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A friend of mine started playing Fates for the first time, so once again I got bitten by the “complaining about Fates” bug. In particular, watching chapter 18 of Conquest again after so many years really got me going, and while the general consensus I’ve seen online about this chapters writing was negative, I wasn’t that satisfied by any of the overviews of it I read. I decided to give it a shot myself.
Dissecting why something doesn’t work is fun and all, but I think it’s also important to be constructive which is why I wanted to rewrite this chapter alongside my criticisms. I really do think there’s a lot of potential here that could have been the highlight of the entire story, and so I’d love to try my hand rewriting this chapter to be what it could have been rather than what we got. I have most of it done already, but Reddit only has so many characters before it cuts you off and this post is plenty long enough as is, so I’ll save that for another part coming up soon. This will be part 1, explaining what the chapter is and elaborating on my issues with it, while part 2 will be rewriting it along with my thought process and explanations.
Recap: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Black_%26_White/Script
Corrin and Co are traveling when they decide to rest for the night at the nation of Izumo. They are greeted by Izana, the archduke of the kingdom, who seems to be a real goofball. After introducing himself, the levity is ended when it’s revealed the entire Hoshidan family has been invited here as well! Before any swords can be undrawn, Izana tells both parties that the kingdom has a strict neutrality pact neither of them can violate.
The scene cuts to later, where Ryoma enters Corrin and Xanders room to talk with them. Xander and Ryoma’s argument is cut short when Ryoma is dragged off by Nohrians. Turns out “Izana” is actually a Nohrian mage named Zola, who disguised himself to trick the Hoshidan royal family into a trap. Corrin and Xander don’t approve of such dishonorable methods to win, however, and fight to rescue their captives with Xander saying “we’ll win this war with honor or die trying”. After Leo kills Zola, the game cuts to later where we see Nohrians and Hoshidans alike having a meal, much to the delight of the real Izuma, who turns out is exactly as bizarre as the fake impression. Xander and Ryoma confirm with eachother that their fight will continue as usual, but Corrin states that no matter what happens they’re grateful they got to see both families eating together even if it’s not under the best circumstances, and the chapter ends with them saying they’ll revel in this feeling.
So on paper, I think this chapter is a great idea. Despite being at war, when one family is at the total mercy of the other, they lend a hand instead of kicking them while they’re down. This highlights how the two nations could accomplish so much together if only they weren’t at war with eachother. If utilized well, this could have been a great “eye of the tornado scene” emphasizing how tragic it is that these two families who share so much in common are forced by fate to fight eachother, making it all the more sorrowful when that’s brought to it’s conclusion through bloodshed. This would also encourage Conquest players to buy Birthright in a natural and subtle way as well now that they’ve had a nice sample of the other side. Of course, I don’t think this chapter was utilized well, and after reading the script again I believe it boils down to three major problems.
-Problem 1: The Lack of Worldbuilding Causes the Conflict to be Driven by Contrivances.
This is one of the many instances where the lack of fleshing out the world and it’s rules out really hampers the weight of the scenes. Unlike Awakening where there was a general cause-and-effect outlining the level structure, all of the Fates routes are much more individual and self-contained when it comes to chapters. This means the game has to really stretch itself to justify this elaborate setup being brought up and solved in one single chapter of regular length, and it’s very apparent when you write out the summary of events here.
Corrin and his army are just walking by when they happen upon the capital of the country. Corrin decides this would be a great place to rest for the night at and are instantly welcomed by its leader, who is also the only person in the game of that country. The entire Hoshidan family also just happen to bump into us because they coincidently came here at roughly the same time, with somehow neither party noticing the other until they were staring at eachother in the same room.
The only thing we know about this new nation we’ve never seen or heard about before is that it’s a peace-loving land with some sort of neutrality pact which means the two nations can’t fight here. What is the importance of this place that would entice all the Hoshidan royals to come over for a banquet in the middle of their country being invaded? Never explained. What exactly is this pact and what power does Izuno have to enforce it, if any? Never explained. Xander, prince of a nation at war and frontline general, has never heard of it. How does Garon or Iago never figure out or look into what happened here, considering the royals walked through their trap unharmed and everybody in charge of the trap vanished? Never brought up.
How many times here was this supposedly major event dependent on coincidences, seemingly important details left completely unexplained, and characters not knowing things that should be basic information of the world they live in? Things like all this quickly build up and make the world feel small scale and artificial, as if nothing truly exists until it’s in the peripheral vision of main characters. In a vacuum, this could all be excusable if the main meat of the chapter was just so dense and important that they just want a convenient excuse to delve into it. But about that…
-Problem 2: Nothing happens, either character-wise or plot-wise.
This is the only scene in both Birthright and Conquest where all eight of the royal families are together in one spot, and they’re unable to fight eachother. What a brilliant idea! How many great scenes could you come up with from this setup alone? How many directions could this move towards?

-The families bonding over their memories with Corrin (X)
-Calling eachother out for uncool actions, like Ryoma refusing to help Elise or Nohr siccing monsters on farming villages (X)
-Working together to defeat some threat they’d have trouble taking down on their own (X)
-Some cultural exchange (X)
-Some melancholy scene where, even if there’s a lot of resentment, they acknowledge how this may be the last time they ever get to have a meal with Corrin. (Somewhat?)
-Corrin sits down and has a mature conversation with his birth family elaborating on their choice to stay with Nohr (X)
-Some negotiation or debate between the two families about the future of their countries relationship, successful or not (X)
-Corrin being formally declared by the Hoshidan royals as a Nohrian, officially cutting them out of the family (X)

So what does Conquest do with this prompt? It does the unexpected route where all of them but Ryoma are shuffled out as soon as they’re introduced, captured offscreen, rescued offscreen, most of their dinner is offscreen, finishing their meal and leaving is offscreen, all of them sans Ryoma have barely any dialog, and none of them are even present in any of the CG’s.
We actually start off strong, Ryoma and Xander naturally puff out their chest and don’t get along when they’re in the same room, but seem to calm down when Corrin elaborates on how similar they are to eachother. But the game is so eager to get to fighting that it drags Ryoma away kicking and screaming before he even gets to share what he had to say to Corrin, let alone explore what having common ground means to the two of them.
1) I understand this is the Nohrian route so it makes sense the focus is mostly on them, but Takumi only gets three lines here, one of which is “…” Hinoka also only gets three lines, which I think is still more than she got in Birthright, and two of those lines are “You!” and “What are you doing here?”. Sakura lucks out as she’s the only sibling on either side who has anything to say whatsoever when Corrin says they’re grateful they could share another meal with the Hoshidans. That’s a start, but the fact remains Ryoma is the only sibling in the chapter whose remotely relevant, the rest could be omitted and nothing would change. They are only here to be damsels in distress heightening the stakes of defeating the local bad guy rather than providing any character development, checking up on how they are doing without Corrin and Azura, comparing and contrasting their differences between their counterparts, sharing any new information about them, foreshadowing Takumi’s possession, any notable interactions with their counterparts, etc. But no, nothing happens.
2) I also understand this is a video game and they don’t have all the time in the world before the next fight has to happen, yet Conquest is oddly completely uninterested in it’s own set-up. Zola, a minor chapter boss introduced and killed in this chapter, has more screentime and relevance here than any of the siblings, something you’d think would be the actual meat of the chapter they’d want to delve into.
The implications and weight of two dueling nations and families obligated to pause their fighting and dine with eachother could easily take up two or even three chapters as a pivotal arc, yet it’s completely blazed through as if the game considered it a cute novelty rather than a potential life-changing or history-changing moment. Simply put, it’s wasted potential, as if to say “Oh both of the two families meeting in a game about choosing between mutually exclusive families? Eh whatever.”
I wanna stick with just this chapter and not rewrite a good chunk of the entire story, but I can’t stress enough that in any other game this chapter would be the plot-defining moment paving the new way forward rather than chapter 15’s “we’ll expose Garon as a monster by helping him invade an innocent people.”
Neither of the two families are fighting because they outright want to, this isn’t a war about irreconcilable differences or mutually exclusive goals, the only reason for any conflict whatsoever as far as the game has shown us is that the guy in charge of Nohr is a sociopath who threatens to kill his own children at the drop of a hat. Sure, they probably won’t hold hands singing kumbaya after one extended conversation with eachother, but when all of them are in a truce far away from Garon’s authority having a meal together, nothing significant comes out of it plot-wise?
In fact, at the end of the day what significance happened here at all?

