Then don't buy Yeezy brand shit ok?
Like I ran into this argument at my workplace actually. I work in a hospital as a resident doctor (I'm a first year resident, so literally brand new in the workplace), and I had this really stupid argument with a senior doctor who saw my Yzy stuff and began to utterly shit on it. He's not that much older than me, probably like in his late 30s.
But damn this dude would not stop shitting on Yzy brand merchandise. He started talking about the 20 dollar price tag meaning that "the stuff is way lower quality than when adidas was managing it, and that's why he's probably reduced the price and reduced the quality..." and stuff like that.
Honestly, I ended up responding with "well, I suppose it's more of a matter for people who like Kanye West, his brand, music, etc, and a way for them to show their support for an artist that-"
And he immediately interrupts me with, "Oh so you support Kanye West then?"
Now this nigga is jewish, so I obviously had to go, "Oh no, no, not his political views and... blah blah blah, I don't hate Jewish people, blah blah blah". You know the drill.
But yeah dude, I do actually like Kanye, and I do actually support a lot of what he says. I think this year and shown that Kanye wasn't actually the psycho character the media tried to paint him as. Their character assassination on him ALMOST went through, but Ye didn't let it stick.
In conclusion, all I wanted to say was that IDC if the YZY stuff is lower quality or whatever than before, but I'm still going to keep buying it. Not because it's entirely my style, but because I support Mr. West.
That's kinda the whole point of YZY. It's not another Nike/OVO style corporate outfit intended to extort me maximally, and I probably wouldn't buy a single thing from there if it was. But shit, at 20 dollars a piece man? IDC if the quality has gone down to Shien level stuff, I'm still with ya Ye.
Please don't do the Trump stuff again tho man, just like shit on Joe Biden instead. It's equally effective and makes you look so much less worse.

I broke up with my boyfriend of 6 months for good today and sort of 3 days back. So what do I mean by "sort of" if you might be wondering, I'll give a brief about my relationship. He was a bestie friend from her old school and we started texting after he found me cute in one of the snaps my bestfriend sent. We had been talking for a year,but he had confessed his feelings from the beginning but I had rejected him cause I never met this guy before and all I knew about him was his online persona. Throughout the year we were good friends I went on a date with another guy And he was interested in a few girls but none of which worked out. My "date" obviously didn't work out and he kept trying his shot with me even though I rejected him multiple times until finally I agreed to meet up with him once. Well to say the least I liked his personality after we met up and we started going on a few dates and eventually started dating. He said 'I love you' to me since the first date which I kind of found weird but chose to ignore as different people experiencing emotions differently. Fast forward the first month was everything I ever wanted all sunshines and rainbows and things started going south from the next. It started with him being very distracted during calls and not paying attention or moody which I was bothered by and it wasn't a once or twice kind of thing it went on for MONTHS regardless of me expressing my dislike (might i add i dont usually do calls but i wanted to do it with him). It started off with small things like that and gradually our arguments increased to being weekly then daily. He used to do and say shit apologizes promise to be better and repeat. It was a LOOP. Recently it was our 6 months and we almost decided to break up once but he promised to be better so we didn't. Our 6 months was supposed to be magical we had everything planned out a good hotel a fine dining and all. He pulls out a promise ring and promises to be better and a huge ass speech the same night he told me that realistically a future between us won't be possible cause his mom won't agree. I was devastated it's not like I didn't know but you didn't have to point it out on a day that was special to us? Right after you gave me a promise ring??. We argued and I wanted to leave and go back home but he wouldn't let me in the process of stopping me he was forceful and accidentally ended up shoving me causing me to fall and hurt my back.i started crying cause I was shocked. He apologized but I was traumatized. We sorted? Things out that week and in the weekend I opened up to him about my past and family trauma after his constant pestering and we had Intercourse. Might I add this was my first relationship and I was a virgin but he wasn't and it wasn't even his first relationship. The arguing never stopped though even after despite him knowing that I was going through shit in life and it got worse to the point I had to beg him to not be insensitive for a day. Last weekend we argued again obviously but what he said this time hurt me the most. After we did the deed again and when I told him it was hurting for me, he told me "you didn't even do anything for it to hurt" For context. I have an undiagnosed illness that I'm still figuring out what it is. It makes my abdomen pain and I often times faint due to the pain audit has been going on for a year. He knew it but still said those words to me. More details in the next post.

