Predict, Discuss and Follow the Weekend's Events

Use these discussion threads to talk about matchups, share predictions, find stream info, react to results and more. You can also chat live in our discord channel. Feel free to discuss any event, not just the featured events!

Easterns

April 1-2 in partly cloudy Little River, SC
Livestreaming Schedule

Date	Local Time	UTC Time	Div	Matchup	Watch

Easterns is US Eastern time. Viewing requires a Full ($12.99/mo) or Plus ($19.99/mo) subscription. Games WILL have commentary. Schedule subject to change but won't be updated here. If the links don't work, try here.
Men's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D
#1 Massachusetts	#2 North Carolina	#4 Vermont	#7 Oregon
#12 Pittsburgh	#11 Minnesota	#8 Cal Poly-SLO	#13 Carleton
#24 NC State	#18 Northeastern	#15 Tufts	#14 Brown
#21 California	#20 Ohio State	#22 Georgia	#17 Michigan
Auburn	UNC-Wilmington	Wisconsin	#25 South Carolina

Follow: Easterns Facebook, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive

Northwest Challenge

April 1-2 in rainy Seattle, WA
Men's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D
#19 British Columbia	#16 Washington	Utah State	#23 Oregon State
#12 D-III Whitman	Utah	Western Washington	Victoria
Dartmouth	Washington State	Gonzaga	Chico State

Women's Division – Schedule and Results
The main women's division was last weekend, however, it looks like there will be at least one game between Portland and Whitman this weekend, as part of the Tier 2 division. Not sure if more teams are still to be added to the schedule.
Follow: @DiscNW, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive

Huck Finn

April 1-2 in partly cloudy O'Fallon, IL (near St Louis)
Men's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A (Tier 1)	Pool B (Tier 1)	Pool C (Tier 2)	Pool D (Tier 2)	Pool E (Tier 3)	Pool F (Tier 3)
Washington-St Louis	Iowa State	Wisconsin-Milwaukee	#10 D-III St Olaf	St Louis	Marquette
Emory	Missouri	#6 D-III Grinnell	Illinois	Boston University	Georgia State
Cincinnati	Purdue	Chicago	Kentucky	Arizona State	Illinois State
Notre Dame	Alabama	Florida State	#9 D-III Missouri S&T	DePaul	Central Michigan
Vanderbilt	Indiana	#8 D-III John Brown	Michigan State

All teams can reach the championship bracket, but more spots are allocated to teams in higher tiers.
Follow: Tournament Site, @HuckFinnTDs, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive

East Coast Scrimmage Weekend

April 1 in rainy Ardmore, PA (near Philadelphia)
Women's Pool – Schedule and Results

Pool A
#1 North Carolina
#2 Vermont
#5 Tufts
#15 Yale

Follow: @UNC_Pleiades, @AFDCJuniors, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive

B-Team Brodown

April 1-2 in partly cloudy Pittsburgh, PA
Men's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D
Pittsburgh-B	Penn State-B	#21 D-III Franciscan	#23 D-IIII Messiah
Ohio	Lehigh-B	Michigan-B	Ohio State-B
#18 D-III Rochester	Carnegie Mellon-B	Shippensburg	Case Western-B
SUNY-Fredonia	Ave Maria	Dayton-B	SUNY-Buffalo-B

Follow: @PghUltimate, @PittUltimateM_B, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive

Atlantic Coast Open

April 1-2 in partly cloudy Axton, VA
Women's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A
Cornell
Liberty
George Washington
George Mason
Cornell-B

Men's Pools – Schedule and Results

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D	Dev Round Robin
Penn State	Duke	Rutgers	Cornell	Maryland-B
#3 D-III Richmond	Virginia Tech	Lehigh	Georgetown	South Carolina-B
#5 D-III Navy	Temple	Connecticut	Liberty	Virginia Tech-B
Johns Hopkins	MIT	VCU	East Carolina	Cornell-B
George Mason	American	Charlotte YCC		Georgetown-B
				George Washington-B
				American-B

Follow: Tournament Site, @OakCreekUlti, @Ultiworld, @UltiworldLive
Top 25 Rankings from Ultiworld Top 25, but not yet updated for this week.

1 A 2 D B 4 C 3 

Pros:

• The 1 marker is on the left, and the 2 marker is on the right.
  • Corresponds with the convention of placing light party 1 on the left, and light party 2 on the right.
  • Also corresponds with the convention of MT ("tank 1") in the NW, and OT ("tank 2") in the NE.
• 1 and 2 are north, while 3 and 4 are south.
  • Smaller numbers are up top, larger numbers are down bottom.
  • Corresponds with the convention of placing G1 north and G2 south.
  • Arguably more aesthetically pleasing.
• G1 priority is N ccw, while G2 priority is NE cw.
  • Always maintains North/West priority for G1, and South/East priority for G2.
  • Never results in counterintuitive positions where G1 ends at C marker, and G2 ends at A marker.
  • Group 1 actually gets to start their priority at A (the first alphabet), instead of 4 (the last number).