• -We learned about a new country, but we know very little about it and (other than Izama potentially joining the party later) absolutely none of it will be relevant after this chapter anyways.
• -Well, maybe this place is just set dressing so we have an excuse to meet up with our siblings again, but then nobody has any meaningful interactions, new info to share, planning ahead, or character development resulting from sharing scenes with them.
• -Then is the primary focus supposed to be on how this situation affects the Nohrian family? The antagonist and the conflict he brings is introduced and quickly solved without any consequences, with all the siblings instantly in agreement about stopping him. They don’t really talk amongst eachother about their feelings or how to go forward.

If there’s no juicy character interactions or exploration, and no setting up future events, then presumably the point of this big moment of Corrin and Xander leaping to save their enemies was made to show off that despite working in the same army, our heroes are indeed better than the swarms of war criminals under Nohr’s name we’ve seen and would never tolerate such things under normal circumstances. They’ve talked the talk about disagreeing with their father’s cruel methods, now here’s proof they’ll walk the walk, aren’t they such noble people? The way this is done however, opens up another can of worms…
-Problem 3: Protags come off as dicks
While our heroes are indeed more likeable and moral than blatant monsters like Garon and Hans, liking peace and disliking war crimes is not enough of a reason for a pat on the back. Our protags might not be burning villages for fun, but it’s difficult to take their proclaimed goal of peace seriously considering both the context of working for people who DO burn villages for fun and they way they handle themselves when presented with an opportunity to work on this supposed goal.
Corrin and Azura

• This is not seeing things under the worst possible interpretation to be a stick in the mud, Nohr is indeed invading Hoshido for no apparent reason and leaving war crimes wherever it’s armies go. Everybody in the building is aware of this to some extent.
  
• Azura and Corrin’s grand plan to expose Garon as a slime monster to his family indeed involves directly helping Garon conquer Hoshido, which they acknowledge will bring destruction and suffering that the nation and royal family have done nothing to deserve.
  
• Corrin and Azura are indeed presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here to sit down behind closed doors and communicate anything, just anything significant at all, to the royal family that still seems to value them, but our heroes don’t even try or seem to acknowledge that. Corrin doesn’t have any interactions with them that last more than a sentence or two, and Azura is never acknowledged nor speaks to them.
  
• And yet despite, all this, both Corrin and Azura are quite pleased with the turn of events here, with Corrin acknowledging they’ll “probably try to kill eachother next time they see eachother” but that they’ll “revel in this feeling.”
  

Azura in particular is problematic here. During Odovakar 's excellent overview of the problems with Fates writing, he goes into detail about how Azura’s line about “this is all quite heartwarming. We're like one big family...albeit, a dysfunctional one.” in particular comes off as incredibly tone deaf and tasteless given the circumstances of Azura and Corrin marching on one family’s homeland for the sake of the other family. What I think was also worth noting is the context leading up to that line…

Sakura: I was just, um...th-thinking...it's really nice to finally see you again. I'm glad you... I'm glad you f-found a way to be happy... Corrin: Sakura... I'm happy to see you too. Sakura: R-really? You mean it?! Oh, Corrin! Elise: HMPH! Back off, you! He/She's my brothesister! MINE! Sakura: Ah! I'm s-sorry! Corrin: Elise! Mind your manners, little one. Elise: But she's trying to take you away from me... She's my archnemesis

Whether intentional or not, this is actually a very clever microcosm of the family’s conflict acted out by the youngest and most innocent among them who probably weren’t even born when the conflict started. The Hoshidan loves their sibling, but their time with Corrin is interrupted by the Nohrian shoving them away and declaring Corrin for themselves. This is a great way to challenge our protags to some introspection about themselves.

Azura: Heehee! Corrin: Azura? Did you just...giggle?

Instead, Azura just finds this a real knee-slapper. I understand maybe this is just meant to be a cute image of imoutos fighting over oni-chan Corrin and nothing more, but the context makes it very hard to swallow the narrative’s insistence that all this is “heartwarming” as Azura puts it. Keep in mind that all the Hoshidan nobles are sitting at the same table watching all this. Do you think Ryoma also finds it funny that his little sister is scared off and declared an archnemesis by the daughter of the man who killed his father in cold blood? Do you think Hinoka also thinks it's like one big dysfunctional family when Corrin is preparing to march on her homeland with an army?
I get it, I totally know what they were going for, and in a vacuum it could be a great line making for a properly bittersweet moment. “Even if the two are at eachothers throats and the future is bleak, me and Azura are grateful we get to have at least one big normal dinner together like a real family.”
But the future is bleak because of Corrin and Azura participating in an invasion, the families are at eachothers throats partially because Corrin and Azura haven’t accomplished anything to reform Nohr. If anything, Corrin should feel great shame here. Elise just unintentionally reenacted the history between the nations where Nohr was clearly in the wrong, and Corrin is sitting directly across and staring at the family who’ve done nothing wrong to him yet are going to be hurt because of Corrin’s decision. Grateful they could spend time with them again? Maybe. But cheerful and laughing?

ProZD: D-did an alien write this game? blows gently

But at least Corrin doesn’t show outright contempt for the family they’re screwing over…
Xander and Leo

Xander: Corrin! There's no need to insult me like that. I could not possibly be anything like this sorry excuse for a prince. … Xander: We will win with honor or die trying. Come, Corrin. Let us go set free our sworn enemy. … Corrin: Heh, sorry... It's just that you and Ryoma really are so much alike. If you weren't on opposite sides of a war, I think you could have been great friends. Xander: Yeesh... Do me a favor and keep that nonsense in your head where it belongs. … Xander (to Ryoma): We only acted as Nohrian royals should. When we leave this place, you'll be nothing but an enemy to be defeated once more.

Okay, but why? Ryoma is not the one Xander overheard laughing to himself about how much he’s going to make Corrin suffer. How are the Hoshidan royals “nothing but enemies to be defeated” here when they’re just trying to defend their homeland from somebody who assassinated their king at a peace meeting? Where is all this contempt from Xander coming from?
It’s perfectly understandable he doesn’t get along super well with Ryoma because of the tensions between their nations, that makes sense, but I see no reason for why Xander is making several petty insults to his face unprompted, let alone so nonchalant and even somewhat eager to get back to waging a war Xander himself calls “a senseless war of greed and madness” in the epilogue.
He doesn’t treat his own people much better this chapter, declaring Zola and his henchmen as “traitors” to be “dealt with” for their dishonorable methods when ironically Zola taking over the country by disguising himself as the archduke is actually one of the least evil and self-destructive things we’ve seen the kingdom do so far. It must be emphasized that every sibling was in the same room watching Garon demand Xander kill Corrin if he interferes with killing POWs for his amusement, and half of them were in the same room when Garon ordered his henchmen to murder every singer they can find in a neutral country. So a few hundred or thousand innocent people, most of whom would presumably be young woman, murdered to snuff out potential assassins. Or Garon directly ordering the deaths of unarmed civilians in chapter 13 with Hans relaying “Villagers are just soldiers who haven’t picked up a sword yet.”
Xander talks a big game in this chapter about how “we’ll win this war with honor or die trying”, but how do you honorably win a war when your nation is constantly and openly rushing to pointless overkill brutality like this at every turn? What moral high ground does this country have that Xander is so determined to preserve he kills loyal soldiers over what he sees as sullying it, when at no point in the game does the influence of Nohr ever do anything but make life significantly worse? His sudden fervor towards doing the right thing is completely contrasted later on when Xander is the one telling Corrin there’s no justice to be found in war and you just gotta do what you gotta do rather than what’s morally right, in response to Corrin being upset the Nohrian army is killing woman and children who looked at them funny.

“Justice is an illusion, a fairy tale…Letting innocents die is a tragedy, but so is letting the chance for peace slip away. This is war. There is no such thing as a clean win when lives are on the line.”

