300 with free shipping. Whoever gets it gets it. This sign is 26x18x4. Very big.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/315342901632?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=sSsdlOwOQki&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=sSsdlOwOQki&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I see a lot of people say things like living world used to be free and now it’s expensive cause it’s bundled with the expansion and is small. Or various other arguments about the cost and quality of SotO vs other expansions, HoT & PoF in particular. I thought it would be interesting to go back and look at the numbers. Sometimes I participate in arguments to and I really should be saying accurate things myself.
When living world first came out, the base game was buy to play @ $60. And you had to own the game to access it. LWS1 never cost anything but each release was somewhere between as small as pressing f on some signs for refugees or as big as the Tower of Nightmares and then literally disappeared from the game 3 weeks later. An attempt to get us to log in from extreme FOMO.
LWS2 consists of 8 content drops that cost 200 gems, 160 gems each if bought bundled for $16. Required owning the base game. ANet made a decision at the time that IF you login during the correct time period per episode that you can have it for free in the hopes they’d make up for the difference in gem sales but 200 gems has always been the “box price” for these episodes.
HoT cost $50 at release and consisted of the expansion drop plus 6 content drops (LWS3, which cost 160 gems each if you buy it all as a bundle. So LWS3 cost $12.
PoF cost $30 at release and consisted of the expansion drop plus 6 content drops (LWS4, which again cost $12 unless you met the same criteria that was supposed to get you to spend more in the gem store.
IBS, an attempt to quit having to make expansions, was 6 content drops for $12 or free if you again met the free-ness criteria that was meant to get you to drop money in the gem store. It still requires you to own PoF though so in order to play it you had to buy PoF.
EoD cost $30 and consisted of the expansion drop andof 2 small content drops (Gyala Delves) or 7 if you consider the LWS1 re-release to be content which many in the community don’t, but at best it’s double dipping.
SotO costs $25 and consists of the expansion drop plus 3 small content drops which you receive as part of the expansion regardless of when you buy it or whether you log in during a certain period of time.
I see the old model as a business putting a sign on the door saying “free stuff” to get you in the door to buy other more expensive things and then leaving the “free stuff” sign up in the door forever after and saying “whoops forgot to take the sign down that’ll be $5 please”. Whereas the “free stuff” being advertised now is worth less and everything else has gone up in price but at least the sign isn’t a lie later on.
This is how businesses like ANet and NCSoft view things.
GW2 base game in the LWS1 era, $60 with FOMO dialed up to 11 to try to push gem sales.
GW2 base game in the LWS2 era, $76 with LWS2, discounted to $60 if you participate in the FOMO to push gem sales.
HoT, $62 with LWS2, discounted to $50 if you participate in the FOMO to push gem sales.
PoF, $54 with LWS4 & IBS, discounted to $30 if you participated in 3 years of FOMO to push gem sales.
EoD, $30 as is, no living world FOMO cause we have to panic and re-release LWS1 so the Steam release doesn’t flop and the player base will revolt if we attach gems to it. And we threw Gyala Delves in there to wrap up EoD in a bow so we can move to the new model.
Soto, $25 as is, with Wizard Vault seasons, constant in game bonus events, and 3 content patches included in the box price to create a constant low level FOMO to drive gem sales.
Additional sales as needed get new people to buy old “free” content and skins.
Personally, I think the cost of the content is the most honest it’s ever been.
I’m fine with being cynical here, and have been cynical to ANets reason for previous and current business models here. SotO is definitely designed to create more consistent profit for the company while managing a smaller workforce.
If we spread the cost of content out over time, the game cost $170 if you participated in 100 percent of the FOMO so $15.50 per year (including some extreme content droughts.) Compared to $25 per year that certainly can seem like a 61% cost increase for what has certainly been a mediocre story in Inner Nayos so far.
Even jf you didn’t participate in the FOMO it cost $222 over the years, so $20.20 per year, less if you caught sales or buy the complete collection today. So a 24% cost increase.
If we compare per expansion though, SotO is less than half the bundled price of the core, HoT, or PoF eras individually and around 15% cheaper than EoD.
For people who primarily care about story and new maps, I get it. For story and map content alone, if this is going to be the quality going forward over multiple annual expansions it’s a disappointment that costs more over time.
I would argue that the increased game balance frequency, consistent bonus events, numerous QoL improvements, increased attention to WvW and PvP (something is more than nothing), increased communication, actual bug fixes for old content, and improved frequency of new open world and instanced content (hopefully consistency of quality improves there too) is worth the dollars, despite the story.
I’d really like a better story. ANet please learn things from Inner Nayos and Gyala Delves in particular. Those adorable Kryptis Quaggans should probably be trying to eat my face, not apples, and a battle to fight through Eparch’s queens forces should make me break a sweat. If neither Peitha or Isgarren betray me next week I’ll probably quit the game for a month.

