional evidence for which I shall provide a separate link at end of the post. I am expecting perhaps some differences in terms of specific details once we get hold of the final release of Starfield, but I am confident that I am at the very least well within the ballpark with all of this. Okay, here goes.
The Science Behind the Magic
Starfield is the name given to a vast network of interconnecting tunnels, spanning the entirety of the Settled Systems, providing us with a very fast and highly practical means of travelling between different planets, and even different star systems. These tunnels exist within a localized, folded state, known as Tunnel-Space. The construction of the Starfield is made possible thanks to a technological breakthrough which allows gravitational waves (or Gravitons) to be woven together to form something known as a Gravity-Tunnel, which is then stretched out and connected between any two existing stellar objects, such as two planets in a given system, of even two stars from different systems.
In order to maintain the integrity of each tunnel, it is wrapped in a special type of Exotic Matter known as Superfluid Helium. This has a number of highly unusual properties, including negative energy density and negative energy pressure. This essentially makes it the physical-space equivalent of time going in reverse, meaning that it is capable of counteracting the effects of any conventional physical force, including the gravitational pull of a black hole. As such, it will hold the structure of the Gravity-Tunnel together for an indefinite period of time over a potentially infinite distance through space.
Within the Starfield are a large number of Nodes and Junction Points. Nodes are used to connect together all of the planets in any one Star System, and Junction Points then connect different Star Systems together, making use of much larger Gravity-Tunnels that are the equivalent of Interstate Highways. Note that all flight between any given planet and any or all of its moons is handled locally, outside of the Starfield.
Because all of the stars, planets, and moons in the Settled Systems are in a constant state of flux, by which I mean their relative distance and positions) are constantly changing in respect to each other, the tunnels within the Starfield have been designed to be able to expand and contract almost infinitely so that they can accommodate any changes in these two factors depending on when, where, and how you travel.
Although the main tunnels are designed to transport people, resources, waste, and other items directly relating to either Population Centers or Infrastructure, I believe there is also a sub-system) that will allow much smaller objects, such as probes, to carry data-packets that can be upload at one location and then downloaded at another, effectively solving the problem of inoperable delays in communication between remote locations.
Inside of each Gravity-Tunnel is a bi-directional singularity, which can be switched between two opposite polarities whenever required with the help of the surrounding Exotic Matter, allowing for two-way traffic inside what is essentially a one-way system. This means that, as long as you are able to ensure the correct polarity of all connecting Nodes and Junction Points along your route (as in “Sky-Bus is converged” and “Jemison route looks good”), you will be able to travel, in theory at least, from any point A to any point B, as long as all of the required interconnections exist within the system.
When travelling through the Starfield, you will set a specific route, known as a Sky-Bus, which is a specified pathway that runs from your staring location to your destination. You will then, with the help of Starfield Control, access the tunnels using a Gating System which I will explain below. Incidentally, I believe that the accepted in-universe name for the actual transit network that we are making use of within the Starfield is the Sky-Bus Tunnel System.
Each tunnel in this system actually has two separate ‘Lanes’, one on the left for outbound traffic, and one on the right for incoming traffic. As I have explained above, each of these tunnels can only accommodate a single direction of traffic flow at any given time. And so, a safety measure had to be incorporated to prevent any accidental attempts to travel the wrong way down a tunnel and destroying yourself and your ship.
At each end of any given Node or Junction Point is a Gate. These are the ‘Vault Doors’ I have been referring to. The Gate comprises of a gigantic metal outer-ring connecting to an inner Vault Door. This Vault Door will either be at the center (closed position), or the left (open position) of the outer ring. The open/left position will allow outbound traffic to leave the orbit of the current planet they are in proximity to. To allow inbound traffic, the entire outer ring, with the Vault Door locked in place, will rotate clockwise through 180 degrees to the open/right position to allow access to the inbound Lane. When the outbound Lane is then once again required, the structure then continues to rotate in a clockwise motion until it reaches the open/left position once again. When required, the Vault Door will return to the neutral position at the center of the ring, and the tunnel will be locked.
Regarding Grav Jumps: Whenever you wish to perform a Grav-Jump, you must first request permission from Starfield Control, who will guide you through the process. Once the route is set and your Exit Gate is locked in place, by activating your ship’s Grav-Drive, along with it’s incorporated spooling system, you will first lock on to the front of the tunnel entrance.
Next, using a system similar to an Aircraft Catapult, you will be pulled into the tunnel at great speed, where the Graviton Loop Array will hold your ship in-place inside the tunnel, and will also ensure you don’t accidentally go down the wrong path. At the other end, the spooling system described above then acts as an Arresting Cable, slowing you down over a very short distance.
If all of the above is actually correct, especially the last part, then I think I will be having this on repeat in the background before Grav-Jumps!
Finally, here is the link to my additional supporting evidence and other materials, including some stuff I haven’t had a chance to really go into yet. Feel free to throw any questions at me, and I’ll do my best to answer them. In the meantime, Showcase will commence in 24 Hours…

