#*clear paths until the countries to which I have access for some reason start denying entry to US passport-holders 🥰

[tomato-greens]

a thing I am not enjoying is I keep compulsively going over broad strokes plans of how I’d leave the US if I needed to, but a good thing is I have three clear paths out and three backups

[dornish-queen]

GQ MEXICO - PEDRO PASCAL 2021

It seems that Pedro Pascal is in all possible universes. Here and there. In the past, in the present, and in galaxies far, far away. Today, the actor is considered the great entertainment reference and one of those in charge of saving a franchise that seemed lost. Enough reasons to talk exclusively about discipline, gastronomy, creeds and how he traumatized his father in 30 seconds.

The RAE defines 'creed' as the set of ideas, principles or convictions of a person or a group. For example, by creed, one can leave his country and be in exile. It happens that one can leave the loved one behind. Or simply live in another reality. And also one can put on a helmet to pretend never to take it off again. If that is the path to follow, the creed says that it must be done with the profession of faith and without stopping to look. Turning the pages of the script for The Mandalorian , the Disney + series that revived passion and nostalgia for the Star Wars franchise , Pedro Pascal came across this definition in every dialogue and moment, and reflection carved his way.

More than two decades have passed since the Chilean-American, Pedro Pascal, began his acting career and today, named as the great reference of 2020 , he misses the theater and it still hurts him not to have the discipline to exercise and maintain a diet sana while acknowledging the irony of having the best year of her career in the midst of one of the worst in recent history. But even in physical solitude, the man who carried the best-selling Christmas baby rescues many positive things and shares his vision of the universes he has traveled through, his passion for distant galaxies and how to traumatize your family with a simple scene of TV. In an interview, the Mandalorian of Latinamerica.

IMDB named you the 2020 benchmark in entertainment, a year in which the world took refuge in fiction. How was living your best time locked up and what do you rescue on a human level from it?

The strength of family relationships and friendship. For them, we endure this physical loneliness. I do find it ironic that in 2020 I received projects so well received by the public, although they were carried out before the pandemic and their impact was during it, and that year I was isolated and alone. But I must emphasize that this loneliness is a privilege when many people had to continue working, surviving and maintaining the functioning of the world. We only had to be alone, but they more than that and you must value it too.

Among the activities you have missed, how much do you miss the theater?

Much indeed. It's something that I miss the most and being with people without being afraid. See a play and return to those experiences of being with people doing and living things in common. That is what I need most, in addition to my loved ones.

Disney fully entered streaming and its strong letter has your face, what do you think of the discussion of platforms against movie theaters?

There are incredible things in streaming and many people develop great projects that they did not have access to before. The diversity of voices is gaining ground and it is important to recognize that opportunities grow exponentially and boundaries change. It is incredible the availability that we have to very well made content and how creative people can share their work in different ways. But I also want to be honest: limiting the experience of watching content only on our gadgets or at home is a mistake that affects the stories we can tell. You have to achieve a mix of opportunities and challenges.

You jump between the fictional universes that mark the last decades until you reach the universe of universes. What is your first Star Wars memory and how do you summarize the essence of this legendary story?

For me, Star Wars is nostalgia itself. It is one of the primary things in my memory, of my childhood. I came to the United States with my Chilean family when I was less than two years old and one of my first memories is going to the movies with my dad to see the saga ; it becomes one of those romantic childhood things that opens your mind, so imagine how special it is to participate in this project. I think the creators of The Mandalorian perfectly understand this nostalgia and that power, and they managed to count on that element as a great ally for the world of Star Wars and I couldn't be happier to be part of it. (From which we expect the third season The Mandalorian)

The Mandalorian exploits the power and nuances of your voice, did you have that letter on your resume?

I didn't know I could do it, but I resorted to my theater preparation, which was very physical on all levels and feelings. There are elements that have to do with and that are essential to create a role, and they teach you that the voice is something primary, something you have to start with and you cannot hide. Now I have learned much more about the importance of that, and how to use it economically. The body also has to do with that, because something very subtle communicates something. In The Mandalorian , I had a great time figuring out how to do it, they gave me the opportunity to develop it in different ways. The opportunity to be very intense at it.

What happens to the ego when someone works under a suit and a mask?

In the conversations about the project, before doing it, we were communicated the idea and the concept of the entire season , so I clearly understood what it was. I wanted it to be the most powerful version of what they were trying to accomplish, so there was no point in involving my ego, you know? It was already very clear what the project meant, so I knew about the character , the piece that it represented for him and the opportunity that it was for me, so I was only focused on executing in a better way the part that touched me in everything this. In the theater, I worked several times under a mask and it helped me develop the experience.

It seems that The Mandalorian has a very theatrical base ...

Exactly, and thanks to the physical experience of working in theater, doing a play a few times a week, discovering how your body and your voice communicate , being part of a whole image, and how you will tell that story visually, I achieved this character. I never imagined that it would be something I would have to use on such an important Star Wars project .

On the list of entertainment greats, there are names like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, do you think John Favreau should be added to the list?

I think your name is already included. Without a doubt, it is in that category and it is incredible. His vision fascinates me. I remember an episode in the second season , and I had some boots and I walked so much in the snow, it stuck to them. He figured it out, so he talked to the art department about the kind of boots you need when you're out in the snow. They approached me and gave me new ones that fulfilled the idea I was looking for. He noticed it in an instant. It is such a wonderful detail and it is repeated to scale in every session with him. He thinks of absolutely everything and his vision of the use of technology is admirable. He is someone who makes you feel motivated and always sees how to achieve the goal.

One of the reflections in the series is on how and under what circumstances a man can break his creed and way of life. What makes you break with your beliefs?

I think that you must follow your heart so as not to regret anything; Although sometimes it brings pain or conflict, deep down when you look back, everything is worth it because it was what you heard in your heart. I am very afraid to deny that feeling or not to attend to it. I am 45 years old now and I cannot believe I have a finer philosophy. Make it more disciplined. It's ridiculous, but I'm trying to accept that I am and it's all I can say, "follow your heart." Although, you know, I'm not on a good diet yet, I still have trouble sleeping or exercising.

Still good at Chilean empanadas?

Yes, I couldn't stop. And also how good that I do not live in Mexico City because I would only spend it eating. I could move my whole life to defe just to eat.

I want to deviate and ask you, with whom did you see the chapter of your death in Game of Thrones and what traumas did you cause in your family?

For me, no trauma. I separate myself well from the characters , although I fully understand that if I were a Game of Thrones audience and loved that character, it would make an incredible impression on me. Thank you that it was not. I had to interpret it and there was a model of my head to be crushed that way with the tubes and the fake blood, you know? Me lying there, with pieces of my meat, it was funny in the end. But not for my family. For them there is nothing funny but traumatic. My dad's voice changed completely when we saw the episode, he turned around and said: “I didn't like it, Pedro . No, Pedro , not this ”.

The media found similarities between your villain in Wonder Woman: 1984 and Donald Trump. When playing a character with characteristics like this, do you humanize him or do you understand him?

The project had nothing to do with the former president. They always told me that my character in Wonder Woman: 1984 was emotionally messy, and I took that and took that as far as possible. Instead of creating it with images or certain inspirations from life, it was more to work with what was on the page. Personally, what made sense to me is the size of the story that is being told and there is always more, and we all want more. Creatively, if this makes sense, that meant "blowing her out of the park." Connect a hit with the character and be committed to telling his story faithfully, in a way that was true to me. So all the exterior elements found their way.

What a way to start 2021 with the theme of the Capitol ... How do you perceive that moment?

