Hi fellow mushroom enjoyers, I hope there haven’t been too many posts like this one here.
I’ve been lurking in this sub for a couple of years now and today is finally my first time trying mushrooms. I am gonna do it in a couple of hours with my best friend and as the Title says, we have never tried mushrooms before, only LSD once like three years ago. I often read that these two types of psychedelics have completely different effects and the trip is supposed to be very different.
First of all, I want to say that we are going to be taking them in a safe environment for us to enjoy the trip. My Parents are on vacation so we got the entire house to ourselves and can just enjoy the trip to its full extent (hopefully, that’s why I’m here). We don’t have a trip sitter but back then when we took LSD, we handled it pretty well in my opinion without one. My friend and I communicated a lot during the trip and always immediately told each other when we got scared of something for example, and we would switch location/music to not get in a Bad Trip mood etc. So I’m confident we won’t have problems with this today.
Other than that, are there any tips you guys/girls can give me to make the trip safe more fun for us?
What about smoking weed? I’ve often heard that smoking weed while tripping is fine and shouldn’t cause any problems. Will the weed lessen the effects of the shrooms in any way, bc I obviously don’t want that xD. (Except for when one of us isn’t feeling well, then smoking a little weed to make it better would be nice to know about). And is it dumb if I smoke a little weed right now because I’m kinda bored haha and still have to wait 2 hours anyways for my friend. Will i not notice the shroom effects kicking in bc imma still be a little high then or even experience the trip differently in general bc of the weed? Should I refrain from smoking weed today entirely to have a completely ”raw“ first shroom trip? Or is it fine if I smoke a little for fun right now ~2 hours before the trip, or even during the trip?
We’re both gonna take 2 grams and I was thinking about blending them into something like a banana milkshake. Whether it helps or not with the nausea that many people describe after taking shrooms ( I’ve read a lot of different opinions on this) it’ll probably make the shrooms at least somewhat eatable, regarding their foretold horrible taste xD. I also want to eat different fruits during the trip bc I’ve often read that they taste amazing on shrooms.
Any other advice/tips or things we should try on our first trip will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all in advance :)

In a new build above the windows there is the strip of wood above attached to the stud style walls not solid brick like the older houses. All my curtain rails are screws and raw plugs the screws are longer in depth than the wood is it ok to just drill them fully through or should I get some shorter ones? They are just standard raw plugs for reference.
I assume I just need a tool to check for water pipes behind there?
They also state the walls shouldn't be painted or drilled for pictures for 6 to 12 months to dry out and prevent cracks, would 3M command strips be ok to hang pictures on the walls? I use them in our current home but they are brick walls just concious of not damaging the new walls.

I have 6 month’s emergency saved up already. Maxed out Roth IRA for the year and contributing up to my match on 401k. Only low interest student loan debt (15k) for which I’m waiting on Supreme Court ruling.
I am thinking of moving what’s left (12k) and what I save every month (1-1.5k) to brokerage account every month and invest in VTI. I am not going to buy a house soon but would like to start saving for the downpayment. Is this a good idea?

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Happy Friday, everyone! :) And welcome back to my weekly mobile game recommendations based on some of the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week. Hope you'll enjoy it.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes a hardcore survival game with a card mechanic, a fun little arcade action game, a darker and grittier version of Archero, and a neat 3D puzzle game.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 169 weeks ago here.

Let's get to the games:

Papers, Please [Game Size: 70 MB] ($4.99)

Genre: Simulation / RPG - Offline
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by Cian Clark:
Papers, Please is a unique 2D simulation game in which we play as an immigration officer tasked with closely inspecting immigrants' passports and documents for any discrepancies.
The gameplay starts off simple, with us mainly stamping passports for entry or denial. Regularly checking the rulebook is necessary for examining the passports properly, and we can even enter an inspection mode to identify discrepancies or detain suspicious individuals that may be wanted by the law.
Failing to find any inconsistencies within the documents results in a warning and eventually a salary deduction that will tighten our choices on what to spend our earnings on.
The job’s minimal pay means we are forced to carefully manage our expenses to keep our family alive, with each day adding a new fundamental rule or mechanic to the game. This keeps the gameplay from becoming repetitive and increases the difficulty as we go.
Despite its basic art style, the game effectively utilizes its darker tone and bland color palette to create a bleak and oppressive atmosphere that fits the game’s overall setting. The controls in this port have a nicely refined layout for mobile screens, making it easy to scroll through multiple documents. A pull chain is also used to engage the stamping mode and the inspect button has been moved for easier access.
Papers, Please is a $4.99 premium game with no ads or iAPs. It’s a notable indie game that is worth a play for anyone who enjoys puzzle simulation games.
App Store: Here

Punch Kick Duck [Total Game Size: 157 MB] (Free)

Genre: Fighting / Arcade - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Punch Kick Duck is a fun little arcade action fighting game where we use quick reflexes and precise tabs to deal with the many enemies rushing toward us from both sides of the 2D side-viewed levels.
The objective is to deal with all the enemies across 10 increasingly difficult 60-second floors. Equipped with three attacks – a punch, a kick, and a duck kick – we must use the correct attack for each of the three enemy attack types. Punch beats kick, kick beats duck, and duck beats punch. So yes, it’s essentially an action-packed version of rock, paper, scissors.
While this might sound easy, it’s not. If we trigger our attack too soon, we won’t hit anything, and if we delay for just a split-second too long, we end up losing one of our two lives and our score multiplier. Oh, and soon enough, these enemies start throwing things at us that we also have to deflect. Thankfully, the difficulty can be changed in the game settings.
When we’re not punching enemies, we can spend the currency we earn through gameplay on unlocking new cosmetic characters to play as.
The super clean art-style looks great, and the game is overall rather polished. The touch controls also work well, and there’s even Bluetooth controller support.
Punch Kick Duck monetizes via occasional forced ads, incentivized ads to revive, and a $1.99 iAP to remove these entirely. It’s a game that can be completed in just a few days, but it’s an easy recommendation for a fun casual action experience.
App Store: Here