Hi Guys,
I have exactly 20 days till my SBA exams, the first ones in January didn’t go too well (got 45%). I’ll need around 65/70% to make up the difference in the upcoming one.
Question is can I cover all the content for this in 20 days, and any Newcastle specific tips for SBA. Thanks

Hey all as the title says we want to terminate contract but we are clear to close on our end.
This house has been one mishap after another from asbestos to some hidden probate and some comps that weren’t comping the sellers being difficult you name it. Now the probate thing has been extended by 2-6 weeks who knows . we have a Hubbard on our end and the buyer has giving us so many extensions so much so that I think he grew tired and is changing it from his name to an llc (perhaps to flip ) and is now securing a different type of loan thus buying us a bit more time . With all the delays in this home which each step we felt we should back out even before the asbestos came up and especially after that. We were hesitant of the price ( 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house got bumped to tippy top of our budget with bidding wars that he told us and our lender - his good friend that would not happen ) our realtor is a lot pushy and a bit mean every time I mentioned we want to back out I was met with push backs and comments about how I wasted his time (he literally said this ) . I’m not a confronting type person and he gets so aggressive anyway I digress…. After this last pause plus our buyer needing to re button up things on this end we figure if we are gonna walk away it’s now or never how to navigate this ? We can see a few houses and try again with an angry p’d off realtor or suck it up but the mortgage is super high we were pressured into overbuying (rookie mistake 2nd time buyer ) our plan would be now to look for something significantly cheaper (2 bedroom 1 bath perhaps and don’t escalate so high) and closer to my husbands job if possible (I work from home )to be able to pay the mortgage without working 70+ hours each.
We know we would lose the Ernest and inspection, appraisal but is there more risk we didn’t consider?

I've been writing for years, but for some reason I just found the fanfic community (I'm loving it!) and I'm very unfamiliar with the jargon, acronyms, tags etc. I was wondering if there's a name for what I'm doing, so I can tag it accurately and find readers who will enjoy it!
Basically, I'm taking the plot of a novel, and re-writing it into a completely different universe, adjusting it so that it feels as seamless and credible as possible. As a result, some canon characters in the new universe "play" the role of some characters in the novel, and some original characters that make sense in the new universe come fill the gaps. My goal is that readers from either fandom could find it enjoyable and satisfying, without needing to be very familiar with the other one. So what is this, is it a mashup, a crossover, an alternate universe, or what? Can you direct me to examples of other fics that follow that pattern? Thanks a lot!

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.

If I am up for buying a new Cricut machine or I have bought it already, one of the first questions that is going to arise in my head is how to connect my Cricut to my laptop or any other device that I am going to use. If you have the same kind of questions in your head, I am going to tell you about all the methods that you can use to connect any of your laptops (Windows or Mac) in this blog.
There are two ways to connect your laptop to your Cricut machine. You can either connect by Bluetooth or a USB cable. The process of connecting it may be different depending on which operating system you are using. Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Connecting Cricut Machine to a Windows Laptop

You can connect your laptop using either Bluetooth or a USB cable. To connect with a USB cable, you have to connect the cable to your machine and the laptop. To connect the laptop via Bluetooth, follow these steps:

1. Open the laptop and connect the machine to electricity.
2. Go to the taskbar and open Bluetooth. You can also search “Bluetooth” in settings.
3. Open Bluetooth and search for the Cricut machine.
4. Click on your Cricut model and then Connect (If you have more than one Cricut machine, select the one you want to work on).
5. Once it is connected, download Cricut Design Space using cricut.com/setup.
6. Log in to it if you already have an account, or you can sign up for a new account.
7. Go for your first cut, and the machine setup process is done.

How to Connect My Cricut to My Laptop (Mac)?

To connect your Mac laptop to the Cricut machine, you will have almost the same experience as the Windows one. If you are not familiar with Apple’s Mac operating system, you may have to face some difficulty. But you have nothing to worry about, as I am here to help you out. Just follow these simple steps:

1. To get started, open both the laptop and your machine.
2. Go to Settings and search for Bluetooth.
3. Search for the Cricut model once Bluetooth is on.
4. Click on the Pair button once you find your machine.
5. When using a USB cable, you can plug it into both your laptop and the machine and complete the drive installation.
6. Open Cricut’s software or app and log in to your account.
7. You are good to go once you are asked for your first test cut.