I am not a politician and it is not that I do not have an opinion about this type of event; however, it is not necessary to state the obvious. My opinion would be very simple compared to that of a person who studied this, who knows how to act in these kinds of scenarios; I believe that I am next to the majority who experienced this, which is the logical result of what we have experienced during these years and we are all horrified . It was distressing to see this violence.

If you had the monolith in your hands, what would your wish be?

My wish would be… it's impossible, really (laughs). I think it is to be together again, with less fear and that people have the opportunity to connect.

What is your position on the reality that Chile has experienced in recent years and how has the relationship with your country been since exile?

It is something that I am developing and I continue to do in my life, trying to understand that it is my home. To be in Chile is to be at home, but my life has been very nomadic, living different things and having many influences; so it is strange, I do not feel with the title of a complete Chilean identity nor with an American one.

Neither here nor there?

In a sense, but I'm also completely both. My parents are Chilean , my brothers were born there before my parents traveled, and I came back sometimes because my family is very large; in fact, my parents came back. It has always been there, it continues to develop, and it will be a part of me. I don't know if it answers your question, but it has a lot to do with who I am.

What is your relationship with Latin American cinema? Are you interested?

Much, it has invaded me in life like American cinema. The movies that I carry in my heart, seeing something like Y tu mama was also something that changed me; I also love the work that comes out of Chile , and the only thing I can say is that it is a cinema that needs more access and projects.

Today you have a comedy with Nicolas Cage on the door, can you tell us something?

It's my first shot at comedy , as a complete story within the genre. Speaking of American influences , in the 80s I saw all the films where Nicolas Cage appeared , he came into my life and it's great to be his partner after seeing all his performances.

How is the relationship you have with the comedy genre?

I love it, I have done a lot of comedy in the theater, what happens is that in film and television issues , I was always part of drama castings . And in the cinema, you go where the doors open; Although I identify with one or the other, I think that being an actor , one goes and does what one has to do. Comedy is something unique, it is very challenging because it must be very real to be funny, you cannot hide or use normal tricks. I was very excited to have this challenge in front of a camera.

Finally, Pedro, after going through so many fictional worlds, literally, what do you dream about when you sleep?

I dream that my bathroom is dirty, that I haven't done my math homework, that the oven is on and all that stuff. Sure, there are times when I close my eyes and see myself in all these projects , although my conscience is with the anxieties of the day that you can imagine.

Without a doubt, Pedro Pascal is a particular type .

English Tranlation: Google Translate

SOURCE:  GQ MEXICO

[dlamp-dictator]

Allen Rambles About Three Houses

So last week I finished up my Black Eagles playthrough of Fire Emblem Three Houses. It was... okay. It wasn’t great. I had a few issues with the pacing how quick the plot move to the final battles and the lack of build-up for the big climaxes in the last few chapters, but I had a good time overall. Still, I was left unsatisfied. Between Fates, Echoes, and even Warriors, I think I enjoyed this game the most, but also had the most uncertainty with. 

Fates was a fun game with fun mechanics and fun customization options if you were willing to grind for it, but also had the worst stories and narratives. Echoes had the best story out of the three, but had some game mechanics I really wasn’t a fan of like dungeon stamina and enemy AI nonsense. And Warriors was just fun fanservice as a fan of Dynasty Warriors, but was overall boring and repetitive after completing the story mode. 

Three Houses honestly succeeds in every category so far. It has an engaging story, fun gameplay mechanics with a lot of customization options, and a lot of fun interactions and cute moments in it. But even so, I still can’t help but have issues with it. 

So... I want to talk about that for a bit. I want to cover what I like and what I dislike about this game so far. Just talk a little bit with the fanbase to see where my feelings and thoughts are compared to everyone else’s.

But first, as always, a synopsis for those unfamiliar with Three Housed. 

Fire Emblem Three Houses is a strategy game for the Nintendo Switch and the 16th game in the franchise. This game in particular focuses on three heirs to three different nations on the continent of Fodlan. The proud and commanding Edelgard of the Adrestian Empire who has great ambitions for her nation and its people despite how radical and blasphemous her manifesto seems. The kind well-mannered Dimitri of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus who’s smile and inviting nature hides a dark and maleficent past that still haunts and eats away at him to this day. And the easy-going and playful Claude of the Leicester Alliance who always seems to be planning something more sinister and malicious than his devil may care attitude shows. These 3 heirs all go to the same military academy at the Garreg Mach Monastery, both a religious and military center where the church resides. Together they enjoy school life, interact with students and classmates, compete in friendly competition, and learn the ways of war together. However, as political events, social changes, and possible wars erupting, the three friends are tested and eventually break part, now pointing their blades at each other for their own beliefs and goals. And as violence is all but certain as the years tick by, all the three can do is wait until they’re forced to kill each other for their beliefs, their goals, and their countries.

You play as none of these characters.

Instead, you play as Byleth, a new professor at the academy and former mercenary. You choose one of the Three Houses to teach and become wrapped up in their machinations as the plot thickens. How you train your students and ready them for the real world for the trials to come is all in your hands.

So... with that all said and the plot laid out, I think I should start with my issues first in the say way I did my quick thoughts. Just so I can at least end this on a good note after all my nitpicks and issues. 

With that said, I’m going to start small and first cover...

Things That Only Annoy Allen

So last time I tried to write this I had to make my first “small” grievance into it’s own part. I’ll try and keep this short since I really want to keep this to the actual small stuff:

I don’t like Byleth’s female design. I’ll go into detail later but for now just know the lacy stockings are distracting for the wrong reasons.

There’s no female brawling class and it bugs me greatly due to Petra’s and Ingrid’s high speed growths. They could be some extremely high DPS infantry in the right hands with those things, but there’s no really class to take advantage of that aside from maybe Swordmaster.

More for story reasons than anything, I wish there was an in-game limit to how many students you could have join your class. About 3 students per House if I had to put a number on it for reasons I’ll explain later. This isn’t an issue, but it’s something I’d like.

Magic only being accessible for certain classes bugs me. I understand the in-game reason for this as a physical unit that could use some emergency (if very weak) magic after losing weapons or fighting armored units would honestly break the game even further than it can be now, but still.

Something I might mention later, but after watching a Blue Lions playthrough by one of my favorite Let’s Players I feel that the game should had limited which House we could join first, as my Black Eagles playthrough would had been more fulfilling learning of some things I’ve learned in that Blue Lions run.

Class mastery should be tied to levels instead of as a separate experience bar. I understand why that’s done, mostly keep people from really min-maxing classes and abilities, but it’s still annoying in terms of optimization.

Edelgard, the only female lord, is the only bisexual lord. Now I’m not in the LGBTQA+ community, but as a gamer and self-proclaimed degenerate I know that denying the yaoi fangirls a male gay option for a main character is... suspicious, given the lovable bisexual rouge of Niles in Fates, and it clear that Claude could had easily been a bisexual option as well given his personality. Again, not in the LGBTQA+ community or trying to play the social justice card, but it is making me raise eyebrows toward the games marketing and aimed demographics.

Byleth in general just... bugs me as a character, but I’ll get to that later.

...

...

...

And now it’s later, so let’s get to talking about the main thing that bugs me with Three Houses, and that’s...

Byleth

I don’t like Byleth. I don’t like Byleth at all. I namely don’t like how they were executed, but the fact that we have another avatar character after how well Echoes worked as a story without a self-insert character, I’m just... baffled. I’ll try and break this down a little.