Typoman Remastered [Game Size: 536 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Adventure - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Typoman is an atmospheric puzzle platformer set in a dark dystopian world filled with letters that form various animated objects when arranged into meaningful words.
We play as an anthropomorphic character that consists of the letters H, E, R, and O – a “hero” who is on a quest to overcome his inner insecurities, reunite with his guiding “MUSE”, face his insidious nemeses in the form of HATE, DOOM, and FEAR, and rescue the troubled land from the tyranny of an all-devouring powerful beast.
Not armed with any weapons, we traverse the game’s harsh surreal locations by jumping over pits, climbing ladders, swinging on the ropes, pulling switches, picking up and throwing letters, and performing other environment manipulations.
The biggest asset at our disposal is the Word Scrambler, which allows us to create words from the letters lying around. With this tool, we’re able to RISE platforms, OPEN doors, turn ON the machinery, and even summon RAIN. As the story progresses, we get access to even more interesting words, among which I find the option to use “LIE” to change a word into its antonym to be the most amusing.
My only issue with the game is the sometimes-unresponsive touch controls that occasionally lead to failing the intense sequences that require quick reaction and fast movement.
Aside from the story-driven campaign, the game also features a couple of enjoyable minigames that have us make up words on time, or form antonyms to obtain missing letters. These games may appeal to people who prefer word puzzles over action platformers.
This remastered version of Typoman contains no ads, but after the first free chapter, we need to buy a single $6.99 iAP to unlock the full game.
Even though the game feels too short and doesn't fully realize its potential, I highly recommend it to any fan of clever platforming adventures.
App Store: Here

Timberman The Big Adventure [Game Size: 285 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Action - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Timberman The Big Adventure is a challenging action platformer about a kind lumberjack and his inseparable bear friend, who venture on a perilous journey to rescue the kidnapped Mrs. Bear from the clutches of the vicious Evil Corp.
In order to achieve their goal, they will be chopping down trees, collecting coins, saving wildlife, wrecking corporate property, and punching the faces of angry construction workers.
Despite looking like a simple coin-collecting platformer, the game actually features a lot of things to do, such as double-jumping on platforms, slowly gliding across gaps, ducking to take cover, throwing boxes and barrels, operating switches, chopping trees to make bridges, and much more.
Each of the beautifully designed levels has us navigate a challenging obstacle course while gathering various collectibles scattered throughout the map and searching for the exit. And since we have limited lives, we must tread carefully instead of rushing forward.
A huge portion of the gameplay is dedicated to combat against enemies. Thankfully, we have a large arsenal of moves, such as regular punches, long-distance dashes, powerful slams from above, and axes that can be thrown. And to make things even better, each chapter features a powerful boss that requires a unique and creative approach to defeat.
The most interesting feature is definitely the local co-op that is available if two controllers are connected to the same device. While most won’t utilize this feature, it’s fantastic for those who will.
Timberman is free to try for the first chapter, with forced ads shown every time we die. A $6.99 iAP unlocks the full game and removes the ads – a price that decreases to $4.99 if you complete the demo part first.
Despite being rather short, the game is great for anyone fond of nice-looking platformers.
App Store: Here

Pine Tar Poker (Game Size: 173 MB] ($3.99)

Genre: Card - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by Kaylake:
Pine Tar Poker is an interesting, stylized take on both traditional poker and dice games like "Yahtzee." Its little narrative touches here and there, combined with intriguing unlockable items, elevate it to more than its simple premise would at first suggest.
After arriving at a bar straight out of the old American West, we’re greeted by a friendly barkeep ready to pour us a drink and tell us all about this game that the locals play. Essentially, he deals the cards while our objective is to score as many points as possible by forming specific, traditional poker hands like 3-of-a-kind and full house. Think "Yahtzee" but with playing cards and poker hands taking the place of dice combos, and you're on the right track.
After a couple of rounds, the barkeep then encourages us to spend our winnings on mysterious items in his shop, as well as the occasional drink. The former can do myriad things like giving us extra draws, helping us count cards, and even fully defying the very rules of the game. The drinks are completely optional and provide us with new insight into the bartender's character, which adds a bit of much-appreciated lore and personality to the game.
As fun as the gameplay is and as much as the items help change things up, I should note that some players may find it too short or too simple to be worth the cost.
Pine Tar Poker is a $3.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Since you can technically beat it in just a few hours, the price may seem a little high - but its replayability is excellent and that's why it’s likely to stay installed on most players’ devices even after all its secrets are unearthed.
App Store: Here
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Google Sheet of all games I've played so far (searchable and filter-able): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bf0OxtVxrboZqyEh01AxJYUUqHm8tEfh-Lx-SugcrzY/edit?usp=sharing
TL;DR Video Summary (with gameplay) of last week's games: https://youtu.be/ydwPQ85P0lA
Episode 150 Episode 151 Episode 152 Episode 153 Episode 154 Episode 155 Episode 156 Episode 157 Episode 158 Episode 159 Episode 160 Episode 161 Episode 162 Episode 163 Episode 164 Episode 165 Episode 166 Episode 167 Episode 168

Morning LATAM Fam- If you’ve been on this community for awhile, you should be able to see the ties between corruption on Wall St. and foreign policy around the world.
Banks create money, but Wall St is the system that puts it to work. Corporations with unlimited access to capital have destroyed democracy and the opportunity for independence in countries around the world.
This system has become so infested that it eventually turned into a casino for the ultra rich.
I have mentioned GameStop on occasion in this community. Long story short, the past two years have shown that the system has been broken by the masses. They are trapped, and although they have done a well enough job of kicking the can (they are experts at that), there is no exit out of this situation, other than a complete systemic change of the entire system.
We have won. This is not an opinion. They are scrambling to contain the “contagion”.
What does this have to do with this community? The purpose of LATAM Society is to promote action. What better way to change the system?
GameStop has defied the odds and has become profitable. Major Wall St. entities had made a risky decision to try and bury it to the ground and force it into bankruptcy. That is no longer an option.
That has put them in a very, very very very, difficult situation which they cannot escape. In essence, they lost a bet, and MUST PAY IT BACK. This is a win win for GameStop and those who own the stock.
I share this because we are a community that shares a common bond- we want justice for Latin America. Well, here’s your chance. As always- DYOR, but know that the people are taking it to Wall St. and beating them at their own game. Fuk the narrative. ✊

I consider relocating to Spain from Dubai. I’ve been in Madrid and Barcelona for a short trip and quite enjoyed it there. I spend a lot of time inside the apartment cause I work remotely so it’s important for me to have a good modern apartment. Would be nice to have an expat community as well so I can make friends as my Spanish level is zero atm. I’d like to hear your advice on what you think is the best option. Criteria: - access to modern housing (2000€ max per month) - expat community
I might have missed smth important feel free to extend the criterias.

Happy Friday, everyone! :) And welcome back to my weekly mobile game recommendations based on some of the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week. Hope you'll enjoy it.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes a fun simulation RPG, a simple fighting arcade game, an atmospheric platform adventure game, a challenging action platformer, and a card game that plays like a mix of Poker and Yahtzee.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 256 weeks ago here.