Captains! Update B11.7 will be released on the night of June 11th to 12th.
​
Game Availability
We have made contact with new providers to increase the client's availability to all corners of the world. We hope that there will no longer be any "Update failed" errors. However, if you had errors updating - you again will have to download the archive with the new launcher.
Globalisation
Times displayed in the game, including attack windows for PBs, will be displayed either in the server's time zone or local time zone, depending on the choice located in the settings. We also expanded the choice of currencies for purchasing coins, and expanded the amount of countries for payment processing.
Bounty Board
We were greatly inspired by events organised by the community which revolved around hunting for rewards. And we have decided to add an experimental "Bounty board", which can be opened through the tavern.
The Bounty board is a place where you can place a bounty on a specific player, or on an entire guild. For now this is a test in which coins are the only currency: the client sets the price, and the bounty hunter receives coins minus the comission fee. Sinking allies will not be counted.
Other Changes

• Tenders are coming back to the game;
• Rewards will be increased for sinking players with black marks. We have also made changes to better protect the new players;
• Updated rewards in chests: duplicate ships will be able to be dropped if all are collected; random bow figureheads and designs will now be dropped, and not be predetermined; added random designs, ship paint schemes, sail cloths;
• updated existing item positions (for example, removed powder) and added new ones;
• Small changes and improvements to ship models and textures.

Fixes

• Fixed many minor bugs to make the gameplay process more comfortable, including: interface, localisation, graphical, upgrades, boarding and the gameplay process.
• Important fix: After (empire) port reset, protection would not apply and declared wars would not disappear;
• If you have two or more identical ships, they will have different auto-replenishment lists;
• The skill "Donor" would not work on players;
• Fixed PB statistics calculation errors and duplication in the list;
• Peace flags were not able to be picked even with the peace treaty, when there were active marks;
• The restriction on exiting ports near a lighthouse was active during the battle window at 24-hour ports;
• Bots would crash into towers;
• In all villages and settlements the goods on sale were identical;
• Ships passing behind with transparent sails made the ships in front invisible;
• Players in the blacklist will no longer be able to send friend requests.

6 months of the roadmap! Further plans At the beginning of the year 2022 we started working in accordance with the published roadmap: (pastebin link will be made soon) We are happy to announce that our work is going almost hand in hand with the announced plans and timeframes, and also, we added new developers to our team. In the near future we will release an updated roadmap to clarify the timeframes for adding new content and the project's development. Good luck at the sea and have a good time!

I know this is a bit of a long story so I’ll try to make it shorter for you guys. I’m a 24 year old woman, I work full time and live with my fiancé. Since around the age of 5 I started doing this thing (tic?) where I’d clench both my hands into my jaw/neck and make a grimacing face. Til the point it actually hurts me and leaves marks on my body. My family always used to mock me for it and tell me to stop it. But I still do it now as an adult. All my childhood I struggled to make friends and fit in. I was bullied a lot and never knew why other kids called me weird. Anyway, fast forward to 2022. My mother told me I make a lot of grunting noises. I never noticed this until she told me. I told my fiancé and friends about this, and told them to keep an eye out if I do it again. In January 2023, my doctor put me anti depressants/anxiety meds because I was going through some stress with my job. I told him about my grunting and he said to wait for the medication to kick in. Fast forward to last month. I was driving with my best friend and she told me later that day that I was nodding motions with my head and making clicking noises with my mouth. I was shocked. 2 weeks ago I began therapy, even though my problems with my job had gotten better it was part of the process along with my medication. I casually told her about my “tics”/strange behaviour. She said she reckons it’s Tourette’s, and has experience in working with people who have this condition. And said I should call my doctor and tell them. Reluctantly I did, worried that my doctor would not listen to me. But this time she did, and agreed with my therapist that it is Tourette’s syndrome. She has referred me to a neurologist for a formal diagnosis. But the waiting list to see them is about a year. I have no idea what to do now. Am I over exaggerating it? Do I really have Tourette’s after all these years of not knowing? I know you guys aren’t medical professionals. I just wanted your opinions :’)