Cons:

• The numbers aren't being placed from smallest to largest in a clockwise manner beginning north (like a real clock).
  • Markers would not correspond with strategies where players queue clockwise beginning north.
    • I don't really think this is that relevant because there are nonetheless many current day strats that don't correspond with contemporary waymarks.
• Adoption would require many players to readjust and acclimate.
  • Changing PF convention actually wouldn't be new. To my recollection, the proposed orientation actually used to be convention from (at least) Stormblood until Endwalker. This is evidenced by old videos of many world firsts, streamers, guides, and reclears by random players.

And no, this is not a shitpost. I'm actually looking forward to discussion and seeing how unpopular this opinion is. For the record I'm not suggesting changing anything for the current tier, or even the current expansion. I'm more putting this out for the community to keep in mind when developing future standardized strats.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. ^{Some of these resources have been previously posted on this subreddit and are also included in this list.}

Mental Health Services

Boynton Mental Health Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm ^{Depending on location, clinic may have limited hours or not be open on Thursdays}
Boynton Mental Health provides individual, couples, and group therapy both in-person or by telehealth, as well as psychiatric treatment or medication management for students.
• Office Number: 612-625-8400 • Appointment Line: 612-624-1444 • 24/7 Crisis Connection Counselors: 612-301-4673 or Text "UMN" to 61222 • 24/7 Nurse Line: 612-625-7900 • Email: boynton.umn.edu
Student Counseling Services (SCS) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Offers non-crisis support through individual counseling services (at this time, students can anticipate, on average, up to a 1-2 week wait for brief consultations) and can provide other on-campus and off-campus resources right for you.
• Office Number: 612-624-3323 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Also offers:
Let's Talk - a free drop-in service that offers informal, confidential consultations for U of M students throughout the academic year.No appointment is necessary, so a student can select from in-person and virtual drop-in options during the scheduled times. Learn to Live - an online therapy program that is available and free for students (code “UMN”). Programs are confidential and accessible anywhere with the following topics: depression, insomnia, social anxiety, substance use, stress, and worry.
Disability Resource Center (DRC) Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Helps provide accessibility and reduce barriers on campus to improve access for disabled people through consulting on strategies to provide access and inclusion, implementing reasonable academic, workplace, and guest accommodations, and partnering with University offices to support meaningful physical and technological access.
• Office Number: 612-626-1333 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers 24/7 crisis-lines related to suicide, counsuling for emotional distress related to a disaster, and free treatment referral and information services.
• 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 • 24/7 Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 • 24/7 National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
Hennepin County Acute Psychiatric Services (APS) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Sunday 7:00am-11:00pm ^{For Walk-In appointment and other lobby services}
Provides emergency services, counseling, assessments, and referrals to persons experiencing mental health crises including psychosis, depression, violence or suicide, and other crisis situations.
• 24/7 Crisis Counseling: 612-873-3161
Human Development Center (HDC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides services for children, teens, young adults, and adults including case management, mental health services, therapy services, eating disorders treatment, an employment connection program, chemical dependency treatment, and many more topic-specific services.
• Minnesota Crisis Line: 218-728-5126 • Wisconsin Crisis Line: 715-395-2259
Birch Tree Center (BTC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides counseling and residential crisis stabilization to adults experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency. This includes programming designed to enhance psychiatric stability, personal and emotional adjustment, and the necessary skills to return to a more independent setting.
• 24/7 Crisis Response: 218-623-1800
Essential Health Mental Health In-Patient Services Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides mental health inpatient programs for children, adolescents, and adults. Services provided are medication evaluation, medication management, indivudual and group therapies, as well as other patient-focused services to help manage and maintain mental illness and mental health related issues.
• Miller Dwan (Duluth, MN): 218-727-8762 • St. Joseph's Medical Center (Brainerd, MN): 218-829-2861