Byleth’s Design

I really don’t Byleth’s design, namely the female design. The male version looks fine, if a little too black for my tastes, but the female version is trying way too hard to look sexy. This only makes me mad because both Awakening and Fates had female avatars that didn’t look overly sexy or obviously pandering to the male gaze. They were just the female version of the male version’s outfit. Maybe there was some more boobs and hips because female, but it was mostly forgivable. 

And look, I’m not prude, far from it. Senran Kagura is one of my favorite video game series (cautiously hyped about Yumi being in Cross Tag BTW). Rumble Roses is a guilty pleasure I play every so often. One of my favorite anime is freaking Koihime, aka ‘Ikkitousen but better EVERYONE is a girl.’ I’m not saying you can’t have a sexy character or a bunch of sexy characters in a game or piece of media. However, that character should at least have a sexy personality to go with it. And with Byleth, who has the personality of cardboard has been with her mercenary father all her life fighting for her life, it doesn’t feel like she would actively be trying to look sexy since she doesn’t have the personality for it, or a personality at all. She looks less like a mercenary or teacher and more like Manuela forced her into some lacy stockings to make her branch out...

Huh, that would be a good paralogue/support conversation, but I’m not about to rewrite the game just for my satisfaction... yet.

 If you want my quick armchair redesign ideas in terms of design I’d just stick her in Male Byleth’s armor, maybe have a more pronounced/noticeable skirt instead of a long shirt, and dear God get rid of those lacy stockings. Byleth is suppose to be a mercenary that’s only known battle with her father, the Ashen Demon that rarely shows their emotions, not a sexy fashion model. The Enlightened One model is it’s own mess, but this section ate up enough of my time already so I’m moving on.

Byleth’s Personality

Again, Byleth having the personality of a damn rock really kills my attachment to the character. They don’t speak or emote beyond generic level up phrases and crit quotes. 

Which is a shame because Byleth has some really good crit quotes. 

However, from what Jeralt and other students say about Byleth I can gather that their someone that’s often quiet and standoffish. They don’t speak unless prompted to or needs to interject. They tend to observe more than act, even more so after they gain the ability to rewind time, but have a razor-sharp and deadly focus when in combat. And despite their distant nature, they do care about their students, friends, and family quite a lot, willing to break the emotionless Ashen Demon persona to crack a smile even now and then, even completely showing deadpan shock when something surprising or appalling is said, as rare as it happens. 

This is literally Yu Narukami’s personality in Persona 4 the Animation.

And that anime not only gave Yu Narukami more agency and personality than the self-insert the game made him out as, it also gave him a lot of a good back-and-forth with his friends and cast at large. 

Seriously, this could had been Byleth if they bothered to let them speak and actively interact more independently, and it would had been great.

But that aside, I’m moving on to something a little more important, which is...

Byleth’s Importance

[Spoilers for the Black Eagles Route Ahead] 

Again, I’ve only played the Black Eagle’s route, so maybe this changes in the other Houses, but Byleth seems way too important for his own good when we have 3 other “main” characters. He’s the crux of a lot of events and it doesn’t feel deserved or built up to well enough. In the Black Eagle’s path, you’re the one that convinces the class to work with Edelgard instead of Edelgard just explaining herself before the class of her goals. You’re the one leading the Black Eagle Strike Force instead of Edelgard or Hubert taking command and leading after years of not having the professor around and having to survive the war on their own. You’re the one that Rhea has a personal vengeance for instead of the woman that torn the church apart with both words of steel and blades of iron. And you just randomly find out that your the progenitor god from Edelgard and Hubert toward the very end. It feels really anti-climactic, but I also get the feeling that we were suppose to play Edelgard’s route last, something I’ll save for later. 

Among other things, I just feel that the focus on Byleth stagnants Edelgard’s character a lot. I want to see Edelgard struggle with the fact that her ideals, while noble in concept, are dragging the world in the flames of war and that she’s seen more as a tyrant than a savior, but instead we focus on Byleth’s mysterious birth and power after being gone for five years. This game, at least on the Black Eagle route, was so damn close to telling a really good war drama, but backpedals due to Byleth’s existence and perceived importance.

Sothis

[Spoilers for Mid-Game Ahead]

I wish she was more active in the story. Nothing too big, but if I had to deal with emotionless rock that is Byleth, I’d like to have seen Sothis sprinkling her commentary on everything they did. Just imagine Sothis sassing Byleth about how their always eat lunch with their students. Her commenting on the fish they catch. Her giving additional small hints about who owns certain lost items after failing so many times to give the right item to someone. Her sassing every student in their support with Byleth on C-rank. Her telling you to go to sleep when you run out of activity points. It’d add a lot to her character and it’d make the moment later in the game when you no longer have her voice around feel more impactful. Imagine catching a big fish after fusing with her and... hearing nothing about it how big a catch it was. Imagine trying to give Ingrid a lost sword for the fifth time, hoping to hear a hint from Sothis and... you hear nothing.

Again, just an armchair idea, but at least that way when Byleth is being a plank of wood we’ll have Sothis to add some literal flavor text to everything they do.

Ah, but that’s enough about Byleth, let’s move on to something a little more important. Like... 

The Gameplay

Thankfully, my issue with the gameplay are more nitpicks if anything, and I can actually have this in list form too.

As I mentioned in my quick thoughts, I feel like late-game/master classes are more of a pain to gain than most others. A lot of them need to have some heavy grinding in a stat you didn’t likely need to worry about before. Mortal Savant requires you to heavily grind either a physical class in magic or a magical class in swords, something that you likely didn’t do. Speaking of magic, it’s annoying that for all the customization in this game only certain classes can use magic. It makes raising a Mortal Savant or a more physical Holy/Dark Knight a nightmare. Again, I understand why this was done, but it’s annoying all the same.

Gender-restrictions, as I also said in my Quick Thoughts, are just dumb. Fates had removed this and it was great to have the freedom to give my male units the ability to become Falcon Knights, or my Female units to be... Okay, I only played Fates and Echoes, but the fact still remains that not being able to make a female Grappler/War Master or a male Falcon Knight really sucks and limits me quite a bit. Especially the inability to make Lysithea a Dark Mage. It’s practically wrong. 

A lot of these maps have the same issue that Echoes had. They’re big and have a lot of enemies, but not much creativity to them. Okay, they have some thought put into them, more than Echoes anyway, but a lot of them still just feel like big fields that need at least three flying units to be manageable. Again, I’ve only played the Black Eagle route so there might be some more interesting maps in the other routes, but from what I’ve played there was no real strategy to these maps outside of baiting enemies and maneuvering around traps. I think there were probably only two maps that weren’t giant mazes or an empty field with a lot of enemies in them.

To the point above, this made slow moving armored classes almost completely useless. What point is there in having a slow tank on maps that span to what feels like 60X60 tile maps? Plus the maze-like design? Yeah, I don’t know how these maps were meant to be interesting.

And that’s it for gameplay issues. Moving on to...

The Story

Again, something that can be put into list form due to the story having more nitpicks than actual issues:

[Spoilers for Black Eagles Route Ahead]

The split decision to join Edelgard or not is dumb, as is the requirement to have the option available. I think it’s foolish to think we wouldn’t agree with her after listening to her manifesto for so long, especially if you played a Blue Lions route and seeing how Sylvain and Ingrid were screwed over due to their Crests, or just... Lysithea’s  background in general. I can’t argue with her beliefs, only her execution.

The Flame Emperor reveal was... really anti-climatic. As if, again, they assumed we’d do Black Eagles last. Playing this route first just leads to a lot of anti-climatic reveals, especially on Edelgard’s route.