I saw this video of someone's meal plan excel/ google spreadsheet and they were able to generate a dynamic list that is created based on the meal ideas the user selects (entered from another sheet). I've been trying to figure out how they've done it so I can implement it into my own workflows.
For reference, I have a Meal Plan sheet, a meal ideas list, and a Meal Ingredients list that I need to pull that information from. My first thought was to use =TEXTJOIN, but I can't seem to get more than the first ingredient as an outcome . Does anyone know or have any suggestions on how this can be done?
Video for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPF1wDRZRio&t=36s
https://preview.redd.it/s0k712a5s75b1.png?width=2240&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c1fb04d1412c2f8ca6a8fdd915ce9243bc1c08c
​

For independent western travelers, Japan demands more planning than, say, a trip through Europe. But the corresponding rewards are huge. And you absolutely don't need to hire a guide, so long as you do basic homework (which is half the fun of travel, anyway).
This is the last of three reports from our recent four-week journey, covering ten nights in Tokyo, one in Nikko and three in Kamakura.
HIGHLIGHTS
Tokyo--Nippon Professional Baseball at Tokyo Dome; May Grand Sumo tournament, Hamarikyu garden; Tuna auction
Nikko--Toshugo shrine
Kamakura--Sunset spectacle at a seaside park
TOKYO, Monday 5/22
For this 7-night leg, we chose Park Hotel Tokyo (the top floors of the Shiodome Media Tower; $208/night with breakfast). The lobby is on the 25th floor, requiring separate elevator rides to reach your room. Access to subways is a mixed bag (Shiodome Station is next door; more useful Shimbashi is a longer walk). There were far more Americans than our other hotels, and the ample breakfast buffet wasn't as fabulous, either (an admittedly high bar). On the other hand, the area teems with great, affordable places to eat. Our room had something we'd never experienced: a fog-free bathroom mirror (the new must-have!). And when we opened the curtains of our 28th floor room in the morning, there was Fuji in all her glory, an unforgettable vista. What more could you want?
TOKYO, Tuesday 5/23
Our first stop on a drizzly day was the Imperial Palace grounds, last of our highly recommended Imperial Household Agency tours. The adjacent East Garden, open to all, is worth seeing, too.
After lunch, we checked out the nearby National Museum of Modern Art. Kudos to management for allowing photography. The highlights room on the top floor is a great survey, and if you're short on time you could skip the rest, unless a special exhibition piques your interest.
We caught a fantastic show about Tokugawa Ieyasu at the private Mitsui Memorial Museum--the best single exhibition we saw. Unfortunately, it closes tomorrow, June 11; but that's a place you might keep an eye on.
TOKYO, Wednesday 5/24
We visited Senso-ji first thing. We liked it so much we went back a few nights later to see it lit up. Either way, it's a must.
Lunch was at Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku, a welcoming place that's been dishing up made-to-order onigiri for almost 70 years. It's a Bib Gourmand. Show up just before 11 am to avoid a wait; otherwise, you'll be given a time to return for a seat.
We went to Tokyo Dome to catch a Yomiuri Giants game, stopping off first at the adjacent, very worthwhile, landscape garden, Koishikawa Korakuen (geezers over 65 half-price!). The game itself was a trip, much like an American football game, with non-stop chants by fans and on-field cheerleaders between innings. Our lower-deck seats, bought in advance from the team's website, cost under $35 each.
TOKYO, Thursday 5/25
Like other great cities, like New York or Paris, Tokyo is made for strolling. On this day, we were flaneurs, with stops along Omotesando, the tree-shaded fashion avenue that calls itself Harajuku Champs-Elysees, and hip Cat Street nearby. The area wakes up slowly, so consider a visit at midday or later.
Lunch was a pure pig-out (pun intended) at Tonkatsu Nanaido. Can't recommend it highly enough; the wait was a tolerable 30 minutes (dinner reservations possible). Try to ignore the health implications of tender pork, fried (extremely lightly) in pure lard. Pure heaven.
TOKYO, Friday 5/26
Meiji Shrine and garden got us going in the morning, and the Meiji Jingu Museum was well worth a stop.
We were somewhat ambivalent about sumo but bought advance tickets to the big May tournament because, well, when might we ever see sumo in person again? It turned out to be the surprise hit of the trip: a spectacle with deep historic roots, more engaging and suspenseful than we imagined. Advance online tickets are gettable; no middleman required.
TOKYO, Saturday 5/27