Let's get to the games:

Papers, Please [Game Size: 70 MB] ($4.99)

Genre: Simulation / RPG - Offline
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by Cian Clark:
Papers, Please is a unique 2D simulation game in which we play as an immigration officer tasked with closely inspecting immigrants' passports and documents for any discrepancies.
The gameplay starts off simple, with us mainly stamping passports for entry or denial. Regularly checking the rulebook is necessary for examining the passports properly, and we can even enter an inspection mode to identify discrepancies or detain suspicious individuals that may be wanted by the law.
Failing to find any inconsistencies within the documents results in a warning and eventually a salary deduction that will tighten our choices on what to spend our earnings on.
The job’s minimal pay means we are forced to carefully manage our expenses to keep our family alive, with each day adding a new fundamental rule or mechanic to the game. This keeps the gameplay from becoming repetitive and increases the difficulty as we go.
Despite its basic art style, the game effectively utilizes its darker tone and bland color palette to create a bleak and oppressive atmosphere that fits the game’s overall setting. The controls in this port have a nicely refined layout for mobile screens, making it easy to scroll through multiple documents. A pull chain is also used to engage the stamping mode and the inspect button has been moved for easier access.
Papers, Please is a $4.99 premium game with no ads or iAPs. It’s a notable indie game that is worth a play for anyone who enjoys puzzle simulation games.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here

Punch Kick Duck [Total Game Size: 157 MB] (Free)

Genre: Fighting / Arcade - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Punch Kick Duck is a fun little arcade action fighting game where we use quick reflexes and precise tabs to deal with the many enemies rushing toward us from both sides of the 2D side-viewed levels.
The objective is to deal with all the enemies across 10 increasingly difficult 60-second floors. Equipped with three attacks – a punch, a kick, and a duck kick – we must use the correct attack for each of the three enemy attack types. Punch beats kick, kick beats duck, and duck beats punch. So yes, it’s essentially an action-packed version of rock, paper, scissors.
While this might sound easy, it’s not. If we trigger our attack too soon, we won’t hit anything, and if we delay for just a split-second too long, we end up losing one of our two lives and our score multiplier. Oh, and soon enough, these enemies start throwing things at us that we also have to deflect. Thankfully, the difficulty can be changed in the game settings.
When we’re not punching enemies, we can spend the currency we earn through gameplay on unlocking new cosmetic characters to play as.
The super clean art-style looks great, and the game is overall rather polished. The touch controls also work well, and there’s even Bluetooth controller support.
Punch Kick Duck monetizes via occasional forced ads, incentivized ads to revive, and a $1.99 iAP to remove these entirely. It’s a game that can be completed in just a few days, but it’s an easy recommendation for a fun casual action experience.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here

Typoman Remastered [Game Size: 536 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Adventure - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Typoman is an atmospheric puzzle platformer set in a dark dystopian world filled with letters that form various animated objects when arranged into meaningful words.
We play as an anthropomorphic character that consists of the letters H, E, R, and O – a “hero” who is on a quest to overcome his inner insecurities, reunite with his guiding “MUSE”, face his insidious nemeses in the form of HATE, DOOM, and FEAR, and rescue the troubled land from the tyranny of an all-devouring powerful beast.
Not armed with any weapons, we traverse the game’s harsh surreal locations by jumping over pits, climbing ladders, swinging on the ropes, pulling switches, picking up and throwing letters, and performing other environment manipulations.
The biggest asset at our disposal is the Word Scrambler, which allows us to create words from the letters lying around. With this tool, we’re able to RISE platforms, OPEN doors, turn ON the machinery, and even summon RAIN. As the story progresses, we get access to even more interesting words, among which I find the option to use “LIE” to change a word into its antonym to be the most amusing.
My only issue with the game is the sometimes-unresponsive touch controls that occasionally lead to failing the intense sequences that require quick reaction and fast movement.
Aside from the story-driven campaign, the game also features a couple of enjoyable minigames that have us make up words on time, or form antonyms to obtain missing letters. These games may appeal to people who prefer word puzzles over action platformers.
This remastered version of Typoman contains no ads, but after the first free chapter, we need to buy a single $6.99 iAP to unlock the full game.
Even though the game feels too short and doesn't fully realize its potential, I highly recommend it to any fan of clever platforming adventures.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here

Timberman The Big Adventure [Game Size: 285 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Action - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
Timberman The Big Adventure is a challenging action platformer about a kind lumberjack and his inseparable bear friend, who venture on a perilous journey to rescue the kidnapped Mrs. Bear from the clutches of the vicious Evil Corp.
In order to achieve their goal, they will be chopping down trees, collecting coins, saving wildlife, wrecking corporate property, and punching the faces of angry construction workers.
Despite looking like a simple coin-collecting platformer, the game actually features a lot of things to do, such as double-jumping on platforms, slowly gliding across gaps, ducking to take cover, throwing boxes and barrels, operating switches, chopping trees to make bridges, and much more.
Each of the beautifully designed levels has us navigate a challenging obstacle course while gathering various collectibles scattered throughout the map and searching for the exit. And since we have limited lives, we must tread carefully instead of rushing forward.
A huge portion of the gameplay is dedicated to combat against enemies. Thankfully, we have a large arsenal of moves, such as regular punches, long-distance dashes, powerful slams from above, and axes that can be thrown. And to make things even better, each chapter features a powerful boss that requires a unique and creative approach to defeat.
The most interesting feature is definitely the local co-op that is available if two controllers are connected to the same device. While most won’t utilize this feature, it’s fantastic for those who will.
Timberman is free to try for the first chapter, with forced ads shown every time we die. A $6.99 iAP unlocks the full game and removes the ads – a price that decreases to $4.99 if you complete the demo part first.
Despite being rather short, the game is great for anyone fond of nice-looking platformers.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here

Pine Tar Poker (Game Size: 173 MB] ($3.99)

