I have a different problem with gale. His wall of flame is a fantastic room control spell that can do some serious damage... if only allies would STOP walking right through it!

Yup! And because of this show we have one of the greatest remix/covers of all time: https://youtu.be/ACczN6g1EXA?si=PyKHsFJeRgvzwrMx

Yeah, my blocked website list is growing everyday with websites that are literally just a 4 paragraph summary of a reddit post. 3 of the paragraphs are usually just "user 'spezcocksucker' says this but another person disagrees. Here's the reddit link and 27 ads.

OK, there are many different ways to approach your current setup.

Wired vs wireless isn't that much of an issue as you can get very affordable Bluetooth adapters for your computer.

Also the goal of what you want your headphones to do is going to come into play here as well because you may want a stationary setup vs mobile.

Then there's the microphone requirement...

Actually rather than fill an unrelated thread with headphone advice I'm going to DM you.

Anytime!

If you want to extend the life of your XM3's you can get some high quality upgraded cushions from "Wicked Cushions" for $30. They have a couple of different styles other than just straight black.

Okay so this provides an interesting set of restraints as they are traveling headphones. I have yet to find what I consider the perfect traveling headphones but there are a couple I have found that come close.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra's

Bose has some remarkable ANC, after all that is one of the things that really established their name in the market. My main two complaints with the Bose is the sound signature isn't always the best (IMO) and that the app can be finicky at best bordering on terribly annoying.

The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra's are really amazing for the ANC and their sound is improved with their new processor but if you are on an apple device you will miss out on this feature. Only devices with a snap dragon 888 or newer can take advantage.

One of the caveats is that the microphone quality is not the best I had some complaints about call quality when using the Bose.

One pro is that they collapse into a smaller form factor with a slightly better carrying case.

For the Sony XM5 I really preferred the sound signature and styling is just Chefs Kiss. They fold flat enough which makes packing them easy enough even if they aren't as small as the Bose. I also prefer that the XM5 has a 3.5mm audio jack instead of a 2.5mm on the Bose. It feels more likely to last longer. Also because they are slightly older you can probably find a better deal.

The Sony does a remarkably good job at rejecting background noise when making phone calls and has a much wider band of frequencies captured. The Bose sounds very tiny and scratchy.

The Sony also has a longer battery life which is nice.

I know you said that outrageous good noise cancelling is key but if you are willing to compromise a little on the ANC quality the Focal Bathys have far superior sound.

The frequency curve on the mids to low end is practically flat, it does fall off the tiniest bit on the upper mids and lower highs but for me this means you get a really accurate sound reproduction that isn't tiring and can be listened to all day long. The soundstage is really wide especially given that they are closed back.

The looks are a bit odd and they are a bit on the larger side. They still fold flat and they have a superior amount of cushion and I think the build quality is better.

Oh if you are a bass head that just wants super punchy powerful bass go for the Sony's over the Focals. The Focals are more accurate but less present.

Lastly is my currently traveling setup. Its... non-traditional. I am using a pair of Samsung Galaxy Pro 2 buds which really fit my ear well and already have some pretty remarkable ANC. Not nearly Headphone level but still very good. Here is the non-traditional part: if I REALLY need to block out outside noise IE on a construction site or in the shop I wear the buds underneath a pair of passive cancelling earmuffs. Specifically the Peltor X5 Earmuffs.

It's not stylish but the Earmuffs + Buds + Comply Foam tips feels like you are in a void. Barely have to touch the volume to hear your music as clear as day.

Bro... Is your buddy looking for a buddy? Seriously though this is an awesome present.

Oh man Muse and Walk the Moon are some of my regulars. Haven't heard of St. Lucia or Passion Pit, I'll have to give those a listen.

Genuinely looking for new headphones?

Wired or wireless?

I kind of love headphones.

I appreciate it! I've currently got an injury that started out one way and has slowly moved towards chronic pain with no real solution other than marginal pain management. Had to quit my job and am currently trying to find some kind of remote work I can do. Something will happen sooner or later I'm sure.

I was less defending myself and just trying to be a friendly educator. I kind of dislike that word because it makes me sound superior but I'm definitely not. There is that XKCD comic about not making fun of people for not knowing things and instead showing them what it is. https://xkcd.com/1053/ . I have found this to be good advice.

Maybe the person that I was responding to really didn't know Sous Vide could be affordable and just needed an example. Same with the cost of the meat.

I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

The pork shoulder was in a discount bin because it was on the way out so was cheaper per pound than anything else available. There is enough meat on it to feed us for about 2 weeks of 1-2 meals per day.

Sous vide can be exceptionally efficient with regards to energy. There are several resources that dive into the breakdown of the cooking method and cost of electricity but the most detailed analysis I've seen which accounted for cooking vessels, humidity levels, and temperature stability found that at a rate of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour a properly insulated sous vide machine cost $0.30 for a 24 hour cook.

My electricity is slightly cheaper so my sous vide cook cost me maybe $0.40 for the entire thing.

Source: https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-cooking-blog/more/how-much-energy-does-sous-vide-use

Oh I almost forgot: The cheapest Tofu in my area is $2.30 per pound and I got the pork shoulder at $1.15 per pound. Plus I have yet to find a Tofu recipe that I enjoy eating. I had an incredibly delicious Mapo Tofu from a mom and pop Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles when I was out visiting family but have been entirely unsuccessful trying to recreate it at home.

A very mild coconut flavor, it's almost similar to Kings Hawaiian rolls. If you just gave someone one to eat I'm not sure they would be able to pick out the coconut.

No not really. There is only one thing that is a carryover from the first game. It's more of a "huh?!? What the heck happened here?" kind of teaser but doesn't spoil anything from the first game.

Enjoy! One of my favorite games of all time.

Man, that kind of switch really rubs me the wrong way.

I'm always curious about these crashes and bugs people are talking about.

I'm on my fourth complete playthrough with just short of 700 hours played and have not had any crashes that weren't my own fault. I used the unlimited carry weight mod on a playthrough. Turns out if you select the throw option when you have 1000 items in your inventory the game doesn't like that.

Other than that my experience has had no gameplay issues or bugs. The only complaint I've had is some characters don't have any dialogue referencing things that occurred in the game that they absolutely SHOULD have something to say about. Sounds like this patch might just fix that issue.

Out of curiosity what bands did it use for your example?

Also do yourself a favor and listen to Sleep Token and Jacob Collier.

Specifically:

For Sleep Token: https://youtu.be/uU5vVT_Cp7c?si=8BQSDhNCxGOAHjsr or https://youtu.be/44gbx5VEYPY?si=XNASMTOMohopmIhf

Jacob Collier: https://youtu.be/IQvzX0Z3HE4?si=s_C9g57JH69gaKYj and https://youtu.be/nspqYGz-Z1s?si=yleeBaKox1Cxm8yW

Two slipped discs. Not happening.

Huh, I was guessing flaming hot cheeto chicken.

It's kind of interesting to see all the weird correlations Spotify has pulled out of thin air. Apparently Fort Collins listens to a lot of Sleep Token, Brandi Carlile, and Jacob Collier.

Fort Collins, Colorado for me