“Justice is just a fairy tale, innocent people getting screwed over is something we have to accept in war because there’s no such thing as a clean win! But also we better win this senseless war of greed and madness with honor or die trying!”

• If “justice is an illusion”, how is killing Nohrian soldiers to free people who are apparently “nothing but enemies to be defeated” so you can fight them later on terms you prefer, directly prolonging a war which will lead to much more deaths on both sides, for the benefit of Nohr? By Xanders own logic, is this not letting the chance for peace slip away since there’s no such thing as a clean win? Forget Garon and Iago, I’m confident the citizens back home whose loved ones got conscripted would be the ones demanding his head if they found out about this. A very charitable interpretation is that ending the war this specific way will cause more chaos and fighting in the long-term compared to if they conquered and oppressed an innocent nation fair and square, but that’s nowhere to be found in the script whatsoever.
  
• If Xander believes in “We’ll win this war with honor or die trying”, why is he still following Garon? Garon is winning the war in part thanks to honorless and extreme acts of cruelty like blackmailing the Ice Tribe or making an example out of Scarlet’s body, yet instead of taking action against him like he does with Zola, Xander is instead the most loyal sibling to him to the point Corrin decides the best way to get him on his side is to expose Garon as a literal slime monster? Where’s Xander’s zeal of “Come Corrin, let’s go save our sworn enemies” when his father orders Hans is go through killing injured and surrendering foes who were promised they be spared? Where’s his conviction shown here about “not letting treachery go unpunished” when his father outright says he couldn’t care less about the welfare of his people and he’ll just kill anybody who complains to make an example?
  

I understand one might get the impression I’m going off topic or selectively picking and choosing quotes here from all over the game, but no matter how you look at it Xanders beliefs, morality, and priorities are just all over the place depending on what the plot needs him to do. This means not only is his motivation for helping his enemies here faulty no matter how you look at it, but it also makes the extreme lengths he goes to do so, killing his own subjects who won him victory on a silver platter because it wasn’t a “proper” victory, come off as baselessly self-righteous at best and outright cruel at worst.
I’m sure the game would assure us Zola and all his mooks are terrible people who had it coming, but the issue is no matter how virtuous you portray Xander and creepy you portray Zola, Xander is still directly managing the war for a megalomaniac and helping him achieve his goals in spite of his long history of open sadism and public crimes that make Zola look like a saint. By ignoring the clear root cause of Nohr's dishonor while going this hard against random goon's participating in dishonor, instead of being a gallant preserver of morals, he comes off like a bully who selectively picks and choices punishment.
On the topic of punishment, it particularly rubs me the wrong way how Leo just casually mercs Zola at the end, keep in mind Birthright confirms for all his faults he actually isn’t a complete monster like Garon and dies trying to help the protag.

Leo (smiling portrait): You’d probably rather die than live with the shame, correct? In that case…
Zola: Eek! No, please! M-m-milord... I was wrong! S-so wrong! I have seen the error of my ways! P-please...spare my unworthy life!!
Leo (still smiling): Make peace with it, Zola. Perhaps on the other side you will find forgiveness.

Leo makes a fair argument that the stakes are too high and Zola can’t be trusted not to snitch, but this is bit sadistic, no? One of the most powerful people in the country is smug and sarcastic as he’s getting ready to execute somebody whose bleeding on the ground begging for his life and genuinely confused as to why we’re upset with him. I know the intent of “I was wrong! I have the seen the error of my ways!” is supposed to be him saying whatever Leo wants to hear to weasel out of punishment, but that’s exactly the thing, he’s fully cooperating and doing everything he can to appease this guy. And then he’s just killed like a dog without trial or final words, presumably using the spell that skewers you with tree branches.
Didn’t the game use killing defeated foes like this to establish Garon as a bloodthirsty monster? Why is Corrin just standing there watching this happen? This exact same scenario in Birthright has them jump to spare Zola, but here their disapproval is very meek and only voiced after the deed is already done. It’s still apparently too much for Leo though, who chastises Corrin for being “too soft…I envy your innocence.” And then he declares the matter settled on their behalf.
I’m sure this scene was meant to show off Leo’s pragmatism and strategy skills, but it just makes him look like a sociopath and Corrin look spineless. And that’s the biggest issue with this chapter to me, more than the plot being driven by contrivances that aren’t explained or the lack of any character development or interesting scenes taking advantage of the setup, the actions and dialog of our protags don’t match the noble heroes the narrative insists they are:

• Corrin is openly enjoying spending time with innocent people they’re throwing under the bus so Corrin won’t have to risk their relationship with the Nohrian siblings by directly fighting Garon. They then clearly disapprove of Leo executing a surrendering foe begging for mercy but stand idle watching it happen.
• Azura sits directly across her former family who’ve been very negatively impacted by her decisions and actions, and will continue to be so in the future, yet she’s giggling about the conflict and doesn’t seem to be taking the fact that her two families might kill each other seriously.
• Xander insults Ryoma as a sorry excuse for a prince, and afterwards kills his own subjects to prolong a war of aggression so it can be won the way he personally wants it to be won.
• Leo seems to be having a good time killing somebody who’s surrendered and begging for his life. He then chides Corrin for being “too soft” when they wish that didn’t have to happen.
• And again, for no apparent reason, neither Corrin or Azura do the bare minimum to clue to the Hoshidans about what’s going on or even have a meaningful conversation with them despite claiming to care for them. This is the golden opportunity they were hoping for, yet they apparently spend the entire dinner instead talking to eachother about how happy they themselves are.

These are not the actions of heroic characters.
Summary: Overall, this is a very bizarre chapter. It feels like something meaningful happens here at first glance, your brain sees what’s going on and knows that this is supposed to be a huge moment. Peaceful music playing, a very well-drawn CG of dozens of individual units, liberating a country from Nohrian control, Corrin and Azura are happy and say some lines that sound like they should be deep and impactful.
But when you step back and analyze the bigger picture and context, you find that more or less embodies all of Fates writing, both good and bad. It has a brilliant premise that gets your mind going, excellent presentation to accompany it, and some individual scenes or dialogue in a vacuum are very welcome. If you’re a casual player who just wants context for your favorite characters fighting, it’s easy to feel satisfied at first glance and move on thanks to those factors, especially since the gameplay and MyCastle are very fun. At the same time, there’s no denying the severe flaws that hamper the experience.
Despite being the hyped-up main draw of the chapter, our exciting premise that opens so many doors is almost completely neglected in favor of (once again) exposition on meaningless settings and characters that aren’t relevant anywhere else and also reminding us how evil Nohr is, to the point the chapter title is Black and White. The context makes it very difficult to take the plight of our heroes seriously due to their lack of action (both before and in the present) to achieve their proclaimed goal despite ample opportunity, the proaction they do have being unnecessarily extreme and self-serving, and a narrative that insists they are in the right at every turn despite the results clearly showing us otherwise. There’s definitely bits and pieces of something great buried in all this teasing us, otherwise I wouldn’t be interested enough to write this much all these years later, but as is it’s just a mess. An enjoyable mess, but a mess all the same.

But what do you guys think of Conquest Chapter 18: Black and White? Do you also consider it a wreck, or was there something positive here you believed I missed? What would you like to see in a potential rewrite of it?

I'm seeking a pixel art program where you can select different frames from the sprite sheet graphic to edit individually (like the pixel art program I currently am using does,) but also has the ability to sample animations of certain frames from the sprite sheet.
Does anyone know of some free pixel art programs for this?

As you guys know, walang kasiguraduhan sa freelancing so eto nanaman ako ngayon naghahanap ng bagong client/agency/company. For context, I used to have one client earlier this year (from Upwork) and we had a very easy partnership but nagkaron siya ng personal issues so I was offboarded ng April 30. Right after the I found out nagstart agad ako maghanap ng clients and companies I could apply to and so far ito ang breakdown ng mga application na pinagdaanan ko.

1. Upwork - Since dito ko nahanap young last client ko, dito rin ako nagstart ulit maghanap. I have a Top Rated badge in upwork so naisip ko why not use it as much as I can. I sent out 12 proposals and bought 200 connects (around 100 lang nagamit ko) which got me 2 interviews and 1 contract after a week.
   