Genre: Card - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by Kaylake:
Pine Tar Poker is an interesting, stylized take on both traditional poker and dice games like "Yahtzee." Its little narrative touches here and there, combined with intriguing unlockable items, elevate it to more than its simple premise would at first suggest.
After arriving at a bar straight out of the old American West, we’re greeted by a friendly barkeep ready to pour us a drink and tell us all about this game that the locals play. Essentially, he deals the cards while our objective is to score as many points as possible by forming specific, traditional poker hands like 3-of-a-kind and full house. Think "Yahtzee" but with playing cards and poker hands taking the place of dice combos, and you're on the right track.
After a couple of rounds, the barkeep then encourages us to spend our winnings on mysterious items in his shop, as well as the occasional drink. The former can do myriad things like giving us extra draws, helping us count cards, and even fully defying the very rules of the game. The drinks are completely optional and provide us with new insight into the bartender's character, which adds a bit of much-appreciated lore and personality to the game.
As fun as the gameplay is and as much as the items help change things up, I should note that some players may find it too short or too simple to be worth the cost.
Pine Tar Poker is a $3.99 premium game without ads or iAPs. Since you can technically beat it in just a few hours, the price may seem a little high - but its replayability is excellent and that's why it’s likely to stay installed on most players’ devices even after all its secrets are unearthed.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview:: Here
NEW: Sort + filter reviews and games I've played (and more) in my app MiniReview: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=minireview.best.android.games.reviews
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Episode 237 Episode 238 Episode 239 Episode 240 Episode 241 Episode 242 Episode 243 Episode 244 Episode 245 Episode 246 Episode 247 Episode 248 Episode 249 Episode 251 Episode 252 Episode 253 Episode 254 Episode 255

I have listed said pen for sale, if anyone here might be interested in it.
https://www.reddit.com/EDCexchange/comments/120iwu1/wts_marfione_siphon_ii_punishe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

All the apartment reviews I’ve seen have tenants reporting roach problems. Is this just everywhere in the area or does anyone know of a specific apartment building or area to rent houses without roach problems? I understand now it might just be everywhere but really hoping to find a place without this issue if it exists. If you know of a specific recommendation for a building or location, please respond. Thanks!

New to lapidary and have a question about how to plumb in a cabbing machine so I dont have to fill buckets. I have a CabKing 6in V3 and an old water line for a fridge in the room. I have connected everything up but obviously house pressure is too much for the thin tubing and they separate from the wheel valves.
So, what can I use to replace those as to not have to feather a ball valve at the end of the fridge line and keep the tubing together?
I am okay with replacing any piece that would help. I just not sure what to search for when looking for parts that might work.

