Hi All,
I have been unfairly treated at work since my return from maternity. I have worked here for more than 3 years
Without any prior feedback, I had a performance review and it was suggested that I could be put on PIP (performance improvement plan) if things dont change. My December reviews were brilliant, and things are better than before, except that I have a new line manager.
This company has caused my depression relapse twice in the last 6 months! They mess me over, I rebuild myself, deliver goals but I think I got a chip on my shoulder since I complaied against my last boss' aggression towards me.
I am going to propose a without prejudice letter next week and then hoping to get a settlement agreement.
I am off sick (self certified) to recover from extreme depressive episode (their performance review broke me when I thought I was doing so well).
I have OH assessment next week, should I asked to be off sick by my psychiatrist or GP so that I can recover before the settlement agreement comes through? Or is it better to slog on and work for the company which doesn't treat you as a hardworking valuable employee? Will being on sick leave affect the settlement adversely?
By the way, when I raised with HR that I would file a grievance, the tone of high ups changed and they said that they wouldnt put me on PIP etc., it was just a normal review to "help" me. I am shocked as probable PIP in three weeks was mentioned in their email. Thanks

Since I was unsatisfied with my input lag, I was asking here for advice. I experimented a bit with my setup and would like to share my learnings here.
I am not a competitive gamer and not playing First Person Shooters. However the input lag was bothering me anyway a lot (and it still does).
When people talk about "input lag" it is very subjective. What some players might feel as unbearable lag is for others maybe not even noticeable. So I wanted to make it a bit scientific and measured it.
How I measured it So basically I want to measure the time between a button-press and the action on the screen. There is some hardware to do exactly this very precisely. Too much hassle for me. So I recorded some slow-motion videos with my Google Pixel and the Open Camera App. With this you can record videos with 120 Frames/s. Then I used TrackTimer to count the frames (I am sure that there are better ways to count). One frame is 8.3ms long. That resolution is more than enough to compare different input lags.
Then I recorded a bunch of videos of my finger pressing a button while also recording the screen, counted the frames and noted the results in a google sheet.
Also I want to note here that my experiments are by no means meant to be bullet-proof precise. I did the experiments to get a feeling of what I could improve. I noted that sometimes the results fluctuate quite a lot. Most of the time, I just took one sample instead of taking many and then averaging it. I invite reddit folks to mimic my experiments and extend and correct my findings.
My original setup One thing that I learned is that the input lag is dependent on the entire setup from ISP to Controller. So here is my initial setup

• A fiber connection in a small German town
• A FritzBox
• A 5GHz WiFi connection (Ethernet is not an option for me)
• A Chromecast with Google TV
• A Canton Smart SoundBar 10
• A ViewSonic M2 Projector
• A Switch Pro Controller (with 3m between me and the Chromecast)
• Geforce Now Priority subscription with Balanced Graphic settings
• Trine 5. I used the opening menu to measure the lag.

Measuring this gave me a input lag of 283ms.
This is a good moment to highlight that the ping that Geforce Now is showing in their stats is showing only a small fraction of the entire lag. In fact, for me the ping was always between 16ms and 18ms during all of my experiments.
Also this is a good moment to note that 283ms is not too bad. My partner is not even noticing it. For me, it feels notable and gives me a certain handicap when gaming. Personally, I would consider everything below ~150ms as really good enough everything below ~50 ms as not notable (50ms are about 3 frames on 60fps). Competitive Gamers might have higher standards.
The casting device Originally, I thought that the Chromecast was the main-issue here. So I replaced it with a Nvidia Shield Pro. That gave me 33ms less lag. That's at least something. I've also tested it on a MacBook Air M2, which gives similar results as the Shield Pro - but interestingly only when I was using a Bluetooth controller. Using the MacBooks Keyboard seems to add 42ms to the lag.
The best results I achieved with my Windows Laptop and keyboard (again 42ms faster than MacBook). But since I don't want to connect my Windows Laptop with the projector, I didn't do many experiments with it.
The controller I used a Switch Pro Controller. Although they are really nice, unfortunately they can be a bit laggy. I compared it with a XBox One controller and a 8bitdo Ultimate C controller (with the 2,4 GHz dongle).
Compared to the Switch Pro Controller, both the XBoxOne Controller and the 8bitdo controller gave 50ms smaller lag. In general, the XBox controller is quite decent on all devices that I tested. On the Shield pro it performs very similarly to the 8bitdo. However, the 8bitdo gives a more stable results. WIth bluetooth the lag increases when I hide the controller a bit behind my lag for example. The 8bitdo is also the controller I will be staying with.
The soundbar The HDMI signal goes from the shield first into my soundbar and then into the projector. Connecting directly to my projector does not seem to make any difference.
The projector / monitor This is where most of the optimization potential is. I am using a ViewSonic M2 LED projector. When connecting it to a (really cheap) monitor instead, I am getting a 91ms speedup. Also, I measured the same monitor later on my Laptop where it was 58ms slower then my Laptops build-in monitor. So I am suspecting that the ViewSonic M2 adds ~150ms to the total lag for me. That's a bummer, especially because I like that projector and didn't plan to replace it.
It seems that many monitoring devices (TV, Projector, Monitor) have a gaming mode that is supposed to minimize the lag. But not the ViewSonic M2 unfortunately.
The Geforce Now Subscription and settings I switched from GeForce Priority Subscription to an Ultimate Subscription and can tell that lag-wise it does not make a difference. It might make a difference for games which support Reflex. But I didn't test any of those games.
Also, there is a “Competitive” Graphic setting, (which is not available on the Shield Pro). Basically it deactivates V-Sync and keeps the Framerate up. Using “Competitive” made the lag 17ms less - but it comes with the cost of movement-stuttering. I couldn't play like this.
Also I tried to switch from 60FPS to 30FPS. Also I tried to use a smaller resolution. Interestingly, both made things worse. The best results I get with the "Balanced" default setting.
WiFi / Ethernet A general advice seems to be to use Ethernet instead of WIFI. Using ethernet is not an option for me and I didn't test it. But I would expect that WiFi 5Ghz is actually quite fast. I assume that the WIFI lag IS included in the ping that Geforce Now is showing in the stats (right?). For me this was always 16-18ms, so I don't see the need of improving that.
The game I measured the lag in some games main-menus and can tell that the lag varies a lot between games. As you see above, I avoid sharing absolute numbers and share relative numbers instead - because I think I haven't found a good benchmark-game.
The best lag I have meassured was 67ms on my Windows Laptop with Keyboard, Compatative Settings and the Game Kena (Main Menu).
My takeaways My journey ends with 200ms. I've got a 33ms improvement from switching from Chromecast to Shield Pro and a 50ms improvement from switching from Switch Pro controller to 8bitdo ultimate C.The next time I am searching for a projector I'll make sure that it is good for gaming.
Some general advice for people trying to improve their lag

1. A good and stable ping is important. <20ms is very good. If it's worse for you, either use better WiFi, ethernet or switch your ISP. Despite a good ping, you can still have input lags.
2. Check if your output device has Gaming mode.
3. If you are about to buy a output device, make sure it is good for gaming. Especially projectors are tricky as they often seem to come with quite some lag.
4. Don't use the Switch Pro Controller.
5. On a MacBook, interestingly, bluethoth controllers are faster then the build-in Keyboard
6. The XBox (One) Controller is very good. The 8bitdo Ultimate 2,4GHz controller is even a bit more stable it seems.
7. No need to subscribe to Ultimate. Balanced settings are good enough.
8. Some lag will never go away.