Other Health Services

University Recreation and Wellness (RecWell) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Thursday 5:45am - 11:00pm ^{Weekend hours are: Friday 5:45am-10pm, Saturday 8:00am-9:00pm, and Sunday 9:00am - 10:00pm}
Offers a wide range of programs, services, and facilities designed to aid in the prevention of stress, anxiety, and depression-related challenges as well as promote and enhance physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
• Office Number: (612) 626-9222 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Boynton Health ^{(After Hours Care}) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides resources for many different medical and health needs.
• For more information: Click here
Planned Parenthood Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides primary care, birth control, HIV/STD testing and services, transgender healthcare and hormone therapy, and more
• For more information: Click here
WE Health Clinic Office and Service Hours: Monday ‐ Thursday 9:00am ‐ 4:30pm, Friday 9:00am ‐ 4:00pm
Provides, advances, and advocates for evidence-based reproductive and sexual health care for all.
• Office Number: 218-727-3352
Youth and Aids Project (YAP) Office and Service Hours: N/A
A non-profit organization housed in the University of Minnesota's Department of Pediatrics—offers HIV testing, HIV/AIDS medical case management, HIV prevention services, and sexual health education programs for young people living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.
• Phone: ‭651-231-4849‬ • Email: ​[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Know The Dangers Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides information about opioids and provides support and recovery treatments to those who struggle with mental health, substance use, and gambling addictions.
• Opioid and Substance Use Treatment Information: Click here • Narcan/Naloxone Finder: Click here • Gambling Hotline: 1-800-333-4673
Clinic 555 Syringe Exchange Office and Service Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:00pm - 4:30pm ^{Other hours are Tuesday and Thursday are 1:00pm - 6:30pm, and Friday from 12:00pm - 3:00pm}
Anonymous syringe exchange and disposal.Various syringe sizes available for injecting medications, substances and hormones. Narcan (overdose reversal medication). Wound care. HIV and Hepatitis C testing. Vaccinations. Connection to community resources.
• Office Number: 651-266-1295 • Ramsey County Public Health Center: 555 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN 55101 ^{(Walk-in at Ramsey County Public Health Center during syringe exchange hours only. No appointments.})

Sexual Assault Programs

^{UMN POLICY: Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Relationship Violence}
The Aurora Center Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Provides free and confidential crisis intervention for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment.
• Office Line: 612-626-2929 ^{(office hours only}) • Text Line: 612-615-8911 ^{(office hours only}) • 24/7 Helpline: 612-626-9111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:aurora.umn.edu)
Sexual Violence Center (SVC) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm
Provide support through crisis lines, in-person and virtual counseling services, support groups, and help in navigating the medical and legal processes.
• Minneapolis Office: 612-871-5100 • Savage Office: 952-448-5425 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 612-871-5111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Ramsey County SOS Sexual Violence Services
Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides 24-hour crisis counseling, information and referrals for victims of any sexual violence and for friends and families.
• 24/7 Crisis Line: 651-266-1000
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers telephone and online-chat crisis intervention services to support communities with crisis intervention, empathetic listening, and warm handoffs to designated local service providers. Most services are available in English and Spanish
• Crisis Line - 800-656-HOPE • For RAINN Crisis Online Chat - Click here
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM
A nonprofit rape crisis center located in southern St. Louis County that helps area residents cope with the aftermath of sexual violence. Services include various options for people who have been victimized, ranging from immediate crisis intervention to long-term counseling.
• PAVSA Office Line 218-726-1442 • 24 Hour Helpline 218-726-1931
MN Day One Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides emergency shelter and safe housing, a crisis line, and other resources including support groups, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and culturally specific services.
• Crisis Hotline: 1-866-223-1111 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Provides sexual assault information, locations and telephone numbers of other sexual assault programs in Minnesota
• For MNCASA Public Directory: Click here

Domestic Abuse Support Services

Family Pathways (Carlton County) Office and Service Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Provides support services for victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence including hospital advocacy, 24 hour crisis line, and advocacy in the criminal justice system.
• 24/7 Crisis Line: 800-338-7233
Safe Haven Resource Center Office and Service Hours: Avalible 24/7
Emergency shelter, legal advocacy, safety planning, support groups, and community education for victim-survivors of domestic violence in Duluth and Northern Minnesota.
• Office Number: 218-623-1000 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 218-728-6481
Dabinoo’Igan Shelter Office and Service Hours: Monday - Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Dabinoo’Igan is an emergency domestic violence shelter for women and their children. It provides a temporary place to stay while looking at options that will help keep you safe.
• Hotline: 218-722-2247
Advocates for Family Peace Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Provides free and confidential services to victim-survivors of intimate partner domestic violence including support services, advocacy, assistance filing protective orders, and connecting to resources.
• Office Number: 218-248-5512 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-909-8336
Violence Free Minnesota (VFM) ^{AKA the Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW}) Office and Service Hours: N/A
A membership organization, with 90 member programs located throughout Minnesota with a strong history of effectively carrying out programming that advances women's safety and security.
• Office Number: 651-646-6177 or 1-800-289-6177 • 24/7 Helpline: 1-866-223-1111

Services for Victims/Survivors of Exploitation/Trafficking/Prostitution

Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM
PAVSA’s Trafficking Program provides supportive services and case management to victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking including crisis services, support groups, counseling, and legal advocacy.
• Office Number: 218-726-1931
Breaking Free (St. Paul) Office and Service Hours: N/A
Breaking Free provides advocacy, direct services, housing, and education to women escaping systems of prostitution and sexual exploitation.
• Office Number: 651-645-6557
Life House (Sol House) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00am - 6:00pm
Sol House, a program of Life House, is a 24hr supportive staffed house for up to 6 youth ages 15-20 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation.
• Office Number: 218-722-7431 (For Sol House, dial ext. 113)