​
"I can't get it out of my head. I don't know what to do. Mark said you might be able to help me, but I don't know how."
I was sitting by the fountain in the outdoor garden, which most people used as a smoking area. The angel statue held a jug that constantly burbled out water, and I found the patter soothing. I came here to think sometimes, to collect my thoughts, and it was a great comfort to me since the incident with the elevator. I found myself here more and more often these days. Writing this book about the things I've seen and heard in Cashmere Hospital is taking a toll on me, and I think it's impossible to not wonder why I stay in the belly of the beast as I write more and more about the things that go on here.
I was asleep when Mark called me today, dragging myself from the depths to ask what he wanted?
My plans had been to sleep till noon, so I could get up and write a little before going back to sleep tonight. It was my day off, and I wanted to catch up on some sleep so I could spend all day tomorrow writing before going back to work on Wednesday. Instead, I listened to what Mark had to say and got up to make myself a coffee, so I'd be in the right mind to listen to this fellas story.
"He wants to know if you'll meet him at eleven. He sounds pretty bad, and I'm afraid he might not be in the right place to tell you this story for much longer."
The guy's name was Jerry, a "sitter" who'd struck up a friendship with Mark a few months ago.
Sitters are what we call them, but their title is "non-medical caregivers." They sit with patients for six to eight hours daily, and the work is voluntary. Sitters usually hang out with coma patients, patients suffering from catatonia, dementia patients, and most patients who just need someone to sit and talk with them. That was where Jerry came in. Jerry lived primarily off a trust fund, but as he grew older, he wanted to do something with his time besides sit around. So, he committed himself to sit with patients a few times a week, leading him to where he was now.
"They keep calling me to see if I want to sit with another patient, but I can't think of anything besides what he said to me."
I looked up owlishly at him, taking a sip of the coffee I'd bought in the cafeteria before telling him to go on.
"It all started with Mr. Vogner."
* * * * *
Jerry looked at the starring old man without much interest. He was sitting in a bed on the second floor, the long-term stay unit, and staring at the same long crack in the plain white paint that covered a ceiling that had likely not been painted since Reagan was in office.
"This is Mr. Vogner. He's in a coma, but we think he might feel a little better if he just had someone to talk to."
Jerry nodded, "Well, let's get acquainted then,"
After several hours of having a one-sided conversation with the man in the bed, Jerry sighed. He didn't know what he was expecting. Most of the patients in a coma or in a state of catatonia were like this. It was like talking to a brick wall, but you ultimately did it for them. You gave them a voice they could latch onto, a lifeline that might pull them back from whatever sea they are stranded in.
Just because it was dull didn't mean it wasn't noble work.
Jerry had been doing this sort of thing for about a year, and he had never seen anything described by some of the guys in his group. There was a collection of guys in the Sitter program who sometimes got together for drinks and talked about their experiences. Some of the guys talked about watching patients slowly come out of their silent state. Some talked about hearing a patient speak for the first time in years. Some talked about the tear-spotted letters they got from their families or the happy embraces from family members who hadn't seen them move or speak in years. Jerry didn't have anything like this. They told him it would happen, that he would get his own story to tell one day.
He doubted any of them could have known that this dried-up husk of a man would be his one and only story.
Jerry tried another conversational gambit, asking Mr. Vogner who he thought would win the Super Bowl this year?
Mr. Vognar just kept staring at that crack in the ceiling.
Jerry reached for the remote then, thinking some Tv might loosen his tongue. Flipping through the channels, he finally settled on an episode of Pawn Stars and started watching the adventures of Rick and his son, Big Haus. Jerry asked Vogner if he liked Pawn Stars, but he got no answer. Whether he approved or disapproved, Jerry never knew. He turned back to the show, commenting on some of the things they were showing, and the two let the show play out.
They were halfway through the episode, Rick's father talking to a man about silver coins, when Jerry heard the mumbling. He turned the volume down, thinking it might be part of the show, and realized it was coming from the man in the bed. Mr. Vogner was mumbling to the crack in the ceiling, and Jerry turned off the tv as he slid his chair a little closer. The man's chapped lips were mumbling the same thing repeatedly, and as Jerry got closer, he realized it was the same five words.
"He came through the crack."
"Are you okay, Mr. Vogner?" Jerry asked, looking at the door as he thought about calling a nurse.
"He came through the crack."
"Do you need some water?" Jerry asked, hoping for more than muttering.
"He came through the crack."
"Who came through the crack?" Jerry asked on a whim, wondering if it was something more than a random phrase.
When the old man turned his sunken face towards him, his chapped lips flaking as he made the words of an answer, Jerry wished he hadn't asked.
"The man made of stars."
Jerry wanted to pull away but leaned in closer, curious to hear the man's words.
"Tell me about him."
It all began when things started going missing.
It was little things. My paper weight, the pen the college gave me after teaching for twenty years, the pendent from LSU that hung on the wall of my own dorm, and I was becoming angry. I blamed my kids, and I blamed my wife, but they all claimed they had nothing to do with it. I was working on a manuscript and complained that all of this was cutting into my time, but still, things continued to go missing.
When my manuscript started going missing, I fell into a rage.
I changed the locks on my office. I forbade people to go in there, even when I was there. I spent more time in my office, typing and typing and typing away, and barely saw the people who mattered the most to me. I would slink out to get food in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, and even then, I would lock the door and get back to work as quickly as possible.
I was typing one night between midnight and dawn when I discovered what had been stealing from me.
The old man wet his lips again, his head shifting slowly as he looked back at the crack in the ceiling. His voice sounded like a rusty hinge in a haunted house, and Jerry wondered how long it had been since he had spoken? Jerry wanted to get him some water, but he was pulled in by the weird story and the sound of his haggard voice.
"Have you ever considered what we would look like to a two-dimensional creature?"
Jerry was surprised, shook his head, shocked into a response by the strangeness of the question.
"Few do. A three-dimensional creature could reach right into a safe that a two-dimensional creature had secured and take anything they wanted. The two-dimensional creature would have no idea how its valuables had been stolen, and it might not even be able to conceive of a three-dimensional creature."
"Pretty heavy stuff," Jerry said, chuckling weakly.
"Indeed," said Mr. Vognar, "Especially when it's exactly what's happening to you."
I was sitting at my computer, banging away at my missing pages as I tried to recreate them when something caught my eye. It began as a sparkling, like a gem that caught the light, and I turned to look at the crack that had appeared on my wall. It was nothing special, just a normal crack, but there was something trying to push its way through. I… can't…have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear night? Have you ever looked at the constellations and seen the shapes? That one bear, that one a dipper, that one a huntsman? Well, I saw a man made of stars! That's as close as I can describe him, but it looked like a constellation had stepped out of my wall.
I was speechless. Was this the thing that was stealing from me? I was like a statue as it moved across the room. It's hard to describe how it moved. It almost seemed to vanish and reappear with each "step." It was, then it wasn't, then it was again. Watching it move gave me the worst feeling of nausea, and I felt the air hang in my lungs as it came right up to the desk. It stood not five feet from me, and the air hummed with power. I spent a summer working for the power company before college, hanging power lines and helping plant telephone poles. When the wires were live, they felt just like that, and I was afraid that if it touched me, I'd be burnt to a crisp.
I must have made a sound when he picked up the picture on my desk because it turned and looked at me. I say turned, but I'm not quite sure what it did. It folded itself in my direction, and when its shining visage fell on me, it sounded like animals being cooked alive. It sounded like the loudest speaker reverb you've ever heard mixed with a pig being butchered. It made my ears bleed, and I felt blood oozing from my nose and eyes as I stared at it. I watched it lean in closer and closer as the noise fell on me like a heavy weight, and at some point, my mind just couldn't take it anymore.
When I returned to myself, I was here, and I've been here ever since, thinking about the nature of that creature that came through my wall as if it was no more a barrier than the door over there.
Jerry leaned away from the man slowly, the oldster still staring at that crack that stretched across the flat plane of his ceiling.
"Have you seen him since?" Jerry asked, not wanting to know but needing to.
Mr. Vognar never looked away from the crack, but Jerry felt sure that he could see him peeking out of her peripherals.
"Sometimes, late at night, I see colors from that crack up there. I know he's watching. I think he enjoys seeing me suffer. And now you know, too. And now it will eat away at you as well."
He started to laugh, a deep and hateful sound, and it took all of Jerry's strength to fumble out of the chair and run from that room. It wasn't just his fun house laughter or the corpse that was creating it. The idea of some creature that could move freely through his world, seeing it as little more than a game board or a picture made of rice and glue, terrified him the farther it wormed into his brain. They called his name at the nurse's station when he passed, but he kept running. He didn't stop running until he was in his car in the parking lot, but that was when it all truly started.
He saw a crack in the windshield, a simple star made by a stray rock.
He had thought he might be done shaking, but it seemed he had a little more in him as he fell out of the car and scrambled through the parking lot, leaving his vehicle open and abandoned in the parking spot.
* * * * *
"I haven't gone back to check on it since. I assume security has either towed it or secured it for me. I spent the last two weeks spackling every crack in my house. I never realized there were so many until I started. Then I looked at the corners, wondering if they could get in there. Who's to say what a door is to them? They could come anywhere and at any time."
"What will you do?" I asked, unsure how to help this man.
It was hard having knowledge that you didn't ask for.
"I don't know, but every day I think about it, I'm pretty sure I'm one step closer to losing my mind. I wonder now if that's what happened to Mr. Vognar. Did he lose his mind after seeing that thing, or because the thought of things coming in drove him crazy?"
He left soon after that, and I never heard from him again.
I did look up Mr. Vognar when I got to work the next day and discovered he had passed the day after Jerry's visit. The report said he had a heart attack, but they also reported strange burns on his chest during the autopsy. It was written off as an allergic reaction or some odd occurrence, but I can't help but wonder if the strange creature he spoke of finally came back to get him?
Cashmere just gets weirder and weirder the longer I look into these things.
I hardly need an otherworldly being to make me feel like I might be losing it the longer I remain in this Bermuda triangle of strangeness.

