I'm trying to create a list from a set of data.
For example: Column A contains names and column C contains a phrase such as 'likes apples and bananas'. I need to generate a list of people that like bananas and a list of people that like apples, but they have to be two separate lists.
I can't figure out how to extract just that keyword 'apples' or 'bananas'. I also have very basic understanding of excel..any help would be appreciated!

Hi u/PaloCommunity,
I've just finished writing my Discussion Post in the PaloAlto Networks Live Community. I'm copying the content (unformated) below. If you want to view it formated, go to following link: https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/t5/next-generation-firewall/guide-quot-how-to-replace-firewalls-with-minimal-changes-quot/m-p/586777
~Foreword~
Last weekend we changed from old Firewall Hardware to new one.
On our Productionsite we switched from "PA-3250" to "PA-1410".
In our Datacenter, we switched from "PA-5250" to "PA-5410".

I am writing this article in case someone needs an easy way to replace old Hardware.
I wasnt able to find an article/discussion on this topic directly, so I'm writing one.

The Discussion/Article will consist of the following Points:

1. Foreword
2. General Information
3. Our approach
4. "How To" (TLDR)
5. How to replace a Firewall with "Device States"-Export (In Detail)
6. "Nice to know" Information

~General Information~
Some Information about our envrionment:
-We use Panorama to manage our Firewalls
-We use "Active/Passive" on all "HA"-Sites

Initial Situation:
-We wanted to do a "1:1" replacement/swap,
This means we wanted to:
-Use the same "Mgmt Ips"
-Use the Same Hostname
-Use similar Interfaces
-Use the same Ruleset
-Same Objects, NAT Rules, VPNs, etc…
-We wanted to have minimal Downtime during the swap


~Our approach~
We asked ourself: "What is the best approach for a replacement like this"
We thought "If we have the whole config in place on the new device, including Ips, Interfaces, Ruleset, etc., we should be able to "Unplug" the old Devices and just have the new one "Active" running".

After defining our way to go, we started searching on "How to export Config, including Ruleset etc"
Thats where we stumbled upon the "Device State*"
-What is "Device State"?
-Device State is essentially the config, including Ruleset, thats been pushed from panorama. (The device state contains ALL information pushed from the Panorama + the "running config". NAT-Rules, Interfaces etc. will also be included in this .xml)

Once we had this information we started on the replacement (TLDR follows, to save you time in case that verison is not feasible for you)


~"How To" (TLDR)~
(TLDR) Quick Rundown:

• Export Original Device State
• Setup new Firewall (Mgmt IP and Password)
  • Export "Device State" of new Device
  • Replace "Admin"-User in "Original-Device-State" with the "Admin"-User of the "New-Device-State"
• Import Edited, Original-Device-State to new Hardware
• "Validate commit"
  • CleanUp "Commit-Errors" in imported Config
• Commit
• Finished

~How to replace a Firewall with "Device States"-Export~

1. Export Original Device State

"How to export a Device State of old Hardware?"
● Go to "Device -> Setup -> Operations -> "Export device state""
Save the Device State with a proper name, youll need it later (PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz")

1. Setup new Firewall

You'll need to perform the initial Setup for your new Firewall. (CLI)
● Setup Password AND COMMIT
● Setup Mgmt IP (So you can access the Web-UI)
Example: set deviceconfig system ip-address 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.0.0

1. Export "Device State" of new Device

After successfully setting up "Mgmt-IP" and "Password" for the new Firewall, export the Device State of the new Firewall (WebUI)
● Go to "Device -> Setup -> Operations -> "Export device state""
Save the Device State with a proper name (PA01001_NewHardware.tgz")

1. Replace "Admin"-User in "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" with the "Admin"-User of the "PA01001_NewHardware.tgz"

You have to replace the Adminuser, in the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" with the Adminuser, of the "PA01001_NewHardware.tgz" because passwords are hashed by the device.
!The hashed password of the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" will not work on the new device!
To replace the Admin user you have to do the following:
● Open "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" and "PA01001_NewHardware.tgz" in "7zip"
● Search for "running-config.xml" in both device states and open it by hiting "Edit"
● In the "PA01001_NewHardware.tgz" Search for and copy it
Copy the whole block:

59193ioasdo%93osaPASSWORDHASH


yes



● In the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" running-config, search for and replace this user with the just copied user from above
● Save the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz"

1. Import Edited, "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" to new Hardware

Now, after you edited the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" to have the new user, you can start importing the device state to the new Firewall.
● Log on to WebUI of the new Firewall
● Go to "Device -> Setup -> Operations -> "Import device state""
● Select the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" file and hit "Ok"
You might have to reload the page (and maybe give yourself another IP) because the Mgmt-IP has now been swapped to the Mgmt-IP of the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz"

1. "Validate commit"

Now, once youve uploaded the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" you can hit "Vallidate Commit"
During this step you might see some errors that you have to clean up in your "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz"
Example of errors during the Vallidate:
deviceconfig -> setting -> management -> quota-settings -> chassis-quota unexpected here
deviceconfig -> setting -> management -> quota-settings is invalid
deviceconfig -> setting -> management is invalid
deviceconfig -> setting is invalid
deviceconfig is invalid
rulebase -> security -> rules -> Block_TorAddresses -> source 'panw-torexit-ip-list' is not an allowed keyword
rulebase -> security -> rules -> Block_TorAddresses -> source panw-torexit-ip-list is an invalid ipv4/v6 address
rulebase -> security -> rules -> Block_TorAddresses -> source panw-torexit-ip-list invalid range start IP
rulebase -> security -> rules -> Block_TorAddresses -> source 'panw-torexit-ip-list' is not a valid reference
rulebase -> security -> rules -> Block_TorAddresses -> source is invalid
rulebase -> security -> rules is invalid
rulebase -> security is invalid
rulebase is invalid
vsys is invalid
devices is invalid
log-settings -> correlation unexpected here
log-settings is invalid
shared is invalid

Example on "How to clean up "chassis-quota unexpected here""
● Open "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" and search for "running-config.xml"
● Search for
● Delete the whole block from the Device State:



16
32
5
2
2
2
20
20



● Save the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" again
● Upload the Updated "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz" and hit "Validate Commit" again.
● If there are still errors, you have to clean up those errors as well (might also be settings in "template-config.xml" for example)
● Repeat those steps until there are no errors left


7. Commit
After you cleaned up the commit errors, and "Vallidate Commit" does not display any more errors, you are ready to hit "Commit"
Once you've hit "Commit", you are done and ready to use the new Firewall

We had literally no downtime. The worst downtime with this method was 6 ping losses in our Datacenter.
It was my first replacement I've ever performed so I was kinda nervours at the beginning, but after the replacement of the first HA-Pair the way to go was pretty clear and I was calm for the following replacements.





~"Nice to know" Information~

• I disabled "ZTP" (ZeroTouchProvisioning) immediately after first boot of the new Firewall
• Remember to commit after changing the password via CLI!
• To have the smoothes transition of old hardware to new one, I recommend activating "Trial" Licenses for the new Hardware.
  • With trial licenses you are able to download content updates, EDLs, etc…
• Make sure the Interface speed of the new Hardware matches the interface speed of the old hardware
  • If Interface Speed differs, you have to swap interfaces (GUI or CLI) after successfully importing the "PA01001_OriginalHardware.tgz"
• If your setting up a new "HA-Pair" you have to export/import the HA Key of both new devices

If I'd had to replace Firewalls next week, I would use the same method. Once you get used to interpreting the Error Messages during "Validate Commit", its smooth sailing.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and imma try to get back to you asap.

I am at my wit’s end. I haven’t had Chipotle in about five years and had a ridiculous week. I figured that they’re one of the more reliable and pleasant fast food experiences, so I ordered dinner for two on Sunday via the website. What has happened to me next since has been nothing short of Sisyphean. For anonymity and clarity, I’ll be referring to anyone from the customer chat as ‘Pepper’, including Pepper.
The staff was running behind when I got there but handed my bag to me directly by name. The sticker has my name on it. Got home — and the order was wrong. Someone else’s entirely. The vegetarian in my household suddenly had no dinner. Pepper gives me one entree, guac, and queso, via chat. That’s nice!
I go to order again, this time for delivery, and they aren’t able to process any online payments. So I order from Qdoba and I let Chipotle know there is a technical error. A few hours later, I receive two coupons for two more entrees. So now I have three entrees, guac, and queso. This is great and unexpected!
At this point, I’m very happy because I felt I was properly helped despite a rough few orders. But it was another busy week, so last night, I fired up the app and ordered from a different location. And this is where things collapse into pure burrito chaos.
I order my same order as before and apply an entree voucher with a tip. Hmm. The codes are all expired, even though the expiry date is a month in the future. Pepper and Pepper’s CS helper tell me that as a “one-time courtesy” she has placed a credit on my account for two free entrees. Which is great, but I didn’t need that, I needed new coupon codes for the vouchers I had. But — fine. So now I have four entree coupons.
It’s a different location. A brand new experience! I am told that upon arrival, they say that they accidentally made one order wrong, and are remaking it — they’re paying attention!! They care!! I am relieved and excited and very hungry.
The orders are wrong again. It is 11pm and I am once again, speaking with my new best friend, Pepper. But this time, Pepper’s helper is absolutely telling me that I am fucking with her for free food — she informs me that there are actually several vouchers in my account, which I knew, and she cannot add more. Okay, I get that, system limitations. Fine.
Can you refund my order? She cannot! But she can let the “leadership team” know how disappointed I am and ominously informs me that “the next time I am at that location, I will certainly not be disappointed,” but at this point, I’m looking at going to a third and new Chipotle if I absolutely must. She tells me to place the order in-person next time, which was not feasible for this particular two occasions. But, fine, Pepper, I’ll kiss Brian Niccol’s billionaire booty if it means my burrito bowl is correct.
I try to break the situation down further, and let Pepper know that the free vouchers are actually for several prior issues, and that I’d like to know what can be done on this occasion, given that once more, 50% of my household is again unable to eat the dinner I ordered. She repeats her stance on the leadership team in increasingly bizarre non-sequiters.
When will they get back to me? She has no idea! Will they reach out to me? Rest assured that your feedback is heard! Pepper, that doesn’t tell me if they’ll reach out to me. I finally release myself from Pepper after an earnest 45min of back and forth, trying to determine if there is any resolution beyond paying Chipotle money to randomly generate food for me, and I eat a bagel and I go to bed. I make the bagel for myself and unwrap it. To my surprise, it is exactly what I made when I made it, which confirms that I am not stuck in a strange, Chipotle-mutating reality.
So what’s next? Chipotle clearly thinks I’m bilking them one $20 burrito at a time, and I am absolutely astonished at the level of insanity that I have had to jump through to simply let someone know that I need a complete and correct order placed so that I can pick it up, digest it, excrete it, and move on with my life. I have spent more time communicating with Pepper this week than I have with my own parents.
I need to be released from this hellish Chipotle time loop. I don’t even want Chipotle anymore. I don’t want free Chipotle or compensated Chipotle or randomly-generated Chipotle. I want real currency so that I can purchase food at a completely different place and never, ever think about Chipotle again.
Chipotle: this is systemic and clearly affects you on a corporate level. Disciplining your underpaid workers for issues occurring on a corporate level will not suffice. Four issues on the website, mobile app, and at two separate store locations is so embarrassing to see. We used to love you in grad school. This is disgraceful and depressing, and I wish your leadership team a lifetime of incorrectly-cooked steaks and badly assembled sandwiches.