I saw the video posted here yesterday, made by Janovich https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouRz6tW-rrA on Youtube. The two mechs featured in that video are featured here in lieu of the weaker designs I originally had. Shout out to Janovich for the awesome work. It inspired me to finish my Francia faction concept started many months ago. All feedback is welcome!
Faction:
The Frankish focus on a more defensive posture when building and designing their army. When playing as Francia the goal is to cover infantry as they move forward and then make a defensive stand. Overall the mechs are generally weaker but cheaper and quicker to produce.
AMC= appareil mécanisé de la couronne Mechanized Apparatus of the Crown
Infantry:
Carabiniers- fast moving fast rate of fire infantry, slightly stronger than standard inf. And much quicker to produce
Health 2/5
Speed 5/5
Range 2/5
Damage 2/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Unarmored
Effective to: Unarmored
AMC-7 Tirailleur: (Skirmisher) Armor supports exoskeleton. Full plate armor reminiscent of Templar knights over the head, arms, and torso with an engine worn as a backpack-like attachment. Exoskeleton frame surrounds legs to assist with movement but absent of armor except for the wider foot platforms to assist with the additional weight.
Health 4/5
Speed 2/5
Range 2/5
Damage 2/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Light
Effective to: Unarmored
Armament- Sub-machine Gun and a heavy shield that can be placed horizontally on the ground to act as cover for infantry. Performs the same as sandbags.
Abilities- Form a Line: the Tirailleur units form a defensive line to provide cover for infantry while being able to slowly advance forward. Can be performed in conjunction with up to two other Tirailleur units for a longer stronger formation.
Mechs:
AMC-10 Cavalier: Frontline mech of the Francish Army. Fast, mobile, and versatile employment. The twin linked machine gun can be raised from the top for increased fire power. The modular arm allows for this mech to perform some tasks like regular infantry such as taking resource points.
Health 2/5
Speed 4/5
Range 3/5
Damage 3/5
Fire Rate 2/5
Armor Type: Light
Effective to: Medium
Armament: Twin-linked top mounted medium machine gun, arm mounted cannoned
Abilities- Rapid Volley: Fire a three round burst from the arm cannon that does heavy than usual damage
AMC-21 Fourre: (Thicket) A large farming tractor retrofitted with route clearance apparatus. The open air seat is converted into an armored cockpit and machine gun nest. The front the the Fourre is a plow wrapped in barbed wire to deter adversary infantry and destroyer potential cover. On each side of the plow are deployable hooks for neutralizing mines.
Health 2/5
Speed 3/5
Range 2/5
Damage 2/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Medium
Effective to: Unarmored
Armament: 1 Medium Machine Gun, plow, and anti-mine hooks
Abilities- Engage Mine hooks: Must be stationary
AMC-67 Maginot: Low profile tracked tank. Slow but packs a powerful punch. Tracks match the height of the armored body and are vulnerable. Armor plates on the articulating arm can be lowered for greater defense to the front. Main cannon with adjustable elevation for landing AP shots to the underside and unarmored portions of other nations towering mechs.
Health 3/5
Speed 5/5
Range 3/5
Damage 4/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Medium
Effective to: Heavy
Armament: One Heavy Cannon, main weapon, deployable rocket pod when in dug-in position.
Abilities- Dig In: lowers armor plates and deploys hidden rocket pods for extra firepower.
AMC-50 Tonnelet: (Drum) A defensive tower mech resembling siege towers of warfare from centuries past. The tower has space for the embarking of two squads although they are unable to engage the enemy from these positions. Mass produced from the last war and already mostly obsolete Francia must use every mech in their arsenal against those who are hostile.
Health 4/5
Speed 3/5
Range 4/5
Damage 2/5
Fire Rate 2/5
Armor Type: Medium
Effective to: Heavy
Armament: Heavy mortar manned by the mech crew and two forward facing light machine guns.
Abilities-
Deploy Cover: unfolds armored walls to each side creating cover for forward infantry troops.
Wall of Fire: Engulfs area directly in front of the Tonnelet in flames as anti-infantry weapon
AMC-42 Balançoire: (Swing) Another near obsolete mech mass produced for the last war. The Balançoire is a trebuchet artillery piece. One crew inside the armor to pilot the system who also mans the sole machine gun and three other dismounted crew to operate the sling mechanism
Health 1/5
Speed 1/5
Range 4/5
Damage 4/5
Fire Rate 2/5
Armor Type: Light
Effective to: Medium
Armament: 1 forward facing MMG and the trebuchet sling mechanism
Abilities- Lay Mines: launch a special munition that can remotely lay a mine field w/o engineers
AMC-99 Palais (Palace) The Flagship mech of the Frankish Armed Forces. The behemoth is a state-of-the-art mech meant to make up for the shortcomings of the more obsolete mech arsenal. The towering Palais boasts a varied armament for any situation in warfare. Just as effective at laying down fire as it is striking fear into enemies.
Health 5/5
Speed 2/5
Range 4/5
Damage 5/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Heavy
Effective to: Heavy
Armament: Super-heavy Shoulder Mounted Cannons, 2 Medium Rapid Fire Turrets, 2 Forward facing MMGs, 1 bottom-mounted HMG
Abilities- Full Salvo: Takes a braced stance and launches a full 3 rd burst from every weapon system.
Heroes:
Basile Rochefort
Basile has volunteered on the eastern Francia border since the end of the Great War. Waiting for Saxony to once again ignite war. Basile stands ready with his faithful companion Montre, the Francish Mastiff. Armed with a long barreled rifle, a pair of binoculars and a vigilant spirit, Basile embraces his mission with a full heart.
Health 2/5
Speed 3/5
Range 4/5
Damage 3/5
Fire Rate 2/5
Armor Type: unarmored
Effective to: unarmored
Abilities:
Early Warning- Montre will provide early warning enemy detection
Mangling Bite- Montre will bite enemy infantry mangling their limbs impacting speed or accuracy
Opening Shot- Long-range shot, extra damage if opens the fight
Maj Charles Decatur
Maj Decatur is a decorated officer from the last war famed for leading the Francia artillery. Charles’ love for his country is only matched by his men’s love for him. Commanding a prototype Field Gun battery with aims to emplace faster, move quicker and shoot more accurately than ever before.
Health 2/5
Speed 2/5
Range 5/5
Damage 4/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: unarmored
Effective to: Heavy
Armament: Three fast prototype Field Cannons/Howitzers, walker mover mechanism and auto loaders gadget.
Abilities:
Quick Emplace: Fast Emplace and movement, slower displacement
Shell Selection: Choice of HE, Armor Piercing, and gas canister shell selection
Epée et Bouclier (Sword and Shield)
The Twins Julien and Josephine Montclair are prodigious mechanics building their own mechs as teenagers. The paired mechs operate in perfect tandem. The enclosed armored torso mounted with a demon faced head meant to invoke fear. Long dexterous mech limbs enable them to quickly close the distance or evade.
Health 2/5
Speed 5/5
Range 3/5
Damage 3/5
Fire Rate 3/5
Armor Type: Light
Effective to: Medium
Armament:
Epee- Large Caliber Carabinier, serrated thin sword in the off-hand
Bouclier- Large Caliber Carabinier, round shield with integrated grenade launcher
Both- Back mounted Pikes used compressed air to puncture armor and damage mech crews
Abilities:
Volley & Charge: Shoot grenade volley and charge into area, great anti-infantry tactic
Charge & Pierce: Charge towards a Mech and use armor piercing pike shots to severely damage target