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Good morning everyone. I fear that we may slowly decline and wont have a solid direction until earnings in 3-4 weeks. That is because we keep getting hit with bad news and the market cherry picks, finds some reason, or way to rally. When the market rallies on bad news, I don’t want any piece of that. I know better, I do not want to get caught holding the bag. I would much rather when the market finally gives up and falls decide to pile on puts like last year. OctobeNovember I was having a field day with close to 20 puts and trading in and out of 3-5 puts a day. At the moment I have about 5-6 puts because I am losing as I wrote out of time. I have 1 call RNG that I am losing on. I don’t want to commit capital in shares of anything unless it has a super low PE, makes cash or pays me to HODL. This is a difficult market to trade. Anytime when the market acts opposite of reality it is hard to make moves. Remember, from May of 2020 thru the end of 2021 we did not have 1 single correction in the Nasdaq or the Sp500. [10% drop] We basically went straight up for 20 months, which gave everyone the false narrative, that everyone was a genius! That the stock market only goes up. In 2022 the market ended down but there were many furious rallies. In 2023, so far, the market is up from January 1st, we have had 3 months already, with bad news and we are still up on the year…
In 2022 when we had bear market rallies, they would last several weeks, not several months..
Which kills your calls, kills your puts… and if you buy shares of something, it is committed capital for some time. We do have CPI April 12th, but I don’t know if that is what it takes for the market to wake up to bad news. I expect that CPI to be near 5.7-5.8. It is pretty much a given that Powell will raise rates in May, so that CPI shouldn’t be the deciding factor on the market… Earnings….. 1st quarter earnings 3rd week of April should be the wake up call…. Should be
Remember the fourth quarter of 2022 had misses from giants! [You must beat top and bottom! Not just 1!]
MSFT AMZN AAPL GOOG NFLX META ADBE GS SNAP HD
And these are just 10!
Some of these companies just missed slightly, but remember in 2021 these companies were smashing earnings. Growing sales at 20% and earnings at 10%... NFLX and META had a decline in earnings by 50-90%, sales flat! These are alarming things that you must pay attention to…
These misses and the earnings calls, give me the confirmation that 1st quarter earnings are likely to be bad. It is only when, companies flatten to earnings decline, increase sales that I start seeing an upswing in data… No, I don’t view NVDA beat of top and bottom line as a good sign. Analysts had lowered estimates, notice the 30% drop in sales and 50% drop in earnings year over year… I am not a rookie, go fool someone else. Those NVDA earnings were very bad, pathetic actually. But Chat GPT and AI stuff is hot this year. EV was so hot in 2021 and everyone was home so we had MULN NKLA RIDE WKHS and other trash raising cash from retail, cant blame anyone for selling to suckers….
I am no sucker! So I will wait till the market matches reality. I don’t need to make every trade, even in a tough 2022 I was up 25%. I am probably even or up less than 5% in 2023 but this is not the environment to trade. We need to know when to trade and when to be patient. In 2020, I was up 300% that was the most since the 90s! In 2021 I was up near 120% which was the most since the mid 2000s. Those returns, when you trade safely, is not normal! I would say normal is near 50% a year, if you do this well. Naturally, if the market takes flight like 2020/2021 and you have 20 months of straight up, you take advantage…..Well the tables have turned.
I bought NWBI a bank with PE near 10 and dividend yield near 6%. I bought SYF decent earnings, not great, but decent, PE ratio under 5, a credit card company. I am long 2023 like 5 stocks! I am down on CRK ORC CVS. That is it! I don’t want to load up on stocks when I am 99.9% sure the market heads lower… I just don’t know when exactly. The .1% of 100 that it doesn’t go lower, is the market stays sidelines like this, all the rate hikes are done, we go thru 2 more quarters of bad earnings. [No sell off]. Finally, the news starts turning better and we go up…
However, I don’t see that being likely, because bad news brings fear, fear is selling. So can the market rally or stay on the sidelines for 2 straight quarters of bad news. 1st quarter April, 2nd Quarter July… if 1st quarter earnings are bad, the likelihood of 2nd is bad too. If first quarter starts turning flat, then the 2nd quarter has a possibility so pay attention!
Year over year sales, year over year earnings… Not just that a company beat analysts estimates! What is the health of the report?! How can anyone tell me NVDA report was good 30% decline in sales 50% decline in earnings, I don’t care what some dummy on TV says! Numbers do not have opinions!
5 Trade ideas: I am in no rush, to do anything. I may but no rush
ACI – I was in this grocer 19.25 to 19.60, 1000 shares, not exciting, but I parked my money a few days, and a grocer should be fine in this environment
AI – I was buying puts on this last time it was 27+, well it rallied from 20 to 25.50 yesterday, its on my radar for puts
MDGL – No sales, losses, this Bio tech, I have been stuck for months, April 21, 210 puts at 10, I am finally about even, It shot to 316! Stock is now 230. I will reset, I am sure there is some value as a large Pharma may buy, but 200, maybe?
PACW FRC WAL ZION banks – I may try PACW watching them fall on DB news. Credit swaps, which is insurance in case a bank fails have shot thru the roof on DB, meaning people are unsure if DB will be in business, shaking the whole industry
UBER – I last sold this a few weeks ago around 33-34. They had tremendous earnings and 50% growth on top of a more than 50 cent beat surprise profit. [GME 2% sales decline and 29 cent beat] just so you see. I was stuck in UBER shares about a year before I started to make money again
The contents of this post are for information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, accounting, or legal advice. ... By choosing to make a trade you are responsible for your own actions. Please do some due diligence. These are trades I am making and you can follow along. If you make a winning trade, I do not even expect a bravo or thanks but that’s fine, if you lose on a trade the same difference.. I do not even expect an upvote or reward… The Elite team is aware of the risks and volatility in the market.
Good luck everyone let’s make money. Share trades, ideas here during trading hours. Our main goal here is to make money so I hope we can help eachother. I will be in and out of here as well.

