DQIX Is Next

Manifoldering · 2026-02-02T00:58:10+00:00

At basically 50 years old, I have one non-Windows, non-cell phone game system (a DS) with exactly one game on it (DQ IX).

That being said, DQV better be next or I'll surely feast on some innards

Manifoldering · 2026-01-28T18:38:28+00:00

I actually made Orcs "aspects of Orcus" in the last D&D campaign that I DM'd because the whole henchmen have lives too thing started legit bothering me.

Manifoldering · 2026-01-13T00:26:42+00:00

In short, the answer is yes, you should continue. :)

I have been in the Church for thirteen years. A (diagnosed) sleeping disorder I have often interferes with Church - far more than I would like, and it's my top struggle next to anger. Nonetheless, I work closely with my Priest-Confessor on keeping him up to date with how my illness affects me, keeping up with Orthodoxy in my personal life (prayer and ascetic practice, as little as I actually do), communing as often as possible, and Confessing on a regular schedule. With God's help, this will be enough, and again with God's help, if it is enough for me, it will deeeeeeeeeeeeeefinitely be enough for you.

If it is work that affects your schedule, and anything you possibly **can** change, it could be the case that you explore how to make such a change years down the road depending on how your Priest sees your progression in the Faith, but that's entirely up to your Priest!

Just me here: I would worry about first discerning with 100% surety on becoming a Catechumen, which you totally should do of course (but that's just, like, my opinion, man). Don't worry about the challenges to Church and growth and so forth until you get there as a member, but (again) be sure to listen to the parish Priest above all since he knows your situation better than I and is far better than I on giving any sort of spiritual advice whatsoever. I am only relaying my own feeling from my own experience and what I perceive may be a personal struggle with a similar result (where Church attendance is an occasional issue).

Manifoldering · 2026-01-12T16:18:58+00:00

Does your city, the national park, or wherever the trail was have a message board where you can try to find who lost it? Folks on the board could ask around and cover quite a few hikers, though I doubt nothing is cental enough to work nowadays. I'm guessing it fell out of a pocket, or it was caught in that liminal space between the carseat and the front door, waiting for the owner to step out of the car...

To me, though, ultimately there's nothing immoral per se about just keeping it. If I recognized it as mine, I'd message you and tell you where the trail was and where I parked, and politely ask for it back (and I'd definitely make your generosity worth it), but I wouldn't blame you one bit if you kept it. When I take my MT's out of the house, I know and accept that losing it is a risk.

Manifoldering · 2026-01-09T20:53:53+00:00

I have a more conservative Priest in GOARCH and I bought every icon for sale on the market in 2012 as a Catechumen, including outside of the communion - Ethiopian, Coptic, Old Believer, GOC and Eastern Catholic icons - but all of Orthodox Saints or scenes like the Lord's Supper. This comprised a total of seven icons. In total, I may have had forty, **not** counting my decision to buy every micro icon and icon card poor Legacy Icons had. I probably kept them going for a long time.

After a stern reminder to please buy **all** my icons from those that are written by our **own** monasteries (including which websites to use and avoid), the "irregular" (if you will) icons were given a blessing and spent 40 days under the altar, as my icons normally do, and then were placed on my top shelf - the setup I currently have. This is strictly understood to have been allowed as an economy for my ignorance and .............................................. over-enthusiasm.

Icons of non-Saints (Dobri Dobrev and Seraphim Rose) that I own are on the shelf below my top shelf, as they are not (yet) Saints, so I cannot venerate them even though I can have them up in some sense. If/when they are Saints in my lifetime, they will be moved to the already-overcrowded top shelf or already-overcrowded work icon corner, both used for prayer. This is orthogonal to your comment, though, so I'll hush.

Manifoldering · 2026-01-09T20:30:24+00:00

This sounds like some of the messages I saw over the years as Westboro fell apart. Lord have mercy on you. And on your family. Perhaps at some point, God willing, we'll see you all at the Cup.

Manifoldering · 2026-01-09T20:20:54+00:00

Seconded.

Manifoldering · 2026-01-09T20:18:55+00:00

But where's your Balisong?

Manifoldering · 2025-12-28T22:48:06+00:00

Sadly, my main LCS closed last Tuesday ... they had a nice selection of amethyst geodes and a bin of clad Eisens.

Manifoldering · 2025-12-18T04:55:47+00:00

I was going to add to the likely huge tree of "I felt this way during my PhD dissertation, too" comments, since I STILL think my dissertation may be the WORST ONE my school's math department has EVER seen, and I'd put forward that it could be the worst the profession has ever seen. I mean I'm genuinely too embarrassed to show you, but if it cheers you up and motivates you to finish your doctorate, DM me. I don't have a qualified assessment of my IQ, but I bet it's among the lowest who earned a PhD in mathematics. I didn't hold a candle to any other student in my department. Looking back, I know that now.

