Kate Stockinger grew up in the UK and met her now-husband in New York.The couple raised their two daughters in five cities across four continents before deciding to settle in Minnesota.She finds people in her husband's home state welcoming but her kids had trouble settling in.Two truths and a lie. My daughter Freya was 10, it was the first day at her new school in Minnesota, and it was her turn to share: "I've lived in 5 countries and 4 continents; I like cheese; I lived in India when I was 2 years old," she said.The classmates debated between whether the lie was the number of countries or that she'd lived in India until she shouted out that it was the cheese she'd never been a fan.In Minnesota, new kids rarely show up, and when they do, they're usually coming from nearby. My family moved to Minnesota in July, and it's taking time for my two daughters and me to settle down.I grew up in the UK. I met my now-husband Andy during acollege internshipat a private golf club in New York. He had recently moved to the Big Apple from Minnesota.We fell in love, got married, and he soon started getting job placements working at different golf courses around the world. Over the next 10 years, we had two daughters, moved five times, and lived in five cities across four continents. After our time in Egypt, and with our eldest daughter not getting what she needed from her international school, we decided to hang up our expat life and move "home" to Minnesota.We decided that this was where our kids needed to live to get the education we wanted for them. Taking this leap has been our scariest decision. My husband quit his job, and we moved to the US with nothing lined up. We were lucky to have the support of family and friends both in the US and back in the UK.Of course, with all of this change, there have been some high highs and some low lows. The last picture Stockinger's family took in Egypt before moving. Kate Stockinger Culture shock started at TargetStores in the US really do have everything but sometimes there's too much to choose from.Target is somewhere I have to be in the right mood to go, as the variety of chips, yogurt, and out-of-season fruit they have is mind-blowing. In countries we have lived in before, it's always been seasonal and a treat to have berries that were not frozen. Recent trips to Target with my kids can take at least an hour, as my daughters want to peruse every inch of the store,I appreciate that I no longer have to pay crazy amounts of money for skincare or shampoo, but now my daughter has discovered a whole aisle dedicated to kids' skincare and makeup.Kids struggling to fit inThe statement "Minnesota Nice" holds up. Everyone here is so friendly and willing to help. It's a stark and welcome contrast compared to some of the communities where we previously lived.Despite this, my kids have had trouble settling in. Freya has found it hard to fit in with kids at school, as the majority of children in her class have been together since Pre-K.Hearing her tell me that she played on her own during recess has been heartbreaking. When we lived abroad, it was easier, as there were always new kids, and the schools tended to deal with it a little better.Winter is comingIn the past, our vacation visits to Minnesota typically took place in the summer. I have never experienced a proper Minnesotan Winter.In Anna and Elsa's words, my daughters and I are absolutely buzzing to be able to say, "Do you wanna build a snowman?" But my husband, his family, and our friends are waiting for our attitudes to turn when those daylight hours become less, and the damp, wet reality of that snow hits. As I am forever the optimist, I hope to see the positive even when we have to face the dull, dark days.We are proud that our kids started their lives as global citizens and hope to continue their experience by enjoying family vacations once we have our feet firmly on the ground. This is the fastest we have settled into somewhere, proving to ourselves that we are done with expat life and ready to have neighbors in a cul-de-sac.