​
"I can't get it out of my head. I don't know what to do. Mark said you might be able to help me, but I don't know how."
I was sitting by the fountain in the outdoor garden, which most people used as a smoking area. The angel statue held a jug that constantly burbled out water, and I found the patter soothing. I came here to think sometimes, to collect my thoughts, and it was a great comfort to me since the incident with the elevator. I found myself here more and more often these days. Writing this book about the things I've seen and heard in Cashmere Hospital is taking a toll on me, and I think it's impossible to not wonder why I stay in the belly of the beast as I write more and more about the things that go on here.
I was asleep when Mark called me today, dragging myself from the depths to ask what he wanted?
My plans had been to sleep till noon, so I could get up and write a little before going back to sleep tonight. It was my day off, and I wanted to catch up on some sleep so I could spend all day tomorrow writing before going back to work on Wednesday. Instead, I listened to what Mark had to say and got up to make myself a coffee, so I'd be in the right mind to listen to this fellas story.
"He wants to know if you'll meet him at eleven. He sounds pretty bad, and I'm afraid he might not be in the right place to tell you this story for much longer."
The guy's name was Jerry, a "sitter" who'd struck up a friendship with Mark a few months ago.
Sitters are what we call them, but their title is "non-medical caregivers." They sit with patients for six to eight hours daily, and the work is voluntary. Sitters usually hang out with coma patients, patients suffering from catatonia, dementia patients, and most patients who just need someone to sit and talk with them. That was where Jerry came in. Jerry lived primarily off a trust fund, but as he grew older, he wanted to do something with his time besides sit around. So, he committed himself to sit with patients a few times a week, leading him to where he was now.
"They keep calling me to see if I want to sit with another patient, but I can't think of anything besides what he said to me."
I looked up owlishly at him, taking a sip of the coffee I'd bought in the cafeteria before telling him to go on.
"It all started with Mr. Vogner."
* * * * *
Jerry looked at the starring old man without much interest. He was sitting in a bed on the second floor, the long-term stay unit, and staring at the same long crack in the plain white paint that covered a ceiling that had likely not been painted since Reagan was in office.
"This is Mr. Vogner. He's in a coma, but we think he might feel a little better if he just had someone to talk to."
Jerry nodded, "Well, let's get acquainted then,"
After several hours of having a one-sided conversation with the man in the bed, Jerry sighed. He didn't know what he was expecting. Most of the patients in a coma or in a state of catatonia were like this. It was like talking to a brick wall, but you ultimately did it for them. You gave them a voice they could latch onto, a lifeline that might pull them back from whatever sea they are stranded in.
Just because it was dull didn't mean it wasn't noble work.
Jerry had been doing this sort of thing for about a year, and he had never seen anything described by some of the guys in his group. There was a collection of guys in the Sitter program who sometimes got together for drinks and talked about their experiences. Some of the guys talked about watching patients slowly come out of their silent state. Some talked about hearing a patient speak for the first time in years. Some talked about the tear-spotted letters they got from their families or the happy embraces from family members who hadn't seen them move or speak in years. Jerry didn't have anything like this. They told him it would happen, that he would get his own story to tell one day.
He doubted any of them could have known that this dried-up husk of a man would be his one and only story.
Jerry tried another conversational gambit, asking Mr. Vogner who he thought would win the Super Bowl this year?
Mr. Vognar just kept staring at that crack in the ceiling.
Jerry reached for the remote then, thinking some Tv might loosen his tongue. Flipping through the channels, he finally settled on an episode of Pawn Stars and started watching the adventures of Rick and his son, Big Haus. Jerry asked Vogner if he liked Pawn Stars, but he got no answer. Whether he approved or disapproved, Jerry never knew. He turned back to the show, commenting on some of the things they were showing, and the two let the show play out.
They were halfway through the episode, Rick's father talking to a man about silver coins, when Jerry heard the mumbling. He turned the volume down, thinking it might be part of the show, and realized it was coming from the man in the bed. Mr. Vogner was mumbling to the crack in the ceiling, and Jerry turned off the tv as he slid his chair a little closer. The man's chapped lips were mumbling the same thing repeatedly, and as Jerry got closer, he realized it was the same five words.
"He came through the crack."
"Are you okay, Mr. Vogner?" Jerry asked, looking at the door as he thought about calling a nurse.
"He came through the crack."
"Do you need some water?" Jerry asked, hoping for more than muttering.
"He came through the crack."
"Who came through the crack?" Jerry asked on a whim, wondering if it was something more than a random phrase.
When the old man turned his sunken face towards him, his chapped lips flaking as he made the words of an answer, Jerry wished he hadn't asked.
"The man made of stars."
Jerry wanted to pull away but leaned in closer, curious to hear the man's words.
"Tell me about him."
It all began when things started going missing.
It was little things. My paper weight, the pen the college gave me after teaching for twenty years, the pendent from LSU that hung on the wall of my own dorm, and I was becoming angry. I blamed my kids, and I blamed my wife, but they all claimed they had nothing to do with it. I was working on a manuscript and complained that all of this was cutting into my time, but still, things continued to go missing.
When my manuscript started going missing, I fell into a rage.
I changed the locks on my office. I forbade people to go in there, even when I was there. I spent more time in my office, typing and typing and typing away, and barely saw the people who mattered the most to me. I would slink out to get food in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, and even then, I would lock the door and get back to work as quickly as possible.
I was typing one night between midnight and dawn when I discovered what had been stealing from me.
The old man wet his lips again, his head shifting slowly as he looked back at the crack in the ceiling. His voice sounded like a rusty hinge in a haunted house, and Jerry wondered how long it had been since he had spoken? Jerry wanted to get him some water, but he was pulled in by the weird story and the sound of his haggard voice.
"Have you ever considered what we would look like to a two-dimensional creature?"
Jerry was surprised, shook his head, shocked into a response by the strangeness of the question.
"Few do. A three-dimensional creature could reach right into a safe that a two-dimensional creature had secured and take anything they wanted. The two-dimensional creature would have no idea how its valuables had been stolen, and it might not even be able to conceive of a three-dimensional creature."
"Pretty heavy stuff," Jerry said, chuckling weakly.
"Indeed," said Mr. Vognar, "Especially when it's exactly what's happening to you."
I was sitting at my computer, banging away at my missing pages as I tried to recreate them when something caught my eye. It began as a sparkling, like a gem that caught the light, and I turned to look at the crack that had appeared on my wall. It was nothing special, just a normal crack, but there was something trying to push its way through. I… can't…have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear night? Have you ever looked at the constellations and seen the shapes? That one bear, that one a dipper, that one a huntsman? Well, I saw a man made of stars! That's as close as I can describe him, but it looked like a constellation had stepped out of my wall.
I was speechless. Was this the thing that was stealing from me? I was like a statue as it moved across the room. It's hard to describe how it moved. It almost seemed to vanish and reappear with each "step." It was, then it wasn't, then it was again. Watching it move gave me the worst feeling of nausea, and I felt the air hang in my lungs as it came right up to the desk. It stood not five feet from me, and the air hummed with power. I spent a summer working for the power company before college, hanging power lines and helping plant telephone poles. When the wires were live, they felt just like that, and I was afraid that if it touched me, I'd be burnt to a crisp.
I must have made a sound when he picked up the picture on my desk because it turned and looked at me. I say turned, but I'm not quite sure what it did. It folded itself in my direction, and when its shining visage fell on me, it sounded like animals being cooked alive. It sounded like the loudest speaker reverb you've ever heard mixed with a pig being butchered. It made my ears bleed, and I felt blood oozing from my nose and eyes as I stared at it. I watched it lean in closer and closer as the noise fell on me like a heavy weight, and at some point, my mind just couldn't take it anymore.
When I returned to myself, I was here, and I've been here ever since, thinking about the nature of that creature that came through my wall as if it was no more a barrier than the door over there.
Jerry leaned away from the man slowly, the oldster still staring at that crack that stretched across the flat plane of his ceiling.
"Have you seen him since?" Jerry asked, not wanting to know but needing to.
Mr. Vognar never looked away from the crack, but Jerry felt sure that he could see him peeking out of her peripherals.
"Sometimes, late at night, I see colors from that crack up there. I know he's watching. I think he enjoys seeing me suffer. And now you know, too. And now it will eat away at you as well."
He started to laugh, a deep and hateful sound, and it took all of Jerry's strength to fumble out of the chair and run from that room. It wasn't just his fun house laughter or the corpse that was creating it. The idea of some creature that could move freely through his world, seeing it as little more than a game board or a picture made of rice and glue, terrified him the farther it wormed into his brain. They called his name at the nurse's station when he passed, but he kept running. He didn't stop running until he was in his car in the parking lot, but that was when it all truly started.
He saw a crack in the windshield, a simple star made by a stray rock.
He had thought he might be done shaking, but it seemed he had a little more in him as he fell out of the car and scrambled through the parking lot, leaving his vehicle open and abandoned in the parking spot.
* * * * *
"I haven't gone back to check on it since. I assume security has either towed it or secured it for me. I spent the last two weeks spackling every crack in my house. I never realized there were so many until I started. Then I looked at the corners, wondering if they could get in there. Who's to say what a door is to them? They could come anywhere and at any time."
"What will you do?" I asked, unsure how to help this man.
It was hard having knowledge that you didn't ask for.
"I don't know, but every day I think about it, I'm pretty sure I'm one step closer to losing my mind. I wonder now if that's what happened to Mr. Vognar. Did he lose his mind after seeing that thing, or because the thought of things coming in drove him crazy?"
He left soon after that, and I never heard from him again.
I did look up Mr. Vognar when I got to work the next day and discovered he had passed the day after Jerry's visit. The report said he had a heart attack, but they also reported strange burns on his chest during the autopsy. It was written off as an allergic reaction or some odd occurrence, but I can't help but wonder if the strange creature he spoke of finally came back to get him?
Cashmere just gets weirder and weirder the longer I look into these things.
I hardly need an otherworldly being to make me feel like I might be losing it the longer I remain in this Bermuda triangle of strangeness.