How to Connect My Cricut to My Laptop via Bluetooth?

Cricut machines are very simple to connect to your laptop via Bluetooth. It is also preferred by most people because when the machine is connected to Bluetooth, it is wireless and easy to operate.

1. Make sure your machine and the laptop are within a distance of 10 to 15 feet because if it’s more than that, there may be a connection issue.
2. You have to remember one more thing: If you are using older machines (like Cricut Explore or Explore One), a wireless adapter will be required to connect to the laptop.
3. To connect your laptop via Bluetooth, you must switch on both your laptop and machine.
4. After that, go to Bluetooth settings on your laptop and search for your machine.
5. Also, tap on Connect, and your device is connected.
6. Now, log into your Cricut account, and you are ready for your project.

How to Connect My Cricut to My Laptop Using a USB Cable?

To connect your laptop using a USB cable, you can connect the cables on both ends to the laptop and your Cricut machine. You can do it before or after opening the machine and the computer. You don’t need to maintain any distance while using the cable, but it is suggested that you do not strain the cable. After you connect the cable, the drive has to be installed. It will happen automatically, but if it does not happen, you may have to install it manually. Once your machine is connected to the laptop, download the Cricut Design Space app on your device and log in to your Cricut ID. Finally, you are ready to start crafting DIY projects at home.

Conclusion

So, if you are also wondering how to connect my Cricut to my laptop, you can follow these simple steps. Connecting your laptop to your Cricut is very easy and you can do it using a USB cable or Bluetooth. You can do it on any of your laptops, whether it is Windows or Mac computer. Once the device is connected, sign in to the Cricut software and start your project.

FAQs

What are the common connection problems that Cricut machines have?

Common problems in connecting your machine to your laptop may be because of a poor internet connection, the software being outdated, a strained USB cable, or a problematic Bluetooth connection. There may be other connection issues as well, but these are the main errors. But these are all simple problems and can be fixed easily.

Why is my Cricut machine having connection issues?

If you are using Bluetooth to connect your machine, keep it at a distance of less than 15 feet. This could be the reason for your problem. If this is not the issue, try to unpair the Cricut machine once and pair it again after refreshing. If you are using a USB cable, be sure it is not strained. In that case, you will need to change it.

Why is Bluetooth on my Cricut machine not working?

There may be a few reasons why Bluetooth on your computer is not working. Maybe you have put your laptop more than 15 feet away, and that is why your computer is unable to track your machine. Apart from this, sometimes, when you are using Bluetooth for a long time, it automatically stops working. You just have to unpair it once and refresh it. Pair it again, and it will start working.
Read more: cricut setup for pc
install cricut design space app
Cricut New Machine Setup
Source: how to connect my cricut to my laptop

Hello,
Basically I've been a hobby photographer for a couple of years now. And I am going to take things a bit more serious and see if I can make it my full time job. I have saved up 10K to fulfill all my needs from cameras and lenses to studio equipment. Basically I want to do portrait photography and wildlife on the side and maybe sell some prints. I already have the 200-600. And I am looking for advice for my camera and lens choices.
Basically since the A7RV and A7CR have 61MP they can be cropped to 150% making the 24-70 a 36-105, covering the most used portraiture focal lengths. This would allow me to buy a 70-200 to fill the jump all the way to my 200-600. And take my second body A7C with me for wildlife using the 70-200. And allowing to crop to 300mm using one of the 61MP camera's
However I would be missing out on the 85mm with it's 1.4 aperture and beautiful bokeh and background seperation; great for portrait shoots. Cropping the 85 mm would make it a 127,5 essentially covering 24-105 + 127,5 paired with the 24-70 f2.8
Last but not least I would be saving around +-500 going for the a7CR but I'll be missing out on dual sd card slots; and 8fps burst instead of 10. Honestly using one sd card for paid jobs might make me a bit anxious; so might there be other options allowing another way of backing up while shooting?
Anyways lots of choices to make! And I'd love some insight and some different points of views. Maybe this will aid me to finally make a decision. I kind-off feel paralysed right now; scared I'll purchase the wrong things regret the limitations my equipment.
Thanks in advance :D