In the early stages of China’s history as a communist state, the Soviet Union was often referred to as Sulian dage, or Soviet big brother. China relied on it for weapons, funding and political support. In many ways the roles have now reversed. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, this month in Beijing. China has been accused of propping up Mr Putin’s war machine.
Chinese nationalists are pleased with the new power dynamic. In recent months short videos have been popping up online which play to their feelings of superiority and continue a tradition of using foreigners to aggrandise China. They feature pretty young Russian women expressing their admiration for China and their desire to marry Chinese men.
The women—with names like Natasha and Sofia—speak fluent Mandarin. They complain that Russian men are drunk and lazy, while praising Chinese society and technology. For a Chinese husband, the (mostly blonde) beauties say they would be delighted to cook, wash clothes and bear children.
To Chinese men, it may sound too good to be true—and it is. The videos are deepfakes, produced with increasingly cheap artificial-intelligence (ai) tools. They are relatively easy to make using short samples of real footage. With dubbing and video-editing software producers can transform any woman into a Chinese bachelor’s dream.
Olga Loiek, a Ukrainian woman studying in America, was shocked to see her image speaking Chinese with the Kremlin in the background. She found dozens of accounts using her face. “I was disgusted and felt like my personal autonomy was violated,” she says.
The videos, posted on social media, have drawn hundreds of thousands of views. Some are used to hawk products or simply to glorify China. They have recently come under official scrutiny. Last month China’s main cyberspace regulator announced regulations which, among other things, require the explicit labelling of ai-generated fakes.
In recent weeks the videos have become harder to find. But nationalists’ pride over China’s new-found status as Russia’s big brother runs deep. And the fake Russian women were attracting their attention. Don’t be surprised if they make a comeback.
https://www.economist.com/china/2024/05/09/why-young-russian-women-appear-so-eager-to-marry-chinese-men

Very random, but a friend and I were chatting the other day about quintessential millennial names, and I (born in 1991, Canada) realized I somehow don’t know any Ashleys, and never have (growing up/elementary school, university, workplace).
I was quite shocked considering it was the top name of 1991 (using American data since I don’t think we have Canadian data for that year, and we usually have similar trends). I also don’t think I have ever known anyone named Brittany (3), Kayla (12), Amber (16), or Shelby (33).
I thought it was a great example of how much your region, socio-economic class, and just random happenstance can affect the frequency of a name.
Someone can end up with a popular name and yet be the only one with that name (if I’d had an Ashley in my class, they would have been the only one). Similarly you could have an objectively less popular name and somehow not be unique — I knew multiple Emmas (123), Claires (162), Amelias (194), Paiges (96) and Olivias (61), despite all being objectively much less popular than Ashley.
Do you have names like this, where they’re objectively popular for your birth year or overall generation but you somehow don’t know anyone with that name?

Welcome to Elden Ring Online Coop guide for cracked / pirated version of the game. You’ll find everything you need to know in this post. This method even allows you to play Online Coop with friends who bought the game on Steam (as long as they download Goldberg emu) and will be explained further in this tutorial.
This method uses a combination of GoldbergEmu, ZeroTier, SeamlessCoopMod, EldenModLoader, and ModEngine2.
Can’t guarantee 100%, but almost certain that this will work when Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC is out. Reason why? This method works for every version after v1.04 of Elden Ring, so see no reason why this wouldn’t work in the future. Probably, will need to add Cream_api to it, but I guess time will tell.
Main Tutorial:

1. Download Elden Ring (make sure every player has got the same exact version, for example Elden Ring v1.10)
2. Download ONLY steam_appid.txt and steam_emu.ini: https://github.com/K3V1991/How-to-install-Seamless-Co-Op-Mod-for-Elden-Ring/tree/main/Game Put these 2 files in a new folder, so you know where they are. We will need them shortly
3. Download Goldberg Emulator: https://mr_goldberg.gitlab.io/goldberg_emulato click the long highlighted number '475342f0d8b2bd7eb0d93bd7cfdd61e3ae7cda24' to download
4. Extract it and open the folder.
5. Find steam_api64.dll file in there. Copy and paste it into the same folder where you saved steam_appid.txt and steam_emu.ini
6. Install Elden Ring. IMPORTANT! When you install the game make sure to have proper directory, otherwise ModEngine won’t work. It should be like this ELDEN RING/Game. Doesn’t matter where you choose to install it, but make sure the last 2 folders are ELDEN RING and inside it, Game folder. All the game files should be in here. For example mine is this: D:/Games/ELDEN RING/Game/
7. After installing Elden Ring open ELDEN RING/Game folder. Now, copy and paste steam_appid.txt, steam_emu.ini and steam_api64.dll that you downloaded in step 2) and 3).
   • For Steam players, back up steam_api64.dll before overwriting it. You’ll need this file to revert back to your Steam version of the game. Rename it to .backup Example: steam_api64.dll.backup*. When you want to revert it, just delete .backup*
8. In your Game folder also create a .txt file. Name it exactly this: steam_interfaces.txt (nothing needs to be inside it)
9. Okay. Eden Ring and Goldberg Emulator is done. Now, download the following 3 Mods:
10. Elden Mod Loader: https://www.nexusmods.com/eldenring/mods/117
11. Mod Engine 2: https://github.com/soulsmods/ModEngine2/releases
12. Seamless Co-Op: https://www.nexusmods.com/eldenring/mods/510
    1. Make sure all players are on the version of SeamlessCoop. Example: *Seamless Co-op BETA 1.5.1*
    2. Depending on which version of Elden Ring you have, you may need to check the compatibility. Download an older version of Seamless Coop that supports your Elden Ring version.
13. First, install Elden Mod Loader. Just need to copy & paste 3 files into your Game folder: mods folder, dinput8.dll and mod_loader_config.ini
14. Install Mod Engine 2. Copy and paste it into your Game folder the following files: mod folder, modengine2 folder, config_eldenring.toml, launchmod_eldenring.bat and modengine2_launcher.exe
15. Install Seamless Co-OP. Again, copy and paste into your Game folder the following files: SeamlessCoop folder and launch_elden_ring_seamlesscoop.exe
16. Important
17. First, launch the game using launch_elden_ring_seamlesscoop.exe that you've just put in.
18. When the game opens, it should say "Welcome to Seamless Co-op Mod".
19. We are going to set up Elden Ring to launch via Mod Engine 2. We can do this by running modengine2_launcher.exe file.
20. Make a shortcut for this and move it to you desktop. This will be the new way of launching the game. Change the icon to EldenRing.exe
21. We also need to move two of the Seamless Co-op files to your mods folder. Your can find this in your Game folder. *ELDEN RING\Game\mods*
22. Open Seamless Co-Op folder and move seamlesscoopsettings.ini and elden_ring_seamless_coop.dll into mods folder. Important to move the files and not copy paste.
23. Whilst you're at it, open seamlesscoopsettings.ini and change your password. The password has to be the same for you and your friends if you want to play together
24. Test if seamless is working by launching the game using modengine2_launcher.exe shortcut. You should be greeting again with"Welcome to Seamless Co-Op" message.
25. Every player will need a different Username and SteamID in order to connect.
    1. Open your Roaming AppData directory: C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData/Roaming/. Alternatively, press WIN + R, then type %appdata%
    2. Open Goldberg SteamEmu Saves folder, then settings folder. Edit account_name.txt and change your Username.
    3. Next, open user_steam_id.txt and change the number slightly for every player. (I just changed the last two digits)

Congrats! Elden Ring*,* Goldberg*,* SeamlessCoop*,* ModEngine2 and EldenModLoader have all been set up. The worst part is out the way. Next, you will need ZeroTier to host a LAN connection. It’s free and easy to use so would definitely recommend.
ZeroTier Tutorial:

1. Download ZeroTier
2. Only the host will need to create an account with ZeroTier to create and manage servers/ networks.
3. Create a New Network and join in it via ZeroTier app.
4. The Host will need to accept/authorise each player who joined the server via ZeroTier website.
5. Once all player have joined and the host has authorised them on the network you can now launch Elden Ring and enjoy Seamless Coop with your friends :)

How to join each others world?
This is fairly straightforward:

1. Complete the tutorial and enter into Limgrave where you find The First Step site of grace.
2. One player will use Tine Grey Pot to open their world.
3. Others will join it by using Effigy Of Malenia
4. To leave the session use Separation Mist

Can I use my old Save?
Yes. Just need to change the extension of the save file.

1. Open: *C:/Users/USERNAME/AppData/Roaming/EldenRing/(alongnumber)
2. You’ll see two files with .sl2 and .sl2.bak extensions. These are your old save files
3. To change them to Seamless Coop, make a copy and rename them to .co2 and .co2.bak You must have Show Hidden Files and Folders enabled in your file explorer to see AppData

Important
In this guide, I’ve showed you how to set this up with EldenModLoader and ModEngine2. Different mods will require different mod loaders but the vast majority will require one of these two. The important thing is not to get them confused with each other, as the folder names are very similar.

1. Elden Mod Loader: uses mod folder
2. Mod Engine 2: uses mods folder I’ve tested a bunch of mods and they’re all work fine for me online. Some of course wont, but you can check out SeamlessCoopMod Nexus page for compatibility

Not Working?
Please read and follow the tutorial properly, every step of the way. As mention before, this method works for every version after Eden Ring v1.04, so check which one you have. Also, you have to be on the same patch of Elden Ring as well as Seamless Coop as you friends in order to connect.
I would highly recommend to try this after a fresh install of Elden Ring, as you may have installed some mods or messed with some files before, that could affect this.
Failed: No sessions found

• Make sure you and your Friends:
  • Using the same Mod Version
  • Same Seamless Co-Op Password
  • Connected to a ZeroTier-like Program
  • Generated the steam_interfaces.txt

Yesterday I opened a store on Reverb to sell a few pedals I don’t want anymore. I went through the verification process uploading my data, the ID card and credit card details. In just a few hours I received 3 replies, but they all looked quite shady to be honest. I would like to use this thread to highlight the kind of environment that Reverb represents for new users. Actually, after less than 24 hours I’m wondering whether I should just close my account and sell my gear elsewhere. I sold stuff on many platforms over the past years. I've occasionally dealt with scammy buyers and sellers at some point, but this is the first time that I receive so many suspicious messages in such a short time and this really makes me wonder - as a new user to the platform - whether Reverb is a good place to be. I’m talking about 3 different users, all mostly trying to look like an automatic message from Reverb that’s asking me to provide all sorts of information (e-mail address, credit card details, etc.) all over again shortly after I published my first listing. One was particularly shady. Actually, they were all kinda shady in different ways. For starters, it’s just odd to receive this kind of “automatic” requests as a reply to my listings instead of receiving an email directly from Reverb. Anyway, here are the messages.
————————
Message 1:
This one was empty and I received it moments after publishing my first listing. The timing was so good that I really thought that it was a system generated message at first. It just contained an official-looking flier (very well put together) with the Reverb logo, some information and a QR code for the verification of my credit card. The name of the user was “Clients Centre” and it had as a picture a confirmation mark similar to the ones that verified users have on certain platforms (I realized only later that this was just the profile picture). This account was now disabled, but it definitely looked the part for a moment
————————
Message 2:

Dear [name of my store edited out], Our system has noticed unusual activity related to the [listing edited out] listing on your "[name of my store edited out]" store. To maintain the integrity and security of our platform, we ask that you verify this listing. Below are steps to help you begin the verification process: Remove all spaces from this link - information-product .shop/36fc84. Paste the modified link into your web browser. Go to the verification start and do not leave the verification page until it is complete, you will be notified by a technical support agent. It is important to note that pasting the modified link into your web browser is an important step to begin the verification process. If verification is not completed within the next 24 hours, we will be forced to temporarily suspend your store until the circumstances are clarified. This verification process helps us confirm your identity and the authenticity of your business. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter. We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter. Regards Agent Lisa. 

This one looked immediately like a pure scam. The link itself doesn’t even look official and I’ve never seen a platform sending you a link that you have to edit before using it. “Lisa Ag3nt” is also a very odd name and when I clicked on it, it already said “account disabled” so this was a no brainer.
————————
Message 3:

Неllо, this mеssаgе wаs sеnt аutоmаtiсаllу bу Reverb suppоrt bоt. Тhis сustоmеr hаs рurсhаsеd оnе оf уоur рrоduсts. То аvоid frаudulеnt trаnsасtiоns, wе hаvе intrоduсеd а nеw mеthоd оf rесеiving funds. Рlеаsе sеnd уоur e-mаil аddrеss tо this сhаt. Оn it will bе sеnt instruсtiоns fоr furthеr асtiоns. Rеgаrds, Reverb tеаm! 