Figuring out what the best router for your needs can be complicated. We've tested the top Wi-Fi router brands so you can find the right one for your needs.
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Take a look at this list: https://quizience.com/best-wi-fi-routers-for-2022/
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TP-Link Archer AX21
Best budget router
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Wi-Fi Standard
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Wi-Fi 6
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Speed Rating
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AX1800
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Range
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Up to 2,500 sq. ft.
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Wireless Networking Security
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WPA3
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Bands
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Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
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Available for $100 (or less if you catch a sale), the TP-Link Archer AX21 is an entry-level, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that supports top speeds of up to 1,201Mbps (1.2Gbps) on its 5GHz band. It's nothing fancy, but it offered near flawless performance for small- to medium-size homes in our tests, and it's a cinch to setup and use thanks to TP-Link's Tether app.
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Best of all, when tested against other, similar routers from names like Asus and Netgear, the AX21 held its own with faster download speeds, better range, and low latency, too. Add in a functional bandsteering mode that automatically steers you between the 2.4 and 5GHz bands within a single network, plus guest network controls and even a quality of service engine for prioritizing traffic to the most important devices on your network, and you're looking at a decent home networking upgrade that's as simple and affordable as it gets. It isn't powerful enough to max out speeds on a gigabit network, but it can still hit consistent close-range speeds near 700Mbps or so, which is more than enough for most households. Read our TP-Link Archer AX21 review.
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Linksys Hydra Pro 6 (MR5500)
Best midrange router
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Wi-Fi Standard
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Wi-Fi 6
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Speed Rating
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AX5400
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Range
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Up to 2,700 sq. ft.
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Wireless Networking Security
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WPA2, WPA3
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Bands
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Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
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If you've already got a budget router running your network and you're ready to upgrade to something more powerful, the Linksys Hydra Pro 6 belongs high on your list. With a dual-band, AX5400 build, full support for Wi-Fi 6, and 160MHz channel support for moving data more efficiently, it was an excellent performer in my speed tests, even managing to outperform flashier picks like the also great Asus RT-AX86U.
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The Hydra Pro 6 is a touch pricey as dual-band routers go, but the steady, consistent performance makes it a standout. Try and catch it on sale if you can, but if you just want a reliable, no-frills router that can keep up with gigabit speeds, look no further. Read our Linksys Hydra Pro 6 review.
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TP-Link Deco W7200
Best mesh router overall
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Wi-Fi Standard
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Wi-Fi 6
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Speed Rating
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AX3600
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Range
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Up to 5,500 sq. ft. (two devices)
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Wireless Networking Security
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WPA2, WPA3
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Bands
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Tri-Band (2.4 and two 5GHz)
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For the best performance from your mesh router, you'll want to prioritize getting one with support for Wi-Fi 6, plus a tri-band design that includes three separate bands of traffic: the usual 2.4 and 5GHz bands, plus an additional 5GHz band that the system can use as a dedicated wireless backhaul for transmissions between the router and its satellites. Most mesh routers like that cost at least $300 or even $400, but the TP-Link Deco W7200 gets you there for less than $250.
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That's the best deal I've seen for a tri-band mesh router with support for Wi-Fi 6 -- and sure enough, it's an excellent performer, as well. In fact, the only system that managed to outperform it outright in my at-home speed tests is the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi, which costs more than three times as much (keep reading for more on that one). On top of that, TP-Link's setup process is about as easy as it gets, with satellite extenders that automatically join the mesh as soon as you plug them in. Read our TP-Link Deco W7200 review.
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Asus RT-AX86U
Best gaming router
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Wi-Fi standard
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Wi-Fi 6
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Speed Rating
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AX5700
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Range
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Up to 2,500 sq. ft.
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Wireless Networking Security
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WPA3
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Bands
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Dual-Band (2.4 and 5GHz)
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Gaming routers promise high performance and low latency for die-hard gamers, and it isn't uncommon to find them selling for $300 or even $400. At about $270 or less, the Asus RT-AX86U dual-band router isn't inexpensive either, but it's a strong value relative to routers like those -- and the performance it delivers as a gaming router is flat-out great.
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Most noteworthy is the router's latency management. In fact, it leads all of the routers I've ever tested, gaming or otherwise, with the lowest average latency across all of my tests, which online gamers will definitely appreciate. Something else you'll appreciate: An excellent mix of app-based controls and features, including a mobile boost mode, that lets you prioritize gaming traffic to your phone at the touch of a button.
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Gaming features aside, the RT-AX86U offers full support for Wi-Fi 6, with strong, stable speeds and good range. If you need additional range, you can add other Asus "AIMesh" devices to your home network to make it the centerpiece of a mesh.
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That checks off all of the boxes that most people want from a good gaming router, and it gets you there at a price that isn't too painful for us to recommend. Even if you aren't a gamer, this is still one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy right now. Read our list of the best gaming routers.

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