SHIPPING FROM ITALY
WTS https://imgur.com/a/DzQuTni UNDERCOVER CINDY SHERMAN SMOKING JACKET Size: XL, can provide measurements Price: 40€ + ship condition: almost new, used just 3 times, i need to make more space in my closet, THIS PIECE IS BEEN OUT OF STOCK SINCE YEARS
WTS https://imgur.com/a/7gRgPnT ROG RICK OWENS CARGOBASKETS Size:40 (27cm), never used em if not one time, leather is buttery smooth, batch is ROG(1,4K yuans + ship from china), selling because i find em hard to style. Price:175€ + ship
WTS https://imgur.com/a/mucz7gg JORDAN 4 MILITARY BLACK GX size: 41 (26cm), GX always known to be solid with his stuff, bought these some time ago and got tired of em because they are too basic Price: 40€ + Ship
PayPal invoice only

Hi, I'm french Canadian 42 and divorced, I leave a couple hours from the northern Alaska border. I will like to know how was the transition, if any Canadian moved to Alaska. I'm planing to come visit your state this summer. My goal is to figure out if I can move in Alaska and make a good happy life. I'm expecting pretty much similar climate and back country. I leave off the grid in the bush, dry cabin and I love it.
Is that still a possible life style in Alaska?
What to expect moving to Alaska has a Canadian men?
How is the cost of living, housing, taxes, health care?
I know you don't have a health care system, so how that work?
P.S I'm not a fucking woke lol. So there is one reason to get out of Canada these days.
I'm a heavy equipment operator, mining and road construction. Good solid back ground in construction too, on job site and office. I put that info here so you guys can tell me if there is opportunities in my field of experiences or any chance to make it out there.
Anyway thank you all, I wish some will be willing to chat with me about all this.
Cheese's now

(I’m in Melbourne, I’m also American and not sure what’s legal and what isn’t, our break systems are very different back in the states)
I work casually for these food vans, I’ve gone over time like 15 minutes a few times and they always take away about 5-10 minutes of that and I think it’s because they don’t want to count our walk time to and from the clock box which is far away lol. Which is sketchy to me, especially because I know they only know this from staring at the cameras all day, but okay, since they’re not my rostered hours, I’ll survive. However, a friend of mine recently clocked out exactly on time but was checking her phone before clocking out because her cover was already present - and they took five minutes off of her pay (that’s rostered time) for it. Is this legal? What can we do about this if not?
I would go to HR, but the people who run the business actually do their own HR so that obviously makes me second guess wanting to complain about it. I also would hate to sound like… an American? Like being so serious and complainy/nitpicky? I just feel awkward about the whole thing but I’m so mad at the injustice of it all and not really sure where to put that anger. Thanks!

Hey there, excuse me for writing in english. I am interested in making a deep dive into Moldovan history and culture but researching on the internet is difficult since I do not know where to start. Different sites suggest books like “The A to Z of Moldova” and other western authors, but coming myself from an eastern European country I know that western authors may have views that don’t represent the culture as natives know it. It would be very helpful if y’all could make some suggestions on texts, articles, documentaries, movies or any other media. The historical period of my interest is the 1980s but it would be optimal to have even previous historical/cultural eras included. Thank you in advance.