***DISCLAIMER**\*
Large and heavy packages can be quite expensive to ship. Potential buyers should keep this in mind when inquiring about a game.
Cost for packing and shipping of most of these items will fall between $20-$100 depending on size and weight with exceptionally large/heavy or small/light orders likely falling outside this range.
No international shipping.
***DISCLAIMER END**\*
Below are the games I have for sale. The number in brackets refers to the condition of the item based on the 5 point grading system used in this subreddit (check the post formatting guide for details). All games will be shipped through UPS and buyer pays packing and shipping.
Procedure and Payment:
Games will be brought to UPS store to determine the packing and shipping price and then packed and shipped from there. Some games may already be packed if new. I will request a phone number to be able to text the buyer pictures, information, and updates on when I'm going to UPS and when to deliver payment.
Payment accepted through Paypal Goods and Services. Payment will be accepted after final shipping cost is calculated and before the shipment is sent off. Buyer will then receive a picture of the receipt with tracking number and the expected delivery date.
Buyers who wish to use their own labels can potentially create them and email me the file to print. I can do this if the items to be shipped are not exceptionally large or numerous as I would have to bring them to UPS to be weighed and measured for boxing. Alternatively, if the game is new and still in shipping box, I can take the measurements myself and the weight is usually listed on the shipping box.
Crossed out items have already sold.
Bonus Games:
In addition, I'm offering a free bonus game for the first $30 spent and every $200 spent total (not counting shipping). So a bonus game at $30, $200, $400, $600, etc. Bonus games will come from the freebie list below (oldecheap used games I've set aside as rewards). You will get to choose from the available rewards on a first come first serve basis while supplies last or you can forgo the free games to potentially save on shipping.
Games for Sale:
Godtear KS gameplay all in [5] - $200
Hellboy 1st KS gameplay all in + 3D Doors & Scenery [5] - $200
Cthulhu Wars KS Onslaught 2 gameplay all in [3] and Onslaught 3 gameplay all in [5] - $700
Glorantha: The God's War 1st KS all in [5] - $400
Black Rose Wars 1st KS gameplay all in + sleeves [5] - $200
Masmorra: Dungeons of Arcadia KS gameplay all in + treasure chests [3] - $100
Xenoshyft: Dreadmire KS gameplay all in (original and dreadmire content) [3] - $100
Mythic Battles: Pantheon KS 1 [4] & KS 2 [5] gameplay all in - $400
Arcadia Quest 1st KS gameplay mostly all in (missing few KS excl. heros) + sculpted tokens [3] & 2nd KS gameplay all in + sculpted tokens [4] - $300
Mechs vs Minions Wave 1 [4] - $70
LOAD: League of Ancient Defenders KS gameplay all in + all epic heroes & tower minis [4] - $60
Aeon's End KS [3], War Eternal KS [3], & Legacy KS + 1 reset pack [5] gameplay all in - $100
I Am the Fourth Wall [4] - $15
Ravage: Dungeons of Plunder KS [3] - $15
Sword & Sorcery KS 1 gameplay all in [3] - $100
Deep Madness KS 1 and KS 2 gameplay all in + plastic tokens, devour bag, and storage box [4] - $350
Folklore: The Affliction KS 1 & KS 2 gameplay all in + neoprene mats & terrain pack & extra dark oak [3] - $100
Human Interface: Be a Better Human KS gameplay mostly all in PVC/Metal preassembled models [5] - $25
Castle Panic + Wizard's Tower Exp. + The Dark Titan Exp. [3] - $15
The Undercity [3] - $15
Arkham Horror Card Game: Machinations Through Time Scenario Pack [5] - $12
Limbo: Eternal War 1.0 KS gameplay all in [5] - $100
Sine Tempore KS gameplay all in [5] - $200
Level 7 Omega Protocol 2nd Edition KS all in [4] - $70
Freebie List:
Posthumous Z [3]
Earth Reborn [3]
Pandemic + On the Brink Exp. [3]
Tomb Cryptmaster [3]
Banner Saga Warbands KS [4]
Shadowrun Crossfire + High Caliber Ops Exp. [3]
Hostage Negotiator [4]
Warrior Knights [3]
Let's Kill Card Game + Exps. [3]
Anima Card Game + Exp. [3]
Zombie State [3]
Cutthroat Caverns + 2 Exps. [3]
Quarriors [3]
Mansions of Madness 2nd edition [3]

People laugh when I try to explain this shoe to them but I have not been able to find them for sale ANYWHERE since I owned them.
A new run of Nike Full Force lows just got advertised to me and the general look/details reminded me of the aforementioned shoe.
If it helps, a further description from what I remember: •Triple White colourway (Outer, sole & inner) •Slight dip on the rear (Where your heel/achilles would rest. Similar to Flight ‘89s) •”FORCE” on the back •A basketball with “FORCE” under it on an embroidered strip on the tonge, similar to Dunks. •Rubbesole was more akin to Dunks, but were slightly leaning towards AF1 style. Could be misremembering that though. •For some reason, I can never get the thought out of my head that they were advertised as a Zoom variant when I bought them way back when, but I could be wrong.
These were the comfiest Nikes I’ve ever owned so if someone can identify these for me, it’d be greatly appreciated.

I don’t know why it’s not showing my posts. I’ve tried to make three posts to inform people. Not to use Tree stuff if you are in a pinch. Yes they have exclusive gear, but they like to manipulate and say ships same to next day. And it does not they also like to use plural words. Like weights. And show you a picture of 4 weights and tell you they are on sale so you think you will be getting four weights but when you get it, you will get one and the free gift is nonsense. The best thing they can give people is the headbands to keep the sweat and dust out of our hair. . One time I ordered a spider jack three . And waited for over six months for it. No lie. I called. I got told they weren’t in stock. Until I finally called back and acted like a different person from a different number and the guy said yes we have one right here I said good you can give me the one I’ve been waiting for over a half of year for. They got so embarrassed that they sent me a free zigzag with my spider jack. you get a hold of the right person. Their customer service can be on point at times and they do try to make up for what they do but they did not this time. They left me screwed finally sent my rope.that I had to complain about to get. Because that’s what I needed and I got nothing I ordered a brand new beehive proto helmet . A circular Weaver triple tier throw line bag. A brand new throw line 150 foot rope. And what I thought to be for throw weights. And throw line . And carabiners. They never sent a receipt. I have never gotten my carabiners. They took the money from my account and I finally got my rope weeks later . to say they do have good products but Good Luck if they are in stock if you got time to wait, I would say go ahead and play with them if not, go to someone else like Bartlett or arbor Pro