This could look almost normal at a first glance. The customer had a name and a surname and the message wasn't asking for much. That said, I never received any e-mail confirming the sale and the idea that I have to send my email address in the chat as a reply to the customer who allegedly bought the pedal just to receive further “instructions” is odd at best. It’s just hard to believe that any platform out there would handle the payment like this. Not to mention that at this point I already experienced the warm welcome of the other two swindlers.
————————
So this is it. Now, I know that Reverb will not contact me like this and I do understand that stopping these people preventively isn't an easy task. At the same time, after my first day on Reverb, the scammer to user ratio seems surprisingly high in the worst possible way. Luckily for me, most of them were pretty bad at their job. I'm sure that there are a ton of honest people on the platform. I'm not trying to generalize here. Nevertheless, I pretty much experienced more phishing attempts in a few hours on Reverb than in 10 years of casual sales on eBay, Facebook and a variety of national platforms. I’m genuinely surprised by the amount of shady messages that a new store has to face on Reverb in the first 2-3 hours of activity. I don't do this very often, but I really felt the need to say these things publicly. Anyway, thank you for reading and have a nice day!

Holy priests are arguably one of the more boring healers in Warcraft to the point that people often refer to them as the ‘default’ healer. I’m sure there are more deep, underlying issues that Holy has but I wanted to try tackling them on a purely thematic level with some minor thoughts on a more gameplay-oriented level.
I aim to make more interesting spells that interact in a fun way that gives the holy spec a little more flavor than, “The default RPG healer”.
Quick preemptive self-defense though. This is all in good fun and purely theoretical. It’s always been interesting for me to speculate what a class or spec could be and rather than hoarding it all to myself, I thought it would be more interesting to see some other people's opinions and possibly inspire others to do the same. With that said...

• Make the Holy Priest a little more bard-inspired

Some of Holy’s biggest cooldowns are Divine Hymn and Hymn of Hope (Renamed to Symbol of Hope now). Singing to help your allies. You’ll notice other spells in the toolkit like shadow WORD pain and power WORD shield. Shadow has a spell called SILENCE for god’s sake. Basically, the implication is that priests are using their voices to channel their spells somehow. Why not...do more of that? Because I can’t lie, having several spells named “Heal” with different variations is killing me inside.
Plus, a bunch of the talent node names already lean into this! A few notable examples are:
Voice of Harmony
Healing Chorus
Gales of Song
Divine Word
Resonant Words
All the Holy Word Spells
Let’s make it so Holy is all about literally singing the Light’s praises. After all, if Shadow and Holy are canonically on two ends of the spectrum with Discipline being the proverbial middle ground, let’s really have Holy Priest’s be truly ‘Devout Feeling’ with their spell names. Double points if the spells end with a sung note or maybe a little arpeggio of a harp or something.
Let’s go through a few examples I’ve thought of and any non-obvious reasons behind each decision.
“Heal” -> “Holy Solo”
“Flash Heal” -> “Divine Etude” (An Etude is a short music piece)
“Prayer of Healing” -> “Holy Motet” (A motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, the name describes the movement of the different voices against one another)
“Circle of Healing” -> “Sacred Cantata” (A Cantata, (from Italian cantare, “to sing”), originally, a musical composition intended to be sung, as opposed to a sonata, a composition played instrumentally)
“Renew” -> “Grace Note” (An extra note added as an embellishment and not essential to the harmony or melody)
And now, I’ve saved my favorite for last. Its effect is decent but the name is so uninspired…
“Trail of Light”? More like... “Light Motif”!
A light Motif is a dominant recurring theme and what’s more dominant and recurring than spam healing?
The point is that there are so many possibilities with having the Holy priest being the spec that heals with singing, and unlike trying to shoehorn bards in as a new class, it makes some sense here.

• Holy’s New Groove

Ok, so all this stuff so far is just replacing words for other words and I know what you’re thinking…
“This doesn’t do anything to fix the fact that Holy is still quite dull compared to other healers!”
You’re dead right. The Priest’s Discipline spec currently rewards thinking ahead of what the encounter you’re facing will bring while Holy just sits back and collects red solo cups after the party is over. Let’s change that.
My main problem is with its mastery. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very “Good” when you’re thinking about the throughput and the pure numbers but it’s also a very “set it and forget it” style of gameplay and reminds me of the Shaman’s sometimes similarly maligned mastery that dishes out healing depending on how much health is missing. There’s no thinking required and frankly, Shaman have a much more interesting toolkit to justify it.
I think we would all prefer it to be more interesting like how Paladins generate more healing based on how close they are to the action which allows them to get in close with their other melee abilities anyway and encourages them to help out with the DPS. Excellent design decision. Win win win.
So the first thing is to fix the mastery and the new system I am proposing is…
“Mastery: Chord Progression”
To start, your basic heal will apply an effect to a targeted party member. This effect will have a very long uptime which can stack called Holy Note. (I’m personally imagining a buff that has a golden crotchet note with a little wing instead of the tail). Now your first Holy Note merely exists on top of the target and does a small heal over time in a similar being to how the mastery currently works, increasing with how much mastery you have.
A second heal to the target will apply a second stack and increase the stacked effect. This will change the buff icon to be two crotchets, stacked on top of one another. This will, again, increase the heal over time effect.
A 3rd heal to the target will complete the stack and heal the target with an effect called “Holy Chord” that heals more depending upon your mastery stat. Instead of just spamming heals over and over again mindlessly to get that powerful Holy Word spell you want back in case you need it, you instead work up chords on friendly targets. Targets that don’t require constant spamming will have heal over time effects up near constantly whereas targets that are dying and in need of healing will receive direct heals instead!
The effect is largely the same but with a little more thought and interactivity involved. If a target has two Holy Notes ready but is only at, say, 70% health, you can wait and focus on other party members until they drop a little more, and then you complete the chord.
So that’s the base outline of the spec. The long uptime of the buff rewards not finishing off the chord until you actually need it and still makes it usable in PvP.
The best part about it is that if we don’t want to be rid of the cooldown reduction mechanic that Holy is currently working with, it can fit very neatly over the top without changing anything too fundamental. The Holy Words might need some very slight tweaking to work but I don’t see any immediate problems with this system.

• New and Reworked Spells

Now, Holy needs some new cooldowns. Over the years, Holy has gone from having one of the most well-rounded toolkits to one that looks very limited in comparison. Shaman's can heal by sharing health percentages. Paladin’s have all their auras, Glimmers, and immunities. Evokers can fly and bombard people with healing, heal through stuns and other CC, and reverse recent damage taken. Monks are dashing around like no one's business and healing by punching them in the face. Let’s find some good stuff to give the Holy Priest.
Guardian Spirit stays right where it is. It’s extremely thematic to the spec identity by this point and I think it works well with the Holy Note system since you can leave a target with Guardian Spirit to die while you work on other targets with Holy Notes in the meantime.
Hymn of Hope (Not Symbol, change it back) can also stay because its raid and PvP utility is interesting and works collaboratively with other healers and DPS. A good singer should strengthen and work off those around them, right? It works thematically with this Bard theming we’ve got going on. Plus, having to drop it isn’t nearly as painful as having to quit Divine Hymn early. Speaking of which.
The first thing to change is Divine Hymn itself! Sure, on paper it feels very Holyish and it’s certainly quite powerful but ask any Holy Priest what its main flaw is and they won’t hesitate to tell you. You can’t move and nothing is stopping it from being interrupted from an interrupt, a knockback, a stun, or a pull, etc. There are so many instances I can think of where I wanted to press it so badly but I knew it would do more harm than good. Added that it’s often a dead button for me if I ever decide to try using Holy for PvP since in the rare event that I’m not being trained or chain CC’d, it’s so AOE-focused that it often isn’t strong enough to help anyone outside of a Battleground from behind a rock. It requires a PvP talent to make it more worthwhile which is very seldomly picked anyway.
I had a thought after playing Discipline for a while and having Ultimate Penitence available to me. It’s an incredibly fun spell that does a boatload of healing and/or damage while making you immune to CC effects and giving you a huge absorb shield to delay damage to yourself. It’s balanced by having a long cooldown that you can reduce but only by talenting into the following nodes in the tree.
I can’t be the only one who’s noticed that Divine Hymn is basically Ultimate Penitence but drastically weakened and less cool looking to boot.
My idea was to give it the same ‘un-crowd-controllable’ effect as Ultimate Penitence and make it do generally increased healing instead of a stacking effect to increase further healing afterward. The new ‘gimmick’ of it would either be that it would either expel enemies from within a certain radius once, like Anduin’s big bubble of light from the cinematic, or gently push enemies back from the priest as the center point. This would not completely negate adds or an enemy player’s walking speed having any forward momentum, but it would definitely aid in players trying to kite adds when they’re dying or from enemy players in PvP where that little extra distance would make the difference, and would also reward the priests choice in a central location. You could inadvertently push enemies INTO players, after all.
To top all of this off, I would prefer to have this ability further down in the tree to make it feel a bit more impactful of a choice rather than ‘almost’ mandatory’ where it is smack bang in the middle. A lot of spells in talent trees that are sat dead center in the tree feel like they're meant to be picked and I feel like Guardian Spirit should be where Divine Hymn is at the moment, not as close to the level 10 talents as it is currently. For example, Soul Swap for Affliction Warlocks, Invoke Yu’lon/Chi’ji for Mistweaver, Dancing Rune Weapon for Blood Death Knights, and Pillar of Frost for Frost Death Knights. I could go on but the list is pretty exhaustive.
Another thing I would like to change is very synonymous with Holy Priests but something that I think, overall, doesn’t see as much use as we’d like. Primarily because it relies on the priest dying.
Spirit of Redemption is a cool spell, the problem is that unless you take the capstone talent to make you revive afterward or you take the PVP talent to make it into a cooldown in PvP, you don’t really ‘want’ to trigger its activation requirements or have a reliable way of doing so in PvE when you want its effects. I do enjoy that now it allows you to resurrect an ally if you die so someone else can continue the fight but it’s more of a consolation prize or at worst, a reward for bad skill expression. It is also basically a required talent in Solo Shuffle as, if the priest dies, your teammates have 15 seconds to get a kill of their own to win the match or you take the PvP talent as a way more powerful cooldown.
What I would like to do is make the Spirit of Redemption a bigger cooldown spell but give it an obscenely long cooldown so you cannot feasibly use it more than once per fight. Like the Holy Word: Salvation spell without the possibility of cooldown reduction. Because you are losing it upon death, the gimmick here would be that it would last the full 15 seconds, you don’t use mana while casting and you can resurrect a party member instantly in that form(Outside of PvP). This would make the spell more central to the spec rather than as an add-on, free up a PvP talent choice node, and make the battle resurrection more readily available rather than having to wait for your death to use it.
Another such spell we could make SO much more interesting is Divine Star. The one people don’t like taking because who the hell doesn’t WANT to take Halo, right? Whether it’s effective in whatever format you’re playing in, it’s much more visually interesting and it just FEELS powerful, y’know?
Now to fix this, I’m going to do none of the work and instead do what Blizzard should have done by taking an idea from their own IP…Anduin’s Divine Star in Heroes of the Storm!
Yeah, I know they’ve stopped doing anything with HoTS but still…
In HoTS, it has had a bunch of effects over its tenure depending on the talents you take and most of them would make the spell more interesting in WoW. Maybe when it comes back to the priest, it could explode and heal party members or deal damage as Shadow near the priest since you’re already in close range due to the nature of the spell. Maybe it doesn’t even buff up the healing of the actual spell itself and instead interacts with your other heals by producing a stacking buff per enemy/ally you hit that increases the power of your next Flash Heal or Mind Blast?
We can also improve the lackluster mobility of the Holy Priest outside of always picking Angelic Feather by giving them the reverse Leap of Faith Glyph back as a choice node between the normal Leap of Faith.
The ability to jump to your allies was a worthwhile drawback to not being able to troll people as hard with the Leap of Faith ability when Glyphs were a thing and frankly, I miss it. I find that sometimes I’d rather be able to jump into the fray, especially as a class with an AoE fear effect, and the regular leap of faith doesn’t reward that playstyle as much. I remember back in Shadowlands that having Door of Shadows to jump in, disorient them with the covenant effect, and then Psychic Scream before running back out was actually really interesting and it’s one of the only things I miss from that expansion.
In terms of a new name instead of being a glyph, our new ability “Light Transposition“ will cause you to fly to your friend’s location just like old times. Stick it on a choice node with Leap of Faith and you have two differing playstyles almost immediately.
Now a major problem all healers have to contend with, especially to compete with the Meta of Discipline Priests and Holy Paladins, is providing some level of damage.
Not gonna lie, this is where I’m not sure about this idea since I already don’t ‘love’ the idea of healer’s DPSing and having to work around the base spells of the class now that they’ve been reintroduced has made this a little clunky so I’d love some other suggestions for this part. I’d prefer that healers offered utility that DPS do not have access to rather than extra damage but that seems to be the direction Blizzard is rolling in. Frankly, at the moment, Smite and Holy Fire interact with very little of the Holy toolkit outside of Chastise and Empyreal Blaze and we also have Shadow Word: Pain and Mind Blast. I fear that they will all just be tacked on to the toolbar with no thought and we’ll just have this myriad of spells to randomly fire off when we’re bored.
Personally, as a basic idea, I would consider removing Holy Fire as a button as, in the theme of removing bloat that War Within seems to be addressing, I think having Holy Fire as an add-on effect in the same way as the Monk’s Chi Wave is being remade would be ideal. It could function in the same way as Holy Note in that every three casts of smite would bring down a blast of Holy Fire which would give way to being justified in making Holy Fire feel a bit more impactful. Mind Blast could be used within this to ‘erupt’ the Holy Fire DoT, causing an effect I think I’d like to call “Discordant Notes” on account of mixing the void with the light which would either do additional damage or perhaps cause an extra effect like a slow or AoE damage around the target.
With this in mind, Empyreal Blaze could remain as a talent and cause Smite to proc Holy Fire two additional times when it next triggers its chord effect. Shadow Word: Pain would likely exist as just an extra DoT you can throw on as it is now or it could be applied through Mind Blast to clear up more bar space.
Anyway, those are just some thoughts I’ve had. I’m sure there are flaws in them and I’m looking forward to hearing them but I hope you found them fun to theorise around!