Recently, OpenAI released ChatGPT 4o, a new version of their popular language model. This update brings some exciting features along withit’s capability to analyze video and images realtime. Here is a shortened version of the use cases of ChatGPT 4o.
https://reddit.com/link/1csianm/video/rm0xrrs8qk0d1/player
1. Visual Analysis and Insights:
The main feature of ChatGPT 4o is it goes beyond just language. It can analyze images and video and provide real-time insights. Share an image during a conversation, and the AI will describe its contents, identify objects, and offer relevant information. In the demo you can see it guiding a visually impaired person realtime. Although it’s just a demo (made me remember devin) but this feature is very exciting and promising.
2. Realtime Translation:
Communication across languages is a challenge while using AIs. While these AIs can communicate and response with excellent English but same can’t be said for other lesser used Languages in the web. It’s expected as the web is primarily English. ChatGPT 4o solves this by offering real-time translation capabilities. You can now have conversations with people who speak different languages, with the AI seamlessly translating the conversation for smooth and efficient interaction. This is particularly helpful for international business, academic collaborations or me who often translates social media posts to English.
3. Meeting Assistant:
Meetings often feel unproductive and time-consuming. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT 4o can change that by acting as a virtual meeting assistant. It can help organize agendas, take notes, and summarize key points while the meeting is happening. Additionally, it can suggest action items, follow-ups, and next steps, ensuring meetings are focused and productive for all participants. All these are from demos, I did not use the AI for this purpose yet so I cannot bouch here.
4. 3D Objects:
As I mentioned before, ChatGPT 4o's impressive skillset extends to vision and 3D analysis. It offers the capability of 3D object synthesis, allowing users to generate and manipulate three-dimensional models. Through textual descriptions or prompts, users can instruct ChatGPT 4o to create detailed 3D objects. In a demo OpenAI’s logo was created with the company name as a 3D object by a simple prompt.
5. Explain Complex Topics:
ChatGPT 4o can act as a real-time tutor, engaging in conversations to explain complex topics. OpenAI released a video demo where the AI is teaching math realtime. It can solve math problems and explain how to approach a problem. It can break down concepts step-by-step, offer personalized guidance, and provide immediate feedback on your work. I am not confident that it can solve much complex problems but the demos are promising.
What do you think of these features? For me personally, it’s a step forward from just textual LLM models. I’ve wrote indetails of the new ChatGPT 4o in my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my newsletter to get more of these tutorials and case studies on AI. Subscribe here. Visit seekme.ai to browse thousands of useful AI tools for any task, or just browse by your profession from AI for Profession page of seekme.ai.

Fo4 does a lot of things better. Its not just gameplay. Far harbor has a beautiful deep brooding atmosphere. The world building and overal aesthetic has so much work put into it. The entire game is dripping with vibe.
There's so many interesting quests and characters. The level design and individual areas makes exploration very satisfying.
I also think it has the best ost in the series. And The licenced music is at least on par with 3/nv. Atom bomb baby is such a great song.
Plus the settlment building has way more depth than people give it credit for. You really can go crazy. Most people just kind of have raider esc set ups. Getting creative can change the map alot. Because there's settlements everywhere.
Not a fan of 3. Nv definitely has the best story. The sci fi elements stick out to me. But 4 isnt garbage. The synth story lines are very interesting. Again, es·pe·cial·ly when you have nick and go to far harbor.
Fo4 just hits for me. Its so immersive and vibey. And yes the gameplay is just way better. I remember something about them bringing in devs that worked on doom 2016. It shows. The combats works and feels good. The movement feels good.
I hear the same criticisms over and over.

1. The dialog options. Personally, i think they should have left it like vegas. But i see why they stream lined it. Its about pacing. And the quests are still engaging. Just not as sophsticated as vegas could be.
   
2. Rpg elements. Pretty much still have a lot of build options. Again, more streamlined. But you can do some unique stuff that i feel is over looked.
   
3. Factions. I get it. Vegas let you become the character and you could be whatever you wanted to be. 4 has its own character and you play that characters pre determined story. Many great games are like that. Is 4 trash because its different? I think its fine. The pros out weigh the cons. 2 is an incredible game. 3 is nothing like it. Yet 3 is beloved.
   

I went into 4 totally objective with an open mindset. Like the other games didnt exist. It was one the best gaming experiences i ever had. And im pretty snobby with games. I really only like games that are high concept and masterfully crafted. Some examples. SH2, Blood Omen, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 10, Resident evil 2002 remake, Witcher 3, Gt2, Symphony of the night, Alice, SF3rd strike, Dark Soul, bloodborne, sekiro, Siege lol, mw2, dying light, blasphemous. Those are some of my tops. Many are objectivley undeniable. Is f04 like that? Idk. But it hit like witcher 3 in a lot of ways. I played them both at the same time.
With how dissapointing 76 was i dont get how 4 is so underrated. Especially with this ps5 update. The load times and frame rates makes it even more fluid. 4 gets very cinematic at times. When i first rolled up to the corvega factory at night for that brother hood mission. It was just oozing with cinematic shots. You want to screen shot so often. And thats great world design and art direction. Dont even get me started on far harbor. Basically a remake of 3 in one dlc. Its like a stephen king novel.
The setting of 4 in boston with that sea side town vibe and the rich american east coast history. The Revolutionary war and all the historical themes. I think its great.