Opinions on my current situation
Dropped out of college as a freshman (paying for my own college / living expenses), because I was promoted to a full time Project Manager at the mortgage based law firm I was part time at, at 19yo. I then spent 8 years in the mortgage industry with a comfortable work from home job making close to 100k towards the end.
Post covid, there were no mortgage jobs available. I then went to work for a healthcare SaaS startup as an SDR and moved to AE in 5 months. Pay is shit, didn’t get a base pay raise from SDR to AE. I’ve been here for about 1.5yrs, and sales are very difficult to make here with more established competitors.
A) Do I stick it out to get more sales (AE) experience on my resume and then apply for higher compensating AE roles?
B) Do I keep just keep applying right now to different AE jobs that are more fruitful?
I’ve had interviews with Fortune 500 companies and companies in the same field as me, and I seem to lose out to new grads with no sales experience.
C) Also considering taking a hiatus and going back to school for business or potentially computer science, idk. Less pay and an hour commute is driving me up a wall.
Not quite sure where to go from here being that the Fed ended my mortgage career.
Thanks for any advice.

I’m wanting to start a new run of DS2 and am looking for some weapon recommendations. This game has so many unique and cool weapons compared to the other souls games that I find it difficult to choose.
So I want to just get some recommendations for weapons. They can be anything really wether they are Dex, Strength, int or faith it doesn’t matter to me.
Hell you can even recommend me some spells, I’m down for any playstyle really.

Date: 05/14/2024

Reading time: 10 minutes, 2146 words

🪖 Military

Armenian army holding strategic command, staff drills

Live firing will be carried out using automatic control systems and modern equipment.

PanArmenian

Armenian Armed Forces conduct strategic exercises

The exercises aim to test the practical implementation of plans for the deployment and use of the Armed Forces of Armenia. They also aim to study the possibilities of various uses of forces and means of reinforcement.

Armenpress

UN Committee against Torture points out killings, torture against Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians committed by Azerbaijan

The UN Committee against Torture pointed out extra-judicial killings and ill-treatment of ethnic Armenians committed by Azerbaijan during an armed conflict and “anti-terrorism operations” in Nagorno-Karabakh in its report published on 10 May. The Committee also expressed concerns over the continued detention of 23 people for alleged terrorism and related offences.

ArkaAm

Arkady Ghukasyan's detention period has been extended by another 5 months

Arkady Ghukasyan was arrested in September 2023, after a one-day war against Artsakh. The Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of financing terrorism, financing terrorism. 22 more Armenian servicemen and civilians are in Azerbaijan.

CivilNet, Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months

🏛️ Politics & Government

More than 9,900 forcibly displaced people from Artsakh have left Armenia

As of May 1, 16,585 forcibly displaced persons left Armenia by air and land, and 6 returned. PM Nikol Pashinyan denied this number, adding that as in the case of RA citizens, Artsakh residents are also leaving.

CivilNet

Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia

At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan.

PanArmenian

Some Russian border guards to stay in Armenia — Bortnikov

Russia will continue to deploy some of its border guards in Armenia, says Alexander Bortnikov. Russian border guards will protect Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran, he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to end the presence of Russian guards in some regions of Armenia.

Armenpress, Russian border guards to continue service on Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran

Border issues should be resolved so that they do not become a casus belli for Azerbaijan to attack Armenia - Swiss MP

Stefan Müller-Altermatt: Armenia-Azerbaijani border issues must be resolved at some point. The terrible legacy of Stalin must be overcome, he says, because otherwise they are always a possible casus belli that Azerbaijan can use to attack Armenia. The meeting of Armenia-EU-US in Brussels on April 5 was of enormous importance.

Armenpress

Disobedience actions resumed in the center of Yerevan from early morning, 38 participants were detained

Activists of the "Tavush for the Motherland movement and their supporting citizens block the streets and intersections as part of the awareness campaign. The opposition movement opposes the policy of the authorities regarding border demarcation with Azerbaijan.

ArkaAm

Armenian PM, Danish Parliament Speaker discuss cooperation across various fields

The parties discussed issues pertaining to cooperation between the parliaments of Armenia and Denmark, as well as cooperation across various fields. The parties expressed hope that the visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia to Denmark will give a new impetus to the development of multi-sectoral relations between the two countries.

Armenpress, Nikol Pashinyan stresses the importance of continuing democratic reforms to eliminate corruption in Armenia, Armenian premier hopes for steadfastness in border delimitation process between Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Armenia has made enormous progress in strengthening democratic institutions - Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss regional security, Armenian PM invites Danish counterpart to pay official visit to Yerevan, Pashinyan discussed RA-EU cooperation with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Democracy a strategy for Armenia։ PM Pashinyan participates in Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, Danish Prime Minister accepts invitation to visit Armenia

We look forward to the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund - Pashinyan

Prime Minister Pashinyan says Yerevan is now looking forward to EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. He also expressed hope that negotiations with the EU on visa liberalization will begin. Armenia is now developing defense cooperation with India, France and other countries.