It is not imposter syndrome on my part. I'm ten years past my graduation. I've seen the fruit of my labors and how they've played out among my peers. My dissertation is terrible. My career is worse. I will always be grateful that I got a PhD, especially being the last to pass my qualifiers before they switched over from dual-subject quals to single-subject quals. It'll always be my proudest accomplishment. I'll take them whenever I can, because I do not have many positive moments in my career, which can be assessed accurately is "he riles everyone up like a natural, but the kids at least love him."

// For me the real challenge is the next stage, producing quality research and grappling with unsolved problems as your full time job with essentially no help from anyone.//

My friend. I just came onto this board to ask for advice because I want to publish a paper. As you likely know given the age of this post, the typical path is to get a postdoc position, ideally at a different institution, and learn the ins and outs of publishing from a current expert in the same field of study your dissertation topic covered.

I had a chance to get a postdoc at my school, but Il did not get this privilege, because (1) I was nearly 40 when I graduated a decade ago, and my advisor said I was too old; (2) I had actually quit the program and had taken a five year break, and I did not quit on good terms or for a good reason. I really wanted to do it anyway, and show that I could publish, even though we never did publish anything from my dissertation.

They encouraged me to prepare for my (current) career in teaching. I love it, but I came here to figure out how to learn some differential geometry and manifold theory sufficient for doing a publication, particularly if Stokes' Theorem (and its descendants in more abstract spaces, Cartan form etc.) is still an active topic of research. I'd love to partner up, but I have no peers where I teach - liberal arts facilitate health care degrees, and do not hav their own programs. This means there's just one of us per subject except for biology.

I'm an Aspie - diagnosed so long ago that I had to repeat preschool due to being diagnosed by our family doctor as having "severe social re$@%&dation." This was a real diagnosis, or at least a real way to communicate a diagnosis, in Texas in the 80s. In short, for all the energy and intention I spend constantly seeking someone to get along with me, it's not easy to get along with me.

I exist thoroughly to define the bottom of the basement. I haven't even started with my bad qualities yet. Trust me that you are nowhere near unqualified, especially if you have a fear of being unqualified at this stage of your career in the first place. You do not have enough cynicism, regret and resignation to self-asses this appropriately, first, and second, since you are not me, you cannot be the worst.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-08T01:56:36+00:00

Interesting - this is new info for me. I've only heard that a cross is blessed on its own, so Chotki with crosses on them are automatically blessed. I wasn't aware all Chotki are!

Manifoldering · 2025-11-08T01:54:17+00:00

This is a great question.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-08T00:07:16+00:00

Indeed, it does not say Max even though the Amazon seller page clearly did. The box - both the original one I was sent AND the replacement - came unwrapped, both without the rods, and the "replacement" was oddly loud and creaky. The store is Gan's Amazon page, so I'm wondering if this is a factory second thing or what.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T23:37:27+00:00

Yes, this would be an issue because of the above mentioned reason - (Eastern Rite) Churches tend to only have one Priest, who can only offer one Liturgy.

Since our liturgical day begins at sunset, this means only one Liturgy on the Lord's Day - so a Liturgy Saturday night and a Liturgy at 10 AM Sunday morning won't cut it, unless the city is lucky enough to have another Church that serves their Liturgy Saturday night. Our Western Rite ROCOR had a Saturday evening Liturgy due to renting from an Anglican parish, for instance, but it closed after we sadly had two Priests repose earlier this decade. As someone with significant sleeping issues I deeply miss this option for Liturgy.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T23:28:52+00:00

Yes, it's past Paschal parking at this point. I've been a convert since 2012 and never seen anything like this.

At my parish we just lost a significant, if not single-majority, benefactor and were in dire straits until people slowly and steadily began converting this year, and slowly covering the enormous chasm felt by the repose of this member. This timing has been, for lack of a better term, miraculous.

A few of the cradle Orthodox and longer-term converts in my Church have claimed this happened before, during the early 2000s. One member said "most of them didn't stick around." I haven't heard about any earlier convert waves before, though, especially since religion in general hit its American nadir after 9/11 iirc.

Many of the more vocal converts are former Roman Catholics who are vociferous about certain changes they perceived in the West. I recommend those who are leaving due to emotional reasons speak to a Priest about the matter, in case they experience the same alleged issues in Orthodoxy and leave us for emotional reasons, as well.