I just really wish Edelgard came clean with her classmates and commanders at some point in the story, to just tell them all that she was experimented on as a child and had two Crests as a result. That she wants to eliminate the nobility and Crests as a symbol of statu because of the harm it does to people both on top and on the bottom of the social food chain. It’d give a lot more weight to her cause.

Again, most of my issues with the story come from Byleth having too much screen time and importance compared to Edelgard as a whole. Especially when I did the route where I chose to go with her.

Alright, I think that’s it for all of my nitpicks, all the major ones anyway. I think I finally move to...

The Good Things

Again, this will be in list form since a lot of the nicer parts about this game don’t need as much breakdown as the bad parts.

But anyway...

As much as I don’t find the late game reward in terms of class advancement, the mid and early game are great for experimentation. I've had a bunch of fun on my second playthrough with some creative builds. I might suffer a little in the late game due to not optimizing everything, but that’s managable.

As I also stated in my quick thoughts, dismounting is hilariously broken. The amazing amount of utility you get from being about to dismount once you reach a destination and then mount at the start of the new turn for free while also being safe from arrows and horse-effective weapons is hysterical. I honestly think this was a bug that just didn’t patch and that dismounting meant you were stuck with the lower movement for the rest of the turn, but God am I going to use it until they eventually patch it out.

I’ve got... issues with the Black Eagle route, at least the route I went through, but I’ve been watching a playthrough of the Blue Lions route and it’s everything I could have wanted in a Fire Emblem game and more. If you want to play a good story I recommend the Blue Lions as your first route.

But to cut the Black Eagles route some credit, a lot of Edelgard and Hubert’s A-Supports were probably some of the best I’ve seen in the series... though I’ve only played Fates and Echoes, so...

Speaking of supports all of them were done very well. Like I said, Edelgard and Hubert had great supports, but Lysithea, Petra, Caspar, and Dorothea had great supports as well.

A lot of the supports and voice acting are great. It’s a key reason as to why I like the supports so much. The Lords are especially great to hear and were directed well.

And... yeah, that’s all the good things. Don’t let the short length fool you, folks. Like I said before, my issues are more nitpicks. The game as a whole is just fine.

That said...

In the Future

As much as I want to, even as a fun little project, I think it’s a little arrogant of me to be making any rewrites or “improvement” to the current story of Three Houses. I have various reasons for this that I might go into depth to in a later Rambling, but the short version is as someone that’s struggle to write their own story I feel like a hypocrite for trying to “correct” another’s. However, I think it’s far game to make requests and bring forth ideas for a future title, especially since this one is selling so well. And so, before concluding I’d like to present a few things I hope to be in the next Fire Emblem game:

No Avatar Character

Like I said, I feel Byleth’s entire presence can ruin scenes due to his lack of personality and engagement. And as easy as it would be to give him one that would also mean the play losing their use self-insert character. To this I say it’s probably best to just not have an avatar/self-insert character to begin with. You can easily make a character that has the stats of an above-average all-rounder as your main character/lord while still having a personality. I think Echoes did this well enough with Alm and Celica, especially Celica if we’re talking stats and utility as a healer/magic/swordsman hybrid.

No Gender-Locked Classes

This is more of a personal desire than something that needs to happen, but if the next Fire Emblem game is going to give us this much customization then I’d really like to have complete control and not be restricted by gender, especially when we’re talking stats. A War Master Hilda would be wild. As would a Hero Petra, a Gremory Linhardt, a Dark Mage Lythesia, and so on. To restrict us is not only screwing people who want to make quirky builds, but also those that want to make optimal builds. Either remove the gender lock, or have these characters with more straight-forward classes like in Fates.

One/Limited Routes

Again, I haven’t played Blue Lions or Golden Deer yet, but the Black Eagles route had a branching path that I honestly think shouldn’t have existed. Maybe this was for reasons I can only guess at, but the story of the Black Eagles Route I was on felt very rushed, or at least it assumed I had played either the other Houses or the “canon” Black Eagles route first. That left the actual story, while I personally found engaging, very rushed and underwhelming at the end. In the future I’m hoping for either one path, or for alternate paths to be locked until you complete the other “main” ones that give a fuller story, because a lot of what I’m seeing in the Blue Lions playthrough I’m watching would had been nice to learn in the Black Eagles route to see Edelgards view of things.

Smaller Maps

Like I said, the maps in Three Houses are a little too large, especially with slower armored/magic units in the early game with only 4 movement. In the next game I’m hoping for either smaller maps or at least maps that accommodate for that slow movement of early game and saving the bigger maps for when you’d naturally have some cavalry and infantry units with 5 movement. I think Fates’ Conquest and Revelations maps did this perfectly.

Brawling Weapons

No real critique here. I just really like the gauntlets and I hope they come back in the next game.

Conclusion

Overall, I think Three Houses is a good game, despite all my nitpicks. I hope the next game will be even better and hopefully have some of the things I want to see. I recommend this for anyone with a Switch wanting to play a decent strategy game.

Anyway, I got a draft to make on that story I’m writing, as well as draft up another Rambling. See you all later!

[zeedesertfox]

Mission 2.

Taking off from where they started, they were in the town of Staory, fairly deep behind Chedaki lines, having managed to seize a hefty amount of arms and ammunition. I gave them two civilian trucks in this new mission as I felt like they would have found a way to seize some transport before bed.

My player base went north. Unbeknownst to them, a Chedaki observation base blocked access of the road into the next town. When they attempted to bypass it, they ran into a Chedaki fortified artillery position. Fortunantly, this position was fortitfied agaisnt return artillery fire, and not direct ground attack. My player base (of two individuals and some bots mind you), attempted to engage the BM-21′s in their firing positions, and almost seized one, facing the light resistance of one armed infrantry man. 

Unfortunately for them, a Chedaki Ural truck was being sent to reinforce the nearby base, loaded down with infantry. The driver, spotting the carnage off of the road to his left, below, stopped his vehicle on the road and unloaded his accomplishment of troops before driving on, getting the vehicle to safety. At the same time, a nearby town’s patrol heard the engagement and saw the BM-21′s attempting to drive away (One successfully did), and put two and two together, with a DKSM heavy machine gun equipped UAZ jeep making an appearance.

My player base, sandwiched between fresh troops who quite literally have the high ground to the south, and a motorized unit with a heavy weapon to the north, chose to attempt to flee west, into the woods. Still taking heavy machine gun fire both in caliber and quantity, my player base abandoned the truck and proceeded to run westwards. They did manage to engage successfully one of the UAZ jeeps, stealing it for themselves.

Heading west in their newly acquired bounty, they found a road and made a beeline away from any towns. Soon, they were in the nation’s back-roads, although they did stop and request some items from Zeus. I felt pity on them, and granted them some medical supplies, body bags, and several zip-ties. They proceeded to engage a civilian truck, murdering and body bagging the innocent driver. Proceeding through the back-woods of the country, they went north, their ultimate objective was Devils Castle they proclaimed. As to why, I’m not sure. It was marked as an abandoned tourist trap, but I digress. They did run into one ambush, although the UAZ’s AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher made quick work of their foes. One surrendered, begging for his life, his hands firmly raised in the air, although as the UAZ lacked the transport space, my player base did not accept his surrender, cutting him down with a short but decisive volley.

Heading further north, they saw several burnt out vehicles and dead infantry in a field. Understandably a bad omen, they chose a different path, taking their jeep cross country for a bit, and by a bit I mean a lot. 