Armenpress, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Pashinyan makes wish: to see Armenia joining EU

The war in our region was a preface to further developments - Nikol Pashinyan

Nikol Pashinyan says the war in the South Caucasus was a preface to further developments, and world order is collapsing now, PM says. The Prime Minister emphasized that democracy did not emerge in Armenia simply due to circumstances. He said the security situation was complicated and is even more complicated now.

Armenpress

A meeting is scheduled between Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova in Geneva

A delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, will be in Geneva on a working visit from May 15th to 18th. A meeting between the President of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova is planned as part of the visit on May 16.

Armenpress, Alen Simonyan will meet with the head of the Parliament of Azerbaijan on May 16, President of Armenia’s National Assembly to meet Azerbaijani counterpart in Geneva, The meeting between the Speaker of the RA National Assembly and the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan will take place in Geneva, Armenian, Azerbaijani Parliament Speakers to meet in Geneva

OSCE Chair-in-Office considers border demarcation agreement between Yerevan and Baku a “step in the right direction"

Ian Borg, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, met Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev in Baku. The recent agreement on border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a “step in the right direction”

Armenpress, We are ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in achieving peace. OSCE Chairman-in-Office

Belgium welcomes negotiations between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium welcomed the recent negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The negotiations took place between Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

Armenpress, Belgium welcomes new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Almaty

US continues to believe that peace in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is possible - Vedant Patel

The parties agreed to continue negotiations on the establishment of peace and interstate relations. The ministers met both in a trilateral format with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

Armenpress, State Department says it believes in achieving peace in Nagorno-Karabakh region, U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Armenia is waiting for the decision to join the European Peace Foundation. Pashinyan

Pashinyan: We are waiting for the decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. The fund was established in 2021 to promote world peace, prevent conflicts and supply non-lethal weapons to countries in need. In mid-April, the media wrote that a preliminary agreement was reached in Brussels to provide 10 million euros to Armenia from this fund, but Hungary blocked the decision.

CivilNet

EBRD provides Armenia with 12 million euros for construction of customs and logistics center in Syunik

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €10 million to Armenia to finance the construction of a customs and logistics centre in the Syunik region. The project is part of the EBRD’s Refugee Crisis Response and includes an integration programme for refugees.

ArkaAm, EBRD, EU partner with Acba bank for Armenian firms, EBRD funds customs and logistics centre in Syunik, Armenia

Armenia's membership in CSTO is an issue for further discussion

Armenia's continued membership in the CSTO is an issue for further discussion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. He noted that Armenia is formally a member of the organization, but its participation in the organization is frozen. Armenia recorded that the “red line” was passed during the Azerbaijani invasion in May 2021.

ArkaAm

The United States is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO - Blinken

The United States is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO and will later introduce it to the Alliance. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced this in Kyiv. According to him, Western allies should take another important step – force Russia to pay for the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine.

Armenpress, Blinken arrives in Kyiv to reassure Ukraine of US support

Independent audit finds more irregularities in Armenian ruling party’s finances

Independent audit into the financial reporting practices of Armenia's ruling political party finds more irregularities. CivilNet and Infocom, another local news site, raised concerns over how it sources campaign donations. The audit found Civil Contract accepted a number of donations that were made anonymously or were above the maximum campaign contribution amount allowed for individuals.

CivilNet

It is time to dissolve the Minsk Group. Aliev

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said it is time to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group and its related institutions. He said there is no reason for the Armenian side not to agree to it.

CivilNet

Georgia passes controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill despite widespread opposition

Georgia's parliament passes controversial 'foreign agents' bill. Lawmakers vote 84-30 in favor of the bill, which will require organizations to register as "agents of foreign influence" President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to veto it.

ArmRadio

Family of Ilham Aliyev’s security chief owns vast property in UK

As head of security for Azerbaijan’s president, Eyyubov is closely trusted by one of the world’s most authoritarian leaders.

PanArmenian

💵 Economy

EDB noted the key factors of deflation in Armenia

Consumer prices in Armenia decreased by 0.7% year-on-year in April, after decreasing by 1.2% last month. The deflation is concentrated in the food segment, in April food prices decreased by 4.5%. In the 2024 state budget, inflation was fixed at 4% (±1.5%)

ArkaAm

Grigori Zakaryan: “Capital markets have crucial importance for economic development.”

A panel discussion titled: ‘Capital Markets, Challenges and Development Prospects’ will be held as part of EBRD’s annual meeting. The capital market in Armenia is a newly emerging and developing institution with unique opportunities and challenges for development. Capital markets are influenced not only by the course of large economies central banks’ monetary policies but also by important geopolitical events.

ArkaAm

⚽ Sport

"The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" to be held for the third time

The third edition of "The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" team steeplechase tournament for schoolchildren will take place on May 17-18. The event will be hosted in the vicinity of Dilijan's Parz Lake. A total of 11 teams, each comprising 7 students (5 boys and 2 girls), will compete in the tournament.