I choose you....(Okay maybe that was a bit too cliche)
I feel like a man out of time, at odds with the world today. Relationships seem so complicated when to me they can be so simple.
So I never knew I would end up posting in here but I'm not sure where else to go:
I am 24 and I work as a doctor. I really like reading books, creative outlets such as cooking tasty recipes, writing in my journal and exercising as much as possible.
I am intrinsically motivated and a value driven person, which is why I find it hard to connect with many people on a deeper level as we rarely share the same values. I find most conversations quite boring and a natter of social pleasantries when what I'm really looking for is deep connection and shared values.
Simply put, I'm looking for my partner to have loyalty, connection, honesty, adventurous and mutual attraction. I'm looking for someone who's as crazy about me as I am about them. I think those are the best relationships, where you cannot wait to see each other and share everything.
I have a lot of love to give. For some people they may find this overwhelming and that's fine, I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I'd like to cook romantic meals, give you massages when you're achey and spend quality time with you. I believe in working on my priorities but also investing into the relationship because I feel two people can become greater than their individual selves.
I get quite busy and I would appreciate it if you could help me with my meals preps, care for me on days when I feel weary on my long journey, laugh with me in the best moments and stick by me in those testing times. I really will take care of you so I'd appreciate if you do the same for me.
Nowadays, it seems people are so hurt. They are scared to even "double text" someone let alone share their life with them. There has to be trust between us because I'm looking for someone who I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.
Another thing I've noticed becoming common is 50-50. Ew. If we get together, you'll live in my home inshallah, you won't have to worry about the bills or anything as I feel that is my responsibility (call me old fashioned), I'm a good listener, a hard worker, I'm very ambitious and I'll make sure every single one of your needs are fulfilled :)
As for my drawbacks, perhaps I am on the younger side, I am very busy with my work and family (but I will always make you a priority) and sometimes I can be very stubborn. To stubborn to die in fact.
I don't smoke or drink alcohol, don't do hookah/shisha ,don't go to the clubs or anything like that. Literally just work, family, hobbies, gym and God. For most people I'm boring and I'm totally fine with that. I don't even really eat sweets or desserts (although in terms of main meals I could easily eat more than a family of 3).
I don't watch TV (unless it's for spending time with others), but I'd be happy to do those things together as a bonding activity. I love long drives, especially at night and I would love to take you on some long trips and enjoy each others company. I've also recently started playing video games a way to connect to my younger relatives and we could also do this to spend time together.
In terms of my life goals, I'm looking to keep going with my career as a doctor and maybe specialise in anaesthetics, emergency medicine or looking after children with cancer. I'm planning to keep going with my fitness and travelling and I'm also saving to build my own house, a proper home with everything we'd need like a swimming pool and gym for our fun and also the children.
I'm not interested in one night stands or casual flings. I have chose to be patient and I want to find someone that I can share that side of myself without judgement and vica versa. I'd make it a priority to fulfil you in this way and I'd appreciate the same. Because I'm looking for a lifelong relationship, I would want to know everything that pleases you so that you are happy in every way because the physical aspect of a relationship enhances all the other components.
I don't know what happened to old school love. I read stories, for example where a man cycled from India to Belgium for his spouse and I just wonder where our generation went wrong.In the past people really cared about each other deeply and stuck by each other in times of crisis and came through the other side. I still believe in true love. Where you holding the other person tightly and closely and they are your everything.
Some days it can feel disheartening and like I won't find someone but I know I have to keep hoping. I love my family and friends more than anything but I'm looking for an even deeper more meaningful connection. I've been patient for this long, keeping myself for my partner and I know there are others doing the same too.
It's controversial I know, so let me make it clear, I am a practicing Muslim so I don't mind if you are not but I would prefer that you're open to converting. I'm very happy to discuss my religion, for example most people do not know that we believe in Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them)
Also, I'm an infj and my love languages are physical touch, quality time and acts of service. That doesn't mean I don't value the others, I get way more excited about giving gifts than receiving them, those were just for myself.
If what I have said has made any sense and you feel we connect then message me and maybe I'll be your prince charming.

From moneypuck, after last nights performance the new top line is now leading all playoff lines in expected goals for per 60 minutes and xGoal %. They had SEVEN expected goals per 60 last night. If Logan Thompson has one even mediocre game, that line would have us winning by 3+.