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Patch notes

Patch 14.6 Patch 14.7 Patch 14.8 Patch 14.9 Patch 14.10
Below is a continuous list of currently identified bugs:

Description	Details	Link	Patch	Status
Tactician's Crowns sometimes bench your entire board	Seems to be related to Tactician's Crowns	Link Link	14.6	Fixed 14.7
Call to Chaos rewards are different from whats stated	Text bugs	Link	14.6	Fixed 14.7
Senna cast fizzles if her target dies during her cast	Have Senna's target die as she hits full mana. The spell will be cast at the dead unit's location. (May be the expected behavior)	Link	14.6	Fixed 14.8
Wandering Vendor can spawn with 2 Zz'rot, but only 1 voidling spawns	Either 2 should spawn or Vendors should only generate with 1 Zz'rot	Link	14.6	Unique item now
Kayle revival sometimes stops fights entirely		Link Clip	14.6	May be fixed 14.8 (can no longer revive tentacle)
Yone skill stopped from casting after getting ulted by Udyr	Yone had QSS	Link Youtube	14.6	May be fixed 14.8
Rakan ulted multiple times in succession	Did not have to wait for mana to regen before ulting.	Link	14.6
Masterwork Upgrade can cause a unit to become unsellable	Use it on a unit with an item mid-fight	Link	14.6	Fixed 14.9
If you get a free roll from Primatic Reroll and wait til the next round, the free reroll is wasted	May be intended?	Link	14.6
Hwei's artist bench slot counter can overflow from 9 to 0.	Place a component anvil on it to stall the counter	Link	14.6
If you get Udyr encounter while you have an armory up you can block your shop	Happens if you fail to select a item in time	Link	14.6
Unit vanished from board as combat starts	May be related to Caretaker's Ally	Link	14.6
Recombobulator missed a unit	Happened during randomized augment timing portal	Link	14.6	May be fixed 14.8
Pick of the Litter only granted 1 unit	Bag sizes?	Link	14.6
Its possible to stack Kayle and Target Dummy on the same hex		Link	14.6
Temporary items from encounters can turn into permanent Support Anvils with Fine Vintage		Link	14.7	No longer possible but may still exist
Tactician's Crowns can be reforged	May require Trash to Treasure		14.7
After casting, if Yone's original hex is occupied when he is supposed to return, he can bug out		Link	14.7
Lucky Ricochet extra bounce may be bugged sometimes		Link	14.7
Instant huge damage	Not sure!	Link Clip Clip	14.6
Slammin' sometimes doesn't work	No items on item bench or unit bench		14.6
Yone and Udyr could CC through Quicksilver				Fixed 14.8
Build a Pal gives 3 2 star 1 costs, and the orbs can turn into gold if your bench is full	Either give a 3 star straight up or don't turn into gold if your bench is full		14.7
Teemo sometimes cancels an AA after casting		Link	14.8
Stage 5 PVE dragon didn't drop an item after being killed.	Maybe due to being killed by Lissandera?	Link	14.8
If you roll while travelling to another player's board, your board isn't considered when determining what units show up in your shop	For example, a unit you 3 starred can appear. Maybe this could also apply to things like Headliners	Link
Temporal Hwei from Lilia encounter can't duplicate units on your bench	The bench slot is highlighted	Link	14.8
Sett's Fated effect applies omnivamp to item damage as well	Put a Sunfire Cape on Thresh and watch	Youtube	14.8	Fixed and adjusted 14.9
Little Buddies doesn't apply to Xayah or Rakan	The bonuses show up when they are on the bench	Link	14.8
Nautilus sometimes ults towards sideline units (the other of Xayah/Rakan)	Sometimes he ults backwards too?	Link	14.8
Entire lobby couldn't use items	Game ID included	Link	14.8
Using Masterwork Upgrade on a unit then removing its items will give you the radiant item for free			14.8	Fixed 14.9
If Xayah and Rakan have Accomplice's Gloves and roll a Zz'rot, you can have two voidspawns	Change their form during planning phase	Link	14.8
Carousel not respecting unit pools	A 10th Hwei shows up on carousel	Link Clip	14.8
During portal selection, you can step off a portal option right as picking starts; if the picker selects someone who's not standing on a portal, there will be no portal ("nil_name")		Link	14.9

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this is my first time posting on reddit, im looking for any kind of advice or input. i (17F) have been with my boyfriend (19M) for almost six months now, our anniversary is in 2 days. this is my first relationship and his second relationship, we’ve had problems since we started dating, we’ve never been in a fight over anything ive done, just gonna be completely real im a very anxious person and a huge perfectionist in every aspect of my life and since this is my first relationship i have been extremely diligent to do everything right, i cant say the same for him. hes hurt me emotionally so many times throughout this relationship, he can often be careless and doesnt consider me, and then doesnt see a problem with that. hes fucked up in so many MAJOR ways that have literally landed me in the hospital, no physical ab*se is happening, but he is still the cause of my reoccurring doctors visits. i wont get into all the ways hes hurt me emotionally and done shit thats fucked me over since this post is intended to be ab my current predicament with him, but i will just say that it gets BAD. hes never cheated on me as far as i know, i believe women should never trust men so im not saying this because i trust his every word, i just genuinely dont think he would have the balls to do something like that, plus i am literally the catch of his life. his friends and mine and just people we are acquainted with often ask me how he pulled me and say to him and i that im way out of his league, my boyfriend says this as well. i dont want to come off as cocky or anything like that at all, i am a very humble person irl, but i just want to paint the picture of our relationship for anyone who can help me out right now. i do know that im very very pretty, patient, caring, generous, kind, understanding, polite, and poised. i grew up with an eating disorder most of my life and never believed my appearance was good enough or held any value, so i made a point to not have a rotten soul, i made a point to really really work on myself on the inside, so that i could fall in love with being alive enough to realize that my appearance was not the most important thing. throughout the years my insecurity faded away and ive gotten to a point in my life where i know who i am, i know that im a truly good person, and i know that im really good looking. ANYWAY sorry for that whole spiel but it will be relevant when i get into whats happening in my relationship at the moment!!!!
my relationship has a lot of really good moments, i can be so real with him, we are always laughing on good days, he can be so kind and caring and chivalrous at times, i feel so safe with him in those times, i believe we have a really genuine connection.
NOW for the current issue… i broke up with him this march (we were only broken up for exactly 24hrs) due to the build up of fucked up shit hes put me through, him following pornstars on insta, liking girls thirst traps, disappearing to LA when i was in the hospital because of him, and the list goes on and on and on. my point is, one of the reasons was him following porn stars and liking that kind of content on social media. we are not an on and off couple, this is the only time we’ve broken up, and the whole 24hrs that we were we quite literally stayed on the phone, throughout the whole evening, night, morning, and his whole work day up until we met up to continue talking ab things in person. i was extremely explicit in the fact that his current behavior was unacceptable, i wasnt going to stand for it, and that i would have a 0 toleration policy for any boundary crossing, fuck ups, or general asshole behavior in the future.
i told him that i had 2 options, i could either follow through with my decision to leave him based on what has actually happened in our relationship, or i could trust him saying that he was going to change and give him a second chance. i am really in love with him and i want him to be a part of my life, as i want to be a part of his, so i chose to stay with him and give him the opportunity to prove to me he could be better, and continue to be a better man from that point forth. things have been really good since i made this choice, hes made a major effort to be better in every aspect, and made positive changes to his own life, he seems happier and seems to have more energy and more of a lust for life since this, and i am so happy to see that. i could go on and on but basically things have just been really amazing.
NOW FOR THE REAL TEA!!!! 2 weeks ago i found out i was pregnant, and had to take the abortion pill a few days after that, he was really amazing throughout the whole process, but its been hard for me nonetheless, the way doctors treated me, having to hide it from my mom, having morning sickness, the hormonal up and downs of it all, the fact that being pregnant is my biggest fear, combined with other stress in my personal life. ive been kinda down lately due to this, it was just a hard thing to go through esp at my age, but ive been making an effort to take care of myself, not slip into depression, and move forward with my life. ive been doing well more recently, but it was just a rough patch for me personally. my cat has also been sick since ab the exact same time i found out i was pregnant, and ive been super stressed ab that and losing sleep taking care of him all night and day, every night and day.
REALREAL TEA TIME. REAL TEA. since my cats not doing well, i decided to hangout with my boyfriend after he got off of work the other day, just to get my mind off of it, get out of the house, and enjoy life for a bit. we ended up having an AMAZING night, like seriously so good, i fell in love with him all over again ab 10 million times that night. at the end of the night we decided to go back to my place and sleepover there. he went to sleep soon after we got home, but i stayed up because i needed to take off my makeup and take a shower. before showering, i decided to go on his phone to send myself cute pictures we had taken and also to take a peak at what hes been up to. things have been so good lately and i wanted to prove to myself that i made the right decision in staying with him. unfortunately things did not go so well. i ended up looking through his phone for a few hrs because i found LOADS of hentai and porn he was looking at on reddit in his history, porn on discord, repeating onlyfans links in his search history (which were dated to the DAY after i found out i was pregnant and would have to have an abortion), i found a group he was in on facebook that consisted entirely of borderline porn, and i found messages he had deleted on facebook of him messaging a girl and asking her to send him nudes and telling her that she was sexy dated to when we first officially got into a committed relationship, his recent searches on reddit were all groups that consist solely of porn, his link history on reddit contained onlyfans links, and there were onlyfans models in his recent searches on insta as well. i was absolutely devastated, i was feeling so many things and wanted to end it right then and there, i decided to take my shower, do skincare and all of that stuff, go to sleep and tell him what i found in the morning. it was like 3am at this point. i finished getting ready for bed around 5:30am and went to my nightstand to plug in my phone, my boyfriend is a super heavy sleeper so i didnt think him waking up was even a possibility, but he woke up and asked me to come cuddle in bed with him, since he was half awake, i knew if i got into bed he’d start cuddling with me, and i could not handle that so id have to push him away, leaving me no choice but to confront him at that time instead of in the morning as i had planned. so i said “hey (bf’s name), do you wanna tell me why you’ve been looking at loads of porn on reddit” he quickly became fully conscious when he realized what was happening. he was still out of it but kind of trying to talk to me and ask me what was happening, i didnt say anything, i grabbed my pillow and a blanket and told him to go back to sleep and that we’d discuss it in the morning, he asked me where i was going and i said to sleep on my couch, then i gave him 2 options, i said he could either leave right then and there, or go back to sleep and we’d talk ab it later in the morning and i would sleep on my couch, but i told him we were not gonna have the convo right then and there. i went downstairs and set up my couch bed, then i was like wait a damn minute why am i the one sleeping on the couch, i came back upstairs and told him that i changed my mind and that he could either leave or sleep on the couch. he never made a decision and we ended up having the whole convo ab everything right then and there, i remained stern and i was clearly angry but i did not raise my voice or throw out insults. at first he tried lying to me and saying it wasnt him and all this other bullshit, but eventually he admitted that he has a porn addiction. i was still extremely upset, i understand that its a common thing in my generation, porn-like content is all over social media and so easy to access, but it still shook me to my core. porn addiction is a real thing but like idk how to deal with this, i am so hurt and feeling so many things, there was SO much of it and it all feels like cheating to me. this is making me question everything ab our intimate life, it makes me feel like it doesnt mean anything to him. idek when and how he has the energy to jerk off because we both have a high sex drive and see each other rly often, so we have LOTS of sex and im never the one to tap out after multiple rounds. its not vanilla either so its not like theres some sort of unfulfilled desire happening, i really do not get it at all, and i am SO unbelievably hurt. i dont know if i can ever move on from this or forgive him, or “help and support and reassure” him as he tries to quit this addiction. it feels like im begging my bf to only have eyes for me. like im support him in his endeavor to stop looking at other naked girls. nothing about it feels right and i dont know what to do. i love him so unbelievably much, but this changes everything, i wish this never happened because i do want to be with him, i just dont know how to, or if i should, now. any and all advice would be appreciated. i am completely undecided on what to do from this point on.