2. CoconutVA - I've heard lots of good things about this agency so I sent in my application along with a video recording of myself through loom. Di naman mahirap yung application process, medyo time consuming lang kasi kailangan maligo (lol) and mag-ayos for the recording. Di naman required, pero syempre best foot forward. I asked ChatGPT to give me a sample script and used it as an outline for the one that I actually used. After three days (I think) I got an email back saying they included me in their potential talent pool but no guarantees pa that I'll get matched so they encourage entertaining other offers for the meantime - which is a great sign na di sila nangggatekeep ng opportunities.
   
3. FlexJobs - I found a Remote Office Assistant role from a US-based digital marketing agency na yung rate is around $2k/month. May exam din silang pinagawa and excel skill test na medj mahirap. Haven't heard from them so far pero if you guys want to apply rin (I think they're still pooling) send me a DM for the link haha.
   
4. FreeUp - The thing with FreeUp is it's like a cross between an agency and a freelancing platform. Medyo lengthy rin ang application process nila kasi maraming questions na need sagutan in paragraph form. And then I was sent an email with a module and a super easy short quiz, tapos nung pasado na they sent me an interview invite with one of their reps. After pumasa, proceed na sa account creation (just received this email an hour ago and di ko pa ginagawa so mag update ako after)
   
5. VirtualElves - I sent in an initial application and I got an email back after a few days asking me to fill out a Candidate Profile Form pero I don't think I'll be proceeding with the application at this time kasi parang di ko siya priority right now and ang dami ko pang hinihintay to hear back from.
   
6. Athena - This was one of the most grueling application process I've ever experienced, but everything was quite quick after I passed the exam last week. The interview was scheduled kaninang umaga then a few hours later I received another invitation for a training offer at 10PM tapos this coming Monday start na daw ng training. Medyo surprising lang kasi form what I've seen and heard, this process usually takes weeks prior to training.
   

Special mentions: OLJ - First time kong icheck tong platform na to just to see kung magkano ang usual rates na inooffer nila doon, tapos nanlumo ako sa nakita ko so di na ko nagaksaya pa ng oras sa site na to.
This pinned thread dito sa BuhayDigital subreddit. Pakiramdam ko ang daming nagooverlook into pero is a to as mga una kong chineck na resource when I started looking for jobs. Jan ko nahanap yung FreeUp and FlexJobs. Very useful!
One thing that I like to do is to use ChatGPT as much as I can, but I do heavy editing to not make it sound like it's written by an AI because I'm always deathly afraid that the recruiters might find out - because THEY WILL and bestie that's going to be embarassing.
The biggest tip I can give to anyone who is looking for clients right now is learn how to OPTIMIZE EVERYTHING. Optimize your resume, optimize your cover letters, optimize your online profiles, and most importantly, optimize your skills. Check mo kung among pinaka in-demand na skills and industries, then pivot accordingly.
Good luck sa mga kasabay kong naghahanap ng clients, wag tayo papa-lowball!

Hi there!
I'd like to discuss the topic of personalized advertising and how consumers perceive it. Personalized ads are currently the hot topic, with everyone emphasizing their importance. But in which cases does it work, and when does it backfire? Let's separate the hype from the "hold my beer, I'm about to unsubscribe" reality.
From our focus group, we gathered insightful feedback on what annoys and delights consumers in personalized advertising:
What Annoys Consumers
Irrelevant Ads: Irrelevant ads can frustrate and feel intrusive.

• "I get love novels recommended on Facebook, which I’ve never searched for and definitely won't read."

Inappropriate Content: Poorly targeted suggestions involving sensitive products can be uncomfortable and off-putting.

• "I bought lingerie on Amazon, and now my screen is flooded with underwear ads, some quite explicit. It's uncomfortable, especially when sharing screen during company meetings."

Repetition Fatigue: Seeing the same types of ads repeatedly after a single search can be irritating and lead to ad fatigue.

• "I looked at one skirt on Instagram, and now every ad is about skirts from different stores. It’s overwhelming. Apparently, one skirt means I want to revamp my entire wardrobe."

Age-Specific Targeting: Consumers feel targeted based on their age, which can feel intrusive and discriminatory.

• "Ads for anti-aging serums, pension plans, and arthritis ointments started showing up after I turned 40. Feels like they’re rubbing my age in my face. They could just say, "Happy Birthday!"

Monotony in Ads: Lack of variety can make personalized ads feel stale and uninspired.

• "Seeing the same products repeatedly is boring. Offer something new once in a while!"

General Ad Aversion: Some consumers are inherently averse to ads, regardless of how personalized they are.

• "I hate ads in general, so I use ad blockers and pay for ad-free services wherever possible."

But not all is bad! What Consumers Appreciate:
Valuable and Informative Content: Providing useful, educational content can demonstrate that you care about helping the user, not just selling to them.

• "I was looking for hair loss treatments and got an email with research, explanations, tests, and recommendations. It felt genuinely helpful."

Relevant Product Suggestions: When ads are closely aligned with user interests, they are more likely to be well-received.

• "If Instagram shows me products similar to what I’ve been searching for, I’m all for it."

Personalized Deals and Special Prices: Personalized promotions can enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction.

• "I love getting personalized offers from grocery stores based on my shopping history. It makes me feel valued as a customer."
• "My gym sends me news on fitness programs, discounts, and loyalty programs. This is useful."

Discounts and Promotions: Special offers and freebies can effectively engage and retain customers.

• "Discount emails from my favorite stores are a big draw for me. I also love getting free samples—it keeps me coming back."

Recommendations Based on History: Curated suggestions based on past behavior can enhance user experience and satisfaction.

• "Recommendations based on what I've previously watched or listened to are great—I often find new favorites this way."

Timing and Context Sensitivity: The timing of ads can significantly impact their reception.

• "Ads don’t bother me when I have money, but they do when I’m broke. Maybe timing them around payday would be better?"

Classic Examples:

• Starbucks: Using your name on the cup instead of a number. Because nothing feels quite as personal as your name scribbled on something. Toy Story vibe's turned on.
• Spotify Wrapped: Offering a personalized summary of your listening habits. A yearly reminder of just how eclectic your music taste really is.

It's clear that while personalized ads can be incredibly effective, they must be handled with care. The key is to balance relevance with sensitivity and avoid the pitfalls of over-targeting and repetition.
What are your thoughts on personalized advertising? What aspects do you find irritating, and which ones do you appreciate? Share your ideas—we're eager to hear from the pros!

We're familiar with the tried-and-true method of firing off sigils. It's vulgar, but it works. But, a lot of people hit a wall after the first 5-10 sigils and they stop working. This is when we need to pivot. Here are some ways to add more thought into your sigil casting. More thought=more energy in the direction of the sigil, which is always a good thing during casting.

1. Astrological Correspondences:

Time your sigils alongside astrological events that are suitable for your working. The moon is an easy one for this.
New moons are low points in the cycle, so use those to wipe the slate clean and to dedicate yourself, to set a new course. Full moons are culminations, they're good for directing energy at a problem, as well as cutting ties with anything actively.
Also, keep your eye out throughout the year as well. I'll give you this one for free: May 18th, Jupiter will be conjunct the sun, with Venus and Uranus close by. Great time to manifest unexpected blessings.

1. Elemental Correspondences:

Tie elements into your work based on what you need to achieve, and make sure to match them correctly.
Do you want to stop smoking? Bury the sigil instead of burning it, so that way the earth is giving a bit of energy to it over a long period of time.
Want to summon a fling? The magic only needs to work for one night, so burn away!
Also, look into the various realms that the elements reign; Fire is passion, zeal, and creativity, air is intellect and strategy, water is emotion, and extremely mutable, and earth is material goods.
Tip: This nests well into #1. Bury a sigil in Taurus, burn it in Aries, etc.

1. Numerology and Gematria:

Want love?
L = 12
O = 15
V = 22
E = 5
12+15+22+5=44
4+4=8
Give your sigil eight sides. Cast it eight times, or on August 8th at 4:48.