They took to the highways, gunning it north. They passed a small column of two BTR-70′s. Unfortunately, there was a slight car accident as my player base rammed their jeep into the second BTR. The troops on top screamed and swore, and fired a few warning shots, but as my player base was driving a Chedaki jeep, they let them go unharmed.

Continuing to basically turn my missions into a modernized Wolfenstein game,  they proceeded to head to the aptly named Devil’s Castle at full speed, passing another patrol, this time of three T-72′s.

Making it just outside the castle, they ran into a checkpoint. After a guard asked for his papers, my player base promptly shot him. 

The jig was up, and the offensive against the castle had begun.

After pushing through the small guard group, they faced heavy resistance at the castle itself. One BMD-1 was present, along with static defences, and a whole host of infrantry. Eventually, they pushed through, and even managed to clear out the castle itself. Difficulties had arisen when an Mi-8 kept ferrying in infrantry, although the player base did manage to shoot it down with a captured ZU-23 they found on one of the castle wall rooftops. 

Only major incident up until this point was that during the fighting, a hand grenade was thrown by the player base into an area containing one Chedaki guard and a whole host of POW rebels. They were only able to rescue and conscript two of the surviving POW’s.

After the seizure of the castle, the player base found a large volume of armoured vehicles and trucks out behind the back of the castle. Among the Ural’s, T-72′s, and other vehicles, they found two vehicles which stood out. One Mi-8 Hip helicopter, unarmed. And one 9P129-1M (9M79B). The last vehicle was a former soviet tactical ballistic missile, this specific model armed with a 100 KT nuclear warhead.

My player base soon dropped everything and eagerly debated their targeting. They were going to obliterate the nearby Chedaki controlled airfield, but they soon insisted on obliterating the town of Elektrozavodsk, home to many thousands of Chernorussian citizens.

Having launched the munition, the player base decided to take the MI-8 Hip for a flight to investigate their carnage. Narrowly avoiding a lock from a passing CDF Mig-29, they managed to land, in their Chedaki IFF and marked helicopter.

Upon landing in the gates of hell, they got out and stated they were a private security group. Aid organizations were all over the place trying to assess the damage and help with the wave of casualties.

They caught an aid helicopter to the nearby small city of Chernogorsk. Upon landing, they continued to blend in, until they slaughtered a large volume of civilians who were outside of an overworked hospital that was desperately trying to stem the tide of the casualties. After shooting a nearby civilian who was driving to the blast area to offer his car as transport for the wounded, the player base stole that vehicle and drove back at high speed into the remains of Elektrozavodsk. They bolted over to their helicopter, which was under armed CDF guard at the time, and managed to take off, making it back to the castle.

News reports at the time indicate that at the time of detonation, an international bike race was being held in the city of  Elektrozavodsk. As well, the US president has offered the services of a nearby marine core detachment off of the troop-ship and light carrier, the USS Khe Sahn. The Russian Federation denies all involvement with The Chernarussian Movement of the Red Star, or any other rebel group in the region and vows to do what ever it takes to take down the terrorists and bandits who launched this devastating attack. All reports indicate that the Chedaki themselves are looking for a ceasefire with the CDF, stating on all official means of communication that the launch was not their doing, and that the attack on the castle and the launch of the warhead were related. Anonymous US officials support this belief, although there has yet to be further word from the White House at this time.

My playerbase gonna get fucked

List of warcrimes my playerbase has done.

-Failure to use a standardized form of uniform. -Use of nuclear weapons against an unarmed civilian population, not for any reason of greater good (ala, the avoidance of an Operation Downfall type scenario), in an area that has negligible strategic value (light industry and a small port , and it should be noted the weapon was aimed at predominately residential areas). -Refusal to show quarter to a surrendering and defeated enemy. -Use of enemy vehicles and uniforms to camouflage their ill intent. -Murder of civilians. -Abusal of Red Cross/Crescent/Star symbols. -Firing on aid workers knowingly. -Firing on Civilians knowingly. -Extreme, needless damage of property.  -(Not a war crime, still notable) Impressment of civilians and captured enemies. -Vast volumes of pillaging. -Extreme damage to the environment (What with a surface burst in a residential area of a city). -Execution of both enemy and friendly Prisoners of War. -Execution of own personnel to secure arms.

Starting post.

Mission 1.

[malcolmadrian97]

What To Expect After A Reiki Treatment Best Useful Tips

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How Do You Know If Reiki Is Working

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O Que A Reiki Master

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[spirit-science-blog]

Having talked about the Secret Government, we've begun to get a glimpse into the scenes behind society at large... but things take a strange turn the deeper we go, as many of the mysteries surrounding the Secret Government suggest hidden powers beyond our wildest dreams. If these stories are correct, then the battle for human consciousness may go well beyond just humanity but indeed grab at the ultimate powers of the universe itself.

Directed Energy Weapons

Over the last several years, the Directed Energy Weapons conspiracy has taken root across the internet. As major fires the previous several years, from California to Australia, speculation that these were not natural fires quickly took the internet by storm, as hundreds of thousands of people shared videos showing what appeared to be a laser-beam striking the area of the fire, often just before the inferno began. These Directed Energy Weapons, shortened now to DEW’s, are believed to be powerful super-weapons using satellite technology or stealth aircraft. It is part of a difficult to detect weaponization of the skies heavens.

Looking back to nearly 100 years ago, it’s well known that Nikola Tesla himself was working on a “Death Ray.” However, he provided a different, more neutral title - “particle beam,” developed under the codename Salesforce. This device supposedly accelerated pellets or slugs of material to a high velocity inside a vacuum chamber using electrostatic repulsion. It then fired them out of aimed nozzles at intended targets. When talking about his device in 1934, he explained that “many thousands of horsepower can thus be transmitted by a stream thinner than a hair, so that nothing can resist''....going on to say that in theory it could “bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 200 miles from a defending nation's border, and will cause armies to drop dead in their tracks”...culminating in the tag line that it would be “a weapon to end all wars.”

After he died, we also know that John Trump found when he was brought in by the Office of Alien Custody, a box containing a part of Tesla's "death ray" a 45-year-old multidecade resistance box...which is an instrument that can replicate different electrical values in a circuit.

Is it possible that Tesla’s Particle Beam laid the groundwork for the so-called DEW’s being used today? And if so… What reason would there be for using it to start California and possibly Australia fires?

The first time DEW’s were brought to the public's attention was in 2017 when Napa, California, suffered the biggest wildfire in its history. Countless YouTube investigations took place into videos and photos of fires skipping houses and trees, seemingly burning straight lines through the community. The next year, two separate California fires began on November 8 of 2018, the “Camp Fire” and the Woosley Fire. Once again, people noticed some pictures and video captured that seemed to show evidence of energy beams from the heavens assaulting the Golden State.

Things become even weirder when we consider this video of a tree burning from the inside, begging the question - how would this even happen? Some might suggest that it was hit by lightning, but rather unlikely amid a wildfire, especially seeing that around the tree, there doesn’t look like there’s much fire around it.

The wildfires were indeed extraordinary… Consider the images of cars melting on the road near intact wildlife, houses burned to ash beside their unharmed neighbors, and other oddities. While, of course, some people may have set their homes on fire amidst the chaos to cash in on their insurance, there’s enough evidence here to suggest there’s more at play than just that.

But the most incriminating evidence for the use of DEW’s is this satellite data collected on the scene. This video was released only on Sept 8, 2020, showing that DEW’s are a significant likelihood of explaining these devastating wildfires' origins.