There's been some discussion about an Ace Combat movie that pops up in this subreddit here and there, but, as someone with screenwriting experience, I think that there are a few major quirks with the way Ace Combat games are structured that would make potential movies be pretty not great (at least in traditional blockbuster-style, I.E. Top Gun Maverick).
1) Plot Structure: the Ace Combat series uses cutscenes a lot differently than most games. Ace Combat cutscenes tend to focus on what happens outside of the playable character's life. This is actually pretty uncommon if you think about it. Think about this: what's the last non-Ace Combat game you played where the cutscenes didn't involve playable characters at all? The Ace Combat series generally takes full advantage of the player knowing what's in a mission and what's in a cutscene, with little to no overlap unless it's to tell the same scene from a different character's point of view. This is terrible from a movie-making perspective, where typically the runtime is limited to two-ish hours and there is only one point of view. There have been some movies that have several points of view, but those are usually avant-garde films that don't typically perform too well at the box-office and come with their own problems in writing and production.
2) Silent Protagonist: Ace Combat is known for its silent protagonists, and the fans of the series have adapted to it enough that a speaking protagonist immediately got hated on (looking at you, Assault Horizon). This works fine in a video game medium, because the player can seamlessly fill this slot, because the characters in the game are talking directly to the player, and not a stand-in. This would be AWFUL in a movie setting. The fans of the series don't realize this, again because we're used to it, but most moviegoers find it helpful when a character talks during a movie. Talking is the way humans connect to each other, and without that connection (silent protagonist), it's harder than you think it is to relate to the characters on-screen. The closest thing we've gotten to an Ace Combat movie, Top Gun: Maverick, has an endearing character because we know what kind of a person Maverick is not just through his actions, but through the things he says. It's hard to think about from outside of the filmmaking perspective, but dialogue, especially from the protagonist, is what makes the audience resonate with the characters in movies. Again, video games can easily avoid this, because the player is doing the actions rather than just seeing it.
3) Niche: This goes without saying, but an Ace Combat movie would appeal to an incredibly niche type of audience. When making a movie, you have to sacrifice some artistic intent to appeal to the markets, especially when you are trying to make money (which all movies are, let's not kid anyone here). Video Game movies are still even more niche. That's kind of changing, there have been some good adaptations recently, but for the most part, video game adaptations are either not good or not successful (sometimes both).
Example: If there was a show/movie about say, Sol Squadron, that solves point 1 and 2, but the audience for that probably won't even cover all Ace Combat fans, and it likely wouldn't cover many military television fans either (who I'm assuming would be the second target audience), due to the inherent unrealism of the setting.
TL;DR: Ace Combat's uniqueness has a lot of quirks that don't really work in traditional cinema, and Ace Combat games fully utilize the video game medium to tell their stories the way that they do. Therefore, an Ace Combat show/movie will probably leave a lot to be desired and will probably also financially underperform. I think we should just stick to the games, they're already fantastic.

To whom it may concern,
I, Jennifer O’Donnell, am tendering my formal resignation on this day, 4/24/2024 in the form of a three-day notice. My final day will be 4/26/2024. I apologize for the shorter than two-week notice; however, it is clear that this is not a healthy company to work for on a physical, mental, and emotional level. As such, for my own well-being it is prudent that I step down and relinquish my employment at this craft store as soon as possible.
Over the last couple of years working for this company I have faced pressure and stress from corporate and upper management to meet metric goals that I have never experienced working for any other company. I was never fully trained for my position. Yet, I was responsible for maintaining goals within certain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) metrics. I have been bullied and told that “it is my job to meet these metrics for the store, and if I cannot meet them, then I do not want my job” by my District Manager (DM). Moreover, I was instructed to inflict mental and emotional stress on my associates by my DM to meet their personal goals with these KPIs. I inquired about resources to set myself and my associates up for success in these metrics, with little to no support provided by DM.
During this last year additional aspects of working for this company were added to my job description without fair compensation for the increase in job responsibilities. Which provided additional stress to my already stressful position with the company. I can honestly say that I did everything I could think of to support my associates with positive reinforcement, and coaching. I created trackers to pinpoint areas of improvement, as well as areas where associates seemed to struggle. Moreover, I worked 1:1 with every associate to help build their confidence and skills. However, when goals were not met, I was told by my DM that “it is my associates’ job to meet those goals, and if they are not meeting them, then they must not want their jobs” as well. Despite the limited resources provided by corporate, when observed, my associates were doing all the things they needed to do to meet their goals. Yet, I was still instructed to use fear tactics to get results. Which I found despicable because these KPI metric goals required our customers free will to meet.
Eventually, I went so far as to send out a company-wide S.O.S email that highlighted the mental and emotional strain this company and management position had on myself and the rest of the management team in the store. Moreover, I addressed the stressors my associates face each day working for this company under the supervision of our DM. I sent that email out as a plea for help. We had no work/life balance, and some of us were working ourselves to death. The only thing upper management seemed to care about was meeting goals, and not the people who were working themselves to the bone for the company. The demands of working for this company had us disregarding health and family on a regular basis. The first time anyone checked in on us as individuals from the company was in an investigation after I sent out the email.
In my S.O.S, I included an email address where people could share their experiences working for the corporation. I have received hundreds of emails and messages from individuals all over the country and from Canada. Numerous employees were in the same boat as us. We all faced a lot of struggles each day, that we would work to overcome- taxing as it was. Meanwhile, there were many others who were facing far worse working conditions. I am appalled by the experiences that have been shared with me and find it hard to comprehend how the employees of this company were and are still being treated.
What I once thought was an amazing company has turned into the worst work experience of my life. Moreover, there is compelling evidence to support how toxic this company is and areas that need addressed and improved that would benefit all. I will continue to work on a presentation of what associates (past and current) have shared. Additionally, I will also include methods and resources for the company to work towards improvement to create better working conditions for the individuals employed. I have every intention of submitting the findings, testimonials, and suggestions for improvement to HR once I have completed my presentation. I truly hope this company can do better for the people who work for them.
I have loved working with the individuals in my store, and I think that they all deserved better. The people I worked with are the only reason I stayed with the company for as long as I did. We all came in to support each other, as we had little support elsewhere from this company. Now, all of the management team and many of the lower-level associates are gone or leaving due to the working environment. I find it hard to continue working under the conditions upper management and corporate have created without the support from my coworkers. Especially knowing what I now know from what has been shared with me by the masses.
I cannot work for a DM who sees the employees under him, not as people, but as a paycheck. This is something that my DM has openly said to several people who work in their district. I find it repulsive and vulgar. Moreover, I cannot condone working for a company that, not only willingly continues to employ such a person (despite being told what working with them is like), but also willingly continues the employment of many other people with that same or worse mindset in their upper management teams throughout the corporation. The blatant disregard for employee wellbeing is shameful, especially when one considers the company’s claims to be there for the creative individuals of this nation, yet so many of them work for the company. Believe me, I have the receipts to show how much of my paycheck I gave back to the corporation each month.
I appreciate the effort put into my store following my company-wide email. Moreover, the increase in HR representatives and the utilization of an anonymous talk therapy platform is commendable. However, it is highly unlikely that any of that would have come about had I not sent that email and it had not gone public. Action was taken when deleting my letter from all store emails wasn’t enough to prevent word from getting out and too many people seeing it. I do not believe the efforts put forth by the company were made solely to help the employees. These actions were also taken to improve the company’s reputation. Working for a corporation that struggles to see employees as more than disposable assets and only steps up when there is a public spectacle is a hard company to work for. Moreover, when one has to work under such toxic individuals as our DM it is not an ideal working environment for anyone.
It’s with all of this in mind that I say thank you for your time and the friends I have made along the way. I am sorry if my leaving causes any further stress to the already taxing situation in the store. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, Jennifer O’Donnell CEM- Bend, OR

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

The builds primary goal is to obtain high gaming performance at 3440x1440 165hz monitor, I will play a lot of different games for example: Shaders minecraft, Dcs, Call of duty and other story games.