Homeless Services

United Way Office and Service Hours: N/A
Offers free and confidential information about a wide range of health and human services including basic needs, health care, income support and employment, individual and family life, mental health, and criminal justice.
• St. Cloud Office Number: 320-252-0227 • Central Minnesota Number: 211
Life House Youth Center
Life House provides homeless and street youth ages 14-24 with unconditional support, transitional housing, and a safe alternative to the streets.
• Office Number: 218-722-7431
Renaissance Teen Transitional Housing LSS/ Street Outreach
The LSS Renaissance program provides supportive housing in a shared living environment for homeless youth ages 16-21.
• Office Number: 218-723-8052
Spirit Valley Young Mother’s Program
YWCA’s Spirit Valley Young Mother’s program provides supportive housing to young mothers (ages 16-21) and their infants including services such as advocates to help with access to medical care, education, employment and childcare assistance. Other services include case management, parenting classes, money management, self-esteem enhancement, life skills and homework assistance.
• Office Number: 218-722-7425 ext. 116
Damiano Center
Provides hygiene kits, community kitchen, free store, free phones, mailboxes for folks experiencing homelessness, etc.
• Office Number: 218-722-8708
MN Assistance Council for Veterans
Provides assistance to veterans that are experiencing homeless or other life crises.
• Office Number: 218-722-8763

Emergency Childcare

LSS Crisis Nursery
Temporary emergency care of children ages 0-12 for up to 3 days (and nights).
• Office Number: 218-302-6879

Culturally Specific Services

Communidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Provides programs and services to connect Latino families to resources, skills, institutions and systems and create an environment for people to be engaged and empowered.
Minneapolis Office Number: 612-746-3500
St. Paul Office Number: 651-379-4200
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Casa de Esperanza Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Based in St. Paul, MN, national resource center for Latinas and leader in the domestic violence movement. Offers family advocacy and shelter services. Services offered in English and Spanish.
• Office Number: 651-646-5553 • 24 Hour Crisis Line 651-722-1611
Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) Office and Service Hours: N/A
One of 22 Tribal Coalitions around the country formed to address sexual assault and domestic violence in American Indian Communities, focusing specifically on ending and preventing sexual violence.
• Office Number: 651-646-4800 or 1-877-995-4800 • STRONGHEARTS Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483
The Steve Fund-Crisis Text Line for People of Color Office and Service Hours: N/A
The Steve Fund, through its partnership with the Crisis Text Line, promotes text messaging as a means to improve critically needed access for young people of color to crisis counseling.LGBTQ+ Services
• Crisis Line: Text STEVE to 741741 • Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
American Indian Community Housing Organization Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm
AICHO’s operating philosophy is that every American Indian woman and child deserves to live in a safe, non-threatening environment and should be treated with dignity and respect. Runs Dabinoo’Igan Domestic Violence Shelter, transitional housing program, Giiwe Project – social services, and support and safe housing.
• Office Number: 218-722-7225
Fond du Lac Social Services Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Provides social service programs that are culturally sensitive and responsive to the values of Indiginous clients.
• Social Services Main Line: 218-878-2145 • Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 218-348-1817
ASCEND - Hmong American Partnership (HAP) Office and Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
Works with victims and at-risk youth to address the severe harm caused by exploitation and move them towards recovery and independence.
• Office Number: 651-495-9160 • Email for Lead Youth Advocate: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

LGBTQ+ Resources

The Trevor Project Office and Service Hours: N/A
The Trevor Project offers a 24/7 crisis line to offer support to LBGTQ young people.
• Office Number: 212-695-8650 • 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline Office and Service Hours: N/A
Trans Lifeline is a hotline staffed by transgender for transgender people welcoming the calls of any transgender person in need/experiencing crisis.
• 24 Hour Crisis Line 877-565-8860
LGBT National Help Center Office and Service Hours: N/A
LGBT National Help Center is a free and confidential peer-support resource that can also help find local resources available for LGBTQ+ folks.
• National Helpline: 888-843-4564
• Report Violence Online: Click here
Anti-Violence Project (AVP) Office and Service Hours: N/A
LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming survivors of violence who are experiencing trauma as a result of the current political climate are encouraged to contact this number.
• 24 Hour Crisis Line: 212-714-1141