Raksha Bandhan, the festival that celebrates the enduring bond between brothers and sisters, is steeped in tradition and symbolism. While the sacred thread of Rakhi remains the focal point of the celebration, the tradition has evolved over time to include a variety of materials and designs, each with its own significance. Among these, the Silver Rakhi stands out for its elegance, craftsmanship, and timeless appeal. Let's delve into the beauty and symbolism of Silver Rakhi and why it holds a special place in this cherished tradition.

The Significance of Silver Rakhi

1. Symbol of Purity: Silver is associated with purity, prosperity, and blessings. Tying a Silver Rakhi symbolizes purity of intentions, heartfelt prayers for the brother's well-being, and a wish for prosperity and abundance in his life.
2. Elegance and Sophistication: Silver Rakhi exudes elegance and sophistication with its lustrous shine and intricate designs. Crafted with precision and attention to detail, Silver Rakhis are timeless pieces of art that are cherished for generations.
3. Symbolism of Strength: Silver is known for its strength and durability, reflecting the resilient bond between siblings. Tying a Silver Rakhi signifies the sister's commitment to protecting and supporting her brother, just as silver endures over time.

Celebrating Raksha Bandhan with Silver Rakhi

1. Choosing the Right Design: Silver Rakhis come in a variety of designs, from traditional motifs to contemporary patterns. Choose a design that resonates with your brother's style and personality, whether he prefers classic elegance or modern sophistication.
2. Personalized Touch: Add a personalized touch to the Silver Rakhi by engraving initials, names, or a special message. This adds a sentimental value to the Rakhi and makes it a cherished keepsake for years to come.
3. Accompanying Gifts: Pair the Silver Rakhi with thoughtful gifts that complement its elegance. Consider gifting silver jewelry, personalized accessories, or other tokens of love and appreciation.
4. Rituals and Prayers: On Raksha Bandhan day, perform traditional rituals such as applying tilak, tying the Silver Rakhi, and offering prayers for your brother's well-being, prosperity, and happiness.

Preserving Tradition with Silver Rakhi

1. Passing Down Heritage: Silver Rakhi embodies the richness of tradition and heritage, making it a meaningful symbol of familial bonds and cultural identity. Passing down Silver Rakhis from generation to generation preserves the legacy and strengthens the connection to one's roots.
2. Celebrating Modernity: While rooted in tradition, Silver Rakhi also embraces modernity with its contemporary designs and craftsmanship. It represents the seamless blend of tradition and innovation, honoring the past while embracing the present.
3. Promoting Artisanal Craftsmanship: Silver Rakhi is often handcrafted by skilled artisans who showcase their talent and creativity through intricate designs and meticulous craftsmanship. Supporting artisanal craftsmanship not only promotes traditional art forms but also empowers local communities.

Silver Rakhi from Rakhi.com epitomizes the beauty, elegance, and symbolism of Raksha Bandhan, elevating the tradition to new heights of sophistication and grace. Whether adorned with traditional motifs or contemporary designs, Silver Rakhi serves as a timeless expression of love, protection, and blessings between siblings. Celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Silver Rakhi and honor the sacred bond that unites brothers and sisters in a lifelong journey of love, support, and companionship.