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

My total budget stretches to 1200 euros but can thrive to 1300 if I pull some strings (netherlands)

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

somewhere around this or next week

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Only need a capable tower since I already own an 21:9 monitor and everything besides that

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

I live in the netherlands, So no micro center or something comparable unfortunately, Might buy from germany because prices are cheaper

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

Not be reusing any pc hardware components

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

No, Perhaps interested in undervolting down the line

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

Not specifically, I am an amd fanboy so full amd build would be nice, (but I am open to other suggestions)

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

I prefer a black themed build, With atkeast atx sized tower, And perhaps some rgb but components first,

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

No, Ive got my own sources

Extra info or particulars:

In the future I might want to do some VR, So perhaps future proof it a bit while also giving as much bang for the buck as possible, thanks in advance

Over the last few days, I developed a "shell simulator" by hooking a Llama.cpp server into a Dockerized bash:
https://github.com/pikaro/pocket-asi
Example recording here: https://asciinema.org/a/xhIMp7ohiJUQ9vA2OM5uDA5Dv
The model can write its own primary goal, system prompt and generation parameters, so with sufficient forethought and intelligence it should be able to evolve itself. Naturally, current models are still far from capable enough to act independently, but it's really fun to tweak its settings and see what it comes up with!
Simply clone the repo, run start.sh once for setup and enter your LLAMA_MODEL_PATH in .env - takes any model that Llama.cpp can use. Run start.sh from your terminal in the repo directory and watch it flail around trying to make sense of its new home.
If you have any suggestions for improvement, let me know! I'm still not sure what the best output format is - a restrictive grammar is included and can be activated with LLAMA_AUTOGEN_GRAMMAR=0 if you want to modify it, otherwise the server autogenerates it from the Pydantic models.
Note: I am not responsible if this eats your files (or grandma), and I'm fully aware that this is a very bad idea.

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

The builds primary goal is to obtain high gaming performance at 3440x1440 165hz monitor, I will play a lot of different games for example: Shaders minecraft, Dcs, Call of duty and other story games.

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

My total budget stretches to 1200 euros but can thrive to 1300 if I pull some strings (netherlands)

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

somewhere around this or next week

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Only need a capable tower since I already own an 21:9 monitor and everything besides that

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

I live in the netherlands, So no micro center or something comparable unfortunately, Might buy from germany because prices are cheaper

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

Not be reusing any pc hardware components

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

No, Perhaps interested in undervolting down the line

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

Not specifically, I am an amd fanboy so full amd build would be nice, (but I am open to other suggestions)

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

I prefer a black themed build, With atkeast atx sized tower, And perhaps some rgb but components first,

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

No, Ive got my own sources

Extra info or particulars:

In the future I might want to do some VR, So perhaps future proof it a bit while also giving as much bang for the buck as possible, thanks in advance

Running my first marathon in about a week. I started running exactly this time last year. Wanted to hear from anyone if this was too ambitious.
For my upcoming marathon, my goal is to hit a 8:20 or a sub 3:40. My original goal was sub 3:50 but I saw myself get faster later in the training cycle. Back in November, my half marathon in a somewhat hilly course (around 600ft elevation) was a 1:47 and I wasn't going all out at the end.
I started training in January by loosely following the Pfitz 18/55 marathon plan. This consisted of 2 rest days per week and 5 days of running with a peak of 55. The first half, just because I wanted to get used to the mileage, was less about speed and more about aerobic endurance. My pace for my long runs ranged from 9:15 - 9:30.
In late March, I incorporated more race pace and speed workouts. So by week 8, that's when I started following the Pfitz Plan to a T. This is when I really started seeing the benefits of my training.
This is what one week would look like for example:
Monday: 6 miles w/ strides
Tuesday: 12 miles w/ 7 at marathon pace (ran this at around 8:10 pace)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 12 miles w 6 at marathon pace (run this at around 8:20 pace)
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 20 miles
Overall Mileage: 55 Miles
For my last long run before the taper, I ran 20 miles at 8:30 marathon pace. My heart rate was at 153 for that (my zone 2 is 130-157 and max HR is 196). There was around 15 minutes of rest time due to the stoplights so I guess that could have lowered the HR but overall, I was aerobically fine. Legs were really tired at the end but that was because of the cumulative fatigue I imagine.
Since then, my easy pace has also fallen from 9:20 to a 8:45. Would 3:40 be a realistic time based off what I shared above?