1. Color:

This nests well with the elements. You're casting a love spell or a curse? Write it with a red pen. Want money? Use green? Protection? Black.

1. Use Every Sense While Casting it:

Try making the environment you cast the sigil in completely unique, engaging every sense in some way that relates to what you're trying to manifest.
You want to manifest a relationship? Cast it in your bedroom, with scented candlelight, roses on the bed, and a piece of chocolate on your tongue.
You want protection from evil? Point a knife at it in the garage before burying it at the edge of your property and end it taking a whiff of smelling salts.
Those are two different kinds of workings, so casting them should feel different from each other. When you get good at this, every sigil should be unique.

1. Turning One Spell into Many:

Runesoup has an excellent article on this, but I'll touch on it too. Find a way to break up one desire into several.
For example, if you want to get a new job, you could just cast "I am in a new job that I love," or you could cast "I find interesting leads on Indeed," "I am a persuasive interviewee," "I get job offers that are higher than I expect," "Recruiters find my resume impressive," and so on and so forth.
Not only does this give you more time and more energy to put towards your goal, but the numbers in and of themselves can have magical correspondences. The more opportunities to add intention into your working, the better.

1. Do Something That Signals to The Universe That You Know This Will Happen.

Aleister Crowley was once out of money. So, he did an elaborate money ritual, and then he spent the last of his money on ice cream. He did this because he 100% had faith that money was coming in.
Listen; We all aren't Crowley. I don't want to advocate that anyone plays chicken with the universe. But You should act confidently that whatever sigil you just casted is on its way. If you manifested a partner, make sure your Tinder is in top shape. If you manifested a job, start looking at what you might wear for the interview.
You made this a part of your story. Act like it.
Compare these two sigil rituals:
"John wanted a new job. John wrote "John has a good job." on a piece of paper, crossed out the repeating letters and vowels, made a symbol, jerked off while staring at the symbol, and then burned the sigil."
OR
"John wanted a career. CAREER = 58, and 5+8=12, so John made 12 sigil intentions all relating to thing he'd need to bring into his life for a new career. He looked at a sky chart and noticed that Venus was about to enter his 10th house of career, let's say Gemini, so he made sure that at least half of those prompts related to the finer things he wanted to manifest in his new career, as well as the mental skills he would need to capitalize on opportunities.
The day after the first new moon after Venus enters Gemini, he starts a six day routine where he puts a sigil on him, maybe in his shoe, and does a five mile jog in nature. At the end, or when there's a good wind. he rips it up and throws it into the breeze.
The other six he distributes between fire and earth, burying four and burning two. (This is getting long but assume this as thought out as the air one above.)
When all this is said and done, he makes sure his suit is dry-cleaned and that his headshot on LinkedIn is up to date."
If you were the Universe, which John would you listen to?

The Smart Lock Market Report is a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future trends of the Smart Lock industry. This report provides valuable insights and data that can guide industry stakeholders in making informed decisions and strategies. By examining key market indicators and analyzing industry dynamics, the Smart Lock Market Report offers a holistic view of the industry landscape.
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With its in-depth research and expert analysis, the Smart Lock Market Report serves as a valuable resource for industry professionals, investors, and policymakers. By understanding the market trends and opportunities highlighted in this report, stakeholders can gain a competitive edge and navigate the ever-evolving Smart Lock industry with confidence.
Key Findings

• The Smart Lock market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.1% during the forecast period.
• The demand for Smart Lock products is expected to increase due to ….
• The Smart Lock market is highly competitive, with several key players dominating the market share.
• The report highlights the emerging trends and opportunities in the Smart Lock market.
• The Smart Lock market is witnessing a shift towards online sales channels, driven by the increasing penetration of smartphones and internet connectivity.

The competitive landscape and regulatory framework sections of the report further include the recent market developments and key strategy matrix. The report is a systematic guide for new market entrants as well as those looking for investment opportunities.

• Global Diversity: Smart Lock Market’s global reach, with its numerous types and uses, is motivating Unique trends and demands exist in various markets and regions.
• Product Innovation: The continued development and innovation of products can support market’s ability to expand. Products that are updated and improved can attract customers and expand market opportunities.
• Market segmentation: market’s division into different uses and product categories enables companies to concentrate on niche markets with potential grow their market share and profitability
• Long-Term Growth Perspective: long-term growth perspective emphasis on growth forecasts for considerable amount of time suggests long-term perspective that affects strategic choices and investments.

Key Players in the Industry

The Smart Lock market is highly competitive, with several key players dominating the industry. The top players in the market include Avent Security, Cansec System ltd., and Hevenlock Inc. These companies have a strong presence in the market and are known for their innovative products and services.
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Regional Trends

The Smart Lock market is experiencing significant growth in several regions, including North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Key drivers of growth in these regions include increasing demand for Smart Lock products, favorable government policies, and rising disposable incomes.
Comprising an important part of the study, the keyword research report attempts to provide useful insights related to the revenue prospects of manufacturers and the sales of product. This valuable market information plays a crucial part to promote business among manufacturers across the value chain. Additionally, to comprehend into the competitive landscape, the keyword market report is inclusive of the number of key players along with their products offered in the market.
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You fit my sample if you get an incentive compensation (so extra money on top of your salary) and work in the service sector in Europe.
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I got married in February of last year and moved to the USA in May 2023. I sold all my belongings in my country and came without debt. However, over time, I found out that the man I married didn't have a job or any income because he was "starting a startup" (which never materialized). Seeing that he didn't have a job and I did (remote), I contributed $4k because we really couldn't pay the bills in the USA. As time passed, our finances got worse. I lost my job because it was temporary and the contract expired, and he continued not to seek employment or contribute financially. His parents gifted us $10k, which was supposed to be divided for food, rent, and legal fees for my green card process. However, he, being unemployed for the last two years, had been accumulating debt on his credit cards. Out of the $10k, he used it for rent, food, and paying off his credit cards, delaying the immigration paperwork despite my $4k contribution. I want to clarify that I arrived in May, and all of this happened between May and September of the previous year. He always said it was okay for me to bring money because I wouldn't "eat and live for free," but before coming to the USA, he told me he could support me for three months until I found a job, which didn't happen.
Four months passed until September when I forced us to move to L.A. to live with his parents because we couldn't pay the bills. By this time, the immigration process was on hold, preventing me from legally working in this country, so neither of us was working.
He fell into depression because his startup failed, and from September to April of this year, he was without work. With the help of his parents, we were able to submit the immigration paperwork, and in December, I received my work permit, so I started working whatever jobs I could find (cook and nanny), while he stayed at home doing nothing, always saying he was "applying for jobs, but the economy was bad," when it was actually his resume that was poor, deliberately made that way to avoid being hired. Also, he wasn't willing to work just any job; it had to be an office position because working at "in-n-out" was beneath him.
In February, a former professor from my university contacted me and offered me a job here in the USA (I'm an architect) and invited me to a convention in Las Vegas, which I attended. At that time, we were fighting because I broke his monitor while he was playing World of War for 16 hours a day (I was really frustrated, and that fight was horrible; I damaged his monitor, and he broke my laptop). Before going to Las Vegas, I opened an account because I didn't want him to monitor that I had to use my money to go there, even though the company that was going to hire me was going to reimburse the expenses I paid with my credit card. That was the main reason why I opened an account without him knowing.
Now it turns out that my husband has a job, and I do too, and we've been able to solve many of the problems. However, he wants me to deposit my salary into our joint account and found out about the other bank account I opened without telling him. Yesterday he demanded to see my transactions in the other account and wants me to transfer all of April's salary to our joint account and all future salaries. What should I do? I don't know how to feel.
Thank you for your responses and for your help. I'll be reading all your answers and opinions once again thanks to this community!

The Golf Equipment Market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future prospects of the Golf Equipment market. This report aims to provide key insights and valuable information to industry stakeholders, investors, and decision-makers. By examining the market dynamics, trends, challenges, and opportunities, this report offers a holistic view of the Golf Equipment market.
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Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this report is to analyze the Golf Equipment market and provide actionable intelligence to help businesses and organizations make informed decisions. It aims to provide a detailed understanding of the market landscape, competitive scenario, and growth potential.
Scope of the Report
The report covers various aspects of the Golf Equipment market, including market size, growth rate, key players, market segmentation, and industry trends. It also includes an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape, market dynamics, and regulatory framework.