So, if it is true that wildfires are being started with DEWs, then who is behind it? Why are they doing it? Is it the Chinese or the Russian trying to attack the U.S. covertly? Is it the government trying to clear land or cause panic and poverty to breed dependence in its population?

Many theorists suggest that the fires both in California and Australia happened to be along the paths that long-proposed high-speed rail networks would be built and that military testing may

Very well have been performed in a location that would clear space of cheap land for the government at the same time.

In the case of the Australia fire, despite funding being approved in 2017, their high-speed rail project would go on to face unexpected delays, costs, legal disputes, and questions over its actual economic value, with a leaked confidential document written in 2012 revealing that the project would knowingly be a net financial drain for the country. This is mostly because the land that had to be secured for it would cost about 3.5 billion dollars, involving buying out the land from homeowners and clearing away Australian wildlife.

Interestingly, an update from the US Department of Defense themselves as recently as September 16th seemingly confirmed the presence of, or at least research into DEW’s, saying that “New technologies are fundamentally changing the character of war, and the two Air Force services are leading that charge….China and Russia seek to erode our longstanding dominance in airpower through long-range fires, anti-access/area-denial systems and other asymmetric capabilities designed to counter our strengths”. Going on to say that “both China and Russia have placed weapons on satellites and are known to be developing directed energy weapons to exploit U.S. systems.”

While the US government hasn’t confirmed or denied if they have their own… If Russia and China have them, it would only make sense the US wouldn’t be far behind, or even secretly ahead. As we learned from Werner Von Braun, whoever controls and militarizes space ultimately contains the world. Perhaps freedom is already militarized, far more than any of us realize.

HAARP ( CHRIS - WORK YO’ MAGIC)

DEWs are only half the story, however, for just as it is believed the powers that be have immense firepower in the form of super-lasers, it’s also suggested that they have even discovered how to manipulate and control other aspects of nature - being able to create rain and snow anywhere and anytime, or even create earthquakes..which brings us to our next theory, centered around the Weather Research program HAARP. Since the mid-2000s, the HAARP program has become pretty infamous for its connection with everything from chemtrails to hurricanes. Even as recently as 2010, the Venezuelan leader Huge Chavez claimed that HAARP or a program like it triggered the Haiti earthquake…. he didn’t cite a source, and the official story is that it was caused by the slippage of a previously unmapped fault along the border of the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates.

HAARP stood for High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program and was essentially a weather research initiative. It was designed to analyze the ionosphere, a portion of the upper atmosphere that stretches from about 53 miles above the Earth's surface to 370 miles up. The program has been funded by the Air Force, the Navy, the University of Alaska, and the DARPA. I say “was” because, in May 2014, the Air Force announced that the HAARP program would be shut down later that year, but while experiments ended in the summer of 2014, the complete shutdown and dismantling of the facility was postponed until at least May 2015. Nowadays, the facility and equipment are controlled by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which hires independent researchers.

The official research was mostly weather-based, as you would guess, but the U.S. military was also interested in the ionosphere because it plays a role in transmitting radio signals. HAARP sends radio beams into the ionosphere to study the responses from it — one of the few ways to measure this inaccessible part of the atmosphere accurately. However, the end goal of the program was to understand the physics of the ionosphere, which is continuously responding to influences from the sun. Solar flares can send solar particles racing toward Earth, occasionally disrupting communications and the electrical grid. If scientists could better understand what happens in the ionosphere, they might mitigate some of these problems.

Naturally...any notion of scientists messing with frequency signals and solar flares is a hotbed for alternative theories regarding weather manipulation, though. Michel Chossudovsky has argued that "recent evidence suggests that HAARP is fully operational and has the capability of triggering floods, hurricanes, droughts, and earthquakes.” While a lot of the theories surrounding HAARP are just conjecture, some sources have argued that during the Obama Administration, it was used to cause Hurricane Sandy… and throughout its years of operation, it has arguably been responsible for thunderstorms in Iran, Pakistan, Haiti, Turkey, Greece, and the Philippines. Even major power outages, the downing of TWA Flight 800, Gulf War syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome….but on a more kindly note, it was also responsible for creating the first artificially produced aurora in 2005.

Interestingly, the program cost more than $290 million to build, with much of the budget being earmarked by the late Senator Ted Stevens, who had significant influence over the U.S. defense budget during his time in Congress. When looking into the whole thing, though, two names that almost always come up are Nick Begich and his son Mark. Nick was an Alaskan politician who disappeared mysteriously in a plane crash in 1972, and over the years, his son became obsessed with uncovering mysteries. In his self-published book on HAARP, Mark claimed that a Russian military journal warned that blasting the ionosphere would trigger a cascade of electrons that could flip Earth's magnetic poles.

While it may all sound like a good fiction novel, it’s no secret that the Alaska state legislature and the European Parliament held hearings about HAARP and did get into disputes over concerns about its effects on the environment. Further, the military's response only worried theorists more. When program managers swore that the facility would "never be used for military functions," Mark went on to find military reports touting satellite-blinding research plans...along with then-secretary of Defense William Cohen's suggestion that "electromagnetic waves" could alter the climate and control earthquakes and volcanoes remotely.

Numerous theorists have also suggested that HAARP is responsible for a mysterious hum heard all around the world, along with the Targeted Individuals phenomenon using frequency targeting for specific individuals… naturally, since the facility has officially been shut down, allegations argue that such actions and cases of advanced technology are the work of the deep state… bringing us to the next part of our theory…

Time Travel

The Philadelphia experiment is probably one of the most famous advanced technology theories today, and it goes something like this. It was the summer of 1943, two years into the United States' involvement in World War II, a bloody sea battle was raging between American destroyers and the famed U-boat submarines of the Nazis. In the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, a newly commissioned destroyer called the USS Eldridge was being equipped with several large generators as part of a top-secret mission to win the Battle of the Atlantic once and for all.

Supposedly, however, these new generators weren’t just for extra engine speed...following the theoretical aspects of Project Rainbow, they were designed to power a new kind of magnetic field that would make the warship invisible to enemy radar. According to the theory, with the full crew on board, once the generators were switched on, witnesses described an eerie green glow surrounding the ship's hull. Then, almost instantaneously, the Eldridge disappeared. Not just invisible to radar, but gone — vanished into thin air.

According to supposed classified military reports, when the ship returned, members of the Eldridge crew suffered terrible burns and disorientation, along with a few crewmen being found partially embedded in the steel hull of the ship, still alive, but with legs or arms sealed to the deck.

The experiment was allegedly based on an aspect of some unified field theory, which merged theories of electromagnetism and gravity into one complete view. The generators were said to be able to bend light around an object via refraction so that the thing became completely invisible; however - other theories are far more interesting, suggesting that the Eldridge moved into a higher dimension temporarily, which is how - upon returning - people were found merged to the ship.  

Despite the crew's effects, however, some theorists put forth that the experiment was repeated on October 28, 1943. This time, the Eldridge not only became invisible, but it disappeared from the area in a flash of blue light and reappeared in Norfolk, Virginia, over 200 miles (320 km) away. It’s said that the Eldridge sat for some time because of men aboard the SS Andrew Furuseth, after which the ship vanished again and reappeared in Philadelphia at the site it had initially been occupied… And what’s more, it has somehow traveled ten minutes back in time.

To understand if there is any truth to this conspiracy experiment, we need to look at the people who first brought it to light. In general, almost everything we know about the Philadelphia experiment comes from 2 prominent people. In 1955, Ufologist, astronomer, and researcher Morris Jessup had just published his book on the case for UFOs in the government when he got two letters from a guy called Carlos Miguel Allende, who claimed to have witnessed the events of the experiment… Claiming that not only had the ship been rendered invisible but that it had shifted dimensions. Jessup thought Allende was a wacko since he claimed to have been taught by Albert Einstein himself.