I want to start off by saying this is a long post but please enjoy the read and feel free to give me your input.
I’ve seen 100s of posts of every one of our arm chair opinions on what needs to change and mine will be no different, I am in no way saying I’m an NHL calibre coach/gm however I have coached hockey for 10 plus years and definitely have opinions
The things I see that need to change besides the obvious, let’s keep Marner and Keefe and Shany out of this for a minute
The biggest things I see that absolutely piss me off, any team from NHL calibre to minor league should be familiar with multiple systems of hockey, the leafs on the breakout look like they forget the basic dump and chance it’s always north south hockey in a series as tight as Boston (defensively) you should ultimately switch your style up to dump and chase or 2-1-2 rush, what I constantly see is the leafs playing a game north south with east west passing and it hasn’t worked all series, know when a system isn’t working and be willing to change it on the fly
The next thing I noticed, we can all agree that our crowd is dead, but when we score, it will bring the crowd back into the game for a shift, here’s the problem I see game in and game out, the leafs score a goal example last night Marner scores that line is buzzing now, I DO NOT CARE who you are or how long your shift was pull them off they’re electric they are now tasked with pumping that bench up you roll your next line and the crowd for a shift is electric and will get that line engaged, but what line do you throw out? Well that depends on the game the score and a multitude of things but for last nights example I would have went with a 3rd line of revo kampf and maybe Willy (some scoring punch) but ultimately to land a big hit a big play or even a goal. the leafs however run the line 9/10 times will be the line who scored the momentum died immediately.
Next thing I noticed that pisses me off the leafs identity what are they? I cannot see if they’re a defensive team and offensive team and team that will run you in the corner boards or out skate you by miles, they want to be everything I have no problem with a team having 2 identities but 4 is to much especially when a grinder will end up on with the guys who fly.
One thing I was always told at coaching clinics and it effectively works, defence will win you championships offense will win you games, the leafs do not have defensive depths, everyone loves Morgan I do to, but let’s look at some and please keep in mind this is some not always the case Kris letang Cale makar Duncan Keith even as far back as guys like niedermayer or Steven’s, all defenceman who are committed to the goalie they were hard bodied defenceman who were fears in front of their own net, the leafs do not have that they’re to soft infront of their own net
Finally the core four nothing pisses me off more then hearing core 4 of the leafs are Marner nylander Matthews and Tavares, a true core 4 is built upon 4 players
1 top tier scoring forward (Matthews) 1 play making forward. (Willy) 1 stay at home defenceman (unknown) 1 consistent goalie
Now from what we have learned we can build a Stanley cup team
So let’s begin
Matthew’s and Willy I believe are guys who need to stay, Reilly stays but is not part of the core, they need a defenceman like McCabe but who can put up Morgans minutes and a consistent goalie (is this woll before he had his high ankle sprain he was that consistent guy) you need a goalie to play 50-60 games and a back up to carry the load of those games that doesn’t leave the viewers shaking in their seats
Now I have had a hard time with this but if the leafs can get tanav from free agency that’s our guy right there, you build around those guys, the ground work is there but the rest of the puzzle needs to be build so what’s your identity, well with the pieces we have I believe we can have 2 lines who work solid with the simple game of speed and skill. But what about the bottom 6? Well I think you go with a grinder lines get some muscle out there who can grind away at the other teams lines and can hold their own for a shift against any teams top lines and wear them down.
Now I said I wasn’t going to bring up the other guys but we have to address that, Keefe goes shanny goes Marner bert all these guys gone, I saw someone mention Marner hypothetical, with Utah, maccelli and Keller which I love but Marner won’t wait to go to Utah he will want to go to a contender, so forget what we do with him it is what it is, players/ teams that I thing are going to be interesting to watch this offseason? Carolina?!? Coach is a not yet renewed, lots of defence free agents like guentzle is a free agent, lots of money to shell out, can’t keep all their guys I’d say, if Dallas doesn’t resign tanav he could be the target that we go after since tre already knows him, does he go for markstrom? Can you chase a guy like Brandon montour? Or druzi or even gryelcyk? Those guys solve our defence issues, goalies are harder but if we can find a way to get swayman LOL Francouz from Avs driedger from Seattle potentially, this is all depending on who resigns with their team, Finally we need a coach who won’t take bullshit and will call things how it is, (ghost of pat quinn?) some one who has played In the high market you need a coach to take a brunt of the media bullshit and not say the effort was there when it wasn’t, I know everyone says tre must go but he’s still working with dubas blueprint, if you look at calgarys blueprint prior to the implosion of tkchuck and johnny and monahan the blue print was there the heart wasn’t, give tre a few years to get the team he was hired for, it’s dark times for leaf fans but with the draft and a potential for a monster off season I can’t see it being dark very long, if the leafs build the right path and build a proper core 4 we could have exciting hockey in our life time, stay strong blue and white and for the love of god please don’t write them out until that final buzzer weather it’s Tuesday or Saturday or even in the finals you cannot stop supporting the boys I’m blue
John cooper put it best if you don’t believe don’t fucking show up they staved elimantation we can too! It’s an up hill battle but it’s doable. GO LEAFS GO. Bleed blue and white and just remember weather it’s NHL or minor leagues a game enjoy the ride and remember why we love this team and this game
LEAFS FOREVER!

Welcome to OPINIONES EXPERT, your ultimate destination for expert opinions on a diverse array of items. Our platform is dedicated to providing comprehensive reviews and insightful analyses to help you navigate the vast landscape of consumer products with confidence and clarity.
At OPINIONES EXPERT, we understand the importance of making informed decisions when it comes to purchasing goods for your everyday needs and special occasions alike. That's why our team of seasoned experts meticulously researches, tests, and evaluates products across various categories, ensuring that you have access to unbiased and trustworthy information.
Whether you're in the market for the latest gadgets, reliable household appliances, fashionable accessories, or anything in between, OPINIONES EXPERT has you covered. Our user-friendly platform features in-depth articles, detailed comparisons, and hands-on experiences shared by both our team and our community of discerning consumers.
We go beyond mere product descriptions, providing you with practical insights into features, performance, durability, and value for money. Our goal is to empower you to make confident purchasing decisions that align with your preferences, needs, and budget.
Join us on a journey of discovery and empowerment as we strive to become your go-to destination for expert opinions on everything you love and need. Experience the difference with OPINIONES EXPERT – where expertise meets excellence in every review.

This is a rough guide addressed to writers, but it could be used by any person interested in beta reading—or anyone who wants to improve their experience with beta reading. It began as a comment I wrote, but it has since outgrown the scope of a comment.

General Advice

Don't throw a novel-length manuscript at a beta reader you don't know yet.
I recommend shorter excerpts for the first time you work together. This has nothing to do with concerns about them stealing the book or something. This is about not committing to a massive project before you get know each other. Talk, do a few chapters together, make sure everyone’s happy with the arrangement, then go from there.
As an example, starting with a ~2,000 word excerpt gives you a natural, painless end-point if you decide afterward that you don't want to continue working together.
Find out what the beta reader wants to read.
Respect the impact of their preferences. Beta readers who are enthusiastic about—and familiar with—your manuscript’s genre, POV, and voice are almost always going to outperform readers of equivalent skill who have no interest in the genre.
Be specific.
Communicate what you want beta reader to give you feedback about.
Maybe you need a sharp eye on scene construction and tension-building, but soft on character construction. Maybe you need nothing but a final polishing read. If you want meaningful feedback about those things, you have to ask.
A caution on asking for brutal feedback.
Ask for harsh criticism if it will be helpful, & if you can receive it gracefully. Make sure you are both on the same page about what harsh and brutal mean.
You might think brutal means, “Help me find typos and continuity errors, I don’t need praise and will ignore advice about plot, I’m not rewriting this again.” For another person brutal might mean "Eviscerate this!" A third might believe this is finally their chance to race through a manuscript and cut out every single adverb.
Any of those might be the perfect cup of tea for someone out there. Just talk it out first to make sure that's you.
On praise.
Harsh critique is not the only way to give a nudge or improve something. Praise is extremely valuable when used well, but just like criticism, it takes effort and insight. Don’t take it for granted that the beta reader will just give praise when something is good. Let them know specifically how that will help you, and ask for it.
Thank your reader.
If a beta reader is doing heavy lifting for you, and you’re not compensating them financially by word count/hours, find another way to show appreciation. A critique-swap, mention in the acknowledgements, send them coffee money periodically . . .

Questions for a Beta-Reader

• What genre(s) or tropes do you specialize in or prefer ? How about POV, voice, tense?
• What aspects of a manuscript can you offer the most feedback on?
• Are you willing to (ignore/point out) if you come across a a typo or grammar error? (And give them an idea of how often that might happen).
• What is your preferred format and method of leaving comments? (Email, Google docs, carrier pigeon).
• After reading a sample chapter, do you want to receive the entire manuscript at once, or in pieces? (Specify word count).
• My manuscript is in XYZ developmental stage (rough draft, incomplete, 3rd rewrite, whatever it is). It is (word count) long. I am (or am not) planning further rewrites. Does that work for you?
• My goal for it is (self-publication, submitting to an agent or contest/zine, serializing it online). Are you comfortable with offering insights on achieving that goal?
• Here is the content warning / guidance for this story . . . Is there any content you would like to avoid that I may not have mentioned yet?
• Discuss any deadlines, workload considerations, and how you want to do check-ins.

