gaydarless

I will be giving that a try. Thanks for the info.

Looks cool! Can anyone weigh in on how similar this is to DDG's tracking blocker feature? Is it the same but open source?

I think NS is in a good position to expand and become something wonderful if only our leadership can get it together.

Halifax's municipal council is embarrassingly slow to make meaningful changes, and council and the provincial government have been in a pissing match about housing for years now. Our housing situation is truly dire. Although I want NS and Halifax to grow, I especially want our government to work on making sure newcomers and existing residents can both afford to create a safe home and put down roots in their communities. If that somehow happens, then bring on even more growth.

I'd recommend playing in release order if you're someone who tends to enjoy delving into lore. (And man, is there a LOT of lore.) I did them in reverse order originally, and although I enjoyed DAI a lot, I didn't quite get why the stakes were so high for the protag. I felt way more connected to the storyline when I returned to Inquisition after having Origins and DA2 under my belt.

My other reason for recommending chronological order is that Origins is one of the best games I've ever played. I still fire up my Xbox 360 to give it a play now and again.

Origins struck a good balance between player autonomy and the required storyline. You can pick your character's race, gender, and class at the start of the game and get a unique back story that informs how you can approach later conflicts and circumstances. Then you find out the central conflict and are presented with the different factions you need to draw together. From there, it's up to you to decide who you'll support and how you'll make it happen. You can be a true asshole to all your companions, or a Lothario, or BFFs. And the combat system is pretty good overall, despite being dated and a touch clunky. The party mechanics are fun when you get used to them.

DA2 is a perfectly serviceable game, but not one I personally enjoy replaying. Humans are the least interesting race in Thedas to me, and I'm sure that contributes.

DAI is definitely an Open World Game and therefore plagued by all the struggles these games tend to have, but I still found it really fun. Jaws of Hakkon is a great DLC for the world building element. Trespasser is basically the real ending of the game, so hopefully you'll have access to that DLC as well!

I hope you have a great experience playing these games for the first time! DA is my favourite series ever, and I love seeing folks give it a go. :)

That sucks so much. One person can really make or break a work shift. Is there a significant age difference between you? This comes across to me like someone who's assumed she has a higher place in the pecking order than you do (or that she should have one, anyway...). When I was working in food service in my late teens, I saw this sometimes with older coworkers who disparaged me because they figured they were knew better. Usually they didn't, but they made it such a pain to work with them. I hope something gives for you, and soon!

I've interpreted your question as, "How important is it to become cultured as individual people rather than to rely on our broader cultures to provide us with values and knowledge?" I hope that's similar to what you meant.

My perspective is that individual cultivation is very important for many, although not all, people. Each person's learning and development eventually comes full circle and makes up the collective. When you engage with some cultural artefact and walk away with a new thought or perspective, it may start to inform your actions, and/or you could discuss it with those in your circle. They might think it over and share it with people they know. Even if they don't, it might plant the seeds for them to do their own reflection and seek out new avenues of learning. I think that on a general level, this is how cultural change can materialize.

So, developing one's own mind and perspective is important because doing so can and will impact broader society eventually. It also has a lot of personal benefits and IMO is good practice for its own sake.

edits: clarity

"It is what it is." It's such a meaningless truism* and almost always comes across as dismissive of the person you're speaking to. Just say, "It sucks but we have to get through it," or "We can't change this situation" or something else. Literally any alternative. Please!

I love the size and feel of the 7a. It was an adjustment to get used to a small screen again but honestly, so happy with that element of the phone.

The battery life, on the other hand, feels worse than my 4 year old OnePlus 7 Pro's is. I am not sure if it's a me problem or a Pixel problem, but that aspect has me seriously worried about the longevity of the device. I guess you get what you pay for, but I'd expect a bit better for a mid-range phone.

It's impossible to choose a best, so I'll instead share a song whose lyrics I enjoy and connect with. It's "Out of My Depth," by Hot Chip. They're a band whose lyrics are often deep and meaningful, despite having a lot of fun "upper" music. I like this song because I'm prone to wallowing lol and it's a good reminder not to do so too much. It's ultimately a hopeful song.

When I'm in my darkest place, I must be careful not to dwell there

When I'm headed for the ditch, I must be careful not to sleep there

While I might enjoy the peace, there are other lights that call me

And although I'm out of the race, I know that something good must befall me

And when I'm swimming out of my depth, and I can barely see the crest of a wave that might destroy me

I must look for what I can't see

I must reach for what doesn't touch me

I must leave my lonely space and make time my only enemy

I must seek what can't be bought and make choices that support me

And the friends who fall apart from the crumbling walls that divide me

And when I'm swimming out of my depth and I can barely see the crest of a wave that might engulf me

Then I'm in my darkest room, but I'm careful not to enjoy it all too much

But as I leave, it will be helpful to have endured it

I must be careful not to trip, not to fall as I continue

But my darkest place is in me, and there's something there that calls me

(edit: improved formatting)

I learned about Unciv from Lemmy and have been way more addicted to it than I am to the actual Civ. I'm not certain the addiction is a good thing, but the game itself is. Highly recommended for anyone into that type of game!

YES, this is such a peeve for me!!! I've developed an aversion to viewing video content unless it's for something I truly need to see done. And even then, I'm more likely to check wikihow and endure their gifs than I am to watch someone's video. It's just so overdone.

Amazing, thank you for compiling this list!