In the letters, Allende explained how the U.S. military used Einstein's revelations to experiment… But after that, no other witnesses from the crew of the Eldridge or nearby ships came forward for 13 years or so. After trying to figure out if Allende’s claims had any truth to them, Jessup was frustrated and ready to drop the investigation entirely when he was contacted by two officers from the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) in 1957, saying that they had received a copy of Jessup’s book annotated by handwritten notes claiming advanced knowledge of physics, that linked extraterrestrial technology to breakthroughs in unified field theory.

Jessup took a look and immediately recognized Allende’s handwriting… After which, the ONR published over 127 copies with the annotations included. Eventually, this idea became so popular in fringe theories that it was turned into a feature film in 1984.

For years Allende had claimed to be the sole witness of the experiment, claiming to have been stationed on the SS Furuseth. However, after the film's release, a man named Al Bielek came forward claiming to have personally taken part in the experiment and said that he had been brainwashed to forget. It was only after seeing the movie in 1984 did his repressed memories come flooding back.

But our story doesn’t end there… The events of Montauk Airforce Base supposedly continued where the Philadelphia experiment left off.

Following the theories put forward by Preston Nichols and Peter Moon, sometime in the late 1950s, secret researchers from the original Philadelphia Project began to research manipulating the electromagnetic fields for military use… Simultaneously looking into its effects on human psychology and behavior, and perhaps even deeper into understanding the mysterious dimensional shift that supposedly took place. A report was seemingly prepared and presented to the United States Congress, which was firmly rejected for being way too dangerous and inhumane. Instead, the researchers made direct contact with the Department of Defense, promising a powerful new weapon that could drive an enemy insane, inducing creating symptoms of schizophrenia at the touch of a button.

Without mainstream approval, the project would have to be top secret and black funded. According to the theory, the Department of Defense approved, and Project Phoenix was born. Supposedly, equipment was moved to Camp Hero at the Montauk base in the mid-late 1960s and installed in an underground bunker beneath the ground to take advantage of the satellite dishes without drawing public attention. According to conspiracy theorists, to mask the nature of the project, the site was closed in 1969 and donated as a wildlife refuge/park… Yet, even the government maintains. Camp hero remained in operation well into the 80s.

This is where the theory starts to get pretty dark as numerous people have pointed out atrocities that were supposedly committed. Supposedly, homeless people were abducted and subjected to vast amounts of electromagnetic radiation, with few surviving… People allegedly had their psychic abilities enhanced to the point where they could materialize objects out of thin air, but at the cost of their emotional and mental stability… Mind control experiments were conducted. Runaway boys were supposedly abducted and brought out to the base where they underwent excruciating periods of physical and psychological torture to break their minds, after which their minds were re-programmed… And, of course, research into time travel and dimensional doorways were happening regularly. Could this also be the legendary Montauk Monster's roots, a strange creature that washed up on shore near Montauk in 2008? Some believe that it may have even been a higher dimensional creature brought into our reality during the experiments.

After the experiments were completed, depending on which theory you read, the facility was closed for good or destroyed. All the staff was brainwashed, shot, or sworn to absolute secrecy, with all records also destroyed. According to some theories, though, research continues at the site to this day with enhanced security. One of the most popular tellings of the Montauk Experiments is with the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” of which the original title would be “Montauk.”

Mandela Effects:

If time or dimensional travel is involved, then it may be possible that humanity has existed in multiple realities or timelines and that even one instance of time travel may result in millions of people shifting into another time-stream in the multiverse, where things are ever so slightly different than they were before. The Mandela Effect is a widespread phenomenon where people in mass remember certain things differently than they are today.

Officially the phenomenon is categorized as a case of False Memory in mainstream circles. Still, the name was coined after Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, was reported to have died in 2013. The problem is… countless people worldwide -including Fiona Broome, who came up with the term, distinctly remembered him dying in prison in the 1980s. Another weird example is Neil Armstrong. Strangely, despite his importance, people had no recollection of his death. Many fans apparently "forgot" or didn't notice the news of his passing in August 2012.

One of the more studied prominent examples comes from a 2010 study that examined people familiar with the clock at Bologna Centrale railway station, which was damaged in the Bologna massacre bombing in August 1980. In the survey, 92% of respondents falsely remembered the clock had remained stopped since the bombing, when, in fact, the watch was repaired shortly after the attack.

Other very well known ones include the title of the cartoon Looney Toons being spelled T.u.n.e.s rather than t.o.o.n.s, Curious George never actually having a tail, Febreeze only being spelled with one E, Forest Gump saying his famous phrase in the past tense stating that “life was like a box of chocolates,” Pikachu having a black mark on his tail but today doesn’t, Berenstein Bears spelled berenS.T.A.I.N, and even some cases of people thinking there were 51 or 52 states in the US rather than 50… Although that last one might be an indictment of the American Education System

Some more New Age proponents argue that such large scale false memories are evidence of “dimension-hopping” or shifting to an alternative or parallel universe where things are similar but ever so slightly different. The question is… If this is true, who is causing us to switch realities? Is it merely accidental..or is someone deliberately manifesting a collective fact that we’re all complicit in? If the secret government did indeed perform time-travel experiments and shifted our realities even just a bit… what else might have been changed in our past, present, or future?

You see, if the powers that be have control of this reality, then nothing is off-limits. Time and Space could be bent to the will of anyone who had the ability of technology to do so. In that case, the question is - who is ultimately driving the ship of the paradigm we exist in. Do we have any say at all in our future?

The mysteries are about to be revealed...

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I Visited Saudi Arabia Before They Opened The Country To Tourists, And Here’s What I Saw

Saudi Arabia was the world’s most difficult country to visit for a non-Muslim as it did not issue tourist visas. Only Muslims making the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, were allowed to enter.

But things may change as Head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz announced that Saudi Arabia will begin issuing tourist visas in the first quarter of 2018.

A few years ago, the government issued tourist visas for a short time before doing putting an end to it and I was able to obtain one. This rare opportunity to visit a country that regularly makes the headlines allowed me to discover over the course of two weeks a culture preserved in a highly conservative society.

Before setting foot on Saudi territory, one must make sure to leave at home:

– any alcohol (including alcohol filled chocolates);

– non-Muslim religious items;

– pork-based products;

– pornographic books;

– games of chance;

– medicines containing codeine.

More info: ericlafforgue.com

Throughout the stay, a police escort will clear the path for us – officially to make our movements easier

In fact, the Kingdom has been the target of many al-Qaeda attacks against Westerners for years… An additional reason not to open quickly the country to these potential targets.

“Start of the sacred area”

These arches that are highly visible on the roads around Jeddah mark the boundaries of the areas where non-Muslims may travel. Beyond them, the road leads to Mecca. Breaking the law can result in imprisonment or even death penalty.

Saudi people like saying that if you find an open door, you can go in and you will be offered some tea

Most of the time, you will be welcomed by an Indian servant and will never see any woman. This hospitality is a given in small villages, where you will be invited to drink tea and eat dates, the pride of the nation.

No, you are not in a Swiss chalet but in a tent in the Saudi desert

Urban families love to spend a few days in their tent, usually over the weekend. A modern version of the Bedouin life of their ancestors, but with satellite TV, air conditioning, and a fridge.