Legal Services/Reporting Abuse

For Children:
Child Protective Services
To report concerns about child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse, contact the county or reservation where the child lives during business hours. If the child is at immediate risk of harm, please contact your local law enforcement agency or dial 911.
Minnesota Department of Human Services: 651-431-4661 Hennepin County Family Services: 612-348-3552 Ramsey County Human Services: 651-266-4500 For more county contact information: Click here
For Vulnerable Adults:
Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC)
MAARC should be contact if there suspected neglect, physical or sexual abuse, or maltreatment of a vulnerable adult by their caregiver.
• Office Number: 844-880-1574
For Sexual/Domestic Violence and all other crimes:
^{I encourage you to contact any of the above resources that help guide through the legal systems before connecting with these resources. It can be hard to do it alone and there are resources to help you through this.}
University of Minnesota Police Department
• 612-624-2677 • [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) • 511 Washington Ave. SEMinneapolis, MN 55455
St. Paul Police Department
• 651-291-1111 • [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) • 367 Grove StreetSt. Paul, MN 55101
Minneapolis Police Department - Special Crimes Investigations Division (SCID)
• 612-673-2941 • 350 South 5th Street, Room 130, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Ramsey County Sheriff's Department
• 651-767-0640 • 425 Grove Street Saint Paul, MN 55101

Tools and Resources for Self/Friends/Family

UMN Student Counseling Services (Self Help)
The Self Help page on the SCS website provides information and numerous resources such as websites, apps, online screenings, and listed hotlines to help you with your mental health.
• For the Self Help website: Click here
[email protected]
A well-being portal for University of Minnesota students offering tools, dynamic content, and resources built to align with on-campus health and wellness programs and resources. The platform is highly personalized and will help UMN students find the campus and community content and resources tailored to their individual needs and personal goals.
Minnesota Department of Health Sexual Violence Prevention Program (MDH)
Helps people and organizations identify effective ways to prevent sexual violence.
Sexual Violence Center (How Can I Help My Loved One or Friend?)
Provides information to friends/family on how to help support victims and survivors of violence in their lives.
MNCASA Sexual Violence Prevention
Has a prevention team at MNCASA that offers technical assistance, training, resources, networking, and more on the primary prevention of sexual violence.
• For more resources and tools, please visit the MNCASA website https://mncasa.org/tools/

-------------
In light of the recent posts sharing their stories and experiences, I wanted to create a list of resources for students and their loved ones to hopefully get connected and find support through whatever it is they are going through.
I am a volunteer advocate with PAVSA, so some of these resources may be physically located in Northern Minnesota, but I made sure to include local and remote resources as well.
Feel free to contact me with questions or to share some information and I will update this post if I find any other resources.
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Font Converter for Dyslexia

Okay, last week we pulled up for a quick book caucus, and it wasn't so bad. It wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. Two new people showed up, Aurora_the_Off-White and MunsonTime, and we need a few new dudes. We went right into How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, and most of us actually read it this time, so good timing.
Aurora told us the author started writing it over a decade ago and the pandemic elements are a coincidence to our experience over the last couple of years. She really appreciated the last chapter and thought it really brought the disparate stories together. Munson said that the theme of the stories was people dealing with their grief and mourning of lost loved ones. He liked the style of seemingly disparate stories about ordinary people dealing with their circumstance. Everyone had a high opinion of the book, though I thought there was some inconsistency and we could maybe have done without the pig boy story.
Incorrigible_muffin said How High We Go reminded her of The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, which she said was a series of loosely connected vignettes and stories. Candy House is a sequel of A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, but Muffin says you don't need to it to fully enjoy The Candy House.
Someone else threw out World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, which is the prototype of the strongly themed short story collections. We talked about other near future post-apocalyptic works, and lamented that there were few well-written ones. Coconut thought Station Eleven belonged in the discussion and we all agreed that it was excellent. We talked about Emily St. John Mandel's other works The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility and those of use who had read them had a high opinion of them. I recently read The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and can recommended it as a mashup of post apocalyptic gun nuts and spicy romance done by a high quality author.
We talked about N.K. Jemisin's The City We Became and we had mixed appreciation for it. Muffin thought it was amazing, and thought the same of its sequel, The World We Make. She has spent a lot of time in New York and the story elements really resonated for her. Apparently there's also a Great Cities 0.5 that I haven't heard of before called The City Born Great.
We discussed some of NK Jemesin's other series such as the Broken Earth series starting with The Fifth Seasonand The Inheritance Cycle, starting with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Munson had only been to New York once and couldn't relate to the city like Muffin or Coconut could. He gave it a shot and then switched to a different book. I was listening to the audio book, and the narrator started acting out the book and that ruined it for me. She'd whisper parts and I'd have to turn it up, and then she's yell parts and it just got more and more annoying. I usually listen to nonfiction books.
We talked about the compulsion to finish books. Everyone has a position. Some people feel like they're failing if they abandon a book. I say if you're not enjoying the book, you're wasting your time. Munson talked about reading Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon with a group of his friends, and finding it such a slog that he ended up not reading anything for three months because he couldn't swallow any more of Against the Day.
Munson is most excited about hard science fiction, and is currently finishing the third book in the Remembrance of Earth's Past series by Cixin Liu, which I think is The Redemption of Time. The other two books are the The Three-Body Problem and Death's End.
Aurora is working on the the Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas and is liking it. She says very similar things as Laucchi when she was reading it, notably that it started as practically YA and become more adult and pretty spicy in later books. She liked the depiction of the Fae Court being darker and more complex than simpler stories tend to depict. She noted how similar it was to the one in the The Dresden Files and we talked about the wizard with a shotgun motif. She also mentioned a new book by the author of Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer but I didn't know which one it was.
Quite a few of the people who had read the Dresden books found them to be misogynistic or at least condescending towards women. Muffin talked about a common convention in urban fantasy where the hero adopts a patronizing attitude and tries to handle all the problems in the world. The hero tries to keep his friends safe rather than allow them to help themselves or utilize those resources to take care of their common problems. She pointed out places in the Harry Potter series where that was happening. I always recommend the Alex Verus series for urban fantasy, and it has some of those tendencies as well.
Speaking of urban fantasy, Muffin read the third book of The Checquy Files, but didn't think it was as good as the second book, which itself was not as good as the first. So now I'm less excited about reading it, but I'll probably still give it a try. All of us really liked The Rook. We talked about the Laundry Files by Charles Stross as having a similar urban fantasy/Ministry of Information flavor.
Muffin heartily recommends Pusheen the Cat's Guide to Everything by Claire Belton, giving it 5 out of 5 paws. She doesn't normally drift into historical fiction, but picked up The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. She says it surprised her by having a typical Dutch sailor and the courtesan romance, but said the two halves of the relationship were fairly equal and it was less condescending toward the female character than she expected.
She read Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, sequel to Ninth House, saying it was well plotted and well paced. The premise of the books is that there were eight secret societies at Yale that were indulging in various dark sorceries, and a ninth house that was supposed to keep them in line. She also rather liked Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, saying it was The Golden Girls meets Murder Inc.
We talked extensively about Neal Stephenson and each of us had a different favorite book by him. I said that Quicksilver was my favorite Neal Stephenson book but then Coconut mentioned The Diamond Age, and I had to change my answer to that. We talked about:

• Snow Crash
  
• Anathem
  
• Cryptonomicon
  
• The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
  
• Fall; Or, Dodge in Hell
  
• Reamde
  
• Seveneves
  
• Termination Shock
  

We decided to add a Neal Stephenson book to the list, and settled on Fall or Dodge in Hell. Or you can just pick whichever one you like.
We talked about audiobooks, and Munson said that the graphic audio version of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson was a lot of fun, and recommended Life is So Good by George Dawson read by Levar Burton. We also covered Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, The Past is Red by Catherine Valente, and The Measure by Nikki Erlick.
Coming Up on April 23

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers edited by Lydia Rogue

Coming Up on May 21

• I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• Blitz by Daniel O'Malley

Coming Up on June 18

• Fall; Or, Dodge in Hell
• or some other Neal Stephenson book

Coming Up on July 23

• Just pick a book in your To Be Read pile and tell us about it. We were lamenting the large backlog that each of each is carrying around and decided to just knock some of them out.

Wish List: Teslas below, AA/SS/1S melee below, and rare apparel/masks
I still need the following Teslas: GS/50L/15r,,, H/50c/25,,, Jug/50c/25,,, Med/50L/15r,,, Troub/50c/25
I still need the following AA/SS/1S melee: baton,,, baseball bat,,, board,,, cultist blade,,, drill,,, hatchet,,, knuckles,,, lead pipe,,, ripper,,, rolling pin,,, sledgehammer,,, spear,,, switchblade,,, war drum
Complete Trade List: (Thank you for your time browsing this huge list!!!)
FIXERS: AA/25/15r,,, AA/25/15v,,, AA/50c/15v,,, AA/50vhc/25,,, AA/50L/25,,, AA/AP/25,,, AA/E/Dur,,, Ari/25/15r,,, Ari/E/15r,,, Ari/E/25,,, B/25/15v,,, B/50L/25,,, BAP/25,,, Exe/50c/25,,, Exe/AP/25,,, Exe/E/25,,, F/50c/25,,, GouE/25,,, GS/50c/25,,, GS/E/25,,, H/50c/25,,, Jug/50c/25,,, Jug/AP/25,,, Junk/25/15r,,, Junk/50c/15v,,, Junk/50c/25,,, Junk/50L/25,,, Junk/AP/25,,, Junk/E/15v,,, Med/25/25,,, Med/50c/25,,, Med/AP/25,,, Mu/AP/25,,, MS/50c/25,,, MS/AP/25,,, N/AP/25,,, N/E/25,,, Q/25/15r,,, Q/25/15v,,, Q/AP/25,,, Q/E/50,,, St/50c/25,,, St/AP/25,,, St/E/25,,, Su/50c/25,,, Su/AP/25,,, Su/E/25,,, T/AP/25,,, TS/25/15r,,, TS/25/15v,,, TS/50vhc/25,,, TS/AP/25,,, V/AP/25,,, Z/25/25,,, Z/E/25
HANDMADES: AA/E/15v,,, Junk/25/15r,,, MS/E/25,,, Mu/E/25,,, Mu/50c/25,,, Q/50vhc/25
HEAVY WEAPONS: AA/25/90 AGL,,, AA/25/15r Cryolator,,, As/25A/90 Fatman,,, As/25/90 Gatling Plasma,,, B/E/Gho 50cal,,, B/25A/90 Missile Launcher,,, B/50vhc/90 Missile Launcher,,, B/50L/90 AGL,,, Exe/50c/15r Flamer,,, Exe/25A/90 Gatling Plas,,, Exe/E/25 LMG,,, Q/25/15v LMG,,, Q/25/Dur LMG,,, Q/50L/90 Minigun,,, TS/50vhc/90 Broadsider,,, TS/25/15r Gatling Gun,,, TS/25/25 LMG,,, TS/E/25 Minigun,,, V/25/15r 50cal,,, V/25/25 Gatling Gun,,, V/50L/90 Harpoon Gun,,, Z/E/90 LMG