In the world of laptops, Apples MacBook Air has long been celebrated for its sleek design and impressive performance. If youve been eyeing a MacBook but are hesitant to splurge on a brand-new model, StackSocial has an incredible early Black Friday deal that you wont want to miss: For just $249, you can grab a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air with 128 GB of storage, a price thats a staggering reduction from its original retail price of $999. While its true that you wont find this model at its original price anymore, the value it offers at this discount is undeniable.See at StackSocialThis Grade A refurbished MacBook Air is in near-mint condition and showcases minimal signs of wear and tear: Its as close to new as you can get without paying the premium price tag. For anyone who wants the Apple experience without paying the full price, this laptop is an excellent choice. The 2017 model features a reliable Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.8 GHz and it can handle everyday tasks with ease. Whether youre browsing the web, streaming videos or working on documents, this machine delivers smooth performance.Affordable Yet Powerful LaptopThis MacBook Air on sale at StackSocial comes equipped with 128 GB of solid-state storage which provides ample space for your files and applications. If you find yourself needing more storage down the line, you can easily expand it by connecting an external drive via one of its USB-A ports. The Intel HD Graphics 6000 card enhances your visual experience and makes it perfect for light gaming and media consumption on its 13.3-inch screen.Whats great is that this MacBook Air can last up to 12 hours on a single charge and allows you to work or play throughout the day without constantly searching for an outlet. This makes it an ideal companion for students or professionals who are always on the go. Portability is another strong suit of the MacBook Air: It weights just 2.96 pounds and has a slim profile (only 0.11 inches thick when closed) si its easy to slip into a backpack or briefcase.While there are many budget laptops available in the market today, most fall short in terms of quality and reliability compared to the MacBook Air. Many cheaper options are often heavy and lack durability and lead users back to the search for another laptop sooner than theyd like. Choosing this Grade-A MacBook Air from StackSocial means investing in a product known for its longevity and performance at a price point that rivals lower-end PCs.Moreover, purchasing refurbished electronics is not only budget-friendly but also environmentally conscious. By opting for a refurbished device, you contribute to reducing electronic waste while still enjoying high-quality technology. This particular MacBook Air comes with a 90-day warranty covering parts and labor which gives you peace of mind with your purchase.See at StackSocial