Size of the Golf Equipment Market

• The Golf Equipment Market is a rapidly growing industry with a market size of $14.53 billion.
• It is expected to reach $14.53 billion by 2036, growing at a CAGR of 5%.

Major Players in the Golf Equipment Market

• Amer sports
• Under Armour Inc.
• Callaway golf
• Ralph Lauren

Emerging Trends

• The report identifies a growing trend of Golf Equipment companies adopting innovative technologies.
• This includes the implementation of AI and automation in Golf Equipment processes.

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Key Findings

The Golf Equipment market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the market's current state and future prospects. The key findings from the report highlight the market's potential for growth and the numerous opportunities it presents for businesses and investors.

1. Market Potential: The Golf Equipment market is projected to experience significant growth in the coming years. The report identifies several factors driving this growth, including increasing consumer demand, technological advancements, and favorable government policies.
2. Segment Analysis: The report includes a detailed analysis of different segments within the Golf Equipment market. It provides insights into the market size, growth rate, and key trends in each segment. This information can help businesses identify lucrative opportunities and tailor their strategies accordingly.
3. Regional Analysis: The report also examines the Golf Equipment market on a regional level, providing insights into the market dynamics and trends in different geographic areas. This analysis can help businesses understand the regional variations in consumer preferences and behavior, enabling them to target specific markets effectively.
4. Competitive Landscape: The report assesses the competitive landscape of the Golf Equipment market, profiling key players and analyzing their strategies. It provides valuable insights into the market's competitive intensity, helping businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop effective competitive strategies.

Future Outlook

• The Golf Equipment Market is expected to witness robust growth in the coming years, driven by factors such as increasing urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and changing consumer preferences.
• However, companies need to navigate challenges such as intense competition, regulatory uncertainties, and evolving customer expectations.
• By staying agile, embracing digital transformation, and fostering innovation, businesses can position themselves for success in the dynamic Golf Equipment Market.

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Today the White House announced tariffs on certain products imported from China, including steel and aluminum products, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries and battery components, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, syringes and needles, and certain personal protective equipment (or PPE). According to the White House, these higher tariffs are designed “to protect American workers and businesses from China’s unfair trade practices.” Tariffs are essentially taxes on imported goods, and altogether the tariff hikes cover about $18 billion in imported goods.
In 2018, Trump abruptly ended the economic era based on the idea that free trade benefited the global economy by putting tariffs of 25% on a wide range of foreign made goods. This was a cap to a set of ideas that had been sputtering for a while as industries moved to countries with cheaper labor, feeding the popular discontent Trump tapped into. Trump claimed that other countries would pay his tariffs, but tariffs are actually paid by Americans, not foreign countries, and his have cost Americans more than $230 billion. Half of that has come in under the Biden administration.
Trump’s tariffs also actually cost jobs, but they were very popular politically. A January 2024 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper by David Autor, Anne Beck, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson established that the trade war of 2018–2019 hurt the U.S. heartland but actually helped Trump’s reelection campaign. “Residents of regions more exposed to import tariffs became less likely to identify as Democrats, more likely to vote to reelect Donald Trump in 2020, and more likely to elect Republicans to Congress,” they discovered.
Now Trump is saying, that if elected, he will impose a 10% tariff on everything imported into the United States, with a 60% tariff on anything from China and a 100% tariff on any cars made outside the U.S.
In contrast, the administration’s new tariffs are aimed only at China, and only at industries already growing in the U.S., especially semiconductors. Tariffs will rise to 50% on semiconductors and solar cells, 100% on electric vehicles, and 25% on batteries, a hike that will help the Big Three automakers who agreed to union demands in newly opened battery factories, as well as their United Auto Workers workforce. “I’m determined that the future of electric vehicles be made in America by union workers. Period,” Biden said.
The administration says the tariffs are a response to China’s unfair trade practices, and such tariffs are popular in the manufacturing belt of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Democratic senators from that region have asked Biden to maintain or increase tariffs on Chinese imports after “[g]enerations of free trade agreements that prioritize multinational corporations have devasted our communities, harmed our economy, and crippled our job market.”
In other economic news, a new rule capping credit card late fees at $8, about a quarter of what they are now, was supposed to go into effect today, but on Friday a federal judge in Texas blocked the rule. The new cap was set by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the brainchild of Massachusetts Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, and was part of the Biden administration’s crackdown on “junk fees.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Bankers Association sued to stop the rule from taking effect, and U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, appointed by Trump, issued a preliminary injunction against it. His reasoning draws from an argument advanced by the far-right Fifth Circuit, which oversees Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, arguing that the CFPB itself is unconstitutional because of its funding structure. "Consequently, any regulations promulgated under that regime are likely unconstitutional as well," Pittman wrote.
On Friday, major airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, and Alaska Airlines—but not Southwest Airlines—sued the U.S. Department of Transportation over its new rule that requires the airlines disclose their fees, such as for checking bags, upfront to consumers. The department says consumers are overpaying by $543 million a year in unexpected fees.
The airlines say that the rule will confuse consumers and that its “attempt to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace is beyond its authority.”
The other big story of the day is the continuing attempt of the MAGA Republicans to overturn our democratic system.
This morning, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), second in line for the presidency and sworn to uphold the Constitution, left his post in Washington, D.C., to appear with former president Trump at his trial for falsifying business records to deceive voters before the 2016 election. The House was due to consider the final passage of the crucially important Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization Act, but Johnson chose instead to show up to do the work the judge’s gag order means Trump cannot do himself, attacking key witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer. Johnson described Cohen as “clearly on a mission for personal revenge” and, citing his “history of perjury,” said that “[n]o one should believe a word he says in there.”
“I do have a lot of surrogates,” Trump boasted this morning, “and they are speaking very beautifully.” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who was also at the trial this morning, later said on Newsmax that they had indeed gone to “overcome this gag order.”
Johnson went on to call the trial “corrupt” and say “this ridiculous prosecution…is not about justice. It’s all about politics.” He left without taking questions. Meg Kinnard of the Associated Press called out the moment as “a remarkable moment in modern American politics: The House speaker turning his Republican Party against the federal and state legal systems that are foundational to the U.S. government and a cornerstone of democracy.”
Peter Eisler, Ned Parker, and Joseph Tanfani of Reuters explained today how those attacks on our judiciary are sparking widespread calls for violence against judges, with social media posters in echo chambers goading each other into ever more extreme statements. According to her lawyer, Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, wore a bullet-proof vest as she came and went from court, an uncanny echo of the precautions necessary in mob trials.
In a different attack on our constitutional system, House Republicans are trying to replace the administration’s foreign policy with their own. Over the weekend, they introduced a bill to force President Biden to send offensive weapons to Israel for its invasion of Rafah, overruling the administration’s decision to withhold a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his government would invade Rafah despite strong opposition from the Biden administration.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the president’s ability to deploy a U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.”
The Constitution establishes that the executive branch manages foreign affairs, and until 2015 it was an established practice that politics stopped at the water’s edge, meaning that Congress quarreled with the administration at home but the two presented a united front in foreign affairs. That practice ended in March 2015, when 47 Republican senators, led by freshman Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, wrote a letter to Iran’s leaders warning that they would not honor any agreement Iran reached with the Obama administration over its development of nuclear weapons.
The Obama administration did end up negotiating the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and several world powers, under which Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear development and allow inspections in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. In 2018 the extremist Republicans got their way when Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal, largely collapsing it, after which Iran resumed its expansion of the nuclear enrichment program it had stopped under the agreement.
Now extremists in the House are trying to run foreign policy on their own. The costs of that usurpation of power are clear in Niger, formerly a key U.S. ally in the counterterrorism effort in West Africa. The new prime minister of Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, whose party took power after a coup d’état threw out Niger’s democratically elected president, defended his country’s turn away from the U.S. and toward Russia in an interview with Rachel Chason of the Washington Post. Recalling the House’s six month delay in passing the national security supplemental bill, he said: “We have seen what the United States will do to defend its allies, because we have seen Ukraine and Israel.”
—
Notes:
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/13/white-house-opposes-house-bill-force-israeli-arm-shipments-00157691
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/nyregion/mike-johnson-trump-trial.html
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-speaker-mike-johnson-court-09aef3de395fa77843f2600f40da6ac3
https://www.vox.com/2015/3/10/8182063/tom-cottons-controversial-letter-to-iran-explained
https://www.cfr.org/backgroundewhat-iran-nuclear-deal
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12106
https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/zgpokqdxlpd/05102024creditcard.pdf
https://www.texastribune.org/2018/08/30/under-trump-5th-circuit-becoming-even-more-conservative/
https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-blocks-rule-capping-credit-card-late-fees-8-2024-05-10/
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/major-airlines-sue-biden-administration-over-fee-disclosure-rule-2024-05-13/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/14/speaker-mike-johnson-house-trump-trial
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/18/politics/donald-trump-tariffs-trade-waindex.html
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/biden-sharply-hikes-us-tariffs-billions-chinese-chips-cars-2024-05-14/
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32082/w32082.pdf
https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/05012024section301tariffsletter.pdf
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/14/politics/new-china-tariffs-biden-trump/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariffs-ev-electric-vehicles-5-things
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/05/14/memorandum-on-actions-by-the-united-states-related-to-the-statutory-4-year-review-of-the-section-301-investigation-of-chinas-acts-policies-and-practices-related-to-technology-transfer-intellectua/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/14/us-threats-led-rupture-vital-military-ties-nigerien-official-says/
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/cutting-the-spigot
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-threats-courts/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/13/politics/video/stormy-daniels-bulletproof-vest-clark-brewster-trump-hush-money-trial-ac360-digvid
https://www.automotivedive.com/news/united-auto-workers-electric-vehicle-plant-joint-venture/704275/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2024/05/14/volvo-polestar-tesla-detroit-take-biggest-hit-from-china-ev-tariffs/
Twitter (X):
atrupastatus/1790485101966487881
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-14-2024