MELEE: AA/SS/1S Death Tambo,,, AA/40P/1S Gulper Smacker,,, AA/SS/1S Pole Hook,,, AA/50c/15v Power Fist,,, AA/SS/1S Super Sledge,,, Ari/SS/1S Shovel,,, Ari/SS/1S Sledgehammer,,, As/40P/1S Chainsaw,,, As/40P/1S Drill,,, B/SS/1S Bowie Knife,,, B/40P/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, B/SS/25 Gulper Smacker,,, B/SS/25 Meat Hook,,, BSS/1S Power Fist,,, Exe/50c/1Sv Power Fist,,, Ext/SS/1S Drill,,, GS/SS/1S Chainsaw,,, I/SS/1S Death Tambo,,, I/SS/1S Golf Club,,, I/SS/1S Power Fist,,, I/SS/1S Super Sledge,,, Jug/SS/1S Power Fist,,, Junk/SS/1S Power Fist,,, Junk/SS/1S Security Baton,,, Mu/SS/1S Deathclaw Gauntlet,,, Mu/SS/1S Power Fist,,, MS/SS/1S Shishkebab,,, Su/SS/1S Power Fist,,, Su/SS/1S Spear,,, Troub/SS/1S Bowie Knife,,, Troub/SS/1S Golf Club,,, V/SS/1S Combat Knife,,, V/SS/1S Mole Miner Gauntlet,,, V/SS/1S Pole Hook,,, V/SS/1S Sledgehammer,,, Z/SS/1S Fire Axe,,, Z/SS/1S Knuckles,,, Z/SS/1S Pipe Wrench
RAILWAYS: AA/50vhc/25,,, AA/E/15v,,, Ari/25/15r,,, B/50vhc/25,,, B/E/15r,,, B/E/90,,, F/50c/25,,, F/E/25,,, GS/50c/25,,, H/25/25,,, H/50c/25,,, I/25/25,,, I/50c/25,,, Junk/E/25,,, Q/50L/90,,, Q/AP/25,,, St/50c/25,,, Su/25/25,,, Su/E/25,,, TS/50L/25,,, TS/50vhc/25,,, TS/50c/15r,,, TS/AP/25,,, TS/E/Dur,,, V/25/25,,, V/50c/25,,, Z/E/90
TESLAS: AA/25/15r,,, AA/50L/15r,,, AA/AP/25,,, B/25/25,,, Exe/25/15r,,, Ext/25/15r,,, F/25/15r,,, I/25/15r,,, Q/AP/25,,, TS/25/15r,,, TS/25/25,,, V/25/250,,, V/25/Dur,,, V/50L/15r,,, Z/25/15r
AA/E/25 Assault Rifle,,, AA/25/25 Assultron Head,,, AA/50c15v Crossbow,,, AA/50L/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, AA/25/25 Gamma Gun,,, AA/E/15r Hunting Rifle,,, B/AP/25 Compound Bow,,, B/25/25 Gauss Rifle,,, Exe/50c/25 Combat Rifle,,, Exe/E/25 Hunting Rifle,,, Exe/E/25 Lever Action,,, F/50c/15v Thirst Zapper,,, Gou25/25 Lever Action,,, Junk/50c/25 Enclave Plasma Rifle,,, Mu/50c/25 Crossbow,,, Q/50c/25 Assaultron Head,,, Q/25/15r Combat Shotgun,,, Q/25/15r Plasma Rifle,,, St/50c/25 Crossbow,,, TS/25/15r Combat Rifle,,, TS/50c/25 Combat Rifle,,, V/50c/25 Bow,,, V/AP/25 Crossbow,,, V/50c/25 Gauss Rifle
ARMOR: Aristocrat's Heavy Robot left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Assassin's Heavy Raider left leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Assassin's T-45 right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim Raider Power left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Auto Stim USA right arm with AP/WWR,,, Bolstering FSA chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Bolstering Sturdy Combat left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Bolstering Trapper chest with AP/Cavalier,,, Bolstering Trapper right arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Chameleon Raider Power right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Chameleon Robot chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Chameleon USA chest with 7%LED/Cavalier,,, Chameleon USA left arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Cloaking Raider Power right leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Mutant's Excavator left arm with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Mutant's FSA chest with 7%LED/WWR,,, Nocturnal Excavator right leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Nocturnal USA right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Combat left arm with +25 Cryo resist/Cavalier,,, Overeater's Excavator right leg with luck/cavalier,,, Overeater's Heavy Raider left leg with Charisma/WWR,,, Overeater's Heavy Robot chest with +25 Rad Resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Metal left leg with +25 Cryo resist/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Robot right leg with Endurance/Sentinel,,, Overeater's Trapper right arm with Luck/WWR,,, Overeater's T-60 left arm with +25% env resist/WWR,,, Overeater's T-60 left arm slowed hungeWWR,,, Overeater's USA chest with slower hungeSentinel,,, Overeater's USA left leg with Agility/WWR,,, Overeater's USA right arm with Endurance/Sentinel,,, Regenerating Heavy Raider right arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Troubleshooter's Marine left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Troubleshooter's Sturdy Metal right leg with AP/Sentinel,,, Unyielding FSA right leg with +25 Fire resist/WWR,,, Unyielding Heavy Raider left arm with Luck/Cavalier,,, Unyielding Metal chest with AP/HDT,,, Unyielding Robot right arm with Agility/Sentinel,,, Unyielding Sturdy Leather left leg with 7%LED/Sentinel,,, Unyielding Trapper right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Unyielding Trapper right arm with Intelligence/Sentinel,,, Vanguard's Excavator right leg with Intelligence/Cavalier,,, Vanguard's Heavy Leather right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Vanguard's Heavy Robot right arm with 7%LED/HDT,,, Vanguard's Sturdy Robot left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Vanguard's Sturdy Robot right leg with 7%LED/WWR,,, Vanguard's USA right arm with AP/Cavalier,,, Vanguard's Wood chest with Strength/Sentinel,,, Zealot's FSA left arm with AP/Sentinel,,, Zealot's USA right leg with AP/WWR
PLANS: Assault rifle,,, Barbed walking cane,,, Baseball bat rocket,,, Baseball bat searing puncturing rocket,,, Bear arm,,, Bear arm heavy mod,,, Boxing glove lead lining,,, Camo Backpack,,, Cave cricket tube,,, Civil war era suit,,, Civil war era top hat,,, Confederate hat,,, Deathclaw gauntlet,,, Dense marine armor torso,,, Dense trapper armor torso,,, Fire station bell,,, Flannel shirt & jeans,,, Halloween skull mask,,, Hatchet electro fusion,,, Junkyard fountain,,, Machete sacrificial blade,,, Meat Tenderizer,,, Nuka Girl area rug,,, Pepper shaker,,, Pitchfork Flamer,,, Protective lining Marine underarmor,,, Puncturing pole hook,,, Radioactive barrel,,, Raw cement barricade,,, Scorchbeast queen plushie,,, Scorched tube,,, Sheepsquatch staff,,, Shielded lining casual underarmor,,, Shielded lining Marine underarmor,,, Skeleton costume,,, Skiing outfit,,, Sledgehammer heavy searing sharp rocket,,, Small vault girl statue,,, Snallygaster plushie,,, Spiked walking cane,,, The Fixer,,, T-60 BOS knight paint,,, TV Aquarium,,, Ultracite emergency protocols,,, Undershirt & jeans,,, Vintage water cooler,,, Witch costume,,, WV state bird rug,,, Yao Guai tube,,, Cranberry Bog Healing Salve recipe,,, Fasnacht donut recipe,,, Fasnacht sausage recipe,,, Formula P recipe,,,Stimpak Diffuser recipe,,, Tato salad recipe
APPAREL: Asylum Uniform Pink,,, Clean Spacesuit,,, Emmett Mountain hazmat suit,,, Fasnacht Craxy Guy mask,,, Fasnacht Deathclaw mask,,, Fasnacht Raven mask,,, Grey Fishermans Overalls,,, Hunter's Long Coat,,, Longshoreman Outfit,,, Straight Jacket Clean,,, ,, Winter Jacket and Jeans
CHEMS: Addictol: 145,,, Berry Mentats: 299,,, Buffout: 1389,,, Calmex: 298,, Daddy-O: 977,,, Day Tripper: 524,,, Disease Cure: 385,,, Mentats: 1000,,, Overdrive: 481,,, Psycho: 2553,,, Psychobuff: 1255,,, Psychotats: 1038,,, X-cell: 310
FOOD: Canned meat stew: 45,,, Salt: 1602,,, Spices: 949,,, Sugar Bombs(w/rads): 325,,, Pepper: 1610
Enclave plasma aligned flamer mod,,, Enclave plasma aligned sniper barrel mod