Falcon hunting in the Al Jouf desert

A pigeon is released into the air before a falcon chases it down. The owner jumps into his four-wheel drive to try and follow his bird of prey. But the hunt is short-lived – in less than a minute, the falcon has killed the pigeon. It receives its head and heart as a reward. The owner never leaves his pet out of his sight, and for good reason: the falcon cost him 20,000 dollars.

The Saudis worship camels

Many own farms in the desert where these animals are raised by Sudanese Rashaida. The most beautiful camels also generate substantial income thanks to the breeding services of the reproductive males.

This is an ancestral passion that can also be found on the rocks of Abar Hima, a site on the ancient incense road…

A hunter chasing a camel with a spear. Saudi Arabia is full of prehistoric petroglyphs on sites that are unprotected and accessible freely.

Each encounter with a Bedouin is an opportunity to taste some foamy camel milk

It is a protein-rich milk sold in supermarkets and it is reputed to have medicinal properties in the prevention of some forms of cancer.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s third largest producer of dates – they are all over the markets

The palm tree is one of the main symbols of the country. The stalls were deserted at the time of one of the five daily prayers because, a few minutes before, the muttawa, the religious police, came to remind the vendors of their duties and punish the ones who cheat.

The only women you will be able to talk to in the street: emigrants, who are all Muslim

Pictured here a Somali girl in the streets of old Jeddah.

Under the weight of ancestral traditions, women are deprived of many rights in Saudi Arabia

To go out, they must wear an abaya, like this young girl.

Without the permission of their male legal guardian, whether it be their husband, father or brother, women are denied freedom to do things

Some of them are as ordinary as enjoying a coffee in a patio, swimming at the pool, enrolling at the university, going to a restaurant with a man who is not a relative, traveling, or even riding a bicycle.

Revolver cases for men on the Najran market

In the south of the country, it is not unusual to see very young drivers

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women did not have the right to drive until late 2017. This was not stated in any law, but defying the ban put women – and their guardian – at risk of serious fines.

Saudi society has many rules on people’s social status

Families have a right to special treatment – they board planes first or enjoy reserved secluded space in restaurants. Single people also have special status and will, for instance, be grouped together to take a cable car. As a tourist, I enjoyed VIP family treatment.

Saudi men rub their noses together to say hello, like Eskimos!

They may also walk while holding hands in friendship. Do not mistake it for a sign of homosexuality, which is severely punished in Saudi Arabia though less so than extramarital affairs.

Many imagine the Kingdom to abound with luxury buildings and signs of wealth

But outside of the cities, the country remains rural and in some places, you can see scenes that are reminiscent of « biblical » times, like here with a camel turning the mill for the pressing of sesame oil.

A Somali girl begging in the streets of Jeddah

Since 2013, the authorities have carried out a campaign to send back hundreds of thousands of illegal migrant workers, resulting in abuses against many of them and their forced return in a country at war.

A flea market in Najran

Many places are more reminiscent of the Gaza strip than an oil state. Seeing my astonishment, the man explained that despite State assistance and the existence of many free services, the cost of living has forced him to sell these items. Saudi Arabia is home to many poor people and the government has launched plans to put an end to poverty.

Until recently, these towers were used as granaries

Some villages are surrounded by an outer defense wall and foreigners – including Saudis from other regions – are not welcome as the local tribes have famously kept their traditional way of life and reject the central authority.

The flower men live in Yemen and Saudi Arabia

They wear crowns made of flowers and herbs and live in the hills. Meeting them at the souk of Al Farsha was really special. Hospitality is a concept that is foreign to flower men. Some of them seem to have stepped out of ancient frescos. Our mandatory police escort couldn’t wait to leave.

The Bin Hamsan house in Khamis Mushayt, in the region of Aseer

Many of the modern houses remain brightly painted inside and outside. This art has become classified by UNESCO. Women were responsible for it.

The Sarat Habidah houses are made of adobe

To protect them from the rain, tile-shaped stones are placed all around them at regular intervals in order to ensure proper water drainage. The thick walls help keep temperatures cool in the scorching summer. At the top, there is a terrace to get fresh air.

Heritage conservation is a priority of the Saudi government. The forts were all renovated to perfection

The architecture of old Jeddah typically puts one in mind of the Tales of 1,001 Nights

Tall buildings covered with mashrabiya, wooden balconies that allowed women to see without being seen. Saudis have fled the old city, which has never been restored despite its classification by UNESCO. Only Somali, Pakistani and Yemeni refugees live there in precarious conditions.

Saudi Arabia also has mountains on its territory, like the one acting as a border with Yemen in the south

The Al Faifa mountain peaks at over 2,000 meters and is highly sought after by Saudis having to deal with the searing heat in the plains. Houses have proliferated on the slopes, each new one seeking to tower over the others.

No, this father is not in the desert

His house is at the top of Al Fifa mountain, with the best view in Saudi Arabia. But the real fun for him is to be in a room where he has set up… a Bedouin tent.

These traditional adobe and brick houses in Najran are called midmakh and are typical of the south

They reflect Yemen’s cultural influence in the area. They may have up to seven floors. The ground level is for the livestock. The next level is for human accommodation, complete with small windows to keep out the heat as well as intruders. As you climb up the building, the windows become larger to let in more light as well as cooler air.

Some of these residences were built centuries ago

Now, many Saudi families have kept their old houses for holidays or weekends. Fortunately, some Najran residents seem to be really keen to preserve their traditional homes, often modernizing them with metal roofs and air conditioning.

Madain Saleh is a sister city to Petra, Jordan

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to 111 perfectly preserved Nabatean tombs. The magic of the site also lies in the total absence of tourists, Coca-Cola sellers or souvenirs shops.

The Hijaz Railway was designed by the Ottoman empire to transport pilgrims to the holy cities of Medina and Mecca in the early 20th century

The railway was built in May 1900 and connected Damascus to Medina. The railway was sabotaged by Lawrence of Arabia during World War I. It stopped running in 1918. Some cars can still be spotted in the desert.

The Omar Ibn al-Khattab mosque

It was built with stones in 633 and is located in the town of Dawmat al-Jandal, an important crossroads of ancient trade routes connecting Mesopotamia with the Arabian Peninsula.

The Al Hamra Open Air Museum in Jeddah is the largest open air museum in the world

It was built during the oil boom in the late 1970s. As a result, Jeddah is home to works by Arp, Cesar, Calder, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Victor Vasarely. They are placed along the cliff, with no protection. Subject matter is often elements of the traditional Saudi culture. Everything is abstract as Islamic tradition prohibits the depiction of living creatures, including humans.

The only way to reach the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea is to rent a boat for a two-hour ride

The islands are famous for their Ottoman architectural treasures and white sandy beaches where nobody swims. Locals just walk around. To be allowed to go to the islands, one has to go through a very strict security check – forms must be filled, passports shown, bags checked, body searched… both on the way to the islands and on the way back. One cannot help but wonder what secret is hidden in those nearly deserted coral islands.

The relics on the Farasan Islands date back to the first century BC at the earliest and the Ottoman invasion at the latest

Stucco work was very important and everyone adapted their decoration to their taste.

Extravagance is one of the characteristics of urban design in Saudi Arabia

Here, a train coming out of a store in Jeddah, in the main shopping street.

Roundabouts are each more extravagant than the next, like this one representing a coffee pot almost 20- meter high

The government is urging Saudi people to visit their own country instead of going abroad as soon as the heat becomes unbearable

Malaysia, Lebanon, Marbella are popular destinations for Saudi families, while single people prefer Thailand or Morocco. It’s the chance for all to escape the shackles of the strict domestic rules.

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