Happy reading!

Hello, I want to start by saying I'm a complete beginner in statistical analysis (TIBCO Statistica software) and I'm currently using it from my thesis.
So basically I did k-means cluster analysis and ended up with 4 clusters based on 24 food items. My next step was to check if there's significant difference between the means of these items across the clusters so I used one-way ANOVA and got a p-value<0.05 for everything.
So my next step was to check Tukey HSD to see how they differ exactly, but I got the results that for example that for the alcohol item, cluster 3 had two homogenous groups. Is that possible or did I do something wrong.
My goal is to show my results in a table (example attached) where I can show significantly different means through superscript letters like a,b,c,d.
Am I aproaching this in a wrong way? Help highly appreciated!

Been awhile since I transcribed one of these, and given how many people are interested in this stuff, I thought I'd give it a go. Frost and Crws are being interviewed.

• Crws says it was a tough match but they made a lot of mistakes, so just feeling okay about it
  
• Frost agrees, thinks Secret put on a really impressive performance. Praises Borkum and says JessieVash’s calling was amazing. Notes that he’s really proud of JitBoys in particular, as he was under the weather and couldn’t communicate well, but he still individually performed well.
  
• Frost says its unfortunate they didn’t 2-0, he wants to keep out ironing the kinks and says “we” keep getting in our own way; but he’s proud the team is now 4-1, and he glazes Crws as a caller for like a minute, repeats that he thinks Crws is the second-best caller in APAC, after stax.
  
• Crws asked about comms on Sunset, says the team was just too sluggish in response to the calls. The team was so scared of making a mistake that it burned a lot of time, and meant that Crws couldn’t get a grasp of the map, leading to getting caught in a lot of traps. Also lost a lot of gunfights
  
• Frost asked about decisive factor for winning Lotus, Frost says he was very happy on the team’s ability to diagnose that Secret were only reacting to their “second action”, not their initial move on Talon's attack-side. Crws figured it out mid-game all on his own, and that’s why the team began mixing in so many fakes; Frost thinks this adjustment probably saved the series.
  
• Frost asked about what was said on Breeze to get them the win, Frost (I think he misheard the question?) starts saying that the Talon players were all super pumped coming into this series because they genuinely were just motivated to win against Secret. Frost didn’t pump them up or anything, very happy with the Talon players' this past week, everyone was focused during prep and prac.
  
• Crws asked to rate self and team’s performance, says Talon has a lot to improve; again, a bit too sluggish at times, a bit too hesitant, and those traits will cost them in the future if they can’t fix it. He can’t micro everything.
  
• Frost interjects and says this is really just a coaching problem. Thinks he needs to do a better job with Gov and Jits in particular. But he also says that if you look at the difference between this match and the Gen. G one, the team got out a win this time, but that if their goal is to qualify for Shanghai, those issues need to be fixed.
  
• Frost asked about facing PRX or DRX next and who he prefers, he’s surprised and more or less says “ayo wait fr?” and starts talking about how unlucky he was in 2021 Berlin when 100T played Gambit. He then says he assumes it’d be PRX since DRX should get a bye, and says they really like PRX and thinks they have a good relationship (but says he’s been wrong before, Secret has broke this man’s heart). Thinks PRX is incredible, they’ll try their best to beat them, but also, quote, “Unlucky.”
  
• Crws asked about a message for fans, says he hopes fans see that the Talon players are putting in an incredible amount of work, 6 days a week, so please cheer for them, and thanks.
  
• Frost says he’s not sure he has many fans (Crws starts laughing his ass off) but that Talon works incredibly hard and deserves a lot of credit. And even for him, it’s been difficult adjusting to a new culture. But the amount of practice and effort this team puts in is some of the most he’s ever seen; he says his old 100T roster was super professional and worked hard, but they would be shocked at just how brutal Talon’s schedule has been.
  
• Frost adds on that he’s very proud of the boys and proud to represent the org, sad the Thai community isn’t as on-board due to the roster stuff but thinks that no matter what, Crws and Jits and Surf should be celebrated for representing the Thai community so well, on and off the server; they deserve respect. Talon in 2024 has already won more than Talon in 2023 did all year, and no one thought Crws could lead a team to accomplish that, and he did it.
  
• Frost then dabs Crws the fuck up, stands up and walks away, is told that actually they haven’t done live questions yet, sits back down. There are no live questions. He fistpumps and bounces
  

As always, can find these interviews at VALO2ASIA's YouTube.

I have more just some general questions about android development, and developing keyboards for android in particular.
Hi there. I have been working on chorded keyboard system for about a year now. I have a basic client side webapp and a simple android app(made with cordova). Right now the keyboard only works within the app, but you can the app with a hardware keyboard like a bluetooth numpad. The app simply processes the key events, in order to facilitate a unique chorded keyboard system.
My goal is to eventually develop a keyboard i can install and use in other apps, that works with external hardware. Also, I would like the possibility of a standalone bluetooth keyboard or keypad, that can be programmed with different chorded keyboard typing systems or layouts.
I found some android apps that do interesting things with a keyboard. For example, the android app "bluetooth keyboard and mouse" apparently lets you use your phone as a bluetooth keyboard input for another device. This could be useful, as it would let me use the keyboard on any device. Also there are other chorded or swiping keyboards available on android like ASETNIOP or MessagEase. The next step for me is probably to do something similar to those projects.
I guess my question is whether there are good guides available for developing keyboard apps specifically for android, and whether if doing something like a bluetooth keyboard bridge, similar to the "bluetooth keyboard and mouse" app I mentioned, would be approachable as a solo developer, or way to complex and I should stick to simple system keyboard app.
This is more for prototype and experimentation, at this point at least. If y'all have any suggestions or ideas I greatly appreciate it. Any ideas for getting a better prototype would be appreciated. For example, would it be worth it to try to develop this in cordova, or is it better just to do native android development? For reference, The source and a demo of my current version of the keyboard is here: https://derekmc.gitlab.io/projects/adventureboard/adventureboard.html