Armenpress

Donations to Armenia:

Himnadram
ServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund

OC
In the far future, mankind is surrounded by neighbours that rule over their citizens with an iron first and no regard for their happiness, either in the name of a select few families with noble blood, absolute monarchs or tyrants that claim to serve the interests of their nations while their actions suggest otherwise.
It is a sickening thought and certain individuals would not stand for this. Many species were flabbergasted when they learned so many humans were willing to meddle in the affairs of their neighbours, even more were shocked to learn that these endeavours were not funded by any human government for the sake of destabilising potential rivals.
It was a voluntary effort.
[----------------------------------------]
If Mesch could describe the current microcycle, she’d call it tiring, soul-crushing even, she had no choice but to overwork herself to pay off her debt to the state. After the brother of her father was falsely charged with high treason and shipped off, all of her immediate family-including her-was charged the appropriate price for being the acquaintance of a dissident. The dread residing in her heart only grew stronger as she made her way back to her meager apartment-dwelling, the thought of the massive debt and the cost of living only served to wear her mind down.
“Hello miss, did you know you have rights?” Mesch’s ears perked up at the sudden barrage of noise directed at her, turning to look at the source, she found a strange, seemingly furless biped looking at her. She exhaled from her snout, as if she didn’t have anything better to do…she had recently gotten off her twelfth consecutive overtime shift and the last thing the drowsy nersk needed was a speech about- “You actually do and since I’m here, I’m willing to tell you all about it” The biped was holding plenty of pamphlets in its first appendage and a clipboard in the second. Whatever it wanted to tell her must have been important enough to stand in the same spot for an indefinite amount of time, Mesch decided to humour the strange alien, stopping in her tracks and focusing exclusively on the being in front of her.
"Enlighten me then, what rights do I have?” She came to the conclusion that the alien ignored the sarcasm in her response, seeing that it was thick enough to pierce. She had nothing to her name besides the clothes on her person and what little she had in her apartment-dwelling. The alien handed her a pamphlet, why not? She had come this far, may as well go the whole way. It was written fluently in the language of her people and the information it divulged immediately drew her attention.
-The average Nerski adult works an average of ten human hours for six human days every human week with for the same criminally low wages. This is twenty nerski mini-cycles every twelve nerski micro-cycles every nerski mega-cycle. That is humiliating, grating and unacceptable. Besides being deprived of overtime rates, the average nerski adult is robbed of their sense of safety in their own dwelling, the nerski authorities need no one’s written permission to invade and sack someone’s dwelling for evidence of a crime, perceived or not. The average nerski citizen has no say in who governs them or the measures they may enact at any given moment. The average nersk is not free. But you can be, if you ask the nearest F.F.F advocate for more information. Freedom Forever Foundation-
Something just did not sit well with her about this, was she supposed to work less? Was she supposed to be paid more for the unskilled labour she provided? Was she being taken advantage of? The intrusive thoughts did not let her already weary mind rest, for she had a myriad of questions that urgently needed answering. “I…I want to know more” Mesch did not bother masking the tone of her voice, it sounded equally tired and pleading, desperate for answers to the questions that only kept appearing with each passing second.
The face of the alien brightened by a considerable amount, quickly withdrawing something from the bag on their back. In that span of seconds that felt like a lifetime she remembered the race the odd sentient in front of her belonged to, humans. Not new to FTL technology by any means, but still treated like children in many political-and social-circles thanks to being the newest addition to the Neutral Cooperation Concord. “Glad your rights concern you…this is the information kit, spread the word” A beige folder was handed to her, it was almost as thick as her arm, the scandalous information…the pull it had on her, it was hellish! The promise of relief almost made her knees buckle under the pressure of her need to know.
“One more thing…can I have your signature? I will sooner burn the page than let it fall in the hands of nerski authorities…you have my word” She didn’t need to be pressured to sign and she did so eagerly, carefully hiding the illicit materials within her clothes with shaky hands. ‘Thank-” The human did not get to thank her in time, noticing a single file line of nerski plain clothes enforcers closing in on them, picking up speed when he started backing away. “Unfortunately this is where we part ways…now go!” The last glimpse of the human she caught was him getting swarmed by the enforcers “Liberty fears no tyrant! FREEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!” Mesch’s attempts at leading the human away had failed, tears threatened to spill out of the corners of her eyes the longer she ran yet she had no other choice. If only she could see him again…
Almost an entire megacycle latehuman month later…
Mesch was returning from work, this time she failed to evade the treacherous weather, opting to withstand it and head back home through the camped alleyways leading to that fabled square she had met the human at. She sighed, stopping for a bit and sitting down, squeezing her long ears to get what little water had gathered in there out again. That was when a familiar voice caressed her ears once more. “Hello miss, did you know you have rights?” Her head spun around a little too quicker than she liked, causing some pain to her neck but ultimately ignoring it in favour of finding the source of that blessed voice.
“Of course you do, you’re the first one!” The same human from before sat next to her, shielding her from most of the raindrops thanks to his larger size. “Also I’m now considered a political dissident and there’s an active warrant out for my detainment but that’s not the important thing here! It is this…” The same clipboard came into her view, this time filled with plenty more signatures and from the looks of things there were more pages under the one on top, all filled to the brim with signatures as well. “Whoever has it out for me sure doesn’t like it when people think on their own”
Mesch…was stunned, she had convinced herself the human would never see the light of day again and yet here he was, staring at her with that same smile, the same smile with the same, if not larger, amount of defiant spirit brewing behind it. “How did you?...”
"I am a vessel for liberty, as long as it exists somewhere, I will not be stopped” The human stood up and offered her his hand, she accepted it and after getting pulled up on her feet he showed her another pamphlet, this time it talked about a protest right outside the presidential palace, it was suicidal to say the least…which was why Mesch thought she had finally flown off the handle when she accepted without second-guessing herself.
“So…there are more like me?” Hope filled her heart, it was good, way too good to be true. “Not just more…way, wayyy more! Now come, I will get us there with the Liberty mobile!” She soon found herself strapped inside a vehicle of signature human design, heading straight to the presidential palace, her stomach flipping at the mere sight of the crowd gathered at the meeting point. Chanting slogans, phrases, speeches that at any other point in time she would have rejected as crazy and meant to destabilise the nation her people had built over many lifetimes. They got out and marched with the rest of the assembled nersk until they hit a chokepoint, lines upon lines of enforcers ready to meet them halfway , they were not scared or intimidated, they were ready.
Before long, either due to their own initiative or an order from a higher up, the enforcers were set loose on the crowd. Bashing, bruisng and shooting with electrically-charged pellets, trying their damnest to scare the crowd away. Mesch was scared but she would not flee, for the life she lived before this grand event was nothing more than celebrated slavery. Enforcers descended on her and the human, she was badly beaten but before any serious harm could befall her the human shielded her and proceeded to drive back the enforcers hellbent on killing her without even fighting back , the only weapon in his name was his own body and he did not use it as a weapon, only a a shield.
A few moments before she fainted from the overwhelming pain, she could hear the battle cry she had heard only once before and a sense of comfort, a painful but satisfying end to her life of misery.
This would have been the case if she hadn’t woken an indeterminate amount of time later in a hospital, with none other than the same human sitting besides her, watching her. “Slept well? You deserve it after all these bruises” It was painful to move and for the second time, she ignored it. Twisting just enough to be able to hug the human. “Thank you for everything” The human hugged her back, comforting her with the warmth only his words had provided so far. “You shouldn’t thank me, I was doing my moral duty…there is someone else you should be embracing right now” Behind the human stood another nersk, it was uncle Vinow, the same uncle that had gotten dragged off by the secret police. Tears of happiness overwhelmed her and she soon hugged both of them.
“Some sympathetic soul leaked the coordinates to several blacksites holding political prisoners and from the looks of things this isn’t the last act of defiance we’re going to be hearing about, while you were unconscious I was ferrying as many prisoners back and forth to the capital….Congratulations Mersch, your people have embraced freedom. Enjoy it, your blood, sweat and tears have finally paid off”
[-----------------------------]
[My HFY-themed discord server](http:// https://discord.gg/KQeBuv88EB)

