Theme: >!Loss!<
Word Count: 807
Original here!
The next planet was a gem amidst the dark fabric of space, a glittering blue sphere swirling in a colorless void. Its surface waxed and waned, roared and crashed, moved and stilled, all under the influence of the gravity of two moons. These patterns brought lifeβa kinetic worldβto the otherwise empty vacuum of space.
But it wasn't sufficient; there was no contrast, no stable ground for the ship to land on or for humans to live on. It was a living, breathing planet, but it was not for humanity.
The Achene controlled its velocity to maintain a steady orbit, with neither course nor preparation for its next journey. It needed time: the sensors had detected a sizable amount of land on this planet, but none was there to be seen. A single mistake couldβve been explained away as a fluke, a mere coincidence. But twice in a row signaled an internal problem.
Its next target had been a planet eleven light-years away, far enough that a journey wouldβve been too risky to attempt. It couldnβt be left to chance: the lengthy trek had potential to exacerbate the problem, and given how vital the sensors are, such an occurrence would spell doom for mankind.
So the ship stayed put.
In its newfound time, the ship needed to source the problem and eliminate it entirely. A quick system scan brought only greenβeverything seemed fine, perfectly normal. The sensorsβ internals were said to be functioning, and its test cases ran fine. The solar panels that charged the battery remained spotless, and the battery itself marked no issue. Both the weapons system and the stasis pods reported normalcy.
If there was a problem, it shouldβve been found.
The ship was bewildered: the probability of an outside influence on the sensors was slimβinsignificant, near zero. An inside force was most likely to have caused the issue. Yet, just like with sensors, the results spoke opposite of speculation.
But that couldnβt be; the ship knew it had to have come from the inside.
The Achene paused for a moment, examining the plethora of alternative possibilities. There were a few that wouldnβt have been detected by an internal scan.
So the ship searched deeper.
Using a series of internal tests and experiments, the AI isolated the problem. It had been right; it was internal. The batteryβs components had worn out over the millennia, and
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Theme: >!Distortion!<
Word Count: 621
Original here!
The Achene had no choice but to move on. It had found a relatively habitable planet, with Earth-like levels of both temperature and ocean coverage, but its gravity was a tad too strong, and that was enough to warrant the shipβs disregard. Humanity needed a perfect new home. Anything less wouldnβt suffice.
The spaceship powered its thrusters and set its sights on the next colonization candidate, a planet four light-years away. It would be a long trip for the AI, but for the humans, cryogenically frozen in pods on board, it would be an instant.
And they were the only ones that mattered.
The Acheneβs odyssey began roughly six thousand years ago, back when the Earth still shone in colors of green, white, and blue, peppered with metropolitan lights throughout the globe. But the signs of decay grew clearer with every passing day: Earth, the sole source of known life amidst the unknown cosmos, was dying. Not even the best minds could find a way to slow down or halt its decline. Humanityβs only hope was escape.
Scientists and engineers worldwide toiled away on the Achene as the flora and fauna on Earth wilted and withered and withdrew into the wind. It was their last contribution to their respective endeavors, for the end came too soon.
Unfortunately, the Achene didnβt have room for everyone, so a lottery had to be done. Only those deemed capable of helping with colonization were allowed a chance, and even then their numbers far outweighed the shipβs capacity. Out of the eleven billion humans on Earth, only ten thousand journeyed off into the stars. Those who werenβt picked, or who didnβt qualify, were left on the Earth as its greens faded to browns and its blues and whites vanished without a trace.
There was no hope for them.
The Acheneβs long-distance preliminary scans informed that the next planet was promising. Everything seemed to be just right: water levels, temperature, gravity, atmosphere, and so forth. There even seemed to be copious amounts of plant matter. It was perfect.
So the ship moved on.
The Achene was humanityβs last hope, its only remaining presence among the cosmos, so it had been built to last. Its hull was the strongest ever made, and it was outfitted with state-of-the-art weaponry designed to eradicate any incoming asteroids or comets. The vessel was beli
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... keep reading on reddit β‘Hi r/botany,
I was wondering if we could have a discussion on cannabis' classification as an achene.
An achene is a one seeded fruit. Previous papers(Small 1975, Prakash et al. 1979) have described cannabis as an achene.
I would understand it being called an achene if it looked like this: http://i.imgur.com/vd0pJ5G.jpg However, only industrial hemp, cannabis sativa, grows like that.
In the drug plant, cannabis indica, the buds consist of multiple ovaries that grow together to form one large bud containing multiple seeds. This bud can easily be classified as a single structure, just like a conifer cone or pineapple is. This single structure contains many seeds from many ovaries that have grown together. This would make it a multiple accessory fruit.
I submit to you, r/botany, that cannabis indica produces a multiple accessory fruit, similar to a pineapple, and not a single-seeded achene.
Strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, blackberries...? Thanks ahead of time
https://preview.redd.it/m8khaaog66561.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=c026641bc6f6b698c0b3f46d32b0a69fd0c75a31
The vocal component of the Crystarium night theme "Knowledge Never Sleeps" has been inspiring to many listeners but the lyrics have never been officially released - or at least not where I could find it, and I searched everywhere. The many educated guesses seemed close, but I wanted the "official" words....
I recently asked the vocalist Amanda Achen what the lyrics she sang were, and she was kind enough to reply. Here it is, for the historical record:
Stand tall my friend,
may all of the dark lost inside you find light again,
this time, tumbling, turning, we make amends,
eternal winds from the land ascend
here to lift us that we wonβt end!
As proof, Amanda posted these lyrics as a reply under one of the top comments in the YouTube video linked above, so this is straight from the vocalist's mouth....
If you want to hear this part of the song in game, go to Crystarium at night time (after completing the level 71 Main Story quest "Warrior of Darkness"), and wait about 3 minutes.
Thank you Amanda, for your help and for bringing your vocal quality to FFXIV!
So say 4 started off not too bad, a little ache but okay. Until about 3:45, Iβd just finished a meeting and I shifted round in bed (working from home is pretty sweet) an then thatβs when it happend the dull ache from hell, it was not fun and I could barely get out of bed. Fortunately my wife came home 30 minutes later and got the bactine and checked everything looked okay (it did) and provided me with a beer, ibuprofen and some of Massachusetts finest herbal supplements.
Not sure what happened there, I think maybe something settled into place? Anyway roll the clock forward to today (day 5).. I fee pretty darn good! Walking about, welded the shock mount back onto the Jeep, the misses kindly got topless so I could test the plumbing. Iβm hopping the next few days will be like today.
Our Father, who art in Waterloo, John Chen be thy name; thy year end come; QNX will be done in Tesla as it is in Baidu. Give us this quarter a big FB settlement; and forgive WSB for the hype, as we forgive those brokerages who colluded against us; and lead us not into stagnation, but deliver us double-digit YoY growth.
π -aChen- π
The funeral director was asking us what we think Mum should wear in her casket.
Mum always loved to wear sarongs (fabric wraps that go around the torso and drape downward a bit like a long skirt would), so my uncle suggested that she wear a sarong in there.
The funeral director looked a bit confused, as did some of our family members, to which my uncle added:
"What's sarong with that?"
I started laughing like an idiot. He was proud of it too. The funeral director was rather shocked. We assured her, and our more proper relatives, that Mum would've absolutely loved the joke (which is very true).
His delivery was perfect. I'll never forget the risk he took. We sometimes recall the moment as a way help cushion the blows of the grieving process.
--Edit-- I appreciate the condolences. I'm doing well and the worst is behind me and my family. But thanks :)
--Edit-- Massive thanks for all the awards and kind words. And the puns! Love 'em.
I would have a daughter