Just a bit of a ramble with my thoughts on the importance of comfort in headphones and IEMs.
To preface this: my academic background isn't in audio necessarily, but in psychoacoustics and neuroscientific research pertaining to the auditory system, language processing, and other domains of sensory perception. I am, admittedly, rather new to the research side of things, but I'll be reflecting on what I've learned in the time since I've entered this field.
A topic that frequently comes up between myself and other colleagues/associates/my supervisor is the role of comfort of the listener when performing any sort of research. Listener comfort, in this case, reflects the domains of emotional comfort (whether the participant comfortable in their environment, how well the researchers interact with and respond to participant questions and guide them through the process to reduce anxiety, accommodation of participant needs, etc.), auditory comfort (certain frequencies when exposed to for long periods of time - particular with research on binaural beat hallucinations - can be rather uncomfortable to listen to), and tactile comfort (how comfortable the participant finds the headphone or earphone that we're using, to a lesser extent other environmental variables such as temperature and seating).
There appears to be a general consensus amongst those in the field that I've interacted with that, when comfort is achieved in all these domains, we can generally get more reliable readings on the direct effects that an auditory stimulus has on an individual (both from objective measurements and subjective/reported measurements). This is particularly the case when working with participants with sensory sensitivites (particularly hyperacusis as a trait in autistic individuals and people with high levels of anxiety). That is to say, people become more sensitive to noises or are more likely to perceive noises as harsh when they are uncomfortable. Particularly when multiple modalities of sensory discomfort overlap, as seen in autistic individuals with high sensitivity towards tactile, olfactory, auditory, visual, and internal/emotional stimuli, these effects can generally be taken as stronger.
I've been looking into what literature exists on listener perceptions of sound quality that take these factors into account. Ideally, if the stimulus can be standardized (using the same audio file on the same headphone or earphone while adjusting clamping force on a headphone, using a variety of ear molds or sizes of foam tips, etc.) then this could be tested further. Sadly, I've not been able to find any hard data with this particular methodology. Due to that, my following take is conjecture/anecdotal.
I have a general idea of the tuning I enjoy in earphones, but I find myself consistently finding earphones and headphones more enjoyable to listen to if I enjoy their comfort more. When I equalize the headphone or earphone to a particular curve, if I find the headphone or earphone already comfortable then I will find the sound more pleasant to listen to as opposed to another, less comfortable headphone or IEM equalized to the same curve. This part is a bit hard to control for, as I'm going off measurements others have done, so I can't account for unit variance. Thus, this is rather unscientific, but I do find it personally meaningful.
It's possible that my own personal factors come into play, as an individual diagnosed with autism and an anxiety disorder, I'm likely more sensitive to the perceived changes in the harshness of sound than the neurotypical population.
I remember listener's blog post from last year that touched on this subject: https://headphones.com/blogs/features/the-case-for-comfort-why-sound-quality-isnt-everything
In my personal opinion, I do think oftentimes comfort can have an equal or even greater effect on appraisal of sound quality in an individual up to a certain point (this point being auditory comfort, such as sharp peaks in any particular resonance that an individual would find uncomfortable based on the properties of their head and ears).
As of late, I find audio-related decisions I make to be ruled by comfort and practical considerations over other factors. As an example, in a choice between the Truthear Nova and the TinHifi T3 Plus equalized to Harman IE 2019v2, I found myself preferring the latter significantly despite a sharp peak around 12.5 kilohertz that I wasn't able to EQ out. In short, I perceived to have "better sound quality". I have to conclude, at least for myself, that tactile comfort is a much greater consideration than ideal audio performance and reproduction capabilities in a headphone or earphone.
This observation extends beyond just the tactile sensation of the earphone or headphone, however. I noticed an overall greater appraised perception of sound quality depending on the lumbar support of the chair I was using, how high the fans were turned up in my room and how many (my environment is hot or humid, I have two fans and noticed that I would enjoy the same song on the same set of headphones more when both fans were on at max speed), and of course at the end of the day when I've had an overall pleasant day versus when my day was unpleasant.
I believe there may also be a converse effect (better sound quality may have a positive impact on listener enjoyment and thus make them pay less attention to other factors). However, at least in myself when accounting for my particular neurological needs, I find the effect of tactile comfort on perceived sound quality to be far greater than the effect of sound quality on perceived tactile comfort.
To reiterate, my own appraisals are entirely anecdotal and I can only apply them to myself insofar as how I make decisions about how to enjoy music, but I did think it was an interesting subject to approach. In this hobby (audiophilia), where the chase for "superior sound quality" seems to be unending, it may be possible that the final 10% that many listeners are searching for lies in factors outside of the audio reproduction capabilities of their equipment.
(For fun, I added a little poll to see what others on this subreddit think.)
View Poll

CPU: 5800X3D PBO: curve-25 105W TDC:80A EDC:120A GPU: deshroud 6700xt (power color red devil) with red bios tweak, fan: 2x arctic p12 pwm PSU: cosair 650W Cooler: Thermalright Silver Soul 135+NF-A8+NH A12x25cb => best thermal and noise setup tested so far NH-L12S bended A12x15+A12x25+side mount fan(A12x25)(three fan in series) => best thermal and setup tested so far Case fan: Rear=>NF-A8 (pushing air out of the case), Front=>Arctic p12 silent (pushing air out of the case)
I was using zs oc1, an open air case, and have no thermal issue, of course. But dues to no protection and GPU riser degradation (having weird input lag in game), so I decide to move into a closed none GPU riser case.
Cooling: For the cooling part, it was a big issue for me, because I cannot get the CPU under constant 80+c for gaming load.
Open case + Thermalright pa120 dual fan was the best temp, always below 80C on gaming load. However moving to Meshroom D, it definitely can't fit a PA120, so I use the spare NH-L12 for a try.
Also my goal is to keep the noise a low as possible. And my average CPU gaming load = constant 80w of power consumption.
NH-L12S Fan speed: 1200-1600 rpm Fan all pushing toward CPU is better. Fan pushing toward case just result in +3~5c in temperature. PBO: curve-25 95W TDC:75A EDC:115A
NH-L12S one A12x15 definitely can't cool a 5800x3d =>86c+ on gaming laod NH-L12S A12x15+A12x25=> 84c on gaming load NH-L12S A12x15+A12x25+side mount fan(A12x25) => constant 82c on gaming load, but some high pitch turbulence to be heard. NH-L12S bended A12x15+A12x25+side mount fan(A12x25)(three fan series)+ rear 80mm fan => constant 81~82c on gaming load
After all this testing, I found out the mesh panel help nothing to the temp, It only trap heat, but not as worse as a clone ghost. So most of the case fan will be pushing air out of the case for best thermal performance.
Thermalright Silver soul 135 Fan speed: 1200-1400 rpm PBO: curve-25 105W TDC:80A EDC:120A
Stock fan never tested. SS135 A12x25 => 84c on gaming load (I was suprise of how bad it is with single fan, same as pa120) SS135 A12x25+NF-A8+rear 80mm fan=> occasional 80c peak with high 76~79c on gaming load. The rear case fan and push fan of cooler help alot. A lot less heat trapping (temp cooling down way faster), and no turbulence compare to L12.
Case fan setup. Case fan, positive pressure setup just not good, it will trap heat. Some how Negative pressure + rear and front fan is really essential for keeping good temp.
GPU temp: 64c max, Hot spot temp 78c, fan 700 pwm.
Image: https://imgur.com/a/shDWmEV