To clarify, I now know that there are different definitions of the word “ship”, but for the purposes of this article and to keep things simple I will use the definition of “a relationship that’s rushed and/or forced with no real development.” I hope you can understand as I do not know of any other single word to describe that concept. If you do, perhaps you can tell me. Also, fair warning, this is long form content (some 10 pages), if you like it but can’t read it all at once you can save it and come back to it over a period of time, or you can stop reading whenever you get tired of it and still discuss those parts of it with me that you have read. But keep it civil if you want a civil response.
With that, to qualify the title, no, Ezra and Sabine do NOT absolutely have to be a couple, but if they were to become one, it would NOT be a ship. Ezra and Sabine’s relationship has had years of development. Could they remain as simply friends? Yes, but ironically, it was their “friendship” that felt like more of a ship. It felt like the Ahsoka show, helmed by Dave Filoni, was going out of its way to tell us: “no, they’re not a couple, they’re just friends.”
I believe that Filoni made some very poor writing choices to stress something that didn’t really need to be stressed, such that it almost felt like he was in denial. The line “I love you like a sister” was never in Rebels, Filoni essentially had that retconned in, and like many I was put off by their (largely) emotionless reunion. Even if they were “just friends” I believe there would be a great deal more emotion displayed between two people that hadn’t seen each other in some ten years, especially when one of them was in a precarious situation when they parted. I also believe Ezra would be far more curious about Sabine being Force sensitive, perhaps even offering to help train her when she told him that her training hadn’t gone as well with Ahsoka. He did help to train her with the Darksaber, didn’t he? Why that never came up is another discussion, but for now, let’s focus on shipping.
In case you think I’m desperate to have them as a couple, no I’m not. I’m about the furthest thing from it. Like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers) I DESPISE shipping. Absolutely DESPISE it. With a flaming passion. Perhaps for this reason, and maybe some others, like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers), I’m generally wary of nearly all romance in fiction, and generally avoid it in my own work. The sad reality is that romance is perhaps the most abused genre in all of fiction, all throughout history. It has been so badly abused that many people, including myself for the longest time, have equated romance with shipping, though I’m slowly beginning to see that they are not the same thing, and one does not necessarily have to go with the other.
But sadly, many writers, through time immemorial, have not been able to separate them, going back into ancient times and perhaps even into pre-history, that is before languages were actually written down. Some of what is considered great literature; classics like Romeo and Juliet, are predicated on shipping, though at least the consequences of this “whirlwind romance” are shown to be fairly stark. Star Wars itself is no stranger to shipping, resulting in a very awkward incestuous kiss when Luke was shipped with Leia, then Leia was placed with Han and Lucas made Luke and Leia brother and sister, apparently having forgotten his original ship. Later Lucas essentially shipped Anakin and Padme, resulting in some of the most cringeworthy dialog in the history of film. Many fans of the Prequels even have been somewhat critical of Anakin’s portrayal, particularly in regards to the “romantic” scenes, with many describing them as “creepy”. Some have speculated that this was intentional, though personally I think it was just the result of bad writing on the part of George Lucas, and an impatience on his part for Anakin and Padme to become a couple, hence “shipping”.
One might wonder why this is so prevalent in fiction, and tragically, one does not have to look far. Fiction is merely a reflection of reality, therefore the reason that shipping is so common in our stories is that we fall so easily into it in real life. Indeed, entire cultures may be based around shipping, or at least very heavily wrapped up in it. Throughout history arranged marriages have been the norm, and the idea of marrying for “love” is something relatively new. To be fair, I’ve actually met people in arranged marriages who seemed to be fairly happy, but those same people were very open in telling me that many despise that aspect of their culture, and that it is quite normal for those in an arranged marriage to try to get out.
People might come together for “love” without marrying, but even then it often creates expectations that might turn into a burden. Even when a marriage is voluntary and for “love”, people are often left unsatisfied, such that today in the West the divorce rate is something like 50%. Happy, stable, long term relationships seem to be the exception across cultures and across the breadth and width of time. And yet pursuit of love and some kind of relationship seems to be the highest calling for many people, both in real life and in fiction. And it could be that the accumulated disgust is finally starting to boil over.
To be fair, this may not be the first time in history that the pendulum has shifted. You may recall that in Victorian times attitudes changed drastically, as compared to the previously bawdy Elizabethan times. Looking at a play from Shakespear, if you can understand the language, you’ll see all kinds of vulgar references, as well as what I believe are fairly sappy romances like in the aforementioned Romeo and Juliet, though I can’t say for certain whether Shakespear was actually endorsing that type of attitude towards “love” or presenting it as a cautionary tale, maybe even something to be ridiculed in some of his other plays.
But regardless, Victorians as you may well know had a very conservative attitude towards anything to do with romance, and would often avoid the subject in many places, or tread very carefully around it, as if walking on eggshells. It’s not that people stopped being romantic, in fiction or real life, but it was treated as something very serious and even dangerous, with many urges repressed or even suppressed entirely. This had all kinds of effects on society, both positive and negative. On the positive side, it reinforced the ideal of people being committed to their partners, and of marriage as a sacred institution rather than a “casual hookup” as was more common in Elizabethan times. Likewise it reinforced ideals of modesty and chastity, which may be coming back into vogue, though under different names. But just as there were positive aspects to these attitudes, so were there negative ones.
Just because the urges I described were repressed did not mean that they disappeared. In fact, they often morphed into things that many would consider “unhealthy”. From one statistic that I saw, in Victorian times about one in every 60 houses was a brothel, with the modern rate being closer to one in 6000. Additionally, the rights of women were often repressed, such that they could not fully express themselves and find their own identity, and path in life, as individuals. Just as Elizabethan ideals gave way to Victorian ones, so did the Victorian ideals gradually begin to erode.
Perhaps it began with the Jazz Age of the 1920’s (the “Roaring Twenties”), or with the increased interconnectivity of people traveling to different parts of the world during World War I, not to mention the cynicism that pervaded throughout the West in response to failed old ideals leading to the deadliest war in history up to that point, but many Victorian ideals began to be seen as a joke, and even resented for their “oppression”, which to be fair was not entirely unjustified. But regardless, people gradually, and at times not so gradually, became more and more “liberated” and promiscuous. This culminated in the Sexual Revolution in the late 1960’s, when what had previously been seen as a vice and even a sin was now seen as not only “normal” but as a healthy form of expression, a virtue even. And just as these ideas were embraced in real life, so too were they reflected in our films, TV shows, and other media, often to the consternation of older people and institutions, like the Vatican. The Catholic Church even went so far as to “ban” certain films, that is to declare them immoral for good Catholics to watch. Many of the films that were banned back then, or at least controversial, like The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman, are fairly tame by today’s standards.
It continued through the 70’s, at times warming and at times cooling through the rest of the century, until you could argue it reached a kind of crescendo in the early 21st century with the advent of so-called “dark romance” and the publication of books like Fifty Shades of Grey. (Ironically, many of the themes within this “dark romance” can trace their roots back to the Victorian era, yet another indication that repressing urges without addressing them often doesn’t work out as one might hope.) But as happens all too often, just as something reaches peak popularity is when it begins to go out of style, and that is what we may be experiencing right now. As weird as it may sound, we may actually have come full circle and may be on the cusp of a “New Victorian Age” (complete with “dark romance”, even). Web sites like Porn Hub and OnlyFans, as well as other similar sites, may be the new “brothels”, and what was once openly celebrated may be going underground, to an extent. The effects of this on society have been interesting to say the least, and at times I would even say bizarre.
Whilst many younger people seem content with these changes, many older people are concerned. I’ve seen a number of books, films, and other media receive positive reviews for example based specifically on their lack of romance. Many of these books/films, etc. fall into the “young adult” category, meaning that it is young adults obviously who mostly consume them. At the same time I’ve heard a number of older people, mostly boomers and Gen-Xers, criticize these same books/films for their lack of romance. Even some older millennials seem upset by the changes, as perhaps evidenced by Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film No Hard Feelings (though to be fair that film may be lampooning the older generation’s frustration as well as the younger generation’s frigidity). So just as in the past older people were concerned about the promiscuity of the youth, now it actually appears that many older people are concerned about the youth’s lack of promiscuity.
Who could have seen that coming? But to be fair, the younger generation hasn’t gone completely frigid. As stated earlier, much of the promiscuity has gone “underground”, or online, which many would argue is not very healthy as it might undermine actual relationships, whether they are romantic in nature or simple friendships. And speaking of that, friendships within stories nowadays often aren’t portrayed in a very authentic or compelling manner, perhaps because in ditching romance modern writers haven’t quite yet learned how to replace it with something else. In other words, the “New Victorian Age” may not be an exact repeat of the previous one, but may have its own twists and turns, for better and for worse.
This may all essentially be a manifestation of the Human Condition, in that we just can’t seem to find a happy medium, neither in real life nor in fiction. Thus we keep swinging from one extreme to the other, apparently getting wilder with each swing.
So where does all this leave us? What is it that we really want in our lives, and in our stories? Especially in regards to relationships? I think at some level we all want to see good and healthy relationships between people and/or characters, whether romantic or platonic. I believe at some point we would like to see good examples of both friendship and romance, and I would argue that the best examples of romance have them combined. Even a toxic relationship, if well portrayed or documented, can be instructive and serve as a good example of what to avoid in our lives that we might be happier and relate better to each other. A good relationship, by contrast, can give us something to aspire to and inspire us to not only look for the right kind of person to complement our lives, but to make ourselves worthy of that person. And here I’ll add that I’m perfectly aware that in real life (and thus in fiction) relationships can be very complicated and heavily nuanced, with elements of both “good” and “bad” in them. Just as people change over time so can the relationships between them change, at times getting better and at times worse, sometimes breaking entirely and sometimes growing stronger. Relationships can have just as many layers and dimensions as characters, more even perhaps, and a skilled writer should be able to reflect this complexity. At other times a relationship can be fairly straightforward, simplicity sometimes being the best approach. But regardless, the audience should be able to relate and identify with what they are seeing, such that hopefully they can incorporate the lessons from it in their own lives.
Where can we find good examples of relationships to study? There may be a number of them in the real world, but the trouble with studying real world relationships is that they’re often much more complicated than fictional ones (just as real people are more complicated than fictional characters), and for many of them it is almost impossible to know all the details and nuances because they are often kept private, understandably so, and even if they aren’t it can still be difficult, due to unique circumstances, to see how to relate them to our own lives. Additionally there may be far more disagreement about a real life situation than a fictional one, with many more points of view. To keep things simple, for the purpose of this article I would like to focus on fictional relationships. (And fair warning, there will be some spoilers.)
One of the best places to look, I would argue, would be the films of Hayao Miyazaki. (And this is pretty significant to Star Wars as you will see in a bit.) A film of his that stands out to me the most is Princess Mononoke. Like many of Miyazaki’s films it has elements of romance, and yet subverts them in a way that makes complete sense and feels very genuine, without taking away from any of the accompanying charm. It starts with two young people, San and Ashitaka, and as soon as they encounter each other there is a kind of expectation of romance. This may be inevitable to some degree when you have a man and a woman of about the same age encounter each other in a story, especially if they happen to be adolescents. The expectation may not be inherently bad, and Miyazaki does play with it. Both characters are thrust into dangerous situations, at various points end up saving each other’s lives, and at a certain point I think it is obvious that they have feelings for each other. I was certain that at the end of the film, they would be together, and if things had gone that way, it would make complete sense. Instead, they go in different directions, but remain good friends, and considering their backgrounds and differing worldviews, this ends up making even more sense to the story.
Essentially, Miyazaki could have gone for the more conventional, tried and true “love conquers all” narrative, where the characters’ feelings for each other would negate everything that comes between them, they would somehow find a common ground in spite of their differences, the romance would not only take over the narrative but somehow also solve all the problems in the story, and then the couple would live “happily ever after”. Such an approach is not inherently bad or wrong, and is fairly common in Western media and storytelling. We can see it in films like Fern Gully, and more recently James Cameron’s Avatar, both of which have been compared to Princess Mononoke. As you can probably guess, the problem is that at a certain point such a narrative can become fairly simplistic, and lack nuance.
Miyazaki’s films, by contrast, are very heavily nuanced, and are anything but simplistic. In Princess Mononoke the characters San and Ashitaka don’t help each other simply because they are “in love”, but because it is the right thing to do, regardless of how they might feel about each other. Yes, romantic feelings are certainly alluded to, but they are not essential to the plot, for it could have worked just as well without any romantic allusions. And ironically, this makes those allusions even more valid, even if they are unrequited. How so?
Consider that if love is essential to a given narrative, is it not relegated to being nothing more than a plot device? Again, this is quite common in Western media and storytelling, and is not inherently bad or wrong, but when it becomes a trope or cliche, I believe it is the essence of where shipping comes from. Many storytellers get caught up in this, usually without realizing it, and while a story can still work even with shipping, I believe that it usually works that much better without it.
This extends not only to Miyazaki’s handling of romance but also to other things like environmentalism, the conflict between man and nature, and the contrasting ideals of human progress vs. preserving the natural order. Movies like Fern Gully and Avatar, as already mentioned, handle these themes in a fairly simplistic and I would even say hamfisted manner, whereby all progress and technology is shown as being inherently “bad” and in service to “evil”, while everything that’s “natural” is shown to be inherently “good”. Even our notions of good and evil, and right vs. wrong, are challenged by Miyazaki, with nearly all of his characters having complex motives and multiple dimensions to them, as well as understandable reasons for doing the things that they do. Rarely can any one of his characters be branded as a simple “villain”, and rarely is any one individual the source of conflict in his stories, again in contrast to most Western narratives.
I’ll reiterate once more, a simple, straightforward narrative is not inherently a bad thing, whether the themes being dealt with are romantic or anything else. Sometimes it is in fact the best approach. But the best stories in my opinion are usually the most nuanced, that challenge our notions of what we believe to be true, and that force us to think about what we do with our lives and what we could do differently. To that end Miyazaki introduces all manner of themes and motifs within his films that are familiar to us but shows them in a light most of us might not have considered, thus giving more dimension to our understanding of things.
“How is any of this related to Star Wars?” you might ask. It is quite related, and you don’t even have to look all that closely to see it. A very influential figure within Star Wars was very heavily inspired by the works of Miyazaki, and that figure is Dave Filoni.
This video shows the connections in some detail:
https://youtu.be/Q_4L0BbSpHo?si=04jDo6qFCnZT135w
But to summarize if you’ve seen any of Miyazaki’s films, especially Princess Mononoke, I think the callbacks in Filoni’s work will be all too obvious, especially in Star Wars Rebels. Some of the scenes in Filoni’s work look like they were taken directly from Miyazki’s films, and many of the same themes and motifs often come up. The relationship between San and Ashitaka I would argue is very similar to the relationship between Ezra and Sabine, and not just because both couples rode wolves together.
Incidentally, Dave Filoni was also heavily involved in Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I would also argue was at least to some degree inspired if not by Miyazaki then by Japanese anime in general. The relationship between Aang and Katara was developed with great care and was allowed to build very slowly, as opposed to simply shipping them. Likewise other characters very gradually developed as individuals and in their relationships, at times stumbling as they did so, and making mistakes, before finding their way back to the right path.
All of this is in stark contrast to George Lucas, whose character development is often very rushed at best, and at times some might say almost non-existent. So essentially, even though Lucas has said that Filoni has been “like a son” to him, and I believe referred to Filoni as his “padawan”, I would argue that Filoni is ultimately as much a student of Miyazaki as he is of Lucas.
Again, you might ask, “What does all this mean for Star Wars?” It means a great many things. It means that Dave Filoni has taken Miyazaki’s lessons to heart, and can handle things like romance, as well as other kinds of relationships, quite well most of the time. Like Miyazaki he can play with romance, tease the audience with it at times even, leave the romance unrequited, and yet still have it feel satisfying. A prime example of this is the love triangle that Ahsoka was involved in with the young Separatist Senator, Lux Bonteri, and Steela Gerrera. As wary as I am of romance and as much as I despise shipping, love triangles I normally despise even more, but this one seemed to actually work. It never took over the main story, and even though Ahsoka’s feelings were ultimately not reciprocated, she still learned from the experience, and grew and developed further as a character because of it. The other characters involved in this triangle also grew and developed from their involvement, though unfortunately not all of them made it. All in all it was a good bit of storytelling and gave the audience something to consider.
When a relationship in one of Filoni’s stories does bloom into a full blown romance he also generally handles it quite well. For one Filoni is sparing with actual romance, so that when it does occur, it can be that much more appreciated. And rather than rushing or shipping it, Filoni normally takes his time to build it up. An example of this is the relationship between Kanan and Hera. Some might argue that this is perhaps the best developed romance in all of Star Wars, at least in Canon. Built up over four seasons, at times it wasn’t certain whether it was a romance or a friendship, or perhaps even a professional partnership. Perhaps even the characters themselves were not certain, though it was hinted all throughout the narrative that something was going on. To this day I don’t believe anyone can say definitively when it became an actual romance, and I believe Filoni did this intentionally because he wanted to be subtle, rather than making things too obvious and having the romance take over the narrative, as it usually does. When it finally did become obvious as to what was happening, it felt very much earned, in a way that is seldom accomplished in other works of fiction, including Star Wars.
The relationship between Ezra and Sabine was also fairly well written, for the most part anyway, at least in Star Wars Rebels. Ezra was almost immediately smitten with Sabine, but being a young teenage boy, it was understandable that he would feel that way about an attractive girl. Over time he learned to see her more respectfully, as a colleague and even as part of his adopted family, not just as a pretty face. Sabine for her part found Ezra annoying at first (c’mon, what teenage boy isn’t?), but as he matured and she found out more about him she came to understand and respect him more, and see him as a friend and almost a brother, with there being potential for something more.
There were times when the relationship could have been better written, like in the episode “Blood Sisters”, where Ezra was written to be a bit too immature to make Sabine look wiser. But overall, the bond between them developed fairly well; both saved one another at various times, and took risks and made sacrifices for each other’s sake. Both reassured and comforted the other when they needed it, and it was endearing to hear their banter when they became more familiar and trusting of each other.
So why then was I so disappointed in how they were portrayed in the Ahsoka show? The thing is, after how well their relationship was built up in Rebels, as I’ve already mentioned it was strange to see how lackluster and uninspired their reunion was.
Within the Ahsoka show itself Sabine was shown to be almost obsessed with finding Ezra, living in what used to be his home, watching a recording of him over and over again, and calling out his name as she woke up in the middle of the night. She even risked bringing Thrawn back into the Galaxy, which ultimately happened, just so she could see Ezra again. After all that, when she finally does encounter him, her reaction seems fairly casual, as does his, as if they’ve been apart for no more than a week, rather than 10 years. Not too much happens between them afterwards either. Like I said Ezra does not appear all that curious about what happened with Sabine, how she found him, and how it was that she was now Force sensitive. Sabine likewise did not seem curious about what had happened with Ezra, and how he had gotten away from Thrawn. And with Ezra rescued and returned home, suddenly it didn’t seem as though Sabine was all that interested in him anymore, nor he all that concerned with her, though they were just as far apart as they had been at the start of the show. To be completely honest it made me wonder what the point of the whole show was. Were they just working to set up Thrawn’s return to the Galaxy? As some have said, Ezra felt like nothing more than a Macguffin in the show. Was Sabine and Ahsoka’s search for him just a plot device?
Considering how skillfully Dave Filoni had written his stories in the past, what happened in this latest project of his does not make much sense. Was he so concerned about “shipping” and so desperate to avoid it that he inadvertently “shipped” them in the other direction? Was there some sort of external pressure on him about how to write this story to have more of an appeal to “modern audiences”? Maybe some combination of those factors?
And here I’ll add that when I say “modern audiences” I don’t mean that in a contemptuous sense, though you may think I do. If there is any contempt on my part it is for those in charge of telling our stories, or those in charge of those telling our stories, who do not seem to grasp these basic truths. The truth is that audiences at their core don’t really change throughout the ages, only superficially so. Trends come and go but certain truths and ideals are eternal, and universal. How people relate to each other fundamentally does not change, whether they are friends, or more than friends. And deep down, I believe everyone (or nearly everyone at least) wants the same things. Nearly everyone at some point wants some kind of a connection with another human being, to know that they are not alone in the world, and to know that there is someone else who sees and understands things as they do. While this desire can certainly lead to abuse, and absolutely has, it is still innate to us and is not inherently wrong. Finding ways of connecting and relating to other people is one of the great challenges of life, but many would argue it is the most worthwhile of challenges. It may be the whole point of life if you think about it. As complex as it may be, many would argue it is what makes life worth living, and likewise makes for the best stories. Just as it may be the whole point of life many would say that is what most stories are about at their core: people trying to relate to one another.
Sadly, just as in real life, most stories unfortunately don’t quite get it, and the Ahsoka show in my opinion was an example of this, made all the sadder by the fact that Dave Filoni had done quite well with these characters up to that point. We may never know for certain what exactly went wrong and why, or if it can ever be “fixed” at this point, but I can’t help but feel curious. Maybe in the future Filoni will find a way to make it make sense, but I’m not sure how. And to be completely honest I don’t feel quite as enthusiastic to find out as I used to.
Also for the record I would like to add here that there are other factors that put me off from the show, such as Sabine’s Force sensitivity, that came about without much build up. But in this article I specifically wanted to focus on shipping because there seems to be so much misunderstanding around it.
I hope that I was able to clarify some, if not most of this misunderstanding, so that people could better appreciate what shipping is, where it comes from, as well as what it isn’t. Many people today are understandably sick of shipping characters, myself included. But I hope people realize that in overcompensating for something, we often come back around into the very thing that we are overcompensating for. Or sometimes, into something even worse. This may apply to nearly every facet of life, by the way, not just shipping. Finding a happy medium in how we portray our fictional relationships may help us to better understand relationships in real life, as well as how to navigate them. Neither fictional nor actual relationships can ever be perfect but they can always be better. To this understanding then I hope that I was able to give my own modest contribution, and if nothing else I hope we can connect on that.