Hey ya'll! My name is Masky and I make videos on stupid stuff that interests me like silly challenge runs on VR games like Blade & Sorcery or making games!
Some of my challenge runs:

• Beating B&S' hardest dungeon with axes
• Beating B&S hardest dungeon with just a chicken as a weapon

Random videos I enjoyed making:

• Beating the entirety of Arizona Sunshine 2 on the hardest difficulty
  
• Grimlord: Quite possibly the best VR souls-like
  
• Making a backrooms game within 100 minutes
  

In case you check out one of these I hope you enjoy em!

I’ve been really struggling with gendepronouns + sexuality for a long time. In the end, I’ll settle for one and then feel like it’s wrong!
Even worse, I end up finding names I like and then I end up wanting to change them which makes me feel so guilty and annoying as my poor friends have to keep up with it everything.. Can someone give me some ideas/list to name ideas and some sort of guidance to find myself? I know this is a stupid rant and I’m sorry.
Names:
Konnor (Kon for short) Raven Kye Jules
(There’s probably others but I can’t think of any off the top of my head.)
Pronouns:
Any masc/nb terms. They/Them He/They Ze/They
I also have a girlfriend, she says she would never mind if I changed my name but I still feel so guilty for it, why do I feel so guilty?

I hate my mom. I hate her so fcking much. I got a letter from school with my chosen name and she went on a whole rant about the fact that I'm deciding this to early and I'm too young. She told me again that I'd never become a boy and I'd just be a trans boy. On the other hand she still thinks this is a phase and I'll grow over it. Before I came out she was okay with me buying mens clothes and she even approved of me cutting my hair. Now she's taking it all back, she wants me to buy women's clothes because "that's how my body is" and I can't cut my hair past my shoulders. She keeps saying all these bad things and afterwards she asks what she's doing wrong and why I'm sad and that also makes me feel very guilty. I have final exams tomorrow and the whole next 2 weeks but I don't even know how I'm meant to focus now.
(This is probably a big mess I'm sorry I'm just really sad and frustrated)

Currently I am struggling and feeling uncertain about my friendship with my colleague (We are both 29F) and is looking for some advices.
English is not my first language so pardon for the bad grammar.
I have always been struggling to establish friendship and understand how to maintain friendship. I often attempt to mimic how others communicate and react to social situations. Which also make myself giving bad replies or frozen up when presented with unknown situations.
She was assigned to work with me when I first joined the company and I always look up to her, we are quite different in personality(she is more independent and outspoken) but we share similar interests and values.
But I always feel distant from her and confused even we spend time and experience many things together.
-We seldom hangout but when we do our topics can range from our favourite character tropes to personal worries however the next day she feel much less talkative. Not like cold and unfriendly but feel kinda dry. (Just "Heyy" and nothing moreee)
-She said feel free to invite her to things but she feel and sound less excited when we actually doing it.
-Sometimes I also feel she sounds more excited when talking to other than to me /ignore me during group conversations. (Job or not job related)
-When I was feeling down she would notice and approach to ask me if something is wrong and spend time listening to my problems.
-I told her about my feelings and express how I feel she was shocked and thought we already are good friends. She explained that she tends to responded to things and reply whatever came to her mind.
-I have noticed she responds more often to me after we made the conversation.
Personally I think the last few points are assuring but wanna hear from a different point of view.
I don't really know muccch and what does friendship should beeee even at this age so I am really appreciate some options.
Cheers.