"In the heart of this darkness, the human spirit alit and led the world to peace. The contest between the Surgix and the Arfim had escalated and the Surgix had shown that they were capable of harmful actions equal to those that humans are capable of. The Surgix continued to cause harm to the Arfim until the humans intervened. It is not the fault of the humans that the Surgix refused to cease, and that the humans resorted to eliminating all of the Surgix and dismantling their infrastructure with the use of projected explosive tools they categorize as 'weapons'. The humans obviously hesitated when the Surgix were in orbit to continue the contest. See the evidence that the humans attempted to warn the Surgix that they were being perceived as a threat before they reduced the star fleet to zero." Grand Defender Osowl Fitten described the actions of the humans of Tarnak. To the humans in the courtroom, she looked like some kind of armored sea otter and her setting on the servo preferred to translate her words in the voice of Park Eun-Bin, a human she admired. Her defense relied on showing that the humans had fought humanely and to protect the Arfim from the aggressions of the Surgix.
"In conclusion, I'd like to mention that projections of what the Surgix would have done to the Arfim would result in the extinction of the Arfim, had not the humans intervened. Because the humans do not have the means or the methods that would have resolved this any other way, their only other option would be to step aside and allow the Surgix to continue their campaign against the Arfim. It is not in human nature to stand idle and watch innocents suffer, without feeling compelled to intervene.
We have already accepted human nature, but we have not accepted the human species into Cave Gods And Friends Association. Since humans are not part of our allegiance, should their actions be held to our governing, or to our policies? Should they be required to follow our rules, and also receive no privileges or protections? The humans acted independently, and yet, with the exception of the nature of their actions, the spirit of their efforts does seem to align with our way of doing things."
Osowl Fitten sat down and closed her flax-colored eyes. Behind her the commanders of the human military were seated, wearing their uniforms with chevrons representing their degree of knowledge of warfare, a distinctly human endeavor. Unfortunately, the degree of human warfare so greatly exceeded the nasty business of the Surgix horde, that the result was the swift and efficient eradication of all Surgix equipment, fortifications and the Surgix themselves, who were actually killed by the humans - but only as a last resort when the Arfim refugees were pursued into human territory. Images of the humans firing warning shots and using sound amplifiers with recordings of Surgix in distress to attempt to warn the Surgix before they committed to using harmful actions on them.
When nothing would stop the Surgix advance, the humans were triggered into a state of war, and then they used harmful actions to remove all things Surgix, resulting in a morbid peace, during which the Arfim began to recover and rebuild, with human assistance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, bringers of peace and harmony, esteemed artists, conflict-resolvers, lend to me your attention." The Blue Light Watcher, a species the humans saw as anthropomorphic tarantulas, had a device that instantly spoke in perfect mechanical English, whatever her urticators vibrated. Her name was Exalted Inquisitor Ghox Byle, and like Osowl Fitten, she had an exceptionally successful career.
"Two years ago, the Surgix sued for peace. This is because the humans attacked them on Tarnak IV, the last remaining colony of the Surgix in the Tarnak System. The severity and brutality of this attack must be noted. It does not show any sort of restraint until after the Surgix surrendered. Even after the Surgix had surrendered, individual human soldiers killed Surgix that were trying to surrender. Therefore, despite the description of the Battle of Tarnak and the repelled Surgix Invasion of Tarnak, there was a third, much darker chapter in which the human generals decided to attack the remaining Surgix forces before they could possibly launch a second invasion attempt.
This sort of excessive use of violence is a uniquely human capability. Not even the Surgix were ready to engage humans in this sort of contest. The Surgix have renounced war, disarmed themselves and have applied for membership in Cave Gods And Friends Association. The humans, they don't even want to join, they have said to us that they don't need our guidance, that they are capable of making moral choices on their own. This arrogance, coupled with their extreme capabilities in conflict resolution, should mean that those among us who have made preparations to deal with the humans, should be allowed to utilize those preparations." Exalted Inquisitor Ghox Byle concluded.
Osowl Fitten stood alone in the interrogation suite. The memory of that courtroom moment was considered by the Sunder tribunal. No Cave Gods were summoned, and Osowl had already stated that she found this to be a court-martial, and her compulsory cooperation was only because her friends were held captive.
An artificial human-sounding voice, not too different from a famous K-Pop singer from the twenty-second century of the humans before their ascension spoke disembodied, translated from the Sunder administration's shadow government, on some distant moon in the Basilik system.
"You think the humans are just trying to get help from the Sunder to make new weapons in preparation for a possible invasion by the Unknown. Why wouldn't you consider that we have no recognition of this mythology? We are not as sentimental about superstitions as the Cave Gods, and we will be the judges this time, for once. No Cave Gods will sit there groveling in prayer and meditation trying to make some higher moral decision. It has become tedious."
"You disregard what unites us. Your cowardice is beneath me. Take me to a proper courtroom and we will formally debate this. Where is Eshka Layenna?" Osowl's eyes were bright red and tinted with jagged black veins. She was outraged by the indignity.
"We have decided to dispose of the prisoners on a timeline aligned with the conclusion of these proceedings." The Sunder said, oddly accenting the English, as though the voice preferred another language, and it was just one more layer to the indignations.
"You show them these defenses of mine, then?" Osowl flittered a yellow shimmer across her eyes and fell silent, considering a different approach.
"Well, are you without any argument? This concludes these proceedings." The hidden Sunder spoke.
"You would not consider the thespian nature of our arrest to be sufficient trade, to warrant our expedition a circus, and therefore overturn the verdict?" Osowl asked. "When I leave I will mention these proceeding concluded with such a question. Perhaps you will consider your reputation as ruthful judges to prioritize over the satisfaction of a precedent of victory over human crime won only with this silly court-martial."
"Uh. No. Well. Actually, we have reconsidered. We admit such a question is entered into these proceedings and that we have heard that question."
"And?" Osowl prompted their response, making a prompting coughing noise.
"We have noted the popularity and uniqueness of the Phoenix Hawk's arrival classifies it as a circus, technically. If that is really what you are claiming, and not to buy weapons?"
"I never intended to buy weapons, nor can I confirm that my companions expected to be able to either. Mostly we just wanted to visit and articulate in-character the mythologies you have said are never more than sentiment. Sounds to me like a circus." Osowl had already thought of her words before they asked, and answered with a quickness that assured her veracity was intact.
"In that case, the verdict is overturned. Unbelievable." said the voice of the Sunder.
"One more thing. Since Eshka Layenna is now free, I veto her reparations be in the form of restoring all forms of her authority as an Exalted Inquisitor, that way you aren't embarrassed by these proceedings." Osowl big brained.
"Of course. That makes perfect sense." the voice decided.
Eshka Layenna was released and her authority was restored promptly. She took her seal and issued a command for the research and development of mass-scale plasma shielding that might protect a fleet of ships from bombardment in space and the manufacture of all forms of ammunition on Admiral Jinar's shopping list. This infuriated Administrator Ihanna Kelele, who was obligated to obey the orders.
As they left, the humans asked about Tarnak IV and Tarnac, the home world of the Riftin. It turned out they were coincidentally named very similarly, but the two planets were in different systems and quite distinct. The humans thought this was funny for some reason.
"Historically your species has the most adaptive sense of humor, but I fear the Riftin might give you humans a run for your money?" Osowl attempted, botching it horribly.
"No! - that's just hilarious, a what for our what?" Jinar and her soldier died laughing.