Like many other people, I've gotten a lot of "moderation errors" lately and it feels like the AI is overcorrecting since most of what I've been trying to generate is literally meant to be "music that doesn't exist" in terms of weird genre combinations, etc. Actually, so far 90% of my "moderation errors" have happened when trying to get it to combine styles that don't really go together...
Since Udio already detects similar artists (oversensitively...?) and can even trigger an "artist replaced" thing if a name is used in the prompt, maybe there could be an option to see what the AI thinks a track sounds closest to? It'd be a great way to find cool music!

To clarify, I now know that there are different definitions of the word “ship”, but for the purposes of this article and to keep things simple I will use the definition of “a relationship that’s rushed and/or forced with no real development.” I hope you can understand as I do not know of any other single word to describe that concept. If you do, perhaps you can tell me. Also, fair warning, this is long form content (some 10 pages), if you like it but can’t read it all at once you can save it and come back to it over a period of time, or you can stop reading whenever you get tired of it and still discuss those parts of it with me that you have read. But keep it civil if you want a civil response.
With that, to qualify the title, no, Ezra and Sabine do NOT absolutely have to be a couple, but if they were to become one, it would NOT be a ship. Ezra and Sabine’s relationship has had years of development. Could they remain as simply friends? Yes, but ironically, it was their “friendship” that felt like more of a ship. It felt like the Ahsoka show, helmed by Dave Filoni, was going out of its way to tell us: “no, they’re not a couple, they’re just friends.”
I believe that Filoni made some very poor writing choices to stress something that didn’t really need to be stressed, such that it almost felt like he was in denial. The line “I love you like a sister” was never in Rebels, Filoni essentially had that retconned in, and like many I was put off by their (largely) emotionless reunion. Even if they were “just friends” I believe there would be a great deal more emotion displayed between two people that hadn’t seen each other in some ten years, especially when one of them was in a precarious situation when they parted. I also believe Ezra would be far more curious about Sabine being Force sensitive, perhaps even offering to help train her when she told him that her training hadn’t gone as well with Ahsoka. He did help to train her with the Darksaber, didn’t he? Why that never came up is another discussion, but for now, let’s focus on shipping.
In case you think I’m desperate to have them as a couple, no I’m not. I’m about the furthest thing from it. Like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers) I DESPISE shipping. Absolutely DESPISE it. With a flaming passion. Perhaps for this reason, and maybe some others, like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers), I’m generally wary of nearly all romance in fiction, and generally avoid it in my own work. The sad reality is that romance is perhaps the most abused genre in all of fiction, all throughout history. It has been so badly abused that many people, including myself for the longest time, have equated romance with shipping, though I’m slowly beginning to see that they are not the same thing, and one does not necessarily have to go with the other.
But sadly, many writers, through time immemorial, have not been able to separate them, going back into ancient times and perhaps even into pre-history, that is before languages were actually written down. Some of what is considered great literature; classics like Romeo and Juliet, are predicated on shipping, though at least the consequences of this “whirlwind romance” are shown to be fairly stark. Star Wars itself is no stranger to shipping, resulting in a very awkward incestuous kiss when Luke was shipped with Leia, then Leia was placed with Han and Lucas made Luke and Leia brother and sister, apparently having forgotten his original ship. Later Lucas essentially shipped Anakin and Padme, resulting in some of the most cringeworthy dialog in the history of film. Many fans of the Prequels even have been somewhat critical of Anakin’s portrayal, particularly in regards to the “romantic” scenes, with many describing them as “creepy”. Some have speculated that this was intentional, though personally I think it was just the result of bad writing on the part of George Lucas, and an impatience on his part for Anakin and Padme to become a couple, hence “shipping”.
One might wonder why this is so prevalent in fiction, and tragically, one does not have to look far. Fiction is merely a reflection of reality, therefore the reason that shipping is so common in our stories is that we fall so easily into it in real life. Indeed, entire cultures may be based around shipping, or at least very heavily wrapped up in it. Throughout history arranged marriages have been the norm, and the idea of marrying for “love” is something relatively new. To be fair, I’ve actually met people in arranged marriages who seemed to be fairly happy, but those same people were very open in telling me that many despise that aspect of their culture, and that it is quite normal for those in an arranged marriage to try to get out.
People might come together for “love” without marrying, but even then it often creates expectations that might turn into a burden. Even when a marriage is voluntary and for “love”, people are often left unsatisfied, such that today in the West the divorce rate is something like 50%. Happy, stable, long term relationships seem to be the exception across cultures and across the breadth and width of time. And yet pursuit of love and some kind of relationship seems to be the highest calling for many people, both in real life and in fiction. And it could be that the accumulated disgust is finally starting to boil over.
To be fair, this may not be the first time in history that the pendulum has shifted. You may recall that in Victorian times attitudes changed drastically, as compared to the previously bawdy Elizabethan times. Looking at a play from Shakespear, if you can understand the language, you’ll see all kinds of vulgar references, as well as what I believe are fairly sappy romances like in the aforementioned Romeo and Juliet, though I can’t say for certain whether Shakespear was actually endorsing that type of attitude towards “love” or presenting it as a cautionary tale, maybe even something to be ridiculed in some of his other plays.
But regardless, Victorians as you may well know had a very conservative attitude towards anything to do with romance, and would often avoid the subject in many places, or tread very carefully around it, as if walking on eggshells. It’s not that people stopped being romantic, in fiction or real life, but it was treated as something very serious and even dangerous, with many urges repressed or even suppressed entirely. This had all kinds of effects on society, both positive and negative. On the positive side, it reinforced the ideal of people being committed to their partners, and of marriage as a sacred institution rather than a “casual hookup” as was more common in Elizabethan times. Likewise it reinforced ideals of modesty and chastity, which may be coming back into vogue, though under different names. But just as there were positive aspects to these attitudes, so were there negative ones.
Just because the urges I described were repressed did not mean that they disappeared. In fact, they often morphed into things that many would consider “unhealthy”. From one statistic that I saw, in Victorian times about one in every 60 houses was a brothel, with the modern rate being closer to one in 6000. Additionally, the rights of women were often repressed, such that they could not fully express themselves and find their own identity, and path in life, as individuals. Just as Elizabethan ideals gave way to Victorian ones, so did the Victorian ideals gradually begin to erode.
Perhaps it began with the Jazz Age of the 1920’s (the “Roaring Twenties”), or with the increased interconnectivity of people traveling to different parts of the world during World War I, not to mention the cynicism that pervaded throughout the West in response to failed old ideals leading to the deadliest war in history up to that point, but many Victorian ideals began to be seen as a joke, and even resented for their “oppression”, which to be fair was not entirely unjustified. But regardless, people gradually, and at times not so gradually, became more and more “liberated” and promiscuous. This culminated in the Sexual Revolution in the late 1960’s, when what had previously been seen as a vice and even a sin was now seen as not only “normal” but as a healthy form of expression, a virtue even. And just as these ideas were embraced in real life, so too were they reflected in our films, TV shows, and other media, often to the consternation of older people and institutions, like the Vatican. The Catholic Church even went so far as to “ban” certain films, that is to declare them immoral for good Catholics to watch. Many of the films that were banned back then, or at least controversial, like The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman, are fairly tame by today’s standards.
It continued through the 70’s, at times warming and at times cooling through the rest of the century, until you could argue it reached a kind of crescendo in the early 21st century with the advent of so-called “dark romance” and the publication of books like Fifty Shades of Grey. (Ironically, many of the themes within this “dark romance” can trace their roots back to the Victorian era, yet another indication that repressing urges without addressing them often doesn’t work out as one might hope.) But as happens all too often, just as something reaches peak popularity is when it begins to go out of style, and that is what we may be experiencing right now. As weird as it may sound, we may actually have come full circle and may be on the cusp of a “New Victorian Age” (complete with “dark romance”, even). Web sites like Porn Hub and OnlyFans, as well as other similar sites, may be the new “brothels”, and what was once openly celebrated may be going underground, to an extent. The effects of this on society have been interesting to say the least, and at times I would even say bizarre.
Whilst many younger people seem content with these changes, many older people are concerned. I’ve seen a number of books, films, and other media receive positive reviews for example based specifically on their lack of romance. Many of these books/films, etc. fall into the “young adult” category, meaning that it is young adults obviously who mostly consume them. At the same time I’ve heard a number of older people, mostly boomers and Gen-Xers, criticize these same books/films for their lack of romance. Even some older millennials seem upset by the changes, as perhaps evidenced by Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film No Hard Feelings (though to be fair that film may be lampooning the older generation’s frustration as well as the younger generation’s frigidity). So just as in the past older people were concerned about the promiscuity of the youth, now it actually appears that many older people are concerned about the youth’s lack of promiscuity.
Who could have seen that coming? But to be fair, the younger generation hasn’t gone completely frigid. As stated earlier, much of the promiscuity has gone “underground”, or online, which many would argue is not very healthy as it might undermine actual relationships, whether they are romantic in nature or simple friendships. And speaking of that, friendships within stories nowadays often aren’t portrayed in a very authentic or compelling manner, perhaps because in ditching romance modern writers haven’t quite yet learned how to replace it with something else. In other words, the “New Victorian Age” may not be an exact repeat of the previous one, but may have its own twists and turns, for better and for worse.
This may all essentially be a manifestation of the Human Condition, in that we just can’t seem to find a happy medium, neither in real life nor in fiction. Thus we keep swinging from one extreme to the other, apparently getting wilder with each swing.
So where does all this leave us? What is it that we really want in our lives, and in our stories? Especially in regards to relationships? I think at some level we all want to see good and healthy relationships between people and/or characters, whether romantic or platonic. I believe at some point we would like to see good examples of both friendship and romance, and I would argue that the best examples of romance have them combined. Even a toxic relationship, if well portrayed or documented, can be instructive and serve as a good example of what to avoid in our lives that we might be happier and relate better to each other. A good relationship, by contrast, can give us something to aspire to and inspire us to not only look for the right kind of person to complement our lives, but to make ourselves worthy of that person. And here I’ll add that I’m perfectly aware that in real life (and thus in fiction) relationships can be very complicated and heavily nuanced, with elements of both “good” and “bad” in them. Just as people change over time so can the relationships between them change, at times getting better and at times worse, sometimes breaking entirely and sometimes growing stronger. Relationships can have just as many layers and dimensions as characters, more even perhaps, and a skilled writer should be able to reflect this complexity. At other times a relationship can be fairly straightforward, simplicity sometimes being the best approach. But regardless, the audience should be able to relate and identify with what they are seeing, such that hopefully they can incorporate the lessons from it in their own lives.
Where can we find good examples of relationships to study? There may be a number of them in the real world, but the trouble with studying real world relationships is that they’re often much more complicated than fictional ones (just as real people are more complicated than fictional characters), and for many of them it is almost impossible to know all the details and nuances because they are often kept private, understandably so, and even if they aren’t it can still be difficult, due to unique circumstances, to see how to relate them to our own lives. Additionally there may be far more disagreement about a real life situation than a fictional one, with many more points of view. To keep things simple, for the purpose of this article I would like to focus on fictional relationships. (And fair warning, there will be some spoilers.)