1. Hawks: Alex Sarr - He make sense for the Hawks as a fit with Trae or as a rebuilding piece.
   
2. Wizards: Donovan Clingan - Gives them more of a style and identity on defense. Will fit nicely with Cooper Flagg.
   
3. Rockets: Stephon Castle - Big, defensive off ball guard/wing you can plug in around Sengun and Green.
   
4. Spurs: Zaccharie Risacher - Great role player around Wemby. Great shooter and gonna be solid on D.
   
5. Pistons: Matas Buzelis - Not great right now, but has potential. Fits on this roster as currently constructed.
   
6. Hornets: Devin Carter - Yes, Devin Carter is the 6th pick. Hornets need a dog. A mentality shift.
   
7. Blazers: Ron Holland - Portland is in full rebuild mode and can afford to take a chance on Holland.
   
8. Spurs: Reed Sheppard - God tier shooter to put around Wemby who can also playmake a little.
   
9. Grizzlies: Nikola Topic - I think Topic falls to Grizz after the recent knee scares and they just grab him BPA.
   
10. Jazz: Dalton Knecht - Jazz gets a 6MOY candidate for years to come. Great shooter.
    
11. Bulls: Rob Dillingham - I'm lower on him than most. Bulls SHOULD rebuild, so they can take a chance on him. I don't ever see him starting on a good team because of his tissue paper defense, but microwave bench guy?
    
12. OKC: Cody Williams - OKC picks J-Dubs brother for the vibes. They can afford to wait for him to develope.
    
13. Kings: Tristan da Silva - Kings need someone who can contribute right away and da Silva is very NBA ready.
    
14. Blazers: Tidjane Salaun - He's a couple years away, but I see elite 3 and D upside with this guy. Huge potential.
    
15. Heat: Ja'Kobe Walter - Prototypical SG that probably gonna go 6/9 from 3 against my Bucks every time they meet now that he's on the Heat.
    
16. 76ers: Isaiah Collier - This pick is getting traded and Collier has upside some team probably would want.
    
17. Pelicans: Daron Holmes II - Pick and pop big who also can pass and dribble a little bit.
    
18. Magic: Jared McCain - Orlando needs some shooters around their big creators and McCain fits the bill.
    
19. Raptors: Yves Missi - Crazy rim running athlete with hints of passing and shooting upside.
    
20. Cavs: Pacome Dadiet - Very young SF/PF that seems like he can do a bit of everything.
    
21. Pelicans: Bub Carrington - Might need some time, but possible CJ McCollum replacement?
    
22. Suns: Zach Edey - Budenholzer gets his drop scheme big. Leads Suns to a championship 24/25.
    
23. Bucks: Kel'el Ware - Talent wise probably a lottery pick, but does he want it enough?
    
24. Knicks: Nikola Djurisic - SF/PF offensive creator that Thibs will never play.
    
25. Knicks: Kevin McCullar - Maybe Josh Hart can rest a little bit now?
    
26. Wizards: Jaylon Tyson - Wing creator with a nice shot.
    
27. T'Wolves: Taylor Kolek - Monte Morris contract is up and they probably can't pay him. Kolek is a safe back up guard.
    
28. Nuggets: Kyle Filipowski - Nuggets really need a center thats not DeAndre Jordan. Filipowski is solid, but lacks upside.
    
29. Jazz: Dillon Jones - Weird, wonky and chunky smallball PF that just fills up the stat sheet.
    
30. Celtics: Baylor Scheierman - Knock down shooter with nice feel for the game.
    

I want you all to repeat after me "If a sales rep gives me a legit networking or prospecting offer, I will take it"
I have used other sales reps to get me a lot of my referrals. I have opened the doors for everyone from realtors to mechanical contractors, plumbers and cooling tower salesmen. I take meetings with other sales reps all the time and try to connect like-minded people as it's valuable. We all trust referrals inherently more than a random name, even if the referral isn't very strong.
Use this. If a sales rep calls you to sell something, and the person can be educated, take the person in. Give the person a tour of your facility. Meet for lunch, drinks, whatever! The point is when building a network, make sure to include other salespeople into it.
When you walk into a client facility, you can bring much more value if you have a sales network of people you know, like and trust too. I do water treatment, but I try and know everyone who works in boilers, cooling towers, plumbing, air filters, electric, solar, etc etc... anyone who steps into a mechanical room I want to know.
Ok, rant over.