VTSI reported a revenue decline of 19% to $8.1M and an EPS of $0.11, missing the average analyst estimate of $0.12 for Q1 2024.

Key Metrics

Revenue	$8.1M	-19%
Gross Profit	$5.5M
	Operating Expenses	$4.1M
	Operating Expenses Growth	17%
	Net Income	$1.2M
Earnings Per Share	$0.11
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$22.4M

Business Highlights

• Progressed V-XR launch preparations.
• Continued enhancing content delivery capabilities.
• Continued improving operational efficiencies.

Guidance
Future Business Drivers: - Launch of V-XR. - Integration of new sales strategies and team members.
Expectations: VTSI's reported revenue of $8.1M is below the analysts' average estimate of $8.56M for Q1 2024, marking a -19% growth. The EPS of $0.11 also fell short of the expected $0.12. The company's net income stands at $1.2M, reflecting challenges in revenue growth despite operational efficiencies.

SSTI reported a 23% revenue growth to $25.4 million in Q1 2024, but faced a net loss of $2.9 million due to a 33.5% increase in operating expenses.

Key Metrics

Revenue	$25.4M	23%
Gross Profit	$14.9M
	Operating Expenses	$17.5M
	Operating Expenses Growth	33.5%
	Net Income	$-2.9M
Earnings Per Share	$-0.23	53.3%
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$8.5M

Business Highlights

• Went “live” in ten new cities and one university as well as expanded with two current cities.
• Launched ShotSpotter in Philadelphia, a tier-one city with future growth potential.
• Cross-sold CaseBuilder and CrimeTracer to Newport News, Virginia, which is now equipped with four SafetySmart™ platform products.