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I try but I have to choose. In 2 hours, I can either:

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I'll do whatever I think that will help the most people.
I would hate for you to miss my FREE Resume+ webinar where I could give you quite a bit more than I can cram into a dinky post or even a generic video.
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Hello all,
I am a 23 year old male. As someone who suffers from urinary incontinence 24/7, I find myself frustrated by the lack of choices for getting diapers locally. I live in the Denver / Northern Colorado area. I have called dozens of places and none that I have called have had what I wanted. Most of the time having to wait 3-5 days for diapers to be delivered. I generally wear Abena Abri-Form Plastic L4s or Tena Large ProSkin briefs for situations where discretion is preferred.
Purpose: The purpose of this post is why I feel that starting another store focused on those of us with an actual need would be needed and to get feedback (hopefully from some who live in the Denver / Northern Colorado area).
What would I be intending on offering?:
My plan would be to offer supplies via three purchasing avenues and four fulfillment avenues.
Purchasing Options via in-person, online, and over the phone

1. In person means in a store front. My hope would be to provide samples for every product sold in the store. Have a few bathrooms for trials and take home samples for trying on products at home. If you decided you like the product I would have a decent on hand quantity at least a few cases of each product for immediate purchase.
2. Online would be a website. My hope would to be priced at or below competitors but initially I may be the same price as them or higher. Products would be shipped to your address via standard services like FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc. They would be shipped in truly non descriptive plain brown boxes.
3. Phone ordering. Have a phone number and some staff to take orders via the phone for those who can't order in person or online.
4. The fourth fulfillment option: this is one that would be available via online or phone orders for residents in the Denver / Northern Colorado area. My hope would be one day to expand past this relatively small area with more locations but this is how I would do it for the first year or more.
   1. You place your order online or over the phone. We would the deliver it to you in as little as 30 minutes. We would also offer the option to schedule the delivery for later. Again in a truly non descriptive plain brown box or boxes. More or less door dash for diapers.

Feedback I am hoping for (Positive and Negative Welcome):
I truly want to be a benefit and a comfort to the community. If you feel that there is already enough choices for these supplies or you wouldn't want to use a new company, feel free to let me know.
The main question of course: Would a local supplier / another option for online purchases be helpful?
Do you live in the Denver / Northern Colorado area?
If you don't live in the area would you be interested in purchasing from such a company?
What supplies would you be interested in purchasing? I have an initial plan for catheters, diapers, wipes, bed / furniture pads (washable / reusable and disposable). I intend on offering both youth and adult supplies for males and females.
Would educational and maybe even support resources be helpful? I know especially when I was younger that this was a scary topic and even today I HATE talking about it. But I am also sick of the stigma and the bullying that occurs because of it. It is not something we can control and I always wished there was a place to go where I could talk with and meet others with incontinence around my age group.
What else could I offer that would be helpful?
A quick note / rant on ABdlr in Englewood (Denver) CO:
I am aware that Denver now has an ABDL store called ABdlr. I refuse to go there. This will sound harsh to some but I can't imagine why anyone would want to wear diapers as a choice (for clarification I choose to wear diapers over a catheter. I had one of those ugly things in me at a hospital a few years back and it HURT. I totally understand that diapers can be more comfortable than catheters for some. I am referring only to the people who CHOOSE diapers when there is nothing wrong with them.) or pretend to be incontinent.
This discussion is not meant to be against the ABDL community. Please do not make it as such. I am simply justifying why I won't use the ABdlr store.
Final Notes / Thoughts:
If you have made it this far thank you for reading. This is something I am truly passionate about and I hope that I can have a positive impact on the community by trying to make my passion a reality.

Apologies for posting a novella. I’ll probably get downvoted a lot for this post, but almost every every day I see one or more of these big pot comments in response to someones post. So here goes.