(note: this may be a bit longer than many posts, but it recounts the extraordinary experi4nces of the last few weeks -- and i try to keep it entertaining!)
Last Thursday night (and, late breaking: once again on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning), and not for the first time either, God took over my muscles and made me a comic puppet -- for about 20 minutes. I won’t say “possessed” here because (a) absolutely no pea soup vomiting was involved at any point and (b) I was “in there” and perfectly aware — and possibly could have resisted the actions He was making me perform, the words (and especially noises) he made erupt from my blubbering lips. I chose not to TRY because the only thing better than having God as my co-pilot is having Him sit in the Captain’s chair while *I* take over co-pilot duties, watching closely to pick up tips from His exquisite operation of the machine I call my body.
Or, you know, so as to get tips on being a hack comedian working the Catskills in the Gilded Age. Seriously, the things He has me do, especially if I’ve messed up and need reminding, are like slapstick routines: one second I’ll be saying something self-important or pompouus — anything to demonstrate my vain pride or arrogance — and the next second I’m making weird sounds like baby talk, blowing raspberries and giggling loudly, but briefly because i’ll suddenly fall silent (unable to make any noise for a few seconds). Honestly, I think God fell for Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, absolutely blew out a few gaskets laughing, and declared the Mt Everest of comedy had been summited and from then on, no need to keep tabs on the modern comics - unless He needed to mine their acts for spicy au currant slang through which sullen urban teens might be approached.
For example: His favorite (to date) way of puncturing my puffed up pride is to have me hook a forefinger into the side of my cheek and PULL in some direction, like I’m a trout in a stream about to be landed in the bottom of some dinghy — typically at the same time having me blow raspberries with my flapping lips — you know, like all the funniest comedians from Henny Youngman through Milton Berle are — excuse me, WERE — wont to do.
After enduring a 12-groaner session (my measurement units for the intensity and frequency of the Dad Jokes and 3 Stooges’ pratfalls I’d experienced that evening), I offered my services as a tutor in post-WW2 comedic styles and advances, and perhaps as line editor of His drafts during this transitional period, but was rebuffed. What do I know? The 3 Stooges probably tap into utterly primal human experience, making them out of time more than behind the times. But the bottom line is that my God has a sense of humor, one that has an ornery, smart-assed prankster sensibility that would have made Johnny Knoxville blush (and then rush to ink a 3 picture deal), as the dark matter story well demonstrates.
See, it occurred to me (or the thought was provided to me) that the answer He gave me about dark matter (I actually asked at one point in this communication ive been having, “so what is dark matter, anyway?” and the next night He answered that prayer with a vision for me to interpret, but clearly in response to this question —but that’s another story) was a prank. I’m convinced that He punked me on that one — He fed me a bullshit story, then sat back and laughed when I went around repeating it, perfectly credulous and more than a bit awed.
when I challenged Him with this theory, HE DID NOT DENY THIS, in fact, He seemed pleased when I laughed and praised His sense of humor.
Oh how weird is all this, how weird but utterly wonderful? Has anyone else had similar experiences of 1-on-1 communication, with or without giving over control of your body?
And you know what? I love Him all the more for it, for bringing me down a few pegs, for laughing at me and encouraging me to do the same, for mirroring my biological father’s ornery clever-yet-dated sense of humor, and for not sending the lightning bolt when I told several “that’s what she said” jokes! [fn]
Footnote: Most recently, I was doing my gratitude list, and I thanked Him for my new kitten Alia, remarking that He must have known that she would “open my heart,” and once that had happened, He showed up and “filled me up in the most wonderful way.”
(beat)
That’s what she said!”

Anyone else think that its weird that the rank stops at Diamond. Maybe its because im use to Diamond being the upper mid rank in every game but I wish this game had 3 more ranks. I saw a picture of Ruby rank back in the closed beta and just saw it again on Ottrs YT page, but even if they do add Ruby in season 3 I wish 2 additional ones would be added on top of that. 2 above Diamond and another one above that thats top 500 only, presumably ruby as the top 500 one since The Finals main color scheme is red.
Also, since I haven't seen anyone recommend what those additional ranks would be called, in addition to Ruby, Im putting in my vote for Sapphire and Emerald. Specifically so we not only have an opportunity to get a red ruby skin, but also a green emerald and blue sapphire skin as well.
Having 6 different obtainable skins from gold to ruby would make alot of people more eager to play rank and not get frustrated because they couldn't get to the shiny Diamond skin. Especially since the Diamond skin would now be the first of 4 shiny skins in this scenario.
What do you guys think? You picking up what im putting down?