One of the best places to look, I would argue, would be the films of Hayao Miyazaki. (And this is pretty significant to Star Wars as you will see in a bit.) A film of his that stands out to me the most is Princess Mononoke. Like many of Miyazaki’s films it has elements of romance, and yet subverts them in a way that makes complete sense and feels very genuine, without taking away from any of the accompanying charm. It starts with two young people, San and Ashitaka, and as soon as they encounter each other there is a kind of expectation of romance. This may be inevitable to some degree when you have a man and a woman of about the same age encounter each other in a story, especially if they happen to be adolescents. The expectation may not be inherently bad, and Miyazaki does play with it. Both characters are thrust into dangerous situations, at various points end up saving each other’s lives, and at a certain point I think it is obvious that they have feelings for each other. I was certain that at the end of the film, they would be together, and if things had gone that way, it would make complete sense. Instead, they go in different directions, but remain good friends, and considering their backgrounds and differing worldviews, this ends up making even more sense to the story.
Essentially, Miyazaki could have gone for the more conventional, tried and true “love conquers all” narrative, where the characters’ feelings for each other would negate everything that comes between them, they would somehow find a common ground in spite of their differences, the romance would not only take over the narrative but somehow also solve all the problems in the story, and then the couple would live “happily ever after”. Such an approach is not inherently bad or wrong, and is fairly common in Western media and storytelling. We can see it in films like Fern Gully, and more recently James Cameron’s Avatar, both of which have been compared to Princess Mononoke. As you can probably guess, the problem is that at a certain point such a narrative can become fairly simplistic, and lack nuance.
Miyazaki’s films, by contrast, are very heavily nuanced, and are anything but simplistic. In Princess Mononoke the characters San and Ashitaka don’t help each other simply because they are “in love”, but because it is the right thing to do, regardless of how they might feel about each other. Yes, romantic feelings are certainly alluded to, but they are not essential to the plot, for it could have worked just as well without any romantic allusions. And ironically, this makes those allusions even more valid, even if they are unrequited. How so?
Consider that if love is essential to a given narrative, is it not relegated to being nothing more than a plot device? Again, this is quite common in Western media and storytelling, and is not inherently bad or wrong, but when it becomes a trope or cliche, I believe it is the essence of where shipping comes from. Many storytellers get caught up in this, usually without realizing it, and while a story can still work even with shipping, I believe that it usually works that much better without it.
This extends not only to Miyazaki’s handling of romance but also to other things like environmentalism, the conflict between man and nature, and the contrasting ideals of human progress vs. preserving the natural order. Movies like Fern Gully and Avatar, as already mentioned, handle these themes in a fairly simplistic and I would even say hamfisted manner, whereby all progress and technology is shown as being inherently “bad” and in service to “evil”, while everything that’s “natural” is shown to be inherently “good”. Even our notions of good and evil, and right vs. wrong, are challenged by Miyazaki, with nearly all of his characters having complex motives and multiple dimensions to them, as well as understandable reasons for doing the things that they do. Rarely can any one of his characters be branded as a simple “villain”, and rarely is any one individual the source of conflict in his stories, again in contrast to most Western narratives.
I’ll reiterate once more, a simple, straightforward narrative is not inherently a bad thing, whether the themes being dealt with are romantic or anything else. Sometimes it is in fact the best approach. But the best stories in my opinion are usually the most nuanced, that challenge our notions of what we believe to be true, and that force us to think about what we do with our lives and what we could do differently. To that end Miyazaki introduces all manner of themes and motifs within his films that are familiar to us but shows them in a light most of us might not have considered, thus giving more dimension to our understanding of things.
“How is any of this related to Star Wars?” you might ask. It is quite related, and you don’t even have to look all that closely to see it. A very influential figure within Star Wars was very heavily inspired by the works of Miyazaki, and that figure is Dave Filoni.
This video shows the connections in some detail:
https://youtu.be/Q_4L0BbSpHo?si=04jDo6qFCnZT135w
But to summarize if you’ve seen any of Miyazaki’s films, especially Princess Mononoke, I think the callbacks in Filoni’s work will be all too obvious, especially in Star Wars Rebels. Some of the scenes in Filoni’s work look like they were taken directly from Miyazki’s films, and many of the same themes and motifs often come up. The relationship between San and Ashitaka I would argue is very similar to the relationship between Ezra and Sabine, and not just because both couples rode wolves together.
Incidentally, Dave Filoni was also heavily involved in Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I would also argue was at least to some degree inspired if not by Miyazaki then by Japanese anime in general. The relationship between Aang and Katara was developed with great care and was allowed to build very slowly, as opposed to simply shipping them. Likewise other characters very gradually developed as individuals and in their relationships, at times stumbling as they did so, and making mistakes, before finding their way back to the right path.
All of this is in stark contrast to George Lucas, whose character development is often very rushed at best, and at times some might say almost non-existent. So essentially, even though Lucas has said that Filoni has been “like a son” to him, and I believe referred to Filoni as his “padawan”, I would argue that Filoni is ultimately as much a student of Miyazaki as he is of Lucas.
Again, you might ask, “What does all this mean for Star Wars?” It means a great many things. It means that Dave Filoni has taken Miyazaki’s lessons to heart, and can handle things like romance, as well as other kinds of relationships, quite well most of the time. Like Miyazaki he can play with romance, tease the audience with it at times even, leave the romance unrequited, and yet still have it feel satisfying. A prime example of this is the love triangle that Ahsoka was involved in with the young Separatist Senator, Lux Bonteri, and Steela Gerrera. As wary as I am of romance and as much as I despise shipping, love triangles I normally despise even more, but this one seemed to actually work. It never took over the main story, and even though Ahsoka’s feelings were ultimately not reciprocated, she still learned from the experience, and grew and developed further as a character because of it. The other characters involved in this triangle also grew and developed from their involvement, though unfortunately not all of them made it. All in all it was a good bit of storytelling and gave the audience something to consider.
When a relationship in one of Filoni’s stories does bloom into a full blown romance he also generally handles it quite well. For one Filoni is sparing with actual romance, so that when it does occur, it can be that much more appreciated. And rather than rushing or shipping it, Filoni normally takes his time to build it up. An example of this is the relationship between Kanan and Hera. Some might argue that this is perhaps the best developed romance in all of Star Wars, at least in Canon. Built up over four seasons, at times it wasn’t certain whether it was a romance or a friendship, or perhaps even a professional partnership. Perhaps even the characters themselves were not certain, though it was hinted all throughout the narrative that something was going on. To this day I don’t believe anyone can say definitively when it became an actual romance, and I believe Filoni did this intentionally because he wanted to be subtle, rather than making things too obvious and having the romance take over the narrative, as it usually does. When it finally did become obvious as to what was happening, it felt very much earned, in a way that is seldom accomplished in other works of fiction, including Star Wars.
The relationship between Ezra and Sabine was also fairly well written, for the most part anyway, at least in Star Wars Rebels. Ezra was almost immediately smitten with Sabine, but being a young teenage boy, it was understandable that he would feel that way about an attractive girl. Over time he learned to see her more respectfully, as a colleague and even as part of his adopted family, not just as a pretty face. Sabine for her part found Ezra annoying at first (c’mon, what teenage boy isn’t?), but as he matured and she found out more about him she came to understand and respect him more, and see him as a friend and almost a brother, with there being potential for something more.
There were times when the relationship could have been better written, like in the episode “Blood Sisters”, where Ezra was written to be a bit too immature to make Sabine look wiser. But overall, the bond between them developed fairly well; both saved one another at various times, and took risks and made sacrifices for each other’s sake. Both reassured and comforted the other when they needed it, and it was endearing to hear their banter when they became more familiar and trusting of each other.
So why then was I so disappointed in how they were portrayed in the Ahsoka show? The thing is, after how well their relationship was built up in Rebels, as I’ve already mentioned it was strange to see how lackluster and uninspired their reunion was.
Within the Ahsoka show itself Sabine was shown to be almost obsessed with finding Ezra, living in what used to be his home, watching a recording of him over and over again, and calling out his name as she woke up in the middle of the night. She even risked bringing Thrawn back into the Galaxy, which ultimately happened, just so she could see Ezra again. After all that, when she finally does encounter him, her reaction seems fairly casual, as does his, as if they’ve been apart for no more than a week, rather than 10 years. Not too much happens between them afterwards either. Like I said Ezra does not appear all that curious about what happened with Sabine, how she found him, and how it was that she was now Force sensitive. Sabine likewise did not seem curious about what had happened with Ezra, and how he had gotten away from Thrawn. And with Ezra rescued and returned home, suddenly it didn’t seem as though Sabine was all that interested in him anymore, nor he all that concerned with her, though they were just as far apart as they had been at the start of the show. To be completely honest it made me wonder what the point of the whole show was. Were they just working to set up Thrawn’s return to the Galaxy? As some have said, Ezra felt like nothing more than a Macguffin in the show. Was Sabine and Ahsoka’s search for him just a plot device?
Considering how skillfully Dave Filoni had written his stories in the past, what happened in this latest project of his does not make much sense. Was he so concerned about “shipping” and so desperate to avoid it that he inadvertently “shipped” them in the other direction? Was there some sort of external pressure on him about how to write this story to have more of an appeal to “modern audiences”? Maybe some combination of those factors?
And here I’ll add that when I say “modern audiences” I don’t mean that in a contemptuous sense, though you may think I do. If there is any contempt on my part it is for those in charge of telling our stories, or those in charge of those telling our stories, who do not seem to grasp these basic truths. The truth is that audiences at their core don’t really change throughout the ages, only superficially so. Trends come and go but certain truths and ideals are eternal, and universal. How people relate to each other fundamentally does not change, whether they are friends, or more than friends. And deep down, I believe everyone (or nearly everyone at least) wants the same things. Nearly everyone at some point wants some kind of a connection with another human being, to know that they are not alone in the world, and to know that there is someone else who sees and understands things as they do. While this desire can certainly lead to abuse, and absolutely has, it is still innate to us and is not inherently wrong. Finding ways of connecting and relating to other people is one of the great challenges of life, but many would argue it is the most worthwhile of challenges. It may be the whole point of life if you think about it. As complex as it may be, many would argue it is what makes life worth living, and likewise makes for the best stories. Just as it may be the whole point of life many would say that is what most stories are about at their core: people trying to relate to one another.
Sadly, just as in real life, most stories unfortunately don’t quite get it, and the Ahsoka show in my opinion was an example of this, made all the sadder by the fact that Dave Filoni had done quite well with these characters up to that point. We may never know for certain what exactly went wrong and why, or if it can ever be “fixed” at this point, but I can’t help but feel curious. Maybe in the future Filoni will find a way to make it make sense, but I’m not sure how. And to be completely honest I don’t feel quite as enthusiastic to find out as I used to.
Also for the record I would like to add here that there are other factors that put me off from the show, such as Sabine’s Force sensitivity, that came about without much build up. But in this article I specifically wanted to focus on shipping because there seems to be so much misunderstanding around it.
I hope that I was able to clarify some, if not most of this misunderstanding, so that people could better appreciate what shipping is, where it comes from, as well as what it isn’t. Many people today are understandably sick of shipping characters, myself included. But I hope people realize that in overcompensating for something, we often come back around into the very thing that we are overcompensating for. Or sometimes, into something even worse. This may apply to nearly every facet of life, by the way, not just shipping. Finding a happy medium in how we portray our fictional relationships may help us to better understand relationships in real life, as well as how to navigate them. Neither fictional nor actual relationships can ever be perfect but they can always be better. To this understanding then I hope that I was able to give my own modest contribution, and if nothing else I hope we can connect on that.