• Myth 1 - If the pot’s too big, the monstera will keep growing out it’s roots to fill the pot before it pushes out leaf growth.
  • BUSTED: Monsteras growing in the wild have unlimited space to expand their roots. If this myth were true, wild monsteras would have miles of roots and no leaves. In reality, ALL plants, including monsteras, achieve a balance between root and top growth through a concept known as the "root-to-shoot ratio". Plants balance resources between their roots and shoots based on their needs and environmental conditions. When a plant's roots have enough space and access to nutrients, they will focus on establishing a suitable root system initially. However, once the roots are well-established and able to support the plant's needs, the plant will allocate more energy to producing leaves and stems. In a large pot, a monstera will initially invest in root growth to maximize nutrient and water absorption. Once the roots are sufficiently developed to support the plant, it will shift its energy towards top growth. This natural balance means that the plant can thrive by supporting its above-ground parts with a strong root system. Providing a larger pot will not prevent a monstera from growing leaves; it will merely allow the plant to establish a healthy foundation, ultimately leading to better overall growth and a more vigorous plant. On the other hand, the common advice to use a pot that is only a bit larger than the existing root ball can lead to the plant focusing more on leaf growth at the expense of developing a suitably sustainable root system. Even though this might result in quicker leaf production in the short term, it can leave the plant with an underdeveloped root system, making it less stable and less able to absorb nutrients and water effectively over time.
• Myth 2 - If the pot’s too big you’ll get root rot.
  • BUSTED: This is the one I see most often, and although well meaning, doesn’t help people learn about setting up a proper environment for a monstera (or any plant). When growing the wild, in the ground, Monstera’s have an unlimited pot size, literally and they don't die of root rot except when something is wrong. Root rot is actually contributed to by a wide variety of conditions.
    1. Unsuitable Soil Mix: The job of the monstera grower is to create a root zone as close to its native habitat as possible. If the soil you use is too compact or heavy, or doesn’t drain well enough, it will create an environment suitable for pathogens to thrive. Monsteras are pretty hardy and can thrive in a wide variety of soils, which is why you see people using things like LECA and creating all kinds of soil mixes. Ultimately, it’s important that the roots have sufficient moisture combined with sufficient air and can gain sufficient nutrients from the soil (or anything you feed it). Proper drainage and aeration are crucial to prevent root rot. A well-aerated soil mix allows excess water to drain away, preventing waterlogging, which can suffocate roots and create conditions that encourage root rot. Using a soil mix designed for aroids or creating your own mix with ingredients like perlite, orchid bark, and peat moss can help achieve the right balance. If in doubt about the right soil to use, look for good quality commercial aroid mixes on amazon or wherever you buy your plant supplies.
    2. Overwatering: This is one of the most common mistakes made by plant owners. If the soil is kept too wet for too long, it starves the roots of oxygen. Monsteras, like other plants, require a balance between moisture and air in the soil. When the soil stays saturated, the roots can suffocate and begin to rot. Signs of overwatering include yellowing leaves, mushy stems, and a musty odor from the soil.
    3. Unsuitable Water: The quality of water you use can significantly impact the health of your monstera. Tap water, depending on your location, can contain high levels of chlorine, fluoride, or salts, which can be harmful to plants over time. To avoid this, consider using filtered, distilled, or reverse osmosis (RO) water to reduce the risk of chemical buildup. However, when using distilled or RO water, remember that these types of water lack minerals, so you may need to add supplemental nutrition more frequently. Collecting rainwater is another excellent option, as it is generally free of harmful (to plants) chemicals and more closely matches the water monsteras receive in their natural environment. If using tap water, let it sit out for 24 hours before watering to allow some of the chlorine to evaporate. Also, use room-temperature water to avoid shock to the plant’s roots. If you’re not sure about your tap water, your local extension or agriculture office will often do a sample analysis for you for free or cheaply.
    4. Poor Soil Microbiome: In its natural environment, soil has a diverse biome that includes a beneficial fungi and bacteria. These microorganisms play a a really important role in plant health by inoculating the roots against pathogens. Beneficial fungi, such as mycorrhizae, are symbiotic with plant roots, helping them absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. Beneficial bacteria, can produce antibiotics that suppress harmful pathogens like Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia, all of which can cause root rot and other diseases if they are not kept in check. These beneficial microorganisms create a competitive environment that makes it difficult for harmful pathogens to establish. So if we’re growing monsteras in pots, if we try to try to recreate the natural soil biome we can make root rot and other diseaases less common. You can buy products to do this, I use a liquid Mycorrhizae called Orca, by Plant Revolution, because it contains a broad range of both myco (Endomycorrhiza and Ectomycorrhiza) and good bacteria, so it’s an all in one soil biome booster. There are plenty of others on the market, but that’s the one I use. Additionally, nutrient additions can help adjust and support this environment in the pot. Using organic amendments, such as worm castings, seaweed extract, can provide nutrients that promote a healthy soil microbiome. Avoid using synthetic fertilizers too much, beause they disrupt the microorganisms, as can overly chlorinated water (it's addition to drinking water is literally to kill microorganisms). I also have a bag of granulated mycorrhizae (again there’s a ton of granulated myco out on the market), , that I mix in with the new soil when repotting a plant, I use this one because it’s relatively cheap, but even though it may not be the best, I’m ok with that because I supplement with Orca as a part of my nutrient regimen.

So the issue is much more involved than big pots. Healthy and appropriately sized roots are important to a well balanced monstera. There’s also a ton of other factors including, pot material, environment temperature, humidity, repotting stress, and so much more. I just wanted to address the “big pot” thing specifically. As I mentioned at the beginning, a monstera is pretty hardy as long as it’s treated well, but the more you know, the easier it is to make the right decisions for the plant. The good news is that everything I've addressed above, goes for pretty much all plants.
If you believe I've made any errors above, I'm happy to discuss or chat about it. Hope some of you find this helpful.
EDIT: edited for spelling.

Curious how the community would handle a strange situation I witnessed during a U15 boys competitive match this weekend. I was a spectator there to support some of the players I have coached in the past (playing for the Away Team), but it got me thinking about how I would address the situation as a CR because I had never seen something like it in my 35+ years as a ref, coach, or player.
TL; DR: While ball was in play during a U15 competitive tournament match, the keeper left the pitch over the end line and walked to the parking lot; his coach was asleep on the sideline and CR had to wake him up to put another keeper on the pitch; restart of game was delayed 10 minutes; CR didn’t issue the keeper who left or the coach a card; how would you handle the situation as a CR?
*EDIT: I say per LOTG below re: substitution rule. I meant ROC locally and in the specific tournament's ROC. Apologies for my oversight and lack of clarity.
*EDIT 2: I was not the CR or an AR during the match, just a spectator. I don't engage match officials unless I'm there in an official capacity as a coach, so my narrative doesn't include first hand knowledge about what was discussed with the officiating crew or the coaches. I think the match officials handled a very confusing situation really well; it just got me thinking about what I would do as CR.
Full context: This was a tournament match between two teams mathematically eliminated from moving forward in the tournament prior to kick-off, so it was the last match of the tournament for both teams. About ten minutes into the second half, the Away Team scored on a long direct free kick to go up 3-0. Ball was returned to center, kick-off restart, and game proceeded with the Home Team carrying the ball into their offensive third. This is where it gets weird.
As his team carried the ball up the pitch, the Home Team’s keeper exited the pitch across the end line and just kept going — walking to the parking lot. Because play was on the other end of the pitch the refs (and almost everyone else) were unaware the keeper walked off until the ball returned to that third of the pitch 30 seconds later. At that point, everyone on or near the pitch quickly became aware the Home Team keeper was absent — except his coach (the only coach on the sideline for that team), who sleepily remained seated in his chair at the other end of the pitch.
CR (early twenties) rightly let play continue until a natural stop in play. Unfortunately for the CR, it was a throw-in possession for the Away Team on the spectator touchline (AR was on the teams’ touchline on the same half). Per LOTG the team out of possession cannot make a substitution unless the team in possession initiates their own substitution on a throw-in. In this case, the away team was not making a substitution and they had a clear advantage in their offensive third, so their coach encouraged them to take a quick throw-in. It was immediately clear the CR was struggling to decide if he should enforce the LOTG or uphold the SOTG because the absent player was the keeper. Fortunately, two of my former players heard me over the din and threw it in to immediately play it back out over the touchline for a turnover.
After all the commotion, one would expect the Home Team’s coach to have his team’s only substitution ready at midfield to enter the game and be communicating with his team to assign a new keeper to net ASAP, BUT the coach remained sleepily seated in his chair and didn’t send his only sub to midfield to enter the game.
Upholding the SOTG, the CR stopped the play and jogged toward the Home Team’s bench while delivering repeated verbal instructions to the coach that he should put another player on the pitch and/or identify a new keeper. Home Team coach didn’t budge; finally the CR had to tell the PLAYER (who just came off the field after the previous goal) he should re-enter the game as keeper. As this kid frantically scrambled through teammates’ bags to find a keeper jersey and gloves, the CR had to leave the pitch to WAKE THE COACH UP and inform him what was going on!
CR then ran to his AR (14/15 years old at most) on the other half to confer and then chatted with the Away Team’s Coach. The game was delayed about 10 minutes as the CR ran around trying to sort the chaos. End result was the game finally resumed without a single card being shown. I think the CR and crew were pretty well in control of the game prior to the absurd circumstance, but as a ref, coach, and former player I struggle with the fact a card never came out.
When I CR U15/16 competitive club games I still try to educate more than caution because experience and talent levels can still be pretty diverse within and between teams (and I’m also working with teenage brains), but the CR not showing cards in this circumstance boggles my mind as a ref. It a missed opportunity to enforce clear LOTG, educate through accountability, and minimize the risk that the Home Team’s frustrations with their teammate and coach could carry-over onto the pitch.
I would have approached the absurd situation this way as CR. Prior to re-start: Yellow (1) — Keeper for leaving the pitch; Yellow (1) — Coach for delay of restart. Post-match: Yellow (2, Red) — Keeper for unsporting behavio lack of respect for the game (to not penalize his team by making them play down a man); Yellow (2, Red) — Coach for unsporting behaviolack of respect for the game (to not penalize his team by removing the only coach they had on the sideline, which would have resulted in them needing to forfeit the match).
I’m curious to hear the community’s thoughts on how you would approach the situation as CR because I have never seen anything like it before and I hope to never see anything like it again.

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