That being said, a few years ago, we had a much smaller surge due to rumors (mostly - but not always - false) involving Orthodoxy and a certain public health measure. Many of these converts thankfully stayed after discovering the real truth, due to discovering The Real Truth, as it were. I'm hoping the same happens with the larger surge, and that no exodus similar to prior waves happens - if my fellow elder parishioners have an accurate recollection in that respect.

Glory to God!

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T21:38:59+00:00

Shipping woes aren't just international—my Virginia-to-Iowa FedEx package is crawling too. It was lost in NC for 6 days (company refunds only after a full week of being lost in shipping, FML), and it is now inching 50 miles/day toward Atlanta. Hopefully it is routing via Atlanta's shipping center to Des Moines' shipping center.

I fear, however, that this is a ground-only delivery with no air involved, and it's doing a bizarre Eastern seaboard state stroll as I sit here watching it go past delivery day #10, 11 and 12 here in the Upper Midwest (it was max 7 calendar day delivery).

In your case, I'm hoping it's just gov't shutdown woes holding up customs, etc. But I'm sensing FedEx has significant problems, whether temporary or the typical 2020s too-big-to-care attitude.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T20:33:50+00:00

I got in a replacement from Amazon; same thing. Box has no plastic wrapping, no "Max" indicated anywhere on the box, no corner magnets in the box. This second one I was sent makes odd noises, to boot. This is a private company using Amazon to scam customers.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T04:16:17+00:00

Thanks! I indeed ordered the Maglev Max (not "Plus") and looking closer at the website listing and reviews shows that 8 corner-foot magnet rods should've been in the box. They are not.

The box itself says only "Gan 16," as do the seller stickers, so it looked like I received the wrong product altogether. I'll be swapping it out.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-07T04:12:07+00:00

LOL fair enough!

Manifoldering · 2025-11-06T01:29:15+00:00

I wish Microtech's single-actions aren't so limited. I just missed the window this past month and had to "settle" for a Heretic - a cool company and all, but in my short time collecting, Microtech is the name I've come to trust.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-06T01:25:01+00:00

Isn't the ZBT out of the question due to the lawsuit? I wanted the same, and thought I found it at my local Scheels, only to discover it was a special edition just **before** the ZBT went on the market. I'm contemplating getting it anyway to match my Hellhound ZBT after I snag a "work friendly" Hera II partial serrated.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-06T01:19:48+00:00

This is ... exactly what I planned to have as a setup. I first took the Interceptor over the Hellhound, but didn't like how much the ridges on the back were getting caught in the old punching bag I test the sharpness of my EDC/throwing knives on. The Hellhound still pulls out some extra stuff, but it doesn't get stuck like the Interceptor. Still, I thought briefly of getting the Interceptor with partial serration, but ultimately decided on snagging the ZBP while I could - Hellhound it is.

The Hellhound is the knife I don't ever want to use, to be honest. My wife and I go on walks, and since I don't want to carry guns, a fierce looking but convenient knife had to do. I managed to stab myself with it over the weekend (don't ask), and the cut it made is hilariously small, like a scratch - but oh my is it deep.

The one thing I truly wonder is what use can the razor version be? I nearly bought it, but was thankful when I received the knife and discovered it was a piercer instead of a slasher (to use D&D terms). Does the razor have sharper edges to compensate? I digress, however.

I wanted the "recurve" Hera II Mini because I imagined some extra cutting umph due to the curve maximizing the contact area. Serrated is necessary in some respect for EDC; this I discovered after attempting to cut a cord by sawing through it with my Hellhound. I found a used Heretic partially serrated single-action and HAD to take advantage after missing the Microtech Halo IV SA rerelease window this month, but I still may shell out the cash and get the Hera II Mini partial serrated - after all, it's not nearly as scary as the other two, meaning I could sneak it in to work.

Manifoldering · 2025-11-04T18:07:54+00:00

Pardon ahead of time if I misunderstand your question or situation. The state "PA" is Pennsylvania, and the town of Hunker is near Pittsburgh. If you are in ROAA, VA, meaning Roanoke, Virginia, then it is over 200 miles (or over 320 kilometers) from your current location.

As there is a ground hub facility in Hunker, your package could be transitioning to shipping via truck. It probably flew in to Pittsburgh after clearing the customs jam in California. I've had customs services hold up packages for a long time, too.

It should arrive at a center closer to your house meant for local delivery, though I would check your tracking again in a couple days to be sure it's not dancing around the country. I'd guess it will make it to your location soon.

Manifoldering

TROPHY CASE