Its time for the holiday movie season, and Amazons kicking things off with its action-comedy feature Red One. The film has a lot of star power behind it, with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans playing an odd couple tasked with saving a kidnapped Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), and its trailers have made it seem like it could be either surprisingly good or a complete mess. And the answer appears to be kind of both? Reaction-wise, audiences have taken toRed Onemuch more than critics, most of whom did not really care for it. Thats further reflected in its just okay box office: of the films $84.1 million box office, $34.1 million of that was domestic, and generally in line with its projected $30-35 million range. However, as noted by Variety, the movie itself reportedly cost a hefty $250 million to make, and its biggest accomplishment is halting Venom: The Last Dances continued domestic reign over the last few weeks. Time might not also be on Red Ones side, since its about to be a pretty crowded time at the movies between Wicked: Part I, Gladiator II,and Moana 2 So depending on your thinking, it might be curtains for Red Onestheatrical run in the near futurethough Amazon MGMs theatrical head isnt quite looking to throw in the towel just yet. Amidst those other movies, he believes the Christmas flick offers something a little different than those movies, but stopped short of saying what that something differentis. But even if the movies not a box office hit, the studios more confident itll land with audiences once it hits Prime Video, similar to how Aprils Road Houseremake was such a streaming hit to get a sequel greenlit. According to him, Amazon films getting theatrical runs can help cover the marketing costs ahead of streaming, which is reason enough to let them play on the big screen for a few weeks.WheneverRed Onehits Prime Video, the real way to determine its success is how (or if) Amazon and Johnson brag about its viewership. Who knows if theres any hopes to turn this into a holiday franchise, but no doubt one or either parties would like this to be a win, even if its just being a reliable movie to have in holiday rotation for the next few years. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Flow House / Out & About ArchitectsSave this picture! DOF Sky | GroundHousesSan Sai Noi, ThailandArchitects: Out & About ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:150 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:DOF Sky | Ground Lead Architects: Kitsupphat Na Lampang, Yusuma Ponnsmith More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Compact and Climate-Conscious: Enhancing Circulation in a Chiang Mai Home -Flow House is located within a housing estate in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and was designed to explore how circulation can harmonize with the tropical climate and surrounding environment while preserving privacy. Presented with an undeveloped plot amid completed properties, the owner envisioned a compact, one-story home that would offer a seamless and comfortable space for herself and her parents to enjoy in retirement.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!As architects working in a tropical climate, our goal is to design a home where every room benefits from full cross-ventilationa vital feature for keeping the house cool and maximizing natural airflow. This is a key aspect of our climate-responsive strategy, tailored to enhance thermal comfort and energy efficiency in Chiang Mai's environment. Additionally, we sought to create a faade that harmonizes with the surrounding community, using an appropriate scale and materials to minimize visual impact while maintaining security and a strong connection to the garden and surrounding landscape.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!During the design process, circulation was identified as a key element in achieving our climate-responsive goal. Since circulation is an inherent feature in all architecture, utilizing this area will result in optimizing space without introducing additional areas. The only circulation in this house is designed as a semi-outdoor space, requiring minimal maintenance. By shaping this circulation as a transition between rooms and nature, spatial quality is enhanced while design functionality is preserved.Save this picture!Save this picture!With this in mind, the main circulation was placed at the center of the house, running from the front to the back of the property. This straight, linear corridor establishes a gradient of privacy, with increasingly private functions positioned toward the back. In essence, this corridor creates a dynamic interplay between public and private spaces.Along this pathway, we introduced a central concrete block wall as a key element, providing privacy while allowing air to flow through the blocks. This design enables residents to enjoy fresh air, the visual appeal of concrete blocks, and filtered sunlight while ensuring privacy in the living spaces.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on November 18, 2024Cite: "Flow House / Out & About Architects" 17 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023589/flow-house-out-and-about-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Frough-E-Mehr Secondary School / Padiav Parth ArchitectsSave this picture! Mohammad Hassan EttefaghArchitects: Padiav Parth ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:450 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Mohammad Hassan Ettefagh Lead Architects: Bahram Shokouhian, Amir Fazeli More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Ja'farabad is a village with a 250-year history, located in the Khorramdasht district of Takestan County, Qazvin Province. According to the 2016 census by the Iranian Statistics Center, its population was 750. The project for constructing a school in Ja'farabad was brought to us when the village had only two schools for elementary and first-year secondary education. One of these schools, which housed the first three grades, was old and had poor spatial quality. Consequently, with the donation of a plot of land by the city council adjacent to the elementary school, it was decided to design and construct a school for the first cycle of secondary education.Save this picture!The new secondary school's site is bordered by the village's elementary school to the east, a cemetery to the south, and a residential building to the west. Since the existing plot, measuring 801 square meters was insufficient for the school, the cemetery to the south and the elementary school to the east allocated 2 meters and 8 meters of their land, respectively, increasing the total area to 1112 square meters. During meetings with the client and the intermediary charity organization, we learned that the school space is intended not only for first-year secondary students but also for second-year secondary girls in the afternoons. Additionally, the schoolyard is to be used for group sports such as volleyball. Therefore, this school is not merely designed to provide educational space for first-year secondary students but also aims to create a space for further education and physical activities for both girls and boys, enhancing its educational impact to a socio-cultural one.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The initial concept for the school's form was developed based on the arrangement of educational and multifunctional spaces around a central axis. As the design process continued, the form's geometry evolved in harmony with the trapezoidal angles of the site and its connection with the adjacent fabric. Key considerations in the school's design include adequate natural lighting, proper classroom proportions, strategic classroom placement to minimize noise pollution, easy access to restrooms, and the oversight of administrative spaces over internal and external gathering areas.Save this picture!The design of the three-classroom secondary school includes three classrooms, a multipurpose space, a principal's office, a teacher's room, student restrooms, teacher restrooms, a kitchenette, a mechanical room, and a storage room. The classrooms are located on the southern side of the site, away from the street and facing south, to benefit from southern light and overlook a dedicated, tranquil green space. The classrooms, which are the main elements of the school, are proportioned to accommodate the number of students, with dimensions of 8.60 meters in width and 7.20 meters in length. Lockers for students are provided on the shared wall between the classrooms and the corridor, outside the classrooms. Each classroom is aligned with one of the site's boundary angles through rotation.Save this picture!Save this picture!The longitudinal corridor connects all spaces, acting as a buffer between the classrooms and the yard. The corridor wall at the main entrance is open and transparent, while along the classrooms, it is designed with a perforated pattern inspired by traditional "Fakhro-Madin" motifs, allowing light from the northern facade facing the yard. The parapet heights in the corridor area are higher than usual to block the view of air conditioning units and other rooftop mechanical elements.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:, IranLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeMaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on November 17, 2024Cite: "Frough-E-Mehr Secondary School / Padiav Parth Architects" 17 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023517/frough-e-mehr-secondary-school-padiav-parth-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

An essential part of expanding your farm in Farming Simulator 25 is having buildings on the new plots of land you purchase. Using the build feature means you can have more storage space, don't have to travel as far to harvest your crops and look after your animals, and have a few places where you can rest and take stock of the day.