The Tokyo National Museum lives up to its reputation as the best in the country (at least the best we saw). We made repeated visits and still didn't see it all. And it's free for those of us over 70. One of our favorite items: a 1,500-year-old ceramic sculpture of sumo wrestlers and a judge. The museum's enlightened view toward photography means we'll always have our pictures to remind us of what we saw.
TOKYO, Sunday 5/28
We spent a relaxed Sunday morning at verdant Hamarikyu Gardens, a park that borders Tokyo Bay. The former playground of feudal shoguns is an urban oasis of water features and classic landscape design. You can happily spend a couple hours strolling its paths.
In the afternoon, we checked out Ginza's main drag, closed to vehicle traffic. We wish, though, that we'd known that Akihabara's Chuo-dori is also pedestrianized on Sunday afternoons.
NIKKO, Monday 5/29
We cabbed it to Asakusa Station and caught the Tobu Kegon express to Nikko. Light rain didn't stop us --or hundreds of other umbrella toters--from visiting glorious Toshugo Shrine. Far better, though, was our visit the next day. At 8:30 a.m., the shrine was essentially deserted; crowds started arriving at 9:30. That quiet morning hour was reason enough to have spent the night in Nikko. It also kept us ahead of the crowds at Rinnoji Temple and nearby Taiyuin and Futarasan Shrine, all well worth visiting.
Nikko Station Hotel Classic ($270, including excellent meals) was the most old-school place we stayed (They still put top sheets on the beds). Masking is requested, and at breakfast, guests are asked to don plastic gloves before going through the buffet line. The onsen in the basement was absolutely first-rate, as was our meticulously prepared tofu kaiseki dinner at the hotel restaurant.
TOKYO, Tuesday 5/30
For our third and final Tokyo stop, we chose the Ueno area and weren't disappointed. The well-run and sophisticated Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo ($217/night, including breakfast) is on a quiet street just a short walk from Ueno Station and park, with its many attractions.
TOKYO, Wednesday 5/31
We wandered through Yanesen, a traditional neighborhood sometimes described as a hidden gem, and began our end-of-trip shopping on mid-century Yanaka Ginza.
Lunch was at Inshotei, a lovely traditional restaurant in the heart of Ueno Park, booked online before our trip. 3.59 on Tabelog.
TOKYO, Thursday 6/1
Tuna! We initially took a pass on the early morning auction, discouraged by reviews on this sub and elsewhere that dismiss the relatively new Toyosu auction site as vastly inferior to the former one at Tsukiji market. But an old Japan hand persuaded us to give it a try. We're extremely happy we did. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the open-air observation platform and the experience became a trip highlight.
Up and out by cab before 4:30 a.m., we had about half an hour to watch and hear the action directly below us. It may not be Tsukiji, but it's the only Tokyo tuna auction you've got. I say go, especially if you can snag open-air gallery passes.
KAMAKURA, Friday 6/2
There weren't a lot of great choices for lodging in the coastal town of Kamakura (a day trip for Tokyo residents). We needed a quick getaway to Haneda Airport on Monday morning, and Hotel Metropolitan Kamakura, a JR East property, fit the bill. It was pricey ($292 per night with meals) but our room was spacious, even luxurious by Japanese standards, and smack in the middle of the action.
KAMAKURA, Saturday 6/3
I wondered, before leaving home, if we'd get templed-out, like other travelers do. It never happened, though torrential rainfall, spun from the remnants of Typhoon Mawar, tested us at the end. On the plus side, we had the Great Buddha and Hachimangu Shrine completely to ourselves; the downside was soaked clothing and shoes that would take time to dry out (fortunately, we brought extra pairs, and our collapsible umbrellas did the best they could).
By afternoon, the skies cleared and hundreds of surfers rushed to ride the storm-generated surf. We caught the action from the sands of Yuigahama Beach.
KAMAKURA, Sunday 6/4
Early, before other tourists arrived, we checked out Engakuji temple, but were helpless in the face of Sunday crowds at Meigetsuin temple, better known as Hydrangea Temple. The blossoms were exploding after the rain but visitors clogged the pathways. We fled to Kenchoji, totally empty by comparison, and had a final, restorative Zen moment in the peaceful garden behind the main hall.
Last stop of the tour, after one more omakase sushi dinner, was sunset at Inamuragasaki Park. We never expected what we found: a spectacular view of Fuji, the entire mountain outlined against a multi-colored sky, with pounding waves and a few hardcore surfers in the foreground.
It was a concluding surprise in a trip filled with them, a journey that greatly exceeded expectations. Four weeks turned out to be just about right for a couple of geezers. But it left lots of stuff on the cutting room floor, like Nagasaki, which I still want to see, and much more. Next time, maybe.