Guidance

• Revenue (full year): $104.0 - 106.0M

Future Business Drivers: - Focus on organic sales growth levers to land, expand, cross-sell, and retain customers. - Continued investment in research and development to enhance existing products and develop new solutions. - Expansion into new markets, both domestically and internationally.
Expectations: MISS
SSTI's revenue of $25.4 million slightly exceeded the average analyst estimate of $25.12 million for Q1 2024. However, the EPS of -$0.23 significantly underperformed against the average estimate of -$0.08. The company's net loss widened compared to the analyst expectation of a narrower loss, indicating higher-than-expected operational costs.

VOXX reported a substantial 20.8% decline in total revenue to $108.1 million and a net loss of $21.0 million for Q4 2024, with EPS at -$0.9.

Key Metrics

Revenue	$108.1M	-20.8%
Gross Profit	$21.6M
	Operating Expenses	$47.9M
	Operating Expenses Growth	0.6%
	Net Income	$-21.0M
Earnings Per Share	$-0.9	20%
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$11.0M

Segment Performance

• Automotive Electronics (revenue - $32.6M, profit - $-4.6M, growth - -34.1%) - Lower sales of rear-seat entertainment products and remote start systems.
• Consumer Electronics (revenue - $75.2M, profit - $17.8M, growth - -13.2%) - Decline in sales of premium audio products and other consumer electronics.
• Biometrics (revenue - $0.1M, growth - -75%) - Lower sales to certain customers.

Guidance
Future Business Drivers: - New product launches. - New automotive programs starting in the second half of the year. - Plans to improve margins and lower expenses.
Additional Notes

• The company incurred intangible asset impairment charges of $14.2 million.
• The company incurred restructuring charges of $2.1 million.
• The company paid $42 million to settle the Seaguard lawsuit.
• The company formed a joint venture with GalvanEyes Partners, LLC to operate the collective biometrics business.

Expectations: MISS
VOXX's reported revenue of $108.1 million for Q4 2024 significantly missed the analysts' expectation of $127.22 million, indicating a sharp decline of 20.8% year-over-year. The EPS of -$0.9 also underperformed compared to the previous year's EPS of $0.3, marking a significant downturn in profitability.

Recently, I was reading the 'New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology' and came across a description of the Void-7 seismic charge:
"The explosion it creates sends out a huge shock wave that can easily cut through asteroids, enemy ships, and space stations. Deflector shields are useless against it, and even ships that manage to dodge the shock wave can still get thrown off course or hit by debris."
That's seriously impressive. Capital ships rely heavily on their shields, so this could be a game-changer! Of course, there is cost. I, personally, believed that seismic charges were too pricey to be used in quantity. However, I was quite surprised by the following quote:
Seismic charges were eventually embraced by the pirates, who realized that, if seismic chargers were capable of wiping out pirate fleets, they would be equally effective at slowing down local security forces. Seismic charges in various forms were adopted by assassins, smugglers, spicerunners, and other criminals who could pay substantial sums for the weapons.
So, seismic charges fetch a high price, but they're still being snapped up by pirates and smugglers. I mean, most navies could definitely afford a stash of these bad-boys then! Still, I personally wouldn't want to use them anywhere near my own fleet. It'd be better to have droids like the Hyena Bomber carry them to an enemy capital ship and then...
……………………………….................................BWWWWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM

I think we can all agree that seismic charges are awesome, if only for the satisfying boom they make! What are your thoughts on this?

Weird title but I'll explain...
Around a year ago me and wife planned a trip for later this year to go see the Eras tour in another state. I initially was hesitant because of the cost but I came around because I really wanted to share this experience with my wife. She's a huge fan and I've started to become one myself, so much so I'm actually really excited about our trip.
Then this Sunday her best friend out of the blue text her saying she "loves the new Swift album" and "wishes she could go to the tour with her"... My wife pretty much instantly says her friend can have my ticket.
Of course when she tells me I am not happy. I really want to go with her to share this experience. I've practically turned into a full blown Swiftie - I bought my wife copies of every album with Taylor-themed 3D printed stands, multiple signed vinyls of the new album, all kinds of merch, custom gifts with Taylor lyrics printed all over them... I've tried to be the perfect Swiftie husband. So yeah I'm pretty mad at the fact she just wanted to push me aside for somebody who didn't give AF about Swift two weeks ago.
So we come to the agreement that isn't gonna work... Well now my wife has the idea of selling our 2 floor tix for 3 less expensive tickets. Ok - not ideal but whatever. Well you don't get paid for selling tickets till after the event. Now my wife expects me to cover $7000 until she "might" find someone to buy our tickets. I'm not poor but I'm also not in a position to just loan out seven grand with only a potential chance of repayment. So I tell her I am not comfortable doing that, put our tickets up for sale first to make sure we recoup our money before ommiting to buying new tickets. She isn't comfortable doing that. So guess we are at an impasse then right? Her friend will need to find a ticket...
Well this morning I wake to a bunch of "don't be mad" messages from my wife... She took 7k out of my HELOC to buy these tickets and now is trying to sell ours. So I'm pretty mad about that because at the very least I'm stuck paying hundreds in fees and interest even if she recoups the money spent. She says she might even make a few thousand profit which I guess would be ok.
But I can't shake the fact she at first had no problem offering my ticket to her friend without even asking me. I'm kinda mad her friend isn't talking some sense into my wife as well. Am I wrong here? Am I being unreasonable?