Playing Poker in Red Dead Redemption is one of the many activities players can engage in aside from living the life of an outlaw. Although it involves gambling with money, one can use different strategies to wipe out the entire table and become rich overnight. Unlike the game of Liar's Dice, the rules of Poker are complex yet easy to get a hang of within the first few matches.

https://www.gamedev.net/projects/6149-la-dno-smazan/

Hello everyone and good mood :) Im an aspiring game developer and I want to share my first game with you! Why is it here? Because its based on DOTA 2, its a game about clockwerk who needs help to collect sf souls like, a simple casual game, but which will help you kill time while you are looking for a new match in the ranked selection or while you are waiting for a friend before you start a new game in turbo.an you set a new record?)

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the end of Dune: Prophecy episode 1.]In our world, most Dune lore is known. While Dune, as a story, is rooted in picking apart the messy intricacies of propaganda and prophecy, we as readers and watchers of the Dune franchise more or less know what the world contains (give or take a new entry here or there).But then this motherfucker named Desmond Hart walks into Dune: Prophecy and everything changes.Desmond, played by Travis Fimmel, is a bit of an enigma in the world of Dune: Prophecy: Hes come from Arrakis, where he claims his crew was attacked by the emperors enemies in an effort to harm his standing. Hes invited to stay, although the emperors truthsayer knows hes lying she sees him on the spice-filled deserts of Arrakis staring down a giant sandworm, though we dont know much more about her vision. He saunters around the palace and, ultimately, burns a kid using only his mind. In our world, such pyrokinesis isnt a known element in Dunes mythos, making Desmond a very curious specimen indeed.Like all things Prophecy, its safe to say his telekinetic powers are an extension of the books lore, rather than something actually found in them. Which all sets up the biggest mysteries of Prophecy after just a single episode: Who is he, how did he get these powers, and how will his life find its place among the annals of history? With Dune coming 10,000 years after the events here, what might Desmond be here to introduce to the on-screen lore of the franchise?This early theres a few different ways we could take it so heres some of our best guesses as to what Desmond might be here to do (and, ultimately, what that might mean hes capable of).Hes the start of the SardaukarA desert-trained warrior who was not born into court life but whose experience and prowess earn the respect of those of higher rank, with a normal human person name? Maybe a little too normal?Thats your Duncan Idaho type, my friend. A character who began life as House Atreides swordmaster eventually became something of a mascot for wider Dune canon. No matter how many times Idaho dies, Brian Herbert keeps finding ways to bring him back and put him at the center of galactic concerns again (usually via cloning).Which is just to say: If youre doing a Dune story, you gotta have a Duncan Idaho. But what is Desmond Hart actually doing in this story? I havent a clue, but if I had to take a rip of the bong and guess something, it would be this:Dune: Prophecy has promised us the rise of the Bene Gesserit order, but there are plenty of other pillars of Dunes setting that are as yet unformed in its time period. And since the show is really leaning into the opposite of expectations rooting for the Harkonnens, making the Atreides kinda shifty what if instead Duncan Idaho befriending the Fremen, Desmond Hart winds up becoming a pivotal figure in the creation of the Emperors infamous Sardaukar army? Susana PoloHes the Kwisatz Haderach (sorta)Just one episode in, this show already seems very interested in providing the origin story for some of the most important tenets of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. With that in mind, Im going to throw out a wild card thought on Desmond: Maybe hes the proto-Kwisatz Haderach.Not that hes the real thing, or even what the Bene Gesserit would eventually evolve the concept into, but rather that hes the first inkling the Sisterhood has that a male could gain magical powers from strange interactions with Shai-Hulud.Maybe whatever happens in Dune: Prophecy will lead the Bene Gesserit to decide that pursuing a Desmond Hart of their own, one thats been perfectly and selectively bred so that they could have maximum control over him, might be a mission worth pursuing. On top of that, maybe the idea of Desmond as a powerful supernatural force could help inspire the Sisterhood to create the Missionaria Protectiva, too, giving them the idea to plant the seeds of supernatural belief throughout the universe, including on Arrakis itself. Austen GoslinIts desert powerListen, my equations simple. Desmond Hart spent some crucial time on Arrakis. Arrakis, famously, is filled with desert. Deserts, famously, are hot. And so is whatever cursed fire magic Desmond used on that poor child. Desert is hot + fire is hot = Desmonds using desert power. Its just simple math. Pete Volk